Consciousness felt as if it were trapped in the abyssal depths of Hell; there was nothing but darkness, no color to be seen… that was precisely Lin Luo’s current sensation.

Though his Sensory Domain had successfully infiltrated the depths of the Black Mud, the sheer vastness within far exceeded his imagination. Finding the core of the Black Holy Grail easily was clearly no simple task. Moreover, his consciousness was ensnared; due to the existence of the World’s Evil, he was temporarily unable to withdraw his awareness from the Black Mud, nor could he ascertain anything about the outside world.

“To bear the wickedness of the entire world on my shoulders—that burden is too great. Therefore, let us bear it together.”

Since escaping the responsibility of carrying the world’s evil was impossible, the thought that emerged from the Black Mud was to find others to share that burden.

The World’s Evil was searching for those who could carry the 'evil' alongside it. Emiya Kiritsugu was one, Kirei Kotomine was the second, and he, having entered the Black Mud, was the third.

Thus, the current situation felt like a game of hide-and-seek. If he could locate the core of the Black Holy Grail, he would win. But if he failed, his consciousness would be forever trapped within the Black Mud, sharing the World’s Evil with it…

“Fine, I accept this game,” Lin Luo sneered inwardly. “Let’s see if I find you, or if you capture me. Let the game begin.” His Sensory Domain plunged infinitely deeper…

…At that moment, watching the Black Knight charging rapidly toward her while wielding a long, black iron pillar, Saber felt an overwhelming surge of fury.

Who was this person? Who was this person? Who was this person…? Why must he target her every single time?

From their very first encounter, she had sensed his extraordinary fixation on her. Whether it was the initial battle at the docks, the surprise attack on the coast, or this very moment—this man loathed her. She didn't know the reason, nor his objective, but there was no doubt he intended to kill her.

The World’s Evil was ahead, and the Black Knight was behind. Which threat should she address? If she engaged the World’s Evil, she absolutely wouldn't be able to withstand the Black Knight’s assault. But if she shifted to defend against the Black Knight, then Emiya Kiritsugu and Irisviel… as the Holy Grail Vessel, Illyasviel had already absorbed three Servants and was extremely weak. Even reaching this location on Mount Colossus had taken immense effort; standing up was already a painful ordeal for her.

Although Saber didn't yet know Irisviel was the Grail Vessel, she was keenly aware of just how frail the woman was. How could Emiya Kiritsugu possibly hold off the World’s Evil alone?

The World’s Evil was almost within striking distance on one side, and the Black Knight was aggressively advancing on the other… Damn it, there was no more time for hesitation!

In the mere instant of her indecision, a brilliant flash pierced her eyes. In that fleeting moment, with a sharp zzzt, the silhouette formed from the World’s Evil’s consciousness was instantly obliterated.

Blinking slightly, she instinctively turned to see that the one who had intervened was the little girl radiating arcs of lightning all over her body.

“Thank you.” She nodded almost inaudibly to the little girl. The next moment, Saber swung her Invisible Sword toward the Black Knight. This time, I will destroy you!

“Hoooowl!” The Knight King’s reply was a beast-like roar. Just as she reached him, the Black Knight raised the iron pillar high above his head… Though it had once been an ordinary streetlamp post, his ability had transformed it into a Noble Phantasm.

An attack brimming with violent rage and irresistible force, the black iron pillar slammed down.

BOOM!

The girl braced her Invisible Holy Sword against the incoming attack, but the blow was too heavy, far exceeding her capacity to endure. With a sharp cry, half of her knee buckled onto the ground, her silver teeth clenched, a look of agony crossing her features.

“Ugh… Hah!” The instant she fell to one knee, she erupted with the full force of her being, her counter-attack blasting the Black Knight backward.

Immediately following, without pausing even for a breath, she swiftly closed the distance, raising her Invisible Holy Sword directly overhead, ready to cleave downward.

This was a strike aimed squarely at the Black Knight’s head. No matter how powerful the Heroic Spirit, a direct hit to the head from the Holy Sword meant certain annihilation. Saber was certain that her attack—its posture, speed, and timing—was absolutely flawless. This was the ultimate strike from an English Servant seated in the Throne of Heroes; it should be enough to decide the outcome.

