[3rd POV]
"Are those two serious?" Caster said with a wry smile, raising his hand to his eyes as a storm of magical energy formed within the cavern.
It was evident that the two Noble Phantasms Artoria Alter had unleashed earlier were nothing compared to the one she was about to release now.
The only thought running through his mind was that she had probably been holding back against them. The proof of that was the fact she hadn't even released the attack yet, and everyone could already feel an impending sense of danger.
But that wasn't the worst part. The worst part was the boy with disheveled hair. The pressure emanating from him was far more terrifying.
Out of the corner of his eye, Caster could see the three girls nearly petrified in front of the two Servants, both preparing to unleash their atomic bombs at any moment.
"The Master is going to use his Noble Phantasm," Nobunaga said calmly at his side, completely ignoring the magical storm.
"I thought he wasn't capable," Caster muttered with a wry smile.
Without looking at him, Nobunaga kept her eyes fixed on the Master and replied, "Until a few hours ago, that wasn't the case. Something in this fight 'awakened' his Noble Phantasm."
"That guy's a monster." It was the only possible reaction.
"Yes, he is." Nobunaga gave a faint smile.
Serving a Master like that wasn't bad at all. A Master who didn't follow common sense, who wasn't tied to conventional ideas, was ideal for her.
Meanwhile, a vortex of dark purple energy enveloped Artoria Alter's body. The raw energy bursts outward, expanding and generating an immense amount of magical power, manifesting as a black light.
Altair took a deep breath, gripping his staff tightly. Closing his eyes, he heard the chant:
"«Vortigern, Hammer of the Evil King, reverse the rising sun. Devour the light, Excalibur Morgan!»"
Artoria lowered her sword, unleashing the black-purple light toward Altair.
Suddenly, he opened his eyes, a wild grin spreading across his face.
"«Golden staff, pillar of the heavens, grow, extend, crush the gods! Let the Monkey King's roar resound, and may the earth tremble beneath my strike!»"
As he recited the chant, the stone pillar extended and expanded toward Artoria. But in the next instant, it cracked — and like a snake shedding its skin, its golden form was revealed.
Artoria, upon seeing the golden pillar clash with the black light, shuddered. More than that, she realized she was trapped, sealed in that space, as if the air itself had solidified around her, pinning her existence in place. She quickly understood: this was an unavoidable Noble Phantasm — her very existence had been frozen at that moment. Once it was unleashed, the only option would be to defend or counterattack.
Completely immobilized, the two Noble Phantasms collided with overwhelming force.
A violent shockwave shook the area the moment they struck. The golden pillar and the black light clashed with devastating intensity, generating a thunderous sound that echoed throughout the chamber.
But, anticlimactic, the golden pillar completely dissipated the black-purple light and, growing even more, struck Artoria with a boom. Just before impact, Altair tilted his Ruyi Jingu Bang to the side, causing only half of the Knight's body to be vaporized.
Altair dropped to one knee, panting. The golden pillar struck the ground with a tremendous crash, and its beautiful golden shine began to be covered by a gray crust.
"Is it over?" Ritsuka asked, walking toward Altair.
"Yeah," he murmured with a smile, trying to stand, though his legs trembled.
For more than two hours, he had been in nonstop combat — skeletons, Medusa, Hercules, and now the King of Knights. His body had reached its physical and mental limit, and his magical energy was nearly depleted. Even so, he kept smiling.
"That was fun," he muttered, though there was a hint of bitterness in his voice since he'd faced Artoria Alter when she was already somewhat worn down. But he couldn't complain, right?
As he struggled to stand, an arm wrapped around his shoulder, supporting him. He looked down to see Nobunaga, who — despite the height difference — was effortlessly holding him up.
"Being on the ground doesn't suit the victor," Nobunaga said in a neutral voice, though a faint smile touched her lips.
"Thanks," Altair replied with a tired smile.
"No need to thank me, idiot," she murmured, letting out a soft laugh.
Meanwhile, the other girls approached.
"Altair-senpai, are you okay?" Mash asked, concerned.
"Sure, I'm just exhausted."
"Man, congrats!" Caster patted him on the back with a grin.
Altair smiled, but his eyes turned to Saber, who, even with part of her body missing, refused to fall.
"That was more satisfying than I expected," she murmured with an enigmatic smile.
Caster, Olga, and Ritsuka sighed in relief, approaching Saber.
