At that moment, Emiya Kiritsugu felt three enormous surges of magical energy rapidly approaching from behind him, making his brow twitch wildly. He abruptly turned around, and the afterimages of three uncut gemstones still speeding toward him were reflected in his eyes.
"Shh. Can we make peace?"
"Are you joking at a time like this?"
Kenneth let out a cold laugh behind him.
Rumble—!!
Violent magical energy and explosions engulfed the entire area.
The night was still long. The heroes' battle was certainly spectacular, but in some completely unknown place, the battle between Masters seemed no less so.
Two Lancers? (2/2)
While the Masters were fighting to the death in that fated battle.
Elsewhere beneath the night sky, the battle between the holy sword and the demonic spear gradually climbed to its peak as time passed.
Because they were at a harbor close to the sea, Fionn mac Cumhaill had an inexhaustible supply of water under her command, giving her an absolute advantage. With every move, she seemed like the sea god of myth, manipulating the ocean itself to sweep toward her enemy. No matter how Artoria slashed with the starlight in her hand, she could not cut through that sea.
Even the legendary King Arthur would feel particularly powerless when facing nature alone.
It was about time...
After fighting for so long, Fionn mac Cumhaill realized that it was time to end this battle.
Her Master had just informed her through a Command Seal that the Einzbern Master behind Saber was indeed a fake. He had caught a big fish on his end and gained an overwhelming advantage. He would soon be able to eliminate Saber's true Master. He ordered her to hold Saber back with everything she had and absolutely not let this Heroic Spirit of the sword return to defend her Master. Therefore, all she needed to do now was finish off King Arthur in one decisive push.
Having received the order, Fionn mac Cumhaill stopped hiding her strength. She fiercely swung the Double-Headed Spear in her hand, increasing the original few streams of water into dozens. The already one-sided battle instantly tipped completely out of balance, becoming a crushing situation. Artoria alone could not fend off so many attacks of flowing water at once.
Only now did she finally understand why Lancer had chosen to fight at the harbor.
Concealment was one reason, but more importantly, her opponent had a natural terrain advantage here. What was the difference between a powerful warrior capable of controlling water with the ocean at her back and a Magus staying in a workshop? In a place like this, the strength Lancer could display was at least several times greater than normal.
But by the time she realized this, it was clearly too late. She had now completely fallen into Fionn mac Cumhaill's trap.
With a wave of her hand, several more roaring waves were drawn directly from the sea. They gathered in midair like a water dragon and surged toward Artoria, forcing her back again and again as Fionn mac Cumhaill completely took control of the battle's rhythm.
"Irisviel, retreat!"
As the situation grew increasingly dire, Artoria realized they could not continue fighting like this. If they kept wearing each other down against this Lancer, they would undoubtedly die. She had to risk everything now!
With that thought, she gripped the holy sword in her hand once more. While controlling the azure gale to block the waves, she shouted to Irisviel behind her.
Very soon, she would release her Noble Phantasm to break this deadlock...
But the power of her Noble Phantasm was far too great. If Irisviel remained here, she would also be in great danger. Therefore, Artoria had to cover Irisviel's retreat first.
"But, Saber..."
Irisviel looked worried at her words.
"Don't worry about me! I have a way!"
"O-Okay. You have to be careful, Saber."
Seeing Artoria's incomparably serious expression and hearing her urgent shout, Irisviel understood that staying here would be of no use whatsoever. The Command Seals were in Kiritsugu's hands; as a false Master, she simply could not provide Saber with any meaningful support. She solemnly nodded, then turned around without hesitation, preparing to leave before the two Heroic Spirits clashed one final time.
"..."
Fionn mac Cumhaill merely watched her coldly and did not stop her. She had long seen that these two were not Master and Servant, and the message from her Master had just confirmed it. There was no reason at all to attack that woman.
She was a hero, not a murderer. Without an order from her Master, she was unwilling to commit meaningless slaughter.
"Thank you."
Seeing that Fionn mac Cumhaill had not stopped her, a trace of gratitude appeared in Artoria's eyes.
"No need to thank me. This is a battle between you and me. The innocent should not be involved."
Fionn mac Cumhaill gave a slight nod. With the sea at her back, she continued wielding her spear and gathering more waves. Finally, she asked Artoria.
"Now comes our final clash. Are you ready, King Arthur?"
"Yes. Come at me, Lancer!"
Looking at the towering waves above her head, Artoria took a deep breath. She already had an answer in her heart regarding the outcome of this contest.
Even so, she felt no fear at all. She gave a slight nod, then charged forward and met her opponent with her sword.
