Showdown / Routed

"Then it's you, Mordred."

As Mordred rapidly approached her room, Semiramis's lips curled into a smile, a smile just like the one she had given when she watched her husband, Ninos, drink the poisoned wine.

Deadly, yet incredibly alluring.

Chapter 285. Showdown

[Hanging Gardens of Babylon of Babylon], Semiramis -- Semiramis's proudest ultimate Noble Phantasm. Although it is called a "garden", its vastness is enough to make it a battlefield for Heroic Spirit to roam.

After Wang Xiaoming and his group stormed into the courtyard, the two Archers who were engaged in a duel also shifted their main battleground to the courtyard.

"Tsk--"

After dodging another arrow that seemed to come from nowhere, Shirou hid in the shadows of the building, observing the situation.

Normally, there wouldn't be two sides with the same class in the Holy Grail War, but the Great Holy Grail War defies common sense, so a duel between two Archers doesn't seem so unusual.

Although Shirou had fought against opponents with long-range attack capabilities several times in his life, his current opponent is Atalanta is hailed as the best hunter in Greece.

Faced with her archery skills, which were almost divine, if he wasn't careful, there was a high probability that he would be pierced through a vital spot by an arrow that flew from an unknown direction.

Therefore, to prevent this from happening, Shirou, hiding in the shadows, held his breath and activated his five senses, using his magical abilities, eyesight, and hearing to search for Atalanta's whereabouts.

Meanwhile, Atalanta, standing at the highest point of the courtyard, searched for her opponent. Snipers need a high vantage point to gain an advantage, and unlike the newcomer Chiron, she also had the advantage of being "familiar with the environment".

Therefore, Atalanta has an absolute advantage in this duel.

--Found it.

After locking onto the location of Chiron, Atalanta couldn't help but click her tongue in amazement.

Since both sides are Archers, the side that gains the initiative in the battle will have an overwhelming advantage. Therefore, Chiron, who is well aware of this, directly blocked Atalanta's possibility of long-range sniping by hiding in his position.

Although she was certain of her opponent's hiding place, Atalanta's current position made it impossible for her to attack him, and she couldn't be sure if this was a deliberate opening created by Chiron to lure her away.

To maintain the advantage, one needs to acquire a sniping position that brings the opponent into view, therefore--

"You cannot escape."

Atalanta stared intently at the hiding place of the Chiron, muttering softly. Her entire body slowly crouched down like that of a sprinter, a posture not learned from others, but one dictated by her wild instincts to maximize her physical abilities.

Then her entire body was launched from the spot like an arrow.

A simple leap can traverse distances that ordinary Heroic Spirit cannot reach—something only Atalanta could accomplish. In fact, Achilles is not the only hero in the Red Faction who prides himself on agility. One of the heroes with legends about agility, she possesses speed that is no less than Achilles'.

The legend has been transformed into skills.

Atalanta's ability, [Crossing Arcadia], allows her to move across the battlefield, ignoring all obstacles. Then, in mid-air, the huntress, becoming one with the wind, nocks her arrow and aims at her prey.

--!

By the time the pain in his cheek reached his brain, the piercing sound of something cutting through the air only "dullly" reached his ears.

"Well..."

Looking at the arrow that was halfway into the ground, Shirou felt a lingering fear. If it weren't for the sixth sense honed in the fires of war that made him subconsciously tilt his head, the arrow would probably have pierced his head instead.

--I have to leave!

There was no time to think. The moment Shirou lifted his foot to leave, at least three arrows were embedded in the spot where he had just stood.

What to do?

If things continue like this, I'll just be prey about to be hunted by the hunter.

As Shirou ran in the shadows, he began to consider a countermeasure.

His opponent was Atalanta, and there was absolutely no need for him to compete with her in archery. His only chance of victory was to get close, but would Atalanta give him that opportunity?

Obviously not--

"[The Phoebus Catastrophe] (Phoibos Catastrophe)!"

The soft shout from behind made Shirou's gaze sharpen.

The next second, the appeals made to the sun god and the moon goddess were answered, and countless arrows rained down on Archer from the sky like a storm.

The explosion ahead brought Atalanta to a halt. Standing on high ground, she surveyed the smoke-covered battlefield and Archer's figure.

Atalanta possessed the experience and patience of a hunter, but now that the prey's location was known, killing it quickly was the right choice to avoid unforeseen complications the longer the time dragged on.

As for the previous harmless shots, they were more of a test to see if Chiron had any trump cards that could turn the tide.

As the smoke cleared, what appeared before Atalanta was—

"[Rho Aias (Lo Aias)]!"

What stood in Shirou's way was a huge, blooming crimson flower petal.

That was Conceptual Weapon he acquired during the Trojan War, which blocked Hector's javelin and granted him absolute defense against flying weapons. It is the most powerful defensive Noble Phantasm among Shirou's many Noble Phantasm. It was this shield that withstood the calamity bestowed by the two gods.

"The shield of Ajax...?"

Atalanta's gaze remained sharp as she stared at the crimson shield. She had heard about the strange fighting style of the Chiron from Achilles before.

Although I hate to admit it, after my fatal blow failed, the tables have turned. Next, it should be Chiron's counterattack.

"Crane Wings, don't fall!"

Just as Atalanta had anticipated, through the dissipating thin smoke, the black and white swords swirled toward her in two directions, crossing each other.

Atalanta leaped away from the harmless attack, raising her bow and aiming at Chiron.

