Xiphos Nemesis
By Your Own Blade Shall Ye Be Brought Down
Rank: C
Type: Variable
The sword Judah won from the fallen Seleucid general Apollonius in the battle of Nahal El-Haramiah. Wrested from his opponent's dying hands, it became a symbol of vengeance Saber used for the rest of his military career.
A slender and ornate weapon. The handle is of fretted gold and the polished blue steel blade is etched with imagery depicting the labors of Heracles. Despite its Pagan appearance the blade's ties to Saber's own legend have ascended it to a genuine sword of faith, giving form to his struggles against the oppressive Seleucid Empire.
As a Noble Phantasm, it crystallizes the concept of "using the enemy's own weapon against them". Upon invocation, the sword will automatically transform to match the weapon used by Saber's opponent. Said transformations aren't unlimited however, so while the sword can somewhat change its shape to emulate a different kind of weapon (like lengthening the handle for a spear) it can't become something totally different like a bow or shield.
If the enemy's weapon is a Noble Phantasm, Saber's version will possess the same attributes and special abilities. However, while concepts like "a sword that shoots beams" or "a spear that leaves unhealing wounds" can be reproduced, their output is still limited by this Noble Phantasm's own ranking. If used to copy a Noble Phantasm higher-ranked than
Xiphos Nemesis itself, the imitation will be fundamentally degraded compared to the original. For instance if used to copy Arturia's
Excalibur, instead of a giant wave of light able to demolish whole fortresses, it'd be a smaller beam that could only scatter an army of around a dozen people.
Despite this limitation,
Xiphos Nemesis is still a highly powerful and versatile Noble Phantasm that lets Saber take his enemies by surprise by using their own techniques against them. The transformations only last as long as Saber is fighting the opponent who wields the matching weapon. After battle draws to a close, his sword will return to its proper form.
For obvious reasons, this Noble Phantasm's special ability is useless against enemies that don't wield any form of weapon.
Chereb Yirmeyahu
Golden Sword That Prophesies Victory
Rank: A+
Type: Anti-Army
According to legend, before the Battle of Adasa Saber had a vision of the prophet Jeremiah offering him a golden sword, telling him to use it to vanquish his foes. This omen proved true when Saber and his men attained glorious victory in the coming battle, slaying the opposing general Nicanor and putting the enemies of YHWH to flight. Upon invoking this Noble Phantasm, Saber momentarily equalizes his real sword with the one in the vision.
His sword transforms again, discarding its Pagan appearance like a shell to reveal a holy sword wrapped in golden fire. A matchless Divine Construct forged by YHWH Himself, forgiven to grace Saber's hands solely for the purpose of delivering his people from annihilation. Saber then slashes down his sword, launching a blast of golden flames and Mana at the enemy that takes the form of a giant eagle, the Maccabee's war crest that they displayed in countless battles against the Seleucid Empire. Upon impact it detonates in a massive explosion of Mana, devastating the enemy and everything around them.
Afterwards, the light fades and the sword returns to its normal appearance. This is Saber's strongest attack, but invoking it costs a great deal of Mana. After using it Saber would be heavily exhausted and need an immediate supply of magical energy from his Master not to pass out. Also his
Xiphos Nemesis Noble Phantasm is sealed for the following day.