"!"
Saber suddenly snapped out of her inner turmoil, then found herself staring blankly at Shirou Amamiya's face again.
"Hesitation and confusion do not suit a king. At the very least, they should not be shown in front of others."
Shirou looked straight into those emerald eyes and asked, "Was I wrong?"
"...No."
Artoria stared blankly at the red-haired boy before her, unable to answer for a moment.
He looked so young, yet his gaze carried a startling intensity.
Under that gaze, Saber even felt as if all her armor and underclothes had been stripped away, as though everything about her had been laid bare before him without the slightest concealment.
It was because he had seen through her that he could say those words.
[A king should not reveal hesitation or confusion in front of others.]
That had once been Saber's rule for herself in life.
Now, as Irisviel's Servant in pursuit of the Holy Grail, her mindset leaned more toward that of a [knight] than a [king].
That was why, just for a moment, she had forgotten the resolve she had upheld as a king.
In the end, it was Shirou who reminded her of something even she herself had forgotten.
Artoria thought quietly to herself that this child seemed to understand everything about her.
And yet...
No one had ever truly understood her when she was alive.
The retainers who fought at her side never knew her sex.
Her blood-related sister and son had turned against her.
The Magus who guided her onto this path did not understand human emotion.
From beginning to end, Artoria had always been alone.
But now.
For the first time, Artoria felt that she had found someone who understood her.
Her gaze shifted back and forth between the red-haired boy and the black Holy Sword.
Even after searching every corner of her memory, she could not find a single impression of Shirou.
There was no doubt that today really was their first meeting.
His identity was still highly suspicious, and yet...
The courage and encouragement rising in her chest right now were undeniably real.
Artoria straightened her expression and said, "I'm sorry you had to see such an unsightly side of me."
"Are you all right now, Saber?"
Shirou's question was almost unnecessary.
The hesitation and confusion on Saber's face were already gone, replaced by her usual dignity and confidence.
She gave a firm nod. "Thank you. Thanks to your encouragement, I feel much better now.
"From here on, I will make up for my earlier mistakes, and for the damage I caused to your honor, through my actions.
"Shirou, would you be willing to put our past grievances aside for now and fight alongside me once again?"
"Yeah. I'm looking forward to fighting beside you again too, Saber."
That was the truth.
Although she was not Morgan, Shirou did not feel disappointed. If anything, he felt much more at ease.
Now he could throw himself back into the Holy Grail War without distraction.
And...
To say he was not attracted to Saber at all would be a lie.
It had nothing to do with that face.
That silver-blue figure from that night, and that flash of golden swordlight, still held a place in Shirou's heart even now.
The me of Proper Human History [Arthur]...
He had thought she would be a man among men, a knight among knights, and never expected her to be such a beautiful and dignified girl.
Shirou himself was filled with complicated feelings.
At that moment, the silver-haired homunculus who had been left off to the side, breathing in the cold air while the two of them burned with intensity, finally spoke in a sour voice.
"Saber looked like she wanted to eat Shirou alive."
"...What?!"
Artoria's cheeks instantly flushed red. "Please don't say things that could be so easily misunderstood, Irisviel!"
"Saber's face is so red~ So you do think Shirou is cute too, right?"
"He is very cute... but! That's a completely different matter!"
Shirou quietly watched as Saber was mercilessly teased by her Master, and even his cold expression softened a little.
[Oh my... could it be that my Master has fallen for Saber-san?]
Shirou took a deep breath. [Avalon-nee-san, you were trying to mislead me into thinking Saber was Morgan, weren't you?
We'll settle this properly after we get back.]
[...Uwah!!!]
The female Magus's miserable scream echoed through the boy's mind.
"It's about time to get ready for battle. That monster is heading for the city."
That was addressed both to Lady Avalon and to Saber.
Artoria nodded firmly. "Understood, Shirou. Let's go together."
Shirou drew Excalibur Morgan and at the same time felt Lady Avalon's Mana flowing into his body through the path connecting the two of them.
The previous battle, along with the [Vortigern: Hammer of the Vile King], had drained Shirou's Mana dry. From here on, he would have to rely on Lady Avalon's supply.
