In Britain, the Noble Phantasm: Divine Key

Ding ding ding ding—

The jet-black holy sword and spear clashed, unleashing a crisp sound like a dragon's roar. Brilliant sparks scattered and flew everywhere, and the waves of magic surged endlessly, transforming into a whirlwind that swept across the entire area, ravaging the small space.

All the Masters watching the battle fell silent. This kind of battle, which transcended reality, was beyond their comprehension. Only at this moment did they truly understand the difference between heroes and mortals.

"They're just a bunch of monsters in human skin."

Kiritsugu Emiya's expression was slightly solemn. He had read the Einzbern family's records of the Holy Grail Wars throughout the ages. To be honest, when he first saw those records, he even wondered how many pounds of brandy the author had drunk while writing them. Could such a scene really happen in reality?

She raised her questions, but the old patriarch of Einzbern did not explain much, only saying that he would see that scene sooner or later.

As it turns out, experience truly pays off; he had seriously underestimated these guys who had left their mark on history.

It would be more convenient and direct to deal with the Master. Kiritsugu Emiya made his decision. Unless he deployed his elite troops, ordinary armed men and mages would be no different from paper in front of that guy. However, now that Saber and Lancer were entangled, it was the perfect opportunity for him to carry out his battle plan.

He turned his gun around and aimed at the previously locked position. Looking at the figure composed of red and orange on the cold black and blue screen, Lancer's Master must have used magic to conceal his aura. As the monarch of the Clock Tower, his magical skills were undoubtedly top-notch among all participants in this Holy Grail War, which was why he had the confidence to stand there so casually.

But this tactic is ineffective against machines. The Magician Killer calmly pulled the trigger. The gun shuddered slightly, and the heavy gunshot was reduced to a low hum by the silencer. The 7.62mm bullet cut through the air at 400 meters per second, whistling straight toward the target's head.

It's over. Kiritsugu Emiya lowered his eyes slightly, as if he had already seen the end. A magician who is not fully prepared will definitely not be able to withstand the shooting of a sniper rifle, not even the monarch of the Clock Tower. In 0.3 seconds, that head will explode like fireworks.

Time seemed to freeze at that moment. The solidified mercury rose up from Kenneth's feet like a stream, forming a silver shield that stopped the bullet that was powerful enough to smash a lion's head.

"How is this possible?!" The usually calm magician assassin stared wide-eyed in shock. This was simply not scientific. With human reaction speed, it was impossible to make a timely and effective response in that situation!

After a brief moment of stunned silence, Kiritsugu Emiya quickly regained his senses and instantly activated his Time Control 2x Speed, retreating with his sniper rifle along a pre-planned route at a speed far exceeding that of ordinary people.

If a single strike fails, flee a thousand miles away. This is the basic quality of an assassin. Staying in one place for too long will only increase the risk of being attacked. If he waits for that monarch and his followers to react, he will really have no chance of escaping.

"Maimi, the operation has failed, retreat immediately!"

"Yes!"

Kenneth stared at the gleaming bronze bullet with lingering fear. His attention had been completely drawn to the battle between Lancer and Saber, and he hadn't expected anyone to attack him at this moment. If Lancer hadn't modified the Moon Spirit Essence to give it an automatic defense function beforehand, he might have really met his end here.

Just as Lancer said, that guy is a war dog with no bottom line.

Although he hadn't witnessed it firsthand, Kenneth, reminded by Yanan, immediately identified the attacker. He looked angrily in the direction the bullets had come from, but all he could see were cold, stacked containers; he couldn't see a single person.

"They run pretty fast."

Lord El-Melloi was quite indignant at being wronged, because this operation was entirely Lancer's spur-of-the-moment decision, and he had not made any prior preparations; otherwise, he could have definitely kept this despicable scoundrel alive.

This sudden change naturally attracted the attention of both sides engaged in fierce combat. The corrupted tyrant cursed her useless master in her heart, but the enemy in front of her seemed to hesitate because of this, and the speed of her shooting slowed down slightly.

good chance!

Sbaer's pale golden eyes flashed with a sharp light. He forcefully raised the black holy sword in his hand, deflecting the black spear. He then stomped his foot and lunged straight at his opponent's wide-open center.

You've been tricked.

Anan's calm voice echoed in Saber's ears, causing her heart to tremble. A strong sense of crisis erupted instantly, and a chilling coldness shot from the soles of her feet to the top of her head.

bass--!!

