Fate/Stay Night

Heaven’s Feel
Day 01 (One Day):
―――――When I came to, I was in a burning field.
I guess there was a big fire.
The familiar town had turned to ashes and it looked like the remains of a
battlefield from a movie.
―――But that didn't last long either.
The fire had died down by the time the sun rose.
The tall wall of flame had shortened, and most of the buildings had
fallen.
...It felt strange, being the only thing in that place that still had its
original form.
I was the only one still alive around here.
I must have been really lucky, or my house was built in a very lucky
spot.
I don't know which it was, but the point is, I was the only one left alive.
I felt that since I survived, I should live on.
I started walking aimlessly, because I thought it would be dangerous just
to stay there.
I wasn't really concerned about getting burned up like the people lying
around me.
...Probably because, over and above not wanting to be like them, I had a
stronger feeling in my mind.
But still, I had no hope.
It was already a wonder I was still alive, so I couldn't expect to be
saved.
I won't survive.
Whatever happens, I won't be able to escape from this red world.
It was such an absolute hell that even a small child could understand it.
And I collapsed.
Was it because there was no air? Was it because no function was left in
my body?
Anyway, I collapsed and stared up at the clouded sky.
Everything around me was burned up and I could see many shriveled
people.
The dark clouds loomed overhead, telling me it would rain soon.
...That's good. The fire will be put out once it rains.
In the end, I sighed deeply and looked up at the sky.
I say to myself that it hurts.
I say so on behalf of all the people who couldn't even say so.
―――That was ten years ago.
After that, I was miraculously saved.
My body survived.
But I think all the other things about me burned up and were reduced to
ashes.
If you take away a child's parents, home, and all such things, there's
nothing left for him.
That's why there was only my body.
I think it's a simple story.
In other words, in order to let my body live...
My heart died.
―――――――――I'm dreaming.
"――――Huh!?"
I squint my eyes at the white light.
"So bright", I think.
It was just light entering my eyes when I woke up, but I'm not used to it.
I probably didn't even understand what the bright light meant.
"Huh?"
When my eyes focus, I'm surprised.
I'm lying on an unfamiliar bed, in an unfamiliar room.
I'm surprised, but the room is so white and clean that I feel safe.
"...Where am I?"
I look around.
The room is big and there are many beds.
A person is in each bed, and everyone seems to be hurt.
But nothing feels ill in this room.
Everyone who's hurt is someone who was saved.
"――――"
I relax and let my eyes wander.
――――Outside the window,
The bright blue sky was unbelievably beautiful.
After a few days, I finally understood.
I could clearly remember what had happened in the past few days.
Even so, I was no different from a newborn baby.
Not just a metaphor, it was close to the truth.
Anyway, it was a terrible fire.
I had been saved from it, was in the hospital with my body wrapped in
bandages, and my parents were gone.
I didn't get the situation, but I vaguely understood that I was alone.
I think I understood quickly.
...Well, there was nothing but children in similar situations around me,
so all I could do was absorb the fact.
―――And after that.
That man came, right when I was beginning to worry what would
happen to me next.
He came on the day my bandages were taken off and I was able to eat
without help.
Wrinkled coat and uncombed hair.
The man, a bit younger than the doctor, felt more like a big brother than
a father.
"Hello. You must be Shirou-kun."
A smile that seems to melt into the white sunlight.
I think it was a suspicious voice, but a very kind voice.
"I'll ask you directly. Which would you prefer? To go to an orphanage,
or to be adopted by this man you've never seen before?"
That man was saying he could adopt me.
When I asked him if he was a relative of mine, he said he was just a
stranger.
...He looked like an unreliable guy with no future.
But it made no difference, as I knew nothing about either one: him or the
orphanage.
So I decided to go with him.
"I see, that's good. Get ready quickly, then. You should get used to your
new place as fast as you can."
The guy quickly started packing my stuff.
His packing wasn't very good, even in the eyes of a child.
Then, after making a big mess...
"Oh, I forgot to mention something important.
I have to tell you one thing before you come with me.
Is that okay?"
He turns to me lightheartedly and says,
"Yeah.
To start off with, I'm a sorcerer."
He says it in a serious, exaggerated tone.
It happened in an instant.
Come to think of it now, I was really a child back then.
I automatically believed those words.
"―――Wow, you're awesome."
I guess I said so with bright eyes.
Since that time, I became his child.
Actually, I don't remember what I said back then.
But my father would always talk about that day.
He would remember and retell the story again and again.
So for my father, Emiya Kiritsugu, that might have been the happiest
day of his life.
...So.
I guess it was strange for my father to tell me that he was a sorcerer, but
I was strange as well for admiring that.
And thus, I became an adopted son, and my last name became Emiya.
Emiya Shirou.
When I said my name, I was really proud of having the same last name
as Kiritsugu.
...I'm dreaming.
A story from my childhood.
It was when I finally convinced my father to make me his student, so it
must have been about eight years ago.
When I was old enough to stay at home by myself, Kiritsugu started to
leave the house on a regular basis.
He would say in his normal tone that he would "travel the world", and he
began to act on these words.
That's how it was after that.
It was normal for him to leave the house empty for a month, and he
sometimes wouldn't come home for half a year.
The Emiya house is a big Japanese-style house, and Kiritsugu and I were
the only ones living there.
I was perplexed in this house at times, as it was too big for a child.
But still, I liked my life here.
Emiya Kiritsugu would come home from his journeys and tell me lots of
stories like a child.
And the child who shared his last name would be at home waiting for
those stories.
I was always alone in the house, but that loneliness would all fade with
the stories he brought back.
―――The father who was always chasing his dreams like a kid.
His attitude was astounding, but he always seemed dazzling to me.
That might be why I wanted to be like him someday.
...Well, on top of that....
Looking at my ever-dreaming father, I felt I should become reliable
myself――――
...I hear a sound.
I hear a heavy, old, rusty sound as the door opens.
Light enters the dark shed.
"――――Uh."
My mind, waking up...
"Senpai, are you awake?"
...Feels the cold air and the approaching footsteps.
"...Mm. Good morning, Sakura."
"Ah, yes. Good morning, Senpai."
Sakura smiles and nods as if accustomed to this situation.
"Senpai, it's morning already. You have some more time, but Fujimura-
Sensei will get mad if you stay asleep here."
"Oh... you're right. Thanks for coming to wake me up."
"It's no problem at all. You're always up so early.
I can only come and wake you up like this occasionally."
...?
Sakura seems more upbeat than usual today as if she's happy about
something.
"...Really? I think you wake me up quite often.
Though, Fuji-Nee always hits me to wake me up, so I'd rather have you
wake me up... Well, I'll try harder next time."
...I answer her with a sleepy head.
I don't know what I'm saying with my mind not fully awake.
"All right. But I'm happier when you don't try."
Sakura is giggling.
...Gah, I guess my head was still dozing and I said something weird.
"―――Give me a second, I'll wake up."
Taking a deep breath, I clear up my mind.
The cold outdoor air helps in situations like this.
The chill works well to beat the sleepiness out of my head.
...In front of me is Matou Sakura, my junior at school.
This place is a shed behind my house, and the time is six o'clock.
"...Senpai?"
;//splitted
"Yeah, I'm awake now. Sorry, I guess I did it again.[l]
I have to help you cook breakfast too."
"It's fine. You were up late last night again, right? So you should take
your time in the morning.
I'll get breakfast ready."
Sakura says so in a happy tone.
...It's unusual. Sakura really seems to be in a good mood this morning.
"I can't let you do that. I'll get up right now, so let's go to the kitchen
together."
"All right, I'm all set. Let's go, Sakura."
"Ah... um, Senpai..."
"Hm? What, is something wrong?"
"No, it's nothing, but... I think you should change before you go back to
the house."
"―――Oh."
That said, I look down at myself.
I fell asleep while I was working, so I'm still wearing my overalls.
Being my work clothes, they're pretty dirty. I can't imagine what Fuji-
Nee would say to me if I went into the house like this.
"Ugh... I guess I'm not awake yet. I'm a bit out of it this morning."
"That could be. So you rest here for a bit and I'll take care of breakfast.
And you know, if you keep this place a mess, Fujimura-Sensei will get
mad at you."
"...You're right. I'll go after I get changed. You go on ahead."
"Yes, I'll be waiting, Senpai."
Sakura leaves.
Well.
I have to change into my school uniform and clear up this mess.
The shed is built on the edge of our yard, and just as it seems, it's a
warehouse we put all our junk in.
But for me, it's a place of treasures as I've enjoyed messing with things
since I was a kid.
Father didn't allow me to go into the shed, but I always sneaked in here.
As a result, it became my base.
For me, Emiya Shirou, I guess you could call this place my real room.
The big Emiya household doesn't suit me, and I can only relax in this
space full of junk.
"...Besides, it's a waste. Even if it's junk, you can still use it."
Most of the things in here are appliances that can't be used any more.
Did I bring all the junk in here because I liked the place, or did I come to
like it here because of all the junk?
Anyway, since I was always sneaking in here, it became my hobby to fix
the broken things.
It's not like I get attached to things.
I think it just annoys me not to use things that can still be used.
And just like that, I was fixing up this stove all last night.
"...I guess I'll finish this tomorrow. It seems I don't have enough
concentration, seeing how I fell asleep halfway."
I shake off the feeling of disappointment in myself.
I gather up the parts of the stove and put them on the shelf full of things
waiting to be fixed.
There are no spaces on this shelf full of things awaiting repair. An old
VCR awaits after the stove.
...I guess I'll ignore the fact that Fuji-Nee broke both of them.
"...All right."
I change into my uniform.
This place is like my room, and it holds changes of clothes along with
other things I need.
It also has lots of blueprints and junk, the result of failures from when I
do my training.
There's also some kind of old design inscribed on the floor, like an altar
or something.
"―――Well, let's get today started."
Clapping my hands in prayer to the shed, I head for the house.
I emerge from the shed.
The Emiya house is a Japanese-style house on the outskirts of town.
My father wasn't much of a respected person in town, but he somehow
still had this huge house.
That on its own is a mystery, but it also seems he didn't have any
relatives in Japan.
That's why the house became mine and no one else's when my father
died.
Though, to be honest, I don't have that kind of management ability.
Old Man Fujimura is in charge of complicated things like inheritance
and property taxes.
Old Man Fujimura is the big landlord in this neighborhood.
According to Father, "the old man's like a yakuza boss".
Of course, this is just prejudice.
He's not "like" a yakuza boss, he "is" a yakuza boss.
"......"
Well, that's a problem in itself, but I prefer to ignore it.
It's certainly true that he's energetic and scary, but he's actually not that
bad a person.
It really helps me as he pays a lot when I tune-up the motorcycle he likes
to ride.
Anyway, that's why I'm the only one living in this big house.
It's been five years since Father died.
The days have passed quickly.
I sigh, thinking about how much I've grown in those five years.
I've trained every day to be like Kiritsugu, but it's not that easy in
reality.
It's natural because I had no talent to begin with, but what can be said
about having no improvement at all in five years?
To sum up the present in one sentence, my goal is so far away that I'm
not even at the starting line yet.
"―――――――"
No, I guess it won't do any good to rush.
For now, I have to do what I can.
Well then.
Right now, I should――――
―――That's right, I have to go and help Sakura.
I'd feel bad, both for letting my junior do all the work, and for Sakura
coming here so early in the morning.
But I'm too late.
It seems breakfast has already been made.
I can smell the elegant scent of breakfast befitting Sakura.
Sakura has finished cooking and is opening the cupboards. I can see that
all she has left to do is set the table.
"I'm sorry. I'll at least get the dishes ready, so you go and sit down."
"Huh? Oh, you're here already, Senpai?"
"Not 'already'. We're usually eating by ten past six, so I certainly slept
in."
"I don't think so. You're not in any clubs, so this is still early for you."
"Clubs have nothing to do with this. When you bring clubs into it, the
problem is that you come here when you have morning practice to go
to."
"Ah... no, I'm doing this because I want to, so please don't worry about
my club."
"Yeah, you always say that. That's why I wake up early, clubs or not. It's
rude for me to sleep in if you're going to be here."
For me, waking up early is waking up before Sakura gets here, and
sleeping in is making Sakura prepare breakfast on her own―――like
today.
Though, this has only been a habit for a year and a half or so.
"Anyways, you take a rest. We only have to set the table, so at least let
me do that."
I stand next to Sakura and take out the dishes.
Sakura is stubborn at times, and in situations like this, she won't rest
unless she's forced to.
"Oh, then I'll help too. I'll load the plates and you can take them out."
"No, I'm saying I'll do it all myself."
"That won't do. You're head of this household, so you should just sit
contentedly in the mornings."
"Sit contentedly? A head of household who leaves you to do the work by
yourself is a failure.
It's okay, so go to the living room."
"That's right, please be a failure. This is repayment for letting me eat
good food all the time. So if it's possible, I'd like for you to rest."
"Hey. We're going fifty-fifty on the groceries, so you shouldn't worry
about it. I should be the one thanking you. Since you've started coming
here, our meals have improved."
"Oh, I knew it. You don't get it, do you Senpai? That's not why the meals
here are good."
"Huh? What do you mean that's not why?"
"No, it's nothing. But please take responsibility because I can't eat a
pleasant meal anywhere else any more."
Sakura smiles while blushing.
"I-Idiot, don't say such weird things.
What if Fuji-Nee hears that? She doesn't understand jokes."
"You're right. It would be a big problem if Fujimura-Sensei overheard
that."
"Right. Don't say so much weird stuff."
"Yes, I won't. I won't say anything. So I can help you, right Senpai?"
"......"
Sakura looks up at me, naturally and calmly.
"Fine, do what you want. If you want to help so much, go right ahead."
"Yes, I'll do as I please."
"...Geez, you really don't listen to anything I tell you anymore, do you
Sakura?"
"That's true. Maybe I'm becoming more like Fujimura-Sensei."
Speaking softly, Sakura reaches up for the cupboard.
Her silky hair and smooth skin catch my eye.
"――――"
...How can I put this... it's troubling.
She must be maturing as she seems really feminine these days.
Her casual movements and her figure are so beautiful that I instinctively
look away.
"Senpai? Is something wrong?"
"―――No, it's nothing. Don't worry, it's nothing."
"Hm?"
...Honestly.
Why am I feeling tense around my friend's sister?
After all, Sakura's not like that.
She's a good underclassman, and a junior I need to take care of.
First of all, the relationship between me and Matou Sakura is just that of
a Senpai and a junior.
She's the sister of a close friend of mine, but since she's a grade below
me, we weren't that close.
It all changed a year and a half ago into this cooperative kind of
relationship.
Sakura came to cook when I was injured, and after that, I think we just
ended up like this.
...I think we intended to do it until my injury healed, but some trivial
thing came up to make her stay with it.
Anyways, Sakura is a good cook, and perfect at cleaning and doing the
laundry.
It's a big help to have her helping around here in the mornings, but it's
been a bit troubling recently.
The problem is not in Sakura, but me.
"――――"
Frankly, Sakura is beautiful.
She's one of the best looking first years, and I'm sure there are lots of
guys who want to date her.
And on top of that, she's been growing in certain places recently and
some of her casual gestures have started to catch my eye.
...That's what I mean by a small problem.
Maybe I'm just feeling guilty about being attracted to my friend's sister.
Usually I'm fine, but when I'm caught off guard like just now, I blush...
does this make me an unsuitable Senpai…?
Breakfast is placed on the table.
A perfect breakfast consisting of chicken salad, cooked salmon, spinach,
radish and carrot miso soup, and yam soup.
Sakura and I bow and start our meal quietly.
The sounds of our chopsticks echo.
Sakura isn't the talkative type, and I'm not versatile enough to talk while
eating.
Naturally, mealtimes are quiet.
Usually it's louder, but today, the loud person is...
She must have been watching spy movies last night as she's eyeing us
while hiding behind a newspaper.
"Fujimura-Sensei, don't you think you shouldn't read the newspaper
during meals?"
"......"
Fuji-Nee ignores Sakura's question.
She's acting weird, but Fuji-Nee always acts in suspicious ways during
breakfast.
Sakura must be used to it, as she continues to eat with no particular
care.
Sakura prefers to make Western foods.
She learned to cook Japanese food after she started coming here to help.
Fuji-Nee and I preferred Japanese, so Sakura learned to make Japanese
food for our breakfast.
Now she's so good that she's almost surpassed me, her teacher.
The salmon is especially good as it's cooked to perfection.
Her miso soup is tasty, and she has shown some capacity even for
making yam soup by grinding yams.
Actually, I think this is the first time she's made it.
"Sorry, Sakura, can you pass me the soy sauce?"
"There you... oh wait, Senpai. Your soy sauce is empty."
"Fuji-Nee's will do then. Can you get it?"
"May I, Fujimura-Sensei?"
Fuji-Nee nods.
Her newspaper trembles.
"There you go. Are you going to use it on the yam soup?"
"Yeah, you usually put soy sauce on yam soup, right?"
I put the soy sauce onto the white yam soup.
After stirring it, I put it on the rice and take a bite.
Mm, the stickiness of the yam and the taste of the soy sau――――
"Ugh...! This is terrible! This is oyster sauce!"
I almost throw it back up.
And then,
"Haha, ahahahahahaha!"
Fuji-Nee throws her newspaper away.
"How's that? It was my plan to switch the labels earlier this morning!"
The female spy throws up her arms to show her happiness.
"W-What are you thinking!? You're always like this even though you'll
be turning twenty-five this year!"
"Haha. Did it teach you a lesson for what you did yesterday?
It's divine justice for picking on me with everyone else."
"Divine justice doesn't come from people! I thought you were calm, but
this is what you were thinking about!?"
"That's right. That's why I have to go and start grading the exams now.
Yup, I should hurry up."
Fuji-Nee sits back down and finishes her breakfast quickly.
"Thank you. Breakfast was lovely as always, Sakura-chan."
"Ah... thank you, Sensei."
"I'm going on ahead then. I'll get mad if you two are late."
And she runs off.
...There's something wrong with a world in which that thing is a teacher.
"...Um, Senpai?"
"Sorry about that. Fuji-Nee didn't really take the time to enjoy your
breakfast."
"No, it's not that. Um... did you do something to her yesterday? It's a bit
too much for Fujimura-Sensei to play with food."
"Uh... well, yeah. I accidentally called her by her nickname."
"I guess it can't be helped in that case. You didn't apologize to her, did
you, Senpai?"
"Sorry. I forgot since it happens all the time."
"You mustn't. Fujimura-Sensei doesn't like you calling her so, Senpai.
You made her cry again, didn't you?"
"...I made her run away too. Yesterday's English lesson was a self-study
because of it."
And I was awarded a student honor written on note paper, but I threw it
away.
"Geez. It was all your fault, then."
Fuji-Nee is like a big sister for Sakura, so she's basically on Fuji-Nee's
side.
That's good in its own way, but I wish she'd consider my situation where
I have to deal with Fuji-Nee 24-7.
Fuji-Nee was originally an acquaintance of Father's, and she's been
coming to the house a lot since I was adopted.
She started to show up even more after Father died, and she's now
almost a dependent, eating breakfast and dinner here.
―――No.
Maybe she's why I was able to make it on my own even after my father
died.
Fuji-Nee, Sakura, and I are now the residents of the Emiya household.
...But I'm the only one who knows that my father was a magus.
It's said that magi must hide their identities.
That's why I've been hiding the fact that I'm learning magic ever since I
became my father's student.
I say I'm learning, but I can't even cast a single magic spell properly.
With this kind of a skill, it wouldn't make much difference whether I
hide it or not. But because it was how my father wanted things, I've
trained secretly since then.
I finish breakfast and prepare for school.
I clean the dishes with Sakura while listening to the news on TV.
"―――"
Sakura is staring at the TV screen.
Over the screen runs an exaggerated teletype reading "Gas Leak
Accidents Continue".
It seems there was a big accident in the neighboring town of Shinto.
It happened in a building in the business district. It seems a whole floor
of people ran out of oxygen and fell unconscious.
They've called it a gas leak, but this kind of accident is happening often
recently.
"Are you worried about the news, Sakura?"
"Eh? No, not really. I just thought it's near... Senpai, your workplace is in
the Shinto area, right?"
"Yeah, but it's not really a big place. I don't think an accident like that
would happen there."
...But it's not a risk I can completely ignore.
Gas leaks can happen in any building, and on top of that, it hurts to think
that hundreds of people are suffering.
It's said that the accidents are happening often because of defective
construction work during the rapid development of Shinto.
Whether that's true or not, I certainly don't want any more
victims―――
"...It is dangerous. We'll have to be careful here too."
"Oh, don't worry, Senpai. I check the gas twice every time."
Sakura boasts with pride.
"No, that's not the point."
...Yeah, I've thought so before, but Sakura is a bit off too.
"Senpai, did you lock the back door?"
"I did. I bolted it. Is there a problem?"
"Not at all. Then I'll lock the front door now. When will you be home
today, Senpai?"
"I think I'll be a bit late. What about you, Sakura?"
"I'll be back at the usual time. I'll probably be here earlier, so I'll start
getting dinner ready."
"...Yeah, that'll help. I'll try to come home early too."
We lock the gate.
Sakura and Fuji-Nee also have keys to my house, and the rule is that the
last person out locks up.
"Let's go. You won't make it to morning practice unless we hurry."
"Yes, let's hurry then, Senpai."
We walk down to the town together.
Passing the long wall and going downhill, we reach the residential
district.
My house is on top of the hill, far away from the center of town.
Going down the hill takes us to the residential district, and beyond
that...
We reach the crossroads at the center of this town.
From here, there are many roads: a big bridge leading to the neighboring
city...
...A hill road that leads to Ryudou Temple...
...The residential district on the other side of town...
...The shopping district Sakura and I always use...
...And the school we're headed to right now.
We head for the school without stopping elsewhere.
We don't talk much as we walk up the hill.
Since it's still seven o'clock, there aren't many others on the road.
Other than us, all you can see are a few others heading to their morning
practices.
"Well, see ya. Have fun at your club."
I part with Sakura at the school gate like usual.
Sakura's in the archery club, so we have to part here in the mornings.
"......"
But today, Sakura doesn't go.
"Sakura? Are you not feeling well?"
"...No, that's not it, but... um, would you like to come to the dojo?"
"No, I've no business there. Anyways, Issei asked for me, so I have to go
to the student council room today."
"...I-I see. Sorry for troubling you then."
Sakura bows.
"Hm?"
"I'll be going now. Please look forward to dinner tonight."
Sakura runs off like she's ashamed of something.
"...?"
Hm? I wonder what that was all about...?
"Issei, you there?"
"I am. You're a bit late today, Emiya."
He must have been studying, as Issei looks up from the paper he's
reading.
"Just you, Issei? Where are the others? Shouldn't they be here now as
well?"
"No. Unfortunately, our members are very businesslike.
They have their set work hours, and they don't want to come in early or
stay late."
"That's why the student council president is doing the routine duties
himself, huh? I guess this place has its own problems."
"No, it's the kind of trouble I like. You don't need to pity me."
"Huh? Uh, no, I wasn't pitying you or anything."
"Hm. I'm not happy about that either, but I'll pretend I didn't hear it. It
still means that you care."
Issei, who is organizing the papers he was reading, is the big boss of this
student council room.
He's the guy trying his best to reform this lax student council, and he's
been a friend of mine since first year.
His full name is Ryudou Issei.
Despite his old-fashioned name, he has elegant features and he's really
popular with the girls.
And he's also the student council president, so you'd think he'd take to it
like a duck to water, but...
"Hm. Hot tea is certainly a good way to start a morning."
He's just sipping tea like this, so he's not that firm.
As you can see, Issei has a plain personality.
It's easily misunderstood, but he doesn't involve himself in love affairs
nor engage in normal student recreations.
It's because he's the successor of the Ryudou Temple, up in the
mountains.
He's fine with that idea, so there's a good chance he'll shave his head
when he graduates.
"So, what am I doing today?"
"Hm? Well, I'd like to let you sit down and take a rest first... but I guess
we don't have time. I'll explain as we go, so bring your usual tools and
follow me."
"Frankly, our school's budget is completely unbalanced."
"I know. The athletic clubs are favored, so other clubs don't get much,
right?"
"Right. As a result, members of the other clubs are in trouble.
I'm working hard to make the budget go to them, but I'm having trouble
because it's not clear where the money's going.
In particular, there's no solution for the shortages of heaters during
winter."[l]
"I see. Oh, can you hand me the torque screwdriver? The biggest one.
And the conductive wire too.
...Yeah, I should be able to fix this."
"Conductive wire? ...Uh, is this it? Sorry, I don't know exactly.[l]
Tell me if I'm wrong."
"You're right. So, what was that about the shortage of heaters? Are there
other broken ones?"
"Yes. In the 2nd AV room and the art club. The petitions requesting new
stoves are multiplying."
"But there's not enough budget to meet the demand, huh? As I thought,
it's just getting old.
Good thing it's not broken on the inside."
"...Hm. You think it can be fixed, Emiya?"
"Yup. In cases like this, old things are nice because they're easy to
understand.[l]
It's just a shorted connection, so it should last the whole year if we
replace that."
"I see! Good job, Emiya. I'm always so pleased when you're reliable."
"You're wording it weirdly, Issei...
Oh, I'll be finished soon, so could you wait outside for a bit?"
"All right, I'll be out of your way."
Issei leaves the room quietly.
...It seems he assumes that I'm going to do something delicate.
"...Well, it is delicate, but..."
I place my hand on the old electric heater.
Usually, even if you're used to fixing things, it's hard to figure out what's
wrong with it just by looking at it.
So the fact that I figured it out means what I'm doing is not ordinary.
I block off my vision and look inside the heater with my sense of touch.
―――In that moment...
An image appears in my head.
"...There are two places where the wire's about to break... The pipe
should last a bit longer...
Insulation tape should be enough for the power cord..."
...Good, I can fix this with the tools I have with me.
If the pipe were broken, it couldn't be fixed by an amateur.
If that had been the case, I would have had to "strengthen" it in a very
unamatuerish way. But in this case, just looking at it will suffice.
That is the "magic" Emiya Shirou learned from Kiritsugu.
"――――All right, let's begin."
I take the cover off and start to work.
I already know where it's broken, so the rest is easy.
"...Man. This is the only thing I'm any good at."
That's right. Emiya Shirou has no talent for magic.
Though it doesn't make up for it, I think I'm quite skilled at visualizing
structures like I did just now.
In fact, when I first figured out a structure and reproduced it, my father
looked surprised and said "what a useless ability".
I guess my strong point isn't a useful ability.
According to my father, it's already a waste of effort to perceive the
structure with my eyes.
For a real magus, there's no need to understand every corner of a
structure like I just did.
They say that the battle of the magus comes in reading the center, the
core of things instantaneously, and changing it faster than anything else.
That's why reading the structure is a wasted effort, as even if you do
understand the structure, all you can do is determine where magical
energy could be more easily transmitted.
So all in all, it turns out that my strong point is just in fixing things like
this.
I don't have to open them up to look for damage.
If I can quickly search for broken parts and have the skills to repair
them, most things can be fixed.
Though, that's only the case for simple things that can be fixed with
"amateur knowledge".
"―――Done. On to the next one..."
I pack away the conducting wire that I used and go out into the hallway
with screwdriver and wrench in hand.
"Issei, the repairs are done."
――――But.
In the hallway is someone else apart from Issei, a girl.
"――――"
I'm a bit surprised.
The person talking to Issei is Tohsaka Rin, from class 2-A.
She's a lady who lives in a big mansion on top of the hill, a perfect honor
student.
Good looking, smart, athletic, and faultless.
She's intelligent, well mannered, and modest about her looks. People say
she's the ideal woman.
So it hardly needs to be said that the guys at my school treat her like an
idol.
Though in Tohsaka's case, she's so perfect that she's considered
unreachable.
It's commonly believed that only teachers and guys like Issei can even
talk to her.
...Well, to be honest, I'm a guy too.
So I'm one of Tohsaka Rin's admirers.
"......"
Tohsaka looks at us as if she's in a bad mood.
It seems to be true that she and Issei don't get along.
"Ah, sorry Emiya. I'm the one who asked for help, but it seems like
you're doing all the work.
Forgive me."
Wow.
Issei's an amazing man, talking like that and ignoring Tohsaka.
"Don't worry about it. So, where next? There's not much time left."
"Yeah, the AV room is next. It seems it's been working badly for a while,
but now it finally died."
"It can't be fixed if it's dead. It would be quicker to just buy a new one."
"...True, but it'd help if you could take a look at it. It might be dead to
my eyes, but only faking it to yours."
"I see. Well, let's take a look."
There's only about 30 minutes left until homeroom.
I'll have to hurry if I'm going to fix it.
I start for the AV room with Issei.
But it's impolite to ignore her completely when we've met like this.
I turn back to Tohsaka, who's standing in a daze.
"You're up early, Tohsaka."
I make an honest comment, then follow Issei.
"We barely made it. Thank you, Emiya. I caused you trouble again. I
would be a failure as a friend if I made you late doing things for me."
"Don't worry about it. It's no big deal for me to be late. Though I guess it
would be for you to be..."
"Indeed. Well, I'm glad we made it."
Issei heads to his seat, relieved.
It's exactly eight o'clock.
The first homeroom bell has rung, so Fuji-Nee should be here in about
five minutes.
"―――Phew."
I'm a bit out of breath since we ran here from the AV room.
Taking a deep breath, I head to my seat.
"You're so noisy in the mornings, Emiya. I was wondering what you'd
been doing since quitting the club, but all you've been doing is helping
out Ryudou? It's not my concern, but don't do anything to bring the club
into disrepute, okay? You're pretty uncommitted after all."
Matou Shinji, a friend of mine from middle school, is standing in front
of my seat.
As you can tell from his last name, he's Sakura's brother who's one year
older than her.
"Yo. Is the archery club doing well, Shinji?"
"O-Of course...! There's no point in telling an outsider, but it's been
peaceful since a certain attention-hog left. We'll do well in the next
competition!"
"I see. Mitsuzuri must be working hard."
"Huh? You're talking rubbish. The archery club is doing well because of
me. You're just an outsider, Emiya, so you'll just embarrass yourself if
you talk like you know about it."
"I see, I'll be careful. But I won't have any concerns with the archery
club since I don't have any business there."
I put my bag on the desk and pull out the chair.
"What's that about? You're saying you're not interested in my archery
club?"
"I said business, not interest. It'd be weird to go there when I'm an
outsider, right?
But tell me if something comes up. I'll help if there's anything I can help
with. You weren't good at fixing the bows and bowstrings, right?"
"Oh, thanks. I'll call you if there's any work to be done.
Though I don't think that'll happen."
"Yeah, that's good. You're not captain material if you leave work that
needs to be done. Don't give Fujimura-Sensei too much trouble. She's
scary when you piss her off."
"...! Huh, mind your own business. You're an outsider, so keep away
from the dojo!"
Shinji returns to his seat in his usual manner.
...Hm, he seemed even more irritated than usual today.
"What a guy. How can he talk like that when he's the one who drove you
out?"
"Oh, you were here, Issei?"
"What do you mean!? You're so cold, saying that to a friend who was
listening in out of concern!"
"Hm? Why would you do that? I'm not doing anything that should make
you worry about me."
"Idiot. Of course I'll worry about you. You're the sort to lose your temper
easily. Some people would cheer if you beat Shinji up, but all the girls
would condemn you. It's not good to let a friend get into a situation like
that."
"I see. You're right now that you mention it. Thanks, Issei. I don't think
it'll be a problem, but I'm grateful for your concern."
"Yes, well, as long as you understand... but it's strange. You lose your
temper easily, but you're tolerant of Matou."
"Yeah, that's just his style. You get used to it if you hang around him for
a long time."
"Hm, I see."
"Yeah. If you understand, go back to your seat. Fujimura-Sensei will fly
in here any second now."
"Haha. It's more like her to come floating in than flying in."
The homeroom bell rings.
A homeroom teacher usually would come five minutes early, but our
homeroom teacher isn't like that.
For class 2-C, homeroom starts one minute after the bell rings. Right
when we hear...
"I'm late, I'm late, I'm late...!"
And Fuji-Nee runs into the classroom.
"All right, I made it! Good morning, everyo―――"
Wham!
Fuji-Nee falls over with a terrible sound.
"――――――――"
The classroom is filled with silence, in contrast to the clamor from a
second ago.
A sudden change of atmosphere.
Just as you'd expect from Fuji-Nee. Her nickname of "human jet
coaster" isn't just for show.
...But that really was a bad hit.
Fuji-Nee is still on the ground, having hit her head on the platform.
You can't see her expression with her head facing the ground, so it gives
you a bad mental image.
"...Hey. Front row. Wake her up."
"...What? I don't want to. I'm scared she'll bite me if I go near her..."
"...She's not a Mimic or anything. She won't go that far."
"Hey, if you're saying that, why don't you do it?"
"Uh, I'll pass. I'm not used to this."
"Me neither! And why would you make a girl do it? A guy should do
it!"
The front row is getting noisy.
As we're in the middle rows, we can't tell what sort of state Fuji-Nee is
in.
We can't tell, so we all stand up to look.
"Hey, she's not moving. Has she passed out?"
Someone asks.
If so, the problem would be how to get her to the nurse's office.
Everyone here is a warrior who has been with Fuji-Nee for the past
year.
They probably want to get out of the habit of taking their teacher to the
nurse's office.
"Fujimura-Sensei...? Um, are you all right?"
A brave female student calls out to her.
Fuji-Nee doesn't even twitch.
A sense of worry runs through the room.
"...That was a bad fall. She hit her head right on the platform. She'd have
to be invincible to come out of that without a scratch."
"Hm. How about getting her for our baseball club?"
"D-Don't even joke about that! The day she's in charge of us, we'd get
into the regionals!"
"Fujimura-Sensei, Fujimura-Sensei...! It's no good, there's no
response...!"
"Hey, why don't you wake her up since you're in front of her?"
"What!? No way! If she's really dead, I'll be killed!"
"But things could get bad later if we leave her like that."
"But no one wants to go near her."
"...I guess it can't be helped. We'll have to do... that."
"Yeah, that."
"All right."
All our hearts become one.
...Well, not Shinji and I, because we're too scared.
"One, two... wake up, Tiger!"
Even though everyone said it at the same time, it's only as loud as a
whisper.
The "Tiger" part is especially quiet.
But still...
...A twitch.
The silent Fuji-Nee reacts.
"Whoa, she moved!? It's working, everyone!"
"All right! Continue the punishment!"
Everyone must be stressed from the impending exams.
Even though they shouldn't, they repeat Fuji-Nee's nickname while
waving their arms.
"Wake up Tiger, it's morning!"
"Sensei, you're a tiger if you don't wake up!"
"Don't give up, Tiger! Stand up, Tiger!"
"Yeah, wake up, Sensei! Then you'll be a true Tiger!"
"T-i-g-e-r! T-i-g-e-r!"
"Gahhh!!
Don't call me Tiger...!"
A roar of lightning.
She stands bravely as if the fall has done nothing at all.
"...Huh? What are you all doing? You can't stand up in middle of
homeroom. Come on, sit down and I'll get started."
Fuji-Nee stands before everyone in her usual manner.
...It seems all memories from the moment she entered the classroom
have fled her head.
"...Hey, it seems Tiger doesn't remember what happened."
"...Lucky. We're really fortunate this morning."
"...Well, I don't know if we can call it 'lucky'..."
Everyone returns to their seats, chatting.
"Huh? Did someone just make fun of me?"
"No, we didn't. Maybe you imagined it?"
"All right, good. Then I'll start homeroom, so listen up."
Fuji-Nee starts homeroom slowly.
She chats in between the announcements, so we don't get through it very
fast.
"So everyone, please note the curfew.[l]
It's at six o'clock, so people with club activities shouldn't stay too late
either."
"What? Six o'clock is too early, Taiga-Sensei. Can't the athletic clubs be
exempted?"
"Nope. And please address your teacher as 'Fujimura-Sensei'. I'll get
mad if you call me that again."
"All right, I'll be careful."
He sits down again, not showing any signs of listening to her.
...How stupid of him.
Fuji-Nee gets mad when she says she will. It makes no difference that
he's a student and she's a teacher.
He doesn't realize that she just gave him a final warning.
"Well, that's it for today's homeroom. Let's meet again in English class
in third period, everyone!"
Fuji-Nee leaves, waving her hand.
She's the teacher responsible for class 2-C, Fujimura Taiga.
Her nickname is Tiger.
You might doubt it, but it really is her nickname.
People like calling her so since she has a name like "Taiga" even though
she's a woman. But Fuji-Nee herself hates the nickname.
According to her, it's unfeminine.
But she's that kind of person, so I think it's her own fault she has an
unfeminine nickname.
"We're starting class. Day monitor, the bows."
The teacher for the first period enters as Fuji-Nee exits.
It's like this every morning, as Fuji-Nee continues homeroom until the
very last minute.
And the classes end like every other day.
There are many kinds of students: ones that go to clubs, ones that hurry
home, and ones that stay in the classroom for no reason.
It looks like I won't be in any of those categories.
"Sorry, Emiya, about the rest of the repairs... do you have time today?"
"Well, I do have plans, but..."
It's not like I'm just playing around.
After all, the main reason I quit the archery club is because I wanted to
prioritize work.
It's already been five years since Father died, and I decided to start
working to pay my living expenses.
If you work a lot, there are some jobs you just can't refuse.
Today's an example.
They're restocking inventory at work, and they asked me to come if I can
as any help is appreciated.
But it's certainly not something I have to go to. They're probably just
having people come in because they want to party after work.
"――――"
There are two options.
I―――
I feel sorry for Issei, but I should prioritize work.
I didn't promise to be there, but I said I'd do my best to be there, so I
should do so.
"No, sorry, Issei. I've got plans, so can we finish it some other time?"
"Plans...? Oh, you must mean your work. Sorry to trouble you. This isn't
an urgent matter. Don't worry about me and go to work."
"Sorry. I'll continue first thing tomorrow morning, so can we call it
even?"
"Hm? I told you, it's not that important. The urgent stuff was finished
this morning. You can finish the rest when you're free, Emiya."
"I see. Then can I finish it when I don't have work?"
"Sure. I'll rely on you again then, Emiya."
Issei says farewell and leaves the classroom.
"―――Well."
I should hurry off too.
Even though there's no set time to be there, I should head for the
neighboring town if I'm going to go to work.
"...Geez, I thought I was only helping out, but they gave me 30,000
yen."
Call it receiving a windfall, I guess.
Copenhagen, the place where I worked today, is like a liquor store and a
bar, and a lot of people are needed to restock inventory.
It's a big job that takes at least five people, and it doesn't hurt to have
more help.
But the boss just said to everyone in his usual tone,
"If you can come and help, please do."
...Completely relaxed about it.
But as it turned out, I was the only one who came, along with the boss
and his daughter, Neko-san.
"You idiot! There's no way people will come if you ask like that!"
Neko-san was scolding the boss, but I showed up to be a victim, defying
their expectations.
They welcomed me with a cheer, and we decided to clean up the storage
area as best we could.
――――And so, before we realized, two hours had passed and we'd
finished restocking the inventory.
"I'm surprised. Shirou, are you some kind of Brownie or something?"
After work, the boss eats a brown cake while being impressed.
"Not at all. I'm just used to heavy jobs and I've worked here long enough
to know where things are. I haven't been working here since I was small
for nothing, you know!"
"Oh yeah. Has it been five years already?"
"About that long. You were the only ones that would hire me right after
my father died."
"Whoa. No wonder I'm feeling old."
He eats his rum cake.
Neko-san is drinking hot sake next to him.
The family is well balanced, as the boss likes sweet things while his
daughter likes spicy things.
So.
"But you really helped us out. I can't just give you a cake for all this
work, so here's a token of my appreciation."
He hands me three 10,000 yen bills.
A reward unmatched for the three hours of work I did, much more that I
would get for even a week's work.
"Oh, thank you."
I hesitate, but decide to accept what I'm given.
And as I'm leaving Copenhagen...
"...Mmm. Hold on, Emiya-n. Who'd you hear about today from?"
Neko-san stops me while curled up in front of the heater.
"Um, I think it was Furukawa-san."
"...Man, that idiot. Don't push your work onto a student. Well, so you
came here today even though you didn't have to?"
"Uh... well, it was like, 'come and help if I wasn't busy'."
"―――Furukawa's an idiot, but so are you.
Oh well. You never turn down anyone asking for help, do you? You took
care of the store when dad and I got sick too."
"Hm? I don't think that's true. I don't take impossible jobs. I only accept
things I can do."
"...Hm. But you were sick too back then.
I don't really care. But what I'm saying is, you're a good person and a bit
stupid, so I'm a bit worried. Tell Fujimura to come and see me from time
to time."
Neko-san circles her finger while drinking some hot sake.
She seems to think I'm a firefly or something.
"Okay. ...So, just tell Fuji-Nee that?"
"Right. See ya, don't push yourself too hard."
"...Wow, I'm already past the bridge."
I made it from the neighboring town of Shinto back into Miyama City
while I was daydreaming.
I walk through the moonlit town.
Walking up the road, I notice that there aren't any people around.
The time is around seven-thirty.
There should be people around at this time, but there's no sign of
anyone.
"...Oh yeah."
There was some crime here in Miyama City a few days ago.
A burglar murdered someone, I think.
That must be why there's no one around and why the school curfew
became six o'clock.
"...Gas leaks and murder, huh? It's been getting dangerous lately."
No wonder there are fewer people walking around at night.
It's getting too dangerous to let Sakura go home on her own.
Sakura's house is in the residential area on the other side of town.
Starting tonight, I should walk her hom―――
"...Huh?"
For a moment, I can't believe my eyes.
There is someone on the road which I thought was empty.
The person is standing above me as if looking down at me.
"―――――――"
Without realizing it, I hold my breath.
The silver-haired girl smiles and descends the hill without a sound.
As she passes...
"You'll die if you don't summon it soon, Onii-chan."
She says something strange.
I go up the hill and reach my house.
As the lights are on, Sakura and Fuji-Nee must be home already.
I smell dinner the moment I enter the living room.
At the table are Sakura and Fuji-Nee, in the middle of dinner.
It seems the main dish tonight is chicken in cream, and Fuji-Nee, who
loves white sauce, is in a good mood.
"Welcome home, Senpai. We're sorry for starting without you."
"Sorry I'm late. I wish I could have come home earlier."
"No, you made it. Could you wait a bit? I'll get your dinner ready right
away."
"Yeah, all right. I'll go and wash my hands, so make sure Fuji-Nee
doesn't eat my food."
"Yes, I will."
I return to my room.
It's a fairly empty room compared to the shed, but since I don't have any
hobbies, I think it's quite decorated.
Most of them are random things Fuji-Nee has left here, though.
I wash my hands, change, and return to the living room to find my
dinner ready.
"Itadakimasu."
"I hope it is to your liking..."
Sakura is terribly modest.
Her cooking skills have vastly improved in the past year.
She has me completely beaten at Western-style foods, and I can barely
beat her at Japanese food. Neither of us have touched Chinese.
I'm pleased my pupil is getting better, but it's kind of depressing when
the teacher is defeated by the student.
"―――Mmm."
It's as good as I expected.
Chicken becomes harder the longer you cook it, so it's juicier and tastier
if you roast it before cooking it even though it's tedious.
That's done perfectly here. It's a master's skill, forever beyond the
clumsy Fuji-Nee.
"How is it, Senpai...? Um, I think I did quite well today..."
"It's perfect. The sauce is great too. I guess you have me completely beat
when it comes to Western food."
"Yeah, meaty food is much better since Sakura-chan started cooking."
With that.
Fuji-Nee, who had been preoccupied with her food, lifts up her head.
"Oh, Shirou. A student mustn't come home this late."
...Ack.
It seems she's in a bad mood now that she's seen my face, even though
she was happy because of dinner.
"Geez, I bet you were helping someone again. That's good, but at least
come home early at times like this. I even told you it was dangerous in
homeroom.
I said it for your sake, you know?"[l]
"...Uh, can't you tell me that at home instead of in homeroom?"
"You wouldn't listen if I told you here. It's more effective if I tell you at
school."
"...Sensei, I think that's abusing your authority. You shouldn't mix work
and private life."
"No, it's not enough for Shirou unless I go that far.
He's always on the losing side because he's the one helping everyone
else. He should at least come straight home and relax sometimes, that
idiot."
"Hey, what do you mean by idiot? I'm not on the losing side if I help
someone and they're helped by it."
"...Man. I wonder if you got that from Kiritsugu-san. I worry because
you're like that."
I don't exactly know how she's worried, as she's energetically munching
down her dinner.
"...Um, Fujimura-Sensei. From what you said, has Senpai been like this
since he was small?"
"Yup, he's always been like that. He's the type that goes to help people in
trouble. But he's not meddlesome, he's just a bit precocious."
Fuji-Nee laughs dangerously.
"Fuji-Nee, I'll get mad if you say too much. You too, Sakura. Don't ask
such boring questions."
I glare at them.
Fuji-Nee clicks her tongue and backs down, but...
"Fujimura-Sensei, please continue."
Sakura is taking the lesson seriously.
"Then I shall. See, Shirou is a person who can't ignore someone in
trouble. It's like helping the weak and defeating the strong. In the essay
he wrote as a child, he said 'My dream is to become a superhero'."
"――――"
...She's talking about things from so long ago.
But it's all true, so I don't interrupt.
Anyways, becoming a superhero is a goal I must not stray from even
now.
"Wow. Senpai was a real kid."
"Yeah, he was some kid. He would go and help girls being picked on by
much older kids, and he'd do the chores around the house because
Kiritsugu-san wouldn't.
Man, he was so cute and innocent back then, so why did he grow up so
crooked?"
"Probably because of you. Kids think a lot when they see bad adults.
Learn to make your own dinner before you say anything like that."
"――――Wha..."
Fuji-Nee crumbles.
I thought she might drop her head and repent, but...
"Uhh, Onee-chan is sad. Sakura-chan, can I have another bowl?"
Fuji-Nee asks for her third bowl.
Relaxing after dinner, it's almost nine o'clock.
"Well, what shall I do?"
There's some time before my evening training.
I should―――
I haven't thanked Sakura for dinner yet, so I'll go and talk to her.
"Yeah, it's getting late, so I should walk her home too."
Sakura is in the living room getting ready to go home, having finished
the cleaning.
"Huh? Weren't you taking a bath, Senpai?"
"No, I'll take it later. I'll take you home first."
"Eh... take me home?"
"Yeah. It's getting dangerous outside lately, so I'm going to walk you
home. Your house is far away. So let me at least do this much since
you're coming so far."
"......"
Sakura falls into an awkward silence.
...Did I say something bad?
"...I'm sorry. I appreciate your concern, but you should stay here. I'm
used to going home, so I should be fine by myself."
"Well, that may be true, but it's getting dangerous these days. So, I'll
walk you home for a bit."
"...But, um... if Nii-san sees you, you'll be in trouble too."
"Hm."
That's right.
Sakura's brother, Shinji, doesn't approve of Sakura coming to my place.
He can't object too strongly because she says she's going to Fuji-Nee's
house, but it could be a problem if I take her home.
It's a problem, but so what.
I don't care what Shinji says. It's a much bigger problem if Sakura has to
walk home alone at dangerous times like these.
"I don't care what trouble I get into. It's dangerous these days, so I'm
walking you home."
"Um, I'd feel bad letting you do that..."
"It's fine. You're always helping me out, so let me at least walk you
home. Or do you want to go home on your own?"
"Eh? No, it's not that, but..."
"Then it'll be fine. I'm confident in my skills. I should be able to fight
off most assailants, so you should make use of me at times like this. I'll
protect you, whatever happens."
I nudge Sakura towards the hallway with a glance.
"Senpai...? Is it really okay? You might get into a fight with Nii-san
again."
"I don't care. It's only right for guys to fight, and it's best when we talk
honestly like that.
He doesn't like to hide things, so it's best if he just comes out with any
complaints he has."
Sakura looks surprised for some reason.
"What? Did I say something strange?"
"No, you didn't. I'm just glad you're such good friends with Nii-san."
"Hm? No, I don't think that's right. I'm probably the only one who feels
better from it, and it might be the opposite for Shinji."
"Perhaps. But you know, Nii-san always talks to you no matter many
times you two fight. He probably finds it hard to deal with you, but he
likes you more than other people, so he's always concerned about you.
He's not honest, so he likes people he doesn't like."
"...Uh. I can't really reply to that."
"Yes. I envy you, so I thought I'd trouble you a bit."
Sakura smiles.
"Uh...."
Seeing that smile, I hold my breath without realizing it.
Would you call that a big smile?
I think it's the first time I've seen her smile like that.
"A-Anyway, I'm taking you home. I don't care if Shinji sees me. I
walked his sister home, so he shouldn't be complaining."
"You're right. It might be better to do it that way rather than to hide it.
Then could you, Senpai?"
"Of course. I'll act like your Senpai for once."
I smack my chest.
Sakura smiles warmly at my gesture of "trust me".
We go down the hill and reach the intersection.
There's no one around, and the familiar residential district feels
desolate.
"――――――――"
It's not even ten o'clock yet, but the town is asleep.
...The silence is strange.
Even though there have been nasty incidents, should night really steal
this much life?
"Senpai...? Uh, my house is this way."
"Huh? Oh, sorry, I was just thinking. Your house is the very top one on
that side, right?"
"No, the top one is Tohsaka-Senpai's house. My house is up there too,
but not at the top."
"Oh, was that it? ...Wait, by Tohsaka, you mean...?"
"Yes, Tohsaka Rin of the second year. Do you not like her, Senpai?"
She must have read my reaction, as her comment is accurate.
Ugh... was I making that kind of a face?
"No, I don't dislike her. I've never talked to her, so I don't know much
about her. But she's famous, right? She stands out wherever she goes, so
I know her just like everyone else."
"......"
"What about you, Sakura? You have the same Western-style mansion, so
do you guys have a neighborly relationship?"
"No. We're certainly neighbors, but her house is up on top of the hill.
But how did you know her house was Western-style, Senpai?"
Sakura asks quietly.
"Oh, it's just something I heard. Something about Tohsaka's place being
a haunted house and all that. A haunted house has to be a Western-style
house, right?"
"That's true. It seems Tohsaka-san and the house itself like to be alone.
When I was a child, I was told that a scary sorcerer lived up on the hill."
"A scary sorcerer, huh? I heard rumors like that too. Though, saying that,
all Western-style houses seem to have sorcerers living in them.[vr]
So, did you believe the story, Sakura?"
"I did, because I was small. That's why I always thought I shouldn't go
up to the top of the hill."
Sakura answers my joking question seriously.
We go up the hill.
It's a residential district rather opposite to mine, but the habits are the
same.
There are fewer and fewer buildings and more trees as you ascend the
hill.
It's only natural, as most of the town's facilities are at the bottom of the
hill.
In all that, one of the few buildings near the top of the hill is Sakura's
house.
"Oh..."
Sakura stops suddenly.
"Hm? Did you forget something?"
"Oh... no, it's not that, but... Senpai, is there someone standing near my
house?"
She looks around uneasily.
"Hm?"
I look around too, but there's no one here except us.
"There no one... did you see something?"
"Oh... no, if you didn't see anyone, then it's fine. I've been noticing a
strange person around my house recently, so I just wondered if he'd be
here again today."
"―――What? Isn't that a bit dangerous?[l]
What kind of guy was he?"
"Um... he was a blond, good-looking person. He looked like a model, so
I'm sure you'd be surprised too if you saw him."
Sakura says so with a blush, as if recalling him.
"......"
...Sakura.
I don't know if that's something I should be worried about.
"Oh, so it's not like he's suspicious?"
"...I don't know. It's just that no one has moved here recently, so I
thought it was strange."
"...Hm. Well, it is a bit strange. All right, if you see him around again,
tell me or Shinji. We'll get him and make him tell us what he's up to."
"Yes, I'll be counting on you. But please don't do anything rough. I don't
want you to get into a fight."
Sakura says so while smiling straight at me.
"...Uh. I-It's all right. I'll ask questions first, so you shouldn't worry
about it."
I look away from Sakura's smile as I answer.
"......"
...Geez.
Sakura's gestures captivate me often these days.
It would have been nothing a while ago, so I feel like I'm acting weird.
Maybe it's because Sakura has grown, or maybe just because I finally
noticed it.
...Well, I do think Sakura has become really beautiful.
That on it's own is great, but I don't think it's cool for a Senpai to have to
be careful where he's looking.
"Good night then, Senpai. I'm glad you walked me home."
"I-Idiot. Don't thank me. You're the one making me dinner, so I should
be the one thanking you."
Sakura just smiles with satisfaction.
"...Geez. If this is all it takes, I'll make a habit of it from tomorrow."
"Please do. It's fine if you only do it once in a while when you feel like
it, but please do walk home with me. Nii-san will get mad, but I like
being with you."
"Senpai, see you tomorrow! Thank you for today!"
Sakura calls back enthusiastically and disappears into her house.
"―――Well."
I should head home too.
I left Fuji-Nee at the house, and to be honest, that's what worries me.
"...Huh?"
Did I just hear something?
...I can hear it.
The sound of a creaking swing.
It takes me a while to realize it's the sound of some bug.
"...I wonder what kind of bug it is? It's well out of season, certainly."
I imagine a longhorn beetle in the dark, under the cold winter sky.
―――Then, I notice.
"...Huh? There are three rooms with lights on."
The one that just lit up is Sakura's room.
...The light on the first floor is Shinji's room, so what's the light from the
third room?
"...? Only Shinji and Sakura should be living in that place..."
Maybe it's a guest, or Shinji's in that room.
Anyway, I've been here many times, but this is the first time I've seen the
light on in that room.
"......"
Well, it's a big house.
It's not strange for a light to be on somewhere in such a house.
It's not strange, but....
"...What's this? I still feel uneasy."
I feel something, like a presence or a bad feeling.
In the cold air, the unseasonal sound echoes.
If there's such a thing as a hunch...
The bug hidden in the bushes feels very ominous.
And so, the day ends.
Just before midnight, Emiya Shirou must carry out his daily routine of
using "magic".
"――――――――"
I stretch out and adjust my breathing.
I try to empty my mind.
I ignore everything around me and pay attention only to what is inside
me.
"――――Trace, on."
As if to hypnotize myself, I murmur the spell I'm long accustomed to.
No, I really am hypnotizing myself.
As I have no Magic Crest and no knowledge of magic, a spell is only a
change to myself.
...Normally, there are no lines in a human body to allow the passage of
magical energy.
To artificially change my body to create such a line, I need enough
concentration to unify my whole body and every nerve within it.
Magic is a battle with yourself.
For instance, at this very moment, I am inserting a burning steel rod into
my backbone.
This metal rod is the only "Magic Circuit" I can prepare for myself.
When I insert it this deep into my body and connect it to the other
nerves, I can finally become a magus.
This is not a metaphor.
In reality, something like a burning tong which cannot be seen or felt is
being inserted into my backbone.
――――I am a sorcerer.
Emiya Kiritsugu, the man who said so, was really a magus.
A living magus who performed many marvels and had touched the very
structure of the world.
As a young child, I admired him and asked him to teach me magic.
But you cannot become a magus just through effort. It requires born
talent and appropriate knowledge.
And of course, I have no talent, and Kiritsugu taught me nothing of
magic.
He said something about me having no need of such knowledge.
I still don't know what he meant by that.
But still, it didn't matter to me back then.
I thought that if I could use magic, I could be like him.
But I was not born with talent: no strength of Magic Circuit, no
accumulated works of magic handed down for generations.
The work of magic Kiritsugu possessed, the Magic Crest passed down
the Emiya family, can only be passed on to a blood relation.
A Magic Crest forces a rejection on those with no blood relation.
So, as an adopted son, I could not receive the Emiya family's Magic
Crest.
Well, anyways.
As I don't even know what a Magic Crest is, it doesn't matter if I have
one or not.
So now, all it comes down to is training what I can do.
If I want to be a magus, I have to learn magic fit to my nature.
To be blunt, magic is a way to release one's magical energy.
You could say that magical energy is my life force.
It is divided into two forms: a large source, "mana", floating around the
world, and a small source, "odo", created inside oneself.
It goes without saying that the large source is superior to the small one.
The power of "mana" is on a completely different level from "odo".
Whatever the form of the magic, a spell using the large source far
exceeds one using only one's own power.
That is why superior magi excel at drawing magical energy from the
world.
It's like a filter.
A magus turns his body into a filter, sucks up the mana from the world
around him, and changes it into something he can use.
This filter is what we call a Magic Circuit.
This is the talent one is born with, and the number of the Magic Circuits
within you is determined the moment you are born.
A normal human being does not have many Magic Circuits.
To begin with, there are always very few.
That is why magi pile them up generation after generation, making their
children more suitable to use magic.
I hear some families go too far and increase the number of Magic
Circuits by selective breeding.
...Well, since I was raised in a normal family, I don't have many Magic
Circuits.
So that leaves only one method open to me.
According to Kiritsugu, every person has at least one form of magic they
are fit for.
He said something about drawing out magical energy appropriate to
their "origin", but I didn't really understand.
All I know for sure is that even I have some magic I can use, and if I
train that magic, I may be able to become like Kiritsugu.
That is why I learned only that magic.
That was eight years ago.
After a lot of thought, Kiritsugu finally accepted me as his student.
―――Listen, Shirou. To learn magic is to stray away from common
sense. You die when you die, and you kill when you must.
Our essence is not in life but in death. Magic is only a way to destroy
yourself―――
I guess I had no fear as a child.
Kiritsugu smiled bitterly, putting his hand on the nodding Emiya Shirou.
――What I will teach you will bring you conflicts.
That is why you must not use it in front of people, and you must not
cease your practice even though it is difficult to learn.
Well, I don't really care if you break that one.
The most important thing is that magic is something you use not for
yourself, but for others. If you do that, you may become a magic user,
but you will not become a magus――
...I guess Kiritsugu didn't want me to become a magus.
I don't care about that.
I don't admire a magus. I admire Kiritsugu.
If I can become like Kiritsugu and be there for someone like on that red
day, that will be――――
"―――――!"
I'm thinking needlessly.
I feel the iron rod in my backbone slide into place.
"Uh, gah...!"
If I lose control of my breathing now, it would be a fatal mistake. The
artificial Magic Circuit will eat away my body and destroy it.
If that happens, I'll die.
I would be only an amateur, failing such an elementary step...
"――――――――"
I grind my teeth and resume the connection.
After a battle like walking on needles, the iron rod finally arrives deep
within me and fuses with my body.
...This process took me about an hour.
After that much time, I'm finally able to make one artificial circuit... one
circuit that produces magical energy.
"―――Basic structure, analyze."
After that, it becomes a process of naturally flowing magical energy.
Emiya Shirou is no magus.
He is only a magic user, who can create magical energy within his body
and channel it into objects.
So there's only one magic possible.
Which is...
"―――Composition, analyze."
Strengthening objects.
It is a magic of "strengthening" that reinforces the object's abilities by
understanding the object's structure and channeling magical energy into
it.
"―――Basic structure, alter."
Before me is a metal pipe.
I will channel magical energy into it, perform the simplest magic, and
reinforce its durability.
Basically, channeling your magical energy into something other than
yourself is like pouring poison into that object.
It is just as the blood of Emiya Shirou is not the blood of the metal pipe.
Pumping different blood only accelerates its breakdown, it certainly
wouldn't strengthen it.
To prevent that and to turn the poison into a tonic, one must completely
understand the structure of the target and channel the magical energy
into small open spaces.
"...Composition, reinforce."
...It must be easy for a skilled magus, but for me, who cannot even create
sufficient magical energy, it's as hard as hitting a target hundreds of
meters away.
The usual target in archery is 27 meters away.
How much harder it is at many times that distance, goes without
saying――――
"Guh...!"
The heat in my body quickly escapes.
The burning pillar in my backbone disappears, and the lungs stretched to
the limit demand air.
"Haa... haa, haa, haaaaa....!"
I arc my back to hold off the daze almost making me pass out.
"Ah... dammit, I failed again..."
There's no change in the metal pipe. It seems that the magical energy I
poured into it has evaporated into the air.
"...It's hard to improve something that already has form."
The thing I'm attempting is like adding something to an already
complete work of art.
Adding to a complete object risks making it less perfect.
Adding unnecessary things will actually decrease the value.
That is why the magic of "strengthening" is simple yet difficult, and only
a few magi use it willingly.
...It's not like I use it willingly either, but it can't be helped as this is the
only thing I'm good at.
It would be much easier if I could just form something out of clay and
use it instead, but a substitute in appearance doesn't have the internal
structure to match.
The junk around here is a good example.
When I fail with strengthening magic, I make some substitute objects to
practice and to calm down, but they all end up with nothing inside.
I can visualize something's structure easily, so I can make the outside
look like the original. But it's empty inside, and of course, it doesn't do
anything.
"――――――――"
I wipe the sweat off my brow.
Now that I think about it, I realize my whole body is sweating like I've
been drenched with a bucket of water.
...But I'm lucky it just ended like this.
That was really bad.
If I'd taken a second longer to recover myself, I would probably have
destroyed most of my body.
"...If I improved every time I came closer to death, there might be some
hope..."
It's not even that easy.
But it is true that you won't improve your magic if you're scared of
death.
As long as you study magic, death is always right beside you.
Even a simple magic repeated every day can go off with a simple
mistake, taking the caster's life.
The first step of a magus is to accept death.
―――Kiritsugu said so sadly.
Maybe he meant that he didn't want me to take such a step.
"...Saving someone means not saving someone else. A superhero is
really selfish, huh...?"
Kiritsugu said that to me when I told him I wanted to be just like him.
I still don't know what he meant.
But Emiya Shirou has to become a superhero who goes around saving
people, just like Emiya Kiritsugu.
"...But I still can't even do basic things like this. Why do I get distracted
by needless things at the most important times? I'm so stupid."
It's not enough to understand the structure of an object with mere vision.
A skilled magus only detects what's important and channels magical
energy without waste.
'―――My dream is to become a superhero.'
I remember what Fuji-Nee said during dinner.
I don't think it's embarrassing nor impossible.
It's already determined. Emiya Shirou will succeed Emiya Kiritsugu.
That's why even though I'm inexperienced, I've done everything I can.
I don't know what kind of a person a superhero should be.
So I can only approach it by helping others within the limits of my
abilities.
I have aimed straight for that goal for the past five years, but when
things just go wrong like this, I do have doubts.
"...Geez, I don't get it, Father.
How can I become a superhero?"
I look up at the sky through the window.
It's not like I can just randomly do good deeds.
I think being a superhero is different from just helping others.
I know that, but the question is, how can I become one?
The difference between the two is the thing I've failed to understand for
the past five years.
Day 02 (One day II): 
...My awakening is dark.
Perhaps I just don't dream much, but unless something really special
happens, I always seem to have the same dream.
...What I imagine are swords.
I don't know why it is, but this is the only thing that comes into my
mind.
There's no meaning or reason to it.
It may just be one of the aspects making up Emiya Shirou.
There are no dreams to dream.
The only things I recall from sleep are things I was taught a long time
ago.
For example, about magi.
Even if I'm an amateur, if I'm a magus, it's only natural for me to
understand the kind of world I live in.
―――To put it simply, a magus is an exception in conflict with modern
society.
But even exceptions must band together to survive.
Father told me that the group of magi is called the "Magic Association".
...He also said that I shouldn't associate with them.
The group called the Magic Association hides magic and organizes
magi.
They basically keep watch to see that magi do not affect society with
magic, but the strange part is that they do not prohibit misuse of magic.
According to Kiritsugu, the Magic Association is only interested in the
concealment of magic.
Even if a magus carries out his research at the expense of the lives of
many ordinary people, the Magic Association will not punish him.
Their priority is that magic should not become public, so they do not ban
magic.
So, they're crazy people who think you can do anything as long as you
don't get caught.
Anyway, the surveillance of the Magic Association is thorough.
Most magical research would cost the lives of ordinary people, and as a
result, the existence of magic would become public.
So, the Association does not allow research that would harm society.
So magi stay at home and research quietly, while the normal world
carries on unmolested.
Hence, magi only try to hide themselves to escape the Association.
...So perhaps I just don't know it, and a magus lives in this town.
I hear Fuyuki City is a spiritually excellent area.
Such an area always has a distinguished magus with a history.
They are called the "Second Owner", an elite, and the Association
entrusts the area to them.
Magi who would live in the area must visit them and obtain their
permission to construct a workshop.
...Looking at it like that, we're thieves living here without the permission
of the landlord.
Father was an outlaw who cut his ties with the Association and moved
here without the consent of the administrator of Fuyuki.
The Owner doesn't know that Emiya Kiritsugu was a magus, and
Kiritsugu didn't know who the Owner was.
With reasoning like that, I think our position is ambiguous.
Father, the real magus, has passed away.
And I, his son and pupil, don't know the Magic Association and have not
the skill to be a magus.
...From the Association's point of view, they would want to catch an
amateur like me doing things, but I've seen no movement yet.
No, I've heard that Japan is relatively hidden from the eyes of the
Association, so I think I've just not been found out.
―――But that doesn't mean I can let my guard down.
People say that the eyes of the Association are everywhere. On top of
that, if you commit a crime with magic, the heretic hunters of the church
will come after you.
...That just means that whatever you use magic for, lack of care will
create enemies.
I, Emiya Shirou, just have to study independently, taking that into
account――――
"...Hm."
I wake up to see the sun shining in through the window.
The sun may have just risen as it's still a bit dark outside.
"...Hm. I'm really not good in the mornings."
I get up, trying not to be defeated by the morning chill, and quickly fold
up my futon.
It's five thirty.
One of my strengths is waking up at this time, no matter how late I go to
sleep. I do sometimes make mistakes and wake up late like yesterday,
but I usually wake up early.
I think alarm clocks are degenerate, so I haven't used one since I was a
kid.
"Alright, breakfast..."
Since I let Sakura do all the work yesterday, I have to return the favor
this morning.
I should finish preparing before Sakura arrives.
I cook rice and make some miso soup.
It was radish and carrot yesterday, so I make onion and potato miso soup
today.
I also make the usual broth egg and broth boil, and I'm done.
I cut and salt the saury, and stop just before cooking it.
"All right, that should do."
It's almost six o'clock.
I finished earlier than expected, so I have some extra time.
So, what should I do?
"Yeah. I have time, so I'll make something else."
I open the refrigerator.
All that's left are some cucumber and potatoes.
"...Hmmm. I could cut and salt the cucumber, or cut the potatoes and
serve them vinegared...."
But those are both things I could do in a couple of minutes, and they're
better fresh.
It'll be half an hour until Fuji-Nee and Sakura arrive, so I should make a
dish right before they get here.
"...Hmph."
In that case, this is free time I can't make much use of.
Is there anything I can do in thirty minutes...?
"There's some chicken, so..."
I could cook some bite-sized meat rolls with vegetables, or something
like that.
I cut the meat and tenderize it.
At a glance, the meat tenderizer is really evil. It's like a hammer, but it's
flat on four sides and has lots of spikes coming out of it.
If it were bigger, it would make a great instrument of torture.
I flatten the meat with the scary object, put some carrots and kidney
beans on it, roll it up, cook it in the pan, and steam it with wine.
"...Huh!? Hold on, what am I doing...!?"
At that point, I regain my sanity.
I was trying to make a side dish, as the saury was already the main dish.
So what am I doing, making another main dish...!?
"...Honestly. I must have let my guard down, cooking just to pass the
time."
"Eh? You were cooking just to pass the time, Senpai?"
"Yeah. The thing is, I was trying to make a side dish. But before I
realized it, I was using the knife. Well, I guess habit is a scary thing... of
course, that's just an excuse."
"But isn't that alright? It's a bit big for breakfast, but since you made it, I
don't think there'll be any leftovers."
"You think so? No, that's not the problem.
There's no need for two suns in the sky. I'll have to ask one of them to
leave."
"What!? You're not going to eat it, Senpai?"
"I will. I wasn't planning to, but I'll pack lunch today. That way, it won't
be a waste."
"Wow... Senpai, you're going to make lunch right now?"
"It'll be close, but I think I can at least get my―――"
And then.
I finally realize someone's behind me.
"Good morning, Senpai. I'm here again today."
Sakura greets me with a smile.
It's not unusual for Sakura to come into the kitchen at this time.
She always rings the bell as she comes in, but sometimes I don't notice,
like this morning.
"G-Good morning, Sakura. Breakfast's ready, so you can relax in the
living room. There's some tea there."
I answer her, staring at the frying pan.
On the table is a pot of hot water, a teapot, and some snacks.
"Oh, yes. You're perfect again today, Senpai."
Sakura's voice is lively, as if she's happy about something.
...And Sakura comes into the kitchen instead of going to the table.
"Senpai? You're making lunch, right?"
"Hm? Yeah, it turned out that way. It's a good dish for lunch, so I
thought I'd make some side dishes."
"Um, then can I help? I'll make my own, so..."
"Oh, wait. If you don't mind having the same thing, I can give you some
of mine."
"―――Yes. I was watching and I wanted to have some of yours."
"All right. Can you cook the rice, then? We don't have enough for two.
There should be a fast rice cooker over there."
"Yes, I'll take care of it. I'll go and start that, then."
I hear the sound of her footsteps, and of her tying her apron.
"Senpai? We're okay with two cups of rice, right?"
"Hmm, I think that'll be enough."
With quick movements, Sakura comes to help in the kitchen.
"Morning! Well done, it smells great!"
A little past six-thirty.
Thirty minutes after Sakura, Fuji-Nee arrives as usual.
"Good morning, Sensei. Please wait a little longer for breakfast."
"Yep, I'll wait. ...Oh, Sakura-chan, are you making breakfast with
Shirou?"
"No, Senpai made breakfast on his own. We're making lunch right now."
Sakura's voice is really lively.
We're not doing anything particularly fun, so I don't know what she's so
happy about.
"I see, so of course you're in a good mood. Cooking and Shirou, so much
fun stuff. Okay, we don't have much time, but take it easy."
Laughing, Fuji-Nee sits at the table and pours some tea.
"...Geez, she must still be off dreaming. What's so fun about cooking for
school?"
I put the pan back onto the rack.
The food's made, so all that's left is to pack the lunchboxes.
"Sorry, Sakura. I made you do extra work before club activities.
I wanted you to relax since you did a lot yesterday."
"Huh? Don't worry about that at all. Like Fujimura-Sensei said, I find
cooking fun."
She smiles.
Well, I know she likes cooking... but still, it must be hard for her getting
up at five o'clock to make lunch.
Besides, Sakura comes and makes dinner often.
So if I'm getting her to cook in the mornings too, she might have no free
time at all.
"...Phew. I'm grateful for the help, but you should relax, Sakura. You
should sleep in during the mornings, and after school is for playing
around. You don't have to come and help around my house."
"Well, I am relaxing. You made breakfast today, and I got some food
from you for lunch too."
She smiles.
...Sigh.
It's been a year and a half since Sakura started to help out. Now, she
keeps coming back like this no matter what I say.
"That's different. You have your own life too, so you can't just take care
of me and Fuji-Nee. If you're taking care of us, you won't be able to do
all the things you want to."
"Ahaha, that's fine. My only hobbies are archery and cooking. In fact,
my goal is to beat you at cooking, and I think I'm almost there."
Sakura puffs her chest out boastfully.
...Gah.
I want to argue back, but it's true as she is about to beat me.
"So please don't worry about it. I like cooking here, and improving is
fun.
I'm helping you to pay you back for showing me this great pleasure, and
for my own benefit."
"...Hm. Does that mean you're stealing some of my skill every day,
Sakura?"
"Yes. I improve quickly just by helping you. So please be ready. I'll
make you admit defeat someday."
Whoa.
I can't believe she said it so bluntly!
"...Man. If I'd known this was coming, I would never have taught you to
cook. You never even heard of oil before coming here, but now you're
after me like an enemy. Really, why are you chasing me like this?
Can't you just be happy making food?"
"Of course I'm after you. You can't be better than me."
"...?"
I'm not sure what's so bad about that, but we should start setting the table
for breakfast.
"Alrighty."
I check the saury.
Placing my chopstick on the well grilled stomach, I check how cooked it
is.
"I guess that's done. Here, Sakura, can you take this to the table?"
"Yes, thank you Senpai."
I hand the plate of saury to Sakura.
Then, as if remembering something important, Sakura stops dead.
"Sakura? What's wrong, did you leave something at home?"
Sakura may seem shrewd, but she actually forgets things a lot.
It's not unusual for her to remember something and stop like this.
But... it seems like that's not the case this morning.
"...Sakura?"
"......"
There's no answer.
She just blankly stares at my hand like she's still in a daze, then...
"Senpai... what's that bruise on your hand?"
She asks me a strange question.
"Huh?"
I look down at the hand she's talking about.
"Huh...? You're right, there is a bruise. That's weird, I don't remember
hitting it anywhere."
For some reason, there's a big bruise on the back of my left hand.
It's quite an impressive welt, and it looks like it came from some sort of
a cut.
Even on my own hand, it looks bad.
Perhaps Sakura's not feeling well as she's very quiet.
"Sorry, can you handle the rest? I'll go put something on it."
I let Sakura take care of the kitchen and head for the dojo.
I don't know if I did this during my sleep, but I'll have to treat it.
"――――――――"
But for some reason, I'm worried about Sakura, who looked awkward
and downcast.
"I'll go on ahead, then."
"Sakura, are you sure you're all right? You can skip your club if you're
not feeling well."
"No, I'm fine. It's just a light headache, so you shouldn't worry about it. I
only look bad because you imagine it. I'm doing really well today."
She says so with a smile.
...But anyone can tell she's just bluffing.
"―――Really well, huh? Even though you couldn't eat any breakfast?"
"Oh...."
She looks away awkwardly.
Without looking up, she replies...
"...Please excuse me. You're the one who should be resting, Senpai."
With those words, she leaves.
The table is cleared.
But on the plate in the kitchen, Sakura's meal remains untouched.
"Honestly, what's wrong with her?"
She had been in such a good mood, but after seeing my bruise, Sakura
suddenly became quiet and started to make lots of mistakes.
She overfilled the tea, drenched the omelets with soy sauce, and sat
down at the table with her apron on.
And on top of that, she ate nothing and went to school looking pale.
"Maybe she caught a cold or something."
I mutter to myself while cleaning up.
It's the first time I've seen Sakura like this.
I got to know her during the summer four years ago, and she started
coming here to help a year and a half ago.
In that time, I've never seen her look this ill.
"――――――――"
...Fuji-Nee will be at the archery range, so I don't think there'll be a
problem there. But I should go and check on her after school or
sometime…
It's almost seven thirty.
Sakura and Fuji-Nee have already left for their morning club practice.
I went to school early yesterday because Issei wanted me to, but I leave
my house at the usual time today.
I run into an unusual scene when I reach the intersection.
Several police cars are parked outside a house.
Something must have happened, as it's noisy and lots of people are
surrounding the area.
"Hm?"
I'm curious, but I cannot tell what's going on with all the people
surrounding it.
I have no time, so I should prioritize school.
I reach school ten minutes before the bell.
I enter the main gate as usual.
"Hey, morning Emiya."
I bump into a familiar female student.
"What, you've not changed yet, Mitsuzuri? It's almost homeroom, you
shouldn't have time to say hello to me."
"Ahahaha! You're right. You're cold as always, Emiya!"
She laughs as if something is really funny.
Mitsuzuri Ayako.
She was my classmate in first year, and she's now the captain of the
archery club.
She's very insightful, and everyone expected her to become captain since
the first year.
...Well, in other words, her mental age is older than her real age, so she's
been the older sister type everyone counts on since she was a first year.
Though, she gets mad when people say that. According to her, she's not
that old.
"Huh? Were you just thinking badly of me?"
"I wouldn't dream of it. I was just thinking objectively about the truth.
Though, it's up to you if you want to feel angry about it."
"Oh, you don't say. That's good. You answered honestly, but you never
revealed what you were thinking about.
You don't let your guard down like Shinji does."
"Shinji? What does he have to do with this?"
"Because you guys are friends.
You're the only male friend he has, right? And you might have forgotten,
but I'm the captain of the archery club. Don't you think it's only natural
for me to connect the current problem student and the problem student
that quit?"
"Yeah, that's certainly natural. The archery club has nothing to do with
it, but I certainly do have an unsavory and inseparable relationship with
him."
"Oh, that makes me mad. You get so cold when talking about the archery
club.
You've got it nice. You left Shinji behind and just quit. Couldn't you
think about those who were left, like me and Sakura?"
"Hmm. Did Shinji do something again?"
"A day doesn't pass when he doesn't do something.
...But still, yesterday was a bit too much.[l]
He even made a guy from the first year quit."
Mitsuzuri sighs seriously.
It's rare for her to make a face like this, but even more than that, I can't
ignore what she just said.
"What's that? A student quit? Why?"
"Shinji took his anger out on him. He got loads of female students
around and made the kid, who has barely started handling bows, shoot.
He laughed at him until he hit the target."
"Huh!? And you let that happen!?"
"Of course I didn't! But a captain's busy, you know? I can't always be in
the dojo. You know that."
"...That's true, but what the hell was Shinji thinking? He does teach very
harshly, but he's not the type to make fun of people like that."
"...I'm surprised. You really are like that."
"Hm, what do you mean by that? Were you just thinking badly of me?"
"Oh, I was just thinking objectively about the truth. So it's up to you if
you want to feel angry about it."
"...Stop copying me.[l]
Fine, but what about Shinji? Why did he act like that?"
"Hmm, from what I heard, it was something like getting turned down
harshly by Tohsaka."
"Huh? You mean, that Tohsaka?"
"There's no other Tohsaka at our school.[l]
I'm talking about the honor student in class 2-A, Miss Perfect, Tohsaka
Rin."
"...I don't think I've heard that nickname before."
It's the first time I've heard the nickname, but I would probably agree
with it.
With Tohsaka involved, I can understand even Shinji getting turned
down, and most of all...
If it was Tohsaka, I can see her refusing him mercilessly.
"Anyways, Shinji's been like this since yesterday.
That's why I've had to keep an eye on the dojo until now today."
"Shinji has a nasty temper. I know it's hard, but keep up the hard work,
Mitsuzuri."
"Okay, okay. But Shinji never knows when to stop, you know? I feel like
he'll do something really bad if he asks her out again and gets turned
down again."
"No, even Shinji wouldn't approach someone who turned him down.
He's pretty good about that kind of thing."
"But he can't help it if the person who turned him down comes near him.
I don't know why, but Tohsaka comes and visits the dojo pretty often.
You quit, so you wouldn't know."
"Hm?"
That's the first I've heard of it.
Tohsaka Rin doesn't do any club activities for personal reasons. I
thought she went straight home since she even turned down the
recommendation to join the student council.
"Well, maybe that sort of thing is good every now and then. He has a
haughty attitude, so it might be good for him to have a hard time for
once."
Mitsuzuri says some dangerous things.
...Come to think of it, I heard that Tohsaka has many enemies. Could
Mitsuzuri be one of them?
"Hey Mitsuzuri, that's going too..."
"Oh, it's almost time. Bye Emiya, come and see my archery skills
sometime."
Mitsuzuri hurries off.
"―――She's just like always."
But I like that part of her.
Feeling calmer now, I head for the classroom.
It's lunchtime.
Our school has a splendid cafeteria and most students eat there.
But there are some old-fashioned students who bring their own lunches.
Two of them happen to be me and the student council president in front
of me.
"Emiya, could you give me some of that fried chicken? My lunch is
desperately lacking in meat."
"Sure, but why is your lunch so plain? You live in a temple, but there
aren't any teachings prohibiting meat or alcohol, right?”
"Such an anachronism. It's just my father's way.
He says there's no luxurious foods for a young priest, and that I should
have to work for what I want. I'm thinking of running away and joining
the circus."
"Oh, yeah, that sounds like that guy."
Issei's father is the priest of the Ryudou Temple, and a bold guy who's
old friends with the old man at Fuji-Nee's place.
You can't expect a normal personality when he's friends with a guy like
that.
"That's great. Well then, I'll give you one in the hope of repayment
someday."
I hand him my lunchbox.
"Thank you. This too is part of my religious training."
Issei bows deeply.
...How can I put this? I never know what to say when things like this
remind me that he's the son of a priest.
"Oh, by the way, Emiya. Did you know there was something going on
around the 2nd avenue?
It's right around the intersection where we part."
"Intersection...?"
The intersection this morning... he must mean that clamor with all the
police cars.
"I heard there was a murder. I don't know the details, but of the family of
four, only the child survived. They say the older sister and the parents
were stabbed to death. But what's strange is that they think the weapon
was a long one, not like a knife or something."
"――――――――"
A long weapon? He must mean something like a sword.
It was a murder... so that must mean the sister and the parents were
killed.
...I picture it.
Someone barging in during the night. Unjust violence. A one-sided
pillage like an accident.
Slashed parents. The sister killed without even knowing what's going on.
To the side, the child covered in their blood.
"Issei, have they caught the murderer?"
"It doesn't seem like it. Accidents from faulty construction in Shinto, and
murder here. It's no wonder they're making the curfew here at school
ear―――what's wrong, Emiya? Did you choke on something?"
"Hm? Nothing, what's wrong?"
"No... I was just surprised since you had a nasty expression. Sorry, this
wasn't something I should have talked about during lunch.”
Issei tries to soften the air apologetically.
...I was fine with the topic, but was I really making such a nasty face?
And then, there's a quiet knock at the door.
"Excuse me, is Ryudou here?"
"Huh? Oh, what is it, Sensei?"
Issei addresses Kuzuki, who just entered.
It must be a simple talk about the student council as Issei seems pretty
relaxed.
"...Wow."
That's not something you see everyday.
Despite his appearance, Issei's very shy. The guy who draws a line
against his classmates and even his teachers is letting his guard down
with Kuzuki.
"Maybe they get along because they're both so serious."
Kuzuki Souichirou, the teacher in charge of class 2-A, is serious and
stubborn.
Probably that aspect helps him get along with Issei, who prizes order and
discipline.
"――――――――"
The two continue to talk.
All the while, I can't get the story of the murder out of my head.
Classes end and it's time to go home.
I can't go anywhere as I have work today.
I should leave school and go straight to the neighboring town, but...
...I'm worried about Sakura.
I know it won't do any good to worry about her, but I should at least see
if she's okay....
I walk through the fourth floor, where the first year students are located.
There's no one in the hallway and not many left in the classrooms either.
It seems they've already gone home or to their clubs.
"...Dammit, Sakura will be at her club too."
Well, I've come this far.
I'll go to her classroom, and when I've checked she's not there, I can
head to work.
"Let's see..."
I look into classroom 1-B.
The red tinted classroom is quiet and there's no sign of life.
There's no one in the classroom.
All the students have gone to their respective destinations.
"―――――"
In that red classroom, a lone shadow remains.
"Sakura."
I enter the red world and call out to her.
"...Senpai?"
The face, covered by her long hair, looks even more lifeless than this
morning.
"What is it? Do you have some business here?"
"No, I have nothing to do here. I was just worried about you. You
seemed a bit sick this morning."
"......"
Sakura makes a gloomy face.
She's clearly not doing well.
"Sakura, if you don't feel well, you should go home. I can walk you to
the intersection, so let's go together."
"...No, I'm fine. I don't feel bad.
I'm going to go to the club as usual and have dinner at your place after
that.
I'm okay, so please don't worry."
She picks up her bag and starts to walk like she's running away.
"Idiot, what are you saying with a face like that? Come on, skip your
club. After all, there's no point in doing archery in that state."
I grab Sakura's hand as she tries to pass me.
"...Oh."
A crash.
Sakura almost falls over just from being grabbed.
"Hey...!"
I quickly pull her hand back.
The body I'm dragging is surprisingly light.
"Y-You surprised me... Sakura, are you really all right?
You're not standing steadily at all."
"......"
Sakura looks away apologetically.
Geez, what's wrong with her today?
"Anyways, you're skipping the club today. I'll skip my work too, so let's
go home."
"......"
Sakura is silent and does not answer.
She doesn't shake my hand off, but it also seems she won't go home
obediently.
"What's going on, Sakura? You know it's pointless to go to the club like
that."
"...You're right. But Nii-san wants me to, so I have to go,"
Sakura mutters.
"――――――――"
...!
If she says so with a face like that, I can't respond.
It seems the circumstances at Sakura's house are complicated and they're
not something I can meddle with.
...No matter how much I think she is part of my family, her real family is
the Matous.
Whatever I say, they're just the words of an outsider.
"...You're only going to watch at the club?"
"Huh...? Oh yes. I know myself that I can't shoot right now."
"I see. So you're basically just preserving Shinji's authority."
I pull out a chair and sit on it.
I also pull another chair out from the desk next to it.
"Um... Senpai?"
"Just sit down. I won't try to stop you from going to the club, but rest for
a while. You can tell Shinji I held you up and made you late."
"I-I can't say that...! If I do, Nii-san will, uh..."
"Shinji messes with me all the time.
It's nice that he has something to talk about every day.
And it's not a lie, so you shouldn't feel guilty saying it."
I urge Sakura to sit down.
"......"
Sakura sits down quietly.
"All right. Then, wait here for a while. I'm going to go and steal some
tea from the student council room. You're forbidden from standing up
until I come back."
"...Huh? But you might get into trouble..."
"Only if a teacher finds me. Hey, I'm used to this. There's no problem
unless I run into a teacher in the hallway, so you can wait here."
"I-I can't. I can't wait here while you're doing something dangerous.
Senpai, I don't care about the tea."
"I'm saying it's not dangerous. Just sit down. Drinking tea in the
classroom is a good thing to try once."
"Oh..."
I jump out into the hallway.
The student council room isn't far away.
I'll get the tea set quickly and surprise Sakura.
...Time passes.
While we do something silly like drinking tea together in a classroom,
we just stare outside.
Outside the window is a glowing sunset that hurts my eyes.
"......"
Sakura stares blankly at the sunset.
I have nothing to talk about, so I follow Sakura's example and keep my
mouth shut.
Time passes slowly since we're not talking.
Sakura isn't the talkative type, and she often just stares at the scenery.
I guess she's more relaxed by herself.
Come to think of it, Sakura wants to be alone a lot.
It's not like she's excluding herself from the crowd, but she wants to
isolate herself within the crowd. She looks outside the crowd more than
in it.
That must be why she stayed here in the classroom.
Sakura doesn't actively try to spend time with others.
Fuji-Nee and I are special.
Even I wouldn't have known her if I hadn't met Shinji.
"......"
I sneak a glance at Sakura.
When Shinji introduced me to her 4 years ago, she was just a small girl.
Now she's my junior who comes to help around the house, and her
childish image is disappearing.
Sakura has grown beautiful.
...No, she was beautiful before, but I think she's become too beautiful as
a member of the opposite sex.
On top of that, she's thoughtful and gentle.
With that many good qualities, I can understand her being called
beautiful alongside Tohsaka Rin.
"......"
But it's strange, I don't understand it.
Sakura is alone often.
She doesn't seem to have any friends in the archery club, and seeing how
she's alone in this classroom, she might not have any friends in her class
either.
...Come to think of it, I only know Sakura from the archery club and
from my place.
I don't know how she is at school or at home.
"......"
While I think about this, looking up at the red sky...
"Senpai, do you remember?"
Looking outside, Sakura asks me a question.
"...? Remember what?"
"It was a long time ago, back before I met you..."
"Um, you mean before we knew each other...?"
"Yes. It was four years ago, right when I entered this school.
I wasn't used to the school, and I was walking about aimlessly when I
saw something strange.
"...Yeah, I really wonder how it ended up like that.
Even though it was after school and the track team had left, someone
was still running around alone. When I looked closer wondering what he
was doing, I realized that he was doing high jumps by himself."
A smile.
It must be a lovely memory, as Sakura is smiling happily.
"It was a really red sunset. Everything was red and beautiful, but so
lonely.
In it, he just continued to run alone. Running, jumping, dropping the
pole, and repeating. There was no one around and he clearly couldn't
jump over it, but he kept on trying.
"It wasn't something that could be done with effort. The pole was way
over his head.
Even I could tell that it was impossible, so he must have known as
well."
"...?"
I understand, but I wonder what she's talking about.
I don't think it's strange to see someone practicing even after school.
"I was a bad girl back then. Something bad had happened to me, and I
just wanted to take it out on someone. I wanted to see this person fail,
give up, and be discouraged, so I kept watching him.
But he wouldn't give up.
He repeated it over and over, even though it was impossible for him. Not
complaining at all for all that time."
"...Wow. Maybe he was on the edge? Like the next day was the test, and
he wouldn't get chosen unless he could jump that high?”
"No, that wasn't it. He wasn't on the track team or anything."
Oh, I see.
...Well, that's fine... But why are you smiling, Sakura?
"And then, while I was watching him, I realized. He didn't care about
what he was doing. He just happened to run into something he couldn't
do, and he was obstinate about not losing.
The sun set, and he just cleaned up and went home. He must have been
really tired, but he walked away calmly like nothing had happened."
"I don't get it. If he quit, that must mean he jumped over it, right? So
how high was it?"
"Ahahaha, well, the thing is, he couldn't jump over it. He tried for 3
hours, but he was convinced at last that he couldn't jump over it."
"Man, that's some ending."
"He was so earnest that I even worried about him.
He's probably someone very dependable.
But that made me feel uneasy and lonely."
Her voice itself sounds so lonely, it seems like it will be swallowed by
the red in this room.
"Okay, I understand the story... But what about it, Sakura?"
"No, it's okay if you don't understand. That just means that even though
it looked that way to me, it was just an everyday thing for him."
Despite her gloomy mood earlier, Sakura smiles sweetly.
"......"
...And then, even though I'm pretty dull, I understand when she puts it
like that.
I don't remember it myself, but four years ago was right after my father
died.
Back then, I did lots of reckless things, so I guess I did something like
that.
"...Uh, Sakura, so that was..."
"Yes, he is the senior before me now.
Back then, he was so small that I thought he was my age."
...Ugh.
I wish she wouldn't talk about my height back then.
Well, I'm not that tall even now, but I did grow, you know?
"That's it. I've known Senpai since then."
"I-I see. That's the first time I heard that."
I look away. She saw me during an embarrassing moment.
Then.
"Yes, we were both looking at the same thing."
With a gesture like a prayer, Sakura says something strange.
"Huh...?"
I ask, feeling worried.
But as if to drown it out, the familiar bell echoes through the school.
"―――Oh, the bell."
It's been thirty minutes since I stopped Sakura. The clock says four-
thirty.
"I guess I held you up too long. I'll clean up, so you can go on ahead.
You feel better, right?"
"Yes, I feel great thanks to you. Please look forward to dinner tonight."
Sakura gets up.
It doesn't seem like she's bluffing as she really seems well.
"Yeah... oh, sorry Sakura. I have to go to work now. I'll be late today, so
you don't have to push yourself to come to my place."
"I understand. Then I'll just cook your dinner and leave."
Sakura bows and leaves.
"Oh well."
Fuji-Nee will be at my house, so she should be able to take Sakura home
when she leaves.
I have to make a living too, so I should go to work quickly….
Twenty minutes after taking the bus from my school, I arrive at the
neighboring town of Shinto across the bridge.
"...Oh, it's not five o'clock yet? I guess I still have some time."
Miyama City is a residential district, so it's hard to find part-time jobs
there, but the developing Shinto has many available.
The school rules allow for part-time jobs, so I work a few easy ones.
Within them, I prefer hard physical labor that ends as quickly as
possible.
It's killing two birds with one stone, as it builds my body while I get paid
for it.
Today's job is a simple loading job from five to eight o'clock.
Even though it's only three hours, there's six hours worth of work to do.
They make you run around without a minute's rest.
So I should rest when I can, even if it's just for ten minutes.
It's a waste of energy walking around until my job, so I guess I'll rest in
the park.
This park among the buildings is like a big field.
A park should be filled with people like families and lovers on
weekends, but it's empty here now.
No... this place is always desolate.
"This place is the same as always."
I'm a bit sad.
The utterly neglected ground looks awful compared to the neatly
organized surroundings.
The desolate area makes the wind feel cold.
This is the remains of the conflagration ten years ago, and this is the
place where I was saved from burning to death.
"I wonder why they don't plant grass here. It's a waste to keep it like
this."
It's a large area, so if they retiled it, the park would get bigger.
Thinking absent-mindedly, I sit down on a bench.
"――――――――"
I stare at the burned land to pass the time.
I don't remember what happened here back then.
I probably don't remember because I was a kid, and it wouldn't have
been an easy scene to memorize.
All I can remember is that it was hot and I couldn't breathe.
And that people died trying to save others.
"I wonder why...."
For example, an adult that tried to save a child from a burning house. He
saved the child, but died in its place.
For example, there were people who had their throats burned, but they
gave what little water they had to one guy, and the others died.
For example, there was someone who ran alone to get away from the fire
as fast as possible, and everyone that he passed on the way died.
And for example...
People who died because they gave away something that was saving
them, only to save others they didn't even know.
"......"
I didn't like things like that.
It makes me mad that those who tried hard were sacrificed.
Am I greedy to want an ending where everybody is safe and happy?
All I wanted was to see people relax peacefully, so why couldn't I
manage such a simple thing?
'That's difficult. What you want is to save everyone.'
Kiritsugu answered so to the question I asked as a child.
Of course, as a child, I denied it.
Because Kiritsugu saved me. I knew he was a sorcerer who could do
anything.
I knew he was a superhero who couldn't ignore people in need, who
saved them for no benefit.
So I believed Kiritsugu could have saved everyone back then.
When I told him that, he made a troubled expression and said something
that I remember to this day.
'Shirou, saving one person means not saving others. Look, a superhero
can only save the people he has saved. It's obvious, but that is the
definition of a superhero.'
I understand that.
It's obvious, now that he's said it.
Let's say there's a robber and some hostages, and the robber intends to
kill the hostages.
With normal methods, most of the hostages will be killed.
Even if you use a miraculous method to save all the hostages, there will
still be one person who isn't saved.
That, of course, is the robber whose hostages were rescued.
The people a superhero saves are only those he decides to save.
That's why even God cannot save everyone.
"All the more so if it's a natural disaster. No one could have saved
everybody."
The fire ten years ago was like that.
It's not something I, who was miraculously saved from it, can talk about
now.
"But I don't want that."
I don't want such a thing.
I don't want help that has a limited capacity.
You have to help, no matter how impossible it is.
I can't stand to have strangers dying around me like back then.
So if I had been there ten years ago, even if it was impossible, I would
have gone into the fire and...
"I would certainly have died in vain."
That's for certain.
Geez, I'm hopeless.
"Gah, it's five o'clock already."
The five o'clock bell rings.
I stand up and quickly make my way to my work.
When my job's done, the sun has already set.
It's a bit before eight.
I finished ten minutes early because I worked too hard.
It seems I worked frantically since I went to that place before work.
Here in front of the station, the night's just getting started.
There are lots of people, and a constant flow of cars on the road.
The buildings are still lit up, and just looking at them makes me feel like
I'm watching a grand festival of illumination.
"I guess I don't have to buy anything for Fuji-Nee."
I walk while looking up at the lighted building.
It's the biggest building in Shinto, so I can't see the top clearly.
I just gaze up the building, just enjoying the night's scenery...
"...?"
...When I think I see something out of place.
"What was that?"
I stop and stare at the rooftop.
I focus my eyes, looking at the thing as small as a grain of rice.
"...What the..."
It looks like someone I know.
Why is she there?
What would she be doing there?
With her long hair fluttering and doing nothing, she looks down at the
town.
"......"
It doesn't seem like she notices me down here.
No, there's no way she could see me.
She's so high up that I, with better eyesight than most, can barely see her
by improving my vision with magical energy.
I can recognize her since she's standing there alone, but there's no way
she would notice me down here among all these people.
She's just looking down at the town.
Maybe she's looking for something, as I can feel her sharp stare even
down here.
"......"
I forget about time and keep looking up at the girl standing in the sky.
She is on top of a tall tower.
She's like a witch, looking down at the earth with the moon behind her.
"Oh..."
And then.
She must be done with whatever she was doing, as she disappears.
Her figure has disappeared and the scene returns to the beautiful view of
the night.
"That was Tohsaka, right?"
I have no proof, but I think I'm right.
There aren't many girls with looks that stand out that much, and more
than that, I'm not stupid enough to mistake a girl I secretly admire.
"...I see. But still..."
Well, it's...
Tohsaka sure has strange hobbies.
I return to Miyama City.
Unlike Shinto, it's really quiet here as if it were midnight already.
"I wonder if Sakura's okay."
She seemed to be feeling better, but since she came to my place to make
dinner, I think I've made her push herself again.
"I guess I'll go check on her."
It's not like I'll achieve anything by going to her house now, but it should
make me feel better than doing nothing.
There's nothing wrong at her house.
There's no sign of the "strange foreigner" Sakura was talking about, and
the lights are on only in Sakura and Shinji's rooms as usual.
"Huh?"
...Wait a minute.
Then what was that light yesterday? Was there someone other than
Sakura and Shinji in the house?
"Excuse me. Do you need something?"
"...!?"
I spin around.
...In the darkness of the night, as if hiding in the sound of the bugs, a
figure is standing.
He's an unfamiliar old man.
He must be really old, but he has sharp eyes and a presence that doesn't
match his small body.
Perhaps it is the difference in the years we have lived, but he has a
dignity that pressures me.
"What is wrong, young one, why don't you answer? If you don't answer,
I shall jump to conclusions. Hmm, so, can I assume you're the stranger
Sakura was talking about?"
Sakura...?
...Then, could this person be....
"Geez. Since it is my granddaughter's wish, I can't just let you go. I'm
sorry, but I will have to hurt you a bit.
Just to be sure, you don't intend to hand yourself over to the police
graciously?"
The unknown old man asks me such a question.
T-There's no mistake.
This is the first time I've met him, but he must be...
"Ah... no, you've got it wrong...! My name is Emiya Shirou. I'm in the
same class as Shinji, and I'm an acquaintance of Sakura, and I just came
to see how they were doing...!"
"Oh. I see, you're their friend. Then I'm sorry for stopping you. Well, I
can go and get them. Or would you like to have dinner with us?"
"N-No, I was just stopping by, so I'll be going. By the way, is Sakura
home already?"
"Zouken."
The old man says an unfamiliar word.
"Huh?"
"Matou Zouken. It is wrong for me to not name myself when you have
done so."
Matou Zouken says so and walks toward the entrance.
It seems like he doesn't care about me any more.
"......"
Overwhelmed, I see him off without a word.
...And then.
"Sakura is home.
More importantly, Emiya Shirou. Is the daughter of the Einzberns doing
well?"
"...Huh? Ein-what?"
"Do not play dumb. It is natural for the daughter of the Einzberns to go
and see Emiya. I am asking you how well it is this time around."
"...???"
Um, I don't understand at all.
...I'm sorry Sakura, but your old man is pretty hard to deal with.
"......Hm, it seems you really don't know."
Zouken sighs.
He looks so shocked that I feel kind of sorry for him.
"...Well, I don't really understand, but I'm sorry."
"No, no, it's nothing you should feel bad about. It was a mistake on my
part. I'm sorry to bore you with such things.
Here, if you want to see my grandchildren, do not hesitate. The old man
will go away, so please do not reserve yourself."
"Um, no, I really just stopped by today. ...But, um... do you live here?"
"I do. But as you can see, I am old. So I just lie in the rear tatami room
all the time."
"......"
...I see.
I came to their house until about a year ago, but it seemed then that no
one other than Sakura and Shinji lived there.
"Then excuse me, Emiya Shirou. Please stay friends with my
grandchildren."
Despite his appearance, he leaves with light footsteps.
There is no change in the house.
But the sound of the bugs has suddenly stopped.
...The day ends.
Finishing a rowdy dinner and seeing Fuji-Nee off, I take a bath.
After that, I practice my daily routine in the shed.
I complete it as usual and go to sleep.
It is one in the morning.
The day ends peacefully with no troubles.
Day 03 (long day, long night):
I'm in a fire.
Collapsing buildings and burning people.
No matter how far I run, the scenery is always red.
This is a vision of ten years ago.
A memory of the distant past I haven't remembered in a while.
I run through it, as if recreating the scene.
There's no escape even though I know it's a dream.
I run, run, keep running.
In the end, where I end up is how I'm saved after running out of energy.
"―――――"
I wake up with a bad feeling.
A feeling like a metal weight is inside my chest.
I feel my forehead and find that I'm sweating a lot even though it's
winter.
"...Oh, it's already this late?"
It's already past six o'clock.
From the kitchen, I can hear the sound of the kitchen knife cutting
something.
"Sakura is early as usual."
There's no time to be impressed.
I have to get ready quickly and go help fix breakfast.
"Shirou, what are you gonna do today? Will you be working this
afternoon cause it's Saturday?"
"No, I don't have work today. I think I'll be doing something with Issei.
Why?"
"Oh, nothing. I just hoped you might come and visit me at the dojo
today. I'm in a pinch this month."
"Hm? In a pinch? What is?"
"My wallet. I'd be really happy if someone made me lunch."
"I refuse. It's your own fault, so you should skip a meal once in a
while."
"Heh, I'm not expecting anything from Shirou. The only one I'm
depending on is Sakura-chan.
Right, Sakura-chan?"
"Yes. If you don't mind having the same lunch as me, I can prepare
one."
"Yep, fine, fine. Let's eat lunch together today then."
Breakfast continues as usual. Today, along with the usual, there's
simmered lotus root with chicken.
I don't think she has to make anything this elaborate for breakfast, but I
think she made a lot of it to take for lunch too.
Sakura is a member of the archery club, and Fuji-Nee is in charge of the
archery club.
It's natural for them to share lunches.
"Oh yeah, Shirou, you were late this morning. Did something happen?"
Fuji-Nee looks at me, sipping her miso soup.
...Geez. She's usually slow, but she gets sharp only at times like this.
"I had a dream about my past. I just woke up grouchy, that's all."
"I see, nothing unusual. I'm relieved."
Fuji-Nee ends the conversation like she's not interested.
I'm not worried at all about it either, so I shouldn't get mad about it.
Ten years ago.
I used to have nightmares back when I couldn't get the fire out of my
mind.
But I saw less of it as time passed, and I'm well over it now that I can let
it slide even after dreaming about it.
...But I guess it was pretty bad back then. Since Fuji-Nee has been here
since that time, she's sensitive to my change.
"Shirou, are you not hungry? You don't happen to have no appetite this
morning, right?"
"I am hungry. I'm fine, so don't try to take my food using my dream as
an excuse."
"Man, I'm glad you've gotten so strong, but personally, I wish you were
more delicate."
"That's my line. I wish you'd be more sweet."
We make fun of each other without looking at each other.
That proves my liveliness, and Fuji-Nee laughs with relief.
"...Heh."
To be honest, I'm glad she's worrying.
But she'll be elated if I thank her, so I act like I'm discontented.
"Hm?"
Not knowing the circumstances, Sakura looks puzzled at the way we're
acting.
After Fuji-Nee leaves, we lock the house and leave.
"......"
"Sakura? You don't look well. Are you feeling sick again?"
"Huh...? No, I'm fine. How about you, Senpai? You looked awful this
morning and, um, your bruise from yesterday might be worse."
Yesterday's bruise...?
Oh, that welt on my left hand.
"No, it didn't get any worse. It's just a welt, so it should heal in no
time."
"......"
She must be worried about something as she continues to stare at me.
"Uh.... it's fine. It's nothing, seriously."
"......"
"What? You've been acting awfully strange since yesterday. This is just a
welt, right? Or what, did you step on my hand while I was asleep and
you feel guilty about it?"
"S-Senpai, I'm not that heavy! I just..."
"Just what?"
"...Um, I just hope I'm wrong."
"...Huh?"
I don't understand her.
Sakura doesn't talk much, but she tends to say important things clearly.
She doesn't usually talk like this.
"...Senpai. I have a favor to ask of you if it's all right."
"Huh? Yeah, if it's something I can do."
"...Yes. I won't be able to come and help you until tomorrow night. Can
you try to stay in your house during that time?"
"...? Are you telling me to skip work on Sunday?"
"Yes. I want you to stay in your house as much as possible. Um, I'll
come and help once I'm done with my errand."
"I see... well, I guess I can take a rest for a day.
All right then. I'll relax during the weekend. Is that okay, Sakura?"
"Yes, that will help me out a lot."
I guess it's fine to relax once in a while.
I have some extra living expenses from working a lot recently, so I'll
clean up all the junk this weekend.
I leave Sakura, who has club activities, and head to the school building.
The schoolyard is full of spirited students running around.
"......"
But still, there's something oddly wrong here.
The school is like it always is.
The students at morning practice are lively, and the new school building
is spotless.
"...Maybe it's just my imagination."
But when I close my eyes, the air completely changes.
The school building is covered with stains like membranes, and the
students running around the schoolyard seem like empty dolls.
"...Maybe I'm just tired."
I shake my head to clear it.
I head to the lifeless building.
School ends early on Saturdays.
Classes end before noon, and after I finish helping Issei afterwards, the
sun is starting to set.
"Well, let's head home."
I pack up and leave my classroom.
And then.
"Oh, you're still here, Emiya?"
I bump into Shinji.
There are a couple of girls behind him, being rowdy.
"You were still here even though you had nothing to do? Oh yeah, you
were sticking up for the student council again, right? I envy you. You
can get good reports from the school without doing any club activities."
"I'm not helping the student council. It's only natural for a student to fix
the school equipment, right? After all, we're the ones using them."
"Heh, keep talking like that. For you, everything is natural. Didn't I tell
you that I hate how you act like a good kid?"
"Hm? ...Sorry, I don't remember that. I thought that was just the sort of
thing you say, so I didn't really notice it."
"...!!
Heh, fine. Then you're going to fix everything at this school?"
"Fixing everything would be impossible. The most I can do is take care
of things."
"All right, then do me a favor. Our archery club is in kind of a mess right
now.[l]
It's a bit disordered, and some of the bows need strings attached.
If you have time, can you do that too? You used to be a member. Don't
just stick to the student council, and you should be useful to us
sometimes as well."
"What? Senpai, didn't Fujimura-Sensei tell you to do that?"
"That's right. You'll be scolded tomorrow if you don't do it properly."
"But the shop will close if I start cleaning now. It's fine if he does it,
right?"
"I don't know. Besides, an outsider wouldn't know how."
"Are you sure? Shinji said he used to be in the archery club, so we can
let him do it."
They're getting rowdy behind Shinji.
It seems they're in the archery club, but they must be members that
Shinji recruited recently as I don't know them.
"I'll leave it to you, then. The key's in the usual place, so go ahead. You
don't mind, right Emiya?"
"No. I have some free time, so this isn't a bad thing to do once in a
while."
"Haha, thanks! Let's go, everyone. He says he'll do the boring chores for
us!"
"Oh, wait Senpai! Oh yes, please take care of the cleaning, Senpai."
The cleaning ends quite easily as I know the place well.
It took a while as it is quite big, but it was fun cleaning the place I used
until a year and a half ago.
I picked up a bow thinking it might be okay to shoot just once, but since
it wasn't mine, I decided not to.
If I ever want to, I can just bring my own bow and come here.
"...But there are so many more carbon bows now. There was only one
when I was in my first year."
Carbon-based bows are good, unlike wood and plastic bows.
But the biggest problem is the price, and they're not something we could
buy with the club budget.
Back then, Shinji was the only one using it... are the new members rich
too?
"...What a waste. You can modify a wooden bow a lot more."
Well, I guess that's personal taste right there.
When I look at the clock, it's way past curfew.
It's a little after seven o'clock. The gates should be closed by now, so
there's no reason to rush now.
...But still.
Was this dojo always this dirty? There are loads of places that look
unkept.
"...Well, another hour or two won't matter now that I've done this
much."
I've started this, so I'll finish the job.
The wind is blowing.
It's so cold that my cheeks are getting numb.
...Fuyuki City isn't usually cold during the winter, but it is cold tonight
of all nights.
"――――――――"
My breath hangs around as a white cloud.
I wrap up my body to hold off the cold.
"No wonder it's dark... the moon's behind the clouds."
There's no light in the sky when I look up.
Because of the strong winds, the clouds are moving fast.
It's past curfew and there's no sign of life in the empty school.
It seems this place is filled only with chill, as it's all silent.
"...?"
Just now...
I think I hear something.
"―――I do hear something. Is it coming from the school grounds...?"
This night.
I must have been curious about the sound that broke the silence.
To investigate it, I find myself heading there even though I somehow
know that I mustn't.
I go to the schoolyard.
"...People?"
Well, they only look like that from a distance.
It's a dark night with no light.
If I want to know more, I'll have to go closer to the schoolyard.
I can hear the sounds louder now. It's the sound of metal hitting metal.
That must mean someone is fighting with weapons there.
"...That's stupid. What the hell am I thinking...?"
I dismiss the image from my mind with a bitter smile and walk on.
―――At that time.
Maybe my instincts noticed the danger, as I hid myself as I approached.
I don't know if this is fortunate or not.
But anyways, when I get by a tree that is big enough to hide myself, I
take a closer look at the source of the sound――――
My mind stops completely.
"――――What the..."
There's something strange there.
A man in red and a man in blue.
They are dangerously armed, and as their ominous appearance suggests,
they are actually slashing at each other.
I can't understand.
I can't follow them with my eyes.
My brain does not work properly, faced with their impossible
movements.
But the clang of their weapons tells me they are trying to kill each other.
"――――――――"
I just knew immediately when I saw them...
They are not human. They are probably just things that look like
humans.
I can tell not because I'm learning magic.
Anyone would realize they're not human.
After all, humans can't move like that.
So they are something no one should associate with.
"――――――――"
I can feel their murderous intent even from a distance.
...I'm going to die.
My body understands faster than my brain that I will definitely die if I
stay here.
That's why my heart is racing so fast.
As a living thing like them, I sense that they're living things made only
to kill.
"――――――――"
...They're using weapons made only to kill.
I remember the murder yesterday.
They said the family was killed with some weapon like a sword.
"...!"
I shouldn't watch any longer.
But my body won't follow my commands and I can't even breathe.
My mind wants to run away, but my judgment tells me I'll be seen the
moment I run away.
...More than the conflict within me, my body is just numb.
Even though I'm a good forty meters away, I can't breathe properly, and
it's like I have a spear pointed right at my back.
"――――――――"
The sounds stop.
The figures separate and stand facing each other.
The moment I feel relief at the end of their battle, I sense an even
stronger intention to kill.
"......!!"
My heart stops.
The numbness in my body becomes convulsions, and I clench my teeth
to try to hold my trembling body.
"What the hell is he!?"
An overwhelming amount of magical energy is flowing into the guy in
blue.
Kiritsugu showed me once what it's like to draw in magical energy from
the surroundings.
It was a beautiful magic that impressed even an amateur like me.
But that thing is different.
Just as even the simple task of drinking water could seem ugly if it goes
too far, what he is doing is so excessive that anyone with knowledge of
magical energy would hate it.
"――――――――"
He's going to die.
The guy in red is going to die.
It's a blow with that much concentrated magical energy. There's no way
he'll be able to survive it.
He'll die.
He's not human, so something merely like a human will die.
That is...
That's...
That's... something I can just ignore?
That doubt takes my mind off of them.
The binds on my body disappear, and the instant I take a deep breath...
"Who's there!?"
The guy in blue stares at me, who's hiding.
"...!!"
The blue guy's body sinks.
Just that motion tells me that I'm his target now.
"Ahhh...!"
My legs start running automatically.
I finally realize that it is an action to escape death, and I put all the
energy in my body into running away.
I don't know how fast I run, but before I know it, I'm in the school
building.
"How stupid of me."
I regret my actions, panting heavily.
I should have run into town to get away.
What am I doing, fleeing to such a deserted place?
And a school, of all things. Isn't there some better place to hide than
here?
Anyways, why do I think I'll be killed if I don't escape?
"Haa――――Haa, haa..."
My heart aches from running so much.
Turning around, I can sense nothing pursuing me.
The only sound in the air is the sound of my footsteps.
"Ah... haa, haa."
So, I can finally rest.
I stop my feet, unable to take another step, send oxygen to my pumping
heart, and look up to finally realize that I am safe.
"...Man... what was that...?"
I recall the scene from earlier while catching my breath.
Anyway, I'm sure that it wasn't something I should have seen.
Some things like humans were fighting in the school grounds.
That's all I can remember.
But there was something else I saw, out of the corner of my eye.
"...Wasn't there someone else too...?"
But I can't remember what that figure looked like.
To be honest, I didn't have the composure to notice anything other than
those two fighting.
"Well, anyways..."
"The chase is over, right?"
The voice comes from right in front of me.
"Yo. You ran pretty far."
He speaks in a friendly tone.
"......"
I can't breathe.
My brain stops, and even though I cannot think...
...I vaguely understand that I am going to die.
"You know better than anyone that you can't escape, right? People who
get killed are usually like that. It's nothing to be embarrassed about. You
don't have to feel ashamed."
The lance is casually raised.
"You were just unlucky, kid. Well, you saw us, so die."
And the man's lance mercilessly pierces Emiya Shirou's heart.
There wasn't even time to dodge it.
All the training I did was for nothing.
I knew I was going to be killed.
I knew I was going to be pierced by that lance, yet I could not move at
all.
"Aa... ah."
The world distorts.
My body grows cold.
Feeling vanishes from my fingertips.
"Gah..."
I cough up blood, once.
More blood should have come up, but it only happens once.
Perhaps the man's lance is special.
The blood slowly clots and the heart that should have exploded stops
working with just a single pierce.
"――――――――"
I can't see well.
There's no feeling in me.
I feel like a jellyfish floating in the dark sea at night.
I don't feel any pain already.
The world is white, and only I am black.
So, rather than feeling like I'm dead, it's more like the world around me
has disappeared.
I know this.
I felt this ten years ago.
This is how someone feels when dying.
"Dead men tell no tales. It's only natural for the weak to die, but..."
I cannot concentrate on my vision.
"Man, you really make me do unpleasant jobs. It's a joke that a hero is
acting like this."
I can only hear voices.
"I know, I have no complaints. I saw the girl's Servant, so I'll go back."
A voice filled with irritation.
And after that, I hear footsteps running through the hallway.
"Archer, huh? I want to finish the match with him, but I have to follow
my Master's plan. ...Geez, I don't like him."
The voice suddenly disappears.
I guess he jumped out of a window or something.
And after that...
Footsteps approach me and stop.
In that brief period.
...More footsteps.
I can't... hear... much... now...
"...Follow him, Archer. Lancer will probably go back to his Master. This
won't be worth it unless we at least find out what his Master looks like."
...Whose voice was that?
I concentrate my fading mind, but I can't remember anything.
Right now, my breathing is too noisy.
My lungs must still be alive.
The air coming out of my mouth is as loud as a hurricane.
"...But it's amazing he isn't dead yet."
I sense someone looking at my face.
Perhaps my breathing was loud as the figure tries to close my mouth
and...
"...Stop it. Why does it have to be you?"
I hear the person grit their teeth, then they touch me without hesitation.
"...Reforge the damaged organ and use it as a substitute, and restore the
heart in the process, huh? If I succeed, I'll be accepted to the Clock
Tower instantly...."
A pain-filled voice.
With that, my mind stops fading.
"――――――――"
Feeling returns to my body.
Slowly, bit by bit, like a drop of water going down a leaf, feeling returns
to my body.
"――――――――"
What is the person doing?
The person is sweating and places their hand on my chest with all their
heart.
"――――――――"
When I notice, the place where the person placed their hand is terribly
hot.
It must be so hot that the frozen blood melted and started to flow again.
"Phew."
I sense someone take a deep breath and sit down.
"I'm tired..."
I hear a clang of something falling.
"...Well, I guess it can't be helped. Forgive me, Father. Your daughter is
terribly heartless."
And that's it.
The person speaks to mock themself, and leaves.
"――――――――"
My heart resumes its activity.
And then, my mind stops.
...This is not the sleep of death.
This is a restful sleep, to recover the energy to wake up again.
"Ah... guh."
I wake up.
I feel sick. My whole body is in pain, and I have a sharp headache each
time my heart throbs.
"What... happened?"
I can't remember because of the sharp headache.
My body is cold, probably from lying on the floor for a long time.
The only certain thing is my ripped uniform, and my own blood on the
floor.
"...!"
I get up with a hazy head.
The spot where I was lying looks like a murder scene.
"...Damn, I really..."
...Had my chest pierced?
"...Hah... guh..."
Bearing the pain, I enter the closest classroom.
Moving to the locker with unsteady steps, I take out a mop and a
bucket.
"...Huh... what am I doing...?"
I'm still in a panic.
Why do I still think I have to clean up, when I've just met something
totally outrageous and been killed instantly? Am I an idiot?
"...Haa... haa... damn, it won't come off..."
...I wipe the floor with the mop.
With unsteady hands, I manage to get the blood wiped off, and pick up
any trash lying around and put it into my pocket.
...Maybe I'm destroying the evidence.
I'm still in a daze, so perhaps that's why I'm doing something so absurd.
"...Ah... haa... haa... haa..."
I put back the mop and bucket, and leave the school like a zombie.
...I get hotter as I walk.
The air is so cold, but it feels like my body is burning.
...When I get home, the day has already changed.
There's no one home.
Neither Fuji-Nee nor Sakura is around now.
"...Ah... haa, haa, haa."
I collapse to the floor.
I lie on the ground and finally calm down.
"......"
I take a deep breath.
When I inhale, my heart cries in pain as if cracking apart.
...No, that's wrong.
It wasn't just cracked.
It had a hole in it, but it healed, and the wound tries to open up again
when I inhale.
"...So it's true that I was almost killed."
No, that's wrong too.
I wasn't almost killed... I was actually killed.
But I'm still alive in spite of that, because someone saved me.
"...I wonder who it was. I should at least thank them."
Since the person was there, that person might have something to do with
them.
But that makes no difference to the fact that the person saved me. I have
to thank them one of these days.
"Ah... guh...!"
The moment I let my guard down, the pain returns.
At the same time, I feel like vomiting.
"Ah... hah, guh...!"
I sit up and resist the sickness.
"...Huh..."
I place my hand on my bare chest where the uniform is ripped.
Even though I was saved, I did have a hole in my chest.
That feeling.
Such an unpleasant feeling, a spearhead entering my body, isn't
something I can forget easily.
"...Damn, I'll have nightmares about this for a while."
If I close my eyes, it feels like the lance is still in me.
I shake off that illusion and try to calm down.
"...All right, I'm starting to calm down."
The result of all that training every night.
Just taking a few deep breaths clears my mind, and the heat and nausea
vanish from my body.
"So, about those guys..."
A man in blue and a man in red.
They looked human, but I don't think they were.
Were they like ghosts or something?
But I've never heard of ghosts with form, able to associate directly with
people.
And they were talking too. If they have their own will, it's hard for me to
think of them as ghosts.
...I've heard that the only ghosts with a body are spirits, but aren't they
shaped differently from humans...?
"...No, that's not the problem."
There's another fundamental problem.
...Those two who were killing each other.
...The murderous burglar that has appeared in the neighborhood.
...The ongoing ominous events in Fuyuki City.
"......"
All I can tell with such thoughts is that it's way out of my league.
"...If Father was still alive..."
Perhaps because the wound on my chest is so vivid, I complain about
things I shouldn't.
"...Idiot. I've already decided to do whatever I can, even when I don't
understand."
Complaining comes later.
First, I have to decide whether or not it's my concern.
"...!?"
The bell hung from the ceiling rings.
This is a magus's house, even if only a poor one.
There is a boundary field that alerts me when a stranger enters the
property.
"A burglar, at a time like this...?"
As I speak, I realize my foolishness.
That can't be it.
With this timing, right after that strange incident, that can't be it.
There's an intruder.
Not a burglar, but an assassin who's here for my life.
Because I remember that guy saying...
'You saw us, so die.'
"......"
The house is filled with silence.
In the silent darkness, the murderous intent I felt at school is slowly
drawing closer.
"...!!"
My throat gulps.
I feel a sharp chill running down my spine.
I will be instantly pierced if I move from this room.
"...!!"
I frantically contain the scream about to escape my mouth.
The instant I release it, the assassin will happily jump in and take the
opportunity to kill me.
...If that happens, it will be just like before.
Unprepared, I will be pierced by that lance again.
"...Ah... haa, ah..."
The moment I think about it, my breathing goes wild.
Damn it.
I'm ashamed that I'm about to give up my saved life so easily and that
I'm afraid.
"Guh."
Gritting my teeth and holding my chest, I try to restrain myself.
I should get used to it.
This is the second time.
This is the second time I'm about to be killed.
That alone is enough to make me want it to end differently from last
time. Besides, I'm a magus.
What have I been learning for the past eight years, if I can't even protect
my own life?
"...All right, let's do it."
Enough thinking.
Right now, I just have to counter the intruder.
"...First of all, I need a weapon."
Even though I'm a magus, all I can do is "strengthen" something that
could be a weapon.
To fight, I need a weapon.
The shed has lots of things that could become weapons, but it's too far
away.
If I'm attacked when I leave the living room, it will just be a repeat of
what happened earlier.
...It'll be difficult, but I have to find a weapon here.
Something long and thin would be best. My opponent's weapon is a
lance, so something like a knife won't do.
It would be great if there were a wooden sword or something, but of
course, there's nothing.
If anything here could be weapon, it's...
"Man... only the poster Fuji-Nee left here..."
I'm disappointed.
But despite that, I'm determined even in this hopeless situation.
Things are already as bad as they can be, so they can't get any worse.
So all I have to do is run forward until I run out of energy.
"――――Trace, on."
With the words that suggest my reconstruction, I channel magical energy
into the 60cm long poster.
I have to turn it into something that can repel that lance, so I need to
channel magical energy into every corner and solidify it.
"Basic quality, analyze."
I extend my consciousness.
As if soaking my blood into the poster through my skin, I permeate
magical energy into it.
"Basic quality, reinforce."
A sense that I've hit the bottom.
Right before the magical energy overflows from it...
"Trace, off."
I cut off all connection with the poster and shudder at the feeling of
success.
The poster is now as hard as metal.
But it is as light as it was before, so I couldn't ask for a better sword.
"I... did it."
How many years has it been since I last succeeded the strengthening
magic?
It's kind of ironic. The magic I've never been able to achieve since
Kiritsugu died is finally working in this kind of a situation.
"Anyways, now..."
I might be able to do something.
I have some knowledge of how to use a sword.
I hold the poster with both hands and stand up.
I'll die anyway if I stay here, and I don't think I would be able to flee
even if I escaped this house.
So all I can do is to run straight to the shed and make a stronger
weapon.
"Phew."
Come if you're going to come, it won't be like before. And the instant I
think that...
"...!"
My whole spine shivers.
When did he arrive?
Appearing from the ceiling, the guy drops straight at me.
"Wha... huh?"
Silver light descends upon me.
The guy that seems to have come straight through the ceiling descends
to pierce my head.
"You...!!"
I frantically escape by rolling forward.
He lands softly while I keep rolling.
But I stop rolling and stand with my freshly-made sword in hand.
"......"
He turns to face me, looking bored.
"...You're causing unnecessary troubles. I was being considerate by
killing you before you noticed me."
He raises his lance again, seemingly uninterested.
"......"
I don't know why, but he lacks the spirit he had at the schoolground.
In that case, I might be able to outwit him...!
"...Geez. I never thought I'd kill the same person twice in one day. I
guess it just means the human world is always filled with bloodshed."
The man is complaining as if he thinks nothing of me.
"―――"
I slowly move backwards.
It's about three more meters to the window.
Once out the window, it's about twenty meters to the shed.
Then, I can run off this instant...
"See ya. Don't come back this time, kid."
He says blankly, as if sighing it out.
"Ahhh!?"
Pain assails my right arm.
"...?"
It happened in an instant.
The man's lance is thrust, without time for me to react.
...I would have faced my second death with that blow.
But what prevented it was my newly-made sword.
He must have thought it was just paper.
The lance, thrust as if the poster wasn't there, was deflected by it and
only skimmed my right arm.
"...Wow. That's a strange technique you've got there."
The man's expression goes away.
His carelessness disappears, and he's now staring at me with beast-like
eyes.
"Agh."
I screwed up. I was just being stupidly optimistic when I thought I could
do something.
The thing before me is a monster beyond belief.
Painfully, I realize my foolishness for letting my guard down even
slightly against him.
...That's right.
If I'd been really desperate, I should have ran frantically to the window
as soon as I miraculously avoided his first attack...!
"I thought you were just a kid, but I see... I do feel some magical energy
from you, even though it's weak. That must be why you're alive even
after I stabbed you through the heart."
He points his lance at me.
"......"
I won't be able to block it.
I can't possibly block that lightning-fast blow.
If his weapon were a sword, I might have been able to at least prepare
for it.
But that's a lance.
A sword follows a line, but a lance has a point.
How am I supposed to block a blow from a point that I can't even see
coming?
"Good, it looks like I might be able to have a little fun."
The man's body descends.
In that instant...
His lance is swung, sideways.
I block the lance coming at my face with just my instincts.
"Guh...!?"
"Good boy. Here comes the next one...!"
There's a huge whirlwind.
I don't know how he's moving the lance in this small room, but it makes
a beautiful arc and...
"...!!!"
...Comes to attack my body from the other side...!
"Gah...!!?"
My constructed sword, moved to stop it, bends.
Is he using a hammer!?
Damn, this numbness feels like I've broken the bones in my arm!
"Damn, you...!"
"Huh?"
I swing the sword instinctively.
He must take me lightly as he hasn't pulled back his lance, so I flick
away the shaft with my sword!
"Guh...!"
The arms that hit it go numb.
The sword bends even more, and the man's lance only moves slightly.
"...You're useless. I gave you a chance, but you didn't do anything
worthwhile. Well, I guess it's asking too much to expect a good armed
fight from a magus..."
The man was just playing with me.
He let me hit him once, since I blocked him twice.
...But I used up my one and only chance for just a makeshift attack.
That's why he sees no point in fighting me anymore.
"―――You've let me down. I'll just kill you now, kid."
He readies his lance again.
"Say..."
During that small unnecessary movement...
"...What you want, you idiot!"
Without looking behind me, I jump out the window...!
"Haa, haa, ha..."
I break the window with my back and roll outside.
I roll a few times, get up, and....
"Haa!"
Without a thought, I turn and swing behind me.
"Hmh...!"
The man hesitates a moment, as I deflected his lance thrust.
As I expected.
If I jumped out the window, he would definitely come after me.
And he would kill me even before I could get up.
That's why I expected the fatal blow and swung at it.
It was a bold plan. I would have died if it was a second too late or a
second too early. But considering the difference in our skill, I could
never have been too early.
So all I had to do was get up as fast as possible and swing at what was
coming behind me.
The result was perfect. I won my bet and deflected the man's lance...!
"Ha, ah...!"
I quickly regain my balance.
Now, I have to make it to the shed before he recovers!
"...Fly."
"Huh...?"
The man who supposedly had his lance knocked away comes up to me
empty-handed and...
...Spins and executes a roundhouse kick.
"......"
The scenery flies past me.
My battered chest is numb and I cannot breathe.
No, what's more surprising is, I'm flying.
I never in my dreams thought that I would be sent flying by a mere
roundhouse ki――――
"Guh...!"
I fall to the ground from my back.
I hit a wall and come crashing down.
"Guha, ah...!"
I can't breathe.
My vision is blurred.
I manage to stand, supporting myself against the wall of my destination,
the shed.
"Haa, haa."
I track the man with my blurry vision.
...I must have been kicked twenty meters.
The man approaches, lance in hand.
"Guh...!"
I'll be killed.
I'll definitely be killed.
The man will be here in a second.
If I don't want to die now, I have to get up and face... him...
"......"
The lance comes out at me.
I can't even turn around fully, and my collapsing body faces the man's
lance.
"Damn, if you're a man, keep yourself together...!"
How fortunate.
I got lucky as I couldn't hold myself up and my knees collapsed.
The lance goes over my head and hits the door of the shed, opening it.
"Oh..."
So, this is my last chance.
If I go in the shed, there should be something that I could use as a
weapon...
"Guh...!"
I enter the shed on all fours.
There...
"Here, this is it!"
A fatal, inescapable blow is thrust.
"Youuuuuuuu!"
And I block it.
I unroll the poster and make it into a one-time shield.
"Hmm...!?"
A huge impact.
The opened-up poster did block the lance, but it was not strong enough.
It's pierced through and transforms back into its original paper.
"Ah, Guh...!"
Hit by the impact of the thrust lance, I'm flung to the wall.
"Agh..."
I fall on my butt and recover myself.
When I raise my head to try to find a weapon...
"Checkmate. That was a pretty surprising move, kid."
The man is pointing the lance at me.
"――――――"
This is it.
The man's lance is pointed directly at my heart.
I know this...
This is the smell of death I felt just a few hours ago.
"...But I don't understand. You're quick-witted, but you suck at magic. It
seems like you have talent, but I guess you're just too young."
...I can't hear him.
My mind is focused only on the weapon in front of me.
It's only natural.
Because I'll die when that thing is thrust.
So everything else is gone from my mind. What else can I think about
now that things have ended up like this?
"It's unlikely, but maybe you were the seventh one.
Well, this is it for you even if that's the case."
The man's arm moves.
The movement I couldn't even see before looks like it's in slow-motion
now.
The running silver light.
The spearhead moves straight for my heart.
It will spill blood in the next second.
I know this feeling.
The feeling of metal running into in me...
The taste of blood coming up my throat...
The sense of the world around me disappearing...
I felt all of it earlier.
...And I have to experience it again? Really?
I don't understand. Why do I have to go through this?
...This is bullshit.
I can't accept this. I can't just die here meaninglessly.
I was saved. I was saved, so I can't die so easily.
I have to live and fulfill my obligations. If I die, I can't do that.
But the lance will pierce me.
The spearhead will cut into my flesh and pierce my heart.
"――――"
It pisses me off.
It's ridiculous to kill someone that easily.
It's ridiculous for me to die so easily.
Dying twice in one day, that's ridiculous as well.
Damn, everything is so screwed up that I can't contain it all and...
"Damn it, I..."
Won't be killed meaninglessly...
by someone like you―――!!!!!!!
"Huh?"
Truly, it...
"What...!?"
...It appeared like magic.
In a blinding light, it appears from behind me.
My mind stops.
All I know is that the figure who appeared is a girl.
moment it appears, it repels the lance thrust at my heart and steps up to
the enemy without hesitation.
"...Can it be!? The seventh Servant..!?"
The man readies his deflected lance, and the girl swings something she
is holding.
Sparks fly twice.
A strong swing.
The man hesitates, receiving a heavy blow from the girl.
"Kuh!"
He must have realized he is at a disadvantage, as he jumps out of the
shed with bestial speed.
While keeping her guard up against the man, she quietly turns to me.
The wind is strong today.
The clouds drift and the moon appears for a brief moment.
The silver light that shines into the shed lights up the girl in knightly
form.
"......"
I'm speechless.
Not because I'm confused by the sudden turn of events.
I'm at a loss for words because of this girl's overwhelming beauty.
"――――――――"
The girl stares at me emotionlessly with her jewel-like eyes.
"―――I ask of you. Are you my Master?"
She says in a valiant voice.
"Huh... Ma... ster...?"
I only repeat back her words.
I don't know who she is or what she's talking about.
All I know is that this small girl is the same kind of being as the man
outside.
"......"
The girl says nothing and just stares at me silently.
―――How can I put this?
The figure in front of me is so special that I forget the situation, that the
man outside could come and attack at any second.
It feels like time has stopped just around me.
The fear of death has disappeared and only the girl fills my vision.
"I, Servant Saber, have come forth in response to your summons.
Please give me an order, Master."
She speaks again.
The instant I hear the words Master and Servant...
"...!!"
A pain shoots through my left hand.
It's like a hot iron has been placed on my hand.
I grab my left hand instinctively.
That must have been the signal, as the girl quietly nods her lovely face.
"From this time forth, my sword shall be with you and your fate shall be
with me.
―――Now, our contract is complete."
"Contract? What are you talking about...!?"
Even I have some knowledge of magic. I understand what that word
means.
But the girl doesn't answer me and looks away with the same grace she
had when she nodded.
――――She looks at the door of the shed.
There stands the man, his lance ready in his hand.
"―――"
She moves faster than I can think.
The knightly girl leaps out of the shed without hesitation.
"...!"
I get up and follow the girl, even forgetting the pain in my body.
There's no way that girl will be a match for him.
Even armored like that, she is a girl smaller than me.
"Sto―――!"
My words are silenced by the sound.
"Wha...?"
I can't believe my eyes.
This time, my head really goes blank.
"What is she?"
The sound of weapons.
The moon is hidden behind the clouds and the yard has returned to its
original darkness.
In it, sparks are born from steel hitting steel.
The lance-wielding man wordlessly attacks the girl who jumped out of
the shed.
But the girl parries the blow of the lance and knocks away all following
attacks, driving the man back with every blow.
"......"
I... can't believe it.
The girl called Saber is overpowering that man.
―――The battle has begun.
What happened between me and him earlier wasn't a battle.
A battle is a fight between two people who can kill each other.
Whatever the difference in skills, if each has a way to kill the other, then
you can call it a battle.
Their fight is a battle in that sense too.
The man's lance that I couldn't even see is thrown with even more
power.
But...
The girl parries it with the "thing" in her hands and closes in on the
man.
"Damn...!"
The man retreats a bit.
He holds his lance vertically to protect his ribs as the girl goes for them.
"Guh...!"
For a moment, the man's lance glows.
It was a blow like an explosion, and I guess it really was one.
The instant the man blocks the "thing" the girl's holding, the lance in his
hand glows as if electrified.
The man, and even I, can tell what that is.
That is a force of magical energy so strong that it's visible.
In each of the girl's blows is a terrible amount of magical energy.
That outrageous amount of magical energy is penetrating the opponent's
weapon just by touching it.
Such a thing... it must take such force just to block it.
If you think of the man's lance as an accurate sniper rifle, the blows of
the girl are like those of a powerful shotgun.
Every time the girl swings, the yard is filled with light.
But...
That isn't what's overpowering the man.
"Coward, what are you doing, hiding your weapon...!"
The man complains while avoiding the girl's fierce attacks.
"......"
The girl doesn't answer, but only attacks even more with the "thing" in
her hands...!
"You...!"
The man retreats with not even a chance for a counterattack.
That's only natural.
Because the girl's weapon is invisible.
As he cannot sense her range, it would be careless to attack recklessly.
Yes, it is invisible.
The girl definitely has "something" in her hand.
But as you can't see what shape it is nor how long it is, you can't tell
anything about it.
Perhaps it's totally invisible, as it does not show up even when sparks fly
off from it.
"Damn."
The man must be having a hard time defending against it, as his moves
aren't as sharp.
"――――"
And the girl lets out a voice for the first time.
She swings her "weapon" with more fury.
A storm of swings without pause!
The flying sparks remind me of a blacksmith hitting iron.
―――The lance-wielding man blocks them, clucking his tongue.
I must say, I admire his skills even though he tried to kill me.
The man is blocking invisible blows, watching only the opponent's legs
and arms!
"Fuh...!"
But that's it.
You only need to beat down someone who's gone defensive.
As if to say so, the girl steps even closer to the man and...
Delivers a blow with all her might, as if smashing him down...!
"Don't underestimate me, fool...!"
He must see this as his opportunity as the man disappears.
No, he jumped back, making it look like he disappeared.
The girl's blow cuts through air and destroys the ground, kicking up
dust.
The blow, swung as a final one, was easily dodged!
"Idiot, what is she doing...!?"
I can tell even from a distance.
I don't know about the careful blows from before, but such a big blow
won't be able to touch that man.
Even that man's body must have been straining under all those attacks.
But he suppressed it for an instant, and jumped away.
As if this blow will determine the victor...!
"Ha...!"
The man who jumped back several meters jumps as soon as he lands.
As if reversing his retreat, he jumps at the girl.
In contrast, the girl still has her sword in the ground.
"...!"
That opening is irrevocable.
The red lance returns in less than a second, and...
The girl twirls her body with the sword still in the ground.
"...!"
So the contest lasts less than a second.
The man sees his mistake and tries to hold back, while the girl uses her
whole body to execute her blow!
"Guh...!!"
"......"
The man blown away and the girl who blew him away both seem
discontent.
It's only natural.
They each launched their blows to kill the other.
Even if they allowed them to escape immediate danger, they were
worthless.
Their distance opens.
The two stare at each other silently.
"―――What is wrong, Lancer?
It would not do your name credit if you just stand there. If you will not
come, I can."
"...Hah, you're going to come and die? I don't mind, but let me ask you
this first.
Your Noble Phantasm, is it a sword?"
The man glares, as if staring right into her heart.
"Who knows?
It might be a battle axe or it might be a spear. It might even be a bow,
Lancer."
"Heh, keep talking, Saber."
Perhaps it's really funny for him.
The man... the one called Lancer lowers his lance.
It looks like he's indicating that he doesn't want to fight anymore.
"...?"
The girl is puzzled by Lancer's action.
But I know that stance.
It was used in that fight a few hours ago in the schoolyard.
It's the fatal move that was supposed to have ended the show.
"...I'll ask just in case since this is our first meeting. Do you want to call
it even?"
"――――――――"
"It's not a bad deal, right? See, that senile Master over there is useless,
and it so happens my Master is a coward.
I think it's in both our interests to hold off on this match until we're
better prepared."
"―――I refuse. You will fall here, Lancer."
"I see. Geez, all I wanted to do was check things out, you know? I didn't
want to stay long once a Servant came out."
It seems like the air around them distorted.
Lancer lowers his stance.
A chill runs through the air at that moment.
It's exactly like back then. The magical energy rumbles in a whirlpool,
centered on that lance.
"Noble Phantasm...!"
The girl readies her apparent sword and glares at the enemy in front of
her.
The girl, facing the enemy, knows better than I how dangerous he is.
"...See ya. I'll take that heart of yours!"
The beast jumps.
Lancer instantly appears in front of the girl, as if he teleported, and...
Thrusts his lance at the girl's feet.
"――――"
It was a bad move, even to my eyes.
With the lance already lowered, it wouldn't be effective to aim low at the
girl.
To prove my point, the girl jumps over the lance and moves forward to
slash Lancer away.
At that moment.
"Gae..."
With words themselves charged with magical energy...
"Bolg...!"
The lance thrust at the girl's feet rushes towards her heart.
"...!?"
Her body rises into the air.
The girl is driven up into the air by the blow of the lance, and she
crashes down... no, lands on the ground.
"Ha, kuh...!"
...She's bleeding.
The girl, who hasn't even received a scratch so far, is bleeding badly
from her chest.
"A curse... no, a reversal of causality...!"
She speaks in pain.
...I'm surprised too.
No, since I saw it from a distance, I can tell better than her that the
attack just now was a strange one.
The lance was definitely aimed at her feet.
But it suddenly changed its course, moving strangely in an impossible
direction, and pierced the girl's heart.
But the lance itself has not grown or bent.
It looked so natural that it makes one think that the lance was already in
her heart... and for that reason, it's strange.
It's not as simple as the lance changing its course and piercing her heart.
The lance did not change its course, but changed the means so that the
result would be so.
...The lance thrust with that name carried the "result" of "piercing her
heart" as a premise.
In other words, the process and the result were reversed.
As long as there was the result of the lance piercing her heart, the course
of the lance was merely something added later to prove that fact.
An evil thorn that breaks through all defenses.
A lance that pierces the heart every time it's used, a weapon that
determines your fate just by its use.
How can anyone block such a ridiculous attack?
However the enemy tries to dodge it, the lance will pierce their heart
without fail.
―――That's why this move is fatal.
A cursed lance that always pierces the opponent with one thrust.
But...
The girl has evaded it by a small margin.
She is wounded, but it was not a fatal blow.
In a sense, her actions were more impossible than the lance.
The instant the lance was thrust, she turned and jumped back with all her
might, as if she knew this was going to happen.
Either she had incredible luck or enough divine protection to nullify the
curse of the lance.
Either way, she avoided a fatal blow and sullied the lance's name.
"Haa, haa"
The girl catches her breath.
The blood that was running so much has stopped, and even her stabbed
wound is healing.
"......"
I guess that's extraordinary.
I knew she wasn't normal, but still, that's too strange.
Like her skills to fight against Lancer, like the incredible magical energy
in each of her blows, and like her body that heals by itself... this girl
clearly surpasses Lancer.
...But that was only up to now.
Even if it's healing, her wound is deep.
If Lancer attacks her now, she'll be defeated without even being able to
defend herself.
But.
With this overwhelming advantage, Lancer doesn't move.
He glares at the girl, grinding his teeth so hard that I can hear it.
"You evaded it, Saber. My fatal Gae Bolg."
A voice that seems to echo from the ground.
"...!? Gae Bolg... you are Ireland's man of light!"
Lancer frowns.
His hostility disappears and he clucks his tongue in annoyance.
"...I screwed up. If I'm going to use this move, it needs to be fatal. Geez,
I guess being too famous is bad too...."
The pressure goes away.
Lancer doesn't even attack the wounded girl and simply turns his back
and moves to the edge of the yard.
"It is the rule of Servants to fight to the death if your identity is
discovered... but unfortunately, my Master is a coward. He's telling me
to go back since you have evaded my lance."
"―――You are running away, Lancer?"
"Yeah. I don't mind if you come after me, Saber.
Just be prepared to die when you do."
With one bound.
Lancer easily jumps over the wall and disappears.
"Wait, Lancer...!"
The wounded girl starts running to pursue the enemy.
"I-Is she stupid......!?"
I run through the yard with all my strength.
I think that the girl will go after him if I don't stop her instantly.
...But there was no need for that.
When the girl tries to jump over the wall, she clenches her chest and
stops.
"Kuh...."
I run to her and stare at her.
No, I tried to approach her to call out to her, but I forget about it the
instant I come near her.
"――――――――"
...To put it simply, everything about her is absurd.
Now that I'm near her, I can tell that the shining armor she wears is
really heavy.
The old-fashioned cloth is smooth, a vivid blue.
...No, that isn't what fascinates me.
The girl, who seems to be a few years younger than me, is beautiful.
The golden hair lit by the moonlight is finely textured, as if sprinkled
with gold dust.
The face, with some sign of naivety, has elegance, and her white skin
looks soft.
"――――――――"
I can't call out to her because I am fascinated by her beauty, and also for
another reason.
"...Why."
Because seeing the girl fighting and getting hurt somehow made me
mad.
No matter how strong she is or how armored she is, I think it's wrong for
a girl to have to fight.
All the while I'm fascinated with her, the girl has her hand on her chest.
But that ends quickly.
The girl lets her chest go and looks up as if the pain has gone away.
She stares directly at me.
I'm not sure how I should talk to her, but I notice something about her.
"...The wound is... gone...?"
Even though it missed her heart, that lance stabbed her in the chest. But
she's unscathed.
...I've heard of healing magics, but I didn't see her using anything like
that.
So that must mean she automatically heals even when she is wounded.
"...!!"
Then my brain switches gear.
This is no time to be fascinated by her. She is a strange being. I can't let
my guard down until I know what she is.
"Who... are you?"
I take half a step back and ask her.
"...? What do you mean? I am the Servant Saber.
...You summoned me, so I do not think you should need to confirm it."
The girl answers in a quiet voice.
"The Servant Saber...?"
"Yes, so please call me Saber."
She replies without hesitation.
Her tone is polite yet gentle, and just hearing it makes my head go
blank...
"...!!"
...Hey, what am I getting excited about...!?
"I-I see. That's a strange name."
I hide my burning face with my hand and reply really stupidly. I don't
know what else to say.
I wouldn't know of any such thing to say. Since I asked her name, isn't it
natural for her to introduce herself? In that case, it would be impolite to
stay silent like this.
"...I'm Shirou. My name is Emiya Shirou, and I live in this house."
What am I doing?
Are my answers getting stupider?
But she told me her name, so I should answer too.
I know I'm confused right now, but I have to be polite no matter who this
is.
"......"
The girl... Saber just stares at me without changing her expression.
"No, wait. I take that back. That's not what I meant to ask you.
Actually..."
"I know. You are not a formal Master, correct?"
"Huh...?"
"But you are still my Master. As long as we have made a contract, I will
not betray you. There is no need for you to be so cautious."
"Uh...?"
Crap.
I can hear her words, but they make no sense to me.
All I know is that she's calling me with a ridiculous word like "Master".
"That's wrong. My name isn't 'Master'."
"Then I shall call you Shirou. Yes, I like the sound of that better."
"...!"
As soon as she says my name, I think my face lit up on fire.
Shouldn't you call someone by their last name on a first meeting...!?
"Wait a minute. Why are you calling me――――
Ow...!"
Pain suddenly runs through my left hand.
"I-It's burning......!"
The back of my hand is burning.
My hand feels like it's in a fire, and on it is a strange mark that looks like
a tattoo.
"What the..."
"That is called a Command Spell, Shirou.
It is the three claims on a Servant's obedience, and the life of a Master.
Please do not use it thoughtlessly."
"W-Who..."
Before I can finish with "are you?", the air around her changes.
"―――Shirou, heal my wounds."
She speaks in a cold voice.
It seems her attention is on something far away, behind the wall, and not
on me.
But is she expecting me to heal her...?
"Wait, you're asking me? I'm sorry, but I don't know any such difficult
magic. Besides, it's already healed."
Saber frowns a bit.
...I think I said something really wrong there.
"...Then I shall face them as I am now. The regeneration only healed the
outside, but one more fight should not be a problem."
"...? One more what...?"
"There are two enemies outside. Judging by their presence, it should
only take a few seconds to defeat them."
Saying so, Saber jumps lightly.
Just like Lancer, she leaps over the wall and disappears outside.
I'm left alone in the yard.
"...Enemies outside?"
As soon as I say it aloud, I realize what it means.
"Hold on, are you going to fight again...!?"
My body starts to move.
Without thinking, I run to the gate with full force.
"Haa, haa, haa...!"
I run to the gate, unlock it with trembling hands, and jump outside.
"Saber, where are you...!?"
I search through the dark.
The moon is hidden, now of all times, and it is completely dark.
But...
I hear something nearby.
"There...!?"
I run to the small road with no sign of anyone on it.
―――It all happens in an instant.
Saber is confronting a familiar guy in red.
Saber runs at the man in red without takes his guard down with one
blow, and…
...Easily slashes the man in red.
Saber raises her arm to finish him off.
But right before the man in red's neck is slashed, he disappears as a
powerful magic is cast.
Saber doesn't stop.
She dashes to the person behind the man in red and easily cuts off the
large spell the person launches.
"What the..."
I knew she was strong, but this is overwhelming.
That spell right now was at a level of intervention magic that I cannot
even compare with.
Father could use one as strong as that, but to cast a natural intervention
of that power instantly... I don't think even a first-class magus could do
so.
But Saber nullified even that master-class magic.
The enemy must be a magus, as the match is decided right there.
The magus's attacks are no use against Saber, and she mercilessly attacks
the magus.
A sound of someone falling backwards.
The magus has miraculously dodged Saber's blow, but the enemy now
cannot move.
Saber corners the enemy and points her invisible sword.
"......"
My mind freezes.
Probably because the moon lights up the scene for an instant.
I can tell that the figure Saber is pointing at is human.
I can't tell who it is, but the image of Saber killing someone and getting
splattered with blood pops into my head.
"......"
Saber moves...
She will pierce the enemy's throat with the "thing" in her hand.
"STOP, SABER!!!!!!!"
I scream as loud as I can.
Her sword stops.
Thank God I can't see her sword.
The end of her invisible sword isn't wet with the enemy's blood.
"...Don't. Please don't do it, Saber."
I address her, glaring.
Preparing myself to do my best to stop her.
"Why do you stop me, Shirou? She is Archer's Master. We have to kill
her here."
No, Saber has no intention of stopping.
She only stopped because I said so, and she is ready to bring her sword
down at any time...!
"I-I'm telling you to wait! You're calling me Master or something, but I
don't understand anything at all. If you're going to call me that, I think
you should explain things to me first...!"
"......"
Saber doesn't answer.
She only stares at me in silence.
"You're doing this in the wrong order, Saber. I still don't understand who
you are. But I'll listen if you talk, so please don't do this."
"......"
Saber is silent.
Still pointing her sword at the fallen enemy, she looks at me
discontentedly.
"What do you mean by that?
Are you demanding ideals like not hurting anyone unnecessarily?"
"Huh...?"
Not hurting anyone unnecessarily...?
Well, it is true that we should avoid fights as much as possible, but I'm
not so good-natured as to release someone who came to attack me.
"So you are saying... do not take life even if it is that of the enemy,
correct? I will not obey such an order. An enemy is someone you must
defeat. If you still want me to stop, make me obey with your Command
Spell."
"...? I'm talking about you. A girl shouldn't be swinging swords around,
all the more so if you're hurt.
...Oh wait, I don't even know if it's a sword or not, huh? Anyway! You're
a girl, so you can't do that!"
"―――――"
Saber looks dumbfounded, as if taken aback.
How long were we standing like that?
"...So? When will Saber-san lower her sword?"
The figure on the ground suddenly speaks.
"...!"
Saber suddenly returns to concentrating her attention on her sword.
"Give up. I have no sword to lower in front of an enemy."
"Even if your Master says to lower it?
Wow, so even Saber would betray her Master, huh?"
"――――――――"
Saber grits her teeth.
But Saber lowers her sword and relaxes.
Saber's hostility disappears, so she must have put away her sword as
well.
"I see. Then I can stand up, right?"
The one on the ground stands up.
She looks shameless, brushing her rear.
...Hey, wait a second.
That sulky person is definitely-WHAAAAAAT...!?
"You, you're Tohsaka...!?"
"Yes. Good evening, Emiya-kun."
Tohsaka Rin replies with a big smile.
"Uh..?"
That gets me.
If she greets me normally like that, everything that happened up to now
seems like a dream and... No, my head's about to explode, geez, how
easy would things be if it did...!?
"Um, no, well, um... so you were using magic right now, so that
means..."
"I'm a magus. Well, we're the same, so it's not something I need to
hide."
"Guh..."
When she replies clearly like that, it makes me seem stupid for asking.
"Let's talk inside. You don't know anything, right Emiya-kun?"
So saying, she walks toward the entrance.
"Wait, what are you thinking...!?"
And then...
She turns, and the smile on her face isn't like the previous one.
"Are you stupid? I am thinking about a lot of things. That's why I want
to talk to you.
Emiya-kun, it's good to be surprised by sudden turns of events, but it
could sometimes cost you your life if you don't just accept it.
Incidentally, do you understand that now is one of those times?"
She glares at me.
"...!!"
"It's fine if you understand. So let's go to your place."
Tohsaka goes through the gate.
"...She's really pissed..."
It's only natural.
She had a sword pointed at her until now, and she was almost killed.
"No, but still..."
Is it just my imagination or is she totally unlike how she seems at
school?
So, I'm in a strange situation.
In front of me is the school's number one idol whom I admire, Tohsaka
Rin.
And following silently behind me is Saber, who calls herself a Servant.
"......"
Oh.
The hallway suddenly feels like a different dimension.
But I can't be a coward forever.
I'm a magus, even if I am just an amateur.
Tohsaka Rin, a magus just like me, is acting so fearlessly, so I have to
act firmly too.
...But I can only work out a few things.
First, about Saber, who's following me.
I am sure that she is some kind of a familiar, because she calls me
Master and I've made a contract with her.
I hear that a familiar is some kind of an assistant for a magus.
Most magi transfer part of their body into something and summon it as
another self.
For the other self, a magus usually uses a small animal.
That's simply because it's easy to take over the mind of something like a
cat or a dog.
Some magi use a human as their familiar, but they need enough magical
energy to restrain a human at all times if they do such a thing.
But if one constantly uses enough magical energy to control someone, it
would take most of the magus' magical energy to sustain the familiar.
But that'd be putting the cart before the horse.
A familiar is something that assists the magus.
To reduce the burden on the magus, it is commonly accepted that small
animals are most suitable.
...So I've been taught, but...
"Hm? What is it, Shirou?"
"...No, it's nothing."
...Saber looks human no matter how you look at her. And she is clearly
superior to me, her master.
I don't have the magical energy to control such a person, and more than
that, I don't have the Magic Circuit to summon a familiar.
"......"
So Saber must be something rather unlike a familiar.
She said she is a Servant.
I don't know what that is, but I think the man called Lancer and the man
in red with Tohsaka were the same thing.
Then it must be that Tohsaka is also called a Master.
I just saw her magic skills.
If I am worth half a magus, she is worth about three magi... though of
course, there's no point in comparing me to other magi when I can only
use the strengthening magic.
Anyway, Tohsaka is an amazing magus.
In any spiritually superior land is a family of magi that looks after that
land.
The Emiya family only came to this land in Kiritsugu's generation, so
we're just strangers.
That's why I didn't know that Tohsaka was a magus, and I'm sure
Tohsaka didn't know that I knew magic.
...There are several magi in this town that I don't know about.
If Lancer is the familiar of another magus in this town, then does it mean
that I stuck my head into a conflict between magi?
"Wow, it's pretty big. Japanese-style is unusual for me.
Oh, is that the living room, Emiya-kun?"
Saying so, Tohsaka goes into the living room.
"......"
Let's stop thinking for now.
Let's just listen to Tohsaka's story.
I turn the lights on.
It's already past one in the morning.
"Oh, it's so cold! What's this, the windows are broken?"
"I couldn't help it. I was attacked by this Lancer guy. I was just
desperate."
"Oh, I see. Then were you fighting him alone until you summoned
Saber?"
"I didn't fight him. He just beat me up."
"Oh, so you don't try to show off, huh? ...I see, I see, you're really just as
you appear, Emiya-kun."
Tohsaka walks over to the broken window.
"...?"
Tohsaka takes a piece of the shattered glass, takes a look at it, and...
"―――Minuten vor Schwei[szlig]en"
She cuts the tip of her finger and puts a drop of her blood onto the glass.
"...!?"
What kind of magic is this?
The shattered glass combines on its own and restores itself in a matter of
seconds.
"Tohsaka, that was..."
"It's just a small demonstration. It won't be enough to repay you for
saving me, but I have to at least do this much.
...Well, I'm sure you would've fixed it even if I hadn't, but that's just a
waste of magical energy, right? All you really have to do is replace the
window, but we don't want to talk in this cold, do we?"
She says so as if it's something natural.
But needless to say, her skills are beyond my understanding.
"No, that's amazing, Tohsaka. I can't do that sort of thing, so I'm glad
you fixed it."
"Huh? There's no way you can't fix it.
Handling glass is so elementary. Restoring glass that broke a few
minutes ago is only like an admission test for any school, right?"
"So that's how it is? I was only taught by my father, so I don't even know
the basics or the elementary stuff."
"―――Huh?"
Tohsaka freezes.
...Dammit. It seems I said something I shouldn't have.
"...Wait. Then you're saying you're just an amateur who can't even run
your own workshop?"
"...? I don't have a workshop."
...Well, I do have that shed as my training area, but I think Tohsaka
would get mad if I called that my workshop.
"...I think it's impossible, but I'll ask anyway. Could it be that you don't
know how to handle the five main elements, or how to make a Pass?"
I honestly admit that I don't know.
"......"
Wow, that's scary.
She's so beautiful usually, so she looks pretty scary now.
"Then what are you, just an amateur?"
"That's not true. I can at least use strengthening magic."
"Strengthening... that's an awfully odd magic. So, you can't do anything
other than that?"
Tohsaka glares at me.
"...Well, to be honest, probably not."
Her glare makes my answer vague.
"...Geez. Why did Saber get summoned to a guy like this?"
She sighs.
"Hm."
It makes me mad.
I haven't been playing around. I know I'm an amateur, but I don't think it
matters right now.
"Well, I don't care. There's no point in complaining about what's already
happened. More importantly, I have to pay back my debt right now."
Tohsaka takes a breath.
"Well, I'll begin.
Emiya-kun, you don't know what kind of situation you're in right now,
correct?"
"......"
I nod.
"I thought so. Well, I could tell easily, but I have to confirm, right? It's
only putting flab on my mind if I tell someone that already knows about
it."
"...?"
I think that was a weird phrase, but I stay quiet as I think she'll beat me
up if I make fun of her now.
"To put it bluntly, you have been chosen as a Master.
You have a holy sign on one of your hands, right? On your hand or on
your arm. There are personal differences, but there should be three
Command Spells engraved. That is the sign of a Master."
"On my hand... oh, this."
"Yes. That is also a spell that rules the Servant, so take care of it. It's
called a Command Spell and you can retain control over your Servant as
long as you have it."
"...? What do you mean 'as long as I have it'?"
"The Command Spell is an item of unconditional obedience. I think
you've already realized that Servants have their own will, but that mark
overrules their will and makes them obey your command."
"There's no spell needed to activate it, and it will be activated when you
put your mind to using it.
But you'll lose one for every time you use it, so make sure you only use
it twice.
If you lose all your Command Spells, you'll be killed, so be careful."
"What... I'll be killed?"
"That's right. It's fundamental in the Holy Grail War for Masters to kill
other Masters. And the Master that kills the other six Masters is awarded
with the Holy Grail."
"What...?"
H-Hold on.
I don't understand what Tohsaka is talking about at all.
Like the part about Masters killing other Masters.
And the part where the winner gets a Holy Grail... wait, does she mean
that Holy Grail...!?
"You still don't understand? To put it simply, you've been dragged into a
game.
A survival game between the seven Masters, a game called the Holy
Grail War. A battle royale between the Masters that won't end until you
kill all other Masters."
Tohsaka Rin states so as if it is the most natural thing in the world.
"――――――――"
That phrase swirls in my head.
I have been chosen as a Master.
Tohsaka says she is a Master.
Familiars called the Servants.
―――And.
A battle to the death between other magi called the Holy Grail War.
"Wait. What is that? What are you talking about all of a sudden?"
"I understand how you feel, but I'm just telling you the truth.
...Besides, you should understand deep down. You should know you're in
a situation you can't run away from, having been almost killed by that
Servant twice now."
"――――――――"
That's...
Certainly, I was almost killed by that Lancer guy, but...
"Oh no, that's wrong. In fact, you weren't almost killed, you were
actually killed. I'm surprised you're alive again."
"―――"
Tohsaka's comment finishes me off.
...That's right.
That guy killed me, and I certainly died.
No excuse nor negotiation was possible. I was just someone who had to
be killed.
So...
Even if I do deny this battle to the death that I cannot understand, the
others in it will not withdraw.
"―――"
"Do you get it now? Then I'll go on.
I don't exactly know what the Holy Grail War is.
But I know that every few decades, seven Masters are chosen and given
Servants."
"I'm also chosen as a Master. That's why I made a contract with a
Servant, and you made a contract with Saber.
Think of the Servant as a familiar, given to you by the Holy Grail to win
the Holy Grail War.
And as Masters, we are to work together with our Servant to kill other
Masters."
"......"
Tohsaka's description is too brief for me to understand.
But there is one thing I do wonder about.
"...Hold on. You say Saber is a familiar, but I'm not convinced.
Familiars are things like cats and birds, right? Well, I do hear that some
use human ghosts, but Saber has a body. Besides, she doesn't look like a
familiar."
I glance at Saber.
Saber is quietly listening to our conversation.
...She looks just like a human being.
I don't know her identity, but she's a girl about my age.
Just having a girl like that near me is more than enough, so I don't get it
when she tells me that Saber is a familiar... and besides, my heart is
pounding right now.
"Familiar, huh...? Well, Servants are in that category, but they are on a
different level. Because that girl over there is a Ghost Liner, considered
to be the strongest of all familiars."
"Ghost Liner......? Then do you mean she really is a ghost?"
A human ghost that stopped living a long time ago.
The remaining minds of those with strong abilities, who remain in this
world even after they die.
But that doesn't make sense.
A ghost doesn't have a body. A ghost can be only hurt by ghosts.
So, as I have a body, a ghost shouldn't be able to kill me.
"A ghost... huh? She's similar, but Saber would kill you if you compared
her to one.
Servants are heroes of the past given bodies. Beings surpassing humans,
more like spirits."
"Huh? Heroes of the past given bodies?"
"That's right. A legendary hero was pulled from the past or the present or
whenever and given a body.
"Well, it's the role of the Master to summon them, and the Holy Grail
does the rest.
It's impossible for a magus to give shape to a soul, so we're assisted by a
strong Artifact."
"Hold on. So a 'hero of the past' means... what...!?"
I look over at Saber.
Then she's a heroine from the past too?
Well, it's true that nobody would dress like that now, but still...
"That's impossible. I've never heard of any such magic."
"Of course not. This isn't magic. Think of it as a phenomenon created by
the Holy Grail. It's impossible to recreate a soul and give it a body
without it."
"...Recreation of the soul? Then a Servant isn't a ghost...?"
"No. Haven't you been taught that any humans, animals, or machines
that leave any great achievements behind get removed from the ring of
reincarnation and sublimate into beings of higher rank?
Heroes are that sort of beings.
To put it simply, they have been worshipped and made into artificial
gods."
"'Ghost Magic' such as supplicating ghosts uses heroic spirits to make
miracles happen.
But the Servants are familiars of the heroes themselves.
So they accompany you in spirit form, but if need be, you can give them
form to make them fight."
"...Hm. So you mean you can give them form or keep them in spirit
form?
I don't see your Servant, so he's in spirit form right now?"
"No, he's healing his wounds in the summoning circle at my house right
now.
Saber wounded him just now, right? If I hadn't withdrawn him by force,
he would have had his head chopped off.
"Look, the only ones who can beat these Servants are other Servants,
spirits like them. Well, we can hit them too if they take form, so we
might be able to beat them.
But Servants are all strong as monsters, right? So we let monsters deal
with monsters. The Master usually supports them from behind."
"...Hm."
Tohsaka's explanation irritates me for some reason.
She calls them monsters. I don't know about the other Servants, but I
don't waͮ t her to talk about Saber like that.
"Anyway, someone who becomes a Master must kill all the other
Masters using his Servant.
Do you understand it so far?"
"...In words, yes. But I'm not convinced.
To begin with, who started such a thing and why?"
"That's not something I know about, nor should I answer. You should put
that kind of question to the one overseeing the Holy Grail War.
The one thing I can tell you is that all you can do now is to fight, and
Servants are powerful familiars, so you should use them wisely."
Tohsaka says so, and now turns to Saber.
"So from what I hear from Emiya-kun, you must not be in full form,
Saber. You were summoned by an apprentice magus who has no idea
how to be a Master."
"...Yes, I am not in full form as you say.
Since Shirou does not have the magical energy to give me form, it will
be difficult for me to turn into a spirit or to replenish my magical
energy."
"...I'm surprised. I'm surprised that you were in that bad of a state, but I
didn't think you'd tell me honestly. I was wondering how I ought to find
out your weakness."
"I do not wish to let others know of my weakness, but I do not think I
can fool you. It would be meaningless to hide our situation from you.
So it will be better for us to tell you of our situation, and to have Shirou
better understand the situation he is in right now."
"Correct. And you have a good personality too. ...Geez, I'm regretting it
even more now. If I was your Master, I would have certainly won this
war!"
Tohsaka clenches her fists with anger.
"Hmm. Tohsaka, do you mean I'm not fit to be her Master?"
"Of course not, idiot."
Wow. She just said something that any normal person would have
trouble saying.
"What? Do you have any more questions?"
And she doesn't realize it.
Her honor student image from school crumbles inside of me.
...Good going, Issei. Tohsaka certainly shows no openings, just like a
devil.
"Well. We're done talking, so let's get going."
Tohsaka suddenly says something strange.
"Huh? Go where?"
"We're going to see the guy who knows all about the game you're
involved in... the 'Holy Grail War'. You want to know the reasons behind
the Holy Grail War, right?"
"Of course. But where is it? It's already late, so..."
"It'll be fine. It's in the neighboring town, so we should be back by dawn
if we hurry. And besides, it's Sunday tomorrow, so it should be fine to
stay up late."
"No, that's not the problem."
It's just that a lot of things happened today, so I want to have a rest and
think about them.
"What, you're not going? ...Well, if you say so. But what about you,
Saber?"
Tohsaka asks Saber.
"Hold on, this has nothing to do with Saber. Don't push her."
"Oh, you're already feeling like a Master? You don't want me talking to
Saber?"
"T-That's not it! It's just that if what you said is true, then Saber is a
heroine from the past, right? So she wouldn't know about this time since
she was just summoned.
So..."
"Shirou, that is wrong. Servants can adapt to any time. So I know a lot
about this age as well."
"Really?"
"Yes. This is not the first time that I have been summoned in this age."
"Wha...?"
"No way, what are the chances of that...!?"
Hey, Tohsaka is surprised too.
...So that must mean Saber said something incredible.
"Shirou, I agree with her. You lack experience as a Master. As a Servant
making a contract with you, I want you to be stronger."
Saber stares at me silently.
...It's a gentle stare that's worried not for herself, but for me.
"...All right. I'll go.
So, where is this place, Tohsaka? It's a place we can come back from,
right?"
"Of course. We are heading to Kotomine Church in the neighboring
town. That's where the false priest, the one who oversees this battle, is
living."
Tohsaka makes an evil smile.
It looks like she's having fun dragging me around while I don't know
anything.
"......"
It might be prejudice...
But I'm beginning to feel like there's a problem with her personality….
We walk through the nighttime town.
It's past one in the morning and there's no one out at this time.
The lights in the houses are out, and only the streetlamps illuminate the
silent town.
"Hey Tohsaka, are you planning to walk to the neighboring town?"
"Yeah. The buses and trains have stopped running. A walk at night is
good once in a while, right?"
"I see, then if I may ask, do you know how long it takes to get there?"
"Well, it should take about an hour walking. If it gets late, we can always
take a taxi."
"I won't waste that kind of money. And besides, what I mean is, it might
be dangerous for girls to walk around at a time like this. You know it's
dangerous, right? I won't be responsible if something happens."
"Don't worry, nobody's going to mess with us. You may be forgetting,
but Saber is really strong."
"Oh."
She's right.
Whoever it is, if someone attacks her, they will be counterattacked
viciously.
"Rin. What was Shirou saying? I did not quite understand."
"Huh? Well, he was just making a big misunderstanding or being plain
stupid. He's saying he'll help us if some pervert appears."
"What? Shirou is my Master. I should be protecting him instead."
"I don't think he's thinking about that sort of thing. He seems
unconcerned about magi and Servants and all. I kind of wonder what's
going on in his head."
"......"
Tohsaka and Saber now know each other well enough to talk to each
other.
Saber has been silent ever since I stopped her from going out dressed
like she was.
She said she wouldn't take off her armor, so I made her wear a raincoat,
and she's been quiet ever since.
Now, she follows me and only speaks to Tohsaka.
"Wait, where are you going, Emiya-kun? Isn't that the wrong way?"
"We need to get to the bridge, right? Then this will be a shortcut."
I don't want to walk alongside them, so I quickly make my way to the
small side-road.
They follow me without objection.
We come out into a park.
We have to cross that bridge to go to the neighboring town of Shinto,
but――
"Wow, I didn't know about this road. I see, since you can get to the
bridge from the park, all you have to do is head for the park."
Tohsaka looks up at the bridge, talking happily.
Maybe it's just because it's nighttime.
Tohsaka's face, looking up at the bridge, seems even more beautiful than
at school... I'm troubled.
"Let's go. We didn't come here to play around."
I hurry Tohsaka, who is standing still in the park, and make my way up
the stairs.
Once we reach the road alongside the bridge, Shinto will be straight
ahead of us.
There's no one on the bridge.
That's only natural as not many people use it even during daytime.
It's more normal to use the bus or the train to get to the neighboring
town, so this bridge is rarely used.
That's because it's so long and it carries a fear that it might collapse on
you.
That must be why this place isn't used for dates, even though it's perfect
location-wise.
"...That's stupid. What am I thinking?"
Saber is following me silently and Tohsaka is walking right beside me.
Trying to ignore them, I hurry across the bridge.
Beyond the bridge, Tohsaka leads us into the suburbs.
When I think about Shinto, only the office buildings in front of the
station come to mind, but there are streets from older times once you get
away from the station.
The suburbs are the most extreme of those.
There are hilly roads and a high ground overlooking the sea.
As you go farther up the hill, there are fewer buildings and the
foreigners' cemetery built on the slope of the hill can be seen.
"The church is up here. You must have been there at least once, right?"
"No. I know it used to be an orphanage though."
"I see. Then it'll be your first time today. You should prepare yourself.
The priest there is a difficult man to deal with."
Tohsaka starts up the hill.
...Looking up, I can see a building at the top of the hill.
A church atop the hill.
I never thought I'd visit God's house for the first time for a reason like
this.
"Wow―――this is really awesome."
The church is magnificent.
The whole top of the hill must be the church's land as a flat field
welcomes me as soon as I reach the top.
The church isn't that big, but it is compelling, towering over its visitors.
"Shirou, I will remain here."
"Huh? Why? I can't just leave you when we've come up here together."
"I did not come for the church. I followed to protect you. If your
destination is the church, you should not go any farther, so I shall wait
here for your return."
Saber says clearly.
It doesn't seem like she'll budge an inch, so I decide to respect her
decision.
"All right. Then I'll be going."
"Yes. Please do not let your guard down whomever you are facing,
Master."
It is a large, impressive chapel.
Since it's so large, many people must come here during the day.
If he's entrusted with such a church, the priest here must be a man of
character.
"Tohsaka, what kind of a person is the priest here?"
"It's kind of hard to explain. I've known him for ten years, but I still can't
grasp his character."
"You've known him for ten years...? That's a pretty long relationship. Is
he a relative of yours or something?"
"He's not my relative, but he is my guardian. On top of that, he is my
senior as an apprentice, and my second teacher."
"Huh... senior as an apprentice, you mean apprentice as a magus!?"
"That's right, but why are you so surprised?"
"Because he's a priest! Aren't priests forbidden to use magic!?"
By their nature, a magus and the church cannot be in harmony.
The organization that magi belong to is called the Magic Association,
And the other side of religion, the side you wouldn't see while living a
normal life, is called the Holy Church.
The two are barely similar. They cooperate in name, but they're always
trying to kill each other when given the chance.
The church hates heretics.
They totally eliminate the inhuman, and they count magic-using humans
among their targets.
For the church, miracles are only given to the chosen holy saints. Any
miracles handled by other people are heresies.
There are no exceptions, even for those within the church.
The higher one rises in the church, the more one is prohibited from the
impurity of magic.
And for a follower entrusted with a church like this and the more divine
protection one receives, the more one should stay away from
magic―――
"...No, first of all, is the priest here on our side?"
"Yes. He is the one supervising the Holy Grail War after all. He is a real
Agent. ...Well, I don't know if he has divine protection, though."
Tohsaka's footsteps echo as she approaches the altar.
It's bad manners to do that when the priest isn't here, but it's so late at
night.
He won't be in the chapel, so if he's anywhere, it will be the private room
in the back.
"...Hmm. So who is this priest? You said a name like Kotomine
before..."
