Chapter 131: Red Archer is Dead!
Chapter 131: Red Archer is Dead!
"C Chulainn is dead again!!!"
Gudako, with tears streaming down her face, cried out these words while looking at C Chulainn's motionless right leg, which had only twitched a few times before. She did everything she could to utter this sentence.
If an uninformed person witnessed this scene, they might have mistaken Gudako and C Chulainn's relationship for something special. But as the only one fully aware of the situation, Mashu was not misled by Gudako's theatrical display. In her eyes, Gudako was always a drama queen, capable of pulling off any outrageous stunt.
However, what Gudako did today was undoubtedly beyond theatrics. Despite her two Servants being attacked and gravely injured, Gudako's first concern was the enemy who launched the assault?!
Especially Archer-san, who lay motionless since being struck. Gudako seemed utterly indifferent to his condition.
Did such a contemptible predecessor truly deserve to exist?
"No, Senpai!" Mashu, lying on the ground, shouted at Gudako with a helpless expression.
Upon hearing Mashu's words, Gudako, who had been pretending to cry, suddenly froze.
After scratching her head, she seemed to realize the meaning behind Mashu's statement. She clenched her right fist and struck it against her left palm, as if a light bulb had switched on. "You're right! This is the first time C Chulainn died in front of me. The 'again' doesn't belong here!"
"Instead, I should say C Chulainn is dead. I'm sorry, let me try again." Gudako's face turned red, and she scratched her head before making the suggestion.
"Cough, cough." Gudako covered her mouth with her right hand and coughed twice to regain composure.
After the coughing fit, Gudako immediately rubbed the corners of her eyes with both hands, making them appear reddened from crying naturally. She took out a mirror to confirm that it indeed looked like she had shed tears. Satisfied, she nodded.
Gudako then crossed her fingers in front of her chest, assuming a prayer-like posture. With a sorrowful expression on her face, she shouted, "C Chulainn is dead!!!"
"...Senpai, what on earth are you doing, Senpai?" Mashu, witnessing Gudako's actions, couldn't help but try to intervene.
She never expected her senpai to be this playful, even in such a dangerous situation. It was truly shocking and would leave her in awe for the rest of the year.
However, she could still understand why Gudako would behave so recklessly. It must be because she suffered a great loss in the previous Singularity, which left a deep impact on Gudako's mind. So, she needs to vent her frustrations in the new Singularity.
Although she understands, accepting Gudako's bizarre behavior is impossible for Mashu. Mashu would never be able to accept this kind of eccentricity from Gudako in her entire life.
If Red Archer is killed in this situation, the mission will be a complete failure.
Upon hearing Mashu's words, Gudako tilted her head innocently and said, "Huh? So, you're not talking about my incorrect use of the word 'again'?"
"It's Red Archer, Senpai!" Saying so, Mashu pointed helplessly towards Red Archer, who was lying collapsed amidst the ruins. At this moment, Red Archer was sitting on a concrete ruin that happened to be shaped like a sofa, in the pose of an arrogant boss looking down on poor people.
If one didn't look closely, they might think that Red Archer was just being cool.
"What happened to Red Archer? He looks fine, doesn't he?" Gudako frowned upon seeing Red Archer seemingly still trying to show off. She couldn't stand someone being cooler than her.
"Senpai, please heal him quickly! Stop wasting time! Archer-san is in critical condition!" As Mashu said, Red Archer was now in a state of fluctuating between life and death. If Gudako didn't provide urgent treatment at this moment, his condition would be permanently fixed at "dead," and blue particles had started to emanate from his body.
It was evident that Red Archer was on the brink of fading away. However, his thoughts were focused on why that strike was so powerful. He had witnessed it with his own eyes. The blue object had clearly collided with his master, Gudako, and also with Mashu, but they were both unharmed. On the other hand, a single blow had rendered him unable to speak.
This stark contrast made Red Archer start to question his existence. Was he the Servant, or was Gudako the Servant? Why was Gudako more resilient than him?
If his perception hadn't been mistaken, it was undoubtedly a fatal blow.
In his final moments, combining his actual injuries with his contemplation, Red Archer seemed to have realized something, and his pupils slightly contracted.
"Could it be... a Noble Phantasm specifically targeting Archers?!" He couldn't believe it. It was his first mission, and he was so excited. But within half a minute of starting, he was struck by a powerful Noble Phantasm. If nothing unexpected happened, he was surely done for.
"To rest assured." Gudako confidently patted her chest, creating ripples like waves. "I'm here, nothing unexpected will happen!"
She had to save her only Servant. If she didn't, how could she capture the Servants in this Singularity?
With those words, Gudako headed towards Red Archer's location. She was prepared to administer emergency treatment to this Servant she had just brought along but had lost so quickly. She herself couldn't use Magecraft. The emergency treatment was a function of her clothing.
Arriving in front of Red Archer, Gudako extended her right hand confidently and muttered, "Emergency Hand..."
However, before Gudako could finish uttering the name of the skill, Red Archer turned into a mass of blue particles and disappeared completely before her eyes.
"...Huh? What the...?"
Just as Gudako completed the last syllable of the skill name, she witnessed Red Archer turning into a cluster of particles and dissipating within the ruins. "Oh well, it's over."
"I thought you said nothing unexpected would happen, Senpai." Seeing Red Archer completely fade away, Mashu couldn't help but cover her face with both hands, unwilling to accept this tragic reality. "He's dead, and it's all your fault, Senpai!"
"N-no problem. Don't panic. Even if you panic, it won't change anything."
With trembling hands, Gudako turned her gaze towards Mashu, looking flustered, and gave her a thumbs-up.
"It's okay. I still have Saint Quartz. As long as I break the stone, everything will be fine!"