Chapter 44 Richard + Durandal = ?
In truth, Shirou understood what Richard meant.
Richard was asking for his thoughts on having him as an ally now.
Shirou spoke from the heart: "Even more reliable than I imagined."
Whether in terms of individual combat power or character, Richard was beyond reproach. While he could be the type of Servant who smiles while cutting someone down depending on the situation, it was clear that Shirou and Richard were getting along quite well.
'...In the upcoming total war at the hospital, I should be able to entrust the 'Saber Pair'—Richard and Ayaka—to help out.'
As he thought this, Shirou withdrew his projection.
"The feeling is mutual. With you around, I think Ayaka can feel a bit more at ease," Richard said modestly. Then, his gaze shifted to Artoria, who stood silently to the side like Shirou's own Servant, dressed in her beautiful casual wear after finishing her "work" as a helper. He remarked, "Miss Altos is quite charming."
Shirou nearly choked.
"Is what I said incorrect? She is so petite and cute, yet as dignified as a knight; she has her own firm opinions, yet can let go of matters cleanly; her martial arts are deep and hidden, yet she is quiet, always stepping in at the necessary moment. Just staying by her side makes one feel a sense of reliability... Compared to a political marriage, forming a relationship with a girl like this is something that invites nothing but blessings from bystanders."
Richard, as an observer, evaluated her with an objective calmness yet utter lack of restraint, his eyes filled with admiration.
"Your logic is sound, but don't say those things when Toria is right next to you. You'll die."
Also, she isn't just "dignified like a knight"—she is a knight.
"My apologies. I have no intention of intruding; I am simply marveled by her attention-grabbing beauty and the degree of tacit understanding between the two of you."
"I get it. Please, let's just drop this topic."
Shirou understood the golden swordsman was encouraging him to cherish her in his own way. But if they kept talking about it, Shirou would die of embarrassment first.
"I say... how did you two meet exactly?"
The terrifying thing about a "social terrorist" is that Shirou now only sincerely hoped the Artoria-series Q&A would end quickly. The root of all evil was likely that Artoria had admitted to it when she was caught off guard. Had she not, the Saber would probably still be following the principle of "interfering in someone else's romance leads to being kicked by a horse."
"I happened to see her on a moonlit night or something. Feel free to guess."
Shirou laughed it off.
Shirou thought the golden swordsman's terrifying social barrage would continue forever, but to his surprise, the man knew when to stop. The golden swordsman smiled brightly and, as if sensing the atmosphere, proactively ceased his advance. He balanced it perfectly, staying exactly within the range where Shirou wouldn't find him annoying.
"Next, Ayaka and I plan to head into the forest... Oh right, do you know there's a presence in the forest? It's a quite powerful Heroic Spirit who seems to be living there."
The small talk ended, and Richard asked seriously: "We want to increase our allies. Do you want to come with us?"
Shirou's breathing hitched slightly.
The Heroic Spirit in the forest referred to Enkidu. Enkidu was the target Shirou and his group had originally intended to contact. But once he calmed down, Shirou answered immediately: "With you guys there, there's no need."
If they hadn't met Richard and Ayaka, Shirou truly would have considered meeting Enkidu. But since Richard and Ayaka had appeared, and they were already planning to meet that Heroic Spirit, the necessity for Shirou's group to act suddenly vanished.
"We only hope you can share your impressions of that Heroic Spirit with us afterward. That will be enough."
"I suppose that's fine. But why are you unwilling to meet them?" Richard tilted his head in surprise.
"How should I put it... it's just a feeling. It would definitely be hard for us to form an alliance with that Heroic Spirit, or even if we did, it would be hard to maintain."
"Why?"
Regarding a question that couldn't be answered with words, Shirou fell into silence.
If it were just Enkidu alone, things would be simple. That is, provided Enkidu didn't have a best friend known as the King of Heroes.
Suppose they met Enkidu. Should they tell him, "We killed your friend once, and depending on how this Holy Grail War goes, we might have to kill him again"?
If they deliberately hid such thoughts, it would be the act of a petty man trying to exploit Enkidu's combat power. Neither Artoria nor Shirou would ever do that. Faced with an irreconcilable conflict, the correct choice was to not hope for an alliance—and even to avoid meeting until the very end.
