"What are you trying to do!"
Mordred halted her advance. Even though she desperately wanted to cleave her sword into Chiron's neck, the chivalric ideals instilled in her by Artoria and the Knights of the Round Table forced her to restrain her impulses. She waited to hear what he had to say.
Chiron naturally saw the anger and impatience in her eyes. However, sensing the approaching dawn and the presence of other Servants nearing their location, he was forced to interrupt this evenly matched duel.
"I know it is dishonorable for a warrior to interrupt a battle like this, but dawn is fast approaching. If we do not wish to attract Ruler's attention, we should call a truce."
"So what? It isn't dawn yet! And if Ruler dares to intervene, I will beat her up too!" Mordred sneered, immediately rejecting the proposal.
Chiron had anticipated this response. He wasn't angry; he simply smiled. "If you insist on continuing, does it not matter that your Master is in danger?"
"What?!"
Mordred froze. Instinctively reaching out through their mental link, she was shocked to discover that Sisigou's magical energy was nearing its absolute limit. Yet, despite his condition, he was still funneling enough mana to sustain her fierce combat. To prevent his state from distracting her, he had intentionally suppressed their connection.
"Dammit! You guys are truly despicable!"
Mordred quickly deduced that Sisigou was either being overwhelmed by sheer numbers or another enemy Servant had arrived in Sighisoara. Given Sisigou's strength and experience, he wouldn't be cornered so easily otherwise.
Her assumption was correct. Fearing for his sister's safety, Caules had unauthorizedly led a squad of homunculi and golems to support Fiore. Exhausted from his earlier battles with the ghouls and Carmilla, Sisigou's mana and Mystic Codes were nearly depleted, putting him at a severe disadvantage against the coordinated assault.
"Do I really have to let this guy go?" Mordred ground her teeth, glaring at the earnest-looking Chiron.
But with her Master's life on the line, Mordred didn't hesitate. She decided to abandon the duel and rush to Sisigou's aid, regardless of whether this was a trap.
"You need not worry about him escaping. Go, Mordred."
A cold, familiar voice echoed from the void, freezing both Chiron and Mordred in their tracks. Chiron's expression turned grave and tense, while Mordred's face showed a mix of joy and complication.
"Caster of Red!"
"Mother!"
Under the cloak of night, a beautiful, elegant, and noble dark-themed beauty slowly emerged from the shadows. In an instant, everyone's gaze was drawn to her graceful figure.
Although they could only clearly see her deep azure eyes and the upper half of her face, it was more than enough to convey her breathtaking beauty.
But why was she wearing a modern skirt suit on the battlefield?
Noticing this, Chiron and Mordred's expressions turned slightly strange. But this was no time to dwell on fashion choices. Sensing the immense pressure and power radiating from Morgan, Chiron's demeanor grew unprecedentedly serious.
"Caster of Red, we are less than two hours from sunrise. I believe there is no need to continue this battle, is there?"
Recognizing her overwhelming strength and regal aura, Chiron softened his tone. Yet, he spoke with neither servility nor arrogance. As the most famous Sage in Greece and the mentor to countless heroes, politeness was his nature, but he also possessed his own pride and dignity.
Morgan, however, showed little reaction. She stared at him coldly. "And then?"
Chiron was momentarily stunned, but his expression quickly grew heavy. He wasn't stupid; from that single phrase, he understood she had no intention of letting things end peacefully.
Refusing to give up, Chiron tried again. "Caster, as someone who should be the wisest in the Red Faction, you must understand that the true rule of the Holy Grail War is to keep mystery hidden from the public. If we continue fighting, even with a Bounded Field, we cannot guarantee there will be no collateral damage. It would be best to end tonight's events here. Let us both take a step back. What do you say?"
His words were incredibly polite, clearly laying out the stakes. For a powerful Sage like him to make such a concession was a massive show of respect. Or rather, he truly was the most courteous Servant in all of Greece.
But he was dealing with Morgan. Before she was the Queen of Britain, her title was the Witch.
Facing Chiron's negotiation, Morgan chuckled softly. "I naturally know the so-called rules of war. And because I have no desire to see that woman, I will not break them."
Chiron breathed a sigh of relief, but Morgan's next words dashed his hopes.
"Therefore, I simply need to eliminate you before sunrise."
Silence descended upon Chiron and Mordred.
Mordred broke the quiet, her tone laced with displeasure. "Caster, you seem a bit too confident."
Chiron summoned his longbow once more. As an intelligent man, he knew Morgan had no intention of letting him go. No matter how reluctant he was, he had to fight. He wanted to avoid battle out of respect for the rules and to protect innocent civilians, but if forced, he would not back down.
"I assume you saw my battle with Saber just now. Although I did not defeat her, you should understand my strength. Eliminating me in two hours is impossible."
"Tch!" Mordred clicked her tongue in annoyance. What Chiron said was true, so despite her dissatisfaction, she couldn't refute it.
Morgan calmly glanced at Chiron. The corners of her mouth curved upward.
"Who said I was going to fight you?"
"What?"
Before the bewildered Chiron could react, Morgan opened her hand. A pitch-black staff materialized in her grasp.
With a simple movement, a ripple of golden light spread outward from the staff, instantly encompassing the surrounding area. The radius was precisely the size of the Bounded Field. Through the ripples, faint images of houses, city walls, and a royal palace could be seen.
"This is..." Mordred froze. Memories of her time in Britain instinctively flooded her mind.
Chiron suddenly sensed a massive shift. He looked in horror at the space in front of Morgan. Three figures were slowly materializing, and he could feel the unmistakable aura of Servants radiating from them.
"Noble Phantasm, 'Camelot: The Radiant City that Never Falls'."
Unlike Chiron's shock, Mordred's expression was one of pure excitement. Staring at the three fully manifested knights, she blurted out their names.
"Sir Gawain! Sir Lancelot! Sir Tristan!"
Hearing their names called, the three summoned knights looked over. Seeing it was Mordred, they paused briefly before smiles touched their lips.
At the same time, Morgan's cold yet unimaginably noble voice echoed across the battlefield.
"By my command, draw your weapons, knights."
"Yes!"
Without a moment of hesitation, two Holy Swords and one Demonic Bow instantly materialized in their hands. The glory of the Knights of the Round Table shone upon the world once more.
"Following the command of our King: The Knights of the Round Table—Gawain, Lancelot, and Tristan—have answered the call!"