The confrontation between Drako and Lancer had reached an impasse.
From the very beginning, Diarmuid's goal was to test his opponent's limits.
Lancer was careful, studying the extent of his opponent's abilities. Without a doubt, both his physical skills and his swordplay were at the highest level. Diarmuid was unaware of how his aura had immediately changed from slightly stronger than the average person to one that could fight him without any problem.
Drako's goal was even simpler.
He already knew Diarmuid's skills, so there was no need to test what Lancer's skills were. Drako's real goal was nothing more than to prove himself.
What are his current limits, his reaction speed, the power behind his attacks...
In general, Drako wanted an opponent who could bring out his new strength. He wanted to see how much he had grown in this time. Whether or not to kill Diarmuid was secondary.
After all, with the Noble Phantasm he possessed, killing the Servants of this Holy Grail War wasn't complicated at all. Only Artoria and Gilgamesh were a problem for him.
Although, Drako doubted that the two of them would resist his trump card. That attack reduced Ladon to ashes along with all his barriers. Not to mention that that same attack was now much more powerful than before.
Of course, even if this was only a test for the two fighters, we are talking about people with stats that rival that of gods on DxD. And that was shown in the buildings around them.
The avenue was a miserable wreck of scars carved as a result of the battle. Two warehouses had already collapsed, and one hundred square meters of asphalt was in pieces. Turned into a battlefield, it was almost as if an earthquake had happened.
In the midst of that disaster, even without a single scratch, Drako and Diarmuid looked at each other, preparing their next move. Neither showed signs of exhaustion.
"There is no honor in a battle without presentation, but..."
Diarmuid began to talk to Drako; a resolution of death came from his two spears' tip, only his gaze remained fresh.
"Anyway, I give you credit. To get to this point without showing a single drop of sweat, I feel bad for having underestimated you."
"Unnecessary modesty, I would have reacted the same way if I were in your place."
Drako wasn't lying. If he were in the same position as Diarmuid, facing an opponent at least five times weaker than himself, Drako wouldn't have thought much of that opponent either.
"To be honest, I don't mind giving you my name."
Raising his sword, Drako showed a big smile.
"Enough with this game, Lancer."
Once again, the cold voice echoed through the room.
"Don't drag the fight any further. This is a formidable enemy. Do it quickly; you can show off your Noble Phantasm."
At the words of Lancer's master, Drako could not help but smile even more.
They were finally going to go all out.
It was common sense that a Servant could not show his Noble Phantasm without receiving the respective order from his Master. Only a few of the Archer class, like Gilgamesh, were free to use them at their pleasure because of their high level of Independent Action. The same was more or less true of the Servants of Drako, but he had already given them their respective orders to use their Noble Phantasm if necessary.
"Understood, my Master."
Contrary to what he had shown of his character so far, Lancer quietly dropped his voice and changed the grip of his weapon.
Without hesitation, he dropped the short spear in his left hand at his feet.
Seeing this, Drako could not help but smile. This Lancer strategy... was ineffective against him.
Diarmuid detached himself from the amulet firmly tied around the long spear in his left hand.
It was a deep crimson spear. Totally different from before, prana begins to rise from the tip of the spear like a threatening mirage.
Now was the time when Lancer went all out. Drako was sure that now Diarmuid's Noble Phantasm was fully functioning.
Unsure if the talismans surrounding the spears affected the Noble Phantasm's use, Drako had not dared to let it hit him before. Now, he was sure that with that spear of Diarmuid he was holding, Gae Dearg, could pierce his armor.
"From here on, we're going to the final blow," stammered Lancer in a low voice, changing his stance to hold his lethal weapon in both hands.
Drako simultaneously lowered his sword, measuring between him and Diarmuid with great caution.
That Diarmuid had set the trap with Gae Buidhe was a big problem. Not because he had to be careful with the trap, far from it. The problem was that now that Diarmuid was fighting with the only spear that could harm Drako, he couldn't use his strategy of taking advantage when Lancer attacked with Gae Buidhe to try to deal a blow. Also, as much as Diarmuid's strategy of using two spears was interesting and effective, you can only get the most out of a spear when you use both hands.
In other words, although Lancer didn't know it, Drako now had it more complicated.
On the other hand, exposing the Noble Phantasm can have two kinds of effects.
