I am an apprentice of hatred and malice, an abandoned one with magical energy but no teacher.
I clash with and reject the lofty honor of heroes, because in my worldview there exists only slaughter and battle.
I firmly believe there's no such thing as trust or reliance in this world—betrayal is humanity's natural state.
I'm a murderer, the embodiment of selfishness, a pitiful creature without heroic virtues who lives only for herself.
The omnipotent wish-granting device isn't what I need—only the name of survival will accompany me to the final curtain.
Erudite magi who know ancient and modern times, I don't seek to reach magecraft's pinnacle, nor do I expect an Assassin's Spirit Origin to earn your attention, nor do I seek your pity. I bear the price and curse of inheriting your power and responsibilities. Regardless of the final outcome, whether a powerful or weak magus responds, I humbly request only one thing.
After giving it my all, I don't want to leave regrets. Even knowing defeat is certain, I want to struggle desperately... and fight this damn final battle!
The magical incantation transmitted to the Throne of Heroes outside the timeline—this was the Dream Summon card user's inner heart, her truest thoughts when using the card. Immediately, it stirred quite a commotion within the Throne.
Many existences with Caster class compatibility opened their eyes, seemingly quite interested.
Because this Dream Summon was somewhat different from last time. Previously it was an Assassin class summon, but this time it was a Servant with an Assassin Spirit Origin performing a completely different Caster class Dream Summon.
Meaning there were two prerequisite conditions.
First: Must be usable with an Assassin Spirit Origin.
Second: Must also be skilled at magecraft.
With such specific compatibility requirements, if any Heroic Spirit with this dual compatibility responded, other magi probably couldn't compete with them at all.
Of course, interested was one thing—responding was another matter. After all, as before, this summoner really wasn't very familiar. If she won using borrowed power, that was the summoner's good operation and well-deserved. But if she lost, it meant the lending Heroic Spirit was inadequate and embarrassing. If that Holy Grail War included one's own rival, and after borrowing power you got blown up by that rival on the spot, that would be somewhat shameful.
"Ahhh! I already endured last time's Assassin class, now it's another incompatible Caster class!"
"Why?! Father is also in that Holy Grail War—I want to participate too! I want to fight Father head-on! Why can't it be Saber, Rider or Berserker class? Then I could respond to you too (▼ヘ▼#)!"
The handsome blonde girl in armor was already fuming. The first time she responded but wasn't chosen, though since she didn't yet know the enemy Saber was her father Artoria Pendragon, she hadn't minded much—just annoyed about insufficient compatibility.
But now that she knew one participant in this Holy Grail War was her father, and Miss Illya clearly had her father's aura on her, how could she not be excited? She wanted to stab Arthur too, wanted to cut him down!
She was a Knight of the Round Table member, a very standard first-rate Heroic Spirit tier, the kind with her own beam cannon.
Combined with this magical energy stat's broken overpowered parameters, she could definitely beat Arthur down hard!
But—but last time's Assassin class was still acceptable. At least if no one responded, maybe she could fill in as backup.
But this time's Caster class—forget about her lacking compatibility, but no proper Knight of the Round Table would have it!
"A Caster class that can use an Assassin Spirit Origin? Damn it, why is this child's Noble Phantasm so weird? What was her original primary class anyway?"
"Bastard! Bastard! That Berserker is too much, laying hands on such a small child! Children are meant to be saved and protected, not bullied!"
The famous green-haired cat-eared female hunter from Greek mythology furiously clicked the summon response button.
She absolutely couldn't tolerate this damn Berserker who'd bully even children. Last time that Assyrian empress snatched the Assassin class, but this time she absolutely couldn't fall behind. Though she knew her Caster class compatibility was absurdly poor—even more ridiculous than Assassin—doing it was one thing, actually doing it was another.
What if? What if? What if no one responded to that bullied child this time?
Maybe it would be her turn? Maybe she could personally save that child?
"Hahahaha! Hahahahaha! The strongest Knight of the Round Table? Somewhat worthy of this king's action—victory or defeat wouldn't disgrace this king's reputation. Unfortunately, that loyal subject Tokiomi Tohsaka's devotion is clear to this king. If this king responds to you, it would undoubtedly worsen his predicament."
The golden-haired, crimson-eyed golden king laughed heartily, nearly dropping the grimoire in his hands. This was a wise king with identical appearance to Gilgamesh but completely different temperament. Briefly activating his Omniscient Star, he understood certain causes and effects of this Holy Grail War, saw Gilgamesh blown up by other heroes' concentrated fire due to his arrogance.
This made his impression of Miss Illya quite favorable—he didn't mind lending her his treasures.
After all, that chuunibyou arrogant Gilgamesh disgusted him greatly. That she could kill him was genuinely refreshing.
However, he also remembered Tokiomi Tohsaka's loyalty. The subject desperately carried while that fool flew around losing badly—all support perfectly executed, yet somehow turned a god-hand opening into first-night elimination. It nearly made his blood pressure spike.
So even though he felt satisfied, he didn't plan to worsen that subject's situation further. He found chuuni Gilgamesh disgusting, but Tokiomi Tohsaka truly suffered undeserved disaster.
Moreover... even if he responded, it wouldn't help much. From this compatibility, he'd already guessed who could truly respond to Miss Illya and break through this situation.
"Caster class? That's more like it, though this situation seems quite dire, doesn't it?"
"Lancelot is right there. At this close distance, even though the Throne of Heroes isn't on the timeline and responding to summons only takes an instant externally, which Caster class with an Assassin Spirit Origin could beat Lancelot in close combat?"
The white-haired Heroic Spirit in red tights clicked his tongue. Berserker class Lancelot's stats simply couldn't be matched by ordinary Heroic Spirit Servants.
The title of strongest Knight of the Round Table stood there. Even King Arthur himself might not break through this situation, especially since Illyasviel was already seriously injured. Fighting while wounded was an inherently difficult disadvantage to overcome.
"Forget it, at this distance Rho Aias should deploy in time... This will most likely be me."
Assassin Spirit Origin—his past Middle Eastern experiences gave him slight compatibility.
Caster class—needless to say, his projection magecraft was well-known.
Last time that Assyrian empress already snatched once. This time with dual Assassin-Caster compatibility, it should be his turn. Though Illyasviel seemed strangely different.
This outfit looked more like a proper Hassan-i-Sabbah, but last time Hassan shouldn't have beaten that Assyrian empress either. Could it be some Hassan generation he wasn't familiar with? Or had Illyasviel modified the Spirit Dress herself?
The white-haired Heroic Spirit couldn't figure it out but still responded quickly. He was among the rare Heroic Spirit Servants skilled in both magecraft and assassination. Unexpectedly, this time should be his successful response. That Assyrian empress couldn't snatch both times, right? At this distance, even lending power would just be suicide.
"A magus who suffered betrayal... I do have considerable compatibility with that..."
The unfortunate Colchis princess from Greek mythology pondered. This was a beautiful woman with blue long hair, her true face obscured by a deep purple hooded cloak and purple robes.
She lacked much Assassin class compatibility, but as a magus she was definitely qualified. Plus as someone also betrayed and harmed by those around her, she personally believed she had good compatibility with that girl seeking power.
"Oooh! Such holiness, such malice—have you fallen, my saint?!"
France's bug-eyed marshal jubilantly cried out, his magus robes trembling with excitement. Speaking of slaughter, this was right in his professional domain! Though lacking Assassin compatibility, he completely matched the Caster class and that snow sprite's slaughter prayer despite severe injuries, plus he fit chaotic evil alignment.
This, this, this—three full compatibility matches! If he wasn't chosen, it would defy heaven's will! Even that Assyrian empress at most probably only matched two compatibilities.
"..."
Assassin class, Caster class.
This is somewhat targeting people, isn't it? These two happen to be my weak compatibilities.
The son of Zeus from Greek mythology, the Heroic Spirit Servant hailed as a great Greek hero, again clicked the Noble Phantasm summon response button. Still couldn't click it.
His Assassin class compatibility was his weak mortal-period combat strength before completing the Twelve Labors.
And Caster class compatibility—needless to say, he didn't even remember what magecraft he knew.
If it were Saber, Rider, or even Berserker class, he could participate. And since that child's Noble Phantasm was only B+, divine beings and Grand-class Heroic Spirits were defaulted unable to enter, so others basically couldn't compete with him.
Unfortunately, couldn't switch. Besides, if he switched classes, who knew if that child's Noble Phantasm would become something else.
