Chapter 325

Amakusa Emiya Emiya Shirou: "To think..."

He had not expected that the Greater Grail would be unable to directly grant his wish.

Kayneth: "How is this possible? Isn't the Holy Grail an omnipotent wish-granting machine?"

Demon King: "Omnipotent? Ridiculous. There has never been anything omnipotent in this world."

【The Empress had intended to shoot down the plane carrying Fiore and the others, but she discovered that over a dozen had arrived, and their magical signatures were ambiguous, making it impossible to determine which plane the signal was coming from.】

【However, Chiron, Astolfo, and Jeanne were each standing on top of a plane, seemingly completely unconcerned about being detected.】

【The Empress: "Hmph, I didn't expect them to use a 'spray and pray' tactic. Extremely foolish, yet troublesome."】

【The ten planes were flying in a very tight formation; even if one were shot down, they could quickly jump to another.】

Waver: "Ten planes! That really is a grand gesture."

Feng Xi: "Compared to the preparations your teacher made when participating in the Fourth War, this is nothing."

Kayneth: "Hmph."

【Jeanne: "Amakusa Emiya Emiya Shirou Tokisada!"】

【The Empress: "Why are you calling out? It's unsightly. My master is busy using the Greater Grail to execute 'Humanity's Salvation.' Look, hurry up and you might still make it."】

【Jeanne: "... oes he truly want to save humanity?"】

【The Empress: "I do not know that, and regardless of the outcome, I have no desire to know. If you wish to stop my master, go and catch up to him. But first, you must be able to break through the Red faction's Servants!"】

【A chariot pulled by three horses sped out from the Hanging Gardens; it was Achilles.】

【"Alright, Teacher Chiron! The agreed time has arrived, let us enjoy ourselves!"】

【Achilles laughed loudly as he drove the chariot, charging toward Chiron.】

【The plane beneath his feet was instantly torn to shreds. Achilles was about to trash-talk, but feeling a chill behind his head, he hurriedly turned and caught the incoming arrow with his teeth.】

【As expected of Chiron, he could fire such a U-shaped curving arrow even in mid-air.】

【Because there was no moonlight tonight, Achilles hadn't seen the arrow at all; he only sensed it because of the disturbance in the magic and the air.】

Achilles: "As expected of Teacher Chiron, to be able to counterattack calmly even in such a disadvantageous position."

Chiron: "It seems this is the final battle between you and me."

Achilles: "Teacher, I won't lose."

Chiron: "It is too early to say that."

【Biting the arrow in his mouth to pieces, Achilles drove his chariot out again, once more smashing the plane Chiron had been standing on.】

【Chiron did not retreat either; while dodging the opponent's attacks, he drew his bow and nocked an arrow to counterattack.】

【Running, chasing, shooting arrows, shattering—the exchange between the two lasted only a moment.】

【In just a few short minutes, six planes had already been shot down due to their battle.】

【The Empress then launched an attack with "Ten and One Black Coffins," which was blocked by Jeanne using her holy banner.】

【"Ruler, Matsuwanko Matsuwanko Take this. I will feed your corpse to the brown bears."】

【Atalanta, with her arms pitch-black and eyes glowing red, appeared at this moment, drawing her bow from a high vantage point to attack Jeanne.】

【Jeanne exerted all her strength to use her holy banner for defense, but Atalanta acted as if she had gone mad, disregarding her magical energy and attacking Jeanne with arrow after arrow.】

【"Ruler, I will kill you!!!"】

Rin Tohsaka: "Atalanta? How did she become like this?"

Tokiomi Tohsaka: "It seems she has been completely consumed by rage."

Achilles: "Sigh, Big Sis, you..."

Atalanta: "..."

【"Alright, Teacher Chiron, you have no way out!"】

【Achilles drove his chariot right up to Chiron, looking as if victory were already in his grasp, but he failed to notice that there was no look of panic on Chiron's face.】

【"No matter how fast the speed, there are still flaws. The correct timing, the correct coordinates, the correct speed—these are the only things necessary."】

【Understand the speed of the arrow, understand the speed of the chariot, and simply fire the arrow toward the position where he will move.】

【This is Chiron's future vision, a technique completed through long years of accumulation, training, and the ability to thoroughly calculate the future.】

【"What?"】

【His shoulder was pierced, the arrow sinking deep into the bone; Achilles was stunned.】

【It wasn't that he didn't dodge, but that he discovered that no matter where he went, he could not escape Chiron's arrows.】

【It wasn't that he moved and then the arrow arrived, but that he had moved into the position where the arrow would strike, as if he had crashed into it himself.】

Waver: "In other words, predicting the opponent's movement trajectory and launching an attack one step ahead."

Red Hare: "Anticipating the enemy's moves, is it?"

Iskandar: "As expected of the master who taught so many great heroes, to have such combat awareness."

