This Is My Holy Grail War [127]

Saber stepped onto the soft, muddy ground, her gaze locking onto the crimson Archer brimming with killing intent. The bowstring of the Archer’s weapon was drawn to its limit. Before releasing the arrow, she greeted Saber.

“Hello there, Saber of Black.” Archer's words barely left her lips before the arrow was loosed.

Whoosh!

The arrow tore through the air, a piercing roar accompanying its deadly trajectory toward Saber. However, Saber simply tilted her head ever so slightly, allowing the projectile to graze past her with pinpoint precision—no more, no less. Without any unnecessary movements, she had effortlessly evaded the attack.

“Tch.” Archer’s face twisted with irritation. “Why is it that every shot I aim at you is seen through? Is it a skill, a Noble Phantasm, or some kind of curse? An anti-arrow blessing, perhaps? Or something else entirely?” She frowned, mulling over the possibilities.

This was Saber’s first glimpse of the Servant with animal-like ears, whose long, flowing hair was accompanied by a strange tail.

Her face was an elegant mix of ethereal beauty and otherworldly grace. The natural allure she exuded was almost unearthly. But being the target of her hawk-like, razor-sharp gaze felt deeply unsettling.

Despite the palpable strength of the Archer's shots, Saber remained composed. While the arrows were undeniably potent, they were nowhere near as overwhelming as the endless barrage of treasures unleashed by Gilgamesh.

If anything, Saber found the situation unexpectedly manageable. It was akin to being accustomed to braving fierce storms on the open sea, only to suddenly find herself navigating a tranquil pond. She approached the battle with the calm assurance of a warrior seasoned by countless life-or-death encounters.

Charging through the rain of arrows, Saber’s strides were bold and decisive. It was only as she neared that Archer finally began to move.

The Archer’s speed was extraordinary, matching Saber’s agility without a hint of inferiority. Astonishingly, she leaped and weaved effortlessly between the dense forest trees, treating the thick undergrowth as though it were an open plain.

Within the span of three heartbeats, Archer had widened the gap between them. Feeling secure once more, she turned gracefully and loosed another arrow toward the pursuing Saber.

Although Saber’s [Instincts] warned her of the incoming attack, rendering it harmless, she was equally unable to land a blow on the elusive Archer.

Saber abruptly crouched, readying herself for another sprint. Infusing her legs with a surge of magical energy, she launched herself forward like a rocket, her speed instantly breaking the sound barrier.

Boom!

The air trembled violently under the force of Saber’s magical propulsion. Archer, however, wasn’t about to simply stand by and watch. With practiced precision, she counterattacked, loosing a barrage of arrows aimed at halting Saber’s advance. Yet, it was all in vain.

Guided by her intuition and honed [Instincts], Saber achieved a level of evasion far beyond that of ordinary anti-arrow blessings. Even attacks from the shadows failed to strike her.

Racing forward like a human whirlwind of magical energy, Saber pressed on, the very air roaring in her wake.

“Die!”

With magic power swirling in her wake, Saber unleashed a devastating sword strike. But Archer, agile and sharp, deftly avoided the blow, retaliating with another arrow in one fluid motion.

Lowering her head slightly, Saber noticed a peculiar pattern in Archer’s attacks—her arrows were always aimed at her head. Whether it was her forehead or the space between her brows, every shot was calculated to be fatal.

The Archer of Red seemed to possess a thorough understanding of close-quarters combat. Despite wielding a weapon best suited for ranged attacks, she executed her moves with a level of threat comparable to melee fighters.

The magical propulsion that had propelled Saber forward at blistering speeds came at a cost. Her agility and maneuverability had diminished significantly.

Whenever Saber closed the distance, Archer would use the towering underbrush of the forest to turn and evade, skillfully avoiding danger each time. Saber began to realize that she simply couldn’t catch up. It wasn’t a matter of speed but rather a lack of flexibility in the dense terrain.

As the momentum from her magical boost gradually subsided, Archer once again widened the gap between them.

But Saber’s icy, unyielding gaze remained fixed on Archer—a silent promise of imminent death.

Saber danced amid the falling rain of arrows, her emerald-green eyes reflecting Archer’s figure with unwavering intensity.

This was a battle of life and death. Saber had always thought of Mordred as the ultimate berserker, but in this moment, she herself bore an eerie resemblance to a maddened warrior. Unshackled from her last restraints, she embodied a kind of reckless ferocity, amplified by [Avalon]’s protection.

“No matter how sharp your sword, how strong your power, or how keen your eyes—if you can’t catch up, you’re not qualified to fight me,” Archer taunted, her confidence in her agility unwavering.

After countless attempts to strike Saber, Archer finally relented. “It seems I can’t hit you, either. If neither of us can settle this, how about we postpone this for another day? Wouldn’t that be better?”

Saber’s inability to keep pace with Archer was undeniable. On open plains, she might have had a chance, but the complex terrain of the forest left her at a disadvantage.

Even though Saber could evade Archer’s attacks, she couldn’t land a single blow herself.

What I need isn’t just to close the distance—I need to strike her. Determined, Saber shifted her focus, her gaze sharpening as she reconsidered her strategy.

Saber didn’t need to chase Archer. While she considered her long-range capabilities second-rate compared to Gilgamesh, she was still formidable. Restrictions often held her back from unleashing her full power, forcing her to choose between offense and defense.

