SWOOSH!
Utilizing the repulsive force from the collision, Ritsuka leaped backward and created distance. "Mash, protect Rikka!" he shouted his command.
"Understood, Senpai!"
Without wasting a single second, Mash moved instantly and planted her giant shield right in front of Rikka, adopting a defensive stance to protect the novice Master.
Ritsuka stared straight at Lancer, then curled his lips into a smirk. "Watch closely, Rikka. This is how you truly fight using Bajiquan. Observe my every move and learn. Someday, you must be able to master it too!"
Right after speaking those words, the magic circuits across Ritsuka's entire body lit up brightly once again. Instead of targeting Kayneth, who was essentially an ordinary human, Ritsuka lunged forward with the speed of a bullet, attacking Lancer directly!
BOOM!
A fierce gust of wind blew from the impact of sheer physical force.
Behind Mash's shield, Rikka swallowed hard, her eyes wide with terror at her brother's speed. "C-can I really master a monstrous technique like that...?" Rikka muttered in disbelief at the devastating power of Ritsuka's Bajiquan.
In the center of the arena, Ritsuka's steel-hard punch was successfully blocked by the cross of Lancer's twin spears.
Seeing the scene, Kayneth, who had stepped back to a safe spot with his fiancée, Sola-Ui, laughed dismissively. "You deliberately targeted the Servant, not the Master? Are you that confident you can win against a Heroic Spirit in a physical brawl?! Don't be ridiculous, Boy! No matter how long you try, a mere mortal like you will never be able to win against a Servant! Your attacks won't have any effect on Lancer," Kayneth mocked with an arrogant tone.
Instead of being provoked, the smile on Ritsuka's face only grew wider.
He pulled his right leg high up into the air, focusing a massive flow of prana into his leg muscles, and brought down an incredibly heavy axe kick.
BAM!
The direct hit struck the shafts of Lancer's spears. The pure force generated was so immense that it forced a knight of Lancer's caliber to skid backward a few steps just to maintain his balance.
Ritsuka didn't let his opponent breathe at all. Capitalizing on the driving force, he immediately slipped inside Lancer's guard, closing the distance until they were practically chest-to-chest—a lethal range that was the core specialty of Bajiquan.
"My attacks have no effect on you...?" Ritsuka whispered right in front of Lancer's face.
Before Lancer could spin his long spears to defend in such a confined space, Ritsuka twisted his hips and delivered a magic-reinforced elbow strike at full power.
BAAAM!
Ritsuka's elbow landed squarely in the center of Lancer's chest. The air around them seemed to explode. The destructive impact sent the spear knight flying quite high into the air, crashing hard onto the warehouse floor.
From the billowing dust, Ritsuka stood tall while slowly lowering his elbow, glaring coldly at Kayneth, who was now trembling and pale.
"...Who decided that?"
"Lancer!" Kayneth shouted in panic, seeing his Servant thrown away.
"Master, I am unharmed," Lancer winced as he stood up, though one of his hands tightly clutched his throbbing chest from that incredibly direct elbow strike.
Spotting the opening, Rikka shouted from behind Mash's shield. "Brother, allow us to assist you!" she called out, preparing to issue an order.
Unbeknownst to any of the enemies, Assassin EMIYA had actually manifested into his physical form. The hooded man now stood silently on guard right behind Kayneth's fiancée, Sola-Ui, ready to execute his target at any moment.
However, Ritsuka suddenly raised one hand, signaling for his sister to cancel her intentions.
"Do not interfere. Do not let him suffer humiliation on the battlefield," Ritsuka commanded firmly.
The young man's eyes were not looking at Lancer, but glaring sharply at the shadow behind Sola-Ui.
That warning was not only meant for Rikka, but also served as an indirect reprimand for Assassin to abort his secret assassination attempt.
Hearing the direction of Ritsuka's words and following his gaze, Lancer's instincts instantly screamed violently. The spear knight immediately snapped his head backward.
