Chapter 23: Is it Over? I Think Not

The world trembled.

Shendu was taking on all six at once.

With a swift thrust, Lancer parried the strike of a swooping dragon. At that moment, he received a command from his Master, Kayneth.

"Lancer, prioritize Caster."

His gaze swept across the battlefield as he charged toward the epicenter of the most violent clash. The magnificent palace was collapsing piece by piece; Berserker had nearly dismantled the entire imperial residence. The black-armored knight hoisted a massive stone pillar and lunged at Shendu.

"Mongrel! This is a war between Kings!" Gilgamesh shouted, seemingly infuriated by their intrusion. But Servants are beings who exist solely to follow the orders of their Masters. In the blink of an eye, it had become a "just" three-on-one.

Shendu had undoubtedly become the primary target for everyone. He was simply too arrogant.

The boost from the Noble Phantasm-grade Rabbit Talisman was beginning to wane. Berserker's combat style was even wilder than Shendu's, fighting like a pure, frenzied beast.

"Magnificent! This is how it should be!" Shendu let out a manic laugh, entirely unbothered. "Let me see just how much you can actually do!"

The supercharged Rabbit speed finally flickered out. However, Shendu merely shoved Lancer aside with unhurried grace, his body shuddering. Steam rose from his monstrous frame, and a dark shadow flickered over his head.

He reached out a single hand and caught the pillar Berserker was slamming toward him.

Berserker let out a guttural, animalistic roar. When summoned by his Master, Kariya Matou, he had been imbued with the "Mad Enhancement" attribute, stripping him of speech and most of his reason. However, he retained his full combat instincts and gained a massive boost to strength and agility.

Furthermore, his Noble Phantasm, Knight of Owner, allowed him to transform anything he touched into his own Noble Phantasm.

At this moment, the knight roared, pressing down with the weight of the pillar. His strength was terrifying; even the palace had crumbled under his reckless power just moments ago.

But in this instant, a wicked smile played on Shendu's lips.

He supported the pillar, now Berserker's Noble Phantasm, with a single hand. His expression was relaxed, his effort non-existent. He was even slowly pushing it back up.

Muscles rippled and defined themselves across his skin. His already massive frame began to grow even taller, not stopping until he stood over fifteen feet high.

This was the surge of the Noble Phantasm-grade Ox Talisman!

It brought to Shendu, the master of strength, a primal might capable of cleaving mountains and parting seas. He flexed his palm, and the massive stone pillar instantly shattered into dust. With a swift follow-up, he delivered a kick that sent Berserker flying, plowing a deep trench into the earth.

In a hidden shadow, Kariya Matou spat out a mouthful of blood. The mana consumption required to sustain Berserker's combat was immense. As a Master, his mana capacity was substandard, forcibly bolstered only by his Crest Worms. His vision blurred, but he gritted his teeth, forcing himself to focus.

"Sakura... I will save you, no matter what..."

Meanwhile, Gilgamesh raised Ea high into the air. Time had finally turned in his favor. Even as arrogant as he was, he understood that the Caster before him was no ordinary Servant. Even as the mighty King of Heroes, he had to give this fight his absolute focus.

"Perish, mongrel!" he bellowed.

Dozens of weapons from the Gate of Babylon screamed forth, converging on Shendu's massive frame. All he needed was to stall the beast for a second, just a moment to charge...

A localized surge of world-ending power began to manifest.

In front of him, Shendu flexed his claws. In the next second, the gargantuan body that had occupied everyone's attention vanished instantly. Even the slightest ripple of mana disappeared.

Several pairs of eyes scanned the battlefield frantically. It was as if he had evaporated into thin air; the Gate of Babylon struck nothing but empty space.

"Just how powerful is this guy?" Lancer whispered, his eyes filled with shock.

From the start of the battle until now, Shendu had displayed too many distinct abilities. Is he omnipotent? The same doubt rose in everyone's hearts. Strength, speed, stealth, Reality Marbles, summoning armies, magical sorcery... he seemed to possess everything. Had such a King ever existed in history?

Gilgamesh held Ea aloft, a heavy sense of crisis pressing against him. His charge wasn't finished, but the invisible Shendu was already before him. The Gate of Babylon couldn't lock on, that was the inevitable result of total invisibility.

But in that split second!

A flash of yellow light streaked through the air.

Shendu let out a low grunt of pain. A magnificent spear was embedded in his back.

Lancer stood in the distance, still frozen in the pose of having hurled his Noble Phantasm, Gáe Buidhe. To the observers, the weapon seemed to have pierced the very air itself. He had predicted Shendu's intent and movement.

"Though it goes against my chivalry, I..." Lancer's expression was bitter. This was an order from his Master, Kayneth; he could not resist.

Gáe Buidhe, the Golden Rose of Mortality.

A short yellow spear, exquisite and ornate. Any target wounded by it would find their injuries impossible to heal. Even those with regeneration abilities or access to healing magecraft could not mend a wound caused by this weapon.

Lancer sprinted forward, leaping into the air. He grabbed the short spear with both hands and ripped it downward with savage force. The wound tore open even wider. Even for someone as strong as Artoria Pendragon, a mere scratch on the wrist from this weapon had compromised her combat effectiveness.

"It is over, Caster," Lancer Diarmuid sighed.

He turned around. Behind him, Shendu's form slowly flickered into visibility. A massive, jagged wound ran from his shoulder down his back, dripping blood and screaming of agony.

"You can't even maintain your shroud anymore, can you?" Lancer flicked the blood from his spear, a trace of sorrow in his handsome eyes. As a knight, he respected every warrior, especially one as powerful and defiant as this.

Atop his flying chariot, Iskandar's tensed expression relaxed slightly. He commented, "That knight's spear carries a curse. It seems Caster is defeated."

With such a massive wound, even moving should be an ordeal, let alone fighting two other Servants. It was an impossible situation.

On the shattered ground, Shendu hunched over, breathing heavily. His body was severely damaged. Beneath his green scales, the flesh was torn open, a gruesome sight.

Gilgamesh, having retreated to a safe distance, extended his hand. The weapons within the Gate of Babylon pointed at Shendu with lethal intent. The world-shaking power of Ea began to coalesce once more.

"It's over. Caster is going to lose," Kiritsugu Emiya said solemnly from the distance.

He couldn't understand why Zoran's face remained as calm as a placid lake, showing no emotion at all. If the Servant died, no matter how strong the Master was, victory would be an impossible dream. Caster was indeed powerful, but the Spearman's curse had taken hold. Unless Lancer was killed or the spear destroyed, the curse would cling to him forever.

But that was a catch; no one here would help him defeat Lancer.

Zoran turned his calm eyes toward him, his expression untroubled. "Over?"

He gave a small smile. "I think not."