However, as he rolled, Chiron had already completed a new round of calculations. Without any new variables, Artoria's spear thrust was fully within his expectations.
Simultaneously, he devised a countermeasure and a plan for retaliation. He was already standing on the crenellations of the city wall, and after rolling, he found himself at the edge of the wall.
Facing the oncoming holy spear, he unhesitatingly leaped into the air.
Artoria was left speechless. Even with her "Instinct" predicting his moves, she hadn't expected Chiron to dodge her spear in such a manner. There were many other ways he could have dodged, so why abandon his foothold?
Surely, he wasn't going to fly like Shinji, was he? If that were the case, she would immediately give up the fight.
What a joke! If he could combine divine archery with flight, he could attack from above, unreachable while hitting her at will. How could she possibly fight that?
Of course, Chiron couldn't fly. The reason for his action became clear to Artoria soon enough.
By free-falling, Chiron had created an opportunity to shoot the three arrows already nocked on his bowstring.
He didn't need a full draw, nor any particular technique, or even precise aiming. At such close range, Chiron could hit Artoria, dressed only in her inner lining, with his eyes closed—even if her sword and spear, ascended to divine realms by some unknown path, instinctively protecting her, one arrow still managed to pierce her chest.
Thanks to Merlin, the additional cushioning from her mature form's chest prevented the arrow from puncturing her lung.
No, it couldn't be said like that. If she were in her younger form, she might have dodged the arrow with a simple tilt of her head.
Then again, if she were in her younger form, Chiron's trajectory would have been adjusted accordingly.
In any case, Artoria was injured, and the subsequent wave of pain coursed through her body. However, the pain did not affect the Knight King's movements or reactions. She ignored the ripple-like pain through sheer willpower and leaped after Chiron.
"I won't let you escape."
In mid-air, she declared this, gripping her spear in a backward hold, adopting a throwing stance, and hurled the holy spear—one of the most formidable Noble Phantasms of all Heroic Spirits—without a moment's hesitation.
This decisiveness surprised Chiron and heightened his vigilance to the maximum. He immediately abandoned the idea of loading another arrow and used his Wisdom of Divine Gift to activate Mana Burst.
Unfortunately, the distance between them was too short, and Artoria's spear, thrown with B-rank strength, was too fast. If they were on the ground, Chiron could have easily dodged, but here in mid-air, with no place to land, even using Mana Burst to forcibly change his falling trajectory, he was still grazed by the high-speed spear, leaving a deep, bloody gash on his side.
Like Artoria, Chiron ignored his wound, steadily gripping his bow, his other hand already securing an arrow. However, he didn't immediately shoot but watched as Artoria landed, kicked off the ground, and charged at him with her sword, ignoring the holy spear embedded beside her.
It was only then that Chiron moved. Sliding his left hand down to the base of his longbow, he wielded it like a short staff to parry Artoria's follow-up sword strike.
After being knocked back by the force of the sword, Chiron immediately gripped the bow at the midpoint, nocked the arrow, and shot.
Too close to shoot an arrow? That was a limitation for ordinary archers. For a true master of archery, distance wasn't an issue. As long as they could draw the bow, they could shoot, and the threat remained undiminished. With a single arrow, he disrupted Artoria's pursuit.
Taking advantage of the gap, Chiron swiftly retreated into a nearby alley. Although he could shoot at close range, the pressure of being too close to a formidable warrior like Artoria was immense. Not to mention, he didn't want to face the wind pressure that had previously ravaged the city wall a second time.
As the renowned wise sage, Chiron had a keen understanding of himself and his limitations. He knew his weakness lay in lacking powerful Noble Phantasms. Hence, against attacks like Artoria's "Strike Air" or Achilles' "Tempestuous Immortal Chariot," he was at a disadvantage. Thus, he wouldn't allow his opponents another chance to use such Noble Phantasms against him—archers have always been masters of evasion, outshining even assassins and rogues.
Of course, this situation carried a certain degree of helplessness.
In the regular sparring sessions among the Knights of the Round Table, Artoria had endured no small amount of suffering at the hands of Tristan. Today, part of why she could hold her own against Chiron was due to her firsthand experience of an archer's terrifying prowess from Tristan. As a result, the Knight King did not relax even after closing the distance, knowing that a single moment of carelessness could lead to being struck by Chiron's arrow.
Closing the distance was just the beginning of the battle. Who would emerge victorious was still uncertain!
How can I secure victory in this fight?
How can I defeat Black Lancer?
These thoughts simultaneously crossed the minds of the cautious Chiron and the fully armored Artoria as they continued their intense battle. Both, having already exchanged wounds, became even more cautious.
As they carefully calculated their next moves, a sudden voice sounded in Artoria's ear.
"That's enough, retreat."