We're not really Doctors. (Shirou x Harem) Arknights x Fate

Chapter 28 - 2

=== PATRIOT ===

Was there even a word for this anymore...?

Patriot couldn't tell if he could describe the feeling of moving with scorched skin.

It was past blistering hot. Every move was blinding pain. Yet, when Patriot thought that he had reached the limit of his ability, his body continued to react on his whim. His skin was scorched black, the surface cracking and flaking off under sheer duress with each movement. Somehow, his nerve endings were surviving the onslaught of fire and impact.

As it turns out, even pain could slow him down.

It was distracting. Patriot's senses were tripping over one another. He couldn't sense attacks anymore. Large parts of his body were burnt to a crisp, but the healing artifact Shirou handed kept him going. The old general was relying on instinct and vision more on what his body could feel. The burning atmosphere around him was only felt each time he breathed in, burning his insides momentarily before they were healed just as quickly.

She's not going to stop.

Patriot stumbled a little, eating another fireball to the face. Red washed over his vision, forcing him to capitulate and retreat again. The distance he had progressed reset back to the beginning. His eyes were healed within seconds, opening them to see Talulah's gloating expression.

Except...this time he knew that it wasn't Talulah in there.

"So...this is the limit of the famed Patriot. It's impressive how you're still able to move despite those injuries."

Patriot took deep breaths. The break in the fight allowed his body to recover at an astounding rate. Already, cooling bliss was filling his nerves and muscles. The burnt and cracked skin would take longer to recuperate, but his focus was on the burning pain leaving him. Too much pain flooding his mind interrupted his strategic prowess for the second time. Patriot needed to try another tactic if he wanted to get close to Talulah's body and the parasitic snake controlling it.

"You couldn't fight me under normal conditions..." He retorted. The intention was to keep the parasite talking longer. It would buy him more time to plan with a new idea.

"War isn't fair. You should know that best." Talulah charged another fireball.

Patriot tensed his muscles for another round. Whatever holy artifact Shirou handed to him...it's healing ability was amazing. Patriot had lived for over 200 years, yet he had yet to come across any magic as potent as this. It wasn't enough to cure decades of Oripathy in one go...but it was letting him fight with a good portion of his old strength back during his peak. It was not anywhere close, probably in the ballpark of a quarter to his full ability, but it was enough to keep up with the super powered Talulah.

Talulah launched a new attack, Patriot reading her line of sight and moving to dodge. The attack was a big one, leading him to assume that Talulah intended for it to explode in a wide radius to catch him within range-

Only for the temperature to suddenly drop a few degrees. It didn't do much to weaken the overpowered fireball, but the fires in the area suddenly weakened as the atmosphere sucked away their heat.

"Everyone now!!!"

Patriot and Talulah jerked to the same direction. They spotted a black ball streaking at her just a moment before impact. Too late. Patriot realized. All of her focus had been on him throughout the fight. None of them had expected for a third party to interfere. Talulah tried to intercept the attack with fire but the black ball already smashed into her. The following volley of arrows landed a few moments after, peppering Talulah and the area around her in steel.