Pursuit / Spear and Shield

At the same time, their personality is also the worst.

"Alright, let's go."

Faced with the immortal steed that showed him no respect whatsoever, Achilles couldn't help but punch it on the head. Xanthus let out a mournful cry and vanished along with Balius, who seemed to be looking on with a helpless expression.

However, before leaving--

"Be careful, that thing..."

Before the golden spiritual particles dissipated, Xanthus's gaze turned to the center of the explosion.

"Ah, I know."

Once the golden spiritual particles completely dissipated before him, Achilles rose again, walked coldly to the center of the explosion, and reached out to pull out the "culprit" that had caused the current situation.

In the hand of [Red] Ride was a simple, unadorned spear. Its peculiar shape made it resemble a longsword with an extended hilt, rather than a typical javelin.

It's hard to believe that this "strange spear" was the culprit behind this "explosion".

However, in the eyes of Achilles, the meaning of this gun seems to be somewhat different...

"--The Durindana (Durandana)"

Achilles softly uttered the true name of the spear in his hand, and as if in response, a cold glint suddenly flashed at the tip of the spear.

How could Achilles not recognize this weapon that had once shone brightly in the hands of his greatest rival in life?

It was clearly an extremely sharp sword, yet that wasteful fellow used it like a javelin, and shamelessly declared, "Ultimately, weapons are meant to be used, so there's no difference between a sword and a spear."

It's a pity that the spear isn't the real thing, nor was it thrown by that guy. As his nemesis, Achilles should be the most qualified to say about this.

Considering Chiron's ability to conjure up all sorts of strange Noble Phantasm, including "Nine Lives," Projection one of these things wouldn't seem like a problem, would it?

It's just that the intention is--

"They actually used this thing; has my real name been exposed?"

Achilles muttered to himself, staring in the direction from which the spear had been thrown.

Not far away was a forest, an ideal geographical location for Archer. He could take full advantage of the terrain to maneuver against the enemy. Conversely, for Rider, fighting in the forest was a fatal condition, not to mention that his prized chariot was sealed away. Moreover, even if it were usable, it would be difficult to unleash its full power in a forest.

Therefore, the intention behind Chiron's use of this Noble Phantasm is quite intriguing.

Are you afraid of running away?

If you really think that way, then you are very wrong!

I, Achilles, am hailed as a hero. If I were to choose to flee at this juncture, could I still be considered a true hero?

[Live a life as a hero]

That was the wish of Achilles. This remained unchanged even after his death. Even if death awaited him, fearlessly charging into it was the way of life chosen by the man named "Achilles".

Therefore, Archer of the [Black] side, you will taste defeat because of your choice this time, just like the owner of this Noble Phantasm!

After casually planting [Durandana] back into the ground, Achilles's eyes rekindled with fighting spirit.

"For my father, a great hero; for my mother, a goddess; and for the honor of my eternal friend who shared my life's joys and sorrows, Archer of the [Black] faction, I will defeat you!"

Having left behind such a declaration, the Achilles ultimately ran into the forest on his own two legs.

Blade progress [108/200]

Thank you again to all the big shots for the blades and the donations.

(Vomiting blood)

Chapter 222. The Pursuit

Galloping through the Achilles Forest.

However, the dense forest severely limited his vision, but even so, he did not slow down.

--[Dromeus Cometes] is the manifestation of Achilles from the legend of being "the fastest of all heroes of all ages". The moment he activates this Noble Phantasm, he possesses the fastest speed, leaving both Lancers of the two factions behind.

"--!"

As the Achilles charged forward at high speed, it suddenly saw a golden light coming through the gaps in the trees directly in front of it.

--Between the eyebrows?

Relying on the intuition honed on the battlefield, Rider instantly determined the location of the attack.

As the spear materialized in his right hand easily deflected the incoming arrows, a delighted smile appeared on Rider's lips.

Within the [Black] faction, only Archer can harm them, so the enemy has no choice but to let Archer engage them.

"Where is he! Archer of the [Black] side! Come out now!"

Rider shouted the name of the unseen enemy.

In response to him, she caught a glimpse of a flash of light out of the corner of her eye.

His answer was a golden flash.

"A trivial skill!"

Rider once again deflected the incoming sword with his gun.

In that instant, no fewer than a dozen sword-shaped Noble Phantasm of various shapes appeared above his head.

Without a doubt, those were all divine Noble Phantasm, because only those could harm Rider.

--The chill that crept up his spine and into the depths of his brain served as such a warning.

"That guy--!"

Sensing the urgency, Rider stomped hard on the ground. The ground beneath her feet instantly cracked. Rider, who reached top speed in a single step, easily escaped the encirclement woven by the Noble Phantasm.

