Battle Against Luck E

Watching Lancer grip his twin spears tightly, his expression serious, Kaguya felt a sense of helplessness. Why was it that when others did good deeds, they were met with gratitude, but when she helped someone, she ended up having to fight them right after? What kind of nonsense was this?

Also, wasn't Lancer just locked in a heated duel with Saber earlier? How did the focus suddenly shift to her? Did she have a face that screamed for provocation or something?

Kaguya really couldn't help but feel utterly speechless.

But no matter her thoughts, the fight was inevitable. After all, this was his final request, and who was she to deny someone who willingly asked for a beating? Since Lancer was eager to be struck down, Kaguya decided to oblige him quickly, planning to knock him out and leave. After all, little Sakura was still waiting for her.

"I won't hold back," Lancer smirked, his tone both serious and playful.

"Funny, I was about to say the same thing," Kaguya responded with a light laugh, raising her pale arm as a glow manifested in her palm.

Projection: Excalibur

A blade, forged of invisible wind and gleaming with an ethereal glow, appeared in Kaguya's hand. Her fingers closed around it firmly, gripping the weapon with ease.

Initially, Kaguya had considered projecting Lancer's weapons, but upon further thought, she decided against it. After all, Lancer was notoriously unlucky with an E-rank in luck. Who knew if projecting his weapons might transfer some of that misfortune onto her?

Lancers in Fate were famous for their bad luck, with multiple tragic deaths in the series. Even Rider's Ionioi Hetairoi (Army of the King) had been weakened due to the unlucky Lancers among his army, leading to his defeat.

Plus, Kaguya's own luck stat was still a mystery, marked with three question marks. She wasn't about to gamble on what might turn out to be a low value, especially with Lancer's luck dragging it down further. She wasn't keen on transforming into a walking disaster.

At the same time, Saber, standing off to the side, noticed the appearance of Excalibur in Kaguya's hand. Her brow furrowed slightly, and her lips pressed together tightly. She subconsciously gripped her own invisible sword a little harder. After all, seeing her own weapon in someone else's hands—even a projected version—wasn't exactly comforting.

Lancer twirled his spear effortlessly, then charged forward like a bolt of lightning. His speed was incredible, his body moving like an arrow shot from a bow.

Kaguya met his attack head-on, her own invisible sword moving in a swift arc. She twisted her wrist, striking from below in an upward diagonal slash, as quick as a flash of light.

Clang!

The sharp sound of metal clashing rang out, and sparks flew into the air.

Lancer's red spear collided with Kaguya's invisible sword, creating a shower of fiery sparks as the two weapons pressed against each other.

Lancer, holding his red spear in his right hand, suddenly thrust forward with his left, the golden spear aimed directly at Kaguya's chest. However, Kaguya swiftly pushed him away and, with a quick spin, delivered a kick to Lancer's wrist, causing him to momentarily lose his balance.

"It seems you've grown rusty, Lancer," Kaguya taunted with a smirk. "Your strikes feel weak and soft."

"You've disappointed me too. If this is all you're capable of, I'm already regretting this duel," Lancer retorted with a sneer, his words dripping with sarcasm. "Perhaps I should have chosen Saber instead. At least she would give me a real challenge."

Though he spoke sharply, Lancer didn't slow down. His long spears, moving as if they were extensions of his own limbs, danced in the air. Each strike was quick, precise, and filled with deadly intent. He wielded them like a storm, his attacks raining down on Kaguya with the ferocity of a raging tempest.

As expected from a speed-oriented Servant, Lancer's attacks were rapid and relentless. He had a keen sense of timing, knowing exactly when to switch from defense to offense and vice versa, turning the tide of battle in his favor in the blink of an eye.

Suddenly, Lancer grabbed his golden spear, Gáe Buidhe, and hurled it at Kaguya's neck like a streak of lightning.

"And here I thought you'd at least try harder," Kaguya mocked, swinging her arm casually. In a sharp clang, the golden spear was deflected, spinning away harmlessly.

