BANG—!
A powerful stomp echoed in front of Arthur.
From the depths of the forest, the spear-wielding hero burst out once again, appearing unscathed before Arthur.
Completely unharmed—but this was entirely expected.
Judging from the hero's earlier words, it seemed only Arthur's sword could truly harm him.
[Invisible Air] was merely wind-based magecraft that refracted light, concealing the sword's shape. Even if it could unleash destructive force, the damage came from the magecraft itself—not from the sword's blade.
Thus, it was incapable of truly harming this spear-bearing Servant.
"A brilliant golden sword—then you must be the legendary King of Knights."
The spear-wielding Servant stood firmly, phrasing it as a question, yet his tone revealed absolute certainty.
This was the drawback of excessive fame.
While great renown enhanced a Servant's strength, it also risked revealing their true identity.
Just as the Black faction's Lancer, Vlad III, was easily identified by his iconic spear techniques and homeland, Arthur's famed golden sword was known throughout the world. One glimpse of that blade, and any Heroic Spirit could instantly deduce its wielder.
After all, among renowned heroes, only one possessed such a legendary golden sword: Arthur Pendragon, the King of Knights.
That was why Diarmuid Ua Duibhne immediately recognized Artoria upon breaking through [Invisible Air's] concealment.
"To think the Black faction's Saber is the King of Knights himself! How exhilarating!"
His excitement surged uncontrollably. As a warrior, he longed to continue their battle immediately—
—but an earth-shattering explosion abruptly interrupted him.
BOOM—!
A violent tremor shook the ground. Both Arthur and the spear-bearing Servant turned toward another section of the forest, where blinding flames erupted furiously.
And it didn't stop there.
Like an air raid bombardment, multiple explosions detonated rapidly, engulfing the area in flames and thunderous chaos.
"Rider, retreat! Archer has been severely wounded!"
A bird soared swiftly onto the battlefield, carrying an urgent voice—the enemy Master's familiar.
"Missy?!"
Rider gripped his spear tightly, worry flickering in his voice. Without hesitation, a chariot drawn by three horses materialized at his side.
He leaped onto the chariot, ascending quickly into the sky.
"Until next time, King of Knights!"
Leaving behind these words, Rider disappeared swiftly into the night sky.
"And here I thought he was a Lancer. Turns out he was Rider," Arthur remarked wryly, his sword disappearing into thin air.
"I must quickly reunite with Master."
The enemy's message made it clear—Shirou had seriously wounded the opposing Archer.
This surprised Arthur greatly.
He had planned to unleash his Noble Phantasm swiftly, ending his fight to assist Shirou. Yet, unexpectedly, Shirou had dealt a decisive blow first, seriously injuring an enemy Servant.
Judging by the power behind Archer's earlier shots, that Servant was certainly no third-rate fighter. Masters capable of defeating Heroic Spirits were rare—but apparently, Shirou was one such rarity.
Arthur couldn't help but reconsider his Master's abilities with newfound respect.
---
"How's Missy doing?"
Rider rapidly returned to the church, discovering Archer lying painfully on a bench, black streaks constantly surfacing and fading from her skin.
"She'll live. Had we not immediately recalled her using a Command Spell, the poison would have killed her outright."
From the shadows emerged an impossibly beautiful woman dressed in black—a Servant known for her unparalleled affinity for poison.
"Poison?"
Rider glanced sharply at Assassin, fully aware this was her specialty.
"It's a toxin I've never encountered," Assassin said calmly. "It instantly spreads throughout the body, turning flesh to dust within seconds—a truly vicious poison indeed."
Assassin praised the poison torturing Archer openly. A toxin capable of incapacitating a Servant would be considered horrifying by modern magi. Yet, to her, this poison was little more than an annoying insect.
When Archer had been summoned back, poison nearly consumed her body entirely; she was moments from death. Assassin had glanced at her once, gently touched Archer's feline-like face, and introduced her own poison into Archer's bloodstream.
Two poisons warred inside Archer, causing her current suffering.
Countering poison with poison was the quickest solution for such situations.
"Archer will recover by tomorrow, so don't worry too much. After all, we can't afford to lose such crucial combat power."
With Assassin's assurance, Rider's anxiety finally subsided. He turned to the white-haired priest standing nearby.
"The Black faction's Saber is indeed the legendary King of Knights," Rider informed him gravely.
"Is that so?"
"You believe I can defeat him, don't you?" Rider asked, watching the priest's reaction closely.
The priest's voice remained perfectly calm, unsurprised by the revelation. "Of course."
"Then next time we meet, I'll take his head," Rider vowed, voice brimming with confidence. He was certain the next confrontation would end decisively.
---
"To think he could actually defeat a Servant!"
Meanwhile, back at Yggdmillennia's castle, Masters and Servants alike stood thoroughly astonished, shaken by Shirou Emiya's astounding feat.