Page 268
Page 268
"Tsk tsk, so it's the famous King Arthur, Jin."
Suddenly, Finn's expression turned surprised and serious.
A heroic spirit of King Arthur's caliber deserves his serious attention.
No matter how valiant and skilled a king is, he is still just a king. No matter how proficient he is in martial arts, he can never reach an extraordinary level because a king has to be preoccupied with governing the country, politics, and so on. He cannot be devoted to martial arts. Anomalies like Xiang Yu, the Hegemon-King of Chu, are ultimately a minority.
But this doesn't mean that heroes of the "King" type are weak.
Often, an outstanding king-level hero is far more difficult to deal with than some top-tier warrior-type heroes.
Feilu reminds you: Three things to do when reading
Chapter 456 Routine Tactical Mutual Flattery 1/2
Most importantly, King Arthur was a king with a strong mythological background.
No, in a sense, she never existed in human history; she only existed in this world... in ancient Britain.
"Diarmuid can be dealt with before he uses his Noble Phantasm."
Finn quickly regained his relaxed and interested expression.
"This level of battle is quite entertaining, isn't it?" Aizen smiled in agreement. "This kind of martial arts competition is indeed a good way to relax."
Before long, Aizen successfully learned the whereabouts of the other groups through the familiars he had placed around the barrier.
Waver and the Conqueror's group remained on the bridge as spectators, while Kenneth's cheap student trembled and cried out for home. Kariya, Lancelot's group had already reached the outer edge of the barrier, adopting a spying stance. Emiya Kiritsugu and his lover Hisayu Maiya had also prepared their weapons, intending to snipe "Kenneth."
However, there are still many traces of the genuine Sang within the barrier.
The whereabouts of the Hero King have not yet been discovered.
With a tearing sound, Diarmuid's handsome face was left with a bloody scratch as they brushed past each other, suffering a minor setback.
9. He calmly and gently wiped the blood from his face.
The difference in their martial arts skills was not significant to begin with. Even though Diarmuid had concealed the abilities of his two guns, those abilities were currently hidden and not being utilized.
Conversely, the Wind King's barrier concealed the sword's blade, making the weapon's length a slight advantage.
This advantage is actually not very useful to powerful figures like Aizen and Finn.
Against an opponent of low skill level, whether the sword is hidden or not makes no difference. Against a worthy opponent like Diarmuid, whose martial arts are similar and who is a worthy opponent, one can roughly estimate the range of the weapon's length by observing the expansion of each move.
This minor advantage won't disappear, but at most it will only cause some superficial damage that doesn't affect combat effectiveness.
Of course, this takes a heavy toll on one's energy.
In other words, if the war becomes a protracted conflict, small advantages will gradually be amplified. However, under normal circumstances, no one would be foolish enough to walk into such a trap.
"Maimi, a target has been spotted on the roof of a warehouse in the northeast direction of the battlefield. That should be number 1."
Can you aim at the target from there?
"No, I can't see it from here; it must be a blind spot."
"Okay, I'll leave it to you."
Aizen was amazed that he had managed to record Kiritsugu Emiya's conversation through his familiar without being detected. He didn't want to risk his life by using Kenneth's power.
That one outside... is Hattori disguised as Kenneth, used specifically to lure targets.
At the same time, he once again felt Kenneth's "stupidity".
To not even set up any other methods within the barrier they themselves had created—I really don't know if it's overconfidence or arrogance.
With his magical skill, monitoring others within his own barrier would be incredibly easy; everyone except the yet-to-be-seen Hero King would be right under his nose.
It can only be said that the original owner's idea was too naive.
The other groups participating in the Holy Grail War basically all had reasons to bet on victory and have a strong belief in winning. Even Masters like Waver and Ryunosuke, who didn't have a guaranteed reason to win, were prepared for possible death for various reasons. Waver's cautious attitude of not using Command Seals was far more reasonable than that of the willful Rin Tohsaka ten years later.
Aside from his teammates being a liability, Kenneth's own mentality was also affected by the fact that Emiya Kiritsugu, who was about to snipe Hattori Hanzo, suddenly discovered the trail and stopped his actions with a frown.
Because Aizen's actions had put the enemy on high alert, Kiritsugu Emiya was not surprised that Hassan was still alive; instead, he was wary of being outmaneuvered.
