"Lancer, if I'm not mistaken, there should be an Assassin to the southeast. Go and kill him!"
"Assassin?"
Hearing Shirou's order, Diarmuid looked to the southeast without hesitation and spotted a dark figure crouching on a high vantage point.
In an instant, Diarmuid unleashed his Agility, which reached A+ level, dragging a green shadow as he rushed toward the Assassin!
At this moment, Kotomine Kirei, who had sent Assassin to inspect Warehouse Street, was sharing vision with his Servant.
From Assassin's point of view, Kotomine Kirei saw the warehouse street illuminated only by faint moonlight and street lamps in the dark night.
"Huh... What... is that?"
Suddenly, Kirei saw a green shadow through Assassin's perspective, but it disappeared from sight in an instant, which made him a little puzzled.
Just as Kotomine Kirei was about to order Assassin to turn his perspective, he suddenly saw a scarlet spear stab through Assassin's field of vision!
Whoosh————!
In just a split second, the visual sharing between Kotomine Kirei and Assassin was cut off.
"This...!!?"
Kirei, who observed that scene from a first-person perspective, broke into a cold sweat. Although his physical combat power was strong for a human, he could not be compared to a Heroic Spirit.
Therefore, he didn't even have time to react to such a crisis. Even if it was very short, it caused significant mental strain to Kotomine Kirei.
"I have to inform Tohsaka Tokiomi... quickly."
Kotomine Kirei endured the discomfort of the mental trauma and began to contact Tohsaka Tokiomi.
...
"It is finished, Master!"
Diarmuid's figure jumped between the tall buildings and finally returned to Shirou's side.
"Well done. But Assassin has many clones, and the one you just got rid of might just be one of many."
Hearing this, Diarmuid raised his eyebrows in surprise.
"I see..."
"Speaking of which, what do you think of Assassin's strength?" Shirou asked.
Diarmuid confidently flipped the scarlet spear in his hand.
"If they are all like that, it doesn't matter how many come."
While Shirou was talking to Diarmuid, a voice came from the other direction.
"Hey, it's you two who are provoking others without permission, right?"
A blonde girl in a black suit with a single ponytail walked toward them menacingly.
...
Even in the heart of a bustling area, the combination of Saber and Irisviel is just as eye-catching.
A silver-haired woman with a noble temperament in gorgeous clothing, and a delicate, beautiful youth hooked by the woman's arm.
Even at a movie star-studded party, you wouldn't necessarily see such a perfect combination.
Images that used to be visible only on screens were now being brought to life on the streets of Japan.
Passersby often stopped to stare.
The two walked indifferently—not as intimate as lovers, not as excited as tourists—just walking along the street.
Occasionally, they would stop and smile at windows glittering in the setting sun or look curiously at display cases.
But they only watched; they never entered a store.
They were like bystanders, walking down the street but not part of the chaos.
The winter sun had finally set completely, and the streets were draped in another layer of color by the night.
Irisviel was intoxicated by the colorful neon lights flashing incessantly in the landscape.
There are countless cities in the world whose night views are far better than those of Fuyuki City, but for Irisviel, everything she saw with her own eyes was a beautiful and precious treasure.
"It's so beautiful... It turns out that as long as there are many people, the night becomes so beautiful..."
Irisviel muttered to herself excitedly, and Saber nodded silently.
For her, this landscape, which was far removed from the era in which she once lived, also brought a lot of emotion.
But there was always a string in her head that remained tight.
This was enemy territory, and that fact never changed.
Saber's ability to seek enemies was not her strongest suit, and depending on the situation, Saber wandering around might be discovered by an enemy Servant first.
While most enemies wouldn't attack a crowd directly, they might take advantage of a moment to surprise her.
Even so, she did not force Irisviel to leave but chose to accompany her to breathe the free air.
It was all because she had unwavering faith in her sword.
She was the Heroic Spirit of the Saber Class, one of the strongest classes chosen by the Holy Grail.
In melee combat, no one could stand above her.
She believed that no matter what kind of fight she faced, she would be able to handle it.
Therefore, it was most advantageous to be targeted by a sneak attack—as long as she blocked the attack openly, she could find an opportunity to counterattack.
She would let all the foolish opponents who underestimated her know what it meant to be a swordsman.
"... Saber, let's go to the sea."
Looking at Irisviel's unconcealed excitement, the youth smiled and nodded.
She must not allow Irisviel to notice her nervousness.
She had sworn to protect Irisviel, so even the joy Irisviel experienced at this moment, Saber was determined to protect it to the end.
If you walk across the Fuyuki Bridge spanning the Mion River, you will see a large seaside park.
It was late at night, and only the two of them walked slowly on the silent path.
The north wind on the sea blew through without hindrance, blowing Irisviel's long silver hair, which danced like a meteor's tail.
In winter, because of the sea breeze, even couples are reluctant to approach.
But Irisviel, seeing the sea for the first time, did not care because she was accustomed to the cold.
"Saber, do you like the sea?"
"This..."
Saber smiled wryly, but her thoughts flew back to her distant homeland.
"In my time, my country... On the other side of the sea was a gathering place for invaders, so all I can think of are unpleasant memories."
"I see..."
Irisviel's expression became solemn at Saber's answer.
"... I'm truly sorry. We are both girls, but you were King Arthur, so you didn't have time to go on a date with a knight or anything..."
"Well, yes."
Saber smiled lightly and relaxed her shoulders.
Suddenly, Saber grabbed Irisviel's arms and pulled her closer.
Because of this action, Irisviel's calm gaze met Saber's in an instant.
"... Enemy Servant?"
"Yes."