Chapter 86: An Ordinary Case of Female Trouble
The magus who had taken a civilian hostage and Shirou stood facing each other in the central corridor. If Shirou moved carelessly, the man likely would actually strike, so theoretically, he held a certain level of deterrence.
"As a magus, you care about humans like this, don't you?"
"...I won't deny it; that's true."
Shirou answered honestly without any pretense, though he still found the situation troublesome.
'So he wasn't just doing performance art after all. He really is a magus with sufficient lethality.'
Just as Clement's strained smile began to tremble and transform into a genuine smirk... Shirou shifted his gaze and countered.
"But you can save that trick for someone else."
Once or twice was one thing, but any more than that and Shirou had developed a bit of a resistance to this scenario. A distant sound echoed; it seemed that in less than a second, a mirage-like vision flickered.
As if startling awake from a dream, the magus suddenly snapped back to his senses. Shirou Emiya was still standing opposite him, but something was very wrong. The weight in his arms felt extremely light; conversely, something extra had appeared by Shirou's side.
When he pressed his arm inward, he felt nothing but air. Furthermore, the background behind him seemed different from what he had just seen. It took Clement a moment to realize that it was the background of the spot where he had just been standing. Shirou Emiya was standing where the magus had been, and the magus was standing where Shirou had been?
What was going on?
The magus stood agape at this incomprehensible positional swap. The hostage who was originally in the magus's hands had been transferred to Shirou's. In other words, the magus's only bargaining chip had vanished; the situation was beyond salvage.
"I'll ask just in case: Does a guy like you, who's so busy acting like a big shot, truly have no feelings at all about dragging an ordinary person into this?"
Clement, breaking into a cold sweat, tried his best to stay calm and explained, "You're a magus too, you should understand, right? We and they are different species. Do you think they can comprehend the nobility of your Magical Path? Only I can understand that. It was my mistake to target you and what you value, but many excellent magi simply do not associate with the likes of them!"
Clement wanted to live; only by surviving was there hope of passing down his Magic Crest. For that, he could discard even his pride, to say nothing of flattery.
"..."
But when he saw the look in Shirou Emiya's eyes, the magus finally remembered that there is flattery that should be said and flattery that shouldn't. After all, that gaze was terrifyingly indifferent.
'Did I say the wrong thing?'
By the time the magus realized it, a new weapon—one that looked plain compared to the one that shattered the barrier—manifested behind Shirou. There was no room for evasion. There was no omen that would allow a life-saving spell to be cast successfully.
In fact... like a lethal weapon as dazzling as the sun, it mockingly—or perhaps pityingly—sealed off his last bit of luck and every possible dodge route.
"I give up! Can we—"
Clement raised his hands, but before he could finish, the blade suspended in mid-air vanished abruptly, and its afterimage gradually blurred.
'What—!?'
His entire body was hit by an impact that sent him flying backward, and the magus's consciousness was cut off.
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After standing by the unconscious magus for a while, Shirou thought it over and pulled out his phone.
[Shirou: There's a magus who attacked me. I'd like to ask you to temporarily take him into custody, is that okay?]
The recipient was Sakura.
[Sakura: Of course, Senpai. Please crush the catalyst on that person.]
The reply speed was 9.37 seconds. A new record for the fastest response.
[Sakura: Once I grasp the coordinates through the catalyst, I can help Senpai dump the corpse into Imaginary Space.]
'Do you just keep your phone by your side and stare at it constantly, Sakura?'
Even though he knew it should be impossible, his body trembled at the sheer horror of that clear impossibility, and he inexplicably coughed twice.
'And saying things like "corpse" is terrifying; please stop being so sharp with your words. I'll come back soon, so please stop being sulky.'
This half-dead attacker certainly had to be dealt with; after all, the nature of a magus like Clement Wolff wasn't the kind that should be left to roam free. Shirou took out Sakura's catalyst from his pocket and followed her instructions. Before long, the shadow of the unconscious magus expanded rapidly, and ribbon-like silks emerged from the pitch-black ground. His body slowly sank into them.
As for when he would get out of the "Imaginary Space Great Prison"... since he had broken the taboos, he would be handed over to the Mages' Association later. They would deal with him on Shirou's behalf.
After resolving the magus issue, Shirou confirmed that the girl was breathing steadily, as if in a peaceful sleep. Then, Shirou adjusted his posture while holding her. Deciding he couldn't carry her on his back while she was unconscious, Shirou scooped his arms under her knees and back, slowly lifting her up.
"Sorry about this."
The magus had come for Shirou, so it was Shirou's responsibility. Although she hadn't actually been harmed, the experience was surely anything but pleasant. He thought he was just talking to himself, but the girl's eyelashes fluttered.
".......?"
The white hair ribbon swayed slowly with his steps. As if drowning in a state between dreaming and waking, the girl unconsciously opened her mouth.
"No, it was a dream," Shirou answered softly.
As long as he placed the girl gently on the nearest bench and let her lean against the backrest, she would likely wake up from the magical suggestion in a moment. Shirou didn't know who had commissioned this magus to test him; the main problem was that there were a bit too many people he could think of.
It seemed to be true that walking outside during the Holy Grail War had become unsafe. From the moment he got back, Shirou planned to act with Saber as much as possible to avoid dragging uninvolved people into this.
"It's okay."
Letting the unknown girl lean back, Shirou stood to the side, looking at her with a complicated expression.
"......?"
The girl's eyelids opened halfway. As if she were about to fall asleep but was forcing herself to stay awake, the magus's suggestion seemed to be getting weaker and weaker for her; perhaps
she was one of those rare civilians with magic resistance. Shirou didn't know any suggestion magecraft to make someone lose their memory, but he certainly wouldn't kill to conceal Mystery, so he could only leave her be, hoping that if there were any bystanders, they would turn a blind eye.
Noticing her hand gripping his sleeve, Shirou didn't move it, but instead soothed her: "It's just a dream. It's okay now. Have a good sleep."
"......"
".........Don't worry about it. There won't be any major problems with this city afterward, I think."
The girl's eyelids finally closed again. Shirou stayed by her side, not disappearing as time passed—staying until the slender hand tightly gripping his sleeve gently let go.
Right up until the moment before she would leisurely wake up.
'I don't know anything about any "James," but I think I understand what Archer meant now.
In other words, while on the job... you can have a "fast-food romance" that lasts about an hour and a half?'
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