Emiya Shirou Doesn't Want to Work Overtime [250]

“Sydonay, why have you come here? I don’t recall asking Thousand Changes for help.”

Friagne, slightly recovered now, steadied his breathing and questioned the suited, cigarette-smoking man beside him.

Though genuinely grateful that this man had saved his life, Friagne’s confusion was also entirely sincere.

This seemingly carefree man, like the previously commissioned Sabrac, was another powerful Crimson Lord known for taking on assignments.

But unlike Sabrac, the Crimson Lord named Thousand Changes didn’t demand treasure tools as payment, but rather simple Power of Existence.

Indeed, most Crimson Denizens who accepted commissions preferred Power of Existence as payment. Sabrac was just unusual; he coveted unique sword-type Treasure Tools far more than existential energy.

But since Shana wielded the Nietono no Shana, and Shirou Emiya fought using swords, Friagne had carefully considered and chosen Sabrac.

After all, if your enemies wield swords, surely you could negotiate a cheaper deal with a sword-obsessed collector.

Yet even this “cheaper” deal involved a tremendous amount of Power of Existence—enough to make Friagne’s heart ache.

“It’s obviously because you promised Nietono no Shana as payment to Sabrac, isn’t it?”

A voice delicate as flowing spring water suddenly came from behind Friagne.

“It’d be troublesome if Sabrac actually gets hold of Nietono no Shana. I wonder if we can snatch it from him later... Ah, I want to use Nietono no Shana right now.”

This was followed by another voice, emotionless, naïve, and belonging to a young boy.

Friagne turned his head to the source of the voices—a sweet-looking blonde girl in gothic Lolita clothing was lazily draped across the back of a blonde boy wearing a similar western-style suit, slowly approaching him.

“So, you two came here for Nietono no Shana, then?”

Friagne glanced again at the two weak-seeming Crimson Denizens, swiftly piecing together why Sydonay had suddenly appeared here.

Though Sabrac was frighteningly powerful, few Crimson Denizens could afford his price.

Hiring a Crimson Lord was never a small price to pay.

Not every Crimson Lord was like Sydonay, who acted primarily out of interest—sometimes even taking missions without payment if he found them intriguing enough.

But Sabrac was still ultimately one of the strongest Crimson Lords. Friagne knew clearly that most of those who could afford Sabrac’s fees were large organizations among Crimson Denizens.

And the largest organization that employed Sabrac was the Bal Masqué—coincidentally, Sydonay himself was a member of this organization.

Ordinary Crimson Denizens might not be aware, but as a Crimson Lord himself, Friagne kept constant tabs on the events and intelligence of the Crimson Realm.

These two Denizens clearly wanted Nietono no Shana. Naturally, they would trace the footsteps of the Flame-Haired, Blazing-Eyed Hunter to Misaki City.

At the same time, Sabrac, employed by Friagne, was also heading toward Misaki City—so naturally, he would encounter Sydonay.

Sabrac had no reason to conceal his movements, after all. He was openly known for collecting sword-type Treasure Tools.

It wouldn’t take much thought for these two Denizens to realize that if Sabrac—a collector of rare blades—was nearby, he clearly wasn’t just strolling through town.

Thus, they were certain that Sabrac had come specifically for the Nietono no Shana. Even if not, there must have been a commission.

Therefore, Sydonay and his employer had hurried to follow Sabrac, arriving quickly in this city.

Though Crimson Denizens held little camaraderie toward each other, Sydonay had no intention of simply standing by and letting another Crimson Lord perish needlessly.

And thus he saved Friagne from imminent death at Shirou Emiya’s hands.

“Remember to pay me Power of Existence,” Sydonay said casually.

He gave no further explanation. An intelligent man like Friagne should easily understand the situation. Even if he didn’t, Sydonay wasn’t inclined to waste breath explaining it to him.

At this moment, a shadow emerged silently from the dark-red flames scorching the streets below. A figure wielding two sharp blades gazed calmly upward at Shirou Emiya, floating in the air.

“That armor-type Treasure Tool also has the ability to fly, does it?”

It was a tall man wrapped in scarf-like fabric around his face, straight, coarse hair falling down his shoulders beneath his cloak. A low, deep voice emerged from him.

“You’re the first, human, to come through my attack without a scratch.”

Merely flying wouldn’t help avoid such an attack—most Flame Hazes and Crimson Denizens possessed the ability to fly, yet none had escaped Sabrac’s first strike completely unharmed.

No matter how strong the Flame Haze, everyone took at least some damage when Sabrac attacked.

He always struck from the shadows, his massive, sweeping assaults virtually impossible to evade—forcing opponents to withstand them directly.

Yet Shirou Emiya had reacted instantly, defending and escaping completely unharmed. Indeed, he was the first.

At the moment Sabrac finished speaking—

He transformed into a barely visible black blur, instantly appearing behind Shirou Emiya. With breathtaking speed, he aimed both blades at Shirou’s head and thrust forward fiercely.

Shua—!

Terrifying speed ripped apart the very air.

His strength far surpassed Friagne’s.

Among Crimson Lords, there was a vast gulf between them.

Clang—!

The sharp ringing of metal echoed.

Two reverse-bladed swords halted the deadly thrust.

Facing this utterly calm Crimson Lord, Shirou Emiya’s heart filled with uncontrollable fury.

“UNFORGIVABLE!!”

An overwhelming strength erupted from Shirou’s body, forcing Sabrac to suddenly retreat backward.

“Impressive instincts.”

Rather than marveling at Shirou’s strength, Sabrac expressed quiet admiration for Shirou’s lightning-fast reactions and precise judgment.

Many Flame Hazes could match Shirou Emiya’s strength, but none had his keen battle intuition.

With such sharp instincts, it was no wonder Shirou could evade an attack that most Flame Hazes couldn’t even perceive until it struck them.

---

T/N: beserker class shirou emiya :D

This is a fan translation of 卫宫士郎不想加班 by 此世无存. All rights to the original work belong to the creator. Please support them by exploring their original work or sharing it with others if you can. Thank you for reading and supporting my efforts to bring this story to a wider audience!