HBWnovel Chapter 455: The First Wave of the Red and Black Battle
Chapter 455: The First Wave of the Red and Black Battle
Chapter 455: The First Wave of the Red and Black Battle
Red Archer Atalanta nocked two arrows on the string of her beloved bow, "Tauropolos," not aiming at the vast land below but at the night sky illuminated by the hazy moonlight.
The cool, dry wind unique to late autumn blew through her hair, and her beast-like ears twitched slightly.
The time had come.
"By my bow, I seek the protection of the Sun God and the Moon Goddess."
The arrows began to glow. Her Noble Phantasm was neither the bow nor the arrows shot from it. Both were merely catalysts. Her Noble Phantasm was the very act of "nocking the arrow and shooting it."
"Offer this calamity—'Phoebus Catastrophe'!"
The two arrows shot into the sky, tracing a dazzling path through the clouds before disappearing without a trace. This was a signal fire, the first arrow.
It was an appeal to the gods. The Sun God Apollo and the Moon Goddess Artemis, both deeply connected to the sun and the moon, were also the gods of archery and hunting, respectively.
As an Archer seeking their protection, the cost was calamity. The so-called protection meant bringing disaster upon the enemy.
The night sky filled with a faint glow, accompanied by a subtle sound like raindrops dancing in the wind. However, this was no gentle rain. The savage gods sought a sacrifice, unleashing a storm of disaster upon the earth.
Countless light arrows flashed in the sky, with Black Berserker Vlad III bearing the brunt. He calmly raised his hand, summoning dozens of black stakes from the ground to form a barrier that blocked the rain of arrows.
Following behind him, Black Saber Siegfried was even more at ease. He neither parried with his sword nor dodged, simply standing still and letting the arrow rain hit his body without moving an inch.
However, to think that the light arrows failed to harm Vlad III and Siegfried would be to underestimate this Noble Phantasm. In fact, "Phoebus Catastrophe," ranked as a B Noble Phantasm, was far from weak. The reason it was easily blocked was due to the formidable strength of the two Servants and the fact that the light arrows were targeting the entire army of homunculi and golems!
Atalanta's aim was not the Servants but the reduction of enemy troops!
Homunculi were hit by the arrows and fell one after another. Even the sturdy golems were shattered by the countless arrows—this was the expected outcome, confirmed by the Archer wielding her Noble Phantasm.
However, just before the light arrows swept through the enemy forces, a piercing eagle cry broke through the dark sky.
If "Phoebus Catastrophe" was a dense green light rain, then what came from afar was a massive azure light arrow—no, it was a storm.
An azure storm arose in the sky, and at its center, a fantastic beast that should not exist in this world appeared. The upper body of an eagle and the lower body of a horse, with wings as sharp as divine weapons. These wings, flapping continuously, generated a terrifying wind pressure that could obliterate all obstacles—including the disaster beseeched by Atalanta.
"Please, 'Hippogriff'!"
Both Chiron and Shinji understood this well, and Shinji had prepared a way to persuade him.
"You've got one thing wrong. No matter how large the consumption of an anti-army Noble Phantasm, it's just a few homunculi. But if we let the enemy attack, the homunculi casualties would be in the dozens, hundreds, or even thousands. They are also his comrades. Although evaluating life by numbers is flawed, right now—it's the best approach. Are you going to sacrifice more homunculi on the battlefield for a few homunculi? Knight Astolfo."
On one side were Sieg's comrades, and on the other were more of Sieg's comrades—Astolfo, with his not-so-bright mind, could only come to one conclusion.
"Alright, alright, I'll do it, isn't that enough? Hippogriff!"
The knight tugged hard on his braided hair, summoning the Hippogriff and grumpily mounted it.
Shinji sighed upon seeing this: "Sorry, Astolfo."
"No need to apologize, you did nothing wrong!"
Astolfo gave his partner a strong thump and soared into the sky.
"Don't try to block it if you can't!"
"I know, I have an ace up my sleeve."
The last words were already fading.
"Teacher, was I wrong?"
Watching Astolfo's departing figure, Shinji showed a bitter smile.
"You were not wrong, this is war."
Chiron's face also showed a trace of sadness.
"Next, it's our turn. Assassin—don't die."
"You too, Teacher."
For some reason, a sudden unease crept into the previously confident Shinji's heart.
In the distance, the blue and green radiance exploded.