"I just hope Sisigou-san's Servant can quickly grasp the situation and stop tangling with Saber."
The dense mist completely obscured Shirou and Kairi Sisigou's vision. Even [Incursio] couldn't help them pierce through the fog to spot their enemies.
Shirou could only roughly estimate Berserker's position by sensing vibrations through the ground.
Gulp.
Shirou swallowed nervously.
Within this suffocating mist, Berserker's rhythmic footsteps were incredibly oppressive. After all, Shirou had personally seen the Servant's chest heal instantly from a massive hole, even regenerating a whole new arm from the wound.
If Berserker could effortlessly recover from wounds of that magnitude, Shirou had no idea how to deal with him.
Moreover, Berserker's sheer combat power was formidable. At least for Masters, he was an utterly insurmountable opponent.
It was only because Shirou's own Servant, Arthur, was exceptionally powerful that Berserker's main threat seemed limited to his terrifying regenerative ability.
But as someone who stood behind Arthur, Shirou had directly felt the dreadful force behind even a casual swing of Berserker's sword.
At least, Shirou wasn't confident he could remain standing after receiving even a single blow from that monstrous Servant.
As the vibrations approached, Shirou tightened his grip on the chain-linked sword in his hand.
Beside him, Sisigou aimed his shotgun toward the source of the sound.
Thump!Thump!Thump!
Each footfall sounded like the beating of a massive heart, causing Shirou's and Sisigou's own hearts to contract in fear with every step.
"Oppressors! Oppressors!" roared a coarse voice accompanying the steadily approaching footsteps. Through the fog, Shirou could only make out a massive silhouette looming ominously before him.
That hulking form was too huge for even the thick fog to fully conceal. Shirou gripped his sword tightly, eyes locked onto the enormous shadow.
He could sense a penetrating gaze sweeping through the mist, directly toward him.
Realizing he couldn't afford to hesitate any longer, Shirou lunged forward decisively, thrusting his sword toward the shadow.
But the ground suddenly shook again.
Shirou's blade stabbed into empty mist. He'd hit nothing.
"Did he not notice us?" Sisigou murmured softly, wiping imaginary sweat from his armor as he heard the heavy footsteps gradually receding. Lowering his raised shotgun, he turned questioningly to Shirou.
Did he notice us? No—he must have.
Shirou pondered inwardly. At such close range, it was impossible that a Servant like Berserker hadn't sensed their presence. Yet, inexplicably, Berserker hadn't attacked them.
Shirou had even been ready to use a [Command Spell] if necessary. He wasn't ignorant about the Holy Grail War; at least Darnic had explained plenty about its basics.
But Shirou couldn't understand why Berserker hadn't targeted him directly.
Wouldn't it have been easier to eliminate Shirou first?
If Shirou fell, Arthur wouldn't last long in this world either.
Just as Assassin had tried earlier—by eliminating Shirou, they would effectively eliminate Arthur.
Yet Berserker had ignored that opportunity entirely.
"Oh no, he noticed you!"
Before Shirou could reply, a sweet and innocent voice abruptly answered Sisigou's earlier question, coming directly from the fog right in front of Shirou.
The mist rippled slightly.
Shirou raised his gaze sharply.
Once again, the childish voice emerged from within the dense fog.
"Why does Onii-chan have to wear armor? Does that mean you don't want to hug us?"
Directly before Shirou, a petite figure slowly took form from the mist—a small girl, appearing no older than twelve or thirteen years, gazed at him sadly.
Her expression was filled with sorrow, as if Shirou had wronged her deeply. It was a sight that instinctively made one want to comfort her.
"Who...are you?"
It was as though some part of Shirou's memories had suddenly been erased. The young girl, dressed in leather and sporting short, disheveled silver hair, felt distinctly familiar, yet he couldn't recall a single memory of her.
Caught in that confusion, Shirou froze momentarily in place.
The girl wouldn't let such an opportunity slip.
Without the slightest sound, a sharp blade flashed from the girl's hand, darting out like an arrow aimed directly at Shirou Emiya's abdomen.
Bang—!
Clang—!
Intense sparks exploded as the blade scraped across Shirou's armor, leaving behind a shallow gash.
"Aww, that mage-ojisan over there is so annoying! We were almost successful just now."
Wisps of smoke rose from the barrels of Sisigou's shotgun.
"What are you spacing out for?! She's Assassin!"
Ignoring the girl's complaint, Sisigou urgently warned Shirou.
He didn't recognize the girl, nor did he pause for even a moment. The instant she appeared, he'd raised his weapon and fired without hesitation.
As a Master, Sisigou immediately recognized the girl as a Servant. After all, only Servants displayed such visible parameters.
Shirou had simply forgotten his ability, as a Master, to perceive a Servant's attributes.
Several thick bullets collided directly with the blade aimed at Shirou, producing brilliant sparks. Though incapable of seriously injuring the Servant, the force was enough to slightly deflect her strike.
"Assassin!"
Snapping back to reality, Shirou glanced down at his now damaged armor, the thick, nauseating stench of blood washing over him, instantly confirming her as a clear enemy—even if she hadn't already been identified as Assassin.
Whoosh—!
Without hesitation, Shirou swung down fiercely toward the silver-haired girl.
"Onii-chan's armor is really tough to cut through, but that ojisan over there doesn't seem to have any armor capable of blocking my attacks!"
Completely ignoring Shirou's strike, Assassin complained childishly, clearly upset about Shirou's armor's resistance.
Shirou's blade came crashing down directly toward her head—but at that exact moment, without showing the slightest hint of fear, her form seemed to dissolve completely into the mist, vanishing without a trace.
In the next instant, silently and without warning, a petite figure reappeared directly behind Sisigou.
With an innocent yet twisted smile, she gripped her ice-cold blade tightly and ruthlessly drove it toward Sisigou's neck.