The blast wave engulfed that small area of forest, but Rider had already moved away from the blast radius.

--Like a swift wind.

Like a swirling storm, Rider swept across the forest, breaking through the traps set by Archer. The traps couldn't keep up with Rider's speed at all.

Even when faced with a torrential downpour of swords, Rider did not stop.

"You think you can defeat me with such petty tricks? There's a limit to underestimating someone, Archer of the [Black] side!"

Rider, who had stopped on a tree branch during a break in the rain of swords, shouted.

Archer's relentless harassment was incredibly frustrating for Achilles. He was eagerly anticipating a direct confrontation, but instead, he was faced with this predicament...

"... I am the bone of my sword. (My mad bone twists infinitely)"

Archer, observing the roaring Rider from the shadows with his Eagle Eye, nocked his twisted sword on his bow and drew the string. The magic at his fingertips created a strong wind.

"Is it over there?!"

Rider dodged the attack with even greater speed, and an even more violent explosion roared behind him. Rider, however, managed to pinpoint the direction from which the Noble Phantasm had come.

--With Noble Phantasm of this scale, no Servant could immediately erase all traces, and Rider would no longer give the enemy a chance to hide.

"Where do you think you're going!"

He then leaped into the air, using his feet to push off nearby tree trunks to achieve high-speed movement. While this is a superhuman physical ability, it's not impossible for Servant to do.

However, even taking into account that he is Servant, it is still incredibly fast. The speed is so fast that it is almost like teleportation, and the terrain seems to have no effect on him at all.

This is the essence of Achilles' [Dromeus Cometes]: as long as there is a support point, he can unleash the speed of humankind.

The Achilles moves through the forest with a litheness surpassing that of an ape, and uses hearing more acute than a horse to pinpoint the enemy's location.

A soft "whoosh!" sound came from beside me; it seemed the other person had also moved.

Because he was still moving in the shadows of the trees, he could only vaguely see figures passing by. If it were the Atalanta, he might be able to use scent as a clue, but the Achilles didn't have her wild sense of smell honed from endless hunting.

Fortunately, the other party seemed to have lost interest in playing hide-and-seek.

The sound of something cutting through the air rang out again, and a golden longsword grazed Rider's shoulder.

This time, however, Rider did not show any anger. Instead, he looked in the direction from which the attack came and smiled.

--We've already cornered the opponent; otherwise, they wouldn't have used such an attack that's practically self-destructing their position.

"Are you no longer going to hide?!"

The [Red] Ride restarted and rushed towards the location it sensed!

--The wind was blowing

Behind Rider was a straight trail of tree debris—as if a hurricane had swept through.

The one who caused this tragic scene seemed oblivious to this fact, raising their head to look at the Heroic Spirit before them, [Red]

A smug glint flashed in Rider's eyes:

"Finally caught you, Chiron, this time I won't let you go."

The [Archer] class specializes in long-range attacks. Although the Chiron can unleash dazzling and powerful Noble Phantasm, it still couldn't stop Rider's charge.

Now, with the two less than ten meters apart, Rider could pierce Archer's heart the instant Archer placed his hand on the bow.

From this perspective, Rider has already cornered Archer.

But for Archer himself, the reality is quite different?

"Then I'll return the favor with those words."

Upon hearing Rider's voice, Archer's lips curled into a cryptic smile.

"Achilles, do you think you've already won?"

This is an unbelievable statement, but it makes no difference to Rider.

"Then let's take a look!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Rider, who was charging forward, raised his spear again, preparing to pierce Archer's heart with his terrifying speed.

However, the barrier formed by several giant swords falling from the sky robbed Rider of this opportunity.

"Tsk!"

With his exceptional reflexes and battlefield-honed intuition, Rider dodged the arrow that grazed his cheek.

With a "whoosh," bright red blood dripped down his cheek. But for Rider, this wound was not a humiliation, but rather a source of joy.

--Archer from the Black side is indeed a worthy opponent!

"So--"

The barrier separating the two had vanished, and the longbow in Chiron's hand had somehow transformed into twin swords in his other hands.

"Achilles, are you ready?"

Rider, having regained his fighting stance, gleamed with a burning fighting spirit in his eyes.

"That's my line, Archer!"

Two chapters owed

Blade progress [167/200]

(Vomiting blood)

Chapter 223. Gun and Shield

The clanging of guns and swords echoed through the empty, deserted forest.

Clang--

The continuous clash between the spear and the twin swords finally pushed Archer's twin swords beyond their limits. In a fierce swing by the Achilles, both of Archer's twin swords shattered.

"Ha, just talking nice things isn't enough, Archer!"