This Is My Holy Grail War [123]

From Assassin’s eyes, Saber discerned a strange delight—a fleeting joy in the act of unleashing a decisive attack so soon. It wasn’t recklessness but rather an unsettling enthusiasm. She realized that this delight stemmed from liking her, and because of that, Assassin had decided to use her Noble Phantasm right away.

Saber felt the oddity in Assassin’s emotions, a peculiarity that caught her off guard. Even the King of Heroes, Gilgamesh, with his unparalleled arrogance, had never conveyed this level of morbid affection toward her. Yet the small girl before her shared an almost eerie resonance with Saber.

This was not the presence of a Heroic Spirit, Saber realized, but a vengeful spirit. It was clear to her because Assassin was unlike any other Servant she had encountered. Over the course of the Holy Grail War, Saber had become adept at identifying such distinctions.

It’s coming! Saber’s [Instincts] warned her, a vision of the immediate future flashing through her mind.

The surging mana dyed the surrounding fog a shimmering blue, while the crimson daggers tore through the air with deadly precision.

But Saber saw everything. Her [Instincts] laid Assassin’s actions bare—the trajectory of the attack, the intended target, even the precise timing. It was as if she were watching a film of the future unspool before her eyes.

Clang!

The crisp sound of steel meeting steel echoed as [Durandal]’s blade intercepted Assassin’s twin daggers.

Assassin’s physical strength was low, and while her agility was exceptional, it couldn’t overpower Saber. Yet the attack felt strange. Despite being the activation of a Noble Phantasm, it seemed no different from an ordinary strike. Physically, it had caused no damage; Saber had blocked it cleanly.

Nothing seemed to have happened.

Saber frowned. She couldn’t believe that a Noble Phantasm would be so simple as a mere knife attack.

“Wha—?!”

The next moment, she felt a wrenching pain as though her very organs were being torn apart. The agony forced cold sweat to bead on her brow, but Saber gritted her teeth and endured it through sheer willpower. Raising her sword, she slashed fiercely, forcing Assassin back.

Her vision blurred from the pain, and even at close range, her strike barely managed to push Assassin away.

“Hngh—” Saber clutched her abdomen, feeling her insides churn. However, aside from the intense discomfort, there didn’t seem to be any lasting damage.

“Why?!” Assassin’s voice rang out, filled with confusion and shock. “It worked! All the conditions were met! Why?!”

She tilted her head in disbelief, seeking an answer from Saber.

Saber, having steadied herself, rubbed her chest and smiled faintly. “Your Noble Phantasm isn’t a conventional attack—it’s a curse, isn’t it?”

The moment the daggers struck, Saber had felt the foreign power invading her, a strange force attacking her from within. The confidence in Assassin’s demeanor as she unleashed the attack only confirmed her suspicions.

But there was one thing that Assassin hadn’t anticipated.

“Your curse is strong, I’ll give you that. But you chose the worst possible target for it.”

Though the pain was excruciating, Saber had long since grown accustomed to such torment during the Holy Grail War.

The damage had struck deep, targeting her spirit core—the most vital part of any Servant. Yet miraculously, the attack had failed to inflict any significant harm. Saber couldn’t help but feel relieved.

“You see, I may be a swordswoman, but I’m also a mage. Defending against curses is a basic skill.” Saber’s voice turned sharp, her confidence restored.

In this Holy Grail War, Saber’s affinity against Assassin was nearly perfect. Her tension eased, and the frostiness that had dominated her earlier demeanor began to thaw.

If Assassin’s target had been Mordred, her attack likely would have succeeded. But against Saber, one of the Servants with the highest resistance to curses, the outcome was already determined.

Her resistance wasn’t just due to her Saber class granting her a B-rank in [Magic Resistance]; she also carried a charm crafted by Medea herself. While it couldn’t block the instant-death of a weapon like [Gáe Bolg] or undo the effects of a spell like Medea’s Time Manipulation, it was still a divine artifact, the work of a true master mage.

Saber, why did you engage in battle without informing me?! Gordes’s voice, filled with alarm, broke through her thoughts. He must have noticed the sudden drop in mana caused by her earlier efforts.

Archer requested my assistance, Saber replied calmly.

You should have asked for my permission first! Gordes barked. From now on, you’re not to act without my explicit approval!

Understood, Saber said nonchalantly. Now, if you don’t mind, I’m about to unleash my Noble Phantasm. Any objections?

Your Noble Phantasm?! Gordes sputtered.

The enemy has already revealed hers. Now it’s my turn, Saber stated firmly, not waiting for his reply. Her decision had been made.

Chiron’s earlier message confirmed that he had successfully engaged the red Saber. With that assurance, Saber resolved to eliminate Assassin.

“Why aren’t you moving?” Assassin tilted her head curiously, her silhouette faintly visible through the thinning mist. Her posture was almost taunting, her voice dripping with mockery.

“You’ve shown me your trump card. Now it’s my turn,” Saber declared.

Saber’s mana flared to its limit, unleashing a burst of energy that swept through the area. The mist that had cloaked her surroundings was blown away, leaving a clear field of vision. The massive mana expenditure created a temporary lull in the fog’s regeneration.

No longer holding back, Saber activated her own Noble Phantasm.

Her radiant golden hair began to lengthen, shifting from its sunlit hue to a deep, shimmering violet. Her emerald-green eyes turned milky white, their pupils vanishing as her transformation completed.

The air around her grew heavy, time itself seeming to slow as she activated her Mystic Eyes.

“A true hero… killing with a gaze,” Saber said with an impromptu flourish, mimicking the proud declarations of a red Lancer. Though spontaneous, her words rang with conviction.

In that moment, Saber assumed the visage of Medusa, her [Mystic Eyes] unleashed at full power. Without tools like the [Blood Fort Andromeda] to contain their effects, Saber’s gaze treated everything in her vicinity as a target. The advancing mist froze into stone, and the air itself seemed to shudder under the pressure.

The mana provided by Gordes strained against the demands of the [Mystic Eyes], leaving Saber feeling an unfamiliar emptiness. Even her Master, linked to her by their contract, would likely suffer the toll of her overwhelming power.

But it didn’t matter. The price of this action was worth the destructive results it promised. Saber’s transformed gaze locked onto Jack the Ripper, and she charged forward with unrelenting determination.

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This is a fan translation of 这是我的圣杯之战 by 向希望祈祷. All rights to the original work belong to the creator. Please support them by exploring their original work or sharing it with others if you can. Thank you for reading and supporting my efforts to bring this story to a wider audience!