Mash stood frozen, staring at the upright back of the Servant before her.
"Arthur Pendragon…"
The moment that name was spoken, a strange pulse ran through Mash's chest. A sense of longing that wasn't her own, a deep respect, and a painful nostalgia surged forth all at once.
But Mash's reverie was shattered instantly.
RAAAAAAAAA!!!
BOOM!
The ground shook violently. On the front line, Avenger Nobunaga fought like a war demon, bombarding the enemy nonstop with thousands of guns. Behind her, Caster Cú Chulainn was busy carving defensive runes and flames to halt the advance of the giant.
Ritsuka realized they needed a main attacker. He immediately turned to Arthur.
"Saber! I know you're still confused about this summoning," Ritsuka shouted, his tone urgent yet firm. "But there's no time to explain! I need your strength right now!"
He pointed toward the massive monster.
"Help them! Destroy that black giant and protect everyone!"
Arthur lifted his face. His green eyes fixed sharply on the brutal battle ahead. He caught sight of Nobu and Cú struggling on the front line.
Without the slightest hesitation, he rotated his sword and took a combat stance.
"Order acknowledged," Arthur replied calmly. His voice carried an infectious confidence.
"Leave it to me, Master. As you command, I shall bring you victory."
Ritsuka nodded firmly, then turned his gaze to Mash.
"Mash, advance with Saber! Support him with your defense!"
Mash immediately raised her shield. "Yes, Senpai!"
The moment Mash lifted that shield, Arthur's emerald eyes widened. Time seemed to stop for the King of Knights. He recognized the holy aura radiating from it.
"That…" Arthur murmured, his voice catching. A deep longing flickered in his eyes.
But he quickly steadied himself. This was not the time for nostalgia. Arthur gave Mash a gentle yet dignified smile.
"You wield a magnificent shield, young lady. Take good care of it," Arthur praised sincerely.
Mash froze. "Eh? What do you mean—"
Before Mash could ask, Ritsuka's shout cut through their exchange.
"MOVE, NOW!" Ritsuka yelled. "You two take Berserker head-on! I'll move to the other side to support Assassin—I'll give commands from there!"
Mash and Arthur nodded immediately. "Understood!"
The three of them leapt out of the crater. Mash and Arthur rushed straight toward the front line, while Ritsuka changed direction toward a tall building.
Mash and Arthur charged into the heart of the chaos. There, they saw Nobu holding on desperately.
The Avenger employed a mad tactic: piling hundreds of her guns into a circular iron fortress, trying to withstand Berserker's storm-like physical onslaught.
Ritsuka pushed his pace, his eyes locked onto the rooftop of a distant high-rise. There, two shadows moved at inhuman speed, exchanging deadly blows.
The distance was still considerable, but Ritsuka needed a weapon—now.
"Nobu! Lend me your sword!" Ritsuka shouted at the top of his lungs, hoping his voice would carry through the roar of Nobu's battle with Heracles.
In the distance, Nobu grinned while continuing to bombard Heracles. Without even looking back, she snapped her fingers toward Ritsuka.
"Use it, my Lord!"
A katana flew toward Ritsuka, stabbing straight into the ground directly in his running path.
Ritsuka grabbed the hilt mid-run, drew it in a single smooth motion, and accelerated toward the building with the aid of reinforcement magic.
---
On the rooftop, sparks scattered.
Assassin's dagger clashed violently against Archer's twin short swords, Kanshou & Bakuya.
Tring!
They pushed against each other. Archer stared at Assassin's hooded face with a complicated gaze—an uneasy mix of longing and hatred.
"I never thought you'd end up becoming a cleanup dog like me," Archer muttered bitterly. "Our family's fate really is pathetic."
Assassin leapt back to create distance. His eyes narrowed sharply beneath the hood.
"Who are you?" he asked coldly, without emotion.
Archer let out a hollow laugh. "Well… it's only natural you don't remember. Is it because your memories as a Counter Guardian were erased? Or maybe in your timeline, we haven't met yet?"
Archer resumed his stance. "How tragic."
