Artoria Pendragon.
A legendary hero praised as the king who existed in the past and would be resurrected in the future. She was called the epitome of knighthood and the King of Knights.
The sight of her wielding the holy sword Excalibur and cleaving enemies in two was the very definition of a hero. At the moment she drew the Sword of Selection, she knew of the hell that awaited her, yet she drew it anyway for the sake of 'the people's smiles.' She was a girl who devoted her entire being to Britain as the 'Perfect King' until her final moment.
After that, depending on the path, she might receive no salvation, find an answer, or have her heart saved. But fundamentally, she was stubborn.
It was clear that even her standing in that place now was based on her own convictions.
Even if she had been blackened, at her core, she was still Artoria Pendragon. Just as she said, if I couldn't even defeat a single Servant holding the Holy Grail, I wouldn't be able to conquer the Singularities to come. I would surely retire halfway through. That was why she stood there as a trial.
This was nothing less than a test.
A trial that meant: if you cannot overcome even me, then fall here before the hell that lies ahead.
"Will you not move? ……Then I shall go first."
Whoosh!!! Saber swung her sword. Pressure erupted from the blade, splitting the ground as it tore through the space between Caster and me with pinpoint accuracy. It didn't stop there; it continued backward, carving through everything in its path.
……And that wasn't even a Noble Phantasm? That was just a basic attack, a mere discharge of magical energy?
Even if it weren't me, that was terrifying.
Even for a first-rate magus, that single strike was dangerous. And the current Saber had the power to fire those in rapid succession. From the start, she possessed the cheat-like power of a Magical Core, generating mana just by breathing.
On top of that, she now held near-infinite mana with the support of the Greater Grail. She didn't even need to fire sword pressure; she could simply use Excalibur for continuous attacks.
In other words, no matter how I looked at it, this was a game demanding the impossible. They say the coins are infinite, but I don't know if they really are, and every time I retry, my mind is being ground into dust.
When I die and wake up again next time, will I really be able to utter positive words like 'I just have to try one more time'? Even now, just looking at Saber was terrifying.
But if I were to die by that sword once and be resurrected...
Would I still be able to burn with fighting spirit?
Would I still believe I could find a chance for victory? Cold sweat trickled down my cheek.
'I have to react when she moves. It's okay, my Transmutation Magecraft is pretty useful if I'm just running away. I lasted quite a while against that Heracles. So…….'
Flash! In an instant, Saber vanished from my sight.
And before I knew it, she was right in front of me. I only realized the sword was about to touch my neck once it had already reached that point.
But realizing it didn't mean I could move. Even if my mind recognized it, my body couldn't react. It wasn't because I was covered in wounds or crushed by Saber's mana. It was simply that Saber was too fast, and I was too slow.
Ah……. Just as I felt the premonition of death again, someone grabbed the back of my neck and threw me backward. Boom!! Caster, who had tossed me away, blocked Saber's sword and grimaced.
Seeing that, I pulled myself together.
'You idiot! Get a grip! This is no time to be dazed by fear!!'
Saber's Magic Resistance was Rank A; my magecraft would be nothing more than a nuisance. Even if it had dropped to B because of her blackened state, my magecraft was still useless. Why is Magic Resistance so realistically troublesome here when it was basically just for show in various media?
Moreover, that Charisma skill too—it was supposed to be just for show, but the pressure radiating from it almost made my mind check out. This reality-based debuff is a bit much.
I placed my hand on the ground.
No matter how high her Magic Resistance was, a physical attack should still work. Considering her physical abilities, it might not be much help, but it was better than nothing.
"Do you intend to fight me while protecting your Master, Caster?"
Saber spoke mockingly as they stood in a deadlock, sword against staff.
But Caster let out a sharp laugh, mocking Saber right back as if she were the absurd one. Saber furrowed her brows at his laughter, but Caster didn't lose his smile.
No matter how strong Caster was, his opponent was stronger. While there are no absolutes in a fight, there are win rates. Even in this overwhelmingly disadvantageous situation, Caster was smiling.
That might just be his personality, but there was another reason for his smile now. It was because he truly believed we could win.
"You're wrong, Saber. I'm not fighting while protecting my Master. I'm fighting alongside him."
