"Only physical instincts remain, no intelligence, no Noble Phantasm or personal skills that a Servant should have... Why is this so much like the initial version of my puppet?"
Caelus looked at the figure that was being pinned to the ground and beaten by Mem with Consecutive Normal Punches, with black smoke rising all over its body.
Just a moment ago, he had brought Mem near Fuyuki Bridge and found a presence similar to a Servant with the weakest energy reaction. It turned out to be just a humanoid monster emitting black smoke. It was impossible to tell who it was or even determine its gender, and it had no Servant skills or Noble Phantasm. It was just a skeleton soldier with slightly greater strength and speed.
After 30 seconds of continuous strikes, the black-smoke humanoid monster was shattered. Finally, Caelus obtained the Embers that he had not been able to get before, as well as a portion of Void Dust. The description was the same as the previous Calamity Bones, both were materials used to upgrade Servants, and the recovery price was exactly the same.
[Material: Silver Embers
Usage: Increase Servant EXP.
Source: Any monster has a probability of dropping it.
Recycle Price: 5 System Currency.]
Just as they had dealt with this smoke-like creature and collected the materials, Caelus's ears twitched. He and Mem looked up into the distance at the same time, where a crimson meteor was rushing toward them.
"Mem."
Caelus did not give a clear instruction, but Mem already understood what he meant. The domain expanded at this moment, and the space within a few hundred meters was filled with Memory in an instant.
When the crimson meteor dived directly into this domain, it stopped instantly. Caelus was able to see clearly what the crimson meteor was, it was a spiral arrow.
The figure in the distance did not stop attacking because the attack had failed. They continued to draw their bow and nock an arrow, and then another crimson meteor rushed forward.
Caelus watched silently as the crimson meteors, transformed from spiral arrows, plunged one after another into the Memory domain, only to be frozen in midair, unable to advance even an inch.
When the mysterious man drawing the arrows in the distance saw this scene, he finally gave up on the futile shooting. After thinking for a moment, his figure dissipated directly, and he retreated from the area.
Caelus reached out and gathered all the arrows into his palm. With just a brief erosion, all the arrows turned into powder and fell to the ground.
"He ran away. Judging by this attack method, he should be an Archer. I just don't know whether the gap in melee ability is large compared to the King of Heroes."
Ever since he had a fight with the King of Heroes, Caelus now assumed that all Archers absolutely had decent melee skills. Although this was a generalization, the statement did not seem wrong.
"Mem..."
Mem was thinking about whether she should also get some long-range attack methods. If she had that, she could have attacked the enemy from within the safe domain just now, which would have been much more convenient and safe.
But in what way should long-range attacks be expressed? Should she simply use memory energy to condense weapons and throw them, or would it be better to fire beams?
"Partner! I also want to have long-range attack methods, but I don't know how to use them well. What should I do?"
"Hmm, in that case, we won't pursue the Archer's drops. I'll wait until there's a chance later to just finish him off and strip away his existence. That way, you can directly inherit his archery skills and combat techniques."
"Okay!"
And the Archer, who had slipped back into the shadows to wait for an opportunity, suddenly felt a chill down his spine.
He had a bad premonition.
"What was that just now? What is that Archer guy going crazy for?"
Caster Cú Chulainn, who had dealt with Lancer Medusa together with Fujimaru Ritsuka's group, looked suspiciously at the place where the crimson meteor had streaked across earlier.
"Could it be that there are still survivors in this city?"
Fujimaru asked with a glimmer of hope in her heart.
"Impossible. I can be very certain that before you came to this world, not a single living being survived. Even we Servants, who seem alive, are essentially dead. In the current situation, excluding the possibility that the Archer finally went crazy and started attacking randomly, there is only one possibility, the members of your so-called Chaldea who came here are not just the few of you."
"And based on my judgment of that guy, the direction where the arrows fell should be the bridge area of this city."
"In the current situation, having more power is a great help. Fujimaru Ritsuka, the summoning ritual is postponed for now. We must rendezvous with the survivors immediately."
Olga Marie said. After all, not everyone had Fujimaru's luck, having the help of a Demi-Servant like Mash immediately after Rayshifting. If other Masters had also been transferred here, they might not necessarily have had the chance to summon Servants in this perilous city.
"A correct judgment. After all, what we are facing is not a simple enemy. And although both we and the other side have two Servants, the young girl can't even unleash her Noble Phantasm, so the gap is still a bit too large. In this situation, being able to increase our combat power is truly for the best."
After Cú Chulainn finished speaking, he complained helplessly in front of Fujimaru that he had happened to be summoned as a Caster. If he were a Lancer, he would be much stronger than he was now.
The group quickly rushed to Fuyuki Bridge. However, when they arrived at the scene, they did not find Caelus and Mem, who had already left. The group investigated the surrounding traces and weirdly discovered that even the damage caused by the Archer's attack had not appeared.
"In this situation, it seems the other party also has a Servant helping them, and this Servant's strength is quite good, blocking that guy's arrows without causing any impact on the surrounding environment."
"So, Romani, haven't you detected the signal of the other Master yet?"
Olga Marie asked.
"Director, this is something that can't be helped. Just restoring communication with you was already a struggle. The degree of damage to the instruments from the explosion is too high, and we are severely short-handed. Searching for signals is just too difficult, there is really no way."
"Sigh! Why did this have to happen!"
Olga Marie bit her lip, her heart full of bitterness. In order to fulfill her father's dying wish and to perform her duties as the Director of Chaldea, she had never lacked effort over the years, yet now, such an accident had occurred.
"Since that's the case, let's first find a nearby ley line and perform a Heroic Spirit summoning."
Previously on the road, because of the sudden appearance of a Lancer, the original plan was disrupted. Now, they had delayed their steps to investigate that potentially existing other Master. They had to perform a Heroic Spirit summoning as soon as possible to increase their combat power. Only in this way could they bring about greater chances of victory and safety.
Caelus and Mem walked through the pitch-black forest. These trees had no leaves, and their own life force no longer existed, which meant this was a forest of dead trees.
"Up ahead is the Einzbern Family castle, which is the place where I infiltrated in the last world to take care of Saber's true Master, Kiritsugu."
"Partner, I've read the story of the original timeline. Is it really worth it for this 'Ally of Justice' to sacrifice so many people for the wish of world peace?"
"I don't know. I'm not an 'Ally of Justice', so how would I understand what he's thinking?"
"Then, if Partner faced the choice that the Black Holy Grail gave to Kiritsugu, what would Partner do? Would you choose to save the minority and abandon the majority? Or choose to save the majority and abandon the minority?"
"Whatever happens, happens."
"Such a perfunctory answer."
"Because this is my answer. It's enough to make a decision that aligns with your own heart based on the situation you face. Besides, your Partner isn't exactly a good person, maybe I would just be a cold bystander, watching the vortex of fate take them to their respective endings."
"Even so, I still like you, Partner!"
"ROAR!!!"
A roar interrupted the exchange between the two. They had intruded into the forbidden area of this forest and entered the attack detection zone of the Berserker guarding this place.
Berserker, the demigod Heracles, appears!
(To be continued.)
◇◇◇
◇ One bonus chapter will be released for every 200 Power Stones.
◇ You can read the ahead chapter on Pat if you're interested: p-atreon.c-om/Blownleaves (Just remove the hyphen to access normally.)