Karna looked at Artoria, who held the Holy Spear before him, with some astonishment. His mouth opened and closed slightly, but he couldn't say a word.
After knowing that the opponent was not the real Ruler, he thought that the powerful warrior was of the Saber class, after all, she was holding the Holy Sword.
But to his surprise, this divine being was actually of the Lancer class!
The sense of deterrence she gave him when holding the long spear was far greater than when she held the Holy Sword!
Oh, no, perhaps this divine being, like the Assassin next to her, possesses the extremely rare skill 'Double Summon', which is why she can use both the Holy Spear and the Holy Sword.
He never considered the possibility that the opponent was actually not a Heroic Spirit, but a divine entity descended in its true form.
Are you kidding!
King Arthur died long ago!
How could the opponent be the true form descended!
"Something's wrong," Amakusa Shirou Tokisada's expression grew darker. "That King Arthur still has issues."
"Even if there are issues, it's too late to figure out what that issue is." Karna cautiously spread the pre-prepared magical energy throughout his body, allowing himself to fight the opponent at full strength.
"Father, you had better stay far away; the aftermath of the battle is not something you can withstand," Karna reminded him coldly.
If he hadn't already known that this was Karna's personality, Amakusa Shirou Tokisada would have almost thought the other party was mocking him.
"It really makes one feel unpleasant," Semiramis frowned, dropped this sentence, and quickly moved to the periphery with Amakusa Shirou Tokisada.
Karna, who had spoken his true thoughts, did not care much about Semiramis's response.
After all, he was used to this kind of scene.
Perhaps everyone except himself dislikes hearing the truth.
"King Arthur, I am no longer the same person who fought you a few days ago."
Karna pointed his divine spear at Artoria, "So, do not fight me with a playful mindset anymore; please give it your all!"
That sounded rather embarrassing.
Artoria coughed a few times in embarrassment, then slowly raised her Holy Lance.
"Since you've said as much, come, Hero of Charity, Karna."
"Fair and square!"
As Karna lunged at Artoria, the Holy Lance in Artoria's hand suddenly emitted several dazzling bolts of lightning.
Mana Burst?
Karna felt the powerful lightning strikes hitting his body, yet he continued his lunge.
I can take it!
In any case, let's end this quickly!
This Holy Grail War is getting stranger and stranger the more we fight.
The moment the divine spear and the Holy Lance collided, Karna knew he had been overconfident again.
Why fight in close quarters instead of using a proper Anti-Divine Noble Phantasm!
In his status panel, although the Noble Phantasm's power had become EX, his durability had decreased.
These few clashes almost made him vomit blood internally.
"What is this!" Amidst the aftermath of the lightning, Semiramis kept leaping away with Amakusa Shirou Tokisada.
Later, the shockwave from the two spears colliding sent them both flying.
"That is way too far beyond the norm, those two." Semiramis climbed up from the ground, looking up in disarray at the distant Karna and Artoria who were in the midst of a fierce battle, and muttered.
"People... ah, I finally understand." Amakusa Shirou Tokisada looked at Artoria as if he had realized something, "That person did not descend in the form of a Servant, but as a divine entity itself."
"Eh? A divine entity?" Semiramis, who was by his side, looked at Amakusa Shirou Tokisada in surprise, "Shirou, are you mistaken about something? If she really were a divine entity, then she wouldn't be King Arthur."
"King Arthur was not a deity during her lifetime, nor did she have the opportunity to become one."
"If my speculation is correct, it should be because of that spear." Amakusa Shirou Tokisada stared intently at the Holy Lance in Artoria's hand, "Legend says that when King Arthur became King, she pulled out the sword of selection, Caliburn, but later, in an unfair duel, that sword shattered, and she later replaced it with the Holy Sword."
"But that spear... it should be the spear that pierced Mordred at Calamity Hill, yet there are very few legends about that spear."
"It seems now that the mystery of that spear is likely no less than that of the Holy Sword."
"And King Arthur's transformation is likely related to that spear as well." Amakusa Shirou Tokisada frowned deeply, "The question I am more concerned about now is another one."
