Chapter 594

Chapter 594: Hidden Arrows and Swordlight in the Forest

Setting up tools, pulling the trigger wires, concealing danger beneath layers of foliage.

Imagining the path, using traps as the framework, smearing malice across the emerald forest.

Like a diligent old farmer, sowing seeds of venom, watering them with schemes, destruction, and ruin, eagerly awaiting the bountiful harvest of calamity to hang heavy from the branches—a feast for unwelcome guests.

Yet, upon completing his work and lifting his gaze, the sight of that young man’s unruffled composure only deepened his irritation.

"Still has the nerve to bow so politely, huh? Putting on airs. Let’s see how you like an arrow through your chest."

"Don’t underestimate any opponent, Archer." The old man beside him lowered his head, methodically cleaning his firearm with calm, measured strokes. "Especially one who was supposed to kill you."

"That was—never mind." Robin Hood seemed ready to argue but ultimately gave up. No matter what, he had cost his Master a Command Spell. Soon, however, he redirected his frustration toward Sakatsuki. "Maybe I’m at a disadvantage on foreign ground, but this is my territory—not just a forest saturated with deadly poison, but also meticulously laid traps!"

No one knew this terrain better than the righteous outlaw of Sherwood. Here, he had once slaughtered an entire army and toyed with his pursuers until they retreated empty-handed.

In Robin’s eyes, Sakatsuki—who had allowed him to prepare the battlefield—was as laughable as those pompous nobles who boasted without merit.

And just like them, he would be crushed beneath his arrows and traps!

Come on, Sakatsuki. Let’s see how far you get through my maze of traps with nothing but your bare hands!

But just as Robin brimmed with confidence, he watched as Sakatsuki raised his hand. A stream of data-light swirled, materializing into an object.

It was a sleek, silver robot with a mechanical aesthetic. Though barely half the size of a person, its stout, barrel-like frame radiated indestructibility.

An A-rank item—the Scout Sentinel.

"Damn it!" In the observation room, countless Masters cursed aloud—not just at Sakatsuki’s shameless extravagance, but because they knew exactly what this item did.

Its function was brutally simple: trap neutralization.

Whether trigger-based, sensor-based, or manually controlled, any trap would be marked and dismantled. As an A-rank item, its durability was more than enough to last through the entirety of the Second Lunar Sea!

In other words, with this single item, all of Robin’s efforts were rendered meaningless!

"Hey, hey... this is just unfair!" Robin, watching the scene unfold, gaped in disbelief. His hands and feet turned ice-cold in broad daylight, and tears of frustration threatened to spill.

Can’t society just function properly? Everywhere you look, it’s just oppression against the poor! When will we, the impoverished, ever truly rise up?

Damn pay-to-win players! All my hard work setting traps, and it’s undone by something you bought in thirty seconds at the shop?

Screw this, I quit!

Just as Robin flailed his fists in the air in sheer rage, he saw Sakatsuki smirk faintly. With a squeeze of his hand, the game-changing Scout Sentinel shattered into motes of light, returning to his inventory.

Under the bewildered and astonished gazes of onlookers, the young man rested a hand on his sword and strode forward, unburdened.

This demeanor—has he given up on using it?

"This is a provocation, Archer," muttered the old knight Dan. "Looking down from above, flaunting his grace before the enemy... completely disregarding our feelings, like a bird soaring in the sky that wouldn’t care about the lives of tiny insects."

As if hearing Dan Blackmore’s words, Sakatsuki raised his head, locking eyes with those monitoring him. His golden pupils gleamed, sending a shiver down Robin Hood’s spine and chilling him to the core.

Why would I need such cheating tools to destroy you?

Rather, since you’ve painstakingly prepared this grand ’feast,’ it would be a shame if it were overturned so easily!

So let me savor every last drop of it!

As his foot landed, cold glints flashed from the shadows beneath the trees—two poisoned arrows shot forth, only to be met by an even more dazzling streak of sword light.

With a flash, the arrows split in two. Only then did people realize Sakatsuki had already drawn his sword. Immediately after, a torrential rain of arrows poured down. Amidst the deafening roar, the ground collapsed. Following an earth-shaking explosion, countless icy spikes reflected the cold light, their sharp tips aimed at the flesh above.

A net of heaven and earth—no escape even with wings.

And the young man began to fall!

"That trap itself is also a trigger. The way to pass this section should be to move through quickly," a Master in the viewing room analyzed swiftly. "It fully exploits Sakatsuki’s personality, betting that he wouldn’t choose to evade, so they hid an even bigger trap within the first one."

"The trap has been triggered. Sakatsuki is in danger," another Master said grimly. "The only way to turn the tables now is to unleash his Noble Phantasm—overpowering finesse with sheer force."

"A Noble Phantasm, huh..."

The Masters sighed. Indeed, a Noble Phantasm could obliterate all of this effortlessly, but let’s not forget—Sakatsuki has only just stepped into Robin Hood’s trap.

A Master’s magical energy is limited, and a Servant’s stamina isn’t infinite. If he unleashes his Noble Phantasm now, what will he do afterward?

This appetizer Robin Hood has so meticulously prepared is truly... sumptuous!

Just as everyone lamented, a brilliant blue light scattered. The young man spread his arms and fell unresisting into a diamond-shaped space, reappearing moments later on the soil dozens of meters away.

Then—bang!

