"They're here, it's the Servants of the Red Faction."
Before Achilles could get close to the town, Jeanne d'Arc suddenly looked up in the direction where Artoria had previously taken Atalanta into the town.
"Although I'm not sure if it's Lancer or Rider, neither is something the Purification Knights can stand against." Artoria glanced at Fiore and Chiron, then said to Daniel, "I'll go out and deal with the small trouble outside first. Let Atalanta stay behind to protect you."
After all, there were also three Servants of the Black Faction staying in the town.
Daniel didn't refuse and nodded, watching Artoria's figure disappear into the alleyway.
Mordred looked hesitantly in the direction Artoria had left, then turned and glared fiercely at Siegfried and the others.
It's all because of these guys that she has to stay here and guard again.
Siegfried was glared at somewhat inexplicably but didn't dare to make any small moves.
After all, Kriemhild was still in that RV outside the town; he didn't want to be kicked out and then face her again.
"Um, if you don't mind, Chiron can support the Ruler," Fiore tried to break the stiff atmosphere.
"Of course I mind! How could I not mind!" Mordred glared at Fiore fiercely. "Who knows if that Archer of yours will'suddenly have an archery error' and accidentally shoot Father!"
Fiore wanted to refute the other party, but considering that they had indeed been hiding and observing from the shadows earlier, she didn't know what to say. She could only sigh helplessly and lean against the wall as if in deep thought.
Atalanta was also eyeing Chiron with a suspicious posture.
While providing cover for Spartacus earlier, she had experienced the exquisite archery of this Archer.
A misfire was absolutely impossible for the Servant before her.
But with Red Saber looking so confident, she couldn't help but suspect if the Black Faction was up to some scheme.
Caules, on the other hand, was more open-minded. He knew very well that anything said now would be wrong, and doing more meant more mistakes. So from the start, he sat quietly in the corner watching Sanzang cleanse the sins of Jack the Ripper.
A huge roar suddenly came from outside the town, followed by the intense sound of cold weapons clashing.
"Looks like the one chasing us is Rider Achilles," Daniel raised an eyebrow and looked toward the outskirts of the town.
"Why are you so sure it's Achilles?" Mordred looked at Daniel and asked back in confusion.
"Because Lancer Karna is the Hero of Charity. If he can reduce damage to innocent people, he will try his best to stay away from the town," Daniel explained with a shrug. "Just like earlier, after Artoria stopped Karna, it took a while for the commotion to be heard from a distance."
"And those who would fight right near the town without regard for the safety of the people could only be the heroes from Greek mythology who don't care about ordinary people at all." As Daniel said this, he specifically looked at Chiron.
Chiron looked away somewhat awkwardly.
He had taught his students many things, but he had never taught them what qualities a hero should have.
As a result, most of his disciples, while traveling abroad, were assimilated into fools who flaunted their martial prowess, loved to show off their strength, and didn't consider the impact of their actions on the people at all.
To the extent that when an average small country heard a hero had stepped into their territory, they would start considering whether to give up the throne before being beaten to death.
Atalanta was also a bit embarrassed.
Although she didn't get along with most of those Greek heroes who liked to show off their martial arts, she was still quite skilled at showing off her techniques.
As for whether ordinary humans would suffer in the 'heroic deeds' she once performed... she hadn't considered it either.
After all, considering how to defeat the enemy or save children already took up a lot of her energy.
But soon, both Archers suddenly raised their eyebrows while looking toward the outskirts of the town.
"A wise judgment," Chiron nodded in admiration. "Starting by disabling Achilles' warhorse to strip him of his air superiority and mobility."
"Although Achilles is still troublesome without his warhorse, he's on a completely different level compared to when he's driving his chariot," Atalanta agreed with a nod.
Siegfried remained silent.
After all, the order forbidding him from speaking was still in effect.
But there was a glimmer in his eyes as he looked toward the outskirts of the town.
He likely had the thought of rushing out to have a match as well.
Jeanne d'Arc looked away somewhat dejectedly.
"master, let me go assist King Arthur and end the battle as soon as possible," Atalanta looked at Daniel urgently and suggested. "By taking down Rider, we can fulfill the mission of the Ruler Faction sooner and then go to that world to save those children."
"Taking down Rider is easy to say, but there's no rush to fulfill the Ruler Faction's mission," Daniel glanced at Sanzang, who was still working, and shook his head at Atalanta. "After all, not all of Jack the Ripper's members have been cleansed and sent to reincarnate yet."
"...That's true." Atalanta took a few deep breaths and then loosened her grip on her bow. "It's not time yet."
After all, the Servant who transferred the command spells was Jeanne d'Arc. As long as Atalanta wasn't stupid, she naturally knew that the Ruler was Jeanne d'Arc, not King Arthur.
Although she didn't know the reason for this identity swap, Atalanta understood the importance of secrecy.
"Hmm? Something's not right." Atalanta suddenly frowned. "Achilles has suddenly changed his tactics."
"Changed his tactics?" Daniel looked at Atalanta with curiosity.
"Yes, he's suddenly started using his speed to avoid King Arthur's attacks instead of clashing head-on," Atalanta replied with a nod. "This is inconsistent with his usual fighting style."
"Father Amakusa must be up to something." Atalanta frowned.
"Father Amakusa." Jeanne d'Arc looked up slightly at Atalanta. "What kind of person is he?"
Jeanne d'Arc was curious about what kind of person her destined rival for this advent was.
"...Hard to say." Atalanta looked displeased, as if remembering something annoying. "Although he appears upright and seems like a nice guy, my instincts have been warning me to be wary of him since I met him."
"He feels like the type of... paranoid person who won't stop until he achieves his goal."
