The moment the sound appeared, Saber immediately stepped in front of Shirou and Rin.
"Saber!"
Spotting the black shadow lurking nearby, Shirou first called out a warning to Saber before shifting his position to shield Rin behind him.
"Is that... a Servant?"
Looking at the black silhouette hidden among the trees, Rin's first thought was Assassin. However, there was still a considerable distance between them and Ryūdō Temple. The Assassin bound to the temple gate should have been incapable of appearing here.
Then was it Lancer?
Rin was not entirely sure. The figure she had just seen was dressed completely in black, which was clearly different from Lancer's blue outfit.
"No, it is not a Servant. It is the black ghost I mentioned earlier. I did not expect there to be two of them... This is becoming troublesome."
While answering Rin's question, Archer projected his longbow and kept watch over the direction they had originally intended to travel.
The situation was becoming dangerous.
If there were two black ghosts, then the four of them were effectively being caught in a pincer attack. It also meant that even if Saber used her Noble Phantasm to eliminate one of them, the problem would not be solved.
"That is truly terrible news."
After understanding the situation, Rin could clearly grasp just how dangerous their position was.
All seven Servants of the Holy Grail War had already appeared.
Now these black ghosts had emerged as well, making them completely unexpected enemies.
This meant they now had to watch out for threats beyond just Masters and Servants.
What is the Church doing? What is that useless priest even up to? Besides blaming everything on gas explosions, can he do anything at all?
Though she was busy complaining internally, Rin's mind continued rapidly analyzing their options.
Should Shirou separate from them and head to Illya alone?
No.
Who could guarantee there were only two of these things? If there was a third one, then a lone Shirou would become the ideal target.
They still had no idea what these creatures wanted. For now, all they could do was hope that the Einzbern family had already noticed something was wrong.
If the ghosts were not hostile, then things might still work out peacefully.
But if they were hostile, Archer would have to buy time while Saber prepared her Noble Phantasm.
It would be even better if they could gather both ghosts together and destroy them with a single attack.
Unfortunately, that was clearly unrealistic.
There might even be a third or fourth ghost lurking somewhere.
In any case, a cautious approach was best.
After deciding on their course of action, Rin began assigning roles.
Saber would hold the front line.
Archer would provide support.
Shirou would watch for blind spots alongside her and remain ready to use a Command Spell at a moment's notice.
"It's coming!"
Just after Rin finished giving instructions, Saber felt an intense sense of danger and swung forward with all her strength.
The slash carried a tremendous amount of magical energy, blasting away the trees ahead of them and opening up their field of vision.
With their view cleared, the group finally saw the black shadow's true form.
Just as Archer had described, it was a black ghost.
It looked as though a child had draped a pitch-black blanket over themselves, with faint crimson patterns spread across its surface.
If not for the writhing tendrils extending from its lower half, Shirou might have mistaken it for some child's prank.
Even setting aside the strange red markings and tentacles, the overwhelming sense of discomfort radiating from the creature made him feel uneasy.
Shirou was not the only one.
Everyone else could feel varying degrees of discomfort and revulsion coming from the ghost.
Bzzzt—
The static-like noise returned.
The ghost's body suddenly began flickering like a malfunctioning television screen.
Each flicker made the nauseating sensation even stronger.
"What an irritating sound!"
After enduring it for a while, even Rin was becoming annoyed.
The noise was incredibly distracting and made it difficult to concentrate.
Both Rin and Shirou were affected by it.
The difference was that Shirou managed to endure it slightly better.
The ghost seized the moment Rin lost focus.
One of its tentacles shot forward like a spear, aiming directly at her.
"Trace, on—"
The instant he reacted, Shirou projected Kanshou and Bakuya.
He blocked the incoming strike, and the moment the tentacle collided with the twin blades, a distinct cracking sound rang out.
The white blade in front shattered under the impact, becoming covered in cracks before breaking apart completely.
The tentacle, however, continued pushing forward.
It was obvious that the pair of swords Shirou had projected this time were still somewhat crude.
But they had done their job.
