"Danger!"
Just as Chihiro was locked in fierce combat with Karna, a clone of Hassan of the Hundred Faces suddenly materialized behind him, only to be pierced by an arrow.
Someone had unched a sneak attack from behind.
An archer.
"Is it Atanta?" Chihiro wondered, quickly scanning his surroundings.
Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh…
A volley of arrows followed, whistling through the air as they aimed directly at Chihiro.
At the same time, Karna pressed his advantage, lunging forward to pin Chihiro down and prevent him from dodging.
Faced with this sudden assault, Chihiro knew there was only one way to counter it.
"Qillin Armor, combine!"
With a command, the armor enveloped his body, combining into its full form. Cd in the powerful suit, Chihiro grabbed Karna's spear with one hand, halting his attack through sheer brute strength.
The arrows rained down, smming into his armor. The force caused Chihiro to stagger slightly, but he quickly regained his footing.
"Not Atanta…" Chihiro muttered. This level of power wasn't hers.
His suspicions were confirmed as his enhanced vision, courtesy of the King Catcher Armor, identified the shooter.
[Name: Chiron; Css: Archer; Gender: Male; Alignment: Lawful Good.]
[Strength: B; Endurance: B; Agility: A+; Mana: B; Luck: C; Noble Phantasm: A.]
[Css Skills: Magic Resistance B, Independent Action A.]
[Personal Skills: Cirvoyance B+, Mind's Eye (True) A, Divinity C, Wisdom of the Divine Gift A+, Eternal Devotion EX.]
[Noble Phantasm: Antares Snipe (A, Anti-Personnel, Range: 5-99 meters, Target: 1).]
"Chiron…" Chihiro frowned.
The realization struck him. The Bck Faction had joined forces with the Red Faction.
It made sense. His growing reputation as a threat had likely prompted Darnic to act decisively. And now, Chiron and Karna were working together to take him down.
"I knew this was coming, but I didn't think they'd move this quickly," Chihiro muttered, his mind racing.
Chihiro gathered his energy into his armored fist and struck Karna with a powerful blow, sending the golden ncer flying backward.
This time, Chihiro had prepared better than before. He deactivated his Css Card after entering the Qillin Armor's fusion.
Though combining the Css Card's power with the armor would have significantly boosted his strength, the energy consumption was enormous. Managing both at the same time was impractical, so Chihiro chose to rely solely on the armor's abilities.
Cng!
A sudden sword strike interrupted his thoughts. Siegfried, now fully materialized, charged at Chihiro with his massive bde.
Reacting swiftly, Chihiro summoned the Fire Qilin Cw, a powerful weapon attached to the Qillin Armor, to block Siegfried's attack.
[Name: Siegfried; Css: Saber; Gender: Male; Alignment: Chaotic Good.]
[Strength: B+; Endurance: A; Agility: B; Mana: C; Luck: E; Noble Phantasm: A.]
[Css Skills: Magic Resistance (Lost), Riding B.]
[Personal Skills: Golden Rule C-, Valor A, Dragon Syer A++.]
[Noble Phantasms: Armor of Fafnir (B+, Anti-Personnel, Target: 1), Balmung: Phantasmal Greatsword - Felling of the Sky Demon (EX, Anti-Army, Range: 1-50 meters, Target: 500).]
Chihiro roared as he unleashed a burst of energy from the Fire Qillin Cw, forcing Siegfried to retreat.
Not wasting any time, Chihiro rubbed the Seal attached to his waist, infusing his cw with an additional yer of energy.
Chihiro swung his cws through the air, and the energy radiating from them condensed into explosive light waves. The waves surged toward Siegfried, tearing through the ground as though countless explosives had been buried beneath it.
Siegfried managed to leap forward, narrowly avoiding a direct hit. However, the force of the explosion still sent him flying several meters back.
"Ugh!" Siegfried groaned as he nded.
Before Chihiro could press his advantage, a roar filled the battlefield. Frankenstein, the Berserker, had entered the fray.
With a heavy round hammer in hand, she charged toward Chihiro and swung it down with all her might.
Her speed, however, was far too slow. Chihiro sidestepped her attack effortlessly.
[Name: Frankenstein; Css: Berserker; Gender: Female; Alignment: Chaotic Neutral.]
[Strength: C; Endurance: B; Agility: D; Mana: D; Luck: B; Noble Phantasm: C.]
[Css Skill: Mad Enhancement D.]
[Personal Skills: Galvanism B, Wail of the Falsely Living D, Overload C.]
[Noble Phantasms: Bridal Chest (C, Anti-Personnel, Range: 1, Target: 1), Bsted Tree (D-B+, Anti-Army, Range: 1-10 meters, Targets: 30).]
Chihiro didn't hold back. With a single, well-aimed punch, he sent Frankenstein flying across the battlefield.
"Punish evil and uphold justice!" Chihiro shouted, summoning a talisman with the word 'Capture' inscribed on it.
