Chapter 609

【Atalanta, with her arms pitch-black and eyes glowing red, appeared at this moment. She drew her bow and notched an arrow from a high vantage point, launching an attack toward Jeanne.】

【Jeanne exerted all her strength to activate her holy banner for defense, but Atalanta acted as if she had gone mad, disregarding her magical energy entirely, firing arrow after arrow at Jeanne.】

【"Ruler, I will kill you!!!"】

Rin Tohsaka: "Atalanta? How did she end up like this?"

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

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

Atalanta: "..."

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

【Achilles drove his chariot to close in on Chiron, looking as if victory were already in his grasp, yet he failed to notice that there was not a hint of panic on Chiron's face.】

【"No matter how fast the speed, there are always flaws. The correct timing, the correct coordinates, the correct speed—these are all that is 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 years of accumulation and training, paired with the ability to thoroughly calculate and gain insight into the future.】

【"What?"】

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

【It was not that he failed to dodge; rather, 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; it was that he had moved himself into the position where the arrow would strike, as if he had crashed into it head-on.】

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

Red Hare: "Anticipating the enemy's move before it happens, eh."

Iskandar: "As expected of a master who has taught numerous great heroes; to think he possesses such combat awareness."

Achilles: "Impressive, Master. 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 Pedasos.】

【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: "Xanthos, Balius, you two retreat for now."】

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

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

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

【"Who knows? I truly have no way of knowing. All I know is the choice that 'if things continue like this, you will die'."】

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

【The chariot vanished. Achilles gave up his aerial advantage and decided to settle the score with Chiron on the roof of the airplane.】

Rin Tohsaka: "Your horse can actually talk!"

Red Hare: "Is there anything strange about a horse talking?"

Rin Tohsaka: "..."

Achilles: "I actually wish it couldn't talk. You all saw it—this guy kills the mood in seconds."

【On the other 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!"】

【Semiramis naturally would not let him approach; the 'Sikera Ušum' was activated immediately.】

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

【"Alright, the time limit is up! My heart trembles with fear on the moonless night, yet I shall never retreat!"】

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

【Astolfo pulled out a book, its pages scattering and dancing in the wind.】

【The next moment, Astolfo advanced straight ahead, completely ignoring the attacks, and the anti-army grade light bullets of the 'Sikera Ušum' could not harm him in the slightest.】

【This was the Noble Phantasm that Astolfo had always been unable to remember the name of, which he called the 'Magic Universal Strategy Book'.】

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

Semiramis: "To think it actually blocked the 'Sikera Ušum'."

Semiramis was somewhat surprised. That was an anti-army Noble Phantasm, yet Astolfo was actually able to block it, and he looked quite relaxed doing so.

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

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

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

Waver: "'Declaration of Destruction'—judging by the legends, it means it can block most magic, right?"】

【"I see, so that means you were still hiding a trump card."】

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

【"... Understood."】

【Karna moved out, flying out from the Hanging Gardens to intercept Astolfo and his companion.】

【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, whom he had just attacked, had actually vanished.】

【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: Otherworldly Phantom Horse'. It could evade all forms of observation in the world; even an attack 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 slipped out of the dimension, he caught a glimpse of the 'Reverse Side of the World' where phantasmal beasts reside, even if only for a split second.】

Gordes: "You guy! You really are..."】

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

He had the 'Trap of Argalia' which could be used to clear out fodder, the 'Declaration of Destruction' which could block most magic, the 'Cavalry Charge' which could make a Servant's legs disappear upon contact, and now there was this 'Hippogriff' capable of dimensional jumping.】

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?】