The Battle of Sighisoara: An Interrupted Fight

At this late hour, the Clock Tower, which should have closed long ago, welcomed two uninvited guests.

"Archer, can you see clearly?"

At the top of the Clock Tower, Fiore asked her Servant.

"It couldn't be clearer."

Archer, standing next to Fiore, replied in a steady voice, his red coat fluttering in the cool night breeze.

The top of the Clock Tower was surrounded by four smaller towers, and Fiore and Archer stood on the uppermost corridor, in a cramped space that could hardly be called a foothold. Even the strong winds blowing at the top of the Clock Tower were enough to make an ordinary person lose their balance, but Archer, as Servant, could naturally ignore these things.

The problem lies with his Master —Fiore.

Despite being Magecraft, Fiore is still an ordinary person. Furthermore, due to the effects of her corrupted Magic Circuit, she is paralyzed in both legs and cannot stand, spending most of her time in a wheelchair.

The space above the corridor wasn't large enough to accommodate a wheelchair, but she had her own foothold. To be precise, she wasn't standing.

Her feet were floating in the air. Two long metal arms extended from her back, supporting her body on the ground.

--Enhanced Mystic Code (Bronzelin. k Manipulator), Mystic Code designed by Fiore herself to replace her immobile legs.

Although it might subconsciously remind people of spiders, its practicality is undeniable.

"Is it over there?"

"That's right."

Standing atop the Clock Tower, Fiore turned her gaze westward. The streets there were completely shrouded in a thick fog, obscuring everything that was happening within. Even so, Fiore could still sense the astonishing magical power emanating from Saber's battle with Assassin.

"Then the Mordred and Assassin are entrusted to you, Archer."

This decision was made by Fiore after thoroughly investigating the situation at the scene.

Fiore's doubts about Archer's strength had long since vanished after the previous battles. Therefore, although reason told her that such a thing was impossible, Fiore still hoped that Archer could defeat both Jack the Ripper and [Red] Saber in one fell swoop.

"I understand, Master, but compared to Saber and Assassin, I still recommend prioritizing eliminating Saber's Master."

"Can you find him?"

Fiore's voice carried a hint of surprise. If they could eliminate a top-tier Servant from the Red Faction without a fierce battle, it would be the best news for the [Black] faction.

"Easy."

For archers, who are known for their keen eyesight, locating the enemy is the simplest thing in the world.

Soon, Archer, possessing the [Eagle Eye] skill, easily spotted Shishigou watching from the edge of the battlefield between Saber and Assassin, and...

"... Well."

"What's wrong?"

Perhaps due to the connection between Master and Servant, Fiore keenly sensed her momentary surprise upon the appearance of her Servant.

"--No, I just discovered something."

Archer shook his head, denying the emotions he had previously expressed, and then told Fiore about his discovery:

"Master, it seems that Saber's Master has another group of Servant we've never seen before."

"Is he a participant from the Red Faction... Caster?"

Fiore muttered to herself.

Based on current information, the only Servant the Red Faction that haven't appeared yet are Caster and Assassin. So, the one appearing next to Saber right now should be one of those two Servant. However, considering Assassin's elusive nature, we can probably determine his specific class.

"Archer, can you decipher the other party's real name?"

Fiore asked her Servant. Because Archer has the ability to decipher the true name of the opponent's Noble Phantasm, Saber of the Black faction was recognized by Archer because Archer deciphered the greatsword she carried—[Fantasy Greatsword: Fallen Demon]—and thus recognized Saber's true name.

"I'm sorry, the other party is in a location beyond my reach."

Archer's answer was flawless, and then he offered his own advice:

"So, shall we continue attacking Saber's Master? Since we can't determine the abilities of that unknown Servant, I can't judge whether they have the ability to counterattack immediately at this distance."

"So, Saber?"

Fiore's question carried a hint of resentment.

"If it's just Saber, then there shouldn't be any problem."

Archer answered without changing his expression.

"At least I still have the ability to get you out of this place."

[Able to attack Saber, yet unable to harm his Master... that's quite a significant flaw.]

Are they hiding something?

Realizing this, Fiore subconsciously bit her lip. Although she wanted to bring up her question, now was not the time to pursue it; there would be other opportunities later. Right now, she needed to focus on the battle at hand.

"Then, the task of attacking Saber is yours."

"Yes, Master."

Archer loosely grasped his left hand, and a simple black longbow appeared in his grasp.

"I am the bone of my sword."

With a murmured incantation, an arrow, which could be mistaken for a sword, appeared on the bowstring that Archer had drawn taut.

"--Pseudo- Spiral Sword (Caladbolg)!"

The Noble Phantasm, its true name now revealed, roared toward its chosen target with a spatial distortion.

Charge!

