Emiya Shirou Doesn't Want to Work Overtime [241]

“When concentrated, Power of Existence will snowball, growing bigger and denser, until eventually there isn't a single human left in the city.”

Alastor’s deep voice resonated with gravity as he explained this to Shana.

“This forbidden method is known as ‘Devouring the City.’”

“Not only this city—the high concentration of Power of Existence produced will ultimately be consumed by the Crimson Lord using this method, right?”

Alastor didn't reply, choosing silence to answer Shana’s question.

The accumulated existence of an entire city could transform even an ordinary Crimson Denizen into a fearsomely powerful Crimson Lord. If Friagne succeeded, the consequences would be unimaginable.

Friagne had naturally anticipated that Alastor would eventually realize his intentions in this city. For a Crimson Lord experienced in facing Flame Hazes, it was just a matter of time before his scheme was uncovered. However, what Friagne had not expected was for Shana to notice the abnormality so soon.

In Friagne's estimation, discovering the intricacies of his plan would have taken at least three days. After all, Flame Hazes never paid attention to mere Torches unless they were deliberately searching city-wide. Only a purposeful investigation would lead the Crimson Lord contracted with a Flame Haze to swiftly detect the anomaly.

“Then there's only one answer—”

The moment Shana’s voice fell, her hair ignited into brilliant crimson, a great katana materializing in her grasp.

“What are you doing?”

Seeing Shana suddenly draw her weapon, Shirou Emiya felt a sinking premonition.

“As long as the number of Torches in this city rapidly decreases, Friagne’s plan can’t be carried out.”

Before the Torches reached a quantity sufficient to trigger city-wide annihilation, swiftly reducing their numbers was an effective way to sabotage Friagne’s scheme. Even though it would somewhat affect reality, compared to the horror of devouring an entire city, this impact was negligible.

BOOM—!

Shana shot forward like a bullet, leaping from the rooftop toward the bustling streets below.

As a Flame Haze, freely able to manipulate Power of Existence, it was simple for her to use it to conceal herself from human perception. Not every issue required activating a Fūzetsu (crimson time-stop barrier)—at least, disposing of Torches didn’t.

Clang—!

The sharp clash of blades echoed violently through the streets.

In that instant, everyone clearly perceived Shana’s presence.

In front of her stood a figure clad in armor, wielding a katana, forcefully blocking Shana’s descending strike.

The street immediately erupted into panic. People scattered away from the scene, though some lingered at a safe distance, eager to watch the unfolding spectacle.

But no one noticed the Torch who should’ve been cut down by Shana’s blade.

“Move aside!”

Shana shouted angrily, a mixture of confusion and fury, at Shirou Emiya who now stood before her.

“No. Those Torches shouldn’t die like this.”

Shirou Emiya remained resolute, blocking Shana’s path without taking a single step backward.

With the reinforcement of Incursio Armor, Shirou—whose original strength already closely matched Shana’s—quickly surpassed her, forcing her back step by step.

Though, truthfully, even without matching Shana’s raw strength, Shirou could still suppress her.

“They’re already dead!!”

Torches weren't human—they were mere remnants of humans, scraps of leftover Power of Existence. Even if Shana did nothing, they would fade away naturally, without leaving behind a single trace that they'd ever existed.

Both Flame Hazes and Crimson Denizens treated Torches merely as tools—objects created solely to delay reality’s distortion.

That was the knowledge Shana had always learned and accepted. She couldn’t understand why Shirou Emiya wanted to save that Torch.

Even caught in the middle of their battle, the Torch walked forward indifferently, oblivious to their presence.

The disappearance of Power of Existence meant others couldn’t perceive him—and as his existence faded, his own consciousness and soul gradually crumbled into nothingness.

Yet, to Shirou, this wasn't the whole story. He had encountered a Torch—a Torch others had clearly seen, a Torch who lived among humans, who was remembered, who lived as if truly human.

Even if their physical bodies weren’t human, in terms of soul and consciousness, that Torch had undeniably been human.

If a Torch with complete self-awareness existed, didn’t that imply all Torches had once held consciousness? That they weren't just lifeless dolls left behind by Flame Hazes or Crimson Lords?

They weren't human anymore—but they were still human.

If they'd completely lost their self-awareness and were nothing but empty shells, Shirou wouldn't have stopped Shana. Because in that case, they'd genuinely cease to be human, becoming mere soulless tools.

“Do you not understand what's at stake? Didn’t you hear what Alastor said? If we don’t destroy those Torches, everyone in this city will perish! You're trying to save these Torches, but are you disregarding the lives of every human in the city?!”

Shana leapt back, swiftly regaining distance, her blade pointed accusingly at Shirou Emiya as she shouted angrily.

They were just Torches. Eliminating them would save the entire city. A human like Shirou Emiya should have understood such simple logic better than anyone.

This was a necessary sacrifice. After all, those Torches were already dead. Shana genuinely couldn’t comprehend why Shirou wanted to save them.

Were the lives of Torches truly more important than those of living humans?

If his decision to spare these Torches led to the annihilation of the entire city, would he truly be able to bear that responsibility? Could he really pay such a heavy price?

Thinking this, Shana’s anger surged. The fight they'd just ended seemed ready to erupt again.

The crowd around them had no idea what the two were arguing about—but they eagerly watched the scene unfold. Such an intense showdown was rare in Misaki City.

This city wasn't like a certain city called Fuyuki, where explosions happened every three days and major disasters every five, with the gas company forever under suspicion. People here weren't worried about their safety.

Just two people cosplaying with swords—how could they possibly miss this kind of excitement?

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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!