Fierce Battle (Part 1) / Fierce Battle (Part 2)

Archer's slightly serious expression indirectly proved that the situation was not good. In order not to distract Archer, Fiore pushed her wheelchair backward as Archer instructed. However, after going halfway, Fiore suddenly turned around and looked at her Servant, her eyes full of expectation:

"Keep it up, Archer!"

"I told you so before..."

Upon hearing Fiore's words, Archer, whose body had already begun to transform into spirit particles, gave his Master a confident smile.

"The Servant you summoned couldn't possibly be anything less than the strongest."

As soon as he finished speaking, only tiny, shimmering golden particles and the echoing words "How arrogant!" remained where Archer had just stood.

Siegfried understood what had happened the instant she was hit.

The attack just now came from another Servant located far behind Achilles.

This was a long-range attack, and it didn't use magic; it was purely a physical strike. Therefore, the identity of the "ambush attacker" can be confirmed.

Without a doubt, the Servant hidden in the forest is Archer of the Red Faction.

This attack was clearly above A-rank, causing him to temporarily lose control of his body. It seems that the Crimson Archer realized that ordinary attacks wouldn't be enough to harm him, so he deliberately increased the force of his shot.

Even more terrifying is that neither he nor the Berserker beside him sensed the presence of any Servant, proving that the location of the Atalanta must be some distance away that neither of them could detect.

But this wasn't a vast, open grassland; it was a dense forest with lush trees in the darkness. Even with excellent night vision, I was still just a point of movement.

But Archer of the Red Faction did it.

Possessing long-range sniping capabilities exceeding A-level destructive power, aiming in complete darkness with virtually zero visibility, and ultra-precise shooting as if threading a needle.

After regaining her footing, Saber instinctively sensed danger.

On the other side, the Achilles's gaze was like lightning, piercing through the dust raised in the darkness, and keenly spotting the arrow stuck in Saber's body.

"So your immortality can be penetrated as long as the attack reaches a certain level, that makes things easier -- huh?"

Suddenly, he turned his head to look at the other side of the forest, and his expression became inexplicably ominous.

"Tsk, it seems our Berserker is finished. In that case, our game is over. We have Saber and Berserker from the [Black] side here. Trading that big oaf for these two's lives seems like a win for us!"

Achilles revealed a thoroughly joyful yet cruel smile, simultaneously channeling force into his gun-wielding hand. He was certain his shot would pierce Siegfried's defenses. As for [Black] Berserker standing nearby?

Achilles was confident he could catch her before she could escape, so--

His gaze returned to Saber in front of him:

"How much longer until you 'resurrect'? Ten seconds? Twenty seconds? Either way, it can't be faster than my attack—"

Well then, farewell, Siegfried!

Just as Achilles raised his gun, preparing to thrust, a terrifying surge of magical energy suddenly erupted from behind Siegfried.

"That's...!"

The crude arrow, flying at incredible speed, seemed to distort space and tear through the atmosphere before striking the very center of Achilles's body without hesitation. Rider seemed to sense the sniper's attack, but his body failed to give any indication of dodging.

The moment the arrow made contact with the Achilles, an unimaginable explosion erupted from the arrow, followed by a flash and a loud bang, and the Rider's figure completely disappeared into the smoke and dust.

--Did you kill it?

Both Saber and Berserker on the Black side held their breath, waiting for the answer after the smoke cleared. Only Archer, who had just arrived, still had a grim expression.

"Its power is really impressive, even stronger than my eldest sister's. It's just a pity..."

The smoke and dust that had filled the forest began to dissipate, Achilles reappeared in the [Black] Servant's sight. Then they discovered—

"That's far from enough!"

Even the previous near-horrifying explosion failed to leave even the slightest scratch on Achilles.

Chapter 189. Fierce Battle (Part 1)

An arrow shot from the shadows struck the Achilles directly, and then with a loud bang and a flash of light, a beam of light that seemed to pierce the sky appeared before the [Black] Saber and Berserker.

