[Mordred cannot directly unleash her Noble Phantasm—it's too dangerous. Activating it requires her to remove her helmet.]
[The key is to unleash the Noble Phantasm and blast through. I don't know if it will be effective. If it fails—]
[But Mordred has no other choice.]
[She removes her helmet and charges forward once more.]
[She is still too far from the throne. She must get ten meters closer.]
[Because of the poison gas, her face begins to twitch visibly, but it does not shake her determination to sprint forward.]
[Nine meters.]
[A dense barrage of chains attacks, but Mordred easily cuts them down.]
[Six meters.]
[Another divine fish is summoned, but Mordred, prepared this time, slashes through its jaw in a single strike and steps over its back.]
[Three meters.]
[Semiramis does not counterattack. Instead, she projects a shield made from divine fish scales in front of her.]
[Zero.]
[Without hesitation, Mordred releases the anger she has been accumulating, and a thunderous roar fills the chamber.]
["Clarent Blood Arthur!"]
[The crimson thunder of hatred erupts into a blinding beam of light, surging toward the throne with unstoppable destructive force.]
[The divine fish scales are torn apart as if they were mere scraps of paper, completely unable to withstand Mordred's Noble Phantasm.]
[With a deafening explosion, the throne is shattered but Semiramis is nowhere to be seen.]
["Teleportation..."]
[Mordred stands there, her body trembling as if all her energy has drained away.]
[She had assumed that, given all the defenses Semiramis had set up, the Empress intended to take the attack head-on. Even if her barriers failed, she shouldn't have had time to escape.]
[But she was wrong. She underestimated her opponent.]
Waver: "We were completely played."
Astolfo: "How despicable! She could've just finished her off but chose to toy with her instead!"
Semiramis: "Oh? Should I take that as a compliment?"
Astolfo: "No way! ヾ(≧O≦)〃"
["It seems you've made a fatal mistake."]
[Semiramis appears before Mordred, lightly tapping her on the head.]
["You—bastard!"]
[Mordred swings her sword, but it slices through nothing but air.]
[Semiramis reappears at her side, whispering into her ear.]
["Rebellious knight, why do you think I would bother fighting you directly? Did you believe all your previous enemies were simply fools?"]
[Mordred: "Tch, you have no honor as a Heroic Spirit, and yet you dare to say that..."]
[Semiramis: "Honor? What a joke! I am the oldest master of poison. Let the watchdogs handle direct combat. Why should someone of higher standing bother with such a meaningless contest? I'm not fighting you. I never was. All I needed was for you to fall into my trap."]
["And now, Saber, I will break you."]
[Chains wrap tightly around Mordred's arms and legs, flinging her into a stone pillar with a heavy crash.]
[Mordred tries to raise her sword to cut the chains, but the poison has already taken its toll, her vision is blurry, her body sluggish. Her swing misses entirely, and more chains coil around her, binding her even tighter.]
Semiramis: "Heh. Let's adjust the metaphor. You're no longer a mere insect drawn to the flame, rebellious knight. Now, you're nothing more than a fish caught on my hook."
Tohsaka Rin: "That's brutal."
Mordred: "Damn hag!"
Waver: "This was a complete defeat from beginning to end, wasn't it?"
Kayneth: "Isn't that obvious? Do you think Mordred has any means of turning this around?"
Waver: "Uh... no."
Mordred: "Damn it!"
Artoria: "Sigh..."
Given Semiramis's strength, even Artoria would be in serious danger if she faced her.
If nothing else, the poison alone would leave her in a worse state than Mordred.
Mordred at least had her helmet for protection, Artoria had no means to resist the poison gas.
Avalon can defend and heal wounds, but it cannot neutralize poison.
["Ugh—!" "Guh!"]
[After being struck several more times, Mordred finally erupts in fury, summoning every ounce of strength to rip off the chains binding her body. She lunges toward Semiramis once more.]
[Her vision is completely obscured by the poison, but she relies on instinct alone to locate the Empress's position.]
[She knows it's futile but she has no other options.]
["...That's about it."]
[Semiramis spoke, and Mordred realized just how close they were.]
[Just as Mordred was about to strike with her sword, a searing pain surged through her entire body.]
["Aaaaaagh—!"]
[She thought she had experienced every kind of pain before. But in this moment, that belief was shattered.]
