In the world of Type-Moon, it all begins with becoming Morgan's husband!

"Come--"

"Use all your strength to kill me!"

287. Artoria vs. Scáthach! An unexpected aid! (4k)

Everyone in the world is pursuing what they desire.

Some people are wealth;

Some people have a lifespan;

Some people are partners;

But Scáthach seeks death.

That's right.

Scáthach, the queen and gatekeeper of the "Land of Shadows," has always sought her own death.

She wanted to get rid of this eternal form of life.

Even if that way of dying might be a bit shabby, she wouldn't have any complaints.

of course.

If she could, Scáthach would prefer to be killed by her disciple Cú Chulainn himself.

Because in that way, I would be able to witness his graduation.

Thus, under the influence of this hope, Scáthach developed a strange resonance with the Holy Grail.

But this cup, which was said to grant all wishes, brought her not the death she desired.

Instead, she was completely opposite to the man named Kenneth, who, no matter how hard he tried, could not escape the call of his own death.

In this situation, Scáthach developed a miraculous doubt about him.

Are there really people in this world who cannot escape their own death no matter what?

Ever since——

She answered the call and appeared before Kenneth in a rather unusual manner.

Scáthach calls this behavior "contact death".

of course.

She does not acknowledge herself as his follower—because the Queen of the Land of Shadows could never be anyone's subordinate.

She was also unwilling to tell this man, whose hairline was receding dangerously, about the future she envisioned.

That would be contrary to the code of conduct.

but--

In order to understand how to replicate this fate that is destined to end no matter what.

Scáthach was quite willing to do things according to the other party's instructions.

If it weren't for that woman named Solau—

Years of exile and control had long since given Scáthach a pair of eyes that could see into the minds of others.

She could tell at a glance that this woman named Solau didn't love her husband at all.

No.

Simply saying "don't love" is probably not enough to describe this woman.

That was clearly a situation where they were forced to be together; to say they were annoyed would be an understatement.

Scáthach was convinced that given the chance, Soraw would absolutely betray her husband.

This can be seen from his resistance when Kenneth ordered him to supply magic in order to win the Holy Grail War.

but--

None of this has anything to do with me.

Scáthach would never say a word about it.

She didn't care at all what their fate would be.

All this queen wanted was to replicate her inevitable fate of death.

From this perspective, Scáthach felt that she and Kenneth were the best match.

But in a sense, the two are also the least compatible.

If she learned the art of replication from Kenneth, Scáthach was certain she would abandon him without hesitation.

As for Lancer's identity, a solution will naturally be found in due time.

But Artoria was unaware of all this.

Her intuition told her that the woman in front of her, wielding a dark red spear, was definitely not someone to be trifled with.

Not to mention that the other party recognized his identity right away.

If this is possible, the actual situation becomes obvious—she is also a Servant.

Moreover, judging from her solitary appearance, it seems that her group, like herself and Kiritsugu, had probably adopted the method of hiding their Master.

"Master, please step back a little."

While keeping Irisviel away from the battlefield, Artoria gathered her magic and conjured the white dress she wore during the battle.

The next moment, she held a golden sword of certain victory (Caliburn) in her hand!

Seeing this, Irisviel realized that war was about to break out.

She remembered her husband Kiritsugu Emiya's instructions, and then, in the most serious tone, pretended to be the true Master, and began to "issue" orders to Artoria.

"Saber, defeat her!"

Upon hearing this, Scáthach looked at Irisviel.

A hint of doubt crept into those wine-red eyes.

"Did you expose yourself so casually?"

"You don't need to worry about that kind of thing."

Artoria retorted to Scáthach's words, then gripped her invincible golden sword (Caliburn) and charged towards her opponent.

"Saber has a very strong fighting spirit."

Scáthach muttered to herself, then began to parry Artoria's attacks with her dark red spear.

That is a powerful weapon called the Gae Bolg Alternative!

With a clang sound!

The invincible golden sword and the spear that pierced through death collided, producing brilliant sparks.

That was a scene that could be seen clearly even in broad daylight.

"Excellent swordsmanship."

While effortlessly parrying Artoria's attacks, Scáthach offered her critiques like a teacher.

"The courage to take the initiative is also commendable."

"If we met under normal circumstances—"

“Saber, I think I might be willing to take you as my apprentice.”

Let's skip that kind of thing!

Artoria pulled back her golden sword, which had been poised for victory, and then changed her swinging technique to launch another attack.

This is a method I learned from Ian.

It is something more suitable for actual combat than the traditional swordsmanship taught by his sworn brother Kai.

It can often disrupt the opponent's rhythm.

Bang!

Bang!

Using the skills taught to her by Ian, Artoria's attacks were remarkably effective in several consecutive attacks, suppressing Scáthach.

However, Scáthach was not annoyed by her temporary disadvantage; instead, she praised Artoria's actions.

"Great!"

"Knowing how to change your tactics based on the opponent's situation."

"Saber, you must have received guidance from someone! Let me meet him!"

"..."

Artoria felt her breathing become rapid.

Because the opponent was clearly fighting him in an extremely relaxed state.

Otherwise, it would be impossible to constantly evaluate one's own attacks while engaged in combat.

So--

Her strength should be above mine.

Artoria's premonition soon became a reality.

Scáthach then said:

"Unfortunately, it seems that all those words just now were meaningless."

“Saber, we are now… absolute enemies!”

After saying this, Scáthach blocked Artoria's attack with one hand, freeing up her other hand.

Those wine-red eyes also began to shine.

The next second, an identical Gae Bolg Alternative appeared in her free hand.