This was her final move. They would determine both superiority and life or death!
As those final words fell, both lowered their voices.
The sea breeze passed by, and the atmosphere became even more solemn.
Having confirmed each other's resolve, the two prepared their movements, and then—
"Then, Noble Phantasm relea—"
Before either could finish chanting the final invocation.
A light set of footsteps suddenly reached their ears. A third person emerged from a corner of the harbor nearby.
"So you are going to decide the victor already? It seems my entrance was still a little too late..."
The mist dispersed, and a seductive figure stepped from the shadows. A purple-black bodysuit wrapped around her slender but not frail body. A black veil covered her purple hair. Her red eyes brimmed with enchantment, while a veil obscured her beautiful face...
Her appearance was indeed peerlessly beautiful, but even more than that, she radiated an overwhelming allure. Even though they could not fully see her face beneath the veil, they could recognize her beauty just from the hazy silhouette.
"...You are? That Lancer from this afternoon!"
Seeing Scáthach arrive late from the mist, Artoria widened her eyes and immediately called out her identity.
"It is you, Saber. We meet again. I had intended to come out personally and invite you to battle, but I did not expect someone to beat me to it."
"Besides, my partner wasted some time being obsessed with magecraft, so I arrived a little late."
Without the slightest concern for the tense and solemn atmosphere of the battlefield, Scáthach swaggered out from the corner and greeted them. "You too. Good evening. It truly has been a long time, descendant of Nuada the God of War, Fionn mac Cumhaill. I did not expect to meet you here."
"Sigh..."
Seeing that beautiful, familiar figure, a complicated expression appeared on Fionn mac Cumhaill's face. She then raised a hand and greeted Scáthach. "Likewise, Queen of the Land of Shadows. I did not expect that I would have the honor of meeting you again in this Holy Grail War."
As a descendant of the gods in Celtic Mythology, Fionn mac Cumhaill was naturally no stranger to this equally renowned queen before her.
However, when Scáthach casually called out the true name she had concealed even after battling Saber for so long, a bitter smile could not help appearing on her face.
Scáthach did not care about that, because she also knew very well that when she and Fionn mac Cumhaill appeared in the same Holy Grail War, concealing their true names had long lost all meaning.
And now that she had encountered two other top heroes from Celtic Mythology, the battle intent hidden in her heart could no longer be restrained.
Scáthach turned her palm, and two crimson flashes immediately passed through the air. Two Crimson Demon Spears, one long and one short, appeared tightly gripped in her hands.
"Now... which of you will go first? Or will you come together?"
She casually spun her spear through the air, then her crimson eyes swept lightly over Fionn mac Cumhaill and Artoria. At last, vast magical energy erupted from around her body, making both people present change expression.
"Two Lancers?"
Seeing the demonic spears continuously spinning in Scáthach's hands, Artoria could not help turning to glance at Fionn mac Cumhaill in the distance. Her small eyes were filled with enormous confusion.
An Increasingly Lively Battlefield
"This situation really has become a mess..."
Seeing Scáthach force her way into the battlefield, Fionn mac Cumhaill, who had originally been full of confidence and prepared to eliminate Saber and her Master in one sweep alongside her own Master, paused. She stopped moving and could not help sighing inwardly.
In this coastal region with the ocean at her back, she had an endless amount of water at her command. As long as she remained within this harbor, she could hold an absolute advantage. Even if her opponent was King Arthur, Artoria could not possibly defeat her.
If they had truly clashed Noble Phantasms just now, the power that holy sword could unleash without being fully released would never have been enough to withstand those towering waves.
In truth, she had held back somewhat from the beginning of the battle until now. In order to wait for other Servants to enter the fray, the tactics she used had only been attrition and restraint. Yet Artoria had not noticed her intentions at first, allowing herself to be gradually dragged into Fionn mac Cumhaill's rhythm. Furthermore, even though she knew the homunculus behind Saber was not a Master, Saber's actions made it clear how important that woman was. If she attacked the woman named Irisviel, King Arthur would undoubtedly be unable to focus, exposing even greater openings.
It could only be said that, after returning to the world after death—not as her foolish old self, but in the youthful state she loved most—Fionn mac Cumhaill missed the days when she had been a knight and hero too deeply. She did not want to end things so quickly, and unconsciously held back a little... No, it should be said that she had held back an entire sea.
She felt that a hero like King Arthur, who was not famed for martial skill, should not leave the stage so miserably and resentfully. Artoria should have been allowed to shine in her final moment, which was why Fionn mac Cumhaill had given her the chance for one final clash.
