Chapter 167: Retreat
"As expected of Chiron. He actually managed to neutralize it," Chihiro muttered, watching the distant battlefield with a hint of regret.
What a waste. Spartacus had been such excellent ammunition, yet he hadn't managed to take anyone down with him.
---
On the other side of the battlefield, Artoria saw Chihiro's dire situation and wanted to help, but she was still locked in combat with Mordred.
"Sir Mordred, are you truly going to block my path?" Artoria asked seriously.
"Of course I am! Don't forget, we're enemies right now," Mordred replied, her tone defiant.
"In that case, I have no choice but to show you my full strength."
Artoria's demeanor shifted. She tightened her grip on Excalibur, and the battle that had been evenly matched up to this point began to change. Mordred quickly found herself on the back foot.
Speed, strength, intuition—Artoria outclassed her in every aspect.
Artoria demonstrated clearly: no matter the passage of time or circumstance, a father (or mother) would always remain superior to their child.
"Damn it!" Mordred gritted her teeth in frustration, overwhelmed by the stark difference in power.
Unwilling to accept defeat, she made a decision.
"This is the cursed blade that will destroy my father!" Mordred roared, raising her Clarent high. Crimson magical energy enveloped the blade, pulsating with destructive intent.
Artoria, seeing this, raised her own sword.
"If that is your resolve, then I shall respond in kind," she declared.
A radiant golden light began to emanate from Excalibur, illuminating the dark battlefield.
"This light is the hope of the stars, the proof of life that illuminates the earth! Let us end this, Mordred!"
"Clarent Blood Arthurrrrr!!!!!"
"Excaliburrrr!!!!!!"
Two beams of light—one crimson, one golden—collided with devastating force, sending shockwaves across the battlefield. The ground quaked beneath the impact, forcing other combatants to halt their battles momentarily.
Siegfried, who had been dueling Chihiro, paused to look toward the source of the overwhelming magical energy.
"Such incredible power… Is this the might of the Knights of the Round Table?" he murmured in awe.
---
Suddenly, Gordes's voice echoed in Siegfried's mind through their shared link.
"Saber, the leader has ordered a retreat."
"Why, Master? What's happened?" Siegfried asked, surprised.
"The commotion has drawn too much attention. The police in Trifas have been dispatched," Gordes replied.
"Understood." Siegfried nodded grimly. The presence of ordinary humans made continuing the fight impossible.
"But what about Berserker?" Siegfried glanced at Frankenstein, still bound by Chihiro's restraints.
"We can't leave her behind, uncle," Caules said urgently.
"Then use it,"
"We can't afford to lose any more of our forces."
Caules hesitated for a moment but ultimately obeyed, using a Command Spell to summon Frankenstein back to his side. The magic severed the restraints, and Frankenstein disappeared in a flash of light.
Siegfried followed suit, dissolving into spirit form and retreating from the battlefield.
---
Meanwhile, the Red Team received a similar order from Kotomine Shirou.
"We'll continue this another day, King of Heroes," Karna said calmly, dodging another strike from Gilgamesh. With those parting words, he vanished.
Atalanta, however, lingered a moment longer, glancing toward Chihiro.
"Your name is Chihiro, right?" she called out. "Let me give you some advice: your Caster has defected to the Black side."
"What?" Chihiro's eyes widened in shock.
He quickly scanned the battlefield and confirmed the truth. Bluebeard was nowhere to be seen.
"That bastard…" Chihiro clenched his fists in frustration. "I underestimated him."
With the red and black factions retreating, Mordred was the only one left.
---
"Hey, we need to go too," Sisigou called out to Mordred, who still seemed reluctant to leave.
"Damn it…" Mordred muttered, glaring at Artoria one last time. "I'll definitely beat you next time!"
Artoria remained silent, watching as her rebellious child retreated with Sisigou.
---
With the enemies gone, Chihiro's group was left alone on the battlefield.
"Phew… That was way too close," Chihiro muttered, deactivating his armor and collapsing onto the ground, utterly exhausted.
"Master, we should leave this place immediately," Diarmuid advised, kneeling beside him.
"You're right," Chihiro said weakly, allowing Diarmuid to lift him onto his back.
"Leave it to me, Master," Diarmuid said firmly.
The group ran for an unknown distance before stopping on a plain to rest.
"Phew, hahaha! That was dangerous tonight." Iskandar laughed heartily. "As expected of my idol Achilles—he defeated my entire army single-handedly!"
Chihiro looked around, checking on his Servants. "How is everyone holding up?"
Iskandar thumped his chest. "Don't worry, I'm standing here perfectly fine!"
The First Emperor nodded stoically. "I am in good condition, too."
Diarmuid, ever loyal, said with a small smile, "Thank you for your concern, my lord. I'm fine as well."
