Boom!!
With Karna unleashing his full might, a terrifying blaze of light erupted across the vast plains of Mesopotamia.
Hundreds of colossal, ferocious magical beasts were reduced to ashes in an instant under the unrelenting heat.
They didn't even have time to scream.
Having eradicated every beast in the vicinity, Karna descended from the sky, landing beside Roy. He raised his lance and stood in silence, awaiting his Master's next command.
Roy couldn't help but feel a twinge of exasperation at the sight of Karna's stern demeanor.
He'd told him time and again to relax, that there was no need for such rigid adherence to the Master-Servant dynamic. They could simply be comrades who entrusted their backs to one another.
To this, the ever-dutiful Karna merely inclined his head. But Roy's intent? Not a shred of it seemed to sink in.
Karna remained steadfastly at Roy's side, obeying his Master's orders without question or hesitation.
Roy sighed, a mix of fondness and frustration tugging at him. Still, he nodded at the earnest little sun before him and offered his thanks.
"Good work, Karna."
"It's no trouble, Master," Karna replied evenly. "As a Servant, protecting you and fulfilling your commands is my duty."
Ever the model Servant, Karna brushed off the praise. To him, arriving a step behind his Master was already a failure. Wiping out the beasts had been a trifling act of atonement, nothing more.
He believed a Servant had no right to choose their Master... only to answer the call from the Throne of Heroes. This time, his Master was a man of noble character, exceptional ability, and rare quality. To be summoned by such a person was his fortune, and he was determined to live up to that honor.
"Master, do you have further orders?" Karna lowered his head slightly, his voice steady and grave. "Whatever you command, I'll carry it out, even at the cost of my life."
"There's no need to stake your life for me, Karna," Roy countered gently. "Yes, we're bound by the contract of Master and Servant, but I'd rather see us as partners. You're not a tool... you're a hero with your own will and spirit."
Karna's self-sacrificing words struck Roy as almost pathological, prompting him to correct the Servant's mindset. "Summoning someone as noble and powerful as you is my luck. So why not take a page from that Berserker's book? Think for yourself with that sharp mind of yours... what should you do, how should you act? You're a free hero, Karna. I won't chain you down."
The mention of his other summoned Servant, the erratic Berserker, brought a faint headache to Roy's temples.
Powerful, yes, but maddeningly unpredictable. That one had a deep-seated grudge against Quetzalcoatl... an enmity as incomprehensible as it was unshakable.
When Roy had conducted the summoning ritual at the leyline nexus beneath Ur, everything had started smoothly enough.
Drawing on the solar traits of Quetzalcoatl embedded in Ur's leyline, he'd successfully summoned his first Servant of this Singularity: Lancer Karna, son of the sun god Surya, the great hero of charity.
One of the golden trio of top-tier Servants, Karna was not only obedient but steady... leagues above the other two troublemakers of the trio, Ozymandias and Gilgamesh. In comparison, Karna was an outright angel.
His sole flaw was obvious: his techniques devoured mana at a staggering rate. But for Roy, a living Holy Grail thanks to the Third Magic, mana supply was never an issue. His reserves replenished faster than they could be spent, keeping him perpetually at peak capacity.
Sustaining Quetzalcoatl, Artoria, Cú Chulainn, and Taiga had been effortless. Adding Karna to the mix barely registered as a burden.
With Karna's aid, Roy had anticipated smoothing over many of the troubles ahead.
Summoning Karna had felt like a jackpot... a near-perfect start.
But when he summoned his second Servant, things spiraled out of control.
The summoning circle had flared to life with a frenzied hum, draining mana at such a rate that even Roy, the boundless wellspring, felt a flicker of strain.
Whoever was on the other end of that array eclipsed even Karna in sheer terror.
The ritual was already underway, the requisite mana poured in. This wasn't some game where he could yank a plug to stop it.
All he could do was wait for the summoned Servant to emerge.
