Otherwise, you can find another savior.

Page 451

Rider Nikijic, who is capable of riding dragons, probably has an exceptionally high riding skill level of EX.

“This is my second Noble Phantasm, ‘My Beloved Horse, Pure White and Shining.’” Nikijic jumped onto the dragon’s back, stroked the white dragon’s neck, and introduced it to Shiomi. “That was just a small demonstration. Now we’re going to get serious.”

"No, no, no, it looks like a dragon no matter how you look at it, doesn't it?" Shio waved her hands repeatedly, firing off a barrage of complaints, "Shouldn't it be more appropriate to call it something like 'My Pure and Shining White Dragon'?"

Even under such circumstances, Shiomi remained relaxed and at ease, and Taiko-no-Wang admired her composure.

If he was such a rare talent, his master must have felt a great sense of accomplishment to have taken him as his disciple.

"It's a pity that Goddess Nuwa didn't consider making me Lord Tianxi's master back then." Taigong Wang fiddled with the fishing rod in his hand. "You really have a good disciple, Lord Scáthach."

"Well then, now is the time to get serious, Master of Chaldea!"

Nikitich was full of fighting spirit. He rode the white dragon and suddenly rose into the sky. After his figure turned into a small dot, he turned and swooped down.

By creating distance and gaining sufficient acceleration, Nikitich launched an unstoppable attack.

Chapter 8 Sparring (2)

Morgan and her companions, who had retreated to a safe distance during the sparring match, also observed the exchange with a relaxed attitude.

Nikijic's charge on the white dragon was not to be underestimated, and in response, Shiomi deployed multiple rune defense barriers.

The white figure, falling like a cannonball, was trying to break through Shiomi's defenses.

"Is my husband planning to end this battle without moving an inch?" Morgan pursed his lips.

"That's remarkable confidence." Scáthach nodded repeatedly. "If it were me, I would definitely have to get moving to have any chance of winning."

“My opponent is a dragon slayer.” Artoria shook her head. “If it were a two-on-two, I would probably be the one who drags the team down.”

She possesses the dual characteristics of a goddess and a dragon, making her more powerful than she was during her time as King Arthur, but also giving her some traits that are hard to say whether they are an advantage or a disadvantage.

Or perhaps it's simply because we face such crises, and heroes emerge from all eras, that we get the illusion that god-slaying is commonplace and dragon-slaying is less daunting than a dog's.

"Shall we make a bet? Will my husband move first, or will Nikitich lose first?" Morgan asked.

"It's hard to say since Taigong Wang hasn't made a move yet," Scáthach shook her head.

Artoria then turned her gaze to Taigong Wang on the back of the four-legged creature, who still hadn't made a move.

She also started guessing:

"Could it be a series of matches, deliberately pitting Tianxi against Nikitich one-on-one? If Tianxi can't defeat Nikitich, there's no need to continue fighting him?"

"How is it?" Morgan looked up at Nikiji, who was flying into the sky and dodging Shiomi's attacks. "Simply dodging will only put you at a disadvantage. Even if you can control a dragon, once you exceed your limits, the means of effective evasion will decrease."

"As long as the other party is convinced, that's enough." Scáthach looked at Shiomi. "If it were me now, would I be able to get my beloved disciple to move even half a step?"

“You, who are capable of killing gods, are a very dangerous opponent for my husband.” Morgan looked at her speechlessly. “Regardless of whether you can kill my husband in a real fight, at least if we don’t handle things carefully, my husband will not fare well in a full-scale battle.”

Artoria couldn't help but smile: "A master who killed a god has trained a disciple who has become a god. Perhaps this was also part of the plan of the gods who orchestrated this whole affair?"

“In fact, I devour countless divine children every day,” Scáthach suddenly told a very crude joke.

Artoria, who had been seriously observing and analyzing the battle, suddenly felt a little embarrassed.

“If we follow your calculations, we’d all probably have the ability to kill gods,” Morgan scoffed.

“That’s right,” Scáthach agreed wholeheartedly.

Suddenly, a stronger gust of wind blew over, and the three of them pressed their hair down.

"Look, Nikidich's magical reaction seems to be getting stronger," Artoria warned. "Is he about to unleash his Noble Phantasm?"

“It seems that if we don’t go this far, we will lose,” Scáthach said. “My protégé didn’t object at all; he obviously thinks it’s appropriate.”

“Dobrynya Nikitich, the dragon-slaying hero of Kiev.” Morgan’s fairy eyes lit up. “Let us witness your Noble Phantasm.”

As they observed, Nikitich's attacks were ineffective, and he was forced to stay away from Shiomi's counterattacks.

Therefore, in a consensus that does not require language, Nikijic decided to reveal the true name of his Noble Phantasm.

