002 - Fate/Half Astral

As Saber Alter charged forward, the corrupted Excalibur Morgan glowing with violent energy, Mash immediately stepped in front of everyone, raising her shield to block the attack.

"Get ready, Master!" Mash shouted, bracing herself as Saber Alter swung her sword.

*Clang!*

The sound of steel against steel echoed through the cavern as Excalibur Morgan crashed against Mash's shield. The force of the blow sent shockwaves rippling through the ground, causing cracks to spider out from where Mash stood. She gritted her teeth, her legs shaking under the sheer power of Saber Alter's attack.

"Urghh… She's strong!" Mash gasped, pushing back with all her might.

Saber Alter's expression remained cold, her eyes glowing with an ominous light. "A futile defense!" she hissed, pulling back for another strike. With incredible speed, she unleashed a flurry of attacks, each swing faster and heavier than the last. The dark energy surrounding her blade crackled menacingly, making every hit more powerful.

*Clang! Clang! Clang!*

Mash was barely able to keep up, her shield absorbing blow after blow, but with each strike, her footing slipped. Her arms trembled under the relentless barrage.

"She's too fast!" Fujimaru shouted, clutching his Command Spells in desperation, but unsure how to intervene.

"Keep holding on, Mash!" Olga yelled, watching in fear as the battle unfolded. She could see Mash struggling, her knees nearly buckling under the pressure.

Saber Alter's eyes narrowed as she saw Mash's shield. "You're nothing but a hindrance!" she growled. Gathering dark energy, she leaped into the air and swung Excalibur Morgan down in a devastating vertical arc.

"Mash, look out!" Fujimaru screamed.

*BOOOM!*

The impact of the strike sent a massive shockwave through the ground, shattering the stone beneath their feet. Mash's shield manage to withstood the blow, but the force of it sent her flying backward, crashing into the ground several meters away.

"M-Mash!" Fujimaru cried watching Mash struggled to push herself up.

"I'm… sorry, Master… I can barely hold her off…" Mash muttered, her breathing ragged.

Saber Alter slowly approached. "Is that all you can muster?" she said coldly, raising Excalibur Morgan for the finishing blow.

Mash looked up, fear in her eyes, but determination flickered in her heart.

She raised her shield again, her body screaming in pain as she forced herself to her feet. Just as Saber Alter was about to bring her sword down, Ritsu suddenly jumped in front of Mash, her hands glowing with magic.

"Spellweaving: Flamebind!" Ritsu shouted.

In an instant, fiery chains erupted from Ritsu's hands, wrapping around Saber Alter's sword arm and pulling it back. Saber growled in frustration, her movements momentarily restrained by the magical bonds.

"You little…!" Saber snarled, struggling against the chains, her Mana surging even more violently.

Ritsu grinned confidently. "Hehe, you're strong, Mommy Artoria, but I'm not going to let you hurt Mashu-neechan!" She turned to Mash, who was still panting from the battle.

"Enough games, you little brat!" Saber yelled angrily as she used her Mana Burst to break free from Ritsu's chains.

"Woah!?" Ritsu stumbled backward, losing her balance as the chains were suddenly destroyed.

Saber swiftly leaped back, gripping Excalibur with both hands, her eyes filled with rage.

"This is bad! Her Mana just skyrocketed—she's going to use her Noble Phantasm!" Olga quickly warned them, her voice tense with urgency.

Instantly, Excalibur became engulfed in a dark, menacing purple aura that pulsed with overwhelming energy.

"Uh oh, that's Excalibur Morgan, isn't it? Mashu-neechan, it's your turn now! Use your Noble Phantasm and block her Excalibur!" Ritsu called out with excitement, really excited to see Mash's noble phantasm.

"Eh!? But I don't even know what my Noble Phantasm is! I don't even know how to activate it!" Mash replied in a panic, her voice cracking under the pressure.

"...what!?" Ritsu's jaw dropped as she stared at Mash in disbelief.

"Right! We still haven't figured out how to make Mash use her Noble Phantasm!" Fujimaru suddenly remembered their earlier problem.

With Ritsu's sudden arrival, Lancer's attack, and then the battle with Archer, so much had happened that they had completely forgotten about Mash not knowing how to activate her Noble Phantasm.

"What do you mean you don't know? Hasn't Galahad told you anything!?" Ritsu looked genuinely confused upon hearing this.

Ritsu knew Galahad very well—out of all the Knights of the Round Table, she was closer to him than any of the others. But why here he hadn't explained anything about his powers or Noble Phantasm to Mash?

Saber Alter raised Excalibur Morgan high above her head, the purple energy intensifying, as if the very air around them was trembling in anticipation of the devastating attack.

"I will end you all here and now!" Saber declared, her voice echoing ominously as Excalibur Morgan glowed brighter and brighter.

"Ritsu, come here! Mash, just try to use your Noble Phantasm, it doesn't matter how, just use it!" Olga shouted toward the two of them.

Hearing this, Mash refocused, her eyes locked onto Saber, whose Excalibur cloaked in that ominous aura.

"Ritsu, go back to Director and Master. I'll try to hold her off," Mash said firmly.

"Fujimaru?" Suddenly, they heard Olga's voice, filled with surprise.

Moments later, Fujimaru appeared, standing beside Mash. "I'm going to help you with my Command Spell, Mash."

"Master..." Mash's voice trembled with determination.

"Huh? Fujimaru-niichan, what are you doing here??" Ritsu asked, confused as to why he had left Olga's side and joined the front line.

