CHAPTER 452: CHAPTER 452: CROWN SEVEN RIDERS

"Look, it’s all your fault, they got scared and ran away! Now there’s nothing to eat... uh, nothing exciting to watch."

Echoing in the ears was Zhu Haomiao’s resentful muttering. Amaterasu rolled her eyes at him without a trace of friendliness.

Yet at this moment, an inexplicable tremor bloomed within the souls of the three, and instantly, an arcane ripple swept across the heaven and earth, causing the entire planet to emit a grand spirit light invisible to mortals.

Bathed in this ocean of spirituality, the three felt a connection, looking up at the void, faintly seeing in a dimension beyond the material realm, a resplendent golden Holy Grail gradually taking shape.

And on the body of this golden cup, seven differently colored gems encircled and embedded, radiating a captivating divine light.

"The Seven Crown Riders..."

As if by instinct, the three understood the symbolic meaning hidden behind those gems, and they simultaneously furrowed their brows.

Only the final seven Crown Servants are qualified to compete for the Holy Grail...

All the Heroic Spirits must vie for these seven spots!

The Holy Grail War... has begun!

In the next second, the seven-colored gems detached from the Holy Grail and transformed into meteor-like streaks of light, plunging into the material world, instantly infusing into seven Servants.

Watching the tri-color stream enter their bodies, the three widened their eyes, looked at each other, expressions bizarre as they examined one another.

"Do you understand what this Crown means?"

"Not really, it seems like something ordained by Heavenly Destiny... similar to being a Child of Destiny?"

"No, this feels more like an incomplete Divine Authority, bound to incite competition from other Servants!"

Raising her hand, Amaterasu hesitated as she stared at her pale palm, slowly clenching it into a fist.

"I am Crown·Magic, besides my own strength, I also possess a portion of this world’s highest authority!"

Then, Amaterasu turned her questioning gaze towards the two people beside her.

"I am Crown·Sword, like you, I too have gained a portion of the authority."

Gabriel calmly replied, then both of them turned to the black-clad youth.

Zhu Haomiao blinked his eyes, looking perplexed and said, "I am Crown·Bow, strange, shouldn’t I be Sword?"

Facing the puzzled look from the black-clad youth, Gabriel softly shook his head.

"Perhaps the allocation of the Crown by the world’s will follows some unknown rule, not based on the usual weapons."

Upon hearing this, Zhu Haomiao nodded thoughtfully, suddenly a spark of realization went off in his mind as he abruptly looked at Amaterasu.

"What are you looking at me for?"

"No, it’s nothing."

Detecting the strange emotion in the black-clad youth, Amaterasu reacted immediately, became embarrassed and angry.

"Don’t mention the matter of the First Layer Heaven again!"

"I didn’t say anything!"

"Why are you shouting so loudly?!"

"..."

Watching Amaterasu flick her sleeve and leave, Zhu Haomiao scratched his head in annoyance, while Gabriel gave him a long look, shook his head, and transformed into countless illusory feathers, disappearing in an instant.

Holding a pure white feather between his fingers, watching it gradually dissipate into nothingness, the rich emotions on Zhu Haomiao’s face slowly faded, his gaze turning cold and icy.

The Seven Crown Riders...

Amaterasu, Gabriel, Thor, Athena, Amon, Cain...

And finally, himself...

Precisely seven mythical descenders...

Holding the Crown not only means obtaining the highest authority but also enduring endless challenges from other Servants, including assassinations and traps...

Even if he doesn’t fear, what about the Masters?

Other Servants don’t have to confront him directly, they could just patiently avoid him and target the Masters!

Killing the Masters would cause the foundation of a Servant’s existence to collapse, the Source Quality to disintegrate, no different from true death!

There are always times when he’s not "at home", right?

Raising his head, gazing at the night sky which had long since calmed, Zhu Haomiao slightly furrowed his brows.

Actually, he had faintly sensed that it was time to return and recuperate.

The period when he left the Illusion Realm was precisely when Abe Waka was in the most danger.

"Zhu Jun, the Holy Grail War has begun!!"

As he mulled over it, an excited voice from Abe Waka rang in his mind, Zhu Haomiao’s heart stirred, strangely looking towards the eastern shoreline.

"How did you contact me?"

And in the distant city, Abe Waka clenched her fist, gazing at the flickering dark dragon pattern on the back of her hand, muttering silently.

"I don’t know either, just suddenly felt our connection became stronger, able to communicate through the ethereal contract no matter the distance."

Stronger connection?

It would be better said that the anchor became firmer...

Using the power of the Law, binding two originally separate entities together at the conceptual level...

What is the point of doing this?

Gently tapping the center of his brows, recalling Liu Hongbin’s warning of danger before entering the Illusion Realm, Zhu Haomiao faintly felt he had grasped something, but upon deep deliberation, found nothing.

After hesitating for a moment, the black-clad youth shook his head, setting aside random thoughts, when suddenly a panicked scream reached his ears.

"Ah!"

"What’s wrong?"

"Someone is attacking the mansion’s barrier! I can feel it, it’s other Servants!"

"How could it be so fast?!"

With a thought, Zhu Haomiao suddenly understood that the so-called Crown, perhaps in the eyes of other Masters and Servants, was like a beacon in the night, strikingly obvious!

With the current high density of Servants in Tokyo City, it’s not surprising that a few reckless brutes were near the Abe family’s estate.

It’s just Zhu Haomiao didn’t expect that they would act so decisively, likely without even gathering intelligence, rashly charging forward!

Boom~

Vaguely hearing the explosions from Abe Waka’s side, Zhu Haomiao activated Gale Force, transforming into a shadow tearing through the atmosphere, leaving a straight white wave in its wake, taking a long time to subside.

"Can you hold on?"

"Should be no problem, our Abe family’s strength is not to be underestimated!"

While rushing back swiftly and asking in the mind, hearing Abe Waka’s response, Zhu Haomiao slightly relaxed.

But he was, after all, at sea, wanting to return to the other side of the city would still take at least over ten minutes.

As Zhu Haomiao sprinted with all his might, suddenly in his soul came the startled emotion from Abe Waka.

In the unseen, a shadow of death from the mystical contract connection approached, echoing a sinister laugh.

"What luck, it’s an unclaimed Crown!"

Pupils suddenly shrank, terrifying divine light erupted deep within Zhu Haomiao’s eyes, Pride launched without reservation, forcefully pushing open the ancient door in the depths of the consciousness ocean.

Following the summoner’s consciousness, an unfamiliar star responded to Zhu Haomiao’s call, projecting a dazzling outline in reality.

In an instant, a golden bridge forged from white jade stretched beneath Zhu Haomiao’s feet, instantly tearing through the void.