The golden chains had all been severed by the Red Rose of Purgatory in Diarmuid's hand, but it was precisely because the golden chains had held him back that Diarmuid had been unable to completely evade the golden spear's attack.
I can't keep this up!
As someone who had fought for many years, Diarmuid could clearly tell that the current situation was extremely unfavorable to him. The monstrous strength Saber had displayed earlier made her unbeatable in close combat, and the cross in her hand was even more formidable!
As the saying went, a true hero was judged not only by their own martial skill, but also by whether their equipment could support them in unleashing their full strength.
If Saber had not possessed that golden cross, Diarmuid had more than enough confidence that he could knock her to the ground and kill her on the spot.
But things were not as wonderful as he had imagined. Saber now relied on that golden barrier and the golden chains unleashed by the cross, both of which steadily pushed Diarmuid into a disadvantage.
Therefore, he had to leave this golden energy dome now. No matter how much intelligence he had gathered tonight, once he was forced out, his lord would likely have to withdraw from this Holy Grail War as well.
Diarmuid gripped the Red Rose of Purgatory tightly. He took the initiative to retreat, then charged fiercely toward the edge of the golden energy dome.
"Bang—!!!"
Several golden spears landed where Diarmuid had just been, exploding violently.
"Trying to run away!?" Mikaela watched Diarmuid's movements, an inscrutable smile appearing at the corner of her lips, as though she were mocking something. She did not stop attacking, instead continuing to force Diarmuid to flee faster.
She had even exposed her Servant Card today. If she did not slaughter either the King of Conquerors or Diarmuid, she truly would not be able to vent her anger!!!
"This is bad." Up in the sky, the King of Conquerors wore a grave expression. Those involved could not see clearly, but onlookers could. He could plainly tell that Mikaela had driven Diarmuid into a desperate rout without even revealing her greater power.
Her truly powerful moves had been reserved for the King of Conquerors in the sky.
If this continued, then apart from the intelligence Little Master had obtained, they would only have probed Saber's "true appearance."
Yet the King of Conquerors' instincts told him that this was far from all of Saber's trump cards. He did not know why, but he could be certain of it! Saber still possessed an even stronger ace up her sleeve.
"Screech—!!"
A teeth-grating sound rang out. Inside the golden energy dome, Diarmuid had reached its edge. He knew that golden spears and golden chains were pursuing him from behind, so he raised his hand and thrust his spear into the energy dome.
The Red Rose of Purgatory possessed the power to nullify defenses formed from magical energy. Using this spear to break the golden energy dome was clearly the best method.
However, something astonishing happened. The Red Rose of Purgatory could pierce the golden energy dome, but it only poked through a tiny hole!!
When Diarmuid moved the Red Rose of Purgatory to create an opening for himself, the tiny hole it had made was restored the very next second!
In other words, unless Diarmuid could swiftly carve out a hole large enough for him to escape through with the Red Rose of Purgatory, he could not leave this energy dome.
Why? It was simple. Diarmuid had just touched the golden energy dome with his hand, and it was not as gentle as it looked. Instead, it was filled with violent lightning power.
The golden lightning had numbed one of Diarmuid's fingers. If he forced his way out, he would likely only end up severely wounded and paralyzed. That outcome would be worse than taking a gamble and forcing a close-range battle with Mikaela.
The former meant certain death. The latter still offered a sliver of hope.
"Not running anymore?"
Seeing Diarmuid standing beside the golden energy dome, Mikaela smiled. She knew he could not possibly leave the dome.
"You are far stronger than I imagined, Saber." Seeing that he could not escape, Diarmuid gave up on that prospect. His gaze sharpened as he decided to risk his life in one final fight.
"You people are far more underhanded than I imagined."
Mikaela did not hold back in her retort. In her mind, Diarmuid was not supposed to be the kind of petty man who would do something like this, yet he had still joined forces with the King of Conquerors to deal with her.
Although Mikaela had secretly plotted against everyone in the Holy Grail War, on the surface... she was still a "good person," so she was qualified to rebuke Diarmuid's "despicability."