"Master! Behind you!" Lancer shouted a warning. In the blink of an eye, he swung his arm and hurled one of his spears with lightning speed, aiming straight at the dark shadow behind Sola-Ui.
Sensing the invisible threat that was so close to him, Kayneth reacted with heightened instincts. He immediately pulled Sola-Ui into his embrace and activated his signature Mystic Code, Volumen Hydrargyrum. The mass of silver mercury erupted from its container instantly, hardening and wrapping tightly around both of their bodies like a defensive shell.
KABOOM!
An explosion of dust and floor debris instantly filled the corner of the room from the clash between Lancer's spear and Assassin's movement.
From behind the thick cloud of smoke, Lancer's eyes caught a lightning-fast movement leaping backward. Realizing the person intended to flee, Lancer pushed off his legs again, preparing to dart forward and chase the figure who dared threaten his master's life.
However, before Lancer could give chase, Ritsuka moved with equal speed and jumped to cut off his path, standing firmly to block the knight.
CLANG!
An iron street pole—which now radiated a thick aura—successfully halted the deadly momentum of Lancer's spear.
Lancer's eyes widened, just as shocked as Kayneth, who witnessed the impossible sight from behind the gap in his Volumen Hydrargyrum mercury shield.
"I-impossible! That... that capability is similar to the power of Berserker's Noble Phantasm!" Kayneth shouted in disbelief.
"Oh, turns out this trick really does work," Ritsuka muttered with a satisfied smile, looking at the glowing magic circuits channeling prana from his arm into the iron pole.
Lancer took a step back, staring at the iron pole in the young man's hand with a gaze filled with both awe and utmost caution.
"Who are you, really, Boy?" asked the spear knight. "Being able to mimic the conceptual power of a Servant to arm yourself... you are clearly no ordinary Magus."
Ritsuka leaped backward to create the perfect distance, then straightened his back. He looked straight at Lancer with a challenging and authoritative gaze.
"My name is Ritsuka Fujimaru!" the young man declared with a loud voice that echoed throughout the room. "The direct disciple of the Wizard Marshal, Kischur Zelretch Schweinorg, and a Magus holding the Rank of Pride! I stand here to challenge you directly, Lancer!"
Hearing that bold and gallant declaration, Lancer stood stiffly in silence.
Suddenly, a flash of a highly unfamiliar—yet incredibly warm—memory crossed his mind. For just a split second, he saw the figure of a young man whose face seemed blurred, standing and smiling before him. Lancer felt an overwhelmingly profound emotional closeness toward the young man in that vision. For some reason, his body whispered that if he fought alongside that young man... his greatest dream of serving as a loyal knight without any betrayal would truly be achieved.
However, that beautiful vision instantly shattered into pieces like broken glass, dispersed by his master's shrill scream.
"Stop spouting nonsense, you little brat!" Kayneth raged, his aristocratic face flushing red with anger at feeling mocked. "There is no way you are the Wizard Marshal's disciple! And a Pride-rank Magus at such a young age?! Don't be ridiculous! You are an incredibly terrible liar! Lancer, quickly eliminate that lowly liar right now!"
Seeing Kayneth's face growing redder with fury, Ritsuka only smiled faintly and shrugged his shoulders casually.
However, before Kayneth could rant any further, Lancer raised one hand, halting his master's anger.
"Master, please leave this battle to me," Lancer interjected in a highly respectful yet firm tone. "This man has challenged me openly and honorably. As a knight, it would truly be a disgrace if I refused his challenge."
Lancer then turned his body, staring at Ritsuka with a sharp gaze.
"Since you have known my True Name from the beginning, there is no longer any point in hiding my identity from you," the knight declared with a loud, commanding voice. "My name is Diarmuid Ua Duibhne! First Knight of the Knights of Fianna! On my honor, I accept your challenge, Ritsuka Fujimaru!"
Responding to that grand declaration, Ritsuka grinned widely. He raised his black prana-clad iron pole with both hands. "In that case... here I come!"
