"Saber!"
"Huh...?"
Shirou realized that the "Black" Rider had seized his wrist, his face full of panic.
It seemed he had returned safely from Avalon to the surface world.
And yet, something felt wrong... What was this overwhelming, indescribable sense of dissonance?
"What are you spacing out for?!" Astolfo shouted.
"Huh?" Shirou blinked in confusion.
At that moment, he sensed an aura of unbelievable intensity.
He turned his head and froze, too stunned to speak.
He saw the "Red" Lancer tearing the golden armor away from his own body.
Blood gushed from the great hero as he gripped a pitch-black lance radiating an overwhelming sense of divinity.
This... this was...
This was far beyond déjà vu. It was something Shirou had experienced only moments ago!
In other words.
When he returned from Avalon, he had arrived on the timeline before his Noble Phantasm clash with Karna!
A bead of cold sweat slid down Shirou's cheek.
It was not because he was nervous about a second battle with Karna, a formidable enemy. He was simply stunned by this bizarre time travel.
I only used Lady Avalon's Mana to create a pseudo-spirit-particle body, so why did this happen?
Wait. Pseudo-spirit particles...
I feel like Morgan mentioned that term before.
Something called "Rayshifting," I think...
Breaking the human body down into pseudo-spirit particles, then using calculations to project those particles onto a past or future timeline... Forget it! None of that matters right now!
"Saber, hurry! Don't just stand there! Let's run!"
Astolfo said the exact same words Shirou remembered.
"No. I can't run."
"Why not?"
"Huh? Why?!"
Astolfo was so frantic he looked ready to cry.
"You run, Rider."
Shirou said, "Karna's target is me. If you escape alone, your chances should be much better."
"Huh? Don't be stupid. How could I leave you behind? I owe you way too much!"
"It's fine. Go. Besides, I never planned on losing to him."
"Saber..."
Just like before, Astolfo was persuaded by Shirou and clutched his head in resignation.
"Aaaaaah! Fine, fine! I get it! I'm done caring about you! Do whatever you want!"
"Don't you dare just die on me, okay? If you die, I'll never forgive you!"
Of course, Karna still made no move to stop Rider from fleeing. His eyes were fixed on Shirou alone.
"..."
Answering Lancer's fighting spirit, Shirou slowly drew the Holy Sword of the Planet from empty space.
In their previous Noble Phantasm clash, he had only managed to release six of the Holy Sword of the Planet's restraints.
With not even half of its power unleashed, the Holy Sword could not match Karna's God-Slaying Spear.
There had been unexpected factors involved, but the fact remained undeniable: the Holy Sword had been utterly defeated by the Thunder Spear, and Shirou's physical body had been destroyed by "Vasavi Shakti."
In the end, against a hero as noble and upright as Karna, the Holy Sword of the Planet could never display its full power.
Even if Shirou tried again, the result would likely be the same.
"Are you insane... Lancer! I'm retreating!"
Atalanta, who had come with Karna to intercept Shirou, clicked her tongue.
Her wild instincts told her that if she stayed any longer, she would be caught up in it too.
She glanced at Shirou. The red-haired boy showed no intention of backing down, so she cursed him as an "idiot" and vanished at the end of the corridor.
Meanwhile, Karna's Mana had already surged to its limit.
Shirou had to release the Holy Sword's power in the next second, or the body he had only just recovered would be pierced by the Thunder Spear.
His thoughts grew clear.
Shirou confirmed every fighting force he possessed.
The "treasury storing infinite swords" possessed by King Arthur of Albion, which contained numerous weapons from the Age of Gods, including the Holy Sword of the Planet (Excalibur) and Ehangwen.
The sword-crafting skills possessed by the Magus Shirou Amamiya. His creative principles, basic framework, constituent materials, manufacturing techniques, possession, and material Projections recreated through the accumulation of time.
If Shirou's power represented "infinity" and "boundlessness," then Karna's God-Slaying Spear was the "ultimate one."
This was not a philosophical debate, but a practical problem.
In a one-on-one situation, Shirou currently had no Noble Phantasm he could draw that could contend with that spear.
If only he could use Gilgamesh's Ea.
Unfortunately, that thing, like the "Blades of Chaos" and the "Aegis," was on the Ban List for this Great Holy Grail War.
Arthur Albion was the strongest Heroic Spirit, the Savior who defeated the natural enemy of the Stars.
Even if his opponent was the strongest Lancer, ordinarily, there should be no reason for him to lose.
