Chapter 91. The Falling Farce and the Rival Named "Fianna"
The moment the Bridge of Sighs fractured.
Just as Argo let go of Shirou's hand, prepared to stage a heart-wrenching scene of heroic sacrifice—and just a second before Shirou Emiya, eyes brimming with tears, was about to let his "small universe" (darkening) explode—
SWOOSH—!!!
A golden stream of light, accompanied by a sharp sonic boom, streaked from the other side of the canyon. It was a spear. A ridiculously long spear, its tip shimmering with the brilliance of a "certain-hit" strike.
Puff!
The spear didn't transfix Argo. Instead, with uncanny precision, it pierced through the waistband of his baggy clown pants. Carrying immense kinetic energy, it pinned Argo—like a butterfly specimen—to a crooked-necked tree growing out of the cliffside.
"Waaaaah! My waist! My kidneys! I almost became a skewered clown!" Argo hung from the tree, kicking his legs like a sun-dried salted fish, letting out a shriek like a butchered pig. "Who?! Who's sniping this Great Hero?! Don't you know the atmosphere was serious just now?! I'd already written my suicide note in my head!"
At the cliff's edge, Shirou Emiya, who had been ready to risk his life, froze. Wishe and Olna, who were about to wail, also froze. Even the Minotaur, which had been ready to roar in victory, stood stunned by the sudden turn of events, a puff of awkward white steam escaping its nostrils.
"This... what is this?" Shirou looked down at Argo swinging back and forth, and the tears at the corners of his eyes were forcibly sucked back in. Where's the emotion? Where's the tragedy? What's with this gag-manga development?!
"Shut up, you idiot." A crisp, chilling, yet inexplicably majestic girl's voice drifted from the opposite cliff.
Everyone looked up. Standing on the rocks across the canyon was a troop of fully armed knights. Leading them was a petite, blonde-haired, blue-eyed Prum girl. She wore silver-white knight's armor, her red cloak fluttering in the wind. Her thumb was pressed lightly against her lip, her gaze revealing a wisdom that saw through everything and...
A profound contempt for idiots.
"If you want to die, find a quiet place where no one is looking." The girl withdrew her hand and spoke coldly. "Don't cause trouble for others on a major thoroughfare, and especially don't block our path."
"That appearance..." Shirou's pupils shrank. Blonde hair, blue eyes, a Prum, and that iconic thumb-biting gesture. Aside from the gender, she was a carbon copy of Finn Deimne.
Is she... Finn's ancestor? The thought flashed through Shirou's mind.
The Prum girl ignored Shirou's shock. She leaped from the rock, her movements as light as a swallow. The knights behind her followed suit. Among them was a tall Elf with emerald hair holding a staff, and a sturdy-looking human youth carrying a giant shield.
The entire unit... landed. The girl touched down on the remaining pier of the suspension bridge and yanked out the spear pinning Argo (incidentally letting him fall flat on his rear).
"Ouch! My butt!" Argo jumped up rubbing his backside. He was about to lose his temper, but seeing the girl's icy gaze, he instantly folded. "Um... thank you, Heroine, for saving my life?"
"Hmph." The girl snorted coldly. She flicked her spear, pointing it directly at the still-dazed Minotaur. "Are monsters these days so lacking in vision? Seeing the banner of the [Knights of Fianna], and you don't scurry away?"
"Fianna?!" Wishe (the Half-Elf) gasped. "The legendary... noble Order of Knights?"
ROAR—!!! The Minotaur clearly didn't recognize any Order of Knights. It only knew that new bugs had arrived to disturb its meal. It angrily raised a massive fist to crush the tiny girl.
The girl named Fianna didn't dodge. She merely shifted her body slightly, and the spear in her hand turned into a bolt of golden lightning.
"Tir na Nog — Flash Thrust!"
Psh-t! The spear instantly pierced the Minotaur's palm, followed by three bloody holes in its knee. The movements were so fast they left no afterimages.
So fast... even faster than Finn?! Shirou watched from above, dumbfounded. If Finn's style was a precision strike based on calculation, this girl's was a wild barrage based on pure primal instinct.
"Helga! Lazar! Move!" Fianna commanded.
"Yes, Commander!" The human youth with the giant shield (Lazar) charged, slamming his shield into the monster's toes. The damage was low, but the "taunt" was at maximum. The emerald-haired Elf (Helga) raised her staff, her chanting speed terrifyingly fast. "O Gale—tear it apart!"
BOOM! Wind blades and spear light intertwined. The once-invincible Minotaur was actually being forced back step by step by this sudden three-person cell.
"Now's our chance! We can't lose either!" Shirou snapped back to reality. Though he didn't know if these people were friends or foes, how could they miss out on beating a downed dog? "Olna! Crozzo! We're going in!" Shirou raised the wooden sword in his left hand. "Don't let that blonde pipsqueak steal all the glory!"
"OHHH!" Olna had been itching for a fight; she leaped down with her axe. "That bull-monster is my prey too!"
Thus, what was supposed to be a tragic final battle turned into a "kill-steal" competition between two teams. On the left was the [Argo Heroic Faction (The Ragtag Bunch)]. On the right was the [Knights of Fianna (The Regulars)].
