The establishment of the Time Travelers Alliance began in the first year of Conan

Chapter 343 Battle! (10,000 words a day! It's almost the end of the month! Please vote with monthly tickets!)
As if some unseen force blocked the way, the forest drive leading to the Tohsaka mansion was deserted.

Through the window, Artoria could see the oncoming lane, with white headlights occasionally sweeping across her line of sight.

As if sensing something before a disaster struck, those vehicles, like swimming fish, headed in the opposite, safer direction in the darkness.

What's even stranger is the vehicle she and Irisviel are currently in, and the road they are traveling on.

Those checkpoints that set up roadblocks at various intersections, using horizontally placed police cars or road signs to block vehicles from passing, seemed to already know their identities.

But whenever their vehicles approached, the police officers would quietly remove the blockade.

—The journey was smooth and unobstructed.

But precisely because of this, the bizarre scene is somewhat unsettling.

After witnessing this scene again, Saber finally couldn't help but look at the woman in the driver's seat and try to ask her a question.

"Maimi, these people..."

"Ah."

As if knowing what question Saber was going to ask, Maiya responded in her usual indifferent tone.

"It should be the Mage's Association. According to the information Kiritsugu knows, in order to prevent the 'mystery from being leaked,' the person in charge of the association is trying to use a ritual to send the pedestrians living nearby to a shelter."

"I see."

Saber nodded slightly, then looked away with a relieved expression, indicating that she had no further questions.

This was exactly what she was concerned about.

Based on abilities called [Intuition] and [Anti-Magic].

Artoria could sense it—

As the vehicle ventured deeper into the area, a sense of sluggishness permeated the surrounding environment, like an invisible armor.

“Although it doesn’t have much effect on me, I’m a little worried that Irisviel will be affected,” Saber said in a low voice.

Her words silenced Hisayu Maiya for a moment.

Hisayuu Maiya was somewhat surprised that Artoria was able to perceive the reverse application of that Alliance ritual array.

As someone who possesses the [Grimoire], Hisayu Maiya is well aware of this.

The foundation of this ceremony lies in the "Genuine Time Imperial Decree" held by Kiritsugu.

And as a "grand magic trick" capable of manipulating time.

Even if it merely exists, it will inadvertently have an impact on the surrounding environment.

Moreover, this is all happening while the [Leap Terminal] is constantly spreading false "history" to the [Earth Vein].

Time for ordinary people in the city has accelerated threefold.

This temporary "consensus" has temporarily become part of the reality.

Therefore, any attempt to counter its existence will encounter some resistance.

……

Irisviel, sitting next to Saber, nodded in agreement.

"Ah! I can definitely feel the circuit working a bit sluggish."

Before Irisviel could continue speaking, Saber turned her head and looked at her with a serious expression.

“Irisviel, you should have started something this important from the beginning—”

"It's alright, Saber!"

Have you forgotten that I am a magician?

Irisviel smiled and gave Saber a no-questions-asked gesture.

"Such a massive spell could not possibly last long. Moreover, judging from the spell's scope, it should only affect objects without magical power."

"Moreover, all we need to do is use magic to resist."

The facts are exactly as Irisviel said.

After the vehicle passed the last checkpoint, the oppressive atmosphere that had been lingering in the air like an invisible fog vanished completely.

But before this steel steed could even neigh excitedly at being freed from its restraints, it slowed down as if its reins had been tightened.

A figure was already standing in the middle of the road.

That unknown heroic spirit, with its calm yet sharp aura that seemed out of place in modern society, was like a wedge driven into this place.

"They are enemy heroic spirits."

Saber's alert voice rang out.

Just as she was about to open the car door to meet the enemy, Wu Mi's voice made her fingers on the car handle pause.

Something unexpected happened to the two people in the back seat.

"Madam, Saber, please stay in the carriage."

The additional implications of such an instruction are quite obvious.

Irisviel looked surprised.

She could undoubtedly discern the destructive power that a Heroic Spirit could inflict from the agility and strength that Saber subtly displayed when acting as her protector.

“Miss Maiya, it is my duty to fight against the enemy’s Servants.”

Saber was the next to speak.

In Artoria's view, this was undoubtedly yet another instance of her Master's distrust of her abilities, or even a dismissive attitude.

The driver's side door was open, and the interior lights were on, illuminating Hisayu Maiya's expressionless face.

She nodded calmly.

