Fate/Apocrypha

Chapter 4.6

"...!"

The Rider of the Red shook - not from shame, but from joy. He was truly thankful that in this Great Holy Grail War, he found someone capable of harming him. The Archer of the Black possessed such immense skill with the bow; it was embarrassing to have thought that no one could surpass the Archer on his side.

The enemy Archer fired again. Judging from the ripples in the air and slight whisper of wind, it was five arrows released in quick succession. It would be simple enough to avoid it by leaping backwards - but the last two times he tried that, his actions had been seen through and he had been pierced by more arrows.

Could the Archer of the Red read his mind? Did he or his Noble Phantasm possess some form of prediction skill? Either way, Rider could not even move a single step, much less pursue the Berserker of the Black.

But most importantly, Archer's arrows were piercing Rider's protection - meaning that Archer was the same kind of existence as him. Rider was convinced that the Archer of the Black - armed with both pedigree and skill - would be his greatest enemy in this war.

Against this third attack, Rider fearlessly stepped forward - but his intents were correctly gauged again. Before he realized it, another arrow was sticking out of his knee. The vivid pain that it brought him - something he had not felt in a very long time - made it impossible for Rider to contain his swelling passion.

"Haha... hahahahaha! Yes, this! This is splendid, Archer! So you can harm me! You can kill me! Then it must be fated that we face one another! O Gods of Olympus, may you bring glory and honor to this battle!"

However, it would be too regrettable for them to vie for supremacy here when Rider was not even properly mounted. It would be such a shame to settle their duel in this lonely forest, with no allies to witness their splendor.

With their team's Berserker having already been defeated, and Archer in retreat, there was little reason for him to remain and carry on by himself. Rider put his fingers in his mouth and whistled; a chariot drawn by three splendid horses promptly appeared from the sky and came to a rest besides him.

Leaping onto the driver's position, Rider exclaimed.

"We will settle this at another time, Archer of the Black! Next time - I will see who you really are!"

With a crack of the whip, the horses raised their head and neighed, dashing off majestically into the sky with great force. It was clear that Rider was not escaping; he was postponing the war for another time.

* * *

The recipient on the other end, Archer, also smiled. However, his was somewhat bitter.

"I see... I suppose this is not impossible in the Holy Grail War, but... it seems fate sometimes turns its fangs against even those already dead."

The Archer of the Black knew him; he knew the identity of the Rider of the Red.

That Servant is known as one of the greatest heroes in history, with numerous legends befitting his fame. Most likely, he is the sole true exemplar among the participants of this Great War.

Blessed and exalted by the Olympian Gods, the man can nullify and deflect any and all attacks. In essence, he cannot be defeated by physical damage or even the 'normal' attacks of Servants.

Only those who possess Divinity - those like him, in whose veins flow the blood of a god - are permitted to harm him. Among the seven Servants of the Black, only Chiron possessed this trait. In other words, there can be no victory in this Great War without him personally defeating Rider of the Red.