Whoosh—
The moment the black swordsman landed, the pre-arranged magic circle activated. Gravity magecraft, chain magecraft, mana-draining magecraft, sealing magecraft... Countless high-level spells worked in unison, determined to render the target immobile.
However—
Bang!
The sound of gravity suppression being shattered.
Clang!
The sound of chains being severed by the blade.
Hum!
The sound of mana-draining magic being deflected.
Boom!
The sound of the sealing barrier being destroyed.
The black-armored swordsman, her helmeted visage adorned with crimson patterns, was like a defiant demonic dragon, smashing everything that sought to restrain her. Her killing intent was now fully directed at the two living beings in the room.
"Saber..."
Irisviel covered her mouth, unable to believe that this was the noble and sacred King of Knights.
"This is the black mud from the Holy Grail."
Kiritsugu said sternly, shielding his wife. The Command Spells on his hand had already vanished.
"It's fine. Since Sakatsuki used a Command Spell to summon Saber back, he must have a way to save her."
Clink!
A sharp, clear sound rang out as another seal was broken. The black swordsman stared at her former Master and the person she was meant to protect. Her left eye had turned a cold gold, while her right eye, still a saintly emerald, was filled with struggle and guilt.
Only three seals remained before the hasty barriers Sakatsuki had set up would be completely broken.
Two seconds had passed.
In the next second, another seal shattered. At the same time, a spatial rift that seemed to tear apart the heavens and earth opened in the distance. The storm of terrifying magical energy was so intense that even the room far away could feel its power.
Yet Saber remained unmoved, focused solely on breaking free from the seals. Kiritsugu and Irisviel did not attempt to flee but instead clung to each other, watching their former Servant.
At the same time, they called out in their hearts for the young man to arrive.
Crash—!
The final barrier shattered, and in an instant, a cold storm swept through the room. The black swordsman raised her blade high and swung it toward the living beings before her!
"By the power of the Command Spell!"
Before the blade could reach its target, before Saber's eyes could fully turn gold, a figure flipped into the room through the window, raising his right hand with Command Spells—one, two, three. All three Command Seals were burned as fuel for a miracle.
"Stop, Saber!"
Before her complete transformation into Alter, the remnants of Saber's spiritual core were still bound by the power of the Command Spells. The power of the three Command Spells was enough to suppress even Saber, who possessed high magic resistance.
Thus, the arm that had brought forth the evil wind stopped, and the blackened holy sword ceased its descent.
But judging from the trembling arm of the black swordsman, the effect of the Command Spells would not last long.
"What do we do, Sakatsuki? Why has Saber become like this?"
Irisviel asked, heartbroken as she looked at the swordsman before her.
"This... isn't the real her!"
"It's my fault. I was a step too late, and she was contaminated by the black mud."
Sakatsuki said as he strode forward.
"Fortunately, the transformation isn't complete. I can still save her."
"Wait, your body..."
As Sakatsuki approached, Kiritsugu noticed the cracks covering his body, as if he were a piece of porcelain on the verge of shattering.
"It's just a side effect of overexertion. The situation was urgent, so I went all out from the start."
Sakatsuki explained as he stood before Saber. Suddenly, he reached out with both hands and cupped Saber's cold cheeks.
"You two, close your eyes."
Kiritsugu turned around without hesitation.
"Ah... ah!"
Irisviel was a step slower. It wasn't until Sakatsuki leaned in close to Saber that she realized what was about to happen. Flustered, she covered her eyes with her hands, though her curious crimson eyes peeked through the gaps between her fingers.
Sakatsuki had no time to address Irisviel's antics. The situation demanded urgency, so—
He held Saber's beautiful face and, taking advantage of the Command Spell's remaining effect, leaned down and kissed her.
Yes, right in front of Irisviel, the human youth kissed the Servant girl.
Even Saber hadn't expected Sakatsuki's action. Her eyes widened slightly, but her body remained immobile due to the Command Spell's binding. In the next moment, a platinum light blossomed behind Saber.
It was the radiance of a soul, the color of a miracle.
Through the act of mana transfer, the miracle of the Third Magic was passed to the swordsman he was kissing.
