You are very strong, but my painting style is better than yours!

The Einzbern family themselves are skilled in "displacement magic," so that was the first thing that came to mind, but she was clearly mistaken.

"It's not that type of magic, it's just a slightly faster sprint."

Iori spoke calmly, yet energy once again gathered beneath her feet—

bass!bass!bass!

Although the spirit particles were converted into magic power, with the boost of the "art style value", the use of moves such as Shunpo was not awkward or hindered at all. Iori transferred several times in a row before finally stopping.

"She probably won't be able to find us here for the time being."

Iori placed Sera on the ground, the android girl looking puzzled.

“A good hunter will not easily give up her prey unless the positions are reversed... You stay here. If anything unexpected happens, do not hesitate to use your Command Spells to call me back immediately.”

As he spoke, Iori raised his hand, and a bluish-white spiritual light gestated in his palm, materializing smooth, mirror-like sloping surfaces that, like pyramids, "locked" Sera inside, as did the Death Knight's suitcase and briefcase.

——【Binding Spell #73: Mountain-Turning Crystal】!

"I'll be back soon."

“…Yes, I will provide magical support.” Sera was not being coy. She had already promised to obey Iori’s arrangements in terms of strategy and tactics, and at the moment she could only make sure that she would not hold back.

Although she was curious why Iori, a berserker, could use "magic"... all she could say was:

"Safe travels!"

-

"Disappeared?"

Somewhere in the forest, on a towering tree, a green figure resembling a lynx knelt on a branch, slowly lowering the magnificent longbow in its hand. Its heroic eyebrows furrowed slightly, and a magical glint shone in its jade-like eyes.

This is a female hunter full of wild beauty. Her impression color is emerald green, which can blend perfectly into the wilderness and forest. Although she wears a dress that barely reaches her knees, it does not hinder her movement. Beneath her seemingly slender appearance are muscles that have been trained for a long time, especially her pair of full and powerful thighs, which seem to be able to give her body explosive power like an arrow released from a bow at any time.

The cat ears on her head and the tail behind her added a touch of cuteness and softened her fierce aura, but she was still awe-inspiring. Her beautiful, spirited face always carried an inviolable air of sternness.

"Is it a cunning rabbit... no, a fox?"

The hunter pondered, her metal-armored fingers pressed against her nose, as if she could smell a hint of blood.

Although she had lost her target, she was not worried, because the forest "told" her that the other party was still within the hunting range and was just playing hide-and-seek with her.

Perhaps he was still thinking of killing her in return?

It doesn't matter; the huntress doesn't think she'll lose to someone on home turf.

She grew up in the forest and knew everything about it. This was not an inherent skill engraved in her spirit origin, but simply a talent and experience.

“I will find you, and then…”

The hunter used her keen eyes to search for the other party's traces. The trees that blocked her view seemed not to exist to her. Her gaze could overcome countless obstacles and accurately find the other party's figure.

However, it was clear that the other party was very cautious, moving a large distance at once, or rather, changing multiple locations in a short period of time, making it impossible for her to search for them for a while.

Patience... she doesn't lack that.

Whoosh!

Like a cheetah, she charged out, not staying in one place, but searching for enemies in motion.

The longbow was slowly drawn back, and magic formed emerald green arrows that rested on the sturdy string. The hunter focused his attention on them, waiting intently for the next opportunity to strike.

Finally, by tracking the damaged leaves and grass, she found the enemy's trail—

"Um?!"

At this critical moment, the warning that rang in my mind was actually from the female hunter!

She suddenly looked up at the sky, and her body leaped several meters to the left almost without warning. At that very moment, a blinding bolt of lightning struck down from the clear sky, hitting the tree she had been standing on, splitting the trunk in two and engulfing it in a raging fire!

"magic?"

The huntress Atalanta was surprised, but her movements were unaffected. She nimbly somersaulted and landed steadily, shooting the arrow out almost without any pause.

No need to re-aim; for heroes who have reached the [Archer] class, hitting the bullseye every time is just the basics, especially since she is one of the best hunters even in Greece, a land of heroes!

-

At the other end of the forest, Iori knelt on the ground, pressing his hand to the earth. Beneath his palm was a circular pattern divided into four quadrants, each depicting a unique symbol. The magic he infused into it made it shine brilliantly, and then fine threads branched out from the outer edge, disappearing into the earth without a trace.

