C524

Heracles's fist crashed into the shield with a thunderous boom. Under the sheer force, the shield began to crack, spreading out like a spider's web.

"Stand down, Heracles! The fight is over!"

"Roar—?"

Heracles paused, glancing over at him with a hint of confusion. He tilted his head, scratching it with a meaty finger.

Although Spartacus was being restrained by the black mud, he didn't resist. Instead, he looked curiously at him, questioning, "You, bearer of peace, I bear you no ill will. Why bind me?"

Shirou found himself unsure of how to deal with this hero of the weak.

Taking a deep breath, he replied with a smile, "You've disrupted my domain and shattered the peace of the masses, Spartacus. You should be restrained by me."

"I've disrupted... the peace of the masses?" For the first time, Spartacus's gentle smile wavered. "If I've truly done that, then it's only right that I'm restrained."

Shirou let out a heavy sigh of relief.

Communicating with Spartacus wasn't impossible; it simply required specific techniques and methods.

He learned this during the fourth Holy Grail War.

Although Spartacus did not retain his memories, the keys to communicating with him remained the same.

He made his way to the heart of the battlefield with Spartacus.

The battlefield was a scene of sheer pandemonium.

The Dragon Tooth Warriors fell to the might of the Golems, but they, in turn, destroyed the Golems.

The earth was strewn with the gleaming bones of the Dragon Tooth Warriors and the crumbled remains of the golems.

It was total carnage.

But amidst all this, the most heart-wrenching sight was that of the homunculi.

Pierced by blades, squashed, and trampled... their remains were scattered across the ground, creating a gruesome sight.

"How... how can there be such oppression?" Spartacus trembled, letting out a mournful cry.

This hero of the weak may have seen something that even Shirou did not.

Suddenly, a hand shot up from the ground, grabbing Shirou's ankle.

He was surprised and lifted his foot to kick the hand away. But just as he was about to smash the thing below him, a familiar ahoge emerged from the ground, causing him to quickly stop his black hammer from delivering the fatal blow.

A flustered Saber poked her head out from the ground with an embarrassed look on her face.

"Cough, cough, cough..."

Saber cleared her throat, spitting out dirt from her mouth, and her typically refined and delicate face was now covered in grime and muck. She looked more like she had spent a day in the mines than on the battlefield.

"Assassin...?" Saber asked with a distressed look at him.

Shirou stared at her in astonishment, "What the... why were you underground?"

She grimaced, replying, "It's... complicated."

As she tried to pull herself out, it became clear she was stuck. Worse yet, she seemed drained, unable to muster the strength to free herself.

His immediate instinct was to help. It wasn't in him to watch her struggle.

From a different world or not, this Saber was a parallel world counterpart of his Artie, essentially the same person, so it was impossible for him to ignore her plight.

He wasted no time in clearing the mud around Saber, and with a firm grip on her shoulders, he lifted her out of the ground.

Saber, all 154cm of her, was lifted off the ground, dangling in the air like a child.

"Um, Assassin... can you put me down? Saber remarked, her cheeks flushing with embarrassment.

This wasn't exactly the dignified posture befitting the once-great king of Britain. It was rather mortifying for her.

"My apologies." Shirou smiled and gently set her down.

No sooner had Saber touched the ground, she crouched, clutching her stomach. The pain was evident even through the layer of mud on her face.

Alarmed, he knelt beside her, "Are you okay?"

"Just... a stomach cramp. It'll be fine soon." she murmured, her voice slightly strained.

Saber remained in her crouched position, her blue eyes darting around the battlefield before finally resting on Spartacus. "Is that Berserker of Red? Did you manage to capture him? Does that mean the battle has come to an end?"

He nodded, "Yes, it's over."

Saber let out a deep breath.

"Speaking of which, how did you end up underground?" He asked curiously.

A complex expression crossed Saber's face before she sighed, "I was dragged down by the Saber of Red."

