Anchor, Stop Pretending, You're in Chaldea - Chapter 160

“Medea, Medea!”

On the massive sailing ship, a blonde-haired man shouted loudly.

“What is it, Lord Jason?” A petite girl with purple hair stepped forward.

“I’m getting bored here. With Heracles away and Hector along with Blackbeard also gone, should we be concerned?”

“Not at all, you’re well aware of Heracles’ immense power, Lord Jason.”

“You’re right. Even against that evasive pink-haired woman, he’ll undoubtedly dispatch her effortlessly!” The golden-haired man glared disdainfully at a distant island.

“It’s been some time since I last visited, yet suddenly there are rebels on this island claiming to be knights of Britannia and some unheard-of female leader. Utterly foolish.”

“To establish a great nation, such trials must be endured, Lord Jason,” Medea Lily comforted him from the side.

“Of course I know that! Compared to you, who only hides deep within temples, these matters are far too complex for your understanding. Just focus on support and protection!” Jason responded discontentedly to the petite, purple-haired girl.

Dissatisfied, Jason turned to address the petite girl with purple hair.

“Don’t just stand there, go fetch that captain—the one summoned by the Holy Grail not long ago!”

“…Understood.”

Medea Lily bowed her head, softly acknowledging his command before retreating back into the ship’s cabin.

Shortly after, a silver-haired man clad in silvery-white armor emerged from the cabin. Wearing glasses, both his armor and the shield he carried, as well as the longsword at his waist, bore cross markings.

“You called for me, Lord Jason.” His every gesture exuded seriousness.

“Oh, it’s none other than Jacques de Molay, the leader of the Templar Knights! How have you been settling aboard the Argo?” Jason instantly switched to a warm expression.

“Thank you for your gracious hospitality, Lord Jason. It is truly an honor to sail on the legendary Argo, once voyaged by numerous heroes.” Jacques de Molay nodded slightly, showing respect towards Jason.

“Ah ha ha, the Argo indeed holds great pride for me. But surely there must be a reason for the leader of the knights protecting pilgrims to Jerusalem to join us, right?”

In response to Jason’s inquiry, Jacques de Molay raised his left hand and firmly stated:

“Our aspiration is the revival of the Templar Knights! With that accomplished, the path to the Holy Land will surely open!”

“Exactly!” Onboard his prideful ship, the Argo, Jason leaned closer to Jacques de Molay and passionately continued.

“As soon as I establish my own nation here, the Templar Knights would naturally be the ideal choice for guarding it. At that point, our shared aspirations can become reality!” Jason looked at the Grandmaster before him, speaking with conviction.

Hearing that Jason could help fulfill his desire, Jacques de Molay promptly expressed his commitment.

“Thank you for your trust, Lord Jason. As the Grandmaster of the Templar Knights, I hereby declare that we shall stand alongside the Argo!” Jacques placed his hand over his chest, his tone resolute.

“Yes, precisely!” Jason nodded satisfactorily.

“Coincidentally, there are some reckless individuals on the nearby island ahead. Could I trouble you to take care of them?”

“Leave it to me.” Jacques de Molay placed his hand on his chest, speaking with unwavering determination.

“I shall demonstrate the might of the Templar Knights to Your Excellency!”

On Pirate Island’s shore:

Bai Qiu and Mashu hurriedly rushed to the scene, finally arriving nearby.

Along their path, pirates lay strewn across the ground, incapacitated.

“Men, quickly drive these intruders away!”

Drake, wielding two flintlock pistols, fired one into the air to boost morale.

“How dare you invade our territory! You reckless fools, taste my bullets!”

“You little rascal, was it you who tried to steal my rum just now? Was it?!?”

“Yah-ha-ha, toss them all into barrels and let them savor the sea’s flavor!”

Drake’s men were fiercely battling the incoming pirates. Both sides drew their guns, turning the beach battlefield into a hailstorm of gunfire.

“Senpai, watch out!” Mashu shielded Bai Qiu with her barrier, deflecting bullets flying from various directions.

