Excalibur!!!

Gae Bolg

A cursed spear that killed its target with a single thrust.

When thrown, however, it became an Anti-Army Noble Phantasm—and Gae Bolg's most powerful attack.

Unlike Gae Bolg, the Spear of Striking Death did not have the conceptual property of "always piercing the opponent's heart."

But both its power and its area of effect increased!

It attacked the entire area around its target, like a carpet bombing. Even a sturdy barrier or a nimble dodge couldn't prevent it from blasting away everyone in its path.

How could Rin Tohsaka and Shirou Emiya, who had just walked back to the church entrance, have anticipated this?

After all, according to the rules of the Holy Grail War, Heroic Spirits weren't allowed inside—let alone launching a Noble Phantasm from the roof of a church!

Though Lancer's actions had caught everyone by surprise,

Rin Tohsaka and Shirou Emiya weren't without a plan. Now that they knew no one was following the rules in this Holy Grail War, Rin had already sent her spirit-form Archer into the church courtyard.

Now standing alone in front of Rin, Archer fixed his sharp gaze on Lancer, raised his right hand, and spread his fingers as he chanted:

"I am the bone of my sword."

"Rho Aias!"

In an instant, a petal-shaped shield appeared in front of Archer's palm!

The moment the first layer had fully unfolded, a dazzling golden light shone from its center!

As the light flickered, one circular barrier after another appeared above the first layer!

Including the first, the shield had seven layers!

The moment all seven layers formed, the shield collided head-on with the incoming Spear of Striking Death!

At the instant they made contact, a thunderous boom rang out, and the entire area around Fuyuki Church lit up.

The dazzling light made it difficult for Shirou and Rin to keep their eyes open!

Saber couldn't become incorporeal, so she had been outside the church before this happened.

But when the unexpected attack came, she darted to Shirou and Rin's side.

Archer was using Rho Aias to hold back the Spear of Striking Death. As soon as he saw Saber arrive, he ordered her:

"Get them out of here!"

As an Anti-Army Noble Phantasm, the Spear of Striking Death covered a vast area.

A Servant might survive an attack like this, but Shirou and Rin were only human. If they couldn't get out of range, they were as good as dead.

The only way Saber could get them clear was if Shirou used a Command Spell.

But if they used a Command Spell...

Saber flatly rejected Archer's suggestion and dispelled the Barrier of the Wind King around her holy sword.

As the howling wind died away, the golden blade was once again revealed before them.

Without the slightest hesitation, Saber said to Shirou:

"Shirou, please let me use my Noble Phantasm!"

Shirou knew he wasn't a proper mage and couldn't supply Saber with mana effectively.

But Command Spells were different.

They could make a Servant do things they normally couldn't, such as teleporting or accomplishing feats close to True Magic.

So there was no problem using one to strengthen a Servant or replenish her mana!

This was a moment of dire peril.

With a series of crisp cracks, the Spear of Striking Death had already pierced five layers of Archer's projected Rho Aias!

And the sixth was about to break.

Archer's expression made it clear he couldn't hold on much longer.

And that was with Rin's Command Spell bolstering him.

When Archer had first summoned Rho Aias, Rin had sensed that something was wrong with him.

So when it became clear they couldn't escape, she had used a Command Spell to replenish Archer's mana.

The reason was that the previous night, Archer and Lancer had fought while retreating, and it had taken all they had to make Lancer give up the chase.

Archer had snuck out that night without telling Rin.

So he was running low on strength now.

At that moment, Shirou didn't have a second to spare for hesitation.

Fortunately, he and Saber already trusted each other completely.

Facing the storm, Shirou clenched the wrist bearing his two remaining Command Spells and shouted:

"Release your Noble Phantasm!"

"Saber!"

The instant he gave the order, the Command Spells on the back of Shirou's hand glowed crimson!

In the next moment, Saber's entire presence changed dramatically!

The mana granted by the Command Spell flooded Saber's body, and the golden radiance of her holy sword seemed to shine even brighter.

Saber raised the gleaming holy sword high!

The light from the clash between the Spear of Striking Death and Rho Aias couldn't compare to even a fraction of the brilliance in Saber's hand.

The time had come.

Saber.

The King of Knights.

Artoria Pendragon!

She poured all her strength into her hands, gripping the hilt!

Light gathered.

Countless streams of light around her surged toward Saber's holy sword!

As if illuminating the blade were their highest purpose!

The light condensed without end, gathering into a dazzling beam.

Beneath that clear and sacred golden radiance, no one could utter a word.

This was the figure of a hero who had once illuminated the darkness of an age of chaos, darker than night itself!

And this was, in the past!

The present!

The future!

The tragic, noble dream that every warrior who had fallen on the battlefield had pursued and yearned for!

This glory had transcended time and space—and would endure forever!

Now, the undefeated king would proclaim the true name of this miracle!

With every step Artoria took, her raised holy sword sent golden ripples of light across the ground!

Every step was filled with a golden storm powerful enough to make any evil thing cry out!

Artoria joined Archer's side. Before the final layer of Rho Aias shattered, she swung with all her might!

Its name was:

"Excalibur!"

It seemed as if everything had turned into light, surging toward Lancer!

The Spear of Striking Death, already weakened by Rho Aias, was swept aside by the golden radiance!

The tide turned in an instant!

With nowhere to run, Lancer was engulfed in the golden light, along with his Spear of Striking Death.

Facing it all, Lancer seemed to have accepted his fate long ago, but he still couldn't help saying:

"Finally..."

"It's about to be over."

The resulting explosion was powerful enough to flatten everything around them.

Archer braced the not-yet-shattered Rho Aias against the violent storm unleashed by the blast.

When the storm and dust had finally settled, everything around them fell quiet.

The church had been reduced to rubble.

Lancer had been defeated.

As for Kirei Kotomine, who had been inside the church, no one cared whether he was alive or dead.

Rin looked at the devastation around her, then toward Enzo Mountain.

"It's time to put an end to all this."