Without wasting time responding, Assassin changed tactics. His right hand moved in a flash, switching the dagger for a pistol.
DOR!
The bullet shot toward Archer's heart.
Archer twisted aside in an acrobatic motion, narrowly avoiding the shot.
"My memories of you are pretty vague too, old man…" Archer hissed as he landed.
Assassin ignored the provocation entirely. His face remained expressionless beneath the hood as his finger pulled the trigger again and again.
DOR! DOR! DOR!
Bullets flew in succession. Yet Archer moved as if he had already read their trajectories, tilting his head and twisting his body, letting the deadly rounds pass mere millimeters from his skin.
"Even if my memories of you are blurred…" Archer said as he advanced through the hail of bullets, "…there's one thing I remember very clearly."
Assassin clicked his tongue, discarding the empty pistol and instantly drawing a combat knife from his waist.
"That dream…" Archer growled, his voice growing heavier. "That cursed dream you passed on to a damned kid. A dream that made me want to kill him… and erase my own existence!"
Assassin lunged forward.
TRANK!
Assassin's blade slammed into Archer's Kanshou. Sparks exploded between their faces, now only centimeters apart.
Archer stared into Assassin's empty eyes and whispered those cursed words.
"…The dream of becoming a 'Seigi no Mikata.'"
Assassin's eyes widened. His body froze instantly. Those words struck his soul harder than any bullet.
An opening.
Seeing his enemy hesitate, Archer didn't waste the chance. He swung Bakuya in his left hand, aiming a fatal slash at Assassin's neck.
But before the blade could touch skin, a shout rang out.
"ASSASSIN! DUCK!"
The cry shattered their concentration.
Archer's instincts screamed danger. He aborted the strike and leapt backward at full speed.
WUSH!
TRAANG!
A katana tore through the air and embedded itself deep into the concrete wall—exactly where Archer's neck had been a second earlier. Had he not retreated, his head would have been severed.
Assassin snapped out of his daze. He turned to Ritsuka, who had just landed on the rooftop with steady breathing.
"Get a hold of yourself, Assassin!" Ritsuka snapped sharply. "Don't let the ghosts of the past kill you here!"
Assassin shook his head hard, dispelling the mental shock. His gaze turned cold once more.
Across from them, Archer stared at Ritsuka with a deeply furrowed brow. A strange pain stabbed at his head as he looked at the young man's face.
"You…" Archer hissed, clutching his head. "Who are you, really? Your face… why does it feel so familiar? Why does it feel like I know you?"
Ritsuka walked casually past Assassin, approached the wall, and yanked Nobu's sword free with a single powerful pull.
He turned, pointing the blade at Archer.
"Who do you think?" Ritsuka challenged.
Archer clicked his tongue irritably. His memories felt shrouded in black fog. "Tch. The more I try to remember, the more my head hurts."
"Forget that," Ritsuka cut in. "Answer one thing. Why did you bring Berserker here? You know that monster doesn't distinguish between friend or foe."
Archer sneered and returned to his pragmatic mode.
"The reason is simple. Probability calculations," Archer replied calmly.
"I've been observing you since the start. A Caster, an Avenger, a Shielder, and now an Assassin… your combat power is too high. I had no chance of winning a normal fight."
Archer spread his arms, gesturing toward the chaos below.
"So I took the logical step. If I can't defeat you, I just need to bring a 'Natural Disaster' here to wipe you all out—even if it means I die too."
"Hah… You really do have a chronic suicide habit," Ritsuka muttered sarcastically.
He glanced toward Heracles' battle in the distance. "But it's a shame your strategy failed. Fortunately, I summoned a 'Giant-Hunting Specialist' to deal with your new toy."
Archer was about to retort, but a cold voice cut him off.
"Enough talk. Our time is limited."
Ritsuka and Archer fell silent. Assassin was right.
Ritsuka took a deep breath and shifted his stance, adopting an intermediate-level Kendo posture.
The tip of his sword pointed straight at Archer's eyes.
His lips moved slightly as he whispered instructions to Assassin without looking away.
"Assassin, I'll be the distraction. Find his blind spot and strike when he lets his guard down."
