"Sakura, do you really understand what you're asking?"
"Of course I do... that's why I have to do it."
Questioned by Kariya, Sakura merely shook her head, her expression one of chilling indifference.
"Berserker isn't an ordinary Servant," Kariya said, squatting down to meet her eye level, his voice laced with anxiety. "He is incredibly powerful, which means he requires an immense amount of magical energy. Once the fighting starts, your body simply won't be able to provide enough to sustain him."
"It's okay," Sakura replied, her voice soft but filled with an unshakeable certainty. "Berserker is the strongest. Even without me providing magical energy, he is enough to win."
To Kariya, this sounded like the blind trust of a child who didn't understand the physical toll of being a Master. But for Sakura Matou, it wasn't born of ignorance.
She knew the truth. Berserker possessed a unique and powerful trait: Out-of-Combat Recovery.
When he wasn't actively engaged in battle, his body would automatically regenerate both its physical wounds and its stores of magical energy. Even if he sustained catastrophic injuries, once he disengaged, he would return to his absolute peak in less than ten seconds.
This was why Sakura, despite her age and limited magical capacity, wasn't being drained of her life force. Berserker's ambient recovery meant that in his daily state, he required almost zero expenditure from her. Even in the heat of battle, he possessed enough "reserve power" to act independently for significant periods.
The only drawback was his decreased endurance during prolonged, high-intensity combat—he couldn't spam large-scale Noble Phantasms indefinitely. But that was a trivial concern. As long as he could retreat for a handful of seconds, he would be fully restored.
As his Master, Sakura only needed to maintain her own mental stability. This was the source of her unwavering confidence.
...
Bang!!
"Tch... I failed?"
Jonouchi gritted his teeth as he dodged a sudden strike, watching Lancer land gracefully before him. He had gambled everything on a single Spell Card, but it seemed his luck had finally run out.
"Hey! I won't let you get away that easily again!"
Kyoko Sakura watched Jonouchi dive for cover, her eyes narrowing as she prepared her "Magic."
Rossa Phantasma!
In an instant, her figure blurred and split. In Jonouchi's startled vision, a dozen identical warriors now surrounded him.
"Clones?!! Are you kidding me?!" Jonouchi shouted, his panic reaching a fever pitch. He glanced at the three remaining Set cards on his Duel Disk, then turned and bolted.
"Don't even think about running!"
Kyoko sent seven of her clones racing after him, her voice ringing out across the battlefield. After Caster's control had broken, she had immediately pivoted back to her original target.
The magic circle Caster had placed on her was still pulsing, a constant, annoying thrum against her skin. It was still restricting her ability to use her spear for direct combat, which was why she was relying so heavily on her magical constructs.
Damn it... the controlling spell is gone, but this branding persists?
It was a major headache. For a spearwoman like her, having her primary weapon effectively sealed was like fighting with both hands tied behind her back. It was an unacceptable vulnerability.
She had to catch Caster and force him to lift the seal. She couldn't afford to wander Fuyuki with such a massive handicap, not when other Servants were likely lurking in the shadows.
No matter what, Caster was going down.
...
Clang! Bang!
Kenshin parried a strike from Saber, but her followup was too fast; her blade grazed his arm. In response, he lunged forward, slamming the scabbard of his broken sword into her shoulder with the force of a hammer.
"Tch..."
Saber let out a pained groan and was forced to retreat several paces. She looked at the man before her, unable to hide her admiration for his incredible combat instincts.
"Even with a shattered blade, you fight with the grace of a master," she said, her voice filled with sincere respect. "That lethal, disciplined swordsmanship... you must have been a legendary figure in this land during your lifetime."
Through her mental link with Kiritsugu, Saber had begun to piece together Assassin's identity.
A cross-shaped scar on the left cheek... Mastery of a local style...
He was clearly a local hero, though she couldn't yet pin down the exact era.
"I am nothing more than an executioner who lurks in the shadows," Kenshin replied, his voice neutral. He settled back into his stance, his focus absolute.
He cared nothing for his place in history. In fact, he took a strange comfort in the fact that Kirei Kotomine's modern history books held no record of "Himura Battousai." It was a double-edged sword, but one he welcomed.
"This time, I will be the one to end this," Saber declared, her grip tightening on her invisible blade.
"..."
Kenshin didn't bother to reply. He merely glanced at the shallow wound on his arm, watching as it began to knit together before his eyes.
Is this the power of the divine scabbard? he wondered. The legendary Avalon, held by the King of Knights?
Kirei had told him of his opponent's true name: Artoria Pendragon. Facing a King of such renown and overwhelming power was a new experience for Kenshin, one that made him acutely aware of his own limitations.
I am still not strong enough...
This was the harsh lesson the Holy Grail War had taught him. The techniques he had perfected during the Bakumatsu were elite among men, but they were struggling to hold their own against the legends of the world.
When necessary, you are authorized to use your Noble Phantasm to eliminate Assassin, Kiritsugu's voice echoed in Saber's mind.
Kiritsugu was determined to finish this. He wanted Kirei Kotomine dead, and that meant his Servant had to fall.
Saber prepared herself. She would use her ultimate technique. The Holy Sword would end this duel once and for all.
"While I have struggled to defeat you in a direct exchange of blades... what comes next will be different."
Faint golden motes of light began to dance in the air around her, a visible manifestation of her rising power.
"!"
Kenshin felt a sudden, icy chill. He didn't know what was coming, but he knew he couldn't allow her to finish it. He kicked off the ground, closing the distance between them with every ounce of speed he possessed.
'He truly is a marvel...' Saber thought as she watched him move. 'Among all the warriors I have ever faced, your speed and precision are truly unparalleled.'
'But against this... it is not enough.'
She raised the Holy Sword high, the golden light intensifying until it was blinding.
Excalibur!!
The "Anti-Fortress Noble Phantasm"—the absolute peak of her power.
"Ex—"
She began to shout the name, the aurora of light coalescing around the blade.
BOOM!!
An earth-shattering tremor tore through the battlefield, interrupting the duel and sending a massive shockwave across the area.
The ground buckled and cracked. Both Saber and Kenshin were forced to break their focus just to stay on their feet.
"What now?!" Saber shouted, her eyes narrowing as the dust began to settle.
As the smoke cleared, a massive, imposing figure emerged from the crater. Clad in pitch-black, jagged armor and wielding a greatsword that radiated pure malice, the newcomer stood like a Demon King amidst the ruins.
Kenshin's eyes widened as he recognized the terrifying presence.
"Berserker!"