"Black" Rider soared through the sky on his Hippogriff.
Its flight path was curvilinear, yet it weaved in right-angled trajectories, drawing a trail that was physically impossible. Even for a phantasmal beast like a Hippogriff, these movements placed a tremendous strain on its body. But they had no choice, as the master and servant were so cornered that they had to resort to this. The Hippogriff, too, had no desire to be shot down. It desperately continued to evade the artillery fire.
A sharp turn at maximum speed.
Muscles cramped, bones creaked.
The enemy's name was Semiramis. A servant of the "Red" faction, summoned in the Assassin class, the legendary Queen of Assyria known for her black magic and poisonings.
So, it was understandable that she bore the name Assassin, and that she used magecraft as a weapon.
However, if she were merely an assassin with some knowledge of magecraft, there was no way the master and servant pair of "Black" Rider and his Hippogriff would be at a disadvantage.
After all, Rider possessed a magic book that could shatter any magecraft.
Since obtaining that book, no one had ever been able to harm him with magecraft. Summoned as a Servant, he had reproduced that legend as A-Rank 'Magic Resistance'.
Unfortunately, Rider had completely forgotten the True Name of the magic book, but even so, merely possessing it granted him A-Rank 'Magic Resistance', which was a significant advantage. This high Magic Resistance, comparable to that of the 'Saber' class, rendered all modern magecraft useless and could almost completely defend against magecraft from the Age of Gods. Logically speaking, since "Red" Assassin relied on magecraft as her means of attack, she was fated to be defeated by Rider.
Fundamentally, the 'Caster' class, being magi, faced a dilemma in the Holy Grail War, the great ritual of magi: they were always forced into a disadvantageous position. The reason was that roughly half of the seven standard classes possessed the 'Magic Resistance' skill to a greater or lesser extent. Consequently, most 'Casters' had to hole up in their workshops and devote their wisdom to fortification and schemes.
Although they should have been able to annihilate enemies with their exceptionally powerful firepower, reminiscent of artillery barrages, they could not. As a result, there were very few reports of 'Casters' surviving a Holy Grail War.
However, conversely, this meant that a 'Caster' who possessed mysteries potent enough to breach 'Magic Resistance' could annihilate their enemies with vast magical energy and knowledge.
"Red" Assassin's summoned class may not have been 'Caster', but she possessed class skills equivalent to one. Furthermore, she was a magus from the Age of Gods, when deities ran rampant, and she herself was a demigod hero, born from the union of a goddess and a Syrian. The mystery dwelling within her exceeded two thousand years.
The magical energy she handled was EX-Rank, surpassing A-Rank.
This effectively meant it could penetrate all 'Magic Resistance'.
Eleven magical cannon portals deployed.
All were aimed at Rider and the Hippogriff.
One or two could have been avoided at top speed. Up to five, they could somehow endure. But against a simultaneous barrage of so many great magecraft spells that one could not count them on both hands, even the renowned Rider found it difficult to resist.
A vortex of bluish-white lightning filled Rider's field of vision.
Finally, the equilibrium broke. Serpents of lightning entwined Rider's entire body.
"Uwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!!"
His A-Rank 'Magic Resistance' was pierced, and he was ravaged by dense magical energy that felt as if it was pulverizing his organs and bones.
Together with the Hippogriff, Rider fell.
Death by crashing.
A fitting end for those insolent enough to rudely set foot in the Queen's sanctuary, just like Icarus who flew too close to the sun.
With dispassionate eyes, Assassin overlooked the battlefield.
The battle situation seemed evenly matched.
"Red" Lancer, whirling his spear and raising flames, was clashing with "Black" Saber. "Red" Archer was evading "Black" Lancer's stakes with animalistic movements, firing arrows through the slightest openings. "Red" Rider seemed to have been lured into the forest, but it should be fine. That great hero's opponent was the mysterious archer who shared the same name as Assassin's Master and seemed to be from the same homeland. Using his Noble Phantasm extravagantly, this irregular archer was managing to breach "Red" Rider's immortality. His parameters were low, but his identity was unknown, making it impossible to trace his footsteps or thoughts from legend. Mystery was an uncertain element that could hinder the 'Plan' which required perfect preparation. It would be convenient if he were defeated here.