"His name is Kotomine Kirei. He's a student of my father, and we've had
an inseparable relationship for ten years now. ...Well, I wish I'd never
met him, though."
"―――I feel the same way. I did not want an apprentice who did not
respect her teacher."
A footstep.
He must have noticed our entry as he slowly appears from the other side
of the altar.
"You didn't answer my repeated calls, and now you bring a strange
guest. ...Hmm, so he is the seventh one, Rin?"
"Right. He's a magus, but he's pretty much a beginner, so I just couldn't
let him be.
...I believe it was the rules to report here when one becomes a Master,
right? It's a rule you invented, but I'll follow it this time."
"Very well. Then I must thank this young man."
The priest called Kotomine slowly turns to me.
"――――"
...Without realizing, I step back.
...He's not scary at all.
...I don't feel any hostility from him.
But this priest still has a presence that makes the air around him feel
heavy.
"I am Kotomine Kirei, the one entrusted with this church.
What is your name, seventh Master?"
"―――Emiya Shirou. But I haven't agreed to this 'Master' thing yet."
I glare back at the priest, trying not to lose against his presence.
"Emiya――――Shirou."
"Huh―――?"
The weight on my back turns into a chill.
The priest slowly smiles as if he's met someone pleasant.
――――That smile.
It makes me―――
"I thank you, Emiya. You have brought Rin here. If it were not for you,
she would not have come."
The priest makes his way toward the altar.
Tohsaka moves away from the altar and stands beside me.
"Then let us start. Emiya Shirou, you are Saber's Master, correct?"
"That's wrong. I certainly made a contract with her, but I don't
understand this whole Master and Holy Grail War thing.
If a Master should be a proper magus, then you should go and choose a
more suitable person."
"...I see. This is serious. Does he really know nothing, Rin?"
"I told you he's a beginner. Train him from the very first steps, will you?
You're really good at that, right?"
Tohsaka urges the priest.
"―――Oh, I see, I see. That's how it is, huh?
I understand. This is the first time you have ever depended on me.
Emiya Shirou, I can never thank you enough."
Father Kotomine laughs.
Their conversation makes me feel uneasy.
"First, let us correct your misunderstandings.
Listen, Emiya Shirou. Master is not a role you can give to someone else
nor is it something you can stop being once you are chosen.
Those who have those Command Spells carved on them cannot resign
from being a Master.
You must accept that fact."
"――Why can't I quit?"
"The Command Spell is a holy mark. Becoming a Master is a trial
placed upon you. You cannot escape it just because it is inconvenient.
You cannot be released from that pain until you obtain the Holy Grail.
If you wish to retire from being a Master, all you can do is obtain the
Holy Grail and wish for it. If you do that, everything will be as you
desire, Emiya Shirou.
Your wishes, even cleaning out all the mud inside of you, is
possible―――Yes, it is even possible to start everything over again.
Therefore, you should desire it.
If the time comes, you will appreciate being chosen as a Master. If you
wish to erase those burns that cannot be seen, all you have to do is to
accept that holy mark."
"Wha―――"
I feel dizzy.
The priest's words don't make any sense.
They just confuse me more and more as I listen.
...But still, his words soak into my brain and clot like blood.
"Kirei, don't go off topic. I asked you to tell him the rules. I didn't ask
you to open up his old wounds."
A voice cuts in.
"―――T-Tohsaka?"
That clears up my dizzy head.
"I see. It is pointless to say anything to these kinds of people, so I was
trying to take away his morality while he still misunderstood.
...Heh, I guess it's true that compassion is not good for others. And I
rather enjoyed it too."
"What? Does it do you good to help him?"
"Of course. Helping people means saving yourself in the end. ...Well, it
won't do any good to preach to you now.
So, let us return to the main topic, Emiya Shirou.
The battle you have been dragged into is called the 'Holy Grail War'.
Have you learned from Rin that this is an all out war between seven
Masters, using seven Servants?"
"...I did. It's some ridiculous thing where seven Masters kill each other,
right?"
"Indeed. But we are not committing these inhuman acts because we want
to.
Everything is a ritual to determine who is the most suitable to receive the
Holy Grail.
Because of its greatness, we require trials to determine its owner."
...What trials?
I'll bet this priest doesn't think of this Holy Grail War thing as a "trial".
"Hold on. You keep saying 'Holy Grail War', but what is it? You can't
possibly mean the actual Holy Grail, right?"
The Holy Grail.
A grail said to have received the blood of the Christ.
It is considered to be one of the greatest holy relics, and said to be
capable of many miracles.
The most common rumor about it is that the one who obtains the Holy
Grail will obtain the world.
...But that's just an invention. After all, the Holy Grail itself is almost
something that "exists, but doesn't exist".
"A Holy Grail that makes wishes comes true" certainly appears in many
folklores and legends around the world .
But that's it.
A fictional power that doesn't exist and isn't possible. That is the Holy
Grail.
"So answer, Kotomine Kirei. Is the Holy Grail you're talking about
really the Holy Grail?"
"Of course. The Holy Grail that appears in this town is real. As a proof,
the great miracle of the Servants has occurred.
Summoning and controlling past heroes. No, a miracle close to
resurrecting the dead is almost a sorcery.
A Holy Grail with this much power shall grant its owner unlimited
power. The object's unreality is worthless in front of that truth."
"―――――"
So.
He means that even if it is a fake, it doesn't matter if it has powers that
would overwhelm even the true Holy Grail.
"...All right. Let's assume there really is a Holy Grail. Then why is it
required to do something like the Holy Grail War? We shouldn't be
killing each other if the Holy Grail exists. If the Holy Grail is so great,
we can all share its power."
"That is a fair argument, but we do not have such freedom.
Only one person can obtain the Holy Grail.
That is not something we chose, but what the Holy Grail has decided."
"The Holy Grail decides the seven Masters and summons the seven
Servants.
I told you that this is a ritual. The Holy Grail chooses the people suitable
to obtain it, and selects its appropriate owner by making them fight for
it.
That is the Holy Grail War―――the ritual where those chosen by the
Holy Grail kill each other to obtain it."
"――――――――"
The priest speaks plainly.
I have no rebuttal, and I look down at my left hand.
...There is the mark they call the Command Spell.
It must mean that as long as I have this mark, I cannot quit being a
Master.
"...I'm not convinced. Even though only one person can be chosen, I
don't like the idea that all we can do is to kill the other Masters."
"Huh? Hold on. You're misunderstanding if you think that you have to
kill them. There's no need to kill the Masters."
"Huh? But you said we have to kill each other. Kotomine said so too."
"You will kill each other."
"You be quiet, Kirei. Now, the Holy Grail in this town is in spirit form.
It's not something with form, so it's something we have to call forth by a
special ritual―――meaning we have to materialize it.
We can call for it as magi, but since it is in spirit form, we cannot reach
it. Do you understand what that means?"
"Yeah. Only spirits can touch spirits, right?
―――Oh, that's why you need the Servants...!"
"Exactly. To put it simply, the goal of the Holy Grail War is to eliminate
all the Servants except your own. So there's no rule that you have to kill
the Masters."
"―――――"
Man, she could have told me that earlier!
Honestly, Tohsaka and this priest were being mean.
...Now I'm relieved.
So even if we enter this Holy Grail War, Tohsaka's not going to die.
"I see. I guess that is one way to think.
Then let me ask you, Emiya Shirou. Do you think you can beat your
own Servant?"
"...?"
Beat Saber?
That's impossible.
In the first place, magic is useless against her, and she is skilled with her
sword.
"Then let me ask you one more thing. It is a boring question, but do you
think you are superior to your Servant?"
"...??"
What's he saying?"
I can't beat Saber, so there's no way I'm superior to her.
For this question, my answer will always be that I am weaker than my
Servant, so...
"――――Oh."
"That's right. Servants are hard to defeat even with a Servant. So what
should you do?
See, it's such a simple solution. Servants can only exist with a Master.
No matter how powerful the Servant is, the Servant will disappear if the
Master dies. So..."
That's right, it's a natural solution.
No one would choose to take the hard way.
If you want to win, the most effective way to kill the Servants would be
to kill their Masters instead.
"...Okay. I understand that killing the Master is an effective way to
eliminate other Servants.
But then, if their Servant gets killed, does that make someone not a
Master anymore? Only Servants can touch the Holy Grail, right? Then
there is no point to a Master that doesn't have a Servant."
"No, the right to be a Master still remains as long as you have the
Command Spell. A Master is a magus that can form a contract with
Servants. As long as you have the Command Spell, you can form a
contract with Servants.
The Servants whose Masters are killed do not disappear right away.
They can stay in this world until their magical energy runs out. If such
'abandoned Servants' exist, a Master with no Servant can form a contract
with them. That will allow them to rejoin the war.
That is why Masters kill other Masters. Because if you allow them to
live, there is a risk that they will impede you in the future.
"...So what if you use up your Command Spell? Then you won't be able
to form a contract with other Servants, and the freed Servant will go
off with someone else too."
"Wait, that's――――"
"Yes, you're right. If you use up your Command Spell, you will be
liberated from your duty as a Master.
...However, I do not think a magus exists that would waste a Command
Spell that allows them to use such powerful magic.
If there exists such a magus, he isn't even an amateur, but just a
chicken."
The priest laughs, as he knows what I'm thinking about.
"......"
I'm annoyed.
That priest is making fun of me. I think he's trying to provoke me.
"You must understand now. So we will finish the explanation of the
rules.
―――Well then, let us return to the beginning, Emiya Shirou.
You said you have no intention of being a Master. Do you still feel that
way?"
"If you want to abandon your responsibility as a Master, that is fine too.
As you have realized, you may use up your Command Spell to end your
contract with Saber. In that case, I will guarantee your safety until the
Holy Grail War ends."
[wrap ʹext="-...?"]"...? Hold on. Why do you have to guarantee my
safety? I can protect myself."
"I do not have enough free time to care for you either, but this is one of
the rules.
I have been dispatched to supervise the repeating Holy Grail War.
That is why I must minimize the victims of the war.
Protection of magi who lost their claims to being a Master is one of my
biggest responsibilities as the supervisor."
"――――Repeating Holy Grail War...?"
Hold on.
Repeating... does he mean that this kind of battle has happened many
times before...?
"What do you mean? The Holy Grail War didn't just start now?"
"Of course not. Do you think a supervisor would have been dispatched if
it were so?
This church bears a duty to recover the holy relics, as we are the lowest
of the special agencies. Originally, it was our goal to research and
recover the holy cross, but here, we have a duty to investigate the Holy
Grail.
We have to investigate the 726th Holy Grail that has appeared in this far
eastern land. We must recover it if it is real, and dispute it if it is not."
"726th... that many Holy Grails?"
"Who knows? It just means that there have been at least that many
things that seemed like one.
And one of those is the Holy Grail from the Holy Grail War observed in
this town.
According to records, it is said that the first battle occurred about 200
years ago.
Since then, the battles between Masters have been repeating in a cycle of
about 60 years.
This is the fifth Holy Grail War. Since the last one was ten years ago,
this will be the shortest cycle yet."
"Wha―――are you guys insane? You guys have repeated this thing
four times already...!?"
"I feel the same way. As you said, people have repeated this event many
times.
―――Yes.
In the past, the Holy Grail Wars were terrible. Masters were driven by
their desires, forgot their teachings as magi, and just killed each other
indiscriminately.
I think you already know, but it is the highest crime for a magus to use
his magic in public. A magus cannot allow his identity to be revealed to
the public.
But Masters in the past have violated that.
The Magic Association dispatched a supervisor to caution them, but they
only made it in time for the third Holy Grail War. The one dispatched
then was my father. Do you understand now, boy?"
"...Yeah, I understand we need a supervisor.
But from what you said, isn't this Holy Grail War fundamentally bad?"
"Oh? How is it bad?"
"Because the past magi were people who would break the rules of the
magi, right?
Then let's say this Holy Grail thing really exists. What will you do if the
one who remains is someone who uses the Holy Grail selfishly? It's bad
if such a thing is obtained by someone who has no problem killing
others.
If it is the job of the Association to look after magi, then shouldn't you
guys be punishing those kinds of people?"
I question, with a little hope.
But as I expected, Kotomine Kirei laughs.
"Of course not. There are no magi who will act outside their own
interests. We only supervise the rules of the Holy Grail War. We do not
care about what happens afterwards. The Association is not concerned
about the kind of person that obtains the Holy Grail."
"That's ridiculous...! What if the Master that obtains the Holy Grail is the
worst guy possible!?"
"It would be problematic, but we can do nothing. It is the Holy Grail that
chooses its owner.
And we do not have the power to stop a Master who has been chosen by
the Holy Grail.
It is a grail that makes wishes come true, after all. The one who obtains
it will be able to do as he pleases.
―――But if you do not want that, then all you have to do is win it
yourself. That is the most reliable way, isn't it?"
Kotomine is trying to hold back his laughter.
It's like he's enjoying my clumsy inability to accept the facts.
"What's wrong, boy? I think that was a good idea, so will you not accept
it?"
"...That's none of your business. Anyway, I don't have any reason to
fight. I'm not interested in the Holy Grail, and I don't feel like a Master
even if you tell me I am."
"Oh. So you are not concerned about what the winner of the Holy Grail
would do, even if it leads to disaster?"
"That's―――"
...I can't answer that question.
Crap, his words are violent.
They force the truth onto me, whether I want it or not.
"That is fine, if you have no reason to fight. So you are not troubled by
what happened ten years ago?"
"―――Ten years... ago...?"
"That's right. At the end of the last Holy Grail War, an unsuitable Master
touched the Holy Grail.
I do not know what that Master wished for. All we know is the results of
the disaster that came afterwards."
"――――――――"
For an instant.
That image of hell flashes in my head.
"――Hold on. That can't be..."
"It is. It is an event that everybody in this town knows about, Emiya
Shirou.
Five hundred killed or wounded. A hundred and thirty four buildings
burned down. That inferno, still unexplained, is the remains of the Holy
Grail War."
"――――――――"
―――I feel sick.
My vision blurs.
I lose concentration and I can't focus my eyes.
My body stumbles.
But I hold myself firm.
I hold onto consciousness by clenching my teeth.
I hold back my nausea with the anger boiling up in me.
"Emiya-kun? What's wrong? You're pale white. ...I know it's not a
comfortable story, but... if you want, we can take a rest for a while."
I must have looked terrible.
I think it's very rare for Tohsaka to be worried like that.
"Don't worry. I feel better after seeing your weird face."
"...Hey, just what is that supposed to mean?"
"Oh, I have no hidden intentions. I meant it literally, so don't worry
about it."
"Well, fine... hey, that's worse, you big oaf!"
The school's number one honor student, Tohsaka Rin, smacks me in the
head.
That does it.
With that, the nausea and anger go away.
"...Thanks. You really did help, so don't bully me too much. I have a few
more things to ask about."
She looks like she hasn't hit me enough, but she still lets me continue.
"Oh, you still have questions? All right, let out everything you want to
say."
He should know what I want to ask, yet he asks me to go on.
Fine.
Emiya Shirou won't lose to you.
"Then I'll ask. You said this is the fifth Holy Grail War. Then, has anyone
ever obtained the Holy Grail?"
"Of course. A sad event like that annihilation doesn't happen every
time."
"Then―――"
"Do not be hasty. It is easy just to obtain it. After all, the Holy Grail is
managed in this church. If you speak of just touching it, I touch it every
day."
"Huh―――?"
T-The Holy Grail is at this church...?
"Of course, it is only the vessel. It is empty. Rin said it earlier that the
Holy Grail is in spirit form.
What we maintain is a well-made replica of the Holy Grail. We use this
as the catalyst to draw down the real Holy Grail and transform it into a
Grail that grants wishes. It's like the relationship between Servants and
Masters. ...Yes, there was indeed a man who obtained the real Holy Grail
temporarily, using that method."
"Then, was that Holy Grail real? No, what happened to the guy who
obtained it?"
"Nothing. The Holy Grail was imperfectly completed. It was the result
of a foolish man, affected by sentiment."
...?
With the previous pressure gone, the priest narrows his eyes as if in
regret.
"...What do you mean? Didn't the Holy Grail appear?"
"It is easy to just make the Holy Grail appear. Once the seven Servants
are present, the Holy Grail will appear in time. As Rin said, there is no
need to kill other Masters.
But that does not complete the Holy Grail. That thing decides its own
appropriate master. And for that reason, it could not be obtained by a
man who avoided battles."
"Heh, so that just means it's useless to obtain the Holy Grail without
settling matches with the other Masters.
The Master who obtained the Holy Grail first in the last war was just a
chicken. He just ran away from the Holy Grail, saying that he didn't
want to fight other Masters."
So saying, Tohsaka looks away from Kotomine.
"―――No way."
Does that mean Kotomine was one of the Masters in the last war, and
that he retired because he refused to fight in spite of obtaining the Holy
Grail...!?
"...Kotomine. You didn't fight?"
"I did until halfway. But I made a bad decision. As a result, I only
obtained an empty Holy Grail.
Well, I guess that was my limit anyway. Because the other Masters were
all monstrous. I lost my Servant first and was taken under my father's
protection.
...Come to think of it, it was inappropriate for a son of the supervisor to
be chosen as a Master.
Father died at that time. Since then, I have succeeded the role of the
supervisor, and I protect the Holy Grail at this church."
Saying that, the priest called Kotomine Kirei turns around.
Before him stands the symbol of worship.
"That is the end of our conversation.
The only ones qualified to obtain the Holy Grail are those who have
Servants. When there is only one of you left, the Holy Grail should
naturally appear in front of you.
Tell me your decision as to if you want to join this battle, the Holy Grail
War, now."
The priest requests my final decision.
"――――――――"
I'm at a loss for words.
I had no reason to fight until just now.
Now, I have a reason to fight and a will to fight.
But can I really accept that?
"Are you still undecided?
Look, a Master is not something you can be just because you want to.
Rin has been training long as a magus, but it was not determined that she
would be a Master.
All that could be decided beforehand was whether to prepare for it or
not.
Only magi are to be chosen as Masters. If you are a magus, you should
have been ready already.
I guess it cannot be helped if you say you are not.
You and your teacher were failures in that case. It is merely annoying for
such a magus to be fighting, so get rid of your Command Spell now."
"―――――!"
He doesn't need to ask.
I――――
I won't run away.
Honestly, this Holy Grail War and Master stuff doesn't seem real to me.
But still, if there are only two choices, fighting or running away, I will
never run away.
The priest said it too.
If I am a magus, I should be ready.
That is why I must decide.
Even though I'm an amateur, Emiya Shirou is a magus.
If I have decided to become a superhero in the footsteps of Emiya
Kiritsugu, whom I've admired all this time―――
"―――I will fight as a Master.
If the cause of the fire ten years ago was the Holy Grail War, I can't let it
happen again."
As if he likes my answer, the priest smiles with satisfaction.
"―――"
I take a deep breath.
I have cut away all hesitation.
As a man, I said I will fight.
So from now on, all I have to do is go forward with pride so that I will
not go against my word.
"Then I shall approve you as Saber's Master.
In this instant, the Holy Grail War is accepted.
―――I approve the battle in this town, from now until only one Master
remains. Everyone shall follow their pride and compete fully against
each other."
The priest's voice echoes heavily through the church.
There is no meaning to that declaration.
Only Tohsaka and I heard the priest's words.
This man merely rang the starting bell as the priest of this church.
"So it's decided. Then I'm going home, but can I ask you a question
too?"
"I don't mind. This might be the last time, so I shall answer most
questions."
"Then I shall ask. Kirei, you're the one in charge of looking after this, so
you should have information on the other Masters. I've followed the
Association's rules, so at least tell me what you know."
"That's troubling. I really want to tell you, but I do not know the details
either.
Including Emiya Shirou, there are not many legitimate magi this time.
There are only two Masters I know about. Three if you include Emiya
Shirou."
"Oh, I see. Still, you should know the order they were summoned.
You are the supervisor after all."
"...Hmm. Berserker was first. Caster was second. The rest are pretty
much the same. Archer was yesterday, and Saber was summoned a few
hours ago."
"――I see. Then that means..."
"The Holy Grail War has officially started.
Rin, you are not allowed to come to this church until the Holy Grail War
is over. The only time it is permitted is..."
"When I lose my Servant and wish for protection, right? So I pretty
much get points deducted if I come here for any other reason."
"That is correct. You may become the victor, but the Church will not
ignore the points deducted. They will take the Holy Grail away from you
after a boring discussion. That would be the worst case scenario for
me."
"You fake priest. A person on the side of the Church supporting the
Magic Association?"
"I am serving God. That does not mean I am serving the Church."
"Whatever. That's why you're a fake."
And Tohsaka turns her back to the priest.
After that, she just makes her way to the exit without saying goodbye.
"Hey, is that okay, Tohsaka? He was your fellow pupil, right?
So―――"
Shouldn't there be a more proper farewell?
"I don't care. I rather feel relieved from breaking the ties to him. More
importantly, you should leave too. You have no business here now."
Tohsaka walks across the floor without stopping and really leaves.
I sigh and follow her.
And then.
"―――!"
I feel a presence behind me and turn around.
The priest who was behind me before I knew it, is looking down on me.
"W-What? Do you have anything else to say?"
I back off as I say so.
...Just as I thought, I don't like him.
Maybe we're just incompatible or something, but I can't get myself to
like him.
"If you don't have anything to say, I'm going!"
I make my way to the door, trying to escape his stare.
As I go.
"―――Rejoice, boy. Your wish will finally come true."
The priest says, as if declaring an oracle.
Those words are...
Aren't those the true feelings I haven't yet realized?
"―――What are you saying, all of a sudden?"
"You should know. Your wish will not come true unless there is a clear
evil. Even if it is not something you approve of, a superhero requires a
villain to defeat."
"―――――!"
I feel like everything has turned black.
The priest said it.
The greatest wish and the ugliest wish I have are the same.
...Yes, the desire to protect something,
...Is, at the same time, none other than the wish for something to violate
it.
"―――Y-You..."
But there's no way I'd wish for something like that.
I don't remember a moment when I've wished for that.
Such an insecure wish...
...Just means the target ideals are inconsistent.
But the priest says as if to pierce my heart, "Good thing you have an
enemy now."
"No, you do not have to gloss over it. Your worries are right for a human
being."
"――――!"
I shake off the priest's words and walk to the door.
"Farewell, Emiya Shirou.
This will be my last warning, but take care on your way home.
Your world will change completely from now on.
You are now at the point of kill or be killed. You are now a Master.”
As soon as I leave, the pressure on my shoulders lifts.
Certainly, you could say that getting away from that priest helped.
But Tohsaka standing out in her uniform...
...And the blond-haired girl in a raincoat standing near her make a
strangely well-matched sight that somehow takes the pressure off me.
"――――――――"
Saber is silent as always.
She's looking at me, so it seems she is interested in the decision I made.
"Let's go. We're going the same way until we get back to town."
Saying that, Tohsaka starts walking.
Following after her, we leave the church as well.
The three of us descend the hill together.
We didn't talk much on the way here, but there's even less talk now.
Even dull as I am, I know why.
After what happened at the church, I truly became a Master.
And that must be the reason Tohsaka is walking a little apart from us.
"―――"
I understand that.
I understand, but I don't like thinking about Tohsaka like that.
"Tohsaka. Is your Servant okay?"
"Huh...?"
"Oh yeah. Archer is okay. ...Though it doesn't seem like the damage
caused by your Saber will heal fast, so I don't think I'll be able to
materialize him for a while."
"Then he's not with you right now?"
"No, he's taking shelter at my house right now. He'll be at a disadvantage
if he was attacked by other Servants right now, so I'm making him stay
ready at a place of strength."
I see.
Unlike my house, I'll bet Tohsaka's house is well prepared against
outside attacks.
A house is like a fortress for a magus. They will not lose as long as they
stay there.
That must mean enemies will not attack you as long as you stay on your
home ground.
...I see.
The boundary field at my house is merely an alarm against intruders, but
even having that makes a big difference.
"Oh yeah, Tohsaka. That guy said he was the supervisor of the Holy
Grail War, but does he know your Servant?"
"He shouldn't. I haven't told him."
"I see. You guys seem to have a good relationship, so I thought so."
"...Hey Emiya-kun. I'll warn you now. Don't tell anybody your Servant's
identity. Keep it a secret even from people you trust or you'll end up
exiting this battle early."
"...? What do you mean Saber's identity?"
"What I mean is, which hero the Servant is.
No matter how strong someone may be, if you reveal your potential,
you'll surely be beaten someday. ...It's fine, so have Saber tell you her
real name later on.
You should understand what I mean then. ...Though, hang on. You're like
this, so it might be better if she didn't tell you."
"Why?"
"Because you can't keep secrets. You'll be able to keep a secret better if
you don't know about it."
"...Hey now, what do you think I am? I can take care of myself."
"Really? Then do you have anything you're hiding from me?"
"Huh...? Anything I'm hiding from you, that's..." I say, as my face fires
up.
I don't have a guilty conscience, but well, would kind of admiring her
count as something I'm hiding from her...?
"See. I don't know what you're hiding, but it's no good if it shows on
your face.
You have other good aspects, so don't worry about it."
"...Hmph. Then what about you? If you're hiding it from that priest, does
that mean you don't trust him?"
"Kirei? Hardly. I'm not crazy enough to trust him. He's a cheat who
transferred from the Church to the Magic Association without quitting
the Church. He'd happily sell my information to the other Masters."
...Tohsaka says with annoyance.
It seems she really doesn't trust that priest.
I'm a bit relieved, but still, her words do seem to hold a bit of affection.
――And we pass the bridge.
There's no conversation between us now.
The cold winter air and our cold breath.
A faint sound of flowing water and the white streetlamps that light up
the bridge.
Small things like that are engraved into my memory.
Oddly, I didn't think about looking at Tohsaka, who's walking next to
me.
Right now, it seems walking on a bridge at night together like this is
more precious than seeing her face.
Me, Tohsaka, and the girl called Saber I know nothing about.
We three walk together without doing much.
We reach the intersection.
The intersection that leads to our houses, the place where we must part
with Tohsaka.
"We'll part here. I've repaid my debt, and it would be troublesome if we
stayed together any longer. We should part and become enemies from
tomorrow on."
It must be to end the ambiguous position we are in right now.
Tohsaka starts talking and cuts off suddenly.
From that, I realize.
She did not explain the rules to me out of any sense of obligation.
She just supported me, understanding the situation I'm in, and acted
fairly.
So things are back to normal once the explanations are over.
I will just be her target as a Master now.
"...Hm?"
But if so, what she just said was strange.
Tohsaka must have meant that it would be difficult to fight if she feels
empathy for me.
For Tohsaka, everything that happened tonight must have been
unnecessary.
'It would be troublesome if we stay together any longer.'
If she is going to say something like that, she should have left us alone
from the beginning.
Tohsaka's smart, so she should know that all too well.
But still, she set aside all thought of loss or gain and helped me out.
So what happened tonight was totally out of good faith.
The Tohsaka in front of me is too different from how she is at school.
Even when I put it nicely, she's sour, cranky, unapproachable, and she's
so different that I want to scream out.
Man, it feels almost like a fraud.
...Yet, still...
Tohsaka Rin is just how everyone thought she was.
"I see. Tohsaka, you really are a good person."
"Huh? What are you saying all of a sudden? I won't go easy on you even
if you flatter me."
I know that.
She won't go easy on me, and that's why she said it'll be a bother if she
feels empathy for me.
"I know. But I don't want to be enemies with you if I can help it. I like
people like you."
"Wha―――"
Tohsaka falls silent for some reason.
I hear Tohsaka's house is in the western-style district in the opposite
direction to my place.
Since she's taken care of me until now, I would like to walk her home,
but...
"A-Anyway, just run to the church if your Servant ever gets killed. If
you do, at least your life will be safe."
"I won't like it, but still, I'll take that advice. It won't happen, though.
However I look at it, I'll die before Saber does."
I calmly analyze the situation.
"――――Phew."
Tohsaka reacts strangely once again.
After letting out a sigh, she glances at Saber.
"All right. I won't give you any more warnings because that'd really be
empathy.
Just be careful. Even though Saber is strong, it won't matter if you, her
Master, gets killed."
She turns her back and starts walking.
"―――"
But.
As if she's seen a ghost, her feet stop dead in their tracks.
"Tohsaka?"
The instant I call out to her, my left hand throbs in pain.
"―――Hey, have you finished talking?"
A young voice echoes through the night.
The voice like a song is unmistakably that of a young girl.
My vision is drawn to the top of the hill.
I don't know when the clouds parted, but a bright moon is now shining
in the sky.
―――There.
A long shadow.
There's a strange shape that shouldn't be here in this pale town of
shadow pictures.
"――Berserker."
Tohsaka mumbles a word I'm not accustomed to hearing.
I don't even need to ask.
That thing is definitely a Servant.
And at the same time――an overwhelming sense of death, exceeding
even the one in the fire ten years ago.
"Good evening, Onii-chan. It's the second time we've met like this."
The girl smiles as she says so.
That innocence sends a chill down my spine.
"――――――――"
No, spine is an understatement.
Not just my body, but my mind is frozen as well.
That thing is a monster.
I'm not staring at it, but just its presence makes me unable to move.
I understand naturally that I will die in the instant I move even a
muscle.
It feels like a knife is pushed right against my naked chest.
...Still, I feel nothing.
Probably because there's too little hope of me getting out of this alive.
All fears and impatience are drowned by hopelessness, so I don't feel a
thing.
"―――Crap. He's totally on a completely different level."
Unlike me who's paralyzed, Tohsaka has the composure to stand ready.
...But it'll come to nothing.
Even though I can only see her back, I can sense the despair she's
feeling.
"Huh? Oh, your Servant is taking a rest? That's no fun, I thought I'd kill
you both at once."
The girl says unhappily, as she looks down at us from the top of the hill.
...We're in an even worse situation now.
That girl knows Tohsaka's Servant is not here.
―――And then.
The girl lifts the sides of her skirt and bows unsuitably for this situation.
"Nice to meet you, Rin. I am Ilya.
You should work it out if I make that 'Ilyasviel von Einzbern'."
"Einzbern―――"
Tohsaka's body moves slightly as she seems to recognize that name.
Perhaps she liked Tohsaka's reaction, as the girl smiles happily. And...
"Then I'll kill you. Go ahead, Berserker."
...She orders the strange shape behind her, as if she's singing.
The larger body flies through the air.
The thing called Berserker comes flying down the whole distance from
the top of the hill――――!
"―――Shirou, stay back...!"
Saber runs. Her raincoat comes off and my vision is blocked for a
second.
Saber runs to Berserker's landing point and Berserker lands with a huge
thud at exactly at the same moment.
"...!"
The air trembles.
Saber stops Berserker's great sword with her invisible sword.
"―――!"
Saber makes a pained face.
There,
Berserker's gigantic sword flashes like a whirlwind―――!
A great thunderous roar.
The crash of steel that almost tears the air results in defeat for Saber.
A sliding sound.
Even though she blocked Berserker's giant sword, she is driven back
along with the sword she used to block it.
"Guh..."
Saber's posture collapses.
The lead colored Servant chases after her.
The gray figure swings its giant sword as if it's the only thing it knows
how to do.
Saber doesn't have the time to dodge it and blocks it with her sword.
It does not matter if Saber's sword is invisible or not.
Each of Berserker's attacks is a fatal one that must be blocked with all
her might.
Therefore, Saber has to stay on the defense.
For her, the only chance of victory is to find a means of attack in
between Berserker's attacks.
But.
That's only if Berserker leaves an opening.
The black rock sword is just like a storm.
With such a large body.
And with such a large sword, and yet Berserker is moving faster than
Saber.
The attacks he sends out are just smashing swings with no technique to
them.
But that's enough.
If there is overwhelming power and speed, there is no room for
technique.
Techniques are something humans invented to compensate for their
weaknesses.
Weaknesses are things that giant doesn't have.
"―――Run."
I murmur with my frozen body.
That thing cannot be defeated.
Saber will be killed if we go on like this.
So she should run away.
It would be easy for her to get away if it were just her here.
She should know that already...!
"Oh―――"
That's bad.
My body is numb, but maybe that's why my mind is so calm.
The storm of death that strikes without a pause.
Unable to take all the attacks, Saber retreats, and this time...
The final blow that cannot be blocked is swung.
Saber's body rises.
She manages to defend against Berserker's giant sword, even in a bad
posture.
But that's only to avoid a fatal wound.
She couldn't brace herself to totally block the giant sword, and the
impact blows her away.
―――She falls, her body drawing a big arc.
Before she falls on her back, Saber turns in mid-air and lands on her
feet.
"...Ugh...!"
She manages to recover.
But red blood is running down her chest.
"―――That's..."
...How stupid of me.
I was forgetting something important.
I don't know how much a Servant can fight in one day, but this is already
her third battle.
And on top of that, Saber has the wound in her chest inflicted by
Lancer.
"Uh, gh―――"
Saber moves as if to protect her chest.
Berserker moves and slashes like a raging wind at the wounded Saber
and――
Receives many attacks on its back.
"―――Vier Stil Erschie[szlig]ung...!"
I don't know what kind of magic it is, but Berserker's body explodes
from Tohsaka's spell.
Judging from the magical energy given out, the magic directly hitting
Berserker must be an impact close to that of a high-caliber pistol.
But even that is meaningless.
It doesn't even scratch Berserker's body.
He isn't nullifying magic like Saber.
It's just that the magic is not doing any damage.
"...!? Gah, what kind of ridiculous body does he have...!?"
But Tohsaka does not stop casting,
But Berserker ignores Tohsaka's spells and charges at Saber.
"...!"
Saber raises her head in pain.
She holds her sword up to still fight.
―――That gets my body to move again.
"No, run, Saber...!"
I yell with all my might.
Hearing that,
she faces the enemy she cannot compare to.
There is no end to Berserker's attacks.
Saber's body sinks every time she blocks a blow, and she slowly
approaches her final moment.
―――But still, where in that small frame does she have all that power?
Saber doesn't retreat.
She blocks the surging waves of the giant sword and tries to drive back
Berserker with her willpower.
There is no chance of victory.
The way she's holding her ground looks bizarre, as she should know she
will be defeated if she keeps fighting.
Maybe it sensed something in her posture.
"[wacky len=12]―――!"
The figure, silent up to now, roars.
A blow impossible to block.
The blow that even swings through Saber blows her away.
The sound of something falling in the distance.
...Fresh blood spills out.
In that pool of blood, with a body that should not be able to get back
up...
"Ag..."
She stands up unconsciously.
...It's as if...
She is saying I would be killed if she didn't do so―――
"―――――――――――"
That...
Makes me realize how foolish my choice was.
Berserker stops after defeating Saber.
Without paying attention to me or Tohsaka, it waits for its master's
orders at the top of the hill.
"Hah, there's no way you would be able to beat him. My Berserker is the
greatest hero of Greece."
"...!? Greatest hero of Greece, you must mean―――"
"Yes. The one standing there is the devil called Hercules.
He is the worst monster there is, on a different level from the heroes you
guys can summon."
The girl who called herself Ilya narrows her eyes cheerfully.
Those are eyes of joy, about to finish off her enemies.
―――I don't even need to say who the ones getting killed are.
Saber will be killed right here.
Then what am I going to do?
Am I going to fight that monster in her place?
I can't do that.
Just approaching that thing without being prepared would stop my
heart.
I―――
I―――can't abandon someone who needs help.
Emiya Shirou has chosen to live like that.
And most importantly... I can't leave the girl who fought to protect me.
"All right, Berserker. She will regenerate, so violate her after you chop
her head off."
Berserker resumes his action.
I―――
"Y-Youuuuuuuuuu...!!"
I run with all my strength.
There's no way I can do anything against that monster.
So the least I can do is to push Saber away and save her from Berserker's
attack――――
"――Huh?"
I fall.
Why...?
I was going to push Saber away, get Saber away from Berserker, and
think about what to do after that, so why...?
"Ga――ha...."
Why?
Why am I on the ground, unable to breathe?
"...!?"
...I hear shocked voices.
First is from Saber, who is right in front of me.
And Tohsaka is astonished at a distance.
And for some reason, Ilya, who is looking down at me dumbfounded, is
also surprised.
"...Hu... h?"
I'm missing my stomach.
I'm on the ground.
On the asphalt are a small amount of blood compared to the wound, soft-
looking organs, bones, and many things like that.
"...I see. How stupid of me."
In short, I didn't make it in time.
Yes―――it was impossible to push Saber out of the way, so I just
shielded her.
And my stomach was blown out by that sword.
"―――Guh."
Geez, I'm ashamed of myself for failing even in a situation like this.
I've been working hard to become a superhero, but I keep making
mistakes when it really counts.
"―――Why?"
The silver-haired girl asks in a daze.
After standing there dumbfolded for a while,
"...That's enough. This is boring."
Without finishing off Saber, she calls Berserker back.
"―――Rin, I'll kill you if I see you again."
The girl leaves.
After watching her leave, my vision cuts out.
My consciousness fades away.
I really can't recover this time.
I was somehow saved when I was killed by Lancer, but that won't
happen again.
There's probably no magic that can save a person who has lost most of
their stomach.
"...W-What were you thinking!? Don't you know I can't save you
again...!?"
I hear an angry voice.
It's probably Tohsaka. She seems really angry, and I'm sorry.
But it can't be helped.
It's not like I can do everything like Tohsaka. All I could use was my
body.
...So that's why...
The only thing I could do was to use my body to shield Saber.
INTERLUDE BEGIN
There's a sound.
It's hard to determine if the sound is someone crying or something being
dragged.
The sound is all there is.
There are only decaying things here.
The stone walls are fragile like rotten trees,
and the air is sweet like honey.
The living things on the floor are melted like ripe fruit, and even time is
rotten and meaningless here.
This space is worn out after a long period of time.
This darkness is the grave of all that were not mourned for, because of
the tenacity of a certain bloodline.
"―――It seems all seven have gathered."
In the center of the decay wiggles the largest decay.
The sound of worms and the smell of rotten meat.
The master of this basement room is rotten but alive, and swarmed by
the otherworldly worms.
The worms that crawl up his feet suck on the skin at the ankles and use
their suckers to consume the meat and burrow into it.
There aren't merely a hundred or so of these swarming worms.
If a human were swarmed by this black carpet, they would not even last
a minute.
A human would have all their meat and bones taken by the worms and
would crumble as a boneless skin.
"Not enough. These worms need to be replaced soon."
But the thing does not crumble.
No, the more the worms enter his body through the ankles, the more
complete his body becomes.
―――That thing is not being consumed by the worms.
The worms swarming the room are the ones being eaten.
The amount stored will last a hundred years.
If this is something that eats only worms, it means that much more life is
already guaranteed.
"There are still more chances to come. It does not mean this is the last
chance. If the conditions aren't perfect, I should restrict myself to just
watching, but..."
"Well," says the figure with a smile.
The "place" this time is far from perfect.
The hole is opening less than ten years after the last battle.
The supervisor, the priest, has two Servants, and the Servant residing at
the Ryudou Temple has summoned a Servant herself.
The conditions are not good.
The grail that would be filled in such an unstable battle would be far
from perfect.
Even if the gate is opened, it would not be possible to reach inside it.
"Then I should just restrict myself to observing, but unfortunately, the
pieces I have are well-suited."
The condition to fight for the Holy Grail is terrible.
But one thing―――that "thing" created after a lot of work has been
completed perfectly.
It shall reach it once it is open.
It shall definitely reach the Holy Grail if it makes no mistake in the
procedure.
After all, it has had the content of the Holy Grail planted within it.
It is a cellular tool that has been contaminated by the Holy Grail for the
past ten years.
So as things with the same origin, it is only natural they will attract each
other.
"...Heh, there is a next time for me, but that thing won't last long. I
received it as an afterbirth, but I never thought it would turn out this
well."
That thing prepared as an experiment is so suitable you could call it
perfect.
It was planned to be disposable, but if it can be used, it should be.
Either way, it is something that was planned to be disposed of.
Even if it is destroyed in battle, it does not change the fact that it will be
disposed.
"―――Then, there is only one problem.
How I will motivate it."
The prepared "compatible work" hates conflict.
It would be simple if its mind could be taken over, but the work's mental
barrier is stronger than expected.
Well, one with a strong Magic Circuit was what was wished for.
So it is only natural for it to be strong against a poison that tries to
violate the self.
Should it be the obedient doll or the superior pupil?
As long as the latter is decided, controlling it is out of the question.
"―――Once is fine. If there is a small opening, it will seek the Holy
Grail on its own, but..."
Creating that small opening is the hard part.
It does not have a mentality that will break down under external
pressure.
If it did, it would have broken already eleven years ago.
That thing is the strongest fortress that has no blade to strike back.
Then, what will break it must come from within.
Its emotions will become the key to change it.
"―――You're here. Then I shall create that small opening."
Footsteps echo through the darkness.
The appearing person walks to the worms in the middle of the decay,
and...
"Do I have to kill every Master?"[r]
And asks the anticipated question.
"――――――――"
Of course, it does not need to answer such a question.
All Masters must be killed.
We must take away all Servants.
That is the idea swirling in this basement.
But pushing that aside...
"If you say so, it cannot be helped. Then I shall restrict myself to
observation this time."
The thing says so.
A voice of relief and a relaxed air.
After giving a kind smile that has no intention of fighting,
"But it is a bit annoying if that is the case. Out of all the Masters, the
daughter of Tohsaka is pretty well-made. If there is a winner, it will
probably be her."
It murmurs disappointedly.
"――――――――"[r]
The slack air returns.
A small change―――a faint emotion of evil fills the room.
The one that disliked conflict was moved by that one word.
It is built on that small movement.
A small crack.
A small opening that should not be opened, which the thing itself does
not notice.
"―――Kuh."
The rotten meat laughs.
Swarmed by worms and still rotting, it continues to laugh, still holding a
human shape.
INTERLUDE END
Day 04 (Avenger):
This is a story from a winter five years ago.
It was a night with a beautiful moon.
I wasn't doing anything, just watching the moon with Kiritsugu.
Even though it was winter, the air wasn't cold.
The corridor was a little chilly, but it was a good night to enjoy the
moon.
Back then, Kiritsugu didn't leave the house often.
Not going outside, he would just laze around the house carelessly.
...I regret it even now, thinking back to it.
Why didn't I notice that it was like the actions of an animal that knows
its time of death?
"I wanted to be a superhero when I was a child."
Suddenly.
That man, himself a superhero in my child's eyes, said that as if yearning
for it.
"What? What do you mean by 'wanted'? Did you give up?"
I became angry and asked him.
Kiritsugu laughed apologetically and looked up at the sky.
"Yes, unfortunately. Being a hero is a time-limited thing, and it becomes
hard to call yourself that when you grow up. I wish I'd found that out
earlier."
I agreed with that.
I didn't know why, but I thought it couldn't be wrong if Kiritsugu said it.
"I see. Then I guess it couldn't be helped."
"Yeah. It really couldn't be helped."
Kiritsugu answers.
So of course, my response was determined.
"Yeah, it can't be helped, so I'll take your place.
It's impossible since you're an adult, but it should be all right for me. Let
me take on your dream."
"―――I'll make it come true."
Before I could finish, my father laughed.
He made a face like he didn't even need to hear the rest.
After breathing in, Emiya Kiritsugu said...
"Yeah―――I'm relieved."
He quietly closed his eyes and ended his life.
I did not cry because he looked so calm, as if he would wake up the next
morning.
It must also have to do with the fact that I'm used to seeing death.
I just silently looked up at the winter moon and my sleeping father.
There were no sounds of insects in the garden. All was silent.
In the bright night, I remember only my eyes burning.
I did not cry out, nor did I feel sad.
But I could not stop my tears until the moon sank.
That is the story from a winter five years ago.
Perhaps I cried ten years worth of tears, since after that, there was
nothing.
Fuji-Nee's father planned the funeral, and I started living in this house
by myself.
Even though Kiritsugu was gone, nothing changed.
Emiya Shirou would become a superhero like Emiya Kiritsugu, so there
was no time to be playing around.
――――Yes.
I never said it, but I clearly remember it.
The figure of the man who saved a lone boy from an inferno.
Emiya Kiritsugu held up the dying child and said "thank you".
Since then, he was the subject of my admiration.
No one saved me.
I couldn't save anyone.
In it all, I was saved, and a person was there to save me.
―――That's why I decided to become like him.
Become a superhero, so that I could save people and let no one be
killed... just like him.
Kiritsugu died peacefully, leaving me his dream of becoming a
superhero himself.
It's only natural for a child to succeed his father.
Emiya Shirou must become a superhero and save someone just like the
old me.
I swore that oath as a child.
To fulfill the dream of the man I admired most.
...But honestly, I don't get it.
What this superhero thing is supposed to be, how to become one, how to
make everyone happy like Kiritsugu always said... and I became this
thing called a Master and things like the blond-haired girl following me
around is confusing my head and really―――
"......!"
When I open my eyes, I'm in a familiar room.
"What, I'm in my own room?"
As soon as I speak, I start to feel terribly sick.
"...Ugh... it tastes bad... in my mouth..."
I taste blood.
Maybe it was filling my mouth, but I breathe in thick air.
"―――"
I'm not sure why I feel like this.
I feel really sick to my stomach, so I want to go to the bathroom and
wash my face.
"――――All right."
I get up.
I feel dizzy.
I almost fall and support myself by putting a hand against the wall.
"...Ugh."
The nausea increases when I move.
...No, this is more like pain than nausea.
My body is heavy and it feels like my stomach is turning every time I
move. Maybe someone would feel like this if they had burning lead
poured into their stomach.
"...Ugh... Imagining that gives me a headache."
I wipe the sweat off my forehead and wobble out of my room.
"...All right. I feel better now."
I wash my face and wipe the sweat off my body.
"...?"
There are bandages wrapped around my stomach for some reason.
I can't recall anything about them, so I leave them be for now.
"...I'm hungry. I wonder if there are any leftovers..."
Even though my stomach feels terrible, it seems my body wants energy.
"Guh..."
Putting my mind into it, I start to walk along the wall.
I still feel dizzy, and my body feels dull.
"Ow―――Owww―――"
I walk forward, crying out miserably.
...Really, what did I do before going to bed?
I don't remember any training that could have caused this pain.
I reach the living room.
Sakura and Fuji-Nee must be at school.
There's no breakfast prepared in the living room, and there's none of
Fuji-Nee's loudness.
The living room is quiet, like an ordinary Sunday―――
"Good morning. I'm afraid I came in without asking you, Emiya-kun."
――No, it's not.
"Wha―――!?"
Tohsaka Rin is sitting on a cushion.
Her calmness makes me think I'm the guest in this house and not her.
Yeah, that's why I'm even more surprised.
"......"
I don't know how to answer her, so I sit down.
And then, I take a deep breath and ask,
"Tohsaka, why..."
"Hold on. Could you apologize first? I can't calm down until I hear an
apology for last night."
I don't even have time to ask her why she's here.
Tohsaka is glaring at me like she's really mad.
It seems she's really angry about last night, but what happened―――?
"―――Hold on."
I recall it now.
That's right, why am I so relaxed?
I tried to save Saber and... Berserker blew away my stomach.
"...Ugh."
The nausea returns.
I feel a chill, remembering the feeling of having a hole in my body.
Something in my stomach moves.
It makes me feel sick.
It makes me feel sick, but that proves I'm still alive.
Wait, that's weird.
Shouldn't that have been instant death for me?
"―――That's strange. Why the hell am I alive?"
"Do you remember? The stupid thing you did last night? If you do, then
please reflect upon your actions."
Tohsaka lets out a "hmph" as she scolds me.
...Huh, that's really annoying.
My head, which was frozen by the fact that Tohsaka is here, finally
resumes activity again.
"What are you saying? There was nothing else to do at the time! Oh...
well, it does look stupid if you just look at the results, but I was going to
do it better.
So it wasn't a mistake."
I protest, glaring at her.
"...Hmph."
W-What?
Why is she sighing?
"Didn't I tell you Servants disappear if their Master is killed? It's crazy to
try to protect your Servant."
"Look, Saber will disappear if you're killed. If you want to save Saber,
think of a way to do so from a safe place.
...Geez, don't you understand that protecting your Servant with your life
is just meaningless?"
"It's not that I protected her with my life. I tried to save her, and it just
happened to work out like that. I didn't think things would end up like
that either."
I did think I would be killed if I went near that monster, but that's a
different matter.
"...I see. You seem to be misunderstanding."
As if she's read my mind, she sulks even more.
"Look, Emiya-kun. I'll come out and say it. I didn't take you to the
church to help you win.
I was trying to help you stay alive even if you were left on your own. It
seems you didn't understand that part of it."
"Help me stay alive...?"
"That's right. You shouldn't take risks if you realize that a loss equals
your death. You seem to be someone who would walk out at night by
yourself even in a situation like this.
If I threatened you, I thought you wouldn't take risks and you might get
through this."
"I see. I didn't notice that."
So that's why she's complaining to me about not realizing that and
running at Berserker.
"...? So why are you mad, Tohsaka? It shouldn't bother you if I'm the one
that made the mistake."
"Of course it bothers me! You made me worry for a whole night!"
Tohsaka loses her temper.
...But I see.
Honestly, I'm happy she's worrying about me.
Looking at the situation, it seems Tohsaka was the one who treated my
injuries.
"I see. I guess you helped me out. Thank you."
I bow my head to show my thanks and apologize.
"――――"
"Heh, if you undersand, then we'll let it slide. If you've learned from this,
then think before acting next time."
Tohsaka looks away.
Her gesture is snappy, but it seems she's in a good mood again.
"Then we're done with what happened last night.
I'll move on to the main topic, but which do you want to talk about? Last
night or something serious?"
"...?"
Tohsaka starts a conversation as if it's natural to do so.
Her straight-forwardness surprises me, but thinking about it, she came
here for a reason.
If she didn't have business with me, she would have gone home already.
What is it that Tohsaka, my enemy, wants to discuss in her enemy's
territory?
I'm interested in that, and I also want to know what happened last night.
It's stupid not to ask, so I―――
"I want to know what happened yesterday first."
"That's right. Knowing the current situation comes first. Wow, you're
pretty smart."
Smiling in satisfaction, Tohsaka describes yesterday's events.
It seems that Berserker left after I lost consciousness.
She tells me that my body started to heal itself, and that it looked fine
after about ten minutes.
And she says she brought me here since I didn't regain consciousness
even after my wound healed, and that's where we are right now.
"The important thing is you survived on your own. I did help, but it was
your own power that healed you. Don't mistake that part."
"It seems that way from what you told me. So you didn't heal it?"
"Of course not. I can't do anything like revive a dying person any more.
Emiya Shirou himself healed his own wounds."
"―――Hm."
What can I do, now that she said that?
My stomach is certainly healed, but I have doubts about Tohsaka's story.
I can't use healing magic, let alone revival magic.
"Then the cause must be the Servant.
Your Servant must be really powerful, or something went wrong during
the summoning. ...Well, I think it's both, but I think some kind of line
formed between you two."
"A line? You mean like the karmic line connecting a familiar and a
magus?"
"Oh, so you have a working knowledge of familiars?
Then this should be easy to explain. In other words, Emiya-kun and
Saber's relationship is not a normal relationship like the one between a
normal master and their familiar.
"It looks like Saber has natural healing powers, so some of that may be
flowing into you.
Normally, the magus's power flows into the familiar, but in your case,
the familiar's power is flowing into you and helping you out."
"...Hmmm. So putting it simply, it's like a river flowing upstream?"
"That's a good way to put it. It is not naturally possible, but I bet Saber's
magical energy is so great that it can even change the flow of a river.
That's the only reason she is able to go against Berserker with her small
size."
"Not naturally possible... then is the relationship between you and
Archer that of a normal magus and familiar?"
"Yes. He doesn't listen to much of what I say, but we do still have such a
relationship."
"The connection between a Servant and a Master is like that of gasoline
and an engine. We provide the magical energy, and the Servant uses it.
......Well, I guess there have been some Masters who shared their
physical bodies with their Servants to obtain false immortality. Not
dying until their Servants are dead, something like that... hey, are you
listening, Emiya-kun?"
"Huh...? Yeah, I'm listening.
Then, are you saying most wounds on my body will heal even if I don't
do anything?"
"Using your Servant's magical energy. I don't know how, but I'm sure the
cause is in Saber's materialization. I know you haven't learned the curse
of self-healing."
"Of course not. My father never taught me anything that difficult."
"No, I mean that if that's the case, I've nothing to worry about. Don't
worry about it, it has nothing to do with you."
"...?"
What is it?
Tohsaka's words are indirect and hard to follow.
"Oh well. Just don't do anything too reckless.
It's good that you survived this time, but you won't survive if you get
hurt like that again. You shouldn't get optimistic and think that you'll
survive any major injury."
"I understand. I feel bad about getting hurt and having Saber helping
me."
"Idiot, that's not the reason. I'm sure you're not just using Saber's
magical energy to heal your wounds.
―――You're definitely using something.
I don't know what it is... your life span, your luck, or your savings
account, but you're definitely using something up."
Tohsaka gives a "hmph" once again.
I feel the same way, but...
"Tohsaka, isn't my savings account completely unrelated?"
"Of course it's related! Magic uses up your money, so it's something that
drains your money the more you use it!
I won't allow myself to be wrong!"
Tohsaka Rin erupts with the fire of a personal grudge.
It's strange.
The more I talk with her, the more I understand this is the real Tohsaka
Rin, and that the Tohsaka at school is just a mask she puts on.
...No, it's something I realized already yesterday.
"Well, putting the part about money aside.
Is it okay if I ask you a serious question, Emiya-kun?"
"That's why you stayed here, right? All right, I'll listen."
"Then I'll be direct about it. What are you planning to do from now on?"
She confronts me with the one question I don't want to be asked.
...No, that's not it.
It's not that I don't want her to ask me, but I haven't made my mind up
yet.
I'm the one who wants to ask what I should do now.
"...Honestly, I don't know. You say I should fight for the Holy Grail, but
I've never been in a fight between magi.
First of all, I―――"
I want to try to avoid killing people, and most of all―――
"I'm not interested in something mysterious like the Holy Grail.
I'm not too sure about risking my life for something I don't want."
"I knew you'd say that. You'll be killed by your Servant with an attitude
like that."
"Wha... Why would I!?"
"Because the Servant's goal is also the Holy Grail.
They can be summoned by the Masters because obtaining the Holy Grail
is a condition of their summoning."
"The most important thing for a Servant is to obtain the Holy Grail.
They obey their Master and risk their life for their Master, because they
have a chance of obtaining it.
So just try saying that you don't want the Holy Grail. You can't complain
even if they kill you and call you a traitor."
"...What? That's weird. Servants are summoned by the Masters, right?
So―――"
"Do you think a Servant would obey a human without being rewarded?
The Holy Grail grants the wish of whoever obtains it. The Servant of the
Master who obtains it is no exception.
Even Servants have their own wishes. That is why they respond to the
otherwise impossible summoning."
"It's not that Masters summon Servants to obtain the Holy Grail.
Servants answer the Masters' call so they can obtain it."
"―――――"
Servants have their own desires...?
Then, does that mean Saber has a wish she wants the Holy Grail to
grant?
"That's why the Servants try to eliminate other Servants even without
orders from their Masters. Only one can obtain the Holy Grail. They
cannot accept other Masters obtaining it.
Unlike their Masters, they don't have the power to take away the
Command Spells. So the only way they can disarm other Masters is to
kill them."
"So even if the Master has no intention of fighting, battle is inevitable.
A Master who is attacked by a Servant must fight it off with their own
Servant. You heard enough from Kirei to know that this is the nature of
the Holy Grail War, right?"
"―――Yeah, he told me that last night.
But―――"
That means allowing your Servant to try to kill other Servants.
I thought it would be over if I reached a compromise with other Masters,
but if Servants are summoned to obtain the Holy Grail and they will not
give it up, then a battle between the Servants is inevitable.
...Then...
The girl who fought to protect me is also ready to kill or be killed to
obtain the Holy Grail?
"...That's awful. I don't know about this heroic spirit thing, but Saber is
human. She was bleeding badly yesterday too."
"Oh, don't worry about that. There's no life or death for Servants. Even if
Servants are eliminated, they just go back to where they belong. Heroic
spirits are a phenomenon, they can't be killed. The only ones that can be
killed during a fight are Masters."
"No, but still..."
Even if it's a temporary death...
There's still the fact that something human-like has disappeared from
this world.
"What? Are you saying it's murder? Are you still carrying such a sense
of justice even though you're a magus?"
"――――――――"
Her comment is only natural.
As a magus, death is always right beside me.
I understand it and I'm already prepared for that.
But still―――I'm not strong enough to judge people's deaths as good or
bad.
"―――Of course. I won't fight anyone to the death."
"Oh? So you're just going to wait for the others to kill you? You're
ceding the victory to other Masters?"
"That's not it. The point is to survive to the end, right? I don't have any
intention of killing others, but I'll have no mercy in a fight to protect
myself.
...If the enemies are out to kill me, they can't complain if they are killed
in return, right?"
"Oh, so you'll be staying on the defensive. Then you'll just be observing
what other Masters are doing, right? So even if someone like yesterday
goes around killing everyone, you're going to ignore it?"
Someone like yesterday...?
She must mean that inhuman monster.
"―――――"
Superhuman strength that allows the destruction of a house or two with a
single blow...
...Certainly, if that thing wished it, this town could be in ruins in just one
night.
And on top of that, the problem is that the Servants are normally in spirit
form.
Humans can't see those in spirit form.
But since the Servants can affect the real world as spirits, you could call
them the most powerful weapon.
With the technology we have now, there are no weapons that can affect
spiritual beings.
Our attacks are useless against them, while theirs can still harm us.
It's more than just an unfair game.
Murder by a Servant is like natural death for normal people.
Death caused by an invisible killer will just be treated as an accident or
suicide.
"What is that? Servants―――no, Masters and Servants don't just attack
other Masters? Don't other people have nothing to do with them?"
"Yeah, I really wish that was the case. But if it were, you wouldn't need
a supervisor like Kirei, would you?"
"I should have said earlier. Servants are spirits. They are already
complete, so they don't grow.
But magical energy used as fuel is different.
The more they have available, the more they can use the powers they
had in life.
In that respect, they're just like us magi... Do you understand?"
"I do. So they can use magic repeatedly, right?"
You could say magical energy is the gunpowder to fill a gun, and the
magus is the gun itself.
The type of gun depends on the abilities of the magus: pistol, rifle,
machine gun, shotgun...
Continuing with that metaphor, Servants are cannons.
Using a large amount of gunpowder, they fire a large bullet.
"That's right. Servants aren't given their mana by nature. They act with
the magical energy inside them.
We Masters support them, so Servants can only use their powers using
their own magical energy plus the magical energy of their Masters.
"But that means an amateur Master like you would be no match for other
Masters, right?
So there's a loophole... well, I guess you could call it an obvious answer.
Servants can supplement their magical energy from other sources.
Servants are spirits, so they can get nourishment from eating things that
are like them."
"―――Hm?"
Nourished by eating things that are like them...?
"Things like them? You mean other spirits? But what kind of spirits
would they eat?"
"It's a simple answer. Nature spirits obtain power from nature itself.
So where do you think Servants, human spirits, get their power from?"
"―――Oh."
It is a simple answer.
Just as we humans eat meat, the human spirits―――
"Exactly. Usually, they replenish enough magical energy from their
Masters.
But it's obvious that one gets more magical energy from many people
than from just one person, right?
So, to put it bluntly, a weak Master makes his Servant eat humans."
"――――"
"Servants transform human emotions and souls into magical energy.
That is the most efficient way to make your Servant more powerful.
There are many Masters who kill humans as sacrifices for their
Servants."
"As sacrifices... so you're saying that if a Master didn't care about his
methods, he would kill humans to make his Servant stronger?"
"Yes. But I don't think a smart Master would do such a thing."
"You see, even if Servants are powerful, there is a limit to their magical
energy capacity. They can't store magical energy beyond it, so there is a
limit to how much they can kill to collect magical energy.
The Association wouldn't ignore you if you went around killing people,
and most of all, other Masters might figure out your Servant's abilities
and identify them from the cause of death. Not to mention the identity of
the Master as well.
It is highly advantageous in the Holy Grail War to keep your identity a
secret, so most Masters should use their Servants sparingly."
...I see.
Certainly, if nobody knows that you are a Master, there's no danger of
other Masters attacking you.
Conversely, if you know who the other Masters are, you could definitely
pull a surprise attack on them.
By that theory, there won't be many Masters that would have their
Servants attack humans and reveal their identity―――
"...I'm glad. Then there's no problem. That means Servants won't
indiscriminately attack humans without orders from their Master."
"Right. They are heroes, right? Someone who would go out and kill
people wouldn't be called a hero in the first place―――well, no, I can't
really say that for sure.
There are many examples of people becoming heroes just because they
were mass murderers."
"―――"
Tohsaka makes an ominous comment.
As it seems to be her true feelings rather than just sarcasm, a bit of strain
in her personality might be showing.
"Let's get back to the point. What are you going to do?
Since you don't want to kill people, you're just going to watch, is that
right?"
...I take back what I said.
She really has a bad personality. She's a real bully, putting me on the
spot and asking me that with a smile.
"I'll just have to stop them. The Masters will calm down once they lose
their Servants, right?"
"Unbelievable. You say you won't go out and kill other Masters, but you
also say you'll kill them if they do anything bad.
Emiya-kun, do you realize you're contradicting yourself?"
"Yeah, I know it's selfish, but I can't think of any other choices. I won't
change my decision no matter how much you argue against it."
"Hmm. But there's one problem with that. Would you like to know what
it is?"
She's plotting something. With that face, she's definitely plotting
something.
But as a man, I have to listen.
"O-Okay. What is it?"
"Do you remember the Master yesterday? The girl who was talking
about killing you and me?"
"――――"
How could I forget? They attacked us mercilessly.
"That girl will come to kill us. I think you know that too."
"―――"
I... see.
That girl is a Master too.
Since she knows Tohsaka and I are Masters, she will come and attack us
sooner or later.
I don't know if it'll be today or tomorrow, but I do know it's a death
sentence.
At least, I know I can't stop such a monster.
"Her Servant, Berserker, is on a different level.
You can't match it, being an inexperienced Master. You say you won't do
anything except defend yourself, but you won't even be able to do that."
"―――Sorry. But you wouldn't be able to beat it either, right?"
"I wouldn't be able to beat it head on. It's the most powerful Servant in
hand-to-hand combat. I don't think any previous Servant could match it.
Even I wouldn't be able to escape if Berserker attacked me."
"...I feel the same way. I don't think I'll get another chance if they attack
me again."
Unconsciously, I place my hand on my stomach.
The wound on my stomach is healed now.
No, you couldn't call it a wound. It was pretty much instant death.
My nausea returns just at the thought of taking another blow like that.
"That's right. Do you get it? You can't choose to wait until the Holy Grail
War is over without doing anything."
"...Yeah, I get it. But what are you trying to say? I don't quite
understand.
Or are you enjoying watching me be condemned to death?"
"I don't have such bad taste.
Geez, don't you get it after I've said so much? In short, I'm asking you if
you want to join up with me."
"...?"
Hm? Hmmmm, hm?
Um, if I take that at face value, that's...
"―――Join up!? You mean, me and you!?"
"Yes. My Archer received a fatal wound and is healing right now. It will
take a while for him to heal fully, but he should still be about half as
useful.
And there are no problems with your Servant, but her Master is dragging
her down, so she is half as useful as well. See, it adds up fine."
"Huh. I'm not that bad."
"Even though you've almost died three times from what I know of? I
think you're the first person I've ever seen almost die three times in one
day."
"Guh―――but that's..."
"I'll make the alliance worthwhile. I'll forgive you for beating Archer and
I'll teach you about being a Master. Oh, and if we have time, I can look
at your skills as a magus. How about it?"
...Ugh.
That certainly is an attractive proposal.
As I don't know anything, Tohsaka would be a useful teacher.
And if I can help it, I don't want to fight against her.
Not because she's the girl I admired at school.
In fact, if I didn't know her like this, I wouldn't feel this much
resistance.
...The Tohsaka Rin in front of me is so different from how people
describe her as an honor student.
But talking to her, she is just Tohsaka and it seems she's just as she
appears.
Well―――in other words, I'm saying I find her so much more attractive
this way that I'm wondering why I even have to tell myself this―――
"Emiya-kun? I want to hear your answer."
She urges me to respond.
I―――
"......"
I shouldn't even need to think twice about it.
I'm a novice, and Tohsaka is at her full potential as a Master and a
magus.
Considering the events yesterday, it'd be smarter to join up with
Tohsaka.
"――――――"
......I touch my stomach, the place I got cut.
It's wrapped in bandages, and touching it sends waves of pain and
nausea through me.
...It's only natural.
I wasn't just cut, I was almost split in half.
Thanks to Tohsaka and Saber, I'm still alive. But as long as Berserker is
after me, I'm a dead man.
"......"
But something still lingers in the back of my mind.
The black giant called Berserker.
The girl in white, accompanied by the strongest Servant.
The innocent, whimsical, and cruel girl, Ilyasviel.
Ilyasviel von Einzbern.
―――That's the name Shinji's grandfather said.
"Emiya-kun. I want to hear your response."
"Oh――――I'm sorry. I was thinking about that Ilya girl.
Joining up with you means we'll be fighting her, right?"
"Yes. She's ready to fight, so we just need to retaliate.
We need to defeat all the Masters anyway. If she wants to kill us, we
should do likewise."
"......"
Tohsaka's mind is made up.
In Tohsaka's mind, that girl is just an enemy that must be defeated.
But――――
I know there's something wrong with me for thinking this way, but I
don't want to fight her.
"Emiya-kun? I hope this isn't the case, but don't tell me her looks are
deceiving you."
She glares at me.
"――――――――"
She's sharp.
I didn't realize it, but my hesitation seems proof that I was being
deceived.
...She is Berserker's Master.
If she has such a strong Servant, she must be a powerful magus. I
shouldn't focus too much on her outward appearance.
I shouldn't, but――――
"―――I'm sorry, Tohsaka.
I'm glad you're worried about me, but I can't give you the response you
want. This is a serious matter, you know? I feel I shouldn't rush to a
decision."
I look directly back at her and answer.
Tohsaka narrows her eyes a bit and nods emotionlessly.
"Then negotiations have failed. ...Well, you have a point too. If you
really want to win, you can't trust anyone."
"That's not it. I trust you, Tohsaka. It's just that I can't decide on my own.
If I'm Saber's Master, I can't make a promise without her consent."
"I see. That is true. You are a Master now."
Giving a nod of understanding, Tohsaka turns away.
She strides to the door, her hair fluttering behind her.
But just before leaving, the girl who could have been my ally gives me
one last look, and...
"Goodbye. We will be enemies the next time we meet."
...Like the girl Ilya, she leaves a cold warning.
"――――Well."
I take a breath and analyze the situation.
I haven't had time to think since I saw that fight between Lancer and
Archer last night.
"...Oh. I see. Then that must've been Tohsaka."
I finally realize it.
I was stabbed by Lancer after that, was saved for some reason, and
attacked by Lancer again――――
"Saber saved me, and I became a Master."
What I heard at the church.
The killing called the Holy Grail War.
The Holy Grail which grants any wish, given to the winner.
...I can't absorb all the facts, but I have been attacked three times
already.
So I can't sit here in confusion forever.
I said I would fight, since I could not sit by and do nothing.
I won't allow any innocent people to get hurt.
Since that day ten years ago, I have trained to become a superhero.
I never thought I would be tested like this, but I won't back out now.
I'll cast off all hesitation.
Come to think of it, this is an opportunity.
This is a chance to "help others" just like Emiya Kiritsugu.
"......"
But something lingers in the back of my mind...
―――Rejoice, Emiya Shirou.
The backwards desire that should not be wished for...
―――Your wish will finally come true.
...Might be a distorted wish for a superhero...
"――――That can't be. I didn't want the Holy Grail War."
...There's no need to hesitate.
There is nothing wrong with the wish I've had for ten years.
Emiya Shirou will become a superhero.
I have trained in magic to help others.
"All right. I need to talk with Saber."
I shake off the priest's words and exit into the hallway.
I look through the house.
I look everywhere someone could possibly be, including all the guest
rooms, but I can't find her.
"That's strange... She's in that outfit, so you'd think it'd be easy to find
her."
And yet I can't find her anywhere.
I guess Servants can become spirits, but I can't turn her into one
anyway.
No, first of all―――
"Even though they call me a Master, I don't know anything about her."
I don't know who she is or how she can exist.
The only thing I understand is...
No matter how superior they are, they can still get hurt in a fight and
bleed if they are wounded.
"―――Oh."
Saber is in the silent dojo.
But her appearance is different from yesterday.
She sits Japanese-style on the wooden floor without her armor.
Her clothes are now refined and suit her well as she sits quietly.
"――――――――"
...I lose my voice at the sight.
Sitting with her back straight and eyes closed, Saber looks beautiful.
Melting into the silence, she reminds me of pure water.
"――――――――"
And that removes the last of the doubts within me.
Even if she is a Servant, there's something holy about her.
So―――I won't be led astray if I'm with her.
"Saber."
I call out.
Saber slowly opens her eyes and returns my gaze.
"You are awake, Shirou."
A calm voice.
Surprisingly suited to this place, her voice echoes through the dojo as if
permeating it.
"―――Yeah. I just got up. What were you doing here?"
"I was resting. I cannot treat you, so I thought I'd make sure I was in
perfect condition."
"―――!"
Saber looks at me as she speaks.
...Well, um...
I feel a tension, different from the kind I felt with Tohsaka.
"Shirou? What is it? Could it be that your body is still...?"
"...! ―――N-No, there's no problem...! I'm just perplexed for my own
reasons, so don't worry...!"
I take a step back and shake my head.
"...?"
Looking away from Saber, who is tilting her head questioningly, I calm
my pounding heart.
"...Calm down. What am I so tense about―――!?"
I take a deep breath.
...But it doesn't seem to die down quickly. In fact, I don't think it ever
will.
"...Man, why did she get changed...?"
I complain without meaning to.
Saber's clothes are so real that they make me conscious of her
womanhood, whether I like it or not.
...She is terribly beautiful.
I thought I figured that out yesterday, but she really hits me with it now.
Perhaps her armor looked so surreal I didn't notice yesterday.
But when she dresses like a girl, I'm flustered, as any healthy guy would
be.
"Shirou."
I tense up the moment our eyes meet.
But I didn't look for her just to say nothing. I'm troubled, but I can't stay
quiet forever.
"―――All right.
May I, Saber? It'll be the first time we sit down and talk―――"
I make up my mind and talk to her.
―――And then.
"Shirou. Before that, there is something I would like to address
regarding last night."
Her previous gentleness goes away and she stops me in displeasure.
"――? All right, what is it?"
"It is about last night.
You are my Master. It is troubling if you take such actions. Battle is my
duty, so you must concentrate on your role. If you go and die in vain,
there is no way I can protect you."
She states it clearly.
―――That makes the tension I was feeling vanish.
"W-What do you mean!? You would have been slashed if I didn't do
that!"
"In that case, I would have just died. It was not something you should
have been hurt over.
I repeat myself. Please do not that again.
There is no need for my Master to protect me, and there is no reason for
it either."
She says this rather simply.
It must be because she sounds so practical.
"Wha―――don't be stupid. You don't need a reason to save a girl...!"
I react without meaning to.
Maybe she was surprised at being yelled at, but she pauses for a moment
as if I did something unexpected.
And then, she stares at me with indescribable dignity.
"Uh..."
I back up a bit, being stared at.
Her look makes me realize what I've said, and I suddenly feel
embarrassed.
"A-Anyway, I'm grateful you brought me home. Thank you."
I thank her while looking away.
...It's awkward to thank her in the first place, but it's even more awkward
to thank her in this situation.
But still, before anything else, I have to thank her for helping me.
"You are welcome. It is natural for a Servant to protect her Master, but I
am happy to be thanked. You are very polite."
"No. I'm not polite."
So there's something I need to clarify right now.
It's something I should have asked her the moment we got back last
night.
If she really is my Servant....
And if she really is going to be joining this battle...
"Going back to our conversation, Saber.
...Oh, I'll ask formally. Can I call you Saber?"
"Yes. Since I have formed a contract with you as a Servant, I am your
sword. I shall follow your orders, defeat your enemies, and protect
you."
She says without the slightest hesitation.
There's no room for argument.
"Become my sword, huh? Is that to win this Holy Grail War?"
"...? Is that not why you have summoned me?"
"No. I only summoned you by chance.
As you know, I'm only an amateur magus. I'm sorry, but I have neither
the knowledge nor the power of a Master.
But I've decided to fight, so I'll fight. I'm an unskilled Master, are you
okay with that?"
"Of course. You are my Master, Shirou.
This fact will not change. A Servant does not have the freedom to choose
her Master."
"――――――――"
...I see.
Then I should try to respond to her to the best of my ability.
"...All right. So you're content with me as your Master?"
"Yes. But Shirou, I shall not allow defeat for my Master.
If you have no chance of victory, I shall make one for you. I will use any
means possible to have you obtain the Holy Grail.
We Servants do not serve the Masters without compensation. We serve
because we also desire the Holy Grail."
"Huh―――? Hold on. The Holy Grail, you mean you want it too...!?"
"Of course. After all, the only ones who can touch the Holy Grail in
spirit form are we Servants, who are also spirits.
The Master that wins the Holy Grail War will obtain the Holy Grail
through the medium of their Servant. After that, the Servant who served
the winning Master will have its wish granted in compensation.
―――That is the relationship between Masters and Servants."
"――――――――"
...I see.
Now that she says it, it's obvious something like a "heroic spirit" would
never obey a mere human being.
Since they have their own objectives, they serve the Master in
exchange.
...Then that means Saber has a wish she wants granted.
That is why she has no doubts.
But...
"...Hold on, Saber. You said any means possible, right? Does that mean
you don't care what measures you take to win the war?
For example―――"
Doing something like what that priest said.
Involving innocent people and creating a disaster like what happened ten
years ago――――
"Shirou, that is not a possibility.
I can only do things I allow myself to do. I cannot betray my beliefs. It is
against the knight's oath to hurt those who are unarmed."
But I must obey your orders. You will have to use one of your Command
Spells to compensate for trampling over me."
I am overwhelmed by her angered voice.
"――――――――"
But still, I'm happy and relieved.
Her lack of doubt gave her the image of a cold fighting machine, but I
know now that she is not a cold-blooded killer.
"―――Yeah, I won't let you do that.
Like you said, we have to do our best with what we can do. ...I'm really
sorry. I insulted you without realizing it."
"Ah... no, I leapt to a conclusion without knowing your intentions. You
are not at fault, so please raise your head..."
"Huh? Oh, sorry, I apologized without realizing it."
I raise my head.
"――――――――"
I don't know what's so funny, but Saber has a small smile on her face.
"...?"
Well, I'm glad she's smiling, so I won't ask her about it.
"...All right. Then can I ask you something else? A Master is a magus
that summons Servants, right?
That's fine, but I don't quite understand you guys. Like, Saber and
Lancer, I know those aren't your real names."
"Yes, those are only the names of the classes given to us. ...Very well, I
shall describe it briefly since we have the chance."
"We Servants are heroic spirits.
We each have won fame during our lives or have accomplished some
great deed beyond human ability.
Whatever the means, we are beings that have reached the rank of gods
with our own strength."
That doesn't even need to be said.
Heroic spirits are heroes that had supernatural abilities while they were
alive, whose fame was such that they were promoted into the ranks of
spirits after death instead of becoming mere ghosts.
"But that is also to our disadvantage. As we are heroes, our weaknesses
have been recorded.
Revealing our names, revealing our identities, means revealing our
weaknesses.
It is no problem if we fight lower spirits, but we are all capable of
defeating each other. If our weaknesses are revealed, the enemy will take
advantage of them to defeat us."
"...I see. Heroes usually do have opponents they're weak against. That's
why you're hiding your real name and using the name Saber?"
"Yes. However, I am not called Saber only for that reason.
There are seven Servants called forth by the Holy Grail, and every one
of these is selected according to their class."
"Class...? You mean like Saber and Archer?"
"Yes. Summoning a true heroic spirit is already almost a miracle. To
summon seven is too much even for the Holy Grail.
As a solution, the Holy Grail prepares seven vessels in advance and only
calls forth heroic spirits compatible with these vessels.
Those are the seven classes.
Saber.
Lancer.
Archer.
Rider.
Caster.
Assassin.
Berserker.
"The Holy Grail calls forth from all times the heroic spirits, with
abilities corresponding to each of these classes.
And those who receive these classes are called Servants."
"...I see. So you were a heroic spirit skilled with swords, so you were
summoned as Saber?"
"Yes. There are heroic spirits that have multiple attributes, but I believe I
am the best when it comes to swords."
"But that is also the weakness of the Saber class.
Since I am not a magus, I can only defeat your enemies as your sword."
"So you're not well-suited to trickery. No, I don't think that's a weakness.
You're powerful, so that should be enough, right?"
"Shirou, you cannot win this war just by being strong in battle.
For instance, if your enemy is stronger than you in combat, what will
you do?"
"Huh? Well... if I knew I couldn't beat them in combat, I'd have to do
something without fighting―――"
Having said that much, I understand.
If the enemies are strong, you wouldn't fight a proper battle.
Beating opponents with your sword isn't the only way to fight.
If you can't beat an enemy head-on, you'll have to do it some other way.
"Exactly. If your enemy discovers you are skilled in combat, your enemy
will most likely not challenge you in combat. ...And in that sense,
Servants that lack ability will use any means possible."
"The Servant Assassin has low attributes, but has a special ability to hide
its presence, and the Servant Caster is versed in magic that does not exist
in this age.
You cannot be optimistic because of a mere difference in power. And on
top of that, we have our 'Noble Phantasms'. No matter what kind of
Servant we are, as heroic spirits, we have our guaranteed fatal attack."
"Noble Phantasm―――?"
That's not a term I've heard before.
I think I might know what it means from the sound of it, though...
"Noble Phantasms are special weapons carried by Servants.
Weapons like Lancer's lance, Archer's bow, and my sword are such.
Heroes are not called heroes by themselves. Heroes have weapons that
symbolize them and make them heroes."
"The hero and his weapon are one. So those who became heroic spirits
wield a powerful weapon.
That is the 'Noble Phantasm'―――the trump card for Servants, and the
thing we must take the most care of."
"――――――――"
...Saber says that Noble Phantasms are weapons that heroes wielded
when they were alive.
I recall that blue knight.
The lance that absorbed magical energy from the air and pierced Saber's
chest with incredible movements.
That was certainly not something fit for humans.
That lance itself carried a strong curse, but I also felt an overwhelming
amount of magical energy in the word Lancer said back then.
Then could it be...?
"Saber. Are Noble Phantasms magic?
Lancer's lance certainly seemed like a lance with history, but the lance
itself wasn't extraordinary.
But that lance went beyond the realm of weapons with his words. Isn't
that some sort of magic?"
"Yes, Noble Phantasms are certainly similar to magic.
For example, Lancer's lance itself is a Noble Phantasm, but it
demonstrates its full potential only when he puts magical energy into it
and says its true name."
"A Noble Phantasm could be called a materialized divine mystery.
As spells are necessary to activate magic, recitation of the true name is
necessary to awaken and to activate the Noble Phantasm.
But that is also dangerous. By saying the true name of their Noble
Phantasm, the identity of the Servant is revealed."
"...Oh yeah. Heroes and their weapons are one. If you know the
weapon's name, you naturally know the identity of the owner."
Saber nods silently.
That is why the Noble Phantasm is a trump card.
In exchange for revealing the name, it launches an unavoidable fatal
blow.
But when it does not prove fatal... the Servant will expose all its
weaknesses.
"Then, Saber. Is your Noble Phantasm that invisible sword?"
"...Yes. But I have not revealed its identity yet. No Servants should know
my true name at this point."
Having said that, Saber looks down awkwardly for a second.
"Shirou. I have a request about that matter."
"Huh? What kind of request?"
"About my real name. Usually, Servants give their true names to their
Master only, to determine future plans.
But you are an inexperienced magus.
A superior magus would be able to read your mind, so―――"
"Oh, so you can't tell me your real name? ...Yeah, you're right. Like
hypnotism, suggestion, or...
well, I don't think there'd be any, but if any other Master had mystic
eyes, I might just start babbling about it.
―――All right. Let's do that. I'll rely on you to decide when to use your
Noble Phantasm."
"Uh―――um, can you really decide that so quickly?"
"It wasn't easy. I thought it through.
I agreed after thinking about it, so don't worry."
"――――――――"
...Well.
I get most of this stuff, but I still don't have a grasp of the situation.
This is strange, now that I think about it.
Even though I've decided to fight, the only enemy I know is Tohsaka,
and I don't intend to fight her.
Well, I shouldn't be thinking like that because Tohsaka is ready to fight
me any day.
"Hey Saber, do Servants and Masters have some sort of mark? I don't
really know what I should be doing."
"No. Unfortunately, there is no clear way to distinguish them.
But if other Servants are near, Servants are able to sense them. All the
more if they are materialized. Servants themselves are powerful magic.
I am sure you felt Berserker's presence."
"Ugh―――that is true. But it's bad to be able to tell only when you're
attacked. I need to at least know before they approach, so I can take
some sort of countermeasure."
"Then, how about searching for the Master's presence? Masters are
magi. Since they use magic for a living, they will leak magical energy. If
you search for that, you may be able to identify the Masters in this
town."
"...Sorry. Unfortunately, I can't do that sort of thing."
After all, I didn't even realize Tohsaka's real identity, and she goes to the
same school as I do.
We were in the same building for two years, and on top of that, I've seen
her several times.
"―――Geez. No wonder people call me an amateur. The only evidence
I'm even a Master is this Command Spell. It seems there'll be lots of
difficulties ahead."
I sigh.
―――And then.
"Shirou. Could you close your eyes for a moment?"
Saber speaks with a serious expression on her face.
"...? Close my eyes? Why?"
"To prove that you are a Master. Just close your eyes and breathe
normally."
"......"
...I close my eyes.
I feel a faint pressure on my forehead.
―――――Hey, it's prickling. Could this be the end of her
sword―――!?
"―――Saber? Hold on, are you doing something weird?"
"...Master, please stay silent and concentrate on my fingertip. If you are
a magus, you should be able to feel my magical energy."
"―――Hm."
I see, so it's Saber's finger that's touching me.
I pull myself together and calm down.
―――Then.
What is this?
"Saber, what was that?"
"You should not need to ask. You and I are connected by our contract, so
it is only natural for you to be able to understand my status."
"―――Understand? You mean, what happened just now?"
"I do not know how you saw it. It is your standard that measures the
Servant's ability. Some Masters classify according to color, and some
classify according to animals."
"So in other words, you perceive it in a way most comprehensible for
you.
This is a standard concept for a Master, so please check frequently. Like
me, once you see someone, you shall understand their details."
...I see.
I was a bit surprised since it was so sudden, but I might be able to act a
bit like a Master now.
"―――Master. I have simplified things, but that is all the explanation I
can give you."
"Okay. It was quick, but I get it now. Sorry, Saber."
"...You should not be 'sorry'.
If you understand the situation, you should be deciding on a plan of
action."
She leans forward expectantly.
...I see.
Saber is the same type as Tohsaka: attack first.
That's good in its own way, but I can't decide what to do when I don't
know what we should be doing.
"Hmm... We should wait and see... but we can't afford to do that. I don't
know anything about the other Masters and I'm curious about the Ilya
girl. ...We should be going out in search of other Masters, but――――"
I think it's dangerous to wander around aimlessly.
...Damn.
Maybe I should have cooperated with Tohsaka.
"Ilya...? What about Berserker's Master, Shirou?"
"Huh...? Oh, no. I'm just wondering why she's after us.
And that wasn't the first time I met her. I've met her once before, and I've
heard the name Einzbern before as well."
"......"
Then.
After hearing the name "Einzbern," Saber gives me a hard look.
"Saber? Do you also know the name Einzbern?"
"...Yes, I do. Let me ask you instead. Do you not know of that name?"
"Well, I've only heard of it. An unrelated guy asked me how the
Einzbern girl was doing before I even met her."
"......I see. Then you have not heard anything."
Saber closes her eyes and ponders.
"...This must be fate. You should go to the church if you would like to
know about the Einzbern family.
That priest should be able to answer your questions and guide you to the
path you must take."
"The church...? You mean the church we went to yesterday? But he told
us we shouldn't go back there unless I want to revoke my Command
Spell."
"He must have said that for expediency's sake. That rule is only part of
the face he puts up for his association. It has no power if you are not part
of their association."
"Hm..."
...That is certainly true.
Tohsaka belongs to the Magic Association, but we don't.
We wouldn't gain anything from following their orders, so we can ignore
them.
"Do you understand? That place may be a last resort for you, but are
under no obligation to follow their orders."
"You're right. But I still want to avoid that place... And I don't think I
should go see that priest too much."
Kotomine Kirei.
That priest feels strange.
It's not that I feel enmity or danger.
...I must not see that man.
I'm scared because I might crumble in front of him.
"I understand how you feel. I do not want to have business with him if I
could help it."
She declares this with a straight face.
"...?"
That's unexpected.
I never thought heroic spirits would have difficulty dealing with human
beings, and most of all――――
"I know I don't like him, but why don't you?
You haven't even met him, right?"
"――――――――"
Saber hesitates.
After frowning, she lifts up her face as if to shake off her hesitation.
"He took part in the last Holy Grail War.
I do not know which Servant he had, but Kiritsugu always took him
seriously."
"――――Huh?"
I know that.
I know that, but what did she just say?
"Saber... Why do you know my father's name?"
"I was Kiritsugu's Servant.
Emiya Kiritsugu was a Master in the last Holy Grail War. He cooperated
all the way through to the final fight.
During the war, Emiya Kiritsugu saw the priest as his greatest enemy.
He believed the priest was the only one who could defeat us."
"――――――――"
Hold on.
Then what?
My father was a Master in the last Holy Grail War, fought along with
Saber, and――――
He's part of the cause of that disaster?
"――――You're lying. That can't be true. Then why didn't Kotomine
tell me? Why didn't my father tell me about it?"
"I do not know. I could never understand what Kiritsugu was thinking.
But I am sure the priest did not tell you because you did not ask him. He
is a man who will answer you if you ask. He will tell you the truth if you
inquire him about it."
"――――――――"
Saber stares at me silently.
The meaning of being a Master.
Her green eyes tell me to go to the church of my own will if I want to
know about Emiya Kiritsugu.
"......"
I head to the church.
Saber must plan to watch over me, since she's following me in that
outfit.
"......"
I look up at the church.
...Even though Saber urged me to come here, I'm still not prepared.
I don't feel like going in there to ask the priest about what happened ten
years ago.
"Master."
I turn back to the girl behind me.
"I shall wait here. Please face the priest yourself."
"...I know. I came this far, so I won't back down now."
"Please do not tell the priest that I was summoned.
You should not tell him that the same heroic spirit was summoned
twice."
"Okay. I'll ask him only about Kiritsugu. I'll be back quickly, so wait for
me here."
"...Very well. Please be careful, Shirou. Call for me if danger
approaches. That priest makes me uneasy. I do not know what will
happen to you if you let your guard down."
"I feel the same way. Don't worry. I'll escape and call for you if anything
happens."
I take a step onto the stairs.
I enter the church, leaving Saber under the winter sky.
I don't see the priest in the chapel.
In his place, I see a man sitting in a chair.
His hair is golden.
He must be a foreigner.
"Excuse me. Is Father Kotomine here?"
I ask him, not expecting a response.
"――――――――"
The man slowly gets up.
At that instant...
All my muscles stiffen up.
He walks to me.
There's something odd about that simple action.
He is walking towards me in a casual manner.
That's all he's doing, so―――why am I getting ready to be killed by
this man?
"Oh――――"
The man raises his arm.
It reaches out for my neck and――――
...Stops midair.
"――――Hm. You are entranced by something unpleasant."
He withdraws.
Yes, that is only natural.
I'm actually the strange one for thinking he was going to kill me just
because he was coming closer.
"Wait right there. You have business with Kotomine, right?"
He disappears behind the altar.
"......"
Several minutes pass.
"I am surprised. Have you retired after only half a day, Emiya Shirou?"
Kotomine appears, greeting me with that annoying tone I remember
from last night.
"―――That's not it. I came here because I have something I want to ask
you. I wouldn't come here for any other reason."
"Very well. I am a busy man, so I do not want people to be attached to
me."
Kotomine draws closer, his firm footsteps filling the air.
...Is this what you would call invisible pressure?
He has a severe air about him that makes people conscious of their
weakness.
It must be a good characteristic for priests, but could it also be their
greatest fault?
"What is it? Go ahead and ask if you have a question. There is no need
for greetings between us."
"――――――――"
...He's right.
There's no need to be friends with him.
I came here to confirm what Saber told me.
I should ask him and quickly leave.
"There's only one thing I need to ask you. Why didn't you tell me about
it?"
"Hmm. What did I not tell you?"
"――――It's about my father. Why didn't you tell me that Emiya
Kiritsugu was a Master in the previous Holy Grail War?"
He smiles.
He does not look guilty. ...This man is enjoying the fact that Kiritsugu's
name came out of my mouth.
"Answer me. It's natural for you to know if you're the supervisor of the
Holy Grail War. So why didn't you tell me about it?"
"Is it not obvious? What good would it do to you to know that your
father was a Master? Emiya Kiritsugu's achievements have nothing to do
with you."
His disinterested tone shows no opening for a rebuttal.
Kotomine's answer isn't wrong.
Even if my father was a great Master, it doesn't mean I get any benefit
out of it.
But――――
"...No, there is a connection. Did I become a Master because I'm
Kiritsugu's son?"
I was raised as his son, and I studied magic as his apprentice.
I became a Master just like him, and made a contract with the exact
same heroic spirit. There has to be a meaning behind all this.
"You said I became a Master by chance.
I would've chosen to fight then and there if you'd told me that Kiritsugu
was a Master. Why didn't you tell me about it?"
"That is none of my concern.
I have never heard of a Master's title being hereditary, and in any case,
you are not Kiritsugu's son.
It is rare for an unprepared person to be chosen as a Master."
"The Command Spell is usually not given to someone who knows
nothing of the Holy Grail. I do not know why you were chosen as an
exception."
"...Then I really don't have a connection with my father?
I was chosen to be a Master by chance, and my father saved me
because..."
...He saved me out of pure good will?
"As far as I know. But I cannot understand the intentions of the Holy
Grail. I would like to say that you were chosen to be a Master by chance,
but I suspect fate had a hand in this.
The Grail might want you to atone for Emiya Kiritsugu's sin of denying
its power."
"What...? My father denied the Holy Grail?"
"That is right. Your father came to this town to obtain it.
His sole purpose was to obtain the Holy Grail. The Holy Grail answered
his pure wish, and maybe the Holy Grail thought he would be a fit
owner."
"But Emiya Kiritsugu betrayed the Holy Grail.
He destroyed the Holy Grail at the very end. To end the Holy Grail War,
he betrayed the Holy Grail which placed expectations on him and its
longstanding desire."
"He destroyed――――the Holy Grail...?"
If that's true, the Holy Grail certainly would not approve of Emiya
Kiritsugu.
But he wasn't mistaken.
A Holy Grail that grants any wish.
Magi kill each other to obtain it.
...The Holy Grail is the cause of the conflict.
My father did not betray anyone when he destroyed the Holy Grail.
He ended the Holy Grail War as the superhero I always admired.
"...He didn't betray anyone. Kiritsugu destroyed the Holy Grail probably
because he thought there was no need for it. Kiritsugu did not betray
anything."
"Hm. It seems you do not know what Kiritsugu was like before.
―――All right. There is little point to it, but I shall tell you the true
identity of Emiya Kiritsugu."
The priest smiles.
It is the ominous smile of someone intoxicated with delight.
"Emiya Kiritsugu.
He was a magus unrelated to the Holy Grail War. He lived for his desires
and objectives, and sought the Holy Grail as a result.
A miracle he could not make come true himself.
An ideal he could not implement with mere human power.
He could not cast away his immature dream that should have been given
up, and that is why he sought the Holy Grail to make his wish come
true."
"―――I do not know where he heard about the Holy Grail War.
It might have been that someone else deemed him worthy. But I do not
care how it happened."
"Either way, Emiya Kiritsugu was hired as a Master.
He was named the greatest Master by the Einzberns―――the family of
magi that is the cause of this ritual."
"Having learned from the previous three wars, the Einzbern family
sought a Master specialized in battle.
The magic of the Einzbern family is not suited for battle. Therefore, they
put their trust in Kiritsugu, a strong magus who did not belong to the
Magic Association."
"They taught Kiritsugu about the Holy Grail, gave him power as a
Master, and gave him a woman to produce a successor who would be
more suited to combat.
He would be formally accepted into the Einzbern family if he obtained
the Holy Grail. It was like accepting a commoner into a noble family.
The Einzberns treated Kiritsugu exceptionally, and it is easy to imagine
how much trust they had in Kiritsugu."
"And Kiritsugu answered their trust.
Kiritsugu defeated many Masters in the previous Holy Grail War. I am
the only one who survived after fighting him. Everyone else was killed
for sure.
He was precise, careful, brutal, and cruel. He showed no pity for his
enemies. Once the decision was made, he killed. He killed a Servant, let
the Master beg for help while crawling on the floor, and ruthlessly shot
him in the head. He showed no emotion even after killing. Neither the
supremacy of his strength nor guilt in killing the weak."
"In short, he was a machine.
He did not have any emotions to begin with. There was no space for his
human emotions to enter."
"What――――my father was a machine...?"
"Yes, he killed.
He did not think like you about not involving innocent people. He
thoroughly attacked his enemy's weakness, allowing no chance to
counterattack. He used the enemy's family as a shield and their friends
as their shackles to win the war."
"Yes. If Kiritsugu were in this war, he would be the Master you would
hate the most. If being heartless is evil, he would be the greatest evil of
all."
"――――――――"
"What? Are you not satisfied?
I understand. Emiya Kiritsugu is not a machine.
He threw away his personal feelings for his goals. It was both his
strength and weakness to cast off his emotions through his own will
without even using self-suggestion.
It would have been easy to prepare another 'cold-hearted' personality in
him, but he must have believed such a person would not obtain the Holy
Grail."
"He went so far, but――――that same weakness made him betray
everything.
The Einzberns entrusted their longstanding desire to Kiritsugu.
The Holy Grail appeared after five Masters were defeated.
It was a wish that no human could make come true, a wish Emiya
Kiritsugu desired."
"But he threw everything away at the last moment.
That is the end of the last Holy Grail War――――the true nature of the
magus you call your father."
"The Holy Grail disappeared and the Holy Grail War ended.
The Einzberns retreated after being betrayed by Kiritsugu, and they
spent ten years preparing the next Holy Grail."
"...Hm. Now that I think about it, they must have seen this Holy Grail
War coming.
The previous war ended without any result.
Unused magical energy carries over to the next war. They must have
known the next war would begin shortly."
"......"
I can't accept Kotomine's story.
That Kiritsugu was a cold-hearted Master...
And that a noble family of magi had a connection to my father...
There's no way I can accept it all when it all comes so suddenly.
...All I can tell from this is that Kotomine did not lie, and―――
"―――Kotomine. Did you hate Kiritsugu?"
The man before me, the one who is uninterested in everything, actually
displays anger towards Kiritsugu.
"Of course. We were at the opposite ends of the spectrum. We are natural
enemies. Makiri and Einzbern considered us as the same kind, but we
treated each other as natural enemies."
"...Natural enemies? You were on guard against my father like he was on
guard against you?"
"No. We simply could not ignore each other."
"He was a saint beyond help.
He could not forgive death, yet he killed to save other people. If one
sacrifice were needed to save ten, he would kill the sacrifice himself
without a second thought."
"He always prepared the minimum sacrifice to make his dream world
where everyone could smile.
――――That contradiction.
A contradictory ideal is something I have as well, but we were not of the
same kind."
"He lived for his ideal. He pursued his ideal until the moment he
destroyed the Holy Grail.
That is why he had pride in himself, allowing him to become a machine
without hesitation."
"That is our similarity and our difference.
He had an iron mind unplagued by inner conflict.
The reason he was never wounded―――was he was wounded from the
start.
He was an artificial brute, just as I was an artificial priest."
"......"
'He was wounded from the start'.
So that means the premise he believed in was wrong from the start.
"...Then are you saying you're different? You take wounds, and you're
not already wounded.
You're a normal human being that can be wounded if you get slashed at,
right? Are you saying you're different from Kiritsugu because you're a
priest...?"
"Hm. People would not consider us to be the same if that were the case.
People thought we were similar in another aspect.
...Let's see. If you talk about being similar, you are more similar to him
than I."
"You both have child-like ideals.
Believing in simplicity and shouldering the role of a criminal for the
sake of that ideal.
Turning yourselves into the greatest evil to eliminate all the small evils
in this world.
You and Kiritsugu act like the saviors we call 'anti-heroes.'"
"......? What is this anti-hero thing?"
"It is what it sounds like. It is the opposite of a hero, an unforgivable
murderer."
"Hey, that's just a villain. Are you making fun of me?"
"Oh my. It seems you are misunderstanding me. I am welcoming you.
You are Kiritsugu's son.
Think about having your enemy's son come to you for help. It is such a
complex feeling that you cannot decide whether to be happy or sad."
The priest laughs silently.
...I don't know his true intentions, but he doesn't seem to be bored.
"Well, about the anti-hero.
They are beings whose existence itself is evil, but their actions are good
deeds according to people. They are beings who people set up as saviors,
even if they don't want to be."
"Those are the heroic spirits called the anti-heroes. An example of this
would be a sacrifice."
"Even if the sacrificed one is evil, he would become a hero if everyone
in the village is saved because of the sacrifice, right?
It would not matter to anyone whether the sacrifice was eaten or buried.
If the one whom this disgrace was forced upon saves people, he would
become a hero instead of a sinner."
"...... Is this like getting a high promotion for dying in combat?"
"――――No, you are wrong.
The important part is the minds of the people who set up the hero.
A proper hero is created from respect, gratitude, and feelings of guilt.
You cannot become an anti-hero from gratitude or guilt.
...Well, humans forget their ugliness and substitute farce with tragedy.
Heroes who died as evil will be treated as victims as time goes on, and
they will not stay as pure evil."
"...Will not stay as pure evil...?"
"Correct. Anti-heroes have to be both victim and assailant.
...They are created by the people, but are not a part of humanity. It is that
contradiction which allows them to be 'the enemy of the world' exempt
from all the restraining forces of the world."
"...But then, there aren't many pure anti-heroes.
They are something that does not exist. They are merely what people
wish to exist."
"They are an ideal that humans have created, sacrifices to deny the
original sin.
Just think of the anti-hero as one of the wishes that will never come true;
a synonym for peace."
"......?"
"...Hah. In short, it is a naive dream that will never come true.
You want to be a superhero like Kiritsugu, right?
Then you will be a great anti-hero. How about it? Why don't you wish to
become a hero when you obtain the Holy Grail?"
"...Hey now.
A superhero isn't like a hero. I don't know what you're trying to say, but I
won't fall for your cheap tricks."
"Oh? How is it different?"
"I-I don't know! It's just different, okay!? And a hero is not something
you try to be, but something you are at the end. I bet the only thing the
Holy Grail can give me is powers beyond my position."
"―――I see. So you truly are a son of his, even if not blood-related.
You both are hard-headed."
He must be making fun of me, as his smile is friendly.
"Hm......"
...This guy hates my father.
But he doesn't anger me because...
...Well...
He has yet to say anything bad about my father.
"Hey. Wouldn't you have gotten along with my father?"
I ask him when I realize this.
"Oh. Why do you think so?"
"...For no reason. I just thought so."
"Then you are mistaken. I hate Emiya Kiritsugu. We never even spoke.
The one time we met, we tried to kill each other.
I have already told you that we are exact opposites.
Our wishes, our questions, are different. A question by the one who does
not have it shall not be answered by the one who does."
His eyes tell me that is why they would never have been able to get
along.
"......? 'The one who does not have it'? Are you saying Kiritsugu had
something that you didn't have?"
"Yes. I could not change my will itself for something I believed in. Well,
we cannot be compared since our goals were different."
"...?"
Changing your will for something you believe in...
Is that like saving ten by killing one, like he said earlier?
"You do not need to understand. Emiya Kiritsugu desired peace. Isn't it
simple? But it was too simple for this complex world. He had to reject
the extra parts that could not fit into that perfect shape."
"―――But he could not tolerate that.
He sought a perfect shape, but still wanted to save the extra parts.
...But that is a miracle exceeding human power.
There is no such thing as a world without conflict. He sought the Holy
Grail to deny that fact."
"He sought his ideal, and after being faced with the fact that it was
impossible, had no other choice but to rely on the Holy Grail.
That is the end of the man who was cornered by his own ideal.
His dream was an impossible sorcery that could only be granted by
'something that does not exist' like the Holy Grail."
"――――――――"
A world without conflict.
Did my father really believe in such a thing?
He worked hard to become strong, but the more he matured, the more he
was cornered by reality. But still, he still kept believing in his ideal and
in the end, attained the miracle-granting Holy Grail.
Emiya Kiritsugu must have experienced many failures by that time.
First of all, to seek the Holy Grail means knowing your wish is
unattainable by normal means.
He wore out and strayed far away from his ideal.
But my father still sought the Holy Grail.
For his ideal, and for everything he sacrificed.
"...But my father destroyed the Holy Grail. His wish was never granted,
right?"
"Correct. It was his own self that betrayed him in the end.
...In that instant, I began to feel anger towards him.
To be honest, I did not mind his wish. I was interested in the 'peace' that
humans wish for."
"Isn't that the same for you as well? You're a priest after all, right?"
The priest nods,
saying that a world without conflict is what everyone desires.
"But that is not my wish. First of all, I do not have such ordinary
wishes."
"You don't have ordinary wishes...?"
"That's right. An ideal world is one that is the most comfortable. For
Emiya Kiritsugu, it was a world without conflict. From the very
beginning, his standard was different from mine."
"...?"
"It is a simple story. There is nothing that brings me happiness. It does
not matter, let it be believing in people or having people believe in me.
What other people called happiness did not bring me any joy."
He says this emotionlessly.
He is not talking to me. It's almost like a monologue.
"―――Well, that is all.
I answered your question if Emiya Kiritsugu was a Master well
enough."
"Uh―――no, hold on. It's not just my father I want to know about. Um,
well..."
About my preparation for the role of Master and about how I should go
about fighting from now on...
...I bet he'll laugh and make fun of me if I asked something so stupid.
I want to avoid that.
In fact, I will avoid it.
"If you have any other questions, make it short. That took longer than I
thought."
"――――!"
...No, there was something else I wanted to ask him about.
Didn't I come to this church because I wanted this question answered?
"Aren't you concerned about the Einzberns?
I would think they would want to kill you, since you are Kiritsugu's
son."
"...! Yeah, it's about that...! First of all, who is this Einzbern? You said
they are the cause of the Holy Grail War or something."
"Yes, they are the cause. I told you that the Holy Grail War is a ritual,
yes? If there is a ritual, it is natural for there to be a ritualist."
"There were some magi 200 years ago who found out there is a
distortion in the ley line on this land. They offered their secret
techniques to each other to create the Holy Grail's activation circle.
That was the start of the Holy Grail War. The three families involved in
its creation are the legitimate owners of the Holy Grail."
"The ones that created the Holy Grail. The ones that devised the
Command Spell which abuses the heroic spirits. The ones that offered
the land and the technique to bore a hole into the world."
"Einzbern, Makiri, and Tohsaka.
They are the three families that started it all, with lineage and history far
surpassing ours. The Tohsaka are the only ones from this land, but their
fatherly master is that Schweinorg. Well, if the master is the kind of
person I hear he is, it is ridiculous to group them according to race."
"......Hm. So the Einzberns are the leading family of the Holy Grail
War?"
"In the past, yes. But they are only participants now that the Holy Grail
summoning has failed and its ownership became uncertain.
Now, their only role is to create the vessel of the Holy Grail.
The same goes for Tohsaka and Makiri. They are just families whose
members have a higher likelihood of being chosen as Masters."
"...But the Holy Grail is what the Einzbern family proposed in the first
place. Their history spans a thousand years. A family that lasted for a
thousand years without spawning any branch families is rare."
"Do you understand, Emiya Shirou? The Einzbern family has only
pursued the fulfillment of the Holy Grail for a thousand years.
A thousand years. They are crazy, continuing their deeds from the time
when barbarism such as mass murder was allowed for the sake of
recovering holy ground.
They are not fanatics, not obstinate, nor crazy. They just held the
hopeless cross to enforce the meaninglessness."
"That is why the Einzbern magi are beyond the domain of magic. They
are monsters, never straying from their path, always attempting to
achieve a common goal. Normally such people die off after a few
decades.
We cannot imagine their feeling of disgrace and frustration when they
had to invite in a magus outside of their family."
"But their desire to complete the Holy Grail was stronger still.
They repeated their mistake for 500 years. It took them 300 years to
accept the fact that they could not obtain the Holy Grail by themselves.
And―――it took them another 200 years to realize that they could not
obtain it unless they use their own powers."
"The Einzberns literally killed their emotions to cooperate with Makiri
and Tohsaka.
As a result, their ownership of the Holy Grail was taken away and they
were reduced to mere participants in the war. They endured the disgrace,
even going as far as contaminating their own bloodline by inviting in an
outside magus. But unbelievably, Emiya Kiritsugu betrayed them with
the Holy Grail in front of him."
"That is the connection between Kiritsugu and the Einzberns.
And that is your connection with them."
"―――――――"
...I see.
Then it's natural for that girl to come after me.
It's natural for them not to let their betrayer's son go if he becomes a
Master.
"Do you understand now? All the Masters have some sort of burden, but
the obsession of the Makiri and Einzbern families cannot be expressed
into words. If the Makiri family have carried their burden for five
hundred years, the Einzbern family have carried theirs for a thousand.
――――If anyone has the right to own the Holy Grail, it would be one
of them."
"......"
I'm at a loss for words.
No man can stand against an obsession that has lasted for centuries.
"Do not be depressed. Emiya Kiritsugu did betray them, but you do not
need to condemn him for it.
To put it another way, he held to his belief, even if it meant opposing a
1000-year-old apparition.
He threw away everything for that purpose.
Isn't that something to be proud of?"
"――――――――"
...People who accepted him...
Something he protected by opposing a thousand years of history...
I'm not buying everything the priest has told me, but if it really is
true――――
―――If I am to call myself my father's son, I have to follow my beliefs
like he did――――
"What is wrong? Are you scared now that you've heard a thousand
years?"
"―――No. I chose to fight, no matter what the reason is. I don't care
what the other Masters think. I won't let something like the disaster ten
years ago happen again."
I raise my head in determination.
The priest nods, apparently satisfied.
"That is good enough. If that is your reason to fight, put your life on the
line as you do so. There will be more victims the longer the war lasts.
Risk your life like Kiritsugu and lure your enemies in."
"...You're saying what you want because it doesn't concern you. You're
telling me to be bait?"
"You have nothing else to risk, so it cannot be helped.
Well, it is not entirely hopeless. You have no ability to detect other
Masters, but Servants can sense other Servants. If you have an excellent
Servant, you need only wait."
"――――"
I turn my back to him.
There's nothing else I need to ask.
I've kept Saber waiting, so I should be going back now.
"Hold on. Let me ask you something. Do you know any healing
magic?"
"―――No. What about it?"
"Well, then bring any wounded people here.
As part of The Church, I cannot overlook any victims. I can handle all
the treatments unless they are beyond help."
"――――"
I stop.
"...I'm surprised. You can use healing magic? That's banned in the
Church, right?"
"It is outside of our jurisdiction, but I have acquired it.
I once had someone die in front of me. After that, I started to study it,
and it seems I am more compatible with it than I thought."
"Oh, but I will ask for compensation if I am to heal you. I have to be fair
as the supervisor."
"―――I refuse. I wouldn't come to you for help even if my life
depended on it."
I turn away, and this time I really do leave.
I leave the church.
Saber must have been waiting under cover, as she appears as soon as I
come through the door.
"Are you done with your inquiry, Shirou?"
"Yeah. I heard about my father and what kind of a relationship he had
with the Einzbern family.
He also warned me about what I should do. He's more talkative than he
looks.
He recommended a lot of things to me."
"Huh...? T-That priest was cooperative?"
I don't know what's wrong, but Saber is bewildered.
"――――――――"
"S-Shirou? What is wrong? Did he ask for something in compensation?
Kuh, why did you not call for me!? You said you would call for me if
there was any danger...!"
I must have had a strange expression because Saber draws near and
peers at my face.
"――――――――"
"So what did he do to you, Shirou...!? Your wound has not healed yet.
You should know something like last night could happen again if you let
your guard down...!"
Saber draws even closer.
"――――――――"
"Please show me your wound, Shirou! I am partly responsible for it. I
cannot let you die without returning my debt. I have not helped you as a
Servant yet. I cannot allow our contract to end like this...!"
Saber reaches for my shirt as if to rip it off.
She doesn't look scary at all, but rather...
"――――――――Kuh."
Oh, crap. I was trying to hold it in, but I my laughter spills out.
"......Shirou?"
Her hand stops.
She realizes what I've been trying to suppress and glares at me.
"――――Shirou. It is not good to enjoy someone else's confusion."
"――――――――!"
Her protest is so entertaining that it brings a smile to my face.
"Shirou!"
"Kuh――――I'm sorry. I was just surprised because you were in such a
panic. Um, it was a fortunate misunderstanding, or something like that."
"...A 'fortunate misunderstanding,' eh? I feel some hidden meaning in
that. Are you going to explain to me what it means?"
I must have hit a nerve because she gets even more emotional.
Saber's like the class president type.
She seriously gets mad when I do something stupid. And since she's
serious, her real character appears.
"What are you smiling for...!? Is it that funny that I misunderstood your
condition!?"
"I'm sorry. To be honest, I'm just happy. You're really energetic right
now."
"...? There is nothing wrong with my condition, but what about it?"
"No, that's not what I'm talking about. It's just that this is the first time
I've seen your real personality. I'm glad I can see that you're a girl."
"Wha――――"
Saber jumps back.
"W-What are you saying? The gender of the Servant does not matter. We
are here only to fight, so please do not get happy over such a thing."
She glowers at me, probably because she's mad or astonished.
"――――――――"
But I somehow don't feel bad, and I'm still smiling.
Even though she's a Servant, she's as human as she appears.
I don't know about the other Servants, but the girl I made a contract with
is not just a familiar that only knows combat.
She said she has not helped me yet.
She saved me from Lancer and she tried to let me escape from
Berserker.
She saved my life twice, but she still thinks she hasn't helped me yet.
"――――I wonder if she's good-natured, or just a perfectionist."
"W-What is that look? Even if you are my Master, there are some
remarks I cannot ignore. I have appropriate plans if you say anything
more."
"All right, all right. I understand, so don't get too mad. I'm just saying
I'm glad you're the one I made a contract with."
"W-What are you saying? I was only summoned by you.
I did not make a contract with you out of choice. You were the one who
chose me."
"It was only an accident, though. ...Yeah, that's what I regret. I wanted to
make the conscious choice to choose you."
I hold out my right hand.
This is something I wasn't able to do at the very beginning.
I have to make the promise I should've made before.
"Shirou...?"
"This is a bit late, but can I? This is the only way I know how."
Without a word, Saber walks over to me and shakes my hand.
Her slender fingers.
I feel her warmth through my hand.
"Will you fight with me from now on? I need your help, Saber."
"My oath will not change. I was summoned to be your sword."
"―――And we both need each other's help.
I will borrow your strength to obtain the Holy Grail. If you trust me, I
will do my best to live up to that trust."
Her hand is warm.
"――――――――"
The hesitation within me disappears without a trace.
It has been half a day since the night it all began.
I am finally able to realize that she is my ally who will fight alongside
me.
――――We will wait until nightfall to go out into the city.
After some discussion, that is what we decided.
As Kotomine said, I can't sense other Masters.
Saber is the only one who can sense our enemies, and even then, she's
only able to sense nearby Servants.
So naturally, our plan is to walk around and find information.
It's like counting on luck, but it's "risky but certain" according to Saber.
Masters aren't going to be holed up in their hideouts all the time.
If the Holy Grail War is a race, you have to do something to get ahead of
the competition.
That means the Servants search for the enemy's hideout while the
Masters use magic to set up traps.
We can use that to our advantage.
Lots of magical energy will be needed if either one does something.
Even though I can't sense other magi, I can detect the lingering traces of
their power.
If we patrol the city looking for that, I'm sure we'll find some signs of
other Masters.
...This is information I'll be getting by using myself as bait.
I have no other method besides being bait, just like Kotomine said.
We'll start the patrols tonight.
Saber told me to stay at the house, but I refused, saying I would go with
her.
After a long, unproductive talk...
"...All right. But please promise you will always be with me. Can you
swear not to go outside by yourself at night?"
...Saber finally accepted my point of view.
Well.
Our course of action is decided, but there are two more problems.
"Shirou. I have explained to you before, but I cannot afford to use too
much magical energy, especially if we plan to patrol tonight."
"Yeah. You're going to sleep as much as you can to preserve magical
energy, right?
Since I can't provide you with magical energy, you have to maintain
your body yourself.
So, say you can regenerate 8 units of magical energy per day and you
need 6 units to sustain yourself daily. That excess 2 units is what we can
save up.
And if you conserve well, you could use about 10 units during a battle,
right?"
"That is true as long as I am not wounded or my armor does not become
damaged. But against heroic spirits of such rank, that is not likely.
To put it in your terms, I used about 50 units against Lancer, and about
200 units against Berserker."
She was pierced by Lancer, and her stomach was slashed by Berserker.
It makes sense for her to have used a lot of magical energy to heal those
wounds.
It makes sense, but...
"I did not use that much magical energy to heal myself. I used it more to
restore the armor that was destroyed. Most of my magical energy is
fixed on protecting me."
...That's how it is, according to her.
"So your armor is part of your body, right? So maintaining your body
and your armor is the same thing. You have your armor off right now to
preserve magical energy, right?"
"Yes. But things like this should not be necessary for other Servants. I
can only disarm myself since I cannot turn into spirit form, but Servants
such as Archer and Lancer can become spirits to reduce the burden on
their Masters."
"I see, I see. ...Oh, I guess this is good enough."
"Shirou. It is helpful that you are preparing our meal, but do you not
think it is easing the tension?"
"Huh? No, I don't think so."
I don't, but it is true my sense of urgency disappeared.
I was surprised when Saber told me about her condition after our
strategy meeting.
As I don't provide her with magical energy, she has her hands full with
maintaining her body.
I tried to change our course of action, saying that it should be impossible
for her to fight in that condition, but...
"Hey Saber. Let me ask you again, but how much magical energy do you
have right now?"
"In your terms, I have about 1000 units."
―――So it's something ridiculous like that.
She said she spent about two hundred against Berserker, but she still has
that much magical energy remaining.
And she says it's not full. It's scary to think how much magical energy
she would've had with a proper Master.
Her capacity is way beyond human, and I stop stupidly thinking how
many times more of my magical energy it would take to fill her up.
I finally understand why Tohsaka called Saber "the most superior
Servant".
"...Of course I'm not nervous anymore. There's nothing to worry about if
you have that much magical energy and we only have to face six
enemies."
"――――That is only if I am to fight them.
I told you earlier, but using a Noble Phantasm takes lots of magical
energy. It is hard to use my Noble Phantasm in my current state.
Therefore I must save up as much magical energy as I can."
Saber's mad.
I can't tell if she's mad at me for being a burden,
or because I'm keeping her here when she has to sleep.
"I understand your magical energy is important, but so is food, right? I
used leftovers for lunch, so please eat a proper meal for dinner. You can
sleep after you eat."
"......All right. I do not intend to use my Noble Phantasm lightly. We
shall talk about this later when you have a better understanding of what
Servants are."
Saber says this in a dissatisfied manner and takes a seat.
Good.
She might complain, but she always listens to me.
So the problem of "conserving magical energy" is settled now.
In the first place, it's not something we can do anything about, and the
only way to help ourselves is to get a better understanding of our current
situation.
So...
"But, Shirou. You said you have two problems. What is the other
problem?"
"Huh? Oh, it'll come soon. Please do as I said."
I cut some white radishes and put them into the saucepan.
"...?"
Saber tilts her head in confusion.
There...
"I'm home! Are you cooking, Shirou!?"
"Excuse me, Senpai."
...I hear the usual voices from the entrance.
"......"
"......"
"......"
The silence is painful.
It's only natural. Fuji-Nee and Sakura are confused, and they're looking
at me for an explanation.
"This is Saber. She's going to be staying at this house starting today.
Please give her your best regards."
It's been ten minutes since that was my explanation to them.
This lack of protest feels awkward.
I want to take a sip of tea, but I feel like the sound of it would echo
through the room, so the hot tea sits there untouched.
But sitting here won't solve anything.
I have to move forward with courage.
"We can't turn her away since she came here for my father. She won't
stay long as she's only here for sightseeing. Also, she'll be staying in the
separate building so it won't be a problem."
"......"
"......"
"......"
...The silence continues.
By the way...
I can understand why Sakura and Fuji-Nee are quiet, but why is Saber
looking so surprised?
"――――Phew. Well, if she's an acquaintance of Kiritsugu-san, it can't
be helped. I heard he had some relatives overseas, so, was it... Saber-
san? She seems reliable, so I have no objections."
"...Um. Fujimura-Sensei, that's..."
"I'm sorry. I understand how you feel, but this is Kiritsugu-san's house. It
would be shameful for us Japanese to throw out a foreigner who came
here relying on us, right? It's been getting dangerous lately, so we can't
just throw this cute girl out on the streets."
"......That's true, but... is this okay with you, Senpai?"
"Yeah, this is what I intended. I'm going to have Saber stay here for a
while. Are you against it, Sakura?"
"...No, I do not mind if an acquaintance of yours stays here,
but――――um, Saber is..."
"Hm? Oh, it's a strange name, right? She's blunt like her name suggests,
but I guarantee she's a good person. She might sound strange since she's
not used to Japan, but it'll really help me out if you can help her out,
Sakura."
"......All right. If you're fine with it, then I am too."
Is she nervous because Saber's a foreigner?
Sakura nods while looking away from her.
So it's dinnertime.
I put extra effort into dinner to welcome Saber and to make up for
lunch.
I made minced bonito salad, fried chicken with hot sauce, meat and
potato stew, and lots of tempura including shrimp tempura.
The dinner I put so much effort into is...
Unpopular with the main guest and my pupil.
"Wow, what is this tempura!? 'Juicy' and 'tasty' don't begin to describe it!
What did you do, Shirou!? I have a better opinion of shrimp now!"
"............"
Well...
It's all good since Fuji-Nee's enjoying it enough for the four of us.
Dinner ends without trouble thanks to her.
I don't know what happened, but Fuji-Nee gave some of her food to
Saber.
I guess Fuji-Nee likes Saber because she is quiet.
"......"
Saber and Fuji-Nee left to prepare Saber's room.
And Sakura and I clean up after dinner.
Well, there's nothing wrong with that, because it's part of the usual
chores.
"I'll wash the dishes, so can you clean the table?
Oh, you don't have to throw away the tempura oil. Can you put the lid
on it and store it? It's heavy. Can you handle it?"
"Huh...? Oh, yes. I'm stronger than I look, you know?"
She picks up the pot of oil.
Good, so since she does archery, I didn't need to worry.
"Well, archery isn't all about strength either..."
I wash the dishes.
Then...
"Huh? There's less towels here, Senpai. The paper towel roll is empty
and the plates are moved around."
"What? Let's see... Oh, you're right. Did someone break in?"
"Hmm. I don't think there are robbers that only steal towels."
"Right. That's no robber."
The plates have been moved around.
The paper towels are gone.
Some towels are missing.
According to these clues...
"――――Oh. That's right. Tohsaka was here."
I remember now.
Tohsaka was the one who treated me after that incident with Berserker.
I'm pretty sure that she used the paper towels during my treatment.
"Senpai. Do you mean Tohsaka-Senpai?"
"Yeah. I had her come in.
Um, I had a stupid accident and hurt myself. Tohsaka just happened to
pass by and she kindly treated me. As expected from our school's honor
student, right? She's so full of affection."
I don't mean the last half, of course.
My school's proud honor student died last night.
It's highly regrettable, but the image of "Tohsaka Rin as an honor
student" died inside of me.
"...Why?"
"Hm?"
"Why did Tohsaka-Senpai come here? That's strange. She has nothing to
do with this place.
I'm here, and she has no connection with Senpai, so why?"
Sakura hangs her head and tries to control herself.
"......"
I'm at a loss for words at this sudden event.
She hugs herself tightly as if enduring some uneasiness.
The lights disappear.
It's eleven o'clock. We waited until the town fell asleep before we went
outside.
"Well, Shirou. Are we going to the center of town?"
"......"
......Sakura's state didn't change after dinner's cleanup.
If anything, it got worse.
She lost all her energy and was absent-minded, as if she had a fever.
And on top of that, she didn't want me to walk her home, so Fuji-Nee
had to take her.
"Or are you planning to go to the other town? It seems likely that other
Masters are over there."
"......"
Come to think of it, Sakura was acting strange the day before yesterday
as well.
She looked downcast and seemed afraid of something.
"Shirou? Are you listening, Shirou?"
"......"
"Shirou! I am asking you what we should do tonight!"
"Huh!?"
I raise my head in surprise.
Saber is right in front of me, looking angry.
"――――Sorry, I was spacing out. You're asking me what we should
do, right?"
"In that case, I need not repeat myself.
―――There is a slight distortion of the ley-line in both towns. I am
certain that the other Masters are doing something. We may be able to
defeat one tonight, depending on where we go."
"So you're saying we might fight a Master all of a sudden?
...But what if it turns out to be that girl?
You can't beat Berserker, right?"
"――――Master. I am in perfect condition right now. Even though I do
not receive any magical energy supply, I will not easily lose.
...Well, all we can do against Ilyasviel is retreat. We do not know their
Noble Phantasm, so we cannot use ours yet."
"――――――――"
The only one Saber is cautious about of is Berserker.
She does not talk about other possibilities―――such as when we might
encounter Tohsaka.
For Saber, Tohsaka is merely an enemy she must defeat.
But to me, Masters are people we have to stop, not kill.
"Saber, let me confirm. We will stop fighting when the Masters and
Servants surrender. My plan is to make them use up their Command
Spells so they won't be Masters anymore.
...Is that okay?"
"...Understood. But Shirou, if the enemy does not accept our proposition,
then..."
"...Yeah, then we'll follow the rules of the Holy Grail War. They should
be ready for it if they're fighting as Masters."
We start descending the hill.
―――We can patrol this town or Shinto.
Tonight, we will――――
"We'll search this town tonight. The town feels strange recently, so let's
investigate here before something happens."
"I feel the same way. There are no obvious abnormalities, but I am sure
we will find some clues if we search thoroughly."
...Yeah, we'll look around the residential district over here first.
We'll go down to the intersection after that and patrol the other side of
town.
If we can't find anything wrong, we can go to Shinto to go look for some
clues――――
We patrol the residential district and make our way to the intersection.
There wasn't anything wrong with our side of town.
We can now go to the hill with the Western-style houses, and maybe
even go as far as the Ryudou Temple――――
"――――Huh?"
A sudden chill runs up my spine.
"Saber, this is...!"
Saber must have felt it more clearly, as she looks over towards Shinto.
...The presence I felt starts to fade.
But I'm sure I heard a scream and felt a strong wave of magical energy.
"――――――――"
I knew it.
This is what I hoped would happen.
So why is my mind paralyzed?
"――――!"
I was prepared to fight.
After I almost died, my hesitation vanished.
But now my body would not move, and my head would not give any
orders.
――――It's probably too sudden.
I didn't expect to find it on the first day.
That's why I can't move. I'm used to getting attacked, but I'm not used to
doing the attacking.
How stupid of me.
I'm fine with getting killed, but I never thought that I might have to do it
myself――――
"The scream has stopped. The presence is fading away. I do not know
what happened, but the victim will not live long."
"――――――――"
That erases everything.
The numbness throughout my body disappears.
The fear that I might kill,
is overridden by the fear that I might let someone die.
"I'm sorry, Saber...!"
I apologize for my cowardice and start to run full-speed.
We run to the origin of the scream, where we will fight someone to the
death.
I'm not prepared at all.
My limbs are shaking.
――――It's a normal reaction.
This fear will always be there as long as I don't desire the Holy Grail and
lack the will to fight.
"―――I'm a big damn idiot...!"
That's right.
If I have a reason to fight, I must believe in it.
If my enemies are arming their minds with "the desire for the Holy
Grail"...
I must defeat this fear with "the desire to stop all conflicts”――――!
"Ha, ah――――!"
I run into the park.
The magical energy emitted is strong and ominous.
It's like oil polluting a clean stream.
Even I can feel energy this thick.
Saber stops.
She has analyzed the situation before me.
"Wha――――"
My body trembles.
My head loses its cool and fills with disgust and hatred.
...It's like seeing vampires in stories.
A woman in black has her mouth on an unconscious woman's neck.
The dripping blood is excessively fresh.
...That thing is eating a human being.
I don't mean that it's eating the human flesh.
That woman in black is sucking out what's inside the
woman――――things like her mind and her memory.
The unconscious woman does not move at all.
Her skin is like grave wax. She looks like she's been turned into a doll.
"――――――――"
My throat can't move.
It's not that I'm surprised the vampiric woman is a Servant.
My eyes focus behind her―――on the clear figure that is watching over
the woman in black.
"――――Oh wow, it's Emiya. This is amazing. It's almost one of your
strong points for your luck to be this bad."
"Shinji, you――――"
My mind is numb.
I can't grasp the situation.
I can't make the correct decision.
Why is he here?
What is that book in his hand?
How can he laugh when there's a woman that's about to die?
Why... Why is such a ridiculous thing taking place before my
eyes――――!?
"Hey, why are you frozen up like that? You came here because you
sensed a Servant here, right? Then do what you came to do. I staged this
scenario so that even an idiot like you would understand."
"――――――――"
He doesn't sound like the Shinji I know.
His voice is high-pitched.
Just hearing it makes me uncomfortable.
"――――Did you kill her?"
I clench my fists.
I don't even take notice of the Servant standing right there before me.
I must be crazy.
I should be fleeing in terror from this inhumanly powerful being, but I
feel no fear.
My mind is about to explode.
"What? Are you stupid!? Humans are what Servants feed on! This is my
only option."
"――――――――"
"Well, I can't help it. She says she can only feed on live people. We have
to keep feeding them magical energy to maintain them. I bet you were
also looking for handy prey, right?"
I don't know what's funny, but Shinji laughs.
The Servant in black does not move.
Her pose is like that of a trained war dog.
She will not move on her own.
Like a puppet, she will not move without orders from her Master.
But she will turn into a murderous devil once the order is given.
"――――Get out of my way."
I say this with the hound in front of me.
There's no time to waste.
That woman might survive if I hurry.
"Huh? What do you mean by that? Are you talking to me!?
Hah, I refuse. Come on if you want some leftovers.
That's your familiar, right?"
"――――Shinji."
"Come on, let's make them fight. I did this so that I could see a fight
between Servants. You're a Master, right? But all you're doing is
trembling in fear. You're just like that woman there!"
"――――So you have no intention of withdrawing?"
"Man, you're persistent. Come and make me.
Well――――
It won't matter even if you just stand there and cower. I'm going to hurt
you either way."
Shinji's eyes light up with hatred.
That must have been the order, as the Servant in black jumps forward
and――――
"――――Stay back, Shirou!"
Saber moves to meet the attack of the Servant in black.
The two shadows collide.
Having armed herself immediately, Saber uses her invisible sword
against her opponent.
The sound of clashing steel rings out.
Saber readies herself firmly on the ground, in contrast to the Servant in
black who runs through the park.
Saber cannot keep up with the speed and goes into defense.
Her long hair fluttering behind her, the enemy closes in as if to corner a
slow prey.
"Hah, she's just like a stone statue! So a Servant of a third-class magus is
third-class as well!"
Standing away from the fight like me, Shinji laughs.
...I don't know how he became a Master, but it seems he's not a very
talented magus.
Shinji does not provide his Servant with any support.
Then he must have become a Master by chance, like me――――
"――――――――"
Saber blocks another attack and stops.
She looks troubled.
She glares in irritation at her lightning fast enemy.
"Go ahead and finish her, Rider!
We followed grandfather's orders! It doesn't matter even if we kill
Emiya's Servant!"
――――The black shadow speeds up.
The Servant in black follows her master's orders, speeds up to cut
Saber's neck, and...
...Is sliced in half.
―――The match is decided in an instant.
Saber's sword cuts Rider's body, and the Servant in black is blown
away.
It was like hitting a sandbag with a bat.
Saber is the batter and the blown sandbag is Rider, of course.
"......What?"
The mood changes.
Shinji blankly stares at Rider, who is wounded...
"――――No way."
...And I blankly stare at Saber, who puts away her sword disinterestedly.
"W―――What are you doing...!?"
He scorns his Servant.
Shinji yells without running over to his Servant, who has her belly sliced
open.
"Who allowed you to get beat!? I can't believe this! You're going against
my orders! I became your Master, so you can't get beat by Emiya's
Servant...!"
"――――! Ah――――"
Rider strenuously raises her body in a pool of her own blood.
...But she cannot get up.
Her wound is fatal. Even though she is a Servant, she will die if she is
not treated soon.
"Get up and fight, you corpse! You're not alive, so wounds shouldn't
matter! Hey, why are you so slow, you piece of shit...! Man, you're
embarrassing me! You're making me look like I'm the weaker one!"
Shinji curses Rider.
But Saber is unable to bear it.
"Blame yourself before you blame Rider. No matter how great a heroic
spirit may be, it cannot fight to its full potential if it does not have an
appropriate Master."
"......! Y-Y-You idiot! I'm telling you to get up! Your role is to protect
your Master! If you can't win, use your life to stop them!"
"......That is meaningless as well. You cannot heal Rider even if you use
your Command Spell.
Even if you move Rider using your Command Spell, she will not even
serve as a shield against me.
It is over, Rider's Master.
I do not wish to ask, but I shall follow my Master's orders and ask for
you to surrender. Will you revoke your Command Spell and admit your
defeat?"
"S-Shut up! Don't you dare order me, you monster...! Get up, Rider! I'm
your Master! You're my dog, so listen to your master...!"
"――――! ――――, ――――!"
Sparks are flying around.
It must be because she cannot follow Shinji's orders, as pallid electric
charges are tormenting her.
What a vicious cycle.
Rider cannot fight anymore.
But Shinji is condemning her for not being able to get up, despite the
fact that her injuries are getting worse and her life is draining away.
"――――――――"
Saber reaches out for Shinji.
"Hee――――! Get up and move, Rider...! If you're going to die, at least
take her with you...!"
Rider reacts to Shinji's orders.
――――Rider's body moves to follow the order that has her death as its
premise.
But then...
"Enough. It seems I was tossing pearls before swine, Shinji."
...The voice of an old man interrupts.
"Huh?"
The sound of crackling flames.
"W-What...!? My book is burning...!"
Shinji's book is burning.
"Why...!? Damn, go out! Why is my book burning!?"
He frantically beats at the fire, but it does no good.
The book turns to ashes, and at the same time...
...Rider disappears.
"...Hmph. I did not expect much of you, but this is worse than I thought.
I gave you a chance since you are my grandson, but I cannot help but
forsake you."
Where was he hiding?
An old man―――Matou Zouken appears out of the darkness of the
night.
"G-Grandfather? Was that you...?"
"Who else could it be but me? You almost killed your Servant. And you
call yourself my successor?"
"......! T-Then why did you get in my way!? I just have to win, right!? I'm
the successor of the Matou family! I knew I couldn't get beat by a guy
like this...!"
Shinji runs to the old man as if to cling onto him.
As he has lost Rider, his grandfather must be the only person he can rely
on.
But...
"...Fool. I did not expect victory from a failure like you. What I expected
was enough pride to challenge others in spite of your powerlessness.
But you failed miserably. You disgraced the name of Makiri. Hmph, you
and your father are both disgraces to our family."
"What――――? I'm the same as my father――――?"
"You fool. You are far worse. Your good-for-nothing father left an even
more worthless son.
...I did not mind since I had some hopes for you, but you spoiled not
only the family blood, but your spirit as well.
The Matou bloodline ends with your generation."
The old man turns away from Shinji in disgust and walks toward us.
...Saber retreats. She must have felt something ominous in the old man.
"...Hm. I see, no wonder Rider was defeated. I presume you are a famed
heroic spirit. I do not think a heroic spirit as great as you was ever
summoned."
"......"
"Well, it seems my life will end here. No matter how pitiful he may be,
he is still my grandson. I have to save him, even if it means my death.
Heh, compassion towards family members can be a dangerous thing."
...I'm surprised.
It seems the old man stepped forward to give Shinji a chance to escape.
Matou Zouken must be confronting Saber so that he can protect Shinji,
the one crawling in fear behind him.
"Leave quickly. Your book of contract has burned up, and you are no
longer a Master. They should not attack you again if you make it out of
here alive. Live the rest of your life as meaninglessly as your father
did."
"――――――――!"
Shinji glares at the old man as he retreats.
"――――――――"
Saber does not go after him.
She must not see the point of going after Shinji, who is not a Master
anymore.
Shinji crawls away.
And when he gets to the edge of the park...
He turns around once and runs off like crazy.
My stomach turns sour.
I smell rotten meat from somewhere.
"Oh, so you let him go? ......I see, I see. Killing such an insignificant
weakling would only dirty your sword."
"......"
Saber stands like a statue, her eyes locked with his.
...It seems like she is protecting me from his gaze.
"―――Can you back away, Saber? I know this old man. I want to talk
to him."
"No. This man is not human. You should not have anything to tell him,
nor should you have anything to hear from him."
"...I know. But I still have something I need to ask him. Please, this will
be quick. You can decide whether to fight him or not after we talk."
"......"
Saber pulls herself back a bit.
She does not back up, but she is giving me the chance to talk to the old
man.
"――――I'm sorry.
...So, how are you going to explain this?"
"What? You're quite the rude one, demanding explanations of me.
I do not mind questions, but I will not be able to answer if I do not
understand what you are asking me about."
"...It's about Shinji. Why is he a Master? It seemed like you made him
into one. What's going on?"
"Oh, is that what you want to ask me? I do not even need to answer a
question like that. As you say, I am the one who chose him as a Master.
It has been long since I retired, as you can see.
As I cannot fight, I gave the stage to my grandson."
"You made him a Master――――that means..."
"Yes. It is like you, successor of Emiya.
I found out that the Holy Grail would appear, and I let my grandson
make a contract with a Servant. You are of the lowest seat in a family of
magi.
You should understand me wanting to entrust my dream to my
apprentice."
"――――――――"
...Then what?
Magi become Masters.
So that means Shinji knows magic, and his family is a family of magi?
"Magi――――are you saying the Matou family is a family of magi?"
"You didn't know? The families of Matou and Tohsaka live in this land.
But... our bloodline has died out.
The Tohsaka family has the right to this land. The Matou family is
living, clinging onto its former right."
"Tohsaka...? Then Tohsaka also knows that the Matou family is a family
of magi!?"
"Of course. We were once allies. We have been enemies ever since the
ritual became violent, but we are still colleagues with a shared ambition.
We are friends outside of the Holy Grail War.
Oh, that girl has succeeded him, huh?
I have been away for about ten years, so I do not know how talented his
apprentice is."
He laughs.
I don't know what kind of feelings he has for the Tohsaka family, but
Matou Zouken laughs happily.
"...You said the Tohsaka family are your allies, right? Then has the
Matou family been here since the very first Holy Grail War?"
"Yes. We were formerly called Makiri.
We came to this country with the name Matou, but it seems that was a
mistake. The land here does not suit us. Our bloodline has grown thin in
the past two hundred years, and you have seen the failure we now have
for a successor."
"――――Makiri."
They are actually called Makiri.
If Shinji is from a family of magi, then Sakura is...
"Hm? Oh, it's just a play on words. It is to hide our identity, but we
cannot use just anything.
Even our false name has to tie in to our real name."
"――――――"
I don't care about that.
There's only one question that matters now.
"――――Then is Sakura―――is Sakura a Master like Shinji?"
"That is a strange question. Sakura a Master? Such a thing is not
possible. It seems your father has not taught you anything."
"It's not possible...? Does that mean Sakura has no talent?"
"The problem goes far deeper than that.
First of all, magi families have only one inheritor. You only pass magic
to the inheritor unless you are a distinguished family.
And a sister of all that. You do not need two inheritors. We would have
sent her out for adoption if our family had not died out, but nobody
would take her since she lacks Magic Circuits."
"――――Then Sakura is..."
"It should be obvious, since Shinji is a Master. As she is not our
successor, she does not even know that we are a family of magi.
...Well, I considered using her if her brother proved useless, but we have
already lost. I won't involve someone who knows nothing of the Holy
Grail War."
"――――――――"
I sigh with relief.
...That's good.
I'm surprised the Matou family is a family of magi, and it's problematic
that Shinji was a Master.
But I'm relieved to know that Sakura doesn't need to concern herself
with such a murderous war.
"―――You said you guys already lost. That means Shinji won't fight
anymore? You've retired, and Sakura has nothing to do with the Holy
Grail War, right?"
"Correct. But I cannot promise that Shinji will not try anything.
He is stubbornly determined to be a magus.
The Matou blood has grown weak since we came to this country, and he
is our last heir.
Children of the Matou family no longer have Magic Circuits."
"Hmph... I do not know how he found out about our family secret. He
has pride in being the chosen one, but he grew up knowing that he is
inferior.
It is likely my fault for not being more strict with him, but his character
is not something that can be easily corrected. He is beyond help if he
cannot give up after such a crushing defeat."
The old man starts shrinking.
No, it's just an illusion. He was backing up silently.
"Anyway, Shinji lost. We have been eliminated from this war―――but
will you still kill this old man, Servant Saber?"
"If what you say is true, there is no reason for me to fight.
But there will not be a next time if it is a lie. That goes the same for your
successor. If he comes after my master again, I shall kill him without
mercy."
"Understood."
The old man disappears.
...What is this?
Matou Zouken melts into the night, just like when he appeared.
"――――――――"
All that's left is this rotten smell.
I force down the feelings of nausea and pick up the unconscious
woman.
"Let's go to the church, Saber. We'll still make it. He should be able to do
something."
"――――I know. I shall take the woman."
"...? Oh, thanks, Saber."
I let Saber carry the woman.
There's no time to waste. Even though Saber is smaller than me, she is
more powerful. I should let her handle this instead of trying to show off.
"I shall lead the way. Please stay behind me."
Saber starts running.
I run full speed after her so I won't get left behind.
The church is lit, even though it's midnight.
I took the woman from Saber and entered the church alone.
When I yelled for Kotomine, he came out and quickly retreated to the
back with the unconscious woman.
He said that his room was the only place he would be able to treat her.
"――――Phew."
I sit down.
...I've done all I could.
Now, it's up to Kotomine.
I'll believe in him and wait.
"――――――――"
...I keep waiting.
I'm worried about Saber, who is waiting outside, but I can't leave.
And――――I want to think by myself for a while.
The Matou family was a family of magi.
Shinji became a Master and obtained a Servant.
Matou Zouken had his successor participate in the Holy Grail War, even
though he lost his powers as a magus.
"......"
The Einzbern family aren't the only ones obsessed with the Holy Grail.
Makiri and Tohsaka.
No, in the first place, the only ones who become Masters are those who
cling to the Holy Grail.
...Saber is no exception.
The Einzbern family has sought the Holy Grail for a thousand years.
Their persistence is not something I can do anything about.
They can only be saved by the Holy Grail.
My father went against them and destroyed it.
But would I be able to pursue my wish to such lengths?
Like the Einzbern and Makiri families...
Do I have the right to compete against those who have sought the Holy
Grail for centuries?
"How surprising. I did say you could bring wounded people here, but I
did not think you would bring one on the same exact day."
"Kotomine――――"
I raise my head.
He doesn't look gloomy.
Then that must mean the treatment was successful.
"Kotomine. How is the woman doing?"
"She survived, but the rest is up to her. If you were an hour later, I
would've had to see her as a priest."
"―――I see. I'm sorry I troubled you.
...Um, I'm glad you were awake."
"You're thanking me? Are you sick? I will listen if something is
worrying you."
"...I am worried about many things, and you are the cause of most of
them. I'll pass on another long talk with you."
"Oh, so our conversation earlier was just a bother? ...Hm, I meant to give
you a boost, but it only gave you more worries, huh? I should reflect on
my actions as well."
The priest shuts his mouth, looking regretful.
"......"
It's not that I'm letting him get to me, but...
"......Um.
A guy I know turned out to be a Master."
...Not being able to bear it by myself, I just have to say it.
The priest says nothing.
He just nods.
"So of course you defeated the Master, right?"
I nod in response to his short question.
"Then do not regret it. People cannot change the past.
All we can do is to accept our own actions.
If you still wish to be burdened with your sins, let it show in your future
actions. It is your choice how to perceive something that has already
happened."
"......"
His words are plausible.
...The problem isn't that Shinji was a Master, that the Matou family is a
family of magi, or that the Einzbern family tenaciously pursues the Holy
Grail.
The important thing is what I'm going to do from now on.
"――――I'm going home. Please take care of that woman."
I get up to leave the church.
Saber is waiting for me outside.
There's no more reason for me to stay here if the woman is all right.
"Hold on, Emiya Shirou. I shall give you one piece of advice."
"...What? I told you I'm not listening to your endless rambling again."
"I will be brief, but I deserve some compensation for being asked to treat
a woman so late at night."
"......"
I can't object if he puts it like that.
I reluctantly turn around to see that the priest is right behind me.
"It is something I forgot to tell you.
The Einzbern family has endured for a thousand years in pursuit of their
one wish. Yes, it is a serious matter now that I say it. It is natural for you
to be overwhelmed."
"......"
...This is why I don't like this guy.
He accurately points out my doubts even when I haven't said anything.
"...Shut up. Are you going to bring that up again?"
"No. I am telling you that it is nothing to be concerned about.
There is no need to view this as anything special. This war is just a
common thing.
The Holy Grail War is the materialization of our everyday life and
people's happiness. There is no crime in participating."
"Everyone desires something and people fight for what they want. That
is what defines life. It is something shared by all, even if the scale of
those desires is different.
There isn't a person in this world who does not try to make his wish
come true.
The outcome, of course, is another matter. People may live to make their
dreams come true, but some of them die before they reach their goals."
"There is an order to things. An appropriate accumulation of effort is
needed to make dreams come true. This is what people call life.
―――The Holy Grail simply removes the need for that effort.
It is merely a simplification of life."
"So there is nothing special about it.
The seven Masters are just trying to reduce the journey undertaken
during their lifetimes via the shortcut called the Holy Grail.
Everything else is the same. It is human nature to paint over others'
wishes with your own.
The Holy Grail War is no different from your life.
Do as you please throughout this war and win."
"......"
He says cheerfully...
There is no difference between a vulgar wish and a noble one.
The quality of the wish is irrelevant.
I just need to trample over the wishes of others――――
...I don't know if it's sarcasm or not.
But he is seriously saying even an incomplete Master like me is worthy
to fight.
"...That's not like you. Why are you suddenly worrying about others?"
"Well, it is because our talk earlier was not helpful. I cannot call myself
a priest if people coming to me because they are worried leave with even
more doubts."
...Man.
I bet Tohsaka would say he makes a lousy priest to start with.
"Don't worry about that. Bye, you fake priest."
"Yes. Come again if you have not had enough."
I snort and walk to the exit.
I leave the church for sure this time.
Saber is waiting outside.
...I think it was like this earlier too.
Saber waits for me in the cold winter night without complaining.
A Master and a Servant might have this kind of a relationship, but Saber
is by my side because she is concerned for my safety.
I believe I have to answer her with the best honesty I have.
"―――That woman's all right thanks to you, Saber."
"You do not need to thank me. It was you who tried to save her. I only
abided by your decision."
"――――!"
Her expression is very gentle.
"Oh... no, that's not true. You're the one who saved her. I wouldn't have
made it in time by myself. And most of all――――"
I think Saber let Matou Zouken go to save that woman.
We would've ended up fighting if we stopped that old man there. She
definitely would've died.
Saber took that into consideration and let him go.
"W-What is it, Shirou? Um, it seems you are smiling for no reason at
all."
"Huh? Oh, I have a reason. I'm glad you're the person I thought you
were. Thank you, Saber, for going along with my unreasonable plan."
"W-What are you saying? I do not think your plan is an unreasonable
one――――"
"Really? You said I was too lenient and too optimistic.
You looked like you might not go along with the plan when the time
came."
"I-I never looked that way! I only told you that my own judgment would
take priority if you were in danger! How can you doubt me, Shirou?"
Saber frowns.
"――――"
I smile, since her expression is totally different now.
"Shirou. It seems I will need to teach you some manners one of these
days."
"Yeah, please do if there's a chance. But Saber... Let's end this war for
now."
"Shirou...?"
"I didn't need the Holy Grail like you.
Before, I just wanted to stop the fighting, and then give you the Holy
Grail if we survived until the very end. I wondered if an amateur like me
was appropriate for you."
"―――I see. Then what about now? Tonight, you experienced a battle
you chose to start yourself. Have your thoughts changed?"
"No, not at all. I'm still against the Holy Grail War.
―――But I'll fight until the end for sure.
I have no wish that I need the Holy Grail to grant.
...But I want to protect others, like a superhero.
I don't think my wish is inferior. So I have to fight against the wishes of
others, even if they are five hundred or a thousand years old."
"―――I see. That is understandable."
"Then I shall swear again.
I will be your sword for as long as you are a worthy master. As long as
you remain yourself, Shirou,―――I will never betray your trust."
"Oh―――yeah, I'll do my best, Saber."
Her direct smile is embarrassing, so I look up.
The winter's chill makes the starry sky more beautiful.
'―――I will never betray you.'
I look up at the night sky, a world apart from tonight's events.
The girl that waited for me in this cold weather said that.
Then I'll believe in myself...
...So that I can always be worthy of her trust.
...So that I will be able to look back on my actions without regret.
Day 05 (omen):
――――Light flows in.
The warmth I feel through my eyelids informs me that it is morning.
I turn over and look away from the light.
"Hm――――"
I still feel sleepy.
Judging by the feel of the air, it's around 5:30.
"――――――――"
I went to bed late last night.
I came home from the church, forced Saber to sleep in the other
building, and finally went to sleep myself around 3AM.
...I don't know if I can cope with getting only two hours of sleep.
It was a frenetic, exhausting day yesterday.
Nobody can blame me if I sleep for another 30 minu―――
"――――Huh?"
I think I saw something.
It's by my futon.
It seems something big is by my futon.
"......"
...Come to think of it, I feel someone's presence.
I feel restless, as if someone is watching me. So this means――――
"Saber......!"
"Yes, what is it, Shirou?"
"W-Why are you in my room!? I gave you a separate room last
night―――!"
I leap up from the futon to my feet―――no, I stop myself at the last
second.
I can't show her my lower half because... um... it's morning.
"Yes, and I think there is a problem with it. You directed me to a room,
but that room is not close enough to yours. I need to be by your side so
that I may protect you."
"H-Hold on, just get away from me...!
Just get away, please get away, no, I'll get away if you won't...!"
Still rolled up in my futon, I scramble away from Saber.
"...?"
Saber looks at me with wonder.
―――Man, what does she think of a healthy guy of my age!?
I get nervous from just having her close to me, so it's really shocking if
she's sitting by my side when I wake up. And it was a surprise attack
too! If my composure were an army, that would've just annihilated it.
"Shirou. As I was saying."
"Ugh... you mean the room?"
"Yes. We should sleep in the same room to be safe.
The boundary field on this house is excellent, but it only serves as a
warning. It will do nothing to shield you if we are attacked here."
"......"
Saber has a point, but I wish she would consider the state of my nerves.
I'll go crazy before any enemy attacks us if I sleep in the same room
with Saber.
It's not like I'll be with Saber all the time, so we should distance
ourselves――――
"――――Oh."
I totally forgot about it.
I have school today...!
"Shirou? Why are you so pale? I have noticed that you make that face
whenever you are about to suggest something foolish."
"――――――――"
She's sharp.
Her previous aura of loyalty is gone, and she keeps me at bay with a
distrustful look.
"Well, there's something I forgot to tell you."
I kneel and face her.
...Well.
How can I phrase things so that she'll approve of me going to school?
"......"
"......"
I feel her staring at me, and it hurts.
Saber is sitting Japanese-style while I cut the tofu...
...Staring at me with that expression of hers.
'I will go to school like usual.'
We never reached a compromise after I said that.
Saber objected, of course.
She says it is dangerous for me to be alone.
But I have my personal life too.
Fuji-Nee will get suspicious if I skip school, and I won't know what's
going on outside if I stay indoors.
And to go somewhere with Saber means warning other Masters.
I think the results will be good enough if I go out on my own. And most
of all...
"Masters fight where there are no people, right? Then I'll be safe during
the day. Nobody will attack me unless I go someplace deserted."
But Saber insisted that it's not going to be enough.
...Her excessive concern pissed me off, so I stubbornly insisted that I'm
going to school, and this is the result.
"......"
Her glare feels like it's burning into me.
The moral of the story is...
She'll bear a big grudge if you make her mad. And she gets out of hand
because she is emotional.
So I should be careful not to act stubborn again.
"...Man, you inflexible blockhead."
"Did you say something, Shirou?"
"No, I'm just talking to myself. This tofu's really tough."
"――――――――"
...And she has sharp ears. She's not the type you want to get into a cold
war with.
"Huh? It's that time already?"
After the doorbell, I hear the front door opening.
And I also hear the familiar tone of Sakura's voice.
"Oh, so I lost 30 minutes while I was arguing with Saber."
But breakfast is almost ready.
I thought about having bread to please Saber, but it seemed too much
like bribery, so I changed my mind.
Japanese people eat rice.
I'll counter her violent glare with pressure of "when in Rome, do as the
Romans do".
"Good morning, Senpai. Are you already done cooking?"
"Yeah, I'm pretty much done. Good morning, Sakura. Fuji-Nee should
be coming soon, so help me serve the food."
"Okay! I'll be helping you."
Sakura sets her bag down in the living room and greets Saber.
"Good morning, Saber-san. Were you able to sleep well last night?"
"Yes. It was not a familiar room, but it was not a problem since I am
familiar with this house."
...Oh, they're talking.
They didn't talk much yesterday, but I guess Sakura's gotten over it after
one night.
"Sorry to keep you waiting, Senpai. What should I start with?"
"Can you get one big plate and four small ones? The salad's done, so you
can serve it."
"Okay. Wow, we're having German potato salad this morning?
You're elaborate this morning, cooking Western food."
Sakura is surprised, but she scoops out the salad onto the big plate.
The salad is the only Western food I made.
...You have to understand, I'm not giving in to Saber. I'm just...
proactively trying to clear the air between us.
"Oh, it smells good. Can I try some, Senpai?"
"Yeah, but it's hot. And it might be sweet, too."
"...?"
Sakura picks up a piece of potato with the cooking chopsticks.
"Hmm... Oh, it really is sweet. That's not... onion, is it?"
Licking her lips, Sakura tries to figure out the ingredients.
"――――――――"
Her gesture surprises me.
I should be used to seeing Sakura sample my food, but when she's so
close, I can't take my eyes off her.
"Wow, this is really good, Senpai! I like this taste!"
Sakura must really like it, as she happily scoops the salad onto the big
plate.
There's nothing unusual about it.
The surprise fades, and I sigh with relief.
"―――――Oh, hold on, Sakura."
"Yes? What is it, Senpai?"
She's the same as always.
She's no different from yesterday.
It should not concern Sakura even if Shinji was a Master or even if her
family is a family of magi.
There's no way Sakura would be involved in the conflict.
There's no way, but...
"Sakura. Let me see your right cheek."
There's a bruise on her right cheek, as if she's been punched.
"Oh... it's not what you think, Senpai. I, um, fell on the stairs."
"――――――――"
There's only one person who Sakura would make excuses for.
She's been like this for a long time.
She would be strangely lively or unnaturally depressed.
It always meant Shinji was taking things out on her. When I first found
out about it, I went and punched him.
...But he's never done something this bad before.
About half a year ago, I spotted a bruise on Sakura's arm.
I hit Shinji when I realized he'd done it―――but he's never punched a
girl's face!
"――――Damn him..."
"S-Senpai――――"
I hear a sharp crack.
It seems I broke the chopsticks in my hand.
"I'm pissed. I told him never to hit his sister again, but he couldn't keep
such a simple promise...!?"
"No, Senpai. You've got it all wrong. I just fell, really. I fell when Nii-
san bumped into me."
"――――Sakura."
"That's all that happened, Senpai.
...Please don't concern yourself with Nii-san right now.
He's been acting weird since last night. He's really annoyed, so he might
say odd things to you."
"――――――――"
Sakura is defending her brother.
If the person who got hit isn't complaining, I definitely can't.
...And I know why Shinji's acting strange.
Shinji was abnormal last night.
His rights as a Master were taken away, and he was humiliated by his
own grandfather.
He must have taken out his anger on Sakura after he went home.
"――――――――Kuh."
Sakura doesn't know anything.
Nobody's told her about her brother, or about the secret of the Matou
family.
Then―――is it safe for her to live with Shinji when he's in such a
state?
He hasn't given up.
Sakura is a convenient outlet for his violent personality.
"...Um, Senpai? I'm sorry to trouble you so early in the day."
"――――You idiot. Don't say that."
I'm the one who caused the trouble.
I should've expected this when I fought Shinji last night.
I have to think of a way...
A way to keep Sakura smiling――――
A dismal air hangs over the rest of the morning.
Fuji-Nee didn't turn up for some reason, and Sakura was quiet all
through breakfast.
Saber doesn't talk much to start with, and I'm not the garrulous type.
It doesn't take long to finish breakfast, so Sakura leaves 40 minutes early
to go to her morning practice.
"...Um, I'll be going now, Senpai."
Sakura forces a smile as she puts on her shoes.
"Oh, don't push yourself too hard with your club activity. You always
tried to go there even when you were sick, right? Just practice
moderately and go sip some tea in the back. If Mitsuzuri says something,
tell her I'll owe her one."
"――――Okay. I'm sure Captain would love that."
Sakura opens the door.
She bows and turns to leave――――
...And walks right into the door.
"S-Sakura――――!?"
"Oww―――."
She holds the nose she banged onto the door.
"A-Are you all right, Sakura!? Is your nose bleeding!?"
"――――No, I'm fine. I'd die if you saw my nose bleeding――――"
Sakura staggers and gets up.
...It doesn't seem like it was Sakura's usual clumsiness.
"...Are you really all right, Sakura? It looked like you fell. If you got
dizzy, then..."
"Huh...? No, that can't be. I was just careless, so, um... this is
embarrassing."
"......"
"Then I'll be going now. I'll tell Fujimura-Sensei that your breakfast was
good, like always."
Sakura leaves, as if to shake off my worries.
"――――"
I guess she's all right.
If anything, she's suffering from mental exhaustion.
"...And then there's Shinji. I can't just leave her be..."
But I have no clear solution.
I can't consult Saber, nor can I tell Sakura the truth. Fuji-Nee is out of
the question, of course.
"――――――――"
...Damn, if only there were someone else at school who I could talk to
about the Holy Grail War―――
"...Man. People like that don't just conveniently appear out of
nowhere…"
I go up the stairs.
Leaving Saber to watch the house, I end up at school, but I'm still a little
gloomy.
"...Emiya-kun!?"
"――――Oh."
――――She's here.
The one person I can discuss anything with appears out of nowhere. It's
almost too good to be true.
"――――I see.
You must think I'm soft."
She must have something to tell me as well, since she stops and talks to
me.
How fortunate for me!
I’ll――――
"Fine. If that's how you want it, we'll settle things here and now. I can't
believe you came to school without your Servant――――"
"Sorry! I'm begging you! Please let me talk to you!"
I close in on Tohsaka and push her against the wall.
I can't let the other students hear this.
"H-Hey, what are you thinking...!? I didn't mean that, and there are
people here...!"
"Please, you're the only one I can depend on. Sakura might get involved
in the Holy Grail War, and I don't know what to do. You know a lot, so
tell me, is there a way to protect Sakura without telling her
anything―――!?"
"――――"
Tohsaka stares at me in complete surprise.
"Oh... I-I'm sorry. I got flustered because the timing of you being here
was perfect.
...Um, Sakura is my underclassman. She might get involved in the Holy
Grail War, and I don't want that. But I can't come up with any good
ideas, so..."
"――――I don't care about your excuses. Can you just let go of me?
Homeroom is going to start."
"...! O-Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't notice...!"
I quickly let go of Tohsaka.
...I feel my face burning.
What was I thinking, pushing Tohsaka up against the wall like that...!?
"I'm sorry. I know I'm apologizing a lot, but please hear me out.
I――――"
"...You want to ask me something, right? All right, I'll listen."
"What? R-Really!?"
"...Hey now. You look like you're going to die if I don't listen to you.
Come up to the rooftop during lunchtime. I'll listen then."
Tohsaka turns and goes up the stairs.
As I look up at her in blank amazement...
"――――You idiot. You'll be late if you don't hurry."
...Tohsaka leaves with those words.
I hurry to my classroom.
It's three minutes before homeroom starts, and Fuji-Nee isn't here yet.
Shinji's desk is empty.
It'd hard to face him after what happened yesterday, but I wanted to
settle things.
But I can't do anything if he's absent.
Going to Shinji's house will only provoke him, so I have to come up
with a way that won't involve Sakura.
"...Huh?"
There's another empty desk.
That's Issei's desk.
"That's rare. So even Issei can be absent, huh?"
I set my bag down and prepare for homeroom.
"Sorry to keep you all waiting! Isn't this a new record!?"
Fuji-Nee arriving before the bell rings is a rare spectacle indeed.
Heh.
I thought she'd slept in since she didn't come to my house this morning,
but she's even more energetic than usual.
――――The lunchtime bell rings.
I sprint out of the classroom, buy some bread and tea, and hurry up the
stairs.
"Haa, haa, ha――――!"
I dash to the rooftop, startling students as I go.
My heart's beating fast.
It's been pounding faster and faster the whole day.
"...Haa, haa, ah――――"
To be honest, I'm nervous.
I'm glad that I can consult her, but that hardly seems to matter now.
I must've been crazy to make arrangements with Tohsaka Rin.
She's the school idol, the perfect honor student, the girl I've admired!
"Man, calm down, you idiot――――!"
I try to catch my breath as I run up the stairs.
...Anyway, this is a big event.
Tohsaka is Tohsaka even though she's a Master, so I can't be late.
And I'm asking her a favor.
So I have to get there before her and act cool.
But...
"T-Tohsaka?"
"―――――You're late, Emiya-kun."
...It seems there's a line no ordinary person can cross.
"You want to talk to me about something, right? Let's sit down."
Without waiting for a reply, Tohsaka walks over to the water tower.
I see.
Nobody will see us there, and it'll block the wind.
"So, tell me what's on your mind. Who's this Sakura girl, and what
happened yesterday?"
"Eh―――o-okay. It's a bit long, but do you mind?"
"Try to make it short. Lunchtime isn't that long."
...!
Having her this close is just making me more nervous.
But now's not the time.
I have to ask her about Sakura.
"T-Then I'll try to make this simple.
Matou Sakura is my underclassman, and I've known her for a long time.
Her older brother is Matou Shinji, and I've known him for a long time as
well.
―――To put it simply, I fought a Master last night, and that Master was
Shinji."
"...!? Matou Shinji was a Master!?"
"Yeah. I'm sure of it because his grandfather, Matou Zouken, told us. He
also said that the Matou family is a family of magi―――did you know
about that, Tohsaka?"
"Of course. The only magus in this town that I didn't know about was
you. But I never thought it was possible. Because Shinji is..."
"He's not a magus. He doesn't have a Magic Circuit, right? That's what
Matou Zouken said.
...But that's a condition to be a magus.
I think the conditions for becoming a Master are different. I'm like Shinji
in that respect. You shouldn't assume that only magi can become
Masters."
"......I see. So, what about Shinji? Did you defeat him?"
"Yeah. Saber defeated his Servant, Rider. His book, his Command Spell,
burned up, so he isn't a Master anymore.
...But I don't think he's given up. That alone is dangerous, but on top of
that, Sakura is living at his house."
"I heard from Zouken that magic only gets taught to the successor.
Sakura was raised without being taught anything, so she doesn't know
what Shinji is doing.
As long as she doesn't find out, she won't get involved in this war
between the Masters."
"......You're right. So why do you think Sakura is in danger?"
"I told you that Shinji is dangerous right now. He might take out his
anger on Sakura, and there's no telling what'll happen if he does
something even worse.
So, um..."
"So you want to end it before Shinji involves Sakura? Your idea is good,
but it's not possible.
Just look at the Ryudou Temple. The other Masters are tricky. I think this
Holy Grail War will last longer than expected."
"――――――――"
...I see.
The best outcome would be for Shinji to give up, but that's not realistic.
Then the only option is to separate Sakura from Shinji――――
"Then there's only one possible solution. If you don't want to involve
Sakura, you have to put her under your protection."
"――I thought about that, but I'm a Master too.
It's too dangerous to have her at my place, and Shinji will never stand
for it. Besides, I doubt she wants to stay at my house."
"...Geez. You really are dense, Emiya-kun."
"Huh?"
"It's nothing. Just go ahead and ask her. Protecting Sakura from Shinji
and protecting her from other Masters are the same thing.
Shouldn't you choose the option that lets you do something? ...Um, if
this Sakura person is someone important to you."
"――――――――"
Tohsaka's words hit me hard.
It feels like she smacked me in the head.
"―――You're right. You're absolutely right. I should ask her before I
start worrying about what I think."
"That's right. First of all, nobody would go make meals for a person they
hated. Sakura trusts you, so have a little confidence in yourself."
"...? Did I tell you that Sakura comes over to make meals for us?"
"...! Y-You did! You told me at the very beginning! You told me, you
probably told me, you certainly told me! You told me, so don't worry
about it!"
Her quick shout stops my rebuttal.
"......"
Oh well.
I've already learned that Tohsaka wears a mask at school.
"―――All right. Thanks, you really helped me out.
I would've taken longer to make up my mind."
"Oh. You're pretty bold now. Are you showing off, telling me that you
would've arrived at the same conclusion by yourself?"
Tohsaka smiles.
"――――――――"
Her smile attacks me by surprise.
"Oh, that's not what I meant. But wouldn't you have Sakura stay over if
she was still depressed tomorrow?"
"Oh, your face is all red. So you really can't lie, huh? You're acting cool,
but you're actually innocent inside."
"...! Who are you to say that!? Is it fun to make fun of people when
you're supposed to be an honor student!?"
"Hey now, I choose who I make fun of. I only make fun of people if it's
worth doing."
"Come on. It's cold, so come closer and block the wind."
"...!!!!! Y-Y-Y-Y-Y-Y-You idiot, it'll be terrible if we get any closer!! I'll
take you on if you're picking a fight with me, so get away from me, you
devil!!!"
I arc back and get my face away from Tohsaka.
――――!!
T-This is bad.
Having her close was bad enough, but just now was fatal.
After getting to know Tohsaka, the person I admired became a
dangerous associate.
...That's fine by itself, but that was too much.
When she gets this close to me, I can't ignore her beautiful hair, her soft-
looking body, her pretty face...
―――My heart's pounding so hard that it feels like it's about to
explode.
...I hate to admit it, but she is beautiful.
Her true nature is different than what I thought, but I still admire her.
"A-Anyway, thanks for your help. That's all I have to say.
I'll listen to you now."
"What? I don't have anything to talk about."
"Huh? Weren't you saying something this morning?
...Well, I wasn't listening because I was in a panic, but you looked like
you were in a bad mood."
"Oh, that. It's fine now. It's true that I had business with you, but I don't
feel like it now. I'm surprised, to be honest."
"...??? What do you mean, 'surprised'?"
"I mean that part of you.
...Oh well. I'll tell you one good thing while we're at it.
You know about the people who've been going into comas around town,
right?
That's a Servant's doing, and the Master is at the Ryudou Temple."
"Oh, you were saying something about the Ryudou Temple earlier.
...Wait, that Ryudou Temple?"
"Yes. They're cunning enemies, so watch out if you're planning on
attacking them. They aren't taking lives, but they are attacking
indiscriminately.
Well, I'm going to sit and watch for a while since they can only use a set
amount of magical energy at once, no matter how much magical energy
they may store."
"――――――――"
...A Master is at the Ryudou Temple.
Tohsaka is doing her best, even though Archer isn't fully healed yet.
"Well, you owe me one, Emiya-kun.
I told you something you didn't know."
The honor student smiles boldly.
I feel like a frog in front of a snake.
"W-What? I told you about Shinji too. That should make it even."
"Oh, that's been paid for with the advice about Sakura. Or what? You
didn't mean those thanks you gave me?"
"Ugh――――"
S-She's a devil! She's a real devil! Don't let her fool you, everyone! The
school's peace is in danger!
"Well, what should I take? Equivalent exchange is standard for magi."
Damn... I think my father said something like that as well.
"Hmmmmmm."
I look down at my hands.
This is the only thing I have right now.
"Do you get it now? You have no information to give me, so tell me
Saber's true iden――――"
"...I guess I can't help it. You haven't eaten yet, right? I'll give you half of
this."
I break my bread in half.
...Reluctantly, I give her the whole can of tea as a show of sincerity.
"Hey――――wait, Emiya-kun?"
"Here, eat up. The cafeteria's closed by now. It should fill you up a bit."
I hand her the bread.
"――――――――"
Does she not like it? She looks astonished, and...
"――――Thanks. Then I won't hold myself back."
...And, she really eats the bread without holding back.
School's over, and the commotion is dying down.
The students scatter to go to their clubs or head home.
"...All right. I have to go home and get ready."
Even if Sakura is going to stay over, I need to mentally prepare myself.
I should go buy groceries and wait for her to come after her club
activities.
"―――Well. What should we have for dinner tonight?"
I stand in front of the supermarket and think.
Having Sakura stay over means convincing Fuji-Nee.
Then dinner should be something that they'll both enjoy――――
"...I already made a huge dinner yesterday. I'm not going to be working
for a while and there's one more person to feed, so I shouldn't be
spending money..."
But this month is an exception.
I have my savings, and I can't be distracted by money during the Holy
Grail War.
And I should be repaying Sakura every chance I get.
"Phew..."
I leave the supermarket with bags full of food.
I think I bought too much, but it's all good.
I got some fresh codfish, so maybe I should make stew tonight.
"All right, anti-Fuji-Nee measure taken care of――――"
I stop walking.
"...?"
Someone's pulling at my shirt from behind.
"What's going on...?"
Still wondering, I turn around.
There...
...Stands a young girl with silver hair.
"W-What――――!?"
I quickly jump back.
I tense myself to act, but the girl just stands there and smiles.
"...?"
I don't feel any murderous intent or hostility from her.
"I'm glad you're alive, Onii-chan."
She looks at me with a big smile.
"Wha――――"
...I'm sure of it. This girl is Berserker's Master.
She controls the monster who nearly killed me.
The girl of the family of magi who started this war, the family which my
father betrayed.
Why is she here in the shopping district during daytime?
She doesn't feel like a stranger at all... it must be because the priest's
story was so vivid.
That's why...
"――――Ilya...?"
"――――Huh?"
...I blurt out her name without knowing what it means.
"Oh―――sorry, that's wrong...!
Ilya―――yeah, it's Ilyasviel...!
I-I'm sorry for getting it wrong...!"
I quickly apologize.
It doesn't matter if she's Berserker's Master or the daughter of the
Einzbern family.
It's just that...
I can't leave her alone when her face looks so sad.
"......"
She's glaring at me, probably because I shortened her name.
"Oh―――I didn't mean to make you mad. I just blurted it out."
"......Tell me your name."
"What?"
"Tell me your name, Onii-chan. It's unfair that I don't know your name."
"――――――――"
Oh, she's right.
Ilyasviel told me her name, but I haven't told her mine yet.
"I'm Shirou. Emiya Shirou."
"Emiyashiro? That's a strange name, Onii-chan."
"No. Emiya is my last name, and Shirou is my first name. If it's hard to
say it, just call me Shirou."
I correct her pronunciation.
"――――――――"
I point right at her nose, and she stands there in surprise.
"――――"
Even though I regret it, it's too late.
Looking like she's about to cry...
"...Shirou, Shirou, huh? Yeah, I like the name.
It's simple, but it sounds pretty. It suits you, Shirou.
I'll forgive you for what you just did!"
...She embraces my arm.
"What――――!? H-H-Hold on, Ilyasviel! What are you doing...!?"
"No, you can call me Ilya, Shirou! I'm calling you Shirou, so this is
fair!"
"Wha―――well, that's easier to say, but hold on!!!"
I shake my arm, but Ilya only screams happily and enjoys it.
"...!"
This is bad. The neighbors might spread bad rumors about me if I keep
this up.
"Damn, what do you want...!? Do you want to fight me right now...!?"
I pull her off by force.
"――――――――"
...Oh.
Ilya looks unhappy.
"W-What? Making a face like that won't do you any good. I don't know
what your intentions are, but I'm a Master. You can't defeat me that
easily――――"
Groceries in hand, I glare at her.
...But she only looks back at me in wonder.
"......Um, Ilya?"
"Yeah!? What, Shirou!?"
"――――――――Ugh."
She isn't like before.
...Well, she was laughing back then too, but her smile is different now.
Could it really be――――?
"...Ilya. You didn't come here to fight...?"
I ask timidly.
"What? Do you want to be killed?"
"――――!"
Her gaze sends a chill down my spine.
No matter how young this girl may be, she is the strongest Master.
She laughs innocently, but she can also become a ruthless Master.
"...Hmm. I don't get it, but I don't mind you saying so, nor do I mind
going ahead with my plans. Do you want to die along with Saber?"
"...Don't kid around. No way! I don't want to die, and I don't want to
fight you here."
"Right? Masters can't fight during daytime. You don't have Saber with
you, and I don't have Berserker with me."
"...You're right. Then why did you come here? Did we meet up by
chance?"
"It's not chance. I snuck out past Sella and specially came to see you.
You better feel honored."
She puffs up with pride.
"――――"
I feel dizzy.
Every time I think she turns into a cruel Master, she returns to being the
innocent girl.
I can't tell which is the real her.
"...All right. So you came to see me.
But you have no intention of fighting me. Am I correct?"
"Yup. I came to talk to you. I've waited all this time, so I can, right?"
"――――――――"
I don't know what she means by "all this time", but it seems Ilya just
came to talk with me.
"Or do you not want to talk with me? ...I'll go home if you don't want to.
I really don't want to go home, but you'll hate me if I make you do
something you don't want."