"I understand. Let Miss Saber help out. If I can't fight them, then Miss Saber will join the battle."

Saber wanted to say something more.

But Hisayu Mai's subsequent, exceptionally comprehensive reasoning silenced her remaining rebuttal.

“After all, Saber, your identity is very famous. If it is exposed on the first day, it is likely to attract the attention of other Masters.”

"Furthermore, the purpose this time is only to test the abilities of the enemy servants and to obtain as much information as possible."

Hisayu Maiya turned her head to look at Irisviel, whose eyes still held worry, and spoke softly:
"Madam, these are the instructions Kiritsugu left for me."

Irisviel ultimately decided to proceed according to Kiritsugu's plan.

"Miss Maimi... please be careful."

She gave Hisayu Maiya a word of advice, then looked at Saber with a hint of apology on her face.

"Saber, I'm sorry I can't let you join the battle immediately this time. I'll have to trouble you to keep an eye on Maiya's safety."

"No, I'm the one who should apologize."

Saber gently shook her head.

As a former queen who had fought on the battlefield, Artoria certainly understood the importance of intelligence.

She said seriously, "I lost my composure because of my dissatisfaction with Kiritsugu. This was my mistake."

Those emerald green eyes stared into the eyes of the woman named Hisayu Maiya, and made a promise to her.

"Miss Maimi, please rest assured, I will definitely protect your safety."

……

And so, the three of them encountered that agile figure on the road.

Although there were only a few people.

But their clear fighting spirit and high morale make it no exaggeration to regard them as two armies of thousands facing off on the battlefield.

In Saber's eyes, the Heroic Spirit before her was undoubtedly a formidable opponent.

He stood in the middle of the road, with two guns, one long and one short, forming the core of his posture at that moment.

This is undoubtedly Lancer.

At this moment, with a certain alertness, he held the long gun in his hand, the tip pointing diagonally at the ground, his posture steady, a move that combined offense and defense.

Compared to that long spear that can be drawn at any time for defense or offense.

What's even more striking is the movement of his other hand—

Lancer's arms hung naturally at his sides, but his wrists were flipped backward at an effortless angle.

He held a shorter gun in a reverse grip.

The tip of the pistol, down to the middle of the shaft, was roughly wrapped in a grayish-brown cloth bag, presumably as a disguise to conceal his identity.

But the sharp tip of the gun obviously couldn't offer any concealment.

A strange, golden glow, unlike the moonlight or lamplight, appeared on the exposed blade, carrying an ominous aura.

The other, longer spear should be red.

Both the gun tip, half-inserted into the cement, and the gun tail, which seemed not to be completely covered, revealed this.

"A warrior capable of wielding dual pistols? Or is one of them merely a decoy used to mislead the enemy?"

A Heroic Spirit's weapon is undoubtedly the most telling clue to his identity.

Just like the world-renowned "King of Knights".

Anyone who sees that divinely crafted weapon, shining with victory and glory, will instantly recognize Saber's identity.

Therefore, Artoria is constantly using her Noble Phantasm, the Wind King Barrier, which uses a barrier of several layers of storms to cover the sword by changing the refractive index of light.

After failing to discern his identity from his weapon, Saber's gaze shifted upwards, sweeping over the inscrutable silver-gray light armor before settling on Lancer's face.

It was a combination of masculine vigor and feminine grace, a beauty that could even be described as transcending gender.

But Saber's gaze was instantly drawn to that spot under the corner of his right eye—

It was an exceptionally prominent beauty mark under her eye.

It even seems to possess a certain indescribable magic, attempting to awaken the viewer's love for itself through an instinctive allure that strikes straight to the heart.

Saber had nothing to worry about; those alluring magic spells were crushed by the king, who possessed the dragon's essence and had high magic resistance, before they even got close to her.

But what about Hisayu Maiya?

Irisviel used the magic within her to fight against this force.

Then, worried that Maimi might be bewitched, she frowned.

His gaze swept to the figure standing on the other side, and he was relieved when he saw that Hisayu Maiya was still unmoved as before.

However, a lively, girlish spirit began to surface in my heart—

Irisviel was rather curious whether this cold and aloof woman could also experience passionate love or a moment of intense emotion.

Ah! What am I thinking?!
This thought made Irisviel's cheeks flush slightly.

"Enchanting magic?"

Meanwhile, Saber's voice of condemnation for such despicable tactics rose from the silence.