"Yo! You're my Master, huh? Well, guess we're in this together now. Servant Berserker. True name? I'll keep that under wraps for now... gotta maintain a little mystery, right?"
A tall, lean figure stepped forth... a blond man sporting sunglasses and modern attire.
As he appeared, a faint mist coiled around the space, sending a visceral shiver of danger through Roy and Karna. Their instincts screamed, bodies tensing as if a predator had locked onto them.
Before Roy could react, Karna instinctively stepped forward, shielding his Master. His gaze bore into the smirking blond Servant.
"Hah! I get it... my vibe's a bit much for the living. But relax, I'm the cerebral type. Love a good chat… though don't get me wrong, I'm all about a fight too. No need to be so on edge, yeah? Let's keep this fun, Master."
The blond Servant shrugged off Karna's hostility, his eyes settling on Roy with a casual air. "As long as you don't pull anything that ticks me off, I won't go shopping for a new Master."
Shopping for a new Master?!
What...was he planning a coup?!
Karna's brow furrowed at the words, instantly branding the newcomer as a threat.
"Master, this one's aura is trouble. Should I eliminate him?"
"Eliminate me? Hahaha…"
The blond Servant's eyebrow arched, a grin splitting his face as though he'd heard the punchline of the century. He clutched his face and threw his head back, laughter echoing wildly.
"A sun-scented guy, huh? If you think you can pull it off, give it a shot. I'll even let you live... out of respect for this decent Master, of course."
His eyes narrowed, a faint mist rising from his frame. A lethal aura blanketed the room in an instant.
"I'm game," Karna replied coolly.
Though he couldn't read the stranger, Karna wouldn't hesitate to fight for his Master's safety. His lance leveled, solar flames licking its tip... he was ready to go all out.
"Enough!!"
Roy's patience snapped as the two prepared to clash right then and there.
He didn't know the blond Servant's True Name, but if Karna treated him with such wariness, he was at least a top-tier Servant on par with the Lancer. And both were drawing from Roy's infinite mana pool.
If they brawled here in Ur, how much of the city would be left standing?
He'd meant to bring a gift to Ur, not become its destroyer. Facing Quetzalcoatl and the city's people after that? He'd have no dignity left as a makeshift king.
"Oh? Master's playing peacemaker, huh? Fair enough. I'm all for a scrap, but fighting my own team? Nah, too much hassle for too little payoff."
"Master! This guy's clearly not... "
Karna began to protest, but Roy shook his head, cutting him off. "I know, Karna."
"I can sense how dangerous Berserker is. But since I summoned him, and he answered my call just like you did, there's a compatibility between us. I believe we'll come to understand each other in time."
Understand each other?
Karna's gaze wavered with doubt, while the blond Servant erupted into another round of unrestrained laughter.
"So that's how it is… Hahaha! You're a riot, Master. I don't hate that personality of yours one bit. As a partner going forward, you're more than qualified. Let's make this work, then. I won't freeload off your mana... I'll pull my weight. Life's short, so I'll just bide my time 'til you kick the bucket."
"Is that supposed to be a curse or something?"
"Nope! Call it a blessing... my special brand of it, anyway."
As he spoke, the blond Servant's expression shifted, his brow creasing as though he'd caught wind of something unpleasant.
"That stench… ugh. Some annoying pest is closing in. Seriously, running into my old nemesis *here* of all places?"
"Sorry, Master, gotta step out to say hi to an old pal. We'll hash out the partnership later."
With that, mist swirled around him once more, enveloping his form until he vanished entirely.
Karna tensed, edging closer to Roy, wary of a sneak attack.
But the truth was…
Sensing Quetzalcoatl's presence, the blond Servant lost his cool. The scene spiraled into chaos.
Far off at the Sun Temple, where Quetzalcoatl had been training troops, she too picked up on his aura... and her composure shattered.
Drawn by each other's revolting signatures, the two streaked from opposite ends of Ur, colliding in the surrounding rainforest with unrestrained fury.
And they weren't holding back.