Ilya looks me straight in the eye.
"――――――――!"
...As a Master, it's dangerous to spend any time with Ilya. If Saber were
here, I bet she wouldn't hesitate to make herself heard.
"――――――――"
...But I can't leave her alone when she looks like that.
I know it's reckless, thoughtless, and rash, but...
"I don't mind talking with you. To be honest, I wanted to talk with you."
"All right! Then let's go over that way! I found a small park over there
earlier――――!"
Ilya starts running.
"Come on, come on! I'll leave you behind if you don't hurry!"
She twirls about as she runs.
"――――Well, I guess it can't be helped."
I accept this turn of events and follow after Ilya.
She called me Shirou.
So I should treat her as a normal girl, and not a Master.
There is no one in the park.
Nobody is playing in the sand pit or on the swings.
It feels desolate, but I sit down on a bench with Ilya.
...This must look weird to other people.
Ilya's a foreigner, so we don't look like siblings, and our ages are too far
apart to be friends.
"...So. What do you want to talk about, Ilya? You came to me, so do you
have something you want to ask me?"
"Why? I have nothing I want to ask you."
"――――――――"
Well.
How should I react to this incomprehensible girl?
"...Ilya. You're the one who wanted to talk.
So why do you say you have no business with me? You wouldn't have
come if you had no business with me, right?"
"O-Oh, really? We can't talk if we don't have business?"
"Uhh... that's not what I meant. Sorry, I put it in the wrong way. We can
still talk. Actually, I guess it's better to talk without purpose.
...But, man. I don't know you really well, so I don't know what I should
talk about. I don't know what you like, or anything. You don't want me
asking you about something you'd rather not talk about, right?"
"Y-You're right... but what should I ask? Will you promise me you won't
get mad, whatever I ask you?"
"I'll try. I'm your Onii-chan, so I'll try to act mature."
"I see. Then Shirou, do you like me?"
"WHA――――!?"
W-W-W-W-W-What the hell is she asking!?
"Oh, you're a liar! You said you won't get mad, but you're mad!"
"Hey, anyone would be shocked by that question! Y-You shouldn't be
asking that question when you've already attacked me!"
"Hey, that was different! It's because you jumped out even though you're
weak! It's not my fault!"
"It is your fault! You were ready to kill from the beginning! So why are
you talking about me liking you and everything!?"
Ilya quivers up and goes quiet.
"...Oh."
...Crap.
I decided that I'd forget about us being Masters, but I guess I didn't.
"...Um, Ilya?"
"......It's important to me. You're an idiot, Shirou! If I hadn't stopped him
you'd be dead right now, but you still want to talk big."
Ilya looks down, trembling.
"......Man."
I guess I have no choice.
I'm the one who started this whole Master conversation, I'm the older
one here, and Ilya is a girl.
"――――Ahem. Um, Ilya..."
I prepare myself for what I have to say.
I――――
"―――I don't know you really well because we just met, but I don't
hate you. At the very least, I want to be friends when you are like this."
"――――――Really?"
"Um, you feel more like a little sister to me. And I won't bring up that
incident again. ...That's all I can promise you. Can you believe me?"
"―――Yeah!
I'll believe you if you say so...!"
Ilya tackles me and embraces my arm again.
"......Man. What are you?"
I complain, but I accept it. It's not bad.
I don't feel any hostility from her.
Her hugging me won't kill me, and it wouldn't be older brother-like to
panic now.
I guess I'll have to talk with her, just like she wants――――
My talk with Ilya lasts for about an hour.
She listens to my pointless rambling and mundane stories.
...Since when did it start getting painful?
She is an innocent girl.
She's a Master and has no doubts about it...
I think her lack of fear about going into battle is sad.
"――――――――"
A family of magi called Einzbern.
She is sent out as the greatest Master, a result of their thousand-year-old
history.
If that is Ilya's goal, then...
"――――Ilya. Can I ask you something?"
"What?"
"Do you recognize the name Emiya Kiritsugu?"
...I have to ask her this question.
"――――――――"
The air freezes.
The silence is dead.
"No. I don't know anyone like that."
...Her silver hair flutters.
Fairy-like, she gets up from the bench and turns around.
"It's getting late. Berserker's going to wake up at night, so I have to get
going now."
"――――――――"
Ilya waves goodbye.
"Yeah, I should go home too."
I get up.
This is all the rest I'll get.
We will be enemies again once the sun sets.
But...
"Can I talk with you again, Ilya?"
...I ask the question as if it's only natural.
"―――U-Um, I don't know. Do you want to see me again, Shirou?"
"Of course. I wouldn't ask you if I didn't want to."
"......! Okay, then I'll come again tomorrow if I feel like it. Don't expect
too much and keep waiting, okay?"
She runs out of the park.
...But.
She suddenly stops.
"I was lying. He is someone I know."
"Ilya――――?"
"...I was given birth to this world to win the Holy Grail War. My mission
is to kill you and Kiritsugu."
She sprints off.
She doesn't turn around.
I watch until she's out of sight.
"I'm home... huh? Fuji-Nee's home already?"
I take my shoes off and go into the hallway.
What is the archery club advisor doing, coming home so early?
"Welcome home, Shirou."
"...Hm, so you're finally home, simpleton."
Saber is sitting Japanese-style in a good manner, and Fuji-Nee has her
head on the table in a bad manner.
"――――――――"
Fuji-Nee looks utterly defeated.
...I'm curious as to why, but I'm sure it's nothing that important.
"I'm home. Did anything happen while I was gone, Saber?"
"No, I saw nothing unusual. How about you, Shirou? Did you find
anything noteworthy at your school?"
"No, me neither. Shinji was absent, but school was like always. I don't
think we need to worry about anything happening there――――"
With Fuji-Nee sitting right there, I can't just come out and say "there
isn't a Master at my school."
"...Hm, I smell something. I feel a sour presence, like an old 10000 yen
bill you forgot about hiding, a presence of a secret."
The lazy dog sniffs the air.
"You smell like rusted shackles, Shirou. Very suspicious.
Are you hiding something from me-nya?"
"Whoa."
I can't believe it.
She's acting crazy.
"...Saber, did something happen with Fuji-Nee? It takes something really
big to turn her this way."
"Uh... no, I did not do anything. I believe Taiga is lethargic because she
is hungry."
She says those awful words quite casually.
"You're lying! You're the one who beat me up, saying you wanted to
know how strong I am, Saber-chan!"
Fuji-Nee pounds on the table.
...It must have been a frightening, humiliating experience, since she's
hiding behind me even as she glowers at Saber.
And I don't know when she started calling Saber Saber-chan.
"...Saber. Did you have a match with Fuji-Nee?"
"Um... I proposed that we move around if we had some free time. Since
a match using shinai would not prove fatal, Taiga agreed with my
proposal――――"
"Don't let her fool you, Shirou. Saber-chan was really about to kill me. I
can tell. I know about guns.
She was about to kill me. She really was about to kill me. She'll turn me
into butter if I let my guard down!"
Fuji-Nee trembles.
"...Saber, um..."
Did she go all-out against Fuji-Nee...?
"Eh... um, I believe I let my guard down a bit.
I was angry that you were late, and Taiga was stronger than I expected,
so my reflexes took over――――"
...Wow, that's scary.
Fuji-Nee is a fifth-degree black belt in kendo, but Saber's on another
level entirely.
"Anyway, don't go sneaking into Saber-chan's room at night if you don't
wanna die!
You'll see hell if you make a move on her! It'll be your own fault if you
die!"
"......Ugh."
...Oh yeah.
There's another problem for me.
I have to do something about Saber, who is determined to sleep in the
same room as me.
I'm a teenage guy. I don't know what'll happen if I sleep in the same
room as someone like her――――
"You need not worry, Taiga. If that is Shirou's command, I can only
obey. I will never fight back."
"Hmmmm? Did you say something outrageous?"
"No. Taiga, I will be sleeping in the same room as Shirou tonight, but
please do not misunderstand."
Saber states it as a matter of course.
"――――――――"
Fuji-Nee freezes.
"......"
Here it comes...
Considering the power balance between us, it's going to be me.
"Fuji-Nee. I've kept this a secret until now, but..."
I try to pacify Fuji-Nee, who is standing behind me.
"Alrighty."
She completely ignores me, and I hear sounds of her stacking something
like telephone books.
"Listen to me.
――――Saber doesn't understand Japanese."
"Here I go."
Oh, I knew it.
She's doing something like a sleeper-hold on me.
Fuji-Nee doesn't know how to go easy, so it's really dangerous for her to
choke someone――――
"No, this isn't the time for this! F-Fuji-Nee, you got me good! I'm really
going to pass out...!"
I hear my bones creaking.
Continued grappling is Fuji-Nee's only reply.
"Whoa, I give up...! No, don't throw me now!"
I start to pass out, and as a last resort, I start to tap out.
But...
"Shut up, you spoiled brat! I never raised you that way!!!!"
――――Oh, I'm really passing out now.
...Man... Why don't my troubles come one at a time?
"――――Man, that was terrible."
I crack the joints in my neck.
Thanks to my training, I only got some bruises, even though I was
thrown down to the floor.
"Um, I'm sorry... I was going to let go halfway so you could break your
fall, but you were heavier than I thought and I had my hands full with
just throwing you."
"Of course. I'm not a kid anymore. Don't try throwing me with those thin
arms of yours. At worst, you would've fallen with me."
"...Sorry."
"You're at fault too, Saber. You'll be sleeping in the room next to mine,
so we're technically not in the same room."
"Uh... But I need to protect you, so..."
"You can protect me well enough from there. First of all, I'll wear out if
you sleep in the same room as me. I'm sorry, but that's the best
compromise I can offer you. If you want more from me, you're going to
have to fight for it."
"Hmm... This is a difficult matter."
"It's fine if you two understand. Well, I guess I'll go cook dinner."
I get up while trying to loosen up my neck.
"Oh, Fuji-Nee.
I'm thinking of having Sakura stay over starting tonight. What do you
think? I figured I'd let her use the outbuilding where Saber stayed last
night."
"You're going to let Sakura-chan stay over? I'm fine with that, but what's
going on? You've been acting really strange these past few days."
"...Well, um, Sakura doesn't seem to be doing well recently. Shinji's not
home much, so I thought it'd be better for her to have people around."
"Okay... I don't mind, but have you actually asked her? She seemed all
right during club practice."
"No, I was going to ask her later―――wait, what did you do about the
club? Why did you leave so early?"
"Hm? Oh, someone got injured, so I left Mitsuzuri-san in charge, took
the person home, and came straight here."
...So that's what happened, huh?
It's disturbing to hear someone got injured in the archery club, but Fuji-
Nee wouldn't be here if it was serious.
I bet it's something like a jammed finger or anemia.
"――――"
Well, this is my chance.
Fuji-Nee considers Sakura a part of the family, just like I do.
Then――――
"――――――――"
No, this is an important matter.
I can't let other people handle it when it was my idea in the first place.
It's not in good faith if I don't ask her myself.
...Oh.
I hear the doorbell.
"Excuse me."
I hear Sakura's voice from the entrance.
I guess I should strike while the iron's hot and go ask her right now.
"Oh, hello, Senpai. Are you about to cook dinner?"
"Yeah. I'm going to cook by myself today, so you can relax. But please
look after Fuji-Nee. She lost confidence in herself because Saber beat
her mercilessly. Try to finish her off and play something like Othello
with her."
"Oh, that's terrible, Senpai. Today was a hard day for Fujimura-Sensei."
"...Oh yeah, she did mention something about that. Then play shogi with
her."
"Shogi, huh? Okay, Fujimura-Sensei is the master at that.
She beats me even when she gives me a handicap."
Sakura's in a good mood.
Her bruise appears to be healing, and her earlier gloominess seems to
have disappeared.
Yeah, this is a good time to ask.
"So, Sakura. I know it's a bit sudden, but could you stay over at my place
starting tonight?"
"Huh――――? Stay over at your place...?"
"I'm telling you not to go back to the Matou household for a while. Let's
see... I want you to stay over for like a week. Oh, I already got Fuji-
Nee's approval."
"......"
Sakura's face stiffens.
She stares at me, as if peering into my mind.
"―――I know I'm being unreasonable. But I'll have you stay over no
matter what. I don't care what you think of me, but please stay at my
place for a while."
"――――――――"
Sakura doesn't answer.
She stares at me silently...
"――――Why is that?"
...And then asks me that question.
"......"
I can't tell her why.
I can't tell her that Shinji's a Master, and anything else would just be a
lie.
Everyone has their secrets.
I'm a guy, so I have many secrets I can't tell Fuji-Nee or Sakura.
...There are things you just can't say, not even to the people most
important to you.
But that's also why I can't lie.
Sakura's an important family member to me, so I can't lie to her.
"......"
The air feels like it's freezing over.
The silence seems to last forever, and Sakura hangs her head
awkwardly.
I put my stupid brain to work, trying to come up with something to say.
"Do I really have to tell you, Sakura?"
She doesn't respond.
Instead, she just looks at me with a concerned expression.
"...Is it because you're worried about me?"
And she clearly states this.
"―――Yeah, I'm worried about you. It'll help me out if you stay here."
...Her long hair sways.
Sakura nods in response...
...She answers not with her words, but with a brilliant smile.
After eating dinner, one only needs to take a bath and go to sleep.
This is common knowledge, barely worthy of mention.
So there's no problem.
Something so mundane couldn't possibly cause a problem.
But...
"...Um, Fujimura-Sensei. I need to discuss something with you..."
"What is it? Go ahead and ask me."
"Um... Well......"
"Oh, right. You need something to change into. Hmm, I guess there are
school uniforms at my place. I can give you some of my clothes if you
don't mind. Oh, or would you rather go to your place to get some
clothes?"
"...No, I would rather not go home, since I wouldn't be able to come
back here. Um, about Nii-san..."
"Oh, that's all right. I just called your place and got your grandfather's
permission. He said he doesn't mind having you over at my place since
I'm a teacher."
"R-Really!? Then I can really stay over here!?"
"Yup. So, about your change of clothes... you don't mind using my
pajamas, right? Oh, do you want to use the same underwear too?"
"Oh... No, um... I think your bra would be too tight on me..."
"Hm. Yeah, you have big boobs.
...............Give me some of that."
"Kyaaaaaaaaaaaa! What are you doing, Sensei!?"
"Ahahahahaha, I'm just joking. ...But this is troubling. I don't have a bra
your size. Are you the kind that keeps your bra on when you sleep?"
"Uh... um, yes."
"Yeah, people with big boobs tend to do that. But isn't it
uncomfortable?"
"...I-It is, but what you do is........."
"I see, I see! It sure is good to be young! Then I'll get the guys at my
place to buy some for you by tomorrow morning. So don't worry, just go
ahead and take your bath."
"......"
"――――――――!"
S-So why are you two having this conversation right in front of me!?
I'm a guy! If you two talk about that, I won't even be able to look at
Sakura without thinking...
"Ohhh? Why the red face, Shirou? Are you curious about what Sakura-
chan had to say?"
"――――! H-Heh, what are you talking about? It's a secret between
you two. I didn't hear it, and I'm not curious!"
"Oh, really? Then I'll give you an interesting piece of info. Sakura-chan
is an 85. She's an E-cup. Isn't it amazing? It's 13 centimeters bigger than
last year.
I bet you noticed it too. How sexy her body is and how much you want
to touch her."
"Y-You――――!"
"F-Fujimura-Sensei――――!
I told you in secret so that he wouldn't hear it!! Why are you telling him
like that!?"
"Huh? Huh? Kyaaaaa!?"
"You――――idiot, Fuji-Nee..."
I finish my thought in a whisper.
Fuji-Nee falls to Sakura's counterattack.
Sakura's face is red, and she is trying to cover Fuji-Nee's mouth.
...Sakura...
I understand wanting to prevent Fuji-Nee from talking, but if you keep
this up, you'll kill her...
"Haa, haa, haa―――wow, I didn't know you were that strong, Sakura-
chan. I'm surprised that you came to stop my breath right away."
"Geez! Please contemplate your actions, Fujimura-Sensei!"
Sakura gets away from Fuji-Nee.
――――Naturally...
Our eyes meet.
"Oh."
"――――Ehh, um, the towel's in the dressing room."
"O-Okay...! Um excuse me for a while, Senpai...!"
Sakura hurries out to the hallway.
"Oh――――"
But if she runs like that...
"Ow... I hit my nose......"
...I wanted to warn her that she'd fall...
...But she exceeds my expectations and runs straight into the wall.
"Are you all right, Sakura!?"
Was she that eager to get away?
"Yeah, I'm all right. I'm fine, so I'm going to go take a bath."
Sakura disappears into the hallway.
"――――Phew."
With Sakura gone, I relax.
...As tense as things were getting, I would've had to flee the room in
embarrassment if she hadn't left first.
"――――Hah."
"...What? Go ahead and say it if you want to say something, you failure
of a teacher."
"Noooothing. I'm just thinking how hard it must be for Sakura-chan.
I bet Sakura-chan was even more embarrassed in front of you."
"I-I'm not blushing! Hey, Sakura is like a family member to me. She's
cooked for me and we've eaten together for a long time! I-I'd be a failure
as her Senpai if I were embarrassed!"
"Oh, so you don't want to be a failure?"
"Of course not. Sakura is Shinji's sister. If I'm having a friend's sister
over, I have to take care of her."
"What...? Oh, I see now. I just thought you were dense, but that's part of
it too, huh?"
Fuji-Nee sighs.
This is troubling.
"Sakura-chan has a lot of trouble ahead of her."
"Hey, where are you going?"
"I'm going to the dressing room. I have to go get Sakura-chan some
change of clothes. You can go to the outbuilding and prepare a room for
her. Get her some new sheets, okay?"
Fuji-Nee leaves after giving me an order.
"...Heh. Stay here, Saber. I'm going to go prepare the guest room."
I leave after seeing Saber nod.
I make the bed and check the furniture.
I decided to have Sakura use a guest room that isn't normally used.
This room is more suited to her, and the door can be locked.
...Sakura's a girl, so that should be better for her.
"...Well, it's not like Fuji-Nee made me choose this room."
I make the bed.
This bed has never been used.
The moment I think that Sakura will sleep in this bed tonight...
'――――I bet you noticed it too.'
"――――!"
...Indecent thoughts fill my head.
"D-Don't be stupid! I―――"
...I already know that, without being told.
I've seen Sakura hit puberty, getting more beautiful by the day.
It was a good thing, but I also persuaded myself not to notice it.
I've always told myself that she's Shinji's sister and that she only comes
to cook for me because she feels guilty about what Shinji did.
"...It's been a year and a half, hasn't it? It's nothing Sakura should care
about."
The accident that caused me to quit the archery club...
I injured my shoulder, he complained about the burn, and I took the
opportunity to leave the club.
...And Sakura proposed to help me out until my injury healed.
She was like a child back then.
She waited for me in front of my house one day, but it took two hours of
awkward silence before she worked up the courage to say she wanted to
help me.
"―――That shy Sakura is the rising star of the archery club now. Man,
how a person can change."
Sakura is cheerful now.
I first met her four years ago when I went to Shinji's house after getting
to know him.
She was quiet and had a habit of hiding her face with her hair.
...Well, she still is, but she was really lifeless back then. She always
looked depressed and would just absent-mindedly stand there.
Considering that, it's wonderful to see how Sakura is doing now.
It relieves me to see Sakura, the girl who only used to look downcast,
smile.
'I bet you noticed it too. How sexy her body is, how much you want to
touch her.'
"――――――――"
...I don't really know.
She was always just my underclassman.
But recently, that changed.
...I don't know if it happened recently or if I only started to notice it just
now.
―――Or...
Was she so close to me that I didn't have to notice?
"...Damn. It's been peaceful until now. So why..."
Why is my mind going crazy from just having Sakura stay over?
I'm being inconsiderate of her.
I'll finish cleaning and show her to her room――――
"Huh? Where's Sakura, Saber?"
"I do not know. She is not here yet, so I would assume she is still in the
bath."
"...? But it's been an hour already."
...Well, perhaps she takes long baths.
After all, she has more places to wash――――
"―――! Stop, stop, stop...! Don't imagine indecent things!"
I shake my head and sit down at the table.
I pour myself some tea and drink it.
"――――Phew."
I shake off the image in my head and relax.
...Then.
"Shirou. Does Sakura have bad eyesight?"
Saber asks me a strange question.
"...? No, Sakura has good eyesight.
I think she has 1.5 vision."
"I see. She often runs into walls, so I was worried that she might have
bad vision."
"Oh, I see. Thanks for worrying, but Sakura's fine. She's clumsy now
because she's tired.
She's usually more reliable than me."
"I hope so. ...But even in that case, it is a problem if she is tired enough
to mistake the wall for a door. This is only my personal opinion, but I
believe it was not caused by fatigue."
"――――――――"
That's a very natural conclusion.
Even if you're tired, you still shouldn't be running into walls.
"......"
Where is Sakura anyway?
Even if she's taking a bath, an hour is too long.
I――――
――――I should go check on her.
If Saber's right, this isn't the time to be hung up on embarrassment.
"Sakura."
I call out to her from the hallway.
There's no reply from inside the dressing room.
No, I don't even feel a presence in there.
"Sakura...? Hey, are you in there, Sakura?"
I knock on the door.
...I gradually start to knock harder, and I'm banging on the door before I
notice.
"Sakura...! Hey, say something...!"
My anxiety turns to cold certainty.
...Something's wrong.
I can't go inside, so I'll have to get Saber or Fuji-Nee――――
"Huh? S-Senpai? Why are you so flustered?"
"S-Sakura...!? ...Oh, it's nothing. I was wondering if something was
wrong, since you were in there for a while."
"A while...? Was I in here that long?"
"...?"
Sakura sounds absent-minded.
She sounds lost in thought, as if she'd just woken up.
"...Sakura. Don't tell me you were..."
"......Yes. It was so relaxing that I fell asleep a bit..."
"Y――――You idiot. Don't scare me like that."
I crumple down to the floor.
"...I'm sorry. I'll get out right away."
"Please do. ...Man, you'll catch a cold if you sleep in the bathtub."
I lean against the wall.
...It turned out to be nothing, but I'm glad Sakura's okay.
She should be better once she gets a good night's sleep.
"――――Huh?"
I hear the sound of something heavy falling.
It came from the other side of the door.
"――――Sakura!?"
There's no reply.
I feel no presence on the other side of the door.
"...! I'm coming in, Sakura!"
I rush into the dressing room.
There, I see Sakura on the floor.
"Sakura, Sakura...!"
I hold Sakura up in my arms.
Her body is soft and surprisingly hot.
"Ah――――hm――――"
She doesn't seem to be conscious, but she's moaning in pain.
Her hand grabs her chest, as if wanting to take her shirt off.
"Haa......"
She gasps.
...This is way too much for me.
Her body is soft, and her hair is unraveled.
Her shirt is the only thing between my arms and her body, and this isn't
the Sakura I know.
Her shirt sticks to her body and emphasizes her large breasts, and I can't
take my eyes off of them.
Her breasts move up and down along with her breaths, exposing her
white neck.
"――――――――"
It feels like my heart will leap out of my chest.
My head wouldn't be this hot even if I drank a love potion.
I realize that my mouth is watering, and I swallow with great difficulty.
"Ah... Hm......"
Her beautiful lips make my head go wild.
Her body is so hot and soft that it makes me imagine how good it must
taste.
――――My head goes blank.
It's not a girl's body I'm holding, but a woman's.
This isn't the Sakura I know.
Then―――it shouldn't be a problem if I hold her a little―――
"...! What the hell am I thinking...!?"
I shake my head.
This isn't the time.
Even considering that Sakura just got out of the bath, her temperature
isn't normal.
Morever―――simple anemia wouldn't make her clutch at herself like
that.
"Sakura! Hey, are you all right, Sakura...!?"
I call out to her.
"Ah――――fua...?"
...The hairs sticking to her forehead drop down.
Sakura slowly opens her eyes and stares at me.
"Huh? Senpai...? Why are you here...?"
"Hey, it's not 'Why am I here?'...! You should've told me if you're sick!"
"Huh...? I―――I'm sick?"
"Who else would it be...!? Try feeling your forehead! It's burning hot!"
"Huh? But I don't feel hot at all..."
Sakura must still be half-asleep, as she is still in a daze.
"Just don't move! I'm going to take you to your bed...!"
"Kya...!? What's going on, Senpai...!?"
"I'm taking you to your room. Don't struggle, okay? I don't know if I can
keep a hold if you do."
I lift up Sakura in my arms and go out to the hallway.
"...! S-S-Senpai, you're carrying me!?"
I must have surprised her, as she clings on to my neck.
"――――!"
I feel something soft on my chest, but I have to ignore it for now...!
"Man, this is harder than my daily training...!"
It's a matter of speed now.
I have to carry Sakura to her room before my reasoning disappears...!
"―――Let's see. Your temperature is a bit over 37 degrees. Oh, it's
lower than I thought."
I put the medical thermometer down and look at Sakura.
"...I'm sorry... I guess I got dizzy since I was so nervous."
Sakura hides her face with the futon.
"You can't help catching a cold, right? You should be better by tomorrow
if you drink some medicine and get a good night's sleep.
I'll leave some water here on the chair, so don't go out of the building,
okay? You'll cool your body if you go outside."
I put another blanket over her, just in case, and turn the lights off.
"All right. I'll come wake you up tomorrow morning, so you just take it
easy until then."
I pat her on her head, then start to walk to the door.
――――Then...
Something pulls me back.
"...?"
I turn around to see that Sakura's holding my sleeve.
"Sakura...? Um, I can't leave if you're holding onto my shirt like that."
"Huh?"
She must have been doing it unconsciously, since she jerks her hand
away when she realizes it.
"I-I'm sorry, Senpai...! I-I-I wasn't thinking...!"
Sakura jumps up and tries to make an excuse.
Even in the dark, I can tell that she's blushing furiously.
"Um, are you scared, Sakura?"
"......I am. It's scary to sleep alone in a place I don't know."
Her hair is hiding her face, so I can't see her expression.
...But right now she seems just like the shy girl I met years ago.
"―――I see. You must be uneasy, sleeping in an unfamiliar room with
a cold."
I sit down on the floor.
I lay my back against her bed.
It's for the best, because I don't think I can face Sakura right now.
"U-Um, Senpai...?"
"I'll stay here for a while. You should get used to the room in a little bit,
and I'll go if you fall asleep before that.
To be honest, I'm worried that you might push yourself. I'll stay here for
at least thirty minutes, so lay down and relax."
I raise my hand and flutter it.
"―――Okay. Then please keep me company for just a bit."
I feel a slight movement of air.
It must be Sakura pulling up her blanket.
...I'm glad I can help Sakura like this.
This is nothing compared to what she has done for me.
"――――――――"
"――――――――"
The sound of the clock ticking echoes through the dark room.
I don't know if it's because I have my back to her, or because I saw her
sad face.
But the emotions that assailed me when I carried Sakura have
disappeared, and I'm able to calmly stare at the clock.
...And after a long period of silence...
"――――Are you awake, Senpai?"
A gentle voice lights up the darkness.
"..."
I nod in response.
That must have been good enough...
"...Okay. Thank you for everything you did today."
...And Sakura falls asleep peacefully.
The lights go out.
It's eleven o'clock, and the town is going to sleep.
"―――So there is a Master at the Ryudou Temple?"
"According to Tohsaka. She said we shouldn't fight them because they
are troublesome enemies, but it seems the coma incidents in town are
their doing. ...I don't know if it's true or not, but we have to find out."
"...You are right. I do feel something intentional in the ley line pointing
to the Ryudou Temple. I am sure that a Master is on that mountain."
"...? What's wrong, Saber? You seem like you're not up for it. You have
less spirit than last night."
"―――You are right. That mountain is an ominous place for Servants.
I would like to avoid careless attacks."
"...Hm. Should we just patrol the town tonight and put off attacking the
Ryudou Temple until we get more information? It is reckless to go attack
them when we don't know anything about our enemy."
"No, there is no need for that. A Master that would set up his base in the
Ryudou Temple would not readily reveal his identity. If we are to
quickly defeat him, we must face them straight on and power through."
Saber is determined.
...She must believe we have a chance. Either way, if the Master at the
temple is responsible for all the recent coma victims, we have to do
something.
"―――All right, let's go to the Ryudou Temple.
But we're only going to investigate tonight.
We'll retreat once we find out who the Master is and what Servant he
has. I'd like to do more, but I can't support you, so I want to be
cautious."
I can't allow Saber to get hurt, just like the fight with Berserker.
If I can't help her directly, I have to protect her in some other way.
"......Understood. I shall entrust you with the final judgment. Please
decide then if we are to retreat or fight."
"...Hm. I'm glad to hear that, but it's also scary. I might wuss out even if
the enemy is weak."
"I see. That is certainly a possibility, since you have little experience in
battle."
"Yeah, that's right. I want to avoid heading into a minefield, so please
warn me."
"Understood. Then I shall do so if you make a wrong choice.
You will learn little if I merely warn you, so I shall impose a penalty if
you make a mistake."
"...Hey, what do you mean by 'penalty'?"
"Where would the enjoyment be in telling you? I shall keep it a secret,
since this is one of the few pleasures I have."
...Ugh.
That joke isn't very Saber-like. It must be Fuji-Nee's influence.
I really do hope it's just a joke.
"But putting that aside, Shirou... will Sakura be all right? She seemed
unusually distressed."
"I thought so too, but I didn't see anything unusual when I took her
temperature. I'll let her get a good night's sleep and see how she is
tomorrow."
"I see. Then we can head out into battle without worry."
I nod and look at the outbuilding.
Sakura's room is on the second floor.
I have to leave without her noticing, and I have to come back as if
nothing has happened.
"――――Let's go, Saber. I have to act like a Master now. I won't think
about anything else."
I leave with Saber at my side.
High overhead, clouds pass before the moon, and the darkness deepens.
――――The wind is blowing the overhead clouds.
Lit by fading moonlight, we start running towards enemy territory.
INTERLUDE BEGIN
A high-pitched sound rings out.
The brilliant moonlight glints off the drawn sword as it clatters to the
stairs.
"――――――――Hah."
Blood is on his lips.
The man on his knees on the stone steps bids his longsword goodbye as
it falls away.
His arms are the next to fall.
Wet with blood, the elegantly-patterned fabric of his battlecoat looks like
a giant red flower.
"――――My. I did not think you were of the serpent's kind."
In steep contrast to his bloody body, his lips are white.
Neither breath nor blood passes his throat now.
Sasaki Kojirou's internal organs no longer serve their original purpose.
The mountain gate is quiet.
The Servant that guarded the place,
the shadow that appeared...
Neither of them move.
―――The battle has already ended.
Assassin was defeated by "someone" who came up the stone steps.
He had no time to identify the intruder as an enemy, let alone cross
swords.
This "someone" was on a different level to begin with.
Assassin's body bursts open.
Torn, mutilated, and weaponless, he cannot even take his own life.
The shadow approaches.
It strokes Assassin's cheek with a scornful cherishing gesture.
A deformed, spider-like hand comes out of his stomach.
His bones crack.
His flesh rips apart.
It feels as if his organs are turning into someone else's.
"Guh―――!"
Assassin suppresses the regurgitating blood.
The swordsman swallows the blood and smiles with his pale lips.
"...Very well, do as you wish. After all, this is coming out of me. I'm sure
it is nothing noble――――"
He smiles, even though he is denied an honorable death.
If one talks about a grand spectacle...
His smile is grander than the spawning of this abomination.
And thus, it is summoned.
Taking the false Servant's flesh as its own, the true Assassin enters our
world.
"Ki――――Kiki, kikikikiki――――――――"
His first cries sound like those of an insect.
The black insect that crawled from the swordsman's stomach devours the
body that was his own nursery.
He giggles while tearing the flesh apart.
He laughs while crunching on the bones.
Every time he does so, the insect becomes more like a man, and the
empty brain acquires human wisdom.
And after a while...
He has finished sipping every last bit of the blood and blesses the birth
of his own self, the
"assassin".
The only ones to witness are the chorus of insects and the shining
moonlight.
The high-pitched birth cry melts into the darkness.
――――An ominous moon.
A white skull laughs under the black-burned sky.
INTERLUDE END
We run up the stone steps.
Saber is already armed.
"――――――――"
"――――――――"
We're both straining our nerves in preparation for an enemy attack.
The steps are long, and the wind is warm even though we're near the
mountaintop.
According to Saber, this mountain has a boundary field that repels
Servants.
Servants will lose most of their power and magical energy if they enter
the mountain from anywhere other than the front gate.
Therefore, the only way we can enter is through the front gate, but...
"...I thought they would be setting up an ambush. Do you sense a
Servant around here, Saber?"
"No.
There are no other Servants around――――"
Saber suddenly stops and looks down.
"Saber...? Did you see something?"
"...No, it must be my imagination. I thought I saw a katana, but I cannot
find it anywhere.
The mountain gate is not guarded. Let us go inside the temple."
Saber starts running again.
"...?"
I tilt my head in wonder, but hurry to keep up with her.
...The compound is dead silent.
The wind is strong.
All around is thick darkness.
Despite the moon overhead, the terrible darkness remains.
"――――――――"
I look up.
The moon is there, of course.
Its rays shine down on the compound.
But the area is still shrouded in darkness.
"Saber."
"Yes, something is wrong. No one would let us come this far without
offering resistance.
And―――this place is too quiet."
"...Let's go inside. The Ryudou Temple has close to fifty people living in
it.
It can't be this quiet."
We head for the temple.
―――There's no one around.
After confirming that the compound is empty, we go inside.
―――Everyone in the temple is sleeping.
They do not even twitch.
They don't react even when we touch them.
All the monks, without exception, are weakened.
No matter how hard we try to rouse them, they just lie there, breathing
peacefully as if enjoying a dream.
Of course, my classmate is among them.
Ryudou Issei is sleeping peacefully as well.
"――――――――"
We quickly move across the wooden hallway.
...It's because Saber felt a presence.
Saber pointed toward the main temple building.
The Master responsible for this disaster is there.
We step into the shrine.
The first thing we see is the red blood spreading on the floor.
"...!?"
A red flower blooms in the center of the temple.
There is a man lying there as well.
His chest must be pierced, as the man is dyeing the floor red.
The wound is fatal, and the man has lost enough blood to die.
He's already a corpse.
I know this man, and it seems he was Master to the one standing beside
his body.
The Servant is looking down at her Master with a mysterious dagger in
hand.
"......!"
Pain lances through my head, accompanied by a sense of apprehension.
It's not that I'm scared of this scene.
That――――
That dagger is ominous.
It seems Saber does not feel anything, but I can tell that the dagger has
dreadful power.
"Caster...!"
Saber readies herself.
The Servant in a purple robe, Caster, does not answer.
I don't know if Saber took it as an opening or as an insult...
But she tries to charge――――
"No, hold on, Saber...!"
"Shirou...!? Why are you stopping me? This is our best chance to defeat
Cast――――"
"No, just don't go near that dagger...! That thing can break contracts. It
might even cut the bond between a Servant and a Master."
"Then―――Caster killed her own Master?"
"......"
I don't know if she did.
But I'm sure the dagger she's holding has unearthly power.
"Caster―――you killed your own master...!!"
Saber rushes in with an angry roar.
...Caster turns around.
With her vigor gone, she looks more like a ghost than a heroic spirit.
The sword flashes through the air.
It slices the robe, but Caster manages to jump back.
"―――Saber...?
I see. You must have come to finish me off. I don't know whose plot this
is, but he is quite thorough."
"Silence. I do not want anything from a person who betrayed her master.
Regret your actions and take your punishment."
"Hah―――I killed my Master? I killed Souichirou-sama?
Fuh―――haha, ahahahahaha! That is funny! Perhaps I should have
done so, if it was going to turn out like this...!"
She starts laughing maniacally.
The black-robed magus puts her dagger away and points at Saber.
"―――You're an eyesore, Saber. Disappear along with your Master."
"――――――――"
Saber does not even need to answer.
She raises her sword without hesitation.
...Caster disappears.
The battle between the two could not be called a battle.
Caster's magic was supreme, but it did no good against Saber, who has
high magic resistance.
Saber nullified every magic Caster used and killed her in one blow.
"I have defeated Caster. Please give me your order, Master."
"Eh―――? O-Oh. ...Well, we can't do anything here. Let's contact the
hospital... no, Kotomine first. We should be able to save the people here
that way."
...But we can't save the corpse in front of us.
Caster has disappeared, leaving only her Master's corpse at our feet.
...His death will likely be kept a secret.
Nobody will know what happened to him, and he will disappear from
everyone's memory.
"Shirou."
"...I know. There are still four more Masters. We have no time to waste."
"That is a wise decision. I understand your feelings, but this is not the
time for sentiment."
Saber turns and starts to walk.
"――――――――"
Engraving the sight of the corpse into my mind, I follow.
"――――Huh?"
Wait...
What was that...?
"Shirou? Why did you stop?"
"Eh... um. I felt someone's gaze on me, like we're being watched. Didn't
you feel it?"
"No, I did not feel anything. We have already determined that there is
nobody here. Is it not your imagination?"
"Uh... maybe. If you put it that way, I guess that's right. Yeah, it must be
just me."
"Then let us hurry. The people should wake up now that Caster is dead.
It would be troublesome if somebody saw us here."
...She's right.
Tonight will leave a bad taste in my mouth, but it should put an end to
the mysterious coma incidents.
That should be good enough for tonight.
"All right. Let's get out of here and contact Kotomine, then go home and
rest."
Saber nods in satisfaction and leaves the temple.
"――――――――"
I follow after Saber, even though it's really hard for me to leave this
place.
...The man who used to be a Master lies silently in this holy place.
INTERLUDE BEGIN
The lead actor has left.
The only ones remaining on the stage are silent corpses.
And...
...Something is devouring the corpses.
No bodies remain.
The wooden floor turns into a bottomless swamp, swallowing up the
man's flesh and spilled blood.
It consumes not only the man, but the one who obeyed him.
The soul that was Servant Caster is swallowed into the darkness.
It is not a legitimate flow.
The defeated Servants are to be consumed by the Holy Grail.
If anyone interferes with this balance, it will only bring his own death
and destruction.
"――――――――"
It cries silently.
It writhes in pain, sobs, exposes itself, and finally consumes the first
one.
――――IT IS NOT ENOUGH
It walks on.
Lacking a voice, it expresses its pain with the whole of its body.
――――IT IS NOT ENOUGH
There are no words, nor emotion.
It never had those functions in the first place.
――――IT IS NOT ENOUGH
But it still grieves.
As if...
...It has become aware of its existence for the first time.
INTERLUDE END
It's already after two in the morning.
Despite my daily training, running to the Ryudou Temple and back is
still tiring.
"...Oh. Can you go ahead to your room, Saber?"
"...? Where are you going, Shirou? Are we not finished for the night?"
"Yeah. I'll be back in a minute, so don't worry. I'm tired too, so I want to
rest soon."
"―――I see. You must be worried about Sakura."
"Uh, I have to go take her some water. You go sleep in the room next to
mine, Saber. Close the door, okay?"
"Oh, yes. It will do little good if we are not in the same room, but there
is nothing to be done if you insist on being stubborn. I shall stand by in
the room next to yours."
Saber looks discontented.
...Humph.
You're stubborn as well.
"Sigh."
I return to my room, filled with self-hatred.
"It's 3 AM... What was I doing for an hour in there?"
I let out a heavy sigh.
There's only one simple explanation.
Sakura looked like she wasn't sleeping well, so I took time adjusting her
blanket and bringing her fresh water.
Such simple tasks were really painful and difficult for me.
"----I wish I had a blindfold or something."
That would've solved everything.
...Well, I had my eyes closed anyway, but a blindfold would've prevented
me from giving in to temptation and opening them!
"---I'm going to sleep.
Yeah, at times like these, nothing does the trick quite like sleep---"
I cover my head in the futon and drive all worldly thoughts out of my
head.
"--------"
I close my eyes and clear my head.
...See?
I'm physically exhausted anyway, so it should be easy for me to fall
asleep----
Red.
The town at evening is completely red, as though painted with a certain
something.
Like a bench with a paper sign attached.
Everywhere I take a step and everything that touches my hand makes a
sticky sound.
I walk down the asphalt road.
When I lift my head, I see that the buildings are dyed a uniform scarlet.
The walls look like giant nails coming out of the sky and piercing the
earth.
...The red sun seems to be peering down on me from the sky, as if to tell
me there is no escape.
I'm walking alone.
Shinto is utterly silent.
Either everyone is holding their breath and hiding, or there was no one
here to begin with.
...But it hurts.
This redness, intense enough that it's an assault on the eyes, is making
me dizzy.
The town is too empty.
Maybe there was some kind of evacuation notice and I was the only one
who didn't get it.
That thought lets me accept the redness.
I should go home.
--- is, waiting.
Isn't that,
Tohsaka.
Even from a distance,
I can tell.
Heeey, Tohsaka.
She ignores me.
She walks on, fluttering her hair, which is long enough to touch the
ground.
She's wearing her uniform, so she must be going to school.
I run after her.
Tohsaka doesn't notice.
The distance between us doesn't close at all.
She's walking and I'm running, but she's gradually getting farther away.
By the way.
Tohsaka must be walking with an extremely long stride... no, she isn't.
I'm running fast enough to make me short of breath, but Tohsaka is still
faster.
Her long hair disappears into the school.
Like a fluttering butterfly.
By the way.
There's nobody in the school either.
Empty, empty.
It's as if the red scenery has been skillfully crafted from sugar.
If the red sunlight became strong enough, it would all fuse into a
formless mass.
By the way.
I hear a woman's laughter.
It has a charming quality, like two young girls frolicking together.
An image rises in my mind of two beautiful sisters, alike as twins.
I open the door and enter the classroom.
---By the way.
I wonder why I chased her here for no reason.
I feel no surprise, nor any unpleasant feeling.
The two of them are embracing like lovers, making me doubt the issue
of gender.
In this red scenery, I think they even seem more correct this way.
But there is one thing that worries me.
The fact that Mitsuzuri's arms are as limp as those of a corpse.
I was wrong.
She isn't embracing her.
She's feeding on her.
A praying mantis is devouring a white butterfly.
I'm drawn in, unsteady on my feet.
Mitsuzuri looks like a wax figure. Her life is being stolen away by the
second.
Tohsaka is smiling with a lazy look in her eyes.
She brings her face close to Mitsuzuri's neck.
Mitsuzuri does not resist, her pale throat exposed to Tohsaka.
Tohsaka's lips, no, her teeth----
The wax figure's chest twitches.
Though I run to save her, it's as slow as moving through water.
I can't make it in time.
I can only watch as Tohsaka gulps down and Mitsuzuri crumples to the
floor.
"Phew... mm---"
She licks her fingers.
The sight of her tongue coiling about her fingers is bewitching.
It's far too alluring.
The heavy atmosphere around Tohsaka envelops and submerges me.
"Hahaha... mmm..."
Tohsaka is still licking her fingers.
The wet sound flows into my ears.
"I'm so glad. You've come, Emiya-kun."
Her voice is thick and filled with desire.
...I feel so dizzy it's as if I'm inside a kaleidoscope.
My thoughts are as paralyzed as my limbs.
...Ahh, by the way.
My body had lost its freedom long before.
"What's wrong...? Are you afraid of me, Emiya-kun?"
I can neither affirm nor deny it.
The woman with the bewitching smile is too attractive to resist, and
frightening as if she is about to capture and kill me.
A fly being played with by an orb-weaver.
There is no chance of escape or of opposition.
"Ayako was delicious."
With that, she confirms that the secret really was a feeding.
But still. Why Mitsuzuri?
"Because---I just couldn't endure waiting for you."
Her smile is filled with joy.
Tohsaka reaches out.
For some reason, I imagine her slender arms coiling many times around
my body.
Tohsaka's sweet scent envelops me, extending her control even to my
lungs.
"Haha... now it's your turn----"
Tohsaka's limbs are wrapped around me.
Her soft, womanly body drowns out the flickering warnings in my mind.
I feel as though I'll crumble in her embrace.
Her face is close enough to kiss. Her moist eyes are filled with an
unsteady desire.
Her breathing is deep enough to suffocate me.
"Mm---now I'll eat you, Emiya-kun."
Tohsaka's lips touch me.
At the nape of my neck.
...They're warm, and wet.
The soft sensation creeping along my neck makes my consciousness
dissolve like candy.
"Mm------"
Sharp fangs pierce my skin.
Tohsaka is biting into me.
Just like with Mitsuzuri, her fangs at my neck,
It doesn't hurt.
They say when a spider consumes its prey, it begins by anesthetizing it.
This anesthesia sends me into an even deeper trance. The sensation of
her lips on my skin feels so good, it's as if I might melt away.
...The nape of my neck is softly dissolving.
With every mouthful Tohsaka drinks, my body turns steadily into sugar.
She sucks out everything that is inside me, and to replace it she pours in
a nectar that melts my body.
It seeps softly into my bones, my muscles, my skin.
My throat has already dissolved, leaving me unable to even moan.
Everything below my neck is steadily dissolving, and the impossible
feeling is deceiving my senses.
Tohsaka sticks fast to my neck, drinking as her shoulders tremble.
As if she's truly happy to be sucking my blood
My dizziness causes my vision to blur and duplicate.
I suddenly realize my breathing has stopped, and my blood has been
drained away so it doesn't circulate my body.
In its stead, the sweet, strong liquid from Tohsaka soaks my whole body.
"Ah...mm. Delicious..."
While still being eaten, I hear a voice that I should not hear.
My brain goes numb, melted by the voice.
"Haa...mm... it's so hot... Emiya-kun..."
Tohsaka whispers as she drains me of blood.
It's as though there's a pump inside me.
The pleasant feeling melts me instead, and my bones are gone.
"Fresh blood---It's so full of life, and energy---"
This is the limit.
What's gone is gone.
My veins are dry, and it should be impossible to wring out another drop.
"More... It's still... not enough---"
She keeps drinking.
There shouldn't be anything left to suck out, but Tohsaka continues to
gulp down.
It's as if she's converting my very life into blood.
I see. In that case, this won't end so easily.
Drinking endlessly.
In the red classroom, she persistently sucks from me.
My figure is melting away completely, being sucked into nothingness by
her.
"Mm... wonderful, Emiya-kun---I'll take all of you---"
A woman's voice reverberates in my mind.
As the voice whispers, I'm drying up and withering away, in red.
Day 06 (beautiful I):
――――――――It's hot.
Why did it happen?
I went to bed, closed my eyes, and said good night... but in the next
instant, my world turned red.
――――――――It's hot.
My mom woke me up before the loud noises did.
It was bright even though it was night-time.
My dad held me as he ran through the burning hallway.
――――――――It's painful.
I heard my mom's voice behind us.
My dad told me I should be fine by myself.
He patted my head and told me to wait here.
I nodded and did as I was told.
――――――――It hurts.
It wasn't much different outside.
My eyes were hurting because everything was red.
That's why I closed them and ran. I wanted to go to a place that wasn't
hot.
When I looked back, my house was no longer there.
I probably got punished because I didn't do as I was told to.
――――――――My eyes hurt.
I cried as I walked.
I had to go back to my house and wait.
But I didn't know where my house was anymore.
I raised my head which I'd kept hidden with my hands until now.
And―――I finally confronted the scene.
The town was burning far away.
The fire that cannot be put out was an event that cannot be redone.
It happened ten years ago.
The fire was far away, not in the sense of distance, but in the sense of
time.
"Ahh―――――, guh―――――――"
My skin was hurting.
My throat hurt when I breathed in.
My skin creaked by staying alive.
I moved my legs wanting to escape, but something heavy entangled
around my legs like shackles.
I knew that it's the presence of death wanting to take me.
"H――――uh――――?"
...But it sure was hot.
My nails tearing my throat were discolored.
The air I breathed in stung my burned esophagus.
My eyes abandoned their function, and my brain was being steamed
inside my skull.
"W――――h――――y――――?"
―――It's hot.
It's hot, it's hot, it's hot, it's hot, it's hot, it's hot, it's hot, it's hot, it's hot,
it's hot it's hot it's hot it's hot it's hot it's hot it's hot it's hot......!!!!
"Ha――――――――aa."
I remember now.
This place was hot―――really hot.
But it was cold―――dreadfully cold.
It passed the boiling point to reach the freezing point.
The burning blood froze up, and everything in my view was inverted.
Everything was hot.
That's why it was cold.
And still, it was ridiculously hot.
...But.
What was the cause of it?
"――――――――"
A black sun was in the sky.
I didn't find it strange that the sun was up during night or that the sun
was black.
After all, everything was inverted.
So such things should have been normal.
"Ah――――Ahh......!"
But I ran away.
I got scared and ran away.
I wasn't afraid of the raging fires.
Compared to that black shadow, burning up and dying seemed like a
human death.
That's why I ran away.
I knew I'd be taken someplace even worse if that thing caught me.
――――I blankly stared at the sky.
I found out that it was going to rain soon, and my outstretched hand
slowly fell to the ground――――
"――――Agh."
I slowly open my eyes.
I look around my room, my mind still asleep.
"――――It was a dream."
I sigh with relief in my futon.
How many years has it been since I sighed with relief after seeing a
nightmare?
"...But... that was a vivid dream."
My temples feel hot.
I used to have this nightmare all the time.
...It all happened ten years ago.
Back then, my memories of the event were still terribly vivid, and I
would wander through the fire every time I fell asleep.
I thought I would never be able to forget about that day.
That sky, the smell of the burning air, the surrounding wall of fire...
Everything was real again once I fell asleep.
"――――――――"
That doesn't change even now.
But the vividness should change.
Wounds heal, and memories fade.
For the past few years, all I saw when I had that dream was a field of
red.
Why did my dream contain as far as the smell of the burning
air――――?
"――――――――"
And what was that?
I don't remember such a thing, nor do I recognize it.
No, first of all, I did not see such a thing.
"―――――――!"
...I feel sick to my stomach.
I get dizzy when I try to think about it.
The breaker in my body trips, telling me not to think about it.
"――――I'll get up. I'll wash my face and clear my mind."
My body is sweaty, probably because of the dream.
My pajamas are damp with my sweat, and my head feels light.
"Huh...?"
...My arm feels heavy.
I realize that I don't even have the strength to get up.
"Hey――――what's going on?"
Damn, even talking takes effort.
When I place my hand on my forehead, I realize that it's hot.
"...Wow. Did I catch a cold...?"
I'm surprised.
This is the first time I've caught a cold.
I've had bruises pretty often, but I've never caught a cold.
"...That must be why I had such a dream. My body was hot, so the dream
was hot as well."
Oh, that makes sense.
My head is blank, so it's natural for me to dream such a――――
"――――Oh."
W-W-W-W-Wait, what am I just lying around for!!!???
"Why!? How can this be!?"
I jump up.
I check inside my futon.
This isn't the time to worry about little things like being sick.
I have to check something far more important.
If "it" happened, I have to go take a bath, bleach and dry the evidence, or
it'll hinder my future ability to have a say in anything.
To put it simply, the value of the Emiya Shirou stock in this house will
plummet.
"―――Wait. It doesn't seem like it."
...Good.
There's no one in my futon with me, and there's nothing wrong with my
body.
"...It was a dream. Yeah, it had to be."
...I didn't go to school in my sleep, nor would Tohsaka ever want to...
um... do it with me.
So it had to be a dream.
I have my pajamas on, and Saber was sleeping in the room next to
mine!
"...Yeah. There's no way Saber would miss me leaving the house."
――――I sigh with relief.
The strength floods out of me, and I fall back to the futon.
"Shirou...? What was that sound?"
I hear Saber's voice from the other side of the door.
...See?
That's all it takes to alert Saber, so that had to be a dream. It's a dream.
It's soooooo a dream.
I'll never be able to look Tohsaka in the eye again if it's not.
"Shirou?"
Saber comes in.
"―――Y-Yo. Good morning, Saber."
I try to act calm.
"What is wrong, Shirou? It is not like you to greet me lying down."
"Well, something unexpected happened."
Saber tilts her head in wonder.
Well.
It's great that the whole event was just a dream, but the troubles keep
coming.
My body feels heavy, and I can't stand up. How will I make
breakfast――――?
"37.6 degrees. Wow, it's rare for you to catch a cold."
She gives me her diagnosis after looking at the medical thermometer.
...Well, that's about what I expected, but I didn't know a cold could make
your body feel so heavy.
"So, does it hurt anywhere else? Does your throat or head hurt?"
"...? No, nothing like that. It's just that my body feels heavy and hot. Is
that weird?"
"Hmm... I guess we should just be glad that nothing's hurting.
Then again, you might not have noticed the pain because you're the type
who just deals with it.
...I'll have some other medicines ready, just in case."
Fuji-Nee takes out some cold medicine and cough drops from the first-
aid kit.
She's good at treating wounds, but I guess she's not used to treating sick
people.
"Thanks, Fuji-Nee. And I'm sorry. I don't think I can cook breakfast."
"Don't say such a stupid thing. Which do you think is more important,
food or Shirou? It's good Saber-chan came and got me. I would've been
really mad if you tried to make breakfast like that."
She really is mad.
...And she's right. That should have been obvious.
"And you don't have to worry about food. Sakura-chan made some rice
porridge for you, so you can eat that when you get hungry."
"What...? Sakura made some rice porridge...?"
...That must mean she's feeling better.
"Are you all right, Sakura? You seemed to be doing worse than me."
"You don't need to worry since I've recovered.
I wasn't scared at all at night, and I got a good night's sleep. It's all
thanks to your treatment."
...That's good to know.
I thought she would take longer to get over the cold, but I'm glad she
recovered in one night.
"Ohhh, I forgot about that. Sakura-chan was the one with the cold
yesterday, wasn't she?"
"Huh...? That's true... but what about it? Stop making that face."
"Ohhhh. So you did something that made you catch her cold?"
"Huh? What do you mean by that?"
"Oh, you don't get it? Sakura-chan's recovered, right? Then you must've
done something. I hear that you recover from a cold if you give it to
someone else."
"...?"
I look at Sakura in confusion.
"――――Oh."
And I finally understand what Fuji-Nee is talking about.
"A-A-A-A-A-A-Are you stupid!? I just gave her some medicine
yesterday...! Don't even joke about it, Fuji-Nee! That's rude to
Sakura...!"
I can tell that my face is getting red.
My temperature shoots up another degree.
"I'm kidding. I know you're not man enough for that."
"...That's offending as well, but I'm glad the misunderstanding has been
cleared up."
"Good, good. Then I'll report to the school about your absence, so you're
to rest today. Please take care of Shirou, Saber-chan.
He'll keep trying to do something if you let him be, so you'd better just
tie him to the futon."
"That is my intention. I am to look over him so that he does not escape,
and feed him appropriately?"
"Wow, that's a scary way to put it, but you have the right idea. Please
do."
Saber nods silently.
...Is it just me, or did I feel a chill run up my spine?
"Well, just listen to what Saber-chan tells you until we get home. I'll buy
you something nutritious for dinner, so you're going to rest today and
cure that cold of yours."
Fuji-Nee smiles at me while making unreasonable demands.
"...?"
I notice Sakura behind her, looking like she wants to say something.
"We're leaving. Look forward to my souvenir!"
Fuji-Nee waves goodbye and leaves.
"......Phew."
Once I've seen her off, I return to my futon.
I only walked out to the porch, but by the time I get back, I'm so tired
that I practically collapse into bed.
...I don't have a bad cold, but my body is dead tired.
I should sleep and get my energy back, or else I won't be able to do
anything.
Then.
Even though it's past 7:30, Sakura comes to my room.
"Sakura? It's 7:30 already. You won't make it unless you leave soon."
"......"
Sakura looks down awkwardly.
When I realize she has the same expression as before...
"Um, Senpai. Can I stay here?"
...She raises her head and asks me a question.
"...?"
Staying here means she's not going to school, right?
"...Oh. Are you still a bit sick?"
"......No, the fever's gone. But, um..."
Sakura's words trail off.
...Hm.
She does look a bit pale, and it seems impossible that she could recover
in only one night.
"I see, so you were sick after all. But is it all right?
Don't you have to call the school and let them know?"
"...No. Um, I'm thinking of skipping."
"...?"
She's going to be skipping... school?
"Why? You're sick, so you're not skipping school. You have to stay home
if you're not feeling well."
"...Uh. Um, I feel fine."
Sakura hangs her head even more.
"...???"
I don't get it.
What does Sakura want to tell me?
"U-Um. I think you caught the cold because of me."
"What? You actually believe Fuji-Nee's ridiculous story? Don't worry,
it's not true. I take walks during the night, so that must've been it."
"I-I still don't care. ...I'm feeling well, so I want to skip school and take
care of you to show my appreciation for what you did for me
yesterday...!"
She's so tense that she might shatter if I poke her.
"――――Hmm."
I guess Sakura feels responsible for my cold.
To be honest, it's relieving to have Sakura here.
Saber has to sleep, so it'll be a big help if she can prepare my medicine
and stuff.
"Um, Senpai...?"
"Okay, please do, Sakura."
"Y-You're right. Saber-san is here, so there's nothing I can do
here――――
Huh, Senpai?"
"Yeah. Please take care of me, Sakura."
"Um――――――You're talking about me, right?"
"Yeah. Saber has jetlag, so she sleeps during the day. It'll be a huge help
if you can cook lunch."
"O-Okay!
I-I'll do my best, Senpai!"
Her tension gone, Sakura replies with a smile.
...Yeah.
A smile like this suits Sakura.
It's 11AM now.
After eating the rice porridge Sakura made, I feel much better.
My body doesn't feel heavy anymore.
I have no trouble moving, so I should be able to go to school if I feel like
it.
But.
As soon as I try to get up, suspecting that my illness was simply caused
by malnutrition...
"Oh, no, Senpai! You have to rest until your fever goes away."
...Sakura comes to check up on me.
"――――Phew."
So...
I'm still resting because Sakura is dead set on looking after me, and to be
honest, I'm still feeling a bit sluggish.
After bringing me the rice porridge, Sakura left the room, saying that she
had something to do.
Saber is resting in the living room right now.
She was keeping watch in this room, but I had her move to the living
room so that I could have a little peace of mind.
She objected, but then relented when I told her it'd only be for today.
"Excuse me, Senpai. How do you feel?"
"I'm getting better thanks to you. My body still feels heavy, but my
fever's gone."
"That's good. Then you won't need to take any medicine. All you have to
do now is to eat good food and rest."
Sakura goes into the next room and brings in a new futon.
"...? What are you doing, Sakura?"
"I'm getting a new futon. You've been sweating all day, so I thought you
might want a clean one."
She lays the futon next to me in a skillful manner.
It doesn't stir up any dust, to my surprise.
"It's ready, Senpai. Please move over here. ...Oh, you need to change
before that. I'll go dry this futon, so please get changed while I'm gone."
Sakura prepares new pajamas for me in a flash.
"――――――――"
S-She's perfect!
It's not just that she's good at this or that she's attentive.
"I bet this skill is in her genes. It has to be."
"...? Did you say something, Senpai?"
"I did. I know I shouldn't be saying this, but I'm glad you skipped school
today.
I really do have a better opinion of you now."
"That's natural. It's been almost a year and a half since I started coming
here, so I know all about your house."
Sakura puffs with pride.
Her confident expression makes me smile.
"I see. Then I'll leave the futon to you. I'll act as a sick person and do as
you say."
"Please do. I'm going to go cut some apples for you after I dry the futon,
so look forward to it."
Carrying the futon I've been laying on, Sakura goes out into the hallway.
"――――Wow, she took all of it in one load."
Her enthusiasm surprises me, and I pick up the new pajamas.
―――Well.
I should towel myself off, change, and wait in the futon until Sakura
comes back.
How much time passed?
Sakura brought me some apples as promised, I gladly ate them, and...
"Geez. You can't push yourself, Senpai."
...Sakura scolded me, and I have to keep lying here even though I'm
recovered.
"So, did Saber help?"
"Yes. She said she was tired of doing nothing, so she helped me clean
the guest rooms."
"I see. I kind of wanted to see Saber wring a floor cloth.
Did you two clean the hallway?"
"Yes. We both worked hard. Saber-san was saying something about how
it was useful, though."
Sakura laughs, as if she's a bit troubled.
Even though she's used to Saber now, it seems she's still not entirely
comfortable around her.
"...Well, thanks for your hard work. But don't push yourself too hard,
okay? You just got over a cold. It's hard enough just to treat me, so you
don't have to go around cleaning my house."
"That's not true. I spend my mornings here, and you always treat me to
dinner. It's perfectly natural for me to clean this house, because..."
―――I'm part of this family.
Sakura murmurs, as if she wishes for it to come true.
"―――You're right. Fuji-Nee, Sakura, and I are like a family."
"Eh... Senpai?"
"I'm sorry I was so reserved. There's nothing wrong with a family
member nursing me back to health.
I'd do the same for you if you got sick, no matter how much you
complained.
So it was stupid of me to be reserved."
Reflecting on my actions, I can only apologize.
"――――――――"
The conversation stops.
After gasping for a brief second...
"――――Yes. I'm glad you understand. I think you treasure others too
much."
...Sakura smiles happily and adjusts my blanket.
"――――――――"
That makes me realize.
Why this house is always clean...
Why even the unused rooms are maintained and feel lively...
Sakura. My friend's younger sister.
The girl I've come to know so well has protected my house even more
than me.
Every day has been peaceful for the past year and a half.
...I probably didn't notice because it felt so natural.
But Sakura brought something that Fuji-Nee and I couldn't achieve by
ourselves.
"――――――――"
I look up at Sakura absent-mindedly.
...Is it because of my fever, or because Sakura's so happy to take care of
me?
Looking at Sakura's smile warms my heart and makes me drowsy.
"――――Hm......"
I really am sleepy.
...It feels good, so I should close my eyes and sleep until noon...
"―――But Senpai. I really like that part of you."
"What――――?"
Whatever she just said, it made my heart jump.
"S-Sakura?"
"S-Senpai...!?
W-Were you awake...!?"
Sakura quickly jumps back.
I can feel myself blushing at her surprised reaction.
"Uh, um, Sakura..."
"I-I didn't say anything! I didn't say anything! Um, I was looking at your
face because... um...
yes! I was trying to take your temperature!"
Sakura takes out the medical thermometer in a hurry.
"Senpai, here's the thermometer! I'm going to take your temperature, so
please open your mouth!"
She must be in a panic, as she tries to pin me with one hand while
holding the thermometer in the other.
"Huh――――?"
I feel something soft.
...Um, I think it's Sakura's breasts rubbing against me.
"――――――――"
My brain boils up.
The sensation of a woman almost blows away my sanity.
"Whoa――――!
H-Hold on, Sakura!!!"
"Kya――――!?"
I roll out of the futon using all my might.
I have to get away from Sakura's brea――――no, from Sakura!
"S-Senpai...? Um, I want to take your temperature."
"I-It's fine! I can do that myself, so you stop right there!"
"...? If you say so.
Here's the thermometer, Senpai."
"No!!!
Don't give it to me now! Please let me calm down! I'll recall last night's
dream and die if you come near me right now!"
I can feel my face burning as I protest.
――――Then.
"Yesterday's dream?"
I must have acted really strange, as Sakura looks at me dubiously.
"Uhh... um. I had a bad dream.
I don't want to recall it right now, so please leave me alone. It's not your
fault, okay? It's just that I need more training."
"――――You need... more training...?"
Sakura gapes at me.
...It's only natural. Anyone would be stunned in this situation.
"Um, Senpai. What kind of a dream was it?"
"Ugh――――"
I-I can't tell her about such a dream...!
"I-It wasn't a big deal. It was just a bit disturbing."
"Senpai."
...Ugh. She's serious now, probably because she's worried about me.
...I can't lie to her, but I can't tell her the truth either.
I――――
...I guess it can't be helped.
I'll tell her the facts without giving away too much.
"Who was in your dream, Senpai?"
"...Well, um. It was only Tohsaka."
I confess.
"―――I see. Tohsaka-Senpai came here the other day too, right?"
"Oh... yeah. She treated my wound, but went home right away."
"...Okay. Then I'll be leaving the thermometer here."
Sakura sets the thermometer down and walks to the door with heavy
steps.
"Excuse me, but I need to go cook lunch. I'll come get you when it's
ready, so rest until then."
She slides the shouji closed behind her.
Her retreating footsteps sound colder than usual.
"Thanks for the meal."
"Thanks for the meal."
We bow together.
"You're welcome. Wow, you both ate everything in your bowls."
Sakura starts to clean up after our lunch.
There are three bowls and condiments on the table.
"Oh, I'll clean up. I'm feeling better, so please, at least let me do this."
"Really? Then please do, as a test to see if you've recovered. I'll do the
dishes, so please take the dishes to the kitchen and clean the table."
Tying on an apron, Sakura heads to the kitchen.
Well, I should carry these bowls and the pot in there.
"Are you all right, Shirou? I heard that your fever has broken, but you
still look pale."
"Huh? Do I look that bad?"
"...Hm. No, your face just looks pale.
You have a shortage of magical energy, the lifeline for a magus. I
noticed no problems during the battle last night, but that temple might
have been set up to drain magical energy."
"――――Hmm."
...Now that she mentions it, something was indeed strange at the Ryudou
Temple.
Everyone in there was weakened. It's possible that Caster set up a
boundary field to suck the lifeforce from anyone inside.
"Well, I'm feeling better, so there's no problem. My magical energy
should return if I get some nourishment. My capacity isn't that large, so
it should be back to normal once I eat dinner."
"Geez. I will not inquire any further if you say so. ...Sakura is right. It
seems you tend to make light of yourself."
Saber starts stacking the bowls.
"I should hand these to Sakura, correct? I will take the pot as well, so
please wipe the table, Shirou."
Saber goes to the kitchen without waiting for my reply.
"Should I put the bowls here, Sakura?"
"Saber-san? Oh, yes. Please put the dirty dishes there."
"I see. By the way, Sakura, lunch was very delicious. Please accept my
thanks."
"Ahaha, I have a lot to learn. Senpai's still the best when it comes to rice
porridge and udon."
"......"
I can hear friendly conversation from the kitchen.
"Oh. So Sakura is getting along with Saber."
Maybe it's because they helped each other clean this morning.
Either way, it's a good thing that they're getting along.
"Well, I should prepare some tea."
I place the tea leaves and the teapot on the table.
It's almost one o'clock.
It's a good time to take a break, so――――
"――――Oh yeah――――"
I forgot about it because of all the things that happened this morning, but
I did make a promise with Ilya.
...Well, it wasn't really a promise, but I'd be really dishonest if I don't go,
as I'm the one who asked her if we could see each other again.
"Saber and Sakura are..."
They're doing the dishes together.
If I tell them I'm going out, they'll either stop me or insist on coming
along.
If I'm going to go see Ilya, I should do it alone.
I feel bad, but I'll just leave a note and sneak out――――
"――――Phew."
I managed to sneak out.
I left them a note saying, "Going to buy stuff for dinner. Be back in an
hour," so they shouldn't be too worried.
"Hm... So she's not here, as I thought."
There's no one in the park.
Even with the apartments looming overhead, this place is so cold that it
feels like it'll start snowing at any moment.
"...Well, I don't know what I'd talk about even if she were here."
I sit on the bench.
Setting the grocery bag down, I look up at the dark sky.
...It seems the gift I bought at the shopping district went to waste.
"――――――――"
I stare at the sky absent-mindedly.
It must be because this place is surrounded by buildings.
Only a tiny square of sky is visible, and it seems farther away than
usual.
"―――――――It's cold."
I can see my breath.
The cold, dry air is freezing, and I wouldn't be surprised even if it started
snowing.
"――――Well, I should go home."
I grab the grocery bag and get up.
It's past two o'clock.
I have to leave now if I'm going to be home in time.
"Huh――――?"
My legs freeze.
They won't move.
They don't even budge, no matter how hard I try――――
"――――"
My vision blurs.
No, that's an understatement.
My vision is broken.
My eyes have bulged into my skull, and I have no sense of distance.
"――――Ah――――――――"
I realize that I'm in the worst situation possible.
It feels like my body has been turned into stone.
My nerves are disconnected, leaving me detached from the world.
It's like I'm watching the world through a camera, controlling myself in a
video game.
"Sa... ber――――"
I'll be killed.
It was a mistake to go outside alone.
I can't even see my attacker's face, let alone move, and――――
"Did I surprise you?
You were completely defenseless, so I had to tease you."
―――Um, I'm being teased by this mischievous girl?
"Oh, you're back to normal. I guess contacting you through vision isn't
that strong."
"Il――――"
She appears from behind me.
She's smiling, probably because she was already here and was watching
me from behind.
"But you're no good if you can't dispel magic using your own powers.
Your future looks gloomy if outside factors are the only things that can
dispel you."
She lectures me.
But her words aren't coming into my brain.
"Ilya――――! What are you doing!? Surprise attacks are unfair, even if
we're both Masters!"
"Hey, that wasn't a surprise attack. I was sitting next to you for a while.
But you didn't notice me, and then you made it worse by getting ready to
leave. That was your own fault, Shirou."
"...!? Y-You were sitting next to me this whole time?"
"Yeah, I was hiding a bit. But you're too careless. You didn't notice my
presence, and you were captivated by a spell that merely uses direct
magical energy contact. You're a Master, so you should keep a better
watch on your surroundings."
Ilya warns me, utterly amazed.
"Oh――――yeah. You're right."
She seems so much like a teacher that I find myself nodding.
"It's good if you understand.
―――So, what's going on today? You're empty inside right now, but
you don't have Saber with you. If you're trying to rest, wouldn't it be
safer to do it at home?"
"Huh? Well, I didn't come here to rest.
Well, you're right that not bringing Saber was careless of me."
"Right? I couldn't leave you alone because you seemed so odd. I wasn't
supposed to talk to you after yesterday, but I'll make an exception for
today."
"...?"
Ilya's saying something strange.
After all, I came to this park because...
"So, why were you just sitting here?
You would've been dead if I came here as a Master."
"Well, I just came here to see you.
You told me yesterday that we could meet again."
"――――――――What?"
Oh, she's surprised.
...Well, it's not like it was an official promise.
"Why...? You came to see me, even though I told you I'll be trying to kill
you?"
"That's your choice. It's not mine. I just want to talk to you, not fight.
And in any case――――"
Ilya said she'd kill me, but she just let a chance go by.
She could've really done it if she'd kept her spell on me.
As she didn't do so, I don't want to fight her.
"――――Masters don't fight during daytime, right?
Then let's forget about it for now. I just came here to see you. Do you
want to kill me more than you want to talk with me?"
"Eh――――? T-That's an unfair question. I have to do both. It's fun to
talk with you, but I can't forgive you. So I can't choose just one."
Ilya hangs her head and mumbles.
She looks serious, like she's actually suffering rather than just being
troubled.
"...I see. Then I don't care. I won't ask you to choose one."
"Oh... B-But I..."
"I know. But since we're both here, let's talk.
I brought a gift for you today, so we'll fight some other time."
I take out a bag of taiyaki.
They cooled off while I was waiting for Ilya, but they're still a bit warm.
"Here's the offering. I'll give you these, so please let me go this time."
I hold out the taiyaki.
"Oh――――"
Ilya hesitates, but then takes them and nods.
I'm not too sure what we talked about after that.
We talked about meaningless things:
What she likes to eat, what she doesn't like to eat, how she likes birds
and hates cats, how she likes snow and hates the cold, how she wants to
play but can't, and how she doesn't like her maids but wants to like
them.
Ilya looks happy just to be talking.
She is sitting on the bench, eating the taiyaki, and swinging her legs.
...She looks like a child waiting for her father's return.
"―――I see. So you didn't come to this town by yourself?"
"No, I came with Sella and Leysritt. I don't need people to keep an eye
on me, but I do need people to take care of my place, right?"
...So Ilya came to Japan with two maids.
Are they staying at a hotel or something?
"What? Are you curious? Do you want to know where I live?"
"Eh... yeah, I'm curious. You keep popping up at unexpected times, but
what would I do if an emergency happens and I don't know where you
live?"
Even if she gets injured and asks me for help, I won't be able to if I don't
know that.
I'll rest a little easier if I know where she lives――――
"――――All right. You're special. If you want to know that badly, I'll
tell you."
Then.
Ilya stands up and places her hand on my forehead.
"Whoa――――hey, Ilya..."
"Just be quiet. You'll enter some other place if you resist me too hard. It's
troublesome to return things to normal if that happens."
She glares at me.
"Oh――――okay."
Under that kind of pressure, I can only nod obediently.
"That's a good boy. Then close your eyes. And don't look around too
much, okay? Even though I'm transferring you, you'll get motion
sickness because the view is someone else's."
"――――!"
Ilya places her forehead onto mine.
I'm surprised, but I close my eyes.
――――At that moment...
My vision accelerates and expands.
No, was it my consciousness that expanded?
The next thing I know, I'm looking down at an unfamiliar scene.
"Can you see it? I transferred your vision to my forest."
Ilya's voice echoes in my head.
I can't reply, nor nod back.
This "vision" is the only thing allowed for me.
I'm one of the trees in the forest.
It's natural that my body doesn't move.
My body has been turned into a tree in an instant.
"Did you memorize the route? Then I'll transfer you to the castle wall
now."
The scene changes.
My vision is the only sense I have.
―――I still exist, but I can't feel myself.
I'm a wall now.
I can sense my limbs, but there are no limbs for me to move. I have a
body that can move at will, yet I can't move it.
"Leysritt. I cannot find Ilyasviel-sama. Do you know where she may
be?"
"......No. Ilya should be somewhere."
"Leysritt. Please do not refer to our lady so crudely. Ilyasviel-sama is not
like us. Have you forgotten our mission?"
"Sella is Ilya's teacher. I'm to dress Ilya with Heavens Feel, the third
dress."
"Correct. It seems even your poor memory can retain that."
"......I didn't forget. ...But Ilya hates wearing that. So I don't like it."
"...I understand that as well. But we need her to wear it when the time
comes. We were made for that purpose.
She must be prepared as well."
"......Sella."
"What is it, Leysritt?"
"......Don't you get tired?"
"Not at all!"
...I hear two identical maids talking.
When I realize those two are the maids Ilya was talking about...
...I finally return to my body.
"How was it? That was some great transformation magic, right?"
"Uh――――Uh..."
...I hold my mouth and bear my nausea.
I feel sick, suddenly feeling the realism of my body.
"Ilya... What was that?"
"It's transfer of consciousness. I moved your vision into some other
object."
"There's a nerve going from your eyes to your brain, right? I connected
that nerve to something other than your eyes.
You were getting information from the trees in my forest instead of your
eyes."
"......Hm. So it's not that I became the tree, but I received their vision and
mistakenly thought I was one?"
"Oh, I thought you were dense, but you're actually pretty bright.
Yes, that's right. That was magic to change the input while leaving the
equipment called human alone.
It's a big deal to change someone into a tree, but it's still in the realms of
magic to connect one's consciousness to a tree. Far-sight and possession
are an application of this magic."
"......I see. But that's pretty impressive stuff. I couldn't do anything when
you transferred me to the tree. Couldn't you also use it to nullify your
opponent?"
"Yes. Our specialty is in flow and transfer of power.
For example, Tohsaka magi can transfer their magical energy into jewels
without diluting its purity. Using that same technique, they can also
transfer someone's consciousness.
If there's an enemy they want to seal, they can nullify him by
transferring his consciousness into a jewel or an immobile doll."
"But the success rate of transferring someone's consciousness is so low
that even we, the ones specialized in transfer, won't use it as an attack."
"The one I did to you was an exception. You didn't resist, and that forest
is mine. It's normally much harder to connect things."
"And your consciousness will be forced to return if the original body is
stimulated in any way.
The body will call its consciousness back when it senses danger, even if
the consciousness is unaware."
"That's what happened to you just now.
You couldn't do anything when your mind was in the tree, but your body
called you back when I shook it."
"...Hm. So this is something like a dream?"
You can never wake up from a dream, no matter how hard you try.
Dreams usually end when morning comes―――when the body wakes
up out of habit.
"Hmm, it's a bit different. You can wake up from a dream using your
will.
But that's why transferral is not fit for offense. It's more for self-
protection."
"If you transfer your consciousness to your familiar or a doll that can
move, you can safely pursue magic."
"......So your consciousness just returns to your original body even if an
enemy destroys your familiar?"
"Yes. Magi who transfer their minds usually hide their original bodies in
a safe place.
In cases like this, you need to watch out when you transfer into a
familiar with its own soul."
"When you transfer your consciousness into something with a proper
chain of command, the initiative is completely held by them."
"So even if you transfer into humans or animals, you can only occupy a
corner of their brain and observe what they see. They will serve as a
camera, not a remote-controlled robot."
"Moving your consciousness into a living thing with its own will is more
like reincarnation than transfer.
That alone is a great magic, so no ordinary magus would be able to do
it."
...Reincarnation.
Magic to create an offspring with your soul in it after you die.
Some magi have achieved that goal, but I hear that reproducing a soul is
difficult.
Even if you start over from the moment of birth, if you cannot inherit all
the power of your previous self, you are a copy, not a reincarnation.
A copy is degraded by its very nature.
Therefore, a copied magus is inferior to his previous self.
"If you want to transfer yourself into a living thing, you can make a
familiar without a soul.
But the soulless familiars used today are weak. It's just like controlling a
doll filled with cotton.
They're only useful as messengers."
"And even if you transfer your consciousness into a familiar or doll, you
will disappear if your original body grows old and dies.
It's not immortality."
"The only eternal things in this physical world are souls.
But nobody can keep souls by themselves. A soul cannot stay in this
world without a body, and it will be destined with 'eventual death' once it
obtains a body.
Well, it just means that's the limit of magic by Einzbern and Tohsaka."
―――Then.
A bell rings the time.
The clock in the park points at three.
I guess it's already been an hour.
"Oh... I have to get going. Are you going home too?"
"Hm? Yeah, I should be heading home."
Ilya nods and walks to the middle of the park.
"...Okay. I shouldn't say this, but..."
The white girl asks me...
"Will you come see me again tomorrow, Shirou?"
...As if she knows I'm going to refuse.
"――――――――"
You idiot.
I don't even need to answer.
"―――Of course I'll come tomorrow. You showed me your house, so
it's my turn next."
"Okay! Then I'll be sure to call out to you first tomorrow!"
Ilya runs off.
Under the cloudy sky...
The white-haired girl looks like a fairy.
"I'm home."
"Where were you, Shirou!?"
"Where did you go, Senpai!?"
"W-Whoa――――!?"
I jump back, bumping against the front door.
"No, not 'whoa'! I have told you many times not to go outside by
yourself! Worse still, you snuck out while you were sick...!"
"Saber-san's right!
You wrote that you'd be back at two! Do you know what time it is!?
Where were you for the extra two hours!?"
"Uh――――no, hold on. I understand. I understand why you two are
mad, so..."
If you guys will just calm down, I should be able to come up with an
excuse...
"No, you do not understand...! I agreed with your decision to go to
school yesterday, but I cannot forgive you this time. It seems you are
healthy enough. I shall train you until dinner!"
Saber pushes Sakura aside and steps closer.
"Yes, the dojo is cleaned, so please have some matches with Saber-san! I
heard how good she is from Fujimura-Sensei, so I'm sure you'll enjoy
it!"
Sakura pushes Saber aside and roars at me.
"Uh――――ugh."
...I can't do this. I'll only add fuel to the fire if I say the wrong thing.
Saber might even go as far as breaking our contract.
"Where is your reply, Shirou!?"
"Where's your reply, Senpai!?"
"――――――Uh... I'm sorry."
Rattle, rattle.
I hate my front door for blocking my retreat.
"Then let us go at once. Please prepare the first-aid kit, Sakura."
"Please do. Punish him all you want."
The two retreat together in unison.
".........Man. I wonder if I'll be able to eat dinner tonight."
But I don't know what they'll do if I don't go with them.
...I guess I have to atone for my actions in the dojo…
―――It's been a few hours since we started training.
Saber's training is not what one can call kendo.
Saber doesn't practice kendo to begin with, and it seems she has no
intention to teach me swordsmanship.
All she wants me to learn is the actual feeling of a battle.
She's helping me gain experience in battle so that I can stay composed
when I fight other Masters, when our lives will be at stake.
I'm grateful for that.
There's no way she can teach me swordsmanship in a day or two.
All I can rely on is my body, which I have trained until now.
Then the best training I can get is practical experience, so that I'll be able
react normally in critical situations――――
"――――There!"
"Ow...!"
――――Then.
As soon as my focus wavers, Saber's shinai strikes my chest.
"Shirou. Do not let your guard down just because you are out of range.
Range does not matter with the skills you have.
The only place you can afford to let your guard down is in this house."
"――――Sorry, I did let my guard down."
I climb to my feet, clutching my chest and coughing weakly.
"...Geez. You are surprisingly sharp at times, but defenseless at others. If
you are able to control this――――"
Saber looks outside.
"What's wrong, Saber?"
"Well, Sakura is waving her hand at us from the porch. ...It seems she is
calling for you, Shirou."
"M-Me...?"
...I wonder what it could be.
Sakura couldn't bear to watch me get beaten up, so she begged us to stop
training.
She went back to the living room when I refused, but...
"...I'm going to the living room for a bit. Is that all right?"
"Yes. We have been training for two hours, so a rest is appropriate."
"Thanks. Then I'll get some tea while I'm at it."
"Oh, Senpai."
Sakura is standing by the phone when I arrive.
"...Um, you have a phone call. She's been waiting for you."
Sakura gets away from the phone.
"A phone call...? At this time?"
Could it be Fuji-Nee...? Maybe she wants me to bring something she
forgot, or maybe she wants to tell me a joke she just came up with.
"All right. Hello.
This is Emiya――――"
"It's not 'this is Emiya'!!
Why are you absent without my permission!!!!!?"
The receiver roars.
What kind of magic is she using to make her voice rattle the walls
through this small speaker?
"Man――――"
I shake my head to clear the ringing in my ears.
"Are you listening to me!? Are you okay!?"
The stranger, Tohsaka Rin, forges ahead without waiting for a response.
"...I'm listening. I'm listening, so lower your voice. My eardrums will
burst if you keep talking like that."
"......Humph. Like always, you're missing the point. Well, it seems like
nothing happened with the way you are.
Geez, guess I was worried about nothing."
"......"
Her words are harsh and cold.
You're the one who never changes, Tohsaka.
"Well, what do you want?
Did something happen to make you come calling me like that?"
"Yes, something did happen! You went to the Ryudou Temple yesterday,
even after I warned you not to."
"―――Ugh. How do you know that?"
"I had a lookout there. ...Well, I guess nothing happened, seeing that
you're okay. I imagined something slightly bad since you weren't at
school today."
"Oh, so you thought I was killed?"
"Yeah. I thought you were torn apart and buried on that mountain."
"......"
Well...
I don't think that's a "slightly bad imagination".
"―――Sorry to disappoint you, but I'm doing great... Well, I'm dying,
but I'm hanging in there.
So, what's your business?"
"Huh...? Well..."
"You can stop sounding me out.
Oh, you want to ask about the Master at the Ryudou Temple, right? We
beat him―――well, actually, he was already gone.
He was betrayed by his Servant, Caster.
And――――"
...Wait, I can't talk any more about this subject.
Even though I'm whispering, Sakura is behind me.
I can't let her hear anything about people dying.
"Anyway, there's no Servant or Master at the Ryudou Temple anymore.
That's what you wanted to know, right?"
"...Y-Yeah, you're pretty thoughtful."
"Then I'm hanging up. I'm training right now, so my whole body's in
pain."
I end the conversation.
"H-Hold on!"
"...? What, you don't have any more business, right?"
"I-I do...! Come to school tomorrow. I have something important to talk
to you about."
Smack!
She slams the receiver down. Well, that's just like her.
"...Man, how selfish of her. She got mad at me for going to school
yesterday, and now she wants me to go tomorrow."
I put the receiver down.
I turn to go prepare the tea I promised.
...Then.
I see Sakura, hanging her head for some reason.
"Sakura? Are you feeling all right?"
"Yes, but... I'm just wondering what happened to make you seem so
happy."
"What?"
I seem happy?
Did I look happy when I was on the phone with Tohsaka?
"No way. I'm actually mad."
"...That's... why. You don't even notice it yourself."
Sakura looks away awkwardly.
"...Hm?"
I wonder about her behavior as I make tea for the three of us.
By the time we finish our training, the sky is tinted red.
"I'm done preparing the yellowtail. We also need pumpkin and tomatoes,
right?"
"Oh, I've taken care of that. I'm putting the sauce on before I cook it...
Oh, can you take out the bowls since I'll be making savory egg custard?
Fuji-Nee went out and bought some crabs yesterday."
"Oh, the crab-flavored fish paste? I like that because they're tasty and
nice-looking."
Sakura takes out the bowls and places them on the kitchen counter.
I'm making dinner to thank her for everything she did today.
I want Sakura to relax in the living room with Saber, but she stubbornly
insists on helping me.
"...?"
Then...
We're interrupted by the doorbell.
Sakura's already here, so that means there's a visitor at my place.
"Oh, I'll go get it. If it's a newspaper salesman, I'll send him away."
"Sakura――――?"
Sakura goes to the front door before I can stop her.
"――――――――"
...I have a bad feeling about this.
I put the radish down and go to the front door.
The doorbell hasn't stopped ringing.
Whoever it is, they must be hysterical.
Sakura unlocks the door to greet the visitor.
――――At that instant...
"Why aren't you coming home!?"
I hear a heavy sound and some angry words.
It happened in an instant.
The doorbell doesn't stop.
"Who is it?"
Sakura opens the door while calling out to the visitor.
"――――!"
Shinji throws the door open and storms in.
"Nii-san...!?"
"Hey―――why aren't you coming home!?"
As soon as Shinji sees Sakura, he raises his arm, and...
He smacks her, but what slams into her cheek isn't the palm of his hand,
but a fist.
"Wha――――"
I run.
Sakura hits the wall and crumples to the floor.
Shinji runs to Sakura, with his arm ready to punch her again――――
"What are you doing, Shinji...!?"
"―――Humph. I'll do whatever I want. If she spends the night at
someone's house without my permission, it's only natural that she gets
punished."
"―――It's... natural...?"
"Are you deaf? I'm saying a piece of shit who won't do as she's told
deserves to get hit.
You're the one who's seducing her in the first place. How are you any
different from me? We're both using Sakura as we please."
"――――――――"
I'm speechless.
I seriously...
"Oh, what's that? You got to do her once last night, and now you don't
want to let her go because you want more? I can't blame you, Sakura
is――――"
"――――――――"
...Want to kill Shinji.
"―――Huh? What's with that face? Are you stupid?"
"Shinji."
"Ooh, I like that tone. All right, let's pick up where we left off, Emiya."
I clench my fist.
I can't stop myself.
I――――
―――I suppress my anger with all my might.
What good will it do?
My fight with Shinji has already ended.
It's meaningless to attack Shinji now, and I can't fight Shinji in front of
Sakura――――
"Please stop, Nii-san...!
Please, don't do it here―――!"
I get myself together with her voice.
"――――Sakura."
"What a surprise. Isn't this the first time you've talked to me like that?"
Shinji's voice sounds more delighted than I've ever heard from him.
Sakura is hanging her head, her body trembling.
"So? Say it again. I couldn't hear you really well."
"......Yes. I'll do anything you say, so please don't do it in front of Senpai.
I'll go home if you tell me to."
"Ohh. So you're going to do anything I say?"
"........."
Sakura nods.
"I see. If you're so determined, then I won't take you home. A big brother
has to respect his sister's wishes, after all. Isn't that right, Emiya?"
"――――Shinji."
"Haha. Don't make such a scary face. That was just a joke. People will
form a bad opinion of you if you won't let go of your grudges."
Shinji walks back to the front door.
"Bye. Take care of Sakura, Emiya.
―――But don't forget what you just said, Sakura."
Shinji waves goodbye and leaves.
He leaves alone, without taking Sakura with him.
We resume cooking.
"........."
Unsure of what to say, I cut up the tomatoes and pumpkins in silence.
The unbroken sound of chopping gives the kitchen an awkward
atmosphere.
"The rice is done, Senpai. Fujimura-Sensei isn't here yet, but we can
start dinner without her, right?"
"Oh―――yeah. It's a bit early, but let's do that."
"Okay. I'll prepare right away."
Sakura moves briskly, as if nothing happened.
...She's obviously pushing herself.
Sakura pretends to be okay so that I won't be worried.
"......"
I should act that way too if that's how Sakura's going to act.
Sakura's the one who got hurt.
If she's going to smile, I have to smile as... well...?
"Sakura?"
The sound of a bowl breaking causes me to turn around.
"――――――――"
Pieces of the shattered bowl are by Sakura's feet.
"――――――――"
".....!"
Sakura suddenly collapses.
She sinks to a sitting position, then keels over backward――――
"Sakura―――!"
I quickly raise her off the floor.
"Ow...!?"
Sakura's body is burning hot, even through her uniform.
"Sakura... Hey, Sakura...!"
"Eh――――Sen... pai...? What's... going on...?"
There's no strength in her voice.
But she tries her best to say something.
"It's not 'what's going on'...!? You're still sick...!"
"Oh... no... I'm fine."
"You idiot...! You wouldn't collapse like that if you're fine!"
―――Damn, I'm an idiot.
I knew Sakura had a cold, but I overworked her without thinking.
And to finish it off, there's what happened just now. After everything
she's been through physically and mentally, it's natural that she'd
collapse――――!
"I'm sorry for breaking the bowl, Senpai.
I'll clean it up right awa―――kya!?"
I hold up Sakura in my arms.
"S-Senpai!?"
"Dinner can come later. I'm going to take you to bed and have you rest.
Complain to me after you get better."
I head to the outbuilding with Sakura in my arms.
She's trying to say something, but I ignore her.
I'm so mad that I can't talk.
"――――――――"
Sakura must have given up, as she is silent by the time we get to the
guest room.
She hangs her head, but follows my directions.
Although her face is flushed with fever, it doesn't seem all that bad.
I leave her room.
I'm changing the menu for tonight.
I have to hurry and go make some rice porridge so that I can return her
favor.
It's almost ten o'clock.
We ate dinner, and it's time to start patrolling the area.
"......"
Sakura is sleeping in the guest room.
I ate dinner with Saber.
Fuji-Nee never showed up, so she must be busy tonight.
"Shirou. It is almost time."
"......"
Saber urges me.
For tonight――――
――――I can't leave Sakura alone tonight.
It's not like I can do anything, but I want to stay here so that I can go
help her if she needs help.
"I'm sorry, Saber. We're not patrolling tonight. I'm worried about
Sakura."
"――――Understood. I will follow your order."
"What?"
I-I'm surprised.
I thought Saber would object, but she readily accepted my proposal.
"Please do not misunderstand. Sakura is not the only one who is sick.
You are exhausted as well, so please rest for tonight.
The extra time will help you replenish your magical energy. You are not
to push yourself."
"―――Thanks, Saber."
"Y-You do not need to thank me. I am your Servant. It is natural for me
to place my master's welfare first."
Saber reaches out for her tea.
"So, Shirou. Have you a reward for your considerate servant?"
Saber makes a cute request with eyes full of expectation.
"Oh――――I see. Hold on, Saber."
I realize she wants something to eat with the tea, so I grab the cookies
that Fuji-Nee bought for her.
"――――――――"
I shut off my Magic Circuit.
I sigh with relief after the stick of fire exits my spine.
I've skipped my daily routine for the past few days, but it went pretty
smoothly tonight.
Even though it used to be a challenge, activating my Magic Circuit is
easy now. Maybe it's because of my contract with Saber.
"―――But it's no good if it takes me a minute to do it."
The only weapon I can use has to be prepared beforehand using my
"strengthening" magic.
If I'm attacked by surprise, I'll have no way of fighting back.
If I can shorten the time to around thirty seconds, maybe I'll be able to
do something―――
"Maybe I'll ask Tohsaka about it. She might know how to quickly make
a Magic Circuit."
Well, I can't ask her just like that. Who knows what she'll demand in
return?
"Hm...?"
I hear footsteps.
The person is walking slowly.
...It's midnight.
The person coming here under the moonlight is...
"Senpai...? Are you still awake?"
Sakura, who looks much better than earlier tonight.
"――――――――"
My mind blanks out.
...Sakura's wearing something I don't recognize.
It takes me completely by surprise.
It must be the change of clothes Fuji-Nee prepared for her, but seeing
her in something other than her uniform makes my head spin.
"...Um, Senpai?"
"Oh―――Yeah, I'm awake. Are you okay, Sakura? It's cold outside."
"Yes, my fever's almost gone. I came outside to refresh myself and heard
a sound, so I thought it might be you."
"I see. Then all that's left is to warm yourself up and go back to sleep.
That's good."
I turn on the stove I just fixed.
Good, it works.
This should warm up this place.
"Here. It's still pretty chilly in here, but it's better than outside.
...Um, if you're not sleepy anymore, I can keep you company."
"――――Okay. Then please excuse me, Senpai."
Sakura comes in, her steps steady and sure.
...Good, it looks like she's really better. That's a relief.
"It's warm. So this was fixable."
"Somehow. I almost didn't bother trying since it was so old."
"You're right. You got mad and said you'd rather fix the VCR Fujimura-
Sensei cut in half.
But you couldn't throw it away, right?"
"...Well, I guess this stove wasn't the only obstinate one."
It was broken, but it looked fixable, so I just couldn't leave it alone.
"You don't listen to others once you set your mind on something, Senpai.
You seem sensible, but you're actually very stubborn. Did you know
that?"
"...Hm. Am I stubborn?"
"You are. And you're really forceful.
You didn't listen to me earlier, either."
...?
Even though Sakura's criticizing me, she's in a good mood.
...Well, I'm too happy to see her doing well to care about that.
"...I'm sorry. I was too angry to think straight."
"You're right. You were just as mad at me as at yourself. ...Yes. I'm
causing you lots of trouble.
But I really was sorry because I thought I did something awful."
"......"
Sakura is perfectly composed.
It's probably partly because she just got over a cold, but she's not merely
putting on a strong face. This seems like the "real" Sakura to me.
"I remember when I was a child.
I always stayed in the house and couldn't say what I wanted. I thought
everything would work out if I didn't say anything."
"...But it didn't do any good. I didn't want to worry anyone, but never
speaking worried Nii-san and my dad even more."
"...I see. But it's true that you cared for your father and Shinji, so I bet
they knew how you felt.
There are things that can be communicated without words."
"Yes. I hope that's true.
...So what about you, Senpai? I don't hear much about when you were a
child."
"Uh, me...? Hmm, I don't think I was too different. I was always running
throughout the town during the daytime, making meals for my father,
and messing around with stuff here at night."
I get embarrassed, so I scratch my cheek.
...Does it mean I'm a failure as a man if I haven't changed from when I
was a kid?
"Wow. You were running throughout the town?"
"Yeah... I thought I was patrolling the town. I admired helping the weak
and crushing the strong."
My battlefield was mainly in the park.
I think it was an everyday thing to fight with children my age against
people older than me.
...Hmm, now that I think about it, a smart and devil-like person was in
my age group too...
"I see, so you were protecting the town from bullies? You were like that
even when you were little?"
"Sakura. Smiling like that reminds me of all the stupid things I did, so
please stop. It's pretty embarrassing."
"It's not embarrassing at all. I would've been your sidekick if I met you
as a child.
A shy person like me needs someone to drag her outside."
"...A sidekick?"
...Oh. Well, I might have trained Sakura every day if she'd been with me
as a child.
I would've run by the river or sat in the dojo with her.
That's pretty much what a sidekick would do.
Under my watchful eye, Sakura would become strong, and then she
would turn into a devil like...
Her,
or her.
"――――Ugh."
A chill runs down my spine.
Good. I'm really glad that Sakura is modest.
"Um, Senpai?"
"Huh? Oh, I was out of it. I was just talking to myself, so please don't
worry about it."
"...Okay. That's fine, but, um... Can I ask you an awkward question?"
"...? Okay, what?"
"...I heard this from Fujimura-Sensei. Is it true that you were adopted
into the Emiya family?"
"―――Huh? Didn't I tell you? I'm adopted, just like Fuji-Nee told
you."
"U-Um, Senpai? That means..."
"Well, it's true, and it's nothing I should hide. Why are you asking such a
thing?"
"Eh... um, don't you care about it? You were adopted into a stranger's
family, so, um... weren't there a lot of things you didn't like?"
"Oh, did Fuji-Nee give you the wrong idea?
...Well, it might've looked that way when I first came here, but it wasn't
hard on me, and there was nothing I didn't like."
"Then was it fun for you, Senpai?"
――――Hm.
This is the first time I've been asked this question.
After that fire...
...My first year here was spent healing my wounds.
...And after that...
My time until now has been spent in constant motion.
I studied magic to be more like Kiritsugu,
and I ran around the town, looking for the reason why only I survived
that night.
I never had time to wonder if I was enjoying myself.
"Hmm, I don't know. I don't know if it was fun for me or not. I just
wanted to be like my father."
"You mean to be a superhero, like Fujimura-Sensei said?"
Sakura asks timidly.
To that...
"――――Yeah. Is that weird?"
I answer while scratching my cheek.
"No, I don't think so. It's amazing that you're so sure of yourself."
"―――――"
Her words are calm.
I usually get embarrassed from such words, but her words hit me so
much that I'm tempted to thank her.
"Here's another question. Would you be able to forgive me if I become a
bad person?"
"What...?"
My head blanks out from the sudden question.
...But to answer seriously...
"No. I'd get mad if you do something bad. I'd get more mad than
anybody else."
I'd probably be first in line to scold her.
"――――I'm glad. I'd want you to do that."
Sakura nods in relief.
"...?"
Seeing her smile makes me think that something like this happened
before.
"I'm going back to my room. Good night, Senpai."
Sakura leaves.
As I see her off, I try to remember where I've seen that smile before, but
my memory fails me.
I return to my room.
I lie on my futon, trying not to wake Saber, and right when I'm about to
close my eyes...
"――――I remember now."
In a sudden flash of insight, it comes back to me.
Yes, it was――――
――――It was in the shed, just like tonight.
It was two years ago... no, one and a half years to be exact.
It happened during the summer two years ago.
I continued to refuse every time Sakura offered to come help me at my
house.
But Sakura did not give up and kept visiting my house with obstinacy
you would never expect from her.
I gave up―――well, Sakura's effort beat me to be exact, but I called
Sakura to the shed and admitted my defeat.
"You beat me. I lost, so I'll give you this."
It was an old key.
I gave Sakura the key to my house that I kept in the shed which
Kiritsugu used to use.
Surprised, Sakura tried to refuse.
She said something ridiculous about how a stranger couldn't possibly
accept such a gift.
"Hey now. You're coming to help me every day, so you're no stranger.
Please feel free to use this. ...Um, it would help me out if you did."
I forced the key into her hands.
And that's when I saw it.
"...Okay. Thank you, Senpai. This is the second gift I've received from
someone dear to me."
Sakura smiled happily as she nodded.
"Oh――――I see."
That's what's been bugging me.
Sakura works hard and always has a warm smile.
But that was the last time her smile looked satisfied――――
INTERLUDE BEGIN
The Ryudou Temple.
The land is desolate after Caster has disappeared.
The monks, who have collapsed from an unknown cause, have left the
mountain to leave the temple empty.
The gate is shut firmly, so neither worshippers nor monks can enter the
place.
"―――Damn, what a stench. This is a real stinker."
A voice echoes through the place that should be desolate.
A lean blue figure glows in the moonlight.
The sturdily-built man with the crimson spear is a Servant called
Lancer.
"Oh, wow. The boundary field is still here, even though Caster's dead?
...No, this is too crude. Her work was much more polished than this."
Lancer looks around the temple.
The red lance is in his hand.
His objectives are to gain information and to keep watch.
He is unwilling, but he cannot disobey his Master's command.
It is his policy to follow any command given to him, and to accomplish
the mission.
That is why he has fought several Servants and ended up in a draw with
each.
As long as he serves this Master, Lancer will never start a fight.
This is no exception, and he is to investigate the Ryudou Temple.
If that is the case, why is his lance in his hand?
His weapon, his Noble Phantasm, can be summoned whenever needed.
There is no need for him to hold his lance when there is no enemy before
him.
"Damn, what a racket. I thought Caster was the master of wind, but
maybe she used water instead. This place is crawling with leeches and
spiders――――"
He walks through the temple.
He seems too vulnerable and defenseless to be a Servant.
He is so defenseless that if―――this is an if―――there is another
Servant here, he would be attacked and killed in an instant.
"――――But who knows? Maybe the head has been replaced.
There's nothing here but rotten insects. It's your habitual practice to nest
on deserted houses."
Lancer doesn't stop cursing.
The blue spearman gives a speech as if to persuade a person who is not
here.
"But there's one big one.
I don't know where it was born, but it looks like it was raised by beasts
deep within a mountain.
And what is this, a smell of sand?
Hah, I thought you were a big spider, but you turned out to be a dirty
sandworm.
Why the hell should I have to come and investigate a wretch like
you――――whoa!"
――――The silver lights are deflected.
Three rays of light streak forth from the darkness, only to be struck
down by Lancer's lance.
The deflected lights are daggers called "Dark".
They are not a weapon to be held onto and to slash with, but a weapon to
be thrown.
These daggers were thrown with great speed at Lancer's eyes and throat.
"――――You're pretty good. But don't do that again, sandworm.
I don't like getting killed without a greeting first, and more importantly,
it will be fatal for you."
The blue figure stands firm before the darkness.
In the darkness in front of Lancer is...
...A laughing skull, white as the moon.
――――The battle starts without a signal.
Lacking human words, the white skull attacks Lancer with an inhuman
shriek, and Lancer meets his assault without twitching a brow.
The skull tosses daggers with a precision rivaling that of Archer.
Thirty are thrown from close range as he runs through the darkness.
But Lancer easily repels every one.
"Ki――――?"
The skull comes to an abrupt stop.
It is abnormal.
No matter how great a spearman Lancer may be, he could not possibly
block all the daggers.
Furthermore, he is using a long lance.
How are the daggers, fired accurately in between his swings, all
deflected?
"Hey. Don't tell me that's all you can do."
Lancer's presence changes.
He stops, and his hostility changes to a clear intent to kill.
"Then this is it.
I don't know who you are... well, I guess I'll at least take off that mask of
yours."
―――Daggers flash though the darkness.
A rapid barrage is unleashed as a counter to Lancer's charge―――!
But he blocks even that.
Although the daggers cannot be perceived, he turns them aside with a
slight swing of his spear.
"――――――――"
The skull is the one shivering.
Unable to speak human language, he can only swallow his scream and
watch as the enemy comes to take his life――――
"――――, Kii――――!"
He throws a dagger at the small opening in between Lancer's strikes...!
"Kii...!"
The skull's mask trembles.
Lancer blocks the dagger, turns the spear in a full circle, and smacks his
opponent's chin from below.
Defense and counter.
He performs both actions in one motion.
Already committed to his attack, the skull cannot respond to such a
maneuver.
――――The white mask falls from his face.
Lancer does not keep attacking.
His order is merely to observe his foes.
Even if this is a sure chance to kill, he has no authority to attack.
"―――You idiot. I told you projectile weapons are useless against me.
You're the one who didn't listen to my warning."
Lancer readies his lance again and regards his enemy, who is now hiding
his face.
A black body.
A right hand covered in bandages.
A face still hidden by the darkness.
No.
His face is flat and utterly featureless.
"Gi――――yoU SAw My FaCe, Lan, cer."
"I'm about to. I'm sure you're a Servant, so let me check out which hero
you are."
"―――Kuh. I sEE, YOu HavE A bINd. No WONdeR YoU, DiD, Not
KilL, me."
The Servant retreats further into the shadows.
He still has the Dark in his hand, and his hostility is still emitting.
"Don't even try. It's my nature, but projectile attacks from a visible
opponent aren't effective against me. You can't hurt me using a projectile
unless it's some great Noble Phantasm."
"...! ―――I sEE, PRoteCtIon AgaiNst ArrOws. ...Kuku, as EXpecTed
frOm a HeRo WIth A nAMe. YoU Are nOT LIKe mE."
The shadow wavers.
The black Servant sinks down to the ground,
then springs up in an instant as he throws another dagger.
If his leap is that of a deer, his movements are those of a spider, snake,
or scorpion.
Even while keeping his face hidden, this Servant is as fast as Lancer
when it comes to retreat.
But Lancer's charge is still the fastest.
It is a disgrace to take even a minute to corner his enemy.
"Damn―――I know I destroyed his throat, but he's persistent. It doesn't
seem like it's healed, so he must be drugged――――"
The enemy glides across the water like a spider, and Lancer pursues
him.
In contrast, water sprays from his footsteps, but his speed is far greater.
"...Hmph. If I'd known the pain wouldn't stop him, I would've cut his
joints. I put that off since it doesn't work on other opponents,
but――――"
It is fatal for a human body to be cut at the joint, where the main arteries
lie.
If the arteries are severed, death from severe bleeding will quickly
follow.
But that is only in normal combat.
You cannot expect a Servant, a heroic spirit, to die from excessive
bleeding.
As their lifeforce is magical energy, cutting their arteries does not have
much effect.
The loss of a limb is another story, but cutting off a Servant's limb is a
difficult task.
Doing so will likely cost you your own head in the process.
"...Hashish, huh? I bet a heroic spirit who relies on drugs doesn't have
healing powers. I'll end this fight with my next attack――――"
Water splashes with lightning speed.
His next attack will strike in two more seconds.
He tenses, then thrusts at his fleeing enemy's left leg―――
"――――!"
With a start, Lancer jumps back from the water's surface.
――――Water explodes upward.
No, something beneath the water is snarling.
Black tendrils snake out of the water, reaching for the spearman.
Is it because this creature dwells underwater?
It seems to resemble a deep-sea monster from ancient times.
"―――――――What... the...?"
Lancer has nowhere to run.
He instantly carves all his runes on the bottom of the lake to create a
boundary field, but it is easily penetrated.
The dark tentacles are closing in on all sides, and his territory is
shrinking by the second.
The protection using all his Runes, which can even block a great Noble
Phantasm, does not even slow down the penetration.
Watching Lancer――――
"WHaT iS WrOng, LAncEr? It wILl SwaLLow yOu if yOU Do nOT
MoVe."
Assassin sneers.
But even the sneering spider is no exception.
It seems these tendrils must engulf anything they can reach, as the spider
does not approach the dark water.
He knows that if he draws near, they will take interest in new prey.
"BuT I wILL nOt aLLow THat. I MuST KiLL You. I nEEd mOrE
EXperIenCE. I sHaLL KiLL YoU To aDD tO mY iNtELLigeNCe."
The spider's dagger glimmers.
The weapon about to be released is just a projectile.
But is it not meaningless?
Even though Lancer is surrounded by ghastly limbs, projectiles are
meaningless against Lancer.
"―――You don't give up, do you? Well, I can understand why you feel
that way."
Lancer observes the ghastly limbs around him.
He was lured quite far in, but it's only about thirty meters to the opposite
shore.
He should be able to easily jump across such a distance...!
"You lost because you wouldn't move from there. I'm done with my
investigation, so I'm out of here."
Lancer crouches low and braces his lance against the ground.
Using his lance as support, Lancer vaults into the air.
There...
"Wh――――at?"
He is struck by the simplest of attacks.
A fake heart is taken out of Lancer's chest.
Assassin has directly gouged out Lancer's heart from the distant shore,
an impossible range.
It is the purest magic, the simplest curse.
It is the "cursed hand", a magic of the Middle East, specialized in
cursing people.
――――It is Assassin's Noble Phantasm, Zabaniya.
It surely destroys Lancer's heart, and the powerless body of the
spearman falls into the black water.
The surface boils.
It is hectic, ferocious, and vulgar.
You would not see such a gruesome meal even if meat were thrown into
a cage of starving beasts.
―――Numerous black limbs eliminate the human-shaped heroic spirit.
Watching it in delight as he stands on the black water...
The faceless Servant swallows the heart of his prey with satisfaction.
INTERLUDE END
Day 07 (dialogue lost loop):
When I wake up, my body has fully recovered.
My temperature is normal, and my limbs don't feel heavy at all.
"――――It's before six o'clock. I wonder if Sakura's awake?"
If she is, she'll probably be preparing breakfast.
I'd better get ready quickly and head to the kitchen, or Sakura will finish
it herself.
"I'm going ahead, Saber. Come to the living room in a bit."
I don't have the guts to look inside her room, so I retreat after calling out
to her.
It'll be troublesome if I see Saber sleeping.
"And my dad collapsed.
He was like, 'your father is sick in bed, so don't you think you should
settle down?'
Isn't that rude? He makes it sound like I'm a wandering cloud."
Fuji-Nee complains while eating.
It seems Fuji-Nee didn't come over last night because her father
collapsed.
"...? Senpai, what is this wandering cloud?"
"It's describing Fuji-Nee. It's an airy person without a definite
character."
I answer without hesitation.
"You're wrong! A wandering cloud is an idler!
It's what you call a person who does nothing but go around town to
mock people."
Sakura and Saber nod in comprehension.
I do not even need to mention which part they agree on.
"So, Sensei. Is your father sick?"
"Of course not. My family is famous for not getting sick. My dad sumo
wrestled with one of the younger guys and hurt his hips."
"Sumo...? What is this 'sumo', Taiga?"
"Huh? It's kinda hard to explain in words. It's a type of martial art where
you push, push instead of pull, push and push. You can't use weapons,
and you can't use a fist. You also can't kick.
You basically grapple with your opponent and win by knocking your
opponent down to the ground."
"...Hm. So is it a pure contest of power?"
"Yup. And you don't wear any clothes. You and your opponent grapple
pretty much naked."
"N-Naked...!?"
"Yup. Well, your weak point is covered by a mawashi. Oh, that's a sumo
wrestler's loincloth, by the way. If you don't understand, ask Shirou
about it. He knows more than I do."
Fuji-Nee says something absurd as she sips on her miso soup.
"I see. So, Shirou. What is this loincloth?"
"――――――――"
It's easy to explain, but I'm a bit hesitant to talk about it.
I'm talking to Saber, and we're eating right now.
Why do I have to talk about loincloths during a meal?
"...I don't know. Sumo is out of my area of expertise, so ask someone
else."
"You're lying! You have a loincloth too!"
"I-I don't! I had to do sumo because your grandfather made me, and I
only borrowed one then!
First of all, that happened years ago!"
"Ahahaha, you're right. You kept losing because you were small back
then. My gramps told you to do a different sport because you wouldn't
give up until you won, so he made you start archery."
"......"
Fuji-Nee is laughing cheerfully.
...Man.
Fuji-Nee is in high spirits this morning, so she's louder than usual.
"Hey, Fuji-Nee. It's almost time. You'll be late unless you leave here
before seven o'clock."
"Huh? Oh, it's fine today. Morning club activities are cancelled starting
today. ...Well, I still have to leave early because there's a teachers'
meeting."
"Huh? The morning practice for the archery club is cancelled as well?"
"Yup. Oh, I see. You didn't hear about it, huh? There was an incident
yesterday, and some people in the track team got injured during practice.
but they got injured during practice. I guess it's because of lack of sleep,
so morning practices will be cancelled for a while."
"...I see. But they cancelled all the practices because of one injured
person?
Lack of sleep is that person's―――"
It's their own fault, unless...
"Fuji-Nee. How many people were injured?"
"...Hmm. It's between ten and twenty students."
"T-That many?
What about the people in the archery club?"
"Well, nobody in our club got hurt, but a few people looked tired
yesterday.
...And it's been dangerous recently, right? We can't just ignore the mental
strain it might be causing, so I guess the school's trying to decrease the
burden. I don't know about the clubs being a mental burden, but it's true
that they physically tire you."
Fuji-Nee shrugs and holds out her bowl.
"Can I have another bowl, Sakura-chan? I just want it half-full."
"Of course. You're not eating a lot this morning, Sensei."
"Yeah. My stomach is hurting because I know there's a lot of work
waiting for me at school, so I don't have any appetite."
Fuji-Nee pretends to cry.
Hmm.
It seems the tiger at my house wants us to believe that two and a half
bowls of rice isn't her normal serving.
"You're full of energy in contrast, Sakura-chan. You're on your second
full bowl."
"I'm still growing. I get hungry quickly, so I have to push myself and eat
extra."
Sakura puffs up with pride.
...Well.
I don't know about that being part of the growing thing... But maybe all
the gluttons around her are influencing her.
"I see. Sakura does not have sufficient strength as an archer. It is good to
take in extra energy."
Saber nods as she keeps eating.
...Is it just me, or is she missing the original topic?
It's past seven o'clock.
Fuji-Nee left for school, and we're cleaning now.
Sakura has time as well, so we relax and do the dishes.
With the two of us, it doesn't take long.
...I was keeping an eye on Sakura because of her health, but she really
seems okay now.
It looks like her fever's gone, and she's full of energy.
"U-Um, Senpai...!
I-I have something to tell you, so could you spare me some time!?"
Then.
Sakura stammers a question, looking as nervous as if she were breaking
into somebody's house.
"Sure. We still have time."
"O-Okay. ...U-Um, well. I made, um, some lunch for you..."
She looks down as she hands me a lunchbox.
It's not my usual lunchbox, and it seems Sakura prepared it for me.
It has a cute shape, and it's wrapped in vivid colors.
The taste is guaranteed if Sakura made it, and I appreciate the fact that
someone made lunch for me.
"Uh, thanks. ...Wait, did you wake up early to make me lunch?"
Sakura was done with cooking breakfast when I came to the living room
this morning.
I admired how early she got up, but it seems she actually woke up earlier
than I thought.
"Oh, yes. Um, I woke up early, and I didn't have anything to do, so I
thought I'd make lunch. ...Um, and I want to ask you about
something――――"
"...? Why are you all formal? Do you need to consult me about
something important?"
"N-No, it's nothing big...!
It's not, but...... umm... oh, yes! S-Senpai, you don't make lunch that
often. You like cooking, so I'm wondering why!"
"...Sakura. It's not like I like to cook."
I don't know about a guy's hobby being cooking, so I wish she'd keep it
as something I can do.
Oh, wait. We're talking about why I don't make my own lunch.
"Well. I know it's cheaper to make my own lunch. But the guys in my
class crowd around it if I do make it. Half my lunch is taken away before
I know it."
Sakura nods in satisfaction.
...To be accurate, it's the girls that take most of my lunch, but I don't say
it because it's too pathetic.
"Yeah, so I only make lunch when I can use the student council room.
Then, I can eat alone with Issei."
"...U-Um, Senpai? How about eating at the archery range in that case?
It's open during lunchtime, I can make you some tea, and it's quiet
there――――"
...?
Oh, that's a good idea.
The archery range isn't locked, and the club members rarely go there
during lunchtime.
Mitsuzuri might be there, but she's not so cruel as to eat someone else's
lunch.
"...Yeah, you're right. That's a good idea."
"Y-Yes!
It is a good idea! Then, um――――"
"But I don't know about an outsider going in there. I guess we have to
ask Mitsuzuri for permission."
"I-It's all right! The archery range is part of the school, so any student
should be able to use it when the archery club isn't using it!"
Sakura presses her point.
"...Hmm, you're right. I guess it's fine if I'm not causing anyone
trouble."
I nod to myself.
Then.
I don't know why, but Sakura is making a victory pose with a big smile.
"...?"
...Hmm. Maybe some of Fuji-Nee's energy transferred to Sakura.
We walk up the hill.
There are more students around us than usual. It must be because there's
no morning practice today.
"We still have time. It's been a while since we had a morning where we
could take it easy."
Sakura is walking happily besides me.
I don't know why, but she's in a good mood.
"This is normal for me, but... I guess it has been a while since I went to
school with you."
"Yes. The archery club practices every morning."
"But participation isn't required, right? Most people only go once every
two days, so you should skip once in a while."
"What? U-Um, would you walk to school with me if I skipped
practice?"
"...? Of course. We're going to the same place, so we'll be walking
together either way."
"Oh, then―――
No, I can't do that. I'm not that good, so I can't afford to skip a day of
practice."
Sakura sticks her tongue out at herself.
"...? Are you sure about that? Not to speak ill of anyone, but you're the
best in your grade. You have great form, so I don't think there'll be any
trouble, even if you skip a day or two."
"No, I'm still inexperienced. My thoughts trail off if I let my guard
down, and I often don't see the target.
I'm lazy at heart, so I tend to slack off unless I push myself to train a
little every day."
...Hm.
If that's how she feels, who am I to disagree?
I part with Sakura.
My class is on the third floor, and hers is on the fourth.
"I'll see you later, Senpai."
"Yeah. Don't fall asleep during class. People tend to get sleepy when
they're full."
"Ahaha, you don't need to worry. I'm not full anymore."
Sakura goes up the stairs.
I wave goodbye to her and head to my classroom.
It's lunchtime.
―――Shinji is absent, and so is Issei.
...It seems Issei is being treated at the hospital after the incident at the
Ryudou Temple.
Now that I look around, I see that there are more people absent.
"――――――――"
But the number of absentees shouldn't get any higher, at least.
The Servant that was sucking the life force out of people in this town has
been eliminated.
There should be no more unexplained comas.
"―――Yeah. The people Caster harmed will get well and come back
soon."
I pull myself together.
There are four Masters remaining.
Two, if you don't count Tohsaka and Ilya. I can't let my guard down until
I know what kind of people they are.
""Oh.""
We speak out in unison.
I bump into Tohsaka the instant I go out into the hallway.
"Hey, what do you mean, 'oh'? Isn't that a rude thing to say? Or do you
have a guilty conscience?"
"Hey, the same goes for you, you were surprised too.
...And what was up with the phone call last night? You were being
selfish, telling me not to come and to come."
"Well... Yesterday was an exception. You skipped school the day after
the Master at Ryudou Temple disappeared. Of course I thought
something happened to you.
...Um, I told you about the Ryudou Temple, so it'd trouble me if
something happened to you."
"――――――――"
...I'm surprised.
Did Tohsaka feel responsible because she told me about it?
"I see. Thanks, Tohsaka. You were worried about me, right?"
"T-That's not true! I just want to know the details of what happened,
since I gave you the information!"
"Huh? But I told you over the phone yesterday, right? Both Caster and
her Master are defeated. There's nothing at the Ryudou Temple
anymore."
Huh?
Tohsaka looks serious all of a sudden.
"What's wrong, Tohsaka? Did I say something weird?"
"―――Yes, you did. It's not that I don't trust you, but let me confirm.
You're absolutely certain that you defeated Caster?"
"...Humph. Even I could tell that.
Saber completely eliminated Caster. ...Caster's Master is――――"
...He was already dead when we got there.
"...All right. There's something I want to talk about regarding that. Can
you come to the rooftop?”
"Wha――――Caster hasn't disappeared?"
"Correct. You defeated Caster two days ago, right?
But the coma incidents happened again yesterday.
...The people who had their magical energy sucked out yesterday are in a
worse coma than before."
"No way. We definitely..."
"I know. You wouldn't lie, and I don't think you made a
misunderstanding. ...But Archer and I saw a shadow that looked like
Caster when we went to the scene of the crime yesterday."
"......I see. Then Caster's still alive and collecting magical energy from
all over town?"
"...I'm not certain, but it seems so. But I can tell that the atmosphere at
the Ryudou Temple has changed.
You two defeated Caster. But she still exists. That's all I'm sure of right
now."
Tohsaka looks unhappy.
...This explains why she feels different from yesterday.
Tohsaka is probably getting doubts about this war.
A Servant disappears if its Master is defeated.
A Servant cannot avoid death in this world if it is completely defeated.
But Caster still exists, in spite of taking both these penalties.
She is a "violation" that completely overthrows the fundamentals of the
Holy Grail War.
"―――I see. So, what do you think?"
"Huh? Me?"
"Yeah. You think it's strange, right?
I don't think you'll forfeit from the Holy Grail War. But don't you want to
clear up this thing about Caster before you start fighting for the Holy
Grail? You want to put off fighting other Masters until after that, right?"
"You're right.
This Holy Grail War is suspicious. It seems different from the one I
heard about from my dad. I think there's something different going on
where we can't see it."
...Different, huh?
I don't have the liberty to think about such a thing because the Holy
Grail War itself is beyond my comprehension.
But if a legitimate Master like Tohsaka feels that way, it must be true.
"Then Tohsaka..."
"Yes. I won't follow the rules of the Holy Grail War until I'm convinced.
It can't be helped if I'm being used, but I don't like not knowing the harm
I may be imposing on others.
You don't like such a thing, right? So I'm not going to be fighting other
Masters until I get this cleared up."
She declares her stance.
Tohsaka's eyes show her determination, and it seems to be asking for my
stance.
"I see. Can I take that as a truce offer?"
"If you would accept it. If you won't fight me until this case is settled, I
won't hurt you either."
Tohsaka asks me silently with her eyes.
She doesn't even need to ask.
"That's my line. I won't fight you as long as you don't come attacking
me.
...And even if there comes a time when we do fight, it'll be fair and
square. Until then――――"
I want to cooperate with Tohsaka.
"Then it's decided. I expected you to agree, but I'm glad to hear it all the
same."
"Huh...?"
Tohsaka holds out her right hand.
I realize that she's wanting to shake hands, and...
"Y-Yeah. P-Please give me your best regards."
I try to suppress my face from turning red as I shake her hand.
"All right, our contract is set. Please give me your best regards too,
Emiya-kun."
...Tohsaka firmly shakes my hand.
Her hand is soft, much more delicate than mine.
"――――――――!"
I-I'M AN IDIOT!!! WHAT THE HELL AM I THINKING AT A TIME
LIKE THIS!!!!?
"...? What's wrong, Emiya-kun? You're sweating all of a sudden. ...It
seems your heart's beating faster too."
"...!? N-No, it's nothing, I just have a cold. I'll get well if I eat! I'll get
better if I eat, so let's eat lunch!"
I quickly let go of Tohsaka's hand.
Then.
Tohsaka's expression turns wicked.
"Ohhhh. I suspected it when we last met, but it looks like my hunch was
correct. You seemed like you had some experience, but you actually
don't, huh?
It's surprising, or should I say it's just as I expected?
...I see, I see. I seeeeee."
Tohsaka Rin stares at me from head to toe.
"W-What? Come out and say it if you want to say something. I-It's not
good to stay quiet!"
"Noooothing. Don't worry. It's just that I just figured out a bit more
about you. Oh, I won't say it, so you don't have to be frightened."
"...! I-I'm not frightened! Go ahead and say it if you want to!"
"Oh, can I?"
She grins.
Man―――how can such an evil smile exist in this world?
"...Don't say it."
"What, I can't hear you?"
"...I'm sorry. Please don't mention it. I think it'll be shocking if I hear it. I
think I'll suffer more damage if I hear it from you."
"Really? Then I guess I won't say it――――"
Tohsaka withdraws with an expression of victory.
And the instant I regain my peace of mind...
"You're the type that you go crazy for the girl you like, right?"
"Hey, you said it, you devil!!!”
"So. I think people get mad when they're told the truth."
Tohsaka ponders as she eats my lunch.
She came to the rooftop empty-handed.
Which, of course, meant that she didn't have her lunch.
Then it was only natural for her to target mine.
"Just eat. ...Man, why do you have chopsticks when you don't have your
own lunch? Do you always carry them around?"
"...? I just brought these with me when I left my classroom. You had
your lunch last time, so I thought I'd have you share some of yours. I
came prepared just in case you had boxed lunch."
"...Hey now. I think you're putting thought into the wrong areas."
Bring some food before you bring chopsticks.
"Don't worry about minor details. You brought two people's worth of
food, so it turned out fine."
"......"
No, this isn't two people's worth of food.
It's just that Sakura made too much.
"...Oh well. It's true that I won't be able to finish it by myself. Oh, don't
just eat the vegetables.
Eat some meat as well. I'll get an upset stomach if I just eat meat."
"What? I don't want it because that's too sweet.
Don't tell a girl to eat meat. I'm keeping track of how much I've eaten, so
if I'm not eating it, that's a sign that I've had my share."
"Liar. I bet you're the type that doesn't hold back when you go eat
yakiniku. I'm suuuuuure of it.
You'll be scarfing down beef ribs while I'll be munching on my salted
fish.
You won't show any consideration for my money. In fact, you'll try to
bankrupt me. And after you're satisfied, you're going to tell me, 'Heh, I
went easy this time.'"
I try to get back at her for what she said earlier.
"...Well said, Emiya-kun. I find it scary that I can't deny that."
"―――――――――"
...No.
You're the scary one, Tohsaka.
"But this lunch sure is strange. There's a lot of food here, but the
wrapping and all is really feminine. Do you like to cook, Emiya-kun?"
What a coincidence.
I think I heard the same exact thing this morning.
"...Well, it's not like I hate cooking, but Sakura made today's lunch.
Oh, Sakura is――――"
"...Tohsaka? What's wrong? Did you bite on a lump of sugar?"
"...Oh geez... I did it..."
Tohsaka sighs and puts away her chopsticks.
"Thanks. You can eat the rest by yourself."
Tohsaka gets away awkwardly.
"...?"
Well, it's fine if she's full already.
I was nervous eating lunch next to Tohsaka. Now I can enjoy a little
peace of mind.
I head back to my classroom.
It's a few minutes before fifth period starts, and the hallway is filled with
students going back to their classrooms.
In contrast, the stairs are quiet and empty.
Not many students go to a different floor to eat.
There...
I bump into Sakura.
She looks away awkwardly as soon as she sees us.
"...?"
What could be wrong with her?
She was so energetic this morning, but she looks depressed now.
"Sakura――――"
I call out to her.
But before I can say anything else...
"I'm sorry, Sakura. It was bad timing on my part."
...Tohsaka steps forward.
"Eh... No, you didn't do anything wrong. Even if Senpai and Tohsaka-
Senpai are together, it has nothing to do with――――"
"You're misunderstanding. I went and invited him because I had to talk
to him about something. And he didn't skip out on you, either. He just
didn't realize it."
"...Hmmm? What do you mean? It's not like I made a promise with
Sakura――――"
"You idiot. She made lunch for you, so that means she wanted to eat
with you. It's natural for Sakura to be mad."
"――――What?"
H-Hold on.
We never made any promise to eat together―――
"...U-Um, Senpai? How about eating at the archery range in that case?
The range is open during lunchtime, I can make you some tea, and it's
quiet there――――"
And...
...When I look, I see that Sakura's lunch is untouched.
"――――――――"
...That's right.
What was I thinking!? Tohsaka's absolutely right to call me an idiot...!
"I-I'm sorry, Sakura! I'm so stupid...!"
"N-No, it's fine! See, it's not like we made a promise, and I just thought
it might be good if we could eat together――――"
"It's not good! Let's go, Sakura! We'll still make it!
We can eat quickly in the archery range and――――"
I grab Sakura's hand and start running.
But.
"There's no way you'll make it. What can you do in three minutes?"
"――――!"
Tohsaka's calm analysis stops me.
...I panicked because I felt guilty for breaking the promise, but Tohsaka
is one-hundred-percent right.
"It's fine, Senpai. We have to go back to our classrooms, just like
Tohsaka-Senpai says."
"Ugh... But Sakura..."
"Please don't worry too much about it. That was enough for me. Thank
you."
"――――――――"
I don't know what to say when she makes a face like that.
"Then I'll be going. You two will be late if you don't hurry."
Sakura goes up the stairs with her lunch in her hand.
"I'd better get going too.
Go to the Chinese restaurant in the shopping district after school. Wait
there, okay?"
Then.
Tohsaka leaves a strange message before she leaves for her classroom.
Fifth period ends and the room empties out quickly.
It's not even two o'clock yet.
"...Phew. I don't feel like it, but Tohsaka told me to."
There's nothing I can do here, so I guess I'll go to the shopping district.
There's only one Chinese restaurant in the shopping district.
Koushuuensaikan: Taizan.
It's an ominous dungeon in the shopping district, with no windows to
show you what's inside.
Most first-time customers run away after seeing the place.
The manager, a favorite of the neighborhood association, is a strange
little Chinese man nicknamed "small manager." Batsu-san has a
tendency to fill every dish with red pepper.
In other words, the food's hot.
Really hot.
Imagine being stabbed in the tongue and then having salt rubbed into it,
and you'll be on the right track.
This restaurant's infernal seasonings have given me a general distaste for
Chinese food.
It doesn't help that the manager keeps adding "aru" at the end of every
sentence.
"......"
And now I'm entering this terrible dungeon willingly.
The manager will bring a menu as soon as he sees me.
That'll be the end of it.
At the very least, I'll have to order something that uses sweet vinegar.
It'll turn out horrible if I order something like twice cooked pork, and
mapo tofu is out of the question. That stuff is dangerous. It'll melt my
tongue. I hear the judge of hell pulls out your tongue, so such awful food
could easily come from there. The manager traveled abroad to train his
cooking arts, so maybe he trained with the devils.
"――――Phew."
It's almost two-thirty.
I promised to be here right after school, so I can't hesitate any longer.
"――――All right, I'm going!"
I don't know why I have to get pumped up to go into a restaurant, but
here it's necessary.
I'm not sure what Tohsaka was thinking when she said we should meet
here, but I'm sure she's regretting it now.
――――Wait.
"Hm? You're finally here, Emiya? I came early, so I have already started
eating."
The priest is eating mapo tofu.
"――――――――"
I'm speechless.
Why is Kotomine here?
Why is he eating mapo tofu that looks like a boiling pot?
And why is he eating it so fast?
He's sweating, but he never stops for a drink, spiritedly moving his
hands as if they will never move again if he stops.
Actually... Is he just being stubborn? He's eating it way too fast.
Or is it that good? It looks as if the spicy oil and red pepper were cooked
together for a hundred years just to be used in that dish.
Then this is bad. This restaurant and Kotomine are both bad.
That food has dangerous amounts of spice. It can't be explained any
other way.
"What's wrong? Don't just keep standing and sit down."
The priest talks as he keeps eating.
"......"
I take caution as I sit across from him... Well, I'm not too sure what I'm
on guard against.
"――――――――"
I watch his movements.
...Amazing. He only has about two more mouthfuls left.
I watch in amazement when Kotomine suddenly stops eating.
"――――――――"
"――――――――"
Our eyes meet.
Kotomine watches me with his usual oppressive eyes and...
"Do you want some――――?"
"I don't want any――――!"
I reply with all my might.
The priest frowns a bit before he finishes the mapo tofu.
...Huh?
Did my reply disappoint him?
...The only one waiting for me is Kotomine.
It seems he asked Tohsaka to invite me here.
"...So, what do you want? Isn't it unusual for you to come talk to
someone?"
"Well, I heard that you have already defeated two Servants. I came to
commend you on your achievements."
...He's lying.
Even if it is true, he should have picked a better restaurant.
"I see. I'm sorry, but I think your words are good enough.
I'm not fighting for your sake. There's no reason for you to praise me."
"Hm. I guess there was no need for banal flattery.
―――Then let me cut to the chase. You heard from Rin that Caster is
still alive, correct?"
"...Yeah. Caster still exists, and she's collecting magical energy from the
people in town, right?"
"Yes. I do not know if it is related, but there was another Servant at the
Ryudou Temple on the night you defeated Caster.
I believe it to be Assassin, judging by the appearance and combat style,
but I am not certain."
"Assassin... Then Assassin was also at the Ryudou Temple? But Saber
said..."
"She did not sense him, right? Assassin is not a strong heroic spirit, but
their class has the special ability to conceal its presence. Covert action is
their area of expertise. Even Saber should not be able to sense Assassin
if he hides his presence."
"......"
Then that means Assassin was at the Ryudou Temple on the night we
defeated Caster.
Was he hiding near us, trying to find an opening to attack――――?
"...I understand. But why are you telling me all this? I thought the
supervisor doesn't help one particular Master."
"I am merely sharing information with you. I have told you all I know.
In exchange, tell me what you have experienced over the last few
days. ...There is something strange about this Holy Grail War.
Something is different from the last war."
"――――――――"
"If you do not wish to tell me, I will not force you. Just take my words
as a warning."
"...No, I'll pay your price. After all, you came out and gave me
information that I needed."
"―――Hah. You have a strong sense of duty as always, Emiya
Shirou."
The priest smiles in satisfaction.
...Heh. It seems he knows every move I'm going to make.
But I'm not going to fall for his tricks that easily.
"I'll talk. But first, I have a question.
How do you know such a thing?
You wouldn't know that Assassin was at the Ryudou Temple unless you
had a Servant."
No, he shouldn't know even if he does have a Servant.
Neither Saber nor Archer, Tohsaka's Servant, could tell.
"It is simple. My Lancer was defeated by Assassin at the temple. As his
Master, I needed only retrieve his last sight."
Then.
The priest simply states something absurd.
"――――What?"
"I said that I am also a Master. You said it too. That I would not know
unless I had a Servant.
Well, you are certainly correct."
"Huh――――what――――!?"
"But that ended last night. Lancer has been eliminated, which means that
I am not a Master. I am no longer your enemy.
Well, is that all you want to ask me? Then it is your turn to talk. Tell me
who you met and what you saw over the past couple of days."
The atmosphere becomes heavy in an instant.
He doesn't allow me any questions.
He wants answers.
"......"
...I have a lot of things I want to ask him, but I have to answer him first.
In as much detail as possible, I recount what happened to me after
making my contract with Saber four days ago.
...The story lasts for about thirty minutes.
I haven't done much as a Master.
The information I provided is mostly useless.
But the priest takes great interest in Matou Zouken.
"Matou Zouken―――I thought he had withered away, but he is still
active? I guess it is true that he is a blood-sucking monster."
"Huh...? That old man is a blood-sucking monster...?"
"Yes. The magic of the Matou family is absorption. I hear that Matou
Zouken, a magus from six generations back, was a prominent bug user."
...?
Using bugs... That doesn't mean his familiar is a bug, right?
Or... another way to use bugs is...
"Hold on. By bug user... do you mean like guys who use bugs as a
medium for poison? Like, putting in hundreds of poisonous bugs in a
pot, and using the last surviving one as a curse...?"
"No, that is wrong. From the start, cursing is outside of the Makiri's area
of expertise.
The results of their magic always return to their bodies.
Cursing others would only result in mutual destruction."
"...Then he's using bugs as familiars?"
"Yes. Matou Zouken is merely a monster who feeds on the blood of
others.
I hear that he kept his youth by transfiguring his body and sucking
blood, and that he has lived for a few hundred years―――but...
Based on what I heard from Rin's father, he is now on the verge of death,
and can no longer walk in broad daylight."
"...He can't walk in broad daylight? ...Well, I did meet him both times at
night――――"
He sucks on people's blood to prolong his life.
And he can't walk under the light of the sun. That's just like――――
"...Kotomine. Is Matou Zouken a vampire?"
"Heh. He is more like a parasitic insect. His nature and personality are
like those of an insidious slug."
He insults Zouken.
It seems Kotomine really hates that old man.
"...You said he's been alive for a few hundred years. Then was he ever a
Master?"
"No, Matou Zouken was never a Master. He is like a counselor for the
Matou family―――but he is a monster that lived for hundreds of years.
He might have devised a plan to become a Master in a way we do not
know of."
"...Then the one who made a contract with Caster after her Master was
killed is..."
"Who knows? But he is not someone you can let your guard down
against.
If he has taken the stage, he must believe his victory is certain. That
means that the Matou family's Master has the support of the worst devil
in Makiri history."
"――――――――"
Shinji said he hasn't given up.
And he has the backing of Matou Zouken.
He lost his Command Spell, but that old man might be able to give him a
new Servant.
"You have been a great help. All these abnormalities make sense if the
Makiri elder is in action.
As the war's supervisor, I shall try to suppress the damage."
Kotomine nods to himself and relaxes.
"Supervisor, huh? You're not one to talk when you were secretly a
Master until yesterday."
"Do not put it like that. I have no wish. I obtained Lancer because I
wanted to give the Holy Grail to a more appropriate desirer.
But that is over now. It is for the remaining Masters to decide.
Well, personally, I would like either you or Rin to obtain the Holy
Grail."
"――――――――"
...I frown.
The priest is serious.
He just said that he doesn't need the Holy Grail.
In fact, he clearly told me that he wants either Rin or I to obtain it.
"...Why? You became a Master because you want the Holy Grail, right?
Don't you have a wish you want granted?"
"Let's see. I do not have a wish, but I do have a goal. My goal is not a
serious matter, and it is meaningless even if I achieve it myself."
"...?"
A goal that is meaningless if he achieves it himself...?
"What are you talking about? If you want to tell riddles, find somebody
else."
"Consider it a friendly warning. We are the same, you and I. As we do
not have clear wishes, we cannot seek salvation.
I simply thought it would be easier for you if you quickly realized it."
"What――――?"
I feel like he has grabbed my heart in his hand.
The priest's words seep into my mind like a curse.
"Kotomine, you――――"
I constrict my wavering eyes and glare at him.
And then――――
"Here's your mapo tofu-aru!"
―――The second and third plates of mapo tofu are placed on the table.
"――――――――Hm."
Kotomine picks up his spoon.
I'm sure of it.
He ordered more servings beforehand.
"――――――――"
"――――――――"
...Our eyes meet.
Kotomine stares at me with oppressive eyes and...
"――――Do you want some?"
"――――No."
I answer him with a straight face.
I leave Ensaikan: Taizan.
...It's because Kotomine had no intention of talking anymore and started
eating the mapo tofu.
As I leave the restaurant with a heartburn...
"―――Emiya. I have withdrawn from the war, but you and Rin are still
Masters. Zouken is insidious, so be careful."
...The priest warns me as if it is someone else's problem.
INTERLUDE BEGIN
Wind enters the damp room.
From the opened door come two sets of footsteps.
One kicks the ground in a hurry, and the other is being dragged in.
"――――Come on, get started."
Thump.
A heavy sound echoes through the room.
It is the sound of Matou Shinji, the one who came to this room in a
hurry, throwing in the person he brought with him.
The floor of the secret room is wriggling around.
The worms must be active right now, as leech-like insects are writhing
all over the floor.
Matou Shinji knows what these worms are.
These are lust worms that his grandfather, Matou Zouken, raises that
love human blood, semen, and marrow.
Once swarmed by these lust worms, men will have their spine crushed,
brain sucked, and will be made into a cripple.
The worms will transform when attacking a woman, so that they are
only able to violate her nerves. They will spread their tentacles all over
her body and devour her spirit.
The lust worms will wet the woman's skin with their mucus, excite and
destroy her central nerves of pleasure, and satisfy their hunger.
It must be their instincts, as the worms seem to love the woman's womb.
They do not eat female flesh, but seek the organs within them.
They give the woman huge enough orgasms to fry her brain, and they go
into her body to devour her placenta.
Unwilling to eat human flesh, the worms have only one way to get what
they desire.
As a result, the woman's mind and body are completely violated and
destroyed.
The name "lust worm" must come from such characteristics.
―――Matou Shinji throws the person he dragged here into the pool of
such worms.
"Get started."
He talks from the top of the stairs.
Nobody, man or woman, can survive after being thrown into a swarm of
lust worms.
But this person is an exception.
The worms slither away from the person.
Are they scared, or have they lost interest?
The worms do not approach the figure.
They merely reflect the light around the figure with their mucus.
"Make a 'book'. You still have two more left."
The only reply comes from the worms.
The darkness undulates as if liking the order.
"I'll let you go back if you do as I say. That's easier for you too, right?"
There's no reply.
The only sound in the room is the annoying cry of the worms.
"......! Look, fighting is the only way. If you oppose me any
more――――"
Matou Shinji threatens to reveal everything.
The person on the floor trembles.
That is not allowed.
The old man who Matou Shinji calls master will not allow it.
But this person knows Shinji is not the type to follow his master's
orders.
He is frantic right now.
Anyone that gets in his way is his enemy.
The old man forced him away from battle out of concern for his life, but
the concern itself is an unforgivable insult to him.
"―――――――――"
A change occurs after a long silence.
A figure appears in a flash of light.
The worms flee to the corners of the room like an ebbing tide.
Even the worms understand how powerful the materialized woman is.
"―――Heh. About time."
Long hair and a slender, tall figure.
The one clothed all in black is the Servant called Rider.
"――――Let me confirm again, Shinji.
You are using me solely for your protection. Correct?"
The black Servant asks.
She is looking up from the bottom of hell, from the preserve of worms.
"―――Yeah. It's dangerous out there, so I want a reliable guard."
Matou Shinji does not hide his joy of becoming a Master again and spits
out words covered with lies.
INTERLUDE END
"......"
It's almost four o'clock when I get out of the restaurant.
I have no business in the shopping district, so all that's left is to go
home.
"――――, ――――"
...But Kotomine's story is not something I can ignore.
Caster is still alive.
People are still falling into unexplained comas.
And――――
"...! ――――, ――――!"
I'm still surprised by how calm I was when I found out Kotomine was a
Master.
...Come to think of it, I never got along with him.
I must have known instinctively that we would be in opposition.
"...Hey――――!"
...In any case, Kotomine lost his Servant.
There are three Masters remaining now.
Assassin's Master, who seems to be at the Ryudou Temple, and Archer's
Master, Tohsaka.
And...
"HEEEEEEEEEEY!
WHY ARE YOU SPACED OUT, SHIROU!!!!!?"
"Whoaaaa!?"
Berserker's Master, the girl in front of me right now――――!
"I-Ilya...!? W-Why did you suddenly jump on me!? You surprised
me...!"
"Hey, it wasn't sudden! You're the one who didn't notice me when I was
calling out to you!"
"What...?"
...Oh.
I thought I heard something, but could it be...?
"...Oh man. Have you been following me ever since the shopping
district?"
"Yup. You were walking with a difficult expression.
I called to you from behind so that I wouldn't bother you, but you just
ignored me and kept on walking."
"Oh. Well, I was thinking, so it's not like I was ignoring you..."
"And you didn't come to the park either. I was waiting all this time."
Oh... she's right.
We have a tacit understanding to meet there in the afternoon.
How could I have forgotten just because I was talking with
Kotomine――――!?
"...Sorry, I forgot about it. I apologize, Ilya."
"Humph. I won't forgive you that easily. I'm really mad."
Ilya glares at me.
...Hmm, what should I do?
I can't blame her for getting mad, since I did forget our promise and
make her wait.
I have to show her my sincerity, so――――
As long as I've broken my promise with her, all my explanations will be
excuses.
I have to do something to earn her forgiveness, but I don't know what
will please her.
Then―――why don't I do anything she wishes, like a Servant under a
Command Spell?
"Why are you silent? I won't be deceived by that face. I'm not going to
apologize if you're not either. If you don't like me, then I'll――――"
"―――I've decided. A Servant. I'll be your Servant just this once in
compensation for breaking my promise."
"...Turn you into a doll... Wait, a Servant!?"
"Yeah. There's nothing I can do that will keep my promise, right? So I'll
obey you just once.
Wouldn't that make you feel a bit better?"
"――――――――――――――――――――
―――No, you're lying! You didn't come to the park. A verbal promise
ends right away, so I won't trust your words."
"I know. That's why I'm going to obey you, like you used a Command
Spell. You'll only be able to use it once, but I won't break my promise
with you, no matter what. Will you trust me if that's the case?"
"T-Trust you...? But I don't have a Command Spell I can use against
you..."
"No, but I'll keep my promise. There's no contract or Command Spell,
but I'll treat it like an order from a Command Spell.
We're both Masters. I swear on my Crest that I won't betray something I
recognize as a Command Spell."
I swear while looking Ilya in the eyes.
The silver-haired girl gasps and...
"...Will you really do anything I say?"
...Stares back at me uneasily.
"Of course. It's a Command Spell we're talking about. I'll do anything, as
long as it's possible for me to do."
I reply to her wary gaze with a big smile.
"......"
A long silence.
Ilya averts her eyes and clenches her fists.
"......Okay. Then, I want......"
"Huh...?"
Did I mishear her?
It's a Command Spell we're talking about here, but her wish is a small
one.
"Ilya...? Hold on, it's a Command Spell. I'm going to do anything you
say. Are you sure that's all you want?"
"......"
"Don't you have anything else? That's too easy. You don't have to hold
back, so give me a better――――"
"I-I'm not holding back! You liar! You said you'd do anything!"
"Uh, but... is that really all you want!? Because such a trifling matter..."
...It's something I'd easily be able to do, even without a Command Spell
forcing me.
"...It's not trivial. I've always wanted to do something like that. So that's
what I want from you right now, Shirou."
Her face is all red, and she's trembling out of fear of getting rejected.
"――――――Ilya."
There's no way I can question her now.
No matter how trivial it may be, it's her wish.
Then―――I have to protect her as her knight.
"All right. I'm sorry for saying such a stupid thing.
―――Let's go, Ilya. It's a small shopping district, but it should be fun
with the two of us."
I can feel my face heating up as I say the embarrassing words.
My face is turning red.
But I hold my hand out to Ilya without trying to hide it.
Ilya's wish really is trivial.
'Take me shopping.'
It's not a big wish.
She asked for an everyday event.
...I don't know how much meaning her wish held for her.
We walk through the shopping district not like Masters, but like
siblings.
Ilya runs through the familiar scenery with lit up eyes.
Seeing her high spirits lifts my own.
Ilya walks on with a carefree smile.
Her merry attitude makes me wish this time would last forever.
―――But I finally realize.
She runs as if dancing, never ceasing her smile.
But there's no happiness there.
She's smiling desperately because she's sad―――and because she
doesn't want this dream to end.
"Come over here, Shirou! The coffee's gonna get cold!"
A hot can must be interesting for her, as she runs to the park with both
our drinks in hand.
The end comes, no matter how much I wish for this not to end and no
matter how much I bite my lips for her to not push herself.
The shopping district here is small.
No matter how slowly we take it, we can work our way through the
whole place in about an hour.
"We're here! We're at the final station.
You can rest now, Shirou. Thanks for all the work until now."
Ilya turns to me.
I sit down on the bench, thinking that she must want to rest here.
...But.
Even though she suggested it, Ilya does not sit down.
"Ilya? Aren't you sitting down?"
"Here's your drink, Shirou. You get coffee, and I get sweet red-bean
soup."
Ilya takes my drink from her pocket and hands it to me.
...The only item she asked me to buy her was her drink.
"But how did you know about sweet red-bean soup? They don't have it
back home, right?"
"Right. It's the first time I've ever seen it. I was told I shouldn't be able to
drink it because it's too sweet."
Ilya takes a step, smiling.
She twirls to the middle of the park.
"Ilya...?"
"I'll lift the Command Spell here. It was only a short while, but thanks,
Shirou."
Her voice is clear.
Smiling resolutely, Ilya announces that her dream has come to an end.
"Wha――――'thanks'? Why? It hasn't even been an hour yet. We can
go to Shinto if you're bored with the shopping district. That place is far
better than..."
"It's fine. This is the last stop, after all. It was fun, but the shopping ends
here. The sun's going to set soon, so let's go back to our previous
relationship.
I'm a Master who came to kill Shirou, and you're fighting me for your
own good. Our relationship was set in stone before we met."
How can I respond to that?
Ilya yearns for ordinary life more than me, but she casts away her wishes
far more readily.
"―――I see. Then when we leave this park..."
"Yes, we'll be enemies. If we meet again during nighttime, we'll have to
continue the fight.
If you don't want me to kill you, you'll have to kill me first."
I stop my breath for a second and look up at the sky.
―――The sky is gray.
The happy time quickly ended, and the town is covered with a heavy
canopy.
Even though I wished for this time to last forever, I knew it was going to
end like this when I realized this is only a painful experience for Ilya.
The girl said this the farthest end.
The final station.
Ilya keeps smiling innocently in this place without destination or
backtrack.
"―――Wow! It's snowing, Shirou!"
Her lively voice catches my attention.
A distant scenery is in front of me when I look back at the park.
I doubt for a second, thinking it's an illusion.
It's not because of the snow, but because of the dancing girl.
"――――――――"
The snow must be temporary.
It looks like it'll stop soon.
...Within the indistinct winter, Ilya is completely surrounded in white
snow.
The silver-haired girl is playing in the temporary snow as if loved by
winter.
"Aha, the snow in this town is warm. This is the first time I've seen
normal snow."
I don't know what's so fun, but Ilya keeps twirling around.
"You're energetic. Do you like snow, Ilya?"
"Yeah. I don't like cold things, but I like the snow. It's kind and like my
mom. I was praised that my hair is white and feminine."
She makes a big smile.
By watching her, I can tell who praised her.
"It's beautiful. So it snows in the land Kiritsugu used to live in, huh?"
Her smile isn't directed at me.
...Ilyasviel von Einzbern.
The white girl that came to kill my father.
Why she was after Kiritsugu, why she wants to kill me...
...These things I already know.
The man that betrayed Einzbern.
Kiritsugu abandoned everything and started living in this town.
I, an unrelated child, pursued him as his son.
―――I didn't learn about all the sacrifices that made this life possible
until I became a Master.
The snow keeps falling as if to hide Ilya.
The girl from a distant foreign country says goodbye with a smile.
"Good-bye, Shirou. I'll play with you again if I ever see you walking
around alone!"
The white girl leaves the park with an innocent smile.
As though her presence was what sustained it, the snowfall slackens and
dies.
A temporary illusion.
I brush off the snow crystals that never had a chance to pile up and leave
the station of the farthest end.
"Huh?"
I see Sakura's shoes.
Considering the time, I bet Sakura's already back from her club.
"I'm home... Oh. You're asleep, Sakura?"
Her club practice must have been tiring, as Sakura is sleeping in the
living room.
She must be exhausted, as she is lying on the floor rather than having her
head on the table.
"...Yeah. She was sick, but she went to school and her club, and helped
around with my house on top of that. You're working way too hard,
Sakura."
I go past the living room, trying not to wake her up.
And...
I bring a blanket from my room.
"Here. You'll catch cold again if you sleep without a blanket."
I carefully drape the blanket over her.
――――Then.
"Hm... Sen... pai..."
She must be half asleep, as Sakura looks up at me with empty eyes.
"――――!"
Her gesture... is different.
It's not the Sakura I know who stands and smiles in the kitchen wearing
an apron.
Um―――her gesture is more erotic than I've ever seen on her.
"I-I brought a blanket, Sakura――――――"
Nervously, I try to explain myself.
At that instant――――
Sakura's arms wrap around my neck.
"――――――――"
Her breath is near me.
I'm intensely aware of her femininity, no matter how hard I try to ignore
it.
"Hey――――Sakura――――"
I can't breathe or talk properly.
Sakura is half-asleep.
You need only look at her eyes to see that.
So I have to shake her off me. I have to get away from her,
but――――
"Ah――――uh."
I can't take my eyes off of her.
...Her hair streams down her neck.
Her lips let out a seductive sigh, and her breasts are pushing up her
shirt.
Having her mature woman's body so close is making me dizzy.
"――――Sen... pai..."
Her hands tense up a bit.
...Our faces near each other.
I'm entranced by her lips, unable to resist.
"――――――――"
My reasoning is frozen.
Everything I've prohibited, everything I shouldn't have noticed... such
boring senses are being destroyed.
"――――Sa... kura..."
My heart is pounding.
The sound of the pounding heart fills my eardrums, my head empties
out, and――――
"Are you home, Shirou?"
"UWAAAAAAAAAAAA!!"
I jump back.
I display speed and quick-wittedness I've never shown before and land
on top of the table...!
"That was a wonderful movement. But I do not know about landing on
the table."
"――――――You're right. I was a bit surprised."
I slowly step down to the floor.
Sakura is――――
"Hm... Hmm..."
Her hands are lowered, and she's sleeping again.
"Shirou? Your face is red. Did something happen? Your eyes are
wandering. Are you worried about something?"
"I-It's nothing! Let's just go to the dojo. Sakura needs sleep, and I want
to train with you until dinner."
"That is an excellent attitude to take, Shirou. I am well rested and in
perfect condition. Let us prepare for tonight's battle."
Saber heads to the dojo without questioning my suspicious behavior.
"――――Phew."
I-I'm saved.
I'm glad Saber didn't see us like that, but I'm more glad that I didn't do
anything on the spur of the moment.
...If I'd done anything to Sakura while she was half-asleep, I would kill
myself out of shame.
"It's good that you're training, but you have to keep it moderate, Senpai!
Jamming a finger is bad enough, but you've almost broken this one."
"Ouch...! Please put the bandage on slower, Sakura."
"Of course it hurts. It's natural to swell up if you leave such an injury
alone. Please give up and consider this a divine punishment."
"......!"
Sakura tapes up my middle finger.
Her movements are quick and accurate. She must get lots of practice
treating jammed fingers in archery club.
She's skillful, but isn't this a bit rough for Sakura?
"And you too, Saber-san.
Couldn't you have gone easier if you're stronger than Senpai? Senpai's
body is swollen all over. He won't even be able to take a bath tonight."
"Sakura. I do not mean to contradict you, but that is what Shirou wished
for.
I merely responded to his request.
And Shirou is partly responsible for tonight's injury. He was the one who
wished to train, but he was not concentrating at all."
Saber glares at me in complaint.
"Ugh――――"
There's not much I can say when she puts it like that.
"Eh...? Did you feel sick or something, Senpai?
...Um, it's not like you to go to the dojo with unclear motivation."
"Indeed. What was distracting you, Shirou? You were staring into empty
space even when you were holding the shinai, and I felt no spirit in your
attacks."
"...Well. That's, um..."
The cause is standing right here in front of me, but there's no way I can
say that. Just thinking about it makes my heart jump――――
"Senpai?
Does it still hurt somewhere...?"
Sakura looks at me with worry.
"......! N-No, I'm fine now! I just ate too much, so it'll help me out if you
can make me some tea!"
I quickly move my face away from Sakura.
"Okay. Then I'll go brew some after-meal tea."
Sakura stands up to go to the kitchen.
"......Man."
...This is really bad for my heart.
Her body is engraved in my mind, and I get conscious of her whenever
she comes near me.
"Are you fine with tea, Saber-san?"
"Yes. Please do not make it too hot."
Sakura promptly brews some tea.
...Her gestures are supposed to be familiar, but I feel like I'm seeing
them for the first time.
"...!"
Damn, why do I keep remembering it?
There's something wrong with me, just like Saber said.
Just looking at Sakura reminds me of how she looked earlier... and her
soft lips....
...This is just lust.
Sakura is an important underclassman and a family member to me.
So―――why am I now conscious of her like this?
"――――――――"
......Damn it.
I know. I really do.
Sakura is beautiful. I've been aware of it for quite a while now.
But in spite of that, I acted as her Senpai.
I like Sakura.
...Having her around became normal for me before I knew it, and I've
found it to be a great comfort.
But it's always been a different sort of affection.
I've never wanted to embrace Sakura.
I knew she was a girl, but I never viewed her as someone of the opposite
sex.
But now...
I'm beginning to think it's not that I never viewed her as a girl...
...But that I was trying not to view her as a girl.
"Senpai?"
"Here's some tea, Senpai."
"Oh――――yeah, thanks, Sakura."
"You're welcome. Thank you for dinner too, Senpai."
Sakura smiles happily.
...Seeing her smile makes me happy as well.
It seems she really liked the pork meatloaf with egg and vegetables.
Sakura hands the tea to Saber as well and sits down.
Saber must enjoy tea, as she receives it with satisfaction.
"Itadakimasu. ...But where is Taiga? I have not seen her around for a
while."
"Huh? Oh, she just called and said she can't make it tonight. I didn't get
the details, but she said she has to go visit the hospitals or something."
"I see. I wanted to ask her some questions, since she is more
knowledgeable about your habits.
...I guess it cannot be helped. I shall wait until next time to strengthen
you."
"―――Hm. Are you saying yesterday's and today's trainings were just
the beginning?"
"Of course. The trainings up to now were to teach your body what you
are able to do.
From now on, we will train you to survive using your special
characteristics."
"――――I see. That sounds hard."
"'Intense' would be the word to describe it. Consider your training up to
today to be a mere warmup."
"Whoa."
A-Are you serious?
I don't know if I should be thankful or not that Fuji-Nee isn't coming
tonight.
"What was that sigh? This is for your own good――――Sakura?"
Saber looks at Sakura.
"Huh?"
I follow her gaze.
Hey――――
"――――――――"
Sakura's breathing painfully.
"Sakura...!"
I run to her and shake her shoulders.
"Eh... eh, what's wrong, S-Senpai...!?"
"It's not 'what's wrong'! You were pushing yourself again――――"
...No, she's not.
She looks healthy, her shoulders aren't hot, and she's just looking up at
me in wonder.
"Huh―――? Um, you looked like you were in pain."
"Oh, you're wrong. I just fell asleep."
Sakura smiles in embarrassment.
"...Don't scare me like that. I thought your cold got worse again."
"I'm sorry. I've been sleepy all day, and I fall asleep if I let my guard
down."
"I see. Well, you were sleeping this afternoon too. You can go rest if
you're tired. I'll clean up."
"Oh... O-Okay, you're right. I'll accept your offer and go rest now."
Sakura bows and exits the living room.
She's walking steadily, so I guess she's just short on sleep, like she said.
The moon darkens.
The clouds, blown by the strong wind, hide the white moon.
We go outside, careful not to wake Sakura.
It's eleven o'clock―――we decided to start patrolling earlier to make
up for yesterday.
The town has continued to suffer while my guard was down after
Caster's defeat.
If Caster is still alive and collecting energy from people, I have to defeat
her for sure tonight.
We descend the hill to the intersection.
The question is where to go from here――――
"――――Shirou. I feel a Servant's presence."
"...! Is it close, Saber?"
"It should not be a problem distance-wise. Even with your speed, we
should be able to catch up to the Servant in about five minutes.
――――Please give me an order, Master."
Saber is asking me if we should follow them or stay here and keep
watch.
I don't even need to think about it.
"Let's go. Lead the way, Saber."
Saber starts to run.
She heads east―――it seems she is heading to the big bridge
connecting Miyama City and Shinto.
"......!"
The instant I step into the park, the abnormal presence makes me feel
like vomiting.
The air is polluted here.
The stench of rot and decay seeps into my nose.
"Uh... guh."
My gastric juice is regurgitated just by standing here.
The discomfort and the dizziness almost break my mind.
"Look, Shirou――――!"
"......!"
I suppress my nausea and look.
There――――
"E-Emiya-kun...!?"
"...Saber."
...Stand Tohsaka and Archer, with their backs to us...
"Hm? New enemies?"
...And that old man―――Matou Zouken.
"――――――――"
I understand the situation right away.
Tohsaka is fighting Matou Zouken.
I see dozens of something so small that I can't distinguish it around
Tohsaka.
Tohsaka's Servant Archer has many more around him.
It seems Matou Zouken used those things to attack them.
"Hm. Well, if it isn't Saber's Master.
So you've prepared a backup? For Tohsaka's daughter, you are
surprisingly smart."
"You're wrong. Archer and I are more than enough to beat a confession
out of you.
They're just spectators. They have nothing to do with me."
Tohsaka keeps glaring at Matou Zouken.
...But her back is...
"What were you thinking, coming at a time like this!? Do you want to
die!?"
...Harshly scolding me.
"Shirou."
"...I know. This isn't the time to be arguing with Tohsaka."
Just as how Tohsaka does not look away from that old man, I'm feeling
danger from him.
...A monster said to have survived by sucking people's blood.
A descendant of Makiri who tried to obtain the Holy Grail and made
Shinji into a Master.
There's no way such a guy would just stand there and not do anything.
"Hm. I wanted to keep this hidden, but I guess it cannot be helped. I
cannot survive against two Servants."
He makes a sound with his cane.
The instant it strikes the bricks beneath the old man's feet...
...Someone we already defeated appears to protect him.
"Caster...! Damn, so she really is still alive...!"
"Please stay back, Shirou. That is Caster, but not Caster. ...Her
appearance and abilities are the same, but I do not feel her will or her
soul.
That thing is an imitation made from Caster's corpse."
Saber steps forward.
In her hand is the invisible sword.
"Oh. As expected from Saber. You saw through my trick right away. Oh
my, no wonder Shinji's Rider was no match for you.
Archer should not be a match against you, just like Caster, who was
defeated without being able to do anything."
"Is that all you have to say for yourself?
Deceiving us is the least of your crimes.
Even though Caster is our enemy, she is a heroic spirit chosen as a
Servant. You better have an appropriate determination if you are trifling
with her corpse."
"Oh. I only picked up some trash that nobody needed any longer.
I do not mind being called a heretic for that, but you would fall lower
than a brute if that is the case.
You are the greatest Servant, after all.
Then it is best to make you, rather than this corpse, into my slave. I shall
let my worms eat you alive and have you follow this corpse's fate."
"You."
"Kakaka, why are you enraged!? Servants are merely tools! It does not
matter how they are used! It is the same whether you bind them with a
Command Spell or if you use them as a corpse! Then is it not for your
sake to turn you into a mindless puppet!?"
―――The two Servants charge.
Saber and Archer charge at the laughing monster as if they planned the
attack.
Two blades slice through Caster.
The match was decided from the start.
Caster cannot defeat Saber.
Even with Matou Zouken's control, that fact has not changed.
Caster's magic does not reach Saber, and Saber finishes off the enemy
she defeated before.
Caster's body begins to disintegrate.
Saber stands by and watches it until the end.
To ensure that it completely disappears.
To ensure that her body will not be violated again.
"Archer...!"
It's Tohsaka's voice.
Matou Zouken has disappeared.
He sacrificed Caster in order to make his escape.
But――――
"Hm――――!?"
That is why Saber took care of Caster.
Archer ignored her completely,
pursued the controller, and...
"That's it."
...Cut Matou Zouken's body in half.
"Guh――――"
Zouken's upper body falls to the ground.
"Hm, ugh, my――――!"
A dragging sound.
Even though blood and entrails are spilling from his bisected body, the
old man still lives.
He crawls across the ground with his arms, trying to get away from
Archer.
"This is the end, magus. My past experiences have taught me to quickly
finish off monsters like you."
Archer raises his shortsword above Zouken.
This is the end.
No matter how immortal Matou Zouken may be, he will die once his
head is crushed―――and he is almost dead already.
It is not like he has self-healing powers like the Servants, and his horrific
wound is taking him closer to death by the second.
But, unwilling to take any chances, Archer kills the magus with his
shortsword.
"――――What――――?"
No, he tries to kill Zouken and stops.
"――――――――"
It's not only Archer who felt it.
Everybody here does.
Tohsaka and Saber.
Archer and I.
Even Matou Zouken, hovering on the edge of death, trembles at its
appearance.
――――Darkness covers the park.
The damp air freezes in an instant.
My heart is beating at a higher pitch, but the rate is slower.
Something bad is close by.
So I have to run away.
I can't concern myself with that thing.
My body understands it instinctively, yet it refuses to move.
It's meaningless to run away.
My body knows that I can't escape.
"――――"
I move my trembling body and turn my numb neck.
I look towards the entrance of the park.
――――There...
...Stands the "shadow".
"――――――――"
Space is distorted.
I want to believe it's just my imagination, a product of the disordered
sense of balance caused by extreme tension.
I've never seen anything like it.
It's insubstantial, as if a shadow suddenly stood up.
Its existence is so light that it could be blown away.
And yet, its presence dominates this place.
It lacks intelligence or reason, and it probably is not even alive.
The black shadow stands there like a mirage.
So...
Why do I find it so familiar?
"Impossible―――"
I hear a hoarse voice.
The only one able to speak here happens to be the dying old man.
"Impossible, impossible, impossible――――!"
He crawls while screaming.
Matou Zouken pulls himself away from Archer and out of the park.
...It's not that Zouken had that much strength left.
It's just that...
Fear of the shadow drove him.
"――――――――"
Nobody is able to move.
Tohsaka and I stand still, transfixed by fear.
Even Saber and Archer seem entranced.
――――It's like a deep sea monster.
The shadow sways in the silent world where everything is still.
And...
It shows something like a will for the first time.
"Ah――――"
It lacks eyes, limbs, or a body.
Yet it still casts a shadow at its base.
Outlined by the moonlight, the shadow begins to stretch and elongate.
Like a snake that has found its prey, it points at Tohsaka and――――
"――――――――"
Oblivious to the change, Tohsaka does not move.
Saber is too far away. Archer has started running, but he is too far away
to make it in time.
"Toh――――"
The shadow lashes out.
Without showing any sign, the shadow abruptly covers tens of meters
and...
"――――saka, watch out...!!!!!"
I frantically push Tohsaka aside.
" -kun...!?"
I can't hear her voice.
The instant I push Tohsaka away, something engulfs me.
A splashing sound and a sensation of something trying to crush my
body.
"――――, ――――Ah."
My presentiment wasn't wrong.
Water has come crashing in around me, and I am now sinking into the
sea.
But it's hot.
This seawater is too hot.
Boiling coal tar.
It sticks to my skin and cuts off my life, and I don't feel like I'm in the
sea.
"Ah――――guh."
I feel sick.
I feel sick, it's wrong, I feel sick, it's wrong, I-I-I-I-I feel sick, it's wrong,
I feel sick, i-i-i-it's wrong, I fEEl SiCK, iT'S wRoNg, I FEel sIcK iT'S
WrOnG, I FeEL SIcK iT's wROnG I feEl siCk...!!!
Rabbit's corpse. One eye missing. Rotten, soft, and fresh. Forced into my
mouth. Rabbit's corpse smears my esophagus. A clear sensation of eating
a life. Life is life, even if it is rotten.
It's real. I can't taste this with cooked food. It feels good. There's no
taste. But I'm forced to eat it as long as it is in front of me. A popular
place. A big line. A place that will eat rabbits.
There is only one clerk. The line consists of rabbits. Lines and lines.
They rot as soon as they get in the line. Infested with maggots. Which is
rotten? Which is infested with maggots? Which is alive? Which is doing
the eating――――
"......Kun, Emiya-kun...!"
"Agh... gu."
I wake up.
...My body is hot.
My nausea isn't fading, my head is shaking, and I can't even stand up by
myself.
"Are you awake!? Can you tell who I am...!?"
She slaps my cheeks.
"...I can tell. Only Tohsaka would slap someone at a time like this."
"――――Good. I guess you're all right if you can talk back like that."
...That was just my honest opinion right now.
"You idiot, why are you smiling? ...I'm not going to thank you, okay?
Don't ever do that again. I can't return the favor if you die trying to save
me."
...She glares at me.
But Tohsaka is still rubbing my back with one hand and holding my
hand in the other to check my temperature.
"...Tohsaka. What happened to that weird thing?"
"It disappeared. It vanished when you stepped onto the shadow and
fainted. ...I think it came from over that way."
Tohsaka looks southwest and grits her teeth.
"...I see. But I think I was entangled in it for a while."
"...Really? It hasn't even been ten seconds since you pushed me. Here's
the proof, see."
"Shirou...!"
Saber runs up to me.
"You acted reckless again...!"
Saber supports me and pulls me away from Tohsaka.
"Get away, Archer's Master. I shall treat you as an enemy if you come
any closer to my Master."
"What? I'm your enemy as well?"
"Of course. You are a Master, and Archer is with you.
I do not know why Shirou protected you, but I cannot let you near my
Master before my eyes."
Saber glares at Tohsaka.
...Crap, I guess I never told Saber about our current truce.
"...No, you're wrong, Saber. We're at peace right now, so until we defeat
Caster――――"
"Shirou!? Please get yourself together...!"
"...I'm saying Tohsaka isn't our enemy. I promised her."
"......! Understood. I will not fight her if that is your will."
"...Yeah, I'm sorry. I can't talk... anymore..."
I endure the nausea and the chill that tries to get me unconscious.
...I have to get home before I faint.
I have to stay conscious until then.
"So you survived, huh? Well, you didn't touch the main body, so the
most that it can do is make you ill."
Archer approaches.
Archer is expressionless even though Zouken got away, and he is the
only calm one here.
"...Archer. Do you know what that shadow is?"
"―――Who knows? But one thing is clear. That shadow is what's been
draining the life from the townspeople ever since Caster's death."
...He answers as if he's not interested.
Then Archer looks down at me, lying on the ground.
"It seems this is no time to pursue personal grudges. Isn't that right,
Emiya Shirou?"
"...What?"
"As for what that shadow was, your intuition is correct.
...Humph. I am summoned as a Servant, but I'm to fight it after all."
"Archer...? Who are you?"
"I see. You are not a guardian yet. Then you must not have fought
something like that before. ...Man, it seems I'll be doing the same thing
no matter where I go."
...The knight in red beckons Tohsaka to go.
But right before they leave...
"...No, it's not that hopeless.
―――It has not occurred yet. I might be able to finish it beforehand, or
I might end up cleaning after the event. I have a chance of stopping it
this time."
He looks up at the sky and murmurs these words.
...It switches off and on.
The heat permeates my body and I don't feel like I'm walking.
Is it because someone told me this is like a disease?
It feels like plagued maggots are filling my whole body.
"S-Senpai...!?"
...I can't tell dream and reality apart.
I feel like I'm already asleep and trying to go back to my room.
"Sakura...? Were you not asleep?"
"――――Please move aside. You'll hurt Senpai if you hold him like
that."
"No, this is my duty.
And if this is a disease, you might get infected as well."
"...I'm not talking about that.
Saber-san. I don't know what you two are doing. I knew you wouldn't
answer me even if I asked, so I never did."
"But Senpai has seemed troubled ever since you came here.
...I could still bear that, but tonight you've brought him home injured."
"Sakura, that is..."
"―――I don't know what your circumstances are. But isn't there a
better way to go about this?
If you can't―――please at least resolve your problems without
involving Senpai."
...I return to my room.
It feels like someone is next to me, putting me to sleep.
"――――, ――――"
A voice is whispering in my ear, but I can't make out the words.
Did it apologize, it's my fault?
Did it apologize, I'm sorry?
Whatever the words are, they're the last thing I hear.
My consciousness fades as soon as I lie down.
The scene keeps squirming like insects until the very end.
INTERLUDE BEGIN
"See ya. Don't be late tomorrow!"
She slurs her words as she sees off her friends.
There's no one around, and the rotary is completely still.
Did her friend get the last taxi, or are they just avoiding this place for
some reason?
The station, which used to be filled with light and people, is now just a
group of lifeless buildings.
"Hmm――――I guess there are days like this."
She heads home, still slightly drunk.
It doesn't matter if there's no taxi, or if the last train is out.
Her apartment is close by.
Her friends live three stations away, so she always walks home by
herself after seeing them off.
The rotary is quiet even though it's still before midnight, and she starts
home like always.
"―――――――"
So...
When did it turn into something that's not "like always"?
The desolate town.
The pitch-black back alleys.
The chill emanating from the dark shadows.
Formless unease assails her.
"――――Hey. Is someone there?"
She turns around. The only thing following her is her cold and silent
silhouette.
"――――"
She walks faster.
Staying here is dangerous.
She doesn't believe she's overthinking.
Nobody is following her. First of all, she doesn't have the sense to
realize it even if she is in danger.
She is only human, after all.
"――――Hey, what is this?"
But she can't stop shivering.
The unpleasant presence gets stronger.
...This is just like the times she woke up at night as a child.