【Binding Technique 58: Slapping the Toe and Chasing the Sparrow】!

Originally a Kido (demon arts) used to detect spiritual pressure fluctuations, fortunately, since most Servants are spirits, it's a good fit for their profession.

As he initiated the tracking, the "Thunder Emperor's Gauntlet" he wore on his left hand opened its apertures like an awakened, furious beast, with streaks of electricity leaping across it.

As a modified Imperial Arm, the Thunder Emperor's Gauntlets do not have the same defensive capabilities as the original armor, but they still retain the range and power.

Esdeath can use the power of her Imperial Arms to cover a city and even the entire empire. Although Iori cannot merge with his Imperial Arms, as long as it is within his perception range, any place in the entire forest can be his target!

Whoosh!

An arrow pierced the air, but Iori dodged it by slightly turning her body.

At that moment, the two Red Team Servants, separated by half a forest, simultaneously curled the corners of their mouths into smiles:

The hunt begins!

Chapter 102: The Hardest Woman to Pursue in All of Greece

There are three ways to hunt:

First, they set traps and waited patiently, remaining calmer and more resolute than even the most experienced anglers.

Secondly, there is the group-based cooperative hunting, where each member has a specific role and works in perfect harmony to force the prey into a pre-set artificial predicament.

The third type has extremely high requirements for personal qualities, namely, the ability to continuously track and relentlessly hunt specific targets in the mountains and wilderness!

This is a contest of endurance and willpower. Ordinary people would find it difficult to compete with wild beasts in terms of speed in the mountains and wilderness, but for heroes who have made their mark on history, it is a piece of cake.

The legendary hero Hercules, during the completion of the Twelve Great Trials, conducted such a hunt more than once, in the most extreme cases lasting for several years, even reaching the ends of the earth.

Atalanta knew the most powerful demigod in Greece.

As a woman naturally despised on the battlefield, Atalanta always responded to doubts with the most direct means. Whether it was archery, hand-to-hand combat, or even the most direct physical wrestling, she could defeat many famous male heroes. Achilles' father was once her defeated opponent.

Thus, she became one of the very few female heroes in Greek mythology who are remembered for their "martial prowess" rather than their "magic".

Proud as she is, she would admit that her perseverance and courage are inferior to Hercules', but if only hunting skills are considered, as a follower of the goddess Artemis, she has absolute confidence!

run!

More agile than the most nimble deer, more ferocious than the most savage leopard, the emerald green figure darted through the dense forest at a speed imperceptible to the naked eye, its five senses fully activated, extracting every usable piece of information from the forest.

In this battle, whoever gains the first move will have the advantage!

Whoosh!

During the rapid advance, Atalanta suddenly released an arrow. It seemed to be a random shot without aim, but the arrow, which was formed from magic, drew a strange arc, successfully bypassing the large tree directly in front of her. It crossed a distance of more than a thousand meters in an exaggeratedly long arc and successfully hit the enemy from the side.

Clang!

The incredibly hard sword deflected the arrow, and Iori, who was kneeling on the ground, suddenly opened her eyes, raised her left hand high, and a deafening thunderclap resounded in the sky.

boom!

boom!

boom!

One after another, lightning struck from the clear sky, and several plumes of black smoke billowed from the vast forest.

Almost simultaneously, as if in retaliation, the incoming arrows became even more powerful, their force causing Iori to feel a slight numbness in her wrist.

"Ok?"

In a split second, Iori sensed something was wrong and decisively abandoned the rune array on the ground, disappearing from the spot with a flash.

The next moment, arrows gleaming with exquisite light flew into the sky, tracing graceful arcs as they fell like a rainstorm. Though they were cold weapons, they blasted out craters of all sizes like cannonballs, plowing through the entire ground and shattering countless trees.

"They're actively moving closer to me!"

—The two made almost the same choice, and without being able to see each other's true forms, they moved closer to each other by taking a winding and circuitous route, constantly releasing probing attacks in the process.

Thunder and shrieks made the forest seem like an ancient battlefield. As the two got closer, they became more and more cautious in their attacks, and each attack became more and more destructive!

boom!

The raging thunder and the brilliant magic arrows exploded almost simultaneously, creating two shockwaves less than a hundred meters apart. In an instant, smoke and dust billowed, and the trees in between were bent over.

