Chapter 88: Sword Shadows and Scythe Light in Dance
On one side was a Headless Horseman riding a giant wolf three meters tall at the shoulder.
On the other stood a blonde girl only 154 cm tall, holding a holy sword that radiated black light.
Even though the difference in size and power was enormous, the girl showed not a trace of fear. She calmly faced the enemy and swung her sword with force.
The giant wolf's claw collided with the black, magic-infused war hammer.
The massive impact produced a muffled sound.
Artoria took a step back, while the wolf's claw was knocked aside.
"AWOOO!!" The giant wolf opened its mouth wide and let out a piercing roar. Its breath surged like a hurricane, kicking up sand and dust to blur the vision of its opponents. Its razor-sharp fangs seemed ready to bite through its enemies.
At that moment, Shirou rushed forward. As he ducked low, he swung the scythe in his hand. The sharp blade struck the giant wolf's mouth.
The wolf let out a pained growl, snapped its jaws shut, and glared furiously at the boy, lifting its claw to shred him apart.
Artoria stepped forward again, slashing her sword at the massive claw and intercepting the wolf's attack.
In this battle, Shirou adopted a more agile combat style—based on martial techniques shaped by his physical body.
Combined with Artoria's movements, the coordination was nearly perfect.
It was as if they were two hands of the same body—left and right in perfect harmony.
Shirou found it unbelievable himself.
The body he summoned and inhabited was originally cultivated to resurrect King Arthur.
His pseudo-spiritual foundation was nearly identical to the legendary King Arthur's.
Other than lacking the dragon factor, the two were virtually the same.
Perhaps because of that, he now felt like a literal half-body of Artoria.
He could predict the girl's next move just by sensing her posture. A single glance was enough to understand her intentions. That's why he could always act in perfect sync with her attacks.
Artoria, too, understood Shirou's every move. Perhaps it was due to the similarity in their spiritual foundations. But she knew deep down, their seamless coordination came from something more.
The most important reason was the boy's heart—he trusted her completely.
Because of that, she could confidently entrust her entire defense to him.
In that moment, their breathing was in perfect harmony.
Though their bodies never touched, they were more intimate than people holding hands or embracing. They were completely open and honest with each other, connected deeply in spirit and soul.
Their attacks followed one after another. As one attacked, the other followed up instantly.
One focused entirely on the offense, knowing the other would block every threat without fail.
The boy and girl exchanged glances and shared a sweet smile.
Their coordination was like a legendary sword formation. The shadows cast by the holy sword and the glow from the reaper's scythe intertwined like a dance, multiplying their strength several times over.
Even the terrifying power of the giant wolf no longer seemed so fearsome.
"AWOOO!!" the wolf let out a pained howl as another deep wound was carved into its body.
It stared in confusion at the boy and girl before it. Both humans appeared weak and clearly not its match. Yet in the heat of battle, they fought like a giant with three heads and six arms.
The vicious wolf's massive claw strikes and deadly bites—each bursting with overwhelming power—were all neutralized by their perfect teamwork. While one blocked the attack, the other counterattacked and landed blows.
For a moment, the combined assault from the two began to suppress the wolf completely.
"Light it up!!" Jeanne shouted, raising her banner.
Flames formed from mana exploded across the wolf's body. Caught off guard, the wolf screamed in agony.
But this also disrupted the combo between Artoria and Shirou, forcing them to retreat and dodge the flames.
"You charging girl! Are you trying to sabotage us on purpose?" Artoria shouted angrily. Just now, she had been in such perfect sync with Shirou!
"Haah?! You two were just endlessly fighting like that, and even though I didn't get it, I was just so mad! I want to fight too!" Jeanne drew her longsword and charged forward.
Meanwhile, Shinjuku Archer continued firing magical bullets, suppressing the Headless Horseman above as it swung its long scythe.
Surrounded by four Servants, the Headless Horseman and the giant wolf could no longer defend themselves.
After taking several more heavy hits, they collapsed to the ground.
"Is it over?" Gudako asked.
"No! The Headless Horseman is emitting a massive magical surge! Senpai, be careful!" Mash shouted, staring at the data readings.
"AWWWWOOOO!!" The giant wolf raised its head and let out a sorrowful howl. In its eyes were emotions of grief for a lost loved one, rage and despair at being unable to avenge them. Its grudge fused with magical energy and formed a pitch-black aura that enveloped its body.
The Heroic Spirits appearing in this world, aside from Artoria, all seemed unusual. Some were fake Heroic Spirits created by the Holy Grail, others were phantasmal spirits—entities that did not even exist in real history.
Originally, phantasmal spirits referred to fictional beings or entities whose legend or fame was insufficient to qualify them as Heroic Spirits. But if their stories were well-known—such as popular tales with billions of believers—even purely fictional or minor figures could be summoned as Heroic Spirits. Examples include Nursery Rhyme and Sherlock Holmes.
But if their fame was limited to ghost stories or myths, they were generally doomed to fade away over time—unless they gained lasting recognition like Holmes, most would eventually disappear.
However, in this Shinjuku world, that rule had changed. Phantasmal spirits merged with each other or with Heroic Spirits, becoming beings more violent than most actual Heroic Spirits.
Now, wrapped in black energy, the wolf underwent a terrifying transformation.
Originally an unstable fusion of phantasmal spirits, it mutated once more. Something inside its bluish-gray body wriggled, piercing through its fur and forming long purplish-blue spikes. The Headless Horseman's black scythe was now gripped in its mouth.
This could no longer be called an animal. It had become a monster filled entirely with hatred.
"It forcibly changed its own Class! Rider has now become an Avenger!" Mash shouted in shock. "So the Headless Horseman wasn't the dominant one—it was the wolf all along!"
Jeanne Alter looked at the now-transformed giant wolf as if seeing her past self, and cursed bitterly:
"You idiot! Becoming an Avenger means becoming a monster that feeds on hatred and vengeance—a cursed lifeform. The despair and grudge in your heart will never be released.
At this point, even if you kill your enemies, it won't help. Even if you destroy the world, it's meaningless. With each act of slaughter, your heart becomes more twisted. Eventually, you'll forget why you even wanted revenge.
All you'll feel is rage and despair. In the end, you'll degenerate into a mindless killing machine, tortured by your own pain until death."
"This wolf is beyond saving…" Jeanne Alter looked at the beast-turned-Avenger and, as if steeling herself, turned to the boy.
"Shirou, help me. Let's end this together—right here and now."
"I understand. I'll activate my Noble Phantasm and attack with you!" Shirou agreed, opening his Mystic Eyes to analyze the true form of the monster.