Shirou, who returned from the Fairy Kingdom

Shirou gazed into the distance at the warehouse district illuminated by purple lightning, clenching his fist tightly.

Morgan, is it really you there? Have you come to Pan-Human History?

"Drip drip drip..."

Hearing the sudden buzzing sound, Ms. Avalon looked at the boy in her arms with a puzzled expression.

"What's that noise... Oh dear! Master, don't touch things like that~ Not here~?"

Shirou reached into his back pocket and pulled out a small electronic device.

This is the small communicator he used to secretly contact Hyakami Hassan; it was a product that Shirou had previously ordered from overseas through Matou Tsuruno.

The communicator was a set of two, one for Shirou and one for Assassin.

Besides being used to communicate while avoiding the eyes and ears of the Tohsaka family and Kirei Kotomine, the communicator also has a location sending function, making it easy to know each other's coordinates.

"it's me."

Shirou spoke into the small communicator that was flashing lights.

"........."

And there was no response.

"Sister Assassin?"

"..."

Still no response.

After a moment's thought, Shirou turned his gaze to the far end of the dock in another direction and gave orders to Ms. Avalon.

"where to."

Ms. Avalon was stunned.

"Huh? But... we're almost at Warehouse Street! We'll see Saber soon!"

"……Walk."

Shirou said firmly.

Volume 1, Chapter 47: Standoff in the Dark (3/5)

The location where Bai Mao Hassan sent the message was on the pier, 500 meters from Warehouse Street.

A boom crane stands here, and judging by sight alone, the height of the operator's seat is forty meters, making it the highest point in the vicinity.

If you can climb up there silently, you can get a great view of what's happening below.

Then, Bai Mausoleum lay quietly on the ground below the crane boom, a small pool of blood already formed around his body.

"..."

Shirou had just arrived when he took one look and immediately grasped the general situation that had occurred there.

It's likely that Assassin was ambushed by the enemy while he was monitoring the battle of Warehouse Street from the crane boom.

"..."

After confirming that there were no other signs nearby, Shirou walked straight towards Hassan the Hundred-Faced.

"Huh? Wait a minute! Master, how long are you planning to stay? Hurry up, or you'll miss the show!"

The already spirit-like Lady Avalon followed behind the boy, urging him on.

"Be quiet."

Shirou ordered her to shut up, then squatted down next to Hyakko Hassan.

"...He's still breathing."

Shirou breathed a sigh of relief; Assassin was still alive.

He untied his black robe, revealing Bai Mao Hassan's muscular, undulating body and blood-stained brown skin.

A hole was made in Assassin's chest, a few centimeters away from her heart (spiritual core).

"..."

Shirou frowned slightly; he could smell the strong scent of gunpowder.

The enemy used guns.

A long-range sniper shot, and one shot down.

She almost lost her life without Assassin noticing.

Perfect and superb assassination techniques.

This is the pier shore, 500 meters from Warehouse Street.

Only Servants with vision far exceeding that of humans could monitor the battle between Saber and Lancer at this distance.

Assassin was likely standing at the top of the crane boom and had de-spiritued.

This is because Servants who have become spirits can only possess the perception of "spiritual vision" and cannot properly observe the battlefield.

Even so, Hassan the Hundred Faces should possess a high-level "Presence Concealment" skill, which would normally make him undetectable.

unless--

The enemy had also discovered this observation point with a good view beforehand.

However, instead of taking over the place, he began to monitor it.

"The mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind."

The idiom popped into Shirou's mind, and at the same time, he felt a sense of awe towards the unidentified enemy.

Enemies attacking Assassin—

First, we can rule out Saber and Lancer, who are currently engaged in fierce combat, and Rider, who has inadvertently entered the battlefield, can also be largely ruled out.

That leaves only Archer or Ryunosuke Uryu's Servants.

It seemed highly unlikely to Ryunosuke Uryu.

Archer... Shirou didn't think that, given that guy's penchant for grand displays, he would only cause such minor damage.

