A lone person climbs a mountain.
Who can't climb a mountain?
Everyone climbs a mountain a few times in their life.
But not everyone can climb this kind of mountain.
Things are precious because they are rare.
Although this phrase comes from economics, its application is by no means limited to that field.
Before his crossing into this world, Shinji had lived in the south, where the terrain was flat and expansive. Not only were there very few geographical mountains, but even hills were rare. Any area with a slight elevation would be labeled as a mountain, attracting nearby residents eager to hike. The government would also take advantage of this enthusiasm, building trails and maintaining the environment, creating recreational spots for residents.
Fuyuki City, however, was the complete opposite. Built around hills, surrounded by a series of mountains and ridges, it was impossible not to encounter them. Under such circumstances, the locals' passion for mountains wasn't as intense as it had been in Shinji's previous life. Aside from Mount Enzou, which had the added attraction of the Ryuudou Temple's spiritual significance, most other mountains were seldom visited. Consequently, the government didn't bother wasting limited funds on places no one cared about.
In other words, most of the mountains around Fuyuki City remained undeveloped, preserving their original natural environments. There were no hiking trails or handrails, and even cell phone signals didn't always reach. In such conditions, even though the elevation wasn't high, how many people would be willing to climb them, and how many could successfully reach the top?
Of course, for someone like Shinji, such conditions were trivial. Although he hadn't undergone professional climbing training, his strength and physical capability were more than sufficient. Even the world's highest peak, Mount Everest, might not be able to stop him, let alone an unnamed hill barely 500 meters tall, which technically didn't even qualify as a mountain.
Despite the slippery ground caused by melting snow, he moved swiftly. The overgrown vegetation was nothing more than a minor inconvenience, easily brushed aside with a wave of his hand. In just a few minutes, he had reached the summit from the base, and including the time spent speeding out of town by car, the entire journey took less than 20 minutes.
Of course, speeding, driving against traffic, and running red lights were unavoidable. However, Shinji had camouflaged the vehicle beforehand, altering everything from the model to the license plate, color, and shape. Even if the traffic police wanted to catch him for reckless driving, it would be impossible.
Shinji had chosen to ascend the mountain on the shaded side, the one facing away from the sun, which was the furthest route from where Karna, Gilgamesh, Rin, and Luvia were battling on the sunlit side. The reason for this choice was his concern that rushing onto the battlefield might lead to being attacked by both sides. Even if he wasn't targeted, his intrusion could interrupt this rare, world-shaking duel. Shinji wasn't here to cause trouble—he was here to watch the show.
Upon reaching the summit, he found an ideal spot surrounded by trees and rocks, a place that offered good cover but didn't obstruct his view, and sat down.
As soon as he set down his backpack, he saw a massive pillar of fire, at least ten meters in diameter, shoot into the sky. The terrifying energy and magical power emanating from it made Shinji's magical circuits sting, even from this distance.
"This… this is Karna's magical power… Has he already unleashed his Noble Phantasm? The fight's just started, and he's already going all out with a face-to-face attack? That's why Karna is so formidable—every time he fights, it's earth-shattering. I need to hurry up…"
As he spoke, he quickly pulled a pair of black-framed glasses from his pocket and placed them on his nose. These glasses were a gift from Shirou, imbued with various special functions, including long-distance vision.
After channeling magical energy into the lenses and adjusting the focus, the image of two golden figures was reflected in Shinji's irises. One was wielding a bow, the other a sword, and they were engaging in close-quarters combat.
"Even after switching classes and weapons, they're still fighting like this. As expected, an Archer who can't fight in close combat isn't a true Archer. Hmm… I see now… Brahma's bow can be used like that too. I've learned something new."
As he spoke, he reached into his backpack with one hand while his other hand grasped an invisible bow in midair. The size, appearance, and even his stance in holding the bow were identical to Karna's.
◇◇◇
"What is he doing? What is he doing!?"
Not far away, in a cave, a girl shouted in agitation.
While Shinji was watching Karna, someone else was watching him—or rather, not just watching, but even transmitting sound through a special spell.
"Ouch… ow, ow, ow, take it easy, Master, take it easy."
Olga Marie's companion, a grown man, groaned in pain. In her excitement, she had grabbed his arm unintentionally, digging her nails into his flesh, causing the man to gasp in pain.
"Ah—!"
Realizing what she had done, Olha quickly let go and awkwardly complained.
"You're a Servant, aren't you? I only used a little bit of strength, and you're already crying out in pain?"
"I think most Servants would feel pain if they were pinched like that. Look, it's even bruised."
Roman replied with a wry smile, rolling up his sleeve to reveal clear nail marks on his skin.
This cheerful interaction, between a Servant and a Master, could only belong to the duo of Olga Marie and Roman. After parting ways with Luvia, they ascended the mountain to set up a bounded field that blocked magical detection, fulfilling their promise.
"Sorry, sorry."
Seeing the bruises around the nail marks, Olga Marie lowered her head in embarrassment.
"It's fine. Just don't get so worked up next time. Getting excited won't solve anything."
Roman, ever the good-natured one, wasn't angry. With a subtle flow of magical energy, the bruise quickly disappeared—though Olga Marie didn't notice, as Roman had already rolled down his sleeve, and her focus had shifted back to Shinji.
"Right, Matou Shinji… that guy is incredibly dangerous. We have to—"
"Have to what?"
Roman asked with a strange expression as he looked at the surveillance image.
"Uh…"
It was as if Olga Marie's throat had been seized; she stammered for several moments without managing to say anything coherent.
What she wanted to say was "We have to notify Luvia and the others immediately."
Olga Marie and Roman's task was to provide surveillance and stay hidden. From the moment Shinji entered the bounded field, she had been on high alert.
Shinji had left a deep impression on her during the Rail Zeppelin incident. First, he had fought Faker head-on and won, and then, in a very short time, he had killed one of the 27 Dead Apostle Ancestors, the Forest of Einnashe. In Olga Marie's mind, Matou Shinji was already on par with top-tier Servants like Karna.
When she saw Shinji manifest a golden bow, her first thought was that he was about to interfere. Since her Servant was an utterly useless trash (in her opinion), she had no ability to stop Shinji. All she could think of was to quickly notify Luvia, either to warn them to be cautious or to suggest a truce, so as not to give Matou Shinji any opportunity.
However, before she could send out a warning, Shinji's actions left her completely bewildered.