Caster was limping — after all, he was almost out of magical energy — while Mash, though better off, moved with some difficulty, her class granting her more endurance than speed.
"Yeah, it was fun." With Nobunaga's support, Altair approached Saber.
"So, are you satisfied? Satisfied that you defeated me on your own? Satisfied to have had me just for yourself, if only for a moment?" she asked with an unreadable smile.
"Of course."
She smiled as her body began to fade. "What a shame. I was having fun. It seems that no matter what I do, I'm doomed to meet the same fate — alone."
"What's that supposed to mean?" Cú Chulainn asked, gripping his staff tightly. "Bastard, what do you know?" Saber simply scoffed at him.
"You'll understand eventually, Child of Light from Ireland. The Grand Order... the battle for the Holy Grail has only just begun," Artoria said, vanishing into particles of light as she turned her head toward Altair. "You'll take responsibility for your words... Senpai." With those final words, her body completely disappeared.
"Hey, wait! What do you mean—?" Cú Chulainn began to shout, but his own body started dissolving into golden dust. "Ah, damn! I'm being sent back too? How annoying!" he sighed, turning to Ritsuka and Altair. "Kids, I'm leaving the rest to you. Next time we meet, I hope one of you summons me as Lancer!" With that, he vanished as well, receiving a nod from both Altair and Ritsuka.
Mash stepped forward. "Confirming the disappearance of Caster and Saber... did we win?" she tilted her head, confused.
"Seems like it," Altair replied, opening and closing his hand.
"Grand Order..." she repeated, furrowing her brow.
Hearing the mutter, Altair turned to Olga.
"How did that servant know that name?" She pressed her thumb to her lips nervously, staring at the spot where Saber had fallen.
"Is something wrong?" he asked, curious.
"Huh? O-oh! N-no, nothing." She coughed, blushing as she stepped closer to the boy. "We just need to recover the Holy Grail. It's the reason Saber became abnormal and likely the cause of the Singularity in Fuyuki," the white-haired Magus said, avoiding Altair's gaze.
As if responding to her words, the group saw a small glowing object hovering where Saber had fallen. It was a chalice, glowing with a vibrant golden light.
"Is that it?" Altair asked, looking at Olga Marie, who gave a slight nod.
"Immediate retrieval—" Before Olga could finish, a slow clap echoed through the chamber.
"Well, I didn't expect you to come this far."
Altair's eyes narrowed, focusing on the entrance as a male voice echoed.
"Candidate Master Forty-Eight. I was foolish to dismiss you as just an unlikely child," came the voice, and Altair saw a figure step from the shadows.
It was a man dressed in a green suit and top hat.
He frowned, instincts warning him of the danger this man posed. Nobunaga also looked tense.
"As for the filthy monkey, you weren't even part of my plans." The man looked at Altair with disdain.
Before he could say anything, a scream pierced the air.
"LEV!" Olga shouted, running toward him.
"Wait, Lev's here?!" Dr. Roman chimed in, his hologram reappearing on Ritsuka's wrist. "How is that possible?" He looked shocked.
"Master, I've got a bad feeling about this guy," Nobunaga whispered to Altair.
"Me too," he replied, stepping away from her.
"Lev! Lev! You're alive! Oh, thank God!" Olga ran toward him, ignoring the Servants' warnings. "Thank God! Without you, I don't know how I'd protect Chaldea!" She hugged Lev, who showed a look of disgust.
"Director, no! That man is—" Mash sensed danger and tried to warn her, but Olga didn't listen.
"Hello, Olga. You look well, considering the circumstances," Lev said with a fake smile.
"Yes, yes, Lev! The command room exploded, the city's in ruins, and I can't return to Chaldea! Everything's a mess! But it doesn't matter now. With you here, we'll be fine, right?" Olga said, trembling with relief. "You've always been a great help!"
"Of course, I'll help. Honestly, all these complications annoyed me. The biggest one, though, was you, Olga," Lev said in a cheerful tone as if he hadn't just insulted her.
"Tch!" Altair clicked his tongue, preparing to act despite his exhaustion.
"Director! Get away from him!" Mash shouted, ready to intervene.
"I placed the bomb right beneath your feet, and you still survived," Lev said with a wicked expression.
"W-What? L-Lev? What does that mean?" Olga stammered in shock. Lev just smiled before moving his hand swiftly to grab the director's throat.
Without a second thought, Altair dashed forward toward the man in the top hat.
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