Chapter 421: [421] Between Heaven and Earth, the Nine Provinces and Eight Extremities!

While Sakatsuki severely injured Frankenstein and engaged in a sniper duel with Chiron, Artoria leveraged her superior strength to force Achilles into retreat, slamming him directly into the tree where the red Archer—Atalanta—was perched.

"Tch!"

The cat-eared huntress in her beautiful emerald-green attire clicked her tongue in annoyance, leaping to the ground just before the tree collapsed. Immediately after, a silver flash surged forth as the black Saber, Siegfried, crashed through with his sword in hand, shaking the treetops until they rustled violently.

Facing this silver onslaught like raging waves, the red Archer—Atalanta, the supreme huntress of Greek mythology—showed no trace of fear. With a flick of her feline tail, her slender legs clad in black knee-high boots carried her effortlessly through the dense forest as if treading on wind.

[Crossing Arcadia: B]

Atalanta can traverse all obstacles on the battlefield, including enemies.

[Aesthetics of the Chase: C]

She allows the enemy to strike first, then reacts by seizing the initiative. Even in a race, she would always let her opponent take the lead.

"Go ahead—I shall become the swift wind that overtakes you from behind..."

Voicing the pride of a hero, the emerald archer transformed into a gale sweeping through the forest. In the blink of an eye, she widened the distance from the silver swordsman, spinning gracefully before loosing a rapid volley of arrows aimed at Siegfried’s chest.

The black Saber raised his blade with perfect timing, cleaving the arrows apart. Watching the red Archer retreat, he pondered briefly before suddenly swinging his greatsword and activating the blue gem embedded in its hilt.

This was the cursed holy sword that had achieved the feat of dragon-slaying. The gemstone stored and preserved the magical energy of the Age of Gods. When Siegfried unleashed its power, the forest, which should have been shrouded in darkness, was instead bathed in twilight.

Though not a True Name release, even this partial activation of the demonic sword’s power carried an overwhelming pressure, its twilight aura thick with menace.

Without hesitation, Siegfried aimed at the distant red Archer and slashed horizontally and vertically, unleashing a colossal cross-shaped wave of energy that soared above the treetops!

"What—?!"

Atalanta stared in shock at the enormous cross-shaped slash hurtling toward her. She had to admit—she had underestimated the heroes of the world. Though the huntress named "Atalanta" had roamed the Aegean, she had never witnessed the feat of dragon-slaying, nor could she comprehend the sheer might of a warrior who had felled a dragon.

Escape was no longer an option. All she could do was minimize the damage before the slash struck—

"Starry Sky, fly forth!"

The strike from Greece’s greatest huntress transformed into a dazzling shower of starlight, but it shattered instantly against the twilight-infused slash. Atalanta barely had time to raise her divine bow before feeling as though she had been struck head-on by a speeding truck. Her mind went blank as she was sent flying violently backward!

Interfered by the alien magical energy, she was unable to spiritualize to evade damage. Atalanta also lacked the invulnerability of the Red Rider Achilles. If she were to crash into the hard mountain walls or the ground, the consequences would be unthinkable.

Just as Atalanta, closing her eyes, awaited the impending severe injuries, she suddenly collided into someone’s embrace. A dull thud echoed, and Atalanta’s cat ears twitched slightly, clearly hearing the sound of bones breaking.

The sensation of the impact was unmistakably that of a man.

Due to certain past experiences that led to extreme distrust of men, Atalanta’s expression instantly turned cold. She raised her head and saw a white-haired young man before her.

Judging by his aura, he was the Assassin mentioned by the priest, the one who had joined the Red Faction.

"...Atalanta?"

Faced with Sakatsuki calling out her true name on the battlefield, Atalanta expressed great displeasure, and even the gratitude for his protection vanished entirely.

"You—let go!"

"Okay."

In response to the Red Archer’s rebuke, the young man promptly withdrew his arms, resulting in Atalanta suddenly finding herself in mid-air before falling to the ground with a thud.

Atalanta: "...?!"

Lying on the ground, Atalanta momentarily forgot to get up, simply staring wide-eyed with indignation at Sakatsuki, who looked utterly innocent.

Letting go... was this how it was done?

This was even rougher than a Greek warrior!

"Big sis, are you okay?"

