Chapter 853: Time to Flee

Strengthening others isn't done for free.

Shinji wasn't foolish, nor was he a bleeding heart. For old friends with whom he had shared many years, he gave freely, not nitpicking over who gained what from whom. Such behavior isn't characteristic of true friendship.

But with strangers who weren't friends, Shinji was naturally less generous. While he did intend to consume the Crimson Fruit in front of everyone to prevent it from becoming a constant source of envy, he wasn't about to be a sucker if there wasn't a fair price. At worst, he'd have Lorelei act as a guarantor and auction it off publicly at the Clock Tower; there would be plenty of buyers.

With himself, Lorelei, and Arcueid personally escorting it, there wasn't much to fear—unless the Burial Agency went all out, or a group of ancient monsters as old as the Jewel Magus decided to team up. Even then, the likelihood of such a scenario occurring was close to zero. Everyone present was shrewd, and those aboard the Mystic Eyes Collecting Train weren't short on money. How could they pass up such an opportunity, especially those who hadn't managed to acquire any auction items?

Immediately, some people began urging Shinji to hold another auction, with Leandra even volunteering to be the auctioneer once more, as a farewell to the train.

However, Shinji declined. Outwardly, he claimed he was too tired from the battles and didn't want to waste time. But in truth, he had already made a list in his mind. Such a valuable item, which significantly enhances a person's abilities, had to be handled carefully. Even if he were to sell it, he would sell it to the right person—not to someone who might use it against him tomorrow.

The first recipient, without a doubt, was Lorelei. She was not only a long-time friend but also someone Shinji had decided to keep close for life. If he didn't think of her first when he had something good, his little queen would certainly be upset. Naturally, he still haggled a bit on the surface to avoid raising suspicion and causing unnecessary complications.

Next were Caules and Fiore. This was purely emotional. Even though the Caules and Fiore of this world weren't the same as those from the parallel world, Shinji still felt compelled to do something for them, to make up for the bond in his heart—much like how he had taught Sakura from the parallel world the Women Self-Defense Technique. It just goes to show that sometimes, people are truly sentimental creatures.

Similar to his dealings with Lorelei, Shinji had Waver step in to secure slots for his two students in exchange for a favor—though one of the students was Gray, who, as an inner disciple, had a closer relationship with him than the other students. There was no reason to show favoritism. The reason it was only one favor and not two was because Gray's body had already undergone various adjustments and enhancements, leaving little room for further improvement.

Given the bond between Caules and Fiore, Caules would undoubtedly give the slot to his sister. He recognized his limited potential and knew that his sister, who was out there on her own, needed the strength far more than he did. Similarly, Fiore would likely insist on giving the slot to her brother. Just as the touching sibling drama reached its climax, Luvia—well, before Waver could even step in, Luvia had already acted, offering to pay for Fiore's slot while also securing one for herself.

It seemed that in this world, Luvia and Fiore were exceptionally close. Could it be a case of yuri? Watching the two girls interact so intimately, Shinji couldn't help but speculate with a hint of mischief.

Wait a minute—Fiore's gaze towards me also seems a bit peculiar. Could it be that she's attracted to my handsome face, toned physique, and immense power? Alright, just kidding. Fiore isn't that much of a fangirl.

But it was just as well that Luvia stepped in. It saved Waver the trouble, and with her background in wrestling, she was particularly well-suited for physical enhancements—arguably the most suitable candidate of all, much like Lorelei.

The next slot went to Olga-Marie, in exchange for information about a certain mechanism her father had established. Although this world wasn't on the Human Incineration timeline, Shinji needed to eliminate all hidden dangers. He didn't want to wake up one day to find humanity suddenly wiped out. Who knew if this world had Dr. Roman or Ritsuka Fujimaru?

By this point, the fruit had shriveled completely, leaving only a final trace of life force and an empty husk. Despite being touted as the accumulation of eight hundred years, it wasn't particularly long-lasting—alright, that wasn't entirely true. A portion of the essence had been secretly stashed away by Arcueid during the strengthening process.

No need to guess—it was on Shinji's orders. How could he leave out his family when it came to something this valuable? Although none of his family members were as physically depleted as Waver, it was still beneficial to strengthen their bodies and extend their lifespans.

Finally, what remained of the Crimson Fruit, squeezed to its very limits, was split in two: the peel went to Rita Rozay-en as a collectible, while the pulp was given to Melvin. Although the life force had been drained, the essence of the blood remained unchanged, making it the ideal material for creating a blood-replenishing agent—something no one needed more than Melvin.

Once Melvin carefully put the fruit away, the Forest of Einnashe incident officially came to an end, and the Mystic Eyes Collecting Train incident was nearing its conclusion as well. All that was left was to take the culprits into custody and deliver them to the Department of Policies for a proper trial.

But just then, the situation took another turn, and thunder roared once more.

The Servant, who had been weakened by the Forest of Einnashe, regained her strength with the cire's disappearance, and once again summoned her Noble Phantasm. This time, she charged around the entire area at full speed. By now, everyone had moved from the train to the open space outside, as no one wanted to stay on the train after Arcueid's wild driving.

As a result, the Shadow Servant's Noble Phantasm, Hecatic Wheel, had plenty of room to run. But there was an upside—at least there was no need to worry about damaging the Mystic Eye Collection stored on the train. Those were Shinji's assets, and even one loss would be a heavy blow. The cheapest mystic eye was worth several million dollars, and they were all irreplaceable.

"Heartless—!"

Lorelei's expression darkened as she called out sternly.

"—Are you still going to put up a futile resistance?"

"Please don't say it like that, Lord Barthomeloi."

The chariot halted in front of the red-haired man and the Shadow Servant. The man stepped onto the chariot alongside the Servant, offering a slight bow, his expression calm and unperturbed. Regardless of his stance, he was someone difficult to truly despise from the bottom of one's heart.

"If this were before Einnashe's appearance, I certainly wouldn't dare resist. But now, with the Great Source still not fully restored, making it difficult for you to replenish mana, I think I still have a chance."

Lorelei snorted coldly and made a gesture that only she and Shinji could understand.

Shinji got the message and lifted a finger.

In the next instant, a row of stakes shot up from the ground, aiming directly at the chariot's wheels.

The Shadow Servant was prepared for this and shattered the stakes with lightning as soon as they appeared. Simultaneously, she cracked the reins, commanding the skeletal dragon pulling the chariot to take to the skies.

Heartless sat beside the Shadow Servant, far more composed than Waver had ever been.

"An aerial race, is it? If you catch me this time, I'll surrender without a fight."