Illya's Multiverse Odyssey

"Clang-clang-clang-clang—!"

Sparks flew everywhere!

Despite holding an absolute advantage in strength and speed, Artoria did not gain the slightest upper hand, nor could she even force Sasaki Kojiro back half a step.

"How can an Assassin have such terrifying swordsmanship?!" Mordred stared in bewilderment.

To be honest, after Illya became Artoria's Master, Mordred was no longer a match for her. In technique they were about equal, but Artoria had surpassed her in stats. It could be said that Artoria's combat power now was far stronger than it had been the night before.

Yet even this Artoria could not take down Sasaki Kojiro—this was something she had never expected.

In fact, aside from Illya, even Medea, who had summoned Sasaki Kojiro, hadn't anticipated that a pseudo-Servant she had casually called forth would possess such formidable strength.

"So this is the swordsmanship of the Far East... According to legend, Sasaki Kojiro was merely a sword master, wasn't he? If a single sword master can wield such terrifying sword arts, then how fearsome must the swordsmanship of Miyamoto Musashi, who defeated him, be..."

Heracles watched for a while and couldn't help but sigh in admiration.

Clearly, as a top-tier technician himself, he recognized the extraordinary nature of Sasaki Kojiro's swordsmanship.

But he was mistaken.

"Actually, when it comes purely to swordsmanship, the gatekeeper... Sasaki Kojiro is already the ceiling among all Servants. Miyamoto Musashi defeated him not because his swordsmanship surpassed Sasaki Kojiro's, but because he possessed a Rank A 'Eye of the Heavens,' which allowed him to see through Sasaki Kojiro's next move like Future Sight, and also a Rank A 'Emptiness' that let him instantly reach a state of emptiness, nullifying any damage. Sasaki Kojiro only had his swordsmanship."

Hearing Illya's explanation, everyone suddenly understood.

Indeed, when measuring a Servant's combat power, technique and swordsmanship were only a small part. Skills, magecraft, Noble Phantasms, and even luck all had a significant impact on battle strength.

For example, right now, having already sensed Artoria's power, Sasaki Kojiro dared not continue the prolonged exchange. Seizing an opportunity to release pressure, he distanced himself from Artoria by over two meters.

"Here it comes!"

Illya finally caught sight of Sasaki Kojiro's movement.

He gripped his sword with both hands, his gaze turning razor-sharp.

At this moment, due to her unstable stance and the angle, Artoria could not actually see Sasaki Kojiro's hands or sword.

Under normal circumstances, she might have turned to parry the incoming attack and then closed the distance again, since she far surpassed him in strength. But this time, she did not.

Because at that instant, the Rank EX Path of the Shining showed her countless possibilities for the next second, and it also told her that no matter how she reacted, as long as she remained within three meters of Sasaki Kojiro, her fate would be one and the same—struck by three simultaneous slashes aimed at her vitals, dying on the spot.

So she retreated. She pushed off the ground, and the wind's power wrapped around her body, propelling her in the direction that would take her farthest from Sasaki Kojiro as quickly as possible.

At the same time, Sasaki Kojiro finally unleashed his Noble Phantasm.

"Secret Sword—Swallow Return!"

Three purple slashes, converging from three different directions, tore through time and space, leaving a horrifying wound across Artoria's chest.

But both Artoria and Sasaki Kojiro—and even Heracles, Illya, and the others watching—knew that Sasaki Kojiro had lost.

Artoria was a knight who faced herself honestly. She was neither arrogant nor a battle maniac. She would not stubbornly insist on close combat after realizing her swordsmanship was far inferior to her opponent's.

Once Sasaki Kojiro's ultimate technique had been seen through by Artoria, he had no hope left of winning. Because Artoria could easily use the Wind King Barrier, Mana Burst, or even unleash her Noble Phantasm to attack from mid-to-long range, never entering his three-meter domain.

Unfortunately, Medea, being a magus, did not understand this.

Seeing Artoria "gravely wounded," she, who had been waiting for an opportunity, made her move!