"Hmph!"
Archer stepped in.
Wielding a far more refined pair of black-and-white twin swords, he cleanly severed the tentacle.
The failed attack did not cause the ghost to stop.
Instead, it extended even more tentacles and launched a barrage of attacks at the group.
"So disgusting..."
Watching the countless tentacles lashing out at the four of them, Exusiai felt physically sick just looking at the scene.
Even without directly experiencing that unpleasant sensation, simply seeing countless tentacles whipping toward them was enough to make anyone uncomfortable.
Everyone else wholeheartedly agreed.
"If this keeps up, things are going to get dangerous. The tentacle attacks are manageable, but that spreading mud is becoming a serious problem."
After Illya's explanation, Blaze fully understood just how dangerous the substance was to both Servants and humans.
If a Servant came into contact with it, they would be corrupted.
If a human touched it, the consequences would not be pleasant either.
For example, Shirou's adoptive father and Illya's father, Emiya Kiritsugu had been cursed after coming into contact with the mud and ultimately died because of it.
Of course, the curse was not the only factor. His own physical condition had already been poor.
Still, if he had not been cursed, perhaps living a few more years would not have been impossible.
No one was entirely sure, however, since their understanding of magecraft was limited.
Blaze had noticed the black mud's advance, and naturally the people on the battlefield had as well.
"Shirou! Use a Command Spell! I am unleashing my Noble Phantasm!"
Seeing the situation deteriorate, Saber decided not to hold back any longer and immediately called for Shirou to use a Command Spell.
If they continued dragging things out, the black mud would eventually engulf them all.
There was no point in delaying.
The only option was to carve out a path through it.
As Shirou activated the Command Spell, the invisible blade in Saber's hand revealed its true form.
Countless golden motes of magical energy began gathering around her.
"Ex—"
As Saber shouted, the sword burst forth with dazzling light.
"Calibur!"
The instant the Noble Phantasm was activated, a torrent of golden radiance exploded outward.
Everyone present saw nothing but brilliant gold filling their vision.
Although the light was blinding, no one looked away.
Instead, they widened their eyes, determined to witness what would happen next.
Thanks to the magical protection Illya had provided, the spectacle would not cause them any harm.
They had already seen several Noble Phantasms from the Servants participating in this Holy Grail War.
Yet Saber's remained the most unforgettable.
It was beautiful.
It was powerful.
And it was overwhelmingly radiant.
At that moment, the three Rhodes Island operators were reminded of Nearl.
When she activated her Arts, she too emitted dazzling light.
But compared to Saber, it was nowhere near this extreme.
Saber brought down her raised sword.
The attack transformed into a colossal beam of light and surged toward one of the ghosts.
The moment it struck, an enormous column of magical energy erupted skyward.
The blast shot all the way into the heavens.
Even the clouds above were scattered by the tremendous force.
"..."
Witnessing the scene, several people unconsciously compared it to what Shirou had done back in Chernobog.
Compared to Saber's attack, Shirou's had clearly been somewhat weaker.
Nevertheless, its destructive power had still been terrifying.
Even if they poured every ounce of strength into their Arts and erected defensive barriers, they would have no hope of stopping it.
"Wasn't the plan supposed to be stealth?"
While everyone else was still immersed in shock, Croissant suddenly frowned.
It was broad daylight.
A pillar of light that bright would definitely be visible from far away.
How exactly were they supposed to explain that afterward?
A gas explosion?
"..."
Everyone's expressions froze.
Then they collectively turned toward Croissant with hostile looks.
Feeling numerous gazes fixed on her, Croissant immediately hid behind the other members of Penguin Logistics.
Although many people suddenly felt the urge to teach her a lesson, the events unfolding on-screen were far more captivating.
A massive scar had been carved into the landscape by Saber's Noble Phantasm.
Everything touched by the beam had been completely obliterated.
At the point of impact, it looked as though a huge chunk of the world itself had been scooped away.
The power was immense.
One of the black ghosts had been completely destroyed, finally giving Shirou and the others a moment to breathe.
