He was one who inherited the power of the dragon-slaying hero yet did not rely entirely on this gift.
After several rounds of combat, Karna came to a realization. The young man facing him differed from that familiar white-haired swordsman. If the dragon-slayer of the Netherlands prevailed through overwhelming sword techniques and formidable physique, then Sakatsuki excelled in ever-changing magecraft and unstoppable close-quarters combat.
In other words—a magic swordsman who abandoned all defense.
Flames surged, instantly incinerating a black robe along with its illusory afterimage as the young man's true form emerged from rhomboid space. His sword radiated twilight glow as it descended straight toward Karna's back.
Using projection magecraft, Sakatsuki could read even the memories of Noble Phantasm wielders. Karna raised his spear to block, only to be met with tremendous force from the blade. The illusion of twilight dyed half the sky, momentarily evoking Siegfried's presence.
Yet the next instant, that overwhelmingly heavy sword technique abruptly lightened. Sakatsuki shifted stance with fluid footwork, his agile form dodging flames as shadowy imaginary number projections surged from his body, clawing toward Karna. The undying spear pinned the shadows to the ground, solar flames coiling to destroy them—but in that opening, the assassin's magical fist arrived.
BOOM!
Karna was sent flying, though his solar armor negated the Eight Extremities Fist's power, allowing the lancer to quickly recover. Planting his foot, flames propelled him back along his trajectory as he gripped his spear like a baseball bat, sweeping horizontally toward Sakatsuki's waist.
Amidst the devastating sonic boom, the scorching flames failed to lick their target. Sakatsuki's form flickered with visual noise as if existing outside this spacetime, yet the very real glint of steel forged into crimson and golden rose-shaped spears that shot toward Karna's entire body. Deflected by peerless spear techniques, Sakatsuki stepped skyward, balancing on the tip of Vasavi Shakti like a bird spinning in the wind.
Thus, the edged fist carved a crescent moon's cold afterimage through the air.
The blade struck Karna's flesh as if hacking at metal, sparks flying as only a small nick appeared on his neck. But the assassin's methods didn't end there—a massive black greatsword-axe materialized in his left hand while the young man channeled memories of an ancient Greek hero, his right arm exerting force as blood mist suddenly sprayed.
"School of Techniques: Nine Lives!"
This was the famed skill of Heracles—mastery over all weapons and martial arts that maximized their power, manifesting in forms ranging from anti-unit to anti-army, even siege warfare depending on circumstance.
What Sakatsuki employed now was the anti-unit version: nine ultra-high-speed consecutive strikes.
In that instant, countless overlapping high-pitched sounds erupted. Amidst the ensuing shrill shrieks, Karna finally showed astonishment, reversing his spear to stab at himself and forcing the afterimage-like Sakatsuki to dodge while the lancer staggered back.
His exposed chest, neck, even face and features—all were covered in dense slash marks.
—He was at a disadvantage.
Any seasoned warrior could see Karna's current disadvantage. Under the protection of his golden armor, Sakatsuki's "Shooting the Nine Heads" failed to achieve its intended effect. Such minor injuries could be quickly healed if the Master was willing to expend magical energy or if the Servant bore some of the cost themselves.
Yet the problem lay precisely here. At this moment, Karna was nearly exhausted. If he continued to engage Sakatsuki, even if he could decipher his ever-changing techniques, he would be powerless to counterattack due to the depletion of his magical energy.
Having been cut off from the leyline upon entering the Reality Marble, repeatedly using "Mana Burst (Flames)" on a large scale, and fighting Sakatsuki to this point without showing any signs of fatigue—all this proved the "Hero of Charity" lived up to his name. Even if he were to vanish now, his comrades would have no complaints.
But before the hero's exit, he had one final spear to show his opponent: the anti-divine Noble Phantasm that embodied Karna's entire life and will—"O Sun, Abide to Death."
"I know that as things stand, it's still insufficient to defeat you."
The crimson gem on his chest gleamed as Karna's eyes lost their pupils, replaced by radiant divine energy that spread throughout his body. Behind him, blazing fighting spirit took tangible form, rising like a solitary plume of smoke into the sky above the endless snowfield, eclipsing heaven and earth.
"Thus, to defeat you, I need a strike of absolute destructive power."
The golden armor, restored by a Command Spell, was once again fated to disintegrate. Raising his right arm high and gripping his spear with his left, Karna clasped the flames with both hands. Using the shattered golden armor as fuel, the flames roared to life!
The two solar discs guarding him glowed faintly before being devoured by scorching divine flames. Like the roots of a thousand-year-old tree, the flames intertwined, dancing with life as they vanished into the void, ultimately sketching an ancient and mysterious eye above Karna's head.
