#we'll see how much i drink today and that will be the deciding factor | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

votestaynight2 · 1 year ago

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13th Day - VS berserker (Scene 3)/ 14th Day - Knight stay night (Scene 1)

"――――――――" …We have to accept his offer. Even if he's an enemy, he's still right. Tohsaka and I can't beat Caster. But we might have a chance if Lancer's with us. But―――

"…All right. I'll believe you. But it'll be under one condition. I'll accept your help in defeating Caster, and we'll trust you. But――――"

"But what? You want me to tell you who my Master is?" "No. Even though we're cooperating, stay away from Tohsaka."

―――The air freezes. Lancer is speechless, like he's been sucker-punched.

"Hah, I see, I see! Yeah, that's so much more important than who my Master is! You're right, kid!" He starts laughing heartily.

"Is that bad? I'm telling you that you can't have Tohsaka." "That's not bad at all. Rather, I have a better opinion of you now. Wow, that's great, young lady. This kid's completely fallen for you!"

"――――! W-W-W-What are you saying!? We're not like that! Um… yes, we're just cooperating…!" "Reeeally?"

"…! You're irritating. What's with that know-it-all face…!? Come on, say something, Shirou! Tell him we're just cooperating!"

"――――――――" ………………

"Hey, say something, you idiot…! T-This is as if we really do love each other…!"

"Hey, it's not 'as if'. You two are already in love. Even I can tell, and I'm only watching it from the side. But she's actually denying it? This is troublesome, kid." Lancer makes a sympathetic gesture.

"……Well. I already know Tohsaka's troublesome." I dismiss his sympathy with a sour look.

"Wha-" "Oh, how reassuring. Then I shall take care when I socialize with her. But she's fun to tease, so I'm going to entertain myself while we're together. You don't mind that condition, right?"

"…All right. We'll go with that. We'll have your help until we beat Caster." "Then it's decided. Well, let's shake hands."

Lancer walks to me unarmed and shakes my hand. ―――There are worrying factors, but we're able to obtain a reliable ally. All that's left is…

"I'm so mad!!! Fine, I'm breaking my ties with you guys!!! I'm going to go beat Caster by myself!!!!" How can I calm her down…?

We walk through the dark forest. Although we don't know his intentions, having Lancer's help means we don't need to stay at the castle anymore. Lancer must have taken a liking to Tohsaka, as he keeps messing with her and getting hit by her.

"Hey now. You have your own Master, right? Then you should stay quiet. We're going to be enemies after we beat Caster, so it does no good to be talking. Anything other than planning is unnecessary."

"What, we can't talk because we're going to be enemies? You have less composure than you look like you have, huh? It should be natural for you to drink until dawn with someone that gets along with you, even if he may be your enemy."

"When are you from? All that 'friends today, foes tomorrow' business is out of style these days. If we don't think things all the way through, it's rude to the other party." "…Wow. It sure became a boring world."

…Lancer does not learn his lesson. I think they've been repeating the same kind of conversation for a while now.

"More importantly, Lancer. You know what your role is, right?"

"Huh? Yeah, leave it to me. You two are going to fight Caster and her Master, right? My role is to fight Archer. I'll have to fight Saber as well in the worst case, but it won't be a problem if all I have to do is keep them busy."

He speaks objectively. He isn't even scared of fighting Saber and Archer at the same time.

"――――――――" Oh yeah, Saber commented on him when we were training in the dojo. She said Lancer is the best when it comes to "surviving".

She praised him, saying that with his excellent agility and great experience, Lancer would be an impregnable wall if he went into defense. …He must have fought many battles from disadvantageous positions when he was alive. This man ran through fatal battles like a panther and lived on.

"…That's fine. But our enemy isn't just Archer and Saber. Caster also has Assassin. In the worst case, you'd have to fight three."

"Oh, that's bad. I don't like that guy. I don't even want to fight him one-on-one if I can help it. It's best to kill such a guy from a distance―――but there's no point in worrying. Assassin won't be at the church."

"…? How can you say so? If Caster won't go back to the Ryudou Temple, wouldn't she call for her guard, Assassin?"

"No. Assassin is a Servant that Caster summoned, but he has his limitations because of that. He is a heroic spirit summoned to that place. He can't leave the Ryudou Temple, and in any case, Caster won't call for him. He is a Servant that Caster summoned without letting her Master know. She will try to hide Assassin as long as they're at the church, and I'm sure she won't let go of the Ryudou Temple either."

"She won't let go of the Ryudou Temple…? Does that mean…" "It's because that mountain is the summoning place of the Holy Grail. Do you know? This is the fifth Holy Grail War, but there are only four possible places for the Holy Grail to be summoned into. Two of the places are the Ryudou Temple and the church. By the way, it was summoned at the church in the third war. The fourth one was summoned in a plain somewhere."

"―――Oh. I thought you didn't think at all, but you're pretty well-informed." "It's just that my Master is fastidious. I'm not interested in your doings."

"Okay. ��But, I see. So the summoning this time has returned to the same place as the first time, huh?" Tohsaka starts to ponder. Lancer watches her with delight and walks on in the dark forest.

"――――――――" The date has already changed. The day should be dawning by the time we get out of this forest.

