Chapter 572
"Miss Rider is full of energy... Very good, Shirou."
"Wait until Rider has beaten Bazett half to death, then seize the opportunity to step in and be the hero."
Karen stood on high ground, gazing down at the two facing off below, while simultaneously planning the next move in the battle.
"Does it really have to go this far?" Shirou was somewhat speechless.
Karen rolled her eyes. "Are you planning to give up your current life?"
Of course not.
"Okay, then just follow my instructions... Doing so will make Bazett completely obedient to you."
Karen said with great interest.
This is the perfect script for Bazett's fall from grace, designed specifically for her, who has no luck with men but yearns for love.
The storyline of the Iron Maiden from the Sealing Designation Bureau falling in love after being saved by Shirou is a very straightforward and easy-to-understand plot.
Shirou genuinely believed that as long as he did as Karen said, he could successfully defeat Bazett and avoid his Sealing Designation future.
But... it's so pitiful.
Isn't this just toying with her girlish feelings?
Shirou has already seen Bazett's information from Karen.
Despite her hard work, she has never received genuine recognition from those around her.
Despite not receiving the treatment they deserved, they obeyed orders in a rigid and uncompromising manner.
Ultimately, the Mage's Association had no place for her, and she was sent to me as a hot potato.
Maybe...
Those guys in the association planned to use me to get rid of Bazett from the very beginning.
"..."
Shirou made his decision.
Volume 8: Chapter 361 Shirou Makes Women More Womanly
"--!"
Bazett threw a punch at the Rider who was charging towards him.
Her mastery of modern combat techniques is truly extraordinary.
In martial arts terms, they are experts.
If it were a typical modern Magecraft, they would be turned into a bloody mess, like someone shot in the upper body by a heavy anti-materiel rifle.
But... the woman wearing the eye patch vanished before he could be hit.
The next instant, she appeared to the side, raising her long leg and sweeping it horizontally towards Bazett's head.
"!!"
Bazett immediately blocked with his arms.
Her fists were protected by leather gloves engraved with Runes Symbols, and not only that, her hands, feet, knees, and even fingernails were also engraved with hardened Runes.
Even so, the force of Rider's sweeping kick still forced Bazett back several steps.
The shockwave shook both sides of the street.
So strong...!!
Bazett was a battle-hardened warrior.
As the strongest Sealing Designation Enforcer of the modern era, she has fought against all sorts of monsters, but never before has she been at such an overwhelming disadvantage.
The enemy, like a spider, evaded Bazett's attacks with ghostly movements, then wielded his nail-like dagger, countering each of Bazett's attacks with even greater force.
"--!"
Seeing that Bazett's breathing was becoming increasingly disordered, Rider launched another flurry of attacks, sending her flying.
"Ugh... Ahh!"
Bazett's body slammed heavily to the ground, spitting out a mouthful of blood.
This is what Heroic Spirit are like... Incredibly powerful.
Bazett initially thought Rider was an agile opponent, but her strength was beyond her imagination, even surpassing her supposedly formidable speed.
Even so, I shouldn't be being beaten up like this!
Even though there is a gap in combat power between Heroic Spirit and humans, Bazett, as a superhuman among humans, should not be toyed with in close combat.
Bazett didn't know was that her intelligence had already fallen into the enemy's hands from the very beginning.
Rider is familiar with all the fighting techniques, boxing styles, and Magecraft she has practiced, so she is unlikely to pose any threat.
"... Gurgle."
Bazett let out a muffled groan and tried to get up.
Rider's steps seemed slow and deliberate, but with just a push off the ground, he closed the distance by more than ten meters in an instant.
She stepped on Bazett's right wrist as he lay on the ground, then swung her sword through his arm—pinning him to the ground.
"Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh--!"
Bazett's screams echoed through the night sky.
Even though one of her hands was stuck on the ground, she didn't give up and desperately tried to grab the other person from below.
Rider kicked Bazett hard in the head, then stomped on him.
The outcome is now clear.
Bazett was suspended in mid-air by chains.