This was the battle plan they had worked out in advance. In the middle of combat, they would temporarily switch to a state where Avalon supplied the Mana.
Shirou put the skull mask back on. At the same time, he glanced from the corner of his eye at the black-and-red modified Command Spell on the back of his hand, already forming a plan.
Just then, a new voice rang out.
"King of Knights, did something good happen tonight? You look so relieved that even I'm starting to feel jealous."
"Lancer!"
A dark green figure with a bold, gallant bearing appeared within the dense fog of the forest.
The moment they saw the handsome man holding twin spears, both Saber and Irisviel looked utterly stunned.
"Why are you..."
Lancer smiled. "Were you about to say that Diarmuid should have died beneath your Holy Sword the night before last?
If that's all you think, then I'm afraid I'll have to be disappointed in the legendary King of Knights."
Saber shook her head. "No..."
Lancer stood there brimming with Mana, his expression easy and relaxed as he said, "I'm not someone who can be brought down that easily.
I have now found a lord worthy of my service, and with the help of Lord El-Melloi II, I have returned from the brink of death."
Saber did not show much on her face, but inwardly she was deeply shocked.
Back then, Lancer had indeed avoided a fatal wound through [Mind's Eye], but those injuries were absolutely not the sort that could fully heal in only one day and one night.
Naturally, Lancer noticed Saber's reaction as well.
He raised the spear in his left hand and pointed its tip straight at the blonde knight as he spoke.
"What has carried me this far is my resolve to cross blades with you again, King of Knights.
Until I fight you once more and settle everything between us completely, I will not fall.
But for now, let us call a temporary truce. There is still an evil enemy before us, one that runs counter to the chivalry we uphold and must be put down."
"!"
Hearing that, Artoria nodded in agreement. "Understood. I am ready to fight you again at any time, Lancer.
But that will have to wait until after we deal with that monster. Until then, let us fight side by side."
"Wow! It's Diarmuid! We're saved!"
Irisviel looked delighted at the arrival of this new addition to their forces, and the King of Knights herself was filled with complicated emotions.
In this summoning, she had not only gained the best Master, Irisviel, and the best companion, Shirou, but also the best rival.
There was truly nothing more she could ask for. Perhaps she really was the one favored by heaven. All that remained now was to give it everything she had.
But...
Just as Saber's chest filled with fighting spirit, and her Master rejoiced at the arrival of a new ally...
Only Shirou, staring at the lancer's figure, frowned slightly.
[Master, something is off about Lancer.]
[Yeah, I know.]
That day, Shirou had secretly infiltrated the Hyatt Hotel and happened to witness the entire process of Lancer abandoning his chivalry under the effect of the Command Spell, then turning into a vicious demon under the influence of the wish-granting machine.
The foul aura Diarmuid gave off then was nothing like the nauseatingly handsome man standing before them now.
Had Lancer somehow changed back after that?
As if. Shirou did not believe in fairy tales like that.
"Saber, who is this?"
Lancer had noticed the boy in Hassan-style clothing staring fixedly at him.
Lady Avalon's perception-blocking Magecraft was working perfectly, so he could not tell anything about him.
"Ah, he is..."
Shirou cut in before she could finish. "Who I am isn't important. What's important is dealing with the enemy in front of us first."
With a single sentence, he made it clear that he was not some child who had been dragged into this by accident, but someone capable of fighting, and that he had no intention of revealing too much.
Lancer paused for a moment, then walked up to Shirou and held out his hand.
"A pleasure to meet you."
Shirou did not take it. He only gave a small nod.
Lancer did not seem embarrassed by the cold response. He merely shrugged with a helpless look.
"All right, then let's get to the point. Could you give me a brief explanation of the situation?"
Saber quickly explained the situation to Lancer.
When he heard that Caster had already been eliminated by Saber and the boy in black working together, the handsome man's brow twitched slightly.
"I see. I've got the situation now, but have you discussed any plan for how to bring that monster down?"
Lancer asked the question while staring at the dark green figure writhing in the night fog.
Saber replied, "Before you arrived, we had already fought its split bodies, so we have a fairly good grasp of how this otherworldly monster behaves.
If my guess is correct, the monster's main body should possess terrifying regenerative abilities.
