Battle, Clash, and a Hint

The alternative use of Gate of Babylon did not slow the Black Knight's advance in the slightest.

His peerless martial skill was displayed to the fullest amid the fierce exchange. Even as weapons rained down from every direction, he handled them with ease.

Infinite Martial Prowess, which united mind, skill, and body, made him seem like an undefeated war god on the battlefield.

Even if Archer doubled the output of Gate of Babylon, its attacks were little more than an itch to the Black Knight.

Compared to his earlier battle with Lancer, the pressure now seemed almost negligible.

The Black Knight deftly deflected attack after attack. Archer's anger burned like a raging fire, yet amid that fury, he gradually calmed down.

The Black Knight before him, whom he called a "mad dog," undoubtedly possessed the greatest martial skill in this Holy Grail War.

Archer admitted inwardly that the attacks from his Gate of Babylon were, in the end, too simplistic. Those projected weapons were not true arrows; whether in power or speed, they posed only a limited threat to Berserker, the Black Knight.

"Damn mad dog!"

Archer gritted his teeth, his heart full of resentment.

With a wave of his hand, he withdrew Gate of Babylon. Staring gravely at the Black Knight, he declared, "I acknowledge you, Berserker! You are worthy of making me draw a true weapon against you."

The opponent he had thought he could easily dispose of had turned out to be unexpectedly powerful, forcing Archer to put aside some of his arrogance.

Still, the Black Knight was far from worthy of making him bring out his greatest treasure. For now, he only intended to draw a weapon of the Archer class—a golden bladed longbow.

Holding the longbow, Archer leaped high like a streak of golden lightning and landed steadily atop the Holy Church's roof.

Looking down at the Black Knight, he shouted, "Come, Berserker. The second round begins!"

As soon as he spoke, he drew his bow and nocked an arrow. An arrow formed from magical energy instantly took shape and shot toward the Black Knight at astonishing speed.

The arrow's speed and power far surpassed the previous Noble Phantasm volleys. For the first time, the Black Knight felt threatened and had no choice but to dodge sideways.

With a shrill whistle, the arrow plunged into the ground and vanished in an instant, leaving behind only a bottomless black hole. It was impossible to imagine how deep it had penetrated.

Arrows also belonged to the category of weapons, but Knight's Arm could not affect arrows constructed from magical energy.

He did not immediately rush forward to engage Archer in close combat. Instead, he asked his Master, Shiki, inwardly, "Master, is the Noble Phantasm Archer has drawn the one you wanted?"

"Wait a moment. Let me observe it."

Shiki frowned, a trace of hesitation in his voice.

The original plan had been for the Black Knight to place immense pressure on Archer and force him to draw his Noble Phantasm—Ea, the Anti-World Noble Phantasm. That was what Shiki truly wanted to seize and immediately use in the battles to come.

However, Archer's choice this time was somewhat beyond his expectations. But on second thought, it was only natural.

Archer was an archer by nature. Using a bow was his specialty, and long-range combat was his greatest advantage.

Shiki quietly opened his Mystic Eyes and stared intently through his blindfold at the weapon in Archer's hand.

Its unique shape looked nothing like an ordinary bow. Rather, it resembled some kind of weapon that had been transformed into the shape of a bow.

Shiki searched his memories desperately. He vaguely recalled Archer Gilgamesh using this Noble Phantasm somewhere before, but he could not remember the specific details at all.

The moment Shiki lost focus, danger quietly descended.

Kirei Kotomine, an Einsatz of the Holy Church, had been waiting for an opportunity like this.

He was proficient in Baji Quan and had also mastered the footwork of Shrinking Earth to Inches. In a flash, he appeared at Shiki's side like a ghost. Twisting his body, he unleashed Baji Quan's most aggressive technique, the Top Heart Elbow, aiming directly for Shiki's vital point.

Kirei was full of confidence. That elbow strike was enough to snap a tree two men could barely wrap their arms around, let alone a human body far more fragile than a tree.

In his view, losing focus during a standoff was simply courting death.

However, he had underestimated Shiki.

Though Shiki had been distracted, his Mystic Eyes could sense magical energy. Every one of Kirei's movements had been clearly visible to him.

What a naive fellow. Shiki sighed inwardly as he nimbly dodged and quickly retreated.

In terms of physical ability, he truly could not compare to the battle-hardened and rigorously trained Kirei. No matter how strong his techniques were, they could not fully display their power before an absolute difference in physical strength.

However, he still had some confidence in his agility. He did not fear facing Kirei Kotomine.

After stopping at a distance, Shiki said with some displeasure, "Hey, Father, sneak attacks aren't a virtue befitting a clergyman."

"Heh, boy, I am not a priest right now. I am a Magus."

Though his attack had missed, Kirei showed no panic. Instead, he was somewhat surprised by Shiki's agility. "To evade my attack at such a crucial moment, you move well, boy."

"Hehe, is that supposed to be a compliment?"

Shiki knew that his skills went far beyond this. It was merely his insufficient physical ability that limited his performance. Without a sufficiently strong body, many moves and techniques could not be used at all. Forcing them would only bring trouble upon himself.

Seeing Kirei assume his stance again, Shiki frowned. "Father, you don't intend to keep fighting, do you? If we continue, I won't hold back. If I accidentally kill you, don't blame me for not warning you."

Kirei said nothing, merely using his actions to express his stance.

In his eyes, an enemy had to be eliminated. Whether it was a child or a boy, he would show no mercy. As an Einsatz, using any means necessary had long become his guiding principle.

Seeing this, Shiki felt helpless.

Since the priest insisted on fighting, then he would play along. He drew upon the power of his Mystic Eyes, and the ability of Asura Path rapidly spread across his body. His entire body seemed to become an object covered in circuits of flickering blue light.

Reinforcement Magecraft!

Kirei understood at once. It was a simple yet practical form of magecraft. Though many people knew it, few could master and cast it as proficiently as Shiki.

However, Kirei was not afraid in the slightest.

He too was skilled at strengthening his body with magical energy. Combined with his superb martial arts, he was confident that he could defeat the boy before him.

"Boy, if you abandon Berserker and leave this city, there is still time. Otherwise, I can only deliver your final end."

Kirei attempted to use words to break Shiki's resolve. This too was one of his combat techniques. In his view, life was a price that anyone had to consider, and the boy before him would be no exception.

When he heard the word "end," Shiki, standing in the distance, suddenly shuddered.

He froze where he stood, his thoughts instantly pulled back.

Right, he remembered!

The Noble Phantasm in Archer's hand was not a bow, but a sword.

It was a Noble Phantasm formed from two swords. It possessed immense power and an absurd ability.

To Shiki, this was also a Noble Phantasm worth fighting for, one that could be used in the battles ahead. There was no need to pursue Ea; in terms of utility, the two were not all that different.

After quickly communicating with the Black Knight inwardly, Shiki smiled. Looking at Kirei, he said, "Come to think of it, I really should thank you for the reminder, Father. It helped me recall crucial information. So, in return, I won't kill you. I'll leave you your little life."

Such arrogant words filled Kirei with doubt.

He could not understand where this boy's confidence came from. In the end, he could only respond to Shiki's "gratitude" with action.

"Die!!!"

He charged toward Shiki.

Meanwhile, elsewhere in Shinto, after seeing the boy, Kiritsugu felt a faint sense of unease. He had the feeling that something major had happened at the Holy Church.

He abandoned his search for Rider's pair and changed the direction of his investigation.

Without Saber at his side, he could only head cautiously toward the Holy Church to see what was happening.