[3rd POV]
The cave was much larger than the group had expected.
It was a vast open space that stretched out from the entrance they had passed through.
The cavern was so deep it felt as if they had descended far into the earth, and the impressive ceiling height only reinforced that feeling.
Olga looked up but couldn't see the ceiling—though the faint lighting in the cave might have been the reason. They could see a bright yellow light emanating from a distant point, but a massive wall stretched across the entire width of the cave, blocking their direct view of the source.
"So, this is the place?" Olga asked, looking toward the yellow light.
"Yes. The Greater Grail is behind that wall," Cu Chulainn explained. He then raised a hand and pointed forward. "And that's where our real target is."
Olga and Fujimaru swallowed hard. Even without being Servants, they could feel the oppressive pressure emanating from that place. Mash, for her part, clenched her hands tightly, preparing for what was to come.
In complete silence, they moved deeper into the cave. Unfortunately, the one they were looking for soon came into view.
They saw a feminine figure clad in armor almost as black as pitch. A closer look revealed faint red lines that resembled cracks or seams in the armor.
Even standing still, she radiated both beauty and menace. Her pale face, with delicate feminine features, kept its eyes closed, and her light blonde hair was tied up in a bun.
However, her beauty was somewhat overshadowed by the armor that seemed to fuse with her skin. Small dark lines crept up her neck, spreading to her chin. Even the legendary Excalibur had not been spared from the corruption. The sword was embedded in the ground before her, as black as her armor. The King held both hands on the hilt, ignoring the approaching group.
"Wait a second... King Arthur was a woman too?" Olga pointed at the figure, surprised. "First Oda Nobunaga was turned into a woman, and now King Arthur?"
"Seems like history isn't that reliable after all," Ritsuka commented, scratching her cheek as if already used to these twists.
"Considering England didn't allow women to inherit the throne if she had to rule, it'd make sense for her to disguise herself as a man," Cu Chulainn explained casually. "Besides, in my experience, there's nothing scarier than a woman…" He shivered, remembering his old mentor.
"That still leaves a lot of unanswered questions," Olga noted, pointing out the many gaps this revelation opened.
"Who knows, when in doubt, just blame Merlin," Cu Chulainn said with a shrug.
At the mention of the flower magician, Artoria Alter opened her eyes, revealing an intense golden glow.
"You're all making deplorable choices for your last words."
The group froze as a cold, cutting voice echoed through the cavern. They looked at the figure before them, who now raised her head to stare at them with light yellow eyes. "Caster…" Her gaze swept across the group before settling on him. "Is this little group some kind of offering?" Her icy voice reverberated through the cave. "I will grant no mercy. Your deaths are non-negotiable."
"Hah! No way, Saber!" Caster shot back. "These are my reinforcements! Sorry, but the Holy Grail War ends today!"
"...Your reinforcements," she repeated flatly. Her gaze turned to the two magi, who tensed under her eyes. "A pair of rogue magi. And…" She stopped as she looked at Mash, who stood silently, confused by the sudden attention.
"I see," Saber finally said. "So this is your answer…"
It was a rather strange statement. With that thought, Olga furrowed her brow.
But before she could process it, Saber released Excalibur, grabbing the hilt with one hand and pulling it from the ground.
"If you're ready, then I won't hold back."
At those words, Olga and Fujimaru moved behind Mash as the two Servants readied their weapons.
"This is it, people!" Cu Chulainn shouted. "Be ready for anything! Girl, you know who she is and what she can do, so give it everything you've got!"
"Right!" Mash shouted back, raising her shield in preparation for the first blow.
In a flash, Saber charged across the battlefield, her sword slamming into Mash's shield, catching her off guard as the steel blade scraped against iron. A second later, another strike landed. And another. And another. In mere seconds, Saber unleashed a dozen blows on Mash's shield, barely giving her time to react.
Only her stubborn determination to protect her allies kept her standing. She didn't dare counterattack, for the corrupted Excalibur moved like a blur, and any failure in her defense could mean death.
It was only after a fireball from Cu Chulainn exploded near Saber that she finally stopped, dodging the blast and backing away from Mash.
However, this only redirected her attention to the Caster, who now became her target. She turned and charged at him, her sword coming down in a powerful arc. He barely avoided the blow by leaping aside, giving Mash a chance to strike. Unfortunately, Saber seemed to anticipate it and quickly blocked Mash's attack, sparks flying all around.
Mash pressed her shield against Saber's blade, trying to push her back, but the King of Knights stood her ground.
From the cave ceiling, massive roots burst through the rock, lunging at Saber, but she leaped back before they could touch her. Even as more roots appeared to attack her, she cut them down with ease, reducing them to splinters in an instant. She twisted again to dodge another fireball, but Mash used the opportunity to strike.
This time, Saber simply extended her hand, stopping the shield with her gauntlet. Mash was pushed back.
Cu Chulainn launched another fireball, but Saber raised her armored arm and absorbed the impact. When he tried again, she grabbed the top of Mash's shield and pulled her into the line of fire. The explosion hit the shield, protecting Mash, but…
Saber's blade swung and slashed across Mash's back, making her cry out in pain. Blood splattered onto Saber's armor, though she showed no reaction. Saber shoved Mash forward and struck again.
