He rushed forward.
The two swords are crossed.
The red longsword slashes forward from the right hand, while the yellow shortsword cuts horizontally from the left.
Two sword lights struck at the same time, one after the other, with a half-beat difference, aiming at Artoria's upper body.
Artoria met the red longsword with Excalibur.
The sound of metal clashing echoed across the highway, the impact shattering a layer of the asphalt beneath their feet.
The yellow dagger sliced towards Artoria's left rib from the side.
Without the added defense of the magic armor, if this attack hits, the silver-blue armor might not be able to withstand the Ripples of Passion.
Artoria did not block.
She moved closer.
As Excalibur pressed down on the red longsword, Artoria took a step forward, directly entering the attack radius of Diarmuid swords.
The distance suddenly shortened, and the trajectory of the yellow dagger veered off course.
The sword tip grazed Artoria's left shoulder armor, sparking, but didn't cut in.
Artoria released her grip on the sword hilt with her left hand and slammed her elbow into Diarmuid's chest.
Diarmuid reacted quickly.
He had already retreated before the elbow strike arrived.
His A+ level agility allowed him to catch up with Artoria's forward charge in terms of retreat speed.
The elbow brushed against the combat suit, leaving only a shallow mark.
Diarmuid took three steps back to steady himself.
Then, he switched weapons.
The two swords were sheathed.
With his hands crossed at his waist, the red longsword and yellow shortsword were sheathed.
Two guns materialized from his Spirit Origin.
A red spear, Demon-Breaking Gáe Dearg.
A yellow short spear, Yellow Rose of Mortality.
The transition from dual swords to dual pistols is so brief it takes only a blink of an eye.
Diarmuid had already assumed an attack stance while changing weapons.
A red spear thrust out.
A gun has a much wider coverage area than a sword at medium range.
The distance between the two fighters increased.
When Artoria used Excalibur to block the first thrust of the red spear, she immediately encountered a familiar effect.
The Demon-Breaking Gáe Dearg.
When it encounters a magic-driven effect, it will be dispelled.
Artoria had already learned this lesson the hard way in their first battle at the port.
If the tip of the red spear touches the flowing Mana Burst by Excalibur, it will directly shatter the effect.
When facing the red spear, she cannot Mana Burst while it is still attached to the sword; she can only release it just before the strike lands.
Diarmuid's playing style is very clear.
Use dual pistols to create distance and wear her down, then switch to dual swords to close the gap when Artoria shows an opening.
The two men fought for nearly thirty seconds on the highway.
Diarmuid excellent dual-wielding skills.
The red-spear spearmen attack first, while the yellow-spear spearmen lie in ambush.
He kept the attack frequency of the spear very high, breaking down and recombining various basic spear techniques such as thrusting, sweeping, parrying, and flicking.
Every move is difficult to predict.
He would change the force midway through the movement, causing the tip of the spear to land slightly off-center.
The yellow spear was hidden in the gaps between each of the red spear's attacks.
As long as Artoria focuses her attention on the red spear, the yellow spear will peek out from the side.
Artoria's left arm was grazed once by the tip of the yellow spear.
The Yellow Rose of Mortality has taken effect.
There was a shallow wound on my left arm, and blood was slowly seeping out. The edges of the wound showed no signs of healing.
Just like the first battle at the port.
Artoria frowned.
She intensified her Mana Burst.
Excalibur's golden-white light brightened slightly.
The force was suppressed.
When sword skills and spear skills counter each other, the difference in basic attributes becomes very troublesome.
Strength A's full-force slash suppressed Strength B's red spear interception.
The red spear was deflected, Diarmuid's arms paused briefly.
Artoria seized the moment.
Excalibur followed up with a second strike, slashing diagonally upwards towards Diarmuid's right shoulder.
Diarmuid switched weapons again before being hit.
Dual pistols were acquired into the Spirit Origin.
The two swords were drawn.
The Ripples of Passion of the yellow dagger met Excalibur's slash.
The sword's specialized magic-removing effect Mana Burst.
The power of the slash has been reduced by about 30%.
The remaining force slammed into the yellow short sword, pushing Diarmuid back two meters.
His feet plowed two tracks into the asphalt.
But this attack was blocked.
The red longsword sliced out from the side at the same time.
The sword's edge grazed Artoria's waist armor, slicing a seam at the joint.
Without the added defense of magic armor, the silver-blue armor could not withstand the Surging Waves of Fury.
The tip of the sword grazed her side, leaving a shallow wound two centimeters long.
This was the first time Artoria bled in this battle.
Diarmuid saw an opportunity.
