Esdeath's expression gradually filled with excitement as she observed the young man before her. Despite clearly being pushed to his limits, Shirou had not shown even the slightest sign of surrender from beginning to end.
The azure frost around her intensified sharply.
Aside from her exceptional combat skills and incredible physical prowess, Esdeath, known as the Empire's strongest warrior, wielded something even more terrifying—the Teigu called [Demon's Extract: Demon God Manifestation].
This artifact was forged from the blood of a legendary Danger Beast that had dwelled in the extreme north.
Legend said that whoever drank the blood from that vessel would obtain an overwhelming power to command ice. Before Esdeath, many had tried, but even a single sip drove them mad, shattering their minds and leading them inevitably to a gruesome death.
Only Esdeath had consumed the blood—not just a drop, but the entire vial—and retained her sanity.
Clang—!
A resounding crash rang out as Shirou was hurled backwards, the Nichirin Blade knocked from his hands once again. After tumbling across the snow, he pushed himself upright onto one knee, coughing up a mouthful of crimson blood.
His hands trembled uncontrollably, overtaken by an agonizing chill that penetrated straight to his bones. Just a single strike had completely frozen his hands, rendering even his fingers immobile.
Yet Shirou ignored the searing pain, summoning another silver Nichirin Blade into his frozen grasp. He plunged it into the ground, using it to prop himself up, and wiped the blood from his mouth with a trembling arm.
"Why?" Shirou demanded furiously, glaring at Esdeath. "They'd already lost the will to fight! They were only running for their lives! Why couldn't you let them go?"
"Why?" Esdeath let out a contemptuous laugh, as if she found Shirou's question childish. Twirling her sword elegantly, she drove it into the snow. "Simply because they were weak. The strong slaughter the weak—that's reason enough."
Those were living human beings!
Shirou wanted desperately to shout those words, but he knew he couldn't impose his own ideals onto others.
War wasn't something resolved by pleading about human life or debating justice. Whether from a moral or military standpoint, Esdeath had done nothing truly wrong by slaughtering fleeing enemies.
He knew very well that mercy toward an enemy on the battlefield was cruelty toward oneself—and toward one's own comrades.
Countless battles throughout history had ended disastrously due to misplaced compassion.
Had Esdeath simply ordered her troops to pursue fleeing soldiers or even killed them swiftly to ensure victory, Shirou wouldn't have interfered.
Pursuing a retreating enemy was tactically justified, even expected.
But Esdeath had chosen the cruelest possible means, leaving no survivors. Every soldier had met a horrifying death on that blood-soaked battlefield.
Perhaps it was simply her strategy—crushing enemy morale through absolute brutality was a legitimate tactic.
Shirou could understand, but never accept.
How could she regard human life so lightly? How could she kill so many without even the slightest remorse?
Golden lightning flickered at Shirou's mouth as determination surged through him. The outcome of this battle was already decided; now, he intended only to buy a little more time for those desperate soldiers still fleeing.
Crack!
But Shirou suddenly stumbled, nearly collapsing into the snow.
My legs…they're frozen solid!
Esdeath had clearly anticipated his unwillingness to surrender. Even as Shirou drew breath to fight again, his limbs had already been completely encased in ice, rendering him unable to move.
She had no desire to accidentally kill such a valuable fighter.
If not for the ongoing battle and the fact that news of Numa Seika's capture had yet to reach the other fronts, she might have indulged herself, continuing the battle without using her Teigu's true power and ultimately killing Shirou outright.
However, the current situation demanded her swift victory. Esdeath had already enjoyed herself enough; prolonging the fight any further was pointless.
Moreover, encountering someone as young and talented as Shirou was exceedingly rare. Coupled with his unyielding gaze, it stirred within Esdeath a strong desire to conquer him and claim him as her subordinate.
But there was yet another reason Esdeath had refrained from killing Shirou—even amidst his furious resistance, he had never once directed killing intent or hostility toward her. He radiated only pure battle spirit.
This deeply intrigued her. With her beast-like intuition, she found it unimaginable that this young man harbored not even a trace of intent to kill or genuine hatred toward her, despite everything.
It was as though she wasn't his enemy at all—a notion Esdeath found utterly astonishing.
From beginning to end, Esdeath had attacked him with murderous intent, openly aiming to end his life. Yet Shirou had never retaliated with hatred or hostility.
She couldn't believe someone could conceal murderous intent from her keen senses, nor could she accept that Shirou genuinely bore her no grudge, as if he fully expected her aggression as fair punishment for helping fleeing soldiers.
Even when he'd killed many enemy soldiers in self-defense, he'd felt only remorse rather than hostility. Shirou's actions had been strictly defensive, never aggressive.
Had he found any alternative, Shirou would never have pointed his blade toward another human. Instead of hatred, he carried only guilt—going so far as risking his life to save soldiers who'd previously tried to kill him.
This strange contradiction only heightened Esdeath's interest.
The absence of killing intent was, to Esdeath, another excellent reason for sparing Shirou's life. Accepting someone who wished to kill her would invite unnecessary trouble, and while Esdeath might not mind such risks personally, she had no intention of wasting attention on needless distractions.
The Empire had enough problems. She had no interest in playing dangerous games with those who harbored grudges against her.
Esdeath had yet to reach a point where she could afford such indulgence.
In a blink, she appeared behind Shirou's immobilized form.
Thud!
With a single, decisive strike, Shirou collapsed limply, unable to resist.
After all, projecting four simultaneous blades for his final technique had already drained most of his magical energy.
Not to mention, he'd continuously used Projection and Breathing Techniques since yesterday, fighting without rest or replenishment.
Shirou's breathing techniques intertwined with his magic circuits, greatly amplifying his magic capacity, yet also consuming magical energy each time he performed these powerful techniques.