"So that's how it is… I understand now!"
Hearing Emiya Kiritsugu's unwavering answer, Mordred raised her knight's sword and stepped fully in front of Iriya, facing Gilgamesh head-on.
"So this is what you call a father's responsibility…"Mordred let out a quiet breath, her voice tinged with something like envy."I really am jealous… jealous that you have a father like that."
She straightened, gripping her sword tightly.
"Then, as Saber—Mordred—I swear upon this blade and obey my Master's command. I will not allow you to be harmed. Not even a little!"
Kiritsugu's words clearly struck something deep within her.
After casting one last glance back at the still-dazed Iriya, Mordred did something she had never done in front of anyone other than Kiritsugu.
She reached up and removed the helmet atop her head—
The Helm That Conceals Treachery (Secret of Pedigree).
Golden hair, inherited from Artoria herself, spilled free, tied into a high ponytail by a crimson ribbon. The sharp, gallant aura she gave off was both heroic and striking—so much so that Iriya stared at her in a daze.
"Mordred… so that's your true name?"Gilgamesh sneered."Just as I said before—nothing more than a mongrel through and through."
Having his Noble Phantasm knocked aside already irritated him, but hearing Mordred openly reveal her True Name only deepened his contempt.
As Heroic Spirits, all of them were granted knowledge of history by the Grail. Though Gilgamesh's own legend was among the most ancient, he was hardly ignorant of Celtic myth.
Of course he knew who Mordred was—one of the culprits behind the fall of the King of Knights.
"Well then," Mordred said coolly, her grip tightening,"before I complete my Master's command, it looks like I'll need to tear apart someone's foul mouth."
She lifted her sword, eyes burning.
"Perfect timing. I was already sick of looking at you. And killing you doesn't conflict with protecting Berserker's Master in the slightest."
Objectively speaking, Mordred's parameters and raw power were inferior to Heracles.
But unlike Heracles, she wasn't completely helpless before Gilgamesh.
Despite her unusual origins, Mordred possessed no divinity.
Which meant that the Chains of Heaven, so devastating against Heracles, were utterly ineffective against her.
Of course, Gilgamesh's Gate of Babylon contained an absurd variety of Noble Phantasms. While Mordred could resist, defeating him outright was still an uphill battle.
Suspended in midair by the Chains of Heaven, Berserker had already "died" several times to Gilgamesh's weapons. All he could do now was roar helplessly as Iriya cried out to him.
Mordred, though nearly equal to the King of Knights in combat ability, was forced into a bitter struggle against Gilgamesh's extravagant barrage of treasures.
Her surging mana swept away Noble Phantasm after Noble Phantasm—but anyone watching could tell that if this continued, her defeat was only a matter of time.
And just as Mordred prepared to stake everything on unleashing her own Noble Phantasm to break the deadlock—
Yet another Heroic Spirit barged into the battlefield.
The newcomer had long, violet-colored hair, wore form-fitting leather, and sported a strange eyepatch. In both hands, she wielded dagger-like weapons connected by chains.
With the chaos erupting inside Ryūdō Temple, it was impossible for Matō Sakura and Rider—Medusa to remain unaware.
Sakura had initially wanted nothing to do with the conflict.
But the moment Rider informed her that Tōsaka Tokiomi, the man who had once been her father, was present at Ryūdō Temple—
Her desire for revenge ignited.
Because of Sakura's corruption, Medusa's strength had increased dramatically. Taking advantage of a surprise attack, she managed to slash Gilgamesh's face with her blade.
Blood trickled down his cheek.
And in that instant, the prideful King of Heroes was driven into absolute rage.
Had he not been on guard—and had he not used a special treasure from his vault to shift position at the last moment—the injury would not have been limited to his face alone.
"You filthy mongrel trash!" Gilgamesh roared."One after another… crawling out like vermin that never end!"
"First a mindless demigod. Then a bastard whelp. And now a notorious, lowly monster dares show herself before me?"
