Chapter 715

The reason he was willing to take care of Liddell was because Liddell was Shirou's childhood friend and someone important to him, and he wanted to use her to establish a connection with the Botany Department (Yumina).

"Miss Liddell, you should take better care of yourself."

"The request I'm making is simply this: I have only one wish."

Ignoring his advice, Liddell said softly, "I want Shirou to be my fan... nothing more."

After a long silence, Shirou spoke.

"... You're too greedy."

Liddell smiled alluringly.

"If she weren't greedy, would she still be considered a witch?"

In the quiet restaurant, Shirou and Liddell looked at each other without saying a word.

After a while, the boy spoke.

"Liddell, don't you think it's a little too quiet?"

"Although we booked the entire floor of the restaurant, we haven't been able to see any waiters since just now."

"... He's incorrigible, actually interfering with my date with Shirou."

Liddell slowly and methodically began cutting the ingredients on her plate.

"It seems there are still some people in the family who are unwilling to admit defeat and want to make one last big gamble."

Judging from Liddell's tone, she seemed to already know about the attack tonight.

After all, she now controls most of the Achelot family, so it's normal that she would have received prior intelligence.

Is that why they booked the entire restaurant floor...?

Although Liddell is an aristocratic witch who regards ordinary people as inferior beings, she is fundamentally kind-hearted and unwilling to involve ordinary people in the conflicts around her.

"Miss Liddell, what is the assassin's identity?"

"He's a high-ranking Dead Apostle. The guy who transformed himself into a vampire two hundred years ago using Black Magic,"

"A high-ranking Dead Apostle...?"

Shirou was glad he hadn't drunk any alcohol tonight.

Fighting a high-ranking Dead Apostle while sealing off Projection Magic, and also protecting Liddell, is no easy task.

The pink-haired witch showed a look of disgust. "To kill me, you actually went so far as to hire someone like that?"

If word gets out that he's colluding with the Dead Apostle, Achelot's reputation will be ruined.

"Don't worry, nothing will get out about tonight."

A sound came from the restaurant entrance, where a blond, fair-skinned man stood with his arms crossed, pretending to be serious.

"... No one can leave this restaurant alive."

The man, exuding an aura of death, said this.

There was no mistake, he was Dead Apostle; Shirou recognized the man's identity at a glance.

Want to grab a drink?

Shirou picked up an empty wine glass and shook it at the Dead Apostle.

"Wait... I'm the one on a date with Shirou! Please don't invite such a lowlife!"

Liddell complained angrily.

"No, no need. Tonight's meal has already been decided: it will be made from the blood of both of you."

As the Dead Apostle said this, he walked over to the table where Shirou and the others were.

Shirou also got up from his seat.

"That won't do. Miss Liddell can't have a dog bite mark on her neck."

The Dead Apostle's speed increased explosively, closing the distance in one go.

He moved almost instantaneously in front of Shirou, his raised hand extending sharp, dagger-like nails.

"------!!"

That was a slash that could easily tear a marble floor apart, but Shirou blocked it with a steak knife.

The Dead Apostle's face showed astonishment.

"Enhancement Magic as amazing as the rumors say, and the speed to keep up with me... Kid, who exactly are you?"

Shirou didn't answer, but instead kicked the Dead Apostle away.

The vampire's back slammed into the floor-to-ceiling viewing window, the immense impact cracking the tempered glass, sending him flying along with the entire pane of glass.

"Did you take them down?" Liddell asked, looking outside.

Do you think Dead Apostle are so easy to take down?

Shirou remained vigilant, still gripping the steak knife.

As he expected, a dozen seconds later, the Dead Apostle climbed up from outside the window.

"They didn't run away?"

The Dead Apostle was somewhat surprised that Shirou would obediently stay where he was and wait for him.

"Because we're not in a rush today."

"..."

The Dead Apostle closed in again, intending to overwhelm Shirou in close combat.

Shirou fought him with only a steak knife, inflicting several injuries on his opponent during the back-and-forth exchanges.

"Ha! You're really something! Kid, are you some kind of Dead Apostle or something!?"

