Fate: How About a New Savior?

In terms of close-quarters combat, the Saber class is arguably the strongest among the seven.

When Servants are evenly matched in specs, Lancer tends to be at a disadvantage due to slightly lower stats, often getting overwhelmed.

Rider—Perseus, the Greek hero who became the constellation Perseus after death—was never famed for his martial skill. Compared to Heracles, who was still locked in fierce combat with Berserker and Rin, Rider fell far short in that regard.

So despite the claim that his sword could leave incurable wounds, Rider's strikes couldn't pierce Saber—especially with her armor woven from Mana. Even if he landed a hit, all it would spark was a shower of sparks.

Changing tactics, Rider began to fight while retreating, luring Saber toward the nearby Einzbern Castle.

The castle itself wasn't especially tall—its highest point only six stories high. Compared to city buildings, it barely stacked up.

Rider dashed along the castle walls like it was flat ground, and Saber followed suit.

They clashed repeatedly on the walls, fighting in ways that defied the laws of physics.

But unlike Saber, who had to keep leaping along the wall to stay airborne and match Rider, Rider would sometimes pull back mid-air just as Saber's blade was about to land, retracting his weapon and flying out of range.

After learning Rider's true name, Saber had quickly crammed the legends of Perseus with Sakura's help.

This man, blessed by the Greek gods, had been granted many treasures.

Besides the sword that had severed Medusa's head and the bag he'd previously used to form a barrier and abduct both Sakura and Rin, his ability to fly likely came from the winged sandals given to him by Hermes.

Clinging to the castle wall, Saber grimaced at Rider's unpredictable abilities. During lulls in the fight, she tried to break down his combat patterns.

It struck her as odd—despite having multiple Noble Phantasms, Rider either just kept flying to dodge her or dropped from the air to swing his scythe-sword at her head.

Could it be—

A suspicion sparked in her mind. Watching Rider's erratic flight path, she predicted his next move and unleashed all the Mana she had stored up in one go.

"Crimson Lightning!"

The surge of Mana ripped through the thick walls of Einzbern Castle, sending centuries-old masonry crashing down.

Using the windowsill as a launch point, Saber rocketed forward like a cannonball—aimed directly at Rider, who was just about to end his flight and draw his sword for a dive attack.

"?!"

Rider clearly hadn't expected her to close the distance in a single burst.

Their Agility stats weren't far apart. Though he narrowly avoided a fatal slash, he still took the full force of the impact.

"Guh..."

Caught off guard, Rider coughed up blood and quickly retreated to dodge Saber's second, near-simultaneous strike.

He hadn't thought Saber would be so reckless—leaping to a height even greater than the castle's without flight capabilities, just to launch an attack.

Now that the force behind her jump was gone, Saber could only fall toward the castle.

Even for a Servant, that kind of drop would be painful...

But Servants had ways to avoid such risks.

Spiritual Form.

Saber shifted into spirit form, landed lightly on the rooftop of the castle, and then reappeared in her physical form.

"Excellent strike." Rider took a deep breath to steady himself, then offered praise.

"You're still not fighting seriously." Saber tapped her shoulder armor with her sword, unimpressed. "Looks like a third-rate Master is dragging down a great hero after all."

Rider wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, his expression turning cold.

"Saber, enemy or not, I won't stand by if you keep insulting my Master."

He had been holding back, conserving Mana to protect his Master's life. But the sensations flowing through their magecraft link filled Rider with unease. His Master might not last much longer—defeat was looming.

Because Saber wasn't wrong. The difference between their Masters was overwhelming.

That purple-haired girl was no ordinary Magus. Perseus's experience told him that given time, she might even surpass someone like Circe from his era.

She was blessed with talent—and had honed it with relentless effort.

From the very start, Perseus's Master had already lost.

When summoned by Shinji Matou, Rider had sensed it—his Master wasn't one favored by magecraft.

The more magic he used, the more his life was drained—until it would eventually kill him.

The hero who had once saved countless lives now felt pity. He wanted to win the Holy Grail to preserve the little life his Master had left.

So—

"Oh? Finally ready to get serious?"

Saber—Mordred—tightened her grip on her sword with both hands as she saw Perseus deactivate his flight, yet he didn't fall.

From the void, a Pegasus with snow-white wings emerged into view.

"This is one of the two beings born from Medusa's body after I defeated her and severed her head." Perseus landed on its back, seized the reins, and looked down at Mordred from above the castle.

"I knew it..." Saber muttered under her breath.

If Rider had charged in on that Pegasus with his scythe-sword from the start, things would've gone badly for her.

But he hadn't. Not because he was conserving Mana—but because he couldn't.

"You can't use multiple Noble Phantasms at the same time, can you?" Saber called him out.

"Sharp intuition." Perseus didn't deny it.

At this stage of the fight, it was obvious. A Servant with too many Noble Phantasms would inevitably face restrictions—any opponent could sense it.

"Just a warning—if you underestimate this Pegasus, you'll regret it." Perseus snapped the reins, launching a lightning-fast charge at Mordred.

His speed was in a different league from before.

The castle roof began to collapse under the force of the impact. Saber barely dodged in time, leaping and landing on the watchtower at the side of the castle.

Not the best position—Saber could already feel the disadvantage. She glanced around both sides of the tower.

One side led to an open terrace. The other was the castle garden—enclosed on all sides, like a wide, walled cage.

She made a quick decision. As the Pegasus's second charge came, Saber leapt into the garden.

It wasn't as open, and wide movements would be constrained by the terrain.

But the same went for that Pegasus. If it charged recklessly at full speed, it'd crash straight into a wall.

Mordred slowly rose from the ground, watching the Pegasus beat its wings.

Perseus, sensing her plan, didn't retreat. He quietly assessed his surroundings.

"This place will be your grave, Saber."

The Pegasus wasn't just built for reckless charges—Perseus intended to end it here.

...

(100 Chapters Ahead)

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