Of course, she was not like a certain person who, in pursuit of fairness between knights, would even defy her Master's wishes. The premise for Fionn mac Cumhaill doing such a thing was that she had already seen the victory destined to be hers. Before satisfying her own desires, she would fulfill her Master's orders.
It was only because she had not fought so freely in such a long time that she gradually became engrossed in this battle. Seeing that no other Servants had arrived after so long, she assumed no one else would come, which caused her to delay and miss her opportunity...
She could only say that she had been careless and lost a good chance. She had to remember this mistake and never make it again.
Now that Scáthach had entered the battlefield, Fionn mac Cumhaill, who knew the skills and reputation of the Queen of the Land of Shadows, naturally did not dare underestimate her in the slightest.
She narrowed her eyes at the two Crimson Demon Spears, one long and one short, in Scáthach's hands. Her gaze was filled with wariness.
Honestly, compared to King Arthur, she was more wary of the two demonic spears in Scáthach's hands that could kill gods.
The original balance between the two sides had been completely shattered by this new force.
She could still unleash her Noble Phantasm and clash directly with King Arthur, then crush her in one blow with the power of the ocean. But if she did that, there would be only one outcome.
Even if she defeated King Arthur, that did not mean she could emerge completely unscathed. Once she released her Noble Phantasm, she would enter a vulnerable interval and expose a huge opening. If Scáthach, occupying the position of a third party, took that chance to stab her with a spear, she would most likely meet her end here as well.
Her goal was victory, not to let someone else reap the rewards. Thus, she could only abandon the release of her Noble Phantasm and confront the two Heroic Spirits present.
Likewise, Artoria, who understood the situation, naturally would not rashly release her Noble Phantasm either. She warily looked at the two Heroic Spirits before her holding spears, her eyes filled with confusion.
Fionn mac Cumhaill's weapon was indeed a spear, and combined with the peerless martial skill she had displayed during their battle, she had to be Lancer.
That left Artoria wondering what class the purple-haired woman she had seen on the street today actually belonged to, but she did not think much of it. Perhaps she had simply misjudged her. The woman might actually have been Archer or Assassin.
But as the afterimages of the two Crimson Demon Spears continued spinning in Scáthach's palms, accompanied by a fierce fighting spirit no less powerful than Fionn mac Cumhaill's, the doubt in Artoria's heart rose once more.
Two Lancers in a single Holy Grail War?
Could this not be a battle of seven Servants, but an even greater melee?
Just as she was feeling confused about the current situation, an unexpected change suddenly occurred...
—Rumble!!
Accompanied by a piercing roar like fragments of thunder.
A bolt of blue lightning immediately tore through the night sky and charged straight into the battlefield. Scáthach, Fionn mac Cumhaill, and the others, who had been impatient to begin fighting, all froze and looked uncertainly toward the source of that thunder...
The lightning flashed, and what followed was a wave of heat stirred by thunder. The true form of the thunderbolt was actually a majestic chariot.
A chariot traveling through the sky.
"A chariot..."
Fionn mac Cumhaill bit her finger, the first to see through the true nature of that thunderbolt. It was an ancient chariot carved with bull heads, and the beasts pulling it were not horses, but two azure divine bulls. They trod upon thunder as they drew that splendid chariot.
"Both sides, lower your weapons! You stand before this King now!!"
The one who made such a flamboyant entrance and loudly announced himself was the red-haired Heroic Spirit called Rider. Driving his chariot, he charged recklessly into the battlefield and loudly declared his arrival.
"..."
"..."
The three present could not help freezing at this ridiculous sight. They then all looked at the red-haired giant whose entrance was obviously ill-timed as though he were an idiot.
Beside him was a black-haired youth who had been driven half out of his mind by the cold night wind and the terrifying height as the chariot raced through the air. He was one of the rebellious students Kenneth had been searching for, Waver Velvet.
"So this is my Master's student?"
Having seen photographs of Waver Velvet and Rovey beforehand, Fionn mac Cumhaill recognized him the moment he appeared.
"Haha, everyone has stopped fighting. Excellent! Now listen well! My name is Iskandar, King of Conquerors! I have returned to this world in the class of Rider for this Holy Grail War! Are there any like-minded heroes willing to submit beneath my banner?!"
Rider made his grand entrance and directly revealed his true name as he loudly proclaimed those words.
"..."
The scene fell into utter silence.
"...So the world was once conquered by an idiot like this?"
Everyone could not help having the same thought.
That was truly tragic...
"How should I even react to this?"
Fionn mac Cumhaill was at a loss.
"What exactly is he trying to do?"
Before you continue