---o---
The sudden backstab stunned everyone, both inside and outside the light screen's projection. Even Gilgamesh, who had just been furious enough to destroy everything, was left dumbfounded.
No matter how you looked at it, King Arthur was helping Lancelot at that moment. Did he truly believe that, in his current mana-deprived state, he could take on a Gilgamesh who was about to go all out?
However, Saber herself was not the least bit surprised. The Lancelot of today had been reduced to a mindless Berserker, incapable of communication. She could only meet him with her sword.
The golden sword clashed with the lamppost Lancelot had casually grabbed, producing a piercing shriek of metal. Simultaneously, Saber's mana and Lancelot's mana collided violently. A golden brilliance and a dark, sinister glow intertwined. The two weapons ground against each other like chainsaws, sending sparks flying at their point of contact.
Witnessing such a delightfully chaotic scene, Gilgamesh was no longer in a hurry to deal with Berserker's previous insolence. Instead, he began to watch the battle with great interest from the side.
King Arthur had just said that this dark knight was one of her own. For a knight to strike at his 'King', even in a Berserker state—how could such an amusing spectacle not capture this monarch's attention?
In the next moment, during their confrontation, Saber was surprisingly pushed back, her feet plowing two deep furrows into the ground.
Even so, Lancelot was relentless. Uttering a hoarse cry of "Arrr... thurrr...", he launched another attack on Saber.
By now, everyone understood what Lancelot was shouting.
"Arthur."
Within Lancelot's hoarse and sharp voice, the name he called out was none other than Arthur's.
The madness and hatred contained within it were truly bone-deep.
Even after becoming a mindless beast like a Berserker, unable to communicate, he had not forgotten that name.
However, this act instead drew the ire of many viewers, who now looked upon Lancelot with even greater disgust.
King Arthur had never wronged Lancelot; she had even forgiven him more than once, yet he remained unrepentant.
Now, King Arthur had once again set aside past grievances to save you when you were in danger, and you still harbor such immense resentment toward her? What an ungrateful wolf.
In that single moment, the stain on Lancelot's reputation as a Servant grew even darker. Although he himself felt nothing but profound guilt toward his king, and his only wish in the Holy Grail War was to atone, as a Berserker, he was simply unable to control his reason upon seeing King Arthur. He could only raise his sword against her.
---o---
[Eriri Spencer Sawamura: How is this possible? That Lancelot was already low on mana and injured, how is he still so ferocious?]
[Cao Cao: I once thought Lu Bu was invincible under the heavens, but I never expected someone to be even more ferocious than him.]
[Conan Edogawa: Perhaps it's because of his hatred. His current attack frequency is even faster than when he was facing the Treasury of the King.]
[Schicksal Overseer: How does it feel to fight one of your former knights? It seems you are evenly matched.]
[King Arthur: ...Lancelot was the most skilled knight of the Round Table. In terms of sheer martial prowess, I am not his equal.]
Witnessing the battle between herself and Lancelot on the screen, Artoria's heart was a storm of complicated emotions. Why did you have to appear in this state? Lancelot, what is it you truly want?
---o---
Meanwhile, Saber was forced into a fierce battle with Lancelot.
Both fighters employed a wide, sweeping style, each blow heavy and powerful, worsening the already ruinous state of the port.
More rubble, more sword scars. Flames churned, and the encroaching seawater even began to flood the area.
It was hard to imagine how the citizens of Fuyuki could possibly sleep through such a massive commotion.
From a purely spectator's point of view, tonight's battle was an absolute visual feast. Each fight had its own unique style, ensuring the audience would never grow bored.
Moreover, with King Arthur and Lancelot as the protagonists of this particular clash, there was even more to see.
As for the people within the projection, although they lacked the wealth of information available to the outside viewers, they clearly understood that Saber and Berserker knew each other. Thus, they too were eager to see what would happen next.
After a period of intense combat, Saber finally spoke, her voice ringing out over the din of battle. "Lancelot! As a former member of the Knights of the Round Table, do you truly harbor such immense hatred for me?"
"So much so that you would descend in this defiled, maddened form just to kill me? With your qualifications, you would have been far more suited to the Saber class..."
With those words, Lancelot's true identity was officially exposed in the Fourth Holy Grail War.
So much for the "Servants must hide their True Names" rule.
One after another, every Servant who appeared on the first night had their True Name revealed almost immediately.
Aside from Saber and Lancer, whose identities were deduced through mutual probing and calculation, the rest either exposed themselves or were exposed by others, making a mockery of the rule against revealing True Names.
The magi acting as Masters were probably all feeling their stomachs twist into knots. After all, on the very first night, every single Servant who had made an appearance had their identity laid bare.
To be fair, though, none of the Servants who had appeared so far possessed a fatal, obvious weakness like Achilles's heel.
Furthermore, the participants in this Holy Grail War were all extraordinary. Aside from that pretty-faced Lancer, every other Servant was a four-star powerhouse or higher.
The battle raged on. After Saber's words, Lancelot only grew more frenzied. His roars became more hysterical as he assaulted Saber with even greater ferocity.
From beginning to end, Lancelot never managed to speak a single complete sentence. Objectively speaking, the Berserker class usually possesses the highest stats in a Holy Grail War, but it comes at the cost of their sanity.
Saber was caught in a state of helplessness and inner conflict. This was the first time since her appearance in the projections that she had shown such a troubled side. No matter the situation before, she had always remained composed. Even when the King of Heroes displayed his overwhelming power, she had been shocked but had never lost her composure.
The camera shifted, and Saber's conflicted expression was reflected in the King of Heroes' pupils. A smile of pure ecstasy spread across the arrogant, golden king's face. He completely closed the golden ripples of his treasury, crossed his arms, and stood high above, watching the spectacle.
It seemed that the troubled expression on the noble Knight-King's face was the most magnificent scenery for this king, awakening his inner agent of chaos completely.