The Eye of the Burning Heavens—opened!
Golden divine light radiated chaotically as the flames of the sun god robbed all onlookers of their vision. A divine spear forged from lightning took shape within the Eye of the Burning Heavens. The moment Karna grasped it, the Reality Marble let out a wail. The mere leakage of a sliver of the chief god's weapon's divine might incinerated the three thousand worlds. Countless snow melted, magma surged, and the shattered, fissured earth was submerged!
Standing atop a protruding rock, the black-clad youth narrowed his eyes, sensing the apocalyptic imagery of this mental world. Yet he felt no fear—only battle spirit boiling to its peak and unparalleled exhilaration.
Who wouldn't yearn to witness Karna's god-slaying spear? What warrior wouldn't wish to experience this strike said to kill gods?
If he could withstand this spear, would it not mean his progress was no longer intangible? That he was truly, step by step, approaching the peaks he once could only look up to?
Gazing ahead, the world had descended into chaos. The radiance of the sky was consumed by divine flames, leaving only boundless darkness. But then, a crimson spear-light, red as blood, erupted from the ground like the first light of creation, bursting forth with blinding brilliance. Golden rings traced themselves in the air, from which spikes extended one after another, sketching the most ancient solar emblem of Indian mythology.
"Warrior who stands in place of the Black Faction's Saber, Sakatsuki!" Karna's voice rang out amidst the sea of calamitous flames. "As the mightiest rival in my second life, allow me to offer this strike with the highest respect!"
These were words of reverence from a Servant at the pinnacle of the pyramid, directed toward the assassin Sakatsuki. Facing such praise, Sakatsuki responded with a mad grin, stepping onto molten lava as he began his charge.
"Don't underestimate me, Karna! I'll surpass this spear of yours, then claim the Holy Grail with my own hands!"
"Then I shall watch with anticipation." Karna spoke no more, his steel wings symbolizing divinity spreading wide as violet divine energy billowed like a cape behind him. "Witness the mercy of the King of Gods!"
"The evil dragon shall surely fall." The azure jewel activated, true ether beginning to envelop the twilight demonic sword.
"O Surya, bear witness."
"The light and shadow that sever all."
"This thrust is annihilation."
"The world at this moment welcomes sunset!"
The supreme Noble Phantasm surpassing all limits would erupt here in dazzling brilliance—!!
"Burn completely—'O Sun, Abide by Death (Vasavi Shakti)'!!"
"I shall strike you down—'Phantasmal Greatsword, Heavenly Demon's Descent (Balmung)'!!"
The colossal energy imbued with god-slaying flames poured down from above, while the true ether light heralding twilight shot upward from below. The two tremendous forces collided, space itself going berserk as a storm of wind whirled violently. Faced with this devastating impact that seemed capable of destroying the world itself, the observing Servants couldn't even remain standing, forced to crouch low as they sensed the crisis of death.
Even from this distance, it was clear that Karna held overwhelming advantage in this clash between the two riders. Though his magical energy was nearly depleted, his absolute god-slaying attack surpassed even ordinary anti-fortress Noble Phantasms. Despite Balmung being unleashed at maximum power, its radiance ultimately couldn't reach the Red Lancer.
The divine spear tore through the true ether like a hot knife through butter, the twilight-supported light screen rapidly being shredded apart. Within seconds, Sakatsuki's body would undoubtedly be pierced by the spear. Yet even in this dire crisis, the young man's face still bore that same battle-drunk expression of delight.
That confident smile wasn't the realization of his impending doom, nor was it facing death with dignity—it was—
"What... is this?" When they realized the truth, everyone present was struck with shock.
The platinum sun was extinguished. From beyond the world came the sound of something tearing apart. The phantom of a castle slid down the blackened mountain peak, falling into the surging void. The raging sea of snow surged violently before vanishing as if swallowed by the world's end. Then came a wind from that edge of the world, carrying ashes and dust.
Suddenly, the world seemed so small.
The towering heavens appeared to press downward, turning into pure white iron. Through its massive cracks, one could glimpse the dim stars beyond this world, and the ruins of the Vainglory's Garden.
"The Reality Marble... is shattering?!" Even Semiramis couldn't suppress her shock as she watched the world dissolve like lightbulbs losing power, the fading illusions chasing after the vanishing radiance before being absorbed into the black pistol gripped in the young man's hand.
"That weapon is consuming the entire Reality Marble!"
Though faint, the twilight stubbornly held its ground against the world-ending flames, refusing to retreat even an inch. It was this very stalemate that allowed Sakatsuki—who had been awaiting death—to pull the trigger of reversal.
