"Hey, you... run!" The carefree smile vanished from Astolfo's face, replaced by rare seriousness.
He knew his own limits very well. If it were only puppets like before, he was confident he could get Sieg out of here.
But against Siegfried, Astolfo was completely powerless. Or rather, he could barely protect himself now.
"Take this for protection. Run as far as you can, hurry!" Astolfo shoved the slender decorative sword at his waist into Sieg's arms and gripped his ornate knightly lance.
His strength and Siegfried's were on entirely different levels, but that was no reason for Astolfo to back down. He wanted to help Sieg escape, and for that, Astolfo would give it everything he had.
Having received his Master's command, Siegfried closed in. Just as he was about to subdue Astolfo, an attack both unfamiliar and strangely familiar came whistling toward him.
He instinctively shifted moves to defend himself, but his expression darkened once he saw the ambush's technique.
There was no other reason. Shirou had used this move countless times when fighting Karna and Achilles. The distinctive nature of a Cero attack was difficult to forget after seeing it even once.
"This attack... could it be that Berserker has rebelled?" Gordes's expression turned ugly. Shirou's strength and analytical abilities were clear for all to see.
Moreover, he and Okita Souji were tied together. If he defected to the Red Faction, then the Black Faction's newly gained advantage would become a complete joke.
"Who goes there?"
Siegfried swiftly positioned himself in front of Gordes. After fighting side by side twice, Siegfried already regarded Shirou as a comrade to whom he could entrust his back. He did not believe Shirou would rebel.
Even so, he had to prepare for the worst. If the attacker truly was Shirou, then killing