Chapter 20: The Hero Endowed by Heaven
Just as Waver was wondering whether that boy from ten years ago would appear again in this Holy Grail War, a flat voice echoed in his mind.
"Master, I sense the presence of another Servant inside."
Waver immediately went on high alert at the warning from his spirit-form Servant.
"A Servant... so the other party has already obtained their qualification..." Waver couldn't help but frown, looking at the envelope in his hand with some doubt.
"If that's the case, why would they invite me?"
In an instant, many conjectures flashed through Waver's mind. At this moment, he was like a detective, attempting to find clues from the smallest traces.
Waver was very interested in The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes and read such books frequently. This had made his thinking very agile, causing him to pay closer attention to minor details that ordinary people might miss.
"If they are a competitor, are they trying to lure me into a trap?"
Waver scanned the interior of the church and found it to be quite spacious.
"If they were to set a trap, it would be easy to avoid..." Waver pondered, then addressed the spirit-form Servant. "Archer, what do you think?"
"I don't feel any magical energy; there should be no magecraft traps. However, modern weapons could also easily cause harm to you, Master."
Waver nodded in agreement.
"It seems quite likely there will be a battle today. Are you ready, Archer?"
"Of course, my Master," Archer said in a flat tone.
Although Archer was not suited for close combat, his tone suggested he didn't have the slightest worry about that point.
Naturally, Waver gained a great deal of confidence and walked toward the interior of the church without hesitation.
Reaching the innermost part of the church, Waver opened a door and stepped inside.
The interior was not as holy or elegant as the outside decorations; it gave off a very plain impression. Both the walls and the ceiling were so white they seemed reflective.
"Welcome, El-Melloi II."
A mature smile appeared on the face of a youth dressed in Catholic red vestments.
Although he looked very young, there was a sense in his eyes of someone who had already experienced the many vicissitudes of the world; looking at them for too long might even make one feel a sense of weariness.
According to the intelligence Waver obtained before coming here, because the Holy Church priest Kotomine Kirei died unexpectedly eight years ago, two personnel were dispatched for this Holy Grail War. One of them was this man.
It was said that he had joined the Holy Church decades ago; his name was Amakusa Shirou. He was merely a colleague of the old priest, Kotomine Risei.
Though he still had the appearance of a youth after all these years, it wasn't difficult to achieve such a thing through magecraft, so it wasn't particularly strange.
The other person was Kotomine Risei, the old priest who had once been in charge of the Fourth Holy Grail War.
"Hello, I am Amakusa Shirou, serving as the Supervisor for this Holy Grail Great War."
"I see. My name is Waver Velvet. Let's skip the unnecessary self-introductions; I presume you already have information on me."
Waver responded in a calm tone.
"Yes, you're right." The youth nodded, then looked behind Waver and asked, "Are you not going to let your Servant materialize?"
Hearing this, Waver smiled.
"Before that, perhaps you should set an example."
"That is only fair." The youth nodded in agreement. "Assassin, materialize."
The next moment, black mist diffused in the rear, and then a certain graceful figure appeared.
It was an exquisitely beautiful woman dressed in a long dress of dark green and black, emitting a certain decadent atmosphere. She had pointed ears like those of a fairy from myth and slit pupils like a cat's. Her hip-length black hair shimmered under the lights.
Seeing that Assassin had appeared not far from him, Waver felt somewhat surprised that she could hide her presence so well.
Assassins gain the class skill "Presence Concealment" when they manifest. As long as they use "Presence Concealment" while in spirit form, they will not be detected by others unless the Assassin takes the initiative to attack.
"In that case, I can't back out of my end of the deal." Waver nodded and then said, "You materialize too, Archer."
Amidst a surge of blue light, a black-haired man dressed in ornate white clothing and a blue cloak appeared. Whether in his standing posture or his general conduct, he exuded a unique elegance.
Though his skin was dark, this black-haired man had a handsome face that made it difficult to look away.
While allowing an Archer to face an enemy at close range wasn't a good tactical decision, the same applied to the opponent having an Assassin face an enemy head-on. Since everyone was in the same situation, Waver didn't feel much concern.
Moreover, his Archer was strong; Waver, knowing Archer's strength, had confidence in this.
The identity of the Archer summoned by Waver was the great hero of the ancient Indian epic, the Mahabharata—Arjuna.
Class: Archer
Master: Waver Velvet
True Name: Arjuna
Height: 177cm
Weight: 72kg
Strength: A
Endurance: B
Agility: B
Mana: B
Luck: A++
Noble Phantasm: EX
Class Skills: Magic Resistance: C Independent Action: A Divinity: B
Personal Skills: Clairvoyance: C+ Mana Burst (Flames): A The Hero Endowed by Heaven: A
Noble Phantasms: Pashupata: A+ Agni Gandiva: A
The Mahabharata is a magnificent and brilliant story where various Indian heroes gather, but it would not be an exaggeration to say that Arjuna is the figure at the center.
In addition to his excellent base status, he also possesses two powerful Noble Phantasms.
These are "Pashupata" and "Agni Gandiva."
"Pashupata" is a weapon gifted by Shiva, one of the three main gods in Hinduism who presides over destruction and creation. Although it is called an Anti-Personnel Noble
Phantasm, its nature is "not to slaughter the surrounding humans, but to conduct a judgment on enemies within range one by one. If the judgment fails, the opponent is granted 'Moksha' (liberation)."
Moksha effectively means instant death; the higher the Divinity, the higher the probability of being liberated. Conversely, the probability of "liberation" for Servants commonly known as Anti-Heroes is relatively lower.
"Agni Gandiva" was bestowed upon Arjuna by the fire god Agni. It is supposed to be a bow of flame that humans (mortals) cannot use. Normally, it is an ordinary bow, but when its True Name is released, it transforms into a battery wreathed in flames. While it lacks a homing function, since Arjuna is naturally a genius of archery, when combined with his Clairvoyance skill, it possesses a precision almost equal to that of a guided missile.
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