Artoria stepped onto the dirt of the field and approached Arthur.
"Oh? If I recall, you are Fuwa Kazuki's Queen, Artoria-san. Will you be my opponent now?"
"You wretch. If that is what you wish, I will cut you down as many times as it takes."
She spat the words out, venting the fury burning in her chest.
"Calling me a wretch is rather harsh."
Arthur gave a wry smile and pushed his glasses up with a finger.
"For someone who has agreed to a truce yet harms their allies, 'wretch' is more than sufficient. With these injuries, those girls may not be able to stand on the battlefield tomorrow. What do you intend to accomplish by deliberately reducing our forces?"
Asia would likely heal their physical wounds, but having been so thoroughly beaten down, the scars on their hearts might run far deeper.
"If they break from something of this level, they wouldn't be much of a fighting force anyway. They aren't necessary, and if it comes down to it, I could simply work hard enough to cover for their share, you know?"
At Arthur's words, Artoria's rage erupted. A golden aura rose from her form, and within it, her attire transformed into a blue combat dress as her armor equipped itself upon her body.
"Do not presume to decide their worth on your own! I shall shatter that arrogance with my blade!"
Gripping Invisible Air, she lunged at Arthur.
"Ngh!?... Heh heh heh, I expected you to be capable, but this is something else... This has become quite enjoyable."
Though visibly surprised by her invisible sword, Arthur laughed with delight.
"Keep prattling on to yourself, you battle maniac!"
Blown back by a horizontal slash, Arthur did not fall; instead righting his stance. Artoria closed the distance and brought her sword down once more.
However—
'This man—!'
Unfazed by the invisible slashes she unleashed, Arthur now handled them without being sent flying. They exchanged blows—ten, twenty strikes—yet she could find no opening.
'This man is not all talk. For a mere human to have mastered swordsmanship to this degree would have required training beyond the ordinary. That is precisely what makes this so regrettable. Why has his spirit become so warped!?'
After a fierce exchange, they used the recoil of their clash to put distance between them momentarily.
"...That sword?"
If he could cross blades with her to this extent, it could not be an ordinary Holy Sword.
"Collbrande. A heirloom passed down through my family for generations, it is ranked among the highest tier of Holy Swords."
"I see. No wonder it can clash with me without shattering. ...Such a waste. Possessing a top-class Holy Sword and the skill to match it, why are you so entranced by battle?"
She asked, a note of regret in her voice.
"Who can say...? I wanted to surpass my ancestor, King Arthur, and become the 'strongest Holy Sword wielder.' That's the thought that has driven me to continue swinging my blade... Whether I become entranced by battle or fall into the path of carnage, I don't care what becomes of me so long as I achieve that."
Arthur smiled as if mocking himself.
"Is that so... Then I shall ask no more. However, I cannot forgive you for harming my pupils—Wind!"
Wind erupted from Invisible Air.
"This is...!?"
The wind grew increasingly violent, a fierce gale swirling between them.
"You said you would surpass King Arthur. Then surpass this if you can!"
Artoria leaped high into the air and unleashed a lethal blow upon Arthur.
"Strike Air!!"
The impact of Strike Air sent dust and dirt flying into the air. There had been a solid sensation of impact. Had a normal human taken Strike Air, they would have been annihilated without a trace... As expected. When the dust cleared, Arthur stood revealed, leaning on Collbrande as if it were a cane, down on one knee and breathing heavily.
"Haa, haa... That was dangerous... For a moment, I thought I might finally die."
Remarkable. His suit was in tatters, his glasses cracked, and blood trickled from his forehead, yet he remained intact after taking a direct hit from Strike Air.
Just then, Arthur's eyes widened in shock, staring intently at Artoria's right hand. Then, he murmured in awe.
"...A golden, Holy Sword."
'Ah, so that was it.' Invisible Air was a sheath of wind that concealed Excalibur. Having released the wind with Strike Air, Excalibur was now laid bare.
At that moment—
"That's enough, Artoria!"
Kazuki's voice calling for a halt echoed across the field. Looking toward the sound, she saw not only Kazuki but also Rias, Issei, Asia, and even Azazel and Vali.
She sighed, realizing this was the end of it, and released her armament, returning to her original form.
"Wait, please! You couldn't possibly be—"
Artoria glanced once at Arthur, then, without a word, walked toward Kazuki…
Naturally, the entire Gremory household was furious about Arthur having inflicted severe injuries on Yumi and the others.
Azazel desperately pleaded, "Please bear with it since we're on the eve of the decisive battle!" So they endured it. Had he not, it might have resulted in an all-out battle between the Gremory peerage and Vali's team.
The three girls had their physical wounds healed by Asia's treatment, but the mental scar of being utterly helpless against Arthur remained, and they were clearly lacking their usual spirit.
Arthur had fooled them with his gentlemanly demeanor, but it seemed he, too, was Vali's comrade—a battle maniac just like her.
Arthur had refused treatment from Asia, claiming he would be on his best behavior, and had shut himself away in his room. Artoria had assessed him as "undoubtedly among the strongest tier for a human." It was good that they had a measure of Arthur's strength, but causing trouble right before the final battle was unacceptable.
At any rate, Kazuki had come to check on Yumi, Xenovia, and Irina. Rias had asked him to, but he was also genuinely worried about the three who were deeply depressed.
He knocked on the door to Yumi's room, but there was no answer. It was the same for Xenovia and Irina.
'Have they already gone to sleep...?'
He had hoped to speak with them today and help them recover, even a little, but perhaps it couldn't be helped. He turned on his heel to return to his own room.
However—
"Yumi, Xenovia... you were here."
Standing in front of his room were Yumi, dressed in pajamas, and Xenovia, in a T-shirt and shorts, both with gloomy expressions.
After inviting them inside, he sat them down on the bed and faced them from a chair…
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Next, a threesome...
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