She would wake up to go to the bathroom, but would sense someone
crouching in the corner.
Instead of moving, she would pretend to be asleep until morning came.
This unease is how she felt then, as if the whole world has abandoned
her.
"......Haa...... Haa....... Haa......!"
She's running now.
She's not taking her usual route home.
The road in front of her is dangerous.
The roads she usually takes home are all dark.
Instinctively seeking the safest way, she's running before she knows it.
"Haa――――Haa, haa――――!"
...When did the quick trot turn into an all-out dash?
She understands that it's silly to be scared of something she cannot see,
but she is unable to stop herself.
She runs like a dog.
Her throat is dry, but strangely, she isn't sweating.
―――The town at night.
The series of accidents with unknown causes.
Desperately, she tells herself that it's not the work of a serial killer.
There's no one around.
Tonight, of all nights, the place is empty.
Is that why this seems like it's happening to somebody else?
The familiar town is like an imitation in a mirror that will never find
her.
"Huh――――?"
And she arrives at the final destination.
"――――That's strange, why..."
...Did she come to this place?
"...Aha. What am I doing?"
Something is very funny.
"Haha. ......Ahahaha. Ahahahaha."
Something's funny, so sounds of laughter come from her throat as if
from someone else.
She is merely running.
Her usual route home seemed too dangerous.
So she ran along the roads that felt safer to her, and...
"Hah. Ahahaha, hahahahahahahahaha!"
―――Finally.
She realizes that there is no place to run.
Worms. Worms. Worms. Worms.
Some appear from between the grasses.
Some fall down from the tree branches.
The first one drops on her right eye and...
...It uses the snout larger than her eyeballs to crawl into her eye socket.
"[block len=12]......!!"
The scream is not heard.
She crumples to the ground.
Pain shoots through her heels. It hurts. It hurts, as if they've been
chopped off with an axe.
; "[block len=12]"
Since that's impossible, she tries to move her toes, only to find that she
can't feel them.
In its place, many new things enter her body from the cut heel.
She tries to see what they are with her remaining left eye.
She cannot see what they are anymore.
Indescribable horrors swarm over her body.
"――――――Aha, it's eating."
Her mind somehow does not see what they are eating.
The worms dive in.
When she was small, she once saw maggots swarming on a sponge.
This is just like that.
Although inchworms chewing through an apple might be a more apt
comparison.
"Hii―――――aha, but it's not weird."
But the realistic image and the scene before her do not seem related.
Because such things cannot be.
Such things cannot be happening to her.
It's almost midnight.
She has to hurry home, ready the bath, ouch, laugh off all the fatigue,
that hurts, let her hair dry, it hurts, watch some videos, return to her
room room room room it hurts she wants to return to her room return
return return return please, please stop, stay up till three o'clock, it really
hurts, anything, please stop, please stop it hurts it hurts it hurts
wake up with an alarm clock, go back it hurts go to work go back go
back go back.
Ah――――so this has to be a dream. She wants to go back to her room,
this has to be a dream, go back, go back, but her feet are gone, so she
cannot walk baaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhh
hhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!
"Die, go away, no, stop, stop, please, please, take me back to my room,
please, pleaaaaaaaaaaaaaase, no, why, why, are you eating me......!!!!?"
――――The meal ends in under five minutes.
It was too gruesome a scene to be called a meal, but if one defines
having a meal as absorbing nourishment, then this was certainly a meal.
"Mm――――hm."
The lying body stands up.
The female body has turned into an old man's body.
"Guh――――mm. I can never get used to this."
A hoarse voice echoes through the park.
The worms have disappeared.
They have finished their meal and have returned to their nest, the old
man's body.
In other words―――they replaced the woman's body, the one they fed
on.
Someone else is watching the spectacle.
Between the crisscrossing tree branches...
A white mask is floating.
The mask made from human skull is smiling like a buffoon.
The owner of the mask does not even need to be mentioned.
It is the seventh Servant―――the one born from within the fake
Servant. He is the heroic spirit who defeated Lancer, Assassin.
"―――Impressive. So your previous body was not your own, either?"
"...Oh? Were you watching, Assassin? Yes, my body has perished a long
time ago. I am just an old fool who has to leech off of a whole body. My
body cannot handle walking under the sun like everyone else's."
The laughing figure is indeed Matou Zouken.
It took him a few minutes to attack and take over a woman's body.
The speed is incredible, even for a master magus.
"...I see. So you did not care who it was. All you require is a full body,
no matter whose it may be. You merely mold the body to the shape you
want.
What's inside your body are worms in any case. The worms will function
as your organs... It is indeed a mimicry."
"Oh my. In only one day, you have grown quite talkative. Do you
remember your wish now?"
"―――Of course. I can only be summoned by people who share my
desire. Your craving for eternal life has summoned me here. What I wish
for is eternity.
But――――"
The black shadow wavers.
The emotionless skull stares at the aged magus.
"This raises a question. You are already immortal. You have lived for
over five centuries. Then, is your wish not already granted?"
"――――Hah."
The old magus lets out a cry.
Who would know that the cry is not a laugh, but a cry of anger?
―――Yes, Matou Zouken is almost immortal.
He will live as long as there are bodies to infest and his soul remains
alive.
But―――there is only pain.
Matou Zouken does not wear his current form by choice.
Turning his body into something inhuman and mimicking human form.
There is a limit to this magic.
It is like a machine. A machine can run forever in theory, but its parts
rust over time.
Parts rust. Cogwheels slide out of place. Programs become obsolete.
"―――No, no. I am not immortal, Assassin.
My body rots. It will rot no matter how many times I get a new body. It
will rot no matter what I do.
This new body has begun to rot already.
Can you begin to understand the discomfort and disgrace of rotting
alive―――the despair upon learning that your body is not human?"
"Why does it rot? Are the worms not able to make a proper body?"
"Haha, that is not true. The worms are lively. They have no problem as a
body. From the start, I became a parasite in grief over my aging body.
They serve perfectly as a body.
I chose this method to prolong my life forever while retaining my
humility."
"...I am even more confused. Is that all you can manage, even with the
power to perfectly preserve your body? First of all, why are you taking
the form of an old man?
If you are able to shape the flesh into any form, you should be able to
take any appearance."
"That is a good question. Then let me ask you. Let's say something that
lost its original body tries to reproduce its body with its powers.
In that case―――what do you think restores the body to its original
form?"
"―――The body records itself. Even after it is burned or cut, the body
is able to restore its original appearance, because there is an internal
blueprint."
"Yes. A body's composition is recorded in its genes. But it is different in
my case. I lost my body, the place where my composition was recorded.
I can no longer use that blueprint to recreate my body.
In that case―――what do you think records my body and gives it
form?"
"――――――――"
It is obvious.
The soul.
It is not the law of the physical world, but something of the higher order,
the record of all the bodies within the concept of the astral world.
...Yes, if one has the soul, one should be able to reconstruct their body
even if the original body and genes have been lost.
So in other words, this old magus is...
"―――I see. You keep your soul alive, while taking the bodies of other
creatures as your own―――so that is the trick behind your
immortality.
That must be why you cannot turn yourself into anything else. What you
are keeping alive is your soul, not your body.
So that is why you cannot take any other form but that of Matou
Zouken?"
"Of course. I am not taking form as an old man because I want to.
...Look, this is the only form I can create. And it is a poor creation that
rots away unless I exchange it periodically. I used to be able to last fifty
years before I had to exchange my body, but I have to exchange it every
few months now.
...Who can understand the pain I feel as I rot away? Do not
misunderstand, Assassin of this generation. Do not call such a thing
immortality――――"
Irritation can be heard in the voice of the old magus.
It has been three days since Assassin's summoning.
He finally sees the true nature of his summoner.
"...I understand now. So what is rotting is not your body, but..."
"...Yes, my soul is rotting.
Time even affects ethereal bodies. Therefore, my physical body will rot.
It is natural for my body to rot if my soul, the blueprint of my body, is
rotten."
"Hm―――so that is why you seek the Holy Grail.
...No wonder you are angry. Such eternity must be more painful to you
than those who have no idea of eternity."
"Exactly.
...My body rots. I need to be freed from this pain, from this poison
violating deep into my bones...!
The Holy Grail exists for that purpose. I have persisted for that
purpose."
"...Right. I do not want to die. I want to live. It is dreadful to think that I
will disappear from this world...!
To escape this fate, I have lived for hundreds of years, devouring the
flesh of thouands...! Do you understand, master of the mountain? I hate
myself for turning myself into worms. I hate being the only one who rots
away. I hate all humans for being given bodies as a matter of
course―――!"
"――――――――"
The white mask looks down at the rotting old man.
...How can he say he hates humans that live peacefully?
It was his spell, used to escape that peaceful life, that gave him this
pain.
The undending torment of this magus, the decay that melts his bones and
flesh, is the result of his own action.
But the pain overrides such trivial matters as blame.
It must not matter who is evil or what the cause is.
Because―――this is just a speculation, but Matou Zouken must be
insane already.
The pain and fear of experiencing one's own decomposition must be
unbearable for normal human beings.
Nobody should be able to endure it, no matter how strong their mind
may be.
Because one will die.
The body dies if it rots for over an hour.
But two hundred years!
Only this old magus would understand how rotten the mind is of
someone who has his body rotting away.
Matou Zouken has gone insane.
No matter his mental state, if there is nobody in the world who can
identify with him, he will be labeled insane.
"A centuries-old obsession, eh? I cannot understand, but――――"
The old man's monologue can be summarized in one sentence.
――――He does not want to die.
――――He does not want to die.
――――In short, he does not want to die.
It is merely that a wish anyone would have became clear for this man.
He sacrificed many people, clinging to the simple yet foolish wish.
He prepared many things and sacrificed people to obtain the Holy Grail.
No.
This old magus's very existence is made possible by those sacrifices.
That is reason enough for the masked assassin to pledge his loyalty.
"I do not understand, but you are appropriate to be my Master.
Very well. Let us both aim for eternity, as we are both beings who were
not treated as human."
The skull waits.
The Servant in a black coat bows to the rotting old magus.
INTERLUDE END
Day 08 (De:light):
...It's morning.
It's past seven o'clock.
Pure white sunlight shines in through the window.
"Mm――――all right."
I sit up and stretch.
I feel great.
My limbs move fine, and I don't have a headache.
My body is in perfect condition, as if the fever yesterday never
happened.
"...Then that must mean it was just heartburn."
I sigh and think it over.
...I need more training if I'm losing consciousness just by recalling the
events ten years ago.
My memory is vague, but I do remember Saber helping me walk home
and putting me to sleep.
"――――I see. I have to go thank her."
I get out of my futon and change into my uniform.
I bet she's still sleeping, so I'll thank her during breakfast.
It's seven o'clock already, so I'll go greet Sakura in the living room.
"S-Senpai."
Sakura has her bag.
Breakfast is ready as well.
The table is wiped clean, ready for us to eat at any time.
"Huh? Breakfast's already prepared?"
"Oh, yes. I made some for you and Saber-san, since I had the time."
"...? For me and Saber? What about you?"
"Oh... um, I'm fine. I'm going to school, so please have breakfast with
just the two of you."
"......"
What's wrong, Sakura? It's weird for you not to eat when you've made
some for us. ...Did something happen yesterday?"
...It seems like I guessed right.
But nothing happened yesterday.
Sakura went to her room after dinner, and that's all.
I think something happened after that, but I don't remember too well
because of my nausea.
"...Oh. I think you and Saber were talking here. I didn't hear it too well,
but did something happen then?"
"...I said something awful. I got angry because of the terrible condition
you were in."
"You said something awful to Saber...?"
"...Yes. But I was in no position to tell her such a thing. But I treated
Saber-san as if she was the only one at fault.
...I can't face her today, so..."
That's why she made breakfast and wants to leave before Saber wakes
up?
"...I'm sorry, Senpai. I realized my foolishness right away and
apologized to her. But Saber-san apologized to me instead. Even though
I'm at fault, she said it's because of her carelessness."
She hangs her head.
...I see.
She must feel more self-hatred because Saber apologized to her when
she should be the one apologizing.
"...Man, you two are stupid. It's my fault since I'm the one who got hurt.
You two shouldn't have fought over such a thing."
"But, Senpai, I..."
"It's fine. Look, she doesn't give in if the other person is at fault. She'll
yell back at you if you're being unreasonable. If she's apologizing, it
means she sees your point.
I'm sure Saber won't say it, but she likes you. She cares for anyone that
tries hard."
"―――Yes. But I should reserve myself all the more.
Since Saber-san didn't scold me, I have to scold myself or I'll get carried
away."
Sakura bows to hide her embarrassment.
It seems she's going to school early no matter what.
"...Man. I won't stop you if you say so, but what are you going to do at
school so early?
Morning practice is suspended right now."
"It's fine. I'm going to clean the dojo. I said such an awful thing to
Saber-san, so I'm going to scrub the floor as punishment."
Sakura leaves with a goodbye.
"Cleaning the dojo? But that's pretty hard on you to scrub the floor
during wintertime."
...Well, I suppose that's the point.
What did she say to Saber to make her go so far?
"What? A quarrel between Sakura and me?"
"Huh? Didn't you two argue? Sakura was apologizing."
"...Now that you mention it, it may have seemed that way. But Sakura
was correct, and she merely pointed out my lack of consideration..."
"――――"
Wow.
Saber is deep in thought.
Not only that, she's pondering so much that she's eating at incredible
speed.
"Oh, I'm sorry if I said something weird. Sakura seemed so worried
about it that I ended up worried too. If it's not a big deal, just forget
about it."
"...Geez. You and Sakura are saying the same thing. Do not tell me you
two are playing a prank on me."
"Hey, we wouldn't play such an elaborate prank on you! What good
would that be for us?"
I don't even want to think of what'd happen if I did play a joke on her
and she found out about it.
"That is true. Then you must simply have been concerned for each
other."
Nodding to herself, Saber digs into another omelet.
It's good to be able to eat a lot in the morning.
"But what did Sakura say? It takes a lot to get her that depressed. Is it all
right if I ask?"
"U-Um. She merely pointed out my inadequacy as a Servant. In short,
she told me I could not protect you because I did not have the skill."
"...You're doing more than I can ask.
What happened last night was my own fault. You can't blame yourself
for it."
"That is true, but... Sakura's criticism is correct. The problem is me,
because I cannot assent.
I will continue taking you into battle, no matter what she tells me."
She looks away awkwardly.
"...?"
Something is strange.
Why is Saber so preoccupied with something that they've agreed on?
"...The residents grew suspicious and requested that the area be
investigated――――"
The news is on.
I turned on the TV and found it broadcasting about an incident last
night.
"...They found over thirty unconscious people, who were immediately
taken to the hospital.
This is the seventh such incident this month, and the medical
examination still believes the cause to be similar to food
poisoning――――"
I finish breakfast and get ready for school.
I'm going to go see Tohsaka.
I have to talk to her about what happened last night―――about Matou
Zouken and that black shadow.
"...As the incident has spread to South Miyama 4th Avenue, the police
believe the cause may be a spreading chemical spill――――"
South Miyama 4th Avenue.
That's the direction Tohsaka was staring at yesterday.
...Archer said the shadow is the cause of the incidents.
...Over thirty people are in comas.
I've experienced what they're going through firsthand.
That shadow is sucking magical energy from the people in this town,
just like Caster.
"――――――――"
No, it's worse than that.
Caster was gentle and considerate compared to that thing.
Caster took care not to harm her victims, so that she could continue to
drain them.
It's like collecting blood with a syringe.
...But that thing is different.
That thing was not collecting blood like Caster. That thing was "eating".
The black shadow was mercilessly feeding on magical energy along
with people's minds.
"―――Saber. I want to talk to you before I go to school."
"What is it, Shirou?"
Saber is watching the news as well.
Saber quietly questions me like always, even though she should know
what I want to talk about.
"It's about our future plan of action. You saw that thing too, right?"
"――――Yes. I have never seen its like, not resembling any of the
fantasy race."
"...Right. I don't know what that thing is.
But it's our enemy. It didn't look like a Master or a Servant, but it
attacked me and Tohsaka, and now it's sucking magical energy out of the
people in town.
Then――――"
"...So our current priority is searching for that shadow?
We are to fight something that is neither a Master nor a Servant?"
Saber's stare is painful.
...Her goal is to obtain the Holy Grail.
But I'm asking her to get involved in something completely unrelated.
It's natural for her to protest.
But still―――
"Yes. I can't ignore that shadow. I think this is more important than the
Holy Grail War."
"――――――――"
Saber silently stares at me.
And when I start to think I can't bear it any longer...
"...Geez. I knew this was going to happen. I do not want to concern
myself with that shadow, but..."
"Eh, Saber...? Um, is it all right...?"
"My opinion does not matter, because you will try to do something by
yourself even if I refuse.
I will be putting the cart before the horse. I cannot stay in this world if
you die.
I can only obey, even if I am against your proposal."
"Uh, you're right, but..."
"And I do not know how many more times you will be reckless if I leave
you by yourself. It was the second time last night, so the third will
certainly happen. I will have to apologize to Sakura again if that
happens."
"Then..."
"I am very reluctant, but Servants obey their Masters. I will lend you my
sword if that is your decision."
"――――Saber."
"But Shirou, that shadow is no ordinary opponent. It would be easier to
fight Berserker than it."
"Ugh... Yeah, I felt that too.
It's not a matter of it being strong or not. That thing is just ominous. I
don't think we can beat it merely by striking it."
"If you understand, then there is nothing else to say.
...But Shirou. To oppose that thing is to go down the most difficult path.
Please keep that in mind."
"......? Well, of course I'll be careful. But why are you saying such a
thing? Do you know what that shadow is, like Archer does?"
"...No. Like you, I know nothing about it."
Saber looks away.
And Saber says...
"I vaguely feel that it is the ill star itself. It is like an inescapable curse
that destroys everything."
...As if to express her ominous premonition.
"Let's start homeroom.
Go ahead, day duty... Wait, Aikawa-kun's absent, and Aimono-san's
absent too? All right, I guess I'll go ahead. Stand up, every one."
...Homeroom starts.
There are more absent people, giving the room a listless feel.
Well, I think the whole school is probably like this.
Fuji-Nee lightly continues homeroom, but I don't see her usual spirit
either.
"So, you can't have any club practices after school.
That's all I have to tell you. Oh, your first period teacher, Kuzuki-Sensei,
is absent, so you have self-study. I brought you all a handout, so work on
that, everyone."
Everyone unanimously cheers and starts moving their desks.
Fuji-Nee doesn't care if people work on the handout or not, so
everyone's free to do anything as long as they don't go out of the
classroom. But――――
"Shirou."
...So why is she beckoning me to come see her in the hallway in such a
suspicious manner?
"What, Fuji-Nee? It's class time, you know?"
"Yeah, but I couldn't go see you this morning, right? So I got really
worried and was wondering if you're all right."
"...? What is it all of a sudden? What are you uneasy about?"
"Hmm, I don't really know. I just have this hunch.
Any time I get this hunch, you could get run over by a car or fall off a
bridge. So I'm wondering if you're all right."
"――――Man. That's normal. If you call that dangerous, I've been in
danger all my life."
"Yeah, but I'm just worried.
It feels like there's a train we have to get on together, but you're still at
the platform and I'm waving goodbye to you."
"Hmm. That's pretty concrete... So you woke up after that?"
"Oh, you can tell? I woke up late because of that."
"......"
I'm speechless.
So she didn't come to my house because she just woke up late?
...Well, I'll forgive her, since that's what I expect from Fuji-Nee.
"Don't worry, I'm like always. You've got dark circles under your eyes,
Fuji-Nee. You need more sleep."
"Huh? ...Well, yeah. It was busy yesterday, and it looks like it'll be busy
today as well. I don't think I'll be able to go over to your place, since I'll
be working overtime for a while. Much as I hate to say it, you don't have
to make meals for me."
"What...?"
"That's all. Go and work on the handout. You're not doing too well in
social studies, so you might fail if you don't go study hard."
Fuji-Nee cheerfully waves goodbye and leaves.
"...I don't have to cook for her? Well, that makes it easier, but..."
It's disappointing as well.
I feel empty as if my normal everyday life has disappeared.
"Yeah. I agree with you.
I can't ignore that shadow either. I don't know the magus behind it, but I
can't let him run freely on my land."
"Then can we still keep our peace?"
"Of course. We don't have much of an option until we eliminate the
shadow."
―――Our conversation ends really quickly.
I went to Tohsaka's classroom, class 2-A, during lunchtime to go get
her.
I told her I want to do something about that "black shadow", and her
answer was simple.
"What do you want to do? Should we patrol together starting tonight or
do things separately?"
"Let's see... I agree, we should divide the workload.
You can keep doing your nightly patrols. Investigate any place that you
or Saber think is strange.
And I'll go after Zouken while you move around in the open."
"...Matou Zouken? Does he have something to do with the shadow?"
"Who knows? It doesn't seem likely, since Zouken was more terrified
than any of us, but something's bugging me.
...Well, we can't let him be, regardless. He's acting suspicious,
controlling Caster's corpse and making a non-magus like Shinji into a
Master."
"―――I see. You're right. Come to think of it, we joined hands against
Caster. So we can't ignore that old man."
"Right. Let's fight that shadow after everything else is taken care of.
Even if you find it, don't fight and just investigate it. We have to prepare
before we go for the kill."
"Okay, but what are you going to do? You say you're going to follow
Zouken, but do you know where he is?"
"Huh...? Oh, I don't know where he is, but I'm going to go to the Matou
household. My family is connected to them, so I'm more qualified."
Tohsaka states it simply.
But her plan isn't that simple.
"G-Go to the Matou household!? That means you're going into the
enemy base!"
"I know. What are you so surprised about? I'm not going there to fight.
I'm just going to investigate."
"What―――are you stupid!? What if Zouken ambushes you!?
I can't let you go alone. I'll go too, so don't be so reckless!"
"Hey, you're the one being rash here.
I told you, I know the Matou family. I know their magic, and I can tell
how strong Zouken is from yesterday's battle. He's no match for me.
That old magus is using most of his magical energy to maintain his body,
so he doesn't have a direct way to attack me."
"It'd actually be convenient if he came at me head-on. And Shinji's
harmless because he's not a Master anymore.
You can leave the stale fight between magi to me. You go ahead and
collect information."
"―――――――Mm."
I can't talk back if she can declare it like that.
...Archer will be with her, so I shouldn't worry that much.
"...All right. I'll leave Matou Zouken to you. Saber and I will look for the
shadow."
"Yes, please do. ...And Emiya-kun. Sakura is at your house, right?"
"...? Yeah, she's staying over. What about it?"
"No, it's nothing. I'm just relieved to hear that.
It wouldn't be good if she happened to be at the mansion when I go,
right?"
"Oh, you're right. ......I'm surprised. You're really thoughtful."
"H-Hey, why are you looking so surprised? What kind of a person did
you think I was?"
"Well, um..."
I thought she was like a storm, coming and going in a flash.
"...Humph. I don't care what you think of me.
Anyway, I'm going to take care of Matou, so you stay quiet in your
house until nightfall."
"All right. I'll leave it to you and go train with Saber. There's still some
time until the sun sets."
I get up and head to the door.
Lunch break is almost over, so I should go back soon.
"Bye, Tohsaka. Let's meet here again tomorrow."
"Yes. Let's exchange what we've learned.
Oh, but Emiya-kun."
Tohsaka grins.
"――――"
...It's bad when she smiles like that.
I get this bad feeling and hurry to the door, but...
"I don't know about training.
Isn't there something else you could do with your free time?
Like caring for the girl living under your own roof?"
...I'm within her range.
"W-What are you saying, you idiot...!!
S-Sakura's nothing like that, and I'm just having her stay over while
Shinji's in a bad mood――――"
"Oh. I meant you should let Saber get some rest. That's unexpected.
Sakura's the first one to come to your mind when I mention the word
'girl'?"
She grins.
"Ah――――, um, ugh――――"
I can feel my face burning.
I feel like my brain is boiling. I half-expect steam to come shooting out
of my ears.
"I'm just joking. I'm just getting back at you. Did you like that?"
"......Hey now. I would doubt your sanity if you liked such a thing."
Strength escapes my body.
I feel like a marionette whose strings have been cut.
"Oh, right. That's your weak spot. I guess it was an ill-natured joke."
"Heh, you're the one that's ill-natured. I'm going ahead!"
"Yes, please go right ahead. I'll stay and laugh for a bit longer."
"......! Damn, see you tomorrow, Tohsaka!"
I stalk back into the building, slamming the door behind me.
...Damn.
Tohsaka's starting to have fun by mocking me.
What does she mean by me "liking it"?
First of all...
What have I done to deserve this kind of treatment?
School ends, and I quickly head home.
Since all the after-school clubs have been cancelled, the front gate is
crowded with students.
I look around, but I don't see Tohsaka.
I bet she's already heading to the Matou household.
"Senpai? Are you looking for someone?"
"Hm? No, I was just looking at the school. It's rare for everyone to go
home like this, right?"
"You're right. But we can go home together because of that. Should we
stop by the shopping district?"
"Yeah, let's buy stuff for dinner. Fuji-Nee can't come over for a while, so
it'll be for me, you, and Saber."
We stop by the park after shopping.
There's no one here.
No children playing around. No silver-haired girl in a coat.
"...There's no one here. Is this place not used that often?"
"I guess that's how it is. There were people here until the sun set when I
was a child, but I guess it's like this now except for the holidays."
"I see. It's kind of lonely."
I agree and look up at the sky.
The evening sky.
The madder red sky without any birds looks lonely, just like the park.
"Let's go. You don't get this time off very often, so we should relax."
We leave the park.
With an energetic reply, Sakura follows after me.
INTERLUDE BEGIN
And the girl―――Tohsaka Rin reaches her destination.
The Matou household.
The workshop of the old family of magi who came to this town two
hundred years ago.
Even though her family gave them land as a cooperator, the Matou
family are outsiders they never concerned themselves with.
The two families formed a non-aggression pact, and bound themselves
to not be concerned with each other's affairs.
"―――――――"
She walks on, uncaring.
If there was a pact forbidding the two families to associate, it was
broken eleven years ago.
It was originally formed by the heads of the two families.
They had abided by it for two hundred years, though its purpose had
been forgotten.
Neither Tohsaka nor Matou have obtained the Holy Grail during that
time.
Their pact was made to obtain the Holy Grail.
But since their wish never came true, there is no reason to follow such
an ancient pact now.
She strides through the front door without ringing the doorbell.
She did not come here as a guest.
She is here as a Master, to eliminate one of her competitors in this
game.
"Well, that's true, but..."
Rin searches through the Matou household with a sour expression.
...The Holy Grail War provided her with the reason to come here.
Therefore, she is not bound by the pact between their families.
―――Even though she persuades herself, she cannot change her
personality.
"...I see. This is the first time I've gone against my dad's instruction."
She mutters to herself.
But it's nothing special.
It's not like something important was destroyed by disobeying her
father.
If she regrets anything...
"...How stupid of me. I should've came here earlier if I was going to
break the pact anyway."
...It's the remorse towards someone who has endured it for over ten
years.
"―――Rin. It's about the layout of the house. There are two blank
areas."
"Huh? Where is that? Is it on the first floor?"
"The second. It's a bit small to be a stairway, but it probably goes down
to the basement."
"...Okay. By the way, have you noticed it, Archer?"
"Of course. But it shouldn't be harmful. If you choose to ignore it, I will
as well. Our target is that monster."
She nods to his words and goes to the second floor.
―――Even though the red knight is not visible, he is by her side.
She brought him in case of combat, but it seems he takes notice of small
details.
After traversing the house once, he has come up with a blueprint and can
point out where the empty spaces are.
Rin has come to realize that Archer is skilled in analyzing the design and
structure of objects.
"...I've been thinking. That strong point of yours isn't suited for an
archer."
"You can whine later. Here, I got it open. It's dark, so watch―――"
They stop talking.
From the opening in the wall...
Damp air flows out of the pathway to the basement.
The rotten smell is unbearable even for Archer, who has not taken form.
They come down to a damp, stone paving.
Murky greenish darkness engulfs them.
The numerous holes must be to bury dead people.
In these stone chambers, the corpses decompose and fade away, leaving
the holes empty to await their next occupant.
It is like the process of burial above ground.
The only difference is the process of decomposition.
It is not the soil that decomposes the corpse here, but the writhing mass
of worms.
"This is the training ground of the Matou――――the
Makiri――――"
She gets dizzy.
It's not because of disgust or chill.
It is anger that causes her to shudder, repent, and vomit.
This is the training ground.
A place like this is used as a training ground.
This space containing rotten moisture, the smell of corpses, and infinite
worms is the "room"
given to the successor of the Matou family.
"――――――――!"
What can one learn in such a place?
The only thing here is breeding stock.
Worms to breed. Worms to raise. Worms to train.
The people of Matou have trained, urged, and bred their successor with
these worms――――
―――How different is this world from her own?
The cold-hearted ways, the difficulty of the tasks, and the pain of the
engraved Magic Circuit.
She's not comparing the severity as the successor.
If one is to talk about the burdened sufferings and the harshness, hers is
incomparable.
She overcame more difficulties and hardships than anyone.
That is why she is a genius magus and an Average One, the user of the
five elements, that the Magic Association is accepting as a scholarship
student.
If one orders her to command the worms in this room, she will be able to
create a superior spell in half a year.
Rin can create a spell that the successor of the Matou family has been
unable to create even after ten years.
But―――this method of learning is madness.
If asked whether she could withstand being violated by these worms, she
can only hesitate.
The inheritance of the magic here is not a study, but a torture.
A magic that is taught not to the mind, but to the body.
That is how the Makiris pass on their magic, and this is the preference of
the old magus, Matou Zouken.
Therefore...
To be chosen as the successor of the Matou family means to be tortured
forever――――
"――――Rin."
"...I know. Zouken isn't here. He either ran away or has another secret
base. ...Either way, there aren't any clues here, so we should get going."
She leaves the stone room, suppressing her urge to scream.
Her footsteps fade.
...After that.
The worms swarm around what she has vomited out.
She returns to the ground floor.
Her business finished, she makes for the door, and――――
"Shinji. You're there, aren't you? It's no use hiding."
She calls out to the person hiding in the other secret pathway.
"――――! Tohsaka, you..."
"...Hmph. I was going to ignore you and go home, but I've changed my
mind. Let's talk for a bit, Matou-kun."
"――――――――!"
Matou Shinji glares at Rin, but follows her request.
...He is obviously afraid of her.
His fear is not because of facing a Master and her Servant, but rather
because of the threatening attitude she's taking.
"D-Don't kid me. I have nothing to talk about. First of all, the Tohsaka
family shouldn't associate with the Matou family. Why are you here?"
"Oh? We both go to the same school. I don't think it's strange for me to
come over."
"Hah, don't make me laugh. You break the lock, search through my
house, and then call it
'coming over'? ...Heh, so I guess it's true that you lost your manners after
your dad died. What a pack of morons. Since when did the Tohsaka
family start acting like burglars?"
"Is that how I looked? ...Hmm, that's not such a bad idea.
There's nothing here worth stealing, but burglars do more than that, don't
they?
They go into violent rages when they're found.
―――Yes, I do want to act like a burglar right now."
She's joking.
But she isn't smiling at all.
Tohsaka Rin is coldly staring at Matou Shinji, who has his back to the
wall.
"......! Y-You idiot, you're wrong! I have nothing to do with Zouken! I
didn't know what that old bastard was doing until now...!"
"――――Yeah? So why did you become a Master?"
"...! That's because――――"
A gritting sound.
Even though he is cornered by Tohsaka, he swallows his words.
He was willing to tell her anything she wanted to know about the old
man.
This girl is dangerous right now. There's no telling what she will do if he
keeps quiet.
―――In the worst case...
She might simply kill him out of rage.
"Because?"
"――――Because..."
But he can't say it.
Telling her why he became a Master is like asking for death.
Even if...
"Then I'll say it for you. You just wanted to act like a magus. You're a
failure and can't be a magus, so you wanted the Holy Grail to make you
one.
You have no other goal. You're a coward that wanted proof to hide your
powerlessness."
...It's something trivial for others.
"......! Tohsaka, you...!"
"Am I wrong? You didn't have a Magic Circuit even though you were
born to the Matou family.
But that's not your fault. The Matou blood was fading away anyway. The
duty of the Matou family as the seeker was fading away from the time
you people came here.
But you persisted.
You thought it was special to be special, and you demanded something
you didn't need. You can't be a magus even if you obtained a Magic
Circuit like that, but you clung to the special right that should've been
given to you."
"D-Don't talk like you know everything...! Don't talk bullshit! I can't be
a magus...!? How do you know that――――!?"
"I can tell. I can say with certainty that you will never be a magus, even
if you obtain the Holy Grail.
You just don't have the talent. That's the difference between you and
Emiya-kun."
"What...?"
His jaw drops.
That name is unexpected for Matou Shinji.
It's fine if Tohsaka Rin opposes him as a Master. He expected that.
But it cannot be possible for Emiya Shirou's name to come from her
lips.
He is just an amateur.
He isn't from a family of magi, nor is he suited to be a Master.
It's too much for him to have Saber, so why is his name coming out of
Tohsaka Rin's mouth――――!?
"Ha――――Hah. What? Stop that, Tohsaka. Why are you talking about
Emiya!?"
"Because he's stronger than you. And he has the right qualities to be a
magus. Emiya Shirou has something Matou Shinji does not.
...Yes, he doesn't have the talent, just like you. But he has the quality to
be a magus. He is the best at it, and it's something he won't lose in."
"He's the best!? Him!? Hah, don't make me laugh, Tohsaka...!
There's nothing he has that I don't have! He's the one who's got nothing!
He's just a lucky bastard that made a contract with Saber...!"
Shinji's hatred for Shirou must have blown his fears away, as he now
faces Rin straight on.
The girl sighs and shrugs her shoulders.
"......I see. I guess you really are beyond help if you don't understand
after all this. I thought I'd hold you responsible, but you're not even
worth it. I'll let you go, so go run to the church before Emiya-kun beats
you."
She turns her back on him.
Telling him she has no business here.
She heads for the door, not even bothering to treat Shinji as an enemy.
"I――――I'm inferior to Emiya...?"
His voice burns with hatred.
But he can do nothing but watch her go.
He'll surely be killed if he attacks her here.
Even Matou Shinji can see the difference in their powers.
"Tohsaka――――you, you......!"
A voice filled with deep resentment.
"――――――Geez, I guess it can't be helped."
She stops, and says goodbye to the boy that used to be the successor.
"Fine, this is the end, so I'll tell you.
Those who aim farther for others' sake. Those who think of others before
themselves. ...And those who hate themselves more than anyone.
These are the qualities of a magus. There is a place you can't reach, no
matter how much talent you have.
...Humph. I never thought anyone would meet this condition. This is a
contradiction you can only have if you're born broken."
"Shinji. You're a good example of someone who nurtures a needless
inferiority complex by despising others. You love yourself so much that
you believe everyone else is below you, even when they are superior in
every way.
...You're empty inside. The only one who thinks you're full is you, and
you're just like a balloon.
Your destination changes depending on the wind."
"Uh――――――guh."
"Do you understand? One such as you is unfit to be a magus. A Servant
would never obey such a person.
This world is unrelated to you. No matter how much you consider
yourself to be a Master, you can never be a Master."
―――The sound of retreating footsteps.
Tohsaka Rin leaves Matou Shinji alone in the dark room.
"――――Ha. Haha, hahaha."
He drops down the wall.
Matou Shinji crumples down like a puppet with its strings cut and keeps
laughing.
"I see. So that's how it is?"
His tongue licks over dry lips.
A dull sound.
The boy smacks his head hard against the wall behind him, as if trying to
break his skull.
"――――In short...
He just has to disappear, right, Tohsaka?"
His laughter continues.
INTERLUDE END
"All right, Sakura. Rock, paper..."
"Scissors!"
I stick out a clenched fist.
Sakura extends an open palm.
I have rock, and Sakura has paper.
"Ugh."
"All right, I won!"
I look at my fist.
...I did it again. Why do I always use rock as my first move?
"Then I'll be cooking dinner. Please relax and watch TV or something,
Senpai."
Sakura skips off to the kitchen. She must be happy that she gets to make
dinner all by herself.
"...Man, I guess it can't be helped. I promised whoever wins gets to cook
dinner."
I take off my apron and sit down.
I don't know about other people, but cooking dinner seems like a
favorite pastime for us.
...It's not really true for me, but Sakura always wants to cook by herself.
That's good in a way, but as her Senpai, I can't let her do all the work.
So when we're both bored, like today, we fight over who gets to cook.
"...I have nothing to do, so I'll just drink tea."
I brew some tea and sit at the table.
Saber is sleeping in my room, and Fuji-Nee won't be coming since she's
working overtime.
Sakura and I are the only ones here.
"――――――――"
...Am I watching her because I have nothing to do?
Sakura is moving briskly about the kitchen, and she looks like she's
having fun.
Her familiar hair and her crimson ribbon.
She handles the plates. She holds the heavy kitchen knife and places the
cabbage on the cutting board.
"Hm――――!"
She cuts it with a yell.
Sakura tenses up every times she starts to cut something, but she keeps
cooking like she's used to it after that.
"――――――――"
I watch it absent-mindedly.
The evening living room.
A daily life here with Sakura, where time passes slowly.
I suddenly realize how hard this life is to obtain.
...It must be because I'll be going to battle at night.
I finally realize how important this time is for me.
"...Yeah. I have to protect Sakura."
I don't know what Matou Zouken is planning, but I won't let him touch
her.
I've come in contact with Sakura too many times the past few days,
causing me to be bewildered about her change.
...I thought I was confused by her femininity.
But that's wrong.
If I'm confused, it started long before that.
I hear her humming in the kitchen.
...These simple, trivial things are important to me.
I pour myself a third cup of tea and watch the red-tinted scenery.
Maybe there's some alcohol in the tea, because the passing time feels
slow and tender.
―――The town falls asleep.
It's just past ten o'clock, but it seems like it's midnight.
It must be because of all the unexplained comas.
There are no lights, and nobody is walking about.
"Finding the shadow and investigating it――――Archer's Master has
given us quite the reckless request."
"Yeah. But we have to do it. Are you against it, Saber?"
"...I told you my opinion this morning.
So, do you have any clues? We might find ourselves being the target if
we wander about aimlessly."
...A clue, huh?
I'm not positive, but――――
"Let's go to the Ryudou Temple again.
...I noticed that Caster was acting strange. I think there's something
there."
"...Yes. That mountain is filled with an ominous presence. The land there
is the spiritual focus of this town. It is worth investigating, regardless of
whether the shadow is there."
"Then it's decided. Let's go."
We walk to the gate.
We can reach the temple in an hour, if we hurry. We don't have any time
to lose, but――――
"Saber?"
Saber is looking at the outbuilding.
She is looking at Sakura's room, where Sakura should now be sleeping.
"...Shirou. I have something to discuss with you. It follows this
morning's conversation."
"...? You mean about Sakura?"
"Yes. Sakura's guilty conscience is too strong. She has a tendency of
trying to atone for her sins in the present rather than the future."
...She must be talking about the quarrel they had yesterday.
Saber said Sakura was right, so Sakura had no reason to worry about it.
But Sakura said she was still at fault, went and apologized to Saber, and
had Saber apologize to her instead.
Sakura and Saber.
Saber must be worried about the difference in their thought process.
"...What do you mean?"
"...Sakura places too much blame upon herself. She punishes herself for
her errors instead of correcting them. She brands herself with her
dishonor, rather than working to recover her honor. She burdens herself
in a good way and a bad way."
...She talks with disgust.
It sounds like she's talking about herself more than about Sakura.
"...It was clear to me last night. She is special when she is with you, but I
believe she behaves differently in other circumstances. Sakura is
liberated from her guilty conscience only when she is with you."
That is the source of her concern.
Sakura should be able to live with pride without needing to rely on
another.
"...I see. Sakura certainly is too shy. I'll be careful."
Now that Saber mentions it, it's not healthy for a girl Sakura's age to
always be busy helping around the house.
She says it's fun to be here, but she should at least go outside to hang out
once in a while.
"...Thanks for looking out for Sakura, Saber.
I'm really happy that you're worried about her when she has nothing to
do with the Holy Grail War."
"...No. I also have a guilty conscience, so it did not seem like someone
else's business."
"Oh―――hold on, Saber. Let's go together."
We head to the gate together.
We head outside within the silence, trying not to wake Sakura up.
We climb over the "no trespassing" fence into the temple.
The Ryudou Temple is now treated as important material evidence in the
coma incident, and no one is allowed to enter.
"......"
The night air is not any different.
It's warm, and it smells like ripe fruit.
"...Let's go in, Saber."
"Yes. ...Please be careful, Shirou."
"I know. Tell me right away if you feel anything dangerous."
...We go through the compound and climb up to the entryway.
The wooden hallway is dark, and the floor creaks with each step.
"...Nothing seems strange. How about you, Saber?"
"...It is the same for me. But I am sure this area is abnormal. We are
surrounded by a different common sense ever since we came on this
mountain.
...It is abnormal because this mountain is filled with magical energy and
we do not find it abnormal."
"...You're right. Okay, let's investigate a bit more. This temple has a lake
behind it. There are more buildings over there."
...It is said that a dragon lives in that lake.
There may be a clue at the place people consider holy.
We go out into the hallway and head behind the temple.
At that instant...
"Shirou!"
"Saber...!?"
I'm shoved back into the temple by Saber.
I realize Saber has pushed me, try to go back out into the hallway, and...
The exit is shut firmly by Saber.
"Saber!? Hey, what are you doing, you idiot...!"
I bang on the door.
I don't know what kind of magic it is, but the door is as hard as steel.
"Hey, what are you doing!? Open the door, Saber...!"
The door refuses to budge, even when I throw my weight against it.
And from the other side of the steel-like door...
"Please protect yourself there, Shirou...! This opponent will only target
you...!"
"What――――!? Who's the enemy!? Is it that shadow!?"
"No! But this Servant is a natural enemy of Masters! I am sorry, but I
cannot protect you if you are at the battleground.
I have to fight Assassin one-on-one, or he will kill you first...!"
"Assassin...!?"
I didn't even sense him.
Even though the air is strange here, a Servant's presence is a different
matter.
The magical energy should be apparent if a Servant takes form near us.
Even if he hid his presence, I should be able to tell, let alone
Saber――――!
"I will finish the battle in one blow. Please do not move until
then――――!"
Saber's presence fades.
Her footsteps are loud. She must have repelled Assassin's attacks as she
charged within range.
"Damn――――"
I look around.
I pick up a stick that's about the size of a wooden sword and
"strengthen" it immediately.
"――――Hurry..."
I have to make this into a sword and break open this door.
An ominous feeling, a mysterious uneasiness, fills my mind.
―――This place.
It feels like a fatal mistake to leave Saber by herself on this mountain, so
I have to hurry and――――
"――――!?"
The lights go out.
No, there was no light to begin with.
The moonlight has been blocked off by clouds.
"――――!"
...I smell something.
A smell of rotten meat and sounds of bugs flying around.
"――――Matou Zouken."
I glare into the darkness.
"―――Hah. Talk about walking into a trap, young lad."
A snicker.
It's that old magus. He's hiding somewhere.
"......Saber."
I ready the strengthened weapon.
I have no fear, even with a centuries-old monster in front of me.
The only thoughts in my mind are of concern for Saber.
INTERLUDE BEGIN
She runs across the hallway to corner the skull mask.
The fifteen meters between them have been reduced to five.
Saber should be able to close in with one step and slash her enemy along
with the skull mask.
But the enemy knows that as well.
He uses projectile weapons because he knows he will be no match at
close range, and he retreats because he does not want her coming near
him.
Although not as fast as Saber, the skull still retreats with the speed of a
running beast.
He slithers across the floor, not slowing down even at the corners.
Does he have eyes on the back of his head, or is the mask on the back of
his head?
Assassin steadily retreats from his opponent, maintaining the distance
between them.
―――A spray of sparks.
Three daggers are released without any motion, but have no effect
against Saber.
Like Lancer, Saber has protection against projectile weapons.
Lancer reads the course of the projectile attack using the sound of
cutting air and the enemy's murderous intent.
Saber uses the sound of cutting air and her own instincts.
"Imperceivable attacks" are not much of a threat against heroic spirits.
It is those attacks that cannot be blocked, even when detected and
understood, that are the fatal ones.
In that regard, Lancer's lance is appropriate to be called a Noble
Phantasm.
A weapon that always strikes the heart cannot be blocked merely by
knowing about it.
If one is to oppose that demonic lance, one must...
Prepare a shield overwhelming the magical energy of the lance, have
great enough luck to change the fate determined by the lance, or prevent
him from using the lance in the first place.
Compared to that, Assassin's daggers are easy to manage.
They can be fatal if they strike any vital points, but they are no different
from throwing stones.
"Ha――――"
Over forty Darks have been thrown.
Having used up his supply of daggers, Assassin finally stops.
"Mm――――"
Saber stops as well, hesitating.
...The enemy that did not want her to come close has stopped.
There is something for sure, and an ominous feeling surrounds Assassin.
This is no situation where she can step in without care.
"―――Have you given up, Assassin?"
Saber knows it is best to kill Assassin now, but she takes a step back in
spite of that.
She should not advance.
The instincts she has sharpened over the years that have kept her alive
for a long time.
Those instincts are screaming.
Do not advance.
Stay away from the deep darkness.
"...Yes, I have given up, Saber. I am out of ammunition.
I was ready to be killed in one blow, so why are you not coming any
closer?"
"――――――――"
Saber does not answer and raises her sword a bit.
She points her sword at her enemy.
There are seven meters between them. It will take two steps to get close
enough to strike.
As a swordsman, she must close in on her opponent.
But she has a secret technique that can be used at all ranges, though it
can be used only once――――
Assassin's black cloak flutters.
He has no idea where the wind is coming from.
"Hah, so you do not want to talk to me? Well, talk is voluntary. Let me
talk as I wish."
Assassin's voice is strong and clear, in contrast to his appearance.
Saber narrows her eyes, thinking that his voice is similar to that of
Lancer's.
"But how did you repel them? I threw my daggers so that you would not
be able to see them.
Were you able to perceive them?"
"I could not, but I could read their course. I would not be using this
sword if I were afraid of what I cannot see."
The skull laughs in agreement.
What can he do, throwing black daggers at an opponent armed with an
invisible sword?
Assassin keeps on laughing, being displayed with the great difference in
the strength of their Noble Phantasms and their levels as heroic spirits.
"I see. So I was never a match against you.
I am an Assassin, after all. I cannot be expected to match other Servants.
We are beings that lurk in the shadow. There are no heroic spirits
appropriate for this role."
"――――――――What?"
"Therefore, our role is to assassinate. We are failures that are only
specialized in killing the Masters and not the Servants.
―――Well. In that regard, there is only one target for me.
Do you understand, Saber? My actions were all to kill your master."
"――――Shirou."
"Exactly. My master is welcoming your master.
Even though you have separated me from him, he will soon feed
Zouken's worms if you do not hurry."
"......!"
Light emanates from Saber's sword.
Or rather, the golden sword is revealing its true shape.
"――――Oh! So you were hiding your sword with the curse of the
wind. I see, you can attack me with mere air pressure from where you
are standing. There is no need for you to step into the land of death."
The black cloak sinks.
The prey he was supposed to lure in turns out to have a projectile attack.
There is no place for schemes now.
If Saber intends to kill Assassin without coming close, then he must
close the distance himself to kill her first.
"Our positions are reversed now. Will you step into Invisible Air?"
"What a terrible woman, telling me to jump into a swarm of locusts. Yet
a dragon's fury will soon be unleashed... well, this is a dilemma."
The skull mask crawls on the ground.
It looks like a spider on a wall.
The compressed wind becomes a swirl of vacuum, about to be released
at Assassin.
He must be insane.
Does he think he can survive the fatal whirlwind simply by lying on the
ground?
"Well. This should be the end no matter what. Let me talk before that.
―――You said you can beat me one-on-one, correct?"
Saber raises her sword.
He cannot withdraw even when he is talking.
Saber is staring at Assassin.
Even if Assassin were to teleport, she would kill him before it even took
place.
"That is why you drew me away from your Master. You were correct to
protect him from me."
Her sword is raised above her head.
With the attack poised to strike, Assassin crawls even lower.
"But did that decision include protecting yourself?"
An inquiring voice.
To that...
"―――I am in a hurry. Farewell, Assassin."
...Saber replies with a single attack.
The match is decided.
The windstorm is like a heavenly dragon, its serpentine body winding
about to devour its prey.
There is no chance of defense or evasion.
This is like Lancer's lance. This is a blow that cannot be blocked unless
one has more magical energy than Invisible Air.
Assassin's magical energy is far short of Saber's.
The only way for him to survive the attack was to prevent Saber from
releasing it.
But that is too late, and the whirlwind has been released.
His black cloak will be torn to shreds a mere second after the blade
descends.
The dislocation of death closes in with a swirl.
With that in front of him...
"[wacky len=12]!"
...Assassin charges at the wave of vacuum with a yell of delight.
"――――Guh......!"
An attack aimed for the neck.
Saber repels it at once, and the black figure vaults overhead to land
behind her.
"You――――!"
In a flash, she turns and slashes behind her.
But Assassin has already jumped out of range.
At the same time,
"――――――――What?"
The "ominous presence" she has been feeling has covered the ground
beneath her.
"―――Well. You were unfortunate in two ways, Saber."
The shadow expands.
The mud-like pollution invades on her silver.
"One is affinity. A curse to ward off storms is a necessity for travelers in
the desert. The only magic I know is the warding of wind.
And――――"
Darkness swallows the pathway.
A shadow that does not even reveal itself in spite of the white
moonlight.
And――――
She sees it dimly, through the haze of her fading consciousness.
"Assassin――――you――――"
"That's right, Saber. The other is that you chose this place as the
battlefield. You should have known something ominous inhabited this
place."
"――――, ――――Ah."
She cannot even hear Assassin's words.
She would disappear in a matter of seconds.
This shadow swallows Servants.
Her body detests it before her fading mind.
"Ha――――ah, ahhhhhhh――――!"
She does not care how.
She has to escape, even if she has to use all her magical energy.
―――Only her feet have been engulfed.
If she fights with all her power, she can still break free.
Even if she may lose most of her magical energy and both her feet,
escaping this shadow is the top priority now.
But.
"―――No. You will disappear here, Saber."
The shadow is not her only enemy.
The skull, watching Saber get swallowed, is Death that finishes her off.
"So――――from the start..."
"You said you could beat me one-on-one. Yes, that was your mistake.
You are alone, but there are two on my side. I merely had to distract
you."
The shadow keeps invading.
"......! Ah―――guh, ah――――"
Her existence rots from her feet.
She cannot feel her toes or her feet.
Her legs are already something that does not exist in this world.
"Servants cannot oppose al-layl, the true night. All the more if you are a
proper heroic spirit.
Even I, one who is close to it, get my magical energy drained if I touch
it. A genuine like you should lose consciousness just by touching it.
...But that would be a shameful waste. My goal cannot be accomplished
if I let you disappear. I shall take your heart."
"What――――you will?"
"Is it strange? I have run out of daggers, and I cannot go near the
shadow. Do you think it's impossible for me to kill you?"
Murderous intent lights up in the skull.
Faint traces of magical energy gather in his right arm.
...Assassin's right arm is a stick.
A deformed arm without a hand cannot be used as an arm.
It cannot hold a dagger, nor can it be used to strike someone.
But now, that arm bends.
With the snap of breaking bones, it flaps like a tattered wing.
It is an abomination.
What a long arm.
The clubbed stump at its end was actually the elbow.
The arm was folded back at the elbow, with the hand stitched to
Assassin's shoulder.
"――――――――"
Saber's mind freezes.
It will reach.
That arm can reach her.
It will reach her and rip out her heart.
His arm flaps, sending a shudder through her body, and――――
The cursed arm is thrust like a lance.
A sound of cutting meat and gushing blood.
Her blood drips onto the floor, staining the shadow in crimson.
"――――――――Ki."
Madness leaks out from the skull mask.
The outstretched arm is stained red.
After finishing its job, the arm folds back to Assassin...
"Ki, kikikikikikiki――――!!!!"
...And is severed at the elbow.
"Y-You, how dare you do that with that dying body of yours――――!"
"Haa――――Haa――――"
...Her upraised sword falls to the ground.
Assassin's cursed arm did not reach Saber.
Saber's sword has cut the cursed arm before it could gouge out the
reflected image of her heart.
No matter how cornered she may be, Assassin's Noble Phantasm is not
enough to kill Saber.
No.
As she has blocked Lancer's lance, which reverses cause and effect, she
cannot allow herself to be defeated by this cursed arm.
"Ah――――guh."
But that is her last act of resistance.
She has put the power to escape into the attack.
She has no power to escape now, and even if she did, it is too late.
The ominous presence now emanates from within herself.
The shadow has invaded her legs and is now up to her waist.
She is becoming a part of this darkness, which swallows up even the
moonlight.
Then――――everything is too late.
...The shadow creeps up.
As her vision fades, the silver swordsman...
"Forgive me――――Shirou."
...Manages one last, apologetic gasp before sinking into the deep mud.
INTERLUDE END
...Matou Zouken is standing there, his figure just like before.
His body, which Archer sliced in two before my eyes, is whole once
more.
The old magus that could only wait for death is laughing, as if that event
was an illusion.
I don't know how he did it, but if he really did recover from that state,
it's more on a level of restoration than recovery.
It's not just healing a wound.
It takes great magic to restore a piece of one's body that has been lost.
Then―――isn't this called immortality?
"Well. What do you intend with a single piece of wood, child?"
"――――――――"
I stand there while pointing the strengthened stick at Zouken.
I can't charge at Zouken, nor can I retreat to follow Saber.
...If Zouken is immortal, a scrap of wood will never be able to match
him――――
"Will you try to kill me, or will you go after your Servant? Either way,
nothing starts until you move."
Something is squirming around the old magus as he speaks.
No, it's not just his surroundings.
The darkness itself is moving, blocking the moonlight.
"――――Worms."
I can tell, even though I can't see them.
The darkness is probably swarms of worms.
The walls of this temple are covered in something darker than darkness
itself.
This space is filled with the sound of creeping worms and the smell of
rotten meat.
"Why do you hesitate? Your little alliance cut me in half only yesterday.
Did you not cooperate with Tohsaka specifically to kill me?"
...It's obvious that he is enjoying this.
I can't fight off thousands of worms with just this stick.
I'll be swallowed in those worms once Zouken gives the order.
―――Or maybe...
I might be able to escape if I sprint for the exit.
They are just worms, even if it is a horde of them.
It should take them more than a few seconds to kill a human being.
"All right, I shall wait as long as you want.
You can believe in Saber's return and wait here, try to kill me with that
weapon of yours, or shake off my worms and try to escape outside. You
can choose how you want to die."
...Humph.
It seems he has no intention of letting me go.
The worms increase in number as we stand here glaring at one another.
Then――――
...Should I use the Command Spell...?
I don't think Saber will lose to Assassin.
But this situation is too ominous.
We're fighting this ancient monster. It's too dangerous to have Saber by
herself.
"Oh? You've suppressed your poorly made murderous intent. Hm, it
seems you have a plan."
He laughs, mocking me.
He is looking down on me, not caring what plan I have.
"――――――――"
...Fine, laugh all you want.
If the Command Spell can answer the Master's wish, I am ready to use
them all to bring Saber here...!
"Saber――――"
I concentrate on my left hand while glaring at Zouken.
I have only one command.
To summon Saber to my side―――!
"Mm......!?"
Even if he realizes what's happening, it's too late.
Heat lights up on my left hand, the concentrated magical energy is
released as I wish, and...
...The Command Spell loses its color with a slight pain.
"What――――?"
―――I want to think it's because I failed.
I want to think that I used it wrong because I don't know how to use it.
"...Phew. It seems it is over already. You surprised me. You shortened my
life by ten years."
He laughs.
...I hear wind in the distance, like a death cry.
I feel a pain on my left hand.
My left hand is prickling.
My Command Spell loses its heat as if it's bleeding.
"No―――――way."
I have a bad feeling.
I have a bad feeling.
I have a bad feeling.
The pain on my left hand.
The sound of wind has stopped.
The old magus is laughing with murderous intent that is almost visible.
"That is the truth. You should be able to tell as a Master. That your
Servant has been eliminated from this world!"
"――――――――"
My brain stops.
My vision freezes.
What――――is this guy saying?
"Why are you shocked? Saber has died. She has been defeated by
Assassin, one she took lightly as a weaker opponent. Can you not tell
that simple fact?"
"Wh――――――――at?"
What the hell is he talking about?
My left hand hurts.
My left hand certainly hurts.
But my Command Spell is still there.
It's fading, but it's still there.
Then――――Saber should be coming here any second now――――!
"Don't――――"
"Then let us end things here. There are still uses for the daughter of
Tohsaka, but you are of no more use. You can die along with Saber on
my holy land."
"――――Talk shit, dammit――――!"
I run.
I charge at the enemy in front of me, as if to shake off the ominous
thought and the pain on my left hand.
"―――――Hah!"
I charge at Zouken and swing my weapon with full force.
I swing my weapon down onto his head.
But something obstructs me, and my whole body is flung away.
"Ah――――guh――――!"
My back slams against the wall.
I must have been hit in the stomach, as I can't breathe.
My back is numb as if scorched with fire.
I hear worms crawling about by my ear.
The worms by the wall scatter to avoid being crushed by my landing.
...Even the squirming sounds have a mocking tone.
"You've made it, Assassin. Then I shall leave the kid to you as well. This
is an easy task compared to Saber, so enjoy it all you want."
Zouken disappears.
And in his place...
A white, skull mask is smiling in the darkness.
...That must be the Servant Assassin.
An assassin with a black outfit and a white mask, appropriate for Matou
Zouken.
"――――――――"
I'm going to die.
Pain on my left hand.
My numb mind.
My heart accepts the death coming in the next moment and pounds
loudly.
And I accept the weapons thrown at my forehead, throat, heart, and
stomach.
A flash of silver light repels the weapons.
The four daggers that tried to take my life are blocked with a sword.
"――――"
There's only one person who would do such a thing.
My left hand still hurts.
The Command Spell is still there.
Then――――
"Saber...!"
"Fool, did he not kill Saber...!?"
I raise my head.
The one who has come to protect me from the white-masked Servant
is...
"What...?"
"Mm...?"
...A Servant dressed in black, just like Assassin.
"Ri... der...?"
"――――――――"
There's no doubt about it.
This is Shinji's Servant, Rider.
Why is she here, and why did she save me――――?
"Are you going to oppose me...!? I don't care, Assassin! Kill her too if
she's to get in our way!"
The skull answers Zouken's screamed command.
The long hair flutters.
Rider silently turns to Assassin and...
...She confronts the daggers that are fired like rain.
―――They move too quickly for mere human eyes to follow.
The masked figure leaps about the temple.
He jumps from the wall to the ceiling, then from the ceiling to the floor,
hurling daggers from each position.
Coming from all directions, the daggers can neither be blocked nor
avoided.
The relentless onslaught carpets the floor in knives within seconds.
Rider can't manage this.
I know how strong she is from the battle with Saber.
Assassin's attack is something even Saber would have trouble blocking.
It's natural for Rider, who was defeated by Saber in one blow, not to be
able to cope with the attack.
The white skull mercilessly fires his weapons.
―――It...
...Looks like an attack containing irritation.
"Wha――――"
I realize the abnormality after the superiority is made clear.
...They have not hit her.
Not a single one of the daggers has struck its target.
"You――――"
A voice comes from overhead.
Apparently out of knives, Assassin looks down at his enemy with
undisguised loathing.
There...
――――Exists one giant serpent.
"――――――――"
...I can't believe it.
So many.
Rider evaded the countless daggers with pure speed.
It's different from when she saved me.
Rider avoided all the daggers while crawling on the ground, as if saying
there was no need to repel them.
"What are you playing around for, Assassin...!? You don't need to go
easy just because she is my grandson's Servant! Finish her...!"
"I cannot do that―――she is different from before."
Assassin stares at Rider while clinging to the ceiling.
Rider is different from before.
Her magical energy and coercion is on a whole new level.
Even if she's still not as strong as Saber―――she certainly is stronger
than Assassin.
"Kuh――――why?"
"――――――――"
Rider doesn't answer.
But her body sinks even lower.
The instant I realize her movement is a gesture to aim at her prey...
...Rider jumps up to the ceiling, and Assassin jumps down to the floor,
their blades clashing in midair.
"Kii――――!"
"――――――――"
They land facing away from each other.
Rider is unwounded.
In contrast, Rider's dagger is piercing Assassin's shoulder.
"Kuh――――I can't pull it out――――!?"
Assassin tries to pull out the dagger in his shoulder.
"――――――――"
Then.
With a clinking of chain links...
"W――――Whaaaaaat!?"
...Rider hurls Assassin through the air...!
"Gah, giii――――!"
The skull mask lets out a scream of anguish.
Not saying a word, Rider continues to mercilessly swing Assassin about
the room.
It's just like a flail.
Unable to do anything, Assassin is smashed against every surface in the
room, his limbs bending in all directions.
"Whoa...!"
I duck to avoid Assassin coming around with a whirlwind.
"Gah, kaga, gah――――!"
This isn't on a level of being strong.
After flailing Assassin to her content, she uses the centrifugal force and
lets go.
It's a hammer throw.
Assassin, his bones broken, is thrown at a wall head-first.
"...Oh."
...He flies away.
Like a piece of lifeless trash, the masked Servant bounces through the
compound, out the gate, and down the stairs, leaving a trail of blood
behind him.
"Oh... wow..."
...How brutal.
I'm sure Servants aren't so weak as to die from that, but he should be
unable to continue fighting, at the very least.
"Fool――――"
Zouken's presence disappears.
The old magus must think he is at a disadvantage, since he flees after
snarling a curse at Rider.
The worms that were squirming in the corner disappear, following their
master.
"Guh――――!"
I'm brought back to my senses by the pain from my stomach, where
Assassin hit me.
...Only Rider and I are in the temple now.
I take a deep breath and try to calm down.
―――Then.
I realize that the only pain I feel is in my stomach and back.
"Sa――――"
Instinctively, I know what that means.
"Ber――――"
I endure the dizziness as I head out to the hallway.
"―――Please wait. It's dangerous to go alone."
"......You..."
There's no enmity coming from Rider.
It seems she actually came to help me.
"...Why?"
I don't care why she saved me.
More importantly――――
"...You're Shinji's Servant. So why did you save me?"
―――I want to go there quickly.
So why am I taking my time?
"My orders are not to let you die. I only obeyed my master."
...I see.
That's fine. I don't believe her, but it's good that I got an answer.
More importantly――――I have to hurry and go there.
"......"
"――――――――"
I understand right away that this is the place.
The corridor is dead silent.
The whole place is destroyed as if a storm passed by.
In it... is a small red stain on the only part of the ground that hasn't been
destroyed.
I can't tell whose blood this is.
But―――my legs lose strength the instant I see it, and I crumple to my
knees.
"――――――――"
I reach out and touch it.
The blood is dry, and it doesn't stick to my fingers.
The only thing the stain tells me is that she disappeared here.
'――――My role is to protect you, Shirou.'
"――――――――"
How many times did I hear that line?
Those words were a comfort and a source of worry.
...She only cared about me.
And she never said anything about protecting herself.
"――――――――"
I scratch at the mark.
Saber fought here and fell here.
That's what happens in battle.
I knew before I made a contract with her that this would be a battle to
the death.
I accepted the fact and took her hand, and she merely answered
me――――
"Saber――――"
The girl who protected me, even though she was smaller than me.
When I told her I wanted to put priority on the black shadow over the
Holy Grail, she simply nodded, ignoring the premonitions of her end.
...And this is the result.
I lost her, lost my rights as a Master, and am back to being just an
amateur.
I am now alone, with no means of fighting―――
――――I have to carry through with what I have to do.
"――――――Then I have to go."
I slowly rub the bloodstain one last time.
That's it.
I don't bow or thank her, and let my fingers go.
Pain assails my left hand, and it disappears.
The moment I acknowledge her death and say goodbye...
The Command Spell on my left hand disappears without trace.
...One does not lose the Command Spell just because one has lost his
Servant.
It only disappears when the magus loses his right to be a Master.
"―――――I see. So I..."
I don't know what happened here tonight.
There is only one certainty.
I lost Saber and lost my rights as a Master.
...I leave the Ryudou Temple.
My stomach and back seem to be wounded badly, but I'm not worried
about the pain right now.
"I shall see you home. It is dangerous to walk alone at night, even with
the enemy gone."
"...What?"
I stop unintentionally.
All of Rider's words tonight are unexpected.
"I don't get it. Is that also an order from your Master?"
"―――No, I have received no such command. This is my personal
choice. It is a whim of mine, nothing more."
"...I see. I'll believe you in that case, but you don't have to walk me
home. We're enemies, so I can't get further in debt to you."
"Enemies―――so you still have the will to fight us? Even though you
are not a magus and have lost your Servant?"
"――――――――"
I don't answer her.
First of all, I never said I'm out of this war.
"Okay―――I understand. Then please be careful on your way home."
Her long hair flutters.
Rider heads to the mountain gate ahead of me.
Is it because she looks so defenseless?
"...Thanks."
I mutter something I forgot to tell her earlier.
"What?"
She turns around, looking surprised.
"Ugh..."
I'm embarrassed to see a reaction like that, but I have to properly thank
her.
"What did you just say?"
...And she's asking me seriously, too.
It's awkward to stare at her straight on, so I avert my gaze.
"I-I said thank you. I would've died if you hadn't saved me.
...As you can see, I can't give anything in return right now. So I have to
at least thank you."
"―――Please do not mind. I only obeyed my orders.
I will kill you immediately if my master's order changes."
With those cold, emotionless words, Rider disappears through the
mountain gate.
"―――I thought so. That's why I told her I wouldn't take any favors."
I start walking after Rider disappears.
I can think later as to why Rider saved me.
...It takes an hour to get home.
I have to shake off the lingering memory of her in that short time.
I return to my house.
It's already past one o'clock.
"――――Guh."
I put my hand over my mouth as I cough up blood.
My stomach still hurts from Assassin's attack. And my back still burns
from hitting the wall.
I don't know how badly wounded my stomach is, but I bet my back is
just scratched.
The wounds that healed so quickly before aren't healing at all.
"――――I see. I'm back to my old self again."
When I had my contract with Saber, wounds healed themselves.
But that's lost.
Even a slight wound could prove fatal now.
"Senpai."
Then.
When I go into the front hallway, I find Sakura waiting for me.
"......Sakura? What are you doing up so late? Did I wake you up?"
"No, I just couldn't sleep. I noticed your shoes weren't here, so I was
wondering where you went."
"Oh, I was just taking a walk."
...Come to think of it, the light was on when I came home.
Then was Sakura waiting here the whole time?
"Sakura. Were you waiting at the door all this time?"
"Huh―――? N-No, that's not true.
I got up to go to the bathroom, and I just happened to be by the door
when you came."
"......"
She was waiting here.
It's been over three hours since Saber and I left.
Maybe Sakura noticed right away and was waiting here all this time.
"A-Anyway, do you want some tea!?
It's a bit late, but you'll get your spirit back if you drink warm tea and
relax!"
"――――――――"
I'm surprised.
Sakura is really pushy right now.
...I must really look terrible if she's forcing herself to act this way.
"――――Yeah, please. I'm home. I'm sorry I went out without telling
you."
I take off my shoes and go into the hallway.
I hold my aching stomach and head to the living room.
With me in front of her...
"...Yes. Welcome home, Senpai."
Sakura looks relieved.
"Ouch!"
I wince with pain, but lie on the cushion and bear it.
The disinfectant keeps stinging my back.
The sizzling sound makes it feel like I'm getting my back scorched.
"That hurts, Sakura. I think that's enough disinfectant. Just wipe the
wound and put gauze on it."
"No! We have to disinfect it properly because your back is all red! And
it's natural that it hurts.
You came home with such a big wound, so please bear it."
"Ouch!"
...Is it because of the archery club or Fuji-Nee that she's merciless
toward injured people?
"Does it hurt anywhere else, Senpai?"
"Mm...? No, I only hurt my stomach and back. Everything else is fine."
"I see. Then all that's left is to put some gauze on and tape it up."
Sakura handles the first-aid kit with practiced ease.
She looks so intent on it that I don't want to interrupt.
"――――――――Phew."
Well.
Let's explain why this is happening. It's because I threw up the tea I
drank because it stung my stomach.
I didn't want Sakura to find out, but that gave it away.
I had no choice but to tell her how badly I was hurt, and now she's
treating me.
Well, she wasn't that much of a devil to begin with.
"Eh―――you hurt your stomach...!?"
When I showed her my stomach...
...She was blushing so badly that she couldn't treat me.
"Are you okay with this, Sakura? I can treat myself, so you don't have to
push yourself.
Besides, my back is even worse."
"I-It's all right! I'll do it! Please let me do it!"
She was so flustered that I half-expected her to faint when she saw the
wound on my back.
"S-S-Senpai, please take off your shirt."
I didn't want to stop Sakura, since I couldn't treat my own back.
I did as I was told and let her treat me.
Still, it was so bad that she couldn't do anything for a while.
She stared at it for a few minutes and started treating me after a gulp.
"――――――――"
That was twenty minutes ago.
It's past two o'clock now.
Sakura's careful treatment is about to end.
"―――Okay, it's all done now. Here's a new shirt, so please put this
on."
"Huh...? It's done already? Thanks, Sakura."
"You're welcome. Thanks for your patience."
I put on the new shirt and take a deep breath.
...There's nothing to be done about my stomach, but my back feels much
better.
I'll sleep face-down tonight, and hopefully it'll be better tomorrow.
"Well. Let's get some sleep. I'm sorry I kept you up so late, Sakura."
"Eh―――no, that's fine, but..."
Sakura hangs her head.
It seems like she wants to say something, but can't.
"Sakura? Did something happen while I was gone?"
"......No, um... Senpai, did Saber-san go home?"
"――――――――"
I get dizzy for a second.
'Did Saber-san go home?'
When I hear the words from someone else, the reality of it finally sinks
in.
"――――Yeah. I know it was sudden, but she went home. She's not
coming back."
I endure my dizziness and answer calmly.
...It's not like it's a stupid question.
Of course she would think something happened if Saber, who was here
four hours ago, is gone.
But I have to put on a strong face and act like nothing's wrong.
"Saber was talking about you before she went away. She said you should
take it easy because you're the type that thinks too hard."
"...I see. I wish I could've told her goodbye, since we just made up."
―――I can't even nod to that.
Saber disappeared before I could even say goodbye.
...The fact makes my heart feel so heavy that I want to vomit.
A collaborator for only six days.
My partner for only six days.
How can I repay her―――the one who was my sword for only six
days?
"But I'm glad. Ever since she came, you've been getting injured all the
time. Now everything's back to normal."
"What?"
"Isn't that right? I won't ask you what you were doing, but you were
going out to help Saber-san, right?
Now that she's gone, you're not going to be exposed to danger
anymore."
"You're wrong. I'm going to keep going out at night, even though Saber's
gone. ...Um, it's not that I was helping Saber. Saber was helping me."
I stand up.
My tension is gone now that the treatment is over.
I'm getting really sleepy.
"Eh――――Senpai?"
"Good night, Sakura.
And while we're on the topic... I'll be leaving my house a lot more often
starting tomorrow, but you can keep using this place like you've been.
I'll come home late, like tonight, but I don't want you to worry and go to
sleep. Please don't wait by the door for me like you did tonight."
"............Okay. Good night, Senpai."
I rest my body.
...I didn't feel it until now, but I'm dead tired.
Drowsiness overtakes me the moment I lay down.
"――――――――"
But before I do so, I glare into the darkness to prepare myself.
What Saber lost against, and what I should be fighting...
I have to accept them here and now.
"――――――――"
...It hurts just to think about it.
My body is trembling, and my mind is about to lose against anger or
fear.
"――――What I have to fight against..."
It's that shadow.
That "thing" that attacks people without discrimination.
The black shadow that even Saber and Archer fear.
...I know with certainty, even though I didn't see it.
That is what defeated Saber.
Assassin cannot defeat Saber.
So if there is something at the temple that can defeat her, it's that
shadow.
"―――――――"
I have to beat the thing that beat Saber.
On top of that, I'll have to deal with Matou Zouken and Assassin.
Zouken said there's no more use for me now that I'm no longer a Master.
But so long as I stay in the Holy Grail War and search for the shadow,
Zouken will continue to haunt me.
"――――――――"
A shiver runs through my body.
Saber's not with me anymore.
I have no miracle that heals my wounds, and the only weapon I have is
magic as a half-ass magus.
I know this is a reckless, suicidal choice.
"――――But I decided to fight. I said I'll become a superhero."
I lost Saber because of that.
I've walked in Kiritsugu's footsteps ever since the fire because of that.
My only option is to stop the war so such a disaster will not occur again.
...So this will be the only night that I'll tremble in fear.
When my wound heals and morning comes...
I have to act strong so the girl who disappeared can be proud of me.
INTERLUDE BEGIN
The girl returns to her room.
She walks with heavy steps to her bed and sits on it.
"......Senpai. He's so badly injured, and still..."
She doesn't know what happened.
The boy looked as lifeless as a starving man, and his body was covered
with wounds.
The golden-haired girl who first appeared here several days ago has not
returned.
From this, she can tell something has happened that can never be
undone.
The boy is hiding something, and the golden-haired girl will not return
as a result.
"......"
But such things don't matter.
For her, such things are trivial.
She doesn't know what happened, but it's fine as long as the boy is safe.
For her, having Emiya Shirou come home is an unparalleled joy.
"......Wait... is it cold today...?"
She shivers and brings her hand up to her forehead.
...It's hot.
Her body is burning up, and she has to fight to remain conscious.
It must be a light cold.
She rarely gets sick, but after waiting in the hallway for nearly three
hours, it's hardly a surprise.
".........Mm..."
With sluggish movements, she reaches over and turns off the light.
She lets herself fall to the bed, lacking even the energy to change
clothes.
"...It's fine. This is nothing compared to what Senpai is going
through―――"
The girl recalls what she saw a few minutes ago.
...The wounds on his back, almost as if the flesh had been grated.
...The blackening bruise on his stomach.
...His eyes, still strong and clear in spite of his condition.
"......Ah..... Mm, fu――――"
Her temperature rises as she remembers.
The girl pretends not to notice that it stems from the hatred she feels.
"...Who could do such a thing?"
...Yes.
She doesn't know who did it, but she can't forgive this person.
It's not temporary dislike or annoyance.
He has been wounded all this time, but he has stayed beautiful.
She cannot forgive anyone that hurts someone important to her.
"Hm... but... Senpai's back was amazing..."
She reaches out her hand in a daze.
...It's been a while since she last saw his naked skin so close.
When they first met, he was small as a boy and was about as tall as her.
But in the two years since then, he has grown into a man.
"............Hm――――"
Something stirs beneath the sheets.
Trapped between her body and the bed, her hand slowly creeps down
between her legs.
It's different from when he collapsed from a cold.
Back then, it was a cold and nothing more.
Tonight, it was the body of a wounded man.
"――――Senpai."
Thinking about it causes her to space out.
He must train without a day's rest. His body is sturdily built, without
even an ounce of useless muscle.
His graceful build is like that of an antelope. It has the beauty of having
inner strength, one that allows it to jump up precipices, that is not
apparent.
"Yeah... His chest was broad―――he was a real man."
Her outstretched fingers run across the chest that is not here.
She unconsciously runs her fingers across his body.
They run from his chest down to his stomach.
Crawling across the bedsheets, her fingers travel below her belly button
and...
"――――――――Oh."
Her face turns bright red.
"S-S-S-S-Stupid me...!
I-I'm sorry, Senpai...!"
She quickly pulls her hand back.
She even turns her ears red and curls up on the bed.
It shouldn't be this embarrassing, but her memory is too vivid.
The feel of his skin beneath her fingertips only made her imagination
more concrete.
"――――Huh――――?"
But...
Is that what caused her to heat up?
"Ah――――mm, fuh......――――"
Her heart starts to beat faster.
"Mm...... Ah, ah――――"
It's too late to stop.
...Her body is hot.
Her mind is in a daze, and she can only think of one thing.
Her limbs are heavy, and it feels as if she has turned into a puppet.
"Hah... Hm, ah... Ah, mm... Fuh――――"
...Her breaths are unbelievably hot.
Is it because the heat is escaping from her body?
The heat invades her brain and melts her memory, intelligence, reason,
and morals, making her think of only one thing.
"Ah, hah... Senpai... Hm..."
The heat takes over her body, and the limbs are out of her control.
But dirty desire creeps up from within her.
"Ah――――haa, ah, hm――――!"
She doesn't stop.
She moves her fingers, which were just tracing Shirou's body, down
between her legs.
"...Senpai... Senpai, Senpai, Senpai...!"
...Her fingers start to move wildly as if to match her breathing.
The wet sound slowly gets louder into something indecent.
"Ah―――hm... No―――I... shouldn't... be doing... this――――"
The feeling of guilt excites her even more.
His wounded body. Thinking about the blood on his back makes her
dizzy.
The girl who won't be coming back. The realization that, once again, he
is all hers. Many lies.
The dark emotions, unthinkable for her usual self, draw her down into a
darker passion.
"Hah, haa, ha, mm...! Sen... pai... Ah, I, I―――ah... Hm... no...!"
But those are trivial matters.
What she's truly glad about is that the boy has come back to her.
"Nhaa...! Ha, haa, ah, Senpai's, fingers―――more―――no, having
him back... is enough...!"
...But it's not enough.
Tonight made that clear.
He cares for her, but he tries to protect her by keeping her away.
"Ah, nha, hah, ah...! No, Senpai, I――――I want, you to be, next to
me...!"
She knows it's a greedy wish.
Her passion gets worse because it is a wish she should never speak of, a
wish that will never come true.
"Mm―――uha, ah, hm...! I'm sorry―――I'm sorry, Senpai, I'm...
sorry...!"
―――A heated masturbation.
The repeated repentance cools off the
girl's temporary madness.
"...Mm... Ah...... Haa... ah――――"
She stares at the ceiling absent-mindedly.
The overwhelming self-hatred after the climax is familiar to her.
But a heavier agony assails her tonight.
...The wounded body.
He said he intends to continue fighting, even after receiving such
wounds.
"......What should I do? Senpai's going to get hurt even more like this..."
She thinks as her body sweats.
It's a worry without an answer, a problem the girl cannot solve.
She cannot come up with a way to stop him, even if she thinks all night.
But...
"――――I see. I just have to keep him from going outside."
She reaches a simple answer with a calm voice.
Delighted by her sudden insight, she smiles and...
"Right. You won't get in any more danger if you're hurt so badly that you
can't walk――――"
Whispers to herself with a sigh of relief.
INTERLUDE END
INTERLUDE BEGIN
It is a room that smells of stone.
The light is not artificial but natural.
The lamp's flame shines on the man's back and illuminates the
parchment in his hand.
"―――Is that a report for the Association? You certainly are a busy
man, Kotomine."
The voice comes from behind him without revealing its source.
The man on the chair, Kotomine Kirei, moves on to his next task without
the slightest reaction.
"Oh, so this is about that usurper.
Hm, 57 victims with five dead. Is this a lot from the supervisor's
perspective, Kotomine?"
"―――I can't say much as of this moment. This is the first instance of
large-scale unconsciousness, but there's no problem if it stays this way.
Either association is aware of the necessary clean-up measures.
But――――"
"If it continues at this pace, huh? ...Heh, I do not know who is doing
this, but they're being quite brazen.
...Have you realized, Kotomine? If nothing is done, this town will
become barren of life."
Kotomine does not answer.
He knows what the man wants to say.
The strange shadow that appeared in this town.
It's only sucking up life force right now, but the amount is increasing by
day.
The abnormality that first surfaced two days ago will exceed the
regulated allowances in a few days.
For the moment, it only causes dyspnea, but it should soon be enough to
kill even a healthy adult male in one night.
"But that is needless worry. It should not be an amateur, so it should
know its limits."
"Is that so? That worm-user does not seem like it, but such a person will
become a curse if you do not take care of it quickly. It is not my style to
watch people in this town die."
This statement takes Kotomine by surprise.
This man, who does not care about anyone else, is concerned for the
people.
"I'm surprised. What is going on, Gilgamesh?"
"It should not be surprising. I do not like it when people are killed by
someone besides me.
People will lose their way with boring crime and punishment. Such pain
is not entertaining at all."
"...I see. Then you are indeed a heroic spirit.
You use death to save people from the agony of life. Then your wish is
death?"
"Of course. This age is filled with meaningless, worthless people.
Exterminating them will be doing them a service."
His scorning voice is filled with absolute dominance and dignity.
The priest does not stop his work as he listens.
"―――I see.
You can use the Holy Grail, if that is what you wish. It will be yours
unless someone who can defeat you appears."
"Hm? You do not have a wish, Kotomine?"
"I don't have a clear wish. The only thing I have is the desire for clear
pleasure."
"Ha―――Hahaha, I see, so you only have pleasure――――!"
The man starts laughing at the simple answer.
It's as if he's delighted and proud of his partner.
"All right. I shall kill because they are disgusting, and you shall kill
because it is fun. Our motives are different, but we seek the same thing
from the Holy Grail. That must be why you have kept me!"
"――――――――"
The priest does not answer.
He merely continues his work.
"Hah―――I do not care even if you do nothing. I shall do as I please."
The man's presence disappears.
The priest glances at the exit of the silent stone room.
"He seems insane, but he is sane at the core. It seems the mud was
unable to pollute his soul."
King of heroes, Gilgamesh.
The golden Servant is the most powerful being at this point in time.
The fact is accepted as truth by all. Even Kotomine, the game master
himself, does not doubt it.
But――――
"There are worthless things, but there are no meaningless things.
...Beware, king of heroes. If there is something that will bring you
defeat, it will be just that."
His monologue does not reach anyone.
Lit by the dim light, the priest resembles a prophet seeing into the future.
INTERLUDE END
Day 09 (RAIN):
Morning.
When the bright sunlight wakes me, I realize my neck is stiff.
"Mm――――whoa......"
My neck feels heavy because my shoulders are stiff.
I probably strained my neck when I slept on my stomach.
On the other hand, my back feels much better now.
I don't feel any pain, so it shouldn't hinder my normal life.
"―――Crap. It's past seven."
"Ouch!"
I feel a sharp pain in my stomach.
It's fine as long as I stay still, but it hurts when I suddenly move.
"―――It's a bruise, so I bet it'll hurt for a while."
But it's nothing I can't endure.
It's not like it's bad enough to stop me from moving, so I should be able
to act normally.
I get changed and leave my room.
I smell breakfast from the living room, so I bet Sakura's preparing it.
"Morning. I'm sorry I slept in. Is there anything I can still help with?"
"Good morning, Senpai. It's rare for you to sleep in."
"Ugh, I'm sorry. Um, it was already morning when I noticed."
"It can't be helped because you're injured. I went to wake you up earlier,
but you didn't even show signs of waking up. I think your body's tired."
Wow.
I have no memory of Sakura coming to wake me up.
Not only are my shoulders stiff, but it seems my head is still asleep.
"I'm sorry. I'm gonna go wash my face. I'll be back right away."
"No, please take your time. I'll prepare breakfast by myself today, so
please go wash your face."
Sakura is really energetic.
"......?"
Well, if she's making the offer, I shouldn't turn her down.
"Then I'll go ahead and go wash my face."
"Yes. I'm confident in today's miso soup, so please look forward to it."
I nod and head into the hallway.
"―――――Wait."
Something's strange.
I went past her without caring because she was energetic, but this is just
like―――
"......!"
I hear something falling to the ground.
I don't know if it's because I've heard it many times these past few days,
but I realize it's the sound of someone falling.
"Sakura――――!"
I run back into the living room.
...Sakura must have been on the ground, as she slowly raises her upper
body.
"Sakura."
I support her staggering body.
"......!"
Her body is hot, just like before.
Her breathing is ragged and her shirt is wet with her sweat, telling me
how bad her condition is.
"Oh――――Senpai."
She must have come to her senses.
Sakura looks at me with unfocused eyes.
"Geez. I told you to take your time, but you came back right
away. ...Um, please hold on. I'll prepare breakfast right away."
She smiles and brushes my hand off of her.
"――――Sakura."
It doesn't seem like she's pushing herself, but rather that she doesn't
notice she's sick.
"Hold on. You don't have to make breakfast. Just go back to your room
and lie down. You have a high fever."
"Huh...? I have a fever?"
"Yes. ...Damn, it's really bad if you don't know it yourself!
Why――――"
Why didn't I notice something so obvious?
Even though I was depressed about Saber, there's something wrong with
me if I can't care for Sakura's health.
"Um, Senpai...? I'm really fine. I just fell, so it's not like I'm dizzy or
anything..."
"Don't say stupid things! You have such a high fever! I don't even need a
thermometer to tell that!"
"Oh――――"
I pull her into the living room.
I have to let Sakura rest for now.
I'll report to the school that she's going to be absent, make some
breakfast that's easy to digest, and for lunch―――yeah, I'll ask
Fujimura's old man and have one of their housekeepers come over.
"U-Um... where are you going, Senpai? We have to eat breakfast before
we go to school."
Sakura still hasn't grasped the situation.
All her energy must have been a result of the fever.
"You're not going to school. You're resting in your room today. I'll let the
school know. I'm going to see Fuji-Nee in class, so I'll tell her then."
"Eh――――I'm not going to school?"
"Right. Who else would it be? I'm... well, I'm injured, but I'll be fine.
There's no reason for me to stay home."
"――――――――"
...Well, there's no reason for me to push myself and go to school.
Because I lost Saber, I don't have such liberty.
But there's something I have to do.
I can't be staying in my house until I go tell Tohsaka about last
night―――about Matou Zouken and Assassin.
"Anyway, you're to stay home today. You're working hard every day, so
you can rest once in a while. I'll come home right away after I'm done
with my business."
"Oh―――no, I'm really fine...!
So let's eat breakfast and go to school. This fever will go away if I
do...!"
"Such a thing won't happen, you idiot. You're being absurd, Sakura."
"I-I'm not being absurd!
You're the one being reckless. I'm feeling perfectly fine, and you're
injured! But I'm the only one staying home? That's――――"
"Eh... Whoa, Sakura!"
"H――――uh? That's strange, Senpai. I'm... having trouble...
breathing――――"
Sakura's breathing hard and is about to fall to the ground.
...I support her, but her body is heavy.
She must not have the power to stand up, or maybe she can't stand up
because her body is heavy.
Either way, Sakura's so sick that she can't walk by herself, and she's the
only one who thinks she's fine.
"...You idiot. Look, I'm going to make you stay home today no matter
what. I don't care if you don't like it or not, but you'll end up staying
home tomorrow too if you use up extra energy."
"......But, Senpai. I... have to... go to school."
Delirious, Sakura punctuates her sentence with ragged breaths.
"――――――――"
Ignoring her, I lift her up and head to the guest room.
She's already asleep when I get there.
But she must still be semi-conscious.
She's breathing painfully and takes a firm grip on my arm.
"――――――――"
I lay her on the bed.
"Oh... Senpai...?"
Her voice is vague.
Sakura is staring at the ceiling, not at me.
"――――――――Sakura."
Her ragged breathing, flushed cheeks, sweat-dampened clothes, and
heaving breasts...
"――――――!"
She looks so erotic that I quickly look away.
Why am I so imprudent when Sakura's sick!?
"...Crap. I guess I'll have to ask their housekeeper."
...I can't change her clothes or wipe her down.
Her breathing has calmed down since she is lying down, so she should
get better with some fever medicine.
Once she can walk again, I can take her to the hospital to go get some
medicine.
"Sakura. I'm going to go get someone, so sleep until then. You're
familiar with Fuji-Nee's housekeeper, right?"
"――――――――"
There's no reply.
Her breathing still sounds painful, but it seems she's asleep.
"―――Phew. You're obstinate in weird ways, Sakura. Why do you want
to go to school so bad?"
I'm just talking to myself.
I know there won't be a reply because Sakura's asleep.
"Bye. I'm going to school."
I step away from the bed and head to the door.
―――Then.
"...I want to go to school with you, Senpai."
I hear her answer.
"Sakura...?"
I turn around.
Sakura is still asleep, and her eyes are closed painfully.
"...Oh, she's just talking in her sleep."
I leave the guest room.
On my way out...
"......Because I have to protect Senpai."
She says this in feverish tones.
I drop by Fuji-Nee's place on my way to school to have their
housekeeper come by.
I sometimes forget because Fuji-Nee's not the type to dress up, but the
Fujimura family is one of the richest households around here.
It has dozens of scary-looking people that call themselves company
employees even though it's not even a company.
Many of them live in the outbuilding, so they are a large family.
So there are many housekeepers, and one will be free to spare if I ask.
―――So.
I get one of the emergency housekeepers, who took care of my place a
few times before Sakura started coming over.
She's acquainted with Sakura, so I can trust her to take care of her.
It's lunchtime.
In accordance with our agreement, I meet up with Tohsaka on the
rooftop and tell her what happened last night.
――――And the result is...
"Then what!?
Matou Zouken is Assassin's Master, and he tried to kill you and not
Saber!?"
...Tohsaka getting really angry.
"T-That's right. What's with you all of a sudden?"
"It's not sudden!
From what I heard, Zouken tried to kill you after Saber was defeated.
That's strange. The process is wrong no matter how you look at it!"
Tohsaka leans forward and glares at me.
I back up just a few centimeters because of her attitude, but we're sitting
in our spot behind the water tower.
"Hey. Are you listening to me, Emiya-kun? Didn't you think something
was strange about what you told me?"
Tohsaka Rin glares at me in dissatisfaction.
"Ugh."
...As if her attitude wasn't bad enough, now she's getting right in my
face.
This space is small, so there's no room for me to back up.
I'm like a mouse in a trap. There's nowhere for me to run.
"Umm...... What was strange?"
"It's the priorities. Zouken didn't try to kill you, even though you two
were alone.
It was fortunate that Assassin was able to beat Saber, but there was also
a chance of Assassin's defeat. Zouken should've tried to kill you, Saber's
Master, as quickly as possible."
"...Well, that's true.
But maybe Zouken was confident that Assassin could beat Saber."
"No way. Even you could tell that Assassin was weaker, right? Then
Zouken definitely wouldn't gamble like that.
...I bet he had a reason not to kill you.
Well, I can think of two reasons."
"Two...? So that's..."
"...Maybe he didn't want to kill me right then?"
"...Well, I guess that's the most likely motive.
I have to assume that Zouken didn't want Saber to disappear. The only
negative effect of your death would be Saber's disappearance."
"Yeah. That's all I'm good for."
"Hey, why are you sulking? I-I'm just talking about Zouken, so don't
take it too seriously."
"...? I'm not sulking. It's true. Why are you getting mad about this?"
"...! ――――I-I'm not mad.
You're just misunderstanding me.”
"Anyway. Zouken had something he wanted out of Saber.
He probably wanted you to stay alive as a Master. But with that aside, he
had a reason to kill you.
...I'll ask again. You're sure that he said you're useless, right?"
"――――――――"
...I recall what happened last night.
"There are still uses for the daughter of Tohsaka.
But you are of no more use――――"
"...Yeah. And he also said you're still useful."
"I see. ...I don't know why you're useless now, but that must be why he's
running away from me.
One of us has to die if we meet. But Zouken needs both of us to stay
alive for some reason, so he's hiding from me――――"
Tohsaka ponders.
"............"
―――Well.
I've told her what I need to tell her.
If there's anything else I should say, it’s――――
――――I have to decide what to do from now on.
I chose to keep fighting.
Matou Zouken and Assassin.
The black shadow wandering around the town.
The battle between Masters over the Holy Grail.
I chose to stop it even without Saber.
Then it shouldn't matter how I do it.
I need Tohsaka's help if I don't want there to be any more victims.
"―――Tohsaka.
I lost Saber and my Command Spell. So I'm not a Master anymore,
right?"
"...Right. I forgot about that. You're not a Master anymore. You have no
reason to be involved in the Holy Grail War, and you're less likely to be
attacked by other Masters."
"Yeah. I only wanted the Holy Grail because Saber wanted it. ...I have
no interest in it now that Saber's gone."
"I see. Then you're not going to be fighting anymore?"
There's no emotion in Tohsaka's eyes.
Her words are merely something she must ask as a Master, devoid of
personal interest.
"――――――――"
This is not a question, but a warning.
This is my last chance.
She's providing me with a chance to back out, telling me I'll still make it
if I want to withdraw.
"――――――I will fight."
But my mind is made up.
I'll remember her consideration, though.
"I will fight. I won't stop fighting just because I'm not a Master. I chose
to fight to stop the war."
"―――I see. Then I guess we'll still keep our relationship.
Even though we're enemies, we'll keep our truce in place until the
shadow has been beaten."
"...?"
Tohsaka suddenly smiles.
She looks friendly, as if something good has happened.
Well, I don't care, but――――
"―――Hold on. Why are we enemies?
I'm not a Master anymore. There's no reason for us to fight."
"What are you saying? Even if you've lost your Command Spell and
your Servant, you're still Saber's former Master.
You were somehow chosen by the Holy Grail, so you have the right to
obtain the Holy Grail until the very end. You're still my rival even
though you're powerless."
"Really? Even if I have no intention of obtaining the Holy Grail?"
"That would depend on the situation, right? It's possible that you end up
needing the Holy Grail when you're in a situation where you can obtain
it, and you inevitably use it.
Unselfish people are affected by other people because they are
unselfish."
"Hm. You're thinking too much, Tohsaka. Even if I end up needing the
Holy Grail, that doesn't mean I can obtain it."
"It's just a what-if. But the possibility is there.
That's why I'm saying we're enemies, and that's why magi that aren't
Masters anymore run to the church.
Even without their Servants, they're still obstacles to the other Masters.
Keep that in mind and watch out. It's not just Zouken that wants to kill
you."
"Hm...... I appreciate the warning, but..."
Um, I don't like having Tohsaka as an enemy.
"...? Why the difficult face? We're already enemies. Is there a problem
with that?"
"Yeah. This means I can't ask for your help after all."
"Huh?"
She freezes.
She looks at me as if she's seen a ghost.
"Why do you need my help...?"
"Because I can't do this by myself. Ending the Holy Grail War means
defeating the other Masters, but I don't have the power to do so."
"...I know it looks pitiful, but I don't care about that. I only have a few
options, and I think this is the best thing I can do.
That's why I can't be enemies with you.
―――I need you as an ally."
"...Hey. Are you sane, Emiya-kun?"
"I am. I'm too weak to fight alongside you, so I could end up weighing
you down.
I can't offer you anything in return, so there's nothing in it for you if you
help me.
...Yeah, cooperation like this isn't usually possible."
"H-Heh. So you do understand.
Equivalent exchange is standard for magi, just like you say. I can't lend
something to someone with no money, and I can't help someone who
can't help me in return. You know that's for your own good too, right?"
"I gave you advice because we had a truce, but it's a different matter if
we're actually allies. If that were the case, we'd have to share the reward
too."
"I know. But I'm asking you anyway, even knowing that.
―――Please help me, Tohsaka. I'll pay you back for this as long as I'm
alive."
"As long as you're alive――――?"
Tohsaka looks away and mutters.
...I'm fully aware that I'm only a burden on her.
But Tohsaka is the most reliable person I know, and I can trust her to do
no wrong even if she obtains the Holy Grail.
So Tohsaka is the only one I can see winning, and the only one I'm
willing to cooperate with.
"Tohsaka. Let me hear your answer."
I look at her straight on.
"...I-It's obvious, right? Even if I team up with someone who's not a
Master, I..."
"Tohsaka."
"I said I can't help you even if you ask me like that. First of all..."
"Tohsaka."
"...This is like a real contract."
Then.
Tohsaka looks down once, and...
"―――Geez, all right! Then here are the terms for our agreement!"
She glares at me.
"...? What do you mean by terms?"
"Terms are terms!
...Um, this is a legitimate contract.
So I'll consider it if you can promise me what I'm going to ask you."
"...??? Tohsaka. I've already told you, I have nothing I can give back to
you."
"Just listen to me!"
"......! A-All right, I'll listen."
"Okay. Here's the first one. I don't mind cooperating, but will you do as I
tell you?
Will you obey me, no matter what I tell you to do, during a battle?”
“Yes.”
"Then here's the second question. Can you trust me like I'll be trusting
you? Will you stay on my side, no matter how ugly things get?”
"Hm... I won't betray you, of course, but I'm not sure about the last part.
What do you mean by things turning out ugly?"
"That's obvious, right? I'm talking about dying or coming close to it. You
have nothing to give me, so you need to be prepared for such a thing,
right?
Or what? Are you saying I should conveniently give you whatever you
ask with nothing in return?"
"Uh, guh. You've got me, Tohsaka."
"Of course. I'm not playing around right now. It's not worth it for me
unless you show that much determination."
"...Okay. I'll try my best.”
"I see. So you will give me your absolute obedience?"
"――――Mm."
Tohsaka says something dangerous with an evil smile.
That seems to be the final question, but――――
"――――No way...! I'll admit that your instructions are better as a
magus. But I'm sure you make mistakes once in a while.
If you say something ridiculous, I can't just obey you. I'll protest if I
think you're wrong. That's what it means to cooperate, right?"
"Of course. I can't cooperate with you unless that's the case.
I tend to do things my own way, so I need someone to act as my brakes.
It'll be helpful if you can take that role."
"Huh――――――――?"
...I'm a bit disappointed.
I expected disagreeing to spark an argument, but Tohsaka is nodding in
satisfaction.
"Then here's the last question.
I'll help you as much as I can if it's something I can do and you can't do.
But... can you do the same even in the opposite case?"
"...? Something I can do that you can't do...?"
Is there such a thing?
Is it possible that she can't cook and needs my help?
"Hey. Come on and answer since this is the most important question. Yes
or no. Quick."
"...Well. Um, it'll help me out if you can give me a specific example..."
"Geez...! I'm asking if you'll let me win or not!"
"――――――――"
She says with her cheeks blushing, as if she's sulking.
It looks childish, completely unlike Tohsaka.
But――――
"......Yeah.
I'll let you win since I'm cooperating with you. I promise."
...It's actually really cute.
"Then we'll meet at the front gate after school.
You're going to have club activities at my place, starting today."
"Hm――――club activities at your place?"
"Yup. We're cooperating, so I need to teach you how to fight by yourself,
right?
...Well, I know from what I've already seen that you're an amateur, so
you'll be working overtime every day."
"Well, I don't mind, and that's actually helpful―――
But is that starting today?"
"Of course. I have to figure out your ability and determine our plan from
tonight on.
You'll be going home late, but it's no problem since you live alone,
right?"
"Huh? Well, that's true, but how do you know that, Tohsaka?"
"...! I-I thought so because there wasn't anyone at your house when I
treated your wound before.
A-Anyway, that's how it's going to be, so you just have to wait for me at
the front gate!"
"――――――――"
Tohsaka waves goodbye and runs off.
It's Friday today... Classes run to sixth period, so we'll be going home
after three o'clock.
"...This is bad. I told Sakura I'd be coming home early, but I can't cancel
Tohsaka's proposal on the very first day."
I feel bad for Sakura, but I'll go with Tohsaka for today.
...Well, she isn't a devil.
So she might let me go home early today if I tell her about Sakura....
Right?
"――――――――"
I wait for Tohsaka by the front gate.
The sky is gray, and it looks like it'll rain any minute now.
There's a chill wind, so it'll be a cold night if it rains.
"What are you thinking about?"
―――Then.
Tohsaka is in front of me when I notice.
She must have ran here, as her shoulders are moving up and down.
"Nothing. I just thought it might rain."
"Oh, the weather? I guess it'll just be a drizzle. We have to go patrol at
night, so it'll be a pain if it rains too much."
...Hm.
It seems Tohsaka has already made plans for us to go on patrol tonight.
I don't mind, but I'd like to go by my house and check on Sakura before
that.
"Tohsaka, about that..."
"I know. I'll train you as your cooperator, so prepare yourself. I'll make
you a proper magus."
With those confident words, Tohsaka sets off down the hill.
...Crap.
I can't bring up the subject of going home early if she smiles like that.
We make the long walk up the hill south of the intersection.
This residential area is filled with Western-style houses.
Tohsaka's house is at the top of this hill, past Sakura's.
"Wow――――"
So this is Tohsaka's place.
Sakura's house is bigger, but this house feels more like a Western
mansion.
...And it somehow feels cold.
There's been an air that seems to reject anyone nearing this place ever
since we finished climbing up the hill.
"Why did you stop? This is my house."
"Y―――Yeah, I know. I was just coerced."
"...Yeah. My house is different from yours. It's just that even someone
who's ignorant of magical energy like you can feel the coldness of this
house."
Tohsaka goes into her home, speaking in bored tones.
"Hey, come on. I don't have any traps set up, so you don't need to
hesitate."
She beckons me from the entrance.
"......No. It's not because of the atmosphere that I'm hesitating."
Muttering to myself, I gather my composure and go in.
...This place certainly does have a cold atmosphere, but that's nothing.
She has no idea what a big deal it is for a guy to come over to Tohsaka
Rin's house.
...Well, I'm sure she won't understand even if I explain it to her. If I'm
lucky, she'll just laugh.
――――Wait.
"W-Why are we in your room and not the living room!"
With an utter lack of concern, she shows me through the living room and
into her bedroom.
"It's because this place has more instruments ready.
The living room is where you have tea, but we didn't come here to drink
tea, right?"
"Uh――――um. You're... right, but..."
Um, I wish she'd think of me as a boy her age.
"...? Just sit down wherever. I'll be using sage and cards to consecrate
you, but tell me now if you don't like either."
Tohsaka opens the box by her bed.
It looks like a treasure chest from an adventure movie.
"Hmm... Kishua's agate is useless for this. ...Oh, I'm out of sage. Can
you bring some up from downstairs, Archer?"
"Scarlet sage, right? ...Well, I don't think you'll need to go that far to
distinguish this man."
"I'll do whatever I please. You can rest downstairs after that. We have a
pact, so you don't need to protect me."
"―――You're right. I doubt he has the nerve to betray you. I shall get
ready for tonight."
That must be Archer.
His presence must be thin when in spirit form. I didn't feel much magical
energy from him.
"...I'm surprised. I didn't notice that he was in the room."
"That's how it is if he's in spirit form.
Even if he takes form, his magical energy won't leak outside as long as
he's in this house. It's elementary for a workshop to shut in the magical
energy."
"Oh. So is it the same for Makiri... no, Matou's place?"
"Yes. But that place has no need to hide magical energy anymore. If they
are hiding magical energy, it'd be the energy leaking out from the magus
himself and not from the house."
"Well, either way, it takes nothing to hide magical energy. I'd take
Archer with me to school too, but I'm resting him during the day since
he's not up to par."
Tohsaka rummages through the treasure chest with a difficult
expression.
...It seems she can't find what she wants. Is she the kind of person that
never keeps anything in order?
"...Really, why doesn't the wound he received from Saber heal when all
other wounds can be healed easily? I'm sure they had some connection...
Geez, why am I finding my master's jewels now? I can never find them
when I want them, dammit!"
She leans forward and keeps fumbling around.
...That chest looks small, but it seems big enough to be able to fit
Tohsaka inside.
"――――Man."
There's nothing to prepare for.
All I can do is pray that she'll find the thing she wants, or just look
around her room aimlessly――――
"......?"
Then.
I see something.
―――It's a photo.
A bookshelf that's about waist-high is at the corner of the room.
On it is a photo that looks to have been forgotten.
Dust falls off of it when I pick it up, and I can tell it has been left alone
for a long time
"...It's not that she never cleans. Just this picture is undisturbed."
Does Tohsaka not like seeing herself as a kid?
...No, if that were all, she could just put it away. Maybe it's important to
her, but she doesn't want to touch it...
"......But..."
People sure can change.
Tohsaka looks like she's five or six years old, and she's really cute in the
picture.
"...So she had long hair back then, too.... Huh?"
The girl in the picture looks just like she is now, except younger.
That's why I notice the one thing that's different.
"Thanks for waiting, I'm all ready now. There'll be a little pain, but it's
nothing you should be worried about... Huh, what's going on, Emiya-
kun?"
"Oh. This, Tohsaka."
I show her the picture I found.
"Oh, that's an old photo. I just put that in the corner, but is something
wrong with it?"
"Huh... Well, there's nothing wrong, but..."
It's nothing much, so I hesitate.
It's nothing I need to ask about, but it just caught my attention.
"Oh. I see, you want to say I have a different ribbon on, right?"
"――――――――"
I nod.
"That's natural. I'm a girl, so I have lots of ribbons. Even if it's my
favorite, do you think I'd keep the same ribbon for over ten years?"
Oh.
She's right now that she mentions it.
It's just an ordinary ribbon. Why was I so concerned about it?
"I'm kidding. That's what I want to say, but ribbons are special. It's the
last resort for female magi. It's an appropriate magical item, so there
aren't many substitutes for it."
"...Wow. Then is that ribbon some sort of a magical item?"
"Yes. Holding the hair in place means holding the magical energy in
place. My family doesn't have mystic eyes, so we have to at least keep
our reserve magical energy from our hair.
It's something that controls your body, so it's best if you make it
yourself, right?"
"That's the first ribbon I made. It was my favorite, but I parted with it for
various reasons.
...Well, let's stop with the idle talk. I'm starting the consecration, so sit
down in that chair―――”
Tohsaka's analysis ends rather quickly.
She lit an incense, did something like tarot fortune-telling, and asked me
a few personality assessment-like questions.
And Tohsaka says...
"―――You don't correspond to anything. Further testing would be
useless."
...And quickly gives up diagnosing my Magic Circuit.
"Hey. Does that mean you can't tell?"
And when I ask her...
"Excuse me. I found out that you're not related to the five elements. Any
more consecration is out of my expertise, so it's useless to keep going.
I'll just see what magic you can use and figure it out from there."
...That's how it is according to her.
I run through the "strengthening" magic using the clay she prepared.
It's called an ether cluster, and it's a strange object that returns to its
original form no matter what happens to it. It's a good conductor of
magical energy.
I strengthen it so easily that I'm afraid it won't recover, but...
"It's like shiniku, so don't worry about it. It restores its original state in a
day even if you bundle it with strong magical energy."
...She says something like that.
Shiniku, by the way, is meat that never goes away, no matter how much
of it you eat.
...Anyway, I keep repeating the strengthening magic on the clay.
I can't fail in front of Tohsaka, but I only succeed two out of ten times.
Activating my Magic Circuit, which was easy when I had Saber, took a
lot of time and effort.
Tohsaka asks me a few questions while I cast the strengthening magic.
Whether I'm self-taught, whether I can use any other spells, how
Kiritsugu taught me, and what I have the easiest time imagining.
So.
Tohsaka's expression darkens further with each answer I give, and by the
end she's shut up entirely.
I don't know what she's angry about, but it's really awkward to be here if
she makes a face like that.
"Tohsaka? ...Um, I know it's only a matter of course, but are you
regretting cooperating with me because I'm such an amateur?"
I ask her the most likely thing.
"Huh...? Yeah, I do regret that you're an amateur, but in your case, you
were taught wrong... Or should I say that I'm surprised you're still alive
with the way you're doing things."
Tohsaka ponders.
"...? Heeey, Tohsaka? You lost me."
".........?"
Why is she glaring at me?
"......Fine. I guess if I'm going to correct you, we'll have to start with the
fundamentals. But let's go back to what we were talking about earlier. Is
it true that the things you projected are still in your shed?"
"Yeah. Things don't normally go away unless you break them, right?"
I told her that I use projection as a breather in between strengthening
magic.
It seems Tohsaka is particular about it, and told me to use projection
using the clay.
She told me to make a vase. Everything started out smoothly, but in the
end I still failed.
"―――Hmph. For now, I'll teach you how to turn your switch on and
off.
It's faster to make an actual switch in your body. Stay over tonight. It's a
drastic measure, so you'll have to stay in bed all night."
"What――――? You mean here?"
"What's with that face? Don't worry. I'm not going to be performing
surgery on you. You'll just drink some medicine. Well, you won't be able
to move for a while because it's so strong."
"Oh... Um, it's not that I don't like drastic measures..."
...I look at the clock.
It's almost five.
I didn't notice since it's cloudy today, but it's getting late.
Tohsaka is helping me as a fellow magus.
It makes me happy, and I'm grateful, but I'm worried about Sakura too.
I should――――
...I'm worried about Sakura.
I feel bad, but I should clearly tell her.
"Tohsaka? Would you mind doing that at my house?"
"Huh? At your house?"
"Yeah. Sakura's lying sick at my house, so I want to go check on her. I
won't be able to rest easy while I'm lying in bed unless I'm sure she's all
right."
"Crap―――that's right."
...She's astonished.
It's only natural. Anyone would get mad if someone asked to cooperate,
but told them today is a bad day to train――――
"You idiot! I wouldn't have kept you here for so long if you'd told me
earlier...!"
".........Huh?"
She stands up as soon as she yells at me, then crosses the room and puts
on her coat.
"Let's go. We've done everything that has to be done here, and we can do
the rest at your place. We'll continue as soon as you're done with nursing
Sakura, so let's hurry."
"Eh――――o-okay. That'll help me out."
"...Humph. I'll tell you now since I don't want to have to keep
remembering this.
―――Your nature is in projection and not strengthening.
I don't know where you made your mistake or what your
misunderstanding is, but you're a magus that belongs on the 'side that
creates'."
Tohsaka walks off down the hallway.
"...?"
I tilt my head in wonder, but I follow Tohsaka and leave the Tohsaka
household.
INTERLUDE BEGIN
The second hand on the clock ticks loudly, causing her to look up.
It's past four o'clock.
School's already over and he should be home by now even if he went by
the shopping district.
"...I wonder what's going on. Senpai sure is late."
She leans on the wall and murmurs absent-mindedly.
"――――Huh?"
She feels heavy and dizzy.
She's surprised at how quiet her voice is.
The second hand is annoyingly loud, but her words are almost
inaudible.
Only simple sounds echo in her ears.
The monotonous ticking of the clock,
and the painful thumping of her heart.
The two sounds enter her brain even if she covers her ears, and her
dizziness gets worse.
"That's strange... I'm really not sick anymore."
That's why she sent the housekeeper home.
She was down to her normal temperature when she checked it, and she
was able to cook her own lunch.
She was just fine after lunch, and she waited eagerly for his return.
"――――It's hot――――"
But her whole body is hot now.
The heat source isn't her, so it has to be something else.
Between her blood vessels. Between her muscles where there are no
spaces.
Something that's not her is in there, turning like a car engine.
―――Her fever is so high that it makes her imagine such a thing, and
the abnormality is unprecedented.
The sensation is strange and unpleasant.
She isn't the only one that's in pain.
It's shared by the things in her body, crawling through her blood vessels
and nerves.
To speak figuratively, it's like a dog looking for the exit to a can filled
with meat.
The heat source, the things within her, are trying their best to fulfill their
role.
Thinking about that makes them seem charming, and she cannot make
herself hate the sensation.
"...The clock's loud..."
She looks up at the clock absent-mindedly.
It's four-thirty.
A bit longer. He should be back in half an hour.
She has to calm down and suppress the things running around inside of
her by then.
"...It's fine... It's happened many times before..."
Yes, she is used to this.
She has been disciplined and reformed many times since she was a
child.
She tells herself that it will be no trouble this time either―――but her
fever does not go down, and the things within her keep speeding up.
"...No... This is strange, Senpai."
Her body does not calm down.
She has never been able to.
What's missing, what she needs, and what has changed.
She tries hard to think about these questions, but the ticking of the clock
keeps distracting her.
"――――Huh...? This sound..."
When she realizes the sound is not the clock, but a warning from the
house itself...
"Oh, Emiya's not here? That's convenient."
A familiar person enters, barefooted.
"Nii-san."
"Huh? Oh, Emiya's not here and you're getting all hot and horny by
yourself? Did I use Rider too much, like the old man said?"
He comes into the living room and walks over to the girl leaning against
the wall.
"Oh――――"
She tries to run, but can't muster the strength.
No, she had no will to run away from the start.
Even if she gets away―――she can never truly escape.
"This is your last order, Sakura. You said you'd do anything, right?"
The one looking down at her is smiling.
"――――Nii-san."
"Let's go. I have to settle my match with Emiya. I'm sure you want to see
him cry, so I'll let you see it up close."
The boy grabs her arm and hauls her to her feet.
"No――――I don't want to...!"
She tries to get away, but lacks the strength to do so.
The man pulls her in and grabs her neck.
"Don't disobey me so much, Sakura. You're making me want to kill you.
You just have to keep obeying me."
"No――――it's not as you promised, Nii-san...! You said you wouldn't
do anything to Senpai...!"
She protests, her hair disheveled.
He stops her with his foot.
He has let go and kicked her stomach.
"Uh――――guh......"
Collapsing to the ground, she lets out a moan.
"I'm being kind. I have the medicine I got from the old man, but I'm not
using it."
He forces her to her feet.
"Ah... Ah, uh――――"
He grabs hold of the coughing girl's neck once again.
"Don't worry, I'll keep my promise. I won't tell him about what
happened. But I won't be satisfied until he gets hurt."
He puts his mouth close to her cheeks and whispers in delight.
"――――, Uh――――"
With her neck held, she shuts her mouth in vexation.
She tries to accept this turn of events, thinking that it always ends up this
way.
"Yeah, that's right. Let's go ahead, Sakura. This is Emiya's territory. We
have to be in my territory if we're going to play around. Rider, bring this
woman with me."
Giving her a violent shove, he exits.
"――――Ri... der..."
The girl raises her head.
There stands a Servant with long hair.
INTERLUDE END
"I'm home!"
I raise my voice as I go into the house.
"――――――――"
...Then.
I feel something strange as soon as I enter.
"The hallway, Emiya-kun."
"――――――――"
She doesn't even need to tell me.
There are footprints on the floor.
The only shoes I see are Sakura's.
The housekeeper's aren't there, and the house is dead silent.
"Sakura."
I go into the guest room.
It's empty.
The strange feeling turns into an ominous conviction.
I return to the living room.
Sakura isn't here either.
The footprints end here in the living room.
Somebody came in here with his shoes on, did something in this room,
and then went back outside.
"...Emiya-kun. Look at the floor there.
It's small, but there's a trace of bl――――"
"I know. Sakura was here."
Yes, I know.
Sakura was waiting for me alone in the living room, but is not here now.
There are unfamiliar footprints in the hallway.
That's all.
It's more strange not to draw a conclusion.
The answer is clear if I think about it just a bit.
Calmly.
Calmly.
Calmly.
Calmly think, and I can tell what happened here.
So, why――――
"――――――――!"
Why is my head not working at all?
"H-Hey, Emiya-kun...!?"
"――――――――"
I should've come home earlier.
I should've thought about it more seriously.
Didn't I have Sakura stay over for fear of just this situation?
Matou Zouken said Sakura is unrelated.
Why did I believe his words?
There's no way she's unrelated when she's part of the Matou family.
So why?
Why did I believe such a convenient story――――!?
"―――――"
The phone rings.
I nod at Tohsaka and slowly pick up the receiver.
"Hello? Are you finally home, Emiya?"
It's Shinji.
There's no mistake about it, and I knew this was what happened.
"What have you done with Sakura?"
"Huh? I only took back what's mine. I can't leave her at someone else's
house forever."
"Shinji."
"Haha! That's great, you're getting pissed! You're vexed that I took
Sakura!"
Tohsaka must be able to hear Shinji's voice, because she's leaning
forward.
I raise a hand to stop her and urge him to go on.
"Don't waste my time. Just tell me what your business is."
"Heh―――you should know. Let's decide our match. You don't think
that last fight was the end, do you?"
"I do. You ran away. Everything was decided right then."
"It's not decided...! That's the difference in our Servants, not your power!
I wouldn't have run away if Saber wasn't there! There's no way I'll lose if
Saber doesn't come...!"
If Saber doesn't come...?
...I see.
Rider must not have told Shinji that Saber was eliminated.
Oh―――that must be why he kidnapped Sakura.
In short, this phone call is...
"Shinji. What are you going to do with Sakura?"
"Nothing. But that would depend on what you do.
I won't do anything to Sakura if you come alone. You know what that
means, right?"
"――――!"
I stop Tohsaka.
If she interrupts now, there's no telling what Shinji will do.
"So you want me to fight you without Saber?"
"Yeah, I'm glad you're perceptive when it counts.
―――We'll fight at school. Come alone, okay? Rider set up a boundary
field over the school.
I'll know right away if you bring Saber along.
If that happens―――I can't guarantee what'll happen to her."
"Ow...!"
I hear the sound of him kicking something.
"I'll go right away. But just in case, I want to know one thing. Are you a
Master, or are you Sakura's brother?"
"Hah...! Are you joking? Why would I be this shit's brother? Well, she's
not completely useless because I can lure you out like this."
"――――All right.
I'm going to go fight you as a Master."
"Yeah, if it ends up being a fight."
I put the phone down.
I start off right away.
"Hold on...!
Are you really going to go alone!?"
"That's what he wanted. We can talk later, Tohsaka."
"That's my line.
Shinji has Sakura as a hostage.
You'll be killed if you go. Seeing you die will be unbearable for Sakura.
We should wait and see, and come up with a plan."
I know.
But we don't have time.
I can still hear her moans in my mind.
"――――I see. Would Shinji kill me in front of Sakura?"
"Hm... I don't know, but that's highly possible since he's using Sakura as
a hostage. ...Hey, are you all right, Emiya-kun? You look calm, but don't
tell me you've actually lost your cool."
I've lost my cool?
Is she asking me if I can only think about going to school and punching
Shinji in the face?
Oh, then――――
"Yeah. I can't think of anything else. I'm mad at myself for not saying
anything because I thought it was a family matter.
He said he's not her brother. ―――Such a guy took Sakura."
"He took her, so I'm going to go take her back. Don't do anything,
Tohsaka."
I go outside.
The sky is dark, and the sun's about to set.
I bet it'll rain tonight.
I have to come home with Sakura before that.
"Hold on...! Didn't you join forces with me because you couldn't save
people by yourself..!?"
"――――――――"
I stop.
Her words splash cold water onto my heated brain.
"――――I'm sorry. But Sakura's in danger. I know it's suicidal to go
alone, but this is all I can do."
"...I thought so. But I can't readily help you as long as Shinji is holding
Sakura hostage.
But Emiya-kun. If you can manage to get Sakura back from Shinji, I can
do the rest."
"――――You'll take care of Shinji?"
"No, I'm talking about Rider. Servants are ones who fight other Servants,
right?
I'll be hiding, so do anything you can to save Sakura. If you can manage
that, I'll save you no matter what, even if you are about to die in the next
second."
Tohsaka sounds like she's trying to convince herself.
...This is just going to increase the burden on her.
I'm fully aware of that. I got Tohsaka to help me, and now Tohsaka's
trying to fulfill our promise.
That convinces me.
I'll rely on Tohsaka.
In return, I'm going to get Sakura back.
"All right. I'll leave the follow-up to you."
"Yeah. But that's under the condition that you're still alive to protect
Sakura.
Even Archer can't protect Sakura while fighting Rider. It's meaningless
to save Sakura at the cost of your life."
The school building is deserted.
Thanks to the series of comas, the school closed early.
It's not even six o'clock, but there are no students or teachers to be seen.
"――――Can you tell where Shinji is, Tohsaka?"
"...Knowing him, he's probably inside. I'm sure he's waiting in familiar
territory on an upper floor."
That could only be one place.
Shinji is in the classroom on the third floor.
"I'll go ahead. You come later, Tohsaka."
"...Okay. I'll go through the gate after ten minutes.
I didn't tell you, but a boundary field's set up here. I'll be found even if I
hide my presence, so keep their attention so they don't notice me."
I nod and start running.
――――There's hot steel in my back.
The Magic Circuit is already made.
I tell myself that my only weapon is meant to protect Sakura, not to
harm my enemy.
"...!"
I stop.
On the third floor hallway are a black Servant and Shinji, holding a knife
at Sakura.
"You――――!"
My mind explodes.
My feet start to move again.
Then―――the black Servant blocks my way.
"Stop. My Master will harm her if you take another step."
"...!"
I slide to an abrupt halt.
My mouth hurts.
I'm gritting my teeth so hard that they're screaming.
"Shinji――――!"
"Yo. Just like I thought, you came flying over here. I knew you would
come alone if I told you to."
"――――!"
My cool brain boils up once again.
My head shakes so much that I almost forget about the Servant in front
of me.
"...What is that?"
Why is he doing such a thing?
Sakura is Shinji's sister.
An older brother should protect his younger sister.
Family members should help each other and laugh together.
So why doesn't he understand?
Something I couldn't protect.
Why can't he understand how Sakura must feel to have her own brother
holding a knife to her!?
"Are you serious, Shinji――――?"
"Of course. I'm using the last trump card because I'm serious. Why are
you stupid even at a time like this?"
"...!"
Before I know it, I'm running.
I can't stop until I get Sakura away from him.
"――――――――"
But she's in my way.
Rider is blocking my way, protecting Shinji.
"...I do not understand. Why did you come here?
In coming here, you showed you were willing to obey my Master. If you
planned to fight, you should not have come alone."
"――――!"
...Rider's right.
...I have to calm down.
Since I obeyed Shinji, I have to think only about saving Sakura and not
defeating Shinji.
"―――――――Phew."
I take a deep breath and pull myself together.
Shinji is enjoying my dismay with Sakura in his arms.
...Sakura hasn't raised her head since I arrived.
She's not unconscious.
She's standing unassisted.
Her head is down because she doesn't want to raise it.
"―――Shinji. Did you tell her about us?"
I glare at him, unable to hide my anger.
"Huh?"
"――――Oh. Oh, I see!
Yeah, don't worry, Emiya. Since you wouldn't tell her, I told her
everything! I told her we're both Masters and tried to kill each other!"
"――――!"
"Did you want to hide that from her? Are you stupid? Of course she'll
find out! She knew you were hiding something, but she couldn't ask you
because she's just your underclassman!"
"......!"
He presses the blade against Sakura's cheek.
Sakura looks away, but grits her teeth so that she won't raise her face.
"Come on, don't be reserved and ask. Emiya won't hide anything now.
See, it's your wish come true!"
"――――――――"
She doesn't reply.
With her head down...
"Hey. Why aren't you saying anything?
I told you to ask him. I'm telling you to ask him what he thinks of you
and if he hates you after finding out that you're a dirty woman of
Matou!"
"Shinji――――!"
...Her figure looks like she's apologizing to me, and I can't contain
myself anymore.
"It's fine now, right? I came here, just like I promised. Let Sakura go."
"What? I didn't promise you anything. I gave you a command.
I just said I wouldn't do anything to Sakura if you came alone."
"――――――――"
"Don't glare so much, Emiya. I'm not a devil. I'm glad that you want to
save my sister. I'll meet your sincerity if you act accordingly. I can send
Sakura home once we're done.
"I see―――is that a promise, Shinji?"
"Yeah. I'll let Sakura go if you do as I say.
This is a promise. I swear."
"All right. So, what do you want me to do? Do you want me to get on
my knees and beg?"
"Nope. What's the fun in making a guy beg? I brought you here to fight.
I told you we're settling our match."
...Rider takes a step forward.
There's no enmity or intent to kill.
Rider steps forward to obey her Master.
"But it's boring to just fight, right? It's not fair since I'm not a magus,
and it's obvious that I'll win in a fight.
So to be fair, I'll have her fight you."
"――――――――!"
...Heh.
Fight Rider empty-handed, huh?
That's like telling me to die.
"I won't take your life. I've told Rider to go easy on you.
Well, I'm sure you'll be a nuisance if you keep running around after
today, so I'll have her break your limbs."
...Rider is not holding her dagger.
It seems she really is going to go easy on me.
"Isn't your job easy? You just have to stand there and get hit like a
dumbass.
Oh, but don't go down too soon, okay? If you faint before I'm satisfied,
I'll have Sakura take the rest."
"――――――――"
...Rider comes closer.
Three more steps.
Then I'll be within her reach.
"...Heh. Don't resist, but don't go down easily?
You're contradicting yourself. What do you want, Shinji?"
"Hah, that's obvious, isn't it...!?
I just want to beat the crap out of you...!!"
Rider springs forward.
"――――"
I raise both my arms in preparation for her attack.
At that instant――――
An impact that almost blows the bones away with it pierces my right
arm.
"Guh――――!"
She aimed at my arm that was guarding my face.
My arm is still attached.
But it's numb and I don't feel anything.
"Haa......!"
I lace my senses as fast as possible.
I can't do anything bare-handed.
Unless I strengthen everything that can be strengthened, my limbs will
be torn clean off.
I have to turn my uniform into steel and turn my body into something
even stronger, or the next attack will kill me――――!
"――――!"
A tremor runs through my left arm.
The blow like a bushhammer penetrates through my strengthened
uniform and tries to break my left arm.
"Haa――――you――――!"
Both my arms have been rendered useless in a mere second.
―――No, they do move, but I don't feel them.
I can't use my deadened arms to block her attacks.
If she takes another shot at my head now, I'll be knocked out for sure...!
Rider is merciless.
She beats me relentlessly, just as Shinji ordered.
Her movements remind me of a machine.
"Ah, guh......!"
I protect my face with arms that barely move.
From the start, I can't perceive Rider's attacks to block them
accordingly.
I have to concentrate on guarding my head so that I won't get knocked
unconscious.
"Kuh, guh――――!"
What is Rider thinking?
Even though my arms are an easy target, she ignores them.
She only hits my exposed chest and stomach.
...They are agonizing blows, but aren't as strong as the attacks that
numbed my arms.
"―――――――, ――――"
...It's strange.
With the strength Rider showed at the Ryudou Temple, a single blow
should be enough to tear me in half.
...Is she going easy like Shinji said?
Well, she is going easy on me by not aiming at my face, but even with
that in mind, something's not right.
"――――――!"
In short, her power is way too different.
A Servant's power is in direct proportion to the magical energy you can
feel from them.
Rider was a strong Servant back at the Ryudou Temple.
But the Rider before me now is the Rider that was defeated at the park.
I don't know what happened, but if that's the case, I still have a chance to
outwit Shinji―――!
"Gu, fu...!"
I fall forward.
Seemingly tired of using me like a punching bag, she steps forward and
drives her fist into my stomach.
"――――"
It's like a stake gouging into my abdomen.
...The attack is really effective.
The bruises from last night are screaming with pain.
Gastric juice fills my mouth and I almost fall down to my knees.
"What, is that it, Emiya? That's pitiful. You're in front of Sakura, so take
it like a man!"
...I fall forward.
"――――――――"
Rider steps back and watches.
Then...
"――――Ahh......!"
I grab Rider's arm and force myself up.
"――――! That's good, Emiya! You're as persistent as a roach!
Ahaha, you're hilarious!"
Ah... guh.
Damn, that hurts. My head is spinning, even though she didn't hit me
there―――
"But, well... This is a third-rate show. Even if we continue, it'll just be
more of the same. I'm getting bored, so let's finish it off with an exciting
knockout scene."
――――The same?
Are you stupid? What's the same about this?
We're standing in a different position now.
Hasn't he noticed that I switched positions with Rider when I pulled
myself up using her arm?
"――――There are about five more meters. Your patience has won
out."
"What...?"
I raise my head.
What did Rider just say?
"Enough resting. Start the second round, Emiya."
Rider shakes off my hand.
The black Servant resumes her attacks with the artificiality of a
machine.
―――I'm being pushed back.
To avoid finishing me off, Rider's attacks stay clear of my vital areas.
"――――――――"
My body is numb.
I'm bruised everywhere I got hit, and I don't feel pain anymore.
It's because the pain from within is worse than her attacks.
Rider has attacked me to destroy my body.
"――――――Prepare yourself."
The black Servant closes the distance with an emotionless voice.
And in that moment, I am certain.
This isn't part of Shinji's plan.
Rider's decision not to go for my head,
and that I can still move my body...
It's not because Shinji ordered her to go easy on me, but――――
"All right, you don't have to hold back anymore! Kill him, Rider!"
"...!? Nii-san, stop...!"
Rider's hair flutters as she steps in...
...and hits me in the chest with her most powerful strike yet.
"Guh――――――――"
I can't breathe.
I don't feel the ground anymore.
Her attack almost blows me unconscious even though I knew it was
coming.
"Senpai...!"
I hear a scream and a delighted laugh as I fly through the air.
...Sakura's voice is close.
―――I fall.
Under normal circumstances, I would've hit the floor and died.
The impact of the fall doesn't matter.
It's an attack strong enough to blow a human away.
It wouldn't be surprising if the strike blew a hole in my chest.
"......Hah."
But I'm alive.
Anyone can jump back if the timing is set so perfectly.
That attack wasn't meant to kill me.
She's kept me conscious and mobile, not because of Shinji's order,
but――――of her own free will.
"――――Now."
The range is perfect.
I turn my body right before I hit the ground, straighten myself instantly,
"Huh?"
and grab the knife in front of me with my left hand.
I catch it by the blade.
I don't care about it digging into my hand because it's numb.
"W-What――――!?"
I raise my other arm.
Without a thought for the pain...
I punch him square in the face with my clenched fist.
"――――Ah."
I throw away the knife.
Trying not to look at the blood, I run to where Sakura is sitting.
"Sakura...!"
"...Senpai――――"
Sakura doesn't raise her head to look at me.
...She's trying to avoid talking to me.
I don't know if it's because of Shinji, or because of all the things I've
hidden from her.
All I can tell is that Sakura's body is hotter than this morning.
"...It's fine. Let's talk later.
We'll go home for now and――――"
"...!"
"It's over. The match is decided, Shinji."
...Then.
I realize that Tohsaka is behind me.
After being wounded by Archer, Rider is crouching down on the floor.
Her clothes are wet with blood. Even though it's not fatal, she shouldn't
be able to continue fighting.
"T-Tohsaka...!?
Damn, that's not fair! You broke your promise, Emiya...! I told you to
come alone!"
"Yeah. But that was an order, not a promise, right? Then I think it's
illogical to call it unfair."
"T―――That's sophistry! It's natural for him to come alone since he
said he'll come alone!"
"...That's fine.
We were together, but Emiya-kun didn't ask me for help. I came here
because I wanted to."
"You're lying...! Why are you here if he didn't get you!?
Emiya acted honest and tricked me!"
"Oh, that? That's simple. I was next to him when you called. You had
such a loud voice, Matou-kun. I was able to hear you even though
Emiya-kun was trying to hide it."
"Do you understand now? There's no way I'd just sit there if Sakura's
been kidnapped. You lured Emiya-kun to you at the price of making me
your enemy."
"Kuh―――so you're here for Sakura too?
...Sakura. Sakura, Sakura, Sakura, SakuraSakuraSakuraSakuraSakura...!
I don't believe this! Are you still concerned about it!? She's just a quiet
bitch that shrinks with fear! Look, I'm a Master!
You shouldn't worry about them! You should just be concerned about
me...!!"
"I see. Then why don't you make your Servant fight?
Archer only cut her stomach. He hasn't destroyed the core of her
embodiment, her neck or her heart. Go ahead and heal Rider if you're a
legitimate Master."
"Kuh――――damn you...!"
Shinji scrambles away and takes out a book.
"That's――――"
That's Shinji's Command Spell that burned up at that park.
He still has it...!?
"Get up, Rider! It's your Master's order! Get up and beat Archer...!"
"――――――――"
There's no reply.
Rider is crouching, motionless.
A puddle of blood is under her, and the blood keeps flowing.
She is the one who needs help right now.
To order her to fight is to hasten her death.
"Damn...! You're my Servant, so fight until you die, you bitch...!"
Shinji's fingers tighten on the book.
That must be how he uses his Command Spell. With trembling
movements, Rider tries to stand.
"Stop―――that's enough, Shinji, give up...! Rider will die if you push
her any more...!"
"Hah! Servants don't die that easily! You just shut up and take care of
that piece of trash...!"
Shinji does not relent.
"......!"
I let go of Sakura and rush him again.
―――At that instant...
"...No...! No more...!"
"――――Sakura?"
I stop and turn back.
Clutching her stomach, she moans as if in the throes of a nightmare.
"Wha――――!?"
Shinji's book burns to ashes, just as it did that night.
"――――What?"
Wind blows inside the enclosed hallway.
It's coming from Rider, who was lying on the ground, and from Sakura,
who is still crouching.
"――――No way. This is Rider...?"
Tohsaka stands ready while Archer silently watches the enemy that stood
up.
Rider is completely healed.
The power flowing from her body is just like when she was at the
Ryudou Temple.
"――――?"
Then.
Her figure disappears.
Rider suddenly disappears from my vision...
"Get down, Emiya-kun――――!"
"...!"
The moment I duck, long hair flutters right above me.
"Sakura...!"
Rider has instantly jumped with Sakura in hand.
She lands opposite us―――between Shinji and the rest of us.
"Huh? ...What are you doing? Who told you to bring Sakura?"
"No, there was no such order. As a Servant, I merely protected my
Master."
Rider lets Sakura down and glances at Shinji.
...Her eyes are covered with a leather mask, but her expression is
frighteningly cold.
"D-Don't be stupid. I'm your Master. Why are you wasting time instead
of protecting me――――"
"Shinji. A Command Spell appears on the body of a Master. I have never
accepted anyone who does not bear the holy sign as my Master."
"What―――?"
"You are a fraud. You have lost the book which granted you false
ownership, so I can no longer obey you."
Rider turns away from Shinji.
That motion tells Shinji that she will never look at him again.
"―――I see. So that's how it was, Rider?"
"Your guess is correct, Archer's Master.
You already knew, did you not?"
"...Yeah. I knew it was strange.
There's no way one of the Matous would be chosen as a Master. Their
bloodline has grown thin, so no magi should be born to them."
"So it shouldn't be possible for Shinji, one of the Matou family, to
become a Master. But Rider was summoned, and a person from the
Matou household was chosen as a Master."
"...Yes. I thought Matou Zouken summoned you and entrusted you to
Shinji.
But it's actually much more simple. Zouken doesn't need to do anything.
Because the most appropriate person in the Matou household to be a
Master is―――"
Tohsaka isn't looking at Rider.
She is only looking at...
"―――The legitimate successor of Matou.
This generation's magus of the Matou line. It's you, Sakura."
"......"
She's looking straight at Sakura.
"――――――――Huh?"
I can't say anything.
Tohsaka and Sakura.
I can only look at them alternately and try to figure out what was just
said.
...My left hand hurts.
My relaxed mind finally starts to inform me of the pain on my hand.
"――――――――"
I see.
It seems my mind is calm.
Tohsaka's words and the sight of the Command Spell on Sakura's left
hand have numbed my senses, but―――my mind isn't surprised at all.
Only... why?
Why did such a thing happen――――?
"........."
Sakura is hanging her head as if trying to hide.
Judging by her body language, she didn't want me to know.
"...Transfer of a Command Spell. A Command Spell ordering her to obey
Matou Shinji, huh?
Rider became Shinji's Servant with that, and you lost your right as a
Master at the same time, becoming an ordinary magus. ...So when I first
had you show me your arm, you'd already given your Command Spell to
Shinji."
"............"
Sakura doesn't answer and bites her lips.
Then.
"Damn, again, Sakura! Give me the right to control her again!"
Shinji runs to her as if begging her.
"............"
"Hey, say something! You don't want to fight, right? You said you didn't
want to be a Master, so that's why I took over in your place!
Why are you pretending to be a good girl now...!?"
Shinji raises his arm.
...But there's no need for me to stop him.
"R-Rider―――are you going to disobey me?"
"You are not my Master, Shinji. If you intend to harm Sakura, I will kill
you."
Rider releases him.
Shinji backs away, clutching his arm where Rider gripped it.
"Ha, haha――――I see. You'll regret that, Rider. No matter what you
say, everything will be back to normal when Sakura makes another
book.
Do you know what'll happen to you once you become my Servant
again――――?"
"It's useless, Shinji. It's almost impossible to entrust a Servant to a
human, and someone that's not a magus at that. The transfer using the
Command Spell made it possible."
"Y-Yeah. There's one more Command Spell.
Sakura won't disobey me, so..."
"That's why this is it. Sakura only has one more Command Spell. If you
use it, you'll have no way to control Rider.
Rider would be freed. You can't bind a Servant with a fake right made
with a Command Spell.
It'll just burn your book like earlier even if you order Rider."
"Wha―――― Then I'm..."
"Yes. You lost your chance to be a Master.
No, you were never a Master as you were only controlling her using a
fake Command Spell."
...A crack runs through.
With a sound, the existence of Matou Shinji breaks.
"Ha――――Ha. I see, so it was impossible from the beginning. I have
no talent. The old man cast me aside as a failure, and I was pitied.
...Yeah, it's only natural. I knew it, I knew it, I knew it, I knew it, I knew
it...! I knew from the beginning that I'm not suited!"
"――――Nii-san."
"No, don't worry about it, Sakura. This was all just a farce. I knew that I
have no talent. You're the family's heir. There was no need for me to butt
in."
"Nii-san."
"Yeah, I know, I know.
So, Sakura――――you continue."
"Huh...?"
"I'm telling you to beat them
in my place! Look, Emiya and Tohsaka are enemies! You're the
successor of Matou, so act like one...!"
"Shinji―――haven't you heard a thing I've said?
Sakura won't fight, and you have no right. We won't attack you, since
you don't have Rider anymore. Just stay in hiding until the Holy Grail
War ends."
"I'm not asking you. ―――Come on, Sakura. I'm telling you. You're
going to obey me like always, right?"
"......"
There's no reply.
Sakura clenches her fists, turns her back to Shinji,
"...I don't want to. Let's stop, Nii-san."
and clearly refuses his order.
"――――Sakura. What did you just say?"
"...I don't want to. You broke your promise. You said you wouldn't kill
Senpai, but you broke our promise.
So――――"
"――――――――"
Sakura doesn't turn to look at Shinji.
Shinji looks at it like someone else's matter and laughs.
"――――――――"
I feel a chill, and in that instant...
"―――All right. Then you can die."
I hear the sound of glass breaking.
"Ahh――――!"
Sakura falls.
Her knees lose strength and she falls to the ground.
"Hah, bye, Sakura! If you're going to hold a grudge, don't hold it at me,
but hold it against that old man for making your body like that. Well,
you were gonna end up like that anyway. It's better for you to be freed
from the pain now――――!"
Shinji runs away.
"Ah――――ha, ah――――!"
Sakura tears at her chest.
―――Her earring breaks and chemical-like liquid is pouring out of it.
"Ah――――no――――no......!"
She goes into convulsions.
No, it's worse.
Sakura's shaking so bad that it seems like she's going to crumble like a
building in an earthquake.
"Sakura...!"
I don't get what's going on.
In my worry, I run to her.
"Fool――――! Don't you understand what's going on!?"
"...!"
Someone stops me.
I don't know when he got here, but Archer is grabbing my shoulder.
"Get away from here. You will not be able to restore her if you feed her
without care."
Archer pushes me back and says something strange.
"Feed her...? What do you mean――――?"
The question dies in my throat.
"――――――――"
The hallway tints red.
The air becomes a mist, moistening our skin, and every wall starts to
sweat like honey.
"Ow, guh――――!?"
...My chest is burning.
This air.
This red world is a different world made by magic.
This must be a boundary field that melts everything within its
framework, on this premise.
"Tohsaka, this is――――"
I can't breathe.
No, the mist clogs my throat and burns me from the inside when I
breathe.
"...It's the boundary field Shinji set up here.
But it's much stronger now that Sakura is Rider's Master."
"Wha――――――"
I look.
...On the other side of the hallway is Sakura, clawing at her chest in
agony, and Rider, who is confronting Archer to protect Sakura.
"――――Move aside, Rider. Your master is running wild. She will be
addicted to it unless she is stopped before she gets a taste of another's
magical energy."
"I refuse. My role is to protect my Master. I cannot let you through as
long as you are trying to kill Sakura."
"...Oh. So you will stand there and let your master die? Your Master is
using up magical energy at a high rate. Do you understand that she will
certainly die if you leave her alone?"
"No. She can avoid death if she takes in more magical energy than she
loses.
Fortunately, there are two magi here. Shinji escaped, but they cannot
escape now. I shall take your Master before Sakura is consumed."
"Heh―――so your character doesn't change even with a new Master,
huh?
It seems you value yourself over other people's lives."
"That goes for you too. You are trying to protect your Master by
ignoring mine."
"I see―――then there's no need for either one of us to hold
back―――!"
Archer charges.
...Without heed for the corrosive boundary field, he rushes at where
Sakura still crouches on the ground.
And he clashes with Rider as she blocks his way.
"Hey―――are you okay with this, Tohsaka!? He started fighting with
Rider...!"
"...Of course they have to fight. We won't last like this. ...And as a fellow
magus, I have to prevent Sakura from becoming a heretic."
"Huh――――?"
Heretic...?
Are those people who use magic against the law of the Association, or
people who cannot stop the Magic Circuit and destroy themselves...?
"――――Wait. What is that? Why Sakura?"
"She's running wild. Rider made this boundary field, but Sakura's the
one maintaining it. I don't know what Shinji did, but Sakura's attacking
indiscriminately now."
"...I bet Sakura is like us. It's just painful and she just wants air, so she's
sucking on other people's air, or magical energy in this case. ―――I
can't leave her be as the supervisor of Fuyuki."
"Wha――――? You can't leave her be? What are you going to do to
Sakura!?"
"...Ask Archer. I only know of one way to stop a magus like that. But
Archer might know of some other way."
"...Well, we have to do something about Rider before that anyway. From
what I can see, Archer is the stronger of the two, but it seems his output
is down."
"...Output is down?"
I look back at the hallway.
Archer is overwhelming, even in my eyes.
In terms of pure power, he is stronger. There's no way that Rider can
hold him back.
"――――――――"
But.
It's strange.
Rider's strength is her agility.
She shouldn't be good at fights where she has to protect someone.
Being forced to protect someone should put her at a disadvantage.
Archer should've already defeated her and moved on to Sakura.
But that's not the case――――so could Rider be overwhelming him...?
"Fu――――!"
Archer's sword swings through empty air.
Her hair flowing as she moves, Rider arches back and avoids the attack,
then steps in and slashes at Archer.
But Rider isn't the only one who attacks and defends at the same time.
Archer repels Rider's dagger with his other sword and pushes her back.
――――Advance and retreat.
They are evenly matched. Archer cannot press forward, Rider cannot
force him back, and they consequently clash swords without any
progress.
"Kuh――――"
The impatient one is Archer.
Though his enemy is weaker than him, he cannot repel her, and the
boundary field is slowly taking his energy.
And to add, Tohsaka and I are at our limits.
Just stopping our breaths is painful, so being in the hallway stabs at our
minds.
At this pace, we'll fall before Archer defeats Rider.
"Damn――――"
Archer clucks his tongue in annoyance.
There.
"―――I understand your power.
I am sorry, but you cannot defeat me."
Rider stops and makes an announcement in a regretful voice.
"What...?"
"I said you cannot beat me. You are not using your Noble Phantasm. I do
not know if your Master has forbidden you from doing so or if you are
concerned for Sakura's safety.
Regardless, if you will not use it, this is it. You cannot defeat me."
Planting her feet, her only weapon, Rider confronts Archer.
...She looks so defenseless that the match could be decided if Archer
attacked her now.
"...Hah. I'm not worried for your Master. I just think that there is no
need.
And you cannot use your Noble Phantasm either. Matou Shinji was your
Master until just now, so you do not have enough magical energy
stocked up to use it."
"Yes. Shinji could not give me magical energy. So I cannot use my
Noble Phantasm right now."
"...That's right. There's no need to waste my magical energy against an
opponent who will not use it. I will slash you with my next attack,
proceed and slash that girl, and everything will end."
"Yes. Let's say that's how it will be.
It will be easier for me to kill you if that is the case."
Rider answers calmly.
―――What does she intend to do?
Without even readying her weapon, Rider stands against Archer...
"...No, Rider...!"
...but stops when she hears the voice.
"Please endure there, Sakura. I will solve everything."
"Stop―――please stop, Rider. I didn't call for you for something like
this."
"...I cannot follow that order. Your life takes priority above all else."
Rider raises her arm.
There's four meters between her and Archer.
Maintaining that distance, the black Servant puts her hand on her ͛ wrap
text="face"]face and...
"―――Also...
This is what you wished for, Sakura."
...She releases the black seal.
――――Everything solidifies at that instant.
Rider's naked eyes.
They are inhuman eyes, one of the highest rank among numerous mystic
eyes.
"――――――――"
Grey eyes.
They look like crystals, and they are too abnormal to be called eyeballs.
The corneas do not take in light.
The pupil sees the world through a square.
The iris is solidified, not allowing the eyes to close.
The millions of cells that make up the retina are composed of ether.
―――Are they art that the gods admired, or are they nature that the
gods cursed?
Rider's gray eyes are abnormal, and at the same time, too beautiful for
any human to have.
"――――!"
Archer is frozen in place.
...It must be because he saw her eyes from such close range.
His eyes are frozen even if he wants to close them, and his arms are
frozen even if he wants to cover his eyes.
He tries to charge forward and slash at Rider, but his legs are already
petrified up to his knees.
"No way, mystic eyes of petrification...!?"
Tohsaka's voice is almost a scream.
...I can't tell what kind of face she's making.
My eyes are also captivated by Rider's mystic eyes, and I can't look
away.
My blood is thickening.
The flow is solidified, and my senses are ceased.
――――Mystic eyes.
A single action magic that magi have.
It takes the eyes, passive receptors of the world, and makes them
function actively to influence the world.
It indiscriminately casts its magic upon anyone within sight, though the
effect is vastly increased if the target meets your gaze.
In short, it's something not to be looked at, and it is a frightening
magical nature that entraps anyone that looks at them.
Their abilities and concealable nature make the mystic eyes proof of a
first-rate magus.
The technique to make one's own eyes into a Magic Circuit is close to
that of a Magic Crest.
But then, artificial mystic eyes only have strong enough powers to cast
Charm or Whisper.
Possessors of truly powerful mystic eyes are always born with them.
Binding. Coercion. Contract. Burning. Illusion. Extreme luck.
Mystic eyes that directly intervene with another's fate are called Noble
Color, and among the highest-ranked of them are the eyes of
petrification.
No magus of this age possesses these eyes.
There are only a few magi that make petrification magic possible.
How great a miracle is it to be possible to petrify others just by looking?
...Breaker Gorgon.
It is the curse of the gods sealed by the powers of shrines.
It is said that such evil eyes were only possessed by evil beasts and
spirits in the age of the gods.
The magical Noble Phantasm that can petrify people with its glance, the
symbol of the heroic spirit Medusa――――!
"―――Get away, Rin! The real attack is coming...!"
Archer screams, his body now petrified up to his waist.
...Beyond him...
A dark-red wave is expanding from within Rider, who has released her
mystic eyes.
"Wait... even if you tell me...!"
Tohsaka is moving too slowly.
Something terrible is flowing forth from the other side of the hallway.
The wave becomes sharp like a spear and aims straight at Tohsaka.
"――――――――"
She'll die.
Tohsaka must be more entranced than me, as she cannot even move a
step.
Unable to dodge, she will be impaled by the spear.
With the scene of several seconds in the future in mind, I…
There's no time to think.
I can still move my legs and arms.
Then I just need to move forward and pull Tohsaka――――
"Tohsaka――――!"
"What?"
Tohsaka doesn't even budge when I grab her arm and pull.
It seems she's heavier than she looks.
"Damn, you're heavy――――!"
She doesn't move even when I pull with both my arms.
Then all that's left is...
"Damn, just move――――!"
I charge at her to push her away...!
"――――Ow."
I hear a dull piercing sound.
"―――W-What are you doing!?"
"Toh――――"
I can't hear her voice clearly.
...My body is burning.
Everything is hazy, as though I have a high fever.
"――――Senpai?"
...A familiar voice from a distance.
My sense of reality is fading.
My mind whites out and my left arm bleeds red, mixing like paint.
"――――No."
I see Sakura staring at me as I fall to the floor.
"Nooooooo...!!!"
And she falls to the ground like a puppet with its strings cut.
"How do you feel? Have you calmed down?"
"―――――――――"
Sitting on the church's long bench, I nod silently.
"I see. Then there's no need for treatment. Your wounds should all heal
as your energy returns, so just rest for now."
Tohsaka sits a bit away from me.
...The distance between our minds is much greater than this.
There's no idle conversation as we wait for Kotomine.
"―――――――!"
My left hand screams with pain when I clench it.
It feels like there's a nail driven through my palm.
The cut from grabbing the knife hurts more than the bruises from Rider
or the stab wound from Sakura.
The dark clouds block the view of the night sky.
The rain clouds tell me that it's going to rain soon.
"......"
...I guess the spear-like thing that attacked Tohsaka was Sakura's magic.
The magical nature that the Matou household inherits is "absorption".
When lack of magical energy made Sakura suffer, she unconsciously
cast the spell.
She probably aimed at Tohsaka because she had the most magical energy
there.
It stabbed and entangled around my arm because I pushed Tohsaka
away, and it sucked all the magical energy out of me.
Magical energy is life force.
It's natural for me to lose consciousness when it's sucked out of me.
I'd already used up my energy when I fought Rider, so I easily fell
unconscious, and Tohsaka brought me to the church after that.
...I hear Sakura fainted when she saw me fall.
"―――She attacked herself."
Tohsaka murmurs and explains to me that she's getting treated in the
back right now.
It seems Sakura is in critical condition.
The liquid that came out of her earring was poison, and Kotomine is
purifying it now.
Tohsaka doesn't say anything.
Neither Archer nor Rider are here.
Only the two of us are in the church, waiting for Kotomine's return.
"――――Tohsaka."
Still sitting down, I call out to her.
"What?"
"I want to ask you something."
"......I thought so. Fine, I'll tell you. It's no use hiding it from you, and it's
meaningless to do so now.
So you want to ask about Sakura?"
I nod.
Tohsaka takes a deep breath and starts to talk in her normal tone.
"―――It all started quite some time ago. The Matou blood started to
run thin, and their children were born with fewer and fewer Magic
Circuits.
The family is originally from another country, so I think the land of
Japan didn't suit them.
Their decline started when they started living here, and the Magic
Circuit finally disappeared in this generation when Shinji was born."
"...The history of Matou ended with that.
They should have taken an apprentice or something if they'd wanted
their quest to continue.
But the Matous are a distinguished family, and to the last, they refused to
take in an outsider.
"As a result, their successors had less magical energy, and it finally ran
out in the end.
...They finally started looking for an apprentice when that happened, but
no magus would come to a fallen family. Hundreds of years of Makiri
history should have ended at that time."
"But they weren't people who could give up then. Shinji's father adopted
a child and taught the child magic."
"―――So.
I expect you wouldn't know because your family is a special case, but a
family of magi hands down its secrets to only one child. They don't
teach magic to any other children. Zouken said this, right?
If there is a sibling, one is your successor, while the other is raised
normally or put up for adoption."
"――――――――"
There's no need for two successors.
In a case of siblings... no, "sisters", what would be done to the one who
wasn't needed?
Some may raise her and hide from her the fact that they are a family of
magi.
But that's difficult and inefficient.
If they trained their Magic Circuit over many generations, it would not
be their wish to waste the excellent gene even if she is not chosen as the
successor.
Then――――
"Tohsaka."
"Yes. I had a sister a year younger than me.
...The declined Matou family had no hope of someone giving them a
child for adoption.
It's only natural for them to rely on the Tohsaka family, the ones they
held a pact with for a long time."
"I don't know which one of us my dad intended to make his successor.
But I remained a Tohsaka, and she was taken to the Matou family.
That was eleven years ago.
I couldn't go see her much after that. It was an agreement made with
Matou, and I couldn't readily go see the successor of the Matous."
"I see. Then you and Sakura are..."
"Real sisters. ...Well, we never called each other like that."
...I don't know how much emotion is contained in those simple words.
But that makes me understand.
Why she always asked about Sakura.
Why she didn't let Archer use his Noble Phantasm.
"...That's good. You're on Sakura's side."
A dim light shines into the gloom of my mind.
...I don't know what's going to happen to Sakura, or what she's going to
do from now on.
But if Tohsaka cares for Sakura, there just might be hope waiting on the
ominous path ahead.
"No. I'm not her ally or anything."
―――But...
Tohsaka denies me as if reading my thoughts.
"Not her ally...?"
"Right. If Sakura can't be cured, I'll dispose of her, just like I would with
any other Master gone rampant. I can't sit idly by while a magus
indiscriminately attacks people. If Kirei can't treat Sakura, then I'll just
have to get rid of her myself."
"W―――What are you saying...!? Sakura's your sister, isn't she!? Don't
ever say something like that...!"
"Sakura is a child of the Matous. She stopped being my sister eleven
years ago."
"Tohsaka, you――――"
"...Hmph. The outcome won't change even if Sakura is my family as you
say. It wouldn't change anything. In fact, that would give you even less
right to interfere."
Tohsaka speaks as if it's a matter of course.
"―――――Then you're..."
No different from Shinji.
But before I can say the worst thing possible...
"What are you doing? The operation is complete, but she is still in
critical condition. If you want to make a commotion, go do so outside."
...Kotomine Kirei emerges from the back of the church.
"...Hmph. I can't tell if you two are on bad terms or in good harmony."
"Oh――――"
"――――H-Heh. You're just mistaken."
"I see. Then sit down. I shall explain the state Matou Sakura is in."
"――――――――"
"――――――――"
Taking our separate seats, we listen intently to the priest.
"To put it simply, there is a poison, a worm, in Matou Sakura's body. The
worm is called crest worm. It is like an artificial sanshi, the three
corpses. Do you recognize this name?"
...I shake my head.
Sanshi―――a bug said to inhabit a human body that reports the
person's evil deeds to the Judge of Hell.
I've heard of sanshi, but I've never heard of a crest worm.
"So you do not know. Well, it was originally just a harmless parasite.
It's a familiar that lives off of its host's magical energy. It is of the lowest
rank of familiars, as it does nothing beyond telling its master whether or
not its host still lives."
"......I see. So it's like a monitoring device.
So Zouken's monitoring Sakura with that?"
"Oh. When was it decided that Matou Zouken is the master of the crest
worm?"
"―――I'm sorry, but I'm in no mood for your long talk. Who else but
that old bastard would do something like that to Sakura?"
"I see, that is certainly true. Matou Shinji cannot use crest worms. So it
can only be that vampire."
"Right? Just go ahead and tell me the result. Can Sakura be saved or
not?"
"―――You are being hasty, Rin. You seem to understand her condition,
but the boy does not.
We should explain for his sake, right?"
"......!"
Tohsaka looks away awkwardly.
Judging by her expression, she doesn't want me to find out.
"Well, what shall we do, Emiya Shirou? Rin says she just wants to know
the result."
"......No. Please explain things in order, Kotomine."
...I'm sorry for Tohsaka.
But I can't yield to her about this. If this has to do with Sakura's life, I
have to know everything about it.
"Then let me continue.
The crest worm I explained earlier is undermining Matou Sakura's
nerves.
It must be the result of eleven years spent growing within her. The crest
worm has turned into a nerve, like a Magic Circuit, and it has entangled
with her own, swarming all throughout her body.
It has transformed into her Magic Crest. Under normal circumstances it
is suspended, having no effect on Matou Sakura's body."
"But once activated, it will violate Matou Sakura's nerves and will keep
moving using her magical energy.
That's what happened earlier. The crest worm roamed through her body,
absorbing her magical energy."
"Had she remained in that state for half a day, she would certainly have
died.
The crest worm would suck all of her magical energy as its power, then
eat her flesh as nutrition. It means she would have her body consumed
after her magical energy was sucked dry."
"If you have a Magic Crest, you should well know how painful it is.
Even the faintest trace of a foreign substance puts a human body through
discomfort, and can even be life-threatening. Having another creature
entwining its nerves with your own, moving within you, would easily be
enough to kill you."
"......In that regard, I'm surprised Matou Sakura was conscious until just
now.
I do not know if Matou Sakura has a strong will, or if she is just used to
the crest worm's activation. We will need to ask her if we want this
answered."
"――――――――"
I hear a sound.
It's the sound of my teeth grinding.
'If you have a Magic Crest, you should well know how painful it is'?
I couldn't possibly know.
I cover myself in sweat just to insert one Magic Circuit into my body.
Sakura has it several times worse.
I couldn't even guess at her pain.
"...Hold on. You said if it's activated, right? Then the crest worm isn't
usually active?"
"That is correct. The poison put on her only awakens the crest worm.
The crest worm is only an observation device.
It is only activated as punishment for the host, Matou Sakura, when she
breaks a 'certain condition'."
"――――――――"
Just listening to his words makes me go crazy.
I know it's not something Kotomine did, but I almost attack him for
saying that.
I suppress my selfish emotion and...
"What is the condition?"
I urge him to go on and tell me the heart of the matter.
"Matou Sakura fell, and Rin tried to save her. But Rider prevented her
from doing so.
Then the condition is obvious. To abandon the battles as a Master. That
should be the restriction of the crest worm."
"She has approved of the battles by entrusting Rider to Shinji. But the
crest worm will torment her as she refuses it now. It has calmed down
for now, but the crest worm will keep tormenting her.
It will tell her, 'What are you doing?
If you are truly a Master, then go kill the other Masters.
If you cannot, I will eat you and kill you'."
"――――"
My mind almost breaks down.
Just hearing about it makes sparks flash in my vision. More than
anything, I want to kill that old man.
"...That's the condition Sakura must follow?"
"It seems so. Nothing else seems likely."
"Then――――! Can't she just not be a Master? If she uses up her
Command Spell and cancels the contract with her Servant, she won't be
a Master anymore―――"
"I would not recommend that.
I told you that the condition of the crest worm's activation is to abandon
her duty as a Master.
If she cancels her contract with Rider, the crest worm will consume her
for sure."
"I see. So she can fight and survive, or refuse to fight and be killed by
the crest worm. Those are the only options Sakura has, right?"
"Right. The crest worm will torment its host for as long as the Holy
Grail War continues.
If her condition keeps up, her body will not last long, and her mind will
be destroyed. She has a Magic Crest all over her body, after all.
You should understand how absurd that is, Rin."
"...Yeah. Even though it should be familiar with my body, I still
periodically get the urge to cut off my arm.
I'm like this with one arm, so her function as a human being should be
violated if she has it all over her body.
She's no magus, but a cluster of Magic Circuit. The human mind should
be overwritten by the wave of magical energy."
"Wha―――then Sakura is..."
"She is in danger if her condition keeps up.
I don't know how many more days she can last, but the crest worm will
spread further with each successive day. She will die if we cannot
remove it before it infects her whole body, but her body will not last that
long in any case."
"The only thing I did was to purify the poison.
The surgery to call back her lost magical energy and mind is after this,
but the chance of success is very low.
―――That is all.
To sum everything up, Matou Sakura cannot be saved. Are you satisfied
now, Emiya Shirou?"
"――――――――"
There's no way I'm satisfied.
Sakura can't be saved?
That's ridiculous.
She was doing so well until yesterday, so why are things like this
now...!?
"―――What about removing it? Can't you extract the crest worm?
If you know it's there, you should be able to take it out, right!?"
"Extraction would be difficult. The crest worm has already integrated
itself into her Magic Circuits. Even the one who implanted it wouldn't be
able to extract it now.
...Yes. If you wanted to extract it, you would have to rely on a miracle,
or the Holy Grail."
"――――!"
The Holy Grail.
So that's where it ends up, huh?
Sakura's only choice is to keep fighting as a Master,
and the power of the Holy Grail is the only thing that can save
her――――?
"I understand the situation now, Kirei. Let me thank you."
She bows without showing much gratitude and confronts the priest.
"But isn't this too sudden? The crest worm wasn't implanted in her
yesterday. So why did she suddenly reach her limit?"
"Why do you ask that now?
Matou Sakura's body was tampered with many years ago. The changes
were so extensive that even her hair and eye colors no longer reflect her
heritage. This did not start recently."
"Well, it seems it was never intended to kill her as it's doing now.
It seems Matou Zouken did not intend to use Matou Sakura in this war.
She is not adjusted to fighting. I would assume she was treated that way
because unexpected conditions were met."
"Unexpected conditions, huh? ...I don't know what those are, but that
means Sakura suddenly won Zouken's confidence?"
"Probably. I would assume some change occurred within her that
Zouken did not expect.
But that is only one factor. There are other reasons for her drastic
change.
She is now constantly using magical energy to maintain her Servant. If
she cannot spare any for her crest worm, what will the starving worm
do?"
"...I see. Regardless of the conditions, it'll drain her body to acquire the
magical energy it's not getting―――
But she wouldn't lose magical energy if she doesn't use Rider,
so――――"
"Yes, she should be able to live as before, for a while.
But I don't think the old man will let Matou Sakura do as she wishes."
"......Right. He wouldn't plant a creature like that in her otherwise.
The worm will kill her if she doesn't fight,
and her body will also be destroyed if she fights and uses up magical
energy.
No, not only that, but Zouken can do anything he wants with Sakura
because he's the one who planted the worm in her."
"―――He can do anything he wants with Sakura...?"
"Yes. Zouken is holding Sakura's life in his hands. So defeating Zouken
is the only way to save Sakura.
―――But Emiya-kun.
You have to defeat Sakura before you can defeat Zouken. She's his
puppet. I'm sure he would use her as his shield if you corner him."
"Exactly. Matou Sakura is a convenient tool for Zouken. He will control
Matou Sakura as he instigated Matou Shinji.
In fact, she is superior as a Master. She is urged on by her worm, and she
will run even wilder than Matou Shinji, just like Zouken wants."
"―――――!"
"...But I will be a bit irritated if everything goes his way.
I will perform the surgery on Matou Sakura. I have purified her poison
and anesthetized her.
The healing and the extraction of the crest worm will be performed
next."
"Huh...? Hey, Kirei..."
"It is hopeless, but I will do my best. I cannot simply allow Matou
Sakura to die. And what sort of priest would I be if all I could do was
rely on the Holy Grail?"
"――――――――"
Tohsaka's surprise is natural.
His words are surprising even to me, and I've only known him for a
short while.
...This isn't a guess, but a conviction.
Kotomine is seriously trying to save Sakura.
It might just be because he's a priest, but this is too much even for that.
"...What's going on? This is the first time I've seen you support someone
like this."
"It's not just a whim. It is simply too wasteful to let her die.
Well, I suppose it is better for the two of you to have another Master
eliminated."
The priest's response is plain.
Tohsaka glares at the priest...
"―――――I'll leave her to you. I'm going to come back when the
surgery should be over."
...And leaves the church with those words.
Tohsaka leaves, and the church regains its silence.
The priest silently sees Tohsaka off, and I can't even stand up because I
can't think of anything.
"What are you doing? You are of no use to me here. I want no
distractions. Go kill some time until the surgery ends."
"――――I won't bother you. I trust you when it comes to surgeries.
You helped that woman before too."
"Hah. The scale of this surgery is much greater than before.
Matou Sakura stopped herself by shooting herself. She is suffering from
autointoxication probably because she harmed you. To put it simply, she
killed her own mind to stop herself since she was controlled by
Zouken."
"The procedure I'm about to perform is like starting a heart that has
stopped. ...Well, the crest worm has kept her body alive. If all I have to
do is recover her mind, it should succeed."
"But your presence here is a liability. If you come barging in when you
hear her scream, I will certainly fail. In any case, you bear no
responsibility for her sufferings. You and Matou Sakura are strangers
now."
"――――Strangers?"
"I am telling you not to have any sympathy for her.
There is nothing you can do. Leave, like Rin has done."
"―――Why? Can't I pray for her sake here if I can't do anything?"
"That is a crime. You have no right to share her pain.
Do you not understand? I am telling you the surgery will fail if you are
here. You are only a harmful enemy to Sakura right now."
"Wh――――"
I can't finish my sentence.
His words are heavy, and they are pointing out the crimes I didn't know I
had committed.
"Matou Sakura feels some kind of guilt towards you. If you are near her,
she may refuse to wake up."
"...Guilt towards me...?"
"Yes. It is more like repentance than guilt.
―――She is a victim of sexual abuse. It is easy to imagine the kind of
training Matou Zouken imposed on her.
To state the fact, Matou Sakura is not a pure virgin, but a woman who
knows men."
"――――――"
I'm not surprised.
I know this feeling.
It's just like when I found out Sakura was a Master.
I silently accepted the truth when I saw the Command Spell on her
hand.
"The girl tried to hide that fact from you, but always sought salvation.
I don't know how long the abuse called inheritance of magic lasted."
"But―――what do you honestly think you can do now, when you stood
by her side, completely oblivious, for all that time?
That's what I mean by you not having the right to pray here. But if you
still care for Matou Sakura, leave. That's all you can do for now."
"――――――――"
...I get up.
̊ It's not that he's talked me into it.
It's just that―――what he's saying is correct.
I shouldn't be here if I really care for Sakura.
I shouldn't be allowed to care for Sakura when I can't think at all.
I turn my back to the priest and head for the door.
"Oh. I do not think I even need to mention this, but..."
I don't have the composure to turn around.
I stop, still facing the exit.
"That incident you mentioned earlier. A woman was attacked when
Matou Shinji still controlled Rider. She was saved thanks to you, but she
would have died under normal circumstances."
"――――――――"
I'm pissed.
Somehow, I understand why he's bringing this up now.
"That's right. I need not mention who is at fault here. When Servants
attack people, the responsibility lies on the Master."
"Are you saying Sakura's at fault?"
"Of course not. I am only talking about the responsibility. I am not
talking about good and evil.
In reality, that woman is alive because of you."
――――But...
If I made a wrong decision back then, Rider would've killed that
woman.
That means――――
"Yes, this is about the future.
If Matou Sakura recovers, it will be the same in the end.
The same thing is bound to happen again even if she regains her
consciousness.
Which one will you protect then?"
―――We don't know when Sakura might do the same thing.
"――――――――"
I have nothing to say to him.
I quickly make my way to the exit as if to run away from his words.
"Emiya Shirou. Do you remember why you became a Master?"
I grit my teeth and walk on.
His words are an ultimatum.
"You said you would be a superhero.
Then make your decision.
Will you, or will you not cast aside your own desires like Emiya
Kiritsugu―――to protect your ideal and your belief."
I shut the door.
The door to God's house is heavy like the cross.
―――I smell rain.
The plaza is empty, and no one is visiting the church.
There...
Stands a man, waiting for me without his master.
"―――Archer."
I strangely don't wonder....
Why he's here and why he's waiting for me.
The red knight silently stares at me and closes his eyes once as if to part
with something.
"You know, right, Emiya Shirou?
What you are fighting against, and who you must kill."
He clearly states the question I must answer.
"――――――――"
His words freeze my heart.
...I know.
I vowed to fight to stop the war, to stop Masters who involve innocent
people.
That was my decision, and that's why I asked for Saber's help.
I can't go back on my word.
Then―――Sakura is the Master I should be stopping first.
"――――――――"
I know, but I can't say anything.
"――――――――"
The knight in red remains silent.
We stand there staring at each other under the gray sky.
"......Then do as you wish. My goal has changed. Now that the thing has
appeared, it is not the time to be caring about personal grudges."
"What......?"
"...This is a warning.
If you're going to protect the belief you've had until now, that's fine.
But―――if you choose another path, there will be no future for Emiya
Shirou."
"―――Does that mean I'm going to die?"
"If you equate self-imprisonment with death.
Isn't that right? You have existed until now to let people live. How can
you throw away that oath and discard everyone to save one person?"
His declaring words contain no scorn.
Archer's words contain determination and emptiness.
"I don't know which path Emiya Shirou will choose.
But if you are to deny everything you've done to save one
person―――the crime will definitely judge you."
...Archer leaves.
Unable to stop him, I start down the hill, paralyzed by indecision.
When I finally come back to myself, I'm sitting on the bench in the
park.
I don't feel like going home, and I can't wait at the church.
This park is far away from both.
...It's been a few hours since I found out Sakura is a Master.
Its location suits an indecisive guy like me.
"――――――――"
An answer.
I have to come up with an answer, but my brain is so messed up that I
can't even come up with what I should be thinking about.
―――She has suffered sexual abuse. It is easy to imagine what kind of
training Matou Zouken imposed on her.
To be blunt, Matou Sakura is not a pure virgin, but a woman who has
known men―――
".........Shut... up."
Don't repeat it. I understand.
I'm a magus, even if I'm just an amateur.
I know what it means, and I can tell what Sakura has been
through――――
―――That girl tried to hide that fact from you, but always sought
salvation. Someone who sat by, oblivious, has no right to care for
her―――
"Shut up, shut up, shut up...! I know. You don't have to tell me such a
thing――――!"
...Such a thing...
Why couldn't I notice it?
"......!"
One of my back teeth cracks.
I grit my teeth too much today. It's a wonder it didn't break until now.
"Damn――――Damn, damn, damn――――!"
I grind on the bare nerves.
Pain assails my brain.
But it can't even drown out the hatred in my brain.
"――――――――"
A fire ignites inside my head.
Now that I know the truth, thinking about our time together drives me
crazy.
Sakura was smiling.
She was always smiling gently.
I never knew what kind of pain she went through, and I accepted her as a
matter of course.
...I don't care if her smiles were real or fake.
It makes me want to kill him, just thinking about what kind of pain was
hidden behind her smiles.
"Matou Zouken――――!"
I can't forgive him.
I don't need recompensation. I want to eliminate him and remove him
from Sakura's life.
Because everything is his fault.
Sakura would've been able to live as a normal girl, and she would've
never had a crest worm in her body if it wasn't for him.
She wouldn't have become a Master, and Shinji wouldn't have lost
himself if Zouken didn't exist.
So...
If he had never existed, none of this would've happened――――!
I punch the bench.
The wound on my hand opens up, and blood drips down onto the white
bench.
The clear colors transfer into my head.
"How stupid―――what would've happened if he didn't exist?"
I'm disgusted with my own foolishness.
"...That has nothing to do with this. Why am I pushing the responsibility
onto someone else?"
Why am I trying to make myself feel better?
I won't deny what Matou Zouken has done to Sakura.
Just thinking about it disgusts me. It makes me jealous, as if something
important has been taken away.
But it doesn't lessen my guilt.
I'm the one who didn't notice.
No matter what Zouken did, it's my fault for not noticing.
"――――No. It's not that I didn't notice. I..."
I just didn't try to notice.
The night when I confronted Zouken.
He said Sakura was unrelated, and I believed him.
...How stupid of me.
Why did I believe his words?
There's no way she'd be unrelated when she's of the Matou family.
On the night I lost Saber, I realized Matou Zouken is a monster who
doesn't care about other people's lives.
If that monster gave Rider to Shinji, there's no way he'd do nothing to
Sakura.
But...
I believed his words because they were convenient for me.
I could've easily realized it.
It's something I could've guessed with even a little thought.
