You call this a projection?

Lancer laughed with a hint of helplessness, yet also a sense of relief. Although this appeared to be a battle perfectly tailored to counter him, there was never any such thing as ”fairness” in the act of combat itself. Lancer wasn’t some greenhorn whose brain was filled with nothing but chivalry.

Furthermore, while Saber was attacking his weaknesses, hadn’t he also been devising strategies to target hers?

By utilizing the fact that a demonic spear has a longer reach than a holy sword, and his own combat style of using ultra-high-speed continuous thrusts to keep the enemy off-balance, Lancer had maintained a distance that was optimal for him throughout the fight. He had seen beforehand that Saber’s Noble Phantasm required a charging period—a fatal weakness.

Victory.

He could ensure that Saber’s holy sword would not reach him, while simultaneously being in the perfect position to interrupt her charge with his spear the moment she tried to release her Noble Phantasm. This plan didn’t even require much effort; it would have been enough to simply pierce Saber’s arm with his curse-laden spear, making it impossible for her to grip the sword with both hands.

Beyond that, his Master was no mere decoration or bystander. Should Saber somehow manage to release her Noble Phantasm under these conditions, Bazett’s [Fragarach] would absolutely strike first by reacting to the trump card’s activation.

Lancer, who seemed to be fighting a straightforward duel, had actually employed various methods to corner Saber.

Unfortunately, he had failed to account for the fact that Saber still held [Avalon] in reserve. Saber, calculating more clearly than he, had factored in not only his [Gáe Bolg] but even Bazett’s [Fragarach], achieving this complete victory.

Faced with this defeat, and having his chest split open by a heavy strike from Saber’s sword—empowered by [Mana Burst]—Lancer could hardly be dissatisfied. It was only through his desperate attempt to dodge that he avoided losing his head and exiting the stage instantly.

”Looks like the fight over there has been settled too.”

Lancer, quickly accepting his end, laughed freely. ”What a shame, little lady. I originally wanted to let you say a few more words to your Servant, but I didn’t expect Archer to exit so quickly.

That kid is really something.”

”Lancer, you...” Seeing that only Emiya Shirou had returned from the Reality Marble, Tohsaka Rin understood how the battle between Shirou and Archer had ended.

She was indeed unwilling to exit the Holy Grail War just like this. Moreover, Archer’s departure was, in a way, the result of him acting on his own volition and disregarding her orders. Far from fulfilling the Tohsaka family’s long-cherished wish for victory, she had even ceased to be a ”qualified Master” after Archer chose to go solo.

The blow to Rin’s pride was predictable.

But she hadn’t expected Lancer to say such things as he faced departure. Instead of comforting his own Master, who was also exiting, he spoke to her?

”Thank you, Lancer. However, I don’t feel like there’s much to be ’unwilling’ about. Even if that sounds like a lie, and even if I’m a bit annoyed at my own coldness,” Rin thanked him. ”But Archer was my Servant. Given that he seemed to be a future version of Shirou, it’s impossible for me not to care about why he became like that.

But I believe even more that Archer must have had a reason for becoming that way. Regarding the reason his ideals clashed with the current Shirou... though I hate to admit it, I must: I couldn’t help him.”

It was a helpless situation. But after accepting that helplessness, Rin gave up quite naturally. Things that cannot be done simply cannot be done. Rather than banging one’s head against an impossible task, it is better to find a way around it. As a magus, this was the approach Rin considered common sense.

That was why, after seeing Emiya Shirou’s high jump back then, she had gradually been drawn to him. He was different from her—someone who would keep banging his head against the wall even when he knew it was impossible, an almost complete opposite of herself.

Precisely because she understood Shirou’s personality, once she calmed down, she could understand what Archer—who displayed a personality different from Shirou—must have gone through. It must have been a hell she couldn’t even describe.

”As his Master, the only support I could give was to support him with all my might—to support him in doing what he wanted to do.

I don’t know what the price of doing that is,” Rin said. ”But I know that if I hadn’t, Archer would definitely have felt regret afterward.”

This was the path Archer chose. Whatever ending lay at the end of that road was a result of his choice. At the very least, it was a choice that wouldn’t leave him with regrets. Therefore, Rin would not interfere.

Reading the meaning behind Rin’s words, Lancer smiled.

”Good grief. Why couldn’t my Master be a fine woman like you?”

”Eh, Lancer?” Bazett, who was still saddened by Lancer’s imminent disappearance, was clearly stunned when she heard him say this.

”But unfortunately, my Master is just a silly woman who understands nothing but fighting,” Lancer said helplessly. ”Little lady, I’ll have to trouble you to help look after this silly woman.

Consider it a favor for me buying that Archer fellow some time to do his own thing.”

With that last request, Lancer—who had chosen to help Rin for that very reason—also transformed into a new Class Card under the power of [Pseudo-Atum], appearing in Emiya Shirou’s hand.

6/7

At this exact moment, including Gilgamesh (who was summoned not as a Servant of the Fifth War but participated as an extra) and [All the World’s Evil], both of whom had been defeated by Shirou...

The Class Cards Emiya Shirou now held in his hand totaled six. He had long since met the minimum conditions for victory in the Holy Grail War!

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