"Watch me! Emiya-style — Wooden Sword Critical!" Shirou used Mind's Eye to find weak points, literally rubbing salt (physically) into the monster's wounds.
"Naive! Knight Spearmanship — Spiral Pierce!" Fianna (the Knight) blocked Shirou's attack path with her spear while simultaneously opening a new hole in the monster. "You, Redhead! Get out of the way! This is our prey!"
"Ha? We were here first!" Olna shoved Fianna (the Knight) aside with her axe. "Where's your sense of fairness?! I've claimed this meat!"
"Fairness?" The Elf named Helga pushed up her nonexistent glasses coldly, her magic mercilessly blowing back both Olna and the monster. "In this era, power is fairness."
"Hey! You green-haired one! You're hitting allies too?!" Our Wishe (the Archer) hopped madly in anger.
"Who are your allies? Just a bunch of rabble." Helmes... no, Helga, looked haughty.
The scene was absolute chaos. The Minotaur was feeling more aggrieved than anyone. As a Boss, it not only had to endure a gang-beat from two groups but also had to listen to them argue while they hit it. ROAR!!! (Respect me a little, will you?!)
Finally, under a simultaneous strike from Shirou and Fianna (the Knight), the Minotaur could no longer endure the dual torture of mind and body and collapsed in grief and indignation. Its massive body dissolved into black smoke, leaving behind a fist-sized Magic Stone.
"Mine!" Olna and Lazar lunged for the stone at the same time.
Snap! A foot stepped onto the Magic Stone. Fianna (the Knight) looked at everyone coldly. "This is our trophy. Any objections?"
"Yes! Of course I have objections!" Argo poked his head out from the back; though his face was still swollen, he couldn't lose the aura of a leader. "Brother Emiya took it down! You guys just got the last hit!"
"Last hit?" Fianna (the Knight) narrowed her eyes at Argo. "What right does a clown who can only hang on a monster's back screaming for help have to speak?"
"Urgh..." Argo was choked up, but he immediately pointed at Shirou. "I don't have the right, but he does! He's my Vice-Leader!"
"Oh?" Fianna (the Knight) turned to Shirou. Her emerald eyes scanned him up and down, seemingly evaluating his worth. "Strange mana... you don't seem like someone from this era. And..." She glanced at Shirou's empty right sleeve. "You're a cripple?"
"What about it?" Shirou straightened his back, meeting her gaze without flinching. "Even as a cripple, I cook better than you."
"Cooking?" Fianna (the Knight) blinked.
'What kind of provocation is that?'
"Regardless, this stone belongs to us." Fianna kicked the stone to Lazar behind her. "Consider it payment for saving your pathetic lives."
"You...!" Olna wanted to strike, but Shirou held her back.
"Let her have it." Shirou shook his head. "We don't have the energy to fight them now. And..." he glanced at the Elf, Helga. Her mana reserves were full; if they fought now, their band of battered remnants would surely lose.
"At least you're sensible." Fianna (the Knight) stowed her spear and turned to leave. But she suddenly stopped and looked back at Shirou. "Red-haired brat. What's your name?"
"Shirou Emiya."
"Emiya... is it?" Fianna (the Knight) repeated the name, a meaningful smile playing on her lips. "If you don't want to die in the forest ahead, you'd better follow behind us. This area... has more than just one Minotaur."
With that, the Knights of Fianna strode away.
"What's with the attitude?! That pipsqueak!" Olna slammed her axe into a rock in fury. "How dare she ignore me!"
"That Elf..." Our Wishe (the Archer) watched Helga's retreating back with a complex expression. "She gives me such a familiar feeling. Like looking at a senior family member." (Of course she's familiar, that's Riveria's prototype!)
"Um... Brother Emiya." Argo leaned in with a lingering fear. "That Prum girl is terrifying... she feels even harder to deal with than the Black King. Are we really following them?"
"We follow." Shirou picked up his pack. "The attitude is trash, but she's right. The path ahead is unknown territory. If we have a free vanguard, we might as well use them. Besides..." Shirou rubbed his chin. "That Fianna (the Knight), though she acts fierce, was actually intentionally covering for us during the fight. A textbook... Tsundere. I'm familiar with the type." (Referring to the group back home).
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Night fell. Deep in the forest.
Two campfires were lit fifty meters apart. On the left was the Argo Heroic Faction; on the right, the Knights of Fianna. Despite traveling the same way, the two sides were clearly divided, like neighbors in a cold war.
"So hungry..." Olna clutched her stomach, wailing. "I fought all day; the consumption is too high. Emiya, is there anything to eat?"
"Only some flour and wild greens left." Shirou checked the pack. "The meat is all gone."
"Huh? Vegetarian?" Olna looked disappointed.
"Don't be picky; be glad there's anything." Shirou began kneading dough. "Since there's no meat, I'll make that. [Emiya Special: Wild Green Okonomiyaki]. There's no sauce, but I can season it with the available spices."
