The gun roared.
Yes, you read that right—the gun roared!
Of course, this gun wasn't referring to Artoria's Holy Lance. Although the Holy Lance, which shares an extraordinary origin with the Holy Sword, could indeed roar when its true name is released, there was no need for such a grand display just to pierce Mordred. It wasn't like she needed to shatter both Mordred and the wall behind her into pieces.
The gun that roared was a different one—a horizontal double-barreled shortened shotgun. Its name alone suggests it's a modified modern weapon, a genuine instrument of destruction. Its owner was none other than Mordred's Master, Sisigou Kairi.
While Mordred was tracking Jack, Sisigou was also in pursuit, albeit much slower than Mordred. Additionally, upon noticing the absence of a bounded field to ward off others nearby, he had to set one up himself to ensure the concealment of their magic. By the time he arrived, Mordred was already pinned against the wall.
As a mercenary who had been active on various battlefields collecting corpses, Sisigou had extensive combat experience. The more perilous the situation, the calmer he became. Even with his Servant restrained by the opponent, he didn't rush out to rescue her. Instead, he calmly analyzed the situation.
The timing wasn't right. If he charged out now to save her, not only would he fail, but he'd also get himself killed. Using a Command Spell to forcibly relocate her wasn't an option either—the distance between them was too close, and the Black Lancer's movements would be faster than the relocation. To save her, he had to wait for the exact moment the enemy made a move.
Using techniques honed on the battlefield, Sisigou minimized his presence and cautiously approached, getting close enough for his weapon to be effective.
He knew that his weapon could potentially kill a Servant, but not one as top-tier as Mordred, let alone an even stronger opponent. His goal was to create enough of a distraction to give Mordred a chance to escape. Based on his understanding of Mordred, she only needed a brief moment—no more than a second—to break free and regroup.
The stealth approach went relatively smoothly. The two Servants, locked in confrontation, were too focused on each other to notice the sneaky approach of a mouse.
However, once he got closer, Shishigou was a bit puzzled.
The situation had developed as he expected: the Black Lancer was preparing to kill Mordred, manifesting a lance radiating terrifying magical power even from thirty meters away—a weapon that seemed strangely familiar to him.
But Mordred's reaction was completely unexpected—she closed her eyes and waited for death.
Was this the Mordred he knew? The rebellious knight he knew never gave up, no matter the danger. Even without a sword, even in the face of death, she would still take a bite out of her enemy.
What was going on?
Damn it, at a distance of thirty meters, he couldn't hear what they were saying.
But it had come to this; he couldn't let Mordred die—though he hadn't known her for long, she was a partner recognized by Sisigou Kairi.
"Devour!"
The chant, masked by the sound of the gun, activated the magical mechanism of the gun and triggered the Gandr curse embedded in the bullets. The finger used as a bullet roared out of the gun, shooting straight at Artoria's back.
As the Black Lancer, Artoria possessed the class skill Magic Resistance at level B, making a mere Gandr curse bullet incapable of breaking through her defenses. However, Sisigou's cursed bullet didn't rely solely on magical attacks. Enhanced by necromancer magecraft, the bullet itself reached supersonic speeds and contained energy potent enough to harm a Servant—provided it hit.
As the gunshot rang out, Artoria reflexively swung her Holy Lance, easily deflecting the cursed bullet, her sharp gaze swiftly locking onto Sisigou's position.
"Mordred's Master?"
Sisigou wasn't surprised by the outcome. He hadn't planned to rely solely on the cursed bullets to complete the task. After firing two shots, a "Heart Grenade"—prepped with a pulled pin and timed to explode—traced a parabolic arc before detonating above Artoria's head. The hidden teeth and nails of a magus within the grenade failed to penetrate Artoria's armor, and the pervasive purple poison mist couldn't breach her Magic Resistance. To Artoria, this grenade was nothing more than a small firework.
It was precisely the firework effect that Sisigou wanted. Taking advantage of the brief moment when Artoria's sight was obstructed, the man, exuding a fierce aura, rolled to a new position while shouting.
"Saber, stop dawdling and move!"
As he shouted, he continued loading "finger bullets," using ranged attacks to create trouble for Artoria.
A figure burst through the poison mist, but it wasn't Mordred as Sisigou had hoped—it was Artoria. Clad in silver armor and wielding a radiant lance, the knight charged toward Sisigou's hiding spot. At her speed, the thirty-meter distance would be covered in just a few blinks.
"Saber, what the hell are you doing!"
Sisigou felt like he was going insane. If it weren't for the fact that the light of the Holy Lance couldn't be obscured by the poison mist and that the Master-Servant contract showed no anomalies, he would have thought Mordred had already been killed by the Black Lancer.
"Damn it, there's no other choice."
Sisigou activated an enhancement magecraft that every combat magi knew, boosting his leg strength to leap onto the rooftop. As he jumped, he rolled up his sleeve, revealing the first of the three Command Spells glowing with a sinister light.
"By the Command Spell, I order my Saber to return to my side immediately!"
Space distorted as the miracle granted by the Greater Grail, capable of reaching into the realm of magic, activated.
The petite swordswoman appeared as if breaking through spatial ripples, standing between Shishigou and the approaching Artoria.
"Idiot! Stop spacing out and fight!"
Sisigou's voice finally reached Mordred's ears. Instinctively, she swung her sword, blocking the sweeping Holy Lance.
"Master, why are you here?"
"Fool, if I didn't come, was I supposed to just watch you die?"
With Mordred holding off the Black Lancer, Sisigou finally had a chance to catch his breath.
"What the hell were you doing? Giving up the fight? Have you forgotten your wish? You're supposed to become the King of Britain! Your Majesty!"
"I... the King..." Mordred was momentarily distracted, giving Artoria an opening to knock her away with a sweep of the lance.
"Damn it!" Sisigou gritted his teeth, producing an item in his hand.
PS: Mordred has a bit of a rabid dog personality. She hated losing more than she hated dying, but her dear dad was standing right in front of her. A series of blows led her to despair.