"Gilgamesh is serious," Kirei said.
Tokiomi gripped the arms of his chair tightly, his face darkened by a grim expression.
"He's being reckless!"
"The enemy Lancer is also wielding a weapon identical to Archer's. We cannot allow this absurdity to continue! The city of Fuyuki—along with the Holy Grail—will end up being destroyed."
Kirei's tone carried urgency, but beneath it, there was something else.
A silent fascination with the chaos unfolding before him.
To witness a battle of this magnitude firsthand was something worth dying for.
"..."
Tokiomi remained silent for a moment, weighing his options.
Then he made his decision and raised his right hand.
His eyes fell upon the three crimson Command Seals engraved on his skin as he declared:
"By the Command Seal, O King of Heroes—withdraw from the battlefield immediately."
At that very instant, one of the seals glowed intensely and vanished.
---
On the battlefield—
Gilgamesh, who had been preparing to unleash Ea's power, was suddenly interrupted.
His body froze—the absolute authority of the Command Seal forced him to stop.
His expression darkened immediately.
"Tokiomi… do you truly believe you can order me to retreat in the middle of my banquet?"
His expression twisted instantly.
The crimson energy that had begun to gather around Ea dissipated.
"Are you mocking me?" The anger in his eyes was unmistakable.
Even so, he could not resist.
A heavy silence followed.
Then Gilgamesh smiled.
His scarlet eyes swept across the battlefield before settling on Arthur.
"We will finish this on a stage worthy of us."
"I feel the same way," Arthur replied with a sigh as he returned Ea to the Gate of Babylon.
"Iri, have Berserker return to your shadow," Arthur said, turning his gaze to her.
Irisviel nodded as Berserker sank back into her shadow.
From a distance, Kiritsugu let out a sigh of relief as he saw Gilgamesh disappear.
He had truly feared what would happen if both Gilgamesh and Arthur unleashed their Noble Phantasms there.
If that had happened, he had no idea how many people would survive.
…
"Ah… what a disappointment," Arthur muttered under his breath.
In the next instant, he vanished from his position, reappearing behind Irisviel before Artoria could even react, his spear already in hand.
CLANG!!
The metallic sound rang loudly.
Arthur intercepted the attack without even looking back at first.
"It's not very honorable to attack a defenseless woman, Diarmuid."
---
A few seconds earlier…
Seeing that Archer had withdrawn, Kayneth—who had initially planned to do the same—suddenly changed his mind.
Even if Lancer's mana reserves were vast, he must have already consumed a significant portion during his clash with Archer.
Saber, on the other hand, was in perfect condition.
More importantly, she specialized in close combat.
If he seized this opening, he could deal a fatal blow to Berserker's Master, eliminate her… and then deal with Lancer afterward.
The advantage was his.
Without hesitation, Kayneth made his decision.
Turning to Diarmuid, who was in spirit form at the time, he ordered coldly:
"Saber, kill Berserker's Master."
Diarmuid, who materialized shortly after, was visibly shocked.
"Master… Lancer and I made an agreement—to duel to the death, fairly and honorably as knights."
His expression hardened.
"I, Diarmuid Ua Duibhne, swear upon my honor that I will defeat Lancer!"
He clenched his fists.
"My honor does not allow me to attack the defenseless—especially a woman!"
Determined to uphold his knightly code, Diarmuid opposed Kayneth.
But Kayneth did not care.
As a magus to his core, concepts like honor, justice, or fair duels held no value to him.
To him, victory was everything in the Holy Grail War.
And for that, there were no limits.
If necessary, he would resort to any method.
Even the most despicable ones.
"Master…"
Diarmuid tried to insist.
"That's enough!"
Kayneth's patience snapped.
He raised his right hand, and the Command Seal glowed once more.
How could he waste such a perfect opportunity?
"With this Command Seal, I order you: eliminate Berserker's Master—and Lancer!"
The command fell like an absolute sentence.
In the next instant, Diarmuid's body moved against his will.
He was forced to act.
Leaping from the rooftop where Kayneth stood, he launched himself into attack.
At the same time, Kiritsugu noticed Kayneth's actions.
Through the scope of his sniper rifle, he observed the magus completely exposed.
Assassin also noticed Kayneth immediately.
