"Impressive indeed," Cu Chulainn remarked. "As expected of the Knight of Rebellion... Wait, something's off. According to the information I received upon being summoned, you should be the Filial Knight? Did your Queen Mother deceive the Human Order, altering the fates of you and your Father?"
Wielding an oak staff and with little Caren behind him, Cu Chulainn felt an overwhelming sense of strain.
His Strength was Rank E, Endurance D, Agility C, and Mana B...
If not for his proficiency with Runes and Mordred's reliance on instinctual combat, Cu Chulainn would already be on the verge of defeat.
However, continuing like this, he didn't think he could win.
Compared to being summoned as a Caster, he much preferred being summoned as a Lancer.
His thoughts drifted back to just after his summoning, when he stood alone in a guest room facing Caren and her father.
At that time, Kirei Kotomine showed no expression, said nothing, and simply walked out, leaving Cu Chulainn uncertain whether he had disappointed or satisfied the man.
As for Caren, according to her own account, Kirei Kotomine had abandoned her shortly after her birth. She couldn't understand why he had suddenly wanted her back by his side.
Comparing the Kirei she knew now to the one she remembered from childhood, Caren insisted he had changed dramatically. He had become perpetually lost in thought, occasionally muttering a man's name under his breath.
According to Caren, this was her father's way of showing love.
However, Cu Chulainn didn't fully believe Caren's account. He found her far too jaded for her age, capable of mercilessly mocking even her own father.
Moreover, he felt an overwhelming sense of pity for her.
"Hey, Mordred, we surrender!"
The Oak Staff clattered to the ground, catching everyone present and absent off guard—everyone except Kirei Kotomine.
Even with the Lancer Class already occupied, he specifically summoned Cu Chulainn for his unwavering sense of honor and justice, as well as his exceptional tenderness towards young girls.
"Caren, don't look at me like that. Your father only ordered you to deal with the Red Faction Saber and her Master, not to defeat them. Besides, even if I went all out and used my Noble Phantasm, we wouldn't stand a chance, would we?"
As he spoke, Cu Chulainn raised both hands high, utterly unconcerned that Mordred might seize the opportunity to stab him.
In the brief exchange of blows, he had already determined that Mordred was an honorable Knight, someone worthy of entrusting Caren to. With his sharp mind, he recognized this as the perfect moment for Caren to withdraw.
However, his surrender threw Mordred and Sakura into a dilemma. Neither was skilled at strategic thinking, and this sudden, unexpected turn left them uncertain whether to accept. They were even more unsure whether accepting the surrender would ultimately benefit their side.
"What, are you afraid? Do you think taking Caren in means taking a spy? If you're worried, I can kill myself right here and now!"
The Oak Staff remained planted before him as Cu Chulainn used his foot to draw a Rune on the ground—a Rune capable of explosive combustion.
Once the runes detonated, he could complete his suicide.
At that moment, Caren expressionlessly extended her arm, revealing the three Command Spells on the back of her hand.
Though young and naive, Caren wasn't stupid. She understood why Cu Chulainn had surrendered, especially after he had once asked:
"Hey, Little Master, since the King of Knights' Queen is offering a reward, you should be able to claim it after we withdraw, right? Maybe ask her to find a way to fix your constitution and take care of you until you're grown up?"
"Caster, I command you with a Command Spell: Fight to the death with all your might!"
When Kirei Kotomine chose to send Caren into battle, he had already foreseen the consequences—nothing more than the current scenario. Given Cu Chulainn's weakness as a Caster, he believed it was impossible for him to defeat Mordred.
Naturally, Caren's decision also aligned with his expectations. His child might be young, burdened by her mother's death, abandoned by her father, and raised with flawed teachings by the Holy Church, but her pride remained formidable.
Thus, the battle resumed, with Cu Chulainn bolstered by Caren's Command Spell.
His weapon became even more refined, his staff transforming into a spear. Amidst their entangled clash, Cu Chulainn even managed to fix Runes in mid-air, capable of unleashing explosive flames in a 360-degree radius.
Occasionally, massive hands woven from oak would emerge from the flames, attempting to crush Mordred with brute force.
Aside from the Noble Phantasms requiring preparation time, Cu Chulainn was truly giving it his all.
Slashes, slashes, and Mana Burst-enhanced slashes! Under Mordred's sword, Cu Chulainn's spear techniques gained no advantage. His explosive flames were shattered by the wind pressure of her slashes, and his oak hands were cleaved into splinters.
Yet, unnoticed, a different set of Runes began to spread across Mordred's silver-and-crimson armor.
These Runes weren't for explosive flames, but for sheer heat. Cu Chulainn aimed to roast her alive inside her armor, but mere heat proved ineffective against her Magic Resistance.
"Mordred-senpai!" Sakura called out.
"I'm fine, Sakura," Mordred replied.
Sakura sought to kill scum like the Old Worm, but she had no intention of using Magecraft to kill Caren, who, despite her icy expression, seemed pitiful and vulnerable.
Otherwise, given the vast difference in their Magecraft and Mystic Codes, Sakura could have instantly eliminated Cu Chulainn with a single strike while Mordred kept him occupied.
"Mordred-senpai, that Noble Phantasm..."
"No need—wait, you shameless bastard!"
Mordred held back Cu Chulainn, which, conversely, meant Cu Chulainn was holding back Mordred. This created an opening for someone to target Sakura.
Mana Burst erupted, and a sword pressure crackling with red lightning slashed through the air, only to be blocked by a massive hand summoned by Cu Chulainn.
But the next moment, Mordred breathed a sigh of relief.
Without activating her Magecraft Mystic Code, a pitch-black shadow enveloped Sakura's body, effortlessly swallowing the 'Finger Bullet' fired at her.
Imaginary Numbers Magecraft allows its users to pierce the dimensional rift, accessing the imaginary space—a realm that doesn't exist but is believed to exist.
In its most basic form, this magecraft manifests as a shadow-like Space Magecraft, capable of binding targets upon contact and devouring them into a spatial pocket within the 'shadow.'
In essence, anything that falls into the shadow is devoured by Sakura.
"Ugh... Aaaaaah!!!!"
It was a 'Finger Bullet'—a projectile made from a human finger. For Sakura, who had been sheltered by Guinevere since childhood and had never witnessed such darkness, this was too much.
But her shock lasted only an instant. If it was just human fingers, it paled in comparison to the psychological scars left by witnessing Kariya Matou's descent into the Worm Pit—shadows that still lingered in her heart.
As the 'Finger Bullet' was spat out by the shadow, Sakura's pale face turned to the motorcycle that had stopped nearby.
Her gaze, filled with murderous intent, locked onto the burly, grotesque man with claw-like scars across his face who had just fired at her.
"Berserker, I knew it! If the King of Knights and Queen Guinevere dared to let their adopted daughter roam freely, she couldn't possibly be taken down so easily."
"Greetings, Your Highness. I am Kairi Sisigou, one of the masters participating in this Great Holy Grail War. My apologies, but I am your enemy, and I desire the Holy Grail."
In his hands was the double-barreled shotgun he had just fired the 'Finger Bullet' from. As a bounty hunter and Necromancer, Kairi Sisigou had volunteered to join the war, his heart's true wish likely being the genuine resurrection of his deceased adopted daughter.
As for his Servant, he had summoned Mordred—a Mordred twisted by existing stories, born not from historical reality but from literary fiction.
She was the rebellious knight etched in the public's imagination, her Class: Berserker!