They simply couldn't beat him.
Although Lani's support greatly increased their magical energy, that Archer had recovered much of his strength as well.
"Rin, when it comes to endurance in this regard, I have to admit you're stronger," Shirou said, scratching his head. "Lani surrendered way too quickly. Could our methods have been too rough?"
"Well, that couldn't be helped. Time was too tight, so we couldn't use gentle methods. Besides, maybe Lani liked things simple and rough. In some ways, the Atlas Institute's spirit was just like that of a certain red empire—big, dumb, crude, and hard."
Rin nodded in agreement. "My inner world is much more delicate. That's why it takes you so much longer to conquer me."
"But you'll be conquered eventually."
"That... is true." Rin was unusually dejected. "You can't blame me for that. Secrets may resist being known, but they also seek to be understood. They become secrets only because they can't be understood or accepted, even though their owners deeply yearn for that understanding. That's why secrets become walls, with what they wish to assert appearing upon their surfaces. As long as someone shows that they understand, they can basically be conquered."
"Gulp..." Lani slowly rose from her crouch.
After a secret was taken from her, she would be reset.
The proper way to conquer her should have been layer by layer. But under BB's special rules, there was no need to scout ahead. She was like a boss with multiple health bars—each time one life was lost, another would refresh, until every health bar had been broken.
"Don't think you've won. From now on, you will never conquer me even one step further." Lani had regained her composure, and her unyielding bearing was almost identical to that person's from before.
"Archer, what do