My Magic Circuits were burning hot. The strain from the fight with Heracles still lingered. Though they weren't destroyed, if I pushed them too hard again, I might actually die.
Still, I had to move. Rumble! The ground beneath Saber suddenly fluctuated and sank. If I could raise it, I could also lower it. Even Saber would be flustered by the sudden loss of footing…….
Clang!! Saber effortlessly parried Caster's surprise strike.
……What is that?
"Cheap tricks."
Boom!! She swung her mana-laden blade again. Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!! It wasn't just once this time. She unleashed multiple waves of sword pressure toward Caster and me.
I rolled with everything I had, dodging the waves that would have shredded my body with just a graze. Even if it was an over-exaggerated movement, I had to dodge.
This really wasn't a joke. While dodging, I used my Mystic Code to grab a stone and hurled it at Saber.
Crunch. The stone shattered before it even reached her.
……She crushed it with Mana Burst just now, didn't she?
The mana leaking around her wasn't just for atmosphere; it exerted physical force. She was a true monster, more of a monster than any being I had ever seen.
"Kenaz!"
Flames flickered and flew in multiple directions, targeting Saber. Good, now! ……I used Transmutation Magecraft to target her feet again.
Rumble! I made one side of the ground rise and the other sink, trying to break her balance……. But Saber simply leapt into the air.
……Right, if she jumps, it doesn't matter if the ground is uneven. More importantly, she moved before I even activated it. Did she predict it?
……No, wait. Instinct?
You're telling me that 'Instinct'—that skill that seemed so useless in the game—is a broken cheat skill here? Is she predicting what I'll do and moving before I even do it?
'If her Instinct is so good that she can predict it, then I just have to make it so she can't dodge even if she does predict it……!!'
I used a Rune of Fortification and raised the rock beneath Saber's feet. The shaped rock clamped down on her ankles.
It might break because of her Magic Resistance, but luckily, this Rune of Fortification seemed to apply to magecraft as well. My rock is currently being buffed by Rune Magic!
Don't underestimate me!
……Cracks began to appear, but the important thing was that I caught her. I intended to drag her down as I restored the ground. Even Saber would be flustered!
"Hmm."
Please don't react like you're unimpressed; it's actually terrifying.
Slash!!! Saber swung her sword in mid-air, batting away all of Caster's flames and slicing through my rock as an afterthought.
Her relaxed appearance seemed to ask: 'Is this all you have?' The more we fought, the more I felt our lack of power, lack of strategy, lack of experience—lack of everything.
Whoosh! Caster, who had somehow gotten behind Saber, thrust his staff like a spear. Brother! You look cool, but you're a Caster!! You shouldn't be fighting head-on! Why do you keep trying to get into close-quarters combat!?
Is it a habit!? Did you not kick your habit from your Lancer days!? What you're holding isn't the demonic spear Gáe Bolg, it's a staff! A staff!
That's not a weapon suited for close combat!!
Saber dodged Caster's surprise attack effortlessly and closed the distance. No matter how much he buffed himself with runes, he was still fundamentally a Caster!
Against a close-combat specialist like Saber—a Great Hero at that—he was bound to be pushed back. Caster moved back quickly, but slash! He took a shallow cut across his abdomen.
This is bad. If Caster retires now, it's all over. I have to draw her aggro somehow. Right now, Saber doesn't see any value in me.
Since what I'm doing isn't even a 'hindrance,' she's ignoring me and focusing entirely on taking out Caster. Because of that, this might as well be a 1-on-1 rather than a 2-on-1. That can't happen.
The fact that Saber sees no value in me might actually be an opportunity. If I use that well, I might be able to create an opening. No, not 'might.'
I have to do it!
I have to create the opening for Caster to attack; otherwise, we won't win.
I didn't come here to tremble in fear; I came here to defeat that Saber……!!
'Heat, flames……. Air……. To hell with it, let's just do it!!'
I took a stance and placed my hands on the ground. I doubted my mana would hold out, but I had no choice. My Magic Circuits were burning. They were burning like they were about to explode.
Please, just hold on a little longer. Let me be of help to the man who trusted me with his life. Drip. Blood trickled from my eyes again. This damn mana is always insufficient. Ah, I'm so jealous. I'm jealous of those guys who have mana overflowing.
I wish they'd give me just half of it.
