Saber swiftly released her magical energy, forming a suit of armor that covered her body. Then, gripping her sharp sword, she pointed the blade straight at Shichen's face.
"Can't we just not fight, beautiful Miss Saber!"
Shichen thought to himself that fighting Saber was out of the question—are you kidding me? If she so much as grazed him, he would ascend to heaven on the spot.
Saber did not waste words, instead lunging forward with lightning speed to slash fiercely at Shichen. Just as the blade was about to touch him, he could only watch helplessly as the sword came down.
Why didn't he dodge? Good question—he wanted to dodge, but his abilities simply wouldn't allow it.
"Bang!" A loud crash echoed from the alley. Hiding in the shadows, Ryunosuke silently said a prayer for Shichen, already imagining where to dig his grave.
"Bro, why did you have to die such a miserable death!"
Looking at the smoke-shrouded crater, Ryunosuke felt a pang of regret. He had gone through so much trouble to summon a real, living person, only for him to vanish into thin air so quickly.
Suddenly, a shocked voice rang out from inside the pit:
"How is this possible?"
The smoke slowly cleared to reveal Shichen, who had caught Saber's blade securely in his bare hands. He was entirely uninjured, though his clothes were covered in dust, making him look rather disheveled.
"Come on, Ryunosuke. Don't curse me to death so early. Have you ever heard of the 'smoke means zero damage' rule, hey?"
Shichen complained, looking dissatisfied with Ryunosuke.
Saber retreated a few steps cautiously, staring at Shichen with extreme vigilance. "I never expected that you, a Caster, would be able to block my strike. I am truly impressed."
"You flatter me, I'm just a nobody."
In truth, Shichen hadn't expected to block that strike either. But the moment Saber swung down, he suddenly felt the power inside him surge violently, prompting him to bravely attempt catching the blade with his bare hands!
"I underestimated you before, but I will take our fight seriously now!"
As soon as Saber finished speaking, she gripped her sword and charged at Shichen at high speed. Shichen assumed a defensive stance to counter her attack.
"Ha---!" With an angry shout, the cold, glittering blade in Saber's hand slashed straight toward Shichen's neck like lightning. Her steps were compact and powerful, every movement charged with lethal intent as she pressed hard against her enemy.
At the very last split second, Shichen finally snapped back to his senses. With a flash of motion, he lifted his elbow with blinding speed and struck the incoming blade dead-on.
With a crisp "clang," Saber's sword was forcefully shoved aside by his elbow.
However, Shichen's assault did not stop. He quickly clenched his other hand into a fist, wrapping it in a sharp whistling wind as he smashed it fiercely toward Saber's abdomen.
Before she could even blink, Saber sensed the impending danger and hurriedly crossed her sword in front of her body, attempting to block the thunderous blow.
The instant the fist collided with the blade, a overwhelming, titanic force erupted as if trying to shatter everything into oblivion.
"Bang!" Accompanied by a dull, heavy crash, Saber was sent flying backward like a kite with a snapped string, soaring several meters before slamming heavily onto the ground. Dust billowed into the air, as if a small storm had swept across the earth.
"Saber, are you alright? Do you need me to heal you?" Irisviel hurried forward to support Saber, asking in a low voice.
Saber felt utterly surreal, a million profanities racing through her mind. Was this really a Caster? This was clearly a Berserker!
Shichen had also recovered from the recent battle, feeling equally incredulous that his own strength was this immense. At that exact moment, Shichen felt the wind stop, the rain stop, and realized he was back in action!
"Bro, you are way too awesome!" Ryunosuke exclaimed fanatically. With this kind of power, couldn't I just go around doing whatever I—forget it, staying alive is more important.
Just as Ryunosuke's mind wandered wildly, a bullet suddenly zipped toward his skull at terrifying speed.
"Ryunosuke!" Shichen panicked. If Ryunosuke got killed, he would end up in the Throne of Heroes eating a full-course banquet.
Saber and Irisviel were also slightly startled, though they quickly reacted—this was the masterpiece of that man, Emiya Kiritsugu.
It was too late for Shichen to regret. Seeing the bullet about to pierce Ryunosuke's head, he could only sprint toward him and roar:
"Stop!"
At that moment, a mysterious power burst forth from around him, all his accumulated frustration igniting this power of time! In a hazy state, he felt as though he caught a glimpse of another himself!
Right then, the figure standing opposite him smiled, walked up to his ear, and whispered softly:
"Kid, I have high hopes for you!"
