Chapter. 16 Pride comes before a fall.

"A depraved creature like you has no right to pollute my garden!"

The air rippled like a sea of flame as sword and spear targets shot out of the gate. The golden glow was not stifled even by the rotting effect of the mist. The white veil curled, and the blue water at the harbor lit up under the flickering lamps. Everyone could see the reason why this golden, heroic spirit occupied the role of the Archer. Weapons that could have been a single noble phantasm bombarded the sea like mighty arrows from gates.

For all servants, it was unthinkable to hurl their weapons carelessly at the enemy, but Archer did just that.

A shock wave tore through the veil-like fog, and only slightly, the golden rays shimmered on the surface of the white sea. A flash of light smothered the incoming prana and hid the inner for a fraction of a millisecond. Waver and Irisviels stared with widened eyes. But all they could feel was a shock wave. Powerful enough to almost sweep them off their feet.

The water sprang up like a fountain from a bomb blast, and a rain of black water droplets colored the battlefield. Even the masters in the distance could feel the force of this battle running its course.

"Impossible," Saber stammered, resolving an uneasy feeling in Irisviel when she saw the horrified face of her noble knight.

"Who would have thought such a powerful caster existed?" replied Lancer, also taken aback by what had happened. Only Kayneth perceived what had happened, but even he, a master magus, found it hard to believe. Uncertainly, he looked at Lancer. 'Can my servant keep up with such a monster?'

"Wa, what happened?" Waver glanced uneasily among the heroic spirits. But from the grimaces, it was easy to see that the woman's threat was not to be underestimated.

"Didn't you see it, my lad?" asked Rider. "Shortly after the weapons cut through the smoke, she shifted the space through which the weapons flew, changing the intended trajectory. In a way, everything inside that smoke seems to follow her rules alone. She is an incredibly dangerous one."

The last rotten drizzle drops reached the ground and disappeared into the white sea. Not a drop had fallen on the dress. Archer, on the other hand, looked even more unhappy. The otherwise beautiful eyebrows formed slits through which his ruby-red eyes stared demon-like down at the sea. More Golden Gates opened; instead of two, 15 floating weapons emerged around him from the gates of his treasury. The number was enough for everyone to understand the power of this battle. Axes, swords, halberds, and spears sparkled like mirrors in the starry, golden night.

Startled, all the masters and servants looked at the Golden King. It was rare for a servant to possess more than one NP for combat, but Archer threw them at his target as if he had an inexhaustible source of them.

"You not only pollute the air of my garden with your breath but likewise the space around you? You are truly a monster. One I have not seen in a long time!"

Agreeing with Archer's words, the other servants nodded, for the alien presence disgusted them all. The prana emanating from it smelled of corruption, of something foreign that should never have existed in this world. No one could explain how such a being became a heroic spirit. And according to the circumstances, no one could have known how she participated in Heaven's Feel.

Only Assassin and the two masters knew better. Even if only through the spirit board of Risei. Which had announced the new servants only a day ago.

"Is she a servant at all? Her aura couldn't be more different from that of a heroic spirit. It is not that murders and crimes have corrupted her soul; it is much more something else. But I can't tell what it is."

Tohsaka didn't need to think, for he had asked himself the question not too long ago.

"She was summoned by the Grail, no doubt? But what is her purpose in this Grail War?" After a moment's hesitation, he spoke again into the communication jewel. "Kirei, has Risei been able to obtain any information about new masters?"

Only recently had he received the information from Kirei that six unexpected servants appeared on the list. At that time, he hadn't thought much about it; he found the additional summoning strange, but he wasn't worried as long as Archer was by his side. The situation had changed; however, when Kirei informed him of the battlefield situation, he found it hard to believe the new being could be an honorable servant.

"Perhaps the Grail is testing whether we are worthy to obtain the miracle? After all, there was no winner the last three times."

"The Grail is a desireless machine; it should not be able to possess a will of its own. Only the personality of the Homunkuli, which forms the vessel for the Grail, could perhaps unconsciously cause an influence." But even though Tohsaka spoke these words, he would not believe their meaning.

Such a distortion of the war was never recorded in the past. Therefore, he concluded that some other cause must be responsible for the Grail's strange behavior.

