Shirou, who returned from the Fairy Kingdom

"Is that so... You really are a busybody, Saber."

"How could you say that when someone meant well!"

"Then, I'll leave the rest to you."

Karna closed his eyes.

This was the first time he had ever truly felt an unprecedented sense of liberation.

Joining the "Red" camp and opposing the "Black" camp is the original form, and it is flawless.

Despite knowing that his master had become a puppet, he still insisted on maintaining the proper relationship between master and servant.

That's right.

It is precisely because of this that he arouses everyone's jealousy.

To put it bluntly, it's what many people want, but can never achieve: what it means to be a "human being".

Disregarding his own safety, he risked his life for "someone"—

Seeking nothing in return, dedicating everything to giving back to others—

While this is a flawed way of life from the perspective of a living species, it is equivalent to a pinnacle for an intelligent being.

No one could understand the thoughts of Karna, the hero who gave alms.

But this time, he felt he had met a true confidant.

And so, the "Red" Spearman disappeared with a gentle smile.

The death of a Servant leaves no trace of dust, no bloodstains, and no mark of their presence, only the destructive traces they left during the battle.

"You are……?"

After seeing Karna off, Shirou looked at the girl standing beside him.

With long golden hair and emerald eyes, she possessed the same beauty as someone Shirou knew, and a golden engraving like a sword mark was engraved in the center of her forehead.

"...Artoria?"

The girl smiled faintly, Shirou nodded, and then disappeared in a burst of light.

Shirou thought to himself: Although I'm not entirely sure, it seems to be something like a holy sword spirit.

It seems only Shirou can see her; Karna didn't react to her at all just now.

Are there girls like that in Excalibur...?

Shirou looked down at his holy sword: "Transform!"

"..."

Nothing happens.

Volume 5, Chapter 238: Sajō Aika is on a killing spree.

The Arbitrator and the "Red" Swordsman walked through a room full of pits and traps.

Although it was called a pit, the depths of this pit were completely dark, and nothing could be seen.

Since infiltrating the Hanging Gardens, this is the tenth room we've breached after reaching the first one. Each room is almost identical, a space of about one hundred square meters surrounded by gray walls, filled with bayonets, pendulum scythes, pit traps, and poison gas—truly a place brimming with murderous intent.

"That old woman has terrible taste, it's awful!"

Mordred yelled impatiently.

She had only been dodging traps the whole time, and her magic sword hadn't been of any use at all; it had only managed to split the incoming pendulum scythe in two.

"Calm down, Saber... Assassin's intention is to provoke you."

"I know!"

The traps set in the sky garden had no effect on the two of them. Mordred had an A-rank "Intuition" and Jeanne had the cheat skill "Revelation".

Although they are all immune to traps, if they accidentally step into one or fall into a bottomless pit, they may be teleported to an unknown place and completely lose their sense of direction.

Semiramis projected countless trap rooms throughout the fortress, using this method to constantly wear down the invaders' patience.

Soon, the two entered a room filled with Dragon Fang Soldiers, and Mordred finally showed a long-lost smile.

"Step down, Ruler."

She cracked her knuckles as she excitedly licked her lips.

“Wait a minute, I’ll help too,” Joan of Arc said.

"No need! If you dare to get in the way, I'll kill you too!"

Mordred used "Magic Release," transforming into a crimson missile that flew towards the Dragon Fang Soldier.

A dozen seconds later, more than a hundred fully armed Dragon Tooth soldiers became toys for the rebellious knight to vent his anger, turning into a pile of dusty white bones.

The girl, who had annihilated half of the Dragon Fang Soldiers with overwhelming force, plunged the Silver King Sword into the ground and raised her head to taunt them loudly.

"Semiramis, the 'Red' assassin, it's about time you came out."

Hey, are you that afraid of me? Do you still think of yourself as the queen who rules this garden?

If all you do is hide in the back, you might as well just be a princess!

Mordred's provocation worked—though not in the best way.

The Dragon Tooth Soldier, which had turned into skeletal fragments, reassembled itself, transformed back into human form, and stood up unsteadily.

"what?"

Mordred was stunned.

The Dragon Fang Soldiers, resurrected amidst the Queen's wrath, seemed even more powerful than before. They charged at the enemy, brandishing battle axes, bows and arrows, swords, spears, and all sorts of other weapons.

