Not only did Achilles encounter obstruction from a shadow Servant, but the others riding the chariot faced similar challenges.
When Chiron encountered spatial turbulence, he quickly pulled his Master, Caules, preventing them from being separated.
As soon as the spatial distortion stabilized, a dense rain of arrows fell from the sky, leaving no time to react. Only an all-around archer like Chiron, who could wield his bow as a staff to create an impenetrable defense, could protect Caules. In contrast, Atalanta might already have been injured in such an ambush, let alone being able to shield Caules amidst the arrow rain.
After the volley of arrows, Chiron counterattacked with a set of Five Arrow Burst, returning fire. Although he didn't see the enemy, his skill allowed him to calculate their precise location through the angle and force of the arrows.
The enemy's identity had long been confirmed: the shadow archer, an archer with unparalleled archery skills, who had been obstructed by Chiron and Atalanta since the aerial battle began.
"Master, stay behind me and protect yourself."
"Understood, Primal Spirit: Raptor!"
Caules swiftly released the prepared beast spirit.
...
Atalanta found herself in a confined room with solid walls all around, seemingly meant to restrict her swift movements.
In the center of the room stood a burly man, naked from the waist up. Though his body was composed of shadows, Atalanta could see the bulging muscles on the man's body.
The man's weapons were two unusually shaped large swords. While most Servants would need both hands to wield such weapons, he held them effortlessly with one hand each. Just looking at him made Atalanta feel as if her chest was being compressed, making it hard to breathe.
But that wasn't the most troublesome part. The most troublesome was the aura emanating from the man—an aura similar to her own. It wasn't a human aura but that of a beast.
If Atalanta were a cat, then this man was a wolf, a wolf that would tear its prey to pieces. And now, this wolf had set its sights on the cat that had intruded into its territory, ready to attack at any moment.
"They've chosen a good prey for me."
The celestial bow was drawn silently.
In such a confined space, facing an enemy with terrifying strength, Atalanta was at an absolute disadvantage from the start.
However, this did not shake her. Since her birth, she had been fighting various prey. A strong prey would not induce fear but rather ignite her fighting spirit.
Grasping an arrow, she infused its tip with magic, and the eyes of the spirit cat met those of the ferocious wolf.
"Dedicate this hunt to the great goddess Artemis!"
She released her fingers—the arrowhead erupted with immense magic, and the legendary huntress began her hunt!
...
Due to the exceptional EX magic resistance of the Ruler, Jeanne was the only one unaffected by the spatial distortion. However, her current situation was the most perilous of all.
The chariot vanished, and she naturally began to fall.
At that moment, a shadow leaped out from the forest below, launching an attack on her mid-air.
Thanks to her strong perceptive abilities, Jeanne had been prepared before the shadow leaped, adjusting her body for confrontation.
However, the holy flag she wielded with tremendous force did not affect the attacker. The shadow, barehanded, deftly avoided the flag's tip, used a single hand to leverage the flagpole, and climbed onto the flag. With one hand and both feet free, it aimed a series of fierce blows at Jeanne's head and face.
The attack speed was so fast that even the A-rank Revelation couldn't react in time. In the few seconds from mid-air to the ground, Jeanne had already suffered dozens of attacks, making her see stars and feel completely dazed.
Upon landing, the shadow did not intend to slow down but instead increased its attack speed because one hand was freed.
Helpless, Jeanne had to release the Holy Flag once again. With absolute defense, she temporarily blocked the enemy outside the barrier. However, this method was not a long-term solution.
The Noble Phantasm consumes a tremendous amount of mana, and Jeanne herself must remain stationary while holding the flag during its release. This is akin to a turtle that cannot move or fight back, only able to passively endure attacks—and even this turtle shell has its limits.
The greatest flaw of the Holy Flag is that it accumulates damage with each use. When the accumulated damage reaches a certain level, the flag will shatter and become unusable. After multiple releases, fine cracks had already appeared on the fleur-de-lis flag.
A solution must be found before the flag reaches its limit.
Because she was a newly linked Servant to the Greater Grail, her Command Spells couldn't affect the enemy. She could only rely on her class skill True Name Discernment.
Shaking off the dizziness caused by the blows, Jeanne finally managed to focus on the shadow Servant who had ambushed her.
This was a male Servant, handsome in appearance, with a well-proportioned figure. Some sort of pattern seemed to be etched on his bare back, but it was obscured by the shadow.
At the same time, his true name and basic information naturally surfaced in her mind.
Class: Assassin
True Name: Yan Qing
Seeing this name and combining it with the knowledge granted by the Holy Grail, Jeanne instantly understood everything.
Yan Qing, the Wandering Star, is a character from one of the Four Great Classical Novels, Water Margin.
For Jeanne, Yan Qing was the worst possible opponent. His consummate boxing skills made it difficult for her, who did not excel in martial arts, to cope. His elusive and unpredictable movements also cut off her retreat. Additionally, Jeanne lacked offensive Noble Phantasms, making it understandable how the situation developed to this point.
What should she do?
She couldn't win the fight, and she couldn't escape. Was the only option to use that Noble Phantasm to go down together?
No, that's not something to be used now.
The only choice left was to call for reinforcements.
Achilles, Atalanta, and Chiron were likely in similar situations, and calling them might put them in danger.
Astolfo was destroying the Black Coffin, so he was not an option.
Avisbron and Shinji were preparing a secret weapon, so they were also not options.
Mordred was with her Master Kairi, and separating them rashly could be dangerous for the latter.
The remaining person... yes, it has to be you!
"I command you in the name of Ruler—Jeanne d'Arc, with a Command Spell!"