...That's why I wasn't surprised.
I knew it was obvious when I found out Sakura's a Master and that she's
been raped until now.
But I didn't think about it because I couldn't keep going if I realized it.
If I realized, I'd have to fight.
If Matou Zouken is evil...
The superhero has to fight against him.
"――――――――"
...No.
It's clear what I must do.
If Sakura is going to be Zouken's puppet and use Rider to
indiscriminately attack people, it's clear what I must do.
That's why I learned magic.
I've been able to live because I have to save people from unreasonable
disasters.
"――――!"
So it's clear.
It's just like that red knight said.
―――Senpai. If I become a bad person―――
I don't want to hurt Sakura, and I feel sympathy.
But there can be no exceptions.
No matter how important it is to me, if it would create a disaster like that
time...
―――Yes. I wouldn't mind if you do so.
"Uh――――, guh......!"
...I just need to eliminate it.
I shouldn't have to think twice, so why...
"Haa――――, uh, guh――――!"
Why am I desperately trying to keep myself from throwing up...?
"Ah――――haa... haa, haa, haa――――"
I endure the nausea.
...How long has it been?
I don't have time to be worrying about stupid things.
Tohsaka said she'd be back when the surgery ends.
The town smells like rain.
I have to go back to the church before it starts raining, find out how
Sakura's doing, and――――
"Let's play, Shirou!"
I'm suddenly embraced from behind.
"...Ilya."
I can tell without turning around.
The one I meet at this park is always this white girl.
"Heehee, were you surprised? I had to greet you because I saw you."
Ilya laughs cheerfully.
"――――――――"
Her innocence is painful right now.
I know it's selfish of me, but I don't want anyone smiling in front of me
right now.
"Oh. What's going on, Shirou? Why are you ignoring me? It's rude to
keep looking down when a girl's talking to you."
"......"
...I wish she'd be quiet.
I don't have the composure to talk with someone right now.
"Humph. Hey, Shirou! You have to listen when people talk to you!"
"......Ilya. I'm sorry, but I can't afford to do so right now.
If you want to play, you'll have to do it by yourself."
"What? I got to see you, so that's boring.
You never came here after that day. If I let you go today, I bet you won't
come again."
"...I didn't promise to meet you here every day. And it's night already.
Don't Masters kill each other at night?"
My unkind words bring a renewed wave of nausea.
...I hate myself so much that I want to punch myself.
I'm driving Ilya away so that I can be at ease.
"Why? You're not a Master anymore, right? So I'm going to let you go
for tonight."
"――――'I'm not a Master anymore'... Ilya?"
"Hah. There's nothing I don't know about. You lost Saber, and Rin was
almost defeated by Rider. But Rider's Master collapsed, so there are only
two more left."
Ilya speaks cheerfully.
"――――――――"
It looks like she knows about Sakura's condition and...
"It's obvious now who's going to win. Rider's Master will self-destruct,
and Archer isn't a big deal.
No one can beat my Berserker now that Saber's gone.
See, so let's play! You're not a Master anymore, so I'll specially invite
you to my castle!"
Ilya hugs me without reserve.
Seeing her innocent smile makes me so angry that...
"Shut up...! I said I don't have such time! Go play by yourself if you
want to play around!"
"Kya...!?"
I push Ilya away in a fit of rage.
"Oh―――――――"
―――It's too late to regret what I've done.
Ilya is standing there in shock.
I can tell without looking how shocking that must've been for her.
...I have pushed aside an honest, pure show of affection.
It's like a parent rejecting a child.
I have just ruined everything Ilya felt for me.
"――――――――"
She stares at me in silence.
"......"
Unable to hold her gaze, I look down―――
"I'm sorry, Shirou."
A small hand pats my head.
"...What?"
I raise my head again.
Ilya is looking at me with a worried expression.
"......Ilya. Aren't you going to get mad?"
"No. You're about to cry, Shirou. I don't know what happened, but it'd be
too bad for you if I hate you. So I'll be your ally no matter what you
do."
"――――――――"
My vision is covered in white.
...It's just one phrase.
But that phrase washes everything away from my head.
"My... ally――――?"
"Yeah. It's natural to protect the ones you love, right?
Even I know that."
Someone's ally.
Ilya easily tells me the motive to be on someone's side.
"――――――――"
...I know what's right and what's wrong.
What I've protected until now, and what I want to protect right now.
I know which choice is correct, and which is wrong.
With that in mind, I――――
"――――――――"
I'm sure I'll regret it if I lie to myself and keep going.
Where the responsibility lies, existence of good and evil.
Losing Sakura will weigh more heavily on me than either of those
things.
...I don't even need to think about it.
I just want to protect Sakura, that's all.
"―――Yeah. It's a matter of course to protect the girl you like. Even I
know that, Ilya."
"Right? I'm your ally because you're that kind of person."
Ilya smiles delightedly.
"――――――――"
Her innocence encourages me.
...I don't know if this is the right choice or not.
But I do know I won't regret it.
"I'm sorry, Ilya. I have to get going."
"Yeah. I'll forgive you since you have that expression. Let's meet again,
Shirou."
"Yeah. See ya, Ilya. And thank you."
I leave the park.
I start running to the church as if to shake off my doubts.
「――――――――」
...My answer's determined.
I don't know how much Sakura supported me after my father died.
The girl I tried to see as just another fellow student.
I kept on deceiving myself because I wanted her to stay by my side.
But such deception will no longer work.
―――Emiya Shirou does not want to lose Matou Sakura.
That's all.
If I can't think things through, I'll just have to trust in the only definite
feeling I have.
...But within my determination...
'If you are to protect just one person――'
...I can't shake off Archer's premonitory words.
Rain starts.
The winter rain mercilessly shoots down at me as I run.
INTERLUDE BEGIN
...Dragging sounds.
These sounds are familiar.
They are the sounds of crawling worms.
"――――――――"
This place is familiar as well.
The dark, damp, secret room.
An underground mausoleum.
This green room is the first room given to her after she was adopted by
the Matou family.
"――――――――"
A lone figure stands in the center of the room.
...It may not be human, but its appearance is that of a human.
This figure called for her, commanding her to fight in Matou Shinji's
place.
"――――――――"
She was prepared for this.
At the very least, she accepted the possibility up until two days ago.
But now her determination is gone.
Once she discovered that Emiya Shirou is a Master, her will to fight left
her.
She visited the Emiya household to keep watch over him.
But Emiya Shirou did not have the aptitude to become a Master, and he
had no knowledge of the Holy Grail War.
That fact became clear at once. Thus, there was never a reason to keep
watch over him.
She stayed as his underclassman, using the role of keeping watch over
him as an excuse.
She had an optimistic view that there would be no need to fight him.
Although she knew her true identity may be revealed at some point, she
never dreamed that they would end up fighting one another.
So―――how did it come to this?
"...Grandfather. Do all Masters need to be killed?"
She knows what the old man's reply is going to be.
She knows, but she can only ask.
But...
"Well. You can keep one or two as playthings, if you like. All I want is
their Servants. After stealing them, you may turn the Masters into your
toys or puppets."
The old man's answer is not what she expected.
"――――――――What...?"
"Do you not understand? I said there is no need to kill all the Masters.
We will eliminate those that are dangerous to keep alive, but those who
will not be obstacles can be spared.
It is the wish of my cute granddaughter, so I shall be a bit flexible, even
if this is our greatest desire."
Hearing his words, she lowers her guard a bit.
...The old man becomes strangely kind sometimes.
When teaching her the family's magic, he is an inhuman monster, as
cruel as a beast.
But sometimes, when they are talking, he becomes just a good-natured
old man.
"......"
But she cannot be deceived.
She does not know if this is a whim or a calculated act of kindness.
Moreover, she knows she will end up fighting him if she agrees.
Even if she does not have to kill him, just having to fight him is bad
enough.
"Is that still not enough? ...My, you are a troubling one. That cowardice
will prevent you from ever obtaining what you desire. Look, this is a
good opportunity. If you want something, take it by force.
Sakura. How long do you plan to remain a mere watcher? Reach out and
claim your desire.
You have the power and the right."
"......"
She does not answer.
First of all, there is nothing she wants.
She admires him, but she would never expect him to accept her.
She is impure. She is not suited for him.
So someone more appropriate should stand next to him.
All she wanted was to be by his side until that time came.
It'll all be ruined if she wishes for anything more.
...Not only her...
He, too, will come to a bad end.
"...Grandfather. I cannot fight. I will give Rider to Nii-san."
She speaks with a trembling voice, prepared for re-education.
She knows what awaits her for disobeying him.
The fear of being thrown to the worms, of losing one's sensation, is
something one can never get used to.
The longest she was able to keep her sanity was two hours.
She almost goes crazy, thinking that she will have to endure many times
that, no, at worst until the Holy Grail War ends.
"......"
Her body trembles.
Fear of punishment makes her want to scream.
...But it is not the pain that she fears.
All she fears is...
...That when the pain becomes unbearable, she will do as he commands.
".........Hm. It cannot be helped, I suppose. I cannot force you and lose
my valuable successor. I shall remain an observer as well in this war."
"――――――――"
She gasps.
She does not know how serious he is, but he has accepted her excuse.
The trembling goes away, replaced by a warm sense of relief.
―――But into that defenseless mind...
"But it is a bit disappointing. Looking at all the Masters in this war, the
daughter of Tohsaka is looking pretty good. The unlikely might happen
if luck favors her."
...Enters the old man's disappointed voice.
"――――Nee-san is?"
Evil enters at that time.
She knows it intuitively.
Nee-san will certainly win. She is that kind of a person. She obtains
everything she wants and passes through as if it's natural.
...Nee-san will take everything she wants without even a glance towards
her, the one standing in place.
Then――――Nee-san will win.
"――――――――"
Her body turns cold as ice.
...She doesn't care about that.
She's used to it.
She's used to it.
She's used to it.
―――She's used to such treatment.
Nee-san will take it all.
Nee-san is going to eliminate everything, the pain she went through, the
bright future ahead of her, and the only person she can rely on――――
"――――――――"
...The ground wavers beneath her.
The words make her dizzy and nauseous.
...Her chest is hurting.
Something unpleasant assails her.
...As if a needle is in her chest.
...It has started raining.
The chilly winter rain mercilessly beats against the gutters.
"―――――――"
She slowly opens her eyes.
...It seems she was dreaming about what happened a few days ago.
She is sleeping on an operating table in a room made of stone.
In front of her is a black priest she has never seen before.
"You are finally awake. Do I need to explain to you what is going on,
Matou Sakura?"
".........No. It's my body. I know all about it."
She answers simply.
She does not focus on him, but on the sound of the rain against the
walls.
"All right. Then get changed quickly. Tohsaka Rin and Emiya Shirou are
waiting in the next room. We have to explain your situation to them. You
cannot run after that if you are naked, right?"
"......Are you going to let me run away?"
"That is your decision. I merely helped you. It is not for me to plan your
actions for you.
Well, it was a waste for me to save you if you die. I do want you to
remain until the very end, though."
"...Why is that?"
"It is more fun that way. Tohsaka Rin and Emiya Shirou will suffer more
if you live. It is delightful the more sufferers there are."
The priest turns his back after he answers.
The priest will go to the chapel now.
He does not look back at her, hugging her knees on the operating table.
"Well. Will they kill you, or will they let you live? You may wait here if
you are interested in their decision. Though it does not look it, this
building has a flimsy structure. For some reason, you can hear all the
conversation going on in the chapel."
He smiles and leaves.
"......Senpai. What should I do?"
She embraces her knees.
The quiet weeping is drowned out by the sound of rain.
INTERLUDE END
―――I open the door.
Tohsaka is already here, standing in the corner of the chapel.
She's not sitting down but standing there, and I can see her
determination.
She has the cold face of a magus, saying Sakura will be her enemy if the
crest worm isn't removed.
"......"
Tohsaka doesn't look at me, and I have nothing to say to her either.
―――The sound of rain echoes inside the chapel.
How long has it been?
"The operation is complete. There is nothing more I can do."
Breaking the deep silence, Kotomine Kirei appears.
"Eh――――hey, Kirei. What happened to your Magic Crest?"
"Hm, you can tell? As you can see, I used all of it on Matou Sakura's
treatment."
"―――Y-You used it all?"
Tohsaka is astonished.
"......?"
I don't get it.
All I can tell is that something happened to Kotomine's Magic Crest, and
Tohsaka is surprised about it.
"D-Do you understand? We're talking about a Magic Crest here!
Why does something you built up for generations go away in just a few
hours...!?"
"It could not be helped. The Crest I received from my father is not
permanent, like the one you have. It is a consumption type that goes
away the more I use it. We have never been a family of magi to begin
with.
You can think of it as a lower-rank Command Spell."
"――――Then you really..."
"Yes. I've used up all of it for the treatment. It was the extraction of an
eleven-year old pus. It should not be surprising that it took all of my
remaining Crest."
"――――――――"
...We both gasp.
The priest is saying he used all of his Magic Crest to treat Sakura.
Tohsaka's expression tells me how valuable the compensation was.
Kotomine threw away all of his fortune for Sakura.
"...Kotomine."
"What? Do not tell me it's troubling for you. You two are the ones who
told me to save her. I merely answered your wish."
"Oh... no. It's not troubling at all. ...Um, thank you."
"Do not thank me. You will take it back later anyway."
"――――Take it back later...?"
Does that mean――――
"So, how's Sakura? You did that much, so――――"
"She escaped death, but it is just temporary.
I was able to remove most of the crest worm, but some parts were buried
too deeply to be removed. Some of it has eaten into the nerves. I can
extract it all if I remove her heart, but that will kill Sakura as well."
"All I could do was to remove the crest worm that did not metabolize
with her nerves, decreasing her pain and the pressure from Zouken. Her
life should have ended tonight, but I prolonged it on a whim. Well, it
will all be vain effort if the worm in her nerves start moving again."
"Wha――――then Sakura is..."
"It means nothing has changed.
She will have no problem living normally, but Zouken can easily drive
her berserk.
That old man can force her to fight, whether she wants to or not. In
short, she is a bomb with a lit fuse."
"――――――――"
I'd be lying if I said I'm not agitated.
But I'm not surprised or puzzled.
I've made my decision already.
I chose to be on Sakura's side, no matter what happens, no matter what
state she's in.
"I see. Then there's only one thing left to do. I'm sorry for making you
use you Crest."
Tohsaka starts to walk.
I instantly understand what she's going to do.
"Hey, stop, Tohsaka...!"
I grab Tohsaka's hand and stop her.
"What? Talk to me later."
"What are you saying? Are you planning to kill Sakura?"
"Hey, it's something that has to be done. Didn't you come here, prepared
for that?”
"I'm not prepared for such a thing. I came back for Sakura.
If you're going to kill her, then I'll stop you."
"――――!"
"Then what are you going to do...!?
Look, Sakura can't live unless she fights as a Master.
She has to absorb other people's magical energy to survive...!
Don't you see how this will end!? Killing her here is for her own
good...!"
"...No way! Why are you jumping to conclusions when she hasn't done
anything yet!"
"How could I not? If this were just about Sakura, there'd be hope. But
it's not, is it? That damn old man holds her life, and she's his puppet as
long as he lives.
Do you think he's ever going to let her go?"
"――――That's..."
"See, you understand. Zouken will never give her a moment's
peace. ...Then... If she's going to go through endless torment with no
hope of escape, all we can do is kill her here and minimize the number
of victims. Sakura and all the people Sakura will kill would be saved."
"Unlike you, I can't endanger everyone while clinging to a forlorn hope.
The weakness to delay your decision is going to hurt her even more."
"――――――――"
Tohsaka's right.
It's not that death itself is salvation, but if our goal is to save people, her
solution is the best.
Any other idea would just be a selfish mistake.
Ten people will die if we don't do anything.
But if we can save nine by sacrificing one, then――――
―――That's...
The reality I have always tried to deny, but have known deep within my
heart to be true.
"――――No. You're mistaken."
"Emiya... kun?"
"I won't let there be any victims.
You're the weak one, jumping to conclusions before even trying."
"D-Don't kid me...! Do you know what that means!? Save Sakura? What
does that mean!? Are you going to save both her and the people she's
going to kill!? Don't make me laugh! You can't do such a thing alone...!"
"――――No, I can't. But I'm going to protect Sakura. I'll think about
what the result may be starting now."
"―――! I see, then you're my enemy.
...Let go of me. Or you're going to be blown away."
"――――Go ahead. But Tohsaka, don't think everything will go your
way."
...Our hands tighten on each other.
Mine is from tension.
Tohsaka's is―――well, I want to believe hers is because of tension too.
It's give-and-take, but we can't back down because we both have things
we believe in and――――
"What the...!?"
"What...!?"
Outside the chapel.
We hear the sound from the next room and exchange looks.
"Did you hear that, Emiya-kun...?"
"――――A window broke. And after that..."
"Running footsteps. The only ways out of here are through this chapel or
the back door. What is she doing, breaking the window to go outside?
...Oh, I see. Most windows here have fixed fittings.
She had to break it to get out. For someone who's still recovering, she's
pretty violent."
"Recovering――――do you mean Sakura!?"
"Who else? From the room she was in, you can somehow hear
everything said in the chapel. I am sure she fled when she heard you
discuss killing her."
"Wha-"
"Forgive me. It is a structural defect."
"Don't lie, you fake priest...! I'm sure it's intentional!"
Tohsaka shakes off my hand and starts running.
She runs not to the room, but to the door leading outside.
"Tohsaka――――!"
"We'll talk later! Finding Sakura comes first! Geez, where is she going to
go in her condition...!?"
She quickly opens the door and runs outside.
Tohsaka goes into the rain without an umbrella.
"――――!"
I don't have any time to lose either.
I don't know where Sakura went, but she can't be left by herself
now――――!
"Wait. I do not mind if you plan to search for Matou Sakura, but there is
something I forgot to tell you."
"――――What? I don't have time for one of your long speeches...!"
"Do not say that. This is important. I will be troubled if I do not tell you.
Rin ran off without listening to me, so I need to tell somebody. Do I
not?"
"...Is this about Sakura?"
"Yes. She does not have long to live.
The crest worm continues to corrupt her body as we speak.
It is easy to extract it, but her body would never withstand the shock. It's
like pulling out four-tenths of her nerves. She would die as a human
being before the pain caused her to die of shock."
"But leaving her alone will lead to the same result.
The loss of magical energy is slowly eroding her sanity. Soon she will
lose all sense of self.
Once that happens, she will be nothing more than a rampaging Master.
She will sacrifice many people to maintain her Servant, and when the
strain becomes too much to bear, she will self-destruct.
―――In short, you cannot save that woman, no matter what you do."
"――――――――"
I feel dizzy, as though I'm looking into a strobe lamp.
"Broken things do not repair themselves, and lost things never return. If
you wanted to save her, you should have done so eleven years ago.
Do you still intend to save her, Emiya Shirou?
She will die in the next few days no matter what we do. Is there a
meaning in saving such a person?"
"――――――――"
I can't breathe.
I can barely stand under the impact of his words.
"...I don't know anything about that. But you saved Sakura. Isn't that
reason enough?"
"Well. I only treated her out of duty. I cannot turn away someone who
came seeking help."
"――――Don't lie. You wouldn't use up your Magic Crest just out of
duty. I don't know why, but you wanted to save Sakura.
You didn't want to let her die. I feel the same way too."
I glare at the priest.
...He must understand, because he nods slightly.
"Yes. Then hurry. Rin will surely kill Matou Sakura if she finds her first.
Provide that lost child with shelter before that happens."
He doesn't need to tell me.
Turning my back to him, I follow Tohsaka into the rain.
――――My breath is white.
Under the cold winter rain, my breath seems to freeze and blow back
against my face.
"――――Sakura."
There's no one on the road.
The street lamps light up the night in vain, and I run without aim.
...I'm going to find Sakura.
It's not just the premonition that something terrible is going to happen if
I don't find her quickly.
I just want to hold her hand right now and feel her warmth.
"Haa――――Haa, ha――――"
I run blindly.
I don't know where she went.
...Sakura no longer has any place to go.
There's no place for her at my house nor at the Matou household. She
has to be wandering in the night.
"...She shouldn't have gone far. If you needed to find shelter where there
weren't any people――――"
It's a wild guess.
But the only thing I can do right now is to check every one of the
possibilities――――
"Ha, haa, ha――――ah."
I cross the bridge.
Sakura wasn't around the Shinto station, and I didn't hear anything about
a girl like Sakura being there.
Even though it's night, it's not so late that places will be deserted.
There weren't many, but I saw a few people walking about.
But if none of them saw Sakura, maybe she avoided Shinto and went
back to Miyama City.
She's probably still in her school uniform, so she would stand out in this
rain.
If she wanted to avoid attention, she would head to Miyama
City―――and that's what I'm thinking as I run through the rain,
when...
"――――――――Sakura."
I come to a stop.
Under the bridge.
Sakura is standing alone on the dark, desolate, brick road.
I go down to the park.
...Does she notice me?
Sakura is looking down while exposing her body to the rain.
"――――――――"
...I can't think of anything to say to her.
All I can do is take her home.
"Sakura."
I call out to her as I approach.
"No, please don't come...!"
And...
Sakura refuses with desperateness I've never seen before.
"――――――――"
I stop.
Sakura is still looking down, tightly clutching her skirt in her hands.
She looks like a criminal mortified by her actions. It's heart-breaking.
...I can't go any closer.
I feel that I shouldn't until she raises her head.
"――――Sakura."
"...Please go home.
If you come near me right now――――I don't know what I'll do."
Her voice is shaking.
She's trembling because of the cold rain and her feelings of guilt.
...I can't erase them from her.
All I can do is...
"―――Let's go home. You haven't recovered from your cold yet,
right?"
...Extend my hands.
"...Senpai."
Sakura's wet hair sways.
Sakura bites her lips.
"I can't go. Where can I go back to now?"
Her voice is heavy with self-loathing.
"――――――Sakura."
"It's fine, Senpai. You don't need to force yourself to care for me."
"...Because you know already, right? You heard what I am. You heard
what's going on with my body, didn't you? Then――――this is..."
...All over.
Her white breath tells me the end of her sentence.
"――――Don't say such a stupid thing. What I heard is unimportant.
The only Sakura I know is the one I've been with.
So why does it have to end because of something like this?"
"...Because it will end.
I'm not a virgin, Senpai. I was raped at the place I was adopted as a kid,
and my first time was a long time ago. Not only that, my body has been
continuously violated by unknown things."
Sakura's nails dig into her elbow.
...It's a masochistic action as if punishing the dirty stains on her body.
"――――――――"
"That's not the only thing. I'm a magus of the Matou family, and I've
been hiding that fact from you.
...I didn't tell you when I became a Master, and I pretended not to know
anything when you brought Saber-san over.
Don't you see? It would've been so much more convenient. And you
wouldn't get mad at me that way, right?"
"――――Sakura."
"But I'm really stupid. I shouldn't be able to deceive you, but I thought I
could.
I thought it's fine even if my grandfather's worm is in me. I thought I
wouldn't lose if I held myself firm, but I easily lost.
...The stuff that was splashed on me was just aphrodisiac. It's not poison
or anything, but it makes my body more sensitive. That's all it took to
make me go crazy and hurt you."
"...Tohsaka-Senpai is right. I'm a coward, I'm a crybaby, I'm selfish... I
knew this was going to happen, but I couldn't disobey my grandfather or
end it myself.
I didn't want to be hurt or scared, and I value myself more than others,
so I couldn't find the courage to kill myself...!"
...She's crying.
Sakura is crying.
She's crying and doesn't know what to do, which just makes her cry even
harder.
"――――――――"
Feeling her pain, I regret what I've done.
―――I have never seen her cry before.
The reason behind those tears...
Why didn't I realize sooner that she can only cry when condemning
herself?
"Don't cry――――Sakura."
"You see――――everything is my fault.
I'm just a puppet for my grandfather, and I could go crazy any minute
now. Sooner or later I'll do something terrible. So where can such a
person go, Senpai...!?"
Sakura corners herself.
...Nobody is condemning her.
That's why she has to do so herself.
She has to say she's the evil one. She has to condemn herself and punish
herself.
"―――――So, don't cry."
...Sakura once said it.
That she's a coward who needs someone to lead her by force.
I finally understand what she meant.
Someone I want to protect.
Someone important to me.
Someone I never thought I would lose.
If I don't want her to cry anymore...
I have to take her hand and lead her to a place in the sun, so I should
now――――
"...I'm sorry, Senpai. I've been deceiving you all this time.
I never really believed I deserved to be with you. Every day I thought
about ending it all... just acting like a stranger from that day on.
I'd just pass by you in the hallway, ignore you after school, go home
alone at night, and forget everything that happened...!"
――――Oh.
If she'd done that, I would've gone crazy.
I'm sorry I didn't realize that.
"But I couldn't...! My body would tremble at the pure thought of it, and
it was really frightening.
It was scarier than the time I put a knife on my wrist, and I couldn't stop
myself from going to your house. I was scared of deceiving you, scared
to stop deceiving you, and everything around me was scary. I couldn't
move at all, and I didn't know what to do...!"
But I believe this is for the best.
Sakura says I should never have learned about this.
But if that were the case, she would just have kept on crying.
"...I'm stupid, right? You would've eventually found out. But it's too late
now, and I can never go back to your house. I thought every night that I
should get away from you before it happened.
It's for your own good, and I knew I would stop crying at night,
but――――"
I can't let her cry anymore.
If Sakura has to blame herself because nobody will blame her...
"But―――But I still wanted to hide it from you...!
I wanted to protect my time with you...!
That was the only meaningful thing for me, so why...!"
Even if nobody would forgive her, I would keep forgiving her in her
place.
"Oh――――――――"
I embrace her cold body.
...My arms are terribly unreliable.
I can't hold her tightly, nor can I pull her close.
...I can't save Sakura.
I want her to be with me, and I can only stay by her side.
...Awkwardly, I wrap my arms around her.
Even if this is all I can do right now, my determination is definite and
firm.
"Senpai, I――――"
"Don't cry. I understand you're a bad person now."
"――――――――"
She gasps.
Sakura is confused, torn between guilt and regret.
To deny those feelings, I tell her what I truly feel.
"――――So I'll protect you. No matter what happens, even if you try to
kill yourself――――I'll protect you, Sakura."
"Sen... pai."
"I promise. I'll be your superhero."
...I hold her a bit tighter.
Even if it's just a touch,
I do so to tell her that my oath is more firm than anything.
"......"
How much effect did it have?
The stubbornness flows out of Sakura, and her shoulders relax.
...No matter what she says, Sakura is still the same.
Her sensation and her warmth are the same.
Our breaths are white, and the pouring rain has turned to a drizzle.
In the freezing night...
"No, Senpai――――I'll probably end up hurting you."
Her words sound like a confession.
"――――――――"
The rain is stopping.
The night is cold as midwinter, and Sakura doesn't try to free herself
from my arms.
...And...
"I'm going to hurt you, Senpai, but――――"
――――I want to stay like this.
A tear trickles down her cheek as she says it.
――――And with that, the choice is made.
Something decisive has ended.
I don't know if this is love or not.
But―――a premonition lingers in the back of my mind...
Telling me that the end of this love will not be compensation.
The rain has completely stopped by the time we return to my house.
...We've been holding hands ever since we left the park.
We calmed down as we walked, and by the time we got to the hill, we
were actually embarrassed, but in the end we didn't let go even for a
moment.
"Huh......? The light at the door is on. Did you come back here,
Sakura?"
"...Um, I don't think it's me. It might be Fujimura-Sensei."
"Oh yeah."
We go to the door, hand in hand.
Her cold hand has become warm.
I'm relieved to feel the warmth of her life, and I enter my house as if I've
just come home from school.
"Welcome home. I know it was rude, but I came in without your
permission."
"T-Tohsaka――――"
"Nee...... Tohsaka-Senpai."
"Yes. I guessed you would come back here eventually, but I didn't think
it was going to be both of you. ...Well, I thought it might be possible in
your case."
"――――!"
I quickly push Sakura behind me and confront Tohsaka.
"Tohsaka, you still...!"
"Of course. I can't leave Matou Sakura alone as a magus of Tohsaka. The
Association will be after me if I don't punish her as the supervisor of
Fuyuki. It'll be too late then."
"I don't care about your circumstances. Sakura hasn't done anything yet.
If you still want to do something to her, you'll have to silence me first."
"You're right. You're a free magus that doesn't belong to the Association,
so it might be good to discipline you here.
I'm going to kill Sakura. I'll kill you too if you get in my way."
"......"
My senses become alert.
...Tohsaka's fingertip.
Once it moves, that'll signal the start of the battle.
I'll escape outside with Sakura before Tohsaka can finish her spell.
After that―――I'll decide what to do after that on the spot.
For now, I'm going to concentrate on getting away from here.
The difference in our skills.
I can't even spare to think about what I might do against Archer, who
should be here.
"――――――――"
Tohsaka's lips start to move.
When I notice she's merely speaking, not casting a spell...
"Stop, please stop, Nee-san...!"
...Sakura jumps in between us.
"――――Sakura."
"S-Senpai's right. So far, he's the only one I've hurt. So if he's forgiven
me, I shouldn't be punished yet."
"――――Hey now. Do you really understand the state your body is in?
How can you say that?"
"...I can say it. I'm still fine.
Are you serious, Tohsaka-Senpai? Senpai isn't a Master anymore. Saber-
san's gone, and he's just my Senpai now, but you're saying you're going
to kill him?
"――――Of course. It doesn't matter whether or not he's armed. If he's
planning to get in my way, I'll have to dispose of him."
"――――Then. If you're still going to fight Senpai, I'm going to fight
you. I won't lose to you as Rider's Master."
Sakura is trembling, but she confronts Tohsaka with the utmost courage.
"――――――――"
...Is she surprised by Sakura's determination, or does she think it's
disadvantageous to fight here?
"I see. If you can say something like that, then fight on and win the war
as a Master. Come to think of it, there is one way that you could be
saved.
You would easily be able to disenchant Zouken's bindings if you
obtained the Holy Grail."
"Oh... Tohsaka-Senpai."
"It's not that I'm letting you go.
...We'll have our chance to fight as Masters. I'm just saying this isn't the
appropriate place."
She passes by us.
To my surprise, she doesn't show any enmity as she passes by.
"Tohsaka."
"......Hmph. So our alliance only lasted a day, huh? We can't cooperate as
long as you're protecting Sakura."
"――――――――"
"But don't forget. We don't know when Sakura might run wild.
It's your own fault if you die when that happens, but since you took her
in, you'd better make sure you're the only victim."
She leaves without turning around.
"...Senpai. Um, I..."
"Don't look so worried, you idiot. That's her way of being ironic. It's her
hobby to make fun of people."
"......"
I do my best to cheer Sakura up as we go into the hallway.
We're both freezing, so we should quickly get changed and warm
ourselves up.
'...Since you took her in, you'd better make sure you're the only victim.'
That means that when she kills me, I have to kill her as well.
Tohsaka left, leaving me with what I must do at the very least.
"―――――――"
...That will never happen.
I keep convincing myself as we head to the living room.
...Our clasped hands are really warm.
Sakura is here, alive.
That's all I care about now.
I can't make Sakura uneasy by worrying about other things, but...
"...Hm?"
Wait.
I think Sakura's hand is too warm.
"Sakura. Did your cold get worse again?"
"Huh...? U-Um, how is it? Do I feel hot?"
She must not know herself, as she asks me a strange question.
"No, it's not terribly hot, but you're warmer than me. It feels warm when
I touch you."
"Oh――――i-it's probably a cold...! I think I caught a cold because I
was in the rain for so long."
...?
I don't know why, but Sakura lowers her head in embarrassment.
"I see, you're right. Then you have to hurry and get changed and warm
your body up. I'll cook dinner, so you go check your temperature, and if
it's high, you're to come back to the living room wearing something
warm. I'll make sure to cook something that's easy to eat."
"Oh... N-No, I don't need dinner. Um, I'm going to bed, so you can rest
as well...!"
Sakura leaves in a hurry.
"...?"
Oh well.
I'll catch a cold too if I stand here like this, so I should take a bath and
warm myself up.
I finish taking the bath and return to my room.
Now that I’ve changed out of my wet clothes, I finally feel like I’m
home again.
"-------Phew."
I sit down and let out a sigh while relaxing my shoulders.
...Today was a long day.
Many things happened, and there were many ups and downs.
I sort out the things I've lost from those I still have.
"...Right. Sakura is Rider's Master."
It seems Sakura had given her right to Shinji, but she is Rider's Master
now.
Then Rider must be nearby, protecting Sakura.
"...Yeah. I've seen Rider a few times already.
If she'll be protecting Sakura, I have to go introduce myself to her
properly."
...She's unapproachable because of her appearance, but I think she's
understanding.
I don't know when Sakura will be discarded by Zouken, so Rider is the
only one I can rely on.
...Well, according to Kotomine, Sakura's condition will get worse the
more she uses her Servant, so relying on Rider is a last resort.
“All right. I’ll have Sakura introduce me to her tomorrow.
Oh… but she might hold a grudge after losing to Saber.”
My shoulders slump.
…But Rider will be living here too, so I should at least greet her———
"----Who is it!?"
"......!"
I raise myself so that I can dodge instantly and glare at the shouji.
...Outside the room.
...I can see the silhouette of someone standing on the porch.
"--------"
...There's no reply.
The figure seems to be waiting for my reaction.
"--------"
...Damn.
There's nothing I can use as a weapon here. I guess I'll have to attack
first before----
"----S-Senpai. Um, are you awake...?"
"Huh...? Oh, it's you, Sakura."
I sit back down.
"You can use the bath whenever you like. If you need a change, there's
Fuji-Nee's clothes, right?"
"...Yes. I've already taken a bath and borrowed Fujimura-Sensei's
clothes."
"...?"
...? Then I don't think there's anything else to ask.
"Um... Senpai. Can I come in?"
"Yeah. What's wrong, why are you being so formal?"
The shouji opens.
And the person entering the room is…
"--------"
Sakura, in normal clothes, acting strangely.
I hear someone gulp.
I realize that it’s me and feel myself heating up.
“--------"
I cover my mouth with my hand and look away.
"--------"
This makes no sense.
I looked away, but the urge to look at her is overwhelming.
I don't know why, but Sakura is stirring up strange feelings in me right
now.
“……”
Sakura just stands there.
I finally realize that something else is strange.
"...Sakura, what's wrong? How's your fever? Do you have a cold after
all…?"
"...No. I do have a fever, but it's not because of a cold.
It's not because I'm sick that I'm burning up.”
Sakura looks down awkwardly.
Sakura acted like this from time to time over the last couple of days.
...I thought I'd grown used to noticing parts of her that I didn't know
about, and that she's a girl my age.
But... I think this is on a different level entirely.
“...Sakura?"
"...It's no good, Senpai. I can't suppress it by myself any longer."
"W---What can't you suppress?”
"...Inside... me... even when I was going home with you, just thinking
about how warm your hand was..."
"------"
Sakura sways unsteadily.
...It looks like something more serious than just a fever.
“I… Senpai, why… Ah…”
…I can’t think clearly.”
It’s clear that something is wrong with Sakura.
In that case I should take her hand and lead her back to her room, but I
can’t move.
It’s maddeningly silent.
Sakura draws toward me as though blown by wind.
Her foot catches on the edge of the tatami mat, and——
“———Ah.”
Was that my cry, or Sakura’s murmur?
Sakura collapses feebly.
My feet move again.
I move to help Sakura to her feet——
Too late, I awkwardly catch Sakura.
There is clearly something wrong with her body.
She’s burning up, but only her limbs are cold. Her body is feverish, but
her arms and legs are bloodless.
…This is absolutely not an ordinary fever.
This isn’t caused by sickness, but a poison made by human hands.
My gaze moves.
Sakura is burying her face into my chest.
…There’s a long silence.
She doesn’t make a sound, but Sakura is crying.
“…Sakura.”
“…Senpai. Why did you protect someone like me? I’m already
infested. Even if I like you, I can’t do anything for you.”
So why are you protecting me, going as far as making Tohsaka-Senpai---
Nee-san your enemy?"
...The reason I protect Sakura.
I don't even need to think about such a thing.
"---You're wrong. I just wanted to be with you.
I need you, Sakura, and I couldn't think about being separated from you.
So I can't give you to Tohsaka, even if she is your older sister.”
"Are you saying that as family? ...Or do you see me as a girl?”
"--------"
There's no way that I can see her as family now.
I've wanted Sakura by my side these past couple of days---no, for a long
time.
...It's just that I can't lie to myself any longer.
“——Yeah. I love you, Sakura.”
I say it clearly.
…It’s ridiculous. When faced with the possibility of losing Sakura, my
insignificant facade is finally stripped away.
"...Senpai."
Sakura is trembling.
No, maybe it's me who's trembling.
Of course I'm nervous lying down with Sakura in my arms and
confessing my feelings to her like this.
I put just a little strength into my hands that are holding her.
…It’s quiet.
I thought I’d be more agitated, but after putting it into words, I feel
completely calm.
“Sakura.”
Sakura’s shoulders are moving.
Her head shakes as she faces into my chest.
I told Sakura that I love her. So I want to ask if she feels the same.
…No, maybe I don’t need to ask.
From tomorrow on, we should spend the mornings together like usual.
“…Sen…pai.”
Her frailty takes my breath away.
Her voice sounds even weaker than before.
It’s not the voice of someone feverish.
“Ah… hey, Sakura… ah…”
Sakura is on top of me, and something seems to be wrong with her.
Not only is she feverish, there’s something pitiful about her, as if she’s
enduring something.
"Sakura, hey... hold on, are you okay?!"
Sakura's body is heating up, and at the same time, her limbs are getting
colder.
---I need to calm down.
I can't help Sakura, but Tohsaka---no, that's no good, then I'll take her
back to the church---
no, instead of taking Sakura there, I should call Kotomine here.
"Hold still. I'll help you feel better right away."
"Senpai... I... ah... haa, haa, haa..."
Then first I should put her to bed.
Sakura is clinging tightly to me.
...Her anguished expression makes me bite my lip.
I told Sakura that I love her, but I can't even do anything for her.
“I want it… Senpai, I… don’t have… enough…”
Her incoherent mutter mixes pain and bashfulness.
“I can’t… hold back… I… can’t bare it…”
Our breathing quickens.
Sakura’s pained breath, and mine as I listen to it.
…I can’t stay calm being close to her.
For now, she needs to sleep in a warm bed.
"Okay, Sakura, just--"
“--------!"
Sakura refuses and tries to run away... no, she leans back and grabs my
hand.
“Ah… sorry, Sakura.”
“That’s not it, that’s not it, Senpai… I… no, I can’t…”
I thought Sakura didn’t want to be touched, but that’s not it.
Sakura is behaving inconsistently.
Her arm is gripping my hand as it tried to draw me toward her, but her
upper body is trying to move away.
"Sakura? Hey, Sakura!"
"I can't, if I do that... Senpai will... hate me... Ah... But, it hurts... and
Senpai's hand is... so warm---"
My hand in Sakura's moves slowly towards her.
...I can't pull free.
I can't let go of this frail, resisting hand.
"Ah... Senpai... no, I don't... have enough..."
There's a captivating quality to Sakura's voice.
Sakura brings my hand close, and—
As if looking for relief, she bites my finger.
“Huh—————?”
The surprise steals my strength away.
Why is Sakura doing this?
"...Ow."
She bites into me.
There's a slight pain in my fingertip.
Sakura's teeth tear my skin, and pain and blood begin to pour out from
the inside.
My blood streams out.
Sakura’s shaking gradually slows.
Her cold limbs start to gradually regain their warmth.
"Mm..."
She gulps.
There is a tiny movement in her throat as she swallows the blood.
"..."
The tip of her tongue touches the wound.
It makes a quiet sound as she drinks the red blood.
“…Urk…”
My finger feels so pleasant it’s as if it’s about to melt away.
I feel the sensation of Sakura’s lips, and the occasional gentle touch of
her tongue.
But more than that, with every drop of blood that leaks from the wound,
a sweetly pleasant feeling washes over me.
...I'm sure I've felt this same pain somewhere before.
But I can't remember what kind of experience it was.
It feels so good it seems like a bother to remember.
She's only sucking my finger, but the comfortable sensation runs past my
wrist and up to my elbow.
"Mm... mmm..."
It's as if the veins from my heart to my fingertip have been brought into
sharp relief.
The blood carrying my magical energy spills into Sakura's mouth, and...
"Ah... aah…"
...I look objectively at the reality of the situation.
Sakura is drinking my blood while holding back embarrassment. And
her condition is improving.
Then---what's the problem in what she's doing?
“…Ha…ah…”
How much blood have I lost?
Judging by the weakness from my loss of blood…
...I'm sure I've only lost as much blood as I would from a blood
donation.
Sakura gives my finger a final lick, and with a sound, lets it fall away
from her lips.
We look at each other wordlessly.
Sakura's condition seems to have returned to normal, but she still looks
forlorn.
"...Sakura?"
Finally, I call her name.
I hold back the strange pleasure I felt from my finger, and my unease
about what just happened.
"Senpai... Ah, ah..."
With a start, Sakura lets go of my hand and jumps back.
“Sakura… no, I don’t mind if you can’t answer.”
“…I’m sorry.”
Her voice is so quiet it’s like it’s about to disappear.
When I turn to face her, Sakura hangs her head as though cowering, her
hands in her lap.
“…You know, right, Senpai?”
“I was trained as a magus of the Matou household.
…Grandfather tampered with my body so that he could turn a child of
another bloodline into a magus of the Matou family.
…The result is this body that goes crazy when I don’t have enough
magical energy.”
…A dark rage towards Matou Zouken wells up within me. But even
more than that, Sakura’s passionate, pitiful speech fills my chest with
pain.
"The worms in my body want power from a magus, so they start to ache.
When that happens, I can't hold back anymore.
The worms eat up all my magical energy, and then they say that it's not
enough and they want more. ...So I... Senpai's..."
"So the reason you drank my blood..."
"..."
She gives a small nod.
In this silence, it makes a very definitive answer.
"There's a lot of magical energy in a magus's blood. So I started wanting
to drink your blood, Senpai. If I drank that, it would replenish my
magical energy, and it would relieve the weird things happening to my
body."
...I see.
Going back to being Rider's Master greatly increased Sakura's
consumption of magical energy.
...She was able to live normally without difficulty up until now, but now
even that takes up magical energy.
"There's something wrong with me, isn't there. I-it makes sense that
you'd turn away from me, Senpai.
I've been aching ever since we came home together, and I couldn't think
of anything but you, and even though you're trying to help me I took it
from you by force----"
"------"
"...Senpai. I'm strange, aren't I."
Her voice breaks.
“Even when you were holding me and worrying about me, I wanted to
drink your blood.
You said you loved me as a girl, but sucking your blood was all I could
think about.
All I could hear was the worms moaning. I wanted to feel better, I just
wanted to feel better soon, so I wanted Senpai’s, Senpai’s blood
————I thought maybe I didn’t really love you, I just wanted to love
you so I’d be able to drink your blood, so…!”
“———————“
“…I’m sorry. Someone like me who can only think of sucking blood to
make herself feel better isn’t worthy of your love———.”
———It’s obvious.
I don’t even know why I should have to say it.
"----There's nothing wrong with you. You're beautiful, Sakura.”
“Ah..."
I embrace her again and whisper.
Is it because Sakura is shaking and crying--- or because I'm saddened
that I can't cry for her?
"...Don't be stupid. How could I hate you over a little blood?
I loved you, Sakura. You're so beautiful I had to pretend not to notice
until now.
...So don't blame yourself like this. It's not your fault your body is the
way it is.”
I stroke her shoulder.
Sakura leans on my shoulder and sobs quietly.
"And you know what? When you were sucking my blood, I was happy.”
“…Huh? But, Senpai…”
“There’s nothing strange about that. Even if I can’t cure you, I was
happy that I could make you feel better. So don’t worry about it. If you
refuse the only thing I can do for you, where does that leave me?”
I pat sakura on the back as if to cheer her up.
"If my blood will help, then tell me anytime.
If it will make you feel better, I'd be happier that way."
...I'm glad that I fell in love with Sakura.
Because even if it's just a little, it's something I can be proud of.
"...I'm sorry, I'm sorry, Senpai, I..."
Sakura is apologizing.
Each time, I stroke her shoulder and tell her there's nothing to be sorry
for.
Sakura is shaking uncontrollably, like a small child.
“I love you, Senpai. I love you, so I thought I wasn’t good enough. But,
if you still love me, then… I have a request.”
“…Okay.”
"If I suffer again, will you... help me?
Even if I drink your blood, you won't hate me?”
I stroke her head as I tell her it’s all right.
Sakura stops trembling, and smiles through her tears.
“…I’m glad that I fell in love with you, Senpai.”
…She gives my cheek a light but affectionate kiss.
Touching the spot where her lips gently touched me, I go red just
remembering it. We touched many times up until now, but now it feels
embarrassing all of a sudden.
"...Well, uh."
“...Senpai..."
We let go of each other and kneel face-to-face.
Everything that's happened up to this point is flooding into my head all
at once, and I can't move.
Sakura seems the same, and our gazes roam restlessly around—
"...Thank you for helping me so much today.
I'm going back to my room... Good night."
Sakura stands up in a hurry.
I have no reason to stop her, and I'm too embarrassed to anyway.
"Good night, Sakura.”
"...Yes. Good night, Senpai.”
The shouji slides shut, and Sakura disappears.
…Now that I’m alone, I touch my cheek and my finger.
The seriousness of Sakura’s situation is inevitable, but when I remember
what just happened, I feel really happy.
"----Time to sleep."
...I want to remember it some more, but there's a lot to do tomorrow, and
I have to think about what to do about Tohsaka, and there's Rider, too.
...Plus the Grail War isn't over yet, and I need to take down Matou
Zouken who's the source of all this trouble, so Sakura—
…See, I really am getting sleepy.
My mind and body are both tired, so I need to sleep soundly now and
give it my all from tomorrow onwards———
I’m dreaming.
I should be sleeping alone, but there’s someone cuddling up to me. I’m
too mentally and physically exhausted to be awake, and Sakura went
back to her room.
So I could only be sleeping beside Sakura in a dream.
“——————“
Even in my dreams, Sakura is drinking my blood.
That’s how stimulating it was when Sakura drank my blood.
...I want to tell her that I love her.
She repeated "Senpai" over and over, desiring me, and I want to respond
to her affection.
"---------"
Sakura is drinking from me.
Even in my dreams, Sakura is drinking from me.
...I'm literally entranced.
It's not enough. It would feel better if it were enough to break both of us.
If creation is a gentle pleasure, then destruction is an intense one.
You see, they are both an undeniable catharsis.
"--------"
What am I thinking?
That's, completely, inhuman.
“Ah————.”
My vision wavers.
Sakura’s not there.
Sakura was drinking from me, but all of a sudden I’m being eaten by
something strange.
“Ha———, guh……”
It’s hot.
My foothold is melting.
I’m sinking into a scalding-hot mire.
I’m drowning, knowing that this is Sakura’s body heat——
…I have a violent dream.
I have an ominous dream in a sea of hot coal tar.
Day 10 (darkwood,sleepingbeauty):
"――――――――"
...I open my eyes.
While staring up at the ceiling, I raise my arm and let it fall to the futon.
"――――It's a bit heavy."
I keep my eyes on the ceiling in a daze, not bothering to get up.
...My body feels dull.
I'm not awake yet, and I feel like I need more rest.
Even though it's morning already, I really don't feel like getting up.
"Hm... Why am I so tired?"
I try to recall what happened.
――――Then.
"――――――――"
At the very least, my sleepiness is blown away in an instant.
"――――Um."
I look beside me.
No one is beside me. All I see is my lazy arm.
"Oh, so Sakura's already awake."
Then she should be in the kitchen.
Knowing her, I bet she's preparing breakfast and letting me sleep in.
"Man, she always pushes herself if I don't stop her."
I raise myself up.
Immediately, dizziness assails me.
"...Whoa. My body sure feels heavy."
Maybe I'm tired.
A lot certainly did happen yesterday, but, um... I don't think what
happened last night would make me this tired.
I haven't been training for nothing.
It must be because I didn't get that much sleep.
"...I couldn't sleep really well. Well, my blood should get flowing once I
start moving around."
First of all, Sakura's in a worse state.
And she's pushing herself even harder, so I can't be resting just because I
feel a bit tired.
Mustering my resolve, I get out from the futon.
"――――Ugh."
And I get dizzy again.
It's not because of fatigue.
It's because, um, my appearance is very unique, causing me to remember
what happened last night.
"......Um. I have to put some clothes on."
I drag the futon with me as I make my way to the wardrobe.
...Crap.
If this is causing me to blush, how in the hell can I greet Sakura...?
"――――――Phew."
I take another deep breath to prepare myself.
"――――――――"
It's all right. I've simulated it many times in my head.
It's nothing difficult. I've greeted her numerous times before, so it's
weird to be nervous.
"All right, I'm going."
I put gasoline into my empty tank.
I turn the key, kick the gas pedal, and enter the living room where
Sakura is.
""――――Oh.""
Then.
Sakura, who I thought would still be in the kitchen, is in the living room,
putting breakfast on the table.
"Uh――――g-g-good morning, Senpai."
"Uh――――Yeah. G-Good morning, Sakura."
We both greet each other with tense voices.
"Um......... well."
"Uh......... um."
I try to say something, but my head is blank.
"――――――――"
"――――――――"
―――This is bad.
It's bad to have silence so early in the morning... no, more than that, as a
man, I can't trouble a girl...!
"G-Good morning, Sakura...! The food sure looks good!"
I talk stupidly.
...Wait, this greeting isn't any different from the earlier one, you idiot!
"Oh, yes! G-Good morning, Senpai!"
"――――――――"
...Um.
I think Sakura's response is the same as well.
She looks at me in surprise, evidently thinking the same thing.
To her, I must look the same way.
"――――――――Hah."
Thinking about it makes me relax.
We were both nervous, but we were looking forward to seeing each
other.
"...Phew. This is the third time, but good morning, Sakura."
I give a natural smile and greet her again.
The instant she sees me relax...
"―――Yes. Good morning, Senpai."
Sakura returns the smile and responds for the third time.
And so our awkward breakfast starts.
"Itadakimasu."
"Yes, itadakimasu."
Even though we can do all the usual formalities, I'm still nervous.
"――――――――"
I eat restlessly.
...Sakura must have gotten over it, as she's eating in a good mood.
...Hmm, are girls stronger in this regard?
"...? Is something wrong? Oh, do you want more miso soup?"
"―――No, I'm still on my first bowl. But it's good. Yeah, it's really
good."
"Yes. I'm confident in today's food, so I'm glad you like it."
"――――!"
Her smile makes me choke.
It's embarrassing to be blushing when Sakura's already composed, so I
start eating to hide it.
"――――Phew."
I put down the empty bowl.
But the side dishes are still untouched.
It was all I could do to finish the rice and miso soup. I don't even want to
think about eating anything else.
But it can't be helped. Forgive me, Sakura.
I want to get away from here and give myself a chance to calm down.
"...Senpai. Um, did you not like the breakfast today?"
"―――――――Ugh."
Strategic retreat, failed.
It seems I'm the only one who didn't notice that there is no escape.
"......"
I hand her the bowl silently.
"Oh, seconds!? I made a lot, so please eat up."
...I take the refilled bowl and resume breakfast.
"――――――"
...I guess it can't be helped. I'll prepare myself.
I'll just have to deal with the fact that I'm blushing, and I won't make
excuses for looking at every move Sakura makes.
But still...
"―――Sakura. Isn't she a problem?"
"...? What do you mean by that, Senpai?"
She looks at me in wonder.
In other words...
It seems that the presence of Rider sitting silently next to her doesn't
bother Sakura at all.
"Well, by problem..."
I take a look at Rider.
She must have realized she's out of place.
"You do not need to worry about me. Please go ahead and eat."
Her elegance is a match for Sakura's.
"Huh? Were you feeling uneasy because of her, Senpai?"
"It seems so. We fought several times, after all.
I am sure having your bitter enemy at the table with you is
uncomfortable."
"That's not true. Senpai doesn't hold a grudge against you."
"――――――――"
...This is troubling.
I don't have a grudge against her, but she has a rank of A+ in terms of
people I cannot get along with.
"...What shall I do?
It seems he is not eating much because of me. I can leave if I am
annoying him."
"I'm saying that's not true! Right, Senpai? You don't mind even if Rider's
here, right?"
"......"
I'm troubled.
I'm troubled, so――――
"...All right. I'll be honest.
But I want to tell you beforehand that I'm not good at flattery or pretty
words, so I'd be grateful if you took that into consideration."
I stare at Rider.
I can't imagine what she's thinking, but it seems she knows I'm serious.
"I'll tell you clearly. I don't have a grudge against you. I don't have a
problem with eating with you. Even though I find you hard to deal with,
I do like you, Rider."
I tell her straight, fighting down my nervousness.
"―――Impossible. Are you not afraid of me?"
"Well, you are scary, but you're on our side now, right?
You've saved me once, and you fought to protect Sakura at school.
There's no way I can hate you. ...But like I said, it is a bit tough to deal
with you."
"...I do not understand, but you do not seem to be lying. ...Let me ask
again. You are not scared of me?"
"I said I am scared of you. I'm fully aware how scary a Servant you are.
...But you're good on the inside, and you're really similar to Sakura. So I
can trust you, and I want you to keep protecting Sakura, even if you do
make me a little uncomfortable."
Ugh... It feels like I'm confessing my love to her.
She might ask me again if I keep looking at her, so I'll turn away and
evade the――――
......Wait.
Crap, what am I saying in front of Sakura...!?
"Sakura. You're mistaken. This is about if I like her or not, it has nothing
to do with..."
"I don't care! Well, I now know that you're a cheater who'll fall for
anyone with a pretty face!"
"Mm."
Wow.
Is this the first time I've seen her this angry?
"Wait, Sakura. Calm down. I just like Rider as a person, not a woman.
You trust her too, right?
It's just like that.
First of all, you say she's beautiful, but you're more beautiful to me.
Compared to you, Sakura, Rider is just..."
Wait... I-I just felt hostility from Rider...!
"―――Um, she's equally beautiful, so I don't think we should be
comparing who is more beautiful."
...This is bad.
I feel like I'm hastening the inevitable with each word I speak.
"―――Let's stop. This isn't an appropriate conversation for a meal. I
propose that we start talking about something else."
I raise both my hands and appeal.
You could also interpret it as surrender.
"No, we're not done yet. This is a good opportunity to learn how you
truly feel."
"I agree with Sakura. This is a small matter for me, but we should make
things clear."
They both lean forward.
"Senpai. Which one of us do you prefer?
We're talking about your feelings, so you should know the answer."
Uh.
"Sakura is right. Though it is unimportant, I am curious about your
answer."
Ugh.
""Please tell us.""
I feel my back touch the wall behind me.
There's no retreat, and I'm going to make one of them mad the instant I
open my mouth.
"Uh... guh."
But the problem isn't an instantaneous one.
This problem I've encountered will continue looming over me in the
future.
...Sakura and Rider.
Maybe it's just women's sense of solidarity, but they sure are alike…
Breakfast is over, and it's now nine o'clock.
I skipped school today.
Things are getting serious, so I have no intention of going to school until
the Holy Grail War ends.
My only reason to go to school was to meet Tohsaka.
Now that the reason is gone, there's no meaning in going outside, and
most of all――――
It's too dangerous to have Sakura go outside.
"......"
Sakura's been looking healthy enough, but we don't know when she'll
collapse like she did yesterday.
Although she recovered, thanks to Kotomine's treatment, she's walking a
thin line.
...I don't know what Zouken intends to do, but I can't let Sakura meet
him in her unstable condition.
If the crest worm is activated, it'll all be over.
Shinji did it using a drug.
But for Zouken, the one who put the crest worm there, it should be easy
to activate just by looking at her.
"――――――――"
Kotomine said it too.
That Sakura won't last long.
That I'm the only one who knows about this.
...I can't tell Sakura or Tohsaka.
I have to end the war before Sakura finds out what I'm doing.
I don't have the power to save Sakura.
But the Holy Grail, the thing that is said to grant any wish, should easily
be able to save her.
"Senpai? You're making a scary face and acting strange. We skipped
school, so I think we can relax..."
"No, we should rest after the war. We have to think about how to win
now."
"...Senpai. You still want to continue?"
I'm taken aback by her uneasy tone.
"......"
...I vaguely understood, but Sakura doesn't want to fight.
She should know the Holy Grail is the best way to cure her, but she's not
even considering it.
...Hatred of battle.
Sakura is terrified of harming others.
She's right, and I have no intention of contradicting her.
Sakura can stay that way.
I'm the one who's made her cry all this time. Therefore, it's my job to
fight for her.
"―――Yeah, I'm going to continue fighting. If we could talk it out, I'd
do it, but we can't be saying that. I don't think Zouken will release you,
and I'm sorry, but I can't give him the Holy Grail.
...There are four more Masters. I'm going to make you win and have you
use the Holy Grail."
"...I'm happy to hear you say that. But... can you fight Tohsaka-Senpai?"
"I'll fight her if she gets in our way... Well, I really want to entrust her
with something as dangerous as the Holy Grail. I'm sure she can manage
it and save you as well."
"...Is... that so? She's a magus. I don't think she will think about someone
as weak as me."
"――――――――"
I can't say it's not true.
...Tohsaka is a nice person. I already know that.
But with that aside, Tohsaka is a magus.
Last night, she said she would kill Sakura.
Even though that might've been the only choice at the time, she was
willing to take it.
...So.
If the Holy Grail turns out not to be able to save Sakura, she would
surely use the Holy Grail, something far superior to Archer, to kill
Sakura.
"...You're right. But still, Tohsaka won't be able to do it.
She can't kill you."
"Eh...? Why do you think so, Senpai?"
"Well, I don't have any proof, but deep down she's an amazing person. I
bet the future she chooses is a really happy one where nobody has to die.
So it's fine.
Tohsaka will surely save you in the end."
"...Um. So about Tohsaka-Senpai. You... um..."
"Hm?"
"...No, it's nothing. I'll believe in her if you say so."
"Yeah. Then again, it'd be a shame to put everything on her shoulders,
and I don't want to just hand it to her in any case. I want to be the one
protecting you."
I chose to lead Sakura's way, so I can't give that role to anyone else.
I'm going to do my best to make Sakura happy.
"...Um, Senpai. I appreciate your concern. But I don't think you're in a
state to fight. Saber-san's gone, and you're enemies with Tohsaka-Senpai
now.
There's no need for you to involve yourself in the Holy Grail War. So
please go back to your usual life.
...I don't want you getting hurt because of me."
"Idiot. That's not your fault. I'm doing it because I want to, and it's not
something I can withdraw from now. You should know that too,
Sakura."
I participated in this war as Saber's Master.
I didn't become a Master because I was dragged into it. I became a
Master by choice.
Then―――I can't withdraw now.
I'll fight, even if I have to do it alone.
I will see this conflict to its end.
...This is also my atonement for Saber, who lost her life fighting for my
selfish goals.
"...Then no matter what, you will..."
"I won't stop. So I think we need to come up with a plan of action. Is that
fine with you, Rider?"
"I do not mind. You are correct. What is your opinion, Sakura?"
"......"
Sakura agrees with silence.
...Good, it seems she understands.
"All right. We need a plan, but before that..."
I glance at Rider.
...I'm getting used to her presence, but I want to do something about
this.
"What is it?"
"It's about your eyes. Why don't you take off your blindfold when you're
in the house?
I know about your mystic eyes, so you don't need to hide them, right?"
Isn't it uncomfortable?
"...So my beauty is being spoiled by its appearance?"
"To be frank, yes. Your clothes may be fine, but isn't it hard to keep that
blindfold on? You're beautiful, so why don't you take off that sultry
thing?"
"That is what he says, Master. I shall consider it, depending on what you
say."
"No!
Absolutely not!!"
"Huh?"
...Wait.
Why is Sakura objecting so desperately?
"Why? Doesn't it trouble you to have Rider walking around
blindfolded?"
"N-not at all! First of all, she has mystic eyes. What would you do if
you're affected by them on accident?"
"Hm. Would such a thing ever happen, Rider?"
"Yes. My eyes are more like evil eyes.
It would be difficult to keep from targeting you even if I saved my
magical energy."
"Whoa, are you serious? You can't control your own eyes?"
"No. Hence my title.
...But I cannot hope for an effect equaling yesterday. You now know that
my eyes are mystic eyes of petrification. This recognition weakens the
effect that a surprise attack has, so you should petrify at a slower rate."
"I see. So my body won't suddenly go numb like yesterday?"
"It would depend on the situation. The effect will be magnified if you let
your guard down."
"Hm. So I just have to not let my guard down, right? Then there's no
problem. Even if I'm captivated, you're on my side, so you can dispel me
right away."
"Yes. I will not take your life. In that regard, there is no danger."
"No, no, I said no...! Rider's eyes aren't just to petrify others!"
"You are right. Then I shall keep them sealed."
Sakura lets out a sigh of relief.
"......?"
...Hm.
I don't really understand, but it seems Rider's going to keep her blindfold
on.
"...I see. It bothers me, but if that's what you want, I'll have to deal with
it."
"Yes, I do not like revealing my face. Please do not bring this up again."
Where did her previous lightheartedness go? Rider is suddenly acting
cold now.
...She's hard to understand.
I guess I just can't get along with her all that well.
"Let's get back on topic. About our future course of action... First of all,
you're not to go out of this house, Sakura. It's too dangerous for you to
meet Zouken. I'll handle him."
"That is a proper approach. But how will you defeat that magus? Do you
have any thoughts?"
"――――――――"
...I hesitate to answer if she asks me like that.
There are several possibilities, but I haven't put any thought into them.
"That's――――"
...The choice will likely determine our fate.
There are many choices.
Of them all, the most realistic and reliable method would be...
"――――I think I should cooperate with another Master.
She may not become our ally, but she may help us defeat Zouken if we
tell her about the current situation."
"Another Master... Do you mean Tohsaka-Senpai?"
"Eh? No, it's not Tohsaka. I know Berserker's Master. Her name's Ilya,
and I know she'll listen to me if I go to her and talk."
...And to be honest, I can't leave her all by herself.
Leaving Tohsaka aside, I don't know what Zouken will do.
He's the kind of guy that would implant a worm in Sakura and force her
to fight.
Ilya and Berserker should be many times stronger than Zouken in
combat, but we're talking about that monster. I'm sure he will use any
means possible precisely because he can't beat them in combat.
So even those two should be careful.
"Berserker... You believe that mad warrior will become our ally?"
"They may not become our ally, but they should at least overlook us for
a while. And even if we can't cooperate, I want to warn them at the very
least."
The girl that came to this town alone.
Ilya was raised as a Master and crowned with the name Einzbern, so
she's not a total stranger to me.
"...I see. But Senpai, do you know where this Ilya person is?"
"Yeah, she showed me once before. I remember the way. It's a big forest,
so I don't think it'll go exactly as planned, but I should make it in half a
day."
"Half a day... That means you're going to set out now?"
"Yeah. They say to strike while the iron's hot, and if I head out now, I
should be back by nightfall."
I was pressed to make a decision, but this is good.
Ilya helped me yesterday, so I want to thank her for that.
...And.
It might prove fatal for her if I don't tell her about Matou Zouken and
that mysterious shadow.
"I'm gonna get going. I'll come back as quickly as possible, so you rest
in your room."
"―――Okay, Senpai. Then please, at least take Rider with you. She can
protect you from anything that might happen."
"Oh, yeah. That's safer for me."
...But I can't agree to that.
Sakura is also in danger.
No, she's in greater danger because she can't oppose Zouken if she meets
him.
"No, you protect Sakura, Rider.
If Zouken comes, try to avoid battle since that uses your magical energy.
Instead, carry Sakura and run away. I'm sure they can't catch up to you."
"――――――――"
Rider nods obediently, apparently thinking the same thing.
"See, Rider's saying the same thing. You'll be staying home for today."
"......But it's dangerous for you too. That forest right now is..."
"Don't worry. I'll run away if I think it's dangerous. And Ilya isn't
interested in anyone that's not a Master. It's not dangerous for me since
I'm not a Master anymore."
I pat her on the shoulder and leave the living room.
―――Well.
I'll go to the shed first and find something I can use as a weapon.
Sakura sees me off as I go.
A shinai bag with two wooden swords inside and another bag filled with
light food are the only things I'm carrying.
I didn't bring a map or a compass.
It's a route Ilya showed me with her magic. So all I can rely on is my
memory and my instinct.
"...It's before ten. An hour on the taxi, and four hours on foot..."
I hope that's all the time it'll take.
I'll ask the taxi driver to go slow and find the entrance to the forest.
I'll get off the taxi when I find the entrance, and continue on foot from
there.
―――I'll make it to Ilya's castle before sunset if I take the shortest
route.
I'll figure out what to do next once I've met Ilya.
"――――Shirou."
"Huh?"
...Then.
I hear a familiar voice from behind me.
It sounds practical, and cold depending on how you hear it.
But my name is said politely, with as much intimacy as she can show.
"――――Sab..."
I almost say the name, voicing my impossible wish.
"Wait. I must speak with you before you leave."
"――――Ri... der."
I turn around and accept reality.
Rider is in front of me.
The girl who used to call me with that tone is no longer in this world.
"Fine, but what is it? I'm in a hurry, so please make it short."
"I only have one question. You said you will protect Sakura. But I have
not heard your reasons for doing so, Emiya Shirou."
"Are you saying you can't trust me?"
"Correct. I do not know you as well as Sakura does."
"......"
That's a natural question.
Rider protects Sakura, not me.
As a potential ally, she just wants to know my intentions.
"......Phew. I'll only say this once, so don't ask me about this again. It's
not that I'm putting undue importance on it. It's just not something to go
around telling people."
"........."
"―――Look. I like Sakura. Not only that.
I had slept with her last night."
"...It seems so. Sakura's magical energy was stable this morning. Sakura
would have been sick again if she did not get outside provision.
―――What of it?"
"That's all. I like Sakura, and I made love to her. That's the only reason
I'm protecting her. It's natural for a man to protect his woman, right?"
"――――――――"
"...Then you are fighting for Sakura? Your goal is to save Sakura. You
have no intention of letting her obtain the Holy Grail for your benefit?"
"Well, I am planning to use it. I don't know what the Holy Grail is, but if
it can bring Sakura happiness, I'm going to make full use of it."
"――――Bring Sakura happiness?"
"Yeah. I've made Sakura suffer until now. So I want to compensate for
that by making her happy."
Rider just stands there without saying anything.
...It seems she understands why I'm embarrassed to tell people about
this.
"―――All right. I answered your question, so it's my turn. I have a
request to ask of you."
"O-Okay, I shall answer it to the best of my ability."
"It's easy. Can you not say my name with that accent you just used? Can
you pronounce it properly? It's Shirou. Don't drop the 'u' and pronounce
it clearly."
"...? ...I-I understand. Shirou is fine?"
"That still sounds weird. You don't have to put any unusual accents on
it."
"Um, S-Shirou. Shirou. Shirou. Shirou, no, Shirou."
Rider struggles as she practices pronouncing my name.
......Yeah.
She has a sharp image because of her blindfold and her black clothing,
but Rider is actually sociable.
I'm just guessing, but I think Rider is a klutz in her private life.
"―――Shirou. ...Hm, so is this the correct pronunciation, Shirou?"
"Yeah, it's perfect. I'm sorry I asked you a selfish request."
"Selfish...? You did not like to be called with the accent I used, right?
Then I believe it is right for you to correct me."
"――――You're wrong. I did like the way you called me."
...That's right.
I liked it, so I don't want anyone else saying it the same way.
I know it's a stupid thing to care about, but she was the only one I
wanted to hear call me like that.
"I'm sorry. It's really just something selfish. It's not that you're at fault."
"I understand. I shall not inquire about it if you say so."
"Okay, then I'm going. I'm leaving Sakura to you, Rider!"
I wave to Rider and start running.
I'll go to the intersection and catch a cab.
Then I'll go to the suburbs and look for the forest entrance that I only
saw once.
INTERLUDE BEGIN
――――And she is left alone.
There is no reason for the boy to fight.
The one who is no longer a Master walks into danger while she, the
danger's cause, is resting.
That fact depresses her even more.
"He has headed to the forest. ―――Do you regret it, Sakura?"
The servant asks her master.
The girl does not nod, but narrows her eyes and shakes her head once.
"...I can't regret it, Rider. There's no point now."
"You are correct. That was certainly a meaningless question."
"Yes. But it's not all painful. I know it's wrong to say this, but I'm happy.
I'm happy that Senpai's doing something for me."
But her face is filled with agony.
The mouth that says she's happy is heavy as if bound by a feeling of
guilt.
"But that's wrong. Grandfather will show no mercy. As long as Senpai
keeps fighting, there's a chance that he'll die.
And most of all――――"
It's troubling for her if he stays in the war any longer.
It will bring a bad fate down upon them both.
That's why she wants him to simply return to his normal life.
She will not last long.
That being the case, she wants him to live.
...But...
At the same time, she clings to hope.
For as long as he fights, she can be with him.
No, it delights her that the person she loves is fighting and getting hurt
for her sake.
She doesn't want him to fight.
But having him fight makes her happy.
The two contradictory wishes compete for control within her.
"...What a lie. It's not competing at all."
With a pained murmur, she acknowledges the darkness within her.
Yes.
She wants him to fight. She wants him to save her. She wants him to
answer her to make up for all the times he did not.
For that reason――――he can get hurt.
And she thinks about something she shouldn't.
"Hah, kuh......!"
She clutches her chest.
As if responding to her dark passions, the worm within her stirs against
her nerves.
...It was only for an instant.
She imagined him getting hurt for a mere instant, and the worm has
begun to violate her once again.
Wriggle, wriggle.
Wriggle, wriggle.
Wriggle, wriggle, wriggle.
The squirming in her body makes her ears ring.
It melts into her blood, causing a chill to run through her body.
The feeling stimulates her, and she thinks her body is lewd and evil.
...The worm that melted into her blood becomes aphrodisiac, heating up
her body.
The waves threaten to wash her consciousness away.
She always thinks with her heated head.
That her limbs are too dirtied to be called human limbs.
Sexual desire easily fills her body, and she clings on the ground in a
vulgar manner.
Her panting does not stop, and her hips wriggle like mucus.
It is no different from the thing entangling her nerves.
The worm violates her the more she tries to deny it, her consciousness is
melted away, and...
――――She feels like she is a worm herself.
And in the end, an ominous feeling dominates her whole body.
"Sakura."
"...It's fine. I'm still all right. More importantly, Rider. Please go with
Senpai."
"...I shall obey if that is an order. But Sakura. You do not have long to
live either. To use me is to shorten your remaining life. Is that fine with
you?"
"...Yes. I won't last long anyway.
I'm fine now, but I lose track of what I'm doing if I let my guard
down. ...My memory becomes more vague by the day, and I can't feel
anything in my limbs anymore. Even my sense of time is going, so that a
day doesn't flow properly for me.
...Like today. It feels like it's been a week since I saw Senpai off."
She says it as if it's nothing.
...She has accepted death.
She's fighting the ugliness of clinging to hope, and she has ordered her
to protect him.
"―――Understood. I shall obey my master and guard Emiya Shirou."
"Thank you. ...I'm sorry, Rider. If I'm no good anymore, then go make a
contract with someone else. I don't want Senpai... but maybe it's okay if
it's with you."
She forces a smile.
The Servant in black nods and turns her back to her master.
"...An ill wind blows. I will be using my Noble Phantasm. Is that
permissible?"
"Yes. Please bring Senpai back if things turn out to be dangerous."
"I know. But Sakura.
I believe we should be on guard against that priest over the old man."
Rider speaks without looking back.
"――――――――"
That's a surprise for her.
This Servant does not state her opinions. She silently does as she is told.
She has never shown concern for her the way she does now.
"―――Yeah. I think so too."
She murmurs as if singing.
Her grief dispelled, she is now filled with languorous elegance.
"―――But don't worry, Rider.
He can't beat me."
She smiles like a girl picking flowers.
INTERLUDE END
A few minutes' walk from the national highway.
Even though I've never seen it in person, the forest's entrance looks
familiar. It's white like morning mist, even during the day.
The dim sunlight and fog steal the sense of time from this place.
"...Whoa. Am I really going to be fine?"
I can't believe how reckless I'm being.
I didn't get lost back then because I was watching it through Ilya, but
this isn't something I can manage by memory alone.
"―――No, I can whine later. I'm desperate, so I just have to go tackle
this."
I put spirit in myself as I put the bag over my shoulder.
It's past noon.
It takes about four hours to reach Ilya's castle from here, according to
what I saw.
All I can rely on now are my physical strength, memory, and
recollection skills――――
I walk through the forest.
The smell of sap is a bit suffocating.
The unpaved path is tiring to walk on.
It's been two hours, and I think I'm following the route Ilya showed me.
But it's worrying that there's no sign to confirm that I'm on track.
I can keep walking all day because of my training, but mental fatigue is
chipping away at my energy.
If memory serves, I still have two hours to go.
I can easily imagine what'll happen if I don't end up at the castle in that
time.
My physical limit is far, but I'll make trivial mistakes with a disturbed
mind.
Rehydration and monitoring your condition are your highest priorities
during mountain climbing, and you have to worry about which foot you
step with and the depth of the bare rock you're scaling.
Even though the forest isn't as dangerous as a mountain, this place has a
different kind of danger.
Losing your sense of direction, not knowing where you are...
There's the danger of getting lost, and who knows what beasts you might
encounter.
The beasts living in this vast forest are likely to have their territories.
When people stray into those territories, they're usually attacked.
Walking aimlessly is like asking to be attacked, and even a straight
animal trail needs to be avoided from time to time.
Fortunately, snakes don't seem to exist in this forest.
All I see are traces of wild dogs, and that's rare too.
I bet there aren't many living things here because of the magic of
Einzbern on this forest.
But there are a few wild dogs, and there may be far worse things.
"―――Oh, that way is bad. I'll have to watch out on my way home."
I go around the thicket that an animal may be lurking in and make my
way according to my memory.
Discretion is the better part of valor.
It's a rule of thumb to simply avoid dangerous places rather than waiting
until the danger confronts you and then running away.
"...But still... This forest seems different from the one Ilya showed me."
...The air around me feels different.
An ominous chill runs down my back with every step.
―――Don't go any further.
―――Get out of this forest now.
―――Nobody will return alive from this forest today.
I feel like the swaying trees are warning me.
"―――――Come to think of it, this smell is..."
I thought it was sap, but that's not quite right.
...The sweet smell is nothing like the forest.
This is――――
――――Probably...
"――――――Hold on."
I take out a wooden sword from my bag.
...I stop, concentrate, and strengthen it within a few minutes.
"―――――Something's coming."
...I hear footsteps from the other side of the thicket.
I hear sounds among the swaying branches.
"――――――――"
...It's coming.
It comes out and heads straight for me――――!
I raise my wooden sword.
Tensing my arms, I grip the sword and stand ready.
"That's it, don't move――――!"
"All right, don't move――――!"
We both freeze.
"......"
"......"
............Well.
How should I handle this situation?
"...Hey. Can you lower that? This isn't a haunted house, you know?"
...Tohsaka lowers her guard first.
"Oh, sorry."
I follow her example.
"...Hmph. What a strange place to run into you.
I guess I'd better ask, but you're not just scouting sites for a picnic, are
you?"
"Of course not. What about you? You're not the type to take walks in a
forest. What are you planning?"
"How rude, I do too take walks in the forest. Well, my business today is
different."
She protests.
The surprising part here is that she's not denying that she's planning
something.
"――――Tohsaka. Are you planning to fight Ilya?"
I get right to the point.
"...What if I am? You're not a Master anymore. So you don't have the
right or the duty to meddle with our battles."
"――――I don't. But I'll stop you if you're going to fight Ilya."
"Why? Are you planning to have Ilya join forces with Sakura?"
"That's part of the reason. But you won't come out unwounded if you
fight Ilya. One of you will end up hurt if you two fight. I don't like that.
First of all, I..."
"You decided to fight to stop the battles, right? I see you haven't changed
your mind."
Her sharp tone gone, Tohsaka shrugs in resignation.
"......Oh."
That's Tohsaka's real face that she had on before that thing happened to
Sakura.
"W-What? I can't change it so easily because it's something I decided
on."
"I figured as much. Geez, I've suspected this for a while now, but..."
I don't know why.
But Tohsaka gives an exaggerated sigh...
"You're really stupid, aren't you, Emiya-kun?"
...And gives a smile that surprises even me.
"Wha――――"
"But this is good. You never learn your lesson, but that's what I expect
from you. You should do your best as a clumsy person."
"W-What's with that triumphant expression!? You piss me off!"
"Now, now. So I guess you have business with Ilya too. You're really
planning to talk with her?"
I'm angry, but Tohsaka just stares at me with a smile.
"Hm――――"
...Damn.
I don't know why, but I can never deal with Tohsaka in these situations. I
feel like I'll back myself further into a corner no matter what I say.
"...? Why are you quiet all of a sudden? It's not like you."
"......Heh. Yeah, you're exactly right. I'm going to see Ilya, so don't
bother me. I'll chase you away if you come following me."
"Huh? Oh, you know where Ilyasviel lives?"
"Oh."
Crap.
Me and my big mouth.
"Good, can you lead me there?
I know the general location, but I only have a really old map, and I can't
really trust it. It's great if you know where it is."
"――――Hey now. I told you not to follow me."
"Oh. Can you let me be when you're going to go talk to Ilyasviel? If I
find her first, she'll be too busy to talk with you."
"...! A-Are you threatening me!?
First of all, you're going to fight her even if we go together, right!?"
"I won't. It's best if we can cooperate with her. Our priority is to kill
Zouken, right? I came here to warn her."
"――――! Warn her about what?"
"Matou Zouken is planning something, so I'm going to warn her not to
let her guard down. You remember what happened to Caster, right? It'll
be to our disadvantage if the same thing happens to Berserker.
But I was ready to fight her even though I only came to warn her.
Considering us, we can't just talk.
I thought it can't be helped if we ended up fighting after I warned her. I
have to beat her eventually, so this is just a matter of time, right?"
"But you seem to have expectations. Then I don't need to take risks, and
things can end peacefully depending on your efforts."
"――――――――"
"Hey, don't make a difficult expression! I'll go back without doing
anything if you can persuade Ilyasviel.
But if you fail, we can beat her together or I'll help so that we can both
escape. How about it?
It's not a bad deal, right?"
"...Deal or not, you're going to follow me anyway, right?"
"Of course not, that's a false accusation. We just happen to be heading in
the same direction."
"......"
She's a devil.
But she'll listen to me, so long as I'm guiding her.
Tohsaka will go fight Ilya if I leave her be, but she'll stay quiet if I take
her with me.
"――――I'm not too sure about the way either, okay?
Don't complain if we get lost."
"You don't need to worry. You're heading exactly the way my map says.
We won't get lost with your guide and my map."
"――――――――"
I sigh loudly, making sure Tohsaka can hear it.
"All right, I give up. Let's go to the castle together. You won't fight Ilya,
right?"
"Right, I won't interfere while you're talking with her. She's troublesome
if she's your enemy, but she's reliable if she's――――"
"An earthquake...!?"
The trees shake.
I hear explosions in the distance.
...No.
This isn't an earthquake. Something like a typhoon is raging
nearby――――
"Tohsaka, this is...!"
"――――Berserker. I guess we were a bit too late."
"Wha... Then Berserker's the one raging around!?"
"Yes. We're here, so there's only one person Berserker would be fighting
against. ...What will you do? I'm going, but will you stay?"
There's no time to think.
I…
"――――I'll go too. That's what I came here for."
"Then stay behind me. I'll let Archer lead the way. That way you won't
get cut down the moment we get there."
Tohsaka starts running.
Archer takes form, gives me a single glance, and takes the lead.
"Please be all right, Ilya......!"
I clench the wooden sword in my hand and run after them at full speed.
INTERLUDE BEGIN
The girl flees the castle with the black giant.
It is a baffling escape.
She has abandoned her castle, the place designed to offer her the best
defense, to run to the forest.
――――Danger is approaching.
The girl was the first one to sense the unavoidable fact.
...The "enemy" is approaching the castle.
Because she felt that the enemy is a great one, she maximized the
castle's defense and woke up the giant in anticipation of the enemy.
The giant of steel, Berserker.
Personification of destruction who has his sanity taken away and only
obeys the girl.
With her bodyguard and the castle's protection, she has nothing to fear.
She tells herself this, suppressing her unease.
But.
When the enemy drew near, her giant said...
Run.
Even the one with no reason left understood that he could not beat the
approaching foe.
The girl started running at that instant.
She knows that.
She already knew that.
The thing that reached the outer wall is not something they can match.
The ominous shadow expands with the sun behind it, and it becomes a
great shadow to easily climb over the outer wall.
――――They will lose.
With her aside, Berserker cannot beat that thing.
He will lose if he fights it, and Berserker will not be her Servant
anymore.
That is the root of her uneasiness.
She ran away from the castle not in fear of her own defeat, but in fear of
losing her Servant.
The black giant carries her as they make their way through the forest.
The uneasiness does not go away, but assails her with increased weight.
―――She cannot get away.
The girl vaguely understands that she cannot get away from this
uneasiness and fear―――and the black giant stops.
"Oh. Such wisdom. You came out because you know you cannot win."
In front of them is a withered magus.
Next to him is Assassin, wearing a white skull mask.
Matou Zouken.
She figures out right away he is the magus of Makiri that she was
informed of when she left her home country.
"―――Matou Zouken. So a person that's not chosen by the Holy Grail
is acting like a Master?"
The girl jumps to the ground and confronts the old man.
There is no fear in her eyes.
The enemy before her is not the terrifying one she sensed.
"Hah, chosen by the Holy Grail? Do not speak such nonsense. The Holy
Grail does not choose the Masters. The Holy Grail is just a vessel. Are
you poisoned by the church, saying that it has a mind and that it
consecrates?"
"........."
The girl coldly glares at him as he laughs.
...The Holy Grail does not choose, just like the old man says.
Masters are chosen by the Holy Grail, Servants are given form with the
Holy Grail's power, and they stay in this world with the help of the
Masters.
The rules are intentionally distorted and spread around.
The girl knows that the purpose of the Holy Grail War is actually the
other way around.
The Holy Grail is merely something to be filled.
Masters are not chosen, but prepared as part of the ritual.
And Servants are merely tools used to open the gate―――
"...Hah. Aren't you the one who got your mind poisoned?
The Holy Grail that becomes the container has no will, but the Great
Holy Grail that chooses the Masters does. You people tried to fill the
Holy Grail by summoning heroic spirits because the prototype is here, in
this land.
―――Well, I'm sure the Makiri blood declined because you, the person
concerned, forgot about such a thing."
Her voice is cold.
The old man accepts her scorn with a laugh.
"Oh, there is no need to worry. Makiri's decline will end now. The matter
is about to be completed. The plan was to take part in the next ritual, but
I was blessed with good game pieces. My earnest desire is about to come
true."
"I see. Then do as you wish. I'm not interested in you. I don't like having
vessels besides myself, but you're going to fail anyway. I won't bother
you, so why don't you go back to the pit where you belong?"
"You do not need to tell me. The sunlight is tough on this old body of
mine, so I'll return to my nest once my business is done.
But―――I get rather uneasy when things run too smoothly like this. I
shall take your body just in case. My dearest wish is virtually complete
if I can seize you here."
―――Hostility lights up in the old man.
The white skull gets up, but stops in contrast to the old man's wish.
"――――――――"
It's obvious why.
The white-masked assassin is overawed by the giant who's protecting the
girl.
He has no chance to defeat such a foe.
He will be cut in half with one blow if he steps in――――
The assassin does not move because he is sure of that fact.
"...Heh. Your Servant's a coward, just like his Master. He doesn't have to
fight if he's so scared of dying. Do you two value your lives so much?"
"――――――――"
There's no reply.
Assassin does not speak, but his master laughs in his place.
"Of course I value my life! My wish is immortality. His wish is for his
name to remain forever. We struggle on together for our same goal."
"...Are you mad? You desire the Holy Grail to grant you immortality?"
Hatred shows in the girl's eyes.
His grin widens still further.
It's as if he was waiting for that scornful reaction.
"Of course. Look at this body. It rots by the second, reeking of decay,
melts my flesh and bones, and my brain deteriorates and loses its
knowledge.
―――This pain. Do you understand the pain of rotting alive?"
"...That's your own fault. A human body cannot endure a hundred years
of life. Compensation is needed if you want to surpass that. If it's
painful, you can be at ease if you die."
"――――――――Ka."
The old body trembles.
The magus shakes, as if wracked by coughing, and...
"Kaka, kakakakaka...! I thought so, Einzbern! You people have had the
same thought processes for a thousand years! You are just a puppet, after
all! You will never know what it means to be human!"
He laughs from the bottom of his heart.
"...What did you say?"
"――――Fool. Listen closely, daughter of winter.
For people, there is no regret greater than death. The pain of my rotten
flesh becoming the nest for worms is like a pus in my brain compared to
death.
The sole escape from the pain is to keep myself alive. Saying you will be
freed from the pain if you die is proof that you are not alive.
That is why you are a mere puppet. Your hurriedly constructed body
should not last for another year. A short-lived artificial product cannot
understand human passion...!"
"―――Right, I don't understand. You're an exception even within the
humans. You can't accept your life span even though you've lived for
that long. I can only think that you're crazy.
Do you want not to die that bad?"
"Of course not. I cannot die. I do not want to die. I have to stay in this
world and live on. But I am at my limit. What I need now is a vessel that
will last forever without decay.
――――That is why..."
"That's why you want to obtain the Holy Grail? You seek the Holy Grail
because you're afraid of death?"
"Hah, is there anyone that does not fear death?
Understand, it matters little what conclusions you come to in your life.
You cannot overcome the collapse of your body or the end of the world.
Let this be a lesson to you. If there is a way to prolong your life and if it
is within reach――――humans are creatures that will obtain it, even at
the cost of the world itself...!"
"―――Then you're saying you'll sacrifice everyone else so you can
stay alive?"
"Of course. I would gladly kill everyone in the world if that would grant
my wish.
There is no end to human greed.
I am sure you will cut down all the trees in this forest if the trees are a
medicine to prolong your life. Even if they may only prolong your life
for a day.
Killing a part of the world for another day of life.
That desire shall drive you to go kill every tree in this world."
"You will not care if the world dies because of your actions.
Isn't it natural? Throughout history, humanity has expanded, grown,
prospered, and nourished in this way.
There is no space for chain reaction now. If humans are going to
eventually die off, nobody will care even if I do not act in concert...!"
The old man speaks happily.
After looking at him in surprise...
"―――I'm utterly amazed. You lost your way to that extent?"
The girl speaks in a voice not her own.
"...Wh... at?"
"Recall where our desire for a miracle came from.
Why we are particular about having human form, and why we are trying
to reach an inhuman place while keeping our human form."
"――――――――"
His laugh stops.
The old magus squints, as if peering into the distant sky.
"―――Hah, well said for a puppet. So Justicia's mimicry is already
imprinted in you."
He distorts his face in hatred and glares at the white girl.
"――――Enough talk. The time for play is over. I need your body, but I
do not need your mind.
I, Makiri Zouken, will take the Einzbern's Holy Grail."
"――――――――"
The old man's shadow creeps across the ground.
...With that, the pressure on the girl increases.
"[wacky len=12]"
The black giant enters battle without waiting for the girl's order.
"No...! Come back, Berserker...!"
The girl's voice does not reach him.
The black giant, accompanied by a whirlwind, mows down the pressing
shadow, but――――
INTERLUDE END
Sounds of wind.
The wind running through the forest and shaking the trees is something
I've heard before.
"――――――――"
The tremors are growing more intense.
...We're closing in on the source.
It's probably on the other side of that next thicket.
The battle to decide the strongest is raging just behind those dense
trees――――
"...!"
My feet stop.
A second before I burst into the open, I skid to a halt and hide myself.
"Berserker...!?"
Tohsaka also hides behind a tree and stares at the disastrous scene in the
clearing.
―――The place is literally a battlefield.
There are three Servants fighting.
One is the black giant, Berserker.
Another is the white, skull-masked killer, Assassin.
And the last one――――the last one is...
"...Hey. Could that be...?"
Tohsaka's voice is shaking.
"――――――――"
I can't really hear her.
Even though she's right next to me, her whisper doesn't register for some
reason.
The third Servant.
I'm seeing the one clad in black armor for the first time.
But...
"――――No way..."
She reminds me of someone I know really well.
"[wacky len=9]――――!"
The black giant howls.
An attack powerful enough to destroy a mountain swings through empty
space, smashing down into the ground.
"――――――――"
Even the flying rubble does not cause her to falter.
The source of the raging wind must be that black swordsman, and the
black figure makes her way through Berserker's sword and the flying
clods and attacks at his defenseless body.
"[wacky len=12]"
The anguish is the giant's.
His body of steel can nullify almost any attack.
But the black swordsman cuts it like nothing.
The sword stains the giant's side black, just like darkness consuming
light.
"No, run away, Berserker...! You won't be able to come back if it defeats
you...! You don't have to fight anymore, so hurry...!"
Ilya sounds like she's crying.
"It's useless. You cannot run away after being surrounded by them.
Maybe if it was two against one, but even the great hero will lose here
with three against one."
Matou Zouken laughs.
The two Masters, Ilya and Zouken, confront each other while their
Servants stand in front of them as shields.
In front of Zouken is Assassin, who must have been defeated by
Berserker.
In front of Ilya is Berserker, his entire body covered in black.
...The ground beneath his feet has turned into a black pond.
It is not soil, but a bottomless swamp, sealing his movements.
Not only that, but black veins are coming out of the swamp, restraining
the giant's limbs.
...I know what that is.
That has to be the "black shadow".
But for an instant...
"........."
It looks like something I know.
"――――!"
The deafening crash shocks me back to reality.
...The situation is hopeless.
Berserker is strong.
Even though the shadow has nearly engulfed him, he still stands against
the swordsman.
But he's at his limit.
The black swordsman charges and slashes at Berserker.
Even if they are equally strong, Berserker's movement is further
restricted with each passing second.
...Then...
The balance will only tip further towards the swordsman the longer they
fight.
"――――Hm, the match is decided.
I shall leave the rest to you, Assassin. It will be dangerous for me to
remain here. Capture the Einzbern girl as soon as Berserker is consumed
and return to me."
His figure grows hazy.
He vanishes from the forest, leaving Assassin behind.
"...Look. That thing swallows anything it sees.
All the more if it is a clump of magical energy. Make sure the girl of
Einzbern does not get swallowed."
...His presence, along with his figure, fades away.
Zouken has disappeared.
The only ones remaining are Assassin and Berserker.
And the black swordsman, raising her sword.
"――――No. Even you will die, Berserker. So run away, Berserker."
Ilya murmurs in an emotionless voice.
"[wacky len=12]"
What did he make of that?
The giant advances with a roar.
"Wha――――"
His advance is like a storm.
"[wacky len=12]"
Berserker charges, kicking away the black shadow that has swallowed
him up to his knees.
It is an impossible action.
The mud below him isn't the only thing binding him, as the black
shadow is coiled all about his body.
He cannot move forward.
Berserker cannot even take a step forward with his body bound by the
black shadow.
For that reason, he tore his body apart.
He grabbed his chest, and tore off the black shadow with a sound.
―――He tore off his flesh along with the shadow, going deep enough
to expose his bones.
The giant bursts into motion.
With the force of a whirlwind behind it, the next swing will surely
destroy the black swordsman.
It will be his last attack.
He has ripped his body apart and is executing this attack on the verge of
his death. There is no way his attack isn't fatal.
And in response...
The swordsman meets it with her strong attack.
"No――――stop, Berserker...!"
Ilya starts to run.
She dashes frantically to Berserker, as if she doesn't see the shadow
expanding at his feet.
"Ilya......!"
I can't do anything even if I go out now.
I have no hope of winning against either the shadow or the swordsman.
But still――――
But still――――I have to stop Ilya...!
"No, don't go, Ilya――――!"
I jump out from behind the tree.
I grab Ilya from behind as
she runs toward Berserker.
...The mad warrior's roar, the strong wind, and an explosion that even
takes away my vision.
They all flow into my numb ears at once.
I hold Ilya in my arms as the wind knocks me to the ground.
White light fills my vision, and I can't even manage to stand up.
...No.
Standing up never crosses my mind.
"――――――――"
...My body feels hot.
Something deep within me resonates with the attack.
I don't understand why, but this heat is in resonance with the Noble
Phantasm.
"How―――――――"
My breathing has been deadened, just like my vision.
I can't do anything right now.
My body will not function as a human being as long as that sword is
engraved in my eyes.
"――――――Absurd."
I'm entranced.
My heart is taken away by something I only saw for an instant.
...That thing is an illusion far superior to the numerous other Noble
Phantasms.
There are many that are crafted more splendidly and with better skill.
But the beauty of that Noble Phantasm is not its appearance.
No, to describe this sword as beautiful would only dirty it.
The sword is not beautiful, but sacred.
People's conception, legends weaved only out of hope.
It's not a myth, nor is it inhuman work. It is a crystal trained by heart
alone―――and that is why that sword will reign as the strongest
fantasy.
―――My vision returns.
The sky is lit with dark-red light and is dark like night.
The light that split the forest must have been darkness itself.
The fire is burning silently, but the air is still cold.
Is it something that freezes oxygen instead of burning it?
The darkly lit forest lowers its temperature.
"――――――――"
A swordsman is standing with the black fire in the background.
With Ilya still in my arms, I glare at the pointed sword.
I don't feel any hostility from the swordsman.
I fear my death, and at the same time, grit my teeth in vexation.
―――It's different.
She's a different person.
It's not just her hostility.
...She's...
I don't feel any of the nobility I previously felt from her.
Her helm breaks.
It must have been Berserker's last attack.
Her face is revealed, and although she is completely different, she's still
the same.
"Sa... ber."
"――――――――"
There's no reply.
The now golden eyes do not reveal anything, but plainly look down at
us.
"――――Shirou."
Ilya's voice is trembling.
A sword is pointed at her, and Berserker is sinking into the shadow
behind Saber.
The defeat of her Servant and her impending death.
Any young girl would tremble in this situation.
"―――――――Saber."
I shake off any unnecessary emotions.
I hug Ilya harder and put strength into my free right arm.
――――Now's not the time to be spaced out.
I'm going to save Ilya.
I'm going to save Ilya and return to my home.
So I can't just cower and wait for my death――――!
"――――!"
Saber swings her sword.
She tries to slash at me as I stand up――――and at that instant, parries
three arrows shot from her side.
"Archer...!?"
I get to my feet, still holding Ilya in one arm.
"Don't stop! Take Ilya and run!"
The swords clash.
Archer shot at Saber, and attacked her without pause.
"......!"
"―――――――"
But it doesn't do much.
Even with his godlike speed, Saber easily repels his twin blades.
"Guh...!"
Archer is acting strangely.
Looking, I see that the black shadow is entangling around his feet.
"―――How unsightly, Archer.
True heroic spirits cannot oppose the layer of the cursed world. Right
now, you are no different from the apparitions in this forest."
...The cool voice is definitely Saber's.
She easily smashes the black shadow and...
"Guh...!"
...Sends Archer flying into the forest behind him.
"Wha――――"
She struck with enough force to throw him back, in spite of his defense
and the shadow holding his feet.
"――――――――"
And once again...
Saber confronts us silently.
―――Her eyes.
They tell me she has resolved to kill me if I do not hand Ilya over.
"...Shirou."
Ilya lets go of my arm.
It seems she wants me to hand her over, and the last switch is tripped
inside my head.
"――――Stay back. Tohsaka is in the forest. She should be able to do
something if you make it there."
I push Ilya behind me and grip the wooden sword with both hands.
...I hold it at the ready, right in front of me.
I'll drive all of my power and magical energy as soon as Saber charges at
me.
"――――――――"
That's all I can do now.
I have nothing to say to her.
I can't apologize, nor can I tell her to come back.
I can't say something like that when she hasn't said anything herself.
―――Saber is in front of me as an enemy.
Then the only way to answer her is to fight with all my might.
"......!"
...I take aim.
I won't even try to take her life at the cost of my own. Saber taught me
that such tactics are useless.
An attack with the premise of your death is only effective against an
opponent as strong as you.
Against Saber, I can't hope for something as good as a mutual kill.
Therefore, I'm only aiming at one spot.
Her helmet shattered, so her head must be damaged somewhat.
That's where I'm going to strike with all my might.
I'll defeat my enemy and live on.
Unless I get that clear image in my head, I won't even be a match against
Saber――――!
"――――――――"
She's coming...!
Dodge it, dodge it, dodge it, dodge it...!
I don't care if I look miserable. I don't care if I have to crawl on the
ground. Unless I dodge this attack, I can never protect Ilya――――
"Oh."
―――I'm dead.
I've fought Saber before, so I know this will be fatal.
The lightning-fast attack comes from the upper left.
Slicing through my neck will be as easy as mowing rice.
...But.
My head is still attached.
Saber's sword stopped just shy of my throat.
"――――――――"
...What happened?
She silently sheathes her sword and jumps away.
"――――!"
...Could that be her reason?
The black pond expands on the ground.
The "shadow" is about to crawl out of there.
...I'm sure of it.
That's the thing I saw at the park the other night.
An unknown thing that's just like a cluster of curse―――
"My duty is complete. I shall leave the rest to you."
"I appreciate it. This is an easy job. I can make up for losing against the
Majnun."
Saber walks over to the black mud.
...And.
She sinks into the mud, just like Berserker did.
"――――――――"
I watch her until she completely disappears.
―――I don't care why she's still in this world or why she's my enemy
now.
Now that we're enemies, all we can do is fight.
That is the nature of this war.
"――――――――"
...But still.
I think for a second―――that she wouldn't have been stained black like
that if I had been stronger.
"Emiya-kun...!"
"――――!"
Tohsaka's voice brings me back to myself.
―――In front of me are the approaching "black shadow" and Assassin,
whose white mask is distorted with a smile.
"Let's run away, Ilya...!"
I take Ilya's hand and start running.
"――――――――"
Ilya takes one sad glance at the mud that swallowed Berserker, then
keeps back her tears as she starts running.
We run through the forest.
In front of me is Tohsaka, leading the way.
Behind us is Assassin, pursuing us through the trees.
"Behind you, Emiya-kun...!"
She must be worried about us. Even though she could've escaped by
now, she slows down and turns to look at us.
"......!"
I know that the enemy is right behind us.
But I can't shake him off.
Servant Assassin is after us.
There's no way I can shake him off when I have Ilya with――――
"――――That is far enough. There is no need for you."
"What...?"
I hear an ominous voice right by my ear.
When I look to my side...
I see a white death's head, smiling as he licks the dagger.
"Guh――――!?"
The masked figure is knocked away.
While running beside me, Assassin was thrown off-guard by a kick to
the side.
"...Hah. So you cannot even kill a kid unless you attack him by surprise,
you third-rate?"
Archer does not slacken his pace as he talks.
"I will take the rear. You take Ilya and run.
―――Hurry. We'll all die if that thing catches up to us."
Archer is looking at Assassin and something else that is coming from
behind him.
"――――――――"
...It's after us.
That shadow is coming after us while staining the ground
black――――!
"What is that, Archer...!?"
"We can talk later. Run, kid. You took Ilya's hand, so protect her until the
very end."
Archer slows down a bit and goes behind us.
...At that instant.
Right before he leaves, he gives Ilya a look heavy with regret.
I go through the forest with the sound of clashing swords at my back.
As Assassin follows, he is obstructed by Archer's efforts.
"Nu, guh――――"
Unable to sustain the offensive, Assassin is once again forced to retreat.
Their attacks are matched.
Even the daggers thrown at me are shot down, and it's obvious that
Assassin is not in control of the fight.
But it's not because Assassin is weak.
"Hah――――!"
Archer repels the multitude of daggers.
His vigor is incomparable to before.
――――The scales of victory are tipping towards Archer.
I don't know why, but he is as strong as a fierce god right now.
"Nu――――how can you still move...!?"
With even his strongest attack repelled, Assassin raises his voice as he
retreats.
In response...
"It's simple. I'm not a respectable hero like the others. A heroic spirit that
is not pure is no different from that mud.
In other words――――"
Archer must consider it his chance of victory, as Archer charges.
"Although it is not to your degree, I am a distorted heroic spirit as
well......!"
He cuts the white skull with one blow.
"Gi――――!"
The black cloak scatters in all directions.
Assassin retreats, clutching at his broken mask.
It is not a retreat to regroup, but a retreat to save his life.
The black Servant runs away from Archer and disappears into the trees.
"Nice job...! We don't have to worry about getting overtaken now...!"
"Thanks for the hard work, Archer. You're tired right? You can return to
spirit form and rest."
Tohsaka looks relieved.
"――――Rin!"
Behind her...
"――――Toh-"
It appears, as if born from the trees' shadows.
"Huh, what?"
She looks behind her.
At the same time, the black shadow extends its tentacle and――――
"Toh... saka――――"
I won't make it even if I run.
I'll witness Tohsaka getting pierced by that black tentacle.
"Guh――――"
But the one I actually see impaled is Archer, who pushes Tohsaka aside.
"Huh......?"
Tohsaka looks up at Archer without comprehension.
"――――――――"
It's the end for Archer.
He's still breathing, and he's not bleeding much.
It should be possible for him to heal himself even if he is pierced, as
long as it's not fatal.
...But somehow, I understand that Archer cannot fight anymore.
...That thing kills Servants.
No matter how strong a heroic spirit one is, one cannot beat that black
shadow as long as one is summoned as a Servant.
I vaguely comprehend that fact for some reason.
"No way... What... are you doing... Archer?"
...Tohsaka must have felt the same thing.
She calls to Archer with a trembling voice, stands up unsteadily,
and――――
"Don't come...! Run away, you fool...!"
Archer's shout stops her cold.
―――The black shadow throbs.
The forest is dying.
All the magical energy here is being sucked by that shadow.
"――――"
For some stupid reason, it reminds me of a water balloon.
It's like putting more water into an already-full balloon.
It's expanding beyond capacity, and I get the bad image of it
explo――――
"Crap."
We'll get sucked up.
If we stay here, we'll be engulfed for sure.
...Archer pulls out the tentacle that pierced him and starts to run to
Tohsaka.
Then I――――
I'll protect Ilya.
I can't try to save two people.
Tohsaka has Archer, but Ilya has no one.
Then...
I have to take Berserker's place――――!
"Get down, Ilya...!"
I tackle Ilya, forcing her to the ground.
And the instant I cover her body with my own...
My vision and perception is filled with black.
"Oh――――"
It's hot.
My body is almost blown away.
The condensed and released wave of magical energy rages through the
forest as a storm.
It's not there.
My vision is painted black.
If it's this dark even though I can clearly see, a black sun must have
come falling down.
My body's not there.
It probably melted from the heat.
My body's not there.
The loss of my sense of touch is more disgusting than the pain.
"Ha――――ah――――ah――――"
But that's a problem.
I can't protect Ilya unless I have a body.
The black shadow tries to take Ilya.
I flail my right arm to drive it off.
Embracing her with that same arm, I press her to the ground.
"Ha――――ah."
And I finally realize.
My body's there. My body must be there, or else I couldn't have
protected Ilya.
...Man, I panicked too much.
All I lost was my left arm.
That's the only part of me that vanished without trace. The rest of my
body is still there.
...But I still have the sense of loss.
I only lost one of the two.
But it feels like I lost my whole body.
"――――――――"
...It's disappearing.
The shadow fades away without trace, its energy spent.
...Ilya's safe.
My ears must be numb, as I can't hear what she's saying.
What... happened to Tohsaka?
Archer is... there.
His red cloak is painted a deeper red, and he's so weakened that he might
disappear in the next second.
...How strange.
Why is she here?
"――――Have you gone mad? If you do such a thing, you will..."
"I do not even need to think about it. Two will disappear if I do nothing,
but one can be saved if we transplant it.
...This body is almost dead anyway. If I am to disappear, it will not make
a difference even if my arm is cut off."
Archer and Rider are talking.
...What the hell is going on?
And in the end...
"One would normally die. One cannot survive after attaching a spirit
body to the human body.
But the boy and I are an exception. Rin should treat him appropriately
once she wakes up."
He tenderly runs his fingers through Tohsaka's hair.
――――My vision fades to black.
The dark sun no longer shines on the forest.
Then...
The darkness must be falling on my consciousness.
"――――So this is it. Farewell, Tohsaka."
Archer bids farewell in a voice that sounds just like mine.
INTERLUDE BEGIN
The shadow wavers.
The red knight is covered in blood, and Tohsaka Rin is sitting on the
ground, dumbfounded.
About five meters away from them stand the silver-haired girl and
Emiya Shirou, hand in hand.
...The shadow wavers.
After shrinking like a dead tree, the shadow expands like a blowfish.
No, its poisonous nature is like an uglier deep-sea fish.
The expansion continues without limit, swelling outward and dyeing the
forest black.
――――At that instant.
The red knight dies protecting Tohsaka Rin, and Emiya Shirou survives
by pure luck.
It is fortunate that the ground is uneven.
The expanding shadow passes over Emiya Shirou, who is in a hollow
pit.
But his left arm is above its rim, unable to share in that fortune―――
"――――!"
She wakes up.
It's been half a day since she sent Rider to guard Shirou.
Matou Sakura, who shared vision with her Servant to follow the
situation without ever leaving the house, is brought back to reality with
that scene.
"Haa――――ah, uh......!"
She feels like vomiting.
Her vision is blurred as if she had lost it, because she cut the shared
vision off by force.
Her body is sweating, and as soon as she breathes―――
"Ugh... ha, ahh......!"
What's in her stomach rises up to her throat.
She runs into the dressing room.
She's covering her mouth with her hands, and as soon as she gets to the
sink...
"Uh, ugh, uh...!"
She vomits out everything in her stomach.
"――――Oh."
She stands there with her head down, shoulders heaving.
Her long hair flutters like a curtain, hiding her face from the mirror.
"......No way. Senpai's arm..."
She recalls the nightmare.
...There's no mistake about the vision.
Emiya Shirou lost his left arm while protecting the silver-haired girl.
It melted away without trace from the shoulder down.
"――――What have I..."
Sakura masochistically yells at herself for considering such a thing.
She feels a chill and a strange uplift, not able to think about what
happened and what she should do.
All she knows is that she hates herself.
...She previously got the idea that...
If Emiya Shirou were injured to a point where he wouldn't be able to go
outside, he would not be in danger anymore.
"No... That was all wrong."
Yes, she was wrong.
It will not solve anything.
Was it simply carelessness that made her wish for him to be hurt?
Now he has been wounded, regardless of her wishes.
Not a wound that will keep him indoors, but one that threatens his very
life.
There's no difference between the two.
That's what it means to be injured.
Why did she think that a misfortune to lose a part of one's body is a good
thing?
"Ugh――――ah, uh.......!"
The nausea does not go away.
She does not stop vomiting even after throwing up everything.
Gastric juice and blood.
She thinks that the sharp pain in her stomach and the scratch on her
throat is like a punishment to condemn her.
...And after a while...
Her nausea finally goes away when the gastric juice runs out, and she
regains her composure.
She breathes heavily.
Her shoulders are moving up and down painfully.
She puts her hands on the sink and tries to calm down, as if she's just
finished running a marathon.
"―――But Senpai can't fight anymore."
In a trance, she speaks her true feelings.
A short murmur.
Still breathing heavily, she raises her head.
The figure in the mirror is crushed by a feeling of guilt.
The apologetic expression is caused by her worry for Emiya Shirou's
well-being.
She truly wishes for his safety.
The mirror reflects a face with a crooked smile.
INTERLUDE END
――――It's hot.
I'm trapped in a sultry stone room.
The heat radiating from my shoulder is like a plague of microscopic
bugs eating my cells.
My shoulder. The place where my arm used to be is covered with honey,
and ants are swarming on it so it looks like a carpet.
――――――It's hot.
My body is burning from within.
This isn't like a sultry stone room, but more like a sealed frying pan.
I hear the sound of something burning and realize that I've been
scorched black.
――――――――――It's hot.
The heat melts my mind, leaving my body untouched.
Slowly and fiercely.
It burns through my genes as if trying to overwrite them.
...Is this nightmare finally coming to an end?
――――――――――――It's hot.
The hole is sealed so that the ants cannot escape.
――――It's hot.
――――It's hot.
――――It's hot.
――――It's hot.
――――It's hot, it's hot, it's hot, it's hot......!!!!!
The hole is in my shoulder.
I don't know why, but my missing left arm became a gateway, allowing
the ants to flood into my body.
And the entrance――――the hole to let them out is sealed with flesh
that's not mine――――!
It's changing.
It's changing to something I don't know.
It's coming in.
Knowledge I shouldn't have is flowing into me.
It is his battle experience and battle information.
"Ha――――ah, gah――――!"
This is his Noble Phantasm.
It's not the pair of swords.
Kanshou and Bakuya.
Favoring the treasured swords made by an ancient blacksmith, he
himself was a blacksmith heroic spirit.
That's why he creates.
He duplicates everything he sees and understands.
No.
It is not duplication, but projection.
A unique magic that reproduces the real thing using an image in the
caster's mind.
And―――the heat burning my mind tells me to manage this skill.
"Haa――――ahh, ah――――!"
Don't kid me. That's impossible. It won't fit.
I don't know about projection. I'm not at that level yet.
Cutting corners like this will destroy my body.
First of all, I have my hands full with myself. I can't memorize or use
someone else's ability.
I don't have the needed power to begin with, and we're strangers with no
connection, so there's no way it will become familiar with my body. No,
I won't be able to bear it even if it becomes familiar with my body.
You can't put time out of order or destroy the regularity. Even if you help
me, I don't have the skills to handle it――――
"――――――――"
...My consciousness slowly returns.
I'm sleeping on an unfamiliar bed in an unknown room.
"...Huh...?"
I raise my body.
I think――――I met Saber at the forest, ran away with Tohsaka, and
Ilya――――
"......"
Our eyes meet.
Ilya is beside the bed, staring at me with blank amazement.
"――――I see. So you're all right."
I sigh with relief.
I don't get the situation, but I'm glad Ilya's all right.
"Oh, good! You're awake, Shirou!"
"Huh――――wait, Ilya...!"
Ilya charges at me.
"Whoa."
"I'm glad... I'm so glad, Shirou...!"
Hugging me, she buries her face in my chest and repeats herself over
and over.
"――――――――"
...Man.
I don't get what's going on, but I can't do anything if she's crying like
this.
"Does your wound hurt? I'll make him put on another one if you think
it's slightly strange!"
"......? Oh, it doesn't hurt anywhere. More importantly, can you explain
to me what happened after th――――"
As I speak...
"Gih――――!?"
I feel like a long knife is thrust into me.
"Ha――――gih, guh――――!"
Unable to bear the pain, I tear at my chest with my right hand.
"Shirou...!? Calm down! Don't try to bear it, but try to repress your left
arm...!"
"Oh――――left... arm...?"
......I don't quite get it.
I don't, but I want to escape this pain as quickly as possible.
"――――Haa――――Haa, ha――――ah."
...I relax my mind.
Once I start meditating, I quickly understand which part of me is
abnormal.
I can control it more or less if I know the origin of the pain.
I just need to create a barrier so that the foreign substance can't enter my
body.
"――――Phew. I'm fine now, Ilya."
"Yeah, I can tell. I wondered what'd happen, but they don't seem to reject
each other, at the very least."
"......?"
It seems like Ilya knows what's causing the pain.
"......Hm?"
I look at myself and notice that I'm wearing big hospital clothes.
...No, these are more like restraints.
All I can move is my right arm. Everything else is firmly belted down,
and I can't take them off myself.
"What are these? Why am I wearing something like this, Ilya?"
"U-Um... that's..."
Ilya looks away awkwardly.
"I shall explain the rest, Emiya Shirou."
...Then.
A person I really don't want to see appears.
"She has recovered as well. All I need to do here is to explain the
situation, so leave if you have no business."
"...Hah, yeah right. I'm going to leave with Shirou. There isn't a problem
even if I'm here if you're not going to do anything, right?"
"I see, there certainly is no problem. But I would like to keep the
explanation short. If you will not interrupt, go sit in the corner quietly."
"All right, I guess I'll do so."
Ilya passes Kotomine and walks to the wall.
"――――Well. I shall answer your question before I explain the
situation. Do not be too surprised, Emiya Shirou."
Kotomine reaches out.
He unbuckles the belts and removes the coverings.
"Wha――――"
The arm there is not Emiya Shirou's arm.
I can tell even through the wrapped cloth.
...My left arm is not part of my body.
It is a foreign substance that should not be there, attached by opposing
the natural Providence.
"Kotomine, this is..."
"It is Archer's left arm. In accordance with Archer's wish, I have
transplanted it from his corpse."
"Archer's wish...? Wait, did you say corpse?"
"He disappeared after the transplant was completed. He was almost dead
when he was carried here, but surprisingly, he endured until the
operation ended. It must be because of his capacity for independent
action."
"........."
Archer has been eliminated.
Then the remaining Servants are Zouken's Assassin, Sakura's Rider,
and...
...No.
I don't think I can call her a Servant anymore.
"...Hold on. Archer disappeared, right? Then isn't it weird that his arm's
still here?"
"His left arm would have disappeared too if he disappeared before the
transplant was completed. But that has been cut and planted to your
body while Archer was still in this world.
It is a part of a heroic spirit that has been connected to your Magic
Circuit, and it stays in this world using your magical energy.
...It has become a part of your body after the transplant was completed.
The left arm will remain even if Archer disappears after that. That left
arm is already yours now."
"Then... this is really his arm?"
"Yes. You two would have died in your conditions. Archer lost the core
that anchored him in this world, while you lost your arm in a mortal
wound.
Fortunately, Archer did not have many physical wounds, so he saved
your life by offering you his body."
"――――――――"
...The left arm that melted.
The heat that violated my mind, and this left arm that is not mine.
Everything tells me that the event in that forest really did happen.
――――I fell in that forest.
And I was saved by Archer after that.
"...But is it even possible to transplant a Servant's body onto a
human's?"
"It's possible to just connect them. Spiritual doctors are said to heal the
soul and not the body.
I guess this priest here is the real thing, in contrast to his looks."
"I accept your compliment, but this is nothing to celebrate.
Joining two separate spiritual bodies is forbidden magic. It cannot
succeed.
Spiritual bodies... resurrection and restoration of souls are divine
mysteries that cannot be handled with magic. That is why I thought I
only succeeded in shape, and expected him to die of shock,
but――――"
"...Shirou and Archer are a special case. I found out earlier that he would
pull through if the connection was made."
"...?"
Ilya looks away and lets her eyes wander sadly.
"Oh. Well, I do not know why. All I know is that you two were suited for
each other. I was surprised when I started the operation. Even twin
brothers would not look this alike."
"――――――――"
I flex my left arm to test his words.
...I don't feel anything.
I don't even feel pain. It's like a lump of dead meat.
It doesn't move, no matter what I do.
It's like a hand numbed by loss of circulation.
The sensation of a part of my body not moving brings mental fear rather
than physical pain.
...The left arm is just a piece of metal.
One might feel constricted like this if one became a tin man.
"...It doesn't move at all. Was the operation really successful?"
"Do not wish for such an excessive thing. That is all it can do right after
connecting it. It shall familiarize with your body in a few days. I told
you earlier, but you two are compatible. At this rate, it should heal well
enough to give you no trouble in leading an ordinary life."
"But be warned. I am only saying that the Magic Circuits are
compatible.
No matter how suited you may be to his arm, this arm is the arm of a
heroic spirit, something a human cannot handle. No, it is more like a
weapon than an arm. It is powerful, but it will swallow you if you use
it."
"―――Does that mean I'll self-destruct?"
"Of course. If a human like you uses the arm of a heroic spirit, your
body will be consumed by Archer's arm. No, the term blown away is
more accurate."
"Your body is spiritually far inferior to Archer's arm. Archer's Magic
Circuit will be activated if you use that arm even once.
At that time―――your body will be unable to withstand Archer's
magic, and it will break down.
Look, it is not that your lifespan is shortened with each use.
The time bomb in you will be turned on once you use it."
"――――――――"
...What is that?
In short, that means I'll certainly die if I try to do what Archer does even
once.
"......Then this cloth is for that reason...?"
"Yes, it is a seal. The Magic Circuit in your left arm will not be activated
as long as you keep it on. Your arm is treated as a different object even if
you use magic.
But do not let your guard down. Magical energy flows through your
body even if you do not use any magic. Pain will assail your arm as it
reacts and tries to activate.
Your left arm is covered with the Shroud of Martin to prevent that.
It should be able to suppress the infringement from your left arm to a
certain extent as long as you keep it on."
"Hold on. To a certain extent? That means..."
"It cannot completely suppress your arm. ...Yes, you will be consumed
by Archer's arm whether you use it or not.
If you want to live to old age, become a great enough magus to match
the arm. You should then be able to seal your arm without the shroud."
"I estimate it will be about ten years before the arm consumes you. You
have that much time.
You can become a master magus and control your arm, or you can fail
and be consumed. It is not an imminent threat."
"......"
This is like I was remodeled without my knowing.
...But it's no use complaining.
I would've died in that forest.
Transplanting Archer's arm was the only way to save my life, so
complaining would mean I don't want to live.
"――――I understand. Let me thank you.
...You did another favor for me. Could you please pray that it doesn't
happen a fourth time?"
"I suppose I do not need to worry if you can talk like that. Then go
outside. Rin is waiting for you in the chapel."
Kotomine heads to the door.
I get off from the bed and put on the prepared jacket.
I can't move my left hand, so I just drape it over my shoulder.
"Okay, it won't hurt if I keep my guard up. Let's go, Ilya."
"Oh... yeah, I'm coming."
...I exit and find myself in the courtyard.
The sky is dark, and it's already nighttime.
"I forgot to tell you, but you can easily take off that Shroud.
The choice is always yours. You are free to use Archer's power, but your
survival will not be guaranteed.
Do your best with that in mind."
Tohsaka glares at me as soon as I enter the chapel.
...I don't know what I did to deserve it, but I'm relieved to know she's all
right.
"Well. Everyone is treated now. Emiya Shirou's arm has been
transplanted, and Rin's poison is purified. Is there anything else you
require of me?"
"......Of course not. You might claim our lives as collateral if you do us
any more favors."
"I see. Then we shall be parting here, but let me ask as the supervisor.
What are you going to do now, Rin?
The Holy Grail War is a failure now.
The outcome is practically decided already, as most of the remaining
Masters do not have Servants."
Tohsaka shuts her mouth.
...The match is pretty much decided, just like Kotomine said.
The only Masters with Servants are Zouken and Sakura.
...Ordinarily the last two standing would fight, but Sakura cannot oppose
Zouken. Looking at it that way, it's already over.
"Matou Zouken will either recapture Matou Sakura or kill her. It will be
difficult to stop him, and you are under no obligation to do so. There is
no benefit to kill Zouken."
"Oh, is that because Masters without their Servants can't obtain the Holy
Grail?"
"Right. That is why there is no reason to fight. Any more battle is
meaningless. You would be wise to stay in your mansion and wait until
the war is over."
"―――Thanks for the warning. But I'm not going to forfeit."
"―――I'm surprised. So you cannot give up the Holy Grail?"
"Of course not. I'm still a Master, even if I lost my Servant. Don't
assume that I'm going to forfeit just because I'm alone now."
"Oh. I see, you are certainly right. There is one other who shamelessly
stayed on the battlefield after losing his Servant. So you cannot give up
easily."
"――――Heh, Shirou has nothing to do with this.
This is my decision. I haven't given up yet, and I don't intend to let
Zouken win. Neither of those will save her."
"Tohsaka."
I open my eyes wide and look at Tohsaka.
"W-Why do you look so happy? I-I didn't copy you, okay? I'm not
giving up because I think I still have a chance of winning. I'm not like
you, staying in it even when I don't have any chance."
"―――Yeah, I thought so. That's what I expected from you, Tohsaka."
"......That's annoying in a way too, but it's fine if you understand."
She looks away.
Tohsaka doesn't want to give the Holy Grail to Zouken not because of
her sense of justice.
Sakura cannot be saved if Zouken wins.
If we want to save Sakura, Sakura has to obtain the Holy Grail―――or
else someone who wants to save her has to claim it.
That's why Tohsaka said she or Sakura has to win.
That's the only reason she's fighting against Matou Zouken.
Tohsaka cannot obtain the Holy Grail anymore, but is still wanting to
save Sakura, her younger sister.
"Hm. So what about you, Emiya Shirou? Will you not give up the Holy
Grail, just like Rin?"
"No, I won't stop fighting. I have my goals too. I won't let Zouken do as
he wishes."
"...I see. I shall not stop you if you want to fight. There is a hopeless
difference in your powers, but Matou Zouken is a weak person. I am
sure you can devise some plan."
"............"
"............"
We look at each other silently.
...Some plan, huh?
I can't come up with one by myself, but with Tohsaka, we just might
figure out how to beat the old man―――
Our conversation ends.
The treatment is over, so Kotomine requests that we leave, as we are not
asking for protection here.
"―――I'm leaving even if you don't tell me to. Hey, do you have a
place to go, Ilya?"
"...? I still have my castle, and Sella and Leysritt will come if I call to
them, so I still have a place to go back to. ...Why are you asking such a
thing?"
"Well, it's dangerous to be by yourself, right? I want you to stay at my
place if you don't mind. I think that's more convenient too."
"I don't mind, but I have to refuse. That woman is at your place."
Then.
Ilya answers me in a weird way.
"...?"
I stare at Tohsaka because I don't understand what she means by "I don't
mind, but I won't go".
Oh, she looks like she doesn't want to interfere.
"Oh. So you chose Matou Sakura, Emiya Shirou."
"...Kotomine?"
"I do not mind taking care of Ilyasviel. Even if she goes back to her
castle, Matou Zouken will only kidnap her."
"I refuse. I'm taking Ilya."
"No way. I'm borrowing Ilya."
"I'm sorry, but I can choose where I want to go."
".........
That is unfortunate. So Ilyasviel is to stay at the Tohsaka household?"
"D-Don't say such a stupid thing...! The Master of Einzbern will not go
to Tohsaka's house!"
"Okay. Then where are you going to go? You'll have to go back to your
castle if you don't want to stay at the church, my house, or Shirou's
place."
"I know. That place is my workshop, so I won't go into the care of
another Master. I'm going to do things myself even without Berserker."
"Oh, I thought so. You almost killed Shirou once, but he came and saved
you in spite of that.
But you don't feel any appreciation and you're going back to your castle,
huh?
Did you hear that, Emiya-kun? After all you've done for her, she still
hates you. She says she doesn't want to stay in that tiny house of yours."
"W-What are you saying, Rin!?
I never said anything like that――――"
"You are saying it. You're not going to Emiya-kun's place because he's
unreliable, right? You're saying you're going bacͫ to your castle where
you can feel safe."
"...That's true... But I'm going back to my castle because I have to get
away from Shirou――――"
"Huh? Oh, I see. So him being reliable doesn't matter because you hate
him, huh? Well, why didn't you say that in the first place?"
Tohsaka calmly criticizes Ilya.
"――――Oh."
This is bad.
Just as I'm worrying that this will turn bloody...
"T-That's not true! I never said I don't want Shirou! It's something else
that I don't like...!"
"――――Hear that? You're really popular, Emiya-kun."
Tohsaka smiles gently,
and Ilya glares at her with vexation.
"............"
...Um.
So whose house is Ilya going to…?
In the end, Ilya will be coming to my house.
Tohsaka and Ilya leave the chapel, arguing.
I guess I can say they're getting along.
"――――――――"
...Our conversation is over.
It's our problem now, so there's nothing to talk about with Kotomine.
I follow after them and leave the chapel.
But then...
"Do not forget, Emiya Shirou. That body of yours will no longer permit
you to fight."
The priest gives his usual warning.
"That's not true. It's just that I can't use my left arm. I can still fight."
"I see. By the way, how is Matou Sakura's condition?"
"Sakura's condition...?"
...That's a bit unexpected.
I thought he was going to make more sarcastic remarks, so why is he
suddenly concerned about how Sakura's doing?
"What's going on? What good would it do for you to care about
Sakura?"
"It seems you do not understand. I am talking about your body.
Look, Emiya Shirou. Your body is in critical condition, but Matou
Sakura is carrying a more dangerous bomb. You will be safe if you do
not fight, but she is breaking down with each
passing second. That is why you cannot stop fighting, even though you
know fighting will only bring you closer to death."
"........."
"Emiya Shirou has to fight if you are to save Matou Sakura. But now,
fighting is like committing suicide for you.
Therefore―――you must understand that saving Matou Sakura means
killing yourself."
"......So what? That doesn't concern you at all."
I chose to save Sakura.
I won't back out on my oath, no matter what happens to my body.
"I see. A devotion to offer your life is beautiful.
But is that woman truly so valuable to you?"
"What...?"
"This is your last warning, Emiya Shirou.
To save a life is to satisfy one's desire.
If you would like to keep Matou Sakura alive―――do not forget this
until the very end."
"......"
I go outside.
Tohsaka and Ilya are waiting for me there.
Ilya is looking up at the sky, and Tohsaka is glaring at me like she wants
to complain.
"You're late! What were you talking with Kotomine about, Shirou?"
"Well, it was just his usual criticism――――"
More importantly, there's something that's on my mind, but I don't know
if I should bring it up.
...Tohsaka.
Are you calling me by my first name now...?
"...Hmph, fine. We're short on time, so I'll get right to the point. This is a
serious matter, and we don't have much chance of winning if we go our
separate ways. I'll forgive you for what you did yesterday, so you'd
better be grateful."
Her manner is pompous, but her words are even more so.
...Um, it's hard to understand, but what Tohsaka wants to say is...
"Tohsaka. Does that mean..."
"Yeah, I'm saying we can cooperate!
First of all, you're unreliable. We're both out to defeat Zouken, so I can
cooperate with you!"
Tohsaka continues angrily.
"――――――――"
It feels like I'm hit in the head with a hammer.
The sudden request is a great fortune.
"O―――Oh, thank you! I owe you, Tohsaka!
There's no greater help than having you on my side...!"
I take Tohsaka's hand and shake it up and down.
This is troubling.
I know I'm being too happy, but I can't stop myself.
"Hey, I understand! You don't have to thank me, so hold on...!"
Tohsaka retreats quickly.
...Then.
I don't know why, but she looks at my left arm.
"...Let me ask you beforehand. You do know whose arm that is, right?"
"...?"
I nod, since it's a matter of course.
Tohsaka then takes a deep breath.
"Then you're my Servant from now on, Shirou.
You were saved thanks to my Servant, so that's natural, right?"
...And makes a ridiculous demand.
"Wha―――――"
"―――――What?"
I'm really lost.
I try to figure out what Tohsaka means.
"W-What are you saying...!? It's stupid to claim his ownership just
because of something like that!"
Yes. Ilya can be reasonable, after all.
"First of all, you're completely missing the point. Shirou is mine, so
there's no way he can be yours!"
...I see.
So she's missing the point too.
"Hey, you're the one talking big. Do you think Shirou is yours because
you spared him once?
Then that goes for me as well. I was so angry when I met him at school
that I almost went berserk myself."
"That's just because you're immature. I spared him every day, so Shirou's
life is obviously mine. I can choose to keep him alive or not, and you
have nothing to do with this, so stay out of this."
"I have nothing to do with this...? Don't take me so lightly! I can't
concern myself this much if I have nothing to do with this...!
Archer entrusted me with him, so I'm going to take responsibility and
make sure he stays alive!"
I can almost hear their teeth grinding as they glower at each other.
"......"
I wait for it to end.
...Well.
It's going to be troublesome, no matter who wins.
""So, which one is it!?""
It seems they've realized that fighting solves nothing, so they've chosen
me to make the final decision.
"What do you mean 'which'?"
"So whose Servant are you? I haven't heard your answer yet, so it's best
to clarify it now."
"Yeah. Rin doesn't seem to realize you don't want her, so you have to be
clear.
Come on, say it. You're mine, right?"
"......"
I don't need to think about it.
The one who has the right to order me around is――――
"―――Um, I guess it's Ilya."
I say the name that popped into my head.
"Yeah! You lucky guy!"
Ilya hugs me.
I feel like I'm her brother, so I like how happy she is...
But Tohsaka is really mad, so my happiness adds up to zero... No, I think
it's going in the negatives now.
"...Hmph. You've gone to a lot of work to flatter a little girl, Emiya-kun.
Or what? Do you like little girls?"
Ow... Tohsaka scornfully emphasizes "Emiya-kun" to criticize me.
Her eyes look like they're blaming the socially weak, sending a wave of
pain through my stomach.
"Haha, that's unsightly, Rin. It's unladylike to take out your anger on
someone else when you get dumped. That's why Shirou hates you."
"......! D-Don't talk like a grown-up and say such a stupid thing...!
I only talked about common knowledge, and first of all, who was
dumped by whom...!?"
Tohsaka roars.
Ilya laughs and keeps hugging me.
"See, isn't Rin scary, Shirou?
But don't worry. I'll protect you if she tries to do something!"
Ilya makes a big smile and embraces me.
I'm glad.
I'm twice as glad as before, but...
...Please do something about that cold stare of hers that doesn't let me
excuse myself.
"What? If you have something to say, come out and say it."
"It's nothing. Your interests are none of my business. I'm not happy, but
I'm not going to say anything about it.
――――But more importantly, why?"
She asks me directly.
But...
"Well. 'Why'... what?"
I made my choice without thinking, so I actually don't know why I chose
Ilya.
"...Unbelievable. Do you really have a thing for little girls?"
"N-No way, you idiot! I-I-I just said it because I felt like it, and I'm Ilya's
guardian now, so it's natural for me to choose her! Do you have a
problem with that...!?"
Man, I'm being illogical.
"Yeah! You're my Servant, Shirou!"
Tohsaka is utterly stunned, Ilya is jumping around in joy, and it's a big
mess.
"......You're taking a defiant attitude now. Well, I'll let this go, but Sakura
certainly has it tough."
"――――――――"
I'm curious.
What exactly are you "letting slide," Tohsaka?
"But don't forget. Even if you don't use it, your arm is mine.
―――You have a responsibility to take Archer's place.
Your body doesn't just belong to you anymore."
"――――――――"
I can't argue with that.
Tohsaka lost Archer, and my life was saved thanks to his arm.
...Then I have to help Tohsaka in his place.
".........Yeah, you're right. We'll leave the Servant thing aside for now, but
I'll leave you in charge of everything.
I don't know all that much, so it's better if you take care of the plans."
"That's right. I'm in charge of thinking, and you're in charge of
execution. We're cooperating, so I'll make sure you work hard."
...That's right.
Regardless of how it happened, my left arm has been replaced by
Archer's.
But Archer disappeared without completing his contract with Tohsaka.
It's only right that I succeed the promise he could not fulfill.
"Then let's part here for now. I'm going back to my house to pack, so
you go on ahead."
"......? Pack? Are you going to come to my house?"
"Of course. We're cooperating now, so we have to be together. Ilya
doesn't want to be at my house, and Sakura's living at your place. Your
house has to be the main base, no matter how we look at it."
"Oh, yeah. When you put it that way, it makes sense."
"...Geez. I thought you were firm, but you're pretty loose too. Maybe I
made the wrong choice."
Tohsaka sighs and starts walking in the opposite direction.
"...? My house is this way, Ilya. Why are you following Tohsaka?"
"It's just for a bit. Rin wants my help, so I'm going to go with her. I'll
head over there as soon as we're done, so you go ahead."
"...?"
Ilya's going to help Tohsaka...?
"Really, Tohsaka?"
"Yeah. This is a serious matter, so we need one or two secret weapons. A
secret I can't unlock myself might open to an Einzbern magus.
......But I really don't want to find one. If Tohsaka's inheritance, Kishua's
keepsake, is just as I imagine, it's not something I can handle myself."
"Then I'm going as well. I'm not interested in Kishua's keepsake, but Zel
Schweinorg's treasure chest sounds pretty."
Ilya's skirt flutters as she runs off.
"......Kishua? Zel? Schweinorg?"
I tilt my head in wonder.
I've never heard those names before. Are they famous among legitimate
magi?
INTERLUDE BEGIN
The guests have left.
The chapel regains its silence and the priest looks up at the statue.
"――――Was it fine to let the Holy Grail go?"
The voice comes from behind.
Where was he hiding? The golden-haired man asks the priest cheerfully.
"I do not mind. I never had any attachment to it. I will not stop the Holy
Grail from siding with them."
"You're right. You had no wish from the start――――if your words are
true, it would not make sense to stop the Holy Grail."
The man laughs.
The priest's words...
As if to make fun of the fact that he has no wish.
"――――――――"
He does indeed speak the truth.
It is just that the golden-haired man cannot comprehend the fact, but the
priest has no wish.
Kotomine Kirei does not need the power of the Holy Grail.
All he has is a thorough inquiry.
The Holy Grail merely answers one's wish.
It is a machine to create the desired outcome for one's own question.
Is there a meaning in obtaining the answer that one wishes for?
"Kotomine. Let me ask again. You really have no interest in the Holy
Grail?"
"I have no interest in a machine that grants wishes. The same should go
for you, Gilgamesh.
Our goals are not our wishes. We are merely seeking pleasure because it
is more fun that way.
It is like eating food. A wish is something that is answered. But humans
will not be saved if a wish grants itself."
The priest keeps staring up at the statue.
――――And beyond it.
To ten years in the past, when he still had a wish.
The man is a child his father was gifted with on a pilgrimage in 1967.
The name Kirei is supposedly a word of a prayer.
The father named his son in the hope he would be pure and beautiful.
The boy grew up according to his expectations. Even as a young child,
he had morals and good sense, showing such great insight that people
thought he was precocious.
The father was delighted to be blessed with a great successor, and the
son knew of his father's delight.
It is a great pleasure for a parent to know his child is gifted. That must
have been why the man considered him valuable.
―――Understanding this, the boy grew just as his father expected.
There was no doubt.
His inability to love his father was unrelated to meeting the man's
expectations.
The boy named Kirei grew up healthy.
......But there was one point.
He could not understand the "beauty" of which his father spoke.
―――One morning, he realized the inconsistency.
He woke up, raised his head, and knew.
He was not sure why he understood at that moment.
No, he wondered why it took him so long to realize.
In either case, he knew what he had forgotten.
His father prayed for him to be beautiful and named him Kirei.
That had always been his question.
The things his father considered beautiful...
The boy had never considered beautiful.
It was as simple as that.
He considered moths beautiful instead of butterflies.
He considered poisonous plants beautiful instead of roses.
He considered the evil beautiful instead of the good.
He had a common man's sense of morality, recognizing that it is correct
to be good.
But by his nature, the boy was only interested in the exact opposite.
Nobody can understand the agony he felt.
Even Kotomine himself was never certain whether it was agony or not.
But he worked hard.
He tried to be pure and beautiful, and pursued something he did not have
from the start.
Shaving away the skin, ripping off the flesh, and dislocating the bones.
He even tried looking within his body for what he could not find in his
mind.
His father spent over ten years on his pilgrimage wearing thorned shoes.
The distance he walked could stretch to the moon.
It was not for physical pain. For missionaries, the mental pain is far
more significant.
The boy abstained from eating during their pious act.
If he was a sinner by nature, then according to the morals he believed in,
he needed to punish himself to maintain balance in the world.
Ten years passed.
Unable to reach the epiphany he sought, he arrived at a single conclusion
in its place.
It was simple.
In short, he did not have the sense to feel normal happiness.
Good matters that people consider right and find happiness in.
Philanthropy, trust, glory, safety.
Such matters did not delight him, and it's just that he was born with the
deficiency.
All he took pleasure in was the suffering of others.
Murder by others, love and hatred of others, degradation of others.
Such negative concepts were the only things that made him feel
happiness.
...His misfortune was carrying a sense of morality, even when he had
such a mind.
The child understood at a young age that he was not in accord with the
world, and he tried his best to overcome it.
He did not surrender to his condition by indulging in twisted pleasure.
He tried to save himself, one who could not find happiness in any
normal way, by turning himself into a normal person.
And the path was his creed; to become a priest and preach life like his
father.
――――It is said that God forgives everything.
So he thought God would even save someone "who is not born with it"
like himself.
But the result was tragic.
He abode by the rules of God, followed the law, and lived modestly, but
he could not find any pleasure greater than the pain of others.
He believed in the church's teaching that forbade immorality, yet
immorality was all he had.
But there was no anguish there.
From the beginning, he sought after something that did not exist.
He did not lose something he had, so there was no reason for him to
grieve.
The only thing that concerned the priest as he matured was the question
"why?"
Yes―――at every crossroads of his life.
The pleasure of committing crimes.
One could understand if he reveled in his own corruption, satisfying his
urges by committing crimes himself.
Wealth gained from evil deeds.
It would make sense if he entrapped others out of greed and obtained
wealth.
But.
What was wrong with him to not even have the option of turning from
good to evil?
Who could possibly be born a defective being and end his life still
detached from the world?
Do they not come into this world with the premise that they harm the
world?
Call of good sense.
Acknowledgment of morals.
Trial of justice.
Every one of these conclude that evil should not exist.
――――But what about it?
If it should not exist, why are such things created?
―――That is right.
If one has a deficiency, one should not be born.
The world hates evil and removes the faults.
But something that was never wanted was given life.
There are beings that exist to be hated and die.
――――The man inquired where the crime was.
His reward for years of anguish and blind devotion was not salvation.
Just... "why?"
It is a pure question, and also anger towards something unknown.
"Then why did you become a Master? You do not need the Holy Grail if
you have no wish."
"――――――――"
The inquiring words bring him back to the present.
The priest―――Kotomine Kirei nods in self-derision.
"I did not need the Holy Grail. I was just interested in what was inside
it.
I sought the Holy Grail ten years ago because it tried to exist.
No matter what it may be, I bless anything that tries to come into
existence. That is my job."
"Hah. Is that the case even if you have no interest in what is born?"
"...Of course. Even in the last Holy Grail War, I was not interested in the
Holy Grail or its contents. All I had back then was hatred towards a
person who was the exact opposite of me."
But the priest ponders.
He can only find pleasure in others' suffering, but he is interested in the
end of this Holy Grail War.
Zouken's actions behind the scenes.
Another Holy Grail that is about to be born.
Someone called "all evils of this world" was brought into existence by
the people, but not wanted by the people.
If it would conceive such a thing, maybe that is――――
"――――The whereabouts of good and evil. Something that was
stuffed in the shell, but never hatched."
The Holy Grail cannot give answers.
The wish-granting machine fulfills its owner's desire.
So no revelation can be obtained even if someone without a wish obtains
it.
But――――
"What if I do not ask for answers, but instead create something from the
Holy Grail that can give the answer?"
"What...?"
The man narrows his eyes.
The priest is smiling in front of the statue.
"――――――Kotomine."
That smile is that of a dying woman.
That expression is worn by a man with no interest or desire.
"...The answer should come soon. If this question is a blasphemy to
God..."
His eyes aren't showing joy.
The priest, like an angel that fell to the ground...
"―――I shall pledge before God.
With all my might, I shall question the Lord even unto death――――"
...Looks up at the distant sky with cursing eyes.
INTERLUDE END
I trudge up the hill.
The town is unlively.
It's still eight or nine o'clock, but the town is desolate and devoid of any
human presence.
"――――, ――――!"
Before I know it, I'm stopping and leaning against a wall.
My left arm is burning.
Maybe my tension went away by being alone, but my left arm started to
hurt ever since I got to this hill.
"――――Well, of course. Someone else's arm is attached to me, so no
wonder it hurts."
...I can't get my breathing together.
My arm gets hotter with every step.
When it gets hotter than my normal temperature, pain attacks my chest
from my arm.
"Oh... So that's where it hurts instead of the arm, huh?"
I lean on a fence and take a deep breath.
...I think I understand where the pain is coming from.
Basically, it's trying to cool off.
I don't know how, but my left arm gets hotter every time it moves.
When it overheats, the arm sends the excess to the rest of my body.
"――――!"
That heat is enough to burn me, causing the pain.
The heat enters my body with a sharp pain, and it's more like a cut than a
burn.
Every time I feel the red dizziness, I feel like I'm getting a long knife
inserted from my shoulders and churned inside of me.
"Guh――――haa, ha――――...!"
...It's not something I can bear many times.
I've had my stomach torn by Berserker and my ribs crushed by Rider.
Even with such experiences in mind, the prospect of getting stabbed by
my own body sends a chill through me.
"It's fine, calm down――――it'll calm down if I don't let it get
hotter――――"
I try to relax while looking up at the sky.
It's been twenty minutes since I parted with Tohsaka and Ilya.
I should've been home by now, but I can't let Sakura see me like this.
...I have to keep the abnormality of my left arm to myself.
"―――Damn Kotomine. What did he mean, it wouldn't interfere with
my ordinary life? This can't be handled easily―――"
I place my hand on my left shoulder and press against the arm covered
in red cloth.
Hard and rigid as steel, it doesn't even budge.
...Well.
I've stopped sweating, and my breathing is back to normal.
It's getting late, so I should quickly go home and see Sakura while I still
look well――――
"I'm home!"
After taking a deep breath, I holler out and enter my house.
"...Oh... Welcome home, Senpai."
Maybe Sakura's been waiting all this time, because she's already at the
entrance.
"...? You don't look lively. I'm glad you're welcoming me home, but I
can't be happy when you're making a face like that."
I take off my shoes and go up into my house.
I want to rest for today.
I'll fill her in on what's happened today after I drink a cup of tea in the
living room.
"...Wait, I can't do that. I have to tell her what's going on first."
Tohsaka will be coming soon.
I have to tell her about what's going on beforehand, or she'll be on guard
against Tohsaka.
"Sakura, it's about what happened today."
"...Senpai. Aren't you going to say anything about that?"
...Then.
Sakura says something with difficulty.
"What do you mean?"
"............"
She keeps silent.
She's looking at my left arm.
"Oh, you mean this? Yeah, I'm sure you're surprised if it looks like this."
It's covered with cloth that doesn't look anything like bandages.
Even if she doesn't know what went on, she would assume something
happened to my arm.
"Yeah, I injured it a bit. But it moves fine, and it's all right now. This
cloth is just a bother, but Kotomine told me not to take it off.
Well, he's the one who treated me, so I'm going to obey him."
I pat my left arm to show her it's all right.
...But Sakura is even more silent now.
"Sakura...? It's really fine. It looks worse than it is. It's just a scratch. It'll
heal right away, so you don't need to worry――――"
"I-It can't be just a scratch...! Your arm's gone now! So how can you tell
me that...!?
I won't fall for such an obvious lie! Or are you not telling me because it's
meaningless...!?"
"――――――――"
Her reply is like fire.
...My insensitivity leaves me speechless.
I haven't even considered how Sakura felt all day today, waiting for me
here.
"―――――Sakura."
"Oh...... I'm sorry, Senpai. I-I didn't mean to blame you. ...You were so
reckless and didn't care about yourself, so I..."
"―――No. Well, you're right, but you're wrong.
I'm not mad because you yelled at me. ...Um, this is the first time I've
seen you seriously mad, so I was surprised and was contemplating my
actions."
"Eh... Contemplating...?"
"Yeah. It's certainly not good to bluff. All the more if it's to you. ...I
probably didn't want to look bad in front of you. That's why I bluffed
and tried to act normal.
But now that I think about it, that looks worse. It's natural for you to get
mad."
"Oh... No, you never look bad."
I do look bad.
...Man, don't tell Sakura about it so she doesn't get worried?
No, I was just putting on a show to look tough.
"―――Yeah, I'm sorry, Sakura. I lost.
My arm turned out fine, but I couldn't be of use to you."
"Oh―――that's not true...! You were splendid! I-I didn't see it, but you
looked really good!"
"Ugh... No, I really was pathetic, so it hurts me if you say that. I couldn't
save Ilya like I'd planned, and all I could do was come running home."
"...No. But you still came home. I'm really happy because you kept your
promise."
"Oh――――yeah. That's good."
I scratch my head.
...But, well...
I'm embarrassed, but happy at the same time.
"...You're right. I guess being alive is good enough."
"――――Yes. You're good-looking. I fell in love with you all over
again."
"――――――――!"
Sakura must have cheered up if she can say something like that with a
big smile.
"Uh...... um."
I don't know how to reply to something like that, so...
"Um, what should I say, Tohsaka?"
"Who knows? If you want my opinion, I just don't want you two flirting
too much at the door."
...I ask Tohsaka, who is standing behind me.
""――――Huh?""
Our voices overlap.
Sakura and I both jump back at the same time.
"S-Since when were you there, Tohsaka――――!?"
"Why are you here, Tohsaka-Senpai?"
And we give the same reaction again.
"'Since when?' I thought you'd be done filling her in already, but instead
I find the two of you having a lovers' quarrel. Geez, do you even
understand our situation, Shirou?"
Tohsaka sets down a large bag next to the door.
Behind her is...
Ilya, silently radiating a strange pressure.
"I-I don't mind if you want to continue where we left off yesterday,
Tohsaka-Senpai.
I'll fight you as Matou's magus as long as Senpai's protecting me."
Sakura clenches her fists and glares at Tohsaka.
...Well, it's more like a frog desperately opposing a glaring snake.
"......Geez. So you haven't heard anything about it?
Look, Sakura. I'm going to put on hold what to do with you. My first
priority is to defeat Zouken. We can settle our match after that. ...Well,
we won't need to fight after Zouken's defeated, so everything should be
fine as long as we can defeat him."
"Eh――――then you're..."
"I'm going to ally with you―――no, with Shirou ―――to defeat
Zouken. So it'd be a waste to live separately, right? So I'm going to stay
over here and train Shirou. It'll be hard work if I want him to become
strong in a short time."
"So I'm going to borrow Shirou for a while. It's going to be rough, but
you two don't mind, right?"
""Wha――――""
Tohsaka Rin sets a schedule even I haven't heard about.
"H-Hold on, Tohsaka. That's too sudden――――"
"Y-You can't do that...!
Nee... no, Tohsaka-Senpai. What right do you have to say that!?"
".........I have to be mentally prepared first, you know?"
I stutter off.
Of course, my opinion is dismissed by Sakura's voice and Tohsaka's
glance.
"Oh, so it's fine as long as I have the right? Then it's even less of a
problem. It's because of me that he's alive.
Shirou has to do what I say until he repays the favor. You'll give me a
place to live if I ask, and you'll make meals for me if I ask, right?"
"――――――――"
Tohsaka. Those lines could bring on a big misunderstanding.
"No way... I-Is that true, Senpai...?"
"―――Yeah. I want to object, but what she's saying is true."
"――――"
"And it's better to have more allies, right? We know Zouken is after you.
With Tohsaka's help, we can definitely protect you."
...And Tohsaka is Sakura's older sister.
If possible, I want them to be together, not fighting.
"......All right. I understand if you say so."
Sakura averts her gaze.
"Then it's decided. I'm coming in.
Come on, Shirou, show me the guest room. I had my eyes on the guest
room in the outbuilding last time I was here. Oh, where do you want,
Ilya?"
"I don't care, but I don't want to be near that woman."
"Is that so? Then I guess you can have the Japanese-style room."
They're carrying on a relaxed conversation, and it sounds like they're
close enough now to call each other by name.
"Oh yeah. Sakura, this is Ilya.
Berserker's defeated, but we managed to save Ilya. We're going to have
her stay here like Tohsaka, but please give her your best regards."
I introduce Ilya to Sakura, and Sakura to Ilya.
"Hello, Sakura. I hear you're the daughter of Makiri, but I won't look
down on you. It seems you're Shirou's acquaintance, so I'll specially treat
you like a human being."
"...You're right. Then I'll act like you do."
"...?"
That's the entirety of their introduction.
Ilya follows after Tohsaka to the living room.
And...
"――――――――"
Sakura watches her go with cold eyes.
Dinner commenced like a storm.
...No, it's misleading to use the word storm.
That was more like a calm wind. Since there was no wind, I didn't feel
the passage of time, and dinner ended like that.
The atmosphere was painfully tense.
"I'll cook dinner. It's like having soba to celebrate a move."
Tohsaka made dinner by herself after that. I hate to say it, but it tasted
better than mine. Sakura might just be even with her in Western food,
her specialty.
"――――Y-You're good at cooking, Tohsaka-Senpai."
Sakura was torn apart in shock, and she started eating silently.
I couldn't do anything extra because I was worried about things like
Tohsaka's food, the fact that I'm eating Tohsaka's hand-made meal,
Sakura's dejection, Ilya's tension, and Sakura's tension.
As a result, I couldn't taste how good Tohsaka's meal was. I was just
made to realize how perfect Tohsaka is throughout the hour.
――――So.
"I need to prepare my room, so I'm heading off.
I'll give you the details tomorrow morning, so you should rest for
tonight."
Tohsaka even washes the dishes perfectly, then heads out.
"I'm going to my room too. Everyone who went to the forest is tired, so
your body won't last unless you get some sleep."
...It must be an insinuating remark to Sakura, who stayed at this house
today. Ilya speaks without looking at Sakura and gets up.
"...Man, what's up with her?"
Tohsaka is just as expected, but Ilya's acting strange.
She's acting as cold towards Sakura as she did towards me the first time
we met.
"Why is Ilya so aggressive towards Sakura? Do the Einzbern and Makiri
families not get along?"
According to Kotomine, Einzbern, Makiri, and Tohsaka are noble
families of magi who started the Holy Grail War.
It seems the Einzberns were the highest ranked, so from her point of
view, Tohsaka and Sakura must be below her.
"...Man. Don't misunderstand, okay? Ilya's saying that because she's
moody, but you'll get along with her if you start talking to her.
She's just really shy... Sakura?"
Sakura doesn't reply.
She shakes her head back and forth, and gradually starts falling
back――――
"Sakura...!"
I grab her shoulders to stop the fall.
"...Huh, Senpai? Why the scary face?"
...Sakura hasn't noticed.
She looks at me like nothing happened, completely oblivious to her
near-collapse.
"No, it's nothing much."
I let go of her.
"Oh..."
That must be why she noticed.
"...I'm sorry. I fell asleep because I'm a bit tired."
She apologizes for something she doesn't know about.
"...Well, it's only been a day. You should rest too. Let's listen to Tohsaka
and sleep for today.
We don't have to push ourselves to stay up."
"Y-You're right, I'll gladly go with that idea. I'll be up and well tomorrow
if I get a good night's sleep.
I'll cook breakfast tomorrow since Tohsaka-Senpai treated us tonight.
I'm going to get back at her by cooking breakfast you've trained me in."
Sakura smiles jokingly and gets up.
...She looks to be standing steadily.
It won't change anything to follow her to the guest room.
Sakura seems well, so I have to believe in her.
"Yeah. Take Tohsaka down a peg.
You're our last hope. We're cornered unless we can strike back here."
"Please leave it to me. I'll make sure to give her a punch."
"I'm glad I can count on you. ...I'll give you what little help I can.
We'll sleep early today and meet at the kitchen at six o'clock tomorrow.
Is that fine?"
"Yes. I'll be waiting, Senpai."
Sakura bows and heads to the porch.
......Then.
"―――Um, Senpai. Please don't tell Nee-san about what happened
earlier."
Sakura speaks in a tense voice without turning around.
"I know. You just fell asleep, so it's nothing to tell Tohsaka."
"――――Okay. Good night, Senpai."
...She closes the shouji.
Sakura leaves without turning around.
"――――――――"
She must have been talking about the fact that she almost collapsed.
Sakura hasn't recovered as much as she thinks.
Kotomine said she won't last more than a few days.
Even ignoring what Zouken will do to her, she is unstable.
That's why Sakura's trying to act fine.
As if telling us...
That she's all right, and that we don't need to worry about her.
"...Nee-san, huh?"
Sakura says that word only when she's alone with me.
And only when she's feeling faint-hearted.
...Sakura calls Tohsaka "Nee-san" when she can't suppress her cries for
help.
Their complicated upbringing created a wall between them.
They may be able to return to being normal sisters if that wall is
destroyed.
That might be the best thing I can do for Sakura right now.
"...Yeah. They're acting awkward, but they show some hope."
This situation was dumped in our laps, but it may be a good opportunity
after all.
"――――――――, So hot."
I wake up.
My pajamas are drenched in sweat, and my futon is kicked away.
I wipe my forehead and feel that it's wet with sweat.
"――――――――"
...I can't think straight.
My brain might be fried from the midsummer-like heat.
I can't figure out what time it is or where I am, no matter how hard I
think.
"――――――――"
I go out into the yard.
I want to cool off my body more than anything.
...I don't know if the heat is coming from the room or my body.
I'm too lazy to think, so I'll sleep in the shed tonight.
It's cold there, at the very least.
It doesn't matter if it's hot or...
"Guh――――, ah――――!"
A sudden, sharp pain brings me to my knees.
"――――. Ow――――"
I stay crouched, breathing heavily.
...I wake up.
I squeeze my left arm, the cause of the heat and the pain.
The Shroud is still wrapped around it.
The red cloth is restraining my arm.
I can move it, but it's wrapped so tight that the circulation is restricted.
Maybe this cloth is the cause of the pain.
"Maybe my arm's just as it was if I take it off."
The wild idea sounds very attractive.
First of all, I never saw my arm destroyed or transplanted.
It's not that I don't trust that priest, but I'm sure he makes mistakes too.
Maybe nothing is wrong with my arm, and my real arm will be there if I
take off this cloth.
My arm isn't steel.
The cloth is just making my arm stiff, so if I remove it――――
―――My normal arm should be there.
Wha I can't brea my nerves, my nerves
It hurts
I'm alive but where is my sense
It's cold
Death―――― hurry I have to quickly get it back on
It's scary
The arm below the cloth is
It's black
An arm that is not mine――――
"What――――was I doing?"
What was I doing?
I unwrapped the cloth because of this sudden idea.
I don't understand what happened after that.
What has been done to me.
What will be done to me.
It only happened a few seconds ago, but I can't remember at
all――――
"――――This is bad. It's really..."
I'll die if I release it.
The priest's words were true.
I don't know what'll happen, but what's under this cloth is not mine.
"......Forget about it. It's just that my arm doesn't move. ...If I think about
it any more, I'll..."
I'll slow down because of fear.
That's not allowed.
Archer's arm wasn't transplanted onto me so that I could cower in fear.
"...That's right. I have to think about Sakura instead of my arm."
Sakura wasn't that different from this morning, but I don't know when
she might collapse.
...I have to defeat Zouken and obtain the Holy Grail before that.
I have to think about how to do that.
A way to beat Zouken and Assassin with one arm.
...No, they aren't the only enemies.
There are the mysterious enemies too.
"――――――――"
I don't know their circumstances.
I don't know what that black shadow is, nor if Saber became Zouken's
Servant.
All I know is that she's my enemy now.
"........."
...To be honest, I know.
We have no chance of victory.
I don't know what this pain will be like in the future.
The difference in our powers is overwhelming, and I'm not even sure
about myself.
How can I protect Sakura in such a state――――?
"――――――!"
I stand up at the sound of footsteps.
I know who it is without looking.
The Servant in a black outfit is silent like always.
She usually doesn't make a sound when she walks, but I'm sure she
wanted me to hear her coming.
"What do you want, Rider?"
"............"
Rider looks down at me silently.
......Hm.
This is totally unrelated, but Rider is tall. There's something wrong with
me too for noticing it now.
"―――What is so funny, Shirou? I have not said anything yet."
"Huh...? Oh, no. You're taller than me, right? Even though we've seen
each other many times, I just noticed. I was laughing at myself for how
slow I was."
"I see. You seemed like you were in pain earlier, but it appears I worried
needlessly."
...?
It might be just me, but Rider sounds angry.
"Anyway, Rider. Were you the one who saved me today? I don't
remember, but I think it was you that carried me to the church from the
forest."
"...Yes. It was me. Sakura told me to protect you. I only obeyed her order
as her Servant."
"―――I see. That was a big help, but that means Sakura used magical
energy to use you, right?
Then――――"
"Yes. There is now even less of her scarcely remaining magical energy. I
will consume Sakura if she uses me like she did today."
Rider plainly speaks.
There's no pity or hatred towards Sakura.
Rider is only stating the natural fact as a Servant.
"Can I ask you something, Rider?"
"Of course. If you have a question, please ask it."
"...All right. Are you going to kill Sakura if she loses her Command
Spell?"
A Master that uses up her Command Spells is first targeted by her
Servant.
If they have not established a relationship of mutual trust, Rider will
mercilessly kill her Master, using her life to stay in this world until she
can form another contract.
...Rider is protecting Sakura out of duty. I see no affection there.
That's why I want to know what Rider's feelings are.
"――――――――"
"Tell me. Are you going to kill Sakura?"
"Yes. If Sakura wishes, I would consider killing her to end her agony.
But Shirou, I wish for her to live."
"...! ――――Then you won't attack her even if she loses her Command
Spell?"
"The binding of the Command Spell does not matter. I will protect
Sakura willingly for as long as she remains a Master. I do like her."
"Eh――――really?"
"Yes. Is it that unexpected for me to have such an emotion?"
"Oh... I'm sorry, I misunderstood. You didn't look that way, so..."
"You do not need to apologize. I do not engage in proper conversation
with Sakura, nor does she talk to me.
But Shirou. Servants are summoned by beings similar to them. You
summoned Saber not by chance, but because you two are alike."
"Sakura and I are the same in that regard.
We are not talkative, so it is natural for us to have no conversation. We
understand each other without a need for such things."
...I hear warm emotion in Rider's voice.
I imagined her to be cruel because of her appearance, but maybe Rider is
actually quite gentle.
"...I see. Yeah, that's great. I'm glad you're on Sakura's side."
"I see. Then it is my turn.
Shirou. You do not know what kind of sufferings Sakura endured
through. Do you know what she endured since she was adopted to the
Makiri family?"
"That's――――"
...There's no way I'd know.
Well, Kotomine told me what kind of things she went through.
"...I don't know. So I don't think I can say anything about it, nor should I
mention it."
...Yes.
I'm a magus, and I know what kind of a person Zouken is.
It's easy to imagine what happened, and my imagination should be close
to reality.
But――――I should not easily mention that I "understand".
"I thought as much. Sakura did her utmost to hide it from you. I would
have killed you if you had claimed to understand."
"...Is that for Sakura's sake?"
"Yes. But it seems such measures were unnecessary.
You are inexperienced and clumsy, but what is at your core is something
trustworthy. That must be why you are a salvation for Sakura."
"...For a long time, Sakura knew only resignation. She did not feel pain
or suffering, but accepted everything as it was.
But she changed after meeting you, Shirou. You made her regain the
emotions she had lost.
The biggest emotions she regained were pain and suffering, but she only
had resignation before, and you were the only salvation for her."
"......"
I don't really know what Rider is trying to say.
I cannot understand what Sakura has been through, so I don't know why
she likes me.
But Rider's words are true because she shares her feelings with Sakura,
her Master.
As if speaking for Sakura,
Rider quietly states...
"Shirou. You said you will make Sakura happy.
But for her, these two years were happiness itself."
...With quiet sorrow and appreciation.
"That is all I wanted to ask you.
Happiness for Sakura is to have you alive and for you to be by her side.
There is nothing else she wishes for."
Rider presses the question on me through her blindfolds.
...Asking me if I understand what that means.
For Matou Sakura, the fact that Emiya Shirou is fighting threatens her
happiness.
So Rider is condemning me for what I'm planning to do with my body.
"But I――――"
...I tightly grasp my stiff left arm.
If I can fight with one arm, I should.
I swore to save Sakura.
I chose to fight for Sakura, and not to stop the war.
So―――if I stop fighting now, I'll be nobody.
"―――――――――"
...Silence falls.
Rider is silent, and I have no reply.
How long has it been?
"......Are you on Sakura's side, Shirou?
No matter what may happen in the future?"
"――――――――"
I don't even need to think about Rider's question.
Emiya Shirou chose to be Matou Sakura's ally.
Then I should nod without hesitation.
"――――――――"
I understand, but I can't express my feelings.
'―――No matter what may happen in the future'
Because I realize what those words mean.
"...Fair enough. You do not need to push yourself here, as the answer
will eventually come to you. You should be prepared when that time
comes."
Rider leaves as if melting into the night.
I watch her disappear, then look up at the sky.
"――――――Damn."
...Yes.
I couldn't answer her because I realized.
The mysterious shadow.
The unstable left arm.
The ideal I sought for years, then threw away.
Everything is telling me.
That once I obtain the Holy Grail, it can make any wish come true.
But―――my wish to provide Sakura happiness is an illusion that can
never become reality.
INTERLUDE BEGIN
I see a dream inside the breeding box.
Egg's shell.
Black yolk.
There's no memory of the sea of love.
Reaching the placenta.
The line does not exist from the beginning.
Labor expulsion is not allowed, and is melted into love.
There's no memory of miscarriage.
Swaying as I walk.
Wavering brain is empty,
and the grinding intention is forgotten.
Shivering and trembling.
The dried limbs are like paper balloons.
Rolling across the ground.
Floating comes after maturing.
Roaring.
Roaring.
Roaring.
"Hey, look ▊▊ that ▊gi▊, is▊wet▊?"
Someone approaches with squeaking.
"Hey, it's a pretty good-looking woman. ▊▊▊ barefeet?
Damn ▊▊▊ she's ▊▊▊]"
People approach me.
"It's ▊▊▊▊. ▊▊ bored ▊▊▊ want to ▊▊ with us?"
Dried up laughing voices.
I do not remember tempting them.
I am scared, so I should go home.
"Hey ▊▊ why ▊▊ running ▊▊"
"Hold on ▊▊▊▊▊▊? Hey ▊▊ she re▊ ▊!"
"I bet ▊▊ is. You won't walk na▊in ▊▊ town ▊▊"
"Haha▊▊ha! Yeah ▊▊ that's ▊▊ we need to protect ▊▊ or ▊▊?"
"Agreed! I ▊▊ to protect ▊▊ socially ▊▊ wea▊▊!"
"▊▊▊▊ Ha▊▊▊▊ha▊▊▊▊▊ha▊▊!"
"Ah▊▊▊▊ha▊▊▊hahaha▊▊▊▊▊▊!"
"Ahahaha▊▊hahaha▊hahaha▊▊"
"Ahahahahahahahahahaha!"
They follow me.
They echo loudly in my head,
so my stomach growls.
"▊▊▊▊▊▊▊▊▊▊▊▊▊▊▊!!!!????"
"Hey ▊▊▊▊ wha▊▊▊, w▊▊▊gih▊!?"
"A-Ah ▊▊▊▊ don't run, help ▊▊ ehhh!"
"Ha, ha, ha, where are you gu――――
Giiiiiiiiiiiiii!"
"Ow, ow, no, I-I'm sorry, i, hiaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!?"
I see a dream of a breeding box.
Tonight.
I squashed a bug.
INTERLUDE END
Day 11 (beautiful II):
――――Light that destroys my eyes.
The strong headwind pushes my mind and body away from the
entrance.
The light is too strong for me to perceive what it is.
My body, exposed to the wind, is rusting with each passing second.
How long will I stay here?
An infinity that is not even a second, and an instant close to eternity.
With no sense of time, years change to seconds.
Therefore, my body is eternally exposed to the wind, polished and
clouded like a mirror, and crumbling apart.
"――――――――Oh"
Go forward.
This place is painful.
A zero gravity without any handhold.
An airless vacuum.
The world of wind erosion is not a place one can stay in human form.
That's why I move forward.
My volume doubles with each step I take, and it gets harder to breathe.
One step.
Two steps.
The third step is impossible.
I can't go any farther. The wind gets stronger the more I advance, tearing
at my body.
But I have to move forward if I want to escape.
The wind is coming from the other side of the light.
The light is the entrance and the exit.
――――This place hurts.
So I have to quickly get to the other side.
A stronger wind is there once I pass the entrance.
Once past the exit, this pain would become lighter.
"Ha――――ah, ahh――――!"
I reach out my hand.
I reach out with all my might.
The light is in front of me.
But I can't reach it.
The polar light destroy my eyes.
I can't reach it no matter what.
It hurts.
I can't reach it even if I cough up blood and reach out.
Why?
It's only a meter away.
So why?
Why does it feel like I'm trying to head to the distant polar lights?
"――――Shirou."
"Eh?"
I wake up.
"You can't. You'll die if you take it off just because it's painful."
"――――――――"
I blankly stare at Ilya, standing before me.
"Ilya...? Why are you in my room?"
"Because my room is close to yours. I woke up early, so I came to look
at you."
...Man.
It seems she woke up before me and came here.
I don't care about that, but maybe Ilya did so because――――
"...Hm. Was I having a nightmare?"
"Yup. You were moaning in pain, trying to pull that cloth off your arm.
Well, I came here because I expected you to do that. I suppressed the
pain while you were asleep, so it feels better now, right?"
"Oh――――"
I now notice that my right hand is on the cloth covering my left arm.
.....Oh man.
If Ilya hadn't come, I might've taken it off in my sleep.
"――――I see. Thank you, Ilya."
"You don't have to thank me. It's between you and me.
And I promised, right? That I'll help you when you're in trouble."
"――――――――"
Her smile captivates me.
I know Ilya's just saying that out of kindness, but...
"Fufu, and I wanted to see your sleeping face. You were in pain, but your
were trying your best to endure it. You were so cute."
I slam the brakes on my panicking heart.
"――――Ilya. It's not good to go into someone else's room without
permission.
Mornings and evenings are out of the question. I'm an ordinary guy, so
it's troubling."
"Oh, really? How is it troubling? I want to know in detail."
"Ugh―――even that question is troubling.
First of all, you're a girl, so you can't go into a guy's room in the
morning. It's dangerous. It's really dangerous. You're not just
endangering yourself, you're putting the innocence of an adolescent boy
at risk too."
"Really? But that makes even less sense. What's so bad, and what's so
dangerous about it? I won't stop unless you tell me why."
The silver-haired girl puts her hand down, gets on all fours, and...
"See, I'm closer to you now. So, why is it troubling for me to come near
you in the morning, Shirou?"
"Y-Y-Y-Y-You idiot...!!!!!"
I roll backward head-over-heels while keeping ahold of my futon.
That was close.
Guys experience a certain physiological phenomenon every morning.
I could be given a man's mark of shame if she comes close to me in such
an outf――――
"Oh."
"Gah――――"
I hit the back of my head hard.
"Ah, guh――――that's why... I said it's dangerous."
I make up an excuse.
"O-Okay. I'm sorry, Shirou.
...Um, did it hurt...?"
It hurts.
I saw stars and my head is throbbing, but I can't be whining if I hear a
voice like that.
"No, I'm fine. It was a good wake-up call, so don't worry about it."
I shake my head and get up.
My morning issue has calmed down thanks to that.
"...All right. It's about time, so I'm going to go cook breakfast. What do
you want, Ilya? If there's anything you don't like, say so now."
"Eh? No way, you can cook!?"
"Well, I can cook like everyone else. I don't know about Western
snacks... but I guess I can manage pancakes."
Ilya's face lights up.
It seems the fact that I can cook is a delightful thing for Ilya.
"Hmm... Then do you want to make it together? I thought I'd go get you
after breakfast's done, but it's better for you to be in the living room if
you're awake."
"Really!? Yeah, I'll go! I want to see you wearing an apron!"
"I see. Then let's beat Tohsaka together with the three of us.
I promised Sakura we'd be cooking together this morning, so we'll have
the strength of three with your help."
"――――No. I'm not going if Sakura's there. You go by yourself,
Shirou."
"Eh... Why? Because Sakura's there? Do you hate Sakura?"
"No, I actually rather like her. But I can't approve of her because she's
not suited for you."
"...? What do you mean by not suited, Ilya?"
"It's true. You ought to know why, but you're trying so hard not to notice
it. Telling you now won't do any good."
Ilya goes out into the hallway.
"And I don't know what kind of trance you were in, but don't keep
charging ahead recklessly.
You're watching Archer's magic, not Shirou's magic.
...I know you'll eventually obtain the magic, but there's only the
possibility right now. Your body will destroy itself from within if you try
projection in such a state."
"Projection――――?"
I repeat Ilya's word absentmindedly.
At that instant...
The cocking hammer goes down.
The dream I saw while I was treated.
I vaguely understand what it is and what it means.
――――It's probably...
Projection taken to the utmost limit, reproducing every weapon you've
ever seen and making them your own.
"...That's right. Archer's Noble Phantasm is 'magic' that only he can use.
Archer is a blacksmith heroic spirit that can reproduce any weapon he
sees. The power is something you can use too, now that you inherited his
arm. You're probably not conscious of it now, but you'll remember the
activation spell if you put your mind to it."
"But don't think about using it just because you can. That priest is right.
If you remove the cloth and use projection even once, you will certainly
die.
...So don't take it off, no matter what. I won't forgive you if you die like
Kiritsugu. I'll never forgive you if you leave me alone before I kill you."
Ilya leaves.
Her warning contains both caring strictness and murderous hostility.
"Senpai, I'm done cleaning the turnip. How are the chicken wings
going?"
"―――Yeah, I'm done skimming the foam. Let's cook it once we've cut
those into four pieces."
"Okay. What are you doing with the curry powder, Senpai?"
"I'm making the sauce. We'll put it on the sardines. Even if Ilya doesn't
like fish, she should be able to eat it if it's curry flavored, right?"
"I see, you're smart, Senpai! Then I'll cut the fish, so please check the
simmering."
"Huh? No, I can cut the sardine without the knife, so you don't have to.
I'll ask for your help when I get to the center bone, so can you make
simmered pumpkin with broth and soy sauce?
I think we should have at least one sweet dish."
"Okay. Oh, you look like a sushi chef when you're cutting the fish one-
handed like that, Senpai."
Sakura goes to the refrigerator.
Sakura must be feeling better after a good night's sleep, because she's in
a good mood this morning.
"――――――――Hm."
And standing in the kitchen with her is fun for me too.
Sakura is thoughtful and is attentive to my needs, preparing things ahead
of time.
It feels really good to cook with someone like that.
"Senpai? Sushi chef, your hands aren't moving."
"Hm? Oh, I was spaced out. We should hurry. It's almost seven o'clock."
I sigh so she can't see and continue cutting the sardine.
Sardine is soft, so it's better to use fingers than a knife. It's something
even I, one with my left arm not moving, can manage to cook.
"But when did you learn such a technique? It's not normal to do it with
just your right hand."
"It's not a technique. This is about timing and determination. I'm sure
you can do it too if you try."
"Oh, is that so?"
"Yeah. Techniques are things like cutting apart a cow with a kitchen
knife or making an ice sculpture.
Here, take care of the rest. We'll cook it after you're done, so put it in the
bowl."
I move away from the cutting board and walk to the gas burner.
I put the frying pan over the fire and pour some oil onto it.
My body knows how to do this, so I do it absentmindedly.
"Um, Senpai...?"
"Hm?"
