Shirou turned towards the voice, noticing a figure dressed extravagantly, a longsword hanging at her waist.
It was the adorable, girl-like Servant—Astolfo—who had previously announced his true name. He waved enthusiastically as he jogged over.
"I just heard from my Master that you survived an attack from Lancer, even though you're just human!"
Astolfo's eyes sparkled like he'd just discovered some precious treasure, staring unblinkingly at Shirou Emiya.
"Um…do you need something?"
Shirou instinctively took a step backward, feeling awkward around someone this openly friendly.
He couldn't fathom what this cute-looking girl wanted from him. Normal people wouldn't approach strangers so boldly, right?
Shirou glanced behind Astolfo and, as expected, caught the magi watching them cautiously from the corner of their eyes.
Astolfo's Master, in particular, was grinding his teeth, glaring at Shirou with murderous intent that sent chills down his spine.
"They're all so boring! None of them want to reveal their true names. But then I heard you survived Lancer's attack, so I came over right away! Come on, tell me, how'd you manage it?"
Though everyone around them seemed to be exchanging bits of information about their Servants and upcoming plans, they appeared hesitant, withholding critical details.
Shirou and Arthur quickly realized why members of the same faction were reluctant to reveal their true names.
It wasn't due to internal suspicion or preparation for the inevitable individual battles after the faction war.
No—they were wary of someone else present. After all, Shirou was still an outsider, someone whose back none of them could trust. Moreover, he had clearly summoned a Servant from the Red faction.
Since Black's Saber had already been summoned, wasn't it obvious that this second Saber must belong to Red?
Shirou himself understood he wasn't one of them, so he quickly realized their motives for secrecy.
Arthur deduced the situation just as easily—Shirou's attire alone clearly set him apart from the rest. It was obvious Shirou wasn't part of their circle.
Summoning such a powerful Servant—was it truly fortunate, or did it spell disaster?
Darnic pondered deeply, his mind caught in a complicated web of thoughts. The stronger the Servant, the closer the Black faction was to victory—but not necessarily closer to the Holy Grail itself.
He trusted his family implicitly; he understood their desires and strengths, confident he could swiftly secure the Grail upon their victory.
But Shirou Emiya was an unforeseen variable. With him in play, Darnic's confidence in ultimately obtaining the Grail wavered.
King Arthur was renowned worldwide; his fame alone was substantial, not to mention his legendary deeds.
Darnic couldn't confidently assert that his own Servant could guarantee victory against him.
He'd originally assumed such a mediocre magus couldn't summon a powerful Heroic Spirit, but Shirou Emiya had shattered those assumptions spectacularly.
I'll just have to adapt as things develop, Darnic thought, resigning himself to cautious observation.
...
"So, that's it?"
"That's it," Shirou repeated awkwardly.
He wasn't sure how to explain his encounter with Lancer—it wasn't exactly a battle. He'd barely glimpsed Lancer's figure before he was instantly defeated, narrowly surviving.
"I don't really know what to say," Shirou sighed, uncertain how to satisfy Astolfo's eager curiosity.
"Master, you've fought against Lancer?"
Arthur didn't seem particularly surprised, only mildly curious. After all, he'd met individuals strong enough to challenge Heroic Spirits before. It wasn't unheard of for humans to hold their own.
"It wasn't exactly a fight," Shirou clarified sheepishly. "I was just checking out what had happened, and Lancer attacked me."
That was the honest truth. Lancer had spared him intentionally, even if the initial blow itself hadn't been gentle.
If Lancer had truly wished him dead, Shirou wouldn't be standing here now.
The gulf between their strengths was unfathomable to Shirou.
Against Esdeath, Shirou had a chance, even if slim—but against a Servant like Lancer, he currently had no hope at all.
Only now did Shirou truly grasp just how formidable Heroic Spirits were.
Even facing this seemingly harmless girl-like Servant, Shirou doubted his chances of victory.
Is this the true strength of a Heroic Spirit?
Once again, Shirou felt his own weakness acutely.
Without a Servant at his side, how could he possibly prevent these powerful, ruthless spirits from slaughtering innocent people?
All he could do was silently pray it never came to that.
"Ehhh?! That's all there was to it?" Astolfo's expression turned incredulous.
However, the Rider quickly brushed it off, a fresh wave of curiosity overtaking him.
"Then tell me—what weapon did you use against Lancer? What kind of magecraft did you use? Come on, spill it! I promise I won't tell my Master!"
Astolfo enthusiastically patted his chest, confidently assuring Shirou of his trustworthiness.
Beads of sweat formed on Shirou's forehead. He glanced nervously toward Arthur, who merely responded with a calm, gentle smile.
It wasn't that Shirou didn't want to answer Astolfo's eager questions, but the atmosphere clearly didn't welcome their extended presence.
More urgently, Shirou needed to leave the hall as soon as possible. He had something crucial to verify.
If not for the summoning ritual, Shirou would've left immediately after regaining consciousness.
He needed to confirm whether this was truly his original world.
The presence of magi could perhaps be coincidental, but Reinforcement Magecraft and Projection Magecraft existing here as well couldn't simply be explained away.
Earlier, Shirou had discreetly asked Darnic about these two types of magecraft.
Darnic had wondered at Shirou's sudden interest. Reinforcement Magecraft was commonly practiced among magi, but Projection Magecraft was rarely pursued due to its impracticality.
Still, Darnic had freely shared the basics of both forms with Shirou. These techniques weren't secretive or valuable knowledge—any orthodox magus had some familiarity with them.
They didn't require special affinities from their users, although projection magecraft's limitations meant few studied it seriously.
Even someone like Rin Tohsaka, who rarely stepped out of her home, knew the fundamentals of projection magecraft. Naturally, someone active in the world of magi like Darnic would know it as well.
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T/N: I DONT THINK ANY OF YOU READS THE THOUGHTS SECTION SO IM GONNA JUST TRY POSTING IT HERE
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