The Prince Of Magic

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The surprise attack was perfectly timed, Arash had calculated it before the intruder got to complete his intro. And yet, it was easily parried to the side like it was nothing, which caused a mild irritation to rise up in Arash's c.h.e.s.t after he saw that his sneak attack had failed.

At least, that was what he thought at first.

The moment his arrow was deflected, Arturia took that chance to dash forward and swing her invisible sword at the intruder, who almost got cleaved in half if not for his last second reaction.

The black cloaked figure appeared surprised by her sudden strike, but managed to jump away to safety just in time.

"Ah, so close!" Archer taunted.

Arturia ignored him, opting to continue her assault by unleashing a series of slashes amplified by the powerful winds covering her treasured sword.

Her prowess with swordplay was displayed in the fight.

Coupled with her own parameters as a Heroic Spirit, her attacks were powerful enough to disturb the air in wherever way she swung her sword at.

Arturia was famously known as the King of Knights for her skill with the sword, and that testament was proudly shown in the current battle she was engaged in.

To a normal observer's eye, they would only get to see brief bright flashes of silver and gold particles of light that vanished as soon as they appeared, which can cause one to wonder if they imagined it. Arash, however, had no trouble following the proceedings of the fight, thanks to his keen eyes and acute senses as a servant.

The tan skinned bowman frowned, assessing the confrontation with astute eyes.

Arash had noticed something off from the battle. His fellow retainer, Arturia, was still going strong with her assault yet the intruder was able to somehow avoid them all. Some strikes manage to land on him, but the injuries were superficial at best, endurable and light.

While the enemy was obviously not a powerhouse like Arturia, the intruder was agile enough to dodge most of her attacks.

What worried Arash was that he can see that the enemy was strong, but most of all, cunning to make use of his abilities.

Just as he thought of it, the intruder changed his tune and went on the counterattack, seemingly having enough of being on the receiving of Arturia's assault. It happened when Arturia was in the middle of a vertical slash, and Arash himself even had trouble believing what he saw was real.

In a display of gold particles, the intruder summoned a cane bearing a chameleon theme and pointed the tip at Arturia, whose emerald eyes widened in shock and alarm.

*BANG*

*BANG*

*BANG*

Three shots were fired, breaking the silence that appeared for a brief second as the loud sounds of a firing gun echoed throughout the crystal valley.

Fortunately, Arturia had managed to deflect the two bullets with her sword, thanks to her high instinct, but one got past her senses and grazed at her right arm, taking her by surprise.

Both Arash and Arturia's eyes widened when they noticed a hint of blood seeped through the torn sleeve of her blazer.

'It got through!' they thought in unison.

The body that Arturia was using was mostly mortal in flesh and senses, but modified to handle the burdens of a Servant's power. Before the fight began, Arturia used a reinforcement spell to make her delicate vessel a bit more tough and durable to handle even the most intense of combat.

At best, bullets that were magically enhanced would only be able to bruise her body.

The ones that hit her, however, appears to be a different story as it seemed to have ignored the effects of the reinforcement spell and penetrated through it instead.

It was a simple graze on the arm yet the pain shock her enough out of focus for a moment, which almost caused her to gain another injury.

The intruder used her distraction as a chance to attack again, shifting his stance into something that Arturia was familiar with.

His feet were spread slightly apart, shoulders relaxed yet an underlying tension lied beneath. It was the stance of someone who was about to draw a sword.

Her suspicion was proven correct when he suddenly dash forward, just in time for Arturia to prepare herself as a long, thin blade was revealed from within the cane.

*CLANG*

Sparks flew as the cane-sword clashed against her invisible one.

There was a bit of struggle of strength between them for a brief moment, but it was Arturia who won the attrition. She used the strength in her lower body and legs to shove him away from her. She was about to follow up on her counter when she quickly noticed a shadow above her.

"Tch!" Arturia gritted her teeth in irritation.

The former King of Knights didn't bother to look up, opting to prioritize her safety first as she disengaged and pulled away from the enemy.

*TWIP*

*WOOSH*

*THWACK*

As she did so, Arturia heard the familiar sound of a bow releasing an arrow and hitting something.

What that was, Arturia does not know, but she was aware that the arrow came from her ally and fellow retainer, Arash, who was located somewhere behind her. The projectile was released at the same time she jumped back before the shadow could land on her.

