Chapter 33: ·Petrified Kayneth

(Iskandar)

Artoria: "Perhaps you could try it."

Although she said this, Artoria was very dissatisfied with her own performance in the video.

Just as Extra Feng Xi said, how could she be so reckless in the video?

Knowing full well that the long spear in the opponent's hand was a Noble Phantasm, she still chose to use her armor to take the hit head-on.

Was it an over-reliance on her Instinct, or was it because she had a healer present that she chose to take the risk?

Instinct is the ability to determine the "most suitable action for oneself" in battle through the sound of the wind and intuition; it is equivalent to an alternative form of predicting the future.

Of course, this is an analytical prediction based on known information, and she in the video had miscalculated precisely because she did not know the effect of Diarmuid's Noble Phantasm.

Diarmuid: "Correct, this is my Noble Phantasm, 'Gáe Buidhe', which can ignore all defensive magic."

Waver: "This is the long spear gifted to you by the Celtic god of love, Aengus, in legend."

Kayneth: "Lancer, who gave you permission to expose the name of your Noble Phantasm so casually!"

Diarmuid: "My lord, even if I did not say it, this video has already displayed it clearly."

Kayneth: "Hmph!"

He was regretting more and more that he hadn't chosen a different catalyst.

The battle hadn't even started yet, and his own Servant's Noble Phantasm had already been exposed; how were they supposed to fight now?

【Artoria, her wounds recovering, asked: "That spear, it can block magical energy, right?"】

【Diarmuid said confidently: "Your armor is formed from magical energy, right? Then I advise you not to count on using it to defend against my attacks, because in front of this long spear of mine, you are as good as naked."】

Extra Feng Xi: "Diarmuid, you're acting like a hooligan, aren't you?"

Diarmuid: "..."

He in the video was getting a bit cocky, actually saying such indecent things.

【Knowing that her armor was useless, Artoria directly dispelled her armor, abandoned defense, and stepped forward to fight Diarmuid.】

【Having lost the weight of the armor, Artoria's speed was clearly faster, and she soon gained the upper hand, the invisible sword in her hand erupting with brilliant light as she charged toward Diarmuid.】

【Diarmuid retreated slowly, but his expression was not the least bit panicked; instead, he had the look of someone who had victory in his grasp.】

【"You've made a miscalculation, Saber."】

Extra Feng Xi: "King of Knights, I still have the same question as before: are you truly a veteran of a hundred battles?"

Artoria: "What is it again? What is wrong with me this time?"

Artoria: "Since I cannot defend against his Noble Phantasm, then I simply won't defend."

Extra Feng Xi: "My point is, are you really that easy to trust people? You believe whatever he says."

Artoria: "I believe that as a knight, the opponent would not lie."

Extra Feng Xi: "Who said that to scheme against someone, one must lie? There are many other methods."

Extra Feng Xi: "For example, deliberate misdirection, and leaving things unsaid."

Artoria: "What! You mean!"

Diarmuid: "He is right. You in the video fell for the trap, King Arthur."

Diarmuid: "Saber, to be honest, I am very disappointed in your performance in the video."

【Diarmuid was seen lifting the long spear he had previously discarded on the ground with his foot, unwrapping the bandages to reveal a yellow long spear.】

【"A Noble Phantasm, it doesn't necessarily mean there is only one."】

【Artoria, having realized it, was already in a position where she couldn't back down; after all, she had already closed in on Diarmuid and could not retreat.】

【The two of them were now like an arrow on a bowstring, forced to fire; they could only trade wounds to attack each other.】

【Immediately, there was a flash of lightning and sparks.】

【The two quickly separated, drops of fresh blood falling to the ground.】

【It was clear that both sides had been wounded in this exchange, both having injured the other's wrist.】

【"Damn it, the tendon is injured, I can't move my fingers."】

【Artoria appeared perfectly calm on the surface, but inside she was very anxious.】

【As a swordsman, being unable to move her hand would greatly diminish her strength.】

【After all, she was not skilled at using a single-handed sword.】

【"Fool, you didn't manage to finish him off."】

【Kayneth, who was watching the battle, although harsh with his words, still cast a spell to heal Diarmuid's arm.】

【Diarmuid smiled: "I am humbled, my lord."】

【Irisviel also cast a spell to treat Artoria, only to find that the wound would not heal no matter what.】

Kayneth: "Hahaha, it seems we have won this duel after all."

Kayneth: "Even if it is King Arthur, with one hand crippled, how could she possibly be a match for Lancer, who uses dual spears?"

It wasn't just Kayneth; everyone in the group had the same thought.

In this situation, no matter how you looked at it, Lancer was going to win.

Emiya Kiritsugu also felt more and more that summoning this King Arthur was highly unreliable.

In this battle, she was completely played in the palm of the opponent's hand from beginning to end.

Artoria: "The wound cannot heal, is it because that yellow spear carries a curse?"

Waver: "I know, it's the spear gifted to Diarmuid by the sea god Manannán mac Lir, right?"

Diarmuid: "Correct, this is my other Noble Phantasm, 'Gáe Dearg', which carries the curse of 'inability to heal wounds'."

Artoria: "So that's it. You deliberately discarded it earlier just to misdirect me, and I in the video really fell for it."

Diarmuid: "I didn't expect that my plan in the video would go so smoothly."

Artoria: "..."

Kayneth: "Hmph, Lancer, enough idle chatter."

Although he felt he had answered this question correctly, his mood was not that good.

After all, Diarmuid's Noble Phantasm effects had been exposed by the video; if he were to fight Saber again, he probably wouldn't win so easily.

Waver: "So, did Lancer actually win this duel?"

Extra Feng Xi: "Keep watching, the video isn't over yet."

【Diarmuid explained the effect of his Noble Phantasm to Artoria, and Artoria put her armor back on, the two sides about to continue the battle.】

【Just then, thunder suddenly flashed in the sky.】

【Accompanied by lightning, a chariot suddenly descended from the sky, blocking the space between them.】

【This was a chariot pulled by two bulls, and the people on it were none other than Iskandar and Waver.】

【"Both sides, sheath your swords!"】

【Iskandar directly called a halt to this duel.】

【"In the presence of the King, show some respect!"】

Kayneth, who had just found a bit of comfort in answering correctly, was instantly petrified.

Now, the answer to this question was completely obvious.