The American Holy Grail War

Chapter 10: Archer of Heaven

         Silence surrounds the woods. Archer and Rider stand face to face. Archer has his bow drawn, arrow aimed at Rider. Rider holds her scythe in her right, held back ready to swing, and her chained short sword in her left, pointed at Archer. For a moment, they stood in silence. Archer then released his arrow, which Rider blocked with her chains, but the arrow shot pass Rider and hit the ground behind her, taking the chain with it. Rider quickly unhooked the chain from her blade and wrist, and ran around Archer. Archer stood in place, and continued to fire his arrows at Rider. Rider continued to circle around, trying to find an opening, but Archer's arrows didn't let up. He begun to fire three arrows at a time, causing Rider to adopt erratic motions in her circling. She stopped running, and stood her ground, as three arrows flew toward her. She blocked one with her blade, another with her scythe, but one of the arrows hit her in her arm. She raised her blades at Archer. "You're not bad for an Archer."

         Archer smiled, "You are incredibly hard to hit, I praise your efforts Rider." He raised his bow at Rider. "But tonight, I will be victorious." He fired three more arrows at Rider. Rider rolled out of the way, then lunged at Archer, swinging her scythe at his head. Archer ducked and readied another arrow to fire at Rider, but she noticed and used her blade to swipe the bow, making the arrow to miss, piercing through a tree as it land far from their battle. Archer attempted a sweep kick, but Rider jumped, and kicked Archer in the face before landing and reading her weapons again.

         "Impressive, I never guessed that you would be so capable in close quarters.", said Rider. "But quick firing an arrow like that, you obviously are no ordinary bowman. I know your identity now, Houyi, the Divine Archer."

        Archer smiled at Rider. "So you know of my legend, do you?"

        Rider smiled back. "My mother told me your stories before I went to sleep. You're recognized as a God of an Archer. It's the only way to explain that stray arrow in our battle."

       Archer chuckled, "I see, most Archers would have made that arrow only fly a few feet, so it only made sense that the Archer you're facing wasn't exactly human."

Rider jumped toward Archer. "Big Mistake.", said Archer as he fired 3 arrows at Rider, who spun her chains in a spiral, blocking all arrows, but also flew back past Rider. Rider then swung at Archer, slashing his arm and wounding him. The arm that Archer used to hold his bow was bleeding, staining his sleeve. He jumped back and saw the chains flying behind her and saw unearth arrows on the ground. He then looked to Rider, who pointed her weapons at him. "I see, so you freed you chains while we chatted and used them to block my arrows." Archer's wound stop bleeding, and Archer readied his bow. "But it's all over."

         "Archer, you I hope you've been fighting your opponent instead of just chatting." A man wearing a black polo shirt and dark jeans appeared. "So you're a Servant of the Rider-class. Nice to make your acquaintance. I would introduce myself, but the situation doesn't call for it I'm afraid."

         Rider looked at the two men, "So, a master and his Servant choose to do battle huh?" She lowers her weapons. "Two on one isn't fair, so I'll have to even up the numbers." She glowed an intense light. "Come to me, Mei Mai!" A light appeared behind Rider and took the form of a dragon. When the glowing stopped, Mei Mai appeared beside Rider. The master lifted his hand and shouted, "Juryoku!" A black circle appeared under Rider and Mei Mai, but Rider and Mei Mai looked unaffected. "Archer shoot them now." Archer aimed his bow at them, and shot, but Mei Mai blocked it with her claws. Archer and his master looked surprised. "No way, that was a powerful gravity spell I used on you guys. How did it move."

         Rider chuckled, "Gravity doesn't effect dragons." Rider then used her scythe to impale the ground below her, causing the black circle under her to disappear. "And my scythe can destroy magic, just as long as it's in a physical object, like the ground here."

         Archer fired three arrows at them, but Mei Mai stopped it with her claws again, and roared at Archer. Archer's master took a step back, "We are at a disadvantage here. If we are to fight them, we must have the element of surprise." The master then put his hand up and said, "Kemuri!" Archer and his master became enshrouded in smoke. Rider said, "No, you don't! Mei Mai, blow it away!" Mei Mai blew the smoke away, but nothing remained in the smoke. Then a voice spoke. "We are surrounded by enemies and are outmatched by one opponent. We will finish this another day Rider. But next time, we will end you."

        Rider looked around and said, "Mei Mai, fly up, I will remain in the ground. We're surrounded too it seems, since the dummies found us." As she said, a group of Caster's dummies appeared and approached Rider, who just took the arrow out of her arm. "So, you want to play with me too. Okay."