"I never expected you to behave so disrespectfully towards a married woman, Lancer."

"Oh?" Lancer seemed somewhat surprised by the true appearance of the three newcomers.

"I was still wondering who was following me all the way—I never expected it to be three women."

Saber and Irisviel were somewhat surprised.

Did you follow Lancer all the way?
Before the two could even ask Mai, Lancer gave a somewhat helpless, wry smile.

"I'm sorry, maybe this is my birth curse. If you want to complain, complain about being born into this world, or about your identity as a woman."

Lancer's gaze swept over the three people in front of her for a moment, then immediately settled on the shortest girl.

"Judging from your clear fighting spirit, you must be Saber."

Lancer sighed, as if he were about to do something against his own principles.

"Although fighting against a woman is against the honor of a knight, I'm sorry, but this time I've decided... to act only for my lord's victory."

“Don’t worry, Lancer,” Hisayu Maiya said.

Under the somewhat surprised gazes of the spearmen.

Of the three, the woman who seemed to pose the least threat walked up to the other two.

"On the battlefield, there is only killing, not glory."

"Therefore, if you really want to face Saber, your target should be me."

……

Lancer's expression turned serious.

He casually flicked the long spear stuck in the cement ground, and the tip of the spear slid out as if it had pierced through tofu.

With a gentle flick of his right hand, the spearhead, carrying shattered stone fragments, pointed directly at Hisayu Maiya.

Meanwhile, the tip of the short gun held upside down in his left hand slowly rose, like the wings of an eagle, assuming a posture of circling and attacking.

"Such contempt—as soldiers, we must never turn a blind eye to it."

A hint of regret seemed to flash in his eyes as he looked at the enemy's life that was about to be lost.

Lancer looked up at Saber.

"Saber, are you sure you want this woman to join the war?"

Saber didn't respond immediately; she turned and glanced at Irisviel.

With her nod of approval, Saber exhaled and released the magic power within her.

The magical core, derived from the Dragon Factor, unleashed a whirlwind with each breath.

In the blink of an eye, the dark blue suit he was wearing was replaced with a suit of armor made of magic, shimmering with silver and azure light.

Without a doubt, the invisible blade she held and her charging stance revealed Saber's intentions.

"Hmph... Do you want to rely on others to test the waters first?"

Lancer's face darkened for a moment; he had already seen through Saber's intentions.

Fueled by a hint of anger at being slighted, he roared and attacked.

"Then I'll see if you can really save her from my grasp—!"

"boom!"

The solid cement ground beneath their feet was instantly crushed, sending stone chips flying everywhere.

With an unparalleled aura and a speed that was only a blur, Lancer's spear, flashing with a cold, scarlet light, hurtled straight toward Hisayu Maiya.

Hisayu Maiya seemed stunned.

It was as if they had given up resisting and handed the future over to God.

As if praying for her own life, she put one hand inside the lining hidden by her outer garment.

A magical force immediately surged into the "shorthand notebook".

Then, her lips moved slightly:

"The laws of fabric change, leaping to the end of the earth's veins, freeing itself from the constraints of reason—here, let the sigh of quality be returned."

The magic book was pried open by the pull of magic.

An effect that defies common sense instantly overcomes obstacles and reaches the observatory's [jump terminal].

An application for the technique "Earthly Vein Resonance - Mass Manipulation" from [Kyuu Maiya] has been detected.
The procedure has been approved.
Estimated consumption: 20.5 standard strings

Estimated duration: 30 minutes

"Qiang——!"

The sharp buzzing sound that cut through the air stopped.

Instead, the sound of metal clashing against metal, deafeningly loud, reverberated in all directions.

……

"What?!!"

The moment the gun tip stopped, Lancer's voice was filled with horror as he looked at the stopped gun barrel.

Diarmuid felt as if he were trying to use a slender battering ram to fiercely smash against a city wall made of fine iron.

As for Saber, her steps, which were about to rush towards Hisayuu Maiya to protect her, were abruptly stopped.

The scene before them, defying all logic, caused both her and Irisviel's pupils to contract simultaneously, revealing the same shock.

It was only three steps away, yet it felt as if an invisible barrier stood between them.

The green-skinned soldier's spearhead, its sharp tip colliding with the air!
The blinding sparks of the collision erupted unilaterally from the sharp tip of the spear, blooming outwards like a bursting steel flower.

A terrifying tremor reverberated along the gun barrel, nearly shattering Dirumdo's arm.

