Chapter 5: 5
Continuing to descend through the cave Caster merely glanced at his fellow Servant, who had not lifted her eyes from her feet, before grunting and lifting his eyes to the ceiling.
"If you are so worried you could have stayed with him." The girl with the shield instantly faltered and almost fell to the ground, holding on only by a miracle.
"W-what are you talking about?" The girl tried to brush aside the claim. But even if she didn't stutter and said the phrase confidently, her face turned red to the tips of her ears.
"You are a disgustingly bad liar, you know that?" Caster innocently remarked, after which he waited to appreciate the embarrassment and blush on the girl's face. He laughed, pleased with her reaction. "Okay, tell me, have you known him for a long time?"
"N-no..." Apparently also having come to the conclusion that she could not hide her feelings the girl embarrassed, lowered her gaze and answered. "A day, or two, I think..."
"Uh?" Caster smiled. "Then it's damn bad. It's usually because of this 'love at first sight' thing, humanity is changing. Say though, why did you fall in love?"
"Ummm, I'm not saying it's love..." The girl coughed awkwardly and then desperately began to divert her gaze along the walls of the grotto. "I... It's just that he saved me..."
In fact yes, in a sense Momonga really did save her. Because without him Mashu would have long ceased to exist without magical nourishment. But specifically in the case that Mashu herself remembered, immediately after the explosion Momon was not able to save her, but tried. However, in the mind of Mashu herself, the difference between these two things were insignificant.
"Hoooo" However Caster who was not initiated into such secrets of the maiden soul, only stretched indefinitely. "Then I suppose it can be forgiven for one to start falling in love if this is about saving lives."
After this statement Mashu began to blush even more than before. She finally stopped looking ahead, trying to find anything that would give her an excuse to hide her face from the Caster's watchful eyes. In response to her actions he just grinned again, but almost instantly became serious.
"Anyway" Said Caster. "Any thoughts that are distracting you - you need to drop it. You can not go into battle in this state."
Had Momonga been with them he would have probably thought something like 'You just made everything worse. Now she will be even more anxious because of your teasing.' But here and now Momon wasn't present and therefore there was no one to say how Mashu felt herself after such news.
"If it will be easier for you to concentrate-" Caster grinned. "Just remember the fact that if you lose now you will die, then your Master and then all of humanity."
Hearing such a thing Mashu, who was already not a sample of composure, paled to the level of white sheet. Caster, pleased with the effect burst out laughing.
"Relax, don't worry." After waiting a bit the man dismissed her thoughts as if they were nothing. "Your goal is just to not let Saber get close to me while being ready to use your Phantasm when she decides to use Excalibur. Oh and also run when I tell you. You can handle it, can't you?"
"I have no choice." Mashu said a little gloomily after Caster's words. Caster hearing this, smiled.
"Don't be afraid. After getting a new Master and a top-notch one at that it, it'll be easy to take down a small fry like Saber." Caster said trying to support the girl. "Although I must admit, this guy really does have a lot of mana..."
"By the way..." After the mention of Momon's mana reserves the girl remembered that she wanted to talk to Caster while they were alone with each other, as with a person much more versed in Servants as well as in magic "About senpai..."
"Caster..." The voice that was heard once again disrupted the conversation. The voice was deep and low, for a female voice, but not gloomy, giving it an air of cold indifference. "So you decided that you can't run away from fate forever..."
However, stopping and looking at the second girl present Saber unexpectedly delayed her statement.
"You have found an interesting ally for yourself..." Saber said vaguely, after which her gaze shifted to the shield. "And a shield, huh..."
"Well, well." Saber nodded slowly as if acknowledging the presence of the Servants. She pointed her blade forward. "Come to me, and my sword will decide if your shield is as strong as it seems."
Caster just grinned at these words. Mindless bravado will not help Arthur or in this case Arthuria win against them. Not now, when he has gained protection in the form of the girl's shield. Not now, when he has gained more strength in the form of support from a Master.
Mashu as if sensing the change of mood instantly rushed forward. Moving her shield in such a way as to protect herself while crashing into her target like a ram. Perhaps a good tactic but the girl was too inexperienced and slow for such a trick.
"Too slow!" Something that Saber did not fail to notice. Immediately the not so fast but still much more experienced Saber appeared as if out of thin air from the unprotected side of Mashu, bypassing the protection of her shield. The problem of Mashu's movement and the enormous weapon of hers was that of her inertia so she could not stop right away. But after taking just one extra step the girl exposed her back to the attack of Saber, which instantly used her blade to strike.
