In the boundless multiverse, with Mordred's retreat, the battle against the knights of the Holy City once again came to a close.
To be honest, this fight against Mordred was arguably the most critical one yet.
Although the viewers outside the screen had not yet fully grasped the value of Ritsuka Fujimaru, the Last Master of Humanity, it was certain that she was one of the most important figures in this fourth viewing.
Her existence, much like Zero in the third viewing and King Arthur in the first, was a cornerstone figure of her native world.
And this battle with Mordred had nearly cost Ritsuka Fujimaru her life on the spot.
At that point, Guinaifen alone would have been far from capable of resolving the problems of this Singularity.
---o---
[Light Curtain Commentary]
Kairi Sisigou: "Hah… she really is just a child. In any case, forcing Mordred to retreat on her own terms is a remarkable victory. That kid can be so stubborn about certain things; I was genuinely worried she'd get taken out of the fight for good."
Mordred: "Hey, hey, hey! Master, can you stop treating me like a kid?! And… what do you mean, 'taken out'? If we'd fought to the end, who would've been taken out is still up for debate! Hmph, you saw your own Servant get defeated, is that something to be proud of?!"
Kairi Sisigou: "I was just expressing a bit of sentiment. I didn't want to see you lose, either, but… that girl named Li Sushang really does seem to be stronger than you."
Mordred: "It was just a fluke, a fluke!"
Gawain: "A fluke? It didn't look that way at all. From the beginning to the very end of the fight, Li Sushang showed no signs of fatigue. Mordred, on the other hand, had to burn through her Spirit Origin just to barely keep fighting."
Utaha Kasumigaoka: "Sigh, it seems Mordred's gender identity issues run deep. Li Sushang probably never in a million years imagined that a single sentence could set Mordred off like that."
Li Sushang: "Tsk, isn't that how normal people talk? If you ask me, that knight is just too sensitive. Even if she didn't like it, she should have said so clearly beforehand. Who starts a fight just like that?"
---o---
[On the light curtain, after Mordred's retreat, Ritsuka Fujimaru couldn't help but let out a sigh of relief.]
[Immediately after, she turned her gaze upon Li Sushang.]
"Ritsuka, Chaldea has no records of this person, Li Sushang. The 'Unfettered Self Sect' is also an organization we've never heard of. In short, everything about her is a mystery. You must be cautious."
The doctor's instructions came through her earpiece, and Ritsuka Fujimaru was a little surprised herself.
But after a moment's thought, she didn't dwell on it.
Although she didn't know who Li Sushang was, judging by her words and actions, she was undoubtedly a young woman from the Divine Land of Shenzhou. That nation was a mystery within the world of mystics, a land with an esoteric history stretching back at least five thousand years. It held countless unknowns, and Chaldea's intelligence only covered a fraction of it. The appearance of an unheard-of "Unfettered Self Sect" seemed plausible enough.
With this in mind, Ritsuka Fujimaru stepped forward to speak with Li Sushang, introducing herself.
After all, Li Sushang was a high-level combatant, and Chaldea was in dire need of strength right now. If they could gain her help, their chances of rescuing Miss Guinaifen and retrieving the Holy Grail would increase significantly.
However, as soon as she began to speak, Li Sushang's eyes lit up, shining like stars in the night sky, making her look exceptionally beautiful.
"Oh? So you also traveled across to get to this world? Chaldea, saving humanity… that sounds like a grand journey."
"Is this world about to face its end? Alright! I've made my decision, Ritsuka Fujimaru! Let's save the world together!!"
Before Ritsuka could even formally extend her invitation, Li Sushang had already taken the lead, declaring her intention to save this world on the brink of destruction.
"Huh?"
Seeing Li Sushang's unhesitating response, Ritsuka was taken aback. Heroes possessed their own pride and dignity; typically, the more powerful a Heroic Spirit, the more difficult they were to communicate with. The Command Spells of a conventional Holy Grail War existed for this very reason.
Gaining the acknowledgment of such powerful Heroic Spirits was often an incredibly difficult task.
Although Li Sushang appeared gentle, she was, after all, someone who had defeated an opponent of Mordred's caliber in a head-on battle. When Ritsuka had approached her, she had already braced herself for rejection. She never imagined that Li Sushang would proactively offer to join them.