"Nevertheless, we should keep an eye on the lady and not jump to conclusions. For now, we should find out if six servants were summoned by a master or are acting independently on the battlefield. I want you to send one Assassin, to keep an eye on this creature. Locating her hideout is a top priority if we want to eliminate them quickly."

"I don't think that's possible," Kirei replied with a smile. "The woman has already tracked down Assassin effortlessly without any problems. It would be another pointless death that won't give us any information."

Tohsaka bit his lip and contorted his face in dissatisfaction. "I don't like it, but perhaps it would be best to ask the Einzberns for advice."

Since the Einzberns managed the Grail and provided the vessels, they could also be the key to explaining this phenomenon. He touched his top beard. In this war, the masters slaughtered each other. And voluntarily running to the enemy was something to be avoided at all costs. No one could guarantee that this moment of weakness would not be exploited to set countless traps.

"We should ask Father for advice," Kirei suggested.

"Indeed, the church is considered a neutral refuge. As long as no one knows about our alliance, there should be no suspicion. Ask Risei to arrange a meeting with all the masters. Time is short."

On the battlefield, the golden weapons once again shot into the mist. Like an ice hail of bullets, they struck the veiled sea. The white swaths flared and writhed like a living animal suffering pain.

Archer's bombardment was too much, even for the fog. Single weapons hit the water and made the sea explode. Other weapons disappeared without a trace on their way to crush the woman.

Like the wind itself, the woman danced into the white veil before it was displaced by the enormous prana. Her feet seemed to barely touch the water, and only slight ripples of disturbance bounced from her movements. Thin webs came out of the fingers; they were gossamer thin so that hardly a human could catch sight of them. As the woman jumped back and forth to escape the bombardment, her fingers wove a web. The spider silk connected with the stones on the shore and the water far away in the sea. One by one, the Nobel Phantasm Archers were intercepted from the air and found themselves in the eternally stretching web the woman drew behind her like a net.

Magical energy exploded in a cloud of golden dust, and a booming metallic scream tore through the limbs of those present as the weapons collided with each other, releasing the mana manifested within. The woman was thrust backward, the netting torn apart, and the mist displaced. For the first time, she was visible to the naked eye. The tips of her feet touched the water as she slithered backward through the sea, which gave way to her body weight. Her left hand stabilized her bent posture.

The hail of weapons came to a halt. Archer had his arm out to the side. His face began to quiver as isolated wrinkles appeared. Even though Archer had almost infinite treasures in his treasury, he could not stand to give away even one.

"For this deed, your existence should be erased from History, you wretched thief! Where do you get the right to take my precious treasures?" But as much murderousness and rage as Archer barked into the smoke, it could not affect the woman. The gates that hovered around Archer and in which golden weapons reflected the moonlight pulsed

The first weapons Archer threw at the woman disappeared without a trace in the mist, trapped in a small pocket dimension. Even if all the weapons found their way back to his treasury, the mere act of stealing them from under his nose must have enraged him. The woman, of course, could not understand this king's particular thought process. She had merely moved the weapons to a pocket dimension to mitigate the permanent bombardment. That this act alone inflamed Archer's rage never occurred to her.

Closing her eyes, the woman gazed at the space mercilessly blasted by Archer. Even if the smoke flowed back and filled the emptiness, she should not get the time to think about her next steps. The light that was already there grew stronger as Archer opened more doors to his treasure chamber. Everyone's breath caught. No one thought it possible for a single heroic spirit to possess countless Nobel Phantasm. None of those present wanted to imagine what treasures this king once owned to have such power.

The magical pressure almost brought Waver to his knees. Only Rider's presence at his side could keep him on his legs. With his hands, he gripped his chest as the mere act of breathing caused him difficulty. And yet he managed to pull himself together and look at the duel with his back straight, as a magus should. What caused him to do this, the boy himself could not say. It was rather a gut feeling that said he should not show weakness, as hard as it was for him.

Irisviel also felt the prana tugging at her strength, but unlike Waver, her magic circles were able to reflect the prana pressure from her body. Even from far away, the pressure could be felt clearly, even if the distance weakened the intensity.

