I have returned!

In the last chapter, I saw a lot of people showing incredulity about how EMIYA seemed so weak against the other combatants of the preliminary. A guest even questioned me about how a Hero could have any problem in a "shitty arena". And I have to say, there are two reasons for that.

First of all, it wasn't that I nerfed EMIYA's power by mistake, but the rules of the tournament REQUIRED him to nerf himself down. He had to use a WOODEN TRAINING SWORD, which is designed for training only, meaning in this context, it would reduce his power to the level of a training match, which is NOT supposed to be enough to kill other people. If a training sword can be used to murder people that easily, it is NOT going to be called a "training" sword anymore. It's not a mistake, it's a function of the sword itself.

Secondly, who decides that there isn't going to be any fighter who could match someone like EMIYA in this tournament? After all, in the Shield Hero canon, there are at least three normal people who can prove to be a match for any of the Heroes, which are Queen Mirellia, the old lady Elrasla Grilarock, and Eclair Seatto. Hell, Eclair fought Naofumi himself to a standstill, and managed to stomp Ren to the ground even when he was using his Curse Weapon. So there's no reason not to believe there are other people in the world who can cause difficulties for someone like EMIYA, especially in a tournament held to find the strongest fighter in the world like this Grand Tournament.

Anyway, back to the story.

Chapter 23: Fohl

EMIYA sat, quietly, in a corner of the waiting room.

When they arrived at the stadium the morning after the preliminary, the eight final contestants were split into two groups and led into separate waiting rooms. It was probably so that there would be less chance of the two fighters of the same match to collude with each other to arrange a result, or just because they wanted to make it more thrilling for the audience to see the two fighters walking out of two opposing sides of the stadium.

The air in the waiting room was heavy. The two other men in the room, whom EMIYA had known the other day as Alder Abelot and Artos, were glaring at each other and at him with eyes of contempt, suspicion and wariness. Although, the Sword Hero felt that their glares were aiming at him more than at each other. Obviously, from the performance he had just made the previous day, they had more than enough reason to be wary of him. A no-name fighter who suddenly appeared out of nowhere and fought his way to the top cut right in his first tournament would put even the hardiest fighter on edge.

They didn't give Larsazusa, the last person in the room at that moment, the same look, though. It seemed the fact she was in the top cut wasn't something strange to people here; the panda woman was just that skilled and strong. Even EMIYA himself could see how strong she actually was just by watching her in battle the other day. She must be a regular in this tournament.

The voice of Damian Kaur boomed outside the room. "WELCOME BACK, EVERYONE, TO THE 11TH ZELTOBLE GRAND TOURNAMENT! YESTERDAY, WE HAVE SEEN THE ASTOUNDING PERFORMANCE OF THE STRONGEST FIGHTERS IN THE WORLD, AND AMONG THOSE, THE SEVEN STRONGEST OF THE STRONGEST HAVE BEEN DECIDED! AND TODAY THEY ARE GOING TO COMPETE AGAINST EACH OTHER, AND AGAINST THE MOST POWERFUL CHAMPION, THE SEVEN STAR AXE HERO, TO SEE IF THEY COULD BECOME THE NEW STRONGEST MAN OF THE WORLD!"

His voice stopped for a moment, then emerged again with even more power in it. "ARE YOU EXCITED, EVERYONE? ARE YOU READY TO IMMERSE YOURSELF IN THE THRILL OF THE FIGHTS BETWEEN THE STRONGEST FIGHTERS IN THE WORLD?"

The deafening cheers that shook the stadium of the audience were the obvious answer. Kaur's voice became even more cheerful and heated.

"THEN LET'S NOT MAKE YOU ALL WAIT ANY LONGER! FOR THE FIRST MATCH OF TODAY, PLEASE WELCOME CAPTAIN FARGUS, THE MIGHTY SEVEN STAR AXE HERO, AND HIS OPPONENT, ALDER ABELOT OF FAUBLEY!"

Alder Abelot stood up from his seat. The previous day he fought without any weapon, but today on his hands was a pair of gauntlets with sharp claws made of some kind of metal which looked very similar to titanium in EMIYA's world. Those claws looked dangerous; EMIYA hadn't fought a lot of claw-wielding fighters before, but he was sure that these might kill a normal person with a single stab, no matter how strong they might be.

Glancing back at EMIYA the final time, he disappeared behind the exit.

"AND HERE THEY ARE! THERE'S NO ONE WHO DOESN'T KNOW ABOUT CAPTAIN FARGUS, AND HIS OPPONENT, SIR ALDER ABELOT IS ALSO ONE OF THE STRONGEST GLADIATORS OF FAUBLEY! PEOPLE SAY THAT HIS SKILL WITH THE METAL CLAWS IS SO GREAT HE MIGHT AS WELL BE THE NEXT HERO OF THE CLAW! DURING THE LAST GRAND TOURNAMENT, IT WAS CAPTAIN FARGUS HIMSELF WHO PUT A HALT TO HIS AMBITION OF BECOMING THE STRONGEST, AND THIS TIME, WHO IS GOING TO BE THE WINNER?"

The cheers of the crowd were getting louder and louder.