But—

To the Knight King’s utter disbelief, her invisible Holy Sword was stopped dead in the void! It wasn't blocked by a Noble Phantasm. In that split second, the mysterious Black Knight dropped the lamp post, caught her attack between his bare palms, and stopped the blade forged by the Invisible Air.

How was this possible?

Such an extraordinary maneuver astonished even the Knight King. Not only because he countered her fatal pursuit with an impossible posture, but because the trajectory of the invisible Invisible Air should have been impossible to discern. Yet, the Black Knight had performed a disarm, catching her sacred blade with his bare hands, as if he knew the shape and length of her sword intimately.

A chill shot through the Knight King’s heart in that instant. However, she showed no hesitation, gathering all her strength and delivering a powerful kick to the Black Knight’s chest. He immediately let out a muffled grunt and was sent flying backward.

The girl breathed a sigh of relief inwardly. If she had been a fraction of a second slower, her Holy Sword might have been corroded by the enemy’s Black Magic, leading to true despair.

Even having escaped calamity, an undeniable question arose in the Knight King’s heart… The illusionary magic of Invisible Air had been ineffective against the Black Knight. He clearly recognized the sword protected by the Invisible Scabbard.

In other words, this meant he knew her from before she became a Servant, coupled with the abnormal obsession he displayed during their previous two encounters… There could be no mistake!

Gazing at the Black Knight shrouded in black mist—mist that seemed designed to obscure his true identity like some enchantment—she was now certain: he was undoubtedly a knight she knew from her past.

“Judging by your skill, you are hardly an unknown knight. I ask you,” despite a vague sense of dread, the girl steeled her resolve and loudly questioned the enemy who was now rising, “Since you recognized me as Artoria Pendragon, the King of Britain, and challenged me, you should uphold the honor of knighthood and reveal your name!”

Kacha, kacha, kacha… At Saber’s words, the Black Knight seemed to react. The armor beneath the shrouding black mist trembled.

“You have finally noticed. That sound, like the weeping of a vengeful spirit from Hell, that sound like someone being crushed while sobbing, emanates from deep within the black helmet.” The Black Knight convulsed, revealing an emotion that could not be suppressed.

It was laughter—a laugh like a curse… As Saber understood this, an indescribable dread pierced her body. Though it had no rational source, her sixth sense warned her that her question had been a fatal mistake.

But it was too late.

The black mist enveloping the Black Knight began to dissipate, instantly revealing the face beneath… It was neither beautiful nor crude, yet exceptionally imposing, scarred with countless marks of 'battle achievements.' It was the ideal combat attire that every knight would involuntarily envy.

“You… How could you be…”

As if witnessing something terrifying beyond measure, the Knight King, who feared no battle and scorned death, finally showed a flicker of cowardice on her face. Facing the familiar figure before her, the hand gripping the Holy Sword began to tremble. She simply could not believe that the very person who once embodied the ideal of knighthood had become this dark figure, ravaged by a maddening curse.

Yet, she had to accept it as fact, because amidst a sneer that seemed mocking, the Black Knight finally revealed his own Noble Phantasm… It was a sword identical to her Holy Sword, inscribed with Elvish runes, its blade shimmering under the moonlight like liquid light—an infinite sword that could never be destroyed by any blow.

“The Flawless… Lake Light.”

Indeed, the holy sword in the Black Knight’s hand was the one granted by the Lady of the Lake, a sword on par with her Excalibur—the Laevateinn.

If so, his identity was self-evident: the First Knight of the Round Table—Lancelot.

Crack.

The Black Knight’s helmet shattered completely, revealing his blackened face. His former handsomeness was utterly gone; emaciated by hatred until he resembled a vengeful ghost, only his eyes, blazing with resentment, shone—the appearance of a living dead, having lost everything due to the curse.

“Art… King…”

Hearing that familiar yet utterly alien speech, the girl finally succumbed to the despair in her heart, dropping to her knees with a soft thud.

“It’s you…” Staring at the figure utterly changed by his descent into madness, tears streamed down the girl’s face. She could only ask, “Do you hate me that much, my friend? Even after becoming this, do you hate me so intensely, Knight of the Lake?”

The girl, who fought with honor until the very end, for the sake of glory.

In that moment, she understood clearly—the moment of defeat.

…

The time shifts back a few minutes, to the exact moment the Knight King and the Black Knight formally engaged in combat, over on another nearby stretch of ground.

