"It seems I'll have to step in if we want this battle to end quickly," I said, watching the fight unfold.
"Master, do you want me to handle it?" Medusa asked calmly. "I believe I could deal with that creature easily if I used one of my abilities."
Of course, I knew what she meant—the Mystic Eyes of Petrification. With a single gaze, she could turn that monster into stone without effort.
"There's no need for that, Rider," Allen replied with a faint smile. He then formed a piece of paper from thin air, folding it deftly into the shape of a small paper airplane.
The paper plane floated gracefully through the air, carried by an unseen current of mana, until it reached Lancer.
Lancer caught it with a puzzled look. As he unfolded and read the short message written inside, his expression changed. He turned toward Saber, shaking his head with a knowing smile.
"Saber," he said, a hint of amusement in his voice, "why did you hide this from us?"
Meanwhile, the second battle against Caster had reached a stalemate.
No matter how many times they struck the creature, it regenerated almost instantly.
Each wound closed the moment it was dealt—an endless cycle that rendered their efforts meaningless.
Saber and Lancer fought side by side, their movements synchronized in desperate coordination, yet even together, they could barely hold back the monstrous sea beast.
Were Saber not already injured, she might have been able to cut the creature down in a single strike.
"Hey, Saber, Lancer—fall back for now!"
Iskandar's commanding voice echoed from behind them.
"What nonsense are you spouting, King of Conquerors?" Saber shot back, her blade cleaving through another writhing tentacle. "If we retreat now, countless innocents will perish!"
"Saber," Lancer interjected calmly, "the Conqueror King is right. We should withdraw and rethink our strategy."
"Do you have a plan, Lancer?" Saber asked, glaring at him as she severed another of the creature's limbs.
"Perhaps," he replied curtly, his spear raised in guard.
Reluctantly, the trio pulled back toward the riverside, where Caster awaited them with a grim expression.
"Caster," Saber called out sharply, "do you have a way to deal with that thing?"
Caster shook his head, his tone grave. "I'm not certain. Its size and regenerative capacity exceed anything I've seen. The only way to destroy it… is with a single, overwhelming strike. A blow powerful enough to annihilate it completely."
He looked out toward the raging monstrosity, the glow of his magic circle reflecting in his eyes.
"But perhaps… I can buy us time. If I draw it into my Reality Marble, I can weaken it—if only for a few minutes."
"While I buy us some time, you two figure out a way to defeat that monster," said Caster, gesturing for Velvet to stay where he was.
"No, Caster—I'm coming with you!" Velvet protested, shaking his head.
"No, kid. It'll be too dangerous if you come along," Caster replied firmly. Then, turning to Saber and Lancer, he added, "I'm counting on you to look after the boy while I hold the creature off."
Both Servants nodded in agreement.
"Of course. We'll guarantee his safety," Saber and Lancer answered in unison.
Moments later, Caster lifted himself into the air, his cloak fluttering as prana surged around him. He soared toward the colossal monster, raising his staff high as the air rippled with magical energy.
In the next instant, both Caster and the creature vanished—dragged into the endless expanse of his Reality Marble.
"Lancer, what's your plan now?" Saber asked, turning toward her amid the roaring chaos.
Lancer didn't answer immediately. But he looked at Saber, whose hand was still holding her sword. She was still trembling in her wounded hand, faint light reflecting off its edge.
"Saber," Lancer continued, his voice calm but piercing, "I know you possess a Noble Phantasm strong enough to destroy that monster in a single strike. So tell me—why haven't you used it yet?"
"I can't," Artoria replied quietly, shaking her head.
"Because of your injury?" Lancer asked, tightening his grip on his golden spear. "If your arm were healed, could you slay it with one blow?"
Saber hesitated for a moment before giving a faint nod. "…Yes. If I were at full strength, I could."
Lancer let out a small, resigned smile as he raised his spear toward the heavens. "Then that's enough for me to hear."
Realization dawned on Saber's face. "Lancer—wait. Don't tell me you plan to—"
But before she could finish, Lancer drove his weapon into the ground. A golden light flared around him as he shattered one of his own spears—the twin Noble Phantasms, each bound to the other.
The air pulsed violently as mana surged outward.
"Lancer!" Saber called out, her eyes widening in disbelief.
He turned to her, smiling with the easy grace of a true knight. "Saber… I've always admired that chivalrous heart of yours. But this is my choice. So don't stop me."
He glanced down at the broken spear, its light beginning to fade.
"Go," he said firmly. "Show me your strength, and strike down that monster. Consider this my repayment—for the weapon I've just lost. Don't let me down."
Saber's expression hardened. She gripped her sword tightly, her emerald eyes shining with resolve.
"Very well, Lancer," she said. "Leave it to me."
A brilliant radiance enveloped her blade as wind gathered and light surged around her—Excalibur's sacred brilliance illuminating the battlefield, preparing to unleash its holy wrath upon the monstrous sea creature.
But just as Saber began gathering mana for her Noble Phantasm, a deafening roar cut through the air.
Out of nowhere, Berserker—completely unbound from his Master's control—descended into madness once more. The blackened Servant hurled himself toward her in a storm of destruction, his aircraft-shaped form unleashing a barrage of missiles.
"Damn it, not again!" Lancer cursed as Saber was forced to evade, deflecting incoming rounds with desperate precision. Each explosion lit up the battlefield like thunder in the night.
"Leave him to me!" Lancer shouted.
Without hesitation, he leapt skyward, his golden spear shimmering as he soared toward Berserker's jet-like form.
"Berserker—stop this madness!" Lancer commanded, now standing upon the fuselage, wind tearing past him.
