Dating Caster

Archer called out Berserker's name for the first time in a serious tone, yet he could not mask the trace of mockery at the corners of his mouth.

Although Lancelot had previously been shrouded in madness, the memories from that time remained etched in his mind.

Archer's question was truly piercing, but Lancelot was not a rigid knight like Diarmuid. Calmly, he pointed the weapon he had seized toward its former master—Archer—and said:

"As for matters regarding the King, I shall seek penance once this battle is won."

Lancelot's reply remained composed, yet the declaration of victory within it was unquestionable, as if the triumph of this battle were already within his grasp.

"Hmph—mongrel..."

Hearing Lancelot's arrogant statement, a rage brighter than crimson lotus flames ignited in Archer's pupils:

"You dare to dream of snatching victory from the hands of this King?"

The Gate of Babylon opened once more, not just behind Archer, but in every direction—

Noble Phantasms emerged one after another from the golden ripples. There were not only spears and swords, but also blades, axes, lances, and even some bizarre weapons that defied naming. The sharpness of every single weapon was enough to make one's eyes ache.

The immense magical energy radiating from the Noble Phantasms proved without a doubt that they were worthy of the name.

"Mongrel, have you prepared yourself to die!"

As Archer's words fell, these Noble Phantasms rained down like lightning strikes with astonishing momentum, as if to obliterate the very ground where Lancelot stood. The relentless, continuous barrage was a carpet bombing in the truest sense!

The greatest advantage of the Berserker class is having the highest stats of all classes, and Lancelot's two trump cards, Knight of Owner and Arms Mastery, were intrinsically linked to his own attributes; the higher the stats, the greater the power unleashed. It is no exaggeration to say that Lancelot, possessing the Berserker class stats while maintaining his sanity, was undoubtedly among the top tier in this Holy Grail War.

However, Lancelot only had one pair of hands, and there was a limit to how many Noble Phantasms he could catch. No one knew exactly how many were stored in the Heroic King's treasury; at this moment, Archer had already launched over a hundred! Under the bombardment of these weapons, Lancelot could barely take a step!

No matter how high his stats were, it would all be in vain if he could not reach Archer.

"Truly a terrifying opponent."

Amidst the roar of the Noble Phantasms, Lancelot's steady voice suddenly rang out, and judging by his tone—

—he seemed to still have energy to spare?

"It seems that after regaining your sanity, the mad dog has also learned to bluff!"

The golden Heroic Spirit, arms crossed, watched Lancelot under the barrage of his weapons with a bone-chilling sneer, his treasury readying another wave.

It was denser than before—

Archer was absolutely certain that this eyesore of a mad dog would die without a corpse under his weapons! But before that:

"Mad dog, I have decided—"

His crimson eyes fixed on Lancelot:

"I shall sever your head and present it to Saber as a wedding gift."

Clang—

Upon hearing this, Lancelot's momentum faltered. In that single moment of distraction, a lance from the rain of weapons broke through his defense, striking sparks against his armor.

But Archer did not notice, or rather, he did not care for Lancelot's thoughts, continuing on his own:

"With the traitor's head served on a platter, covered in white silk and flowers, I believe Saber will be quite pleased with this gift of mine."

"..."

"I can hardly wait to see Saber throw herself into my arms in surprise..."

Before he could finish, Archer dodged an incoming sword, and the ground behind him collapsed with a boom.

"Mad dog, why the rage?"

Looking at the culprit, the now-stationary Archer did not grow angry, instead wearing that detestable smile once more:

"You are but a mere traitor, yet you are so agitated. Could it be that you have feelings for Saber..."

"Silence! You foul-mouthed wretch! To harbor such frivolous thoughts toward the King... unforgivable..."

Archer's words were cut short by Lancelot. Deep within his eyes, a faint red light flickered, and pitch-black madness once again coiled around his armor. Only at this moment could one catch a glimpse of the state of frenzy Lancelot had once fallen into, but due to the constraints of the Command Spell, he did not lose his sanity this time.

Watching the amused Archer, Lancelot said in a chilling tone:

"King of Heroes... I shall shatter that arrogant face of yours. The humiliation suffered by the King shall be washed away with your blood!"

As if he had heard a grand joke, Archer laughed in fury, but the laughter could not hide the bone-chilling killing intent:

"You, a mad dog not even worth being called a mongrel? A base creature should kneel on the ground and look up at the majesty of the King!"

This time, the golden light directly dispelled the night, illuminating half of Fuyuki City. Like the wrath of its master, hundreds upon hundreds of Noble Phantasms poured down toward Lancelot.