"If the one standing here is King Arthur descended as her true self, then why does she still possess the Holy Sword that should have long been returned?"
"I can't figure it out, I really can't figure it out." Amakusa Shirou Tokisada held his head in conflict and muttered in a low voice.
Now everything has exceeded his estimations.
Did the 'Lord' provide such a difficult trial just to prevent him from achieving his goal?
Doesn't that mean that once he overcomes this trial, his achievement will be undeniable by anyone?
"By the command spells, Lancer, release your full power and bring me victory!"
With the mentality of a gambler, Amakusa Shirou Tokisada used up all his command spells at once to strengthen Karna's combat power.
"It is time." Karna, feeling all his injuries recover in an instant and his mana reach the limit of what he could contain, suddenly leapt up and hovered high in the sky, "Let's see if you can survive this Noble Phantasm of mine, Divine King Arthur!"
"Realize the mercy of the King of Gods."
"Indra, watch closely."
"Extinction, in this one thrust."
"Burn completely!"
"O Sun, Abide by Death (Vasavi Shakti)—!"
The concentration of mana in the air instantly rose to a level where even modern-day Magus could not survive.
Amakusa Shirou Tokisada felt a painful sensation of being unable to breathe for a moment, but fortunately, Semiramis by his side helped him alleviate this pain in time.
"That is the spear that kills in one strike, capable of slaying even gods..."
The golden armor began to dissolve and then restructured itself.
"A divine spear that can kill even gods." Artoria felt the divine spear rising and her face remained without a ripple.
She held the Holy Lance before her eyes, feeling the mutual attraction between the Holy Lance and the mana within her body.
Under her pair of Clairvoyance eyes, the future had already begun to manifest.
'Protection of the End'
Block that attack meant to strike at divine entities completely outside the 'End of the World'!
Inside the castle, Fiore's face turned pale upon seeing this phenomenon.
The other Magus also put on masks of pain, squatting or lying down with uncomfortable expressions, reacting instinctively to protect themselves.
Only Daniel felt uncomfortable for just a moment, and then he adapted to this concentration of mana that was difficult for modern people to survive in.
"This is fucking interesting." Mordred scratched her head, looking at her master who was about to pass out, and then looked helplessly at Morgan, "Can you save him?"
As a second-rate Magus and first-rate magic user in the wild, Shishigou Kairi really had no means to deal with the current situation.
Looking at the homunculus next to him who was acting like nothing happened... one can only say that it is worthy of being used as a battery; it's tough enough.
Morgan pouted, but still extended a finger and tapped Shishigou Kairi between his eyebrows.
Immediate effect!
The painful expression on Shishigou Kairi's face disappeared immediately; only the cold sweat on his face reminded him that what just happened was definitely not an illusion.
"...What breed of human are you?" Looking around, Shishigou Kairi finally couldn't help but look at Daniel, the only normal human present who seemed unaffected.
"I suspect you are slandering me." Daniel rolled his eyes in annoyance.
"Truly a spectacular strike." Morgan looked at the sky outside the window that had completely turned into Karna's color and remarked, "If not for the protection of the Holy Lance, even my foolish sister would likely not be able to take that strike without injury."
"Sigh—" Jeanne sighed helplessly, then walked out of the castle. Not long after, a hemispherical transparent defensive barrier protected the castle.
Luminosite Eternelle—!
This was her second time using her Noble Phantasm to defend against the aftermath of someone else's attack.
"Do you need me to tell her that I had already set up a defensive barrier to block the impact at the very first moment?" Morgan turned her head and asked Daniel.
"...Better not say it; it's too discouraging." Daniel twitched his mouth and replied.
Although he didn't know if Morgan had actually set up a defensive barrier, he would absolutely not place his hope on this unpredictable older sister Magus.
"I almost thought I was going to die just now." Celenike finally caught her breath, looked at the members of the Ruler Faction who had no adverse reactions with some suspicion and uncertainty, and couldn't help but swallow her saliva.
