Defeat Heracles

Normally I'd hold a feast with food and drink, but first, let me explain about the "Ark."

Fine with me. I like men who get to the point.

Thank you. I am David, King of Israel. The "Ark" is my Noble Phantasm.

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Yes, that King of Ancient Israel. Is there something on my face?

No, it's nothing. Don't worry about it.

...Psst! Senpai! I thought it was a perfectly valid question to ask. Let's hear him out for now.

Fou.

...Now, before I continue, it seems we've been interrupted. While we're at it, let's recover any edible meat we find.

Anyway, back to our discussion.

The "Ark" is a third-rate Noble Phantasm. If you make someone touch the box, they dieThat's it.

Could it be used for evil? ...Yeah, probably. Strictly speaking, it doesn't belong to me.

It's like a contract that God gave to humanity. It's not easy to steal, but it's bad news if stolen.

What's more, you can't shift it into spirit form.

I'm the Servant summoned to this world along with the actual physical "Ark."

Even if I die, it will remain as long as someone possesses it.

It is said that inside the box lies the stone tablets engraved with the Ten Commandments...

But that's not all. That thing brings literal "death," not just metaphorical.

Anyway... After I heard from Atalante that Jason was after the "Ark"...

I hid in the forest with her, and waited for an opportunity.

We waited for properly summoned Servants, like you.

I was summoned as part of the Argonaut crew, but I didn't lose control of myself like Heracles.

Maybe because I never liked Jason in life, or because I was summoned as an Archer who can act freely.

Either way, once summoned, Jason immediately sought the "Ark."

He kept saying that if he had it, he could be the king of these seas.

Is the "Ark" a representation of kingship?

Hardly. It's just a relic I offered to God when I was a king.

It's not a sign of kingship. It's simply something owned by a king.

...David, may I ask something?

Of course. Ask me anything.

If I were to be sacrificed to this "Ark," what would happen?

If nothing else, that seems to be their goal...

Euryale, right? You were originally a Divine Spirit. If you were sacrificed to the "Ark"

Yeah, this whole era would "die."

Sigh. I thought so.

Huh?

DetailsAfter the fight!

Like I said before, the "Ark" brings death to all things

Sacrificing a soul that exists as a god, regardless of rank, would cause the box to lose control.

The death of a god means the death of the world. The Ark is a disaster from that kind of era.

If this was a normal world, it would only destroy the surrounding area, but, hmm...

This is an unstable place that normally wouldn't exist, right? I doubt such a groundless world like this can survive.

Um, a Singularity, was it? The thing blurring the foundation of human history.

This whole era will disappear without having to wait for its collapse.

There'd be no need to use a weird Holy Grail... or even steal mine, for that matter.

They can use that box to sacrifice a goddess, and at that point it will all be over.

...Why does Jason want to destroy the world so badly?

Who knows? ...He may not even know himself.

Somebody may have convinced him that all he has to do is offer Euryale to the "Ark."

Either way.

We know why they're after this Noble Phantasm, and why we absolutely must stop them.

The question is how do we defeat them... By the way, David, is your class Archer?

That's right. Atalante is an Archer as well.

Talk about unbalanced. Four Archers, a Shielder, and one Pirate...

We're up against Heracles, Medea, and Hektor. We don't have to count Jason, I suppose.

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He's weak. Rather, he's never actually fought.

He's a monster who formed the Argonauts with just charisma and eloquence, but he's no fighter.

But I doubt having one useless member in their party poses any problems for them.

...They have Heracles, after all.

Multiple resurrections from the Twelve Labors. And above all else, his prominent combat techniques.

I don't see how we can beat him.

We, on the other hand, are full of fighters who specialize in long-distance combat.

If we can get him to touch the "Ark," we might be able to instantly obliterate him.

Would he touch it that easily?

It's a what-if. Even a Berserker can sense the magical energy around Noble Phantasms. You'd never walk up to a bomb, right?

If he had no choice but to touch it, then maybe... But how could we force that situation?

Not just Heracles. Medea and Hektor also possess terrifying power.

If all three attack at once, it'll be impossible for us to hold out.

If we could at least lure Heracles away from the others

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...How about we flee with the "Ark" in tow, and wait for an opportunity...

Doctor, just go choke on an expired sesame bun or something.

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How about we hole up? Anywhere like that near here?

Nope. Some cramped pagan catacombs are all this island has.

Even if there were some kind of stronghold here, it wouldn't be enough to hold off Heracles.

Hmm, I suppose you're right.

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Fou? Fou, fou, fou!

What's wrong, Fou? Huh, Master?

Master?

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...Yes?

Oh good, nice, great idea! You're just as reliable a man as I thought!

That's a reasonable strategy. But, besides the Servants, Fujimaru would also be at risk.

Well, I guess that's life. The odds of winning usually go up with your life on the line.

It's quite a gamble. If you fail, you're done. No turning back. A one-shot deal.

So I guess the question is how the enemy will act.

Will Heracles head straight for Euryale?

...Out of countless Heroic Spirits, Heracles is likely in the top tier.

Even though he's Berserker, I doubt he's completely devoid of intelligence.

When he was fighting Asterios, he was dead set on going after Euryale.

...That's the reason Asterios somehow managed to keep up.

Berserkers are easy to lure. The one I can't get a read on is Jason.

He impaled the enemy along with his own ally. Who knows what other cowardly tricks he'll pull off?

No, don't worry about Jason. Trust me. I'm sure he will act this way.

...It's true he's a coward, but, more than that, he places absolute trust in Heracles.

I like Fujimaru's plan. Count me in.

Count me in, too. Since everyone's betting equally, it's fine as long as one of us survives and wins it all.

...What destructive thoughts this guy has. Or is it irresponsibility?

And you, Darling?

Are you expecting something from me, a plush toy?

It's Mash who has it toughest here. She's risking her life on the front line.

Shouldn't Mash decide whether we go through with this plan or not?

...I'm fine. I'll make sure that the plan Master devised succeeds.

Of course, that's contingent on the Doctor's cooperation.

Doctor? You've been silent for a while now. Are you listening?

Of course I'm listening. It's risky, but we don't have any time left. Count me in.

We don't know when or if King David will fall into enemy hands. I'll provide all the backup I can.

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Yes, Master!