As Ritsuka lunged forward like the wind, Lancer leaped backward with a beautiful acrobatic movement towards the spot where he had thrown his red spear earlier. While mid-air, he pulled the spear from the floor and immediately spun it to welcome Ritsuka's attack.
CLANG!
Iron clashed violently against holy metal, throwing blinding sparks across the room.
However, at the exact second of impact, Ritsuka's eyes widened. He realized something was wrong. The dense flow of prana from the Knight of Owner ability enveloping his iron pole suddenly faded, unraveled, and vanished.
*That red spear... Gae Dearg! That thing is severing my magic flow!* Ritsuka thought quickly, realizing the effect of Diarmuid's magic-piercing Noble Phantasm.
Knowing his weapon would soon revert to a fragile scrap of iron, Ritsuka immediately jumped back to avoid the slash. Naturally, Lancer, possessing high-tier combat instincts, did not let the opening slip by; the twin-spear knight instantly dashed in pursuit to deliver a lethal thrust.
Pushed into a corner, Ritsuka's eyes caught sight of a thick iron plate lying on the floor not far from his feet. With agile footwork, he kicked the edge of the iron plate into the air, caught it, and positioned it in front of his chest right as Lancer thrust toward him.
CLAAAANG!
Right before the tip of Lancer's spear pierced the plate, the magic circuits on Ritsuka's arm lit up brightly. The reddish-black aura signature to Knight of Owner instantly spread quickly to swallow the metal, transforming the scrap iron plate into an improvised shield.
While holding back the devastating force of Lancer's spear, Ritsuka glanced slightly backward and called out loudly across the battlefield.
"Mash! Watch my movements closely! This is the proper way to fight using a shield!"
Ritsuka forcefully strapped the iron plate to his right arm, turning it into both a makeshift shield and a gauntlet for striking. Without a pause, he instantly dashed forward and launched a relentless barrage of attacks at Lancer.
CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!
Sparks flew high into the air every time metal met metal. Ritsuka was no longer fighting technically; every swing was aimed to end his opponent's life. Lancer was forced to exert all of his defensive capabilities, struggling to block strike after strike that felt increasingly heavy and fast.
After several minutes of thrilling, high-intensity combat, a strange sound echoed inside the warehouse, halting both of their movements.
CLUNK!
A mysterious wheel of light appeared above Ritsuka's head and rotated once.
*Click.*
Lancer jumped backward, panting. He stared at the spinning wheel with a sharp frown. "That wheel... what does it do?" he muttered in confusion.
He realized Ritsuka's stamina, which should have been drained, actually seemed fully refreshed, as if the wheel had somehow restored the young man's energy.
Ritsuka wiped the sweat from his temple and smiled faintly. "Do you want to know the answer?"
But before Ritsuka could explain, an arrogant shout from behind ruined both of their focus.
"You foolish Lancer! Don't you realize it?! That wheel must be recharging his energy! Why did you fight him for so long?!" Kayneth shouted angrily. "Look at the result! That prolonged battle only gave him the chance to recover his strength!"
"Forgive me, Master," Lancer replied with his head bowed, even though he felt humiliated in his heart.
"You truly are a useless Servant!" Kayneth berated him even more. "Are you really so weak that you cannot defeat a lowly human?! I completely regret ever summoning you!"
Hearing Kayneth's cruel insults towards his loyal Servant, Ritsuka's brow furrowed deeply. Anger began to burn in his chest.
Without warning, he pulled the iron plate from his arm and threw it with incredible speed right at Kayneth.
Lancer, despite having just been insulted, reacted immediately with selfless loyalty. He jumped with lightning speed to protect his master.
THWACK!
Lancer managed to deflect the iron plate with his spear, but he flinched. He realized something was odd.
The influence of Knight of Owner on the iron plate this time lasted much longer than usual, even when clashing directly with the tip of his red spear that could neutralize magic.
