Dating Caster

Such a massive strike caused Gilgamesh, standing on the ground, to narrow his eyes. The EA in his hand spun once more, and a vast amount of magical energy erupted from the hilt.

"--Enuma Elish!"

"--Arondight Overlord!!!"

A roar that could temporarily deafen anyone echoed across the battlefield, but immediately afterward—

Creak!

A teeth-grinding sound of friction suddenly rang out. After landing, Lancelot was suddenly bound by chains that had extended from out of nowhere.

Chain of Heaven—a secret treasure from the King of Heroes' treasury, a binding chain that even the Bull of Heaven could not break free from—now tightly locked Lancelot's limbs, shoulders, waist, and even the blade of his sword!

"To be able to wound this King, you have done well, Lancelot—"

Without a hint of mockery, Gilgamesh looked at the chained Lancelot, a flicker of praise even crossing his eyes. This was a salute to the only knight across from him who had managed to wound him.

Yes, he had been wounded—

From the full-force strike Lancelot had just delivered, a massive wound now marred Gilgamesh's chest, bleeding incessantly.

This was something Gilgamesh had never expected. Although he had been forced to release the true name in haste due to the timing, Lancelot had actually managed to forcibly cleave through the magical energy released by the EA!

Seeing Lancelot continue to charge without losing speed even after breaking through the EA, Gilgamesh, though reluctant, had no choice but to use the Chain of Heaven. However, judging by Lancelot's performance during his charge, the release of Arondight seemed to have sealed away his "thieving hand" (Knight of Owner).

Even though he was bound by the Chain of Heaven in mid-air, for a Lancelot who had drawn Arondight, the transcendent Strength attribute bolstered by the holy sword was not something that could be easily restrained. Moreover, for an enemy without divinity, the Chain of Heaven was merely an exceptionally sturdy set of shackles.

That was why, the moment the Chain of Heaven bound Lancelot, the chains—unable to withstand such a powerful impact—emitted that teeth-grinding sound, and several links even snapped under the strain!

But the sacrifice of Enkidu was not without effect. The obstruction of the chains had dampened Lancelot's momentum, causing his figure to falter.

It was this momentary pause that gave Gilgamesh a chance to catch his breath. He leaped backward, dodging Lancelot's strike, but the tip of the blade still sliced through his Golden Armor. The Golden Armor, which possessed a hardness far exceeding any metal in the world, offered no resistance to Arondight, as if it were a hot knife cutting through butter.

The Golden Armor was sliced open from top to bottom, and a shocking, massive wound was carved into his chest as well.

Watching Lancelot, who was still struggling incessantly despite being bound by heavy chains, and looking at the slightly trembling links, Gilgamesh understood that the Chain of Heaven could not hold him for long. But even a split second was enough—

Four blades descended from the sky, piercing Lancelot's four limbs and severing the knight's tendons.

Clang—

Because he could no longer grip his sword, Arondight fell from Lancelot's hand to the ground, emitting a crisp sound. The trembling chains gradually grew still.

"I must admit, you are the only one to date who has made this King feel the presence of death. But mongrel—"

The tone of praise gradually turned cold. Gilgamesh's gaze toward Lancelot returned to ice, and rage reignited in the King's pupils:

"In a duel with this King, to dare hold back a trump card—is that not a bit too arrogant?"

Although Gilgamesh was a man with an unpleasant personality, he possessed one of the keenest eyes among all heroes. During Lancelot's desperate strike, the golden King had clearly noticed that the main reason Lancelot's momentum had slowed was not the Chain of Heaven, but Lancelot himself; for a brief moment, even the light of the lake attached to the blade had dimmed.

If that strike had been delivered with full force... even the depths of Gilgamesh's heart couldn't help but turn cold. Though he had narrowly escaped, this realization brought the King immense humiliation.

"It was not holding back; it is simply that my Master has passed away..."

There was no need to hide it, so Lancelot spoke frankly about what had just occurred. It was for this reason that the severing of the magical connection between Servant and Master had plunged Lancelot into this predicament.

Otherwise, the Chain of Heaven alone would never have been enough to trap the knight.

"Tch—to be defeated because of a lack of magical energy, what a boring end. But it seems that Tokiomi fellow was still of some use after all."