Archer did not waste the opportunity.
While having Shirou cover the front, he projected a Hrunting and fired it.
Unfortunately, the attack's effect was not particularly impressive.
Even so, it forced the remaining ghost to retract a large number of its tentacles for defense, creating an opening to escape.
Without hesitation, Archer scooped up Rin with his right arm, grabbed Shirou by the back of his collar with his left hand, and immediately broke into a sprint.
Saber followed close behind.
"The difference in treatment is a bit excessive, is it not?"
Watching Shirou being dragged along by the collar, even Amiya who was normally very patient could not help but comment.
From that alone, anyone could tell that Archer's opinion of Shirou was far from favorable.
Still, no matter how much he disliked him, Archer would always help when it mattered.
His methods might simply be a bit rough.
At the end of the day, he was still the same kind-hearted person.
After running a considerable distance, Archer finally tossed Shirou onto the ground.
Having spent so long with his collar constricting his neck, the first thing Shirou did upon landing was take a deep breath of fresh air.
Thanks to Archer's precise control, he had never been in danger of passing out from lack of oxygen.
That did not make the experience any pleasant, however.
"...Is that a castle?"
After recovering, Shirou looked around at his surroundings.
Standing before him was an enormous and majestic castle.
"This is the Einzbern estate. They have probably already noticed our presence."
Rin explained the current situation.
For the moment, they had escaped the ghost's grasp.
But they had only escaped.
As long as that thing continued moving around Fuyuki City, they would inevitably encounter it again.
If even two Servants considered it troublesome, then without Servants...
Rin could not even imagine how she and Shirou would deal with such a monster.
"It is huge."
Looking at the Einzbern castle, Shirou could not help comparing it to the Tohsaka residence.
The difference was considerable.
"I have a feeling you are thinking something very rude right now."
Seeing Shirou glance at her with a strange look before turning his eyes toward the castle, Rin could more or less guess what he was thinking.
In a way, that was reassuring.
At least it showed that Shirou was not dwelling anxiously on the enemy they had just faced.
If something as trivial as this was occupying his mind instead, all the better.
"Ahem. It is nothing. Are we waiting here for Illya to come out?"
Realizing that Rin had seen right through him, Shirou became slightly flustered and hurriedly changed the subject.
"Of course. It is not as if I know how many magical traps and wards the Einzberns have set up around here."
Rin could not be bothered to pursue the matter.
After all, Shirou irritating her was hardly a new occurrence.
She had become more or less accustomed to it by now.
The important thing was to take advantage of this brief respite to rest and organize the information they had gathered about the black ghost.
Archer could be seen standing nearby, scanning the surroundings vigilantly.
Saber remained beside Shirou and Rin, her now-concealed sword held at the ready.
As for Shirou...
He rubbed his neck and adjusted the collar of his stretched shirt before letting out a helpless sigh.
The enemy they had just encountered had exerted tremendous pressure on him.
It was different from the pressure Berserker gave off.
The black ghost's presence felt far darker.
Berserker's pressure was like seeing a speeding truck hurtling straight toward you.
A single touch would be enough to break bones or kill you outright.
The ghost, on the other hand, embodied exactly what its name suggested.
It was filled with unknowns, accompanied by a suffocating atmosphere that seemed to seep directly into one's mind.
If he had to describe it, Berserker inspired physical fear.
The ghost inspired psychological fear.
Given the choice, Shirou would rather fight Berserker than have anything to do with the ghost.
Bzzzt—
Even here, in what should have been a safe place, Shirou felt as though he could still hear that static noise.
No.
That was not right.
It was not his imagination.
It really was nearby.
Turning around, Shirou saw that both Saber and Archer were looking toward the castle.
Meanwhile, Rin was questioning Archer about what he had observed there.
Shirou clearly saw something.
A strange shadow was quietly approaching Rin.
It was already dangerously close.
Shirou understood immediately that warning her verbally would be too late.
So he did not hesitate.
He rushed forward and shoved Rin out of the way.
In the very next instant, the shadow reached his feet.