But he ignored him, continuing his role as a silent observer—recording everything like an invisible war correspondent.
It was not yet time to act.
His Master, Kirei, had already warned him—Kayneth was not an easy target.
Even in a surprise attack, success was not guaranteed.
Kayneth's Mystic Code provided automatic defense, making instant elimination extremely unlikely.
Kayneth was a true genius of Magecraft.
And Hassan of the Hundred Faces was not a direct combatant.
Among Servants, he was one of the weakest in that regard.
Likely incapable of defeating even some experienced Masters in direct combat.
---
Arthur intercepted both of Diarmuid's blades at the exact moment they were about to strike Irisviel.
Without wasting time, Diarmuid stepped back and immediately charged again.
This time, there was no elegance in his movements.
The clash between sword and spear lasted only an instant.
Arthur did not retreat—on the contrary, with superior attributes and overwhelming control, he deflected the attack and, with a simple motion, delivered a kick that sent Diarmuid flying back more than ten meters.
"Aaaaaah!"
The cry that escaped Diarmuid was not only from effort, but from frustration and helplessness.
His face twisted.
The nobility he once held had vanished.
What remained was someone forced to fight against his own will.
"What happened to Saber?" Artoria asked, confused.
Irisviel frowned slightly before answering:
"It seems his Master used a Command Seal against his will… that's why he's like this."
"..."
Artoria fell silent.
An unavoidable thought crossed her mind.
What if Kiritsugu used a Command Seal on her?
What if he forced her to do something she did not want?
---
"Lancer… forgive me!"
Gritting his teeth, Diarmuid spoke from the bottom of his heart.
"It doesn't matter. Your Master forced you. You are a true knight, Diarmuid," Arthur replied calmly.
"Unfortunately, we'll have to finish our duel here."
Kayneth's voice echoed across the battlefield, amplified by magecraft:
"Saber, use your Noble Phantasm at full power and don't give him the chance to draw that weapon again."
The command was absolute.
Kayneth had used another Command Seal.
Despite the reluctance in his eyes, Diarmuid had no choice but to obey.
In the next instant, the cloth covering his weapons vanished, fully revealing his twin swords.
Móralltach, the fearsome demonic blade, and Beagalltach, the golden sword that enhanced his defense.
"Though it is not honorable… I will use my Noble Phantasm at full power, Lancer!"
The ground beneath him cracked as he leapt.
Diarmuid soared into the sky, descending like a meteor while channeling energy into his weapon.
"The boundary between life and death… I shall pierce even that!"
"MÓRALLTACH!!"
The pressure of the attack distorted the air with crimson light.
Arthur tightened his grip on his spear.
In the next instant, it shone with intense golden light.
"Releasing the double restraints of the sacred spear. Countdown initiated."
Arthur stepped back, lowered his stance, and prepared to strike.
His eyes locked onto Diarmuid descending from above.
"Spear of Radiant Destiny — LONGINUS!!"
He launched the spear, cutting through the air like a golden comet.
Móralltach collided with Longinus midair.
A colossal explosion illuminated the night sky, swallowing both attacks the moment they met.
The shockwave swept everything around.
Then silence.
A few seconds later, something fell from the sky and struck the ground with a heavy thud.
It was Diarmuid.
His body was pinned to the ground, the sacred spear piercing his chest.
Particles of light began to scatter from his form.
"As expected… even after releasing both my Noble Phantasms… I was unable to defeat you…"
His voice was weak, but steady.
"You should be proud," Arthur said as he approached.
He stopped beside the fallen knight.
"Not many can remain conscious after taking a hit from Longinus."
Diarmuid gave a faint smile.
"…Yes… you're right."
His eyes began to lose their light.
"I apologize… for not being able to have a true duel with you…"
"Don't worry. One day, we'll have another chance," Arthur replied.
Diarmuid smiled, closed his eyes… and disappeared completely.
With the Servant's death, the released magical energy did not return to the world.
Instead, it was absorbed into Irisviel's body.
"Ugh!"
The pain came instantly.
Irisviel groaned, her body wavering. For a moment, it seemed she would fall—but Artoria caught her in time, holding her firmly.
"Iri!"
The concern in her voice was evident.
Meanwhile, Arthur quietly stored a small glowing sphere.
---
(End of Chapter)