IBHJ 1011

"What... is this?" Brynhildr stared at the Black Knight holding her spear, stunned. She could tell it was similar to her in nature, but it wasn't Manaka's mud.

"Who are you?" she asked, eyes narrowed.

The Black Knight didn't respond.

It was the mud Shirou had left on Fujimaru and Gilgamesh. It had no thoughts of its own, but it carried Shirou's will and memories. When Mordred was about to cross that boundary, Shirou's intentions stored in the mud kicked in on their own.

This mud was both Shirou's Noble Phantasm and his thoughts. Not being human, it couldn't answer Brynhildr.

"It looks like some Heroic Spirit's Noble Phantasm. I'll just destroy you!" Brynhildr's eyes gleamed with killing intent as she tried to yank her divine spear from the Black Knight's grip, but it wouldn't budge.

Such power! She was amazed, but her surprise quickly turned to cold determination. If she couldn't pull it out, she'd push it in! Brynhildr shifted her stance, preparing to drive the spear deeper.

But just as she was about to act, the divine spear in the Black Knight's tight grip suddenly made a series of cracking sounds. Cracks appeared along its length, spreading rapidly. The shaft broke like a spider web, splitting into countless pieces.

She stared at the broken spear in her hand, shocked. Before she could react, the Black Knight reached for her head.

Seeing this, Arash yelled, "Lancer, dodge!"

Brynhildr snapped back to reality, her instincts kicking in. She twisted her body, narrowly dodging the Black Knight's hand as it reached for empty air. Arash's shout created a gap in his endless Stella, letting Gilgamesh slip out from under his suppression and appear next to Fujimaru and Misaya.

"Archer, you okay?" Fujimaru asked quickly.

"I'm fine, but—" Gilgamesh eyed the Black Knight warily. "His subconscious will... could it have reached here?"

"Subconscious will?" Fujimaru asked.

Gilgamesh's expression turned serious. "Everything has a spirit. The future you's thoughts about Mordred woke up that mud's spirit. It's not mana, a contract, or a Noble Phantasm driving that creature now. It's subconscious will."

"So he really does care about Mordred?" Fujimaru said, surprised.

"Yes. If he didn't care that much, the mud wouldn't have awakened."

Fujimaru glanced at Mordred, who stood behind the Black Knight with her eyes glued to his back.

"Why..." Mordred whispered, her voice filled with confusion.

She couldn't understand why her father mud would show up here, in front of her, protecting her.

"That Black Knight..." Arash's expression darkened as he spoke. His eyes flicked to Gilgamesh, who had broken free from the suppression, and his frown deepened.

Gilgamesh summoned a wall of shields, surrounding Fujimaru and Misaya like an iron bucket. He turned to Arash, a cold smirk playing on his lips. Drawing a sword that could slay [Immortality], he taunted, "Ready for round two, oh mighty star-breaker?"

"You're no match for me!" Arash nocked an arrow, tension visible in his stance. He hesitated to use [Stella] now. Gilgamesh had escaped from his suppression, and a reckless use of [Stella] might backfire, leaving Arash vulnerable to Gilgamesh's [Immortality]-slaying Noble Phantasms.

Brynhildr realized the situation with a quick glance. "Arash is in trouble," she muttered. "I need to deal with this thing and Mordred fast, then take out those Masters. If not, we're done for."

With a flick of her wrist, the broken shaft in her hand reformed into her divine spear, good as new.

Arash, keeping a wary eye on Gilgamesh, caught Brynhildr's gaze. He knew she understood the gravity of their situation. 'Come on, Lancer,' he thought. 'Take care of that black thing!'

Gilgamesh, searching for a weak spot in Arash's defense, found his gaze drawn to the Black Knight. He realized the mud creature was now the wild card. If it lost to Brynhildr, he'd fall into Arash and Brynhildr's pincer attack. His only shot at victory was to finish off Arash before the Black Knight went down.

But killing Arash quickly was easier said than done. He wasn't just any Archer - he was the Archer of Archers, with a wealth of battle experience. Add Manaka's power boost, and he was far from your average Heroic Spirit.