Current blade progress [115/200]

By the way, here's the commemorative group photo for Chapter 200.

(No extra chapter)

Chapter 201. The Battle of Sighisoara. The Disrupted Battle

Clang--

The brilliant sparks from the clash of swords and daggers faintly illuminated the scene within the thick fog and the two combatants.

--A silver-haired young girl dressed in harpsichord attire completely out of place for her age, and a heavy-sword knight covered in thick armor.

After dodging the attack from Mordred, Jack the Ripper gazed at her opponent with emerald eyes, a hint of surprise in her expression. "To be able to move so quickly in our mist, that's impressive."

"None of your business!"

Saber spoke to his enemy in a harsh tone.

Although the surrounding poisonous fog is nothing to Saber, who has a high level of Magic Resistance, it will eventually slow down her movements. In a battle between Servant, the outcome of the battle can be decided by the smallest of margins!

Now, Saber can move freely in the poisonous fog. Recalling the scene when Lily cast Magecraft on her, the proud Saber silently memorized this memory.

"Is that the Servant was with you before? Is she Caster?"

Although she looks young, it doesn't mean Assassin's thought process is like that of a child; her quick mind allows her to react very quickly.

"It's a real shame we couldn't deal with her earlier."

"You can't do it!"

Saber spoke with absolute confidence.

"Then let's take care of you first, and then we'll go and take care of them."

As he spoke, Assassin, gripping his daggers in both hands, retreated and disappeared into the thick fog in the next second.

For Saber, this poisonous fog was no longer an obstacle.

However, due to Assassin's inherent ability [Presence Concealment], Saber couldn't pinpoint her location at all. She could only determine her position by sound; she knew the Assassin was nearby.

"You're just a murderer, what are you so arrogant about!"

Saber, who had once again judged the situation by sound and swung her sword into the air, finally couldn't contain her anxiety and shouted.

Huh? How did you know?

"What--"

Saber, whose attention was drawn by Assassin's words, showed a hint of surprise beneath her helmet.

The next second--

A chilling glint flashed before Saber's eyes, sending shivers down her spine. Instinctively, she raised her arm, intending to use her sturdy gauntlets to withstand the attack.

"Hmm..."

"Wow!"

A muffled groan from Saber and an exclamation from Assassin came together.

He instinctively looked down at his arm and saw that the arm guard he used to defend against the attack had been pierced through by a dagger.

What a pity!

Seeing that his long-planned, deadly attack had been blocked by his opponent, Assassin, hidden in the thick fog, muttered unhappily.

"You bastard—"

Saber gritted her teeth, pulled the dagger from her arm, and threw it on the ground. The dagger made a crisp clanging sound as it hit the bluestone slab.

"Hey, hey, our real name is Jack the Ripper. Tell me yours, okay?"

Saber slashed in the direction of the sound, but the feel of the sword told her that her attack had missed.

However, what bothered Saber even more than the failed attack was hearing her real name from Assassin.

--Jack the Ripper.

"As expected, they are a vile being!"

Saber's expression, hidden beneath her helmet, revealed a look of disgust.

Jack the Ripper murdered at least five prostitutes within two months, and then there was no further news about him. He is a figure shrouded in mystery, leaving no conclusive evidence other than his corpses, and it is said that even his race and gender cannot be determined.

He is the world's most notorious grotesque killer, but he is the one Saber, who has received knightly training, despises the most.

However, Assassin didn't seem to care about Saber's derogatory nickname for him, and instead shouted it out in a surprised tone.

"Oh, I see, you're a girl!"

Saber gritted her teeth and answered the voice that seemed to come from nowhere.

"So what!"

Seemingly oblivious to Saber's anger, Assassin continued in a childlike tone:

"You were wearing that huge helmet, and even your voice sounded muffled..."

After a brief pause, Assassin uttered something that sent chills down Saber's spine—

"In that case, you should leave."

No, it was a malice that defied even the chills of dread, drilling into my brain along my spinal cord. It was a warning from my [Instinct]: one wrong step and I would face death.

So what should we do?

"... Hmph. Don't underestimate me, you brat!!"

Saber roared—

Saber didn't know what would happen next, but she did know that Mordred, who had personally overthrown King Arthur's rule and ended Britain's prosperity, could absolutely not be defeated by a mere Assassin!

Without hesitation, Saber tucked her helmet into her armor. As her handsome face was revealed, the longsword she gripped rang out with its own unique hum!

"... Red Lightning!"

"----!?"

If this poisonous fog is like a gloomy darkness, then let her own light dispel it. Saber poured all her magic into her sword, unleashing crimson lightning in all directions.

If the fog is getting in your way, just blow it away!

Scattered crimson lightning tore through the thick fog and night, revealing—