[h1][center][b][color=f9da5e]Hero of Patience[/color][/b][/center][/h1]
[sup][center]Along the Seine, Towards the Core[/center][/sup]
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The chase continued, seemingly with little progress made on either side. The invisible shots came again and again as Saber crossed the river and began leaping from rooftop to rooftop in more or less a straight line towards Archer. Given there was less 'commitment' to the volleys than there had been in the first set of projectiles charged with killing intent, Courtain continued to be an effective 'shield', both deflecting the attacks that came towards him, and remaining in a guarded position that allowed it to passively come between its wielder and the traps that perhaps littered the landscape.

Often, a bottle of beer would shatter into the air, serving the same purpose as before. When the remaining six beers had been used up, Saber threw the box itself over his shoulder to detect attacks curving around behind him, and occasionally made use of things like flower pots from windowsills that would function similarly to the bottles. However, the use of these things became less frequent over time. Even at this distance, with the only communication between them being projectiles, it seemed the Paladin was getting a feel for the Knight of Lamentation's personality. He now understood that Archer's opening move had been a strong one because his attacks thrived on their 'shock value', and just as it had been against Lancer the night before, Saber showed that he was a warrior who never remained mystified by a foe's capabilities. In other words, he was learning and adapting in a way that allowed him to block more and more attacks without a visual aide. If he ended up taking a few scratches for the sake of improving his understanding, then that was just how things would be.

Just as he failed to shorten the distance between himself and Tristan, so too did Tristan fail to lengthen it. If Ywain made no maneuvers to take advantage of Saber's linear run, it would certainly be a drawn-out pursuit. Not that the Hero of Patience would mind such a thing.

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