Shirou, who returned from the Fairy Kingdom

Kotomine Risuke dismissed this with disdain.

If Shirou Amamiya had been five years older, or if his right arm hadn't been crippled in the first place, he might have been the one in grave danger.

……pity.

All I can say is that this kid was really unlucky, he just happened to run into himself.

Despite possessing such outstanding martial arts talent, it was tragically cut short at such a young age.

Kotomine Risuke felt a pang of regret.

I heard that Shirou Amamiya is an orphan without parents.

If we hadn't met on the stage of the Holy Grail War...

For a moment, Kotomine Risei even had the idea of ​​taking him in as an adopted son.

Just like Kirei, he passed on all his martial arts skills and divine teachings to him.

With Shirou Amamiya's unparalleled talent, he will definitely be able to join the Church's superhuman group, "The Burial Agency," after he grows up.

It's such a pity.

Kotomine Riki, having extinguished the last shred of pity for the young child, coldly spoke:

"My reason for defeat? Do you think I would be killed by a brat like you?"

"Ah, indeed... I wasn't the one who killed you."

Shirou spoke calmly, but his gaze was not focused on Kotomine Risei, but on the dense darkness behind the priest.

"--------Bang!!"

The deafening sound of gunfire shattered the tranquility of the night.

Kotomine Ryougi collapsed to the ground with a thud, and bright red blood spread from beneath his body.

"Although I was obeying your orders and only reluctantly used it to avoid revealing my identity, I must admit..."

Hassan twirled his pistol and said with a smile, "Shirou, this thing is indeed much better than a short sword."

---------------

Volume 1, Chapter 84: Shirou: Wasn't my archery skill excellent?

"It's not completely dead... Tsk, this thing is definitely not as useful as a short sword."

Hassan Hyakami walked up to Risei Kotomine and found that the old priest was not dead and was still stubbornly clinging to life.

"Shirou, it's all your fault for making me use an unsuitable weapon."

I actually failed in the assassination attempt; this is an unprecedented loss of composure...

"This old man's reputation is ruined. How are you going to compensate him?"

Hassan glared resentfully at the red-haired boy.

"I'm sorry, it's all my fault for being a bad owner."

"Hey, Shirou!"

Shirou approached Kotomine Risei while giving him a perfunctory reply.

He extended his left hand to cast a spell, and a bright green light illuminated the night.

"Aren't you going to kill this guy?"

Bai Mao Hassan frowned slightly: "Aren't you being too kind?"

"If there's any benefit to it, that's another matter... Even if I kill him now, I won't gain anything, will I?"

Shirou replied with his head down, "I have no interest in killing defenseless people."

I am not against killing in battle; in fact, I believe that killing is the most efficient way to resolve disputes.

However, now that the battle is over, there is no need to dwell on taking the enemy's life.

Putting aside people like Ryunosuke Uryu, this guy isn't so wicked as to warrant death, so I won't kill him.

As he said this, the bullet that had originally pierced Kotomine Risuke's chest appeared in Shirou's palm as if by magic.

"He was just about to kill you?"

Bai Mao Hassan said, "What a strange view on life and death. If it were me, I definitely couldn't be as calm as you."

She sensed a detached attitude from the boy's handling of the enemy's life.

Just a second ago they were enemies fighting each other, but after the battle ended, they immediately switched their perspective to that of bystanders.

Whether it's anger or hatred...

These impulses and emotions that most easily govern human thought do not affect Shirou's judgment.

Shirou himself probably didn't realize that he was placing everyone's life equally on the scales called self.

This practice is almost like...

The purple-haired female assassin curled her lips into a mocking smile: "Shirou, you're quite similar to Archer in some ways."

Shirou: "Huh? Why are you suddenly saying such disgusting things?"

Hassan the Hundred-Faced: "...Hmph."

Shirou said, "That's true, but we can't let Kotomine Ryomasa continue to get involved in the Holy Grail War."

After the ceremony, hand him over to those who can judge him.

Shirou gave Kotomine Risei some basic first aid, then handed him over to Hyakami Hassan, instructing her to place the priest in a place where no one would find him.

After that, Shirou led Sera and Lyselette into the territory of Einzbern.

During this time, Sera continued to use magic to treat Shirou, healing his right arm.

Shortly after entering the forest, they encountered Saber and Rider, who were still engaged in battle.

The Conqueror King stood atop the "Wheel of Divine Might," roaring with laughter as he ravaged the battlefield, while the Knight King raced wildly through the forest below.

An unusual scene was created between the night sky and the earth.