If it wasn't a Servant, then it can only be a magician...

Is it even possible for a Master to defeat a Servant?

More importantly, would a magician use a gun to kill someone?

Putting aside the enemy's identity for now, saving lives is the priority.

The red-haired boy silently reached for his wound.

"Haa~~~"

Seeing that Shirou was about to use healing magic on Assassin, Lady Avalon sighed helplessly.

"Let me do it, it'll be more efficient this way. He's so badly injured, he won't survive if this drags on."

Shirou didn't look up, but replied telepathically, "No, Sister Avalon, continue to remain in spirit form and absolutely do not reveal yourself."

Ms. Avalon could only nod helplessly, then turned to look in the direction of Warehouse Street and began the live broadcast.

"Oh dear, Rider said something quite outrageous..."

"Not only did they mock Lancer's Master for refusing to show himself, but they also provoked other Servants... saying that all those hiding in the shadows are cowards..."

"Ah, Archer has arrived... He looks so angry~"

Shirou silently and intently used his healing magic to convey a message to Lady Avalon.

"The person who defeated Assassin is highly skilled."

"You'll understand once you see it."

Ms. Avalon said, "Assassinating an Assassin is no easy feat."

Shirou read aloud, "The bullet landed less than five centimeters from Assassin's core, directly taking away her consciousness."

"The enemy clearly possesses such advanced technology, so why are they unwilling to come and check if the Assassin has been completely killed...?"

Ms. Avalon tilted her head and analyzed, "That's because the enemy doesn't want to expose themselves, right?"

Because look, Assassin, who was supposed to be killed by Archer last night, is here. Anyone would find that strange.

The enemy must be thinking there's some conspiracy behind this Holy Grail War, and maybe there are other spies nearby... Ah.

As if she had thought of something, the Flower Magician's voice was filled with trembling.

"Master, could it be...?"

Shirou kept his head down, a bead of cold sweat trickling down his cheek: "That's right, it's a trap."

The enemy deliberately abandoned the half-dead Assassin here to lure out new prey.

Now that I think about it, maybe even the five-centimeter deviation from the heart was the result of careful calculation, which means—”

Shirou gasped: "The person who attacked Assassin is watching us from somewhere."

...I was careless.

Although Shirou had carefully searched the surrounding area for any unusual auras before approaching Hassan the Hundred-Faced, he had been quite cautious. However, he still overlooked a very special situation:

The enemy possesses a "Presence Concealment" skill that is close to, equal to, or even higher than that of the Assassin.

Although it sounds impossible, it actually is impossible.

But having eliminated all the impossibilities, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth.

Hmm, it seems to be something a very famous British celebrity said.

"What should we do, Master?"

Ms. Avalon sounded anxious.

"Stop treatment and get Assassin out of here! We can't worry about anything else right now!"

The opponent is a formidable foe capable of sniping Assassin from a distance, and their whereabouts are completely unknown. In the current situation, killing Shirou would be a piece of cake, and there is still a chance if they escape.

Shirou shook his head gently, remaining calm, and continued the treatment.

"No, we can't escape."

"If I show even the slightest wavering, the enemy will attack me."

However, if the status quo continues, I think the enemy will not launch an attack.

Ms. Avalon asked, puzzled, "Why?"

Shirou glanced at her: "Because of you, silly girl."

Volume 1, Chapter 48: The End of the First Battle (4/5)

Why haven't the enemies attacked Shirou yet?

It can't be because he's kind.

There is only one reason——

The enemy believes that Shirou may be carrying a Servant who has become a spirit.

He was half right; Shirou did indeed come with his Servants.

However, this Servant is completely useless in battle.

Even if someone attacks the Master, she can't do anything, and she doesn't know how to do anything.

Based on the information gathered so far, it can be concluded that the enemy who attacked Assassin has an extremely cautious personality.

He couldn't risk being discovered by his Servants by attacking Shirou.

Therefore, it is essential to remain calm.

Therefore, you must never show weakness.