"Ehehe, Caster class? The Holy Grail War looks super interesting."
"Plus he has Gil's scent on him—could Gil also be in this Holy Grail War?"
A beautiful boy with neatly trimmed lustrous hair and somewhat sickly eyes maliciously smiled. He was François Prelati, historically Gilles de Rais's close friend, the Heroic Spirit Servant who lent out the Prelati's Spellbook.
He felt he'd get along well with Miss Illya. Though at most he was a second or even third-rate Heroic Spirit Servant, for dealing with Berserker-type existences with only brute strength, he had quite a few restraining methods.
Most crucially, he also belonged to chaotic evil alignment, similarly having at least triple compatibility with Miss Illya.
"Heh, magus plus assassin—such precise filtering, might as well just call out my True Name~"
"Though this situation of directly facing Berserker is somewhat urgent, if manifesting as Caster class, I'm not without means to break through this situation. Besides, I know a thing or two about positional warfare in areas with many buildings~"
The Assyrian empress whom others thought successfully responded last time yawned, lazily smiling charmingly. She didn't know what demon responded successfully last time, actually beating her, the most ancient poison-assassin empress. But this time was completely different.
Assassin plus Caster—if someone could snatch this from her, she'd immediately spend sixty years making clay to pinch out the Hanging Gardens, then swallow the constructed Hanging Gardens whole.
Magical Energy A—did others understand how to use this? Could other assassins comprehend this nearly inexhaustible magical energy?
Others just couldn't understand it! Only she was the Heroic Spirit most suited to this parameter set!
She might not be the top-tier assassin, might not be the top-tier magus!
But with dual compatibility maxed and parameter compatibility maxed—the assassin among magi, the magus among assassins—only she had this combination!
Assassins stronger than her didn't understand magecraft like her. Magi who understood magecraft better didn't understand assassination like her. Last time, fine, some strange unknown assassin snatched first. But this time was impossible. This was the composure and confidence of an Assyrian empress. She, Semiramis, was never inferior to anyone in her life. One failure was just imperial magnanimity. This time she must consider whether this was her life's only chance to prove her decision would definitely succeed!
"The compatibility with me is also extraordinary? But the Noble Phantasm rank is only B+. Even if I'm interested in you, I'm powerless to help."
The eldest of the three Gorgon sisters, the noble elegant purple-haired goddess who wasn't close to humans, propped her face with a bewitching smile. She also had dual Assassin-Caster compatibility.
Even manifesting as Assassin class, her magical energy could reach the mysteriously unmeasurable EX rank.
But unfortunately, she was a goddess—a divine spirit. If that homunculus girl's Noble Phantasm rank were higher, she could lend assistance.
But B+ rank Noble Phantasm determined her upper limit. Or rather, this Noble Phantasm itself was just an add-on. What was truly formidable depended on her own attributes and skills. Though speaking of which, it was quite interesting—she seemed to have special charm-type skills. If she could really borrow her power, dual charm stacking might produce unexpected results...
After all, unlike violent stat stacking, two similar mechanism types stacking was far more terrifying than simple power addition. Even gods might be affected...
---The Noble Phantasm's summon continued like last time, lasting dozens of seconds in the Throne of Heroes outside time's flow, then gradually vanished.
This situation clearly meant someone with extremely high compatibility had responded to Illyasviel's summon.
Rather than having no choice but to randomly select a substitute from other Heroic Spirit Servants.
This shocked the minority of Heroic Spirit Servants confident they'd successfully responded.
Especially those who calculated they had three compatibility matches and were confident no one could beat them.
French marshal Heroic Spirit: Huh? Why? Why didn't the saint's reincarnation choose me?
Hooded cloak witch Heroic Spirit: That Assyrian poison-assassin empress again? Yes, dual class compatibility—only she exists, right? Though it's been twice now. Wasn't responding to last time's Assassin class summon enough?
Sickly beautiful boy Heroic Spirit: Ara ara~ alignment compatibility still can't compare to class compatibility. What a shame—still an unbridgeable gap from these long-famous Heroic Spirit Servants.
Greek mythology great hero Heroic Spirit: Encountering Berserker at this distance, why would that Assyrian empress respond? She has no legends of excellent close combat either.
Britain's rebel knight Heroic Spirit: Father, why, why isn't it me again...
Cat-eared green-haired archer Heroic Spirit: Fine, fine, fine! Assyrian empress, you're really something! Even snatching the Caster position! Responded to Assassin last time, Caster this time—what methods does a Caster have against Berserker in close combat to save that child?!
Red tights Heroic Spirit: How can this be? Someone with even higher priority than me—what's that Assyrian empress doing? In this situation, a poison-assassin still snatches the position—does she want Illyasviel killed?
Uruk's wise Heroic Spirit: Ohohoho hahahaha! Oho hahahaha.
Assyrian empress: ...?
The Throne of Heroes naturally couldn't communicate, so she naturally couldn't hear other Heroic Spirits' dissatisfaction and confusion. She just felt bewildered—even more bewildered than the other Heroic Spirit Servants.
Then came prolonged contemplation, because this situation was somewhat wrong.
"Twice now, already twice—which bastard, exactly which bastard snatched ahead again?"
Semiramis felt completely numb. She'd finally decided to lend her power with difficulty.
Yet never expected to lose like a total underdog, so thoroughly defeated.
She even had a premonition that every Heroic Spirit in the entire Throne might think she successfully responded. After all, with this speed, only she was possible.
"Based on last time's results, this Noble Phantasm summon depends on affinity and compatibility. High magical energy assassins exist too—being beaten by a step is barely understandable. But what's happening this time? Does that child really have something against me? Put me on a summon blacklist?"
Assassin plus Caster—this time the targeting was too strong. She was certain it would be her success.
Result? Damn it, someone was faster than her again, compatibility comprehensively exceeded hers.
Which magus understood assassination better than her?
Which assassin understood magecraft better than her?
No way—did such a figure even exist in the Throne of Heroes? Not some descended god?
That Berserker didn't look simple either. She only had sixty percent confidence in preserving her life under him while manifesting as Caster class.
Others who truly wanted to respond should also consider the actual situation, right?
"Wait—could it be the chant incantation..." Semiramis, twice a loser, immediately realized the summon Noble Phantasm's problem. This Noble Phantasm's principle was probably similar to Heroic Spirit Servant summoning, changing based on incantation variations.
Besides Spirit Origin and class compatibility, it also calculated alignment, corresponding chant incantation, plus that child's personal state and prayer.
Whoever matched enough clauses had highest compatibility—purely about mutual affinity.
Because too strong, she might not use it—would have a long adjustment period. If given 3A stat monster parameters in Strength, Endurance, Agility but E-rank magical energy, she'd still struggle, unable to quickly adapt.
That child was the same. She didn't need power exceeding her grasp, but "suitable and practical" power—Heroic Spirit Servant power she could master quickly.
Meaning...
"Basic conditions: usable with Assassin Spirit Origin, possessing certain magical attainments."
"Actual conditions: able to fight or retreat from Berserker, whether close combat or delaying tactics."
"Incantation additional conditions: skilled at slaughter and killing, lacking hero honor and integrity, having no one to trust or rely on, not caring about magical attainments, not seeking pity or sympathy, omnipotent wish-granter not needed... plus some temporarily unreadable conditions that may or may not exist."
Didn't need to match everything—just whoever matched more. More matches meant that girl handled it better with less adjustment period.
She didn't lack strength at all. Even a third-rate Heroic Spirit Servant in her hands would be extremely terrifying.
She just needed compatible affinity, quickly adapting to newly arriving unfamiliar power without rejection.
Kill!
Kill!
Kill!
She wanted to kill, professionally kill, swiftly kill. She'd supplement the so-called strength herself.
But she couldn't supplement killing methods and mechanisms. That's why she needed Noble Phantasm card assistance.
Yes, that's right—the Noble Phantasm's meaning to her might really just be assistance.
"No, there should be other conditions, but overall matching more gives higher priority, that's correct... But I matched quite a few conditions too."
"I can meet these standards too! Which magus is more professional at killing than me, this poison-assassin?"
We are both unqualified magi, both murderers without heroic glory.
We both lack trustworthy, reliable companions, advancing forward alone.
You're skilled at slaughter and pray for slaughter—my life also held only numb killing.
The omnipotent wish-granter isn't what you seek, and I too scoff at the so-called Grail, wanting to destroy it.
I'm not interested in you, just trying with a salvation mindset to save a survivor who desires nothing from the Grail—another pitiful creature shrouded in misfortune.
