Although he said that, Shirō honestly didn't have any clever counter yet—Magnet Release was just too troublesome.
"Bang!"
He twisted aside, narrowly dodging a wave of iron sand that slammed into the arena floor. Almost instantly, another attack came from his flank, but he cleaved it apart with a single, precise slash.
"It seems I'll have to get serious with you," Shirō said, his tone casual but his eyes sharpening. "I was saving this for someone else… but you'll do."
"Heh… talk's cheap. If you've got the guts, stop dodging!"
"Hmph, fine. I won't dodge—if you can catch me." Shirō's lips curved in a faint smirk, the air around him shifting as he prepared to move.
In that instant, he poured his will into his body, pushing Reinforcement Magic to its upper limit.
"Strengthening—commence!"
Blue markings spread like veins of light across his skin, each pulse amplifying his muscles, nerves, and bones.
"Heh… game over."
"Swish!"
He vanished into a streak of blue, reappearing right before Heijō Masamura's eyes.
"What—?!"
"This speed… impossible!"
"Damn it!" Masamura reacted instantly, commanding the iron sand to form a defensive shell. He always kept a reserve close for emergencies—but this time, it wouldn't matter.
"Useless."
"Bang!"
Shirō's blade blurred, cutting through every grain of the iron sand barrier as though it were paper.
"I win."
He reversed his grip and rested the back of his blade against Masamura's neck, already turning away.
If he was going to put on a show, he might as well make the ending perfect.
It took a moment for the referee to process the speed of the exchange before declaring loudly:
"The winner—Konoha's Emiya Shirō!"
From the stands, the Third Kazekage leaned toward Mito.
"Elder Mito, I truly envy Konoha. Your geniuses shine like stars."
"Haha, you flatter me," Mito replied with a polite smile. "It's just a little cleverness, nothing more."
The Kazekage let the remark pass—acknowledging it would be the same as admitting that Magnet Release had lost to "a little cleverness."
Outside the arena, Shirō found Minato and Tai yi waiting at the exit.
"You sly dog," Tai yi grinned. "You were hiding that speed! Even with my Sharingan, I could barely follow those slashes."
"Yeah," Shikamaru added. "And when did you start learning swordsmanship?"
"I knew it before, just… not very well. Now I'm barely presentable."
"Barely presentable? Some Jōnin couldn't pull that off," Nakamura said with a laugh.
"That's good?!" Mai blinked in surprise.
Shirō shrugged. "Maybe I've just got a knack for this kind of swordsmanship."
It was the safest answer. Call himself a genius and someone might arrange a master swordsman to "train" him back home—something he'd rather avoid. Downplay it too much, and it'd sound like mockery.
The group let it go; everyone had their secrets.
"Oh, right, Minato—your match is next, right?"
"Not exactly," Minato said with a faint smile.
Mai chuckled. "You didn't hear—his opponent forfeited."
"…"
So the advancement I had to fight tooth and nail for, you just… got by standing there?
"So the next match is Mai against Rasa?" Shirō sighed.
"Yeah. Rasa's dangerous," Nakamura said gravely.
"Mai, don't stress. We know some intel on him, so we can plan. Either way, we'll win overall—trust Minato."
"Relax, Mai," Minato added, smiling reassuringly. "I've got everything under control."
Shirō glanced at him. If he didn't already know Minato's character from his past life, even he might have mistaken that for shameless flirting. Fortunately, Mai understood Minato well enough to take it in stride.
Mai nodded. "Alright. Captain, Minato… see you later, everyone."
By the time Shirō and the others reached the stands, Mai and Rasa were forming the Seal of Confrontation.
Mai launched forward immediately, aiming to overwhelm Rasa with speed just as Shirō had done earlier. But Rasa wasn't some inexperienced Genin—he calmly retreated, gold dust swirling protectively around him before striking in precise, unrelenting waves.
Within moments, Mai was on the defensive. As a civilian ninja, her jutsu repertoire was limited—mostly C-rank techniques with little utility against a Kekkei Genkai user. Unlike Shirō, she had no Reinforcement Magic or honed swordsmanship to bridge the gap.
It was only natural. A civilian ninja could rarely match a Bloodline Limit user without Jōnin-level ninjutsu.
After a valiant effort, Mai fell. Rasa, showing the composure of a future Kazekage, ceased his assault the moment she was down and extended his hand for the Seal of Reconciliation.
Aota escorted Mai to rest, while Shirō and Minato stayed to watch the next match: Sasori vs. Iwa's Koshikawa Yoshiyuki.
The moment the referee signaled the start, Koshikawa charged straight at Sasori. Everyone knew a puppeteer's greatest weakness was their own body—get close, and the fight was over.
But Sasori didn't move.
Then—without warning—Koshikawa froze mid-stride.
"When?!"
"What happened?!"
"Is this… cheating?!"
"Captain, what's going on?" Shirō asked, frowning. Even his Clairvoyance couldn't pick out the exact trigger.
Nakamura's expression darkened.
"We overlooked one thing…"