However, before Lancer could think deeper about the anomaly, he heard Ritsuka's chilling, piercing voice, as if he were passing judgment on his master's honor.
"Seven minutes," Ritsuka said as he shook his head slowly, his expression full of disappointment.
He shifted his gaze from Lancer and looked straight down at Kayneth with contempt.
"Seven minutes. That was all the free time I set aside to play around with you."
The young man's voice sounded cold and intimidating. "And here you are now, Lancer's Master. I gave you plenty of time to think of a strategy, gave you openings to present a more meaningful challenge. But you wasted all of it. All you can do is scream in panic from behind your shield and blame your own Servant."
Ritsuka sneered cynically. "You are truly an incompetent Master... far more pathetic than even a certain crybaby, third-rate magus I know."
Hearing his aristocratic pride trampled on, Kayneth's face turned completely red. Veins bulged on his temples.
"You...! How dare you speak to me like that, you insolent brat!" Kayneth raged, his voice shrieking hysterically. "Lancer! Kill him right now! Use both of your Noble Phantasms together! Do not hold back!"
Lancer's eyes widened. "B-but, Master! He is merely a human—" the spear knight protested. As a Heroic Spirit who held honor above all, using his ultimate weapons to slaughter a human was something that stained his pride.
"Obey my command at once!" Kayneth snapped.
The Lord of the Clock Tower raised his right hand into the air, revealing the red seals engraved on the back of his hand.
"By this Command Spell, I order you, Lancer! Eliminate that boy with all of your power!"
A dense red light instantly glowed brightly from Kayneth's hand. One of the three strokes of the holy seal faded and vanished, releasing a wave of power that directly bound the Servant's soul.
"MASTER!" Lancer shouted in sheer desperation.
However, his protests were futile. The laws of the Holy Grail took over his body. Lancer's eyes flashed sharply, and irresistibly, his body automatically prepared to dash forward and adopted a lethal stance. An absolutely immense magical aura now exploded from both of his spears, ready to tear Ritsuka's life away.
"It's fine, Lancer. Use all your power. We will end this right now," Ritsuka said in a calm, authoritative tone.
In the palm of his right hand, a highly sacred, golden glow of light suddenly erupted. The particles of light gathered quickly, slowly forming the silhouette of a magnificent sword.
"Do not hesitate. This is the battle you wanted, isn't it?" Ritsuka continued, smiling warmly at him.
Lancer gasped violently. Behind him, Kayneth also turned pale.
"T-that sword...!" Kayneth stuttered from behind his mercury shell. His body trembled in fear, feeling the incredibly strong wave of magical energy radiating from the blade of light.
Even though the sword's design was slightly different, Lancer's knightly instincts instantly recognized the essence of that pure energy.
As he looked closer at Ritsuka,
Beside the young man, Lancer saw a slightly transparent, astral figure—a golden-blonde male knight with calming emerald green eyes, clad in bluish-silver armor. Although his appearance and gender were different from the Servant he had dueled with last night, the sublime energy and majestic dignity radiating from the figure were completely identical.
The shadowy knight stared straight at Lancer, then gave a slow, respectful nod.
"I will grant your wish, Lancer," Ritsuka declared, breaking the silence.
The young man lowered his stance, positioning his golden sword sideways, preparing to unleash a finishing slash.
Hearing that promise, Lancer fell silent. Slowly, the look of despair on his face faded, replaced by the most genuine and captivating knightly smile.
The First Knight of the Fianna tightened his grip on his twin spears once again. This time, his aura blazed not because of the coercion of Kayneth's Command Spell, but purely from the desires of his own heart. He staked everything with utmost gratitude, placing his hope that the young man before him would truly give him the honorable battle he had always yearned for.
SWOOOSH!
The warehouse floor shattered to pieces as the two of them dashed forward, piercing through the air simultaneously. Ignoring all limitations, R
itsuka and Diarmuid exchanged passionate smiles, pouring all their strength, soul, and honor into one ultimate clash!