Clang—

Watching the weapons rushing toward him, Lancelot actually tossed the two Noble Phantasms he had captured in the previous round onto the ground.

He reached for the hilt of the sword at his side. That sword was neither scavenged nor stolen. It had existed by his side from the very beginning; it was Lancelot's own Noble Phantasm.

The design of the blade was identical to Excalibur—engraved with elven runes as proof of being forged by non-human hands. The reflection of the sharp blade under the moonlight was like the shimmering water of a lake. It was a holy sword that would never be damaged by any blow. Only he, who was celebrated as the "Perfect Knight," was qualified to possess it.

Its name is—Aroundight!

Now, holding his strongest Noble Phantasm, the "Knight of the Lake," even when facing this sky-filling rain of weapons, remained undaunted!

PS: I am truly sorry for being so late!

Still owe one chapter QAQ

Chapter 67. Aroundight

There is a reason why Aroundight is considered Lancelot's strongest Noble Phantasm. The moment he draws this sword, all of Lancelot's parameters as a Servant, excluding Luck and Mana, increase by one rank, and his success rate for all ST (Saving Throw) checks doubles.

As for Lancelot, who is participating in this Holy Grail War as a Berserker, all six of his stats—excluding Luck and Mana—have reached A, and his Agility can even instantly burst to A+, doubling his attribute capabilities.

An increase from A results in EX, but the EX rank is quite special. It does not have specific standards like A, B, or C; rather, it denotes something that breaks the scale. Assuming the upper limit of A is 100, then 101 is EX, and 10001 is also EX.

Although it is unclear exactly how much the one-rank increase from Aroundight boosts Lancelot's abilities, it is certain that it has exceeded Gilgamesh's expectations.

Wielding the holy sword, Lancelot unleashes his maximum speed without hesitation, charging toward Gilgamesh, leaving the rain of Noble Phantasms launched by Gilgamesh far behind him.

Archer is simply too arrogant. While this is to be expected of the King of Heroes, the sheer capacity of Gilgamesh—who possesses over a thousand Noble Phantasms and can wield them all with ease—undoubtedly places him at the pinnacle among Heroic Spirits.

When facing an opponent he looks down upon, he prefers to use Noble Phantasms that exceed the opponent's limits to suppress and annihilate them, rather than engaging in person with his own weapons.

And Lancelot... in his eyes, is nothing more than a stray dog that only knows how to bark.

This creates the only opportunity for Lancelot's victory.

"I wonder, with so many Noble Phantasms at your disposal, can you offer any guidance in the art of combat, King of Heroes!"

Watching Lancelot rapidly closing in, the expression on the face of Gilgamesh, the Archer, is now one of caught-off-guard astonishment. He subconsciously takes a step back, which makes him furious once he realizes his own reaction:

"Playing such petty tricks—as a mad dog, you are far too insolent!"

The Gate of Babylon is fully unleashed. Signature ripples fill the entire courtyard; they are everywhere, in the sky and on the ground. Various Noble Phantasms that defy human imagination poke their heads out from the "gates," turning into streaks of light as they rush toward the charging knight to protect their king.

Lancelot weaves flexibly through the incoming bombardment of Noble Phantasms, occasionally knocking aside those he cannot avoid with his holy sword. Even so, the armor on Lancelot's body is gradually disintegrating under the impact of the constant barrage.

"Though it is a sin of disrespect toward a king, I must say, you truly are a terrifying enemy."

However, Lancelot has no intention of dodging. It is not that he cannot dodge, but that he cannot afford to—

Using a powerful Noble Phantasm like Aroundight naturally comes with a corresponding price. When Lancelot unleashes this Noble Phantasm, it seals his other Noble Phantasms, including Knight of Owner, and consumes a massive amount of mana.

Even though Lancelot was restored to his strongest state earlier due to Kariya's Command Spell, it is still—

Not enough.

Lancelot can clearly feel the mana within him draining away frantically, like water from a pipe with the valve removed. If this were a war of attrition, his internal mana could never withstand this rate of consumption. If his Master were to bear this mana consumption...

He would likely be drained into a husk in less than a second.

If that is the case, then there is only one choice: a quick finish!

Although Gilgamesh is retreating at full speed, he cannot outpace Lancelot's pursuit speed, which is bolstered by his Noble Phantasm. Lancelot can already see the shock on Gilgamesh's face, as well as the hesitation deep within those eyes.

But in the next second, the hesitation in Gilgamesh's eyes is swallowed by rage:

"Damn it—damn it, damn it, damn it, damn it, damn it!!! To think that a mere mad dog like you would force me to use my ultimate treasure!"