The talisman glowed with golden light, attracting debris from the ground and transforming into shackles that bound Frankenstein tightly.
"Ughhh!" Frankenstein growled, thrashing against her restraints. But no matter how hard she struggled, the shackles held firm.
"They actually restrained a Berserker," Siegfried muttered, visibly surprised by Chihiro's techniques.
Chihiro turned to him. "Don't underestimate humans."
Siegfried shook his head. "I never have. After all, I was human once."
With that, Siegfried raised his sword and charged at Chihiro again.
"The Divine Fire Qilin Sword!"
A massive red sword materialized in his hand, bzing with fiery energy.
Cng!
The Divine Fire Qilin Sword cshed with Siegfried's greatsword, the force of the impact pushing both combatants back.
Not wasting a second, Chihiro summoned the God Force again. The weapons transformed into broadswords, one of which Chihiro wielded in his left hand. Now dual-wielding swords, he prepared for the next exchange.
Siegfried's eyes lit up with excitement. "A strong opponent… excellent."
The two resumed their duel, their weapons colliding with thunderous force as sparks flew with each csh.
---
Elsewhere on the battlefield, Karna, who had been momentarily knocked out of the fight, attempted to rejoin the fray. However, the First Emperor stepped forward to intercept him.
Facing an opponent as formidable as Karna, the First Emperor showed no hesitation. He activated his Noble Phantasm immediately.
"The ancient tombs become dark mountains, the secluded paces resemble purple ptforms. The stars are separated by seven luminaries, and the Milky Way opens up nine springs," he chanted.
"The Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor – Underground Heavenly Pace!"
The battlefield around Karna transformed into an otherworldly underground pace.
Though the setting should have been eerie, the pace was breathtaking. The ceiling depicted a stunning recreation of the consteltions, as if the night sky itself had descended into this subterranean realm. Rivers, kes, and seas of mercury flowed through the pace, reflecting the starlight. Ducks and geese crafted from gold and silver floated upon the mercury's surface.
This was no ordinary mausoleum—it was a vast, intricate underground world.
"A Reality Marble," Karna muttered, quickly realizing what had happened.
Boom. Boom. Boom.
The pace gates swung open, and the sound of synchronized footsteps echoed through the air.
The Terracotta Army marched forth, their weapons gleaming as they advanced.
At the same time, the mercury rivers began to churn, transforming into floating bdes that hovered menacingly. Golden beasts prowled the pace, their eyes fixed on Karna as they surrounded him.
Despite the overwhelming spectacle, Karna remained unfazed, his expression calm.
---
Meanwhile, in the woods just beyond the battlefield, Darnic stood with a faint smile on his face.
Opposite him was Bluebeard, who had disappeared from Chihiro's side earlier.
Everything was now clear: Bluebeard had betrayed Chihiro.
After seeing in the group's video that Darnic possessed a method to sever contracts between Masters and Servants, Bluebeard became intrigued. He secretly contacted Darnic, offering his allegiance to the Bck Faction in exchange for freedom from Chihiro.
Darnic, though initially hesitant, ultimately agreed. The Bck Faction was severely cking in combat power.
The Red Faction boasted heavyweights like Karna and Achilles. Chihiro's group had powerhouses such as Artoria and Gilgamesh. But the Bck Faction? Aside from Siegfried, they cked the firepower to compete.
Darnic saw this betrayal as an opportunity. Not only could he weaken Chihiro's forces, but he could also strengthen his own.
That said, Darnic was no fool. He had no intention of severing ties with Chihiro completely. This entire operation was meant to test the waters.
Even Chiron's earlier attack had been half-hearted. If he truly wanted to eliminate Chihiro, he would have unleashed his Noble Phantasm, Antares Snipe, right from the start.
Instead, Darnic pyed the long game, hoping to sow discord between Chihiro and the Red Faction while reaping the benefits.
Bluebeard's defection, however, was a pleasant surprise.
The Bck Faction's five Masters, along with Avicebron, quickly worked together to sever Bluebeard's contract with Chihiro.
"Hahaha! I'm finally free!" Bluebeard excimed, his ughter echoing through the forest.
Despite his etion, the other Bck Masters—Fiore, Caules, and Gordes—regarded him with visible distaste. His erratic and sadistic nature made him an unpleasant ally.
Roche, as always, remained indifferent.
---
Whoosh!
An arrow shot toward them but was intercepted by Avicebron's magic.
Darnic's expression darkened. "Archer of the Red Team, are you breaking our agreement?"
Emerging from the trees was Atanta, her bow drawn and her gaze fixed on Bluebeard.
"This has nothing to do with the agreement," she said coldly. "That man must die."
Bluebeard's expression twisted into a sneer.
Darnic stepped forward, his tone calm but firm. "Unfortunately for you, he is now one of ours."
Bluebeard, for once, stood quietly behind Darnic, an uncharacteristic dispy of obedience.
