Shirou had long memorized Esdeath's swordsmanship.
Much like studying a boss fight pattern, Shirou had tirelessly analyzed their battles since his second encounter with Esdeath, searching desperately for a way to defeat her.
Strength, speed, endurance, special abilities—Esdeath surpassed him in every aspect.
Even the lightning-fast Thunder Breathing couldn't match her raw speed.
But there was one area Shirou could surpass Esdeath in—technique. His Projection Magecraft allowed him to summon countless legendary swords, each containing invaluable battle knowledge and experience.
Even a prodigy like Esdeath couldn't compete with Emiya Shirou's blatantly unfair advantage. Moreover, Shirou was intimately familiar with her fighting habits and swordsmanship.
Thus, until he found a method to counter Esdeath's ice, Shirou spent his days tirelessly rehearsing close combat scenarios using a projected replica of her rapier.
He continuously honed his reactions to every conceivable move she could make.
Yet, if asked exactly what he gained from such specialized training, Shirou could only shake his head.
It didn't enhance his general sword skills or physical strength at all—it was solely designed to increase his chances against Esdeath.
Against anyone else, this hyper-specialized training would be entirely useless.
In gaming terms, Shirou was simply memorizing the boss's attack patterns—every dodge, block, and counter—until the motions became second nature.
This was his sole obsession while wandering the capital.
Of course, Shirou didn't waste his entire time idling around the city. He maintained regular training as well.
Despite all this, Shirou still lacked confidence in truly defeating Esdeath.
Because no matter how perfectly he countered her sword techniques, he had no effective way to handle her devastating ice abilities. Her physical combat prowess was overwhelming enough, but her invincible Teigu posed an even greater threat.
"[Freeze]!"
Esdeath—knowing full well she'd lost the swordsmanship contest against Shirou—stomped her foot decisively.
In an instant, bone-chilling white ice exploded from her heel, rapidly spreading across the arena floor in a deadly wave of frost.
The ground froze immediately, forcing panicked nobles in the audience to scramble higher into the stands, terrified by the lethal cold.
"Now you have nowhere left to run!" Esdeath laughed mercilessly.
Forced into a corner, Shirou had no choice but to leap high into the air.
Countless ice spears appeared at Esdeath's side, launching upward like a volley of machine gun fire toward the descending Shirou. Their speed and density made evasion impossible—even if Shirou could move freely in midair.
"[Sword Breathing—Sun Form: Clear Blue Sky]!"
In midair, Shirou abruptly halted his breathing momentarily. His entire body spun rapidly, gracefully whirling like a dancer.
Energy surged along his reversed-blade katana, igniting it in radiant crimson flames.
The whirlwind of fire effortlessly obliterated every incoming ice spear, making it impossible for Esdeath's barrage to pierce his spiraling defense.
Still spinning ferociously, Shirou dove toward Esdeath like a flaming meteor.
But Esdeath remained unfazed. She was the Empire's strongest warrior, after all—no mere flashy trick could intimidate her.
"Can a sword without a proper edge slice through absolute cold?"
A massive, thick wall of solid ice rose suddenly, blocking Shirou's fiery assault.
Shirou's reversed-edge blade, despite its intense spinning force, merely scraped across the icy barrier, showering harmless ice shavings into the air.
"Damn it!"
Shirou halted his rotation instantly, planting both feet firmly onto the vertical ice wall. Defying gravity itself, he dashed upward along the wall's sheer surface at blinding speed, hoping to vault past the towering barrier.
"Entertain me more!"
Esdeath's delighted voice echoed ominously in Shirou's ears.
Dozens of sharp ice spikes erupted violently from the ice wall, thrusting directly toward Shirou's body.
Faced with this relentless assault, Shirou tossed aside his reversed blade and instantly summoned two jagged Nichirin swords into his hands.
"[Beast Breathing—Fifth Fang: Crazy Cutting]!"
Wild, savage slashes filled the air around Shirou, obliterating the emerging ice spikes the instant they appeared.
Still frantically swinging his swords, Shirou sprinted upward. Even running vertically, his speed didn't slow at all.
"Fall!"
Without logic or warning, a massive, meteoric chunk of ice materialized in the air above Shirou, plunging downward with apocalyptic force. Esdeath's overwhelming power was simply undeniable.
"[Trace—On]!"
Immediately, a fierce, chain-bound weapon materialized before Shirou, swiftly enveloping his body and forming into full armor.
"Shhkk!"
Like an arrow shot from a bow, Shirou's armored figure pierced straight through the immense ice meteor at shocking speed.
Even the man below wearing the white lab coat saw nothing but a blurred shadow passing by.
"How exhilarating!"
Two figures streaked toward each other like colliding comets, meeting with unimaginable force in midair.
Ding!
The precise moment they intersected, a sharp, metallic clang resounded clearly.
A crimson spear thrust forward with lightning precision, only to be intercepted by a dense, shield-like barrier of ice. Sparks exploded spectacularly, accompanied by subtle ripples of raw energy.
A chilling frost immediately began wrapping around Shirou's legs, climbing upward rapidly.
Throughout their clash, Esdeath's freezing aura constantly attempted to invade Shirou's body, aiming—as it had during their previous encounters—to freeze him completely solid.
"It isn't working?" Esdeath laughed joyfully, noticing the white steam erupting furiously from beneath Shirou's armor.
"Hah...!"
Shirou could feel his mana draining dangerously fast. Unless he quickly ended the fight, he couldn't sustain his elevated body temperature much longer.
Inspired by Daidara's fighting style, Shirou had combined his Breathing Technique with constant rapid movements to drastically increase his body heat.
He felt dizzy, his mind fogging with heat-induced vertigo.
His body temperature must've already reached nearly 50°C.
Such rapid heating burned through his mana reserves alarmingly fast.
He realized he'd probably collapse from overheating before completely exhausting his mana supply. Already, Shirou could sense his internal organs protesting violently.
Yet, Esdeath's ice instantly melted upon contact with Shirou's scorching-hot body, evaporating harmlessly before it could freeze him.
Esdeath swung an ice-blue sword, its blade slicing through the air with terrifying force, sharp enough to hurt the ears with its shrill whistle.
With no other options, Shirou relied purely on brute strength—something he wasn't accustomed to—to swing his crimson spear upward from below, desperately blocking her strike.
Under Incursio's enhancement, Shirou's strength nearly matched Esdeath's own—though still slightly inferior.
CLANG!
A bell-like toll echoed powerfully, blasting fierce winds outward and shattering the frozen ground beneath their feet.
"You're not the only one who's grown stronger recently," Esdeath murmured with a faint, dangerous smile.
A chilling sense of dread surged within Shirou.
"[Mahapadma]!"