“Mikoto, you… what in the world are you doing?” Rin sternly questioned the girl flickering with electricity beside her.

“Oh, well…” Because of her previous action, Mikoto’s right hand had not yet dropped. Hearing Rin’s accusation, she paused briefly, then stated as if it were the most natural thing in the world, “I zapped the World’s Evil with electricity.”

“I mean, that’s what I’m asking…” Rin felt like she was about to break down, running her fingers through her hair in frustration. “Why did you attack the World’s Evil?”

“It was purely reflexive; I saw they were in danger,” Mikoto replied, blinking her eyes innocently.

“Ah, you idiot… There’s a limit to how much of a good person you can be!” Rin glared at her with profound disappointment, pointing at Emiya Kiritsugu. “You heard what happened just now; the World’s Evil was summoned by that bastard in the first place. Wouldn't it be better to let them tear each other apart? What if you drew its attention by attacking it?”

“I don’t think it would, and look… It was taken down by just one jolt,” Mikoto said, not entirely confidently.

“Uh…” Rin instantly froze. “Well, you have a point. It’s only Black Mud, after all…”

But before she could finish, Shokuhou’s voice cut in from nearby, “Rin, I finally understand now. You’re a jinx.”

“What did you say, Shokuhou?”

“Look ahead.”

The two immediately looked forward, and their expressions soured. Right in front of them, standing up from the churning mire, was a figure formed of Black Mud, slowly walking toward them.

“Look, there’s another one!” Their shock wasn't limited to that. The sludge-figure Mikoto had destroyed earlier was also regenerating. Emiya Kiritsugu, while protecting Irisviel, was attacking it.

“Ah, this is bad, this is so bad…” Rin grabbed her hair in agony. These Black Mud figures were clearly unkillable!

“Rin… you truly surprise me,” suddenly, the Black Mud figure opposite them spoke. It was a man’s voice.

“Huh?” As if time itself had stopped, the expression on Rin’s face froze instantly. There was no mistake; after more than a decade, that voice, that tone—it couldn't be wrong.

“So that’s how it is. It’s you…” As if she now understood everything, Rin lifted her head, meeting the gaze of the Black Mud figure without fear. “I finally know. There is a necessary battle between you and me.”

“I agree. You’ve certainly exceeded my expectations, Rin,” the Black Mud figure said, continuing his slow approach.

Simultaneously, countless specks of Black Mud rained down upon them, but thanks to the barrier cast by Black Cat, they sustained no damage, affording the group a slight wave of relief.

“Rin, why… why does this Mud Figure know you?” Mikoto asked suspiciously while attacking the opponent with electricity.

“Mikoto, I despise people who quit halfway,” Rin didn’t answer, instead staring earnestly at the girl beside her, then pointing at the Mud Figure attacking Emiya Kiritsugu without effect. “Since you’ve already stepped in to help them, you must see this responsibility through to the end.”

“Rin, you…” Mikoto paused, about to say something, but the determination on Rin’s face made the words stick in her throat. She took a deep breath and nodded. “Of course. I also hate quitting halfway. So I definitely will. But tell me, what are you planning to do about the Mud Figure right in front of you?”

“I will handle him alone. Shokuhou has no combat power, and Lin Luo is likely unable to withdraw from the Sensory Domain right now. Mugino must stay here and guard those two. While Ruri’s barrier is powerful, if it’s constantly assaulted by Black Mud, it will eventually break. Therefore, I will lure this one away; I will take care of him,” Rin stated without hesitation, clutching the gem in her hand tightly.

“You, alone?” Mikoto’s expression shifted drastically. Even Shokuhou and Mugino looked stunned. They knew Rin’s strength; she absolutely couldn't defeat the Mud Figure. “Wait, how can you possibly deal with that abnormal entity by yourself…”

“Don’t underestimate me!” A confident smile bloomed on her face as Rin said in a low voice, “I am a Magus, after all. I came to this battle fully prepared. People like us Magus are meant to dance with death.”

With that, she charged out of the barrier, firing a gem spell at the Mud Figure. Although it instantly shattered the form, it reformed just as quickly.

“Come on, you!” Rin pointed at the Mud Figure and then quickly darted into a nearby alley. The Mud Figure, as if ignoring Mikoto and the others, chased after Rin…