This is Archer's tactic, which both Saber and Berserker witnessed when he fought Saber of the Red Faction —destroying Noble Phantasm with immense magical power, using the Noble Phantasm itself as a container for that immense magical power, and detonating the magical power and faith contained within as explosives to inflict severe damage on the opponent—[Broken Phantasm].

What shocked the two even more was that the Noble Phantasm they were using now was not the one used against Mordred; that Noble Phantasm had already self-destructed in the explosion, so this was to be expected. But if that was the case, Archer had now lost his second Noble Phantasm.

Normally, Servant only possess one or two Noble Phantasm. Even our own Riders, despite having numerous side stories, don't have a double-digit number of Noble Phantasm. Now the enemy has seven Servant, and our side will ultimately be fighting amongst ourselves.

Under such circumstances, it's inconceivable to simply use up Noble Phantasm and then discard it.

"Waaaaah..."

Berserker's surroundings were slightly distorted by the flow of magical energy. She was absorbing the magical energy that had scattered around her due to Archer's Noble Phantasm explosion.

Saber turned her gaze to the center of the explosion. The light from the explosion had long since dissipated, and the surrounding area was filled with smoke and dust.

After roughly estimating the power, Saber realized that Archer's Noble Phantasm had roughly the power of an A-rank weapon, enough to break through her [Armor of Fafnir of Fafnir].

If it's a direct hit from Noble Phantasm like this one, plus the powerful attack generated by [Broken Phantasm], it would be a two-part attack.

An ordinary Servant would probably be reduced to spirit particles and eliminated after being attacked like that.

The ground cracked like a volcano, and the surrounding trees were blown off the ground and disappeared into the forest.

That level of power should be...

"What? Is it the archer from over there?"

Amidst the billowing dust Achilles's voice rang out, seemingly oblivious to everyone else.

"It's quite powerful, but unfortunately it's useless against me."

Standing in the center of the shattered earth, the Red Ride reappeared unharmed in the sight of the Black faction 'Servant.

How could that be?

Saber concealed her inner shock, maintaining a calm facade. Berserker, on the other hand, let out a louder groan than usual.

All the [Black] Servant present, as well as the other Servant and Master observing the battle through Projection in the Millennia Fortress, were momentarily stunned.

To be completely unscathed from an attack of that magnitude... What kind of monster is the Red Faction's Rider?

However, the Achilles, deemed a "monster," was completely oblivious to this, and with agile steps, he returned to the battlefield, facing the three [Black] Servant with a confident smile:

"So, what do you plan to do now?"

The true identity of Achilles is that of one of the top heroes in the world, and in terms of fame, he is at the pinnacle, a great hero known to everyone.

In search of a worthy opponent, and with this hope in mind, the Achilles answered the call and joined the Holy Grail War, which was far larger than usual.

However, the Achilles's participation in the first battle dashed his hopes.

To injure Rider, one would need a [Divinity] skill capable of countering divine blessings. However, during the recent probing, Achilles discovered that neither [Black] Saber nor Berserker possessed [Divinity]. Therefore, for Rider, they were simply easy targets, capable of pushing against the wall with minimal effort.

The other Servant on the [Black] side were in the same situation. As Lancer "Vlad III", he was naturally no match for him. The [Black] Archer, who had previously engaged in long-range sniping, had the highest-ranking Noble Phantasm but seemed to lack [Divinity] skills. Even when he unleashed his Noble Phantasm, it did not cause him any damage.

Then we can only hope for the other three Servant from the [Black] faction whom we have never met. But if the enemy doesn't even have a single opponent with [Divinity], Rider alone can easily end this Great Holy Grail War.

But that would be too boring.

How would the opponent deal with him? Achilles was extremely eager to find out, but what he didn't expect was...

Although Chiron had just arrived on the battlefield, he seemed to have instantly gained command of the battlefield.

"Berserker, go find their Archer. Rider is with me and Saber."

"Don't even think about it--"

How could the Achilles allow anyone to leave in front of him? Just as he was about to intercept the [Black] Berserker, a greatsword suddenly appeared in the Rider's line of sight.

Even if Siegfried swung her greatsword repeatedly, it wouldn't cause Rider any damage. However, the immense force transmitted through the sword was something that could not be negated no matter what!

