Looking at Saber split breastplate, Lancer felt momentarily hollow.
It wasn't that Lancer was such a gentleman that he wanted to strip his opponent in battle; it was purely out of disappointment with his previous attack. He had originally planned to settle the fight right then and there—after all, trump cards are meant for one-hit kills.
But just as Lancer quip implied, Saber "All A" stats had become an advantage, causing Lancer blade to only graze her without causing any actual wound. It was unclear if Lancer was lamenting her luck or something else.
However, disappointment was just disappointment. He braced his weapon and launched another charge.
The dark-red spear thrust forward. Even with her chest armor ruined, Saber remained calm, parrying every blow with her "Holy Sword"—or rather, "Magic Sword." The friction between spear and blade sent countless sparks flying, but as the exchange continued, Lancer movements became smoother, while Saber was forced back step by step.
Yet even so, Lancer felt no joy. From the start of the fight, he had been staring into her eyes, and he saw no trace of fear or retreat in them.
An average person might think Saber had lost all emotion after being corrupted by the black mud, but having fought Assassin, Archer, and Berserker, Lancer could sense the hesitation and resolve within their weapons. Saber was likely no exception.
Even though Lancer was on the offensive, Saber defense was airtight, showing no signs of collapse. One couldn't even tell who had the upper hand; Lancer even suspected she was letting him attack on purpose to drain his stamina.
Clang!
With another clash of weapons, Lancer actually took a proactive step back, giving up his offensive position.
This strange move made even Saber pause for a second, but she didn't say anything and moved to reclaim the initiative. But at that moment, she suddenly leaped backward—and it was lucky she did, or she would have been caught in what came next.
A dazzling burst of fire appeared right where she had been about to step. A terrifying explosion sent a shockwave through the air.
"Caster?"
At Saber voice, Cu Chulainn appeared behind Lancer, staff in hand and smiling.
"Ho ho~ Saber, it's not right to forget about me during a fight~"
Saber couldn't possibly have forgotten Caster. Before this, she had defeated and converted everyone's Servants, but Cu Chulainn alone had escaped. How could she forget him?
But what were they planning? To stall for time? Didn't they know that the longer time passed, the more the advantage shifted to her?
She glanced at the "Greater Grail" behind her, which was nearly complete. Just her mana recovery rate alone was several times theirs. What were they doing? Had they given up?
Saber expression grew even more serious.
If they gave up, then who would stop that man?
Whether out of disappointment or because negative emotions were clouding her mind, the magical crests on her face grew darker...
What was he doing? Lancer wasn't entirely sure himself, but his intuition told him he had to do this. Because when he thought about it, the Servants they had encountered earlier were actually a bit "strange."
He didn't know about Rider, as he'd seen Cu finish him from a distance. Assassin had been silent, but he couldn't be used as a reference since the various Hassans were always the silent type. But the others were different.
The last thing Archer said before "death" was: "Unknown Servant, I'm counting on you. You must save... Sab... er..." Clearly, he didn't fight for Saber because he was controlled. And when Lancer was keeping Berserker busy, Cu and Mash took down Lancer (Medusa). Afterward, Mash had specifically asked Lancer: "Why did Lancer call out for 'Sakura' before dying? Did she have an obsession with cherry blossoms?"
Then there was Berserker, who stubbornly remained outside Fuyuki City's urban area, at the site of the Einzbern Castle in the Fuyuki forest...
All these clues seemed to point to one thing: perhaps the Servants Saber "killed" weren't simply controlled by black mud. It was highly likely they were assisting Saber voluntarily.
So what was Saber goal? Or rather, what was the goal of the other Servants?
Lancer didn't know, but he had a bold guess.
The most basic method of summoning a Servant in the Holy Grail War is "compatibility." In reality, very few Masters actually rely on compatibility, but the Fifth Holy Grail War was an "accident."
Because of the disastrous end of the Fourth War, the Fifth War's Servants were slightly stronger on average, but the Masters were much worse. Almost none of them had prepared a Holy Catalyst.
As for Tohsaka and Archer (EMIYA)? Lancer preferred to believe the jewel was just a mana source and the catalyst was the key; no matter what was on the magic circle, EMIYA was coming out.
Illya, a girl who lost her parents at a young age, gained Berserker as a guardian—one who eventually surpassed his own myth to protect her.
Medusa was jokingly called the moon's #1 Sakura-con. While it was a joke, the fact that she sincerely cared for and protected the girl who summoned her—even after being controlled by Shinji's "Book of the False Attendant"—showed how deep their compatibility was.
So, the commonality between them and Saber was self-evident—their respective regrets from the Fifth Holy Grail War.
However, Lancer felt this regret probably had nothing to do with the "Shirou Emiya" .
Even though Shirou was the protagonist, in terms of the endings, the true heroine should be Sakura, the second being Rin. Saber just had high popularity, which is why their relationship drew more attention. Plus, Shirou wasn't the type of person who was "easy on himself but strict with others" or just talked. He had already proven his choice with his own "future." To him, Saber was more like a comrade or even a guide. Even if their bond was deep, it couldn't be much more than what she had with the Knights of the Round Table.
So what made her so obsessed?
Changing history!
Saber wish had never changed since her appearance!
Her goal was to change the "past" that had not only hurt her but also countless others.
Saber alone might not be able to affect this timeline or create a "Singularity," but Lancer knew the mastermind behind the so-called "Singularity."
It all seemed to be coming together.
Saber still hoped to fulfill her wish and was thus used by Lev. The other Servants were likely the same. Eventually, this timeline became a Singularity.
But at the same time, the suspicions surrounding Saber grew. If his deductions were correct, then her attitude was the problem. At the very least, she didn't seem like a puppet completely controlled by Lev. She had clearly held back while fighting Mash. The reason was likely that she recognized her own din—Round Table.
Synthesizing all the intel Lancer had gathered—Saber might not have known Lev was a problem at first, but by now, she had likely realized something was wrong.
But in the end, this was just Lancer guesswork. He had no evidence to prove his point. More troublesome still, he couldn't just ask her. If his deduction was right, she was likely waiting for a chance to defect. If he spoke up, wouldn't he be exposing her directly?
'What a pain.'