As long as it isn't dealt a fatal blow, it will keep producing new limbs without end. Even if it takes damage, it will likely recover in the very next second."
She paused for a moment.
"If we want to defeat this monster, we have to destroy it all at once, leaving not even a scrap of flesh behind.
My Anti-Fortress Noble Phantasm can eliminate that monster in a single strike."
"...An Anti-Fortress Noble Phantasm."
Lancer narrowed his eyes.
That was unexpected information.
So Saber had been hiding an Anti-Fortress Noble Phantasm all along?
No, if that flash of the holy sword that defeated him before were judged to be an anti-fortress Noble Phantasm upon the release of its True Name, there would be nothing strange about it.
"Although my Noble Phantasm is enough to destroy that monster, I still need the two of you to assist me.
It's currently moving toward an area where the residents are gathered, so we have to lure it away from there first."
"I see. I understand what you mean, Saber."
Lancer gave a sharp nod. "Leave the task of luring the sea demons to me. You can deliver the killing blow."
Saber nodded, then asked in puzzlement, "How do you plan to do that?"
No matter how outstanding a warrior Diarmuid was, he should not have had any easy answer for a monster dozens of meters tall.
"...As for that."
Lancer smiled. "Watch carefully with your own eyes, King of Knights.
I'll head over first. You wait here for my signal, then release your Noble Phantasm."
After saying that, Lancer turned to Irisviel and extended a hand to her.
"This may only be a temporary alliance, but I look forward to working with you, Saber's Master."
"Yes, thank you very much for your help, Lancer."
Irisviel nodded with a solemn expression, then reached out and took the handsome man's hand.
At that exact moment, a deep crimson demonic sword appeared in Diarmuid's right palm.
It happened so suddenly that no one, including Saber, had time to react. Even her [Instinct] was not all-powerful.
"...Huh?"
Irisviel stared blankly as the deep crimson demonic sword stabbed toward her heart.
The name of that demonic sword was [Moralltach].
If one had to choose the strongest weapon among the many arms used by Diarmuid Ua Duibhne, then without question, it would be this demonic sword.
This demonic blade, given to Diarmuid's foster father by Manannán, the sea god of Celtic mythology, was said to be capable of killing every enemy on the battlefield who stood against its wielder with a single slash.
[Certain kill in one strike, certain victory in the opening blow.]
Once drawn, the demonic sword would grant Diarmuid certain victory and bestow certain death upon his enemy, Irisviel.
"Slash!!!!"
A spray of blood burst into bloom like a flower in the night fog, staining the ground red.
"Irisviel!"
Saber cried out in panic, but...
The one spurting blood was not Irisviel. It was Lancer, the one who had launched the sneak attack.
"Hey, kid... when exactly did you notice...?"
The handsome man staggered several steps backward, glaring viciously at the boy standing between him and Saber's Master.
Just moments ago, right as Lancer had been about to succeed and the red demonic sword was about to pierce Irisviel, Shirou had suddenly rushed between them and slashed him.
This was Shirou's specialty: launching a sudden attack at the very moment the enemy thought victory was already theirs.
It had been like that in his kendo match with Fuji-nee, like that when he cut Caster's hand, and it was the same now.
It was certainly an effective way of fighting, but there was no way to say it did not also contain at least a little bit of a nasty streak.
"I thought I could cut you in half just now. [Mind's Eye] again... What an annoying skill."
Shirou, who also possessed [Mind's Eye (True)], kept a calm face.
Too shallow...
In truth, this was only a bluff. He had never believed Diarmuid would go down from that level of attack.
"Lancer! What is the meaning of this?! Why did you attack Irisviel?!"
Saber gripped her sword in both hands, took up a stance, and shouted her demand.
"Hm?"
Lancer tilted his head and gave Saber a contemptuous look.
"Why? Obviously because I want to get rid of an eyesore like you. Isn't killing the Master the most effective method?"
"Wh..."
Saber was struck speechless.
She could not imagine words like that coming out of the mouth of that noble lancer knight.
Wait. Was he really Lancer?
At that moment, a black-green boar hide overflowing with fierce demonic energy appeared in the handsome man's hand.
"Lancer, that is...!"
