Interrupting Ultimate Moves Was Apparently a Technical Skill

"AAAAAAAH—I'm going to die, I'm going to die, I'm going to die, I'm going to die—"

In the dim forest, a chariot crackling with lightning charged wildly through the trees. Countless hideous demons were crushed beneath its wheels, and it cut an imposing figure.

"I say, you're the master of the King of Conquerors, aren't you? Could you show a little backbone?"

On the chariot, a burly man in a red cloak controlled the reins with one hand while slashing and blocking with his sword in the other. But more often than attacking, he was protecting the frail figure behind him.

"But Rider—"

On the same battlefield, a delicate-looking swordswoman in knightly armor wielded an invisible sword as she fought the demons. Though the consecutive battles had left her weary, her movements remained firm and fluid.

"Look at Saber. She's just a little girl, and she's handling herself fine. Yet you're panicking like this. How are you supposed to become a proper man?"

Those two peerless warriors were undeniably powerful, yet they had been forced into such an awkward situation. The demons opposing them were weak and fell with a single blow, but their numbers were endless. Worse still, they could regenerate, making them impossible to finish off anytime soon.

Of course, compared to Saber, who had been confronting Caster from the start, Rider was in far better condition. Riding atop the Gordius Wheel cost him far less stamina than Saber, who had been running on foot, and whenever danger arose, he could simply take to the air and evade it safely.

Still, Rider had his own troubles. With his superior mobility, he could have driven his chariot into the sky and left at ease. Why should he let a pack of lowly demons surround him? But when he had made his flashy entrance earlier, he had loudly declared that he would kill Caster. Now that his attempt to show off had backfired and Caster was clearly still alive, he could not simply leave. Otherwise, wouldn't his pride as a king—and as a Heroic Spirit—be utterly destroyed? He had no choice but to quickly kill that irritating heretic and salvage at least a little of his dignity.

"Hey, swordswoman over there!"

With Caster as their common enemy, Rider and Saber had no basis for trusting one another, but they were not foolish enough to keep fighting each other. Still, that was all there was between them. The two Heroic Spirits had each fought on their own without interfering with the other, and cooperation had never even been considered.

But if they wanted to end this quickly, they could no longer keep acting that way. Rider finally set aside his pride and called out first.

"What is it?"

Saber replied coldly—though that was already the best attitude she could manage at the moment. After witnessing what Caster had done to those children and seeing his deranged behavior, even the most well-mannered person would struggle to remain composed.

"Get on my Gordius Wheel. We'll search for Caster's hiding place from the air. Then I'll use the Gordius Wheel to clear a path and remove the surrounding obstacles, while you gather your strength and kill him in one strike."

Without trying to appeal to reason or emotion, Rider stated his plan outright. He even said it in a declarative tone, as though refusal was not an option.

After hearing him, Saber did not become angry at his rude attitude. Instead, she turned her head toward him and met Rider's gaze for an instant. Her sword was not affected in the slightest, continuing to smoothly cut down every demon that approached her.

No one knew what kind of exchange the two Heroic Spirits had in that instant, but the moment their gazes parted, Saber kicked off the ground and leapt high into the air. At the same time, Rider's chariot rose on thunderbolts, catching her at the very peak of her jump, just as gravity was about to pull her down.

Kiritsugu Emiya had once been compared to a precise killing machine. Every plan he made and every action he took was as efficient and accurate as a machine, without a trace of impurity.

Having calculated and rehearsed every possibility in his mind countless times, he had naturally considered what tactics he should use if an enemy invaded his castle. He would take advantage of the home field and fight a guerrilla battle, focusing on harassment at first. When his opponent exposed a weakness, he would kill them in a single strike with an Origin Bullet. The details would vary depending on the opponent, but that general policy remained effective. Of the other Masters in this war, aside from the student who always sat on Rider's chariot, all of them could be dealt with this way.

But what if an unforeseen special circumstance arose? What if his opponent's defenses were flawless, their attacks sharp, and their mind constantly vigilant, leaving no opening to exploit? What should he do then?

Though the odds of such a situation were extremely low, Kiritsugu Emiya had still prepared a contingency plan for it.

And now, driven into a corner, he activated that contingency plan in order to seize the chance to turn things around.

"Boom!"

The walls, floor, and even ceiling of the corridor where he and Kayneth stood exploded simultaneously. Shockwaves rippled through the air, shattered stone flew everywhere, and the thunderous blasts tore at their eardrums. Being inside felt like standing at the epicenter of a massive earthquake, as nature's world-shaping power was recreated within that narrow space. Though its scale and intensity were far below the real thing, it was still enough to reduce everything inside to rubble.

Before detonating the bombs he had planted throughout his own home, Kiritsugu Emiya had already pushed Time Alter to its limit. When the explosions began, he had adjusted into the most suitable position to protect his body. Then, as the outer wall collapsed—more precisely, when it had begun collapsing but before the debris could fall—he covered his head with both hands and crashed backward through it, using the snow outside to cushion his landing. Well, if bleeding from every orifice, a concussion, temporary deafness, cardiac overload, Mana exhaustion, and a series of other debuffs could still count as a "safe state."

In any case, he had survived.

As for his opponent, from the outside, a quarter of the castle centered on that corridor had become ruins. Not even Volumen Hydrargyrum could withstand the pressure of dozens of tons of stone, not to mention the earlier explosion and flying debris.

That should mean I won... I didn't expect things to get this bad after just one battle... Airi...