At this moment, Lancer had to use all his strength to grip his weapon.

Just now, I attacked this woman with such agility and speed.

Now, all that kinetic energy, in an instant, was returned to the newcomer along that straight spear.

Those clear yellow pupils, filled with disbelief, stared intently at the tip of the gun, tracing its length—

There shouldn't be anything here!

"Lancer... is now at a disadvantage."

As a battle-hardened warrior, Saber snapped out of her surprise and regained her vigilance, ready to step in and protect him at any moment.

Even so, she did feel that Lancer was unlikely to be able to break through Maiya's defenses.

So Saber turned to Irisviel and explained how incredible this scene was.

"His hand gripping the gun moved back."

"In fact, if Lancer hadn't bent his arm back at that instant during the thrust, his spear would have surely fallen from his hand."

"Tsk..."

When his first attack failed, Lancer leaped back a step to create distance, and with his right hand, which was temporarily numb, he re-inserted the spear into the ground.

The blue guy grinned, his tone barely relaxed:

"Hey, hey, even though that's true, don't be so blunt about my weaknesses in front of women, Saber."

However, even though he spoke in a teasing tone, Diarmuid's gaze never left his enemy.

Those eyes, which had been constantly watching the woman in black, were now filled with unprecedented vigilance.

—That feel is definitely right.

The tip of his gun must have struck something.

"A barrier...?"

The thought had barely crossed his mind when Lancer nipped it in the bud.

Because the woman showed no panic when he charged forward, he had already considered the possibility of a barrier at the beginning of the attack.

Lancer glanced at the red gun barrel beside him out of the corner of his eye.

If it were truly a defense constructed of magic, his own Crimson Rose Spear, Gáe Dearg, should have pierced it with a single blow.

The magic spear given to him by his adoptive father, the most powerful magician, the god of love Angus.

Gae Dearg (the Red Rose that Breaks the Magic) can nullify magical defenses and has the effect of piercing through all magical protections.

Even if it's a grand magic trick or a completed spell, even if you can't destroy the entire spell in one blow, you should at least pass through it like cutting through flowing water.

This is precisely what Lancer found difficult to understand about what had just happened.

Because if it's not some kind of defensive technique, then it must be some kind of device or armor.

……

Their gaze shifted to the area that had just been attacked.

Under the dim light of the streetlights, Dilumudo could even see the dust drifting by.

There was still nothing there.

"Hmph, some kind of invisible armor?" Faced with the Heroic Spirit's probing words, Hisayu Maiya remained silent, like a ghost that did not exist, staying in the dark shadows.

"Tch—what a difficult woman."

With this remark, Diarmuid switched the positions of the two spears in his hands.

His left hand, which was still intact, picked up the longer spear, while his right hand gripped the upper part of the short spear like a dagger.

Considering that the exact nature of the enemy's weapon is still unknown—

Yes, Diarmuid did not believe that the thing that was holding him back was merely armor.

Whatever it is, if it can withstand a sharp spearhead, it also has the potential to pierce one's own flesh.

The cement road, which had just been trampled, was ravaged once again.

With just a light step, cracks appeared on the hard cement floor.

Immediately afterwards, the two long spears were swung, hurling the large, slightly protruding stones like ropes at Hisayu Maiya, who was still standing in the same spot.

The figure that was originally as swift as lightning deliberately slowed down a beat.

Several sharp stabs pierced just three steps away—the rocks that were flying straight towards Hisayu Maiya through the air!
The sharp spearhead pierced the stones with ease.

Even more so, the spearhead, like a long knife, could whittle these blunt weapons into even sharper stone knives!

"--mean!"

"It's not over yet!"

Saber and Lancer shouted simultaneously.

The blue figure leaping into the air, its hands gripping the gun's butt, swung like a dragon's tail, causing the stone knives' ends to explode with immense force, like gunpowder ignited at the tip of bullets!

“Bang bang bang bang—!”

With a series of explosions in the air, the dust-like stone fragments formed an indistinguishable obstacle.

The sharp stone spears, fired like bullets, carried even greater force, heading straight for Hisayu Maiya's torso and limbs from all directions.

This is a martial art that only those who have been elevated to the status of "Heroic Spirits" can use.

Because no matter how advanced those mortals' martial arts skills become, they cannot escape the innate constraints of their physical bodies and make so many changes in a short moment.

