Hunter of The Red Plains

An Old Friend: Chapter II

As their weapons met with each other once again, he couldn't bring himself but to be impressed by her. He learned that it didn't matter whether his opponent was a man or woman, he had to take the battle seriously. The King of Knights was the living, well not living anymore though, proof of it. Scathach was just like the Lancer of the Fifth Holy Grail war, Cu Chulainn, when her style of fighting, speed, strength and even the spear considired. Well, since she was his mentor, it wasn't any surprise. Yet...

Emiya had memories of Cu Chulainn from the war, he was beyond skilled and strong, and he was able to go toe to toe with him, or that era's Archer self who had a clash of swords and ideals against himself. But, Cu Chulainn was a person who enjoyed a fight, a fight he could battle with everything he got, so he sometimes just played along since he had rejoiced it. However, his mentor, Scathach, was a woman being dead serious. Every attack of hers was to finish him off, without holding back any strength. Not only that, but she clearly was beyond Cu Chulainn, in any particular way.

He managed to parry her three-blows-per-second attack before he tried to have a counterattack from left, which was blocked and being countered by a kick to the chest. Being flew away by her kick, Emiya quickly got up by a backflip in order not to get killed by her other swing of lance. He managed to gain some distance by avoiding the last attack, which was frankly needed.

She is not someone I can defeat without a plan. In this battle, he was the side which was at disadvantage. He had only one choice to be victor, putting everything he had on the table. So, his mystic eyes locked on their target, he scanned every detail of her. Trace on! If he had a chance of winning, it would come from his knowledge of his enemy. As he scanned her lance, he managed to copy her style of fighting as well as the weapon. Her lance was clearly as strong as a rank B~B+ level Noble Phantasm, so it wasn't easy to learn of, yet it all would be settled by her. For everytime they clashed weapons, he was to learn more and more of her spear and fighting style.

He managed to complete the copying, just within a second, but he knew that in a lance fight, he would be bested. He had to wait for an opportunity to show his trump card. Using his strongest card would not be wise since he knew that his real enemy was not her, and since it was a move which required a great amount of mana. So he decided to use his opponent's trump card as his own trump card, which could be effective.

Scathach was standing there without moving, keeping her battling stance. She was analyzing the situation, analyzing her opponent. A man of complete mistery. As she glanced at his silver-coloured eyes, she could not get any idea of who he was. Yet, she was able to find out one thing; she had to finish this battle as fast as possible. She didn't know the reason but she had to finish this fight, otherwise she won't be able to be the victor.

"I see," she murmured, gaining the attention of her opponent strongerly. "You have proved your worth, warrior, you deserve the very best of mine!" As she changed her position, another spear appeared in her hand within a glow of crimson, which was nearly the same as the other. "Let us see if you would be able to take my strongest blow!" Her dual spears began to glow with a huge amount of red-coloured magical energy.

I am well aware. Gae Bolg, the demonic spear that has the curse of killing its opponent with one blow. Always aims for the heart, by bending the relationship between cause and effect, which makes avoiding by any particular way not possible. So, it leaves no choice but to take the blow directly. Very well, he thought.

He dropped his twin blades to the ground. As empthy-handed, he set his feet in another position before talking. "Show your best." Even though Scathach's face was not expressing her complete shock, she surely got surprised. Was he going to take her blow bare-handed? To think of such insolence! Now she got being taunted, which made her angrier.