…I mentally prepare myself as I walk. We will fight Caster again in a few hours. …I won't hesitate, even if that girl would have turned into our enemy by then. We'll defeat Caster. I have to tell myself that it is the most important thing right now.

――――We head to the battlefield. No matter what may be awaiting us at the church at daybreak, we cannot stop now.

14th Day - Knight stay night

―――Before that, there's just one more conversation.

Just as they exit the forest, and when the sky is beginning to lighten up… Before they go to the church, she informs him of the fact she has kept hidden.

"I'll tell you right now. There is only 'one' of the pendant that you gave back to me." She does not tell him what that means, and he does not inquire about it. It is because such matters are unnecessary when they are about to face their greatest enemy―――Caster.

The one and only pendant. The one he found in her room and returned to her. The one he found on that night and put into his desk. Now is not the time to ask about the contradiction.

"…That's all that I need to tell you. The pendant you found in my room is something Archer returned to me on the day you were attacked by Lancer. I thought he went and picked it up for me…"

―――The decisive battle is near. The tall church can be seen in the horizon.

Tohsaka says she wants to confirm one last time. Our roles are already set. Lancer will draw Archer and Saber away from Caster. We will use that opening to attack Caster.

Lancer asks ironically if we would be able to beat her by ourselves. To that… "…Yeah. I'm sure I can outwit Caster if I can fight one-on-one with her." Tohsaka answers with confidence.

…I don't know what she means by outwitting her. She didn't tell us even when we asked, so it must be a plan that will have a lower success rate if we know about it.

Then what I need to do is fulfill Tohsaka's demand. With all my might, I will keep Kuzuki from protecting Caster. If I need them, I will project his swords as many times as necessary.

…I close my eyes and dive inside myself. The Magic Circuit inside of me is stable. ―――Magic beyond one's ability will destroy the caster. Half of my body became numb the first time. It was easy and nothing happened to me the second time. There's no guarantee the third time will be the same, but I don't think it's a problem to project his swords.

My body is stable. The Magic Circuit that was hard even to construct is easily activated now. It's like there's a fake nerve behind my real nerves, and they are reversible with the push of a button. I'm trying to convince myself that it's because I've gotten used to it.

―――I can easily prepare the swords. Projection has become my primary weapon. It's a big improvement over ten days ago. It's not only my magic. My sword technique has improved as well.

"…………" The reason behind it… No, I try not to think about the reason. It's more important to beat Caster and take back Saber.

Asking myself stupid questions can come after the battle. The headache gets stronger as I near the church. It's just like when I was looking for Tohsaka, but I avoid thinking about that.

The morning light is gray. The sun is blocked off by clouds, obscuring the dawn's brightness. The sky above is gloomy. The sky is more gray than black, and it reminds me of that time ten years ago.

―――It should rain soon. An impure gray sky. Beneath it stands that man.

"I knew you would come, considering your personality." He stares at her with cool eyes. "――――――――" Tohsaka doesn't say anything and stares back at him.

"So what is the plan you've prepared? You're not the type to come attack without one." He sounds joyful. To that, "Yeah. I'll be fighting you." The spearman in blue answers as he appears next to Tohsaka.

"I'm surprised. You made a contract with a new Servant already? Man. I know I'm not one to talk, but you're pretty fickle. Switching sides may have been a good idea after all." "――――!"

"…I don't care, Shirou. Don't let him provoke you." She stops me, still staring at Archer. …But it's obvious looking at her face. She knows he's baiting her, but his words still hurt.

"…Heh. I didn't like you from the start, but―――it seems you're rotten to the core."

"Oh. Does betrayal irritate you, Lancer? And you're not even the one who got betrayed. How faithful of you." "―――I'm not supporting the young lady over there. I just don't like Servants like you."

"A hero's pride, huh? …Man, everyone says the same thing. Even Caster had such a ridiculous thing. What good is honor once you're dead? I honestly can't understand how you people think."

"You don't have to. I'll make it easy so you don't have to think about it."

―――There is no more need for words. All that remains is the intent to kill, with Lancer's sharp and Archer's calm.

"――――――――" …They are about ten meters apart. The confrontation of the knights in blue and red is just like that night.

"Lancer." Tohsaka calls out to the blue back.

"You two go inside. I'll catch up once I beat him." "…I know. But Lancer, Archer is…" "Yeah, I'll go easy on him. I need him to crawl and beg your forgiveness." He speaks without turning, grinning at Archer.

"―――Thanks. I'm glad you're the one who came to help us."

We go around the two as we head to the church. The guard, Archer, lets us through unchallenged. No, he has to let us through.

Archer is already confronting Lancer. Lancer will pierce him if he lets us distract him. He can either attack us and leave himself open to Lancer, or he can fight Lancer and let us go. ―――If he really is guarding this place, the choice should be obvious.

We run around the courtyard and open the door to the church without hesitation. Behind us…

"―――Man, this is troublesome." "What is, Lancer?" "Well. I can't go easy after she makes a face like that. That's troubling, right? She's a great Master, but I'm not one that can readily betray my Master."

"…You are too easy-going, Lancer. Do you know the saying 'grass is always greener on the other side of the fence'?" "Heh, what are you saying? There's no way I'd know such a phrase―――!"

"We don't have much time. We'll beat Caster before their match is decided." "I know. Let's cut the talk from now on. ―――Um, You're sure you're okay with fighting Caster alone, right?"

