After listening to James Moriarty's words, Alaric snapped his fingers and laughed, saying, "In my opinion, let's just kill them all."
"Although you're a detective, aren't you on the side of evil? In the stories, you're always Holmes' rival. If that's the case, the chances of you stirring up trouble here in Shinjuku are pretty high."
At this moment, Alaric also noticed that James Moriarty's current spirit origin reaction was absent, and his strength was indeed not very high. However, Alaric did not fully believe Moriarty's claims.
As Alaric spoke, James Moriarty, seemingly unsurprised, chuckled and said, "That's only natural. After all, I am indeed very suspicious right now. I've lost my true name and most of my power. Although I can use a pseudo-Noble Phantasm, it's ultimately meaningless..."
"Miss Fujimaru, what do you think?"
Not wanting to hear more useless information from Moriarty, Alaric turned to look at Salter and Ritsuka Fujimaru, seemingly seeking the opinion of Fujimaru as the Master.
Seeing this, Moriarty had no choice but to begin analyzing the mystery surrounding Alaric.
The Servant standing beside Ritsuka Fujimaru had already been identified—none other than the world-famous King of Knights, Arthur Pendragon, or rather, Artoria Alter.
But as for Alaric—
Moriarty couldn't analyze enough information. While Alaric bore a resemblance to Artoria, Moriarty could tell that Alaric was a living being.
Despite having an absurdly strong spirit origin reaction, the fact that Alaric was alive was undeniable.
Was Alaric a human, like Fujimaru Ritsuka, living in the present day?
This alone ruled out Moriarty's hypothesis of Alaric being a past hero. Information about someone living in the present was still too scarce for Moriarty to analyze.
Furthermore, although Alaric had adjusted his language slightly due to his interactions with Fujimaru Ritsuka in Shinjuku, Moriarty still noticed certain linguistic quirks.
From this, Moriarty, with his vast knowledge, deduced that Alaric hailed from Asia and was highly skilled in archery.
Among those present, only Salter and Moriarty were Servants. Salter, being a sword-wielding Saber, couldn't have released that arrow of light.
And as a Master, Fujimaru Ritsuka, who relied on summoned Servants to fight, couldn't possibly unleash a Servant-level attack either.
Thus, the answer was obvious—it was Alaric who had fired that arrow.
Moriarty vividly recalled the arrow of light Alaric had unleashed earlier. In terms of sheer power, it was strong enough to threaten some Servants.
If he hadn't dodged in time and had been caught in that light—
Thinking of this, Moriarty's deep eyes narrowed slightly. He hadn't detected any corresponding magical energy fluctuations, which meant that such an arrow was just an ordinary attack for Alaric.
While Moriarty was lost in thought, Fujimaru Ritsuka responded to Alaric's question, "Let's believe him for now?"
After all, judging from his actions—saving her from Shinjuku's Rider in the beginning and now being attacked by these thugs—it all seemed genuine.
Although, admittedly, he was still highly suspicious.
With Fujimaru's decision, Moriarty successfully joined the temporary team.
Alaric, however, had no intention of returning to their base. Stroking his chin as he gazed at Shinjuku under the night sky, the neon lights reflected a decadent lifestyle of indulgence.
Remaining vigilant, his senses encompassed all the Servants wandering in Shinjuku. Although he couldn't identify the true identities of the spirit origin reactions, Alaric still managed to pinpoint everyone's locations.
"Are you ready?"
Holding an artificial holy sword—the Sword of the End's Radiance—Alaric projected a motorcycle identical to Salter's. He rejected Mash and Moriarty's proposal to return to base and plan their next steps.
This time, Alaric had no intention of waiting for anything. Be it the Greater Grail or the Hanging Gardens, Alaric had only one goal for participating in this war:
To find that familiar spirit origin reaction.
Before being transported, Alaric had distinctly sensed a familiar presence, though he couldn't determine who it was. The only thing he was certain of was that someone he knew existed in this Shinjuku.
Seeing Alaric's firm stance, Fujimaru Ritsuka couldn't help but recall the countless battles she had experienced in Mesopotamia and Camelot.
Her expression turned subtle.
If Alaric's goals aligned with the group's, his incredible drive could be a great asset. But if their goals diverged or clashed, that same drive would become... problematic.
