For the first time, Archer addressed Berserker by name in a serious tone, but he couldn't hide the teasing curl at the corner of his mouth.
Although Lancelot had previously been shrouded in madness, the memories from before were still etched in his mind.
Archer's question struck deep, but Lancelot wasn't a stiff, inflexible knight like Diarmuid. Calmly, he pointed the weapon he'd taken at its former master—Archer—and said:
"I'll answer for what happened with the King after we win this battle."
Lancelot answered calmly, but there was no mistaking the certainty of victory in his words. It was as though winning this battle was already in the palm of his hand.
"Heh—scum..."
At Lancelot's positively arrogant declaration, a rage more brilliant than a scarlet lotus flared in Archer's eyes.
"You actually think you can snatch victory from the hands of the King?"
"Gate of Babylon" opened again—not just behind Archer, but in every direction—
One Noble Phantasm after another emerged from golden ripples. There were spears and swords, but also knives, axes, lances, and even strange weapons whose names were impossible to guess. The edges of every weapon shone so sharply they hurt the eyes.
The vast magical energy radiating from the weapons was further proof that they deserved to be called Noble Phantasms.
"Scum, are you ready to die?!"
As Archer's words rang out, the Noble Phantasms rained down like bolts of lightning. Their momentum was staggering, as if they intended to obliterate not only the ground where Lancelot stood, but the entire area around it. The unrelenting barrage was nothing short of a full-scale carpet bombing!
Berserker's greatest advantage was the highest overall stats of all the classes, and Lancelot's trump cards, "Knight of Owner" and "Arms Mastery," were closely tied to his attributes. The higher his stats, the more powerfully they could be used. It was no exaggeration to say that Lancelot, with Berserker's stats and his reason intact, was undoubtedly among the strongest in this Holy Grail War.
But Lancelot still only had two hands, and there was a limit to how many Noble Phantasms he could catch. No one knew how many Noble Phantasms the King of Heroes had in his treasury, but Archer had already fired more than a hundred! Under this bombardment, Lancelot could barely even move!
No matter how high his stats were, they were useless if he couldn't reach Archer.
"What a fearsome opponent."
Amid the thunder of the Noble Phantasms, Lancelot's steady voice rang out. Judging by its tone—
Did he still have strength to spare?
"So the mad dog has learned to bluff now that he's regained his sanity!"
The golden Heroic Spirit stood with his arms folded, watching Lancelot weather the bombardment of his Noble Phantasms. His face wore a bone-chilling sneer, and the treasures in his vault were ready to fire again.
More densely than before—
Archer was absolutely certain that the obnoxious mad dog would be blown to pieces beneath his Noble Phantasms! But first—
"Mad dog, I've decided—"
His scarlet eyes fixed on Lancelot.
"I'll cut off your head and present it to Saber as an engagement gift."
Thud—
At those words, Lancelot's momentum faltered. Just a moment's distraction was enough for a spear to break through his defense and scrape against his armor, spraying a dazzling shower of sparks.
But Archer didn't notice—or rather, he didn't need to care what Lancelot thought. He continued speaking as though to himself:
"I'll place the traitor's head on a tray, then cover it with a white veil and flowers. I'm sure Saber will be delighted with my gift."
"..."
"I can hardly wait to see Saber rush into my arms in delight..."
Before Archer could finish, he dodged a sword flying straight at him. The ground behind him collapsed with a crash.
"Why so angry, mad dog?"
Archer faced the one who'd thrown it and came to a stop. He wasn't angry; instead, the same loathsome smile curled his lips.
"You're only a traitor, yet you're so worked up. Don't tell me you have feelings for Saber..."
"Silence, you insolent fool! To harbor such frivolous thoughts about the King... Unforgivable..."
Lancelot cut Archer off. A faint red glow flickered deep in his eyes, and black madness coiled around his armor once more. Only then could one glimpse the state of frenzy Lancelot had once fallen into. But thanks to the Command Spell's restraint, this time he didn't lose his reason.
Watching Archer's delighted expression, Lancelot said in a chilling voice:
"King of Heroes... I'll shatter that insolent face of yours myself. The humiliation inflicted upon the King will be washed away with your blood!"
As if he'd just heard the funniest joke in the world, Archer laughed in fury, but no amount of laughter could conceal the murderous intent that sent chills down one's spine.
"You think a mad dog like you, not even worth calling a mongrel, can do that? The lowly should prostrate themselves and gaze up at the King's majesty!"
