The Battle of Heroes and Kings (Continued)

Clang clang clang--!!

Bang bang bang--!!

From the very beginning, the clanging of metal has never ceased. In this battlefield for true men, there is no right or wrong; both sides must grip their weapons tightly and fight with all their might to the very end to achieve victory.

The key to victory or defeat often lies in the fleeting moment when swords and spears clash, as brief as a fleeting instant, as brief as the fiery sparks that fly when swords and spears collide. Only those who can seize this fleeting spark can become the victor, and this moment will occur countless times in a battle.

Because both of them possessed such exaggerated agility, the flashing swords and shadows below left Shirou, the Executor, completely dumbfounded.

Is this what a servant is like?

Are these the heroes of ancient times?

That's too exaggerated, that's really too exaggerated!

He had already thought the monsters known as Dead Apostle were outrageous enough, but the two heroes below were even more beyond his wildest imagination.

A clash of guns and swords.

A collision of speeds.

In such a battlefield, if he were there, he would be beheaded in just a few seconds!

However, at this moment, the protagonists below had no time to care about the opinions of the onlookers; they were just getting into the swing of things.

Finally, the first round of combat ended, and the two figures quickly parted ways.

"You're quite something! Although you look rather bookish, like those nobles who always put on an innocent act of not understanding the situation, you actually use that boring swordsmanship so skillfully. I really underestimated you!"

After deflecting the iron sword from Lionheart King's hand with his magic spear, Cú Chulainn nimbly pulled away and then remarked with a sigh.

"Especially your damn speed. Even though your class is Saber, your agility is so good that you almost overpowered me, a Lancer. You're really something else."

This is not sarcasm, but a heartfelt sentiment.

Cú Chulainn glanced at the slashes on his clothes inflicted by Lionheart King, still feeling a lingering fear. His speed was definitely not slow; in fact, he was among the best of the Lancers. But this blond knight's speed seemed to increase as the fight went on, eventually surpassing Cú Chulainn's. This completely astonished Cú Chulainn.

And that's not all. The magic spear in his hand is no ordinary weapon either. Countless heroes in his era have died by its tip. Although his swordsmanship is clearly just a dogmatic courtly style, in actual combat, combined with his speed, it is terrifyingly powerful. It is gorgeous, but it is also extremely deadly.

So...

This guy is not just a nobleman or a king, but also the kind of king who has been on the battlefield, fought bravely, and has rich combat experience.

Why should kings and nobles not sit back and enjoy the fruits of others' labor, but instead charge into battle?

This is exactly what Cú Chulainn wanted.

Moreover, Cú Chulainn also noticed a factor contributing to this guy's absurd speed.

Just now, during his fight with his opponent, for a period of time he faced attacks not from one person, but from two.

During the fight with this guy, other attacks suddenly appeared on the battlefield, and the Lionheart King in front of him suddenly increased his speed, which is why he was at such a disadvantage.

However, Cú Chulainn's combat instincts clearly told him that it was impossible for anyone to suddenly approach him without his knowledge and harm him, so...

Unsurprisingly, the other people from earlier were likely summoned by this guy using one of his Noble Phantasm.

A Noble Phantasm is a powerful skill that evolved from Servant lifetime.

This wasn't a case of outnumbering the enemy; it was all due to Lionheart King's own abilities.

Cú Chulainn understanding this, Cú Chulainn silently tightened his grip on the demonic spear.

It is currently known that the opponent is a powerful knight who has experienced countless battles, and is also a king and nobleman. Moreover, the opponent has a deep bond with his knight, or rather, his partner, otherwise it would have been impossible for him to successfully summon other people to fight together.

The golden-haired knight, the king, and the commander of the knightly order share a deep friendship.

There aren't many heroes in this area, so who are you?

Cú Chulainn looked at Lionheart King and silently began to think, quickly searching for the people in his memory who matched.

Fionn mac Cumhaill?

No, it shouldn't be.

As a fellow hero of Celtic Mythology, he had heard of Fionn mac Cumhaill, but Finn's personality couldn't possibly be like the guy in front of him, and Fionn mac Cumhaill wasn't a king, so it couldn't be him.

Therefore, the only possible combination of knight and king is...

For a moment, Cú Chulainn seemed to realize something.

All eyes were drawn to Lionheart King's sword.