"Tsk!"

Mordred quickly drew his beloved sword again to fight.

"Clarent" is a magical sword that symbolizes royal power.

Its purpose is to amplify the king's majesty and aura; specifically, it can raise physical attributes (strength, endurance, and agility) by one level.

In his previous life, Mordred fell into darkness and became a demonic sword due to a falling out with his sister Artoria.

The level of the Noble Phantasm decreases, and the stat bonuses gained when equipped are also lost.

However, in this present world, she regained her father's approval, and thus the magic sword's power returned.

Incidentally, the carefree Mordred knew nothing about this—

She thought she was simply being praised and loved by her father, which was why she was able to perform at 120% this time.

In addition to boosting panel attributes, Clarent, like Excalibur, also possesses the effect of a magic amplifier, making him a perfect match for Mordred, the genius warrior who wields the "Magic Release" skill.

The girl simply swung her sword by instinct, and a large group of Dragon Fang Soldiers were blown away by her magic.

only--

The Dragon Tooth Soldiers, who had been knocked away and shattered, did not return to dust; instead, they rose again.

They can be resurrected indefinitely as long as Semiramis wishes, making them truly immortal soldiers.

"Tch... This will never end!"

Mordred stomped on the head of the Dragon Tooth Soldier who was trying to grab her calf, glancing behind her out of the corner of her eye.

"Hey! Ruler! Stop slacking off!"

Joan of Arc smiled and said, "Didn't you tell me not to get in the way?"

"Gu...!"

"I just can't do anything with you... hehe."

Ruler carefully put away the pure white flag symbolizing the saint.

Because Mordred is that man's daughter...

Tolerating an extremely willful and rebellious teenage girl is also part of a mother's (stepmother's) job, hehehe?

The saintess closed her eyes with a smug expression and placed her interlaced fingers on her chest.

With a deep breath, the girl gradually calmed herself, then parted her lips and offered a prayer of blessing to the deceased.

"Lord, grant us a way to escape this calamity."

"Your grace is infinitely profound, and your compassion will never fade."

The prayer flowed smoothly from his throat.

"You live in a desolate wilderness, and do not know the way to survival."

"Hunger, thirst, and weakness of the soul."

"Sing His name and you will be saved. Sing the name of the one who guides you to your place of life."

Something happened.

The Dragonfang soldiers besieging Mordred stopped moving as if they had been put on pause.

"Fill the thirsty soul, satisfy the hungry soul."

"Save those who are bound by pain and iron in the deep darkness."

"Now, break free of your shackles and be rescued from the deep darkness."

The saint's voice was powerful; it was not merely about salvation—it was the invocation of a spell.

What forms the mystery is the powerful, mysterious current that even the "Hanging Gardens of Vanity" cannot stop.

The so-called magical foundation is essentially a person's belief, or a state imprinted on the land with similar logic.

Then, if the power formed by the faith of more than 30% of all humanity, 2.4 billion people, were inscribed upon the world—

This is the "baptismal chant," which magicians call "the greatest foundation of magic in humankind."

"To offer salvation to those who are troubled by sin and distressed by injustice."

"Sing a song of joy to the righteous, and silence to the unrighteous."

"May the departed souls find peace (Pax exeuntibus)."

The Dragon Fang soldiers fell to the ground one after another, as if they had bowed down to the glory of the gods.

They quickly began to disintegrate, turning into sand and dust in the blink of an eye, and were weathered away.

The room returned to calm.

Joan of Arc took out the holy banner again and looked at the dumbfounded girl beside her.

"Alright, let's go, Saber."

“Oh… Oh oh…”

Mordred thought to himself: Why is this guy acting like a mother hen from the beginning?

……

……

Somewhere in the Hanging Gardens, two men forgot the true nature of the Holy Grail War and simply enjoyed their one-on-one duels.

The "Red" cavalryman, Achilles, son of the hero Peleus.

The archer known as "Black," Chiron, son of the great god Cronus.

On one hand, there is the Trojan War hero, whose fame is arguably among the highest in the world.

On the other side are the centaur sages who nurtured numerous heroes, including Hercules, Theseus, Jason, and Asclepius.

Chiron was also Achilles' teacher.

For the heroes of the Trojan War, the centaur who raised them could be considered their de facto fathers.

—We have memories of eating and sleeping together.