In the Light Screen, after hearing Saber's words, Lancer chuckled and said, "No, I should be the one who feels honored. Anyone who has transcended time and space and ascended to the Throne of Heroes wouldn't mistake that Golden Sword."
"To cross swords with the famous Knight King—and even make you suffer a little—it seems I do have some skill after all."
Saber smiled. "Make me suffer a little?"
Lancer froze. Suddenly, he had a bad feeling.
Then he saw Saber leap over to Irisviel. While both of them were caught off guard, Saber rested her injured left hand on Irisviel's shoulder.
In an instant, some kind of power seemed to take effect. The curse on Saber's wrist vanished, and her injury healed immediately.
Everyone was astonished by the sight, including Irisviel, who had been touched.
At the same time, Saber's voice sounded in Irisviel's mind. It was a magical transmission.
'Madam, don't be nervous. I've only borrowed the power of the Scabbard inside you—the power that belongs to me.'
Irisviel froze. "Saber, you..."
'Madam, it is my Scabbard, after all. Isn't that the very reason you were able to summon me—as the Scabbard served as a catalyst? I don't know why my Master put it inside you, but there must be a reason.'
'To me, Madam, you are my Scabbard now. With its help, all my wounds and ailments can be healed.'
After saying this, Saber returned to stand before the still-wary Lancer. She flexed her healed left hand and calmly said, "What a shame, Lancer. If you'd descended in your strongest Saber form, you might have stood a chance against me. But now that I've figured out your trump card, it's time to decide the outcome of this battle."
Lancer's pupils contracted. A bead of cold sweat slid down his face, and a troubled smile tugged at his lips. "I see. No wonder you suddenly became so reckless. It was all part of your plan?"
"Truly worthy of King Arthur. You possess the noble spirit of a knight, as well as the schemes and composure a king must have. You risked yourself to create an opening for victory. You really are just as the legends say."
Saber raised the now-invisible Invisible Blade, making it clear she intended to end the battle.
Just then, Lancer's Master spoke again. "Lancer, you really are useless. She saw through you so easily."
Lancer lowered his head and replied earnestly, "I'm sorry, Master. I've disappointed you. King Arthur is indeed a powerful and wise opponent."
Lancer's Master scoffed. "What a spineless thing to say. But when your opponent is the King of Eternity, it's understandable. I never expected to see this king in the Holy Grail War. It's been quite an experience for me."
"Now then, Lancer, I'll cast the highest-level enhancement spell on you. Use this power to defeat the Knight King and win the battle for me!"
Lancer's eyes lit up. At the same time, a powerful enhancement spell enveloped him, radiating a blue aura. He was suddenly filled with strength.
The Jojo-style narrator's voice came at just the right moment.
[Lancer's Master was clearly a top-tier mage, possessing all the qualities of a mage. She had devised a meticulous battle plan and prepared the highest-level enhancement spell for her Servant in advance.]
[Even a Servant, bolstered by this enhancement spell, could multiply their speed, defense, and strength.]
As the narration ended, Lancer's muscles grew even larger, straining his green bodysuit until it fit even tighter. The atmosphere instantly turned steamy♂.
Seeing this, Saber's smile faded. "It seems it won't be easy to decide the outcome in a short time after all."
In the real world, people had finally seen what mages could do, and just how much a Master could help their Servant in the Holy Grail War.
At the Supernatural Disaster Countermeasures Office, Illya couldn't help exclaiming, "That's amazing! So King Arthur charged in recklessly on purpose! She was trying to make that perverted uncle in the green bodysuit reveal more of his hand! Mm-mm-mm!"
The rest came out as muffled sounds, because Irisviel had covered Illya's mouth. The beautiful madam admonished her, "Illya, you mustn't say things like that! Calling people perverts is very rude—even if the person really is a pervert!"
Everyone: "..."
Madam, we think you're partly responsible for your daughter turning out this way.
Still, most people now looked at Artoria differently. The girl had been spot on: the King Arthur in the Light Screen had acted recklessly only because she had a solid plan and full confidence in herself. She had been probing her enemy's strengths and weaknesses, and she also had a way to heal herself completely afterward.
Murata Himeko glanced down at the information she'd just received on her phone from the professional support team. Her expression cleared. "I see. It's the legend that King Arthur's Scabbard can heal every wound and ailment, and that as long as she has it, she can't be injured?"
"I'd thought that was just an exaggeration in the epics about the mythical King Arthur. But now, it seems to be true. Still, the Scabbard can be placed inside a person? That's incredible. Is that also the effect of magic?"
She looked up at Artoria and pondered. "She seems to know the details of King Arthur's situation very well. Could it be a side effect of being possessed last night? Or... has she begun to awaken her memories from her previous life as King Arthur?"
It was no wonder she would think so. King Arthur had said as much last night. It wouldn't be strange if Artoria had begun to awaken her past-life memories and could recognize King Arthur's methods.
After all, all the evidence now suggested that Artoria and the woman in the Light Screen might well be the same person.
However, Murata Himeko kept these suspicions to herself and turned her attention back to the Light Screen.
She felt the battle was about to shift again. Now that the enemy's Master had made a move, Saber's true Master, Emiya Kiritsugu, couldn't possibly remain idle.
Sure enough, the view in the Light Screen changed again, shifting to Emiya Kiritsugu.
He was standing on one of the many elevated gantries at the harbor, using his vantage point and the night-vision scope on his sniper rifle to search for a target.
A military microphone was pressed to his ear, displaying the professionalism of a trained assassin.
Emiya Kiritsugu spoke into his headset. "Maiya, it looks like Saber won't be able to defeat Lancer anytime soon. It's time for us to make our move."
Hisau Maiya acknowledged him, then hesitated. "But, Kiritsugu, won't this displease the Knight King? It's still early in the Holy Grail War. If we offend her, it could be very bad for our plans going forward."
Emiya Kiritsugu said, "Don't worry. She may be a noble knight, but she's also a king who pursues victory. She won't mind using a few tricks to win. This arrangement—she handles the Servant while we deal with the Master—isn't something she'd object to."
Hisau Maiya replied, "Understood."
As they spoke, Emiya Kiritsugu found the target. A figure stood on the roof of a warehouse in the night-vision scope. "Lancer's Master is standing on the warehouse roof. Can you see him?"
The view shifted to Hisau Maiya on another gantry. The short-haired woman raised her sniper rifle and searched for a moment, then lowered it helplessly. "No. From where I am, he's in a blind spot."
Emiya Kiritsugu said, "Understood. I'll take him out, then."
As he spoke, he prepared to take a lethal shot at Lancer's Master.
But just then, he sensed something. He immediately swung his sniper rifle around and aimed higher, in the opposite direction.
There, on the very top of a gantry, stood an old man wearing a gray Zhongshan suit. He had short silver hair and no beard, and his hands were clasped behind his back.
Though he stood high above the ground, exposed to the wind, his body remained utterly still. He stood firm as a mountain, his lower body steady as bedrock, carrying the bearing of a grandmaster.
When Emiya Kiritsugu saw the old man, the old man noticed him too. He turned to look at Kiritsugu and smiled, nodding in greeting.
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