For Alaric, the talk about James Moriarty's spirit origin, remnants, and dualities of good and evil held no meaning. After encountering Salter, Jalter, Emiya Alter, and James Moriarty, Alaric had gained a certain understanding of the Servants of Shinjuku.
When it came to "Alter" Servants, James Moriarty didn't even require the kind of "Alter" transformation seen in Artoria or Emiya. He naturally belonged to the Evil alignment.
However, Moriarty's current actions were undoubtedly genuine. Alaric could detect no falsehood in Moriarty's sincerity toward Fujimaru Ritsuka.
His honesty was so apparent that Alaric couldn't even find a proper reason to take action against him until now.
This showed that, despite James Moriarty being a Servant aligned with evil, there was still a part of him that could be considered good—or at least something close to it.
Even so, Moriarty's motivations for temporarily siding with good were unclear, and the reason for his separation from his original self remained a mystery.
James Moriarty was like a figure shrouded in mist. Not only was he a potential risk to Fujimaru Ritsuka, but to Alaric as well. After encountering Emiya Alter, Alaric was even more certain of this.
As Alaric spoke up, Fujimaru Ritsuka visibly tensed and immediately understood the implications of his words. Ritsuka tugged at Alaric's hand, trying to calm him down and stop him from acting so hastily.
Moriarty was suspicious—this was obvious. The actions of this fifty-something-year-old man appeared highly dubious in the eyes of Salter and the others.
Even Fujimaru Ritsuka could see it. How could James Moriarty not notice Alaric's true intentions?
Though Alaric didn't show any overt killing intent, Moriarty could sense that Alaric seriously intended to resolve the situation here and now!
Alaric didn't care about the aftermath and acted with a strange persistence and confidence—
To which—
The ever-composed James Moriarty chuckled and said, "So, just because I'm suspicious, you're going to take me out? That hurts my feelings, you know."
Ignoring Fujimaru Ritsuka's tugging hand, Alaric rolled up his sleeves and walked toward James Moriarty with an indifferent expression. "Anything else you want to say?"
"Wait, wait, wait! Hear me out!"
Seeing that Alaric was about to act, Moriarty immediately raised his hands in a gesture of surrender, afraid that Alaric would strike before he finished talking.
Meanwhile, Salter, watching the scene, showed an amused expression and had no intention of intervening.
Having once fought the Archer of Shinjuku—who might be referred to as the Evil James Moriarty—she would never trust the words of someone like Moriarty.
If Alaric planned to settle things with Moriarty here, Salter would even praise his decisiveness as a knight.
Back in Chaldea, Mash, observing Alaric's actions, instinctively remarked, "Maybe Sir Alaric should take another look first?"
...
Before Alaric could respond, the sound of a motorcycle engine roared in the distance, accompanied by an ear-splitting growl that echoed across the sky.
Chasing the motorcycle was a bizarre beast that resembled a chimera—a stitched-together monstrosity—racing down the empty streets of Shinjuku and heading straight toward Alaric and the others.
"ORA ORA ORA!! Feel the wrath of Super Chimera-kun!"
A delinquent with a Mohawk laughed wildly, his face a mess of distorted features. At his command, the chimera surged forward, accelerating past the motorcycle and lunging at Alaric and the group!
"This is just a chimera."
Alaric turned his face slightly, paying no attention to the incoming chimera. In contrast, Salter and Fujimaru Ritsuka readied themselves to fight the three-headed chimera that was attacking.
However, compared to the chimera, Alaric focused his attention elsewhere—
"ROAR!!"
A headless rider galloped through the night sky on a massive wolf, moving at astonishing speed. Wherever its claws landed, deep gouges were left in the ground.
Like a bolt of lightning, it closed the distance to Fujimaru Ritsuka and the others in an instant. The chimera that had been attacking them was bitten in half by the giant wolf!
Absolute power and unmatched ferocity were on full display at that moment!
