The puppets had various designs and wielded a multitude of weapons, ranging from close combat to long-range, from defense to offense, and from magical to physical attacks. Although the strength of an individual puppet was not impressive, their overwhelming numbers placed considerable pressure even on the Black Saber, Siegfried.
Raising his greatsword, he deflected two approaching longswords, caught two arrows aimed at his back, used his "Armor of Fafnir" to block two fireballs coming from the side, and kicked away a small puppet that had somehow gotten close to him.
Siegfried made his assessment.
"It seems breaking through won't be easy in a short time—Master!"
"This seems to be a secret weapon specifically prepared by the Red faction to counter you. The magic cannon just now must be part of it, which means the enemy is Red Caster, right?"
Gordes' voice came through their contract.
"Saber, be careful. Use your healing item if you're hurt, and if necessary, you're allowed to unleash your Noble Phantasm!"
Through countless sleepless nights of conversations, the relationship between Gordes and Siegfried had greatly improved.
Although Gordes' outwardly arrogant attitude hadn't changed much, he had inwardly accepted and recognized Siegfried.
He no longer said things like—
"You useless trash, can't even deal with a bunch of puppets!!!"
"Are you holding back to show your dissatisfaction? Stop being so petty over mere puppets!"
"Use your Noble Phantasm now!"
"What, you're not following orders? I command you by Command Seal, Saber, unleash your Noble Phantasm!!!"
Instead, he had learned to properly assess the strength of both friend and foe, calmly analyze the situation, and make the best decision—leaving the choice to his Servant.
He believed in the great hero of Norse mythology, the knight who traveled across the Netherlands, wouldn't let him down.
Siegfried could certainly feel this trust, and he would respond to his Master's expectations with all his might—just as he did in life, and now in death.
"Siegfried, I leave everything to you."
"Understood!"
Then, sword energy surged, and dazzling sword lights filled the air, showcasing swordsmanship beyond human capability.
Just as he had slain the evil dragon back then, he would now slay the phantom puppets in the same manner.
◇◇◇
While Siegfried displayed his divine prowess, fighting the phantom puppets alone, a disturbing "creak" suddenly echoed from the center of the battlefield.
The source of the strange sound was the dissipating mushroom cloud, revealing a crater formed by the EX-rank magic cannon blast.
This crater was unusual.
Normally, a crater would deepen towards the center, but this one had a small hill rising at its center. The surface of the hill bore blackened marks from magical burns, with layers of black fragments peeling off—creating the "creak" sound.
Suddenly, a muffled sound came from within the hill, as if someone was forcefully striking from inside. Under this force, the hill, already battered by the magic cannon, finally collapsed.
Amidst the scattering black fragments, a figure wielding a steel spear and riding a horse emerged with immense vigor. The black attire and white hair unmistakably revealed his identity—Black Berserker Vlad III!
The nature of the scattering black fragments also became clear—they were the stakes summoned by Vlad III. He had used these stakes to form a conical shield, blocking the aerial bombardment from the Hanging Gardens.
The Black faction's commander surveyed the scene, finally looking up at the airborne Hanging Gardens that no one could ignore, a trace of anger flashing in his red eyes: "I see, using the magic cannon to separate me from Saber—that's your strategy, Red Lancer!"
"Indeed."
With an indifferent response, Karna, clad in golden armor and wielding a golden spear, descended from the sky, his red cape fluttering in the wind.
Even a hero as formidable as Karna, who could rival Gilgamesh, found it challenging to face two top-tier Servants simultaneously, especially when those two were the indomitable mobile fortress Siegfried and Vlad III, who possessed a Noble Phantasm capable of large-scale attack, defense, and even altering the terrain.
Their complementary strengths meant that together, their power was far greater than the sum of their parts. Imagine Siegfried, a mobile fortress, augmented by Vlad's stakes for defensive support. Even an A++ ranked Anti-Army Noble Phantasm might struggle to penetrate Siegfried's invulnerability. Furthermore, due to the presence of "Kazikli Bey," it would be challenging for the Red faction's Servants to engage in team battles. Under such circumstances, even if Achilles were to team up with Karna as the "Twin Walls of the Red Faction," they would struggle against the duo.
With Achilles already pulled away by Shinji, the Red faction's primary objective became separating Siegfried and Vlad III. For this, the Red faction's strategists, Red Assassin Semiramis and her Master, Shirou Kotomine, devised a plan.
Using Karna as bait, they would signal with the "Flame of the Sun" at the right moment, coordinating with the Hanging Gardens' bombardment to knock Siegfried out of the battlefield, thereby setting up a one-on-one between Karna and Vlad III while the phantom puppets besieged Siegfried. Despite being a top-tier Servant, Siegfried's relatively straightforward attack methods made him the ideal target for the numerical advantage of the phantom puppets.
Though the plan seemed simple, it involved careful calculation of both sides' attributes, skills, and Noble Phantasms. Any miscalculation could lead to failure.
The core element of the plan was the impact of the magic cannon on different Servants.
Vlad III, unlike Karna or Siegfried, lacked a Noble Phantasm for damage reduction and had no Magic Resistance due to his Berserker class. Unable to escape, he had to rely on the barrier constructed by "Kazikli Bey" to withstand the bombardment.
Siegfried, on the other hand, with his "Balmung" and "Armor of Fafnir," along with the healing item specially made by Gordes, could endure the magic cannon's blast head-on.
Here, the differences between the two became apparent. As long as Vlad III's barrier held, he would not be displaced. However, Siegfried, using his sword and body to withstand the magic cannon, would still be affected by the impact, thus creating a distance between them.
To achieve this outcome, two conditions had to be met:
First, they had to ensure neither Servant could escape the bombardment range.
Second, when the bombardment occurred, the two must not be too close together; otherwise, Vlad III's barrier would envelop Siegfried, and the separation plan would fail.
This was why Karna had to serve as bait. His presence would keep both their attention on him. Eventually, he would create an opportunity for close combat with Siegfried while Vlad III stood at a distance, ready to strike—though this was no longer necessary, as Siegfried's cautious positioning alongside Vlad III gave Karna the chance to send the signal directly.
Of course, Karna himself was unafraid of the magic cannon. His golden armor could reduce all hostile interference to one-tenth. After the EX-rank magic cannon was weakened by his armor, it was reduced to a level his class skill—Magic Resistance at rank C—could nullify.
In other words, the magic cannon did not affect him.
Casually brushing aside the scattering debris, Karna adjusted his stance, facing Vlad III once more.
This time, there would be no interruptions.