But Berserker didn't respond—his sanity long devoured by rage. With no other choice, Lancer drove his spear down with a fierce cry, cleaving through the corrupted machine.
BOOM!
The jet erupted into a fiery explosion, fragments scattering across the darkened sky.
Yet even as the flames fell, Berserker emerged from the inferno—his armor charred, his body barely intact—still clutching the twisted remains of a minigun scavenged from the wreckage.
He aimed it straight at Saber.
But before he could fire, a streak of golden light pierced the battlefield.
CLANG!
The weapon was violently knocked aside—sent flying by a treasure hurled from a distant portal.
"Tsk… how dare that mangy beast ignore me," came Archer's disdainful voice, echoing across the ruined field.
The golden king stood atop a distant rooftop, his crimson eyes gleaming with contempt.
And just as swiftly as he appeared, Gilgamesh vanished into golden motes of light, leaving only silence in his wake.
Not long after, Archer appeared not far from me.
"Oh, hey, King of Heroes. Done amusing yourself already?" I said casually, still lounging beside Medusa.
Archer's crimson eyes shifted toward me, sharp and unamused. "Was that your doing—the trick that made Lancer destroy his own spear?" he asked, clearly disregarding my earlier comment.
"Well, you could say that," Allen replied with a faint nod, his tone calm and unbothered.
At that moment, a brilliant golden light flared in the distance—its radiance reflecting off the river like a second sun. The air trembled, heavy with divine energy.
Both men turned their gaze toward it, the glow of Excalibur cutting through the darkness of the night.
"The light… it's beautiful," Medusa whispered, her voice soft with awe as her violet eyes reflected the golden radiance dancing across the surface of the river. She reached out slightly, as if wanting to touch it. The ground trembled, waves rippling violently as the air filled with the dense pulse of mana.
"It seems the battle's reached its climax," Allen said calmly, leaning back against a large boulder, his tone almost casual—as though all the chaos before him was nothing more than a passing spectacle.
Archer folded his arms, his crimson gaze fixed on the blinding glow in the distance. "Hmph. So the girl finally stops holding back. She should have unleashed her holy sword from the start instead of playing at chivalry like a fool."
Allen chuckled faintly. "For once, I agree with you."
A thunderous roar split the night. The heavens themselves seemed to tear open as a flood of golden light illuminated the darkness, blazing like a sun born in midnight.
By the riverbank stood Saber, her golden hair whipping in the storm of mana. The wind howled around her as she raised her blade high, the holy sword Excalibur shimmering with divine brilliance.
Across from her, Caster—the Conqueror King, Iskandar—watched with a strained yet satisfied smile, his figure already beginning to dissolve in the storm of light.
"Ex—calibur!!!"
Artoria's voice rang like a clarion call, and the sacred light surged forth. The golden wave swallowed Caster and the monstrous sea-beast he had summoned, obliterating them in an instant. Darkness gave way to blinding radiance; the river became a torrent of divine fire.
Caster's fading form lingered for only a moment longer—his smile one of pride and acceptance—before both he and his creation vanished, leaving only falling motes of light, like dying stars drifting into the night.
Archer observed the aftermath with a faint smirk. "Hmph. One piece of trash finally removed from the stage."
Allen rose to his feet, brushing the dust from his coat. "A beautiful performance… Rider, let's go home."
Medusa turned toward him, her expression gentle. "Yes, Master."
"Leaving so soon after the show's over?" came a familiar voice.
Allen turned slightly to see Iskandar—his spirit form reconstituted through sheer will—grinning at him.
"Yeah," Allen replied with a playful wave. "We'll be taking our leave. Bye-bye, King of Conquerors… and King of Heroes."
Archer said nothing, merely watching in silence as Allen and Medusa departed. Iskandar, however, gave a booming laugh and turned toward Archer, his presence commanding as ever.
Meanwhile, Allen and Medusa mounted Pegasus, the winged steed spreading its radiant wings. With a beat that scattered starlight into the air, they soared away into the night sky—leaving behind the fading echoes of battle and the golden shimmer of a legend reborn.
Once they returned home, Allen immediately collapsed onto the bed—exhaustion finally catching up with him. He could barely keep his eyes open; all he wanted now was rest.
Seeing him like that, Medusa smiled softly. She gently lifted him in her arms and carried him to his room, her movements quiet and careful. Laying him down, she slipped under the covers beside him, wrapping her arms around his sleeping form.
Within moments, both Master and Servant drifted into peaceful slumber, the night outside calm and silent after the storm of battle.
Back to Iskandar and Gillgamesh.
"So, have you come here to fight, Caster?" Archer asked, his tone sharp yet almost bored, the golden armor glinting faintly under the moonlight.
"Well, I don't really mind," Caster replied with a faint smirk, though his voice carried a hint of fatigue. "Even if I'm not in the best condition right now… But tell me, Archer—are you planning to settle our score here and now?"
Archer closed his eyes briefly before turning his back. "We can postpone it—for now." Then, without looking at him, he added, "Tell me, do you still refuse to acknowledge that girl as a king?"
"I do," Caster said quietly. "Though she possesses the power worthy of a king, her nature—her willingness to sacrifice herself for others—prevents me from recognizing her as one. A pitiable girl… I wonder who molded her into such a tragic figure."
Archer scoffed lightly. "Suit yourself."
With that, the King of Heroes walked away, his golden figure fading into the night as the wind carried the last echoes of their words.
*****
Autor note : Season 2 will likely be finished in January, and I won't be updating it on Webnovel first because I'll be posting daily updates on Patreon. I'll probably update here again in early February.