As soon as Artoria said this, Astolfo hesitated no more. He grabbed Sieg with one hand and pointed to the sky with the other.
"Come forth, my companion, Hippogriff."
Accompanied by a resounding eagle's cry, an even more intense wind pressure than Artoria's sword swept across the ground.
The source of the gale was a fantastical beast with the upper body of an eagle and the lower body of a horse, looking incredibly bizarre.
As the most mischievous troublemaker among the Twelve Paladins, Astolfo had many strange and extraordinary tales to his name. Among them, his non-human companions like the Griffon, the famous horse Rabicano, and most notably, the Hippogriff, could not be overlooked.
Initially, this mythical creature should not exist. Griffons are natural predators of horses, feeding on them, making their offspring an impossibility. Yet, Astolfo, being an extraordinarily unique existence, made the impossible possible.
Thus, this phantom steed, unseen in this world, became Astolfo's trump card.
"Well then, let's go."
Gordes was not willing to let the prize slip away: "Saber, stop them!"
Upon hearing his Master's command, Siegfried charged without hesitation.
However, just as he took a step forward, Artoria unsheathed her sword.
A silver flash streaked by as highly condensed magical energy expanded outward through the action of drawing the sword.
In an instant, earth and rocks flew. Even someone as resilient as Siegfried was halted by this powerful strike.
"Stop."
Amidst the swirling dust, Artoria stood tall with her sword, exuding a majestic presence that made Astolfo's eyes sparkle with admiration: "So cool."
"Hurry, leave this to me," Artoria said, standing with her back to the pair, waving her left hand.
"Then we're off. Lancer, see you next time."
"Be careful."
Exchanging parting words, Astolfo leaped into the air with Sieg. The low-flying Hippogriff dove down, catching the two boys securely as they soared into the sky.
From the start, Astolfo intended to use the Hippogriff's speed to escape with Sieg. However, fearing the Master, Celenike, would detect the Hippogriff's magical energy consumption, he abandoned this plan in favor of a less noticeable escape on foot.
Now that their escape was exposed, there was no need to hide anymore. They had to make a clean break and flee.
Watching the Hippogriff disappear into the sky, Artoria felt no more reservations. She calmly faced Siegfried and Gordes.
"Do you still wish to continue fighting?"
"Of course," Gordes replied, glaring at Artoria with a hostile look. "Since you let the homunculus go, you will take his place—we have many questions about your identity and your Master."
"If you can, then try."
Artoria shifted her grip from single-handed to double-handed, her preferred way of wielding her sword.
Gordes glanced at Artoria, then at Siegfried, who silently drew his sword, and let out a contemptuous sneer: "A Lancer trying to mimic a Saber."
"My lance isn't suited for this kind of environment, and besides, I'm better with a sword than a lance."
Anyone familiar with the Servant system knows that a Servant's class influences their Noble Phantasms. Different classes come with different types and effects of Noble Phantasms. While the detailed rules of how Noble Phantasms are granted remain unclear, many patterns have been observed through numerous Holy Grail Wars.
For instance, weapon-type Noble Phantasms have more restrictions, while other types have fewer limitations.
Specifically, the Saber and Lancer classes are directly associated with weapons, limiting the types of weapons they can wield. No matter how skilled you were with various weapons in life, as a Saber or Lancer, you can only have sword- or spear-type Noble Phantasms.
Diarmuid, famous for his dual-sword and dual-spear combat style, could only use his spears as a Lancer.
Karna, who once used "Vasavi Shakti" to force Arjuna off the battlefield, was one of the finest archers of his time. As a Lancer, the Holy Grail transformed his bow into a spear.
Artoria is another example. Despite her legends revolving more around her sword, as a Lancer, she is accompanied only by her holy spear.
However, while the class can restrict the weapon, it cannot limit the experience accumulated in one's lifetime.
Even without Excalibur, Artoria remains an excellent swordsman, unafraid of any formidable enemy with a sword in hand.
"Come, let me see just how strong the Saber of this Holy Grail War is."
With these words, the knight who once won a Holy Grail War as a Saber stepped forward, approaching the awaiting Siegfried.
When the distance between Artoria and Siegfried shortened to five meters, Siegfried moved.
He lunged forward, swinging his sword with both hands. There was no variation or technique, just a pure combination of power and speed.
Two lunges, combined with the length of his arms and greatsword, covered exactly five meters, maximizing Siegfried's weapon advantage.
The sword Astolfo gave Artoria was a typical Western sword, thin and long, designed for single-handed use. While not as extreme as a rapier, it wasn't suited for direct clashes, unlike Siegfried's greatsword, which had a completely different style.
Unexpectedly, Artoria ignored the characteristics of her longsword and held it horizontally, preparing to clash head-on with Siegfried.
This move surprised Siegfried. He was no novice like Gordes, who knew nothing of swordsmanship. As someone who had honed his skills to a superhuman level and fought countless battles, he could tell from Artoria's stance that she had deep sword expertise, sufficient to qualify as a Saber.
A swordsman of her caliber couldn't be unaware of the differences in weapon and technique compatibility. When technique and weapon align, the result is twice the effect with half the effort; the opposite results in half the effect with twice the effort. If forced, it might be understandable, but this was the first strike. Was she trying to lose on purpose?
Despite his doubts, Siegfried's actions remained unaffected. Regardless of his opponent's intentions, he had confidence in his strength.
The moment Siegfried's greatsword struck down, he understood why.
The seemingly delicate longsword transmitted an unexpectedly immense force. His B+ (without using the +) strength level, combined with the weight of his greatsword and the advantage of striking from above, only resulted in a draw. Could his opponent's strength exceed his own significantly?
Before Siegfried could conclude, Artoria twisted her wrist, sidestepped forward, and drew her thin sword along the edge of his greatsword, aiming for Siegfried's chest. This time, she utilized the agility of her thin sword.
Siegfried didn't dare be careless. He stepped in the opposite direction of Artoria's movement, intending to escape the thin sword's range and prevent her from closing the distance.
However, once again, he miscalculated.
The blade, the same color as her armor, grazed Siegfried's chest, drawing a drop of blood.