Kiritsugu Emiya focused all his strength on maintaining consciousness through the intense pain and exhaustion. He crawled laboriously through the snow on all fours. Even if he had dealt with his great enemy, this forest was still full of danger. He had to reach somewhere safe before resting—

Through his blood-red, blurred vision, the Magus Killer saw a handsome man in light armor carrying twin spears. He was not unfamiliar; Kiritsugu had seen him before—a Servant, and a Lancer at that. Did that mean the Magus was not dead?

He had no strength left, and even in perfect condition, how could a human body contend with a Servant? But this was not yet the end—

"By the Command Seals, Saber, come to my side!"

The divine oxen, their hooves ringing with thunder, swept low over the ground while pulling the chariot behind them. Other than Weber, who had been frightened pale by Saber's presence and could only hide in Rider's embrace, the other two passengers carefully scanned the ground with their extraordinary vision.

At the same time, Saber studied the Heroic Spirit beside her from the corner of her eye—the trembling Master had been automatically ignored. Alexander the Great, the conqueror. Though they had not lived in the same era, Saber knew something about him through the knowledge granted by the Holy Grail. She had been mentally prepared for his bold style of conduct, yet Rider's earlier audacious proposal had still startled her.

They were not allies. Strictly speaking, they were enemies, merely standing on the same side for the time being. Even while fighting together, they had to remain wary of a knife in the back. Yet Rider had directly proposed cooperation to her, without even elaborating on the pros and cons before stating his plan.

The King of Conquerors truly lived up to his name. His bearing alone is beyond anything I can match. He does not know me, yet he can cooperate with me. He even shared his Noble Phantasm and allowed me to come this close to his Master. Where does that trust come from?

As far as the eye could see, there were only evergreen coniferous forests and demons that had lost their target, spinning around like headless flies. There was no sign of Caster, so Saber shifted her attention back to her fellow passengers.

Or perhaps... he does not trust me at all. His invitation to cooperate was merely a test, to see whether I possessed the magnanimity worthy of being treated as a "hero." If I had hesitated then, he would have simply flown away. And as a hero with such a renowned legend, he must have his own hidden trump card, which is why he could let me board his chariot without worry. He looks careless, but he actually pays close attention to details? He is not an opponent to underestimate.

"Found him!"

Saber, who had been secretly analyzing Rider, was brought back to herself by the deep-voiced reminder. Following the red-haired giant's gaze, she saw a strange man in bizarre robes, his eyes bulging from their sockets. He was hiding beneath the cover of tree shadows and piled debris, holding a grimoire and muttering under his breath.

Saber silently raised her sword. Since they had discovered the enemy, Caster's sensitivity to Mana would naturally mean that he had discovered them as well. They had to kill him in one thunderous strike. If he escaped again, finding him would become troublesome.

The lightning suddenly flared brightly, and the chariot's speed surged. Rider gripped the reins, charging straight toward Caster. Yet rather than showing any urgency in the face of death, Caster shouted excitedly instead.

"You filthy insect! Who gave you permission to stand beside the saint? Receive judgment for defiling the sacred!"

Countless tentacles stretched from the surrounding shadows. Rider raised his sword and slashed in every direction, lightning striking those disgusting limbs and filling the air with the stench of scorched flesh. Saber stared at the enemy with eyes as clear as a lake, waiting for the best moment to strike.

At last, a thick tentacle broke through their defense and wrapped around the chariot's pole. Though it was cut apart in the next instant, the chariot's balance and trajectory were still affected.

Not yet...

More tentacles coiled around the shafts and axle. Rider had no choice but to knock Weber down at his feet to free up more room to fend off the attackers, while Saber remained still.

Just a little more...

A tentacle bound the hand Rider used to control the reins. The burly man roared, released the reins, and yanked backward with all his strength, tearing it apart by brute force. But several more tentacles reached out in the next instant. The situation was so perilous, yet Saber continued waiting.

Almost there...

Even without the reins, the divine oxen continued steadily along the correct path. Though Rider was hard-pressed to defend himself, he would rather suffer attacks himself than fail to clear an unobstructed route for Saber.

Now!

Saber suddenly leapt up. The howling gale around her blade turned into streaks of sharp, knife-like light, blasting away every nearby tentacle. The holy sword, temporarily stripped of the concealment of its barrier, revealed its magnificent radiance, its sharp edge aimed directly at Caster. Thanks to the opening Rider had created for her, Saber was certain that this strike was flawless.

"That sword is—"

Rider saw the true form of the Noble Phantasm Saber held tightly in her hand. Any doubts he had about Saber's abilities vanished at once, because that sword was the symbol of invincibility. Its wielder would never betray the hope of victory—

"Die—"

"By the Command Seals, come to my side, Saber!"

The Knight King's killing blow was interrupted by a voice from another place. Just as the holy sword was about to sever Caster's head, the sword-bearing Heroic Spirit vanished into thin air while still poised to attack.

Rider hurriedly drove the ox cart forward, intending to deliver the final blow himself, but he was ultimately one instant too late. Caster was swallowed by a demon that burst from the ground, then burrowed back into the earth and vanished to an unknown destination.

Jizi had gone another entire chapter without appearing...

As for when the C route would update: well, I want the two routes to end at roughly the same time, so I need to hurry things along a little on this side. Don't hit me.

Also, I slightly exaggerated Caster's strength. Just think of it as Saber and Rider being caught off guard. If they fight again next time, they will not be so passive.

As for the sound of the explosion—Heroic Spirits' five senses would definitely have heard Kiritsugu's massive blast. But even if Saber and Rider heard it, what could they do? Caster still had to be their main target, right? One of them kept his Master at his side, while the other and her Master could barely stand each other and generally ignored one another without a summons. There was no need for them to be affected by the explosion at all.