The initial plan.
The first plan I devised was indeed to destroy her Spiritual Core by utilizing the characteristics of Charlotte’s Noble Phantasm. We couldn't match Saber in terms of raw firepower. Even with the enhancement of two Command Spells, I couldn't pierce Saber’s endurance.
Therefore, I had to approach it from a different angle. Even without a powerful impact, it was possible to take her out in one go.
Whether you die from being hit by a truck or from a blade piercing your heart, dead is dead. Whether you die from full-body fractures or from blood loss, death is death. That was no different for a Servant.
Thus, it was a strategy that exploited the fact that we were the weaker party. However, there were many uncertain elements, and since it relied heavily on Charlotte’s luck, I had created other plans as well.
One of them was 'Seizing the Greater Grail.'
But this had too many variables. How would we keep Saber at a distance? How would I protect Caster while he was seizing the Greater Grail?
Amidst those various concerns, one method had come to mind. What if Saber used her Noble Phantasm and we somehow managed to defend against it?
Complete defense was impossible, but if the defense succeeded to the point where we were merely blown far away, there was a high possibility Saber would follow us.
To get that far, I had to make Saber certain that she had 'won,' while simultaneously making her feel enough wariness toward us—who were still alive—to keep fighting.
It was a plan that relied on luck after risking my life, and then risking it again, and again. Therefore, it was a sub-plan, a fallback to be used when I thought there were no other options...
No, it was the lesser of two evils.
"Your movements have become quite sluggish, Saber. The version of you from a moment ago would have easily blocked my attacks. Even without the magical energy of the Grail, you should have been capable of that much. It seems our kid and Assassin have done quite a job."
A crack in the Spiritual Core cannot be ignored.
Even for Heroic Spirits of myth like Gilgamesh or Heracles, it would be the same.
The Spiritual Core is the heart of a Heroic Spirit; if it is destroyed, they will despawn no matter how intact the rest of their body is.
That was no different for Saber. Although her Spiritual Core hadn't been destroyed, the fact that it was cracked thanks to Charlotte’s efforts meant her combat capabilities as a Heroic Spirit were bound to plummet.
Saber, who had clearly been pushing Caster back earlier, was now the one being pushed back by him.
With a cracked Spiritual Core, she suffered the demerit of being unable to heal her wounds. Conversely, Caster had obtained the infinite magical energy known as the Greater Grail.
The board had been flipped in our favor.
In Shogi terms, it was checkmate; in Chess, it was check. No matter how much of a high-flying King of Knights you are, what more can you do in this situation?
"You're slow to give up!"
"Master, why don't you go look in a mirror?"
Charlotte spoke from beside me, looking at my state with an exasperated expression.
I am me! And you are you!
Regardless, Saber was still withstanding Caster's attacks.
Damn, how can someone with a cracked Spiritual Core fight so well? She really is a monster. She's not human. That thing.
"In the Singularities to come, not every Servant will act for the sake of the Human Order. There will be many who will struggle to the end and aim for your throat. If you cannot even put an end to my small struggle, you cannot move forward!! Try to strike me down! If you wish to save the Human Order, strike me down! If you wish to survive, strike me down!!"
Saber spoke while coughing up blood.
I had been the one giving the pep talks until now, but suddenly, I was the one receiving the pressure. The air vibrated with magical energy, making my arms tremble. It was hard to breathe.
Suddenly... why? Why am I trembling now against a dying Saber? There's nothing left for Saber to do.
Before long, she would simply be defeated by Caster and die. So why do I feel like I'm about to be crushed by her again? What is this?
We're the ones in the lead, aren't we? We're the ones winning, aren't we? If you ask where the momentum is, it's with us, isn't it?
Then why do I feel so intimidated?
"Master."
Charlotte took my hand.
...Damn, I look pathetic. To think I have to be comforted by a girl who is also wounded. As Charlotte held my hand, the trembling seemed to stop a little.
Saber was desperately holding on, forcibly stitching her life together against Caster.
The positions had swapped—the one who was composed was now desperate, and the one who was desperate was now composed—it felt as if our relationship had inverted as the fight continued.
Saber bled, she grimaced, and she swung her sword. The remnants of the radiating magical energy made the air heavy, making it difficult to breathe.
To comfort me in that state, Charlotte held my hand and said, thankfully:
"...I'm scared."
"You grabbed me because you were scared too?! Gah!!"
I shouted, only to be hit in the head by a stray stone kicked up by the fight between Saber and Caster.
"Ma-Master...!!"
I thought you were trying to comfort me, and my glass heart was almost about to react! If you act that kind and sweet to someone like me with zero romantic experience, I'll get the wrong idea!
Damn, if this keeps up, I'm going to despawn from life before Saber does! I have to end this quickly! Her Instinct skill should be lower than the original's right now.
