Black Snake's voice echoed from every direction.
It reminded Shirou of the time Emperor had suddenly decided to fill an entire room with more than a dozen speakers and blast rap music through all of them at once.
The experience had been deeply unpleasant.
Especially when Croissant and Exusiai started singing along.
Compared to the current situation, however, their duet sounded like heavenly music.
If given the choice, he would much rather listen to Sora or the Emperor sing.
"Are you not a little old to be playing the curious child? What is this, a second childhood? Or are you trying to relive all the experiences you missed when you were young?"
Perhaps it was Shirou's imagination, but he felt his verbal attacks were becoming increasingly vicious.
Then again, the target was hardly a good person.
He had no intention of correcting himself.
"You may think whatever you like. I simply want an answer."
Despite being insulted, Black Snake did not lose his temper.
In his eyes, Shirou was merely enjoying a momentary verbal victory.
He had witnessed countless scenes like this before.
He had heard far worse insults over the years.
A little mockery meant nothing.
If anything, Wei Yenwu had cursed at him far more viciously in the past...
Hm?
Why had he suddenly thought of that old dragon at a time like this?
Was it because the current situation resembled the time he had used most of Lungmen as leverage against Wei Yenwu?
No.
That was probably not the reason.
It felt more like a strangely familiar sense of danger.
For a brief moment, Black Snake found himself distracted by that inexplicable feeling.
He could not figure it out.
Then a wave of intense pain struck him.
At the same time, a crimson blade entered his field of vision.
Only then did he understand why Wei Yenwu had suddenly come to mind.
"Chi Xiao—"
The instant Shirou spoke those words, he discarded the gunblade and drew Chi Xiao.
Then he vanished.
In the next moment, he appeared beside a massive tree.
Without the slightest hesitation, he thrust Chi Xiao straight through both the tree and Black Snake hiding behind it.
A tremendous force erupted from the blade.
The air filled with the roar of dragons.
Even gripping Chi Xiao with both hands, Shirou could feel the violent, barely controlled power contained within it.
However, that was because he had concentrated all of its force into a single point and released it in one explosive burst to subdue Black Snake instantly.
Now all he needed to do was release the remaining energy.
"—Shadowless!"
The moment the words left his mouth, Shirou swung Chi Xiao to the side.
The attack blasted apart both the tree and most of Black Snake's body.
The violent sword energy carved a deep scar across the earth.
Trees caught in its path were cut down in large numbers.
Chi Xiao: Shadowless.
One of the techniques of the Chi Xiao Sword Arts.
The drawing strike itself was also considered one of its forms.
During sparring sessions, Ch'en had used it several times whenever she was in good condition.
As the target of those demonstrations, Shirou had experienced it firsthand.
It left him deeply impressed by the physical advantages enjoyed by Terra's races.
Ordinary Terrans probably could not endure the strain of this sword style.
Only members of physically superior races such as Ch'en and Wei Yenwu's draconic lineage could fully utilize it.
As for how Shirou, an ordinary human, managed to perform it?
Magecraft.
Unlike projecting Berserker's weapons and executing Nine Lives, this version of Shadowless focused primarily on speed.
Many of the swordsmanship elements had been simplified or omitted entirely.
His goal was simple:
Kill Black Snake as quickly as possible.
If the man escaped back into the shadows, the opportunity would be lost.
The only reason Shirou had found an opening at all was because Black Snake had grown arrogant.
If this attack failed, the man would certainly become much more cautious.
And then there would be no second chance.
As for how Shirou had found him...
One should remember that Chi Xiao had originally been passed from Wei Yenwu to Ch'en.
Wei Yenwu had also taught her the swordsmanship associated with it.
Naturally, traces of Wei Yenwu's memories remained within the sword.
This was not the first time Shirou had attempted to wield Chi Xiao.
Previously, he had experimented with it while looking for ways to help Ch'en gain more practical experience with the Chi Xiao Sword Arts.
Unfortunately, those attempts had yielded very little.
Aside from a few scattered techniques, he had discovered almost nothing.
The Shadowless he had just performed was inferior not only to Wei Yenwu's version but probably even to Ch'en's.
His version focused almost entirely on movement.
The sword itself had barely been swung at all.
