Allen's POV
From the top of a tall cliff, I could clearly see everything happening around the castle. My gaze locked onto Caster (Gilles de Rais), who stood on the northwestern side. He remained motionless, calmly flipping through the pages of a book—its cover made of human skin, radiating such dense dark magical energy that it felt like needles against my skin. With every page he turned, grotesque monsters manifested, their forms emerging from the bodies of the children he had kidnapped to fuel his black magic.
As I expected, Saber leapt forward, charging recklessly at Caster without a proper plan. Well… that's just how she is. As a knight of honor, she couldn't stand idly by in the face of evil, even if it meant putting her own life at risk.
"I knew it. Saber really is reckless." I sighed and turned to Medusa.
"You may go, Medusa."
She looked at me for a moment, then gave a small nod. "Understood, Master please be careful."
With that, her figure vanished from sight, rushing toward the battle between Saber and Caster.
I shifted my focus back to the surroundings. If Zouken is truly here, then Kariya and Berserker can't be far either. My suspicion was soon confirmed when I spotted a limping man, his body deformed as if crippled, hiding not too far from Caster's position. Seeing him made me wonder—why would he force himself to join this war, when in my timeline Sakura was never sold to the Matou family? It seems he has his own personal reasons for seeking the Holy Grail.
Meanwhile, on the other side, I noticed another movement. Kirei, Zouken, and Maiya appeared to be converging in the forest. Maiya carried a jar containing a heart, accompanied by a homunculus who bore a striking resemblance to Irisviel. They stopped briefly, and the homunculus spoke in a calm voice:
"Miss, two new intruders have just breached the barrier. They're heading in our direction."
Upon hearing this, Maiya fell silent, clearly weighing her options. She seemed to realize that a battle was now unavoidable. If she fled, she worried even more about Kiritsugu's safety. A gnawing premonition told her that unless she stopped the intruders, something far worse would happen.
"In that case, hide yourself and secure the Lesser Grail. Do not let the enemy get their hands on it." Her voice was cold but firm.
"But, Miss… what about you?" the homunculus asked, hesitant.
"I'll try to stop them, at least to buy some time," Maiya replied resolutely, already formulating a plan in her mind. "Now go."
The homunculus lowered its head in obedience. "Understood… Miss, I hope you'll be careful."
With that, it turned and quickly disappeared into another direction, carrying the Lesser Grail away from danger.
Unlike Irisviel, who still retained her humanity, this homunculus was nothing more than a tool crafted by the Einzbern—utterly loyal, unquestioningly obedient.
Now alone, Maiya tightened her grip on her weapon. Her eyes sharpened, filled with resolve, ready to face whoever came her way.
.....
Inside the castle.
Kiritsugu, standing in the middle of the ruined chamber, didn't flinch. His expression remained cold and unreadable, his stance relaxed as if he were facing nothing more than an ordinary man.
"So that's all you came here for?" Kiritsugu said flatly, his tone devoid of respect. "How foolish."
The words stung Kayneth's pride like a blade. With a flick of his hand, magical circuits surged to life, and dozens of glowing projectiles formed around him. They whirled in the air, shining with lethal energy—the signature of his Magecraft, Volumen Hydrargyrum, the ever-shifting liquid mercury shield and weapon.
The silver mass burst forth like a wave, tendrils lashing out to pierce and crush Kiritsugu.
Kiritsugu moved in an instant. To Kayneth's eyes, the man blurred, vanishing from one spot and reappearing at another—Time Alter: Double Accel. The mercury tendrils struck only empty air.
Kayneth's eyes widened. "What—?!"
Gunfire cracked through the ruined hall. Kiritsugu had already drawn his Contender pistol, the muzzle flashing as he aimed directly at Kayneth's head. But the liquid mercury instantly surged, forming a shield that absorbed the bullet with ease.
"You think such tricks can defeat me?" Kayneth sneered. "This is the difference between a true magus and a killer with toys!"
But Kiritsugu didn't respond. He calmly adjusted his stance, his breathing steady. Each second his mind calculated, weighing every angle, every possible countermeasure. Kayneth was arrogant, yes—but his bounded field and mercury shield made him nearly untouchable in direct combat.
Which meant Kiritsugu would not fight him directly.
Hidden beneath his coat, his Origin Bullets waited—bullets that could shatter a magus from the inside, tearing apart their circuits and destroying their very foundation as mages.
Kiritsugu's gaze sharpened. One shot. That's all it will take.
The hall trembled as Kayneth unleashed another surge of mercury. The liquid metal roared like a tidal wave, slicing through stone pillars and tearing gouges into the castle walls. The sound was deafening, a storm of steel and sorcery crashing toward Kiritsugu.
But Kiritsugu didn't hesitate.
"Time Alter: Triple Accel."
His body blurred again—faster than human eyes could track. He cut through the oncoming storm, weaving between tendrils of mercury with movements so sharp and inhuman they seemed almost mechanical. Every heartbeat stretched into an eternity, every moment reduced to calculation and execution.
Kiritsugu's Contender pistol leveled at Kayneth once more. But this time, the bullet he chambered was not ordinary. A faint, deadly aura emanated from it—his trump card, the Origin Bullet.
This is the only way to end it.
The shot rang out. A single flash in the night.
Kayneth sneered, confident as always, his mercury shield rising instantly to intercept. The silver mass swallowed the bullet whole—
—and then the mage felt it.
An indescribable pain ripped through his body. His eyes widened in disbelief as the circuits inside his body convulsed, overloaded by a force they were never meant to resist. The bullet wasn't just lead—it was destruction aimed at the very essence of a magus.
"Wha—what… is this?!" Kayneth gasped, clutching his chest as arcs of magical energy flared violently across his body. His knees buckled, his dignified form collapsing beneath the weight of the curse.