Fully aware of this, Fujimaru Ritsuka and Mash didn't stop Alaric from moving forward. Fujimaru even hopped onto the back of Alaric's motorcycle, ready to follow him.
"Ready!"
Fujimaru smiled brightly and said, "Shall we set off?"
"Hah, as expected of my knight. It seems you also have riding skills. Are you challenging me to a street race?"
Not far away, Salter, half-seated on her motorcycle, turned her face slightly. Her long legs in tall leather boots rested on the ground, stabilizing her bike.
Seeing that Alaric had constructed a vehicle identical to her Armored Knight Alter bike, the competitive King of Knights smirked slightly, her eyes burning with the flames of battle.
The naturally competitive King of Knights felt challenged by her knight.
To this—
"So it seems."
Alaric twisted the throttle, and as the motorcycle engine roared to life, surging magical light erupted from the exhaust pipe.
Similarly, Alaric had imbued the bike with light-based magic similar to Dragon Reactor Wings, narrowing the gap between his bike and Salter's, which was enhanced with Invisible Air.
VROOM!!
The two motorcycles, reaching extreme speeds, sped off into the dazzling city under Moriarty's watchful gaze, disappearing into the night.
Without any vehicle of his own, Moriarty sighed and sprinted down the street, relying on his A-rank mobility to catch up with Alaric and Salter.
As for Alaric's destination, it became apparent a few minutes later.
The motorcycles, roaring like steel beasts, tore through the deserted streets, their sheer speed stirring up gusts of wind that swept through the nearby alleys.
As Alaric approached his target, Moriarty, who had been following closely, recognized the area's ruler.
"Oh?"
Alaric, Salter, and Fujimaru Ritsuka, seated behind Alaric, all turned their attention to Moriarty, who had stopped them.
With the intent to share information, Moriarty began, "The ruler of this area is that witch. There's no doubt about it—she's a mad dog. I merely infiltrated her territory, and she immediately screamed at me, 'Feel the wrath of so-and-so!' and unleashed wave after wave of explosive flames!"
"For someone as pure and innocent as me—a man in his fifties, fully clothed—that was far too much, don't you think?"
As he complained about his past experiences, Moriarty resembled nothing more than a grumbling middle-aged man.
But both Alaric and Salter showed subtle expressions upon hearing the news. While Alaric's reaction was ambiguous, Salter was displeased with the Dragon Witch carving out her territory.
"That woman dared to divide her territory without my permission?"
Salter, in particular, could not tolerate the arrogance of this Dragon Witch.
From Salter and James Moriarty's words, Alaric also learned the true name of the Servant occupying this area—Jeanne Alter or Jalter for short.
However, unlike Salter and Saber Artoria, Jalter was not merely another side of Jeanne d'Arc. Instead, she was a vengeful creation of Gilles de Rais, who lamented Jeanne's death and used the Holy Grail to manifest her. Jalter was the opposite existence to the original Jeanne. Since Jeanne d'Arc was not a hero but a saint, the possibility of summoning an alter of her should have been impossible.
This Black Saint was fundamentally rooted in Gilles de Rais' anger, prejudice, and one-sided obsession, resulting in the creation of a being that shouldn't have existed in the first place—a fabricated other side.
Moreover, this wasn't the first time Chaldea had encountered Jalter. She had appeared before during the first Singularity—the Hundred Years' Dragon War. Fujimaru Ritsuka had also summoned her Spirit Origin multiple times for battle.
"So—what do we do?"
Thinking this, Alaric leaned closer to Fujimaru Ritsuka and made a throat-slitting gesture.
"Should we take a look first?"
Fujimaru smiled as they gently pushed Alaric's hand down. "At the very least, we should meet her before making a decision, right?"
"I was wondering who it was—turns out it's you, you annoying cold-blooded woman."
A clear voice sounded from afar as the Dragon Witch, clad in black armor, appeared, her face full of disdain as she looked at Salter. It seemed Salter's mere existence annoyed her.
The moment Salter spotted Jalter, she dismounted from her vehicle with a calm expression. "Yes, it's me, Annoying girl."
"What do you want? Didn't I already tell you before that we'd stay out of each other's way and act freely?"
At this point, Jalter seemed to notice Alaric and Fujimaru Ritsuka accompanying Salter, completely ignoring even James Moriarty.
In response to Jalter's questioning, Salter's lips curled slightly, though her expression remained unchanged, as she stated a simple fact: "The situation is different now because I have a knight and a Master."