"Hraaaaaaaah!!"
Rumble!! Rocks rose up, surrounding Saber as she landed. Saber still looked unimpressed by the attempt to cage her. Are you not even reacting because my attacks don't interest you? Well, I love the arrogance!!
I love the tyranny!! You'd better watch out so you don't get bitten by a weakling's poisonous fangs, Sir King of Knights!!!
"Brother Caster!!!"
"Leave it to me!"
Whoosh!! Flames flew toward Saber. The moment the fire touched her, I completely closed the rocks, trapping her inside. Cough! I spat out blood. Don't stop. I can't stop here.
Rumble……. I opened the closed rocks slightly and injected air. Voom!!! Intense flames erupted from the opening. Those weren't natural flames; they were flames Caster had created with Rune Magic.
I was doing everything I could to make them even stronger. Even if it was Saber, after being hit like that, she'd have no choice but to pay some attention to me…….
With a shing sound, the rocks were all sliced apart, and Saber emerged from within, completely unfazed.
……Shouldn't you at least have a minor burn, you shameless monster?
"Is this,"
Saber, gripping her sword, murmured.
"Your full power?"
"……."
Caster remained silent, his face looking as if he had just eaten something foul. No, wait!! Why are you making a face like you've fallen for her provocation!?
Mr. Great Hero!! You have more experience than me, so don't get ready to charge with a face that says, 'I know it's a provocation, but it's annoying me'!
You're a Caster!!
"Brother Caster? Hello? Brother Caster!? It's an obvious provocation!! Hold back your anger!! Hey! What are you talking about, fighting all powered up with the Greater Grail's support! Over here, our base was terrorized, I'm the only Master, we're low on mana, low on power, and we're exhausted!"
"Do you expect your enemy to fight while sympathizing with your circumstances?"
"Uh, that's……."
"Kid, if you're going to lose, don't pick a fight."
Man, she's verbally beating me down with logic, just like a king who survived a political shark tank. It's true, there's no reason for an enemy to do me any favors! No reason to understand, no reason to empathize!
Besides, all the enemies coming up will probably have a Holy Grail each, so there's no hope. Is it okay for there to be this many Holy Grails? They're supposed to be omnipotent wish-granters!
"This is enough."
Saber whispered quietly, as if it were time to end this. If those words had been spoken by the weak, they would have been meaningless. But spoken by one who possessed overwhelming power, mana, experience, and skills, those words seemed to carry magical weight that echoed through the area.
It hit my ears harder and heavier than any shout. My consciousness began to blur from my injuries. Honestly, I didn't know what to do anymore.
……If even Caster's flames didn't work, the only answer was a Noble Phantasm. I still had two Command Spells left. If I could aim for a chance and use both to double-enhance a Noble Phantasm for a direct hit, even Saber wouldn't walk away unscathed.
Because of her Magical Core and the Greater Grail, minor wounds would heal instantly. So I had to do it in one shot—heavy, certain, filled with killing intent, and with the resolve to kill.
"I have seen enough of your skill."
She looked bored enough to die. Saber gripped her sword tightly. Voom!! Mana swirled around it, glowing with a dark light. Until now, she had only used sword pressure for casual swings, but now she was directly shrouding the blade in it.
Why is that kind of overwhelming power not a Noble Phantasm?
How is that not her maximum output? No matter how I looked at it, this game's balance was clearly designed by someone's foot.
"Die."
Whoooooosh!!!
Haphazard and chaotic, yet certain, the sword pressure flew in, cleaving everything in its path. I didn't have a damn way to defend against it.
Even if I used a Rune of Protection and Momentary Enhancement, I'd be saying bye-bye to this world the moment it touched me. Even though I used both of those simultaneously before, my arm was shattered and I was sent flying by a casual punch from the Shadow Servant Heracles.
If I had landed on the ground instead of the water, I would have died face-first. I absolutely could not let those sword waves, which were even more powerful, touch me.
Dodge with your life on the line, or you're really dead.
"Tch!!"
Caster charged forward and thrust his staff. Thud!! Saber blocked it with her arm and swung her sword simultaneously. Whoosh! Caster, who had predicted the swing, dodged it perfectly this time.