This time, golden light drove away the darkness and illuminated half the sky above Fuyuki City. Like the wrath of their master, hundreds upon hundreds of Noble Phantasms rained down on Lancelot.
Clang—
As he watched the Noble Phantasms rush toward him, Lancelot casually tossed aside the two he'd caught in the previous exchange.
He reached for the hilt of the sword at his side, in its scabbard. That sword had neither been picked up nor stolen. It had been with him from the very beginning, his own Noble Phantasm.
Its design was almost identical to that of Excalibur. Elvish characters were engraved upon it, proof that it had been forged by nonhuman hands. Its sharp blade reflected the moonlight like a shimmering lake. It was a Holy Sword that could withstand any blow without ever breaking. Only he, hailed as the "Perfect Knight," had the right to wield it.
Its name was Arondight—the Unbreakable Lake Light!
Now, the "Knight of the Lake" gripped his strongest Noble Phantasm. Even faced with a rain of weapons filling the sky, he remained fearless!
PS: I'm really sorry for taking so long!
I still owe you another update. QAQ
Chapter 67: Arondight
There was a reason "Unbreakable Lake Light" was Lancelot's strongest Noble Phantasm. The moment he drew it, every one of his attributes as a Servant rose by one rank except for Luck and Magic. His success rate for every ST (saving throw) was doubled.
As a Berserker in this Holy Grail War, Lancelot had reached A in every one of his six attributes except Luck and Magic, and his Agility could even burst to A+ for an instant, doubling its power.
An attribute raised by one rank from A became EX. But EX was a special rank, unlike A, B, or C, which had defined standards. It meant "out of the ordinary." If the upper limit of A rank was 100, then 101 was EX—and so was 10,001.
No one knew how much the increase of one rank from "Unbreakable Lake Light" would actually improve Lancelot's abilities, but it was certain that the result would exceed Gilgamesh's expectations.
Holding the Holy Sword, Lancelot unleashed his full speed without hesitation and charged toward Gilgamesh. Archer's rain of Noble Phantasms was left far behind.
Archer was simply too arrogant. As the King of Heroes, he had every right to be. With more than a thousand Noble Phantasms, all of which he could wield with ease, Gilgamesh's capacity was undoubtedly among the greatest of all Heroic Spirits.
When facing an opponent he looked down on, he preferred to bombard them with more Noble Phantasms than they could handle until they were dead. He would never take the field himself with his own weapon.
And in his eyes, Lancelot was no more than a stray dog that only knew how to bark.
That arrogance gave Lancelot his one and only chance to win.
"I wonder if you're as skilled in battle as you are in collecting so many Noble Phantasms, King of Heroes!"
Seeing Lancelot charging toward him at breakneck speed, Gilgamesh—Archer's—face filled with startled disbelief. He instinctively took a step back. When he realized what he'd done, fury overwhelmed him.
"Trying a little trick like that—how dare a mad dog be so presumptuous!"
"Gate of Babylon" was fully unleashed, its signature ripples spreading throughout the entire courtyard, in the sky and on the ground, everywhere. All kinds of Noble Phantasms beyond human imagination emerged from the "gates." To protect their King, they transformed into streaks of light and charged at the knight hurtling toward them.
Lancelot moved nimbly through the oncoming bombardment, using the Holy Sword to knock aside any Noble Phantasm he couldn't evade. Even so, the constant impacts and shock waves gradually broke apart his armor.
"Though I've committed the sin of disrespecting the King, I must admit, you're a fearsome enemy."
But Lancelot showed no intention of dodging. Not because he couldn't dodge, but because he had no choice—
Using a powerful Noble Phantasm like "Unbreakable Lake Light" came at a price. When Lancelot released its power, it sealed his other Noble Phantasms, including "Knight of Owner," and consumed a vast amount of magical energy.
Even though Kariya's Command Spell had restored Lancelot to his peak condition, it still—
Wasn't enough.
Lancelot could clearly feel the magical energy inside him draining wildly, like water gushing from a pipe with its valve removed. If he fought a drawn-out battle, he couldn't afford this rate of consumption. If his Master had to bear the cost of that magical energy...
He'd probably be drained dry in less than a second.
If so, there was only one option: end this quickly!
Although Gilgamesh was retreating as fast as he could, he couldn't outpace Lancelot, empowered by his Noble Phantasm. Lancelot could already see the surprise on Gilgamesh's face, and the hesitation deep in his eyes.
But the next instant, the hesitation in Gilgamesh's eyes was swallowed by rage.
