Once the King of Conquerors unleashed his Reality Marble, both he and Yoru vanished from the castle courtyard.
Feeling the chilling pressure gradually dissipate, Waver couldn't help but let out a sigh of relief.
Had he remained much longer, he seriously worried he might have frozen to death.
But he didn't have long to rest.
A new surge of powerful magical energy approached, making him tense up with panic.
"W-What now? Could another Servant be attacking?!"
Panic seized his mind, but after a moment, he recalled the remaining Servants still active in the war.
Besides Berserker and his own Rider, only Saber, Lancer, and Archer remained.
And no matter who it was among those three, none would attack an unarmed Master—not someone like him.
Saber and Archer were kings; they'd never stoop so low.
And Lancer, bound by knightly honor, wouldn't either.
"…Guess I was worrying too much after all."
Waver exhaled again and turned toward the direction of the approaching presence.
That's when he finally saw who it was.
"…Saber? So she's come to attack the Einzbern estate too?"
Last night's banquet had revealed much—Fran's identity as a vampire, for one.
So it wasn't strange to think she might now be a target.
Saber's holy sword, after all, would be devastatingly effective against someone like Fran.
Lost in thought, Waver looked up—only to find Saber already standing before him.
He was about to greet the King of Knights…
But when he saw her face, he froze.
What… what is this?
Her appearance hadn't changed.
But her aura—her very essence—was completely different.
She no longer had the righteous air of the Arthur Pendragon he remembered.
Instead, Waver sensed something wrong. A terrible, evil energy.
It made him deeply uneasy.
Saber didn't seem to notice the boy's wary gaze.
She simply stood by his side, frowning slightly.
The overwhelming magical presence of Rider's Reality Marble hadn't escaped her notice.
There was no mistaking it—this was the manifestation of a Noble Phantasm.
"So that's it… He's been trapped inside a Reality Marble?"
She murmured to herself, and Waver's face stiffened.
Why was she here?
Was she planning to fight Berserker? Or to ally with him?
Would she interfere with Rider's duel?
No… surely not.
She was the righteous King of Knights—she wouldn't disrupt a fair one-on-one fight.
Just like her battle with Lancer, a beautiful duel of pure knightly spirit.
Yes, that was Saber.
"M-My Servant is currently fighting Berserker's Master one-on-one…
Saber, what are you here to do?"
Waver forced himself to ask, but the moment his words left his lips, Saber's expression changed completely.
"What did you say?! Berserker's Master is the one fighting Rider?!"
"Y-Yeah… it's Yoru, Berserker's Master. What about it?"
Waver blinked, confused by Saber's sudden alarm.
Before he could react further, a sharp gust burst around her.
Her invisible holy sword appeared in her hand.
"W-What are you doing?!"
Waver stumbled back in fear. Was she going to attack him?!
But Saber didn't acknowledge him at all.
She took in a deep breath—
And then, without hesitation, unleashed her greatest Noble Phantasm.
Waver had been right.
This was no longer the Saber he once knew.
The moment she drove her sword into her own Master, Kiritsugu Emiya, she had broken.
The idealistic, justice-driven King of Knights was dead.
The girl who stood here now was no longer a king, no longer a righteous knight.
She was simply someone acting according to her own will.
And in discarding the chains that had bound her, Saber felt a twisted sense of liberation.
She had no regrets—none for stabbing Kiritsugu, none for the choice she made.
If staying silent and enduring his actions meant winning the Grail,
If that meant turning a blind eye to his cruelty just to reach her wish—
That would have been the true betrayal.
Even if she won the Grail War that way…
What would her people say?
What kind of king would they believe her to be?
What expression would they wear, knowing she had saved them like that?
Why had she come here after severing ties with Kiritsugu?
She didn't know.
Maybe she thought Yoru was the only one who understood her.
Maybe it was because she should've been the Einzberns' Servant all along.
Or maybe it was something else.
Saber no longer cared what the answer was.
All she knew… was that she had to follow her heart.
And right now, her heart said Yoru was in danger.
He was trapped inside Rider's Reality Marble.
And without hesitation—
She raised her golden, invisible sword and activated her strongest power.
Light gathered.
As though it were destiny to shine down upon this holy blade, radiant beams condensed around it.
The brilliance cut through the night, turning darkness into day.
Waver stood frozen, unable to speak beneath the divine light.
This was the heroic figure who once illuminated a world darker than the night.
Ten years undefeated. Twelve battles unyielding.
A legend unmatched—an honor peerless.
Transcending time, this glory was eternal.
This shining sword was the dream of all fallen warriors throughout history—
The crystallization of their prayers for "Glory."
To raise this blade was to proclaim that one would fight with dignity.
To wield it was to declare one's ideals without compromise.
And now, the King of Knights declared aloud the true name of this miracle.
Her voice rang like thunder.
"Excalibur—Sword of Promised Victory!!"
---
Access more chapters at patreon.com/dzeref887