I'm Not A Master, I'm A Director
Chapter 447: The Spear of Benevolence — Gáe Bolg
Cú Chulainn's side had already secured victory, but the battle between Mash and Arturia Alter was a completely different story.
You couldn't even say the King of Knights was overwhelming Mash.
This was outright bullying.
"Uwaah...!"
The black knight's sword crashed down onto the shield once again. Already pushed beyond her limits, Mash could no longer hold on and collapsed to the ground.
"Mash!"
Ritsuka rushed over and helped her up. Earlier, he had tried using the Mystic Code's magecraft to reinforce her with additional mana, but against such an overwhelming gap in power, the extra energy was completely useless.
"How boring."
Seeing that the young girl before her was incapable of displaying the strength worthy of the Round Table, the already short-tempered Alter was genuinely annoyed.
"This time, it's truly over."
Arturia Alter raised her black demonic sword high overhead. Black lightning-like mana began gathering around the blade.
"The magical energy readings are rising! Master, get behind me!"
Sensing the surge of mana, Mash immediately abandoned any thoughts of staying down dramatically like a defeated anime character. Forcing herself upright, she stepped in front of Ritsuka and raised her shield.
"A Noble Phantasm...! She's unleashing her holy sword!"
Unlike the Holy Sword, the demonic sword required far less time to gather magical energy.
"Swallow the light, Excalibur Morgan!"
Arturia Alter released her power without restraint.
The black aurora-like sword swung down.
The Holy Sword that should have shone like starlight no longer radiated brilliance. Instead, it became a torrent of darkness that swallowed all light.
Its terrifying destructive force called to mind the dragon king who had once appeared to protect Britain—Vortigern.
"Ugh...!"
Mash desperately braced her shield against the black flood of magical energy.
Faced with such overwhelming destruction, the young girl—whose heart had not yet fully matured—finally reached her breaking point, both physically and mentally.
I can't do this anymore... It's too terrifying...
Her body trembled.
She felt an irresistible urge to throw away her shield, abandon everything, and run.
I've been afraid since the beginning of this battle...
Afraid. Terrified. Always wanting to escape...
This black torrent that devours everything is just too frightening... How could I possibly withstand it alone?
I can't...
The shield is too heavy... I can't hold it anymore...
Someone...
Please... someone save me—
Crack
The shield, already on the verge of collapse, suddenly shook.
Mash thought that was the end.
But then it steadied once more.
Only then did she realize that someone had appeared beside her and was helping support the shield.
"Sen...pai...?"
It was Fujimaru Ritsuka.
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"Those camera tricks were really impressive."
As one of the film's participants, Arturia knew perfectly well that in the actual filming, the person truly holding back Alter's Noble Phantasm had been Charlemagne.
Mash's actress, Sakura, had only been assisting from the side.
"Don't remind me. When he insisted that Alter use the real Noble Phantasm during filming, I was scared to death," Sakura complained bitterly to Arturia.
"I was terrified that I'd accidentally step outside the shield's protection zone. If that happened, I'd probably spend the rest of my life walking with a cane."
Arturia gave an awkward but polite smile.
"Master wanted that sense of genuine tension, you know... Besides, we had safety measures in place."
"Heh," Sakura let out a cold laugh.
Of course she knew there were safety precautions.
After all, if she got injured, filming would have to stop. Given her older brother's obsession with keeping production on schedule—and making money—there was no way he'd allow that to happen.
But just because you know a roller coaster is safe doesn't mean you won't be scared while riding it.
Likewise, when she stood there facing Alter's Noble Phantasm during filming, she had genuinely been terrified.
"Normal people wouldn't put their little sister through something this dangerous, right? My brother is seriously abnormal."
Fortunately, Shinji—who had recently received a beating from Arturia—had gone off to apply medicine to his bruises.
Otherwise, he would definitely have said:
"Only a little sister can be used for stunts like this."
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Mash, trapped within the story itself, wasn't nearly as fortunate as the real-world Sakura.
Believing herself to be alone, she only realized otherwise when she saw Ritsuka standing beside her without hesitation.
That's right... I have Senpai.
If it's Senpai, then surely he would—
"I don't want that!"
Ritsuka shouted through gritted teeth.
"I don't want to see Mash die...!"
Mash's eyes widened.
Something was wrong.
This boy wasn't the kind of fearless hero who could calmly stand before Heroic Spirits.
So why—
Why was he able to squeeze out the last remnants of courage from the depths of overwhelming fear?
I'm supposed to be the one standing against the enemy...
So why am I having such a cowardly thought—wanting someone else to protect me?
"Stand... up..."
She had to stand.
Even if this body wasn't that of a hero...
Even if she was nothing special...
She, Mash Kyrielight, was still a Servant!
"Use it... Use..."
Her bent knees slowly straightened.
Her hunched back stood tall once more.
"Hm?"
Across from her, Arturia Alter immediately noticed the change.
"My sword is being suppressed?"
The runes at the center of Mash's shield began to shine.
At the same time, the Command Seals on Ritsuka's hand started burning with pain.
Even if it's a counterfeit, it doesn't matter!
Even if it's only for this moment!
If I can't properly wield a hero's power, both Senpai and I will die!
"Death—"
Mash shouted from the depths of her soul.
"—will not be allowed!"
At that moment, Ritsuka and Mash's hearts became one.
Their shared desire to protect each other caused their magical energy to resonate perfectly, intertwining without a single gap.
"The Command Seal has activated... She's able to use her Noble Phantasm?"
Back in Chaldea, Romani Archaman broke into an excited smile.
