On the street that now resembled a ruin, the duel between Kamitani Yuu and Saber continued.
CLANG!
Sword and spear tip collided violently, sending a shower of sparks flying into the night air. Facing the invisible blade swinging toward him, Yuu deftly pressed his demonic spear against the edge, circling the blade to pin it down.
Seizing the split-second of stiffness in his opponent's posture, he spun, retracted his spear, and thrust it with all his might toward Arthur's waist!
—!
Just as the crimson tip was about to pierce Arthur's side, a burst of surging prana erupted from the knight. He threw himself backward, relying on the sheer hardness of his pale silver armor to deflect the critical blow.
"I've seen through your sword, Saber." Looking at the King of Knights who had put distance between them, Yuu twirled his spear and planted it firmly on the ground, speaking with an air of ease. "That trick won't work on me anymore."
Even though the Invisible Air shrouded the blade of Excalibur, for Yuu—who had honed God-domain spearmanship in the Land of Shadows—the brief exchange was enough to fully calculate the length and reach of the hidden blade.
"Phew..."
Saber exhaled a heavy breath, steadying his ragged breathing. A flicker of wariness crossed his eyes. If he hadn't released his prana in time, that lethal thrust would have gutted him.
Though his physical strength isn't overwhelming, his spearmanship cannot be underestimated. It might even be far beyond mine... Since the battle began, Arthur had felt this truth deeply. Even if both had reached the level of gods in martial arts, there were still vast differences within that realm.
"To contest the Grail with a warrior such as you is a true joy," Saber said, his fighting spirit soaring rather than waning. A confident smile appeared on his handsome face. "But if this is all you have, I will not lose!"
Indeed, because he was focused on gathering intelligence, Saber had not yet exerted his full strength. The Holy Grail War had barely begun; revealing his trump cards now would only allow future enemies to prepare.
In a battle between Servants, beyond raw stats, the most vital factor was the information regarding Noble Phantasms. Sometimes, a weak Servant could achieve a miraculous victory over the strong through the unique properties of their weapon.
(Somewhere, a certain "Golden Citizen" of Fuyuki probably had a lot to say about that. Rest in peace, King of Heroes.)
"Oh, is that so?" Yuu took a step back, his left hand gripping the shaft and his right hand the tail of the spear. He assumed a high-ready stance and chuckled. "Then let me witness your true power."
To be frank, aside from his master, Scáthach, Arthur Pendragon was the strongest opponent Yuu had ever faced. Even his senior disciple, Cú Chulainn, was likely a notch below this version of Arthur. Yuu felt his blood pumping with pure adrenaline.
Fight!
"I will show you. I won't be holding back anymore," Saber stated, pulling his right foot back and leading with the point of his sword, cautiously predicting Yuu's next move.
They stared at each other in silence. The air seemed to solidify.
However, just as Yuu prepared to initiate the next strike, his heart began to throb violently—a primal warning that something terrible was about to happen.
Something's wrong—
The sudden intuition cooled Yuu's excitement instantly. He knit his brows, but he didn't look away, maintaining his stance to keep Saber occupied.
The earlier commotion must have drawn other Servants. Are they planning to ambush us while we're locked in combat? Considering the presence of Emiya Kiritsugu and Kayneth, Yuu made a quick deduction. To be safe, I'll use my Mystic Eyes to glimpse the future.
He didn't hesitate. His pale gold eyes lit up with a rainbow luster, and every event that would occur in this area over the next sixty seconds flooded into his mind.
"..."
On the other side, seeing that his enemy had not moved for dozens of seconds, Saber grew suspicious. He moved slowly, searching for a gap in Yuu's defense, waiting to counter.
"I see. Positioning a Servant for a sneak attack... how typical of him," Yuu thought, a chill flashing in his eyes as he finished processing the future. "Though I'm not the target, being used as bait is still irritating."
"However, playing the fisherman isn't so easy, Kayneth..."
Acting instantly, Yuu blurred toward Saber at staggering speed. He leaped into the air, adding momentum to his strike, and lunged downward as he landed.
"Here he comes!"
Saber raised his sword to block, but before he could counter, Yuu's next strike was already there. Each thrust was lethal, precise, and calculated, coming from impossible angles. Saber was forced to focus entirely on parrying the torrential rain of attacks.
Amidst the onslaught, Saber spotted a supposed opening. This upcoming thrust was one he didn't need to block; he could evade it or tank it with his armor. It was the perfect chance to counter-attack.
Saber made a split-second decision. He lunged his sword toward Yuu's shoulder, ignoring the spear tip that was about to graze his waist. His armor would hold, and his sword would cleave the youth in two...
But just as the blade was about to connect, Yuu's figure vanished. There was no impact against his armor. Saber's eyes widened in shock at the sudden disappearance.
"Awaken, my spear! It is time to run wild—Mac an Luin!"
Before Saber could react, the incantation for a Noble Phantasm release echoed from a short distance away. In an instant, a torrential flood of water erupted from a purple spear, surging toward Saber's position.
Simultaneously, Yuu reappeared near the blonde Servant who had launched the sneak attack. His fingers traced a new set of runes in the air.
"Thurisaz-Eihwaz! (Death Lightning!)"
As the chant ended, dark red lightning saturated with the aura of death condensed in the void, bolting toward Fionn mac Cumhaill just as he was unleashing his Noble Phantasm.
___
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