"Yeah. I'm sure I'll be thoroughly cornered, but don't help me. You can just concentrate on keeping Kuzuki-Sensei away as long as possible." We go past the main area and head to the door leading to the courtyard.

I won't hesitate if Tohsaka says so. …But I don't know if it's possible for me to back Tohsaka up, even if she's cornered. My opponent is Kuzuki. I won't be able to dodge his attacks if I'm paying attention to Tohsaka.

―――Caster's presence is getting closer. The church is filled with her magical energy as she must not be hiding her powers anymore. I bet she already knows about our raid.

"―――――Trace, on." I carefully knit together the illusion using eight steps. I'm getting the hang of it. His swords are in my hands within a minute.

"――――――――!" I feel a light headache. Even though I'm getting used to it, it takes a toll on my body. Projection is damaging my body deeper than I realize.

"………" "?" Was it my imagination? I think Tohsaka hung her head for a second.

We go down through the darkness. We run down the stairs and come out into an open area. And after that, we jump down into the temple like I did before.

"Oh. You guys are like monkeys, jumping down like that. I don't know why you're in such a hurry, but use the stairs if you're human."

We land in the temple. This was supposed to be a surprise attack, but Caster greets us with composure.

"――――――――" Kuzuki Souichirou is standing next to Caster. …I don't feel any enmity or bloodlust from him. That's his battle posture. His clear murderous intent is hiding the scariness of that man. In that regard, he's more like an assassin than Servant Assassin.

Saber is on top of the altar. She's just like she was two days ago. Saber hangs there, her head bowed.

"――――――――" I'm relieved we made it, but on the other hand, I'm worried about why she's so quiet. I think Saber was in pain before. She was shivering and gasping, resisting Caster's magic with all her might. But she's dead silent now.

"………" I have a bad feeling. It's great that Assassin's not here, but if this bad feeling comes true, we won't get out of here alive――――

"I'm here, Caster. I thought about it thoroughly, but I've decided to have you eliminated. You're an eyesore, you get in my way, you annoy me, and I hate the way you look. You're like some backwoods hag with that purple robe of yours."

Tohsaka insults Caster, hoping to break her composure. She slowly closes the distance between them as she talks, radiating confidence she probably doesn't feel.

"――――――――" …I shouldn't be concerned about Saber either. Tohsaka is facing Caster by going counterclockwise, so I walk clockwise. Caster and Kuzuki. If we are to separate them, we have to attack them from different sides and isolate our enemies.

"―――Heh. Letting you go seems to have given the wrong impression. Why are magi so reckless nowadays? No wonder Archer gave up on you." Tohsaka's insults must have worked, as Caster is glaring at her.

I move while she does so. I move to the other side of Tohsaka, to a place where I can attack Caster from behind. "――――――――" Kuzuki watches me in silence.

……I thought so. There's no way that this man would not notice our trick. Kuzuki knows what's going on. That we are trying to isolate our enemies and that Tohsaka has some plan.

Even with that in mind, he's letting Caster do as she wishes. …It's not that Kuzuki is controlled by Caster. He is acting of his own free will. But still―――his passivity is like that of a puppet.

A Servant skilled in magic as the backup, and a Master skilled in hand-to-hand combat. Their roles are reversed, and I think their natures are reversed as well. Caster seeks the Holy Grail frantically, while the Master protects her without question.

"――――――――" That makes me think. What if Caster was the Master and Kuzuki was the Servant who protected her? Maybe they wouldn't have fallen so low if that were the case.

"――――――――" Tohsaka glances at me. It means our positions are perfect. Then―――the match will be settled when either one of us attacks. It doesn't matter if we get defeated or if Tohsaka beats Caster before that. Our fight will end right here.

"Well, let us start. This is the third time I've fought you. I'm getting tired of seeing your face, so I'll settle this right here." Tohsaka takes a step towards Caster.

"You're talking big. I doubt this, but please do not tell me you honestly believe you can beat me. In that case, we don't even need to fight. I'll let you go again so that you can go fix that brain of yours.

"Of course I can beat you. Isn't that right? There's no way a first-class magus like me would lose to a third-class magus like you."

"―――I see. I guess it can't be helped. It seems I need to discipline that arrogant mouth of yours, little lady."

They get ready at the same time. With a few meters between them, they act like mirror images.

That's the signal. I attack the defenseless Caster… "……!" And of course, I'm stopped by Kuzuki.

…The ghost-like assassin is in front of me. I can't spare any attention for Caster and Tohsaka's fight. He knows what I intend to do. He will not let me buy time. Letting out the "snake" that even cornered Saber, Kuzuki Souichirou comes to take my life.

――――I can hold him off for a minute at most. It should be the same for Tohsaka. But originally, with our opponents reversed, we had no chance of victory. Close-range fighting or magic, we have no way to beat our opponents who surpass us in skill.

―――But looking at it the other way, we can at least put up a fight. Tohsaka would be killed in an instant if she fought Kuzuki. I would be killed in an instant if I fought Caster. In contrast, we might not be able to win, but we won't be killed in an instant with this match-up.

…So in other words. This battle is not about how to beat one's opponent. Instead, this is a contest to see how long we can hold off an opponent of superior skill.

Interlude 14-1

――――The two weapons clash. Twin swords and lance: the attacks are executed to take their wielders' necks. There's no hesitation in those attacks. Each strike is meant to kill.

