"You've lost."
Amidst the swirling white snowscape, two black figures became the absolute focal points. Artoria Alter stood silently beside the young man as Sakatsuki gazed at their completely defenseless opponents, his tone carrying a barely perceptible sigh.
While watching his adversaries fall before his intricate strategies was gratifying, the fleeting excitement gave way to boundless emptiness.
Perhaps it was his battlelust acting up, but Sakatsuki found himself almost resentful that Jeanne d'Arc and the others had fallen so quickly—so swiftly that none of his prepared contingencies had even come into play before victory was effortlessly achieved.
In other words—had he overestimated the heroes' strength?
Even as regret filled his heart, the young man mercilessly waved his hand. Countless weapons once again surged toward the four Servants. With Jeanne's Noble Phantasm shattered, their enemies had lost all effective means of defense. Even if they tried to counterattack, they would face the crisis of depleted magical energy.
Even if that maiden regained her senses and attempted to use a second Noble Phantasm beyond her holy banner, there would be no time for incantations now.
This was, without doubt, a hopeless situation.
Apart from the dazed Jeanne, even Empress Semiramis and Mordred had realized this truth. Alongside their frustration and unwillingness, an overwhelming sense of powerlessness rose within them.
Just as Sakatsuki had judged, Mordred's Noble Phantasm had been their last gamble. With even that move blocked, they had no cards left to play.
Amidst the raging blizzard, the blades gleamed coldly, their chill seeping deep into their hearts. Such despair could crush anyone's will.
Was this truly the end?
Just as the Empress and the others were about to lose their fighting spirit, a spark of flame suddenly ignited within the boundless ice and snow. Like a seed cast into the air, it grew with the wind. By the time anyone noticed its existence, that single spark had already set the plains ablaze!
"What...?" Sakatsuki looked up in astonishment, his eyes illuminated by the soaring flames.
That was not his fire—it was a scorching blaze that did not belong to him.
This place was Sakatsuki's mental landscape, the absolute dominion of this genius magus. Yet within this world of biting frost and cutting winds, that vivid flame had taken root. It spread its divine authority, igniting everything it touched, transforming falling snow into fire and fire into snow, spreading wildly and without restraint.
The foreign sun god cast his distant gaze upon them, and the flames rejoiced, bowing in worship. In their ecstasy, they condensed into a terrifying vortex, even coalescing from plasma into viscous, flowing crimson magma that poured onto the ground. Countless pristine whites were consumed, replaced by scorching earth that heralded the end.
Within Sakatsuki's Unlimited Blade Works, a kingdom of flames had risen.
Its radiance was so dazzling, its form so sacred, that even the sun hanging over this world paled in comparison.
"Such magical energy can only belong to one person." Sakatsuki narrowed his eyes as his gaze fell upon the white-haired man standing before his comrades, crimson cape billowing, his posture straight as a steel spear.
His name was Karna, son of the sun god Surya, the Hero of Charity.
He stood there calmly and humbly, saying nothing. Yet the golden divine spear in his hand and the surging solar flames around him proudly proclaimed his strength and power.
Look upon me, for I am your destined opponent!
Sakatsuki's eyes trailed downward to the god-given golden armor reflecting dazzling light amidst the snowy landscape. Understanding its significance, the corners of his lips curled into a smile.
"Excellent. You haven't disappointed me."
"Golden armor? Your invincibility has returned?" Mordred exclaimed in surprise before turning to Jeanne d'Arc. "So the last Command Spell was used for this?"
"Precisely," the Empress answered, though her expression remained grim despite this being favorable news. "This was a joint decision between my Master, the young girl Fiore, and myself. We intended to keep it as our trump card..."
Yet now this final card wasn't being played for victory, but for survival.
What an utterly miscalculated move.
"It is only I, your resourceful and honorable opponent." Facing Sakatsuki directly, Karna raised his unbreakable spear and spoke calmly, "I shall protect them. You cannot harm them in the slightest unless you step over my corpse."
"Hmph, ridiculous." Artoria Alter snorted and moved to step forward, only to be stopped by Sakatsuki's raised hand as Karna continued:
"I've discerned the reason for your abnormal magical energy reserves—it's because of the black Saber, isn't it? The heart currently beating in your chest belongs to that dragonslayer."
Siegfried's... heart?!
Shock ran through the group behind Karna. The Empress said gravely, "If that's the case, then everything makes sense. A high-ranking dragon's heart could indeed provide endless magical energy."
"But how can Sakatsuki use something like that?" Mordred muttered. "Could it be... Father...?"
"So this is why Siegfried withdrew before the battle..." Jeanne d'Arc suddenly understood.
While the three Servants whispered among themselves, Sakatsuki openly confirmed the truth: "Exactly right. Not just the dragon's heart—I've also obtained Siegfried's Noble Phantasm, that demonic sword gifted to him by the Nibelungs. What, do you seek vengeance for him?"
"No, not at all, blue Assassin." Even now, Karna addressed Sakatsuki with formal precision. "To date, I've fought the black Saber over three times, yet never reached a conclusion before he withdrew one step ahead of me."
As if realizing something, Sakatsuki raised an eyebrow. Meeting Karna's gaze directly, he heard the hero declare:
"Since your chest now houses the red Saber's heart, our battle has become inevitable."