"Yes, I now have both a loyal knight and a Master."
Salter spoke of this seemingly ordinary fact with a tone that made it sound like an achievement worth boasting about.
And the target of her boasting—
"Huh?????"
As if she had just heard something utterly absurd, Jalter's expression twisted in disbelief, her voice rising several pitches. "A knight? A Master? You?
You, who are like an alligator snapping at anything you see? And you're even emphasizing it proudly?"
Jalter looked as though this revelation was the biggest shock of her life, utterly unable to accept that this cold-blooded woman had managed to achieve such things.
Seeing Jalter's reaction, Salter appeared genuinely pleased. "Hmph, an exceptional woman is always unique, Brute woman."
"Super irritating!"
Jalter gritted her teeth. "Whoever is willing to be your Master or knight must be some kind of weirdo, right? Probably the type who gets so nervous they can't speak, or someone who randomly yells—someone suspicious and unserious. Master? Knight? Why does a cold-blooded woman like you get to have those??"
"It's me—"
Fujimaru Ritsuka awkwardly raised her hand, pulling Alaric's hand up with her as she smiled. "I'm the Master, and he's the knight."
"..."
Jalter stared at Fujimaru Ritsuka and Alaric for a moment. After a brief silence, she said, "You've been tricked. Aren't you the Master who saved the world? You should at least find a more reliable one."
"I'm pretty reliable."
Before anyone else could speak, Alaric gave a thumbs-up and grinned.
"...I don't even have the energy to retort."
As if she had seen through Salter, Alaric, and Fujimaru Ritsuka, Jalter reluctantly suggested, "Why not take me as your Servant instead? I'd probably be more useful than all three of them."
["This can wait—a Servant response is approaching!"]
Through the light screen, Mash Kyrielight immediately warned of an approaching Servant.
"Hmm, Mash, is that you? What are you doing in that place?"
Jalter looked at the image of Mash with a curious expression.
As if the question struck a nerve, Mash hesitated for a moment before smiling. ["Because of various circumstances, I'm not acting as a Servant for now."]
Leaving Fujimaru to repair Singularities alone—if Mash could act, she would never allow such a situation to occur.
"Hmm~ Without you as the last line of defense, it's a bit worrying."
Jalter, having information from the first Singularity, vividly remembered Mash's presence.
["Thank you—though that's a little surprising."]
Mash smiled sheepishly. ["I didn't expect you to think so highly of me."]
Hearing this, Jalter also smiled. "The you I know is someone who, even with tears in your eyes and fear in your heart, wouldn't let go of your shield or run away.
After all, that annoying saint lady never knew fear. But someone like you, as a human, is far more commendable, isn't it?
Ah, what a shame. If you were on my side, I wouldn't have lost."
"Are you done chatting?"
Alaric, bow drawn, tilted his head. "If so, I'll get started."
Buzz.
Both Mash and Alaric detected the approaching Servant's presence, along with multiple faint magical energy signals moving closer.
But no matter who it was, as long as they showed hostility, it would be simple to deal with.
In an instant, Alaric loosed a charged arrow of light, cutting through the night sky at incredible speed. Though it lacked abilities like Clairvoyance or perfect marksmanship, the arrow was absurdly fast.
The streak of light created a meteor-like path across the sky, piercing through building after building, leaving circular holes several meters wide.
As Alaric's arrow flew, Salter shot forward as well. However, even faster than her was Alaric moving like an aurora, his trajectory like an arrow heading straight for the rooftop. Only Salter and a few others could track such astonishing speed.
"As expected of my knight!"
Salter glanced at Jalter and emphasized every word.
"Are you proud of that?"
Jalter didn't hold back, smirking sarcastically. Unlike Alaric, she didn't rush forward but stayed behind to protect Fujimaru Ritsuka.
Meanwhile, James Moriarty watched Alaric's retreating figure in awe, marveling at the sheer speed that left even him trailing far behind.
Following the trajectory of the arrow and the source of the magical energy, Alaric quickly located the Servant in question—
"Emiya? Alter?"
Looking at the dark-skinned man standing on the rooftop, if not for the true name "Emiya" surfacing in his mind, Alaric would have found it difficult to associate this assassin-like figure with the Heroic Spirit, Emiya.
But if it's Emiya, then it all makes sense.
