"A Servant who took a direct hit and remained unscratched?"
"And her class is Saber..."
Amakusa looked at the massive sphere of rock sitting in the shallow waters of the lake, his brow furrowed as he discussed the recent battle with Karna and Minato.
The first major clash of the war had nearly cost them everything. If it hadn't been for the intervention of the White Faction, the Red team might have been routed.
Karna and Madara had fought to a total standstill.
Minato and the enemy Saber (Siegfried) had been a tactical tie.
Mordred's fight against the Black Faction's Caster (Natsu) had been a crushing defeat.
And Yubel... Yubel had abandoned them entirely.
"We almost lost the first engagement on the very first night," Amakusa reflected, his expression grim. "The White Faction effectively saved us by keeping the Black Caster occupied."
The situation was far worse than he had anticipated. To be put on the defensive so thoroughly after a single skirmish was a wake-up call.
While Minato had successfully retrieved the sealed Berserker (Yubel), Amakusa had zero intention of trusting her again. Her betrayal was complete. Now, he had to figure out how to dispose of her host body before she could find a way to return and backstab them.
The loss of a high-tier Berserker was a blow, but the risk of keeping her was higher.
"We'll have to wage the rest of this war with only four Servants," he noted, his voice low.
"I'll start researching the legends of the heroes who match the description of that indestructible Saber," Amakusa continued.
"As for the other Saber who fought the Caster... I have a strong suspicion about her identity. Based on her golden hair, her radiant Holy Sword, and the reports of her scabbard..."
"She is almost certainly the King of Knights from British myth. Artoria Pendragon."
"The legendary King of Knights, huh?" Karna's voice carried a hint of respect. "I've heard the stories."
"?"
Minato, however, was as confused as ever.
King of Knights? Britain?
"I'm sorry... I'm not from this world. I've never heard of such a person."
"I'll explain the details to you later," Amakusa promised, seeing the genuine bafflement on his Assassin's face.
"For now... I need you to focus on setting up your [Flying Thunder God] markers. We must hold this position until the 'Hanging Gardens of Babylon' are fully operational. Once the fortress is airborne, our tactical flexibility will multiply a hundredfold."
Minato was the lynchpin of his plan. With the [Flying Thunder God] technique, the Assassin could teleport the entire team for offensive and defensive maneuvers, turning the Hanging Gardens into an untouchable aerial base.
"Understood."
With a nod, Minato's silhouette flickered and vanished.
"Lancer, please relocate this rock sphere to the bottom of the lake."
"I don't know when the Berserker will attempt to return to her original vessel, but I want to make it as difficult as possible."
Amakusa was a cautious man. Even with Yubel sealed, he wasn't going to leave her sitting on the shore where anyone could find her. Sinking her into the depths was a temporary fix to keep her out of the way while he solidified his own plans.
"I will see to it."
***
COUGH!!
"Are you awake?"
In a dimly lit basement, Kairi Sisigou looked over at his Servant, who was lying on a makeshift cot.
"I am... ?!"
Mordred's memories of the battle were a jagged mess. The last thing she remembered was being systematically beaten by Natsu and falling into the dirt.
'Tch.'
She clicked her tongue in annoyance, her hand moving to her forehead.
She had been so certain she was hallucinating. To see her "Father" at a time like that... what a pathetic display. How could she ever hope to exceed him and become a true king if she was still chasing shadows in her dreams?
"Frustrated that you lost?" Kairi smiled, his voice rough but kind.
"Hah?! Of course I am!"
"Specialized magic or not, to be taken down like that is an embarrassment!"
Mordred crossed her arms, her fighting spirit still burning despite her exhaustion. She had wanted to start this war with a glorious victory, not a humiliating retreat.
And then there was that "hallucination." It was humiliating.
'Mordred, what were you thinking?' she scolded herself.
"Well, for what it's worth, I saw everything through my familiars."
"The battle after you fell was... interesting."
Kairi continued to sharpen a small knife, his tone neutral. He knew any direct criticism would only make his "rebellious knight" even more volatile. The best way to handle her was to provide information and let her draw her own conclusions.
"By the way, Master... thanks for the backup."
She assumed Kairi had been the one to pull her out with a Command Spell before the Caster could land a finishing blow.
"Don't thank me. It was mostly luck. Someone else took over the battlefield right after you went down."
"Hmm?"
Mordred stiffened, a sudden, cold realization washing over her.
"Master... who showed up?"
"Well, I didn't see her True Name, but she looked like she could handle herself against that Caster. They were trading blows for a while."
Kairi didn't think much of it. A female Saber with golden hair and a Holy Sword... it didn't seem like a particularly unusual archetype for a Heroic Spirit.
"Was she... blonde? Holding an glowing sword? About my height?!"
Mordred scrambled off the cot, almost tripping as she rushed toward Kairi, her expression one of frantic intensity.
"!"
The sheer weight of her anxiety was palpable. Kairi narrowed his eyes, realizing he might have just stepped into a minefield.
Blonde. Golden armor. A Holy Sword.
'Wait... no way.'
He looked at Mordred's face, then back to the images he had recorded through his familiars.
'It couldn't be such a coincidence, right?'
The figure with the radiant blade... the one who had stood so defiantly against the flames...
'Could that actually be...'
The legendary "King Arthur"?
[Translated and Rewritten by Shika_Kagura]