The two swords then launched an attack.
The red longsword attacks the head and neck, the yellow shortsword attacks the knees and legs.
Suppress from both above and below simultaneously.
Artoria responded with an offensive strategy.
Excalibur thrusts forward at full Mana Burst.
The sword tip aimed straight for Diarmuid's chest.
Excalibur's full-force thrust is less powerful than a slash, but it is faster and has a shorter trajectory.
Diarmuid had no choice but to back down.
Return to defense with both swords.
A red longsword and a yellow shortsword were crossed in front of his chest to parry.
Excalibur's sword tip struck the point where the two swords crossed.
The impact sent Diarmuid flying.
He did a somersault in the air before landing, and then slid for nearly ten meters on the ground before coming to a stop.
Both swords were trembling slightly.
Diarmuid numb.
The effects of Command Spell weaken as they are consumed.
The second Command Spell has arrived.
Kayneth stayed in the temporary Magecraft workshop and sensed Diarmuid's condition through the contract.
The second Command Spell on the back of his right hand lit up.
The new Command Spell was infused into Diarmuid's Spirit Origin.
Diarmuid's stats have been boosted again.
The numbness in his arms disappeared, and the trembling of the two swords stopped.
His golden amber eyes fixed on Artoria again.
He sheathed his twin swords and conjured twin spears once more.
This switchover is faster.
Artoria only saw a metallic flash.
The red spear thrust forward.
The gun speed is 20% faster than before.
Artoria used Excalibur to deflect the red spear, but the angle was smaller than expected.
After the Command Spell were strengthened, Diarmuid's power gap was narrowed.
The yellow spear thrust in from below.
Artoria sidestepped the spear tip, which grazed her right thigh.
It's yet another wound that will never heal.
Diarmuid did not give her time to adjust.
He sheathed his pistols and drew his swords.
Cut from mid-range to close range.
The red longsword slashes horizontally, while the yellow shortsword thrusts straight forward.
Artoria blocked the horizontal slash and then dodged the straight thrust by rotating her body.
Diarmuid then switched back to dual pistols.
Within a second.
From dual swords to dual pistols, and back to dual swords again, there were no unnecessary movements.
Each switch gets stuck at the point where offense and defense transition.
Artoria was under considerable pressure.
Her Instinct A allows her to predict the trajectory of a single attack, but Diarmuid's weapon switching alters the attack range, angle, speed, and even the Noble Phantasm effect.
She has to reassess the situation every time she switches.
Diarmuid increased the switching frequency too much; by the time the judgment caught up, the next round of attack had already arrived.
The two fought fiercely on the highway.
The road surface was trampled and broken, three streetlights fell down, and the roadside guardrails were cut into several pieces.
The intense fighting lasted for nearly a minute.
Diarmuid's Command Spell enhancement began to fade.
His attribute bonuses are decreasing.
The muscle strength returns from near A to B.
Agile went from near A++ back to A+.
Not much has changed.
But in a battle of this caliber, this change is enough.
Artoria seized the moment when his speed decreased.
Excalibur's next attack was half a beat faster than his previous one.
That last step determined the outcome.
The yellow dagger was knocked away by Excalibur.
The sword spun and flew more than ten meters before embedding itself in the road surface.
Diarmuid's left hand was empty.
Only the red longsword remained in his right hand.
One sword against one sword.
The difference in strength was immediately magnified.
Artoria Mana Burst with Excalibur, slashing down.
The crimson longsword met the attack with Surging Waves of Fury.
The sword couldn't withstand the pressure.
A sound like metal breaking rang out.
The red longsword broke off in the middle.
The severed front half spun and landed on the road.
Diarmuid stood still, gripping half of the sword hilt.
Golden amber eyes gazed at the holy sword before him, wreathed in golden-white light.
Excalibur's sword tip pierced Diarmuid's throat.
The energy Mana Burst flowed from the tip of the sword into the Spirit Origin core.
Diarmuid's body began to fade.
Golden dust rose from his body.
Dark green combat suit, golden amber eyes, and that beauty mark under his eye.
They all scattered into light and floated upwards.
Before he disappeared, the corner of his mouth seemed to twitch slightly.
It could also just be light passing by your face, making it look like that.
Diarmuid Audina.
The fifth Servant to officially retire from this Holy Grail War.
Artoria retrieved Excalibur.
The emerald green eyes looked toward the Tohsaka Residence, three kilometers away.
Next up is Caster.
Cherub Cherub.
Artoria gripped Excalibur tightly and walked towards the Tohsaka Residence.
Irisviel followed behind her.