"It just can't be..." stammered Kiritsugu, exchanging an uncertain glance with Maiya. "How can a single servant have such overwhelming power?"

Archer's power seemed overpowering to all, and yet one person stood up to this arrogant king. Even if involuntarily, the woman steeled herself for the next attack. Like Waver, whose curious eyes were punished by her, Archer also wanted to punish the woman's disrespectful behavior. However, her surprise was not allowed to last long because the king did not hesitate to eliminate the source of pollution.

All the receptors in her body emitted warning signals as the Golden Gates opened, and up to thirty weapons emerged.

The white gown swayed in the roiling winds, slightly damp from the water. The right hand seemed to reach for the stars, and a whirlwind enveloped the delicate, almost frail figure in a devastating tornado. A cocoon as white as nothingness, from which a new being was to hatch, circled on the water's surface. The fingers opened slowly, like a blossoming flower.

A dark aura that drew all darkness to itself flooded the environment as prana gathered over the heel of her hand and changed form like heartbeats. Red and white flashes rushed over the soft skin and bathed it in bloody light. Under the enormous pressure, the magical energy deformed into an orb surrounded by three lunar constellations. Like a supernova, the light expanded.

With the disappearance of smoke and light, a scythe resembling the leg of a white spider hovered above the white hair. The bloody, glowing fingers enclosed the long, white handle. The blad's tip bled red, like the rotting element from which it was forged. Silk, formed from space itself, bound the scythe blade in place.

Slowly, the woman swung the weapon toward the water. Her left hand also clasped the handle, which was held sideways to her hip. The tip of the blade dipped into the sea behind the woman as she stepped toward Archer with one leg pointed forward. Devilish light chased away the night as the shuttered eyes first glimpsed the battlefield.

They all start with the terror that has revealed itself before them. Doom

Doom

Doom.

There was a deep drumbeat. The prana before her eyes trembled with the winds. Despite the veiling, it was clear to everyone that the woman wanted to end the fight.

"May your disgusting sight leave my garden!"

The tip cut through the sea behind the woman. The waves were no obstacle. Like a ghost, the woman shot forward. Golden swords lit up the night sky. A black line zigzagging through the water was all that gave away the cutting blade's path as it parted the water.

Swords, lances, and axes slashed into the sea. No blade seemed able to hit her. Sparks flew as the scythe collided with the golden weapons. A black line went diagonally toward the sky. A loud explosion shook the battlefield as the magical energy was released, and the masters had to cover their ears.

With short steps, the woman danced elegantly over the water. She followed the movements of the scythe, which she let flow around her body like a storm. Swords and axes were reflected sideways.

Boom

With thunder, the blade came from above, splitting Spear and Lance in two. Fire reared up under the released energy. She was about to reach the shore. The tip slid through the water as it whirled around and made a horizontal cut; splitting the fire. Before the eyes of all the onlookers, the woman burst through the red, already decaying flames, leaving the mist behind.

The air seemed to freeze as her scarlet eyes took in the entire harbor. Saber's senses flared. Instinctively, her body sprang into action. With her hand protected by silver armor, she pushed Irisviel behind her, who slightly startled her eyes. Irisviel barely managed to grab Saber's shoulder to stabilize herself and avoid falling.

The crimson red of the woman's eyes forced everything to a standstill. The air molecules themselves lost all will to flow. As the snow fell, the water began to freeze. But no flakes managed to fall to the earth. The atmosphere froze like a painting. The eyes paralyzed everything in sight.

"D... Damn," Rider grumbled silently. "Those eyes carry a curse that makes your blood run cold. Are you all right, boy?"

Rider held his coat in front of Waver's weak body, who only nodded. But the paralyzing stare made him slightly uncomfortable, despite the protection Rider offered. Saber and Lancer exchanged short glances. Lancer felt a tingle on his skin, but the magic defense of the servants, who had a knight class, was too potent to be hindered by it.

"Irisviel?"

"Thank you; I'm fine." She replied with a reassuring smile.

