[3rd POV]
Standing atop a rocky cliff, a bronze-skinned Servant opened his mouth in disdain upon spotting the unwelcome visitors.
"You're quite an annoying mutt." Like a good host, he raised his black bow and fired a barrage of arrows at the invaders.
The sharp whistle of the projectiles cut through the air toward the group positioned below.
The pink-haired demi-Servant promptly raised her massive shield, blocking all the arrows with precision.
"Archer, you bastard! You talk too much!" Cú Chulainn raised two fingers, tracing flaming runes in the air. The magical inscriptions glowed intensely before being fired like igneous projectiles.
"Emiya is enough for you, little dog." Archer moved quickly, leaping from the cliff and dodging the flaming runes. In a fluid movement, he materialized two blades.
He held Kanshou, the black blade, in his left hand and Bakuya, the white one, in his right. These twin blades were his favored weapons, companions for longer than he cared to remember.
Cú Chulainn pointed sarcastically at Archer: "Damn, Archer, shouldn't you be using a bow?" He flashed a mocking smile, irritated at being called "little dog," especially by that bronze fellow.
"Tch!" Archer clicked his tongue upon landing, ignoring the provocation.
He had no time for that "dog" who loved fawning over women. Flexing his legs, he advanced toward the pink-haired girl with impressive speed.
Caster frowned, concerned about the dangerous proximity between Archer and Mash. He wouldn't be able to use the runes with precision while the enemy was so close.
Within moments, Archer was upon Mash, brandishing Kanshou and Bakuya in a deadly dance of blades. The Servant parried each strike with determination, raising her shield repeatedly.
Despite the intense pressure, she found it ironic that Archer was more dangerous with swords than with his bow.
Altair-senpai would definitely like to fight someone like him.
With that thought, the pink-haired demi-Servant slid her foot back and swung the shield with brutal force. Archer nimbly tilted his body to avoid the impact, which passed mere centimeters from his chest.
Seizing the opening, he threw Kanshou with calculated precision.
Mash quickly raised her shield, making the blade ricochet and return to Archer's hand like a perfect boomerang.
Without hesitating, he unleashed a relentless storm of attacks from multiple angles, pressuring Mash more and more.
Her arms were beginning to give way from fatigue, but she remained firm. She flatly refused to disappoint her two senpai, even if one of them wasn't present yet.
Archer, noticing the girl's apparently impenetrable defense, executed a theatrical movement, carelessly tossing Bakuya to the side.
Mash, thinking she had seen an opening, confidently stepped forward with her shield.
"Girl!" Caster shouted in alarm, perceiving the obvious trap. Unfortunately, Mash was still a novice; her combat model was that of a boy who always attacked head-on, so she fell for the enemy's basic trick.
Without her noticing, Bakuya spun through the air in a curved trajectory and flew back toward her unprotected nape.
"Mash, watch out!" Ritsuka shouted desperately, clenching her fists in frustration at not being able to help in the battle. Olga found herself in a similar situation of helplessness. Humans like Olga and Ritsuka were practically useless in battles between Servants.
"Amateurs..." Caster grumbled irritably, struck his staff on the rocky ground, and quickly drew complex runes in the air.
Before Bakuya could fatally strike Mash, the ground behind her opened and massive roots emerged from the earth, protecting her vulnerable back. The blade cut through the sturdy roots, but the impact was significantly reduced. Even so, it managed to scratch Mash's arm, making her wince in pain. Trying to ignore the cut on her shoulder, she raised the shield again with determination.
Archer was violently thrown backward by the force of Mash's shield. Still suspended in the air, he saw a ring of fire forming around him, undoubtedly Caster's refined work.
When he tried to dodge, a wooden arm emerged from the flames, gripping him firmly and slamming him against the rocky ground with brutal force.
Before he could recover, Caster unleashed countless fire runes upon him in a devastating rain. The first runes exploded against his chest in a blinding flash, followed by dozens of others that pierced the air with sharp whistles. His body was enveloped by violent flames that danced and intertwined, consuming everything in their path, creating a veil of smoke.
When the smoke dissipated, Archer was visibly wounded, with burn marks covering his bronze skin.
"It seems I failed her again..." he murmured, lifting his gaze toward the victorious group. "Perhaps it's for the best... As winners, you should know that she's different from any of us. She carries the sacred sword Excalibur..."
"We already know that, Archer-who-uses-swords-more-than-bows." Caster approached with confident steps, an arrogant smile on his face as he mentally noted that the brat had confirmed the information.
"I see..." The dying Servant rolled his eyes toward the arrogant mutt before him. "I'll praise all of you... except Caster, of course." With those final words, he began to slowly fade, offering a disdainful smile to Cú Chulainn.
"Tsk. A sore loser, as always, Archer." Caster flashed an ironic smile as he watched the Servant disappear in golden fragments.
"I don't want to hear that from a mutt, but if you meet Saber, tell her... that I failed miserably." Those were Archer's last words before disappearing completely.
"Tch. Irritating to the last breath." Cú Chulainn grumbled disdainfully, then turned to the Chaldea trio. "It's time to take down King Arthur once and for all."