We're both chaotic evildoers. Perhaps this is our greatest resonance. I don't know why you fight, but we're truly alike, making me involuntarily want to cast a glance—perhaps seeing my younger self, with slaughter accompanying me yet no one trustworthy, also trusting no one around me.
But it doesn't matter, does it? We seek no one's pity or sympathy.
We're just chaotic murderers... just so-called magus assassins.
"CLANG! BOOM!"
"ROAR! OOOOOOOH!"
The golden card dissolved into magical light particles. The black beast's roar—the flowing light was right there!
That pitch-black armored iron fist breaking through the sound barrier with terrifying thunderous booming struck straight toward the severely injured snow sprite's limbs—an unavoidable linear strike!
The black knight wanted to break this snow sprite's limbs, not kill her. At this distance she absolutely couldn't dodge. With dual Agility and Strength, once he contacted the snow sprite, these intentions would become natural reality. Her slender arms and legs in his hands were like bamboo poles easily snapped!
The snow-white sprite's expression remained calm. Her outfit likewise completed ethereal transformation in an instant. Then as if abandoning resistance, she let the iron fist fall, seemingly so desperate she cast her life and fate aside!
"So slow... and really, it hurts so much..."
BOOM!
Accompanying whispered murmurs, the entire clothing store's glass shattered from this punch's shockwave. Pure power falling made the store's floor explode like a cannonball strike. In an instant, dust rose—the entire shop began collapsing!
Miss Illya died—a hundred meters away, Kariya Matou watching this scene frowned slightly. Simultaneously, intense pain from within forced him to half-kneel with bulging veins. The black knight was somewhat heavy-handed. He'd clearly instructed to spare this Age of Gods magus's life. With such force, did he want to kill her?
Though with Heroic Spirit Servant body strength, even suffering such heavy impact should leave a breath remaining. Thinking this, he quickly forced himself upright.
Preparing to go to the clothing store now reduced to ruins to collect the snow sprite's blood spilled during battle.
"OOOOOOOH!"
"Tss!"
However, before taking two steps, suddenly his own magical energy being drained again made Kariya Matou instantly collapse in pain. The Crest Worms inside surged madly.
To maintain Berserker's battle, he was already enduring intense pain. Now with battle concluded, why was he still draining his magical energy?
"Stop, Berserker! Spare her life! If Caster dies, her blood will disappear with her..."
CLANG!
Before finishing, a brilliant crimson blood spray flew out under the pale moonlight!
Then the black knight explosively retreated from the dust-filled shop at extreme speed, pulling up a several-meter iron pipe streetlight from the roadside. As if wary of some dying beast's counterattack, gone was that earlier recklessly charging attitude completely unafraid the snow sprite's pitiful stat dagger attacks could break his defense.
Kariya Matou first froze, then suddenly noticed—the black knight's beastly red glow had vanished. Those fierce eyes seemed suddenly much clearer, completely lacking that earlier instinctively fearsome oppressive feeling.
What happened? Had Berserker regained clarity?
No... that's not right!
Berserker's eyes were destroyed—that helmet gap previously usable for vision now continuously flowed with seeping blood!
This—how was this possible? With Berserker's powerful martial prowess, how could an enemy directly slash his eyes? The snow sprite tried this before and failed. Logically, using such despicable tactics a second time—
Berserker shouldn't have fallen for it! Plus how could the snow sprite still have strength? With those injuries, how could she counter-attack? These two great Heroic Spirit Servants' Agility was nearly equal, and martially she was completely crushed. How could she pull off such miraculous counterattack under severe injury plus attribute and martial three-way massive disadvantage?!
"Why run away? Haven't adapted to this suddenly changed speed, or is Berserker afraid?"
"Caster, you exactly..."
"Ara ara~ Why are you kneeling, Kariya Matou? Drop your wallet?"
From the smoke-covered ruined clothing store, a silver-gleaming short dagger emerged, sweeping coldly—clearly a modern military dagger.
Fresh blood pearls remaining from stealing the black knight's light still clung to it.
Blood-dried black-red bandages wrapped Miss Illya's cheeks, exposing only ruby-beautiful eyes. Previous dishevelment and blackness were covered by a red hooded cloak—a holy shroud formed from blood and magical energy.
A small box hung at her slender waist containing three sharp short-handled daggers. Though fully loaded should be four daggers—where did the other go? Oh, currently in Miss Illya's still-intact left hand.
And having previously played with Jack the Ripper's daggers, she now handled such weapons extremely skillfully, requiring no adjustment period.
"Well, looks like I made another new friend—a killer friend."
Alignment: also chaotic evil.
Same as Jack the Ripper, though probably not that pure an anti-hero type.
He wasn't a true Heroic Spirit Servant in the real sense, because the Throne of Heroes hadn't recorded this new friend's existence—just barely one of its members.
Belonging to Counter Force agent-type "Pseudo-Servant," a figure not existing in proper human history. Logically she couldn't summon such existences.
But her Noble Phantasm seemed quite special too. As long as compatibility with her chant was high enough and didn't exceed the Noble Phantasm rank's status, if someone responded to her, they could bypass certain rules—like having backdoor access with the Counter Force.
Of course, most importantly—he was very skilled at killing.
Unlike Jack the Ripper's speed-intelligence killing type, this guy was naturally a hard counter to traditional magi. Agility attribute also possessed noble A+ level.
Just because he manifested as Caster class, Agility was adjusted to A-rank. But this was irrelevant—his speed ceiling far exceeded this.
"...Quickly make her lose mobility, Berserker! Her right hand still hasn't recovered—don't give her breathing room! She can deploy fog barriers. If she escapes, there's absolutely no next chance to get close!"
Kariya Matou nearly roared orders. Continuous battle made his consciousness also about to fail.
But he likewise observed the bandaged girl's condition wasn't good. That twisted right hand still continuously dripped crimson liquid from the glove. The seemingly calm, taunting voice carried imperceptible trembling, like Sakura he'd seen at the Matou estate recently. He could observe these details.
So absolutely no chances, absolutely no more delays—must quickly resolve her.
Not be frightened by her sudden struggling counterattack into panicked hesitation.
"OOOH! OOOOOOOH!"
Though the black knight already lost vision, he likewise understood not giving injured enemies breathing room. The several-meter lamppost steel pipe rapidly transformed into deep black Noble Phantasm in his hands, stepping forward like furious gale!
In mere eyeblinks crossing nearly twenty meters, relying on superior perception he swung down at Miss Illya. Terrifying wind pressure produced successive atmospheric sonic booms. Under dual strength and speed enhancement, the steel pipe's wind pressure cracked cement before even landing. When actually falling, it exploded like hand grenade explosive, raising chaotic gale capable of blowing humans to death!
But Agility A+ black knight was fast, yet Miss Illya's speed was faster.
Facing this beast's overwhelming bombardment, she didn't even bother pre-dodging. Merely slightly sidestepping, she let that life-threatening strike miss.
And this was far from over. As the expanding shockwave carried cement debris flying, she actually grabbed the falling Noble Phantasm iron pipe, lightly leaping along it like a shadow, foot stepping atop it as she stabbed straight toward the black knight's already eyeless helmet gap!
"CLANG—!"
Fast—unreasonably fast—incomprehensibly fast—this speed absolutely exceeded Agility A+!
Even Miss Illya's dynamic vision exceeded this level!
Eternal Arms Mastership activated. The black knight directly abandoned his weapon, raising both hands to block. The dagger scraped brilliant sparks along his hand-shielded leaked point's pitch-black armor. He realized Miss Illya's speed already surpassed his own. Though not knowing specific reasons, Miss Illya undoubtedly could display even more terrifying attributes completely beyond what Agility A+ could possess!
Catch her.
Otherwise she'd definitely escape like a slippery loach. At this speed, returning to the fog—
Even Heroic Spirit Servants with Instinct skill couldn't pursue her anymore.
"BANG! BOOM!"
However, just as the black knight realized this, he still vastly underestimated Miss Illya's speed!
At the instant blade light passed, not even a gap existed. The soft armor-clad slender leg suddenly delivered a knee strike, viciously hammering beneath his arms defending his head. Combined with that unreasonable speed, it forcibly knocked him back half a step!
"Berserker is being suppressed?" Seeing this, Kariya Matou froze.