However, upon closer inspection, no matter how he looked at it, no matter how sharp or ornate the sword was, even if it was a fine noble sword, it still lacked the aura he was looking for.

But...

Cú Chulainn noticed that Lionheart King was wearing a sword with a golden hilt hanging from his waist.

Thus, he began to have some idea in mind.

So they were really hiding their own weapons?

If he was trying to hide a weapon, then he should know who this guy is.

"Thank you for the compliment, but you are also very strong. If my partner hadn't been fighting alongside me just now, I probably would have had a hard time gaining the upper hand."

Lionheart King gripped his sword tightly, then looked at Cú Chulainn and sighed.

Although his words, spoken when he clearly had the upper hand, might sound like a patronage of Cú Chulainn, he genuinely Cú Chulainn.

His marksmanship far surpassed that of any enemy or ally he could remember, and the opponent's beast-like combat instincts and reactions were simply too exaggerated.

Even when Robin Hood launched a surprise attack during the battle, albeit from a blind spot, Cú Chulainn still managed to parry and counterattack.

Such marksmanship was superb, and the warrior could even use his combat instincts to aid him in battle— Lionheart King had never encountered a warrior like him before. Moreover, his marksmanship wasn't the same as his own, the extremely rigid swordsmanship he learned from the Knights; instead, every shot was aimed at piercing a person.

Even the Lionheart King, a veteran of countless battles, couldn't help but feel his blood boil at the prospect of facing an opponent like Cú Chulainn.

He gripped the iron sword in his hand, looked at Cú Chulainn, and then said seriously:

"Your marksmanship is unlike anything I've ever seen before, almost inhuman. I imagine you must have had an incredibly learned teacher. Could you perhaps be a hero from mythology?"

"Tch... you guessed it. But let's skip the 'learned teacher' part; that guy's just an old geezer who likes to act young."

Cú Chulainn clicked his tongue, then looked back at the Lionheart King before him and said calmly, "However, I now have a pretty good idea of your real name."

"Ah?"

Upon hearing Cú Chulainn's words, Lionheart King paused for a moment, then looked down at the iron sword in his hand and smiled helplessly.

"As expected of a hero from the mythical era, he still managed to be seen through... I tried my best to hide it. But there's nothing I can do about it, after all, I am a very famous hero..."

Having said that, Lionheart King raised his sword again and prepared for battle.

He wasn't afraid at all of his real name being exposed.

He was the leader of the Crusaders, the great Lionheart King, aspiring to be a knight like his idol, King Arthur, and a true king.

Even if his real name is discovered, he is confident that he can defeat his opponent. Moreover, he himself has no major weaknesses, after all, his legend is extremely well-developed from any perspective.

It would be better if his True Name Discernment, then he could act freely and launch a light cannon to completely obliterate everything.

It's important to understand that close-quarters combat is far from being his forte.

"Heh, you're not surprised at all? In that case, I won't keep you in suspense any longer."

Cú Chulainn, unfazed by the sight of Lionheart King, smiled appreciatively, then twirled his magic spear and explained to himself, "That's quite normal. A golden-haired King of Knights who refuses to use a real sword—there's only one historical hero who fits your identity, am I right? The famous King Arthur."

"Hmm, what you said isn't... wait! Who did you say I am?"

The Lionheart King was about to admit it, but the next moment, he froze on the spot, staring incredulously at Cú Chulainn, who claimed to be King Arthur. He immediately realized that the man had mistaken him for someone else, and quickly waved his hands to explain.

"No, no, I'm not King Arthur. Although I'm glad you see me as King Arthur, I'm really not King Arthur. A king like me is still quite a distance from my idol..."

"Huh? Did I admit my mistake?"

Seeing this guy's performance, Cú Chulainn immediately realized that he must have guessed wrong.

This guy isn't King Arthur, but seems to be either the actor who played King Arthur or a fan?

No wonder he looks so much like King Arthur, but...

"Then why is your sword...?"

Cú Chulainn hesitated for a moment before pointing to the ornate sword at his waist.

"So that's why?"

Lionheart King understood why Cú Chulainn had mistaken him for someone else. He quickly drew his Excalibur from his waist to clear up the misunderstanding and continued speaking.

