Changing Opponent

*BOOOM!*

Several towering walls collapsed and crumbled in an instant, clouds of dust obscuring vast stretches of land.

What had been the magnificent fortress just hours ago now lay in ruins, devoid of any trace of its former grandeur.

"How? Not planning to give up yet?"

Arkhan stood atop a toppled marble pillar, his black hair ruffled by the fierce wind. He gripped a spear as dark and profound as the abyss, his cold gaze fixed straight ahead.

*Whoosh—*

A gust of wind blew, dispersing the smoke and dust.

Kama, leaning on her Vajra, slowly rose, glaring at Arkhan with gritted teeth.

She no longer exuded the imposing and elegant aura of a goddess she had just hours ago. Black scars marred her snowy skin, like festering wounds gnawing away at her vitality. No matter what she tried, she couldn't rid herself of them.

What was worse was that she had to divert part of her focus to resist the deterioration of these scars, leaving her unable to fully concentrate on fighting him. This allowed him to continually seize opportunities to harm her, trapping her in an endless cycle of death and regeneration.

However, if it were just that simple, it would be fine.

Though these scars were troublesome, she still possessed a divine core. Unless these dark scars covered more than half of her body, they wouldn't have much of an impact on her anytime soon.

What really made her feel frustrated was that this man showed absolutely no intention of defense when fighting her. No matter what injuries she inflicted upon his body, they would be instantly healed the next second.

His vitality was simply irrationally strong.

She wasn't entirely sure if his resilience stemmed from the black dragon in the sky or some unique Noble Phantasm. Apart from a vague connection to the Norse God-King Odin, she knew too little about this black-haired man to gather any useful information.

However, she could foresee that if this continued, her defeat would be inevitable.

'Should I use that?' Kama's gaze flickered.

There was only one way to break this deadlock, but if she used it, her situation would likely become even more dire.

"Looks like Archer is not doing too well..."

Seeing the battle situation, Shirou murmured, his tone somber.

"Well, who'd have thought a Servant would have such ridiculous regenerative abilities? We underestimated him..." Kiara sighed, somewhat resigned, and shrugged. "With Archer's strength, it's gonna be tough to snatch the Greater Grail from Rider of Black's watchful eyes. Our only hope now lies with Lancer."

Hearing that, Shirou furrowed his brow slightly.

"Lancer is currently engaged in battle with Lancer of Black. Given Lancer of Black's tenacity, it'll be difficult for Lancer to defeat him in a short amount of time."

"Then let them switch opponents." Kiara suggested with a light chuckle. "With Archer's strength, holding off Lancer of Black shouldn't be a problem, no? Moreover, if our Lancer faces Rider of Black, there might be a chance of victory."

"You mean... Lancer's Noble Phantasm?" Shirou narrowed his eyes slightly. 

"Lancer is our only hope for a turnaround now." Kiara said, a saintly smile playing on her lips, compassionate like a benevolence goddess. "You should understand that, yes?"

Shirou seemed lost in thought for a moment but soon he took a deep breath, his gaze becoming resolute.

"You're right... We have no choice now."

Rider of Black stood as a mountain blocking their path. Unless they could completely remove this obstacle, his wish would remain nothing but a pipe dream.

With that thought in mind, Shirou hesitated no longer, immediately contacting Karna through their Master-Servant contract.

"Lancer, switch opponents with Archer, it's up to you to take on Rider of Black." Shirou commanded.

"Is Archer having trouble over there?" Karna dodged iron stakes emerging from the ground as he responded.

"The strength of Rider of Black is beyond what we imagined. Right now, you're the only one who might be able to defeat him." Shirou said solemnly.

"Fine, but I have one condition..." Karna replied calmly. "Until the war is over, you must ensure the safety of my and every Servant of Red's Master, and after it ends, you must release them."

Hearing that, Shirou sighed inwardly.

He wasn't exactly surprised to be found out by Karna; after all, he knew Karna possessed a skill known as 'Discernment of the Poor.' He had prepared himself for the possibility of the truth being revealed from the beginning.

Karna was fundamentally different from other Servants. While most of them had their own pride and obsessions, even if the command spells required them to show some obedience, they usually maintained their independent will. Ozymandias was a typical example of this.

However, Karna was different.

Despite his formidable strength and illustrious background as the son of the sun god, this hero known as the 'Hero of Charity', possessed an unparalleled sense of kindness and responsibility among the Servants. He was extremely tolerant, accepting any belief or idea as a possibility. 

Therefore, Shirou wasn't worried that Karna would betray the Red Faction upon discovering the truth. Unless under extreme circumstances, he would prioritize the safety of his Master.

"Don't worry, I have no intention of harming them. Even if you didn't say anything, I would ensure their safe return after the war ends." Shirou assured.

"Good." Karna replied calmly, unfazed. "But there's another problem; I'm running low on magical energy right now, so I might not be a match for Rider of Black."

"Don't worry, I'll support you with command spells."

"In that case, it's decided." Karna swept away Vlad with his spear, then soared into the air in haste, heading toward the Fortress of Millennia.

"You can't escape!" Vlad thrust his spear into the ground, and countless black iron stakes quickly emerged, aiming at Karna's flying figure.

However, a surge of magical energy suddenly swept through.

Vlad's pupils contracted, and he instinctively shifted the iron stakes from offense to defense, forming a thick shield in front of him.

*BOOM!*

As the waves of magical energy crashed down, Vlad successfully blocked the attack with the iron shield made up of twenty thousand stakes but missed the chance to stop Karna.

He looked up at the floating fortress above, his expression darkening.

At the same time, Kama had also finished her conversation with Kiara through their Master-Servant contract and, without hesitation, chose to leave the battlefield.

Compared to the annoying Rider of Black, dealing with that vampire was much easier. Moreover, in a way, placing Karna against Rider of Black could create an opportunity for her.

As for what opportunity?

Only she knew.