"She hasn't shed a single drop of sweat in this battle; she truly is a woman who is just as capable as any man."
"No need to be modest, 1."
It is my honor to be praised by someone with such marksmanship as you.
"It's a pity we can't exchange names."
"Even though being a Servant comes with its share of constraints, our duel is incredibly fortunate."
For some inexplicable reason, the two stopped fighting again, engaging in a tactical exchange of compliments to buy themselves time to consider their next strategy.
Aizen: ""
Finn: ""
Emiya Kiritsugu: "
Others:
That's enough! How many times have you two bragged about fighting? In fact, these two are evenly matched.
Artoria Pendragon's strength without Noble Phantasm: Strength with Noble Phantasm: + Base Attributes: Strength, Endurance, Agility, Magic Power, Luck Abilities: Advanced Swordsmanship, Magic Resistance, Riding, Intuition, Magic Release, Leadership, Noble Phantasm: Wind King Barrier, Noble Phantasm: Excalibur. When summoned by Kiritsugu, her base parameters are enhanced, making her superior in all aspects except for Strength, which is inferior to Rin Tohsaka's summoned version, except for Luck.
To be honest, the Saber summoned by Kiritsugu has the lowest luck stat.
Because Kiritsugu lacked the talent of a magician and his mana supply was insufficient, he sacrificed Saber's luck in exchange for performance, unaware that the mysterious luck stat might be the most important factor.
Let's look at Diarmuid again.
Diarmuid's strength without Noble Phantasm: Strength with Noble Phantasm: Basic Attributes: Strength, Endurance, Agility+, Magic Power, Luck Abilities: Advanced Lancer Technique+, Magic Resistance, Mind's Eye, Love's Mark, Knight's Strategy, Noble Phantasm: Red Rose (for breaking magic), Noble Phantasm: Yellow Rose (for certain destruction)... The data is exactly the same as in the original manga. Considering Kenneth and Sora's sole supply of magic power, this is the extent of his stats. Frankly, a Lancer's farming ability is truly hopeless.
Despite having a clear advantage in terms of Master, this thing's basic stats are only barely on par.
The durability weakness isn't immediately apparent, but this dog-like weapon will likely crumble in a prolonged battle, and its fatal luck stat is quite alarming.
For a man with some skills, these parameters are indeed quite embarrassing.
His two skills didn't significantly improve his combat power. Having a treasure certainly has an impact, but not even being able to increase his combat power by one level shows that his explosive power is completely unreliable.
In order to make his presence known, Aizen didn't hesitate to relay Kenneth's original lines to Hattori, who was disguised as him, through his familiar.
Then a very arrogant voice was heard by everyone.
"Don't waste any more time! The opponent is a formidable foe. Don't let the battle drag on any longer. I grant you permission to use your Noble Phantasm!"
"Win the victory for me!"
Chapter 457 The Red Rose That Breaks the Demon, the Yellow Rose That Is Destined to Perish 2/2
Upon hearing this, everyone's hearts stirred.
1! At the same time, everyone discovered "1".
His expression changed; his confident smile now held a hint of joy and excitement.
"Understood,!"
With a clatter, the short gun, wrapped in cloth, fell to the ground.
This unknown number 1 actually abandoned the short spear, which made him subconsciously focus his attention on the long spear.
"Is this his Noble Phantasm?"
He squinted.
As the magic eroded the spear, the cloth on it crumbled layer by layer, revealing the blood-red shaft.
Upon witnessing this scene, Aizen, who was watching the battle, fell silent.
Are all the others idiots?! Red Spear: The cloth is already torn to shreds, can't they guess that the short spear is also a Noble Phantasm?! Bang! The two collided again, and the air currents wrapped around the invisible sword instantly thinned out.
Diarmuid, still sporting that smug, confident smile, continued his trash talk: "The secret of your weapon is about to be revealed."
As her gaze shifted downwards, a few beads of cold sweat appeared on her pretty face, and her expression turned serious.
"The Wind King's Barrier has dissipated."
Taking advantage of his opponent's momentary lapse in concentration, Diarmuid showed no chivalry whatsoever, launching a fierce attack with his Crimson Roses, forcing the opponent to retreat repeatedly to defend.