Lancer bared his teeth in a savage grin.
As everyone knew, Diarmuid had died during the hunt for a demonic boar in life.
However, the one who truly killed him was not the demonic boar.
Even if it had been the reincarnation of his half-brother, a mere demonic beast would still not have been enough to kill this hero.
What truly killed him was a [Geis].
It should be known that even the great hero of Celtic mythology, Cú Chulainn, the Child of Light, bore only three [Geis] throughout his entire life.
But the tragic hero Diarmuid carried more than ten Geis over the course of his life.
Princess Gráinne, daughter of King Cormac, once used a [Geis] to force Diarmuid to elope with her at her wedding.
That led to a falling-out between Diarmuid and his lord Fionn, and forced him to spend the next sixteen years on the run.
There were many other Geis besides that, such as:
[You must not refuse an invitation from a companion.]
[You must join the hunt whenever you hear hounds barking.]
[You must not hunt boars.]
[You will die by a boar.]
That's right...
Diarmuid's lord used those four Geis to cleverly arrange his death.
A [Geis] is an absolutely inescapable fate. Even the greatest of heroes are no exception.
Yet because of that absolute binding force and weight of destiny, a Geis can also grant a warrior incomparable power.
The more Geis one carries, the greater the [power] one obtains.
The more contradictory the rules of those Geis are, the more terrifying the [power] becomes.
Diarmuid, who spent his entire life bound by Geis, completely cast aside his faith as a knight...
And with the hide of a demonic boar draped over himself as a symbol, he twisted the power of those Geis into a horrifying form of demonic corruption.
"How can this be..."
Saber was stunned.
At the same time, the wound Shirou had inflicted on Lancer with his reversed holy sword had already healed completely.
But it did not look like healing Magecraft at all. It looked more like a monster's regeneration, just like the tentacled creatures she had cut down moments ago.
"Lancer, what exactly are you...?"
"His Class is still Lancer, but his Spirit Origin has already been twisted beyond recognition."
Shirou stared expressionlessly at the handsome man as he underwent his grotesque change, repeating Lady Avalon's whisper in his ear.
"As he is now, calling him an Avenger would not be inaccurate."
"Avenger...!?"
The one who spoke in that shocked, trembling voice was Irisviel.
Her reaction was only natural.
After all, sixty years ago, during the Third Holy Grail War, the Einzberns had once summoned a Heroic Spirit of the Avenger Class.
According to the records, it had been absurdly weak. In fact, it was because of that Servant that the homunculus faction had been eliminated so early. It could even be called the greatest disgrace of Acht's life.
And yet the Lancer before her completely overturned Irisviel's understanding that [Avengers are weak].
How was that even possible...? In terms of raw parameters and magical energy alone, he was already on the same level as Saber!
If Artoria was a red dragon in the form of a young girl, then Diarmuid, now clad in the hide of a demonic boar, was a cursed divine beast that could no longer maintain human form.
"Heh, so you saw through it...? I should've stopped pretending sooner. Just acting like [Diarmuid] for one more second is enough to make me sick."
Dark mist poured off Lancer's body, and his once handsome face twisted into something savage and hideous.
"That's right. Just as you said, my Spirit Origin has changed.
But don't get the wrong idea. This isn't distortion. It's evolution.
So this is what the world looks like after casting away chivalry. So even breathing can feel this exhilarating?"
In his current half-demonic state, Diarmuid could now do the same thing as Saber. With a single breath, he could take in a vast amount of magical energy.
"Lancer! Get a hold of yourself!"
"I feel fantastic right now, more fulfilled than ever before! You're the one who needs to wake up, Saber!"
Lancer's voice echoed like something rising from the depths of hell.
"You, and that shameless lecherous Son of God, Fionn mac Cumhaill...
How could people like you, who were born with power from the very start, ever understand the heart of an ordinary man!?
I devoted my whole life to martial skill, only to find that in the end I still could not surpass the bloodlines you were born with.
Now I finally understand. Chivalry was never worth a damn. Power alone is the only truth in this world.
That brat just called me an Avenger? Ah, maybe that's true...
If you want to know what I seek revenge against...
Saber, it isn't you. It's the hypocrisy called [chivalry]."
