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The following entry contains spoilers for Fate\last call : night, dawn, and the birth of stars.



It is recommended that the reader has completed Chapter 5.4 (Part 2) before continuing.Noble Phantasm

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Thorn Against Arms

AESCANBANA

Anti-Unit Class
Rank C
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Range: 1~20
Max targets: 1 person

A Noble Phantasm produced on commission by Völundr's abilities. Or, to put it another way, Keystine Meluastea Yggdmillennia pestered her Saber a whole lot until a unique and powerful sword was produced, according to the smith. The framing is somewhat unfair, as it credits Völundr entirely for the creation, when Keystine herself actually had significant input on and participation in the creation of the sword.

Alongside the excellent craftsmanship of the metal, elements of the adornments and even crucial pieces such as the haft and the fuller are composed of philosopher's stone. It is a shining silver arming sword with a length of about seventy-five centimetres that looks more useful as a decorative item on a mantlepiece than as an actual weapon, but the value of a genuine Noble Phantasm that has been forged for battle is not to be underestimated regardless of its constituent materials.

As one might infer, its functionality is as much a Magecraft implement as it is a proper slashing weapon. As a material object, it is best compared to the Azoth Swords that are commonplace within the Clock Tower. However, despite visibly being of the same genealogy and sharing many of their functions, it was designed with an innovative approach in mind rather than an attempt to recreate the majesty of Paracelsus's original. In particular - and as one might expect considering the circumstances under which it was commissioned - it is a Conceptual Weapon that is especially effective against spiritual bodies, dispersing them in a manner comparable to the Baptism Rite of the Holy Church. In addition, it boasts the bonus effect of nullifying magical contracts for targets that fail the necessary Magic Resistance check.

Specifically, the anti-spirit and anti-contract attributes are applied through the runes and magic circles carved into the sword, creating what could be called a contagion that spreads those attributes to that which makes contact with the sword - an effect that leads Keystine to compare the weapon to a "materialised Bounded Field". Despite spirits being immune to physical interference, they will be compelled to self-destruct for this reason when the blade passes through them. Even in the circumstances of a Servant, this means that cutting their pact with a Master is neither easier nor more difficult than merely inflicting a wound. In the most extreme cases, just being touched by a flash of light as reflected off the blade of this sword is as good as a complete unsummoning. Whether it is in the hands of the Rulemaster or not, it is a supremely unfair cheat item in a Holy Grail War.