Turning the Tide!

"Cough, cough…"

After that terrifying torrent of mana surged through, Gawain's body wavered in the center of the field—almost collapsing. Before he could fall, he thrust his sword into the ground, barely holding himself upright.

"Gawain!"

Artoria cried out in alarm and hurried forward at once.

At the same moment, hearing Artoria's exclamation, Black Saber lowered her sword and murmured to herself:

"…Gawain? Such an unpleasant name… I see. So this possibility exists after all."

—She recalled some deeply humiliating memories. During their exchange, she had sensed a fleeting, uncanny familiarity, as if recalling someone. That momentary déjà vu had driven her, on impulse, to unleash her Noble Phantasm in an attempt to utterly annihilate the person before her.

But… no, it couldn't be. There was not the slightest resemblance: appearance, fighting style, aura—they were entirely different. Moreover, the idea that this person could be acknowledged by Excalibur was absurd. And to hold back mid-combat out of concern for a Master's safety—that simply would never match that other person's behavior.

Yet when their blades met, the oppressive force from the other side had triggered her reflexive response. She reversed her blade and thrust it into the ground. Black Saber lowered her eyes and spoke slowly:

"Pulling one's strike in battle may be foolish as a warrior, but as a knight, it truly protects whoever stands behind you. In that resolve, I acknowledge you. For the sake of that resolve, if you withdraw now, I will not slay you outright… Though I suspect you will not give up so easily."

She turned her gaze to Mash, who had bravely stepped forward with shield in hand, and raised her sword again:

"Very well, unknown maiden—let me test your mettle. Let us see whether you deserve that shield."

And thus the battle resumed.

"Help her, Artoria."

Seeing Mash immediately fall into an overwhelming disadvantage, Gawain coughed twice, sounding weak:

"Don't worry about me for now. Once I rest a moment, I can rejoin the fray. Go assist her first."

"…Right!"

Artoria exhaled in relief when she saw Gawain was not mortally wounded. She gripped her staff and joined the fight as a support.

"Infinite mana really is something… pathetic. I wanted to look impressive in front of her, but in the end I survived only because she held back…"

Gawain sighed ruefully. Indeed, he had reserved some mana for self-preservation, but he'd still taken a direct hit from that "curry baton"—even its restrained form remained a formidable Noble Phantasm under infinite mana.

Yet upon realizing Gawain's self-restraint, Black Saber had indeed eased up. After all, as proud as she was, she would not accept a victory born of charity. And against Chaldea—especially Mash of the Round Table—she would ultimately hold back.

"Sink into a mountain of corpses… Collapse, O Sword of Promised Victory: Excalibur Morgan!"

Gawain's eyes widened in disbelief—though surprised at how quickly she had unleashed her Noble Phantasm again, his astonishment stemmed mainly from the power level.

"What on earth is that watered-down beam?!"

Compared to the blow she'd struck him with earlier—even though she was holding back—it now seemed only a fraction as potent. Gawain twitched at the absurd disparity. This was more like holding back the entire Pacific Ocean, not merely easing up! If she'd hit him with that strength before, he could have parried it with a casual swing of his sword.

Still, even that reduced mana flow posed a serious challenge for Mash, who was still inexperienced. Soon her shield wavered, and she fell to her knees, nearly unable to stand.

But at that moment, Ritsuka Fujimaru—who had been watching from the side—suddenly dashed through the dissipating mana torrent splashing off Mash's shield and arrived at her side, gripping Mash's hand tightly.

"Emergency Evade? Is that the emergency-escape magic built into her Command Spell outfit?"

Artoria, observing Ritsuka's pre-emptive movements, blinked in astonishment. Hadn't Ritsuka been an ordinary human until just now? How did she so quickly grasp that Command Spell gear's usage—especially in this dire moment? And yet… why choose that timing for an emergency evade?