Even Lancer makes no exceptions. Even though he told Tohsaka Rin, his ally, that he would "go easy", that becomes secondary once the battle starts. It merely means that if his lance happens to miss Archer's heart and if it does not kill him instantly, he will refrain from finishing Archer off on the spot. Even in that case, his enemy will die in due time, but Lancer just needs to drag him to Tohsaka Rin before that happens. Lancer does not care what happens after that.

"――――!" The red demonic lance invades the enemy territory. The lance breaks through Archer's defense each time it is thrust. It is not like that night. Archer cannot block Lancer's attacks now as he could then.

It is only natural. This is their second battle. Lancer was under the Command Spell's bind. To learn his enemies' strengths, his Master told Lancer, "Fight against everyone. But do not defeat them. Survive your first battle against any opponent." That is the only order he was given. He has followed such an unreasonable command, and this is his first "battle without any binds".

Therefore, it cannot be like the last battle. There is nothing binding Lancer, and Archer is now forced to fight the fastest heroic spirit.

"Guh――――!" A strained voice escapes Archer's mouth. Even his hawk-like eyes cannot follow Lancer's spear. The lance's movement is a point to start with. And it is a flash of light now. He cannot discern the lance coming at him. Even Lancer's movements are becoming invisible now.

"――――――――!" He has been able to block such attacks until now because he had experienced them in a previous battle. He is doing what he can―――using his inferiority as a weapon to block Lancer's furious onslaught. He is controlling where the attacks come. The knight in red limits the oncoming attacks by leaving fatal openings.

Of course, he will die if he does not dodge the attacks. But if he can choose between instant death and getting slowly cut up, he prefers to risk instant death. Otherwise, it all will have been for nothing. Fortunately, Lancer is still taking Archer lightly. Or rather, he is lost in the joy of battle. If they are to keep on assaulting each other like this, he can think of another thirty ways to "show an opening".

Prediction using the information obtained. Planning using cultivated battle experience. Those are the nerves of steel, the "mind's eye" that one obtains through training. This is nothing extraordinary. This is the only skill he possesses. It is not innate like Saber's "instinct", but it is a simple weapon that anyone can gain through hard work.

"――――――――" Lancer backs off and stops for a bit. He looks the red archer over, as though dissatisfied.

It is obvious who is going to win. Archer has no chance of victory in hand-to-hand combat. No, that has been obvious from the start. If Archer is an "archer" like his name states, this cannot be a match unless he's shooting from a long range. But still, he blocked the attacks. He is inferior and should not last a few more blows, but he blocked Lancer's full-force attacks.

―――Is Archer strong, or is Lancer going easy on him? He laughs. He already realizes that Archer is a mysterious Servant. He can admit that Archer is strong in that regard.

But――――it is unthinkable for Lancer to be going easy. The first attack was aimed at the neck to chop his head off. The second attack was aimed at the heart to destroy his body. He cannot be going easy. He shouldn't be, but―――― ――――It is certainly true that he wasn't trying to kill Archer.

How does one know that this sort of fight is serious? A battle between Servants is a battle between Noble Phantasms. The fact that he is fighting Archer without using his is proof that he is going easy on him. The reason behind it… …Must be the "thanks" he heard earlier. "――――Damn. Are you kidding me―――!?"

"Ku――――!" "Gu――――!" The weapons clash harder than before. The two spring apart in a shower of sparks. The full-force attack by Lancer is nullified by the full-force attack by Archer.

They are about five meters apart. It is a distance Lancer can close in an instant. "―――I don't get it." The spearman in blue murmurs.

"You switched to Caster's side even though you are this strong? You and Rin would've had no trouble with Caster." Lancer stops emitting murderous intent, but there's no opening in his stance. At that, Archer smiles a bit.

"―――I'm surprised. You're still saying such things? Lancer. I chose the path that has the highest possibility of victory. I do not care what Rin thinks, but I am sure there is no better plan than this." He speaks confidently, with no sign of guilt. The knight in red shows no regret about betraying his master.

"I see. I guess it was stupid of me to ask." Archer agrees. Lancer snorts and slowly raises the tip of his lance.

"You are certainly good at fighting. Your tactics will get you through many battles. ―――But that is not the right way. Your swords are lacking in pride." His fighting spirit roars up. Even faced with this, the archer in red still smiles.

"Fortunately, I do not have any pride. But what about it? Will the name of the hero be disgraced? Hah, do not make me laugh, Lancer. You can wash away disgrace with results. You can feed your meaningless pride to the dogs." "――――――――" In an instant. The slightly relaxed atmosphere changes.

――――The air freezes. The magical energy to disturb the order of the world, the demonic lance that inverts cause and effect, is raised.

His murderous intent is incomparable to his previous ones. Though the tension must make it difficult even to breathe… "You said 'dog', Archer?" The blue-armored spearman growls in a voice that could drive the crows from a battlefield.

"Yes, Cu Chulainn. If you have pride as a hero, you should get rid of it right now." "――――Well said. Then you can die first."

Lancer jumps back a great distance. It is no longer a matter of thrusting his lance. There are over a hundred meters between them now. Lancer leapt back to the entrance of the clearing and crouches on all fours like a beast.