But Lancer wasn't deterred by her words. With a powerful stomp that shattered the ground beneath him, he launched himself at Kaguya, his red spear slashing horizontally at her midsection, its tip gleaming with lethal intent.

"Is this how you fight when you're desperate?" Kaguya feigned concern, swinging her invisible sword to meet Lancer's red spear. "If you can't do any better, maybe you should just surrender."

"The one who should be surrendering is you," Lancer grinned smugly, confidence gleaming in his eyes.

Just then, a sharp whistling sound cut through the air from behind Kaguya.

Her eyes narrowed. Glancing over her shoulder, she saw that the golden spear, which she had previously deflected, had somehow looped back around and was now hurtling toward her back at terrifying speed.

"It looks like I've won," Lancer said, his grin widening. As he spoke, his red spear flashed forward again, thrusting directly at Kaguya's heart.

Kaguya was momentarily caught in a dangerous situation. If she ignored the golden spear, it would pierce her from behind. But if she turned to block it, the red spear would stab her in the chest. It seemed as though no matter what she did, she would be skewered by one of Lancer's attacks.

However, Kaguya remained calm, a smile tugging at the corners of her lips. "I had expected something more impressive from you. This is disappointingly basic."

With a graceful movement, Kaguya bent her body at an impossible angle, her slender waist arching as she avoided the golden spear with ease. To any normal human, such a movement would have likely broken their spine. In the same instant, she deflected Lancer's red spear with a casual flick of her wrist. Though the series of actions appeared complex, she executed them all in the blink of an eye.

"What?" Lancer gasped in disbelief, his eyes widening as his well-planned attack crumbled.

Before he could react further, his own golden spear, which had been aimed at Kaguya, was now flying back towards him. If he didn't move quickly, it would impale him instead.

Lancer quickly leapt backward, catching the golden spear in mid-air. He felt a pang of regret—he hadn't anticipated that Kaguya's body would be so flexible. His plan had completely failed.

"Since you've had your turn, how about I show you one of my moves?" Kaguya's voice suddenly rang out from behind him.

Lancer's eyes widened in shock. He spun around, raising both spears defensively in front of his chest. But it was too late. Kaguya's delicate hand slipped through the gaps in his defense like a serpent, landing squarely on his chest.

With a dull bang, Lancer's chest caved in from the impact, and a mixture of blood and saliva spurted from his mouth. His body, as if struck by a speeding train, was sent flying backward. Just as he was about to crash heavily onto the ground, Lancer gripped his red spear tightly. With a loud shout, he thrust the spearhead into the ground, using the force to stabilize himself. However, the power of the strike caused him to skid across the ground for seven or eight meters before finally coming to a halt.

Lancer wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth as he stood up and said, "I didn't expect you to be this strong. I definitely underestimated you."

"Thanks for the compliment," Kaguya responded with a smile as she walked over, "but instead of me being this strong, it's more like I got a little lucky."

"Too much modesty is just false humility," Lancer snorted, twirling his spear. "Don't get cocky, though. I'm not that easy to deal with. If you let your guard down, you'll regret it."

"If your strength matched even half of what you're boasting about, that would already be quite something," Kaguya remarked dismissively, her tone dripping with sarcasm. "But if you're as strong as you say, then go ahead, show me."

"Sigh," Lancer scratched his head in frustration, "It seems I'm being underestimated. Well, in that case, I'll use my strongest technique."

"Your strongest technique?" Kaguya glanced at him sideways, clearly not impressed. "Just don't pull out some half-baked trick."

"I won't," Lancer grinned and took a combat stance. "I'll show you my full strength in return for your kindness."

"Sigh," Kaguya sighed again, sounding exasperated. "I helped you out, and now you're repaying me by fighting? Are you trying to bite the hand that feeds you?"

Lancer burst out laughing, his face lighting up with a bright smile. "The more I fight you, the more I like you! If I were able to live in this world like a normal human, I'd definitely ask you to be my girlfriend."

"Sorry," Kaguya held her nose and waved her hand dismissively, "That's absolutely not going to happen. Just give up on that idea right now."