Kiritsugu lowered his gun, his expression unchanged. His voice was as cold as death itself.
"The Origin Bullet. With that, every layer of your magecraft becomes meaningless. Your magic circuits will never recover."
Kayneth staggered, rage and humiliation twisting his features. "You… filthy… assassin—!"
He collapsed to one knee, his mercury construct faltering, the once-fluid mass dripping uselessly to the ground like spilled water.
Kiritsugu stepped forward, his eyes like sharpened steel, his gun still aimed without a trace of hesitation.
One more shot… and it's over.
.....
Meanwhile, Saber was bound tightly by writhing tentacles due to her carelessness, leaving her surrounded by countless monsters that resembled jellyfish. Caster, on the other hand, was muttering incoherently, "Holy Maiden… Holy Maiden… Holy Maiden…" His consciousness seemed to waver as he mistook Artoria for Jeanne d'Arc.
Summoning her strength, Saber unleashed Mana Burst, shattering the tentacles restraining her body. She dashed straight toward Caster, sword in hand, ready to cut him down—but countless summoned creatures stood in her way. No matter how many she slew, they regenerated just as quickly.
"It's like they'll never end," Saber muttered, gripping her blade tightly. Even so, she refused to give up, pressing forward despite her weakened state. The curse afflicting her body prevented her wounds from healing, leaving her at a disadvantage, and soon the monsters forced her into a corner.
As they closed in, preparing to strike all at once—Swish! Two lances, one crimson and one golden, pierced through the horde, bursting the creatures like balloons.
"Lancer!" Artoria exclaimed in shock.
"Don't misunderstand, Saber," Lancer replied with a smirk. "I'm not here to help you. But I made a promise to fight you—so no one else is allowed to lay a hand on you until our battle is finished."
Yet, their situation didn't improve. From behind Caster, a wave of black miasma coalesced into the figure of an armored knight—Berserker.
With a feral roar, "Huaaaa!" Berserker charged at Artoria, wielding two swords and swinging for her neck. Clang! Saber narrowly deflected the strike, sparks flying. At the same moment, a spear shot toward Berserker's helmet, but before it could pierce through, Lancer's arm was suddenly restrained by a tentacle wrapping around his wrist.
"Tch, this is troublesome," Lancer muttered. "Saber, looks like we'll have to work together if we want to bring them down."
And so, Saber and Lancer stood side by side, preparing to strike Berserker and Caster together.
Even working together, Saber and Lancer were overwhelmed. Caster and Berserker stood unshaken, while the endless swarm of monsters surrounding them made every movement harder.
"They… just keep coming," Lancer growled, his breath heavy, his spear cleaving through the air again and again.
Saber too was exhausted. The curse gnawing at her body left her weakened, and now she had to endure Berserker's relentless, frenzied strikes. Yet as a knight, surrender was not an option—her spirit would not falter, even at the brink of destruction.
Then her gaze fell upon a book radiating a vile aura—clutched tightly in Caster's hands. Instinct and the intuition of a king gave her the answer.
"Lancer!" she cried out amid the chaos. "That book—it's the key! If you can destroy it with your spear, all the monsters he summoned will vanish!"
Lancer flicked his eyes toward it and gave a curt nod. "Hmph… makes sense. But getting close to him won't be easy—with Berserker guarding his side!"
Even as he spoke, Berserker's brutal strike slammed into his spear. Lancer faltered for just an instant, and the beast took advantage. A savage kick crushed into his gut, hurling him straight into the horde. In an instant, the monsters' tentacles wrapped around his body like chains.
"Lancer!" Artoria shouted, leaping to save him. But she failed to notice the shadow looming behind. Berserker was already there, blades raised high, poised to drive them straight through her back.
Her realization came too late. She couldn't deflect, couldn't dodge. And then—
Thud!
A sudden kick slammed into her side, hurling her away.
Crash!
Her body rolled violently across the ground, smashing through earth and trees alike. Pain coursed through her, but her eyes still managed to catch the figure who had saved her.
"…Rider!" Artoria gasped, confusion and shock mingling in her voice.
Rider stood tall before Berserker, a faint smile on his lips, eyes filled with confidence. "I'll take Berserker. You two handle Caster."
For a moment, Artoria was speechless—but then she nodded. For now, they were not enemies. She turned at once, slashing through the tentacles that bound Lancer and setting him free.
"Thanks, Saber…" Lancer rose to his feet, his breathing ragged. "I don't quite understand what's going on. But at least, for now… we've got some room to move. With Rider on our side." His tone carried doubt, though his eyes stayed fixed on the battle before them.
Meanwhile, Rider clashed directly with Berserker, who roared with mounting rage. Despite the brute's savage onslaught, Rider met each strike with astonishing agility. His movements were swift, fluid—like a dance upon the battlefield. With ease, he slipped past Berserker's rampages, parried blows, and struck back with unmatched precision.
With Rider holding Berserker at bay, the battlefield split into two fronts. Sparks and thunderous clashes echoed behind them as Saber and Lancer pressed forward, eyes fixed on Caster.
"Move!" Saber shouted, her blade cutting down the monsters swarming in their path. Even so, for every creature that fell, two more rose from the shadows.
"Tch, damn pests…" Lancer snarled, spinning his crimson spear in a sweeping arc that tore through the horde. "If that book really is the core, then we'd better end this fast!"
Caster, still muttering incoherently, clutched the writhing grimoire tighter to his chest. The book pulsed with dark energy, black miasma spilling forth like a living thing. "Holy Maiden… mine… mine… mine…" It looks like Caster's consciousness is recovering and starting to resist Zouken's control.
*****
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