Chapter 83

The rustling sound... rustle... rustle... rustle...

The sound coming from the nearby bushes made Yuzuru Sakai, who was following Zhao Yun, pause in his steps.

It's just the wind, the boy thought, glancing back at the bushes covered by the trees. Next to the bushes were two stone pillars forming a simple entrance. One of the pillars had a few large characters written on it. This was a park—named the "Stray Dog Park."

The two were passing by the park's entrance on their way home. The sun had long since set, and the only lighting on the road was from the street lamps, which, for some reason, were sparse in this area. Perhaps the gloomy environment was intentionally created to match the park's name? Yuzuru always felt that the nearby park seemed quite eerie. The name alone was enough to deter anyone from wanting to visit, which might explain why even broken street lamps were left unrepaired.

The companion in front of him seemed to notice Yuzuru and slowed down, waiting for him to catch up. Yuzuru glanced back again and quickened his pace to follow Zhao Yun. Ever since witnessing the arrival of the Heroic Spirit, he seemed to have become more timid.

Humans are such strange creatures. Just a few days ago, he was an atheist, a brave young man who dared to explore abandoned mansions at night. But after his common sense was shattered by reality, he gradually became more cautious. If a classmate were to come and tell Yuzuru that ghost stories were just to scare children, he wouldn't argue, but he would certainly disagree inwardly. The things he did to prove his courage, he wouldn't dare to try again now.

Rustle... rustle...

The eerie sound that chilled the atmosphere continued, regardless of the boy's hopes. This time, Yuzuru decided to ignore it. The sound could be made by stray cats or dogs walking through the bushes. There were fewer stray cats and dogs on the school island compared to other cities, but they still existed, so it wasn't a particularly unusual phenomenon. As he reassured himself, he quickened his pace to catch up with Zhao Yun, only to be forced to stop after a few steps.

"Zhao... What's wrong?"

Yuzuru looked at Zhao Yun, who had stopped in front of him, with a bit of surprise. He finally remembered in time not to call out the Heroic Spirit's true name.

The Heroic Spirit in white did not immediately answer his master's question. Instead, he turned around, shielding the boy behind him, and stared intently at the bushes Yuzuru had just observed.

Rustle...

The sound of something rustling the bushes sounded for the third time. However, upon closer attention, it was clear that the sound was getting weaker, and the intervals between each sound were getting longer. If it were a stray cat, as Yuzuru had guessed, it must have been a pitiful little animal that hadn't eaten for a long time and was almost exhausted.

"Who's there? Please come out!"

Under Yuzuru's curious gaze, Zhao Yun spoke to the direction of the bushes. He had previously instructed his master to keep his true name a secret, so he now tried to speak in a way that modern people would, avoiding phrases like "Who is there?" that would immediately reveal his origins.

After standing there for a while, there was no response from the other side. Logically, if he had discovered a Heroic Spirit, the other Heroic Spirit would have also discovered him, especially at such a close distance. There was no need or possibility for a continued ambush. Zhao Yun, a renowned general who had seen countless conspiracies and intrigues, would have chosen to remain calm and wait for the right moment to act.

But now, he was no longer in command of thousands of troops. He couldn't act according to his usual habits. Behind him stood not a well-trained, disciplined elite soldier, but a powerless, ordinary boy who needed his protection.

He signaled Yuzuru to stay where he was and then suddenly leaped. In mid-air, he drew his weapon, hidden by the Holy Grail's power, and charged straight into the bushes with his spear in his right hand!

Avoidance, counterattack, panic, and even the near-impossible plea for mercy had all been considered. But the other party did not respond in any of the ways Zhao Yun had hoped. Heroic Spirits wouldn't play such a trivial trick as pretending to be dead, and they wouldn't leave a corpse after dying. The girl lying motionless on the ground, clearly unconscious, was obviously not faking it.

She had long black hair, which, due to her small stature, seemed somewhat exaggerated. Lying on her back, she was wearing a black robe that almost covered her entire body. Her gender was guessed from her hairstyle, and her face was hidden. If it weren't for the faint breathing, her cold, stiff body would have been mistaken for a long-dead person by any passerby.

Zhao Yun was a general, and he had a fundamental difference between war and slaughter. He had chosen to fight to end the cruel chaos. Unless necessary, he did not want his silver spear to be stained with blood. Now, facing a child with no ability to resist, and as a Heroic Spirit, Zhao Yun noticed something that caught his attention. Perhaps this child wouldn't necessarily become their enemy, even if she was another Heroic Spirit competing for the Holy Grail.

"Master."

Zhao Yun made his spear disappear into the void and bent down to pick up the small, unconscious body.

"Is... is she injured? Should we call the police, no, wait, we should take her to the hospital? Call an ambulance! The number is..."

Seeing his companion holding an obviously unconscious girl, the boy, who had never experienced any sudden incidents, was stunned. Yuzuru's words were a jumbled mess as he fumbled for his phone, almost dropping it, and his trembling fingers were about to dial the number when his companion's hand stopped him.

"Master, let's go back first. Doctors can't heal her injuries."

The boy's flustered appearance brought a reassuring smile to the handsome face of the white-clad Heroic Spirit.

From his battle stance, Yuzuru could definitely guess something. As he had said before, the boy named Yuzuru Sakai had excellent potential, especially his occasional, almost innate, precise judgment. He believed that his master, based on the previous atmosphere and his actions, could deduce that the person in his arms was likely their enemy.

But when Yuzuru saw the girl, his first reaction was to be concerned about her injuries. In this strange new world, he was still able to follow a kind and benevolent lord. Zhao Yun deeply appreciated the heavens' favor towards him.

"Go home? Zhao, Lancer, can you heal her injuries?"

Almost forgetting in his nervousness that the person in front of him was not an ordinary human, since he was a Heroic Spirit with god-like power, he should be able to heal the injuries of another Heroic Spirit. Looking at the girl's frail, pitiful body, the flustered boy finally breathed a sigh of relief. Even now, he hadn't remembered that she was a Heroic Spirit and should have been his enemy.

Zhao Yun, holding the girl, quickened his pace towards Yuzuru's home. He glanced at the body in his arms, which had a different aura from a typical Heroic Spirit, and then turned his gaze to the boy beside him.

"No, the one who can heal her is you, my master."