Chapter 68: Hound of Culann.
[The beach volleyball match continues.]
[After that, you went through many fierce exchanges.]
[Although the combination of you and Caenis is not weak, your opponents are Kotomine Kirei and Cu Chulainn—one is a Pseudo-Servant fused from multiple concepts, while the other is the battle-hardened Hound of Culann; moreover, Kotomine Kirei can also counter Caenis's Alignment Evil.]
[After a series of intense clashes, you lost very badly.]
[Current score: 0 : 6]
[Team Kotomine Kirei is far in the lead.]
"Phew..."
The Priest, bare from the waist up, let out a heavy breath, looking as though he had just finished warming up.
"As a Priest, one really must exercise the body. Shounen, you should also train properly every day."
He said this in a calm tone.
"No way, are you people actually serious about this…?!"
Recalling the ferocious match just now, Eikou could not help but break out in a cold sweat.
It was clearly just volleyball, yet the force of the opponent's strikes was so great it felt like they were aiming to kill—using Noble Phantasms, throwing out full-power attacks. What the hell is this, killer volleyball?!
"Is there a problem?"
Kotomine Kirei and Cu Chulainn both looked innocent.
"In Celtic lands, aren't sports competitions always this intense?"
Cu Chulainn asked with a puzzled expression.
"Your Celtic playstyle is way too hardcore!"
"According to the knowledge the Holy Grail implanted in me, beach volleyball should be played this way."
Priest Kotomine adjusted his breathing. "The arena is like a battlefield; a single mistake means death. To avoid being taken down by the opponent, one can only strike first. Targeting the body to attack in order to hinder players, or entering a berserk state—these are all very common in competitive sports."
"What exactly did the Holy Grail cram into your head? Don't you think this excuse is way too convenient?!"
Eikou was already too lazy to complain about this bunch of demons and monsters.
Cu Chulainn—the battle maniac—could be set aside for the moment, but this shameless Priest was clearly just taking the opportunity to bully others for fun!
"If you really can't take it, then let your substitutes come onto the court as well. Three versus two should give you a slightly higher chance of winning."
Cu Chulainn said casually.
"No need,"
Eikou shook his head.
"It's just a match—if we lose, we lose. But I won't violate the most basic rules of the game just for a friendly match. Whether toward me and my teammates, or toward our opponents, that would be an insult."
"Oh?"
Hearing this answer, Cu Chulainn showed interest and raised an eyebrow.
"You look pretty calm, but what you're doing is very manly. In that case, there's nothing I can do—because when I compete, I absolutely will not hold back!"
"Wait, I'm not finished yet,"
Eikou laughed lightly. "I'll abide by the most basic rules, but that doesn't mean I won't use tactics. Since you're all going all-out, I'll also find every possible way to drag you down——"
After all, he was still hoping to win this match, and then secretly learn some skills from these strong opponents.
EMIYA's Projection Magecraft, Cu Chulainn's Protection from Arrows, and Kotomine Kirei's various bizarre skillsets—stealing even just one would already be very useful.
"..."
Eikou's mind began to spin at high speed.
Against Kotomine Kirei—a Pseudo-Servant—whether in appearance or inner self, he was as hard as steel, and Eikou could not find the slightest opening.
But...
Eikou's gaze quickly locked onto the blue-haired Lancer wearing a tight blue outfit.
Perhaps it would be better to deal with Cu Chulainn first after all?
The opponent was not among the strongest Servants, and he did not like cooperating with Kotomine Kirei, but under the effects of Protection from Arrows and Battle Continuation, Cu Chulainn was absolutely not someone easy to take down.
Not to mention his ability to prolong combat, which meant Cu Chulainn could stay on the court for a very long time...
"Caenis,"
An idea immediately sprang to Eikou's mind, and he hurriedly called out to the teammate beside him.
"Coordinate well with me later, okay? Can we finish off Cu Chulainn in a single exchange?"
"Damn it, haven't I been coordinating with you this whole time already,"
Caenis said angrily. "What the hell is that Priest anyway? I'm definitely going to kill him!"
As a proud and belligerent Greek warrior, Caenis had been taking losses again and again against the combination of two foreign Servants, and her blood had long since begun to boil; the beast ears on her head stood straight up.
But judging from her expression, she did not truly dislike this—encountering such strong opponents instead made her feel excited and full of challenge.
Eikou did not dislike her current state either; at the very least, as a teammate she was extremely reliable.
"Very good, keep this momentum."
He wiped the sweat from his face. "Let's begin. We'll take back every single point we lost."
[After a short break between sets, you quickly begin the second set.]
[The second set is still served by Kotomine Kirei. Right at the opening, he uses Bajiquan without the slightest restraint, striking directly at the ball and aiming it at Caenis, who carries Alignment Evil, to deliver a heavy blow.]
[Kotomine Kirei activates [Protection of the Faith (Unique)], further enhancing his physical and mental strength by another step.]
[However, relying on Monstrous Strength, Caenis uses her tough body to take the blow head-on, barely managing to knock the attack back.]
[The volleyball is sent flying upward by her hit, soaring toward the center of the net.]
"Now's the time."
Eikou did not hesitate at all. He sprinted across the sand, tried to close in on the net, then leapt high into the air, intending to unleash a powerful strike to smash the ball into the opponent's court.
However, at the very instant the volleyball approached the net, Cu Chulainn on the opposite side also jumped up, swinging his solid arm, preparing to block and smash the ball a step ahead of him.
Clearly, this ferocious hound had no intention of giving them any chance, and wanted to end the match with a single smash!
Then let's see who's faster!
Eikou clenched his teeth, and in that instant realized that the situation was extremely bad.
No, wait—he had almost forgotten…
Cu Chulainn's Agility is Rank A, while his own Agility, due to the debuff Staying Up Late, had dropped to Rank B!
No wonder he had kept feeling unable to keep up while playing volleyball today—so his stats had actually dropped a rank.
In that case, there was a very high probability that the opponent would smash the ball first.
And if that strike succeeded, he would have no time to return to defense to receive the ball, and Caenis—who had just taken a full-power blow from Kotomine Kirei—would also be unable to immediately receive a second one.
[You and Cu Chulainn both attempt to smash this ball at the same time.]
[Please perform a Very-hard check.]
"Why is it a Very-hard check? My Agility and his are clearly only one rank apart!"
[Height adjustment. He is 1.85 meters tall, while you are 1.73 meters tall, so in an aerial contest you are at a disadvantage.]
"Damn it!"
Then there's no other choice—just use the method he had just thought of and finish off Cu Chulainn in one go!
Eikou's gaze suddenly became sharp.
"I won't do an Agility check anymore, I'll activate my skill!"
…