It possessed the appearance of the technique more than its true essence.
Still, Shirou felt that killing Black Snake with the Chi Xiao Sword Arts would be especially infuriating for the man.
That was why he had shouted the technique's name so loudly.
Seeing the mixture of shock and unwillingness on Black Snake's face filled him with satisfaction.
The frustration that had been building inside him for so long finally found an outlet.
"I truly did not expect this... Wei Yenwu actually taught you the Chi Xiao Sword Arts. Or perhaps this is another one of your abilities?"
Despite having been split in half from the chest downward, Black Snake had not died immediately.
Lying on the ground, he continued speaking to Shirou.
For an ancient monster who had lived for who knew how many years, his composure was remarkable.
Even in this condition, he was still analyzing the nature of Shirou's abilities.
Death seemed almost routine to him.
More than surviving, he wanted answers.
"Are Terrans simply that durable? Or are Felines blessed with absurd vitality? I never imagined you would still be alive under these circumstances."
Unfortunately for him, Shirou had no intention of providing explanations.
He rotated Chi Xiao in his grip and held it in reverse.
The tip of the blade pointed directly at Black Snake.
"What a wonderful look in your eyes. Just like his. Disgusting... Ah, I see. So that is it. Everything finally makes sense! You and Archer are the same person, are you not?"
Ignoring the sword hanging over him, Black Snake stared at Shirou.
Then, as if suddenly arriving at a revelation, he began to laugh.
If one ignored the fact that the mind inside was Black Snake's...
And ignored the fact that only about a quarter of his body remained...
The original owner of that body had actually been quite handsome.
A shame, really.
Unfortunately, he had ended up possessed by a body-stealing lunatic like Black Snake.
After laughing a few times, Black Snake coughed up blood and fell silent. Staring at Shirou with widened eyes, he said:
"Considering that I am about to die, at least let me know whether my guess was correct."
"..."
Shirou showed no intention of answering. He raised Chixiao and began gathering strength, considering where it would be best to strike.
Seeing that the man had already lost most of his upper body yet could still remain so lively, Shirou felt that stabbing the heart would be meaningless. Instead, he shifted his target to the man's brain.
It was not that Shirou did not know how Black Snake planned to possess Talulah. Rather, he was worried that if he simply left, the man might abandon this body after death and go after someone else.
Sniping him from a distance was not reliable either, for much the same reason.
Taking him somewhere else was also pointless. Black Snake might seize the opportunity to possess him instead.
Besides, Shirou was in a hurry. He needed to return to the camp and confirm the situation there.
As for personally finishing him off and risking possession himself, Shirou was not worried.
According to his senior, namely Talulah, Black Snake usually remained dormant inside a host. Only when the host's mind became weak or shaken could he take further control.
Although it felt a little strange to say it himself, Shirou had a certain degree of confidence when it came to being stubborn.
After all, he was someone who could argue against himself and come out victorious.
Wait, was that actually another version of himself from those memories?
Whatever. They were more or less the same. Otherwise, he would never have risked his life using Archer's arm to force his way through the Holy Grail War.
Now that he had a chance to completely eliminate Black Snake, Shirou was willing to stake himself on it.
If he could solve the problem outright, then everyone would be happy.
And if he could not, that was fine too. He had the confidence to suppress Black Snake on a mental level.
The earlier remark about being stubborn was only half a joke. The real source of confidence came from the abilities granted by the Archer card.
The "Derisive Heart of Steel" was an ability originating from Nameless. It was also the primary reason Shirou was unafraid of being possessed by Black Snake.
It was one of the abilities bestowed upon him after using the Archer card.
It was a power that came infinitely close to brainwashing. Strictly speaking, it was already a form of mental contamination, one that prioritized the preservation of human Order above all else.
After being applied through the card, however, Shirou had not felt anything particularly unusual. Perhaps the effect had been significantly weakened, or perhaps his actions at the time already aligned with the requirements of the ability, making it feel natural rather than intrusive.
Regardless, Shirou was absolutely confident that this ability would allow him to maintain his sense of self and resist possession by Black Snake.
And if that still failed, he could always imitate Archer and project Caster's Noble Phantasm. Although he had no idea how Archer had used magecraft to dispel Originium Arts, if Archer could do it, then it had to be possible.
