Chapter 98

There was no sound of any movement, not even the space fluctuations that had been so grand a moment ago. The current teenage idol, standing behind Claude and protected by him, was suddenly bound by chains that appeared out of nowhere. Even though Yuna immediately used her self-enhancing magic, she was still tightly wrapped by the chains and could not break free at all.

One of the most special treasures of the Hero King Gilgamesh, even the Bull of Heaven, the chief of the gods Anu, could not break free from it. This Noble Phantasm was specifically created to punish the gods. Although those without divine status would not trigger the inevitable strangulation of the Heaven’s Chain, it was more than enough to bind a frail girl who was a mage.

"You should be looking at me, bastard!"

A silver sword inlaid with gems, extraordinarily magnificent, exploded in front of Claude, blocking his path to rescue his Master. Just from its extraordinary luxury, one could judge its former glory. Destroying such a treasure was merely a warning to prevent him from freeing Yuna. Faced with this absurd reality, Claude had no choice but to temporarily abandon his Master, who was bound by the Heaven’s Chain, and focus all his senses on the formidable opponent before him.

Clang!

The hilt of the great sword Fenrir separated, and Claude drew out the extended part, holding two swords to confront the golden-armored Servant. Defense would eventually fail! The Noble Phantasms projected by the opponent were like unstable explosives, releasing magical energy and exploding upon contact. Even if Fenrir was strong enough, how many heavy blows could his arm withstand? Moreover, his Master was already restrained. Claude had long abandoned the idea of a solid defense. He leaped backward and mounted his silent steed.

Fenrir, sharing the same name as his weapon, was a perfect match. This product of otherworldly technology, after Claude became a Servant, possessed abilities it had never had before. Activated by his magical power, it seemed to create a hurricane, and the large, black motorcycle, carrying its owner with two swords, charged at the enemy.

Lack of agility in turning, no problem. At high speed, a slight adjustment was enough to avoid Gilgamesh’s monotonous straight-line attacks. Weaving through the smoke, Claude instantly appeared before his opponent, but saw no surprise on his face. Mid-swing, countless sharp blades formed a metal net that suddenly blocked his view. To avoid being torn to pieces, he had no choice but to retreat to his steed and look for an opening to deliver a fatal blow.

"Interesting, interesting! Do you think this net can't handle you? Naive, too naive!"

The cold light of the Noble Phantasms passed by countless times, and the few minutes since the battle began felt like hours to Claude. As the Hero King increased the density of his attacks, just judging the paths and avoiding being hit by various weapons almost exhausted all his energy. Not having received any real damage in the endless rain of Noble Phantasms, he himself found it miraculous. Unable to defend or attack, the Hero King’s title was well-deserved; the game-like play had left Claude feeling deeply powerless.

The tires screeched sharply, and each weapon that came at him was faster than the last. Clearly, Gilgamesh was playing a cat-and-mouse game. Claude’s evasive radius grew larger, far exceeding the range of the great sword Fenrir.

Among the seven Servants participating in the Holy Grail War, there were actually class distinctions. The three—Saber, Archer, and Lancer—were known as the Three Knights, generally considered to have superior overall qualities compared to the other four. Even if he had once doubted it, Claude now had to admit that as a Rider, he was inferior to the Archer before him. Gradually, the distance between them had extended to over two hundred meters, yet Gilgamesh could still easily track the rapidly moving target, his dynamic vision beyond imagination.

‘No! I can’t find it!’ The voice of the seemingly forgotten girl, bypassing the enemy’s ears, reached the speeding Rider. The Heaven’s Chain only restricted Yuna’s body, and she could still cast a few spells. From the moment she realized it would be difficult to win, she had quietly activated a search spell. The best way to deal with a Servant was not a reckless duel but to kill the Master who allowed the Servant to act. The kind-hearted girl was unwilling to take a life and still only thought of capturing the other Master to force the Hero King to stop.

But after much effort, Yuna only confirmed another enviable ability of the Archer class: the ability to act freely without a Master.

Seeing her Servant struggling, almost hit by the flying Noble Phantasms several times, and unable to use the acceleration spell due to the Heaven’s Chain’s restriction, Yuna was on the verge of tears. No matter how strong she was, she was still an eighteen-year-old girl. Without her magic, what was the difference between her and any other girl her age?

Two choices. Amid the raging storm of magical power, Claude’s chaotic thoughts became clear due to his Master’s failure. With the Hero King’s abilities, he must have noticed Yuna’s small actions. The reason he did not stop her was probably more due to his overconfidence in his own strength. Perhaps he could use this arrogance to catch the Master off guard and quickly escape? The Rider class had a speed that was difficult for others to match, and his steed, conceptualized after becoming a Servant, was almost indestructible. If they could successfully escape, there would be a way to deal with that chain.

Claude was a knight and a solitary warrior. But the dignity of a knight and the stubbornness of a loner could not compare to the value of a human life, and protecting the Master was the duty of a Servant.

"Oh? Not running anymore? It seems you’re ready to accept death. How boring, I’ll reluctantly grant your wish!"

Facing the knight charging straight at him, Gilgamesh, tired of the chase, smiled cruelly. An overwhelming number of treasures flew through the damp air with a faint salty smell, the sound of breaking the air almost drowning out the roar of the motorcycle. Claude pushed his riding skills to the limit, and the scent of metal could be detected as the Noble Phantasms grazed his body.

"I’ll grant your wish!"

The neatly arranged, grand net of blades appeared again, but Claude did not retreat as he had before. The cold sharpness was about to pierce his skin. At this distance, there was no time to dodge!

Boom!

The motorcycle, which had always followed its owner, suddenly rushed forward unmanned at the last moment, colliding with the shining Noble Phantasm without any hesitation and immediately turning to ashes in the violent explosion. The debris scattered by the wind turned into bullets, striking the Hero King’s proud golden armor. The close-range magical storm made the oldest hero of humanity squint his crimson eyes.

"What!?"

The hidden threat in the storm finally appeared. Claude’s figure, following the scattered debris, rushed to the unguarded Gilgamesh. The wind from the explosion, more terrifying than the explosion itself, carried the short swords split from the great sword Fenrir, slicing towards the Hero King’s proud head with the momentum to cut through everything.

Too late! Too close! In a hurry, a shield shimmering with iridescent light appeared in Gilgamesh’s right hand, barely blocking the fatal blow just before his head was severed!