"Damn you—damn you, damn you, damn you, damn you!!! You worthless mad dog, you've actually forced me to use my ultimate treasure!"
Gilgamesh stopped and glared at the approaching Lancelot with his brilliant red eyes. His fury looked ready to burn Lancelot to ashes. A golden key appeared in his hand, opening the treasury in the void. But this time, he didn't open "Gate of Babylon." He took out just one sword.
Could it really be called a sword? If it weren't for the hilt and guard, an untrained observer might have mistaken the object in Gilgamesh's hand for a concrete pillar. But the moment Lancelot saw it in its entirety, his breath caught. A veteran of countless battles, he felt a crushing pressure emanating from the sword.
Gilgamesh raised the "sword" above his head, his voice turning cold.
"You should be satisfied to die, mad dog. You've made the King draw Ea!"
The wind, released by the sword in Gilgamesh's hand, swept away even the Noble Phantasms in its path without mercy, then rushed toward Lancelot.
Dodge? That option didn't even occur to Lancelot. If he'd ruled it out, then there was only one thing left to do...
Lancelot forced himself to stop and raised "Unbreakable Lake Light" high. Magical energy gathered along the blade, undulating like the surface of a lake and captivating anyone who gazed upon it.
Then—
He brought it down with all his strength!
"Arondight!" (Unbreakable Lake Light, Anti-Army Mode)
As Lancelot called out its true name, the magical energy gathered on the blade and burst forth as a blue slash!
Boom—
The slash, which had been formed from nothing but magical energy, exploded with the force of a bomb at the moment of impact. The blast shattered the stone tiles into dust, spreading it throughout the battlefield. For a moment, no one could see what was happening.
Although Gilgamesh had absolute confidence in the power of Ea in his hand, he still frowned as he stared at the battlefield engulfed in smoke. He didn't believe that mad dog would leave the fight so easily.
Sure enough, just as he'd expected—but this time, the attack came from above, not in front! Gilgamesh abruptly looked up.
A figure grew clearer in the thinning smoke high in the air.
"Tch—even a mad dog should be able to tell what's going on."
Gilgamesh spat disdainfully, as if mocking Lancelot.
With no foothold in the air, Lancelot was nothing more than a living target. Gate of Babylon opened behind Gilgamesh once more. He showed no mercy, sending a torrential barrage of weapons at the knight in midair!
Watching the Noble Phantasms rush toward him, Lancelot's eyes showed no sign of wavering, as though he didn't care about them at all.
Under the barrage—
His once-bright, flawless armor had already been shattered, no longer offering any protection. Lancelot remained unmoved, as though it weren't his body being injured, as though it weren't his own blood flowing.
Even as his vision blurred, Lancelot kept his eyes fixed on the enemy hidden behind the golden ripples—Gilgamesh!
Closer, closer!
"AAAAAAAH—"
With a roar, Lancelot swung his final sword, propelled by gravity and accelerating faster with every moment!
PS: Sorry I'm late. I got a little too absorbed in Chapter Seven...
If nothing unexpected happens, I'll post two updates tomorrow. If something does, I'll post one...
(End)
Chapter 68: Binding Chains Severed: Overweight Arondight
With the acceleration of gravity behind him, Lancelot plummeted from the air, his eyes fixed solely on the golden Servant below. He'd staked everything on this single strike. There was nothing else to think about: protect his vital points, close the distance, and swing with all his might.
"O aurora, let your light reflect upon the strike, a glow as tranquil as a lake!"
With a furious roar, the blade in Lancelot's hand suddenly burst into dazzling light. Magical energy surged outward from the sturdy blade. Azure streams of light interwove with the blade's emerald metal sheen, like a lake rippling beneath the gentle breeze of spring.
Harmless, and beautiful.
But all that serenity vanished in the next instant.
The calm ripples on the lake became the surging waves of a raging sea. Magical energy roared forth, shattering the shackles that bound it. With the pure, natural force of a phenomenon, the terrifying strike—devoid of even the slightest killing intent—crashed down alongside the knight's powerful battle cry.
There was no way to describe this sword strike. It broke the sound barrier, flashed like a streak of light, and the torrent of magical energy wrapped around the blade like the reflected stars and moon on a lake.
A tremendous pressure bore down. The magical energy coating the blade of "Arondight" surged higher and higher, its force seemingly ready to overwhelm everything. It cleaved through the air, and even Archer's projected Noble Phantasms were swept aside by the wind pressure. The rubble on the ground trembled.
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