“I don’t need to catch you. To attack you, I don’t need a sword,” Saber declared, her voice steady.

A ghostly aura of magical energy began to coalesce in front of her, forming a glowing sigil.

Saber’s lips parted slightly, and dark purple mana distorted the air around her. In the next instant, a beam of matching hue shot toward Archer.

The speed of the magical blast was astonishing, reaching Archer in the blink of an eye.

With even rudimentary knowledge of magecraft, Saber could still cast spells in this state. The roles had reversed—Saber was now the attacker, forcing Archer to abandon her bow and evade the incoming attack.

Boom!

Magical energy erupted, the purple flames of death igniting the ground beneath them. The once moss-covered, vibrant stones were instantly reduced to charred coal.

Archer had evaded. Saber’s [High-Speed Divine Words] skill was still at a low level, insufficient to sustain a large-scale bombardment. Archer’s superior agility allowed her to survive the magical assault with ease. To make matters worse, Archer also possessed Magic Resistance.

Though Saber didn’t know Archer’s exact level of resistance, it was clear that the scattered flows of magical energy from her blasts wouldn’t harm her. The only way to inflict real damage was to strike Archer directly with the magic cannon.

The two danced like butterflies carried by the forest’s breeze, a deadly chase interwoven with arrows and magic beams.

Both combatants knew that a single misstep could result in a catastrophic blow to the head. Yet, Saber’s magical energy was insufficient. Firing two magic cannons simultaneously was already her limit. Archer, on the other hand, could unleash dozens of arrows in mere moments.

At this rate, Saber would undoubtedly lose. She needed to increase her firepower.

“Shield.”

Saber suddenly halted her assault, conjuring a magical shield before her with a quick incantation.

Her E-rank [High-Speed Divine Words] couldn’t provide her with devastating offensive power. If so, she would summon even greater strength.

Had Saber not defeated Assassin earlier, she might have considered a tactical retreat under the cover of her incantations. But with nothing holding her back, victory now became her sole priority.

A blue magical shield enveloped Saber, protecting her body. She abandoned her instinct-driven combat style as the King of Knights and shifted her focus to Medea’s [High-Speed Divine Words].

At that moment, Saber felt her ability to chant spells improve dramatically. What had once been a cumbersome process now required barely any effort.

[You have acquired A-Rank High-Speed Divine Words]

[You have acquired A-Rank Teachings of Circe.]

Flipping open her black grimoire, Saber quickly realized the knowledge she had already mastered wouldn’t suffice. She needed attacks with both power and range.

As the pages turned, the azure sky began to shift. Brilliant, multicolored magical energy filled the air, resembling dazzling fireworks that lit up the heavens like a constellation.

Magic circles resembling countless stars in the night sky flickered in and out of existence, forming intricate patterns.

While Saber lacked Medea’s finesse with magecraft, what set her apart was her unrestrained access to a seemingly infinite supply of magical energy.

“Medea?!” Archer gasped in shock. But Saber wasn’t one to let up once she gained the upper hand. On the contrary, she pressed harder.

“Magic power, increase by one rank.”

Saber’s eyes gleamed with an ominous purple light beneath her hood as she chanted. Her magical energy surged to new heights in an instant.

[Magic: C → Magic: B.]

At C-Rank, her magical energy was merely average. At B-Rank, she was now comparable to a competent mage.

The homunculi’s vast magical reserves functioned like a great lake, while Saber’s body acted as a siphon. The width of the pipe determined how much magical energy she could channel at once.

Lifting her silver staff, Saber moved like a conductor leading an orchestra. The staff, her magical baton, guided the energy, transforming every magic circle into a mystical note.

It was as if she were performing a symphony of destruction. The ground trembled as Saber unleashed her firepower on Archer without hesitation. Magical energy from the homunculi poured into her ceaselessly, creating an overwhelming force that pressed down on Archer like a tidal wave.

Unable to even raise her bow, Archer struggled to dodge as explosions erupted around her again and again.

This evasive tactic was all too familiar to Saber. If I know it, I know how to counter it.

Saber’s magical beams acted as if guided by instinct, her attacks closing off every escape route. Two beams would block Archer’s forward path, while another sealed off her retreat.

Though the magic cannons didn’t arrive simultaneously, their sheer number was enough to overwhelm Archer.

Finally, Saber seized an opportunity. One of her beams struck true, landing directly on Archer.

The resulting explosion shook the earth. Archer’s body was struck by the full force of the magic. As smoke billowed into the air, Saber caught sight of crimson blood staining the ground.

She’s injured. Saber’s instincts sharpened, her focus narrowing like that of a hunter who had just caught the scent of her prey.

As the haze cleared, Saber glimpsed Archer’s blurred figure retreating into the forest, clutching her injured left arm.

But just as Saber prepared to give chase and deliver the finishing blow, countless chains erupted from the shadows, blocking her path.

She could only watch as the gravely wounded Archer disappeared into the distance, her route of pursuit obstructed by someone standing in her way.

---

T/N: wait hmm I thought her magic got boosted by 2 ranks because of Gordes? hmmm unless it was just 2 stages so it was at C++...

This is a fan translation of 这是我的圣杯之战 by 向希望祈祷. All rights to the original work belong to the creator. Please support them by exploring their original work or sharing it with others if you can. Thank you for reading and supporting my efforts to bring this story to a wider audience!