With Chikujōin Magane defeated, the Military Uniform Princess's side grew weaker—both in strength and numbers—compared to Selesia's group.
"Damn it! What is this ridiculous reversal?! I'm not Takefumi! (Note 1)" The Military Uniform Princess bit her finger in frustration, her expression twisted in unwillingness.
"This battle… I'll step in myself!" Saber grasped her holy sword and began walking forward, step by step.
"So then—Saber, King of Britain, Arthu—"
"Objection!" Saber was abruptly cut off by Ritsuka before she could even finish introducing herself.
"Saber, before you recall the faces of the Knights of the Round Table, you've got no right to use the name [Artoria]," Ritsuka teased, repeating the jab she had made earlier.
Saber's rage was visible to the naked eye. "Creator! Are you mocking me?!" Ritsuka very much wanted to answer "Exactly," but if she did, Saber probably wouldn't just rush up and swing—she'd go straight for a point-blank Excalibur blast. So, Ritsuka just shrugged.
"Hmph…" Saber forced herself to calm down and refrained from revealing her true name. Instead, she shouted:
"In that case—legendary Hassan, Old Man of the Mountain—allow me, a Saber, to challenge the Grand Assassin!"
She was immediately smacked in the face by Ritsuka's rejection.
"Why on earth would I let grandpa fight you? Grandpa, please rest."
The Old Man of the Mountain silently nodded, teleporting back to his side with Lam Diem. He stood near Moriarty, surrounded by a vacuum of personal space where no one—save for Servants—wanted to linger.
"So then…" Saber struggled to suppress her anger and forced the words out through gritted teeth:
"Who… is… my… opponent?!"
"No need to rush." Ritsuka grinned radiantly. "How about a little snack first?" She pulled a steak (Emiya's special, tailor-made for Artoria's Noble Phantasm) from who-knows-where and walked toward Saber.
The smell alone began to ease Saber's fury. Watching Ritsuka approach, she hesitated only briefly before sheathing her holy sword and waiting in place.
Very soon, Ritsuka was right in front of her, holding out the steak with a smile. Just as Saber reached to accept it—
Bang!
A gunshot rang out. Smoke curled from Blitz Talker's pistol—the source of the bullet.
Ritsuka's eyes narrowed. Twisting her body into an almost inhuman angle, she dodged without spilling the steak.
"Attack!" The Military Uniform Princess shouted, and her side's ranged fighters unleashed everything at Ritsuka, eager to seize this chance to kill her.
Moriarty nearly charged in, but the Old Man of the Mountain stopped him.
"Trust your Master. If she's taking risks, she's already got a plan. Don't ruin it with your own impulses."
Despite his words, the flicker in his eyes betrayed his desire to rush in and protect her.
"Magic Splash Flash!" Kirameki Mamika swung her wand, sending a burst of magical energy toward Ritsuka, while Blitz Talker kept firing from behind.
Ritsuka, smiling strangely, didn't dodge. She let the attacks approach.
Boom!
The strikes hit dead-on, filling the area with dust and obscuring her from sight.
"Miss Fujimaru!" Meteora and several Servants clenched their fists in alarm.
"Did it work?!" Unlike Meteora's group, the Military Uniform Princess's side cheered—except for Saber, who shouted in fury:
"Why kill her?! Attacking someone with no way to fight back—doesn't your conscience hurt?!"
"On the battlefield, there's no right or wrong, no honor or disgrace—only victory and defeat," the Military Uniform Princess sneered. "This time, I've turned the tables!"
"Ah, hasn't anyone told you that what you just said was a huge FLAG? And declaring victory before the smoke even clears—that's textbook villain behavior."
The teasing voice came from within the dust.
When the haze settled, a new figure stood before Ritsuka—a purple-haired girl in light purple-and-black armor, wielding a massive black cross-shaped shield.
The shield was pristine, completely unharmed by the earlier barrage.
"Servant, Galahad—no, [Mash Kyrielight], Shielder-class, has arrived." The girl's amethyst eyes burned with determination.
"Another… Shielder? What kind of Class is that?!" The Military Uniform Princess trembled at the wasted opportunity.
"Not one of the standard seven," Illyasviel explained. "The Einzberns summoned an extra-class Servant—Avenger—during the Third Holy Grail War. But Shielder? This is the first I've heard of it. And judging by the name, they're probably an expert in defense. This just got a lot more troublesome."
Ritsuka patted Mash's head, pleased with the soft sensation. "Thanks, Mash. Always reliable."
The shy girl blushed. "N-no need to thank me, Senpai. As your Servant, this is my duty."
"Next… Mash, bring out the Round Table."
"Yes, Master."
"What's she planning?" Meteora asked.
Moriarty stroked his beard. "That table has the concept of 'where heroes gather.' It can summon Servants—multiple at once. She probably wants to call in a whole group instead of summoning them one by one."
Ritsuka poured mana into the table and began chanting:
[Servants of the myriad worlds, gather here… Dinner time!]
The table glowed, surrounded by countless colored orbs. They spun into three rings, releasing a towering pillar of light. Silhouettes slowly formed around Ritsuka and Mash.
One by one, they appeared:
Artoria Pendragon (Saber) – the dignified King of Britain herself.
Artoria Pendragon Alter (Saber) – dark and cold-eyed, like a lioness stalking prey.
Artoria Pendragon Lily (Saber) – pure and smiling like a blooming lily.
Artoria Pendragon (Lancer) – the Lion King, holy spear in hand.
Artoria Pendragon Alter (Lancer) – blackened storm-queen, merciless in rule.
Mysterious Heroine X – dropping from the sky, insisting she's a Saber, not an Assassin, with a mission to slay every Saberface.
Mordred (Saber) – the rebellious knight, instantly screaming, "So many fathers?!"
Nero Claudius (Saber) – the flamboyant, fiery Rose Emperor.
Okita Sōji (Saber) – the genius swordswoman of the Shinsengumi.
Jeanne d'Arc (Ruler) – white-armored saint, correcting everyone's pronunciation of her name.
Ritsuka glanced at the now-still table. "…Huh? Missing two? Where's Jeanne Alter and BX?"
Artoria Alter explained: "Jeanne Alter went shopping and missed the call. Mysterious Heroine Alter refused because she's reading a light novel."
"…Tell BX she's out of sweets," Ritsuka deadpanned.
Right on cue, Mash's shield flashed again, and another figure appeared:
"Mysterious Heroine Alter (Berserker)… Master! No sweets and I'll die!" She clung to Ritsuka's clothes pitifully.
Ritsuka sighed and ignored her, turning to the shocked Military Uniform Princess:
"Hey, now we've got the numbers advantage. You still want to fight?"
The Princess grit her teeth. "Everyone—full assault! If we don't go all out now, we'll be wiped out!" She charged first, with her side close behind. The newly summoned Servants met them head-on.
The battlefield turned chaotic—while some watched like it was a stage play, the two forces clashed in a frenzy of blades and spells.
Ritsuka returned to her side's camp, handed out chairs to her allies, and sat down to watch, munching on popcorn from who-knows-where.
The onlookers… suddenly felt deeply concerned for this world.