Unlike before, when it felt like hitting solid steel no matter how hard she struck, this time Berserker let out a bestial roar, swatted away the rain of magic spears, and quickly leapt beyond the attack range.
Though his body was riddled with wounds, healing rapidly before their eyes, Sakura's assault had clearly inflicted real damage.
"Not bad—actually managing to wound Berserker," came Einzbern's distant voice.
"Hah…"
Sakura took a deep breath to shake off the sudden fatigue from the massive expenditure of Mana, and Rin quickly stepped up to support her.
Sakura lifted a hand to signal she was fine, then looked toward the Berserker. "Just as I thought—anything less than an A-rank Noble Phantasm is completely ineffective against that behemoth."
That was why she had gathered a vast amount of Mana to cast a Grand Magecraft on par with an A-rank Noble Phantasm. The intense energy drain had left her momentarily weakened, like someone forced into a full sprint from a standstill.
For an ordinary Magus, casting such a spell would've been instantly fatal.
But now, a new issue had emerged: unless Mordred's Noble Phantasm was unleashed with its True Name, it wouldn't be enough to harm Berserker in his current state.
"So, do we go for the Noble Phantasm release?" Mordred asked via telepathy after hearing Sakura's analysis.
Sakura glanced around and made a decision. "Not yet. Let's keep probing for now. This open terrain favors him too much—let's try shifting the fight toward the cemetery."
"Understood!"
Without hesitation, Saber lunged at Berserker, taking advantage of the moment before his wounds fully healed to push the attack, subtly guiding him away from the battlefield.
"You're overthinking things. Finish them off, Berserker," Einzbern muttered coldly as she watched Berserker being steadily drawn away, then began walking in the same direction as the two Servants.
"Sister, what are you thinking?" Sakura asked, turning to Rin.
Rin's eyes stayed locked on Einzbern's retreating figure heading into the woods.
"You said it yourself—even A-rank Noble Phantasms can't seriously injure that Berserker," Rin said, her brow furrowed. "Which means we'll have to go back to the standard Holy Grail War strategy."
She had no time to dwell on or question how Sakura had managed to unleash a Grand Magecraft of such magnitude.
"Think it'll go that smoothly?"
Sakura looked up again. Despite Einzbern's slow gait, she had already vanished from sight.
"Archer, keep looking for a new vantage point. Sakura and I will intercept Einzbern's Master."
With that, the sisters took off, pursuing the shifting battlefield.
"Understood, Rin. I'll keep monitoring the situation and decide our next move," Archer replied coolly from atop a building in Shinto.
He was well aware of how formidable Berserker was.
But he hadn't expected Saber to be Mordred.
Even more surprising was Sakura.
"I don't remember her being this skilled a Magus," Archer murmured, glancing back toward Fuyuki City.
Several other presences lingered as well—likely familiars or clairvoyants sent by the other Masters to observe the battle.
...
Elsewhere, as they ran through the forest, Rin listened while Sakura analyzed Einzbern's situation.
"After the previous Holy Grail War ended, Father helped Irisviel von Einzbern's family break away from the Einzbern," Sakura said. "Originally, we assumed the Fifth Holy Grail War wouldn't happen at all, since the Lesser Grail needed for preparations had been lost."
Rin thought for a moment. "It's hard to believe they'd give up so easily. The Holy Grail is the shared wish of all three families."
"Exactly. So, most likely, someone from the Mage's Association—someone interested in the Grail ritual—offered support to the Einzbern, who'd had little prior contact with the Association. They helped them create a new Lesser Grail," Sakura nodded. "That would be the one calling herself 'Einzbern,' the girl who claims to have no name."
But the Einzbern's homunculus technology involved alchemy. It couldn't possibly be the Atlas Institute that helped them—Sakura ruled that out immediately.
That group focused on retrieving contracts. They wouldn't bother with something like this... unless the Einzbern somehow obtained a contract themselves.
"So that's why you think we can't underestimate them—Einzbern's Master might be hiding something," Rin said.
"It's the only way to explain it." Sakura came to a stop.
Apart from the main path leading to the cemetery, the woods behind the church were rarely traveled. A slight lapse in attention, and it was easy to get lost.
Through the dense forest layers, the thunder of battle echoed from afar.
Saber was still locked in combat with Berserker.
"That's why, if we're going after Einzbern, I'll take the lead," Sakura said, brushing her hand along the wand. "Sister, cover me from the shadows."
"…Alright, I'll follow your lead," Rin said, glancing her sister up and down.
She didn't look especially intimidating, yet there was a steady, reassuring strength radiating from her.
"You've really grown, Sakura." Her eyes softened.
Sakura gave an embarrassed smile. "Well, I've got such an amazing sister. If I didn't try harder, it'd be like saying Dad made the wrong choice."
"Yeah, yeah—" Rin flicked her hair, signaling she was done with that topic. "You really do love your dad, huh? Can't go three sentences without bringing him up."
"What kind of kid hates their own father? Are you saying you're one of those?" Sakura shot back, puffing her cheeks.
"Alright, alright," Rin said, trying not to show how happy that made her.
Just knowing Sakura was living a happier life than her filled her with energy.
The two sisters exchanged a look, then split up at a fork in the woods, tracking Einzbern's magical trail from two angles—one ahead, one behind.
...
As she ran through the forest, Rin could sense Sakura's Mana, but there was no sign of Einzbern.
Perhaps she'd never used Magecraft to begin with, so her presence was masked beneath the auras of the Servants and other Masters—too faint to pick out immediately.
If that's the case…
Rin was deep in thought when she suddenly spotted a silver-haired girl walking slowly up a slope ahead.
Found her!
Joy surged in her chest, and as she began to gather Gandr in her hand, her foot caught on something—like an invisible thread hidden in the darkness.
A disturbing sound rang out.
Her instincts kicked in. She spun around and fired Gandr in a serpentine arc, striking the ambush coming from behind.
"Tch…"
Rin gritted her teeth as she looked up at the familiar floating between the trees—woven entirely from silver threads.
"Just as I expected. Die by your own foolishness, Tohsaka."
The cold voice came from behind—Einzbern's emotionless declaration.