I vaguely reply.
"...This might be none of my concern, but did something happen
between you and Ilya-san?"
"――――――――"
My hand stops.
But it's only for an instant.
I'm sure Sakura didn't see my disturbance.
"Yeah. We talked before I came to the kitchen. Ilya has a lot going on. I
really don't know how to answer her."
"...Is that a problem as a Master?
Does Ilya-san still want to fight?"
"No. I don't feel a will to fight from her. ...No, I don't think she had such
a thing from the start. I think she tried to obtain the Holy Grail as the
Master of Einzbern, but Ilya had another goal.
But..."
...That goal disappeared long before the war even started.
Ilya's goal.
Emiya Kiritsugu, the one she wanted to meet, died five years ago.
Then―――what can I do and what should I do in his place?
"Hey, Sakura. Is it all right if Ilya stays here if she doesn't want to go
back to her country?"
"Oh―――um. This is your house, Senpai. My opinion doesn't really
matter."
"What are you saying? This is your house. I can't decide on something
important like having Ilya stay without consulting my partner."
"I――――I'm your partner...!?"
"Yeah. Who else would it be?"
Neither Ilya nor Tohsaka can help me with cooking this perfectly.
"Sakura, the frying pan's ready."
I take the sardine Sakura prepared.
Sakura hands me the sardine with an airy motion.
......?
What is it all of a sudden?
Did she get a fever again...?
"O-Okay, I understand...! I'll do my best to get along with Ilya-san...!"
"―――Yeah, it'll be great if you can. Ilya said she doesn't hate you, so
you should be able to get along with her if you talk with her."
...Yeah, I'll be really happy if that happens.
After the Holy Grail War is over, Sakura and Ilya will be here making
breakfast without worry.
I'll pay any price for such a wish to come true――――
"Good morning. You two sure are up early on Sunday."
...Wait.
Something amazing just passed by.
"S-Senpai... did some strange person pass by just now?"
"...Ugh. If you saw it too, that means it wasn't just my imagination."
We timidly look into the living room.
The person that shambled over to the table glowers as she pours herself
some tea and turns on the TV.
"...I'm surprised. Tohsaka-Senpai isn't a morning person..."
"......"
Wait, Sakura.
Doesn't someone who's not a morning person, um, look cuter?
Breakfast starts.
Sakura and I sit next to each other, while Tohsaka and Ilya sit across
from us.
"Oh, wow. This has some refined taste, Sakura. I guess this deserves to
be eaten."
I don't know if Ilya is attacking or praising Sakura.
"Geez. I usually don't eat in the morning."
Tohsaka complains as she eats the omelet.
"――――Hm."
...Then, for some reason, she silently starts concentrating on eating.
"......"
Breakfast continues quietly.
The only loud thing is the TV Tohsaka turned on, offfering many topics
of information.
"Hm......?"
―――A familiar scene is on TV.
I can't be mistaken.
The TV is showing a baffling story about a park in Shinto.
"......A missing person in central park? ...A lot of blood around the
area...?"
It's a pretty vivid incident.
An old man was jogging in the park, found a trace of blood, and reported
it to the police.
A policeman came to the scene and found what appeared to be one
person's worth of blood and pieces of the apparent victims.
...But it seems the pieces are just scraps of flesh, and that they don't even
weigh fifty kilograms when gathered together.
"...The police are trying to figure out the four victims' identities... wait,
why four people? There was only enough blood for one, right?"
"That's probably because the scattered flesh came from four people.
I'm sure there were only leftovers, but that must have been enough to
figure it out."
"...Tohsaka.
By 'leftovers'... do you mean this is a Servant's―――Zouken's doing?"
"Who knows? I can't tell if Zouken had a hand in this. But I'm sure that
shadow did this. See the corner of the screen? The grass has turned
black. It's exactly like when the shadow appeared in the forest."
"――――――――"
Tohsaka states simply.
But I'm not convinced for two reasons.
"Why? No matter what that shadow may be, it hasn't done anything like
this before. It has sucked up magical energy from people, but it never,
um..."
Directly killed people like this.
"...You're right. The only reason I can think of is that there aren't any
enemies now. There aren't any Masters now that can defeat them
straight-on. So that means they can do whatever they want without
worrying about whose attention they may get, right?"
"―――Does that mean they're being indiscriminate?"
"...I don't know. I'm the one that said it, but it doesn't seem like it. Even
if Zouken and that shadow are related, I'm sure this was an unforeseen
accident.
I'll bet my omelet that Zouken is surprised to hear this news as well."
...Tohsaka's omelet is gone as she speaks.
Her hawk-like eyes are looking at the only untouched omelet on the
table, mine.
"......Hm. Why do you think it's an unforeseen accident?"
"It's not cleaned up. With the blood aside, Zouken's not someone that
would leave pieces of the dead body behind. In other words, Zouken was
not at the scene, and that shadow was the only thing that ate there."
"―――I see. ...Then one more thing. How do they know there were
four victims? There was only one person's worth of blood, and there was
only one person's worth of flesh."
"It's the shape, not the weight. I'm sure there was four of something
people only have one of.
That way, you'd know how many victims there are without any
identification.
See. If there were four left hands in a pool of blood, anyone would know
how many victims there were."
Tohsaka states simply.
"――――――――"
I imagine the scene and my appetite quickly goes away.
After breakfast...
"Shirou. We have to do some things, so come with me."
Tohsaka takes me to the dojo.
I had no reason to refuse and I also wanted to talk to Tohsaka, so it was a
timely offer.
It was, but...
"Hey. I only wanted Shirou. Why are you all following him?"
Tohsaka is unhappy at the unexpected guests.
"...Um, you're menacing, so I thought it's dangerous for Senpai to be by
himself."
"Hey now. I made a pact with Shirou, so I won't attack him. You know
that, so why did you follow us, Sakura?"
"B-Because it's my role to protect Senpai."
"...You declare, huh?
Then how about you? You should know what I'm going to do. Did you
come to heckle me?"
"No. I'm here for the same reason as Sakura.
I know what you want to do, but I don't know how you're going to do it.
I came to make sure you don't do anything strange to Shirou."
"...Oh well. I'm going to tamper with his body for his own good, so don't
jump to conclusions and interfere, okay?
We don't have time to be taking things slow."
She must have prepared it before breakfast, as Tohsaka's bag is at the
dojo.
It's full of equipment like what I saw at her house, and it's easy to guess
what'll happen, but...
"Sorry. Can I say something beforehand?"
"What? Don't tell me now you don't want anything that hurts."
"Of course. Nobody wants anything that hurts.
Anyway, any normal person would run away after seeing these things
with no explanation."
The other two nod.
I have two reliable supporters this time.
"I'm sorry I'm not explaining things to you. I know I'm not normal
compared to you. You can go somewhere else if you have any
complaints."
Oh.
Tohsaka's sulking, unhappy about the three-on-one situation.
"No, I'm not complaining. I have a vague idea of what you might be
doing. That's why I'm putting every trust in you. I'll trust you no matter
what you tell me to do. I promised you last night, right?"
"H-Heh. Then why did you stop me?
If you don't have any questions, then sit and be quiet."
"No, this isn't about that. I want to make sure what our future course of
action is. We have to decide now what we should be doing."
...Everyone's expression changes.
What I just mentioned is a problem we all postponed last night.
What we will fight against, and what we will do.
We can't back out after we make our decision.
No, we already can't back out, so this is just a statement of our resolve.
"........."
"I'm not going to take part in battles. I'll fight if someone attacks me, but
I don't intend to start a fight myself. I don't know what'll happen even if
I win this Holy Grail War."
"...I feel the same way as Ilya-san. I don't think I can beat Grandfather.
The match is pretty much decided, so I don't think Grandfather will
come attack us if we stay quiet here..."
"............"
...Tohsaka doesn't say anything.
I don't know what she's thinking, but I want to believe she has the same
opinion as me, since she's not agreeing with Ilya or Sakura.
"―――You're right. I agree with concentrating purely on defense.
Sakura stays here to defend against Zouken.
Rider is with Sakura, so she should be able to defend Sakura and Ilya if
she concentrates on defense."
"Tohsaka and I will try to come up with a way to defeat Zouken.
We'll be attacked eventually even if we stay here, and we can't leave
them be. We don't know if something like this morning's news is going
to happen again."
Tohsaka doesn't interrupt.
It means she intended for the two of us to fight Zouken, no matter what
her true opinion may be.
"I can't ignore Zouken, but I can't ignore the shadow either. Tohsaka and
I will start patrolling the town tonight, so Sakura and Ilya are to stay
here and keep watch."
I confirm the plan with everyone.
――――Then.
"W-What are you saying, Senpai...!?"
"Sakura...? What? It's nothing ridiculous, right?
Tohsaka and I are the only ones who can fight, so we have to beat
Zouken."
"That's the ridiculous part...!
You can't use one of your arms anymore! Do you really know what that
means...!?"
"Eh―――――Sakura...?"
"...I don't get it. You're acting strange. Why are you going to fight even
after what's happened to you?
You should know that things are out of your hands now because you
actually took part in it. So why are you saying such a ridiculous thing?
I was relieved because I thought you wouldn't fight with one arm, so
why―――"
"...........Sakura."
Sakura is trembling.
She's hanging her head as she trembles at her words.
I don't know why she's trembling.
The only thing I can do is to answer her question.
"Sakura. I'm going to let you win. That's why I'm fighting.
Yes, I don't want to ignore Zouken and the shadow. But more than that, I
want the Holy Grail.
Nobody's making me do this. This is a selfish wish of mine."
―――That's right.
It's a selfish wish I had ever since I decided to be Sakura's ally and not
everyone else's.
".........Is that for my sake?"
"―――Yes. It will be for your sake if we can remove the crest worm
from your body."
"...It's all right, Sakura. If there's no chance of victory, we'll make a
chance, and we won't fight while we don't have any chance of victory.
There's still danger even if we have a chance, but there's always a risk,
so I can't promise you I won't get hurt.
―――But I'll definitely come back. I told you I'd protect you, right? So
I can't fulfill my promise unless I'm by your side."
"Sen... pai..."
Sakura looks down painfully.
It looks like she's apologizing.
"――――All right, can you stop it there?
Our course of action's already determined, so it does no good to whine.
Sakura and Ilya are to stay here. Shirou and I will patrol the town at
night. We won't carelessly attack Zouken even if we find him. We'll chip
away at their force only when we have a chance of victory.
That's our future course of action, right, Shirou?"
"Y-Yeah... It'd be great if that's your decision."
"――――Heh. I don't even need to tell you."
"And, Sakura. Kirei couldn't completely extract your crest worm, but he
suppressed its action.
So it can't run wild unless they use a drug on you like Shinji did.
But at the same time, Zouken can't be the winner as long as you stay
here in this house. He's going to come take you sooner or later, so
refusing to fight is not an option. How can you say you won't do
anything knowing that?"
"That may be true, but―――Grandfather shouldn't do anything rough if
we don't do anything―――"
"Sakura! Stop being so submissive. Zouken isn't your grandfather or
your master. Do you still think he's human after all the terrible things
he's done to you!?"
".........No. I've never thought he was human."
"Then prepare yourself. Shirou and I will be fighting outside, so you
have to fight here too.
If Zouken attacks this place, you have to get away at any cost. The Holy
Grail cannot be completed as long as Rider isn't defeated. You have a
hope of being saved as long as Rider's alive."
Tohsaka's voice is firm.
...Is it the dignity of the older sister?
Sakura nods and replies that she understands.
And after that.
I ask why she brought me here to the dojo.
"Let's see. Why don't you get naked to start with?
No matter what we end up doing, nothing would go right unless I take a
look at what kind of a body you have."
And she gives me a ridiculous reply.
"Wha-"
"WHA-WHAAAAAT!?"
"...Whaaat?"
I continue in a small voice because she's more surprised than I am.
"What? Is that such a shock, Sakura?"
"I-It is...! You want Senpai to be naked!? What are you thinking,
Tohsaka-Senpai...!?"
"I'm thinking about Shirou, of course.
You're in danger, but Shirou's also in a lot of danger. You should know
too that we have to get a lot of things done now."
"...That's true... but..."
"If you know, then don't butt in.
Hey there! Don't just stand there and take off your top! I'm going to put
on a warding sign, so I can't do it if you keep your shirt on!"
Tohsaka glares at me.
"Ugh......"
But Sakura's stare is painful.
It's uneasily asking me if I'm going to go along with Tohsaka.
"Hurry up. We won't make it before tonight's patrol unless we give your
body some time to familiarize itself with it."
"Umm......"
This is no time to be embarrassed about something like this.
I don't want to take my clothes off, but taking off my top is like getting
changed, so it shouldn't be a big deal.
"...Man. All right, Tohsaka. So, what do I do now?"
"Come here. I'll transplant a small part of my Magic Crest onto you."
"...! Over there!? You mean like this!?"
"Of course. I have to touch your body with my left hand, comprehend it,
and share my warding crest with you. It'll tickle and hurt, but bear with
me."
Tohsaka wiggles her fingers.
"Ugh――――"
...I can't run away after coming this far.
I give up and go near Tohsaka.
...Um, Sakura's stare is more painful now.
"I'm going to start now, but let me confirm beforehand. I said before that
I'll put a switch in you, but I won't do that.
In your state, it's too dangerous to be able to turn your Magic Circuit on
and off so easily."
"O――――Okay, I got it."
I manage to reply with a high-pitched voice.
It's natural that I'm acting strange and can't breathe.
I'm naked, and Tohsaka is near me.
It'd be more strange not to be nervous!
"Hey. You don't seem to be calm. Are you listening to me?"
"――――I'm listening. I'm listening to you."
"......? All right, then.
So this operation is to suppress magical energy.
Your body is unstable right now, and we don't know when Archer's arm
might flow magical energy into your body. I'm going to put needles into
your left shoulder, belly button, and your throat, so that your left arm
won't be connected to you unless you really want it to be."
"This is also a countermeasure against the shadow.
That thing sucks up magical energy just by being there. The sign I'm
going to carve into you will also have resistance to magical energy, so
you should be less burdened when facing that thing."
Then, Tohsaka places her hand on my chest.
"Whoa――――!"
I barely stop myself from jumping back.
"Oh, was it hot? Can you bear it? I'm going to transplant the Magic Crest
from my arm, so I can't lower the temperature."
"No――――I don't care about it being hot or cold."
Tohsaka's hand is soft, and her touch sends a shudder through my heart.
Every time her slender fingers run across my chest, my temperature rises
by a degree.
"......All right. I think I have a grasp of your chest. Next is your belly
button, but this is going to hurt. I'm going to put my finger in, so try not
to move. Don't worry, it won't injure you, and I won't move it around
much."
"Hey――――what do you mean by move it, Toh... saka――――!"
My body convulses.
―――My stomach.
Having Tohsaka's hand on my stomach is bad enough, but something
rigid tears through my skin and into my body――――!
"Haa――――h-hold on, that's, ba――――"
"I-I said it's going to hurt. Don't make noises like that, it's distracting. It
makes me feel like I'm doing something wrong!"
"A-Are you stupid――――!?"
My face is going to get redder if you say something like that, you idiot!
"...Humph. I'm done with the belly button. All that's left is your shoulder
and throat, so stay calm and don't run away."
"........."
I would really love to run away right now.
I would love to, but doing so would seem like I'm conscious of Tohsaka
and I won't be able to excuse myself.
"Come on. I'm going to do the same thing to your shoulder, so suck it
up. Grit your teeth and don't make any weird noises."
"O――――Okay. I'll try my best."
It's embarrassing, so I look away from Tohsaka.
It's not just my face that's blushing. I think my entire body's turning red.
I'm blushing even though I know this is only for magic, so I bet
Tohsaka's having a hard time too.
...Man.
How can I ever face Tohsaka again after committing such a disgrace...?
"All right, that's it. I'm going to put away the equipment, so you go cool
yourself off."
Tohsaka grabs something that looks like a first-aid kit and goes to the
corner of the dojo, where her bag is.
"――――――――"
My face is still red, but I'm finally able to calm down and take a deep
breathe.
...Then.
"......?"
Sakura twiddles her fingers, looking like she wants to say something.
"...Sakura? W-What's wrong?"
".........Um, well..."
She takes a look at me.
Then she takes a breath, as if preparing herself...
"Um, Senpai...! W-We, um... made love, right!?"
...And she asks me a ridiculous question.
"――――――――"
My face, which had finally calmed down, passes its boiling point and
turns red again.
"Ah――――um."
I feel dizzy.
Just recalling what happened that night is so stimulating that it makes
me forget about our current situation.
So for Sakura to ask me fro confirmation like this, when I'm already off-
balance from Tohsaka, is like getting hit twice as hard――――
"Um... Senpai?"
"――――――――"
No.
This isn't the time to be speechless.
"――――Yeah, I did make love to you."
"R-Right!? Then it's strange for you to lose your composure against
Nee-san!"
Sakura looks up at me unhappily.
...I finally realize why her stare was so painful earlier. It's because she
was sulking.
"I-I'm sorry. But Sakura, this had nothing to do with Tohsaka, and, um, it
couldn't be helped."
"I-I know, but please bear with it! You're m-m-my lover!"
"―――――Ugh. I... know that, but..."
I couldn't fight against it.
I'm a guy, and I've admired Tohsaka since I got into this school, so I
couldn't help it.
"...I'm sorry. I'll try to bear it next time. I'll do my best not to lose my
composure."
"...Really? I'll get mad if this happens again next time."
She stares straight at me.
Repentant from the bottom of my heart, I tell her I'll do my best.
...Man.
I only realized it just now, but...
Having three girls under the same roof might be a really stressful thing.
It's eleven-thirty now.
With lunch coming up, the kitchen is filled with a noisy, forbidding
atmosphere.
"Um, Tohsaka-Senpai. I'm thinking of making a dish that everyone can
eat from. Do you have anything you don't like?"
In the kitchen...
With the refrigerator at her back, Sakura speaks timidly.
In response...
"I see. Then I'll make mapo tofu."
...Tohsaka cuts her off and selfishly starts cutting the tofu.
"―――They aren't getting along. What were you thinking, letting them
cook?"
Ilya sits Japanese-style on the cushion and speaks without reserve.
Hm. It seems even Ilya can tell Tohsaka and Sakura are tense.
"It's just going to get worse if you leave them be.
You should know that, so how did you let it come to this?"
"It just sort of happened.
We were wondering about lunch. Tohsaka said she'd make it, and Sakura
said it was her job.
Neither one would back down, so I took both their ideas and suggested
that they make lunch together."
"You said that? ...I see. No wonder they can't back out now."
Ilya seems to understand and takes a sip of tea with proper manners.
As expected from a princess. She shouldn't know the proper etiquette,
but she's elegant even with something as simple as this.
"But Shirou. Couldn't you have made lunch? Why did you get Rin and
Sakura to do it?
Tohsaka and Matou are enemies, and Rin wants to kill Sakura."
"That was only up to yesterday. Tohsaka is working with us because she
doesn't want to fight Sakura. And they aren't enemies. They get along,
and I entrusted them with lunch because I thought it would go well."
"Huh―――they get along!?"
"...? Is that so surprising? Ilya and I are friends even though we were
enemies, right? Then it should be the same for Tohsaka and Sakura."
"Eh... Well, Shirou and I are special..."
"Being special has nothing to do with this. You'll understand if you
watch. Tohsaka is being more blunt than usual, but she warns Sakura
every time she does something wrong. It means that..."
"......She's concerned about her. But she's putting on a cold face and
ignoring her because she doesn't want her to find out."
"Right. And Sakura knows that, so she's making mistakes she normally
doesn't. She's concerned about Tohsaka too."
"...Now that you point it out, I can see it. Then what? They want to get
along, but they're too embarrassed to start talking?"
I nod.
I don't know about Tohsaka, but I know how Sakura feels.
Sakura likes Tohsaka, and she wants Tohsaka to like her.
Or she would never call her Nee-san.
"...I see. So Rin is clumsy, in spite of her appearance."
Impressed, Ilya murmurs and looks in the kitchen.
"――――――――"
I follow her example and look in the kitchen.
They must be half done with the cooking.
Standing side-by-side in the small kitchen, Tohsaka and Sakura are
making their dishes.
"――――――――"
"――――――――"
One holds the frying pan while the other holds the ladle, but neither says
anything.
...And after a silence that even gets us nervous...
As expected from sisters, they start talking at the same time.
"What? Go ahead, I'll listen to whatever you have to say."
"Oh... um, it's really nothing. Didn't you want to say something?"
"...It's nothing. Well, different people cook differently, right? So I
thought it might be useful if you can teach me some of your flavorings."
"Y-You're right. I'd love it if you could teach me your recipes, Tohsaka-
Senpai."
"――――――Hm."
"...That's it? I don't believe this. At this rate, they'll be like that forever."
"......"
It's scary that I can't deny the possibility.
Tohsaka is normally dominant, but why is she so shy when it comes to
Sakura?
And Sakura too.
She calls Tohsaka Nee-san when she's with me, but she's reserved when
she's actually with her.
"――――Sakura."
"Huh? Oh, yes, what is it, Senpai?"
"I need to talk to you. Can you come here?"
"Senpai? Is there something outside?"
"No, being outside isn't the important part. I just wanted to talk
secretly."
"Um... talk secretly...? Um, is this something you can't let Nee-san
hear?"
"That's it. That's exactly what I want to talk about."
"...?"
"I'm talking about how you address Tohsaka. You don't call her Nee-san
when you're with her.
It's obvious that you really want to call her that."
"Eh―――you mean it's obvious to Nee-san!?"
...Whoa.
I just made that up, but it seems Sakura is more reserved about her
sister's feelings than I thought.
"N-No, Tohsaka doesn't know. I don't know why, but she's really dense
when it comes to you. ...But in the worst case, she might think that you
hate her."
"T-That's not true...! It's natural for Nee-san to hate me, but I'm happy to
be with her. I never even dreamed that we could make lunch together..."
"Right. Then why don't you just be honest with her? Even someone as
dense as Tohsaka can't possibly miss it if you tell her straight-out. Then
you should be able to..."
Sakura should be able to realize by herself that Tohsaka wants to get
along with Sakura.
"...Um, Senpai?"
"―――It's nothing. Just go call Tohsaka Nee-san.
I'll bet you she changes so much that it's funny."
"...Would it really turn out like that? I think having someone like me
calling her 'Nee-san' will only bother her.
I'm a magus of Matou, and I can't do everything like Nee-san can.
Tohsaka-Senpai is probably disappointed that a failure like me is her
sister."
"You idiot. Don't bring other things into a sister's relationship. You like
Tohsaka, and she's your big sister, right?
Then there's nothing more important than that. I'll guarantee it. There's
mutual love between you two. To be honest, there's so much love that
I'm a bit jealous."
"Eh... I-Is that so?"
"Yeah. So you call her Nee-san.
I think Tohsaka believed in it, just like you did. So there's nothing to be
scared of. It's for her sake too. Please call her Nee-san."
"――――――――For Nee-san's sake."
...I don't know what's going on in her mind.
But after putting her hands together, as if praying, and thinking it over...
"Okay. I'll do my best."
She smiles softly in thanks.
――――We return to the living room.
Sakura exchanges a glance with me, takes a deep breath, and heads to
the kitchen.
"Welcome back. Sakura's tensed up. What happened?"
"Hm? The rest depends on her courage. Well, I'm sure it's going to go
well."
"...?"
I sit down on the cushion.
"―――Nee-san. Can I finish this fried chicken?"
"Yes, all that's left is to fry it, so I'll leave it to you... wait, Sakura, did
you just..."
"Okay. If I'm doing the chicken, can you cut the lettuce, Nee-san? I'll
leave the serving to you."
"O――――Okay, that's fine, but..."
...Everything goes still.
They both fall silent, and the tension is much greater than before.
"――――――――"
"――――――――"
Not even breathing, they stare at one another.
"......Um, is it strange, Nee-san?"
"Uh――――i-it's not that. I was just surprised because I've never been
called that way."
"...Then, um..."
"I-I have nothing against it. You're free to call me whatever you want,
and I'm calling you by name. Well, it could get confusing because there
are two Senpai here, so that should make things clearer."
Tohsaka makes it sound like it can't be helped and looks away.
...But Sakura should be able to tell that she's blushing and can't hide her
smile.
...Their joint work got even more awkward after that.
They messed up so many times that lunch turned out to be a disaster.
The fried chicken was covered in pepper, the mapo tofu was hot as hell,
and the rice cooker was never turned on, so we ended up eating without
rice.
But Tohsaka and Sakura both looked happy, smiling at every
opportunity.
"...Geez, they sure are clumsy."
Ilya sounds dumbfounded as she eats mapo tofu that's hot enough to
numb your tongue.
I nod back silently and gratefully eat the food they made.
I return to my room to rest after lunch.
Tohsaka had something to do, so she went to her room with Ilya.
"I'm going to take measures against Zouken with Ilya's help. It should
take some time for the crest to familiarize itself with your body, so you
can rest for the whole afternoon.
You'll just get in our way even if you're here."
That's how it is, according to her.
We have no way to oppose Zouken right now.
So all I can do is to wait for whatever Tohsaka's preparing.
Sakura has returned to her room.
Sakura was feeling dizzy while we were cleaning up after lunch.
I wasn't worried because she seemed well this morning, but Sakura is no
different from a sick person.
Tohsaka and I told her to rest if she's feeling even a bit tired, so Sakura is
back in her room now.
"――――――"
I check out how my arm's doing.
It didn't move at all before, but I can manage to move my elbow now.
It's still numb, but I feel no pain.
If I'm to talk about pain, the crest Tohsaka planted hurts more.
My shoulder, throat, and belly button.
It feels like bolts are in those areas as if I'm Frankenstein.
"My left arm is borrowed, and my body is held together with bolts,
huh?"
It reminds me of cyborgs one would see in science fiction movies.
It's an interesting idea, but I can't laugh it off.
...I was going to check how my arm's doing, but I didn't even stand in
front of the mirror.
It's almost two o'clock.
Well――――
Come to think of it, I haven't seen Rider all day.
Considering her, I'm sure she's keeping watch on Sakura from a distance,
but I have to greet her if she's around.
Rider is nowhere in the house.
There's her room, but it didn't even look like it had been used.
Then a place where she may like and where Sakura's room is in view...
This is the only place I can think of.
The shed is the only spot that has a good view of Sakura's room, is
concealed, and is unoccupied.
"Are you here, Rider?"
I call out to the empty shed.
"I am standing by. Do you need something, Shirou?"
Rider must've been in spirit form, as she suddenly appears.
"........."
Well.
I came to greet her, but I get tense when I actually stand face to face
with her.
I don't care about Rider's personality to keep everyone distant from her,
but as a guy, her overexposing outfit is troublesome.
"...I asked you if you had any business."
"Oh, no. I really don't have any. I haven't greeted you today, so I just
wanted to say good morning."
"―――I see. You must have a lot of free time."
Her response is direct.
But this is within my expectations. This is actually easier for me to
handle because this is what I expect from Rider.
"Yeah, I'm bored. I have some free time, so I'm just walking around. Are
you guarding Sakura from here?"
"Yes. I am Sakura's Servant.
I will not protect you or Tohsaka Rin unless she gives me an order to do
so."
"Really? I'm glad to hear you say that."
I sigh with relief.
I was worried, but it seems Sakura isn't pushing herself.
"Thank you, Rider. Please give Sakura your best regards in the future as
well."
I wave and head for the yard.
"―――Please wait. I have a question."
"...?"
I stop in front of the door.
"What? There aren't many things I can answer."
"No, this is about you, so you should be able to answer.
―――Emiya Shirou. I do not understand your previous statement.
I refused to be your guard. How can you call that a good thing?"
"Huh? Oh, that's your question?
I'm sure I'd sleep better with knowing you were guarding me, but I'm a
guy, and guys are supposed to protect themselves.
Tohsaka is... well, I'm sure she would deal with anything that came her
way."
"......You are going to protect yourself with that body of yours? It only
sounds like a bluff to me."
"It is. We're the weaker ones, so we'll lose unless we bluff.
...Well, to be honest, I can't help but feel uneasy. But I still want you to
keep this stance. It will tire Sakura if you move around. I don't want
Sakura to use any more magical energy."
"―――I see. Moving about will certainly burden her.
I burden her just by taking form. So you do not want me to take on
excess work?"
"Right. I just want you to protect Sakura.
And if I ever get killed, can you protect Ilya as well?"
"...How convenient of you. You know I am a burden, but you want to
rely on me in the worst case?"
"Yeah... Is that asking too much?"
"――――――――"
Rider doesn't answer.
Her blindfolded eyes stare directly at me.
"Um... why not make a deal? I'll definitely help you if you're in danger.
It's give and take, so can you take Ilya into account as well?"
"I cannot respond to that. There is a high probability that you would
already be dead if I were in danger. Your proposal is not attractive."
"Gah. You're right. It's meaningless if I'm dead before you're in
danger. ...Oh, I'm sorry. I was really being convenient."
...But I'm troubled now.
That means it's better to take Ilya to a safer place.
She doesn't want to go the church, but leaving her alone in her castle is
even more――――
"―――Geez. You really are unreliable."
"Huh? Did you say something, Rider?"
"Yes. I said I will consider your proposal. If you save me when I am in
danger, I shall definitely do as you wish. Is that all right, Shirou?"
"Oh―――really...!? I was being really convenient, you know!?"
"This is reasonable. It is only if you save me first."
"――――――――"
I'm stunned.
...Um, I'm glad that Rider accepted my proposal, but, more than that...
"Rider. Did you just smile?"
"No. There was nothing to be happy about, so there is no reason to
smile."
"But you were smiling, even if there wasn't a reason. It was really subtle,
so I almost didn't catch it."
"That is not possible. You are mistaken as I am denying the fact."
Rider declares.
Hmm, now that she mentions it, maybe she's right.
"............"
"............"
Hm... The air is getting strangely tense now.
I was going to go back to the main building, but I'm concerned about
Rider.
She's silent and cold like always, but it seems like she has something she
wants to say.
"............"
"............"
The air gets tense as if we're facing off.
...But...
I know this is abrupt, but Rider is tall.
Long hair, slender limbs...
I've only seen it once, but her face under the mask was beautiful.
Tohsaka and Sakura are beautiful too, but Rider has an entirely different
sort of beauty.
"Do you have a question, Shirou?"
"Huh? Oh, it's not much of a question, but can I ask it?"
"I do not mind. What is it?"
"Okay. You're tall, Rider. Exactly how tall are you?"
I ask her straight-out.
...Wait.
Why is she backing up?
"Rider?"
"N-No, it is nothing. Please do not mind me."
"...All right. So, how tall are you? You're taller than me, so you must be
over 170."
"I-I will not answer that question. Please ask me something different."
"You won't answer? You don't know how tall you are?"
"N-No, that is not the case. ...Regardless, please ask me something
different. I will be angry if you persist in this."
"Hm."
Rider is obviously disturbed.
The usually cool Rider is flustered, so could it mean that――――
"Rider. Are you self-conscious about your height?"
"――――――――"
Rider freezes.
It seems I guessed right.
"............"
"............"
We both shut our mouths.
She must not be able to bear the silence...
"...I-Is it strange...? For me to be worried about such a thing?"
"Huh? No, I was just wondering why, and not because I found it strange.
Why does it bother you?"
"...Is it not obvious? A tall woman like me is unsightly,
unattractive――――"
"Why? It's good-looking."
Actually, she's asking too much.
I want her height. Really.
"............"
"............"
And silence again.
It finally occurs to me that I could be distracting her from guard duty.
"Um. Am I bothering you, Rider?"
"...Yes. I am hiding in preparation for Matou Zouken's surprise attack.
However, it will do little good if you are talking to me like this."
"Right. Then I'll be going back now. I'm sorry I bothered you."
"Oh―――hold on, Shirou."
She stops me, and I turn around for a second time.
Rider bites her lip in annoyance, then...
"―――If you have free time, please go nurse Sakura. It really matters
to Sakura if you are there with her or not."
"Oh... you're right, I'll go right away. Sakura pushes herself when I'm not
watching. I'll go see if she's really resting or not."
Rider's right.
Sakura's room is near here, so I'll take care of her this afternoon.
"―――Oh. That's right. I remember why I came here."
I turn to Rider for the third time.
"W-What is it, Shirou?"
"Good morning, Rider. I haven't greeted you yet, right?"
Good, good.
It'd just be stupid if I forgot to greet her when this is the whole reason I
came here.
...Then.
"―――Good morning, Shirou. Then I shall also say something I held
back."
Rider regains her composure and looks down at me coldly.
"What?"
"You waste effort on useless matters. It is too late for a morning
greeting. It is already after noon."
"Ugh, I'm sorry. I honestly forgot about you until just now."
"I thought as much. Please take better care in the future.
And please forget what I said earlier."
"...? What do you mean?"
"How you must think I am a nuisance. I misunderstood you, so I take it
back."
"I don't think you're a nuisance."
"I understand that. I would expect no less from a person who comes out
to greet me."
―――She smiles.
I'm not mistaken.
She's really smiling.
"You there, Sakura?"
I knock quietly.
"Oh, Senpai...?"
I hear a sluggish voice.
"Oh, please hold on. I'll get changed right away...!"
She must've been sleeping, and now she's scrambling to meet me.
After two minutes...
"Sorry to keep you waiting. Please come in."
"Oh... okay, excuse me."
I suddenly get nervous that I'm about to enter a girl's room.
I've been here before, but the situation is different.
Sakura wasn't conscious back then, but now she's opening the door and
inviting me in.
"So, is anything wrong, Senpai? I was sleeping, so I don't know if
anything went on."
"Oh, it's nothing like that. I didn't come here because something
happened. I just came because I was worried that you weren't resting
properly... but――――"
It seems I woke her up as a result.
"Aha, then I passed. I was resting like you told me to."
"Yeah. I'm sorry for waking you up. You should know about your own
body. You wouldn't push yourself and move around if you're sick. ...It
seems I was caring excessively."
I contemplate my actions.
But Sakura starts laughing.
"...Ugh. I'm worrying too much?"
"No, that's not true. You're pretty sharp.
To be honest, I wanted to continue cleaning.
I was thinking about sneaking out if you didn't come."
"Whoa... sneak out?"
"Yes. I didn't want to rest when I feel fine because it makes me feel like
I'm sick. So I wanted to act normal, in spite of what you told me.
But Nee-san got mad and told me not to be foolish.
She said it's a bother to you two if I push myself and collapse."
"――――Hm."
...That's right.
We stopped Sakura from doing the laundry after lunch.
She wouldn't listen to me, but when I was wondering how to convince
her, Tohsaka came to help.
But it wasn't anything nice...
"If you collapse, we'll have to kill you."
...As her harsh words would indicate.
"...Yeah. Tohsaka was mad."
"Yes. Nee-san scolded me."
Sakura sounds happy.
......I see.
She knows that Tohsaka cares about her, no matter what she said.
"Then you have to rest.
No matter what you may think, your body's tired. Tohsaka and I can go
outside without worries if you're resting like this."
"...You're right. But I'm really healthy. I'm just not feeling well right
now, and I'll be back to normal tomorrow. This is just like that cold, and
I'll get over it in a day."
"...You idiot. I know I'm not one to talk after I woke you up, but you
should rest. Sleep, if you can.
I'll come wake you up for dinner, so you just relax until then."
I get up to leave.
――――But.
"Oh――――"
Sakura grabs my shirt.
"Sakura...?"
"Um――――I'm going to sleep like you told me to, but...
Um, It'll make me happy if you're by my side."
"――――――――"
Sakura rarely demands something.
She must not want to burden others, so she tries to do most things by
herself.
But Sakura is asking something from me right now.
Well, this is nothing, but it must be the most selfish thing she can think
of.
That's why she looks so uneasy.
I'll do any favor she asks of me, but she only asks trivial things like this.
"――――Okay. Then I'll stay here a bit longer."
I suppress my urge to embrace Sakura and manage to tell her.
"All right! Then I'm going to go brew some tea! I'll treat you the best
Chinese tea!"
Sakura heads to the door in a hurry.
"Hold on. I'll brew the tea, so you stay in bed. You're putting the cart
before the horse."
"Oh... Y-You're right. I'm acting strange."
Sakura hurries back to her bed.
I pat her head as I pass by and go to brew us some tea.
――――But.
This situation is more nerve-wracking than I thought.
I'm alone with Sakura.
She's right before my eyes, and I can see her bare neck and her
captivating breasts.
That alone, um――――reminds me of what happened that night, and I
don't know where to look.
"But to be honest... I knew you liked Nee-san. Because you're always so
happy in front of her."
...So everything Sakura says goes over my head.
I'll lose control if I look at her too closely.
...I'm a man, you know?
Recalling what happened that night makes me want to push her down
and get a taste of her body again.
"...Isn't it? I'm not attractive like Nee-san. And you seem to like Ilya-san
too.
...Um, do you not like girls with big breasts?"
I take a deep breath and calm myself down.
I can't push her down when she's not feeling well―――wait, having
with her will help her.
Then it's not bad.
It's not bad, but――――
"............"
―――That's right! Tohsaka is next door, first of all!
They'll notice right away if I do such a thing, so I'm sure they'll look
down on me for doing it so early in the day――――
"......Wait, Sakura...? ...Um, did I do something to make you angry?"
Realizing that Sakura is unhappy, I come back to the real world.
"...No, you haven't done anything. That's the problem."
"...?"
"...Um, I said something very suggestive. You weren't listening,
though."
"Ugh... I'm sorry. I was spaced out. Um, I think we were talking about
Tohsaka..."
"Yes. We were talking about Nee-san. I was asking if you're happy now
that Nee-san's staying here."
"Oh――――"
...That's right.
I was asking Sakura about our situation.
"So how is it? You like Tohsaka, right? So doesn't this make you
happy?"
"...Yes, it is delightful. But I'm also feeling uneasy. Nee-san is my ideal,
and she has many things I could not obtain. That's why I want to look
away when she's near me, and I can't be honestly delighted.
It feels like I'm being condemned by Nee-san and myself for what I'm
doing."
"――――――――"
I can understand Sakura's point.
It's painful to have your ideal in front of you because it makes you feel
inferior.
...Well, I do understand, but...
"...Sakura. Your ideal is someone like Tohsaka?"
I ask timidly.
Tohsaka might punch me if she was here.
"Yes. I've always wanted to be like Nee-san. Oh, it's not as a magus, but
as a girl.
Nee-san can do anything, and she's always dignified. I want to be as cool
as her."
Sakura sounds happy.
...Hmm.
I hate to admit it, but Tohsaka certainly is cool.
She's really manly in the sense that she takes responsibility for what she
says.
"...I see. But you couldn't see Tohsaka until now, right? Something about
the agreement between the two families. So how do you know about
her?"
"You can't help but wonder.
Nee-san and I don't remember about when we were small.
It was so long ago.
But we both knew that we were sisters."
"That's why we were more interested, and we watched each other from
afar.
We never sat down and talked, but I heard a lot of rumors about
Tohsaka-Senpai, who was a year ahead of me."
"――――Oh. You must mean the rumor that she's a perfect honor
student.
Now that you mention it, you never run out of things to talk about her
since she's famous."
"Yes. And it's not like I never met her.
She would often greet me at school and come watch the archery club."
"...And I would always think at those times. That I'm content that she's
watching me. I'm happy that she's worried about me, and I knew she
would hate me if I ask for more."
"......? Why would she hate you?"
"...My magic is not like Nee-san's. There is no set limitation on how you
use your magic.
Senpai's magic is to accomplish something and to create a phenomenon.
There is no restricted goal set from the start."
"Hm... You're right. Strengthening is one of the only things I can do, but
you can use a strengthened object to do all sorts of things."
"...But the Matou magic is different. Matou's magic is limited to 'stealing
away from others'.
There is no other use for it. It only feeds on other people's pain, and
there is no teaching to return their happiness."
"........."
I can't just nod in response to that.
I don't know what kind of magic she was taught at the Matou
household.
The magic she was taught is a heresy, and Sakura is ashamed of it.
...The problem between Sakura and Tohsaka is the difference in their
family's magic.
The more Sakura hates the magic of Matou, the more self-loathing she
feels――――
"So you hate magic of Matou?"
"Senpai. That's like asking someone if she hates breathing."
Then.
Sakura looks up and starts talking like Tohsaka.
"I don't like it or hate it. I just couldn't live without it.
I was adopted by the Matou family for that reason alone. If I hadn't been
able to succeed them, I would have died."
"――――――――"
"Oh, please don't make a face like that. The teaching was certainly strict,
but it wasn't as tough as you may think."
"And if you want to talk about strictness, it's not even close to your
training.
I'm fine with getting hurt by others, but I'm scared of hurting myself.
I want to live, so I can't end it myself.
I don't mind other people cutting my wrist, but I'm scared to cut it
myself."
"But you can do either. ...Um, I've seen your nightly training.
I-It was only once, though. I forgot something here, came back, heard
something in the shed, and went to check it out."
Sakura bows her head in apology.
But I don't want her apologizing for something like that.
"No, you don't have to apologize. That's carelessness on my side. I'm a
failure as a magus if I can't notice the presence around me."
"...............Um."
"More importantly, when was that? Was it right after you started coming
here?"
I really hope so.
I'm improving, even though it may be really slowly.
If I didn't notice Sakura's presence recently, that means I haven't
improved at all.
"...It was last summer. It's the day Fujimura-Sensei brought a
watermelon."
"――――I see, that's good."
I sigh with relief.
I guess I can excuse myself if it was half a year ago.
"...So, um, Sakura. ...Well, what did you think?"
She's the first person besides Kiritsugu who saw me training in magic.
I practiced in front of Tohsaka these past few days, but that's different
from the training I do in the shed.
So Sakura's opinion is like a test.
Sakura is Matou's magus, so I might be able to get a good
score――――
"Umm. I guess I'll use my right to remain silent. I'm not Nee-san, but it'd
be terrible if I put a score on it."
"Ugh――――does that mean I got a failing score?"
"Ahaha, you can say it's a really bad failing score."
"――――――――"
...Crap.
Sakura doesn't seem similar to her sister, but she actually is.
"But Senpai. That's the only time I saw it. ...No, I couldn't see it again
because I was too scared."
"...? Too scared...?"
"Yes. Not only that, but I thought many times that I should stop you.
...Your training isn't normal. It looked to me like you were stabbing your
own throat. It's not that I imagined it, but it really did look that
way. ...Your training was that dangerous."
I understand what Sakura wants to say.
Creating a Magic Circuit is close to death for me.
My body would explode if the concentration in me is off by a few
millimeters.
But isn't that an ordinary compensation for a magus?
Kiritsugu was the one who told me that death is a magus' constant
companion.
"―――Really? I hear that it's like that for all magi. Maybe it looks
dangerous for me because I'm unskilled."
"You're wrong. It's not a question of skill. First of all, you're special in
that you can use magic when you don't have the talent.
Magic is not something you use, but something you teach the body. No
magus creates a new Magic Circuit for each spell the way you do."
"......?"
"I'm talking about the final result.
...Every night, you did something that could kill you. Nobody forced
you, and you didn't get anything out of it. But you stubbornly
continued."
"...I think that's something even Nee-san can't do.
You follow through on what you've decided until the very end,
regardless of whether it's right or not. So you're probably the strongest
one out of all of us."
"Wait――――――――"
I-It's really embarrassing if you say something like that with a straight
face.
"Y―――You idiot, I'm not giving you anything, not even if you flatter
me!
F-First of all, Tohsaka's the strong one! A-And I don't know what kind of
a magus you are, but you're the successor of Matou, and you also have
Rider...!"
"No, you are strong, Senpai. It's not because of your Magic Circuit or
your talent, but because your mind is pure.
...I knew that from the very first time I met you.
I knew you would never betray anyone."
"Uh――――――well..."
I don't know how to respond when she talks seriously like that.
"...Thanks. I'm glad you said that, even if you're just flattering me."
I'm embarrassed, but I tell her how I feel.
Sakura...
Smiles happily and looks straight at me.
"......!"
This is bad.
The distracting thoughts I shook off earlier will return if she makes a
face like that.
"...Um, I guess I'll get going now. You're sleepy too, right? There's
always tonight, so you should rest well in the afternoon."
I cough intentionally.
I look to the wall... to Tohsaka and Ilya on the other side.
"Y-You're right. There's tonight too, and Nee-san is next door."
She must understand how I feel, as she blushes and starts muttering.
...I bet I look like that too.
"Then I'm going back to my room. I'll come get you when it's
dinnertime."
"Oh――――please hold on, Senpai...!"
"...? What is it?"
"U-Um... I'd be really happy if... you could stay here until I fall
asleep..."
I bitterly smile at her intermittent words.
Actually, it's something I want to ask her if I can.
She's so timid that she probably doesn't even know how much I've fallen
for her.
"Okay. I'll stay here if I'm not a bother. I'll go after you fall asleep. Is that
fine?"
"O-Of course! I'll do my best to stay up!"
But Sakura...
I'm glad you're saying that, but that defeats the whole point.
Sakura suddenly falls silent once she lies down.
She must've been tired. It looks like she suddenly got sleepy once she
laid down.
But still...
"But Senpai. I'll get well if I rest today, but what about your arm?"
She must have no intention of going to sleep, as Sakura keeps talking.
"My arm is doing fine. It doesn't hurt as long as I keep this cloth on, and
it's slowly starting to move. At this pace, I'm sure it'll move fine by
tomorrow."
"That's good. It's been a while since Nee-san treated it, right? It looked
like it was just first-aid, so I thought the effect might've worn off."
Sakura smiles with relief.
"――――. What do you mean, it's been a while?"
"Nee-san's at fault too. She's free to transfer her crest, but the Tohsaka's
Magic Crest will never familiarize itself with anyone not from the
Tohsaka family. She should know it was just a makeshift that won't even
last seven days."
Sakura says it like it's nothing.
But――――
"Won't even last seven days...?"
It sounds very out of place.
"Yeah. It's about to wear off, so you have to get properly treated. My
magic can't solve the root problem, so I'll ask Rider if she has any good
ideas――――"
Sakura looks sleepy.
"――――――――"
I can't reply.
...I can only convince myself that Sakura is saying strange things
because she's about to fall asleep.
"...You're there, right, Senpai?"
"Yeah, I'm here."
"...Good. Please stay by my side, Senpai.
I have nightmares if I'm alone, so please――――"
...Sakura slowly closes her eyes.
Her breathing becomes more gentle, and she goes into a deep sleep.
I turn off the light and leave her room.
"............"
I saw Sakura fall asleep peacefully, but I don't feel any peace of mind.
So please―――keep watch and be on your guard against me.
...I think that's what she said unconsciously...
...Right before she fell asleep.
INTERLUDE BEGIN
"I'm coming in, Sakura."
He opens the door without waiting for a reply.
He has never waited for his younger sister's reply before opening this
door.
"What, she's not home yet? What a slug."
He clucks his tongue and walks into the room.
Scratching at the wall, Matou Shinji wanders through his sister's room
like a blind dog.
"Sakura. Are you in the basement again? What're you doing down there,
ignoring me?"
He keeps asking questions that will not be answered.
There is no one in the room.
His sister has not been home the past few days.
It is obvious that the master of this room is not here, but Shinji wanders
through it all the same.
"It's just like always. Haha, it really is like always!"
He throws the clock that touches his hand.
The sound of shattering glass is more annoying than he thought.
"Where the hell are you? Keeping a secret from your brother? Why the
hell is everyone doing as they please...!?"
He starts throwing things like mad.
...This is like always too.
This outlet has been his daily routine for the past few years.
It is his best opposition that began three years ago when he found out the
truth.
――――The Matou bloodline came to an end when he was born.
The noble family lost its power, becoming mere humans.
The only special thing is the accumulated knowledge.
The once noble family of magi is fated to perish in this Far East
country.
He has known this since he was young.
The Matou family was a family that passed down secret techniques.
But it is all in past tense now.
As the Matou are no longer able to use magic, they are to blend into
society as ordinary people.
But he did not think so.
Their Magic Circuit faded away, leaving them unable to perform their
secret techniques.
The bloodline of magi ended for Matou in his father's generation, and he
knows that he does not have the right to succeed the Matou name.
But the Matou family still has the records.
The bloodline perished, but the accumulated knowledge is not lost.
――――That itself is "special" enough for the boy.
He thinks he is different from others.
The Matou family have been chosen.
That will not change, even if they lose their power and cease to be magi.
He was proud of himself because he was born into a special family to be
raised in a special way.
Even if he is a failure as a magus, he is a child born into the chosen
family.
...But a new child slipped into the chosen family.
His father adopted a girl who had none of her own.
It all happened more than ten years ago.
The girl named Sakura became his little sister from that day on.
At first, he hated his new sibling.
He did not want any outsiders coming into the special Matou household.
But the boy started to accept his sister day by day.
The girl named Sakura was silent and ordinary, no more capable than a
guard dog.
It is a waste of time to be hostile against someone like that, and it is
more charming if one is to consider her a servant.
He looked through books, memorizing magic he could not use, to
remind himself that he was the Matou heir.
He was the only one who could enter the study.
His adopted sister could never be named the successor, so she had no
right to trespass there.
His sister would live as a normal human being, never being taught the
family's surviving knowledge.
This fact greatly satisfied his pride.
A family of magi has only one successor.
He knew that, so he did not question their separate upbringings.
Only one could learn magic.
Then it was only natural that his sister be raised apart.
Yes.
He felt sympathy for his sister.
They lived in the same house and had the same parents, but he was the
only one who could call himself special, and he pitied his sister for not
being chosen.
It is like a compassion of a superior being looking down onto
others―――and it is his most reliable pride.
The brother treated his sister as a failure.
The sister feared her brother and always looked down, as if avoiding his
gaze.
He thought it was because of shame, and he despised and loved her for it
at the same time.
Until he found out the truth.
"What――――――――?"
That was all he could manage when he accidentally found the room.
A room he has never been told about.
Knowledge that was not taught to him.
Talent that was not given to him.
Everything was in the room.
A naked girl lay in the middle of the room.
Around her were swarms of black worms and his terrifying grandfather.
And his father glared at the boy as if he was a nuisance, an attitude he
had never taken towards him.
And that ended it.
Everything he believed in, everything that constructed him was turned
upside-down.
It was not him that was special.
It was not his sister that was kept at a distance.
It was not her that was pitiable.
And it was not her that was looking down on the other person――――
His life completely changed.
Since he no longer needed to hide anything, his father took a defiant
attitude towards his son.
He started spending more time with the boy's sister instead.
His sister did not say anything, but would just hang her head like
always.
She still acted as though running away from his gaze when she would
say...
"I'm sorry, Nii-san."
...As if pitying him. She said it with the emotion that he once felt for his
sister.
"Ha――――Haha,
hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!!!!!!"
He laughed.
It was funny.
It was so funny that he wanted to kill.
The one he had thought was his pet was actually his master, and he was
just a fool.
Which one is the funny one?
It must be both.
At that time, as he went back to the mansion with unsteady steps, he
realized.
The world had not been turned upside-down.
It had been like this all along.
The inverted one―――the one who was misunderstood was him.
It is just that he finally realized his own miserableness.
The three years after that were only pain for him.
His father died, and his grandfather only cared about Sakura.
Matou Shinji became just like air in his house.
He was treated as an object whose existence did not matter, and that
truly was the case.
She pitied the air.
She apologized.
Though she never spoke the words aloud, she apologized every time she
saw him.
She apologized for taking Matou Shinji's place.
"Why are you apologizing――――?"
She could've just ignored him.
Then he wouldn't have hated her, wouldn't have clung to hope.
Sakura apologized.
Apologizing means submitting something.
Then――――
"――――Then you're mine from now on."
Considering all the contempt he had endured, he saw nothing wrong in
accepting this.
"Hah――――is she still over at Emiya's?
Even though she's the successor of Matou. Even though she's the
successor of Matou. Even though she's the successor of
Matou――――!"
The room shows no signs of life.
But that is to be expected.
Matou Sakura's "room" is the underground worm's nest, and this is
merely for show.
The master of the room does not care how much he breaks the things in
this room.
This room is no different from the doorplate that hangs at the entrance.
"Yeah, but you still apologize...! 'I'm sorry, I'm sorry'...!? Don't disobey
me if you think you're sorry...! If you feel guilty, keep compensating for
it! If you know you've been sold out to this house, be mine...!"
He scratches the sheets.
Something that was his.
Why did a doll that did not think or resist leave him?
"――――You took her. You took her, Emiya."
That was his miscalculation.
He knew she was attracted to Emiya Shirou.
That thing that held no interest in anything started to say things after
getting to know him.
She gradually regained herself, and in the end, she betrayed him.
He trained her to never disobey him, but now she chooses a total
stranger over her own brother――――
"That's why I said it wasn't safe to have her over at Emiya's. But that old
bastard spouted some bullshit about keeping watch on that
house――――!"
His grandfather does not even try to take Sakura back.
He said it is fine as is, and moreover, confined him to this house.
"――――You watch. I'm going to make you pay for this, Sakura. You
should never disobey me――――"
...That's right.
If a doll is disobedient, he'll just reset the relationship to be like it was
before.
If she gained hope to become human...
"...Yeah. I just have to destroy her hope again, just like before."
He laughs.
The clouded window reflects a face as ghastly as a skull.
INTERLUDE END
It's afternoon now.
Tohsaka seems busy and Sakura's sleeping, so I should make dinner.
My left arm moves even though it reacts slow, so it shouldn't hinder me
if I'm to make something simple.
"Hmm... I guess I can make fried swordfish and simmered meat and
potato."
I check the contents of the refrigerator and decide the menu.
There are two additional people eating now, so the food gets used up
quickly.
I should find some time to go to the shopping district tomorrow.
"Itadakimasu!"
Everyone must've liked having dinner ready when they came here, since
they all seem to be in a good mood.
I'm worried that Rider isn't here, but I'm sure she has her reasons.
Her top priority is guarding Sakura. So maybe she has no intention of
spending time around Tohsaka, who may end up being her enemy.
"...Will Rider come eat later on?"
I'll pack it up and take her some if she doesn't come.
Rider seems to like desolate places, so I bet she's either in the dojo or the
shed.
"Oh, so you're good at this? Sakura's good at Western food and you're
good at Japanese food?"
Tohsaka picks up the fried swordfish and looks at me in surprise.
It's golden fried with a scent of ginger, with an elegant soy sauce taste.
She seems to really like it.
"I like this one better. I'm glad you're good at cooking."
Ilya eats the potatoes in satisfaction.
...It's unfortunate that she's only eating the "potato" part of the
"simmered meat and potato", but I'm glad she likes it.
...Wait.
Sakura is tilting her head in confusion, chopsticks in hand.
"Sakura? What's wrong? You don't have any appetite?"
"...Oh... Um, I do, but Senpai?
The simmered meat and potato doesn't have any sugar in it. It tastes
strange."
"What!?"
I-I made such a stupid mistake on something I'm so used to cooking...!?
"Damn, hold on...!"
I serve myself out of the big dish in the center and try some.
"...Hm?"
.........That's strange.
This tastes normal.
"Sakura. Does this taste weird?"
"Weird? Didn't you use salt instead of sugar?
I don't taste anything sweet..."
"Really? Isn't it supposed to taste this way? Well, it does taste different
because there's something in it to bring out the flavor. But this is
something you can't readily copy and make."
"I don't know since this is the first time I've had this dish, but it's good.
It's sweet and easy to eat."
Sakura looks dissatisfied as she reaches out for seconds.
...One bite, two bites, three bites.
"Sakura...?"
"Huh? Oh, it seems I ate a piece that wasn't simmered. I'm sorry I said
something weird. Your food is good like always."
Sakura smiles and keeps eating.
"............"
Sakura keeps eating like nothing happened.
I was worried by Sakura's odd behavior, but she seemed well enough
after that.
In fact, she asked for seconds three times.
Sakura kept eating and finished off the food while Tohsaka stared at her
in surprise.
It's past ten o'clock.
"It's about time. Let's get going, Shirou."
Tohsaka finishes preparing and appears.
"――――I know. Please watch the house while we're gone, Sakura."
Tohsaka and I head out to patrol the town as planned.
...It's stupid that this is our only measure against Zouken, but it's all we
can do for now.
We need to defeat Zouken, Assassin, Saber, and the black shadow.
...They aren't ones we can defeat head on.
We have to sit tight until the countermeasure Tohsaka is preparing is
completed.
But we can't just stay at my house.
According to the news this morning, Matou Zouken has started to attack
ordinary people.
We can't match them right now, but we should at least patrol the town so
that there won't be more victims.
"......"
"......"
We put our shoes on silently.
We know how dangerous it is to go out into town at night.
Zouken is only after Sakura, but we should get in his way if we're
walking about.
...In the worst case, it'll be a repeat of our encounter in the forest.
Considering that, we can't be talking lightheartedly.
"...Hey. What are you doing?"
Then.
We don't have anything to spare, but Tohsaka glares at me and――――
"You don't need to see us off. Go back to your room, Sakura."
"......"
――――No, she's not glaring at me.
She's glaring at Sakura, who is standing in the hallway.
"N-Nee-san. I'll go too. It's dangerous for you two to go out alone, so..."
"――――Sakura."
...That must be why she's here.
I appreciate her concern. but our plan is already determined.
"No. You should know you're Zouken's target. Please stay here with Ilya
and protect yourself."
"I know. But you can only use one arm, Senpai. And Nee-san doesn't
have a Servant, so..."
"Don't be ridiculous, Sakura. It doesn't change the fact that you're our
enemy. I can't trust you with my back when I don't know when you'll
turn into Zouken's puppet."
"...But, Nee-san."
"You just concentrate on protecting yourself. If you feel sorry for us,
please don't trouble us about this. Just let Rider protect you and Ilya."
"Tohsaka, you――――whoa, hey...!"
"Hey, don't just stand there. Let's get going. While we stand around, he
could be out there attacking somebody else."
Tohsaka grabs my hand and drags me outside.
"Oh――――just be careful and watch the house, Sakura...! I'll leave
Ilya to you...!"
I leave with Tohsaka pulling at me.
"........."
Sakura doesn't say anything and stands at the entrance, lonely.
"Hey, wait, Tohsaka! I'll follow you, so let go of me already!"
"Humph. It's your fault for being slow."
Tohsaka lets go and comes to a halt.
"...What's with that face? If you have something to say, then spit it out."
And it's like this all of a sudden.
Tohsaka is acting defiantly.
...Man.
If it bothers her that much, she shouldn't have said it in the first place.
"...Man. Then I'm saying it, Tohsaka. It's about what happened now, but
don't say such things to Sakura. Sakura isn't like that because she wants
to be."
"I know. But that's why I have to be firm with her. If we aren't, Zouken
will be sure to take advantage."
"...This is a good opportunity, so let me straighten this out. I don't feel
any sympathy towards Sakura.
It doesn't concern me if she's Zouken's puppet, and I have nothing to do
with what happened to her after she was adopted to the Matou family. It
does no good for me to say anything about her problem."
"――――Tohsaka."
"Look. I'm at your house not because Sakura is there, but because you're
there.
My goal is not to save Sakura, but to obtain the Holy Grail.
I'll keep watch on Sakura for that goal, and I don't care even if she hates
me for it. That's why I'll say things like that, and I'm going to keep
treating her as my enemy."
"...So it won't bother you at all if she hates you? Her feelings don't
matter because she's a complete stranger?"
"That's right. Do you have any complaints?"
"You idiot. Of course I do."
...Man, this is not like Tohsaka.
She should be able to say it like it's nothing. Instead, she's clenching her
fists like she's trying to convince herself.
"All right. If you want to act that way, then go ahead.
Sakura knows how you feel, no matter what kind of attitude you take
towards her."
"Huh―――what do you mean by that!?"
"I'm talking about how important Sakura is to you. I'm an outsider and I
notice it, so it should be obvious to her."
"――――That's a misunderstanding. I just..."
"There's nothing to misunderstand. People can't get seriously mad about
things they don't care about. You're strict to Sakura for a reason. You
don't say it, but she's still your precious sister."
"W――――What are you saying, you idiot!!? Stop saying such snobby
things!!!!"
Tohsaka's face turns red with anger.
But I don't feel the usual intensity, and I know why.
"Oh? Was it a bother?"
"It is a bother. Isn't it obvious?"
"I see. Then while I'm at it, I have something else to say. I want you and
Sakura to get along.
She likes you, and you like her. So I don't like it when it's this awkward
between you two."
"...Hey now. She has to be my enemy. Making friends with her now
won't do any good. I wouldn't even know where to start."
"Isn't it fine as is? Have confidence in yourself, Tohsaka. Even I can tell
that you're being a good big sister."
"――――E-Enough with the chatting! We're going to the place they
showed in the news this morning!"
Tohsaka looks away and starts to walk.
I reply to her absent-mindedly and follow.
――――Then.
"Shirou."
She calls my name without looking at me and...
"Um, thanks. That made me, um... happy."
Tohsaka grumbles, embarrassed.
...There's nobody at the central park.
The park that's deserted even during the day is even quieter after the
murder yesterday.
The park is not a place for relaxation within the business district, and it
is no different from a desert in an uncultivated land.
"...A murder, huh? It seems people are treating it as an accident rather
than a murder case.
Well, I guess you really can't call it murder when you can't tell who died
and what the missing body parts are."
I still see traces of blood on the grass.
...It looks like a bucketful was spilled in four separate areas.
The darkened patches have some distance between them, probably
because the victims frantically tried to escape.
"Tohsaka. You said this might be Zouken's doing, but what do you think
now? Do you still think so after coming here?"
"......Let's see. I thought it might be the black shadow's doing, but it
doesn't seem that way.
All the mana in the area would be swallowed if that thing had appeared.
But the magical energy here isn't exhausted. ...Well, I still think the
incident here was an unexpected meal."
That's all the information we can get out of this place.
Tohsaka and I leave the site of the tragedy behind us.
...We didn't find anything in Shinto.
Maybe Zouken is not active tonight, probably because the incident
yesterday was so vivid.
The date's about to change.
A riverside breeze blows as we trudge home.
And...
"Tohsaka. Sakura is the successor of Matou, right?"
I suddenly feel like asking the question that was on my mind for a
while.
"Why are you asking that now? I have nothing to hide."
"No, that's not what I meant. If she's the successor, that means she's a
magus, right? So I'm wondering what kind of magic she uses."
"Oh, I see now."
"...Yeah, I hear Matou's magic is in bindings and coercions. I also hear
that the Command Spell wouldn't have been possible without Matou."
"Oh. So Sakura's magic is restriction? But then..."
On that day...
The magic Sakura used when the crest worm tortured her must have
been Rider's power.
"......I don't think it's restriction. That's the Makiri's forbidden magic, and
it's not their strong point.
But it's meaningless to think about it. Sakura doesn't have the magical
energy to use magic.
The crest worm will feed on such excess energy first, so she shouldn't be
able to use magic."
"...I see, that's good. So, how good is Sakura in your eyes? Is she about
as good as you, considering she's the Matou successor?"
"We have about the same number of Magic Circuits.
Did you forget that we're sisters?"
"Oh."
That's right.
That's why they wanted to adopt her in the first place.
"Oh, so she's about as good as you?"
"I don't think so. My attribute is 'five elements', and hers is 'imaginary
element'. But the Matou family has a water attribute, so they changed
her by force. What do you think would happen to a bird that has a
potential to fly if it's put in water?"
"It'll die, or..."
"Yes. Adapting to the water would be all it could do.
She would've had great success as a magus of Tohsaka, but she's no
different from you because she was forced to change into a magus of
Matou.
No, you're much stronger than her because you train your body."
"Then let's say you and Sakura fought using magic..."
"I'd win ten times out of ten. With her magical energy capacity, Sakura
would never get past my barrier."
...I see.
I couldn't figure out what kind of magus Sakura is, but I got to know
their power balance.
Tohsaka isn't one to bluff, so she must be speaking the truth.
"...But I'm embarrassed. I never knew Sakura was a magus, and I don't
know how good she is.
I'm a dumbass for pretending to be her guardian all this times."
"Hey now. The crest worm eats the magical energy in her, so you'd never
know she's a magus even if you're by her all the time."
"...And she did her best not to let you know. So don't say such a thing in
front of her, okay?"
"............"
She doesn't even need to tell me.
Sakura is Sakura, even if she is a magus.
First of all, I'm not that skillful.
No matter who Sakura may really be, I can only treat her like I always
have.
"You're right. If you say so, I'll just treat her the same as always.
I won't even think about asking for her help as a magus. That's fine with
you, right?"
"Of course. If you were going to rely on Sakura, I would've taken her to
my house."
Tohsaka's kindness makes my heart jump.
...See.
Tohsaka really is a good sister.
"But I don't think that's possible. Sakura smiles when she's at your
house. If you talk about surprising, that's what surprised me the most."
―――Then.
A look of happiness on her face, she says something odd.
"Smile? But Sakura, is, um..."
She's always like that.
"Yeah, it was needless worry on my part.
I can't talk to her that much, so I watched her. I went to the archery club
every day after she started coming to our school."
"―――――Yeah, I know that, but..."
"...Yeah. And I realized after a while that she never smiled."
"――――――――"
That's...
...Something I'm hearing for the first time, but I can't deny what she's
saying.
Come to think of it, Sakura always looked gloomy at school.
"Well, the only exception was when you were there.
She smiled whenever you came to the archery club.
In short, Sakura's only cheerful when you're in front of her."
"......"
Her words should make me happy.
But...
"...Sakura doesn't smile in front of people?"
...They seem to hide a dangerous truth.
It's past one o'clock when I return to my room.
"――――――――Phew."
I sit down on my futon.
Our patrol yielded nothing.
All we did was confirm that this morning's news was real.
"......"
Enemies we must defeat.
Just thinking about them sends cold, nauseous feelings through me.
Even a human could match Zouken or Assassin.
But those two are different.
I don't even know if the black shadow has a concept of death, and Saber
is someone we don't even stand a chance against.
But―――as long as there are victims, we can't just ignore them saying
we can't beat them.
"...Archer's arm, huh?"
I put my hand on the red cloth.
...I have a weapon.
I don't know how far this will get me, but I do have a weapon.
The question is if I can manage it, and if my body can withstand it.
".........I guess a bit is fine."
I untie the knot on the red cloth.
The cloth loosens up, and blood flows into my arm.
At that instant.
I think I heard a beast's howl.
I'm stabbed.
My whole body is pierced.
Is this pain? If this is pain, then the pain I've experienced until now isn't
pain.
It hurts, it hurts, it hurts, it hurts.
The floor's ruggedness. The softness of the futon hurts. It feels like I'm
sitting on a mountain of swords. The air is poisonous, and I die three
times as I breathe it in. Birds are chirping in the distance. The wind is
strong. There's no moisture. My skin dries and turns into sand. Flowing,
scouring, crumbling.
Tongs are inserted from the hollowed holes.
Thirty-two enter where my shoulder used to be.
They carefully, accurately, and elaborately pierce my internal jugular
vein, trachea, spinal cord, sympathetic nervous system, lobus superior
pulmonis, lobus medius pulmonis dextri, lobus inferior pulmonis, main
artery, heart, diaphragm, spleen, stomach, liver, gall bladder, and colon.
"Ah――――!"
It's crumbling.
Time slows to an impossible crawl.
I see sixty-trillion cells crumbling apart at the rate of three four naught
per second.
"―――――, ―――――――"
There is no pain.
There is no pain.
There is no pain.
There is only fear.
The end roll invades with amazing speed.
The flashback stops with fantastic image.
Death before my eyes, death past me, death at the moment, the pain is
not physical, but only the explosion of negation every time death is
thrown at me――――
"Haa, ah――――.........!"
...I hear a sound.
The sound of my head striking the floor.
"Ah――――Ah."
...My eyes are hot.
I realize I've been crying.
"Ah――――Ahh, ah."
Desperately, I stifle the scream building in my throat.
I curl up, push my head against the floor, grab my left arm with my right
hand, and just cry.
"――――Ah――――Ahh, ah――――"
I'm scared.
The thing I've been missing since the fire ten years ago.
I'm scared.
A natural fear for any living thing.
I'm scared.
For the first time in my life, I want to run away from my end.
"Haa――――――――aa."
It's not because dying will hurt.
It's not because I want to live.
It's just because it fills me with dread.
"――――Ah...... Kuh."
I tie up the red cloth.
I tie the knot tight, so that it'll never come loose again.
"――――No. This isn't good."
I groan and cry.
The priest said I'll die if I use my left arm.
That's nonsense.
I'll die if I take this cloth off.
My body might be able to bear it, but my mind will die.
My consciousness crumbled away when I loosened the cloth and my
shoulder touched the outside air.
I could not bear it. I cannot live without this cloth.
――――No.
If this arm is a contradictory existence that people should not associate
with, my body, its death foretold, runs to the terminal station, the ship,
with a crack in the bilge, can only sink into the ocean depths, the
passengers unaware, too late for anything――――
".........Ah――――"
――――My breath is running wild.
"――――Ah, guh."
――――I had a bad dream.
...I wipe the sweat off my forehead.
I can't stand up.
I stay cowered, bearing the strange pain.
"Ugh――――"
...I can't remember.
My left arm hurts.
It hurts so much that I want to cut it off.
I try to recall why it hurts, but I can't remember how to recollect
anything in the past.
"Hm―――――――"
The pain goes away.
I gather up my consciousness.
It must be because I was asleep.
The dispersed memories look as if they can be cooked nicely, just like
chopped onions.
See, I can add color with soy sauce, add flavor with pepper, and add
some potato starch to complete the dish.
"Whoa――――that sounds nasty."
I murmur to myself.
My head is good for nothing, but I can still manage to come up with a
conclusion.
In short, I don't have to eat something that's not good.
My left arm is already gone.
Nobody relies on something that's not there.
Therefore, Emiya Shirou has no weapon.
This foreign body is something I must suppress using all my life, and
will contaminate me for the rest of my life.
".........!"
Suppressing it with the cloth is meaningless.
If I want to rid myself of this poison, there is only one way.
"―――, ―――――"
But I still hold on to my left arm.
A gun is pointed at my forehead.
An image of a trigger.
The trigger is my left arm.
Once pulled, the gun will fire, blowing my brains from my skull.
"......"
I shudder.
I hold my breath and stare at the white wall.
"........."
Clutching my arm, I lie down.
...I close my eyes.
My whimpering finished, I decide to get some sleep for tomorrow.
"...Senpai? Are you back…?"
I hear a voice from the hallway.
"I'm awake. Come in, Sakura."
I raise my body. I want to see Sakura even though my head's not
working.
“Excuse me. I’m sorry, but I came since I heard sounds. …Um, I never
told you good night.”
Sakura is like always.
She's reserved, considerate, doesn't say what she wants, is at a loss, and
still smiles at me.
She became so surprisingly beautiful in the past year that I want to
embrace her when we're alone. And she's someone I promised to keep
protecting.
"Um, that's all. I feel well, thanks to you. I can sleep well tonight, so I
wanted to tell you that there's nothing to worry about."
Sakura is like always.
But that's just a matter of course.
She can't be different.
It's not as if she's blushing and snuggling up to me like before.
"...Senpai? Um, am I disturbing you...?
You look really tired and sleepy..."
"Sakura. Were you sleeping like I told you?"
"...?"
I just ask what's bothering me.
My tired head can't think at all.
"Yes, I was sound asleep.
I had another scary dream, but I was able to bear it since you were there
until I fell asleep.”
A scary dream.
I have to ask her what kind of dream it was, but…
“——————”
I can’t say anything, reaching out for her long hair instead.
“U-um, Senpai…?”
“———Come here, Sakura.”
I lower my hand to her shoulder and pull her to me.
"U-Um, Senpai, I-I-I...!"
"You don't want to?"
I whisper as I hold her in my arms.
Sakura doesn’t fight back, but buries her face in my chest.
“———Yes. I’m very happy.”
She relaxes and leans on me.
And so I hold Sakura very, very tight.
I can’t hold myself back.
"......!"
I just wanted to do this with Sakura.
I wanted to hold Sakura many times until I lose consciousness.
And I actually do.
Sakura's voice does not reach my brain.
I can only hear my own breathing.
It's Sakura that needs to be satisfied,
but I want it more than her.
There's no sense of time.
I tried to keep having this nightmare until morning, but the power in my
body goes off right away.
I fall asleep holding Sakura’s hand.
“Mm, mm………. Senpai, I———”
I feel Sakura’s warmth on my hand as I fall asleep.
...And my calm self speaks.
The haze clears from my mind.
———What good did this do?
Maybe all you did was finally confirm a certain unease by indulging in
Sakura.
Day 12 (overdose):
It's morning.
My mind slowly
.
"Hm――――......"
It's morning.
As my mind slowly awakens, I sit up.
It's past eight o'clock.
I'm late for school.
Well, that's not really true since I'm not going to school, but it makes no
difference to the fact that I slept in.
"Whoa. I have to make breakfast."
I get up and get changed.
I can't avoid looking at the cloth wrapped around my left arm.
".........All right."
I swing my arm as a warm-up exercise.
It's fine.
It rises up to my shoulders, as I intended.
It's getting better day by day.
There's still no sensation, but at this rate...
"What're you doing, Shirou? Breakfast is already over."
"Huh? What? What?"
Ilya is in front of me.
I should be in the living room, but I'm in the shed for some reason.
"Are you listening to me, Shirou? I'm asking what you're doing here."
"Y―――Yeah, I'm listening. Good morning, Ilya. What a strange place
to meet up."
......Hm.
That was an odd reply on my part.
It seems I'm not awake yet.
"Shirou? You're not feeling well?"
"Huh? Oh, no. It's just that I'm only half awake, so give me a minute."
I shake my head.
My body is dead tired, but my sleepiness goes away.
"――――All right. So, answering your question, I don't have any
business here. I just made a stupid mistake because I was half-asleep."
"I see. Then let's go to the living room! I'll prepare your breakfast."
Ilya happily runs across the yard.
The sky is nice.
It's bright blue, as if trying to wash away yesterday's gloomy air.
I take a deep breath, and the cold, refreshing air fills my lungs.
"――――Hm? Did Ilya just say she'll make breakfast?"
That's the first thing I say after I'm fully awake.
Ilya's breakfast... I'm looking forward to it, but I'm also worried at the
same time.
I'm pretty sure that Ilya has never even held a knife before, let alone
cooked.
"Oh... I should go keep an eye on her."
I run across the prickling grass to the living room.
And I'm astonished once again.
I must've been really out of it.
What was I thinking, coming here in my bare feet?
Four minutes after Ilya...
I get up on the porch after wiping my feet.
"Oh, Senpai."
I run into Sakura as she comes out of the living room.
"Good morning, Sakura. ...I'm sorry about this morning. I overslept, and
it was past eight when I noticed."
"――――――――"
...?
Maybe she didn't hear me. She's just looking blankly at my face.
"Sakura?"
I reach out, afraid that she's sick again.
Then.
"G-Good morning, Senpai!"
Or maybe she isn't, because she greets me with lots of energy.
"Oh, you're full of energy. So I'm guessing you feel well?"
"Y-Yes, I'm doing great, thanks to you. You gave me energy!"
"...?"
Sakura sounds awkward.
...Being energetic is a good thing, but I get uneasy seeing her so restless.
"What's wrong, Sakura? You're acting weird. First of all, what do you
mean by me giving you energy?"
"Um―――well, um, last night..."
"In your room..."
Sakura trails off, blushing furiously.
"――――――――Oh."
I remember now.
No, there's no way I can forget about it.
Last night...
I had slept with Sakura.
And it was our second time.
We did it more furiously than the first time, and I lusted for Sakura's
body.
"Uh――――um."
Blood rushes to my head in an instant.
I almost think that there's no blood left below my neck.
"S-Sakura... The thing last night..."
That wasn't a dream, right?
Sakura is still blushing, but she shakes her head and looks at me
critically.
"...!!!!"
Amazing.
I thought my face couldn't get any hotter, but I guess I was wrong.
...Um, last night was amazing.
Sakura's service...
It was so stimulating that my mind labeled the event a dream and filed it
away in the corner of my memory――――no!
"Sakura. Um... I'm sorry I was rough yesterday."
Ignoring the blazing heat I feel, I apologize.
"―――Okay. But I was happy, Senpai."
Sakura smiles and gives a lethal reply.
"Uh――――――――um."
She got me.
Sakura's so cute that I want to push her down right here.
I would've lost it for real if the sound of the TV hadn't come from the
living room, and...
"Shirou? Breakfast's ready."
...And if Ilya hadn't called for me at exactly the right time.
"S-So I'm going to go eat breakfast! I-I'll talk to you later about this!"
I pivot like a robot and head to the living room.
My limbs move awkwardly as I force down my desires.
"Here's your breakfast, Shirou!"
Ilya hands me a plate as soon as I enter the living room.
On the plate are blackened toast, a runny sunny-side up egg, and cut
tomatoes.
"Oh, thanks."
My head's still dizzy, but I sit down at my usual spot and start biting on
the toast.
I decline to comment on the toast, but the egg is done pretty well. Maybe
she copied someone, or perhaps Tohsaka taught her.
Anyway, I have to give her a perfect score if this is her first time
cooking.
"It's good."
I crunch on the toast.
Ilya doesn't seem happy or proud, but simply watches me in
satisfaction.
I'm not giving in to her happy mood, but I decide not to ask why the
toast feels like coal.
It's good.
Having your toast black or hard is a matter of personal preference.
"It is a problem. You'll get sick if you eat something burned like that."
"You idiot. The burned spots are the best, whether it's rice or toast."
"...Hey. Are you all right, Emiya-kun?"
"I'm saying it's good. And I guess doing it rough is all right."
"You must really be half-asleep. This isn't time to be saying such
carefree things, you know?"
Tohsaka looks at the TV.
The TV is on, showing the morning news.
――――Is this deja vu?
The news seems to be a story I've already seen―――and my mind
sharpens up.
The captions on the screen.
An incidence of unexplained comas occurred in Shinto last night.
The residents lost consciousness overnight.
It's being treated just like the other mysterious comas, but it's different
from before.
The area of the incident is 50 meters in diameter.
It used to only happen in one building at a time, but the damage is
spread much further now.
...And that's not the only problem.
At the end of the report...
Beside the triple-digit number of victims is a new list called "missing
people".
"Tohsaka, this is..."
"Yes. Fourteen missing people. I'm sure there'll be more once they look
into it. Well, it looks like about a tenth of the people were completely
swallowed."
"――――――――"
My mind freezes.
I unconsciously...
"Do you get it now? I don't know if this is Zouken or the shadow's
doing, but it makes no difference to the fact that there are more victims
now.
At this rate, a whole section of the town will be swallowed in a few
days."
Squeeze my left arm.
"――――Tohsaka. Are the missing people dead?"
I ask to confirm.
Tohsaka looks away, which is answer enough.
"...That's all. I understand how you feel, but feeling guilty can come
later.
Look, they're starting to do as they please because they think we can't do
anything about it.
They can do ridiculous things because they're taking us lightly.
So I don't even need to say what we need to do, right?"
Tohsaka quietly gets up.
...There's only one place she could be going.
Tohsaka does not urge me to join her, but goes ahead to the dojo.
"So. First off, how's your arm doing, Shirou?"
Tohsaka cuts right to the chase when I get to the dojo.
"Well, I can move it fine. But that's not what you're asking me, right?"
"Right. I'm asking you if you understand Archer's arm."
Ilya is watching us silently.
"――――――――"
...I swear Tohsaka doesn't know what this arm is.
She doesn't know about the fear I felt last night.
It'll be over for me if I take this cloth off.
She doesn't know my body will be destroyed if I let this arm free, let
alone use it.
――――I recall the sensation.
Unavoidable death.
It felt like being buried alive.
Utter obliteration, where the world is covered beneath something
mysterious and ends in silence.
After just a glimpse of it, my mind repeated to itself in terror...
That I cannot use this arm.
I'll die if I use it.
Without some sort of miracle, I will definitely die.
"How is it? It's been a day since I transplanted my crest, so it should be
working now.
Answer me. Do you know what you can do with Archer's arm?"
"――――?"
...Hold on.
Tohsaka's question is not exactly what I'd been expecting.
I thought she wanted to know if I could use the arm.
"Um... so you're not asking me if I can suppress his arm, but if I know
what his Noble Phantasm is?"
"O-Of course! It'll be terrible if you use Archer's arm, so there's no way
I'm going to let you! Or what!? Were you thinking about using it!?"
Oh.
Tohsaka's seriously angry.
"Uh... No, but I thought that's where the conversation was going..."
"What are you talking about!?"
"...Geez. Let me tell you. I forbid you to use Archer's arm, no matter the
situation.
And don't even consider using it without my permission.
...Um, you're taking Archer's place, so it'll trouble me if you die."
"――――――――"
Tohsaka's serious.
...I take back what I said earlier.
She knows.
She's a much better magus than I am.
She knows more than me about what'll happen if I free this arm.
"So, how is it? Do you understand what Archer's Noble Phantasm is?"
She repeats the question.
I don't know what kind of an answer Tohsaka is expecting, but...
"Geez. Why don't you just tell her, Shirou? That you knew what it is
since his arm has been transplanted."
"Wait, is that true, Shirou?"
"Ugh―――well, I think so. Archer's Noble Phantasm is his projection
magic, and it's reproducing weapons, right?"
I have a vague idea, but I can't be sure, so I'm still half in doubt.
"...I guess I didn't need to be so nervous. So, you're already connected to
it.
That's helpful in its own way, but why didn't you say anything, Ilya? If
Shirou knew about Archer's projection magic, I didn't even need to ask
him."
"You didn't ask. You're the one who wants Shirou to do projection, so it's
your role to ask. It's nothing I should butt in on."
"What's that? Are you going to say we're stopping after all that
preparation?"
"That's for you two to decide.
You'll certainly win if you can reproduce the gem sword. That's why I
gave you a hand. But I only helped you because it's my obligation. It's
not because I agree with your plan."
"......?"
Um...
Judging by their conversation, Tohsaka wants me to project
something――――
"Can I say something? So in short, you have something you want
reproduced?"
"Yup. I need you to reproduce something for me.
We can't match Saber or that shadow. So we have to create something in
place of Servants, a Conceptual Weapon that exceeds the Servants."
"Conceptual Weapon――――? Is that the fixed magical item that
executes a set phenomenon?"
"Yes. It's an Outbreaker that defeats its opponent using the weight of its
concept rather than physical damage. I'm going to have you project a
special Conceptual Weapon that has been passed down through the
Tohsaka family."
"The goal is to make something that can match Saber's Noble Phantasm.
You saw Saber's Noble Phantasm that defeated Berserker, right?
In terms of raw power, Saber's weapon is the strongest.
I'm sure even the shadow would be destroyed by a blow from her Noble
Phantasm, and we can't dodge or block it if it's used against us.
Conversely, we can manage a fight if we can make a sword that exceeds
Saber's Noble Phantasm, even if it's an imitation that breaks easily."
"―――――"
...It's a sound argument, and a natural conclusion.
If Saber's Noble Phantasm is their strongest weapon, we just need to
prepare something that outperforms it.
Make a weapon that is stronger than your enemy's.
It's the simplest and surest way to win.
But.
"...I don't know. I can't project such a strong Noble Phantasm. No, first
of all, I've never succeeded at projection magic――――"
"Yes. I'm sure you've never been able to do the kind of projection that
we magi are familiar with.
But your projection isn't on that level. You were merely doing it wrong
because you didn't know how.
But you now have Archer's knowledge, so you just need to trace it. With
Archer as your example, you will succeed."
"――――"
Tohsaka sounds confident.
But even so, I have no confidence in myself.
"Look. I've told you before, but you're a magus that uses projection, not
strengthening.
You might not be able to make a replica with the same power as the
original, but you should get close to it if you follow Archer's theory."
"Our role is to back you up.
We'll prepare the materials to be as close to the original as possible.
Ilya is analyzing the blueprint that you'll be using during projection, and
I'm preparing the materials that were used to make the real weapon."
"...It'll be a little longer, but it's up to you after that. If you can reproduce
my master's pass, even if it's just the shape, we have a chance of victory
against Zouken."
"......"
Um.
So they're going to prepare the blueprint and the materials, and I'm
supposed to put it together?
I have no problem if we can defeat Zouken that way.
I'll happily go with her plan, but―――
"Let's assume I really can project this weapon.
If that's the case, we won't need any materials. If you show me the
original, I can copy it.
We can try it right now instead of waiting for you to get ready."
"Are you stupid? If it were that simple, I would've had you try it two
days ago.
Look, you'll be able to project once at most, and the projected weapon is
certain to have flaws.
But that's meaningless. We can't have you make an imitation like the
failures in the shed that look the same on the outside, but contain
nothing on the inside."
"...Hm. But I can only make such imitations."
"That's why we're backing you up.
We're preparing materials that are as close to the real thing as possible to
compensate for the required knowledge and magical energy, and have
you fix it in place with your image.
It's simple addition. We add your image and the materials we prepared to
achieve a better result."
"...Well, I'm sure we don't need the material or the blueprint if you use
Archer's arm to project it, but that's not possible.
This is the only way to prepare a weapon without relying on that arm."
"So we're strengthening what's there using projection, huh?
...Yeah, that does sound..."
It sounds plausible, and we might be able to do it with practice.
"But I don't know if it'll succeed or not.
I wasn't able to consistently use strengthening magic until I became a
Master. I don't think I can do something like that on the spot."
"Oh, that's all right.
I'm going to have you train your projection and practice retrieving
Archer's knowledge."
"...I see. That's good for me too, but you look happy, Tohsaka."
"No way. I've been playing with building blocks with Ilya for a while, so
I'm just thinking how refreshing it is to talk with a bad student."
"......"
...Ugh. I get the chills, recalling the weird sensation from yesterday.
Tohsaka got me naked, came close to me, and stuck her fingers in me.
Nothing happened then, but if we're going to do that again today...
"―――Ugh."
I might get a big scolding from Sakura, resting in her room.
"So, do you get it now, with all jokes aside?
I want to confirm everything one last time."
"Confirm?"
"I'm asking if you're okay with this plan.
We'll be relying on your projection.
I won't let you use Archer's arm, but his influence will still poison you as
you imitate his magic.
Knowing that, are you still okay with this plan?"
"Hey, I have no complaints if we can defeat Zouken. And it's promising
if you're the one training me in magic."
"...I'll be honest here. Using Archer's magic means releasing the seal on
his arm.
In short, I'm telling you to take off that Shroud while we're training
projection."
"――――――――"
My mind freezes.
Take the Shroud off?
Release this arm that terrified me, made me cry, and made me shake in
the corner, just by loosening the cloth?
――――I don't even need to think about it.
I…
"――――Okay. If that's what it takes."
I muster all my resolve.
"I'll go with your plan. I need to take this cloth off, right?"
And I manage to nod.
"......I see. So it's as I expected."
"What is it, Tohsaka? Is my answer not good enough?"
"No. I just reaffirmed that threatening you is meaningless.
I didn't think you'd be okay with taking the Shroud off, but your answer
is satisfactory."
Tohsaka looks away, clearly displeased.
"Hey, you're acting strange, Tohsaka. It took a lot of effort to agree to
that, and now it feels like I'm at fault here."
"Yes, I am the strange one.
Your response was exactly what I wanted, but actually hearing it made
me mad."
"But Shirou. I've already said this, but I won't let you use Archer's arm.
That means never taking the Shroud off.
I'm not one to talk after testing your determination like that, but don't
ever say you'll take the Shroud off.
...If you do, there'll be no turning back.”
It sounds more like a plea than a warning.
"――――――――"
I grasp my left arm that's covered by the red cloth.
I don't want to take this off either.
But――――
"...Then what about imitating Archer's magic?
I won't be able to draw out his magic unless I take this off, right?"
"Right. So I'm going to have you loosen the Shroud a bit. That won't
break the seal, and the reaction from the arm should be small, right?"
"........Yeah. Then what you meant earlier by taking off the cloth is..."
"Yes. I just meant loosening the cloth slightly.
But that's still a big deal, so I tested your determination."
"You would have to do this eventually, anyway.
You don't want to keep that on forever, right? You won't be able to
manage it in the future unless you can at least put it back on. Like taking
a bath or if it comes undone somehow."
"Oh―――you're right."
"Right? So you should at least get used to what happens when you
loosen it.
The crest from yesterday seems to have familiarized itself with your
body, and your magical resistance has increased. Ilya will protect your
consciousness, so I think you'll be able to keep it unbound for about five
minutes."
"Ilya...? So you want us to suppress Archer's arm together?"
I look at Ilya, who has been quiet all this time.
"No. I'm only going to protect your mind, so it's your role to endure the
flowback from Archer.
You have to retrieve his experience, so you need to bear with it, not
block it off."
...Oh.
If Ilya cuts off the flow of magical energy from Archer, I won't be able
to learn his techniques.
Even if it's poison for me, I have to taste it to understand its content.
"...All right. So I'm to loosen the cloth and bear the flowback from the
arm, right?"
"Yes. Make sure to close your eyes and concentrate within yourself.
It's just like opening the Magic Circuit, so it should be easy, right?
Your body just needs to experience Archer's projection technique. Don't
worry about trying to understand it."
"――――I'm sorry, but I'm gonna leave for a bit.
I'll leave the rest to you, Ilya. Please train Shirou while I'm gone."
Tohsaka suddenly gets up and leaves without hurry.
"......? What's up with her?"
"I don't know. I think she forgot something.
But you have things to do yourself, Shirou.
I'm against something stupid like loosening the Shroud, but I'll help
since you promised her.
Let's finish this before she gets back."
Ilya comes behind me and lays her cold hand on my back.
"Ilya...?"
"Just close your eyes and meditate.
I'll protect your mind and loosen the Shroud once the Magic Circuit
opens up.
I'll time it, so you just have to bear the flowback of magical energy. Be
sure to make desperate efforts, or the reaction will definitely swallow
you."
Ilya talks without emotion.
I nod back and close my eyes.
...I quietly gather my senses and create another nerve inside me.
This step has gotten much easier over the past few days.
Once I complete the line of light running through my back...
"I'm going to give you a needless warning.
Rin only knows the pain of having a heroic spirit's arm transplanted onto
you. She doesn't know what this is going to cause. She has no idea what
this is going to do to you.
But it can't be helped.
I'm the only one in the world who knows about the relationship between
you and Archer."
Ilya is saying something strange in a voice too vague to hear clearly.
INTERLUDE BEGIN
"――――Well."
She leaves the two of them and comes out into the yard.
"What's going on, Sakura? Weren't you resting in your room since you're
sick?"
Tohsaka Rin coldly regards the girl before her.
"........."
Matou Sakura looks down uneasily.
"――――――――"
"――――――――"
There are no words between them.
Rin mercilessly condemns the outsider, Sakura,
who is at a loss for words, feeling beholden and inferior.
"Sakura. If you're here because you're worried about Emiya-kun, go
back. I'll pretend I didn't see you."
"......!"
Sakura trembles a bit.
Her older sister is bitter.
She corners Sakura, even when she knows of her uneasiness.
"No, Nee-san. I just..."
Pushing her resolve, Sakura looks at her ideal, her older sister.
But...
"You don't need to explain. I'm telling you to go back to your room.
I'm not going to let you in the dojo, no matter what you tell me."
Rin cuts off the girl's utmost resistance.
"Why can't I go in?"
"Do I really need to spell it out? You're our enemy when we're acting as
Masters.
Look, Sakura. Even if you and Rider are just staying in the house
without fighting, it doesn't change the fact that you're under Zouken's
control. There's no way we can train in front of such a person."
"――――――――"
Faced with the cold words, Sakura can only stand there.
Tohsaka Rin is serious.
Unlike Shirou, her sister is worrying about when she might fall under
Zouken's sway and become their enemy.
...No.
Rin probably assumes they will end up as enemies.
"......"
She bites her lip.
But she can't talk back.
As Rin says, Sakura can fall into Zouken's hands at any time.
Her body is getting worse every day, and her memory is becoming more
vague.
Her only respite came when she slept, but now she's begun having
nightmares.
...It'll be no surprise if she goes crazy at any time.
"That's right. Walking around when you have no magical energy only
bothers us.
You don't know when you might collapse. Well, I'm sure you won't
collapse right now since you've settled down, but Emiya-kun will worry
if you push yourself.
...He'd be even more cornered if that happens. That's not what you want,
right?"
"......"
Rin is absolutely right.
Sakura drops her gaze further, biting her lip helplessly.
"Do you understand? Then get going. I'll go get you at noon, so rest until
then."
She nods.
Rin turns her back to her younger sister.
As if to tell her...
...That she's just a nuisance.
"H-Hold on, Nee-san...!"
"What? You still have something to say?"
"Yes. I understand your point. I'll go back to my room.
...But please tell me. What are you going to have Senpai do?
You know he can't fight anymore, right?
But you're seeing him, and what more are you going to make him
do...!?"
"――――――――"
She stops before leaving.
Matou Sakura's appeal is born of desperation.
A fury of emotion that the quiet girl has never shown.
Though surprised, Rin answers her with the same coldness as before.
"I'm teaching him magic. We can't beat Saber, Zouken, or the black
shadow as we are right now.
So I'm going to have Shirou draw magic from Archer's arm. That arm is
filled with his experience, and that experience will flow continuously
into Shirou if we loosen the Shroud, forcing Shirou to level up."
"Wha――――"
As a magus of the Matou, Sakura knows that this is a reckless plan.
What her sister intends to do is just torture.
It's like pouring a hundred units of fuel into a container called Emiya
Shirou that can only hold ten.
Even if ten thousand units are poured, the excess will overflow, and the
container will only hold ten.
But that will only be painful.
Emiya Shirou will gain from less than a tenth of the agony he goes
through.
And most of all―――a person with a normal mind will never be able to
endure it.
If you set a mud puppet against a tidal wave, the puppet will be washed
away.
That's what loosening the Shroud means――――
"That's absurd! Senpai's body won't last if you do such a thing...!
No, not only that! Senpai trusts you, Nee-san. That's why he's accepting
your reckless plan.
I'm sure he'll take that cloth off in the end if you tell him...!"
"――――Sakura."
Sakura does not look down.
She stares straight at her sister.
To that...
"...You're right. But, Sakura. He would take the Shroud off himself even
if I don't tell him to. I realized it when I was talking to him earlier.
......Honestly. In the end, he'll take it off like it's nothing, no matter how
strongly I warn him."
Tohsaka replies in a powerless voice.
"Eh... Nee-san?"
"Yes. I know that, so I had to suggest a plan that wouldn't make him take
it off.
If he knows we can manage without having him take the Shroud off, he
won't do it unless it's a last resort. So my role is to make him create a
weapon within set limitations.
I'll have him rest after that. I'll even confine him, keeping him out of
combat until the Holy Grail War is over."
"――――――――"
She's telling the truth.
Tohsaka Rin is showing as much consideration as she can.
...But that is her mind as Tohsaka Rin.
As the successor of an old family lineage, Sakura knows the other side
of Rin.
"Nee-san. I understand that you're concerned for Senpai's safety.
But that's it. If you find out that you cannot beat Grandfather with the
current method, you will end up using him.
You're a magus of Tohsaka. You will use Senpai as a tool to win... to
protect the law of magi."
They are not questions, but statements of fact.
The Tohsaka heir closes her eyes and...
"――――Yes. If our current method fails, and if Zouken and the
shadow continue their rampage―――I'll have Shirou use Archer's arm.
It's only natural if his life is the only thing at stake."
...She makes a declaration with her head held high.
"...That's selfish of you. Senpai never wanted the Holy Grail. He became
a Master by chance.
So it's wrong to force him to keep fighting."
"――――Hmph. It seems you misunderstand, Sakura."
"Look. I'm not forcing him, and even if that's true, Shirou has no right to
object. His life was saved because I gave him my Archer's arm. But he
hasn't tried to cut it off yet.
That means his life is mine now.
He's my Archer as long as he doesn't get rid of his arm."
"Do you get it? Shirou is my familiar until this war ends.
There's no reason for you to butt in. As long as he wants to fight, I'm
going to lend him my powers, and I'm going to borrow his power."
"......!"
She cannot say anything.
The girl cannot say anything back to her sister, who is full of
intimidating confidence.
"―――Is that all? Then go back to your room. Didn't I tell you you're
just being a distraction?"
Tohsaka Rin turns around and heads to the dojo.
The girl watches it as if it's a distant scene.
...The familiar yard is vast.
There is nothing around, and it feels like nothing is within reach.
In that artificial solitude...
"―――I see. So you're taking Senpai as well, Nee-san?"
...The girl murmurs something without emotion.
INTERLUDE END
Whoa.
I don't know when Tohsaka got back, but she's in front of me.
"――――Huh? What are you doing, Tohsaka?"
""
""
" state right?"
" rather lunch Rin and Sakura Sakura more "
"......."
...That's strange.
Why are they talking secretly in front of me?
"Tohsaka, Ilya."
......?
Maybe my throat is bad, as I can't talk in a big voice.
"Hmm... All right...
Hey, what are you two talking about!?"
Their conference abruptly ends.
"Ah, ah, ah."
Oh, it's back now.
It seems the loud voice did the trick.
"What? You said my seasoning is new to you. So you don't like spicy
food, Shirou?"
"Your food makes my tongue numb instead of just being spicy.
We already decided to have Sakura cook lunch, so let it go already.
Shirou said he wants Sakura's stew too."
It seems they're talking about lunch.
"Hey, now's not the time to――――"
I stop halfway into my sentence.
I see the clock and find out it's almost noon.
"――――――――"
...Something's nagging at the back of my mind.
Nothing's strange. The dojo's the same as always, but I'm getting chills.
It...
Tohsaka left at nine o'clock.
Information I don't know in my head.
Groceries
I responded to their conversation
something
in my head are details of every weapon
Ilya said something concerning
the pain of the white arm
skipping 40, and 26 times
the memory disappeared and returned.
"――――――――"
I hit my forehead with my fingers.
It's fine.
The dizziness is gone now.
"Shirou? What's wrong? You're going to the shopping district with Ilya,
right?"
I look through my memory.
I did indeed say we'll go shopping together.
"Yeah. Let's go, Ilya."
I shake my head and start walking.
"...Hey. You're acting strange. You were fine when we put the Shroud
back on. Did the fatigue just catch up to you?"
"Hm? Oh...... Yeah, I'm a bit confused, but it's all right."
This is nothing compared to the pain from yesterday, and my body feels
fine.
I was just a bit dizzy, so there's no problem at all.
I go outside with Ilya.
We can't spare the time to go shopping often, so we'll have to push
ourselves and buy about three days' worth of groceries.
"Then let's buy a lot. What do you want, Ilya? Well, we have to start
with today's lunch."
"Aren't we having stew for lunch? You said so earlier."
"O―――Oh yeah. It's good if it's decided. Sakura makes white stew, so
let's go look at the chicken meat."
We head to the familiar butcher.
We're buying three days worth of groceries after all.
We can't waste money, so we have to walk around to find cheap, high-
quality goods.
―――And after thirty minutes of fast-paced store-hopping...
"Aha, we bought a lot, Shirou!"
Ilya looked bored while we shopped, but she's laughing now with the
groceries in hand.
"―――I'm sorry, I bought too much. Are those too heavy, Ilya?
This bag is lighter, so let's swap."
I hold out the lightest of the seven bags I'm holding.
"No, it's not heavy, so I'm fine.
Should I carry one more bag? You're carrying lots of bags and you look
like grapes."
"Well, I'm fine too, but grapes? That's a weird comparison."
"Yeah. You're more like a clown with balloons, but grapes are cuter,
right?"
Ilya chatters happily, then starts running.
"Hey, wait, Ilya. It's not heavy, but it's hard to run with these."
It's not heavy, but I'm scared of the tofus and eggs breaking.
I'm scared, so I sigh and follow after Ilya with quick steps.
That's the biggest compromise I can make, since I was put in charge of
buying groceries.
...So I follow after Ilya while being careful with what I'm carrying.
Ilya must like it,
because she looks really happy.
Ilya stops running and starts to walk beside me once we get to the
intersection.
"♪Die Luft ist k[uuml]hl und es dunkelt,
Und ruhig flie[szlig]t der Rhein.
Der Gipfel des Berges funkelt
Im Abendsonnenschein♪"
Ilya's singing.
It's a familiar melody.
I think I heard this song in school when I was a kid.
"♪Die sch[ouml]nste Jungfran sitzet
Dort oben wunderbar.
Ihr goldnes Geschmeide blitzet,
Sie k[auml]mmt ihr goldenes Haar♪"
I can't see her expression since we're walking side by side.
There's no way for me to check...
what kind of a face she's making as she sings,
or how she's feeling as she walks back home.
"♪Den Schiffer im kleinen Schiffe
Ergreift es mit wildem Weh.
Er schaut nicht die Felsenriffe
　 　　Er schaut nur hinauf in H[ouml]h♪"
A familiar melody.
The simple song is easy and kind, but because of that, it sounds lonely.
――――Ilya's probably happy.
That's why she's singing as we walk home.
But I think of another reason at the same time.
It's natural for Ilya to sing.
She could only sing by herself on her way home, as she had neither
friends to talk to nor a father to wait for her.
"♪lch glaube die Wellen verschlingen
Am Ende Schiffer und Kahn
Und das hat mit ihrem Singen
Die Lorelei getan♪"
On the side of the road.
I look at the tall concave mirror.
In the mirror is me, holding many groceries, and a girl, singing with her
eyes closed.
"――――――――"
It's nothing.
It looks like normal siblings going home after shopping.
It looks so natural that it makes me imagine.
...What if Kiritsugu were between the boy holding the bags and the
singing girl?
How happy would that be?
"Ilya."
I call out to her.
"Hm? What is it, Shirou?"
She turns back innocently.
...That's because she's suppressing her true feelings.
Ilya's killing her own emotions.
Ilya's kept something bottled up within ever since Archer disappeared.
That's why we can hang out like this.
Because Ilya can't smile like this unless she keeps her true self hidden.
"――――――――"
I'm the same way.
I'm postponing something I already know.
I'm running away from what I have to say.
I just went along with Ilya's lie.
"...Shirou?"
...Ilya probably gave up.
She stopped pressing the problem on us, and going along with our end.
That's fine.
If Ilya likes this relationship and wants to keep ignoring that, I won't lose
anyone.
But still...
"Ilya. If you have no place to go back to after the war―――"
There's something wrong with me.
I'm about to say something I don't have to.
But I have to say it while I still can.
...I'm going to go crazy.
I'm going to go crazy, so...
"Ilya. Do you want to live at my place?"
I have to ask her before I go crazy.
...She stops.
Ilya answers in an emotionless voice...
"You mean that as Kiritsugu's son?"
...Looking quietly at my face.
"――――――――"
Kiritsugu's son.
What Kiritsugu couldn't do, what Kiritsugu abandoned.
I'm Kiritsugu's son, even if I'm not blood-related, so I must assume his
duties.
I have to face this girl not as Emiya Shirou, but as Emiya Kiritsugu's
son.
That's what Ilya is asking me.
And of course――――
"Yeah. I'm my father's son, and I like you. That's the only reason I want
to live with you."
"―――Are you serious? Are you going to take Kiritsugu's place?"
"No. I can't be Kiritsugu, and I can't take his place. Kiritsugu and I are
two different people.
There's nothing I can give you as Kiritsugu."
"But I like my father. I want to do what he couldn't.
So despite how much you hate him, if you could bring yourself to
forgive him, even a little――――"
"――――――――"
"I want to live with you, Ilya.
Can we make up for what we couldn't do until now? I'm fine with the
way things are right now, so can't we live together?"
...There's no reply.
Ilya looks down, and after shaking her head...
"That's not possible. I can't live long, and you can't live long either. So
it's not possible to live together."
She refuses me with a bright smile.
"―――Can't... live long?"
"You know that already, right?
...Yes, one of us might be able to live a bit longer if the other is
sacrificed. But I think having both of us is impossible. If I'm alive after
the war, that means you're dead."
"See, it's impossible. There's no place for me in your house if you're not
there."
"――――――――"
Ilya's voice contains conviction.
The silver-haired girl describes an ominous fate like a prophet.
"...Heehee. But it's a bit vexing. I wish you'd said it a bit sooner.
If you had... fate might've taken a different turn."
"――――――――"
I don't get what Ilya's saying.
I don't get why one of us has to die, or why she has given up and can say
such things with a smile.
"―――Don't be stupid. That'll never happen.
Even if Zouken's after you, we'll beat him before he can do anything.
That's why you're helping Tohsaka, right?"
"...Yes, but that's the problem.
Don't tell this to Rin, okay?
The projection of the gem sword. You can't reproduce the Tohsaka
heirloom using Rin's method."
"Because your projection isn't projection magic.
Normal projection magic would let us layer a projection onto something
that's close to the original and strengthen it.
But your projection is different. You can't give something form unless
you create it from scratch based on your image.
Because your magic is not projection, but putting shape to your mind."
"What――――how do you know that?"
How does she know the nature of Archer's magic?
"...That's why it's impossible. You have to use Archer's arm to make
what Rin needs. But you already know what that means.
...It won't just be partial loss of memory like earlier. If you use it even
once, you won't be yourself anymore."
"You're just a bit confused because of everything that's happened with
you, Sakura, and me.
So I'll forget about your offer.
You know it too, right? You can't choose all, and you can only save
one."
Ilya turns her back to me and goes up the hill.
I can't hear the familiar song anymore, and her words linger in my ears.
"Oh."
A crashing sound comes from the kitchen.
This is the fourth time this afternoon.
"I-I'm sorry, I'm okay...!"
Sakura's voice comes from the kitchen.
...Tohsaka must be tired of scolding her, because she just sits there
quietly.
It's before six.
Sakura is making dinner, as she requested.
Tohsaka and I were kicked out of the kitchen, so we're waiting for dinner
without doing anything.
"Oh...!"
...The sound of a dropped plate.
In just half a day, I've grown used to hearing the sound of Sakura's
mistakes.
...It all started earlier today.
Sakura couldn't make her stew after we returned from shopping.
When we came home, she was clearly not feeling well.
"I'm fine. I might have a fever, but I can still make lunch."
I'm sure Sakura could've made lunch.
But I can't push her when she has a fever.
At around two o'clock, Tohsaka and I managed to persuade her to take a
nap.
And at the time, we promised her...
"Then I can cook if my fever goes down?"
...That.
And later in the afternoon...
Sakura was starting to cook in the kitchen after more training that ended
before I knew it.
"Oh, welcome back, Senpai. Please hold on, dinner will be ready soon."
Sakura goes back to work, full of spirit.
But I can instantly tell she's just bluffing.
'You must be tired, so go ahead and rest.'
Sakura doesn't back down, even when I tell her Tohsaka and I will do the
cooking instead.
"Geez. Please don't be so overprotective. I'm a Master too. This is
nothing compared to fighting."
Maybe she's being obstinate, as Sakura does not back down.
On top of that, she wouldn't even accept any help from Tohsaka or me.
Tohsaka's surprise is so unexpected that I'm stunned.
"B-But Nee-san is training Senpai, so I can't be the only one doing
nothing.
I want to be of use, like Nee-san.
...And this is a role I've had for a long time. I want to keep doing it."
...This must be one thing Sakura can't give up.
It'll only make you uneasy if you can't do something that's been part of
your routine for a long time.
'All right. I'll leave you in charge of dinner.'
Tohsaka started to criticize me.
But...
"――――Okay! I'll do my best, Senpai!"
It was nothing compared to Sakura's joy.
"All right, thanks for waiting!"
A cheerful voice echoes through the room.
Sakura starts putting the dishes onto the table.
"Oh, seasoned rice. That's a complicated meal you made, Sakura."
"Yes. You bought some good clams and shrimps, so I went with seafood
tonight.
The rice is cooked along with clams, the shrimps are steamed with
minced meat, the squids are ethnic-styled, and I made some hamburger
steak for Ilya-chan."
She's filled with confidence.
Everything looks delicious, like she put all her heart into it.
I'm pretty sure the secret ingredient is her high spirits.
"Wow."
*Clap* *Clap* *Clap*
The three of us at the table clap.
"I didn't know how it'd turn out, but it seems this'll be worth the wait.
Thanks for the meal."
"I'm not going to hold back either. Can you pass me a fork, Shirou?"
"Here you go. Then I'm going to have some as well."
"Okay. There's more, so please eat up."
I bow and reach out for the steamed shrimp wrap.
It's bite-sized, looking more like steamed dumplings.
It looks pretty, with the topping of green onion, ginger, and radish
sprout.
I was worried about letting Sakura cook for all four of us, but this is
more than――――
"――――――――"
...I freeze.
All three of us make a sour face for an instant.
We continue eating as if nothing happened.
...No, we can only continue eating.
None of the food on the table is good.
It's not that they're terrible.
But everything seems to lack something, and the taste is out of balance.
"――――――――"
An awkward silence.
We don't make eye contact, but wordlessly continue eating.
...But it should be impossible to keep deceiving Sakura.
She's the one who made it.
She'll notice right away once she starts eating.
Our silence is only delaying the problem.
"――――――――"
I look at Sakura.
...She must have realized it by now.
Sakura should be shocked, but...
She hasn't even taken a bite yet.
"...?"
I keep looking at her.
...What's going on?
Sakura is looking down at her bowl and chopsticks with a troubled face.
...After a moment's hesitation, she reaches out.
The chopsticks fall.
She quickly grabs them, and reaches out for the bowl.
"――――――――"
I can't keep watching this.
...Sakura keeps repeating the same action.
She reaches out for the food with clumsy hands.
But she drops her chopsticks every time, and picks them up in a hurry.
...It doesn't seem like her fingers are merely numb.
It looks so clumsy that it seems like she's forgetting how to use the
chopsticks every time she picks them up.
"U-Um... oh..."
...She doesn't see it.
Sakura should know how obvious it is to us, but she doesn't notice.
As if telling us she's all right, she keeps going through the same
motions.
...She awkwardly picks up the food, quickly brings it to her mouth, puts
it in with some difficulty, and then tries to remember how to use the
chopsticks again.
She's trying so hard that there's no way I can ask if she's all right.
Tohsaka doesn't notice.
Or rather, she keeps eating as if she doesn't notice.
"――――――――"
I do the same.
We pretend not to notice Sakura's abnormality and finish dinner silently.
I decide to clean up afterward.
Sakura wanted to, but I stopped her.
It doesn't seem like she can handle it, and I don't want her to find out
that she can't do something she's so accustomed to.
"Just go back to your room, warm yourself up, and go to sleep. A little
rest took care of your fever from before, right? Then―――"
Your fingers will work again if you sleep and rest.
"――――――――"
I unnaturally stop myself.
"........."
"........."
Sakura bites her lip and looks down.
"Sakura. It's not like you'll be like that forever. It'll just take longer to get
better if you push yourself when you're sick.
None of this is your fault, so you should rely on us a bit."
"T――――That's not true...! I'm not sick at all!
My fever's gone, I can remember what happened yesterday, and I know
who you are...! There's nothing for you to be worried about. So please
don't worry――――"
"...You'll be fine, even if we don't worry about you? Don't be stupid. I'll
be direct if you're going to push yourself."
"You took two hours to make dinner. You dropped a plate seven times,
and you seasoned the food all wrong.
You screwed up the salt and used too much pepper. It didn't even seem
like your cooking.
Enthusiasm is fine, but it's counterproductive if you can't get results."
"――――――――"
"Do you get it? You think you're well, but you're still sick. That's the
only thing that'd make you mess up.
...I'm angry, okay? Starting tomorrow, you're barred from the kitchen.
I'm not going to let you push yourself until your fever breaks."
Without waiting for her reply, I pull her to the guest room.
Her steps are heavy, but I ignore them and take her to her room.
Tohsaka is waiting at the door.
It's ten o'clock.
I know it's useless, but it's time to go patrol the town.
"...That was fast. How's Sakura?"
"I made her go to sleep. I'm sure she was tired. She fell asleep soon after
she laid down."
"I see. Then we'll leave the rest to Ilya and Rider. We can't see Rider, but
I'm sure she's guarding Sakura from somewhere in this house."
"........."
Rider is protecting Sakura, just like she says.
I'm sure she's remaining in spirit form to ease the burden on Sakura.
'She probably will not last a few more days.'
...I recall the priest's words.
The crest worm in her body will take her magical energy as long as the
Holy Grail War continues.
It's dangerous to put form to her Servant in her condition, and she should
save her energy for emergencies.
That's why Rider is in spirit form.
"You look gloomy. Do you want to say something?"
"Huh――――?"
Something I want to say...?
How stupid. Of course I want to say something.
"Tohsaka. Can we beat Zouken tonight?"
We have no time to waste.
Sakura is weakening day by day.
If I'm to believe the priest's words, she might die tomorrow――――
"That's impossible. We can't match him right now.
...I understand your rush, but you have to be patient if you want to save
Sakura. We can't help her if we die."
"―――We won't fight yet. ...Okay, I understand that. Then..."
"You want to say there's no point in patrolling? Shirou. Is beating
Zouken all we want to do?
No, right? You don't want any innocent people getting involved and
dying, right?"
"――――――――"
...That's right.
I know. I know.
The patrol has a meaning. Even if we just run away if we find them, we
have to do everything we can so that there won't be victims like
yesterday.
...But...
What did I swear to protect more than that oath――――?
"...Shirou...? Are you all right, Emiya-kun...?"
"―――Oh, I just felt a bit dizzy. I'm sorry, Tohsaka. I wasn't thinking."
"You don't have to apologize. Sakura's in danger, but you must be tired
as well.
I was actually going to have you acquire projection in three days, but
you worked hard and succeeded it today. I understand that you want to
fight now."
"――――――――What?"
I'm able to use projection after just today's training...?
"What? Did I say something weird?"
"―――No. Um, the training was so hard that it took everything I had to
get through it, so it doesn't seem real."
"Yeah, you were absorbed in it. But you were able to project a dagger on
your last try, thanks to that.
Well, your success rate is below ten percent, so you need to keep
practicing."
"――――"
...Well, I guess that's how it was if I was that into it.
That's probably why it was late afternoon when I noticed.
―――When we get to town, I realize something's wrong.
Tohsaka must notice as well, because she shuts her mouth and
concentrates on the surroundings.
The scene's the same as always.
It's past ten o'clock, and the town is dark and quiet.
There's no one out on the streets, and there is no sound.
...It's become familiar since the Holy Grail War started. A quiet,
nighttime atmosphere.
But...
"――――――――It's quiet."
Tohsaka murmurs beside me.
...Yes.
It's quiet here.
The town has been quiet at night these past few days.
It's the deepest silence, the deepest sleep.
But still...
The silence tonight is quieter even than that.
"...Hey. Was it like that over there yesterday? It's not unusual for the
houses to be dark, but even the streetlamps are off."
Tohsaka is looking down the road that leads to the Ryudou Temple.
The opposite direction from Shinto, right into the suburbs.
There's no light there, and it looks like a black wall.
"――――――Let's go."
I step into the dark town.
Tohsaka is silent.
...This is something we don't even need to think about.
We both know what happened.
It's contradictory.
We know we'll have to admit the truth if we go, but we start walking,
hoping that we'll be proven wrong.
"――――――――!"
What did I feel when I first saw it?
A black wall, completely obscuring the other side...
The instant I pass it, I understand what happened in this area.
The town is too quiet.
It's not that the town is asleep.
This is nothingness, devoid of any human presence.
It's total stillness, brought on by the death of everything in the area.
I get dizzy.
There's no change in the town.
The area――――about fifty households are standing in the darkness
with no change.
There's no sign of broken doors.
There's no sign of broken windows.
And of course, there are no cranes to remove the roof and take
everything out of these houses.
And at the same time...
The presence of the hundreds of people who should live in this area is
gone.
"――――Emiya-kun. Let's go in that house."
She puts on gloves and goes into a nearby house.
She goes by the gate.
She opens the front door.
She walks through the hallway.
She goes up the stairs, looks through the second floor, confirms that it's
empty, and goes back outside.
"――――The people in the blacked-out houses are..."
Tohsaka says they're gone.
The town is like always.
The buildings haven't even been scratched, and there are no corpses.
It's so clean that nobody would notice the abnormality even in the
morning.
But still...
This area looks more barren than that time.
We look through a few more houses, but it yields the same results.
The buildings have no damage, but the people in them are gone.
All that's there are traces of magical energy.
Every building, road, and ground.
The black afterimage is stuck everywhere.
I know that thing caused this disaster.
"――――――――"
I feel dizzy.
I feel like vomiting.
Corpses without corpses.
Blood without blood.
The desolate town, engulfed by the shadow.
I'm walking in such a place...
So why does an unrelated image pop up in my head?
...But it's not unrelated.
It can't be unrelated if it comes to mind.
'――――Stop.'
Remember. Remember.
You know this. You know this presence, this smell.
It happened back then too.
What did you imagine when you saw it for the first time?
'――――Don't realize it.'
It's the same.
No, something heavier engulfed this area.
'――――No.'
That time too.
Why did you...
...Imagine such a thing?
'――――That's...'
I have no positive proof.
I have no reason.
I have no motive.
I have no evidence.
'――――Who is this similar to?'
That can't be.
It's impossible.
I can't admit it.
But the more I think...
'――――If I become a bad person...'
I have no proof, so I'm made to believe that my intuition is right.
Yes. Because the sensation is...
'――――Stop. Don't think about stupid things.'
...Too similar to the heavy nightmare that comes after making love
to ▊▊▊▊▊▊―――
"Shirou? Why did you stop? Is something wrong?"
"――――――"
I shake my head to dispel the dizziness.
...It seems the traces of the shadow are getting to me.
"No, I just feel nauseous. Don't worry about me and go on."
"Really? ...That's bad. So its lingering presence affects you, even with
your increased magical resistance.
...Well, I guess that's to be expected with the amount of magical energy.
You can't engulf a town unless that's the case."
"Oh―――it's not like I'm out of energy. I just felt sick, so it didn't take
anything from me."
Tohsaka understands.
More importantly, we have to find out what happened here.
"......So. What happened there?"
"Well... It's eating, just like all the other incidents. It's just that the scale
is much greater.
Guessing from the traces, it didn't go to each house individually. It
probably engulfed the area like a tidal wave and melted into the ground.
It must've been hungry. It wanted to finish the food in one mouthful."
"But it seems it doesn't like inorganic stuff. It went past anything that
wasn't alive, only digesting what was.
...If there's any comfort, it's that they disappeared right away. There was
no time to feel any fear or pain."
A boundary field of dissolution.
Tohsaka explains that it's like the boundary field Rider set up at school,
but much stronger and instantaneous.
"The problem is that I couldn't detect the magic, even though it's so
powerful.
...If that shadow did this, it means this is not its magic, but just an
ordinary action. In short, the dissolution in this area is like tossing
around in its sleep for that shadow."
...I see.
But it's over.
The shadow is satisfied with the food and disappeared. There's no way
or reason for us to follow it.
"――――――――"
There's no reason to keep patrolling.
The damage has already been done, and we can't do anything without a
way to sense the shadow.
We thought we could save people if we rushed to the scene when the
shadow or Zouken was attacking them.
But it's meaningless now.
Because we have no way to find that shadow, and most of all...
"―――I suspected it, but that thing is growing every day. It'll be an
unstoppable monster the next time it appears."
...We have no chance of victory right now.
INTERLUDE BEGIN
A complete silence.
But they are not the only ones enjoying the spectacle.
No, that expression is incorrect.
The girl and the boy.
They are both still willing to fight, so they are not enjoying the
spectacle.
Only inhuman minds are able to enjoy this spectacle.
"―――My, it is troubling if it does not know moderation.
I let it alone for my good, but I may have to eliminate it soon."
The old man laughs.
The man and the white skull roam around the desolate town.
They are watching the girl and the boy.
The old man watches his enemies with pleasure.
There is no hostility in him.
How can he detest people who are not his enemies anymore?
For him, they are no different from rocks by the roadside.
"――――――――"
But it's different for the white skull.
For him, an enemy is an enemy, no matter how weak they may be.
He will eliminate them if they stand opposed, and he will assassinate
them if they are too strong to match.
That's his code, a rule he must obey.
"―――We can kill them here."
He tells his master.
The boy and the girl are full of openings.
In this land of death, they stand defenseless.
It only looks like sick people asking for death.
So he believes that he should be compassionate and kill them here.
But.
"No, that is too wasteful. We let them live until now, so it will be
uninteresting to kill them here."
The old man has no compassion.
This thing that wears human form is rotten to the core.
"―――Hm. How about this scenario, Assassin?
There is a sacrifice. A piece of meat that is ignored, cursed, and hated by
the human world.
This meat does not try to hate the world. It tries to not hate the world as
long as it has at least one ally on its side."
"My, it seems love is precious and strong. The meat cannot hate the
world no matter what happens to it. It's intently trying to suppress its
mud, believing that hating equals denying its ally.
So anything you do to the meat is ineffective. It accepts everything
because it believes in the one and the only hope. It does not hate the
world because it contains hope, and it does not let out the curse within
it."
"But―――what would happen if it were rejected by its only ally?
From the start, it has been denied by the world. If it is betrayed by its
only hope, there will be no morality to stop it."
"...Then you would like the boy to give the final push?"
"Exactly. He should be the one to draw the curtains. It was an
unexpected growth, but he made it last so long. Then I should give him
the pleasure of killing it."
The old man laughs.
Sadism and joy are contained in the laughter.
The chattering of the teeth is like a white skull shaking in the wind.
INTERLUDE END
We return home before midnight.
It's because there's nothing we can do, and we can't afford to waste
energy patrolling to no end.
――――My feet are heavy.
It seems the fatigue of the training is finally hitting my body.
My body is like lead, and my eyelids droop if I let my guard down.
...I'm sleepy.
My mind must be more tired than my body.
Every part of me craves sleep, and I want to pass out right here in the
hallway.
"Welcome back. How was the town, Rin?"
Ilya is waiting in the living room.
...I don't see Sakura.
That's natural.
Because Sakura is...
"――――!"
No.
Sakura should be sleeping in her room.
"It was already over. How's Sakura?"
"Nothing happened. She's sleeping in her bed, and it doesn't seem like
she woke up. I think she's doing well since she has spare magical energy
from Rider not taking form."
"I see. But please be careful. It's over if she goes out of control again."
Tohsaka's tone is the same as ever.
Even after seeing those empty houses, she's acting normally.
"I'm going to sleep since I'm tired. What are you going to do, Ilya?"
"I'll rest as well. Tomorrow is iron making. We might fail if I don't get
some good rest."
Ilya leaves with a "good night".
"Then I guess this is it for tonight. You should rest too, Shirou. I don't
know if you can tell, but you're really pale."
...My body feels heavy.
I can still lay out the futon in my current state, probably because it's a
habit.
"――――――――"
I fall onto the futon.
Looking up at the ceiling gives me enough composure to make me
think.
"――――――――"
I think with my weary mind.
I think about my left arm.
The loosened Shroud.
I was in so much fear and pain last night, but today was like nothing.
I have no memory of anything being painful or scary, and the day ended
in a flash.
The answer's right there if I seriously think about it.
I think about Ilya.
She said she can't live with me.
She said she wants to, but can't.
She said she can't live long.
She said it as if it were common knowledge.
About that black shadow
I think about Sakura.
She is losing her freedom with each passing day.
It's because the crest worm is sucking the magical energy from her.
It's not Sakura's fault.
It's not her fault that her body's like that.
All I can do is to give my magical energy to her.
She should be able to maintain herself if I have stay with her and if I
keep giving her magical energy.
I close my eyes.
Ilya said saving everyone is impossible.
I can choose only one.
I've already made my choice.
INTERLUDE BEGIN
――――I'm seeing the scary dream again.
"Something" is walking.
Something scary that kills people whenever it walks.
...I'm watching it from behind.
I don't want to watch, but I can't look away.
This is a nightmare.
A nightmare I'm seeing over and over.
But to be honest, I feel a sense of intimacy with it.
It was scary at first, but I'm getting used to it after a while.
Most importantly, that thing does not have an evil mind.
That thing is something similar to me that merely eats in a different
way.
""
""
" !"
...It's the same tonight.
Why do they all come?
Does it release some scent that attracts men?
No matter how many it kills,
no matter how many days it continues to kill,
the food comes to it.
It eats.
It smashed up the food when it first started, but it must be getting the
hang of it recently.
There's no need to smash up the food.
It just needs to pull it in and swallow it.
It can eat the body and the soul like that.
Sing and go.
It's in a good mood tonight.
It has never shown any emotion, but it seems to be happy tonight.
I feel an affinity with it.
I'm very happy tonight too.
Because this is the first time.
Senpai asked for my body for the first time.
...Yes.
There's nothing to be afraid of now.
I keep seeing this nightmare, but it's all right.
The world looks so beautiful and kind now that Senpai's looking at me.
So I feel like continuing this bad dream, and going to look for another
meal.
But...
"―――You are certainly working hard. Double the amount tonight?"
I meet someone that's scarier than the nightmare.
It runs.
The thing that never felt fear ran away from the person.
Golden hair and red eyes.
The person that has the same smell as me.
The golden Servant that...
"You should die now, girl. You will not be able to die if you become
familiar with it."
...Warned me before to kill myself.
;""
Run away.
From what?
Run away.
Who?
Run away.
Why?
My dream doesn't end.
The thing panics and flees into the back alley.
But that's the end.
"I was hoping for a poorly-made Holy Grail, but I never expected to
reach the actual thing. It is a waste, but..."
"I will do the selection myself. Curse yourself for being too
compatible."
In an instant, the thing is showered with weapons.
...Huh?
That's strange. It hurts.
That thing is the one that was stabbed, so why am I in pain?
That thing is the one that's dead, so why am I on the ground?
I'm dreaming, so why――――
Why is my body cut up?
"Huh――――?"
It hurts.
It hurts even though this is a dream, Senpai.
Pink, squishy stuff is hanging obscenely from my stomach.
"It――――hurts."
I try moving my hands to put my intestines back in, but my hands are
only connected by flaps of skin.
Legs―――there are legs, but I'm torn off from my waist down.
"――――No."
When I cry out, it hurts as if lightning hit my back.
But I can't jump up because I don't have my limbs.
Why am I...
"You're still alive? You're clinging to your life too miserably, girl."
――――He shows no mercy.
The golden man snaps his fingers, summons a blade that's bigger than
my body, and comes to cut my neck.
"Ah――――"
A bad dream.
This is a bad dream.
This is like the bad dreams I've had.
This isn't happening, and I'll be in Senpai's house when I wake up.
...So I have to wake up soon.
Because it hurts.
It hurts so much that I could die, so if I don't wake up, I'll
really――――
"Ah――――Ah, ah.........!!!!"
But I don't wake up.
I don't wake up from the dream.
Help.
Help, it hurts, help, help.
Quick, wake up, or I'll really――――
But I don't wake up.
I don't wake up from the dream.
The dream.
I can't escape from my dream, Senpai――――
――――And the woman falls.
The woman, pierced with numerous Noble Phantasms, crawls on the
ground like a bug.
"Huh――――?"
She is still conscious.
Her life cannot be saved by any means, but she still frantically tries to
move her limbs.
"You're still alive? You're clinging to your life too miserably, girl."
A scornful death sentence.
The golden man―――a heroic spirit called Gilgamesh mercilessly
readies the final attack.
"...I don't want to die... Senpai finally accepted me... I want him to feel
more of me―――"
She must not see anything now.
The woman babbles about her mundane wish.
Reaching out with an arm that's missing from the elbow down.
As if to cling to the small happiness she finally obtained.
"No... I don't want to die, I don't want to die...!
Because―――Because if I die now, Nee-san will..."
"That is unsightly. Do not trouble me."
The guillotine descends.
The dream ends.
Still covered in blood, the woman's consciousness disappears in the dirty
back alley.
"Hm――――?"
By the time he turns around, it's too late.
"――――You have alrea-gah――――!!!???"
He is swallowed, beginning with his feet.
There's no way to run.
Because...
It takes longer than usual.
"...It hurts. It doesn't heal because it's not enough."
She starts to walk.
Her stomach is growling.
The only driving force in her brain is hunger.
Is she still not satisfied after consuming a heroic spirit with energy worth
a few hundred thousand souls?
"...It's not enough. This isn't enough at all."
It's as if she's driven by a fever.
For the first time,
she starts walking to the breeding area out of her own will.
INTERLUDE END
Day 13 (LAST TALK):
It all happened ten years ago.
I kept pursuing the responsibility for being the only survivor in the fire.
'――――Are you going to ?'
I never forgot about it.
I survived, so I...
'――――Are you going to betray?'
...I swore never to let such a thing happen again.
I made an oath with myself to become a superhero like Kiritsugu.
Emiya Shirou's days were turned to that sole purpose.
I let others use me so that I could hold my head up high before those
who were not saved, and I made it this far because of that.
I know.
I know fully well.
But you...
'――――Are you going to betray your previous self?'
You know the cause.
You already know who you must defeat.
The black sun.
If the shadow in the sky is the cause, you must kill it before it happens
again.
"Ah――――――――"
Remember. What have you lived for until now?
You have approved of yourself because you save innocent people,
because you save people who ask for help.
But if you are going to deny it just for one girl...
'――――If you are going to betray it...'
Emiya Shirou will be judged by himself――――
"――――――It's morning."
I wake up.
It's bright outside, and it's past seven already.
"――――――――"
My body feels heavy.
My limbs feel numb.
My dull head can't remember who I am.
"―――――Oh. What do you want for breakfast, Sakura?"
I pat Sakura, sleeping beside me.
For a strange reason, I remember why she's there next to me.
The fact that the girl I love is sleeping next to me is probably more
important than my identity.
"It's morning, Sakura. We have to get up, or breakfast and
Tohsaka――――"
I tap her shoulder.
...Sakura's cold.
Not her attitude, but her sensation is cold, and she's also hard.
"......Sakura?"
I raise my body and look around the room.
"――――――――"
She's not here.
We slept together and I held on to her hand, but Sakura is nowhere in the
room.
"――――Sakura!"
She is nowhere to be seen.
The guest room is silent.
I feel no presence in the living room.
"Haa――――, ――――!"
My body doesn't move well. I hit my foot on the table.
I fall, pull myself up using the wall, and head to the hallway.
"――――. ――――, ――――"
I must be in a hurry.
There's nothing wrong with my body, but my mind isn't calm at all.
Why am I rushing, and why am I feeling so uneasy?
I'm trying to think, but whenever I do, it's like my thoughts are ten
seconds in the future.
I can't think?
Or does my brain not recognize what I'm thinking?
Blood won't flow to my head, so I can't even tell.
"――――, ――――, ――――"
I can't remember what I want to do.
But I'm relieved when I see Sakura's shoes at the front door.
Tohsaka's shoes aren't there, but Ilya's shoes are.
...Which means...
"......Um, her shoes are not there, so..."
.
"Yeah. Tohsaka's the only one outside, so it means Sakura's in the
house."
―――Oh, so that's why I feel relieved.
Sakura hasn't gone anywhere.
All right, I'm getting sharper.
So yeah, Sakura just woke up before me, so she's probably doing
something like washing her face, preparing breakfast, training in the
dojo, or doing the laundry in the yard.
"Man, I got worked up over nothing."
I sigh and head back to the living room.
"Eh, Shirou――――!?"
Tohsaka comes running inside.
"What, Tohsaka? Are you taking a walk?"
"I'm not that easygoing――――no, we can talk later!
Sakura's collapsed outside, so carry her in! I'll prepare the treatment!”
The clock ticks.
It's past nine o'clock.
It's been two hours since I carried Sakura in from where she'd collapsed
by the entrance.
Function is finally returning to my numbed mind.
"Have you calmed down, Shirou?"
"――――Yeah, I'm fine now. I'm sorry for worrying you, Ilya. I don't
remember what happened the last two hours, so I don't remember what
kind of stupid things I may have done."
"Hmm, you didn't do anything. You carried Sakura inside, then held her
hand while Rin treated her. She didn't have any external wounds, and
you just sat down once you found out it was only a high fever."
"I see. Where's Tohsaka? I think she took Sakura to her room."
"Rin was checking out the closet earlier.
Oh, she must've been looking for Sakura's clothes. She was dirty and
sweaty, so you have to change her clothes before you can put her to
bed."
"――――――――"
I see.
It makes sense, now that she says it.
...Then I must still be in the living room because...
"Hey. Why are you following us when I'm about to change her clothes?"
Tohsaka probably said something like that to me.
"...Hm."
Sakura and I are in a relationship, so I should be able to change her
clothes.
I can, but I think it's different to get naked out of your will and having
someone take your clothes off when you're unconscious.
I'd be embarrassed if somebody changed my clothes while I was
sleeping, so Tohsaka's completely right.
"――――So I've been waiting for two hours, huh? I might've been in a
panic, but..."
I feel very stupid.
What's going on?
There are many things I have to think about.
Sakura's well-being.
The big meal the enemy had last night.
...No, that can come later.
I should be thinking about why Sakura was collapsed outside when we
went to sleep together――――
"――――"
I feel sick.
My mind refuses to think.
The blank two hours.
My body remembers that I've been pondering that problem for all that
time.
"Shirou. Don't try to remember something you can't.
You didn't forget it, but it went away. There's only pain even if you try to
find what's not there."
"Eh――――Ilya?"
"...It's nothing. I was just talking to myself, so forget it."
Ilya looks away and shuts her mouth.
A few minutes after that.
When the clock is about to strike ten...
"Thanks for waiting. Sakura's awake now."
Tohsaka enters, acting like nothing's happened.
"...Tohsaka. Is Sakura all right?"
"I don't know. You should go ask her yourself. There's nothing for me to
say."
"...All right. I'm going."
I get up.
I leave Ilya and Tohsaka in the living room and head to Sakura's room.
"Good. You're here, Senpai."
Sakura is breathing hard.
But she speaks the instant she sees me.
"Of course I'll come, you idiot. I'll go anywhere for you if you collapse.
Tohsaka got the job this time, but it's me that should be treating you."
I get the chair and sit down.
I try to sit level with Sakura, who's lying on the bed.
"So, how are you doing? Tohsaka didn't tell me anything."
"Oh, I see. So Nee-san is keeping quiet."
"No. She said I should ask you. She's being considerate, huh?"
"Oh, you seem happy, Senpai. I thought so for a while, but you like the
strict part of Nee-san, right?"
"――――Y-Y-Y-Y-You idiot, that's not true!
Tohsaka's a steady girl, but I don't want to deal with that all the time.
First of all, we can't manage unless she's considerate at times like
these."
Sakura nods, smiling.
Her satisfied expression dispels my uneasiness somewhat.
"...Good. I guess you're all right. What was Tohsaka saying, Sakura?"
"Um, I'm just exhausted and malnourished, with a light fever.
There's nothing to worry about if I'm resting, so she told me I have to
stay in bed all day."
"――――――――"
She's still breathing hard.
...Just lying there must be painful.
She's probably trying to breathe normally so she doesn't worry me.
"I see. Then keep resting. Um, you have enough magical energy, right?"
"Oh... y-yes! U-Um, you were amazing last night, so I have enough."
"――――――――"
Even though I'm the one that asked, I still blush.
...But this is something I have to know.
"Then you'll get well right away if you eat something good and
nutritious. I'll put in my best efforts for today's lunch."
I roll up my sleeve in a show of confidence.
But...
"...I'm sorry. I should be cooking for you.
...If I could just stand up, I could help you. I hate that I can't even do
that."
...It seems my words hurt her.
"――――――――"
...That's right.
Sakura is concerned about her role.
She knows she can't do anything, so she just tries to be the normal
Matou Sakura.
But she can't even manage something as simple as that.
"Well, just bear it for now. A sick person has to rest like one. After all,
I'm going to leave you in charge of breakfast, lunch, and dinner once you
get well. You'll regret not resting more then."
I jokingly say what I plan to do.
...Yeah.
I can leave her in charge of cooking for about half a year if that'll please
her.
"――――Really? You can't take it back later, okay?"
"I'm serious. I won't do anything for at least half a year.
Well, I'd like to at least keep watch on the food on the gas burner when
you need help."
I've been standing in the kitchen for eight years.
I don't feel at ease unless I'm holding a pan or something.
"Okay, then it's a promise. Please eat my meals once I get well."
"Yeah. I'll promise you all you want."
I get up.
I can't keep talking to her and tire her.
We were able to talk, and I know Sakura's doing fine.
I should let her rest now.
"Then I'll see you later. I'll come here again during lunch, so sleep until
then."
I step away from the bed.
Sakura nods silently.
"Oh yeah, Sakura."
I stop at the door and call out to her without turning around.
"Yes? What is it, Senpai?"
"Oh, I was wondering why you were collapsed in front of the house.
You were sleeping in my room, right?"
I try to ask as naturally as I can.
After a faint gasp...
"I was taking a morning walk. I woke up early, so I went outside, but
then I collapsed.
Nee-san's right. I shouldn't be going outside right now."
...She replies as naturally as I asked her.
Tohsaka and Ilya aren't there when I return.
"...They must've gone to their rooms."
Oh, yeah.
They're busy trying to reproduce the gem sword.
I can only help after they make a replica similar to the original.
My job for now is to draw out as much of Archer's experience as I can.
"I am the bone of my sword, huh?"
...Archer's original spell, which flowed into me along with the pain.
If I use this strangely familiar incantation to look within myself, my rate
of success greatly increases.
Projection now succeeds half the time.
I'm copying Archer to make a copy of something.
"――――But I can only create a fake."
...Projection is reproducing something identical to the original.
Emiya Shirou can only create an inferior imagination.
The only way to create a phantasm is with the arm's help.
"――――!"
Suicide.
It's not that poison will come into me once I use it.
A bomb will be switched on once I use it.
A sure end will come once I use it.
An image of a firing hammer.
There's a gun in my brain.
The muzzle is pointed outward, but the trigger is still there.
This image must be the time bomb Kotomine spoke of.
"But if I can take the gun out of my head, the switch won't go off even if
I use it."
No, the switch itself will be outside my body.
"――――――――"
That's the best solution.
But of course, I have no idea how to do that.
"――――Oh yeah, the news."
I turn the TV on.
I have to know what happened yesterday, so I watch the news.
It's easy to find the right channel.
They're all talking about that incident.
―――The unexplained disappearances.
―――There are over forty houses with missing residents.
―――None of the survivors noticed their neighbors' disappearance.
―――And almost sixty people will never return.
"――――――――"
I memorize each missing person's name as it appears.
"――――――――"
One by one.
I engrave the strangers' names in my mind.
"――――――――"
And I replace the names with people I know.
"――――――――!"
Will you be able to forgive it?
Will you still be able to forgive it when the time comes?
Will you be able to forgive the thing that's causing it?
Will you be able to forgive yourself for overlooking it?
"――――――........."
The crime.
If I cannot protect it from the crime...
It will be painless salvation to stop it before it commits any more
crime――――
The TV switches off.
The news that has been informing me of the incident is...
"Don't be stupid.
We're not decent enough people to mourn over what's already done."
...Mercilessly cut off by Tohsaka.
"――――Tohsaka."
"Here, I brewed some tea, so drink up. I have nothing to do because Ilya
wants to be alone."
Tohsaka places the teacup on the table.
Her reasoning doesn't sound right.
So I don't have to do what she tells me to, but...
"――――I'll drink the tea."
"Yeah. But it's so hot that it'll burn your tongue."
"I see. That's even better. Thanks, Tohsaka."
"...Heh. I just wanted to get myself together. You just happened to be
here, okay?"
If this is how she wants to show her concern for me, I'll just have to
accept it.
Time passes.
We just drink the tea silently.
"――――――――"
I don't feel nervous for some reason.
I rather feel relaxed.
...This is purely speculation, but...
Could Tohsaka be one of those girls that soothes the atmosphere?
"Hah."
"W-Why are you smiling all of a sudden? Tell me if you want to say
something."
"Oh, I was thinking to myself. We've never sat around doing nothing like
this, right?
Whenever we're together, we talk about the Holy Grail War. So I thought
we had a pretty savage relationship."
"I-I can't help it. That's how it all started! Or what? Do you want me to
talk about what might come up on the finals or what stores I like to go
to?"
"Huh? I guess it's fine as is. I think this dangerous relationship is suited
for us."
But we were so relaxed that it felt weird and funny.
"Well, you're right. That's how it all started.
We started talking with each other after we became Masters, and I
wouldn't have gotten to know you unless I became a Master."
Well, that's one good result I got from becoming a Master.
I can fight alongside the girl I've admired.
"That's not entirely true. I don't know about you, but I've known you for
quite a while."
"――――Huh?"
Tohsaka blushes, saying something I can't ignore.
"Y-You knew me?"
Tohsaka nods with embarrassment.
"N-No way...! Did we talk when we were in the first year!?"
"N-No.
I knew about you, but you didn't know about me.
You're one of my traumas."
"W-Why!?"
I don't like that.
I know it can't be helped to hurt someone when you don't know about it.
But it's not good for my mental health to know that I've hurt Tohsaka,
who likes to strike back three or four times as hard!
"I'm the one who wants to ask that.
...Fine, this is a good opportunity, so let me grumble a bit.
It happened around this time four years ago. I don't know why, but you
were there after school, doing running high jumps until the sun set,
right?"
"――――Huh?"
I'm taken aback by the unexpected question.
It's not the question itself.
What surprised me is that Sakura was talking about the exact same
thing.
"――――Yeah. So what?"
"I was watching that. I was right by the school entrance. I was an idiot
watching another idiot who kept trying to jump a height he couldn't
clear."
"――――――――"
Hold on.
That can't be.
Sakura was the one watching me, and first of all...
"I-It was just a coincidence, okay? I went to your school because of a
matter related to the Student Council. I was in a different school, let
alone class."
"Yeah. I heard that you went to the same school as Issei."
"Yeah, we've known each other since then. I was the vice-president and
he was the president.
After four years spent fighting, we found out that we can't get along."
"...I see. So it was a long relationship."
I finally understand now.
I knew Issei's attitude towards Tohsaka was not normal.
Well, the mystery is unraveled... actually, it seems even more tangled
now.
"Anyway, I just happened to see you keep trying to jump over a height
you couldn't.
That's all. That's when I first saw you, and I found out later that Sakura
came to this house. I didn't know your name until then, and I forgot
about your face."
...Well, now I know how she knew me.
"Um, is that something traumatic?"
"Humph. It's revenge after four years.
Sakura joined the archery club a year ago, right? So I went and watched
when I got the chance. And I happened to see someone who wasn't a
club member shooting arrows.
I knew right away that you were the idiot from that time."
"――――――――"
I want to say something about what she thought about me, but I stay
quiet.
"...And I was shocked at that time. There was this stranger who went to a
different school that I'd considered stupid all this time, but I remembered
him even after three years.
And I finally realized that you've been giving me damage all this time.
I found out I was jealous of this guy that kept on running like an idiot."
"―――Why? He was stupid, right? That's not someone you should be
jealous of."
"Yeah. I probably wasn't jealous of him, but I felt Iike I'd lost. ...It
would've been fine if he'd had hope of clearing that bar. I would've just
gone home if that were the case."
"...But even he knew it was impossible.
He knew nothing would change that, but he kept trying. It's as if he
believed the effort was what mattered."
"...To be honest, I can't do such a thing.
I've always been like that. I determine whether or not something is
possible. If I know it's impossible for me, I quickly give up. I don't try
what I can't do, and I never regret it or think I'm powerless because of it.
I'm cold like that. I'm a terrible person. Kirei called it machine-like
instead of cruel."
But Tohsaka isn't belittling herself.
She's proud of how she is.
"But I do sometimes think how pure it'd be to just keep trying without a
thought for whether it's possible."
"...Well, as a child, it's shocking to see someone that's completely the
opposite of you, right?
That's why it was traumatic. That guy who foolishly kept running
was..."
Someone I was happy to know existed.
Tohsaka murmurs with a dreamy expression.
"―――Oh, that was boring talk. Maybe I'm being nervous because
things aren't going well."
Tohsaka gets up, as if saying the break's over.
"I'm going back to my room. I'll be creating the framework with Ilya in
the afternoon, so you go watch Sakura."
She puts her cup in the sink and heads to the hallway.
...But.
"――――Hey. How was Sakura?"
She stops and asks, as if she's just remembered.
"She seemed well. She still has a fever, but it's better than the last time
she collapsed.
Sakura is calm as well. She pushed herself to do things around the
house, but she's being obedient and resting today.
That being the case, I'm sure she'll be better in no time."
"Of course she's staying still.
―――She can't get up by herself now."
"――――――――――――What?"
She can't get up by herself now...?
"Why? She should have enough magical energy. Then shouldn't she have
enough physical energy as well?"
"Yes, she has more than enough magical and physical energy. But it's
terrible inside.
...I don't know what happened last night, but she definitely died once.
That's the only sound explanation for why the muscles in her limbs are
so badly damaged."
"...No way. She didn't have any external wounds."
"...It's just that it's cleanly connected on the outside.
I don't know if the crest worm ripped her apart, or if someone else tore
her limbs. ...If something really did tear her body apart, the pain would
have destroyed her sanity.
...Let me ask. Did she recognize you?"
"――――――――"
I swallow my affirmation.
...Tohsaka's expression is agonized.
Then that means...
"...Sakura didn't recognize you?"
"She did. She knew me, and she called me Nee-san.
But she wasn't looking at me, but was looking at the Tohsaka Rin she
imagined.
...Yeah, I really wanted to kill her when she said things like 'nice to meet
you' and 'I wanted to meet you sooner.'"
Tohsaka looks away as her words turn cold.
...Wanted to kill?
...Tohsaka felt murderous intent against Sakura?
"In short, I can't do it.
I can't protect Sakura until the very end like you, and I don't intend to
either."
"――――Tohsaka."
"I told you, right? I don't do impossible things.
As long as I'm Tohsaka Rin, I'll kill Sakura the moment I determine that
it's not possible to let her go on. Well, I don't need to say it again
because that was our deal all along, but I thought I'd remind you."
"You don't need to say anything. I know how you feel, and even if you
say something, it won't accomplish anything.
We're allies while we fight against Zouken, but we're enemies when it
comes to Sakura. If you don't like it, we have to defeat Zouken as
quickly as possible.
......But Shirou. What will you do if Zouken and the shadow are two
separate enemies?"
"――――――――"
I shut my mouth.
Tohsaka's question is so sharp that it makes me dizzy.
"Shirou. I'll kill her when the time comes. That's the best choice for both
of us.
―――You think about it too."
Tohsaka leaves.
She goes back to her room, leaving me alone in the living room.
INTERLUDE BEGIN
...She hears voices.
Her body is broken and her head feels light, but she hears voices she
doesn't want to hear.
"I don't know about you, but I've known you for quite a while."
She doesn't think about why she can hear the conversation.
But she doesn't want to hear them.
She wants to cover her ears if her arms would move, and she wants to go
stop them if her legs would move.
"I was watching that. I was right by the school entrance. I was an idiot
watching another idiot who kept trying to jump a height he couldn't
clear."
"――――――――!"
She bites her lip.
She scratches the sheets with her fingers.
A past event, spoken of lightly.
The event that happened four years ago.
Her older sister speaks of it as if it's only her memory.
Like she's the only one who knows about it.
She's immersed in her beautiful memory, never even realizing that
another girl was there.
"――――Stop. Stop. Please don't..."
"Don't take away my memory."
She strains her voice and makes a plea that none can hear.
The older sister's monologue continues.
It goes on without her, just as she feared.
The only thing.
The only thing she had an edge on over her older sister is brought down
to mere recollections.
"No――――No, no, no...!"
Using magical energy to bridge the gaps in her ripped nerves, she covers
her ears with her hands.
This is torture.
How can she know what's going on in the living room?
Has her shadow stretched that far?
No, she doesn't want to hear anything right now.
No more.
She will go crazy if she hears any more.
Knowing this instinctively, she covers her ears, but the voices do not get
any quieter.
Her sister's voice resounds directly into her brain.
She cannot get away, even if she covers her ears or eyes.
And...
"Shirou. I'll kill her when the time comes. That's the best choice for both
of us.
―――You think about it too."
Her sister coldly says the words she does not want to hear to the last
person she wants to hear them.
And the voices stop.
She cannot tell what's going on in the living room anymore.
...It's only natural.
Her only world is this dark room.
There's no way for her to step into the world of light.
"――――――――"
...Her eyes are hot.
She realizes that she's crying.
Heartbroken and frustrated.
Her older sister is a coward.
Why is she pushing that onto the girl's Senpai now?
It's her responsibility as Tohsaka's magus, but she's now trying to
involve someone else.
Her sister is trying to turn her only ally against her.
"――――――Nee-san..."
...She hates her.
She knows it's selfish, but she still hates her.
She's making him abandon Matou Sakura.
She hates Tohsaka Rin for trying to induce him.
"――――――Nee-san."
...But it's strange.
This is what she wants, so why does she hate her so much?
Her sister is saying she should disappear.
The girl also knows she should disappear.
...She doesn't know how it's come to this, but she does know that Emiya
Shirou will be saved if she disappears.
"......No, I don't want that."
She can't.
She doesn't want to lose anything.
She doesn't want to be alone anymore.
She learned of warmth, so going back to the cold is frightening.
She learned of warmth, so warm people are detestable.
...She will not disappear.
She will not be killed.
Because, because...
"―――Because nothing is my fault."
Right, everyone else is at fault.
She did not wish for such a thing.
It turned out this way because nobody helped her.
Nobody helped her, so that must mean they affirm her.
They didn't object. That's the same as agreeing with her.
...So.
No one can punish her.
"――――I won't die. It won't end up as Nee-san plans."
...No.
In reality, she will not die.
Nobody can kill her.
Even if someone still wants to try, that's fine.
If she is to be killed, she will rather ▊▊▊▊.
Not only her older sister.
She will be merciless, even to her Senpai.
...Yes.
If he will turn away from her in disgust, then she would rather...
She would rather ▊▊▊▊ ▊▊▊▊▊▊ like she does in her
nightmare―――
"Ah―――haa, ugh――――!"
She coughs violently.
The pain turns her wild imagination to blood, and she coughs it out.
"......No. I can't, Senpai."
They do not connect.
She cannot tell the difference between good and evil.
She cannot tell what's good.
She's about to lose her mind, not knowing who she is or how long she
can stay sane.
"Hello. Are you still conscious of yourself, Sakura?"
―――Then.
Before she notices, the silver-haired girl is before her.
The same girl as her.
The white girl who is to become the container, who was not treated as a
human being.
"Saber, Lancer, Caster, Berserker.
It would've been fine with just these four. Where did you consume such
a soul, Sakura? I'm surprised it's already sufficient when Assassin and
Rider are still left."
...She doesn't understand.
She has heard from her grandfather that the girl is just like her, a
container that collects the souls of the defeated Servants.
But she has not heard about any Servants being defeated other than the
ones just mentioned...
"It's fine. I won't ask, since it means I don't have to worry about the
Archer in me being taken away.
But, Sakura. Do you know what's going to happen to you?"
"――――――――"
...Her head cools down.
Her mind, delirious with fever, regains "Matou Sakura" with those
words.
"――――I don't know. What will happen to me?"
The white girl shuts her mouth.
Einzbern's Master.
She was meant to be a vessel from the beginning, unlike the fake, Matou
Sakura.
"――――You'll die. You can't be saved, no matter what."
And the girl tells her about the destiny that awaits them both.
INTERLUDE END
"――――――――Haa."
My body's still heavy.
I have to make lunch for Sakura, but I want to rest a bit and clear my
head.
"――――――――"
I fall onto my futon, letting my face sink into the pillow.
...I know.
There wasn't any postponement since that day.
I can't postpone the problem anymore.
About Sakura.
I have to decide everything right now――――
"――――Emiya Shirou."
"Who is it――――!?"
I jump up.
A voice. I heard a voice.
I heard it from within this room.
"――――――――"
A chill runs up my spine.
...The scary thing is that I still can't tell where in the room it's coming
from.
"Do not be alarmed. I did not come to take your life."
A whisper by my ear.
The voice.
This fluent, yet alien, tone is of the Servant with the white skull.
"Assassin――――"
...How was it possible?
His specialty may be killing people, but he made it here without being
noticed or setting off the boundary field around the house!?
"......You didn't come to kill me? Then you just want to talk?"
I search for the presence behind me while I measure the distance to the
hallway.
It'll take two full steps, three full seconds to dash out to the hallway into
the yard.
Assassin can kill me four times over in that time.
...Then my only way to live is to go along with him.
"Not I. It is the magus who wishes to speak with you."
"...? Magus? You mean Zouken?"
"Yes. He is waiting for you at the Matou household. He has no desire to
fight. He will welcome you if you go there alone."
"――――――――"
...Assassin's words can be trusted to some degree.
If he wanted to kill me, he could've done it the instant he snuck into the
room.
He didn't kill me because Zouken wants to talk to me.
That's not to say it isn't actually a trap, but――――
It's a trap.
It's obviously a trap.
But it's true that I might never have another chance to talk with Zouken
one-on-one.
...And I don't really have a choice.
Even if it's a trap, I have to go see him and have him remove Sakura's
crest worm.
"...All right. Zouken wants to talk to me, huh?"
"―――A wise decision. Let us make haste. Even I cannot deceive
Rider's eyes for too long.
The magus will change his mind if someone else realizes we're having
this conversation."
"......Hah. So it's a secret meeting for my ears only, huh?"
...There's no reply.
His work must be done now that I've agreed.
Before I know it, Assassin has vanished.
―――I sneak out of my house to head to the Matou household.
The sky is filled with clouds.
Maybe it's because of the dark sky, but the house is filled with an
ominous air.
I go inside without ringing the doorbell.
...It's been a year since I last came here.
I go through the hallway following my faint memory and head to the
living room.
"Oh. You came earlier than I thought, Emiya's successor."
"――――――――"
Zouken is the only one here.
I don't see Assassin or black Saber.
...It seems he really does want to talk with me.
"Hm? Oh, you don't even want to exchange greetings with me? My, you
must hate me."
I feel no hostility from Zouken.
...In short, he's taking me lightly.
His composure is self-evident, confident in his ability to kill me at any
time.
"Well. You must have something to talk about as well, since you've
accepted my invitation. Sit down. It must not be something to discuss
standing up."
"――――No way. Standing up is just fine for what we have to say."
...I suppress the urge to jump at him and punch him, and glare at him as
if it could kill him.
Unlike Zouken, I can't hide my anger.
I won't let my guard down against the guy who changed Sakura's body.
"Zouken. If this is a discussion, I only have one thing to say. Release
Sakura right now."
That's the only business I have here.
I'll just fight if Zouken refuses.
I'll kill this monster before anything can happen, even if he calls for
Assassin and Saber.
"Release Sakura, eh? ...Hm, I would like to, but I'm afraid I cannot do
anything."
―――Then.
The old magus before me speaks in disappointed tones.
"――――What?"
"She cannot be saved no matter what I do, as it has grown too much.
Sakura is already functioning as a Holy Grail. She will die even if I
remove the crest worm right now."
Hold on.
Holy Grail? Sakura is functioning as a Holy Grail?
Why is he talking about the Holy Grail...?
"Wait. What do you mean by Sakura being the Holy Grail? What did you
do to her...!?"
"I tampered with her to obtain the Holy Grail and make my wish come
true.
It is all for Makiri's dearest wish, to put shape to the soul, the true
immortality. That is why I embedded the Holy Grail into Sakura after the
war ten years ago."
"What――――you embedded the Holy Grail...?"
"Right. You should have heard how the Holy Grail War ended ten years
ago.
Your father, Emiya Kiritsugu, destroyed the Holy Grail that was
completed through the ritual we know as the Holy Grail War.
The war ended, the summoning ritual a failure once again.
But―――it was not a total loss. The Holy Grail was completed, if only
temporarily.
Then it would be a waste to leave the broken fragments as they were."
"――――――――"
My head quickly cools down.
In short, he took his granddaughter Sakura and...
"Yes. I embedded the Holy Grail within her. But I am no monster. I
made sure she can function as a human. I knew it would be painful to
have an inorganic substance in her, so I turned the shard of the Holy
Grail into a living thing."
"――――Living thing... Then the crest worm in Sakura is..."
"It is something I created using the Holy Grail as catalyst.
With that, her body became a container to receive the souls. It became a
tool to become the gate when the ritual is completed.
It is just a copy of the Holy Grail the Einzbern family makes.
Well, I do not have as much skill as them, so I did about an eighth my
own way."
He laughs.
...Copying Einzbern?
All he did was pick up a piece of a finished product and implant it within
Sakura...!
"...You bastard! You can't make a Holy Grail, so you used a human being
to make an imitation of the Holy Grail...!?"
"Experiment. It's just an experiment, heir to Emiya.
This experiment is merely a stepping stone to the next. My plan was to
slowly change her to something like a Holy Grail over several decades.
It was supposed to be an experiment of Makiri's Holy Grail which lives
as a human but still has the function to collect souls."
"Sakura――――is an experiment...?"
"Of course. Sakura was given to the Matou family for that reason.
To give a daughter to the Matou family means giving us a foundation to
achieve our goal.
Tohsaka is well aware of that. We both have the same goals. We will
both turn ourselves into monsters to achieve immortality."
"Immortality...?
You and Tohsaka's father used Sakura for something ridiculous like
that...!?"
"Of course. The Holy Grail War has always been a ritual dedicated to
that end. That is the only reason we cooperated, and I am the only one
who still lives.
To use the Matou successor to achieve our goal in the far future."
"But fate can be quite ironic.
Sakura was prepared to be an unadaptable Holy Grail, but she has shown
surprising growth.
My, I have gotten old. I never expected Sakura to have that much talent.
Not only does she still live in spite of taking in so many Servants, but
she still retains her sense of being Matou Sakura.
―――She is a true Holy Grail, just like that of the Einzbern, which I
thought was impossible to make myself."
"......!"
I can't hold it anymore.
I'm not patient enough to keep listening to the monster's nonsense.
Forgetting the possibility of Assassin's intervention...
"Enough of this bullshit...! You can't call something that only sacrifices
human lives a Holy Grail―――!"
I let my anger take over and dash at Zouken with a raised fist.
But.
"It is a Holy Grail.
First of all, even the Einzbern, who create the Holy Grail, used a human
as their Holy Grail for this war."
"――――What?"
Zouken's smile stops me in my tracks.
"...Using a human?"
...My body wobbles back.
I hate myself for knowing who he's talking about, even though I don't
want to understand.
"Right. Ilyasviel is also a Holy Grail.
But do not consider us as the same. The Einzberns are far worse. You
can ask her yourself what kind of a Holy Grail they prepared."
"――――――――"
My upraised arm falls.
...Not only Sakura.
Even Ilya is the same, and regret takes over my body in place of anger.
"Well, I assume that was all you wanted.
Then it is my turn now. The reason I called for you.
I want to discuss the shadow with you."
"Wha――――"
Discuss the shadow...?
He must be talking about the black shadow that's attacking the people in
this town.
But――――
"...What are you saying? That thing is on your side.
So what do you need to talk about? Do you want us to beat it?"
I glower at Zouken, my voice thick with sarcasm.
"Kakaka, this simplifies matters!
Yes, I want you to do something about that shadow. That is why I need
your powers, Emiya Shirou."
"What―――are you serious...!? You guys are on the same side,
right...!?"
"On the same side...? Well, I have helped it, but it has never helped me.
I cannot even communicate with it.
I merely arranged its path so it would not run wild. I calmed it down
every night to minimize the damage it dealt, but as of last night, I can no
longer continue.
Did I not tell you? I cannot manage it anymore."
"―――――――"
My heart thumps loudly.
'I cannot manage it anymore.'
Who is that directed to?
"――――Zouken."
"Ah, yes. I must tell you what that shadow is before anything else.
In short, that is the content of the Holy Grail.
People say the Holy Grail is an omnipotent pot, but the Holy Grail we
aim for is not a pot. The Holy Grail is only a means.
Einzbern, Makiri, and Tohsaka.
What the three families aim for is to open a gate using the complete
Holy Grail.
You can think of the complete Holy Grail as a gate to connect this world
to a world where every wish comes true."
"...Hold on. Then the Holy Grail is..."
"Yes. The goal of every magus is to reach the origin.
But I am not interested in such a thing. The Einzberns only thought for
the completion of the Holy Grail. Tohsaka is the only family of magi that
is still aiming for the origin."
"...Anyway.
The Holy Grail is a gate that connects to the wish machine. The shadow
is something that has leaked from the other side.
The real Holy Grail―――Ilyasviel would not have done such a thing.
That shadow is a mistake made by the imitated Holy Grail."
"Well, I do not like to talk about the shame of my family, but it seems I
did not discipline her well enough.
She matured as a Holy Grail, but it would appear she cannot shut the
gate properly. I do not mind if she dies from her own carelessness, but I
cannot have her involve other people.
What a bother... the Holy Grail I made might kill everyone in this
town."
Matou Zouken shakes his head,
as if it's someone else's problem.
"――――――――"
I should punch him for saying that.
But his words turn my emotions to ice.
"――――Then that black shadow is..."
Truly...
"You should already know. That thing is Sakura's shadow. You should
recognize the similarities between them."
...Matou Sakura herself?
"――――――――"
...I fight off the dizziness.
...The truth...
I accept the connection I've already known but denied.
No matter what that black shadow may be...
I have to accept that the crime is Sakura's as well―――
"Does Sakura――――"
"No, she should not know about it.
That thing is the Holy Grail's shadow that appears through Sakura. It
originally should not have form, but when it passed through the gate
called Sakura, it took Sakura's form and obtained a body.
The Holy Grail borrowed Sakura's sealed id to come into this world."
"It was beyond my expectations to be honest. I denied it since it was
impossible, but I have to accept it now that it is getting stronger by the
day.
That thing is a Holy Grail with a will. That is why it keeps consuming
human souls to complete itself.
There is only one way to stop it. If the Holy Grail is born from Sakura's
unconsciousness, you merely need to stop Sakura."
"I tried to persuade Sakura, but the shadow does not want me going near
her.
It does not have a will of its own, but that shadow is Sakura herself. It
hates whoever she hates.
I cannot even go near Sakura anymore."
"......What? Then you can't get close to Sakura?"
"No. You people think Sakura is under my control, but that is all in the
past. She is already yours. I cannot control her, as I have been cut
off from her."
"........."
It's something I can be happy about.
At the very least, Zouken can't do anything to Sakura.
Then if we can do something about the crest worm――――
"―――Wait. You haven't done anything to Sakura?"
"No, nothing at all."
"Then, Sakura's still in pain, because..."
"That's her own problem. I have never used the crest worm. She is
breaking down because she is a Holy Grail and the powers of the Holy
Grail are flowing into her.
Think about it. There is a great swirl of magical energy that can grant
any wish. Her human body must receive what flows from that source.
There is no way Sakura's weak mind can endure the strong onflow."
"Wha――――then Sakura will..."
"Unable to bear the strain of being a Holy Grail, she will explode.
No, if Sakura's consciousness empties, the Holy Grail should appear.
She might be swallowed by her own shadow."
"Do you understand? It is meaningless to kill me here.
The Holy Grail War ends once you defeat me. At that point, all that
remains is for the Holy Grail to activate. Sakura's mind will be
obliterated once that happens.
If you want to save her, endure for the duration of the Holy Grail War.
The timing to open the gate, the completion of the Great Holy Grail,
does not last long.
It has already been ten days since the war began. Judging from the past
wars, this war should end in about four more days."
"―――Four days. Are you saying Sakura will survive if four days
pass?"
"Who knows? That is for you to determine. How was she this morning?
Do you think she will last four more days?"
"――――! She will. Of course she'll make it."
"I see, I see.
But the same cannot be said for the other people. How many disappeared
last night? How many will disappear tonight?
No―――how many days do you think it will take for the whole town to
be consumed?"
I can't really hear his question.
Does this man sound happy or sad?
My head is shaking so much that I can't tell.
Defeating Zouken won't solve the problem.
Sakura won't last until the Holy Grail War ends.
We can't beat that black shadow.
The people in town will continue to die as long as the Holy Grail War
continues.
"...Then how..."
Can I save Sakura?
Then...
"――――It's simple. You just need to kill Sakura."
Zouken states the obvious.
"――――――――"
"I am correct, am I not? She cannot survive even if you let her live, and
the black shadow will attack people again tonight. Kill her right now to
prevent that."
I feel dizzy.
"――――――――"
"That is what I wish to discuss. I wanted to inform you of the current
situation. I wanted to tell you that you are protecting the greatest
disaster."
I feel like vomiting.
"――――――――"
"Sakura will notice Tohsaka's daughter or me. But she will gladly give
her life if it's for you."
I can't breathe.
"――――――――"
"―――Ending one evil life to save thousands.
You should know. If you are to carry out Emiya Kiritsugu's will, Matou
Sakura is your enemy."
My mind isn't working at all.
I walk down the distorted hallway, unable to give a reply.
I don't feel anything even when I walk or lean against the wall.
It's ugly.
It feels like I'm in a twisted nightmare without an exit.
I go outside, still forgetting to breathe.
"You will not make the wrong choice. It is a pity for Sakura, but this is
fate."
...I walk.
"―――But I will thank you in my granddaughter's place.
She has never done anything for herself. She never cursed herself for
being thrown away by her father. She did not wish to be almighty like
her older sister. She was a mere puppet."
...I walk.
...I walk.
"The puppet was able to sleep with the man it loved. Surely, it must be
satisfied.
Do not condemn yourself too much. You gave my pitiful granddaughter
a gift in the end."
...I walk.
...I walk.
...I walk.
I stumble towards my house, where Sakura is waiting.
――――I walk down the hill.
I'll reach the Emiya household once I go up the usual hill.
I can't leave my room empty forever.
No matter what the reason may be, I secretly met with Zouken.
It's not good to let Tohsaka or Sakura know about it.
So I have to go home before they notice.
Go home and...
I have to make a decision.
"―――――――!"
The contents of my stomach come up to my throat.
I chose to ally with Sakura.
I swore to protect her no matter what.
I chose to be with Sakura instead of becoming a superhero.
But that means...
Allowing another disaster to occur, taking hundreds of lives.
"――――――――"
I can't do that.
I can't do that.
Emiya Shirou cannot break that oath.
It is like denying myself.
If you, the only one to survive that tragedy, are to allow the tragedy...
You will be rejected by everything that has supported you until now.
No matter the end.
Your crime will never be forgiven.
"――――――――"
To not do anything means silently approving of the action.
There are innocent people who will be killed tonight.
If you know that, but still will not kill the cause...
You are no different than the cause of the fire that day.
'―――If you deny what you have been until now to protect one
person...'
'――――Will you be on my side no matter what?'
This is a choice between protecting one person or protecting everyone
besides that person.
Who will I side with in the end?
I have to decide by tonight.
I go to the living room.
"Huh? Did you come in from the entrance-side hallway?"
Ilya is sitting alone in the living room.
"Yeah. I was outside for a bit. Did anything happen while I was gone?"
"Nothing happened. But you have to stay in your room and rest, Shirou.
Your body is as bad as Sakura's."
"Thanks. But I'm fine as long as the cloth is on."
"Geez, you'll easily faint if you're talking like―――
―――Shirou. Did something happen outside?"
"―――――No, not really."
"No way! I don't know what you went to do, but don't talk to me with
such empty eyes!"
"Oh――――"
She scolded me.
...I see. I must've looked ridiculous.
It can't be helped if that's the case.
"―――I'm sorry. I know it does no good to worry, but I had to think."
I shake my head.
Like Ilya says, I can't empty my head.
I can't go see Sakura with a miserable face, so I have to show some
spirit――――!
"Yeah, good. It seems you've cheered up.
So, what do you want to ask about? I'll help you, if that's all right with
you."
"――――――――"
...Crap.
Ilya sometimes gets really kind.
This is the second time she's helped me when I'm feeling down.
I can't tell which of us is the older one.
"Okay. Can I ask you something, Ilya?"
"All right, I'll tell you anything. What do you want to know?"
"...The Holy Grail. Tell me about the Einzbern's Holy Grail."
"...I see, so you found out, huh? There were two things I didn't want you
to find out, and that was one of them."
"――――Ilya. Then..."
"Yeah, I'm the Holy Grail. I'm not human. I'm a homunculus made that
way."
Homunculus――――
An alchemical formula to create life without a womb, using sperm and
other elements.
They are not born from a proper reproductive system, and therefore have
physical defects.
Small bodies. Short lives. Lack of intelligence. Lack of reproductive
functions.
They have human shapes and human lives, but they are not human, and
therefore are completed with a powerful Magic Circuit.
They are weak as a life form.
But they far exceed human powers when they are made as
magi―――no, as Magic Circuits―――
"――――Well, so that's it.
The Einzbern family raised me to function as both a Holy Grail and a
Master.
The function of the Holy Grail is to collect the souls of defeated heroic
spirits. Humans, coffins, stew pot, it doesn't matter what it's made of as
long as it has that special function. It just has to be a sufficiently large
container of souls."
Ilya sounds like she's not interested.
But―――this is the first time I've heard that the Holy Grail collects
Servants.
"Well, it's more like retrieving them than collecting them.
Servants are summoned by the Holy Grail. Then it's natural that they
return through the Holy Grail after they're defeated. I'm the only Holy
Grail of Einzbern, so I should have collected all of them."
"...But it seems there's someone else that's functioning as a Holy Grail.
It took Caster and Lancer when I noticed, and its drawing power was
greater.
So it took most of the Servants.
......I was able to collect Archer because he disappeared right in front of
me."
...It doesn't even need to be said.
The other Holy Grail is Sakura.
According to Ilya, Sakura has already taken in Caster and Lancer... as
well as Saber and Berserker.
"Four Servants' worth of souls. But can you hold such a thing? Isn't it a
general rule that the human body can only contain one soul?"
"Yes, all the more so if it's the soul of a heroic spirit.
The magical energy of a Servant that lost its 'shell' called class is
enormous. Having one in your body is like creating a typhoon in your
body.
But it's the function of the Holy Grail to collect seven in the end.
There's no space for the soul of the container itself."
"That's why all the Holy Grails until now were inorganic substances
without souls. The function of the Holy Grail is to collect the souls of all
seven Servants, then to unify and manage them.
―――You don't need extra programs in there. The personality of the
Holy Grail will only be erased by the function of the Holy Grail."
"In short, Shirou. The Holy Grail loses its human functions the more
complete it gets.
The same goes for me. Once I collect many Servants, I have to cut
off my functions as a human being to control the souls."
"I can manage them if I cut off the energy that moves my limbs.
I won't let the souls out if I stop breathing.
I can stabilize the integration of the souls if I use all the power I've used
to construct my human form."
"That's the same for Sakura. You can't function as a human once you
become a Holy Grail. You don't have the power to spare."
"......But, yes.
If there is a difference between us, it's that I can switch at will, but
Sakura is forced to. Sakura is an incomplete black Holy Grail, so she has
no right to refuse."
Ilya shows no emotion as she continues.
...She knew it.
She probably knew it since the time she was born, no, even before she
was born.
She knew that her life was made for such a stupid reason.
"――――――――"
But there's something I can be glad about.
I place my hand on my tense chest and look up at the heavens, as if in
thanks.
