Shiki got out of the car and was about to greet the Saintess when he turned around and found that Justitia had vanished. Irisviel stood before him instead.
Irisviel smiled faintly, a trace of confusion in her eyes as she softly asked, "What is it, Mr. Shiki?"
"Nothing..."
The two had switched without a sound. Even with his powerful senses, Shiki had not noticed at all.
Saber got out as well and looked toward the sparsely populated Ryūdō Temple in the distance. "Boy, Irisviel, I'll go evacuate the people first. We'll meet up in the Great Hollow afterward."
"I'm counting on you, Saber."
Dressed in pure white winter clothing, Saber stood tall and straight. She waved, then headed toward Ryūdō Temple.
Shiki gauged the distance between this place and Mount Enzou. It was roughly four hundred meters. Thinking of the enormous Magic Circuits the Saintess had left behind, he silently calculated that there should not be any danger.
"What are you thinking about, Mr. Shiki?"
Irisviel's voice came from beside him.
Shiki shook his head. "Irisviel, I was thinking that once this is over, the Holy Grail War will never happen again. Come to think of it, that's a little regrettable. We'll never get to see Heroic Spirits from across history and around the world competing on the same stage again."
Surprise appeared on Irisviel's face as she looked at Shiki and asked, "Is that how you see it, Mr. Shiki?"
To her, the Holy Grail War had always been a cruel slaughter and struggle for supremacy. Shiki's idea of "competing on the same stage" was far beyond her understanding.
"Of course, competing on the same stage. Like that old saying from the Heavenly Dynasty, 'Guan Yu fighting Qin Qiong.' Wouldn't that be fun? Constant fighting and killing is so