Shirou, who returned from the Fairy Kingdom

"..."

Shirou took a deep breath.

On the other side, Black Saber coldly whispered the true name of destruction, "Liberation."

"──────The Sword of Victory (Calibur Morgan)!"

The upward slash from below unleashed a powerful, piercing dragon's breath that could pierce the sky.

Time seemed to stand still at that moment.

As Shirou roared out a forbidden incantation, magical energy surged forth, carrying with it the excruciating pain of his circuits being torn apart, and began to ravage his body—

"Time alter—Triple accel!!"

"Inherent time control".

Originally, this was the exclusive magic of Assassin Emiya, a magic that creates a Reality Marble within his own body.

Within the smallest possible barrier, a mere few seconds of "adjustment" forcibly accelerates the flow of blood, the burning of hemoglobin, and the time required for muscle tissue to begin and end its movement to a factor of one to several times.

The "Royal Command Spell" that Lady Avalon prepared for Shirou works on the same principle—it's a "Time Control Magic Version" that directly accelerates time within the body to ten years in the future.

Compared to the magic used by Kenneth and Tokiomi Tohsaka, Kiritsugu's magic lacked both flashy special effects and power.

However, Shirou really liked it.

So, sir... I'll borrow your magic trick!

"..."

As Black Saber unleashed her Noble Phantasm, she felt a gust of wind pass by her ear.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Shirou leap past her at incredible speed and jump into the air.

"Master!"

"give it to me!"

Shirou forcefully changed direction in mid-air, standing in front of Lady Avalon, facing the dark torrent of aurora borealis, and extended his right hand.

"Projection Magic".

This is Shirou's area of ​​expertise.

This is Shirou's skill honed through countless trials.

Although he didn't want to admit it, with his current physical condition, even if he drew Ea, the sword of the King of Heroes, he still couldn't defeat Black Saber's firepower—the difference in ability between the wielders was too great.

However, Shirou's strength has never been in terms of numerical power.

He didn't have the ancient bloodline of Lennick, nor the brilliant mind of Morgan, and he couldn't compare to the strength of Melyuchina.

But in the end, the one who unified Britain was none other than Shirou.

Shirou's greatest strength... is that he possesses an infinite number of Noble Phantasms.

"────Projection, begin."

Retrieve. Select. Analyze. Project.

There definitely exists a Noble Phantasm capable of countering the Holy Sword; I just forgot its name.

So, let's think back.

Shirou has lost his memories of being a transmigrator, so he is unaware of the Noble Phantasm called "Rho Aias".

Otherwise, if he were lucky, he might have been able to block the attack while sacrificing his right arm.

However, Shirou currently has no memory of that Noble Phantasm.

However, Shirou was quite certain that a Noble Phantasm that could rival Excalibur and could be projected by him existed.

—It exists in one's own mind.

In the blink of an eye, thousands upon thousands of swords flashed through Shirou's mind.

Then, he noticed "that".

"I am the bone of my sword."

The boy whispered.

The projection magic was completed in an instant.

Amidst the deathly rage of the Reversed Holy Sword, the projected Noble Phantasm was unleashed.

What Shirou projected was the strongest defense within his understanding, even stronger than the Star Sword—

"Avalon, a secluded paradise!!"

The moment he roared out his true name, golden starlight enveloped Shirou, and the noble fantasy materialized.

"…………!!"

Black Saber and Lady Avalon, who witnessed this scene, couldn't help but widen their eyes.

The scabbard of the holy sword emitted beautiful ripples like an aurora barrier, deflecting all the inverted aurora that burned everything.

That's not defense, that's blocking.

An invisible wall that prevents the filth of the outside world from entering the fairy realm, isolating it from this world, making it an inaccessible place.

Protected by the scabbard of the holy sword, Shirou was cut off from all the truths of the world for that very moment.

The strongest protection in the world, which even the five great magics cannot interfere with, and which no one can harm.

Therefore, the sheath is named "Avalon," a secluded and ideal place.

Before his death, King Arthur was able to reach the ideal land that other kings dreamed of but could never reach.