"What's wrong, Shirou? I said Sakura can't be saved."
I know.
I know that, but...
"You two are sharing them between you two, right? Then you're still..."
"Hm, yeah. Sakura took most of it, so there's no problem in me staying
as myself. Rider and Assassin. Even if I collect their souls, I don't need
to cut off my functions as a human being."
...Yes, that's fortunate.
If I lose Ilya as well, it will mean I can't protect anybody――――
"Eh, eh, Shirou...!?"
Before I know it, I'm embracing Ilya.
I can't promise her anything, and it's not like I want something.
"Shirou..."
"――――――――"
Her body is small, so I can't hold her too tightly.
I just touch her, holding her in my arms.
I let my fingers feel the weight of what I must protect.
It's almost two o'clock.
It's late, but I decide to make lunch and take it to Sakura's room.
"――――――――Well."
I take off my apron and put the rice porridge on a tray.
I take a deep breath.
And I fill my heart with ice.
I don't know what I'll say if I go see Sakura in this condition.
I can't do that.
If Sakura figures out that I'm troubled, she'll just be even more troubled
herself.
I have to freeze my emotions so that I don't reveal anything.
...This will the last time.
This will be the last time we will be together to just casually see each
other's faces.
I want our precious time together to end in laughter.
"Are you awake, Sakura? It's late, but let's eat lunch."
I knock and enter her room.
It seems Sakura was sleeping, but her face brightens up as soon as I
enter.
"―――Yes. I'm glad you came, Senpai."
She happily smiles.
Time passes.
Sakura is getting better.
She can sit up on her own, and she even ate the rice porridge without
assistance.
Lunch ends and we talk about meaningless things.
Apparently sleepy after eating, Sakura continues to talk while lying in
bed.
That's it.
That's all we can do right now.
Sakura seems well.
She's breathing normally, and her cheeks are red and healthy-looking.
I can believe that she won't last even a few more days.
"But I've rarely caught colds.
I have a healthy body, and I've never had to stay in bed with a fever."
We started with how she dislikes cold medicine, and she's now telling
me how healthy she was.
It seems she's never been seriously ill, and I hear she cured any cold
symptoms with her spirit.
"Spirit? You mean you warmed yourself up and rested?
...No, that's not what spirit means. How can you have spirit during a
cold?"
"Oh, um... it's an embarrassing story, so it's a secret."
Sakura laughs in embarrassment.
...Hm. It seems Sakura was an energetic child in her own way.
"So it's not that I dislike cold medicine, but it's that I can't trust it. Don't
you get nervous because you can't tell the effect of the medicine?"
"Oh, I guess it was like that when I was a kid. I didn't get well even after
I drank this bitter medicine, so I blamed the pain and the fever on it."
Sakura happily agrees.
...Seeing her smile makes me imagine that she's getting better and that
she'll be up and well tomorrow.
"――――――――"
...I silence my all too convenient wish.
Sakura won't get well.
I can't postpone my decision, believing that everything will turn out fine
once she gets better.
"――――Hey, Sakura."
Maybe it's because I've accepted the cold reality.
"What do you want to do once you get better?"
I ask her about a what-if.
I ask her about a convenient future.
"Eh...? What I want to do...?"
"Yeah. Something that's fun for you. Anything's fine. I'm just asking, so
don't worry about if it's possible or not."
"Eh――――hmm, hold on."
Sakura looks around, troubled.
After some pondering...
"I guess I don't have anything.
I'm fine how things are right now, and just being with you is good
enough."
Sakura blushes.
"――――――――"
My vision narrows.
I have to keep my feelings frozen.
'She has never done anything for herself.'
Damn old bastard! It's not that she hasn't done anything...!
She just doesn't know how.
Fun things.
She doesn't know what she wants because she's never known a normal
life.
She's never known normal happiness, so she values such trivial
things――――
"...Senpai? Um, is something wrong...?"
"Huh? Oh, I was just thinking to myself."
She hasn't done anything yet.
Sakura doesn't know what she should have, what she should obtain.
Sakura doesn't smile outside.
Sakura doesn't make friends.
A closed world, consisting of my house and the Matou's.
But if I can change it, I'll pay any price――――
"S-Senpai...? Um, you're acting strange.
...Does your left hand hurt?"
"No, it's not that.
Sakura. Let's go somewhere far away once this is all over.
We've never gone anywhere for fun, right? It's good to go off and enjoy
ourselves once in a while."
"――――――――"
Sakura blankly stares at me.
It looks like she's surprised, like she thinks it's all a dream.
"It's decided. Where do you want to go, Sakura?"
"Eh――――um, where? Um――――"
She thinks in confusion.
She doesn't answer for a while.
But she must have found a wish she wants with all her heart.
"...Um. It can be anything, right?"
Sakura timidly looks up at me.
"Yeah. There's nowhere you can't go if you put your mind to it."
I'm serious, but it seems she took it as a joke.
Sakura smiles with relief.
"Then I want to go cherry blossom viewing."
And she makes a trivial wish.
"Cherry blossom viewing? You mean that cherry blossom viewing?"
"Yes. We can do it here, but there are only plum trees here. I want to go
cherry blossom viewing in a big field on a sunny day."
"――――I see. That certainly..."
...Sounds really fun.
It'll be great to watch cherry blossoms under a clear blue sky at the park
by the bridge.
There are many fun things.
Starting out with cherry blossom viewing suits Sakura.
"―――All right. Then it's a promise. Let's go there together once you
get well and once this whole mess is over."
Sakura shows a satisfied smile.
I make the promise and stand up.
......Yes.
How great will it be if we can really do that?
I imagine my own happiness that I've never imagined since the fire ten
years ago.
I leave her room.
All that's left is a trivial promise.
It's not just Sakura's wish.
This promise, which can be fulfilled come April, is my wish as well.
"――――――――"
I dream of a warm fantasy with a frozen mind.
Once winter is over.
Once spring arrives, we'll go view the cherry blossoms
together――――
―――And it's the night I have to make my decision.
We won't be patrolling the town anymore.
Tohsaka spent the whole day making the gem sword and is now resting,
completely exhausted.
The same goes for Ilya.
The three of us ate dinner silently and went back to our own rooms.
It's ten o'clock.
...The shadow should go into action soon.
"――――――――"
I get up soundlessly.
I grab the knife I got from the kitchen and leave my room.
The door isn't locked.
I open the door without a sound and walk to the bed.
"――――――――"
Sakura's sleeping.
That's all I can tell.
I can't tell if she's getting better or worse.
―――There's something wrong with my vision.
I can't even see Sakura's face even when she's sleeping right before me.
"―――――, ―――"
I suppress my dizziness and trembling.
Prepare yourself.
That shadow might be attacking people while I hesitate.
If there's no way to directly kill it, I have to ▊▊▊▊ Sakura here.
Even if it's not Sakura's fault, people are harmed.
There will be victims.
There will be people who could not prevent the harm.
...And Sakura will commit crimes she does not want to commit.
"――――――――"
I raise the knife.
My mouth is dry.
It feels like my tongue's turned into a piece of cardboard.
The inorganic knife sends a chill up my spine.
My eyes become numb as I think about sticking this thin scrap of metal,
whose only reason of existence is its sharpness, into a living human's
throat, Sakura's soft flesh.
It's like stumbling and falling eye-first onto a flathead screwdriver.
The blinding pain of numbness peels the cerebral membrane like an
orange peel.
"――――――――"
There's something wrong with my senses.
The fingers holding the knife look as if they're all bending in the wrong
way.
It looks like psychic powers in movies.
I ignore it and tighten my grip.
I…
"――――――――"
My heart hurts.
Blood drips down my fingers where they grasp the knife.
"――――――――!"
I grit my teeth.
I frantically swallow against the sob rising in my throat.
"―――――, ―――!"
My eyes are hot.
I can't manage it looking down, so I tilt my face up and restrain my
anger.
...Pushing the knife down.
I can't do something so simple.
I'm pissed.
There's something really wrong with me.
I had to come this far before I realized my own feelings.
"――――Am I stupid?"
...Right.
I had the answer already.
My path was set the moment I embraced Sakura under the rain.
'Are you going to betray?'
Someone tells me to remember.
Wasn't I going to become a superhero?
My body is wracked by contradictory thoughts.
―――A superhero that will let many people die tonight for Sakura's
sake.
A selfish superhero.
―――Kiritsugu threw away his own wishes to pursue what he believed
in.
A powerless human that helps others just because of self-interest.
The fire ten years ago.
Because I was the only one who survived, I lived on, swearing never to
let such a disaster occur again.
All the time until now.
The idea I believed in for ten years is piercing my heart.
Asking if I am betraying it.
Will I betray myself, who cried and tried to live on, ignoring the voices
of the people who died helplessly?
―――The atonement.
Am I going to betray my previous self, who had to cling to that
atonement to continue living?
"Yes――――――"
No apologies will ever bring me forgiveness.
I can't make amends for this crime.
I'm throwing myself away.
Even if my life turns out to be a fake after losing what I've believed in
until now...
"――――――I will betray them."
I'll choose what I want to protect.
In the future.
If Sakura's smile is there, I won't even care if I have to live by deceiving
myself.
...There's nothing wrong with it.
I need Sakura.
Sakura needs me.
――――For the first time...
I wish to protect one life instead of many.
"............"
I take a deep breath and loosen my fingers on the knife.
I won't lose my way anymore.
I'll pull the knife back and leave before Sakura wakes up.
―――And right when I'm about to...
"Senpai. Why won't you kill me?"
Sakura talks in the dark.
"――――Sakura."
She's awake.
Sakura is lying there trembling, watching the upraised knife.
...Her eyes are clouded painfully.
It's not sadness about having me kill her.
She's apologizing for making me resort to this.
"It's fine, please do as you wish. I'm too scared to do it myself, but I
don't mind if you do it."
Is she serious?
I hear fear in Sakura's voice.
Her body is trembling, her eyes fixed on the knife above her as if
watching inevitable death.
...It's...
...It's a determination that's doing all it can to keep her from running
away.
"――――――――Sakura."
...How can it be?
I was so preoccupied that I didn't even notice it?
Sakura's trembling.
Why didn't I realize Sakura's determination――――!?
"Sakura, I..."
"I know. What you decided is probably right.
Because I'm at fault here.
...I'll say it now, since this is the end. I don't know how long I can remain
myself.
I don't know how long the day is, what I talked to you about at noon,
when that noon was, what happened yesterday, and what tomorrow is."
"That's not all. I see strange dreams. It's a scary dream. I'm always
covered in blood, but a part of me finds it pleasant, and everything about
it is scary."
"I'm the bad guy in that dream. I'm laughing as I'm stealing a lot of
things from everybody.
...I was scared, asked for help, but nobody helped me."
"So I told myself it can't be helped that everyone's getting killed.
They won't help others, so it's natural that others won't help them, and I
ignored everything, thinking it's just a dream."
"...But I was wrong. I wanted that dream.
I'm actually cowardly, filthy, cunning...
I hated everyone, and all I could do was curse them. It's my fault for
thinking that dream was pleasant, even for a second.
It's not the dream that's bad. It's me, the one who watches it, that should
never have existed."
"Senpai. I'm slowly breaking down.
At this rate, I'll see nothing but those dreams and forget about you. I'll be
a villain for real, going around and killing people."
"So―――please.
...If you can finish it here before I become the bad guy, then――――"
Sakura tries to say she'll be saved.
But.
"Oh――――"
I silence her with an embrace.
"――――――――"
I hold her to me tightly.
...The embrace I could not accomplish before.
I pull her to me with the arms that only touched her back then.
I hold Sakura's body with all my strength.
"......Senpai."
...Sakura doesn't resist.
She's scared of dying, yet she asked to be killed. But, at last, she relaxes
and...
"......No, you'll regret it..."
She says the same exact words as that night, as if thanking me.
"...It's too late.
It's not about the future. I regret not being able to protect you all this
time."
...A quiet sobbing.
Sakura puts her arm on my shoulder.
Her cold fingers run across my cheek.
"――――I'll protect you. I'll protect you, Sakura."
I promise Sakura as she cries.
...That's all I can do.
That's the only thing I can repeat to forgive each other.
I swore to be Sakura's superhero on that night.
I have no regrets.
I won't complain about this choice.
If anyone deserves an apology, it's only one person.
――――Will you forgive me, Sakura?
I don't say it out loud.
――――For betraying myself?
And I confess my crime.
INTERLUDE BEGIN
――――The door closes.
The boy, who said he'd protect the girl as if trying to convince himself,
left after making sure she fell asleep.
"............Haa."
The girl, Matou Sakura, painfully moans in the darkness.
She is not asleep.
She only pretended to be asleep so that the boy, who was more tired than
her, can rest.
And―――she cannot afford to sleep anymore.
She'll see that dream if she sleeps.
She'll see something similar to her kill people.
It's frightening.
She doesn't remember what kind of dream she had last night.
She doesn't remember why she was unconscious outside.
So―――it feels like she will never wake up again if she falls asleep
tonight.
She will end up betraying the boy who held her close.
The boy threw away his self and believed in the weak and sly Matou
Sakura.
His decision is still hurting her heart, so she will not be able to see him
again if she turns out to be like the dream.
―――Yes.
She has destroyed his mind to the point that it cannot be fixed.
So she has to bear it.
She has to stay conscious, not sleep, and never see that dream again.
A person exists that will protect her.
Even if she may be dirty and cowardly, she has to maintain control with
all her might while she still remains.
"――――I'm fine with that. But..."
...There's something that cannot be returned.
She has committed a crime that she cannot atone for with the life that
remains to her.
'――――I'll protect you.'
He repeated it, knowing there's no hope or future.
Recalling it makes her cry.
...Half an hour ago.
She was determined when he came to her room.
She knows that he came to kill her.
She's sensitive to the hostility of others. Even if someone comes to kill
her in her sleep, she will notice.
...But the hostility was empty.
It's not that he's not feeling anything.
It was a painful emptiness, as if there was a big hole in his chest with
cold wind blazing through it.
That made her accept death.
She thought the best possible outcome would be if the boy were the one
to stop her.
"―――――――y."
But she was a coward, as she had known.
She was ready for death, but she could not stop trembling.
――――And...
She cornered him by saying something selfishly convenient.
"―――――――rry."
He embraced her.
The boy still embraced her.
They both knew there was no future.
But he still put his arms around her, knowing fully well what awaited
them in the end.
The boy still had determination.
His embracing arms told her that he will accept the crime she committed
and will commit.
"...――――――rry, Senpai――――"
That's why it's sad.
He can do it.
She knew that from the start.
...The school in the sunset.
The person that kept on running.
The boy that changed her voice from "give up" to "keep going".
She has wished from that time.
―――To be with him.
―――To be protected by him.
Admiring him for no reason, she went to his house like her grandfather
told her and made her wish come true.
'―――I'll protect you. I swore to be your superhero.'
"―――......!"
This is the result.
As his life goes on, he will only continue to break down.
"Sorry... I'm sorry, Senpai――――"
What she admired...
She finally understands why.
The boy was beautiful in her eyes.
He's different from her, who is a coward.
She wished for him to keep his upstanding character.
"But I――――"
...Yes, she remembers.
She wanted to protect him.
She wanted to protect the boy.
She wanted to protect the clumsy, but upright boy that she found in the
setting sun.
"――――I broke it."
That's all she wished for.
So why...
Why did it turn out like this――――?
...And then.
The girl makes her final resolution.
"You're there, right, Rider?"
She calls out into the darkness.
"―――――――"
The girl should be the only one here, but a woman appears like a ghost.
It is Matou Sakura's Servant, Rider.
"...I thought so. Were you guarding me?"
"Yes. Had he tried to take your life, I would have killed him."
"――――"
...She sighs, thinking it was close.
Rider puts priority on her master.
Her decision is based solely on whether that person will kill her Master,
Matou Sakura.
In that regard, Emiya Shirou was Rider's enemy back then.
"...Don't do anything to him, Rider. I won't forgive you if you hurt him."
"My role is to protect you. If he is to be your enemy, I must fulfill my
mission. I will protect you, no matter what you may become."
"...Do you mean that, even if I turn into something other than myself?"
There's no reply.
It's something she shouldn't say, the worst possible scenario.
...Yes.
Even if Emiya Shirou sides with Matou Sakura.
If Matou Sakura recognizes Emiya Shirou as her enemy, he will become
a foreign foe that must be defeated.
"............"
The girl raises her body and clenches her fists.
...Rider's statement hasn't angered her.
She's just scared that the assumption might become a reality.
"...Sakura?
What are you doing? You cannot use magic with that body of
yours――――!"
Ignoring Rider, the girl raises her hand in the darkness.
The magical energy runs through it for only an instant.
When the light fades, the only thing different is her left hand.
"Sakura."
"...This is my last Command Spell. Please, Rider. Please protect Senpai
until the end, no matter what happens in the future."
The girl gives her final order.
The Command Spell is gone from Matou Sakura's hand.
"...I'll stop Grandfather.
This is a problem between me and the Matou family. ...I know it's too
late, but I can't cause any more trouble."
The girl holds her chest as she coughs.
...Her eyes light up in the darkness.
They are weak, but they are eyes of determination that belong to a
magus.
INTERLUDE END
Day 14 (servant eater):
I wake up up at the same time as usual.
It's before six o'clock.
The day is dawning, and the sky is filled with gray clouds again.
I don't feel any pain from my left arm.
There's no one in the living room.
I should make breakfast before Tohsaka wakes up.
The news is on.
It's becoming my daily routine to check the news in the morning.
"There aren't any big stories. I guess it didn't appear last night."
She must mean the black shadow.
"―――Yeah. I guess it doesn't come out every day."
I answer, careful not to let my relief show.
"Yeah. I wouldn't be able to bear hundreds of people getting hurt two
days in a row."
It's past seven.
Tohsaka and I are the only ones in the living room.
Sakura and Ilya are both sleeping.
I wanted Ilya to wake up and come, but Tohsaka told me that she's tired
and I should let her rest.
"――――So you should rest too, in preparation for tonight."
Tohsaka says this out of the blue.
"...Why?"
"It's the creation of our secret weapon. We'll complete the framework
today, so we'll do the projection tonight.
We'll go settle our match with Zouken as soon as we succeed. We can't
allow any more victims. No matter what that shadow may be, the Holy
Grail War will end once we defeat Zouken. The mysterious shadow
should disappear then."
"――――Tohsaka. You really think the shadow will disappear once the
war is over?"
"It will. Whatever it is, I'm sure it appeared because of the Holy Grail.
I don't know if it wants the Holy Grail, or if the Holy Grail summoned it.
But either way, it's here because of the Holy Grail, so it'll disappear once
the Holy Grail is gone.
In short, the shadow will disappear once the war ends.
That will happen when the time limit expires, when only one Master
remains, or―――when the Holy Grail's vessel dies."
"Tohsaka, you―――――"
...Already...
Knew what that shadow is?
"I'm just guessing.
It might not disappear even if we defeat Zouken.
It might not disappear even when the war ends.
So I'm going to take the surest method. We can't rely on uncertainties
like obtaining the Holy Grail ourselves. We have to take down both
Zouken and the shadow with our own powers."
Tohsaka gets up.
I don't know why, but she takes the water jug and pajamas I prepared for
Sakura.
"Hey, what are you doing?"
"I'll go see how Sakura's doing. Her room is next to mine, so I'm in a
better position to look after her."
"Hey――――no, I'll take care of Sakura."
"Don't be stupid. You didn't get any sleep last night, did you? Can't you
tell that you'll be a liability in your condition?"
...?
I didn't get any sleep?
"Don't be stupid. I slept last night."
"I don't believe this. You're so tired that you don't even notice it?
...Geez, go look at the mirror if you think I'm lying. If you went to nurse
Sakura with dark circles around your eyes and looking pale, it'd just
make her worried."
"What――――are you serious?"
"Why would I lie? Geez, just go to your room and rest. I'll go get you in
the afternoon.
Oh, and if you can't go to sleep, I can help you. If you don't mind me
copying Rider, I can put you under for about a day."
Copying Rider means copying her mystic eyes. But as far as I know,
Tohsaka doesn't have mystic eyes.
In short, she's...
"Are you telling me to be your guinea pig?"
"Exactly. I wasn't interested before, but mystic eyes might not be that
bad. I can't do anything on that scale, but I might be able to do
something like sleep suggestion."
"――――Don't lie. What was that about them not being bad?
You just don't want to stay defeated, so you want to learn it too, right?"
"J-Just be quiet! So, what about it?
Do you want to try it or not?"
"No, you idiot! I'm having nothing to do with such a dangerous
experiment. First of all, if I sleep for a day, I can't wake up until
tomorrow morning."
"Oh, right. It'll be paralysis instead of sleep if it works too well. I think
it'll work well on you since you're simple-minded."
Tohsaka seems to be convinced.
I want to object, but I stay quiet since she might test it on me if I do
object.
"Well, I'm not that sensitive, so I can sleep if I want. You don't have to
worry about me."
"Really? Then can you rest in your room and let me handle Sakura's
care?"
...Then.
Tohsaka drops her joking manner and asks me with serious eyes.
"――――――――"
I can't answer right away.
...I want to be with Sakura.
But I have other things to do, and I can't let Sakura see me if I look as
terrible as Tohsaka says.
I can trust Tohsaka with Sakura's care, so I'll take her offer.
"...You're right. Then I'll be in my room.
I'll bring her lunch and dinner, so can you take care of her the rest of the
time?"
"Yeah, you can leave her to me. I'll scold her and put her back in bed if
she tries to get up.
So, can you really sleep by yourself? Don't you want to try it out once?"
"You're persistent. I don't want anything dangerous.
But thanks, Tohsaka. I'm sorry for making you look out for me."
"I-I'm not looking out for you. I-I'm going, so you go sleep, okay!?"
Tohsaka leaves in a hurry.
...Man.
I don't know if she's perceptive or not, nor if she's a good person or a
cold person.
I hear geniuses tend to leave everyone else behind them, and I'm
guessing that's Tohsaka's type.
Sakura has it tough. I'd never have peace of mind if Tohsaka were my
older sister.
"―――Well, I bet every day would be fun, though."
...Right.
That's why I want them back to being sisters as quickly as possible.
Sakura and Tohsaka can be together again once the war ends, and the
promise between their families goes away.
The eleven-year gap won't be bridged that easily, but I want them to get
close enough to laugh together over trivial matters.
I'll do anything to help.
I think this is the most I can do for Sakura.
"Oh, and for Tohsaka too. Sakura is like the only one who can make her
look troubled."
Oh, crap.
I just imagined Tohsaka smiling happily.
I'm sorry, Sakura. Wait, does this count as being unfaithful?
"――――No, more importantly..."
I can't take it easy forever.
Tohsaka said she'll challenge Zouken tonight.
...That's bad.
The war will end if we defeat Zouken.
The Holy Grail will appear once the war ends.
No, rather, the Holy Grail will be opened.
Zouken said the Holy Grail is a gate.
What grants the wishes is not the Holy Grail, but what's inside of it.
...If that's true, what will happen to Sakura, who is the Holy Grail?
Ilya said that...
Sakura loses her human functions as she nears completion as a Holy
Grail.
"―――――――――!"
...So there's only one way to save Sakura.
Protect her until the Holy Grail War ends.
I don't know how the Holy Grail will appear.
I don't know if it appears when there's only one Master left, or if the last
Master summons it.
...There's no problem if it's the latter.
I just have to defeat Zouken, eliminate what's threatening Sakura, and
wait for the duration of the war.
Tohsaka said we'll challenge Zouken tonight.
Then we can beat Zouken.
If she says we're fighting, that means we have a high chance of winning.
"...Then there's only one problem."
...The black shadow.
Beating Zouken won't make it disappear.
It will continue to surface as long as the Holy Grail, Sakura, exists.
And it will take many lives every time.
Waiting for the deadline means doing nothing about that shadow.
"...I have to defeat it. I have to defeat the shadow myself."
...That's the only possible choice.
But can I beat it?
If that thing came from the Holy Grail, the shadow should not have a
concept of death.
If I'm to eliminate it, I have to eliminate the projector, Sakura herself, or
destroy the main body that's sending magical energy to the projector.
"...Main body, huh...?"
...I don't think such a thing exists.
But I can't come up with any effective plans unless I assume so.
"――――The content of the Holy Grail.
Zouken implanted within Sakura a piece of the Holy Grail that was
shattered in the previous war. Did it contain anything back then?"
――――Oh.
Wait a minute.
Zouken said he made the crest worm from a piece of the Holy
Grail――――
"――――Kotomine. He didn't notice that...!?"
No way...!
He extracted some crest worm from Sakura.
He removed just a small quantity, but he treated Sakura's body.
There's no way he wouldn't notice.
He's the supervisor of the Holy Grail War, and he was one of the last
surviving Masters in the previous war.
Then he should know what's wrong with her body...!
"Haa――――!"
I run out the door.
Compelled by the sudden insight, I can only think about the priest.
"Damn, why didn't I realize earlier...!?"
If I'd just thought about it, I would've seen it right away.
The shadow that appears as Sakura's subconscious form.
That man should know what's inside the Holy Grail――――!
INTERLUDE BEGIN
"...Huh? Is that Shirou that just went outside...?"
Tohsaka Rin wonders about the sound from the front door.
She looks out the window and, sure enough, sees him running down the
hill.
"That idiot...! I told him to rest, but he never listens to people...!"
She stops filling prescriptions and gets up.
Sakura's medicine is important, but stopping Shirou comes first.
"Man, warnings go in one ear and out the other for him...! He doesn't
even realize how exhausted he is...!"
She dashes down the stairs.
She hurries to the entrance to quickly follow after Shirou.
"――――Oh, before that."
She has to check on Sakura, just in case.
She hasn't given her the water jug or the pajamas, since she was
planning to bring them with the medicine. She hasn't taken her
temperature either.
Shirou's recklessness angers her, but she can't scold Shirou if she ignores
Sakura.
"――――Well, it seems like she's sleeping."
It's only been a minute.
Shirou should quickly lose his breath, stop, and rest at the bottom of the
hill. He shouldn't even be able to run a kilometer in his condition.
"...The worst part is that he doesn't realize it."
If she runs, she can catch up with him in no time.
Of the people in the house right now, she has the most energy.
It's natural that the strongest one looks after the weaker members.
"I'm coming in, Sakura."
She goes in without waiting for a reply.
"I'm going outside. It won't be long, so keep resting. I'll leave your
change of clothes here, so――――
She stops her sentence.
And....
"――――Crap. You did it, Sakura."
Rin punches the wall hard enough to break it.
―――Matou Sakura isn't in the room.
The one in bed is not her.
"...You've fallen far, Rider. I never thought I'd see a Servant sleep in a
bed, pretending to be her Master."
"I was unwilling, but this is an order.
But this is your carelessness. Please do not push your responsibility onto
me."
"...Well said. She's the one causing us the trouble."
She grits her teeth.
Rin glares at Rider with hostility, and Rider ignores it coolly.
"Tohsaka Rin. If there is a next time, set a better observer. You cannot
deceive Sakura with a mere jade bird familiar. She does not match you
in ability, but her instincts are as good as yours."
"I see, thanks for the advice. ...But I guess that's not all, huh?"
"Of course not. Sakura instructed me not to let you out of the house until
she returns."
"――――"
Rin clucks her tongue.
She can't do anything now.
By herself, she cannot defeat or escape from Rider.
She can only stay here, just as Sakura planned.
"――――I'm really pissed. He tried to help her since she can't handle it
by herself, but now she's gone alone to settle things?"
"Are you not going to resist? It is good to be graceful, but this is
unexpected."
"I just don't have to go outside, right? I can't match you, so I'll stay quiet
until she comes home."
She sighs and leans against the wall.
There's no will to fight.
Rin relaxes, looks down, and...
"But Rider. She won't come back. ...No. Even if she does come back, she
won't be the Matou Sakura we know."
...Mentions the worst-possible future with the cold voice of a magus.
INTERLUDE END
INTERLUDE BEGIN
Ah――――haa, haa ha――――
My chest hurts.
My heart has been sending me a danger signal for a while now.
Thump, thump, splat, thump.
The heart spits out blood to the rest of the body, raging around as though
saying it'll ▊▊▊ if it moves anymore.
Ah――――haa, haa, ha――――
My throat hurts.
It feels like I'm swallowing needles every time I take a breath.
So it's too scary to breathe.
I'm already oxygen-deprived, so intentionally limiting my breathing is
like suicide.
Ah――――haa, haa ha――――
My limbs don't move well because they lack oxygen.
I made it this far with unsteady steps, but I might fall unconscious at any
time.
――――Fuh, kuh...!
That thought brings back my strength.
I can't fall here.
Sneaking out would become meaningless.
I need to settle my match.
I have to stop the old man that made me a Master, even if it costs me my
life.
――――Haa――――Haa, ha――――
...I steady my breathing.
It's fine, it's not hard.
It might be hard for others, but it's no problem for me.
I just have to look at him, like I do every night at dinner, and shake my
head.
And―――that old man's scheme will end.
...I don't think about what'll happen to me after I disobey the monster.
If I do, I won't be able to go through with it.
So I stop thinking too much.
Fortunately, the memory in my head is vague.
I won't remember what I'm doing now in the next instant, so the fear is
relatively small.
I walk through my house, which I haven't been in for a few days.
A dark house.
I look through my scattering memory, but can't remember the house ever
being bright.
It's just like always.
It's damp, degenerate, and viscous like always.
But――――
"No way――――why?"
But it's not as expected.
Grandfather's presence is not in the house.
The worms' presence cannot be felt anywhere.
"...Haa――――ah, ahh..."
I hold myself upright and look around the empty living room.
Something's wrong.
Something's wrong.
Something's wrong.
That old man is not in the house.
His laughing voice is not in the basement.
"...No way... Why?"
It doesn't make sense.
Grandfather―――Matou Zouken wants me back.
But he couldn't do anything until now because I was at the Emiya
household.
So now should be his best chance.
He will definitely come and try to turn me into a Holy Grail if I'm
alone.
So why isn't he coming out?
"Ah... haa... haa... ah――――"
...My consciousness is fading away.
...That's bad.
I have to see Matou Zouken before I fall asleep, before Senpai goes into
action.
I have to see him and end it right now.
It'll all be over once I see him, so why isn't he appearing today of all
days―――!?
"...He should know...!"
Right, there's no way he doesn't know.
He's always watching me. He can find me, no matter where I hide or
how far I run.
He knows he can easily catch and control me.
...He never considers the possibility that I might resist.
He only treats me as a tool.
"......So... why?"
There's no way he doesn't know.
It shouldn't even matter that the priest removed some of my crest worm.
...Because that's just insurance.
He's watching my actions using a more reliable method.
He knows my current condition. He's even listening to my heartbeat.
He knows I'm alone here and that I left Rider behind.
Because he's――――
"――――Sakura."
A voice comes from right behind me.
And...
"...Nii-san?"
Right when I realize it's Nii-san and turn around…
I don't stop until I reach the church.
I was breathing hard when I was running down the hill, but my fatigue
went away by the time I got to the intersection.
"Haa―――――Haa, haa."
Even I'm surprised by how well I'm doing.
Even though I took the shortest route, I ran full speed for five kilometers
from my house to the church.
"――――Wait, this is no time to be amazed at myself."
I head to the entrance.
I pull myself together, readying myself to have Kotomine talk if he
knows everything.
"――――――――!"
The priest is in the chapel.
It seems like he's been waiting for me...
"Oh, what's wrong, Emiya Shirou? I did not think you were admirable
enough to come pray to the God when you are at a loss. Did you change
your religious beliefs?"
...And he offers an absurd welcome.
"―――Shut up. I don't have time for your sarcasm. If you want to make
small talk, do it alone."
"Oh. ...I see, you seem disturbed. I'm surprised you made it here in your
condition. Why don't we go to the back if it's going to be a long
conversation? It must be hard for you to stay on your feet."
"I'm fine. Just answer me, Kotomine.
You knew that Sakura is a Holy Grail, right?"
"Of course. I opened her body, after all. I knew that she is a black Holy
Grail that Matou Zouken coordinated."
The priest plainly answers,
as if it's not a big deal.
"Do you know what that means...!?"
My head boils up in an instant.
I tried to be calm, but Kotomine's reply shatters my composure.
"Yes. I knew better than you what that meant.
If we let Matou Sakura live, she would end up killing many people. That
is why I warned you. I asked you if she was worth keeping alive."
"――――――――"
I stop.
...He's right.
Kotomine did warn me back then.
He saved her, but he kept repeating that keeping her alive was a
mistake.
"―――Then... then why did you save Sakura?
I only wanted to protect her. But you don't have a reason to."
"I do have a reason. Like you, I did not want to let Matou Sakura die. I
could not leave the new life within her to die.
Humans die. Sakura's death would be only natural. Were she the only
one to die, I would never have gone to such lengths."
"If Sakura were the only one to die?"
In short...
He's saying he saved Sakura to save that black shadow...!?
"That is exactly right, Emiya Shirou. It is the law of nature for people to
die from wounds. But you cannot kill what has not yet come into
existence.
You protected Matou Sakura to save her.
I saved Matou Sakura to protect the darkness that she conceived.
That is my motive. We had different goals, but we both needed the girl
to live. Are you dissatisfied with the result?"
"――――――――"
I'm not dissatisfied.
No matter what his intentions were, I had no choice but to ask for his
help back then.
And―――he sacrificed his entire Magic Crest to save Sakura.
I should at least thank him for the result.
"...You're right. I'm not interested in what your motives are.
But let me ask you. If you're saying that, you must know what that thing
is."
"You must mean the shadow threatening the town.
...Well, I have an idea, but what about you?
What do you think it is?"
"...Zouken said it's the contents of the Holy Grail. He said that what's
inside the Holy Grail is coming out through Sakura."
"―――You asked him yourself, eh? ...I see, that is certainly something
he might think of.
So, do you believe everything he said? Do you believe the shadow is the
contents of the Holy Grail appearing through Matou Sakura, and that it
will continue to kill people as long as she is alive?"
"I won't trust Zouken. ...But his explanation matches the facts. I have to
admit that Sakura and that shadow are related."
"Yes. Zouken's explanation contains no lie, but he is not telling the
whole truth either.
The power in the Holy Grail is colorless.
It is colorless, so it will never attack people on its own. Power without
direction only disperses."
"Oh."
...What he's saying makes sense.
First of all, why is something that's leaked out of the gate
indiscriminately attacking people?
"What's going on? Why is it attacking people?"
"I do not even need to mention why. There exists 'something that kills
people' inside the Holy Grail. That is the only possible explanation."
"Wha――――――"
Something that kills people?
That thing is inside the Holy Grail and ruining Sakura?
"――――――――"
...My vision wavers.
This is too ridiculous to be true...
"――――――――"
But didn't I...
...Look up at such a thing ten years ago?
"――――! That makes even less sense...!
If the Holy Grail's power is colorless, something that has a purpose like
killing people shouldn't exist in it!"
"Correct. It is something that should not exist. It is a contradiction that
should never have been created.
―――But it is definitely there, within the Holy Grail.
Ten years ago. I already told you how Kiritsugu and I fought for the
Holy Grail.
Its contents were already tainted at that time. The power that should
have been colorless was instead a swirl that interpreted everything as
slaughter."
"But it is a big enough swirl of magical energy to grant wishes.
That function has not been lost.
The only problem is that its idea of 'happiness' is to use the evil to
expose the good.
That is why it brought on that tragic fire ten years ago.
I still found the Holy Grail worthy, but Kiritsugu destroyed it, unable to
accept its evil."
"I need not remind you of the result. My Servant was showered with its
tainted contents, and the mud that leaked from the Holy Grail burned the
town and caused many deaths.
You should remember the scene."
...Yeah, I did see it.
I saw the cause of it...!
"―――Then that black hole is..."
"Yes, it is a gate called the Holy Grail.
How ironic. The cup that receives the purest souls.
That pure object was completely tainted when a small amount of poison
was mixed into it. It is colorless, after all. No matter how deep and
magnificent the Holy Grail may have been, it was powerless against a
colored foreign substance."
"Foreign substance...? That's what caused the content of the Holy Grail
to change colors...?"
"Most likely. The Einzberns summoned something they should not have
on the third ritual. As a result, an impurity was introduced into the Holy
Grail War, the ritual they had prepared.
Sixty years passed between the third and fourth wars, yet the impurity
that had waited so long for its birth still could not emerge into the
outside world."
"The fourth Holy Grail was too narrow.
The war reached its deadline with Archer and Saber still remaining, and
the Holy Grail was not complete. The gate did open, but Kiritsugu
instantly destroyed it."
"Impurity―――then that guy's the main body of the black shadow...?"
"'That guy' is hardly the proper term.
Even if the contents of the Holy Grail are tainted, it is still only a swirl
of raw power. What's inside is magical energy with a direction.
It is a cursed swirl that is specialized and directed at killing people. It is
a pure evil that is the embodiment of human evil."
"That is the phenomenon inside the Holy Grail―――the main body of
the shadow roaming the town at night. Well, it is still only an expected
baby that cannot even produce the shadow without Matou Sakura."
"Expected baby...? Don't be ridiculous! Are you saying Sakura has to
give birth to something mysterious like that...!?"
"No. It will appear from her body if she is a legitimately made Holy
Grail.
But she is special.
That thing is trying to consume her and become the gate itself."
"Its birth. It is trying to come into this world by transferring its power to
her.
It is power without a body. It has no need for a human form. It can exist
in this world if someone inherits its power."
"The content of the Holy Grail is not leaking out.
It is an evil that is trying to bring itself into the world by permeating
Matou Sakura.
Therefore―――the black shadow is not the contents of the Holy Grail.
It is already Matou Sakura herself.
It is permeating into the master, and once the power is completely
succeeded, she will turn into the shadow."
"――――――――"
...Hold on.
...Hold on a minute, Kotomine.
Even if you say that, I can't think straight.
"It was an incomplete Holy Grail from the start.
...No, she had already made the contract when the tainted Holy Grail
from the last war was used.
It would not have ended this way if the Einzbern's Holy Grail were used.
It would have been filled with curses, but they would not be
compatible."
"――――――――"
Shut up.
First of all, your talks are too long.
You should keep things simple.
Like how that shadow isn't Sakura's subconscious.
That's what Zouken said, but the shadow is attacking people because
that's its nature.
Sakura...
It's not something she wished for.
"The curse swirling within the Holy Grail. The curse would not have
been able to take form unless the Holy Grail was compatible with it.
Instead, it connected with something that could give it shape.
It would not have taken a definite form if it were a normal Holy Grail,
such as Einzbern's gold or a bronze using a body of a magus. It is a curse
that has mass, after all. In some cases, it might turn into an expanding
lump of flesh."
"――――――――"
I said I don't care about things that don't concern us.
Get to the point.
Let me know the conclusion.
I thought I could save Sakura if I defeated the shadow.
I thought I could save her if I could defeat it before Sakura completely
turned into the Holy Grail.
But――――if that shadow is Sakura herself...
"The curse obtained a host named Matou Sakura.
She is a human who was raised to be a Magic Circuit, embedded with
'the sense of touch' that leaked out during the previous war. The more
she opens the gate as the Holy Grail, the more she will combine with
what is inside.
But do not worry.
So long as she retains her sanity, the shadow will remain a shadow.
No matter how much the curse may contaminate her, she still has
command. As long as she tries to close the gate as a Holy Grail, the
content will stay in her and not be able to escape outside."
"It is the same as the relationship between a Servant and his Master.
The Servant, the curse, cannot use its power unless its Master, Matou
Sakura, allows it. One cannot overturn this relationship, no matter how
strong one may be.
Matou Sakura's sanity obstructs the curse's desire to kill people."
"Matou Sakura can accept the curse as a part of her, or her sanity can
cave in to the magical energy of the curse. The darkness in her will be
given birth the instant either occurs.
She is the shadow already. Even if the war were over, you could never
return her to her original form."
"――――――――"
That means...
When I defeat that black shadow and see its corpse...
Sakura's body will come out from beneath its darkness――――
"Haa―――― , ah."
I thought my heart stopped.
I clutch my chest and force myself to breathe.
"――――Then letting Sakura live means..."
"Letting that black shadow emerge. Her mind will eventually die, and
hell will take form.
Well, I did not think her body could endure it, but you have done well,
Emiya Shirou. She is still functioning as the Holy Grail, thanks to you."
"――――!"
"Do you want to turn Sakura into a monster...!?"
"Of course. No matter what it may be, we cannot stop it as long as it has
the will to be born.
And do not misunderstand, Emiya Shirou.
You call it a monster when it has not even come into this world?"
"Of course...! That shadow is a devil. It's a devil that's killing people
without limit...!"
"You are rushing to conclusions. Good and evil are what we decide on
after it occurs. Nobody can deny what has yet to exist.
Or what? Are you saying the son of a criminal will definitely be a
criminal? So we should kill him before he is born?"
"Wha――――"
How ridiculous.
That thing is a killer by its very nature.
And in reality, it is killing people――――!
"That is your mistake. That shadow has only been created from the host,
Matou Sakura. What is about to be born from the Holy Grail is
something different.
That shadow is merely using Matou Sakura to suck lives needed for its
birth. It is the same as a baby that wants to live.
You cannot judge it to be good or evil, as it is doing so unconsciously."
"Don't be stupid! People are dying!"
"True. It shall receive punishment for its crime. But that is after it is
born. Nobody can deny its existence right now.
You cannot reject that which has not yet been born and cannot be
punished."
"Look. A clear evil does not exist in this world.
But―――if there is an evil in this world...
Would it not be the act of denying what is about to be born?"
"――――――――"
I swallow my words.
It's not that I agree with Kotomine that Sakura should become the
contents of the Holy Grail.
But condemning him won't change anything, let alone save Sakura.
"―――Kotomine. Is your intention to have Sakura turn into the Holy
Grail?"
I ask with hostility.
It's a question to clarify our positions, a statement made too late to be a
declaration of hostility.
"I said that is why I saved her. I will bless whatever is born.
Just as you protect Matou Sakura, I will protect the embryo."
"―――I see. Does that mean you're our enemy?"
"Of course. But it's not that I want Matou Sakura's life, or that I want the
Holy Grail's power like Matou Zouken.
I will only protect what lies within the Holy Grail after it has been born.
If the mother, Matou Sakura, should reject the child before it is born, I
will respect her decision."
...There's no lie in his words.
This priest does not care who wins the Holy Grail War.
All he wants is the result.
He just wants to see what appears after Zouken or I remain.
He has no intention of forcing Sakura and altering her.
He is saying he will save Sakura only when we're unable to save her and
when she turns into something else.
"...All right. I won't do anything to you as long as you're just watching.
No matter your intentions, you saved Sakura's life.
...That's all I care about right now."
"I see. All I did was save the body of the mother, but I will not say
anything if that is what you think.
Well, is that all? Then go back to Matou Sakura. This is no time for her
to be left alone."
"........."
The priest is worrying about Sakura's health―――no, her mind.
We're clearly enemies, yet I still can't tell for certain.
"――――No. I want to ask one more thing.
...This will probably be my last question."
"Oh. If that is the case, I cannot refuse. All right, I shall listen."
"――――Kotomine. Can Sakura be saved?"
...The atmosphere changes.
The pressure from the priest increases as he gives me advice.
"There is a way. But the success rate is about fifty-fifty.
The person called Matou Sakura will disappear once she is complete as a
Holy Grail. But if her mind can endure the power from the Holy Grail
for a bit, that small amount of time will be your hope."
"A few seconds at most.
You will need to control the Holy Grail and use its power to eliminate
what is within her.
In short, you're using brute force. You just need to use the Holy Grail to
kill the baby within her and the crest worm that is transforming her.
The Holy Grail is tainted, but it still has the power to grant wishes. If it
is used to kill, it can kill any form of life."
"――――So it all comes down to the Holy Grail, huh? From the start,
this war is..."
"Yes, it all comes down to obtaining the Holy Grail.
But watch out. You are directing the power of the Holy Grail at itself.
A normal magus would not be able to control the magical energy, and it
could end up repeating the disaster that occurred ten years ago.
Not only that. It is madness to try to take control of the Holy Grail in
only a few seconds. It's a miracle you will never achieve by yourself."
"Heh, but that's the only way, right? Then I'll do it. And if that's the case,
I do have one hope."
"I see, you have Rin.
Rin is Matou Sakura's older sister. It should be possible to tune with her
sister's mind and moderate the reaction from the Holy Grail.
But I do not think Rin would go with such a ridiculous gamble."
"――――――――"
...That's true.
I'll have to convince her to change our course of action once I get home.
"It's fine, that's my problem.
Well, bye. I hate to say it, but thanks. I don't approve of your opinion,
but I'll thank you."
"Hold on. I answered your question, so I have something to ask of you
as well."
"――――――――"
I stop.
...I don't want to, but it's nothing if I can return the favor.
"What? You're the one that said this is it. Make it short."
"Well. Let's say by some chance, you do save Matou Sakura with this
method.
But are you fine with that, Emiya Shirou? Even if Matou Sakura is not a
Holy Grail anymore, it will not change the fact that she ate humans. Are
you going to protect such a sinner?"
"――――――――"
It stops.
My heart freezes.
"You are not the only one who cannot bear it.
Matou Sakura has killed many. I do not think she will be able to forgive
herself."
"That's――――――"
"It must be painful to commit a crime and live on, knowing you cannot
atone for it. Then is it not better to just kill her?
It is less painful that way, and it will be an apology to all who she has
killed."
"――――――――"
...That's right.
The chain would end right there.
It doesn't matter if she intended to or not.
No matter the reason, the assailant must be punished.
If she took lives, she must repay the victims with something of equal
value.
So kill.
My morals tell me I must kill Sakura if I truly pity the victims.
Not only that.
If I can't save Sakura and she becomes a Holy Grail, nothing can stop
her.
Many more lives will be lost.
Just like that day.
Innocent people will die without knowing the meaning of their death.
I swallow the gastric juice coming up my throat.
My eyes become bloodshot.
I might bleed out of my eyes.
―――I slash the press͵re with thousands of swords and...
"――――Right. But that won't be atonement."
...I confess that I'll still protect Sakura.
"―――I see. So that means you will not follow Kiritsugu's path."
He talks as if he's disinterested.
The priest regards me with a bored expression, as if disappointed.
"Father's path...?"
"That's right. Your father loved humans.
Higher, wider, farther. He loved humans as they go over their limits
without end. That is why he turned himself into the definite evil.
That man would have killed Matou Sakura. He threw away his human
emotions for the sake of justice."
"...Is that any different from you?
Casting away one person's happiness for the sake of justice, for many
people's happiness."
"―――No. What you people call happiness did not bring me joy."
"Huh...?"
That's not a reply.
No, more than that...
He's not even looking at me.
"Right, we were different.
He threw away what he had, but I had nothing to throw away.
The result was the same, but the process was completely different.
His existence was too unpleasant. His agony was truly unpleasant.
If he went to such lengths to cast it away, he should never have had it in
the first place. But still he agonized over his decision, trying to pick it
back up after he threw it away. As if saying that is the correct way for
humans to live."
"The difference was crucial. Yes. If I cannot obtain anything, why was I
born into this world?"
The priest's words are not directed at anyone.
...But they contain anger.
They contain emotion, which I thought this man did not have.
"...Hah. Come to think of it, there is no way you can succeed Kiritsugu.
He did what was necessary by throwing things away, but you insist on
having it both ways.
We are similar, you and I.
You died once and broke down when you were resurrected. It is
posteriori, but you are like me, a defect from birth."
"What...? What part of me is broken?"
"You just do not realize it.
You have no concept of self. So I did not think you would concern
yourself with a single person. No, rather―――"
You are not concerned about many,
but concerned about all as if they were only one.
――――Yes.
Kotomine Kirei sounds almost envious as he speaks to himself.
"―――Anyway. I will not stop you if you plan to save Matou Sakura in
spite of everything. Be burdened with as much sin as you want.
But let me warn you.
If you want to save Matou Sakura in any way, you will need to kill
Matou Zouken. He will take over her body after her mind disappears.
You will not be able to save her after that."
"You mean Zouken will take over Sakura?"
"Yes. His main body is a parasite. I do not know where the worm with
his soul exists, but it is easy for him to take over another's body as long
as it is alive.
He is immortal, in a way. You cannot completely eliminate him unless
you find that tiny main body or purify his soul itself."
"―――I see. That's actually a relief. I have to defeat Zouken either
way."
"Hah. I see, it is certainly easy to understand.
Defeat Matou Zouken and make Matou Sakura the winner. Control the
Holy Grail that appears and purify Matou Sakura's body. So that is your
course of action."
I don't want to, but I nod.
The plan should be simple, like Kotomine said.
"This is just my personal opinion, but Matou Sakura's mind is
surprisingly strong and too well-suited to the curse in the Holy Grail.
If Rin is the positive, she is the negative. If Matou Zouken made a
mistake, it is right there. That black shadow has developed Matou
Sakura over his expectations. That must be why he contacted you."
"―――Protect Matou Sakura.
If she can survive the emergence, she should not die."
I don't say anything, but nod back.
Kotomine wants Sakura to change.
But he's still much better than Zouken.
"You won't get to take any part in this. I won't let such a mysterious
thing be born."
"That is the spirit. Whatever happens, do not let Zouken have her."
With a snort, I turn my back to him.
―――I have no business here.
I have to quickly go back to Sakura.
"――――――――What?"
The first thing I feel after returning home is an icy chill.
Nothing's wrong, and there's no sign of danger.
But I have a bad feeling.
There's nobody in the living room.
Ilya is sleeping in her room.
Tohsaka is preparing for the projection in her room.
Sakura is――――
"I'm coming in, Sakura."
I call out and place my hand on the doorknob.
―――I feel a cold sensation on my back.
I shake off my uneasiness and open the door.
"Sakura."
"......!"
I see Rider for a second, but her figure disappears.
Behind her...
The bed which Sakura should be in is empty.
"――――!"
The light turns on.
"Wha――――"
I look around in surprise.
"Welcome back. I won't ask where you were, but you certainly took your
time."
"Tohsaka...? What is this――――?"
"Isn't it obvious? Sakura went out by herself, and Rider has been glaring
at me until now.
...I guess she's under orders not to hurt you. She switched to spirit form
and ran out as soon as you came in."
"Wha――――"
Tohsaka sounds calm.
...No, that's not it.
Her voice doesn't sound calm.
Her tone is one of cold disinterest, as if she's given up on something.
"――――Tohsaka. Sakura really went out...?"
"It's true. She was gone before you left, so it's already been two hours.
I don't know what her intentions are, but I guess she doesn't want to
follow our directions. She had Rider stop me from going after her, so she
must not want us to know what she's doing."
"Don't be stupid...! Sakura wouldn't hide things... from... us――――"
I can't say for certain.
...Sakura's nightmare.
I have no idea what Sakura thought about her deteriorating body.
"We have to bring her back...! If we leave her alone, it'll..."
"There may be victims. She might drain magical energy from anyone
she sees, like when she attacked me at school.
No one was attacked by the shadow last night, right? So she must be
hungry."
"――――――――――――Tohsaka."
Tohsaka looks away and swallows her words.
Her eyes say to give up,
telling me it's all over.
"Tohsaka, you..."
"We can look for Sakura. I agree with that.
But―――once we find her... You know what to do if Sakura isn't
herself anymore, right?"
"―――That's not possible. Sakura will always be Sakura."
"Are you insane? Can't you tell she's at her limit? Give up already,
Shirou. If you keep protecting her, you'll be the first one to
die――――"
"We can make stupid speculations later. We need to find Sakura and
bring her home right now.
After that I'll argue with you as long as you like, so shut up for now...!"
"Hey, wait, Shirou――――!"
I run through the hallway.
I don't have time to wonder where Sakura went.
'――――It's over now, Shirou.'
I run outside at full speed, as if denying her words.
"Shirou. Are you going to go look for Sakura?"
"――――"
Then.
Someone unexpected calls to me from behind.
...When did she come here?
Ilya is watching me from a distance, as if there's a wall between us.
"...Ilya."
"Tell me, Shirou. Are you going to go look for Sakura?"
"――――――――"
I nod.
Ilya's voice is tense.
The despair in her voice is different from Tohsaka's. As a Holy Grail,
Ilya must understand what condition Sakura is in.
"I see. But Shirou, Sakura went outside by herself because she didn't
want you to see her.
She's scared and doesn't want to die, but she still chose to end herself in
order to protect you.
The Sakura you like doesn't exist anymore. She went out by herself to
eliminate herself."
"――――――――"
Ilya looks straight at me.
I meet her gaze and shake my head.
I won't let that happen.
Even if Sakura isn't Sakura anymore, there's only one thing I'm going to
do.
"......I see. But Shirou. Both Sakura and I have another self in us. It's
probably not the Ilya you know, and it's not the Sakura you know.
Sakura won't come back. She'll just be a different person after she
changes.
But you still refuse to kill her?"
A quiet question.
This is what Ilya really means.
The Holy Grail is made with the premise of it breaking down.
So I don't need to hesitate about destroying it.
But to me, it sounds like she's talking about herself rather than about
Sakura.
"Shirou. Let me ask you one more time.
Are you still going to go look for Sakura?"
"........."
I don't know how much emotion her question carries.
So I honestly tell her the path I chose.
"Yes, I'm going to go look for her. Sakura will always be Sakura to me.
The same goes for you.
Even if you turn into a mysterious thing like a Holy Grail, you'll still be
Ilya."
"...No matter how much you may have changed.
If Ilya is inside you, you'll be the Ilya I know."
"――――"
"I don't know about difficult things. That's all I care about."
I put my hand on the door.
"...It's Zouken's place. That's the only place Sakura would go to."
I hear her behind me.
"All right. Please wait here, Ilya. I'll go find Sakura and bring her back
right away."
I leave.
Ilya stays standing in the hallway, as if seeing off something very far
away.
I reach the Matou household.
I'm not out of breath.
My body has to be tired from all the running, but it doesn't complain to
me at all.
"...It's open."
I stop before I ring the doorbell.
...Did someone go in or come out?
The front door is half open, and it's dead quiet inside.
I don't feel any human presence.
The Matou household is gloomier than yesterday.
There's nobody on the first floor.
My footsteps echo through the hallway.
The floor creaks as I make my way to the stairs.
There's nobody on the second floor.
I see the sky through the glass above the landing.
Once I make my way to the top, I'm able to tell that there's no living
person on the second floor.
I turn to go back downstairs, but I stop.
A living person.
The strange feeling makes me head to the room with a slightly-opened
door.
――――It's Sakura's room.
I've seen it once before.
But I've never actually gone in there before.
It's because Sakura pushed us out with a red face when Shinji led me
here.
I think that was two years ago.
Nothing's changed.
A girl's room. It's a simple room suited for Sakura.
And on the bed...
"――――Shinji."
...Is the corpse of Matou Shinji.
INTERLUDE BEGIN
"Come here, you bitch...!"
"Kya...!"
He pushes her down.
Attacked from behind and still unable to move her limbs, the girl easily
falls to the bed.
"You traitor! You're home late!"
He gets on top of her as he screams.
He scowls at the girl he pulled to this room, running his fingers across
the skin he hasn't touched in a while.
"――――!"
The girl's chin jumps.
The fingers, violating her as they crawl from her neck to her breasts, are
a sign of the start.
Yes, the sequence is always the same.
This man is the absolute master.
The girl loses her will, opens up her body, and exposes her shame when
he orders her.
The only resistance came during the first time.
The secret affairs after that were the same.
The girl made no attempt to fight back, never showing even a sign of
emotion.
She was violated, attended to his needs, and drowned in lewdness like
she was told to.
The reaction is the start of a regular routine.
Even if she shows no emotion, her body cannot suppress the pleasure.
Her lustful body reacts happily as it accepts men.
"Hah―――yeah, that's what I expect from you!
That's right, you don't change, no matter how quiet you pretend to be.
You're a Matou woman. You're a vulgar failure of a magus, a whore that
wants men's sperm!"
The man roughly pushes down the girl's body.
"Hm...! No――――"
A spasm runs through her.
The man smiles, believing the reaction is the same as always.
It's no different.
Their relationship will never change, no matter where the woman may
run.
Even if she regains her emotion or finds another man, she will want him
once he pushes her down.
This woman is his possession.
It doesn't matter if she is the heir. She is merely a toy given to him.
That's why he doesn't notice until it happens.
The girl struggling beneath him feels no excitement.
He doesn't notice that she's filled with nothing but disgust and loathing.
"Oh, you sure are energetic today. I see, so Emiya wasn't able to satisfy
you. I see, I see, that's great!
I bet Emiya is depressed now!
The girl he fell in love with was a real sex maniac!"
Does that knowledge please him more than the act of violating her?
The man laughs from the bottom of his heart and reaches out for her
clothes.
He'll do the usual.
He will not undress her.
He always exposes her body.
He rips the clothes off her, as if tearing her apart.
"Sorry to keep you waiting. Let's have a wild fuck."
A crack opens in the girl's chest.
At that instant...
"No――――stop! Don't come near me, Nii-san...!"
The girl refuses the man with all her might.
"Huh――――?"
The man stops.
He lets go of her breasts, then looks down at the girl as one might look at
a mysterious thing.
"What did you say? What did you just say?"
A voice of surprise.
The girl gulps, but stares resolutely back at him.
"―――I-I said please don't come near me. I won't obey you anymore.
...Senpai accepted a girl like me. He said he'll protect me...! I'm not
yours, Nii-san! I'm Senpai's now...!"
The girl frantically tries to push the man off of her.
But the man will not even budge.
It's only natural. Her strength cannot push a man back, least of all when
he has her in a mounted position.
"Wha――――――――"
A hollow voice.
The man looks down at the girl on the bed.
"―――Shut up. Shut up, shut up, shut up, you whore――――!"
And he starts punching his sister in a rage.
"Emiya's...!? You won't do as I tell you...!?
Don't get it wrong, you don't have such a right! I'm the one to decide!
You just have to nod back like always...!"
He does not hold back.
The man has no sanity left, having been denied by his possession,
something that should never betray him.
"Take it back, Sakura! You're mine. You're nobody else's...! Know your
place! You were sold to Matou...! So you have no right to disobey
me...!"
He punches her as though he has gone mad.
;""
The girl does not fight back.
She doesn't even protect her face from the punches.
Her eyes show great determination, condemning the man on top of her.
"......!"
That is the last straw.
He can't stand the look in her eyes.
He doesn't want her staring straight at him.
So...
"―――I see. Then I have a plan too. Do what you want if you like
Emiya so much.
...But Sakura. You shouldn't hide things from someone you love, right?"
He decides to reveal everything the girl fears the most.
"――――――――Nii-san."
Her eyes open wide.
"Hah."
He laughs.
The expression of despair pleases him a bit.
"That's right, Sakura. I'll tell Emiya all about it. He accepted you, right?
Then this is nothing at all."
"N――――――――"
She can't form the words.
The girl stares in astonishment.
She looks up at her older brother with empty eyes, just like before.
"Hah. Haha, ahahahahahahaha!
That's right, that's all you can manage! Just be obedient if you don't want
that. You're my toy.
Don't disobey me no matter what...!"
The laughter fills the room.
But for the girl, it only sounds like annoying howling.
"――――――――y?"
Why?
The girl asks, her mind empty.
She doesn't want her Senpai―――Shirou to find out about her secret.
The relationship with her brother, her task to supervise the Emiya
household, and her eleven years of life in the basement.
Her Senpai knows.
He already knows.
The only thing he doesn't know about is her relationship with her
brother. But he should not hate her, even after finding out about it.
Shirou will probably forgive her.
"――――――――Oh."
Right.
Just like last night, he will destroy something in order to accept her.
But that's why she cannot bear it.
She doesn't want to take anything more away from him. She would
rather keep things like this.
She can let her brother rape her, like she always does.
"N――――――――"
But she can't.
...She was able to bear it until now.
But now her body belongs to Shirou... and the thought of giving that
body to her brother disgusts her.
"――――――――o."
She cannot accept either.
She doesn't want to be violated by her brother, and she doesn't want him
to tell Shirou about their secret.
All that's left is her naked emotion.
The mind that has been suppressed for eleven years...
The man grabs her breasts.
Her brother tries to expose her body as if it's natural to do so.
"No――――No, no, no, no...! Stop, I don't want this, please stop, Nii-
san...!"
She resists with all her might.
He laughs at her futile efforts.
"Hah, what are you saying? You want it, right? You don't care as long as
it's a man. Oh, that's why I have to tell Emiya about it. About how bad
you clung onto me and how dirtily we fucked...!"
He laughs.
He laughs.
Her brother laughs.
"――――――――"
And she realizes.
He will tell him.
No matter what happens, no matter what she does, he will tell her Senpai
about it.
...No matter what.
He intends to ruin her for his own amusement.
"―――――――Why?"
She murmurs.
Why does it always end up like this?
She endured so many things so he wouldn't find out about it.
She lied, lied to others, lied to herself, and kept telling herself that she
could be happy.
She thought she was happy just by being at her Senpai's house.
But...
Why isn't he protecting such a small thing?
"――――――――"
...No, he's not the only one who isn't protecting her.
She thought for a long time.
She has cursed for a long time.
Why.
Why―――the world around her hates her so much――――
"――――"
The strength floods out of her body.
She loses her will to resist, and her brother looks down at her in
satisfaction.
"Ha――――Haha, hahahahahahahahahaha!
Come on, spread your legs like you always do, bitch...!
You wouldn't even care if a dog fucked you, right!? All you can do is
accept a man...!"
Asserting his dominance, he starts to violate her like he always does.
The girl stares up him with empty eyes.
"――――I wish he wouldn't exist."
Eleven years.
She thinks something she has never thought during that time.
"――――――――"
The air makes a sound.
The man on top of her falls down.
Fresh blood splatters onto her.
The girl raises her body and looks at her silent brother.
"――――――――Oh."
It was an instant death.
He must have been hit with a very sharp string.
A line is visible on the back of his head, as if it was drawn in with a
pencil.
The line reaches his brain, but the line is too thin to make his brain spill
out, and his blood is the only thing flowing out.
"――――――――Oh."
She looks down at it without emotion.
The shadow that killed her brother wavers.
It wavers in the gray sunlight.
Her own shadow...
Her own shadow is standing up and wavering.
"――――――――Ah."
So she's the one that killed.
It was she who killed her brother.
She understands, but does not feel anything.
She feels nothing.
Nothing.
Nothing.
Nothing.
No disgust, no fear, no guilt, no regret.
The only thought in her vacant mind is that it was easy.
"――――――――Ah, ah."
She's used to it.
This isn't her first time.
Because she saw plenty in her dreams.
She saw it in her dream――――so did she copy what she saw?
"――――――――Ah, ha."
She doesn't know.
But she thinks she should've done it sooner.
If she'd known she wouldn't feel anything, she would've done it a long
time ago.
She thinks, and...
"――――――――Fu――――――――Fufu."
...Her empty emotion murmurs that it was fun.
It was fun.
It was fun.
It was fun...?
It was fun...?
Where?
When?
What?
Dream.
Dream.
That's right. She wasn't dreaming.
Those dreams were――――
Not dreams.
The one that wandered through the night and killed the men was herself.
Yes, she killed many people.
She killed many, many people.
KILLED those that ran away KILLED without leaving a drop KILLED
everyone KILLED with pleasure KILLED laughing KILLED laughing
KILLED laughing...!!
"――――Aha. Ahaha. Ahahaha."
It's so funny, she laughs.
Because she'll break down unless she laughs.
She can't bear it unless she's laughing.
But more tears flow out the more she laughs, and everything becomes
meaningless for her.
"Haha! Ahaha, hahahahahahahaha!"
It's so funny that her stomach hurts.
It's as if she's regressing mentally every time she laughs.
But it's so comforting and natural.
Oh, how stupid, how stupid, how foolish...!
"――――Fu――――Fufu, ah."
Her face is contorted in a manic grin.
In place of her silent brother, the girl sweetly spills out a voice like
glass.
...And like that.
After tinkering with her brother's body like she's playing house, she gets
up.
She stands in front of the mirror, still covered in blood.
―――Behind her stands the shadow that killed so many.
Her own shadow.
The black shadow that has eaten countless people.
Someone was there, trying hard not to turn her into it.
Someone was there by her side.
She laughs.
There was never any hope for her.
"――――I see. I was slowly going crazy."
She twirls in front of the mirror.
The girl makes a proud smile.
"―――Look, Senpai. I was crazy from the beginning."
And speaks as if asking for a dance.
The girl's consciousness ends there.
No, to be more accurate, it changes.
It's merely that her repressed subconscious has risen to the surface.
Something talks to the girl.
Behind her.
The darkness stays as darkness, shows up as a presence, and looks at the
girl.
"――――You have killed many people, Sakura."
The girl doesn't reply.
She doesn't even need to acknowledge such a question.
"―――You cannot live as a human anymore."
The girl doesn't reply.
She doesn't even need to be told about it.
"―――Accept the shadow. Nobody can stop you. Seize the daughter of
Einzbern and obtain the Holy Grail. That is the only way for you to
live."
"――――Yes. As you wish, Grandfather."
She nods quietly.
Did she agree because it sounds fun?
Or did she just want to run away?
The girl doesn't understand her own mind anymore.
But the pain in her body goes away as soon as she accepts it.
...It crawls up.
Black mud comes out from her core and smears itself on her skin.
The pain turns into fire to burn her skin.
Like a curse...
It turns her white skin into something else.
"――――Oh. With this, I..."
...Won't lose to anyone.
Nobody will get in the way.
She knows that she is the strongest one now.
The absolute certainty is similar to a sexual uplifting.
In her mind, the girl defeats everyone who has threatened her.
She pierces their legs as they run, rips off their arms as they fight back,
stitches shut their mouths as they beg for mercy, chews on their eyes as
they cry from pain, and finally gouges out their heart, laughing.
"Hm――――"
Her body trembles.
Just imagining it brings her close to orgasm.
...And in this fantasy...
Foremost in her mind is the relative she loves the most, the one called
Tohsaka Rin.
INTERLUDE END
"Shinji."
Shinji's corpse is on the bed.
There's nothing else.
What happened here?
There's no way I would know, but...
"――――Sakura."
...Somehow, I can tell that Sakura killed him.
"............"
I can't think.
Shinji's corpse.
Sakura's whereabouts.
It's only been half a day since I embraced Sakura, so how did it end up
like this?
"Oh. So it is the Emiya boy.
I would like to commend you for coming here, but it seems you were a
bit too late."
"――――!"
I turn around at the sudden voice.
"......!"
There's no one behind me.
I know there's nobody in this house.
Zouken's voice is echoing through the room even though he's not here.
"Zouken...! What did you do to Sakura...!?"
"I did nothing. As you can see, my unworthy grandson tried to violate
her and was killed instead. It's nothing to make a fuss over.
But―――this will be the last time I call him an unworthy grandson.
He was useless, but he fulfilled his role in the end."
He laughs.
I can't see the old magus, but I'm sure he's laughing with a hideous face.
"Shinji's role...?"
"Yes. I cannot make her put her mind to it. She hates me too much. So I
had to have you or Shinji break her down.
I needed Sakura to feel despair in this world to have her accept her own
shadow."
"Wha――――"
"Oh, my. It was my mistake. I took her emotional strength too lightly. I
expected her to break easily, but she would never do so on her own.
It seems torturing her for a long time had its flaw. I did not expect her to
become so persistent."
"You――――――――"
My nerves condense.
Before I even understand what he's saying, I clench my right fist, open
my Magic Circuit, and...
"Well, if I am to be greedy, I wanted you to betray her. She would not
have awakened incompletely, but her body and mind would have
completely turned into the shadow in that case!
But that is only a matter of time.
With Shinji's death, she has finally accepted her position. I need only
watch over her now. She will follow her instincts to feed on people, and
destroy herself from overeating.
My work comes after th――――"
I punch the wall.
With all my might, I lash out at the darkness where the voice is coming
from.
I unconsciously fill my hand with magical energy, which is transmitted
into the wall and sweeps the darkness from the room.
"My, how frightening. The worms I left to keep watch over this place
have been crushed. Haha, soon my voice will no longer reach you."
"――――Shut up and get out here, Zouken...! I'll rip you to pieces...!"
"Well, I am afraid I cannot do that. The goal the Makiri have sought for
five hundred years is within my grasp.
I cannot be killed now, yet I'm not so ungrateful as to kill you."
"Ungrateful...? Shut up! When did I do anything for you...!?"
"You did. You raised Sakura. Before, she merely endured, but you taught
her how to desire others.
Yes, I appreciate what you did, Emiya Shirou. This ritual was a success
because of you.
That is why I will not kill you. I need you to see her after she
matures...!"
"Zou... ken."
"Kaka, nobody can stop her now. She has killed her brother, so she
cannot turn back.
She will take in Archer's soul from Einzbern's Holy Grail and steal the
key to reach the gate.
That will be the end. Makiri's earnest desire, the reproduction of the
Third Sorcery, will be achieved...!"
The annoying laugh echoes through the room.
I――――
"――――――――"
Hold on.
Steal Einzbern's Holy Grail...?
"――――!"
I run.
I don't care about the laughter.
I'm sure he's watching me from a safe place.
There's no time to let an old man's drivel get to me――――
"That's right. Hurry, Emiya Shirou!
Sakura has turned dark. Once she captures Ilyasviel, she will swallow
her without mercy...!"
"――――!"
I kick the ground hard enough to tear my legs off.
"Please be all right, Ilya――――!"
It'll take twenty minutes to get to my house, even if I run full-speed.
I glare at the gray sky and run frantically back to Ilya.
INTERLUDE BEGIN
The girl is looking up at the sky.
The gray sunlight dulls her silver hair and red eyes.
"...Yeah. I have to tell Shirou once he comes home."
Ilyasviel talks to herself.
The Emiya household is quiet.
Shirou and Rin went to find Sakura.
Rider, naturally, is nowhere to be seen, leaving Ilya as the only one
here.
"―――The giant cavern. The promised land built two hundred years
ago. From the feel of it, it's already activated."
This is the fifth Holy Grail War in Fuyuki.
The Holy Grail has been summoned into different places each time, but
it has returned to the original site for this war.
It's only natural.
They use one of the gates located at the four compass points, and move
on to the next when one fails.
The first was the Ryudou Temple.
The second was the Tohsaka household.
The third was the church on top of the hill.
The fourth was that burned field.
Then this summoning returns to the site of the first.
The point of origin.
The false utopia that sets the rules of the Holy Grail War.
"――――A Holy Grail filled with the souls of heroic spirits.
Using it to open the gate is the very miracle they aimed for... But I didn't
expect its contents to come out before the gate had been opened."
Ilya murmurs in disbelief.
This is far away from the Einzbern's dearest wish.
They have failed.
The disaster that will be born is a far cry from what they wished for.
"...I can just leave it be. My role is to open it. Nobody told me anything
about closing it."
And she couldn't possibly close it, even if she tried.
Matou Sakura excels her in ability as the Holy Grail.
Einzbern's Holy Grail cannot do anything to the gate opened by Makiri's
Holy Grail.
Matou Zouken thinks he opened the same gate, but in reality, he opened
a completely different one.
The only ones aware of this are the Holy Grails: the girl and Matou
Sakura.
"―――Will Shirou make it? I could run away with him if he does."
She looks up at the sky.
The girl is wavering.
She doesn't know whether to choose the role imposed on her or the
desire born from within her.
"But Shirou. It makes no difference to the fact that I'm going to die."
The result is the same.
Regardless of whether she goes to the gate as the Holy Grail or runs
away, she will die.
Which is her true self? She asks the gray sky for an answer.
"――――――――"
That's why she doesn't notice.
The person who came through the door with an "I'm home."
Did she slip through the boundary field, or did it not consider her a
trespasser?
"――――――――"
Slowly.
She moves from the living room to the yard without a sound, then
reaches out to the girl sitting at the porch.
"―――You're home late, Sakura. Where were you?"
"――――Nee-san..."
The trespasser, Matou Sakura, stops her hand.
She looks away from Ilya and to Tohsaka Rin, who has been waiting for
her in the yard.
"Get away from Ilya. I'll shoot you down if you get any closer to her."
Everyone here knows it's no empty threat.
"――――It's useless. Well, go ahead if it'll satisfy you, Rin."
Ilyasviel starts walking without showing any surprise.
The girl walks to the edge of the yard, as if to watch over the two's
confrontation.
"...I see. You were waiting here all along, Nee-san. You knew I was
coming for Ilya-chan."
"Yeah. I don't have a reason to save you, unlike Shirou. It was obvious
that you'd come to kidnap Ilya when the time came. You've done it once
before, so I'd be foolish not to keep an eye on her."
Sakura's brows twitch at Shirou's name.
Showing unhappiness.
She shows undisguised hatred that would surprise anyone who knew her
previous self.
"...That's terrible. You're always like that, Nee-san. You always make fun
of me. You're beautiful, so you look down on me because I'm dirty.
You're absolutely hateful. Nee-san. Am I that bad of a person?"
Her voice contains no emotion.
The question alone should send a chill up anyone's spine.
"Of course. You're a big idiot who gave up her chance to be saved the
instant she stepped out of this house. You didn't trust the person that
Matou Sakura wanted to protect."
But Tohsaka Rin gives a firm reply.
"Oh――――――――"
Sakura looks down.
As if acknowledging the truth of her mistake.
"But I..."
"Don't say you thought it was for the best. We told you not to go outside.
If you had any objections, you should've come and talked with us first.
But you went without saying anything. You went alone and made the
same mistake you always made.
Unbelievable. People take advantage of you because you can't do
something as simple as that."
"...You're right. I was definitely like that until now.
But Nee-san. I'm not weak anymore. You're the one who can stay in the
house now. I'll protect Senpai."
Her cold stare, the emitting ominous shadow...
"――――――――"
Realizing that it's as she feared, Rin takes a step back.
――――Not knowing...
That her hesitation is the last trigger that drives Matou Sakura.
"...What's wrong, Nee-san? Curling your back like that makes it look
like you're scared of me."
"――――――――"
It's too late when she clucks her tongue.
......No.
It's not too late or anything.
When Sakura reached for Ilyasviel, it was already too late.
"......I see. So you don't intend to stay quietly in your room anymore?"
"No. I don't need to listen to what you say anymore."
"――――Because I'm stronger."
The shadow dances.
Many shades of darkness emerge from the ground below Sakura and
engulf the yard.
And from the shadow...
"Sakura, you――――"
...Emerges a swordsman who is contaminated in black.
"Saber, capture the Holy Grail. If she tries to resist, go as rough as you
like."
"――――――――"
Black Saber obeys without a word.
...There's no doubt about it.
What that shadow is.
Tohsaka Rin bites her lip, seeing what kind of fate awaits a Servant
swallowed by the mud.
At that instant.
"!"
"Hah――――!"
A merciless attack.
A shadow with magical energy far surpassing that of Tohsaka Rin is
fired.
"......!"
She rolls as she lands.
The fired shadow is on the same level as the black shadow.
It'll be the end if it touches her.
If it even grazes her, it will stick to her skin, covering her in an instant.
――――And after that.
If Tohsaka Rin is swallowed by the mud that even a Servant cannot
escape, she will be absorbed without hope of resistance.
"Damn......!"
The black tentacles whip towards her in rapid succession.
Rin realizes that the attacks are not from the black shadow, but a magic
Sakura possesses.
That magic of Matou is to bind others.
But Sakura is originally from the Tohsaka family―――a shadow-user
with an origin of the imaginary element, the imaginary number.
Matou Sakura is able to embody the black shadow to that degree
because she has both of those attributes――――!
"......!!!!"
She's easily cornered.
Their magical energy capacities are too unevenly matched.
Sakura's magical energy is infinite.
Her capacity reaches a hundred million.
To Rin, whose capacity is a mere three hundred, Sakura is a monster.
She controls both the black shadow and Saber, who has the greatest
magical energy out of all the Servants.
...Even a Servant will not be able to match such a monstrous magus.
".........This is bad. Her magic's simple, but our energy capacity is too
different――――"
She stares at what Sakura has become, gasping for breath.
...She has no chance of winning, and she cannot escape.
It'd be a different story if she had a source of magical energy like the
Holy Grail, but she doesn't have such a thing.
"...Well, no magical energy source in the world can match the Holy
Grail."
She suppresses her frustration by grumbling.
"Oh, you can't do that, Nee-san. It's dangerous if you stop there."
Sakura points her hand at Rin without hesitation.
There's no mercy.
Sakura smiles, enjoying the absolute dominance.
"Now――――let's play more, Nee-san.
I know you'll be caught in the end, but please keep running until then."
She smiles at her beloved sister.
The result is as obvious as she says.
Rin cannot get away from the shadow.
Sakura can quickly cover the whole house with the shadow if she
wishes.
As Sakura slowly expands the extent of the shadow, Rin is defeated
without being able to do anything.
"――――Ah, ah――――............"
The black shadow covers Tohsaka Rin.
The gel-like mud tightly binds Rin's body, turning into numerous
tongues to invade her Magic Circuit.
"Oh, is that all? You're not as strong as I thought, Nee-san."
She looks down at her helpless sister.
―――Wild breathing and heated cheeks.
Her older sister is covered with heavy oil, exciting even Sakura, who is
of the same sex.
"――――Sa... kura――――"
Her face is left uncovered, perhaps because Sakura wants to enjoy her
pain.
"――――You―――――........."
Rin swallows her contempt and glares back at Sakura.
But that's only for a few seconds.
The mud that stirs her body violates her internal organs.
"Kuh...! Ahh, haa――――........."
"Fufu. Then I'll be having you now. I was looking forward to this. This
will be the first time I've eaten magical energy from a magus."
The gel-like shadow tightens around Tohsaka Rin.
The "meal" doesn't even last a second.
"Ah...... Hm――――――"
"......It's good. I'm not full at all, but it helps a bit."
The last traces of magic fade from Tohsaka Rin.
That's the end.
Head down and chest heaving, Rin has no power to resist.
She has no way to fight back, but――――
"――――That won't do. I have to kill her here, or I..."
Will lose to Nee-san.
...It's a groundless assumption.
The difference in their powers will never be overturned.
But Sakura is firmly convinced that she will lose if they fight again.
So she has to kill her here.
Taking her magical energy and leaving her powerless isn't enough.
She has to kill Rin here, just as Rin tried to do to her.
She tries to convince herself as she opens her palms.
"Nee-san, you――――"
The shadow doesn't extend.
She trembles, gaze focused on her weakened sister, and...
"Sakura――――!!!!!!"
The person she least wants to see catches up to her.
INTERLUDE END
"――――Damn, what's going on...!?"
It's obvious that something's going on in the yard.
A damp magical energy that makes me want to vomit is swirling so
much that I can almost touch it.
I would feel the abnormality even if I weren't a magus.
"Wha――――"
I was prepared for it, but I get dizzy the instant I see it.
Tohsaka is covered by a shadow like coal tar.
Ilya is standing at the side of the yard, and Black Saber is standing in
front of her.
And in the middle of the yard is Sakura, pointing her hand at
Tohsaka――――
"Sakura――――!!!!"
I jump into the yard.
―――I have to help them both, but Tohsaka is in the most danger right
now.
Covered in coal tar, Tohsaka looks pale, and it looks like her life is in
danger.
"Tohsaka...! Hey, pull yourself together, you idiot...!"
"――――――――"
There's no reply.
"Hold on, I'll have this off you in a minute...!"
I tear away the mud that's covering her.
The mud is gelatinous, but it's just like rubber.
I can't grab it, and even if I pull it off of her body, it just bounces back
onto her.
"......! What is this!? I can touch her, so why...!?"
I can't get the mud off, no matter what.
I panic and frantically try to free her.
There...
"―――It's useless, Senpai. I'm the only one who can dispel my shadow.
Someone as weak as you will be swallowed instead."
"――――Sakura?"
Sakura speaks in a cold voice I've never heard from her.
"Sakura――――your face..."
My rage turns to ice.
...Sakura's neck.
Something that looks like a tattoo is consuming her.
It doesn't look like it, but it's a Command Spell.
A mysterious Command Spell is crawling over Sakura's body―――
"...I'm surprised. You came here in a hurry, Senpai.
But you're confused. You saw what happened to Nii-san, but you're not
scolding me."
"――――That's... fine. We don't have to talk about Shinji right now. I'll
listen once you've calmed down."
...That's right.
I have to talk with Sakura right now.
Zouken said a lot of crazy things, but they're all lies.
Sakura is still Sakura.
She's talking to me like always and―――
"No. I don't want to talk about it, and I don't want to talk with you,
Senpai. I'm the only one that gets to talk here.
No one can scold me now, be it Senpai, Nee-san, Nii-san, or anyone in
town."
"――――!"
A chill runs down my back.
No, this isn't just a chill.
It's an intensely cold thorn, as if a knife were slashed from my brain
down to my waist.
"Senpai. Why are you protecting Nee-san?"
"――――――――"
My vision whites out for a second.
A shadow is standing behind Sakura.
"Ah――――"
The chill runs throughout my body, paralyzing me with fear.
That's Sakura.
Even when I heard that the shadow is Sakura, I could bear it.
But now that I've seen it, I know.
...My left arm melted when it merely touched it.
The thing that went around town killing people like a
machine――――is Sakura.
"Sa... kura."
My throat goes dry.
My eyeballs convulse.
My vision wavers as if space itself is twisted.
Every cell in me screams a warning, trying to defrost my frozen body.
But it doesn't melt.
Sakura's presence isn't human, but something different.
It's not her vast magical energy that got to me.
There's only one reason why my body's frozen.
Sakura is being hostile towards me.
"Yes. You were always like that. You said you'd protect me, but then
you'd watch over everyone but me.
―――But it's fine. I wanted you because you're that kind of a person."
――――My vision distorts.
The words from the Sakura I don't know cause my mind to break apart.
It tells me it's not her.
――――She's not Sakura.
Something I shouldn't think about fills my brain.
"My presence here is painful for you, right, Senpai?
I know how much of a burden I am to you. You'll continue to suffer as
long you're with me.
So I had to get away from you."
The shadow dances around.
The ground is like a stage for a shadow picture.
"But I can't. You're the only happiness I have.
And you can't get away from me. Because you can't betray yourself
anymore."
"......Yes. That's why I'll kill you. Then you'll be with me forever, and
most of all――――
You won't have to suffer anymore, right?"
――――The shadow stretches.
It surges forth like a wave, trying to swallow me along with Tohsaka.
I react by instinct, pushing Tohsaka away.
The black tide sweeps over me.
I don't even think about avoiding it myself.
"――――――――"
I was frightened.
I thought Sakura wasn't Sakura for an instant.
That knowledge wouldn't let me move my body.
―――I know this.
This is the darkness I was showered with before.
I'll go insane. I couldn't even bear it for a second back then.
My mind will disappear before my body if it falls directly on me.
"Guh――――ah."
My body shrivels.
My warmth fades away.
It's more painful and frightening than I thought, so my body struggles to
break free.
But I can't jump.
First of all, there's no ground to kick off of.
I will...
"Ah――――eh?"
I realize that I'm back in the yard.
My vision is filled with purple hair.
"...Rider, you..."
"This is your order, Sakura. You told me to protect Emiya Shirou no
matter the circumstances."
"Ri――――der."
It's Rider that saved me from the black wave.
"Please do not move. You will faint if you try to stand up in your state."
"――――"
...No, I can't even stand up.
I'm on my knees, and just breathing is enough effort to render me
unconscious.
".........I see. You're going to oppose me, Rider?
Then I'll take you in as well. I don't need any more Servants since I've
absorbed something that wasn't in the plan――――
But I'll specially make you just like Saber."
...The shadow stands up.
...Maybe she's serious because Rider is opposing her. The shadow
coming from Sakura covers the whole yard.
...The whole place is dyed black.
Rider doesn't show signs of running away, but stares at the creeping
shadow like a criminal awaiting execution.
"That's enough. You shouldn't do anything unnecessary, Sakura.
You can't come back if you take any more in."
"――――Ilya."
The shadow stops its advance.
"...What does that mean, Ilyasviel?"
"I mean exactly what I said. Even if you absorb Rider, kill Shirou, or
disable Rin, it'll be meaningless. You're wasting your time, so why don't
you stop throwing a tantrum?"
...What's she up to?
Ilya walks over to Sakura.
"――――――――"
"I'm the one you want, right? Then let's just finish this. I'll go with you,
so leave them alone."
"Are you serious? I only want your heart.
Coming with me means you don't mind getting killed."
"I know. But I'm going to be killed either way, and resistance is useless.
You're the strongest one for now."
Ilya talks without emotion.
"――――――――"
...It pisses me off.
In my condition, I can't figure out what Ilya's trying to say.
"Are you saying you'll sacrifice yourself, Ilyasviel?"
"Yes. That's my role.
But the formal dress isn't here. If you want to open the gate as the
successor, we have to go to my castle to get it."
"――――――――"
"And you intended to settle things, right?
Then there's no need to kill Shirou.
You accepted it because you didn't want to kill anyone, but now you do
want to kill them?
You're contradicting yourself, Sakura."
"――――――――!"
...The shadow retreats.
Not only the shadow in the yard, but the mud on Tohsaka fades away as
though it never existed.
"......All right. It'll save me the trouble of finding it myself.
I don't know what you're trying to do, but I'll fall for your smooth talk."
Her long hair flutters.
Sakura turns her defenseless back to us and leaves, as if she lost interest
in us.
"――――Sakura......!"
I scream for her to stop.
"............"
"...Please never show yourself again.
Should you stand in my way again――――I'll have to kill you."
Sakura leaves.
I can't follow after her, or even call out.
"Sakura's right. Your role's already over.
Dealing with the aftermath is my duty. I'll take Sakura, so you can rest
now, Shirou."
I can't save Ilya either,
"―――Goodbye. It was fun, Onii-chan."
and I hear a sad farewell.
"――――――――"
Everything melts away with that.
My body stops trembling against the shadow.
My guilt over thinking that Sakura was someone else disappears.
I'm pissed.
I was trembling miserably, unable even to take Sakura's hand.
Not only that.
I made Ilya, the one who called me Onii-chan, make a face like
that――――!
"Idiot――――!"
I run.
My whole body feels like lead and my brain churns with cold nausea,
but I follow after them.
"――――Do not pursue them. I will kill you if you take another step."
"......!"
A black servant blocks my way.
She points her sword at me, overwhelming us without saying a word.
"...Please get out of my way, Saber. I can't let those two leave like that."
"That is my line. I cannot let you follow after them. ...And even if I do
withdraw, what can you do?"
"――――――――"
"...This is your final warning. Sakura will obtain the Holy Grail one way
or another. That is the only way for her to be released.
Even if the result is her death, Matou Sakura will be saved."
"If you wish to save her, then withdraw.
Should you follow us in spite of that―――I will take your head."
...Black Saber disappears.
Sakura and Ilya are gone.
They've vanished, as if they've faded into the shadow.
"Da――――――――"
The spirit that kept me going until now dissipates.
My body drops to the ground like a puppet with its strings cut.
"――――――――mn."
...I can't stay conscious.
As my vision fades...
The image of Sakura drowning in the shadow sticks in my mind, as if to
impeach me.
Day 15 (limited.):
―――Let's make the final decision.
The outcome of the battle is decided.
Or more accurately, it was decided a long time ago.
This end has been determined ever since you lost Saber.
'...But Shirou. To oppose that thing is to go down the most difficult path.
Please keep that in mind.'
That was said by the girl who fought with you as your sword until the
very end.
The night you parted with her.
You promised to keep fighting by yourself, stop the shadow, and end the
war.
There was hell.
There has to be a meaning to why you survived that hell.
There has to be a meaning to why you must keep living.
It's not that you miraculously survived while everyone else died.
It's merely that one person was saved by the sacrifice of everyone else.
You hated that.
To break through reality, all you could do was become a superhero that
can save anyone.
I don't know what those tears were.
He destroyed the Holy Grail, denied his battle because it was wrong, and
frantically searched for any survivors.
No matter what his intentions were, his tears saved you, and you were
able to start walking on a new path with him.
But you were left alone on the path.
The man who led the way died, leaving the dream to you.
'Yeah―――I'm relieved.'
Emiya Kiritsugu swallowed the sins for which he couldn't atone and left
this world.
―――He couldn't save anyone.
So he wanted you to be able to save someone.
'If you are to deny everything you've done.
The crime will judge you―――'
...I know.
I know what it means, and I have to atone for it using all my life.
I killed the me that I believed in for ten years.
The me that was killed will feed on me.
And this is the embodiment of that crime.
A saint's shield is useless.
Archer's arm will eat away at me, forcing me to atone for my sins.
It will bring an end far worse than death.
That's right.
It's only one arm. Now that you survived, you won't die even if you cut
it off.
So why?
'You know it too, right? You can't choose all, and you can only save
one.'
A girl that longed for her father, but lived seeking revenge.
She almost cried, but smiled and swallowed her words so that we could
live together.
Saying we can't do such a thing.
We can't live long together.
So...
'―――Goodbye. It was fun, Onii-chan.'
――――――――――――.
This is the final decision.
You―
"――――Of course...!
What about the match is decided!? I can't back out now...!!!!"
"That's the spirit. It seems there is no need for hospitalization."
"Eh――――――Kotomine...?"
"...That is my line.
You and Rin were abandoned at the door.
I wanted to leave you two, since you made a rather ugly pair as
abandoned children go, but you were also dead on your feet. Had I done
nothing, there would have been two dead bodies in front of my church. A
church cannot afford that image, so I had no choice but to treat you."
"――――――――"
...I figure out the situation I'm in.
This is the chapel.
There's nothing wrong with my body. The energy that was swallowed by
Sakura's shadow has recovered.
I lost consciousness back in my yard. It must be the same for Tohsaka.
Rider probably carried us here.
Rider has no means of healing wounded people.
Kotomine was probably the only one she knew that could heal us.
How long has it been?
The time is――――
"It is three in the morning. You have been sleeping for about twelve
hours since you were carried here."
"――――Twelve hours!? That's half a day...!"
I get up from the chair I was lying on.
I can't lie around like this...!
"Kotomine, where's Tohsaka!? She was there too, right!? Where is
she!?"
"I have Rin resting at her place.
You only had your energy taken away, but she had her magical energy
taken away. It would normally take seven days to recover, but the land of
Tohsaka is good for her.
If all goes well, she should regain consciousness by tomorrow
afternoon."
"―――I see. So her life's not in danger?"
"No. The soil of that land is special. It is a ley line that is said to have
been home to vampires.
Rin is her family's heir, so she will be back to her impudent self if I keep
her buried for a day."
"......"
I think I heard something I'm not used to hearing, but I decide not to ask
about it.
Let's hope he doesn't literally mean "bury".
"――――I see. Thanks for the care."
I leave the church.
I know what I have to do.
Follow Sakura.
Bring back Ilya. Bring back Sakura.
Protect the one I love.
So what if the fight's outcome is already determined?
I still have the power to fight.
So this is no time to be hesitating.
"――――――――"
There's no time.
I can't waste time going back home to find a weapon.
...No, these people can't be fought with weapons from my house.
Sakura and Saber.
Zouken and Assassin.
If Zouken is after Ilya, I have to assume all my enemies are at my
destination.
"So, where are you going, Emiya Shirou? I do not know the situation."
"...? It's obvious. Ilya went with Sakura to protect us. She said to go to
the castle if Sakura wants her formal dress. I don't know what this
formal dress is, but they're likely heading to her castle."
"Formal dress...? No, never mind that. Matou Sakura has become your
enemy? Then the victor of this Holy Grail War is decided."
"............"
It's irritating, but Kotomine's right.
Zouken and Sakura.
Sakura is obviously the superior Master, but she can't disobey Zouken.
...I don't know what she's trying to do with Ilya, but it'll end once she
meets Zouken.
No matter how much Sakura refuses him, the crest worm in her body
will control her.
"――――Hey, more importantly!
Why are you following me!?"
"It will be too much for you alone. If Ilyasviel has been kidnapped, I
cannot just watch quietly."
"Wha――――"
I stop at the unexpected reply.
What did he just say――――?
"Too much for me? So you're going to help me...!?"
"Are you discontent? You will be fighting against the greatest force.
Now that Rin cannot help you, my powers should be of assistance."
"――――――――"
There's no way I'm discontented.
I'm happy for any help, but――――
"Why? There's no reason for you to help me."
"Of course not. It is just this one time. Do not consider me your ally
after we rescue Ilyasviel.
We can never understand each other."
"Then..."
"It is simply for mutual benefit.
Furthermore, they defeated all my Servants. Is that not a good enough
reason?"
...There's no lie in his words.
A lot has happened between us, but he has never lied to me.
I――――
"...Do what you want. I don't know what your intentions are, but neither
one of us likes Zouken."
"I see, common ground is important. I do have some relation to that old
man."
We start down the hill.
We leave the church together without looking at each other.
Dawn has nearly broken when we reach the forest.
"Wait here. You may go home if we do not return by the time the date
changes."
He stops the car on a road near the entrance of the forest.
Kotomine arranged for the car.
"So how are you going to help me?"
"Hm. Our method of transportation, to start out with."
...After that conversation, Kotomine immediately prepared a car and
driver.
That alone is helpful.
It's past three in the morning. Not many taxis would take a suspicious
student out to the outskirts right now.
"It is possible that only the boy will return.
That is not a good situation. Do not wait for me and go back to town as
fast as possible in that case."
Kotomine gives orders to the driver.
The driver nods silently, then opens the trunk.
"――――Emiya. Take the weapon."
"Huh?"
He throws a long, thin object at me.
"Whoa. Is this a sword?"
It's a slender sword.
It's like a rapier.
It's a sword made for thrusting, not slashing.
But the blade's a bit too thick, and it looks like it'll be hard to use.
It's like Assassin's Dark made into a sword.
"This is a weapon?"
"Kiritsugu preferred guns, but unfortunately, submachine guns are the
only firearms I have right now. Bullets aren't effective against ghosts,
and you're not trained to use them in any case.
That's better for you, since you're a magic user."
"――――――――"
I lightly swing the sword.
...It's oddly-balanced.
It weighs about a kilo, but the tip is heavy.
It's more like an arrow than a sword.
"...Is this a special weapon of the Church? I feel magical energy from
it."
"It is called a Black Key. It is not magic, but sacrament.
It is our exclusive right, used to fight spirits. If you use your magic on
that sword, it should be of some use, even against a Servant."
That's if I can hit them with it, he adds.
"Make sure you do not get into a situation where you have to use it.
―――Let's go.
It's been almost a day since Ilyasviel was kidnapped.
The place may be empty already, but we'll think about that after we get
there.
We should at least be able to find out where Matou Sakura went."
The priest, unlike me, goes into the forest empty-handed.
"――――――――"
I take a deep breath.
I put the sword into the sheath and follow after Kotomine.
I take the lead.
I use my memory to head to the castle.
...I couldn't reach it the last time I was here.
It's because I met Ilya, fleeing from the black shadow, on my way to the
castle.
"――――――――"
...I check my left arm.
I lost my arm at that time.
I was almost killed by the shadow, and there wasn't a thing I could do
about it.
It's the same now.
I have no way to match the shadow even if I encounter it, and they also
have Saber.
...Once I run into them, it's all over.
If I'm to get Ilya back, a surprise attack will be the only way.
I'll rescue Ilya without Sakura noticing.
Then―――
What should I do after that?
What can I do to Sakura?
How can I take Sakura back to my house?
"Hold on. Do not tell me you intend to bring Matou Sakura back."
"Wha... O-Of course I intend to. I want to save her."
"Don't even try.
We cannot match Matou Sakura... no, that shadow. It will swallow us
without giving us a chance to talk. You should know that better than
me."
"――――――――!"
That's...
It'll be just like when I confronted her in the yard.
But still――――
"Let it go this time. We will have our chance if we can put Ilyasviel
under your care. If you wish to speak with Matou Sakura, that can come
after we prepare something that can match her."
"............"
A force that can match Sakura, who has an overwhelming amount of
magical energy.
...If anyone can prepare such a thing, it'll be Tohsaka.
I'll have to project the gem sword we were planning to use against
Zouken and the black shadow――――
"Damn...! Okay, so I'm supposed to concentrate on saving Ilya for now,
right...!?"
"Right. Then let's go. We don't have time."
"――――――――"
I slap my cheeks to boost my spirits.
This isn't the time to be feeling timid.
I have to save Ilya.
Sakura said she'll kill her.
...I won't let her die, and I won't let Sakura do such a thing.
All I can do right now is to get Ilya away from Sakura.
Then I'll concentrate on that for now――――
I emerge in a familiar place.
It's been two hours since I entered the forest.
The sun should already be up, but the forest's still covered in morning
mist.
"――――...She's here. The curse over this forest is definitely hers."
"...?"
Kotomine says something strange as we keep running.
...The curse over this forest?
Can he see such a thing?
"Kotomine. By curse, do you mean you can pick out Sakura's
presence?"
"It is more like a resonance. ......Well, I do not care. But if we are to fight
Matou Sakura, I will retreat.
Putting you aside, I cannot harm Black Sakura. I have no chance of
winning even if I fight her."
"......?"
Well, I have no chance of winning either. But...
"Hold on. What do you mean by 'Black'? Sakura's Sakura. She's just
possessed by the shadow, and she'll quickly...."
"She'll quickly be back to normal?
I explained that to you before. The only way to return her to normal is to
separate her from the shadow."
"There are two ways to do so.
Eliminate the main body of the shadow, or wait until Matou Sakura
materializes it.
You have no way to defeat the shadow right now. All you can do is
protect Sakura's mind until the shadow is born."
"――――――――"
But I don't know how to protect her mind.
...The Command Spell covering Sakura's body...
If that's what Kotomine means by Black Sakura, then isn't Sakura slowly
turning into the shadow?
"...Kotomine. When you talk about materializing the shadow, do you
mean Sakura turning into it?"
"No. I'm sure there is some sympathy, but the main body of the shadow
is in the Holy Grail.
What is transforming Matou Sakura is inside the Holy Grail, but that is
still her shadow.
It cannot exist without her. The main body does not have form, so it
exists in the material world by being her shadow."
"What's inside the Holy Grail will not come into this world unless there
is an incomplete Holy Grail called Matou Sakura.
But once it is born, it will be a separate entity. Once it is separated from
her, the curse tainting her should stop."
"...Kotomine. You say born, but is that thing inside Sakura?"
"Of course not. If it were, the matter would be easily solved. We would
simply need to extract it from her body.
The main body of the shadow is within the Holy Grail. Matou Sakura is
merely a host that gives it energy and form."
"But Sakura's the Holy Grail, right? What does that mean?
Are there many Holy Grails?"
"Yes. I explained to you in the beginning. This land has a Holy Grail,
and they summon the Holy Grail into the Holy Grail the people
prepared.
The main Holy Grail―――the magic circle and the brain that governs
the rules of the ritual called the Holy Grail War. That is the Holy Grail
on this land that Einzbern, Tohsaka, and Makiri prepared."
"――――The Holy Grail in this land――――"
All the laws... Summoning the Servants, making the Masters fight, and
calling down the Holy Grail.
If the Holy Grail War is man-induced, then it's obvious that there's also a
man-induced cause.
Then―――if I find that large-scale magic circle and destroy it, I may
be able to purge the shadow invading Sakura's body―――
"Do you know where that is, Kotomine?"
"I have a guess. Ask Rin if you would like to know the entrance.
The Tohsaka family are the supervisors of this land.
The Einzbern cooperated with them two hundred years ago to secure a
land for the ritual. Rin, the successor, should know where the place is."
"But―――that is all after we save Ilyasviel. If Zouken obtains
Ilyasviel, she and Matou Sakura will be disposed of as the Holy Grail.
Matou Zouken has no intention of using the main Holy Grail. For him,
the two women are enough.
Your idea of destroying the main Holy Grail is meaningless."
"D-Don't be stupid! I'm not thinking about such a thing!"
"Really? I think it is the most realistic solution for you. It's strange that
you wouldn't go through with it."
"―――Shut up. So why didn't you tell me about it?
If you'd told me at the beginning, I would...."
"You would have destroyed the magic circle? Nothing would go so
smoothly. My goal is the completion of the magic circle, after all. I
cannot let you destroy it."
"I told you that we will be enemies after we rescue Ilyasviel. My goal is
different from yours.
I am interested in what comes from Matou Sakura―――no, what is
trying to become her.
Unlike Zouken, I have no wish."
"...Don't bullshit me. You're the same as Zouken. You're using Sakura to
create something and make it yours."
"Make it mine...? Of course not. I have no interest in it after it is born. In
any case, no human will be able to control it.
What will appear is a phenomenon called hell. If Matou Sakura becomes
that, I will die just like everybody else."
"Wha――――――――"
What is that?
Then his goal's just...
"―――Are you insane?
You want to turn Sakura into such a thing, knowing that you're going to
be killed...!?"
"Yes. My role is to bless whatever is born.
That will not change, no matter what it is or what situation it is in.
There is a life and a will to be born. I cannot oppose that.
Emiya. If there is a pure wish in this world, it must be the desire to be
born."
"But what's in Sakura is――――"
"It is not evil.
Humans can earn happiness just by existing.
As they grow, they will learn of new happiness, of more advanced and
complex pleasures."
"But humans are not happy at the moment of birth.
An embryo does not have the knowledge to know what happiness is.
Humans start from zero, learn what is fun, and learn what is right.
The beginning is at zero.
There is no good or evil. There is only the fact that it is allowed to exist
in this world."
"――――――――"
"Good or evil. The person's knowledge will decide that.
If there is any responsibility, it lies with the environment and the 'self'
that raised you.
There is no crime in receiving birth.
That is why I will bless even the birth of a devil."
"―――This is the way I have lived.
This way of living is mine.
Even if what Matou Sakura gives birth to is hell, it is hard to change my
nature."
"――――――――"
...I don't understand.
I know he's serious.
He knows he'll die, but he's still going bless the evil that will be born
through Sakura.
...I'll never be able to approve of this man.
But it's true that he's trying to save Ilya and release Sakura from
Zouken's control.
"―――――――!"
Thoughts that are in conflict.
Lives that cannot coexist.
But we have the same goal right now.
"―――I can trust you, right?"
"I said we will be cooperating. I will trust you with my back."
A reply without hesitation.
...That's all that's there right now.
I have an ally that's better than anyone.
I'll just think about rescuing Ilya and getting out of this forest
safely――――
INTERLUDE BEGIN
Ah――――Ah, ah――――ah――――
The space is filled with black fire.
The luxurious rooms are burned away by meaningless gasping.
Ah――――Ah, ah――――ah――――
The blazing fire is like a heat haze.
The formerly shapeless shadow breaks through every wall and floor in
concert with the host's pain.
Ha――――uh, ah―――ahh, ah――――!
The black heat haze dances in tune to the melody.
Each time the figure at its center curls up, claws at her throat, and gasps
in agony, the old castle's beauty is disfigured further.
―――But this is nothing to grieve over.
This desolate winter castle has been forgotten by everyone.
Nobody has lived here or seen it, so it makes no difference even if it's
destroyed.
"Ah...... Ua... ah... aaahh, ah......"
The hall has turned into the shadow's kingdom.
Writhing in agony, the woman in the middle is both its king and its
slave.
It has already been a day since she arrived at this castle with Ilyasviel.
Matou Sakura's transfiguration is reaching its final stage.
As she's one with the shadow, having a physical form is torture.
Her mind is being engulfed by pain and the impulse to destroy.
...If that were all, she would be able to bear it.
She's used to physical pain.
But―――the pain of having her existence denied is something she has
never experienced.
The shadow should not exist.
This world has no blessings to offer it.
"Uh...... Ah... ah... ah......!"
She tears at her throat.
She cannot breathe.
The air is poisonous.
Matou Sakura is turning into a deep-sea monster, so being on land is like
being in a vacuum.
"Ah――――Ahhh, ahhhh......!!!!"
That's why she dances around like mad.
Her sanity broken, she takes out her anger on everything she sees.
She keeps appealing to the unconcerned world about her pain.
About her misfortune and her pain.
"――――Well. It is about time. She remained Matou Sakura for longer
than I expected, but she will turn into the vessel with one more push."
Two shadows watch the spectacle.
An old magus, Matou Zouken, and his Servant, Assassin.
"...One more push? I am tired of hearing those words. The match is over.
I am the only Servant you need. Have her take in the remaining two."
"I know. But she does not try to kill the Servants she has absorbed. I do
not know if it is her shallow wit or cowardice. Saber and Berserker are
still trapped within her. She should kill them, but she keeps them alive."
"...Interesting. So Saber is not the only one?"
"No. It is probably to keep me in check, but how thoughtless of her. The
more Servants she controls, the more magical energy she must draw
from the Holy Grail. It is a supply of magical energy the Holy Grail
receives from the Great Holy Grail, but magical energy is not the only
thing that flows into her.
She is accelerating her transfiguration by letting the Servants live. Her
sanity will be lost and she will turn into an ideal tool even if I do
nothing."
The old magus laughs, watching the girl's suffering.
There's affection in his eyes.
He loves her.
What he originally considered a mere experiment grew beyond his
expectation to grant him his dearest wish, immortality.
It would be strange not to love her.
To the old magus, Matou Sakura looks like a beautiful bride.
No matter how much she fights, she will be his in the end.
It doesn't matter even if she obtains power, controls many Servants, and
retains her sanity.
Their hierarchy was set eleven years ago.
The old magus can kill Matou Sakura merely by closing his eyes and
opening them again.
"――――――――"
...But the white skull is different.
He's the symbol of ill omen, the wind that brings death, so he's sensitive
to those of his kind.
"―――The magus makes light of the matter, but―――"
Will everything turn out well?
The situation will not change, even if the girl loses her sanity.
She reacts to people with hostility.
In that regard, she's already acting the way she will once her mind is
lost.
Matou Zouken is conceited.
Even if she goes mad, she will not obey his command.
"......Magus. There is a way to control her, yes? Her defensive instincts
are excessive. Your voice will not reach her if she loses her sanity and
can no longer tell ally from enemy.
If that happens, you cannot approach merely by hiding your hostility.
She is the kind that will eliminate her enemies by foreseeing the 'result'
called her death."
"Oh, I see, that is promising. That makes it even better as the container."
The old magus laughs.
"――――――――"
Falling silent, the masked figure stares at the crumbling hall.
...He cannot approve of the magus's plan.
He says his goal is immortality, but his method seems distorted.
No, he's a rotting human from the start.
It's natural that he's crazy, but the old man's procedure seems
inconsistent――――
"Haha, did you hear that, Assassin!? She's begging me for help now!
Good, good! It feels like we're eleven years in the past!
The pressure of being denied by the world itself must surely be painful,
Sakura!
But endure it. Your body can endure it. Remember all the days of pain
and solitude over the last eleven years!
For what did you bear the thousands of tortures!? What did you give
your body to the tens of thousands of worms for!? That's right; pain of
that degree is nothing to you! That's how I raised you! That's how I
trained you!"
"........."
It seems the old magus can hear the girl's voice.
Assassin can only hear groans, but she must literally be begging for her
life, begging for help.
"Yes, I will help you! You are my masterpiece! I shall see it through! But
I can only save your body. Your mind did not follow me through the
eleven years of training.
You escaped the pain by accepting it, so you should not be able to bear
that resentment. But you can rest assured, as I will guarantee the strength
of your flesh! You can bear it! Your flesh shall put on Avenger!"
The old magus continues to laugh.
Assassin looks at him emotionlessly and steps back.
"Hm? Where are you going, Assassin?
There is a slight possibility of danger. I need you here to protect me from
her."
"...I do not mind, but why are you concerned about the black Holy Grail
and not the white?
Why are you letting the legitimate Holy Grail we obtained roam
freely?"
"Oh, that. Ilyasviel is cooperative. She exists only to open the gate, as is
her duty. She does not mind what we do as long as her goal is
achieved."
"........."
"Do not be so doubtful. The Holy Grail you desire is that girl. Keeping
your name in history and becoming the original. Your wish to be eternal
through record will be granted by Einzbern.
But I need her to keep her original form. Homunculi are outside my
expertise. You can let her be until they prepare her formal dress."
".........So you will not force them, you say?
But――――do we have such liberty?"
"Of course we do. We have no more enemies.
It was unexpected that Emiya's boy and Tohsaka's girl were alive, but
they aren't important.
Nobody is foolish enough to fight after being shown that much
difference in power."
"We cannot take it back if we rush things out of needless worry and
allow Ilyasviel to die.
It is her role to open heaven's gate. We shall show compassion and let
her carry out her duty――――Assassin?"
"―――Stop. It seems there is someone that foolish."
"――――Hm?"
At that instant, the white skull disappears.
Assassin sensed the intruders and hurried out of the castle without
hesitation.
The enemies are already running outside.
They have slipped through the unwary magus's guard and are about to
exit the castle gate.
"――――Oh. So you are determined to die, boy?"
But he hasn't been careless.
Ilyasviel cannot run away.
Einzbern's longstanding desire is in her core.
The white girl will help him even if he doesn't force her.
It's foolish to run away with such a girl.
Even if they escape the forest with her, she will come to the land of the
Holy Grail, the land of the origin.
"Hah. I have left her alone, but it cannot be helped now.
―――It is your turn, Sakura. You cannot be saved without Ilyasviel. If
you would like to be freed from that pain, go trample upon them without
mercy."
With a loud laugh, the presence of the old magus recedes.
...A shadow is cowering in the hall.
The shadow that shrouds the entire hall has become a black swamp,
from which two dark figures emerge.
"....................."
The girl no longer feels agony.
It's not that she's accustomed to the poison now.
It's merely that...
"............I see. You came, Senpai......"
...Pleasure has surpassed her dark pain.
"...So that priest's with him. How stupid of him. He came to be eaten?"
She raises a finger.
To the direction of the castle gate. The direction the trespassers have
gone, where they are running even now.
"Go. You can kill anyone but Senpai. Kill anyone else, no matter who
they may be."
The black giant is released.
The unleashed hound roars and disappears with a sudden gust.
"But then―――you won't be able to tell who that is, though,
Berserker."
She smiles.
Slowly, she leaves the kingdom of rubble with the black swordsman.
INTERLUDE END
We emerge into a clearing.
An empty, circular space within the vast forest.
The castle I saw through Ilya's eyes is standing there, just like I
remembered.
There's no one around.
It's strange that there's no watch anywhere, but I can't back out even if
this is a trap.
"Kotomine. Can we get up to the second floor from that tree?"
Even if they don't know we're here, it'll be suicidal to go in from the
front door.
It might be useless, but I have to do everything I can.
"...Right.
If we wish to sneak in, we should use an unused waterway, but they
aren't the sort to fall for such time-consuming methods.
They will notice our intrusion once we enter the castle. I would like to
go directly to where Ilyasviel is held captive and escape immediately,
but――――"
The priest looks up at the castle, pondering.
...He narrows his eyes as if trying to look through the wall, staring at
each window in turn.
"―――What a surprise. It seems they really do think lightly of us,
Emiya."
A happy voice.
"What?"
I've never heard this tone from him before, so I doubt my ears for a
second.
"W-What, Kotomine? Did you find something?"
"I did.
―――Let me ask. Do you have experience in mountain climbing,
Emiya Shirou?"
"............Don't tell me..."
"I mean free climbing, of course. It is vertical, but there is no overhang
and there are enough holds. We can maintain a secure footing. It will be
easy to climb this wall without tools.
Compared to a wall of ice, this is like walking down the street."
"Wai――――"
Kotomine puts his hand on the wall before I can stop him.
"Wha――――"
He presses himself against the wall and climbs up.
He's going slow, but I see how stable he is.
"What are you doing? If you cannot find the points, copy me. You
should not be so weak that four stories are too much for you.
―――Oh, and leave the Black Key. We can pick it up on the way out."
The priest continues to climb as he speaks.
"―――He's serious."
I throw down the sword and get on the wall.
...He must have picked an easy section to climb. The rocks are pretty
rough, so I can manage to get ahold of them.
You don't just use your strength to climb up.
Knowing if the next hold is safe, knowing if the small hold can support
your weight, knowing if there's another hold after you move...
A vertical climb is like a puzzle of improvisation.
Even if the goal is a meter away, you have to go back down and try a
new route if you can't find the next hold.
A route to the destination.
The technique of thinking two or three steps ahead only comes with
experience.
That's experience I lack, so I have to copy exactly what Kotomine does.
I'll instantly fall if I miss the target by a few centimeters or grip the
handle with the wrong force.
"――――I can't believe it. You let an amateur do something like this?"
I grumble as I climb up.
...Well, it's ridiculous, but it's not totally reckless.
Normally, one climbs like this near the top of a mountain.
The wall isn't the only thing a climber fights against.
Just as the deep sea is a sanctuary that humans cannot violate, high
places are also a sacred place.
There's not enough oxygen above the altitude of six thousand meters,
and untrained people cannot stay there for more than a few hours.
Nausea, dizziness, brain edema from lack of oxygen, and finally, death.
This is a hell that gets worse the higher you go.
And intense cold. Your bare skin would freeze, and even a slight scratch
would turn into necrosis.
Climbing is done in such extreme environments.
Compared to that, merely climbing a wall is hardly impossible.
"――――But still――――"
...It's still hard.
I can only use the tips of my fingers.
I have to put my weight there and support my body using a small
foothold.
I can't keep up with him unless I've trained every inch of my body...!
"Hm...? Hold on, she moved. I thought it was above, but it's actually
below us. Emiya, go down to the third floor window and go inside."
"Hey―――are you crazy?!"
I'm not a spider, so I can't do such a thing――――
"Kotomine, there's a window...! How can I go inside!?"
"I don't care, break through it."
"...! You fraud, if it was going to be like this..."
It would've been so much easier if we'd just gone inside using that
tree――――!
"......!"
I jump into the castle.
I break the window and jump in using the same motion.
I grab the wall with both hands, swing my body at the window, and kick
my way in.
"Ha――――ah......!"
I roll across the expensive-looking carpet.
My body was falling when I swung my legs.
If I'd kicked out a bit later, I would've hit the wall and landed back-first
on the ground.
"Damn, I'd die if I fell on my head from the third floor..."
It's dangerous to kick into a window and roll while scattering glass
shards, but it's no worse than expected.
"......Shirou?"
―――The instant I raise my head...
All trifling matters escape my mind.
"――――Ilya."
I forget I'm in enemy territory.
I recall what happened in the yard.
Ilya told me goodbye with a false smile.
"――――Unbelievable. Why did you come, Shirou? There's nothing
you can do now. Are you going to waste your effort again?"
A cold voice.
Ilya puts on a cold face.
"――――――――"
I'm used to it.
I'm used to seeing that face on her, but...
"You still don't understand? You can leave Sakura to me. This is my
duty, so you can just go home and..."
"Idiot. Don't say dealing with the aftermath is your duty."
I slap her across the cheek, unable to forgive her.
"Wha―――― H-How dare you...! It's not like a gentleman to slap a
lady's cheek! I-I won't forgive you if you do such a thing to me!"
"It's me that won't forgive you, you idiot...! I'd be punching you if you
were a guy, you bad girl...!"
I yell back at her.
I'm happy to be able to see her, but I'm really angry.
"W-What!? I didn't do anything to make you mad! I went with Sakura to
fulfill my role! It was the best decision I could make, so you don't have
the right to complain――――"
"Shut up, I don't care about that...!
Look, I don't know about your role. I just came to bring back a bad girl
who ran away selfishly.
I won't be tricked, no matter how much you bluff and pretend you're all
right. I'm going to take you home as long as you don't want to be
here...!"
"Wha―――― W-Who's bluffing!? I'm not hating it. This body is made
to be a Holy Grail. I don't like becoming the key for them, but if I can
use the power of the Holy Grail, Sakura will..."
"That's called a bluff, you idiot!
......Look, I don't care about the Holy Grail. Ilya is Ilya. If you want to
stay as yourself, just ignore all of this. Don't sacrifice your life for
someone else...!"
"――――――――"
She looks away.
She bites her lip and...
"That goes for you too, Shirou―――――――"
...Murmurs something I can't hear.
"...Fine. Let's say I don't like this whole thing. What about it? We can't
beat Sakura nor run away from her.
It's impossible to get me out of the castle. That's why Zouken's letting
me roam freely.
He'll overlook you for now, but you won't make it out of the forest if
you're with me."
Her red eyes reject me, telling me to go back.
I――――
1. Bring Her Back
2. Bring Her Back
3. Bring Her Back
"I'm still taking you home. I'm not going back by myself."
I don't even need to think about it.
There's no alternative in my mind.
"――――"
Ilya just stares back at me in surprise.
I take her hand.
"Let's go, Ilya. We'll go home before they find us."
I pull her small, light body and start to walk.
"I'm stunned. Anything I say to you is useless."
Ilya starts to walk without resisting.
"Really. There's no way this will turn out well."
She happily closes her hand over mine.
"What are you waiting for?"
―――Then.
Kotomine jumps in through the window I broke.
"Kotomine...!?"
Ilya pulls her hand from mine and stands on guard.
"Oh, wait, Ilya...! He's on our side. We're cooperating just this once. We
made a quick team."
"What!? No way, you're working with this guy!? Shirou, you can't,
he..."
"We can talk later. Let's go outside before they catch up to us."
"Eh, kya――――!?"
―――He moves in an instant.
Kotomine grabs Ilya's arm and jumps out the window without any
hesitation.
"Wha――――Ilya......!!!!"
I dash to the window.
...Kotomine has already landed.
Ilya is in his arms.
At once, she shakes off his grip and slaps his face.
...She hit him so hard that I can hear it from up here.
"――――This isn't the time to be amazed. So he wants me to
jump...!?"
There's no time to hesitate.
I can manage this height if I land properly.
"Fuh――――"
I charge as much magical energy as I can into my feet.
I can't strengthen my own body, but this should soften the
landing――――
――――Or not!!!!!
"――――Uhhhhhh...!!!!"
I jump down twenty meters and roll the instant I hit the ground.
It's only the third floor, but the third floor of a castle is very high up.
In a normal house, it'd be somewhere around the eighth story.
"That hurts... I thought my brain would pop out."
...Damn, my feet are so numb that I can't even stand.
But I'm lucky that it's grassy here.
If this were asphalt, I would've broken my legs, and then I'd never be
able to escape.
"I'm surprised. You're tough, Shirou."
"Indeed. It is amazing that you jumped from that height without using
any magic. ――――Are you suicidal?"
The two stare at me.
Setting Ilya aside for the moment, Kotomine's comment makes me
forget about the pain.
"Shut up! I had to do it because you jumped! I don't want to do this ever
again! You'd normally break your leg, and I almost fainted right when I
started the jump!"
"But you have no injuries. You have no right to complain... But it is
certainly a surprise. Why did you even consider jumping from that
height?
Even a magus would not think about jumping from that height without
using a spell."
"Eh――――"
Well, I was left behind, and since Kotomine jumped with Ilya, I thought
I'd look bad if I didn't do it too――――
"It's not Shirou's fault. Archer's influencing his mind as well as his body.
That's why his body's so tough. He thought he could handle that drop the
way Archer could."
"...Eh? What does that mean, Ilya?"
"I see, that is reliable. Please demonstrate that strong attitude during
battles. Here's your sword."
He throws me the sword I left here.
"Whoa..."
"You can run, right? Our lives depend on it now."
Kotomine turns to the castle gate, telling me there's no time to talk.
And in challenge to him...
"[wacky len=14]"
An odd sound shakes the winter castle.
"...I thought so. You kept him in this world, eh, Sakura?"
―――That roar was definitely a signal fire for the hunt.
Telling us that the most fearsome hound has been unleashed.
It's like a death sentence placed upon a fleeing prisoner by an honorable,
yet ruthless, lord.
"―――Berserker."
"――――――――"
My mind shifts into full alert.
Berserker.
I hear the name that embodies danger, and every last ounce of
composure is squeezed from my body.
"Kotomine."
"We'll retreat. We can do nothing even if we fight him. We will be killed
once he catches up to us."
Kotomine leads the way to the castle gate.
"Don't look back, Ilya...! Forget about him, Berserker isn't like
before...!"
I take Ilya's hand and start running.
―――We can't be holding back now.
If that mad warrior is after us, the only way for us to survive is to run
with all our might for the whole three hours to the forest's edge...!
―――It's hard to breathe.
A darkness I can't ignore no matter what is overtaking us.
"......!"
I run through the forest.
I still don't see anything behind us.
All I hear is the sound of raging wind.
The pursuer is not a hound, but a huge monster.
As he cannot slip in between trees like us, he instead follows by
knocking aside whatever blocks his path.
...It feels like we're being chased by one of those heavy drills used for
digging tunnels.
It's like there's a black wall bearing down to engulf us.
"Ah... haa, ha... no, I can't run that fast...!"
"...!"
I slow down to Ilya's pace.
...This is bad.
The enemy's speed and ours are about the same.
He'll catch up to us in a minute if I try to run while carrying
Ilya――――!
"No...! I'll stay here, so escape by yourself, Shirou...!"
"He hasn't caught up to us yet...! Get on my back! One little girl's weight
is nothing...!"
"Idiot, that's not true...! If you do that, he'll be on us in no time for
sure...!"
"Kuh――――"
What should I do?
Should I carry Ilya and run, or―――
―――Or will I fight that monster?
And I can't even match Assassin.
Fight one-on-one against the strongest Servant with this borrowed
sword――――?
"――――Ah――――"
No.
Stop.
Please don't make me.
There's no way in the world I can beat that monster...!
I'll die if I stop.
He'll definitely kill me.
The moment I face him, my body will be sliced in half, my torso crushed
by strength like a machine, all while I'm still conscious, and――――
"―――There is no need for that. I will carry Ilyasviel."
""What?""
We both turn around.
―――I don't even have time to be surprised.
Kotomine walks over to us, picks Ilya up, and starts running.
"――――――――!"
He's fast...!
Kotomine has a good build.
With his height, he should be able to easily carry Ilya and run.
But we're in a forest.
Even though the ground is uneven, trees are scattered everywhere, and
his arms are full, he's not slowing down――――!
"Kotomine...!"
I run full-speed after him.
We're at equal speed now.
Kotomine is carrying Ilya while I'm running without any shackles.
In a forest where we might trip at any moment, we run at a pace of a
hundred meters per seven seconds.
"――――!"
My heart's beating rapidly.
This isn't normal.
I'm running too quickly.
It's not possible for a human to run at almost fifty kilometers per hour
through this terrain.
My left arm throbs.
It feels like my left arm expanded beneath the cloth.
...This is probably what Ilya was talking about. Archer's battle
experience isn't the only thing flowing into me. His physical abilities are
flowing into me now.
An overdose of strength-enhancing drugs.
The poison seeps into my body, letting me demonstrate abilities beyond
my limits.
――――That's fine.
Even if this may be contamination too great for a Geiger counter to
measure, I appreciate it for now.
But Kotomine's different.
I don't sense any usage of magic or leak of magical energy.
It's unbelievable, but he's running with Ilya in his arms without any
magical assistance...!
"Hey, are you really human...!"
"Not as much as you. But have you noticed? We can get away if we
maintain this speed. It seems he cannot see through his eyes."
"...!? He can't see?"
"That is the only reason I can think of.
He is faster. The trees in the forest are like pebbles beneath his feet. But
he has yet to catch up to us, which must mean something is wrong with
him."
Kotomine plainly talks.
I don't know why he's talking about this with such disinterest, but...
"...We can manage to get away. So it all depends on our cardio!?"
"No. It seems things will not be that easy."
A voice filled with hostility.
Before I'm able to tell what he means...
"――――Assassin――――!"
My left arm writhes.
"......!"
I see a white skull.
Assassin slips through the trees beside us, as if laughing at our attempts
to escape...!
"Cra――――"
By the time I realize how much trouble we're in, it's already too late.
On the other side of the trees is Assassin, raising his left arm over his
head and――――
""!?""
Someone parries before it can pierce my skull.
"――――――――"
I gasp.
There's only one person that can do such a thing.
Kotomine, still carrying Ilya, parried the attack that was fired without
any indication...!
"―――How annoying. He never appears when your hands are free, but
he shows up as soon as you're preoccupied."
Kotomine slows down.
...The priest frowns and glares at the black assassin keeping pace with
us.
"Kotomine?"
"I will leave Ilya to you. I shall take care of him in turn.
I am a priest, after all. I have experience with exorcising evil spirits."
Kotomine stops and lets Ilya down.
"Wha――――are you serious!?"
I pull the bewildered girl towards me.
At the same time―――three daggers are fired like bullets...!
"Kotomine――――!"
"――――It's sharp, but too direct. The course of the attacks is too easy
to read for an assassin."
"――――――――"
I doubt my eyes.
Assassin fired three sword flashes.
The priest easily knocked them all aside――――!
"[wacky len=12]――――"
"...!"
Berserker...!
Damn, that was close! He'll catch up to us if we slow down here...!
"――――!"
This is no time to be indecisive.
I have to go ahead with Ilya...!
"It's fine, right...!? I'm going, Kotomine...!"
"That is what I am telling you. You do not need to worry about me."
―――I hold Ilya in my arms.
I can't run as fast as Kotomine, but this is still faster than having her run
with me...!
I turn my back to the priest.
The dark roar is coming from another part of the forest.
It's surely coming closer while destroying everything in its path.
I have nothing to say to Kotomine.
Trusting him with my back and running with all speed will be my best
reply.
―――And right when I'm about to start off...
"―――Emiya. Do not kill the person if the one you saved is a woman.
Having her die in front of you hits you pretty hard."
The priest says something strange, his voice heavy with self-derision.
"......Eh?"
"It's just a meaningless warning. Hurry. If your only pursuer is
Berserker, you should be able to escape. The rest of the fight is up to
you, Emiya Shirou."
"――――――――"
I nod and start off.
―――Their shadows recede into the distance.
His back is so far away.
...I have a bad feeling.
I think we will never see each other alive again.
INTERLUDE BEGIN
―――It's a bit abrupt.
But driving away evil spirits is not a priest's duty.
A priest preaches about the teachings of God, but doesn't drive away evil
spirits.
Their god is one and absolute. Supreme and all-knowing. A spirit that
created the perfect world.
Such a god would never allow evil to disgrace the world that he created.
But evil still exists, corrupting men and tainting the world.
God's world is being desecrated by something that should not exist.
This is how they defined the contradiction.
That even the evil that threatens mankind is a necessary part of the
world. It is something worthy of love.
In this regard, evil is a messenger from heaven.
If what brings out the goodness of men is holy, it follows that what
brings out the malice of men is evil.
They are both angels sent by God.
As one who teaches the word of God, the priest has no right to eliminate
them.
But.
Evil does exist, corrupting men and tainting the earth, producing
gruesome tragedies surpassing human knowledge.
At times, the trials from heaven made people realize how powerless God
is.
The inhuman deeds of the evil caused people to desire for miracles from
the great God.
Consequently, an exception was created.
Apostles, humans that carry out the will of God instead of spreading his
word...
Trials that should be observed.
Heresy that should be denied.
People who possess what should not exist, the 8th Sacrament.
Executors, destroyers of evil devised by the 120 Cardinals, were born.
They drive away darkness, purging all things that are not part of God's
teachings.
They hunt down that which doesn't exist in the doctrine, so they're not
bound by the doctrine.
Their immorality is forgiven.
There's only one thing they must protect: the great name of God.
For this purpose, they will destroy the evil that God created.
That is the only difference between them and the Exorcists.
"―――Executors, eh? I hear the Church teaches to be frivolous as the
pigeon, yet adaptable as the snake. ...I see that you are no exception."
The white skull laughs.
The priest Kotomine Kirei doesn't answer, but checks his weapons.
Five Black Keys on each side, and a Command Spell on his right arm,
unused since the last war.
These armaments are more than sufficient against a low-ranking spirit.
But he cannot kill a Servant even if he hits every one of his weapons.
Even if he may be nameless, Assassin is a heroic spirit.
He can't possibly defeat a heroic spirit unless he has a weapon of the
"Scripture" scale that the selected Agents carry.
"What's wrong? It looks like your weapon is a projectile weapon as well.
Would you like to try a match?"
"――――――――"
The priest doesn't move.
He stares at the skull that lurks between the trees, listening to the sounds
in the forest.
Rustling leaves.
The breath under the mask.
The sound of slowly melting flesh.
And the mad warrior crashing into the distance.
"...He went that way, as I thought. It seems you are not doing well with
Matou Sakura, Makiri Zouken."
He talks while staring at the skull.
"――――Ka. Kaka, kakakakakaka!
I see, so you felt my presence, Kirei!
Why did you stop in spite of that? You could have used the boy as bait to
escape.
So why are you conducting such a good deed as to be the bait yourself?
Do not tell me you are moved by kindness!"
The laugh echoes through the forest.
The white skull slightly wavers.
The priest doesn't even move his brow.
"――――I did not intend to save Emiya Shirou.
I merely had business here."
And he speaks with no sign of hostility.
"Oh? You had business with me?"
"Of course. Either way, Emiya and I will not get out of the forest. I know
we will both die eventually.
Then―――it is only natural to do something for yourself before you
die, correct?"
"Hm......? Then you do not mind what happens to Ilyasviel? You came to
rescue her, right?"
"I care not. I can do nothing, even if I defeat Assassin here and move to
help the boy. Whether Emiya Shirou succeeds or fails to save her is no
concern of mine."
He holds three Black Keys in his left hand.
The priest stares at the skull in front of him while holding the swords in
a fan form.
"...Oh. Then you stayed here because..."
"Yes. I must keep Ilyasviel from you, or..."
...The hostility disappears.
The white skull melts into the forest without trace.
"―――Or kill you here."
―――The blades run.
The sword held by the priest and the daggers flung by Assassin clash...!
"Ku, haha, hahahahaha!
I see, so that's why you came to die! Fine, Kirei. We have unsavory ties.
I shall see through the battle of the Church's outlier――――!"
The laugh echoes.
The holy man who wards off evil meets Malak al-Maut, knowing it's
impossible to win――――
INTERLUDE END
"Ha――――Haa, haa, haa, ha......!"
I run through the forest with Ilya in my arms.
I can't turn back.
It feels like a black wall would be behind me if I turn back, which would
kill my spirit to escape alive.
I don't have energy to waste on that.
He'll catch up to us if my resolve wavers.
He'll catch up and kill us both.
"――――Ah, haa, gah, ah, ah......!"
;""
It feels like my feet will tear off.
Ilya may be light, but carrying someone still slows me down.
Making matters worse, the forest isn't the best place to run in. Each step
nearly causes me to trip.
"Ah――――! Haa, ah, ah, haa......!"
; " !"
Faster. Faster. Faster. Faster.
He'll catch up to us unless I run faster.
The presence behind me is getting closer by the second.
This is no time to be moving this slowly.
I have to run faster――――run fast like Kotomine and run away with
Ilya...!
"――――――――Ah, ――――――――guh...!"
; " !"
My heart feels like it's about to explode.
It's painful. I can't breathe.
The muscles in my legs are about to tear apart, and my bones are
screaming to break.
"――――――――, ――――――――!"
; " !"
It's painful.
How long have I run for?
I'm running frantically through the forest with Ilya in my arms.
I've covered five kilometers already.
Then again, I'm so short of breath that I can't think, so it might've been
twice that.
I ran full speed without slowing down.
"[wacky len=13]――――"
"Ah――――――――"
; " !"
But it won't go away.
I'm running full speed, my heart and muscles are about to stop, and yet
the presence behind me is getting larger.
"――――――――Kuh."
; " !"
Ilya is heavy.
Oxygen is heavy.
My legs are heavy.
Death is heavy.
I'll die if he catches up to me.
I'm burdened with the fear of being killed in a single blow.
"Ah――――――――!"
" !"
I mentally kick myself before I can falter.
Run.
Just don't think and keep running.
So what if my legs are about to rip off? What's the point in worrying?
Think about that when it actually happens.
For now, I just need to get out of the forest as quickly as possible.
Fill my chest with gasoline. Turn the key and ignite the engine that's
stalling with fear. Keep the gear at the top. Remove the brakes.
"Ha――――ah, ah――――!"
" !"
Run. Run. Run.
Run to shake the uneasiness from my back.
Run to ignore the fear behind me.
Run so I won't think negative thoughts――――!
"[wacky len=14]――――!"
Shut up.
Don't yell in my ear. My eardrums are about to burst just because of my
breathing. I can't spare the effort to listen to your loud voi――――
"No, stop, Shirou......!!!!!!!!"
"――――――――!?"
Ilya screams in my arms.
My mind reacts to her frantic warning before my body does.
"Haa――――――――"
I stop.
My feet slide to a halt in the dirt, and I put Ilya down on the ground.
"――――Trace..."
I ready the sword I had on my waist and create a Magic Circuit at the
speed of 200 miles per hour.
"On――――!"
Nothing comes to mind.
In an instant, I manufacture everything without even thinking about it.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!!!"
I resist the impact with all my strength.
The whirlwind comes from the side.
The pursuer has attacked us from the side, smashing away all the trees in
his way――――!
――――I'm sent flying.
All it took was one blow.
The Black Key, which I strengthened to be as strong as diamond, is bent
like melted candy.
The impact goes through the sword into my body, permeating damage
from the tip of my head to my toes.
"――――――――Ah."
I'm flying.
The attack I made with all my might was deflected like nothing.
――――I'm no match against him.
I'm no match against him.
Emiya Shirou isn't allowed to even stop that monster.
My body's floating in the air.
No, I'm flying.
I'm like a thrown lance, hurled dozens of meters by the impact.
I might fly back to the castle.
That's how much stronger he is. Escape is impossible.
Time has stopped.
I'm still flying, and I should die when I fall to the ground.
Having seen the difference in our power, I accept my fate, but...
"No way... No, Berserker..."
...I see Ilya crying in disbelief, with the black monster in front of her.
"Gah――――......!!!!!"
I frantically reach out.
I stop my flying body by hitting myself against a tree.
"Ah――――haa.........!!!!!!!!!"
It feels like I've been hit in the back with a hammer.
My heart, already pushed to the point of bursting, expands still further. It
cries in pain as though there's a crack running through it.
"Haa――――ah――――ah......!"
I can only draw a single breath.
I need oxygen, but it feels like I'll explode if I take another.
"Haa, gu, haa――――――――!"
But my body moves.
That single breath gives me the strength to run.
I use all of my Magic Circuit to move my muscles and―――
"Hey, what's wrong, Berserker? It's me. Can't you tell?"
Entranced, Ilya doesn't move.
She just calls out in a weak voice, trying to deny the unrecognizable
figure before her.
...That's the black enemy's true identity.
Kotomine said his eyes can't see.
He's right, but he's not accurate.
...That Servant has no eyes, nose, or mouth.
His glowing, red eyes are there to emit hostility.
His body is covered by the black mud, and the wound he received from
Saber is left alone.
...That's something completely different.
Engulfed in the mud, he is a monster who can only destroy.
He doesn't even see who he's attacking.
The mad warrior can't recognize Ilya's figure, let alone mine.
"[wacky len=14]"
He raises his axe-sword against the living thing in front of him.
INTERLUDE BEGIN
The priest is about to end his life.
"Fu――――Fuu――――fuu――――"
Kotomine Kirei leans against a wall, staring at the white skull.
His outfit is slashed up.
He's breathing hard, with three Black Keys as his only remaining
weapon.
"Hm, this looks like the end. I should commend you for lasting this long
against a Servant."
The old man's laugh echoes through the sky.
"――――――――"
Assassin remains silent, in contrast to his talkative master.
Battle is merely work for him.
The Darks that go for his opponent's vital spots are also weapons to
measure the strength of his opponent.
He measures his opponent's mobility with the first dagger.
He measures his opponent's action principles with the second.
He always keeps seven meters between him and the opponent.
He maintains a distance at which only projectile weapons are useful and
measures his opponent's skill.
If he cannot kill his opponent in one blow, he will force his opponent to
a place where he can.
He will drive them into a corner by cutting their limbs and tiring their
bodies.
For Assassin, the daggers are merely preparation for his fatal attack.
He uses them to analyze his target's skill, creates the perfect opportunity,
and smashes his enemy with his evil arm.
It's just a chore for Assassin, bringing him no joy.
It's a boring chore, but the priest is better prey than he expected.
He has used at least twenty daggers already.
Although he uses them to determine his opponent's skill, each one is still
meant to kill.
The priest has blocked them and reached this ruin.
He dismissed the priest as a mere human, but his powers are admirable.
"Fuh――――fuu――――fuu――――"
But this is it.
His energy drained, the priest leans against a wall and stares at Assassin.
He has three hidden Black Keys left.
The seven he threw were all dodged.
"Then this is the end. Show him some grace, Assassin."
The skull wavers.
Assassin fires the daggers without motion.
Aiming for the temple, pancreas, and diaphragm.
The priest challenges the lightning flashes with his Black Keys.
There is a term called "fatal attack."
A move that will kill, a move that will determine victory.
This is it.
The three daggers are a feint.
Kotomine Kirei will die the instant he deflects them.
"――――Die."
The wing flaps.
The cursed arm, the one-winged spear, is developed.
―――It's an unavoidable attack.
Assassin knows the priest's capabilities.
He knows his prey is tired and wounded.
―――That is why this will kill.
The prey should prevent death from the Darks.
But that will be all.
Even if he saved up his energy for a counterstrike, his body is incapable
of carrying it out.
After repelling the three daggers, all the priest can do is jump sideways.
And only three meters at that. He cannot escape the arm―――!
――――The cursed arm stretches out.
The priest has no fear.
He's prepared for it.
He knows that the daggers are a feint, that the cursed arm will strike him
the instant he repels the daggers, and that he has no way to avoid it.
No matter what he does, he will die.
That is why...
"Set――――"
The only thing he can aim for is a double-kill―――!
"――――――Fuh."
The skull laughs.
The cursed arm going for the heart and the Black Keys cross.
But there's no problem.
Assassin's cursed arm is the only one that will directly hit the target.
The Black Keys will certainly hit him.
But how unfortunate. No matter what magic he puts on the swords, the
Black Keys cannot kill Assassin.
The three swords will pierce through Assassin, sticking to the tree
behind him.
But that's it.
The priest will inflict injury, but will have his heart torn out in
turn――――!
Assassin's arm does its job first.
His Noble Phantasm, Zabaniya, sticks to the priest's chest and creates a
fake heart.
But he feels no solid response.
The man's heart gives no reaction, as if it's empty.
"Wha―――"
At that instant, the impact hits him.
The three Black Keys hurl Assassin backward, nailing him to a tree.
"What!?"
There are two surprises.
One is that the Black Keys have sealed his movement.
And the other is...
"Impossible! Why are you not dead, Kirei――――!?"
"――――――――"
The priest's black outfit flutters through the air.
He jumps.
The inhuman action is like a cannon firing.
Amassing his strength and releasing it, he covers ten meters in an
instant.
Up to the trees above.
He instantly seizes the head of Matou Zouken, the one who has been
observing the battle.
"Hm――――What are you doing, Assassin...!?"
It does not need to be said.
His bodyguard is sewn to a tree by the Black Keys.
To Assassin, this is only a scratch.
But the holy nails make it impossible to save the old man.
"I will kill. I will let live. I will harm and heal. None will escape me.
None will escape my sight."
Why challenge an enemy he knows he cannot defeat?
This has always been his announced intention.
"Damn you...!"
"Be silent. You'll bite your tongue off."
The priest grabs his head and drops to the ground.
"Gi――――!"
"Be crushed.
I welcome those who have grown old and those who have lost. Devote
yourself to me, learn from me, and obey me.
Rest. Do not forget song, do not forget prayer, and do not forget me. I
am light and relieve you of all your burdens."
He shows no mercy.
The priest smashes the old magus's body on the ground, crushes his
bones, and slams his head against the wall.
"Ha――――I see, so you will kill me!? Very well, do as you wish. But
what will change? Do you think your wish will come true!?"
"Do not pretend.
Retribution for forgiveness, betrayal for trust, despair for hope, darkness
for light, dark death for the living."
He walks.
Leaving a smear of blood across the stones as he goes.
"Hahaha, hahahaha! Such a hopeless wretch! Do you still seek mundane
happiness!? Do you not understand that such a thing does not exist for
you!?"
The blood and flesh paint a picture on the wall.
All that remains of the old magus is his head.
His body has been ground away against the stone.
And not even half of his head remains.
Even with his brain pasted to the wall, the old magus gives off his last
laugh.
"Relief is in my hands. I will add oil to your sins and leave a mark.
Eternal life is given through death.
――――Ask for forgiveness here. I, the incarnation, will swear."
"You will never find it. Kirei, you were defective from birth. Just stand
and watch, never fitting into the world...!"
"――――Kyrie eleison."
――――The laughter is cut off.
The shape that can't be seen by human eyes withers away.
Baptismal chant.
Within the systematic basis of their magic, the teachings of God are
considered the greatest weapon against spirits.
The key of providence that eliminates wandering souls.
It sublimates the wish of the five hundred-year-old magus with great
mercy.
INTERLUDE END
Time is stalled.
"――――No.
I don't want this, Berserker...!!!"
Ilya pleads to the giant.
But he doesn't even try to figure out who is talking before he swings his
sword――――
"ILYAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!"
I run.
I was flung about ten meters.
This distance is nothing. I'll definitely make it if I run.
One breath. The blood, drugs, and propellant running about my body are
like a jet stream, and the igniting thought is like an electric
charge――――!
―――I step in.
My body feels light. Time seems to stand still.
―――I'll make it.
I'll definitely make it. But even if I do...
―――I couldn't do anything with the Black Key. I couldn't match him.
So...
―――I search, retrieve, and create it.
What can beat him.
What can match him.
―――It's clear.
It can be nothing less than the sword he carries―――!
――――I block it.
Projection succeeds as a matter of course.
" Ah."
A crack.
A crack runs through the axe-sword I projected.
At the same time...
"[wacky len=15]!"
"Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!"
I'm hit with feedback that's almost strong enough to kill me, punishing
me for using something forbidden.
I'm flung away.
My axe-sword shatters beneath his second attack, and my body slides
across the ground like trash.
――――Fading.
My consciousness is fading.
I can't think.
I can't think even if I gather up everything.
My left arm revolts.
My blood overflows.
The restraint is still on my left arm, but my intelligence is half lost, and I
feel a chill as though it'll never return... The ominous feeling will turn
out to be true, and I'll start losing what I value the most.
"Ah, ――――"
I'm enveloped by a rushing wind.
I'm enveloped by intense light.
I lost it, I lost it.
I lost it amidst the agony.
I can't find it, even though I search.
My mind turns into a grain of sand within a desert, lost to everyone,
drying up, drying up, drying up, drying up――――
"Shirou! Get yourself together and find yourself...!"
There's Ilya.
I'm on the ground.
I'm about ten meters away from the black giant.
His red, glaring eyes are looking around, as if trying to find me.
"――――――!"
My consciousness returns.
This is no time to be on the ground.
My body still moves.
The only external wounds are scratches from tree branches.
It's just pain. My tongue tries to gasp for air. There isn't any oxygen in
my body from all the running, so I want air.
That's all.
What's important is inside my body――――I don't really want to know
what condition it's in, but I can still fight――――!
"Let's get away from here, Ilya...!"
I grab Ilya's hand and stand up.
My body's all right, but I need air.
I have to get out of his range to regain my breath――――!
But.
"...Why? Shirou, do you even understand what's happening to you?"
Ilya pulls away, as if denying my assistance.
"――――――――"
Something's wrong.
Berserker is right behind her.
I'm myself, my head's not working due to oxygen deprivation, and I can't
think why Ilya might say such a thing.
"Ilya?"
"......I'm sorry. But it's fine now. Run away by yourself."
"――――――――"
Ilya hangs her head.
I can't think straight.
I can't, so I get pissed off instead.
"Man, don't throw a tantrum now! Let's go, Ilya! Now's not the time for
that!"
"Kya...!?"
I pull her arm.
Her small body. Her desire to help me with that tiny body feels sacred.
"Hey, what are you doing, Shirou!? I said you've done enough...! You
can still make it alone, so run...!"
She hits my head.
I ignore her.
"Shut up...! I wouldn't be here if I could do that...!"
And I pull her close.
"Wha――――"
Ilya's eyes ask me why.
She's got to be kidding me.
I don't even need to explain myself――――!
"I don't have a reason! I'm just selfishly protecting you! Look, an older
brother protects his younger sister!"
"What!? Are you stupid? I'm not your younger sister!"
"It's fine! I'm an older brother since you called me Onii-chan! Even if
we're not blood-related, you're still my younger sister!"
"――――――Shirou."
The black giant turns to us.
"Run, he's coming...!"
I can think later.
For now, I have to get away from him as fast as possible...!
――――It's a bit strange.
I'm pulling Ilya and running at a speed far beyond Emiya Shirou's
capabilities.
I come out into a familiar clearing.
"Ah, haa, ha, ha――――!"
Ilya's the one breathing hard.
I'm not out of breath, maybe because my body's numb.
My lungs are burning from lack of air, but I'm not breathing.
I'm just like a corpse.
My heart's gone on strike.
"Oh... I'm... fine... I can... run...!"
Ilya's fingers are unnaturally hot.
She's never had the energy necessary to run.
Her design didn't account for ordinary human exercise.
"――――――――"
I have a headache.
Knowledge I never knew flows into my mind.
Thoughts are useless.
I have to get away for now.
The mad, senseless giant is close on our heels.
I somehow widened the gap between us, but I can't hope for that speed
again.
My legs are shaking, and I calmly analyze that I can only run for about
ten more meters.
Ilya can't keep this up either.
There's nothing here for us to hide behind, even if we wanted to.
Well――――hiding wouldn't accomplish much, since he can't see
anything.
"――――Perfect."
But we're fortunate.
There's a crater.
It's a scar on the earth made by Saber's Noble Phantasm.
"This way, Ilya――――!"
I take Ilya's hand and jump into the crater.
The trench easily holds two people.
"Haa――――"
I lean against the dirt.
Raising my head for air, I see the sky.
A small cut-out patch of sky, as if I'm looking up from underground.
"Haa――――ah, ah――――"
I just focus on breathing.
For a bit, I relax and rest my body.
"......!"
But it's only for an instant.
The giant will not lose its prey.
No matter where we run, he'll track us down and kill us.
"......Ah.........! .........!"
The suppressed voice is from the girl beside me.
Ilya's frantically hugging herself so she won't be a burden on me.
"――――――――"
This is the end.
We can't run away, and we can't take much more of this.
I look down at my left arm.
The sole weapon to overcome this situation is waiting for its release.
I'll die.
Kotomine said this is the switch of a time bomb.
I recall the pain.
Using projection nearly broke me.
I can't imagine what the pain would be like if I released my arm.
The firing hammer is always in my head.
Untying the red cloth is the same as putting a gun in my mouth and
pulling the trigger.
Once I remove the cloth, the firing hammer will go down.
My brain will splatter out the back of my head, and everything will end
there.
"――――――――"
I have to be determined.
The answer's already there.
I need to bring Ilya back and save Sakura.
I know what that means.
I have to protect Ilya, defeat the shadow, and remove it from Sakura.
I wished for a miracle that I can't hope to accomplish.
I'm still wishing with all my might.
I know it's a dream that I can't make come true, but I've never even
thought about giving up.
"――――――――"
Then I have to go.
I have to save Sakura and Ilya.
It's impossible.
Sakura's facing death, and only destruction awaits her.
Someone said it'll take a miracle to save her.
――――That's right.
Aid that's impossible with human powers.
If I'm to perform a miracle that exceeds human capabilities, I'll need an
appropriate compensation.
I can't protect myself and someone else.
If someone has to take Sakura's place in order to save her...
The ground's trembling.
The embodiment of the storm is closing in.
"―――I'm going. I'm going to defeat him, Ilya."
"Eh...?"
She looks up in surprise.
Ilya notices that my right hand is on my left arm.
"No...! You can't do that! You won't come back once you use Archer's
arm...! You'll die. No, you'll be killed first! You haven't done anything
wrong, so you don't have to go that far...!"
"I'll bear it. I'll somehow bear it even if I almost die, so you don't have to
worry about me.
Oh, and let me correct you. I've done bad things too."
"Eh――――Shirou...?"
"Then I'm going. Wait here, Ilya."
I pat her head and walk away.
I get away from Ilya.
I'm going to attract his attention and fight him head-on.
I have to get away from Ilya so she doesn't get involved in the fight.
"――――It's time."
I place my hand on the knot by my shoulder.
The knot by my wrist is tight, so if I'm going to take the cloth off, it'll
have to be from up here.
I just need to pull it all off after that.
Then I'll be assailed by pain that's ten times worse than all I've suffered
until now.
"――――――――"
Kotomine said it's the switch of a time bomb.
The fuse will be lit once I take it off.
I don't know if it'll explode in the next minute or the next day.
All I know is that I can't put out the fire once it's lit.
―――My mouth goes dry.
Fear doesn't go away with determination.
I want to scream out of sheer dread.
―――If I'll be sane or not.
I'm scared of myself.
My death is only natural.
I'll be killed even if I stay here.
If I'm going to die either way, I'll choose the method that'll keep me alive
longer.
So there's only one thing I'm scared of.
And that is the possibility of losing my mind before my body dies.
"Ha―――――――aa."
Will I be able to bear the pain?
I might lose my sanity and forget about Ilya and Sakura.
I might even forget the promise to protect them.
That's what I'm scared of.
That's the only thing I'm scared of.
That's why I sealed it.
I know I can't use this arm even if my life's at stake.
...Berserker's appearance isn't somebody else's business.
I'll be like him if I give in to the pain and lose my mind.
No, the fear will always be with me so long as this arm exists.
This arm's the embodiment of a nightmare that seeks to kill me.
But.
Why did I keep this arm in spite of that?
――――Then cut it off.
There's only one reason.
This arm exists to be used, and he entrusted me with it because it will be
needed.
He said I'll be judged by myself.
Ilya said I haven't done anything bad.
"Yeah――――that's good enough."
The atonement lies here.
I betrayed myself and sacrificed many lives.
There's something I can't give up, and that's why I continue to live.
I put my hand on the red penalty.
Live or die.
I take a deep breath and rip the clot――――
At that instant.
The world crumbles apart.
" [p]
Ah."
Blowing despair.
A strong wind that's going faster than a hundred meters per second.
A fierce wind that doesn't allow the existence of living things, let alone
allow one to stand up.
Therefore, it's not a wind.
It's steel, and my body's crushed by the pressure.
" [p]
Gah."
My eyeballs are squashed.
My back sinks into the wall.
I can't lift my hand or fingers.
My blood flows backward.
My mind is bleached white.
There's no pain.
Feeling pain and enduring it are too human-like to happen here.
" [p]
Ah, ah."
I'm melting.
I can't even groan in protest.
There's nothing.
I have no way to fight it off.
I have to move forward, but I can't move a finger.
" [p]
Ahh, ah."
I'm melting into whiteness.
My body and mind impassively crumble apart.
Go forward.
Why am I here?
Keep going forward.
For what am I here?
Go to the other side.
Why am I fighting?
Pass through the wind and move forward.
" [p]
――――"
――――I'm disappearing.
My body lost already, but I clench my teeth, not letting my mind lose...
but my mind is disappearing.
I won't make it.
I can't move, no matter how hard I try.
I can't stay, no matter how determined I am.
I try to clench my right fist with my whole existence on the line.
If I can, I'll be able to hang in here.
If I can move any part of my body, I can use that to move forward.
I can't move a finger, let alone make a fist.
My left eyeball is crushed.
The rush of the wind ruptures my eardrums.
My vision fades away.
Within it...
I see an unbelievable image.
" [p]
Ah."
He's standing.
He's standing in this wind.
He's standing, walking to the other side.
―――As if it's a matter of course.
The wind of steel has no effect on him. He walks forward, his red coat
billowing behind him.
" [p]
Ahh, ah."
Strength is back in my jaws.
I grit my teeth.
My right hand is already in a fist.
The red knight takes no notice of me.
Set in a stern expression, his face is slightly turned away, showing no
interest in me as the wind rushes to engulf me.
For him, this result was expected.
Emiya Shirou cannot stand against this wind.
He knew there's no future for the man who betrayed himself and wished
for something out of his reach.
He's right.
The crimes I've accumulated will judge me.
But he...
'――――Can you keep up with me?'
As if to scorn me, as if to believe in me.
He's waiting for me to get there.
" ――――It's not 'can you keep up with me.'"
My vision fires up.
I force as much heat as I can into my body.
My limbs cut through the wind like giant swords.
"You keep up with me――――!"
I pass the red figure with all my might.
"[wacky len=14]"
I step up onto the ground.
The wind's died down.
There's about thirty meters to the black giant.
It'll take him less than three seconds to close this distance.
―――Therefore.
The outcome of this battle will be decided in the next three seconds.
My mind's clear.
I know the scope of my power.
Projection using creation concept, basic structure, composition,
production technique, growth experience, and accumulated years.
A Reality Marble that inverts the world engraved on your soul, the
embodiment of the mental world using theory of magic, the world egg.
Inheritance of battle technique, experience, and physical strength from
Archer. Correction.
Failed to read physical strength. I'll still be killed in one blow.
Reality Marble, "Unlimited Blade Works", isn't usable.
Archer's world and mine are different. I can't reproduce it.
I can only reproduce what Emiya Shirou has learned, or the Noble
Phantasms he has recorded.
If I'm to use a Noble Phantasm from my left arm, I have to search within
"Unlimited Blade Works" for the Noble Phantasm best suited for the
situation and reproduce it.
But be warned.
Projection is a two-edged sword.
If you use it once, it will――――
"――――――――"
I hold my breath and put all my magical energy into my left arm.
I only need to understand the weapons I can use.
I already know the precautions.
I have to move forward.
I have to go beyond that wind and defeat myself――――
"――――Trace, on."
I stare at it.
I see through his giant sword.
I open my left hand and grasp the imaginary handle of the weapon that
has yet to exist.
An extraordinary weight.
Emiya Shirou cannot handle this giant sword.
But―――my left arm will definitely reproduce the strength of my
enemy.
"Ah――――――――"
It breaks.
A part of my brain explodes.
My bones break, not being able to withstand the overflowing magical
energy. It's unsightly like apple skin.
"Here I come――――――――"
There's no need to worry.
will reinforce the broken parts.
I will give my undivided attention to killing him for certain.
"[wacky len=12]!"
He notices me.
His hostility now has a focus.
Recognizing my use of magic as a threat, his eyes move.
They're like ominous stars.
The giant gives a death cry and runs to kill his enemy.
―――Mad warrior.
The giant is insane, but still the same.
He's still fighting his battle against Saber.
He is blind and insane, his life has ended twice over, and his body is
rotting, but he's still fighting to protect Ilya.
――――――――――One second.
"――――――――"
The running giant won't stop with one blow, and normal projection is
useless against him.
Tracing won't do the trick.
I can't beat that giant unless I use projection past my limits.
Therefore―――
"――――Trigger, off."
Nine in my head.
I use all twenty-seven Magic Circuits in my head and smash it in one
blow――――
――――――――――Two seconds.
He's right before me. His massive sword is upraised.
Torrent and swirling vigor.
He steps forward, and I confront him by also stepping forward.
Upper arm, collarbone, windpipe, temple, diaphram, rib, testicles, and
thigh.
I take aim at the eight targets.
"Set――――Nine Lives Blade Works."
I surpass the crashing speed of sound using godspeed―――!
"[wacky len=5]―――......!"
But he doesn't fall.
His entire body has been torn through by his own weapon, but
Berserker's still alive.
"Haa――――ah――――......!!!!"
I step forward.
His weapon is in my left hand.
I'm faster.
I can land a finishing blow before Berserker, who's missing an eighth of
his body.
I raise the giant sword up to his chest and thrust it like a lance.
"[wacky len=16]――――!!!!"
But I lost.
I put all I had into it.
I used every ounce of the unfair advantage I have, but it still wasn't
enough.
Berserker's attack draws near.
It's swung down with hurricane force.
"――――――――"
I twist my body.
I use all my abilities to evade his attack.
I saw it coming.
So I can dodge it.
Berserker's attack will only graze my head.
――――But that will still kill me instantly.
Even a grazing blow from that monstrous blade will be the end.
A direct hit can even destroy the ground.
Even a brush with the tip of his sword will scatter my head like tofu.
The giant sword comes crashing down.
My vision freezes the instant my head is blown away.
―――But.
The sword swung with blinding speed...
...Is stopped with blinding speed.
"――――――――Eh?"
The deathblow never comes.
"――――――――"
The black giant is looking forward.
Not at me, who's under him.
He's staring at the white girl who emerged from her cover.
I pierce him.
Without hesitation or mercy, I drive the giant sword into his heart.
There's no counter-attack.
Berserker exhausts the last of his life force and crumbles to dust, for
good this time.
...And at that moment.
As his red eyes fade away, they remain focused on the girl, telling me to
protect her.
――――The battle ends in an instant.
It really does end in one breath.
The boy, with trembling lips, said he was going.
He suppressed his fatigue and fear, put his hand on the red restraint, and
walked away from the girl.
She went out to stop him.
She hesitated for a second, wondering what she could say. She couldn't
come up with anything, yet still followed after him.
It wasn't even ten seconds.
But that slight hesitation determined the outcome.
"Shir――――――――"
She emerges, following the boy.
The battle has already ended.
The giant who once protected her disappeared, his eyes fixed on her.
Wind blows through the clearing, as if signaling that the conflict has
ended.
The figure is all that's left in her vision.
"――――――――"
The battle has ended.
It's not the power of the heroic spirit's arm.
Using his own power, the boy fought against his death and won.
The girl keeps staring at his back.
He will never turn around and look back again.
He has released the Shroud and defeated the giant. His figure looks
heroic and powerful.
There's no doubt left in him now.
He cast away all agonies when he released the cloth and used
projection.
"―――――――――Shirou."
The girl keeps watching him, filled with sorrow.
His body looks like someone else's now.
―――It's a foolish and sacred end with no return.
"――――――――Haa."
I resume breathing.
My left arm burns, and I ache all over.
Snakes with electricity are in my body, wriggling around like mad.
"Ah――――guh――――"
I can't stay standing.
Quickly.
I have to quickly cover my left arm with the cloth and escape this pain,
or the time limit will come.
"Haa――――Haa――――"
But I can't do that.
Suppressing my left arm and resting...
...Comes after defeating her.
"――――Saber."
I endure my pain and stare at her so I won't lose spirit.
"............"
Maybe she's been following Berserker all along. She slowly comes
closer to me, as if resuming the giant's task.
......Seven meters.
Saber stops once I am within range.
"――――――――"
"............"
We face each other straight-on.
―――I'll be killed.
After my fight with Berserker, I can't move anymore.
I'll be cut in two without being able to fight back.
No.
Even if I were in perfect shape, I wouldn't be able to beat Saber.
I can't project anything stronger than her Noble Phantasm.
So there's no competition.
To beat Saber, I need an appropriate user to use his Noble Phantasm that
equals her Noble Phantasm.
"Ha――――――――"
There's a contradiction already.
Saber's Noble Phantasm is the strongest.
There may be heroic spirits whose Noble Phantasms exceed hers, but
there are no such people in this Holy Grail War.
If anything can beat Saber, it'll be her own sword.
Therefore, a contradiction.
Saber's the strongest Servant in battle.
...Sakura did have extraordinary amount of magical energy.
But even Sakura wouldn't be able to defeat Saber.
Saber is literally invincible now that she's released from me and has a
great source of magical energy.
"―――What a futile effort. I warned you that you cannot save Sakura,
and this is the result?"
There's no emotion in her voice.
"―――――!"
That's the signal.
She mercilessly comes to take my life.
"――――"
So what?
I can't be killed here.
I can't lose, even against Saber.
I may not be able to beat her, but I should be able to escape with
Ilya――――
"But you are fortunate. I have no time to spare for someone who will
soon die in any case.
Sakura is calling for me."
"Eh――――?"
Saber turns around and walks off.
"...No. It is not merely luck. You earned your life with your own hands.
You defeated Berserker.
Your determination yielded this result."
Saber leaves without turning around.
...I can't call out to her.
She's my enemy.
No matter the reason, I'll thankfully accept the fact that she spared my
life.
I'm covered in wounds, leaving me nothing to spare.
"――――――――"
I stifle my pain and turn my back to Saber.
I have to leave the forest with Ilya.
...Saber's not my only enemy.
Even if I do separate Sakura from the shadow, Zouken will get in our
way.
"Guh――――"
I know what happened and what's going to happen to my body.
I can project three more times at most.
...No, even projecting once is dangerous if I don't want any physical
defects.
I can't fight Zouken and Assassin in this condition.
There'll be no point if my body explodes after I beat them.
Then I should keep my last projection to keep my promise with
Tohsaka.
Then there's still hope, even after I die.
"Shirou...?"
I hear Ilya's voice from somewhere.
"...Yeah. Let's get out of this forest as quickly as we can.
We won't be able to get away if Saber―――no, if Sakura changes her
mind."
I can't see Ilya.
My heart's thumping loudly, jumping around inside my skull.
INTERLUDE BEGIN
―――Purification by the holy word.
The priest's exorcism disperses Matou Zouken's spiritual body.
Only two figures remain.
One is Kotomine Kirei, leaning against a wall with wounds all over his
body, his cloak red with blood.
The other is the masked assassin, bound to a tree by the Black Keys.
"―――You completely eradicated the magus, Executor. Did you know
he was just a collection of worms?"
"――――"
He turns to the voice.
Assassin is no longer there.
The only things on the tree are the Black Keys and a small trace of
blood.
"...I've known him for a long time. I knew he was a spirit that used
worms to tamper with this world. It would do no good to rip his body to
pieces. If one were to kill him, one would have to completely eliminate
his body, or..."
"Attack the spirit itself, as you did, eh?
I see. The magus had a strong binding to the world, but he's vulnerable
to the holy words of the Bible.
Exorcist, eh? One might say you were Matou Zouken's natural enemy."
"――――――――"
The priest doesn't answer, but checks on his wounded body.
The bleeding has stopped.
He's out of weapons, but he suffered no fatal wounds, and his strength
should return once he rests for a few minutes.
"So, what are you going to do, Assassin? Your Master is gone. My holy
words should have an effect on you now that your source of magical
energy is gone."
"...I would assume so. My body will soon disappear. Without a Master, I
am no different from the wandering spirits in this forest. My body will
degrade to that of a lowly spirit within a day, and I shall disappear from
this world."
"Correct. I can harm Servants without Masters.
So, what will you do? Will you avenge your Master?"
"I am not so foolish as that. He suffered defeat because of his own
arrogance. It is not my fault.
But still, something does not make sense, and that I must ask of you."
"You must mean how your Zabaniya failed.
I believe you obtained your arm from Shaytaan, but it will have no effect
on me as long as it bears the name of the fallen angel.
That arm punishes humans, so it cannot curse one of its own kind. As
my heart is not human, it is strong against such a curse."
"――――I thought so. Your heart was the same as that girl's.
You must already be tainted."
The priest doesn't answer.
He merely smiles ironically.
"...But how did you know? You could not act as you did unless you
knew my arm would have no effect on you.
Your intention was to have me use my Noble Phantasm, correct?"
"Yes. I already knew about your arm, Assassin.
A cursed arm that creates an image of the target's heart and swaps it with
the real heart.
That's how you killed my Servant."
"――――! Then you..."
"Yes, I watched it until he died.
It's natural that I knew about your arm. Your blunder was made the
instant you killed Lancer."
"――――Damn, that was indeed a blunder."
Assassin tut-tuts in self-deprecation.
His hostility disappears at the same time.
He must be satisfied with the answer, as he quickly retreats.
"...So he went to look for another Master.
I'd assume his next Master would be Matou Sakura―――"
That's not a problem for the priest.
It's fine as long as Matou Zouken doesn't kill Matou Sakura.
Zouken's wish is immortality.
He can achieve his wish by having Sakura's body turn into the Holy
Grail.
The curse in the Holy Grail will not hatch if the old man is alive.
It's meaningless if Sakura becomes his tool.
She needs to remain a Master.
Because...
'――――You will never find it.
You were defective from birth―――'
"――――――――"
He gets dizzy.
It must be because of the fatigue and loss of blood.
The priest leans against the wall and closes his eyes.
It all happened ten years ago.
'Defective from birth――――'
The man did everything he could after accepting the fact.
He couldn't understand morals, but had common sense. So his teenage
years were spent trying to overcome his defect.
But it never happened.
The man's purgatories and sufferings were entirely useless.
And his final attempt was a woman.
It's a simple story.
Every human wishes to love one of the opposite sex, have a family, and
die peacefully.
Even if one may detest the peace, one can only dream about it.
This man is no exception.
He wished for such a thing, even though he felt no fascination in it.
He loved a woman, trying to earn ordinary happiness.
The man chose a woman with no future.
She was terminally ill, only expected to live for a few years.
Did he choose her because of that, or was that his only choice?
He still doesn't know.
Their life together lasted for about two years.
The man tried to love the woman.
The woman tried to love the man, did love him, and even had his child.
But the result didn't change.
It was because the man derived his happiness from the woman's
suffering and his child's despair.
The more he tried to love, the more their suffering saved him.
The contradiction didn't make the man suffer. He doesn't even know if
he suffered.
But the more the woman tried to cure him, the more he wanted to see her
grieve.
The woman was a saint. She was sickly, but she was still a saint for him.
It need not be said how faithful she was or how deeply she understood
his anger.
That's why the man was in despair.
No human will ever understand him and try to heal him to her degree.
And this woman still could not fill the void within him.
Then――――there was no need to live and question right and wrong.
He was born defective.
His birth was some kind of mistake.
He concluded that if his existence was a mistake, it was best to
disappear. And he went to bid goodbye to the woman before he died.
He made her his wife as an experiment, so it's his natural duty to go tell
her of his end.
The woman loved Kotomine.
Kotomine tried to love the woman.
That's all there is to this story.
The end came relatively quickly.
"I could not love you."
That's all the man said in the room made of stone.
The dying woman smiled. She was unable to stand up, because her body
was now composed of just skin and bone.
"―――No. I love you."
With a smile, she took her own life.
There was no way to stop her, and stopping her was meaningless.
The woman had a fatal disease. She would eventually die. He knew that
when he chose her.
The woman, covered in blood, looked up at the man and smiled.
"See. You're crying."
He wasn't crying, of course.
It's just that the woman saw it that way.
The woman used her death to prove to him that he could love, and that
he deserved to live.
The man silently left the room and broke away from the teachings of
God.
―――Yes.
He certainly felt sad.
But not because she died.
The man, at that time, thought...
'How terrible. If she was going to die, I wanted to kill her myself.'
He grieved over losing the chance to enjoy her death.
――――It happened long ago.
He can't remember her voice or her face.
But sometimes he thinks,
'I wanted to kill her.'
Is that for his pleasure, or―――
Is it grief over wanting to kill the one he loved with his own hands?
He cuts off his thought process whenever the answer flickers in his
head.
It's something that should be hidden forever.
The woman's death was meaningless.
Her devotion couldn't change him.
But the man didn't want to consider her death to be worthless.
―――So he stopped searching for answers.
...It all happened long ago.
The memory of the man who feeds on others' misfortunes.
The man later meets his nemesis.
Emiya Kiritsugu.
A magus that cast away what the man might have wanted――――
"――――――――"
He opens his eyes.
It seems he fell asleep.
He checks his condition, starts to walk to catch up to Emiya Shirou,
and...
"――――No, you can't go anywhere.
Because you die here."
...Is interrupted by a girl.
She has completely changed.
Her black outfit is her shadow.
She's covering her body with her own dark magical energy.
―――The amount and the presence of her magical energy is beyond
human capabilities.
She's at the same level as pure heroic spirits, the Counter Guardians.
"...You are completely tainted, Matou Sakura.
You cannot change to that degree unless your mind is attuned to the
curse.
―――So you've accepted the fact that you're a human-eating monster."
Even though the priest wished for it, he still criticizes the girl.
As if to blame her for being intoxicated with her power.
"...Hah. But is it wrong to be drunk with your power?
It can't be helped.
Everyone picked on me too much. I think I would've endured it longer if
everyone was nicer to me."
"――――Oh. Endure what?"
"Myself, priest-san.
I finally understand now. I hate this world.
The Tohsaka family that threw me away. Nee-san, who lived without
any troubles. My scary grandfather and my pitiful brother. The people
living peacefully without knowing about my pain."
"I can't allow such things now.
...I know I'm just taking my anger out on others. I know it's wrong, but I
still think this way.
―――Yes.
I wonder what kind of face the people who haven't helped me will make
when they realize I exist."
The girl smiles, as if it's a sacred pleasure.
The priest doesn't change his expression.
He keeps staring at the girl as if regarding something foul.
"You have changed, Matou Sakura. I see, your darkness was one of the
qualities to adapt."
"Yes, I've changed. I'm not the old Matou Sakura. That weak girl doesn't
exist anymore.
...Yes. Everyone tormented me until now. So I'm just getting back at
them. The me who sat there and endured is gone."
She laughs.
Double personality.
The original Matou Sakura disappeared, and the other personality
surfaced.
That's the only logical reason for her change.
But...
"―――What are you talking about? You don't need to hide it, Matou
Sakura."
The priest quickly denies it.
"W――――What do you mean?"
"I said there's no need to hide it.
You are not another personality. You were swallowed by the mud and
have become addicted to violence, but you are still Matou Sakura. You
don't need to prepare another personality to excuse yourself."
Her face stiffens.
He's absolutely right.
The girl grits her teeth and glares back at the priest.
"What are you saying!? You're the one who made me like this...!"
The girl's shadow reacts to her hateful voice.
―――A blazing infringement.
The shadow covers the ground in an instant.
"I won't deny it. I kept you alive so that you would remain its Master.
You measured up to my expectations, and you are about to give birth to
Avenger.
You have easily accomplished what I could not."
"It wasn't easy at all...! You don't know how painful it was, how much
pain I'm going through right now...!"
"I don't know, and there's no need to know. I'm not so mad as to listen to
a girl's complaint."
"――――! ............I see.
You're right. I don't want you to know.
I won't let you feel compassion. I'm in a position where I can make
anyone realize whatever I want."
She smiles cruelly.
"――――――――"
The priest retreats without any hesitation.
He quickly backs away, like when he captured Matou Zouken.
―――The priest retreats with one jump.
She may have vast magical energy, but she's still inexperienced.
She has no experience with battle, and she's unskilled as a magus. It's
easy for him to retreat.
"―――How foolish. Do you think you can get away from me?"
She smiles.
The priest falls to the ground at that instant.
"Guh――――gah......!"
He rolls down.
He falls to the ground, coughing up blood.
"Haa――――hm, guh......!"
It doesn't stop.
He can't stop coughing up blood. Every time he tries to breathe, it wells
up in his throat.
"How does it feel to have someone grab hold of your heart? Your life's
under my control, no matter where you are."
"Mm――――guh――――!"
"You died ten years ago. Emiya Kiritsugu shot your heart and you died.
But you stayed alive because of one reason."
"You're that... hmm, who was it? It's the Servant I ate before, but I guess
his name doesn't matter.
That gold person was showered with the contents of the Holy Grail,
which connected him to it.
