The four sat silently inside the carriage—though calling it a "carriage" wasn't quite right; rather, it was a Danger Beast-drawn vehicle.
To ensure swift travel back to the Empire, Esdeath had personally captured a Danger Beast, taming it using exceedingly brutal methods—destroying every organ related to aggression and feeding.
Its powerful instinct for survival made clear: obey the woman before it, and it might live a bit longer; disobey, and it would die immediately, just like the countless dead comrades strewn before its eyes.
The coachman expertly guided the carriage, his skill flawless enough to handle even the unpredictably aggressive beast pulling them along. It moved so smoothly that if a glass of water sat atop the carriage, not a drop would spill.
Perhaps this coachman had once delivered tofu down Mt. Akina.
Yet no matter how smoothly the coachman drove, it did little to settle the tension in the hearts of some passengers.
Especially Daidara, who had been utterly humiliated by a single strike.
Multiple times, Daidara nearly lunged forward, intending to crush Emiya Shirou into bloody paste with his overwhelming physical strength.
But each time, the constant sting from the wound on his neck reminded him sharply—if he dared take even a single step forward, the head rolling onto the ground would be his own.
He had no confidence he could surpass Shirou's speed.
He still couldn't comprehend how swiftly Shirou had moved; Daidara hadn't even registered losing his axe until it crashed to the ground.
If Shirou had truly intended to kill him, Daidara would've died without knowing how.
His animal instincts forced his head downward, acknowledging defeat.
Could it be that smaller people always have such monstrous strength?
Liver, Esdeath, and now this red-haired boy—each was vastly stronger than he could hope to match.
Impossible... How could I possibly win? Daidara sank into deep self-doubt. Even wielding a Teigu, I'd probably still lose...
Then he glanced at Nyau beside him.
Ah, perhaps the world isn't so unreasonable after all. At least I can still easily crush this twisted creep who collects women's faces.
"What the hell are you looking at?" Nyau spat, kicking Daidara sharply, visibly irritated by his contemptuous stare.
Shirou, sitting opposite the two of them, found their presence deeply unsettling—both because it was their first meeting and because of the suffocating stench of blood emanating from their bodies.
He decided to stay with them only until he reached the Empire, then find a chance to slip away. Traveling alongside these people made him increasingly uncomfortable.
Yet Shirou didn't press further regarding their blood-soaked auras. After all, even he himself bore an indelible scent of blood.
In war, no one's hands could remain clean.
Even Liver, who'd accompanied Shirou for several days, carried a faint but unmistakable blood scent.
Though Liver's aura was somewhat less oppressive compared to Daidara and Nyau, it wasn't by much. Anyone who became a trusted subordinate of Esdeath, especially one who served as her primary combat force, must have taken countless lives.
However, Liver followed his own moral code. Unless explicitly ordered by Esdeath, he generally refrained from harming innocent people and held no twisted predilections.
But if Esdeath commanded him to massacre—even destroy an entire city—Liver would carry out her orders without hesitation.
At present, he had pledged his absolute loyalty to Esdeath, prepared to commit even the cruelest acts if required.
"You shouldn't think about leaving just yet," Liver said quietly to Shirou, noticing the boy's frequent glances toward the carriage window. "Lady Esdeath ordered me to keep a close watch over you."
He wanted Shirou to understand clearly—his presence these past days hadn't just been to care for Shirou, but to ensure he didn't escape.
The implication was obvious: if Shirou fled, the best outcome Liver could expect was Esdeath granting him a swift death.
Unaware Liver was playing a scripted role, Shirou took the warning seriously. He knew full well Esdeath wouldn't spare Liver if he disappeared now.
Reluctantly, Shirou temporarily set aside his plans to investigate the Empire independently, resigning himself to follow along obediently with whatever mission Esdeath had assigned.
Of course, Shirou still didn't know what that mission entailed, prompting him to ask openly:
"What exactly are we going to do once we reach the Capital?"
"We'll kill—"
Nyau's enthusiastic reply was abruptly cut off by Liver.
This damned noble brat really has no sense of secrecy. Shirou hadn't yet formally joined Esdeath's forces; how could Nyau carelessly disclose such information?
"We're simply bringing some vile criminals within the Empire to justice," Liver quickly interjected, his voice calm yet decisive.
Nyau, sharp-minded as always, swiftly picked up on Liver's cue.
"That's right," Nyau said dramatically, standing suddenly and grabbing Shirou's arms. "There are despicable nobles within the Empire who torture innocent women and children, even slicing off their faces for amusement. Just because they're nobles, no one dares to punish them. We're the ones tasked with bringing these scum to justice."
Raw anger burned convincingly in Nyau's eyes.
"My poor little sister fell victim to one such fiend. They tied me to a pillar and forced me to watch as he carved away her face, piece by piece."
Nyau's voice cracked with sorrow, tears streaming convincingly down his cheeks.
"I can still hear her screams as he cruelly sprinkled salt onto her exposed flesh. If Lady Esdeath hadn't arrived in time, I'd have surely died alongside her. Now I seek not just justice—but vengeance for my dear sister."
Having grown up amidst aristocracy, Nyau was a consummate actor, shifting effortlessly between emotions. His heart-wrenching performance easily convinced Shirou, who gripped Nyau's shoulders firmly in sincere empathy.
Shirou understood better than anyone the lengths he himself would go if such atrocities befell someone dear to him—if he'd had a sister who suffered such a fate, he might willingly become a demon, slaughtering anyone necessary to prevent that kind of tragedy.
Meanwhile, Liver and Daidara both stared at Nyau with thinly veiled contempt.
Wasn't that very brother-sister pair Nyau's most recent victims—just toys he tortured mercilessly for days?
They vividly recalled how Nyau had mutilated the siblings until barely any intact flesh remained, before finally feeding their corpses to his pet dogs.
Daidara cared little for such sadistic behavior, only interested in opponents who could enhance his own strength. Torturing helpless civilians gained him no "experience points."
As for Liver, he simply chose to avert his gaze, disliking such cruelty but unable to reprimand Nyau openly, given their shared status as Esdeath's Three Beasts.
Thus, seated in their "AE86" Danger Beast-carriage, the group arrived swiftly at the Imperial Capital within a day's travel.