Amethyst House — 3rd Floor
With the ceiling collapsing and the blonde Sword Princess delivering "justice from above," what had been a conspiracy-soaked infiltration mission instantly degraded into a blunt, uncomplicated Musou-style mob-clearing game.
"Ais! End it fast!"
Shirou didn't waste a single word. The moment Ais touched down, the Otherworld · Kanshou in his hand was already airborne—cleanly knocking a magic-stone communicator out of a grunt's hand before he could trigger an alarm.
"Mm."
Ais's reply was short and absolute. She didn't need explanations or tactical discussions.
At Level 6, her presence was the most efficient strategy.
"(Ariel) — Full Output!"
The wind screamed.
The Level 5 scar-faced man had barely opened his mouth to deliver some cliché villain line ("You won't escape" etc.) before a green hurricane slammed into his face and erased his dignity.
"Don't look down on me! All of you—kill them!"
He roared and swung his curved blade, trying to regain control.
Unfortunately for him…
He was facing the combo of Orario's strongest swordswoman and a humanoid mobile arsenal.
Second-by-Second: Why This Wasn't a FightSecond 1
Scar-face tried to activate magic.
Shirou projected three Black Keys, driving them in at bizarre angles to pin the man's shadow—a physical interference that also shredded his chanting rhythm.
Ais rode the wind like a teleport, appeared in front of him, and slammed her scabbard into his abdomen.
Silence via blunt force. The deadliest kind.
"Guh—!"
His eyes nearly popped out.
This wasn't combat.
This was being bullied by the system.
Objective Shift: Rescue First
"Forget the big one! Secure the hostage!"
Shirou shouted, then slid across the battlefield like an eel, heading straight for the corner of the room.
There, the fox-girl was curled into herself—shaking.
"Lady Haruhime! I'm taking you home!"
Shirou yanked her up without any theatrical hesitation—no "Will you come with me?" and no identity interrogation.
In life-or-death moments:
Efficiency equals survival.
"E-eh?! Eeh?!"
Haruhime's brain hadn't even caught up before she was already in the air—carried like luggage.
Intercepted: Level 3 Elites Move to Block
"Trying to run? Not happening!"
Several Level 3 "elite hunters" pushed in to surround them.
"Move."
Shirou's gaze sharpened.
He didn't have spare mana to project complicated Noble Phantasm-tier nonsense.
But he did have something else:
Money. (Consumables.)
"Eat this—Gacha Whale Strike!"
He pulled out a fistful of high-explosive flame stones and flashbangs he'd "borrowed" earlier from Lili, then tossed them like he was scattering beans.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
The cramped room became a nightclub: explosions and blinding light everywhere.
The hunters screamed, clutching their eyes, formation collapsing into chaos.
"Ais! Withdraw!"
Shirou, holding Haruhime, kicked a table out of the way and sprinted for the window.
"You Can't Jump Out—There's a Barrier!"
The scar-faced man—bloodied and humiliated—staggered upright and sneered.
"Jumping out the window? The outer wall has a barrier—anti-physical defense. You're not getting out!"
"Defense?"
Ais stopped, turned her head, and looked at him like he'd just said something profoundly stupid.
She raised the Despair Sword.
Wind gathered at the tip.
"Emiya said… that's a 'door.'"
Then—
A golden slash carved the air.
"Lil Rafaga!"
RRRRRUMBLE——!!!
Anti-physical barrier?
Reinforced wall?
In front of a Level 6 finisher, all of it became tofu.
The outer wall of Amethyst House was blown open into a five-meter-wide hole.
Rubble exploded outward.
Night wind surged in.
The Pleasure Quarter's dazzling lights poured through the breach.
"T-this is insane…!"
Scar-face went slack-jawed.
Even the demolition office didn't work this violently.
"Go!"
Shirou leapt through the hole with Haruhime.
Ais followed, caught Shirou midair, and used wind pressure as a buffer.
Two people—
plus one fox—
landed cleanly.
Outside: Bete Gets Drop-Spawned
On the street outside, Bete Loga had been maintaining perimeter order with the enthusiasm of someone kicking pebbles out of boredom.
Then—
A massive crash overhead.
Rubble.
And three living bodies dropped out of the sky.
"Hah?!"
Bete instinctively caught them.
"Yo, Bete. Nice catch."
Shirou hopped out of his arms, set Haruhime down, straightened his slightly ruined tailcoat.
"Mission complete. We're extracting."
"Extract your ass!"
Bete stared at the smoking hole in the building and the crowd starting to gather, veins bulging on his forehead.
"Did you go to rescue someone or to demolish the damn place?! That noise just screamed 'WE DID THIS' to the entire district!"
"Details, details."
Shirou shrugged, grabbed the still-dazed Haruhime by the hand.
"Move. Before the rats come pouring out."
Ten Minutes Later: Loki Familia Safehouse
Only after sitting on a sofa with hot tea did Haruhime regain a sense of reality.
She looked at the red-haired boy in front of her.
Then at the blonde Sword Princess standing guard at the door, quiet but unwavering.
Then at the foul-mouthed werewolf scanning the room with constant vigilance.
"I… I really escaped?" Haruhime touched her own face, disbelieving.
The prison that had consumed years of her life…
was simply…
broken.
"Yes."
Shirou handed her a towel.
"Process was a bit rough, but results are what matter."
"You're free now, Lady Haruhime."
"Free…"
Haruhime whispered—and then her tears burst out.
Not fear.
Relief.
A release so deep she couldn't put it into words.
"Th-thank you…! Thank you, Lord Emiya!"
She dropped to her knees, trying to bow—
but Shirou caught her immediately and pulled her up.
"Don't."
He said gently.
"Hero rescues maiden is an old routine… but seeing a girl smile is the best reward I can ask for."
"Tch. Acting cool."
Bete clicked his tongue, but didn't add anything nastier.
Then Ais approached, looking at Shirou.
"Emiya…"
"That scar-face… isn't dead."
"Yeah. I know."
Shirou's eyes cooled.
"Trash at that level doesn't die easily."
"And with how loud we were…"
"The Ikelos Familia won't let this go."
He turned his gaze to the window.
Orario's night was still beautiful—
but beneath the glamour, the undercurrent had already become a storm surge.
"Lady Haruhime."
Shirou looked back to the fox-girl—one who possessed the ability known as Level Boost.
"We'll protect you."
"But in exchange, I need you to tell me something."
"About the Knossos man-made labyrinth… and the secret of the 'Key.'"
Haruhime wiped her tears, then nodded hard.
"Yes!"
"As long as I know it…"
"I'll tell you everything!"
....
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