The gunshot arrived belatedly. Before it, a bullet engraved with runes had already torn through the air, carrying enough destructive force to wound a Servant. It breached the hastily erected steel barrier and pierced through the young man’s left arm!

Blood splattered, staining the green forest crimson. The viewing room fell silent. The Masters blinked rapidly—this lightning-fast exchange was too swift. Even with their god’s-eye view, they struggled to react in time.

How did Sakatsuki escape that deathtrap?

Who fired that shot?

And what kind of bullet could pierce a Servant’s defenses?

A crisp ejecting sound rang out. Metal clinked as the spent casing hit the ground. The old knight Dan stood like a silent statue, maintaining his firing stance, the crosshairs of his scope fixed unerringly on the young man’s brow.

"Nice shot, old man. Successfully disarmed that guy," Robin Hood’s smug laughter came through the comms.

"No, this can already be considered a failure." The old man’s eyes remained unperturbed. His long military career had stripped him of unnecessary emotions in battle. "Three armor-piercing rounds purchased with all remaining QP after the last battle—those precious three chances—and I’ve already wasted one."

Through the sniper scope’s view, the young man indifferently flicked away dust as the Third Magic activated. Under a hazy white light, his gruesome wounds healed at an astonishing rate.

At the same time, Sakatsuki raised his head, his icy gaze locking onto a specific corner of the forest.

"And worse, it revealed our position... What a complete failure." The silent statue finally moved as the aged knight leapt from the treetop with agility unbefitting his years, shifting positions. "Since the enemy demands it, we should respond with everything we have. Don’t disappoint me, Robin Hood."

"Of course, my lord," came Robin Hood’s voice from an unseen location. "I won’t let him get away!"

Meanwhile, Sakatsuki withdrew his gaze.

"No Servant’s presence, so it must be the old knight Dan who took the shot."

With his arm fully healed, Sakatsuki didn’t immediately move. He too was processing the information.

A bullet that ignored defenses—that would be a Rank B item from the commissary, exorbitantly expensive. Dan Blackmore must have gone all out to acquire it. He really thinks highly of me.

Pursuing him directly would be unwise, as Robin Hood might turn it into a trap. But since his position is confirmed, returning the favor with an arrow wouldn’t hurt.

For now, destroying the enemy’s Noble Phantasm remains the top priority. Even an A-rank Mystic Code has its limits. If exposed to that deadly poison, the advantage would shift back to Robin Hood.

Allowing a hidden opponent to control the battlefield isn’t pride—it’s foolishness. The line between a strong man’s dignity and a clown’s folly is perilously thin.

The phase of mutual probing is over. Now...

The dragon-slaying demonic sword sliced through the air with a shrill whistle. Sakatsuki took a deep breath, channeling all his strength into his ankles. The ground compressed audibly as the young man crouched low, excitement igniting in his eyes.

The next instant, he became a streak of light, charging forward!

Now—it’s time to end this quickly!

"He’s actually...?!" In the observation room, a Master gasped before slamming the table in dismay. "Charging straight through a path littered with traps? What an unwise choice!"

But soon, these Masters fell silent, their mouths agape as they watched Sakatsuki advance triumphantly. With speed barely visible to the naked eye, he danced along the razor’s edge of death, defusing every crisis in his path!

A diamond-shaped void opened, swallowing an exploding wave of fire; projected steel blades bisected falling wooden spikes midair; a whip-like kick scattered volleys of poisoned arrows before transforming into a stomp that shattered tree trunks. With a sweeping slash, the young man cleaved through a cluster of hostile programs!

In the blink of an eye—just three seconds—no one realized how little time had passed.

And Sakatsuki had already covered nearly a third of the distance!

The deafening roar of explosions filled the air as the rising flames painted the young man’s profile crimson. He flicked his sword, sending fragments of scattered data flying from its surface. Just as the Masters began to relax, thinking the confrontation had ended, a diamond-shaped spatial distortion abruptly appeared. A vicious bullet plunged into it before the sound of gunfire even reached them. Nearby, the old knight’s pupils contracted as he swiftly rolled aside.

His battle-honed instincts saved his life. The bullet meant to kill a Servant shot out from where his head had been moments before, burying itself in the earth. Had he dodged even slightly slower, old knight Dan Blackmore would have had a hole blown through his skull.

"So you noticed that quickly." Cold sweat dripped from the veteran’s forehead. Though no longer young, his gun-hand remained steady as a mountain, his eyes still burning with unyielding spirit. "Archer, ready?"

"Yeah, thanks for buying time, old man!" Robin Hood gave a dry laugh, eyeing Sakatsuki with deep wariness as his Pray Bow began glowing emerald green. "Let’s see how you handle this!"

As if sensing something, Sakatsuki turned—but too late. No one could have anticipated the trees behind him suddenly coming alive, their supple vines lashing out to bind him tightly before violently retracting.

With a heavy thud, the young man found himself pinned helplessly against the tree trunk!

"Now’s our chance, old man!"

Robin Hood shouted as he raised his bow, loosing a lethal poisoned arrow the exact moment Dan Blackmore pulled the trigger for the third time.

The diamond-shaped spatial displacement field began forming again, but Sakatsuki suddenly grunted in pain—a mental trap had triggered, disrupting his concentration. Not only did his spatial displacement magecraft fail, but even his projection magic scattered before manifesting any weapons.

The vines constricted tighter, draining his strength, while Robin Hood’s arrow and Dan Blackmore’s sniper shot closed in mercilessly.

"Checkmate, Sakatsuki!"