"Berserker…" After Kayneth's final attempt with the second Command Spell proved futile, he stood dumbfounded, staring at his Servant.
It wasn't until Diarmuid's connection to him completely vanished that he ca back to his senses.
Gazing at Gilgash, who appeared to be staring into space not far away, Kayneth took a deep breath, summoned the Volun Hydrargyrum, and prepared for one last, futile struggle.
However, Gilgash rely glanced at him, tossed out the words, "You have a fine knight," and vanished from sight.
Kayneth, unprepared for Gilgash to spare him, collapsed to the ground. Though their exchange had been brief, the authority emanating from the oldest king left a profound impression deep in his soul.
.
.
.
At 9 PM, in the ruins of downtown Fuyuki City.
Karna and Artoria faced each other several ters apart, weapons ready. Nearby, Hachiman watched from a distance of over ten ters with Sakura and Emiya Kiritsugu.
"Ready, begin!" With Hachiman acting as an impromptu referee, the two Servants collided imdiately.
"Wind King Barrier!" At the end of their first clash, Artoria deactivated her weapon's invisibility and released a concentrated air projectile at Karna.
Karna did not dodge. He stood firm, absorbing the attack with his body. The air projectile hit with precision, kicking up a massive cloud of dust that shrouded the battlefield.
Yet Karna's spear slashed through the dust, reappearing completely unscathed.
"Incredible defense…" Seeing her attack fail, Artoria's heart sank. She tightened her expression and charged at Karna again.
"…." Hachiman silently observed the duel from afar. He had to admit that Karna taking Artoria's attack head-on looked impressive. Still, if possible, Hachiman would have preferred Karna to simply dodge. After all, absorbing that air projectile had drained a fifth of Karna's mana!
Fortunately, after the initial display of his armor's defensive capability, Karna refrained from taking any more direct hits from Artoria. Hachiman could breathe a little easier. He did not want a repeat of the near-death experience from combating Caster.
Artoria, free from concern for civilians nearby, unleashed her attacks more fully. Each clash sent shockwaves through the surrounding ruins.
Hachiman watched as a massive rock between them split in two, then into several smaller pieces, and finally crumbled into dust from the force of another clash.
While Hachiman focused on the Servant duel, Kiritsugu contemplated what he could do during the fight. Suddenly, his wounds, which could not normally heal, began slowly closing.
Realizing this, Kiritsugu understood that Diarmuid's exit had caused the regeneration.
"Eliminated two Servants in one night?" Kiritsugu's expression darkened as he glanced at Hachiman nearby. Objectively, he did not think Artoria could win outright.
Avalon, the artifact responsible for Artoria's recovery, had not yet been removed from Irisviel due to ti constraints. Winning against Lancer with only a single city-scale Noble Phantasm seed unrealistic.
Moreover, Kiritsugu had no weapons on him. If Hachiman suddenly acted against him, survival was doubtful.
"Should I use a Command Spell?" He hesitated, lifting his left hand. Using one more Command Spell might allow him to win with a Noble Phantasm strike.
But having already spent a Command Spell to summon Saber, only two remained. Even if he eliminated Lancer with a minimal cost, he would face Rider and the incomprehensibly powerful Archer with Saber's mana nearly depleted and a single Command Spell left.
"Saber, by Command Spell, use your Noble Phantasm to defeat Lancer…" In less than a second, Kiritsugu made his decision. How he would handle Rider and the even stronger Archer would have to wait until after defeating Hachiman.
Artoria, mid-duel with Karna, suddenly raised her body uncontrollably.
"What?" Before she could react, the massive mana required for her Noble Phantasm instantly gathered. She swung her blade down at Karna with trendous force.
"!" Karna sensed the terrifying aura and frowned. The attack was imminent, leaving him no ti to figure out why Artoria had suddenly unleashed her Noble Phantasm.
His Golden Armor, forged from solar light, clashed with the light column emitted by Artoria sword, producing a massive shockwave.
Hachiman turned, shielding Sakura with his body. His mana had been drained by Karna's previous attack, leaving him to protect her with sheer strength.
Kiritsugu, facing the shockwave from the clash of light, was likewise thrown. He tumbled across sharp rubble before finally coming to a halt.
"Cough… hope Saber wins…" Dirtied and ragged, Kiritsugu propped himself up with his left hand and struggled to stand.
However, the center of the battlefield brought disappointnt. Even with the Command Spell enhancing her, the fully powered Excalibur barely pierced Karna's Solar Armor(Kavacha and Kundala), inflicting only minor injury.
"That guy…" Hachiman's gaze turned sharp at the dejected Kiritsugu. If Kiritsugu hadn't interfered with Karna and Artoria's duel, Karna wouldn't have needed to drain his own mana so completely.
Recalling the burning sensation in his exhausted veins, Hachiman summoned the Demon-Slaying Sword.
Artoria, after releasing her Noble Phantasm, re-engaged Karna, while Hachiman approached Kiritsugu. Before he could act, three more rushing sounds cut through the air.
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