Vroooooom~!
A sports car speeds down the empty road at dusk. Medb drives while humming along to the music playing.
"We'll be entering Trifas soon."
"Yes, this is Trifas now, Jeanne. Are you nervous?"
"Not at all. I'm used to war."
"Huh, that's good spirit."
Soon, the curtain will rise on the Great Holy Grail War. All Servants have been summoned, and a frontal battle will begin before long. How will this unfold... Amakusa's revelation is indeed bothersome.
"Hmm... There's something over there in the distance?"
"There's a bounded field to repel people too. It's a clear will to prevent casualties."
"That's right, Jeanne. Let's use class names from now on. It's soon, just as I said... right?"
"To attack a judge... there are limits to rule-breaking."
We speed into the bounded field. This car will probably be scrapped here... Well, whatever.
On a traffic sign above the moonlit road, Red Lancer・Karna was waiting for the Ruler to arrive. However, while waiting, Karna remembers the unease from Kotomine Shirou, who gave orders in place of his Master.
`There are unidentified men and women with the Ruler. Originally, a Ruler should be a solitary judge of resonance, but their identity is unknown. Why they are accompanying humans... It could be simple guides, but they could also be magi, so be aware just in case.`
Karna thought those two were certainly not ordinary humans as he waited for the Ruler... Soon after, he saw the car carrying the Ruler speeding toward him. The vehicle came near the sign and stopped. Karna stood up from his spot and looked at the Ruler and the man and woman beside her.
They looked human at a glance but...
"Servants, I see. Did you bring two? They're not Black Servants, so did you summon them, sir?"
Karna's eyes could not be deceived. Discernment of the Poor, Karna's eyes, akin to divine sight, possessed perception that saw through opponents even better than true divine eyes. Satisfied with this, Fergus smiled.
"As expected of you, Red Lancer."
"... Even so, the objective doesn't change. Killing you all is my task."
"Do you know what it means to kill a Ruler? Is that the will of the Red Faction? Or are you testing me, Lancer."
"Well, I merely follow my Master's orders. Knowing your privilege, I will end it in one strike."
The moment Karna was about to unleash his Noble Phantasm to end it in one strike, Gordes Musik, who had discerned the movement of Karna attacking the Ruler, had Black Saber・Siegfried rush in to stop Karna.
But at that moment, two Ulster royals moved.
CLANG!!!!!
""!?""
It happened in an instant. Medb's sword parried Siegfried's sword, which tried to smash the traffic sign to knock Karna down, while Fergus's magic sword destroyed the sign instead.
'He blocked Siegfried's sword...? That woman, she's not human but a Servant!?'
Thanks to magecraft that concealed their presence and made them appear human, the two seemed human, and only upon seeing their power did Gordes sense they were Servants.
"Those Servants... they're not Red Servants? But I've never heard of a Ruler summoning Servants...?"
"... Black Saber and his Master, I see. Those two are not Servants I summoned. That gentleman is a Ruler like me, a Servant summoned by the Counter Force."
"Wh, what!?"
Gordes is astonished at the mention of the Counter Force, not the Grail. Why would there be a heroic spirit separately summoned by the Counter Force in the Great Holy Grail War? That alone was an absurd variable.
"My my, there are only strong opponents here."
"Ruler, you're not planning to fight, are you?"
"I am a mediator and also not one. Fighting isn't a problem. Give up on stopping me."
"... It can't be helped. I can't stop another Ruler's business."
Jeanne sighs at Fergus's actions and decides to watch.
"You are a Ruler, sir."
"Ruler・Fergus mac Róich. King of Ulster, king of the Ulaid."
"Revealing your True Name... As a Ruler, you must know mine. It's a shame I cannot reveal it directly. Fergus mac Róich... I heard he is a hero known for his love of women. Are the warrior behind you and the Ruler your women?"