Hearing Lancelot's reply, Gilgamesh sneered. Immediately, golden ripples emerged behind him, and a precious sword poked its head out, its blade possessing a sharpness that could not be underestimated.

"Mad dog, you have lost this round. Take this King's praise and die content!"

Aiming at Lancelot's heart, Gilgamesh made his declaration.

With no other thoughts, Lancelot looked at the Noble Phantasm about to pierce his heart, feeling unexpectedly calm.

So this is how I exit the stage? To have not yet asked for the King's forgiveness—as a knight, I am truly derelict in my duty. But before that...

My King, let me strike down those who have shown you such disrespect here!

But what happened in the next second caught both of them off guard—

"Hah—"

A cyan gust of wind blowing from afar directly blew away the Noble Phantasm in front of Lancelot!

"Saber?"

Gilgamesh instantly leaped backward. In this situation, he had no chance of winning a two-on-one fight.

As for Lancelot, upon seeing this familiar swordsmanship, he turned his head sharply, fixing his gaze in the direction from which the gust had blown—

Looking at the golden-haired, green-eyed girl in the distance, the one he longed for and whose image haunted his dreams, the battered knight murmured to himself:

"My King—"

PS: Two chapters today, making up for the day before yesterday and the debt from yesterday (vomiting blood).

Chapter 69. Saber in Action

"Hmm?"

Saber, who had just returned to the base with Irisviel, suddenly sensed something and turned her head toward the direction of the Tohsaka Mansion.

Although they were both in the Miyama Town district, there was still a distance between her side and the Tohsaka base. However, how could the "Gate of Babylon," which was practically plating the night sky in gold, escape Saber's eyes?

"What is it, Saber?"

Seeming to notice the abnormality in her Servant, Irisviel turned her head to look at Saber.

"It's nothing, probably just my imagination."

Saber shook her head, but still asked Irisviel, "Irisviel, do you know who is fighting Archer?"

"It's Berserker."

It was not Irisviel who answered Saber, but the voice of another man.

"Kiritsugu!"

Seeing her husband come out of the base to greet her, Irisviel happily arrived at Emiya Kiritsugu's side and asked with concern:

"How is your body?"

"Thanks to you, it's no longer a major issue."

It seemed that only when facing his wife would Emiya Kiritsugu show a smile that truly belonged to him.

"Kiritsugu, you said it's Berserker?"

After hearing Emiya Kiritsugu's words, Saber's brows furrowed slightly. Regarding that black, maddened Servant, Saber always felt as if there was an inextricable karmic connection between them.

"While you were all drinking together, Berserker and his Master ambushed the Tohsaka family's base..."

Kariya had never intended to hide his tracks while acting, and furthermore, the massive scale of Archer's battle could never have escaped the familiars that mages used for surveillance.

"..."

"If you want to go, then go."

Seeming to understand her Servant's thoughts, Emiya Kiritsugu's dull voice reached Saber's ears, followed by a set of keys falling into her hand, leaving her astonished.

Standing beside her husband, Irisviel smiled and urged Saber:

"Be careful while driving."

--The roar of an engine sounded at the entrance of the courtyard, then gradually faded into the distance.

Watching the headlights move further away, Irisviel looked at her husband with some curiosity.

"Berserker's Master seems to be acting with a desperate resolve this time. If we let Saber intervene in the battle between Berserker and Archer now, we might have some unexpected gains."

After lighting a cigarette and taking a deep drag, Emiya Kiritsugu stated his thoughts.

"It's just that I haven't found any trace of Lancer tonight."

The alliance between the Masters of Lancer, Caster, and Berserker was no longer a secret in this Holy Grail War. Although it was unknown what conditions they had discussed, there was no doubt that this alliance made all the other Masters feel troubled. Regardless of who wanted to take action against any of these three parties, they had to consider the consequences of facing three Heroic Spirits at once.

However, tonight--

Logically, Lancer should have been acting together with Berserker; that would have made the possibility of assassinating Tohsaka Tokiomi much higher. But Lancer's figure did not appear by Berserker's side, nor did he attend the banquet.

This strange situation left Emiya Kiritsugu deep in thought.

The blinding headlights flickered incessantly in the narrow alleys of Miyama Town. Perhaps to make it easier for Saber to act, the keys Emiya Kiritsugu threw to her were not for the previous Mercedes-Benz, but for another two-wheel-drive, terrifying in every respect, "Devil"--the YAMAHA VMAX.

