Shirou, who returned from the Fairy Kingdom

Although she was focused on confronting Lancer, she was completely unaware of the third party's approach.

"...A Servant from the 'Black' faction?" Karna asked.

The red-haired boy who was confronting him nodded silently.

"Well, so your goal must be the same as mine, you're after Ruler, right?"

Shirou shook his head violently.

"No, no, no, you'll understand once you see it, right? I just happened to be passing by!"

He showed the two of them the paper bag he was holding, which contained bread, pasta, fruit, and some condiments.

He had just bought the ingredients he would need for tomorrow from the supermarket on the next street.

"He is... the Keeper."

Jeanne was somewhat surprised, because Shirou clearly looked like an innocent-looking boy, and if not told otherwise, one would not even equate him with a Servant.

"Are you planning to win over Ruler?" Karna asked, staring at Shirou.

"Please, can't you hear me?"

Shirou was speechless. Why was it that all the people he encountered in this world were those who didn't listen to him properly?

The "Red" spearman said without changing his expression, "If you didn't intend to win me over, why did you stop me just now?"

This problem stumped Shirou.

"Hmm, it was just a subconscious reaction..."

He acted instinctively because he saw a young girl being attacked.

This is what is known as a conditioned reflex.

After all, Shirou has encountered situations like tonight at least a dozen times, if not dozens.

Is there some kind of curse upon me in this regard?

Why do girls in life-threatening situations always appear in front of me?

No, there's something even stranger than that.

Shirou is not the kind of knight who will necessarily help a woman.

He only helps the "weak".

However, even though he could clearly sense that Ruler was a powerful Servant, he still subconsciously treated her as an ordinary girl and protected her.

Shirou sensed the aura of a helpless 17-year-old girl emanating from Ruler... Why?

"Feel sorry."

Shirou, clutching the shopping bag, bowed deeply to Lancer with a sense of apology.

"I was being nosy just now, please don't take it to heart."

"what?"

Shirou said, "You're planning to kill Ruler, aren't you? I won't bother you anymore, please continue."

Karna: “…”

Jeanne: “…”

"Then I'll take my leave. Please forget about the accident that just happened."

With that, Shirou slipped away, ready to make a quick getaway.

I'm just going out to buy groceries; I don't want to get involved in any unnecessary trouble.

"Wait a minute!!!"

Joan of Arc shouted at him to stop.

The French saint complained angrily:

"Since you've decided to protect others, then protect them to the very end! Don't give up halfway!"

Volume 5, Chapter 201: Aigo's smile gradually froze.

Faced with Joan of Arc's protest, Shirou scratched his neck in exasperation.

"So I misread it just now, thinking you were an innocent civilian who was attacked..."

Actually, I didn't mean to protect you.

He thought that saying this would make the annoying woman let him go, but she got even angrier and hugged her ample breasts as she spoke.

"Even so! Now that you've taken action, you'd better carry out justice to the end! What kind of half-hearted attitude is this?"

Shirou muttered to himself, "I don't intend to become a champion of justice."

"What?" Joan of Arc frowned slightly.

"Speaking of which, a steel gorilla like you who seems to be able to survive even if you take a hit from Ea head-on doesn't need me to protect you."

"……Aha?"

Joan of Arc's eyebrows twitched slightly.

A slightly ferocious face blossomed into a radiant smile, a beauty that could captivate any who witnessed it.

"You really have good taste. Sorry, but I'm the kind of female gorilla who won't die even if I take an EX-rank Noble Phantasm."

"I didn't say that."

"you……!"

Joan of Arc was so angry that she gritted her teeth and glared at Shirou.

"Really? You're planning to help Ruler? Then come at me together, I don't mind."

The cold, clear voice of the "Red" spearman rang out.

Shirou quickly denied it: "No, no, no, I don't intend to fight you here. Your only target is her... Why?"

Joan of Arc approached the boy.

She reached out and took the shopping bag containing tomorrow's groceries from Shirou's arms, then gently patted the boy's shoulder.

Shirou: "?"

Joan of Arc turned her head and looked at Karna.

“Red Spearman, if you want to take my life, you’ll have to get past him first.”

