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Suddenly—the two Servants separated.
Lancer, panting heavily—glared at Saber with frustration.
"Coward! Hiding your weapon like that is dishonorable!" he accused.
During their clash, Saber's concealed weapon had caught him off guard, and he was angry about it.
"What's wrong, Lancer? Giving up already? That's hardly befitting of a Lancer—If you won't attack, then I will," Saber taunted.
Roy was amused. It was rare to see Saber taunting her opponent.
"Before that, I have a question for you. Is your weapon a sword?" Lancer asked, pointing his spear at Saber.
"What do you think? It could be an axe, or a spear—or maybe even a bow," Saber replied evasively. Revealing her Noble Phantasm would be foolish.
Roy burst out laughing.
Saber was being playful. Who would wield a spear with both hands in the same position?
And a bow? Even more absurd!
It was obviously a sword!
Saber had outsmarted Lancer.
Roy's laughter caught their attention.
"Sorry, I couldn't help it. Saber, you're too funny!" Roy explained, still chuckling.
"Master?" Saber blushed slightly. Hiding her weapon did seem to go against her knightly code of honor.
"It's fine, Saber. Just bring out your 'Curry Stick'," Roy said with a wave of his hand.
"Curry Stick?" Saber tilted her head in confusion, then realized what he meant.
"Master, it's Excalibur, not 'Curry Stick'!" she corrected him.
"I know, I know. Now, use your 'Curry Stick' and finish him off," Roy urged.
Saber nodded seriously. She would follow her Master's command.
She held her invisible sword in front of her.
The wind that had been concealing the blade slowly dissipated, revealing its true form.
It was a golden sword with a jeweled hilt, its blade sharp enough to cut through steel.
This was Excalibur—the Sword of Promised Victory.
"A Noble Phantasm? Excalibur? Are you the King Arthur of Britain? But that's impossible! How can the King of Knights be a girl?" Lancer exclaimed, his expression turning serious.
He was filled with questions, but now wasn't the time to ponder them.
His spear glowed crimson.
He was preparing to unleash his Noble Phantasm.
He would attack before Saber could release hers. That was his strategy.
"Saber, since this is our first meeting, I'll ask you this: do you intend to hold back?"
"No. You will be defeated here, Lancer," Saber declared, her voice filled with determination.
With Roy's abundant magical energy supply, she was confident in her ability to defeat Lancer.
She wouldn't let this opportunity slip away.
"...Is that so? I was initially just planning to observe. But since you're so eager, I'll take your heart," Lancer declared.
He charged towards Saber, his spear infused with crimson magical energy.
"Gáe Bolg!"
Lancer's Noble Phantasm, Gáe Bolg—was a spear that reversed causality.
It reversed cause and effect, ensuring that the spear would always pierce the opponent's heart.
Since the outcome was predetermined, any defense or evasion was meaningless.
It sounded powerful, but due to Lancer's terrible luck, it seemed this spear had never actually killed anyone.
Of course, there were ways to counter this attack.
The first, and most straightforward, was to defeat Lancer before he could use it.
The second was to possess an ability like God Hand—which granted automatic resurrection after death.
The third was to erect a barrier stronger than the spear's magical energy.
And the fourth was to possess incredible luck that could defy fate.
In the original story, Saber had relied on her luck to avoid this fatal attack.
But Roy wasn't sure if Saber could do that now.
"Saber—catch!" Roy shouted, tossing something towards her.
It was Avalon, the scabbard of Excalibur, also known as the "Everdistant Utopia."
It was a Bounded Field Noble Phantasm that provided absolute defense to its wielder.
Not only could it heal the wielder's wounds and halt aging, but when its True Name was released, it would fragment into hundreds of pieces, protecting the wielder from any interference.
It was a Noble Phantasm that reached the realm of magic, capable of blocking all physical and conceptual attacks, even those from parallel worlds.
With Avalon, Saber was practically invincible.
Even Gilgamesh with Ea wouldn't be able to harm her.
