Chapter 42. Caladbolg II: Fake Spiral Sword! Ceasefire, the Mysterious Figure Appears!
The camera once again shifted, bringing the frame back to the stark white skyscraper under the serene moonlight.
Team Archer was standing tall at the top, both slightly furrowing their brows, leisurely looking down at the ongoing battle.
Compared to the handsome young man with a carefree demeanor, the female Servant in the team revealed a trace of nostalgia in her eyes, letting out a soft sigh.
After so many years had passed, witnessing this scene once more still stirred one's emotions.
[As if her heart was slightly shaken, smiling while shedding tears, carrying an indescribable sorrow.]
[But she immediately regained her composure, suppressing emotions to become the sword, swinging her blade to sever the threads of affection, each thick strand of nostalgia dissipating in the cool breeze.]
[Her past had long been buried in the old stream of history, unknown to all, praised by none.]
[Only when using Unlimited Blade Works did she vaguely sense the origin of her own existence.]
[The white-haired female Servant sneered at herself, softly muttering: "Master, aren't you planning to intervene a little?"]
["Given the current situation, Saber's Master is very easy to control, you saved her life. Eliminating Rider and forming an alliance with Saber is the perfect move."]
["No need."]
[Raku Sou folded his arms across his chest, smiling leisurely: "What I love most is watching women fight."]
[The cold wind howled, blowing open the white robe like the moon.]
[At that very moment, the young man in white, his smile as radiant as blooming flowers, left people enchanted.]
[The white-haired female Servant narrowed her eyes in interest, asking again: "What if I want to kill Rider?"]
["Then kill her, just do as you please."]
[The young man smiled faintly, completely indifferent.]
[He didn't yearn much for the Holy Grail, it was merely due to his family's participation, also a chance to test his magecraft training.]
[His Servant had no intention of betrayal, so what harm was there in letting her go all out?]
[After all, she had responded to his summoning call, naturally filled with the desire to win.]
[Why stop her?]
["My Master truly is an extraordinary magus."]
[The white-haired female Servant slightly smiled, her gaze once again focused on the battle below.]
[Right after that, with each flash of dazzling blue light in her hands, she summoned the pair of B+ rank Noble Phantasms – Kanshou & Bakuya – twin blades, one black and one white, further accentuating her elegance.]
["Creak——."]
[Under Raku Sou's astonished gaze, the hilts of Kanshou & Bakuya joined together.]
[Amid a rising cold mist, they transformed into a long bow with interwoven black and white, as clear as crystal.]
[The white-haired female Servant's eyes were as sharp as a hawk's, drawing the bowstring, endless mana pouring into the body of the bow, her aura as if shaking the very heavens.]
["——Caladbolg II: Fake Spiral Sword!!"]
[She softly chanted the spell, the mystical tone swirling like a vortex, drawing all gazes.]
[In her palm appeared a spiral sword adorned with magnificent patterns.]
[This was the sword once wielded by the Irish hero Fergus mac Róich in Celtic mythology, originally an A+ rank Noble Phantasm, and its first master was none other than the foster father of the hero Cu Chulainn from the same myth.]
[Archer had modified it to be used as an arrow, and recreated it through Projection Magecraft.]
[Cu Chulainn was fated to lose once to this sword. In other words, it could be seen as his natural nemesis.]
...
The moment the annotation appeared, the whole world burst out laughing.
"If this isn't aimed at Doggo-bro, then who else is it aimed at?"
"LMAO, poor Wan-chan."
"Cu Chulainn: If you're a man, then let's duel fair and square!"
"Archer (pulls out Caladbolg): But I'm a woman? Courting Death!"
"This white-haired Archer girl is terrifying. From Kanshou & Bakuya to a Celtic mythological demon sword… this coverage is way too broad!"
"I suspect she owns an entire massive armory and can recreate every Noble Phantasm in the world!"
"Good heavens, then what is her true identity?"
"Could she be the most ancient king of legend, the one who possesses all the treasures of the world – Gilgamesh?"
"Tch, very likely!"
"Then doesn't that mean Raku Sou basically has a guaranteed win?"
...
The screen kept rolling.
[The young master in white was also slightly surprised, resting his chin on one hand while pondering something.]
["Even that kind of Noble Phantasm can be created using Projection Magecraft… this really is giving me quite the surprise..."]
[At the top of the building, the white-haired female Servant's eyes turned solemn, her snow-white hands placing Caladbolg II onto the bowstring, which instantly transformed into a terrifying magic arrow.]
[She gently raised her right hand and pulled the string to its fullest draw.]
