Shinji Matou At Your Service

Chapter 440: The Converging Storm in Sighişoara (Part 14 )

Using a bow and arrow for long-distance sniping can be highly effective.

Compared to modern firearms, a bow and arrow may lack power, range, and firing rate, but these shortcomings are not an issue in the mystical Type-Moon world.

Not enough power? Add magical energy.

Not enough range? Enhance the bow and arrow with various mythological materials and magical powers. It's not a dream to knock off a head from twenty kilometers away.

The firing rate can be compensated for by superhuman physical abilities and exceptional archery skills.

Of course, to hit the target, one must possess considerable talent and undergo unimaginably harsh training. However, as the Heroic Spirits are summoned to the Archer class, they naturally have these conditions. As long as they are positioned at a long distance, the Archer class is almost invincible.

Excluding these completely out-of-character elements, the bow and arrow have one major advantage: they are much quieter than firearms when shot. With certain special techniques, it's not impossible to achieve silent and stealthy shots.

After Chiron fired the first arrow with all his might, he immediately shot a second arrow under the cover of the light emitted from the collision between the arrow and the lance. If Artoria hadn't tilted her head quickly, this arrow would have been decisive.

Hearing the "crack," Chiron looked somewhat regretfully at the female knight below, watching the magic in the arrow destroy her faceplate, revealing her true face beneath.

By coincidence or fate, just as the faceplate shattered, the clouds blocking the moon were blown away by the wind.

The bright moonlight spread over the land, casting a hazy glow over the city walls and illuminating the female knight in silver armor, holding a radiant lance.

Under the moonlight, she was so beautiful that even Chiron, who had lived for many years and interacted with numerous deities, had to admit her beauty rivaled that of any goddess. Even Artemis, the symbol of the moon, could not surpass her in beauty.

Having witnessed many heroes, Chiron understood that this beauty belonged only to humans and heroes, distinct from the high and mighty gods. Although Chiron, born from two deities, possessed pure divine blood and nature and once had immortality, he preferred humans and admired the beauty they exuded in their short lives—a beauty that nearly eternal gods could not match.

Seeing the serene face of the female knight and her fearless gaze, Chiron showed a smile that did not match his sage-like image—a smile tinged with ferocity and bloodlust, a warrior's smile.

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He thanked fate for summoning him to this world, granting him a second life. He thanked the Holy Grail War for allowing him to meet so many heroes.

As Chiron marveled at and praised Artoria's appearance and spirit, she began her counterattack. Before her holy lance and the arrow collided, she had already planned her next move.

The straight-line distance between them was sixty meters. With the simultaneous use of Invisible Air and Mana Burst, it would take ten steps—not climbing with hands and feet, but sprinting up the vertical wall with her feet.

If everything went smoothly, she could reach Chiron in two breaths—but would it be that smooth?

The answer was clearly no. Just closing the distance to sixty meters had taken dozens or even hundreds of times longer than two breaths, not to mention the arrow that shattered her faceplate.

Artoria had a feeling that this was not some sly, underhanded trick but a display of a more advanced technique.

This feeling was confirmed in the ensuing charge.

With the wind's protection, Artoria's feet stepped on the wall surface, covering five meters in one stride.

Chiron's expression remained unchanged as he released an arrow.

However, Artoria suddenly accelerated, surpassing the speed of the arrow with her second step, causing the arrow to miss.

At this moment, Chiron's second arrow arrived.

Artoria was prepared, her lance leaping up to precisely deflect the arrow as she took her third step.

But—she stopped halfway through this third step.

For an arrow had somehow appeared, firmly embedded in the wall, right at the spot she had chosen for her footing.

"This is—!!!"

The arrow had not arrived after Artoria moved but had already been shot to the position she moved to—

This indicated that the arrow had been released before Artoria landed.

This showed that Chiron had already seen through Artoria's movements.

That's right, while I was predicting the trajectory of his arrows, he was also predicting my actions, and his predictions were more precise than mine. I rely on my innate "Intuition" ability to foresee the future, but what does he rely on?

Artoria, of course, doesn't know that Chiron isn't using any special talents. He relies solely on his unwavering perseverance and highly refined calculation abilities, honed through relentless practice, to reach the realm of predicting the future.

From the era of the first Olympian sky god Cronus to the nearing end of Greek mythology, Chiron has lived far longer than the 1,500 years Artoria was asleep. This lengthy period allowed Chiron to perfect every skill to its peak, and all these accumulated experiences became part of his discerning eye. This accumulation is even reflected in the skills on his Servant status, manifesting as B+ level "Clairvoyance" and A level "Mind's Eye (True)."

From Chiron's perspective, no matter how Artoria reacts, some things remain constant—for instance, no matter how you move, you always have to use your feet. Therefore, by knowing the frequency of your steps, the distance covered in one stride, and the timing of your leg movements, he can calculate where your next step will land.

Afterward, by intercepting with the lance and long sword, he can force Artoria into a predicament where advancing or retreating is equally difficult.

Retreat? Then the hard-earned distance of less than 50 meters will be wasted.

Advance? How? Walking on a vertical wall relies entirely on continuous momentum. Once this momentum is broken, Artoria, who cannot fly, will find it difficult to even stand on the wall.

Indeed, to prevent falling off the wall, she plunged her long sword into the wall, hanging in mid-air.

For such a stationary target, Chiron certainly wouldn't hold back. Arrow after arrow, employing powerful shots and multi-arrow techniques, relentlessly attacked Artoria, who could only defend with one hand and a heavy lance. In a moment of inattention, an arrow struck her shoulder.

Although the arrow penetrated the thick armor, losing most of its force, and the arrowhead embedded only halfway into her flesh, its significance was immense—this was the first injury for the invincible Black Lancer who had dominated Sighişoara.

The pain of the arrow in her body made Artoria acutely aware of the difficulty of her opponent. Gritting her teeth, she made a decision.

"Forty-nine meters left. Although it's still a bit far, at this point, I can't care about that anymore."

PS: Clairvoyance: Rank B+

The degree of visual acuity. Enhances dynamic vision and the ability to capture distant targets. When combined with "Mind's Eye (True)," it can provide limited foresight.

PS2: Mind's Eye (True): Rank A

Insight cultivated through training and discipline. A "combat theory" that allows one to calmly assess one's situation and the enemy's capabilities, finding a path to survival even in disadvantageous circumstances.