"ARE THE TWO FIGHTERS READY? THEN THE FIRST MATCH OF THE QUARTERFINAL… BEGINS!"

The roar of the crowd let EMIYA know that the two fighters had just begun their battle. The crowd screamed… yelled… gasped as if they shared the same consciousness as the two fighters did whatever they were doing to get rid of each other. The only man left in the room beside EMIYA, Artos, fiddled with his weapon, a decorated spear that looked like it had been through a lot of battles, in anxiety while the voice of Damian Kaur continued booming outside of the room: "Ooh, what a narrow miss… ", "What a surprising strategy! He almost got him…!", "No effect! He should have tried something else…!"

EMIYA wasn't worried, though. It wasn't because he was confident that he would win. On the contrary, being confident about winning was something he had taught himself never to do. He knew that against most other famous heroes in history, there was no way he could be a match for them in combat. He wasn't a fighter, but a maker; there was only one thing he could do, which was creating weapons, but even creating the best weapons couldn't help him much against the heroes who had reached the pinnacle of the combat arts. Therefore, the only way to fight that he knew was to put his life on the line in every battle he fought, and to go all out against any enemies, no matter how weak they might be.

And because of that, getting worried before a battle had become something completely unnecessary to him. It's meaningless to worry about losing to someone if he'd already given his best shot. If he loses, then it means he's not strong enough, no question. It's more useful to use that time to figure out a plan for the upcoming fight.

And he knew he would need it. Especially after what happened the other night.

"So, spill it. What do you want from me?"

Since they left the stadium, EMIYA had noticed that someone was tailing him and his team. Well, not simply one person, but rather, a group of about ten or so people. He didn't know what their intention was, but considering they had just left the preliminary, it probably might have something to do with the tournament. Or maybe the Church sent them to avenge the Shadows who were killed the other day. No matter who they were, EMIYA was sure that there was going to be trouble.

And just as he feared, that night, after their dinner, a man approached him at the bar of the inn. That man didn't look like a fighter, but rather, a negotiator. He was a midget, and the smug and arrogant expression on his face reminded EMIYA disturbingly of some aristocrats at the Clock Tower when he was there together with Rin. He didn't like those people, and naturally, he didn't like the man sitting in front of him, either.

The man gave him a creepy smile. "You don't seem to like talking much, eh, Mr. Emiya Shirou? But then again, strong people tend to be like that. Not surprising."

EMIYA's eyes narrowed. "If you don't have anything you want to say, then please excuse me. The final rounds are tomorrow, and I kinda need a rest now," he said while starting to rise from his seat.

"Ah, but that's exactly what I'm here about, Sir," said the man before EMIYA's butt could leave the stool. The creepy smile didn't leave his face. "Your performance at the preliminary was incredible; personally, I've never seen anyone who could do so well the first time they joined the Grand Tournament. I have to say that you have become one of the favourite of the audience after the preliminary. And… that actually managed to piss off a lot of people here, too."

Now EMIYA could vaguely understand what the man was leading the conversation toward. "And…"

"Yeah, I'm afraid that's the problem, Mr. Emiya Shirou," the man said as if everything was obvious. "You see, my master happens to bet quite a lot of money on that Fohl boy already. And it would be quite a big problem if the boy loses before he can even get to the semifinal. So I'm here with a proposal to you," he placed a bag on the table. "Lose the match, and this money will belong to you."

EMIYA glanced into the bag. It was full of silver coins. He rolled his eyes. "Really? You think you can ask me to throw the match with this kind of payment?"

The man chuckled menacingly. "Well, I've never said that you have a choice. You see, if you refuse, I don't think those cute companions of yours will be able to keep their lives. Right now, my people should be on their way to round them up. And before you think of doing something to me…" he wagged his finger with a nasty grin, "…if you don't care about the lives of your companions, go ahead. I'm waiting."

EMIYA looked straight into the bastard's eyes. "How many people did you send?" he asked with a cold voice.

The nasty smile never left the midget's face. "Does it even matter? But if you really want to know, then I guess there's no harm in letting you know. There's no way they're going to escape the grasp of twenty of my best men."

It was obvious that he thought he had pushed the red warrior into a corner. He believed confidently that there was no other choice for the man in front of him but to accept his proposal.

Therefore, he was completely taken aback when the warrior in red answered him by breaking into a laughing fit.

"Wh-what? Do you think I'm joking?"

EMIYA just snorted. "Ah, on the contrary. I don't think you have a reason to joke about it, since if you did, you would have said a much higher number than that. And I kinda pity you for that. Because…"

He leaned over the table and lowered his voice to a dangerous whisper, "…where did you get the idea that my students can be subdued with just twenty people?"

The midget's eyes widened. "Wha-?!"

Right at that time, the entrance of the inn opened again. And entering the room were the five disciples of EMIYA; their clothes were a little bit disheveled, but otherwise, they were completely unharmed.

"Sensei!" the brunette with the huge sword on her back waved at the red warrior cheerfully. "There were some guys who suddenly tried to pick a fight with us outside, but we beat them up!"