One is demonstrating the vast power of a more deadly move of one's own while announcing its true name. For example, the attack Drako showed in front of Ladon when he named Laevatein: Sword Like a Sun that Becomes a Calamity.
On the other hand, it may also be that the weapon already carries its Noble Phantasm nature. Drako did not have such a Noble Phantasm, but there was one person here who did. That was none other than Mordred, with her Secret of Pedigree. The use of this Noble Phantasm meant that enemies could not have information about Mordred.
In this case, Lancer's red spear was similar to Mordred's.
Gáe Dearg: Crimson Rose of Exorcism
The spear will pierce directly through any projection made of magical energy, such as Artoria's summoned armor; Bounded Fields, such as Invisible Air, will have small fissures created that slowly chip away at them with each strike; any weapon that is magically enhanced, such as those enhanced by Knight of Owner, will have its enhancements and ability boosts rendered useless when struck by the spear; and any item that acts as a magical energy source, such as Prelati's Spellbook, will have all to its recipients connections severed.
The nullification is not strong enough to cancel or break the source of the magecraft, making it unable to sever completed magecraft such as contracts exchanged in the past or curses in the way that Rule Breaker can completely nullify them. The spear is not suitable for defensive usage because its effects only last while the tip of Gáe Dearg is in contact with the object, and it allows the object to function as normal after the spear is lifted away.
In this case, Drako had to be careful, as his armor's nature was similar to that of Mordred's or Artoria's armor, although it was halfway between these and Invisible Air.
The two closed their distance by sliding their feet, silently but with the tension multiplying.
Lancer executed the first movement.
Compared to the acrobatic freedom of his spear so far, this was a much simpler stabbing only in a straight line. A stab as he refused to defend himself from Drako's sword.
It was a simple attack, and Drako reacted instinctively to block Diarmuid's attack.
If he were Artoria, this would be the moment Excalibur was revealed to others. One could say that Drako had saved the Servant from revealing her identity.
The first blow had been a simple one, but it was at that moment that the storm began.
"This is only the beginning."
As Diarmuid said, the spear blows suddenly increased in strength, the attacks were more severe, and were no longer in vain. Making no mistake in directing his blows, Diarmuid pointed to Drako's vital signs. To miss to defend even one attack would mean a fatal wound; Drako knew this all too well. That is why his sword repelled each and every attack.
Drako could only watch in admiration as Diarmuid showed off his godly spear skills. If it weren't for the skill he had gained from Rama, there was no way that Drako could fight him in his human form.
Drako was observing what he had always admired in this life and in the previous one, true skill with weapons.
Having high destructive power, like Laevatein's Noble Phantasm, was very good. However, it could not be bought with the beauty with which Lancer used his spear.
One of the few things Drako of DxD didn't like was the lack of martial arts in the series. Fights always ended up deciding on who had the most destructive power. And although the big explosions were very good and attractive, in Drako's opinion, they were still at a lower level of fighting than the one Drako was having with Lancer.
Excitement ran through Drako's body, his willingness to fight increased with every second.
Drako defended himself from the uninterrupted series of blows launched by Diarmuid, which was not at all easy. If it weren't for Touki, who increased his stats by 80%, Drako would have been impaled by the spear more than a dozen times by now.
Lancer wanted to hit Drako anyway, but he wasn't going to let himself be hit easily.
Having the precedent of the fight between Artoria and Diarmuid (which had not happened because of Drako's intervention), he knew he could not let Lancer's spear hit his armor. Since it was made up of magic, it was totally useless against Diarmuid's spear.
He was not going to make the same mistake as Artoria. She let Lancer hit the side of her armor, thinking that it was not enough to penetrate her armor, and strike back with her sword. Thus, Diarmuid managed to pierce Saber's armor with ease.
It seems that Diarmuid realized that this combat was getting nowhere, as Drako's defense was also impenetrable. He ceased his attacks and retreated.
"Yes, it seems that victory would not be won so easily..."
Musing, Lancer didn't seem too discouraged and spoke rather with a distracted voice.
Remarkably, this man enjoyed enormously to compete against a formidable enemy.
If Lancer's enemy were one who depended on his Noble Phantasm to win, Diarmuid would have an easy time defeating him. For example, Berserker, who depends on his ability to transform any weapon into Noble Phantasm, would not stand a chance against Lancer since these common weapons would lose their Noble Phantasm property the moment they made contact with Diarmuid's spear. And only Noble Phantasm can cause damage to Servants.
