After her decisive strike, Okita leaped back two steps, maintaining an ideal distance to re-engage at any moment. She waited for Lancer to react—perhaps clutching his wound, staggering from the blow. That would be her signal to launch a follow-up barrage and finish him off.
But instead—
"That was a beautiful strike," came a calm voice. Okita blinked in disbelief. Lancer, whom she had just pierced through the abdomen, didn't even look pained. Not a wince, not a furrowed brow. He gently touched his wound, offered a word of praise—and that was it.
Not only did he not seem seriously hurt, but the wound was also shockingly small—far smaller than she expected from a thrust that had penetrated his armor. Even more unbelievably, the injury was visibly closing up.
"What…?" Okita stood there, baffled.
This makes no sense! Her finishing blow felt like it didn't even sting. This wasn't just disappointing—it felt outright unfair.
Coach, someone's cheating!
Lancer, noting her astonishment, wasn't stingy with an explanation.
"Truth be told," he said, "my armor possesses a special property—it reduces all incoming damage to just one-tenth."
"That's why, even though your sword technique was extraordinary, it wasn't enough to land a critical blow."
"I'm forbidden from disclosing more information by my Master, so I must stop here."
Having revealed the secret behind his defense, Lancer fell silent again, bound by his Master's command. The moment this information registered, gasps spread among the other Masters and Servants observing the battle.
Reducing all damage to one-tenth?!
How are we supposed to fight that?!
Even a full-powered anti-fortress Noble Phantasm might struggle to break through that kind of defense. In other words, this Lancer could potentially take an A-rank Noble Phantasm head-on—and survive!
This was beyond absurd. That kind of defensive Noble Phantasm was straight-up broken. And standing in the center of the battlefield, the person most stunned by the revelation… was Okita Souji.
He really did have a damage-reduction Noble Phantasm?!
After hearing Lancer's explanation, Okita Souji almost coughed up blood in frustration. What kind of karmic disaster had she stepped in to get this unlucky?!
Her signature technique, the [Lightless Three-Stage Thrust], was specifically designed to pierce through armor. Ordinary armor was worthless before it. Even high-tier armor usually couldn't withstand her secret sword techniques.
But this—this wasn't armor. This was a cheat-level defense that directly reduced incoming damage by 90%. Even the most powerful strikes had their limits. And if that power was nerfed this hard, it was basically reduced to a tickle.
Her strongest move, completely nullified.
How the hell was she supposed to win like this?!
Still—
"Again!"
Okita didn't give up. She still had at least three hundred more rounds in her! She quickly adjusted her strategy. If her finishing move wasn't going to cut it, she'd just drag the fight out. A battle of attrition!
Lancer had activated his Mana Burst: Flame skill to match her in speed and strength. But that came with a cost—it consumed a huge amount of mana. And even if his Master was skilled, sustaining that kind of output wouldn't be easy for long.
She, on the other hand, had Su Mo. Her Master's mana was nearly inexhaustible. She didn't need to worry about running dry. So, if it came to a contest of stamina, she'd definitely have the upper hand.
Sure, it might seem a bit shameless to rely on her Master's power to win and then use that victory to ask her Master for a reward—but if it meant getting closer to him, Okita could live with the hypocrisy!
Okita Charge~!
Determined to wear Lancer down, Okita dove back into the fray. Sword clashed against spear once more, the sparks of their battle reigniting.
But just as she was preparing to launch another Noble Phantasm—
"One Step: Swifter than Sound!"
"Two Steps: Infinite Suffering!"
"Three Steps: Absolute Sword!"
"Lightless— cough!—"
Mid-incantation, Okita suddenly coughed up blood and collapsed to the ground.
Okita down!
Her plan was solid. If the fight had become a test of endurance, she might've pulled off a win. But she'd forgotten something crucial. She had the [Weak Constitution] trait. Okita Souji was not built for prolonged battles. And tonight, her luck ran dry. The curse kicked in, her body gave out, and all her strength vanished.
Even Lancer, a battle-hardened warrior, was momentarily stunned. What just happened? She collapsed mid-fight? But while he stood there dazed, his Master was quick to react.
