Lancer vs Saber (III)

Kayneth looked nervously at the shiny copper bullet before him.

The battle between Arkhan and Saber moments ago had completely absorbed his attention. He never expected someone to attack him at this moment.

If Arkhan hadn't modified Volumen Hydrargyrum in advance to give it automatic defense capabilities, he might have truly met his end.

Just as Arkhan had warned, that man was indeed a war dog without any scruples.

Although Kayneth hadn't witnessed the attack himself, Arkhan's warning made him immediately confirm the identity of the attacker.

He glared in the direction of the incoming bullet, but all he saw was a stack of cold containers, with no sign of anyone.

"Quite a fast runner..."

Lord El-Melloi, who had suffered losses, was quite displeased. Since tonight's operation was entirely spontaneous on Arkhan's part, he hadn't prepared in advance. Otherwise, he could have detained that despicable dog.

This sudden change naturally caught the attention of both sides engaged in the intense battle.

The blackened Artoria cursed her useless Master internally, while her opponent seemed to hesitate and become distracted, and indeed, the speed of his spear noticeably slowed.

'A perfect chance!'

Artoria's pale golden eyes flashed, and with a forceful lift of her black holy sword, she parried the black spear, then lunged straight at her momentarily vulnerable opponent.

"You fell for it."

Arkhan's calm voice suddenly echoed near her ear. She shivered with a strong sense of impending danger. A chilling sensation shot up from the soles of her feet to the top of her head.

*Whoosh—!!!*

The spear's thrusting sound was like a dragon's roar.

Artoria only saw a black shadow flash by, like a swift swan passing through. In the blink of an eye, the black and profound spear was pointing at her forehead. With one step forward, it could pierce through her head completely.

'Terrifying spearmanship!' Artoria's pupils contracted suddenly.

Though her mindset shifted because of the blackening, her knowledge hadn't diminished. Such extraordinary spearmanship almost entered the realm of the gods.

In her memory, the only one who could contend with this spearmanship might be that frivolous white-haired scoundrel.

The cold moonlight soon illuminated the ruined dock area.

Everyone held their breath, their gazes fixed on Lancer pointing his spear at Saber.

Could it be that tonight, a Servant would be eliminated?

Kiritsugu, hidden in the shadows, clenched his fist tightly in anxiety. The distance between Saber and Lancer was too close. Even if he used a command spell to summon Saber back, Lancer could kill her before that happened.

But without Saber, he couldn't possibly win this Holy Grail War alone.

'Damn it, is this the end for me!?' Kiritsugi exclaimed with frustration inside his mind.

Artoria looked at the black spear pointed at her own forehead, then shifted her gaze to those indifferent black pupils.

"..."

"I lost."

After a moment of silence, she slightly lowered her head and spoke with a tone devoid of any fluctuation.

"Saber..." Irisviel's gaze gradually dimmed. Kiritsugu had miscalculated, and now Saber was defeated. Was their long-cherished wish really destined to end here?

"Did you know that your Master just ambushed mine?" Arkhan asked casually.

Hearing his question, Artoria furrowed her brows slightly. After a moment, she nodded slightly.

"I know."

"Don't you have anything to say about that?" Arkhan asked again.

"If you expect me to feel guilty about such a despicable and dirty act like my old self would, then I'm sorry, I've long abandoned those useless emotions. I will use any means necessary for victory." Artoria calmly stared at Arkhan, her tone steady. "As long as I can win the Holy Grail, I don't care about the methods."

"What if I tell you that the Holy Grail has already been contaminated?"

"Then I'll still give it a try." Artoria's gaze remained unchanged.

"..." Arkhan fell silent for a moment and then sighed helplessly. "If I could, I really want to give you a good beating."

He dismissed Black Abyss and turned to walk away.

"Hey, Lancer! What are you doing? Why don't you kill her?" Kayneth's panicked voice suddenly echoed in Arkhan's ears.

Kayneth was bewildered, and the other observers felt the same. Lancer had the chance to eliminate the strongest Saber, so why stop now?

"Kayneth, is the Holy Grail your goal?" Arkhan asked in return.

"...No, it's not..." Kayneth hesitated for a moment and instinctively responded. He never believed the so-called Holy Grail was a truly omnipotent wish-granting machine and had no particular thoughts about it.

"Since you do not need the Holy Grail, whether Saber lives or dies shouldn't matter to you, right?" Arkhan jumped onto the top of a container. "I've proven through my actions that I'm stronger than Saber. Isn't that enough for you?"

Hearing his Servant's reasoning, Kayneth hesitated once more.

His purpose in participating in the Holy Grail War was to add enough 'achievements' to his life experiences, proving that he wasn't just a theoretical scholar. Now, with his summoned Servant triumphing over the mightiest class, Saber, he had, in a sense, achieved his objective.

However...

"This time, Saber didn't unleash her Noble Phantasm. Who knows if you can defeat her like this again next time?"

"Don't worry, I know what her Noble Phantasm is..." Arkhan said calmly and glanced at the black holy sword in Artoria's hand. "Even if she does release it, I have a way to counter it."

Kayneth was still a bit dissatisfied. He didn't doubt the strength of his own Servant, just annoyed by the other's assertive behavior.

"Oh, right. I will leave this world after the Holy Grail War is over and unfortunately, can't take the magical energy reactor with me. Can you help me figure out what to do with it?" Arkhan continued.

"...Now we're drawing too much attention. It's not a good thing; it's easy to provoke other participants to unite against us. Saber's strength is not bad either; keeping her can help us deal with the other Servants and relieve some pressure for us." Kayneth instantly changed his mind after hearing 'magical energy reactor'.

"Indeed, you are worthy of being my Master. Your grasp of the situation is spot on." Arkhan said with a smile.

Kayneth didn't respond and only lowered his head, hiding his blushing face.