The Yggdmillennia Clan is too weak. If she were to switch sides now and jump to the opposing faction, would it still be in time?
She never considered whether the other side would accept her, a Magus of the curse school.
On another battlefield, Achilles also wiped the sweat from his forehead with a look of lingering fear.
Just as Karna was releasing his Noble Phantasm, he and Chiron stopped fighting simultaneously.
The aftermath of that Noble Phantasm could kill them.
Both battle-hardened heroes of the Age of Gods could feel this.
But there was still one way to prevent these two heroes of the Age of Gods from dying to an unknown AOE.
Achilles Cosmos—!
Diatrekhon Aster Lonkhe—!
Achilles used his barrier Noble Phantasm to keep himself and Chiron within this one-on-one arena.
"Hahaha, Teacher, don't call me despicable. If I hadn't used these two Noble Phantasms, one of us master and disciple would definitely have died in the aftermath of that unknown AOE just now." Achilles scratched his head embarrassedly and looked at Chiron to explain.
"Understandable, and acceptable." Chiron nodded and replied, "Although I cannot leave here unless I kill you completely, as long as I fight a war of attrition with you, I will eventually be able to wait until you are powerless and completely exit, so it's not a problem."
"You are really excessively calm." Achilles twitched his mouth and then set up his close-combat stance, "Come on, Teacher, let me show you my current level of close combat!"
"Don't talk as if others haven't improved since their lifetime, Achilles." After silently apologizing to his master a few times in his heart, Chiron also set up the same stance.
When it comes to martial arts, he firmly believes that he will never lose to his disciple!
No matter how big the disciple's reputation becomes!
Of course, except for that bastard Heracles!
---
The earth turned into a patch of charred remains.
This was the scene presented before everyone after the aftermath of Karna's Noble Phantasm gradually dissipated.
Nothing could be seen except charred remains, no soil or rocks.
Even those Dragon Tooth Soldiers and magic dolls that were originally galloping on the battlefield had vanished completely.
Only the heroic Queen remained unscathed, not even a speck of dust on her armor.
"...Protection of the World." Karna looked at Artoria with a face as dark as water, his voice becoming weak.
Just now, after that Noble Phantasm, he not only exhausted his golden armor and most of his mana, but even his physical strength had declined.
His status panel data had been further reduced.
And the other party... looked as if only a breeze had blown by.
She didn't suffer a single injury, and it looked like she hadn't even lost a bit of stamina.
How the hell is one supposed to fight this!
This is an opponent at a level that makes Heroic Spirits despair!
Especially since the opponent also has the Protection of the World; this is a spear to kill gods specifically targeting him!
A feeling of unwillingness welled up in his heart for the first time in a long while.
"It is about time." Artoria smiled slightly, and then the Holy Sword replaced the Holy Lance.
There was no other way; if she used the Holy Lance to release her Noble Phantasm, this land, which had already turned to charred remains, would likely have an artificial sinkhole appear on the spot.
"Karna, feel the light!"
"Excalibur—!"
"Oh no!" Behind Karna, Amakusa Shirou Tokisada, who was also within the range of the Holy Sword's Noble Phantasm, had an expression of astonishment on his face.
If I had known, I would have run to the sides!
Semiramis noticed this immediately and tried to run away, dragging Amakusa Shirou Tokisada with her.
But the result was that she couldn't pull him.
Semiramis turned her head to look at Amakusa Shirou Tokisada.
"No, that's enough." Amakusa Shirou Tokisada had an expression of 'I'm tired, just let it be destroyed', "After losing Karna, we have completely lost our trump card to compete with the Black Faction, not to mention the Ruler Faction with their devious schemes. In this round, we have been completely defeated."
Semiramis blinked her eyes, feeling that what her master said seemed to be correct.
So she also gave up on fleeing, obediently squatting beside Amakusa Shirou Tokisada, watching the golden light particles gathering not far away, and the brilliant golden light cannon that suddenly erupted.
"It's really beautiful."
As she disappeared into the light, Semiramis murmured.
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