Part 63: Summoning Saber / Crazy train

I murmur as if praying.
I don't care about my life.
But only to stop the cause of this…
"NoI order you to come, SABER!!!!"
With all my might, I call for my sword.



It must have been sorcery.
Because Saber in her silver armor shoots forth from it, as if breaking through the ripple in space.

Music: Nightmare

"Gah…!"
I fall to the ground on my back.

I really hate when the same thing happens as in the dead end, except it doesn't kill you this time.



"Ah"
But still.
My body did not break apart, and my bloody arms are still attached.

"Shirou…!"
…Saber runs toward me.
Forcing my numb arms and legs, I manage to stand up to show her I'm all right.



"Please go get Rider. Only you can beat her."



"That's wrong. There's something that needs to be done before that."
Forget about me, as we have to beat Shinji and Rider as quickly as possible.
Nothing takes priority over that.



Saber is stubbornly worried about my body.
…I would be lying if I said I wasn't happy about it.



But we don't have time to argue.
If Saber doesn't want to, I'll just have to use my second Command Spell.



My determination must have got through to her.
Saber accepts my decision.



Saber likes to take orders.

"Defeat Rider. I'll get Shinji."
There's no hesitation in Saber now.
She nods silently and runs to the school building like the wind.

Music: Clashing Souls









She doesn't need to tell me.
Saber won't be beaten by Rider.
That's something I'm sure of from fighting Rider and knowing even a little about her power.
Saber's power vastly exceeds that of Rider.

"I'll leave it to you…! But don't go too far. It'll all end if I stop Shinji…!"

I pass Saber and run.





Rider's dagger instantly comes to kill me, and Saber attacks to deflect it along with Rider!



"…I guess I'm at a disadvantage barehanded!"
A long object that can serve as a weapon, likethe mop in this locker…!

"Trace, on."



I pass my magical energy through it as I run.
Perhaps I don't have any other thoughts or I don't have enough energy to do anything else.
But I "strengthen" the plastic mop as naturally as breathing.



And on top of that, I have a weapon now.
So…

I don't even need to dodge them now.
I smack away all the shadows attacking me using the mop.
The mop breaks, but that's to be expected from a weapon so hurriedly constructed.
And besides, there's no need for anything like that when I'm this close.



I punch him straight on.



My slashed arm hurts so much that it almost knocks me unconscious.



Shinji reaches out to fling my arms off.
I kick his arms away without hesitation.
Even I can't control myself.
I take the arm that I kicked and ram it against the wall, and break it.



Scream for me



""
…Crap.
I'll faint if I let my guard down.
I have to hurry, while my body can still move



"Scream later. Stop the boundary field right now, Shinji."
"W-Who are you kidding. Who would listen to… your…"
I take my other arm and grab his throat.
Drips.
The blood soaked into my clothes stains Shinji's body.

"Then I'll just kill you before the boundary field. I don't care which it is. Make up your mind quickly."
I put power into the hand grabbing his throat.
It must be because of the magical energy flowing through my body.
I feel like I'd be able to break this neck.

Music: Stop



I tighten my grip.
There's no hesitation.
Just a little sympathy.
It's because Shinji wasn't taught the basic rules of magithat there's no problem with killing other magi.





Your Master's life's in danger…!"
Shinji screams to Rider in the distance.

""
There's no response from Rider.
But Saber takes a step back from Rider with those words.
Rider lowers her dagger and moves her lips slightly.

Music: Whirlpool of Fate 2



…I won't make another boundary field here, so let go."

"Who would do that? Since I won, I'll have you obey me. Shinji, get rid of your Command Spells. Then we'll never have to fight again."


"Whatdon't be ridiculous, how can I do something like that!?
I won't be able to control Rider if I lose my Command Spell. If that happens, I'll"

"You won't be a Master anymore, right? So you can just go to the church in Shinto. It seems it's a place that shelters Masters who have dropped out of the battles.
…Or what? Were you lying when you said you constructed this boundary field to protect yourself, and you actually constructed this to beat the other Masters?"


"…I didn't say that. I just thought that if I became a Master and worked with a Servant…"
He thought he'd be able to be a magus?
…But what would be the point even if he became one?

"This is it, Shinji. If you won't get rid of your Command Spell, I'll have that arm cut off. I hear you'll lose your right to be a Master if that happens."


"Huh…? Cut off my arm…?"

Shinji questions like it's a real mystery.
He's not faking it. It seems he really doesn't understand what I'm saying.

"Well, it's"
"Shirou, get away…!"
Saber's voice.
Maybe it's the result of training at the dojo, but my body reacts to Saber's voice before my brain.

Music: Stop





"R-Rider…!?"


"Please stay back, Master. We shall retreat from here."

"Please stay back, Shirou…! Rider intends to release all the magical energy she was using to maintain the boundary field…!"



Looking at Rider, she certainly seems strange.
Like the way she appeared here instantly when she was confronting Saber, and the chill she's releasing… Her pressure is much stronger now.



"Yes, I certainly cannot match Saber.
But please be rest assured. My Noble Phantasm exceeds those of other Servants. No matter who the opponent is, they will not be able to stop my charge."

Rider raises her dagger.
"What?"
Everyone here lets out a voice of surprise.
For some reason, Rider takes her dagger to her neck and





Slashes it in one breath.

…Fresh blood splatters around.
Blood gushes out from the neck of the black-garbed Rider.

"W-What are you…"
Even her Master, Shinji, is surprised at her actions.
Even if Servants are beyond human, that wound is fatal.
Rider will lose large amounts of blood and will just disappear.











"…!?"
But that's just a needless worry for people who know nothing.

The splattered blood stops in the air and slowly forms a circle.

It's a magic circle drawn in blood.
A pattern I've never seen before.
A creature-like figure that looks creepy.
…A big lump of magical energy, created by Rider.
The boundary field Rider was supporting until now seems small compared to this.





"What…!? M-My body's being pushed back"
The huge amount of magical energy must be leaking.
My body is pushed back as if blown by a strong wind.

"Shirou, please get away…! Rider is about to use her Noble Phantasm. You will be in the way if you stand there…!"
Saying so, Saber pulls my body away by force.
Protecting me, Saber confronts Rider's magic circle.

"Are you planning to run?
If you will involve your Master in this as well, I will just defeat you here. I will not let you use that Noble Phantasm."

"…Fufu. Of course not. It is the role of a Servant to protect its Master. I am just going to run taking my Master with me.
If you do not like that, come after us, Saber."

"Wellthat is if you still have the will to fight after seeing this."



I hear a throbbing.
With a sound like flesh wrenching open, Rider's hair whirls up and











Dragged by Saber, I fall to the ground.
A loud sound and a flash.
I close my eyes at the raging wind.
But even with my eyes closed, I'm forced to feel it.
Something white passes by.
I feel like something is blazing through the hallway with great speed like a giant arrow of light









When I raise my head, the scene in front of me is the remains of cruel destruction.
Shinji and Rider have disappeared.
…The light just now wasn't aimed at us, but was probably just to escape from here.

""
My wounds hurt.
The firing hammer that was pulled inside me is released.
The heat flowing through me quickly fades away.



Video: Blood Fort (mirror)

It's a touch long, but what's an anime version if not for the fight scenes?