Before Sakatsuki could respond, Artoria Alter spoke coldly, "Lancer of Red, within this bounded field, your connection to the leylines has been severed. Everything you do now comes at the cost of your own magical energy. Even if my Master refuses to fight you, you will eventually perish from exhaustion. So why should he engage in battle with you?"
"...Indeed." After a brief silence, Karna nodded, openly acknowledging her words. In response, the Empress and others voiced strong objections.
"Fool, what are you saying?"
"Though we knew you were upright and honest... we never imagined your foolishness would surpass even that."
To Semiramis and Mordred, revealing one's own weakness was an act of sheer recklessness. Yet Karna paid them no heed. Instead, he gazed into Sakatsuki's increasingly bright eyes, his words infused with undeniable sincerity:
"But that matters not. I have sworn to fight with my full strength. Even if you choose to avoid battle, it changes nothing. If I fail to defeat you before my energy is depleted, then I can only blame myself for my own shortcomings."
Absolute confidence.
And a heroic ideal so pure it was refreshing.
"Would you hold back... and choose to flee?"
Karna asked.
His eyes were deep and calm, devoid of any trace of reproach—as if to say, 'Whatever happens, I shall accept it all with equanimity.'
In the Mahabharata, India's oldest and grandest epic, Karna was the tragic hero fated to be slain by Arjuna. Upon him fell all sorrows and curses: abandoned by his mother in infancy, later beseeched by her not to fight the Pandavas; deceived by Indra, who, out of excessive love for his own son, stole Karna's golden armor and earrings.
Even cursed to forget his ultimate technique, the 'Brahmastra,' at the critical moment.
Such misfortunes would breed resentment in any man. Yet this hero bore them all with serene acceptance. Though he wielded raging flames, his will stood firm as the eternal mountains.
This was the essence of his nobility—the source of his strength.
It was clear Karna was prepared to stake everything. The chance that Sakatsuki would relinquish his advantage and engage willingly was slim, yet even so, Karna would not abandon his resolve to fight.
With a long sigh, under the disbelieving gazes of all present—even Karna and Artoria Alter—Sakatsuki stepped forward. In the next instant, he stood face to face with the Lancer.
Ah, how foolish of me to fall for such provocation... No, perhaps in Karna's eyes, he was merely speaking the truth.
So thought Sakatsuki as he gripped his sword—a blade adorned with a black cross emblem on its hilt, its edge thin and razor-sharp. It sang of glory and ruin, heralding the twilight of all creation.
"Do not underestimate me, Lancer of Red," the young man's battle-hungry voice echoed across the heavens and earth. "Having received Siegfried's gift, I must also shoulder his duty and responsibility."
"Let me take his place and complete this duel with you!"
The red Lancer widened his eyes slightly, and Sakatsuki, seeing this, revealed a somewhat triumphant smile.
—What a foolish choice, he thought to himself, yet for some reason, he felt a refreshing breeze sweep through his heart.
It was incredibly pleasant—his own choice, his own foolishness, felt so utterly comfortable. He even thought Karna might have faintly smiled... though it could have just been his imagination.
"Is that so? Then, Sakatsuki, let us both fight with all our might."
The howling wind and snow seemed to freeze, and in the tense atmosphere, the sword-wielding young man and the spear-bearing warrior locked eyes. The next moment, they turned into streaks of light, colliding fiercely.
Boom!
The sound of clashing weapons rang out in rapid succession. Semiramis narrowed her eyes, knowing full well this was to their advantage, yet she couldn't help but mutter, "Is Sakatsuki an idiot? He's actually giving us a chance to catch our breath?"
But this time, Mordred didn't echo her sentiment. The rebellious girl watched the two locked in fierce combat, her voice brimming with longing.
"How wonderful... If only someone could fight me like that, with everything they've got..."
This was a romance unique to warriors, an emotion the Empress, steeped in poison and schemes, could never comprehend.
As for Jeanne d'Arc, her gaze never left the young man in black robes. When she saw Sakatsuki's eyes illuminated by the sparks of clashing steel, she pressed her lips together, her expression firming with resolve.
"So... it was this simple after all..."
The Saint's whisper was like a sigh, lost in the roaring icy winds.
The clash between Sakatsuki and Karna didn't last long—for two who knew each other so well, a contest of pure martial skill had long lost its meaning.
Skipping the back-and-forth, they moved straight to the decisive moment!
The two figures simultaneously disengaged. Karna looked at Sakatsuki, gripping his demonic sword, his tone serious yet tinged with fervor.
"With all my magical energy, witness this spear—"
It was the same spear that had once pierced through the entire Fortress of Millennia, the spear that could slay gods. Around Karna, flames writhed like countless serpents. Though he had already been fighting with all his might, he now stood before Sakatsuki with even greater power.
His golden armor peeled away, his emaciated body bleeding once more, yet Karna paid no heed to the pain wracking his form. His gaze locked onto Sakatsuki as the divine spear, now fused with his armor, grew even more resplendent and sacred, crackling with boundless divine lightning.
Both Karna and Sakatsuki knew—this was a power that disregarded the user's life, a true one-strike kill.
So, can you withstand this, Sakatsuki?
"O Surya, bear witness!" Karna cried his father's name, his very form seeming to dissolve into the god-slaying spear. "The battlefield knows no condemnation. O Sun, submit to death—Vasavi Shakti!"
As he roared these words, the son of the sun god vanished completely, and the spear of deicide howled in his place, hurtling toward Sakatsuki with cataclysmic fury!