Issei tried to summon Gae Bolg, but it was already too late.
The man was already in front of him, swinging one of his strange swords.
Issei grimaced and nearly burst into tears when he realized he wouldn't be able to defend himself.
(Boost!)
The Boosted Gear activated.
Balance Breaker.
Ddraig's voice roared from his arm as the red dragon armor formed around his body.
Issei managed to grab Asia and evade the first strike. He tried to kick the man, but the man simply took a step to the side.
Then his sword struck a piece of Issei's armor, tearing it off.
"AAAAAHHHH!" Issei screamed in pain and panic, but he still managed to pull Asia away.
"Interesting. You managed to crack Kanshou."
The man released the sword, and it disappeared. Then he created another one and attacked again.
At that moment, an arm struck him and sent him flying.
"It seems your luck is even worse than Satanta's, boy."
That voice made Issei's eyes fill with tears of happiness.
"..."
He almost cried.
—Kid, don't say anything! This is our chance!— Satanta shouted. —Call her Lancer!—
Issei's eyes widened.
He understood instantly.
"You took your time, Lancer!" Issei shouted in anguish despite the fact that his leg had already regenerated.
"What?" Scathach didn't understand what Issei had just said, but when she saw how the two enemies suddenly tensed, she didn't question it.
"Damn it... so you're a Master in this war, Apostle?" the man said cautiously as he looked at the blonde woman, who was simply staring at Scathach as if she were evaluating whether fighting her was worth it.
The white-haired man narrowed his eyes when he heard Issei's desperate shout.
"You took your time, Lancer!"
"..."
Scathach looked at Issei.
Then at the two strangers.
Then back at Issei.
One of her eyebrows rose.
"Lancer?"
She clearly had no idea what the boy was talking about.
But before she could ask, the white-haired man seemed to understand something entirely different.
"...I see."
He lowered one of his swords slightly.
"So you're a Master."
Issei nearly cried with joy.
He believed it!
"That's right!" he shouted immediately. "I am a Master!"
Scathach slowly turned her head toward him.
"...You are?"
"Yes!"
"Since when?"
"Since right now!"
She stared at him for several seconds.
"...Idiot."
However, to Issei's surprise, the man didn't seem suspicious.
In fact, he looked thoughtful.
"A Dead Apostle becoming a Master..."
He let out a small sigh.
"That's new."
Then his eyes moved toward Scathach.
The absurd amount of mana surrounding her.
The crimson spear.
The presence of a legendary warrior.
Everything fit.
"So you're Lancer."
Scathach narrowed her eyes.
"I don't remember saying that."
"You don't need to."
A small smile appeared on his face.
"I've met someone from the same class before."
He observed her spear.
"Though I wasn't expecting a female version."
A vein throbbed on Scathach's forehead.
"...Female version?"
"Yes."
He seemed genuinely amused.
"I have to admit, the Grail is more creative than I remember."
The temperature around them suddenly dropped.
"Are you comparing me to someone?"
The man smiled faintly.
"Your predecessor."
He looked directly into her eyes.
"Cú Chulainn."
Silence.
For some reason, the air suddenly felt heavier.
"Do you know that name?" he asked.
Scathach didn't answer.
But her eyes had changed.
She took a step forward.
"Continue."
The man didn't seem to notice the danger.
"We didn't exactly have a friendly relationship."
Then he let out a short laugh.
"Though I admit he died in a rather pathetic way."
CRACK.
The ground beneath Scathach's feet split apart.
"...Pathetic?"
Finally, the man realized something was wrong.
"Yes?"
The crimson spear appeared in Scathach's hand.
A monstrous amount of mana exploded around her.
Issei's eyes widened.
He knew that expression.
Someone was about to get beaten.
A lot.
"You..." her voice came out low. "Did you just say..."
Another step.
"...that my student..."
Another.
"...died in a pathetic way?"
The man's smile disappeared.
"...Your student?"
BOOOOOOM!!
Magical pressure exploded outward.
Even Issei and Asia had to brace themselves to avoid being blown away.
Scathach disappeared.
She simply vanished.
Emiya's instincts screamed.
CLANG!
Two black swords appeared in his hands at the last second.
The crimson spear struck the blades, and the impact created a shockwave that destroyed part of the building.
His eyes widened.
Fast!
Scathach didn't give him time to think.
She attacked again.
And again.
And again.
Each strike was heavier than the last.
CLANG!
CLANG!
CLANG!
Emiya was pushed back dozens of meters.
The ground cracked beneath his feet.
"...Are you insane?!"
"You called Cú Chulainn's death pathetic."
Another strike.
BOOOOOM!
Emiya crashed through a wall.
"I was joking!"
"Then make another joke!"
She appeared right in front of him.
The spear was already descending.
And then—
CLAAANG!
An invisible sword blocked the tip of the spear.
A burst of wind exploded outward.
The blonde woman had moved.
She now stood between the two.
Her cold blue eyes stared directly at Scathach.
Silence.
Scathach narrowed her eyes.
The other woman didn't retreat even a single step.
For several seconds, the two simply stared at one another.
Then Emiya appeared beside the blonde woman.
"Saber."
She didn't answer.
"It's not worth it."
Silence.
"Saber."
Her blue eyes moved slightly toward him.
"Our objective isn't here."
She remained motionless.
Emiya sighed.
"Besides..." he cast a glance at Scathach. "I have the feeling that if we continue this, I'm actually going to die this time."
For some reason, that seemed to convince the blonde woman.
She lowered her sword.
Scathach clicked her tongue.
"Tsk."
Emiya put away his swords.
Then he looked at Issei.
"You."
Issei pointed at himself.
"Me?"
"Yes."
Emiya looked tired.
"Dead Apostle Master."
"That title is horrible."
"Perhaps."
Then he looked at Scathach.
Then at Issei.
Then back at Scathach.
"But you have a terrifying Servant."
Issei opened his mouth.
Closed it.
Opened it again.
In the end, he decided not to correct him.
"Y-Yeah... I know."
Scathach looked at him.
"No, you don't."
He ignored her.
Emiya let out a small sigh.
"Anyway..."
He turned around.
"Saber, let's go."