As an enemy Servant, Medusa's True Name was exposed the moment she appeared.
And that revelation only made Gilgamesh angrier.
He was the Primordial King—yet he had been wounded by a mere monster?
Raising one hand, he summoned a torrent of silver chains from the golden ripples behind him.
This time, the Chains of Heaven locked onto Medusa.
Once a goddess herself, Medusa still possessed a trace of divinity despite her curse.
And as long as divinity existed, the Chains of Heaven could take hold.
But Medusa had anticipated this.
Her divinity was low, and unlike Heracles, she wasn't completely restrained.
With Mordred joining her, the two engaged Gilgamesh together—forcing a stalemate.
Inside Ryūdō Temple, Medea watched the chaotic battle unfold through her crystal ball, thoroughly entertained.
To be honest, when Servants first began barging in, she had panicked.
But after so many arrivals, she had gone numb.
What was supposed to be a simple recording to lure out Caster had turned into a massive brawl… followed by a family reunion… followed by absolute madness.
The twists and turns were so dramatic that Medea found it even more entertaining than the trashy dramas she watched with Ren Kuroda at night.
She knew nothing about the Lesser Grail.
Watching Mordred and the others clash, her smile only grew brighter.
The more violently they fought, the more Servants would fall—and the better her chances of victory.
She even felt a twinge of regret. If the Red Saber's Master hadn't intervened so quickly, Heracles—the Servant she found most troublesome—might have already exited the war.
Yes.
In Medea's eyes, Heracles was far more dangerous than Gilgamesh.
Reviving twelve times was simply unfair.
Gilgamesh's Noble Phantasms were troublesome—but not insurmountable.
After all, despite having plenty of divine relatives, Medea herself had no divinity.
She had checked Ren Kuroda's Servant parameters before—he was the same.
Without divinity, the Chains of Heaven were meaningless.
"Oh? And what do we have here…"
A sudden voice echoed through the air.
Medea nearly jumped.
When she looked around, she realized that Cú Chulainn had emerged from the shadows, holding a crimson spear.
She had set countless warning spells around her position.
Yet he had approached this close without triggering a single one.
"You seem surprised," Cú Chulainn said with a grin."Even though I was summoned as Lancer this time, I'm rather confident in my magecraft."
"Those spells of yours might trouble others—but to me, they're nothing."
He wasn't bragging.
Though summoned as Lancer, Cú Chulainn was a master of Rune Magecraft—skilled enough to be summoned as a Caster under different circumstances.
It was through runes that he had located Medea and bypassed her wards.
He could have killed both Medea and Kuzuki Sōichirō without them ever noticing.
But Cú Chulainn despised sneak attacks.
So he announced himself instead.
By now, faction allegiance meant nothing.
The Holy Grail War had devolved into a chaotic free-for-all.
"I don't like my Master much," Cú Chulainn said lightly,"but I'll admit—this opponent suits me just fine."
"Traitorous witch… I'll be taking your heart."
With Tōsaka Tokiomi present, Kotomine Kirei was naturally there as well.
And Medea now faced two Kireis.
One from ten years ago.
And one in priestly robes.
As a Bajiquan master, Kirei was no weaker than Kuzuki—and just as Kuzuki was enhanced by Medea's magic, Kirei was bolstered by Cú Chulainn's runes.
Rune Magecraft was absurdly versatile—it could even raise parameters by an entire rank.
At first, Kuzuki faced the two Kireis while Medea fought Cú Chulainn.
But as time passed, Medea's weakness in direct combat became apparent.
Her magical constructs had already been expended by the chaos caused by Mordred and Heracles.
Now, all she had left was High-Speed Divine Words.
As a magus from the Age of Gods, Medea could cast spells instantly—without incantation.
But against Cú Chulainn's overwhelming agility, even her mana blasts were ineffective.
After only a few exchanges, the situation grew perilous—
And left with no choice, Medea switched opponents with Kuzuki.
..
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