I Will Eventually Become the Hero of Justice - CH 16

The iron gates of the Matou family swung shut with a loud bang, but Shirou didn’t immediately take action. He waited for a moment before moving.

As a Demi-Servant, Shirou’s senses had been heightened after merging with the Saint Graph. He could detect the presence of other Servants and fortunately, none seemed to be present within the Matou family.

Shirou couldn’t be certain whether the Servant had been summoned to another location or there was some other reason which prevent the Servant’s summoning. Regardless, it was best to be cautious.

Thanks to the information he obtained from Kariya using the Demi-Servant skill “Suggestion,” Shirou knew that the walls of the Matou family’s property only enclosed half of their land. The rest was protected by various magical defenses. The small grove of trees connected to the Matou family’s back garden was not enclosed by walls but rather guarded by various magical defenses.

An ordinary magus would have struggled to pass through the grove, but, fortunately, Shirou had learned the location of the defense mechanism from Kariya, and with the help of his heightened physical abilities as a Demi-Servant, gained from merging with the Saint Graph, he was able to easily navigate through it.

“Drip!”

“Well! It looks like it won’t be so easy to sneak in anymore, some of the mechanisms have been changed,” Shirou thought with a hint of resignation as he looked at the tree leaves that brushed against his forehead.

As the sorcery ignited, a winged insect flew up and attacked Shirou the next moment.

“Trace On–”

Shirou’s 27 magical circuits rapidly activated, supporting the power brought by the spiritual foundation. He waved his hand and used “Projection,” instantly projecting a sword that pierced the brain of the winged insect with a “shoosh.”

But–

“Whish-whish-whish.”

The rustling of the leaves sounded like a deafening gale tearing through the trees, whipping the branches into a frenzy. In the next moment, a swarm of insects emerged from the underbrush, their wings whirring as they rose up like a black curtain, blotting out the sun. The air buzzed with their frenetic energy, and the ground seemed to vibrate beneath their tiny feet.

“Buzz-buzz-buzz!”

He had been exposed!

With a determined expression, Shirou gritted his teeth and projected two long swords, swinging them wildly in front of him.

Using the E-rank physical strength of a Servant, Shirou formed a sword net with his projected swords that seemed impenetrable as he slaughtered the incoming insects. Charging ahead like a bull, he broke into the Matou residence.

“Heh-heh-heh, which excellency has disregarded the magical rules and dared to enter this old man’s residence in broad daylight?” Matou Zouken cackled as he walked out, leaning on his cane.

As he looked at the old man, Shirou realized that he was an unusual and strange-looking person upon seeing him up close.

Bald, with limbs as thin as a mummy’s, deep-set eyes shining with a fierce light, hunched over and short, Matou Zouken was a strange-looking person dressed in a dark blue and deep grey yukata and holding a wooden cane. Even from a distance of about ten meters, Shirou could clearly smell the foul stench of corruption emanating from him.

“Tell me, who are you?” Matou Zouken asked with a sinister smile, and behind him was a sea of insects resembling a black tide.

It seemed that, due to Shirou being a demi-servant with a physical body, Matou Zouken hadn’t noticed the Servant’s aura on him. But Shirou paid no attention to Matou Zouken’s question.

Although he appeared as though he was not long for this world, this old man was a genuine great magus. It was said that in his prime, he was a match for a Servant. As an inexperienced person like Shirou, he had no reason to underestimate this old man who had lived for centuries.

And in response to the old man’s question–

Wasn’t this the best opportunity to launch a sneak attack?

An opportunity arises from the carelessness of one’s enemies!

Shirou, with a swift wave of his hand, summoned three long swords through “Projection” and launched them towards Matou Zouken with a swift “shoosh.”

“Heh-heh-heh…such a basic magic as ‘Projection’ is useless against this old man,” Matou Zouken chuckled, remaining still as the sea of insects surrounding him engulfed Shirou’s swords like a tidal wave.

However, it seemed as though Shirou hadn’t heard or seen any of this, continuing to project swords to attack him.

“Futile effort.” Matou Zouken chuckled, but his voice sounded very strange.

“Buzz-buzz-buzz–”

Like an army with a will of its own, the swarm of insects around him swallowed up every sword that Shirou shot out.

“If you’re relying on such meager means to invade this old man’s mansion, then you can be buried here,” Matou Zouken said, his eyes flashing with killing intent. The sea of insects around him, like his left and right arms, surged and rolled toward Shirou.

Shirou ignored Matou Zouken’s provocation, seeing it as an opportunity instead.

As a Servant with the weakest level of power, no combat experience, and coming from a civilized society governed by laws, the only way to win was definitely not through anger or provocation, but rather through a calm mind and the opportunity to exploit the enemy’s mistakes.

Shirou didn’t know why Matou Zouken would make the mistake of using provocation during a fight with the enemy. Perhaps people become more talkative as they grow old, or maybe provocation is a part of a magus’s combat strategies in addition to their magical research, family background, and combat capabilities.

However, Shirou wouldn’t make this low-level mistake. He wasn’t qualified to make such a luxurious mistake.

Intently focused, with all of his attention devoted to the battle, Shirou knew that this was the necessary precondition for victory as a novice.

“Buzz, buzz, buzz…”

A swarm of insects swirled like a raging sea, trying to engulf Shirou.

And at that moment, Shirou’s eyes shone.

He had shot out 17 ordinary swords projected from his own, and the swarm protecting Matou Zouken was completely taken down.

Even after merging with the Saint Graph and inheriting all the abilities of the Heroic Spirit, Shirou’s young body was unable to handle all the knowledge. In particular, the existence of legendary blades was overwhelming for him.

Even if he forcibly used projection, the final outcome would only be his magic circuits reaching their limit, causing him to lose his combat power prematurely.

As an inexperienced bird with no understanding of combat and the weakest attribute, Shirou could only project ordinary swords. Facing a great magus who had lived for centuries, it seemed that nothing could lead to victory.

However, a mature mind and prior preparation can create a door to victory.

The key to opening this door was now in Shirou’s hands.

Its name is–

…