Unlimited Blade Works of the Raging Dimension

Shiro sat casually on the sofa, waiting for Esdeath to arrive. He knew that the fluctuation of magic power earlier would definitely be noticed by her. Now, he just needed to wait for the situation to improve.

The faint sound in his ears gradually subsided, and the faint sound of water that had been there since he entered the room also stopped.

'Wait, the sound of water?'

Shirou suddenly realized, as if he had just thought of something. It was already night, and the lights in Esdeath's room were still on, but there was no one inside. There was also a faint sound of water coming from the side.

'Impossible.'

Shirou turned his head and looked toward the door in the room. Based on the room's layout, it seemed that was where the bathroom was located. When he had just entered, it seemed like there was light coming through the bathroom window.

Then, as if confirming his suspicion, the bathroom door opened.

Ice-blue pupils and eagle-like eyes met again, but this time, the scene had changed. From the smoke-filled battlefield the last time, to a bedroom.

Esdeath's attire also confirmed Shirou's bad premonition. Water droplets dripped from her waist-length blue hair and fell to the floor. Esdeath wasn't wearing her usual military uniform, just a bathrobe, revealing her delicate collarbone and beautiful thighs in front of Shirou, but she didn't seem to care.

"I didn't expect to receive such a big gift the first time we met after returning to the capital. Are you trying to seduce me?"

Although Shirou felt embarrassed, there was no flaw in his expression. His face was as calm as usual, and he even teased Esdeath.

"I was wondering who had the guts to enter my room, but it turns out to be you." Esdeath ignored his words. She wasn't shy like an ordinary woman. Instead, she showed a strong fighting spirit. "However, you came at the right time. Since that battle, I've always hoped to meet you again. At first, I thought I'd have to wait a while before I could find you, but now you've come on your own."

"This time, I will definitely trample you and listen to your wails."

The ice control ability activated at several points, and the water droplets on Esdeath's body quickly turned into small ice crystals and slid down her body.

This wasn't something she did intentionally. It was just that facing a strong enemy she hadn't seen in a long time, Esdeath felt excited. Her excitement caused the power of her Imperial Arms to radiate unconsciously. Facing a strong enemy would make her excited, and her emotions would peak. Now, she couldn't wait to act.

"You should stop. Our fight won't end today." Facing the emotional Esdeath, Shiro waved his hand helplessly. "Don't you see where we are? This is the imperial palace. If a fight breaks out, with our power, even the aftermath would destroy the surrounding area."

"That's not a problem; it has nothing to do with me. All I want is to fight." Esdeath ignored his words. For her, an intense battle was more important than anything else. It wouldn't matter at all even if the palace were destroyed.

As she spoke, hundreds of ice spikes appeared around her. The dense ice spikes made the originally spacious room feel very cramped. It seemed she was ready to act.

"I know you don't care, but once we start fighting, General Budo will definitely notice. If our fight endangers the safety of the palace, he will surely stop it. Wouldn't it be boring if the fight were interrupted? You don't want that, do you?"

"That's true…"

"Besides, you don't want to fight me in this outfit, do you?" Shirou said, striking while the iron was hot. "Wearing this won't allow you to unleash your full power. On the contrary, if you're seen naked, you'll suffer."

"Don't worry about that. I won't lose even in this outfit. Besides, it doesn't matter if someone sees me. Just kill them all. No one will care about the death of pigs." Surprisingly, Esdeath wasn't too concerned about being seen, but then she changed the subject, "But you're right. It would be boring if this fight were interrupted."

Even so, the ice spikes surrounding her didn't disappear just yet.

"However, you sneaked into my room, and this account can't be let go. Since you didn't come here to fight me, what do you want to do?" As she spoke, the ice spikes around her seemed to encircle Shirou.

"I wanted to ask you the same thing." Shirou stood up from the sofa and looked at her. "I never expected you to be such a nuisance. You're so petty just because you lost a battle, you ordered the security forces to issue a search warrant for me. I didn't expect the famous Esdeath to be someone who can't handle losing."

"When did I ever issue a search warrant?" Esdeath said in surprise. "I just told my subordinates to find you as soon as possible. As for issuing a search warrant, I'm not that petty."

"But don't worry." Esdeath waved her hand, and all the ice spikes disappeared. "Whatever method they use, as long as the result is correct, I don't want to care about other things."

"That's exactly like the rumors say." Shiro shook his head helplessly, "But since you're here, we should settle our business. The time and place are up to you. If you win, I'll return this to you."

As he spoke, he took something out of his pocket. It was something he obtained from Esdeath when he defeated her the first time he came to this world. Thanks to this, Shirou gained his first source of light.

When Esdeath's gaze fell on the headpiece, she stared at Shirou's hand carefully. Whether it was an illusion or not, Shirou truly felt a hint of nostalgia in Esdeath's gaze.

"Oh, I see. The time is tomorrow afternoon, and the location is the mountains on the northern outskirts of the imperial capital. Is that okay?" Esdeath adjusted her mood.

"No problem, but…"

"But what?"

"What do I get if you lose?" A mischievous smile appeared on Shirou's lips, and he looked her up and down.

"It seems you've made a mistake." Esdeath looked at him with unmasked sarcasm on her face. "The loser and the weak have no right to demand anything. All they need to do is accept the winner's decision. As long as I defeat you, not to mention taking something from you, whatever I do to you is my right, and vice versa."

"Oh, I forgot. This is the truth you believe in." Shiro looked at her with a smile. "It seems you won't win."