The Knight King's sword never wavered for even a moment—its holy blade, a supreme weapon strong enough to vanquish the enemies of the stars! Blood splattered through the air, an amputated arm reflected in the gemstone-like eyes of Alaric.
The roaring sound of divine thunder grew closer, the bellow of the sacred bull echoing both reverence for the great god Zeus and the conquest of all mortal things!
Even after witnessing Artoria sever Alaric's arm, the King of Conquerors, Iskandar, did not halt his advance. Instead, he urged on the Gordias Wheel as it rumbled toward Alaric.
Even though Kayneth El-Melloi Archibald, his fiancée Sola, and Little Red Riding Hood were still within the attack's range, it seemed as if they were all about to be trampled together!
Step, step.
Surpassing even the speed of divine thunder, Diarmuid Ua Duibhne—renowned for his swiftness even among Lancers—moved faster than the Gordias Wheel itself, managing to carry Kayneth and the others away just in time!
Alaric, unable to spare any attention from Diarmuid and his group, fixed his gaze on the Knight King, Artoria.
This time, Artoria showed him a ruthless and decisive side—her conduct as cold and relentless as that of a dragon.
Once she deemed someone an enemy, her attack was swift and merciless, like a thunderclap.
The sword strike that severed his arm was nothing short of perfect.
But that alone—
"A mere missing arm is not enough to affect me!"
Alaric's fist, infused with radiant energy, suddenly crashed into Artoria's chest. The chest plate adorned with the blue knight's emblem shattered into dust under the force of the blow, allowing Alaric's punch to strike directly against her body!
Even with her instinctive foresight warning her, Artoria neither dodged nor attempted to evade the attack!
But because of this strike, Alaric lost his final chance to escape the Gordias Wheel's attack!
Boom!
Struck head-on by Alaric's punch, Artoria was sent flying, crashing straight into the ruins of the Hyatt Hotel.
Almost simultaneously, the Gordias Wheel, wreathed in countless divine thunderbolts, collided with Alaric. The surging lightning was a symbol of the great god Zeus.
A terrifying explosion erupted in the streets, the raging divine lightning scorching the ground and buildings, leaving behind charred remnants and even melting some materials!
Alaric, who had taken the Gordias Wheel's direct hit, seized the severed arm that had been cut off by the Excalibur as he was flung like a cannonball down the long concrete road.
The supposedly solid concrete rippled like waves under the inhuman impact, shattering in sections and melting under the relentless divine lightning!
Cars were sent flying, their bodies pierced by the divine lightning, their fuel tanks detonating in bursts of searing fire.
Within mere seconds, the entire street had become a sea of flames.
"This guy is seriously tough—"
Iskandar, riding atop the Gordias Wheel, looked on in astonishment. The figure standing amidst the inferno remained unaffected by the raging flames, which could do nothing but bow before him in silence.
Alaric, gripping his severed arm, stood amid the burning wasteland. He raised an eyebrow as he looked at Iskandar and the dazed Waver Velvet.
Since Iskandar had not yet unleashed his Noble Phantasm's true power, the Gordias Wheel's attack dealt him only negligible injuries—ones that could be healed in mere breaths.
Meanwhile, Artoria's figure reappeared from the ruins of the Hyatt Hotel. Even after taking Alaric's punch head-on, beyond her shattered chestplate, she appeared unharmed.
In contrast, Alaric had suffered the loss of an arm at Artoria's blade and now faced both her and Iskandar—seemingly at a disadvantage.
"Knight, can you still fight?"
Iskandar tightened his grip on the reins and looked at the one-armed Alaric. "Saber and I have joined forces. Are you sure you want to keep fighting us both?"
Iskandar did not attempt to disguise his alliance with Saber, openly stating it in an attempt to make Alaric reconsider.
Seeing Iskandar's attitude, Alaric became even more curious—what circumstances had led a man of Iskandar's temperament to join forces with Artoria?
Was it merely for Irisviel?
Just as Alaric pondered this, Artoria, now free from the hotel's ruins, stepped toward him.
"Return Irisviel to us, and I will refrain from making you my enemy—for now."
Artoria, largely unscathed, locked eyes with Alaric. Her emerald gaze radiated regal authority, and the fleeting presence of draconic might had been but a brief glimpse.
"You think just cutting off my arm is enough to make you this confident?"
Unfazed, Alaric faced the two kings with a smile. His expanding perception failed to detect Artoria's Master, Kiritsugu Emiya.
Clearly, after the dangers of the previous night, Kiritsugu would no longer appear near Alaric and was instead observing from a great distance.
As a result, the only Master Alaric could sense in this area was Kayneth.
However, the presence of Servants was steadily increasing—Alaric could even feel the magical energy of Berserker—Lancelot.
Although Assassin's magical presence remained undetected, Alaric was certain they existed.
The Assassin summoned by Kirei Kotomine was Hundred-Faced Hassan, a being capable of splitting into over a hundred independent entities.
Scattering throughout Fuyuki for reconnaissance was the perfect strategy.
Beyond that, Gilgamesh seemed uninterested in this battle—or perhaps had yet to make his entrance.