[A sharp, burning agony spread through her, as if sulfuric acid were coursing through her veins. The sheer intensity of the pain rendered her incapable of thought, only endless screams escaped her lips.]
[Semiramis: "This is my second Noble Phantasm—Sikera Ušum. As long as I remain within this audience hall, I am immune to all poisons, and I generate and spread countless toxins through the air. Even the smallest ember I create is laced with poison. So? Does it hurt?"[
[The only response she received was Mordred's continuous screams.]
["I don't know if you can even hear me, but I'll tell you anyway. This poison was never meant for you, it was prepared for Chiron."]
["Are you familiar with the tale of how he relinquished his immortality because he could no longer bear the pain of his wounds? That's right, this is the very same poison, the Hydra's venom. The toxin left behind by the nine-headed serpent slain by Heracles. It was the same poison that ultimately drove Heracles to take his own life."]
["Many great Greek heroes perished to this venom. One of them, despite his immortality, was tormented to the point of begging for death. Can you imagine how entertaining it would be if Chiron were to suffer the same fate—?"]
Chiron: "So, it's Hydra's poison… That explains everything."
Chiron: "That level of toxicity is beyond what any human could possibly endure."
Achilles: "You wretched woman… You would resort to such underhanded tactics?"
Semiramis: "Oh? Have you forgotten that we are on the same side? The ones suffering are our enemies."
Semiramis: "In war, the means don't matter, only the outcome."
Artoria: "Damn it—"
Watching Mordred writhe in agony within the video, Artoria clenched her fists in frustration.
But the Holy Grail War had already ended, and Semiramis had returned to the Throne of Heroes. Otherwise, she would have sought vengeance on Mordred's behalf.
Artoria turned to Chihiro: "Is this poison really that terrifying?"
Chihiro: "Of course. Chiron was tortured endlessly by Hydra's venom, unable to live or die. He had no choice but to relinquish his divinity and embrace death to escape the agony."
Artoria: "Even a warrior like Chiron couldn't endure it…!"
Iskandar: "After all, it's a poison capable of killing even gods."
The First Emperor: "This woman truly lives up to her title as a poisoner. To think she even obtained such a venom… Now, at last, she seems worthy of being an Assassin."
Chihiro: "That's nothing. She can even summon a real Hydra if she wants to."
[Semiramis gazed at Mordred, relishing the sight of her struggling and screaming in agony. A deep, sadistic satisfaction flickered in her eyes as she gracefully stepped back toward her throne.]
["So? Will you die, or will you beg for mercy? I have plenty of time to wait."]
["It's simple, really. If you don't want to suffer anymore, just take that sword and end your own life. Then it will all be over."]
[Mordred ignored her. She couldn't even process her words.]
["Damn it… There's nothing I can do…"]
[Meanwhile, outside the hall, Sisigou let out a sigh of frustration.]
[He didn't know exactly what was happening inside, but he could make an educated guess.]
[Right now, the only option left was to use a Command Seal to extract Mordred.]
["Saber, can you hear me?"]
["...Barely."]
["Listen carefully. I'm using a Command Seal to force you to retreat. Prepare yourself."]
["Got it."]
["Good—By the power of my Command Seal, I order my Servant to come to me immediately!"]
[The Command Seal vanished, and Mordred should have instantly teleported to his side. That was how it should have worked.]
[Sisigou could feel the order being executed, yet Mordred did not appear.]
Kayneth: "What?! The Command Seal isn't working?"
Tohsaka Tokiomi: "Impossible!"
Semiramis: "Hah! And why exactly do you think that?"
Tohsaka Tokiomi: "This…"
Semiramis: "Tch, are all modern magi this arrogant, ignorant, and shortsighted? How did any of you even manage to inherit your families' legacies?"
Waver: "...You've found a way to interfere with the Command Seals? A barrier, perhaps?"
Semiramis: "Oh? It seems there's still at least one person here capable of using their brain."
Semiramis: "Hahaha! You're not exactly right, but close enough."
Semiramis: "A Command Seal is still a form of magecraft. And if it's magecraft, then of course it can be countered."
Tohsaka Tokiomi: "..."
For once, the ever-arrogant Tohsaka Tokiomi had been thoroughly put in his place.
As a magus from one of the three great families that had founded the Holy Grail War, it was humiliating to realize that his knowledge of the system was inferior to that of a Heroic Spirit.
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