Confrontation of Contradictions

[Illya POV]

"This... this can't be..."

Sapphire:『I'm surprised. That shield Heroic Spirit seems to be pursuing defense to the extreme.』

To my knowledge, this was the strongest attack, the "Sword of Promised Victory, Excalibur". But not only did it completely block it, but the devastation before my eyes left me speechless. The light of the strongest holy sword that Miyu unleashed, I thought this time it would be a sure hit.

Yet, the attack was completely blocked by the enemy's defensive Noble Phantasm, and a part of it bounced back to us. Thanks to Ruby and Sapphire, Miyu and I were somehow safe, but Rin and the others were blown away by the shockwave.

The surroundings were leveled by the shockwave. But the enemy was completely unharmed. The towering white castle behind him was also not damaged at all. It seemed as if he was determined to protect that castle no matter what happened.

"Ah, what about Rin and the others!?"

Ruby:『It seems like they've just lost consciousness. They are tough, so they should be fine.』

"That's harsh, Ruby..."

You should be a little worried about them. Sure, I thought that too, but as I was thinking about that, Miyu and Sapphire, who had been checking on Rin and the others, came over to me. Their expressions were a bit grim.

Sapphire:『Luvia and the others are fine. They don't seem to have any serious injuries. But...』

"I can't believe he has such a Noble Phantasm. It's truly an ironclad shield."

Miyu's words were a relief, but both Miyu and Sapphire's voices were grim. I understood their feelings. Really, how should we defeat him? Do I have to use my power again? But how should I do it...

Ruby:『Illya, at this rate, please use that strongest mode, just like you battle again assassin.』

"Don't say it like it's easy. I don't even know how to use it."

I had no choice but to respond to Ruby's words like this. If I could use it, I would want to. But it's not a power that I can use easily with my own will. As we were having such a conversation, Miyu looked at me with a serious face.

"...Illya..."

"What is it, Miyu?"

"Please don't tell Luvia and the others about what we're going to do next. Not even Ruby and Sapphire."

"Huh?"

"What do you mean?"

"Miyu?"

Miyu said in a very serious tone and expression, making us all tilt our heads. What is Miyu saying? Could it be that Miyu has a hidden card? Miyu was staring at the "Saber" card.

Sapphire:『Miyu-sama, we can't use this card for a while. Even if we could, it would be blocked again...』

"We have no other choice. So..."

Ignoring Sapphire's words, Miyu pressed the Saber card to the ground. Then...

"...I announce."

Miyu began to chant quietly...

...…

[Miyu POV]

"―――I declare. Your body is under my command, and my fate is in your sword. Obey the Holy Grail's guiding principle, answer if you conform to this intention, this reasoning. Here is my oath. I am the one who becomes the ultimate good in this eternal world, the one who lays out all the evil."

"Miyu...?"

Sapphire:『 Miyu-sama, this is...』

There's no other option left. I didn't want to use it, but I made up my mind, as the people who should not see this, Luvia and the others, had been knocked unconscious. I decided to show the correct way to use the cards.

With my incantation, a magic circle emerges at my feet. Shirou and Illya used it without this procedure, but this is the actual method. Using the card, I reach out to the seat of the heroic spirit and make a pseudo summoning.

Replacing my body with a heroic spirit!

"Seven heavens, clad in the three great words of power, come forth from the circle of control, you, the guardian of the balance―――!"

The moment I chant the final spell, my whole body is enveloped in light. Then, my body and soul are replaced by the heroic spirit of King Arthur, who is Saber. Clad in blue attire, the strongest holy sword is held in my right hand.

"Miyu?!"

Ruby:『...We're being surprised left and right today.』

Sapphire:『Miyu-sama?! What is this...』

"It's surprising that you can talk even in that state, Sapphire."

Everyone was surprised in various ways. Illya and Ruby were shocked by my transformation into a heroic spirit. Sapphire was shocked by her transformation into the holy sword Excalibur. And I was shocked by the fact that Sapphire, who had turned into a sword, spoke.

"What are you surprised about, Miyu?!"

"Oh, I'm sorry."