Even with the intention of using the spear to deflect the enemy's armor, the falling figure transformed the spear into a blade, carrying the force of thunder, attempting to suppress the unseen obstacle.

Even Saber felt a chill run down her spine at such a terrifying scene.

No, Artoria wasn't referring to Lancer's offensive, but rather—that the exact same scene had happened again.

For every attack, there were countless sparks flying everywhere.

Even smaller, sharper stone fragments, ejected from the impact with the unshakeable wall, shot off at an odd angle in the opposite direction.

"There really is something there!"

At this moment, I have this thought in mind.

The arm, which seemed to be swinging with all its might but actually held back, used Gae Dearg to propel him backward.

At the same time, he twirled the short gun in his right hand, deflecting the sharp stone fragments that were aimed at vital points.

"Who are you exactly?"

Lancer simply couldn't believe that this was something a mortal, or a magician, could accomplish.

He turned to look at Saber, who was holding an invisible longsword that was blowing strong winds outwards, and longed for an answer.

Saber just used [Wind King Barrier] to blow away the dust that was being used as a cover.

In fact, at that moment she was already prepared to release the barrier and use the "Wind King's Hammer" to clear away the "arrows" while forcing Lancer back.

Now, this scene is difficult to explain no matter what.

In the Holy Grail War, the three classes Saber, Lancer, and Rider are known as the "Upper Three Riders".

In other words, generally speaking, without considering Noble Phantasms, these three are the strongest in terms of direct combat ability.

But now it seems that Lancer's fierce offensive was stopped by a woman who looked like a "guard".

Now, Lancer has taken a step back.

He even adopted a defensive stance, holding his two pistols horizontally in front of him to maximize his defensive coverage.

Dirumdo felt somewhat heavy-hearted.

Because he had already realized that the woman in front of him didn't actually intend to make a move.

The reason he adopted a defensive stance was because he was in a "weak" position.

"It's gravity, right..."

Suddenly, Lancer spoke in a low voice, and his words drew the attention of Saber and Irisviel.

The spearman's tone was solemn.

His lightning-fast visual reflexes allowed him to notice an incredible detail in the instant he stepped back.

"gravitational?"

Saber glanced at Irisviel beside her, hoping to get some kind of confirmation from her eyes.

And Irisviel...

She actually didn't know what to say anymore.

Although she loved her husband wholeheartedly.

But the truth is, during those nine years, she really knew very little about Kiritsugu's past.

Considering Kiritsugu's usual combat prowess, Irisviel even had some doubts—

Did Kiritsugu use some kind of "scheme" to "obtain" this assistant?

Surprisingly, Hisayu Maiya, who had remained silent throughout, nodded almost imperceptibly.

Lancer's face showed a knowing expression.

But he felt in his heart that he and this enemy were extremely incompatible.

Saber also recovered from her shock.

After briefly pondering Lancer's words, her gaze fell upon the catastrophic scene before him.

By the light of the moon overhead and the flickering lights beside us, which seemed to be due to some damage to the route.

Those emerald green eyes looked at the marks left on the ground by the flying stone knives.

"Saber? Have you discovered anything?"

Irisviel's voice carried a hint of curiosity.

At this moment, she was completely relaxed and had no doubt about her safety.

"Miss Maimi, I can—"

"Hmph, so you still have strategic considerations at this point?"

Lancer interrupted Saber as she sought Hisayu Maiya's opinion, his tone tinged with a mixture of frankness and impatience.

"If I let the enemy expose their weaknesses, even if I withdraw from the battle and return to the Throne of Heroes, I will still be ridiculed for a long time."

His clear yellow pupils were fixed on the woman dressed in black.

Out of honor as a knight and respect for his enemy, Diarmuid attempted to offer his analysis.

"Those stone fragments that flew towards this guy actually collided with those invisible 'filaments' on their own under the influence of gravity."

"A thin thread?" Saber and Irisviel wondered.

As for Lancer, he recalled the details he noticed when a strong gust of wind blew out of Saber's hand.

He paused and continued:
"Not only that, but it also causes the surrounding things to actively collide with those 'thin lines' along that strange gravitational pull."

“Some stone fragments that were originally just brushed past were deflected, or even flew out with greater force.”

Lancer looked up at the sky with apprehension, as if trying to find out the true nature of the "thread" he spoke of.

"You didn't actually use any spells on the 'shield,' you just manipulated some invisible, incredibly tough threads to move through the air."

