I Will Eventually Embark On The Path Of No Return Called A Hero

[Arc4] - 6. Your Noble Phantasm is Quite Good

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Servants, even the weakest of them, are not beings humans can contend with. To control them, magi have prepared restraints called Command Seals.

"Boom—!"

Amidst the deafening roar, a figure was flung through the forest, crashing into a boulder. Countless cracks radiated from where the person landed.

"As expected, you're a fake," Cyd emerged from the forest carrying a large sword. "One moment you're using a sword, the next a bow. What class are you, anyway?"

"Crack—"

The nameless Servant, with a red cloth wrapped around his head, pulled himself out of the stone. His eyes were void of any light, and a pale blue glow gathered around him. Countless blades, gleaming coldly, materialized in the glow, aimed at Cyd.

A pair of black and white swords appeared in the nameless Servant's hands once again.

"Projection magecraft," Cyd narrowed his eyes.

"Boom—!"

The nameless Servant bent down slightly before shooting toward Cyd like a cannonball. The suspended swords in the air trembled and then followed, striking at Cyd from all directions in bizarre trajectories.

"This is a bit much for Gray," Cyd muttered, slightly raising his left hand, where a crystal representing Hephaestus emitted a soft light.

"But without a will, you can't possibly defeat me."

The nameless Servant swung both blades toward Cyd's neck, while countless swords aimed for his vital points from all directions. It seemed the outcome was decided.

A faint smile appeared on Cyd's lips.

The shimmering blades suddenly trembled, and just as they were about to pierce Cyd, they changed course, avoiding him and heading straight for the nameless Servant. The black and white swords in his hands dissolved into faint blue light as they passed harmlessly by Cyd's neck.

The nameless Servant's eyes narrowed in shock. He tried to retreat, but it was too late. A black scarf rose up, forming a vicious dragon's claw that grasped his neck.

"Too bad. You'd have done better fighting me hand-to-hand."

Cyd chuckled, tilting his head.

The weapons the nameless Servant had projected to kill Cyd pierced his own body instead. But what leaked from the wounds wasn't blood, but black mist.

Without seeming to feel any pain, the nameless Servant writhed, reaching out to choke Cyd.

"Can't you hear me?" Cyd sighed, punching straight through the nameless Servant's chest.

"Bang—!"

The twisted body dissolved into faint light, leaving behind a card in Cyd's hand.

"Archer?" Cyd flicked the card in his hand and smirked. "Rushing into close combat right away? Not very professional, are you?"

He remembered what happened when he had first entered the pocket dimension. The nameless Servant, dual-wielding swords, had charged out of the forest, attempting to catch him off guard. But Cyd had sent him flying with a single slash.

Had this nameless Servant used arrows for persistent attacks from the start, Cyd might have been more troubled. He would have had to use the [Reforged Pandora] in Apollo form to burn the entire pocket dimension to the ground in one go. After all, it wouldn't affect the real world.

It was precisely after confirming the nature of the pocket dimension that Lord El-Melloi II dared to let Cyd act recklessly.

Though, for some reason, Cyd had the nagging feeling that he had seen this brown-skinned Servant somewhere before.

"Here," Cyd tossed the class card to Lord El-Melloi II, who was smoking a cigar.

"Archer, huh?" Lord El-Melloi II caught the card. After examining the symbol on it, his expression turned complicated. "Isn't he one of those Servants that just throws around all sorts of Noble Phantasms?"

Cyd stroked his chin thoughtfully and nodded. "Yes, but in the end, I ended up stabbing him with those Noble Phantasms instead."

"Is this what they call irony?" Lord El-Melloi II sighed. "I'll join you for the next battle."

In his mind, there was only one Servant who recklessly tossed around Noble Phantasms—the Heroic Spirit who had once brought the Conqueror King to an end. Now, Lord El-Melloi II had to prepare for the possibility that Rider's class card belonged to the Conqueror King.

"Let me make this clear: these Servants don't have any will. They'll ambush you without hesitation," Cyd raised his right index finger. "You might even die."

"I will protect my master!" Gray said earnestly.

"Don't worry. Even if he's lost his sense of self, that guy couldn't pull off an ambush if he tried," Lord El-Melloi II waved it off, looking skyward with a mix of pride and helplessness.

"Then let's take care of the next one while we're at it," Cyd opened the map. "It doesn't seem too far from here."

Lord El-Melloi II hesitated for a moment, then nodded.

At this point, even he wasn't sure of his own feelings. The person he thought he'd never see again in his lifetime now stood before him, yet he had no choice but to face them as an enemy.

"Why not have a little more faith in your king?" Cyd rolled up the map and tapped Lord El-Melloi II on the head with it. "A true hero can transcend the rules. Maybe your king is waiting for you, right where you left him."

Lord El-Melloi II opened his mouth but stayed silent.

His theoretical knowledge told him that it was impossible. Servants don't retain their memories of their former selves.

"Isn't your king a hero?" Cyd poked Lord El-Melloi II in the chest. "Don't tell me you doubt his ability to live up to your expectations?"

"Of course not! My king! The Conqueror King is the greatest hero this world has ever seen!" Lord El-Melloi II—or rather, Waver Velvet—straightened his posture. Even in front of a great hero from Greece, he could boldly proclaim that his king was the greatest of all.

"Well then, that's settled." Cyd smiled as he handed the map to Waver. "Now, tell me where we're headed next. Who do we have to defeat?"

Waver tucked the map into his pocket, adjusting the leather gloves on his right hand. His long black hair fluttered in the breeze. "We're going after those heroes of the past."

Gray gazed admiringly at Waver's back as he walked ahead.

Though his figure was somewhat slender, it gave her an overwhelming sense of reassurance. As long as her master was there, she felt she could accomplish anything.

Even though he usually seemed kind of lazy...

"Here we go," Waver raised his hand, cutting through the air.

A glowing magic circle appeared beneath their feet, ripples like those of a kaleidoscope spread across the world.

No, the world itself hadn't changed, but rather their location had swapped with somewhere inside the pocket dimension.

Their next opponent had appeared.

A man in blue armor, holding a crimson spear, stood atop a massive rock, gazing down at them.

"Gray, stay close to your master," Cyd hoisted [Reforged Pandora] in its Athena form onto his shoulder.

"Now, it's my time to shine."