But according to the information sent back by the Fuyuki City surveillance network Sakura and Orochimaru had built together, aside from one Command Seal being used by Zouken Matou during Shirou Chiko's battle against Gilgamesh, Shirou Chiko still retained two intact Command Seals.
"Could it be..."
Without bothering to wipe away the foul-smelling slime on her hands and the Book of False Vassals.
Sakura immediately opened the Book of False Vassals. After carefully examining it, she found that, just as she had suspected, the large amount of 'magical script' written within it differed from what the records described.
This was clearly an improved Book of False Vassals.
"...So he had kept something up his sleeve after all... Still, that wasn't surprising. With Zouken Matou's scheming nature, how could he possibly record his true trump card and leave it in the Matou Family library...
"Could this special Book of False Vassals be connected to that Special Command Spell from before, the one that was clearly stronger than ordinary Command Seals?"
The moment Sakura thought of the Special Command Spell Zouken Matou had used before, which already vaguely bore the traces of a Greater Command Spell, she unconsciously licked her lips.
Sakura knew perfectly well that Greater Command Spells were life-draining things, but their power and utility were just too tempting.
If she had the chance to obtain a Greater Command Spell, Sakura would never let it slip away... After all, even if it drained a life, she could use someone else's life to pay the price...
Orochimaru, who could create artificial 'Sages' in the later stages... isn't that right?
Smack!
Seeing Sakura stick out her tongue with an expression much like Orochimaru's, Kurumi slapped Sakura's 'butt.'
"Sakura, don't imitate Orochimaru! And hurry up and clean yourself..."
Using Clear Spring Like Water to wash the slime off her hands and the Book of False Vassals, Sakura, now squeaky clean, sheepishly stuck out her tongue at the disgusted Kurumi before throwing herself into Kurumi's arms.
"Mmm... I was wrong."
Just as the battle at Einsbern Castle had essentially ended and entered its final cleanup stage.
On a mountain road in the outskirts of Fuyuki City.
Artoria and Mordred, this pair of 'father and son,' were engaged in a fierce highway chase.
No one knew where Artoria had gotten a black heavy motorcycle.
With one hand on the handlebars and the other holding Shirou Chiko, Artoria sped down the road at breakneck speed, while Mordred, surfing atop Prydwen, chased close behind without letting up.
Empowered by magical energy, the black heavy motorcycle had long surpassed its normal limits.
At this point, even if an AE86 from Mount Akina appeared on this mountain road, it would only be fit to stare helplessly at the motorcycle's taillights.
But Prydwen was no slouch either.
Moreover, Mordred's class itself granted her exceptional riding skills. Even though Prydwen was badly damaged, Mordred relied on her top-tier 'surfing' technique, capable of riding the waves anywhere, to cling tightly to Artoria's taillights.
"Arthur, don't run! Stop..."
Artoria took a handsome, unbelievable lean through the sharp turn ahead without slowing down in the slightest, completing a maneuver that would have been impossible in human eyes. She could not help gritting her teeth.
Although Artoria could use magical energy to reinforce the motorcycle and temporarily keep Mordred from catching up.
She must not forget that Kiritsugu Emiya was dead. Artoria had lost her Master.
Without a Master, she had lost her source of magical energy.
After 'racing' Mordred for so long... Artoria had very little magical energy left.
She had clearly wanted to save the boy from this sea of suffering, clearly wanted to keep him from being drawn into the Holy Grail War...
But faced with the current situation, Artoria had no choice.
"Shirou..."
A flicker of excitement passed through his heart. Although Shirou Chiko did not know why being called by Artoria would make him feel this way, that emotion still arose within him.
"Big Sister Saber... are we stopping to fight? But Big Sister Saber, you look really unwell right now... Should I use a Command Seal to call Berserker over to help you?"
Shirou Chiko had been unconscious ever since that battle, only waking shortly before when the castle collapsed. He had no idea what had happened, much less what situation he was now facing...
However, there was one thing Shirou Chiko understood clearly: Artoria was an ally his 'Grandfather' had asked to protect him. Since 'Grandfather' was not by his side now, he only needed to listen to Artoria.
"No... Shirou, we can't stop. In my current state, I don't have enough magical energy to fight."
"Ah!"
He cried out in alarm, then turned to look at the murderous Mordred following close behind.
At that moment, the young Shirou Chiko could not help but feel a trace of fear.
"Then what do we do, Big Sister Saber?"
Artoria pressed her lips together, a trace of apology flashing through her eyes.
With the intention of sending Shirou Chiko to the Church tonight or tomorrow morning to dissolve the contract if all went well, Artoria spoke.
"Shirou... I need you to form a contract with me and become my Master!"
Shirou Near Death, Leonidas's Desperate Resolve...
Pain. Excruciating pain.
A huge chunk of his soul had been directly erased by Sakura using Avada Kedavra, leaving Zouken Matou in so much pain that he could barely breathe. He could not even sense what was happening outside anymore...
After Zouken Matou's duplicate was destroyed by Sakura, the Zouken Matou attached to Shirou Chiko's heart fell completely into paralysis.
If Zouken Matou had not long ago used his prolegs to firmly anchor himself to Shirou Chiko's heart.
Then Zouken Matou and Shirou Chiko might have ended up dead together.
Yet even so, under the intense pain, Zouken Matou's plump, maggot-like body still twisted and trembled involuntarily.
And with Zouken Matou's unconscious movements, the prolegs embedded in Shirou Chiko's heart became like tiny sharp blades, inflicting significant damage and strain upon Shirou Chiko's young heart.
However, Shirou Chiko was currently being carried by Artoria at high speed through the outside world.