So why was this happening?
In the end, it was because he was too weak.
Shirou Amamiya was too weak.
A Faker could not bring out that King's true power. It was that simple.
Right now, to put it one way, he was like a certain arrogant Golden King in the early stages of the Fourth Holy Grail War.
Every battle up until now had been fought by hurling countless Noble Phantasms around like handfuls of sand, then crushing his way through with raw power.
So when a formidable enemy like Karna appeared, someone who had honed his strength to the absolute limit, the violence Shirou had once prided himself on looked crude and unbearable.
What should he do?
Simple.
All I have to do is become that King.
Fuse the two great powers Shirou currently possessed into one.
"..."
He regulated his breathing and poured all the Mana in his body into his arm.
All he had to do was use a weapon he could grasp.
Tens of thousands of repetitions had taught Shirou every step of the process that came next.
Go further forward.
To defeat the strongest Lancer, the counterfeit had to become the true Savior.
"Trace On."
He stared.
His twilight-colored eyes saw through the Holy Sword of the Planet in his hand with flawless precision.
Beating in his chest was the heart of the Grand Dragon, ceaselessly transforming into a surging torrent of Mana.
Gradually, something began to change.
Knowledge Shirou had never known and memories he had never possessed flowed into his body.
They were the combat experience of the king who had once saved this world.
They were the combat data of the Holy Sword wielder who had severed the moon.
"..."
Anything within Shirou's sight, anything he could understand, could be reproduced no matter how vast it was.
No.
That was not reproduction. It was Projection.
What Shirou was projecting and accepting was not the Holy Sword of the Planet itself, but the life of the Holy Sword User who had wielded it.
...
"I want this child to become my disciple."
"Huh? Who wants to be a Succubus' disciple?"
"I want to be Artoria's disciple! Hey! Let me meet Artoria! Hurry up and make her for me, even if she hasn't been born yet!"
"There is no child named Artoria here. Give up on that idea!"
...
"Nice to meet you. I am Morgan, daughter of King Uther and Igraine... in other words, your older sister."
"You really must watch where you're going, my dear little brother. Did you not learn anything from Professor Merlin?"
"That's right, I am Mo... Wait, hold on! What are you doing?! Let me go! You insolent fool!"
"Wait... let me go! Let go of me this instant! You, do you even understand what's going on?!"
...
"You say you intend to have me inherit the throne... Let me ask, what made you think that?"
"Was Professor Merlin's training too harsh? Or is my adorable little brother simply a coward, too afraid to shoulder the responsibilities of a king?"
"Ah... You want to make me happy? Do you... understand what you're saying?"
"Guh, you... do you really like your older sister that much...?"
...
Memories belonging to a certain king continued to flood into Shirou's mind.
Strangely, Shirou felt that all of those memories were unbearably real.
Rather than dreaming a very happy dream, it felt more like remembering sorrowful memories he had long forgotten.
...
"Possession experience complete. Empathy established."
Shirou's consciousness slowly returned.
"Operation complete (roll out), full Projection (Bullet), standby (clear)."
When Shirou raised his eyes again, the hesitation and doubt that had once lingered there had vanished completely.
Naturally, Karna, bathed in the radiance of the sun, noticed it as well.
But at this point, they no longer needed words to communicate.
All they needed was to pour the entirety of their will into the next strike.
"Consider yourself honored, Kshatriya... for this King will be your opponent."
Shirou murmured calmly, raising the Holy Sword of the Planet high in his hand.
Now, he finally understood. He had been using this Holy Sword the wrong way before.
Of course Shirou had been utterly defeated.
But that was no longer a problem.
If he was the king who had once saved the world, then there was no reason he should lose to any hero.
As a reward for having killed me once, I will show you the true radiance of my Holy Sword.
Amid the swelling torrent of Mana, Shirou released the True Name of the Noble Phantasm in his hand.
...
...
"Do you want to further enhance the power of the Holy Sword?"
In the distant past, when Phantasmal Beasts and Spirits still lived on the Isle of Britannia.
In a lush garden, a young red-haired king was speaking with his queen.
"I see. So this is the Holy Sword bestowed on you by the Fairies of the Lake... Tsk, that Merlin kept this from me... No, never mind."
The girl who was both queen and the most powerful witch lowered her gaze to the golden sword her husband was showing her.
"It has thirteen restraints placed on it... My husband, was that your request as well?"
"No, it was already like this when I received it. Morgan-nee-san, can you help me remove these seals?"
"...Mm."