His eyes widened, "There's a Noble Phantasm that can do that?"

If there really was such a Noble Phantasm, he'd be willing to trade it for his [Unlimited Blade Works]. Being able to hide underground and drag enemies down with him might not be the most powerful tactic, but it sure sounded like his kind of play.

"And the Saber of Red?"

"She... escaped." she let out another sigh.

"I see..."

Shirou paused, rubbing his chin thoughtfully, then projected a towel and handed it to her. "Clean your face first."

She took it with a nod. "Thank you, Assassin."

"No need for thanks, the faction war isn't over yet."

From what Saber had mentioned, this Red Saber didn't seem like Mordred from the Fate/Apocrypha universe. Maybe she had a special skill or came from a different legend altogether.

Whoever this Saber of Red was, he was clear about one thing: if their paths crossed, she'd regret messing with his Saber. Because, in his eyes, regardless of the universe, Saber and Artie were the same soul. He felt an innate responsibility to defend her honor.

While there was no emotional attachment, how could he stand by and watch Saber being bullied?

...

In a room somewhere in Romania.

A petite girl with short pink hair spoke urgently into her wristband, "W-We've already lost a servant!"

"What? Already? The Holy Grail War here has just begun, hasn't it?" A surprised female voice came from the wristband.

"I... I'm not sure," the pink-haired girl stammered.

"Alright, Mash. You're still lacking the experience of managing these connection points. Stay put and don't do anything hasty. I'll be there soon."

"Y-Yes!"

...

The dust from the first night's battle finally settled.

The Red Faction went all out, throwing every servant they had at Shirou.

Unfortunately for them, due to a lack of information, the Red Faction paid a heavy price.

Not only did they lose Achilles, but Spartacus was also captured by the Black Faction.

It was a complete failure– they ended up with big losses and nothing to show for it.

However, it was something unavoidable. Although Karna had indeed fought with Shirou, he'd been side-by-side with the Eternal King persona, not the actual Shirou.

Eternal King was all about strategy and command, often using buffs in combat. On the other hand, the Shirou's style was centered around the black mud.

Karna never caught the moments when Eternal King used the black mud, thanks to that invader that put his [Evil Flower] out of action.

It was precisely this minor information gap that led to the Red Faction's devastating outcome.

But thanks to Kotomine's timely decision to abandon his tail and flee, the Red Faction managed to save both Karna and Atalanta. And when Arjuna and Vlad came after them, they managed to retreat just in the nick of time.

Faced with this outcome, Vlad kept his thoughts mostly to himself, but Arjuna was extremely enraged.

How badly he wanted for a fair fight with Karna – free from any external meddling – so he could shake off the guilt from that unjust victory in their past?

...

Over at Yggdmillennia Castle...

After locking Spartacus in the castle's dungeon, Vlad hosted a grand banquet, officially announcing the victory of the first night war with the Black Faction.

A win isn't just for personal enjoyment, but something to be savored with others. This was the standard etiquette of a monarch, and Vlad seemed to have nailed it.

However, there was one thing that Vlad was somewhat concerned about.

"Assassin, how about telling me your true name?" With a wine glass in hand, Vlad looked at him regally from his throne.

"True name?" Shirou blinked at him, "I thought I mentioned it earlier. It's Fujimaru Shirou."

Vlad gave a magnanimous smile and said, "If you're unwilling to say, so be it. After this battle, the Red Faction has suffered greatly, and their defeat is imminent. It's indeed time for all of you to prepare for the battles after the faction wars."

He added, "Being summoned by the Holy Grail and descended to this world—each one of you, just like me, has long-standing wishes to fulfill. However..." Vlad's grip on his wine glass tightened, his eyes scanning each Servant in the room. "I must say this first: there should be no infighting before the end of the faction wars."

Everyone present nodded in agreement.

...

There's a bonus chapter for reaching 500 Power Stones.