Did I get hit?
Siegfried's heart sank slightly.
The injury on his body wasn't the issue. With the protection of the "Armor of Fafnir," the previous strike only grazed him. A wound about 2 cm long that only shed a single drop of blood indicated how minor the injury was.
The real problem lay in what this result concealed.
Firstly, most straightforwardly, like the black Lancer Karna, his opponent possessed the power to break through the "Armor of Fafnir" with a single strike.
Secondly, and most puzzling to Siegfried: he had dodged the previous strike, so why was he still injured?
Opposite him, Artoria's gaze swept over Siegfried's chest, seemingly reaching some conclusion.
The wound was exceptionally shallow, suggesting this was the legendary invulnerability from bathing in a dragon's blood. However—
Artoria stomped on the ground, launching herself like a cannonball. The tip of the cannonball was the point of her slender longsword.
—As long as she could inflict wounds, it wasn't a problem. One strike wasn't enough? Then two. If two weren't enough, then four.
Siegfried twisted his wrist, using the broad spine of his greatsword as a shield to block Artoria's thrust. Generally, without understanding the opponent's methods, one should avoid their edge and observe calmly. But from the previous exchange, Siegfried had already discerned that his opponent's agility surpassed his own. His weapon, a massive greatsword, was heavy. Simply avoiding strikes would only give his opponent more opportunities.
It was better to continue clashing head-on rather than give the opponent more chances. With the "Armor of Fafnir" for protection and his Master's support, Siegfried didn't mind getting injured.
In the moment he made up his mind, Artoria's thrust hit Siegfried's "sword-shield."
Taking advantage of her momentum, Artoria's strength overpowered Siegfried, forcing him back three steps.
However, after three steps, Siegfried immediately regained his footing and, seizing the moment when Artoria's strength waned, swung his sword in retaliation.
Artoria's swordplay shifted fluidly from agile to forceful and domineering, once again clashing head-on with Siegfried's greatsword.
Another rapid exchange followed, with destructive forces blowing Siegfried's long hair and tangling the plume of Artoria's helmet, but neither's resolve wavered.
The sound of swords clashing was especially clear in the silent night, and the sparks from their blades were particularly dazzling under the dark sky.
Swing, swing, swing.
Thrust, thrust, thrust.
Slash, chop, pierce, smash.
Swipe, flick, lift, slice.
Black Saber Siegfried maintained a solemn expression, whether attacking or defending, advancing or retreating, without any fluctuations. The greatsword, nearly as tall as he was, extended from his arm like an extension of his will, creating wave after wave of sword light.
Black Lancer Artoria alternated between single-handed and two-handed grips, leaving behind a dazzling array of sword shadows and generating heart-pounding sword pressure, making her moves unpredictable. The only constant was her composure, equally matched with Siegfried's.
Each clash of their swords stirred up a small storm, and each collision of their blades echoed with a thunderous roar on the battlefield.
The deserted forest outside Trifas protested, screamed, and was ultimately ravaged and destroyed by the two's defiance of physical laws.
Siegfried and Artoria continued their unyielding duel, reaching their twentieth exchange.
This time, their clash turned into a pure test of strength, with their swords pressing against each other.
Under normal circumstances, with comparable strength, Artoria, who possessed "Mana Burst," would have the upper hand.
But Artoria's slender sword wasn't suited for such contests of brute force, and in the end, she was only able to match Siegfried.
Just as the two were locked in a fierce battle, neither yielding an inch, Gordes, who had been silent until now, suddenly spoke up.
"So that's it, Lancer, I know the secret of your weapon."
Upon hearing this, Siegfried's pupils contracted sharply, and Artoria's momentum also faltered.
Noticing the change in both of them, Gordes felt a surge of satisfaction and continued, "It's air. You compress air with magic, enveloping your sword, which is why it has such destructive power and can deceive Saber's vision. Saber, don't be fooled by her sword. It's much larger than it appears."
After the two battles with Achilles, Gordes' mindset had shifted. The regret of almost wasting a Command Spell made him reluctant to interfere in the battles between Servants, and it also helped him adjust his attitude.
Although he had put on an arrogant front before the fight began, once the battle commenced, he stopped speaking and silently observed.
In the first exchange, Siegfried was injured. Naturally, Gordes was anxious, but having the prior experience of fighting Karna, he wasn't overly panicked. Perhaps this was another top-tier Servant? If worst came to worst, he could use multiple healing spells as before.
The continuous emergence of strong opponents had shattered Gordes' arrogance, and he began following Fiore's advice, suppressing his anxiety and placing trust in his Servant.
This is how people are: when their mindset is unbalanced, they can't see even the simplest things. Once they calm down, their perspective broadens considerably.
Soon enough, Gordes indeed identified the problem.
There was something peculiar about Lancer's sword.
Despite not being a Noble Phantasm, it could clash head-on with Saber's sword without bending in the slightest. This was a thin sword. Under normal circumstances, if a similarly material greatsword struck a thin sword, it wouldn't be surprising if it broke directly. Not to mention, Siegfried's weapon was a fantastical greatsword forged by the Nibelungen race, with materials far superior to Astolfo's decorative thin sword.
Although Gordes had many flaws, one had to admit that he was the world's greatest alchemy master, second only to the Einzberns. Only such a person could spot the difference at a glance.
From that moment on, Gordes no longer focused on the two Servants. Instead, he concentrated on Lancer's sword, using his accumulated experience in alchemy to analyze the possibilities.
It wasn't enhancement magic.
It wasn't an alchemical transformation.
These were his specialties, and it was easy to tell if they were in use.
It wasn't an enchantment or inscription magic either, as those would have visible traits on the weapon's surface.
One by one, he proposed possibilities and ruled them out.
Fully absorbed, Gordes felt as if he were back in his workshop, continuously conducting magical experiments to find an answer to a problem.
Finally, in the twentieth exchange, when Siegfried seized an opportunity to force Artoria into a contest of strength, Gordes found the answer at the point where their swords crossed.
Siegfried's greatsword wasn't making direct contact with Artoria's thin sword; there was a minuscule gap between them. In this gap, Gordes sensed a special kind of magic. Under the influence of this magic, the air in the gap became harder than steel.
Suddenly, all the clues fell into place.