"Look, this is just a cosplay prop. It's a weapon that I commissioned Master to make a one-to-one replica of the Sword of Promised Victory of King Arthur. Because I admire King Arthur a lot, I've always carried it with me."

"..."

Upon hearing this, Cú Chulainn could no longer contain himself.

This guy is very strong, but why does he always seem so nonsensical?

He was actually a fan of King Arthur, and he even misled himself; this really made him lose his temper.

"Forget it, if it's not, then it's not. I don't care who you are."

Thinking this, Cú Chulainn impatiently scratched his hair, then looked at Lionheart King and said, "But you are indeed very strong, strong enough to force me to use my full strength, so I think this game can end here. Next, I'm going to use my Noble Phantasm."

After saying this, Cú Chulainn let out a soft breath, then took a small step back, flipped his hand to grip the spear, and made a throwing motion. His scarlet, beast-like pupils contracted slightly.

He continued, "Although using this Noble Phantasm is like revealing who I am, there won't be another chance to use it. However, I still want to remind you not to underestimate my strength. You're unlikely to have a second chance against this Noble Phantasm. If you don't want to die an unjust death, show me your true strength, or give me your last words."

Upon witnessing this scene, Lionheart King was suddenly gripped by a profound sense of crisis.

He dared not be negligent and suddenly gripped the sword in his hand tightly.

Then he hurriedly began to transmit his voice.

[Master, I'm getting serious now. Please allow me to use my full power. I'm going to summon all my companions while using my Noble Phantasm.]

Reines, who was sitting in a safe area, was taken aback when she heard this.

[What's going on? Saber, is that guy really that strong? Does he really require you to use everything you have? Is there no way to deal with him without using your trump cards? Even with your agility stacked up, you can't dodge him no matter how hard you try.]

Lionheart King shook his head.

[I'm not sure either. Although my agility is extremely high, and I could even gain the upper hand against this powerful Lancer, some things can't be avoided simply by being fast. I have a feeling that the Noble Phantasm this Lancer believes can only be used once must possess an unbreakable quality, or perhaps it has some special properties. I'm not sure if Robin Hood and I can dodge it, or if summoning other friends can block it. So I'm going to go all out to meet it.]

Lionheart King reported all his thoughts in detail.

This was his judgment; he believed his Master would make the best choice. Of course, even if Reines forbade him to unleash his power, he wouldn't say anything. He would simply try to dodge as quickly as possible and then find an opportunity to eliminate the Lancer in front of him.

Upon hearing this, Reines put down her black tea and narrowed her eyes slightly.

Richard I's agility was Ex; his speed could be described as completely unpredictable.

While being extremely fast on its own, if combined with Robin Hood, it can unleash a speed that is difficult for any Servant or attack to catch up with.

Her original plan was to conserve her strength by exhausting herself, avoid attacks from other Servant, and then find an opportunity to deliver a fatal blow at the lowest cost. However, Lionheart King did not expect to encounter such a tough opponent so soon.

If Lionheart King were to reveal his full strength and all seven of his companions were to appear together, the whole world would know his true name, and he would lose the advantage of using his hidden companions for battle support.

However, if he cannot dodge it, this attack could very well force Lionheart King to retreat.

This is a high-stakes gamble.

Whether to conserve strength and dodge, or to fight to the death, is a difficult choice.

But...

[In that case, let's go all out, Lionheart King. Don't worry about anything else; deal with him first.]

Reines made a decision immediately.

While trade-offs are necessary in battle, sacrificing Lionheart King's life to preserve one's strength would undoubtedly be the most foolish thing to do.

Lionheart King Richard I, after all, was a legendary Crusaders king. He knew far more about battle timing than she, a mere lady from a respectable family. There was no need for him to give orders haphazardly. If he truly became a burden, even Reines herself would not be able to forgive herself.

[A brilliant decision, Master. I will bring you victory from here on out.]

Upon receiving the order, Lionheart King nodded slightly, and the next moment his fighting spirit surged as he looked at Cú Chulainn before him once more.

Cú Chulainn immediately understood his meaning upon seeing this.

"So you're ready too? Then let me see your true strength."

"No problem."

The Lionheart King took a deep breath, then raised his sword and swung it in front of him. The next moment, blazing golden magic began to surge in front of him.

This time, he no longer concealed it, but spoke loudly to Cú Chulainn.