"――――――――" Archer's senses freeze. Is it fear or awe? Either way, Archer understands right away… The meaning of Lancer's retreat. He knows that his enemy's next attack is literally a fatal attack.

"You know about Gae Bolg's ability, right?" Lancer, with his limbs on the ground, raises his waist. It's just like a sprinter waiting for the signal gun.

"――――――――" Archer has no reply to spare. The knight in red throws away his swords and immerses himself in his own mind. But will he make it? Lancer's posture… If his demonic lance is just like the legend, a Noble Phantasm to block it cannot be anything superficial.

"―――Here I come. Take this attack as your farewell gift…!" The blue panther runs. Even his after-image is a blur. Lancer speeds to Archer like a whirlwind.

There are a hundred meters between them. Lancer is not going to thrust his lance using that whole distance to gain speed. The blue figure crouches. After running fifty meters in an instant, the spearman suddenly leaps up from the ground.

His body flies through the air. He holds the demonic lance, said to always pierce the heart once it is thrust, over his head. Space distorts. ―――According to legend… That lance scatters numerous spearheads once it is released. In other words…

"――――Gae…" The lance of causality joins with the words to form a tapestry of action. The spearman in blue arches his back as if drawing a bow… "Bolg――――!!!!!!" …And he smashes down the attack with a roar――――

…This Noble Phantasm is a throwing attack by nature. A lance that never misses the heart. A cursed Noble Phantasm that cannot be avoided and will attack the enemy even if it misses. That is Gae Bolg, lance of destruction possessed by the hero that never lost in his lifetime. As it is hurled using all of Lancer's magical energy, it can be neither dodged nor blocked.

―――Therefore, it is fatal. There is no way for anyone to survive once they are targeted by the demonic lance…!!

The bullet approaches. In a split second, the knight in red closes his eyes as if accepting his death…

"――――I am the bone of my sword."

The thorn of light blazes forth. And right before the thorn of destruction coming from the heavens strikes Archer… "Rho Aius――――!" Its true name shakes the very air as it is spoken.

The lance crashes into the shield. The lance of death that penetrates every wall and outmaneuvers any evasion. That lance has been stopped. Radiating a storm of heat, the lance of sure kill is stopped by Archer's "Noble Phantasm". The seven flower petals appear from empty space and shield Archer from the demonic bullet――――! Who would know? This shield is Aius. The only shield said to have repelled the javelin of the great hero in the Trojan War. There are seven barriers shaped like flower petals, and each layer is as strong as a castle wall. It is a boundary field Noble Phantasm that is said to be invincible against projectile weapons.

A thrown lance will be defeated by this shield without penetrating even one of the petals. At the very least, Archer does not know of a lance that can penetrate this shield.

But. The lance of sure kill drills through the shields like it's nothing.

"―――……!!!!!" The sixth petal is destroyed. Only one remains. The demonic lance reaches the seventh layer that has never been broken.

The unstoppable thorn of the demonic lance. In the face of that power… "Nu――――Nuaaaaaaaaaaaaaa……!!!!" With a roaring spirit, Archer puts all his magical energy into the Noble Phantasm――――!

"――――――――" After landing, Lancer glares at the Servant in front of him. …Archer has wounds all over his body. His raised arm is barely attached. His face is strained in pain, not only from the wounds on the arm, but also from the agony in his head.

"――――I'm surprised. I did not think there was a weapon that could penetrate the Aius. Your lance is stronger than the original Gungnir." The knight in red praises the spearman in blue from the bottom of his heart.

"――――――――" But Lancer does not hear him. His strongest attack. The attack that made him a hero has been blocked. He is so angry that his glare should be able to kill someone.

But the anger is almost erased by his wonder. …This is too strange. It is true that Archer is a mysterious Servant. His identity is unknown, he carries twin swords even though he's an archer, and now he shows a shield that can even block Lancer's strongest attack. It is absurd. There is no such hero on this planet.

"――――Who are you?" "I'm just an archer. Your analysis was not incorrect." "Bullshit. An archer would not have a shield to block a Noble Phantasm." "I guess you can, under the right circumstances. But this is the result. I used up most of my magical energy, one of my arms is destroyed, and Aius is shattered. …Man, that was the greatest protection I had."

"――――――――" Lancer only glares at Archer. Then. "More importantly, have you noticed, Lancer? It seems Caster is in trouble. She is no longer supervising us." Archer raises both his hands as if in surrender.

"…I see. I knew it. That was your intention from the start, huh?" "Of course. I told you, right? I will only take the route with the greatest chance of success." "―――Heh. I really do hate you."

Saying so, Lancer turns his back to Archer. …His work is done. His role of keeping Archer busy is meaningless now. There is no more need for him to side with Tohsaka Rin.

The spearman in blue starts to walk away and――― …Lays down on the grass to wait and see.

End of Interlude

"――――!" I desperately parry the oncoming fists. Kuzuki's fists are live "snakes". Even if I barely dodge them, they change their paths to come bite me. That's why Saber was seriously wounded. Saber was bitten by Kuzuki's "snakes" because she had the reflexes to dodge them.

But I don't have such reflexes. I can't dodge them, and first of all, I can't even see his fists. I can't dodge them when I can't even see his fists.

"Gah――――!" My shoulder. Kuzuki's fist grazed my left collarbone. "Hah, guh――――!" It's just like a bushhammer. It feels as if my shoulders are being crushed and I almost drop my swords.

