As Alaric departed, Da Vinci finally joined the fray, working with Mash and Fujimaru Ritsuka in a coordinated assault to break through enemy lines using a simplified summoning.
["A large number of enemies are closing in on you. You're about to be surrounded!]
["Wait—others are attacking from different angles. They're thinning out the enemies. Push through in one swift move!"]
Romani's urgent but steady voice streamed through the communication line to Fujimaru Ritsuka, who continuously adjusted her strategy based on the incoming information.
"We did it!"
After eliminating dozens of Enforcement Knights, Fujimaru Ritsuka and Mash carved out an opening, allowing innocent civilians to escape the massacre.
'!'
At that moment, both Fujimaru Ritsuka and Mash simultaneously noticed a small figure in the depths of the chaos—a child shielded by their mother.
Without hesitation, despite having reached safety, the two charged back into the perilous battlefield. Just before the Enforcement Knight could swing their blade, they rescued the child!
["Thank goodness. Now get out of there! It's too dangerous to stay any longer!"]
Romani, sweating nervously, urged them on:
["If you press too close to the main gate, there'll be no way out! Breakthrough on the other side; their forces seem lighter over there."]
But before Romani could finish, a voice from ahead interrupted.
"That wish is unattainable. Here is where your lives will end."
The declaration came from Gawain, sending a chill through Mash's body.
Thud.
Thud.
"What a commendable uprising. To think there are fighters like you among the heretics. But all of this must end. Disturbing the gates of the Holy City is a sin punishable by death."
As Gawain approached Mash and Fujimaru Ritsuka, his voice was calm and final,
"Gawain of the Round Table will deliver divine judgment. You shall be executed."
His expression remained neutral, as though he were merely announcing a trivial fact.
["Is it Gawain?! What's with this absurd magical output?"]
Romani exclaimed in disbelief.
"So, you have a magus using clairvoyant magic among you," Gawain observed.
"Are you the protectors of humanity, then?"
"At the moment the foreign stars shine, the cracks of the alliance are revealed;
The faint light of the king is shrouded in shadow, the prophetic tower collapses into ruins—
How regretful. Were we to meet under different circumstances, we might have discussed coexistence."
As Gawain advanced toward Mash, each step radiated intensifying magic, like an unyielding sun unleashing infinite light and heat.
["His magical energy is still rising—he's about to get serious! And it's daytime!" ]
Romani shouted.
["Gawain is invincible in daylight! You can't win—retreat now!"]
Fujimaru Ritsuka took a deep breath, her expression heavy with tension.
"The legend of triple strength during the day, huh?"
["Exactly! With his body strengthened by holy numbers, Gawain is unbeatable in daylight!"]
Thud.
Thud.
"Thinking of retreating? Unfortunately, with your current strength, that's impossible.
You fought to open a path for refugees and stepped back into danger to save others. This outcome is the price you must pay. Surely you've prepared yourselves for this."
Gawain's calm gaze swept over Fujimaru Ritsuka and Mash, pausing momentarily on the snowflake-patterned shield Mash held. That familiar shield—
"Prepare for battle, Mash!"
Fujimaru Ritsuka ordered sternly. Despite Mash's weakened state, they had no choice but to fight.
"Yes!"
Mash raised her massive shield and charged toward the blazing sun.
Gawain, unperturbed, casually picked up a fallen longsword from an Enforcement Knight and swung it at her shield.
Boom!
The seemingly effortless strike unleashed an overwhelming force that Mash could barely withstand.
"Ugh!"
Just like her battle against Alaric, Mash was sent flying on contact!
But no sooner had she fallen than Fujimaru Ritsuka summoned the Greek hero Hercules.
"Roar!!"
Hercules' battle cry sent shockwaves through the battlefield, drawing even Gawain's attention.
"A hero of Greece?"
However, Gawain quickly realized the Servant was nothing more than a mindless beast. After a brief clash, Gawain cut Hercules down with a single blow, slicing him cleanly in half.
But then—
"Berserker! Unleash your Noble Phantasm!"
At Fujimaru Ritsuka's command, Hercules, cleaved in two, seemed to rewind time, regenerating instantly. He lifted his massive axe once more—
[Nine Lives Shooting Hundred Heads]!
Hercules unleashed his ultimate technique, his unparalleled martial prowess bearing down on Gawain like a relentless storm.
Boom!
Boom!
Boom!
The ground itself shattered under the onslaught. But as the dust settled, Gawain stood unharmed, advancing unflinchingly toward Fujimaru Ritsuka.
"Ugh—"
Seeing Gawain draw closer, Mash forced herself up despite her pain and rushed forward with her shield, determined to block him.
She couldn't let Gawain reach her Master!
But Gawain barely acknowledged Mash, letting her attacks bounce off him as though they were meaningless.
Mash's heart sank further. Every strike was like hitting a mountain—completely ineffective.
"Master, my attacks aren't working at all! What should we do?" she cried out desperately.
Da Vinci, observing coldly, noted,
"Not only is he holding back his Noble Phantasm, he hasn't even drawn his holy sword yet."
The fact that Gawain was restraining himself only emphasized the insurmountable gap in strength.
Gawain finally smiled.
"Ah, it seems you have someone quite composed on your side as well.
Of course, I'm not using my holy sword because you're not strong enough to warrant it. Consider this a courtesy for mere thieves."
His absolute confidence was evident in every word and action.
Mash grew increasingly uneasy under this oppressive pressure. Meanwhile, Da Vinci and Fujimaru Ritsuka strategized, deciding to buy time for Mash to recover.
"Why are you doing this?"
Fujimaru Ritsuka stepped between Gawain and Mash, her calm questioning even catching Gawain's attention.
"Hmm. I have no obligation to answer you. But for a courageous and beautiful young lady like yourself, I'll make an exception."
"What is your name, Master from a foreign land?"
"Fujimaru Ritsuka."
"Thank you for your answer. In turn, I shall formally introduce myself.
I am Gawain, knight of the Round Table, loyal to the Lion King—the protector of humanity and founder of the Holy City.
Our pursuit is a utopia untouched by corruption, governed by the laws of the Lion King. The millennium of pure white is humanity's only path to survival.
To achieve this, we must select the righteous and eliminate those who are unworthy."
At Gawain's explanation, Fujimaru Ritsuka and her companions finally understood the truth Alaric had hidden.
"All our actions are rooted in justice, but you have rejected them. Even if it's out of impulse, you stand against the Lion King's Holy Selection.
For that, I will kill you."
Gawain resumed his advance toward Mash.
"Prepare yourselves. From this moment on, you are enemies of the Lion King and the Round Table. Whether you fall here by my hand or elsewhere by another knight's, the outcome is the same.
But I'd rather spare you unnecessary suffering. Accept your fate."