Chapter 371: Fighting Until Dawn (Bonus) (Patreon)

Goldes' early reputation was marred by his arrogance and conceit. After developing the artificial human battery system and obtaining the Linden leaf stained with dragon blood, he began to consider himself the best in the world, looking down on everyone.

He naturally believed that he was the ruler of this Holy Grail War and that everyone should act according to his will. The so-called heroic spirits, the Servants, were just puppets and tools that shouldn't resist him in any way. The obedience of the Black Saber, Siegfried, inflated his arrogance to a ridiculous degree.

He blindly believed that Siegfried was the strongest and that no other Servant could be his match. If left unchecked, this attitude would lead him to give reckless commands during the upcoming battle with the Red Rider. If Siegfried refused due to unreasonable orders, Gordes would become furious, believing that Siegfried's failure and disobedience were due to disloyalty. He would then use a Command Seal to force Siegfried to use his Noble Phantasm.

By that time, Gordes had completely abandoned the principle of keeping true names secret. If Danic hadn't stopped him, Siegfried's true name would have already been known to the Red faction, an act of sheer stupidity.

As a member of the Black faction and a temporary ally, Shinji didn't want to see this idiot continue down this path, nor did he want to see Siegfried exit the stage so soon. He had to wake Gordes up.

As for the idea of killing Gordes to solve everything, it was never an option for Shinji. Not to mention whether he could kill Gordes under Siegfried's protection or whether his death would arouse Danic's suspicion, Gordes' abilities alone made it impossible for Shinji to let him die.

Although he was reluctant to admit it, at this point, Gordes was the most important Master of the Black faction.

The Black faction's trump card—the vast magic power source, the artificial human battery system—was designed and managed by him. The Black faction's lower-tier soldiers, combat-use artificial humans, were also his creations. Even the maids, janitors, and other logistical personnel in Millennia Castle were mostly his artificial humans.

Without him, life for the Black faction would be extremely difficult—in this sense, this guy indeed had some skills.

Recalling Gordes' role, Shinji finally quelled his urge to punch him, opting instead to throw an ice rune at him.

"Assassin, what are you doing?" Gordes jumped up, his face covered in ice shards.

"I'm cooling you down so your brain doesn't get fried by impulsiveness."

"You—!"

Shinji wore an "I'm doing this for your own good" expression, prompting Gordes to look at his Command Seals for comfort.

"Don't bother looking. No matter how much you look, there are only three strokes; they won't multiply."

"It's none of your business!" Gordes, still fuming, clearly didn't catch Shinji's true intent.

Shinji wasn't in a hurry and continued, "How could it not be my business? These are precious non-renewable resources. Use one, and there's one less. If you waste them in a moment of impulse, it would be a real pity."

The emphasis on "use one, there's one less" and "waste" finally made Gordes pause.

"What do you mean?"

"Nothing much, just that I saw you clenching your fist and staring at the Command Seals earlier. I was afraid you'd do something foolish and use them to give a pointless order."

"Hmph, I wouldn't do such a thing."

Gordes turned his head away, not wanting to see Shinji's half-smiling face.

"That's good. Since we have this rare opportunity, let me remind you of a few things. Servants exist indeed dependent on their Masters, but they're not mere puppets; they possess great power and their wills. That's precisely why Command Seals are used to bind them."

"The use of Command Seals directly affects the Master-Servant relationship. When the Command Seal aligns with the Servant's will, it unleashes enormous power. Conversely, when it opposes the Servant's will, it's possible for a Servant with a strong enough will to resist its effects. Even if the Command Seal twists the Servant's will, it will still impact the relationship between Master and Servant."

"Maybe you don't think this matters, but have you considered what you'll do when all three Command Seals are used up? What will you use to bind a Servant who is five or ten times stronger than you? Will you sever the contract and cut off their magic supply? Even then, a Servant can exist for several hours to days without it, you know?"

Shinji's voice grew colder, and Gordes' heart sank further.

"Consider yourself lucky, fatty. Saber is a man of noble character; he wouldn’t turn against you. If he were someone with a worse temperament, you might already be dead. I'm not trying to scare you. Honestly, I consider myself to have a pretty good temper, and even though I haven't spent much time with you, I've already wanted to smack you several times."

"Remember my words: to unleash the greatest power, Master and Servant must reach a consensus. Otherwise, even the best class, Saber, and the strongest hero won't meet a good end. That's all I have to say. Whether you listen or not is up to you."

With that, Shinji stopped paying attention to Gordes and focused entirely on the battle between the spear and the sword. The higher one's skill, the more beneficial it is to watch such peak duels. Fully digesting these insights could further refine Shinji's combat techniques.

Red Lancer unleashed thrusts like cannon fire amidst roaring winds.

Black Saber wielded a golden greatsword that sliced through the atmosphere and darkness alike.

Their attacks intertwined like a spiraling vortex and vanished like sparks in an instant. These two, standing at the pinnacle of sword and spear techniques, vied for supremacy.

In terms of skill, Red Lancer had a slight edge. In terms of resilience, Black Saber was superior. However, in overall strength, they were nearly evenly matched. Even a momentary lapse could result in a pierced heart or a severed head.

If there was an advantage to be found, it was the presence of Master Gordes. He could use healing magecraft to continually repair Black Saber's injuries. Nonetheless, Lancer's self-healing ability was also remarkable. Even without his Master present, there seemed to be a strong connection between them, providing Lancer with a substantial amount of mana.

The sound of clashing steel neared ten thousand.

Minor wounds were instantly healed, exceeding a thousand in number.

Before long, both combatants unknowingly ceased their attacks. It wasn't due to fatigue. These rare heroes wouldn't succumb to exhaustion even after battling for three days and nights.

Yet, time was beyond their control. The sky had turned from pitch black to a deep, dim blue.

Indeed, several hours had passed since they began fighting. Neither had used their Noble Phantasms nor found a moment to reveal their true names.

"If this continues, we'll be fighting until dawn. I don't mind, but what about you? Your Master seems to be getting impatient."

"..."

Saber ultimately sheathed his greatsword in silence. Gordes seemed to want to say something but couldn't find the words. The dense tension between the two was so palpable that he instinctively realized this was not a realm for outsiders to intrude.

Then, Black Saber, forbidden to speak by his Master, cast aside his hesitation and spoke. It was this very act that slightly shook Gordes' deeply ingrained belief that Servants were mere puppets.

"I hope that next time, we can truly fight to our heart's content."

This statement, filled with an extraordinary earnestness, was something Red Lancer, Karna, did not fully understand.

He was unaware of what lay hidden within the illustrious hero Siegfried's grand legend. Even so, he admired those words immensely. Red Lancer nodded slightly, expressing his approval of the swordsman's words. The reason being that it echoed a hidden wish within Lancer's heart.

It wasn't a grand promise or vow. They saw each other as beings to be vanquished, as worthy opponents. Thus, they shared that sentiment.

"Ah, I am truly fortunate. Black Saber, I sincerely thank you for the luck of facing you in this battle."

This was Red Lancer's genuine praise, containing the bond of a warrior. The hope that "it is my sword and spear that will defeat you" was like the dream of an innocent youth.

"Well then, farewell, Black Saber."

"..."

A silent farewell. In an instant, Red Lancer's body vanished as he turned into spirit form.

At the same time, the sky took on the faint purple hue heralding the dawn.

P.S.: That's why having a Noble Phantasm that doesn't require revealing its true name is so convenient; just throw it and you're good to go.