Chapter 993: ·Self-loathing

【"Pseudo-Spiral Sword!"】

【Gale winds churned around his body as Archer unleashed a fierce arrow.】

【The air tore apart, space twisted; this was an arrow that surpassed the speed of sound.】

【Caster said my defensive barrier was easily shredded, but she was no wooden stake; she had long since seized the opportunity to dodge to the side.】

【However, although the Spiral Sword whistled past her, the terrifying tearing force still acted upon Caster, directly shredding the magical dress she wore and severely damaging her spirit origin.】

【Caster vomited blood and collapsed to the ground, looking incredibly disheveled.】

【Her graceful body was now without a single intact spot, and those blood-drenched wounds appeared horrifying.】

【The situation had reversed; Caster was now the fish on the chopping block.】

Rin Tohsaka: "So amazing! Is this the move that killed Heracles once!"

Chiron: "In a situation of surprise, indeed few can block this strike."

Waver: "The Spiral Sword, I remember it is—"

Lancer: "That's right, it's the weapon of my foster father Fergus, the famous sword 'Caladbolg,' which possesses the power to sweep away three mountain peaks in one strike."

Waver: "No wonder it's a Pseudo-Spiral Sword; the power is indeed far inferior to the genuine article."

Bazett: "Cu Chulainn, I remember you and this sword..."

Lancer: "Yeah, I am extremely incompatible with this sword, because as long as I face it, I will definitely be defeated."

Blonde Rin: "Is that so? No wonder Emiya would project this sword; so that was the reason."

Lancer: "Σ(Д)"

Hearing the blonde Rin's words, Lancer finally reacted.

That brat Archer, he wouldn't really have projected this sword as a weapon just to target him, would he!

【"Ah—ah—"】

【Caster gasped for air, frantically absorbing the magical energy accumulated beneath Ryudoji Temple to repair her shattered spirit origin and body.】

【Archer just watched Caster recover quietly, without going up to deliver a finishing blow.】

【This scene instantly left Shirou Emiya unable to understand, but he was still savoring Archer's arrow from before, so he didn't move either.】

【"Archer, why? Why not give me the final blow?"】

【Caster's body quickly recovered; she wiped the blood from the corner of her mouth and climbed up from the ground, looking at Archer in confusion.】

【The fruit of victory was right before his eyes, yet this guy actually gave it up?】

【What on earth does this guy want to do?】

Rin Tohsaka: "Ah! What are you thinking? You were about to win, yet you let the opponent go?"

Archer: "I have my own considerations."

Rin Tohsaka: "Ha!"

Kiritsugu Emiya: "(So that's it, planning to use Caster to deal with other Servants?)"

Thinking of that unkillable Heracles, perhaps only Caster, this mage of the Age of Gods, could solve the opponent.

【Archer: "I said it before, just one move."】

【Caster: "Then, you don't want to kill me?"】

【Archer: "My goal is that man; I don't like meaningless battles."】

【Caster's gaze swept across Shirou Emiya and Archer, and suddenly, as if understanding something, she laughed pleasurably: "Hahaha, so that's it, are you two the same type of person?"】

【"Huh?"】

【Shirou Emiya and Archer looked at each other with disgust, their movements very synchronized.】

【"How could I be the same as this brat/man?"】

Zabiko: "Only at times like this are the two inexplicably synchronized."

Jinako: "Self-loathing, it's really been a long time since I've seen such a scene."

The last time she saw such a scene of self-loathing, she remembered it was when the Mad Grand Duke joined the group.

The Lancer Grand Duke felt the Mad Grand Duke was self-deprecating, and the Mad Grand Duke felt the Lancer Grand Duke was too concerned with appearances; back then, neither could stand the other.

After these few years of getting along, they finally gradually became harmonious.

【Caster: "Isn't it? You both don't like slaughtering the innocent, right? That brat over there doesn't tolerate Servants like me who use unrelated humans as food, and you don't like meaningless killing. Look, isn't this almost exactly the same? That's why you would join forces, right?"】

【Shirou Emiya: "How could you come up with such a ridiculous conclusion! Are your eyes broken? Who is the same as that kind of person!"】

【Archer: "I agree. Although we are both pacifists, deep down we are vastly different. My policy is: troublesome matters should be solved early. I wouldn't be like this guy, always worrying endlessly."】

【Shirou Emiya: "What pacifist! I haven't forgotten! You and Berserker targeting Saber as an attack objective."】

【Archer: "That couldn't be helped, could it? We weren't in any cooperative relationship at that time. I did it entirely because defeating Berserker was a higher priority than Saber's safety. You wouldn't be saying you want to save everything in sight, would you? Then, even Berserker couldn't be considered an opponent to be defeated, right?"】

【"Zzz—"】

【Shirou Emiya and Archer glared at each other; sparks seemed to flicker at the center of their gazes.】

Waver: "Looking at them, I suddenly feel that humans are truly fickle creatures."

Iskandar: "Hahaha, kid, are you talking about yourself?"

Waver: "... Yeah, looking at my past self now, I only feel truly naive and ridiculous."

Feng Xi: "Isn't Kiritsugu Emiya the same? This is what it means to have one's edges smoothed by reality."

Kiritsugu Emiya: "..."

【"Hehehe..."】

【Watching the confrontational Shirou Emiya and Archer, Caster let out a silver-bell-like laugh.】

【Not bad, she was quite fond of these two rare individuals before her.】