I wanted to draw aggro.
I wanted to make her perceive, one way or another, that she was surrounded by enemies.
Caster-bro was someone she’d have to face whether she liked it or not, and Charlotte—weak as she might be—was still a Servant.
She would surely be conscious of them and on her guard.
If I could make myself a threat worth guarding against too, then Saber’s awareness would be forced to spread wide and thin, whether she liked it or not.
When a group fights a single opponent, you have to use your numbers.
To put it simply: a gang-up.
Cowardly?
I don’t want to hear that from someone getting support from the Holy Grail!
And even if it is, what are you going to do about it?!
If you’ve got a problem with it, so what?!
It’s my choice!!
Playing fair won’t save my life!
I’m not the protagonist!!
Forget Excalibur; I’d be finished if even a single normal swing connected!!
That was the mindset I brought into the fight, but it seemed my aggro-pulling was a bit too effective.
Clang!!!
The ground split as a wave of sword pressure surged forward.
That crazy woman had been firing off sword pressure like crazy for a while now.
And the worst part?
Those were just her normal swings.
She was absolutely insane.
But seeing her react to every single attack from Charlotte’s Angel-san, it seemed she believed that even those would hurt if they hit her undefended.
I ran, cloaked in a Rune of Fortification.
The doping effect seemed to have sharpened my five senses.
The downside was that I felt a bit too excited—almost like I was on a high—but I couldn’t afford to let that take over.
I bit my lip hard enough to draw blood as I watched Saber fight, keeping a wary eye on me, Charlotte, and Caster-bro all at once.
Don’t you dare stay calm.
You can’t be calm.
Because if you are, I’ll die.
So, even if it’s just out of spite, I won’t let you keep your composure.
I don’t know if this is the world of Fate/stay night.
So, trying to exploit those bonds would be useless.
In that case, I had to use the common information from her days in Britain.
Honestly, I thought Saber’s life back then was pitiful, so I didn’t want to touch that subject.
But I didn’t have the luxury to care about that.
Even with that, the situation was desperate.
If she ever gets summoned to Chaldea later, I’ll faint and apologize the moment I see her.
But for now…!!
I’ll use it without a shred of remorse.
“Metamorphose On <Transmutation Start>!”
Sizzle.
My Magic Circuits rang as if they’d been struck by lightning.
Aaah…!!
It hurts, dammit!!
The shock from fighting Heracles was still lingering in my arms!
Boom!!
Rocks erupted from the wall behind Saber, blanketing her field of vision in an instant.
Swish-swish-swish!!
Even as they covered her…
no…
Before they could even fully surround her, Saber swung her sword lightly and cut them all down.
I expected this.
Simultaneously, I sent a doll flying before her eyes.
It was a doll of the Magician of Flowers, Merlin.
The moment she saw that doll, Saber’s expression went cold.
She threw a punch—Boom!!—completely piercing through its solar plexus.
…Uh, I expected a reaction, but…
that much?
Crack.
The Merlin doll crumbled and clung to Saber’s arm.
Saber’s eyes widened in surprise.
Well, that’s a special doll, you see.
I predicted she would definitely destroy it.
That’s why it was made with sticky resin.
In other words, it has quite a bit of adhesive power.
The resin, which stretched all the way to the ground, would be quite a nuisance.
“Hmph!
…Haah!!”
As Caster-bro struck his staff hard against the ground, the rocks around Saber began to cling to her.
It’ll be hard for her to move.
Now!
Me, Caster-bro, and Charlotte lunged at Saber from three directions simultaneously.
Now then!
Who will you target first!
Will you choose me, the one who pulled your aggro?
Charlotte, whose abilities you don’t fully know?
Or Caster-bro, who could be called your greatest enemy?!
Or will you just let yourself be hit by this all-out assault?!
Saber looked between us and let out a small sigh.
Then, with eyes cold as ice and a look of utter disbelief, she muttered.
“Even your petty tricks are tedious.”
Boom!!
Black magical energy erupted from Saber.
What the—did she just use Mana Burst to blow away everything clinging to her body?
…Why on earth was she ever called a ‘jobber’?
Where do you see a jobber here?
Give me some of that characterization here too.
Please.
Saber blocked Caster’s incoming attack with one arm.
Then, she prepared to swing her sword.
Even for Caster-bro, a hit from Saber’s sword right now would be fatal.
I placed my hand on the ground and lowered the floor beneath Saber’s feet.
Sinking!
It went down in an instant, but Saber’s sword naturally angled upward.
Instinct!
Seriously!!!
She predicted I would lower the floor and deliberately aimed her sword upward.
That skill is absolutely insane!
In the game, it was just a trash skill that gave you some critical stars!!
I don’t need this kind of ‘real-world buff’!
Dammit!!
“Cha-Charlotte!!!”
“Hah!!”
Charlotte slipped in behind her and gripped her dagger tight.
Even if she was just an ordinary girl raised in a convent before her one assassination, she was still an Assassin!
Aim for a fatal blow!
Saber saw Charlotte charging from behind and lifted her body upward.
…What am I even looking at right now?
She swung her sword while simultaneously lifting herself.
Why don’t the laws of physics—the logic of the world that applies to other Servants—apply to this woman?
Is God playing favorites right now?
Thwack!!
Saber swung her leg toward Charlotte.
Charlotte was struck in the abdomen by a kick that went in like a thrust, even without Saber looking.
Urgh.
Charlotte grimaced.
I ran toward Charlotte as she was sent flying back.
I caught her just before she hit the ground, pulling her into an embrace.
Thud!!
My forehead split open, and blood began to flow.
Agh, I’m already low on blood; I’m going to die of blood loss at this rate.
Fortunately, my stitched-up wounds didn’t burst.
“Ma-Master!
Why…!!
Protecting a Servant?!”
Charlotte looked at me as if she were looking at some strange creature.
What?!
If it’s a wound that won’t kill me, it’s better if I take it!
You and Caster-bro need to be okay!
Besides, if you or Caster-bro get hurt, I have to use my mana to heal you anyway!
Between me getting hurt and consuming mana, which one do you think is the higher priority?!
It’s obvious!
“It’s efficiency!
Efficiency!
I’m the weakest one here!
I’m useless!
I’m just a mana battery for you and Caster-bro!
No matter how weak you are, you’re stronger than me!
You’re more necessary than me!
You can fight better than me!
So if it’s a wound I can take, I’ll take it!
If I can protect you, I will!
Can you stand?!”