He couldn't clearly see these two Agility A+ starting Heroic Spirit Servants' instant-by-instant battle, but he could sense the black knight's magical consumption growing larger—completely different from earlier sub-twenty exchanges that severely injured and suppressed the snow sprite. The black knight needed to drain more of his magical energy for battle.
But how was this possible? Just Caster, severely injured—how could close combat be so fierce and abnormal? If she'd been this level against Tohsaka Tokiomi's golden king earlier, that golden king probably couldn't have lasted even ten exchanges in her hands.
"OOOOOOOH!"
Slashing.
Thrusting.
Violent storm.
This was continuous assault leaving enemies absolutely no reaction gaps—speed completely unbalanced where the black knight moved once and took three hits. Dagger reverse-gripped like ghostly shadow silently performing!
In brief breaths—legs, waist, head, hands, back. Miss Illya could almost simultaneously complete attacks on these parts. This was no longer weird miracle explainable by speed, but as if the two weren't even in the same time-space—their time flow rates were different!
Right, exactly—time. This was time magecraft, incredible grand magecraft.
One-handed snow sprite couldn't suppress the black knight. But under this self-applied magecraft, the impossible miracle became reality!
Heroic Spirit Servants' speed had limits. Powerful Heroic Spirit Servants could even ignore these gaps through martial prowess. But the snow sprite's issue wasn't about being fast—it was about different time intervals from enemies!
"Inherent Time Control (Time Alter), ten-times speed."
This was a "time adjustment" magecraft that stagnated past time and accelerated future time.
One of the killer magus responding to Miss Illya's self-brought magecraft—also his most useful magecraft.
By accelerating blood flow, hemoglobin burning, and muscle movement, it displayed physical techniques impossible for normal people. Or by slowing breathing and heartbeat functions, stopping metabolism and dropping body temperature to barely differ from surroundings to evade detection.
Normal humans could at most use double speed. Desperately risking death could barely manage triple or quadruple speed—the human body's self-limitation.
But if given to Heroic Spirit Servants—Heroic Spirit Servants with nearly inexhaustible magical energy—what then?
The answer was simple...
Just like the Saber girl with sufficient magical energy could continuously maintain Mana Burst skill active—as long as Miss Illya wanted, before she stopped breathing...
Her normal state could also briefly maintain at least Inherent Time Control five-times speed!
"ROAR OOOOOOOH!" Ignoring that violent storm assault, forcibly letting the dagger insert into his armor crack and pierce his eye socket.
Using injury to gain brief breathing room, the black knight roared furiously. Before Miss Illya could further use the dagger to pierce his brain, he crouched down, palm directly stabbing into cement ground. Next moment, Kariya Matou instantly felt too pained to rise.
"UOOOOOH—!!!"
The earth was overturned.
This wasn't metaphor—visibly factual.
Within ten-plus meters, the cement road surface stained with black patterns became the black knight's Noble Phantasm, instantly lifted and overturned. Together with Miss Illya standing on the cement, it struck toward a nearby building wall!
Speed suppression didn't mean combat experience suppression. As long as Miss Illya's weapons couldn't break the black knight's magical armor defense, the black knight's combat experience would rapidly adapt to her explosive speed and gapless combos over time. This was the strongest Knight of the Round Table's martial prowess and power—the Lake Knight who forged epics with bones and corpses!
In close-quarters blade combat, no one was his match. Including his beloved king!
Including any Knight of the Round Table, even daytime Gawain hailed as Sun Knight!
"BOOM!"
"Well, exactly this—life-or-death struggle, sudden ally betrayal, no one trustworthy, only oneself as correct truth... This is the so-called Holy Grail War!"
Commercial building colliding with barely-Noble-Phantasm cement ground—in an instant the entire foundation trembled like earthquake. Suffering dual impact from being smashed against the wall, Miss Illya's blood churned. Falling to ground, reverse-gripping dagger, one slash split overhead falling debris in two!
One black, one red heterochromatic eyes tinged with excitement. She now felt so painful she was nearly fainting, yet her spirit grew increasingly excited and clear!
"Ptui—oaths and promises, all bullshit. Love, hate, passion, hatred—all disguises for victory."
Miss Illya climbed from debris, wiping the increasingly blood-red black-red bandage beneath her cheeks, coldly flicking blood from the dagger:
"Whoever wins in the end, whoever can still stand talking at this Holy Grail War's conclusion."
"Whoever can slaughter all other Masters and Servants is truly correct."
She'd thought her chaotic evil was already bad enough—never trusted others, always prepared to backstab them.
Result? Others backstabbed her even faster. Truly she still wasn't decisive and resolute enough.
Cut grass without removing roots—spring wind blows, it grows again. If she ever got another chance to defeat a Heroic Spirit Servant in future, regardless of whether they exited, she'd definitely slaughter the opponent Master's entire family. Whenever there's opportunity, don't consider so much—just kill every enemy seen.
Kariya Matou fully proved that once there's opportunity, betrayal must be quick.
Otherwise someone backstabs you first before you can backstab your ally.
"OOOOOOOH!!!"
Just as she climbed up, the black knight wielding an abandoned steel pipe from who-knows-where descended. Accompanying beast roar, colliding and grinding with dagger!
One inch long, one inch strong. One inch short, one inch dangerous. In brief sub-minute collisions—
The black knight judged that using overly long weapons was essentially useless against Miss Illya. She could easily dodge and counter with speed.
Only equally short weapons could possibly restrain her.
Magical sparks ignited in the commercial building. Dazzling collisions seemingly shattered everything on this floor. The entire building began shaking!
Thunder-roaring fury and tremendous airflow continuously echoed on this floor. Each collision sent Miss Illya flying back. Absolute Strength gap couldn't be overcome. But likewise, before being knocked back, she could leave dizzying blade marks on the black knight's body. Knocked-back intervals also let her cut several silver threads to release multiple familiars interfering with the black knight. For a moment, couldn't tell who had advantage—evenly matched!
But Miss Illya knew—the gap was bridged. From initially catching the black knight off-guard, instantly taking his eyes.
To now with him completely adapted to her five-times speed, even her occasional ten-times speed bursts could be somewhat countered. Reciprocally fighting evenly—this interim was less than five minutes.
What martial prowess was this?
What adaptability and judgment?
But of course—as it should be. This was Heroic Spirit Servants. This was history's legends!
Contending with such a hero who despite his Master lacking magical energy could still fight to this extent—this was mythic epic reenactment, truly memorable brilliance!
"This is... Caster's true strength? Actually able to directly contend with that Berserker?"
"What Age of Gods magus is that little cat? Could it be a descended god?"
Several hundred meters away atop a towering building, the Lancer man attracted by battle-produced magical waves was somewhat surprised—even stunned.
Regarding Berserker's attributes and skills, his lord already performed detailed calculations.
Even enhanced, his own chances fighting Berserker head-on were merely fifty-fifty. Because the opponent's stats and martial prowess were undoubtedly this Holy Grail War's highest existence. Compared to him, normal Three Knights classes were like jokes.
"Hmph! Absurd, simply absurd! An Age of Gods magus actually specialized in close combat—probably learned nothing but body-enhancement magecraft in life!"
Holed up in Fuyuki City's grand hotel, sharing Lancer's perspective, Kenneth was somewhat disdainful, though inwardly equally surprised.
If previously this Age of Gods magus was admirable, now she was dreadful.
Long-range possessing magical cannon bullets that bombarded twenty-meter giant magical creatures to slag, stealth possessing disguise and vast poison fog barriers, intelligence possessing forgetting curses, group battles with familiar legions as one-person army, her own blood providing others magical energy... These mechanism stitches were already absurd enough.
But at least before, close combat still had certain obvious strength gaps with Three Knights class Heroic Spirit Servants—meaning some slight restraint was possible.
But now what? Damn, one-on-one she could directly contend with stat monster Berserker in offense and defense?
Even her final weakness was patched. This mechanism-maxed existence strong in both range and melee—who could tell him how to handle this?
"However, from current battle conditions, unexpectedly the final result should be Berserker defeating Caster. That Age of Gods magus still lacks means to break enemy defense..."
"Not so, my lord. Victory or defeat is still uncertain. That little cat is waiting for opportunity. Though I don't know what opportunity she awaits, just based on my very favorable impression of her, I believe she's not without winning chances."
BOOM—!!!
The building began collapsing. Weight-bearing pillars crumbled under the mythic epic reenactment ravaging by beast and sprite!
Around the building's twentieth floor, glass suddenly shattered from airflow and impact. A red-hooded figure flew out backward, sliding downward on the nearly vertical building surface in physics-defying manner that would make Newton's ashes recombine in anger!