The air crackled with tension as each fighter waited, watching for the slightest opportunity.

Then -

An opening!

The thought crossed Gilgamesh's, Brynhildr's, and Arash's minds at the same time. Gilgamesh lunged forward, fast as lightning. Arash dodged with butterfly-like grace, his feet barely touching the ground as he evaded. His bow was already drawn.

Arash loosed an arrow that could level mountains, his movements flowing smoothly without any stiffness. The projectile cut through the air with devastating force. But Gilgamesh's failed strike instinctively turned into a lightning-quick horizontal block. His weapon flashed, deflecting the arrow perfectly, sending it careening off course.

Both Gilgamesh and Arash felt their hearts sink. This brief exchange confirmed what they'd feared - neither would go down easily. Their skills were too evenly matched, their reflexes too finely honed. They were locked in a deadly stalemate, each unable to gain a decisive advantage over the other.

On the other side, Brynhildr noticed the Black Knight's defense was riddled with openings. "Just a clone," she concluded, and wasted no time as she unleashed her Noble Phantasm.

"Brynhildr Romantia!"

At her words, the divine spear in her hand erupted into black flames. She thrust it straight at the knight.

This weapon, gifted by the great Odin himself, was a Valkyrie's tool of death and judgment. It held the terrifying power to fell even gods. After being strengthened by Manaka, its might had grown beyond measure. Nothing could stop it - not even equipment forged by the gods themselves.

Yet the Black Knight didn't budge. It faced down that unstoppable divine strike, one hand stretched back to shield Mordred.

"Quick, dodge!"  Mordred yelled from behind, shoving at the Knight. But it stood firm as a mountain, unmoved by her efforts.

'It's our win!' Arash thought, watching Lancer's strike close in on the Black Knight. A smile played at the corners of his mouth.

But Gilgamesh's heart lurched. This was bad.

If the knight fell, he'd be caught in a deadly pincer attack. Arash would pin him down again, giving Brynhildr the chance to finish off Fujimaru and Misaya. Even with his immortality, he'd have to retreat in disgrace.

Gilgamesh huffed silently, bracing himself for the coming pincer attack.

But as Brynhildr and Arash's faces lit up with smiles, and Gilgamesh's with worry, the Black Knight transformed. With a sickening crack, six massive mud arms burst from its back. They grew rapidly, expanding to monstrous proportions. Like pillars holding up the sky, they reached out, catching Lancer's spear and her Noble Phantasm in their enormous palms, forming huge round shapes like dark globes.

A muffled boom rang out from within the mud hands, the sound of Brynhildr's attack detonating. The air shuddered with the force of the explosion. Yet even that explosive force couldn't break through the giant arms' defense. The mud absorbed and dispersed the energy, leaving the Black Knight unscathed.

"Impossible..." Brynhildr and Arash breathed at the same time, their eyes wide with disbelief. Even Gilgamesh couldn't hide his surprise.

"How..." Brynhildr muttered, her mind reeling. She'd seen heroes block her spear before, but never like this.

As she was about to summon her spear again, the ground beneath them suddenly lurched. The tremors spread quickly, engulfing the entire area. A terrifying surge of mana erupted from below, cracking the earth and sending massive boulders flying into the air.

Gilgamesh and Arash stumbled, struggling to keep their footing as they backed away from the source of the earthquake.

"What's going on?" Fujimaru asked uncertainly.

"There!" Misaya gasped, pointing at Brynhildr. Everyone followed her gaze and fell silent, stunned by what they saw.

A lotus.

But not just any lotus—a massive, reddish-black lotus was emerging from the torn-up land. It was unlike anything they'd ever seen.

As it grew, the ground shook more violently. Trees toppled around them, their roots torn from the earth. The ground split open in jagged cracks, spreading outward from the monstrous bloom. The sinister flower pulsed with endless malice, its petals slowly closing.

To Arash's horror, he realized that the lotus wasn't just growing, it was trying to trap Brynhildr within its petals!

"Brynhildr, run!" he shouted.