"I'm fine."
Shirou rubbed at the red mark above his brow. Compared to his previous battles, this one had been thrilling but relatively safe.
I wish every fight could end like this, Shirou thought, instead of leaving me sore and bruised all over every single time.
"Really? I never expected you'd defeat Archer by yourself, Master," Arthur said with a bitter smile. "In comparison, I barely inflicted minor injuries on Rider. I've truly failed my duty as your Servant."
Arthur felt guilty. Had his Master been weaker, Archer would have surely killed Shirou while Arthur was occupied with Rider.
Arthur reflected deeply on his actions. Because of past experiences, he unconsciously conserved energy. Like today—he only used [Invisible Air]'s release at the last moment, thinking he should end the fight quickly by unleashing his Noble Phantasm.
After all, mana in a Holy Grail War was limited. Most ordinary Masters couldn't easily sustain repeated Noble Phantasm activations, so he'd habitually tried to spare Shirou's mana.
Then Arthur remembered he no longer had to hold back. With their plentiful mana, he should be fighting more aggressively.
Still, using his Noble Phantasm against Rider might just make him an easier target.
Then Arthur's mind sparked with a new idea: maybe he could keep his Noble Phantasm continuously activated during combat. Normally, he wouldn't even consider something so taxing; the mana burden on an ordinary Master would be immense. But now, with mana to spare, why not?
If I fought like that, I could probably finish Rider off quickly. He couldn't withstand [Excalibur]'s full force in a close-range strike. That's not merely magecraft cloaking my blade—it's the power of the sacred sword itself.
"Master, should we still head toward the church?" Arthur asked Shirou cautiously. Even though they'd repelled these two Servants, the Red faction still had a full set of seven. And Rider alone had already matched Arthur in strength.
Moreover, tonight had clearly been just a probing attack. The Red faction wasn't serious yet—that's why they'd retreated rather than escalate further.
If Shirou and Arthur pressed on, they'd surely encounter the Red faction's true strength.
"Caw! Caw! Caw!"
While Shirou and Arthur hesitated, a crow's sharp call echoed overhead as it circled down from above the forest canopy.
Suddenly, a projection appeared in front of them.
"That's enough probing for now," came Darnic's voice through the projection. "Dawn is approaching soon, and our Black Saber has already withdrawn from the battlefield."
"The Red faction's Lancer is likely returning to the church as we speak. If you push forward now, you'll risk being surrounded—such a loss would be pointless."
"Besides," Darnic continued, "we've successfully confirmed the true identities of the Red faction's Saber, Lancer, Archer, and Rider. This alone makes tonight's mission a great success. Withdraw immediately to Trifas."
Darnic delivered this final order decisively. Having witnessed three of the enemy Servants' power and learned their identities, this operation had been exceptionally fruitful for the Black faction.
"What are their true names?" Shirou eagerly asked. He already knew Red Saber's identity, and it wasn't surprising the Black faction had figured it out, too. But how had they identified the other three?
"Allow me to explain."
A composed male voice, intellectual and steady, resonated through the transmission—Black Archer himself, Chiron.
"Red Archer is Atalanta, the famous swift-footed huntress from Greek mythology. Rider is Achilles, famed for his unmatched valor in the Trojan War and known as humanity's swiftest hero. And Lancer is Karna, the legendary hero of charity from the Indian epic Mahabharata, the son of Surya, the Sun God."
Chiron deliberately withheld the fact that Achilles was his disciple. Revealing it would indirectly expose his own true identity to this formidable duo, who weren't entirely loyal allies. He preferred to maintain secrecy about himself while openly sharing information about the enemy.
After all, they were at least nominal allies for now, and using Shirou and Arthur against the Red faction benefited him greatly.
But seeing the revealed enemy Servants left Darnic uneasy. Winning this Great Holy Grail War would be extremely challenging.
And these were just the Servants they'd observed so far.
Especially concerning were Karna and Achilles—both clearly Servants of the highest caliber. Karna's immense power was obvious from his fight with Black Saber.
As for Achilles—had Chiron not recognized his true identity, the battle against him would've been nightmarishly difficult. Without divine attributes, damaging Achilles was nearly impossible; aside from Chiron himself, only Arthur could reliably hurt him. Had Arthur not joined their faction, the Black side would have suffered tremendous losses breaking through Achilles' invincibility.
Despite Chiron's skill, Achilles was still his disciple. It wasn't uncommon for a student to surpass their teacher. Countless heroes in history had done so, accumulating greater victories and fame.
Indeed, Chiron's disciples all stood as towering legends in Greek mythology—such as a certain Berserker summoned by a certain white-haired girl.
"Understood," Shirou promptly agreed.
As Darnic said, facing encirclement by multiple powerful Servants would be hopeless. Shirou's victory over Archer had relied heavily on tactics and luck. If he'd faced Rider or the incoming Lancer instead, he'd have surely been killed instantly.
He could only thank fortune that Rider desired to battle strong heroes exclusively, showing no interest in a mere Master. Otherwise, Shirou wouldn't have escaped alive.
But just as Shirou and Arthur turned to leave, a coarse, thunderous voice erupted from deep beneath the church:
"Oppressors! I can sense them! Above me… the stench of oppressors!"
A terrible strength rattled the chains binding him, violently shaking the stone walls and causing the protective runes to flicker and fade.
BOOM—!
A deafening roar shook the foundations of the church.
"Oppressors! I'm coming for you!"
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T/N: bonus chaps tomorrow
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