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Lancer Alter's proposal hit them like a thunderclap from a clear sky.
[Chat]:[Question_Mark]: ???
[Confusion]: Wait, break the unbreakable maze? Is that even legal?
[Lore_Master]: Rhongomyniad... the Tower at the End of the World. Theoretically... it could work.
[Bad_Feeling]: Why do I hear boss music? Why does Lancer look like she's saying goodbye?
[Saber_Fan]: Wait, if Lancer breaks the maze, what happens to the energy? It's a sealed box. The shockwave would kill everyone.
Back in the white corridor, the silence was deafening. Maverick looked from Lancer to Saber, his heart pounding.
"Break the maze?" Maverick asked. "But you said it was infinite."
Lancer Alter brushed a strand of blonde hair from her face. She looked at her Master, Ryu (A-Bro), with a soft, almost maternal expression.
"My Noble Phantasm, Rhongomyniad," she explained, her voice calm. "Its true form is the Pillar that fastens the two sides of the World together. It is the anchor of reality."
She spun the black lance.
"If I release its True Name, I can pierce through the texture of this Labyrinth. I can open a gate to the Reverse Side of the World—a pocket dimension outside of this reality. We can step through, bypass the maze's logic, and re-emerge in Fuyuki City."
"Teleportation via dimension hopping," Ryu realized. "Like an 'Anywhere Door'."
"Exactly," Lancer nodded. "But there is a cost."
Ryu froze. "Cost?"
Lancer smiled. It was a sad, beautiful smile.
"Master, don't look at me like that. I am but a shadow of a possibility. A dream that will fade with the dawn. But you... you have a future."
She looked around at the white walls.
"This space is confined. When I unleash the Pillar, the energy release will be catastrophic. It will be like detonating a nuclear warhead inside a bunker. The shockwave will vaporize everything in this corridor instantly."
"Including us," Maverick whispered.
"Yes," Lancer agreed. "Unless..."
She turned to Saber (Maverick's Artoria).
"Unless another force counters it. If Saber unleashes Excalibur at the exact same moment... the two energies will collide. They will neutralize each other just enough to create a safe zone—a calm eye in the storm."
She looked at Rider.
"Rider. You are the fastest. In that split second of equilibrium, you must grab the Masters and run through the gate. You have to be faster than the explosion."
"So," Ryu's voice trembled. "The plan is... you and Saber blow each other up... to save us?"
"Correct," Lancer said simply. "Two Servants will fall. But three Masters and one Servant will survive. It is a tactical victory."
She looked at Rider again. "I trust you, speedster. Protect them."
Ryu fell to his knees. He was playing a tough guy avatar, but the player behind the screen was breaking. "No... Artoria... don't do this."
Saber (Maverick's Artoria) stepped forward. She didn't argue. She understood the logic. As a King, she knew sacrifice.
"I accept," Saber said, her voice steady. "It is the only way."
[Chat]:[Crying_Cat]: NO! NOT LIKE THIS!
[Emotional_Damage]: Why is this game so sad?! I just wanted to see cool fights!
[Ryu_Fan]: Lancer is the MVP. She's sacrificing herself for the team.
[Maverick_Hater]: Maverick, do something! Don't let your waifu die!
[Rider_Fan]: Rider... please save them!
The atmosphere in the labyrinth was heavy with grief. They were about to lose two of their strongest allies. The "Artoria Alliance" was ending here.
But then, a laugh cut through the gloom.
"Hah!"
Everyone turned.
Rider (the green-haired hero) stepped forward. He stabbed the butt of his spear into the ground.
"You Knights," Rider scoffed, shaking his head. "Always so dramatic. Always so eager to die for a cause."
He looked at his Master, the Gamer Girl. She was looking at him with wide, teary eyes.
"Master," Rider said, his voice dropping to a gentle rumble. "Forgive my selfishness. But I can't stand by and watch this tragedy. I'm going to break the rules."
The Gamer Girl wiped her eyes. "Rider?"
"I want to reveal my True Name," Rider declared. "I want to use that Noble Phantasm."
"But," the girl stammered. "If you reveal your name... everyone will know your weakness. Your heel..."
"Lift your head, Master," Rider smiled confidently. "There is no need to apologize. It was I who troubled you by hiding my identity. A hero should shout his name to the heavens!"
He turned to the group.
Magical energy surged around him. It wasn't the green lightning of his speed. It was a deep, oceanic blue.
"My True Name is Achilles!" he shouted. "Son of the Goddess Thetis and the Hero Peleus! The fastest hero of the Trojan War!"
[Chat]:[Lore_God]: ACHILLES! CONFIRMED!
[History_Buff]: THE INVULNERABLE HERO!
[Simp_Nation]: HE'S SO COOL!
Achilles raised his hand. A massive, ornate bronze shield materialized out of thin air. It was intricately carved with images of the earth, the sky, the sun, and the moon. It radiated a divine aura that pushed back the oppressive atmosphere of the labyrinth.
"This shield is my final Noble Phantasm," Achilles announced. "Akhilleus Kosmos (The Miniature World Enclosed by the Azure Sky)!"
He slammed the shield into the ground.
"It was forged by the Smith God, Hephaestus. It projects the concept of 'The World' itself. To destroy this shield, you must destroy the world it represents."
He looked at Lancer and Saber.
"It can block Anti-Fortress, Anti-Country, even Anti-Divine attacks. Go ahead. Unleash your lightsabers. Blow this tunnel to hell."
He grinned, a fierce, wild grin.
"I will stand here. I will hold the line. My shield will absorb the blast. It might break... but I promise you, it will hold for ten seconds."
"Ten seconds," Achilles said, his eyes burning with determination. "That is enough time for us all to escape. No one dies today. Not on my watch."
He slammed his fist against the shield.
"Upon the name of the Great Hero Achilles... I will not let a single one of you fall!"
[Chat]:[Hype_Train]: LET'S GOOOOO!
[Shield_Hero]: THE ABSOLUTE CHAD!
[Greek_Myth]: Akhilleus Kosmos! It's the shield that represents the known world!
[Maverick]: He's gambling everything on defense. If the shield breaks, they all die.
[Ryu]: He's saving them! He's saving the Artorias!
Lancer Alter stared at Achilles. Her stoic mask cracked. A look of genuine surprise—and respect—crossed her face.
"You..." Lancer murmured. "You would risk your legend for us?"
"That's what heroes do, isn't it?" Achilles winked.
Saber stepped forward, her invisible sword glowing. "Very well, Rider... no, Achilles. We will trust in your shield."
Lancer Alter nodded. She began to charge her lance. Dark, red energy swirled around her, tearing at the fabric of the labyrinth.
"Then let us begin," Lancer shouted. "Master! Get behind the shield! NOW!"
Maverick, Ryu, and the Gamer Girl scrambled behind the massive bronze disk.
"Ready?" Achilles roared, bracing his shoulder against the metal.
"Rhongomyniad!" Lancer screamed.
"Excalibur!" Saber shouted.
Two beams of world-ending light erupted in the confined space.
And Achilles laughed in the face of annihilation.
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