Finally, Shirou explained in a way an outsider could understand:
"We have some old grudges with his friend. If things develop to a point where we are incompatible, he would be very troubled if we took his friend down."
The way he said it sounded as if... once a battle occurred, taking down "Enkidu's friend" was already a foregone conclusion, like a daily chore.
Richard looked at him sideways with a look of "Whoa." Finally, he shrugged, seemingly finding it interesting but not intending to pry further. He once again displayed a sense of appropriateness that was completely invisible from his surface speaking style. This Heroic Spirit, Saber, was precisely not annoying because of this meticulousness.
"Oh right, I almost forgot."
Shirou suddenly remembered. Passing by Ayaka—who let out a cute "Wah!" and stepped back—without any ill intent, he began rummaging through a pile of rubble near her for something.
"Saber—you're lacking a Noble Phantasm armament that won't break even if you fully release your Noble Phantasm, right?"
Richard blinked in surprise.
Because that sword was an emergency projection, Shirou hadn't set it to dissipate in advance. While they weren't paying attention, it seemed to have been buried in the accumulated rubble. Finally, Shirou found the hilt of the longsword. With a tug of one hand, he pulled out Durandal and wiped it clean.
Shirou tossed it. The plain-looking longsword traced a parabola and was caught by Richard with one hand.
"We're allies, after all. Since I've already made it, this sword is yours... But don't even think about using it to fight me. If you try that, the sword will explode."
"Trying to trick me like St. Germain is not a very good hobby. Even I know that a Broken Phantasm requires the holder's magical energy. Even if you intentionally injected energy into it, it would dissipate in an hour or two."
Richard joked casually.
Then, he lowered his eyes and began to carefully examine the longsword in his hand. After staring for a few dozen seconds, he seemed to be sucked in, unconsciously bringing the blade closer. Another few dozen seconds passed, and his eyes snapped wide open.
Just like Ayaka once had, his entire being froze on the spot.
"The pulse of power dwelling within it... you gave me a top-tier Noble Phantasm? Such a holy aura... this is actually a real Holy Sword? I didn't even notice at first. How strange! Was I constrained by the fixed mindset that a Holy Sword couldn't possibly appear in a place like this?"
Taking a deep breath, he continued:
"This craftsmanship... the brilliant white light lingering on the edge... I can't even imagine it; none of the craftsmen around me could ever make this! Haha, this single sword made so casually would surpass the understanding of many master smiths! And this sense of compatibility, making me want to grip it immediately—what are the traits of this sword? Fine, I must admit frankly: I don't want to part with this sword at all. My intuition tells me I would have to take it no matter what price you asked! Did you just say you're giving it to me? I didn't hear wrong, right!?"
He was awestruck.
Richard, his voice going out of tune, shouted out over two hundred words of "High-Speed Divine Words" in his excitement. It was clear his joy was overflowing, but that didn't stop Shirou from maintaining a smile while immediately and unhesitatingly keeping his distance from the man who looked like he wanted to lunge forward in a hug.
Only after pulling back to a distance where he couldn't be lunged at did Shirou speak:
"The True Name of this sword is the Unbreakable Sword, Durandal. Please take good care of it, Saber. Though with this sword, I suppose it won't matter how you use it."
It was the ultimate sword Shirou had selected specifically for Richard's circumstances.
Possessing the "Indestructible" trait, it was one of the three great miracles that could never be worn out regardless of how one released their Noble Phantasm. By using Durandal, Richard could finally rid himself of the headache of weapon destruction; he would never have the problem of being unable to use his full strength again.
A mystical armament that could compensate for Richard's shortcomings—one he had never been able to touch in his entire life—was now resting inconspicuously on his fingertips... Richard hadn't even recognized it at first.
Something used like a consumable was casually given away as a gift. An ultra-rare item that could never have been forged in the environment Richard lived in during his life was presented to him merely as a meeting gift for an alliance.
Richard finally realized the magnitude of it.
The golden swordsman's throat trembled. He swallowed hard—swallowing the saliva of a man whose way of fighting would be permanently changed, at least for this Holy Grail War.
He gripped Durandal tightly, a dry smile appearing on his face. He looked at this guy—who possessed a strength no less than his own (a King at the junction of the Age of Gods and history) and who held an infinite armory in his heart—and asked:
"Who on earth are you?"
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