"Now then, my Master…"
It seemed she had successfully encountered a Servant.
"Black" Berserker. The weakest Servant among the enemies. A suitable opponent for the Master, though it was somewhat disappointing. A mere foot soldier like that might not be enough to push my Master to the brink.
"Red" Rider, holding his beloved spear in one hand, faced off against "Black" Archer.
This was the first time Rider had made direct contact with Archer. He was very interested in this Servant, the only one among the "Black" camp who had managed to breach his defenses, and had decided that if it came to a decisive battle, he would take down Archer first.
Fighting an opponent who could not wound him was neither interesting nor fun. It was a chore, not a battle.
This childish, self-centered thought, however, hinted at a certain future.
After all, no matter what Rider thought, the "Black" camp must have Archer intercept him.
As long as Rider existed, his opponent was determined to be Archer.
Currently, Rider's information on Archer was limited to him possessing a large number of Noble Phantasms and having crossed swords with "Red" Saber. Until now, he didn't even know Archer's appearance, let alone his True Name.
"Is it true you crossed swords with "Red" Saber?"
Rider asked while cautiously observing Archer.
"Is it strange for an archer to wield a sword?"
"Nah," Rider shook his head.
"Whether you're an archer or not, you'd use swords or spears. It's war."
Rider tightened his grip on the spear.
"What I'm concerned about is whether you'll drop out too early!"
With a swift step, Rider thrust out his spear.
Leaving even sound behind, it aimed to gouge out Archer's heart.
A running flash of lightning.
The spear's white blade was blocked by a crude black blade.
"Don't worry. I have no intention of falling easily either."
Archer, holding his Chinese twin swords, smiled sarcastically.
"So that's the sword you used against Saber…"
Rider scrutinized the twin swords as if appraising them.
From their unique shape, Rider understood they were swords of Chinese origin. The China of his era was around the end of the Yin dynasty, and while he had had no opportunity to encounter Chinese culture then, as a Servant summoned in the Holy Grail War, he possessed knowledge transcending time.
And Rider thought for a moment.
Could this Archer's true identity be a Chinese hero?
Chinese mythology was among the oldest in the world, spanning four thousand years. Having experienced numerous wars, there were many famous warriors.
It wasn't that there were absolutely no warriors who used both a bow and twin swords, but even so, the number of his Noble Phantasms was abnormal.
The enemy was in a defensive stance.
His posture was flawless, reminiscent of a sturdy fortress.
It seemed he was quite proficient with these twin swords, not just his bow.
Rider thrust his spear with a practiced hand. His aim was true, piercing straight for the chest. Against a normal archer, it would have ended here.
"Tch."
White blades intertwined, and the spear was deflected. He immediately followed up with a second strike. The white sword wouldn't make it in time. But that didn't land either. The black blade, swung upwards as if chasing the white blade, swept aside the spear's tip.
Rider possessed skill sufficient to be summoned as a 'Lancer' without issue. And he was Achilles, boasting the greatest speed among all heroes. The speed of his thrusts was incomparable to that of ordinary Servants.
The number of exchanged blows had surpassed ten and was approaching twenty.
This meant the archer was perfectly parrying Rider's attacks at close range.
The compatibility between twin swords and spear likely played a role.
It was difficult to break through twin swords dedicated to defense. Their numerous strikes, ease of handling, and wide blades acted as a shield protecting the user. On the other hand, no matter how fast the spear's thrusts were, generating power required a pulling-back motion. This created a clear time lag, giving the twin swords time to respond.
"Hggh!"
Rider leaned his upper body back, evading a flash of light.
