With a sharp bang, the sound pierced through the quiet night, echoing in the still night sky.
"Now's my chance!" A flash of brilliance appeared in Saber's beautiful light-green eyes as she swiftly snatched Irisviel from Kaguya's arms and retreated quickly. At the same time, she swung her sword arm with great force and shouted, "Strike Air!"
As Excalibur was swung, a dazzling golden light appeared, and a fierce wind blade shot out, cutting through the air like a lightning-fast rainbow, heading straight for Kaguya.
Boom!
A violent gust of wind raged and surged, rippling outward like waves, shattering rocks along the way. Fragments of stone flew in all directions, while large clouds of dust swirled and rose into the air, filling the sky.
Saber glanced toward the direction of the gunshot and narrowed her eyes slightly. Even though she disliked that man, there was no denying his skill and strength—though his methods were far too extreme and dark, lacking any of the dignity or pride a magus should possess.
She turned her head back to look at the place where the thick dust was rising and thought to herself, "Even if that didn't kill her, it should have seriously injured her."
However, when the dust began to clear, Saber's light-green eyes widened in shock.
"Wow, that really hurt. It's been a long time since I felt pain like this."
Through the dispersing dust, a delicate and graceful figure walked out, smiling faintly at Saber.
"Well now," Kaguya said with feigned surprise, looking at Saber, "I didn't expect the legendary King of Knights would resort to sneak attacks. And you just swore an oath earlier. Has becoming a Heroic Spirit made you lose all your royal honor?"
Saber snorted, saying, "An oath is only given to those with noble character. For someone who uses such despicable means, there's no need to keep any promises." Despite her words, as the King of Knights, her expression still showed a hint of discomfort.
"That's really disappointing," Kaguya shrugged. "Since you broke your promise, I see no reason to keep mine either. And because you violated the agreement, you'll have to face a small punishment."
A glint of red flashed in Kaguya's once-clear eyes, and the corner of her mouth lifted in an evil smile.
"But," Kaguya turned her head and waved her hand, sending a black beam flying into the distance, "I'll return this to you."
She had already known someone was hiding there—the person was Kiritsugu Emiya. Unfortunately, she couldn't sense his exact position earlier, so she pretended not to notice. But the moment he fired his gun, she immediately located him and had now locked onto his position.
Seeing the black beam shoot toward him like lightning, Kiritsugu Emiya's pupils contracted.
"Time Alter: Double Accel!"
In the nick of time, Kiritsugu Emiya activated his Time Alter spell, instantly accelerating his movements. His speed increased just enough to dodge the black beam before it struck him.
Kiritsugu Emiya quickly escaped, hiding behind a nearby shipping container, panting heavily, with beads of sweat forming on his forehead. The strain of Time Alter placed a considerable burden on his body.
"She pinpointed my location the moment I fired..."
Cold sweat soaked Kiritsugu Emiya's back, dampening his clothes. He suddenly realized how troublesome this seemingly delicate girl actually was.
"Did he manage to escape?" Kaguya chuckled softly. "As expected of Kiritsugu Emiya, that ability of yours is quite interesting."
Though Time Alter couldn't reverse time or allow time travel, and it placed great strain on the body, it was still a very impressive ability. Unfortunately for Kiritsugu, he lacked powerful offensive techniques to go along with it. Otherwise, his strength would skyrocket, and dealing with people like Kirei Kotomine would be a breeze.
When Kaguya turned her head back, she paused. Irisviel, who had been lying on the ground, had vanished as if she had disappeared into thin air.
Kaguya's eyes narrowed as she scanned the surroundings. When she looked to her right, the corners of her mouth lifted slightly, and she said, "So there's another helper. I guess I miscalculated."
With her Star Eyes, she could already see two figures fleeing into the distance. One was slender, with short, ear-length hair, and wearing a suit. If Kaguya wasn't mistaken, that was Maiya Hisau, Kiritsugu Emiya's subordinate.
To be honest, it was rare to see such harmony between a wife and a mistress.
Suddenly, Saber stepped in front of Kaguya, gripping her sword tightly with a serious expression.
Kaguya smiled faintly, understanding Saber's thoughts. She said, "Do you really think that if I truly wanted to do something, you alone could stop me?"
"Aren't you being overly arrogant?" Saber said coldly. "Those who are too proud don't live long."
"That only applies to weaklings. Those who are truly powerful never worry about such things," Kaguya sighed. "It's a shame. I was hoping for a pleasant evening, but it looks like that's not happening."
Saber remained silent, gripping her invisible sword even tighter as she stood on high alert.
"You ruined my fun, so it seems I'll have to punish you properly." Kaguya smiled, her eyes flashing with a red light.
As soon as she finished speaking, Kaguya stomped the ground and, with a sharp sound of air splitting, darted toward Saber like a shadow.
Saber, ever vigilant, was unafraid. She stepped forward, gripping her invisible sword tightly with both hands, and swung it fiercely. But when Kaguya reached her, Saber seemed to see something, and her body trembled.
Clang!
A sharp sound echoed as sparks flew.
Due to Saber's brief moment of distraction, her strength faltered, and Kaguya's blow sent her flying. She crashed into a distant shipping container, creating a large hole in it.
Cough, cough, Saber half-knelt on the ground, blood dripping from the corner of her mouth. She raised her head in shock and said, "You—how do you have that?"
"Ah," Kaguya's lips curled as she casually swung the weapon in her hand. "You mean this? Sorry, I thought it looked fun, so I decided to use it."
In Kaguya's hand was none other than Saber's own weapon—Excalibur, the Sword of Promised Victory.