On the other hand, Drako had grown tired of defending himself.
"Get ready, Lancer."
Drako took up his position again. He prepared to deliver a lethal blow.
His strength was superior to Diarmuid's, so this was an opportunity to take. Even if he failed, Diarmuid would be limited to the attack he could land on Drako. Therefore, even if Drako failed to kill Diarmuid, Lancer could not kill him either.
With the sword behind his body, one leg in front and the other behind, Drako dismissed any sign of defense. Regardless of the defense, it was meant to deliver a lethal blow that would split the opponent from one shoulder to the other.
"That's courageous. Is it all or nothing?"
Drako only smiled as his intention to kill rose. The pressure he was creating at this moment could be felt all around him, and even the paved ground was slowly giving way.
Drako was going through everything in one move.
This was a move he had taken from Artoria. She would try the same thing in the original story. Still, there were several differences between what she did and what Drako was doing.
When Saber is struck by Diarmuid with his long spear, she removes her armor as she observes that it is useless against Diarmuid's Noble Phantasm. However, this leaves her exposed to the skills of Lancer's other Noble Phantasm, the short spear.
In other words, Drako had learned from Artoria's mistakes. Thus, he would not fail to kill Diarmuid.
Lancer understood this. Drako's next attack will render the range advantage of the long spear useless. If he fails to capture Drako's speed, he will face his end when he cuts him in half.
Calmly studying his opponent's footwork, Drako measured the times for his attack. Lancer was probably also estimating the speed of the attack. But he still has one more secret against that...
For a little while, just for a little while, Lancer's movements are weakened.
The asphalt turned into gravel created many obstacles to firm up the feet. Lancer's movements stagnate a little each time he puts strength into his legs.
Drako smiled, and didn't let it go.
A loud bang roars in the atmosphere. Drako's dark sword lit up, turning the darkness of the night with its glow.
The heat emitted by the sword suffocated Irisviel, Artoria and Mordred, who were watching in the distance. Even Maia and Kiritsugu, together with Assassin and Lancer's Master felt the heat burning their bodies.
But the one who felt most the suffocating heat emitted by Drako's sword was Diarmuid. He knew that, if that sword managed to reach him, he would be reduced to ashes.
But that didn't scare him. He was an experienced warrior who was ready to die. After all, he had already died once.
Drako reached a speed he had not had before. It was too late for Diarmuid to dodge from the moment Drako had taken the first step. Even if he managed to cause Drako a serious injury, he was going to die.
Lancer did not move. Having already given up an ambush, the tip of the red spear did not retreat.
What moved in its place were his legs.
With an extremely focused mind, the flow of time, even shorter than an instant, stretches out and becomes slower.
Lancer's posture was not a mistake; this was the position he had chosen to ensure his victory. This was the very place where he had released his short spear, now hidden by the gravel of the pavement.
Drako saw it all the time: the menacing smile when he was sure of his victory. The gleam in his eyes had said more than his words. "I will attack through your recklessness..."
Instead of picking up the spear in his arm, Lancer kicked the gravel at his feet. It wasn't just gravel that was floating in the air. The short spear that Lancer released earlier, its tip appeared in the air with precision in Drako's direction. As in the long spear, the amulet wrapped around the entire length of the spear was already unwrapped and revealed the yellow metal beneath it.
If that was the art of the Spear of Lancer.
If that Servant was the Heroic Spirit known as the bearer of "the two demonic spears".
That's right, a Noble Phantasm- definitely aren't limited to one.
The tip of the short spear that Lancer had kicked was swirling with prana as sinister as that of the long red spear, threatening Drako. He was already predicting the moment when it would pierce Drako's heart while he could only charge forward, too late to stop...
But, what Diarmuid didn't expect was that Drako, instead of backing up or trying to dodge, would keep that provocative smile on his face as he advanced towards Diarmuid.
"Master!"
Mordred cried out in anguish when she saw the spear heading towards Drako's chest.
However, when the spear made contact with Drako's armor...
"What?!"
Diarmuid could only watch in shock as his weapon was repelled by Drako's armor. In desperation, he retreated as quickly as possible, trying to create a minimum distance from his opponent. But it was too late...
"You are dead!"
Drako shouted just before the end of Diarmuid's life.
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