A way, a way……. Even if we used Caster's Noble Phantasm, it would be meaningless if it didn't hit. Right now, the only thing Saber was wary of was Caster's Noble Phantasm.
If everything else dealt zero damage, it was only natural to be cautious of the only means that could actually hurt her.
Especially since a Noble Phantasm is a Servant's trump card; depending on the situation, it could potentially take out even Saber in one shot. A plan flashed through my mind.
……Hell, it can't be worse than dying.
I dove into the battlefield where the sword pressure was flying. But Saber didn't pay me any mind. Nothing I did posed any real danger.
My role as a decoy, which couldn't even buy 0.1 seconds, was meaningless. Go ahead and ignore me, keep ignoring me.
"Hup!"
Rumble!! Rocks erupted from various places on the ground.
"Is that the extent of your tricks?"
"Yes!!"
This is the extent of my tricks!! I shouted confidently as I created rocks to block Saber's vision. I didn't miss the chance and shouted to Caster.
I shouted loudly, specifically so she would hear.
"By my Command Spell, I order you!! Empower Caster's Noble Phantasm!!"
Flash. The Command Spell glowed, and another stroke vanished. Only one remained, but I didn't take my hand off the ground.
"Wicker Man: Cage of Scorching Flames!"
Crash!!! Saber sliced through all the rocks and cleared her vision. She saw the wooden giant appearing behind her. And without hesitation, she leapt toward it.
She intended to destroy it head-on to prove the difference in power once again. For a while now, Saber had been intentionally taking hits to show they were useless. she was showing me the overwhelming difference in our strength.
Honestly, she was stronger than I thought.
More overwhelming. This was a trash game.
But there are always veterans who conquer trash games. I'm not a veteran, but isn't there such a thing as beginner's luck? It was only fair that I conquered at least one. Saber sliced the Wicker Man in a single blow, obliterating it on the spot.
But as soon as she cut the Wicker Man, a look of doubt appeared on her face. That's right, it was probably because it crumbled too easily.
"Haha, hahahaha……."
As I let out a hollow laugh, only then did Saber look at me for the first time in this battle. I was bleeding. My Magic Circuits were surely ruined. But I didn't care.
My blood vessels must have burst. I didn't care. My arm was on the verge of breaking again from the strain of forcing out too much power. I didn't care.
Blood flowed. It flowed and flowed until I couldn't even see straight. But I could clearly see Saber floating in the air. I raised my middle finger at her and shouted with all my might.
"That was a fake I made with Transmutation Magecraft, you moron!!! Want me to make another one for you!? Thanks for not looking at me from start to finish!! Saber!!"
Brother Caster hadn't activated his Noble Phantasm earlier.
My order wasn't to activate it, but to empower it. Therefore, Caster didn't need to activate it yet.
They say a king doesn't understand the hearts of people, right?
Thank you so much for not knowing until the end, for not even trying to know. Thanks to that, I'm going to beat you! I'll win right here!!
"By my Command Spell, I order you!!! Empower your Noble Phantasm!! Caster!!!"
Caster thrust his staff toward Saber in the air.
"O Giant, become a cage of flames. Wicker Man: Cage of Scorching Flames!!!"
Roar!!! The flames erupted. The Wicker Man created by consuming two Command Spells was far more powerful than a normal one. Let's see you try to withstand this!
Saber, still in the air, was swallowed by the Wicker Man. Fwooooosh!!!!! It burned fiercely.
The flames spread so intensely they blocked my entire view. Caster, remembering what happened with Heracles, kept the fire burning without pause.
Please, please, please……. I have no more Command Spells. My Magic Circuits are completely useless now. I have no mana, no stamina, nothing.
Please, die! Die!! Die!! Just die!!!
"Hammer of the Vile King."
A small voice echoed. It suppressed the sound of the roaring flames and reached my ears.
"The polar light reverses."
What is she saying inside that Noble Phantasm of fire? Caster's eyes widened, and he dove toward me.
My legs……. They won't move, god dammit. A black light was flickering within the flames. It began to overwhelm the fire, growing stronger and stronger. What was gathering was mana—nothing but pure mana.
I felt like I could see Saber's eyes through the flames that filled my vision.
"Devour the light."
It spread even further. The blackly shining object was the holy sword. In this moment, time seemed to slow down again. I could see Caster's panicked face and Saber's indifferent eyes, which felt nothing, at the same time.
