Fate: I Will Eventually Become the Hero of Justice

"Hmm?"

Leaving behind the Black Faction, Jeanne, who was now headed toward the Red Faction, suddenly looked troubled.

"What's wrong, Miss Jeanne?" Leticia asked.

"I'm not sure, but I have this unsettling sense of foreboding that feels strangely familiar," Jeanne replied, her brow furrowed.

"Unsettling and strangely familiar?"

"Yes," Jeanne nodded, her face tinged with unease. "I felt the same eerie sensation before I was put on trial."

"Do you want to take a moment to rest?" Leticia suggested, clearly concerned.

"No," Jeanne shook her head. "God is guiding me."

And with that, she kept walking.

...

Can you believe it?

A huge monster appeared out of nowhere.

Mash stared in disbelief at the monstrosity that occupied the city center. It was a nightmarish creature—a 30-meter-tall octopus with a swirling pattern of black and red on its body, its tentacles writhing menacingly.

It looked like something straight out of a kaiju movie—like one of those Ultraman monsters that her senpai had made her binge-watch. Sure, it wasn't as surreal as the 60-meter sword Ig-Alima that Shirou had summoned, but it was downright horrifying in its own right.

By now, anyone with a shred of sanity had already bolted, their screams echoing through the streets. Even the people working nearby had hastily grabbed their belongings and scattered.

A voice boomed from the octo-building beast. "One question, how did you find me, Assassin of Black?"

Shirou smiled. "You think I'd tell you? But thanks for confirming one thing—you're definitely Caster of Red."

Caster: "…"

The truth was, Shirou hadn't actually found Caster. The guy was better than a master of disguise; not even his 'Evil Flower' could pick up on the creature's "negative emotions"—or even sense its presence. Shirou had been entirely oblivious to the fact that the monster had been masquerading as a TV station.

However, he had noticed something off: the complete disappearance of 'negative emotions' in people who entered the building. That tiny anomaly was enough for him to sense that something was seriously wrong.

Using Ig-Alima to slice through the building was just a test; he had every intention of stopping the swing before it hit the building. But this ruse had successfully flushed Caster out into the open!

And as a bonus, the creature had unwittingly revealed itself as the Caster of Red!

The fact that it knew he was the Assassin of Black clearly implied its involvement in the Holy Grail War. And given that the Caster of Red was the only piece missing from the War's chessboard, there was no room for doubt. This monster had to be a Servant—specifically, a member of the Red faction!

Could Caster's Noble Phantasm really be the ability to summon such hellish monstrosities? No, it had to be more than that. Earlier, Caster had tried to mess with his mind, only to have its mind interference devoured by his black mud.

"Let me guess, you're the so-called deputy head of the church around here, right? And your true motive is to feed this abomination," Shirou surmised, his eyes narrowing with a dangerous glint.

Concealed within the bowels of the octopus, Caster monitored the outside world through a crystal ball. Shock registered on his face as he realized that Assassin had figured out everything.

Unlike his Master, who was sowing the seeds of 'salvation,' he was indeed using the believers to feed the demon. Remarkably, this creature had evolved beyond the confines of a mere Noble Phantasm—it was self-sustaining, needing no magical energy, capable of sustaining itself through consumption like any living being.

Behind Shirou, the black mud roiled and surged. A colossal arm emerged, wielding the 60-meter blade, Ig-Alima. With a deafening sound, he swung it toward the monster's head.

The wind howled, and the air itself seemed to scream.

In a clean, swift arc, the blade decapitated the giant octopus. But instead of dying, the beast's flesh bubbled and writhed at the stump, regenerating its severed head as if nothing had happened.

Shirou raised an eyebrow and unleashed another sweeping strike with his colossal blade. This time, the creature reacted swiftly, its tentacles darting up to block the sword.

"Now that you've found me, there's no way you're leaving this place alive!" Caster shouted.

The monstrosity emitted a guttural roar. Two enormous tentacles lashed out, leveling buildings in their wake. Debris rained down like meteors, inciting screams of terror from onlookers.

Smiling, Shirou replied, "By all means, try to take my head if you can. Otherwise, spare me the threats. They only serve to expose your weaknesses."

Caster's face twisted into a frown.

Just then—

"Boom boom boom—!!!"

The earth trembled as another massive tentacle launched toward Shirou. Black mud surged around him, sprouting two gargantuan arms, each wider than a city bus. He snatched the tentacle out of the air and hurled it aside with a force that could rival a tornado, tearing it away as effortlessly as uprooting a weed, and causing the ground beneath it to fracture.

"Crack crack crack crack—"

Behind Shirou, what initially appeared to be a large building started glitching and slowly disappeared into darkness, with tentacles emerging from the shadows, revealing its true form. It wasn't a building at all; it was another colossal octopus, standing at about twenty meters tall!

There's more than one?

Shirou raised an eyebrow.

"Mr. Fujimaru, look out! There's another one at 3 o'clock... Ah! 7 o'clock too, and 9 o'clock as well...!"

Mash's voice was tinged with urgency.

As it turned out, this monstrosity wasn't just one massive monster; they were a group. Nine of them, to be exact, each with its imposing size. The largest, looming in the 6 o'clock direction, stood at about fifty meters tall—an undeniable walking mountain.

At that moment, all nine behemoths lunged toward Shirou.

"As a reward for discovering me, I'll grant you a quick death," Caster sneered.

"What a chatterbox," Shirou chuckled, sizing up the encroaching giants and smiling. He then turned to Mash. "Master, I need some of your magical energy."

"Huh?" she was stunned.

Before she could register what was happening, Shirou reversed his Saint Graph to normal.

Suddenly, it felt as though the air had been sucked out of her lungs. Clutching her chest, gasping for breath, her complexion turned pale. It was as if she were connected to a water pump, rapidly draining her magical energy.

Why does contracting with Mr. Fujimaru hurt so much? Senpai said that maintaining a connection with a Servant would only use a small amount of mana.

Mash was utterly baffled.

As Shirou reverted his Saint Graph to its original state, not only were his Noble Phantasm and skills unsealed, but even the armor he wore turned silvery-gray.

"All you did was change your outfit," Caster scoffed.

"Is that what you think?" Shirou smiling, gesturing to the monstrous creatures that encircled them. "You think your monsters are impressive, Caster?"

With a mere thought, a tidal wave of black mud surged around Shirou and Mash, forming an 'Evil Giant' that stood at an imposing sixty meters.

Shirou took his place in the frontal lobe of the towering construct, placing Mash toward the rear.

"W-What's happening?" she stammered, her body trembling.

Black appendages wrapped around her waist, gripped her legs and ankles, and secured her shoulders, anchoring her to the construct's cranium.

"Don't worry, it's just to keep you stable so you don't fall."

"Oh, okay!" she nodded, "So what exactly is this, Mr. Fujimaru?"

"As my Master, you'll understand if you look carefully into our connection."

Closing her eyes, she delved deeper into her connection with Shirou to check her current situation. The sight was mind-boggling.

"This... this is..."

She felt it.

She—

Had become Ultraman!

An Ultraman standing in a circle surrounded by nine monsters!