Given that her Spiritual Core is cracked, the influence of her Instinct skill must have become negligible. ...At least, that's what I want to believe! Me!
"Metamorphose!"
Ugh!! My arms shook violently. My Magic Circuits were burning up.
It hurts! It hurts! It hurts! It hurts...!! It hurts so much!!!
But if I don't move here, I'll die!!
I've come this far doing things that were practically insane. We have the Greater Grail, and Saber's Spiritual Core is cracked.
A situation as advantageous as this might never come again. Even if I die here and return, I have no confidence I can succeed like this again.
I grit my teeth and endured. Charlotte placed her hands over mine on my forearms.
...I wondered if it was because she was scared again, but this time, the gaze Charlotte gave me was somehow warm. Was she looking at me to tell me to stop?
Or was she cheering me on? ...I'd be a bit happy if it were the latter.
"On!"
Boom!! I forced the ground beneath Saber's feet upward.
I had intentionally only made it sink during this entire fight. Since I had only made it sink until now, even if she used Instinct to predict what I would do, she would have to predict a second layer of variation.
I didn't know if the Instinct of a near-death Saber with a cracked Spiritual Core could go that far. I prayed that it couldn't.
However—Boom!—Saber instinctively jumped away from the rising ground beneath her feet.
...I hate the Instinct skill. If it's like that even with a dropped rank, then isn't the original just straight-up reading the future?
"Damn it!!"
"No, well done! Master!!"
Huh? Me?
Caster extended his staff toward Saber, who was now in mid-air. Wait, I thought I broke that staff.
What is that? Is it one of those things you can just remake? Is it mass-produced or something?
"Wicker Man!!"
Whoosh! Flames flickered, and a massive wooden giant manifested behind Saber as she hung in the air.
Good! Even Saber won't be able to dodge this! ...Or so I thought, until the moment Saber began parrying all the wooden branches coming at her, right there in mid-air.
You... your Spiritual Core isn't actually cracked, is it?!
No!! If that's not insane, then what is?! I couldn't even see her swordplay! In fact, she looks stronger than when she was in perfect condition?! Was she just taking it easy on us when she was testing us?!
Is it just that she's fighting with her life on the line now, so it looks that way?!
"Let's end this, Saber! Wicker Man!!"
The Grail is the best.
Since he was receiving support from the Grail instead of my own magical energy, he summoned another Wicker Man simultaneously.
Under the obsessive assault of the Wicker Men that seemed to merge into one, Saber couldn't hold out and was imprisoned within the massive wooden giant.
Roar!!! The sound of flames spread loudly.
"Yes! We got her!!"
...No, wait.
I felt a strange sense of déjà vu. Yes, déjà vu. ...Or perhaps 'premonition' would be a better word?
I somehow remembered this situation. Aside from the fact that Charlotte was beside me, it was exactly the same as the scene I had experienced before.
No! Right now, Saber isn't receiving support from the Greater Grail, and she's even wounded. Furthermore, the power of two Wicker Men merged into one must be immense.
No matter how much it's Saber... No! Every time I think that, she goes and does it!! Dammit!!
"Excalibur..."
Light flickered within the flames. I cursed inwardly. How is she trying to use that again when she doesn't even have the Greater Grail's support?!
She's crazy! She's seriously insane!!
I pulled out another Saint Quartz. As the Saint Quartz shattered, I felt my magical energy recover in an instant. How many times do you think I've retried in Fuyuki alone?!
I can't let it end like this! I can't lose after coming this far!! More importantly, I don't have the confidence to make it back here again!! Please, just die already!!
"Go up!!!!"
Thud!! I slammed the ground and used Transmutation Magecraft.
Rumble!!! The area where the Wicker Man stood soared into the sky.
Boom!! The Wicker Man, suddenly thrust into the air, began spinning in the sky. In an instant, my magical energy bottomed out.
It's not that I have low magical energy; it's just what happens when you use magecraft on such a massive scale.
Good, she's completely lost her balance in mid-air and is trapped inside the flames!
Furthermore, the Wicker Man's branches should be restricting her movements to some extent! With this, she won't be able to aim Excalibur properly... or so I thought, until I felt like my eyes met Saber's inside the Wicker Man.
My body froze at that gaze directed accurately at me.
It was as if I could see the roar of a wounded beast behind her. My body stiffened as if I had encountered a fierce, unleashed large dog while walking down the street.
My body wouldn't move. I didn't even have the energy left to dodge. Forget running; my body couldn't even walk properly right now.
At that moment, another Wicker Man appeared in the sky.
"Morgan...!"
"You won't kill my Master, Saber."
Boom!! The fist of the Wicker Man that appeared above struck the Wicker Man imprisoning Saber.
Crash!!! It tore through the air and slammed into the ground, flames spreading everywhere.