Rest assured, I will not interfere in your duel.

"Hey, wait a minute!"

Shirou grabbed Jeanne's wrist, but was shaken off.

As Joan of Arc fled to the side of the road, she turned back and shouted, "I'm sorry, but as the arbiter of the Holy Grail War, I have an obligation to abide by the rules of this ritual."

Even if you're a knight trying to protect me, I can't show favoritism to you~ Sorry☆

"Don't drag other people into this!"

Just then, a surge of powerful divine energy swept through the street.

The magic emanating from the slender, long body of the "Red" Lancer seemed to possess a luminous quality, turning the city, which had just fallen into the night, into daylight.

"I see. It seems I have no choice but to step over your corpse."

As Karna said this, a smirk appeared on his lips.

Although it was very subtle, and he probably didn't even realize it himself, the serious martial artist did smile.

Shirou finally understood that Lancer was looking forward to fighting him.

He must have been watching me from the moment I stepped into the church on the mountain.

He had no feelings about the magical ritual that summoned him to the modern era; he was simply the son of the sun god, faithfully obeying his master's commands.

He felt joy when he met a strong person who was just like himself and knew how to hide his strength.

“Unknown Heroic Spirit, you have a similar eye to mine... It seems we are of the same kind.”

Shirou: "Huh?"

"The Perspective of the Poor"

This is a skill unique to Karna, and it doesn't even have a level.

They have the insight to see through the other person's personality and attributes, and they won't be fooled by verbal explanations or deception.

The hero who bestows charity once had the privilege of questioning the life and value of the weak while alone in the world; this skill demonstrates his power to grasp the essence of others.

“You are stronger than any man I have ever met, and I can sense it.”

Therefore, our meeting was not accidental, but rather inevitable.

Joan of Arc: "Oh... what a moving development! Lord, thank you!"

After Shirou snapped at her and told her to shut up, she hurriedly covered her mouth.

"……bring it on."

Karna raised his golden spear high.

Seeing that there was no room for maneuver, Shirou also got into a fighting stance.

With a sudden gust of air, he gripped the invisible holy sword tightly in his hand.

"------!"

The next second, the magic brimming with the aura of the sun and the storm whipped up by true ether collided and erupted in the street.

……

……

The invisible holy sword clashed with the dazzling divine spear, creating a piercing metallic sound in the dead of night.

Although Joan of Arc possessed remarkable military achievements, she was not a heroine skilled in martial arts.

Without using Ruler privileges, it would be difficult to keep up with their movements with the naked eye.

In Joan of Arc's view, although it was somewhat disrespectful to the Lord, what was unfolding before her was undoubtedly a battle that had entered the realm of the gods.

Both sides' attacks were fleeting, with lightning-fast slashes and thrusts that were dazzling to behold.

If we had to choose between the two of them, Lancer would probably be in the lead right now.

Karna has an overwhelming advantage in attack range.

With a spear over two meters long and a powerful magical aura mixed with divine energy, no heroic spirit could withstand Karna in close combat.

However, Shirou might just be that exception.

He was highly skilled at fighting armed enemies.

Although it appeared to be a defensive maneuver, Joan of Arc could tell that it was his strategy.

The long spear has a very large attack range, which also means that there is a large opening when it comes to finishing the move.

Shirou can use his sharp eyes to accurately seize Karna's openings and then launch a precise and swift counterattack.

However, Karna lived up to his reputation as the strongest warrior of the mythical era. He not only quickly adapted to the invisible blade, but also kept up with Shirou's sword speed, aiming all his thrusts at vital points with even more numbers.

Its exquisite craftsmanship is astonishing; Shirou had never heard of it before.

He had never encountered such close combat ability in the fairy kingdom of Britain, not even in the realm of Meryuchina.

But that guy would just say, "Powerful creatures don't need technology."

Even Shirou's Fairy Round Table, there are probably only a handful of tables that could withstand the raging onslaught of "Red" Lancer.

but--

Shirou was one of those few people.

"Oh, so you're finally going to show your true skills?"

The aloof, white-haired handsome man's voice rose in pitch.