Lancer's lips curled into a smile, as if he had discovered a flaw.

He could even guess why his initial attack felt like hitting a city wall.

"The reason I am so difficult to move is probably because you have connected these tough, intangible things to the whole earth."

"Like a tripwire caught between two towering trees. To truly break through your defenses, I'm afraid—"

"There must be a power to fight against the entire earth."

Looking at the rising RSI value on the panel in front of them, with Diarmuid's analysis and Saber and Irisviel's confirmation, it finally dropped back to around 120, and the environmental RSI value stopped increasing, stopping near 102.

Hisayu Maiya finally breathed a sigh of relief.

"call--"

Now, with the affirmation from Saber and others, the techniques I'm currently using are finally able to be used more reasonably.

Noticing Hisayu Maiya's relaxation, Lancer slung a gun over his shoulder and nodded at the magician who was taking advantage of the "location".

So, should we continue fighting?

Hisayu Maiya finally spoke.

A sound that everyone could hear, and a sound that only Lancer could hear, rang out at the same time.

"Lancer, my instructions are to stop you here before the end of the night."

"Lancer, you must also be troubled by your lord's distrust of you, right?"

Diarmuid had no time to think about it or consider why his connection with his lord had been discovered.

Amidst the puzzled expressions of Saber and Irisviel.

The rifleman raised his head and looked up at the bright moon in the night sky.

Then, for the first time, a bitter expression appeared on his face.

"Ah...this really is—"

It was as if someone in the house called "the world" had reached out and poked a hole in the "paper window".

The bright, dazzling moonlight, the stars twinkling in the clear night sky, even the dry, cold winter wind...

The once peaceful and serene night sky was instantly distorted as if by some force.

Or perhaps, a powerful being "captured" the spirit of Diarmuid Ua Ua Duibhne from the house.

Perhaps it was forcibly thrown into the vast void "outside" through that torn hole.

Thunder rumbled, and dark clouds surged.

The raging storm roared as if it wanted to shatter time and space itself.

The sensation, accelerated three times, coldly revealed the much faster, expanding spacetime itself before the spearmen.

Is this really an enemy we can contend with?

Lancer now fully realized just how ridiculously flawed his earlier deduction was.

It now appears that the magician did not use the weight of the "earth" to suppress himself.

More like—

Someone lifted the "earth" itself and gently placed it on the tip of his spear.

No matter how powerful a Heroic Spirit is, how could they possibly lift the weight of a planet or a world with the tip of a spear?!

Just as even Gilgamesh couldn't help but "break down" and then curse.

At this moment, what could Diarmuid possibly say besides a bitter smile?

He shook his head and murmured to himself.

"That's really... a foul."

It seemed as if it had been confirmed that Lancer was powerless to fight any longer, and even had no way out.

In an atmosphere where time and space are accelerated and distorted.

That voice, which only the real Lancer could hear at that moment, rang out clearly and without any concealment:
"The supreme effect is manifested."

Anchoring the form of the alien universe.

Replace it, the principle of the planet called Fabric—

Cross-world shelter.

With the panel now confirmed, the "outside world" has been temporarily replaced by the designed "earth vein history".

Hisayu Maiya looked at Lancer.

“Diarmuid.” She called out Lancer’s real name without any surprise.

The spearman paused for a moment.

Immediately afterwards, the warrior of the Fiona Knights wore a somewhat sorrowful smile as he realized that he would be unable to deliver a victory to his lord this time.

"I did not come here to disrupt the balance."

But to his surprise, the mysterious magician spoke in her usual cold voice.

"Your greatest wish in this appearance is simply to be loyal to your monarch, right?"

That indifferent, machine-like tone seemed to come from some emotionless being.

At this moment, Dirumdo felt a chill run down his spine.

If the immense power to manipulate the world can be attributed to some kind of "grand magic" encompassing the city, as well as the illusions cast upon himself.

Now, Lancer must face a fact.

Where does this thorough understanding of the thoughts and ideas of the [Heroic Spirit] come from?

This valiant warrior, born from Celtic mythology and trained by the god of love Angus Magnus and the god of the sea Manano Magnus Ley, suddenly felt a chill run down his spine.

That cold, indifferent attitude, if interpreted in reverse, means—

A perspective from above.

A disdainful look down on ordinary people.

The thought that the magician in front of him was a mortal with a physical body caused Lancer to break out in a cold sweat.

