C497

"Wait a moment, isn't your main target supposed to be me?" Jeanne questioned.

Karna shot a quick glance her way, "Honestly, Ruler, you're not my main concern anymore. Sure, my Master told me to go after you, but my heart wasn't in it. Now, I'm focused on taking down Archer, so don't get in my way."

Arjuna quickly addressed Gordes, "Master, I'm sorry, but I need to settle things with him here and now!"

Gordes stammered, "Wh-what are you doing, Archer? This isn't the plan!"

He had intended to support Ruler and then get her on their side. He hadn't seen a face-off coming!

With things taking an unexpected turn, Gordes instinctively glanced at the Command Spell etched on the back of his right hand.

"Don't even consider using those Command Spells on me right now, Master," Arjuna warned with a chilling edge to his voice. "Otherwise, you'll regret it,"

The sheer intensity in Arjuna's eyes made Gordes gulp nervously.

Arjuna then turned his icy stare back to Karna.

Karna responded with an equally frosty glare.

"Karna—"

"—Arjuna!"

And so began the battle between the Son of the Sun God and the Son of the Thunder God—it was as though a myth had come to life!

...

Nobody saw it coming. Karna, offspring of the Sun God Surya, and Arjuna, born of the Thunder God Indra, clashed in a life and death battle even before the first night of the Holy Grail War could take place.

It was like they were pulled together by some ancient, predestined string of fate.

Karna's fighting spirit blazed like a sapphire-blue flame, while Arjuna maintained composure with burning flames in his eyes.

The faint smell of something burning lingered in the air. Whether it was from their weapons or the clash of their aura, no one could really tell.

But one sentiment resonated clearly between them.

—I cannot, and will not, lose to you!

Both Karna and Arjuna held this belief with unshakable resolve.

Back in the day, Karna's mother had pleaded with him not to harm any of the Pandava brothers, except Arjuna. True to his word, he vowed not to harm any of them, except Arjuna.

In their decisive battle, Karna and Arjuna set a ground rule: "Never strike someone who's defenseless." Yet, despite his reputation, Arjuna had gone against this rule. Seizing an opportunity when Karna was vulnerable, Arjuna let loose an arrow at him.

This act alone spoke volumes about the intense rivalry that existed between them.

The moment they both manifested, a clash was unavoidable. There wasn't any war cries or theatrics. Instead, the raw, magical energy surrounding each of them ignited, transforming the atmosphere.

Sensing the imminent threat, Jeanne and Gordes, Arjuna's Master, quickly took a step back.

It was as if the heat from those flames sounded an internal alarm, their very instincts warning them of the danger.

Both Servants let go of all inhibitions, charging at each other with all they had.

A dance of thunder and fire.

The two colossal forces clashed violently, sparks erupting like scattered embers as their tremendous powers countered each other.

From a distance, with his bow and arrows in hand, Arjuna had the natural upper hand. But Karna, with his blistering speed, bridged that distance in a heartbeat, forcing them into hand-to-hand combat.

For Arjuna, an Archer-class Heroic Spirit, close combat was supposed to be his weak point.

Yet there he was, using only his bow, standing toe-to-toe against Karna and his divine spear. Far from being disadvantaged, he fought as if he was born for this moment.

He moved so fluidly, so naturally, that Jeanne couldn't help thinking, "Is this really an Archer?"

Every move Karna made was swift, precise, deadly. Jeanne counted seventy-eight of them, each looking impossible to deflect. But, to her astonishment, Arjuna parried each strike with his bow. And then, gaining the upper hand, he let loose a deadly arrow.

The power behind that arrow was immense, enough to make Jeanne shiver just from watching it. Yet, Karna, with his exceptional skills, broke it apart mid-air before continuing to chase Arjuna and engage in close combat.

It was more than a legendary battle—it was a clash right out of myth!

And Jeanne didn't second-guess herself; she knew without a doubt that she couldn't stand up to either of them. Her Noble Phantasm might be the only force capable of holding them back.

Yet even with her Noble Phantasm... she felt she'd be outmatched by these two.

Such powerful Servants, how could they even exist? And it wasn't just Jeanne who thought about this. The others, watching the combat through familiars or other means, all thought the same thing.

"It's astonishing. Enemies, subordinates, all are illustrious figures who've marked history with their brilliance. Seeing them in action is thrilling; it stirs my blood," Vlad III laughed heartily, but his heart was heavy.

He had to admit that even in his home turf of Romania, he wasn't sure if he could match Karna and Arjuna.

Saber's grip on the invisible holy sword tightened.

"Roarrrr!"

Heracles released a powerful roar, radiating an overwhelming sense of might.

...

Meanwhile, at the Church...

"I never thought the Black Faction would summon Arjuna. It's no surprise that even our ever-so-composed Lancer would be so rattled." The priest sighed, his voice tinged with resignation.

With a playful glint in her eye, the Assassin of Red asked, "Are you feeling uneasy, Master?"

The priest smiled, "Why should I be? The Holy Grail War is a gathering of unexpected situations. I knew there would be such possibilities. But seeing them happen firsthand leaves me somewhat helpless."

"Lancer is truly a force to be reckoned with, as is Archer... Ah, I can't wait to have a battle with them!" Achilles, the Rider of Red, shouted with excitement as he watched the scenes relayed by the priest's familiar. Whirling to Atalanta, the Archer of Red, he asked, "You feel the same way, don't you, big sis?"

Atalanta's answer was in her tightened grip on her bow and the irritated, cat-like scowl on her face. They said more than words ever could.

...

At the graveyard...

With a serious expression, Sisigou watched the scenes relayed by his familiar. He turned to the petite knight beside him, asking, "What do you think?"

"They're pretty strong..." the petite knight sighed and replied with a hint of distress, "To think there are Servants of such caliber in this war..."

"Do you have confidence in winning?"

She paused, collecting her thoughts before answering, "If we were to face off against them right now, victory would be impossible. So, we should avoid direct confrontation."

"So what kind of fight should we do then?"

"Isn't it obvious?" the petite knight smiled. "We either go for a sneak attack, aim directly for the Master, or catch them off-guard post-battle."

Sisigou looked at her with exasperation, "Let's not forget who you are, Sir Knight Galahad."

"Look who's talking. Can't a knight be a realist?" she shot back confidently. "When an ambush is the right move, it's time for an ambush."

Sisigou muttered, somewhat taken aback, "You're supposed to be Saber."

She responded cheekily, "Today? Call me Assassin."

Taking a moment, the petite knight studied the images relayed by the familiar and mused, "It looks like two birds will fall from the sky tonight."

"Really? You think they'll end up taking each other out? Would their Masters just stand by and let it happen?"

"Given the stakes, I doubt any Master would risk using Command Spells to pull them back. Who's to say they won't get double-crossed right after?" The petite knight paused, then suddenly stood. "Okay, I've decided!"

"Decided on what?"

The petite knight smirked, "Unless there are any surprises, one of them is going to bite the dust for sure. We'll just set up a little welcome party for the one left standing."

"But what about the Lancer of Red? Isn't he technically on our side, Sir Knight Galahad?" He stretched the name on purpose.

"On paper, maybe. But come on, isn't this war all about backstabbing and using each other? Don't put on an act with me. Softies don't get to summon someone like me." She gave a cheeky smile. "If I'm mistaken, I'll say sorry. But for the record, I'm not against pulling a fast one myself."

With a flourish, she swung her sword, her voice teasing.

He sighed and stood up as well.