Diarmuid guessed correctly—Miss Illya was waiting for opportunity. Heroic Spirit Servants who could defeat Berserker in frontal close combat with Caster class were rare as phoenix feathers and qilin horns. Even first-rate Three Knights class Heroic Spirit Servants might not gain advantage from the black knight. He undoubtedly stood at knighthood's pinnacle—truly one of humanity's peaks.
So how could she achieve victory? How could she subdue this crazed knight beast?
Facing such terror that even losing vision barely affected his martial prowess, could Miss Illya damn well actually resist?
Answer: yes. Absolutely yes! Easily yes!
Because she still had opportunity. Her opportunity was almost here. Even if the enemy was a damn supreme powerful Heroic Spirit Servant, the snow sprite would fight him and ultimately tear him apart and slaughter him!
"Berserker! Don't let her escape! Her attacks can't possibly harm you!"
"Finish her! Just cripple her last remaining resisting right hand—that's our victory!"
Kariya Matou's voice was hoarse. Crest Worms beneath his skin visibly surged madly. He couldn't hold on anymore. At most several dozen more seconds.
He couldn't maintain the black knight's high-intensity battle. Then except retreating, no choice remained—could only watch the snow sprite escape.
"OOOOOOOH!!!"
Black flowing light burst through glass, explosively roaring while also leaping from the vertical building. Crazed footsteps—actually running violently on this slope like a beast, instantly closing distance with Miss Illya!
CLANGCLANGCLANGCLANGCLANG! Collision, collision—collision sliding down the building from high above, trampling gravity underfoot!
Fully adapted to the snow sprite's explosive power, the black knight again comprehensively suppressed with positional advantage plus stat-martial advantage. Debris, glass, collapsing building smoke became moonlit legendary embellishments. Every tremor carried sonic booms—wild beast and sprite princess performing exhilarating music!
The black knight also wanted victory. Because he hadn't yet apologized to his king, hadn't yet been honest with his king again. He absolutely couldn't fall here!
He needed magical energy—magical energy supply to fight until finally meeting his king!
"Arthur... Arthur! ARTHUR!!!"
Deafening roar accompanying heavily swung iron pipe. This strike familiar with Miss Illya's speed collided with dagger, directly cracking that force-dissipating defensive blade until it broke. Her close combat already reached first-rate Heroic Spirit Servant level, but that martial prowess and weapon would become her weakness!
"BANG!!!"
Like cannonball heavily falling to ground. Fresh blood increasingly seeping beneath the small face's bandage.
Limit—both body and spirit nearing limit. Miss Illya maintaining transformation now was miraculous—incomprehensible miracle.
Normally with such injuries, she should've been forcibly dispelled long ago.
Cement road surface smashed into huge crater.
Lying within, Miss Illya felt even moving one finger was mentally unbearable intense pain. But so what? Who the hell wasn't desperately struggling? Who the hell hadn't bet everything here? Just because it hurt too much, give up?!
Already no hero, what right did she have... to compete with these true heroes emerging from historical myths for that sole right to survive!
"Berserker!"
"OOOOOOAAAAH!!!"
Meteor beast overlapped with the previously fallen snow sprite. Impact tore earth into spiderweb. The entire world seemed to quiet under this decisive strike!
Collapsed building smashed down a row of shops and stores. This battle that destroyed the entire street concluded. Magnificent performance ended!
Already too pained to stand, only able to crawl, Kariya Matou seeing this scene through blurred vision finally breathed relief.
Won.
Berserker won.
Perhaps from the moment that Age of Gods magus couldn't break Berserker's defense—
This battle's outcome was already decided.
"Collect her blood, Berserker. I can now barely provide anymore..."
However, before finishing, smoke cleared.
Indeed decided.
When they instinctively all believed Miss Illya couldn't break the black knight's armor defense—this battle had preconceived information gaps.
"Wha... what?"
Moonlight illuminated the devastated street. Dense threads reflected light.
Tonight's moon was so bright, also so coldly chilling.
Clang. Pitch-black armor, bloody arm quietly fell.
That was...
—The black knight's entire arm.
What is opportunity?
Weakness, consumption, information gaps—these are opportunities.
The black knight in close combat was a nearly unsolvable existence. Miss Illya understood this clearly. Even with Inherent Time Control, this grand magecraft-level enhancement, it remained true. Because fundamentally, this magecraft only increased instantaneous bursts, not long-term maintenance. This burst could form a first-strike kill against many Heroic Spirit Servants who'd never seen such terrifying speed, but for the black knight, it merely took his eyes and vision.
Initially, she wanted to directly pierce the black knight's brain with her dagger. Obviously she failed. This beast was merely maddened, not truly mindless. That masterful martial prowess and danger perception made Miss Illya realize from that first exchange—her chances of beating the black knight in close combat were slim.
Eternal Arms Mastership.
A noble A+ rank inherent skill. Peerless martial arts of the era and superhuman adaptation.
Miss Illya didn't know the black knight had this skill, but could roughly deduce his life must have been at a kingdom's—or even an era's—pinnacle.
Last-minute bursts might injure him, but only in that moment. His peerless martial prowess feared no attribute changes whatsoever. Plus he definitely had Luck-related skills that could avoid ridiculous first-strike kill outcomes. In fact, she wasn't wrong at all—the black knight indeed had such weird mechanics.
Protection of the Fairies.
An equally noble A-rank retained skill—the ability to prioritize attracting luck in dangerous situations.
This new Caster friend who responded to her was probably only a second-rate Heroic Spirit Servant tier—the type who didn't do proper work, with magecraft specialization points not even as good as assassination specialization, a lopsided existence. Though as fellow chaotic evil alignment Servants—
Miss Illya had considerable bonuses for him, plus the Lesser Grail's prayer and magical energy could directly pull him to quite excellent first-rate Servant level. But this strength still wasn't enough. Facing the black knight, an existence whose individual power might not lose even to magical furnace Diarmuid, even quite excellent first-rate Servant was still a drop in the bucket.
So how could she win?
Should she retreat and escape?
Or go eliminate Kariya Matou first?
Having already deduced these situations, Miss Illya rapidly thought of countermeasures in her increasingly clear mind. Reason provided these two most stable choices.
Ten-times speed wasn't her limit. In instantaneous bursts, disregarding costs, she could reach higher. Though such costs even she struggled to bear, using them to retreat here or ambush Kariya Matou en route was perfect. She and Kariya Matou were under 150 meters apart.
For Heroic Spirit Servants skilled in speed, this distance didn't even need a few breaths. Similarly, she could escape. She knew all this clearly...
"If I can think of these problems, how could you not? Right?"
"Always guarding against me ambushing Kariya Matou, actively controlling the battlefield and not letting go to prevent my escape, just waiting for when I'd expose my back to you, or when I'd throw my only intact hand's weapon to attack Kariya Matou. Looking like frenzied bombardment but actually deliberately conserving magical energy—aside from speed, even attacks are soft... Berserker."
Densely packed hundreds and thousands of silver threads spread throughout the street. The black knight's entire body was wrapped in invisible threads—a spiderweb laid down who knows when.
When did Miss Illya notice the black knight's tactical mind remained clear? From how the black knight's positioning always opposed hers—always maintaining the area in front of Kariya Matou. Plus his relentless pursuit all rhythmically adjusted the battlefield farther and farther from Kariya Matou's location.
From when the black knight made these moves, she knew—whether trying to escape or directly ambush Kariya Matou, both paths seemingly had hope but were actually absolute dead ends already blocked by the black knight.
Against such a peerless existence, relaxing even slightly was tolling one's own funeral bell.
"And since I can think you'd guess these two paths, you likewise can think I might also choose a third path—fighting you in attrition, a war of endurance... exhausting Kariya Matou to death."
"ROAR! OOOOAAAAH!"
Wrapped in hundreds of spider-web threads, the severed-arm black knight furiously roared and struggled. Threads connecting trees and buildings snapped. Under that terrifying Strength, these so-called traps couldn't stop this peerless existence's footsteps. In mere instants, he swung his steel pipe Noble Phantasm, breaking through atmosphere and charging toward the snow sprite who'd severed his arm!
The black knight guarded against Miss Illya's ambush and escape, trying to conserve magical energy as much as possible, using Kariya Matou's near-unconscious state to form bait for a trap.
But Miss Illya didn't believe this trap at all. Since the black knight knew her blood contained magical energy, why should she assume that during their series of exchanges—when he used moves like flipping the ground to block her vision—he didn't secretly drink just a little?
