Lion King Artoria's Effect! By detaching two Xyz Materials, destroy all cards on your opponent's field! My King, unleash your Noble Phantasm—The Spear that Shines at the End of the world!
"Wait! What are you trying to do?"
Jiang You nearly thought he'd reached the end of his Xyz Summon, but he breathed a sigh of relief when he saw the card's effect. It couldn't be activated during his opponent's turn, and it destroyed cards instead of sending them to the Graveyard, making it vulnerable to defensive effects. Still, a field-wide destruction card like this was exceedingly rare in this collaborative script, and now Jiang You had another card he desperately wanted.
"In that case, I activate my face-down card, 'Origin Bullet'! I target the 'Lion King' and destroy her!"
"Don't think you'll succeed! My King's effect activates: when this card becomes the target of an effect, she can detach one Xyz Material to negate that effect!"
This was the same effect as the basic Artoria card, but Jiang You's true goal was to deplete the Lion King's Xyz Materials.
In addition to the two effects mentioned above, the Lion King also had an effect that allowed her to add a "Knight of the Round Table" card from her Deck as an Xyz Material at the end of each turn (once per turn), and another that equipped her with "Rhongomyniad" upon a successful Special Summon. However, it seemed Mordred didn't even have that card in her Deck.
Jiang You's remaining cards were mostly attack-declaration Traps or cards requiring Hassan to be on the field to activate. With no way to use them, his entire hand was sent to the Graveyard in one fell swoop.
"Before My King, all traces of Traps are futile!"
Mordred gazed confidently at the Lion King. Her power was undeniable; if Bedivere hadn't returned the Holy Sword, shattering her "golden armor," Chaldea might never have been able to defeat her.
"Entering the Battle Phase!"
"My King, grant us victory!"
Responding to her subjects' plea, the Lion King brandished her long spear and charged at Jiang You.
The direct damage from her 3500 Attack Power sent Jiang You flying into the air before he crashed heavily back to earth.
Jiang You's Life Points plummeted from 4000 to 500.
Jiang You spat out a mouthful of blood. Even with the pain from the lance piercing his chest reduced to a tenth of its original intensity, he winced. He was immensely grateful the game developers had heeded his advice; otherwise, he'd likely be writhing on the ground in agony.
"I end my turn. My King's effect activates, adding 'Round Table Knight Gawain' from the Deck as an Xyz Material beneath her."
Mordred glanced at Jiang You's barely 500 Life Points, while her own remained untouched. Victory felt within her grasp.
"What can you possibly accomplish with your life hanging by a thread? Surrender now! My King's power is beyond your comprehension. If not for her mercy, you wouldn't even have had a chance to resist!"
"3500 Attack Power, and two chances to negate the target's resistance... Not bad."
Jiang You clutched his chest as he stood up. The piercing wound from the riding lance, while not leaving a physical scar due to the game's rules, still burned with excruciating pain. Each breath felt like air leaking from a punctured lung.
"Defense equal to Attack Power... This is fate!"
"My turn!"
Jiang You glanced at the Serenity and Shining Star cards in his hand. Only one course remained. He activated his Fate's Draw skill.
"Draw!"
Without even looking at the card, he slammed it onto the field.
"I activate the Ritual Spell Card To Sound the Funeral Bell! By tributing all Hundred Faces from my Graveyard, along with Serenity and Shining Star from my hand, I Ritual Summon from my Deck! Old Man of the Mountain!"
A colossal sword cleaved through space as eerie blue flames engulfed the void. A shadow of death shrouded the land. In the howling wind of the mountain valley, the summoned figure's cloak billowed dramatically.
The Angel of Death spread its wings!
Old Man of the Mountain: Attack Power 4,000
"This pressure... even my body is trembling uncontrollably."
Mordred stared at her shaking hands, realizing she was afraid. How is this possible? she wondered. I was created in the image of Artoria, the King of Knights. Nothing in this world should be able to frighten me. Feeling like she had failed, Mordred despondently asked herself, "Can I even call myself a knight anymore?"
"There's no need for doubt. This being surpasses even me. The fear of death is an instinct inherent to all living things, and it's precisely this instinct that has allowed me to tolerate the existence of other factions for so long."
For the first time, the Lion King's cold, emotionless eyes showed a flicker of solemnity.
"Much can be inferred from the initial Attack Power displayed on a servant's card. I am no match for him."
The Lion King readily admitted her inferiority, unconcerned about losing face as a ruler. In this state, she was unnervingly rational.
"Old Man of the Mountain, I apologize for troubling you once again."
Since discovering King Hassan hidden within his deck, Jiang You had gained another trump card. Of course, Romulus could also handle this situation, as his destructive abilities, like King Hassan's, didn't require targeting. However, neither of these Grand-class servants could be reliably drawn with Fate's Draw. King Hassan could be forcibly summoned using a Ritual Spell Card, while Romulus seemed to only assist when a Beast appeared.
King Hassan remained silent, simply nodding at Jiang You. Part of his duty, a secret known only to the Grand-class servants and originating from the world's innermost core, was to ensure Jiang You's safety—a top-level directive from the inner workings of the world itself.
"Alright, Battle Phase!"
With only one card on Mordred's field and one in her hand, there were no other factors to consider. This was to be a one-on-one, close-quarters duel.
"Old Man of the Mountain, sound the Death Knell for the Lion King!"
The towering black servant dissolved into the air. No one saw how his massive form vanished completely. When he reappeared beside Artoria, everyone was caught off guard, as if he had been standing there all along. His giant sword slashed across the Lion King's neck, her divine-level Spirit Origin proving insufficient to withstand the blow!
Mordred LP 4000 → 3500
"Mordred, you've lost!"
"What nonsense! The battle isn't over until the very last moment!"
Comforted by the Lion King, Mordred overcame her fear of King Hassan and resolved to continue fighting.
"No, it's already over. Servants who battle the Old Man of the Mountain are banished, and their Main Battler takes direct damage equal to the banished monster's defense!"
Since others couldn't see the effects of cards that weren't their own, Jiang You declared Mordred's defeat.
"And the Lion King's defense is..."
"...3,500!"
Mordred's Life Points plummeted from 3,500 to 0!