Their inexperienced Master candidate and half-trained Servant had created a miracle that even he found astonishing.
A massive shield formed from pure white magical energy unfolded before Mash.
Protection and destruction collided.
The two forces crashed against each other, canceling one another out.
And in the end, the black torrent was stopped.
Held completely outside the shield.
Seeing her Noble Phantasm neutralized, even Arturia Alter couldn't hide her shock.
"Impossible! The darkness is being pushed back—!"
Thrust
The tip of a wooden staff suddenly burst through her chest.
While Alter's attention had been completely focused on Mash, someone had pierced straight through her heart.
"You got careless, Saber."
The successful ambusher let out a chuckle.
It was Cú Chulainn.
"Didn't I tell you? I arranged the most suitable matchup."
He twirled the staff lightly.
"This young lady's class isn't one of the standard Seven Servant Classes."
"She's a class that combat-oriented Heroic Spirits can never obtain."
"A Servant of protection—"
"Shielder."
"Hmph..." Arturia Alter snorted.
Then she slowly sank to the ground.
"So you've arrived."
"That means Archer lost."
Although her power far exceeded most Servants, she lacked Cú Chulainn's tenacious vitality, nor did she possess the multiple lives of Heracles.
The moment her heart was pierced, her defeat had already been decided.
"To exhaust oneself pursuing a desired ending... so this is what it looks like."
She gave a self-mocking smile.
"I never expected to burn through all my mana. That person really left behind a troublesome legacy..."
If she hadn't consumed nearly all her magical energy trying to break through Mash's Noble Phantasm, there was no way Cú Chulainn's surprise attack would have succeeded.
"Child of Light of Ireland."
Arturia Alter looked toward him.
"Did you come here specifically to mock me?"
"I don't have hobbies that bad."
Cú Chulainn answered bluntly.
"I just came to finish things."
"...I see."
Arturia Alter glanced at her fading body.
There were no cries of frustration.
No unwillingness.
No complaints.
She simply accepted her ending with surprising calmness.
"Then this is goodbye, Saber."
Cú Chulainn smiled faintly.
"Your heart—I shall take it."
With that, he pulled his staff free.
The black king's body dissolved into particles of light.
And so, Saber was eliminated.
The final victor of the Fuyuki City Holy Grail War was none other than Caster-class Cú Chulainn.
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After Arturia Alter vanished from the television screen, Archer stepped forward and heavily patted Cú Chulainn on the shoulder in congratulations.
"That's rare."
A mischievous grin spread across his face.
"Your spear actually managed to kill an enemy for once."
The veins on Cú Chulainn's forehead immediately twitched.
"You bastard..."
He ground his teeth audibly.
He knew perfectly well this wasn't congratulations.
Archer was absolutely making fun of him.
After all, despite possessing the infamous cursed spear Gáe Bolg, fate had a habit of arranging circumstances where Cú Chulainn's signature weapon either missed, got blocked, was sealed, or simply failed to finish the job.
For Archer, this successful kill was simply too good an opportunity to pass up.
And Cú Chulainn hated that he couldn't even argue with it.
As everyone knows, despite the Fifth Holy Grail War's Servants being absurdly impressive on paper, their actual battle records were... somewhat embarrassing.
Take Rider, for example.
In Greek mythology, she was such a terrifying monster that even the demigod hero Perseus had to rely on a surprise attack to defeat her.
Yet in Fate, this legendary creature was knocked out cold by a random schoolteacher passing by with a single punch.
Then there was Heracles, the greatest hero of Greek mythology.
A man who completed the Twelve Labors and became a symbol of heroic might.
And somehow he ended up suffering the infamous "one sword, seven lives" plot-induced defeat.
Of course, when it came to bullying mythological figures, Nasu wasn't content with targeting only Greek mythology.
The heroes of Celtic mythology weren't spared either.
Take Gáe Bolg, the legendary cursed spear said to be absolutely unavoidable.
The Noble Phantasm that gave Cú Chulainn the iconic line:
"Your heart is mine."
And yet, across all three routes of Fate/stay night, the only heart it ever successfully pierced belonged to was Cú Chulainn himself.
Kirei's heart didn't count, considering he'd already lost it long ago.
"What a merciful spear," Archer continued mercilessly.
"Cú Chulainn, is that beloved red spear of yours trying to accumulate good karma so it can have a better reincarnation in its next life?"
"Where the hell did that nightmare of a joke come from?!" Cú Chulainn shot back irritably.
Sure, his spear might have been a mass-produced model made by that old hag, but it had still accompanied him through countless years as a trusted partner.
There was no way he was going to sit quietly while someone called it the 'Spear of Kindness.'
"I'm just stating facts."
Archer shrugged.
"A guaranteed-hit spear whose only confirmed kill in FSN was its own wielder?"
"If that isn't dark comedy, what is?"
"You bow-wielding bastard...!"
The veins on Cú Chulainn's forehead bulged as he clenched his fists.
At that moment, Shinji—acting as Master and apparently determined to make things worse—delivered the finishing blow.
"Don't take it too hard, Cú Chulainn."
He patted Cú Chulainn's shoulder sympathetically.
"But when it comes to stabbing you, your spear has never let anyone down."
Silence.
Cú Chulainn's eye twitched.
Then another.
"Master."
His smile looked increasingly dangerous.
"Your face is still swollen from Saber beating you up."
"Maybe stop trying so hard to get yourself killed."
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Tn: I updated the story once every 2 days, but if you want to see more chapter of this story ahead of time, please go to my Patreon.
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