Chapter 240 – The Night of Battle
"I'm sorry, I have no intention of teaming up with you…" As he spoke, Hikigaya Hachiman signaled the Inari foxes to act.
Teaming up with a guy who liked to snipe from the shadows? Hachiman considered that he hadn't lived enough to risk it.
Though the foxes excelled against spirits and similar enemies, they were equally proficient in swiftly killing humans.
Golden chains instantly appeared in the hands of several three-headed shrine maiden foxes, wrapping tightly around Kiritsugu Emiya's neck and body!
"I command you by Command Spell, Saber, come to my side immediately!" Feeling the chains tightening around his neck, Kiritsugu had no choice but to use a recently transplanted Command Spell on his left hand, forcing Artoria to leave Irisviel and instantly teleport beside him.
"Master?" Artoria, carrying Irisviel while fleeing, suddenly saw a blur before her eyes. In the next instant, Irisviel vanished from her arms, and Artoria herself appeared beside Kiritsugu.
"Saber, get me out of here!" "I understand!" Though surprised to see Hachiman, Artoria had long expected this moment. She instantly swung her sword at the fox shrine maidens near Kiritsugu.
Clang! Her invisible sword struck the golden chains, sending out a metallic resonance. One of the fox maidens was flung backward by the sword's immense force.
Seeing their companion thrown, the remaining foxes immediately hurled the chains at Artoria again. At the same time, the two in front transformed into white foxes to block her.
"Karna!" Hachiman could not simply watch his Inari foxes be attacked without intervening. No sooner had he spoken than Karna stepped in, lance raised, shielding the two foxes from being cut in half.
"Return, all of you." The foxes were clearly no match for Artoria. While the chief maiden had said they could be resurrected infinitely, Hachiman could not allow them to die even once so easily.
Thus, once Karna engaged Artoria, Hachiman called the foxes back.
"Master, my apologies…" The foxes quickly ran to Hachiman and knelt, heads lowered in guilt.
"It's fine. Leave the next part to me. You should continue scouting elsewhere."
Hachiman shook his head. Transforming the injured three foxes into marks on his arm, he sent the remaining foxes to continue gathering intel in Fuyuki City. Even though Caster had been eliminated, his base remained undiscovered. Although the chance of finding surviving children was slim, Hachiman intended to keep searching.
After sending the foxes away, Hachiman looked back at the two combatants. Since he was nearby, the duel between Kiritsugu and Artoria leaned toward technical martial arts.
He could not help but admire their skill.
"Weapons can be used like that?" After observing for a while, Hachiman openly praised their technique.
But he did not forget Kiritsugu, still bound by chains nearby. Shifting his gaze slightly, he saw Kiritsugu struggling to free himself from the divine chains.
Chains formed entirely from divine energy were not something an ordinary human could break with brute force. After realizing his strength alone was insufficient, Kiritsugu reached for his waist.
However, upon touching it with his remaining left hand, he froze. Nothing… The gun with the Origin Bullet was gone, as were all other weapons hidden in his coat.
"When…?" He hadn't been searched…
"Isn't it common sense to disarm someone immediately after capture?"
Though unarmed, Hachiman did not attack rashly. Sakura was also present, and Kiritsugu, bound in chains, could not resist. Hachiman only needed to wait for the duel between Karna and Artoria to conclude.
Kiritsugu realized this, stepping back to avoid any sudden attacks from Hachiman. He lifted his head to watch the duel…
"Amazing…" After another exchange, Artoria slid back to Kiritsugu, her expression serious as she faced Karna, still calm and composed.
"How do you think, Saber? Can you win?" Kiritsugu whispered to Artoria.
"It's hard to say…" Sliding the chains off Kiritsugu's body, Artoria once again assumed a defensive stance. In terms of stamina and combat skill, Karna was undoubtedly the strongest opponent she had faced so far. Even she was uncertain if she could defeat him.
Karna soon launched another assault, leaving Artoria no time to think.
"Saber, shall we change the battleground?" After dozens of exchanges, Karna, spear in hand, maintained steady breathing, while Artoria began to pant slightly. Noticing her caution in battle, Karna furrowed his brow and proposed moving to a new location.
"…Agreed!" After a brief hesitation, Artoria agreed without further thought. She needed to end the fight quickly, unaware of Irisviel's situation.
.
.
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Meanwhile, in an abandoned factory on the outskirts of Fuyuki City, Kayneth's base received an uninvited guest.
"Archer?" Sensing a surge of mana, Kayneth stepped out and froze when he saw Gilgamesh surveying the area. He could not imagine how his new base had been exposed.
But none of that mattered now. Gilgamesh, having located his target, activated the Gate of Babylon, unleashing a full wall of Noble Phantasms aimed at Kayneth and Diarmuid.
"Good evening, scum!" With a cheery greeting, countless Noble Phantasms rained down upon them.
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