Chapter 394: Archer’s Helplessness (Part 1)


    The Red Archer found herself feeling utterly helpless.


    Swords, spears, mounts, madness, magic, assassination—the sses that Servants are assigned to are varied, and eaches with its unique powers. Among these, the Archer ss possesses a secret power unique to it.


    That is the "use of bows and arrows," a skill granted by the ss itself. It is a right so intrinsic it doesn''t need to be listed as a special ss skill—the more the bowstring is drawn, the greater the power. It''s a simple principle.


    This right was brought to the utmost limit with the Red Archer. She possessed the Celestial Bow granted by the goddess of the hunt, Artemis. Praying, aiming, putting all her strength into drawing the bow—if she drew it beyond its limit, the arrow would be endowed with god-like power.


    She was a master hunter, blessed by the goddess of the hunt.


    She hailed from the natural paradise of Arcadia and was a princess of Arcadia. However, she did not receive the love of her father, who desired a son and was abandoned in the forest. Artemis, moved by pity, had her raised by a mother bear.


    She was a member of thergest adventure team in Greek history, and she followed the Argo, leaving behind many legends.


    She was the one who first struck the fearsome Calydonian Boar, achieving the greatest merit among many warriors.


    Her true name was Atnta, the supreme huntress in Greek mythology. Her archery had reached divine levels, and her speed surpassed all men.


    Yet, despite all this, she found herself with no means to stop the iing ck Saber.


    Having grown up in the forest, it was her domain. She knew better than anyone how to conceal herself in the woods. She believed that the ck Saber couldn''t possibly find her hiding spot. But she was wrong. The silent and reticent swordsman did not search; he charged in a straight line as if he already knew her location.


    Of course, if it were just this, Atnta would not be afraid. As long as she had her bow and was in the forest, she was confident she could hit any target.


    However, simply hitting the ck Saber held little meaning. He had protection, whether from a god, a demon, or something else unknown. Only an arrow drawn to the limit of her Celestial Bow could pierce his undying body.


    Unfortunately, even with Atnta''s divine archery, she couldn''t easily shoot such an arrow. Releasing such an arrow required more time to draw the bow than usual, and she could only shoot one arrow at a time. More arrows would dilute the bowstring''s power.


    Moreover, the noise caused by such a powerful shot could not be concealed. With ck Saber already on guard, there was no chance to hit his body. He would either dodge or deflect the arrow with his great sword—ck Saber''s swordsmanship was on par with her archery. Without the ability to use her multi-arrow technique, the oue was already determined.


    As for using her Noble Phantasm, that option never crossed her mind—her Noble Phantasm was a rank B anti-army weapon, its single-shot power inferior to a fully drawn arrow, merely a waste of magical energy.


    When ck Saber deflected her third arrow and charged towards the tree she was hiding in, cutting down the century-old tree with one swing, Atnta knew it was over. Continuing the fight would be a waste of time—she was no match for ck Saber.


    A prideful Heroic Spirit might feel unwilling, but Atnta did not. Her thoughts were as animalistic as her beastly ears and tail; pride, to her, was not worth more than dog food.


    This was just a skirmish. Her task was to support the berserker who had infiltrated the enemy ranks. Since she failed, there was no point in staying.


    There was no need to worry about the Red Rider either. She knew with his abilities, no one could stop him if he wanted to leave.


    She strapped her bow to her back and, as the tree shook, leaped high like a leopardess. Under the silver moon, she left a silhouette full of feminine allure and wild beauty, reminiscent of the peerless grace that captivated countless heroes after the Calydonian Boar hunt. (This section must be seen in the manga; Atnta is depicted beautifully.)


    "Until we meet again, ck Saber," she said, ncing at him with eyes glowing in the dark. Atnta turned and sprinted away, running at full speed, confident that ck Saber could not attack from a distance.


