Who Decides Rise and Fall? How Could Prosperity and Decline Have No Cause?

"What a joke! Even a divine sword capable of splitting the heavens and earth couldn't maintain such a high output indefinitely!"

Lancer's exclamation was not without reason, because more than five minutes had passed since Archer swung his sword, but the sword pressure was still spreading outwards continuously, and its power was not diminishing but increasing.

"It's that Black Mud —it's absorbing the Holy Grail's magic!"

Berserker, who used his body as a shield to protect Saber, could see more clearly. Through his eyes, he confirmed that some kind of link existed between Archer and the Black Mud beneath his feet.

"Are we supposed to hold out until all the ley line power gathered in the Holy Grail is exhausted?"

Knight is not afraid of death or powerful enemies, but watching himself be worn down to death is another matter entirely.

Even Berserker's supposedly indestructible weapon, which he used for defense, developed cracks. Even though they are both holy swords, the difference in their mystique is still evident.

"Your Majesty, we cannot simply sit idly by and wait to die. We don't know how long Caster and Rider will remain alive. Instead of waiting for them, let's take a gamble!"

"But Lord Lance, even with Excalibur, I'm not entirely confident—"

"As long as we can put up a fight, that's fine! Lancer, when our King unleashes his Noble Phantasm, we'll throw all our weapons at Archer. This distance shouldn't be a problem for you, right?"

Berserker's capital for devising this plan was the vast amount of Noble Phantasm he had just captured, stored in the "Gate of Babylon."

Use the impact of the Anti-City Noble Phantasm to temporarily open a passage, then suppress Archer with intense, high-density ranged attacks. Even if you can't kill him, at least force him to be unable to maintain the release of Ea.

"I'm fine!"

Lancer, who had no better plan, was the first to second the suggestion, and Saber nodded a few seconds later.

"Then, Lord Lance, please step aside!"

The wind that had enveloped the Sword of the Fairies dispersed, and light spontaneously gathered from the darkness to illuminate its blade. Simultaneously, the sword itself erupted with dazzling light, the radiance extending from its tip.

"Excalibur--"

The light, gathered into supreme power, burst forth and slammed into the spreading black ripples. The rampant magic was forced to retreat, and for a moment, it seemed to dissipate.

However, this is only superficial. Because the attack of the Ea is wide-range, the density is low at the outer edge, which is inferior to the breakthrough attack of Excalibur. But by the same token, the power at the center is very strong, and the deeper Saber's attack goes, the greater the resistance she encounters.

"Hmph, your sword is indeed a treasure, but my Ea is unmatched!"

As Archer felt the impact of the clashing holy swords up close, his emotions surged, but in the next moment—

"If the quality isn't good enough, we'll make up for it with quantity!"

Following the path of light opened by Saber, countless swords and spears shot towards the Archer—Berserker and Lancer— Knight were repeatedly picking them up and throwing them. The Servants' superhuman strength gave the weapons they threw bullet-like speed, making them a force to be reckoned with even for the Archer.

"How dare you defile my treasures with your hands, and shamelessly use them to challenge me, the king!"

Enraged, the archer had no time to dodge and could only summon several shimmering shields in front of him to defend himself.

"Duang!" "Duang!" "Duang!"

The shields Archer summoned were all renowned Noble Phantasm, but without support while airborne, even Athena's Aegis couldn't withstand them. Although the shields weren't broken, the impact propelled them towards Archer himself. Now, Archer had no choice but to dodge—that instant was his chance to turn the tide!

"You bastards, do you think such an attack can harm me?!"

Just before Archer was about to be hit, a chain descended from above, lifting Archer high into the air.

Chains of Heaven! Archer used the Chains of Heaven to weave an impenetrable net in the air, standing on it and pointing the still-powerful Ea downwards.

"My domain encompasses everything in this world, even the sky—you bastards, remember this well, and then set off!"

Saber's holy sword had lost its luster. Regardless of its power, the difference in mana reserves prevented Saber from engaging Arche in a prolonged battle. Without her Anti-City Noble Phantasm to clear a path, Berserker and Lancer's barrage of attacks lost its effect, and Ea countered with overwhelming force.

Out of ammunition and food--

The destructive force is about to reach the three Knights.

"Sorry I'm late, Ahlalalaalalaalala!"

A triumphant voice echoed from above the archer, the battle cry of the conquerors.

Iskandar, King of Conquerors has finally returned to the battlefield!

"King of Conquerors, you've finally arrived. I've been waiting for you for so long."

"King of Heroes, to be honest, I'm inexplicably happy to see you, but there seems to be something strange about the aura around you."

The Rider, who had suddenly appeared to save the day, forced the Arher to stop unleashing Ea and fall from the Chains of Heaven to the ground. After all, with Vimana destroyed and losing mobility, trying to engage the Rider in aerial combat was suicidal.

However, the situation did not improve. The interference from the barrage and the Chains of Heaven prevented Gordius Wheel from getting close, so Rider had to get off and rejoin Saber and the others.

After both sides had regrouped, Rider and Archer started chatting.

"Borrowing external objects—especially such filthy things—don't you feel it's beneath your title, King of Heroes?"

"This world belongs to me, so everything in it should serve me. Whether it is good or evil, obediently submitting to me is the right path."

