Note: There's a drop in the chapter quality for the last few chapters, in the original raw, it's because the author is sick, so his writing skills take a hit.
Chapter 298: Like a Seasoned General on Stage
Miyu could tell right away that Illya was in no shape to fight.
Several times she tried to rush to her teammate's side, to shield her or at least buy her a moment to recover—but every time, Saber blocked her path.
The most troublesome thing wasn't even Saber's sword, but the black mist surrounding her entire body—a high-density shroud of magical energy that served both offense and defense.
On paper, it was simply Saber releasing her magic outward.
But anyone with an eye for these things could tell that the director had clearly taken inspiration from the original Saber's Invisible Air.
After all, in the Heaven's Feel route, there was nothing nearly this absurd to deal with.
Clack… clack.
Saber raised both hands, angling the sword's tip toward Illya.
The black mist began to gather, streaming toward the knight's blade.
"Uu… s-so scary…"
Instead of dodging, Illya sat there, frozen in place—as if she'd been hit by the Flinch status effect in a Pokémon game.
Her body refused to move.
"Get ready to counter! Come on, move already, Illya!"
Ruby's high-pitched voice rang out as she shook in Illya's hand, but her Master was still locked in a mental reboot.
"Illya—!"
Seeing Illya do nothing, Miyu had no choice but to charge forward herself, trying to force Saber to change her target.
But someone else beat her to it.
A handful of gemstones, each glowing in a different color, sailed through the air toward Saber and landed around her.
Before those icy eyes could even shift in their direction—
BOOM!BOOM!BOOM!
The blast consumed Saber's black-clad figure in a violent blaze.
Rin and Luvia had arrived.
Even wounded and barely on their feet, they'd launched a last-ditch strike at Saber.
"Ugh… fell right into her trap…"
Rin groaned, clutching her stomach.
Luvia didn't spare herself a glance.
"—Miyu! Fall back and spread the formation, now!" she ordered.
Unfortunately, she was a heartbeat too slow.
Saber had already closed the distance, standing before Illya.
Clang—!
Metal rang out.
Miyu had stepped between them, staff raised to block the black knight's sword.
It didn't help much.
Against Saber's overwhelming strength, even Miyu's magically reinforced staff was battered aside in a single, brutal push.
She'd blocked… but not well enough.
"Kyaa—!"
Miyu was sent flying straight into Illya's arms, the two of them ending up in a tangled little hug.
If the mood weren't so dire, the audience might have appreciated the sudden burst of citrus-sweet yuri scene. Instead, all they could do was hold their breath.
"Miyu, are you alright?" Illya asked, her voice full of concern.
Miyu gave a small, pained wave of her hand.
"I'm fine… but more importantly, that enemy…"
Unlike her earlier flat, emotionless stare, there was now a glimmer of fear in Miyu's eyes as she looked at Saber.
Magic blasts didn't work.
Neither did spells.
She could handle long-range and close-quarters combat with equal ease.
Tactical advantages crumbled before her like paper…
There was no denying it, Saber was the strongest enemy.
◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆
"And yet, in every Holy Grail War, the so-called 'strongest' always gets saddled with some bizarre debuff, making sure they never actually fight at full power."
Shibamatsu propped his chin in one hand, voice dripping with resignation.
The "Saber is the strongest class" theory had been brought up year after year, yet when you looked at Saber's actual track record… it was hard to defend.
Say she's weak, and every King-worshipping Saber fan across the globe would jump down your throat.
Say she's strong, and… well, she still tends to stumble right out of the gate—either getting tricked, ambushed, or caught under some restriction that keeps her from going all out.
"I'm telling you—!"
Fujita raised a finger.
"In Type-Moon stories, strength and looks go hand in hand. If a Servant's design is cool, you can bet their power won't be weak."
"Ah~ so that's why Saber Alter is stronger than the original Saber," Aoko mused, suddenly finding the DX toy in her hand far less appealing.
"Man, wouldn't it be great if it could change forms—from holy sword to demonic sword?"
Alice deadpanned, "Keep on dreaming. Why would those huge companies make one toy with two modes when they can make two of them and sell each one separately."
◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆
On screen, Saber's overwhelming power had thrown Illya and Miyu into complete disarray.
They stood frozen, panic looping in their minds, muttering the same desperate question over and over:
What do we do? What do we do?
Smack!Smack!
Unable to watch any longer, Ruby activated her "Ruby Double Slap"!
It was like the percussive maintenance method used to fix stubborn electronics—a swift whack to reboot their already-overloaded brains.
At last, the two girls calmed down a little, and Ruby gave them her suggestion.
"This is the last resort, okay~?"
Her words jolted them into realization—they weren't entirely without reinforcements.
Right now, Saber was slowly approaching the half-crippled Rin and Luvia, lying prone on the ground.
She didn't attack outright, but advanced step by measured step.
It could've been careful preparation for a fatal blow or the leisurely disdain of a cat toying with its prey.
Either way, for two young ladies out of gems and drained of magic, the danger was far too real.
Still, Rin and Luvia had the cockroach-like durability of plot-armored magi.
If it were ordinary people, they'd already be hooked up to an IV, calculating when they would kick the bucket.
But being alive meant more plays were still on the table.
"Ruby!"
"Sapphire!"
Knowing they couldn't defeat Saber nor save Rin and Luvia by themselves, Illya and Miyu went all in on a desperate, never-before-considered plan—they sent their magic wands away!
"We won't fight, and we won't run. We're picking the third option!"
Illya flashed a mischievous grin.
Adults want it all, but children? They break the rules entirely.
Saber batted both wands away behind her, unaware she'd just played right into their hands.
Shhh—!
A dazzling white light split the dark night.
The battlefield's strongest reinforcements had arrived.
"Honestly… you girls are so much trouble. I couldn't just watch you die, so I'll help—just this once, alright~?"
"Easy for you to say… why not start like this from the beginning?"
Two figures stepped out of the fading brilliance, their mouths spouting the most spiteful words, but striking the most stylish poses imaginable.
As the light faded completely, a red and a blue figure stood proudly on the battlefield.
Magical Girl☆Rin Tohsaka.
Magical Girl☆Luvia Edelfelt.
—had arrived!
"Well then—it's time for the grand finale to begin~"
Rin rested her wand lightly on her shoulder, a confident smile spreading across her face.
<+>
If you want to see more chapter of this story and don't mind paying $5 each month to read till the latest posted chapter, please go to my Patreon[1]
Current Chapter In Patreon: Chapter 363: Fate/Apocrypha Teaser Premieres[2]
Link to the latest chapter: https://www.patreon.com/posts/145877654?collection=31097[3]
https://www.patreon.com/collection/31097?view=expanded[4]
[1] https://www.patreon.com/collection/31097?view=expanded
[2] https://www.patreon.com/posts/145877654?collection=31097
[3] https://www.patreon.com/posts/145877654?collection=31097
[4] https://www.patreon.com/collection/31097?view=expanded