Even just a little, one or two drops—he wouldn't have drained Kariya Matou to near unconsciousness, right?
So this seemed very forced. Given the black knight's combat awareness and experience completely crushed hers, how could he not guess the third path—that Miss Illya might fight an attrition war—yet keep draining his Master's magical energy, making the Master look extremely easy to ambush and kill?
This was a trap.
Like retreating to escape or eliminating Kariya Matou first—both just fishing.
Seemingly Kariya Matou couldn't hold out, but severely injured and using magecraft with high physical and mental burden, she couldn't hold out even more. In perfect condition she could fight an attrition war against him. But her current self fighting the black knight relied entirely on that last breath of spirit. Fighting attrition—once this spirit dissipated, only death awaited.
"So I choose the fourth path."
The iron pipe grazed past her bandaged cheek.
Miss Illya ghost-like crouched down, evading the black knight's attack—his Agility temporarily reduced just slightly by the delaying spider web she'd laid.
The dagger embedded like death's scythe into the armor's crack, viciously slashing along that neck's flesh!
And this was far from over. The black knight was fishing—but wasn't she fishing too?!
Five-times speed? Ten-times speed? Were these truly her limits? Could this instantaneous explosive power really only reach this level? Of course not—far from it. Even the simplest five-times speed's overdrawn consumption couldn't be supplied by magical energy quantity alone. Ten-times speed even more so. So the initially burst ten-times speed was her bearable limit. In this entire battle, total uses didn't exceed three times. The black knight also preconceived this burst as her maximum speed.
But actually, in moments when she could gain brief breathing room, she could do better. She hadn't used it before because in direct confrontation, being faster had little effect on this black knight—appearing even instant gaps could be seized by him—and she needed to counter-catch an information gap.
"Noble Phantasm."
Eyes bleeding like Mystic Eyes, high magical energy becoming purest instantaneous enhancement.
Hands, legs, ears, nasal cavity, blood vessels—all cracked or flowed crimson liquid from this enhancement beyond body and even biological limits' overload.
In this instant, the entire world seemed to slow. The crazed beast's roar and subsequent counterattack also sounded ethereal in Miss Illya's ears.
She only had one chance. After this strike, everything about her would exceed limits.
But she only needed this one chance. The black knight guarded against her choosing three dead paths—didn't consider she'd seize a fourth path of fundamentally unreasonable hope.
"Khronos Rose."
Time's passage—flowers blooming today will wither tomorrow. The ability to manipulate one's own time flow, an upgrade built upon Inherent Time Control.
And manifesting as Caster class, Miss Illya's various skill bonuses further elevated this already excellent B-rank anti-personnel Noble Phantasm.
—Upgraded to pseudo-time barrier level.
A level even Agility A+, even Agility A++ couldn't keep up with. Because this was no longer simple magecraft. In Miss Illya's hands, this was a barrier expanding from inside out—a miracle that could "approach Reality Marble" in an extremely small range.
Though still only an instantaneous burst, within a certain radius distance, this burst could extend what externally seemed instantaneous to two seconds for Miss Illya. Within this capture range, "these two seconds were nearly deleted"—only Miss Illya could move.
If the black knight had truly gone all out, not been distracted guarding against her choosing the other three paths—
He undoubtedly could have interrupted Miss Illya before she activated her Noble Phantasm.
Or relied on Eternal Arms Mastership's premonition to escape this narrow range. Even without those spider-web threads entangling him, he'd still have time to retreat. Then Miss Illya at her wit's end could naturally be dealt with at his leisure.
Unfortunately, there were no ifs. After being maddened, he still underestimated fellow hero Miss Illya's resolve—had extremely high combat experience but lacked respect for Heroic Spirits.
"CLANG! CLANG! CLANG! CLANG! CLANG! SLICE-SLICE-SLICE-SLICE-SLICE!"
In an instant, blood and sparks flew! The black knight couldn't see what happened at all!
He just felt his abdomen, legs, ankles, thighs, neck, wrists, and upper front brain connecting to eyes... Over ten places wherever armor gaps existed between armor connections—all simultaneously attacked as if time had stopped, violent storm-like explosive disorienting intense pain!
He preconceived the snow sprite would choose those two overt paths and one covert path!
Preconceived that aside from his eye area, she fundamentally couldn't break his defense!
Preconceived that ten-times speed was her limit—she couldn't go any faster!
And this was precisely the madness-brought flaw. He had extremely high attributes and superb combat experience, but lacked reason to consider why fellow hero Miss Illya dared fight him, why she couldn't think all paths were dead ends—betting everything on glory for this damn final battle with him!
"AAAAAAAH... Arthur! Arthur! ARTHUR!"
Clouds passed the moon. Between beast roars, threads entangled buildings and trees collapsed toward the beast. With a thunderous boom came the final curtain-closing earthquake.
Blood and dusty debris mixed together. Both great Heroic Spirit Servants were buried.
The entire street became ruins. Over two buildings, ten-plus housing shops reduced to rubble.
Over several hundred meters of cement road surface already became pitted, unusable wreckage. This street was demolished and dismantled in less than half an hour's mythic epic reenactment collision—efficiency even faster than construction crews or a small-scale terrorist battle by who knows how much.
Cold winter night wind blew. The world quieted. How dazzling was the pale moon's radiance.
Illuminating the black beast knight unable to move, pressed under vast rubble's tragic state—like an already dead aged bear corpse.
"Berserker, how is this possible? This can't be possible..."
About to lose consciousness and faint, Kariya Matou now seemed to forget pain.
He bit down hard, viciously biting through his own tongue tip. Under stimulation, he forced himself to muster some spirit.
The black knight lost? No! Impossible! Berserker absolutely couldn't lose here!
He needed the Grail, needed the omnipotent wish-granter. He wanted all magecraft in this world to disappear, all magi to die, so Sakura Matou and other tragedies produced by magi would no longer replay endlessly in world corners!
As long as no magi existed, Sakura Matou would be happy, that Aoi who treated him like a younger brother would continue being happy, everything would rewrite!
For this mad obsession, he'd bet everything—whether betrayal's infamy or his own life, he'd put it all on the gambling table to exchange for an admission ticket to the finals!
"Stand up! Berserker! Have you forgotten? You also have wishes to fulfill! You're the strongest Knight of the Round Table! How can an era's peerless knight fall here?! Drain my magical energy—even if you drain me into a mummy, drain it! We can't stop here! That Age of Gods magus also reached her limit! After struggling this hard, how can we stop here?!"
Bright red inscription on his remaining hand glowed. Kariya Matou felt he might truly have gone mad—or knew that once Lancelot was defeated, even with Command Seals, they'd be useless. Losing Command Seals? Worst case, rob the Holy Church.
But losing Lancelot? Then truly nothing remained. He'd have no connection to that omnipotent wish-granter.
"By Command Seal! Fight on! Fight to the final moment! Strongest Knight of the Round Table, bring victory back to me! For me, and for yourself—keep fighting!!"
Cold wind blew past the immobile black knight's body. Next moment, the ruins moved.
The massive boulders pressing on his body moved. Of course he wouldn't stop here.
Because the black knight was Lancelot. No other reason—simply because he was the strongest Knight of the Round Table without exception. His True Name was Lancelot!
"Arthur! ARTHUR!" Severely injured? So what about losing an arm?
Already nearing death's threshold—but what does "nearing death" even mean? As long as he still drew breath, as long as the faintest ember of consciousness remained, then aside from his king and death itself, no force could truly defeat him, and nothing could make him fall.
Stand up!
Lancelot, strongest Knight of the Round Table!
Even a severely injured little girl had stubborn unyielding resolve. As the era's pinnacle, how could you be worse than her? How could your firm will be any less? How could you not match even a little girl?!
She was a hero who truly didn't admit defeat facing difficulties. You were likewise a sin-laden hero. As fellow heroes aside from King Arthur, did any other hero in this world deserve your submission?!
"Arthur! I can only die beneath the king's sword! Can only die by the king's judgment!"
Kariya Matou completely fell unconscious, his entire person fainting from this final magical energy drain.
The black knight's full attributes seemingly suddenly elevated at least one rank. Dragging his bloodied body, roaring with a throat continuously overflowing blood.
In his remaining arm, a black-red sword materialized into substance. This was his third Noble Phantasm aside from Knight of Owner and For Someone's Glory—unless using Command Seal magical supply, Kariya Matou fundamentally couldn't support him using this Noble Phantasm.