"You can't?"
"H-How could I possibly not!"
Morgan's face flushed red.
"Who do you think I am? I am your wife, the Fairy Queen of Britannia. There is nothing in this world I cannot do!"
The young man clapped his hands. "That's Morgan-nee-san for you."
"Ugh...!"
The Fairy Queen bit her lip.
She had accidentally boasted in front of her beloved husband.
And yet, even the Witch of the Terminus, who had reached the very end of Magecraft, could not undo the thirteen seals placed on the Holy Sword.
Doing so would be the same as making an enemy of the world itself, the planet.
So how could the Holy Sword's firepower be increased further without being corrected by the world?
"..."
The girl noticed that her husband was watching her with eyes full of expectation and admiration.
Ahh... what an adorable expression. My heart is about to melt... No, no, no!
This is not the time to get distracted! Think, Morgan!
How did she usually do things?
When her firepower was lacking, how did she make up the difference...? That's it!
"Ahem."
The Fairy Queen cleared her throat with exaggerated dignity. "Listen carefully, my husband."
"Ohh! Please teach me, Professor Morgan!"
"Increasing the Holy Sword's firepower is very simple. If 'quality' is lacking, then make up for it with 'quantity.'"
The red-haired king's eyes widened. "You mean...!"
Morgan nodded. "Think about how I usually do it. If the power of one Rhongomyniad is not enough, I create a second Holy Lance. If two Holy Lances are still not enough, I create a third. There is no problem quantity cannot solve."
The Holy Lance was not only a weapon wielded by the King, but also a Divine Spirit-level Grand Magecraft mastered by the Queen.
The difference between them was that the King possessed only one Holy Lance, while the Queen could create up to thirteen Holy Lances at once.
"But I don't have Magecraft skills as amazing as yours, Morgan-nee-san."
"Hehe. My husband, do you not possess sword-forging skills that even I lack?"
"You mean..."
"Exactly. My King, why not try Projecting the Holy Sword?"
Morgan's idea was simple.
If one Holy Sword was not powerful enough, then her husband could Project a second, identical Holy Sword.
It was a good idea. However.
When the King accepted her suggestion and put it into practice, a "tiny" accident occurred.
And so, the strongest Noble Phantasm, one even they themselves had never imagined, was born.
...
...
"Know the mercy of the King of the Gods."
"Indra, behold this well."
"This thrust is annihilation itself... Now, the world shall witness the setting sun."
As the Savior's memories continued to flow into Shirou's mind, Karna had already begun releasing his Noble Phantasm.
He gathered the rampaging solar Mana accumulated throughout his body onto the pitch-black spearhead, seeking to shatter everything before him.
But.
Karna was not the only one whose Mana reaction kept rising.
With Shirou's deep breath, Albion's heartbeat supplied the final portion of Mana needed to release the Noble Phantasm.
"Holy Sword, draw!"
Shirou was not whispering to the formidable enemy before him, nor to the Holy Sword in his hand.
In that instant, the target of the Holy Sword User's command was "the Holy Sword of the Planet existing in every parallel world."
Faint phantoms surfaced and layered over one another, overlapping with reality along the blade until they finally formed a radiant golden pillar of light.
Feeling the weight in his palm, Shirou roared out the True Name of the Noble Phantasm.
"Unlimited Excalibur Works!"
He took his stance and swung down toward the lightning fired from Indra's Spear.
A single flash of the planet, converging from infinite parallel worlds, transformed into a golden slash and surged forward.
"That's..."
Atalanta stared at the sight before her in disbelief.
She stopped fleeing and simply gazed, dazed, at that brilliant aurora.
In the world of Magecraft, this was a divine realm known as the multi-dimensional refraction phenomenon.
It was said that there were people in this world who had achieved this phenomenon through swordsmanship alone.
However, Shirou's case was different.
He was not swinging the Holy Sword several times in a single instant. He had truly Projected a beam of the planet from a parallel world into his own hand.
Just as the True Name of the Noble Phantasm, Unlimited Excalibur Works, described.
This was the true infinite sword. The radiance of countless Holy Swords spanning the multiverse was now gathered in Shirou alone.
How had he accomplished such a thing?
No one could give a fully rational explanation.
Naturally, Shirou could not have Projected or wielded every Holy Sword of the Planet from every parallel world.
Then there was only one explanation. Though it sounded absurd, it still held together.
Every Holy Sword of the Planet across all parallel worlds had recognized Shirou Amamiya as its master.
