"...Damn it!"
The "Red" Archer immediately pushed her humiliation aside.
What she needed to do now was deal with the red-haired youth's counterattack.
Faced with the arrow being fired back at her, she chose to shoot it down directly.
If the arrow itself was not a Noble Phantasm, then it would not have tracking ability. In other words, this required extraordinarily precise skill.
Atalanta was the finest huntress in Greek mythology.
Born under the blessing of Artemis, goddess of the hunt, she was a master hunter whose archery had reached the realm of the divine. Even an arrow flying at supersonic speed could be treated as prey!
Without the slightest suspense, Archer easily shot down the arrow aimed at her.
"What's wrong?"
On the other side, the "Black" Saber, Siegfried, halted his attack and glanced toward the depths of the forest.
Shirou placed one hand on his hip and smiled. "Don't worry about it. Even if it's two against one, I don't mind at all."
"...That is not my comrade," Siegfried said, narrowing his eyes.
Shirou nodded in agreement. "Looks that way. What a killjoy."
In truth, he had noticed long ago that an enemy was watching him from nearby.
At first, Shirou had thought it was a comrade of the "Black" Saber, but he soon realized the enemy seemed to be choosing which of the two of them to target.
In other words, it was the Archer of the "Red" faction.
"Ah, she's retreating... no, is she going to support Berserker?"
Atalanta abandoned her hiding place without hesitation.
A Hero with a strong sense of pride might have stayed until the end and settled the matter properly, and as an Archer, she was confident she could defeat the red-haired youth in archery.
But to a girl with the instincts of a beast, "heroic dignity" was something best fed to the dogs.
She quickly chose to retreat. The red-haired youth and the "Black" Saber were not her targets. Her mission was to support the Berserker who had charged recklessly into enemy territory.
Since neither of these two could be dealt with easily, there was no point in staying.
In the ancient Greek accounts, Atalanta was a huntress with unmatched speed.
Her footwork had reached an extraordinary level.
In life, Atalanta had once told the suitors drawn to her wild beauty, "I will marry the man who beats me in a race, but the price for losing is death." She was a bewitching woman who had truly shot every one of those suitors to death.
A forest stretching for several kilometers was no obstacle to her.
The huntress slung her bow over her back, glanced at the red-haired youth not far away, and declared.
"One day, I'll settle this with you."
Then she turned and sprinted into the night.
"All right, let us continue."
The "Black" Saber took his stance again.
Shirou looked at his unmoving, mountain-like figure and said.
"Continuing like this puts me at a disadvantage. Why don't we skip straight to the Noble Phantasm battle?"
During their earlier close-quarters exchange, Shirou had already observed, and analyzed, the Noble Phantasm in the "Black" Saber's hands thoroughly enough.
That demonic sword was without question a masterpiece of the highest caliber, even among the swords that appeared in myths and legends across the world.
The blue jewel on its hilt stored and preserved Mana from the Age of Gods. Once released, it would unleash twilight-colored sword energy.
And it could deal additional damage to those who bore dragon blood.
Even so, it still fell short of Excalibur.
It was already the strongest Holy Sword, and now, after becoming a Servant, it had gained the support of the Dragon's Heart. Shirou had absolute confidence in the performance of his Noble Phantasm.
Even under such an extreme disadvantage in compatibility, he believed he could suppress his opponent.
"Unleashing your Noble Phantasm? Does your Master have no objection?" Siegfried asked.
"My Master has entrusted all frontline decision-making authority to me," Shirou replied.
"I see. You have a Master who trusts you greatly."
As he spoke, Siegfried used "telepathy" to communicate with Gordes, who remained in a safe zone.
"Master..."
"Use your Noble Phantasm! Saber! I'll strengthen it with a Command Spell!"
"What?"
Siegfried was somewhat surprised. His Master was so determined to have him use his Noble Phantasm that he was even willing to expend a Command Spell.