"With skill and spirit, one can reach Mount Tai; with skill and spirit, one can cross the Yellow River."

The chanting continued, and the next second, Shirou's hands were already gripping the same twin swords that he had just thrown. Atalanta was prepared for this, unsurprisingly drew her bow, but the cold sensation from behind made her stop and look back.

The twin swords that had been dodged earlier were now spinning back towards Atalanta, and the twin swords that had just been in the hands of Chiron were also flying out of his grasp and hurtling towards him.

The two pairs of swords, spinning back and forth, were drawn together and were about to transform into a cage that would tear Atalanta apart.

Faced with this perfect attack, Atalanta had no choice but to stop what she was doing.

"For fame, we parted ways; two heroes, our fates intertwined!"

Not only did she wield two swords, but the swift and agile Chiron conjured a third pair of black and white swords that attacked her. Unlike the previous ones, these swords were covered in barbs, which made Atalanta instinctively feel a chilling killing intent!

Will I die?

No, absolutely not.

Atalanta instinctively dismissed the idea, but if she didn't take any action soon, her only option left was to withdraw.

After scanning her surroundings, Atalanta calmly made her decision.

[The Hunter's Aesthetic], activated!

That was a story from the distant past, from the time of the gods.

Atalanta, the fastest female hunter in Greece, posed a difficult question to the men who proposed to her.

She races against herself, and only the winner can marry her. The loser, however, is shot dead on the spot.

In this race, Atalanta let her opponents run first before she started, and in the end, she always reached the finish line before them.

Therefore, after becoming Heroic Spirit, Atalanta also gained skills derived from this story.

--Its name is, [The Hunter's Aesthetic]

Therefore, she can let her opponent gain the initiative, and then take the initiative herself after confirming the opponent's move.

"Hmm..."

Seeing Atalanta raise her longbow and aim it at his face, Shirou was instinctively stunned. However, there was no time for him to think. Facing the arrows that were flying towards him like bullets, Shirou instinctively raised his right hand.

The arrow struck Shirou's white sword in his right hand. The moment the arrow deflected the white sword, it meant that Shirou's attack had a flaw!

Atalanta, by slightly bending down, seized this tiny opening and escaped from the "prison" she had just been in.

The two Archers brushed past each other, and Atalanta, who had successfully escaped, did not forget to turn around in mid-air and shoot an arrow at the Chiron.

"Tsk!"

After using the remaining black sword to block Atalanta's shot once more, the two Archers faced off again. But what happened next astonished them—

The battlefield beneath their feet, the enormous Hanging Gardens of Babylon, suddenly trembled violently!

Chapter Recommendation: <Accel World: Gunsmith Otaku>

Childhood, ah, this is (no)

The following is a brief introduction--

(I'm back)

Group number: 253661003

What I see before me has become hell.

The plains turned into magma. Roaring, scorching, suffocating.

His previous arrogance is gone.

The behemoth howls here. Pain, helplessness, despair.

He nodded, quite satisfied with the weapon's effectiveness. He patted the dazed imaginary figure beside him to bring it back to its senses.

"So, does this enhanced outfit meet your requirements?" "Oh... oh!..." "Then, shall we continue the transaction?" "Okay, okay!..."

"Thank you, this is a full 3000 points. Ammunition is extra. There's a 10% discount for orders over 4999 points~~" (rubbing hands) "Thank you again for patronizing Arms's mobile arms shop~~" ___ "... What?!?"...

It's really just some trivial stuff that happened to an uncle who time-traveled twice... I'm a newbie, so please forgive my poor writing... (My writing really isn't good).

Chapter 286. Defeat

"Hmm--"

Feeling the violent tremors beneath their feet, both Shirou and Atalanta, standing opposite them, showed a look of astonishment. Not only were they trembling, but as time passed, the Hanging Gardens of Babylon seemed to be on the verge of collapse.

"What happened?!"

Ignoring her opponent, Atalanta immediately turned her gaze to the building in the center of the courtyard.

If an accident occurs at the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, there can only be one reason --

The owner of this Hanging Gardens of Babylon has run into trouble!

Rewind time --

"Tsk, so this is where it was hidden?"

After overcoming countless traps and being used as cannon fodder by the Dragon Fang soldiers, Mordred found herself before a magnificent doorway. She could clearly sense the presence of Servant emanating from behind it.

Without a doubt, it is the Semiramis, Semiramis.

Mordred sheathed his sword, pushed open the door, and, with his usual brisk tone, declared war on Semiramis, who sat in the center of the room:

"Empress, I have come to receive the Holy Grail!"

However, Mordred's response was a bolt of deep purple lightning made of magic.

"If you want the Holy Grail, you must defeat me... That's what I originally intended to say."

Looking at the gate that had collapsed because of his attack, Semiramis lowered his arm and sneered, "But you, as a traitor, clearly don't deserve it."

"What?! It's completely --"

Suddenly, the smoke twisted, and Mordred, her body crackling with crimson lightning, burst through the smoke, charging straight at Semiramis—

"It doesn't hurt at all, you bastard!!!"

"Heh, as a pastime, you're not bad."

As Mordred roared and charged towards him, Semiramis's eyes flashed with a mocking light, then he raised his right hand—

As if in response to this action, a dark green chain suddenly emerged from the darkness behind her. The tips of the chain were hook-shaped, and its purpose was probably self-evident.

"Then, consider this my way of thanking you."