As the tank rampaged through the air, countless bolts of purple lightning crashed down and exploded on the ground.

The once-natural forest has lost its original appearance; as far as the eye can see, there is only scorched earth, all the work of the Conqueror King.

"The situation looks a bit bad. Saber is being suppressed... Not being able to fly is definitely a major weakness."

Shirou hid in a grove of trees, stroking his chin as he observed the situation.

The homunculus maids also came up behind him, and Sera asked curiously, "Saber...why don't you use your Noble Phantasm?"

The Knight King's Holy Sword is the strongest sword; victory can be achieved simply by unleashing its Noble Phantasm. However, she only unilaterally dodged and had no intention of confronting Rider's Noble Phantasm.

Shirou explained, "Saber's Noble Phantasm has the strongest firepower, but the release of the Noble Phantasm requires a process."

In contrast, Rider's "God's Wheel" is a Noble Phantasm known for its mobility.

In a direct confrontation, Excalibur is undoubtedly stronger, but that requires it to be fully unleashed.

Unfortunately, her opponent this time, the King of Conquerors, is a seemingly carefree but actually quite shrewd strategist. He is waiting for an opportunity, as soon as Saber attempts to unleash her Noble Phantasm—

I'm afraid Saber wouldn't even have time to utter Excalibur's "x" before being run over by the tank.

"That is to say..."

"Hmm, Saber probably wants to wear down the bull's stamina."

Iskandar's Noble Phantasm "Divine Wheel" can unleash unlimited lightning using the power of the son of Zeus, but his stamina is limited.

"Once the bulls slow down, that'll be Saber's chance."

Shirou said, "Saber's tactics are fine, but Rider's performance is strange."

He clearly held the initiative in the decisive battle, yet he wasn't in a hurry at all.

As his magic and the ox's stamina dwindled, gradually eroding his advantage... what exactly is Rider plotting?

The boy seemed to have thought of something and suddenly realized something.

"So that's how it is... Really, this won't do, Rider."

Thinking of bringing a lion under your control... be careful, or the beast might turn on you!

"Shirou, aren't you going to help?"

As soon as Lizzie opened her mouth to ask, another maid loudly retorted.

"...Shirou has just recovered from such a serious injury, how can he join such a dangerous battle!"

Upon hearing this, Liselle looked at Sera curiously: "Sera, are you worried about Shirou?"

"Varied……!"

Sera blushed and protested, "No, it's not what you think! Madam only asked us to protect Shirou's safety, that's all!"

"...That's it."

Liselle noticed that until recently, Sera had been very formal in addressing the boy as "Mr. Shirou," but now she was calling him by his first name.

Sera glanced furtively at Shirou, only to find his gaze sweeping across the battlefield: "What's wrong?"

"No... something feels a bit strange..." Shirou frowned slightly.

……

Rider's vehicle hovered about twenty or thirty meters above the forest.

Instead of using air superiority to attack Saber, he unleashed a barrage of lightning strikes like a bomber.

While lightning is incredibly powerful, Saber's agile movements allow her to dodge wave after wave of attacks.

Even Rider's Master found his actions strange.

Why did Rider abandon the speed advantage of his chariot and choose to engage Saber at a distance?

"Hey, Rider..."

"Yes. You are, after all, my summoner, so I should have informed you first in this situation."

Rider seemed to have seen through Weber's question, a fearless smile on his face.

His gaze remained fixed on Saber as he spoke to the boy beside him:

"I want to defeat the King of Knights fairly and squarely in the duel of Noble Phantasms."

Saber is full of confidence in her Noble Phantasm; she is certain that she will not lose in a Noble Phantasm duel.

That's why I intend to defeat her with my Noble Phantasm when she decides to unleash the Holy Sword.

"Why would you do something like this?" Weber asked in astonishment.

"If the outcome is determined by a battle of Noble Phantasms, the loser will accept defeat wholeheartedly."

In that case, Saber might change her mind and join my ranks.

Rider said with a serious smile.

Weber frowned and could only sigh.

So that's exactly what happened.

For Rider, powerful heroes are a more worthwhile treasure to pursue than the Holy Grail itself.

"...I'm telling you, do you really want that much Saber?"

"Yes, I really want her."

Rider nodded in undisguised agreement.

"She is a true star on the battlefield, yet she has never been understood and has been unable to realize her true value—"

I am certain that she is not mistaken; only by joining my army can she truly shine.

Iskandar had used this method to defeat kings or generals several times in the past, ignoring their authority and wealth, and simply recruiting their "souls".

That is why he is the King of Conquerors.