Shinji Matou at Your Service

And just like that, the battle was over.

In the dark forest, the magus Freddy had been defeated.

"May I ask your name?"

Before coming here, Freddy had been confident—confident that he was different from those sheltered flowers in the Clock Tower. Even the feared Executors couldn't stop him.

But despite that, he lost to this guy, much younger than himself, and accepted his defeat wholeheartedly. He wanted to know his name.

As a warrior, he wanted to know the name of someone stronger than him.

As a magus, he wanted to know the name of someone who was even more unconventional—a magus whose decisive punch was enhanced by magical power, of which Freddy was certain.

Shinji's expression became even more exasperated.

"This is already the second question. And why should I tell you my name? There are plenty of people who want the Crimson Fruit; telling you would just cause me more trouble. Besides, what makes you think the name I told you would be my real one?"

Realizing it was pointless to continue, Freddy left, as silently as when he had arrived.

"Now that I think about it, didn't a magus also appear in the sequel to Tsukihime? Was it this Freddy? No, the role was too small to remember. Anyway, just be careful."

Projecting his mental energy outward, carefully scanning every inch of the surrounding area, Shinji, who had just won a great victory, seemed to notice something.

"It seems we have more visitors. Since you're here, why not come out and show yourself?"

"Huh? Discovered?"

A voice echoed through the silent forest, difficult to distinguish if it was male or female, though it sounded very young, perhaps a boy around twelve or thirteen.

"Not bad, not bad at all. You're certainly worthy of being the princess's knight. With you guarding her, it might be possible to destroy the Night of Wallachia."

Shinji's expression changed instantly, this time not in feigned panic but in genuine shock. He hadn't revealed any of his signature abilities, so how had he been recognized?

"Don't be so tense. I just came to say hello."

The voice remained light as if they weren't in a treacherous place but enjoying a spring outing.

"Nice to meet you, Shinji Matou. I knew I'd meet you someday, but I never expected it to be today. Why have you come here? Hunting Dead Apostles? The princess I remember wasn't so diligent."

Shinji ignored the voice's inquiry, quietly loading bullets into his Thompson Contender. His blue eyes glowed with a dangerous intensity, ten times more menacing than when he had fought Freddy.

"Stop that. I have no intention of fighting you. The reason is too despairing; you have no way to win against me. It would be better to give up on this meaningless task."

The voice was not angry but instead carried a tone of kind advice.

Shinji's wrist flicked, the gun barrel snapping into place with a taunting snort.

"Don't be so sure."

"Oh? Then let's see. I'm curious to witness the power of this knight of the princess."

In the distance, the growl of beasts could be heard—like a wolf's howl or a tiger's roar.

"Let's do this."

The downward curve of Shinji's lips suddenly lifted into a grin, a flash of vivid red appearing deep within his eyes.

The next moment, a shocked cry echoed, and the once-relaxed voice suddenly lost its composure.

"W-What did you do?"

"Nothing much just shared a bit of the pressure I've been dealing with. And by the way—don't act superior in front of me! Ever since I got tricked by someone, I've wanted to slap anyone who acts that way."

Shinji didn't know if the voice's owner heard his words, but he knew his attack had worked; the voice was fading away, revealing the speaker's identity in its final echoes.

"Get away, Ciel... Stay 50—no, 100 meters away. I can't hold on much longer."

"Ciel... what a nostalgic name. Now we've gathered all the main characters of Tsukihime on this stage. Her appearance means the Church's ultimate force, the Burial Agency, has also set its sights on Forest of Einnashe."

Ciel, the second female lead in Tsukihime, second only to Arcueid in popularity, and the Seventh Member of the Burial Agency.

The one who partnered with her, who could speak to Shinji in such a manner, was none other than the Fifth Member, Merem Solomon, a Dead Apostle Ancestor like Forest of Einnashe.

"But with Roa still around, Ciel wouldn't be used as a pawn. This means the Burial Agency genuinely intends to take down the Forest of Einnashe. But why would the Church need a reason to hunt vampires?"

Using the information he had, combined with his knowledge, Shinji quickly made a decision.

"Let's go take a look. Ciel and Merem are here to eliminate Forest of Einnashe, not to fight over the Crimson Fruit. Merem himself is a staunch supporter of Arcueid, so if I can establish a cooperation agreement, the rest will be much easier. The direction that consciousness left in was…"

Merem had projected his consciousness nearby to talk to Shinji, but his real body was not present, which was why he believed Shinji couldn't defeat him.

However, he didn't know that Shinji feared nothing more than spiritual and mental confrontations. Even the Old Man of Jewels might not surpass him in this area.

So Merem was tricked. Fortunately, Shinji hadn't gone all out, or else Merem would have been left in a weakened state for a long time, if not turned into a complete idiot.

Following the trace of Merem's departing consciousness, Shinji walked along, burning everything in his path with a flamethrower.

Whether it was resonance magecraft or out-of-body consciousness, it couldn't stray too far from the body. Even someone as close to the Third Magician as Shinji couldn't project his consciousness over long distances. Merem had to be nearby.

Sure enough, after about fifteen minutes, Shinji pinpointed his target's location—indicated by projectiles coming from above. Thin, sharp blades with short, inconspicuous handles, they were the hallmark of the Church's Executors—Black Keys!

Unlike ordinary Black Keys thrown by Executors, these didn't behave like typical projectiles but rather like firearms. Even a reinforced concrete wall would be pierced by them—this was the unique technique of the Burial Agency, Armor-Piercing Effect, greatly enhancing the power of thrown weapons.

However, these powerful Black Keys were not aimed at Shinji's body but at the ground in front of him, warning that the path was blocked.

Shinji flicked his toe, making the Black Key fall into his hand, then looked up in the direction it had come from.

There stood a woman, dressed in a nun's habit.

The woman shared a similar style to Shinji, around sixteen or seventeen years old, with Eastern features, Western blue hair and blue eyes, and a physique somewhere between East and West.

The moment their eyes met, Shinji confirmed her identity—she was Ciel, the last person Merem had mentioned.