Was such a thing even possible?
Even the Holy Sword User who had once repelled an enemy from beyond the stars had no reason to be capable of such a feat.
And yet, it had truly happened.
Shirou's single flash really did contain the infinite, endless light of the Holy Swords.
The firepower of "Vasavi Shakti" had already reached the pinnacle of all Noble Phantasms. Even so, it was cleaved apart by the infinitely synchronized Holy Sword.
"..."
When the light from the Noble Phantasm clash faded, Karna was still standing, but an incurable, fatal wound had appeared on his body.
"I see. So this is your true power..."
The "Red" Lancer accepted his defeat calmly. His body tilted, and he collapsed.
"Did that satisfy you, Lancer?" Shirou asked.
"Ah... It was more than enough."
There was no regret over defeat in the great hero's voice. It was clear that he was truly satisfied.
For someone who accepted everything exactly as it was, such a result was not difficult to understand.
The "Black" Saber was a Heroic Spirit who surpassed him. Karna had given everything he had and been defeated. There was nothing to regret.
"My apologies, Saber. In the end, I forced you to go along with my personal selfishness."
Shirou shook his head. "Don't say that. I'm very satisfied too. If I hadn't met you, I doubt I would have remembered that Noble Phantasm just now."
"Is that so?"
A faint smile appeared on Karna's stern, handsome face.
There could be no moment more satisfying than this.
He had cast aside the fate and mission of his life, staking everything he had to cross blades with the strongest enemy.
If there was one small regret left in this otherwise perfect moment...
"Don't worry, Lancer. Think of it as this King's reward to a brave warrior."
Shirou said, "I'll save your Master."
"!"
Karna's eyes widened.
"You..."
The only lingering attachment the Son of the Sun God had in this world was his Master, whom he had never even met.
Although that Magus had been coerced and controlled by Shirou Amakusa and Assassin, he was still Karna's Master.
Karna felt that this Master was the only person he had failed.
He had planned to rescue his Master after defeating Saber, but now that wish could no longer be fulfilled.
Yet Shirou had seen through the regret in his heart.
"..."
Karna could not help recalling a legend he had once heard.
Long ago, the Enlightened One was invited by a king and treated with great hospitality.
The banquet continued late into the night, and the Enlightened One's path home was shrouded in darkness.
The king spent a fortune placing bright lamps along the road, but a single strong gust extinguished every light the king had prepared.
And yet, the Enlightened One's path was still lit by a faint glow.
It was a single lamp, left with heartfelt sincerity by a poor old man of such low status that he could not attend the banquet, nor could he prepare a gift.
Countless praises and countless admirations could certainly adorn a life with splendor.
But one sincere heart, unnoticed by all, was enough to bring another person happiness.
"I see... You really are a meddlesome man, Saber."
"How can you say that when someone's acting out of kindness?!"
"Then I leave the rest to you."
Karna closed his eyes.
For the first time, he felt a release unlike anything he had ever known.
Joining the "Red" faction and opposing the "Black" faction was the original arrangement, and he had not deviated from it in the slightest.
Even knowing that his Master had been thoroughly reduced to a puppet, he had still insisted on preserving the proper form between Master and Servant.
Yes.
It was precisely because he was that kind of man that he invited everyone's envy.
In plain terms, it was the way a "human" ought to be, something many people desired and could never achieve.
Disregarding oneself and staking one's life for "someone."
Seeking no reward and devoting everything to repaying others.
As a way of life for a living species, it was flawed. But as a sentient being, it was a pinnacle.
No one could understand the thoughts of Karna, the Hero of Charity.
But this one time, he felt he had met someone who truly understood him.
And so, the "Red" Lancer vanished with a gentle smile.
A Servant's death left not a speck of dust behind. No bloodstains, no trace that he had ever been there, nothing but the marks of destruction he had carved into the battlefield.
"Who are you...?"
After seeing Karna off, Shirou looked at the girl standing beside him.
She had long golden hair and emerald eyes, with beauty identical to someone Shirou knew. At the center of her forehead was a golden mark resembling an inscription on a sword.
"...Artoria?"
The girl gave Shirou a faint smile, nodded, and vanished into photons.
Shirou thought, I'm not completely sure, but she seemed like some kind of Elemental of the Holy Sword.
Apparently, only Shirou could see her. Karna had not reacted to her at all just now.
So there was actually a girl like that inside Excalibur...
Shirou lowered his gaze to his Holy Sword. "Transform!"
"..."
There was no response.