Chapter 458: Red vs. Black Showdown · Chase (Patreon)

Achilles possesses the Noble Phantasm "Andreias Amarantos: Amaranth of the Brave," which renders him invulnerable except for his weak point, the heel. He can only be harmed by attacks imbued with divine power.

Shinji, being a mere mortal, used a stone he casually picked up from the city wall as ammunition. Naturally, such an attack couldn't harm Achilles. Of course, he never intended to injure this powerful foe so easily; his goal was merely to announce his presence.

Hearing the whistling sound, Achilles swung his spear and effortlessly deflected the stone.

Seeing the stone fragments scatter before him and feeling the slight force transmitted through the spear, he instantly understood the stone's purpose.

"Trying to lure me over, huh?"

Achilles turned his gaze in the direction from which the stone was shot. At the end of his line of sight was a forest, from which a faint Servant's presence could be vaguely sensed — the Territory of the Black Assassin.

The forest?

Indeed, the complex terrain of a forest would provide excellent cover for an Assassin, allowing him to make full use of the terrain and "Presence Concealment" to maneuver against his enemy. Tactically, this was flawless.

But if you think this will suffice to deal with me, Achilles, you're gravely mistaken — you will taste defeat because of your correct choice, just like that old man!

"For the honor of my great hero father, my goddess mother, and my eternal friend who shared the joys and sorrows of life with me, I will defeat you, Black Assassin!"

Achilles roared as he activated "Comet Form" and charged toward the forest where Shinji was hiding.

Seeing Achilles begin to accelerate, Shinji concealed the deliberately released presence used to lure him and fled deeper into the forest.

The moment Achilles stepped into the forest, Shinji's right hand grasped three inconspicuous stones — this time, not just common stones, but meticulously selected, enchanted magic bullets, each inscribed with Primordial Runes.

Following the principles of Consecutive Shots, he fired the three magic bullets in succession.

The first one was aimed at Achilles' heart.

Achilles blocked it with his spear. As the stone shattered, a rune flashed, and the ensuing explosion of flames engulfed the advancing hero.

However, though the primordial flame contained in the "Fehu" rune was fearsome, it couldn't penetrate the protection of "Andreias Amarantos." Achilles didn't even blink as he charged straight through the flames.

At this moment, the second magic bullet arrived, causing the air currents to become chaotic. The flames clinging to Achilles' armor flared up once more.

"Wind followed by fire? Useless, useless, useless!" (Muda, muda, mudaaa!)

The momentum of the Red Rider continued to rise; he didn't even bother to block, ignoring the atmospheric disruption and further increasing his speed.

The "Hagalaz" hurricane rune is not one of the eighteen primordial runes but one of the twenty-four derived runes. With his C-rank Magic Resistance, Achilles could directly withstand it.

"Do you have any other tricks?"

"Of course."

The indistinguishable voice said as the third magic bullet hit the ground.

That's right, hit the ground. This magic bullet wasn't aimed at Achilles himself.

The moment the rune inscribed on the stone lit up, the ground around Achilles suddenly caved in. From the fissures in the earth, flickering runes could be seen.

It's a trap!!!

The first two magic bullets were just bait to lure Achilles in; the third magic bullet was the main event, aiming to trigger the pre-set trap.

When was it set up?

Of course, it was during the night tour a few days ago. In preparation for obtaining the Holy Grail, Shinji had made various arrangements, and the traps were just one part of them. However, at that time, it was not certain who exactly they were meant for, just a precaution. Now, this setup finally came into play.

The runes densely embedded underground formed a magical spell, turning the land beneath Achilles' feet and the surrounding area into a swamp.

Both "Andreias Amarantos" and "Magic Resistance" can only nullify magic that directly acts on the body; this type of terrain-altering area magic is not within their scope.

The swamp created by the magic significantly hampered Achilles' movements, greatly reducing his proud speed.

"Now's the time!"

Shinji put away his slingshot, grasped the Ishtar War Spear in a reverse grip, and threw it. Though not an anti-army Noble Phantasm, the divine power within the Ishtar War Spear was enough to cover the entire swamp.

"Do you think you can defeat me with such petty tricks? Don't underestimate me, Black Assassin!"

Achilles, who was looking forward to a head-on clash, roared. As soon as he sensed the disturbance underground, he focused all his attention on guarding against any possible attacks.

Having once experienced the divine war spear, he had already guessed the enemy's intentions when it appeared.

He then leaped, stepping on nearby tree trunks to achieve high-speed movement. Although this was a superhuman physical ability, it was not impossible for a Servant.

However, even considering him as a Servant, it was incredibly fast, almost like teleportation, seemingly unaffected by the terrain.

Yes, this was the essence of Achilles' "Dromeus Komētēs: Comet Form." As long as he had a foothold, he could exert the speed that earned him the title of "Fastest Human."

When the war spear landed in the swamp, its divine power was unleashed, causing violent tremors. By then, Achilles had already covered a considerable distance, rushing towards the direction from which the spear was thrown at an astonishing speed.

"Where do you think you're going?"

Achilles, moving through the forest with agility surpassing that of monkeys and with hearing sharper than that of horses, tracked the enemy's position. Using such a large-scale Noble Phantasm, no Servant could immediately erase all traces, and Achilles would not give the enemy a chance to hide again.

He heard a faint "sha!" sound, indicating the opponent was also on the move.

Because they were moving in the shadow of the trees, he could only vaguely see a figure passing by. If it were Atalanta, she might have been able to use scent as a clue, but Achilles did not have her wild hunting instincts honed from endless hunts.

Fortunately, Achilles could use his innate divinity to sense the lingering aura of divine constructs.

Another rune magic bullet came flying through the air.

He smiled and blocked them all with his spear; whether dodging or deflecting them was very easy.

Although these magic bullets would have been considered decent flying tools when he was alive, they were meaningless in the face of "Andreias Amarantos."

He had already driven the opponent into a corner; otherwise, Assassin wouldn't have used such an attack that nearly exposed their position—he had this realization.

"Found you!"

Achilles showed a bloodthirsty smile, increased his speed to the maximum, and, switching the spear in his hand for a shield, charged toward the visible figure in his sight.

"Akhilleus Kosmos: (The Miniature World Enclosed by the Azure Sky)!!!"

The Noble Phantasm, interrupted last time, was finally released with its true name.