Originally, Ritsuka and the others had made a pact with Sakura: if the negotiations broke down, the moment she drew her wand, they would immediately prepare to support her in battle.
Even though the enemy included Enforcement Knights, as long as they prioritized retreat and defense, it wouldn't be impossible to hold them off.
But before Gray and Mash could charge in, Sakura had already repelled Mordred's first attack.
"Sakura is amazing," Gray said, a little stunned.
At the compliment, Sakura calmly switched her wand from her left hand to her right. "Even so, I'm still nowhere near Father's level—he could stand toe-to-toe with most Heroic Spirits… Gray, Mash, Ritsuka, lend me your strength."
Everyone nodded and moved in to form up around her.
Sakura was well aware that she had the strength to keep Mordred from defeating her outright.
But to actually win, they would need to fight together.
"You've gotten a lot stronger—more than I remember," Mordred said, brushing the sand from her armor with a wide grin.
Seeing her opponent exceed expectations lifted some of the weight she felt about this battle.
"Well, it has been eleven or twelve years since the Holy Grail War," Sakura replied with a touch of nostalgia in her voice. "People grow. You know that better than anyone, right, Saber?"
Mordred lowered her stance, preparing to surge forward with a burst of Mana.
"Growth is good. Whether it's one-on-one or all of you at once, I don't mind—just know that I won't let these Enforcement Knights interfere!"
The Enforcement Knights stood in formation, still and ready. They hadn't even raised their weapons. These were elite puppets summoned by the Lion King—disciplined, precise, and utterly obedient.
It wasn't that Mordred underestimated them—but inside, she was wavering.
The more she interacted with the people of Chaldea, the more she faced these former comrades, the more doubt took root.
She had already made her choice—to follow her father, and to die as her father's knight.
So then why... why did this feel so wrong?
A voice kept repeating in her mind, over and over again:
Is this really enough? Is this everything you wanted?
Shut up. Shut up… Shut up!
Crimson lightning coiled around her armored frame as Mordred glared hard at Sakura.
Now, she understood why Sakura had used that shard of the Round Table to summon her during the Holy Grail War.
Their positions were eerily alike.
You chose to stand with your father—and I chose to follow mine.
If our places were reversed… what would you have done?
Not as a Knight of the Round Table—but as a child standing before their parent...
"Mash, you hold off Saber's attacks. Ritsuka, use the Mystic Code to support her," Sakura said as she raised her wand. "Gray and I will take the offensive!"
Across the shifting dunes, Mordred heard the strategy through the wind.
"Done talking? Then let's get started!"
With a thunderous burst, Mordred vanished from her spot, launching herself like a cannonball straight at the center of the group—at Sakura.
As expected, she was intercepted by Mash's shield.
"Hey, your face looks better than last time, kid," Mordred teased with a smirk. "And your power output's gotten stronger too."
Mash furrowed her brow, meeting Mordred's gaze head-on.
"My name is Mash Kyrielight. The Servant who entrusted me with his strength is Galahad, Knight of the Round Table! Even if I don't fight alone, I'll still defeat you—who has lost her way—in the name of the Round Table!"
"Nice speech. But that's not enough! Just knowing who your power comes from won't cut it!"
With that, Mordred poured Mana into Clarent. A surge of force pressed down on Mash, driving her into the sand.
"There's an opening!"
Gray shot out from behind Mash. Her hood blew back with the wind, revealing strands of gold woven into her silver hair.
A crimson spear thrust in from the side, aimed precisely at a vulnerable point in Mordred's armor.
But Mordred just laughed. With a swift movement, she released her left hand and caught the incoming spear mid-strike, stopping Gray's attack cold.
"Solid defense, strong offense. Impressive," she said, genuinely evaluating their efforts. "But it's still not enough!"
Her Mana surged again. With one hand gripping the spear, she hoisted Gray—spear and all—and hurled her aside with overwhelming strength.
Mash, momentarily distracted, was caught off guard. Mordred pulled back her sword, disrupting Mash's stance, and delivered a flying kick. The shield blocked the blow, leaving Mash unharmed, but she lost her footing and fell back.
But that showy counterattack left Mordred momentarily airborne—just under half a second of opening.
"My will is set—my shadow swings the sword!"
Sakura seized the moment and launched her assault.
Normally, she used her wand to channel attacks through the five elements. But at her core, Sakura's only true attribute was "Imaginary Numbers," and it was through that she could unleash her full power.
This wasn't just manipulation of Imaginary Space—it was an attack.
A dark vortex, invisible and unpredictable, surged forward. It could force beings of the Reverse Side back to their realm, making it extremely incompatible with Servants—spirits marked by death and re-manifested through the Throne.
Back in Chaldea, she'd heard Lev Lainur was also an Imaginary Numbers Magus. She'd once approached him for guidance, but he'd brushed her off with vague responses. In hindsight, it made sense—he was already under the Mage King's command and had no interest in aiding enemies.
Now, just watching those shadowy figures emerge from the Sea of Shadows—transforming into armed monsters—was enough to pressure Mordred.
But Sakura had no intention of destroying her here. If she did, her Imaginary Numbers Magecraft would have taken a far more aggressive, lethal form—far beyond what was needed to kill one Servant.
The key to Imaginary Numbers Magecraft was maintaining inner balance, not letting oneself be consumed by darkness.
Sakura had long since mastered that.
"Emergency movement!"
Seeing Mordred preoccupied, Ritsuka grabbed the unsteady Mash and, using a maneuver they'd practiced countless times, activated the Mystic Code and instantly repositioned her behind Mordred.
Mash raised her shield high and let out a fierce, resolute cry.
"Haaah!"
The unblemished shield came crashing down toward Mordred's back.
"Crimson Lightning!"
Mordred didn't flinch. She instantly channeled magic into her blade—its length extending several meters in a flash. Pivoting on her right foot, she spun and swept the sword in a wide arc.