Diarmuid's single-pistol spear skills are just as impressive as his dual-pistol skills.
Despite the contradictory and radiant appearance that possessed both strengths and weaknesses, Aizen still acknowledged her talent.
But he was clearly a man who squandered his talent. It was his exceptional ability to master various weapons that inspired admiration and longing, gradually elevating his status in the hearts of the Fiona Knights to surpass that of the aging Finn.
Similarly, his talent was not yet unparalleled among all beings; otherwise, if he had specialized in one thing, he might not have died at the hands of the demonic boar.
Specializing in one skill means that one's martial arts prowess surpasses his current display of skill with two guns, even if it's just practicing spear techniques.
Specializing in one thing also means that he will only carry that one type of weapon, eliminating the possibility that he cannot exert his full strength against the Demon Boar.
Getting back to the point, Diarmuid has now successfully used the Crimson Rose to gradually dissolve the Wind King's barrier.
Even though his two Roses are considered "the shame of the class."
Even a Tier 1 Noble Phantasm's anti-magic ability can easily penetrate and neutralize the barrier magic of a Tier 2 Noble Phantasm.
The level advantage and ability counter meant that the Wind King's Barrier was completely useless against Diarmuid.
They just haven't realized the Red Rose's abilities yet.
Instinctively anticipating the opponent's impending attack, he confidently swung his sword to meet it, preparing to use his armor to block the spear and slay the opponent.
*Splash!* Blood splattered.
Her eyes widened as she saw the slash across her waist, watching the blood glide past her. She could almost see the other person's smug smile.
She'd been tricked! At this moment, she finally understood the power of the opponent's Noble Phantasm! It could destroy all magic! It wasn't aimed at the barrier, but at her magic-based armor, which vanished in the blink of an eye, leaving her completely defenseless as she was pierced through by a single spear.
What Aizen had anticipated, yet still left him stunned, unfolded in the next scene.
Having landed a successful blow, Number 1 actually stepped back, held his spear upright, and stood motionless with a smug smile on his face.
Holy crap! What are you doing?! This is a battle! They've gained the upper hand immediately!
"Slay the opponent! You went through all that trouble to outmaneuver them, and you just wait for their healer to heal you?! Are you serious?!" "This...this guy..."
Finn felt both absurd and, unusually, a bit angry.
They treated the battle like a game, showing no regard for the overall situation.
He could understand Diarmuid's general idea; he had probably encountered a worthy opponent and didn't want the battle to end so quickly.
However, he didn't consider whether their battle would attract others to interfere, nor did he think about whether using his Noble Phantasm would be a chance to turn the tables. Compared to him revealing one Noble Phantasm, his opponent hadn't revealed much yet.
"It's alright, we never intended to rely on Diarmuid anyway."
Aizen calmly offered a word of comfort.
""
Finn, who was inexplicably comforted by his Master, couldn't help but feel ashamed: "That bastard Diarmuid is really a disgrace to the Knights of Fiona. I'll teach him a lesson after the battle."
And so, right before everyone's eyes, aside from the bloodstains on the ground, spears, and armor, he was fully revived.
Irisviel's healing magic lasted less than two seconds from beginning to end.
What's even more infuriating is that Diarmuid actually spoke with an admiring expression: "As expected, it's not that easy to solve."
Why isn't it so easy to solve? Don't you realize that?
If you hadn't given the opponent a chance to heal, even if they survived, they would have been at a disadvantage and would have been forced to take hits.
He calmly touched the armor at his waist and, finding it undamaged, completely confirmed his judgment.
"It seems I guessed right. The red spear's ability must be to sever magic power. I've seen through the secret of your Noble Phantasm!"
"Oh"
Diarmuid raised an eyebrow dismissively, then smoothly guided the conversation: "You're right. Your armor is utterly useless against my spear. Trying to defend yourself with it is like being naked in front of me—completely pointless."
"It's just taking off my armor, nothing serious."
His expression remained impassive, yet a subtle displeasure lingered.
Crack! With a casual wave of her hand, the magic armor on her body shattered instantly, leaving only her blue dress.
"If you can't defend, then you might as well attack instead of defend!"
Diarmuid was taken aback by Diarmuid's decisiveness.
stonecrandall