"AAAAAHHHHH—!"
A furious roar erupted from Daidara's throat. Like an enraged beast, the muscles across his body bulged violently, shredding his clothes instantly.
He'd been repeatedly thwarted by Emiya.
Already frustrated at being unable to sate his bloodlust, Daidara's pent-up fury finally exploded, all of it directed at Shirou.
At this moment, Daidara no longer cared about the gap in strength between them—he wanted nothing more than to rip apart the red-haired runt before him.
His massive axe split into two halves, and a wild, violent aura burst from his body.
Under Liver's watchful gaze, Shirou remained expressionless despite the suffocating bloodlust. A strange katana—one Liver had never seen before—appeared silently in Shirou's hand.
It was an eerie blade, as if forged from living flesh and covered in grotesque, blinking eyes.
A sinister aura seeped from its edge.
Facing Shirou, Daidara clutched his twin axes tightly, his face twisted into a ferocious grin that fully displayed his violent, battle-hungry nature.
"I was careless last time!"
"But now, your head's coming off!"
Yet Shirou possessed none of the aura one might expect from a strong warrior. Standing there, he seemed as ordinary as a random passerby—no terrifying killing intent, no overwhelming presence.
"If you don't kill him now, what will happen later?" Shirou suddenly asked, his voice detached and unrelated to Daidara's threat.
"Who the hell cares? I just want to kill you!" Daidara snarled, unconcerned by Shirou's pointless question.
"The Empire will let him continue unchecked," Liver calmly answered from behind. "No matter how many innocents he kills, he'll never face punishment."
Liver was intimately familiar with the Empire's corruption, yet he had already surrendered himself completely to Esdeath. Beyond what benefited his General, nothing else mattered to him now.
Ever since Esdeath had saved his life, Liver cared little for the Empire's fate. Even if the Empire itself fell, he would feel nothing.
"Is that so?"
Shirou had expected as much when he saw this brutality going unchecked. Here, law seemed to have entirely lost its meaning, reduced to just another instrument of oppression against ordinary people.
Kill him? Shirou scoffed bitterly in his heart. Would it even change anything?
On the way to this mansion, Liver had explained some basic information to Shirou, but Shirou's distrust had kept him from fully believing Liver's words.
Yet now, it appeared Liver had been honest. This man truly was scum.
But if a mere baron could evade the Empire's justice so easily, the corruption among the Empire's higher ranks must be unimaginable.
Before Shirou could delve further into his thoughts, Daidara impatiently charged forward, clearly unwilling to wait any longer.
BOOM!
In the next instant, two enormous battle axes smashed viciously down onto Shirou's bizarre katana.
The violent collision sent a fierce shockwave outward, throwing the unconscious man across the room.
Daidara grinned wickedly, his muscles surging as he increased his strength. He'd never lost to anyone when it came to brute force.
Apparently, he'd already forgotten how easily Shirou had disarmed him moments ago.
"[Moon Breathing—Sixth Form: Perpetual Night, Lonely Moon - Incessant]!"
Shirou's muscles surged as he swung forward rapidly. Countless crescent blades and razor-sharp gusts burst forth, slicing mercilessly into Daidara.
Splurt—!
In a blink, Daidara's body was riddled with wounds, blood erupting in fountains.
"How… is this possible!?"
Under the pale moonlight, Daidara sailed backwards in a bloody arc.
To Shirou, his movements had been painfully slow.
The only things Shirou could commend were Daidara's physical toughness and raw strength.
With speed that sluggish, it was no wonder Bulat had dispatched him instantly. Daidara was only suited to slaughtering ordinary, defenseless people.
Despite his claims of seeking experience from powerful opponents, Shirou suspected Daidara had never truly faced a formidable foe.
"Is killing him really the only solution?" Shirou asked Liver quietly after knocking Daidara unconscious.
"No other solution exists. Even if imprisoned, his release would just be a matter of time," Liver replied, sighing heavily.
"What about these women, their families?"
"They'd probably become his burial companions," Liver bluntly revealed the truth.
To Empire nobles, commoners were merely speaking livestock, disposable playthings for their amusement.
"A twisted country…"
Shirou closed his eyes, a weary sigh escaping his lips. Apart from killing this man, Shirou was utterly powerless.
Would torturing him bring back those who had died?
Shirou noticed the dying women's pleading gazes fixed upon him.
A flash of silver swept past the unconscious man's neck.
A severed head flew upward, landing heavily on the floor beside its body.
Seeing this, the women who had clung to their last breaths closed their eyes peacefully, finally released. They hadn't even thought of exacting revenge upon their tormentor—only wished to witness his demise.
"Could you tell me about these women?" Shirou asked softly, guilt clear in his eyes as the strange blade vanished from his grasp.
Liver couldn't fathom Shirou's remorse. Hadn't they acted as the embodiment of justice this time?
"You want to compensate their families? I can arrange something for them," Liver offered.
Liver was no stranger to kindness, understanding Shirou's intention. But in this Empire, such gestures were ultimately futile.
"No…there's no need," Shirou shook his head.
He understood clearly. Nobles who freely abducted people could easily seize commoners' belongings. Offering compensation would only deepen their suffering.
It was like giving a beggar a large sum of money—others would simply beat him up and steal it all.
No amount of wealth could heal the pain of losing a loved one. Such good intentions became a lethal poison to ordinary people here.
Even though Liver deliberately steered their carriage through the prosperous areas of the Capital, Shirou had still noticed countless atrocities hidden in its dark corners.
His eyes weren't just for show; he saw clearly what others overlooked.
Initially, Shirou believed the Empire's instability was due to continuous warfare draining its finances and stability. War inevitably consumed resources, disrupting society.
He had thought peace would return once the conflicts ended.
But if a mere baron could abuse his power so brazenly, what horrors must those above him commit?
The Empire was thoroughly rotten.
Every day, countless corpses lay discarded in the streets. Though far from the battlefield, the city was no less cruel—a daily struggle for survival among the common folk.
No matter how Shirou tried to help individuals here, nothing meaningful would change.
One person's kindness alone could never erase a world so thoroughly drowned in evil.