Berserker had been erased by her—consumed completely, not even scraps of flesh remained.
Crackle…
The blade of Musou Isshin still hung at her side, wreathed in intense lightning that whipped up dust around her feet. Her eyes showed no emotion—only coldness and killing intent. The sky too began to change, thick clouds smothering the moonlight, streaks of lightning tearing through within.
"!"
From afar, Atalanta frowned deeply, cold sweat sliding uncontrollably down her forehead.
That mana release… as expected of Saber!
She knew full well—in this state, she could not possibly fight the Shogun. And with her injuries now, even less so. Best if she did not draw Saber's gaze, at least until her body healed.
But the Shogun had already noticed. Slowly, she turned, her merciless violet gaze locking on the archer clutching her abdomen nearby.
"!"
Atalanta stiffened at once, her jaw clenched, every nerve on edge. For a moment, she thought the Shogun might flicker across the battlefield and cut her down where she stood!
"Oh~ Such exquisite skill. That strike truly impressed me, Saber."
Boom!
Breaking from his clash with Karna, the Grand Prince turned toward the Shogun, speaking with genuine admiration. It was no empty flattery, but heartfelt praise. That one strike had been flawless—clean, decisive, beautiful, and overwhelming. It concentrated countless perfections into a single lethal blow.
"Indeed… I must agree with Lancer's words. Before, I wondered—why you, a Saber, did not wield a sword. But now I understand. The instant you draw the blade, your foe's death is already sealed. Swordsmanship is your ultimate art, hidden until the decisive moment."
Karna, resting his golden spear behind him, echoed the Grand Prince's words in his own composed style. This too was part of the Holy Grail War's allure—to witness heroes of different ages and worlds reveal their finest blows was a rare honor.
Though a battlefield, it was also a grand gathering of heroes. A gathering of strength, of charm, of ideals—exchanged through combat.
[Were we… just praised?]
Ei's voice sounded uncertain. Here, people always seemed eager to flatter or return compliments, this "praising trade" almost a ritual. Was this what it meant for heroes to meet in battle? Oh no, no, we dare not accept such words~
"…Overpraised."
Hearing their words, the Shogun showed no hint of pride, only a calm and simple reply.
BOOOOM!!
Suddenly, pale-green explosions erupted across the distant plain, spreading like clouds into the sky. Bolts of pale-green lightning laced through the storm.
Crackle…
The lightning twisted into a tornado, sucking up dust from the earth, swelling larger and larger.
At its peak, it burst outward!
BOOOOM!!
The tornado fractured, giving birth to a towering tree of pale-green lightning that pierced the heavens. It was no true tree, but a magical construct formed of dense mana, a source of boundless energy.
Its radiance lit the entire battlefield, drawing the eyes of all present.
Moments later, another explosion rocked the earth. The lightning tree burned with fire, waves of heat rolling outward. The ground swelled and billowed like the sea, blasting up clouds of dust that rolled across the plain.
The Shogun calmly expanded her lightning shield, blocking the ash from staining her kimono. The others likewise defended themselves in their own ways. The Grand Prince summoned spires of iron to form a wall. Karna's body flared like the sun, burning away sand and grit. Atalanta, lacking such protection, ducked awkwardly behind a dirt mound.
The storm passed in seconds. At last the plain grew still. But the Dragon Tooth Warriors and homunculi, caught in the blast, now lay strewn helpless upon the ground.
Crack…
"What happened just now? That mana surge… was it Berserker?!"
The Grand Prince dismissed his spikes, asking sternly.
"…No. That was our Saber. It seems the enemy has also unleashed a Noble Phantasm."
Karna frowned as he too sensed the mana from the explosion.
"Heh… looks like it's time we settled this, don't you think? Lancer."
The Grand Prince chuckled, casting a confident, wild smile toward the handsome man before him.
"Yes. That is the purpose of this battle, Black Lancer."
Karna replied with calm courtesy.
"..."
The Shogun gave the two of them a speechless glance. Enough already, these two praising each other like merchants trading compliments. Shaking her head, she turned her gaze toward the source of the explosion. Her eyes narrowed with unease.
That surge of mana—it had been Frankenstein's. Though the Shogun did not know the details of her Noble Phantasm, such power likely meant it consumed her very life to unleash.
She could still feel Mordred's mana, but Frankenstein's had vanished entirely. Which could only mean…
[Should we go and see?]
Ei's voice interrupted her thoughts.
[It won't help to stand here guessing. Better to confirm with your own eyes.]
Clang! Clang! ×N
Nearby, Karna and the Grand Prince's weapons clashed, their collisions echoing like cannon fire, shockwaves whipping dust into the air.
The Shogun gave them one last disdainful look, sighing softly.
Enough. Let them be.
Crackle!
Her body dissolved into violet lightning, shooting skyward like a meteor. She streaked across the night sky toward the site of the explosion.
…
A few minutes earlier—
"The weaker you are, the more reckless you get." If ever there was a phrase to describe Kairi Sisigou right now, this was it. There was no real need for him to come along—Mordred alone would suffice. He had already lost an arm, and yet he insisted on tagging along.
Originally, he was the one who drove. But now, missing an arm, the task fell to Mordred in the driver's seat. This car was a replacement—well, technically a rental. The last one had been totaled by Fiore's claw strike. He'd had to pay out compensation for that. Now, in the middle of the Holy Grail War's climax, finances were a problem for another time.
Vroooom…
But in hindsight, he should never have let her drive!
With Riding Skill in hand, Mordred treated the cheap car like a racing machine, speeding across the plains at max velocity, even drifting across the grasslands.
"Damn it… I'm going to have to pay for this one too, aren't I?"
Kairi gritted his teeth, clinging with his remaining hand to the handle above the window as the car shook violently. His heart ached just thinking about it.
"Hah? What'd you just say?!"
Mordred, hair whipping in the wind, yelled back, unable to hear his muttering over the roaring wind.
"…I didn't say anything!!"
Kairi shouted back, exasperated.
"Oh~."
Mordred grinned, unconcerned, and kept driving wildly.
Thud…
"Urrgh!"
Kairi smacked his head against the roof, groaning as he glanced at the girl beside him, her grin wild and reckless.
As if that weren't enough, the car radio had been blasting heavy metal rock nonstop, making his head pound.
Click!
Without hesitation, he reached forward and shut it off, relishing the sudden quiet.
"Oi! What the hell was that for?!"
Mordred turned to him, indignant.
"It's noisy! Can't you keep it down before a battle? You're making me even more nervous."
"Hah! You lost an arm because you got careless, and now you're taking it out on me? If not for me, you'd already be dead, you know that?"
Mordred scoffed, her words sharp. She could read him easily—he was irritable, restless, his pride wounded by his injury. But she was also right. If she hadn't pulled him away in time, he wouldn't have lost just an arm—his skull would have been split in two.
"Ugh…"
Kairi was left speechless, silenced instantly. Slumping in his seat, he turned his eyes to the retreating plains beyond the window, sulking quietly.