Stopping in his tracks, Gilgamesh glares at the approaching Lancelot with his brilliant red eyes, his gaze filled with a fury that seems ready to burn everything to ash. A golden key appears in his hand, opening the treasury in the void. However, this time, he does not deploy the Gate of Babylon; he only pulls out a single sword.

Can that really be called a sword? If not for the hilt and the guard, some laymen might mistake the object in Gilgamesh's hand for a concrete pillar. But the moment he sees the entirety of the sword, Lancelot's breath subconsciously freezes. A veteran of countless battles, he feels a heavy pressure emanating from the weapon.

Gilgamesh raises the "sword" above his head, his tone returning to cold indifference:

"Since you have forced me to draw Ea, mad dog, die with satisfaction!"

The wind—the cutting wind released from the sword in Gilgamesh's hand—blows away even his own Noble Phantasms along the path without mercy as it strikes toward Lancelot.

Dodge? That option does not exist in Lancelot's mind. Since that option is rejected, there is only...

Lancelot stops his charge and raises Aroundight high. The mana condensing on the blade ripples like the surface of a lake, so mesmerizing that one cannot help but be drawn in.

And then—

He brings it down with force!

"Aroundight!" (Aroundight, Anti-Army Mode)

Accompanied by the sound of Lancelot unleashing his True Name, the mana condensed on the blade transforms into a blue slash and strikes out ferociously!

BOOM—

The slash, originally formed from pure mana, erupts with the power of a bomb upon impact. The shattered stone tiles turn into dust in the explosion, scattering and filling the entire battlefield, making it impossible to see the full picture of the scene for a moment.

Although Gilgamesh has absolute confidence in the power of the Ea in his hand, he still frowns as he watches the battlefield shrouded in smoke and dust. He does not believe that the mad dog would be defeated so easily.

As he expected, he is right, but this time the direction is not in front of him, but in the sky! Gilgamesh snaps his head upward.

A figure becomes increasingly clear amidst the thinning smoke in mid-air.

"Tch—a mad dog that cannot even discern the situation."

Gilgamesh spits in disdain, as if mocking Lancelot.

In mid-air, without any point of leverage, Lancelot is nothing more than a living target. The Gate of Babylon behind him unfolds once more, and without holding back in the slightest, it rushes toward the knight in the air like a torrential storm!

Watching the incoming Noble Phantasms, there is not a ripple of emotion in Lancelot's eyes, as if he does not regard these weapons as a threat at all.

Under the bombardment of the Noble Phantasms—

His once-gleaming, flawless armor is already shattered and broken, providing no protection whatsoever. Lancelot remains indifferent, as if it is not his own body being damaged, and not his own blood flowing out.

Even as his vision begins to blur, Lancelot's eyes remain locked on the enemy hidden behind the golden ripples—Gilgamesh!

It was close, even closer!

"Aaaaaaah—"

Accompanied by a roar, Lancelot swung his final sword strike, accelerated by the pull of gravity!

PS: I'm late, I got addicted to Chapter 7...

If nothing unexpected happens, there will be two updates tomorrow; if something does, there will be one...

(End)

Chapter 68. Binding Chains Severed: Overweight Arondight

With the acceleration of gravity, Lancelot fell from mid-air, his eyes fixed solely on the golden Archer below. Since he had gambled everything on this one strike, there was no need to think of anything else; he simply protected his vitals, closed the distance, and swung his blade with all his might.

"Aurora, reflect the dim light of the lake beneath this strike!"

With a roar, the blade in Lancelot's hand suddenly erupted with dazzling radiance. Magical energy surged outward from the sturdy sword, and azure streams of light intertwined with the verdant metallic luster of the blade, resembling gentle ripples spreading across a lake under a spring breeze.

Harmless, and beautiful.

Yet all that serenity vanished in the next instant.

The calm ripples of the lake instantly transformed into the surging waves of a vast ocean. The erupting magical energy roared as it shattered the shackles that bound it. Inheriting a natural and pure power, the strike—devoid of any killing intent yet terrifyingly formidable—descended abruptly to meet the knight's spirited war cry.

There were no words left to describe this sword strike; it broke the sound barrier like a streak of light, with a torrent of magical energy coiling around the blade like the stars and moon reflected upon the water.

The immense pressure and the rapidly rising magical energy clinging to the blade of Arondight seemed poised to overwhelm all opposition. It sliced through the air, causing the Noble Phantasms projected by Archer to be deflected by the wind pressure, while the gravel on the ground trembled in its wake.