The knight's long lance, its shell gradually closing once more, collided with the cannon. The King wielding the Holy Lance possessed stats that were inherently several degrees higher than Napoleon's. Compounded by the disparity between their Masters, the difference in power between the two was made starkly evident in this clash. The King with the Holy Lance did not retreat, but Napoleon was pushed back by the tremendous force of the impact. If not for the fact that he was the "Emperor on Horseback"—in an era where, although firearms were beginning to emerge, cold weapons were still in use, and thus his own physical skills were quite good—he likely would have been knocked head over heels.
However, it was at this very moment that the red-haired bladesmith, clutching his katana, leaped down from the top of the bridge. His body still bore several wounds from the scattered, fragmented magical energy of the previous collision, but he endured it all.
After all, if they want to achieve victory in this battle, this is the only possibility.
But the Lancer Knight on the white horse also reacted quickly. Of course, reacting even faster than the knight was the white horse beneath her. Animals, after all, are more sensitive to danger. The long lance thrust upwards, and at the same time, her innate "Protection from the Ends of the World" erupted.
Amidst a shower of sparks, the katana's blade was sent flying. The bladesmith clutched the remaining hilt of his sword, a wound pierced through his shoulder by the Holy Lance. In exchange, however, a crack had appeared on the facial armor of the King wielding the Holy Lance. Finally, with the crisp sound of breaking metal, the lion-like helmet split apart to both sides.
The next moment, a dignified, majestic, yet undeniably beautiful face appeared before everyone. Upon seeing this face, Gray couldn't help but freeze. For no other reason than the fact that her own current face was identical to that of the King wielding the Holy Lance before her. And upon seeing this King's visage, Waver couldn't help but clutch his stomach.
Many who did not know about the Fourth Holy Grail War were astonished to see that the legendary King Arthur was, in fact, a woman. As for why they knew this was King Arthur, it was purely because of the True Name spoken during the Noble Phantasm release: the Holy Lance, Rhongomyniad, the anchor that fastens the world, inside and out—the weapon wielded by that King. Those who did know about the Fourth Holy Grail War couldn't help but sigh with emotion. This King Arthur was truly an active participant. Or perhaps this King was simply too famous, to be summoned in two separate Holy Grail Wars, and in different forms no less.
Artoria looked at the mask fragments that had fallen to the ground and couldn't help but remark, "Well done!" With her royal sister acting as her Master, she was currently able to exert 100% of her power as a Heroic Spirit's spiritual fragment. To speak immodestly, she was strong. Very few Heroic Spirits could overwhelm her in a one-on-one duel. Yet the two Heroic Spirits before her, by coordinating, had not only blocked her Noble Phantasm release but had also shattered her armor. Their performance was indeed worthy of praise.
The injured bladesmith quickly retreated. Looking at the King with the Holy Lance, the red-haired bladesmith took a deep breath. "Master, if necessary, I will release my Noble Phantasm now. Using two Command Spells in succession should be able to offset the after-effects of its use."
Napoleon also readied his giant cannon once more. The previous shot was a Noble Phantasm release under a Command Spell. He still had enough magical energy for several more releases. And even if his magical energy was nearly exhausted, with the help of "possibility," he might still be able to fire one last rainbow cannon at his opponent.
Upon hearing the bladesmith make no effort to hide his voice, Napoleon quickly understood his ally's intention. He looked at the King before him and spoke, "How about it? Do you still wish to continue? Even if you can take us down, we will make you pay an enormous price. And around here, there must be an 'oriole' waiting to devour the 'mantis', correct?"
The Witch of Britain, King Arthur's royal sister, Morgan, sat in her temporarily constructed magus workshop, legs crossed. She lightly picked up a glass of sparkling wine. Her blue lipstick left a mark on the rim of the glass. Illuminated by the streetlights and moonlight, the entire workshop appeared radical, yet possessed a unique urban fashion sense. "Return, Artoria. Just as that French Emperor said, although we could finish those two, it would be difficult for us to escape completely unscathed. This is only the first day. I do not wish to make my move just yet. There is still plenty of time. We will take this slowly."
Although tormenting people over the long ages has long since become dreadfully boring, something I no longer wish to do, I still retain a small amount of mischievous taste.For now, let them guess just who summoned the King Arthur wielding the Holy Lance.When I make my own grand entrance later, displaying power identical to the Heroic Spirit King Arthur, I wonder how much despair my opponents will feel.I'm truly curious.
Upon hearing her royal sister's words, Artoria slowly retracted her Holy Lance. She then turned her beloved horse. Accompanying the fading sound of hooves, King Arthur's figure vanished into the night.
The broken bridge gradually fell into its proper silence. Rin's tensed muscles finally relaxed. To be honest, she had not expected to encounter such a powerful enemy on the very first day. But, more or less, she had protected her family's honor. After all, she had summoned a powerful Servant like Napoleon. With Napoleon as a testament, and having secured an ally from the start, she wasn't afraid of anyone coming to make trouble for her directly.
The Senji youth (Muramasa) at the side, however, still hadn't processed what had just happened. He stood there with his mouth slightly agape, staring at the broken bridge. He stiffly stood up, picked up his bicycle, and then put away his precious materials. A stiff smile appeared on his face. "Looks like I was too tired..... I'm already hallucinating. What kind of American blockbuster was that....."
Rin sighed and raised her hand, rapping him sharply on the head. "Calm down. Everything you saw was real. In any case, come back to the Tohsaka mansion with me first. I'll explain everything to you properly."
On the other side, Assassin also picked up the combat puppets at her feet, preparing to return to the Emiya household.
It seemed nothing else would happen on this first night of the Fifth Holy Grail War.
Caren, who had been broadcasting live, also ended the stream, preparing to return to the Church and calculate just how much money she had earned today. Although everyone was now basically returning to their respective homes, each held their own small thoughts.