After a brief moment of thought, Alaric was about to speak to Artoria and Iskandar when—
A frenzied surge of magical energy was accompanied by a furious roar, undeterred even by the raging inferno.
A shadowed knight emerged from the flames.
"Sir Lancelot?"
Once again, Alaric found himself in a familiar scenario—he could perceive the hostility emanating from the Berserked Lancelot.
More importantly, both Artoria and Iskandar displayed no surprise at Lancelot's appearance or his enmity toward Alaric.
It was as if they had expected it.
A rather interesting thought surfaced in Alaric's mind.
Artoria, Iskandar, and Lancelot—three knightly Servants—and their Masters had formed an alliance, all for the sake of defeating him.
Aside from his Servant, Merlin, and Tokiomi Tohsaka's Gilgamesh and Hundred-Faced Hassan, Alaric was effectively facing half of the Holy Grail War's Servants alone—and not just any Servants, but some of the most powerful ones.
Realizing this, Alaric casually pressed his severed arm against his wound.
The arm, severed by Artoria's Excalibur, had long since stopped bleeding, leaving behind an unnaturally smooth cut.
This made reattachment remarkably easy. As Alaric pressed the severed limb to his wound, a look of confusion and concern flashed across the faces of Artoria and Iskandar.
Reattaching a severed limb, regenerating it, or healing such a grievous wound should require high-tier magecraft or the effect of a Noble Phantasm.
Artoria herself would have needed Avalon to achieve such regeneration.
If even the Knight King lacked such an ability in her normal state, Iskandar certainly didn't possess it either.
'Does he have a healing-type Noble Phantasm?!'
The moment Artoria saw Alaric attempting to reattach his arm, she instinctively assumed he possessed a healing-type Noble Phantasm—
Could it be Avalon?!
She knew that her scabbard resided within Irisviel's body. But since Irisviel had been taken by Alaric, forcefully extracting Avalon was not impossible!
Her thoughts racing, and Artoria's eyes narrowed.
She would not allow Alaric to recover.
Without hesitation, she lunged forward at full speed!
The blue-and-white battle skirt clashed crisply like colliding metal plates, yet the petite figure had already left it far behind.
A streak of light, nearly forming a straight trajectory—once again, the King of Knights, Artoria, swung her sword at Alaric!
At the same time, as if moving with the tacit understanding of a king and vassal, Lancelot, positioned behind Alaric, dashed forward like a hunting leopard the moment Artoria burst forth.
Seeing this harmonious collaboration between King and Knight, Alaric's lips curled into a faint smile.
The only reason Lancelot would fight alongside Artoria was undoubtedly due to Zouken Matou's orders—Kariya Matou himself lacked the authority to make such a decision.
However, regardless of whose will orchestrated this alliance, its fragility was inevitable, especially when it involved Lancelot and Artoria as a pair—
"Look, Sir Lancelot! Isn't that King Arthur?"
Alaric subtly shifted sideways, dramatically pointing at the approaching Artoria. Though his words never reached Lancelot's ears—
The knight's gaze reflected a face he could never forget for as long as he lived.
A visage that even madness could not erase—the face of the king, his final obsession.
"Aaaarthuuurrrr!!"
The agonized howl of the Knight of the Lake rang out. His accelerating form disregarded his Master's command and even ignored Alaric himself, charging straight toward the one and only King of Knights!
"What?!"
Seeing Berserker rushing toward her, Artoria—who hadn't heard Alaric's reference to Berserker—could only perceive a nameless, black-shrouded knight.
At that moment, the fragile alliance shattered. Yet, realizing this, Artoria did not halt her advance. Behind her, lightning surged, accompanied by the roaring of divine bulls as the chariot wheels rolled forward once more.
Though only acquainted for barely half a day, the two kings displayed remarkable coordination—or perhaps, an unspoken tactical understanding.
Upon the approaching Gordias Wheel, a desperate cry rang out:
"Berserker's Master! This isn't what we agreed on!!"
"Hold on tight, kid!"
Iskandar grinned as he pulled the reins, his gaze locked onto Berserker, who had been further consumed by madness due to Artoria's presence.
Thud, thud.
As Berserker, ignoring Alaric, charged toward her, Artoria sidestepped at the last moment, allowing Iskandar to drive the Gordias Wheel straight over Berserker!
Yet at that very instant, as if anticipating Artoria's movements, Berserker's unparalleled combat instincts—unfazed even in madness—shone through.
A streetlamp, seized from who-knows-where, became a weapon in Berserker's grasp, swinging toward Artoria!
Knight of Owner.
Rank: A
Type: Anti-Personnel Noble Phantasm
Effect: Grants any weapon held the properties of a personal Noble Phantasm. Regardless of its original form, it becomes at least equivalent to a Rank D Noble Phantasm.
With the class bonus of Berserker, Lancelot had become an unstoppable force!
"Aaaarthuuurrrr!!"
If Artoria Pendragon was a knight whose martial prowess had reached godhood, then Lancelot, the Knight of the Lake, had ascended to the pinnacle of the Round Table in terms of sheer skill!