At first, he thought it was Gordes's vanity at work. After being humiliated in front of his own clan last night, perhaps he was desperate to accomplish something and prove himself.
But Siegfried immediately realized that was not the case.
After what happened last night, his Master was changing.
When the Summoning had first been completed, Gordes had given up on communicating with Saber. He had not wanted to understand him at all, only worrying that his True Name might be leaked.
That was why he had strictly forbidden Siegfried from speaking.
But before leaving the Fortress of Millennia today, Gordes had, unusually, said with a stern face, "Tonight, you may judge the situation for yourself. The previous order forbidding you from speaking is also lifted."
That said, Siegfried had to be more cautious than anyone when using his Noble Phantasm.
Unleashing his Noble Phantasm meant releasing his True Name. It also meant the possibility of exposing his deadliest weakness.
If that happened, he would immediately be placed at a disadvantage.
Even so, if it allowed him to reliably eliminate the powerful enemy before him, then it was worth attempting.
"May I ask the reason?" Siegfried asked.
"That man... that fake Saber is looking down on you!"
Gordes snarled fiercely, "I can tell. That casual attitude of his. He thinks that even against Saber, his own Noble Phantasm will definitely win... Don't make me laugh!
My Saber is the strongest! There's no way he'll lose to an arrogant brat like that!"
"Master..."
Siegfried felt strangely encouraged. This was the first time he had ever received trust from his Master.
He had to answer that trust properly.
"I understand, Master. I'll leave the support to you."
Gordes clenched his fist, shining with deep crimson light, and shouted in a surge of emotion.
"Saber! I command you with a Command Spell! Use your Noble Phantasm and defeat the fake!"
The Master's command reached the Spirit Core of the "Black" Saber with divine speed surpassing sound, even surpassing light.
"...!!"
The great hero of Germanic legend raised his greatsword high, releasing the power contained within it.
The blue jewel shone, and the blade of the demonic sword began to radiate a blazing, dazzling light.
At the same time, Shirou released the Invisible Air wrapped around his sword, revealing the form of the supreme Holy Sword.
With each deep breath he took, vast amounts of Mana continuously filled his entire body.
In that process, the ends of his arms and legs were dyed pitch black.
This was the result of a human entrusting himself too deeply to the "Heart of Albion."
"Ex——"
"Bal───)"
Amid their roars, the brilliant light of the stars and the twilight-colored demonic aura tore through the deep night at the same time.
"————Calibur!!"
"————Mung!!!"
Two torrents of pure energy collided and clashed above the forest, and the resulting shockwave destroyed and vaporized the nearby trees.
"..."
Atalanta stopped in the forest, and the main forces of "Red" and "Black," locked in chaotic battle, also paused for a moment.
Ruler, who was watching over the battlefield, and even the mindless Berserker.
Together with the Magi of Yggdmillennia, everyone looked toward the dazzling pillar of light rising in the distance, connecting heaven and earth.
It was a sight like the end of the world, and without exception, everyone who witnessed it drew in a sharp breath.
...
Just as the Homunculus was practicing walking in the room, Astolfo suddenly burst through the door, panting heavily.
Though he had a few injuries, he reached out to the Homunculus with a bright smile.
"Now's our big chance. Come on, get ready to run!"
The Homunculus immediately understood the situation.
A fierce battle was unfolding outside. If a single Homunculus escaped, it likely would not be noticed.
Even if they were discovered, the Yggdmillennia clan would have no spare manpower to pursue them.
Before he could say anything, the "Black" Rider grabbed his hand and ran out with him.
Perhaps because Rider was pulling him along, it felt far easier than running normally. But his body had been too fragile to begin with, so their escape was slow and made little progress.
They passed several other Homunculi in the castle corridors, but not one of them called out to stop him. Instead, they silently watched him leave with sorrowful eyes.
"Haa... haa... haa...!"
Panting heavily, the two finally managed to escape the Fortress of Millennia.
However, that did not mean the Homunculus had gained his freedom.
