Chapter 11: Since Long Ago, Archers Have Always Fought in Melee

Chapter 11: Since Long Ago, Archers Have Always Fought in Melee

"This is the place."

Cu Chulainn pointed to a cave ahead, then took the lead and stepped inside.

"Hey, you!"

Olga Marie was displeased with Cu Chulainn's way of making decisions on his own. She had originally planned to investigate a little before entering.

After all, this was the enemy's headquarters, but if they delayed, she was worried they might lose track of this Caster.

"Ah, seriously! Civilian, Mash, follow me quickly!"

"Yes, Director. Senpai, let's go too."

Mash raised her shield, continuously scanning her surroundings.

At this moment, Ethan was simultaneously monitoring the battle on Emiya Kiritsugu's side while advancing deeper into the cave through the tunnel.

Although the battle there was at a stalemate, Emiya Kiritsugu's combat prowess was not to be underestimated. Moreover, he himself was an expert in guerrilla warfare.

The real concern was his own situation.

Facing the corrupted Artoria Alter, Cu Chulainn and Mash alone might not be enough to suppress her.

The current situation had deviated from what Ethan knew about FGO, so there was no guarantee that Artoria Alter would actually be defeated by Mash and Cu Chulainn in the end.

If another Servant could be summoned, things would be much more stable.

'System, how many points do I have right now?'

[Beep beep—Checking... The Host currently has 13,233 points.]

[You can draw 13 times. Do you want to draw?]

'Not yet.'

Just now, the number of viewers in the livestream had increased to 5,000, causing the livestream points to rise significantly in a short amount of time.

At this rate, Ethan might be able to accumulate around 30 draws by the time he faced Artoria Alter.

Moreover, up ahead was the Holy Grail, guarded by Artoria Alter. If he used the gacha there, the success rate might increase a little.

Currently, the empty Class slots included Berserker, Rider, and Lancer.

If Kiritsugu won, Archer would also be available.

Even so, the Servants Ethan could summon within Fuyuki City would still be limited to a certain range.

Ethan pondered for a moment and decided to let it go.

Oh well, whatever he pulled was fine.

Everyone always know:

Gacha rate-up is a lie.

Anyway, with these dozens of draws, he might get nothing at all—why torture himself over it?

After that, Ethan focused all his attention on the battlefield on the other side.

.....

Bang! Bang! Bang! —————————!!!

The barrel of the Calico M950 spewed fire once again.

Emiya Shirou dodged while running along the cliffside, simultaneously pulling back his bowstring and aiming directly at his opponent!

Boom! —————————!!!

The spot where the arrow struck exploded once more, but as expected, it still failed to force the opponent out of hiding.

Emiya Shirou landed at a higher vantage point, scanning the surroundings.

He was now accustomed to this Assassin's combat style.

Hiding, waiting for an opportunity, counterattacking, then retreating to a safe position to continue the assault.

The moment his opponent showed a gap in their defenses, they would reveal their true sharp fangs and unleash a lethal finishing strike.

A combat style highly fitting for an Assassin.

Or perhaps, it reflected the true fighting style this Servant had in life.

Whoosh! —————————!!!

Another dagger flew toward him, forcing Emiya Shirou to move from his current position.

He did not hesitate. His sharp gaze locked onto the enemy's hiding spot in the darkness.

His left hand quickly formed a pitch-black sword, completely different from the longsword he had previously wielded.

In an instant, he nocked an arrow, drew the bowstring——— and fired!!!

The black sword flew straight toward the dagger mid-air, the magical energy within it crushing the blade in an instant before continuing its trajectory toward Emiya Kiritsugu, the one who had thrown the dagger.

Emiya Kiritsugu immediately moved to the right, repeating his previous strategy.

But that black sword, like a hunting dog that had caught the scent of its prey, suddenly changed direction and accelerated straight toward him!!!

"——————?!"

Kiritsugu hadn't anticipated this. With just a slight misstep, the black sword was already dangerously close to his face!

He gritted his teeth, lowering his body slightly.

[Time Alter!!!]

At the very moment the black blade was about to pierce through Kiritsugu's body, his figure suddenly vanished.

Whoosh————————!!!

Losing its target, the black sword spiraled out of control, continuing its path forward and cutting down every tree in its way!!!

A flicker of surprise flashed across Emiya Shirou's eyes, but he quickly furrowed his brows.

For his opponent to dodge Hrunting: Hound of the Red Plain, he was definitely no ordinary foe.

Watching everything unfold on the screen, the audience in the livestream room held their breath. It wasn't until after a long moment that someone finally spoke up in the chat:

[Holy crap, that almost hit, didn't it?!]

[That sword can even change direction?! Newton is probably rolling in his grave.]

[Bro, this is a world of magic. Newton's coffin lid is long gone...]

[What's the deal with that sword? Any experts here to explain?]

[Right here! Let me explain. This sword appears in the Beowulf epic—it's the weapon Beowulf used to kill Grendel's mother. But Emiya Shirou has reinforced and modified it into a Broken Phantasm that can infinitely track its target. As for Kiritsugu dodging it, that's thanks to his family's inherited magic—Time Alter.]

[Naruhodo... I have no idea what any of that means.]

[Doesn't matter. As long as it looks cool.]

While the livestream audience was still enthusiastically discussing, Emiya Kiritsugu launched another attack from the shadows.

A bright object flew straight toward Emiya Shirou.

He reacted instantly, using his black longbow to deflect it. But the moment the object was struck, it exploded, creating a thick cloud of smoke!!!

Even with his exceptional vision as an Archer, Shirou's line of sight was immediately obstructed.

At that moment, an intense killing intent surged from behind!

Without hesitation, Emiya Shirou discarded his bow and instantly materialized the twin swords Kanshou & Bakuya to block the attack.

Clang! Clang! Clang————————!!!

Three sharp, cold flashes of steel were all deflected.

"So, realizing long-range combat is at a disadvantage, you've switched to close combat?"

Emiya Shirou smirked slightly.

"You've made a mistake, Assassin. Even though I appear under the Archer class, my true specialty is melee combat."

Shirou swung his swords, forcing his opponent to retreat.

However, within the thick smoke, every strike from his adversary aimed directly at his vital points, making defense incredibly difficult.

At first, Shirou had assumed this opponent only excelled at ambushing from the shadows, but to his surprise, he was also a close-combat master on par with himself.

The two engaged in a fierce exchange, trading dozens of blows. Shirou quickly identified a flaw in his opponent's stance and swung his sword to knock the dagger from Assassin's hand into the air!

But at that very moment, a pitch-black gun barrel was already aimed straight at his head.

As the white smoke dispersed, for the first time, Emiya Shirou clearly saw his opponent's face.

His eyes widened in shock as he stared at the cold expression before him.

"You---"

Bang——————!!!