Fate\/World Novel Chapter 124

Chapter 124: Chapter 124

Despite my words to him, I did indeed look into the spandex-clad Lancer I had faced on the road to the Church not so long ago. What I found was incredible, awe-inspiring, and wholly baffling. He was not so random hero to be lost in so pages, passed over for another, or forgotten at all.

Cu Chulainn was the Hero of the Ulster Cycle. A demi-god born to a great God, pupil to a mythic witch, and the greatest of warriors.

The Hound of Ulster.

Son of the Great God Lugh.

Disciple to the Witch of Dun-Scaith.

It was no lie that I held a certain admiration for this mighty figure of legend now that I knew every single word written in his tale was true. I wanted to shake his hand, and I wanted to punch him in the face so that he would punch

back with all he had. I wanted to push him, bother him, and goad him.

Or, at least, those had been my wishes when I was investigating him.

Right now, my mood was soured. I needed sleep. The bad taste in my mouth from discussing the Matou household would ruin any battle I fought, and any victory or loss I incurred as a result. So, for a first, I did not want to fight him.

"That’s a nasty look you got there, kiddo. What? Aren’t you supposed to be a magus?" He craned his neck, a half-grin on his face. "You’re the one that called

here, aren’t you? Don’t go ruining our fight now."

Rin gave

a pointed look. She was definitely wondering if I was mad for that. She did that a lot. The Tohsaka heiress suddenly slapped herself on the cheeks and as they reddened, she raised a clenched fist. The two command seals on the back humd in the night.

"Archer."

"Yeah. Yeah. I hear you, Master." Archer let out a tired sigh, appearing beside us. I lowered my aviators briefly, just as the dual blades he typically wielded ford in his hands.

Kanshou and Byakyua, my eyes told . Yet, I was not at all interested in what they did, more in how he had drawn them. They weren’t like Noble Phantasms wielded by Nobunaga or Cu Chulainn, no, they were imitations. I knew that instinctively. Imitations he had... drawn from within himself.

What kind of blasted magecraft was that?

Tilting my head in confusion, I narrowed my eyes on them.

I couldn’t understand. I couldn’t trace them to a beginning.

From where I stood, he had just drawn those imitations from nowhere. That made no sense. They were not his legend. They were re replicas, produced through high-level projection magecraft. Replicas he had made... but when? And, since when was projection magecraft so potent, so easy to cast?

When my gaze rose to et his, Archer gave a ghost of a smirk, like he knew exactly what I was thinking, and wanted to taunt

for it.

"What? You’re going to gang up on little ol’ ?" Lancer leapt off the bridge. With a largely unnecessary spin, he landed in front of us. Then, he began twirling his crimson lance in his hand, at a speed barely perceptible.

"That’s fine!"

Drawn from my thoughts at his abrupt declaration, I snapped my fingers at Nobunaga.

She brought her hand to her side, as though she were grasping for the hilt of her blade. The blade ca into the world amidst a burst of red flas, and hissed as she pulled it free to hold it aloft, the sharp edge held towards Cu Chulainn’s neck.

"This ti, I shall make no effort to bide my ti."

"Oh, look who it is." Cu held out his lance, "Sorry it took

so long to recognise ya, I tend to forget what losers look like."

"You only won because I was disinterested, vile creature. I will not repeat the mistake."

"Whatever gets you going, lady."

Lancer was about to get juju-jumped from the looks of things. Nobunaga was no longer playing around, and Cu Chulainn was a being of divine nature. His fate would be the sa as Heracles’. Then, there was Rin’s Archer to back her up.

His chances of victory were dubious at best.

That was why...

"Hey, Lancer. Just leave. Tell Bazett I’ll fight her tomorrow."

The blue-haired servant furrowed his brows, his eyes glead, "Sorry, can’t do that."

There was... sothing unnatural to the way he spoke then. I was too ntally tired to delve into it, but, for the respect I bore his legend, I tried again.

"C’mon. You’re fighting two servants. And , on top."

The folly of my words hit

the mont I finished them.

Cu stared at

in silence for a mont, then barked out a sordid laugh.

"Kahaha! You think that’s gonna dissuade ?! You really don’t know who I am, do ya, kiddo?!"

He was Cu Chulainn, the Hound of Ulster. At his end, he had tied himself to a rock with his own spilled intestines and fought an entire invading army on his loneso from there, fighting like a madman, for so long that his enemies beca too terrified to even approach his corpse after his death until an actual symbol of death ca down to confirm his passing.

Telling a man like that he was outnumbered was like telling an Irishman he was drinking too much.

Absolutely bonkers.

"But, for a first, I’ll apologise to you. This isn’t what I want, just what I’ve gotta do."

Suddenly, he twisted his spear and gripped it with both hands. The mana in the air froze in place. Ti itself seed to co to a screeching halt as the spear glowed a bright crimson. Cu Chulainn grit his teeth.

Archer moved instantly.

"I’ll be taking your heart!"

"Henry!"

One mont, I was stood there. The next, I was flying through the sky. The cold wind dragged across my face like nails. Archer had thrown , I realised. With all the strength that he had, he tossed

away.

I didn’t get to ask why.

"Gae-"

Lancer reeled his hand back as veins popped on his features, his teeth grit even as Nobunaga began to cut down on his neck with her golden katana. Without a thought, I activated Infinity. The greatest defense of the modern era ford around , cutting

off from the rest of the world.

"-Bolg!"

"Gay what-"

He thrust his spear. Archer attempted to intercept it with his blades but the bony weapon twisted haphazardly at the last mont, transforming into a brilliant red light that slid away at the final mont. It bypassed Archer and crossed the distance between us in the blink of an eye before... inevitably blowing through my heart.

To that spear, my defense may as well not have existed at all.

The nigh-infinite distance between us mattered little. The pockets of imaginary space beca real.

My heart being pierced was a forgone conclusion from the mont he’d thrust his spear.

Ah... I should’ve never put my aviators back on.

"Huh."

I looked down. The spear was gone. Warm blood gushed like a fountain from the gaping hole it left in my shirt and my chest as I fell from the sky. My body froze up, as though every single bit of it was suddenly gripped by an invisible force.

Then, pain.

Pain like never before.

It felt like I was in the hottest desert and atop the iciest peak in the sa mont, with nothing to protect

from the elents. I never even noticed the ground hit and shatter my back. My only thought was that... I really needed to give noble phantasms so more credit.

Apparently, those crystallizations of mystery, of legend, were not to be taken lightly.

I chuckled, coughing blood right after.

"Small... wonder."

This wasn’t enough. Nowhere near enough.

-

Hope you enjoyed.

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