As if Caster would let her!
He did not waste time in vain and therefore a ray of concentrated fire hit the place where Saber was. Even the simplest rune acquired special strength when it was used by the Child of Light.
Even so, Arthuria possessed the class ability all Sabers possessed, Magical Resistance, therefore Caster should have acted for sure without using weaker spells.
"Hmm!" As if in mockery instead of dodging Saber only thrust out her damned blade, dispelling the attack directed at her in one blow. No not dispelling, it was enough for her to simply release a powerful wave of pure mana in order to break Caster's spell.
The idea that in such a case she would have spent much more for defense than Caster for an attack was short-lived. Of course Saber could afford it because she was fed mana by the Grail itself. In other words she didn't need to save mana.
"A problem, huh." Caster concluded dissatisfied. After which he instantly retreated when Saber rushed after him. Even in this form his speed exceeded the speed of Saber by an order of magnitude. However when in the middle of her step Saber sped up unexpectedly Caster cursed to himself. Damn this Grail and damn the endless amounts of mana given by it!
Crouching sharply and letting the blow flew over himself, Caster leaned on his hands after which he was in the air in one continuous movement. Even if Saber could accelerate due to her Mana Burst she could only accelerate in a straight line, so it was not so difficult for the more cunning Caster to evade her strikes.
However in the air Caster could not evade. Saber has the ability to exploit such a weakness, finding Caster in such a defenseless position...
If it were not for the blow from Mashu who appeared next to Saber who was distracted by Caster. However Saber, as if having predicted the blow by an animal instinct, instead of trying to follow Caster, took a step forward, dodging the shield blow behind her.
But at the same time, this also meant that Saber had stopped concentrating on Caster. That had taken his advantage over her distraction to its fullest. Another beam flew from his staff and then targeted Saber.
She did not have time to raise her blade for another Burst and even if she had the time, having retracted her blade, she would have opened herself up for attack from the huge shield. Therefore she could only be prepared to be struck, which immediately came afterwards.
Such a spell was not the strongest attack in Caster's arsenal, but it was still an attack and therefore, without having to make a significant contribution, it still forced the girl to take a half step back. But it did the most important thing.
It struck the first blow.
Mashu took advantage of the opening that had appeared and approached Saber once again. Raising her shield to strike, but the lack of experience negatively affected her again. Therefore out of inexperience she brought the shield too high above so the subsequent blow from Arthuria found a way to hit the girl.
Mashu's vitality was beyond all praise but even so Excalibur drew a transverse strip through the girl's open stomach causing her to hiss in pain.
Caster would likely to have done something about it but having decided to take advantage of Saber's distraction from him he took several runestones from his pouch at once then concentrated on the magic sealed in them. Mana from Caster instantly concentrated into several patterns. Manifesting the forces sealed inside, after which they merged and formed into a spell that is concentrated in the tip of the magician's staff.
Without losing a moment staying still while Mashu continued to fend off Saber he concentrated the spell under the legs of both girls.
"Shield!" The man cried instantly, after which, to his joy, Mashu had enough understanding to put her shield up to cover her completely. Saber, on the other hand, did not have such an option available to her. Therefore the whirlpool of energy that exploded under her feet slammed into her with at full force, throwing her several meters away with the shock wave.
Mashu also swayed from the force of the spell, but was protected from the explosion thanks her shield. Therefore she was able to grab her weapon more firmly and then rush forward, trying to use the trick she had failed at a little earlier. This time Saber was in the air and so could not dodge so easily. Even so Arthuria slashed her blade sending forth a wave of mana, forcing Mashu to crash into it, shaking the girl with the shield and stopping her momentum.
Turning in the air Saber landed gently on the ground, after which she instantly jumped away, leaving the spot where Caster's next spell hit. But Caster was only pleased with such a turn of events as it allowed him to keep Saber at a distance.
Mashu rushing forward this time used her shield in the manner of a claymore, deciding to maximize the strength of her strike.
However, Saber was much more experienced and besides that she possessed the advantages of her Mana Bursts. Therefore such a tactic was as unproductive as possible since having even more of the speed and accuracy of her attacks reduced, Mashu was deprived of any possibility of injuring Saber...
However, this was the best possible tactic in these conditions since the sweeping blows best concentrated Saber on Mashu and allowed her to keep Arthuria at a distance from Caster.
Whether Mashu specifically chose such tactics or simply accidentally stumbled on them Caster did not know, but he did not intend to waste the opportunity.
