A Servant's hearing is exceptionally sharp. The three knights clearly heard everything Naoki said.
Not only did he plan to take on all three at once, but he also claimed he could deliberately control his strength to suppress them precisely?
Utterly arrogant.
Seeing Naoki approach not far ahead, Gawain was about to say something, but the strikingly familiar face before her left her stunned in place. Tristan's eyes also widened in disbelief.
Both turned to Lancelot with accusing glares.
Why does the intruder have His Majesty's face?!—their eyes seemed to convey that meaning.
Lancelot gave an awkward smile. "Well… according to their side, during the Holy Grail War twenty years ago, His Majesty gave him his Spirit Origin to save his life after he died, and they lived in symbiosis for ten years. That's why his face is so similar to His Majesty's."
"Oh… s-so that's it…"
"How enviable, interacting with His Majesty constantly for ten years? That's probably something even Merlin never did."
Tristan's hands, plucking the harp strings, visibly faltered.
"Sir Gawain, will you find this a bit difficult now?"
"No, precisely because of this, I must be even more serious and pour my heart into the upcoming battle."
Taking several deep breaths to calm her emotions, Gawain looked at Naoki with utmost seriousness. "You look awfully relaxed, sir. I've heard about this from Sir Lancelot, but I'm sorry, I, Gawain, will never let you pass through the front gate."
"Yeah, I know. That's why I came to face you, right?" Naoki laughed. "Though I could just fly straight in, this time I'm here as a guest, so it's better to enter through the front gate for courtesy's sake. Sir Gawain, gatekeeper, logically, after I defeat you, you won't keep blocking me from entering the city, will you?"
*VROOM!*
Answering Naoki wasn't Gawain but the Holy Sword in her hand. The sun's flames roared to life.
Calmly raising her Holy Sword, Gawain said coldly, "Even if you bear a face similar to His Majesty's, don't think I'll hold back because of it—you and your empty talk will turn to ashes along with this mirage of the sun!"
"Bring it on!"
The sandy ground beneath Gawain's feet instantly formed a crater as she finished speaking. Gawain, who appeared as a robust warrior, displayed speed in no way inferior to Okita Souji, known for her agility. In the blink of an eye, she was already in front of Naoki!
The sun's Holy Sword slashed down from above!
With Numeral of the Saint and the Holy Grail's enhancement, even Lancelot wouldn't dare take Gawain's full-force attack head-on. Seeing Naoki standing still without dodging, anyone's heart would tense.
Except for Artoria and Naoki himself.
As the slashing sword rapidly grew larger in his view, Naoki reached out and caught the blazing Holy Sword with his hand!
"What—!?"
The unexpected defense left others unable to suppress their shock.
That was Gawain's full-force attack! He caught it with just one hand?!
Feeling the pressure on his fingers, Naoki smiled. "Really heavy. Truly Sir Gawain with tripled strength, plus the Holy Grail's blessing. No wonder my side's Gawain was overwhelmed by you in a direct fight."
"Fool."
Gawain pressed her Holy Sword down harder.
"Catching my attack with bare hands—such courage and strength are indeed admirable, but you'll soon be burned to ashes by this solar mirage. This is the price of your arrogance!"
"Is that so? It is a bit hot. I don't want to get blisters, so… sorry, let me cool it down first."
As Naoki spoke, Gawain, standing close, suddenly felt a bone-chilling cold rushing toward her!
It was midday, and with the Holy Sword in her hand still blazing, the only sensation she should feel was heat. Cold should be impossible, yet—
*CRACK!*
A faint sound rang out.
*CRACK!* *CRACK!* *CRACK!* *CRACK!*
Under the incredulous gazes of the Knights of the Round Table, the blazing Holy Sword in Gawain's hand, along with its flames, visibly froze into a massive block of ice!
Holding the ice block, Naoki laughed. "There, much better. It's easy to have issues in hot weather like this near flames. Cooling it down is much nicer—doesn't the cold feel refreshing?"
"What do you think, Sir Gawain?"
As his words fell, Naoki suddenly moved. His empty right fist struck Gawain's abdomen. The chilling aura around his fist instantly froze her midsection into ice!
The impact that followed pushed Gawain back dozens of meters!
Holding her sword, with her abdomen frozen, Gawain looked at the still-uncracked Holy Sword in her hand.
"The sun's Holy Sword, frozen… This intense cold, is it Magecraft?"
"You could say that, but it's really just temperature control." Naoki said, raising both hands. "Absolute zero—my body is in that state now, including the atmosphere around me."
Imaginary Manifestation · Absolute Zero Field.
"Even if it's just a theoretical value, as long as I can imagine it, I can manifest it in reality. That's what fairies can do."
Fairies.
For Gawain and the others, who lived at the end of the Age of Gods in Britain, these beings were not unfamiliar. Arthur's Holy Sword was bestowed by the Lady of the Lake, and Lancelot also bore a fairy's blessing.
"You… a fairy?"
"I only fully became a fairy a few years ago—anyway, I don't plan to give you time to thaw your Holy Sword. Though it's a bit rude, please stay put for a while."
After speaking, Naoki stepped forward, and as if teleporting, he instantly appeared beside Gawain!
(So fast… Damn, my body can't move!)
Within the absolute zero field, both mind and body slowed due to the extreme cold. For Naoki, even if Gawain was delayed by just half a second, that was enough for him to subdue her.
*SWOOSH!*
Dozens of thick chains appeared around Gawain, swiftly coiling around her body and limbs like a group of giant snakes!
Each chain weighed as much as a ten-story building. Even with Gawain's tripled strength and the Holy Grail's power, once entangled, she could only kneel on the ground, unable to move!
*CLANG!* *CLANG!* *CLANG!*
But just as the chains were about to fully bind Gawain, a lake-like light swiftly struck, repelling some of them, giving her enough time to escape.
At the same time, a barrage of vacuum blades attacked Naoki from all directions.
*SWISH!* *SWISH!* *SWISH!*
Standing still and redirecting all the vacuum blades with Displacement Magecraft, Naoki looked at Gawain, Lancelot, and Tristan standing together. "So, now we're entering the second phase of the boss fight?"
"Might as well—come at me, all three of you at once. It'll save time."