The negotiator's eyes widened in horror. Even in his dream, he couldn't expect the plan to go completely off the rails like this. He had thought that the man named Emiya Shirou and the band of children who were with him were just normal adventurers who happened to take part in the tournament for money and fame. Even though the man himself was strong, he deduced that those children weren't that impressive, based on how carefree he saw them when he and his lackeys tailed the group earlier. He had thought that he could use those children as leverage, to force the man to do what he wanted him to do.

And now, every plan he had made was backfiring spectacularly at his face. He glanced around, trying to find a way to escape from the situation…

…and he nearly jumped when the blade of an incredibly sharp katana nicked the skin of his neck.

"Now then," the man in red was looking at him with a smile so terrifying his pants were drenched with piss at that very moment, "would you mind leading me to your master, please?"

Let's just say that the meeting between EMIYA and the master of the midget wasn't… clean. After the Sword Hero left the mansion, people found the obese master trembling on the floor of his own living room in a mess of his own piss and crap. EMIYA could be sure that the bastard was not going to do anything against him and his team at least in the next ten years. At least he wouldn't have to worry about what might happen today during his fight.

Still, there was something that made him think. That boy Fohl must be very popular in this tournament for someone like that rich bastard to bet so much money on him. But if he was really that strong… then why did that man even need to resort to this kind of trick to ensure his victory?

Loud cheers and the enthusiastic commentary of Damian Kaur from the arena outside cut his train of thought short. "AND THAT'S IT! EVEN THOUGH ALDER HAS PREPARED FOR THIS REVENGE MATCH VERY CAREFULLY, THE VICTORY THIS TIME STILL BELONGS TO CAPTAIN FARGUS! WHAT AN AMAZING PERFORMANCE COMING FROM OUR UNBEATABLE CHAMPION! TOO BAD FOR ALDER; IT SEEMS HIS THIRST FOR VENGEANCE HAS BECOME LONGER BY ANOTHER YEAR!"

So the match between Captain Fargus and Alder Abelot had just finished. The entrance to the room opened again, but this time walking into the room were two men carrying a stretcher which the claw wielder was lying on with bruises and scratches riddling his body. The Axe Hero really wasn't named the Unbeatable Champion for no reason.

"AND NOW, THE NEXT MATCH! COMING FORTH FROM THE RIGHT SIDE IS ARTOS, THE PEERLESS SPEAR WIELDER HAILING FROM THE LAND OF SCHILDFRIEDEN! HIS OPPONENT FROM THE LEFT SIDE IS MARGRAVE RAYMUNDOS, ALSO FROM SCHILDFRIEDEN, A MASTER OF LIGHTNING MAGIC! HE WASN'T ABLE TO SHOW OFF ANY OF HIS STRENGTH DURING THE PRELIMINARY, BUT NOW WHEN ALL RESTRICTIONS ARE REMOVED, HE'S GOING TO SHOW US THE POWER OF THE GOD OF THUNDER! WILL THE AGILITY OF A SPEAR MASTER BE ABLE TO MATCH THE SPEED OF LIGHTNING?"

The beastman named Artos stood up from his seat. Hefting his trusted spear onto his shoulder, he shot a quick glance at the two remaining fighters in the room and walked through the wooden doors.

The stadium once again shook with the deafening cheers of the crowd. EMIYA rolled his eyes; how strong were the lungs of those bloodthirsty people, anyway?

And he raised an eyebrow when Larsa sat down on the bench in front of him.

"So, Fujimaru Ritsuka… or should I say Emiya Shirou now?" she grinned.

"You seem to be too carefree for someone whose match is coming up next," he noted, and the panda woman smirked.

"Well, there's nothing to worry about, after all. If anything, I think the one who should be worried is you. That boy Fohl is not something you can afford to underestimate, you know."

EMIYA's eyes narrowed. "Why? Is he really that strong?"

Larsa snorted. "You mustn't have heard about him since you're new here. That boy has been a favorite of people in this place since he arrived here about a year ago. Even though he's still young, he's made quite a big name for himself, by winning every tournament he participated in until now. Sure, he's still a little bit green in terms of skill, but as a descendant of the hakuko race of Siltvelt, his physical prowess dwarves that of any normal human being. Have you heard about the story of Tyran Ga Fayon, the legendary general of Siltvelt who faced a thousand troops of Melromarc alone during the war and somehow came out victorious?"

Tyran Ga Fayon… that name again, EMIYA's eyes narrowed. He had heard this name from the conversation with Erhard back in Melromarc, but he didn't know anything else about the man beside his name. He decided to go with the flow and nodded.

"Then you understand how powerful a member of the hakuko race might be," the panda woman concluded. "Even though the boy is still young and rather unskilled, he can hold his own against groups of adults just by his sheer strength alone. If he has a proper trainer, he is going to be one of the most fearsome warriors in this world for sure."

Hakuko… in Japanese, it means white tiger. In his world, the name hakuko, or rather, Byakko, appeared in legends about the Four Auspicious Beasts. There were the Azure Dragon, Seiryu, the Vermillion Bird, Suzaku, the Black Tortoise, Genbu, and the White Tiger, Byakko. He didn't know if this hakuko race had any relation to the legendary Byakko of his world, but if it was, and this boy was actually a descendant of the legendary beast, then he was going to be very big trouble.

