Chapter 91: Mist
"I want to go and see what's happening," Shirou proposed, looking out the window.
Of course, every decision carries risk, and Shirou had no way of knowing if his intuition was correct. It couldn't be denied that Shirou sometimes made reckless judgments; in those moments, Saber would occasionally offer a reminder.
However, if he wasn't present, and a situation arose where something needed to be done, Emiya Shirou would be powerless to act. Shirou did not want that future to come to pass.
Saber understood Shirou's meaning perfectly, her voice softening with consideration: "It may not be the most 'correct' tactical choice, but for Shirou, it is likely the most appropriate one."
After facing the girl—who was a head shorter than him—for a long moment, Saber seemingly agreed that this wasn't a mistaken strategy. She spoke: "I will go with you."
She took her place, standing shoulder-to-shoulder with Shirou.
Stepping in unison, Shirou and Saber headed out of the hotel. Before they had gone more than a few paces, a faint voice drifted from the side.
"Are you going out?"
In the empty corridor, a point of light appeared first, followed by the light coalescing into a human shape, gradually transforming into solid skin.
The serpent woman hung calmly upside down from the ceiling on one side of the hallway. Her long hair cascaded down according to the laws of gravity, swaying gently in the corridor; Shirou could even see the roots of her hair and her snow-white forehead, which was usually hidden.
From Shirou's angle, he couldn't see anything on the ceiling to hold onto. How exactly was she able to suspend herself upside down like a gymnast?
"Most likely. I'm leaving Sakura and the others to you, Rider," Shirou requested, bowing his head.
The powerful guardian had already made the corridor her nest, entering her working state. In most cases, a Servant's instinct for danger was far sharper than a magus's.
The inverted Rider had been wearing her blindfold since she manifested, so her gaze was hidden. Her form-fitting clothes traced the voluptuous curves of her body. While her eerie purple hair did indeed hang down, her black, tight-fitting miniskirt showed no signs of flipping over due to gravity.
After getting used to the intellectual Rider with glasses, seeing the blindfolded Rider in this pose felt... problematic. The purple-haired woman was like a snake; every movement was saturated with an uncanny charm. It was likely to the extent that Sakura would worry: "Is it really okay for her to be in contact with Senpai like this?"
However, for the moment, both Rider and Shirou tacitly avoided the subject. They didn't have the mental bandwidth right now; they would save that for later.
The eyes behind Rider's blindfold seemed to narrow slightly. After a moment, she pursed her lips and spoke slowly, using a phrase that didn't quite match her era: "I wish you luck in battle."
"Thanks, Rider."
Shirou and Saber continued outside. As they passed his room again, Shirou suddenly remembered something important and slapped his forehead.
'Crap, I forgot about this.'
"Um, Saber, I found your lion plushie. It's in my room now. Do you... still want it?"
The lion plushie had been collected as evidence by the police department. After Shirou established cooperation with them, he had unexpectedly learned about the evidence found at the scene of the shooting and had reclaimed the item. Thus, after a long journey, the lion was back in Shirou's hands. He just hadn't had the chance to mention it until now.
Saber was utterly dumbfounded. A crimson flush caused by the sudden ambush instantly climbed her cheeks. Her response lacked any momentum, and her voice grew faint.
"...Give it to me... when we return."
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Running like lightning, they hurried through the pitch-black night. Straining their muscles, they became two gusts of wind. Like cars with full tanks of gas, they pushed for maximum sustained horsepower, leaping over streets and buildings while avoiding potential crowds. This was not a time for a stroll; they didn't have the leisure to walk slowly.
Saber galloped alone in the lead, with Shirou following closely behind. This was because Saber was more sensitive to the presence of Servants, whereas Shirou's perception of prana was limited to an average level. Without intentional analysis, Shirou wouldn't even have noticed the black mist or those faint traces of magical energy.
As expected, Shirou felt somewhat useless by comparison.
While thinking these thoughts, Saber suddenly spoke: "Speaking of which, Rin and Sakura are both asleep. Shirou, how did you notice there were Servants in the city?"
Saber turned her head back while continuing to move, waiting for an answer with great interest.
"I was staying up late."
Shirou described what he had been doing: "I was practicing an application of Projection and analyzing a semi-finished product. I just happened to scan the stuff covering the weapon as well."
Shirou added helplessly, "If it wasn't for that coincidence, I definitely would have missed it."
"But in fact, you didn't miss it," Saber interrupted, correcting him.
"But Saber also found that black mist and the presence of multiple Servants, didn't you? So it doesn't really matter whether I missed it or not, right?" Shirou chatted idly as he leaped over the window ledge of a building.
He was just speaking casually about his own feelings, but Saber came to an unexpectedly serious halt.
"?"
The cowlick on Saber's head tilted. Her forward steps faltered slightly. Confused, she turned her head back once more, her eyes reflecting Shirou's silhouette.
In that instant of frozen time, she asked:
"Shirou, what are you talking about?"
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