[She aimed directly at the purple-clad figure several kilometers away, simultaneously calculating the opponent's next movement.]
[Then, she softly let go…]
Tense BGM rose, murderous aura filled the air!
It made viewers around the world hold their breath and fix their eyes on the screen.
["Whoosh!!"]
[The sound of the air being torn echoed!]
[The surging mana shot forward, its brilliant glow like a blazing phoenix!]
[The magic arrow was faster than a shooting star, streaking across the city sky at the speed of light.]
The camera continuously zoomed out!
Under the flashing neon lights, the flow of bustling traffic suddenly slowed as if frozen in time.
But that arrow soared faster than light, ripping through the air and piercing everything in its path!
That scene left people utterly stunned!
...
United States. The Pentagon.
"In the blink of an eye, it covered several kilometers…"
Watching the attack on screen, Five-star General MacArthur was immediately stunned.
It had to be known, even the world's top hypersonic weapon – the Titan II intercontinental ballistic missile – only reached a velocity of about 27,000 km/h, yet the Caladbolg II arrow in the footage seemed even faster than that.
The only question was… what would its explosion range be?
Servants truly were terrifying existences…
What if the target of that spiral sword wasn't Medusa, but the Pentagon instead…
Just imagining that possibility made MacArthur shiver.
He felt lucky that Servants didn't exist in this world. Otherwise, America would never know peace again.
Britain had King Arthur, Newton, Elizabeth II…
France had Jeanne d'Arc, Napoleon, and even Gilles de Rais…
Germany had Martin Luther, Bismarck, and… Hitler…
And the United States… had a few pages of history thin as paper—how could it possibly compete with those powerhouses?
...
However, everything suddenly came to a halt.
["Boom boom boom...!!"]
[In the sky above the ruins of the academy, a massive explosion suddenly erupted, towering into the heavens!]
[A mushroom cloud of smoke slowly rose, as if a nuclear detonation had just occurred there.]
[Medusa and the King of Knights – who were locked in intense combat – both immediately ceased fighting. The white-haired female Servant atop the building also furrowed her brow slightly, appearing somewhat surprised.]
[She had missed...]
[Right at the moment when the arrow was about to hit Medusa, another arrow flew in from a different angle.]
[Its force was neither too strong nor too weak, but just enough to detonate Caladbolg II midair. The ensuing wave of heat caused a sudden spike in temperature across the area, yet it didn't harm any of the Servants, as if someone was silently warning Rider.]
[The situation had become chaotic, with many forces secretly vying for control.]
[After all, as the opening battle of the Holy Grail War, they had already drawn far too much attention.]
[In the basement of the Matou household, Matou Makoto furrowed his brow tightly and gave an order.]
["Rider, you may retreat now."]
["Understood..."]
[Amid the rubble, the purple-haired female warrior nodded calmly.]
[Before leaving, she stared intently at the King of Knights and said coolly: "Saber, between you and me, a duel to the death still awaits."]
[Then, her body gradually faded, transforming into glowing specks of light, disappearing into the wind.]
[At the same spot, Artoria respectfully raised the Holy Sword upright. She did not pursue Medusa recklessly.]
[Because there was an unknown enemy somewhere out there taking potshots from the shadows.]
[She needed to prioritize the safety of her Master.]
The camera gradually shifted scenes.
The light dimmed, then flared again, taking viewers to another high-rise building.
[On the rooftop, a mysterious figure slowly lowered the hand holding the bow.]
[Since she was very young, she had shot the arrow of her ideals from within.]
[From that moment on, hitting the target became instinctual for her—no longer a challenge. No matter the arrow, in her hands it would always be fired with perfection, reaching a level of miraculous precision.]
[Even Servants might not be able to match her!]
[Afterward, she calmly turned and walked away, her figure gradually disappearing at the edge of the rooftop.]
[A gentle breeze blew, rustling the pristine white hem of the girl's skirt.]
[It was the school uniform of Homurahara Academy...]
Stunned!
Absolutely stunned!
"Just what kind of monster is capable of stepping into a battle between Servants?!"
The whole world felt a phantom toothache at that moment.
Moreover, Celestial Curtain didn't reveal the person's true face.
Don't they know how curious we are?!
A flood of speculation burst forth immediately, but due to the lack of information, no one could uncover the truth behind it all.
At the same time, in the real world—
In the garden of the Shinomiya zabaitsu estate in Japan, the blonde-haired maid – Hayasaka Ai – scratched her head in confusion.
"Why does that silhouette… feel so familiar?"