“No need to force yourself, Lord Tianxi,” Nikijic declared loudly. “If you insist on not moving an inch and are injured by my Noble Phantasm, that would be inappropriate.”

"It's alright." tide Jian spread her hands. "If this can convince you, then I'll be at ease."

"Alright! First Noble Phantasm, Unleash!"

Nikitich readily agreed and raised his axe.

Suddenly, the sky behind them burst into flames, and from the azure flames, a three-headed gray dragon gradually emerged.

Dobrenia Nikitich's first Noble Phantasm, the embodiment of the legend of slaying the dragon.

She briefly summoned the three-headed dragon Golinich, whom she had defeated twice before, and then—

"A true covenant, a true vow. Awaken, three-headed dragon! — 'The evil dragon descends, spewing forth sin!'"

The triple dragon breath descended from the heavens like a waterfall, cascading down the earth and sweeping towards Shio's body.

Beneath the torrent of flames, he was as insignificant as a drop in the ocean, seemingly about to be swallowed up by the flames at any moment.

However, the deadly triple dragon breath was just a decoy.

Moreover, tide Jian blocked the flames, preventing them from harming his body in the slightest.

"It's not over yet; the real killing blow is yet to come!"

The three-headed dragon Golinich continued to spew dragon breath to restrain the enemy, while Nikidich took advantage of this moment to launch a real attack, wielding a large axe made of Damascus steel.

No matter what kind of Servant they are, even if they can withstand the triple dragon breath, Nikiji will seize a momentary opening while defending and unleash the true part of their Noble Phantasm.

In other words, the attack was personally launched by Nikitich.

More ferocious and threatening than any previous sprint, Shiomi could no longer remain where she was under such an attack.

This is how Taigong Wang judged it.

Therefore, a real counterattack is bound to await Nikitic.

Should we unleash our Noble Phantasm to intercept and interrupt the opponent's charge, or...?

As Taigong Wang pondered these thoughts and observed the battlefield, he slowly opened his narrowed eyes.

That is—

He saw Shiomi slowly raise her hand, and the dragon's breath flames that swept around the earth seemed to freeze for a moment, even Nikijic's charge came to a halt.

No, it wasn't a pause, but rather Taiko-no-Wang had caught Shiomi's counterattack and clearly seen his movements.

“My body is the body of God, but my principles are not the principles of God. Its truth is revealed here in fragments… ‘The Truth of Chaos’ (ChaoticWill).”

The scene collapsed in an instant, the space shattered and then instantly mended itself, as if it were just a fleeting illusion.

The only thing that could prove this wasn't an illusion was that the dragon's breath had disappeared, and Nikijic's deadly strike had lost its power and accuracy, flying past him and crashing to the ground.

The man and the dragon rolled around several times before finally stopping.

A clear look of confusion appeared in Bai Long's eyes.

Nikitich could not hide his surprise.

"That was close, we almost lost control of the situation. Are you both alright?"

Slowly turning around, Shiomi breathed a sigh of relief as she lowered her hand and looked at Nikitich and her beloved horse with concern.

"It seems the outcome is already decided."

He glanced at Nikitich, and after confirming that the other was alright, he turned to face Taigongwang.

Then they saw Taigong Wang riding a Qilin, slowly approaching them.

Because she lacked the will to fight, Shio was unsure what Taigong Wang was thinking.

Chapter Nine: Setting Off Again

"How was this sparring match? Did it satisfy you, Lord Nikitich?" Taigong Wang urged the Four-Faced Beast over unhurriedly, but asked Nikitich, "Lord Tianxi's skills are such that even if you were to temporarily serve as his follower, it would not be considered beneath you."

Following Taiko's question, Shiomi turned her head again to look at Nikitich, who was already sitting on the ground.

She raised her arms high, stretching her limbs as she moved.

“Hmm, I’m satisfied.” Nikijic put his hand down. “Even if the first Noble Phantasm is unleashed, it won’t do anything to Chaldea’s Master.”

“No, no, no, if you had been fighting against Lord Tianxi just now, you would have been reduced to ashes and fled from here after that attack,” Taigong Wang added.

“Oh, oh—” Nikitich suddenly realized, “No wonder I had a premonition that I was going to die just now, it wasn’t just my imagination.”

tide Jian could only shrug silently, offering no comment, and then turned to ask Taigong Wang:

"So, now that Lord Nikitich has finished his fight, shall I now ask Lord Taigongwang for a few pointers?" Shio asked.

"Hahaha—, if Lord Tianxi truly wishes to spar, I am not unwilling to oblige," Taigong Wang replied with a hearty laugh.