The moment the words faded, the figure vanished instantly. The surrounding world turned black and white in a split second, every living creature freezing in place, even down to that single bullet!
Though his mind was filled with confusion, Shichen had no time to ponder; saving Ryunosuke was the top priority. He swiftly rushed forward and batted the bullet away!
In another flicker of an instant, the scenery around them shifted from black and white back to normal, and the bullet embedded itself into a wall, leaving behind a terrifyingly deep crater.
"‽"
Saber was shaken to her core. Such incredible speed—it was as if he had transcended time itself; this was definitely not something an ordinary Servant could pull off.
Irisviel felt the exact same way. She never expected to encounter such a tricky Servant in their very first battle; it seemed they would need to be much more careful in the future.
Ryunosuke blinked in confusion as he suddenly found himself back in the gloomy alley:
"What just happened? Why did I suddenly end up back here?"
Shichen gave Ryunosuke's head an annoyed smack and scolded, "You almost kicked the bucket back there! Don't just wander out casually from now on, understand?"
Ryunosuke rubbed his head. "Oh, got it."
Shichen turned to look outside, his gaze turning solemn. "That sniper must still be nearby. We need to be careful."
Just then, on a distant rooftop, Emiya Kiritsugu observed them expressionlessly through his sniper scope. "Looks like we've run into some tricky opponents this time."
Sensing Emiya Kiritsugu's gaze, Shichen pointed a finger at the rooftop where Kiritsugu stood and called out:
"Emiya Kiritsugu—no, the 'Ally of Justice'. I think we can have a proper talk."
Kiritsugu pondered on the rooftop for a moment before making his way down into the alley.
An Ally of Justice? How did he know that? The last time someone said those words to him was back then... Never mind, no use dwelling on it.
Keeping Irisviel shielded behind him with one hand, Emiya Kiritsugu spoke with a blank expression:
"What on earth are you trying to do, Caster?"
Looking at Kiritsugu, Shichen said earnestly:
"Emiya Kiritsugu, you and I are both fighting for the Holy Grail. But the Holy Grail War isn't just about fighting; it requires wisdom too. You saw the power I just displayed. Instead of wearing each other down, how about we temporarily cooperate to deal with the stronger enemies out there? That way, we both stand to benefit. What do you say?"
Kiritsugu let out a cold sneer. "An alliance with you, a Caster? Do you honestly think that's possible?"
Shichen spread his hands helplessly. "The enemy Archer is none other than the legendary King of Heroes, Gilgamesh! His Gate of Babylon holds the prototypes of all Noble Phantasms, and his ultimate Noble Phantasm, Ea, is far stronger than your Excalibur."
After all, if Gilgamesh got serious, a single Ea could send everyone present straight to the afterlife. Provided, of course, that Gilgamesh actually decided to get serious.
Excalibur? Saber blinked in confusion. Was he talking about her Noble Phantasm?
Hearing Shichen mention Gilgamesh, Kiritsugu furrowed his brow slightly. He was well aware of the King of Heroes' overwhelming might; he was indeed a terrifyingly formidable enemy. Earlier, Assassin had been brutally wiped out by Gilgamesh's endless barrage of treasures, so it seemed what this Caster said held a grain of truth.
Emiya Kiritsugu narrowed his eyes slightly, sizing up Shichen. After a brief silence, he slowly spoke:
"You seem awfully confident, Caster. But the premise of cooperation is trust. Why should I trust you?"
Shichen let out a cold laugh, his tone carrying undeniable certainty:
"Simple. Because I have the strength to earn your trust. If you think I'm just bluffing, feel free to try me. But I advise you to think twice—after all, you just witnessed my power."
"Besides, you surely know the consequences if Gilgamesh gets his hands on the Holy Grail. And you, Emiya Kiritsugu, who call yourself an 'Ally of Justice,' surely wouldn't want to see an outcome like that."
Kiritsugu fell silent. He knew very well that he could never allow Gilgamesh to obtain the Holy Grail.
Shichen pressed on, "So, what is your answer?"
After careful consideration, Kiritsugu slowly replied:
"Fine. I'll trust you for now. But if you pull any stunts, I won't hold back."
Saber and Irisviel exchanged glances, both seeing doubt in each other's eyes, but since Kiritsugu had made his decision, they had no choice but to accept it for the time being.
At that moment, a golden light suddenly flashed in the distance, accompanied by Gilgamesh's mocking laughter:
"A pack of mongrels, still foolish enough to attempt an alliance against this King? How utterly laughable."