"Shinjuku's Rider? But judging by that hatred, it seems more like an Avenger."
Standing in front of Fujimaru Ritsuka, Alaric calmly examined the colossal wolf and the headless rider, his eyes gleaming like gemstones.
The speed of the wolf was incredible. Even though Alaric had been carefully monitoring the Servants of Shinjuku, he was still amazed by the wolf's movements.
Its running was like teleportation. It was entirely fitting to call it the Wolf King.
As for the true name of the Servant, Alaric identified it the moment he saw them. Such intense hatred couldn't belong to a mythical beast or phantom beast from mythology.
This was a figure from more recent history—Hessian Lobo.
As mentioned in Seton's Animal Chronicles, Lobo was infamous for terrorizing the plains of New Mexico. In five years, he reportedly killed over 2,000 cattle and, in one night, slaughtered nearly 250 sheep without eating them.
Even renowned hunters feared him, calling him the Devil Incarnate. Seton eventually devised a plan to capture Lobo by targeting his mate, Blanca, the white wolf.
Blanca's curiosity led her into a trap, where she was killed by humans. In his quest to retrieve her body, Lobo fell into a trap himself. Refusing to eat human food, Lobo eventually died.
As for the headless rider atop the Lobo, its name was Hessian.
Hessian was a mercenary hired by the British government and sent to America. According to legend, he was struck by a cannonball, which decapitated him, yet he wandered the land unaware of his death, haunting the Sleepy Hollow.
From the legends, there didn't seem to be any connection between Hessian and Lobo. They appeared to be unrelated entities that had somehow been fused into one.
In other words, this massive wolf was a unique Servant formed from multiple beings.
"A Servant of Phantasmal Origin, huh…"
Having studied Servant classifications, Alaric quickly deduced the answer.
Both Lobo and the headless Hessian were types of Phantasmal Servants. Phantasms were extremely rare and unique Servants.
Normally, Servants couldn't be summoned solely based on fictional concepts. They required a foundation in mythology, legend, or actual historical existence.
If a Servant were to exist purely as fiction, there would need to be a corresponding reason, such as Nursery Rhyme, which manifests as the crystallization of the concept of protecting children.
Fictional entities with insufficient spiritual energy or those that only exist as urban legends, couldn't become heroes or anti-heroes. These beings were classified as Phantasms.
Phantasms were weaker than even writer-type Servants who could only wield a pen. Even if summoned, they didn't possess physical bodies.
However, Phantasms could still have Noble Phantasms. The power of their Noble Phantasms was often diminished due to their nature as Phantasms.
But Hessian Lobo was different. It had been summoned into the present world as a fusion of multiple Phantasms, making it not only strong but far exceeding the strength of an ordinary Servant.
Judging by its spiritual energy alone, Alaric could feel the immense power of the Hessian Lobo.
In terms of sheer strength, it could even stand toe-to-toe with Salter in her current form!
'As expected, a fusion of multiple Phantasms. If that's the case, then James Moriarty must have fused with a Phantasm as well. That gun of his must be the Phantasm's limitation…'
Through observing Lobo, Alaric confirmed Moriarty's anomaly. As a character from The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, Moriarty fits the criteria for a Phantasmal Servant.
If Moriarty were summoned alone, he would be too weak. But by fusing with a Phantasm, he could not only gain its Noble Phantasm but also unleash its full power.
Alaric's brief contemplation was interrupted by a witch's roar.
"This is my soul, forged by hatred—Roar, My Wrath (Le Grondement Du Haine)!!"
The unfurled banner ignited the flames of fury—a cursed flag borne by Jeanne d'Arc, who descended upon the world as the Dragon Witch.
In the name of the Avenger, she transformed her hatred and the surrounding resentment into magical energy, setting everything ablaze.
All injustice, filth, and self-righteousness of those caught in the flames were burned to the marrow.
The terrifying inferno engulfed the entire street, cutting off all escape routes in an instant as if turning this place into an execution ground.