Soon, the aroma of the savory pancakes began to waft through the forest. The scent—a mix of flour, oil, and the fresh fragrance of wild greens—was a "dimensional strike" to these ancient people who ate hard rations all day.
"Smells so good!" Argo's mouth watered. "Brother Emiya, you're literally a god!"
By the other fire, the members of the Knights of Fianna were gnawing on rock-hard black bread.
Slurp. Lazar swallowed his saliva, his eyes uncontrollably drifting toward the neighbors. "Commander... it looks like they're eating something amazing over there?"
"Shut up and eat your bread." Fianna (the Knight) bit into her black bread expressionlessly, nearly chipping a tooth. "A knight must have dignity. We cannot be seduced by the enemy's sugar-coated bullets."
"But... it really smells good." Even the aloof Elf Helga couldn't help but twitch her ears. That scent... seemed to contain some high-level culinary magic?
Gurgle... A loud stomach growl erupted from Fianna's belly. In the silent forest, it was exceptionally clear.
...Absolute silence.
Lazar and Helga immediately turned their heads, pretending to look at the stars. "The night sky is so beautiful tonight." "Yeah, the moon is so round."
Fianna's face instantly flushed red, like a ripe tomato. She glared at the black bread in her hand as if it were the enemy who killed her father.
"Um..." A gentle voice sounded nearby. "If you don't mind, would you like to try some? I made extra, it's a waste to throw it away."
Shirou Emiya stood at the dividing line between the two camps, holding a plate stacked with golden, crispy pancakes.
"W-Who wants your leftovers?!" Fianna (the Knight) barked instinctively, her Tsundere trait exploding. "Even if we Knights of Fianna starve to death or jump off this cliff, we won't eat a single bi—!"
"Is that so? That's a shame." Shirou sighed, making a move to leave. "I actually wanted to thank you for saving our lives today. Since you don't want it, I'll just feed it to the forest squirrels."
"Wait!" Fianna (the Knight) snapped up. "Since... since it's a 'thank-you gift'... then it doesn't count as charity. That's right, this is a transaction! An equal trade!"
She strode over and snatched the plate. "Hmph, at least you're sensible."
Watching the tiny figure run back to her team clutching the plate and then proceed to gorge herself, Shirou couldn't help but smile.
'As expected. No matter the era, Finn (or Fianna)... is fundamentally a foodie.'
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The next morning.
After a night of "Okonomiyaki Diplomacy," the relationship between the two teams wasn't exactly intimate, but the tension had thawed.
"Hey, Redheaded Cook." Fianna (the Knight) walked up to Shirou as he was packing. "The pancakes last night... were passable. As a return gift, take this."
She threw a piece of parchment. It was a map of the area. "There's an abandoned temple ahead, said to be a place where 'Spirits' were worshipped in ancient times. There might be something there that can heal your arm."
"A Spirit Temple?" Shirou's eyes lit up. If there was a high concentration of spirit mana, it might actually be able to reshape his prosthesis!
"Thanks, Commander," Shirou thanked her sincerely.
"Hmph, don't get the wrong idea." Fianna turned away. "I just don't like owing favors. Also..." Her gaze became serious. "The Black King isn't dead. And it seems he has summoned something even more troublesome. If you don't want to die, you'd better move fast."
With that, she led her Knights away. Shirou watched them go, lost in thought.
Something more troublesome... could it be...
"Brother Emiya! Look!" Argo suddenly shouted, pointing at a mark on the map. "This temple... isn't this the legendary place where the 'Holy Sword' is sealed?!"
"Holy Sword?" Shirou blinked.
"Exactly! Chapter Two of the Argo Heroic Tale!" Argo waved his wooden sword excitedly. "The chosen Brave, guided by spirits, will pull out the legendary Holy Sword! This must be destiny! Brother Emiya, let's go! Maybe that sword is waiting for me!"
"You? Pulling a Holy Sword?" Olna rolled her eyes. "You're more likely to pull a radish."
"However..." Shirou looked at his right hand (the empty sleeve). If there really was some powerful "Conceptual Weapon" there, perhaps it could be the key to clearing this era.
"Let's go." Shirou shouldered his pack. Target: The Spirit Temple. Whether there's a Holy Sword or not... since we have a goal, let's go for it.
'This time, we must get... our own 'cheat code'!'
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At the same time. Deep beneath the Royal Capital.
King Eld knelt before a massive altar. His face was still swollen (from Shirou's punch), his eyes filled with malice.
"Great 'Calamity'... please answer my summons. Grant me the power of revenge..."
Rumble! The altar cracked. A black mist surged out, instantly swallowing Eld. Amidst screams of agony, his body began to twist and bloat, transforming into a monster with countless tentacles and eyes.
[Evil Shadow]. This was no monster. This was... pollution from another world.
"Emiya... Shirou..." the monster let out a garbled hiss. "I will... eat you..."
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In the distant forest, Shirou, who was traveling, suddenly felt a shiver.
"What's wrong?" Aria asked.
"Nothing." Shirou tightened his clothes. "I just feel... like I'm being watched by something disgusting again."
It seems this journey is destined not to be peaceful.
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