In contrast, the Red Rider, who was still concerned about her while fighting the enemy, was the epitome of gentlemanliness. Hearing her teammate’s call, Atalanta pushed aside her displeasure, flipped up, and once again gripped the Bow of the Heavens, addressing Sakatsuki.

"Are you the reinforcement sent by Amakusa? If so, join me on the battlefield!"

Faced with Atalanta’s straightforward request, Sakatsuki lightly touched his chest, using the last of his magical energy to heal his internal injuries, then calmly nodded.

"As it should be. You focus on utilizing the Archer’s strengths to the fullest. I’ll handle the Black Saber head-on."

"Hmph, quite decisive. Not bad."

Atalanta’s impression of the young man improved slightly. With a light snort, she leaped onto a treetop in a single bound, drawing her bow like a full moon, aiming at the rapidly approaching Black Saber—Siegfried.

Against a top-tier Servant on guard, her arrows would hardly land a hit. Thus, she needed a warrior to hold the front line to fully unleash the Archer’s might.

She never doubted her own abilities, but her only concern was whether Sakatsuki, as an Assassin, could restrain the mighty dragon-slaying hero in a direct confrontation.

But soon, she was stunned by Sakatsuki’s actions.

Facing the top-tier Black Saber wielding the dragon-slaying demonic sword, the Assassin didn’t dodge or evade—he charged straight ahead.

While this certainly helped the Archer perform better, could this guy even survive the swordsman’s attacks?!

Atalanta was shocked but quickly steadied herself. She didn’t fire immediately, instead gauging Siegfried’s movements while gradually drawing her bowstring.

To penetrate the defense of the "Armor of Fafnir," even she needed time to charge her shot.

This moment was crucial—she needed Sakatsuki to hold back Siegfried!

Could he block him? Or would he be slashed and forced to flee, returning to the initial stalemate?

Atalanta was anxious about the upcoming battle, but Sakatsuki harbored no such doubts. His decision to face the enemy head-on wasn’t driven by a beauty’s plea—he had genuine confidence.

Even if his stats were two whole ranks below Siegfried’s, certain martial arts could transcend the limits of raw strength.

Take, for example, the infamous fist technique hailed as "Between Heaven and Earth, the Eight Extremes of the Nine Provinces"!

The Baji Quan he had acquired from Kirei Kotomine had long surpassed its original master through Sakatsuki’s relentless training. Now, wielded by a Servant’s body, its might could even rival that of Li Shuwen.

Forward, forward—with each step the young man took, the distance between him and the silver-haired swordsman shrank exponentially. At the same time, the earth trembled beneath him, as though it wasn’t a mere human sprinting but an unstoppable prehistoric mammoth!

The disturbed air became wind. A milky-white current gathered in the young man’s palms—not born of magecraft or mystery, but the purest technique and strength, drawing the very winds of heaven and earth into his grasp. The world grew stifling, with only the storm brewing in Sakatsuki’s hands radiating an oppressive aura.

Clouds follow the dragon; winds follow the tiger.

Faced with such momentum, Siegfried dared not underestimate his foe. He touched the blue jewel once more, and the sword was enveloped in crepuscular True Ether, burning erratically and casting an aurora-like glow across the forest.

Meanwhile, the demonic fist wreathed in wind and clouds was already upon him. Unnoticed until now, Sakatsuki’s eyes had transformed into a dazzling iridescent blue.

The Mystic Eyes of Death Perception activated. In an instant, all things in heaven and earth fragmented into lines of death—even Siegfried, with his indestructible body, revealed an all-too-obvious "line of death" in the young man’s vision.

Without a doubt, it was the legendary spot on Siegfried’s back where the dragon’s blood had failed to reach.

"My Bajiquan needs no second strike!"

Muscles coiled like serpents as Sakatsuki stomped the ground, causing a hundred-meter radius to collapse instantly. With a furious glare, he thrust both palms forward, unleashing a storm no less devastating than Invisible Air. The blast erupted through the forest as the young man’s single hand clashed against the dusk-tinged demonic sword, while his other hand slipped past the black Saber’s guard and struck his chest with devastating force.

"Bleed from every orifice and explode in death!"

This was one of Bajiquan’s ultimate techniques—Fierce Tiger Climbs the Mountain!