    Atnta was originally a hunter in ancient Greece who prided herself on her unmatched speed. She dered to her suitors, who were enchanted by her wild beauty, that she would "marry the one who could outrun her in a race, but the price of failure was death." She shot down those who couldn''t catch up with her, a testament to her remarkable speed.


    Even a Servant like the ck Saber, whose average stats were above B, couldn''tpare to her.


    After chasing for a few hundred meters experimentally and confirming that the enemy had left, the ck Saber, Siegfried, stopped pursuing and began to return the way he hade. Even from this distance, he could still sense the fluctuations of the Assassin''s signature lightning Noble Phantasm, indicating that the battle had likely reached a critical point. He needed to hurry back. Even if he couldn''t break the Red Rider''s immortality, he could at least serve as a shield for Assassin.


    Though silent and taciturn, having exchanged only a few words with Assassin, he hade to recognize Assassin as arade. Hisrade had protected his back; now it was his turn to protect hisrade.


    Unfortunately, Siegfried had only made it halfway back when he saw the Rider departing through the air in his chariot. By the time he returned to Shinji''s side, the ck Berserker, d III, had already arrived and was inquiring about Assassin''s status.


    "What? You say the Red Rider is Achilles?"


    The sudden, explosive revtion moved even the usuallyposed d III and Siegfried.


    "Yes. When his Noble Phantasm was partially released, he mentioned ''Achilles,'' and the three-horse chariot we saw also confirms his true name." The information Achilles had revealed was ample, so Shinji had no reason to hold back.


    "I see... Your analysis was correct; the Red faction has a second top-tier Servant."


    At this moment, Shinji noticed Siegfried and waved to him.


    "Yo, Siegfried, you''re back. What about the Red Archer?"


    Such a question required an answer, and Siegfried responded, "She retreated. Her speed was greater than mine; I couldn''t catch her."


    "Any distinctive features?" d III asked. The war had just begun; establishing results was crucial, but gathering sufficient intelligence was also important if they failed to do so.


    "Yes, she wore green spiritual attire and seemed to retain beast-like features, with visible ears and a tail, somewhat resembling a cat."


    "A cat?" d III frowned. "Could it be a non-human Servant, or perhaps an innocent monster like myself?"


    Shinji chuckled but remained silent. She wasn''t a non-human Servant or an innocent monster; she simply had the fate of being turned into a lion, hence the feline traits. Speaking of which, Atnta was indeed wild, having done that in the temple.


    d III, oblivious to Shinji''s thoughts, continued, "However, obtaining the true name of the Red Rider makes this trip worthwhile. Saber, Assassin, you both did well."


    Siegfried bowed his head silently.


    Shinji nodded slightly. "There''s one more thing to note, and please have n Head Darnic convey this to all our members. Like Siegfried, Achilles possesses the blessing of immortality. To defeat him directly, one must have the power of a god or attack the weak point named after him."


    "Achilles'' heel," d III responded instinctively. He had known of this phrase even during his lifetime, a testament to Achilles'' fame. And as the "Impaler," he was curious to see if his "Kazikli Bey" could pierce the tendons of this immortal hero!


    Even if it couldn''t, it didn''t matter. He had a second, hidden Noble Phantasm as his trump card. However, being in his homnd as a lord, he wouldn''t use it unless necessary.


    At this moment, Shinji suddenly eximed.


    "Ah—"


    "What''s wrong?"


    "Nothing, just remembered something. Many schrs who study mythology believe that Achilles is one of the prototypes for Siegfried. Now that I think about it, there''s some truth to that. The original usually has an advantage over the copy."


    d III pondered the legends of both heroes and nodded. "Now that you mention it, indeed."


    After speaking, they both looked at Siegfried, who showed a hint of helplessness. Regardless of the original and copy argument, he was indeed firmly restrained by Achilles.


    Seeing Siegfried''s rare expression of emotion, d III''s interest was piqued. He patted Siegfried''s shoulder andforted him, "You are not alone in your frustration. I believe the great sage is even more frustrated since Achilles was his most outstanding disciple."