The spear roared like a dragon, striking first and arriving later. Saber only saw a black shadow flash before her eyes, like a fleeting glimpse of a swan, a thunderous roar. When she came to her senses, the dark and deep spear was already pointing at her brow. One more step forward and it would pierce through her completely.

What terrifying marksmanship! Saber's pupils suddenly contracted. Although her thoughts changed, her knowledge did not diminish. Such superb marksmanship was almost on the verge of entering the realm of gods and demons.

In her memory, the only one who could compare to him was that unreliable white-haired bastard.

The cold moonlight shone on the devastated battlefield, and everyone held their breath, their eyes fixed on Anan, who was pointing a gun at Saber.

Does this mean that one of the Servants will be eliminated tonight?

Hiding in the shadows, Kiritsugu Emiya clenched his fists tightly. Saber and Lancer were too close. Even if he used a Command Spell to summon Saber back, Lancer could kill her before that happened.

However, without Saber, he alone could not possibly win this Holy Grail War.

Damn it, is this really the end for us?!

Chapter 10: All Characters Appear 1

Saber stared at the long, black spear pointing at her brow, then at those indifferent black eyes. After a moment of silence, she lowered her head slightly, her voice completely flat:

"I lost."

“Saber…” Irisviel’s eyes gradually dimmed. Kiritsugu had failed, and Saber had also lost. Was their long-cherished wish really destined to end here?

"Are you aware that Kiritsugu Emiya attacked my Master?" Anain asked calmly.

Saber frowned slightly, and after a moment, she nodded slightly: "I know."

"Don't you have anything to say?"

"If you expect me to feel guilty about such despicable and dirty acts like I used to, then I can only apologize. In this state, I have long since abandoned all those useless emotions. I am just a woman who will do anything to win." Saber looked calmly at Anahn, her tone undisturbed. "As long as I can win the Holy Grail, I don't care what methods I use."

"What if I told you that this Holy Grail has been contaminated?"

“Then I’ll give it a try.” Saber’s eyes remained unchanged.

“…” Yanan was silent for a moment, then sighed helplessly, “If I could, I would really like to give you a good beating.”

He put away the Black Abyss and turned to walk back.

"Hey! Lancer! What are you doing? Why don't you kill her!?" Kenneth was dumbfounded, as were the other Masters who were watching the battle. They could have taken this opportunity to eliminate the troublesome Saber, so why did they stop at this moment?

“Kenneth, is your goal the Holy Grail?” Yanan countered.

Kenneth paused for a moment, then subconsciously replied, "No."

He never believed that the so-called Holy Grail was truly an omnipotent wish-granting machine, and naturally had no interest in it.

“Since you have no need for the Holy Grail, whether Saber lives or dies makes no difference to you.” Anan jumped back onto the container. “I have already proven myself to be stronger than Saber. Isn’t that enough for you?”

Kenneth hesitated for a moment. His purpose in participating in the Holy Grail War was to add enough "martial arts" to his life experience and prove that he was not just a theorist who could only do academic research. Now that the Servant he summoned had defeated the strongest class Saber, he could be said to have achieved his goal in this respect.

only......

"Saber didn't use her Noble Phantasm this time, so who knows if you can defeat her like this next time."

“Don’t worry, I know what her Noble Phantasm is.” Anahn glanced at the black holy sword in Saber’s hand. “Even if she really unleashes it, I have ways to counter her.”

Kenneth was still somewhat dissatisfied. It wasn't that he doubted the strength of his own servant, but he was just a little disgusted by the other party's presumptuous behavior.

"By the way, speaking of which, I will be leaving this world after the Holy Grail War ends, and I won't be able to take this Magic Core with me. Could you help me think of a way to deal with it?"

"...We're getting too much attention right now, which isn't a good thing. It could easily attract a united front from other participants. Saber isn't weak either; keeping her around can help us wear down other Servants and relieve some of the pressure."

"As expected of my Master, your grasp of the battle situation is truly insightful," Yanan said with a smile.

Kenneth lowered his head, hiding his burning red face.

Saber looked at Anan, her pale gold eyes swirling with a variety of indescribable emotions: "Why didn't you kill me?"

“I’ve said from the beginning that you’re not my target tonight,” Yanan said calmly.

Saber gave him a deep look, then her magical armor transformed back into her sharp black suit, and she walked towards Irisviel without saying a word.

"Saber, are you alright?" Irisviel stepped forward, her crimson eyes revealing obvious worry.

“I’m fine, Irisviel.” Saber shook her head, paused, and then continued, “Go back and tell Kiritsugu not to attack the Lancers without being absolutely certain.”