Boom!! An explosion even occurred, creating a massive shockwave in the vicinity. Is this that dust explosion thing?! I'm not a science major, so I don't know!
It's not like I'm a humanities major either! What department are magi supposed to belong to?!
I'm just a spellcaster who doesn't even qualify as third-rate and hasn't even practiced magecraft properly, but still!
"What about Saber?!"
Did she despawn?!
Rumble... A massive black light spread out.
...She's alive? She even has enough life force left to use her Noble Phantasm? Saber doesn't have a skill like Battle Continuation. Right now, her path to the Greater Grail is cut off.
So how is she still alive like that? My eyes met Saber's through the flames.
A cold, distorting magical energy washed over me. I trembled at the overwhelming atmosphere that seemed to choke my breath and even my life. My legs shook, unable to support me any longer, and I collapsed backward.
How am I supposed to...?
If I die here, will I ever be able to feel hostility toward Saber again? Will I be able to muster enmity, steel my resolve, and find the will to fight?
"Excalibur Morgan!!"
"Tch!!"
Caster swung his staff.
Crash!!! Saber's position was heavily shaken, and the direction of the Excalibur beam flying toward us was skewed. Screeech!!! The ground was gouged out as the platform twisted.
Holy crap!! Thud!! I quickly kicked Charlotte to send her upward. Next was me! Zip!! I tied a thread to a falling rock face.
The entire floor was being destroyed, and we were falling. No wonder they say her fuel efficiency is bad, since there are people who can survive that. Ancient Britain must have been a literal hellscape.
If no one had survived it, it would have been known as a one-hit kill weapon.
'I have to get up quickly or I'll really die. ...But she used her Noble Phantasm. Saber's magical energy should be...'
Grab. As I was ascending, someone caught my foot. I had just kicked Charlotte upward.
I didn't think Caster would be the type to grab my foot. Then who was left? The answer was surprisingly clear.
As I looked down in terror, there was Saber, bleeding, holding Excalibur in one hand.
"Ha! Ha...! Let go! Let go! Let go!! Let go of me!!!"
I shook my leg to throw her off, but she wouldn't let go. The way she held Excalibur made it look as if she were about to stab me.
No, not after coming this far!! I can't let it end so pointlessly. I'm scared, I'm scared...
I'm so scared...!! I've had enough, I hate this, I hate it, I hate it.
I want to run away from you.
I want to escape you by killing you.
I never want to meet you again.
I don't even want to face you as an ally. Saber, who has already become an object of terror to me, won't disappear from my heart even if I win here. How can I escape? How can I shake her off?
The hand gripping my foot had absolutely no intention of letting go...
I grit my teeth with the last of my willpower. Yes, I've come this far. I absolutely cannot die. I don't want to try this again.
I will survive after defeating you. That's how I'll escape you.
"What are... you bastard!!"
Zip! A wire-like thread was tied above the ankle Saber was holding.
I bit down on my clothes. Did that fancy Instinct of yours tell you what I'm about to do? Then you must already know the ending. If you can't avoid it, then accept it!!
"Farewell, you magnificent piece of shit!!!"
Rip!!! Taking a deep breath, I severed my own leg right then and there.
Saber fell away from my leg and descended into the depths. As she fell, Saber stared blankly at me, holding what used to be my leg in her hand.
Did she have a face that wondered why I would go this far?
I didn't have the strength to answer that face, which seemed to have lost its shock.
But there were two reasons why I chose the option of cutting off my leg here.
First, I thought it was a gain if I could defeat Saber at the cost of a single leg, and second, because I thought losing a leg was a hundred times better than dying to Saber and having to try again.
Ugh. I bit down hard on my clothes.
But the pain was worse than I thought.
The pain of amputation was indescribable. I quickly tightened the thread to stop the bleeding like a tourniquet.
"Mmmph!!!" I screamed into the cloth. My consciousness began to fade. A pain that made me wonder if I would die of shock dominated my body.
Thud. As the thread supporting me snapped, unable to hold on, a wooden hand caught me from falling. It was Caster.
Caster aimed his staff at the falling Saber with a somewhat displeased expression.
"Wicker Man!!"
The wooden giant rising from the pitch-black ground seized Saber once more. This time, she couldn't even resist and was swallowed as if being sucked in.
Roar!! Only when I saw her burning did I finally feel relieved.
Boom... Caster, who had come toward me after I landed safely, quickly applied treatment to stop the bleeding from my foot.
"You idiot! Who the hell cuts off their own leg?!"
"For one leg... Singularity restored... an easy win."
"It's not a problem that ends with just one leg, you brat."
I knew. My arms wouldn't move anymore. They had been on the verge of breaking anyway, so it wouldn't be strange if they were completely shattered. Furthermore, my consciousness was faint.
