17. Saber Vs Lancer(3)

"..."

Silent, Saber didn't comprehend Lancer's victorious mutter. They both understand the reason behind this mysterious phenomenon.

The wind had come from Saber's sword. ... More specifically, that was Invisible Air's doing.

The bounded field of condensed pressure that could refract light had leaked out in just an instant. The instant it had clashed with Lancer's spear— the prana controlling the wind around the sword had become loose.

And at that moment, Lancer had caught a glimpse of the shape of the "true sword" inside the torn bounded field. Lancer's murmur from before was the proof that it was definitely his spear that had exposed Invisible Air.

"I got the length of your blade. You won't get me with that invisible interval again."

Whether it was exaggeration or not, Lancer started flinging thrusts.

Just as he had said, the spear strikes suddenly gained in vigor, the attacks more severe and not vain anymore. Having certified the distance Saber's blade could go, he made no mistake in his aiming. Letting just one thrust pass meant a fatal wound— understanding that much, Saber kept moving her body and parried every single spear strike with her blade.

Flickering, there showed the afterimage of the shape of her golden sword.

'Kh...'

There was still pressure coming out of Invisible Air, but it was a continuous, random gale violently blowing Saber's blond hair in waves. There was no doubt left. Lancer's red spear is draining Invisible Air. Each time it comes with the tip of the spear, the golden blade is showing like a stroboscope.

'But... With that spear...'

There's still a way— Saber encouraged herself. Using a spear with both hands, that is a style Saber can deal with.

In the middle of the uninterrupted series of strikes, Saber looked for just one attack with a weak aiming. With just that, she can twist her body instead of parrying and rely on the hardness of her armor. A well-placed counter in a near-death situation can be a perfect opportunity.

In a swift movement, Saber struck at Lancer's shoulder. She ignored the tip of the red spear grazing her flank. It should be superficial on her armor, and meanwhile, she will be splitting her enemy from the shoulder—

Saber foresaw the pain, her intuition saving her from a lost cause.

Her sword dropping in mid-air, Saber turned over and threw herself on the side. It was hard to say if it had been a close call. Lancer's howling spear definitely seemed to have spilled blood.

There's no need to say whose blood it is.

Rolling on the ground, Saber escaped from Lancer pursuing her, and stood up immediately to keep track of her opponent. Her eyes betrayed her pain.

"Saber!"

Seeing that something had happened, Irisviel started sending out prana to heal Saber's flank.

"—Thank you, Irisviel, I'm fine, the healing is working."

"If I cannot defend against your spear, I only have to strike instead. Prepare yourself, Lancer."

With a blue light dress, Saber resumed her stance. Lower, with her sword behind, she confronted Lancer one leg forward and the other behind. Without consideration for defense, this stance was made for a lethal strike that would slice from one shoulder to the other.

It was clearly visible to anyone that Saber intended to finish the battle with the next strike at the risk of her life.

"That's brave. All or nothing, is it?"

Lancer somehow seemed satisfied by finding again what he missed, but the tension was clearly noticeable in the tone of his voice.

Having taken off her armor, Saber didn't gain just agility. The prana needed to form and maintain her armor was now available for use in her offense. This means a lot for the skill of "prana burst" that Saber possessed.

A "prana burst" is the accumulation of prana in her weapon and her entire body, momentarily injecting an arbitrary vector for an exceptional boost of her abilities. So to speak, it is a jet blast of prana for her movements. She only had the thin body of a small girl, but this was the secret that allowed her to brandish her big sword with the combat style of a power fighter.

The surplus of prana can be converted into mobility power for a close-range combat, but when Saber uses up to the prana needed for her armor in a "prana burst" it could grant her six times that bonus in power and speed... This is perfect for the destructive power of a one-hit-kill attack.

The handicap of losing the armor was overturned by the advantage of throwing away her armor. This was Saber's conclusion to deal with the "spear of exorcism" of Lancer.

"That heroism. This is a brave decision. I definitely don't hate that..."

Like a matador facing a mad bull, he kept provoking her by lightly shifting from side to side in a low position.

"If I dare say, that was my plan, Saber."

Not perplexed by those words, Saber replied with a bold smile.

"How about it. How will you feel after receiving this?"

Lancer understood. Saber's next charge will render the advantage of range of the long spear meaningless. If he can't grasp Saber's speed, he will meet his end when she will split him in two.

Calmly studying the opponent's light footwork, Saber measured the timing of her strike. Lancer too was probably estimating the speed of her charge with the density of prana she put in her body. But she still has one more secret ready for that...

By a little, just by a little, Lancer's movement weakens.

The asphalt torn up into gravels created many obstacles for a good foothold. Lancer's movement stagnates a little when he puts strength into his legs.

Saber didn't miss it.

A loud bang roars in the atmosphere. The golden sword that was invisible until then turned over the darkness of the night with its brilliance.

The Invisible Air that compresses the air and refracts light in an illusion can be used in another way. The instant the bounded field is released it can blow the opponent with a single long distance strike with a gale made out of the super high pressure of the condensed air.

And this was the application of Saber's plan. The point of holding the sword backward in a wide stance was for that― to accelerate the air strike even more.

Released from the golden sword, a jet of air comes out from behind Saber. By releasing her armor to increase her prana burst further, her body changes into a supersonic bullet.

At this point, Saber's speed is three times higher than normal. It's already too late for an ambush attack or an evasion the instant she steps forward. Even if Lancer's spear can deal a serious wound to Saber, he will receive a lethal strike the same instant. That is certainly a strike made to risk one's life for a certain victory, ready to even have her flesh cut or her bones severed. Breaking through the wall of air at several times the speed of sound, the shockwave of the rush blew the surrounding rubbles like leaves.

Lancer didn't move. Having already given up on an ambush attack, the tip of the red spear didn't flinch.

What moved instead was― his legs.

With an extremely focused mind, the flow of time, even shorter than an instant, stretches and grows slower.

That moment, Saber knew. The opening in Lancer was a bluff. It wasn't a coincidence that Lancer missed a step; he had placed himself to stop at the right position.

In other words, the position Lancer had chosen for his victory― was the spot where he had switched from two spears to one, dropping the short spear in his left hand.

Lancer's words were resurrected in her mind. "That was my plan."

Saber saw it at that time: Lancer's threatening smile when he was sure of his victory. The glint in his eyes had spoken more than his words. "I will strike through your imprudence..."

Instead of picking the spear with his arm, Lancer kicked the gravels at his feet. It's not just gravels that flying in the air. The short spear that Lancer dropped earlier; it's tip is accurately springing up through the air in Saber's direction. The amulet wrapped around the whole spear, just like the long one, was already unfastened, reveals the yellow metal under it.

Saber's sixth sense can theoretically surpass thought for a natural talent for battle decision, but it didn't predict her blunder.

One normally wields one spear with both hands― that was the trap of the misconception. She could only regard as bluff the capacity to have a spear in each arm.

If that was Lancer's way with the spear.

If that Servant was the Heroic Spirit known as the bearer of "the two demonic spears".

Yes, a Noble Phantasm― is definitely not limited to one.

The short spear that Lancer had kicked up, its tip was swirling with a prana just as sinister as the long red one, glaring at Saber. It was already predicting the instant it would pierce Saber's throat, as she could only charge forward, too late to brake...