Your NP Is Full! (Funny)

"Hey, Rider, what do you mean?!"

Seeing Rider's expression of approval towards Saber, Waver, as his Master, couldn't help but feel annoyed.

After all, as Servant, Waver had experienced this same helplessness when he first summoned himself, but now...

Looking at Waver in front of him, Rider wore a rather proud expression:

"Haha, I was just speaking up for Saber. Compared to Saber's Master, you've done a great job! Kid!"

Unfazed by the teasing remark, Saber, having composed herself, looked at Kayneth and said sincerely:

"Lancer's Master, although you despise my Master's actions, you are still my Master, so please forgive my recklessness this time."

Instead of getting angry because his instructions were blocked, Kayneth laughed.

"Since the King of Knights has spoken, if I were to hold a grudge over this, wouldn't that tarnish the reputation of the Archibald Family? It's just a mere 'rat.' If it can help the King of Knights let go of his resentment and wield his weapon without any ulterior motives, then what's wrong with letting this matter pass?"

"Thank you..."

Kayneth's words relieved Saber and instantly reversed her previous impression of him.

"Haha, Lancer's Master, your words have truly impressed me!"

Unlike Saber's reserve, the outspoken Rider directly praised Kayneth's actions.

The person in question merely bowed slightly to Rider, without displaying any arrogance.

"So, Lancer's Master, what's next...?"

Now that the minor disturbances on the battlefield have subsided, it's time to get down to business. Rider said this to Kayneth with great interest, but before he could finish, he was interrupted again.

"Rider, I'm sorry, but could you possibly grant me the honor of fighting Lancer this time?"

"... King of Knights, could you tell me your reasons for vying for this opponent?"

Even the magnanimous Rider, after hearing Saber's request, closed his eyes to ponder for a moment before opening them again and asking Saber in a deep voice for her reasons.

"Because I believe this fight is a golden opportunity for me and Lancer to settle things. If I miss this chance, I don't know when we'll have another chance to fight like this without any reservations. So I don't think I should miss this opportunity."

Looking at Saber's determined gaze, Rider was momentarily speechless. After all, he had witnessed firsthand the feud between Lancer and Saber that had begun at the start of the Holy Grail War.

However, he was somewhat unwilling to give up Lancer, such a rare opponent.

This difficult choice left the burly man scratching his head and muttering in distress:

"Then who do you expect me to go to now?"

At this time--

A powerful surge of magical energy suddenly swept across the entire battlefield, causing all the Master — Kayneth, Waver, and even Emiya Kiritsugu and Wang Xiaoming, who were watching from the shadows—to instinctively gasp in shock.

"Um?"

All the Heroic Spirit on the battlefield looked toward the source of this magical fluctuation.

--Fuyuki Bridge!

At that moment, a message emanating from the direction of the Fuyuki Bridge, declaring that victory in this Holy Grail War was assured, caught Rider's eye!

"Hahaha, since there are opponents over there that suit my taste better, then Saber and Lancer, this battlefield is yours to for the taking!"

With that, Rider, his fighting spirit stirred, hoisted Waver onto his shoulder with one hand and then stepped onto the still-burning chariot behind him.

When the chariot roared away, leaving its original position, the people on the battlefield realized that Rider had already left the battlefield.

"This person..."

Watching Rider disappear into the distance amidst a trail of lightning, Saber chuckled, her previously low spirits lifted somewhat.

However, thinking about it, the domineering and unyielding aura contained in the magical fluctuations just now—in this Holy Grail War, only that golden Heroic Spirit could possess such an aura.

Compared to Saber and Lancer, Archer is definitely a better match for Rider.

"Then, our battle begins!"

Having regained her composure, Saber turned to look at Lancer, her eyes filled with a pure and unadulterated fighting spirit and passion.

So what if my left hand is sealed? As long as I can still wield my sword, I will definitely defeat Lancer!

Whether for my own sake or for Irisviel's, I must win the Holy Grail War!

But to Saber's surprise, Lancer did not respond to her challenge with high morale; instead, a bitter smile appeared on his lips.

"Saber, while I am pleased to face your challenge, I must say that this battle has not even begun, and you are already destined to lose."

"Lancer, what nonsense are you spouting?!"

Faced with Lancer's arrogant provocation, Saber felt not only anger but also a sense of disbelief.

It's hard to believe that my formidable rival would utter such arrogant and audacious words. Is this still the noble knight I remember?

"Unfortunately, Saber, Lancer is not wrong."

This time, it wasn't Lancer who spoke, but his Master, Kayneth. Standing on the high platform, he looked down at Saber and said:

"While I greatly admire the achievements of you Heroic Spirit, for the sake of my victory, Saber—no, King of Knights —would you please step down first?"

As he spoke, Kayneth rolled up the sleeve that was covering his right arm, revealing a red tattoo etched on it.

"That is..."

Although they were some distance apart, the sharp-eyed Saber immediately recognized the true nature of the "tattoo" on Kayneth's right arm.

Command Spell are trump cards that can instantly change the course of a battle.

But each Master should only have three, so why do Lancer's Master have so many?

Although she cared a lot, what happened next left Saber no time to think about it.

Because--

Kayneth recited the incantation for controlling the Servant:

"In the name of the Command Spell-- "

Accompanied by the incantation, a red Command Spell on Kayneth's right arm flickered with a faint red light before disappearing:

"Lancer, reclaim the power you possessed in your past life!"