"So only one person really wants to fight." tide Jian crossed her arms. "Then why did you turn the Four-Faced Beast into a Qilin?"

Taigong Wang slightly opened his eyes, his silver-gray pupils gleaming with wisdom: "Of course, I'm afraid that the two of you might get carried away and forget that this is just a friendly spar. I don't want to lose a follower before we even start dealing with the alternate realms."

Servant who can maintain their form in the real world are rare. Even though Shiomi brings enough combat power, having more usable combat power is always more beneficial to solving the Beast problem.

Moreover, most of the Servants summoned to Singularities and Lostbelts by the Counter Force are closely related to the root causes of problems in these places.

Whether it's Taigong Wang or Nikitich, Shiomi believes that both are possibilities.

"Is that so?" Shiomi shrugged, looking regretful. "I was hoping to learn more about the mysteries of the pinnacle of ancient Chinese magic."

"No rush, no rush, there will always be a chance for me to show off my skills," Taigong Wang said. "After all, the longer I stay here, the more troublesome it will be for me."

At this point, he changed the subject, his tone becoming quite cheerful:

"Or I might as well just retreat. After all, he is a god created by the goddess Nuwa. I'm sure Lord Tianxi can handle the Lostbelt single-handedly, not to mention Lord Nikijic is still here."

"Hey, don't run away." tide Jian raised her hand, as if to tie up Taigong Wang and drag him to the front line as a human shield. "How can the dignified ancestor of military strategists run away?"

“It is also very important to withdraw troops at the appropriate time to prepare for another battle.” Taigongwang said to Xijian while fiddling with his fishing rod. “I can tell that Lord Tianxi is not the kind of reckless person who would retreat casually. He can influence the situation on the battlefield with his personal bravery alone.”

"..." tide Jian put down her hand, speechless.

At this moment, Morgan and the others saw that the trial activity had ended and returned to their side.

"Not going to fight anymore?" Scáthach looked like she hadn't seen enough.

"How about we switch Master's turn to fight Lord Nikijic?" Shio asked with a resentful look.

Scáthach looked at Nikitic, who also seemed ready to fight.

The two nodded to each other and moved to a nearby spot to begin their sparring.

"Is her brain all muscles? How can she possibly train apprentices?" Morgan couldn't help but complain.

Shiojian pinched the bridge of her nose: "That's how the Land of Shadows behaves. I'm the odd one out among my master's disciples."

"Since we don't intend to continue fighting here, could we get straight to the point and discuss the issue of this alternate realm?" Artoria glanced at Scáthach, who was engaged in a fierce battle with Nikidich.

Both of them seemed to be enjoying themselves quite a bit.

Indeed, you can better appreciate the exhilaration of sparring with a worthy opponent.

Here, in response to the question posed by the Knight King, Taigong Wang nodded in agreement:

“Indeed. When we met before, Lord Taigong Wang said that as Servants who have been manipulated, you know more about the situation in this area than we Chaldea do.” Morgan nodded in agreement.

“I understand what you all mean, but rather than explaining it here, it’s more intuitive to look deeper into the central area. That will make it clearer.” Taigong Wang raised his fishing rod and pointed it towards the southeast.

That area is also due south of the entire region.

Shiomi and the others entered the strange realm from the southwest, and then, led by Nikitich, they moved northwest and met Taigong Wang fishing by the river.

The group then moved downstream along the banks of the Tunguska River and stopped there to spar.

"Although the temperature here is like early summer, there's a scent of ice and snow drifting over from that direction," Shiomi looked up.

"Such keen perception," Taigong Wang praised. "His level in this area is already comparable to the Sumerian Chains of Heaven, isn't it?"

He was referring to Enkidu, the Heroic Spirit who possessed an A+ aura perception ability, which even Assassin's aura concealment could not evade Enkidu's perception.

“Enkidu is the Chains of Heaven created by the Mesopotamian gods from clay.” Shiomi shrugged and told a joke. “I was also made by the Goddess Nuwa herself using the remnants of Lucifer as raw materials. I can’t lose in this aspect.”

"Well, although in my opinion, Lord Tianxi's abilities have been enhanced in every way after obtaining divinity," Taigong Wang analyzed seriously, then chuckled and teased, "However, I will report Lord Tianxi's words to Goddess Nuwa."

Morgan suddenly covered his mouth and continued to laugh to himself.

Artoria was stunned for a moment, then understood and laughed along with her.

"Stop laughing!" tide Jian protested in a rough voice.

Their laughter stemmed from the fact that tide Jian, having learned of his nominal "birth mother," began to try to say something nice, attempting to convey it through Taigong Wang's mouth, so as to prevent Nuwa from holding a grudge against him for recognizing Tiamat as his mother.