"And it's exactly that expression that makes you more charming," Lancer responded with a chuckle.

"I regret this," Kaguya suddenly said, shaking her head.

"Oh?" Lancer's eyes blinked in confusion. "What do you regret?"

"I regret helping you," Kaguya said, folding her arms and pouting. "You're the kind of guy who's better off dead after all."

"Don't be so petty," Lancer apologized quickly, scratching his head awkwardly.

"By the way," Kaguya shifted the conversation, "Now that you've lost your Master, you should be disappearing soon, right?"

Lancer paused for a moment, seemingly surprised by the question, before smiling. "Without a Master, I can probably last another two days or so. But I'm not one to cling to life. I'm just happy to have one last fight. I'll be relying on you to make it a good one."

"So much talking. Just hurry up and die," Kaguya raised her arm, gripping her invisible sword and pointing it at him.

"Sigh, you're beautiful, but you've got a sharp tongue," Lancer smiled before his expression turned serious. "I don't want to drag this fight out. I'm sure you have other things to do. Since you've helped me so much, I won't waste your time. I'll use my strongest attack to end this farce."

"Alright," Kaguya nodded lightly, stepping forward with her left foot and pulling her right foot back into a combat stance. Her eyes narrowed as she said, "Bring it on."

However, as the words left her mouth, she couldn't help but feel like something was off. Why does that line sound so suggestive? Was it because her mind was too dirty that she was thinking this way?

"Haa!"

With a loud shout, Lancer gripped his two spears tightly, his muscles bulging as powerful magic energy erupted from his body. The aura, nearly tangible, swirled violently around him, kicking up gusts of wind that made his clothes flap wildly.

He kicked off the ground with a powerful stomp, shattering the earth beneath him. With incredible speed, Lancer became a blur, charging at Kaguya like a bolt of lightning. His two spears—one red and one gold—shone brightly as they slashed toward her in a deadly attack.

Kaguya wasn't fazed. She tightened her grip on Excalibur, and the Wind King Barrier howled around her like a raging sea. With a swift step, her graceful figure turned into a streak of light, dashing toward Lancer. As she swung her arm, Excalibur revealed its true form, gleaming with brilliant golden light. With a powerful sweep, she unleashed a dazzling beam of energy.

Boom!

A blinding flash of light tore through the night sky, as if the sun had suddenly risen, bathing the entire battlefield in an intense brilliance. The following explosion was deafening, shaking the ground and reverberating throughout the city. A massive mushroom cloud of smoke and fire surged into the air, while the shockwave flattened everything in its path, leaving a vast field of ruins in its wake.

The destruction was absolute. Buildings were reduced to rubble, and the ground was charred and smoking, filled with the stench of burnt debris.

Kaguya's Excalibur had pierced straight through Lancer's chest, the blade sinking in all the way to the hilt. The sharp tip of the sword emerged from his back, dripping with crimson blood that slowly pooled on the ground beneath him, forming dark red stains that resembled a grotesque flower in bloom.

Lancer's twin spears were both broken, the shattered remnants resting against Kaguya's neck. But with the spears now in pieces, they fell just short of touching her smooth skin.

"Cough, cough," Lancer coughed violently, blood spilling from his mouth. "It seems… I wasn't your match after all. But still, I'm happy. To have fought someone like you, even in my final moments, that's the greatest blessing I could have asked for."

"Enough with the talking. Hurry up and die already," Kaguya frowned, turning away with a look of disgust as she waved him off.

"What…" Lancer almost choked on his own blood at her curt response. The words he had planned to say were immediately stifled in his throat. "Hey, hey! Can't you say something nice to a dying man?"

But despite Kaguya's sharp words, the once-heavy atmosphere had lightened considerably.

"And next time," Kaguya added without looking back, "try not to come back as a Lancer."

Lancer blinked at her comment, before letting out a small chuckle. "I knew it. Deep down, you're actually a pretty kind person."

Hearing that, Kaguya stumbled slightly as she walked, almost tripping over her own feet.

Just die already, you idiot.