"―――――――!" I bear it and parry the fist going for my temple using the sword in my right hand.

"Ah, guh――――!" I desperately retreat. I pitifully retreat while Kuzuki closes in, not revealing any hints of how he advanced.

"Hah――――" ――――I shudder at his stance. I won't be able to withstand the next attack. It's miraculous that I was able to parry the attacks until now. It doesn't feel real. I hoped that I'd be able to protect myself and buy time for Tohsaka until she defeated Caster, but such hope disappeared after I took the first blow.

Kuzuki Souichirou took our previous battle into account. I was able to fend off Kuzuki as he attacked Tohsaka back then. So I thought I'd be able to fend him off again if I had Archer's twin swords. ―――But. In other words, it means that I won't be able to do anything without them.

Kuzuki knows that. What he did first in this battle was try to take the swords away from me.

"Guh――――!" The sword in my right hand is destroyed. ―――The fist, strengthened with Caster's magic, shatters my sword with a few blows.

"――――Trace, on……!" I immediately reproduce the shortsword. I can't hope for high results with a forced projection, a quickly prepared sword. As a result, the twin swords start to lose their precision.

"Guh―――haa, haa, ha―――……!!" I can't breathe right. I frantically block Kuzuki's fist with the shortswords. I just follow the twin swords. In copying Archer, Emiya Shirou's limbs have far exceeded the limits of his body.

And then there's this headache. Something is scraped away inside of me every time I project something. It's not the sensation of using up magical energy. It feels like my precious Magic Circuits are disappearing one by one, every time I make a sword.

I'm almost all out. I might be able to make two more. I'll die when my magical energy runs out. But first of all… Can I stay alive until my magical energy runs out―――?

"Eh ah?" I'm flung away. Kuzuki's right fist. The fist he hadn't been using was suddenly thrust like a lance.

I shielded my chest with my blades. In that instant, my swords were destroyed, and the impact flung me away. I feel something hard on my back. …I must have been pushed back about five meters.

"Ha――――guh." I try to draw a breath and realize that I can't. The penetrating impact has numbed my heart. I can't breathe, and I can't move. It's only for a few seconds. In the few moments it takes my heart to resume its work…

"Hah――――――――" The devil approaches. This is it. This man could kill me if I dropped my guard for only a second. With me like this, he has time to do it six times over.

"――――――――" I glare at the enemy. Even if my limbs won't move, there's something I can do. First of all, I'm not suited for melee combat. Emiya Shirou's weapon has always been his magic. Then―――it's not over yet. My role is to keep Kuzuki busy. I can't give up without fulfilling my role――――!

"Huh?" "――――――――" The sound didn't come from right in front of me. The image of the sword disappears from my mind. Kuzuki, who was approaching to twist off my neck, stops. Something is happening behind Kuzuki. It happened to Caster, with the altar behind her.

Tohsaka is also at a disadvantage. No, her burden is greater, as she fully understands the difference in their powers.

"―――[aero]―――" Caster points her finger with a composed expression. The magic is "aero", plague wind. Caster does not need to cast her magic. For a witch that lived in the age of gods, incantations are unnecessary to connect herself with the world. Caster is always surrounded by divine mysteries of ancient lore. For Caster, magic is something she commands. It is just like ordering her guard dog to attack.

"――――Acht…!" She nullifies it with her treasured jewel. She does not have the time to cast a spell, and she cannot match Caster with simple magic from the Magic Crest.

Their skills as magi are as far apart as heaven and earth. To bridge that gap, she must use the power that she has spent a long time gathering. Crystallization of magical energy that she has stored since she was born as a magus. For this battle, she is prepared to use all nine jewels remaining from the original ten.

"Fufu, you are doing well. I didn't think you had such a trump card, little lady." Even though her magic is nullified by pure magical energy, Caster keeps her smile.

Caster can continue using magic indefinitely, while the girl must oppose Caster using jewels as amplifiers. The difference between them is self-evident. No matter how many jewels she might have, it cannot be more than ten or twenty. There is no way Caster can be defeated with such a small arsenal.

"――――Sieben…!" She nullifies the electric charge with the seventh jewel. She has six jewels left. With six more spells from Caster, her last resort will be exhausted.

"Oh, you cleanly block them. You really are cute. You do not have to use up the whole jewel if you're only protecting yourself." She does not react to the giggling voice and takes out another jewel to get ready for the next attack. …As Caster says, the jewel will not break if she uses it to protect only herself. The jewel should be able to protect her about three times.

…But she cannot do that. Caster's magic covers the whole temple once it is cast. Kuzuki should be protected by Caster, but he is an exception. If she cannot nullify Caster's spell before it is completed, Emiya Shirou, who is keeping Kuzuki Souichirou busy, will burn and die.

"―――――――!" Therefore, it is meaningless to protect just herself. She cannot allow him to die like that, and besides, the whole plan revolves around Shirou keeping Kuzuki busy.

"Oh, will you keep protecting him? That is good faith, but how long will it last? The result is clear if all you do is defend." Caster moves her finger.

"―――――――Sechs. Ein Flu[szlig], ein Halt…!" She makes the first move this time. Her jewels will run out and she will be killed if she keeps defending. Caster's magic and her jewels. The magical energy contained in them is the same, so it means she can beat Caster if she makes the first move――――!