"Trace, on. Determining the concept of creation. Anchoring the basic framework. Synchronizing with the First Magic. Replicating accumulated years." Chanting five verses at blinding speed, Sakatsuki raised his eyes as his pistol suddenly became enveloped in a primal white-gold light reminiscent of creation itself.
"All processes complete (ON)."
The next instant, he pulled the trigger.
The God-Slaying Spear—'O Sun, Abide by Death'. Its power was truly capable of killing deities, let alone heroes. Magical beasts, phantasmal species, divine beasts, shields, fortresses, bounded fields—all existence might as well have been meaningless before it.
Yet the moment the bullet was fired, the world engraved upon its surface activated, expanding violently to unfold a miniature universe ahead, reconstructing the very fabric of space-time.
—The only force capable of opposing the God-Slaying Spear was power nearly equivalent to the world itself.
Crack, crack.
The sounds of shattering continued as the divine spear penetrated the world, striving to destroy it. With terrifying might, it dissolved reality, made it boil, and trampled it underfoot.
But even so—
"No way... That's impossible..." Mordred found herself speechless. The seemingly invincible radiance of the god-slaying spear was being completely halted by a single small bullet.
With the God-Slaying Spear's power, it should have been able to utterly annihilate any 'singular' existence in this world—be it a person, an army, a fortress, or anything else.
Yet even a god-killing weapon couldn't kill the world itself. Even if deities perished, the vast skies, earth, and oceans would remain unchanged, and humanity would continue singing triumphant songs.
This was the truth of the world that Sakatsuki had manifested. To oppose god-slaying, one needed nothing less than the world itself.
As the divine light scattered and the world returned to itself, when all fell into silence, the Reality Marble Unlimited Blade Works ceased to exist. The noble warrior leaned on his spear, watching golden motes of light rise from his body and return to the heavens.
Mana exhausted, Lancer of Red—Karna—retreated from the stage.
"Still one move short, it seems."
There was no trace of shock or regret at defeat in Karna's voice. For one who always accepted reality with equanimity, this outcome held no particular surprise.
He had simply miscalculated one point—failing to anticipate Sakatsuki's hidden card—and thus met defeat.
Yet this battle had been truly exhilarating. So much so that he'd unconsciously forgotten his opponent wasn't Black Saber, but an assassin called Sakatsuki.
"My apologies. I must atone for dragging you all into my selfishness."
That apology wasn't just directed at Jeanne d'Arc and the others who had barely survived the Noble Phantasm clash, but also at Sakatsuki—for his act of willingly destroying the Reality Marble to stop Vasavi Shakti. Though through a twist of fate, he had perished, he still managed to rescue his teammates from their dire predicament.
These were words and gestures of utmost nobility, yet what made it all the more bittersweet was how he regarded everything as simply the natural course of events.
"There's no need for apologies. By sacrificing yourself to shatter my Reality Marble, you've undoubtedly lived up to the name of a hero," Sakatsuki stood solemnly, paying his respects to the son of the sun god who had fought to the very end. "The reverence and respect you've shown me will remain an invaluable memento from this Holy Grail War."
"Heh." Karna chuckled softly, his lower body already fading away. "Of course. We are but phantoms of the past. For heroic spirits like us, those who live in the future—no matter who they are—are all treasures. Because it's for futures like yours that we strive..."
"You even saw through that much?" Sakatsuki paused, then smiled wryly. "'Insight of the Poor' truly is a remarkable skill."
"Flattery is unnecessary. I am content simply having fought as a hero with all my might." As his form gradually dissipated, his voice lingered like an echo. "But you... you still have a future ahead."
"...Yes. I'll keep moving forward, no matter what lies ahead."
The black-clad youth turned back from the drifting lights, only to find his vision instantly filled with countless chains dark as serpents.
Clang! Clatter!
Bound, bound, bound—within mere seconds, Sakatsuki's limbs were shackled, firmly restrained against a stone pillar.
"Now that you've returned to my garden, I won't show any courtesy to uninvited guests."
The Empress who had succeeded in her ambush withdrew her spell-casting fingers, murmuring to herself. Artoria Alter materialized from spirit form, about to charge at the Empress when the rebellious knight blocked her path.
"If you're going to act, do it quickly. Those anti-magic chains won't hold him for long."
"Understood."
With Karna vanquished, the third Servant tasked with subduing Sakatsuki stepped forward. Her golden hair fluttered as she gazed at the youth's impassive face, her translucent eyes like amethyst crystals.
"Sakatsuki," she said. "I won't hesitate anymore."
And so, after surviving Karna's Vasavi Shakti, what came into Sakatsuki's view was the silver sword Jeanne had drawn—the very blade bestowed upon her at the Church of Saint Catherine.
For the holy maiden Jeanne d'Arc, this was both her first and final sword.