Fairy Tristan hadn't anticipated Gudako meeting her attack head-on. With a swift step, Gudako closed the distance, pressing herself against Fairy Tristan's leg to maximize contact area and minimize damage. Using the momentum from the side kick, Gudako tumbled away clumsily. Mash immediately raised her shield to cover her retreat, preventing Fairy Tristan from pressing her advantage.
"Be extremely careful!"
Romani had successfully analyzed Fairy Tristan's data. "She's not a Heroic Spirit, but her strength is nearly on par with Tristan, the Round Table Knight blessed by the Lion King! Give it your all—she won't be easy to defeat!"
"Hahahaha! So Tristan from Pan-Human History is weaker than me? How amusing! You, on the other hand, have impressive awareness. You're far superior to that Jiang You fellow."
Fairy Tristan hadn't held back much in her earlier attack. Within the range of Quetzalcoatl's Noble Phantasm Authority, ordinary people would revive after being defeated, so she wasn't concerned about actually killing Gudako. However, she couldn't afford to expose the revival power, as Quetzalcoatl would then have difficulty explaining it to the Three Goddesses. "This works out well. If it ended so easily, I'd be disappointed! Let me enjoy myself a little longer."
Fairy Tristan attempted to use her speed to flank Gudako again, but Ana, a mobile servant with agility equal to Fairy Tristan's, kept pace. Ana's scythe had a greater attack range than Fairy Tristan's kicks, forcing her to maintain distance.
"I won't let you harm her."
Ana flicked her Harpe, the Slaying Undead Blade, scattering its chains across the ground.
"You've reminded me—I have ranged attacks too."
Fairy Tristan drew her harp-bow. As she plucked the strings, several magical arrows arced through the air, hurtling toward Gudako.
"Ana!" Gudako shouted, urging her to attack. Passive defense would only make them more vulnerable.
"I understand!"
Ana seized the moment between Fairy Tristan's volleys, charging forward. Fairy Tristan was ultimately just mimicking Tristan's combat style; the weapon didn't suit her well. With uncanny agility, Ana dodged every arrow and closed the distance.
Jiang You had briefed Fairy Tristan thoroughly on the Servants' capabilities. She knew Harpe's effect: a direct hit would force her back into the coffin. Returning to that Britain now would be utterly tedious. Faced with Ana's relentless pursuit, Fairy Tristan could only retreat, desperately trying to maintain distance.
Gudako leaned close to Mash's ear and whispered instructions before shouting, "Don't worry about me! Ana has her pinned down! Go assist her now!"
Mash nodded, raised his shield, and charged forward.
After a fierce struggle, Fairy Tristan spotted a fatal opening in Ana's defenses. Seizing the opportunity, she unleashed a blast of magical power that sent Ana flying backward. Mash, fighting alone, couldn't match Fairy Tristan's speed, allowing her to close in on Gudako once more.
"So, you actually sent your Servant away to protect you? You're so adorably foolish! How pitiful... Now, I'm going to thoroughly torment you. Make sure to scream loudly, won't you?"
Fairy Tristan grabbed Gudako, who was trying to flee. To her, human speed was no faster than a tortoise's crawl. She scoffed, believing no Servant could ever lose to an ordinary human in a contest of speed. To do so would be utterly humiliating—they'd become a permanent punching bag.
"What an idiot," Quetzalcoatl muttered from her vantage point high above. She shook her head in exasperation. Fairy Tristan was being too hasty. With her power, a steady, methodical approach would easily secure her victory.
Instead of showing fear at being captured, Gudako grinned confidently. "Too bad! You're the one who's trapped! Ana!"
At Gudako's command, the chains throughout the arena began to tighten, their scraping against the floor and pillars creating an ear-splitting screech.
In the next instant, the tightening chains constricted Fairy Tristan's body, binding her limbs and torso securely and suspending her in mid-air in a cruciform position.
It turned out that Ana had been subtly extending her chains throughout the battle, positioning them precisely with each movement. The apparent opening she'd left was a deliberate feint, while Gudako's actions were aimed at luring Fairy Tristan into the designated trap.
"You think you can restrain me with mere chains? How naive!"
Fairy Tristan strained against her restraints with all her might. Ana's chains were not Noble Phantasms, merely reinforced iron—a far cry from the legendary Chains of Heaven. Under Fairy Tristan's A-Rank strength, the iron groaned and twisted with ear-splitting creaks. It wouldn't take long for her to break free.
"You've already lost your chance," Gudako declared triumphantly. "Command Spell! Mash, defeat Fairy Knight Tristan!"
Romani had stated that Fairy Tristan possessed power comparable to Tristan after receiving the Blessing. Without Merlin's assistance, Mash and Ana's firepower alone wouldn't be enough to directly defeat Fairy Tristan. Thus, Gudako decisively used a Command Spell to amplify Mash's Noble Phantasm.
Mash had already scaled the wall and leapt into the air, positioning herself directly above Fairy Tristan. Aiming her Round Table Shield at the fairy knight, she activated her Noble Phantasm with a flash of radiant light.
"This is our homeland—a place that heals all wounds and dispels all resentment. Manifest now! Camelot, the distant city of ideals!"
The phantom image of Camelot materialized behind Mash. As she descended, the entire majestic city of Camelot crashed down upon Fairy Tristan.
It was too late. Fairy Tristan could only watch helplessly as the very structure mirroring the Royal City she had built with her Mother plummeted toward her. If this strike landed, it would be enough to force Fairy Tristan into a lower-dimensional existence.
"You look quite pathetic," she remarked.
A black shadow surged forth, effortlessly parrying Mash's Noble Phantasm with a single hand. In that instant, all of Camelot vanished without a trace, leaving no residue of its Noble Phantasm behind.
"Gawain and Melusine can both keep them on the ropes," the shadow remarked. "How could you be so pathetic?"
Ana's pupils constricted at the sight. She couldn't fathom what kind of ability could completely erase a Noble Phantasm's influence without a sound. Merlin watched the scene with keen interest, calculating how much preparation and magical power it would require for him to achieve such a feat. He quickly gave up, admitting that even he couldn't match Jiang You's effortless execution.
"It's your fault for not letting me kill them outright! I could have cursed them to death long ago!" Fairy Tristan huffed, turning her head away in shame. She had indeed made a fool of herself.
"Mr. Jiang You!"
Mash landed gracefully beside Gudako, finally greeting him. She remained poised for battle, ready to strike at any moment.
"Long time no see, Mash. I never imagined your Noble Phantasm could be used like this. I thought Ana would finish them off."
Jiang You waved back, showing no hint of hostility.
"Jiang You!"
Gudako stepped forward, her eyes fixed on him. "She said you're going to kill a lot of people. Is that true?"