It's certainly not ideal for a sneak attack during the day, as you'd easily be discovered.
Red Archer, standing atop the castle, frowned. He saw Astolfo flying towards them on the Hippogriff.
That guy...
Initially, Red Archer was relieved that Astolfo was unharmed and hadn't been injured or killed by his Broken Phantasm.
But then, Red Archer grew anxious, because he had to attack again!
"Get back! Go back!"
Red Archer drew his bow and fired an arrow as fast as lightning! But he knew ordinary arrows wouldn't work; the Hippogriff was highly evasive.
As expected, the arrow missed. Red Archer notched another, when suddenly!
"Are you going easy on them again?!"
The venomous woman's voice rang in his ears! His neck tensed slightly; Red Archer felt threatened!
"...Hmph!"
Red Archer scoffed, then a Magic Sword appeared in his hand.
Scarlet Hound, a tracking arrow Mo Shuying had once used!
"Scarlet Hound of the Red Plains! Go!"
*Bang!*
The Magic Sword flew out. Red Archer watched Astolfo begin to dodge, the Magic Sword trailing behind, impossible to shake off.
"Heh, a feint for infiltration? That's a trick easily seen through. There must be other enemies in the forest, Archer, force them out."
The cold voice reached Red Archer's ears. Red Archer gritted his teeth, then raised his longbow again.
"Broken Phantasm!"
*Bang!*
A Noble Phantasm was shot out, then a second! A third!
Noble Phantasms, which others would covet and rarely obtain, were treated like trash by Red Archer, freely destroyed. This was Red Archer's power; all Noble Phantasms projected were one-time use, perfect for self-destruction without a second thought! Three Noble Phantasms landed in the forest. The next second!
*Boom boom boom!!*
Like missiles hitting the ground, three explosion clouds ignited almost simultaneously! Forming three massive energy hemispheres on the ground! The strong winds uprooted trees so large that a single person couldn't embrace them, showing the immense power!
And just then!
*Roar!!*
A terrifying roar, more beast than human, erupted! From within that explosion! A fearsome figure emerged!
It was a tall man wielding a massive stone axe! His body glowed red and steamed! Heracles had just used his body to withstand the first wave of explosions, but he couldn't hold on, losing his first life!
And behind him.
Leonidas raised his shield, a shield of flames in front of him blocking the remaining force of the explosion, protecting Luvia, Miyu, and Illya behind him!
"That Red Archer bastard! Doesn't he know how to hold back? He makes me so mad!"
Luvia gritted her teeth and cursed. She looked up at the sky; Astolfo was still being pursued and couldn't get away for now.
"Calm down, Lady Luvia. Our objective is to attract their attention, and this is already enough."
Miyu said calmly, holding Sapphire. Illya, beside her, nodded quickly, but there was a hint of anger in her eyes.
"But Miyu is right, it's so frustrating to be passively beaten like this! Berserker even lost a life because of it! No! Miyu, let's fight back too!"
Illya looked at Miyu and said seriously. Miyu hesitated, then nodded. Then the two Magical Girls quickly flew into the sky, gripping their Magic Wands tight!!
"Shotgun!"
"Rapid Fire!"
*Bang bang bang bang bang bang!*
Instantly, red and blue Magic Bullets filled the sky, flying out! They pelted the Matou Family's castle like a meteor shower! Regardless of the damage, the visual effect alone was stunning.
Red Archer, on the castle, took a step back after seeing this. He had no intention of stopping them. Are you kidding? Even if the castle under his feet was blown to smithereens, he wouldn't feel bad for a second!
But while Red Archer didn't care, someone else did!
"Hmph! Petty tricks!"
The woman's voice sounded again! Immediately after, a surge of Mana rippled out, and purple Magecraft circles unfolded in the sky, forming barriers to intercept the Magic Bullets!
*Boom boom boom!*
The Magic Bullets burst like fireworks, their light dazzling. These defensive Magecraft arrays connected to Geomantic Veins possessed considerable defensive power. Illya and their shotgun attacks, which prioritized quantity over power, couldn't break through these barriers.
"Hehehe, is that all you've got? How boring. Archer, continue attacking, don't let them get close."
"...Yes."
Red Archer was helpless and could only continue to shoot.
Meanwhile.
On a throne deep within the castle, Semiramis smiled. With a flick of her finger, the main gate of Matou Castle opened, and then! Horrifying monsters, one after another, swarmed out!
"Hmph—let these little darlings I just made play with you. My garden will be finished soon. I'd like to see who can stop me then!"
"Roar!"
"Howl!"
From the main gate of the castle, a large number of monsters poured out, rushing towards the forest ahead.
Not far from them, a group of people, draped in a red invisibility cloak, furtively approached a secret door.
This invisibility cloak was a Noble Phantasm, though only Rank E. It could render anyone covered by it invisible, but it couldn't conceal their presence or sound. Mo Shuying had projected it after inserting the Archer Class Card.
"This is it. Let me see, just press here!"
Tohsaka Rin reached out, feeling the wall for a mechanism. When she pressed a blue brick, a secret passage opened before them, leading into the castle.
"It opened!"
Seeing that the passage was real, everyone's faces lit up with joy, and they filed in.
Mo Shuying followed behind them, glancing back at the monsters running off. He felt a pang of regret.
All that moving experience!
It's so frustrating to have experience points right in front of you but be unable to get them.
Just as Tohsaka Rin and the others entered Matou Castle, Semiramis, on her throne, frowned.
"Oh? There are still a few rats? How surprising. Very well, you three, go for a walk too."
Semiramis hadn't released all her "little darlings" earlier. The three remaining ones were elites among them. Receiving Semiramis's command, the three monsters turned and left to find Tohsaka Rin and her companions.
Meanwhile, Tohsaka Rin, having bypassed several Magecraft traps according to the map, soon saw light. When they emerged, they found themselves in a garden—the Matou Family's garden.
As soon as Tohsaka Rin stepped out, she saw a gazebo in the garden. Inside, a purple-haired girl was elegantly sipping tea. It was Matou Sakura!
"Sakura!"
The moment she saw Matou Sakura, Tohsaka Rin cried out excitedly. Matou Sakura in the gazebo looked up, a faint smile on her lips, and a strange glint in her crimson eyes.
"Be careful, something's wrong with Sakura."
Emiya Shirou keenly noticed Matou Sakura's abnormality. He reached out and held Tohsaka Rin's hand, preventing her from rushing forward.
However, this also exposed them. Mo Shuying waved his hand, dispersing the invisibility cloak and revealing the four people inside.
As for Mo Shuying himself?
He was still using Presence Concealment. After a glance at Matou Sakura, he quietly moved closer.
He knew the principle: to shoot a person, first shoot their horse; to capture a thief, first capture their king.
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