The glow of the Noble Phantasm slowly faded. Within a two-hundred-meter radius, the nearly perfect, clean-cut cross-sections silently testified to the Black Knight's Noble Phantasm's terrifying destructive power.
The Black Knight's voice rang out through the silent forest, carrying a trace of barely perceptible delight and satisfaction.
"Master, Archer has been eliminated."
"I know."
Shiki replied calmly. Everything had gone according to his expectations.
In a sense, Archer's defeat had indeed been inevitable.
Though the Gate of Babylon was called a Noble Phantasm, at its core, it was actually a form of magecraft.
And the upgraded Red Rose of Purgation happened to counter that sort of magecraft, easily severing its connection to Archer.
Without the ability to open the Gate of Babylon and with no Noble Phantasms left to wield, how could Gilgamesh possibly escape?
"Though the plan had a minor hiccup, the final result wasn't bad."
Shiki murmured softly, recalling their original plan.
Originally, he and the Black Knight had intended to force Archer to draw Ea, then use the Red Rose of Purgation to sever the connection, forcing Archer to fight while holding Ea himself.
That might have been more troublesome. Ea's power was not something easily endured.
However, Gilgamesh had been far too arrogant. He looked down on the Black Knight and believed he was unworthy of making him use Ea. As a result, he never got another chance to draw his sword.
Shiki weighed the bow in his hand. Fortunately, with the Winter Saintess's support, the Noble Phantasm did not feel heavy in his grasp.
"Sir Lancelot, let's head back. Tonight's operation was a success."
"By your command, Master."
A smile touched the Black Knight's lips as he slowly vanished into the shadows of the forest.
Tonight, he and his Master had successfully hunted another Heroic Spirit.
Only three Heroic Spirits remained in the Holy Grail War.
Tomorrow, as long as he could eliminate Rider, he could fight Saber, the King of Knights, as promised.
At the thought, an uncontrollable anticipation surged through the Black Knight's heart. He yearned for that day more than anything; it would be the most important moment of his brief life.
Using the Heaven Path's power, Shiki streaked toward Mount Enzou like a meteor under the cover of night.
Many matters awaited him tomorrow, so he needed to rest well tonight.
Yet just as Shiki was preparing to savor the afterglow of victory, Kiritsugu sank into extreme anxiety.
When he saw a fierce conflict erupt near the Holy Church from afar, a sense of foreboding rose in his heart. By the time he rushed there, the battle had already ended, and the scene was deathly silent.
He did not know who had won the battle, but when he entered the church, he saw the severely wounded Kirei Kotomine lying amid the ruins.
Kiritsugu's heart sank. This dangerous man whom he had never been able to see through had actually lost.
Then, according to his deduction, the powerful Archer had likely been eliminated as well. Coupled with the young Master he had encountered earlier in Shinto, a shocking conjecture surfaced in Kiritsugu's mind.
"Berserker defeated Archer!!"
Together with what Irisviel had told him earlier—that Berserker had defeated Langser—Berserker had defeated two Servants in succession in just two days.
Langser aside, Kiritsugu did not consider him among the strongest, so his defeat was understandable. But Archer's power was plain for all to see, and now he too had fallen to Berserker. Kiritsugu felt an unprecedented pressure.
The Holy Grail War was nearing its end, yet because of Irisviel, his relationship with Saber had become extraordinarily tense, nearly collapsing entirely.
Kiritsugu knew full well that under these circumstances, it would be difficult to gain Saber's assistance. Could he still make it to the end of this brutal Holy Grail War?
The answer seemed obvious. The odds were slim.
"No one can win alone. Especially against Berserker's Master—we must gather every available force to deal with Berserker."
Kiritsugu calculated silently as he slowly lowered the gun he had been aiming at Kirei Kotomine.
Earlier, Kiritsugu had wanted nothing more than to put a bullet through this priest, but now he had no choice but to weigh the pros and cons.
The consequences of killing the priest were too severe. Not because he feared the priest's influence, nor because he had suddenly become merciful, but because he knew that to obtain the Holy Grail, he had to make use of every force available.
This inscrutable priest had fought that boy. He should be a useful asset.
Kiritsugu stood there in thought for a long time. Finally, he bent down, hoisted the severely wounded Kirei Kotomine onto his back, and silently left the Holy Church, now reduced to ruins. His shadow stretched long beneath the moonlight.
Meanwhile, at the Emiya Residence in Miyamachi, Irisviel lay in Saber's arms, her body trembling faintly.