A sword that had abruptly appeared before him had aimed for his brow. Considering the possibility of a follow-up, he temporarily created distance. This series of actions, thanks to his astounding reflexes and motor skills, was all performed in a single breath.
Quite troublesome.
The twin sword defense blocked Rider's thrusts, and he possessed an ability to summon and shoot swords from nowhere, even while both hands were occupied.
Not only did he have the twin swords, but other swords could appear from anywhere, making for an extremely difficult opponent to attack.
But this was merely a warm-up.
At this stage, Rider was only using about seventy percent of his strength.
Archer, on the other hand, was not feeling calm.
Fundamentally, the stature of Archer and Rider as heroes was too different. A great hero from the Age of Gods with a history of three thousand years, and a future archer with zero fame correction - it wasn't hard to imagine a cliff-like gap in their Servant parameters.
That didn't mean he would accept defeat, however. He had planned to set traps with Noble Phantasms capable of wounding him, lure him into the forest where his renowned speed could be somewhat neutralized, and finish him off with long-range sniping.
The true value of an archer lay in long-range sniping; the correct way was to shoot down the enemy unilaterally from a place beyond their reach. Even if one was skilled in close combat, deliberately challenging a superior opponent to melee was the height of folly.
Yet, even understanding this common sense, Archer had allowed Rider to close in.
The reasons were that Rider's abilities far exceeded Archer's expectations, and that the cards Archer could use against him were limited.
The common-sense assumption that maintaining speed would be impossible in a forest full of obstacles was overturned by Rider's astounding mobility. It couldn't be explained by A+ Rank 'Agility' alone; he likely possessed a skill or Noble Phantasm that allowed him to maintain his speed. With speed that left traps behind, Rider had raced through the forest. Additionally, there was the restriction that no damage could be inflicted on Rider except with Anti-Divine Noble Phantasms.
Most of the weapons he used in life were ineffective, and projecting unfamiliar Anti-Divine Noble Phantasms took more time compared to projecting his familiar ones. Even if that difference was a fraction of a second, less than 0.1 seconds, it was enough of an opening for the fastest hero to close in on Archer.
For these reasons, Archer had allowed Rider to get close.
Once Rider closed in, the situation was more than half lost.
But Archer could not afford to be defeated by Rider.
Because his defeat would mean the defeat of the "Black" faction.
Thus, he drew his swords.
From the very beginning, even in life, every enemy Archer faced had been superior to him. Facing a great hero now was nothing to fear.
The twin swords in his hands formed a defensive formation.
Not being Anti-Divine Noble Phantasms, they were useless as weapons against Rider. But as defensive tools, they were first-rate. Above all, these familiar twin swords could be projected instantly even if they were knocked away.
For Rider to finish off Archer, he must first knock away both twin swords and then thrust for the chest. That required at least three moves. In that time, the projected sword would have already returned. Thus, one hand would always be holding a sword, never leaving him completely unarmed.
This was the reason why Rider, despite overwhelming Archer, couldn't break through his defense.
"That makes thirty-seven!"
Rider's spear knocked away Archer's white blade.
The black blade intercepted Rider's spear, and before he knew it, the white blade was back in Archer's hand. They had repeated this thirty-seven times.
"Hey, hey, that's just ridiculous. How many of the same Noble Phantasm do you have?! Are they mass-produced or something?!"
"Your tongue is as quick as ever, Rider. They are Noble Phantasms, nonetheless. Refrain from speaking of them as if they were pebbles on the roadside."
"You're the one saying that?!"
Rider's voice was mixed with exasperation, but he didn't stop thinking.
Archer's skill was considerable, but still fell short of a first-rate Saber. Naturally, he was no match for Rider, the great hero of the Trojan War. Yet, despite this, the fight was even. This was strange, even taking into account that his twin sword style was specialized for defense.
What made it possible was the bizarre phenomenon of the knocked-away sword instantly returning to his hand.
Was this the ability of this Noble Phantasm?
In any case, to break this stalemate, a move different from thrusts and sweeps was necessary.