On the contrary, what awaited them was treacherous terrain and countless Magecraft traps all around them.
"...Listen. From now on, you absolutely cannot let go."
"Okay, but what do we do next?"
"That's easy. I'll call out my beloved steed! We'll ride it out of here!"
From the knowledge of the Great Holy Grail War that had been implanted in him, the Homunculus knew Rider's Noble Phantasm.
Astolfo had ridden griffins and the famous steed Rabicano, creating many legends through his adventures, but the most famous of all was the phantasmal horse that did not exist in this world, the hippogriff.
The hippogriff was a Magical Beast born between a griffin and a mare, between predator and prey.
With the upper body of an eagle and the lower body of a horse, born from two different creatures, it should have been an impossible existence.
If they rode it, they could indeed escape Yggdmillennia territory very quickly.
In legend, Astolfo had even ridden it to the moon.
But...
"Isn't that your Noble Phantasm?"
The Homunculus said uneasily, "If you use it without permission, then this really will be treated as betrayal. You'll be killed...!"
"Hm? It's fine! We're already dead either way! Hehehe!"
Astolfo said with a carefree grin.
Then he summoned the Phantasmal Magical Beast and took the Homunculus onto its back.
Simply summoning the hippogriff and riding it would not actually consume much Mana, so he should be able to hide it from his Master.
The problem was releasing its True Name and bringing out its true power.
That Mana consumption rivaled an A-rank Noble Phantasm, and by its nature, it was not something that used everything up in a single release. As long as he continued riding the hippogriff, it would keep consuming Mana, making its energy conversion rate terribly inefficient.
After hesitating for a moment, Astolfo decided not to release the Noble Phantasm's True Name and to use his beloved steed only as transportation.
He had to get the Homunculus to a safe area before his Master discovered them.
"...All right, let's go!"
Rider affectionately patted the hippogriff's neck.
The Magical Beast answered with a sharp cry like birdsong, then beat its wings powerfully and took flight. Mana particles scattered from its wings, vanishing in the fierce wind like countless fireflies.
Astolfo and the nameless Homunculus flew over the forest on the outskirts of Trifas.
Just as they both thought they could finally relax...
The hippogriff let out a cry and beat its wings wildly, but it was already too late.
A destructive light suddenly surged into the sky from the earth.
The aftershock of Shirou and Siegfried's Noble Phantasm clash formed a tornado and swept them into it.
...
The light faded from the forest.
When everything was over, the one still standing was Shirou.
In the clash between the Holy Sword and the demonic sword, Excalibur had won by a narrow margin.
Although Siegfried had the dual support of "Anti-Dragon" and a "Command Spell," he was still overpowered.
First, Excalibur was naturally the strongest Holy Sword of the Planet.
Second, compared to the twilight demonic sword, which swept away and annihilated everything around it, the Holy Sword of the Planet destroyed all matter in a straight line before it.
At this distance, Excalibur held the advantage.
On the other hand, Shirou also had the finest Master, and his performance as a Holy Sword launcher was superior.
The "Heart of Albion" buried in his chest was the reactor core of a Grand Dragon surpassing the legitimate King Arthur, something even the world's greatest dragon slayer could scarcely match.
"How stubborn..."
Shirou clicked his tongue.
This was the first time he had encountered an enemy who had not been vaporized by Excalibur.
The "Black" Saber was kneeling on one knee, half of his armor stripped away in the battle.
Even so, Siegfried had not been vaporized in the torrent of light like the enemies who had faced Excalibur in the past.
The demonic sword had canceled out ninety percent of the Holy Sword's damage, while "Armor of Fafnir" had offset most of the remaining ten percent.
Just as Shirou was considering whether to retreat or take advantage of Saber's weakened state to finish him off at once...
"Why...!"
Not far away, from the wasteland erased by the aftermath of the Noble Phantasm clash, came a girl's sobbing voice.
Both Shirou and Siegfried turned toward the sound.
