"Hah!"
Mash swung the shield in her hands and smashed it toward Emiya Shirou at lightning speed.
Facing the heavy blow, Emiya Shirou calmly raised his long spear and braced it in front of him, stopping the strike just outside his personal range.
The impact was blocked.
But Mash's assault did not end there.
She twisted her body sideways, slipping past the spear planted against her shield, and surged straight into Emiya Shirou's space.
As a Shielder, she lacked long-range offensive methods.
If she wanted to win, it had to be within arm's reach.
Emiya Shirou assessed the situation instantly and took a small step back, opening distance.
As he retreated, the spear that had been pressing against Mash's shield was smoothly withdrawn.
It wasn't that he feared close combat.
This was training.
Crushing her outright would have no meaning.
As the distance reopened, Emiya Shirou slid his grip along the center of the spear shaft, effortlessly reclaiming his advantage in reach.
Just like that, Mash was stopped.
The spear's offense pinned her in place, denying her any further advance.
As the exchange continued, Emiya Shirou's grip moved farther back along the shaft.
The distance between them grew with each step.
The advantage Mash had seized at the start of the battle was completely erased.
Without realizing it, she had shifted from offense to defense.
Even so, Mash truly lived up to the name Shielder.
Facing Emiya Shirou's attacks, she relied entirely on her shield, blocking every strike.
Hidden behind its protection, her eyes followed his movements without blinking.
She waited.
Waiting for an opening.
Until then, she could only endure.
Offense and defense locked together, the battle entered a brief stalemate.
After a long stretch of pressure, Mash's eyes suddenly lit up.
She had found it.
In one of Emiya Shirou's thrusts, the angle shifted-just slightly.
"Now!"
Mash surged forward, shield raised.
She knocked Emiya Shirou's spear aside, forcing it away from her body, and closed the distance in one breath.
At the same time, she hid fully behind the shield and drew her holy sword.
Guided by the blade, her magical energy transformed into light, shining fiercely from behind the shield.
"Sword of Rousing Resolution!"
The blade was revealed.
At last, Mash unleashed her trump card.
The holy sword strike concealed behind her shield.
Sword of Rousing Resolution.
That was the name Mash had given her holy sword.
It mirrored the name of her skill-Shield of Rousing Resolution.
That shield was not something she inherited from Galahad.
It was born from her own desire to protect Fujimaru Ritsuka.
It represented her will.
So when it came time to name the sword, Mash chose the same words.
A blinding beam of light flashed before Emiya Shirou's eyes.
A strike meant to decide victory or defeat.
Emiya Shirou simply tilted his head and stepped aside.
The level of the sword was still low, and Mash's magical energy had not accumulated for long.
The scale of the attack was limited.
Dodging it was effortless.
An explosion echoed behind him.
Emiya Shirou smiled faintly.
"That's enough. Training ends here."
Hearing the command, Mash immediately halted her movements.
"How was it, Senior Shirou?"
"Mmm. The timing was perfect. If I hadn't known in advance that attack was coming, even I might have been hit."
He raised his hand and gently patted Mash on the head.
"Well done, Mash."
"It's only been a few days, and you've already integrated the holy sword into your own fighting style."
"You'll only keep getting stronger."
"I believe in you."
"Thank you for the praise, Senior!"
Mash's face brightened immediately.
...
After training, Emiya Shirou and Mash returned to his tent.
Shuna was already there, with dinner prepared and waiting.
"Welcome back, Lord Shirou. Welcome back, Mash."
"I'm back."
"Good evening, Sister Shuna!"
After exchanging greetings, Emiya Shirou, Mash, Shuna, and Little Rimuru sat down together to eat.
"How has Mash's recent training been going?"
Little Rimuru asked curiously.
He had just returned from the Absolute Demonic Front.
After fighting side by side for so long, Mash, Shuna, Little Rimuru, and Fujimaru Ritsuka-who wasn't present right now-had long since become close friends.
And ever since Mash received the holy sword from Emiya Shirou, she had been training with him without interruption.
All to adapt to her new combat style.
Little Rimuru and Shuna naturally knew this.
"Mmm. Everything's going very smoothly," Mash replied happily. "The new fighting style has already taken shape."
Because Emiya Shirou had carefully studied Mash's habits before choosing her weapon, she adapted to it at an astonishing speed.
Coupled with his instruction, the new style came together quickly.
"That's only natural," Shuna said with a smile. "Lord Shirou is an exceptional instructor. Back in Emiya City, nearly all of our elite soldiers were trained by him."
"And Gobta as well. He used to be just an ordinary goblin, but under Lord Shirou's training, he became a General of Emiya City. His combat power is extremely strong."
"Right, right," Little Rimuru added eagerly. "Father's training is super effective."
"As expected of Senior Shirou," Mash said earnestly.
Listening to the praise from the three beside him, Emiya Shirou shook his head helplessly.
It did feel good to be praised.
But it had to be honest praise.
Training soldiers was one thing.
But Gobta?
How could he count as an ordinary goblin?
Even without Emiya Shirou, that guy would have risen to fame eventually.
With his background, he was practically the definition of an ultimate underdog story.
"Still..."
"Under my training, he should have gone even further than before."
"In that case, I can take some credit."
Praising himself silently, Emiya Shirou couldn't help but chuckle.
And at that moment-
A clear, urgent sensation reached him.
"This is... Ritsuka's call."
Knowing that Fujimaru Ritsuka and the others had encountered a goddess, Emiya Shirou made his decision instantly.
He appeared behind Mash in a flash.
"Ritsuka's calling me. We're leaving."
He left only that sentence behind.
In the next instant, Emiya Shirou and Mash vanished together, swallowed by the rushing storm.
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