On the final stretch of the mountain road, at the second-to-last checkpoint, Artoria finally drew an attack privilege. She glanced at the long straightaway ahead, removed the rapid-fire Barrett from her back, unleashed a burst of magical energy, turned around atop the Wind King Motorcycle, and began firing continuously at the relentlessly pursuing Gilgamesh and Conqueror King.
She could only attack for three seconds, but that was enough.
Gilgamesh could not dodge, but since all the previous attacks had struck his temporary shield, its durability was still full.
By the time the attack ended, Gilgamesh's shield had been depleted. As for Iskandar, he tragically became the first to be eliminated. If Hassan of the Hundred Faces had not targeted him earlier, perhaps he could have fought for a little longer.
"Ah!" Iskandar's Chariot of the Divine crashed into the side of the track. With two wheels blown off, his ride clearly could not continue. Covered in dust, he watched the vehicles grow farther and farther away. "To think I would be the first one eliminated... This truly is..."
Gilgamesh's laughter rang out. "Hahaha! This ending suits you perfectly, Conqueror King! As the target of the challenge, you were the first one eliminated. That is truly hilarious!"
"Damn it..." Iskandar wordlessly punched the wall beside him, then began repairing his ride.
Having eliminated one threat in a single move, Artoria turned back around and pushed her speed to the limit, ensuring she maintained her advantage in first place. That meant reaching the checkpoints sooner and obtaining assistance earlier.
Gilgamesh followed close behind. When he saw what he had drawn this time, his face nearly twisted with fury. A slowing air wall—once deployed in place, it would last thirty seconds, and anyone caught in it would have their speed halved for thirty