"I'm sorry, I never intended to drink human blood."

The close combat lasted for a while, then the Dead Apostle suddenly created a large distance between themselves and the enemy.

He was originally wearing a very high-class suit, but during the battle, Shirou cut it to shreds with a steak knife, making him look quite comical.

"Beautiful! Beautiful! I never expected that a human could be my equal... Excellent, very good! I haven't been this excited in a long time!"

Liddell thought to herself, "What kind of evenly matched contest is this? Weren't you being unilaterally suppressed by Shirou?"

At this moment, the Dead Apostle spread his arms wide and said exaggeratedly.

"In that case, I'll have to show you the skills I'm capable of. Come on, open your eyes wide and watch carefully!"

"..."

Shirou narrowed his eyes.

Then, the man's body and his magical response began to expand rapidly.

In just a few seconds, the Dead Apostle's body swelled to about three times its original size.

What appeared before Shirou was a gigantic werewolf whose head almost touched the ceiling.

It has long, thin limbs like a beast and muscles like a human, and the fur on its back and tail is almost like barbs.

"Is that what you really are?" Shirou scoffed.

"That's right, this is my true stance..."

The Dead Apostle opened his mouth, revealing incredibly sharp fangs.

"This is my true strength; in my human form, I can't even unleash one-tenth of my original power!!"

"..."

Shirou paused for a moment.

The Dead Apostle mistook that expression for helplessness, which made him even more smug.

"Heh... You should regret not running away earlier."

The vampire intended to enjoy watching the human boy's fear, but instead found him turning to look at his female companion.

"It really is a dog!" Shirou said.

"It really is a dog." Liddell nodded.

"... you."

The Dead Apostle's fangs clashed violently in his rage, producing a chilling sound.

"I've given up drinking your blood..."

I will tear you to pieces, and then scatter your fragments from here to the ground...

"Shirou."

Ignoring the Dead Apostle's threats, Liddell said, "You've already seen this guy's second form, shouldn't you be satisfied?"

"... It's about time we got serious."

"That's true."

Shirou nodded.

He just wanted to see this Dead Apostle's abilities; if he killed him instantly, he wouldn't be able to see them.

The recent battles have all been the same; each time, I only manage to defeat the opposing Magecraft after they've used their signature moves.

"Are you trying to say you haven't really gotten serious yet...?"

The Dead Apostle overheard Shirou and the others' conversation and let out a disdainful sneer.

Shirou silently twirled the steak knife between his fingers, changing his grip to a reverse grip.

Moreover, his eyes were tinged with a deep blue iridescent color.

"...?"

Gazing into those bewitching eyes, an unbelievable emotion surged from the depths of the Dead Apostle's chest—a biological instinct called fear.

The wolf-like vampire unleashed a magical, furious roar.

That's the ability of Dead Apostle; the predator's cry can cause humans to instinctively pause their actions and thoughts for a brief moment.

Then, incredibly, the boy, who acted later than his own shout, acted even before his voice could be heard.

Enhanced by Magecraft, his speed surpassed that of human beastly vision, making it impossible for him to capture.

The figure was like a flash of light.

By the time they realized what was happening, it was already over.

"Who... are you...?"

The Dead Apostle asked again in a trembling voice, Shirou answered calmly.

"Just a bunch of... Miss Liddell's fans, you see them everywhere."

"..."

The Dead Apostle's gaze slowly tilted, then fell to the ground.

--The body of the Dead Apostle, which should have been harder than any metal, was easily sliced open by a steak knife.

He attempted to regenerate himself, but to no avail.

The immortality that the Dead Apostle were so proud of has vanished.

The vampire, who had lived for hundreds of years, was annihilated without even a chance to scream, turning into dust and being blown out of the window.

"It's over."

Shirou let out a long breath and turned to look at Liddell.

The idol witch stared at her with wide eyes, her once-handsome face now flushed red.

"What's wrong?" Shirou asked, puzzled.

"You, you, you... Shirou just said it, didn't he? You're my fan!"

"Ah..."