From the deep mountain town where the Tohsaka residence was located, about twenty kiloters to the south, a man clad in golden armor and wielding a golden bow stood on an empty hillside, his heroic posture resembling that of a god from myth and legend.
Sensing sothing, Karna glanced at the sky, then retracted his gaze and said to Luvia, who was sitting under a large tree not far away, "Master, we've been discovered."
Luvia was not surprised. The corners of her beautiful lips curved into a faint smile.
"Oh? Quite a quick response. It seems the current head of the Tohsaka family has prepared well. Good, this makes things more interesting. A one-sided crushing victory is indeed reliable, but it lacks the fun of a proper fight."
"Even though you say that, you've already decided you're going to win, haven't you?"
Olga Marie, who was sitting opposite, looked at Luvia with a hint of envy. "Summoning the great hero Karna, you're practically invincible."
"That's not necessarily the case."
From behind the tree, a man whose true na was Solomon but referred to himself as Roman cautiously peeked out.
"The Matou family, one of the organizers, already has a Servant capable of rivaling Karna. It's hard to say that the Tohsaka family, also an organizer and the land's overseer, won't have a Servant of a similar level. Even if they don't, they won't be far off. Miss Luvia, you should still be careful."
"I understand. Thank you, Mr. Roman, for the reminder."
Luvia nodded slightly, her elegant and dignified deanor making Olga Marie even more envious.
In contrast, Roman, scratching his head and grinning foolishly, said, "No need to thank ."
The more Olga Marie looked at her Servant, the more she found him silly. How did I summon soone like this? Sigh—just thinking about it made Olga Marie frustrated.
To make matters worse, the source of her frustration even scooted closer with a silly grin.
"Master, why are you sighing? Didn't sleep well last night?"
"No, I slept just fine. It's just that sotis, the gap between people can be really huge," Olga Marie said listlessly.
"I don't think you need to be discouraged, Master. You're still young. When you reach Miss Edelfelt's age, you'll be even more exceptional."
Roman's attempt at comfort only made Olga Marie feel worse.
"I'm not talking about myself; I'm talking about you, you idiot."
"I'm sorry, I'm an idiot. I am sorry."
Roman imdiately bowed his head in apology.
"Stop apologizing all the ti. I'm not saying this to hear your apologies. Really... I don't expect you to beco as strong as Karna, but you should at least try harder."
"I feel like I'm already trying my best. I've built the workshop, the concealnt system is perfectly constructed, and if we hide there, no one will find us."
"That's the problem! Hide, hide, hide—that's all you know how to do. Are you planning to just hide until the very end?"
"What's wrong with that?"
Roman muttered softly.
"In the end, there can only be one victor. Rushing into battle might not be a good idea. For all we know, everyone else might take each other out."
"You—! You dare to think that way!"
"Optimism is my greatest strength."
Olga Marie was so angry her face turned red. Just as she was about to explode, Karna spoke up.
"Apologies for interrupting, but the enemy Master and Servant are advancing towards us. At this speed, they will arrive in a few minutes."
"It seems the current head of the Tohsaka family is not only quick to react but also very decisive in action. This is becoming more and more interesting."
Luvia sighed in admiration before turning to Roman and Olga Marie.
"This is a matter between the Edelfelt family and the Tohsaka family. Please do not interfere."
"Oh, oh, oh, then we should probably move away to avoid getting caught in the crossfire."
"Roman! We can't just leave; we're allies!"
The two had opposite reactions—one wanted to leave, and the other wanted to stay.
Roman advised, "This is the will of our ally, my Master."
Olga Marie, unwilling to back down, said, "But we can't just walk away without doing anything!"
"Leaving doesn't an doing nothing. Miss Luvia values her duel with the Tohsaka family, so we should make sure it's not interrupted by anyone else."
Hearing Roman's explanation, Olga Marie's anger instantly subsided.
"You're right. This is exactly your specialty. Luvia, focus on your battle with the Tohsaka family. We'll handle the surveillance and concealnt—let's go, Roman. I didn't expect you to occasionally co up with useful suggestions."
"Hahaha, I guess I'm not entirely useless," Roman continued to scratch his head and grin foolishly.
"Oh my, it's never boring being around them," Luvia said with a smile as she watched the two walk away.
"In a way, they are quite compatible."
"Agreed," Karna nodded seriously, his expression as stoic as ever.
"They're so motivated; we can't afford to lose either. Archer, you are free to act as you see fit from now on. I will place no restrictions on you, including the release of your Noble Phantasm or your ultimate trump card—your only task is to defeat the enemy Servant!"
"Understood."
Karna's expression remained stern, but there was a newfound determination in his voice.
Pure and noble, with almost no desires, Karna could get along with any kind of Servant. But even so, he was still a person with emotions. Perhaps if a Master's orders conflicted with his feelings, he wouldn't be swayed. But when they were aligned, his performance would rise accordingly.
Just like now, with Luvia placing her complete trust in him, Karna would respond with all his strength.
Watch closely, Master. Even if I die, I, Karna, will not fail to et your expectations.
Mana flowed continuously through the contract, entering Karna's body, then transforming into the flas of the sun, which poured into his Brahmastra bow, forming an arrow.
A faint smile appeared amid the brilliant radiance. The son of the Sun God silently pulled the bowstring taut, and in the next mont, he released it. In the blink of an eye, an arrow was fired.
Unlike before, when the arrow was calculated to reduce its lethality, this ti it was a real attack.
The arrow, ford from the flas of the sun, far exceeded the speed of wind, surpassing even the speed of sound.
It sliced through the air, releasing a shockwave. If fired on the ground, it would shatter every window along the street. Even more astonishingly, the arrow did not slow down or lose altitude after being fired. It defied the laws of physics, like a laser beam, advancing.
If sothing like this hit a person—no, even a Heroic Spirit—it would be impossible to co out unscathed.
The mont it pierced the body, the entire upper half would be shattered, and then the flas of the sun would reduce it to ashes, leaving no trace behind.
This was Karna's true power—the unparalleled archery of one of the strongest in human history.
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