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What can Archer do as he’s now on the defensive? With such a short sword, he can only parry the lance. He has no way to close in on Lancer, and he continues to retreat. A vacuum of steel unfolds. Support… I have to back Archer up, but my throat won’t respond. My magic has poor aim. Unless Archer gets far away from Lancer, I will hit him with my magic as well. Such an opening would only increase Lancer’s advantage.…And besides. Frankly, I’m captivated. This is a battle between Servants. This is the Holy Grail War itself, where we use heroic spirits. The absolute, highest rank of familiar, whom we would never otherwise obtain outside of situations like these. There is no effective way of parrying a lance with a sword. A strong rebuff only results in a stronger counterattack, and a weak rebuff does not create any visible openings. The important aspect of the battle between a sword and a lance lies in defeating the enemy when he is at the wrong range. There’s no hesitation in Lancer. His movement to push Archer back stops. He must intend to end the match in an instant. The stares of the fi rmly placed Lancer and the swordless Archer clash. In that instant, the lance is thrust with a fl ash of light, forehead, neck, and heart, three shots launched, any one of them a fatal blow. But. The fl ash too fast to see is repelled by a shining blade…! In Archer’s hand is the shortsword again. A sword like before, a Chinese sword like a hatchet. But the biggest difference is that there were now two. Archer defends with a burning spirit. His hawk-like eyes say that he will not retreat anymore no, that he will only advance from now on. The clashing of weapons sounding like an orchestrated musical piece. Two steels clanging against each other. The sparking clashes increase in rhythm without pause. The battle of the two is like a vacuum. It sucks in the air around them, and it seems like anything that approached them would be cut apart. In reality, it only lasts an instant. But for me, simply looking on, it seems to take an infi nitely long time. Lancer tries not to let Archer near him, while Archer advances towards him, using his swords as a shield. 20.

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