"BOOOOM—!"
The Silverback's fist—powerful enough to pulverize stone—came down like a guillotine onto Shirou Emiya's crossed arms.
The ground caved in on impact. Cracks spiderwebbed outward, and the shockwave kicked up dust and rubble, hurling nearby civilians who hadn't escaped fast enough sprawling across the plaza.
"So this is… a monster with Lv.2-level potential?"
As the dust thinned, Shirou's figure emerged.
Both feet were driven deep into the stone pavement, two long trenches gouged behind him—yet he hadn't fallen. His arms hadn't even buckled.
With [Reinforcement (Body of Steel)] sustaining him, his flesh had surpassed hardened steel in durability.
"GRAH?!"
The Silverback's crimson eyes widened in disbelief, as if it couldn't understand why this skinny human hadn't been turned into paste. It roared in fury, raised both arms again, and hammered down in a frantic storm.
THUD! THUD! THUD!
Impact after impact—heavy, dull, relentless.
Shirou stood like a stubborn reef in a hurricane, unmoving under the rain of blows.
"Only brute strength?"
Shirou stared at the beast through the gap between his forearms. He could block it—but the mana and mental strain were enormous. Taking hits endlessly wasn't his style.
"Then… we end it."
His eyes sharpened. In the dense barrage, he caught a sliver of opening.
[Mind's Eye (True)] activated.
A sidestep. A sliding step.
In the split second when the Silverback's old force was spent and its new force hadn't risen, Shirou surged in.
The deep-red short sword—[Otherworld · Kanshou]—cut a screaming red arc through the air.
"Crane Wing—Dual Blades."
SHNK!
The blade punched cleanly into the Silverback's thick chest muscle, slipping past the ribs and driving straight for the heart. Heat detonated instantly—burnt flesh stung the air.
"RAAAAGH—!!"
The Silverback shrieked and staggered backward, smashing through a roadside fountain statue.
"So… strong…"
Farther away, Lili stared, stunned.
He was pressuring a monster like that head-on.
But before Shirou could finish it, the screams around them multiplied.
"Help!!"
"Don't come any closer—monster!"
"Get away!!"
Shirou snapped his head around.
Even driven back, the Silverback wasn't the only threat. This was the heart of the plaza—horn rabbits and hellhounds were tearing into civilians in every direction.
A young mother had fallen while clutching her child. A hellhound, jaws split wide, lunged straight at them.
Too far.
Even with Shirou's speed, he couldn't reach them in time.
"Damn it."
He grit his teeth. The short sword in his hand vanished.
"Trace—On!"
Green magic circuits flared and assembled in his grip. A jet-black Western bow appeared from nothingness.
He drew.
But the "arrow" wasn't physical—it was a spiral sword formed from condensed mana.
"Broken Phantasm — Caladbolg!"
BOOM!
The spiraling shot tore across the sky like a meteor and struck the hellhound square in the head. The explosion blew its skull apart; the shockwave even flipped nearby horn rabbits into the air.
"S-saved…?!" The mother clutched her child, shaking.
But that momentary split of attention created a fatal gap.
"ROOOAR—!"
The enraged Silverback wasn't dead. It seized the instant Shirou was stiff from releasing the shot and charged in, a gigantic palm howling through the air toward Shirou's back.
"Lord Emiya!! Behind you!!"
Lili screamed, horror shredding her voice.
Shirou already knew.
Mind's Eye was blaring like an alarm inside his skull.
But if he dodged, the Silverback's charge line would plow straight into the children behind him—kids who hadn't gotten far enough away.
"I can't dodge."
Shirou's gaze hardened into iron.
"Steel is my body—full output!"
He spun around, abandoned all attacking posture, and poured every remaining ounce of mana into defense.
BANG—!!
This hit was heavier than anything before.
Shirou's body launched like a cannonball—he smashed through the wall of a nearby shop and disappeared under a collapse of debris.
"L-Lord Emiya…!"
Lili sat frozen, face drained white.
Why?
He could've avoided it. He could've rolled aside—just once—
So why take that hit for strangers?
"You… idiot…"
Tears blurred her vision.
In Lili's world, adventurers were selfish.
Using teammates as shields was normal. Abandoning supporters was expected.
But this man—
"…Ghhh…"
The Silverback panted, seemingly satisfied the irritating red-haired human was dead. It turned its head, those blood-red eyes sliding onto the nearest prey—
Lili.
Terror swallowed her like a tide.
I'm going to die.
Like all the supporters who got thrown away.
"R-run…"
A coughing sound rose from the rubble.
"Cough… cough… not over yet… big guy."
Crash.
Bricks shifted aside.
Shirou stood back up—tottering.
Blood drenched his hair. His left arm hung at a wrong angle—broken. Blood ran into his eyes, dyeing his vision red.
And still—he stepped between Lili and the Silverback.
"As long as I'm standing… you're not touching anyone."