But there was no time for further questions as Saber Alter bellowed, "Excalibur... MORGAN!" unleashing her Noble Phantasm in a terrifying blast aimed directly at the three of them.

"Ehhh!" Ritsu, seeing the attack speeding toward them, vanished in an instant and reappeared beside Olga, narrowly avoiding the destructive force.

The dark energy of Excalibur Morgan surged forward, about to collide with Mash and Fujimaru.

And then *BOOOOM*, Excalibur Morgan slammed into Mash's shield with full force.

"Hmm, it's really weird why Galahad never said anything to her," Ritsu muttered to herself, watching the intense clash.

"Galahad? Is that the Servant who made a contract with Mash?" Olga, overhearing Ritsu, immediately asked.

"Yeah, it's pretty obvious from her shield," Ritsu replied, her eyes still focused on Mash.

"I see, so it's Galahad... If I remember correctly, he's one of the Knights of the Round Table, right?" Olga said, piecing things together.

Ritsu nodded, confirming Olga's thoughts before turning her attention back to Mash, who was still holding strong against the overwhelming power of Excalibur Morgan.

"Ohh, looks like she did it," Ritsu said with a proud smile.

Suddenly, a radiant blue light burst from Mash's shield, forming a towering wall of magical energy. The intense force not only withstood Saber Alter's Noble Phantasm but finally repelled it. The dark energy from Excalibur Morgan was deflected, sending it back toward Saber.

Saber Alter recoiled in shock as her own attack was turned against her, a clear testament to the immense power Mash now wielded with her Noble Phantasm.

And not long after, the sound of an explosion echoed as Saber Alter was hit by her own attack.

"She did it! I can't believe she managed to unleash her Noble Phantasm in that kind of situation," Olga said, clearly impressed by Mash's sudden development.

But the glowing blue wall in front of Mash and Fujimaru began to fade as Mash ran out of mana, unable to sustain the shield any longer.

As the smoke from the explosion cleared, Ritsu and Olga could see that Saber Alter was only slightly wounded by the reflected attack.

"Well, looks like Mashu-neechan is done," Ritsu remarked, observing Mash's exhausted state.

Saber Alter looked furious, muttering under her breath as she gripped Excalibur tightly with both hands again, preparing to unleash her Noble Phantasm once more.

"Again??" Olga exclaimed, panic in her voice. She knew Mash wouldn't be able to withstand another Noble Phantasm.

Suddenly, Ritsu stepped forward, positioning herself in front of Mash and Fujimaru.

"Ritsu? What are you doing? Get away from here!" Fujimaru shouted, his Command Spell glowing faintly.

"Hehe, it's fine. Leave this one to me, both of you have done enough!" Ritsu said with a confident smile before her expression turned serious, her playful demeanor vanishing.

"I've never really used this properly... I was waiting to surprise Papa with it, but whatever," Ritsu muttered, closing her eyes as she began to concentrate.

Meanwhile, Olga rushed over to Mash and Fujimaru, checking on them. "Are you two okay?"

"Director? Yeah, we're fine, but Mash has run out of mana," Fujimaru replied.

"For now, just replenish her mana with your Command Spell and help Ritsu," Olga advised.

Fujimaru nodded, looking down at his Command Spells. With only two remaining after using one to help Mash earlier, he prepared to give whatever support he could.

But before Fujimaru could act, he suddenly felt a crushing pressure descend on them, making everyone shiver.

"Ritsu?? What's happening to her?" Mash asked, her voice trembling.

They watched as Ritsu's body began to radiate a dark aura, shadows swirling around her. The ground beneath her feet cracked, and strong winds whipped around her form.

Ritsu opened her glowing blue eyes, and in that instant, she released her suppressed power.

*Swish*—two dark, elegant wings sprouted from her back, their appearance both graceful and intimidating.

Olga and the others stood frozen, their eyes wide with shock at the sight of the wings that had emerged from Ritsu's small frame.

Even Saber Alter was momentarily stunned, but she quickly recovered, launching her Noble Phantasm. "Excalibur MORGAN!"

As the destructive wave of energy surged toward them, Ritsu calmly raised her small right hand, her gaze fixed on the oncoming blast.

"Hehe~," Ritsu giggled softly before quickly invoking a spell, "Manadiver: Aether Siphon."

Her right hand became enveloped in the glow of four elements, swirling in harmony. As her wings began to shine brighter, a fifth dark color was added to the mix, amplifying her aura.

Without hesitation, Ritsu clenched her fist and punched directly into the beam of Excalibur Morgan.

*BOOOOM* Instantly, the force of Ritsu's punch shattered the full might of Excalibur Morgan, dispelling the destructive energy in an explosion of light and sound.

Without wasting a moment, Ritsu moved with incredible speed, appearing directly in front of the shocked Saber Alter.

"See you, Mommy Artoria," Ritsu said with a mischievous grin before delivering a powerful punch straight to Saber's stomach, shattering her armor in a single blow.

"Arghh!?" Saber was sent flying with tremendous force, crashing into the cliffside behind her with a deafening impact.

Ritsu stood her ground, her eyes fixed on Saber, watching intently to see if she would vanish like the defeated Servants before her. As the dust cleared, she saw the familiar sight of Saber dissolving into golden particles, signifying her defeat.

Seeing that, Ritsu sighed in relief, allowing her powers to dissipate as the dark wings on her back faded from existence.

"We win, everyone!" Ritsu cheerfully called out, flashing a peace sign at the group with a playful smile.