Under the sword engulfed in crimson lightning, Arthur's chest was mercilessly pierced by Mordred's blade.
Had Arthur not shifted slightly at the final moment, that sword would've run straight through his heart.
"How's that, Arthur—! Cough—!"
Standing face-to-face, Mordred spat a mouthful of blood, her own chest similarly impaled by Arthur's golden blade.
Arthur hadn't expected Mordred to choose such a reckless method of trading life for life.
After all, Mordred wasn't like himself—she still had her own wish to ask of the Holy Grail. Moreover, given his current weakened state due to interrupted mana supply, Mordred had no reason to gamble her life in a suicidal attack.
Yet she'd done exactly that, acting with sheer reckless abandon.
She didn't care about Arthur's weakened condition. In that moment, the only thought burning in her mind was to defeat Arthur by any means necessary.
Victory—that's all that matters.
Meeting Mordred's fierce gaze, Arthur recognized clearly the fury and bitter resentment burning within her eyes.
If the sword in his hands were instead a holy lance, this moment would've perfectly mirrored their tragic clash at Camlann, plunging both Arthur and Mordred back into painful memories.
Facing Mordred's madness-filled eyes, Arthur realized he'd underestimated how deeply her anger toward her father ran.
The admiration she'd once felt for the King of Knights had turned to bitter fury at her death.
Why? Why didn't you acknowledge my right to succeed you?
Why, until the very end, did you say I lacked the qualification to be King?
These resentments had festered within Mordred for so long, impossible to release.
"It's time to disappear, Arthur—!"
Unlike Arthur, Mordred had the skill [Battle Continuation]—the very ability that had allowed her to deal a fatal blow to the King of Knights at Camlann, even after being mortally wounded.
Even with her chest impaled, Mordred could still unleash her full strength.
Arthur, despite [Avalon] steadily healing him, was nonetheless grievously wounded. Such a critical injury meant he'd vanish before Avalon could restore him fully.
Perhaps with a [Command Spell], he could recover immediately—but Shirou Emiya's three [Command Spells] were already exhausted. There was no chance of receiving another miracle.
Arthur never expected he'd face a second risk of vanishing before even meeting his current Master properly.
It wasn't as though Arthur would immediately disappear due to his injuries. Rather, without [Battle Continuation], his fighting capabilities were severely diminished. He could only rely on sheer willpower to push past his body's limitations.
Servants who possessed [Battle Continuation], however, could fight at full strength even with catastrophic wounds.
Not every Servant without [Battle Continuation] could match Karna, who'd managed to continue fighting even after his Spirit Core was shattered, or release Noble Phantasms despite grave injuries.
If all it took to fight despite heavy wounds was a resolute heart, [Battle Continuation] would be meaningless. Indeed, most Heroic Spirits possessed remarkable determination—it just wasn't explicitly recorded in their legends as a skill.
In truth, nearly all Heroic Spirits could fight despite grave wounds.
After all, who lacked resolve nowadays?
"Grrraaaaah—!"
Mordred's movements remained unaffected, even with her chest pierced. With a fierce shout, she violently ripped her sword from Arthur's chest.
She raised the crimson blade and slashed downward with lightning speed, aiming straight for Arthur's head, despite his golden sword still buried deeply in her chest.
Arthur felt the fierce wind bearing down upon him and surprisingly closed his eyes.
Mordred's eyes narrowed irritably at Arthur's resignation.
But then—
Hum—!
The golden sword embedded in Mordred's chest abruptly surged with brilliant azure mana.
At that precise moment, Shirou Emiya, standing near Jeanne on the distant battlefield, felt a massive surge of mana being drawn forcefully from his body.
"Not good—!"
But by the time Mordred realized her error, it was already too late.
Dazzling azure mana erupted violently right before Mordred.
Boom—!
Kairi Sisigou watched helplessly as a terrifying explosion engulfed Mordred, hurricane-force winds forcing him to shield his eyes desperately. Had he not clung tightly to the ground, he'd have been swept away instantly.
When the dust settled, Arthur gasped heavily for air, driving his golden sword into the ground to support himself. Blood poured freely from his chest, staining the ravaged earth beneath.
Before him, amidst swirling winds, Mordred knelt weakly yet defiantly, glaring fiercely back at Arthur as if refusing to surrender to her fate.
An enormous cavity yawned open in Mordred's chest, her Spirit Core utterly obliterated by the close-range blast. Even [Command Spells] couldn't reverse such devastating damage.
"Careless…again…"
Even after becoming a Heroic Spirit, Mordred couldn't overcome her reckless nature. She'd arrogantly assumed that Arthur, lacking [Battle Continuation] and critically wounded, posed no threat.
"Master—!!!"
Mordred rose unsteadily, shouting desperately toward Kairi, though it seemed impossible for her to even speak without lungs. Yet somehow, her voice carried clearly.
Perhaps it was simply a Servant's peculiar way of communicating under dire circumstances.
Kairi struggled to his feet, immediately understanding Mordred's intentions as she raised her crimson sword high.
"At my [Command spell]—release your Noble Phantasm, Saber!"
"At my [Command spell]—release your Noble Phantasm, Saber!"
"At my [Command spell]—release your Noble Phantasm, Saber!"
As the three [Command Spells] on Kairi's hand faded, a torrent of seething hatred exploded outward from Mordred's sword, crackling with crimson fury.
"[Clarent Blood Arthur—Rebellion Against My Beautiful Father]!!"