Shirou narrowed his eyes, locking onto the faint glow of the mana core drifting in front of him.
"…Now he'll be more careful," Shirou muttered under his breath. "From the way I reacted earlier, he must have already realized I can't see his whole body. That I can only… sense him."
His gaze followed the slow movement of the core through the fog, his thoughts sharp and restless. "He's testing me. He wants to know if I can really track him. Well, there's no point in hiding it anymore."
Shirou flicked open his status window. His eyes immediately dropped to the MP bar.
[Mana Points: 64% remaining]
"Tch… running low." He clenched his jaw, dismissing the crimson flames swirling around Ashbringer. The blazing edge winked out, leaving only the faint outline of the sword.
'I can't keep both Flame Edge and Mana Detection up together. Not at this rate." His grip tightened on the hilt. "I don't need Flame Edge to track him anyway. Mana Detection is enough. I'll only activate Flame Edge when he closes in. That'll be my window.'
The firelight vanished completely, and with it, his sight. The mist swallowed everything once again until only the glowing core remained, his lone anchor in the suffocating dark.
The core suddenly surged forward.
'Here he comes.'
Mana flared through Ashbringer as Shirou reignited Flame Edge. The blade burned a deep crimson, illuminating the mist just enough for him to glimpse the man's claws rushing at him.
Shirou raised his sword, blocking the first strike. But the second claw swept in from the left. His eyes widened. Shirou twisted to dodge, only to be slammed by a vicious kick to his abdomen.
Boom!
The impact hurled him back, smashing him through the undergrowth before he rolled to a stop. Pain rippled through his ribs, but Shirou forced himself up, his breathing ragged.
The man was already there.
"Inferno Surge!"
A vortex of fire roared out, engulfing the mist in its fiery glow. The masked figure leapt high, escaping the blaze. The mana core hovered still in the air.
Shirou's eyes narrowed. "…Flying? No… he's standing on a tree."
"Ashbringer-Crimson Arc!"
A crescent of flame shot upward, slicing through the trunk. The masked man leapt down, landing lightly as the tree toppled behind him.
Shirou's mind raced. "So he really can see through the mist… unlike me. And this fog," his eyes followed the swirl around him " it isn't coming from his body. It's drawn from the surroundings. That's a good thing… otherwise, he'd be completely invisible up close."
He adjusted his grip on Ashbringer. "…Still, it's bad enough. Even with Flame Edge, I only see him for a split second when he's close. I have to react instantly. Block, strike, or dodge. One mistake and it's over."
The blade ignited again, crimson flames licking along its edge. Shirou inhaled deeply."Which means I need to end this quickly."
The next moment, they moved.
Lightning crackled across the ground as Shirou surged forward, closing the distance in a blink. Blade clashed with claws, sparks scattering in the mist. They broke apart, then clashed again from another angle. Over and over, steel and claws rang through the forest in rapid succession.
But Shirou was taking hits.
A slash opened across his shoulder. Another raked his right side. A shallow cut marked his cheek.
'…He's slower than me,"'Shirou thought, parrying another blow. 'If my reflexes weren't sharp, I'd already be dead. I need an opening. Something, anything.'
Pain flared as another strike grazed his upper arm.
'…Maybe throw Ashbringer away, resummon it behind him?"'The thought flashed, then he immediately dismissed it. 'No. Too slow. He'd notice the sword forming before it even solidifies. Worse, I'd be unarmed for that moment. Can't risk it.'
A claw sliced straight toward his throat. Shirou ducked low, barely avoiding it but the second claw swept from below.
Shirou's left hand was already pressed to the ground.
"Earth Release-Seismic Quake!"
Boom!
The ground trembled violently. The masked man staggered, losing balance.
'Now!'
Ashbringer carved upward in a vertical slash. The man leapt back just in time, the blade missing by inches. Shirou dashed forward, swinging again.
The masked man caught the blade between his claws, twisting it hard. The grip on Ashbringer faltered.
"Tch—!"
The second claw lashed out. Shirou twisted desperately, but the strike still pierced deep into his side, straight through his left lung.
Blood sprayed from his lips.
"Gkhh—!"
Shirou's hand shot up, grabbing the man's wrist. His other hand released Ashbringer and caught the second claw, locking both in place.
And Then
BAM!
He slammed his forehead into the masked man's skull. The headbutt staggered him, and Shirou followed up with a brutal knee to the stomach.
The man was thrown back.
Shirou seized Ashbringer again, charging forward with renewed fury.
The masked figure bolted toward the denser part of the forest. "
He's running into the trees, trying to regain his advantage."
