"…."
Leon's group said nothing.
"What's wrong?"
"You had the courage to come here, yet you won't even acknowledge your identity?"
Seeing the three of them looking at him as if they were watching animals in a zoo, Lancer frowned and broke the silence again.
"Yes, I am Saber."
"Judging by your twin spears, you must be Lancer, correct?"
"Our compatibility seems rather fitting."
Leon already knew the truth.
The Lancer standing before him was the hero of Celtic mythology, a warrior raised under the guidance of the god of love and the god of the sea, one of the greatest elites of the Fianna Knights of Ireland.
Diarmuid Ua Duibhne.
He possessed exceptional Agility and extraordinary close-combat ability.
Although he wielded spears, he was actually even more skilled with the sword. He was famed for both his loyalty and his unmatched beauty.
"To serve one lord, and only one lord."
That principle defined his character.
From the standpoint of both humanity and knighthood, Diarmuid was nearly perfect.
His physique, temperament, appearance, and martial skill—
None of them had any weakness.
His most famous legend involved the "Love Spot."
The tear-shaped mole beneath his eye had been gifted by a fairy and carried a supernatural charm capable of captivating the hearts of women.
The most tragic part was that this charm could not be controlled by Diarmuid himself.
It was a passive effect.
And it ultimately became the source of his life's tragedy.
Because of that Love Spot—
During his lifetime, Princess Gráinne, the fiancée of his lord Fionn mac Cumhaill, fell in love with him while he was escorting her.
Diarmuid held firmly to his loyalty, yet the situation inevitably created a rift between him and Fionn.
When Diarmuid later lay dying and asked Fionn for help—
His lord refused.
Now, summoned as a Servant by Kayneth El-Melloi Archibald, the same tragedy seemed destined to repeat.
His beauty and charm would inevitably attract Kayneth's fiancée, creating tension between Servant and Master.
Although in truth, the resentment came mostly from Kayneth's side.
If fate continued along its destined path—
Diarmuid's wish to serve his lord faithfully would never be fulfilled.
In the end, he would be betrayed by his own Master.
Forced by Command Seals to commit suicide in a way that violated every principle of his knighthood.
And it wouldn't be only him.
The genius Lord known as Kayneth El-Melloi Archibald would also face his inevitable downfall here.
But—
All of that was about to change.
Because—
Leon had arrived.
"Compatibility means nothing until we fight," Lancer replied calmly.
His twin spears were his answer.
"To fulfill my Master's wish, I will not lose!"
"Is that so?"
Leon's lips curled slightly.
Golden light erupted around him.
In an instant, his butler attire vanished, replaced by majestic armor befitting the legendary King Arthur of history.
He extended his hand into a silver ripple appearing in midair.
From within that ripple—
A sacred blade emerged.
For the first time in this Holy Grail War, the Star-forged Holy Sword that symbolizes salvation revealed its radiant brilliance.
The sword burst forth with golden light.
The brilliance completely overwhelmed the gloomy aura that usually surrounded Leon, making him appear like a true holy king—
The genuine Arthur Pendragon himself.
Seeing this—
Lancer lowered his stance.
Like a hunting leopard preparing to strike, every muscle in his body tensed.
But then—
Leon raised the sword toward the heavens.
The holy sword radiated a golden brilliance like the sun itself, turning night into day.
The entire Fuyuki City could see it.
"My name is Arthur Pendragon, the Knight King of Britain, summoned in the Saber Class!"
"I hereby declare to all Masters and Servants present—and those watching from afar!"
"With this holy sword as my oath—"
"I will claim victory in this Holy Grail War!"
Leon's arrogant yet confident declaration echoed clearly in the ears of every Master and Servant present.
Even Irisviel and Artoria, standing behind him as allies, were stunned.
They had not expected this at all.
Their faces were filled with shock.
On a nearby rooftop—
Kiritsugu Emiya was preparing a sniper shot.
The sudden explosion of golden light from the holy sword nearly blinded him through the scope.
He quickly pulled his eye away, his expression dark.
"This wasn't part of the plan."
"With Berserker and Saber working together, no single Servant could defeat them."
"But now…"
Kiritsugu regretted entrusting Irisviel's protection to Leon.
If the remaining four Servants seized this opportunity to attack together—
The outcome of the Holy Grail War would become unpredictable.
"Kiritsugu, I don't think we need to worry."
Beside him, his assistant Maiya Hisau seemed to understand his concerns.
"Mr. Leon is simply placing himself at the most conspicuous position on the stage."
"It deviates from the plan slightly, but it isn't necessarily harmful."
"In fact… it may be even more beneficial for concealing that person's identity."
"The other four Masters will never cooperate perfectly."
"When the situation becomes more chaotic, it may actually benefit our alliance."
"That's my opinion."
Maiya reached out and gently smoothed Kiritsugu's furrowed brow, her hand sliding down to caress his cheek.
"…You're right."
"Maiya, I let my concern cloud my judgment."
After thinking it through, Kiritsugu regained his usual calm expression and looked toward the center of the coming storm.
He no longer needed the sniper rifle.
Because the radiant light Leon unleashed was visible from anywhere in Fuyuki City.
On Fuyuki Bridge—
"Ow! Ow! My eyes!"
Waver Velvet clutched his eyes and rolled around in pain.
Fortunately he was still in Iskandar's arms, otherwise he might have rolled right off the bridge.
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