Ah, this guy is at it again! Salter mentally complained.
Shirou gestured toward Salter and said, "Like you, she is an Alter version of King Arthur, summoned as a Saber class Servant. I guess you could say she's also your ally."
Sigurd frowned.
"I see," Adam nodded, a look of understanding dawning on his face. "You must be the other Servants previously summoned by the Faceless Man. In that case, you certainly can be considered our allies."
Sigurd turned to Adam, still looking puzzled.
Noticing Sigurd's confused expression, Adam explained with a smile, "Didn't that man say he had already summoned two other Servants somewhere else, but they were interrupted mid-summoning? It seems he was referring to the Eternal King and King Arthur over here."
"Is that so?" Sigurd raised his eyebrows.
Adam nodded, a sunny smile on his face.
——Well explained, Adam.
——I'm just following Mr. Assassin's lead.
Through the black mud, Shirou and Adam had communicated without anyone else knowing. Seeing an opportunity, he didn't waste time and told Adam to cooperate with his plan using the black mud.
Sigurd nodded. He had no reason to doubt Adam's explanation since they had been summoned together.
But there was one thing that still concerned him greatly.
"There's something you need to explain, Eternal King," Sigurd said, staring intently at Shirou.
"Oh? And what might that be?" Shirou asked with interest.
"That is—"
Before Sigurd could finish, he suddenly lunged forward, legs exerting force as he charged swiftly at Shirou. His demonic sword became a crescent moon slicing through the air toward its target.
But a different sword moved even faster.
In one smooth motion Salter closed her notebook, drew her sword Excalibur Morgan, and stepped forward. The black blade became a streak of dark light, sliding horizontally to intercept Sigurd's slash.
The two swords collided with a resounding metallic clang, sending out a powerful shockwave that blew the surrounding rubble apart.
Salter's face was cold as ice as she questioned, "What do you think you're doing, Sigurd?"
"You're acting more like a bodyguard than King Arthur," Sigurd retorted, his expression equally frosty.
Shirou simply smiled and asked, "Are you challenging me to a duel, Saber?"
Sigurd stared back unflinchingly. "If you're truly our ally, why did you help the Valkyries?"
I see, so he noticed I boosted the Valkyries' strength before. As expected, Norse Heroic Spirit is not to be underestimated.
Shirou smiled patiently. "You think I was helping the Valkyries? You're mistaken. I was helping you. Without my intervention, you would have suffered far worse."
Sigurd's brow furrowed suspiciously.
"Don't you realize?" Shirou continued. "Skadi has total control of Asgard, with all its magical traps left behind by the old gods. Had those spells activated in Valhalla, there would have been no escape for you."
"I was one step away! One step from victory!" Sigurd gritted his teeth, anger seeping into his tone. "Don't try to deceive me. I have the blessing to see through lies and truth!"
"Ah yes, the blessing to see lies and truth—how convenient," Shirou shook his head. "Yet you remain far from the full truth. Saber and I were hiding in Valhalla for a time. We know what fearsome weapons lie within. Skadi has a captured Beast there that would have torn you apart had you advanced much further."
"A Beast?" Sigurd looked startled.
"That's right." Shirou nodded gravely. "The Devil's Bodhisattva—an enormous calamity rejected by human history. It is the common enemy of all Heroic Spirits."
Sigurd gazed into Shirou's eyes. He saw nothing but earnest sincerity without a hint of deception.
After consuming a dragon's heart, Sigurd had gained [Crystallized Wisdom] - the Personal Skill to see through lies from truth. And right now, that skill told him that everything Shirou said was true.
"Is that so?" Sigurd furrowed his brow.
"Of course." Shirou nodded. "I've faced this Beast before. She's terrifying." He gestured to Salter. "If you don't believe me, you can ask King Arthur as well."
Salter whipped her head toward Shirou, glaring as if to say, You want me to help you lie?
Shirou just smiled back innocently.
Salter looked uncomfortable. "Y-Yeah...It's true. We encountered a Beast before."
"I see..." Sigurd sheathed his sword, still frowning slightly.
His skill confirmed they were not lying - they had faced this Beast before.
Of course, the full truth was a bit different. The location they met the Beast wasn't exactly here in Valhalla. But Sigurd didn't need to know that.
"That's right - how did you get here, Eternal King?" Adam walked over and looked at Shirou, asking.
Shirou recounted his tale, framing events from the antagonists' perspective. He described deceiving Thrud to infiltrate Asgard, complaining about Skadi along the way.
"I see, so that's how it happened." Adam nodded, following along.
"By the way, what brought you two here?" Shirou asked.
"Master was preparing to invade Asgard and..." Adam trailed off. "Ah, new orders from Master!"
He pressed a silver bracelet on his right wrist, pausing as new instructions came in from Hel.
Shirou studied the silver bracelet closely. It was a simple metal band with a button in its center.
When Adam pressed the button, a hologram was projected from the bracelet.
Having encountered similar futuristic gadgets before, Shirou was unfazed by the sight.
A woman's voice transmitted from the flickering display. "Ruler, has Saber returned?"
"He has, Master," Adam nodded. "What's more, we've reunited with the Eternal King as well."
"Eternal King?"
"That's right," Adam explained patiently. "He's the Servant previously summoned by that Council gentleman. Rather than disappearing, he has reunited with us here in Asgard."
"That's not my question," the woman replied, a furrow in her brow. "I'm asking - is this the Eternal King who established his legend in Pan-Human History?"
"Yes, it is him," Adam confirmed.
"Is this the predetermined causality of the Grail, or simply inevitable fate..." The woman's voice sounded somewhat confused.
Hearing this, Shirou raised an eyebrow. What did she mean by that? That tone of familiarity... Just what was going on here?
"Nevermind. Adam, have you seen that golden eagle above Asgard?"
Adam glanced at the golden eagle wiping out hordes of abominations outside and nodded. "Yes, I see it."
"Destroy it before Asgard's defense systems fully activate!"