Like a heavy rain cleansing the sky, like a breeze scattering dust, the nauseating black mud faded under the platinum light, and the contaminated spiritual core returned to its original state.
"Puhah!"
With a burst of strength, Saber broke free from Sakatsuki's grasp, taking several steps back. Her armor had returned to normal, her emerald eyes filled with a mix of embarrassment and anger, and her face flushed red.
"Sakatsuki! You... I... what is this!"
"There was no other way. This was the only method to remove the black mud from you."
Sakatsuki said, licking his lips subtly while trying to maintain a serious expression.
"It was just to save you, Saber. I am completely innocent."
"Is... is that so..."
Artoria murmured, her dazed expression making Sakatsuki unable to resist pursing his lips.
This time, Saber noticed his action.
"Satsuki!"
"Sorry, sorry."
Sakatsuki apologized shamelessly before quickly returning to the main topic.
"Although I used a certain golden bastard's ultimate move to attack, just before it hit them, I saw that guy block it. It's likely that such an attack won't be enough to defeat him completely."
"So the battle isn't over yet?"
Saber regained her composure when discussing serious matters.
"Nameless said his goal is to release 'All the World's Evil' and destroy everything related to you—Sakatsuki, do you remember offending anyone like that?"
"No, that's not an enemy from the 'past.' In fact, it's the opposite."
Sakatsuki shook his head, not elaborating further.
"Right now, the focus isn't on the reason. The important thing is how we can achieve victory."
"Our current enemies are Caster, the reborn 'All the World's Evil,' who can be considered a Berserker specialized against Servants, and the enigmatic Nameless. On our side, we have you, me, and Assassin lurking in the shadows."
"So it was you who secretly recruited Assassin."
Saber said, not particularly surprised.
"But Assassin's strength is only effective against Masters. Facing three enemy Servants, unless she possesses a powerful weapon..."
"Lancelot has already been defeated, and conventional weapons are ineffective against the enemy. However, Kiritsugu has already provided Assassin with necromantic bullets and weapons—let Assassin deal with Caster for now."
Although he mentioned the controlled Miyu, Sakatsuki's tone showed little fluctuation. Even the earlier Enuma Elish had included her in its range.
Was he truly prepared to sacrifice her for the greater good, or... was he confident in his plan?
Putting aside her thoughts, Saber continued.
"Then, I will hold off Nameless, while you deal with 'All the World's Evil'..."
"No."
Satsuki interrupted.
"Both 'All the World's Evil' and the lesser Holy Grail are too dangerous for you, Saber. I'll handle both of them. Meanwhile, you and Assassin focus your firepower to defeat Miyu as quickly as possible. If I'm not mistaken, as long as Miyu is incapacitated, the 'Ceremonial Reformation' controlling her can be lifted."
Ceremonial Reformaion? Is that the ability controlling Miyu?
Seeing the alarming cracks on Sakatsuki's body, Saber's ahoge twitched slightly, but she ultimately nodded.
"Alright."
"Then, may fortune favor you in battle."
"Likewise, make sure to come back safely, Sakatsuki."
The King of Knights and her knight exchanged a smile before leaping out of the room and returning to the battlefield.
There, the unscathed Nameless and Miyu, along with the fully restored 'All the World's Evil,' were already prepared for battle.
"Then, let's fight!"
***
Ceremonial Reformation: A skill possessed by Charlemagne (Karl der Große) when summoned as a Ruler. It allows him to assimilate and subordinate any individual, even Servants, while retaining their original personalities and adding them to his forces.
The activation condition is "slight agreement with his actions." For someone who acts out of goodwill, it is extremely difficult to completely disagree or agree with his actions.
However, the difficulty of lifting the assimilation varies depending on the individual.
This skill appears in Fate/EXTELLA LINK, where Charlemagne is a Servant originating from the same heroic spirit as Karl der Große.
***
Hey readers!
Want to read ahead? 📖 Join my Patreon for early access to 30+ advance chapters! Your support helps me write more and bring the story to you faster.
🔹patreon.com/aarvan🔹