East Gate Frontline.
After the radiance of the holy sword faded, countless Cursed Spirits under Tamamo-no-Mae's command surged toward the East Gate at top speed.
Their primary target was Artoria.
Capturing the East Gate wasn't essential, but letting Artoria unleash a second Excalibur absolutely had to be avoided.
The first to clash with the incoming Cursed Spirits were the combined forces of Rabbit Escape and the Dragon Tooth Warriors, totaling nearly 30,000.
A pure-white, cold-faced Cursed Spirit flew above Rabbit Escape.
A terrifying blizzard swept through the battlefield, freezing vast swathes of Rabbit Escape forces.
A Semi-Special Grade Cursed Spirit—Yuki-onna.
But she barely had time to cause chaos.
A pitch-black double-pointed spear pierced her body, pinning her to the ground.
Piercing Ox Spear.
Black claws stretched out from her shadow, dragging Yuki-onna into it.
Black Divine Dog.
A Semi-Special Grade Cursed Spirit that would normally demand time, teamwork, and sacrifice to exorcise was dealt with in mere seconds.
More Cursed Spirits broke through the obstruction of the Dragon Tooth Warriors and Rabbit Escape, rushing directly at Artoria and Eichi.
Artoria pulled the holy sword from the ground.
Wild winds surged as she released the invisible sheath around her sword.
The tempest tore apart and blew away the front ranks of the enemy.
In the next moment, Artoria charged into the Cursed Spirit army.
She was not a fragile cannon to be guarded in the rear.
Artoria was a king of conquest, born for the battlefield.
Mana Burst.
Not just for strengthening her body and defense—on this chaotic battlefield filled with Cursed Spirits, the golden beams of Mana Burst turned into devastating anti-army strikes.
Light cannons of golden energy burst from her sword, cleaving through enemy ranks.
Countless Cursed Spirits were exorcised in the radiance of her holy sword.
"…What a terrifying person."
Takako, hiding in the sky under her Technique, watched Artoria cutting through the Cursed Spirits like a rampaging tank. Her expression turned solemn.
Hovering above, Takako's eagle-like eyes locked onto Artoria, but she hesitated.
Artoria's awareness of her surroundings was keen. Every move was calculated, every strike deadly. Even sneak attacks were somehow avoided at the last moment.
Takako quietly descended and grabbed several Grade 2 Cursed Spirits with her Technique.
The space in her hands twisted as she compressed the Cursed Spirits together.
Then she aimed the compacted mass at Artoria.
Using the Cursed Spirits as a shield, Takako launched her attack.
"Ugyo Rodan."
Her Technique shattered space like thin ice. The fragments, combined with the twisted mass of Cursed Spirits, became deadly projectiles.
Artoria's ahoge twitched.
In the next moment, she forcefully swung her holy sword.
All the nearby Cursed Spirits were bisected in a single motion.
Then she raised her sword and fired a beam of golden light toward the source of the incoming danger.
"What?!"
Takako barely dodged the light cannon.
The Cursed Spirits she'd launched slammed into the ground around Artoria like artillery shells.
But none landed where Artoria stood.
Because the ones aimed directly at her had already been vaporized by the holy sword's blast.
"Tch."
Seeing her attack fail and nearly getting hit in return, Takako's face twisted in frustration.
Just as she prepared for a follow-up strike, a violent storm of wind and lightning enveloped her position.
"Not good!"
Takako twisted the space before her with full force in an attempt to block it.
But the storm still left shallow cuts on her body.
Eichi had already deduced Takako's strengths and weaknesses based on the manga information and his on-site observations from the previous battle.
The area Takako could twist was limited.
Before Yuta arrived, the Sendai Barrier was a four-way stalemate between Special Grades.
Dhruv's Domain, based on his Shikigami, countered the Special Grade Kurourushi, whose insect swarm tactics and bizarre methods forced him into retreat and hibernation.
Kurourushi's cockroach swarm and unpredictable attacks countered Takako, whose Technique had limited range and poor crowd control.
Takako's Technique, in turn, countered Ryu, whose straightforward beam attacks lacked versatility and could be redirected back at him.
In the manga, after having one of his beams twisted back at him, Ryu even said, "That really hurt. As expected of my own attack."
And Ryu's long-range firepower directly countered Dhruv's Domain-style positional combat.
Between Takako and Dhruv, neither could finish the other.
That balance held until Okkotsu entered the battlefield.
At this moment, Chimera: Qiongqi flew toward Takako, initiating a fierce aerial chase.
On the ground, Ryu made his way toward Artoria.
He knew that anyone capable of unleashing such overwhelming power had to be stronger than him.
Challenging Artoria meant slim chances of victory.
But Ryu came anyway.
He was a martial arts fanatic, much like Kashimo Hajime.
He had never found an opponent who could make him go all-out and leave him satisfied.
And now, on this battlefield, such opponents were everywhere.
"How surprising. I was wondering what kind of powerhouse could launch such a terrifying attack, and it turns out... you're just a young girl."
Ryu watched Artoria dance through the battlefield with a look of astonishment.
"Do you wish to be cut down by the sword of this 'young girl' you speak of?"
Artoria's overwhelming presence bore down on him.
"Hahaha, fantastic! Truly, this is too good! Tell me your name!"
Ryu laughed heartily.
He had been worried that Artoria's terrifying strike earlier had drained her strength.
After all, no matter how exquisite a bakery is, if you come at closing time, empty shelves are still disappointing.
But now, feeling the sheer pressure of Artoria's aura and surging mana, Ryu's doubts vanished.
He no longer cared about her previous attack.
He only wanted to fight.
To give everything.
To finally feel that "satisfaction" he'd never tasted.
Even if it cost him his life.
"You may call me Saber."
Artoria casually cut down several Cursed Spirits rushing at her, never taking her eyes off Ryu.
Right now, he was the only one on this battlefield who could pose a real threat to her.
"I see. Then satisfy me, Saber!"
(To be continued.)