"Lancer! Finish her off!"
The order was broadcast with an amplification spell, echoing across the battlefield for all to hear. Some Servants might frown upon such opportunism, attacking a downed opponent. But no one could deny—it was the perfect moment. Strike while the iron's hot! Take out a major threat now, and your chances of winning later skyrocket.
Lancer heard his Master's command. He didn't particularly agree with it—attacking an incapacitated foe didn't sit right with his warrior's code. But he was the type to prioritize obedience. And so, he raised his golden spear, its tip glinting ominously, prepared to deliver the final blow.
But it never came.
Because in the very next instant—
RUMMMMMBLE—
A bolt of lightning tore through the night sky, thundering across the bridge above the port. A massive wheel cloaked in divine lightning surged forward, and a voice thundered down from the heavens:
"Cease this battle at once! In the presence of this king, all conflict is forbidden!"
Another Servant had arrived—one who had no intention of letting Okita die here. If Lancer dared to strike now, he'd be crushed by that electrified chariot bearing down like divine judgment.
Not that it would've been fatal to him—but it would hurt.
At that moment, another command came from his Master.
"Lancer! Block the intruder! Kill Saber!"
He was being asked to do both—stop the new attacker and kill the fallen Saber in one go. An impossible order for most Servants. That lightning-chariot carried the unmistakable might of an A-rank or higher Noble Phantasm, and the wielder had the initiative.
In such a moment, any normal Servant would be forced to choose—evade the incoming attack or finish the enemy. You couldn't do both. But Lancer's expression didn't waver.
What was impossible for others… wasn't necessarily impossible for him.
"To see with two minds is no feat—a true hero slays with but a glance!"
With that, he swept his spear in a deadly arc, aiming directly for Okita's neck. At the same time, his eyes narrowed, locking onto the approaching chariot.
"O Brahma, Curse Me"!"
With that invocation, a golden beam of light shot out from his eyes—like a divine laser cannon.
BOOM—!
The two Noble Phantasms collided with a deafening explosion. And Lancer? He didn't even glance at the explosion overhead. Because the golden spear he had meant to finish Saber with… had been blocked. By a single, jet-black blade.
Okita, now unconscious and bleeding, was cradled in the arms of someone who stood in front of her like an immovable wall.
Her Master—Su Mo.
A human had intercepted a blow from one of the strongest warriors among the Servants. The scene was surreal. Lancer himself wasn't surprised—he'd already sensed that this man wasn't normal. But everyone else—his Master, the observers, the familiars watching the battlefield—was in utter shock.
That attack… was something even Servants couldn't take head-on with confidence. And this human Master had caught it one-handed.
Was that even something a human could do?
Su Mo, standing calmly, seemed unfazed by the storm of reactions around him. He didn't even spare a glance for Lancer or his Master. Instead, he looked down at the girl in his arms—at the pitifully collapsed Okita Souji—and chuckled softly.
"Saber," he said teasingly, "Shouldn't you honor your bet and admit defeat now?"
Still weak and breathless in his arms, Okita pouted. Being carried like this by her Master was… admittedly very nice. But knowing she'd lost her chance to make a request of him—that hurt.
"Ugh… fine. I admit defeat." Her voice was full of reluctance, and her face clearly showed she wasn't happy. But no matter how unwilling she was, she knew the truth. If Su Mo hadn't stepped in… she would've died. There was no room left for excuses. She'd lost. Completely and utterly.
"But Master, what kind of request are you planning to make of me?" Okita Souji tilted her head in thought as she asked the question. A realization struck her—was this really a loss for her?
After all, she was already Su Mo's Servant. Her Master could order her to do anything at any time. So, what difference did it make if he now had an extra request to make? In fact… wouldn't it be even better if he did ask for something more personal?
Su Mo, however, merely shook his head, unwilling to get into that kind of conversation.
"Let's save that talk for later—some things are better said in private." His tone shifted as he looked off into the distance. "That other Servant… seems to be on the way." Both of them turned to face the direction from which the chariot of thunder had come tearing through earlier.