Heracles.
To Artoria, this was an old acquaintance. In the Fifth Holy Grail War, Heracles had been summoned as a Berserker by Illyasviel von Einzbern.
Her own Chaldea also had a version of him, though she'd never really used him. Her Berserker lineup already included Morgan and Florence Nightingale, and later she'd even summoned Swimsuit Caster. As a result, both "Berserker Uncle" and Kintoki Berserker were gathering dust in storage.
Heracles, also known as Hercules or Alcaeus in his youth, was the greatest hero of Greek mythology. He was the son of Zeus, the king of gods, and Alcmene, the granddaughter of Perseus.
The name "Heracles" could be translated as "Glory of Hera," though ironically, Hera hated this illegitimate son of her husband Zeus. She cursed Heracles, driving him mad and causing him to kill his own children.
To atone for his sins, Heracles undertook the Twelve Labors—seemingly impossible tasks that became the basis for his Noble Phantasm, [God Hand].
Heracles' achievements went far beyond the Twelve Labors. He participated in the Argonauts' expedition, hunted the Calydonian Boar, sacked the city of Troy under King Laomedon, wounded Hades during the siege of Pylos, and even repelled the Titan giants from Mount Olympus.
Greek mythology was rich with epic stories and legendary heroes, but none could rival Heracles.
After his death, he ascended to godhood, becoming one of the Olympians and earning the title of the "God of Strength."
Artoria was curious about how Guinevere planned to summon a Heretic version of Heracles.
After delegating the task of evacuating civilians to Liliana and her magecraft association, Artoria returned to the rendezvous point she'd arranged with Guinevere.
There, she saw it—a colossal figure rising from the sea.
Its body was covered in jet-black scales, its massive form akin to a small mountain, with nine snake-like heads, each lined with razor-sharp teeth that spewed dark green mists.
"So it's the Hydra," Artoria muttered, understanding dawning on her.
According to legend, the Hydra, a nine-headed serpent, was the child of Typhon, the Father of Monsters, and Echidna. Despite its fearsome reputation, it was ultimately slain by Heracles during his Twelve Labors.
When Heracles severed one of its heads, two more grew in its place. Eventually, he devised a solution—after cutting off each head, he used fire to cauterize the stumps, preventing regeneration.
Another version of the legend stated that Heracles used godlike archery to fire nine arrows simultaneously, shattering all of the Hydra's heads in one strike. This tale inspired his Noble Phantasm, [Nine Lives: Shooting Hundred Heads].
The defining traits of a [Steel] God are the slaying of serpents or dragons and an immortal body. Heracles fulfilled both criteria: he gained immortality by drinking Hera's milk and famously slew the Hydra. He was, without a doubt, the purest manifestation of a [Steel] God.
[Steel] Gods are drawn to the aura of dragons and serpents. Guinevere used the Hydra as a medium to summon Heretic Heracles.
Though the Hydra was a Divine Beast, it lay utterly helpless, like a fish on a chopping board. Its menacing roars went ignored.
The dark green poison mist it exhaled, said to be lethal even to gods, was contained by Guinevere within a restricted area, ensuring it didn't harm the surroundings.
As the Queen of Divine Ancestors, Guinevere's power in her prime rivaled that of a Heretic God. Controlling an ordinary Divine Beast like the Hydra was child's play for her.
The summoning ritual proceeded smoothly.
Sensing the shift in the air, Artoria's crimson lips curved slightly.
"It's almost time…"
Behind her, Lancelot appeared, his figure emerging like a shadow.
"King Arthur, may fortune guide your blade."
"Hmph! Only those who stand against me need fortune. What I seek is absolute domination and destruction."
---v
Atop the endless sea stood a towering figure, his presence as imposing as a mountain.
Standing over 2.5 meters tall, his muscular form radiated raw power, transcending the boundaries of humanity.
His physique seemed sculpted by gods, a flawless masterpiece of divine craftsmanship. Every muscle, every drop of blood brimming with explosive magical energy.
He wore no ornate garments—his chiseled upper body was bare, like a marble statue brought to life. A simple skirt-like garment adorned with gold patterns was fastened around his waist, and atop his head rested a lion-skin cap, enhancing his majestic aura.
Even his stance exuded a fearsome strength, sending a clear message: the man before her was terrifyingly strong.
Heracles opened his eyes, their godly glow betraying a trace of confusion, as if he had just awoken from a long slumber.
"The Hydra… the immortal serpent I slew in Argolis. Why do you appear again? Is this some attempt to recreate my myth? But… repeating trials already completed holds no meaning."
He stood motionless, yet the sheer weight of his presence made him feel like the center of the world.
This made it laughably easy for Artoria to find him.
From afar, she could sense his aura, faint but unmistakable. As she approached, his figure became clearer, and she confirmed it with her own eyes.
"This might be the strongest being I've encountered since coming to this world."
Her mind flashed through her past opponents: Heretic Nuada, Heretic Saint George, Heretic Siegfried, even Marquis Voban. None of them could compare to the overwhelming power exuded by the figure before her.
Although technically Campiones are supposed to be weaker than Heretic Gods, their greatest strength lies in their ability to seize victory in impossible situations, defeating opponents far stronger than themselves.
Artoria stepped toward Heretic Heracles, her feet gliding across the water as if walking on solid ground.
The reversed holy sword was already in her hand, and her modern outfit had been replaced by cursed black armor, wreathed in flames of malice. Each step she took sent waves of battle intent rippling through the air, drawing Heracles' attention.
"So… you used the Hydra to summon me?"
"You could say that," Artoria replied coldly.
Her voice and gaze became frosty as her battle lust surged, her killing intent painting the ocean and sky in a grim crimson hue.
"Do you need a reason to fight? Or some time to react?"
Though it was summer, the sea breeze carried a chilling bite.
Her killing intent was so thick it created illusions—a stench of blood and decay filled the air, the blue sea turned to dark sludge, and crimson clouds veiled the sun.
Yet Heracles was unfazed.
Having endured countless trials, his will and spirit were unshakable, as unyielding as tempered steel.
"I need neither. Let us begin."
---
T/N: sandwich me in between them wait im taller than artoria...
...
Huh. You really stuck it out all the way to the end.
Didn't think you had the patience. Guess I was wrong.
WiseTL's the one who actually made all this come together. I'm just here putting a bow on it… or, well, shoving it in a backpack and calling it a day. Same thing.
If you had fun, you know what to do:
👉 [patreon.com/WiseTL]
Heads up—Patreon's 50% off for all tiers during May. So if you were on the fence? Now's the time.
And if you're the social type, there's a Discord too. Pretty decent spot to hang out—no battles required.
👉 [discord.gg/wisetl]
Alright. That's enough standing around. Go on—before you make it weird.
—Leaf