Chapter 171: Chapter 163
My Mirage struggled against his spear, neither giving an inch.
"Haha!" Rider of Red began to laugh, a wide grin on his face and killing intent pouring out onto me. "I knew it, bastard, you were holding back before."
I couldn't help but match his expression. "Like you're one to talk." I pushed his spear away and slashed at his body, he didn't even bother to dodge, raising his arm and my blade pushed against his skin without budging.
"That shit isn't gonna work!" He shouted, grabbing onto the edge of my sword, his spear reeled back, the air distorting as it pushed towards my heart again.
"Zun Haal Viik." I shouted, the words vibrated in the air as they enveloped him. The muscles on his arm bulged as his eyes widened, he did his best to remain a grip on his spear, but it was forced out of his hand and flew to the side.
Still not a Shout I was particularly adept in, but it did its job.
To his credit, the moment of confusion was brief, his knee was already sailing towards my stomach. I slapped my hand down to block it and his fist moved towards my head, my Aura flaring to shield me from the blow, and his hand still gripped tight on my sword.
"Tricks." He spat out eyeing the shining barrier projected from my soul.
I held my free hand up towards his face, the lightning still clinging tightly to my arm like armor. "Burst." I let all the lightning uncoil and burst out of my hand, right into his face. I felt the grip on my sword lessen enough that I could pull it free.
He took a step back, regaining his composure quickly.
"As I thought." I tapped my sword on my shoulder. "Your Noble Phantasm prevents 'damage' not the physical force behind my blow."
Rider cracked his neck, holding his hand out to retrieve his spear. "The fact that you know that, and still call me Siegfried." He let out a sigh. "You're doing it just to piss me off."
"Come, Dragon slayer!" I called out with a cheeky smile.
"And it's working more than it should." He lost his grin, going into a stance.
He was about to attack before hundreds of the skeletal monsters began to swarm on me, their battlefield lines had finally been restored and I was quickly reminded where exactly we began our second fight.
How many eyes were on us right now?
"Annoying pests!" Rider shouted, Magical Energy coalesced around him as he thrust his spear. Hundreds of thorn-like blades made of his Mana stabbed at everything around us, including me.
My other swords shot out of my ring at blinding speed, arcing and swinging in every which way around me.
Rider's gaze met mine and I merely raised an eyebrow at his attack. "Cute." I replied, waving my hand to have my swords hover around me slowly.
"Well, you do make this more interesting." He tapped his foot on the ground and retook a proper stance.
Again right as he was about to attack the sky filled with arrows, coming right towards me.
"Sis!" Rider shouted, an annoyance in his voice.
"Well, I guess we're doing this." I muttered, but I couldn't really fault her. I did step out in the middle of two armies and challenged everyone, it was no place to expect a duel. "One hundred Birds." I swung Mirage. The overlayed slashes comprised of Magical Energy to mimic the Sword Phantoms founds in Eastern Ideology.
I could recall when doing ten of them was straining for me.
I tilt my head slightly as a few arrows pierced through my attacks, the penetrative power was surprising enough that I had to have my swords shoot up and block.
"Rider." Archer of Red appeared next to the Spear-wielder. "This isn't a duel, get your head out of your ass and focus."
Right, right. I had to focus too. I glanced to the side and noticed that Raikou was already engaging the Lancer Servant of Red. I don't know what her deal was, or perhaps I did. We hadn't spoken of Lancer's identity, but I think we could both guess at it based on the more obvious clues provided. It seemed to be a sore spot for her, and I don't think even she understood why, so the topic was left alone.
I turned at glanced at the Black Faction out of the corner of my eye. Lancer was staring at me. The look in his eyes, it made me feel as if he wanted to skewer me without hesitation yet....he did not move.
No, he gestured every now and then, and the forces around him moved at his command. They began to engage the horde of skeletons --- or rather the Dragon Tooth Warriors. They are a rather inexpensive creation by those from the older Age. They are rather simple to make by planting dragon teeth in the ground. I know Medea can make them easily, but there are probably dozens of other famous Magi who could do the same, so that doesn't narrow down Caster of Red's identity.
Well, to be able to create them on this scale is rather impressive. I think even Medea would have trouble doing something like this. Either the Caster is on her level or has a frightening amount of resources at their disposal.
Unfortunately, Dawnbreaker won't be more useful than a normal sword here. While these things were skeletons, they weren't 'undead'.
Regardless, the army of Dragon Tooth Warriors engaged the army of Golems and Homunculi.
I clicked my tongue as I saw the created humanoids fall to the constructs.
Truthfully, I did not like killing people.
I could weave some poetic reasoning as to why, but to put it simply, I find it wasteful. That doesn't mean I hesitate to do it when I have a reason, or I cower away when I have my blade to someone's neck. If someone needs to die, I will take their head without hesitation.
Homunculi though, raised and bred to be disposal soldiers. Their eyes looked utterly dead, even when they were skewered by several Dragon Tooth Warriors, they didn't cry out or scream. They just moved to continue as best they could before their lives finally ended.
Annoying.