There was something in her voice that attracted EMIYA's attention, though. He felt that she was still hiding something from him… but at the moment, he also felt that he didn't have any right to push her further. She was one of his rivals in this tournament, after all.

"Do you know how old he is?" he asked. The panda woman pondered for a while, then shrugged.

"If I don't remember wrong, he's twelve."

Twelve years old… that's even younger than he thought. EMIYA pondered. What kind of life did that boy have to go through that he needed to force himself into this dangerous trade?

There was definitely something fishy going on here…

"AND WHAT A SHOCK! TURNED OUT THE POWER OF A MAN COULD OVERCOME EVEN FORCES OF NATURE, AFTER ALL! ARTOS HAS BEATEN RAYMUNDOS WITH A BRILLIANT COMBINATION OF QUICK WIT, SHEER STRENGTH, AND HIS INDOMITABLE WILL!"

Larsa stood up from her seat. "Seems that's my cue. Time to go, then."

EMIYA smirked at her. "I'm not going to wish you luck."

"Aw, how cruel," the panda woman smirked back. "But don't worry, I don't need a good-luck wish to know that I'm going to win. Although…"

She suddenly turned around and looked at him from head to toe. Then she chuckled and turned away again.

"Nah. You would be able to figure it out on your own, after all…"

Then with those mysterious words, she walked out of the door, leaving EMIYA alone in his waiting room. The room fell into silence again.

Twenty minutes passed so quickly when he was alone. He could hear the voice of Damian Kaur and the crowd outside, but he didn't care much. For a moment, a thought flashed through his head; if that boy Fohl was really as strong as Larsazusa had described, he would be a very powerful ally if EMIYA could recruit him into his team.

He grimaced. During his travel around the world before he became a Counter Guardian for Alaya, the thing he didn't want to see the most was the idea of child soldiers. Sure, Wyndia was also a child not much older than the hakuko boy, but it was her who insisted on traveling together with him in the first place, and he had no choice but to train her to be a fighter, just for her sake, and because she asked for it herself, too. But actively recruiting a child into his team to work as a soldier…

Then again, it would be hypocritical of him to say that children could not fight as well as adults. It's really hard to say that when you realize that the most notorious serial killer in the history of humankind is a little girl who just wanted to have the love of her mother. Also, in a world like this, it might be better not to force the standards of his world onto things that happen here. He still remembered what happened to Motoyasu during the duel at Castle Town: the Casanova wannabe tried to do that against Naofumi, and things did not end well for him.

He shrugged. It's useless to think about it at the moment; he hadn't even had a talk with the boy anyway. Whatever he should do must wait until after he won his fight.

The gears in his head were spinning while he thought of the possible scenarios that might happen, the tactics he might use to have an advantage against them, the weapon he should use for this battle, and a lot of other things. From what he had observed during the preliminary, he had gotten a grasp of his incoming opponent's strength, and with his fighting experience accumulated from years of fighting on the battlefield, he managed to deduce a plan which should lead him to victory if nothing went wrong.

Yeah, if nothing went wrong. He rolled his eyes; saying something like that was no different from jinxing himself.

"WHAT AN OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE! JUST AS USUAL, LARSAZUSA OVERWHELMED HER OPPONENT BY A LANDSLIDE! EVEN THOUGH MIRIA PUT IN A VALIANT EFFORT, LARSAZUSA'S SKILL AND POWER WERE JUST TOO MUCH FOR HER!"

And it seemed Larsa had defeated her opponent without too much trouble. It's going to be his turn soon.

He stood up from his seat. Grabbing the hilt of the Legendary Sword, he raised it up to his eyes' level. The sword started transforming, and soon, it took the form of a familiar great sword…

He hefted the sword onto his shoulder, and muttered.

"Let's go."

"AND HERE HE IS, THE MYSTERIOUS COMPETITOR NAMED EMIYA SHIROU! TWO DAYS AGO, HE SHOWED UP RIGHT AT THE TIME WE CLOSED REGISTRATION WITH AN ENDORSEMENT FROM CAPTAIN FARGUS HIMSELF, AND YESTERDAY, AS YOU ALREADY SAW, HE SWEPT THROUGH THE OTHER CONTESTANTS LIKE A STORM! CAPTAIN FARGUS MUST HAVE HAD A REASON TO RECOMMEND THIS OUTSTANDING FIGHTER!"

The crowd was even noisier than before when EMIYA stepped out of the tunnel leading into the arena. Mostly because of the information that Kaur had just provided them.

"No way… Captain Fargus himself introduced that guy?"

"He doesn't look that powerful, though…"

"You kidding? Didn't you see how he totally destroyed those guys yesterday?"

Other people had other concerns, though.

"Doesn't his name feel kinda familiar?"

"Isn't that the name of a Hero summoned in Melromarc recently?"

"Nah, no way…"

The voice of Damian Kaur continued to boom around the stadium. "AND FROM THIS SIDE, OUR RISING STAR, FOHL! EVEN THOUGH HE HAS JUST BEEN IN ZELTOBLE FOR A YEAR, HE HAS ALREADY MADE A BIG NAME FOR HIMSELF AS THE YOUNGEST FIGHTER IN THE HISTORY OF THE COUNTRY! NO MATTER WHO THE OPPONENTS ARE, THE YOUNG BOY NEVER SHOWS A HINT OF FEAR, AND HE WOULD TRAMPLE OVER THEM ON HIS WAY TO VICTORY! WILL HE BE ABLE TO OVERWHELM OUR MYSTERIOUS FIGHTER, JUST LIKE WHAT HE DID TO EVERY OTHER FIGHTER HE HAS DEFEATED UNTIL NOW?"

From the opposite tunnel, the hakuko boy walked out. His face bore the same grim determination EMIYA had seen the previous day during the preliminary, and he was looking at the Sword Hero with a glare full of caution. But what intrigued the Sword Hero the most was the weapon he was wielding. On the boy's hands were a pair of gauntlets made of an alloy very similar to gold and titanium in EMIYA's world, and decorated with gemstones of different colors. They didn't match the rather tattered clothes the boy was wearing at all. The weapon looked pretty old, and obviously had been through a lot of battles, but EMIYA could see that its quality didn't deteriorate at all. It had belonged to a lot of users, including an old hakuko warrior who made himself a legend on the battlefield. A weapon, which held a great history within it… an heirloom. Just like the sword he was holding in his hands.

The two fighters faced each other at the center of the arena. Fohl opened his mouth, and for the first time, EMIYA heard the boy speaking. His voice was oddly calm and cold for a boy of that age, but the content of the sentence was full of childish determination and confidence.

"I'm not gonna lose to you."

Something in the boy's voice irked the Sword Hero. Confidence was not something he hadn't seen in kids, but in this boy, he could feel something else… something felt disturbingly like… arrogance.

He rolled his eyes. "Sure," he drawled. "Planning to run away before that so you don't have to fight, aren't you?"

He really is still wet behind the ears, the Sword Hero thought when Fohl's expression started turning murderous. If he got riled up this easily just by some mere taunts, it's hard to expect him to keep himself calm in the heat of a fight.

"Are the two fighters ready?"

The mayor's voice boomed around the arena. None of the aforementioned fighters answered, though. They were too busy glaring at each other… or more exactly, Fohl was too busy glaring at EMIYA, who answered him with a bored expression.

"Good. Then without further ado, the last battle of the quarterfinals, Emiya Shirou vs. Fohl… BEGINS!"

"Look! It's sensei's turn!"

Welt was shaking with excitement when he saw his teacher walking into the arena. The team had been waiting for this moment, and obviously, the other members of the team were also excited; it was not every day that they were able to see their teacher fight in something like this tournament, after all.

"But will he be able to win?" Farrie asked worriedly. "They said that boy was a genius in fighting, and he's defeated a lot of powerful fighters before…"

"Papa is the strongest! He's not going to lose!" Yuki cheered enthusiastically.

"Really now?" Wyndia raised an eyebrow. "He's powerful, yes, but it's not like he's invincible, right? It's himself who said that all the time."

"Muuuuu…"

"Something wrong, Tersia-san?" asked Welt suddenly.

The aforementioned girl didn't answer. Everyone turned toward her. She was staring at her sensei down in the arena; tears were running down her cheeks.

"No… nothing…" she shook her head. She wiped the tears on her cheeks and smiled weakly. "Just some dust in my eyes, that's all…"

Hearing that, Welt didn't ask her further. He just nodded and turned back to the battle in the arena, joining the others.

However, Farrie didn't. She was the only one who understood why her best friend was crying. She placed her left hand on the other girl's waist, and her right hand laced together with Tersia's right hand. She gave her a smile when the sword maiden raised her head in surprise, and the other girl answered her with her own smile.

Because only the two girls realized that the sword in EMIYA's hands was the very same one lying next to their seats right now, the one which had gone with Tersia's father all his life.

Sensei… do your best!

Right as the announcement came, Fohl launched himself forward like a storm. He began the fight with a powerful kick to the side of the red warrior. An attack like this would be able to knock out a normal person instantly, or at least break a few bones in his body if it hits. Feeling the immense power of the kick, EMIYA took a step back to avoid it, and the attack only hit the air in front of him harmlessly.

Growling, the boy pushed forward, and this time, he threw a punch at the Sword Hero's gut. To his frustration, his opponent still didn't attempt to strike back; he just stepped aside and let his attack slip by, as if he didn't think he was anything dangerous. The boy let out a snarl of anger and leaped into the air. His right fist came down on EMIYA's head like a hammer, and just like before, the red warrior just took a step back to avoid the punch. His fist slammed on the surface with a "boom", shaking the entire ground and leaving a massive web of cracks.

Again, and again, and again, the hakuko boy threw attack after attack at the man named Emiya Shirou, but no matter what kind of attack he threw at him, his opponent did nothing but weave around, dodging them like a dancer. That frustrated him to no end. No matter how strong you are, you cannot defeat an opponent if your attacks don't hit.

The reaction of the crowd in the stands didn't help. At the beginning of the battle, they still cheered for him, but after a while, the cheers and encouragements were gone, replaced by complaints and insults.

"What the hell is this?"

"I didn't pay my hard-earned money to watch this!"

"Kill him already, you idiot!"

"That's what they called a rising star? More like a frauding star!"

Fohl's blood boiled upon hearing those words.

"Damn you!" he snarled. "Just stay still and let me hit you, bastard!"

And for some reason, the red warrior's movement slowed down after he said those words. Fohl was excited; this was a golden opportunity, and he was not going to waste this. He flew at the warrior in red at a breakneck speed. His right fist was brimming with all the energy he had in his body, and with a roar worthy of a tiger descendant, he launched it forward, ready to deliver a devastating punch.

And at that very same moment, the gray eyes of the red warrior flashed eerily.

EMIYA's eyes narrowed when he nimbly sidestepped another punch coming from Fohl.

This boy was obviously anything but weak, but from how he had been performing so far, it was just like what Larsazusa talked about him; the boy was just too inexperienced. If the finalists of the other tournaments were just like those in this one, it was really unlikely that he could win against so many opponents in such a long streak. And yet the fact was still here, staring at him, that he won so many tournaments during the last year, if what Larsazusa said was true…

Unless…

So that was the reason why he was threatened by that midget the other night. It was just like what he was afraid of; Fohl was pretty strong and promising, but at his current level, it was impossible to ensure that he would always be the winner. The boy might be able to handle the garden-level fighters that flocked to the various tournaments here easily, but against the more skilled ones, there's no guarantee he would defeat them.

And there were people who needed him to win no matter what.

The boy had been fighting for a long time, and the more he fought, the more he got used to the life of a colosseum gladiator. Could it be that the bloodthirst that comes with it was seeping into his mind? It's obvious from what he was seeing in him; those arrogant words were the clearest proof.

That might also be why Larsazusa left him those mysterious words before leaving the waiting room for her match. She knew what was going on with the boy, but chose not to do anything. And EMIYA could understand her reason; that wasn't her problem, and not everyone wanted to play hero if there wasn't any benefit for them.

But EMIYA was different. If there were anything in this world he hated more than someone dreaming to be a hero, it would be the idea of abusing children to do someone's dirty work.

And if he wanted to stop the boy from going down the road he was going to regret, the first thing he needed to do would be to beat that arrogance and bloodthirst out of him.

The fist brimming with power flew at the red warrior like a rocket. If this attack landed, it would mean the end of the fight immediately, Fohl was sure of that…

What he didn't expect was that his opponent suddenly flipped his sword and met his incoming punch with a slash of his own. The metal gauntlet clashed against the blade, and a nasty "clang" echoed around the stadium. Fohl winced when he felt his arm getting numb from the collision.

His eyes met his opponent's eyes…

…and his body froze. He quickly did a backflip and distanced himself from the red warrior; his breaths were ragged and heavy, even though he hadn't even pushed himself as hard as he had done during the fights he had in the past.

However, the boy knew that his opponent hadn't even done anything to him. It was his own body that moved on its own.

Even though Fohl wasn't that experienced in battle, he was born as a descendant of the hakuko warrior race, the race whose battle instinct was developed before they were even born. And because of that, or rather, thanks to that, something within his body SCREAMED out to him to stop when he charged at the red warrior.

Or more exactly, when he looked into his eyes. Just at that very moment… he felt as if his body were going to be stabbed by hundreds of blades. Blood was pouring out of every orifice in his body… he couldn't breathe anymore… darkness was enveloping him…

Then nothing else. Everything became clear to him again: the arena, the crowd cheering in the stands, the man in red, everything. But that was more than enough to force him to stop his reckless charge and jump back. It was just illusion magic… no, not even magic; it was simply the massive killing intent from the man that made him feel it… and believe it was real.

He looked at his hands. They were trembling like crazy, and even though he couldn't see, he could feel that they were soaked with cold sweat under the gauntlet. There's no doubt: he was afraid. That man… was not normal. He was just standing there, looking at him, not even moving a muscle, and yet… that overwhelming pressure… it threatened to crush him to a pulp.

Who in the world is this man…?

"Tell me, boy. What do you fight for?"

That question out of nowhere from the red warrior pissed the boy off. "Isn't it obvious?" he snarled. "I fight to win, of course!"

The air around the two fighters suddenly went thirty degrees colder.

"I see. Then I don't see any reason to hold back anymore."

And then, before he could even understand what was going on, the blunt edge of the great sword in the red warrior's hands had smashed itself on his chest. Fohl could only gasp out in pain before his body was launched away; he flew across the arena and crashed on the ground one, two, three times, each of which caused an incredibly painful "thud" to echo through the stadium.

Not even letting the boy recover, EMIYA rushed ahead and delivered a brutal kick straight at his chest. This time, Fohl managed to cross his arms in front of him to block the attack, but the strength of the kick was still enough to throw him backward, once again. That movement managed to help him stay standing unlike before, and he landed on the ground on both of his feet. Snarling, the boy lunged forward again, but this time, he didn't dare to do a reckless charge as he had done before. He switched to a series of weaker but fast punches, aiming at different places on his opponent's body.

However, to his horror, he couldn't even land a single hit on the red warrior. Even though he was throwing punches around at the fastest speed he could manage, his fists just couldn't touch the man. All of his punches were completely stopped by the blade of the giant sword in the red warrior's hands. Even with the gauntlets protecting his hands, punching that blade was no different from punching a slab of thick, solid steel. He realized in horror that the man in front of him never planned to let himself be hit in the first place. That opportunity he got before was just what he deliberately let him see in order to lure him into attacking.

And it's not like a twelve-year-old boy could handle throwing punches haphazardly like that for long. Eventually, his movement started slowing down, and that was exactly what EMIYA was waiting for. His right foot lashed out and delivered a brutal kick to Fohl's torso. The poor boy gasped in pain and stumbled back; his breaths were knocked out of his lungs from the sudden impact.

And when he managed to look up, the blunt edge of the giant blade was descending on his head. The hakuko boy's eyes widened; that sword weighed at least seventy kilos, and combined with the force of the strike, it would be more than enough to cave his head in if it hit. He desperately rolled to the side, and the sword hit the ground, shaking it and leaving a big web of cracks on the surface in the process. Not even stopping, the red warrior immediately flipped his wrists and delivered a horizontal slash at him, still with the blunt edge of the blade, this time at his face.

"Gah!"

Being flung across the arena once again, Fohl knew he was done for. The fighter he was facing was nothing like the ones he had fought before. Not only was he incredibly strong and skilled, his way of fighting was also utterly ruthless. He had seen Captain Fargus the Axe Hero fighting before, but he treated battles as something to enjoy, so even though the man was incredibly strong, Fohl never felt such an immense feeling of dread. This man Emiya Shirou however… he didn't pull any of his punches. He wasn't fighting to entertain people. He was coming at him with the intent to kill, even though he was just a twelve-year-old boy.

And the worst thing is, since the beginning of the battle, his expression didn't change… even once. No matter what kind of attack Fohl threw at him, the only thing he could see on the man's face was a cold, calculating expression. To Fohl, that expression was terrifying. It was just like the man was planning the most effective way to take his life… right in the middle of the battle.

It was just like… facing Death itself.

For the first time in his life, the boy named Fohl felt an emotion he had never experienced in a battle against any opponents he had ever faced. The feeling of utter terror and hopelessness.

EMIYA towered over Fohl. There seemed to be no blood left on the boy's face.

"What's wrong?" the red warrior taunted. "I thought you were not going to lose to me? Aren't you fighting to win? Where's that confidence now?"

The hakuko boy couldn't even muster out an answer. He was too busy trembling on the ground in utter terror. Why was he even here? He's just a kid; why should he be here, sitting here like a duck and waiting for this devil to take his life? He could have been at home, safe and sound, taking care of his sister…

His sister.

Everything suddenly cleared up in front of him. The fear disappeared from his mind as if it never existed. He remembered the purpose he had been fighting all this time for; after all, his goal wasn't to become the champion, or to face Captain Fargus in battle. He didn't even like fighting, and yet, there was one thing in this world that drove him to fight. His sister, his adorable, sickly little sister, was waiting for him at home, and he took part in this tournament, as well as every tournament he had joined before, just for her sake.

She was his light, and he would never let anyone extinguish it.

"Don't you dare…"

Hm?

"I said… don't you dare… underestimate me!" snarled the hakuko boy. He had pushed himself up from the ground, and his hand had curled into fists. He glared at EMIYA with eyes full of defiance. "I might be weaker than you, but I have a reason not to lose to you! I will defeat you… for the sake of my sister!"

Then with that declaration, he swung his right fist at EMIYA's torso, which was right in front of his face thanks to the man towering right over him, in an uppercut with a speed surpassing any of the punches he had thrown before. This sudden move actually took the ex-Counter Guardian by surprise, but he wasn't a soldier who had been through a lot of battles for nothing. He quickly took a step back, and the fist just scratched across the front of his Champion's Garb. However, it was enough to deliver a big gash across the front of the red coat.

But it seemed that last blow also took away the last bits of stamina the boy had in his body. He was now bending over, breathing heavily, even though his eyes were still fixed on the Sword Hero with that same look of defiance.

Interesting…

Looking into the boy's eyes, EMIYA knew that he wasn't lying. Those eyes full of determination were the eyes of someone who fought for the sake of others. He knew that for sure, because he had seen those eyes a lot before on the face of his Master, Fujimaru Ritsuka… and on himself when he was still a naïve fool who was obsessed with being a Hero of Justice.

However… the light in the boy's eyes was different. It wasn't that of someone who wanted to protect everyone. It was the eyes of someone whose deepest desire was to do the best thing for the people close to him.

So he was wrong about the boy, after all… He didn't fight just because the bloodlust of the gladiator's life had been poisoning his mind. He had a reason to fight, and he was fighting with all his strength for that reason.

"I see. I will admit that you are strong."

The boy's face relaxed into an expression of confusion. "Huh?"

"You fight for the sake of someone close to you. That is something that would give people strength beyond their dreams. And I respect you for that. However…"

The ex-Counter Guardian's eyes suddenly hardened in a dangerous way, "…I also have my own reason to win this tournament. Because of that, sorry. Flash Step."

Then the warrior in red disappeared from where he was. Before Fohl could understand what was going on, a brutal fist had buried itself into his stomach. Everything went dark around him in an instant.

Atla…

EMIYA caught the fallen boy in his arms. He gently placed the boy down on the ground, then stood up and looked around the stadium with challenging eyes.

The whole stadium was covered in stunned silence. The shock and astonishment the battle brought were so incredible everyone had stopped cheering and even speaking for a while without even knowing it. Everyone already knew that EMIYA was strong, but no one could expect that one of the most promising fighters of Zeltoble was defeated so thoroughly in such a one-sided fight, by a fighter no one had even heard about before yesterday. Then, after a few minutes of silence, Damian Kaur's voice once again echoed around the colosseum.

"Th-that was… INCREDIBLE! DESPITE BEING ON THE RECEIVING END OF THE RELENTLESS ASSAULT COMING FROM OUR YOUNG FIGHTER, THE MYSTERIOUS WARRIOR NAMED EMIYA SHIROU DIDN'T EVEN BAT AN EYE! HE OVERPOWERED FOHL, WITHOUT EVEN BREAKING A SWEAT! IS HE GOING TO CONTINUE MAKING A BIG NAME FOR HIMSELF IN THE NEAR FUTURE?"

When the cheers from the crowd started rising and exploded into another unholy mixture of different noises, and the medics started entering the arena again to take Fohl away for medical treatment, EMIYA scowled before hefting the sword onto his shoulder again and walking away.

Even though he won, he didn't feel any joy from that victory at all. It only reminded him that there were still many things he didn't understand about humans.

And it also showed him that he didn't have the right to criticize anyone. Because, after all, the person who was being arrogant and conceited was no one but himself.

His vision was completely obstructed by a mop of brown hair and the golden hilt of a sword right when he stepped foot into the tunnel leading out of the arena. At the same time, he felt the arms of someone wrapping around his waist.

He blinked and looked down. Tersia was hugging him tightly in a very out-of-character way for a girl like her, and her face was full of distraught.

"Please, never do that again, sensei," she whispered, her eyes brimming with tears.

The other members of the team also gathered behind her. They all looked at him, not with accusing eyes as he had expected, but with eyes full of sympathy, even though he could still see the sadness. Even Wyndia didn't look as hostile to him as before. They all understood that it was something he needed to do, but they still couldn't stand watching how cruel and brutal their beloved teacher had become during that fight.

He suddenly felt so guilty. He felt as if he had just failed his students. This wasn't something he could promise them; after all, there was no time for honor and mercy in a battle, no matter who the enemies were. But he couldn't deny that he also felt bad about the fight that had just ended, either.

"Feeling pity for your opponent, hm? That's pathetic for a Hero."

Everyone turned towards where the voice came from. Captain Fargus was leaning at the wall of the tunnel, smirking at the group. EMIYA's eyes narrowed.

"I am not someone who enjoys fighting like you. I fight because I need to, not because I like the feeling of a fight."

The Axe Hero snorted. "Then I guess it's difficult for us to see eye to eye. But when you're here, I have some advice for you. Stop it with that condescending attitude, or it's not going to end well for you."

The Sword Hero gritted his teeth. "I don't—"

"The fighters in this place all have their own pride," Captain Fargus didn't let EMIYA finish his sentence. "If you keep that attitude, it's no different from insulting them. When they entered this tournament, they all understood the risks and dangers they might have to face, and they were all ready to face the consequence. They don't need your pity, and they sure as hell won't appreciate it if you say that you don't want to hurt them."

EMIYA glared at the Axe Hero. He could understand why the man would think like that. After all, that was the mindset of a lot of gladiators; they fought for glory and approval, and death wasn't something that they feared. Captain Fargus was someone like that; he had spent all of his life searching for a worthy opponent, and for that, it was obvious that that kind of attitude would be an insult to him. However, he couldn't help but feel disturbed at how casually the Captain talked about that as if life was nothing so important that they needed to care about.

It was just like Fargus had just said; even though he might be a big ally in the future, the ideal of the Axe Hero would never be something EMIYA could accept.

"That's what you think," he said coldly, and the Captain shrugged.

"Whatever you say. Just remember, try doing that in a fight between us… and I will make you regret you were born in this life."

Then he turned and walked away, leaving EMIYA and his team looking stricken.

I have to say I wrote this chapter with a heavy heart.

Fohl is strong, indeed, as I already mentioned in the AN of the last chapter and demonstrated in this one. However, there's no way brute strength alone can help him win against someone who was not only strong, but also experienced like EMIYA. And that was also the problem; in a place like the Grand Stadium of Zeltoble, I don't believe that he could manage to win as many tournaments even as mentioned in canon. No matter how physically strong he was, he was just a twelve-year-old child. He could be lucky with one or two tournaments, but there was no way other fighters would just sit there and watch him defeat them one by one forever... unless there was someone who coerced them into doing that. So to everyone who loves Fohl, I really apologize.

And of course, EMIYA and Captain Fargus would not be able to see eye to eye... at least for now. Whether that would change or not would have to be seen.

Until next time.