The white horse "Dun Stallion" and the black horse "Llamrei" are both beloved steeds of King Arthur. Although they are not magical beasts or phantasmal creatures, their ability to bear the Knight King's campaigns north and south makes them exceptional among prized horses. Just the sheer strength of Artoria alone is something ordinary horses could not withstand.
This time, accompanying Artoria in battle is the white horse "Dun Stallion." This is an all-around warhorse with impeccable leg strength, endurance, and speed. It can traverse mountains and valleys as if walking on flat ground, and its short-distance bursts can rival a sports car. Even when compared to a car produced by another "BMW" company, it wouldn't be outshined.
Of course, since it does not exceed the concept of a horse, it has no attack power and is not considered a Noble Phantasm. However, for Artoria, providing a platform and mobility for her lance is sufficient.
This is also why Shinji, knowing that Siegfried counters Artoria, still dares to send her to intercept Siegfried. Even if she couldn't win, she could always escape.
Indeed, Artoria saving Sieg was not a coincidence but an inevitability. As soon as Darnic issued the order to hunt down Sieg, Shinji contacted Artoria to rescue him at a designated location. The purpose, naturally, was to prevent Siegfried from rescuing Sieg.
Astolfo's escape route was confirmed through a terrain map left by Shinji. He knew precisely where they might be caught or ambushed. Artoria found Sieg and Astolfo earlier than Gordes. However, seeing that they were not in danger, she did not reveal herself and merely followed them from afar using the invisibility of the "Hades Cloak." It wasn't until Siegfried subdued Astolfo and Gordes, in his rage, was about to kill Sieg, that she used "Mana Burst" to save him.
Under her master's command, Dun Stallion ran ten kilometers in one breath before stopping.
Maintaining a stance ready to materialize her lance at any moment, Artoria vigilantly surveyed her surroundings. After confirming there was no one around, she relaxed her virtual grip and gently stroked her beloved horse's mane.
"It should be safe here. Thank you, Dun."
The intelligent horse, Dun Stallion, raised its head in response to its master's touch and snorted as if reminding her of something.
"Almost forgot, we're still in Trifas—"
Realizing this, Artoria quickly dismounted.
As soon as she left the horse's back, Dun Stallion dissolved, turning into spirit particles and dissipating into the air.
The next second, a sharp gust of wind spread out from Artoria, blurring the surrounding scenery as the atmosphere became turbulent and light distorted.
The Invisible Air, fully released.
It's worth noting that this time the release had no substantial lethality. There were no enemies around Artoria; she did this purely to disrupt any potential surveillance magic in the area, creating an opportunity to don her cloak.
Once she wore the cloak, all surveillance magic would fail, making it difficult for any pursuers to detect her presence. In terms of invisibility, the Hades Cloak is among the best.
Some might ask if the Hades Cloak is so powerful, why not wear it outright?
The answer is simple: Shinji was wearing this cloak when summoned, and all the other members of the Black Faction had seen it. If Artoria wore it openly, all of Shinji's plans would be ruined.
Therefore, before lending the cloak, Shinji had instructed that she must not let outsiders see her wearing it.
Hence, Artoria's method of reappearing from invisibility involves taking off the cloak first and putting it on requires the cover of the Invisible Air.
After completing all this, Artoria, now in a state of invisibility, let out a long breath. Siegfried alone had put considerable pressure on her, and there was always the possibility of Vlad III and Chiron appearing.
A resilient, nearly indestructible swordsman.
A top-tier archer with pinpoint accuracy and long-range sniping abilities.
And lastly, an all-around lord with high base attributes, home-field advantage, and virtually no weaknesses, controlling a vast area.
Any two of them joining forces could severely injure her; if all three were present, she wouldn't even have the chance to escape unless Shinji were to openly defy and protect her to death. As a consequence, they would lose the magical supply from the Yggdmillennia family and might even have to use the three Command Spells they possess to counter Fiore's Command Spells.
Therefore, despite the accumulation of 1,500 years and Shinji's warnings, Artoria still found it hard to breathe.
"Compared to the last Holy Grail War, this one is more complex and more dangerous—being the counterforce's observer is indeed not easy."
Stretching her arms to relax her tense body, Artoria began to gather mana to heal her injuries.
The fight with Siegfried wasn't just a forced stalemate; it was a true equal match. While leaving dozens of wounds on Siegfried, she was also struck by his sword three times.
Although the number of wounds on Siegfried was greater, the severity of Artoria's injuries was worse. There was no helping it; anti-dragon attacks are terrifyingly powerful. The magical armor that could withstand ordinary blades was easily pierced by Siegfried's sword. If she hadn't dodged in time, she might have been defeated.
Fortunately, these injuries would heal after a good night's sleep, especially if she had some food to replenish her strength—
At this thought, her flat stomach let out a "grumble," as if in response and reminder.
"Hungry. Better hurry back; Miss Reika and Jack-chan must have saved some supper for me."
Muttering softly, Artoria used her upgraded "Instinct" to find her direction and headed towards the pre-arranged rendezvous point. It was a village isolated from magecraft, with simple and honest folk. Reika had easily rented an unused small courtyard under the guise of a vacation and had purchased many local ingredients from the villagers.
Just thinking about those fresh vegetables and milk made her stomach feel even emptier.
Pressing her stomach to suppress the hunger, the Knight King, having removed her armor and donned her cloak, quickened her pace.
At that moment, she sensed an unusual Servant's presence.
The aura suggested that this Servant belonged to neither the Red nor the Black faction. According to the knowledge granted by the Holy Grail, it must be a Ruler, the adjudicator.
Stopping to think for a moment, Artoria decided to meet with this person. No one understood the current Holy Grail War better than the Ruler, who had special privileges. Gaining her support would make fulfilling her role as and "observer" much easier.
Soon, Artoria saw a young girl.