Shirou Emiya — Doesn't Want to Work Overtime!

The shapeless, pitch-black serpentine mass lashed its body and, with a stifled, guttural roar, shot from behind Asakusa Kaori like an arrow loosed from a bow, slicing through the air straight toward Shirou and Rengoku Kyōjurō.

It was only now that Shirou could truly sense how much his strength had changed.

This snake-like attack was as fast—maybe even faster—than the demons Shirou had faced before. But even at this speed, Shirou realized he could dodge it with ease. Gone were the days when he had to push himself to the limit just to block or evade.

A month in the hanamachi, Shirou had never missed a day of training—body, magecraft, breathing, everything. He was determined never to feel helpless against demons again. He knew well that the ones who'd nearly killed him before were probably just small fry.

He refused to grow complacent. Even on nights when he got home late, Shirou had trained, never letting up.

But with no one to compare himself to, Shirou had no idea how much he'd grown. It was like a child who doesn't realize how much taller they've gotten until someone measures them.

That was the state Shirou was in now—but there was no time for pride. Kaori's attack was already upon them.

Both Shirou and Rengoku sprang sideways, narrowly avoiding the pitch-black snake as it shot between them.

Rengoku didn't just dodge; as he slid away, he assumed a ready stance, nichirin blade drawn, body coiled like a tiger about to spring.

"Shirou! Aim for the other side of her neck—strike there!"

Rengoku recalled the last exchange—he'd only managed to cut halfway through Kaori's neck before his blade had been trapped. If they could both strike from opposite sides at once, maybe they could sever her head completely.

Shirou hadn't been part of that previous fight, so Rengoku didn't waste time explaining details—in a crisis, the fastest way to communicate was to give clear, direct orders.

As soon as he finished speaking, a burst of fire flashed—Rengoku's blade slashed through the air, cleaving toward Kaori's neck with no warning.

Countless black serpents erupted from her back, trying to ensnare Rengoku, but she didn't seem to care that her head was about to be severed.

Shirou didn't hesitate; the moment Rengoku moved, he charged at Kaori from the opposite side.

All of Kaori's attention was focused on Rengoku, leaving only a few snake shadows to defend against Shirou as he closed in.

"[Flame Breathing, Fourth Form: Blooming Flame Undulation]!"

Just as his blade was about to touch Kaori's neck, Rengoku spun mid-air, sending a vortex of blazing flame roaring outward—the heat so intense even Shirou could feel it from the other side.

But, just as Rengoku had suspected, the terrifying flames vanished the moment they touched those black snakes—absorbed without a trace.

Had he not deliberately kept his sword at a safe distance, his own nichirin blade might have been swallowed up too.

He pivoted quickly, springing away just before the tightening black circle closed around him.

It looked close, but for Rengoku it was easy—Kaori had raw power, but no technique at all. If not for the snakes' strange ability to consume attacks, he could have broken through and beheaded her in a heartbeat.

Shirou now appeared at her other side.

Rengoku reset his stance, a flicker of flame appearing at the tip of his blade.

At that moment, Kaori seemed to think of something amusing, and the faintest smile crept across her lips.

Shu!

Before Shirou or Rengoku could react to the sound, a crushing sense of suffocation hit them—a massive force seemed to slam in from both sides, as if giant hands were trying to clap them together.

Breathing Techniques—by definition, required you to keep breathing. If you couldn't, it didn't matter how perfect your form was; you simply couldn't use them.

But even as the air was sucked away, the nichirin blade in Rengoku's hand still blazed with fiery light.

"[Flame Breathing, First Form: Unknowing Fire]!"

Even that overwhelming force, that suffocating vacuum, couldn't stop Rengoku's slash.

She just turned the air into a vacuum, like she did when she made that entire district vanish…

From what he'd seen, and what Rengoku had told him about force disappearing, Shirou could quickly deduce the nature of Kaori's blood demon art—it was all about devouring.

Put simply, if her blood demon art had a name, it would be just one word: [Devour].

And devouring didn't just mean things you'd normally expect. It could mean anything—even air. If you suddenly lost the air around you, and the material wasn't strong enough, the pressure would crush it instantly.

Normally, sucking away air was like aiming a vacuum cleaner at yourself—you could feel the pull and the rush of wind from behind.

But now, with all the air in front suddenly gone, the atmosphere behind rushed in, creating a gale-force wind.

Shirou felt his body being yanked backward, as if he'd been hit with a heavy blow, dragged straight toward Kaori.

But—wind. Wind was something Shirou had been pondering for an entire month!

"[Sword Breathing—Wind Style: Cyclone Dance, Gale Slash]!"