Sapphire:『Even at a time like this, Illya still plays the straight man.』

Sapphire:『And Miyu-sama, please don't respond so casually...』

Somehow, it's our usual exchange. I was afraid to use this power, and I was silly for it. That exchange was funny, and I chuckled. Illya never changes.

"Keep this a secret from Luvia and the others. I don't want this card to be used as a weapon. I don't want the magicians at the Clock Tower to know. So Illya, never use it this way, okay?"

"Y-yeah. But why does Miyu know how to use it?"

"That's... a secret."

"What?!"

Shirou and Illya didn't use it correctly, so the card didn't end up in a state where anyone could use it. But I've shown how to use it correctly. With that, anyone can use it.

Illya probably doesn't understand how dangerous that is. I decided to warn Ruby and Sapphire. They seemed to understand, as they didn't ask anything.

"Well then, I'm off. Please take care of Luvia and the others."

I told Illya that and ran towards the enemy who had been standing by the castle gate all along. My speed was impressive, and I was able to get in front of the enemy in no time. But the enemy is a top-notch heroic spirit, after all.

Holding his large shield, he prepared to intercept. I swung the holy sword with Saber's sword technique. Like the enemy's Saber, I released magical power like a jet blast, doubling the power of my attack.

The enemy defended against that slash by creating a barrier with his magical power and his large shield. The moment of collision generated an enormous sound and shockwave, and I felt a hard object hit my arm. His defense is indeed formidable.

"He's easily blocking attacks that even cut through Sapphire's physical protection..."

Sapphire:『This is indeed the strongest shield. In contrast, we have an attack power that could be called the strongest spear. A clash of contradictions.』

That might be true. I keep attacking in an attempt to somehow pull this heroic spirit away from the castle gate. I thought that his Noble Phantasm must increase in intensity based on the user's faith and mental power. The basis for this thought is...

"When he's in front of this castle gate, his aura increases tenfold."

Sapphire:『I see. You thought that his unbreakable belief makes that iron-clad defense possible.』

Yes. That Noble Phantasm was conceptual. It wasn't that the castle gate appeared and reflected the light of the holy sword. The actual castle and gate that existed were glowing in response, which was proof of that. It's the embodiment of belief.

By envisioning the protected subject behind him in his heart, that conceptual castle gate can become an invincible shield that repels everything. It was enough to see it once during the Noble Phantasm deployment to understand it. Simple, yet solid and powerful defense.

You could say it's the strongest shield that can absolutely protect what it wants to protect. The only way to break that shield is to break this enemy's firm belief. For that, the only option is to get him away from this castle gate. I concluded that.

"But, it's not as easy as it sounds, huh?"

Sapphire:『Indeed. This enemy is not leaving the castle gate at any cost.』

No matter how much I thrust my sword, the enemy does not falter. He doesn't step back, nor does he let go of King Arthur's powerful slashes. As expected in a clash of contradictions, the game will never end at this rate.

If I don't hurry, he might be able to use that time axis shift again. If he uses that, even if I manage to break the Noble Phantasm, he'll evade Excalibur's blow. Then, I wouldn't be able to defeat him.

The enemy is not pushing himself to attack, he is focusing on defending against my attacks. This is different from the blackened heroic spirits I've encountered so far. Perhaps because he is a spirit specialized in defense, he doesn't create unnecessary openings in his attack.

He performs defense in accordance with my attack, resulting in an accurate defense. I guess he won't attack me unnecessarily until I run out of strength and stop attacking. He really was a troublesome opponent.

"At this rate..."

"Cannon Fire!"

"Wha!?"

While I was wondering what to do, I heard Illya's voice. And for the first time, there was a slight disturbance in the enemy's movements, which had been almost flawless until now. That was because a magical cannon fired by Illya was flying towards him from the side.

He moved his shield to the side and repelled the magical cannon. However, instead of bouncing back to Illya, it flew off into the sky at an angle. It seemed that even he couldn't perform a perfect defense while fending off my attacks.

"Illya!"

"Miyu, I'll fight with you! So don't rush!"

"Illya..."

I see. I'm not fighting alone. I remembered the fight against Caster. It was the same back then. Illya was the key to opening up a situation that I couldn't win by myself. So, it will be the same this time.

