A single, Grand-level strike sent Mordred flying backward with tremendous force, crashing into the ranks of her knights. Over a dozen knights were sent sprawling, their armor crumpled and rendering them combat-incapable, their formation shattered.
Seizing the opportunity, the Hassans launched a surprise attack. Without their commander, the knights stood no chance against the assembled Servants. Most were swiftly captured.
"How... how could I be defeated in a single blow...?"
Weakened and struggling, Mordred used her sword to prop herself up, refusing to yield. But with a single strike, Minamoto no Raikou sent her weapon flying and dragged her before Jiang You.
Mordred craned her neck, stubbornly refusing to lower her head. "Don't get cocky! If I had Father's Holy Lance, this would have been over in the first exchange. You wouldn't have stood a chance!"
Jiang You shrugged. "What ifs are pointless. If I could use my original cards, I'd send Blue Eyes White Dragon straight to Goetia's doorstep myself. Oh, wait, Blue Eyes White Dragon just got upgraded. Time for the ultimate humiliation of the Root, then."
In truth, Jiang You regretted getting carried away in their conversation and not initiating a Shadow Game earlier. He was curious to test the full extent of a Shadow Game's mind control on servants, and he couldn't resist the perverse thrill of watching Mordred tearfully attack the Lion King while begging for forgiveness. "You lost fair and square. What's the point of arguing? If you're really not satisfied, let's have another round."
Mordred shivered under Jiang You's predatory gaze. Instinct screamed at her to reject the duel invitation. "I'm no match for you. Since I've lost, kill me or spare me—it's your call."
The Hassans turned to Jiang You, their victory entirely dependent on his Noble Phantasms. His previous act of shielding them from the Lion King's Noble Phantasm had solidified his position as their de facto leader. The decision on how to handle Mordred now rested with him.
Jiang You glanced at the captured Knight of the Round Table Mordred. We'll be seeing each other a lot in the future, and I still need her to complete my Deck. Best not make things too ugly.
"Lock her in the dungeon," he ordered. "She lost the Duel and won't be able to resist for the next few days."
Unlike Tristan, Mordred hadn't committed atrocities against women and children. Like Lancelot, her actions fell within the Hassans' tolerance, and they raised no significant objections.
"Besides," Jiang You added, subtly undermining Mordred's reputation, "I doubt the Knights of the Round Table would stoop to ambushes."
Though the Knights' moral standards were questionable, the naive Mordred was likely to take the bait.
"Once you've recovered, challenge Minamoto no Raikou to a fair duel. If you win, we'll let you go. What do you say, Little Mo?"
"Don't call me that!" Mordred grumbled, still sulking over the earlier incident. The "parents" she had summoned from her Deck were chatting warmly with her opponent, making her feel like an outsider. The affectionate nickname made Mordred suspicious of Jiang You's motives. Hmph, just you wait! She doesn't stand a chance against me!
Under normal circumstances, Minamoto no Raikou would have been a stronger opponent than Mordred. However, with the Lion King's Divine Protection, Raikou was no match for her. Mordred just had to wait for her weakened state to pass, by which time the storyline would likely be nearing its conclusion. Yet Jiang You couldn't shake the feeling that he had forgotten something important.
"Lord Jiang You," Hundred Faces suddenly called out. Her clones were scattered throughout the Hassan camp, handling at least ninety percent of their intelligence gathering.
"Something strange is happening in Camelot. A golden wall of light several dozen meters high has completely enveloped the city. Something significant is about to occur."
Jiang You finally realized that the Lion King had already learned of their movements. She even knew about the existence of King Hassan in Jiang You's possession.
Hundred Faces hadn't accompanied the main group to the Spirit Temple and was unaware that the Lion King had terminated the selection process for the "pure of heart." This accelerated the rate at which the Singularity world was transforming into the Tower at the End.
Having witnessed Jiang You defeat two Knights of the Round Table in quick succession, and feeling the pressure from King Hassan, the Lion King grew impatient. Understanding that time was of the essence, she accelerated her plan to transform the Holy Lance into the Tower at the End.
"It seems we don't have time to wait for Chaldea's Master to return."
By the time Gudako returned, it would be too late. Jiang You decided to storm Camelot alone.
"Old Man of the Mountain, I trust you're watching. I need to adjust our strategy slightly. I'll handle Gawain myself. I need you to breach Camelot's Light Wall!"
Jiang You was confident he could defeat Gawain directly. His triple-boosted daytime state likely tripled his Attack Power. Since the Knights of the Round Table weren't vastly different in strength, their special abilities must be relatively weak. However, he had no means to break through that defensive Light Wall, and he doubted King Hassan would allow this Singularity to reach its endpoint.
"I wonder how Mash is doing... Has Lancelot defected yet?"
-
"Incredible! The Knights of the Round Table are actually your allies? And there are three of them... no, wait, two, right?"
Sherlock Holmes watched with keen interest as the two Lancelots glared at each other. It was rare to see the same Servant manifest with different Spirit Origins in the same era.
Their duel had ended inconclusively. Saber Lancelot, blessed with a tragic fate, possessed superior combat prowess. However, Berserker Lancelot, supported by Mash, forced Saber Lancelot to reluctantly surrender. His current goal was to make Berserker Lancelot acknowledge him as the more fitting father—he couldn't possibly lose to a version of himself who couldn't even form a coherent sentence!
"Lord Holmes, have you been waiting for us here the whole time?" Mash asked, recalling Jiang You's mention of a special connection, which she now realized must have been referring to Sherlock Holmes.
"Indeed," Holmes replied with a genial smile, his pipe dangling from his lips. "Exploring this labyrinth alone would be quite challenging for someone like me. After all, I'm a man of intellect. I'd greatly appreciate your assistance in exploring Atlas Institute together. I'm sure you have many questions... as do I. For example, the true identity of the King of Magecraft. Despite gathering clues across eras, I've yet to connect them to him. With your eyewitness accounts, my deductions can advance further."
"Actually..." Gudako interrupted Sherlock Holmes, who was excitedly grappling with the mystery, a hint of embarrassment in her voice. "We already know the King of Magecraft's identity. There's no need for further investigation here."
Holmes was taken aback. "But... how could Chaldea have acquired such information? There's no way to skip the deduction process and jump straight to the answer. Then what is the Lion King's objective?"
"We know that too..."
After all, someone had simply blurted out all the answers to their burning questions in one go.
"!!!"
Skipping the deduction and going straight to the answer? Holmes fumed. Could you at least respect a detective's craft? All he wanted now was to return to the Throne of Heroes.