Chapter 591: Robin Hood and the Old Knight
Robin Hood—a legendary Western figure, the righteous outlaw who lurked in Sherwood Forest, opposing the tyrant King John Lackland. He ultimately met his end bleeding to death due to the schemes of the Abbot of Kirklees.
Though widely renowned, he was not famed for martial prowess but immortalized in history for his indomitable spirit of rebellion. Originally born from the "prayers" of the English people, repeatedly invaded by foreign nations, he was a faceless hero whose parameters were far from outstanding—inferior even to Drake, the captain from the first round.
However, despite being an Archer-class Servant, Robin Hood was exceptionally skilled in assassination and bore striking similarities to the Heroic Spirit Emiya. One could say he was a prototype from a thousand years prior.
The same flippant attitude, the same penchant for sarcasm and sharp tongue—yet fundamentally kind-hearted. The same willingness to do whatever it took to secure victory, coupled with the same motherly tendency to fuss over others…
Incidentally, due to the principle that like repels like, Emiya and Robin Hood had always been on poor terms.
Ahem—back to the matter at hand. As a fragile Archer with a meager Endurance stat of C, there was only one possibility for Robin Hood to survive an anti-fortress Noble Phantasm:
"Command Spell."
The dust was swept aside by a slash of the blade as Sakatsuki lifted his gaze, coldly fixing his eyes on the old knight at the entrance. "Dan Blackmore."
At the last moment, the old man had used a Command Spell to save his Servant.
"What is the meaning of this, Archer?"
One of his three precious Command Spells had been expended, yet Dan Blackmore's expression remained largely unchanged as he regarded Robin Hood. The green-cloaked youth, having steadied himself from the brink of death, merely shrugged in response, his face devoid of remorse.
"If you're asking why, isn't it obvious? I did it for your victory, Master. Did you seriously expect me to just sit tight until the finals? When there's a far simpler solution—killing the Masters before the decisive battle?"
Upon hearing the answer he had dreaded most, the old knight's face darkened for the first time. "...Who ordered you to do this? Even vultures feeding on carrion retain a shred of dignity. It seems you lack something called 'honor.'"
The barb in those words stung Robin Hood. For an instant, his eyes flashed with irritation, but it quickly dissipated, replaced once more by his usual mask of flippant indifference.
"Honor, huh... Asking me for something like that is just cruel, don't you think? Sure, it'd be nice to defeat enemies with honor, but sorry—I'm no expert in that field. I'm a realist who wouldn't hesitate to poison a man to death!"
Robin Hood wasn't wrong. To single-handedly annihilate armies, he routinely laid traps, ambushed foes, and poisoned supplies—even trampling upon soldiers' dying wish to "at least perish in battle." He concealed his weapons, his pride, even his own face—because without doing so, victory would have been impossible. Without doing so, he could never have remained the "hero" the villagers longed for.
It was these contradictory life experiences that shaped his ruthless combat style. In Robin Hood's eyes, if victory couldn't be achieved, so-called glory was nothing but a joke.
Yet, even as a Heroic Spirit, one shouldn't overlook one thing—that people living in modern times also possess convictions that must not be violated.
Dan Blackmore gazed at his Servant and sighed softly.
"How disappointing, Archer. Not only did you attack a Master in the school building without permission, but you even resorted to using your Noble Phantasm." The old knight's voice was low yet powerful, his words imbued with conviction that echoed from the infirmary into the silent hallway.
"This battlefield operates under fair rules. To break them would be to trample upon human honor. This is not a war between nations, but a battle between individuals. There is no need—nor should there be—to stoop to the level of beasts."
A quiet monologue.
But Hakuno could sense something beneath the old knight's resolute gaze—something concealed beneath that firm belief.
"Archer, your Master Dan Blackmore commands you with a Command Spell: You are henceforth permanently forbidden from using the Bow of Prayer to attack enemy Masters within the school grounds."
!!!
As the words were spoken, a red light flared, causing Sakura in the infirmary to cover her mouth in shock, Hakuno to widen his eyes, and even Sakatsuki to let out a soft sound of surprise, the anger in his eyes fading somewhat. Not just them—even outside the infirmary, faint murmurs of surprise could be heard.
The most intense reaction, naturally, came from Robin Hood himself, the one now bound by this restriction.
"Hah!? Old man, are you serious!? Isn't this a battle we can't afford to lose!?"