Arondight, A++ rank, anti-personnel type Noble Phantasm.
This was the sword entrusted to humans by the Lake Fairy. Having the same origin, its "toughness" could rival the Saber girl's blade. The sword body bore Fairy script inscriptions!
This sword's characteristic was having brilliance like moonlit lake water, an eternally unbreakable blade. But because Lancelot once slew Knights of the Round Table with this sword, it lost holy sword qualification, classified as demonic sword—Lancelot's true Noble Phantasm, first unsealed by sealing other Noble Phantasms!
Drawing this sword, all of Lancelot's parameter values increased one rank!
Having stories of defeating dragons, it could add special attacks against Heroic Spirits possessing "Dragon" attribute!
"Fight!"
"Hero, come fight!"
The one-armed black knight roared, raising the demonic sword. His arm and body continuously seeped blood, trembling—seemingly unable to even grip his own weapon steadily!
The helmet already shattered, exposing his original appearance—purple short hair and upper face, including eyes with only dagger-left hideous wound horror!
His condition was terrible, only one step from death. Under consecutive injuries, even his actual strength wasn't a third of before. But if his weak opponent dared overcome weakness to victory, seizing all to grasp sole remaining hope, what reason did he have to retreat, not daring to directly fight her again?!
"Cough... cough cough cough..."
Thrown by building collapse impact into street ruins, like a broken rag doll equally unable to muster much strength—even standing becoming a luxury—Miss Illya tore off her face-covering bandages, likewise bleeding nonstop, coughing up viscous blood.
Her organs began failing from excessive overload. If someone touched her pale forehead—
They'd discover her current external body temperature alone exceeded forty-five degrees Celsius.
She likewise was only one step from death. Inherent Time Control could barely maintain even five-times speed. Her entire person entered fatigue period after releasing her Noble Phantasm.
But so what? She still had one breath left, right? As long as that breath supporting her will hadn't vanished, she couldn't possibly surrender, couldn't crawl up just because she was nearly dying!
"Clang."
Drawing the third military dagger from her waist.
Miss Illya's trembling hand wiped her blood-stained mouth corner. Beyond body limits, she miraculously stood up again. Both eyes dyed weird black.
One move.
One final move.
She and Lancelot both had only one move left. This move would decide victory.
"Inherent Time Control, three-times speed."
"Lesser Grail's Heart, prayer."
"Grail's favor, curse of luck."
No need for more tricks. To defeat this strongest Knight of the Round Table required direct confrontation. Her last strength only sufficed for one final slash.
Then pour all hope and victory into this single slash, tilting it out!
She would directly attack him head-on.
Lancelot knew, could sense—as long as he dodged this attack, victory was his.
"Arondight!"
But!
What a joke!
Close combat was his strongest domain. If he retreated here, where else could he fight?
Such cowardice—what face did he have to meet his king? What right to call himself strongest Knight of the Round Table?!
"BOOM!"
This slash was respect for the strongest Knight of the Round Table, moreover a challenge to herself!
Then he'd accept her challenge with undefeated, indestructible blade!
So what if she neared desperate straits? Surpassing her own limits, crossing this insurmountable mountain was her determination—what she must accomplish with that remaining breath.
He didn't want to guard the strongest Knight of the Round Table's throne, wasn't simply for his heart's wish.
This moment, their thoughts seemingly overlapped. In limit-breaking brilliance remained only one thought—respect, uniqueness, true purity unmixed, casting aside Holy Grail War and other belief externalities.
"CLANG!!!"
I! x2
Only want to bet everything here, defeating this glory-cloaked hero before me! x2
You understood from the start.
Understood that black knight's power, understood your own abilities inferior to true heroes.
But being inferior meant betting your life, giving everything—extreme concentration.
Don't think whether you could win, because Holy Grail Wars never had guaranteed victory. Even powerful Gilgamesh could unexpectedly exit first night, much less you who weren't truly a hero? So what guaranteed victory? You already understood in that first night battle—putting your own life likewise on the scales was the fundamental qualification for participating in this struggle!
Initially you were pathetically weak—couldn't even assassinate a Master at close range without failing. But now? You could trade blows with Three Knights classes undefeated, dared to scheme against close-combat strongest Lancelot who'd lost reason, even drove him to desperation!
All this proved you repeatedly broke through limits, repeatedly approached true hero status!
If mortals cannot slay gods, then break through and transcend mortal limiters!
Just as Iskandar the Conqueror said—Illyasviel, you were already a hero. When you were willing to stand against Gilgamesh, when you shattered the black magus harming innocent children—from those moments, you already wrote new epic, your heroic biography!
So such epic was too short—wasn't that boring? Did you truly want to stop here?
Of course not! Absolutely not! This moment, Miss Illya could barely hear any sounds or feel any pain. The world became colorless black and white.
Arm blood vessels bursting, eyes seeping expanding blood, skin frantically surging beneath—this was her limit. True limit. Even Heroic Spirit Servant bodies could no longer endure this limit. A limit that could make her near death.
In outsiders' eyes, only this instant. In hers, quite prolonged. Two heroes with Agility already starting at A++ mutually charging, both using all power they could currently muster. No! Should say Miss Illya's all, not Lancelot's all. Because he still had reserves, while Miss Illya only had this final pouring of everything!
But...
Not enough!
"SLICE—!"
Demonic sword's brilliance pierced the young body's flesh. Her limit was fast enough, but Lancelot's limit was even faster. Their weapons fundamentally weren't the same level existence. Their martial prowess and conviction weren't the same tier existence!
So in identical circumstances, why should she arrive before Lancelot's demonic sword? Why assume just struggling desperately enough could reverse everything!
What near-death limit, what body limit, what Spirit Origin limit—this degree, that peerless Lake Knight could likewise achieve, even do better than her. Then why could she beat Lancelot who was already better? Just so-called limits fundamentally weren't enough!
Effort merely at defeating Gilgamesh level fundamentally wasn't enough!
Whether body limits or will limits—if others could do better, stronger than you... then cross this so-called limit. Even if just this instant, this moment—surpass past self, reach new pinnacle again!
"By Command Seal!"
"Flickering snow-night morning star, in this moment let the whole world pay attention!"
"Ascend this Holy Grail War's new throne! Create the miracle of one person consecutively breaking three great heroes!"
In the black-white world, a beam of light illuminated inward. Crack—as if some will and body restriction broke through at this moment. That was Command Seal power, also the final opportunity.
Gorgeous blood-red rose reclassified as color. Reverse-gripped blade also fell wrapped in black magical fluid the moment the demonic sword pierced her body.
Lesser Grail's Heart prayer, Command Seal power—both applied in this limit instant.
Only this instant—ephemeral nothingness, transient rose.
But also precisely this instant—Illyasviel truly crossed that abyss named limit.
"—BOOOOOOM!!!"
Under sonic boom invisible even to Heroic Spirit Servants, magical energy and pure power's violent wind overturned boulders, ground cement road within dozens of meters, washed and cracked glass throughout the entire street into hideous patterns. Whether already unconscious Kariya Matou or just groggily awakening cute little girl—both blown away by this instant-burst magical impact!
No one knew victory or defeat, because even observing Heroic Spirit Servants fundamentally couldn't see clearly—those two great heroes' mutual extreme-state confrontation.
Even Diarmuid as Three Knights class witnessing this couldn't help but hold his breath silently.
If one of these two were replaced by himself? What would the result be?
He dared not think, because in that instant, that moment—these two's burst power already far exceeded all close-combat skilled Heroic Spirit Servants in this Holy Grail War, including the Saber girl.
One side was peerless era martial art extremity.
One side crossed Spirit Origin and body limits.
What Three Knights classes? Close combat levels in that moment's Miss Illya and Lancelot's eyes were like naive tender children just learning to walk.
"My lord, I now somewhat doubt whether that snow-white little cat really is Caster..."
Coming to his senses, Diarmuid couldn't help but smile bitterly. Perhaps in pure confrontation, he didn't lose to the initial two. But in that final instant—both sides' extreme final strike was undoubtedly this Holy Grail War's close-combat ceiling.
Anyone slightly understanding close combat would realize how absurd these two heroes—fundamentally not Three Knights class Servants—were in the close-combat domain.
"What's the result? Lancer, who won this battle?"
"Apologies, my lord. I couldn't see clearly either. Their speed and clash at that moment were too fast. Whether me or that King of Knights girl—if directly receiving that instant's extremity, the best outcome would be severe injury."