"I believe I said, I was going to take you all on." I turned my head fully towards Lancer of Black who sat upon a horse surveying the battlefield. I wanted their attention fully on me. Taking three Talismans between my fingers, I flung them at the Servant.
They became shooting stars, crossing the battlefield at amazing speed towards their target.
The Lancer servant held out his hand, a baleful aura gathered around, a grin rising on his face as he jerked his arm up. Stakes shot out of the ground, piercing through the paper spellworks, stopping them in their tracks.
"Impressive for a Master." Lancer spoke for the second time this evening. "To think a living being dares to act so arrogantly infront of so many Servants." He stepped off his steed, giving it a pat as it started trotting away.
I slid to the side, lightning arcing cross the ground in my wake as I looked at the green-haired Rider who resumed our fight. "Don't ignore me." He said with a cheeky smile.
"Bindings of Gaia." I pressed my hand to the ground, forming the Runic Sentences to actualize my spell. The roots sprung up around the Rider servant as I swung my sword, destroying another hail of Arrows the Archer of Red shot at me.
She had already disappeared into the crowd, arrows continuing at me from the shadows.
Whisper flashed through the area, carving out runes, spells forming and shooting off at every appearance of the cat-like woman.
My attention was on Lancer of Black though, I flicked my hand to cast my own spells. My Runic Circles floated behind me, discharging lightning at the spear-wielding servant. Surprisingly, he didn't move at the coming barrage.
"Berserker." He lazily called out, a woman wearing a wedding dress with strange limbs jumped infront of him. She crackled with her own lightning, the big mace in her hand erupted to disrupt my attacks with ease.
"Raaaaaah!" She shouted, the ground bursting beneath her as she ran at me.
My Bindings of Gaia wore off, Rider staring at me, spear in hand as he thrust it forward, covering the distance within a blink of an eye.
Arrows filled the sky, some even given me a dreadful feeling, packed full of magical energy.
Even Lancer swung his hand out, Stakes jutting out of the ground as they threatened to impale me from below.
I let out a sigh. I guess this is what I get for challenging so many Servants at once, they are a prideful bunch and would make me regret this course.
But still..... "That's more like it." I couldn't help but grin as the Dragon Slaying blade flew into my hand. My Magical energy erupted as I gripped the Noble Phantasm and invoked its true name. "Ascalon!"
Their surprise was obvious, my sword moved in inhuman ways that defied the conventional laws of the world to block every attack that was aimed at me. A nearly perfect defense. Mace was deflected to the side, Spear was blocked, arrows shattered, and stakes rebuked.
As my Noble Phantasm's effect ended, I reached out and grabbed Berserker's Mace, the lightning dancing up my arm. I forcefully repelled it by recovering my own arm in my own lightning element. Slamming my foot onto the ground, I hefted her mace up, which she refused to let go of, and threw her towards the last spot I saw Archer.
I slid my foot against the ground, casting an Earthen Spike spell towards Rider to obscure his vision. In that moment that he was caught off guard, I took out the Staff of Magnus, pointing it at the Rider Servant. A spell circled formed at the tip, actualizing a rather simple spell. "Thunderbolt." It was a stronger variant of a Lightning Bolt, packing a bit more punch. Adding on my lightning affinity, it discharged with an impressive force.
The spot he was standing on was scorched, my own Earthen Spikes had been utterly reduced to ash.
"You bastard, you have something like that." The dust settled, Achilles stood there, arms covering his face. He had good instinct to alteast do that in that brief moment. One of his arms had been charred black. "A Divine Construct?" He narrowed his eyes.
"So I was right, Divinity is the key." I tapped the staff on my shoulder before pointing it towards Lancer of Black. "Fires of Muspelheim." Whisper wasn't inactive this time, weaving the spell for me to use. The intense flames came together and erupted in the direction of Lancer.
I thought about firing it at Rider, but with his speed, even at this distance, I knew he would be able to dodge it now that he knew not to trust his own protections.
Rider didn't seem to care, his face was eerily calm. "A Noble Phantasm, and a Divine Construct." His arm was black, armor having been destroyed, yet he didn't look phased. I could only praise his martial ability in these circumstances. "Who are you?"
"I would very much like to know that as well." Lancer's growl reverberated across the battlefield, the smoke and fire died down to reveal his untouched figure, stakes falling away and disappearing into ashes in the wind as they acted like a shield at my attack.
No, that wasn't quite right, he was burned a little bit, but nothing writing home about. Still, my spell harmed him and he had to defend against it, that was something.
"Raaaaah!" Berserker's growl also sounded out, accompanied by an explosive burst of lightning in the crowd of skeletons. She didn't look all too pleased with me. Maybe it was the arrows sticking out of her back? Couldn't see Archer anywhere, but she was a wily one, hard to pin down even with my perception.
"Shall I properly introduce myself then?" I chuckled. I guess I fully earned the attention of everyone here instead of just being an annoyance. Well, the battlefield clearly warped around my presence, It was hard to ignore me at this point when I was going after everyone and anyone. It would be the smart thing to just deal with a chaotic entity like me before looking at each other.
"Wilhelm Henry Schweinorg, at your service." At my words, the sky above crackled ominously.
***
Chaotic battlefield with MC properly introducing himself.
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