Fuyuki Shinto Port, warehouse district.
At night, this area was nearly deserted, with dim streetlights casting shadows that made the scene feel even more empty. Remote, spacious, and quiet—it was the perfect location for a duel between Servants.
The magnificent silver knight stood beneath the moonlight. Gawain, who should have been invincible in daylight, didn't retreat even in darkness, deliberately revealing his presence as if issuing a challenge.
The Knight of the Round Table, holding the strongest class [Saber], was extending an invitation to the other Servants of the Holy Grail War with his dignified stance.
How powerful was Gawain at night? This was something everyone wondered about.
The answer was that even at night, Gawain ranked among the top-tier Heroic Spirits in the Throne. During internal sparring matches of the Round Table in his lifetime, Gawain at night had maintained a perfect record against Mordred. Even in simulated nighttime battles with exceptional fighters like Tristan and Percival, the outcomes had been evenly matched.
Gawain during daylight was an extraordinary Heroic Spirit; Gawain at night still remained among the elite of the first-class standards. Because of this, his Master Kayneth had decided there was no need to limit their battles to daytime.
However, when Gawain saw who appeared before him, he couldn't help losing his composure.
A noble and elegant figure with golden long hair shining in the moonlight. A powerful physique that rivaled any man's (from Gawain's perspective). And in hand, a white lance overflowing with mystery.
This knight who, in Gawain's eyes, radiated brilliance, was none other than the king he had served in the past, Artoria Pendragon.
The Sun Knight's holy sword began to tremble. Clearly, his will to fight had disappeared.
Gawain's hesitation wasn't from lacking the courage to raise his weapon against a former lord, nor from believing he couldn't match the undefeated king. Though Gawain was a confident and determined knight, this was only within the context of the Round Table. In his heart, the King remained an extraordinary, perfect figure; what truly held him back were his own inner doubts.
"You must be Saber," the knight of the Holy Lance said.
"...Yes." Gawain lifted his head, nodding automatically. "That's right. I am Saber."
Inwardly, he wondered if his King meant to address him here. Did she intend to reprimand him for failing to defeat the traitors during the rebellion? Did she wish to condemn him for drawing his sword against his rightful lord? The thoroughly confused Gawain looked toward his King. When their eyes met, he found not a trace of uncertainty in her gaze.
'...Ah.' Gawain felt a pang of sadness at his own immaturity. Yet simultaneously, he understood what she meant to convey through her expression. I see... the person standing here is no longer a Knight of the Round Table. As Saber, his duty was to serve not his former lord, but his Master, Lord Kayneth. The one who had made him understand this was her. Had he not encountered her first, an incomplete knight like himself would surely have been eliminated early in the Holy Grail War, bringing shame to the name of the Round Table.
'Ah... my King, your kindness remains unchanged after all these years. Even facing me as an enemy, you still correct my immaturity. Though we stand on opposite sides, you still guide me like the Milky Way illuminating the night. Thank you... my King!' he cried in his heart.
Gawain's expression brightened like the midday sun. He gripped his holy sword firmly and looked at Lancer with clear eyes.
"...Hey, Lancer. Don't you think this Saber is acting strange?" Irisviel stood behind Artoria and whispered. "Ever since he arrived, his expression keeps changing with these little twitches, and he's been muttering to himself... Could he be some kind of weirdo?"
Artoria calmly pressed her lips together. You get used to it, as she certainly had. The true strength of the Knights of the Round Table wasn't their fighting ability, but their talent for reading (or imagining) King Arthur's thoughts behind her stern, emotionless face.
"Words between us are unnecessary," Artoria said, releasing currents of air beneath her feet as her white armor materialized. She took several steps toward Gawain. "Saber, let our weapons do the talking."
"I couldn't agree more... However, please don't hold back just because it's night. Otherwise, the outcome will only bring shame to your glory."
Seeing Gawain's tone shift from hesitant to confident, Lancer's face also showed an expression of anticipation for battle.
"No, I have never underestimated your strength," she replied, releasing the massive magical energy hidden within her powerful body. The erupting power spiraled and coiled at the tip of the holy lance in her hand, creating whirlwind-like currents around her.
"Come, Saber. Let me extinguish your flames."
"Lancer... let us determine the victor fairly!"
Both knights stepped forward, crushing the concrete beneath their feet and kicking up debris as they charged toward each other. Accompanied by the sound of blades cutting through air, two pale shadows clashed in the darkness. The noble knights wielded their sword and spear at speeds no human eye could follow, each collision of their weapons echoing like thunder through the battlefield.
Irisviel, and the other magi' familiars hidden in the shadows, were all completely stunned by this battle that defied comprehension.
…
At the top of Fuyuki's tallest hotel, standing in the howling wind, Ryuuto used his enhanced vision to observe the duel between Artoria and the Sun Knight ten kilometers away. One floor below was the room belonging to Saber's Master, Kayneth. However, its owner was currently at the harbor area personally overseeing the battlefield, so even if he went downstairs now to "borrow" some items and tease the Lord's fiancée, no one would stop him.
"In close combat, Gawain seems to have the advantage, even at night," he observed while analyzing the battle. Normally, in direct combat between Artoria and Gawain, they should be evenly matched. But Kayneth's abilities as a magus far exceeded Kiritsugu's, and after becoming a Servant, the Saber class also received attribute bonuses.
From his perspective, Gawain and Artoria were trading blows, almost perfectly matched.
"...I see, so the Holy Lance can also use the Invisible Air. The lance was originally a wind-attribute Noble Phantasm, so the compatibility might be even better. Such a long lance would be much more dangerous than a two-handed sword once its appearance is concealed." Watching this high-level battle, he displayed his first serious expression since arriving in Fuyuki.
"Hey, fanatic. What do you think?" he asked while turning his head.
The twin-braided girl who had attacked him days ago was now respectfully kneeling on one knee behind him, wearing a deep blue swimsuit.
...
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