Before swords and spears could clash, the Red Lancer was already preparing to unleash his Noble Phantasm.
'No, at this rate, the enemy's Noble Phantasm will be faster than me exercising my "privilege"!'
However, Jeanne did not respond—not because she couldn't react in time, but because someone moved even faster than her and the Red Lancer.
A piercing sound echoed as the iron pillar supporting the sign shattered into pieces, and the ground where the Red Lancer stood crumbled instantly.
Of course, a Lancer wouldn't be shaken by something like this. He leaped up calmly and landed steadily on the asphalt road, the immense magical energy in his divine spear dissipating. Without a foothold, he couldn't aim, and thus his ready-to-strike fatal blow couldn't be executed.
"You are—"
The Red Lancer spoke in a voice as cold as the encircling chill, his eyes sharper than a hawk's, piercing through the dust kicked up by the fallen sign to stare at the previously unseen figure.
The person who interrupted the Red Lancer's fatal strike walked out of the smoke unhurriedly, carrying a strangely shaped black and gold spear. The aura swirling around this spear was similar yet different from the Red Lancer's golden spear.
Different, because of its attributes.
Similar, because they shared the same classification—undoubtedly, this was also a divine Noble Phantasm.
"I don't understand why you guys in golden armor always like to stand high up. One was on a lamppost, and now one on a traffic sign—calling you 'The Three Golden Targets' fits perfectly. Makes me just want to hit you!"
The man with the spear stopped five meters from the Red Lancer, smiling as he faced the Lancer's intense killing intent.
The Red Lancer ignored Shinji's lament, his voice cold.
"—Black Assassin."
Generally, only someone with this class's inherent skills could evade the Red Lancer's detection, and the faint aura emanating from this person confirmed it.
"Indeed." Shinji smiled, contrasting sharply with the Red Lancer's demeanor.
"So your target is also the Ruler?" The Red Lancer glanced at the Ruler.
"Of course. But while our targets are the same, our purposes are entirely different. You want to eliminate; I want to recruit. Frankly, I was quite troubled by how resolute the Holy Grail's adjudicator is. I should thank you for giving me this opportunity. After this, she might at least give a smile."
Shinji said, also looking at Jeanne.
Jeanne looked back at Shinji, expressionless, causing him a slight sense of defeat.
So similar to the King of Knights in this regard. Are you two really unrelated?
The exchange of glances between the two did not cause any emotional ripple in the Red Lancer. He remained utterly calm.
"Two against one? No problem. It's a form of battle, and I don't mind."
This statement exuded confidence in his absolute victory. It wasn't arrogance or pride; the Red Lancer was simply stating what he saw as "reality."
"I don't mind fighting with overwhelming odds. The primary goal of war is victory. The ugliest victory is better than the most beautiful defeat. But this time, the Ruler is upright and just. Getting her to join forces with me would be harder than getting me to throw down my weapon and surrender."
In response to Shinji's mockery, Jeanne remained as calm as the Red Lancer.
"Black Assassin and Red Lancer. If you intend to battle here, I have no objections. I will not interfere, rest assured. The Red Lancer aiming for my life and fighting you two are entirely different matters. As the Ruler, I must maintain the discipline of this battle."
"See, so rigid. If I were the arbiter—if you wanted to kill me, I'd make sure you were the first to be eliminated."
"That's why you can't be the adjudicator." The Red Lancer nodded slightly to the Ruler as a form of greeting, and she responded with a nod as well.
Seeing this, Shinji curled his lips in displeasure—since when did the two of you become so in sync?
"Let's cut the chatter here. I stayed by the Ruler's side to wait for a Red Servant. Since you've come, Lancer, let's start the first battle of Servants in this Holy Grail War."
Shinji's words seemed to surprise the Red Lancer: "Since when do Assassins fight head-on like knights?"
"You're seeing it now, aren't you?" Shinji stepped forward, gripping the Spear of Ishtar with both hands. "Please, enlighten me, Red Lancer."
"Then let's fight, Black Assassin!" The Lancer's fighting spirit ignited like a blue flame.
The air crackled, emitting a burnt smell, as the Red Lancer's magical power and fighting spirit corroded the entire space.
In contrast, the Black Assassin completely concealed his presence, seemingly unfazed by the Red Lancer's sun-like aura.
Jeanne, observing from the sidelines, silently retreated a few steps, leaving the battlefield entirely to the red and black sides.
The surging flames seemed to communicate the danger of the battlefield with their heat, as the instinct of living beings warned them that they were too close.
Moments later, as Jeanne reached a safe distance, the two Servants began their battle, formally commencing the "Holy Grail War."
Golden light and black-gold brilliance shone simultaneously.
The clash of two divine spears unleashed a torrent of magical energy.
As sparks dissipated, both divine spears were knocked aside, indicating that the two were evenly matched in strength. It also made the Red Lancer realize that this Assassin was likely very different from the assassins he knew—perhaps he was only assigned the Assassin class by chance.
The golden-armored feet of the Red Lancer cracked the smooth asphalt like a spider web, easily dissipating the force of the clash.
Then, without delay, a ferocious spear attack, like a golden wall, followed.
The greatest advantage of a Lancer is distance, and the Red Lancer maximized this advantage to the extreme. The length of his divine spear was astonishing, with just the spearhead being over a meter long.
Even more terrifying was the Red Lancer's mastery of spear techniques.
Long weapons have an advantage in distance, but after a thrust, retracting the spear incurs a slight time delay.
However, the Red Lancer, through skill and control, minimized this gap to be on par with Shinji's, if not slightly shorter.
It's worth noting that Shinji's spear was only two-thirds the length of the Red Lancer's—this performance alone demonstrated that the Red Lancer's spear techniques had reached a divine realm, capable of competing head-to-head with Scáthach.
Although Shinji was not weak, there was still a considerable distance between him and the pinnacle of martial prowess. Initially, he could hold his own due to attributes not inferior to the Red Lancer's.
After a few rounds, as the Red Lancer adjusted to the battle rhythm, Shinji's situation quickly deteriorated.
In the tenth round, the tip of the Red Lancer's golden spear grazed Shinji's waist, causing a spray of blood; Shinji was injured.
By the fifteenth round, the golden spear twisted violently as it thrust forward.
With B-rank strength, the astonishing length of the golden spear, and the Red Lancer's divine skills, the combination produced an unimaginable composite effect. The terrifyingly tricky force directly shook Shinji's grip loose, sending the black and gold spear flying into the air.
The golden divine spear did not stop, thrusting towards Shinji's heart with incredible speed.
An enemy must be killed without mercy!