"So, it's a god possessing a mortal body?"

In an instant, the thought crossed Lancer's mind.

Regardless of which god descended at that moment, Diarmuid made himself solemn.

He gripped his two pistols tightly, his voice solemn.

"Excuse me, may I ask—"

However, the other party's response was like a verdict.

"If you do not conceal your demonic nature, you will surely die in betrayal in this Holy Grail War."

Hisayuu Maiya's words caused the most vicious curse of the old druids to resurface in Diarmuid's memories once more—

"I grant you this restriction: you will lead Diarmuid, grandson of Ua Duibhne, to the path of death; and your own life will not be longer than his."

That emotionless voice made the fingers gripping the two guns tighten even more.

Even when facing enemies whom the gods relied on, Lancer never gave up his fighting spirit.

But at this moment, for the first time, a hint of wavering appeared in his eyes.

"...Can I consider this a Geis?"

“You must not reveal that you know this, or you will surely return to the path of fate.”

If the magician's words just now only brought Diarmuid immense pressure.

At this moment, Lancer's handsome face showed a rare hint of panic.

Damn!

He hasn't even done anything yet, and he's already been given two very ominous-sounding Geasas!
"Goddess, may I ask you—"

"At this time tomorrow, head to Fuyuki Port. The method to break the curse will appear there."

"and many more……"

Diarmuid instinctively reached out in that direction, and then the scene in front of him distorted as if "glass had been put back on".

It was as if the illusion that had been deceiving them had been dispelled.

"Qiang——!"

In the blink of an eye, Lancer found himself wielding Gae Dearg, thrusting it toward the person in front of him.

Immediately, a powerful shockwave, almost tearing his body apart, surged into his chest, causing him to cough up blood and collapse to the ground.

As he lay on the ground, he could clearly hear Hisayuu Maiya's voice:

"Go back and tell your lord."

"If he is not a coward who doesn't care about women's contempt and wants to win love, then fight Saber at the harbor at this time tomorrow."

At this moment, Maimi's voice was as cold and sharp as a true goddess:
"After all, your bravery and Noble Phantasm... haven't been truly unleashed yet, have they?"

……

Lancer remained silent.

In the deep darkness of the night, he wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and gazed intently at the mysterious woman before him.

With an extremely complex expression, he picked up the two pistols that had fallen to the side, and with a burst of energy, sped off toward the hotel building in the distance, which was faintly flashing red light.

“Miss Maiya, this is someone who can defeat Lancer—”

Saber was about to seize this opportunity to press her advantage when her expression suddenly changed, and she turned her course halfway through.

He rushed toward Maimi, who had suddenly weakened and collapsed.

“Maiya!”

Artoria's shout rang out almost simultaneously with Irisviel's exclamation.

Filled with worry, Irisviel also ran towards the unconscious figure who had collapsed.

Wu Mi's face turned deathly pale, blood trickling from the corner of her mouth. As if suffering a backlash from the world, she completely fainted and collapsed.

"I'll treat you right away!"

A green light shone in her palms, and Irisviel frantically opened her hands and pressed them against Hisayu Maiya's chest, trying her best to heal her.

And deep in my heart—

The magician and Saber, with extremely complicated expressions, inexplicably breathed a sigh of relief.

"As expected, this technique must have significant limitations."

The two who "witnessed" the battle between Diarmuid and Hisa Maiya "felt" that they had discovered the limitations of Maiya's techniques.

Unable to move, unable to attack, unable to communicate, only able to mount a considerable defense against proactive attacks, and obviously bearing a huge burden...

No, how could I possibly use Ms. Maiya as a hypothetical enemy to simulate a battle?

Saber shook her head, banishing the strange thought from her mind.

Perhaps it was because of this idea that went against the "way of chivalry," or perhaps it was because at this moment all she could do was watch Irisviel heal Maiya's wounds.

Feeling guilty for not being able to help, Artoria suddenly felt a pang of guilt.

"If only I still had my sword sheath."

Thinking of this, Artoria solemnly turned her gaze to Maiya, who had regained some consciousness after treatment.

"Miss Maimi, please rest assured."

At this moment, her voice became solemn and dignified.

"I already know about Lancer's martial arts skills."

Tomorrow's battle, I will surely bring you victory.
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PS: The new technique has been synchronized to the author's notes and works.

P.S.: Writing battle scenes is really difficult, but I tried my best QAQ.

(End of this chapter)