"You idiot! Who in their right mind would drag us all into this mess?!"
Armored and ready for battle, Salter glared at the roaring flames and turned toward the returning Jalter, reprimanding her: "Where's your brain?!"
Jalter, who had hurried back after sensing the presence of the Hessian Lobo, looked displeased and retorted immediately: "Hah? Didn't you signal me to use my Noble Phantasm?"
"Why would we ever do something so—"
Salter instinctively shouted back, but she quickly realized the answer. Turning her gaze toward a certain someone who had survived thanks to the Hessian Lobo, she said, "It was you."
If there was anyone present who would pull such a stunt, there was only one suspect.
The culprit, James Moriarty, remained calm. Before Salter could make a move, he quickly said, "Of course it was me! But please, don't solve this with your holy sword. Let me explain myself."
"There's nothing to explain. We'll settle this right here—"
Facing the Hessian Lobo, Alaric grinned, crouching slightly as radiant energy surged within his tightly clenched fists.
In the instant his gaze locked with that of the Hessian Lobo, Alaric understood—this was an opponent that had to be dealt with here and now. The Hessian Lobo was an embodiment of vengeance, whose absolute hatred severed any possibility of communication with humanity.
In response to Alaric's unrestrained aggression, the Hessian Lobo let out an earth-shaking roar.
The biological fear that the roar provoked was no match for the overwhelming hatred in Alaric's heart.
There was no need to wait. At the very moment the Hessian Lobo roared, both Alaric and Lobo charged at each other simultaneously!
If the charging Hessian Lobo was a beast of vengeance, driven by an endless hatred to tear apart all humans, then the figure meeting him head-on was a knight determined to crush that hatred.
This was not about reasons or causes; it was an inevitable collision between two beings who could never coexist.
Even if it meant a fight to the death.
The Hessian riding on the Lobo's back wielded a bizarre long blade, which resembled fangs as it slashed toward Alaric from both sides, aiming to pin him down.
Meanwhile, the Lobo opened his massive maw, its terrifying bite force capable of snapping a chimera clean in half!
Facing the dual attack of the Lobo and Hessian, Alaric didn't even bother to draw a weapon. Instead, he met them head-on with nothing but his bare hands and raw physical strength!
Step. Step.
In just three strides, Alaric completely ignored the twin blades slashing toward him from the Hessian. Fixating on the rapidly approaching gaping maw, he reached out with his bare hands to grab Lobo's head!
Clang!
Because Alaric abandoned any attempt to defend against the twin blades, the Hessian's strikes landed squarely on him. But despite being of flesh and blood, Alaric's body emitted a metallic ringing sound upon impact.
Yet, as a phantom spirit, the Hessian lacked the mystery required to break through Alaric's defenses!
Seizing the opportunity, Alaric firmly caught the charging Lobo, using his immense physical strength to bring the Lobo's full momentum to a halt.
Crack. Crack. Crack.
Visible cracks began to spread outward from where Alaric and Lobo clashed, but before the ground could completely shatter, Alaric exerted more force. Grasping Lobo's upper jaw, he forced the Lobo's head down, bending it to the ground.
Now that they were so close, Alaric locked eyes with Lobo.
There was no hint of intellect in that gaze, only endless hatred.
With no hesitation, Alaric's fist, glowing with radiant light, struck Lobo's head with overwhelming force!
Boom!
As their collision erupted, the deafening impact unleashed a massive shockwave. The flames raging around them surged even higher, the inferno growing wilder as it consumed the streets of Shinjuku.
The spreading power of the blow was secondary. What truly drew the attention of Salter, Jalter and Fujimaru Ritsuka was the brilliant radiance that accompanied the strike.
Dozens of shimmering trails of light spiraled outward like the tendrils of a luminous vortex.
The fiery streets created by Jalter, and even the eternal night sky above, seemed to be torn apart by this dazzling aurora.
