"Ah! It's Ryougi-san!" Irisviel exclaimed, covering her mouth. However, she subconsciously avoided using the more intimate "Raku" and instead used the respectful "Ryougi-san."
"Ryougi Raku!" Saber said solemnly, looking at the young man. But inwardly, she was shocked! She hadn't sensed him at all in her perception, even though he was so close. She only became aware of him when she saw him with her own eyes!
Recalling their encounter this evening, she hadn't noticed him at all initially, only becoming aware after he greeted her. And she had unknowingly overlooked this.
"I was careless!" Saber grew even more vigilant and even felt a little angry at having been deceived...
"Lady Irisviel, and Saber, as I said not long ago, we would meet again soon..." Ryougi Raku said this in his still gentle tone.
He gently removed the glove he had been wearing on his left hand, revealing the Command Spells inside, clearly stating his identity to the other party.
"Ryougi Raku! Have you been deceiving us?" Saber asked deeply, with anger in her voice.
Ryougi Raku looked at her in surprise and asked strangely, "How have I deceived you?"
"This..." Saber was about to speak but then realized that the other party hadn't actually done anything deceptive. The only thing was concealing his identity as a Master. However, considering their opposing stances, doing so was the correct choice.
"So, what we did today was to gather intelligence on the enemy?"
Ryougi Raku slowly shook his head. "There's no need for intelligence gathering. I didn't ask you any deeper questions. I have a good impression of you. I simply treated you to an ordinary meal..."
Saber recalled the day's events. Ryougi Raku had merely treated them to a meal, without any hostility or probing. Even when asking for her name, he had intentionally avoided inquiring about her true name...
Thinking of this, Saber breathed a sigh of relief. Although she had always been wary of Ryougi Raku, in her heart, he was also a good person, and she didn't want her feelings toward him to change...
After calming down, Saber said slowly, "You invited us here and clearly revealed your identity. Are you planning to start a battle?" Her tone gradually softened, spoken with certainty.
Ryougi Raku shook his head and smiled wryly, "I didn't specifically invite you and the lady, Saber. It's just that you were the only ones who dared to accept..."
He turned to Lancer, who had been standing quietly by like a bodyguard without saying a word, and said, "Lancer, this is a worthy opponent!"
Only then did Lancer react, saying with a hint of sarcasm, "Lord Ryougi, you're really enjoying yourself. I spent the whole afternoon searching for a location, while you were dining with two beauties."
Ryougi Raku paid no mind to Lancer's teasing and simply took a few steps back. "Then, Lancer, go and secure victory for me!" His voice was calm, proud, and confident.
As if infected by Ryougi Raku, Lancer put away his frivolity and said seriously, "As you wish!"
"...Iri, step back!" Seeing the other side ready, and Ryougi Raku also moving away from Irisviel—as if indicating he had no intention of approaching her Master—Saber also prepared for battle.
Irisviel obediently stepped back a little but frowned as she looked at Lancer. "...Charm magecraft? How disrespectful to a married woman!" At the same time, she gave a faint smile to Ryougi Raku, as if she didn't mind what had happened today...
Lancer shrugged with a bitter smile at Irisviel's words. "I truly apologize. It's like a curse I was born with. If you want to resent something, resent my birth, or resent being a woman!" Indeed, the mole under Lancer's eye possesses the power to make women fall unconditionally in love with him... Truly a great tool for building a harem. Of course, this was Ryougi Raku's assessment...
"You're not expecting me to show mercy because of your face, are you, Lancer?" Saber said with a tone of contempt.
Lancer didn't really mind the other's tone. He simply said casually, "That would be too boring. However, the Saber class's Magic Resistance is truly formidable... Well, if I had to kill a weak woman because of this, I would lose face, and Lord Ryougi wouldn't be satisfied either."
"It seems you want a proper duel. It's my honor to meet you!" Saber praised with a smile, referring not only to Lancer but also to his Master.
"If we keep talking, my Master might get impatient. So, let's fight, Saber!"
As he spoke, Lancer assumed a combat stance, his twin spears spread out like wings.