"What's wrong? You don't welcome me?" Li Sushang asked, noticing Ritsuka's surprise.
Like a protagonist from a traditional martial arts novel, Li Sushang's personality was forthright and free-spirited. Her every move was filled with the aura of a wandering swordswoman—a blend of the 'Immortal' and the 'Hero'.
As the saying goes, the greatest of heroes serve their country and its people.
Li Sushang was exactly that kind of young woman. She might not care about other matters, but once the principles of justice and the fate of the world were involved, she would inevitably stand on the side of righteousness.
With the salvation of the world being such a pressing matter, how could Li Sushang afford to be petty?
She couldn't wait to find more like-minded companions to save this world on the brink of annihilation.
Perhaps sensing Li Sushang's character, Ritsuka relaxed. "How could we not welcome you? Having Miss Li Sushang join us is an honor for Chaldea!"
A slight smile appeared on her face as Ritsuka extended her hand, warmly welcoming Li Sushang's arrival.
Li Sushang, however, paused for a moment, as if trying to understand Ritsuka's gesture. Then, as if remembering something, the clever girl patted her head and reached out to shake Ritsuka's hand.
"Ah, so this is the same greeting as that Luosha person? This is the first time I've tried it."
"A Luosha person?" Hearing Li Sushang's words, Ritsuka paused as well.
She knew that ancient Shenzhou did not have the custom of shaking hands. Li Sushang was not a Servant, so the Grail wouldn't have supplied her with knowledge of modern etiquette.
In fact, when Ritsuka had extended her hand and didn't receive an immediate response, she knew she had been too hasty and used the wrong etiquette. For someone like Li Sushang, a clasped-fist salute or a bow would have been more appropriate.
But unexpectedly, Li Sushang actually knew of this custom, which had only been introduced to Shenzhou in modern times.
And from her words, it seemed she learned this gesture from someone she called a "Luosha person."
This naturally sparked Ritsuka's curiosity. After all, "Luosha" was clearly not a real name. To become friends with a chivalrous woman like Li Sushang, this person must surely be an admirable hero in their own right.
She just wondered if this Luosha person had also appeared in this Singularity.
If he was here, perhaps Chaldea could gain another ally to help save humanity.
Thinking this, Ritsuka shook her head. It was pointless to think about that now. Since Li Sushang was willing to help, the most urgent task at hand was figuring out how to rescue Guinaifen.
She still remembered Lancelot's parting words. If they couldn't rescue Guinaifen within three days, he would execute her.
Although they had only known Guinaifen for a short time, Ritsuka and the others already considered her a comrade. Abandoning a comrade was simply not Chaldea's way.
"Just you wait, Guinaifen, we'll definitely come save you! With Miss Li Sushang at our side!"]
---o---
[Light Curtain Commentary]
Guo Jing: "The greatest of heroes serve their country and its people. To act for the salvation of the world, this Miss Sushang is truly worthy of the title 'heroine.' On this point alone, she is a far greater hero than I, Guo Jing. I am truly filled with admiration."
World of the Condor Heroes, Xiangyang City. Seeing this, Guo Jing, who was defending the city, couldn't help but feel respect for Li Sushang. The light curtain had shown many characters so far, but one with a 'chivalrous spirit' like Li Sushang was the first.
Li Shuwen: "Martial arts that are unmatched in the world, and a character worthy of admiration. Li Sushang… no matter the era, a remarkable woman like this is always cause for praise."
Somewhere in the Type-Moon world, Li Shuwen watched the Li Sushang on screen and voiced his praise. Her immense martial skill was one thing, but it was her heroic spirit that made him feel a desire to meet her.
Fu Hua: "Li Sushang… acting this way is truly in line with her character. The Luosha person she mentioned is probably… never mind. For the me of today, none of this has any meaning."
Otto Apocalypse: "Haha, even after a few hundred years, she's still the same. My old friend…"
At the headquarters of Schicksal, Otto gazed at the Li Sushang on screen, a rare hint of nostalgia in his eyes. He was young back then, and it was because of that youth that he could become friends with Li Sushang. The man he was now was far from worthy of walking alongside a chivalrous woman like her.