"…………"

Gazing at the familiar yet golden sheath, Black Saber's cold expression momentarily became dazed.

The so-called Star Sword is actually a magic amplification device, and only Artoria, who has the Dragon's Furnace buried in her chest, can maximize its power.

But that doesn’t mean other people can’t use it.

Artoria had lent the Star Sword to Gawain before her death.

But the scabbard is different.

According to legend, the ideal world was a place that only King Arthur could reach.

Similarly, the scabbard was an weapon that only King Arthur could use.

Now, Artoria can finally be certain of one fact—

Shirou, so you really are King Arthur.

The immense magical power of the Jueti Collapse Flow surged forth like a flood, spreading in all directions.

Once the dark aurora had completely disappeared, Shirou and Ms. Avalon returned to the ground.

"Are you alright, Master? This was too reckless!"

Ms. Avalon shouted nervously.

Shirou shook his head, simultaneously adopting a defensive stance as he looked at Black Saber not far away.

The magic sword in her hand was once again imbued with magic.

Are they planning to release more Excalibur?!

Shirou was unsure if he could use the scabbard again.

Although the sword sheath has approved me just now, it doesn't mean that things will go so smoothly next time.

More importantly, victory cannot be achieved by simply defending.

"..."

The moment Shirou's eyes met those of Black Saber, he made a decision.

"Big Sister Avalon".

"Ok?"

"That's enough. You should get some rest. Leave the rest of the battle to me."

Shirou's sudden words startled the female magician.

"What are you talking about? You can't possibly beat Saber by yourself, can you? And didn't we agree to work together to win this battle?"

"Perhaps that's true, but..."

Shirou turned around, a broad smile on his face, and said, "If I can't defeat Saber on my own, then nothing will matter."

"..."

So this is ah……

After a brief silence, Ms. Avalon nodded.

"My Arthur," you still secretly yearn to settle your score with her.

"I understand, please be careful."

Lady Avalon's beautiful figure transformed into a spirit, and Shirou turned back to Black Saber.

“I know you’re angry, Saber.”

We had agreed to have one-on-one contact, but I brought another woman to see you.

It would be strange if Artoria, who's prone to jealousy, wasn't angry, but surely she wouldn't turn evil?

"..."

Black Saber kept a straight face and didn't say a word.

Shirou observed her reaction, then sighed.

"Nothing can be hidden from you... There's a certain truth I've been hiding all along, but you've already discovered it, haven't you?"

He spoke in a very calm tone.

"As you might guess, I once called myself Arthur in a world that wasn't this one—"

And now, it seems I've grasped the concept of Arthur.

Black Saber remained unfazed, while Bawanxi frowned slightly: You're Arthur too...?

"But... does being granted a holy sword and calling oneself a knight make one Arthur?"

How could this be... Arthur's most important qualities haven't been shown at all yet.

That's right.

The reason why Arthur is the ideal king.

The reason why Arthur was prophesied to be the savior even before he was born.

It is the dragon's heart surging within its chest, the dragon's blood flowing through its veins.

The king of non-humans, the red dragon who defeated the white dragon.

It was precisely because Shirou had perfectly replicated this that he was recognized by the scabbard and acquired the concept of "King Arthur"—

"Artoria Pendragon, the real King Arthur... I'll show you my true form."

Shirou gripped his left wrist with his right hand, unleashing the final "Projection Magic" of this Holy Grail War.

"————Projection, begin (Trace on)."

The next instant, Shirou's left arm burst forth with a dazzling crimson light.

Unlike Command Seals, it possessed an aura like raging fire and dragon-like essence.

Something appeared in the boy's left hand—an ochre-red gauntlet engraved with a dragon emblem.

"Sekiryuutei's Gauntlets (Boosted Gear)".

Like "Chaos Blade" and others, it is a Noble Phantasm that appeared deep in Shirou's memories from the very beginning.

The gauntlets that materialize the power of dragons are said to be the highest-ranking "God-Slaying Gear (longinus)" in a certain world.