Chapter 369

Chapter 369: Chapter 369

Although the figure ahead flashed past in an instant, both Kiriya and Ryuu possessed eyesight sharp enough to make out his appearance clearly.

The man had short blue hair, with several loose strands falling casually over his forehead, while a long ponytail trailed all the way down his back.

He was tall and powerfully built, and the close-fitting blue combat suit he wore emphasized the smooth, muscular lines of his body, lending him an unmistakably fierce presence.

His face was handsome, yet there was a wild, untamed arrogance in his features.

The blood-red demonic spear in his hand radiated a dense and ominous aura, making him appear even more dangerous.

"That man... is a Servant?"

Ryuu narrowed her eyes as she observed him.

"Judging from his weapon, is he Lancer?"

"Yeah. That’s Cú Chulainn, the famous Child of Light of Ireland. He’s been summoned as Lancer for this Holy Grail War."

Kiriya nodded.

"He seems to be chasing someone," Ryuu said. "Should we follow and see what’s happening?"

"Of course. How could we ignore something interesting happening right in front of us?"

Kiriya smiled and took Ryuu’s soft hand before following after Lancer.

Neither of them bothered concealing their presence.

They simply followed openly from behind, so naturally it did not take long for Lancer to notice them.

"Oh?"

Cú Chulainn sensed the two presences keeping pace with him and became slightly puzzled.

"Someone can actually keep up with me?"

That level of physical ability did not resemble a normal Magus.

But if they were Heroic Spirits, then two Servants had already joined forces this early in the war?

Wasn’t that a little fast?

The situation was obviously disadvantageous for Lancer, yet rather than concern him, it caused the blood in his veins to heat with anticipation.

His body was craving battle.

"Interesting. Very interesting."

A grin appeared on his face.

"Looks like tonight won’t be boring after all."

His speed suddenly increased.

Since something much more exciting had just appeared behind him, it was time to bring this little game of cat and mouse to an end.

His Master, Kirei Kotomine, had ordered him to scout the other participants and gather as much information as possible about the various Servants.

Cú Chulainn had no objection to the assignment.

Quite the opposite—he had been eager to test himself against the heroes of legend summoned into this war.

Apparently, his luck tonight wasn’t entirely terrible.

He had not been wandering through Fuyuki for long before encountering a Servant of the Caster class, so naturally he had immediately gone after her to see what she was capable of.

Caster, however, was hardly interested in fighting a close-combat monster like Lancer head-on.

The moment she sensed his presence from a distance, she fled, leading to the chase Kiriya and Ryuu had just witnessed.

At first, Lancer had not been particularly serious. He had treated the pursuit like a game, allowing Caster to maintain a considerable lead.

But now that unexpected guests had joined them, he intended to force a brief confrontation with Caster, gather whatever information he could, and then free himself to enjoy a proper battle with the two people behind him.

Whoosh—!

Lancer possessed A-rank Agility, and once he began sprinting at full speed, his movement became terrifyingly fast.

A distance of more than a kilometer vanished almost instantly.

Soon, a figure wrapped in a deep-purple magical robe appeared ahead.

Caster clearly had not expected Lancer to accelerate so suddenly and was briefly caught off guard.

Nevertheless, she was no ordinary Magus.

Her reaction was immediate, and with only a short incantation, several layers of magical barriers appeared in front of her.

"Oh? Not bad."

Cú Chulainn gave an appreciative smile.

Although he had been summoned as Lancer, the magical knowledge he possessed in life had not disappeared.

He could immediately tell that Caster was using an unusual technique to drastically shorten both the length and casting time of her incantations without sacrificing power.

If anything, the resulting Magecraft was even stronger.

Those defensive barriers were already comparable to Greater Magecraft.

"Unfortunately, none of that matters against me."

The corner of Cú Chulainn’s mouth lifted.

He tapped one foot lightly against the ground and became a blur, leaving several afterimages behind as he circled around Caster’s defenses and appeared directly behind her.

BOOM—!

The shaft of his spear slammed viciously into Caster’s abdomen.

She flew backward like a cannonball, smashing through more than a dozen towering trees before finally crashing into the ground and creating a shallow crater.