For Otto, Kallen was undoubtedly the most important person. But at the same time, there were a few old friends who held an incredibly important place in his heart. Without a doubt, Li Sushang was one of them. As long as it didn't involve Kallen, whatever Li Sushang asked for, whatever she wanted, no matter how outrageous, Otto would do everything in his power to provide.
---o---
[On the light curtain, the turmoil caused by Mordred's arrival had destroyed many parts of the mountain village. Fortunately, the overall damage wasn't severe, and rebuilding wouldn't be too difficult.]
[This was especially true with the help of Hassan of the Hundred Personas, which made the reconstruction process much easier.]
[Furthermore, besides Hassan of the Hundred Personas, Ritsuka and the others met another Hassan of the mountain people, their true leader.]
[Hassan of the Cursed Arm.]
[Because he needed to look after the people of the eastern village, Hassan of the Cursed Arm was not present during the battle with Mordred.]
[During his conversations with Arash, Cursed Arm didn't say much, which was why Ritsuka now had the time to observe this Hassan more closely.]
[His attire was similar to Hundred Personas', complete with a skull mask. The difference was that Cursed Arm had no duplicates; instead, he possessed a pair of extraordinarily long arms that hung down to his calves.]
[Moreover, his body was powerfully built, his muscles fully displayed by his black bodysuit. His arms were thicker than his legs, like those of a gorilla.]
[His right arm, in particular, was wrapped in thick bandages, completely concealing it from view. It appeared this was the Noble Phantasm of Hassan of the Cursed Arm.]
[In terms of appearance alone, Cursed Arm was certainly not handsome. Like Hundred Personas, he had the standard face of a villain.]
[But during their conversation, he was surprisingly easy to talk to. He was also thoughtful and considerate, looking after Ritsuka and the others.]
[Beneath his intimidating exterior was a gentle and delicate heart.]
[When Cursed Arm learned of Guinaifen's capture, he immediately declared that he would provide whatever assistance he could within his power.]
[After all… as luck would have it, based on the intelligence gathered by the Hassans, the captured Hassan of Serenity was being held in the same prison as Guinaifen.]
[However, the mountain people were currently in a precarious situation. They were weak in numbers and lacked food. On top of that, Mordred's recent rampage had led to an influx of refugees, leaving Hassan of the Cursed Arm truly powerless to help, despite his willingness.]
[They couldn't even rescue Hassan of Serenity, let alone Guinaifen.]
[Furthermore, the fortress was guarded by Lancelot, the strongest of the Knights of the Round Table. The probability of a successful rescue was incredibly low.]
[Attempting a rescue when the enemy was prepared was nothing short of a futile, suicidal act.]
"If it's Miss Li Sushang, holding off Lancelot, or even defeating him, should be possible, right?" At this point, Mash spoke up.
It was only then that Hassan of the Cursed Arm noticed Li Sushang standing beside Ritsuka.
Because Li Sushang's martial swordsmanship had reached a state of perfection, her aura was concealed as if she were an ordinary person. This had caused Cursed Arm to completely overlook the existence of such a terrifying figure until now.
And just as Mash said, although Lancelot was the strongest Knight of the Round Table, he was still no match for Li Sushang. At the same time, it wouldn't be easy for Li Sushang to defeat him, either. Lancelot's martial skill was superb; while not on the level of a grandmaster like Li Sushang, he could still be considered unrivaled in his own right. Taking down such an opponent would be no simple feat.
The military fortress certainly had more than just one Knight of the Round Table. The blessed knights could defeat anyone among them besides Li Sushang.
If that was the case, while Li Sushang was fighting Lancelot, how were they supposed to deal with the other knights?
"Actually, if you truly need powerful assistance, I might have someone in mind."
Just as the people of Chaldea and the mountain dwellers were discussing their options, Li Sushang, who had just joined the team, spoke up.
She turned and looked toward the mountains above the village, her gaze fixed on a certain presence. Although the person she had just met was being chased by demonic beasts, in terms of true strength, she was in no way inferior to a Knight of the Round Table…]
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