Chapter 388

Chapter 388: Chapter 388

"ROOOOAR—!"

Berserker immediately sensed the transformation of his surroundings.

His instincts quickly identified the source of the disturbance: the white-haired Archer standing in the distance.

Abandoning his previous opponent without hesitation, Heracles charged toward Archer like a raging storm.

His monstrous appearance, overwhelming presence, and seemingly limitless physical strength made him a terrifying opponent.

With Archer possessing only D-rank Strength, a single clean hit from Berserker would almost certainly be enough to defeat him.

Before activating his Reality Marble, Archer would have had little choice but to face that overwhelming disadvantage.

Now, however, everything was different.

"Come, then, legendary hero."

Archer extended his right hand toward the approaching Berserker.

Ripples spread across the space above him, and dozens of swords materialized out of thin air.

At his command, the weapons shot forward in a devastating barrage that engulfed not only Berserker but also Kiriya and everyone in his camp.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh—!

These swords were projected Noble Phantasms, most possessing power equivalent to at least B rank.

Their exceptional sharpness, combined with the tremendous speed of their descent, made them dangerous enough that even Berserker could not simply disregard them.

Clang! Clang! Clang—!

Heracles swung his enormous axe-sword, intercepting one incoming weapon after another.

Many of the projected Noble Phantasms shattered in midair under the overwhelming force of his blows, scattering into fragments before they could reach him.

Unfortunately, destroying the swords accomplished very little.

Within Unlimited Blade Works, Archer could simply project additional weapons and continue the bombardment.

Even a monster of Berserker’s caliber found himself thoroughly occupied by the relentless assault.

For the moment, he was unable to close the distance and do anything meaningful against Archer himself.

Worse still, Mad Enhancement had robbed Heracles of his ability to employ sophisticated strategies and tactics.

Rather than carefully analyze his situation, he continued charging forward and attacking whatever stood in his way.

His extraordinary instincts and refined techniques allowed him to deflect the vast majority of the swords, but no defense could remain perfect forever.

Amid the seemingly endless barrage, some attacks inevitably slipped through and inflicted injuries.

...

Esdeath was also finding herself in a rather uncomfortable position.

She had initially attempted to summon walls and masses of ice to defend against the incoming weapons.

However, Archer quickly adjusted the types of Noble Phantasms he projected, introducing swords whose properties specifically countered ice-based defenses.

With her ice repeatedly broken through, Esdeath had little choice but to rely on her own swordsmanship to intercept the attacks.

Rider was in a similarly difficult situation.

She had originally intended to take Berserker’s place in the battle against Saber and personally test the strength of the legendary King of Knights.

But before she could even reach her target, Archer’s barrage of projected Noble Phantasms swept across her path and forced her to defend herself.

Unlike Berserker, Rider did not possess an absurd Noble Phantasm like God Hand, which combined overwhelming defensive properties with the ability to resurrect its owner.

A direct hit from one of these weapons could be disastrous.

Consequently, she had to rely on her exceptional Agility, constantly weaving between the incoming swords and deflecting those she could not avoid.

Although she managed to keep herself safe, the sheer density of the assault left her looking rather disheveled.

As the battle continued, however, Rider gradually noticed something peculiar.

’Wait a minute. Where’s Caster? And what about Kiriya?’

There seemed to be remarkably little activity coming from their direction.

Taking advantage of a brief opening between attacks, Rider turned her head to look toward her Master.

She immediately regretted it.

The sight nearly made her explode with anger.

Caster wasn’t making the slightest effort to defend herself.

Instead, the witch had tucked her comparatively petite figure behind Kiriya, holding a hand over a scratch barely wider than a strand of hair.

Her expression was a masterpiece of carefully cultivated helplessness, practically announcing, ’Oh, I’m so frightened! Master, you have to protect me!’

As for why Caster hadn’t simply buried herself in Kiriya’s arms, that particular place of honor was already occupied.

Illya had claimed it first.

The little silver-haired girl nestled against Kiriya, quietly enjoying the warmth and security of his embrace.

For a moment, her thoughts wandered as she relaxed against him.

’It’s so warm... and I feel so safe.’

How was Rider supposed to remain calm after seeing that?

’I’m out here fighting for my life, and you people are cuddling together like you’re on a picnic?!’

’Where’s the justice in that? Has the world completely lost its mind?!’

The worst part was that Kiriya appeared perfectly willing to indulge Caster’s helpless act.

He kept her safely behind him while a golden skeletal figure materialized around his body, forming a protective barrier against the incoming swords.

Susanoo!

Clang! Clang! Clang—!

The projected Noble Phantasms crashed into the golden skeleton, only to shatter against its defenses.

They were like waves striking an immovable reef, breaking apart without leaving so much as a visible mark.

"Huh. That’s strange."

Kiriya rubbed his chin, looking genuinely puzzled.

"Is this really all his Unlimited Blade Works can do?"

It seemed rather underwhelming.

After all, this was a Reality Marble powerful enough to impress even someone as arrogant as Gilgamesh.

Surely the famous Unlimited Blade Works couldn’t be limited to attacks of this caliber?

"ROOOOAR—!"

Hearing Berserker’s furious bellow in the distance, Kiriya finally understood what was happening.

Apparently, he wasn’t Archer’s primary target.

Berserker and Rider were receiving the majority of his attention, while the attacks directed toward Kiriya were relatively insignificant.

