Vol. 2 Chapter 51: Honest Men Only Suffers

"Amazing… Simply amazing! Truly beyond amazing!"

Ryuunosuke Uryuu stood atop Fuyuki Bridge, spanning the Midorikawa River, his eyes locked on the surreal spectacle unfolding in the distance. Swirls of unnatural light danced in the sky, casting eerie reflections upon the river's surface.

Thunder raged across the river.

Monstrous shadows surged beneath the waves, while overhead, UFOs clashed against JASDF fighters, igniting the skies in fire and ruin.

It was chaos. No—art.

This, this was the destruction that Bluebeard offered up to his Master. A grotesque opera of annihilation.

"Aaah… the Lord does not exist! The Lord does not exist!!"

Ryuunosuke Uryuu raised his arms, forming a victory sign, leaping with manic glee as his monstrous ally rampaged through the waters.

"Go, Lord Bluebeard! Crush them! Slaughter them! This world is nothing more than a divine toy box—huh?"

Suddenly, his body was hurled backward by an invisible force.

"Eh…?!"

Gasps and shrieks erupted from the surrounding crowd. People backed away instinctively, parting around him as though something foul had taken root in their midst.

Ryuunosuke blinked, confused, then looked around, raising his voice in clueless cheer.

"What? Hey, what's going on? What happened?"

But just as he turned to ask the crowd, he felt it.

A warm, slippery sensation spread across the hand pressed against his abdomen.

He looked down. His fingers were soaked—in red.

"Woooooow…"

That crimson hue, so rich, so vibrant—this was it. This was what he had been chasing all this time.

"So that's it… No wonder… I could never find it before…"

He smiled, a gentle, almost peaceful smile.

Then—

Bang!

The second shot blew off everything above the bridge of his nose.

And yet, the smile remained on the severed lips of his corpse.

Kiritsugu lowered his weapon, merging once more into the shadows.

As always, he operated alone. Without the accompaniment of his Servant, he had slipped through the city's water routes, taken his shot—and eliminated Caster's Master.

Incidentally, the two mature men currently locked in combat over a married woman and a loli atop a high-rise rooftop… had luckily escaped his sniper's wrath by virtue of their high elevation.

Kiritsugu slung his weapon over his shoulder and took a deep drag from his cigarette.

Even with one less enemy on the board, his heart was far from light.

Out on the river, the monstrous abomination had gone berserk, perhaps in response to its Master's death. Saber and Rider, locked in mortal combat with it, were now facing even greater pressure.

"What now…?" Kiritsugu murmured through a puff of smoke. "Should I try exploiting their chivalry again? Hm. If luck's on our side, maybe I can trick that naive King of Knights into wasting one of Lancer's Noble Phantasms…"

Then—

"Arash. Where are you?"

A voice answered through the Command Seal.

"Master, I'm on the riverbank, just a bit north of you," Arash replied, cheerful as always. "Perfect vantage point, too. Shall I begin raining down support fire? That big beast looks like it's about to make landfall—my arrows are raring to go."

"Not yet. Hold your fire."

"…Got it."

For some reason, Arash's tone dropped, as if disappointed.

Kiritsugu didn't dwell on it. Gun in hand, he moved quickly through the shadows toward Arash's location.

---

If only I could use my left hand…

Saber grit her teeth.

Her holy sword erupted with a burst of wind, obliterating several of the monster's massive tendrils.

Despite Rider and Gilgamesh's overwhelming firepower, the monster showed no signs of falling.

It didn't matter how many Noble Phantasms were thrown at it—if all wounds healed instantly, then what was the point?

To slay this beast, they needed a single, absolute blow. One that would leave nothing—no body, no blood, no soul.

A City-Leveling Noble Phantasm.

And such a weapon… was already in Saber's hands.

Excalibur—The Sword of Promised Victory.

Forged by the very planet itself, its brilliance could obliterate fortresses, vaporize legions, and shine with the will of the stars.

But to unleash it required immense magical power… and more than that—control.

And at this moment, Saber couldn't even hold her blade properly.

Her left arm, injured in a previous battle, was cursed by Lancer's "Gáe Buidhe"—The Yellow Rose of Mortality.

A wound that would never heal, a curse that rendered her entire arm useless.

Crack—!

Lightning tore across the sky as Rider's chariot descended beside her, churning the river into spray.

"Oi, Saber!" he shouted, voice booming. "This isn't working! We need to fall back!"

"I can't!" she retorted. "If we don't hold the line here—"

"I know, I know. But it's useless if we die trying. Just trust me this once—retreat."

Saber hesitated. Then, reluctantly—"Fine."

With a burst of wind, she launched herself toward the riverbank.

Rider's chariot followed moments later, crashing onto dry ground in a roar of thunder.

"There's no time. We need a plan—now."

Rider didn't waste words.

"I'll use Ionioi Hetairoi to trap the beast in my Reality Marble. But even with my finest warriors, we won't be able to destroy it. All I can do is delay it."

"Then what?" Lancer asked.

"I don't know." Rider turned, gaze sharp. "But I have my strategist."

He looked toward Waver, expression grave.

"Young man. It's up to you. Find a solution."

Lifting the boy by his collar, he deposited him gently onto the ground.

"Me…?" Waver blinked in panic.

"Of course. I'll leave a messenger behind. Whatever you decide, let them know."

And with that, Rider turned his chariot once more—dragging the monstrous abomination into his own realm.

'W-What now…?'

'What do I do… Zhuge Liang?'

Faced with the sharp gazes of Saber and Lancer, Waver was practically wilting under the pressure. Internally, he cried out for his other Servant.

'Please remain calm, Master. Leave this situation to me. Watch carefully and learn.'

With those words, Zhuge Liang switched control of the body with his Master.

He first reached into his pocket and pulled out a pair of sleek black-rimmed glasses. After placing them on the bridge of his nose and pushing them up with a glint of light, he spoke with composed authority:

"Let's get to the point. Between the two of you—Lancer, you most likely don't have an anti-fortress Noble Phantasm. Saber, do you possess one?"

A blunt question.

Saber wasn't the best at hiding things. Her expression faltered immediately, and even Lancer could tell—yes, she did indeed have a weapon of such caliber.

"You have one, don't you?"

"..."

Saber remained silent.

Lancer followed up:

"Could that Noble Phantasm... destroy that monstrosity of a Caster in one strike?"

"Possibly... maybe..."

Saber replied reluctantly, her tone uncertain.

Then, with a resolute gaze, she looked directly at the Lancer and continued:

"Lancer, the weight of my sword is the weight of my honor. The wound I sustained in our battle is not a shackle—but a badge of pride. Just like you once said in the forest, if my left arm can summon Diarmuid Ua Duibhne to our side, then that is truly equivalent to an army of thousands."

Lancer narrowed his eyes, gazing out across the river as if he could see through the boundary to the creature lurking within.

Eventually, he spoke:

"...Say, Saber. I simply cannot forgive that Caster."

"He revels in despair, delights in spreading fear. Before I became a knight, I swore—evil shall never run rampant while I draw breath."

"Is it Saber who must prevail now? Or Lancer? No—neither. The one who must triumph now... is the code we both hold sacred—Chivalry. I'm right, aren't I, Heroic Spirit Artoria?"

With a casual smile, Lancer suddenly shouted—and without hesitation, snapped one of his twin spears in half.

Watching him do so, Zhuge Liang silently marked him down in his heart as "KIA – Knight of Honor."

Taking advantage of the emotional moment between the two, Zhuge Liang stealthily slipped a silk pouch into the messenger's hand.

"Deliver this to His Majesty, when the time is right."

He whispered discreetly.