Karna asks with pure intent. It was a statement born of his poor communication skills, with no malice at all, but to those who heard it, excluding Fergus, who knew this, and Siegfried, who had a similar personality, it sounded only like mocking Fergus and insulting Jeanne.
"How dare...!"
"It's fine, that's just how he is. I know there's no malice, but please choose your words properly. A hero like you..."
"Hmm... I understand."
"Anyway, when confident warriors meet, there's only one thing, right? What need is there for words."
"... It aligns with the objective, and you are a warrior who wishes to test your mettle. Those eyes remind me of a man I know."
Karna gave a faint smile, thinking of Arjuna for Siegfried and Ashwatthaman for Fergus. Satisfied with having met a worthy opponent, Karna tightly grips his spear. In response, the smiling Fergus also draws Caladbolg in the form of a sword.
"Hmm... Well, shall I join too? Black Saber."
Shooo~!
Medb grins as she draws her sword, and as soon as she swings it once in the air, the sword extends and transforms into a four-bladed sword.
"What, why is a Ruler fighting us!?"
"Hah? I'm not a Ruler. I'm a Servant summoned by Fergus. And, Fergus and I don't have to maintain neutrality or anything. He might, but I don't. I just want to fight. When warrior meets warrior, what more is there? Seeing a proper hero-like hero after so long... doesn't your blood boil? As an Ulster woman, I can't resist~!"
"... Indeed, I understand. I too wish to cross blades with you, sir."
"Tch... Can't be helped. Do it, Saber!"
With Gordes's permission, Medb and Siegfried clash.
BOOOOOOOOOOOM!!!!!
Simultaneous strikes happening in an instant. A storm-like gust of magical wind arises from the exchanges between Karna and Fergus, Medb and Siegfried. Gordes, witnessing the events of an instant, cannot help but gape in astonishment, and even Jeanne, a fellow Servant, feels her heart tremble with tension.
This was a battle of great heroes.
Four warriors exchanging dozens, no, hundreds of blows in a short time.
'That sword is a magic sword. To pierce my defense... When was the last time I received such a wound... Yes, when I fought the evil dragon (Fafnir).'
'This is insane, what's with this defense...? It's a magic sword made from the same Cú's bone as Fergus's, yet it only deals that much damage while withstanding an A-rank Noble Phantasm? With dozens of hits, it should be a fatal wound...! And what skill is this, why is his combat ability so incredible? Compared to Setanta, perhaps even more...? In terms of skill alone, he's above me!'
BOOOOM!!!
Medb's four-bladed sword made from the bone of the sea monster, Cú. {Cú My Piece} (Sword of the Beloved's Sister). A sister sword to Caladbolg made by Scáthach in the Land of Shadows after the myth's conclusion. It lacks the causality reversal power of Caladbolg or Gáe Bolg, but instead boasts an insane range where the sword extends up to 10km, an A-rank Noble Phantasm. Medb was a type who focused more on attack speed than power, utilizing flexibility surpassing even Scáthach's perfect body made from runes.
The ultimate weapon optimized for such Medb. Its hardness rivals Caladbolg, and it also possesses the thorn curse like Gáe Bolg. When the True Name is released, it becomes a blade that shreds the enemy at supersonic speed. However, in that case, it puts strain on Medb's body, significantly reducing her arm strength and agility to rank D after use.
Facing Medb, who boasts Agility A+, Siegfried advances, either tanking or parrying all attacks with his body. Medb fights, narrowly dodging his heavy yet fast consecutive strikes. Even she begins to receive small wounds. To that extent, the Dragon Slayer's skill proves he belongs among the outstanding even within great heroes.
CLANGCLANGCLANGCLANGCLANG!!!!!
Meanwhile, the battle between Karna and Fergus was devastating. Karna, who is overall stronger than Siegfried. Karna displays spearmanship that enters the divine realm, crossing blades with a rival comparable to Arjuna... no, even greater.