Without any unnecessary words, Emiya Alter drew his gun and opened fire the moment he saw Alaric. In just a split second, he unleashed a barrage of bullets, hundreds of them raining down on Alaric with overwhelming force.
"I assume it's fine if I consider you an enemy?"
Unlike Jalter, for whom Alaric hesitated to make a move, there was no such hesitation when facing Emiya Alter.
Moreover, Alaric understood that if he didn't deal with Emiya Alter here and now, the trouble would only snowball in the future.
This was no mere "Nameless" born of society's creation; Emiya Alter was someone who had actively discarded his name and fallen, becoming a pure and unhesitating executor.
No ideals, no thoughts—just pure efficiency. A so-called anti-hero as mechanical as a machine.
Alaric did not know the reason for Emiya Alter's manifestation, nor did he care to find out at this moment—
Tap. Tap.
Facing the oncoming storm of bullets, Alaric swung his sword, unleashing a terrifying sword aura that seemed to split the night sky itself. The revealed brilliance was so intense that even Emiya Alter felt an overwhelming sense of threat.
Or rather, he had already realized that the man before him was not someone within his capability to fight.
Some time earlier.
As Alaric departed—
"Hey, brute woman."
"What do you want, cold-blooded woman? I wasn't even talking to you."
Jalter turned her head with a look of disdain toward the nearby Salter, who said, "I heard that the Heroic Spirit attached to Mash is Galahad. In other words, Mash could be considered one of my subordinates. Poaching her is forbidden, absolutely forbidden."
Hearing such words, Jalter's lips curled into a sly smile, almost as if Salter was being protective of her food.
"Oh my~ Even the cold-blooded woman can be so emotional at times!"
"But too bad. She's not Galahad. The moment she fully returns to being a Servant, I can hire her if I want, and there's nothing wrong with that!"
"Oh."
Salter's expression remained indifferent as if Jalter's words didn't matter.
"Huh?"
Noticing she might have been mocked, Jalter narrowed her eyes and was about to retort when she suddenly noticed Salter's attire.
"Now that I think about it, what's with your outfit? For you, it's surprisingly cool."
Jalter squinted as she looked Salter up and down, her black battle suit catching her attention. "Not that I care, but why are you dressed like that? I'm not bothered, okay?"
"What are you talking about? This is Shinjuku. Dressing appropriately for the environment is what a Servant should do."
Salter replied matter-of-factly, "I know a certain Lancer who wears a flashy Hawaiian shirt, and because he's frivolous by nature, it suits him perfectly. Therefore, I'm dressed like this. There's absolutely no problem."
'A Hawaiian shirt is fine, though?'
Just returning, Alarid stroked his chin, instinctively wanting to refute Artoria Alter's opinion. But upon noticing Jalter's expression, he wisely chose to remain silent alongside Ritsuka Fujimaru.
"Hmph~ Hmph~ Hoo~ Hmph~..."
Feigning nonchalance, Jalter suddenly said, "Ah, by the way, let's change the subject. I see something suspicious over there."
Looking in the direction Jalter was pointing, Mash instinctively replied, ["Suspicious? That's just a collapsed women's clothing store, isn't it?"]
"Hmph~ Don't underestimate my intuition!"
Jalter ran toward the clothing store. "There's something suspicious in there, so I'm going to investigate! Wait for me, and if you leave me behind, you'll regret it!"
"Oh~ I see."
With an amused expression, Salter watched Jalter's retreating figure, her lips curling into a smirk.
At this moment, noticing Alaric had returned, Ritsuka Fujimaru nudged him with her elbow and whispered, "Did that Servant run away?"
"Run away? If you mean running, then yes."
Still dwelling on Salter's opinion of Hawaiian shirts, Alaric chuckled. "But I've noticed something—this isn't a Holy Grail War with the traditional seven classes. The class distribution here seems far more chaotic.
That guy just now appeared to be an Archer-class Servant."
Emiya Alter, though a corrupted Heroic Spirit, wields firearms as his weapon, making him a legitimate ranged offensive Servant or Archer.
But James Moriarty is also an Archer, which seems to violate the usual rules of the Holy Grail War.
So, the conclusion was obvious.
Alaric turned to look at someone and smiled. "I can't help but feel suspicious about you. May I politely ask, James Moriarty, could you kindly return to the Throne of Heroes?"