"―――[keraino]―――" But there is no way to exceed Caster's spellcasting. If Tohsaka Rin is the fastest because she can perform magic directly by releasing the jewels, Caster is also the fastest as she is capable of creating divine mysteries with one word. There is no "first move" in their battle. This is merely a clash of power against power. The first one to run out of magical energy will die. Then――――

"F[uuml]nf, Drei, Vier……! Conclusion Sword of Fire Synergism Riesig und brennent, das ist ein Ende――――!" She just needs to force her way through. She unleashes a barrage of jewels to penetrate Caster's magical energy――――! Jewels five, three and four are released in succession. Moreover, she uses the treasured fourth jewel to add a synergistic effect. This magic is beyond her limits. 'You can't use magic surpassing your own level.' The one who said so is breaking the rule to execute this attack. The attack will destroy not only the temple, but the whole church if Caster does not defend against it.

But the witch in purple blocks it like nothing. ―――No, she did not just nullify it. Caster has swallowed all of her magical energy inside of her robe.

"――――――――" Tohsaka stands there in astonishment. …Behind her, she can hear the sound of his defeat. Sounds of breaking swords and his body slamming against the wall.

The match is about to be settled. She has nothing she can do and her body sways. She staggers forward as if overwhelmed by despair.

"Oh, this is it? You still have more jewels, right? Why don't you keep going and try until you run out?" "――――――――" She has no spirit to answer her. …No matter how many jewels she may have, that was her greatest attack. If even that attack is useless, then she cannot hurt Caster even if she has a hundred jewels――――

"I see. It seems you finally realized that you won't be a match no matter what you do. But it was fun. It has been a while since I last competed in magic. Yes, you have value just because of that." "――――!" She stops herself from falling, holds in her nausea with her hand, and glares at Caster.

"Is it vexing? But this is reality. Actually, you should be proud. Even though I did play with you, you forced me to compete in magic." Then Caster points at her… As if to pronounce her death sentence. "Disappear. It is a matter of time before that boy loses against my Master. Let us finish before that." Caster slowly whispers her death. ―――That opening. She has been waiting for this. "Stark―――Gro[szlig] zwei." She only needs to say one phrase to release it. She hangs her head and smiles as she murmurs.

"Huh?" "――――――――"

I doubt my own eyes for a second. Tohsaka and Caster. Their battle of magic has ended with Tohsaka's defeat. Tohsaka slowly staggered forward as if asking for Caster's forgiveness, and Caster released her magic to finish her off.

――――At that instant. Tohsaka nullified the magic.

That's fine. That's not surprising. The surprise came after that――――Tohsaka charged in and attacked Caster――――!

Tohsaka throws herself into hellfire. Nullifying the magic and using it as cover, she attacks Caster.

"――――!?" Caster's surprise is that of a magus. She could not have predicted that a magus, defeated in magic, would attack with bare hands. I didn't expect it either, so it must be like heresy for Caster, who is an excellent magus.

And it's not just some desperate move. Tohsaka closes in and hits Caster in the chest with a move from Chinese martial arts.

"Gu――――fu………!?" A shattering sound. Tohsaka's fist must be "strengthened" like Kuzuki's, as her attack easily penetrates Caster's defense.

"Ha―――you're a magus and you're fighting bare-handed…!?" "Sorry…! But self-defense is required knowledge for magi nowadays…!"

"―――――――" I'm fascinated by her combination. Tohsaka drops after the first attack. Putting her hands on the floor, she sinks below Caster's knees. To Caster, who lacks any experience in hand-to-hand combat, it must look like Tohsaka disappeared. She executes a strong sweep. She lashes out her foot with all her might as if to cut off Caster's legs――――!

"Kya――――!?" Her feet swept from beneath her, Caster lands on her back.

But it doesn't end. After the sweep, Tohsaka gets up with her back turned to Caster, uses the turning momentum to attack with her elbow, and―――― "Take this…!" Stopping her turning, Tohsaka punches with all her weight――――!

"Guh……!" Caster's body is knocked away. Taking the punch directly, Caster is smashed into the wall like me.

"Ah――――Ah." With her back to the wall, Caster moans dizzily.

"Got you――――!" They are separated. Tohsaka kicks the ground to cover the few meters in between them. The match is settled. Caster cannot move, and her wound seems fatal.

The battle only lasted a moment. The match is decided within five seconds after I was smashed into the wall by Kuzuki.

Caster doesn't have the energy to fight back. Tohsaka runs to Caster with Saber-like speed and executes her finishing blow.

"Strengthening" of a few seconds using magic. Tohsaka intended to fight Caster like this from the start. Caster only saw a magus in Tohsaka. She challenged Caster at magic so that she could achieve her one-time surprise attack.

And the plan worked. Caster has been deceived and has lost completely. Tohsaka has won the battle. ―――Yes. "―――No. That is it, Tohsaka." If not for this man's monstrous ability.

If Tohsaka ran to Caster like a hurricane, he ran like the devil's wind.

"No――――way." Tohsaka stops. Kuzuki Souichirou, the one who was in front of me until now, is standing in front of Caster.

"Oh――――" Tohsaka moves. The instant Tohsaka feels death, jumps back, and shields herself… Kuzuki's attack that blew me away strikes Tohsaka in the face.

