บท 516: C516
Atalanta was blasted away by the explosion, her figure tumbling several times on the ground, resembling a wildcat rolling in the dirt, her flowing green hair now coated in a layer of dust.
She quickly recovered, pulling herself up to regain her stance.
In the next moment, an ominous black scythe materialized in Shirou's hand. With a casual swing, the scythe seemed to cut through space and time, emerging right beside Atalanta. In a heartbeat, the sharp blade of the scythe dug deep into her right leg.
Blood stained the ground beneath her.
Atalanta had been struck in her right leg!
From a staggering distance, even as Shirou stood unmoving, the reach of his scythe stretched across the plain and struck Atalanta's leg.
"Ah—"
A grimace of pain crossed her face as she gripped her bleeding wound.
"Whoa, that's amazing!" Astolfo, still up in the sky dodging the meteoric arrows, shouted in astonishment.
Jeanne, too, was visibly stunned.
Up to this point, Shirou had remained rooted to his spot, and yet, Atalanta had already suffered a blow from him.
He then dismissed the scythe.
This scythe was a replica of the one used by Gilgamesh during the Fourth Holy Grail War. It's a unique causality-type Noble Phantasm with the power to defy spatial and temporal boundaries for its strikes.
Shirou had copied it and stored it within [Unlimited Blade Works]. Interestingly, as early as the Fourth Holy Grail War, he had surpassed the Heroic Spirit EMIYA, allowing [Unlimited Blade Works] to break free from its sword-only restriction.
The treasures that Gilgamesh displayed during the Fourth Holy Grail War had been meticulously copied by Shirou and stored within his [Unlimited Blade Works] Reality Marble. Any weapon he saw and copied afterward was also placed in [Unlimited Blade Works].
In fact, his [Unlimited Blade Works] felt less like 'Unlimited Blade Works' and more like a discounted version of the [Gate of Babylon].
It might as well have been dubbed [Gate of Babylon (Knockoff)]!
Naturally, the Noble Phantasms he replicated couldn't hold a candle to the treasures housed in Gilgamesh's vault. The quality of these imitations was definitely not as good as their original counterparts.
But what gave Shirou an advantage was his ability to endlessly replicate regular Noble Phantasms. As long as he had enough mana, he could churn out endless copies!
Actually, even the bow Atalanta was using at that moment had already been copied and stored inside his [Unlimited Blade Works].
Watching Atalanta tend to her wounded leg while keeping a wary eye on him, Shirou let out a sigh. "You can't defeat me. Stop resisting, and I'll grant you a quick end."
She gritted her teeth, responding indignantly, "You think too highly of yourself!"
"I'm not belittling you. Haven't you noticed my kindness?"
Shirou shook his head, and with another quick swipe, the Reaper's Scythe sliced through the fabric of space again.
But now, it was going for a different target. Instead of her thigh, it was aiming straight for her head!
In a war, the enemy's kindness was synonymous with death!
But Atalanta was ready this time around. She deftly swung her longbow into the path of the oncoming scythe.
The sound of metal rang out as she used the momentum to skillfully evade the impending strike.
There was a hint of apprehension in her eyes. Could this really be the Eternal King? And was this, as Lancer had pointed out, him not at full strength?
Doubt began to cloud Atalanta's thoughts.
Because this display of power seemed almost too overwhelming.
In their fleeting exchange, she felt the same sense of pressure as when she faced Karna.
It was an all-encompassing dominance, a suppression that seemed to close in from every direction.
Was Atalanta weak?
Absolutely not.
However, strength and weakness are relative.
Against many Heroic Spirits, Atalanta could hold her own, even against a Saber-class Servant.
However, this time, she had chosen the wrong opponent.
Even without accessing the full power of Eternal King and despite the demanding need for precise mana management in every move, Shirou, in his current state, still stood at an extraordinary level, comparable to Karna.
He was far beyond what a regular Heroic Spirit could hope to compare with.
Drawing comparisons, it felt like the moment when Shirou faced off against the dragon invader and Crimson Moon. Even as Eternal King, he'd have struggled to tackle these colossal foes. The first was a world-spanning enemy, and the second, a UO. How could he ever hope to measure up against such immense threats?
The dragon invader had the Black Cup. To even stand a chance against such a foe, Shirou had to join forces with Heroic Spirits and Counter Guardians. Moreover, he had the assistance of two powerful magi and had to tap into his full potential just to level the playing field.
As for Crimson Moon, her defeat was largely because she was using Arcueid's body, meaning it wasn't her true, full-powered form. It took Shirou the Class Card, Artie, and the strength of Arcueid to finally bring her down.
So it wasn't that Atalanta was lacking in strength; it was just that the opponent she went up against was on another level.
It made her seem much weaker in comparison than she actually was.
From a distance, he could see Atalanta, gripping her thigh in pain.
Drawing the Holy Lance, he prepared to strike her down.
But then, out of nowhere, a blur of green hair shot towards him like a comet.
Shirou's reaction was quick, changing the aim of his Holy Lance towards the newcomer.
"Boom—!"
A brilliant beam of starlight fired directly at the green-haired streak.
There was no mistaking it; this had to be the Rider of Red, Achilles!
Watching Assassin's dazzling starlight cannon approach, Achilles quickly pulled out his shield, known as [The Miniature World that Encompasses the Azure Sky], placing it squarely before him. Yet, even with the imminent threat, he didn't break his stride and kept hurtling towards Assassin.
He was using his Noble Phantasm, [Dromeus Komētēs: Comet Form]!
Born from the legend that dubbed Achilles as 'the fastest hero of all times,' this Noble Phantasm was unique. Whenever Achilles dismounted his chariot, it would automatically trigger, showcasing his legendary speed.
This Noble Phantasm allowed him to traverse vast battlefields in a single breath, and even if there were obstacles on the field, it didn't slow him down. His speed was legendary, and only a handful of Heroic Spirits could even hope to keep up with him. His swiftness was often celebrated as the epitome of human agility and speed across the annals of history.
But Shirou wasn't to be underestimated. His [Clairvoyance C] allowed him to keep track of Achilles' lightning speed, and he released the light cannon of Rhongomyniad in response.
Yet, with his shield, Achilles took on the full brunt of the light cannon and kept charging straight at him!
Achilles couldn't help but chuckle, "Big sis, you can rest for now. Leave him to me!"
Pretty confident, wasn't he?
That confidence did justice to his legacy as one of the great Greek heroes.
But as he spoke, Shirou whipped out the [Ig-Alima: Green Field Cutting Through the Thousand Mountains (Fake)] that he'd copied from Gilgamesh. Then, from behind him, an embodiment of [Evil] manifested. An enormous, mud-black arm sprouted, wielding a colossal sword Ig-Alima, roughly sixty meters in length.
That sword came crashing down at Achilles, who was barreling towards him.
And just like that, not long after his bold declaration, he was sent flying, tumbling and rolling across the battlefield like a stray rock.
He lay motionless on the ground.
With a 'clang,' his shield fell and spun on the ground, producing a humming sound.
...
There's a bonus chapter for reaching 400 Power Stones.
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