Lancer feinted Saber with a clean, graceful motion, then leapt back.
The handsome man frowned. "How strange… what exactly is the true form of your sword?"
A teasing smile curved the blonde girl's lips. "Who knows? What could it be?"
Saber concealed her weapon with her skill, "Invisible Air (Barrier of the Wind King)," granting her a significant advantage in close combat.
Lancer couldn't see the invisible blade in her hand or determine its length, so he could only try to stay just outside her attack range.
Although he remained completely uninjured, the repeated failure of his attacks began to stir unease in the battle-hardened knight.
It wasn't just the difficulty in judging distance. From each clash with Saber's weapon, Lancer sensed something strange—as if he wasn't crossing blades with a sword at all, but with something… thick and blunt?
"Though there's no real honor to speak of in a duel where neither of us knows the other's True Name—"
Lancer addressed Saber.
The twin spears in his hands radiated killing intent, yet his eyes remained calm and untroubled.
"Still, accept my praise. To have fought this long without shedding even a drop of sweat… even as a woman, you're truly impressive."
"You don't need to be so reserved, Lancer."
The sword-bearing girl replied calmly.
"I may not know your True Name, but your skill is exceptional as well. Praise from a warrior of your caliber is an honor—I'll accept it with gratitude."
The two knights, unaware of each other's true identities, exchanged mutual respect—
"The game ends here, Lancer."
A cold male voice cut in. It was Lancer's Master, concealed in the shadows.
"Don't drag this battle out any longer. That Saber is a formidable opponent. Finish her quickly. I permit you to use your Noble Phantasm."
At those words, Saber's expression didn't change, but Lancer's relaxed demeanor vanished. His presence sharpened, his stance shifting completely.
He cast aside the short spear and released the seal on the long one.
The crimson spear, overflowing with Mana, revealed itself beneath the moonlight.
"—You heard him. From here on, I'll be fighting seriously."
Declaring that he hadn't been going all out until now, Lancer gripped the crimson spear with both hands and slowly closed the distance with Saber.
In the next instant, he launched his attack.
Compared to the fluid, almost divine spearwork from before, this thrust was straightforward—almost deceptively simple.
He no longer guarded against the hidden weapon beneath "Invisible Air," abandoning defense entirely.
Saber took a defensive stance, raising the invisible sword in her hand to block.
Then, at the moment sword and spear collided—the Sword Maiden's "Invisible Air" should have been forcibly dispelled, revealing the blade concealed within.
That was how it should have gone.
"What!?"
Lancer, knocked back by Saber's sheer force, barely managed to steady himself, his eyes wide with shock.
The Noble Phantasm he wielded, "Gáe Dearg: Crimson Rose of Exorcism," could sever Mana upon contact with an opponent's weapon.
It lacked overwhelming destructive power, but in close combat, its effect was exceptional.
No matter how much Mana an enemy weapon contains, the moment it touches the spear's tip, its magical effects are completely severed.
Under normal circumstances, Saber's "Invisible Air" should have been dispelled… yet it wasn't.
There was only one explanation.
Saber's sword possessed a Mystery far beyond that of the crimson spear.
Lancer showed no discouragement after his failed strike. If anything, his fighting spirit burned even brighter.
There was no doubt. His opponent was a powerful foe who surpassed him.
In that case…
The crimson spear in Lancer's hand surged with even greater power.
"Drill! Gáe Dearg!"
Lancer turned into a streak of light, roaring as he released the True Name of his Noble Phantasm.
"Gáe Dearg: Crimson Rose of Exorcism," a demonic spear known as the "Noble Phantasm Killer."
At the cost of exposing his identity as a Servant, the spear's power surged far beyond its previous thrust, its Mystery climbing to new heights.
This time, Lancer aimed not only to pierce through "Invisible Air," but to punch straight through Saber's Mana armor.
Yet the outcome he envisioned still failed to materialize.
Saber once again used the invisible sword as a shield, completely negating the Mana-disrupting effect of the crimson spear.
"I see it now, the true nature of this sword!"
Lancer shouted.
"It's not just meant to conceal itself, it's a blade specialized for defense… in that case!"
With its True Name released, the demonic spear transformed into a storm of crimson, countless thrusts raining down toward Saber.
In pure speed, Lancer held the advantage, and now he pressed it, unleashing a relentless barrage.
Any Servant would be overwhelmed under these strikes.
Any Noble Phantasm would collapse under this relentless assault that shattered Magecraft.
At last, the wind barrier surrounding the blonde girl was torn apart, revealing what lay beneath.
"Lancer, I can feel your resolve…"
A flash followed her words.
"In return, I'll show you my full strength!"
A burst of golden starlight erupted from within the gale, piercing through the chaotic crimson storm.
From the girl's hand surged an overwhelming torrent of Mana, blasting everything around her away.
Power beyond all reason.
Even without releasing its True Name, a single swing of the star-forged Holy Sword effortlessly shattered the "Noble Phantasm Killer" Lancer took pride in.
The outcome was decided.
Lancer collapsed silently onto the ground dozens of meters away.
Though the First Spear Of The Knights Of Fianna had staked everything he had, he failed to inflict even the slightest injury on Saber.
All he had managed, even at the cost of everything, was to force the Holy Sword wielder's invisible blade to reveal itself beneath the moonlight.
"..."
Every Magus watching the duel stood frozen, eyes wide.
Even as they were shaken by Saber's overwhelming strength, they realized something even more astonishing—what the girl held in her hand was not a blade overflowing with starlight.
As the wind-bound sheath dispersed, what emerged was an exquisitely crafted golden scabbard.
Its name was "Avalon."
The ultimate defense of this world, untouchable and unreachable even by the Five True Magics.
Tonight, from beginning to end, Saber had been fighting using the scabbard.
And among all those who witnessed this duel, only one person wasn't drawn to the EX-ranked Noble Phantasm in the Sword Maiden's hand, but instead fixed his gaze on her face.
Shirou stared blankly into the crystal ball, murmuring the girl's True Name (?) in a daze.
"Is it you… Morgan."