Chapter 97. Your NP gauge is full! (laughs)

--These are spirit-like beings who, after their deaths, became legends and objects of worship for their great achievements. Heroic Spirit are beings separated from the timeline, and they can be summoned to all eras, whether past or future. However, only the "world" can summon the Heroic Spirit in its true form; unfortunately, humans cannot summon the Heroic Spirit in its true form, but can only summon its avatars, Servant.

Servant "replicas" reflecting the true form of the Throne of Heroes, Servants naturally possess the abilities of the original; however, these abilities are not the same as their strength. As "replicas," Servant can almost never reach the level of the "original."

But that's all.

--Almost...

"Lancer, I, Kayneth El-Melloi Archibald, issue this command with a Command Spell—"

The Lord from the Clock Tower raised his right arm, inscribed with Command Spell, and proudly commanded his Servant:

"Lancer, reclaim the power you possessed in your past life!"

Sensing the ever-increasing momentum of his Servant on the battlefield, Kayneth's "profound" expression suggested that things were not yet over...

Really--

"Once again, command Lancer with Command Spell to return to your peak condition."

Another red light flashed across his right arm. This act, which would be considered a "waste" by other Master, did not cause the slightest ripple in Kayneth's eyes:

"With the third Command Spell, I command—Lancer, defeat Saber and bring me victory!"

Under the influence of the three Command Spell, Lancer's power and aura surged, eventually reaching their limit.

The loyal knight responded to his Master's Command Spell with a melancholy yet resolute voice:

"Yes, my lord."

Feeling the power surging through his body, Lancer showed no sign of joy. Perhaps in the knight's heart, this...

"Please don't do that, Lancer."

The chilling voice coming from the other side drew the attention of the Gun Knight.

Saber, her entire body radiating a calm fighting spirit, took a step forward. Her slender, petite frame exuded an aura of majesty.

"This place is a battlefield; all strategies are preparations for victory. If defeat is due to insufficient pre-battle preparation, then I have nothing to say."

Saber casually glossed over the difference in combat power between the two sides. She was not indignant about the widening gap in strength between them; on the contrary, the fighting spirit dormant within Saber began to awaken.

Indeed, as she said, the battlefield at this moment was not a duel between knights as before; both sides were fighting each other for the same goal—to seize the Holy Grail.

In this battle, no one will show mercy, and no one wants to leave any regrets.

So--

Fight to your heart's content!

After gazing into Saber's resolute eyes for a moment, Lancer, whose handsome expression had been clouded by worry, finally revealed a slight smile.

"Saber, right now, the only thing that can bring a refreshing breeze to my heart is your unwavering fighting spirit, free of any distractions."

After speaking, Lancer seemed to be trying to drive away all the sorrow and grief in his heart, brandishing his twin pistols with the tips pointing directly at Saber.

Saber also dispelled the Invisible Air, revealing the Rising Sword that had been trapped within it as the whirlwind dissipated. Concealing the sword using air pressure was pointless against Diarmuid's Gáe Dearg.

Most importantly, facing this formidable rival who originally existed in a different time and space but was encountered by chance in the present world, the King of Knights firmly believed that he was a heroic Heroic Spirit worthy of being illuminated by the brilliance of his sword, which embodied all his glory.

The fighting spirit of both sides clashed silently on the battlefield between them, the invisible sparks and the inaudible clangs stimulating the nerves of the two Heroic Spirit on the battlefield.

Even Kayneth, who was watching from the sidelines, unconsciously began to hold his breath.

However, this battle, which was about to begin, was disrupted by another untimely episode.

"Although I know this is not the right time to speak, as Saber's ally, we request a truce."

The familiar voice rang in Kayneth's ears, and his expression, which had been angry at being disturbed, froze for a moment. A complex look flashed across his eyes before disappearing.

Seeing the two figures approaching from not far away, Kayneth's expression instantly turned to amusement.

"What if I don't, Mr. Wang?"

"No, you have no right to refuse, Lord Kayneth."

Wang Xiaoming remained calm despite Kayneth's rejection.

"Unless you're willing to give up Miss Sola. You know, we won't let her go so easily unless we leave something behind for Sola."

"?!"

A mixture of shock and anger flashed across Kayneth's face, along with a sense of regret. Because of his earlier joy at obtaining the Command Spell, Kayneth hadn't considered why Sola had returned so easily.

This was a complete failure for Kayneth!

What do you want to do?

Without a second thought, Kayneth's feelings for Sola overwhelmed him, causing him to despair and ask Wang Xiaoming a question, already prepared for the worst.

Looking at the frustrated Kayneth, Wang Xiaoming chuckled.

"Don't worry, I won't be so shameless as to let you order Lancer to commit suicide."

Wang Xiaoming's words caused someone who was secretly observing from a distance to let out a muffled groan.

"I just want to create a relatively level fighting environment for my allies."

Wang Xiaoming's words stunned everyone present, even Saber was somewhat incredulous. If she could narrow the gap with Lancer, Saber's chances of winning would be much greater, but she couldn't imagine what method this Caster's Master could use. Could it be...?

When Wang Xiaoming saw Saber looking at the Command Spell on the back of his hand, he couldn't help but chuckle.

"I don't have the Command Spell that were stolen from that church across the street, so I can't waste my Command Spell like this."

He knew it all along...

Kayneth's expression was somewhat complicated. Hearing Wang Xiaoming so easily reveal the information he had obtained at great cost left Kayneth feeling quite uneasy.

However, Wang Xiaoming had no time to pay attention to him right now; his attention was entirely focused on Saber.

"Caster, is my previous idea okay?"

Wang Xiaoming turned to Medea and asked about the possibility of the idea in his mind.