The light seemed to be compressing. The overwhelming mana gathered into a single sword was no longer in the realm of humanity.
That sword existed to protect a country, to protect people, and for the sake of a king.
"Excalibur Morgan: Sword of Promised Victory."
The light overwhelmed my vision, overwhelmed everything. I understood that this was the holy sword. I understood that this was a Noble Phantasm.
That sacred power, even if blackened, remained in the sword and swirled within the dark light.
KABOOM!!! The intense light that destroyed everything in front of it and wiped out all enemies approached me. Grab!! Someone caught me.
It was Caster. He looked at me and gave a bitter smile.
No, why me……. No, stop it. Stop! STOOOOP!!!
Whoosh!! He threw me to the side. CRASH!!!! Excalibur swallowed Caster as if clearing away prey.
BOOM!!! The light, which seemed to fly to the very edge of Fuyuki, split the earth. A strike of cataclysmic proportions; it was better described as a natural disaster than a human attack.
Brother Caster……. The mana path was severed. He had vanished. He vanished to save me. ……Why? Your survival would have given us a better win rate than mine, wouldn't it?
I...
"Excalibur──."
Saber, who had already escaped the Wicker Man, took a stance and aimed her sword at me as I flew through the air.
Again? She's using it consecutively? There were wounds all over Saber's body. There were burns too. I thought it was an effective hit. But even after strengthening it twice with Command Spells, we couldn't kill her instantly.
We couldn't kill her. It was our maximum firepower, our full strength. Yet she stood there as if it were nothing. Even now, the burns on her body were disappearing in real-time.
She was healing through her Magical Core and the Greater Grail. As long as they had mana, a Servant could keep fighting as long as they weren't killed instantly.
I was feeling that truth with my own body in real-time.
It felt like something was clinging to my body. In the short time before Saber swung her sword, I heard something shatter inside me.
Despair mixed with fear, confusion mixed with shock—there was no longer any will to fight left in my eyes as I looked at Saber. The will to fight, which had barely remained as a small ember, was drowned by fear and extinguished.
I couldn't understand the meaning of Saber's eyes, which looked just a little bit sad. I didn't have the mental capacity to think about such things.
I died here, and I was broken here.
"Morgan: Sword of Victory."
FLASH!!!! The Noble Phantasm that tore through the air completely obliterated my body.
***
"……."
"Hm? What's wrong? Why are you standing there dazed?"
On the path to Saber, I opened my eyes. Before I could even think that the checkpoint had been updated again, I collapsed onto the spot, sinking to my knees.
I lay prostrate, trembling. Fear leaked out through my ragged breaths.
Despondency dominated my body, and despair bound my legs.
No matter what strategy, what tactic, what method I used—the attack using two Command Spells just now was my maximum firepower. I had no technique with more power than that right now.
But Saber endured even that with her body, and without stopping, she used her Noble Phantasm to turn the tables the moment she was hit. Furthermore, her wounds were healing before I even died, and she used her Noble Phantasm twice in a row without pause while recovering.
I put both hands over my face and murmured.
"……How."
"Kid?"
[What's wrong? All of a sudden.]
It must seem strange. Just before the final battle to take down Saber, I suddenly collapsed as if I were breaking down. But I didn't care.
I didn't have the mental capacity to care about anyone's gaze. Fear of Saber had taken root in my heart. A sense of despondency—that she could not be defeated—had emerged.
The despair that nothing I did would matter dominated my brain. Tears flowed, whether from frustration or fear.
My body shook so much that no matter how I tried to stop it, it trembled regardless of my will.
"Just how……. A way to win……."
There was none. No matter what I did, I couldn't win.
That wasn't a human. It was no different from a natural disaster. It was a calamity that humans couldn't possibly resist, no matter how much they wanted to. I was broken by that overwhelming violence.
No matter how hard Brother Caster tried, no matter how I created an opening by sacrificing my very life force, no matter how hard Chaldea supported us…….
I couldn't think of a way to defeat that Saber. It was a dead end. I had been sprinting as hard as I could toward a dead end from the very beginning.
"It's impossible……. I can't win."
My mind, which had endured through several deaths, finally fell to its knees before overwhelming power.
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