Saber had no idea how many thoughts were racing through the mind of the man standing before her, but she had no intention of waiting any longer.
Glancing at the crater in front of her, she was certain that even if she couldn't see them, similar traps likely littered the surrounding area. If she moved carelessly, she would likely be ambushed. This was exactly why the combination of a melee and a ranged fighter often exerted over 200% combat effectiveness.
A sword's reach was much shorter than a spear's, but that only applied to cold weapon combat.
As she slowly raised her horizontally held longsword over her head, Lancer threw his speculations to the wind. He and Cu split off to opposite sides. Without a doubt, even if Saber attacked, she could only target one of them, and the other would deliver the killing blow.
But right at that moment, Cu Chulainn came to a very abrupt halt.
"Saber!!"
In battle, opportunities vanish in the blink of an eye. She didn't hesitate for a second, aiming her Noble Phantasm directly at the now-stationary Cu.
"Brother!!"
Lancer, who was sprinting to the left, couldn't help but shout out.
According to the original plan, Lancer and Cu were supposed to fully utilize their 2v1 advantage by maneuvering and covering each other. Why did he suddenly violate the plan?
But just then, a small flame ignited beside Lancer. Looking in the direction of the flame, Lancer pupils suddenly constricted.
Having once seized a Holy Grail from the hands of "that man," Lancer knew better than anyone what the "Holy Grail" looked like as it formed. He was certain that the massive mass of magical energy was now gradually "taking shape." Clearly, Cu was reminding him that they were out of time.
Cu, nearly swallowed by the black torrent, showed no trace of fear on his face. Unlike the others, the reason he had answered the call of the Holy Grail War again was to have a proper bout with an opponent. However, the information Lancer provided made him realize the gravity of the situation. While he had been cooperating perfectly with Lancer actions, he decided to be "selfish" just this once.
"O Flame!! Sacrifice my body!!"
'Wicker Man' usually summons a willow giant that has lost its sacrifice to inflict divine punishment on enemies, but it was fundamentally evolved from ancient Celtic Druid rituals. Its essence was an offering to nature gods in exchange for the protection of humanity. What Cu was performing now was the "correct way" to conduct the ritual.
Since there was no sacrifice, he would use himself. This was to exchange for a power that could not be obtained through a mere "Servant" body!
Clothes, hair, and finally his body were completely transformed into magical energy within the scorching flames. However, his "legacy" remained.
Dazzling points of light converged, eventually condensing into a glowing spear.
"Brionac..."
A light-spear that clearly transcended the scope of ordinary weapons manifested completely as Cu vanished. However, instead of flying toward Saber, it flew toward Lancer. This bizarre scene left everyone stunned—except for Lancer, the target of the spear. Before the flames that were once Cu vanished, his last "will and testament" echoed from the flicker before him.
'I really hope that next time we meet, I can test my skills against you as a Lancer.'
Cu, leaving such a "will," naturally wouldn't harm him. Without hesitation, Lancer released his right hand and reached out to grab the light-spear flying toward him.
An intense light completely enveloped him in an instant, even threatening to strip away the "Demonified" effect on his body. But Lancer broke into a smile of pleasant surprise, because the moment he gripped the "Spear of Light," he finally knew its origin.
Brionac.
The famous demonic spear of the Tuatha Dé Danann held by the Irish God of Light and Sun, Lugh mac Ethlenn—who happened to be Cu Chulainn father.
Cu had altered his Noble Phantasm, and the power from a "God" he had exchanged his own existence for as a sacrifice was the power of this legendary divine artifact!
It certainly wasn't the original entity, but even so, it was more than enough.
"Saber!! Take this! The finale presented to you by us brothers!!"
Without a moment's delay, he used the power of Runes to activate it and hurled it directly at Saber. Those Runes were the "key" to Brionac, just as Lancer keys were for his "Magical Workshop" back then.
The light-spear summoned by Cu was infused with Lancer mana. As Lancer said, this was the "finale" the two brothers offered their opponent!
Facing the black torrent surging toward him, the pure white divine spear was like a bolt of lightning piercing through dark clouds, skewering it instantly.
BOOM!!
The price of two diametrically opposed forces colliding was a massive explosion. An exaggerated screen of smoke enveloped them both. Saber now looked incredibly disheveled. If having her chest plate shattered by Lancer earlier was a minor issue, now her battle skirt was nearly shredded, and a wound in her lower abdomen was so deep one could see right through to the other side. But at least she was ali—
Pshhht!
A pitch-black spear pierced through her heart. A cold-faced Lancer had followed immediately behind the light-spear. Clearly, with his cautious personality, he hadn't pinned all his hopes on that one strike. He wasn't the type to make the mistake of "not finishing off a heavily wounded enemy."
Though Lancer suspected Saber motives, certain things on the battlefield are predestined once two sides are in opposition—such as the fact that only one side could walk away from this fight.
Expectedly yet unexpectedly, Saber, looking at the spear through her chest with disbelief, actually let out a small smile.
"You... succeeded..."
Those congratulatory words made Lancer expression even more solemn. Indeed, there was more to this than met the eye.
"The flames burned by our obsessions are truly ugly... but even so, I didn't want to give up. At least... not in this way. Since you defeated me fair and square, unknown magus, please... you must keep going."
As her voice faded, her body began to dissolve into magical energy. At the very last moment, she used the spear for support to lean up and look at Mash, who had collapsed into Ritsuka arms due to mana exhaustion.
"So much like that man... putting down the sword to raise a shield, choosing to protect others. No wonder he chose her. Finally... the 'Grand Order'... please... be careful."
Perhaps she chose to trust Lancer because she was defeated without him holding back, or perhaps because the forming Greater Grail had completely drained the mana from her body. In the end, Saber didn't have time to say more before she vanished into magical energy before Lancer eyes.
With Saber defeated, everyone breathed a sigh of relief—except for one person.
Because Lancer knew the true "enemy" had yet to appear.