Saber said nothing more. A powerful flow of magical energy surged, and silver armor swirled around her body. This was the manifestation of magical energy, and the true form of the King of Knights!
"...Saber," Irisviel swallowed nervously and said. At the same time, she was forced back several steps by the sudden burst of magical energy.
Ryougi Raku clasped his hands together and watched quietly. The airflow couldn't even ruffle the hem of his clothes.
Seeing Ryougi Raku so calm, Irisviel encouraged herself and tried to calm down...
"...Saber, bring me victory!" Finally calming down, Irisviel expressed her hope!
"Yes, I will!"
Nodding firmly, Saber took a step forward.
"Hmph, then give it a try! I won't agree! I will dedicate the victory to Lord Ryougi!"
At the same time, Lancer also leaped forward and launched the first attack...
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"Has it started?" After receiving Irisviel's signal, Emiya Kiritsugu felt the flow of magical energy not far away.
Holding a sniper rifle weighing over ten kilograms, Emiya Kiritsugu surveyed his surroundings.
"That's a good spot to observe the battle." Hisau Maiya pointed ahead, where a large crane stood. It was about thirty meters high, and climbing up would provide a good vantage point for observation.
"Well, it's a good position, but precisely because it's so good, I'm afraid we're not the only ones who have thought of it."
"…"
Hisau Maiya had been partners with Emiya Kiritsugu for many years and immediately understood what he meant.
"Maiya, you approach from the east, and I'll go from the west… Find an observation point where we can monitor the situation on the field and the crane's position!"
"Understood!" Hisau Maiya replied crisply and jogged off toward the east. Emiya Kiritsugu carefully checked the signaling device and then moved cautiously.
…
Warehouse District
The battle that astonished Irisviel continued, the sound of endless clashing metal ringing out. Every swing of a weapon caused the air to shake violently, and the hum seemed to tear through space itself!
Knights in armor were fighting on modern streets. Such a battle could only be seen in the distant ancient past!
Swords flashed, spears pierced the air, collisions occurred again and again, sonic booms echoed one after another. The iron storage containers in the warehouse district were merely grazed by the aftershocks of the weapon swings, leaving deep cracks, the steel torn, the earth shattered. This was a battle between heroes!
The two moved so fast that Irisviel could only see blurry figures before her eyes. She could only gauge the intensity of the battle from the residual destructive power!
And this was merely a clash of weapons. What would it be like if the symbolic Noble Phantasms of the Heroic Spirits were unleashed?
This was a miracle akin to the reappearance of ancient myths, a miracle only the Holy Grail could bring!
Compared to Irisviel's astonishment, Ryougi Raku watched with great interest.
Although both combatants were extremely fast, they couldn't escape Ryougi Raku's dynamic vision. While the combat techniques of both sides might not be suitable for him personally, watching these heroes fight could still provide him with profound insights.
Saber employed a typical Western fighting style. Skill was secondary; her sword techniques were all broad and forceful. Yet, it was this method of overcoming ten techniques with sheer force that made her feel unstoppable.
As for Lancer, although Ryougi Raku had sparred with him before, that was relatively speaking just practice and couldn't reveal Lancer's true strength. Now, in a life-and-death struggle, he displayed his spear techniques to perfection. In particular, his method of wielding the spear was different from conventional approaches—like wielding two swords—making him a perfect role model for Ryougi Raku.
Saber was also surprised. Lancer's way of using his spears completely overturned her worldview. She had thought his twin spears were merely for confusion, to prevent others from discerning which was his true Noble Phantasm, but she hadn't expected him to wield the twin spears so formidably!
Due to Lancer's peculiar spear style, Saber felt somewhat uncomfortable. After exchanging blows, she took a step back, hoping to calm herself and restore her disrupted rhythm. In any case, after the battle just now, Saber would soon grow accustomed to the opponent's fighting style!
"What's wrong, Saber? Realized attacking is useless? Planning to retreat?" Seeing Saber step back, Lancer began to taunt verbally. Even if he couldn't anger the opponent, he could at least distract her.