Miracle Summoner

It was a heart-stirring, intense battle.

The two opposing sides were absolutely unequal.

One was the wielder of the holy spear that nailed the world in place, the overseer of the Tower at the End, a goddess empowered by the three great Holy Grails.

The other was a one-armed knight of the Round Table, known for his meager strength—comparable only to that of an ordinary human knight—so weak that he could hardly even be considered a first-rate Servant.

If these two were to fight, the outcome should have been decided in an instant.

There was simply no comparison.

Compared to the former, the latter was far too insignificant.

After all, the former possessed power on par with Grand Servants, while the latter was barely even at a tactical level—an unimaginable difference in strength.

Thus, if they were to cross swords, the result would be instantaneously determined, with the latter being mercilessly obliterated by the former.

In fact, just moments ago, even under the combined assault of Artoria [Alter], Mash, and Rozen, Artoria had still managed to find an opening, instantly dealing a grievous wound to Bedivere, nearly killing him on the spot. This alone demonstrated the vast disparity in power—an overwhelming, insurmountable gap.

And yet, at this very moment, facing Bedivere's onslaught, Artoria was being pushed back.

"Haahhhhhh…!"

Bedivere's entire being surged with divine and noble energy, ancient and profound runes flickering across his body as though he had been possessed by a deity. He relentlessly advanced, pressing his attack on Artoria.

In his hands, the radiant holy sword unleashed brilliant slashes, each like a flashing beam of light. As he swung, they rained down like a tempest, a relentless storm of blade and steel, crashing toward her.

"Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!"

Artoria desperately wielded her holy spear, deflecting each incoming strike, the repeated clash of weapons ringing through the air. Yet, the sheer ferocity of the onslaught forced her to retreat, completely suppressing her.

At this moment, Bedivere's power had surged to an astonishing level. His holy sword strikes were not only rapid and fierce, but they also tore through the air itself. As he swung, the very atmosphere twisted and ruptured, forming violent vortices in his wake, cracking the ground beneath him.

Artoria bore the full brunt of this assault, enduring the staggering speed of his blows. Each time her holy spear clashed with his sword, she felt the immense force reverberate through her, preventing any chance of counterattack.

"This… is impossible…!"

Artoria could not accept this outcome.

To her, Bedivere was simply too weak. Even with a holy sword, he was incapable of causing any real impact. He was nothing more than an afterthought—utterly insignificant.

And yet, now, this insignificant human was displaying such astonishing strength. How could she possibly accept this?

Of course, Rozen was also human, but from the very beginning, he had been protected by two deities and was the Last Master of Humanity. Artoria had long acknowledged his extraordinariness and uniqueness, so she did not find his strength unacceptable.

But Bedivere was different.

Faced with Bedivere, Artoria's heart was thrown into turmoil. Her divinity wavered, and the humanity she had discarded began to resurface, shaking her very soul.

Thus, the aloof, emotionless demeanor she had maintained vanished, replaced by the emotions of the human she had once been.

At that moment, Artoria cried out.

"Don't get ahead of yourself, human!"

She summoned a raging storm, raised her holy spear, and spurred Dun Stallion forward. With a mighty neigh, the divine steed charged at Bedivere.

But Bedivere did not flinch.

The Primordial Runes etched upon him unleashed power akin to Authority, bordering on True Magic.

Furthermore, Rozen had carved these Runes with highly compressed, high-level magical energy. With the "Crimson Wing Formation" multiplying its output tenfold, the power of the Divine Imprints surged to an unprecedented level.

Because of this, Bedivere felt an unimaginable force continuously pouring into his body, his strength skyrocketing. He was no longer inferior to any knight of the Round Table, nor did he lag behind the gods themselves—he had become unparalleled.

With such overwhelming power and an unyielding resolve to fight to the end, what was there to fear?

"Clang—!"

Bedivere unhesitatingly unleashed the holy sword's power, slashing at the approaching tempest that was Artoria.

"—!"

The storm surrounding Artoria was instantly cleaved apart by the radiant slash of the celestial blade, dissipating into nothingness.

"Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh…!"

Seizing the opportunity, Bedivere followed up with a flurry of slashes, unleashing multiple sword beams.

"Splurt!" "Splurt!" "Splurt!"

The sword beams struck Dun Stallion's limbs.

Blood erupted from the divine steed's legs.

"Neighhh!"

The majestic white horse let out a pained cry.

"Damn it!"

Artoria abruptly raised her holy spear, unleashing a dazzling beam of light from its tip.

"Boom!"

The beam struck the earth, detonating into a blinding explosion.

Bedivere, however, leaped back just in time, evading the spear's direct strike. Nevertheless, the resulting shockwave blasted him away, sending him tumbling across the ground.

"Crackle…!"

At the same time, the sound of burning flesh echoed from within Bedivere's body.

"Gah…! Ah…!"

He let out a pained cry.

The sheer power of the holy sword, amplified by his current strength, had intensified its backlash. The toll on his body was severe.

Yet, Bedivere paid it no heed.

"Haahhhhhh…!"

He forced himself up from the ground and charged toward Artoria once more.

"Stay back!"

Artoria shouted, raising her holy spear high as it burst into a blinding radiance.

The light transformed into countless beams, streaking through the air like meteors, bombarding Bedivere.

"Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!"

Explosions erupted one after another.

Each beam of light struck the ground with devastating force, reducing it to rubble. The bombardment was like a relentless rain of divine artillery, igniting continuous bursts of light and shockwaves.

Bedivere struggled to dodge the relentless barrage, but the relentless blasts sent him flying, toppling him to the ground, crushing him under debris. Rocks and shrapnel struck his body, leaving him bloodied and battered, his forehead bleeding profusely and staining his face crimson.

Yet, despite his tattered state, Bedivere never stopped.

Gritting his teeth, he endured the pain, dodging the light beams and explosions as best he could, roaring as he continued his charge toward Artoria.

At this moment, he was both tragic and awe-inspiring.

"Sir Bedivere…!"

Mash's eyes welled with tears, her hands trembling as she gripped her shield.

"Bedivere…"

Even Artoria [Alter] unconsciously clenched her holy sword, visibly restraining herself from rushing forward.

"..."

Rozen watched this heroic and tragic sight unfold, his heart inevitably shaken.

Before everyone's eyes, the knight named Bedivere displayed his unwavering loyalty—at the cost of his own life.

"Why…?"

Artoria was shaken to her core, her already unsteady heart trembling uncontrollably.

"Why won't you give up…?!"

She shouted in anguish.

To her question, Bedivere responded with a bloodstained smile.

"Because… I still remember your smile, my king."

With those words, Bedivere surged forward.

The light of his holy sword burned brighter than ever before.