"It is simply for victory." Diarmuid smiled without denying it. He was being despicable; otherwise, Mikaela would have killed the King of Conquerors just now.
"Heh." Mikaela sneered. She said nothing more and continued controlling the Oath of Judas, sending golden chains rushing toward Diarmuid.
Countless thick golden spears also emerged above Diarmuid's head.
"Bang—!!!"
Accompanied by an explosive crack in the air, Diarmuid moved. He was like a swift leopard, his eyes fixed straight ahead. He completely ignored the golden spears above him and charged directly at Mikaela.
I Am Not Afraid!
The battle had not even lasted a full minute.
Diarmuid, who had originally been confident that he could kill Mikaela, now looked exceptionally bedraggled. He was fast, and his spear technique could be called peerless.
But... his opponent had no intention of fighting him at close range. The spears of light created by that golden energy dome and the golden chains flying from the cross alone had left Diarmuid struggling to cope.
"You have fallen into a predicament again, Lancer." Kayneth's voice sounded in Diarmuid's mind. His tone was unhurried, as though Diarmuid were not facing any serious danger.
"My lord, forgive me."
A trace of gloom appeared in Diarmuid's eyes. Before coming here, he had already spoken with Kayneth.
Although Kayneth had approved of this plan, he had warned Diarmuid not to underestimate that Saber. The power she possessed was enough to kill him.
Originally, Kayneth had held an indifferent attitude toward the Holy Grail War. But after tonight's battle with the Sea Demon, he suddenly realized that this Holy Grail War was completely different from what he had imagined.
He had thought it would be an ordinary war between magi, but after seeing that terrifying monster from another world, Kayneth felt that this so-called Holy Grail War had gone beyond the realm of mere "amusement."
Kayneth was currently in the hotel, speaking with members of his family. He had ordered them to investigate the records of previous Holy Grail Wars, as well as how his Origin had come to be.
However, he was also paying close attention to Diarmuid's battle, so he was now borrowing Diarmuid's eyes to observe the situation.
"No need to apologize. It seems that because of the King of Conquerors, that Saber did not use the cross's true power. But that nun's habit..." Kayneth fell into thought. Through Diarmuid's eyes, he could clearly see the nun's habit Mikaela wore, and a trace of confusion flashed through his eyes.
This nun's habit was different from the ones he had seen before. Most nun's habits bore crosses, but the one she wore had something resembling a "family" emblem embroidered upon it.
Is family greater than the Lord? For some reason, this thought suddenly arose in Kayneth's heart.
For an instant, Kayneth seemed to finally understand why his family had been unable to uncover Saber's true identity. She was someone who had been forgotten.
She had actually dared to embroider her family's crest onto a nun's habit. This was undoubtedly a declaration to the world that her family was a greater existence than the Lord.
If the present-day Holy Church saw such an evil act, then even if she were a legendary Heroic Spirit, they would likely dispatch the Burial Agency without hesitation to hunt down Mikaela.
As for what the true historical truth was? The Holy Church would not care. Or rather... they disdained to care about a family that had been buried by history.
"First, get out of there." Kayneth shook his head slightly. This was not the time to focus on Saber. He needed Diarmuid to leave that golden energy dome first, then they could make further plans.
"My lord, I have already tried. Though I very much want to leave, Saber is watching me closely. Her protective barrier possesses tremendous defensive power. In terms of practicality alone, it may not be inferior to a Magic Workshop maintained for many years." Diarmuid dodged a golden spear that exploded in midair and continued in his mind, "Right now, only by fighting Saber to the death might I be able to escape."
"Ridiculous." Kayneth sneered and said arrogantly, "A Magic Workshop maintained for many years? I do not take something of that level seriously at all. Just follow my orders, and I have my own way to get you out of there."
"...Understood."
Diarmuid naturally trusted his lord. Given the current situation, he could not think of a better solution either.
On the other side, Mikaela watched Diarmuid suddenly calm down and stop charging, and a bad feeling suddenly rose in her heart.
