—Clang clang clang clang clang!
The tip of the spear and the bladed sheathe of the holy sword clashed repeatedly. Each blow was heavier than the last, like an endless tide, forcing Arthur to take a step back, a look of astonishment on his face.
From the moment the battle began, he realized his opponent seemed incredibly familiar with his swordsmanship and had quickly grasped the dimensions of his weapon, rendering the concealing effect of his Invisible Air completely useless.
How can such a slender body produce such power? And this technique... it's not just like a spear, it's also like a sword!
The air currents wrapped around his holy sword erupted into a storm. Arthur had intended to force his opponent back, create distance, and then circle around for a flank attack. But he never expected that Aozaki Rin's other hand, clad in a white alchemy glove, would simply snap its fingers.
In an instant, the raging gale that was about to engulf the young man's body dispersed. At the same time, a scorching heat inexplicably spread through the air. The moment Arthur sensed danger, a violent explosion, accompanied by a blinding flash of light, erupted.
—BOOM!
The explosion sent several empty shipping containers flying and kicked up a thick cloud of smoke.
Irisviel instinctively held onto the pure white soft hat on her head, her eyes narrowed against the fierce blast of wind. "Saber!" she cried out anxiously.
"I'm fine, Master! Please move back a little further!"
Arthur's voice came from within the smokescreen. At the same time, his figure retreated out of the dust. A corner of his blue cape had been burned away by the explosion, and his face was grave.
The moment he retreated, the cloth-wrapped spear was already in pursuit!
The spear tip scraped against the bright silver armor, leaving a gash. If Arthur hadn't adjusted his stance in time and slashed at the spear's shaft with his holy sword, forcing Rin to raise the spear upwards, his shoulder would have certainly been injured.
—Strong! Very strong!
Compared to his exceptional skill, his opponent's physical strength was almost secondary.
Of course, there was also that bizarre magecraft from before. All of it told Arthur that the Servant before him was a formidable enemy.
However, using a spear with a hint of swordsmanship, plus that special charm ability... it can only be that knight from the records, the one renowned for his "dual mastery of sword and spear."
As for hiding his face, it must be to cover up his iconic beauty mark. And that strange magecraft is likely the work of his Master...
Growing more certain of his own theory, Arthur, while dodging Rin's attacks, said confidently.
"Lancer, I've already figured out your true identity. You are indeed Diarmuid... what?!"
However, before Arthur could finish, the young man before him suddenly switched the spear to his left hand.
At the same time, the papers that had been scattered on the ground were drawn to the young man's right hand as if pulled by an unseen force, melding together to form a "paper sword."
Aozaki Rin didn't bother to correct his opponent's misunderstanding. In fact, after they had crossed blades, he had felt a sense of familiarity in his opponent's moves.
It wasn't the swordsmanship used by his other adoptive sister, Artoria, but something closer to the techniques his adoptive father, Ector, had taught him.
Thus, from the moment their weapons met, Aozaki Rin had grasped his opponent's intentions.
As for the dimensions of the weapon in his opponent's hand, which his paper cranes couldn't detect, Rin had recalled the length of the Star-forged Holy Sword used by Artoria, estimated a range in his mind, and quickly determined the optimal combat distance.
And now, to prevent his opponent from getting used to the rhythm of his spear, he immediately used alchemy to create a longsword. Using reinforcement magecraft to strengthen his body and the "paper sword" in his hand once more, he launched a torrential, stormy assault, like a monstrous wave rising in an instant!
The paper sword and the long spear alternated in his vision, moving freely, each strike imbued with immense power and near-perfect technique.
Arthur unconsciously held his breath, desperately blocking each attack with his holy sword, but the number of scratches on his armor was increasing without him noticing.
He also discovered that when the "Lancer" used a sword, there was a strange sense of familiarity.
It was as if he wasn't fighting "Lancer," but his adoptive father, Ector. And mixed in were even the shadows of Gawain, Lancelot, and Palamedes.
—It was as if he wasn't facing "Lancer" alone, but all the familiar Knights of the Round Table.
"Just who are you, Lancer!"
With a sharp cry, the red dragon's heart in his chest beat violently. Arthur unleashed a powerful slash. The resulting blast of sharp sword energy spread out, affecting half the warehouse street and cutting nearly half of the shipping containers in two!
Yet, amidst the thunderous crash of collapsing containers, Aozaki Rin's unharmed figure, holding a spear in one hand and a sword in the other, slowly emerged from the smokescreen.
The young man, as if reminiscing, replied with a nostalgic smile.
"I am merely a nameless knight by a certain person's side."
...
Meanwhile, atop the Fuyuki Ohashi Bridge.
Rider Iskandar held a can of beer in one hand and watched the situation in the distant warehouse district, laughing with great interest.
"Oho, the battle is quite fierce! The one emitting that clear fighting aura to attract other Servants must be Saber. He seems to be a rather remarkable knight."
"But compared to him, the Lancer he's fighting is no slouch either. Haha, the Holy Grail War is truly full of surprises! I wonder if those two would be willing to join my army!"
"F-Forget about that for now! When are we getting down from here? Achoo!"
Listening to Iskandar's hearty, carefree laughter, Waver trembled as he clung to the steel structure beneath him.
He was trembling not only because a fall from this height would be fatal for a human, but also because they had been on this bridge for over two hours observing the situation after sensing Saber deliberately attracting other Servants. The cold wind had long since pushed his body to its limits.
"Oi, oi, even for a magus, your constitution is a bit too weak, boy. You should be able to overcome this with a little willpower."
Feeling a bit speechless at his frail Master, Iskandar flicked his cape, covering Waver with a part of it.
"This isn't something you can just get used to with willpower! That's just muscle-headed thinking! And who said I have a weak constitution? It's because I never had time to train before! I definitely won't be like this in the future!"
"Hahaha, is that so! That's some good spirit you've got there. It'd be better if you stopped shivering, though!"
"Sh-Shut up!"
Atop the bridge, the Master and Servant bickered back and forth.
...
Meanwhile, on top of a building even farther away.
A man in a black overcoat, his long black hair fluttering in the wind, his brow furrowed from what seemed to be accumulated exhaustion, suddenly sneezed. As if feeling a chill, he unconsciously rubbed his arms.
Beside him, a girl with pinkish-purple hair, long bangs covering one eye, dressed in a form-fitting black armor that resembled a bodysuit, and holding a large shield, asked with concern.
"Um, Mr. El-Melloi II, are you alright? Maybe we should go down. The temperature up here is a bit low."
"It's nothing. Just some accumulated fatigue being released by the stimulus. It's not a big deal."
Waving his hand, the man rubbed the bridge of his nose, signaling her not to worry.
At the same time, on his other side, an orange-haired girl wearing a white uniform and a black pleated skirt, with knee-high boots and her hair tied in a distinctive high side-ponytail, was looking through binoculars. She had just seen Saber's attack in the distant warehouse district affect half the street. She turned to the man next to her in disbelief.
"Mr. II, I'm sorry for underestimating you before. I never knew the opponents you faced in the Fourth Holy Grail War were all so incredibly strong?!"
"No, I don't know what you thought of me before, but I think you're still misunderstanding. Because..."
As if reaching his limit, the man looked at the situation in the warehouse district, a rare look of distress on his face as he muttered to himself.
"—The Holy Grail War I know... wasn't like this at all..."
Feeling his stomach inexplicably begin to ache, the man suddenly regretted agreeing to join this operation.
-------
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