Kazuma Satou: "@Ryuguuin Seiya, I think it would be best for you to serve as our main combat force. You're the only one among us who can fight head-on in close quarters."
Kazuma Satou: "But considering that if you go down, your team no longer has any Dao Tian Command Spells capable of reviving you, the risk is enormous. You can refuse, and I'll come up with another plan."
Ryuguuin Seiya: "The fact that you can say that proves you're a highly qualified commander. I accept you as our leader."
Ryuguuin Seiya: "I suggest we hand full command of this operation to Kazuma Satou. What do you all think?"
Kurisu Makise: "Agreed."
Shirou Emiya: "Agreed."
Hachiman Hikigaya: "Agreed."
Kazuma Satou: "Alright, then I'll explain the specifics. It goes like this..."
Kurisu Makise: "Not bad."
Shirou Emiya: "I'll do my best."
Ryuguuin Seiya: "Alright."
Hachiman Hikigaya: "Then... let's fight!"
"Oh?"
Archer watched them exchange something among themselves. As a battle-hardened Guardian, he naturally would not give his enemies time to prepare.
He directly projected a pair of twin blades and rushed forward at high speed, slashing one blade at Kazuma Satou, who had been shouting the loudest.
"Clang—"
Ryuguuin Seiya raised Gae Bolg and blocked the strike.
Archer pressed down with force, but Seiya actually held firm?!
"?!"
Something was wrong!
He raised his knee and kicked—
But suddenly, Hachiman Hikigaya appeared behind him. As the black mist around him faded, he thrust a sword toward Archer's heart.
The timing of that strike was truly vicious!
Archer's hands and feet were both unable to react to that sword!
Hassan-i-Sabbah (Cursed Arm): "What fine assassin material."
Hassan-i-Sabbah (Hundred Faces): "I've wanted to say this since earlier. He really does have tremendous talent as an assassin."
Old Man of the Mountain: "Not bad, but still too impatient."
Rin Tohsaka: "He's out already? What a rookie."
Archer: "No, Rin? What are you thinking?"
Archer: "It's far too early to celebrate if you think that can kill me."
"Hmph."
Even at such a critical moment, Archer's lips curled into a disdainful sneer as he performed a brief chant at light speed:
"Trace on."
A four-layered pink flower-shaped shield calmly blocked the sword.
It was clearly as thin as paper.
Yet no matter how hard Hachiman Hikigaya pushed, he could not pierce it even an inch.
At the same time,
Ryuguuin Seiya raised his leg, colliding directly with Archer's incoming knee. Crimson mana and blue mana crashed together with a dull boom.
"Bang bang bang bang!"
The red spear and black-and-white twin blades clashed fiercely.
Neither of their legs stopped moving, either.
Archer kicked again, only for his leg to be kicked back once more.
He frowned slightly. Something was wrong. Ryuguuin Seiya had not been this strong before.
What was going on?!
"Huff."
Cold sweat dripped from Ryuguuin Seiya's forehead. The true reason he was sweating was not the heat of battle, but—pain.
Pain that pierced deep into his soul.
Ryuguuin Seiya was currently equipped with multiple Craft Essences at once. Among the current players, he was the only one with such adaptability.
Among the multiple Craft Essence items he had equipped were Hachiman Hikigaya's Viper Arts and Kazuma Satou's Golden Fleece.
Ryuguuin Seiya had directly activated Viper Arts' triple Body Reinforcement, bringing him extreme mental pain. Only with the Golden Fleece's mitigation was it barely usable.
It was not a matter of whether his willpower was strong enough. The body and mind were interconnected; if mental pain reached a certain level, the body would suffer corresponding effects.
With the Golden Fleece's mental enhancement, threefold was the highest he could maintain under normal circumstances. It was currently the most suitable multiplier that would not affect sustained combat.
"Some kind of Body Reinforcement... or Magic Formal Wear that provides enhancement?"
Archer quickly reached an answer. After calmly analyzing the situation, he leaped backward into the air, preparing to widen the distance.
It was not that he dared not fight at close range, but that he judged a ranged battle would be easier to win.
"Sniper, sniper, sniper!"
A cold glint flashed from upstairs as three arrows shot toward the location where he was about to land.
Archer reacted swiftly and cut down two arrows, but was forced to land early because of it.
The moment he landed,
Ryuguuin Seiya latched onto him.