Lancer had not attacked with his full strength, but B-rank Strength combined with his extraordinary martial skill was still far beyond what the physically frail Caster class could endure.

Countless bones shattered, while several of her internal organs suffered severe damage.

Caster had already been in a weakened condition before the attack.

With injuries this severe added on top of that, the situation had become disastrous.

Without some exceptionally powerful healing method, that single blow would be enough to send her back to the Throne of Heroes.

"Cough... Is this really where it ends?"

Caster’s hood slipped from her head, revealing an extraordinarily beautiful face now drained of nearly all color by her injuries.

"Honestly... why do terrible things keep happening to me lately? My luck really is awful."

She had answered the Holy Grail’s summons full of hope, believing she might finally fulfill the wish she had carried for so long.

Instead, she had ended up with a truly terrible Master.

After reaching the end of her patience, she had once again lived up to the title of the Witch of Betrayal and freed herself from him.

Losing her Master had already placed her in a terrible condition.

Then, of all people, she had encountered an unbelievably persistent Lancer.

And now she had been reduced to this miserable state.

"So this wilderness is going to become my grave?"

Caster gave a bitter smile.

"How frustrating."

As death approached, memories of her life began passing before her eyes.

She hated it.

She hated the worthless Master who had treated her like a dog.

She hated this relentless Lancer who refused to leave her alone!

But more than anything, she hated fate itself.

Why did everything always have to happen to her?

Manipulated.

Used.

Discarded.

And whenever she finally fought back because she had no other choice, she was condemned as a betrayer.

All she had ever wanted was to return home.

Once upon a time, she had merely been an innocent young girl.

She had possessed a happy family and a teacher who genuinely cared for her and taught her Magecraft with patience and devotion.

There had been no manipulation.

No betrayal.

No lies.

Everything had once been so beautiful.

’Am I really destined to spend my entire existence chained to the word "betrayal"?’

Caster screamed inwardly in bitter resentment.

As if the heavens themselves had sensed her anger and sorrow, a light rain began to fall.

Soon, scattered droplets became a continuous drizzle, weaving into a fine curtain that soaked the Witch of Betrayal from head to toe.

’Seriously?’

Caster mentally sneered at the sky.

’I’m about to die, and you can’t even let me go out with a little dignity?’

She silently gave the heavens an obscene gesture.

"It’s over."

Lancer stepped in front of her and raised his crimson demonic spear.

The spearhead descended toward Caster’s chest—

then stopped.

One inch from her heart.

No matter how much force Lancer applied, it could not advance any farther.

"Well, now."

Lancer looked toward the blonde elf who had appeared between them, her sword firmly intercepting his spear.

"You’re pretty quick, girl."

He withdrew Gáe Bolg and shifted smoothly into an offensive stance.

"Judging by the way you’re holding that sword... are you some kind of Saber-class Servant?"

"I have nothing to discuss with you."

Ryuu’s expression remained cold.

"Fight."

She had developed absolutely no favorable impression of someone who had relentlessly pursued and beaten down an already weakened opponent.

Lancer froze for half a second.

Then his face split into a wild grin.

"Hah! Straight to the point. I like that!"

His battle intent erupted.

"Try not to die too quickly!"

The instant the words left his mouth, his legs exploded with power and he became a streak of blue light.

Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang—!

A rapid series of weapon collisions rang through the forest.

Sword and spear repeatedly met at terrifying speed, and the shockwaves generated by their exchanges sliced apart surrounding trees and rocks as though they were made of paper.

Caster, already hovering at the edge of consciousness, stared blankly at the blue and golden figures colliding again and again before her.

"Who... is she?"

Her voice was barely audible.

"A swordswoman? Blonde... young... and those pointed ears. An elf? Who could she possibly be?"

"You’re practically dead and you still have time to wonder about things like that."

A voice suddenly sounded beside her.

Caster’s heart jumped.

"Should I call you impressively calm, or just completely hopeless?"

Slowly, she turned her head.

Under the pale moonlight, she saw Kiriya standing beside her, his striking face wearing an amused expression.

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