"Irisviel!! Please, hold on!"
Saber tightly gripped Irisviel's hand and continuously poured her own mana into her body, activating Avalon, the conceptual armament within Irisviel, to bring its protective power to its fullest. It sustained Irisviel's life, preventing her form from dissolving and becoming the Holy Grail.
Golden light slowly blossomed around Irisviel. She clenched her teeth and struggled to endure as sweat soaked her silver hair, strands sticking to her cheeks.
Her face was pale as paper, yet it held a tragic beauty.
The struggle continued for more than ten minutes. At last, the golden light gradually stabilized, and victory was won. A minute or two later, Irisviel slowly opened her eyes in Saber's arms.
Irisviel forced a smile at Saber and said weakly, "Saber, I promised you that I would cherish my life. This time, I held on."
Hearing Irisviel's voice, Saber was overjoyed. She held her tightly and said excitedly, "That's wonderful, Irisviel. You won. That's wonderful!"
Yes, Irisviel had won.
With her unyielding will and Avalon's formidable power, she had temporarily overcome the Holy Grail's erosion and prevented her form from immediately dissolving into the Holy Grail.
Irisviel sat up, but her weakness made her lean against Saber's shoulder. She said quietly, "Listen to me, Saber. Another Heroic Spirit was eliminated just now. That Heroic Spirit's soul was enormous; he alone directly filled the Lesser Grail. I think you know who it was, Saber."
Saber's heart sank as she slowly spoke the name. "Archer."
In this Holy Grail War, if anyone possessed a Heroic Spirit's soul that could equal four or five others, it could only be the most ancient king, Archer Gilgamesh. His Heroic Spirit's soul was the largest of all.
As for who had struck, Saber could guess that too.
"Lancelot did it."
With Archer dead, only three Heroic Spirits remained.
Rider had an alliance with her, and they would contact each other when confronting Archer.
Yet she had received no message from Rider so far, meaning Rider had not acted. The most likely possibility was Lancelot.
The thought that Lancelot had actually defeated Archer made Saber's feelings even more complicated.
Lancelot's strength had surpassed her expectations. Even though they knew and understood each other, their coming battle with Lancelot would be full of uncertainties—and even more so, curiosity about her dear friend's strength.
That Lancelot's Master had somehow restored the mad Berserker's sanity. He possessed a miraculous ability.
Then could he...
Saber looked at Irisviel. What worried her more was the girl at her side.
Irisviel saw Saber's concern, but misunderstood it, believing Saber was worried about the coming battle.
In truth, she had been deeply worried all along—not only about Kiritsugu and Saber's relationship, but also about her own steadily worsening condition.
She knew better than anyone how terrifying that mysterious and dangerous Berserker was.
After changing Masters, he had eliminated two Heroic Spirits in just two days and even restored the mad Berserker's sanity. No matter how one looked at it, Berserker's side was the most dangerous force in the Holy Grail War.
"Saber, if possible, I hope..."
Irisviel had wanted Saber to join forces with Kiritsugu. Perhaps then they could endure the coming battles. But the moment the words left her mouth, she realized that it seemed too harsh a request for Saber.
"Irisviel?"
In the end, Irisviel forced a smile. "It's nothing. I was just thinking that if possible, I wish this day could last forever, and tomorrow would never come. Wouldn't that be wonderful?"
How could Saber fail to understand Irisviel's thoughts? She wanted Saber to cooperate with Kiritsugu, but Saber could not do it. She could not stand by and watch Irisviel die.
Saber said softly, "Irisviel, get some rest. I'll stay by your side."
"Thank you, Saber."
The struggle against the Holy Grail within her had been far more difficult than Irisviel had imagined, and it had drained too much of her strength.
Saber gently laid Irisviel on the bed and watched her gradually fall asleep. Then she abruptly stood, clenching her fists tightly. She knew she could no longer wait passively. She had to take the initiative.
Otherwise, Irisviel might not last until the next Heroic Spirit was eliminated.
Though Saber was not especially skilled in conventional magecraft, there was one type of magecraft that every Knight of the Round Table knew—a means of contact.
At the entrance of the Emiya Residence, Saber attached this signal to a familiar and gently spoke to the little bird.
"Be good, beautiful bird. Go. Find that person."
The little bird tilted its head, preened its feathers, then turned and flew into the darkness.
Saber quietly watched the bird's receding silhouette and silently prayed that tomorrow would bring good news.
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