With no time to recover, Mash was forced to retreat under Saber's relentless assault. Each strike pushed her back, and the speed of the attacks made it impossible to find an opening. Worse yet, their positioning made it difficult for Cu Chulainn to fire again.
Ritsuka bit her lip and, without thinking, raised her right hand. "By the power of my First Command Seal—Mash, be healed!" he intoned solemnly, and the seal glowed bright red. Instantly, Mash's wounds began to close.
Silently thanking her Senpai, Mash planted her shield on the ground, bracing for the next attack. Another blow struck, but as Saber prepared to strike again, Mash jumped out from behind the shield and kicked Saber in the side. The blow made her stagger back a step, giving Mash the chance to spin and land another kick to Saber's face.
Artoria turned her head slightly from the kick but quickly refocused on Mash. Instead of continuing, Mash ducked, allowing Cu Chulainn to finally fire again. The fireballs struck Saber, but she raised her arm to block them without flinching.
The smoke from the blasts obscured Saber, and Cu Chulainn retreated to Mash's side.
He slammed his right hand on the ground and summoned:
"Time to use my trump card!" he shouted, his magical energy surging.
"Timber giant, eaten away by fire. Be imprisoned in a cage of flame! Wicker Man»"
First, a giant wooden hand erupted from the ground, grabbing Saber tightly. But that wasn't all. More parts of the giant emerged until its full form was revealed: a fifteen-meter-tall wooden giant engulfed in flames, with a cage in its chest. It squeezed Saber in its hand for a moment before hurling her into the cage.
The fiery giant blazed even brighter, damaging Saber in the process. Yet she didn't scream. Gritting her teeth, she endured all the pain.
When the Wicker Man—created to offer sacrifices to ancient Celtic gods—finally burned out, Cu Chulainn dropped to his knees, exhausted.
Using his Noble Phantasm put a serious strain on his body.
He looked at where Saber stood. Burns covered her pale skin, but she was still standing.
"Seriously, what kind of monster are you?" he muttered.
"Hmph… I'll admit, that was a good warm-up," Saber replied, swinging Excalibur. Her gaze fell on Mash, who stepped once more in front of her Master, staring at Saber with unwavering determination.
"Good eyes, girl. But let's see if you're worthy of that shield," Artoria Alter said, raising Excalibur.
"«Vortigern, Hammer of the Vile King, reverse the rising sun...»"
Her sword erupted in dark violet energy, reaching up to the ceiling and emanating a tyrannical aura.
"«Swallow the light, Excalibur Morgan!!»"
With that, she slammed the sword into the ground, sending a torrent of dark violet energy toward Mash and Cu Chulainn. Mash raised her shield, bracing herself for the impact.
When the beam struck the shield, Mash felt immense pressure. Her arms trembled, but she refused to let go. The image of a certain Senpai who always faced danger head-on came to mind, and without realizing it, her shield shone with white light, forming a circle before her, from which a blue wall extended.
Saber was surprised but silently increased the pressure. Yet even the full force of Excalibur Morgan couldn't break through. Though degraded, her Noble Phantasm still held, and the black light dispersed as it collided with Mash's barrier, vanishing into nothing.
"Congrats, girl," Caster said with a smile.
Mash only gave a faint smile, her legs trembling, but she was still standing.
"Great, but what will you do about the second one?" Saber Alter raised her sword again.
"«Vortigern, Hammer of the Vile King, reverse the rising sun. Swallow the light, Excalibur Morgan!!»"
The explosion of energy descended once more, and Mash had just enough time to raise her shield. The beam of energy struck again, and the pink-haired girl endured the blast in silence, her entire body screaming in pain.
"Hold on, girl!" Cu Chulainn shouted. "If that hits us, we'll be crispy fries!"
Mash kept the shield up, but unfortunately, before Saber's attack fully dissipated, the shield gave out. Without protection, they were thrown back.
The only upsidede was that Mash had blocked most of the attack, so they weren't seriously hurt—but they were incapacitated for the moment.
"Mash!" Fujimaru shouted, rushing toward her, but Olga grabbed her.
"Stop that! Just trust your Servant, idiot."
Saber looked at the group for a moment before resuming her march toward Mash and Cu Chulainn.
"I commend you. You fought well. I will grant you an honorable death."
She raised Excalibur, which now blazed with dark violet energy. The power surged through the blade, forming a massive sword that extended far above her head.
"Farewell," she said, swinging the sword downward.
Cu Chulainn stared at the incoming blast and bit his lip. Even knowing it was suicidal, he readied himself for one final attack.
But before anyone could act, the sound of howling wind echoed through the cave.
Artoria lifted her head, eyes wide. Without hesitation, Excalibur rose in her hands.
The next moment, a massive stone pillar collided with her sword, and a powerful shockwave hurled Saber backward.
"Hahahaha! Sorry, I'm a bit late!" A cheerful voice echoed through the cave, and all eyes turned to the top of the pillar.
Standing on the pillar was a man with wild hair and blood-red eyes, with a beautiful woman floating beside him.
"Kid, you really love a dramatic entrance," Cu Chulainn said, lying on the ground and letting out a sigh of relief.
••• ••• •••
Don't forget to throw power stones and leave a review to motivate me.
(Artoria Pendragon Alter - Character Image)