Let alone Lancer's Gáe Bolg.
Saber caught the scabbard and stared at it in surprise, then her face lit up with joy.
Her lost scabbard had returned to her.
She immediately activated Avalon.
Lancer's Gáe Bolg struck the barrier, but it didn't even ripple.
...
"Impossible... My sure-kill attack was blocked?!" Lancer exclaimed in disbelief, his face contorted in shock.
His Noble Phantasm, which guaranteed a fatal blow, had been completely nullified.
"Nothing is impossible, Lancer. And that attack... Gáe Bolg. Your True Name is Cu Chulainn, the Child of Light of Ireland, isn't it?" Saber declared.
From his attack, she had deduced his identity.
In battles between Servants, revealing one's True Name was dangerous.
"A miscalculation..." Lancer muttered, shaking his head. "I've already revealed my Noble Phantasm. If it's not a sure kill—then I'm in trouble."
Roy rolled his eyes. 'He's trying to run away after showing off,' he thought.
As expected, Lancer slung his spear over his shoulder and prepared to leave. "My Master is a coward. He said to retreat immediately if my attack is blocked..."
"You're running away, Lancer?" Saber asked, clearly seeing through his intentions.
"Saber, don't waste your time on him. He can't just show off and then run away. Give him a taste of your 'Curry Stick', or I'll have to step in myself," Roy urged impatiently.
Saber blinked. Was her Master joking?
An ordinary magus was no match for a Servant.
She assumed he was just being playful.
"Lancer, you're not escaping!" Saber declared, gripping Excalibur tightly. A faint glow enveloped her body.
She looked radiant and powerful.
Roy's heart skipped a beat. Saber was breathtakingly beautiful at this moment.
Excalibur was engulfed in a white light, and a beam shot up into the sky, piercing the clouds.
"Ex—calibur!" Saber shouted.
The beam of light descended, striking the ground where Lancer had been standing.
Lancer—who had been about to escape, stared in shock.
The attack was incredibly powerful.
He didn't even try to defend himself. He knew it was futile.
In the next moment, he vanished in a blinding flash of light.
A massive trench, stretching as far as the eye could see, was carved into the earth.
Fortunately, Saber had aimed carefully, avoiding any populated areas.
But she was still embarrassed by the sheer destructive power of her attack.
"Well done, Saber!" Roy praised, approaching her with a thumbs-up.
"It was my duty, Master. But now is not the time to celebrate. Allow me to deal with the other Servant," Saber replied seriously, then leaped onto a rooftop and chased after another presence.
Roy recognized the direction she was heading in. It was where Rin and Ishtar were.
They hadn't gone far.
"Saber is quite serious, isn't she?" Roy mused.
He found her serious demeanor quite attractive, but he preferred a more playful and affectionate Saber, like the one in 'Today's Menu for the Emiya Family.'
It seemed he needed to spend more time with her.
...
Roy followed Saber.
Ishtar was no match for Saber. If he didn't hurry, Rin might get hurt.
As expected, when he arrived, Saber and Ishtar were already fighting.
Rin was sitting on the ground, having been caught in the crossfire.
"Hey, are you alright?" Roy asked, approaching her.
Rin jumped, startled by the sudden voice.
She turned around.
...
"It's you—you pervert!" she exclaimed upon seeing Roy.
Roy's face darkened.
"Rin Tohsaka, would you care to explain what you mean by 'pervert'?" he asked with a forced smile.
"Um—well..." Rin stammered, embarrassed.
She hadn't meant to say that out loud.
"Haha, it's fine. Since you've called me a pervert, I suppose I should live up to that title," Roy said with a mischievous grin, reaching out and caressing her leg.
He had been wanting to do that for a while now.
Since Rin was sitting on the ground, he could easily see up her skirt.
"Aah!" Rin yelped and scooted back, her face flushed.
"You really are a pervert!" she accused.
Roy shrugged. He had already gotten his fill. It was a worthwhile endeavor.
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