Here, Rider changed his tactics.
Instead of high-speed consecutive attacks, he began mixing in feints, looking for an opening in Archer's defense.
If he couldn't strip away the defense, he would slip through it to strike the heart. A contest of minor techniques combined with a decisive blow at the right moment would be more effective.
The scales gradually began tipping in Rider's favor.
He used his spear to knock away one of the twin swords. The remaining one intercepted the next thrust. The sequence so far was exactly the same as before. The next move would be a newly appeared sword forming a third defensive wall—No. He was sick of repeats. Just as Archer was about to summon a sword to defend against the spear, Rider's kick intervened.
"Guh...!"
Rider's kick landed perfectly on Archer's body armor, sending him flying.
The equilibrium was broken.
Rider wouldn't let this chance escape.
He closed the distance to the off-balance Archer in an instant. A gust of wind, literally too fast for the eye to see, brought Archer into the killing range.
"Got you!!"
Certain of victory, Rider unleashed a thrust.
The defense with twin swords was indeed impregnable. Breaking it head-on was extremely difficult. However, being weapons wielded with one hand, they were inherently inferior in power. There was no way they could handle Rider's thrust augmented by his speed.
Archer also understood that he couldn't parry Rider's next attack with his twin swords. He didn't know where the thrust would come from, but if he didn't defend somehow, defeat was certain. His judgment was faster than an instant; his body moved ahead of his thoughts.
"Projection, begin. Trace, on."
He cocked the hammer.
A shield wouldn't be projected in time. A sword-type object, hard enough to block that thrust, and also functional as a shield.
——Corresponding item, exists.
He envisioned the strongest great hero.
The proud, rocky giant, and his axe-sword.
"What?!"
Rider's eyes widened in astonishment.
The thrust unleashed with certainty of a kill was blocked once again.
Appearing between Rider and Archer was a giant stone sword. It was more of a rock mass than a weapon, lacking a honed edge or glorious decoration. Rider's spear was blocked by this rock mass, allowing Archer to escape.
That alone would have been fine. If it were just a rock mass, its role would have ended after blocking Rider's spear. But this was a rock mass that was also a sword. Archer's hand was indeed placed on what appeared to be its hilt.
He couldn't afford to stop.
Even if he didn't know the true nature of this rock mass, if it were an Anti-Divine Noble Phantasm, it could potentially cut Rider down.
He utilized his swiftness to retreat. In that very moment——
"All projection processes complete. Set——Is, shoot the hundred heads! Nine Lives Blade Works!"
A god-speed nine-strike combo, fast enough to capture his swift feet, was unleashed.
Rank A and above.
Among the True Name releases of the Noble Phantasms Archer possessed, this boasted the highest firepower, a sure-kill great slash in close combat. A sublimation of the anecdote of the great hero Heracles' 'Slaying of the Hydra' into a school of techniques, it was a Noble Phantasm originally usable only by Heracles himself.
A mere imitation.
As Archer, he could not reach Heracles' level.
However, even so, this technique was the divine skill of Heracles.
The nine slashes overlapped, forming a net to capture the prey.
Unfortunately, it was not an Anti-Divine Noble Phantasm.
It was a direct hit, but it caused no damage.
Even so, because Rider had been airborne, the impact of the slashes successfully created significant distance.
Rider, sent flying, stood nonchalantly without even kneeling.
But he seemed perplexed.
For an instant, his swiftness had been surpassed. But more than that,
"Nine Lives... Blade Works?"
That was the martial pinnacle reached by the great Greek hero who stood alongside him. The technique of the man who shared the same teacher and created numerous legends.
"Who the hell are you, seriously?"
"Can't you tell by looking?"
Archer used the time gained by creating distance to proceed with projection preparations. Even this staring contest was precious time for him to generate weapons.
"I'm just a paltry archer."
He nocked the projected Anti-Divine Noble Phantasm onto his bow and shot it off casually.