Shirou rose to his feet, brushing ash from his scorched clothes as his eyes settled on the looming figure of Lord Ergus—still unscathed, still standing, and looking every bit as menacing as before. Not a scratch on him.
"Great," Shirou muttered, cracking his neck. "My most powerful fire spell couldn't even give you a scratch. That's just fantastic."
He raised Emberstorm, its blade flickering with a frustrated flame. "You know, walking out of an explosion like that would've looked really badass—if not for that oversized belly. Ever considered a strict diet plan? I can recommend a few low-mana ones—".
Before Shirou could complete, Ergus moved
In the blink of an eye, the guardian lunged forward, his broadsword cleaving through the air like a falling comet. Shirou's reflexes kicked in. He barely managed to dodge, lightning mana flooding into his legs as he flashed backwards in a burst of speed, skidding to a stop several meters away.
"Okay, I'll take that as a no," he said, brushing soot off his sleeve.
His fingers twitched as he gripped Emberstorm tighter, eyes narrowing. If fire didn't work, he'd just have to cut this monster down piece by piece—with lightning and steel.
Electricity surged around Shirou's body, crackling up his arms and legs. The familiar hum of his secondary mana pulsed like a heartbeat through his veins. Every muscle tensed with anticipation. Then, with a flicker of motion, he vanished.
Fast.
But Ergus was no slouch. The massive guardian sensed Shirou's approach and pivoted with surprising agility. His sword swept in a wide arc, unleashing a wave of searing fire that carved across the battlefield like a hellish tsunami.
Shirou twisted mid-air, barely avoiding the inferno as it scorched the space where he'd just been. Heat licked at his skin, and the shockwave threw dust and flame into the air.
So his fire immunity isn't just physical. It's part of his very mana nature, Shirou analyzed. That explains why Emberstorm's blade can't cut deep even with enhanced sharpness from fire infusion.
He reappeared beside Ergus and thrust Emberstorm toward the beast's ribs. The blade met flesh—finally breaking the surface—but it wasn't deep. Ergus roared in pain and fury. In one monstrous motion, he swung his massive sword downward.
Shirou's instincts screamed. He leapt backwards just as the sword collided with the earth, erupting into a molten crater that spat out glowing embers.
The broadsword's edge pulsed with more than fire—it radiated power, raw and ancient. Ergus raised it high above his head.
"Inferno Surge!" the giant roared.
A spiralling tornado of flames burst from the blade and roared toward Shirou, who was still mid-air. His eyes widened. Dodging wasn't an option—not entirely. His mind raced, calculating his only move.
"Fire Release: Great Fireball!"
He launched a massive fireball from his palm to intercept the inferno. The two techniques collided, exploding in a brilliant flash of heat and mana. The shockwave flung Shirou like a ragdoll, sending him tumbling across jagged rock. His cloak was in tatters. His skin burned. Every muscle screamed in protest.
"Damn… stronger than I thought," he muttered, spitting out ash as he pulled himself upright. Emberstorm had been thrown nearby, half-buried in the ground.
He didn't have time to rest.
Ergus charged once more, sword raised high. Another frontal assault. Predictable, but no less deadly.
He's powerful, but slow. That's my edge.
Shirou's legs surged with lightning again. His form blurred, zigzagging with erratic speed. Sparks danced beneath his feet. He reappeared behind Ergus in an instant.
"I don't need deep cuts," he murmured, eyes locking on a weak spot. "I just need to slow you down."
With surgical precision, he slashed behind Ergus' right knee. Emberstorm tore into the tendons. The giant faltered with a pained grunt but remained standing.
Ergus howled and raised his broadsword again, flames coiling around it like a dragon rearing to strike
"Not again," Shirou hissed. " He's going to use that attack again."
"Ashbringer—Inferno Surge!" Ergus roared.
A vortex of fire burst outward, engulfing the area in an apocalyptic blaze. The entire battlefield quaked. Flames consumed everything.
When the smoke finally thinned, a blur shot from the left—Shirou, dashing through the haze. Ergus turned, sword already halfway raised.
"Ashbringer–Phoenix Bur—"
But then, pain shot through his right leg.
A clone.
The Shirou in front vanished like mist, and the real one struck from behind, Emberstorm slicing through the tendons of Ergus' other leg. The beast howled again, toppling forward to his knees with an earth-shaking crash. His broadsword clanged to the ground, flames sputtering at its edge.
"I admit your skin is tough," Shirou muttered, leaping onto Ergus' broad shoulder. "But there are always softer spots."
Without hesitation, he drove Emberstorm straight into Ergus' eye. The blade sank deep. The giant thrashed, his massive arm flailing wildly to crush Shirou but Shirou was faster. He kicked off Ergus' chest, launching himself backwards. Mid-air, he summoned Inferno Fang, his free hand tightening around the dagger's hilt.
With a snap of his wrist, he hurled it forward—dead centre at Ergus' last remaining eye.
It struck.
Ergus shrieked, hands clutching at his face as dark blood poured down. Blind, disoriented, enraged. He swung aimlessly, his sword cutting only air.
Now.
Shirou dismissed both Emberstorm and Inferno Fang. The weapons dissolved into sparks, only to have Emberstorm reappear in his grasp a moment later.
He dashed forward again, unleashing a flurry of strikes. Each cut was deliberate, precise—designed to disable, not just wound. Tendons, muscles, ligaments—each was targeted with brutal efficiency. The once-mighty guardian now trembled under the relentless assault.
Despite his massive swings, Ergus couldn't hit what he couldn't see. His strikes were wild, unfocused, his power nullified by blindness and fatigue
Shirou darted in and out, slicing the same wound repeatedly, deepening it until muscle peeled away from the bone. His breath came heavy, his mind laser-focused.
And then…
With a final, guttural roar, Lord Ergus collapsed. His gigantic frame hit the rocky floor with a thunderous quake, dust and flame bursting outward.
The battlefield fell silent.
Shirou stood there, shoulders rising and falling. He let Emberstorm rest on his shoulder, its crimson glow flickering gently in the dim light.
He stared at the fallen colossus—one more floor conquered, one more guardian fallen.