“Ah, Senpai, I’ve spotted Jeanne Alter-san!”

Following Mashu’s pointing finger, Bai Qiu spotted Jeanne Alter clad in black armor at the heart of the battlefield, surrounded by a group of pirates.

“Boss, I didn’t know Drake had such a formidable character among his men.”

“Young lady, we’re part of Blackbeard Edward’s pirate crew; we’ve done every imaginable evil deed. Are you sure you want to pick a fight with us?” One of the pirates, sporting an eye patch, stepped forward and tried to reason with Jeanne Alter.

Seeing that Jeanne Alter completely ignored them, the pirates grew impatient.

“Hmph, don’t be afraid! Everyone, draw your weapons! With one shot each, we can take her down!” exclaimed the one-eyed pirate leader.

“That’s right, boss! We have so many people here; how could we fear a mere young girl?”

“Boom ————!!”

Suddenly, a burst of black flames flew directly towards the readying one-eyed pirate.

Just grazing him, he instantly dropped his weapon, shouting “I’m dying, I’m dying,” before jumping straight into the sea.

“Wha—?!”

Upon witnessing Jeanne Alter conjure flames out of thin air for her attack, the nearby pirates hastily dropped their weapons and fled in panic.

“Hmph, just a bunch of useless trash, truly a waste of time.” Jeanne Alter looked around discontentedly.

“Jeanne Alter-san!” Mashu rushed over with Bai Qiu immediately. “Are you alright?”

“They were all insignificant pests; I thought there might be someone formidable among them.”

As soon as she saw Bai Qiu approach, Jeanne Alter instinctively scanned his surroundings. Noticing Draco’s absence, a slight smile gradually appeared on her face.

“Oh? Where did that ‘beast’ go? Isn’t she by your side anymore?”

“You mean Draco?” Bai Qiu sighed. “She said she wasn’t interested in such trivial matters, not sure where she went now.”

“Hmph, I knew it!” Jeanne Alter planted the Evil Dragon flag into the sandy beach.

“With her constant ‘desires’ and incomprehensible talk of ‘beasts,’ she’s definitely up to some scheme. It’s not too late to distance yourself from her now,” Bai Qiu said with a resigned expression.

The opinions of others could be dismissed easily, but Jeanne Alter, as an Avenger Saint Graph, accusing Draco who is currently using an Alterego… From the perspective of Human Order, there isn’t much difference between you two.

Why make things difficult for fellow EX-Class beings…

“BOOM ——————!!”

Suddenly, a massive sound erupted from a distant three-masted pirate ship.

From afar, it was clear that two imposing figures were engaged in battle.

“The enemy Servant has been located, along with two Saint Graphs emitting enormous Magical Energy reactions nearby!” Dr. Roman’s voice echoed through their communication bracelets.

“I’m analyzing the on-site data now, what…?!” His voice trailed off in surprise.

Dr. Romani’s voice paused momentarily, filled with surprise.

“These two Heroic Spirits have nearly identical Magical Energy frequencies?! It seems like both of them are Hercules?”

“But one is Archer and the other Berserker? Why are they fighting each other? What exactly is happening…?”

Hearing the doctor’s puzzled tone, Bai Qiu promptly reported the situation.

“Doctor, that Heracles as Archer is our Servant.”

“That mighty hero is on our side?! A Saint Graph containing half-Divine Spirit resonance of Heracles?!” Dr. Romani exclaimed incredulously.

“Incredible! How did you manage to summon such a half-Divine Spirit Servant outside Chaldea’s communication range?”

“Well, I’m not entirely sure about the specifics…” Bai Qiu scratched his head.

“I see, must be due to China’s Xian Art Summoning technique, right? Seems like Chaldea’s summoning methods need an update.”

Given the current situation, Dr. Roman decided not to dwell further on this matter.

“Boom——!!”

The pirate ship violently shook, causing waves around it to surge relentlessly.

Bai Qiu and everyone present looked far into the distance.

Under the silvery moonlight, two towering figures engaged in combat became visible.