"..."

A silence fell over the forest, but beneath the calm, an undercurrent of wind stirred, and an invisible pressure brewed, causing the leaves and grass to droop.

"The Thunder Emperor is calling, run away quickly!"

Whoosh—! Stop!!

A streak of lightning, like a wild beast unleashed, weaved and twisted through the dense forest, arriving before Atalanta in an instant with an unpredictable trajectory.

But the cat-like female hunter seemed to have anticipated this, suddenly bursting out with astonishing speed and changing direction repeatedly, so that the lightning only hit a few large trees.

Just as Iori was about to continue his pursuit, an arrow appeared in front of him without warning. Even though he reacted quickly, he barely managed to dodge it. The sharp blade of air cut through his clothes and skin on his upper arm, leaving a shallow but bloody wound.

"This is……"

The boy had no time to think and left, using his agility to give chase, while Atalanta, as expected, also began to flee.

While the [Thunder Emperor's Gauntlets] can attack from a distance, locking onto and hitting agile targets like Archers is a difficult task.

For Iori, who excels in close combat, it would be better to get closer, since Atalanta is a rare "traditional archer" in the Type-Moon universe—at least before she turned evil.

Atalanta herself knew this; her strength and fighting skills were no less than those of an average male hero, but that wasn't her forte. A mature hunter wouldn't deliberately sacrifice her strengths to prove anything, so she had to keep her distance from Iori.

Why did she approach him so actively before, but now she's fleeing in panic?

Zheng!

Zheng!

Zheng!

With each resounding twang of the bowstring, the penetrating arrows could easily pierce even the bodies of Servants. For the hunters of the Age of Gods, a distance of about a hundred meters was no different from being right in front of them; each arrow was as if it had appeared directly in front of Iori.

This was no longer something that could be dodged by relying on the five senses. In fact, Iori barely managed to avoid it by relying on intuition and instinct. Before long, he had multiple scratches on his body and looked extremely disheveled.

He pressed on relentlessly, pushing his speed to its maximum, but even so, he couldn't close the mere hundred meters. He could only passively endure the opponent's counterattacks, and under the constant threat of arrows, he didn't even have the leisure to aim with his Imperial Arms.

In contrast, Atalanta was incredibly swift, always one step ahead of Iori no matter how fast he went, as if she could foresee the future. Whenever Iori made an adjustment, whether slowing down or speeding up, she would immediately follow, maintaining the distance between them at about 100 meters.

Nothing in the forest could hinder her. Whether it was a tall tree blocking her way, a frightened wild animal, or a deep ravine or a cliff, she moved as if on flat ground. Her running and jumping movements were more fluid than any animal in nature, and even her accuracy in turning around and shooting was as precise as ever!

—Clearly, the huntress demonstrated her tactics through her actions.

【Crossing Arcadia】 and 【The Aesthetics of Pursuit】 are two inherent skills that have been refined from her past experiences. The former allows her to move across all obstacles on the field, including enemies, while the latter is a counter-attack tactic for "striking back".

After confirming the enemy's actions, targeted countermeasures are then taken, and the enemy is often able to gain the upper hand.

These two skills, combined with her superb archery skills, make her a woman who is very difficult to "chase".

Indeed, this was true in the epics, where countless valiant warriors fell in pursuit of her, for the price to pay for pleasing this fastest huntress in Greece was one's life!

A distance of 100 meters is an excellent distance difference, allowing you to keep your prey hanging in the air, leaving it feeling resentful, while also providing an opportunity to launch a fatal sniper attack.

Of course, it's not difficult to outrun others, but maintaining the same distance, especially when facing opponents who are also Servants... is quite challenging.

But Atalanta had absolute confidence in herself in this regard; no one could catch up with her!

"They should have realized it by now, right?"

The female hunter barely needed to observe; her body instinctively dodged the obstacles in front of her, and she even had time to look back, a provocative smile on her lips.

"If things continue like this, I'll slowly crush you... So what will you choose? Will you go all out in a desperate attack, or will you turn and run?"

She drew back the bowstring, gathering strength for the coming changes.

Suddenly, the boy servant who had been following her like a leech vanished into thin air!

The sudden loss of her target startled Atalanta, but her hunter's experience kept her calm. Instead, she sensed danger approaching from her left front and, without slowing down, leaned back sharply.