"You really do not know how to respect your elders... If you are willing to tell me, I can choose not to inform those people to begin their attack. That would give you more time to bring this valuable information back.
I get the answer I want, and you gain precious time to save more people. Is that not a win-win situation?"
Realizing that Shirou intended to kill him, Black Snake changed tactics in order to obtain the answer he wanted.
After hearing those words, Shirou did not sense any malice from him. After a brief hesitation, he replied:
"...It is exactly as you suspect. Archer and I are, strictly speaking, the same person. Trusting my own judgment and eyesight is not difficult."
It was only a few sentences. If Black Snake truly kept his promise, it would be beneficial to him. And if the man lied... then so be it. It was only a few moments of conversation.
More importantly, Black Snake showed no hostility. Perhaps deceit and trickery had long been carved into his instincts, but as long as there was even the slightest possibility, Shirou would not easily give up on it.
To make sure Black Snake could not twist his words by claiming he had not been clear enough, Shirou deliberately elaborated further, leaving no room for excuses.
"So it really is... just as I thought..."
Having received the answer he wanted, the eyes of the body controlled by Black Snake suddenly lost focus. Muttering to himself, he said:
"Trusting your own judgment and eyesight... Haha—"
Cough, cough, cough.
Before he could finish, he spat out another mouthful of blood. Even the strong and steady heartbeat that had persisted until now gradually weakened.
"I hope you keep your promise."
Seeing the state he was in, Shirou had no intention of deceiving him. He drew Chixiao across the man's neck, granting him a swift death.
Primarily, Shirou was worried that Black Snake might suddenly change his mind and order an attack on the camp. If that happened, Shirou would become the culprit.
Besides, he had no interest in tormenting or mocking the dying. Even when he had shouted "Chi Xiao" before delivering the finishing blow, it had merely been a small act of revenge for how Black Snake had toyed with him earlier.
"..."
Unfortunately, Black Snake's vitality was not extraordinary enough to survive having his head cut off.
"Nothing feels different. Did this guy not use his ability after all?"
Glancing at the corpse, Shirou sheathed Chixiao. Then, with a sweep of his hand, he planted several pairs of Kanshou and Bakuya around the scattered remains before leaving the area.
After running some distance away, an explosion sounded behind him.
The commotion was not particularly large.
Along the way, Shirou clenched and unclenched his fists, checking his condition. He felt no discomfort whatsoever.
"Having no symptoms is good. That means it will not interfere with what comes next."
The question did not trouble Shirou for long. Soon, he pushed it to the back of his mind and hurried toward the camp.
However, Shirou failed to notice that the Archer card in his pocket was emitting a faint glow of magical energy.
"..."
Opening his eyes, Black Snake found himself standing amidst ruins shrouded in endless darkness.
He no longer possessed the appearance of his previous body. Instead, he now moved about in the form of a black serpent.
This was the first time he had ever encountered a situation like this. It completely overturned everything he had learned over the years about the standard process of possession.
Under normal circumstances, he would enter his target and slowly influence them. Those with weak minds could usually be dealt with through a few carefully chosen words. Someone like Talulah, however, was much more troublesome and required external stimuli before she could be fully broken.
But this situation was something he had never seen before.
Who in the world had an entire wasteland of ruins inside their mind?
Fortunately, there was one thing he did not need to worry about: the outside world.
Just as Shirou had said, trusting himself was not difficult. Another Snake Scale would certainly be able to handle matters outside.
From the very beginning, he had never intended to abandon Talulah, a chess piece who possessed multiple important identities. Through connections dating back to his days as Kashchey, he had contacted the other Snake Scales and persuaded one of them to participate in this plan.
As for what he needed to do now, it was simple.
He would attempt to interfere with Shirou's thoughts and, if possible, seize control of his body.
His earlier submission and promise had been nothing more than an act, a way to lower Shirou's guard. By the time Shirou returned, all he would find would be a battlefield.
This was merely the first step.
In Black Snake's eyes, the ideal Shirou carried within him was incredibly fragile.
This land had always been a place that devoured people whole without leaving a trace.
The brighter and kinder a person was, the more likely they were to become the next target to be consumed.
And he was the hunter.