On the South Hero's side, the more he fought, the more alarmed he became. It had been a long time since he encountered an opponent who could exchange so many blows with him.
Being able to see the future wasn't just useful for planning before taking action; it also worked wonders in the heat of battle. He could predict his opponent's next move and see through any subsequent flaws in their stance.
Ever since he learned the magic to see the future, he had never again experienced the predicament of being locked in a grueling one-on-one stalemate.
This female swordswoman was simply too terrifying. There were absolutely no openings between her movements. Even if he saw the future, she would alter her actions by a hair's breadth at the very last millisecond.
If he couldn't keep up with her reaction speed, seeing more of the future was meaningless—especially when he had to split his focus to sense the trajectory of her blade!
In the hands of a mediocre fighter, an invisible sword could only defeat the mediocre. But in the hands of a master, it could conquer masters.
*'I have to dodge!'* As if predicting something, the South Hero parried Saber's slash and rapidly leaped backward. In the next moment, massive wind pressure condensed into a hammer, heavily bombarding the exact spot where he had just been standing.
Even the solid diorite was blasted into a crater several meters in diameter. In that split second, Saber had released Invisible Air, unleashing Strike Air.
The holy sword revealed its true form. Saber was not wielding Caliburn, the sword of selection gifted to her by Zenith, which she kept safely stored at home. This blade, Excalibur, the sword of promised victory bestowed by the Fairy of the Lake, was already powerful enough.
"Revealing the blade is an acknowledgment of your swordsmanship. Now, we can fight a fair battle."
When it came to a duel of swordsmanship, Saber was unwilling to secure victory through such trickery. This was not the Holy Grail War, and she did not need to fight with absolute victory as her sole premise.
Was it fair? The South Hero didn't think so. His eyes, which could see through the future, provided an absolute advantage in combat, and using them had practically become second nature to him.
Saber, however, didn't mind. She had already sensed that her opponent seemed capable of predicting her actions. But Instinct was her inherent trait—or rather, a passive skill. Her powerful intuition allowed her to subconsciously defend or counterattack whenever danger approached.
In a way, this perfectly offset the South Hero's foresight.
The two moved away from the massive crater, choosing a flat piece of ground, and readied their stances to continue the duel.
A flash of white light illuminated the air as Zenith and Serie appeared out of nowhere. Watching from the monitor room was simply too boring; Serie wanted to witness this high-level sword duel with her own eyes.
A battle of this caliber might not occur even once in several centuries. Missing it would be a terrible shame.
Magic that could teleport people across vast distances—this was a spell that had never appeared in this era, nor even in the era after the Demon King was defeated and the Hero had died. It was a memory Serie had brought back from the distant future.
"You two carry on. Don't mind us."
Zenith gestured for them to continue fighting. Saber first called out, "Master," before throwing herself back into the battle.
Serie's tone carried a hint of teasing. "Oho, 'Master,' is it? So you're into this kind of roleplay."
"Don't misunderstand. It's a custom from another world."
Heaven knew Zenith wasn't lying. In the Holy Grail War, Servants really did call their summoners "Master." Although the word translated to "owner" or "lord," it was genuinely just a normal comrade-in-arms relationship.
The problem was that Serie didn't seem to believe him, wearing an expression that clearly said, *'Don't you dare try to kidnap my grand-apprentice right in front of me.'*
"...Just watch the fight, stop looking at me. I'll explain it to you if there's a chance, though I have a feeling the probability of us meeting again after I kick you back to your own era is zero."
Their gazes returned to the duel between the South Hero and Saber. With Zenith and Serie's discerning eyes, they could clearly see the movements of the two combatants. It was truly a feast for the eyes.
Powerful things are inherently beautiful; it is an instinctual yearning carved into one's DNA. Every movement, every swing of the sword depicted the aesthetics of combat.
Saber had already acknowledged the South Hero. Just as she was preparing to end the fight, she saw the South Hero solemnly adopt a defensive stance.
"Lady Artoria, since I can see the future, I naturally know your name. What I want to say is, please, by all means, let me witness that strike. This is a warrior's thirst for the pinnacle of swordsmanship. I beg of you."
The South Hero sported a small mustache, fitting the stereotypical image of a Western noble. He also perfectly matched the image of a true knight in Saber's heart.
Ability, bearing, willpower, and character. The South Hero had earned Saber's respect, and naturally, she would not let a warrior's resolve down.
"If you cannot block it, you will die."
The South Hero didn't speak, but his eyes said it all. He wanted to endure the slash of the holy sword to push his own swordsmanship to a new realm.
Perhaps only in this way could he carve out a sliver of hope for his upcoming battle against the Demon King and his destined death.
The holy sword was raised high. This was the first time since arriving in this world that Saber released the holy sword of her own volition. It was the King of Knights' acknowledgment of a worthy knight.
"Ex—calibur!!!"
Magic? Magecraft? Swordsmanship? It no longer mattered. That holy, noble radiance and the surging torrent of sword aura instantly filled the South Hero's vision.
The combat power of a Heroic Spirit releasing their Noble Phantasm versus their normal state existed in two entirely different dimensions. Saber saw it very clearly: the South Hero couldn't block it. At this rate, he would die.
Serie stood barefoot on the ground, saying flatly, "He's going to die. What a truly excellent battle."
Partings and death—the longer one lived, the more calmly one faced them. Over thousands of years, Serie had long since become indifferent to life and death.
"A thousand years from now, I will still remember this swordsman who risked his life to scale the highest peaks. He is worthy of me reserving a corner for him in my memories."
The South Hero just dying here? Absolutely not! But if he told Saber to stop now, it would be the greatest insult to a warrior. So, he just needed to make sure the man didn't actually die.
The Totem of Undying. Guaranteed to work.
If the South Hero knew he wouldn't die, it would waste this precious opportunity to transcend the fear of life and death. Zenith understood this perfectly.
It was just like the difference between playing Survival mode and Hardcore mode.
Consuming 30 seconds from the Time in a Bottle, Zenith secretly attached the Totem of Undying to the South Hero. Turning his head, he noticed the soul drifting around Serie.
The time magic brought about by the Goddess Monument, the Chapter of the Time Bird. Zenith had seen through the essence of this magic within his own accelerated time.
It was quite miraculous. Those who could not control time would definitely be unable to learn the power of time, and without learning the power of time, one could not control time.
It was a deadlock. No wonder so many fantasy works categorized time magic as something only gods could master. It simply left no room for mortals to study it.
If he wanted to, Zenith could kick Serie back right now, but after thinking about it, he decided against it. He'd consider it giving face to the Creation Goddess of this world.
Time returned to normal. After a few breaths, the South Hero could no longer hold on, his entire body exposed to the torrent of sword light.
The special emblem representing the Totem of Undying surfaced. Zenith signaled Saber to sheathe her sword, while he walked over and patted the South Hero on the shoulder.
"Congratulations on crossing the boundary of life and death. Now, you may go and choose your reward, South Hero."
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