--Actually, it couldn't really be called a chat. Rider's attitude was more like questioning Archer, asking how the proud Archer could associate with those Black Mud.

"Really? But to me, you're acting more like it's doing the work!"

"What! You bastard! Watch your language!"

Archer exploded after only a few words, staring fiercely at Rider with a twisted expression, as if he wanted to tear him apart.

Seeing his reaction, Rider shook his head with a hint of regret. "It seems that even you haven't been able to escape the influence of this evil. If it were the old you, your demeanor would definitely not be like this."

In Rider's eyes, Archer was no longer Archer. He had been reborn with the power of the Black Mud and gained immense strength, but he had lost his kingly spirit, which greatly disappointed and angered Rider.

"There's nothing more to talk about, Archer—or rather, some being disguised as Archer. I can't let you further tarnish the honor of the king with whom I have mutual recognition. For his sake, I will eliminate you!" (①)

"You bastard! You..."

"Ahlalalala!"

Archer wanted to say something to intimidate the crowd, but Rider didn't want to listen to his nonsense and spurred the chariot forward.

At this moment, it wasn't just Rider charging at Archer; Lancer was also riding on the back of the Divine Bull in front of his chariot, wielding dual Twin Guns —which Rider had returned the Gae Dearg to him—like a shield, deflecting Archer's Noble Phantasm one by one.

Of course, with the power of "Gate of Babylon," one Lancer alone is not enough. The golden-haired swordswoman stood atop another Divine Bull, her holy sword and the wind forming a barrier to protect the chariot's advance.

Two Knight cleared a path for it, and even with the archer's fierce firing, the chariot remained unaffected, quickly closing the distance to the archer in the blink of an eye.

"You bastards, this is the distance I've been waiting for!"

Countless chains shot out from all directions, attempting to capture the chariot and all the servants aboard.

"Noble Phantasm specifically designed to counter gods? In my eyes, it's nothing more than a few sturdier iron chains!"

Lancer leaped from the Divine Bull, extending his Twin Guns and performing several intricate spear flourishes, managing to pierce the incoming chains beneath them. He then spun violently, forcing the Chains of Heaven toward him and binding them around his body.

Lancer's life-risking act bought the assault team another crucial moment. At that moment, Saber jumped off the Divine Bull and unleashed the raging wind she had gathered. The wind fueled the lightning, and with this thrust, the chariot's speed increased exponentially.

As the chariot approached Archer, a petite figure emerged from behind the burly red-haired man's imposing frame. Her long silver hair shimmered brilliantly in the glow of various magical lights, and her doll-like face displayed unwavering resolve. She raised her Scythe and swung it at Archer—

"Return to the throne!"

"What..."

Archer was horrified, however--

Do you really think I would say that?

The scene froze. A strangely shaped sword was plunged straight into the silver-haired woman's chest. As the sword spun mercilessly, more flesh was torn away. The woman's eyes were filled with astonishment; she couldn't understand why this was happening.

"Foolish! The same trick won't work on me twice!"

After being knocked down by Rider and Weber together, Archer became more wary. Now, seeing Rider charging towards him with such a doomed momentum, he knew that it wasn't a killing move, but rather a distraction to conceal someone.

Now that he has seen through his opponent's scheme, it is impossible for the King of Heroes Gilgamesh to fail!

But--

"Foolish! Do you think you can cosplay a Gold Saint by dressing like that?"

A flippant and annoying voice, the Witch's voice, rang out behind Archer, right where the Holy Grail was located. Archer was truly dumbfounded. He instinctively turned around and found that Jizi had been standing there at some point.

"What, so this is--" Archer hurriedly turned his gaze back and discovered that the person he had hit had transformed from a girl into a tall, heavily armored Knight —not for his own glory (For Someone's Glory)! Lancelot's last secret technique, the ability to disguise himself as someone else.

The Knight, pierced through the chest, did not groan in pain. Instead, he resolutely gripped the blade of the Ea with both hands, preventing Archer from pulling his hands away. No matter how the spinning sword tore his body apart, he remained unmoved.

"This is the last! Go to hell with All the World's Evils!"

Jizi raised her last single Ahoge) high, using its magic to perform her final miracle—

"The Meidō Zangetsuha!!!"

The true gates to hell have been opened.

-----------Notes---------------

① My personal opinion -- You see, Gilgamesh was a bit silly during the Fourth Holy Grail War, but he still acted with basic intelligence. But after being resurrected from the Black Mud and living in the Fifth Holy Grail War -- Holy crap, he went from being a complete idiot to a total goofball, and he's even trending towards becoming a moron! No matter which route, his behavior doesn't match the Gilgamesh from Fate/Zero!

Therefore, I think that although he overcame the All the World's Evil with his willpower, he was still greatly affected. Otherwise, it's hard to explain why there's such a big difference between the two works... For example, after defeating Rider, Gilgamesh even praised Weber and didn't kill him, showing that he still had a sense of honor. But in Fate/stay night, he was completely twisted, okay? After killing Berserker, he tortured Illya —although Illya was key to the Holy Grail, Gilgamesh clearly said that he didn't want the Holy Grail, he only wanted to punish the thieves who coveted the King's treasure...

--------------ps-------------

These chapters clearly show that the Director is completely incapable of writing action-packed battle scenes.