Einzbern Castle.
With the bounded fields almost entirely destroyed, Roy had no trouble entering.
"Illya."
Illyasviel was anxiously watching Berserker's battle when Roy suddenly appeared before her.
"Roy?"
She blinked in surprise. "Why are you here?"
"Did you forget? We were out hunting corrupted Servants. When we heard the commotion here, we came to investigate."
"Ah… right."
Illya paused, though her mood remained visibly poor.
"Sorry, but I don't have time to entertain you right now!"
Though startled by Roy's arrival, her attention was entirely focused on the fight between Berserker and the blackened Saber. Her anxious gaze remained locked on the battlefield.
She channelled every drop of her mana into Berserker, causing him to briefly surge with renewed vigour—only for the blackened Saber to instantly strike him down again, claiming another of his lives.
"I'd love to help, but even with my Saber, we'd stand no chance."
Roy was equally awed by the sheer power of these top-tier Servants. Witnessing their destructive capabilities firsthand was enough to make anyone's scalp tingle.
After three years of studying magecraft and honing his innate talents, Roy considered himself among the elite of modern magi. But against either of these two Servants? He wouldn't survive a single strike.
As for Okita Souji's strength… intervening in that battle would likely only result in her being slaughtered.
Okita, hiding in the shadows: (Sniffles quietly.)
Illya didn't respond.
She probably appreciated Roy's willingness to help, but she was too busy supporting Berserker to spare him any words.
"Berserker isn't going to win. Come with me."
Roy extended his hand toward her, his expression serious.
"Berserker will win!"
Illya glared at Roy, her eyes burning with anger—but beneath that, uncertainty flickered.
"The blackened Saber's mana is practically infinite. How do you plan to overcome that?"
Roy shook his head, refusing to indulge her stubborn optimism.
"If we could just find the source of her mana—"
"Do you really think that's possible?"
"..."
Illya gritted her teeth in frustration.
Not only was there no sign of the blackened Saber's mana source, but even if they found it, the sheer intensity of the battle made acting on that knowledge impossible.
"Berserker would want you to survive. Come with me."
"...No!"
After a brief hesitation, Illya firmly rejected him.
"You don't trust me?"
"No, I do trust you."
Illya shook her head, a trace of sorrow crossing her face.
"But if I go with you, the blackened Saber won't let you escape. I can feel it—her target is me."
The blackened Saber wasn't here for Berserker.
She had come for Illya.
That was why she had attacked the castle, forcing Berserker to engage her in Illya's defense.
If Illya fled with Roy, the blackened Saber would undoubtedly pursue—dragging him into the line of fire.
She didn't care about others.
Rin, Bazett—if they died, so be it.
But she refused to involve Roy in this disaster.
And more than that…
Rather than running, she wanted to fight alongside Berserker until the very end.
"Then I'll have to resort to force."
Roy sighed.
He could sense Illya's goodwill toward him.
And that only made him more determined not to let her die here.
As he spoke, Roy began slowly tracing runes in the air—deliberately giving her time to react.
"You—!"
Illya shot him an indignant glare.
But seeing he wasn't bluffing, she reluctantly halted her mana transfer to Berserker and drew out a set of silver threads.
The threads crisscrossed before her, weaving into intricate patterns resembling skeletal remains.
"You shouldn't have used magecraft."
Roy's eyes suddenly shimmered, glowing with the brilliance of gemstones.
"Mystic Eyes?!"
Illya's face paled.
"How do you have those?!"
In her moment of shock, the silver threads she had been manipulating suddenly twisted against her, coiling around her limbs like octopus tentacles and binding her tightly.
"Wait, Roy—let me go!"
"No."
Roy smiled faintly.
He reached out, placing a hand atop Illya's head.
"Berserker."
Suddenly—
On the battlefield, Berserker's movements faltered.
The blackened Saber seized the opening, kicking him away with brutal force.
Inside the castle, Illya's eyes widened.
"How are you intercepting my connection to Berserker?! And how can you communicate with him directly?!"
"It's just another form of magecraft."
Roy shrugged dismissively.
His mental message continued flowing between Illya and Berserker.
'I'm here to save Illya. I'm taking her away now—buy us as much time as you can.'
'Don't listen to him, Berserker!'
"ROOOAAAR—!!"
Berserker's thunderous bellow shook the earth.
Like a marathon runner entering their final sprint, his muscles burned crimson, surging with overwhelming power as he launched himself at the blackened Saber with renewed ferocity.
His attacks grew even fiercer.
"Truly the ultimate lolicon. Respect."
Roy nodded approvingly.
Then, with Illya still protesting in his grasp, he handed her off to Okita Souji, and the two sprinted out of the castle.
***
"Wait—you actually went and rescued Illyasviel?!"
On the way, they ran into Rin, who had come looking for Roy. She stared at him in disbelief.
She couldn't fathom why Roy would take such a risk to save Illya when they stood no chance against the blackened Saber.
"Rin's here too?"
Illya frowned at the sight of her.
"Should we team up?"
Since the situation had already escalated, Rin had no choice but to adapt. She sighed as if trying to reboot her brain, then looked at Illya.
"If all three of our Servants join forces, we might stand a chance against the blackened Saber."
Illya's eyes flickered. That was an option.
She didn't want Berserker to die in vain.
"About that—I'd advise against it, Rin."
Archer suddenly cut in.
"There's a Servant ahead. Their aura is frenzied—probably the blackened Berserker. Just a guess, but I'd say the blackened Saber planted him there as an ambush."
The group had been fleeing toward Fuyuki City, the opposite direction from the castle.
But Archer's words brought them to a screeching halt.
Roy rubbed his temples and let out a wry laugh.
See?
The blackened Saber's tactics had become sharper.
She must have anticipated Illya trying to escape toward Fuyuki's spirit-repelling bounded fields and stationed the blackened Berserker to cut them off.
Now, they were trapped.
Forward? The blackened Berserker blocked their path.
Backward? If they rejoined Berserker's fight against the blackened Saber, attempting a three-on-one, the blackened Berserker would likely rush in—turning it into a three-on-two.
***
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