"...You're Agility A+, with my magical furnace you can even burst higher speed."
"But heroes are those who create miracles in desperate straits. These two are undoubtedly top-tier heroes of an era. Life-or-death struggle, cornered beast's desperate final strike—this is no longer comparable by single attributes."
Actually, severe injury was indeed the best outcome. Because after this strike, anyone could see—the black knight's power would drop to freezing point.
The snow sprite moreover had absolutely no remaining combat strength. Even ordinary magi could easily kill her.
Who lost, who won—in his perspective he couldn't see clearly. Probably other Heroic Spirit Servants attracted by this battle's violent magical energy and observing—like Assassin types—also couldn't possibly see clearly. Era martial art extremity versus breaking Spirit Origin-body limits—probably only gods could glimpse one or two details.
They were both severely injured, whether schemed or initially. Perhaps precisely this desperate strait birthed this pinnacle-versus-pinnacle close combat.
"Drip, drip, drip."
Pale moonlight accompanied winter wind falling. Dust's full appearance gradually revealed.
Black knight and snow sprite mutually faced away. Black knight stood in broken building shadows, snow sprite stood in pure moonlight—divided by shadow and moonlight boundary.
"Clang."
Snow sprite's broken dagger powerlessly fell to rubble ground. Chest Spirit Origin area already bore hideous wound. Blood unstoppably flowed down her slender body, dyeing dusty soil beneath her feet blood red.
Lifeless half-kneeling on moist ground—obviously the Servant Spirit Origin heart was crushed. Crescent sword mark extended from right upper shoulder to abdomen. Obviously certain death, life not lasting.
Eyes, ears, nasal cavity, throat all flowed blood. Arm and slender thigh blood vessels all burst from extreme high pressure, becoming stepping stones breaking through body limit threshold. Her consciousness was ethereal and vague, vision already unclear, becoming pure darkness. She'd bet everything including her life, using them as firewood making this body advance.
Igniting hope flames that shouldn't exist—like a moth chasing fire to self-destruction.
"You're strong."
Hoarse raspy voice slowly sounded—still-standing Lancelot.
Like a victor, he gripped Arondight. Slashed throat undulated several times, uttering low voice completely unlike previous crazed beast.
He won. In the final confrontation, his martial prowess and stats destroyed this snow sprite behind him's heart first—along with her various organs. After all, their combat experience wasn't the same level. Both severely injured, but Agility he slightly excelled. With so many advantages, such result was naturally normal.
Era pinnacle Knight of the Round Table.
Defeated.
Limit-breaking snow sprite.
"I lost."
"What's your name?"
"Medea."
"...True Name."
"Heroic Spirit Emiya."
Hearing this, Lancelot just shook his head. No, these names shouldn't be her True Name. But since she didn't want to say, he wouldn't ask further.
Because it already ended. This Holy Grail War journey. Martial art pinnacle versus limit-breaker's final battle.
"Can you spare my Master? He won't last much longer anyway. He's also a pitiful person. His initial heart participating in this Holy Grail War wasn't evil."
"Cannot."
"..."
Yes. Begging an enemy to spare another enemy—this itself was quite strange.
"Crack, crack, crack."
Black breastplate fell like shattered glass. Chest pierced hideous wound revealed destroyed Spirit Origin. Compared to injuries he caused the snow sprite, hers to him seemed quite gentle.
Only this small heart area—using that burst black magical fluid wrapping the military dagger, plus explosive power briefly breaking through his armor defense, destroyed his Spirit Origin heart.
Honestly, discovering his Spirit Origin was also destroyed, Lancelot truly found it somewhat unbelievable. Attack-for-attack, he indeed didn't overly defend, because in his view, after piercing the snow sprite's Spirit Origin and landing a solid slash on her body, she shouldn't have had resistance capacity. Shouldn't have had strength to swing such terrifying slash.
That slash, he felt malice and miracle—truly meaningful limit-breaking power.
But... she'd already been killed by him first. Why still have such remaining strength?
Losing Spirit Origin—even Command Seal power had no use. Any Heroic Spirit Servant logically shouldn't have any power remaining. Why could she still violate norms and attack?
Lancelot didn't understand, didn't comprehend. Because the moment his Spirit Origin was pierced, he felt disconnection from Kariya Matou's contract and magical energy.
Even class-granted Madness Enhancement instantly lifted. She shouldn't have had remaining strength either.
"Lancelot. My True Name. Though you probably already knew."
Body gradually becoming magical light particles. Facing away from half-kneeling, body also starting to become light particles, Miss Illya—Lancelot understood his maddened self misjudged.
Information insufficiency made him mistakenly assume the enemy likewise only had one life.
This was intelligence deficiency. His own Master was too hasty, didn't have time or was too obsessed—chose to attack without fully understanding the enemy.
Or his Master was originally a madman—fundamentally lacking magical energy yet first challenged a mysterious existence who'd consecutively killed two Heroic Spirit Servants, had magical energy abundant enough to supply others, whose True Name-related legendary skills almost no one could verify to this day.
Though he too was preconceived about too much. Originally a sure-win situation, precisely because he worried about this and that.
Underestimated enemy determination, didn't expect a mere Caster with unexceptional attributes would dare choose aside from the first three paths a fourth route... directly bloody battle to the end with himself, the strongest attribute holder.
"If finally you can meet my king, please help me see—is she still seeking reasonable excuses for her own battles? If still so, believe me... you'll obtain some unexpected special advantages."
What advantages? Lancelot didn't specify, because he couldn't speak anymore.
For Someone's Glory—the strongest Knight of the Round Table, until the final moment supported his body with demonic sword, in standing posture became magical energy vanishing in this heaven and earth, returning to the Grail.
He lost to Master's magical supply, lost to information gap, lost to Master only willing to use Command Seals desperately at the end, lost to Madness's lack of reason.
Perhaps initially, if his Master hadn't used both Command Seals first night, this battle's outcome would differ? After all, in perfect condition using Command Seals, with his martial prowess, enemies couldn't find opportunities to injure him.
But where were so many ifs? Losing was losing. One step wrong, every step wrong.
Perhaps from when his Master Kariya Matou was implanted with Crest Worms, this Holy Grail War's victory or defeat was already destined unrelated to him and Kariya Matou.
"Rustle."
Holy shroud and hood became fragments. Chest Spirit Origin destroyed injury also gradually vanished, leaving only one long hideous scar.
Golden card engraved with Caster pattern was forcibly ejected, reduced to spiderweb-crack appearance.
Fatal injury repaired, but other wounds still remained. After overload, Miss Illya's body even emitted transparent white smoke—that was elevated body temperature evaporating.
"So tired..." Miss Illya's eyes were dim and lightless. Even lifting one finger was intense pain. Even blinking felt exhausting.
She couldn't move now.
Just like manga where magical girls mutually injured with monsters lose all power.
Even with fatal injury gone, missing stamina and overloaded body left her immobile. Can say if not for Heroic Spirit Servant constitution being strong enough, plus Lesser Grail's Heart prayer enhancement, this world evil's black mud magical energy repairing her partial external injuries—but feedback exceeding body and Spirit Origin limits, as price-reward for truly "first time solo defeating a Heroic Spirit Servant," returned to her body.
She wanted to cry but couldn't, because too tired. Plus her eyes also couldn't see things clearly. If crying, maybe couldn't even see whether enemies approached.
"BOOM BOOM BOOM!"
Ear-side transmitted horizon thunder echoing—cavalry chariot crossing sky.
"Truly amazing—already the third, right, little cat? Three days, basically every night Heroic Spirit Servants fell to your hand. Your current magnificent record can shock the world."
Simultaneously arriving was hearty admiring praise—Lancer man's sincere exclamation.
Miss Illya hearing these voices, expression still vacant. She'd seemingly already predicted these two Heroic Spirit Servants would come. After all, naturally.
Causing such huge commotion—if no Heroic Spirit Servants were attracted wanting to spy, that would be the weird thing.
"So really, so tired. Just a bit more time, and it would've been fine..."
Black magical energy captured Lancelot's dispersing light particles. Just like that time with the black magus.
After being personally killed by Miss Illya, Berserker Spirit Origin fragments were intercepted slightly, slowly gathering in midair until condensing into substance.
She barely turned her head for a slight glance. Obviously under twenty meters distance—for current her, like an impossible-to-reach fantasy land.
That was the spoils of war fallen to dusty ground.
—The third brand-new blank card.