He nullifies all of Karna's spear strikes, and even if he takes damage, he ignores it with monstrous defense that doesn't lose to Siegfried's and attacks. Karna also doesn't take significant damage from Fergus's attacks thanks to his armor, and the two heroes wage a fierce battle without major harm to either. From the two heroes' combat, explosions-like vibrations occur in the surrounding area, and the road is being completely devastated, losing all form.
"What is happening..."
Although a magus, Gordes's human eyes couldn't see what was happening. In a battle where both sides were going all out, a combat was unfolding that weak humans and mediocre heroic spirits couldn't keep up with. As a Master, he had no instructions to give, and all he could do was heal Siegfried if he was injured. No, any Master would be the same. Even if Amakusa came, he wouldn't dare intervene. If he intervened, he would clearly be caught and torn apart.
Jeanne also thinks she should intervene soon, but...
"To this extent, the gap in skill..."
Though she is a saint, a Ruler, and a war hero... the wars that occurred in her era felt like child's play compared to this mythological war. As a saint with outstanding fame, she boasts power and defense at the level of a top-class Servant, stronger than in life... but with her skill, she cannot intervene. At best, blocking would be strenuous.
Even though her combat power rivals first-class Servants, with her skill, she cannot truly intervene in their battle, which is first-class in every aspect. The battle of myth made the limits of her as a war hero of the Hundred Years' War all too clear. The swordsmanship she learned from Gilles de Rais or the polearm skills acquired through war were still far from reaching their level.
Creak...!
Jeanne feels despondent, realizing her power is too insufficient to mediate the Great Holy Grail War. She excels as a tank, but that was all...
BOOOOOOOOOOM!!!!
"Indeed, you are a great hero possessing power that can even kill gods."
"You too, worthy of the Celtic sex symbol, possess great power."
"... I'll let that pass since I know it's a compliment."
Even during the fight, Fergus couldn't help but sigh at Karna's way with words. Soon, Karna spoke to Fergus.
"Continuing like this, we won't finish until sunrise. That goes for over there too. I don't want to disturb the other warriors' fight... but Black Saber's Master seems bored."
"He's just unable to keep up. However... the damage to the ground is increasing beyond this. Then, let's end it with the next strike. What do you say?"
"... Huh, fine. Let this be a promise for the next battle."
Karna then leaps high, flying into the sky. He takes a javelin-throwing stance. Soon, Fergus also swings his sword over his shoulder.
"Eek... This is as far as it goes."
"I am deeply grateful for the fortune of being able to fight a warrior like you in our first encounter. Next time, I wish to fight until we are both satisfied."
"I feel the same... Next time, I'll kill you?"
Siegfried and Medb quickly move away from the spot, watching the two's final clash, and soon the two great heroes' Noble Phantasms erupt.
"{Brahmastra Kundala}(O Brahma, Curse Me)!!!"
"{Caladbolg}(The Cutting, Slicing Sword of Protection)!!!"
KABOOOOOOOOOM───!!!!
And the world turns white from the collision of the two Noble Phantasms.
"This is... the battle of Servants..."
And from afar, Gordes looks at the traces of the battle unfolding before his eyes... a giant crater, and breaks out in a cold sweat. Karna had already disappeared, and Fergus and Medb, who remained on the spot, sheathe their swords and get into the car protected by the bounded field.
"Let's go~"
"Yes, let's go..."
Jeanne boards the vehicle with a somewhat complicated expression, and the Ruler duo also disappears into the distance.
"... They probably already saw, but I must report. Let's hurry back."
Gordes returns to Yggdmillennia to report the recent battle and the existence of another Ruler.
"Now... what will you do?"
"First, let's find lodging. We're in Trifas now. The person I'm looking for is probably there too."
"Who are you looking for?"
"Ah... my runaway daughter."
"... What?"
"Not my biological daughter... but my wife has a daughter. I'm going to meet that child."
"Ehh..."
"When I meet her, I should throw some cheese at her."
"Why throw cheese? Just eat it... Well, let's go solve some family issues."
Fergus looks up at the night sky with a pleased smile.