“Grrrroar——!!!” The enraged Berserker let out a mighty roar, rapidly closing the gap between himself and Heracles.

He raised his axe-sword high, instantly gathering immense Magical Energy onto the weapon.

As soon as Heracles entered Berserker’s Noble Phantasm range, he immediately understood what his opponent intended to do. In the next instant, the incredibly heavy axe-sword descended with lightning speed, nearly invisible to the naked eye.

“Nine Lives (Nine Lives)”

By wielding this weapon, Berserker could unleash techniques corresponding to its form.

This Noble Phantasm recreated one of the Twelve Labors – the heroic feat of slaying Hydra, the multi-headed serpent.

When using the axe-sword, it manifested as at least nine supersonic attacks. Depending on the strength of the opponent, the number of strikes could reach over a hundred!

“Buzzzzz——!!!”

Due to the extreme speed of swinging the weapon, those on the shore heard only a piercing hum-like vibration!

“—?! ”

Bai Qiu covered his ears, gritting his teeth while intensely watching the semi-transparent live stream display before him.

“Boom——!!!”

The final strike of the axe-sword descended, causing the pirate ship’s deck to explode.

The pirates inside had already abandoned ship, fearing to be caught in the aftermath of this fierce battle.

Once the smoke cleared, a figure stood prominently amidst the shattered remains of the deck.

“Is this all the skill you possess? I see now; after succumbing to madness, at the cost of your rationality, you’ve gained such power.”

At some point, a long cloth had wrapped around Heracles’ massive arm.

Just moments ago, he used this cloth-wrapped arm to completely block Berserker’s Noble Phantasm?!

Despite being merely a piece of fabric, it seemed to contain immense strength within it.

Heracles gripped his large bow tightly and swung it like a close-quarters weapon!

“Clangggg—!!”

In the next instant, Berserker blocked the attack with its axe-sword, resulting in a deafening clash between their weapons.

“Huff, huff…!!!”

The enraged Berserker, with blood-red eyes fixed on his formidable opponent, panted heavily as he gathered strength for his next attack.

“Arghhhh!!!” Shaken from the aftershocks, Blackbeard quickly recomposed himself and straightened his pirate attire.

The intense impact nearly sent him tumbling into the sea.

“That bastard Jason! Giving me such a dangerous monster as supposedly ‘the best under Valor’? This guy is going to sink my ship!”

As he observed the severely damaged deck and collapsed mast, pirates who had been hiding below rushed out, abandoning ship by jumping into the sea.

Now, only Blackbeard remained onboard with those two lethal adversaries.

He leaned over the railing, squinting towards Pirate Island in the distance. It seemed the pirates he’d dispatched for the surprise assault had scattered like rats.

“Damn it! Where did that old hag find these helpers?!”

Before Blackbeard could finish cursing, another massive tremor shook the deck!

“BOOM, BOOM, BOOM——!!!”

A series of loud impacts reverberated throughout the battered pirate vessel.

Berserker and Heracles, wielding his axe-sword against the giant bow, engaged in fierce combat.

“Hmph, no matter how formidable her helpers may be, once they engage in close combat with this monster sent by Jason, anyone would inevitably fall!” Blackbeard clung to the railing, chuckling smugly.

“Even if that old hag seems to have the upper hand now, she’ll ultimately meet her demise at the hands of this beast! Once she’s gone, those island pirates will have no choice but to follow me, Blackbeard, joining Edward’s Pirate Crew!” Blackbeard grinned widely.

“Once I sail back on that old hag’s Golden Hind with a bunch of surrendered pirate sailors, Medea-chan will surely reward me greatly, heh heh… my Medea-chan… if possible, I want to feel her delicate hands…”

“Crash——!!”

Another massive impact nearly sent Blackbeard flying.

“That Berserker still hasn’t taken care of…?!”

In front of Blackbeard’s disbelieving gaze, Heracles managed to suppress the Berserker using his great bow.

Could it be that this monstrous Berserker was actually at a disadvantage in close combat?!

“Furious one, having lost thy reason, thou may no longer wield this treasured artifact!”