As the saying goes, courtesy demands reciprocity.
Since Heracles had unleashed his Noble Phantasm, Artoria wasn't about to hold back, responding with her own in kind.
Unfortunately for Heracles, he lacked the ability to foresee the future, and Artoria's Noble Phantasm struck just as he was recovering from his own.
The timing was impeccable.
Heracles had no chance to dodge, taking the full brunt of Artoria's Noble Phantasm.
A radiant beam pierced through his body in an instant.
"No!!!"
Illya, witnessing this, couldn't help but cry out.
This Heracles wasn't summoned as a Berserker, lacking the Twelve Labors Noble Phantasm.
He only had one life.
Pierced by Artoria's Noble Phantasm, his Saint Graph shattered instantly, his body beginning to dissolve into motes of light, fading into the air bit by bit.
Before vanishing completely, he glanced back at Illya, a flicker of guilt in his eyes.
"I'm sorry, Illya…"
When summoned by Illya, he had promised to help her win this Holy Grail War, but it seemed he was about to break that promise.
This Holy Grail War was indeed filled with monsters.
With those final words, Heracles vanished.
Illya, overcome with grief, broke into sobs. "Heracles, Heracles, come back, please come back!"
Well, this is awkward…
Seeing Illya's heartbreak, Morpheus couldn't help but feel a twinge of guilt. Was he bullying a kid by doing this?
Whatever, time to go.
Having dealt with Heracles, Morpheus dispelled the domain and left with Artoria and Scathach.
From Kirei Kotomine's memories, he had learned that the participants in this Holy Grail War, besides himself and Kirei, included Illya, Rin Tohsaka, and Sakura Matou.
The remaining two participants hadn't reported to the Church, so Kirei didn't know their identities.
But Morpheus had a hunch.
Given the circumstances, this was likely the Fifth Holy Grail War.
That meant one of the remaining two was probably Emiya Shirou.
Not the Counter Guardian Emiya, but the still-living Emiya Shirou.
So, Morpheus and his group headed to the Emiya residence.
Sure enough, as they arrived, they heard the clanging sounds of combat coming from within.
Morpheus, Artoria, and Scathach leaped onto the wall.
In the Emiya courtyard, two Servants were locked in battle.
One was a young woman wielding an invisible longsword, clad in blue armor with golden hair.
Her appearance was identical to Artoria's—down to the last detail.
There was no doubt—this was none other than Artoria.
But this was Saber Artoria.
The other was a petite female warrior in rather revealing clothing, clearly a native Japanese hero.
After a few glances, Morpheus recognized her identity.
Ushiwakamaru, also known as the legendary Minamoto no Yoshitsune, a figure as renowned in Japan as Oda Nobunaga.
Ushiwakamaru was merely her childhood name.
Why were these two fighting?
Curious, Morpheus didn't intervene immediately, choosing instead to observe from the sidelines.
Artoria's strength needed no introduction. While Saber Artoria wasn't as powerful as Lancer Artoria, she was still a formidable combatant. Yet, in her clash with Ushiwakamaru, she couldn't gain the slightest advantage.
Ushiwakamaru, however, wasn't dominating either.
The two were evenly matched, locked in a fierce stalemate.
Emiya Shirou, watching from the side, was at a loss for how to intervene. Fortunately, he knew better than to hinder Saber Artoria and stayed silent.
The battle between Saber Artoria and Ushiwakamaru reached a fever pitch.
It seemed as though each was solely focused on the other, leaving an opening for Morpheus to launch a sneak attack and take them both out.
But such a dishonorable act wasn't his style, nor would his Servants stoop to it.
Bang!
At that moment, a sharp sound rang out.
A gunshot.
Morpheus clearly saw a bullet streak from a distance, crossing space to target Emiya Shirou.
What the heck?
Who was using a gun in the Holy Grail War? That was even less honorable than him! The technique, the approach—it reeked of Kiritsugu Emiya's style.
For Emiya's sake under his command, Morpheus cast a defensive spell on Emiya Shirou.
Iron Skin.
In an instant, Emiya Shirou's skin became tougher than steel. The bullet struck him but failed to penetrate.
Instead, it let out a dull thud and flattened into a metal disc.
Following the bullet's trajectory, Morpheus looked toward its source.
On a building two kilometers away.
Morpheus spotted a sniper lying prone.
The sniper wore a black coat and a black fedora, the hat and bangs obscuring most of their face. A cigarette dangled from their lips, their skin pale, with long silver hair.
That look was all too familiar.
Good grief, wasn't that Gin from the Black Organization?
Instead of dealing with traitors in his organization, why was he participating in the Holy Grail War—and as Ushiwakamaru's Master, no less?
Had the Black Organization abandoned its scientific pursuits for a mystical path?
Were they banking on the Holy Grail for immortality?
If it was an untainted Holy Grail, that might actually be possible. But a corrupted Grail couldn't achieve that.
Oh, the Black Organization didn't know the Grail was corrupted.
Never mind, then.
The sniper attack on Emiya Shirou quickly alerted the battling Saber Artoria and Ushiwakamaru.
Saber Artoria, without hesitation, forced Ushiwakamaru back and rushed to Emiya Shirou's side. "Master, are you alright?"
Emiya Shirou glanced at the bullet on the ground, shaking his head. "I'm fine, Saber. Someone saved me."
Saber Artoria glanced at Ushiwakamaru, scolding, "That was despicable, attacking a Master!"
Though Ushiwakamaru felt a twinge of shame, she couldn't help defending her Master.
"You're too naïve, Saber. This is war—anything goes to secure victory."
Saber Artoria was momentarily at a loss for words. After all, war was about winning, and using underhanded tactics wasn't entirely unjustifiable.
Besides, it wasn't Ushiwakamaru who attacked Emiya Shirou, but her Master.
Servant against Servant, Master against Master—no issue there.
The only thing puzzling Saber Artoria was who had saved her Master.
***
Bonus Chapter:
100 Power Stones = 1 BC
300 Power Stones = 2 BC
500 Power Stones = 3 BC
700 Power Stones = 4 BC
1000 Power Stones = 5 BC
***
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