By the time the Achilles, who had staggered back a few steps, raised his head again, the [Black] Berserker had already disappeared into the dark forest.

"Tsk--"

Slightly annoyed, Rider spat on the ground, but he wasn't too worried; he knew perfectly well the true identity of the Atalanta.

She was a master hunter born with the blessing of the goddess of the hunt. Her archery skills were divine, and her speed was unmatched by any man. Her real Atalanta, and she was the top female hunter in Greece mythology.

Although dissatisfied with the underhanded tactics used by the [Black] faction, Rider believed that the Atalanta could easily handle Berserker.

Since that's the case--

Have you thought about your last words before you die?

The Achilles glared fiercely at the two Servant in front of him, making no attempt to hide his murderous intent.

"..."

Siegfried silently walked to the center of the battlefield and raised her weapon. Her opponent, Achilles, showed no surprise whatsoever.

"Just as I thought."

A hero who can go toe-to-toe with Lancer from their own faction. Even knowing there's no chance of winning, they won't give up the challenge. It's precisely because of this that they possess the spirit to be a true hero.

"Then come at me, Saber! Perhaps in the final moments of the battle, your sword will be able to wound me."

Although the killing intent in his eyes did not diminish in the slightest, a look of glee returned to Achilles's face. He was a true hero, and therefore hoped that his opponent would also possess the spirit of a hero.

As for his chosen rival, Siegfried certainly did not disappoint him.

By the way, regarding the blade progress [166/200]

Chapter 190. Fierce Battle (Part 2)

The battle between Siegfried and Achilles continued in a stalemate.

Whether Saber's greatsword struck Rider, or Rider stabbed Saber in a vital spot, both of them noticed the same thing—

My attack wasn't enough to break through the opponent's defenses...

In the heat of battle, when both sides discovered that their weapons could not leave any marks on the opponent's body, a silent embarrassment arose between them.

[This battle will be fruitless, so, shall we use our Noble Phantasm?]

Both sides are pondering this question. However, whether it's Siegfried or Achilles, their hidden Noble Phantasm are almost equivalent to their true names, and cannot be revealed casually.

[But if it's the person in front of me...]

Call out--

But at this moment, the balance that was barely maintained between the two sides was suddenly broken by a single straw. Something emerged from behind Siegfried, piercing the night sky and entering Rider's line of sight.

"Tsk..."

The impact from his shoulder caught him off guard, Achilles spat in disdain.

"Archer, huh? He really is tiresome."

Archer knew perfectly well that even unleashing his Noble Phantasm wouldn't harm him in the slightest, yet he continued his attacks relentlessly, like buzzing insects swirling around his ears.

Although she really wanted to strangle the flying insect, due to the advanced nature of Siegfried, Rider could only use her gun to knock it down or dodge Archer's interference. However, since the opponent seemed to have considerable skill in archery, she was still able to accurately snipe Rider despite her dodges.

Left with no other choice, Rider could only endure Archer's disturbances with his body. Although it was repeatedly ineffective, Achilles keenly noticed something was amiss.

"This guy's bow and arrows..."

The arrows, varying in shape, some twisted, some sharp, were more like swords when they came from the direction of the Chiron. Moreover, the Achilles, who had been taught by the great Greece sage Chiron, had never heard of this way of fighting before.

"What's going on? These things are all Noble Phantasm!"

The belatedly realizing Achilles finally understood that what was being shot from Archer was not just simple "arrows." Although there was a considerable difference in their levels, those "arrows" were indeed Noble Phantasm, and they were all attempting to harm themselves through self-destruction.

"To be able to so casually discard Noble Phantasm of this caliber, what kind of Heroic Spirit are you, Archer?!"

The so-called Noble Phantasm is a weapon praised in the legends of Heroic Spirit. It is also known as the [Noble Phantasm]. It is said to possess power that modern Magecraft cannot match, and once used, it will produce the legendary effects.

As weapons bound to the legend of heroes, Noble Phantasm, under normal circumstances, would reveal their owner's true name upon use.

But--

What exactly is going on with this Archer?