The blazing sun poured its relentless light onto the entire coliseum.
Excitement filled the stands as nobles eagerly leaned forward, bloodthirsty anticipation in their eyes. They hadn't witnessed such thrilling carnage in ages.
Such a large-scale, brutal fight hadn't graced the imperial arena in decades.
Executioners who had slaughtered hundreds, slaves twisted by cruelty and abuse, ambitious young fighters, notorious and reviled criminals—all had gathered on this stage.
They weren't just here seeking Esdeath's recognition. The enormous reward alone was enough to draw them in.
Aside from Night Raid, the Empire generally sought to recruit infamous criminals whose power was significant enough to outweigh their crimes. A murderous criminal might never cause as much harm as a single corrupt noble. The Empire cared nothing for the lives of common people—it valued only strength.
The stronger the Empire became, the longer it would survive.
As for its citizens? Mere playthings for the powerful.
Seated atop the coliseum like a queen, Esdeath coldly scanned the combatants below, evaluating their worth.
Though she'd arranged this event partly for her personal interests, Esdeath would generously reward any genuinely impressive warrior and gladly accept them as subordinates.
She had already received troubling reports—Liver and Daidara were dead, and the fates of Nyau and Shirou Shirou remained uncertain.
Since everyone aboard that ship had been rendered unconscious by Nyau's flute, none could clearly recount what had transpired.
They also had no effective way to counter Tatsumi, the new wielder of Incursio, leaving Esdeath with minimal information. All she knew was that Night Raid had gained at least one formidable new member.
"As soon as I kill you, Esdeath-sama will acknowledge my worth!"
Standing in the center of the arena before Shirou Shirou was a towering brute, wielding a massive stone greatsword. His physique was enormous, easily three times Shirou's size, exuding a monstrous aura filled with overwhelming bloodlust.
Unlike Tatsumi, Shirou could not openly display his face in this arena. While he'd registered normally, he'd kept his black cloak's hood drawn tight throughout, hiding his unmistakable red hair. Though the Empire's soldiers might not recognize him, Esdeath surely would.
His distinctive red hair was simply too recognizable. One glimpse would betray his identity.
Thus, he concealed himself carefully, at least until the right moment.
With calm deliberation, Shirou drew the sword at his side.
The clear, resonant sound of his reversed-edge katana sliding from its sheath pierced through the noisy arena. Shirou gently swung the blade once, raising it toward the brutal man standing before him.
Undoubtedly, those enormous hands had spilled the blood of countless innocents.
"A reversed blade?"
Sitting above, Esdeath's curiosity piqued at the hooded swordsman below.
A sword designed with its cutting edge facing inward—what kind of fool would craft such a useless weapon?
"Hahaha! A sword with the blade on the inside? Do you plan on killing yourself during combat?"
Roaring with laughter, the hulking man slammed his great stone sword heavily into the arena floor, the impact reverberating loudly through the coliseum. Every spectator could sense the sheer weight of that crude yet fearsome weapon.
Indeed, it was carved from solid stone, roughly hewn into shape by the brute himself.
"I will serve Lady Esdeath! All the villages I've butchered—men, women, children—all were to reach this very moment!!"
With no further delay, he hoisted the massive stone blade and launched forward, legs kicking off the ground so fiercely a gust of wind tore backward, violently shaking the spectators seated behind him. Despite his towering size and enormous weapon, his speed was terrifyingly swift.
Heartbeats quickened in the audience, matching the thunderous approach of this monstrous figure. Their faces flushed with excitement, anticipation crackling in the air.
"He's already lost," Esdeath announced calmly, eyes fixed on the brutish warrior charging forward.
Earlier, Night Raid had informed Shirou about this man, through Tatsumi:
"Your opponent slaughtered dozens of villages around the Empire, sparing no one—men, women, children—just to emulate Esdeath. He's one of the Empire's most notorious criminals, and a primary target for Night Raid."
"If you're willing, please take him down to prevent further atrocities."
Since Shirou wasn't an official Night Raid member, they didn't issue direct orders—just a simple request. Had Shirou refused, Night Raid would eventually have eliminated this killer themselves.
Back in the arena, Shirou gripped his reversed blade tightly as the man's vile declaration echoed in his mind.
He had no intention of forgiving such atrocities, but Shirou also wanted to confirm these truths with his own eyes.
He refused to become a blind weapon in anyone's hands—a mindless instrument of killing.
This man will die here.
"Rest in peace," Shirou whispered.
Without warning, without any flashy buildup or thunderous explosions, Shirou simply vanished from his position, reappearing instantly behind the charging brute.
Confused, the enormous man's steps slowed abruptly. The audience watched in disbelief as his ferocious charge gradually faded into a lethargic stumble, until he stood utterly still.
A heartbeat later, a torrent of blood erupted from the brute's neck, spraying skyward.
His head fell to the ground a second afterward.
The terrifying warrior, who moments ago had filled the arena with oppressive violence, had been effortlessly decapitated.
Even a reversed blade could still claim a life.
Clap. Clap. Clap.
Applause echoed clearly from atop the coliseum, instantly silencing everyone present. All eyes turned fearfully toward the Empire's strongest general, Esdeath.
"You can remove your hood now, Emiya Shirou," Esdeath declared, her tone filled with amusement and admiration.
She leaped down from her elevated seat, landing heavily yet gracefully on the arena floor. A cloud of dust rose, dispersing quickly as she stared approvingly at Shirou's cloaked back.
She had fought him twice before—not only had Shirou learned her fighting style, Esdeath herself had thoroughly memorized his.
A sword meant specifically to avoid needless killing? Only Shirou Shirou could wield such a ridiculous weapon.
Slowly, Shirou turned, seething hatred burning clearly in his eyes as he faced the woman who had become his nemesis.
"Esdeath!"
He shouted her name furiously, his body erupting forward in a burst of golden speed, closing the gap in an instant.
"At last, you're finally showing me genuine killing intent!" Esdeath laughed delightedly, her face breaking into a wide, gleeful smile.
Their next battle—inescapable, inevitable—began in earnest.