"You really think I don't dare fight?"
Archer grew slightly more serious, increasing his mana output. Enhanced magical patterns spread across Gan Jiang Mo Ye.
"Swish swish swish swish!"
For a time, he once again suppressed Ryuguuin Seiya.
Mm... wait?
Archer discovered that his opponent was actually gradually adapting to his swordsmanship and fighting style. At first, Seiya could only barely defend, but after a while, he had already begun to counterattack.
Everyone knew this was while Archer was genuinely putting in effort!
It was not his full strength, of course, but that black-haired man and the red-haired brat had both been toyed with by him together that morning!
Yet by nightfall, he could already clash with him head-on. What kind of growth rate was this?!
Archer sensed something was amiss. He had to end this quickly and deal with the black-haired man.
As he fought, he silently chanted:
"I am the bone of my sword."
Two projected sword-shaped Noble Phantasms instantly appeared in the air behind Ryuguuin Seiya, shooting like arrows toward his forehead and chest respectively.
"Sniper!"
Kazuma Satou had been holding his bow on a nearby rooftop. The two fighters had been locked in too intense a battle, and he had been afraid of friendly fire, so he had kept watching. Seeing this, he decisively fired.
A Yew Poison Arrow struck one of the projected Noble Phantasms, knocking it off course. It hit the asphalt beside them and instantly exploded, surging mana blasting a huge crater into the ground.
But! There was still one left!
"Vow Without a Sword!"
Hachiman Hikigaya arrived a short distance behind Ryuguuin Seiya. Fully focused, he swung his sword at the incoming Noble Phantasm.
Just as the sword and Noble Phantasm were about to collide—
"Broken Phantasm! (Fantasy Collapse!)"
Archer's voice rang out.
The Noble Phantasm instantly exploded.
"Boom—!!!"
"AAAAAHHH!"
Hachiman Hikigaya was blasted away, nearly destroyed on the spot. His hands and arms were blown into a bloody mess.
And he had been standing behind Ryuguuin Seiya.
Because of the force of that explosion,
He was now flying straight toward Ryuguuin Seiya!
But none of this was a coincidence.
It had all been calculated by Archer!
Archer held Gan Jiang Mo Ye, continuing to intensify his suppression of Ryuguuin Seiya while waiting for Hachiman Hikigaya to crash into him—the perfect instant to deliver the killing blow!
"Bang bang bang!"
Ryuguuin Seiya sensed what was happening behind him, but he truly had no spare focus to deal with the rear. He could only choose—to trust his teammate!
"Rationality Evaporates!"
Shido Itsuka, who had been waiting in readiness, bent his knees. At the same time, he activated his Noble Phantasm and launched himself off the ground with monstrous strength!
As a Noble Phantasm with negative effects, there was only one thing capable of easing the Golden Fleece's burden.
That was why Kazuma Satou's plan had been to avoid using it whenever possible.
But he had also told Shido Itsuka to judge for himself. If it was truly necessary, then use it.
In this situation, he had no choice!
Shido Itsuka caught Hachiman Hikigaya, who had been blown away by Fantasy Collapse, in a princess carry, then drove both feet forcefully into the ground!
He plowed two deep trenches through it,
Finally coming to an abrupt stop at the limit a short distance behind Ryuguuin Seiya!
Archer moved close to Ryuguuin Seiya and threw Gan Jiang Mo Ye behind him in a curved trajectory.
Its target was unmistakably—
Shido Itsuka and Hachiman Hikigaya!
And to prevent the sharpshooter upstairs from sniping it,
Archer had deliberately made Gan Jiang Mo Ye's flight path skim close to the ground.
That way, even that nearly infallible sharpshooter would have no way to interfere in time!
Immediately afterward, he projected another pair of Gan Jiang Mo Ye in his hands and continued forcefully suppressing Ryuguuin Seiya.
A cold smile hung on his lips.
Come on, let's see what you choose!
Livestream Room,
Genos: "This?! What just happened in that brief instant?"
Hisoka: "A completely ripe fruit. Archer's control over the battle and combat experience surpass theirs by far."
Satou (Demi-human): "Oh? Archer's combat experience is unusual. He should be the same kind of person who can return from death."
Esdeath: "It seems this battle is already over."
Kuroro: "Not necessarily."
Hisoka: "That's right, not necessarily."
Before you continue