Although Diarmuid had been calm earlier as well, his movements had made it clear that he desperately wanted to reach Mikaela and poke a hole in her with the spear in his hand.
However, under the interference of Judas and the golden energy dome, every step he took cost a certain amount of magical energy and stamina. By the time he truly reached Mikaela, he would be at the end of his strength.
But now, Diarmuid had unexpectedly changed his approach. Although he appeared to be "attacking," he had actually shifted to defense.
"Whoosh—!!"
Seeing this, Mikaela felt something was wrong. Without another word, she picked up Judas from the ground and charged at Diarmuid.
"Hold him off, but remember, do not take your eyes off that golden barrier. I am analyzing it from here." In the hotel, Kayneth watched Diarmuid's side. A sheet of paper and a pen appeared in his hands, and he seemed to be calculating something.
As a Clock Tower genius, he had dabbled in every field. Naturally, he had also studied a little about how to break through another person's Magic Workshop, Magic Barrier, and so on.
"Understood, my lord."
Diarmuid watched Mikaela suddenly become anxious, a handsome smile appearing on his face. He no longer thought about how to escape and simply focused on battling Saber.
"Bang—!!"
The Red Rose of Purgatory collided with the Oath of Judas. Diarmuid's arms sank slightly, and his feet stomped a small crater into the ground as he received Mikaela's attack head-on.
"..." Mikaela narrowed her eyes. She did not waste words. Dozens of golden spears attacked Diarmuid while she swung Judas and continued smashing it toward him.
"Oh, Saber, why are you getting anxious?" The tension disappeared from Diarmuid's face, replaced by a relaxed expression. He swung the long and short spears in his hands, knocking aside the falling golden spears while concentrating fully on attacking Mikaela.
"I am not anxious. I am merely wary of your lord." Mikaela bluntly stated that she was not afraid of Diarmuid. Rather, she was somewhat afraid of Kayneth.
In the original story, Kayneth had been blinded by love. Yet later, from Waver's perspective and the perspectives of others, Kayneth had proven to be a truly great man. If not for his fiancée, who held him back.
He likely would not have died so miserably.
"Is that so? Then that is my honor." As soon as Diarmuid finished speaking, he caught an opening in Mikaela's defense. The Red Rose of Purgatory struck decisively, directly "ignoring" the protection of Judas's chains as its spear tip viciously pierced Mikaela's tender shoulder.
"However, in close combat, you are no match for me."
The long-range battle earlier had caused Diarmuid endless trouble. Now that Mikaela had voluntarily approached him, he could once again unleash his superb spear technique.
"I am not afraid." Mikaela was utterly fearless. She possessed extremely powerful regenerative abilities. As long as she was not stabbed by the Yellow Rose of Mortality, then even if the Red Rose of Purgatory pierced her heart, she could still survive.
The Method to Break It
Time was extremely tight. Mikaela had more or less figured out where Diarmuid's confidence came from: his Master, Kirei Kotomine, had noticed the situation here.
Although she did not know whether Kirei Kotomine would use a Command Seal to summon Diarmuid away, Mikaela would never allow Diarmuid to leave so easily.
"The situation has changed." The King of Conquerors watched from the sky, stroking his chin. Seeing Mikaela and Diarmuid clash fiercely below, he revealed an inscrutable smile and said, "It seems we can leave for now tonight."
"Shouldn't we help him?" Waver pointed at Diarmuid, confusion flashing in his eyes. Judging from the actual situation, Diarmuid still seemed to be at a disadvantage.
Mikaela was fighting Diarmuid with a reckless style, exchanging wound for wound.
In the brief clashes of several dozen seconds, Mikaela had gained several injuries. But because of her strong recovery ability, coupled with Irisviel using healing magecraft beside her, she was not afraid of Diarmuid's attacks at all.
Diarmuid, however, was in a much worse state. He had forcibly endured several attacks from Judas, while the explosions from those golden spears had also left him looking miserable. Several wounds had appeared on his body.