"..."
Saber's expression twisted.
"Hmph... how laughable, King of Knights."
Lancer sneered.
"Does it pain you that much to see someone weaker than you gain power?"
"I never thought any such thing..."
"Your face gave you away. That's the look of jealousy."
The demonic Diarmuid let out a scornful laugh.
"No matter how carefully you hide it, it won't change a thing... Kid, let me finish talking."
Black light and surging magical energy flooded the midnight forest.
Before Lancer could finish speaking, Shirou swung his sword at him without a word.
Yet the demonic Diarmuid merely raised his right arm and blocked the strike.
"I'd been wondering about this for a while now."
Lancer frowned as he swung his deep crimson demonic sword, knocking Shirou flying.
"You brat... aren't you the same kind of creature as me?"
The demonic Diarmuid stared at the only part visible through Shirou's bone mask: his eyes.
"I'm not mistaken. Those are the eyes of someone who will do anything to win.
If you weren't my kind, then how did you see through me just now and realize I was going to kill that woman?
You've thought the same thing before too, haven't you? Get close to that woman, then kill her."
"Shirou would never do something like that!"
Irisviel shouted in defense of the boy, but one glare from Lancer was enough to make her legs tremble.
"You may have changed your mind now for some other reason, but in the end... you're still planning to use her and her Saber, aren't you?
Ha. They're both naive women, easy to handle."
"Enough of your nonsense, Lancer!"
Artoria leveled her invisible sword at the demon.
"What a pity. It seems our promise to fight side by side ends here as well.
Diarmuid Ua Duibhne, I will do everything in my power to defeat you... no, to purge you."
Saber's attitude was completely different from how it had been during the battle at the warehouse district.
She no longer regarded Lancer as a Heroic Spirit worthy of respect, but as an evil spirit that had to be destroyed.
In her eyes, the threat posed by the demonic Diarmuid was no less than that of the sea demon, perhaps even greater.
To use an imperfect analogy, the sea demon might devour a city, but if this man were to obtain the Holy Grail... the consequences would be unthinkable.
Lancer also took up a battle stance.
In his left hand was the crimson demonic spear, and in his right, the crimson demonic sword. This was the strongest armament combination from Diarmuid's legend, on top of the demonic boar hide that carried more than ten Geis.
As he was now, he lost to none of the heroes of myth.
"Shirou, can I leave it to you?"
Saber did not say those words out loud. She merely cast a glance at the red-haired boy.
Shirou, already perfectly in sync with her after their earlier battle, nodded.
"Leave the sea demon to me."
Saber possessed a Noble Phantasm capable of ending the sea demon in a single blow.
But it was obvious that the Lancer before her would never give her the chance to release it.
Demonic Diarmuid's original plan had been to use Saber and her Master to help him eliminate Caster.
Then, in the middle of that, he would look for a chance to monopolize the reward for the subjugation, and perhaps even wipe out Saber's side as well.
But now the situation had changed.
Caster had already been killed before he arrived.
That meant there was only one thing left to do now.
More important than hunting the monster was killing Irisviel first, since she might receive a Command Spell as a reward.
The distant Master, Kayneth, had also accepted Lancer's judgment.
Letting the sea demon enter the city weighed on his conscience, but as a Magus, he did not possess much of that to begin with.
Saber and her Master were exhausted now. Killing them while they were vulnerable was the best option.
Saber sensed Lancer's killing intent toward her and turned to Shirou.
"I'll leave the sea demon to you. Please hold it back from entering the town.
Once I've defeated Lancer, I'll meet up with you and use my Noble Phantasm to destroy that monster."
"Ha!"
Lancer let out a laugh thick with mockery.
The naive King of Knights had just told two absurd jokes in a row.
Saber would defeat Lancer.
That brat would hold back the sea demon.
Neither of those things was ever going to happen.
"...Understood."
Shirou looked toward Miyama Town. Through the dense fog, the sea demon's gigantic silhouette looked like a moving mountain range.
"Oh, right, Saber. Can I confirm one thing?"
"What is it?"
With his back to the blonde girl and her Master, Shirou spoke.
"Even though you only asked me to hold that thing back... it'd be fine if I just killed it, right?"