Caught in the sensation of speed, his heart constantly rising and falling as though he were riding a roller coaster, Shirou Chiko failed to notice the problem with his heart.
It was not quite a case of both dying together, but... if this continued, as the wounds in his heart gradually widened, Shirou Chiko would sooner or later die of internal bleeding...
And once Shirou died, Zouken Matou, who had parasitized Shirou Chiko's body much like a parasite, would not fare well either...
Outside, under Artoria's guidance, Shirou Chiko successfully formed a contract with Artoria once more.
Since Artoria's Command Seals had already been used and destroyed, no new Command Seals appeared on Shirou Chiko's hand. Only a mark left behind after Command Seals had been used up appeared.
But that was enough.
As long as the contract connected them, Shirou Chiko could at least replenish Artoria's magical energy.
However...
The instant the contract was formed.
Shirou Chiko, held tightly in Artoria's arms, suddenly spat a mouthful of blood across Artoria's chest.
For a magus, magical energy was equivalent to life force.
Shirou Chiko's heart had unknowingly suffered severe damage, yet he had not realized it. His number of Mage Circuits was not particularly abundant to begin with, and now a new contractual channel had been established, requiring Shirou Chiko to provide Artoria with a massive amount of magical energy.
Shirou Chiko's body had already been in terrible condition. As this portion of his life force was converted into magical energy and sent into Artoria through the contract.
Shirou Chiko's body abruptly gave out.
Artoria stared at the scene before her in shock. She did not understand why Shirou Chiko had coughed up blood after forming a contract with her.
But there was no time to worry about that now.
The period of magical energy shortage just now had allowed Mordred behind them to close in more and more.
"Shirou... what's wrong? Are you all right...?"
One hand pressed tightly against his chest, Shirou Chiko felt searing pain in his heart and several of his meridians—magical energy channels. He did not understand what was happening to him either.
However, when Berserker had fought before, Shirou Chiko had already endured something even worse than this. Mistaking his current heartache for what was necessary to command a Servant, he leaned against Artoria's cold breastplate, now stained with his blood, and smiled as he blinked at her.
"I'm fine, Big Sister Saber... Grandfather said I lacked talent... Maybe this is something I have to go through to fight alongside a Servant..."
Hearing the child's explanation, Artoria's powerful Instinct keenly told her something was wrong. Shirou Chiko's current condition definitely had nothing to do with what he had said...
But what could she do?
Stop, and personally drag Shirou Chiko into a cruel war once again?
The murderous Mordred would not spare Shirou Chiko simply because he was a child.
Even if Artoria drew all of Mordred's attention to herself, the aftermath of their clash would be enough to crush Shirou Chiko to pieces.
Not to mention... the mysterious Caster behind Mordred could appear at any moment to support her...
With no other choice, Artoria could only keep accelerating, trying to shake off Mordred as soon as possible.
"Please endure a little longer, Shirou. I will shake off the enemy as quickly as possible, then take you for treatment."
Although she knew excessively draining Shirou Chiko's magical energy would only worsen his condition, Artoria gritted her teeth in order to shake off Mordred quickly and find a safe place to treat Shirou Chiko.
Artoria began relentlessly extracting Shirou Chiko's magical energy.
Shirou Chiko's face grew paler and paler, while Artoria's speed increased more and more...
Empowered by abundant magical energy, Mordred rode Prydwen down the highway in a shower of sparks and lightning, surfing all the way. Yet because Prydwen was so badly damaged, she was gradually left behind by Artoria.
Still, Mordred was not so easily shaken off completely...
Unless Artoria left Mordred's sensory range entirely, the moment Artoria slowed down or stopped, the relentless Mordred would certainly catch up again.
And how great was Mordred's sensory range?
With her Instinct skill, Mordred naturally possessed a considerable sensory range. Having already locked onto Artoria, she might not be able to stand at one end of Fuyuki City and sense the aura of a Servant at the other, but sensing Servants in the city center—especially Artoria—was no problem.
But clearly, Shirou Chiko's worsening condition could never hold out until then...
Just as Artoria silently drove the motorcycle faster and faster, at a complete loss over the current situation and repeatedly struggling within herself.
Suddenly!
A towering figure wrapped in a bright red cloak and carrying a bronze round shield appeared in the motorcycle's headlights ahead.
He gave Artoria, who was speeding toward him, a thumbs-up.
Grinning at the King he deeply admired, he gave her a hearty smile.
The instant Artoria passed him, Leonidas put on his helmet and, with a fighting spirit that seemed to burn eternally, fixed his gaze upon the steadily approaching Mordred.
My deepest thanks... Leonidas... I, Artoria, will forever remember your friendship.
It is truly regrettable that I could not fight you, Arthur... But having a famous Knight of the Round Table as my final opponent means this journey was not in vain!
Leonidas had only managed to appear before Artoria and Mordred by burning his Saint Graph and frantically squeezing every last trace of magical energy from this body.
Even with his A-rank Battle Continuation... after losing his Master and recklessly burning his own Saint Graph... he had less than a minute left in this world.
He lowered his head to look at his feet, which had already begun to fade away.
Then he raised his head and smiled at the ever-approaching Mordred.
Knowing that in his final battle, he would likely only be able to unleash a single strike, Leonidas... moved!
'Fatherly Love and Filial Devotion' Completely Broken...
One brawny Spartan warrior after another appeared behind Leonidas.
Shield after shield hammered toward Mordred like war drums.
He raised his war spear high.
Just as he had a thousand years ago at Hot Springs Pass, when facing that 'God King'—Xerxes.
With a roar that shook the earth.
Leonidas bellowed and hurled the spear in his hand at Mordred.
"Get lost! Don't block my path..."
"This is—Sparta!"
Before you continue