Sapphire:『We can do this, Miyu-sama. It seems that the magical defense isn't perfect. The fact that he defended against Illya's attack means that in his natural state, he would take damage from that attack.』

"It seems so. Moreover, if I attack immediately, he will be off guard. Then..."

I found a way to break the enemy's iron defense. Moreover, if he wants to do something about Illya, who is outside the attack range, he has no choice but to move away from this castle gate. It would have been impossible if he had perfectly deflected the magical cannon...

"Illya, keep supporting me from afar!"

"Leave it to me!"

Now, it's time to counterattack. Break through this iron wall of defense and pull him away from the castle gate. Once that's done, I can finish him off with Excalibur. Believing in Illya, I launched a storm of attacks once again.

...…

[Illya POV]

"Here, [Cannon Shot]!"

Miyu's assault restarted. I interspersed my magic cannons amidst her attack to disrupt the enemy's stance. Miyu launched a powerful slash at that moment. Little by little, the enemy started to give ground, unlike before.

Ruby:『You can do it, Illya-san! Magical girls must indeed triumph through the power of friendship!』

"I wish you'd stop using such embarrassing phrases, but you're definitely right."

I replied to Ruby's words. I'm sure we can win if I fight alongside Miyu. Even against an opponent who couldn't be defeated alone. The enemy, gradually losing balance, started to waver under Miyu's slashes. Okay, now's the time!

"[Cannon Shot]!"

This time, his balance was completely lost. Miyu took the opportunity to knock his shield upwards and successfully cleaved through his body with a counterstrike. We did it. I thought we'd settled it. All we need to do now is to distance the enemy from the gate...

"―――!"

"Kuh"

"Wha"

Miyu and I spoke in unison. Despite being cut, the enemy didn't back down. Moreover, with a body blow from his shield, he made Miyu step back. What an extraordinary conviction, or perhaps it could be called tenacity.

"...They really want to protect that gate and castle..."

Ruby:『It seems so. Apparently, that knight's belief itself seems to be materializing as a concept akin to a [Reality Marble], overlaid with the Noble Phantasm. Amazing, isn't it?』

"I wonder who that Heroic Spirit is... What's their name?"

I don't understand the magical jargon, but I found myself wanting to know the name of the opponent fighting for something they want to protect so much. I understood it was a very pure and strong feeling. They must be an amazing person.

Ruby:『Judging by the name of the Noble Phantasm, it's probably one of the Knights of the Round Table... Considering that, this battle is quite fateful. A dream match between King Arthur and a Knight of the Round Table.』

"A Knight of the Round Table?"

Ruby:『You don't know, Illya-san? Well, I'll tell you once this battle is over. 』

I didn't quite understand, but it must be a Heroic Spirit closely related to the Saber that Miyu uses. I'm not familiar with history, but I've been taught various things about Heroic Spirits from the cards whose identities are known.

Ruby:『Oh, it doesn't seem like the time to be leisurely chatting. That Heroic Spirit is desperate.』

"Re, really. Miyu, are you okay!?"

"I'm fine. It's easier now that he's attacking."

Sapphire: 『But their durability is incredible. They won't back down even after receiving so much damage. 』

The enemy who had been continuously defending our attacks until now was fiercely attacking Miyu, swinging his shield. Miyu deflected those attacks with her sword and counterattacked. Even so, the enemy remained obstinately unmoved.

As Sapphire said, their durability was amazing. It was almost as if they were invincible. It seemed as if they might overturn the expectation that we could win at this rate. Miyu also kept a stern face.

"We can't go on like this. I guess we have no choice but to use Excalibur."

Sapphire: 『Indeed. At this rate, we're the ones who are likely to exhaust our energy first.』

Indeed. We can't defeat them even after creating so much of an opening and inflicting damage. I feel like they can withstand any attack with their iron will and mental strength. I'm getting tired. Looks like we have no choice but to use our trump card.

"Illya, distance this enemy from the gate. Provide backup."

"Okay."

From then on, all our attacks were aimed at making the enemy retreat from the gate. We disrupted their stance and landed all-out slashes. We repeatedly attacked, trying to blow them away. With that onslaught, the enemy was slowly pushed away from the gate.

