"Clang, clang, clang, clang—"
Sparks flew everywhere!
Despite holding an absolute advantage in strength and speed, Artoria had failed to gain even the slightest upper hand. She could not even force Sasaki Kojiro back a single step.
"How could an assassin have such terrifying swordsmanship?!" Mordred looked utterly dumbfounded.
To be honest, ever since Illya had become Artoria's Master, Mordred had no longer been Artoria's match. Their techniques were roughly equal, but Artoria had already surpassed her in attributes. It could be said that Artoria's combat power was now far greater than it had been last night.
Yet Artoria still could not defeat Sasaki Kojiro. That was something Mordred had never expected.
Even Medea, who had summoned Sasaki Kojiro, had not expected that the pseudo-Servant she had casually summoned would possess such formidable strength.
"So this is the swordsmanship of the Far East... According to legend, Sasaki Kojiro was merely a master swordsman, wasn't he? If a mere master swordsman possessed such terrifying skill, then just how frightening must the swordsmanship of Miyamoto Jessie, who defeated him, have been..."
After watching for a while, even Heracles could not help but sigh.
Clearly, as someone at the pinnacle of technique himself, he had also recognized the extraordinary nature of Sasaki Kojiro's swordsmanship.
But he was mistaken.
"Actually, in terms of swordsmanship alone, the gatekeep... Sasaki Kojiro is already the ceiling among all Servants. Miyamoto Jessie defeated him not because her swordsmanship surpassed Sasaki Kojiro's, but because she possessed Rank A 'Heavenly Eye,' allowing her to see through Sasaki Kojiro's next move as if she had Future Sight. She also had Rank A 'Voidless,' which let her enter a state of perfect emptiness in an instant and become immune to all damage. Sasaki Kojiro, on the other hand, only had swordsmanship."
Upon hearing Illya's explanation, everyone immediately understood.
Indeed, technique and swordsmanship were only a small part of what determined a Servant's combat strength. Skills, magecraft, Noble Phantasms, and even luck could all have a significant impact on combat power.
For instance, after sensing Artoria's strength, Sasaki Kojiro no longer dared to keep wearing her down. Taking advantage of an opening created by redirecting force, he widened the distance between them to over two meters.
"Here it comes!"
Illya finally saw Sasaki Kojiro's movements clearly.
Sasaki Kojiro gripped his blade with both hands, his gaze becoming incomparably sharp.
At that moment, Artoria's stance was unstable, and because of the angle, she could not actually see Sasaki Kojiro's hands or his sword.
Under normal circumstances, she might have blocked the possible incoming attack with a backhand swing before closing the distance with Sasaki Kojiro again. After all, she far surpassed him in strength. But this time, she did not do so.
Because at that instant, the Rank EX Path of the Shining showed her countless possibilities for the next second. It also told her that no matter how she reacted, as long as she remained within three meters of Sasaki Kojiro, there was only one outcome—she would be struck in her vital points by three simultaneous blade flashes and die on the spot.
So she retreated. Power burst from beneath her feet as the force of wind wrapped around her body, propelling her away from Sasaki Kojiro as quickly as possible.
At the same time, Sasaki Kojiro finally unleashed his Noble Phantasm.
"Secret Sword—Tsubame Gaeshi!"
Purple blade flashes slashed out simultaneously from three different directions, converging at one point and tearing through time and space, leaving a horrifying wound across Artoria's chest.
However, Artoria, Sasaki Kojiro, and even Heracles, Illya, and the others watching all knew that Sasaki Kojiro had lost.
Artoria was a knight who dared to face her own shortcomings. She was neither arrogant nor obsessed with martial arts. She would not stubbornly insist on close combat after knowing full well that her swordsmanship was far inferior to her opponent's.
Once Artoria had seen through Sasaki Kojiro's ultimate move, he no longer had any hope of victory. Artoria could simply use Wind King Barrier, Mana Burst, or even unleash her Noble Phantasm to attack from mid- to long-range without entering his three-meter domain.
Unfortunately, Medea, being a magus, did not know this.
Seeing Artoria "seriously wounded," Medea, who had been waiting for an opportunity, made her move!
Before you continue