*BOOM*

Dust and dirt exploded as something heavy crash-landed from where she once stood, making a small crater and web-like cracks on the earth.

When the cloud dissipated a few moments later, the two retainers narrowed their eyes into a glare as they saw the object in front of the intruder's figure.

It was an object that eerily resembled a coffin that was two heads taller than him, adorned with a few metallic ornaments and a chain attached to it.

The other end of the chain was wrapped around their foe's left wrist, who was doubled over and holding his face with his right hand. The cane-sword was in an upright position, stabbed into the earth, while the sheath was on the floor in front of his feet.

Arturia startled, quickly noticing that the intruder was unmasked and the hood was torn off the cloak.

Footsteps was heard from behind, but Arturia didn't turn, keeping her eyes on the intruder instead.

There was only one person who was behind her, and that was Arash. Sure enough, the footsteps was gone once he stood beside her. The bow in his left hand was pointed down, but the slight tension in his stance told Arturia that he was still prepared to release an arrow anytime.

"Well, I got his mask…" Arash said with a sigh.

"That you did." Arturia nodded. "But it's not over yet."

"Yeah, I can see that." Arash muttered in a deadpan tone.

But Arturia ignored him, assessing the enemy instead.

She noticed that the intruder has white hair, long on top but short at the back and sides. His features remained hidden from her eyes since he still had his hand over his face and was facing the ground, but Arturia didn't dare to take advantage of his seemingly unguarded state.

He might appear distracted and in shock, but her instinct was telling her that it was a feint.

Alarm bells kept ringing in her head, warning her that attacking him right now would be unwise.

While she was eager to take him down, Arturia was no fool. She didn't get far in life to simply listen to her impatient side than to her common sense.

She would not put it past him to take advantage of her initiative in the fight, turning the situation into his favor. Based on what she had seen so far, the intruder was quite manipulative like that.

Thus, Arturia stood by, alert and watchful of the enemy's movements instead of rushing in to attack.

A few seconds only passed by as she mused over her assessment, then the intruder began to move.

"Prepare yourself." Arturia warned, tightening her grip on the handle of her sword. "I presume that this is where the difficult part comes."

"Got'cha." Arash noted, shifting his stance as he readied his bow.

The intruder straightened his posture, standing upright before he pulled his hand away from his face. The towering coffin casted a shadow over his head, creating an ominous effect.

But with their perfect sight, the two retainers had no trouble seeing the face of their mutual target, saving his features into memory.

The intruder took no notice of this, stepping forward and out of the shadows as he stood in front of the coffin.

"Ahaha, I had hoped that it wouldn't come to this. Just so you know, those bullets are quite limited in quantity." Archer smiled depreciatingly, shaking his head lightly in disappointment. "I suppose I can't do this half-heartedly. Hmph, very well then…"

With that said, Archer lifted his right hand and tore off the cloak from his person, revealing his full appearance to them as he chucked the cloak away to the side without so much as an afterthought.

The intruder was a man in his early fifties, much to their mild surprise.

He has a pale complexion, cheeks slightly sunken, and was 5'9 tall. He has a lean physique, but seemed to be nimble enough to handle himself in combat. His features was similar to someone bearing European descent, most probably British judging on his accent. His white hair was swept back with a single strand hanging over his right dark gray eye, and he also has a mustache.

He was attired in a white formal shirt with slightly puffy sleeves and a high collar, a maroon vest with a red cravat on his neck, black trousers with pinstripes and gold accents on either sides of the leg, and a pair of black formal shoes. Covering his hands were a pair of black gloves, but the two retainers did not paid any attention to his attire other than mild interest.

Instead, their gazes met his dark gray eyes head on, noting the gold halos in his pupils.

Archer has the appearance of a dapper older gentleman with a hidden agenda.

He has the bearings of someone dignified and highly charismatic, but the heartless and cruel glint in his eyes made him look evil and eerie to an observer's eye.

The golden halos in his pupils emitted an strange light that can render someone to cower and feel dread should he set his sights upon them.

Arash and Arturia, however, did no such thing. Instead, they glared back at him, undaunted by his intimidating appearance and uncanny presence.

The older gentleman noticed this and simply chuckled in amus.e.m.e.nt, which sounded ominous when it came from him.

"So, shall we continue?" Archer asked, lips pulled back into a small smile that was siniter in nature.

With that signal, the three reengage into combat.

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