Yet this time, the knight driven by obsession could not raise his blade against his sworn king. Instead, another king stood in his path—
The King of Conquerors, Iskandar!
The Gordias Wheel roared forward, colliding directly with the black-shrouded Knight of the Lake the moment he attacked Artoria. Without stopping for even a second, it trampled over him and crushed onward into the distance!
Leaving the battlefield to Artoria and Alaric.
Now, without the weakness of a Master to hold her back, Artoria showed no hesitation in raising her blade against Alaric!
Yet due to this small interlude, Alaric successfully diverted his magical power into his life force, activating his body's formidable regeneration—reattaching severed limbs in mere moments!
With no decline in his condition, Alaric raised his hand like a blade, directly meeting Artoria's Excalibur, obscured by its invisible wind barrier.
Using both hands, he clamped down on the holy sword, preventing it from advancing further!
'He can see my sword?!'
There was no hesitation in Alaric's movements—his calm determination instantly made Artoria realize that he not only knew Excalibur's shape but was intimately familiar with it.
He had committed the form of Excalibur to memory!
Momentarily shocked, Artoria tried to withdraw her sword. However, at this moment, her strength was inferior to Alaric's—she couldn't even pull Excalibur free!
"Are you ready?"
Alaric's voice carried a playful tone.
A chill ran down Artoria's spine. Her instincts screamed a warning.
Almost reflexively, she prepared to unleash the Invisible Air, activating Strike Air to force Alaric back.
But Alaric was faster. He abruptly released Excalibur, closing the distance between them in an instant—
And seized both of Artoria's hands gripping the sword!
Just as Artoria's instincts had warned her, Li Ye also sensed the impending threat of Strike Air.
That blast of wind had slain even Heracles once—let alone Alaric.
At this range, if it hit, he would suffer devastating injuries!
Two knights, both possessing supreme intuition, now faced each other at their peaks!
With their proximity, Alaric could almost feel Artoria's breath, warm against his face, carrying a faint, delicate fragrance.
Yet neither had the luxury of distraction.
Alaric's sudden approach had interrupted Artoria's attempt to unleash Strike Air.
His grip tightened—his overwhelming force nearly wrenched Excalibur from Artoria's grasp!
But Artoria would not go down easily. Though she lacked the raw strength to match Alaric, her refined combat technique was unparalleled.
Even unarmed, she would not lose!
In an instant, Artoria raised her leg and drove her knee fiercely toward Alaric's abdomen!
At the same moment, Alaric countered with his powerful knee strike!
BAM!
A thunderous impact sent both warriors flying in opposite directions.
Yet in midair, they swiftly adjusted their postures, landing and immediately charging toward each other once more.
But then—
A third figure shattered their rhythm.
A crimson and golden spear sliced through the air, hurtling toward Alaric!
From the corner of his eye, Alaric caught sight of the attacker—
Lancer, Diarmuid Ua Duibhne!
After escorting Kayneth and his group from the battlefield, and under Kayneth's firm orders, Diarmuid had reclaimed his twin spears and returned—to fight alongside Saber, Artoria, against their common foe!
Though Diarmuid saw this as disgraceful and dishonorable, he could not defy his Master's command.
"Lancer?!"
Artoria was momentarily surprised but quickly resumed her assault on Alaric.
No matter what, Alaric had to fall here!
Not just for Irisviel, but also for Merlin and Alaric himself—
A low hum filled the air.
The Gate of Holy Judgment expanded once more, summoning over a dozen portals, locking onto both Diarmuid Ua Duibhne and Artoria!
A hail of divine weapons rained down.
Though unlikely to strike them directly, the indiscriminate barrage was enough to hinder their advance!
Faced with the Holy Judgment unleashed by Alaric, the two individuals couldn't ignore it and were forced to split their attention to counteract it!
Taking advantage of this opportunity, Alaric suddenly accelerated, closing the distance between himself and Artoria once again. He even appeared right behind her!
Tap. Tap.
"Got you!"
Seizing the perfect moment, Alaric thrust his hand forward, aiming to grab Artoria's neck in an attempt to subdue the King of Knights in one swift move!
However, Artoria, equipped with her keen instinct, effortlessly ducked down. The height difference that already existed between them became even more pronounced at this moment, allowing her to completely evade what should have been an inescapable strike from Alaric.
Pop!
But as something ended up in Alaric's grasp, it was quietly plucked away under the influence of an irresistible force.
"Oh no."
Realizing that he might have grabbed something he definitely shouldn't have, Alaric opened his fingers to take a look—
It was a single strand of golden hair, standing tall atop Artoria's head, a symbol of her majesty as the King of Knights, and the very essence of the dragon's reverse scale. (Joke)
Almost instantly, a chilling aura erupted violently.
When the King of Knights raised her gaze once more, her familiar emerald-green eyes had turned into a cold, pale gold.
This was the side of her that no longer restrained her power—a merciless, cold-hearted tyrant of dragons.
PS: If you pull Artoria's ahoge, she will become Salter, right?