Listening to the roar coming from the steel beast beneath her, Saber's previously depressed mood was invigorated. The feeling of high-speed travel now was simply incomparable to the feeling of driving the Mercedes-Benz before.

That's right. This feeling was indeed closer to the sensation of riding a horse.

Compared to a car where one is bound by a seatbelt, this heavy motorcycle, which allowed her to become part of the vehicle to control her center of gravity, allowed Saber's "Riding" skill to be brought into full play.

The streets of Miyama Town were a difficult obstacle for a heavy motorcycle traveling on the ground. Moreover, the handling characteristics of this V-MAX, which had been completely modified in pursuit of extreme acceleration, were no different from a drag racing car, possessing almost no turning capability. However, Saber's superb technique overturned even the physical law that one cannot turn while traveling at high speed; in front of her, this theorem had no meaning.

Saber had completely mastered the machine's characteristics. When about to turn, she didn't slow down, but instead opened the throttle, injecting the excess torque into the rear wheel. Just like that, with the rapid acceleration that threatened to flip the entire vehicle, causing the front wheel to lift, Saber used the instantaneous explosive power of "Mana Burst" to force the vehicle to tilt, thereby completing the change in direction. It was as if she had used a strong, massive force to twist the direction of forward motion.

If it's this speed, perhaps I can--

In Saber's memory, Archer's wealthy, extravagant style of combat had left a deep impression on her. Although Berserker's bizarre fighting style was somewhat of a counter to Archer, how long could he hold out under the suppression of that quantity of Noble Phantasms?

Faster!

--At least let me see the true face beneath Berserker's black helmet.

An inexplicable feeling made Saber subconsciously twist the throttle to the limit.

[If I don't meet that black Servant, this might become my greatest regret in this Holy Grail War.]

That voice in the depths of her heart told her so.

There was no need to specifically search for where their battlefield was; Archer's Noble Phantasms, which dyed half the night sky gold, and the explosions that came from time to time were simply the best road signs!

Boom--

Screech--

The roar from not far away and the harsh sound of rubber tires rubbing against the asphalt pavement reached Saber's ears simultaneously. Leaping off the motorcycle, Saber had no time to pay attention to the pungent smell of burning rubber and rushed directly to the battlefield.

I see it!

From afar, Saber saw the golden Servant looking down at the chain-bound Berserker. The "Gate of Babylon" behind him had already opened, seemingly intending to execute the Berserker, who had fallen into a wretched state.

I'll make it in time!

The holy sword in her hand shone with a brilliant golden radiance amidst the swirling atmosphere. The high-pressure air currents that were meant to guard the holy sword were released from the constraints of their invisible barrier, erupting with a roar like a ferocious dragon.

"Strike Air!"

The wind, compressed almost to a solid state, carried its own roar as it accurately struck and sent the Noble Phantasm in front of Berserker flying!

When an object moves through the atmosphere at ultra-high speeds, it tears through the air in front of it, while the space behind it is left as a vacuum. Naturally, that vacuum draws in the surrounding atmosphere, becoming an airflow that chases after the object that passed through first. In modern car racing, there is a technique where a trailing vehicle follows closely behind the lead vehicle to utilize that slipstream for increased acceleration.

The air pressure Saber released from Invisible Air triggered the same phenomenon; as it sent the Noble Phantasm flying, the gale that swept past created a vacuum in its wake. Already prepared, Saber pushed off hard with her feet and dove headlong into this vacuum "tunnel."

"Saber?"

Upon seeing the figure that had suddenly appeared before him, Archer leaped directly backward, clearly wary of Saber.

But the thing that surprised Saber the most was likely the voice that came from behind her.

"King—"

Hearing this long-unheard address, Saber turned around in astonishment to look at Berserker, who, despite being bound and kneeling on the ground, still refused to bend his spine.

That flowing purple hair, the handsome features that even bloodstains could not conceal, and the demonic sword lying at Berserker's side stirred the memories buried deep within Saber's heart:

"You, you are—"

Still owe one more update (coughing blood).

Will make up for it tomorrow.

King and Knight

"You are—?"

After seeing Berserker's face clearly, Saber's eyes widened; perhaps unable to believe her own eyes, she muttered to herself: