The battle hadn't officially started yet. On the other side, after watching the three girls share their moment, Lancer—who had finally finished his "preparations"—stood up, leaning on his staff. He and Cu Chulainn shared an instinctive glance and a knowing grin.
To themselves, they were pure warriors—spearmen who brandished their weapons to protect their country, their kin, their lovers, and their friends.
To their enemies, they were demons from hell. But they never looked back with regret. They knew better than anyone how cruel the world could be; perfection only existed in dreams. It was their resolve to slaughter the enemy to save their loved ones that kept them from ever wavering.
"This is Mash first real fight. I'm leaving her protection to you, Senpai."
"Haha! Don't you worry about a thing. Who do you think I am?"
Without another word, Cu Chulainn held out his right fist toward Lancer. Lancer blinked for a second, then smiled and met him with his left.
Bump.
After the quick fist bump, Cu Chulainn nonchalantly shouldered his staff and started walking toward Lancer position. Because Berserker was such a wildcard, Lancer was hovering near him but didn't dare get too close. Lancer, meanwhile, tucked his staff into his belt and pulled out a crimson sake dish.
"Let's... raise some hell."
As Lancer stepped forward, countless strange shadows began to manifest on the empty road. they followed closely behind him, quickly forming a literal parade of shadows.
Lancer wasn't being subtle. Both the wary Lancer and the rampaging Berserker immediately took notice of him.
"Hmph. Some men just never learn."
Watching the Hyakki Yagyō (Night Parade of One Hundred Demons) approach, Lancer let out a disdainful snort.
It was true—except for Cu Chulainn, all of them had been "killed" by Saber and corrupted by the mud. However, they hadn't completely lost their consciousness. The reason they hadn't bothered talking before was simply because there was no intel Lancer didn't already know, and Lancer himself wasn't a big talker. Plus, there weren't many people who actually enjoyed "trash talking" during a fight, so their battles usually took place in a silence thick with killing intent.
Medusa might have been annoyed by Lancer flashy entrance, but she didn't underestimate him. She had already experienced how dangerous he was. Just as Lancer team knew they had to handle Berserker to get to her, Medusa had noticed the strange link between those weak-looking "familiars" and Lancer. It was through the "buffs" from those spirits that Lancer was able to display such terrifying strength.
And more importantly—
Where is Caster?
She didn't believe for a second that Lancer would be reckless enough to fight her alone. That meant Caster had to be hiding somewhere, waiting to ambush her!
But just as she braced herself, something totally unexpected happened. Lancer, leading his "Night Parade," actually bypassed her from the side. A heavy sense of unease washed over her.
She wasn't about to low-ball her opponent. Their previous clashes had confirmed their relative power levels; short of their final trump cards, both sides had basically thrown everything they had at each other. So what was he planning this time?
In battle, there's a very simple logic: whatever the enemy is trying to do, stop them!
She gripped her spear and lunged after Lancer, but the moment she moved, a figure intercepted her from the side.
"Caster, you... wait?"
She stopped mid-sentence as she realized something was off. The person charging her was a girl in a purple bodysuit, not the chest-baring, cloaked man from before.
Do they have reinforcements?
The only reason they'd been able to drive Lancer and Cu Chulainn back several times before was Archer help—after all, Berserker tended to attack her just as much as the enemies. Now, if someone tied up Archer, she was in serious trouble.
In that split second of hesitation, Mash had already closed the distance, leading with her shield.
Screeeech!
The spear blade grated against the shield with a jarring sound. Behind the shield, Mash felt her grip falter for a second. She couldn't be blamed; Medusa possessed the "Monstrous Strength" skill. In terms of raw power, neither Lancer (even when demonized via his parade) nor the "Divine" Cu Chulainn wanted to take her head-on.
Still, thanks to her sheer grit, Mash held her ground. She didn't let her balance break or expose herself from behind the shield. And—
The heat radiating from behind her was proof that she wasn't fighting alone.
Raging flames erupted from behind Mash, sweeping toward Medusa.
As Mash and Cu Chulainn engaged Medusa, Lancer was having a rough time of his own.
Almost the instant he got near Berserker, the giant spotted him. Without a moment's hesitation, Berserker swung his massive axe-sword and charged.
From his probes over the last few days, Lancer had traded blows with the giant several times. He nimbly sidestepped the attack and flicked his right hand—the one holding the sake dish—forward. The "ghosts" trailing behind him lunged at the enemy without hesitation.
The result was predictable. None of them lasted a single hit. One swing of the axe-sword tore through the spirits, turning them back into raw magical energy that dissolved into the air.
The giant seemed annoyed by the mindless slaughter of fodder.
"ROAAR!!!"
With a deafening howl, he swung his axe-sword in a wide arc, clearing the small spirits around him. He then lunged straight for Lancer. Before he could reach him, a strange "rune" lit up on the ground. Suddenly, dozens of ice spikes erupted from the earth.
Against a normal opponent, this would have turned them into a kebab. But—
Clang! Clang!
The ice spikes shattered against the giant's skin with a metallic ring.
"Tch. Seriously tough..."
Lancer muttered to himself as he dove to the side.
True, in the original story, Rin Tohsaka had managed to take several of Berserker's lives using her gems. But the Berserker Lancer was facing was a blackened, reinforced version. Besides, Rin's attack was no joke—she had basically bet her entire life savings on that hit, using gems she'd hoarded for ten years. It was literally a "pay-to-win" move. Furthermore, Lancer seemed to have overlooked one thing: this Berserker wasn't just blackened; he had been blackened after being "killed" by Saber.
In other words, the Berserker standing before him was the final, reinforced version who had already burned through his twelve lives...