Amidst the starlit aurora, the true might of one individual was revealed.
The light lasted only an instant, like a fleeting bloom, before vanishing from sight. But the battle was far from over.
The first to recover was Salter, who immediately turned her attention to Alaric as he continued fighting the Hessian Lobo. What she saw was a spray of blood.
The headless Hessian, whose defense was pierced as though it didn't exist, had his chest impaled by a glowing hand!
The Headless Hessian and the Lobo formed a pair, complementing each other. Or perhaps it would be more accurate to say that their true power resided in Lobo. As a Servant, the Headless Hessian's abilities were far too weak.
Faced with ALaric's decisive strike, the Hessian stood no chance!
Stepping on Lobo's head, Alaric drove the blow through the Headless Hessian's chest, but he didn't stop there. Raising his hand, he summoned a false holy sword and swung it down toward Lobo.
The death lines running across Lobo's body were vividly clear to Alaric, glowing as glaring weak points—touch them, and death was inevitable!
Losing the Hessian, who was essentially half of his being, the enraged Lobo unleashed a tremendous burst of power. Ignoring the devastating punch he'd just received, he broke free from the ground, trying to throw Alaric from his back!
Clank. Clank.
Black chains emerged from the void. Though they were insignificant against the rampaging Lobo and incapable of restraining him even for a moment, the spikes on the ends of the chains resembled blades—
Squelch. Squelch.
As the chains pierced the death lines on Lobo's body, Alaric saw his chance. With a single swing of his sword, he severed Lobo's head!
The blood that sprayed into the inferno evaporated instantly as if it had never existed.
The headless Lobo's body collapsed with a heavy thud.
Its death lines severed, and the Lobo succumbed to its destined death. It had no chance for a final struggle and could only return to the world of the dead.
Under normal circumstances, the Lobo would have been a tremendously powerful threat, capable of putting immense pressure on everyone.
With a nearly indestructible body, even an anti-army Noble Phantasm wouldn't have caused much damage. Yet, faced with inevitable death, he was far too fragile.
No matter the circumstances, Lobo wasn't immortal. Without immortality, once Alaric got close, the Lobo's death became unavoidable.
Thus, the Hessian Lobo's reign came to an end, mere minutes after his grand entrance.
This scene reflected in everyone's eyes, and only those who were familiar with Hessian Lobo's strength—Salter, Jalter, and James Moriarty—could comprehend just how overwhelming Alaric's power truly was.
A strength far beyond that of ordinary Servants.
"As expected of my knight. Hm, yes, as expected."
Satisfied with Alaric's performance, Salter dismissed her spirit armor, returning to her usual outfit.
Crossing her arms, she nodded repeatedly in approval of Alaric's actions. She glanced at someone nearby and said, "My knight, oh~~"
"Hmph. He must have been tricked… or forced into it," Jalter snorted, looking at Alaric standing near Hessian Lobo's fading corpse. She called out, "Hey, why not join me instead? Don't be this cold-blooded woman's knight!"
"I've told you already—recruitment poaching is forbidden. Forbidden," Salter immediately cut Jalter off without hesitation.
"Let's get back to the main topic."
It was as if he had just dealt with a trivial matter. Alaric released the blood-stained holy sword in his hand and continued walking toward James Moriarty. His calm words seemed to announce the arrival of the end.
James Moriarty, with a composed expression, locked eyes with Alaric, appearing as though he had everything under control. He then chuckled and said, "After killing Rider, are you planning to kill me next?"
"No, I don't intend to kill you right now. I want to know all the information about the Servants in Shinjuku, and—"
Hearing this, Alaric shook his head. The two Servants, Lobo and James Moriarty belonged to the category of phantom-type Servants, while Salter and Emiya Alter were classified as reversal-type Servants.
Although Jalter could also be counted in, she was nothing more than that.
Looking at James Moriarty, Alaric asked, "If I were to kill all the Servants in Shinjuku, what would happen?"