Chapter 29: -29- A clash from kilometers
As Mash carried Rozen and rushed into the back of a building, evading the rain of arrows descending from the sky, several kilometers away from their location, atop a tall iron tower, a figure halted its impending attack.
"So quickly, you figured out to find cover?" a composed voice echoed from the figure.
The man wore a battle suit, holding a black bow in his hand, with dark skin, grey-white hair, and strange markings on his face.
"It seems the enemy has a commander with a calm mind," remarked the man, raising his angular and determined face.
People with such eyes were generally either extremely resolute or extremely cold. In this man's case, both descriptions seemed fitting.
"Unfortunately, although your judgment was accurate, it was a bit hasty," he continued, extending his unarmed hand.
A buzzing sound filled the air as red magical energy surged in his hand, forming a sword.
The man placed the sword on the bow.
With a crackling sound like electricity, the magical sword transformed into an arrow, shedding its former appearance.
The mana on the arrow surged.
"As long as the cover itself is destroyed, there will be nowhere to escape," he declared coldly, releasing the bowstring amidst the surge of magical energy.
With a resounding blast, the arrow turned into a meteor, shooting towards a distant target.
...
"Bang!"
The deafening explosion shook the tall building as if it had been struck by a cannon, and the side facing the attack shattered like fragile blocks, turning into fragments.
The powerful impact caused the entire building to tremble violently.
"Senpai!"
Behind the building, Mash rushed to Rozen's side, raising her massive shield to protect them from the falling rubble.
Mash's incredible strength displayed itself, as even rocks as heavy as boulders couldn't shake her shield and were deflected away.
Hiding under the shield, Rozen couldn't help but feel a mix of emotions as he watched Mash earnestly protecting him.
(So, Mash gained this power and became a Servant.)
Whether it was her defensive capabilities, speed when diving into cover, or the strength to withstand boulder-like debris, none of it was something a regular human could possess.
Even if someone used magic to enhance their physical abilities, it would be incredibly challenging to achieve this level of power.
Without a doubt, Mash had acquired strength equal to, or even surpassing, that of a Servant, becoming an extraordinary being.
(I estimate she might even be on par with an upper-level Servant.)
No, based on her defensive power alone, she might have already exceeded an upper-level Servant, reaching the level of the highest-ranking ones.
While Rozen remained in silence, Mash spoke again with a serious expression. "The power is formidable, giving these arrows such destructive force. The enemy is likely a Servant. If we continue like this, our cover will be destroyed. Master, let's find other hiding spots and leave while remaining hidden."
This was Mash's judgment, but Rozen chose differently.
"If the opponent is likely a Servant-level entity, then unless we can completely evade their detection, trying to hide and escape simultaneously is impossible."
Rozen knew that maneuvering between tall buildings and come and go freely was easily achievable for a Servant-level entity.
In such a situation, trying to both evade the enemy's powerful attacks and escape is very difficult. The opponent can maneuver along the tall buildings on the route, continuously attacking and destroying cover, leaving Rozen and Mash with no place to hide.
"So, what should we do?" Mash looked at Rozen with her trusting eyes, revealing various emotions within them that shook Rozen's heart.
Therefore...
"To deal with archers, we either need to get close and take them down directly or escape their line of sight to evade their attacks," Rozen said, his mind rapidly processing various tactics and strategies as he surveyed the surroundings.
This was a ruined town, a place with numerous cover options but also filled with fires that severely affected visibility, making it a terrible place for sniping. However, their enemy was a Servant-level individual, so conventional judgments wouldn't apply.
No matter what kind of cover they used, the enemy could easily destroy it with their powerful arrow strikes. Additionally, the enemy seemed to possess an extraordinary ability to track their targets, making it difficult to escape their attacks.
"Perhaps the enemy has some kind of superhuman vision that allows them to shoot from several kilometers or even tens of kilometers away. Escaping their range won't be easy," Rozen's mind raced as if simulating a combat scenario.
Until finally, Rozen spotted something.
"I've got it!" His eyes lit up.
...
With a loud rumble, the building collapsed under the immense force of the second powerful shot released by the dark-skinned man.
"So now..."
The archer, radiating magical energy, squinted his eyes from atop the iron tower.
This archer possessed a skill called "Hawkeye," granting him superhuman vision, often utilized for reconnaissance. From high vantage points, this archer could even survey the entire town and locate enemies.
Furthermore, "Hawkeye" also improved his archery accuracy, enabling precise long-range shots. Thanks to this, he could perform extremely accurate sniper attacks beyond human capabilities.
In other words, once he had someone within his sights, escape was almost impossible.
Of course, the premise was that the target had to be "within sight."
"Hmm?"
Gazing at the collapsed building several kilometers away, the archer's expression suddenly changed.
"Gone...?"
Indeed, the target had disappeared.
Under the rubble of the collapsed building, there was no trace of the enemy.
This surprised the archer.
And in that instant...
"Whoosh!"
A gust of wind struck the archer from behind.
"...!?"
Without hesitation, the archer swiftly turned around, using his bow to block in front of him.
"Clang!"
With a metallic clang, a massive shield came crashing down, colliding with the bow.
The gust of wind stirred up in the impact.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone