Chapter 23 : Search

The girl was beautiful. She

remained aloof, stuck to her own sense of justice, did not lament the fact that she was not understood, and gave up on trying to understand.

She was honest, did not lie, and continued to stand on her own two feet even when she had no one to rely on.

The boy admired her. She stood there, beautiful like a frozen blue flame, and sadly fleeting. He

had found in her the ideals he thought he had lost.

And that's why he wanted to protect her. Even if it meant getting covered in mud himself. He wished to protect

not the girl, but the ideals he embodied in her.

But the boy realized.

The light he had found in her was also nothing more than an illusion.

"how was it?"

"For now, everyone is safe...I still don't know the cause though."

"I see..."

As soon as Hikigaya Hachiman returned to the living room, Tohsaka Rin answered his question. Hikigaya Hachiman let out a sigh of relief.

A fight at school during the day.

Shortly after finding the base of the barrier, the barrier was suddenly lifted.

I thought I had defeated Rider, but it seemed I was wrong, and when I returned to the school gate, I witnessed a flash of light coming out of the school building.

According to Saber, although the details are unclear, it is apparently Rider's Noble Phantasm. Rider then left the group along with his Master.

Emiya Shirou was in a terrible state.

His whole body was in such terrible condition that it would be difficult to find any part of him that wasn't injured.

When Emiya Shirou returned home being carried by Saber, he was unconscious, his clothes were torn in places, and blood stained everywhere. Despite this, he didn't appear to have any injuries.

According to Saber and Tohsaka Rin, something like this had happened before. When Berserker had split his body into two halves, the two regenerated on their own without him doing anything.

Although she had tried to look into it, it seemed that Tohsaka Rin was unable to find the cause.

Because of this, I decided to examine him this time to treat and examine him, but in the end I also said that I didn't know the answer.

"Well, I'm glad you're safe. If you're truly invulnerable, it's a very powerful weapon, but since I don't know the reason why, I can't rely on it."

"That's right. I think it will be a while before Emiya-kun wakes up. I had Caster set up a circle to enhance the healing effect, and now Saber is looking after him. With the synergistic effect of their Command Spells, they should both be able to make a big recovery."

"I see... I'll rest too. When Emiya wakes up, he'll probably say he wants to go look for Matou. Tohsaka, you should rest too."

"...Yeah. I'll do that."

"Well then, I'll be off then."

He bowed to Tohsaka Rin and followed Hikigaya Hachiman out of the living room.

The rooms given to me and Hikigaya Hachiman are next to each other, separated only by a sliding door. So I go through his room first, go inside, and then close the sliding door. After I do that, I call out to him telepathically.

(Yahata-sama. I have a report to make.)

(……What?)

A suspicious thought.

He thought for sure that he had seen through him, but it seemed that he was genuinely worried about Emiya Shirou. This man, too, seemed to be soft-spoken at heart.

(First, the curse of mutual death that was placed on Emiya Shirou and Tohsaka Rin has disappeared.)

(……a?)

There was no way he could have predicted this. He gave a dumbfounded reply.

(...There was still one more day until the deadline. Maybe the effect was shorter than expected?)

(No. It probably never worked in the first place.)

(……What does that mean?)

(This is a report about the two powers that lie dormant within Emiya Shirou.)

(... A power sleeping within? And two of them... Is he the protagonist of some kind?)

(Maybe)

(Seriously?)

Hikigaya Hachiman was probably only half-joking, but considering the extent of the hidden power he possesses, it's not entirely wrong.

(Firstly, the powerful Noble Phantasm changes shape and merges with his body.)

(A powerful treasure?)

(Yes. It is probably the sheath of the holy sword. This is probably the reason for its immortality.)

(... Sorry, is the holy sword the so-called Excalibur? I don't understand why it's linked to immortality.)

(The sheath of that holy sword is said to ward off all misfortunes and grant immortality to its owner. If used correctly, it will nullify all kinds of attacks and function as an absolute defense. It is this sheath that repelled the curse.)

(...I had no idea. Why would someone like that be Emiya?)

(I don't know, but if he possesses such a high-ranking Spiritual Outfit, it must have had an effect on summoning Servants.)

(So Emiya was the catalyst without even knowing it. That means Saber's true identity is...)

(It must be King Arthur)

The outcome of summoning a Servant can be controlled to some extent by using a catalyst. Relics, the legacy of heroes, can be used to strengthen the connection with the being you wish to summon.

If the relic is a powerful item, the success rate of the summoning increases dramatically. In other words, the results are limited and ignore other factors such as compatibility with the summoner. Also, depending on the relic, it can be used as a weapon for the servant. Emiya Shirou's scabbard is of this pattern.

(...I thought I knew it, but Servants really are a parade of celebrities. Maybe I should get an autograph or something.)

(... sorry, it's minor)

(No, that's not what I meant. And I'm already full, but there's still more, right?)

(Yes. I'm not sure about this one, but I think it's probably a unique barrier.)

(……Sorry. I don't even remember hearing that this time.)

(That can't be helped. Unless you're a magician, you probably won't know this word.)

A unique barrier is a forbidden technique that projects the user's imaginary world into reality, temporarily overwriting the laws of the world.

It is not something that can be acquired through effort, but rather a power that can only be obtained through pure talent; it is more like an ability than a technique.

Its effects vary, but most of them create situations that are extremely advantageous to the caster. Depending on the compatibility, it can become a weapon that can even counter Servants.

He explained these things to Hikigaya Hachiman.

(... He really is the main character. What is with him?)

He said, half exasperated. I understand how he felt. Even though at this stage it was merely a potential ability, for a normal human it was a power that was almost like cheating.

(…………I guess)

(something?)

(…………)

A feeling of hesitation about something.

Why did he keep this a secret from Tohsaka Rin and the others? He probably couldn't decide whether or not he should ask.

If asked, I have no choice but to answer.

"Answer Hikigaya Hachiman's questions honestly."

The shackles of the Command Spells are still binding me. They will not disappear until either the Command Spells or I disappear.

However, this time, he used the word "Noble Phantasm," a word he had avoided talking about until now. If he heard it, the conversation might extend to my own Noble Phantasm. He was probably worried about that.

My Noble Phantasm, a contract-breaker,All the signs that should be brokenRule BreakerIf I were to find out about the existence of ", or if someone else were to find out, our relationship would fall apart. But that would be under normal circumstances.

Even though he doesn't know exactly what it is, Hachiman Hikigaya is aware that I have a way to nullify Command Spells, and I no longer have any intention of leaving him.

I think it's about time to stop pretending you don't notice or that people don't notice.

(...No, it's nothing.)

In the end, it seems he decided to continue pretending not to notice. However you look at it, I think that's a bit too obvious.

(...I see. Then I'll take a rest as well.)

(ah)

The telepathic communication ended along with a short reply.

The reason why he didn't tell them was simple: Saber was too strong.

Although they may be fighting together now, the fact remains that they are an enemy that must be defeated someday.

It's not enough that I'm compatible with Saber's class, but if my Master is hiding such a strong power, I won't be able to compete.

In fact, there was one other thing that became clear after examining Emiya Shirou: the link of his Command Spells was incomplete.

Normally, magical power is circulated between a Master and a Servant through Command Spells.

However, in the case of Emiya Shirou and Saber, while the Master was receiving magical power, no magical power was flowing into Saber.

Currently, Saber was only maintaining her existence with the magical power she already possessed, and was simply being drained without any recovery. The healing circle I had set up was also meaningless.

He would probably be able to handle it in a normal battle, but if he used a Noble Phantasm as powerful as the Holy Sword, he might be wiped out.

Hikigaya Hachiman seems to be more wary of Archer, whose identity is unknown, but to me Saber is still more of a threat. It would be ideal if she used the holy sword to destroy the enemy and take them down with her.

Of course, that is not what Hachiman Hikigaya wants. If his fighting power decreases, so does his chances of survival.

If Hikigaya Hachiman had known about this, he would not have been able to ignore it. He would have ordered me to resolve the issue.

So this has not been noticed.All the signs that should be brokenRule Breaker" was used as a cover.

This is currently the only advantage I have over the Saber.

Although Hikigaya Hachiman has almost no magical circuits, he still produces a small amount of magical power. Even if it's only a temporary relief, it's still better than nothing. There's no way he's going to give up this one advantage.

I'd also been greatly exhausted by this point, but thankfully I now had the magical power I'd snatched from Rider's barrier. I should be able to get by without any problems for a while.

By extracting magical power from the base point, the output of the barrier was reduced. The order was fulfilled. There was no room for complaint.

(But still)

Hikigaya Hachiman.

His actions are always contradictory.

Emiya Shirou. Rider's master. It was the same at the time of the barrier.

Although he says things that are good for him (including through telepathy), in reality he is searching for a way to avoid making sacrifices that would put him in danger. And I'm sure that this is even directed at me.

They have no power, they don't ask for help, and they refuse others to get close to them, yet they continue to sacrifice themselves for someone else.

He called Emiya Shirou the protagonist, but to me he seems more like the hero of a light novel or something.

Really, I just don't like it at all.

When Emiya Shirou woke up, as expected, he said he wanted to go look for Matou Shinji and Rider.

Since Hikigaya Hachiman had already anticipated this, the search began without any particular opposition.

From their conversation, it seemed that Saber trusted Emiya Shirou but did not trust him. It seemed that she was hiding the fact that her Command Spells were not functioning even from her Master.

Honestly, this was an unexpected stroke of luck. Saber, my nemesis, would destroy herself in the not-too-distant future.

Furthermore, Emiya Shirou, on the other hand, had apparently said something along the lines of "I don't approve of girls fighting" and was against Saber fighting, but it seems he has changed his mind after this incident. However, this doesn't amount to anything for Saber, who is the most important point.

Tohsaka Rin and I traced the remnants of magical power and discovered that Rider was hiding out in the new capital, on the other side of the bridge.

So Archer, who has keen eyesight, kept watch over the whole of Fuyuki city from the bridge, watching over the comings and goings of people, while Saber and I split up and searched the city. However...

"...Umm, Hachiman-sama."

"What?"

"If we are going to split up and search, I think it would be more efficient to space out a bit."

We were currently stalking Saber and the others. We kept a distance of over 100m, remained hidden, and even used enhanced vision.

"Well, if you think about the search area, that's probably true."

"Is there something?"

"No, if it was just us, even if we found them we would probably just be killed in return."

...Well, that's true, but when it's stated so bluntly it makes me angry.

"Besides, they'll just appear without you having to go out of your way to look for them."

"why is that?"

"According to Emiya, Matou is a Master who, like me, does not have Magic Circuits. This means that in order to maintain his Servant's existence, he must steal magical power from others. Just like you."

"That's true. That barrier was probably created for that purpose."

Previously, apart from my efforts to gather magical power, there had been people who had fallen victim to the Soul Devourer. That was probably Rider's doing. He must have been trying to create a barrier using the magical power he had gathered to obtain even more magical power.

"Yes, that's right. But the barrier around the school has been destroyed. Matou will have to recharge his magical powers elsewhere. That barrier will require extensive preparations though."

That cannibalistic barrier has another problem besides the amount of magic required to activate it. It requires multiple base points to be set up beforehand. And...

"...I heard that it was mostly Shirou-sama who found the base of the school."

"Yes. I have instructed Emiya to search for the base point and extract magical power as soon as he finds it. That way, Matou won't be able to recharge his magical power. If he replenishes it with Soul Devourer, it will cause a commotion and he will be found quickly. Rider is already in a desperate situation. Considering Matou's mental state, it won't be long before he loses patience."

I see, that makes sense. However...

"Wouldn't that put Shirou-sama in danger?"

In that case, the enemy would want to attack Emiya Shirou first. Rider is a class with excellent mobility. In terms of surprise attack ability, he is comparable to Assassin and Archer.

"...Saber is the strongest when it comes to hand-to-hand combat. She won't be defeated easily. And her Master, who should be her weak spot, is immortal. I can't think of two better decoys than her."

Apparently, knowing that Emiya Shirou's immortality was trustworthy, he decided to make the most of it.

The troublesome thing about this guy is that despite being fundamentally weak, he is able to make choices when it comes to this.

Meanwhile, Saber and the others continued their search. They had already found three base points and drained all their magical power. To be honest, it was an abnormal pace.

A little over half an hour after entering the new capital, Emiya Shirou discovered the fourth base. As he approached it...

Gin!

Saber suddenly swung an invisible sword and deflected something that was flying towards her. Following Saber's gaze, she saw...

"What on earth..."

Hikigaya Hachiman let out a stunned voice.

There, a woman wearing a revealing black outfit and a strange blindfold was standing upright on the wall of a building.

Upright.

It is not sticking to the ground or hanging from it, but rather "standing" directly to the side, completely ignoring gravity.

Saber moved.

He leaps towards the building the woman is standing on, kicks the wall, and climbs higher and higher while in a dead heat with the rider.

While I was thinking to myself, "Is that a game character?", Emiya Shirou followed Saber into the building.

"...What would you like to do?"

I'll ask anyway. To be honest, I don't feel like I can interrupt.

"... I guess I'll go for now. I may not be able to do anything, but maybe I can do something."

Well, it's free to go. Archer will be there too, so he won't lose.