With his uninjured right hand, he gripped a newly projected black blade—Kanshou—his eyes vicious as a wounded lone wolf's.
"L-Lord Emiya…"
Lili stared at that swaying back.
A back already wrecked—yet still standing like a mountain in front of her.
Something inside her finally snapped.
To hell with Soma Familia.
To hell with divine wine.
To hell with fifty million valis.
"If I don't save him… if I don't help him…"
Lili forced herself up.
For the first time, the eyes that had always been full of schemes and lies burned with something else.
Courage.
"I'm… a supporter!"
She yanked open the massive backpack on her back—stuffed with dungeon tools and—
the illegal contraband Zanis had given her for luring monsters and ruining people.
"Yeah, I'm weak… yeah, I always run…"
She grabbed a bottle of purple reagent—high-concentration Monster Repellent, so caustic it could burn skin if splashed directly.
"But don't underestimate Liliruca Arde!"
She sprinted at the Silverback with everything she had.
"HEY! LOOK OVER HERE, YOU STUPID MONKEY!"
As the monster turned—
Lili hurled the bottle straight at its face.
CRACK!
Glass shattered. Purple liquid exploded across its eyes.
"AOOOOUUUUGHHH—!!"
The toxin and stench stole its sight and smell instantly. It clutched its face, flailing wildly in place, spinning in agony.
"NOW!! LORD EMIYA!!"
Lili screamed until her voice cracked.
"Finish it!!"
"Lili…"
Shirou looked at the trembling little prum girl—terrified, yet giving him a thumbs-up like she was trying to be brave for him.
Then his mouth curved into a small, fierce smile.
"Well done, partner."
That was what he needed.
A single opening.
Shirou inhaled through the pain, ignored the screaming fracture in his left arm, and gathered every last thread of mana into the black blade in his right hand.
"Trace—"
The blade began to change—stretching, widening, becoming a huge black greatsword shaped like a wing.
"Overedge — Crane Wing (Great System)!"
He kicked off the ground.
A black streak of light surged upward in a diagonal slash that carved across the Silverback's entire body.
"Cut."
The black edge split the air—
split flesh—
split the monster stone.
Time froze for one heartbeat.
Then—
FWOOSH—
A violent surge of black smoke poured out of the Silverback's body. Its massive form split down the middle, toppled, and collapsed into ash.
The battle ended.
The plaza fell silent—only drifting ash and wind.
"Hah… hhh…"
Shirou's greatsword dissolved. His body gave out and he fell backward—
but didn't hit the ground.
Two small hands—thin, but warm—caught him from behind.
"Honestly… you were reckless…"
Lili's sobbing voice trembled at his back.
"You're so badly hurt… you didn't have to protect Lili…"
"Because you're my companion."
Shirou turned his head with effort, looked at her tear-streaked face, and flicked her forehead gently with his good hand.
"You did great, Lili. That was… really cool."
"Uwaaaaah…!"
The praise broke her.
She dropped the backpack and threw herself into his arms, crying like a child—howling out everything she'd swallowed for years.
"I'm sorry… I'm sorry, Lord Emiya… I wanted to steal your sword… I wanted to hurt you… I'm a bad kid…"
"Yeah. I know."
Shirou patted her back, letting her soak his clothes with tears.
"But in the end, you saved me. That's enough."
"From now on—be my real supporter, Lili."
"…Yes! Lili… Lili will!"
…
Babel Tower — Top Floor
Freya watched the warm scene through a crystal orb, swirling her wine.
"So beautiful…"
A faint blush spread over the goddess's cheeks.
"Whether it's the self-sacrificing blow… or the kindness that forgives everything… that soul's brilliance only grows more dazzling."
"Ottar."
"Yes."
"That Soma Familia… is getting in the way."
Freya spoke lightly, as if discussing the weather.
"If that child has taken in that supporter, Soma Familia will inevitably trouble him. I do want to see him face adversity—but that kind of low-class nuisance… spare me."
"I understand."
Ottar's voice remained low and steady.
"Tonight, I will… 'pay Soma Familia a visit.'"
…
The Monster Festival riot finally settled.
Ganesha Familia arrived in force to clean up, and members of Loki Familia rushed in as soon as they heard.
"Emiya! Are you okay?!"
Ais pushed through the crowd first. Seeing Shirou covered in blood, that usually expressionless face showed obvious panic—for the first time.
"I'm fine. Just a fracture."
Leaning on Lili, Shirou barely stayed upright. "Ais… can I lean on you a moment? I'm… not steady."
Ais didn't answer. She simply stepped forward and let him rest against her—then even reached out to support his waist.
"…Idiot," she muttered, voice shaking. "Next time… call me."
"Yeah. Next time, I will."
Shirou smiled faintly—then his vision washed out.
Mana exhausted, body pushed beyond its limit…
He finally couldn't hold on, and passed out.
-------
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