Sticking his hand into the pouch at his belt he looked cautiously at Saber. If she attacks him while he was building something really strong from his arsenal then both of them will most likely suffer. If Scathach taught him anything from all his time with her, it was the fact that runes do not tolerate haste and negligence. Especially Primordial runes.
As if hearing his thoughts Saber glanced at him. After which Caster used several runes. Perhaps he should have used something other than attack magic in this battle.
The runes that appeared into the world flashed with blue light in his hands. Saber attempted to rush at him, relying on the speed of her maneuver, but the magic turned out to be faster. Before she managed to reach Cater several roots appeared from under ground, forcing her to stop in flight and flinch under the action of inertial forces. Mashu who appeared next to her strengthened this impact by hitting her with her shield.
This time Caster made a leap back, readying his staff. But instead of another attack, Saber instead spoke.
"It seems that I have underestimated you." Her words sounded cold, but if it weren't for that Caster could have sworn there was respect in that tone. "Well, then I will destroy both of you with one blow."
At the moment when the girl picked up her blade with both hands at once Caster realized that that very moment had come.
"Mashu!" He commanded the Shielder then rushed with his runes. Even with the Mashu's Phantasm he would prefer to hedge his bets and use a pair of spells to strengthen it.
Mashu responded instantly, throwing herself against the trajectory of the blade. Intercepting the slash with her shield she exhaled and then shouted the name she chose for her Phantasm.
"Lord Chaldeas!" The shield that appeared before her eyes this time was much denser and larger than what she had called the last time. After all Caster's words about investing her own meaning in phantasm were not in vain.
"Excalibur..." But Saber wasn't going to stop. Evil black energy swirled around her blade instantly as soon as the girl uttered the first word of the name of her blackened sword. Completely inappropriate image for the holy sword, Excalibur.
'What happened to you, Saber...' Caster shook his head internally. But instead of paying attention to a distraction he used his runes to help Mashu.
"...MORGAN!" Shouting out the name of her Noble Phantasm, putting all her power into one strike Saber slashed the blade from which the flow of pure destruction surged in the same instant. The energy, corrupted in its very essence, rushed forward in a wave sparing none in its path.
Although initially such a force was intended to destroy wicked enemies now it did not see the difference between the righteous and the guilty, just biting into the shield of Mashu like a mad hungry beast.
Almost instantly the girl felt the pressure behind all the power of Saber's Phantasm. Cracks ran across the surface of her shield.
'Hold on!' But one thought did not allow the girl to retreat 'We need to hold on!'
Behind her stood Caster, her only chance of winning.
The pressure of the damned Noble Phantasm did not weaken. The incredible power of Saber's Phantasm seemed to obscure the entire horizon in front of Mashu, as if darkness had swallowed all the light in front of her. Cracks ran across the unexpectedly thin shield that separated the girl and the sea of curling blackness.
'Just hold on!' Masha gritted her teeth. The runes beside her flowed into the shield, supporting it under the force of Saber's Phantasm.
Behind her was her senpai, awaiting her return.
Excalibur Morgan's damned strength was aimed at destroying people. That which did not contain life in itself should not have been touched. However the sheer force of the attack itself destroyed like boiling fire, crushing stone and devouring mana. Even the Primordial runes in the hands of the Caster could not withstand such a force - the runes threatened to crumble under the sheer force of Saber's sword.
'Almost there!' From the tension in the eyes of the girl, tears came out, preventing her from seeing the true strength of Excalibur. And so the black sword as if sensing its own end rushed to the shield that continued to stand in its last insane attempt.
The shield could not stand up to such force. It was covered with the thinnest of white cobweb, threatening to crumble at the last second. As if at the peak moment of the attack Mashu's phantasm could not withstand, the very center of the shield crumbled with a quiet crunch, exposing the first gap in the defense...
Which was instantly closed again by the shield of Mashu.
Insane force continued to rage, biting into Mashu's shield. Streams of darkness passed through her weapon, touching her hands, causing her to hiss from powerlessness and pain.
But…
Having burst out at the last moment, Excalibur's insane force rose into a whirlwind. After which, without accomplishing its goal of destroying the shield, it was dispelled in a final blow.
It was this blow that was the last straw for Mashu's shield. The last blow of the cursed sword caused the faithful shield to shatter one moment then fall down like a rain of broken glass.
Mashu having felt how the danger of the attack had finally disappeared. Fell helplessly to the ground, allowing Caster to see the surprised- no, the shocked face of Saber.
"Who is this girl?" The tone from Saber was not cold this time, rather it was with naked surprise.
