Shinji Matou at Your Service-Chapter 1072: The First to Cross the Finish Line is—

Warriors rarely use their ultimate moves at the beginning of a battle, and the same goes for competitions. Most of the remaining contestants usually hold back their trump cards until the critical moment.

Yes, now is that moment—the final 500-meter straight sprint, the decisive moment where victory will be determined, the best time to unleash their ultimate moves.

The first to act, and with the grandest display, was Iskandar.

With one hand on the steering wheel and the other pulling out the Sword of Cyprus from his waist, he pointed it to the sky and shouted.

"Come, my companions! Now, it is time to charge forward!"

"Hrrrreeee~~!" freeweɓnøvel.com

"Moooo~~!"

Amid the cries of bulls and the neighing of horses, all of Rider Iskandar's mounts appeared.

Yes, all of them.

The divine beast that accompanied Iskandar during his conquests, together with three other divine steeds, materialized behind the Macedonian Conqueror's chariot, pushing it forward.

"AAAALaLaLaLaLaie!!!"

...

At the same time, Lorelei also granted Altera's request.

"Do as you wish. I will fully support you."

"Thank you, my Master. Racing is a wonderful civilization. Perhaps, aside from destruction, I can do something well after all."

While speaking, the mysterious runes on Altera's body lit up. Mana was continuously drawn through the lines, surging into the skateboard beneath her feet, which had now fully crystallized.

"Charge forth—Sword of Mars (Photon Ray)!"

The Sword of Mars (Photon Ray), ranked A+, is Altera's Noble Phantasm.

It is a manifestation of her heroism and terror, feared throughout Europe as God's Punishment and The Scourge of God, combined with the legend of her receiving the Sword of Mars. When its true name is unleashed, the blade of three-colored light releases a radiant, rainbow-like magical energy, and Altera charges like a meteor, annihilating a wide area of the enemy.

Of course, that only happens with the real Sword of Mars. When using objects corrupted through her skill Civilization Erosion, the destructive power is much less, but the meteor-like charge remains—exactly what Altera wanted, the perfect form of maximum acceleration for this moment!

...

"Wow! They still had such trump cards up their sleeves. Amazing!"

Watching the two teams explode with power, Illya exclaimed in awe.

"Well, well, but the strongest are still Saber and me, right?"

Artoria didn't respond with words, but instead demonstrated it through the changes on Llamrei II.

Her silvery armor, which normally enveloped her in battle, wasn't applied to herself this time. Instead, she focused intensely on the structure of the vehicle, integrating the armor with the bike's frame. The concept was similar to horse armor on the battlefield, protecting a valued steed. With her Riding skill enhancing the unity between rider and machine, she treated this silent steel beast as an extension of her limbs...

The V-MAX was now clad in a new gleaming steel exterior, looking both extraordinary and magnificent. The bike's performance also increased under the strengthening of magical power, thoroughly surpassing the limits of machinery. The mechanical steed had now truly become a magical beast, roaring with an earth-shaking exhaust sound.

Not only that, but Artoria also extended the Invisible Air barrier in front, shaping it like an arrowhead to wrap around the vehicle's front. Under the compressed air shield, the V-MAX gained complete aerodynamic properties, finally shedding all air resistance.

The speedometer's needle had long since spun to its limit—no longer useful. Artoria had used magic to push the bike beyond the laws of physics, breaking through 400 km/h.

The King of Knights was no longer merely piloting a bike, but channeling all her potential as a Servant into the machine.

This was true harmony between rider and vehicle. This was truly transcending the limits. The King of Knights—in this moment, truly lived up to her name, the absolute king among knights!

...

Charge! Charge! Charge!

Sprint! Sprint! Sprint!

Accelerate! Accelerate! Accelerate!

The Macedonian Conqueror, the Great King, and Llamrei II had all surpassed their limits. In an instant, they had closed the gap with the Bellerophon and were now overtaking it.

"Rider, think of something quick!"

Sakura was suddenly anxious.

"It's no use. We've tried everything," Medusa replied, equally anxious but more resigned.

Sakura and Medusa had already used every trick in the book to reach their current speed. Sakura had used all her Rune magic to reinforce the vehicle, while Medusa had pushed her strength, stamina, and riding abilities to their utmost limits.

What about using a mount to push or pull the vehicle, as Iskandar had done? Well, Bellerophon's top speed is supposed to be 500 miles per hour, right?

Of course, Sakura and Medusa had thought of that, but it wouldn't work. A grandma's bicycle didn't have the same surface area or stability as the Macedonian Conqueror's chariot. If Bellerophon tried to pull or push the bike, it would fall apart in no time.

Out of options, Sakura could only complain, "I knew I should have asked Miss Irisviel to help me get a proper race car. I shouldn't have listened to my brother. Who knows where he even ran off to."

However, no sooner had she finished speaking than a voice came from behind.

"Hey, hey, my adorable sister, you should take responsibility for your words. I'm right here, aren't I?"

"Ehh?!"

Turning around, Sakura saw Shinji and Scathach flanking Bellerophon on either side.

"Brother! Shishou! Where have you been? We're falling behind!"

"Doesn't matter if we're behind; we can still catch up."

"Sakura-chan, Rider, do you want to win?"

Shinji smiled playfully, while Scathach asked calmly.

"Yes!"

"Of course!"

The two purple-haired women nodded in unison.

"Then just win—Shinji!"

"Alright, I'll count to three. When I say go, give it everything you've got. One, two, three—GO!"

The moment the last word left his lips, Medusa and Sakura felt an immense force from behind, raising their already maxed-out speed even higher, propelling them like a rocket straight toward the finish line.

Shinji and Scathach, on the other hand, slowed down and even began to fall behind. This was inevitable, as the two of them had used their maximum Mana Burst to give Bellerophon a shot at first place, at the cost of their chances for a final sprint.

However, neither of them felt any regret.

"Looks like we'll be bringing up the rear, aside from those who dropped out along the way."

"Do you regret it?"

"How could I? We won once ten years ago. Doing it again would feel like bullying."

"Heh, true. Besides, this is just the first event. There's still a long way to go before the Grand Prix is over."

"Well, let's finish this first race for now."

"Yeah."

At that moment, Fiore's final judgment came through.

"The first to cross the finish line is——"