Barrier of the Wind King

"Clack-clack-clack-clack-clack-clack—"

Hundreds of Dragon Tooth Skeleton Soldiers surged in from every direction, swinging weapons made from dragon teeth and making an unbearably grating noise.

The sounds piled on top of one another, echoing through the courtyard until they became deafening.

They made everyone feel especially on edge!

A few Dragon Tooth Warriors were hardly worth worrying about. Even an ordinary mage could handle them.

But once they appeared in large numbers, they became a serious nuisance.

Rin Tohsaka pressed her right hand against her left arm, continually gathering Yin Qi Bullets at her fingertips before firing them at the Dragon Tooth Warriors.

Thanks to her family's crest, Rin Tohsaka could use Yin Qi Bullets without chanting.

They were originally curses that merely damaged a person's health, but with a high enough concentration of magical energy, they could inflict physical damage directly, with power comparable to bullets!

Shirou Emiya swung the steel pipe he had reinforced at the Dragon Tooth Warriors, fighting alongside Rin Tohsaka.

Saber could knock several Dragon Tooth Warriors down with a single sword stroke, but for the moment, that was all she could do.

Against the vast number of Dragon Tooth Warriors before them, ordinary attacks were no longer enough.

Although they still couldn't effectively harm a Servant, they were certainly a nuisance!

There was a good chance they were trying to buy time.

Saber realized at once that Caster was probably preparing to unleash an enormous spell!

A Caster with High-Speed Divine Words shouldn't have chosen this strategy.

High-Speed Divine Words was the ability to cast Magecraft without using an incantation or connecting to one's Magic Circuits.

Normally, the larger the spell, the longer the incantation required. This skill, however, could greatly shorten it.

If she was using these Dragon Tooth Warriors to buy time for a single spell, its power was easy to imagine.

At a moment like this, making the right call was especially important.

And that was precisely one of Saber's strengths!

She had to clear away the obstacles in front of her and drag Caster out of hiding!

Saber crouched to gather her strength, then swung the Invisible Sword with both hands, slashing outward at the Dragon Tooth Warriors trying to approach Shirou Emiya and Rin Tohsaka.

Saber's Invisible Sword instantly shattered and severed the Dragon Tooth Warriors, preventing them from gathering around again for the moment.

The gale stirred up by her rapid movements tossed Saber's golden hair about. Just then, she held the Invisible Sword level and shouted:

"Get down!"

Saber was clearly speaking to Shirou Emiya and Rin Tohsaka. They didn't know what she was about to do, but they trusted her and immediately obeyed.

The reason Saber's Invisible Sword could "disappear" was that several layers of wind wrapped around it, altering the refraction of light and concealing the blade.

With the Barrier of the Wind King, Saber could attack while keeping her opponent from judging the distance and trajectory of her sword strokes.

But...

The Barrier of the Wind King had another use!

Saber raised the longsword in both hands, holding it horizontally before her with the tip pointing outward.

In an instant, the Barrier of the Wind King surrounding the blade was released!

"Boom—"

A violent rush of wind erupted from the blade, forming a swirling blade of wind that coiled around it and blasted forward!

The spiraling gale swept up the Dragon Tooth Warriors in front of Saber at a terrifying speed, then exploded amid their ranks!

As the fierce wind spread, it mercilessly shredded the Dragon Tooth Warriors around them!

In the middle of the spacious grounds, brilliant golden light flashed!

Saber had released the Barrier of the Wind King around her blade, and the dazzling golden radiance it emitted could no longer be concealed!

Rin Tohsaka and Shirou Emiya, crouched on the ground, both widened their eyes.

With a powerful release of Mana Burst, the storm spread outward in every direction from Saber. Dust rippled across the ground like waves on water.

Saber's solemn eyes fixed ahead. She gripped the golden sword tightly, turned, and swept it out in a powerful slash!

In an instant, a circular blade of wind roared through the temple and swept across the bodies of the Dragon Tooth Warriors.

The merciless storm tore through Ryudou Temple, and its terrifying power instantly destroyed the Dragon Tooth Warriors surrounding them!

"A-Amazing..."

That was the shared reaction of Shirou Emiya and Rin Tohsaka, both crouched on the ground.

But Saber's brows had been furrowed from the start and hadn't relaxed once. Caster, still hidden somewhere, spoke again, her tone dripping with mockery:

"Oh, my..."

"I doubt anyone could mistake that golden sword of yours."

"I never imagined that you, so cute and petite, were the famous King of Knights."

"Ah..."

"I want you even more now, Saber!"

Excalibur was also known as the Sword of Selection.

It was the greatest and most powerful Noble Phantasm wielded by the King of Knights, the most powerful and noble holy sword, regarded as the symbol of King Arthur.

It hadn't been forged by humans. Made from people's hopes and crystallized within the planet, it was the ultimate Divine Construct—the "strongest fantasy."

Anyone summoned across time and space to the Throne of Heroes would recognize this golden sword.

Artoria Pendragon.

That was Saber's true name.

But to Artoria, Caster's words were nothing less than an insult.

Artoria never begrudged praise or respect to a worthy opponent. But she had no patience for a wicked sorceress like Caster:

"A Divine Era Magus with High-Speed Divine Words."

"A sorcery that uses dragon teeth as its medium to create an army of skeletons."

"The Betrayer Witch, Medea."

"Am I wrong?"

The golden light shining from the Sword of Selection illuminated Artoria's pretty face. She looked around and continued:

"A despicable coward who can only hide in the shadows."

"But then, I suppose a witch who dismembered her own little brother to escape would—"

Before Artoria could finish, Medea appeared on the roof of Ryudou Temple and shouted furiously:

"Shut up!!!"

Medea held a staff topped with a crescent-shaped ring, glaring at Artoria in the courtyard through clenched teeth!

Appearing alongside her were dozens of enormous fireballs floating above Ryudou Temple!

Each fireball was like a sun falling from the sky, almost covering the entire grounds of Ryudou Temple!

The surroundings shone as brightly as day, stunning everyone present.

With a mass of fireballs this enormous, there would be nowhere to hide if they came crashing down.

Was this the means Medea had prepared?

Seeing the astonished expressions on Artoria and the others, Medea beamed with delight:

"I originally prepared this spell for Berserker, but you came here looking for death!"

Then Medea looked at Shirou Emiya and said with a cold laugh:

"Boy, you must be Saber's Master, right?"

"If you're willing to hand Saber over to me, I might consider letting you go."

Artoria gripped the Golden Sword with both hands, her expression stern.

"Shirou!"

"Don't listen to her!"

"Please use a Command Spell to order me to unleash my Noble Phantasm!"

Destroying the Dragon Tooth Warriors had consumed a great deal of Artoria's magical energy, and Shirou Emiya's aptitude as a Master was far too ordinary.

But now, Shirou Emiya could use a Command Spell to make Artoria unleash her Noble Phantasm and destroy everything before them.

Shirou Emiya didn't hesitate. He gripped the wrist marked with his Command Spell and was about to activate it!

But then, something happened that no one had expected.

At some point, Sasuke had appeared beside them.