"No, not now. We need to rise a little higher, otherwise Saber will turn her attention back to us. Kid, do you think we should run away?" The King of Conquerors had already begun considering whether they should simply flee.
Diarmuid's actions made it clear that he had a way to leave that golden barrier, so they had to withdraw quickly as well.
The King of Conquerors had not forgotten that Mikaela most wanted to kill him and Waver. The killing intent she had shown earlier had already made her attitude clear.
Her desperate attacks on Diarmuid now were only because he had interfered and caused the prey already in her grasp to escape. That was why Mikaela was furious, venting all her anger on him.
But if Diarmuid truly escaped that golden energy dome and left without looking back, then the King of Conquerors dared guarantee that Mikaela would not stop him. She would instead focus all her attention on the King of Conquerors and Waver, then decisively activate the barrier she had used against the Sea Demon and kill them both.
"Huh?!!" Waver stared in shock at the King of Conquerors, who was seriously planning to flee, and said in disbelief, "We're just leaving?!! What about him?"
Waver pointed at Diarmuid below. He understood clearly that if not for Diarmuid just now, he and the King of Conquerors might have been killed by Mikaela.
It had truly been a close call. If Diarmuid had not appeared and directly attacked Saber's Master, then Saber's Master would not have immediately used a Command Seal to summon Saber back.
If Saber's Master had not summoned Saber back, the King of Conquerors and Waver would truly have been killed by Mikaela!
The fear of almost being killed still lingered in Waver's heart, making his legs tremble uncontrollably.
Perhaps because of this, Waver felt that he needed to help Diarmuid rather than decisively abandon him and flee.
"He has his own way back." The King of Conquerors seemed to have noticed something and said calmly, "Kid, there is no need to feel guilty. This is not some final farewell. Lancer's Master is already thinking of a way to save him."
"Judging by Lancer's expression, he is full of confidence. Otherwise, he would not dare take Saber's attacks head-on."
The King of Conquerors looked at the battle below, then stared seriously at Waver and said, "Do not underestimate the heroes of history. They are wiser and more powerful than you imagine."
Waver opened his mouth, seemingly wanting to refute the King of Conquerors. After all, they had indeed been heroes in the past, but now they were merely familiars manifested through magical energy.
But in the end, he closed his mouth, because the shadow cast upon him by that Saber he had called a "familiar" was simply too great.
That gaze, as though she were looking at someone already dead, made Waver, who had only ever killed chickens, experience for the first time what "death" truly was. It was not the joking "I'll kill you" heard at school.
It was death in the truest sense!
The King of Conquerors steered his ox cart higher into the sky. He understood why his Little Master had suddenly become "dejected," but this was not something that could be talked away. Only Waver himself could overcome it.
If he had entered the Holy Grail War merely for recognition, yet could not bear the price of that recognition, then even if his Little Master had the potential to become a wise man.
It would only remain potential.
The reason geniuses were not strong was that geniuses merely had the potential to become strong. Whether they could awaken that potential was another matter entirely.
"Oh! Lancer is beginning to counterattack!" The King of Conquerors was ready at any moment to flee with his Little Master, but he still needed to observe the battle.
"Bang—!!"
The cross and the spears clashed once again. Diarmuid seemed to be running out of stamina. His breathing had become uneven. He had taken Mikaela's attacks head-on many times while also exchanging injuries with her. Although a Servant's injuries could generally recover as long as their Spirit Core was not destroyed.
Mikaela's attacks were far too fierce. Diarmuid was still struggling to hold on while waiting for his lord to provide him with a way to break the barrier.
"Lancer, I have found the method to break this barrier." Suddenly, Kayneth's proud voice appeared in Diarmuid's heart. He said unhurriedly, "You told me earlier that not even the Red Rose of Purgatory could completely destroy this barrier. That is because this barrier has no so-called 'core.' Saber used that homunculus's magical energy to create an area similar to a Magic Workshop."
"!!!!"
Upon hearing those words, Diarmuid swiftly retreated, using his A+ Agility to evade Mikaela's next attack.
Before you continue