For a second, even Caster stopped to pay homage to the incredible will and strength of Mashu. But a moment later he still concentrated on his opponent.
"And that's what you got, Saber!" Caster grinned. The reason why he did not use his Phantasm from the very beginning was the threat of Saber's own Phantasm. Excalibur was too damn powerful of a tool and could easily destroy the Phantasm of Caster by itself, leaving him without hismain trump card and the main core victory in this battle. However no matter how much mana was in Arthurias's body she could not use her Excalibur twice in a row, such were the limitations of her power. The Noble Phantasm was in itself the essence, the crystallization of a legend itself, bringing a part of the myth into reality. It was impossible to bring the myth into the reality in which this myth already existed, it was necessary to first allow the myth to dissipate in order to reveal the 'miracle' again, since a 'miracle' created twice is no longer a miracle, but just a trick.
And now Saber was left without her main trump card, her 'miracle'.
Caster picked up his staff then slammed it on the ground. Feeling in his soul, in the very essence of his being, the original essence of the Servant awakens. Yes, this power did not belong to him during his lifetime when he was a man. But it belonged to that heroic spirit, that Servant, whose image he embodied and therefore answered to him.
"Wicker Man!" The words uttered taking shape. After which they were embodied in the world, gaining the appearance of willow branches intertwining into a single figure. A moment later the huge arm of the creature, consisting only of intertwining branches, literally pulled Saber, grabbing her in one of its hands. Even if Saber was extremely strong and enduring she was still a small and fragile target, vulnerable to the woven giant.
Caster's Phantasm firmly grabbed its goal, after which it raised its fist to his huge chest.
Despite the fact that the underground grotto was huge, being a hundred meters tall, the giant that emerged from Caster's legends made the cave look quite small, towering tens of meters above the ground. With how easily he could play with Saber, it only confirmed its incredible strength, which made it seem even more titanic.
Like the jaws of a hungry beast, the thorax of the woven giant opened, allowing it to push the previously picked up Saber inside and then instantly closed it, cutting off any path of retreat.
A moment later, fire appeared on the body of the giant then spread through its thorax. Instantly the fire spread to the willow branches, cutting off any escape route. A moment later fire penetrated into the cage where Saber was now trapped inside. As if all the flames of hell gathered at one point inside the Wicker Man it exploded with a flash of fire and light.
Embodying a sacrifice to the ancient gods, the Wicker Man did not leave the victim a chance to escape the fire of sacrifice.
And yet after a couple of seconds Caster was again able to find with his eyes the place where his Phantasm exploded. He was able to see a body at the place of the ashes. It was the wounded, burned but still alive body of Saber who managed to survive even the embodied sacrifice to the old gods of the Celts.
Caster appeared beside Arthuria instantly, but to his relief, his anxiety was in vain. The body of the King of Knights was burned and her hands barely moved. So Caster could be called the winner in this battle without any reservations.
And yet when he raised his staff for the final blow the wounded Saber opened her eyes and caught the gaze of Caster who intended to end this war once and for all.
"You are not bad, Irish Child of the Light." the girl's voice still remained cold but there was no denial or hatred in it, just a recognition of defeat.
"However, without her-" Saber looked at the slowly rising Mashu nearby "You would not have lived even ten seconds."
"I know." Although Caster would like to claim the opposite, he was forced to admit that Saber was right. "I know."
With these words, for the last time, Caster pulled out a rune and used its power. Bringing down a spell upon Saber that ended the Holy Grail War.
Endurance: B
Endurance is a parameter that is responsible for the amount of physical endurance, health and resistance to wounds of a Servant. It is important to note that this characteristic does not denote resistance to the damage received by a Servant, but only shows how much damage the Servant's body allowed to withstand. A Servant with a high rank in Endurance will still be injured if a knife hits him. just that the wound itself will be so insignificant to the Servant, that it may be possible to say that such an attack did not cause any damage at all. Although theoretically the owner of any ranks of Endurance can still be killed in the simplest ways. If you attack for a long time, and if the Servant does not have any other defensive abilities nor the desire to defend himself.
Rank B - Indicates that during his life the Servant had tremendous endurance, which is not of insignificant note in most of their myths. But this was still not his main ability and strength. At such a rank, the Servant is enduring enough to, without taking into account any other abilities, to fight for several weeks without any interruption, sleep or rest and his endurance is great enough so that anything less than naval caliber artillery and carpet bombardments would not even have a chance to be seen as threats.
Weekly Power Status
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Ranking 
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