The red eyes glowed stronger than ever. Focused like a spotlight, the curse shot faster than an arrow at Archer. Without time to dodge, Archer received the total force. The body trembled. His will tried to move the muscles. Like the eternal maw of a dragon, in which any soul threatened to burn. Archer, who had his arm folded under his chest, froze. Hardly a muscle in his body wanted to obey. His eyes and mouth opened in shock before he gritted his teeth.

"You...!" brought Archer laboriously out of the paralysis. But he could not muster up enough strength to continue.

The golden portals continued to multiply. Even without the movement of his hands, Archer had been able to advance the attack as long as he had access to mana. The woman had reached the port in that brief moment. With a short jump, the boots broke the concrete. Another pair of crimson eyes flared, creating visible strands of prana. Energy flowed in white strands from the golden weapons and surrounding people.

Scything broke through the bombardment. Weapon after weapon exploded under black cuts. Fire engulfed the body. But even the heat failed to burn her skin.

As Archer's paralytic effect wore off, the dress began to sparkle like the stars absorbing mana. A glittering light shimmered off the fabric. The hair had wrapped around her body as it jumped with each step.

The scythe flew around. The blade rotted everything in its path, while the handle reflected any weapons, more and more mana gathered in her body. As the woman used two more pupils, Archer regained control of his body. With halting movements, his hand reached for an opening portal.

Dozens of weapons surrounded the woman, and together they slammed into a massive explosion that shook the port. Spellbound, Archer gazed at the crater. Dust and stones were torn in all directions by the shockwave. But would this be enough to destroy this white figure?

The air rippled and was carried away into the night sky. The prana in the air and crater rose and glowed with a strange light that the masters could have seen only in the alien summoning. The scythe sparkeled. A vertical cut sent a wave of energy through the air, parting the air and eating up everything in its path. Like a comet, the disintegrating light flew to the ground.

Under a roaring sky, Archer dodged it with a leap. All his instincts screamed that he should not touch this devouring abomination. The light exploded like a sun and disintegrated everything it touched. Of the lantern and the containers surrounding Archer, nothing remained but a cut in which the water flowed as if through a channel.

At the same moment, the light made its way to the ground; Rider and Saber grabbed their masters and jumped onto the distant roof of the factory.

There was no explosion. The light ate through concrete, earth, and steel like acid. Irisviel looked at the damage as fear overtook her body. 'Was that a Nobel Phantasm?' But one could not blame her; after all, she had never seen such destruction in her life. Instinctively, she grabbed Saber's sleeve. Whether she did it to seek protection, she could not say for herself. Her gaze lingered on Saber, who gently lowered her to the ground and looked at the destruction.

Saber did not make a face. The woman had undoubtedly demonstrated unequal strength. Even though Irisviel's heart wavered briefly, a glance back at the steadfast pillar that once supported a kingdom was enough to calm her and bolster her confidence.

'She will protect me; I am sure of it.'

Down on the shore, the white woman landed in the craters blasted by weapons. The fabric at her shoulders and hips was shredded from Archer's fire. Dust clung to white boots littered with cuts. Blood stained the right sleeve, flowed down the pale arms, and dripped over the fingers onto the cold stone.

"Is it over?" asked Waver with a stuttering expression. "A battle like this can't be normal, can it?"

He still held his stomach in pain from the hard shoulder on which Rider had carried him. Tonight, there was an incredible amount of information to process. Waver would prefer to use the time to retreat. But knowing his servant as well as he did, he knew that they would stay at the place of conquest for a longer period.

"Mhhh..." Rider grabbed his chin and tapped his cheek with his finger. "The lady doesn't seem defeated yet. Even though the battle has littered her body with wounds, her spirit is not yet broken. She will fight to the bitter end, but I don't think she can stand up to Archer."

Even though Waver saw only the tattered dress soaked in blood, the woman continued to clutch the scythe with her right hand. Eyes were closed again, waiting for Archer's next move.

Around 32 portals hovered behind Archer, a demonstration of his power. Against such a number, no one should be able to stand. But it was not this superior power on which her eyes were focused. A golden sphere floated in front of his body, and an object shaped like a key appeared.

The woman jumped back into the flowing water. Was it fear? No, it was rather the danger emanating from this object. All her senses shot like beacons, sending warning signals through her thoughts.