Rider crossed his arms over his chest, gazing at her as if examining prey.
"That's surprising. Aren't you planning to use your hidden trump card?"
"..."
Bazett gritted his teeth and glared back at Rider with his increasingly cloudy eyes.
"I'm sorry... the Mystic Code I possess has no effect on a monster like you."
The Magic Crest possessed by Bazett Fraga Macremis is a mysterious artifact that can be defined as a "Noble Phantasm," passed down from the Mythological Era.
Fragarach, the short sword wielded by Rugal Mace Essoron, the god Slashing Sword of Mars war in Celtic mythology.
According to legend, this sword will automatically unsheathe itself without the user's intervention, slaying the enemy before they can draw their own weapon.
A killer move that, once activated, will always hit before the opponent.
The Principle is to rewrite one's own attack as absolutely first by distorting causality, which is to say, it is a spell that can change the order of attacks. Since the one who is defeated first has no chance to retaliate, this sword can cancel any attack, making it the ultimate counterattack weapon.
If an opponent uses their trump card at extremely close range, Bazett can counter it with her fighting skills; even if it's a throw, she can attack before the opponent can grab her.
However, this ultimate Noble Phantasm has a very troublesome activation condition: it "only awakens when the opponent activates their Ace."
For Rider, who had already overwhelmed Bazett in close combat, the Slashing Sword of Mars was nothing more than a harmless projectile.
"Is that so...? That's truly a pity. Your misjudgment of the Servant's strength was the reason for your defeat."
Rider said expressionlessly.
"Next time you fight Servant, remember to choose a reliable vanguard for yourself... although there won't be a next time."
Is this reliable avant-garde...?
For some reason, Shirou's image appeared in Bazett's mind as she suffered from oxygen deprivation due to blood loss.
If I weren't alone...
If Shirou Amamiya were my comrade... would the ending be different?
"Slaughtering Magecraft isn't my interest either. I'd rather finish you off gently."
With the clanking of chains, Rider raised his short sword—
Suddenly, dozens of swords shot in from a distance.
Rider nimbly jumped backward, dodging the attack.
"Ugh!"
Bazett fell to the ground, the chains binding her broken by the flying blades.
"... Shirou."
Rider gazed at the boy who had appeared, murmuring his name.
Upon hearing the name, Bazett's previously unconscious mind suddenly jolted.
She looked in the direction Rider was looking and saw the red-haired boy.
It really is... Shirou Amamiya...
"Step down, Rider."
"..."
Rider remained unmoved, while Shirou continued walking towards them.
After a few more seconds of standoff, the short sword in Rider's hand vanished, and he leaped up onto a tall building and quickly disappeared from sight.
"... I'm sorry, my friend attacked you."
Shirou approached Bazett.
Upon hearing the voice approaching, Bazett immediately rolled over, trying to sit up.
But Shirou held her down, telling her not to move for the time being.
"It's probably because you overexerted yourself in the battle with Rider. Your Magecraft Crest isn't functioning properly... I'll heal you now."
"... Um."
Bazett nodded, then obediently lay back down.
Shirou picked up Bazett's right hand and muttered something under his breath.
Then, a warm current flowed down her injured arm and slowly spread throughout the Female Magus's body.
After the pain and bleeding subsided, he took out a small bottle, poured the medicine into his palm, and applied it to Bazett's wound.
"Ugh...!!"
Bazett frowned as the pain returned.
As if to reassure her, Shirou began to explain.
"This is an elixir I obtained from a witch I knew."
It doesn't have any special effects, but it can guarantee that you won't be left with scars...
It hurts a little, just bear with it for now.
Even if you put that stuff on me, it wouldn't make any difference, right...?
Bazett Fraga Macremis's body is a weapon of war.
As long as performance isn't affected, it doesn't matter how ugly the appearance becomes.
Although that's what she thought in her heart, seeing how Shirou treated her gently like a woman, she swallowed back her resistance.
"..."
Looking at the boy's profile, Bazett was certain once again.
She harbors certain special feelings for Shirou Amamiya.
My heart is pounding.