They harden their bodies, cowering like they're trapped in a shell, trying to defend. Still, they're pushed back little by little. The enemy raises a voiceless cry of dislike, but Miyu, wielding Saber's power, does not stop.

Ruby: 『The damage received seems to have weakened their stance. Just a little more.』

"I've painfully understood the feelings of wanting to protect so much. But..."

"It's over!"

In the end, Miyu and I simultaneously struck the enemy's shield. With Ruby's power, we converted all our magic into physical strength. This application of power was drummed into us by Rin-san. We even converted the magic allocated for defense into an attack.

With our simultaneous attack, the enemy was finally blown away from the gate of the castle. Rin-san and the others had not fallen on that side. Now's the chance. To prevent the enemy from returning, I shot a barrage to hold them back. Miyu raised the Holy Sword to the sky.

"I was right. The enemy's conviction and intimidation have weakened. If so, surely..."

As Miyu said, the intensity was less than before. They are simply desperately trying to return to the front of the gate. Miyu's Holy sword is shining, about to release its power. The enemy raises their shield seeing this but...

"They can't defend this time. Here we go."

The guardian who had been risking their life to protect what they cherished, we unknowingly held respect for their form. Miyu once deeply closed her eyes, making a face as if praying for something. Then, she released the true name of the Holy sword.

"[Excalibur, the Sword of Promised Victory]!"

"[Lord Camelot, The Now Far-off Ideal Castle]!"

Again, the strongest shield and the strongest Sword clash. The brilliance of the Holy sword shines, blowing away all darkness and despair, while the pure white castle shines, aiming to repel all calamities. The moment both collided, sound vanished from the world.

Then the echoing roar and the light burning the field of view. But, the result was different from before. Cracks appeared in the gate of the white castle, the enemy's body started retreating. In response, Miyu strengthened the light of the Holy sword.

"Miyu, use my power too."

"Illya..."

Just like yesterday with Onii-chan, I held the Holy sword together with Miyu. Sending my magic to Miyu, I tried to enhance the power of the Holy sword. Staring at the enemy desperately holding up their shield, I quietly murmured. Goodbye, I said.

The light of the Holy sword intensified, and the enemy's shield finally began to collapse. And the knight who was protecting the castle was swallowed by the light and disappeared. Only a single card remained afterward. And then, the scenery of the space changed.

in my mind, If I to compare with the attack power of the Blue Holy Sword mixed with Silver that My older brother and I used yesterday to taken down berserker, the power of the holy sword my older brother project yesterday was a bit stronger when compared to the Golden holy sword that miyu and I are using now.

"The castle is disappearing."

Sapphire:『Yes. After all, that castle, or rather this space, was a kind of Reality Marble.』

There stood the Yandōji temple and mountain gate. The original scenery. The castle was a form given to the knight's thoughts. According to Ruby, it was materialized with that Noble Phantasm. It's finally over.

"So, is this the end of collecting Class Cards?"

"Yes."

ruby:『Good job, Illya-san.』

Sapphire:『Good job, Miyu-sama.』

The long battle was finally over. When we collected the card of the Shield Heroic Spirit, the enemy's class was the same as the name that Sapphire had given. "Shielder". It was adorned with a picture of a soldier holding a large shield.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?"

"Yeah."

"Ha!? What happened to the enemy!?"

"Ugh, this is..."

While we were admiring the card, it seemed that Rin-san and the others had woken up. At that voice, we sighed and ran to the two. To tell the end of the battle and the end of the collection of Class Cards. I'm so tired...

________________________________________________

Explanation:

Currently, the Distant Ideal Palace seems to be either a unique border field or a similar type of Noble Phantasm. That's why I chose this particular decision. Start with Illya and they both attack together? Of course, such a scenario is not mentioned in the agreement. Even if they had attacked together, they would not have been able to break through the castle gates.

The key to victory lies in how they can affect the mental stability of the enemy.

Now, in the next Chapter, we will finally get to the epilogue of the main arc. And the story will continue to Fate/Kaleid Season 2 "Zwei" Finally, I will be able to introduce Kuro to other Character.