"He even gave me the illusion that... Jason is easier to deal with than him."
"Well, a fanatic, it's no wonder." Daniel shrugged helplessly.
"A paranoid person..." Jeanne d'Arc looked into the distance with a complex gaze, as if she understood something.
Meanwhile, on the now-floating Hanging Gardens, Amakusa Shirou Tokisada turned his head toward Sigisval Town as if receiving a signal.
"What, is that feeling bothering you again, Shirou?" Semiramis suddenly appeared beside Amakusa Shirou Tokisada and looked in the direction of his gaze, but saw nothing, so she asked curiously.
"Ruler must be trying to peer at me," Amakusa Shirou Tokisada replied in a calm tone. "I have that feeling."
"Hmph, hateful Ruler." Semiramis frowned and snorted coldly, as if hearing something unpleasant. "To think she forcibly changed Archer's ownership, and Archer didn't even resist."
"Perhaps the Ruler's side promised her a reward she couldn't refuse," Amakusa Shirou Tokisada replied calmly. "Or perhaps she was overwhelmed by the other party's powerful strength."
"After all, it's a Lord God that even Lancer couldn't resist." When Amakusa Shirou Tokisada mentioned the 'Lord God', a mocking smile appeared on his face.
"A disobedient kitten, it's fine if she ran off on her own." Semiramis wore a smile, as if thinking of something fun. "Next time I see her, I can fire at her without any reservations."
"Ah, please spare me on that point." Amakusa Shirou Tokisada immediately gave a bitter smile upon hearing this. "My magical energy really can't support you firing too many extraordinary light shells."
"Don't be humble, Shirou." Semiramis turned to look at her master. "You can do it."
"If all else fails, isn't there still the magical energy of those few masters kept in reserve?"
"...Berserker and Archer's masters don't matter, but Lancer, Rider, and Caster's masters cannot be consumed for now," Amakusa Shirou Tokisada said cold words in a gentle tone. "After all, the deal with Lancer included ensuring his master's safety."
"And Rider is inherently wary of me. If his master is consumed, he might turn around and defect to the Ruler just like Archer."
"Caster is still of some use to me, so his master cannot be treated as a consumable for the time being. Therefore, at most, the magical energy of three Magi can be provided for your consumption." Amakusa Shirou Tokisada looked at Semiramis and said, "Of course, this is all before we seize the greater grail from that clan."
"Speaking of which, although Berserker's ownership hasn't been stripped, he seems to be controlled by the Black Faction now, right?" Semiramis asked Amakusa Shirou Tokisada.
"Yes, the magical energy link is showing signs of breaking. The Black Faction must be rushing to change Berserker's control right now," Amakusa Shirou Tokisada replied with a nod. "However, I just gave Berserker's master a hidden instruction through suggestion."
"Once the Black Faction decides to use the Berserker's power to counterattack us and releases his shackles, that will be a show worth watching."
Perhaps because Artoria's activity had caused Amakusa Shirou Tokisada's sense of crisis to far exceed what it was before.
He was no longer as laid-back as in the original work; instead, he had begun to secretly scheme.
Although the betrayal of Archer Atalanta had caught him off guard, the estrangement between Saber and her master had left him weary, and the attitude of Rider, who had started to ignore his commands after Archer's betrayal, had left him feeling exhausted, he had already secretly planned out the roles of the other Servants.
The large-scale self-destruct bomb, Spartacus.
It was just that the timing of the self-destruction had to be controlled by him personally.
The vanguard general, Karna.
In short, whether it was ground combat or aerial combat, he would be responsible for the most difficult Servants of the Black Faction.
Caster did not intend to participate in the battle, but his Noble Phantasm was very useful to him, so Amakusa Shirou Tokisada allowed him to stay in the Hanging Gardens until the very last moment.
And Semiramis was the only one he could trust, as well as the 'Queen' who represented his final line of defense.
And her role... was merely to hinder the progress of the Ruler Faction.
To buy him that little bit of time to make his wish.
After seeing Karna and Achilles suffer repeated setbacks at the hands of Artoria, Amakusa Shirou Tokisada had also realized it.
The Ruler was simply a bug specifically designed to counter him!
Trying to defeat her with brute force was completely unrealistic.
If it really came to a fight, even without the Black Faction, the few Servants of the Ruler Faction alone would be enough to crush his own faction.
After all, through his observations, he discovered that the Ruler had been holding back her strength from beginning to end while fighting Karna and Achilles.
Coupled with the previous assessment of this King Arthur's strength by Karna and Achilles, Amakusa Shirou Tokisada did not have the confidence that he would be able to live to witness the realization of his wish.
"I do not need to see that moment; as long as my wish is made, that is my victory." Looking at the fireball flying from the direction of the town, Amakusa Shirou Tokisada muttered in a voice only he could hear.
"Father, letting Rider go to contain the Ruler alone is really not a good plan." The fireball transformed into Karna, who looked at Amakusa Shirou Tokisada and said.
"No, this is actually the best choice for now." Amakusa Shirou Tokisada shook his head and replied, "After all, because of Archer's betrayal, he basically won't obey any orders unless I use command spells to force him."
"We can only let him act freely and use his most pride-worthy speed to contain the Ruler Faction."
"And we will take this opportunity to assault the Red Faction's base and seize the greater grail."
"Even if the Ruler notices the commotion on our side, she won't be able to spare any attention to come after us," Amakusa Shirou Tokisada said with a smile. "After all, if she comes to fight us, then by the side of Sanzang, who is currently baptizing Jack the Ripper, there won't be any Servant stronger than Rider to protect her, and Archer, might also be shaken by that."
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