"By the way, where did that guy go?"
Red Archer scanned the surroundings, his eyes searching for any sign of the "Black Emiya."
He had assumed the other man was lurking nearby, waiting for an opportunity to strike, but the lack of movement and the absence of any palpable killing intent was starting to bother him. It was a complete shift from the hostility he had felt earlier.
"I can't worry about him right now."
"There's work to be done."
Maintaining his focus, Red Archer fixed his gaze on the distant battlefield. The combatants there were all "high-tier" Servants with unique and devastating abilities. To even consider hitting them, he would have to push his own magical output to its absolute limit.
If he had to choose a target, it would be the Caster fighting Artoria or the high-speed pair.
As for the outcome of the other duel between the two titans... he didn't believe a single [Broken Phantasm] could decide that exchange.
"Then... I'll leave it to my intuition."
He closed his eyes, his breathing stabilizing as his fingers prepared to release the bowstring.
THWIP!
***
"!"
Sensing a sudden, lethal spike in magical energy, Artoria immediately expanded the defensive field of [Avalon].
"?"
Natsu, even from a distance, heard the high-pitched whistle, a sound like a supersonic missile cutting through the air. He turned his head toward the source.
WHOOSH!!
A streak of light cut through the night sky, visible and terrifyingly precise. It was heading directly for his position.
BOOM!!!!
A violent explosion rocked the valley.
The tremendous shockwave and the ensuing wall of dust drew the attention of both the Black and Red duelists nearby.
"That attack... an Archer?"
Siegfried looked at the billowing smoke and the trajectory of the projectile, his mind racing.
The path was unmistakable,it had been fired from the distant mountain ridge. Only a Servant of the "Archer" class could achieve that degree of range and destructive power.
Given that the combatants at that site were Natsu and a stranger, it meant the shooter was either the remaining Red Faction member or the White Faction's Archer.
However, seeing the look of genuine surprise on Minato's face, Siegfried concluded that the shooter was almost certainly an unaffiliated third party,the White Faction.
'Who is it?'
Minato truly didn't know who had launched that strike.
Amakusa had informed him that Mordred had been defeated, but he also knew that a new Servant had intervened to keep Natsu occupied.
He hadn't been paying much attention to that corner of the field, but seeing the scale of that explosion, he knew that whoever was on the receiving end wouldn't be walking away easily.
***
Rider!
"It seems a nuisance has arrived."
Darnic's voice echoed in Madara's mind. The Uchiha glanced toward the mountain ridge, knowing that another opportunistic enemy had entered the fray.
"The White Faction..."
"Trying to play the fisherman, are we?"
Karna, hearing Madara's comment, assumed he was talking about the recent explosion. He wouldn't ignore the intervention of a third party either.
In this war, the three sides knew too little about each other. If it hadn't been for Madara's aggressive advance into their territory, Amakusa and his team wouldn't have been forced into such a hasty defense.
"Well... let's call it a day."
Karna was surprised by Madara's sudden declaration.
"Don't misunderstand. Continuing to trade blows with you like this is a waste of time."
"For now... I'll let you keep your lives for a while longer."
"The next time we meet... I will kill you with everything I have."
Madara withdrew the invisible shadows of [Limbo] into his world, his statement both a promise and a threat.
"With everything? We'll see about that."
Karna wasn't intimidated. He had his own trump cards hidden up his sleeve.
"Hmph. I look forward to it."
Madara leaped backward, his form shimmering as he transitioned into Spirit Form and vanished into the night.
Karna watched the spot where the Rider had disappeared, a low hum vibrating in his chest.
"A temporary draw, then?"
Karna dismissed his spear, his mind reviewing the fight. If he hadn't been able to stall the Rider, Madara wouldn't have retreated so easily. The Golden Armor's massive damage reduction and self-healing were truly the only things keeping the Uchiha at bay.
Conversely, Karna couldn't land a decisive blow on the Rinnegan-wielder. The interference from [Limbo] made it nearly impossible to even get within striking range.
It was a stalemate,two titans staring each other down with no clear path to victory.
The intervention of the third party and the message from Darnic had finally tipped the scales, giving Madara a reason to withdraw. There was no point in grinding themselves down if someone else was waiting to sweep up the pieces.
Moreover, Darnic's mention of an "intruder at the fortress" was a more pressing matter.
Elsewhere on the battlefield, Siegfried also received the order to retreat. He dissolved into Spirit Form and vanished without a word.
"We'll finish this next time!"
Minato watched the spot where Siegfried had been, making no move to pursue. Without a clear way to break the knight's defense, a tactical withdrawal from the enemy was the best possible outcome for the Red Faction.
"But... it won't be like this next time."
Minato gripped his kunai, his expression grim as he thought of the [Flying Thunder God] seal he had managed to place on the knight's body.
...
CRACKLE.
Artoria stood her ground on the broken, smoking earth, her eyes scanning the devastation.
The [Caladbolg II] fired by Red Archer had been immensely powerful, equivalent to an A-rank Noble Phantasm. To produce that much destruction with a single shot was proof of his high-tier capability.
'But... was he summoned back?'
She couldn't sense Natsu's presence anymore. Despite the power of the blast, she didn't believe it was enough to kill a Caster of that caliber in one shot.
Sensing the residual magical energy in the air, she realized the truth,the enemy had been retrieved.
The battle that had begun at twilight was finally over. Both the Black and Red factions had withdrawn, likely spooked by her intervention.
The only real casualty so far was the Red Faction's Berserker, who remained sealed within that massive sphere of rock.
Actually... even that sphere had vanished alongside the Rider who created it.
...
"Are you alright, Caster?"
Natsu was sitting on the back of the car, which was parked on a relatively stable patch of road. Fiore leaned out of the front window, her voice filled with concern.
"I'm fine."
"So, that's what a Command Spell does?"
"It's just like a teleportation spell."
Fiore didn't know whether to laugh or cry. Her Servant seemed completely unfazed by the fact that he had just been whisked away from the brink of a massive explosion.
"You're not... angry?"
Siegfried looked at Natsu, curious about his reaction. For many Heroic Spirits, having a duel interrupted was an unforgivable insult, often leading to internal friction with their Master.
"Nah, it's fine."
Natsu knew that Fiore had acted out of a genuine, if perhaps overprotective, concern for his safety. He wasn't the type to hold a grudge over a gesture of kindness.
"Then let's head back."
"Darnic said an unknown Servant has infiltrated the fortress."
"Saber, be ready to be called back into battle at any moment."
[Translated and Rewritten by Shika_Kagura]