There was the pink-haired girl (?) Shirou had met not long ago tonight, the "Black" Rider, Astolfo.
He was holding a boy of about ten and crying out loud.
"Why!? Why!? We finally escaped from that hellhole!
I thought he could finally be free, so why did this have to happen!?"
As Astolfo sobbed uncontrollably, he glared furiously at Shirou and Siegfried.
"This is all your fault! You killed this child!"
Seeing the scene, the "Black" Saber roughly understood what had happened.
The Homunculus boy in Rider's arms was spitting up fresh blood and barely clinging to life. He must have been caught in the shockwave of the Holy Sword and the demonic sword.
As a defective lifeform to begin with, he likely had no way to survive.
"...I'm sorry."
Siegfried bit his lip and lowered his head in guilt.
"What good is apologizing!? Why did this have to happen... What did he ever do wrong? He was just trying so hard to live!
We may just be Servants, but... to not even respect someone's will to live...!"
Shirou faced Rider's accusation with a cold expression.
To be honest, he did not feel that he was at fault at all.
No one could have predicted an accident like this.
If he had to name someone responsible, then it would be Rider, who had only thought about helping the Homunculus and had acted without considering the consequences.
Shirou walked toward Astolfo and the Homunculus.
"Move."
He said it to Rider, who was clutching the boy tightly.
Hearing that, Astolfo held the Homunculus even tighter. Fear crossed his face, and he looked at Shirou through tears.
"What are you trying to do? I won't let you lay a finger on him!
If you want to kill him, then kill me first!!"
Shirou ignored the hysterical Astolfo and reached toward the dying Homunculus.
Rider resisted fiercely, trying to push Shirou's arm away.
"Hey, kid. Answer me if you're still conscious."
Before Astolfo could scream, Shirou spoke.
"Do you want to live?"
"Huh? What are you even talking about?"
"Quiet, Rider. I'm talking to this kid right now."
Hearing the commotion, the Homunculus faintly regained consciousness, his eyelids weakly opening by a sliver.
The pupils visible through that gap were as red as blood, yet almost devoid of life.
Though his body was already on the verge of death, he used the last of his will to speak and convey the wish at the bottom of his heart.
"...I want... to live. I don't want... to die..."
Shirou nodded expressionlessly.
"I understand."
After Shirou and Siegfried released their Noble Phantasms, Ruler, Jeanne d'Arc, immediately rushed toward the site.
I was careless!
Because she had been worried about the rampaging Berserker, she had completely ignored the fact that these two were clearly far more dangerous human-shaped nuclear bombs!
Through her Privilege, Jeanne could sense that the "Black" Saber had entered a weakened state, while Shirou had only consumed a vast amount of Mana.
In other words, Artorius had won.
She had not expected that not only the son of the Sun God, but even the strongest hero of Germany would fail to defeat him!!
Keeper, what exactly are you...?
With unease on her face, Jeanne quickly passed through the forest and soon reached the place where she had parted from Shirou earlier.
Then she saw a scene she could not understand.
And it was not only her. Everyone else present...
The "Black" Saber and Rider wore the same stunned, incomprehending expressions.
"You...!"
Light was shining from Shirou's chest.
Something was being taken out from there.
It released a dreamlike aura that seemed not to belong to the human world, a supreme and noble Mystery that transcended all else.
Only Jeanne, as Ruler, immediately understood what that Noble Phantasm truly was.
The symbol of the Nameless King, and at the same time, the only catalyst capable of summoning the strongest and final Heroic Spirit.
"Avalon."
Shirou drew the scabbard from within his own body and placed it inside the Homunculus without hesitation.
In an instant, the golden scabbard dissolved into warm light, and the wounds covering the white-haired boy's entire body began healing on their own.
"To go this far for a mere unrelated Homunculus...!"
Jeanne covered her mouth in disbelief and gazed deeply at the red-haired youth wrapped in light.
In that instant, the Holy Maiden of Orléans felt as if she had seen the figure of a Savior.