Chihiro turned to Hassan of the Hundred Faces. "What about you? How much did you lose?"
Hassan of the Hundred Faces replied, her voice tinged with regret, "Almost half of my clones were destroyed. That Archer, Chiron, is incredibly skilled. His archery is unparalleled, and his physical combat skills are just as fearsome."
Chihiro sighed. "Well, he is the legendary mentor of heroes. It's no surprise."
Diarmuid hesitated for a moment before speaking up. "My lord, about Caster…"
Chihiro frowned. He'd been dreading this topic since the battlefield. "Yeah, that guy ran away."
He waved his hand dismissively, and the Command Seal tied to Bluebeard faded from his hand.
"I was too careless," Chihiro admitted. "Bluebeard's insanity distracted me from the fact that he was capable of rational thought. I wouldn't be surprised if he played a part in orchestrating tonight's ambush."
---
Gilgamesh, who had been silent until now, glared at Chihiro with disdain. "You insolent mongrel, we still have unfinished business."
His tone was cold and venomous. "How dare you force me to act with a Command Spell? Do you have a death wish?"
Ever since Tokiomi used a Command Spell to manipulate him during the Fourth Holy Grail War, Gilgamesh had developed an intense hatred for the Command Seal system.
"If you actually did your job, I wouldn't have to use that method," Chihiro retorted, meeting the King of Heroes' gaze with equal intensity.
Chihiro's voice was icy. "Respect is earned through mutual effort. I am not Tohsaka Tokiomi, and I will not worship you."
Gilgamesh's crimson eyes narrowed. "You dare—"
"Enough," Chihiro interrupted, cutting him off with a wave of his hand. "Let's just head back."
He summoned the Qillin Chariot, So, who among you can drive?"
The Servants all exchanged awkward glances but remained silent.
"...I'll take that as a no," Chihiro said, exasperated. "Looks like I'm doing it myself. I just hope this doesn't count as fatigue driving."
---
The group finally made it back to their residence in Trifas. The next morning, the tension from the previous night still hung in the air like a heavy fog.
The usually lively breakfast table was subdued. Even Artoria, who normally had an insatiable appetite, only managed to eat two bowls of rice fewer than usual.
Thankfully, Iskandar's jovial personality helped ease the awkward atmosphere somewhat, preventing it from descending into complete silence.
---
Suddenly, a notification appeared in the group chat:
[Ding! The question-answering session will begin in ten minutes. Please be prepared.]
---
Tohsaka Rin: "Looks like it's time for another round of answering questions."
The group chat, usually bustling with energy, was eerily quiet.
Waver: "That's strange. Why is no one talking today?"
Illya: "What's going on? Did something happen?"
Emiya Kiritsugu: "It seems like something happened last night that we weren't aware of."
Tohsaka Rin: "Chihiro, what happened last night?"
Tohaka Sakura: "Big Brother Chihiro, are you okay?"
Chihiro: "Don't worry, I'm fine. I just woke up, so I'm not fully awake yet."
Tohsaka Rin: "It's already noon, and you're just waking up? Staying in bed like that is a bad habit!"
Suddenly, Bluebeard joined the chat with a smug tone:
Bluebeard: "Hahaha! Chihiro, you must be seething right now!"
Chihiro's eyes darkened as he typed: "Bluebeard, you didn't even wait for me to come find you. You've got guts showing up here first."
Bluebeard: "Hahaha! I can practically taste your anger. I'd give anything to see the look on your face right now!"
Jeanne: "What exactly happened between you two?"
Chihiro: "It's nothing. Just a rabid dog slipping its leash when I wasn't looking."
Bluebeard: "Oh, you'll regret those words. My rabid dog will devour you until there's nothing left, Chihiro!"
The other group members began piecing together the situation.
Waver: "So, Bluebeard defected? Honestly, I'm not surprised."
Tohsaka Rin: "Yeah, same here."
Jeanne: "Gilles, where are you now?"
Bluebeard: "Oh, my dear Jeanne! Are you concerned for me?"
Jeanne: "..."
She wasn't concerned about him—she was worried about the chaos he might cause, especially given the atrocities he had committed in the video they had seen.
Atalanta: "He's with the Black faction now."
Kayneth: "Hahaha! Darnic, are you so desperate that you're scraping the bottom of the barrel?"
Darnic: "The Black faction does not discriminate against any Servant, even someone like Gilles de Rais."
Darnic: "Besides, I'll ensure that he remains under control."
Atalanta: "I'll keep an eye on him. If he dares to act out of line, I'll kill him myself."
Achilles: "Hey, calm down, big sis."
Atalanta: "Shut up, Achilles!"
Achilles: "Yes, ma'am…"
***
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