Without a sound, Assassin's presence vanished. He melted into the shadows, leaving Ritsuka alone to face Archer.
Archer sneered dismissively.
"Are you sure? Challenging a Servant with a human body? That's not bravery—that's stupidity."
Ritsuka didn't reply. Magic Circuits across his body flared brightly, pumping Mana into his arms and legs.
WUSH!
Ritsuka shot forward at bullet-like speed.
CLANK!
Ritsuka's katana crashed against Archer's twin blades. Sparks exploded between their faces. The pressure of the impact sent dust flying across the rooftop.
"You're wrong!" Ritsuka growled behind his blade. "I'm human—and a Magus who survived a great calamity!"
"Hoo… not bad strength for a modern Magus," Archer remarked.
Archer prepared to leap back and create distance, but Ritsuka made an unexpected move. He released one hand from the sword, shifted his weight, and unleashed a high kick wrapped in magical energy.
Target: Archer's chin.
WUT!
Archer's eyes widened. He jerked his head back at the last second. Ritsuka's boot grazed his chin hard.
Archer landed several meters back, rubbing his slightly scraped chin. His expression changed—there was no longer any contempt.
"Interesting…" Archer murmured, staring sharply at Ritsuka.
"It seems separating you from your group was the right move. You're far more dangerous than you look, Magus."
"Alright, young Magus…" Archer straightened up. The twin swords vanished from his hands, replaced by dense blue aura forming in the air around him.
"From here on, I'll fight with everything I've got."
Ritsuka resumed his Kendo stance, the tip of his blade unwavering.
"So that was your goal in separating us?" Ritsuka asked sharply. "Who was your real target? Caster? Or was it me?"
Archer didn't answer. His lips merely moved, whispering a chant.
"Trace… On."
The air trembled. Dozens of sharp swords materialized behind Archer, floating in midair, all aimed at a single point—Ritsuka.
Ritsuka looked up, eyes narrowing in focus. He immediately shifted into a full defensive stance, channeling all his Mana into the borrowed blade.
"Regret your foolishness in challenging a Servant," Archer hissed coldly. He moved his hand. "Break."
WUSH! WUSH! WUSH!
The rain of swords shot forward simultaneously like guided missiles.
Ritsuka didn't retreat. His arms moved at lightning speed, creating a wall of slashes.
TRANG!
CLANK! CLANK! TRANG!
Sparks burst violently. Ritsuka parried, deflected, and knocked aside every blade aimed at his vital points. His arm muscles screamed under the strain—but he endured.
As the last sword was deflected, Ritsuka shouted loudly.
"NOW!"
Archer's eyes widened. His Eye of the Mind screamed danger from a blind spot. He knew there was a third party.
Without hesitation, Archer leapt backward.
DOR! DOR! DOR!
A barrage of high-caliber gunfire tore through the spot where Archer had been standing a split second earlier.
In midair, Archer summoned his twin blades Kanshou & Bakuya once more.
TING! TING!
He deflected the remaining bullets chasing him with acrobatic movements and landed cautiously.
Behind the rising smoke of explosions, Ritsuka didn't stay still. He used the dust cloud as cover.
With his Magic Circuits still roaring, Ritsuka burst through the smoke, charging Archer, who was busy deflecting Assassin's gunfire.
"Damn it!" Archer cursed.
He realized the ambush too late. Ritsuka's sword was already inches from his abdomen. There was no room to block.
With no other choice, Archer leapt backward over the railing, throwing himself off the high-rise to escape.
But that was a fatal decision. In midair, he was a stationary target.
DOR!
Assassin had predicted the escape route. A single precise shot rang out.
The bullet struck Archer squarely in the left shoulder.
"Guh…!"
Archer groaned in pain. His balance faltered, but he managed to force a landing on the branch of a large tree below. Clutching his bleeding shoulder, he breathed heavily.
From the rooftop, Ritsuka looked down at him with cold eyes, his sword still drawn.
"Facing the two of us alone was your fatal mistake, Archer," Ritsuka said firmly. "You can't win."