Before the group, a pair of beautiful twin sisters struck an exaggerated pose. From their expressions alone, it was obvious they had been waiting for them...
That disdainful gaze, as if they were looking at mere insects, made Achilles tighten his grip on his spear...
Even so, he did not act. Unlike him, these girls were floating in the sky without the need for a mount or chariot. Any Servant capable of that was either high-level or possessed divinity.
The longer Achilles looked at them, the sharper his eyes became...
What's more, Yuzuru and Kaguya weren't looking directly at the group. Their attention was fixed on the horse-drawn chariot. The fact that it could move through the sky made their eyes light up—it was pretty cool. Unfortunately, with the Crown and the Throne, the twins couldn't use any weapons other than Raphael, making the chariot useless. Besides, both of them could fly. The chariot was nothing more than decoration...
"Kukuku, Kurumi was right. The target would come to us, reckless humans..."
"Question: which one of you is the Demi-Servant?"
Naturally, the Yamai sisters didn't care about those looks and asked directly.
Their target was the Demi-Servant with the large shield, but there was no one holding a shield in front of them. That was why they asked outright...
"Senpai!"
"Calm down, Mash!"
The Yamai sisters' blunt question caught the Chaldea group off guard. They never imagined these twins were here for Mash...
None of this made any sense. And how did they even know there was a Demi-Servant?
"What's going on, Dr. Roman?"
[This... isn't good, Fujimaru-kun. The Servants in front of you are...]
"The Monster!"
"""...?!"""
Romani didn't finish speaking before Achilles clenched his spear and spoke up...
He knew there was something strange about these twins, but now he was certain. They carried the same magical signature as the Monster that split the Moon in half...
In short, they were in serious trouble...
The group's eyes widened in shock. They had been heading toward an alliance against the Monster, only to be intercepted by it instead...
From another perspective, Ritsuka couldn't understand how a pair of twin sisters could be so destructive as to create a Singularity on their own...
"They split the Moon?"
"Yes and no."
Shaking his head, Achilles offered no further explanation to Ritsuka. Even he sensed there was something he didn't fully understand. The twins were undoubtedly connected to the Monster, yet they lacked the power to split the Moon. And there was something else that bothered him...
"Oh, I see... Multiple Specialization?"
Leonardo's ability to deduce hidden truths was remarkable, befitting an innate genius. She shared Achilles's doubts, but unlike him, Leonardo was, after all, a Pioneer of the Stars...
"Multiple Specialization? Is that the same as Assassin?"
This wasn't the first time Ritsuka had heard the term. Given the number of Servants he had encountered across different Singularities, it made sense—especially considering abilities like Hassan of the Hundred Faces, where a Servant is composed of multiple Servants...
"Yes, but I'm not entirely sure..."
Unlike other Servants who require a Reality Marble–type Noble Phantasm and summon Servants similar to Familiars, Leonardo was more convinced this was a Servant whose legend itself manifested in multiple forms, much like Hassan of the Hundred Faces...
[No... it's something else. They're not like Hassan.]
Romani disagreed with Leonardo. Even if SHEBA couldn't gather information from the World itself, it could still scan the Servants standing before Mash, just as it had done with Achilles. According to SHEBA's data, this pair of twins went beyond Multiple Specialization...
"What is it, Doctor? Is there a problem with Da Vinci-chan's theory?"
[Yes. Their parameters are different from each other, and... both of them have Noble Phantasms...]
Independent specialization was almost like cloning. The Servants retained nearly identical abilities, though their experiences differed. They also shared the same Noble Phantasm and needed each other to activate it. Even so, they still had something in common. These twins were different. Even when separated, they could unleash their abilities and Noble Phantasms independently. And like Achilles, they weren't the ones who split the Moon. They shared the same spiritual signature, but lacked the power to do so...
"Even if I'm wrong, there's one thing I'm sure of... They're subordinates of the true nightmare."
Leonardo didn't mind much if her theory wasn't completely accurate. With so little information, it was to be expected...
"Subordinates?! How insolent! As daughters of the storms, we are subordinate to no one! No one is worthy of us!"
Naturally, the twins heard her words—and they didn't like them at all...
"Denial: we are not subordinates. We are a great family, and we obey only our family..."
Kaguya pointed forward as Yuzuru narrowed her eyes...
"Either way, if you won't tell us which one of you is the Demi-Servant, I'll take all of you."
"Declaration: Yuzuru and Kaguya will wait no longer..."
As the wind grew increasingly violent, the sisters took their combat stances...
"Wait! Why do you want the Demi-Servant?"
Even though he knew a fight was inevitable, Ritsuka waved his hands, trying to stop the twins. He wanted to extract as much information as possible, but unfortunately, the sisters had no intention of continuing the conversation...
"Our husband needs her. That's all!"
Fummmm...
Spirit Power surged, and storm clouds quickly gathered in the sky...
"Don't waste your time, Master of Chaldea. They don't want to talk..."
"Senpai, fall back."
Taking the initiative, Achilles stepped forward and raised his spear. At the same time, Mash exchanged a glance with Ritsuka and materialized her Shield—which turned out to be a grave mistake, as the twins identified her instantly...
"Kukuku, so it was you, the Demi-Servant!"
"Confirmation: the great Shield is unmistakable."
"""What?!"""
The twins' words left the group stunned, but there was no time to dwell on it...
"Raphael."
The sisters didn't hesitate any longer and immediately called forth their angel. A spear appeared in Kaguya's hand, while Yuzuru swung her Pendulum. From both of them, the wind took shape, and within seconds, a tornado formed...
"Noble Phantasm release?"
For a Servant, a Noble Phantasm was their trump card. Using it right from the start caught him off guard.
However, the wind currents were so intense that even Achilles struggled to keep his balance on the chariot—not to mention the approaching tornado...
"Haaaah!"
Veins bulged on Achilles's forehead as he swung his spear with all his strength, cleaving the incoming tornado in two. Unfortunately, that didn't stop the storm clouds from forming, nor did it prevent Yuzuru and Kaguya from attacking...
Using the wind, the twins moved at high speed and struck at Achilles, the vanguard of the group...
Clink...
"Down!"
The spear and the pendulum collided, sending sparks flying, while Kaguya's spear struck the horses pulling the chariot...
The horses neighed in pain, and the group was forced to fall...
"Mash! Da Vinci-chan!"
"Careful, Senpai!"
Using her shield as a cushion, Mash pulled Ritsuka into her arms and braced herself for the impact from above...
"What a dirty trick!"
Unlike Ritsuka and the others, who couldn't fly, Achilles was a Servant from the Age of Gods. He possessed divinity and was beloved by his mother, a Goddess.
Because of that, he could fly. As for worrying about the Chaldea group's fall, he didn't even look back. With Mash wielding that enormous shield and Leonardo using her staff to create a glider, there was no real danger...
"Kuku, a dirty trick? Never. Feel honored, human. If you wish to face the wrath of us, the rulers of the winds, the minimum requirement is flight."
"Approval: if you can't even do that, then you don't qualify as an opponent."
As always, Kaguya's chuunibyou-style speech, followed by her arrogant modern tone, could be considered Moe to some people. But to Achilles, who hailed from the Age of Gods, those words only made his warrior's blood boil...
Because Kaguya was right. There was a minimum requirement to face a superior being—such as a god. Having passed that "test," Achilles spun his spear...
"Hahaha, I accept your challenge. You're right—I was reckless before, and I admit I underestimated you. That was an insult to a warrior... Now I'll go all out."
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