Both were Roy's Servants, tethered to him by contract, granting them limitless mana. Yet even with her divine domain's terrifying boost, Quetzalcoatl couldn't subdue the blond Berserker... a stunning twist.
This man could hold his own against a divine spirit?
In mere moments, the rainforest lay in ruins... trees toppled, dual-colored mana blasts tearing through, vaporizing half the beasts lurking at the forest's edge.
The fight escalated, the destruction mounting in seconds.
If they kept going, Ur wouldn't survive.
Roy immediately sent Karna skyward to intervene.
The result? Karna barely lasted minutes before a punch from one and a kick from the other sent him flying. His golden armor spared him serious injury, but stepping into that fray was beyond him.
If it were just the two of them duking it out, fine. But a third party stepping in drew their combined wrath... an onslaught even Karna's solar armor couldn't weather.
Roy watched the divine showdown from below, jaw slack with disbelief.
The nameless blond Servant was one thing, but Quetzalcoatl he knew well. Quetzalcoatl was the pinnacle of benevolence, the gentlest of gods. Only one figure across Mayan and Aztec myth could rile her to this degree.
The mightiest deity of the Aztec world who reigns over heaven and earth.
A god of war and sorcery, beauty and discord, night and dominion, storms and plagues, crime and order, fortune and misfortune... embodying the opposing dualities of reason and the vibrant chaos born of their clash.
The incarnation of the black sun, reflecting all things.
Tezcatlipoca!
In that moment, Roy realized he'd summoned Quetzalcoatl's archrival.
These two pinnacle gods of myth, eternal foes incapable of reconciliation, now stood in the same camp... by his hand.
But why a divine spirit?
Was it like with Taiga Fujimura... had tapping Ur's leyline, steeped in Quetzalcoatl's essence, skewed the summoning to call forth this apex of malevolence?
If Karna was the ace drawn from Quetzalcoatl's solar nature, Tezcatlipoca was the dark inversion of her benevolence.
Roy couldn't help but marvel at the twisted whims of fate... so intertwined with fortune and calamity.
Command Spells held little sway over Servants of this caliber. Even expending all three might not halt their rampage.
But this wasn't the time for pondering. If they kept fighting, Ur would be ash.
Even Karna couldn't stop them... so what now? After a moment's thought, Roy made his call, ordering Karna to fall back and protect Ur's citizens alongside Jaguar Man.
He'd handle these two reckless titans himself.
"Master! How could you... "
Karna balked at the absurd command.
These divine spirits could overwhelm even him. His Master facing them alone? Impossible!
He obeyed orders unconditionally, but he wasn't brainless. Hearing Roy propose something so reckless stirred genuine concern.
"No time to explain, Karna. Go protect the people. Trust me... I'll be fine."
"But... "
"No buts. I'm counting on you."
With no room for further debate, white mana flared around Roy as he launched skyward toward Quetzalcoatl and Tezcatlipoca.
Behind him, Karna yearned to follow and shield his Master. But glancing at the panicked citizens below, he relented, honoring the command.
"Stay safe, Master," he murmured, then raised an arm, mana surging at his chest.
As power swelled, the golden armor bestowed by Surya blazed with blinding light.
"O Sun Wheel, become my armor."
"Kavacha and Kundala!!"
As Karna soared upward, unfurling his armor to deflect the battle's fallout...
Roy reached the sky, his ice-blue mystic eyes snapping open. Channeling immense mana to counter their shockwaves, he formed seals with his hands before his chest.
"Heaven Hymn!"
A strange mana pulsed, and the world seemed to freeze.
Color drained from the surroundings as white light rose behind Roy, spilling like paint across a black canvas, enveloping the clashing duo.
"Huh? This weird mana vibe… Master?"
"You... busting out a Reality Marble?"
Mid-battle, the two sensed the familiar mana signature. They turned in unison toward Roy at the battlefield's edge, watching as the white light surged to engulf them.
Since it was their Master's Reality Marble, neither dodged. They stood still, letting the radiance swallow them whole.
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