"――――!" She guarded her face with both her arms and jumped back, but she's still sent flying. Tohsaka smashes into the wall opposite me, her arms dangling as if broken.

"You lost your chance. Your lack of experience shows in your inability to kill her after four strikes." He speaks plainly. …But that's not Tohsaka's fault. The reason she lost her chance is because of me. If I had kept Kuzuki busy, Tohsaka would have beaten Caster.

―――This is my fault. My weak fighting skills were unable to stand up to Kuzuki's ability, and our once-in-a-lifetime opportunity was lost――――

"Ah――――kuh." Caster regains consciousness. Protected by Kuzuki, Caster looks around the temple.

…This is it. The surprise attack won't work on Caster anymore. Tohsaka is tired and I can only project two more swords. ――――If… If Caster uses "her" in this situation, we will never make it out of here alive――――

"……Phew. I thank you, Master. I would have been defeated without you." "You do not need to flatter me. Just get Saber. We cannot take them lightly." "Yes. That is a good decision, Master." Caster points to the woman on the altar.

The visible binding of the curse. And when Caster tries to release it…

"―――Yes. If only you had done it a few seconds sooner."

Above me. I hear a soft voice from the stairs leading up.

"――――――――" It is Caster that notices the strange event first. Kuzuki doesn't notice. It is because Kuzuki cannot detect magical energy.

Caster moves. Above her Master… Above Kuzuki Souichirou's head… Are floating numerous swords. "Souichirou――――――――!" She must have figured out that her injuries will prevent her from blocking them with magic. Caster uses her body to protect her Master.

"――――Trace, on."

The murmuring voice from above says those words.

"――――――――" …The sounds end. The swords appearing in midair come down at one target and pierce one body. The numerous blades rip and tear the meat, then disappear like an illusion.

What's left are many traces of blood. "Ah…… guh…… ah…" It… Having become his shield of her own free will, she now turns her bloody body to the man behind her.

"―――――――" Kuzuki is silent. In front of him is the skewered Servant. …Maybe there's no need to hide it now. The robe is removed from her head, and the woman walks over to her master with a bare face.

"Ah―――Ah, ah――――" …Her body is collapsing. With a dying body, the woman looks up at her master who has not twitched a brow. Her slender fingers run across the expressionless face.

"Oh――――are you okay, Master?" Her voice seems clear. There is no change in Kuzuki. He only answers with a simple "yes" and does not even look at Caster.

"Good. It would trouble me if you died." She looks as if it is fine. …No, the woman smiles knowing what kind of man he is.

"But this is cruel. I finally found a wish…" The fingers running along his cheek fall down. Beginning at her toes, Caster's body is disappearing.

"You do not have to grieve. I will make your wish come true." She smiles at the simple answer. She smiles as if seeing a short-lived dream. "That is impossible. Because my wish…"

―――Was being fulfilled until now. The witch collapses as if going to sleep.

…The purple robe falls. The robe without its wearer fades and disappears as if following her.

"―――――――" Kuzuki does not even look at her. His attention is focused on the man above. The knight in red who should be above me.

――――I get a headache. It's not just because I've abused projection. The muttered spell… The spell he said is smashing my brain with nausea.

―――――'Trace, on'. That's what he said. He said the exact words of the spell that shouldn't be used by anyone else but me.

"――――――――" Archer comes down the stairs and stands in the temple. Tohsaka is watching him with surprise.

"……Archer… I thought so, but… it's true?" "――――――――" Archer does not answer. He is only watching his enemy, Kuzuki.

"…Treacherous friend, huh? You were going for this from the start, Archer." "Yes. But this is more like the Trojan horse. I had to defeat the Greek hero. So this is more appropriate as a comparison." Archer shows no guilt even though he has betrayed Caster in front of us.

"I see. I guess it was Caster's mistake for drawing in a guy like you." Kuzuki does not change his tone even in front of a betrayer. He still has the will to fight. He is not a magus and he has lost Caster, but he has the will to continue fighting.

…He readies himself. As Caster is gone, Kuzuki's strength must have dropped substantially. His "snake" is still there, but Caster's strengthening that made his fists into steel is gone. But still, Kuzuki faces Archer like before.

"I see. I will not stop you if you want to continue." Archer readies his twin swords. Their duel has begun.

"Wha――――" Is that all right? Kuzuki said he has no interest in the Holy Grail. A Master in name only, he merely went along with Caster. Then there's no reason for him to fight now that Caster's gone.

"―――Hold on. Why are you continuing, Kuzuki? You were only doing as Caster told you. Caster's gone now, so there's no reason for you to fight anymore." I glare at them, gritting my teeth against the pain.

"――――――――" Kuzuki narrows his eyes a bit.

"Right. I do not have a reason to fight. Like you, I had no interest in the Holy Grail."

"Then…" "But this is something I have started. I cannot stop midway." That's it. That's all the reason he has.

――――The battle starts. The battle should end in one blow. Even if Kuzuki has superhuman fighting abilities, he's fighting a Servant. He can't be a match just by being "superhuman".

Even though this is called a battle, it is actually just disposal of the loser. The fate of the loser… It is the battle between Masters to kill and be killed, and that is the end they have to be ready for. One shouldn't fight at all if he can't accept that. But still――――

#votestaynight

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