Shiing!
The strings were struck a second time.
BANG!
Shirou was blown flying backward.
At some point, Tristan opened his eyes, "I didn't expect I'd commit the same mistake as Gawain."
"Clearly knowing that you personally defeated Gawain, and even defeated Mordred, who was on par with us."
"Under such circumstances, I actually thought a single strike could settle you."
Shiing!
Everything along the way ahead was sliced apart by invisible air, cut neatly in two.
Shirou raised his hand and moved forward to block.
DING!
The invisible blade struck his armor, bursting forth in a clashing cry of crossing steel.
Shirou's expression didn't change. His agility exploded to the extreme in that instant.
His figure flickered past like a golden bolt of lightning, circling around the desolate ruins before the encirclement of deadly slaughter arrived.
To be precise, he was running.
Running at a speed utterly beyond the capture of the naked eye.
Behind him, countless collapsed walls and broken ruins were torn apart by vacuum blades, blowing apart.
Between twists and leaps, in almost the blink of an eye, Shirou with full agility had already reached Tristan.
Opening his hand, the holy sword Durandal and the cursed sword Dáinsleif appeared in his grasp.
His fists and martial skills were still too rough, only brute stats had left the opponent helpless.
Since that's the case, then bring out the sword!
Ding!
A fast thrust was blocked by Tristan's sword.
Yet even from just this one blow, his palm was shocked numb, his sword nearly slipping away.
"Do you, like Gawain, possess invincible strength under the sun?", Realizing that competing in strength was unrealistic, Tristan's sword tip curved in an arc, slashing directly for Shirou's vital point.
With a sharp clang, Tristan's expression finally changed.
'Even the defense of vital spots is this overwhelmingly strong?'
'Do you have no weakness?'
Shirou remained silent, their eyes locking.
As the temperature continued to rise, Tristan felt as though he was being stared at by a prehistoric beast.
At some point, the sword aimed at Shirou's vitals had been caught in his grip.
Then with a sudden heave, he was hurled, man and sword together, into the air.
Afterwards…
When a second crater appeared on the inner city wall, Tristan at last let his arms hang powerless.
"What a monster," The man of sorrow raised his head, showing his golden eyes, watching the youth striding forward. Clad in noble golden armor.
Each step exuded killing intent, like a dragon and tiger striding across the world.
Every movement contained an incomparably powerful sense of oppression.
On closer look, it was as though a raging dragon lowered its gaze to overlook heaven and earth.
The air grew stifling, the pure white city in his eyes twisting red.
"So that's how it is, Gawain and Mordred too were defeated openly, head-on."
"Who would've thought, even after our deaths, the King could still gain such a mighty warrior. Truly, misfortune within misfortune."
For some reason, his lips curled up, "I never thought, coming here I'd meet only sorrowful things… yet in the final moment… it seems I've seen something… joyful…"
"Looks like you're ready,".Grasping Durandal, Shirou prepared to deliver the final blow.
He raised his hand, sword-edge flashing fiercely in the sunlight.
Suddenly, the sun's brilliance was blocked out by a light even more dazzling, even more radiant.
Thoom!
The moment triple the power descended, Shirou's heart too felt as though struck by a heavy hammer.
When the peak of the tower revealed just its tip, Tristan suddenly grew sorrowful.
To be saved by the King's own hand should have been a joyous thing.
Yet in truth, Tristan spoke sadly, "O King, must I continue atoning for my sins by committing yet more sins?"
"I wish it were me receiving punishment?"
"Please, King, cast down punishment upon me?"
His plea received no response.
And Shirou, in that instant of looking up, was struck by the falling light of a star from the heavens, blasted from the inner city to the outer city.
And it didn't show any sign of stopping.
Blazing radiance crashed down upon his armor, blasting straight through inner city and outer city, striking Shirou out of the Holy Capital.
He flew more than a thousand meters before slamming into the sun-scorched desert.
In that instant, the impact surged through the desert like a tidal wave.
Sand sprayed up like a mushroom cloud rising into the sky.
The roaring winds spread the aftermath, pushing the sandstorm like waves crashing on the shore. One after another, fiercer and fiercer, endless.
"Cough! Cough! Cough!"
At the center of the storm, Shirou, after taking the strike, had his armor disintegrate from inside out.
If that had been the end, it would have been fine.
But from his perspective looking upward, the sun's radiance was stolen away by endless storm and lightning.
In the roiling clouds above, the world darkened for a moment…
No! Perhaps it should be said the world seemed to fall into a standstill of time.
The heavens tore open, clouds rolling into a vortex, and dawn broke through.
From there, a golden pillar of light spiraled downward.
The atmosphere quaked, and even the desert's ceaseless gales froze in this moment.
The Holy Lance Rhongomyniad!
The Lion King descended in judgment.
The radiance of divinity manifested upon the earth.
Before the heaven-piercing pillar of light fell, after several attempts, unable to move, Shirou gave a helpless smile, "You really are troublesome, Saber."
"Knowing full well I carry the sheath, yet you still use this method to drive me away… are you that afraid to see me?"
Avalon's brilliance had already begun to shine.
It was obvious. Afraid that something might truly happen to Shirou, at the moment of striking him away, magical energy was channeled into the sheath.
But still… This act looked no different from a sulky child making a mistake, refusing to face an adult.
On the surface shouting 'Don't come closer, or I'll hit you!', yet the little fists that landed didn't even reach 0.5 damage.
The epitome of saying one thing and meaning another.
After the pillar of light fell, Avalon's true name was released.
The sheath split apart, forming a barrier to protect Shirou.
That brilliance seemed to cut off everything.
Even if a star fell in this moment, it could not harm its bearer in the slightest.
Its name: The Everdistant Utopia (Avalon)!
RUMBLE!
When the pillar fell, its purifying flames turned the whole desert into day.
———
Just as Fujimaru Ritsuka set foot into the valley, she witnessed with her own eyes the star fall from the heavens, crashing into the desert by the Holy Capital's edge. Her heart felt gripped by an unseen force.
Mash shouted out the panic in her heart, "Master, Emiya-senpai, he…"
'…won't be okay, right?', The second half never came out, nor dared to be spoken.
Afraid it would become truth.
She didn't want that person, whom she had just met and hadn't even spoken to yet, to become a final farewell.
The woman following behind them saw this sight, her face turning deathly pale.
"Benefactor!"
═❀═❀═❀═❀═❀═❀═
patreon.com/AmbitiousTranslator
🥳Joining Patreon keeps me motivated and eager to work diligently, so please consider joining.🥰 You can access upto 20 advance chapter through Patreon.