And from Archer’s perspective, that decision was perfectly reasonable.

After all, Kiriya had never demonstrated his personal combat abilities in front of him.

Archer had no way of knowing just how powerful the young man actually was.

As far as he could tell, Kiriya had probably acquired three Servants through a combination of summoning an exceptionally powerful initial Servant and employing clever schemes to steal the others.

That would hardly be unusual behavior for a Magus.

Consequently, Archer had assigned Kiriya a relatively low threat level.

A few C-rank Noble Phantasms should have been more than sufficient to dispose of an ordinary Master, so there was no reason to waste additional magical energy on him.

Unfortunately, that assessment had just been proven spectacularly wrong.

Without any warning, Kiriya had produced an extraordinary defensive technique capable of making Archer’s projected weapons look about as threatening as toothpicks.

The sheer absurdity of the sight caused Archer’s movements to falter for a fraction of a second.

And in a battle against Berserker, even that tiny distraction was dangerous.

Heracles nearly managed to close the distance before Archer recovered and hastily adjusted his attack, projecting a new wave of considerably more powerful Noble Phantasms.

Hidden among the numerous B-rank weapons was something far more dangerous.

Caliburn — The Golden Sword of the Victorious.

An A-rank Noble Phantasm.

Archer had deliberately concealed the powerful sword among the weaker projections, turning it into an unexpected killing blow.

This time, his strategy succeeded.

Shhk—!

The golden blade pierced Berserker’s chest and shattered his Spiritual Core.

Heracles’s enormous body abruptly stiffened, becoming motionless where he stood.

Archer had successfully claimed one of Berserker’s lives.

Although the exchange had involved numerous attacks and adjustments, barely a dozen seconds had passed since Unlimited Blade Works first manifested.

"Archer... you can do something like that?"

Saber stared at her ally in astonishment.

At the same time, she felt considerable relief.

If Archer possessed an ability this powerful, their chances of escaping the current predicament had improved dramatically.

’Saber, don’t just stand there. It’s time for you to reveal your trump card as well.’

Archer’s voice sounded directly inside her mind.

’Archer?’

’You’ve seen the situation. Unless we fight with everything we have, neither of us is getting out of here. Our Masters will be captured as well.’

There was an unmistakable urgency in his voice.

’Maintaining this Reality Marble consumes an enormous amount of magical energy. I can’t sustain it for very long.’

’So use your full strength. I’ll buy you the time you need.’

Saber understood immediately.

’Very well.’

Her expression hardened with determination.

She raised her sword high above her head, gripping its hilt with both hands.

Then the wind surrounding the weapon began to disperse.

Invisible Air: Bounded Field of the Wind King was released, revealing the magnificent sword concealed beneath its currents.

It was an elegant double-edged longsword, with a blue hilt, a golden crossguard, and intricate blue markings running along the blade.

Extraordinary power and Mystery radiated from every part of its construction.

This was Saber’s true Noble Phantasm.

Excalibur — The Sword of Promised Victory.

The sword was regarded as the symbol of King Arthur and was celebrated as one of the most powerful and exalted holy swords in existence, standing at the very pinnacle of its category.

Yet its origins were far beyond the capabilities of ordinary human craftsmanship.

Excalibur had not been forged by human hands.

It was one of the ultimate Divine Constructs, created from the hopes and wishes of humanity and crystallized deep within the planet itself.

As one of the supreme manifestations known as the Last Phantasm, it embodied the planet’s own power, taking the form of a weapon intended to protect the world.

Originally entrusted to the spirits of the planet, the sword had eventually been passed to Artoria through the Lady of the Lake, with the Magus Merlin serving as an intermediary.

Its ability was as magnificent as its origins.

The sword could convert its wielder’s magical energy into pure light, gathering that tremendous power within its blade before releasing it through a downward swing.

The resulting attack took the form of an immense beam of light, possessing enough destructive force to annihilate virtually anything in its path.

And now, that legendary power was about to be unleashed.

As Saber raised the sword above her head, its metallic blade began radiating brilliant golden light.

Countless luminous particles gathered along its surface, steadily increasing in density until the entire weapon seemed to have transformed into a concentrated mass of radiance.

It was dazzling.

Almost like a second sun rising above the crimson wasteland.

Naturally, such an extraordinary phenomenon immediately attracted everyone’s attention.

Even those who had been fully occupied with the battle couldn’t help turning toward Saber.

The golden holy sword held above her head radiated a terrifying concentration of magical energy, and the destructive force accumulating within it was enough to make even experienced fighters feel a chill.

"Oh? So that’s her Noble Phantasm?"

Kiriya watched the gathering light with obvious interest.

Beside him, Caster’s expression had changed dramatically.

As a Magus from the Age of Gods, she could recognize the extraordinary Mystery contained within the weapon.

The sheer amount of power being concentrated into that single blade was enough to make her mouth go dry.

Her breathing quickened.

"Master... shouldn’t we stop her?"

"Relax."

Kiriya remained perfectly composed, his confidence undiminished.

"Nothing’s going to happen to us."

At that moment, the accumulation of light reached its peak.

Saber tightened her grip on the holy sword and brought it down with all her strength.

"EXCALIBUR!"

Her powerful cry echoed across the crimson wasteland.

An enormous torrent of golden light erupted from the descending blade, surging toward Kiriya and his companions with overwhelming, unstoppable force!