Thanks to her Fairy Eyes and insight into intent, Artoria soon understood Ritsuka's reasoning. In their brief time together, she'd perceived Mash's character: when someone she cares for stands behind her, when someone supports her, Mash can summon 200% of her strength. To reverse this near-certain defeat, Ritsuka decisively placed herself behind Mash as support, becoming the reason Mash could not lose—and the reason she could win.

To protect Ritsuka from harm, Mash must not be defeated. And to honor Ritsuka's faith, Mash must prevail.

What a gambler's stake… Ritsuka risked her life on Mash winning.

Recalling that the system could display others' Traits, Artoria accessed Ritsuka's:

Viewing Ritsuka Fujimaru's Traits…

"Beloved by All" (R): You are humble, sincere, and naturally attuned to social nuance, with an appealing outward appearance: people's baseline favorability toward you is boosted, and you more easily win others' goodwill.

"Great Fortune" (SR): Perhaps in a previous life you saved all humanity—your luck is extraordinarily good; enviable strokes of fortune follow you, making you the butt of memes for ultimate luck. This fortune often helps you escape danger.

"Versatile Charmer" (SR): You excel at interacting with others and have great affinity; you can quickly discern someone's nature and choose the fastest way to win their goodwill, making you highly successful in social engagements.

Finishing the read, Artoria's eyes grew wide. Remarkable… and two of these Traits matched Gawain's. More tellingly, if one compared their inherent Traits, Ritsuka's "Versatile Charmer" seemed even stronger!

Meanwhile, the duel between Mash and Black Saber swung rapidly once Ritsuka joined. With Ritsuka's support, Mash regained her courage—and by chance, a single "I believe in you" from Ritsuka triggered Mash's Command Spell, granting her a fresh surge of mana.

Bolstered both by reason to win and sufficient mana, Mash rose again and unleashed her own Noble Phantasm:

"Imaginary Phantasm—Simulated Projection, Foundation of Humanity: Lord Chaldeas!"

"Haahhh—!"

A phantasmal barrier formed over Mash's shield, coalescing into a white wall. Then, with a fierce cry, the energy that had spilled past the shield was forcibly pulled back—mirrored—and hurled directly at Black Saber.

"Impossible—"

Black Saber's eyes widened. She could not evade in time; with a thunderous roar, clouds of smoke erupted where she stood.

Yet less than a second later, a new surge of mana wind drove away the smoke. Seeing that the illusory wall wavered, Black Saber raised her sword again:

"This is not over, maiden knight—your resolve is still insufficient—"

"Now! Ram into her directly!"

Just as Black Saber spoke, Gawain shouted, and the phantasmal wall charged straight at her, as if to smash her face.

"What reckless tactic…"

Unable to finish chanting her Noble Phantasm invocation, Black Saber hastily met the assault, striking the wall with a mighty, mana-augmented slash. That single heavy blow shattered the nearly spent barrier—and yet it also tested Mash's limits: the burst force struck Mash herself, sending her flying out along with her shield.

At the same time, having occupied Black Saber's attention with Mash, Gawain had already closed in. As Black Saber scrambled to guard against his sword, Gawain swung his own blade against the thrown shield, redirecting it back toward Black Saber.

"This petty trick won't work—"

Black Saber, anticipating the trajectory, sidestepped while charging her sword again.

But simultaneously, Gawain raised his staff in the other hand and unleashed a pillar of mana upon the shield, accelerating it and adjusting its path once more—catching Black Saber off-guard.

"Tch, enough with these parlor tricks—"

Artoria lunged toward Gawain's position, but found him missing.

Only then did she realize what had happened: by the second shield adjustment, Gawain had maneuvered into the blind spot behind Artoria's line of sight, advancing together with the shield.

Skill: Flying Shield Specialization (E)

Among weapon specializations, this is perhaps the most underwhelming. At higher ranks, it can yield miraculous results. At its current low rank, if the enemy has not seized your shield, you are guaranteed your first two attacks with it—but you cannot ensure its safe return.

Though trivial on paper, when used cleverly, it can achieve surprising effects!

"You are defeated!"

As Gawain proclaimed victory, a swift slash descended from above, cutting Black Saber across the waist in one blow.