Irisviel nodded solemnly. Lancer's strength was undeniable. Facing such an enemy, if they didn't prepare in advance, they would probably still be unable to escape defeat the next time they met.

It's hard to say whether they'll let them off the hook again like they did this time.

"By the way, Saber, do you really not know Lancer's true identity?"

Irisviel still couldn't understand why Lancer was so familiar with Saber, but Saber knew nothing about Lancer.

“At first I didn’t know, but now I’m pretty sure of his identity.” Saber nodded slightly. “If I’m not mistaken, he should be…”

Before Saber could finish speaking, a voice suddenly interrupted him.

"Those guys lurking in the shadows, spying."

Anan looked up at the dark, gloomy sky, his voice, though not loud, clearly reaching everyone's ears: "I am Arthur, the chosen king of Britain, appearing in this Holy Grail War as Lancer. The rest of the Heroic Spirits summoned by the Holy Grail, if you haven't forgotten your heroic courage, then show yourselves before me. Of course, if you are cowards who lack even the courage to show yourselves, then prepare to be despised by me."

King Arthur!?

Everyone was shocked, but the most surprised were Irisviel and Kiritsugu Emiya.

I've already summoned one King Arthur, so why is there another one?!

“The Throne of Heroes exists independently of this world, connecting to countless parallel worlds. These worlds each have their own different development trajectories, so sometimes different Heroic Spirits with the same title will appear,” Saber explained calmly.

“I see.” Irisviel nodded in understanding. “So this King Arthur is actually you from another world?”

“No.” Saber looked at Anahn with a slightly complicated expression. “He and I are not the same kind of beings.”

After Yanan finished speaking, the scene was still for a moment. Then, a muffled thunder rumbled from the horizon, accompanied by loud laughter. A chariot pulled by two divine bulls crashed to the ground like a meteor, dragging lightning with it. The red-haired giant on the chariot watched Yanan with admiration.

"As expected of the King of Britain, such courage is truly admirable. I am Iskandar, the King of Conquerors, and I appear as Rider in this Holy Grail War. So, Lancer, Saber, would you like to consider joining me and enjoying the thrill of conquering the world together?"

Chapter 11: All Members Appear 2

Alexander the Great, also known as Iskandar the Conqueror, is considered the greatest of the four greatest military commanders in Western history. He was a student of the famous ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle. He unified the entire territory of Greece and then swept across the Middle East, conquering Egypt and annexing Persia without firing a shot. He was an unparalleled emperor who controlled three of the four ancient civilizations.

Now, summoned by the Holy Grail, he has descended to earth once more, riding the Gordius Wheel, a sacrificial vessel offered to Zeus, to continue the unfinished business he had in his previous life.

"Although the Holy Grail has summoned us here to kill each other, Lancer, Saber, if you are willing to join my ranks and hand over the Holy Grail to me, I will treat you as friends and share the joy of conquering the world with you. How about it? Would you like to consider it?"

The boisterous man laughed heartily, uttering nonsensical and even fantastical words, but no one detected a trace of joking in his voice.

There's no doubt this guy is serious.

“To utter such a jest in front of the King of Britain, Rider, you certainly have a lot of nerve.” A cold glint flashed in Saber’s eyes, and the icy magic emanating from her body was mixed with obvious hostility.

She felt intense disgust towards this suddenly appearing, self-absorbed conqueror. If it weren't for Irisviel behind her, she would have already stabbed him with her sword.

"Oh? So you're also the King of Britain." Iskandar's eyes widened in surprise, then he burst into laughter. "Interesting! Absolutely fascinating! Two Kings of Britain appearing in a Holy Grail War at the same time—I never imagined I'd witness such a magnificent spectacle. How incredibly lucky I am!"

It really is another King Arthur... Although they had already guessed, the Masters who were observing from the shadows couldn't help but feel a little surprised. Summoning the same Servant in the same Holy Grail War was something they had never heard of before.

And since they are both King Arthur, why do they look completely different?

Many people can't help but wonder about this, since for most magicians, parallel worlds are still a rather distant concept.

“However…” Iskandar scratched his head and pointed to Anahn on the container not far away, “Excuse me for being blunt, Saber, Lancer looks more like King Arthur than you do.”

Indeed, that's what I think too... Including Kiritsugu Emiya and Irisviel, all the onlookers couldn't help but nod in agreement.

Male, handsome, powerful, confident, composed... Apart from his hair and eye color, Lancer is clearly more in line with people's general perception of King Arthur.