Chapter 233: It's Not Over Yet!
"Eh? I have to sit up here?"
Waver stared blankly at Iskandar's stance.
"Of course! You're my Master. If you don't stick with me, what else are you going to do?"
Iskandar turned back, answering as if it were only natural.
"But the problem is—you're the vanguard!"
Clutching his head, Waver wailed in despair.
There was no doubt: the one leading the charge would face the brunt of the attacks. And yet Iskandar still expected him to stay on the chariot? That was suicide!
"Hahaha! Boy, are you scared?"
Iskandar laughed loudly at Waver's worries, thumping his chest as if to reassure him.
"Don't worry! Until I fall, you will never be harmed."
"I…"
Listening to Iskandar's almost shameless promise, Waver felt like crying.
"Don't worry. I'll have Berserker look after you as well."
Seeing his foolish pupil trembling, Kayneth raised his chin arrogantly.
With his Volumen Hydrargyrum, he was confident that even without Diarmuid's protection, no enemy would be able to harm him in the slightest.
"Saber, you don't need to worry either. I'll protect Lady Irisviel."
While Kayneth spoke with Waver, Hikigaya Hachiman was speaking with Artoria.
Still transformed, he was confident he could protect both Sakura and Irisviel.
"…Then I'll entrust them to you!"
Sensing the faint yet threatening aura radiating from Hachiman, Artoria did not reject his offer. After all, she needed to dedicate her entire focus to unleashing her Noble Phantasm against the beast.
Once all preparations were complete, Iskandar let out a thunderous shout. His chariot surged into the air, crackling with lightning, and charged into the mist to clear the path.
Diarmuid followed close behind, twin spears in hand, finishing off anything that slipped through Iskandar's assault. Artoria, Hachiman, and the Masters formed the third wave, pushing forward.
At the very rear trailed Karna, both fending off enemies regrouping from behind and keeping watch over the team's overall formation.
Iskandar tore through the enemy ranks like a storm, crushing everything before him.
The octopus-like creatures stood no chance—destroyed by the thunder surrounding his chariot before they could even approach.
Even the few that managed to slip through were quickly dispatched by Iskandar and Waver together.
But strangely, no massive tentacles appeared to hinder their progress.
The central beast allowed them to reach its main body's perimeter almost without resistance.
"Then, Saber—everything's up to you now!"
Though it seemed suspiciously easy, Iskandar nonetheless raised his chariot into the air again, commanding the lightning to form a defensive ring with the others, shielding Artoria in the center.
"Leave it to me!"
Artoria's expression was resolute.
She raised her invisible sword high. As the barrier of wind dispersed, a radiant golden blade materialized before their eyes.
Countless motes of golden light began gathering toward her sword from the skies, the earth, and beyond.
"…Ugh…"
Meanwhile, hidden in a nearby residence, Kiritsugu Emiya clutched his chest with his only remaining hand, his face twisted in pain.
"To suddenly drain that much prana… could Saber be in trouble?"
Lighting a cigarette with his free hand, unease gnawed at him.
Since Irisviel had gone to the city center with Saber, there had been no word. And now Saber was consuming such vast amounts of prana at once…
"No. I have to check it out…"
Muttering to himself, Kiritsugu rose, pushing open the wooden door.
"Kiritsugu, where are you going?"
Standing guard outside, Maiya immediately stood up at his movement.
"To the city center. Saber and the others have been out of contact for too long!"
As he spoke, Kiritsugu pulled on his trench coat, checked the supply of Origin Bullets and his pistol, and moved to the entryway to change shoes.
"In that case, wouldn't it be better if I went instead?"
Hearing his reasoning, Maiya immediately blocked his path.
Compared to the heavily wounded Kiritsugu, it was far more appropriate for her—still at full combat strength—to scout.
That way, even if something happened, only she would be lost.
As long as Kiritsugu lived, there was still hope of victory.
"…Be careful, then."
After a moment of hesitation, Kiritsugu agreed.
Indeed, compared to himself, sending Maiya—still hidden from the enemy—was the safer option.
"I understand."
Nodding at his command, Maiya readied her weapon and slipped out into the night.
.
.
.
"Ex…calibur!"
At that very moment, Artoria's cry rang out.
Having finished charging, she brought down the golden blade with all her might toward the beast.
A pillar of golden light erupted before them, expanding rapidly.
From high above, Gilgamesh looked upon the radiant beam with a pleased smile.
"Interesting… very interesting, Saber…"
Beside him, Tokiomi's face darkened.
If the enemy possessed such a powerful Noble Phantasm, then the outcome of this war could become far less certain…
"Did it work?"
The dazzling light lasted only seconds before vanishing.
When they raised their eyes, the beast's body had vanished—reduced to a massive crater.
All surrounding buildings were leveled flat by the strike.
The mist was gone, revealing only a wasteland of shattered concrete and steel.
"Looks like it's over…"
Collapsing on the chariot, Waver sighed in relief at the sight.
But before he could finish, Iskandar smacked the back of his head.
"Rider…!"
Waver glared at his Servant with teary eyes.
"Boy, it's far too soon to relax…"
Iskandar's face hardened as he looked back toward the direction they had come from.
The others, realizing the same, turned to look—
And there, at the edge of the ruins, a black tide was surging toward them…
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