But Shirou raised his free hand. The ground rumbled again.
One by one, the trees toppled, crashing down in a wave.
The masked man's eyes widened in disbelief."But how ...He can't see... Don't tell me he… remembered their positions? Even without sight… he memorized the layout of the forest during the fight?
That single moment of hesitation cost him.
Shirou closed the distance, Ashbringer slicing through the mist in a blazing arc.
Slash!
The strike tore into the man's chest, launching him back through the forest. Trees shattered under the force as he rolled across the ground.
He staggered up, clutching his chest. A deep gash cut across his torso, blood dripping steadily. His breathing came ragged, every inhale labored.
Ahead of him, Shirou was already closing in.
"Damn it…" The man's thoughts churned. "He's stronger and faster than me. I thought the mist would give me the edge. But now… another hit like that, and I'm done. My body's failing, I'm losing blood, I can't even breathe properly."
He dashed left, weaving through the trees.
"Inferno Surge!"
A vortex of crimson flame roared past him, narrowly missing.
"He's waiting," Shirou thought, tracking the mana core. "He's not attacking anymore. Just… waiting for an opening. He wants one perfect strike."
Then the core suddenly shifted direction, away from Shirou.
"…Huh?" His eyes widened. "No… he's not escaping. He's—"
Shirou's heart dropped.
"He's going after the kids!"
Lightning surged beneath his feet as Shirou shot forward, tearing through the trees at breakneck speed, angling toward the children from another side.
Crimson Arc! One slash after another tore through the forest, felling trees in a line, clearing his path.
But no matter how fast he moved, the masked man was faster this time. The mana core drew closer and closer to the cluster of faint signatures up ahead.
Shirou's face twisted. "…No, I won't make it."
By the time he burst through the last of the trees, it was already too late.
Six mana signatures of the children had been there. But now… only three remained.
And those three were no longer on the ground. They were high, suspended. The man was holding the children in his claws.
The grip on Ashbringer trembled with rage. "…Leave them. Or I swear, your death won't be quick."
Shirou could sense other presences nearby, the man's subordinates, scattered in the fog. But they hadn't joined the fight. They weren't threats. Only this man mattered.
The masked figure tilted his head, silent.
"Leave them!" Shirou's voice dropped into a growl. "Do that, and I might let you crawl away alive."
For a moment, it seemed like the man considered it. The children's cores began to lower, descending slowly toward the ground.
Then they shot upward, suddenly flung high into the air, scattering in three different directions.
"Damn it!"
Lightning burst from Shirou's feet as he sprinted. He chased the nearest one, slicing trees apart with Crimson Arc to clear the way. He leapt, catching the child in his arms before landing hard.
But there was no time to rest.
Shirou closed in on the second child. I can at least save two. I can reach him before he hits the ground.
He was almost close enough. His legs coiled, ready to leap.But just as he prepared to leap, the child's mana core flickered and vanished. 'What?! How?'
Shirou's head snapped toward the last remaining core. It was too far. Way too far.
The third child's light fell… and blinked out.
The mist began to thin. The forest slowly returned to view.
And there, high up in the branches of a massive tree hung the lifeless body of the second child.
Shirou fell to his knees. His chest heaved. His heart felt like it was being crushed.
"…Not again." His voice cracked. "Not again."
Faces from his past flashed before his eyes—those he failed to protect, those he lost. The grief, the guilt, all crashing back in a single moment.
Then he felt it. Warm liquid against his palm.
He looked down. The child in his arms was bleeding. Bound at the wrists and mouth gagged, the boy's back was soaked in red.
"…No."
Shirou turned the child gently, his hands trembling.
There it was five deep stab wounds carved into the boy's back.
"No… no, no, no!" His voice shook. "He never intended to let me save them. Not even one…"
The world seemed to collapse around him. His vision blurred. His grip on reality slipped. For a moment, he was drowning in despair.
But then, he snapped back. His teeth clenched.
"Not this time."
His hand pressed against the child's back, mana surging violently into his palm.
"Healing Touch!"
Green light flared, digging deep into the wounds. The torn flesh began to knit together, blood slowing.
Shirou gritted his teeth as the mana drained rapidly. "C'mon… hold on…!"
The boy's wounds finally closed, though not completely. Shirou carefully laid him on the ground, sweat dripping down his face.
"…Did I…?" His voice faltered. "Did I do it?"
As if in answer, the child's eyes fluttered open.
He gasped, panic setting in, his mouth opening to scream.
Shirou quickly covered it with his hand, whispering softly.
"You're safe now. Let's get you back home ".