Chapter 19: Kayneth turned to stone
(Iskandar)
Artoria: "You can try it and see."
Despite saying that, Artoria was also very dissatisfied with her performance in the video.
Just as Feng Xi had said, how could she have been so reckless in the video?
She had known full well that the spear in her opponent's hand was a Noble Phantasm, yet she had still chosen to take it head-on with her armor.
Had she relied too heavily on Instinct's judgment, or had she decided to take a risk because she had a healer?
Instinct was the ability to determine the "most suitable action for oneself" during combat through the sound of the wind and intuition, making it something like an alternative form of predicting the future.
Of course, this was an analytical prediction based on known information. Her prediction in the video had failed precisely because she hadn't known the effects of Diarmuid's Noble Phantasm.
Diarmuid: "That's right. This is my Noble Phantasm, Gáe Dearg of Exorcism. It can ignore all defensive magecraft."
Waver: "That's the spear Aengus, the god of love in Celtic legend, gave you."
Kayneth: "Lancer, who gave you permission to reveal your Noble Phantasm's name so casually?!"
Diarmuid: "My lord, even if I said nothing, this video has already shown it clearly."
Kayneth: "Hmph!"
He was increasingly regretting not choosing a different holy relic.
The fighting hadn't even begun, and his Servant's Noble Phantasm had already been exposed. How was he supposed to fight after this?
[Having recovered from her injuries, Artoria asked, "That spear can cut off magical energy, can't it?"]
[Diarmuid said confidently, "Your armor is formed from magical energy, isn't it? Then I advise you not to count on it to defend against my attacks, because before this spear of mine, you might as well be stark naked."]
Feng Xi: "Diarmuid, aren't you being a creep?"
Diarmuid: "..."
He had gotten a little too smug in the video, actually saying something so indecent.
[After learning that her armor was useless, Artoria directly dispelled her armor, abandoning defense as she advanced to fight Diarmuid.]
[Without the weight of her armor, Artoria was noticeably faster and soon gained the upper hand. The invisible sword in her hand erupted with brilliant light as she charged toward Diarmuid.]
[Diarmuid slowly backed away, but his expression showed no panic whatsoever. Instead, he looked as though victory was already in his grasp.]
["You made a mistake, Saber."]
Feng Xi: "Ahoge King, I still have the same question. Have you really fought a hundred battles?"
Artoria: "What is it now? What did I do wrong this time?"
Artoria: "If I can't defend against his Noble Phantasm, then I simply won't defend."
Feng Xi: "I mean, do you really trust people that easily? You believe whatever he says."
Artoria: "I believe that, as a knight, he wouldn't lie."
Feng Xi: "Who said you have to lie to outwit someone? There are plenty of other ways."
Feng Xi: "For example, deliberately misleading someone, or leaving certain things unsaid."
Artoria: "What?! You mean-!"
Diarmuid: "He's right. You fell for the trap in the video, King Arthur."
Diarmuid: "Saber, to be honest, I'm very disappointed in your performance in the video."
[Diarmuid kicked up the spear he had previously dropped on the ground and unwound its bandages, revealing a yellow spear.]
["One doesn't necessarily have only one Noble Phantasm."]
[By the time Artoria realized it, she was already committed. After all, she had already charged right up to Diarmuid and had no way to retreat.]
[Both were now like arrows on drawn bowstrings, with no choice but to loose. They could only attack each other, trading injury for injury.]
[Then came a lightning-fast exchange.]
[The two quickly separated, drops of blood falling to the ground.]
[Clearly, both had been wounded in that exchange, each injuring the other's wrist.]
["Damn, the tendon's been injured. I can't move my fingers."]
[Artoria appeared utterly calm, but inwardly she was very anxious.]
[As a swordswoman, being unable to move her hand would greatly diminish her strength.]
[After all, she wasn't skilled at wielding a sword one-handed.]
["Idiot. You actually failed to finish her off."]
[Although Kayneth, who was watching the battle, was merciless with his words, he still cast a spell to heal Diarmuid's arm.]
[Diarmuid smiled. "I'm deeply humbled, my lord."]
[Irisviel also cast a spell to heal Artoria, only to discover that the wound wouldn't close no matter what she did.]
Kayneth: "Hahaha, it looks like we've won this duel after all."
Kayneth: "Even King Arthur couldn't possibly be a match for Lancer and his two spears with one hand crippled."
It wasn't just Kayneth. Everyone in the group thought the same thing.
However they looked at the situation, Lancer was going to win.
Kiritsugu Emiya, too, increasingly felt that the King Arthur he had summoned was unreliable.
Throughout this battle, her opponent had played her like a fiddle from beginning to end.
Artoria: "The wound won't heal because that yellow spear carries a curse?"
Waver: "I know. That's the spear the sea god Manannán mac Lir gave Diarmuid, right?"
Diarmuid: "That's right. This is my other Noble Phantasm, the Yellow Rose of Mortality. It carries a curse of 'wounds that cannot heal.'"
Artoria: "I see. You deliberately discarded it earlier to mislead me, and I really did fall for it in the video."
Diarmuid: "I didn't expect my plan in the video to go so smoothly, either."
Artoria: "..."
Kayneth: "Hmph. Lancer, enough unnecessary chatter."
Although it now seemed that he had answered the question correctly, he wasn't feeling all that pleased.
After all, the effects of Diarmuid's Noble Phantasms had all been exposed by the video. If he fought Saber again, victory probably wouldn't come so easily.
Waver: "So Lancer actually won this duel?"
Feng Xi: "Keep watching. The video's not over yet."
[Diarmuid explained the effects of his Noble Phantasm to Artoria, and Artoria put her armor back on. The two were about to resume their battle.]
[Just then, lightning suddenly flashed in the sky.]
[Accompanied by lightning, a chariot suddenly descended from the sky, coming between them.]
[It was a chariot drawn by two bulls, and the people aboard were none other than Iskandar and Waver.]
["Both of you, sheathe your swords!"]
[Iskandar brought the duel to a halt.]
["Show no disrespect before the king!"]
Kayneth, who had just found some consolation in having answered correctly, instantly turned to stone.
Now the answer to this question was utterly obvious.
Chapter 20: A "laughable" ideal
(The Emiya father and son)
[The correct answer is D, Tokiomi Tohsaka.] [Congratulations to Waver, Feng Xi, the King of Heroes, the King of Conquerors, the Gymnastics Troupe, Kiritsugu Emiya, Tokiomi Tohsaka, the Priest Mapo, Rin Tohsaka, Sakura Tohsaka, and the General of Heaven on receiving 5 Saint Quartz.] [Bluebeard abstained from answering this question.] [The remaining group members answered incorrectly. 1 Saint Quartz deducted.]
Waver: "Thank goodness. I thought I'd guessed wrong."
King of Conquerors: "Haha, you have to trust #$$%##@#$%"
Feng Xi: "Huh? King of Conquerors, what's wrong?"
King of Conquerors: "Ah, nothing, nothing."
Kayneth: "Kiritsugu Emiya, aren't you and King Arthur on the same side? How come only you got it right?"
Madam: "Because we're not operating together right now."
Artoria: "Irisviel, don't reveal things like that so casually."
Madam: "Ah, sorry."