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"Can you lend a hand, leisurely traveler?"
The sudden voice from beneath the tree broke the silence.
Shirou Emiya, who had been perched above and quietly watching the scene unfold, froze for a split second. He had not expected to be discovered.
He was confident in his Presence Concealment.
Extremely confident.
The Presence Concealment he had acquired during the Holy Grail War had not remained stagnant. Over time, it had continuously improved, refined through experience and necessity. Now, it had been honed to a near-transcendent level.
Under normal circumstances, as long as he remained still, no one should have been able to see through it.
That was his judgment.
"How did you find me?"
Shirou's voice carried no panic. Only calm curiosity.
Merlin, the one who had spoken, did not immediately answer. Instead, he simply smiled.
That familiar, irritating smile.
Seeing it, Shirou immediately understood.
"...Right. If it's you, then it's not impossible."
Merlin possessed EX-rank Clairvoyance. His ability to uncover, observe, and analyze hidden information stood at the absolute pinnacle. Even though he appeared now as a Heroic Spirit without actively carrying Clairvoyance, that perception was still very real.
"I actually forgot about you."
Shirou's tone remained flat.
"That was careless of me."
He stood up from the tree branch and leapt down, landing directly in front of Merlin.
"Do you need my help?"
"That's right."
Merlin's smile widened slightly.
"A person full of justice like you wouldn't collude with a goddess's subordinate, would you?"
"No need to provoke me."
Shirou answered immediately.
"I won't stand on the same frontline as the goddess."
At the same time, his thoughts moved quietly.
But if the other party chose to join my side, that wouldn't be my problem.
The Three Goddess Alliance, the early enemies faced by Fujimaru Ritsuka and the others in this world, had an even more famous nickname.
The Turncoat Alliance.
For various reasons, those goddesses would eventually defect. In the end, they would stand together against Tiamat.
After making his stance clear, Shirou turned his gaze away.
He looked toward the battlefield where Ana and Mash were struggling.
"Then I'm going?"
"Please."
The moment Merlin answered, Shirou's figure vanished from his sight.
So completely that it was as if he had never been there.
"Is this gentleman our helper?"
Fujimaru Ritsuka, who had been standing beside Merlin since the battle began, asked cautiously.
She still did not know Merlin's true identity. However, based on their earlier conversation, she had already formed some guesses. Because of that, she had developed a small degree of trust in the strange man before her.
But Shirou Emiya was different.
She knew nothing about him at all.
"It's fine. Don't worry."
Merlin replied with an easy smile.
"He's on our side."
...
In the jungle, the battle was already reaching its limits.
Facing the powerful Kingu, Ana and Mash were being pushed back relentlessly.
In terms of sheer strength, the opponent was simply too strong.
They couldn't even properly hold their ground.
As the fight dragged on, Ana's gaze grew increasingly hostile.
This was nothing like what she had expected.
According to her original plan, Merlin should have used illusions midway through the battle to confuse the enemy. That would have created an opening for retreat.
After all, the opponent before them was undeniably powerful.
But despite Ana desperately stalling for time, Merlin showed no sign of acting.
"Damn it..."
Her thoughts turned sharp.
"I knew that Merlin guy was completely unreliable."
"Merlin should die."
She cursed him again and again in her heart.
And just as the situation became more dangerous by the second-
A crimson figure flashed past her.
It moved straight toward the 'Enkidu' standing opposite them.
"This is...?"
Unlike Ana, Mash had already prepared herself mentally.
Knowing 'Enkidu's' strength, she was fighting with a resolve bordering on death. She gripped her shield tightly and stayed close, continuously entangling him in combat.
But the difference in power was overwhelming.
Far more than she had imagined.
Mash was quickly pushed into a disadvantaged position.
And just as her situation worsened-
A crimson figure appeared in front of her.
It intercepted Kingu's fatal blow head-on.
"Yo."
The voice was calm.
"Are you alright?"
"Ah!"
Mash startled, her mind going blank for an instant.
"I-I'm fine!"
"Good to hear."
Shirou withdrew his attention from Mash.
His focus locked onto the hand Kingu had thrust forward.
He caught it.
Firmly.
"Yo."
A casual greeting followed.
"Good morning, Mr. Enkidu."
"You..."
Kingu's eyes sharpened instantly.
"Who are you?"
The moment his gaze met Shirou's, his expression changed completely.
From Shirou Emiya, Kingu felt a dangerously clear signal.
This man was a threat.
A genuine one.
Every instinct he possessed screamed a warning.
"Me?"
Shirou answered lightly.
"I'm just a wandering hero."
"A hero?"
Kingu sneered.
"What a joke."
Feeling mocked, he struck without hesitation.
His leg shot forward in a swift kick aimed directly at Shirou's head.
Shirou leaned back.
The attack missed by a narrow margin.
Effortlessly.
At the same time, he released Kingu's hand.
Freed from restraint, Kingu immediately retreated, creating distance between them.
From that brief exchange alone, he understood something important.
In strength.
In agility.
In dexterity.
The man before him surpassed him.
"Have you been hiding nearby this entire time?"
Kingu's eyes were filled with vigilance now.
Shirou's sudden appearance had shaken him more than he wanted to admit.
"Of course."
Shirou didn't bother to hide it.
Hearing that answer, Kingu's expression darkened further.
"Dangerous..."
This man was dangerous.
As a newly born consciousness inhabiting Enkidu's body, Kingu had inherited all of Enkidu's abilities.
That included Presence Detection.
Presence Detection was a top-tier skill.
It could sense presences through the earth from long distances. At close range, it could even nullify Presence Concealment skills of equal rank or lower.
And the rank Kingu had inherited-
A+.
Yet even with that ability, he had sensed nothing.
Nothing at all.
This meant only one thing.
Shirou Emiya's Presence Concealment had completely surpassed A+.
It had reached EX rank.
And not a weak one.
Under normal circumstances, A+ was stronger than most EX ranks.
Heroic Spirit parameters followed a basic incremental scale.
If E-rank represented 10.
Then D was 20.
C was 30.
B was 40.
A was 50.
EX rank was anything above 50, with no defined upper limit.
And the "+" meant the value could double.
An A+ rank equaled 100.
A weaker EX rank often hovered around 60 or 70.
This alone showed how absurd Shirou Emiya's Presence Concealment truly was.
To completely surpass A+ Presence Detection meant it stood among the highest tier of EX rank.
Facing an assassin like that-
Any powerful individual would feel dread.
And Kingu, who valued his own safety above all else, couldn't help but think further.
If this man infiltrated their lair unnoticed...
The consequences would be unthinkable.
"It seems..."
Kingu's voice lowered.
"I'll have to deal with you here."
Golden chains slowly emerged from the void.
The Chains of Heaven.
They floated silently, exuding a faint killing intent.
Kingu stared directly at Shirou Emiya.
His eyes were filled with cold resolve.
Their battle was about to begin.
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