Achilles: "Impressive, Teacher. I didn't expect you to have this trick up your sleeve."

Chiron: "That is why you still have much to learn."

【Achilles pulled out the arrow, but Chiron had already seized the opportunity to shoot and kill Xanthus.】

【As a Heroic Spirit transformed from a mortal horse, it did not possess immortality like the other two horses.】

【"You must not drive the chariot. 'You are a warrior stronger than anyone else'."】

【Recalling the past, Achilles immediately ordered: "Xanthus, Balius, you two retreat for now."】

【"A wise choice, my master. If you continue to drive the chariot, you will sooner or later fall into the same fate as back then."】

【Because Xanthus possessed the ability bestowed by a goddess, it understood human speech and could even speak.】

【"Hmph, so what I am doing now is correct, then?"】

【"Heaven knows? I truly do not know. All I know is the choice that 'if you continue like this, you will die'."】

【It's just that this horse's personality is absolutely terrible.】

【The chariot vanished; Achilles gave up his flight advantage and decided to settle things with Chiron on top of the plane.】

Rin Tohsaka: "Your horse can actually talk!"

Red Hare: "Is it strange for a horse to talk?"

Rin Tohsaka: "..."

Achilles: "I actually wish it couldn't talk. You all saw it—this guy kills the conversation every single minute."

【On the other Reverse Reverse Reverse Reverse Side, Astolfo had already approached the Hanging Gardens.】

【"Alright, Master! Let's go!"】

【Riding the Hippogriff and carrying Sieg, Astolfo shouted excitedly: "Astolfo, one of the Twelve Peers of Charlemagne, has come to be your opponent!"】

【The Empress naturally would not let him get close; "Ten and One Black Coffins" was activated immediately.】

【However, the next moment, she was dumbfounded.】

【"Alright, the deadline has arrived! My heart trembles with fear on this moonless day, yet I will never retreat!"】

【"Release, 'Declaration of Destruction'!"】

【Astolfo pulled out a book; the pages scattered, fluttering in the wind.】

【The next moment, Astolfo ignored the attacks and moved straight ahead, while the Rank Rank Anti-army light bullets of "Ten and One Black Coffins" could not harm him in the slightest.】

【This was the Noble Phantasm that Astolfo could never remember the name of, which he called the "Magic Omnipotent Strategy Book."】

【This was the grimoire granted to Astolfo by the witch Logistilla, which recorded the means to break all magic.】

The Empress: "To think it actually blocked 'Ten and One Black Coffins'."

Semiramis was somewhat surprised; that was an Rank Rank Anti-army Noble Phantasm, yet Astolfo had blocked it, and it looked quite effortless.

Astolfo: "'Declaration of Destruction'? Ah! I remember! So that's the name!"】

Gordes: "To forget the name of such an important Noble Phantasm—there has to be a limit to how outrageous you can be, you guy."

Astolfo: "Hehe, didn't I already remember it in the video?"】

Waver: "'Declaration of Destruction'—according to legend, it can block most magic, then."】

【"So that's how it is; in other words, you still have a trump card hidden."】

【Watching this scene, the Empress said in a low voice: "Lancer, an enemy is approaching. Shoot them down."】

【"... nderstood."】

【Karna set out, flying out from the Hanging Gardens to intercept Astolfo and the others.】

【In an instant, Astolfo and the Hippogriff beneath him were sliced in two by the opponent's spear.】

【However, the next second, Karna's expressionless face finally showed a trace of astonishment.】

【Astolfo, who had just been attacked by him, had actually disappeared.】

【This was impossible; his eyes had indeed locked onto the opponent, and it was not an illusion.】

【Karna: "Dimensional Jump!"】

【"That's right! We aren't here right now!"】

【Astolfo appeared behind Karna; the opponent immediately attacked, but Astolfo's figure became blurry and indistinct once again.】

【This was the true ability of Astolfo's Hippogriff, the Noble Phantasm 'Hippogriff,' which could evade all forms of observation in the world; even attacks powerful enough to destroy gods and Buddhas could not harm a single hair on it.】

【And Sieg, sitting on its back, was filled with deep emotion.】

【Because just a moment ago, the instant the Hippogriff left the dimension, he caught a glimpse of the 'reverse Reverse Reverse Reverse Reverse Side of the world' where phantasmal beasts reside, even if only for a second.】

Gordes: "You guy! You really are..."】

The people in the group finally understood that Astolfo was simply playing the pig to eat the tiger.】

There was the "Trap of Argalia" that could make Servants lose their legs upon contact, the "Magic Flute" that could clear out mobs, the "Declaration of Destruction" that could block most magic, and now there was the "Hippogriff" that could perform dimensional jumps.】

Good grief, if these Noble Phantasms were used in coordination, they could absolutely toy an opponent to death, but in Astolfo's hands, why did they feel so useless?】