But my instincts were warning me. They were telling me that if I closed my eyes now, I would go back to before I challenged Saber.
Endure, endure... Endure!! Survive somehow! Escape from Saber! I never want to see her again! Dammit!!
...Just as Caster was focusing on my treatment, a voice came from above.
"...ster! Master!!"
Is that Charlotte? Charlotte had a face that looked like she was about to cry after seeing my condition. If you make a face like that, it makes me think you're interested in me.
You're just worried because I'm your Master, so don't make me get the wrong idea. Hmm? Regardless, it didn't feel bad to be worried about.
When I looked at Caster, he was using the Wicker Man's arm to safely bring Charlotte down. All while continuing my treatment.
He's so competent it's thrilling! ...Huh? I looked toward the place where Saber had fallen.
...Eh? No, there's no way. There's no way, right?
A golden glow in her eyes stared directly at me.
"Excalibur..."
"What?!"
Caster was also startled by the sudden voice and looked back.
One arm was lost, and even one eye was burned. I could see parts of her body pierced by wooden branches here and there. Despite that, she held the black-shining holy sword in her hand.
I was speechless at the sight of Saber holding it with one hand. How is she alive? And how is she trying to use her Noble Phantasm again?
She shouldn't even have the magical energy for it! It's impossible, it can't be! It can't be!!
"Wicker..."
"Morgan!!!!"
I thought it was over.
Gagagagah!!! It tore through the ground and destroyed the walls, wiping out everything in its path. The strike, which seemed to erase existence itself, eventually approached me.
KABOOM!!! A thunderous roar echoed. One of my ears rang dully. ...Huh? I breathed in shallow, uneven gasps.
"Ha, huh... Ha... Huh?"
I was dazed from the shock, as if I had forgotten how to speak. I moved only my eyes to look at the gouged earth beside me.
...It... missed.
Caster also stared blankly at the missed holy sword strike. The Wicker Man was a beat too late. Saber's Excalibur had flown before it.
But it missed.
Everyone there fell silent. No one could say a word; they just remained silent. Saber had lost an arm and an eye. And her condition was poor in many ways.
Because of that... yes, this was what you'd call 'Heavenly Luck.'
Various coincidences and miracles overlapped and overlapped to make Saber's Noble Phantasm miss. Saber quietly watched as her attack missed.
And eventually, particles of light began to emanate from Saber's body.
...Artoria Pendragon's despawning was certain. Saber thudded Excalibur into the ground and slowly walked toward us with her fading body.
"Congratulations, Master of Chaldea. ...You have won against me. With that frail body, with that dying body, you have defeated me. You pierced through various adverse conditions, leaped over an incredibly disadvantageous wall, and grasped a miracle. Even if it is a trivial miracle compared to the miracles you will need in the future... the fact that you caused that miracle is what matters most."
Her armor vanished, and she approached bit by bit in her dress-like casual wear.
Caster was wary at first, but even I could tell that Saber currently had no hostility. I was still scared, though.
...But just in case, he didn't move, keeping his staff aimed at Saber. He had a face that said he would blow her head off the moment she tried anything suspicious.
Saber stopped a short distance from me and spoke.
"You truly did well. Take pride in this victory. This is an achievement, a beginning, and the battle that will form the foundation of everything for you. ...Do not forget who you are. In the hell you will walk through, never let go of the hands that will hold you. You must make fate your ally, miracles your ally, and Heavenly Luck your ally. ...It must be so. In this story where one cannot become a hero and even a clown is disqualified, only tragedy remains. However, how it concludes depends on you. ...But, I see."
Saber smiled.
That smile was quite far from the sneers or smirks she had shown until now.
...Saber then approached me a bit more and reached out toward my head. I understood that there was no hostility in that hand, but despite that, I took a deep breath and squeezed my eyes shut.
The terror wouldn't leave my body. It might look a bit pathetic, but I couldn't control the fear.
I was so scared, so scared.
...Squeezing out what little courage I had left to open my eyes, I saw Saber withdrawing her hand and giving a gentle smile that didn't seem to suit her.
That smile gave off a peaceful feeling, as if her corruption had been lifted.
"In your long, hellish journey, you and I will meet again. At that time, it won't be the current me, and the you I meet again will be more mature than you are now. ...At that time, don't you think we could meet with a smile?"
"...No."
When I answered with a straight face, Saber looked surprised for a moment, her eyes widening, before she smiled and said, "I see..."
The particles of light spread more and more, signaling Saber's end. She had tormented me so much, she was so terrifying, and her very existence was a trauma that would surely appear if I ever had nightmares. But in that final moment, her smile felt as gentle as a breeze.
I remembered that even the original Saber rarely showed such a smile.
...Well, that didn't mean I wasn't scared, though. As I sat there trembling, Saber whispered one last thing.
"That is a pity."
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