Mash, still visibly shaken by the combat, looked down uncertainly. "I'm glad you believe in me, but... do you really think I can protect everyone properly? I fell right into Archer's obvious trap in the last fight, and just thinking about facing the legendary King Arthur makes my hands tremble uncontrollably." She looked at her trembling hands, discouraged.
Cú Chulainn tapped her head with his staff in a surprisingly encouraging gesture. "Listen carefully. You need genuine courage. If you waver at the crucial moment, your Master will die. You don't need to defeat Saber personally... that's my job and... that guy's job when he finally shows up. You just need to protect your Master effectively. We'll handle the rest of the battle."
Mash hesitated, but a warm hand touched her wounded shoulder. She turned and saw Ritsuka smiling with genuine confidence. "Don't worry so much, Mash. I know you can overcome this. I believe in you completely! Besides, knowing Al-kun as I do, he'll show up at the last second making a typical theatrical entrance."
Mash's tense expression brightened into a radiant smile. "Absolutely, Senpai."
In the distance, Olga couldn't help but smile at the touching scene as well. Ironically, Ritsuka's description of Altair was quite accurate.
In everyone's minds, it was crystal clear that Brando hadn't lost to Berserker, even though the distant and ominous sounds of his battle were genuinely concerning.
That battlefield looked more like an apocalyptic wasteland than a proper combat location. For a reflective moment, even without knowing the outcome, Olga couldn't help but feel a twinge of pity for Berserker.
She thought about this as the group continued through the shadowy cave, stopping strategically just before reaching the final destination.
Leaning against the rocky wall, Caster asked: "Are you exhausted? If so, we can rest a bit before the final confrontation. We need to be at our best to face Saber properly." A pause would also buy valuable time, in case the monkey king decided to appear unexpectedly.
Olga was the first to respond: "Yes, a break wouldn't hurt at all." She turned to Fujimaru with attention, noticing a subtle pallor that definitely wasn't present before. Abundant sweat dripped down her skin, falling rhythmically onto the cave floor.
Facing Dr. Romani's floating hologram, who was absentmindedly holding an apple, Olga opened her lips asking with concern: "Romani, are you properly monitoring Fujimaru's vital signs? She looks considerably paler than normal."
"Huh? Oh, yes, of course. Her condition definitely isn't good. It's probably a consequence of the unexpected magical contract. This is her first time actively using her Magic Circuits. Now they're overworking to supply mana to two Servants at once," Romani explained, sounding visibly concerned.
"It would be better if you waited for Fujimaru-kun to recover completely," Romani suggested with medical wisdom, and Shielder immediately agreed emphatically.
Fujimaru sincerely thanked the doctor and Mash for their genuine concern, but deep down she deeply hated feeling weak and vulnerable. Honestly, she desperately wanted to be like Altair, who never showed apparent weakness. He was always courageously on the front lines, smiling confidently in the face of imminent danger, and standing protectively before her with his broad, reassuring back.
Without noticing the change, Her cheeks flushed, and a strange warmth spread through her body.
"Senpai, are you really okay?" Mash asked gently, tilting her head with concern. "Do you have a high fever?" She delicately placed her hand on her heated forehead, feeling the abnormal warmth.
"It's nothing serious, I just... I'm tired... that's all," Fujimaru said hesitantly, almost trying to convince herself of her own explanation.
Olga observed her discreetly from the corner of her eye, finding the whole situation progressively strange. For some inexplicable reason, her sharp instincts told her to stay on maximum alert around this apparently novice Master.
"But..." Fujimaru suddenly directed her gaze toward the front of the cave. The ominous atmosphere of the place was enough to make her stop thinking about the strange heat she felt. "This place is genuinely sinister and disturbing."
"That's absolutely true," Olga agreed promptly with a shiver.
As they rested and recovered their strength, they suddenly heard a sharp, deafening noise echoing through the cave. It was as if a violent storm of lightning was falling mercilessly upon a colossal beast.
"Judging by the immense levels of magical energy, Raikou probably released her devastating Noble Phantasm." Caster thoughtfully raised his hand, resting it on his chin.
"Do you think Altair-senpai has already managed to win definitively?"
"I haven't the faintest idea of the outcome. All I know for certain is that we can no longer afford to rest peacefully." He stood up with determination and stretched his tense back. "He'll probably show up dramatically in the middle of the final fight or something equally theatrical. Let's go, miss..."
Before he could finish the sentence, he noticed the three girls staring intently in the direction of the deafening sounds that resembled apocalyptic thunder, as if anxiously expecting Altair to appear magically.
Caster shook his head with a weak but understanding smile. That mysterious guy had definitely already entered those girls' hearts, not necessarily in a completely romantic way, at least for some of them. But even so, it was crystal clear that they all constantly thought about him.
In my golden youth, that guy would have given me a real fierce competition for the gold.
Cú Chulainn thought nostalgically, displaying a genuine smile and raising his hand with authority.
"Ladies!" Cú Chulainn clapped his hands sharply, abruptly pulling them from their collective reverie. "Let's move forward!" He narrowed his intimidating red eyes toward the shadowy entrance that led even deeper into the mysterious cave's interior.
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(EMIYA | Archer – Character Image)