"Of course. I won't place myself in an unwinnable position—I will secure victory as a matter of course. That is my resolve." The old knight Dan calmly lowered his arm, now bearing only one remaining Command Spell. "However—Archer, I have no intention of forcing you to do this for the sake of victory. Your battle and mine are different."
The lion-like aura of authority faded as the old knight regarded his Servant with steady warmth. "Even if this is a battle I cannot lose, it isn't necessarily the same for you. Your second life shouldn't be spent struggling under the weight of a hero's 'karma.'"
Dan Blackmore spoke his true feelings. He was no longer young—his body was weakening, yet his spirit had been honed to even greater resilience. Precisely because of this, he could express his concern with complete sincerity.
"I don't want you to disgrace yourself for the sake of victory."
—A Command Spell. One of the three absolute commands granted to Masters by the Moon Cell. Unbelievable—this old knight had used one just to ensure his Servant would "fight honorably."
"..." Faced with his Master's heartfelt words, Robin Hood opened his mouth but found himself unable to retort with his usual sharp tongue. He turned his head away, almost petulantly, and materialized a deep-purple crossbow to dispel the poison lingering in Hakuno's wound.
"There. It's gone now."
The healing spell took effect, and Hakuno immediately felt a sense of relief. She sat up against the headboard, silently observing the unique dynamic between this pair of Master and Servant. For a fleeting moment, Robin Hood no longer seemed like the legendary outlaw of Sherwood Forest, and the old knight Dan didn't appear to be an opponent they were about to fight to the death—instead, they resembled nothing more than a rebellious young man and his stern yet kind grandfather.
This was the distinctive relationship between Dan Blackmore and Robin Hood, unlike any other Master-Servant pair—unconventional yet strangely harmonious.
So, what kind of relationship did she and Sakatsuki share...?
Just then, the old knight Dan turned to Hakuno again: "Though I was unaware of this incident, my Servant has committed a grave discourtesy. This was never my intention, and I hope you can forgive us."
After offering his apology, Dan Blackmore turned to leave. But at that moment, the young man positioned himself before the infirmary door, his lips curled in a smirk, the edge of his blade gleaming coldly.
"Hold it right there. Even arrogance has its limits. The victims here are me and my Master. To act so unilaterally is nothing short of looking down on us."
Apart from that single apology, the old knight Dan had been exclusively communicating with his own Servant the entire time, treating Sakatsuki and the other two in the infirmary as if they didn't exist. To Sakatsuki, this was undoubtedly an insult.
"This isn't arrogance. We are opponents by nature. My matters with Archer have nothing to do with you," the old knight said slowly.
"Is that so? But I'm feeling rather provoked," Sakatsuki stood his ground, the corners of his mouth lifting while his eyes harbored emotions starkly opposed to his smile. "To dare lay hands on my Master in my absence... This means you've already prepared yourselves to face my wrath, haven't you?"
Hearing this, Robin Hood couldn't help but protest: "Hey, I was nearly killed by you!"
"But you're still alive, aren't you?" Sakatsuki scoffed. "No need to put on airs of civility. In the Holy Grail War, fists speak louder than words. Robin Hood, for an Archer, you sure favor assassination tactics. Very well then—I'll give you a proper fight."
He was openly challenging them to battle!
Hakuno's lips parted slightly in surprise, and Sakura mirrored her reaction. In their view, the old knight Dan had shown sufficient sincerity, and Robin Hood had already been punished with a Command Spell—this matter should have ended there.
But to Sakatsuki, the enemy had already thrown down the gauntlet. What reason did he have to back down now?
His razor-sharp gaze shifted to the silent Dan Blackmore.
"Of course, there's also a certain knight here who values honorable combat—one worthy of respect. Therefore, I propose we engage in two rounds of competition."
Under the moonlight of the deep night, beyond the shattered windows of the infirmary, the meteor shower of magical energy had ceased. Sakatsuki's clear voice rang out, reaching the ears of all who listened.
"A Master chasing hollow glory, and a Servant wielding ruthless pragmatism as his weapon."
"No matter what paths you walk in life, only those who fight alone to the very end and emerge victorious have the right to call themselves kings."
"Though I am both humble and tolerant, there are three things I absolutely cannot abide: those who order me around, those who defy me, and those bastards who dare bully my Master."
"The gauntlet has been thrown at your feet, gentlemen."
Facing the noble old knight and the ranger of Sherwood, the white-haired, golden-eyed youth lifted his chin and arrogantly demanded:
"Do you wish to pick him up, or would you rather kneel and beg for mercy?"