But it couldn't taint that man, so it flowed into you, his Master. Right?
And you were resurrected.
Avenger. Your life was saved because Angra Manyu supplied you with
magical energy."
"Ha――――I see. Then this is..."
"Yes. You're connected to Angra Manyu. But I'm Angra Manyu.
――――So I squashed it. I destroyed the fake heart that kept you alive.
I can squash your organs too if you want.
I can pull out your insides, no matter where you are."
She raises her hand.
How can she say 'if you want'?
The girl has no intention of keeping him alive.
No matter how much he may beg for his life, she'll laugh as she kills
him.
He'll give her back his fake life.
Because it's hers.
Even if it's just a speck next to her total magical energy, there's no reason
for her to let the priest keep it.
"Goodbye. I appreciate the fact that you saved me."
She grasps her slender fingers together as if to twist apart an invisible
doll.
A crushing sound.
The priest's body is squeezed like a rag.
One more twist.
The priest will die in the next second.
But right before that...
"――――! Ah, uh, ah――――!?"
The girl doubles over in pain.
...She coughs up blood.
She scratches the ground, as if begging for help.
"Ku――――it hurts, no... don't... come in――――!"
The shadow expands.
...What happened? The shadow on her body expands, then slowly
shrinks back to the original size.
"......No way...... Berserker lost...?"
There's no other explanation.
Berserker was defeated.
He died, dissolved into pure magical energy, and was consumed by her,
the Holy Grail.
"――――Ah――――Ah――――"
Her mind distorts.
The personality called Matou Sakura is pushed even further into a corner
now.
...She can't move any farther, but the great soul pushes her against the
wall.
"――――――――――――Ah."
...She'll disappear.
She'll disappear.
Matou Sakura will disappear.
"――――――――Before that..."
She thinks of killing the priest, looks up, and is annoyed by her failure to
follow through.
"――――Fine. He's... going... to die... anyway."
There's no one at the ruin.
On the ground where Kotomine Kirei lay is his blood-soaked outfit.
INTERLUDE END
We reach the forest's edge faster than I expected.
It's probably because I had Ilya's guidance.
The car I arrived in is gone.
We started walking to town, stopped a car, and got a lift.
We're both filthy after running through the forest, making us look really
suspicious.
So I jumped out in front of a car to stop it, and Ilya used suggestion on
the driver to make him pick us up.
Man.
I never thought I'd get a ride like this.
"We're home, Shirou. Let's go in."
"――――Eh?"
We're back at my place in an instant.
The sun's setting.
It seems I fell asleep on the way back.
The sun has set by the time I make it to the living room.
It's past seven o'clock already.
"―――――――――"
Something's wrong.
Time's passing by too fast.
It was afternoon when I stepped into the house, so it's not possible for it
to be night as soon as I step into the living room.
"Ilya. Isn't time passing by too fast?"
I talk to Ilya, standing beside me.
"――――――――"
But Ilya isn't there.
Ilya is...
"Hm? The dinner was good, Shirou."
...Already in the living room, saying strange things.
"――――――――Dinner?"
"Yeah. I was surprised you wanted to get energy before anything, but I'm
glad we did. You were so enthusiastic while you were cooking."
"――――――――"
There are remnants of dinner on the table.
There are dishes in the sink.
Come to think of it, I feel pretty full.
It seems I really did make dinner.
"......That's strange. Did we have this in stock?"
"Nope. That's why we were dropped off at the shopping district to get
some groceries."
"――――――――"
I look through my memory.
......
............
..................
........................Well.
I guess that's what happened.
"I see. I guess I'm talking nonsense. So we had dinner, huh?"
"Yeah. All that's left is to rest."
"Hm―――yeah, we have to rest. I'm going to go change in my room. I
need to talk, so please stay up. I'll be back right away."
Ilya nods.
I raise my hand in apology and leave the living room.
And the next thing I know, I'm in my room.
The instant I step out of the living room, I'm on the floor in my
bedroom.
"Ah... Guh――――!"
I wake up because of the piercing pain.
A sword's pierced in my chest.
That's the first thing I imagine because my chest is hot and numb, and it
feels like my life is draining out from it.
"Guh――――"
There's no sword, of course.
It's just an illusion.
The left side of my chest is simply rebelling against my left arm.
But I finally realize.
My sense of time.
The intermittent scenes are...
"...I see. It's not my sense of time that's odd."
It's just that my mind is screwed up.
It's not that I have no memory. I just can't record the events into my
brain.
I can't hold events in my mind unless I concentrate on them.
It's natural that I can't remember anything that happened after I left the
forest.
I can't stay conscious unless I'm in pain, like now.
"――――――This is bad."
I frantically grasp at my fading consciousness.
Unless I consciously focus my mind, Emiya Shirou will disappear.
Only pain or the utmost concentration can preserve my memories.
In short, I have to maintain the level of concentration I had when I was
trying to insert the Magic Circuit into my spine.
"――――――――"
...I'm stumped.
I can't keep this up forever, and I don't know how long it'll work.
"...Wait. That means I shouldn't sleep."
Once I fall asleep, I won't be able to wake up.
Once I fall asleep, "Emiya Shirou" will never return.
Even if my body's unwounded, my mind would be scattered.
"――――――――――"
I raise my body.
I search through my desk. I need a small blade. Something I can hide in
my right hand that'll dig into my flesh if I make a fist.
I can't keep up the concentration I have during training.
I have to clench my fist every time I relax so that the pain will keep me
conscious.
"...Oh. It's not a blade, but this might do."
I find the crystal from that day.
...The pendant I found beside me after I was killed by Lancer.
I don't know how much magical energy was originally in this, but now
there's not even enough for one strengthening magic left in it.
...That's right. Now, I can clearly think about who this pendant belongs
to, and who could have saved me that night.
After all, she was the only other person at school at that time. I don't
know why she saved me, but she wouldn't need a reason to save a life.
"Ah――――!"
My consciousness starts to fade away.
I'll think about it later.
I'll fall unconscious if I think about happy things and relax.
―――I check my condition.
I released the seal on my left arm.
I put the Shroud back on it, but it's only there to ease my mind.
According to Kotomine, the switch would be tripped if I used Archer's
arm.
He said there'd nothing I could do after that.
"――――――――"
But I can still move my body.
The problem is my mind, but I can stay conscious as long as I stay
awake.
As for projection... I can probably project three more times using
Archer's arm.
I know I can manage it once.
I'm scared about the second time.
The third will be fatal. I think my body will self-destruct, even if my
mind's still alive.
"............"
I close my eyes and strain my ears.
...I hear creaking sounds along with my heartbeat.
...The thing invading my body from Archer's arm.
It gets harder to suppress his Reality Marble the more I use his Blade
Works. Eventually, an infinite number of blades will be created inside
my body instead of outside.
...I don't even want to imagine what'll happen.
A thousand blades will pierce my body from within, killing me
instantly.
"―――――Don't kid me. I won't kill myself."
I'm in a hopeless condition.
I accept the whole situation.
But I reject the facts as they stand.
I won't die, and I won't self-destruct.
Not waking up after I fall asleep is just a product of my frightened
imagination.
―――I'll be saved.
I'll be saved once I do everything I need to.
It's meaningless otherwise.
I said I'll protect Sakura no matter what.
So I can't just die selfishly.
"―――That's right. I have to contact Tohsaka first."
I don't have time.
I'll go to her house.
I'm worried about whether Kotomine's all right, but he's not my ally
anymore now that we've saved Ilya.
I can't ask for his help again, but the promise to...
It's past nine o'clock.
I thought I came back right away, but it's been two hours already.
"―――Sorry to keep you waiting, Ilya. I'm going to Tohsaka's house,
so let's go together."
"Rin's house? I don't mind, but why?"
"Eh... why? We have to meet up with Tohsaka. And I'm worried about
how she's doing.
Kotomine said she'd heal by tonight, but I can't really trust him. If she's
not doing well, I'll need to look after her."
"Okay. That's fine, but Shirou..."
Ilya points to the wall.
――――Then.
"I'm glad to know you're worrying about me. As you can see, I'm all
right.
But if you were that worried about me, I wish you'd have come by my
house before heading off to the forest."
"T-Tohsaka...!? When did you get here...?"
"I was here about an hour ago. I heard from Ilya what happened at the
forest."
Tohsaka's in a bad mood... No, she's angry.
It seems she doesn't like the fact that I went to the forest without her.
"I can't help it. I thought I had to act as quickly as possible, and Ilya was
in serious danger.
...Right, Ilya?"
"......Yeah. I wasn't locked up anywhere, but I could've been taken to the
Great Holy Grail and had my heart taken out at any time.
Zouken wanted to open the gate as soon as he took control of Sakura. I
would be dead right now if Shirou and Kotomine had come a bit later."
"―――See. I wouldn't have made it if I'd waited for you."
"Who knows? So it all depended on Sakura, right? Tell me the truth,
Ilya."
"Oh, you can tell?
Yeah, there was a bit more time. Sakura's strong, so she won't easily
break. I think there was about one more day to spare until she lost
herself and fell under Zouken's control."
"I thought so. You shouldn't pamper Shirou too much. A little strictness
is just right for him."
"―――You're right. I'll be grateful if you see to that."
The two criticize me.
But if the time limit was a day, I don't think we would've made it if I'd
waited for Tohsaka.
I was faced with an important choice in the forest, but in exchange, I'm
able to regain the time the three of us can spend together.
"――――!"
...I concentrate hard, since I'm starting to relax.
It seems the tension faded away during the conversation.
"......Hm......? Hold on, Ilya.
You said Sakura might last one more day. Then the remaining time we
have is..."
"Half a day at most. ...No, no matter how hard Sakura tries, Avenger is
about to be born. Once that happens, she will change completely.
Nobody can save Sakura, and nobody will be saved."
""――――Avenger...?""
Tohsaka and I frown at the strange word.
"Yes, Avenger.
It's the eighth class in the Holy Grail War. It's a 'violation' that the
Einzberns summoned by breaking the rules.
That's what tainted the contents of the Great Holy Grail.
It's the main body that assimilated with Sakura, projecting the shadow
because it couldn't go into the outside world.
It's something that should not exist, consuming human lives to take
form."
"That's Avenger―――an anti-hero that the Einzbern Master summoned
in the third ritual."
"You know about it, Ilya...!? You know what that shadow is, and what
Sakura's possessed by...!?"
"Yeah. I got the information out of Sakura, so I understand what's going
on.
What we have to do. What, exactly, you've made into your enemy."
Ilya closes her eyes once.
...Is that resignation?
Ilya sighs and then stares at us.
"What I'm about to talk about is the heart of the matter, and it's nothing
that concerns you two.
You shouldn't be burdened with this.
Shirou, Rin. As you two are the last Masters in the Holy Grail War, I
shall tell you the truth."
"Ilya――――?"
Tohsaka looks at Ilya in surprise.
I do likewise.
Ilya shows calmness and emptiness as if she's someone else.
"Everything started two hundred years ago.
No, the journey of those who seek the Holy Grail began long before that.
But two hundred years ago, the ritual was begun in this land."
"I'll start from there.
The Holy Grail grants any wish. Einzbern, Makiri, and Tohsaka
cooperated to conduct a ritual to summon the Holy Grail.
That's how the Holy Grail War came to be. A murderous battle between
seven summoned Servants to determine the ownership of the Holy
Grail.
Magi who are chosen as Masters become the hosts of the Servants and
kill each other until only one magus remains.
That's the ostensible reason for the Holy Grail War that you two know
of."
"You don't look surprised, Rin. So you had some idea of it, huh?"
"...Somewhat. I knew all along that I was being used, but I didn't mind it
too much.
I'm reaping the benefits by using somebody else's system. We're both
using each other.
I'm not stupid enough to get angry over something so trivial."
"Really? Then I don't have to explain that the order is reversed? How
about you, Shirou? Did you already know that the process of making the
Servants fight is unnecessary?"
"――――――――"
...Well, I did know.
Servants are summoned by the Holy Grail.
The heroic spirits are summoned to determine whether the summoner
deserves the Holy Grail.
Once summoned, they make a contract with a Master to stay in this
world and obtain the Holy Grail. Then they go out to defeat the other
Masters and Servants.
...In and of itself, that's not a problem.
But once I found out the defeated heroic spirits are absorbed into the
Holy Grail, something felt off.
Heroic spirits―――Servants are only a factor in determining which
Master is suited for the Holy Grail.
So why are they taken into the Holy Grail after their purpose has been
served?
"...So does that mean heroic spirits are needed for the Holy Grail War,
and Masters are just a tool to summon them?"
"Right. In the ritual of the war, Masters are mere receptors to summon
the Servants. Once they've done that, they can die at any time.
The heroic spirits are the only ones needed to complete the Holy Grail.
Heroic spirits are pure souls separate from the time axis. Though they
are outside of this world's logic, they can still influence it."
"That's the power they needed.
They tried to exit into the outer world using that power.
That's the real purpose of the Holy Grail in this land.
The Holy Grail Wars were waged to create a phenomenon, a miracle,
that is still out of human reach."
"That's the great ritual to attain immortality that's said to have been lost
by the Einzberns.
Not a heroic spirit or a holy spirit, but a soul of a mere human that's
fated to disappear from this world. Bringing it about is an act of God."
"―――The name of the miracle is 'Heavens Feel'.
It's the golden cup that's the third of the five existing sorceries."
"S――――Sorceries!? You mean 'those' sorceries...!?"
"――――――――"
The air tenses up.
Ilya says that the Holy Grail is a ritual to perform a sorcery.
Sorcery.
A divine mystery that cannot be reached with magic. An impossible
phenomenon that cannot be achieved by modern people.
It's the ultimate goal of every magus, and those who achieve it are called
"sorcerers" with envy and awe.
There are five sorceries acknowledged by the Magic Association.
As I'm not even in the Association, I have no way to know, but I've
heard that there are five sorceries and that there are about four sorcerers.
"W-Wait...! So the Third Sorcery is the materialization of the soul!? But
Servants are materialized souls too...!"
"No. The system does use a part of the Third Sorcery, but the heroic
spirits are summoned.
Servants aren't alive as part of this world or time. It's too imperfect to be
the Third Sorcery. And heroic spirits can take form in this world without
the help of sorcery as long as they have a host."
"Heavens Feel is not a spell that duplicates a soul perceived in the past.
It's actually a spell to make an existence of a higher dimension that can
take a spirit form and still influence the physical world.
It takes a soul and elevates it to the next level of life."
"Next step――――that's certainly serious, but...
Even though the details are different, all sorceries are a way to reach the
origin! What does it have to do with the Holy Grail?"
"No. First of all, there's only one administrated land in Japan that can
activate a sorcery.
I know the ley line in Fuyuki is first-class, but there's not enough
distortion to connect to the origin."
"Right. It's not distorted enough to reach the origin. That's why you
make a hole. If the path is obstructed, you have to destroy the wall
yourself, right?"
"The Holy Grail War is the process of destroying the wall.
The process accumulates enough magical energy to grant any wish. But
that's just a secondary matter for the Einzbern family. And it was also an
advertisement to call for the Masters, the sacrifices."
"The Einzberns only needed a giant magic circle that could store great
amounts of magical energy without attracting the notice of the Magic
Association.
The head of the Tohsaka family at that time cooperated with them.
This country doesn't receive much attention from the Association, and
there aren't many first-class lands that rank next to Aozaki's land.
Fuyuki City was almost the perfect test site, meeting all the
requirements."
"You should be able to figure out the rest.
There are two kinds of Holy Grails that govern the Holy Grail War.
The Holy Grail in this land and the Holy Grail Einzbern prepares.
The former is a magic circle that uses the land administrated by
Tohsaka.
This is called the Great Holy Grail.
The key that the Einzbern family prepares for each ritual is called the
Holy Grail."
"The Great Holy Grail administers the system of the Holy Grail War.
The Holy Grail collects the souls of the defeated heroic spirits and acts
as the reactor core to activate the Great Holy Grail."
"And once the Holy Grail collects enough souls to activate the Great
Holy Grail, it uses the heroic spirits' souls to open a hole.
The Great Holy Grail fixes the small hole created when the heroic spirits
return to their original place after their roles are fulfilled. This opens up
the passage to the origin that humans cannot reach."
"Of course, this is just the first step. Your wish isn't granted even if the
hole is opened. The path to the origin is too far."
"But―――the one who obtains the Holy Grail gains access to unlimited
magical energy.
The other side has large quantities of unused mana unlike anything seen
on this side. For an ordinary magus, it's nothing short of a miracle."
"......I see. So the Great Holy Grail is the magic circle which serves as
the foundation, and the Holy Grail is the key to activate it.
The Holy Grail Wars must occur on a sixty-year cycle to accumulate
enough mana to summon the heroic spirits."
"There's no way you can carry out such a summoning with one person's
magical energy.
The Great Holy Grail draws mana from the land slowly so as not to
deplete it, and once it's full―――"
"Yes, it summons the heroic spirits as Servants.
But you need an incentive to summon the heroic spirits. They won't heed
your call unless you give them what they want.
That's why the Holy Grail was prepared to reward them."
"...Well, that's a deception from the start.
The Einzberns just wanted the souls of the heroic spirits.
They didn't care about their rank. They just wanted strong souls.
To hide that fact, they created the Holy Grail War as a cover. They
deceived the Servants and Masters and made them kill each other."
"...Well, I guess that started from the second ritual.
The first was conducted in a foolishly honest manner and failed right
away because the three families fought for its exclusive right."
"So the rule was made starting with the second ritual.
̠ Outsiders were called and made to fight for the Holy Grail.
Masters from outside the families were just an inconvenience after the
Servants had been summoned, so it more efficient to have them killed in
battle.
It was convenient for the three families because they could legitimately
kill their collaborators."
"Unbelievable. So the rule for Masters to kill each other exists because
they couldn't decide who gets the ownership by talking and had to resort
to violence?"
"Yup. But choosing the last magus standing proved to be an even better
method than expected.
It's just like you. There were Servants and Masters that found out they
were tricked, but it seems they didn't care. It's because you obtain the
Holy Grail if you win."
Tohsaka's convinced.
"........."
...In short, the Holy Grail War is not a battle to obtain the Holy Grail, but
a ritual to escape to the outside world.
Attempts to reach the outside world.
According to hermeticism, there's a power that governs dimensional
theory outside of this world.
It's called the 'swirl of the origin', and it's a coordinate that's considered
to be the beginning of all things.
It's the start and the end of all creation. It's the seat of God, recording
everything and able to create anything.
"........."
But I really don't care about that.
My father would've understood what a big deal it is, but it doesn't
concern me.
What's possessing Sakura is much more important to me than how it all
started.
"Ilya. I don't care about the real purpose of the war. It has nothing to do
with us, just like you said.
More importantly, tell us about the thing you mentioned earlier."
"It has nothing to do with us!? We're talking about sorcery here! And the
Third Sorcery at that!
It's the taboo out of all taboos that's been kept a secret even within the
association!
If you're a magus, you can't ignore something like this――――"
"I can. ...Man, why do you have the wrong idea, Tohsaka?
This isn't the time to be talking about something that can't succeed
anyway."
"C-Can't succeed? What are you basing that on?"
"Hey now. I don't know why, but the Holy Grail War has never had a
victor. That means there's something wrong with the ritual.
...First of all, how will you explain what's happening to Sakura? If the
Holy Grail's a path to reach sorcery, does that mean Sakura's like that
because of sorcery?"
Maybe I convinced her, because she shuts her mouth.
"So, Ilya. Why did the Holy Grail War turn out like this?
Kotomine said there's something in the Holy Grail.
So is this that Avenger thing? And he's not in the Holy Grail, Sakura or
Ilya, but in the magic circle you called the Great Holy Grail?"
"Oh, Kotomine would know, wouldn't he?
He's a magus tainted by Avenger, just like Sakura. He already knows
what's inside the Holy Grail."
"Eh...? Kotomine and Sakura are the same...?"
"That's right. This concerns you two.
This is about what Zouken's trying to obtain, what's changing Sakura,
what's hiding in the Holy Grail, and what's tainting the souls of the
heroic spirits.
Its class name is Avenger.
The heroic spirit that's about to take a living form through the power of
the Holy Grail, a successful example of the Third Sorcery."
"...What? What was all that about sorceries not having to do with this? It
does concern them."
"No. Avenger's materialization isn't sorcery carried out by the Holy
Grail. From the start, it is a heroic spirit with that specific attribute.
It can take form within the Holy Grail because it's Avenger.
The Holy Grail merely summoned an avenger that can use the Third
Sorcery, so it doesn't mean that the Great Holy Grail used the Third
Sorcery."
"......? So in short, it's a monster that can materialize?
It's someone who can embody the Third Sorcery even if the Great Holy
Grail doesn't?"
"Yes. It all started during the third ritual.
The first one was a failure. Einzbern was defeated quickly in the second
war, and in desperation, they summoned a spirit that specialized in
killing."
"They used an old scripture, a foreign folklore they obtained, as catalyst
to summon the worst evil possible.
They summoned what they shouldn't have summoned to kill all the other
Masters, to activate the Great Holy Grail, and to keep all the
achievement to themselves.
――――The spirit's name is Angra Manyu.
A murderous anti-hero that embodies every curse in this world."
"――――Angra... Manyu?"
...Hold on.
Angra Manyu is the name of the ancient Persian devil.
It's the embodiment of evil, the greatest devil in Zoroastrianism. It fights
a nine-thousand-year battle againts Ahura Mazda, protector of human
goodness.
Zoroastrianism is a story mainly about the battle between these two
gods. It's the first religion to come up with the doctrine of duality, the
angels and the devil.
But the story contains no hero named Angra Manyu.
First of all, how can someone crowned with the name of the king of
devils become a heroic spirit?
"That's not possible, Ilya. The Holy Grail can only call on heroic spirits,
and you don't need the Holy Grail if you can reproduce phenomena on
the divine spirit level.
No, first of all, there can't be a heroic spirit with the name Angra Manyu.
Even if there was, it would be a nameless evil spirit that left no mark on
history. Even if it were summoned, its soul wouldn't be compatible with
the Holy Grail."
"...Ilya. What did the Einzberns' Master summon?"
"I said Angra Manyu, Rin.
...He was certainly nameless, and not a devil. But a hero with the name
Angra Manyu did exist."
"...Yes, the story takes place a long time ago. Insanely long ago, in a
very small world.
It was a hero that lived in a small, nameless village that practiced
Zoroastrianism."
"I don't know how distorted their doctrine was.
I don't know what led them to that idea.
But they lived cleanly and righteously in accordance with their precepts.
People are supposed to value goodness, protect the light, and live
virtuous lives.
For these people, segregated from the rest of the world, this supplication
was absolute. It was probably the only source of human pride that they
knew."
"――――Yes.
The people in the village earnestly wished for everyone to live in peace.
So everyone could be free from malice and live pure, upright lives.
They renounced such human concerns as hunger, conflict, love, and
hate. They were proud to be worthy of God's blessing."
"But it was impossible.
People can't be freed from malice just through clean, righteous living.
From the moment we are born, there is evil in us. You must take certain
measures if you want to separate evil from yourself.
And――――those measures were taken."
"They came up with a way to save not just their small village, but the
whole world.
It's hard to make everyone do good.
But you can prove everyone's goodness.
...You just need one person.
If one person embodies all the evils of the world, the rest of the people
cannot be evil, no matter what.
They seriously believed in such a simple, child-like theory."
"And one young man was chosen as a sacrifice.
They captured him, carved every cursed word onto his body, forced
every sin imaginable upon him, and held him responsible for all evils in
the world.
That's all.
A small world. But an ultimate evil was born in this one complete
world."
"The people cursed, scorned, feared, yet adored this man.
They believed they were pure and righteous, since all the world's evil
was within him.
They seriously believed it'd save everyone in the world and created a
devil.
To demonstrate human goodness, they continuously tortured one man
until he went insane.
No, they would not allow him to die until he succumbed to old age."
"...The name of the devil that corrupts men.
He was given the name Angra Manyu, and was irrationally hated by
everyone in the world."
"I don't know if he really did turn into a devil during the process.
But everyone in his village believed him to be so, and they treated him
accordingly. They hated and feared him, but he was the proof of their
goodness. They revered him as the sign of their salvation."
"He was the object of everyone's hate, but he saved people.
His existence pardoned everyone of their evil deeds.
Though his method was unusual, he still saved people.
He became a hero for the villagers."
"And a hero was born.
Hated by people, losing his self... Someone who transformed into
exactly what they wanted. A helpless sacrifice that came to represent all
the world's evil."
"―――That's the anti-hero Angra Manyu.
An ordinary person without any special talent that was determined to be
all evils of the world.
The king of devils that approves of all six billion evils in Zoroastrianism.
He's a curse made by a concept of ancient people."
Ilya finishes her story with no sign of bitterness or contempt.
...Anti-hero.
Kotomine introduced me to the term when the war started.
"............"
...But.
If Ilya's story is true, the guy who turned into Angra Manyu is still
burdened with all the sins.
It's because that's his reason of existence.
A heroic spirit who's had six billion sins pushed onto him.
...If a guy like that is summoned, all that'll happen is a big massacre.
It'd only be natural for him to hate people, and first of all, everyone
around him established him to be evil.
...Angra Manyu.
So the man is using Sakura to take revenge on the people... no, to carry
out the role people pushed onto him?
"So I understand the story of Avenger... Angra Manyu.
But why is he in the Holy Grail? He's just an ordinary person, right?
Even if he's given a devil's name and treated like one, he's still just a
human.
That wouldn't turn him into a monster capable of eating the entire
town."
"...Yeah. Angra Manyu is human. He was just an ordinary man, but was
forced to become a heroic spirit. So there wasn't any problem,
originally."
"...The Einzbern family summoned Angra Manyu in the third war.
But the summoned heroic spirit was weak.
The anti-hero was defeated in the early stage of the war, and the Holy
Grail took him in. The Master of Einzbern grieved how this ordinary
human could be a devil that destroys the human world."
"...Yes. The heroic spirit was merely human.
A human that cursed the world.
A human who everyone wanted to represent their evil.
...So he had no power. He was merely constructed by the people around
him.
But everything reversed the instant he was taken in by the Holy Grail."
"The Holy Grail grants wishes.
When defeated, Servants are reduced to raw magical energy and are
taken in by the Holy Grail to await their release. They lose their
individual personalities and stay in the Holy Grail as an omnipotent
power.
But Angra Manyu was different. He was a heroic spirit that others
wished for. He was intended to be evil, regardless of his personality."
"――――No way. Could he..."
"Yes. The Holy Grail grants every wish.
He was a mere human, but wasn't treated as one. So he was an
embodiment of people's wishes.
So―――the instant Angra Manyu was taken in by the Holy Grail, the
Holy Grail accepted a wish."
"An existence that should not be.
The heroic spirit constructed from people's selfish wishes was finally
given flesh within the wish-granting Holy Grail.
...Five hundred years under the Makiri and a thousand under the
Einzbern are nothing.
After all, he's an ideal human that has been wished for since the age of
gods, over two thousand years ago."
"That's what that shadow is. It finally obtained form as a heroic spirit.
Angra Manyu used Servants' colorless magical energy to embody all
evils of the world.
Wanting only to be evil.
It slowly matured with an ability to curse all six billion people."
"―――Then what? The contents of the Holy Grail have already been
tainted by him? The wish the Holy Grail grants is already determined,
and the fourth war took place only to store up the magical energy needed
to give him form?"
"Yes. I don't know how much Kiritsugu knew about Angra Manyu.
But believing the shadow leaking from it to be dangerous, he destroyed
the Holy Grail."
"And his course of action was right.
No matter what the previous Angra Manyu was, the Angra Manyu that
formed inside the Holy Grail is real. It will become the greatest evil in
the world, a devil that will kill every human being alive."
"But thanks to Kiritsugu's resolve, Angra Manyu was left unborn within
the Great Holy Grail.
Kotomine and Sakura received parts of it.
Zouken must've known that a Servant was about to be born in the Holy
Grail.
That's why he implanted a piece of it in Sakura, creating a link between
her and that Servant.
He made Sakura a Master so that she can control the Servant once it
emerges."
"No matter what Avenger is, it's still a Servant. No Servant, no matter
how strong, can disobey his Master.
That's Zouken's plan. He wants to use Sakura to obtain Angra Manyu."
――――Hold on.
Does that mean Sakura has a contract with this Servant, Avenger?
"Are you serious? Even if Sakura controls Angra Manyu that way, she
can't resist the taint of the magical energy.
She's already changed that much when Angra Manyu is still inside the
Holy Grail, so her personality will disappear completely once it comes
out. Then being a Master won't matter."
"That's fine. Zouken isn't worried about Sakura's personality. What
matters to him is her body and its connection to Angra Manyu."
"He's planning to take over her empty body after her personality
disappears.
...I don't think you know, but Zouken can take over anyone's body as
long as the worm bearing his soul exists. That's how he stayed alive until
now.
From the start, Sakura was just a body to eventually possess."
――――Then what?
The thing possessing Sakura.
If what's changing her is a contract with a Servant――――
"Zouken kidnapped me, probably because he didn't want to let Sakura
open the gate.
He wanted me to take the role of the Holy Grail, allowing him to take
over Sakura's body once she became Angra Manyu's Master."
"I guess he plans to take over Angra Manyu in time, since a soul given
flesh is a living example of the Third Sorcery. It's like speaking ill of a
perfect God because you're a human with desires."
"......The definition of God's creation... It's something that's made from
people's wishes, but not affected by people's intentions.
Well, I bet any god will turn into a devil if it reflects Zouken's
personality. That must be why Kotomine considered him his enemy."
"I get it. That's enough, right, Shirou?"
"――――Huh?"
Tohsaka's voice brings me back to the present.
"It's not 'huh'. We know our enemy, and we know Zouken's intention.
Then we don't even need to talk about the rest."
"――――――――"
...We don't even need to talk about the rest, huh?
She's right.
What's in the Holy Grail.
The disaster from ten years ago will be repeated if he comes out.
...No, that's an understatement.
He'll kill countless people if we let him be.
―――Yes.
Sakura's creation will take many lives.
"――――――――"
I can't allow that.
Then I have to stop it.
I have to make whatever sacrifices I can to keep Sakura from being
burdened with more deaths.
――――Stop Angra Manyu.
I have to end the war before he emerges from the Holy Grail.
"I guess you understand now. We have to fight and win.
And there are only two ways to do this.
Kill Sakura, Angra Manyu's Master, before he comes out. Or destroy the
Great Holy Grail before he comes out."
"...The former's the more certain method.
Sakura and Zouken will surely get in our way if we try to destroy the
Great Holy Grail. We won't be able to do it without defeating them.
So it's easiest to defeat Sakura."
"Yeah. Fight Sakura and separate her from Angra Manyu. That's the
easiest way, and the plan's easy to understand."
"Oh. You have no problem with going after her?"
"...That's the only thing we can manage right now. If Angra Manyu is
what Ilya says it is, it's not something humans can match. We lose the
instant it comes out.
Then we have to take the quickest and surest route.
More importantly, Tohsaka. I don't mind fighting, but do you know
where Sakura is?"
"That's not a problem. If Ilya's right, there's only one place the Great
Holy Grail can be. Right, Ilya?"
"...Yes, you're right, Rin.
Angra Manyu is about to be born, so Zouken is at the Great Holy Grail.
The degraded ley line. The origin that was chosen by the three families
two hundred years ago.
Angra Manyu is being conceived in the large cavern underneath the
Ryudou Temple."
"――――Under the Ryudou Temple..."
...That's where Sakura is.
That's where we'll be heading, the place where the Holy Grail War will
end.
"........."
I take a deep breath and allow my tense mind to relax slightly.
The cold pendant in my hand settles my thoughts.
"――――――――"
Fighting Sakura.
Tohsaka isn't lying.
It's just that our methods are different.
Tohsaka must intend to finish the war by killing Sakura.
But I'll end the war by saving Sakura's life―――
".....!?"
My body trembles.
The house is beset by pressure, making the air feel like water.
And...
"Sakura――――!"
The instant we realize the pressure's coming from the shadow, we run
out into the yard.
――――We go out into the yard.
The whole world is covered by the shadow.
My entire body is numb with fear.
...The black shadow is standing in front of us.
It can crush this house if it wants to.
The difference in our power is obvious.
It has transfigured to an existence that's unlike anything I've ever seen.
"..............."
...The black shadow does nothing.
It's not Sakura, but a shadow shaped like her.
The real Sakura is under the Ryudou Temple.
The thing in front of us is a virtual image.
"――――Hmph. So you're sending the shadow instead of showing up
yourself? You've gotten arrogant during the short time you've been
away."
"........."
Does she not hear Tohsaka's provocation, or does she not hear anything
at all?
Wavering in the moonlight, her shadow looks lonely.
"........."
Her eyes look at me.
'Senpai'.
Weak, as if she'll reply like always if I just reach out.
"――――――――"
But I don't.
What I must do is determined.
I can't say anything to her, as doing so would weaken my resolve.
She looks away.
After hanging her head for a moment,
"Did you hear the whole story from Ilyasviel, Nee-san?"
She confronts Tohsaka with a cold voice.
"Yeah. I heard about what's possessing you and the abilities of what's
about to be born from the Holy Grail.
So, Sakura. Let me ask. Do you have any intention of cutting ties with
Angra Manyu?"
Tohsaka's voice is the same.
Completely cold, showing no concern for Sakura.
"No. I said the weak me disappeared, didn't I? I was able to obtain this
power, so I don't intend to let it go. I couldn't even if I wanted to.
...This is how Matou Sakura has to live from now on."
"I see. Then one more thing.
How complete is the Servant you're boasting about? Ilya said it's coming
out soon, but what do you have to say as the mother? Is it already
born?"
"...Of course not. When that happens, this town will be consumed in a
second.
I can't allow that yet. Senpai's still here.
So I won't let him out as long as I still exist."
"Oh, so there's no reason for us to hurry, huh? So you're going to keep
Angra Manyu inside as long as Shirou's with me?
That's good, Shirou. Sakura seems well enough."
"...Don't be ridiculous. You should know how much longer I'm going to
last.
Please run away with Senpai. I won't last long. I don't know when I'll
disappear. I might only be able to hold out for one night."
"So I'm warning you before that.
...Nee-san. Please take Senpai and run far away. Then I can be at peace
and take his life with mine."
Sakura says she's going to kill him using her life.
Tohsaka trembles a bit.
Is that because she believes her, or...
"...Humph. You don't know when you're going to disappear, huh?
You're wrong. You just don't know when you'll run out of patience."
"――――Nee-san."
"Oh well. I don't know how you're going to kill Angra Manyu, but you
can kill yourself without hesitation if I run away with Shirou?
You'll kill the Servant within the Holy Grail along with you, right?"
"...Y-Yes. So please run away.
I-I don't want you to see me change. It's fine as long as Senpai gets
away.
So――――please don't come after me anymore, Senpai."
She's desperately begging us.
Sakura's shadow can kill us right now, but it asks for salvation by letting
us go.
"――――――――"
But I can't answer her wish.
I can't leave Sakura and run away, nor can I let her kill herself along
with Angra Manyu.
And...
"We'll go there. We'll go and kill you for sure."
Tohsaka breaks away from her sister.
"Wha―――――――"
"What did you expect? As Tohsaka's magus, I can't ignore you. And I
can't believe you even if you say you'll kill yourself.
Don't you get it, Sakura? You're not making any sense. You want to kill,
but you're telling me to run.
Geez, you're trying to act like a good girl because you're in front of
Shirou."
"...What?"
"Oh, you can make a good face. That's what you should've done from
the start.
So, is that all? Then get lost. You don't have to hurry since we'll go see
you right away.
Look, Sakura. I'll kill you with my own hands."
Tohsaka declares with voice that even contains kindness.
...The shadow wavers.
After freezing on the spot like a statue...
"Yes――――I'll be waiting for you, Nee-san."
...It smiles violently and disappears.
The shadow covering the house recedes.
Tohsaka and I are the only ones remaining in the yard.
――――I get dizzy.
I thought I was concentrating, but it seems I was agitated after seeing
Sakura's image.
...It seems Sakura's not the only one that's running out of time.
"――――Shirou.
You heard what Sakura said. But what're you going to do?
If you want to run, I won't stop you. But if you do, that'll be after you
project the gem sword."
"You don't have to confirm with me. I won't run away, and I'll somehow
project the gem sword.
We're cooperating, right? Then I'll follow up by doing things you can't
do."
"...I see. That's good, but do you understand, Shirou?
Coming with me means killing Sakura. The same goes for the gem
sword. You're going to prepare a weapon that I will use to kill her."
"...Yeah. The gem sword thing is contradictory. But Sakura's out of our
control, and projecting the sword is a promise we made. If projecting the
sword means we can match Sakura's shadow, then it's something we
definitely need to do."
"Oh. So..."
"Yeah, I'm taking the opposite measure. I'm going to end this war by
saving Sakura. I've decided to be Sakura's ally."
"Even if letting Sakura live means killing everyone else?"
"We don't know that yet. There should be a way to save Sakura and not
let there be any more victims."
"...I don't know about that. Sakura's already killed many people. Is it
justice for you to save such a person, Shirou?"
――――Her inquiry is decisive.
A sin I can't talk myself out of.
She puts it into words, and I finally...
"―――That's right. I'll protect her even if she's not human. I'm going to
protect her from everything, including the part of her that wants to kill
me.
That's all I want to do. That's what it means to be someone's ally, right?"
...I'm able to tell her what I think.
"......Geez. You really can just come out and say it."
I nod back, feeling no shame.
"......I see. Well, I knew there was no point in arguing with you, but I
didn't think it'd go this far.
You beat me."
"Huh? Where are you going, Tohsaka?"
"I have to go prepare for the battle.
Sakura gave us that warning because she really doesn't have time to
spare. So I have to get ready quickly."
"That's true, but we were talking――――"
"We're done talking now. In short, you're going to save Sakura as long as
you're still alive, right?
...Hmph. Fine, do as you want. I'm not going to say anything now. Go
struggle to your heart's content."
"Hm...?"
Where did her nervousness go? Tohsaka looks angry now.
"But don't get me wrong. This is in exchange for making the gem
sword.
I'll leave you in charge of Sakura as long as you're trying. I won't do
anything until you can't move anymore.
...That's good, right? You might be able to save Sakura, if you try hard
enough."
Tohsaka leaves with that.
"........."
The uneasiness in my chest goes away.
We're thinking oppositely.
But Tohsaka still wants to save Sakura.
Then I can entrust her with Sakura.
We both like her.
Then Tohsaka should be able to save Sakura.
It's ten o'clock.
Tohsaka said we'll prepare for battle and go to the Ryudou Temple
before the date changes.
"Well. I'm going to have you project the gem sword, but how do you
feel? Can you project it while suppressing Archer's arm?"
"Oh――――"
...I see.
Ilya hasn't told her how I took the Shroud off.
"Well――――um, yeah..."
"Oh, that's good to hear. Then the rest is up to Shirou and Ilya.
The Azoth Sword, which is as close as we're going to get to the gem
sword, Shirou's projection, and Ilya's support. We may not be able to
replicate it, but if all goes well, we should at least be able to reproduce
half of its original ability."
Tohsaka hands me a dagger.
"........."
The dagger is a ritualistic equipment.
It might be something she favors, as it looks well-used.
Not only that. Even an amateur like me can feel how much magical
energy is stored in this thing.
...Well, this is nothing compared to the shadow, but it's still a hundred
times more than my magical energy capacity.
"...This is amazing. You had something like this up your sleeve?"
"Of course it's amazing. I used all the jewels I had, which contained ten
years worth of magical energy."
Tohsaka sulks, like she didn't want to use them.
...She seems generous, but maybe she's really stingy when it comes to
money.
Well, with that aside...
"Hmm, but is that really okay, Tohsaka? You don't have any left for
yourself if you've used everything you have, right? I know you're still
not fully recovered, so can you still fight?"
"Well, I can manage to move around. But I haven't healed to the point
where I can use magic again."
"Wait――――then..."
"You don't need to worry. It's fine as long as you can project the gem
sword. The sword has absurd powers said to have even stopped the
'falling moon'."
"...?"
I don't get what she means, but Tohsaka has great confidence.
...Well, if she's so sure of herself, I won't worry either.
"Let's start, Shirou. It'll take a long time to project that sword, even for
you. We have to get started or the date'll change."
"You're right. Then let's go back to your room. If we're not someplace
where you can relax, our chances are lower."
Tohsaka heads back to the living room.
"Oh, hold on. I'll do the projection in the shed.
And I want to be alone with Ilya while I do it, so can you wait in your
room?"
"Why? I have to be there in case something happens, right?"
"There's no need. It's a bother if you're here.
Shirou gets distracted easily, so we might fail if you fall and get his
attention when it counts the most."
"...Hey, that's rude, Ilya."
Tohsaka complains with a sour look.
She's not arguing back, maybe because she can't deny the possibility that
she'll screw up at a crucial moment.
"...All right. Then I'll wait outside the shed. Is that all right, Ilya?"
"...I guess it can't be helped. That's the biggest compromise we can
make."
"Rin. Don't come in until I tell you to if you want us to reproduce the
gem sword. I'll call for you if something's about to happen, so please
stay outside until then no matter what."
"You're being persistent. I said I understand. I won't come in even if I
hear Shirou scream."
"........."
It doesn't really matter, but I wish she'd picked a better example.
"Well, let's go, Shirou."
Ilya goes into the shed.
I decide to ask Tohsaka something before I follow.
"Tohsaka. Can I have this sword?"
"...? You're going to be projecting using that. The Azoth Sword will go
away once the gem sword's projected."
"Yeah. You can have the gem sword, so can I have this in return?
See, this might break if I fail. I can't concentrate, thinking how you
might get angry if I break this."
"...Geez. Fine. You can have the Azoth Sword if that'll help you relax."
"Thanks. Then I'm going to go do my best."
...I shut the door.
I can't let Tohsaka see this.
I'm sure she won't stop me now, but she'll definitely feel responsible.
If I'm to smooth this out, I have to tell her I used it after everything is
over and get retroactive approval.
"...Are you ready, Shirou? You've released Archer's arm already, so I
don't need to explain the steps, right?"
I nod.
Ilya tells me to sit down, and I do so.
"But Ilya. I can only project what I've seen or what Archer made. I have
no information on the gem sword. I can't project it even if we have a
blueprint and a dagger that's just like it."
"I know. I'll first have you come inside my memory. I haven't seen it
either, but the record of the gem sword is in me.
Tohsaka's great master was there when the Great Holy Grail was made.
I'm sure the sword was there at that time."
"Whoa, Ilya――――"
"Just close your eyes. I'll keep your body here and send your mind
somewhere else. We did this before. I'll send your vision into my
memory, so analyze the gem sword there.
...I'll release your left arm once you're inside. You'll be hit by the
pressure of two hundred years and the invasion from your arm at the
same time. Brace yourself and try to finish the projection as fast as you
can."
"――――――――"
Ilya's voice is trembling.
...Her arms are as well.
"...I'll take you to the gem sword, so you just need to hold your breath.
Clear your mind and don't look at anything unnecessary. You just need to
draw out his Zelretch――――"
――――Space splits.
Is it because all my senses are within her memory...
or is it because my left arm is released?
There's no pain, the cognition of pain doesn't matter now, I'm swallowed
by my injury, I'm falling into a swirling maelstrom of pain.
I don't know where I am.
I don't know who I am.
I don't know what it means.
It's a large circuit.
Multi-layered Crests are carved on a bare rock that's over fifty meters in
radius.
It's like a large observatory, rotating by itself in the deserts of Arizona.
The circuits cover the area in many layers.
The geometric figures turn in place.
A white girl stands in the center of the beautiful spider's nest.
Her name is Lizleihi.
Lizleihi Justizia von Einzbern.
She's the magus that devised the Holy Grail War.
The great magus who was called the winter saint. A magus accompanied
by Makiri Zouken and Tohsaka Nagato.
The Great Holy Grail is activated.
Justizia becomes the key reenacting the ancient sorcery.
Yes. The Holy Grail is just a Holy Grail without her.
Her will is needed for Heavens Feel.
The old man knows as well as Makiri and Tohsaka do that the Holy
Grail is a mere wishbringer.
――――My vision narrows.
The world expands.
I concentrated on something needless. I did, so my body was ripped in
half.
The world is too big for this small body.
I'll eventually see nothing.
The process behind this two-hundred-year-old ritual doesn't matter.
There's only one thing I need to look at.
I concentrate on the man standing in front of the Great Holy Grail. I
concentrate on the dagger in his hand――――
――――That's the original.
A ritual dagger with a jeweled blade.
The kaleidoscopic gleam sears through my eyes and into my brain.
"――――――――, ――――――――"
I understand the instant I see it.
I understand that I can't comprehend it.
All I can imitate is its shape.
I can't analyze its structure and project it.
What kind of a magical theory was it constructed with?
The old man's dagger is still a mystery, even if I use Archer's arm and
every last piece of knowledge in heroic spirit Emiya.
It's alien technology.
The old man is embodying general knowledge from a far future, beyond
the reach of modern man――――
"――――. ――――......!!"
I'm repelled.
I can't be repelled.
I can't reach it.
Not reaching it is unforgivable.
I reach out.
I reach out.
I reach out.
My eyes are burned out, my brains are burned out.
I extend my left arm for dozens of meters, extend, extend,
extend――――――――
"Stop! Come back, Shirou...!"
I hear Ilya's voice.
But I'm not there yet.
I don't even have my fingertips on it.
I can't back out now.
How can I back out after seeing that miracle, the ultimate one...!?
"Give up...! Do you want to disappear, Shirou!?"
Get there――――
Get there―――――――――
Get there――――――――――――
Get there―――――――――――――
―――――――――――――――――――――――
――――――――――――――――――――――
"Haa, ah.......!!!!!!!!"
"Shirou――――!"
Did I jump myself, or was I pushed back by something?
I'm flying, and I land on my back.
"Ha――――ga, ah――――!"
My left arm pain .
My tongue my fingers the trembling won't .
"Ah――――uwa, ah, ah――――!"
.
,.
"Stay ! I'll Shroud !"
"Haa, guh, ah..........!"
A big knife stabs me from the side.
It's so uncomfortable that I repel the one wielding it――――
"Oh... Ouch――――"
And I realize I just punched Ilya.
"......! I-I'm sorry, Ilya, I――――"
She pats dust off herself and gets up.
...Good. She's not hurt.
"I told you not to look at unnecessary things, you idiot!
...Geez, I'll let you off the hook this time since it paid off, but I won't
forgive you if you disobey me again!"
She points at my face as she scolds me.
...Wait.
Feeling something hard in my left hand, I look down.
"――――――――"
......I managed to project it.
It's projected, but it doesn't seem like the one I saw.
First of all, I don't feel any magical energy in this thing.
Tohsaka's Azoth Sword is many times better than this, and this blade
wouldn't cut paper.
"Yup. I have a lot to complain about, but thanks for your hard work,
Shirou. Your projection was perfect. You showed me a flawless blade
works."
"Uh――――I don't know, but is this any good? It looks pretty crappy."
"That's fine as is. The sword is an extraordinary demonic sword that can
only be used by Schweinorg's lineage.
Well, I guess it's fate. Sakura is receiving the protection of the third and
Rin's going to try to use the second. It wouldn't end up as mere
investigation if the Association were here. Every department would be
running to put them on trial."
Ilya laughs.
"...Wow. So this dagger is that amazing?"
"Yeah. To be more accurate, it's a multi-dimensional refractory
phenomenon, Gem Sword Kishua Zelretch Schweinorg.
It's called Gem Sword Zelretch, and it's the old magus's favored sword
and Tohsaka's heirloom."
"But the sword wasn't passed down the Tohsaka line, just the blueprint.
It's an assignment from the sorcerer that the Tohsaka magi must pursue
for a long, long time."
"Assignment from a sorcerer... Wait, the great master Tohsaka was
talking about is a sorcerer...!?"
"Yeah. But Zelretch is an oddball among the sorcerers in that he still
associates himself with this world, so I'm sure he has other apprentices.
I don't think Zelretch is in this world, but he might show up once Rin's
capable of making the gem sword by herself."
"Hmm......?"
He's not in this world, but might appear all of a sudden? Isn't he just a
wanderer that likes to travel?
"――――――――"
――――Whoa.
I let my guard down.
I get dizzy.
I clench my right fist, feel the pendant digging into my torn flesh, and
keep my consciousness.
"――――, ――――"
I steady my breathing so Ilya doesn't notice.
My limbs――――I still feel my limbs.
"――――――――"
......Good.
I thought I'd lose something if I used projection, but I'm not missing
anything yet.
My head's still working.
The biggest proof is that I can check on my condition.
I should be able to use one more projection.
―――No, I have to use it.
I have to save Sakura in a way different from Tohsaka.
Archer's arm will make it poss-
"So means. In short, the sorcery parallel worlds. So his nickname
Kaleidoscope "
"――――Tohsaka?"
" ? , ?"
"――――――――"
I can't understand her.
It's not that I can't hear her. She's just speaking in a language I don't
understand.
She's talking in some strange language and holding something
dangerous in her left hand.
...Tohsaka's holding a sword I've never seen before.
Never seen before?
That can't be.
I projected (I think) that sword just now, and my left hand is empty, so it
must mean I handed it to Tohsaka.
"Shirou? from .
Was the projection ?"
"――――――――"
I get a chill.
My memory's vague.
I can't recall anything.
My understanding and the details don't match up.
"Guh――――, ..........!"
I clench my right hand.
My eyes finally focus in exchange for dripping blood.
"――――Um, Tohsaka."
I get up.
My limbs are light compared to my disconnected head.
They're so light that I think they may be empty inside.
"It's not 'Tohsaka'. Ilya and I will go test it out, so you should
rest―――wait, what's with your hand...!"
Tohsaka grabs me.
Her speed is surprisingly slow, but...
"Eh......? Why do you have this...?"
My mind isn't working, and she has ahold of my hand before I know it.
Tohsaka's looking at the pendant in my palm with astonishment.
I don't know why she's surprised.
But I have this because...
"Shirou. Why do you have this? And are you crazy, holding it this
tight?"
"Why? I just have it as a charm. This is..."
...Something I picked up.
Why did I pick it up?
It's something I shouldn't forget, but I can't remember.
But the stranger in my left arm knows what it is better than I do.
"......Um, it's something important. I have to have it on me until the
end."
Words that are not mine come out of my mouth.
".........
Shirou. I also have that pendant."
"Eh?"
Tohsaka takes out a pendant from her pocket.
It's certainly the same.
It's a simple design for a jewel user like Tohsaka, but I think something
simple like this brings out her beauty.
"Wow, they're the same."
I nod back.
"No. Mine's empty, but there's still a bit left in yours. It's not significant,
but I'm sure there's a meaning behind the usage of it."
"...?"
"Keep that. It might come in handy."
Tohsaka puts her pendant away and walks off with Ilya.
"Hey, Tohsaka. Where are you going?"
"I need to talk to Ilya. I'll let you rest for an hour, so stay in your room.
And I'll get seriously mad if you don't treat your hand right away."
"――――――――"
Tohsaka's bad temper borders on outright hostility.
She takes Ilya, who follows her without a word.
".........Oh well. I guess I'm saved."
I have to find out what happened to me before I start moving around.
I'm still conscious.
I can figure out the situation if I don't let my guard down.
"......So. Why am I here?"
I think about why I'm here in the shed.
Sakura's warning.
Sakura warned us to run, and Tohsaka said she'd fight.
Then―――that's right, we have to go beneath the Ryudou Temple.
"So... Why am I lying in the shed when we have to go to the Ryudou
Temple?"
I'm on the ground.
I realize that I'm inside the shed.
My right hand is hurting.
Thanks to that, my consciousness is back.
"―――――Damn. Pull yourself together, idiot."
I get up and check how my limbs are doing.
...Don't lose spirit.
I'm certainly losing something at hopeless speed.
But it's not fatal.
At the very least, I should be able to fight normally until the day dawns.
"You look terrible. Do you recognize me, Shirou?"
"――――!"
I quickly turn around.
...In the back of the shed...
Shrouded in darkness just beyond the moon's reach, there stands a
Servant in black.
"Rider. You..."
"Yes. I was watching you.
My mission is to protect you, but Sakura is my Master. So long as she is
the one trying to harm you, I can offer you no assistance.
That is why I did not help you in the forest. It was your own fault to be
attacked by Berserker."
Rider explains lightly.
...She speaks without emotion.
It seems she was waiting for me to be alone.
"...I see. Then you came here to..."
"To kill you. You and your allies are Sakura's enemies. Thus, I cannot let
you meet her."
Rider's holding a nail-like dagger.
...I feel her hostility creeping up my spine.
"――――――――!"
Rider's serious.
I――――
"―――――――"
She once asked me...
What was it?
Remember.
It was…
...That's right.
She asked me under the starry sky.
If I'll be on Sakura's side until the very end.
The words I couldn't say to her back then.
I can tell her now with confidence.
"Rider. I understand how much you care for Sakura.
You're stopping me now because Sakura will suffer if you let me go,
right?"
".........Yes. Are you still going to kill Sakura in spite of that?"
"I'm not going to kill her. I'm going to save her.
Rider. I'm going to protect Sakura until the very end. I'm going to choose
Sakura no matter what."
"So―――please lend me your power. Tohsaka and I can't do this alone.
If you care for Sakura, please help us."
"――――――Is that...
Your answer to my question from the other day?"
I nod.
"............Very well.
But I will not fight unless there is a chance to win. What do you expect
of me, Shirou?"
What I expect from Rider?
There's only one thing.
Rider's the only one out of all the Servants that can oppose Saber's
Noble Phantasm, Sakura's strongest card.
"―――I have some questions before that. Can you still use your Noble
Phantasm?"
"Yes. Sakura still supplies me with magical energy."
"Right, next question. Are Servants still spirits even if they take physical
form? So you can't hurt them with normal weapons?"
"...Let's see. A normal Servant will be able to nullify them, but those
consumed by Sakura are another matter.
Having received bodies from Sakura, they cannot return to spiritual
form.
Strong magical weapons should be able to penetrate through their
shadows."
"――――I see, then it's decided. There's a chance of victory, and the
roles are clear.
Rider. I want you to beat Saber one-on-one. To be specific――――"
I whisper in her ear.
...I know nobody's listening, but I'm just making sure.
"――――I see. I can definitely penetrate her guard with that.
It is a pure contest of power. Nothing is left to chance."
"Right? ...Well, if there is a problem..."
"It is your skill and my trust in you."
I nod.
Rider puts a finger to her mouth, thinking...
"Fair enough. I shall trust you and accept you as my temporary master."
...And agrees with a smile that takes me by surprise.
The clock strikes midnight.
It's twelve o'clock, the promised time.
I wrap the Azoth sword with cloth and tuck it under my arm.
This is my only weapon. The only other thing I'm taking is the pendant.
"Shirou, Rin's calling for you. She's waiting outside, so she wants to
meet up there as soon as you're ready."
Ilya's going to stay here.
It's partly because Zouken's after her, but I'm also having her stay here
because she's my hope.
"I see. So she's out there, huh?"
"Yeah. She looked like she wanted you to come quickly, so she'll
probably scold you again if you don't hurry."
"――――――――"
I nod and get up.
There's no pain in my left arm now.
It's just that my human functionality is eroding.
I can't tell what I'm doing if I stand still.
"Then I'm going. Be careful, Ilya."
"See you, Shirou. Please come home with Sakura and Rin before the day
breaks."
I wave goodbye to her and leave.
The house is dead quiet.
Ten years.
Many things happened here, and I have a lot of memories.
This just happened recently.
A morning scene that was part of my life for a year and a half.
The shed is dead quiet.
It's my small workshop that I frequented like my room.
Here I trained hard every night, hoping to be like Kiritsugu.
She'd wake me up from time to time when I slept in.
It feels like it happened long ago, but I even remember how the air
smelled.
The room is dead quiet.
A room that was only used for the past couple days.
I don't have many memories here.
Only Sakura comes to mind.
"――――――Man."
I sigh and lean against the wall.
I can't remember.
I can't remember what happened in this house or all the things I did.
But still.
Sakura's face comes to my mind just by walking to these places.
"――――Wow. I..."
...She really means a lot to me.
My consciousness is fading, and my memory is a mess.
The ten years in this house are ambiguous in my head.
But―――I can still remember.
I can clearly remember Sakura, no matter what part of me goes away.
"――――――――――――"
I take a deep breath.
What must be done has been determined from the start.
"All right――――let's go, Sakura."
Taking a firm grip on my consciousness, I leave Sakura's room.
There's nothing left.
We once made a promise here.
We knew it wouldn't come true, but we encouraged each other.
I'll do it again now.
What was that small hope used for?
Day 16 (FINAL):
INTERLUDE BEGIN
――――It's an altar enshrining the stars.
The fire blazes up as if to connect the heaven and the earth.
The flickering fire illuminates the dark cave,
and singes the surrounding dome.
But this can't be a proper enshrinement.
It's said to connect to the sky, but the heavens are still underground.
And the shining light isn't red, but black.
The air's impure, the wind's stagnant, and the drops of water on the walls
are colored like poison.
The underground kingdom that's said to be the dragon's lair actually
looks like the dragon's stomach.
No human would come here.
The only ones to come and honor this alien world are serpents fleeing
from the light.
"Guh――――"
A white skull coughs in this alien world.
The one tinted by dark red light is the one who lost his Master, the
Servant Assassin.
"―――This is the end. I cannot maintain my body without a supply of
magical energy."
The white skull creeps across the wall.
A girl stands before him.
Swathed in a black curse, she blankly stares at the oncoming figure.
"――――I finally made it.
Magus. I cannot see you, but are you still alive?"
He stops five meters in front of the girl.
Sticking to the wall like a spider, Assassin speaks into empty space.
"――――Yes. Glad you could make it back, Assassin."
And the call reaches him.
The voice of the old magus echoes through the empty chamber.
The old man who was killed by Kotomine Kirei still lives in this
underground kingdom.
It's natural.
The one killed in the forest was just a collection of worms.
The main body of the old magus, the host that contains his soul, is
sleeping in the safest place on earth.
Even the priest's holy words cannot kill him unless the main body is
destroyed.
"But having my limbs destroyed got me. I cannot make magical energy
to send to you. And it is too much of a bother to go find a new body
above ground.
...Hm, this will burden her, but it is about time. Sakura, make a contract
with Assassin. You need a new bodyguard now that Berserker is
defeated."
The voice echoes.
The girl clad in black curse――――Matou Sakura doesn't answer.
Ignoring the one who has absolute control over her, she looks off blankly
into space.
"...What are you doing, Sakura? Are you disobeying me?"
The irritated voice also contains danger.
The old man is irritated.
He's angry that she lost Ilyasviel and Berserker.
"―――Sakura. I will ask you one more time. Are you going to defy
me?"
Cold scorn.
The girl has never disobeyed this voice.
It's not fear, but submission to his absolute controlling power.
The girl does fear the old man.
Moreover, the girl cannot disobey him.
Because her heart is...
"―――Hold, magus. Perhaps there is no intelligence left in her. She has
such a great power within her; it's not something a weak girl can
withstand."
"―――Hm?"
His irritation disappears.
...A gentle silence.
The sounds of worms crawling fills the hell lit by black flame.
"Hm. It seems that way. I thought she would last a while, but the end
came rather quickly."
The old magus sounds disappointed, yet happy.
The girl doesn't answer.
Her mind has been swallowed by darkness.
"Then――――you will take the girl as planned?"
"Do not put it like that. It is not as planned. It cannot be helped. Matou
Sakura's mind disappeared. So there is nothing left that can control the
monster.
So although I know it is brutal, I must take over my empty
granddaughter."
A laugh.
Coming from the girl's throat.
Rising from her throat... is the old man's laughter.
"Then please hurry. My body is disappearing. I will disappear unless I
am quickly supplied with magical energy."
"Very well. I shall start.
...My, this is disappointing, Sakura. You raised it to that degree. I wanted
to give you the glory of obtaining the Holy Grail, but it cannot be
helped.
If you must curse someone, curse yourself. The ritual did not succeed in
time because you let Ilyasviel go."
A gritting sound.
A worm squirms to swap her head.
It isn't visible.
There are no worms on the girl's body.
―――It's not on the outside...
It's a distorted thought that creeps up from her heart.
Worm-user, Matou Zouken.
His main body, the host of his rotting soul, is a false nerve hidden within
Matou Sakura's heart.
"Hah, her body hasn't changed yet, but I am not one to complain. I shall
now take your flesh as my own.
Farewell, Sakura. You've endured more than I expected from an
experiment. You have done well to please me...!"
A sound of writhing blood vessels.
Matou Zouken's spirit orders his main body to eat the girl's brain.
――――But.
"There's no need for that, Grandfather. I'm fine."
The girl puts her hand on her chest and wakes up.
"Oh. I thought it had consumed you, but you still persist? ......Hm.
Sakura. The circumstances have changed, and I can no longer maintain
Assassin.
It will burden you, but form a contract with him."
The old magus gives her an order.
But the girl shakes her head in refusal.
"――――What? What do you mean?"
"I told you already, Grandfather. There's no need for that."
An ice-cold voice.
At that instant.
A vast darkness swallows the white skull on the wall.
"Gi――――!?"
"Wha――――!?"
The surprise comes too late.
The assassin's body is compressed in an instant, his mask the only part
not crushed.
"Gah――――ah, ahhhhhhhhhhhhh!?"
The mask falls.
Under the white skull...
The face that should be there is a skull, just like the mask.
"......Fufu. Oh, I wondered what sort of face you had, but you had none
to begin with.
You didn't hide your face, but wore the mask to make people think a face
lay beneath it. Such a disappointment."
"Gi―――Girl, you―――"
"You lost your face and name, but you still wanted eternity? ...But how
unfortunate. If you seek eternity, you should've sought to live forever
like my grandfather.
The Holy Grail can't go back into the past and regain your name."
"Disappear, old man of the mountain. You're nothing but an assassin.
You can't become the one and only Hassan."
"Gi, giaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa―――!"
Even his death cry is swallowed by the shadow.
The white skulled assassin is swallowed by the girl's shadow.
"Guh―――are you insane!? What are you doing, fool...!?"
His panic is akin to fury.
Is he surprised, or―――is he frightened?
In response to the old man's scream, the girl smiles.
"He attacked Senpai twice.
That's why I killed him. I'm the only one allowed to hurt him."
"Wha――――"
"And Grandfather. You don't need to be protected by him anymore. So
we have to give him leave."
And then...
She sticks her finger into her heart and pulls out a worm that was deep
within her nerves.
"――――!!!!"
How do you describe the fear, the terror?
She gouged her heart and tore her nerves, but still smiles.
"W――――What, what are you doing, Sakura――――"
The worm wriggles.
The girl stares with empty eyes at her grandfather, what used to be her
grandfather, what seems to have been her grandfather.
"Oh. It was easier than I expected. I thought you would be bigger."
No. Actually, Matou Zouken's true body wasn't this small.
The old magus switched his main body when he planted himself in her
heart.
To inhabit her heart, he had to be smaller than a heart.
In retrospect, his strange preference was his downfall.
"Sakura―――Sakura, don't tell me..."
"I should thank the priest. I would've been swallowed if he hadn't
eliminated you."
She sees through his plan.
No, this outcome was inevitable.
The old magus didn't even try to hide his intentions, and the girl didn't
disobey him.
So there was no problem.
She was just a piece of flesh that the old magus would eventually take
over.
Until she betrayed him.
"H―――Hold on, hold on, hold on, hold on...!!
No, no, Sakura...! Possessing you is my last resort. I shall entrust you
with the gate as long as you are still conscious. All I want is for the
Matou bloodline to prosper.
All I want is for you to win and obtain everything...!"
The worm squirms around.
The girl smiles at the trash in her fingers.
"All the better, then. I don't need your help anymore. I can open the gate
by myself."
The impossible occurs.
The old magus only made one mistake.
"――――! Wait, wait, please, Sakura...!
This has all been for you...!
And this is how you repay me――――"
"Goodbye, Grandfather.
It must've been tiring to crawl about underground for two hundred years,
right?
―――You can disappear now."
The old man has raised her too much.
Believing her to be pure, he never noticed the darkness within.
...The girl's the only one left at the altar.
The swaying black fire rejoices at the independence of the girl that
embodies it.
"―――――――Fuh."
The girl stares at the blood on her hand,
"Fufu――――Fufu, ahahahahahahaha――――"
And laughs like an empty puppet.
INTERLUDE END
There's no reception.
The Ryudou Temple hides in the dark, emitting alien powers like a
crouching giant.
There must be wind blowing far above me.
If I strain my ears, I can hear it howling.
"...I feel a power from atop the stairs. It seems something is being
created in the pond behind the compound."
"No, we don't have any business there. The gate above must be the
ostensible gate for the Masters that want the Holy Grail. ...If we want the
Great Holy Grail, we have to go down instead of up."
Tohsaka walks away from the stairs into the forest.
"...Are you all right, Rider? There's a boundary field around the Ryudou
Temple, right? I heard Servants can only go in from the front gate."
"...I feel some strain, but this is tolerable.
This area contains the most suitable ley line in the land. Once we get
inside, I can recover by drawing mana from the air."
"I see. It must be tough, but please bear with us for a bit."
We push our way through the tree branches.
There's not even an animal trail over the mountain, so we even have to
climb down rock walls.
"Hm―――it should be around here, according to Ilya... Do you see
anything like an entrance, Shirou?"
"What do you mean, 'like'?"
"Like a crack in a rock that we can slip through, or a suspicious-looking
shrine. It's an entrance, so I don't think it'd just be a pit."
"...Don't be ridiculous. The stars are out, but I can't see anything in a
forest at night――――"
...Oh, I can.
We must be behind the temple, because I see many dead trees.
There's no sign of human influence. There's nothing here but dead trees
and a small stream.
"...Small stream?"
Hold on.
That means the water's coming from somewhere.
"...Rider. There's a bunch of rocks above the stream, right?
It's too dark for me to see, but is that a cave?"
"―――――Please do not turn around, Shirou."
I hear a small metallic sound.
Rider must've taken off her restraint.
"......Yes. It's a natural cave, but you should just be able to fit through. It
looks like the path ends about a meter in, but I sense a magical
camouflage."
"I see, thanks. ―――Tohsaka. I guess there is something like it."
We pick our way down to the stream.
...It's more like a spring flowing out from the rocks.
The stones are piled atop one another where it starts. There's a crack big
enough for one person to fit through.
It's like a snow hut made from rocks.
You can see that a huge boulder is blocking the entrance, so nobody
would even try to go in it.
"――――This is it. You can pass through the rock."
Tohsaka walks into the darkness without turning around.
"Please go ahead. I shall protect your back."
I nod and enter the darkness.
The sound of scraping on a hard surface.
I progress down the wet rock using my hands.
The ground slopes steeply downward.
...The weight of the darkness is stifling.
Unless I keep my back to the ground as I move, I might fall into the
endless dark.
"........."
I lay flat on my back as I slowly descend.
......It's dark, and I can't tell how far down this path goes.
My breathing echoes in my ears.
"Shirou. I'm going to ask you now."
...Then.
Tohsaka, the one leading the way, suddenly speaks up.
"What?"
"The gem sword. Why did you make it for me?"
She sounds blunt, as if she's just asking to kill time while we're
descending.
"Why ask?"
"―――I've told you I'm planning to kill Sakura.
Can you really give me a weapon, knowing that?"
"―――――――"
I nod in agreement.
Well, Tohsaka certainly has a point.
"I'm not okay with that. But I can't save Sakura without you. It's better to
have two people instead of one.
And projecting the sword was a promise.
I couldn't keep one of my promises with you, so I wanted to keep the
other."
It happened a long time ago.
I asked for Tohsaka's help after I lost Saber.
Tohsaka responded to my call for help, and I made a promise with her.
To let her win.
I promised to make her the victor.
...I can't keep that promise anymore.
So I have to keep the other promise with her.
For the girl I used to admire...
For Tohsaka Rin, who believed in someone who had nothing at the
time.
"I see. You're pretty faithful."
"Yeah, but not as much as you."
Silence returns to the darkness.
The conversation ends.
We continue our descent without looking at each other.
A long path that seems to lead to hell.
The path spirals downward, and just as I'm thinking we're over a
hundred meters underground...
The dark cave changes completely, welcoming us.
The path that could only accomodate one person widens up and leads
on.
There's no need for light.
The cave is lit by a dim green glow, probably from some kind of
luminous moss.
The path is saturated with life force.
It feels too lively.
An air of birth, filled with vigor and the joy of life.
An immense amount of odo, and mana so strong that it's almost visible.
"――――――――"
It makes me want to vomit.
The warmth of life should be dazzling, but instead it's something rotten,
making me want to look away.
"............"
"――――――――"
I have no words to say to her.
This is a land of death.
Talking to each other to soften the tension would only cost us our lives.
"―――Let's go. From now on, look out for your own safety first."
...Tohsaka heads down the path, to the source of the black air.
Rider and I follow after her, concentrating on our surroundings.
"......?"
I see something red on the ground.
It's a trace of blood.
It leads to the back.
"――――――――"
Did someone come here before us?
And someone wounded badly enough to leave behind a trail of blood?
"Shirou."
"...Sorry. I'll be right there."
I shake off that train of thought and head on.
I can't be worrying about others.
"―――――――!"
My consciousness fades away if I let my guard down.
I'll disappear if I worry about needless things.
"........."
I tighten my grip on the pendant.
Letting the pain clear my mind, I step into the green darkness.
―――A warm wind hits my cheeks.
At its end, the path opens into a cavern.
It's about as big as the schoolground.
It's too dark to make out the ceiling, but it must be about ten meters
high.
I don't detect any signs of life.
An unforgettable underground space that looks like the moonscape that I
read about a long time ago.
And there...
Waits Saber, filled with absolute hostility.
She's the only one here.
I don't see Sakura, Zouken, or Assassin.
The only one blocking the way here is the girl who has turned black.
"――――――Saber."
"――――――――――"
There's no reply.
...Of course.
Saber's duty is to eliminate any intruders.
She's the gatekeeper and the executioner.
Saber's the strongest Servant Sakura has, so she can fight us by herself.
"...Hmph. It doesn't look like we can talk her into letting us through."
Tohsaka lowers her stance and reaches for the gem sword she's hiding
behind her back.
―――She must intend to fight head-on.
I don't know what kind of ability the sword has, but she's going to fight
Saber.
But that's not a good idea.
We still have a countermeasure, since we know Saber's powers. We can't
use our only secret weapon when Zouken and Assassin are still waiting
for us――――
"Wait, Tohsaka...! Saber's――――"
"Rin. I have no reason to fight you. Please do not attack me. I will go
against Sakura's orders if I kill you here."
"......!"
Speaking in the same quiet tones as before, Saber stops Tohsaka in her
tracks.
We comprehend what she means right away.
"...What are you doing? You're keeping watch here, right?"
"Yes. I am to eliminate anyone that passes by here.
That is Sakura's order. But―――"
"I'm an exception, and Sakura wants to see me?"
Saber nods.
"......I see. She must be serious."
She mutters.
...After taking a deep breath, Tohsaka walks over to Saber.
"Tohsaka."
"Sorry. I guess that's how it is, so I'm going ahead."
Tohsaka walks on without hesitation and passes by Saber.
And right before she disappears...
"Shirou. I don't know what'll happen to you, but I believe in you. So
you'd better live up to my expectations."
"Huh?"
...Wait.
I can't understand if you complain to me without telling me what I
should be doing.
"I-I'm saying it'll just be a pain if you come complaining after
everything's over! ...Um, make sure you're not too late if you want to
save Sakura."
Tohsaka disappears, her hair fluttering behind her.
"――――――――"
...Thanks, Tohsaka.
That gave me strength.
In short, she told me to come help her while she keeps Sakura at bay.
"That is impossible. You will die here, Shirou."
"......!"
Her hostility expands.
Tohsaka left, and Rider and I are the only ones here.
So she doesn't have to hold back anymore, huh?
"I cannot overlook what you just said. You only kill those that pass
through. If he merely stays here, you should not harm him."
"I will not attack if he does not move.
But he will advance, no matter what. He knows he cannot defeat me, but
all he can do is move forward.
Am I wrong, Rider?"
"I see. You served him before me, after all.
It's natural that you know his personality."
...Saber narrows her eyes.
The black holy sword is in her hands.
―――She's coming.
Rider or I.
If either one of us takes a step forward, Saber will use all her power to
kill us.
"......Saber. There's nothing that'll make you back down?"
"Stop asking me that. I said this is my role."
I grab the Shroud.
...Saber shows no sign of hesitation.
We're already enemies.
I realized that back in the forest.
So...
"―――I see. Then I'll eliminate you here."
I have to accept it.
"――――"
"I'm going to save Sakura. You're in my way."
Saber's not my only enemy.
There's still Assassin and Zouken.
I can't be wasting my time here.
"Please stay back, Shirou. I shall fight Saber just as you instructed me."
Removing the restraint on her mystic eyes, Rider motions me back with
one hand.
Saber raises her sword.
―――The hostility is already aimed at Rider―――
"Don't be stupid. I said we're both going to fight her. You..."
"I may not be able to defeat her, but I can keep her occupied.
Fortunately, Saber does not have the ability to repel mystic eyes.
I cannot petrify her as she has more magical energy, but I can pressure
her. I can match her for two minutes if I use all my strength."
Rider's eyes capture Saber.
The mystic eyes, which petrify anyone in her sight, temporarily lower
Saber's ability.
"I will create the situation. Please stay there and concentrate so you do
not miss our chance."
"Rider."
"――――I will be going. I shall entrust you with my life, Shirou."
Rider disappears.
The black cavalryman dashes at the swordsman with light speed.
The attack is made so quickly that human reactions cannot even perceive
it.
But Saber repels it like nothing.
"―――Very well. You will disappear first, Rider."
A heavy pressure fills the cavern.
A cruel smile on her face, the black swordsman starts to move.
INTERLUDE BEGIN
Her vision spreads out.
The instant Tohsaka Rin escapes the darkness, she forgets that she's deep
underground.
The impossibly high canopy and black sun.
The huge cavern isn't a cave, but a desolate land.
There should be two, no, three kilometers across.
In the distance stands a monolithic wall.
...This is the start and the end of this war.
There should be a giant crater above the cliff.
Up there is the system that has been activated for two hundred years.
The massive rock that holds a large magic circle, the Great Holy Grail,
belches black fire from its mortar-shaped center.
The embryonic movements of the black shadow.
The light illuminating the desert is a wave of magical energy.
...According to Tohsaka's records, this is what you'd call the altar of the
beginning.
The middle that leads to the middle.
The circular circuit, the world of heart, Heavens Feel.
It has immeasurable magical energy, creating an alien world that lives up
to its name.
"That's Angra Manyu... So the name 'all evils of this world' isn't just for
show, huh?"
Rin talks lightly as she makes her way to the altar.
...She's worried about Shirou and Rider, but her situation isn't too good
either.
The magical energy in the Great Holy Grail isn't something a human can
handle.
The vortex of magical energy can be called infinite.
There's so much that it won't run out, not even if all the magi in the
world come here and use whatever magic they wish.
It's more than anyone can use in a lifetime, and therefore can be called
infinite.
"...Nothing is impossible, huh? That Holy Grail really can make any
wish come true."
Her determination almost breaks, faced with the numbing premonition
of death.
Keeping her spirits up with idle talk, she walks on.
―――The ones she's watching out for are Assassin and Matou Zouken.
Matou Sakura isn't a threat.
She has lost her mind, and Rin sees no danger from her.
She's just Zouken's puppet, after all.
Rin's greatest enemy is Matou Zouken.
The fight against Matou Sakura isn't important.
"......Strange. I can make it to the altar."
Zouken shouldn't allow an intruder to trespass this far.
If he's planning to attack her, it'll be on the way to the altar.
But it's not happening, and Rin's about to reach her destination.
"――――――――"
She thinks.
Why is there no interference from Zouken? Why can't she feel his or
Assassin's presence?
She makes a guess.
She denies the possibility, but easily accepts it.
No, she's forced to accept it.
Because...
"―――I'm glad, Nee-san. You came here instead of running away."
...Her guess turns out to be true.
She looks up.
On top of the cliff.
With the black sun behind her, Matou Sakura welcomes her older sister.
"――――――――!"
Rin retreats a little, overwhelmed by the pressure.
...The girl has been transfigured further than Rin expected.
Angra Manyu is a Servant without form.
It's only a shadow that takes form using people's wishes.
Therefore, its powers depend on its Master.
Matou Sakura is now Angra Manyu.
"All evils of this world", the function to emit the curse is the girl called
Matou Sakura.
"...Crap. If Kirei were here, I bet he'd call it a messenger from God."
Rin looks up at Sakura, who has turned into a bottomless well of
magical energy, and releases her gem sword.
―――But is it something that can match the being above her?
There are two functions for weapons that support magic and ceremonial
equipment that assist in rituals.
One function is to amplify.
It's a backup, increasing and supplementing one's magical energy and
strengthening the spell itself.
These items are considered orthodox support equipment, and magi carry
at least one. Rin's jewels are classified in this group.
Another is a limited function.
It's a special magical item where the weapon itself becomes magic.
It's activated using the magical energy of the magus and performs a
predetermined divine mystery.
Its greatest advantage is that it enables the magus to use magic she's not
capable of ordinarily.
It only has one application and thus lacks versatility, but for that reason,
its power is immense.
A lance that always pierces the heart,
a bridle that enslaves holy beasts,
a dagger that cancels any magical effect.
Noble Phantasms of Servants are usually classified in this group.
"――――――――"
So, which is the gem sword?
Is it support equipment that gives magical energy to the user, or is it a
limited weapon that defeats the enemy with its unique ability?
...But.
No matter which it may be, nothing should be able to match Matou
Sakura.
The difference in their magical energy is too vast.
No matter what kind of a magic it may be, Matou Sakura should be able
to drive it back in one breath.
"What's wrong, why are you trembling, Nee-san? ...Fufu, don't tell me
you've suddenly lost your nerve."
"...Well said. Where's your guardian? You're a coward, so doesn't it
bother you that he's not by your side?"
"――――――――"
...The air freezes.
Hostile tension mixes into the warm air in the cavern.
"――――――――"
The black girl bites her lip and sighs.
"Grandfather's gone. He was a bother, so I crushed him along with
Assassin."
She smiles gracefully.
"......"
She doesn't need to ask.
Matou Zouken was killed by Matou Sakura.
...It's natural that he hasn't shown himself.
The old magus was eaten by his own pet dog.
"I see, so you're completely free. Zouken bound you in a good way and a
bad way.
You don't have anything to fear now that you killed him."
"Not quite. Not yet, Nee-san.
Killing my grandfather isn't enough. I'm this strong and I can do
anything, but I'm still bound."
"...Geez. Nee-san, you're so insignificant, but you won't disappear from
within me. You still torment me in my mind.
So――――as long as you live, I can't be free."
Her voice is a light singsong, but the words are heavy as slime.
The contradiction proves her madness.
The hostility in the cavern is a rhapsody of superiority and awe.
"...Oh. But you seem happy in spite of that. You killed Zouken and
Assassin, so I should assume you killed Kirei as well.
What a performance for someone who hated killing... are you getting
used to murder now?"
"Yes. Crushing people and eating them are no different.
For people, it's boring and meaningless if you don't have fun, and it's
painful if you don't eat, right?
It's just the same. I'm the same as you. I'm just doing what everyone
else's doing."
"―――Wait. Do you really mean that twisted logic?"
"It's not twisted logic. I'm not wrong.
It's different because I've gotten strong. I'm strong, so I'm different
now."
"I――――I'm strong. Everything's forgiven if you're strong.
...Yes. If I'm strong and no one can beat me, everything I've done will be
forgiven. If I'm not myself, everything I've done couldn't be helped...!"
A scream of rage.
It's the complaint of a petulant child who can't escape unless she believes
in it.
"Do you understand, Nee-san? That's what I'm going to become. That's
why I can kill anyone.
It's natural for me."
"......I see. So you're going to take it out on everything you see? But what
about Shirou? He still believes he can save you. Are you going to kill
him too?"
"――――!"
The girl stiffens.
Rin's question is her last obstacle.
...Her excitement cools down.
Thinking about him, she regains her sanity.
A serene smile crosses her face.
"Yes. Senpai's no exception.
No―――he's the only one I want to kill, Nee-san.
...Yes. I quickly――――"
――――Want to consume Senpai.
"――――――――"
Matou Sakura's reply shows that she is beyond help.
Rin grips the gem sword and gauges the distance between them.
"...Hmph. What about taking Angra Manyu with you?
I knew you were stupid, but I didn't think you were this stupid. You let
yourself be swallowed, and you've already stopped being human."
A voice filled with clear hostility.
As the supervisor of this land, Tohsaka Rin acknowledges her own sister
as "evil".
"――――Fuh. You're bluffing. Please be honest with yourself, Nee-
san.
You're envious of this great power, right? You're jealous, right? That's
why you came to kill me even though you can't.
......Yes. You're going to take him away from me so you can keep the
happiness to yourself."
The shadows stand up.
A magic of absorption, a bundle of magical energy that matches a
Servant's Noble Phantasm.
Not one, but many rise up to attack.
"I won't give it to you. This is my power. All I'm going to give you is
regret and despair.
I'll slowly show you what I mean."
There are four figures.
They reach out for the small person beneath them like giants protecting
the girl.
"――――I'll show you the difference in our powers, Nee-san.
Nobody's going to come help you this time. You can drown in me like a
bug in a lake."
The towering shadows attack her.
A titanic power that can neither be blocked nor dodged swallows
Tohsaka Rin.
INTERLUDE END
Two black figures crash against one another.
One is Rider, running at great speed, striking at her enemy from all
possible directions.
Her long hair blown behind her, she looks like a beautiful shooting star.
But.
A shooting star is a small star, after all.
The swordsman who Rider faces.
Rider cannot break through Saber's guard, as she firmly fixes herself on
the ground and overwhelms Rider.
No matter how quickly Rider leaps to attack her blind spots, Saber
deflects the daggers with a single swing of her blade, striking Rider in
the same motion.
Her severe firmness reminds me of a black sun.
A large star that will consume you once you draw near.
No matter how fast Rider may move, an ephemeral shooting star can
never match the light of one that burns in place.
"Ha――――ah――――"
Her sneak attack is repelled yet again, and she's wounded.
...She can retreat as Saber counterattacks because of her superhuman
speed.
Rider closes in and withdraws in an instant, just like a black spark.
But her efforts merely prevent a fatal blow.
The difference in their powers is obvious.
Rider's speed decreases the more she attacks.
High-speed movement and continuous offense.
Natural healing that regenerates the wounds Saber sustains.
She's not thinking about anything that comes after.
She can't match Saber unless she uses all of her energy.
Rider's blocking Saber's attacks by attacking.
Once Saber shifts to offense, she and her master will be killed instantly.
Therefore, Rider keeps running, knowing she'll eventually burn out.
―――Her energy's lost with every passing second.
Rider said she could last two minutes.
It's been ten minutes since passing that limit.
Rider's legs are starting to give in to the strain.
In contrast, Saber is unscratched.
Rider's attacks have not reached her, and she shows no fatigue.
Technique, vitality, magical energy.
Saber overwhelms Rider in these three aspects.
Therefore―――once Rider loses her speed, her sole advantage, Saber
will shift to offense.
Rider's speed is declining.
...It's only a matter of time before Saber catches up to Rider's speed.
A few more seconds. Rider will be out of breath once her next attack is
blocked.
The instant Rider loses her strength and magical energy, Saber will slice
her body in half.
"――――――――"
But this has been predicted.
Before they came to the cavern.
The boy told Rider of his prediction, of this exact outcome.
She knows she'll lose if she fights like this.
There's only one way to change the outcome of death.
They hold their breath and wait for the moment――――
Rider attacks Saber.
At the same instant.
I loosen the restraint on my left arm
and
start
the projection.
――――I'm disappearing.
Loosening the Shroud on Archer's arm
Search.
I'm blown away.
The wind's strong.
I'm losing my comprehension of what's before me.
Let go of the right hand.
Put the Shroud back on.
I can't bear it for even a second.
I'll lose everything.
I'll lose what I value.
Search, select.
No, every part of my body's dying at this moment.
Rider's fighting desperately.
I can't whine about this.
I... have to do... what I can... and fight.
I can't lose my concentration for even a second.
Rider's going to time it.
I have to free my left arm so I can match her timing.
Select, analyze.
But it hurts.
It's painful and scary.
Quick――――Quick, is Rid .
"――――――――"
It disappears.
Something I value disappears.
I can't remember what I lost.
But what I kept in my heart cannot be recalled ever again.
Defer. Defer. Defer. Defer.
Slash.
My right lung is torn from within.
"Guh――――"
Not yet?
I can't stay conscious.
Rider's also desperate.
I won't lose.
I give all I have to keep watching Rider.
Rider's fighting her fight.
I'll fight my own fight――――
"......!"
Rider stops.
Rider must have exhausted her reserves of energy, because she's on her
knees in front of Saber.
Saber's sword moves.
Rider's going to be killed.
I…
―――I pass my limits.
I project a weapon to stop Saber while maintaining the projection for
Rider.
"――――――――"
I lose my cool.
My thoughts surpass the speed of light and white out.
Madness is in the past, and the perception of madness is the starting
point.
"――――Trace, fractal."
Shrinking endlessly, expanding endlessly, multiplying endlessly.
The fantasy turns into chaos with law, it came from nothingness, but it
didn't come from nothingness, and many similarities arise from
expansion.
"――――I am the bone of my sword."
I ready the sword I projected.
"Kaladbolg."
There's no need to aim.
The image of it hitting is there, so this attack will surely hit Saber.
"Gi, guh.........!!!!!"
It's .
Som unreturnable breaks.
I see the result with my ruptured left eye.
Rider has retreated from Saber.
Having just repelled the spiral sword, Saber is unable to pursue her.
The small opening lasts a mere two seconds.
But those two seconds are more than Rider needs.
"Noble Phantasm――――!"
Fifty meters.
Seeing the sudden gap between them, Saber instantly realizes Rider's
intention.
Then there's only one way to oppose it.
A strongest attack for a strongest attack.
――――Black light flows out.
A scorching wind bursts forth from Saber's sword.
A comet will attack her in the next second.
The strongest Noble Phantasm is employed to wipe out the pure white
light from Rider.
"Saber......!!!!!!"
Rider lowers her stance.
The summoning circle's already completed.
A giant eye bound by blood materializes in front of her.
"――――Come, Rider――――!"
The sword, readied beside her.
Converging and spinning, the light of the star reaches the critical point.
The black sun stands ready, the flare held in both hands.
"Bellero――――"
Its true name is cast.
Rider's figure is instantly covered in white.
"Ex――――"
The true name is revealed.
Saber's sword transforms into a blazing black flame.
"――――Phon!!!!!!!!!"
"――――Calibur!!!!!!"
The two lights in the cavern contend for supremacy――――!
At that instant, I stop time.
I accelerate all my processes, disguising this instant as eternity.
"――――Trace, on."
Search, select, analyze, project.
That's my role.
The second projection.
Magic that shaves my existence away.
But we can't beat Saber without it.
We can't match Saber's Noble Phantasm, even with Bellerophon.
We knew that already.
―――――So I'm going to make her win.
If Rider's Noble Phantasm is inferior in force, I'll make up for the
difference...!!!!
"―――I am the bone of my sword."
I already know what I have to use.
The projection's completed in an instant.
The greatest protection Archer knows, the Noble Phantasm that will lead
Rider to victory!
"Rho Aius――――!"
I make it into reality using its true name――――!
"Gah――――!"
A shudder runs through my outstretched arm.
Nerves, muscles, and blood dance around like mad.
I frantically hold my convulsing left arm with my right.
"Gu......! Ah, ah, ahh――――!"
Bear it.
I can't stop the projection.
The lights are still competing.
If Rider loses Aius now,
she'll be vaporized in an instant――――!
"Gi――――ah, , ――――!"
My left arm jumps about, while my shoulder fires bullets into my body.
The magical energy I can't control explodes inside my body, and just like
an eraser,
turns Emiya Shirou's body white.
" ―――― , !!!!"
I roar out.
I scream to ward off the pain and the fear of losing myself.
Bare magical energy is smashed.
It completely destroys the balance between the two.
"Ah, ahh, ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh――――!!!!"
Scattering the fourth petal the black ultimate light penetrated through, it
fills the cavern
with bright, white light.
The two Servants are blown away.
Rider smashes against the wall at the exact speed at which she charged.
Saber is hurled backward by Bellerophon and falls to the ground on her
back.
They're both alive.
Rider must've used up her magical energy as she's still on the ground.
But Saber―――she's deeply wounded, but she still has some power
left.
"――――――――!"
We barely had the edge in the confrontation of the Noble Phantasms.
Bellerophon had ninety percent of its light offset by Saber's holy sword.
"Ah――――――――"
I run.
I run without understanding what I have to do.
I release the Azoth Sword while I run.
"――――Sa, ber."
I run to her.
I run to her and straddle her defenseless body.
"Ah――――Shi, rou――――?"
Did she hit her head?
Saber's looking up at me absent-mindedly.
"――――――――Ah."
How must I look to her?
I'm on top of her, looking down with a dagger upraised.
"――――――――"
Saber's natural healing power is extraordinary.
She'll regenerate unless I finish her off right now.
Finish her here.
We'll be killed unless I kill Saber, who's wounded and unable to fight
back.
"Ah――――Ah."
My fragmented mind is strangely clear right now.
"――――――――"
...She must be conscious again.
Saber's staring at me with cold eyes.
I…
There's no hesitation.
Holding her gaze, I bring down my heavy arm.
There's no resistance.
I end Saber's life with one blow.
"――――――――――, ―――"
There were memories.
There was the warmth of life.
Her warmth was always by my side.
I kill her along with those memories.
I search through my mind and throw them away to where I can't find
them again.
They'll never return.
I'll never recall her now.
―――Such a thing will never be forgiven.
I chose this path.
I killed someone else to save Sakura.
Using my own hands, I killed someone who protected me until the very
end.
Neither regret nor a confession will bring forgiveness.
...This is what it means to ally with someone.
I'll keep sacrificing important things for the one I love.
And on this path...
There's nothing brilliant enough to make up for what I've lost.
"But Saber――――"
I'll search all my life for happiness that can measure up to what I've lost.
I'll keep losing more than I gain, and I know I'll stop someday.
But―――I'm going to take responsibility for stealing things away, even
if I'm pathetic, comical, or meaningless.
I don't know where I can find happiness.
But I swear to myself that I'll never give up, even if I can't see the end.
"――――Thanks. You saved me many times."
...The weight on my dagger disappears.
Silent to the end, the dark swordsman sinks into the black shadow, her
eyes fixed on me.
INTERLUDE BEGIN
The black wave closes in.
Spreading its arms to block its prey's escape, it attacks as a tidal surge.
"Es l[auml][szlig]t frei. Werkzeug―――!"
But the golden flash of light forbids the giant's existence.
Six already.
Rin has cut down the endless barrage of dark curses.
"Wha――――"
The surprised one is Matou Sakura, the master of the shadows.
It's a natural reaction.
Each of the black giants is a match for the Noble Phantasms wielded by
Servants.
For Tohsaka Rin, even one giant should be an avatar of inescapable
death.
But she has struck down six already.
She killed every one of them with a single blow.
And running up the cliff now, she eliminates the seventh with one stroke
of her dagger.
"No way――――
Es erz[auml]hlt―――Mein Schatten nimmt Sie...!"
"You're too persistent...! Geb[uuml]hr, zweihaunder......!"
The gem sword blazes with light.
The colorless blade emits seven prismatic colors, extraordinary power
surging from its core.
"Es l[auml][szlig]t frei. Eilesalve――――!"
It bathes the cavern in bright golden light...!
"Hah――――!"
Destroying the last of the shadows in her way, Tohsaka Rin reaches the
top of the cliff.
Matou Sakura stands before her.
The black girl stares with surprise at her older sister's arrival.
"No way――――it's not possible."
...At the sound of her voice, numerous shadows rise up.
Their number is incomparable to before.
Is it Sakura's impatience, or did the things behind her sense the risk to
their master?
The magical energy emitted against the mere human called Tohsaka Rin
is over a hundred million in numerical value.
"―――You're not holding back. The people of the Association would
faint if they were here.
They could keep a department running for a hundred years with that
much magical energy."
"―――And what are you, cutting them down? I'm pulling out magical
energy thousands of times your capacity. You don't have enough strength
to even kill one of my shadows, so why...?"
"We're just having a pure contest of power.
I can't dispel a curse. I'm merely using my magical energy to eliminate
your magical energy that's creating the shadow. Can't you tell?"
"I'm saying that's impossible...!
You don't have such magical energy. No, the light you're firing is like..."
The greatest Servant.
The light of Saber's Noble Phantasm, Excalibur.
".....Is it that sword? I don't think it's possible, but that's copying the
power of Saber's Noble Phantasm. Is it a limited weapon, activated with
your small magical energy, that's specialized in killing shadows?"
"Huh? You can't tell? What have they been teaching you, Sakura?"
"Wha――――d-don't mock me...! That's the only sound explanation..."
"There's nothing to explain. This isn't a copy of Saber's Noble Phantasm
nor a shadow-killing demonic sword. Sakura. This is Zelretch, a gem
sword passed down the Tohsaka family."
"Eh...? Zelretch...?"
"I can't believe this. You don't even know the name Zelretch?
...I don't even want to explain, but in short, it's your natural enemy.
You use souls as a perpetual motion machine to create magical energy.
You're just a poor imitation of the Third Sorcery.
And I use an imitation of my great master, who travels across infinite
parallel worlds. So it means I'm a copycat of the Second Sorcery...!"
A flash from the blade.
Light traces the dagger's swing, obliterating Matou Sakura's guardian
shadows.
Not only that. Light and heat, like those of a miniature Excalibur, send
rumbles through the cavern.
It's a pure contest of magical energy.
What kind of magic――――no, sorcery was used?
Tohsaka Rin has a stock of magical energy equal to that of Matou
Sakura――――
"Ah――――Ah."
"I don't even need to get close to you. This is actually a projectile
weapon, and you're hiding yourself in the shadows.
There's no problem with exchanging blows until one of us runs out of
power. ...Well, I guess the ceiling will give out before we do."
"No way... Exchange blows? Don't joke around.
You don't have any magical energy left. No matter what that sword is,
you can't attack anymore――――"
"Really? Then let's try. Come on, Sakura. You won't reach me, no matter
what you do.
It's a drastic treatment, but consider it a fee for your lesson. I'll make
sure you regret doing whatever you wanted just because you got a bit
stronger."
"――――!"
"......!
Not yet! Es befiehlt―――Mein Atem schlie[szlig]t alles...!"
"Eins, zwei, RandVerschwinden――――!"
"――――――――"
Matou Sakura cannot understand what's happening.
Now she summons the shadows out of fear.
But the sword of light mercilessly eliminates them.
Matou Sakura is frightened and confused.
That's why she doesn't notice.
The sweat on Tohsaka Rin's forehead.
The high cost of using the gem sword, which shreds the muscles in her
arm with each swing.
"――――I won't lose when it comes to stock, but the question is how
long my body'll last――――"
Light purges the attacking shadows.
But their powers are not equal.
Tohsaka Rin and Matou Sakura. The difference in their power is still the
same.
Matou Sakura's stock of magical
energy reaches a trillion.
As it cannot be used within a lifetime, it can be called an infinite supply.
"Why――――!? I'm stronger than anyone.
Nobody can scold me.
So how can you catch up to me like it's nothing...!? Someone at your
level can't do anything but get swallowed...!"
"That's where you got it wrong. Even if you have a large supply, it's the
caster that uses it.
Do you get it? No matter how much water you have, the amount that
comes out depends on the size of the faucet.
The Magic Circuit called Matou Sakura can only instantaneously release
about a thousand.
Then we both have the same release rate, no matter how much you may
have in your stock...!"
"Kya......!"
"So! I don't need to prepare a supply as large as yours! I merely need a
thousand magical energy each time...!
Such a large supply of magical energy is just a waste――――!"
The line of light is swung.
If a thousand light is smashed against a thousand shadow, the powers
will certainly cancel each other.
But Tohsaka Rin's magical energy doesn't even reach a hundred.
The contradiction.
It doesn't need to be said that her sword creates the competition that
should not be possible.
A sword of light that releases a thousand units of magical energy with
each attack and replenishes even more.
It's not using Tohsaka Rin's magical energy.
She's merely collecting the mana saturating this cavern and releasing it
through the gem sword.
Odo is the energy within a magus, while mana is energy within the air.
It's self-evident which is stronger.
As Rin is inferior to Sakura, the only thing she can rely on is the mana in
the air.
True. The mana in this cavern reaches a thousand.
It would only be once, but with the mana's help, she would be able to
eliminate a giant.
―――But there would be nothing left after that.
Air holds a finite amount of power.
Just as with humans, when the mana runs out, it takes a long time to be
replenished.
Tohsaka Rin can only oppose Matou Sakura once in this world.
―――But. That being the case, consider for a moment...
What if another cavern existed here? That would mean she could oppose
her enemy one more time.
And what happens if something can make that "if" into reality?
Parallel worlds.
What will happen if one can open a hole into a parallel world and pull
out the unused mana from the cavern there?
"......! That distortion's the same as the Holy Grail――――Nee-san, it
can't be...!?"
"Yup, you're not the only one pulling magical energy from elsewhere.
But don't get me wrong.
Mine's not something that's needlessly expanded like yours. I'm merely
using the mana in this cavern from parallel worlds.
I'm taking a thousand magical energy from one of the infinite parallel
worlds and attacking you with brute force...!"
"......!"
The girl drawing a massive supply from the Great Holy Grail gasps.
"No way. That's ridiculous...!"
"Do you get it? If you have an inexhaustible supply, I have a limitless
supply――――!"
――――Gem Sword Zelretch.
It's a "miracle" that makes a path in between infinite parallel worlds.
That's the sword's only ability.
An equipment that creates a small opening too small for humans to pass
and looks into another possible world.
The dagger has no function to amplify magical energy, nor does it have
the power to create energy when swung.
But its sole ability is enough.
She merely needs to pull unused magical energy from the next cavern
after she uses up the energy in this one.
She can move on to the next one after that.
Then next after next after next after next.
There's no end to the parallel worlds. The possibility of opposite mirrors
are infinite.
Therefore, limitless.
Even if Rin's capacity is only a thousand, it doesn't matter.
An inexhaustible supply and an infinite supply.
Because the powers of their Magic Circuits are equal, the two magi are
equal――――!
...Another rumbling echoes through space.
Rin's gem sword not only destroys the shadows.
Its excessive force slowly brings the cavern towards its collapse.
When that happens, the altar and the Great Holy Grail will be desroyed
as well.
Matou Sakura will lose if she continues fighting.
Even if she attacks until Tohsaka Rin tires, the room will cave in shortly
thereafter.
"Haa――――ah, ah――――"
...The shadows stop.
She must finally understand the origin of her enemy's power.
Gasping for breath, Sakura glares at her older sister.
"No matter how many times you try, the result will be the same. That's
all that your power can manage. Have you cooled your head now?"
"Don't be ridiculous――――! This is unfair! Why, Nee-san, why are
you always the one―――!"
The battle continues.
Matou Sakura keeps screaming, even though she knows it's useless and
that she's pushing herself into a corner.
Along with...
The grudge she kept inside for a long, long time.
"That's right...! I was jealous of you...!
You stayed at the Tohsaka's house and were always brilliant. I hate you
for never knowing any trouble.
That's why I want to win. I wanted you to praise me, just once...! Why
can't you let me have a little thing like that...!"
"――――――――"
...The older sister slashes away the oncoming shadow.
Gritting her teeth, she catches a glimpse of her sister's mind.
"Why!? It was different for me. We were sisters, we were born to the
same family, but I had nothing!
I was trapped in the room with worms and was treated as an object! I
never led a human life, and nobody said anything kind to me...!"
"――――――――"
The hatred.
The hatred is not directed at her older sister, but...
"I almost died every day. I always looked at myself in the mirror,
wanting to die. But I was scared of dying, and I didn't want to disappear
by myself...!
Because I heard that I had an older sister.
I'm a child of the Tohsaka family, so I always believed that my older
sister would come save me...!"
"But you never came.
You just kept smiling, having no idea. You took no notice of the
miserable girl and lived happily in the Tohsaka household.
Why...!? We're sisters and we're both human, so how come you're the
only one smiling like that...!?"
"――――――――"
...Her hatred isn't directed at her older sister.
It's a blind plea to herself and the world.
"I quit being human...!?
Of course! I haven't been treated like one for a long time. My eyes and
hair were changed, and every cell in my body was changed so I could
become the magus of Makiri...!"
"Eleven years, eleven years, Nee-san!
The Makiri didn't train me. They didn't expect anything from my
intelligence.
They taught my body and made me into a mere tool that uses magic.
They'd laugh that I'd become a better tool the more pain they gave me."
"They started putting poison in my food, so even eating became a
terrifying agony.
Once they put me with the worms, I had to ask for Grandfather's
permission even to breathe...!"
"――――――――"
She's crying.
But Rin slashes away the shadows without a word.
"...Aha, I know I'm crazy. But it hurts, and the more I begged them to
stop, the more delighted they became and the more they tampered with
my body.
So I'm not smart like you. It's not like I can do everything like you. All I
can do is to take my pain out on others."
"――――――――"
Her oppressed soul.
Her irreparable body.
And――――
"...But is that my fault? The ones who made me like this are
Grandfather, and my father that sold me to the Matou family, and Nee-
san who didn't come save me...!
I didn't become this monster because I wanted to...! I was forced to
become one because everyone cornered me...!"
But.
"――――Oh. What of it?"
She doesn't feel for her at all.
――――Not a single word of sympathy.
"Wha――――――――"
"Things like that happen. It's not like crying will change anything, and
besides, being a monster doesn't sound so bad.
It doesn't hurt now, right?"
Cruel approval.
...The girl's cries did go a bit too far, but they were just asking for
warmth.
But Rin denied it.
She says it's right to be a monster.
Saying it's because she was weak.
Her always-perfect sister tells her the hard truth.
"Nee-san―――It's all because you're like that――――!"
The shadows boil up.
The girl, who only seconds ago was about to abandon the fight under
pressure from her sister, gives form to her curse and her despair.
"I see. Then let me tell you something.
I never thought it was painful.
I could turn aside most problems, and there was nothing I couldn't do.
So I've never been cornered like you, and I was never interested in what
the cornered people thought."
"That's how I am. I don't understand other people's pain.
To be honest, I don't know how much pain you've suffered or what cruel
treatment you've received. I'm sorry, but I'm not even going to try to
understand."
Concise words.
She's not lying.
She just tells her younger sister the truth.
"But Sakura. Even as insensitive as I am...
I never thought I was blessed."
She looks straight at her.
She stares back at Matou Sakura, with all emotion contained in her
words.
"Huh――――?"
She cannot understand.
What did ▊▊▊▊▊▊▊▊▊▊ just say?
I...?
Wasn't blessed either...?
"What――――"
―――Hatred dyes her brain red.
She must be fooling around, saying such convenient things now.
――――Shut up.
"Now you tell me you weren't blessed?"
She's about to lose her mind.
She's about to break down.
Her sister has never looked at her.
She showed off her great talent and happiness.
――――Shut up.
"How can you say that――――"
She never liked or hated me,
who wanted everything from her but received nothing,
and says she's still pure and clean―――!
――――Shut up, Nee-san. I won't forgive you.
"That's not good enough―――!
I don't want to hear such things! I'm not going to listen to your excuses!
Nee-san, I―――!"
'Don't need you anymore.'
The girl screams, as if denying her inner darkness.
"――――――――"
...That's the last resistance Tohsaka Rin could manage.
She makes the decision she's been postponing.
She wanted to wait for Emiya Shirou as long as she could, but she can't
postpone it any longer.
――――No.
First of all, it was a mistake to entrust Shirou with their problem.
It's Tohsaka Rin's weakness against Matou Sakura.
"Sakura."
"――――Eh?"
Rin calls out to her calmly, as if saying hello.
―――At that instant.
Tohsaka Rin finishes the battle.
"Sakura."
She calls out and throws it.
Her strongest weapon.
She throws the sorcerer's inheritance.
"――――Welt, Ende."
The whole cavern is filled with light.
Explosion.
In the act of its own destruction, the miraculous gem sword erases all
shadows.
She runs.
She runs straight at Matou Sakura.
Sakura can't move, wincing from the light.
No matter how much power she has, she's still inexperienced in battle.
So it's easy to beat her once she sets her mind to it.
Tohsaka Rin quickly closes in.
As she runs, she grasps another dagger hidden behind her back.
"――――"
Sakura can't react.
It seems she's realized she's going to be killed, but it's too late.
...She's got her.
She thrusts the dagger to finish her off,
――――Oh, I can't.
and realizes her own defeat.
'...I'm dead.'
She understands that the dagger will pierce her heart before she can
dodge it.
Her body tries to counterattack, but it won't make it in time.
'――――I'm going to be killed.'
There's no fear.
She's used to being hurt by others.
And she thinks it's natural that Rin is the one doing it.
But she doesn't like getting hurt and dying scares her, so she closes her
eyes.
She sighs with relief; after all, once she dies, the pain will end.
"――――?"
But there's no pain, and the end doesn't come.
Warmth fills her instead.
The instant she realizes what it is...
Matou Sakura regains her sight.
...There's blood.
Warm, human blood, flowing from the stomach.
The blood's flowing out of her older sister, whose arms are firmly
wrapped around her.
"...Nee-san?"
The girl asks why.
Rin was definitely faster.
She could've killed her, but she stopped her dagger at the last second.
"......Geez. I can't be complaining about Shirou."
A faint voice.
It's the voice she's always dreamed of.
The voice of Tohsaka Rin that's relentless, but warm and kind.
Rin thinks to herself.
...It's nothing special.
She just realized when it counted the most.
Right when she saw Sakura up close, she realized she couldn't kill her.
"......Geez. I'm stupid."
...She's dumbfounded.
Her foolishness must be absolute if she doesn't realize it until the very
last moment.
She should've realized it earlier.
...But Rin's convinced that it can't be helped.
"...Yeah, it can't be helped.
I can't ignore a slouch. I like orderly schemes, and it irritates me when
people aren't repaid for their efforts."
―――And first of all...
"I like you, Sakura. I've always watched you, and I wanted you to
smile. ...Yeah. I wanted to believe that you had it better the more I
suffered.
I was so preoccupied with that, so I didn't even have time to think about
if it was painful or not."
She embraces Sakura with love.
A once-in-a-lifetime embrace between sisters.
She softly embraces her sister, who pierced her stomach, and holds her
there like a treasure.
"Nee―――san―――"
......Her warmth fades.
There's no complaint.
Tohsaka Rin regrets, not her death, but her inability to save her sister.
"I'm sorry I'm a selfish sister.
...And thanks. I'm glad you always wore that ribbon."
She crumples to the altar like a falling red flower.
"――――Ah."
The weight disappears.
It only lasted for an instant. Her older sister disappears along with the
warmth.
―――But Sakura. Even as insensitive as I am...
I never thought I was blessed―――
"――――No."
What kind of loneliness is contained in Sakura's words?
Her agony for her alone.
Nobody else can understand or relieve her.
There's no such hypocrisy.
And at the same time...
What if the girl she admired felt a loneliness nobody could understand?
"――――――――No."
...What would happen then?
She was her ideal. Someone brimming with confidence, who had
everything she wanted.
What if her older sister were always bound by something, just like her?
"I――――"
...Then...
The one that's weak, the one at fault, isn't her world...
...But her, the coward who couldn't look up―――
―――And there were people who clumsily loved her.
"But――――I destroyed them."
...Where did she go wrong?
She had everything.
Everything she wanted was actually right there in front of her.
They loved her and embraced her so kindly.
But she destroyed it all herself.
"――――――――Ah.
Ahh, ah, ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh......!!!!!!!"
Her hands are still frozen in place, trying to hug someone who's no
longer there.
The girl, wet with her beloved sister's blood, starts to strongly curse
herself.
INTERLUDE END
...I hear sounds.
A rumbling shakes the cave.
The light and sound are still far off, but the cavern's creaking and
trembling.
Is it distant thunder?
Suddenly I realize that I can't recall when I've ever heard distant
thunder.
...The dagger in my hand crumbles away as Saber disappears.
It must be because I eliminated a Servant, a strong familiar.
The Azoth Sword Tohsaka created with all her magical energy crumbles
away without a trace.
"――――――――"
I tighten the restraint on my left arm.
I've used up most of the magical energy.
What's left in Archer's arm and myself.
I should be able to do more if I combine them, but I can only manage
one more projection. I won't be able to suppress Archer's arm after that.
"――――――――Ri... der."
That's right. What happened to her?
I get up.
My body's stiff and rigid.
It feels like my joints have turned into steel.
I could probably repel bullets now.
"Are you all right, Rider?"
I can't walk well.
I walk.
Blood comes out.
Something's coming out of my bent legs.
I pretend not to notice.
It feels like a metal pipe's protruding from my leg, but I can manage to
walk if I grit my teeth.
...Something's making a sound in the distance.
It sounds like something I heard a lot as a kid.
It's probably still ingrained in my childhood memories.
One gets curious about a lot of things as a kid.
"Rider."
I walk to the wall Rider smashed into.
She's still there.
But she's covered in wounds, with her magical energy almost completely
depleted.
She shouldn't be able to move for a while.
...I should have her rest.
"I'm going ahead. Please come after me once you can run again."
I murmur to Rider and start walking.
"――――Ugh. ...You treat people more roughly than I expected."
Oh, she's conscious.
Unable to stand, she watches me in a daze.
"Sorry. But I'm counting on you. Please come help me after you're
slightly healed."
"――――Yes. Don't worry, I shall follow you shortly."
Rider doesn't push herself.
She knows she should start moving after she heals instead of pushing
herself now.
I can depend on her because she actually thinks ahead, unlike me.
...The rumblings are coming at shorter intervals now.
There's no time to waste.
I drag my wounded body and follow after Tohsaka.
"――――Haa, haa, ha, haa――――"
I'm breathing hard.
I lean against the wall as I walk.
I'm not making bad progress.
My body's stiff, but it's nothing once I get used to it.
"Guh――――ha, gah."
Something comes out of my mouth.
I wipe it away and pretend nothing happened.
"Guh, ah――――"
My thigh muscle goes numb, and I almost fall.
It's just a little numbness.
My pants leg is ripped from inside, and I can see inside my body.
Desperately, I look away and walk on.
――――I'm almost there.
Warm wind hits my body.
"――――All right."
I slap my cheeks and start running.
I burst out of the darkness.
The familiar deserted land fills my vision.
No.
This isn't something I've seen.
That thing didn't exist in Ilya's memory.
"――――So that's..."
The main cause of this ridiculous war.
The guy who took Sakura from me.
"――――It's about to be born."
Pressure and unpleasantness hit my whole body.
The breathing of life tells me it's about to hatch.
A flash of light and a rumble.
The light came from the top of the cliff, wreaking havoc on the cavern.
...I don't know what's going on, but such flashy things can only come
from Tohsaka.
Then that means――――
"You're in a rush."
The distorted embryo looks at me, even though it has no eyes.
...There's no mistake about it.
He wants to come out right this second, maybe because he doesn't like
how Tohsaka's raging around.
But his body's not ready yet.
His placenta is inside the black pillar.
He can't come out until his body's completely formed.
He's impatient because Tohsaka's about to destroy the womb itself, and
that's why he wants his body completed, even if it may be hurriedly
built.
He wants to be summoned into this world as a Servant with a body.
"―――――Fuck that."
I run.
A desperate clash of light and shadow.
"――――Sakura――――?"
Once I'm close enough to tell that it's the battle between Tohsaka and
Sakura...
The time in this cavern stops.
I can only think of one possible cause of the great light.
'Nee-san'
With a childish cry, the world starts to quake.
This isn't the destruction of the cavern walls by the light.
This is destruction on a more fundamental level. The cavern is shaking
because the giant shadow's trying to come out.
"That's――――"
A chill runs up my spine.
I get a bad feeling.
Hearing Sakura's cry, I imagine the worst possible outcome.
"Tohsaka――――Tohsaka, Tohsaka――――!"
I run.
Panting frantically, I scramble up the cliff on all fours.
――――The tremor doesn't stop.
I hear a large boulder crash to the ground somewhere in the cavern.
"Haa――――Haa, haa, haa, ha――――!"
I don't care what's happening behind me.
I run in desperation, covering myself in dirt.
...And my eyes are seared with the fact that I was too late.
"――――――――Tohsaka."
...The ground's shaking.
I can't see Tohsaka's face, since she's lying face down.
She looks like a large flower, fallen from its stem.
"..............., .........Sen... pai..."
I raise my face.
Backing away from Tohsaka's blood-soaked body, as if fleeing, is
...Sakura, cursing her own existence.
"――――Sakura."
"......I killed her. Nee-san cared about me, but I killed her―――"
Sakura's voice isn't directed at me.
She's rejecting everything.
Her own body, covered in Tohsaka's blood, her darkened self, the pillar
connected to her.
She's cursing everything with all her might.
"I was stupid. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. There's nothing but pain. You always
told me not to lose, but I was too stupid to understand. Senpai believed
in me, but I just kept betraying him―――"
The shadow's binding Sakura.
The black Command Spell's binding Sakura's body.
"......No... I have to stop... But I can't go back―――no, no, I don't want
this―――!"
―――She's refusing it.
Sakura's refusing the shadow.
She's hating herself, refusing the temptations from the shadow, and
trying to kill herself.
But she can't.
Sakura's necessary as a host for the shadow.
It won't allow her to take her own life.
Sakura's being torn apart by both the shadow and her own guilty
conscience.
"――――――――"
...So Tohsaka won.
Sakura regained her sanity.
Tohsaka chose her sister's life in the very end.
Sakura's Sakura.
Her heart doesn't change, no matter how much the shadow swallows
her.
...I'm the one who made her like that.
This would never have happened if I hadn't gotten scared back then and
scolded her.
"――――――!"
I run to Tohsaka.
She's still breathing.
――――It's too early to give up.
"Sakura. Tohsaka's still alive."
"――――――――――?"
"Right, she's not dead. She can be saved. No, she has to be saved. We
have to save her.
Right, Sakura?"
"Ah――――eh?"
Light returns to her eyes.
―――The restraint of the shadow loosens a bit.
Her eyes focusing on us, Sakura finally sighs with relief,
"――――! No, run, Senpai――――!"
and frantically tries to control herself.
"――――! ――――!"
Covering Tohsaka's body with my own, I receive the shadow's blow on
my back.
"Ah――――no, Senpai. I, I......!"
The shadows come up behind Sakura.
......Damn it.
He's not alive yet, but his sense of danger's first-class?
"I know. It's that kid's fault for not giving up. He's throwing a tantrum
because he doesn't want you taken away.
―――Hold on. I'll smack him and get him off of you."
I start walking towards Sakura.
"No――――please stop, Senpai――――!"
The shadow grazes my cheek.
It should've cut through my neck, but Sakura's scream made it miss.
"Haa――――ah, ah, uh......!"
Clutching at herself, Sakura fights against it.
Instead of disappearing, the shadows keep increasing in number.
"Uh... uhh, uhhhh..."
She's crying.
Sakura's crying.
It's not because of the pain of the shadow swallowing her.
She's crying from frustration because she can't suppress herself.
"......No, Senpai. I can't suppress it. Nee-san taught me, but I'm going to
lose. ...I wasn't strong. I'm a coward, a wimp, and a terrible person."
Another step.
The shadow's lance grazes my cheek.
"――――! No, why are you coming, Senpai...!?
I'll kill you if you come any closer...!"
Another step.
I put my right hand on my left shoulder.
"Why? Run. Please run, Senpai. Please take Nee-san and run...!
You can forget about me...! I'll, I'll die here! I can die by myself...! I
don't want you to see me like this...!"
――――The shadow's pressure gets stronger with each step.
My advance is hurting Sakura's body and mind.
"Why aren't you listening to me...!?
I won't hold back if you're going to come any closer. I'll kill you before
you kill me...!"
"I don't need to explain. I'm going to get you out of here and save
Tohsaka. That's what I said, right?"
"―――Are you still going on about that?
...Don't. I can't be saved. No, I shouldn't be saved. I shouldn't live."
Another step.
"――――!"
The shadow hits my stomach.
...It didn't pierce me. It's just a strike.
Sakura's intentionally trying to push me away.
"See, you saw that. This is how I am. I can't go back, and he's not going
to let me go.
And――――even if I do go back..."
"...I've killed a lot of people. I killed many people, killed Nii-san, killed
Grandfather, and killed Nee-san...!
What―――What do you want me to do...!? I can't give back what I've
taken. I've killed many people. Are you still telling me to live...!?"
"――――――――"
...I see.
She can't back out now.
She's trapped by crimes she can't atone for.
There's no salvation.
Even if it wasn't Sakura's will, those actions will haunt her forever.
Even if she's released from the shadow, the darkness will remain within
her.
But.
"―――Of course. You took lives, so take responsibility, Sakura."
I release the restraint on my left arm.
The last time. I remove the red cloth that barely kept me alive.
...I feel faint.
I have to go forward before I disappear.
There are things I have to tell her.
"Sen... pai."
"Yes. I don't know where the crime is, or how heavy it is."
"......!"
The shadows lance toward my chest, shoulder, left leg, and stomach.
Clank.
The shadows don't pierce me, but slide off with a spark.
"But I'll protect you. I'll protect you from everything.
It may be hypocrisy, but my ideal has always been to protect the one I
love―――"
I move forward.
Sakura's right in front of me now.
"No――――Senpai, your body's..."
......Trace, on.
I only think about one thing.
I use every last ounce of my remaining magical energy for its
projection.
The last projection.
I raise the dagger that breaks all contracts.
I can't see her face clearly.
"Sen, pai."
"I'm going to punish you. This is gonna be harsh, so grit your teeth."
"―――――――――"
I hear her gasp.
Then.
With a "yes", Sakura holds out her chest―――
Hoping this will be her punishment...
"Let's go home, Sakura. Cut your ties with him."
And I thrust it into her heart with a single breath.
She is released.
The black Command Spell cloaking her body disappears.
A contract-breaker.
A Noble Phantasm that nullifies all magic and negates the contract with
a Servant.
Without taking Sakura's life, it destroys the contract that bound her.
――――My vision isn't continuous.
Sakura's alive.
I don't know if it's reaction from being released, but she's lying on the
ground like she's sleeping.
Tohsaka―――Tohsaka will make it too.
She's not bleeding anymore. She has a legitimate Magic Crest.
The Crest is the crystallization of the Tohsaka family's magic. It won't let
their successor die even if she's unconscious.
"――――――――"
The cavern is shaking.
Angra Manyu.
A ridiculous curse called "all evils of the world" is writhing.
...Damn.
Even after losing its host, the black shadow hasn't disappeared.
It has grown too large.
It can come out without Sakura's help.
It will emerge so long as the Great Holy Grail still exists.
――――I'll destroy it.
I'll destroy the giant magic circle, and the shadow along with it.
Angra Manyu's fetal activity is slowly destroying the cavern.
...But I don't think it'll die even if the cavern collapses.
I have to destroy that thing here and now.
Is it possible?
...Yes, it's possible.
I'll go as near it as I can and attack it with great force.
Angra Manyu can't move as long as it's in the black fire.
I'll cleave it in two before he can emerge.
If there's anything capable of such a feat, it's――――
The greatest Noble Phantasm I know of.
"――――――――Guh."
My breathing stopped for a moment.
There's about a hundred meters to Angra Manyu.
...It's fine, I can walk this distance.
It's just one more time.
One last projection, and it's all over.
It's fine, I'll be able to do it.
I'll finish this off, take the two of them above ground, and...
"Shirou, do you hear me?"
Someone taps my shoulder.
"――――――――"
...Who is this?
She can't possibly be a stranger.
I know her. She looks dangerous, but I remember that she's trustworthy.
"Good. Can you take Sakura and Tohsaka and get out of here?"
"―――――Shirou?"
The long-haired woman stares at me for a few seconds.
"What about you?"
"I'll go after I destroy that thing. It'll be quick, but every second counts
for Tohsaka. And Sakura would be affected by the shadow if she stays
here. Angra Manyu might be persistent and make Sakura his Master
again."
"――――Understood. I will carry Rin and Sakura.
Please rest assured. I have rested enough for that."
"Please. Go outside with those two. The cavern's collapsing. Um,
R―――R- damn, your speed would have no problem with the falling
rocks."
".....................
――――Then I will be going. I shall come get you after I get them to a
safe place."
"Um... That's nice to hear, but make sure they're okay first. You're the
only one I can trust. I'll escape by myself, so please treat Tohsaka.
Sakura can't be happy without her."
...I don't think this woman has any ability to heal people.
But I still have to entrust her with Tohsaka's life.
"Certainly. But the same goes for you, Shirou.
Sakura needs you and Rin. Please remember that. ...I need you to
support Sakura."
"......?"
"I shall hurry. ――――Good luck."
The woman in black picks them up with ease and runs down the cliff.
―――Weaving between the falling rocks, she hurries to the exit.
"――――――――Phew."
...I don't have to worry about them now.
They'll be saved if I let her take care of them.
So――――
Now, I just need to take care of one more thing.
; "――――, ――――, ――――"
My consciousness is breaking apart.
A mere hundred meters become an impossibly vast expanse.
; "――――, ――――, ――――"
It's only a matter of time before the cavern collapses.
The ceiling's crumbling down, and the ground is becoming a pile of
rubble.
; "――――, ――――, ――――"
My joints are stiff.
It hurts to bend my limbs.
My nerves are hot.
Hundreds of blades are growing out of my body.
An inescapable death by skewering.
I am the bone of my sword.
I already knew that.
The time bomb was activated when I used projection.
This end has already been determined.
"――――Ha, ah――――!"
I'm crumbling apart.
I'll shatter if I continue.
I'll shatter to pieces, like so many rocks on the ground.
...I'll still make it.
My body's dying, but I won't lose myself for about a day if I stop now.
Only a day's worth of life prolongation.
But right now, I would love to have something so insignificant.
Just a day. An hour or even a minute.
If I can live, I want to stay here as long as I can, no matter how
miserable it may be.
"Haa, gu――――......!"
A crack.
Not outside, but inside. The nucleus accumbens in my cerebrum breaks.
The part that administers the principle of behavior, the linkage to
pleasure.
The most important part of life. Life is the pursuit of pleasure; without it,
humans would become beasts.
"Haa, ah."
It's not convenient.
I still want it.
I want to keep my memory for as long as I can.
But it's disintegrating.
The pain of eating my fingers doesn't stop the memories from fading.
I disappear the more I walk on.
I won't make it.
Even if I do make it there, I probably won't remember what I need to
do.
So I should stop here and wait for help――――
"――――Yeah, I remember."
But.
Somewhere outside my body, there's a big reason.
"Sakura――――let's go see flowers."
So I have to fulfill my role.
――――Time has stopped.
There's no pain.
I'm taking a whole day to make just one step.
――――I forget how to breathe.
There's no pain.
I couldn't breathe if I had all day to do it.
――――I lose the meaning.
What was pain?
Organic matter turns into inorganic substance.
I manage to keep myself.
I reach out for the wall to keep from falling.
All the shards of my existence are gathered onto a tiny foothold.
There's no way it'll support me.
The foothold breaks.
There's no principle of behavior.
There's no meaning of behavior.
There's no meaning of existence.
I don't feel any fear.
The meaning behind my existence disappears.
I'm not alive anymore.
My arms won't move for any reason.
"――――Trace."
Words come out of my mouth.
There's something still remaining even after language, neopallium, and
cerebrum are lost.
"――――On."
The body dies.
But the soul remains.
Spinning the eight verses.
The load transmits from the body to the soul, and more meaning is
"――――――――Ah."
And Emiya Shirou dies.
The standing figure is no different from a machine.
It's programmed to swing the sword, but it's a corpse with no desire to
move.
But even without human intelligence...
There are machines that weave many dreams in this world.
There was a promise.
Once winter's over, when it's spring――――
A recitation of words without meaning.
A small hope that I remembered until the very end.
Normal End
Epilogue (Normal End):
And I wake up.
I don't feel tired, and my body and mind are refreshed.
"――――Huh, Senpai?"
We should've been sleeping together, but he's not in the futon.
I look at the clock, and it's already ten o'clock.
"Oh, he went to make breakfast."
Pretending to understand, I get up.
I'm surprised by how light I feel.
What's wrong?
All he did was make love to me, but it feels like the chains have been
removed from my limbs.
"Oh――――right."
My body burns with heat as I recall what happened.
I slept with Senpai last night.
...Senpai lost one of his arms after coming home from the forest, but
everything's going to go well now.
I feel great, so I can have Rider do more.
Nothing bad will happen now.
Senpai and Nee-san are here. Everything's going to turn out fine...
"Ah――――!"
...A bad dream.
Why did I dream about the worst possible outcome?
"Senpai?"
The wind feels good.
The porch is filled with light, and walking here lightens my heart.
My body feels light as a feather.
Maybe I lost some weight while I slept.
...To be honest, I'm on the heavier side, and I'm fighting against the scale
every night.
But it's never done any good, and if Senpai says something like,[r]
"So you're the type that looks skinnier with clothes on."
I'll faint, so it'll be great if I'm to lose some weight.
"Senpai――――?"
I feel amazingly refreshed, and the world looks different just by walking
around.
――――My body's so light.
The air tastes good.
My heartbeat feels so warm.
It's a feeling of freedom, as if the poisons in me were taken out.
The worm Grandfather implanted within me,
the black mud entangling my heart,
the dream stuck in my mind, everything disappeared, and――――
"Senpai?"
There's no one here.
The hallway's quiet.
"Senpai... Senpai...?"
There's no one here.
Warm sunlight.
"Senpai―――Senpai...? Oh, are we playing hide and seek?"
There's no one here.
A cool breeze.
"Ha――――that's strange. Senpai's only hiding."
No way.
It's impossible for nobody to be here.
Because that was just a bad dream-
But the last time I saw him...
...His body was breaking apart.
"No―――it's just a lie, right, Senpai?"
Yes, it has to be a lie.
A body that wasn't human.
There's no way he can move with that body, so he should be waiting for
me somewhere around here――――
"Senpai――――Senpai――――"
But.
The date I saw in the living room was―――ten days since that event,
the end of February.
"Ah――――no......"
I fall to my knees.
I understand everything now.
No, I knew it the moment I woke up, but I pretended not to notice.
"No―――please, please come out, Senpai...!
I-I can't be alone! I need to be with you, Senpai! Senpai, Senpai,
Senpai...!!!"
My mind whites out.
It's painful not to be able to go crazy. All I can do is cry.
That's all.
I'm a coward and a crybaby, and I don't know how else to make up for it,
so I can't even appreciate the fact that I'm alive.
That's the end of the long winter.
I'm freed from the chains that bound me for eleven years, but I lost my
only guide.
"...Man, you're really obstinate. To be honest, I was taking you lightly."
The boy bluntly said this.
An amazed expression and a deep sigh.
...She was prepared for that.
The girl associated herself with the boy knowing that she was going to
be hated.
But somewhere in her mind...
...Was a thought that she didn't want to be hated by the boy, and at the
same time...
"Oh, but we have to redo this before that. I'm the one going to be
causing you trouble, so I should be the one asking you.
―――Please give me your best regards, Sakura. I'll have you take care
of me until my wound heals."
...As she watched him cough to hide his embarrassment, she wanted to
value that thought.
It's spring.
"...Phew. We can finally settle down for the time being, Sakura.
The Association's inquiry is finished, Kirei's successor is a good person,
and nobody blames us for any of it.
I guess this is a happy end."
Nee-san's strong.
She was more sad than I was, but she got her energy back as spring
arrived.
"By the way. Do you want to come to my house, Sakura? If you're going
to give up the Matou mansion, it's going to be better if you come to my
house, right?"
I appreciate her concern.
I've always dreamed of being able to live with Nee-san in her house.
I can't bear spending the night by myself, and I don't know what'll
happen to me after Nee-san goes home today.
―――But.
That's why it's even more important to grow up.
"...I see. So you're going to manage things by yourself? I won't force
you, then. I'll be at my place until I graduate, so at least come over when
there's no school."
Before heading home, Nee-san tells me she'll be waiting for my visit.
...It must've been caught in her hair when she came here.
A pink flower petal flutters through the air.
"Hm? Oh, is this your first time cooking, Sakura?"
It wasn't true, but I wasn't skilled enough to say I was good at it.
I read a lot of books before I came here, and I'd had my share of cooking
classes.
But I was really, really scared of having someone eat something I'd
made.
"That's not true. I can make easy dishes."
"Well, that's not what I mean... Hmm, I guess you'll get used to it.
All right, let's start with the basics. It's hot, so watch out."
"The basics" turned out to be riceballs.
We made them together.
I thought he was making fun of me.
I sulked a bit.
But when I looked up, I saw he was serious, and I couldn't get mad at
him.
And――――
"Then we'll trade. I'll give you mine, so I'll have the ones you made."
He ate the riceballs I'd just made.
He ate something I made and thanked me for the meal.
I don't know what he wanted to teach me.
But I felt less awkward starting the next day, and I wanted him to eat my
meals again.
It's spring.
"...Really, Sakura-chan? It'll help me out if you're the manager, but..."
I got much more money than I expected when I sold the mansion.
It's more than enough to maintain this house.
I went and asked Fujimura-Sensei's father to give me the right to the
land, making sure I can keep this house.
"...I'm glad to know how much you like him, but...
Sakura-chan. Shirou's not going to come ba――――"
I just shake my head.
Fujimura-Sensei shrugs,
"All right. I'll leave this house to you."
...and leaves the house with a motherly smile.
I recall a painful memory.
"...Sakura. Let's go somewhere far away once this is all over.
We've never gone anywhere for fun, right? It's good to go off and enjoy
ourselves once in a while."
In dead seriousness, he said there's nowhere we can't go if we put our
minds to it.
I smiled, since he was so pure.
"―――All right. Then it's a promise. Let's go there together once you
get well and once this whole mess is over."
Yes―――the promise is...
It's spring.
I think I haven't seen someone for a while now.
It's painful to be alone.
My memories keep looping in my head, and I want to turn the power
off.
It's fortunate that I don't miss people, but then, why...
―――Of course. You took lives, so take responsibility,
Sakura――――――
...Yes, I have to do something.
It's painful to be by myself or to be with others, but I have to do
something I can.
But I don't know how I can atone.
I can't think of anything I can do for others.
So this will be for myself.
I'll grow one flower every year for the promised day.
It's spring.
I'm getting used to being alone, and it's getting fun to be with others.
But it's still scary.
Talking to someone makes it feel like the whole world is condemning
me as punishment.
―――But I'll protect you. I'll protect you from everything. It may be
hypocrisy, but my ideal has always been to protect the one I love―――
He's really selfish.
I think it's the worst when he says whatever he wants and doesn't
actually protect me.
So I'm not going to forgive him.
I'm going tell him a lot of selfish things to bother him.
Hm―――but I'll forgive him.
He says it's hypocrisy, but his words alone calm me down so much.
He's irresponsible, but I love him, and he loves me.
It's spring.
It's spring.
It's spring.
It's spring.
No one comes here.
I'm not sad.
But I'm waiting so calmly for the spring that I sometimes doubt my
sanity.
I'm not sad because I have certainty.
I believe I'll be compensated for all my pains.
But there's one worry.
"...You're late, Senpai. I'm going to get old at this rate."
I hope I can be healthy until that day.
It's spring.
I haven't been able to move my body to my satisfaction recently.
I go out into the yard and sprinkle water like always.
"Sensei―――! I'm here to help!"
My student comes.
A student came and asked for instructions, even though I taught myself
and don't have much skill.
The Tohsaka's new heir is a good girl, just like Nee-san.
The lights are scattered.
I sit in my usual rocking chair and stare at the yard.
"Oh. Please don't sleep, Sensei. I want to hear about the old days after
I'm done."
That's something that's fun for me too.
I can only recall words now, but words become stories, repeating the
good old days.
"Oh, you smiled. I like your smile. You're really beautiful, not like my
greedy grandma."
The sun's warm, and time passes by gently and sometimes like torture.
I keep planting seeds for the promised day.
Flowers of redemption.
I'll wait for spring here until I'm absolved.
And it's spring again.
The years are as long as a blink of an eye.
I close my eyes and open them.
The hill is covered with cherry blossoms.
The boy, appearing just like he was before, is waving his hand on the
familiar hill road―――
END

TRUE END ROUTE:

Day 16 (FINAL):
INTERLUDE BEGIN
――――It's an altar enshrining the stars.
The fire blazes up as if to connect the heaven and the earth.
The flickering fire illuminates the dark cave,
and singes the surrounding dome.
But this can't be a proper enshrinement.
It's said to connect to the sky, but the heavens are still underground.
And the shining light isn't red, but black.
The air's impure, the wind's stagnant, and the drops of water on the walls
are colored like poison.
The underground kingdom that's said to be the dragon's lair actually
looks like the dragon's stomach.
No human would come here.
The only ones to come and honor this alien world are serpents fleeing
from the light.
"Guh――――"
A white skull coughs in this alien world.
The one tinted by dark red light is the one who lost his Master, the
Servant Assassin.
"―――This is the end. I cannot maintain my body without a supply of
magical energy."
The white skull creeps across the wall.
A girl stands before him.
Swathed in a black curse, she blankly stares at the oncoming figure.
"――――I finally made it.
Magus. I cannot see you, but are you still alive?"
He stops five meters in front of the girl.
Sticking to the wall like a spider, Assassin speaks into empty space.
"――――Yes. Glad you could make it back, Assassin."
And the call reaches him.
The voice of the old magus echoes through the empty chamber.
The old man who was killed by Kotomine Kirei still lives in this
underground kingdom.
It's natural.
The one killed in the forest was just a collection of worms.
The main body of the old magus, the host that contains his soul, is
sleeping in the safest place on earth.
Even the priest's holy words cannot kill him unless the main body is
destroyed.
"But having my limbs destroyed got me. I cannot make magical energy
to send to you. And it is too much of a bother to go find a new body
above ground.
...Hm, this will burden her, but it is about time. Sakura, make a contract
with Assassin. You need a new bodyguard now that Berserker is
defeated."
The voice echoes.
The girl clad in black curse――――Matou Sakura doesn't answer.
Ignoring the one who has absolute control over her, she looks off blankly
into space.
"...What are you doing, Sakura? Are you disobeying me?"
The irritated voice also contains danger.
The old man is irritated.
He's angry that she lost Ilyasviel and Berserker.
"―――Sakura. I will ask you one more time. Are you going to defy
me?"
Cold scorn.
The girl has never disobeyed this voice.
It's not fear, but submission to his absolute controlling power.
The girl does fear the old man.
Moreover, the girl cannot disobey him.
Because her heart is...
"―――Hold, magus. Perhaps there is no intelligence left in her. She has
such a great power within her; it's not something a weak girl can
withstand."
"―――Hm?"
His irritation disappears.
...A gentle silence.
The sounds of worms crawling fills the hell lit by black flame.
"Hm. It seems that way. I thought she would last a while, but the end
came rather quickly."
The old magus sounds disappointed, yet happy.
The girl doesn't answer.
Her mind has been swallowed by darkness.
"Then――――you will take the girl as planned?"
"Do not put it like that. It is not as planned. It cannot be helped. Matou
Sakura's mind disappeared. So there is nothing left that can control the
monster.
So although I know it is brutal, I must take over my empty
granddaughter."
A laugh.
Coming from the girl's throat.
Rising from her throat... is the old man's laughter.
"Then please hurry. My body is disappearing. I will disappear unless I
am quickly supplied with magical energy."
"Very well. I shall start.
...My, this is disappointing, Sakura. You raised it to that degree. I wanted
to give you the glory of obtaining the Holy Grail, but it cannot be
helped.
If you must curse someone, curse yourself. The ritual did not succeed in
time because you let Ilyasviel go."
A gritting sound.
A worm squirms to swap her head.
It isn't visible.
There are no worms on the girl's body.
―――It's not on the outside...
It's a distorted thought that creeps up from her heart.
Worm-user, Matou Zouken.
His main body, the host of his rotting soul, is a false nerve hidden within
Matou Sakura's heart.
"Hah, her body hasn't changed yet, but I am not one to complain. I shall
now take your flesh as my own.
Farewell, Sakura. You've endured more than I expected from an
experiment. You have done well to please me...!"
A sound of writhing blood vessels.
Matou Zouken's spirit orders his main body to eat the girl's brain.
――――But.
"There's no need for that, Grandfather. I'm fine."
The girl puts her hand on her chest and wakes up.
"Oh. I thought it had consumed you, but you still persist? ......Hm.
Sakura. The circumstances have changed, and I can no longer maintain
Assassin.
It will burden you, but form a contract with him."
The old magus gives her an order.
But the girl shakes her head in refusal.
"――――What? What do you mean?"
"I told you already, Grandfather. There's no need for that."
An ice-cold voice.
At that instant.
A vast darkness swallows the white skull on the wall.
"Gi――――!?"
"Wha――――!?"
The surprise comes too late.
The assassin's body is compressed in an instant, his mask the only part
not crushed.
"Gah――――ah, ahhhhhhhhhhhhh!?"
The mask falls.
Under the white skull...
The face that should be there is a skull, just like the mask.
"......Fufu. Oh, I wondered what sort of face you had, but you had none
to begin with.
You didn't hide your face, but wore the mask to make people think a face
lay beneath it. Such a disappointment."
"Gi―――Girl, you―――"
"You lost your face and name, but you still wanted eternity? ...But how
unfortunate. If you seek eternity, you should've sought to live forever
like my grandfather.
The Holy Grail can't go back into the past and regain your name."
"Disappear, old man of the mountain. You're nothing but an assassin.
You can't become the one and only Hassan."
"Gi, giaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa―――!"
Even his death cry is swallowed by the shadow.
The white skulled assassin is swallowed by the girl's shadow.
"Guh―――are you insane!? What are you doing, fool...!?"
His panic is akin to fury.
Is he surprised, or―――is he frightened?
In response to the old man's scream, the girl smiles.
"He attacked Senpai twice.
That's why I killed him. I'm the only one allowed to hurt him."
"Wha――――"
"And Grandfather. You don't need to be protected by him anymore. So
we have to give him leave."
And then...
She sticks her finger into her heart and pulls out a worm that was deep
within her nerves.
"――――!!!!"
How do you describe the fear, the terror?
She gouged her heart and tore her nerves, but still smiles.
"W――――What, what are you doing, Sakura――――"
The worm wriggles.
The girl stares with empty eyes at her grandfather, what used to be her
grandfather, what seems to have been her grandfather.
"Oh. It was easier than I expected. I thought you would be bigger."
No. Actually, Matou Zouken's true body wasn't this small.
The old magus switched his main body when he planted himself in her
heart.
To inhabit her heart, he had to be smaller than a heart.
In retrospect, his strange preference was his downfall.
"Sakura―――Sakura, don't tell me..."
"I should thank the priest. I would've been swallowed if he hadn't
eliminated you."
She sees through his plan.
No, this outcome was inevitable.
The old magus didn't even try to hide his intentions, and the girl didn't
disobey him.
So there was no problem.
She was just a piece of flesh that the old magus would eventually take
over.
Until she betrayed him.
"H―――Hold on, hold on, hold on, hold on...!!
No, no, Sakura...! Possessing you is my last resort. I shall entrust you
with the gate as long as you are still conscious. All I want is for the
Matou bloodline to prosper.
All I want is for you to win and obtain everything...!"
The worm squirms around.
The girl smiles at the trash in her fingers.
"All the better, then. I don't need your help anymore. I can open the gate
by myself."
The impossible occurs.
The old magus only made one mistake.
"――――! Wait, wait, please, Sakura...!
This has all been for you...!
And this is how you repay me――――"
"Goodbye, Grandfather.
It must've been tiring to crawl about underground for two hundred years,
right?
―――You can disappear now."
The old man has raised her too much.
Believing her to be pure, he never noticed the darkness within.
...The girl's the only one left at the altar.
The swaying black fire rejoices at the independence of the girl that
embodies it.
"―――――――Fuh."
The girl stares at the blood on her hand,
"Fufu――――Fufu, ahahahahahahaha――――"
And laughs like an empty puppet.
INTERLUDE END
There's no reception.
The Ryudou Temple hides in the dark, emitting alien powers like a
crouching giant.
There must be wind blowing far above me.
If I strain my ears, I can hear it howling.
"...I feel a power from atop the stairs. It seems something is being
created in the pond behind the compound."
"No, we don't have any business there. The gate above must be the
ostensible gate for the Masters that want the Holy Grail. ...If we want the
Great Holy Grail, we have to go down instead of up."
Tohsaka walks away from the stairs into the forest.
"...Are you all right, Rider? There's a boundary field around the Ryudou
Temple, right? I heard Servants can only go in from the front gate."
"...I feel some strain, but this is tolerable.
This area contains the most suitable ley line in the land. Once we get
inside, I can recover by drawing mana from the air."
"I see. It must be tough, but please bear with us for a bit."
We push our way through the tree branches.
There's not even an animal trail over the mountain, so we even have to
climb down rock walls.
"Hm―――it should be around here, according to Ilya... Do you see
anything like an entrance, Shirou?"
"What do you mean, 'like'?"
"Like a crack in a rock that we can slip through, or a suspicious-looking
shrine. It's an entrance, so I don't think it'd just be a pit."
"...Don't be ridiculous. The stars are out, but I can't see anything in a
forest at night――――"
...Oh, I can.
We must be behind the temple, because I see many dead trees.
There's no sign of human influence. There's nothing here but dead trees
and a small stream.
"...Small stream?"
Hold on.
That means the water's coming from somewhere.
"...Rider. There's a bunch of rocks above the stream, right?
It's too dark for me to see, but is that a cave?"
"―――――Please do not turn around, Shirou."
I hear a small metallic sound.
Rider must've taken off her restraint.
"......Yes. It's a natural cave, but you should just be able to fit through. It
looks like the path ends about a meter in, but I sense a magical
camouflage."
"I see, thanks. ―――Tohsaka. I guess there is something like it."
We pick our way down to the stream.
...It's more like a spring flowing out from the rocks.
The stones are piled atop one another where it starts. There's a crack big
enough for one person to fit through.
It's like a snow hut made from rocks.
You can see that a huge boulder is blocking the entrance, so nobody
would even try to go in it.
"――――This is it. You can pass through the rock."
Tohsaka walks into the darkness without turning around.
"Please go ahead. I shall protect your back."
I nod and enter the darkness.
The sound of scraping on a hard surface.
I progress down the wet rock using my hands.
The ground slopes steeply downward.
...The weight of the darkness is stifling.
Unless I keep my back to the ground as I move, I might fall into the
endless dark.
"........."
I lay flat on my back as I slowly descend.
......It's dark, and I can't tell how far down this path goes.
My breathing echoes in my ears.
"Shirou. I'm going to ask you now."
...Then.
Tohsaka, the one leading the way, suddenly speaks up.
"What?"
"The gem sword. Why did you make it for me?"
She sounds blunt, as if she's just asking to kill time while we're
descending.
"Why ask?"
"―――I've told you I'm planning to kill Sakura.
Can you really give me a weapon, knowing that?"
"―――――――"
I nod in agreement.
Well, Tohsaka certainly has a point.
"I'm not okay with that. But I can't save Sakura without you. It's better to
have two people instead of one.
And projecting the sword was a promise.
I couldn't keep one of my promises with you, so I wanted to keep the
other."
It happened a long time ago.
I asked for Tohsaka's help after I lost Saber.
Tohsaka responded to my call for help, and I made a promise with her.
To let her win.
I promised to make her the victor.
...I can't keep that promise anymore.
So I have to keep the other promise with her.
For the girl I used to admire...
For Tohsaka Rin, who believed in someone who had nothing at the
time.
"I see. You're pretty faithful."
"Yeah, but not as much as you."
Silence returns to the darkness.
The conversation ends.
We continue our descent without looking at each other.
A long path that seems to lead to hell.
The path spirals downward, and just as I'm thinking we're over a
hundred meters underground...
The dark cave changes completely, welcoming us.
The path that could only accomodate one person widens up and leads
on.
There's no need for light.
The cave is lit by a dim green glow, probably from some kind of
luminous moss.
The path is saturated with life force.
It feels too lively.
An air of birth, filled with vigor and the joy of life.
An immense amount of odo, and mana so strong that it's almost visible.
"――――――――"
It makes me want to vomit.
The warmth of life should be dazzling, but instead it's something rotten,
making me want to look away.
"............"
"――――――――"
I have no words to say to her.
This is a land of death.
Talking to each other to soften the tension would only cost us our lives.
"―――Let's go. From now on, look out for your own safety first."
...Tohsaka heads down the path, to the source of the black air.
Rider and I follow after her, concentrating on our surroundings.
"......?"
I see something red on the ground.
It's a trace of blood.
It leads to the back.
"――――――――"
Did someone come here before us?
And someone wounded badly enough to leave behind a trail of blood?
"Shirou."
"...Sorry. I'll be right there."
I shake off that train of thought and head on.
I can't be worrying about others.
"―――――――!"
My consciousness fades away if I let my guard down.
I'll disappear if I worry about needless things.
"........."
I tighten my grip on the pendant.
Letting the pain clear my mind, I step into the green darkness.
―――A warm wind hits my cheeks.
At its end, the path opens into a cavern.
It's about as big as the schoolground.
It's too dark to make out the ceiling, but it must be about ten meters
high.
I don't detect any signs of life.
An unforgettable underground space that looks like the moonscape that I
read about a long time ago.
And there...
Waits Saber, filled with absolute hostility.
She's the only one here.
I don't see Sakura, Zouken, or Assassin.
The only one blocking the way here is the girl who has turned black.
"――――――Saber."
"――――――――――"
There's no reply.
...Of course.
Saber's duty is to eliminate any intruders.
She's the gatekeeper and the executioner.
Saber's the strongest Servant Sakura has, so she can fight us by herself.
"...Hmph. It doesn't look like we can talk her into letting us through."
Tohsaka lowers her stance and reaches for the gem sword she's hiding
behind her back.
―――She must intend to fight head-on.
I don't know what kind of ability the sword has, but she's going to fight
Saber.
But that's not a good idea.
We still have a countermeasure, since we know Saber's powers. We can't
use our only secret weapon when Zouken and Assassin are still waiting
for us――――
"Wait, Tohsaka...! Saber's――――"
"Rin. I have no reason to fight you. Please do not attack me. I will go
against Sakura's orders if I kill you here."
"......!"
Speaking in the same quiet tones as before, Saber stops Tohsaka in her
tracks.
We comprehend what she means right away.
"...What are you doing? You're keeping watch here, right?"
"Yes. I am to eliminate anyone that passes by here.
That is Sakura's order. But―――"
"I'm an exception, and Sakura wants to see me?"
Saber nods.
"......I see. She must be serious."
She mutters.
...After taking a deep breath, Tohsaka walks over to Saber.
"Tohsaka."
"Sorry. I guess that's how it is, so I'm going ahead."
Tohsaka walks on without hesitation and passes by Saber.
And right before she disappears...
"Shirou. I don't know what'll happen to you, but I believe in you. So
you'd better live up to my expectations."
"Huh?"
...Wait.
I can't understand if you complain to me without telling me what I
should be doing.
"I-I'm saying it'll just be a pain if you come complaining after
everything's over! ...Um, make sure you're not too late if you want to
save Sakura."
Tohsaka disappears, her hair fluttering behind her.
"――――――――"
...Thanks, Tohsaka.
That gave me strength.
In short, she told me to come help her while she keeps Sakura at bay.
"That is impossible. You will die here, Shirou."
"......!"
Her hostility expands.
Tohsaka left, and Rider and I are the only ones here.
So she doesn't have to hold back anymore, huh?
"I cannot overlook what you just said. You only kill those that pass
through. If he merely stays here, you should not harm him."
"I will not attack if he does not move.
But he will advance, no matter what. He knows he cannot defeat me, but
all he can do is move forward.
Am I wrong, Rider?"
"I see. You served him before me, after all.
It's natural that you know his personality."
...Saber narrows her eyes.
The black holy sword is in her hands.
―――She's coming.
Rider or I.
If either one of us takes a step forward, Saber will use all her power to
kill us.
"......Saber. There's nothing that'll make you back down?"
"Stop asking me that. I said this is my role."
I grab the Shroud.
...Saber shows no sign of hesitation.
We're already enemies.
I realized that back in the forest.
So...
"―――I see. Then I'll eliminate you here."
I have to accept it.
"――――"
"I'm going to save Sakura. You're in my way."
Saber's not my only enemy.
There's still Assassin and Zouken.
I can't be wasting my time here.
"Please stay back, Shirou. I shall fight Saber just as you instructed me."
Removing the restraint on her mystic eyes, Rider motions me back with
one hand.
Saber raises her sword.
―――The hostility is already aimed at Rider―――
"Don't be stupid. I said we're both going to fight her. You..."
"I may not be able to defeat her, but I can keep her occupied.
Fortunately, Saber does not have the ability to repel mystic eyes.
I cannot petrify her as she has more magical energy, but I can pressure
her. I can match her for two minutes if I use all my strength."
Rider's eyes capture Saber.
The mystic eyes, which petrify anyone in her sight, temporarily lower
Saber's ability.
"I will create the situation. Please stay there and concentrate so you do
not miss our chance."
"Rider."
"――――I will be going. I shall entrust you with my life, Shirou."
Rider disappears.
The black cavalryman dashes at the swordsman with light speed.
The attack is made so quickly that human reactions cannot even perceive
it.
But Saber repels it like nothing.
"―――Very well. You will disappear first, Rider."
A heavy pressure fills the cavern.
A cruel smile on her face, the black swordsman starts to move.
INTERLUDE BEGIN
Her vision spreads out.
The instant Tohsaka Rin escapes the darkness, she forgets that she's deep
underground.
The impossibly high canopy and black sun.
The huge cavern isn't a cave, but a desolate land.
There should be two, no, three kilometers across.
In the distance stands a monolithic wall.
...This is the start and the end of this war.
There should be a giant crater above the cliff.
Up there is the system that has been activated for two hundred years.
The massive rock that holds a large magic circle, the Great Holy Grail,
belches black fire from its mortar-shaped center.
The embryonic movements of the black shadow.
The light illuminating the desert is a wave of magical energy.
...According to Tohsaka's records, this is what you'd call the altar of the
beginning.
The middle that leads to the middle.
The circular circuit, the world of heart, Heavens Feel.
It has immeasurable magical energy, creating an alien world that lives up
to its name.
"That's Angra Manyu... So the name 'all evils of this world' isn't just for
show, huh?"
Rin talks lightly as she makes her way to the altar.
...She's worried about Shirou and Rider, but her situation isn't too good
either.
The magical energy in the Great Holy Grail isn't something a human can
handle.
The vortex of magical energy can be called infinite.
There's so much that it won't run out, not even if all the magi in the
world come here and use whatever magic they wish.
It's more than anyone can use in a lifetime, and therefore can be called
infinite.
"...Nothing is impossible, huh? That Holy Grail really can make any
wish come true."
Her determination almost breaks, faced with the numbing premonition
of death.
Keeping her spirits up with idle talk, she walks on.
―――The ones she's watching out for are Assassin and Matou Zouken.
Matou Sakura isn't a threat.
She has lost her mind, and Rin sees no danger from her.
She's just Zouken's puppet, after all.
Rin's greatest enemy is Matou Zouken.
The fight against Matou Sakura isn't important.
"......Strange. I can make it to the altar."
Zouken shouldn't allow an intruder to trespass this far.
If he's planning to attack her, it'll be on the way to the altar.
But it's not happening, and Rin's about to reach her destination.
"――――――――"
She thinks.
Why is there no interference from Zouken? Why can't she feel his or
Assassin's presence?
She makes a guess.
She denies the possibility, but easily accepts it.
No, she's forced to accept it.
Because...
"―――I'm glad, Nee-san. You came here instead of running away."
...Her guess turns out to be true.
She looks up.
On top of the cliff.
With the black sun behind her, Matou Sakura welcomes her older sister.
"――――――――!"
Rin retreats a little, overwhelmed by the pressure.
...The girl has been transfigured further than Rin expected.
Angra Manyu is a Servant without form.
It's only a shadow that takes form using people's wishes.
Therefore, its powers depend on its Master.
Matou Sakura is now Angra Manyu.
"All evils of this world", the function to emit the curse is the girl called
Matou Sakura.
"...Crap. If Kirei were here, I bet he'd call it a messenger from God."
Rin looks up at Sakura, who has turned into a bottomless well of
magical energy, and releases her gem sword.
―――But is it something that can match the being above her?
There are two functions for weapons that support magic and ceremonial
equipment that assist in rituals.
One function is to amplify.
It's a backup, increasing and supplementing one's magical energy and
strengthening the spell itself.
These items are considered orthodox support equipment, and magi carry
at least one. Rin's jewels are classified in this group.
Another is a limited function.
It's a special magical item where the weapon itself becomes magic.
It's activated using the magical energy of the magus and performs a
predetermined divine mystery.
Its greatest advantage is that it enables the magus to use magic she's not
capable of ordinarily.
It only has one application and thus lacks versatility, but for that reason,
its power is immense.
A lance that always pierces the heart,
a bridle that enslaves holy beasts,
a dagger that cancels any magical effect.
Noble Phantasms of Servants are usually classified in this group.
"――――――――"
So, which is the gem sword?
Is it support equipment that gives magical energy to the user, or is it a
limited weapon that defeats the enemy with its unique ability?
...But.
No matter which it may be, nothing should be able to match Matou
Sakura.
The difference in their magical energy is too vast.
No matter what kind of a magic it may be, Matou Sakura should be able
to drive it back in one breath.
"What's wrong, why are you trembling, Nee-san? ...Fufu, don't tell me
you've suddenly lost your nerve."
"...Well said. Where's your guardian? You're a coward, so doesn't it
bother you that he's not by your side?"
"――――――――"
...The air freezes.
Hostile tension mixes into the warm air in the cavern.
"――――――――"
The black girl bites her lip and sighs.
"Grandfather's gone. He was a bother, so I crushed him along with
Assassin."
She smiles gracefully.
"......"
She doesn't need to ask.
Matou Zouken was killed by Matou Sakura.
...It's natural that he hasn't shown himself.
The old magus was eaten by his own pet dog.
"I see, so you're completely free. Zouken bound you in a good way and a
bad way.
You don't have anything to fear now that you killed him."
"Not quite. Not yet, Nee-san.
Killing my grandfather isn't enough. I'm this strong and I can do
anything, but I'm still bound."
"...Geez. Nee-san, you're so insignificant, but you won't disappear from
within me. You still torment me in my mind.
So――――as long as you live, I can't be free."
Her voice is a light singsong, but the words are heavy as slime.
The contradiction proves her madness.
The hostility in the cavern is a rhapsody of superiority and awe.
"...Oh. But you seem happy in spite of that. You killed Zouken and
Assassin, so I should assume you killed Kirei as well.
What a performance for someone who hated killing... are you getting
used to murder now?"
"Yes. Crushing people and eating them are no different.
For people, it's boring and meaningless if you don't have fun, and it's
painful if you don't eat, right?
It's just the same. I'm the same as you. I'm just doing what everyone
else's doing."
"―――Wait. Do you really mean that twisted logic?"
"It's not twisted logic. I'm not wrong.
It's different because I've gotten strong. I'm strong, so I'm different
now."
"I――――I'm strong. Everything's forgiven if you're strong.
...Yes. If I'm strong and no one can beat me, everything I've done will be
forgiven. If I'm not myself, everything I've done couldn't be helped...!"
A scream of rage.
It's the complaint of a petulant child who can't escape unless she believes
in it.
"Do you understand, Nee-san? That's what I'm going to become. That's
why I can kill anyone.
It's natural for me."
"......I see. So you're going to take it out on everything you see? But what
about Shirou? He still believes he can save you. Are you going to kill
him too?"
"――――!"
The girl stiffens.
Rin's question is her last obstacle.
...Her excitement cools down.
Thinking about him, she regains her sanity.
A serene smile crosses her face.
"Yes. Senpai's no exception.
No―――he's the only one I want to kill, Nee-san.
...Yes. I quickly――――"
――――Want to consume Senpai.
"――――――――"
Matou Sakura's reply shows that she is beyond help.
Rin grips the gem sword and gauges the distance between them.
"...Hmph. What about taking Angra Manyu with you?
I knew you were stupid, but I didn't think you were this stupid. You let
yourself be swallowed, and you've already stopped being human."
A voice filled with clear hostility.
As the supervisor of this land, Tohsaka Rin acknowledges her own sister
as "evil".
"――――Fuh. You're bluffing. Please be honest with yourself, Nee-
san.
You're envious of this great power, right? You're jealous, right? That's
why you came to kill me even though you can't.
......Yes. You're going to take him away from me so you can keep the
happiness to yourself."
The shadows stand up.
A magic of absorption, a bundle of magical energy that matches a
Servant's Noble Phantasm.
Not one, but many rise up to attack.
"I won't give it to you. This is my power. All I'm going to give you is
regret and despair.
I'll slowly show you what I mean."
There are four figures.
They reach out for the small person beneath them like giants protecting
the girl.
"――――I'll show you the difference in our powers, Nee-san.
Nobody's going to come help you this time. You can drown in me like a
bug in a lake."
The towering shadows attack her.
A titanic power that can neither be blocked nor dodged swallows
Tohsaka Rin.
INTERLUDE END
Two black figures crash against one another.
One is Rider, running at great speed, striking at her enemy from all
possible directions.
Her long hair blown behind her, she looks like a beautiful shooting star.
But.
A shooting star is a small star, after all.
The swordsman who Rider faces.
Rider cannot break through Saber's guard, as she firmly fixes herself on
the ground and overwhelms Rider.
No matter how quickly Rider leaps to attack her blind spots, Saber
deflects the daggers with a single swing of her blade, striking Rider in
the same motion.
Her severe firmness reminds me of a black sun.
A large star that will consume you once you draw near.
No matter how fast Rider may move, an ephemeral shooting star can
never match the light of one that burns in place.
"Ha――――ah――――"
Her sneak attack is repelled yet again, and she's wounded.
...She can retreat as Saber counterattacks because of her superhuman
speed.
Rider closes in and withdraws in an instant, just like a black spark.
But her efforts merely prevent a fatal blow.
The difference in their powers is obvious.
Rider's speed decreases the more she attacks.
High-speed movement and continuous offense.
Natural healing that regenerates the wounds Saber sustains.
She's not thinking about anything that comes after.
She can't match Saber unless she uses all of her energy.
Rider's blocking Saber's attacks by attacking.
Once Saber shifts to offense, she and her master will be killed instantly.
Therefore, Rider keeps running, knowing she'll eventually burn out.
―――Her energy's lost with every passing second.
Rider said she could last two minutes.
It's been ten minutes since passing that limit.
Rider's legs are starting to give in to the strain.
In contrast, Saber is unscratched.
Rider's attacks have not reached her, and she shows no fatigue.
Technique, vitality, magical energy.
Saber overwhelms Rider in these three aspects.
Therefore―――once Rider loses her speed, her sole advantage, Saber
will shift to offense.
Rider's speed is declining.
...It's only a matter of time before Saber catches up to Rider's speed.
A few more seconds. Rider will be out of breath once her next attack is
blocked.
The instant Rider loses her strength and magical energy, Saber will slice
her body in half.
"――――――――"
But this has been predicted.
Before they came to the cavern.
The boy told Rider of his prediction, of this exact outcome.
She knows she'll lose if she fights like this.
There's only one way to change the outcome of death.
They hold their breath and wait for the moment――――
Rider attacks Saber.
At the same instant.
I loosen the restraint on my left arm
and
start
the projection.
――――I'm disappearing.
Loosening the Shroud on Archer's arm
Search.
I'm blown away.
The wind's strong.
I'm losing my comprehension of what's before me.
Let go of the right hand.
Put the Shroud back on.
I can't bear it for even a second.
I'll lose everything.
I'll lose what I value.
Search, select.
No, every part of my body's dying at this moment.
Rider's fighting desperately.
I can't whine about this.
I... have to do... what I can... and fight.
I can't lose my concentration for even a second.
Rider's going to time it.
I have to free my left arm so I can match her timing.
Select, analyze.
But it hurts.
It's painful and scary.
Quick――――Quick, is Rid .
"――――――――"
It disappears.
Something I value disappears.
I can't remember what I lost.
But what I kept in my heart cannot be recalled ever again.
Defer. Defer. Defer. Defer.
Slash.
My right lung is torn from within.
"Guh――――"
Not yet?
I can't stay conscious.
Rider's also desperate.
I won't lose.
I give all I have to keep watching Rider.
Rider's fighting her fight.
I'll fight my own fight――――
"......!"
Rider stops.
Rider must have exhausted her reserves of energy, because she's on her
knees in front of Saber.
Saber's sword moves.
Rider's going to be killed.
I…
"――――! Rider......!!"
I trust her.
I have to trust her and wait.
What good will it do, even if I attack Saber now?
What can I do with my projection that's already prepared?
Our plan's already been determined.
Rider accepted my strategy, temporarily acknowledging me as her
master.
So――――
"――――!"
Saber's sword cuts through empty space.
Rider has already retreated out of Saber's range.
And it's the greatest retreat possible.
She jumps back to the edge of the cavern.
Saber can't pursue her.
Rider's chain is tangled around her legs.
That's why Rider went on her knees.
Rider persistently attacked Saber's upper body, entangled her legs as the
final attack, and nailed her in place by piercing the nail dagger into the
ground.
"You cannot stop me with such a thing...!"
Magical energy courses through Saber's body.
Saber takes on lightning and easily destroys the chain.
"――――!"
But it's too late.
The small opening lasts a mere two seconds, but that's more than Rider
needs.
"Noble Phantasm――――!"
Fifty meters.
Seeing the sudden gap between them, Saber instantly realizes Rider's
intention.
Then there's only one way to oppose it.
A strongest attack for a strongest attack.
――――Black light flows out.
A scorching wind bursts forth from Saber's sword.
A comet will attack her in the next second.
The strongest Noble Phantasm is employed to wipe out the pure white
light from Rider.
"Saber......!!!!!!"
Rider lowers her stance.
The summoning circle's already completed.
A giant eye bound by blood materializes in front of her.
"――――Come, Rider――――!"
The sword, readied beside her.
Converging and spinning, the light of the star reaches the critical point.
The black sun stands ready, the flare held in both hands.
"Bellero――――"
Its true name is cast.
Rider's figure is instantly covered in white.
"Ex――――"
The true name is revealed.
Saber's sword transforms into a blazing black flame.
"――――Phon!!!!!!!!!"
"――――Calibur!!!!!!"
The two lights in the cavern contend for supremacy――――!
At that instant, I stop time.
I accelerate all my processes, disguising this instant as eternity.
"――――Trace, on."
Search, select, analyze, project.
That's my role.
The second projection.
Magic that shaves my existence away.
But we can't beat Saber without it.
We can't match Saber's Noble Phantasm, even with Bellerophon.
We knew that already.
―――――So I'm going to make her win.
If Rider's Noble Phantasm is inferior in force, I'll make up for the
difference...!!!!
"―――I am the bone of my sword."
I already know what I have to use.
The projection's completed in an instant.
The greatest protection Archer knows, the Noble Phantasm that will lead
Rider to victory!
"Rho Aius――――!"
I make it into reality using its true name――――!
"Gah――――!"
A shudder runs through my outstretched arm.
Nerves, muscles, and blood dance around like mad.
I frantically hold my convulsing left arm with my right.
"Gu......! Ah, ah, ahh――――!"
Bear it.
I can't stop the projection.
The lights are still competing.
If Rider loses Aius now,
she'll be vaporized in an instant――――!
"Gi――――ah, , ――――!"
My left arm jumps about, while my shoulder fires bullets into my body.
The magical energy I can't control explodes inside my body, and just like
an eraser,
turns Emiya Shirou's body white.
" ―――― , !!!!"
I roar out.
I scream to ward off the pain and the fear of losing myself.
Bare magical energy is smashed.
It completely destroys the balance between the two.
"Ah, ahh, ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh――――!!!!"
Scattering the fourth petal the black ultimate light penetrated through, it
fills the cavern
with bright, white light.
The two Servants are blown away.
Rider smashes against the wall at the exact speed at which she charged.
Saber is hurled backward by Bellerophon and falls to the ground on her
back.
They're both alive.
Rider must've used up her magical energy as she's still on the ground.
But Saber―――she's deeply wounded, but she still has some power
left.
"――――――――!"
We barely had the edge in the confrontation of the Noble Phantasms.
Bellerophon had ninety percent of its light offset by Saber's holy sword.
"Ah――――――――"
I run.
I run without understanding what I have to do.
I release the Azoth Sword while I run.
"――――Sa, ber."
I run to her.
I run to her and straddle her defenseless body.
"Ah――――Shi, rou――――?"
Did she hit her head?
Saber's looking up at me absent-mindedly.
"――――――――Ah."
How must I look to her?
I'm on top of her, looking down with a dagger upraised.
"――――――――"
Saber's natural healing power is extraordinary.
She'll regenerate unless I finish her off right now.
Finish her here.
We'll be killed unless I kill Saber, who's wounded and unable to fight
back.
"Ah――――Ah."
My fragmented mind is strangely clear right now.
"――――――――"
...She must be conscious again.
Saber's staring at me with cold eyes.
I…
There's no hesitation.
Holding her gaze, I bring down my heavy arm.
There's no resistance.
I end Saber's life with one blow.
"――――――――――, ―――"
There were memories.
There was the warmth of life.
Her warmth was always by my side.
I kill her along with those memories.
I search through my mind and throw them away to where I can't find
them again.
They'll never return.
I'll never recall her now.
―――Such a thing will never be forgiven.
I chose this path.
I killed someone else to save Sakura.
Using my own hands, I killed someone who protected me until the very
end.
Neither regret nor a confession will bring forgiveness.
...This is what it means to ally with someone.
I'll keep sacrificing important things for the one I love.
And on this path...
There's nothing brilliant enough to make up for what I've lost.
"But Saber――――"
I'll search all my life for happiness that can measure up to what I've lost.
I'll keep losing more than I gain, and I know I'll stop someday.
But―――I'm going to take responsibility for stealing things away, even
if I'm pathetic, comical, or meaningless.
I don't know where I can find happiness.
But I swear to myself that I'll never give up, even if I can't see the end.
"――――Thanks. You saved me many times."
...The weight on my dagger disappears.
Silent to the end, the dark swordsman sinks into the black shadow, her
eyes fixed on me.
INTERLUDE BEGIN
The black wave closes in.
Spreading its arms to block its prey's escape, it attacks as a tidal surge.
"Es l[auml][szlig]t frei. Werkzeug―――!"
But the golden flash of light forbids the giant's existence.
Six already.
Rin has cut down the endless barrage of dark curses.
"Wha――――"
The surprised one is Matou Sakura, the master of the shadows.
It's a natural reaction.
Each of the black giants is a match for the Noble Phantasms wielded by
Servants.
For Tohsaka Rin, even one giant should be an avatar of inescapable
death.
But she has struck down six already.
She killed every one of them with a single blow.
And running up the cliff now, she eliminates the seventh with one stroke
of her dagger.
"No way――――
Es erz[auml]hlt―――Mein Schatten nimmt Sie...!"
"You're too persistent...! Geb[uuml]hr, zweihaunder......!"
The gem sword blazes with light.
The colorless blade emits seven prismatic colors, extraordinary power
surging from its core.
"Es l[auml][szlig]t frei. Eilesalve――――!"
It bathes the cavern in bright golden light...!
"Hah――――!"
Destroying the last of the shadows in her way, Tohsaka Rin reaches the
top of the cliff.
Matou Sakura stands before her.
The black girl stares with surprise at her older sister's arrival.
"No way――――it's not possible."
...At the sound of her voice, numerous shadows rise up.
Their number is incomparable to before.
Is it Sakura's impatience, or did the things behind her sense the risk to
their master?
The magical energy emitted against the mere human called Tohsaka Rin
is over a hundred million in numerical value.
"―――You're not holding back. The people of the Association would
faint if they were here.
They could keep a department running for a hundred years with that
much magical energy."
"―――And what are you, cutting them down? I'm pulling out magical
energy thousands of times your capacity. You don't have enough strength
to even kill one of my shadows, so why...?"
"We're just having a pure contest of power.
I can't dispel a curse. I'm merely using my magical energy to eliminate
your magical energy that's creating the shadow. Can't you tell?"
"I'm saying that's impossible...!
You don't have such magical energy. No, the light you're firing is like..."
The greatest Servant.
The light of Saber's Noble Phantasm, Excalibur.
".....Is it that sword? I don't think it's possible, but that's copying the
power of Saber's Noble Phantasm. Is it a limited weapon, activated with
your small magical energy, that's specialized in killing shadows?"
"Huh? You can't tell? What have they been teaching you, Sakura?"
"Wha――――d-don't mock me...! That's the only sound explanation..."
"There's nothing to explain. This isn't a copy of Saber's Noble Phantasm
nor a shadow-killing demonic sword. Sakura. This is Zelretch, a gem
sword passed down the Tohsaka family."
"Eh...? Zelretch...?"
"I can't believe this. You don't even know the name Zelretch?
...I don't even want to explain, but in short, it's your natural enemy.
You use souls as a perpetual motion machine to create magical energy.
You're just a poor imitation of the Third Sorcery.
And I use an imitation of my great master, who travels across infinite
parallel worlds. So it means I'm a copycat of the Second Sorcery...!"
A flash from the blade.
Light traces the dagger's swing, obliterating Matou Sakura's guardian
shadows.
Not only that. Light and heat, like those of a miniature Excalibur, send
rumbles through the cavern.
It's a pure contest of magical energy.
What kind of magic――――no, sorcery was used?
Tohsaka Rin has a stock of magical energy equal to that of Matou
Sakura――――
"Ah――――Ah."
"I don't even need to get close to you. This is actually a projectile
weapon, and you're hiding yourself in the shadows.
There's no problem with exchanging blows until one of us runs out of
power. ...Well, I guess the ceiling will give out before we do."
"No way... Exchange blows? Don't joke around.
You don't have any magical energy left. No matter what that sword is,
you can't attack anymore――――"
"Really? Then let's try. Come on, Sakura. You won't reach me, no matter
what you do.
It's a drastic treatment, but consider it a fee for your lesson. I'll make
sure you regret doing whatever you wanted just because you got a bit
stronger."
"――――!"
"......!
Not yet! Es befiehlt―――Mein Atem schlie[szlig]t alles...!"
"Eins, zwei, RandVerschwinden――――!"
"――――――――"
Matou Sakura cannot understand what's happening.
Now she summons the shadows out of fear.
But the sword of light mercilessly eliminates them.
Matou Sakura is frightened and confused.
That's why she doesn't notice.
The sweat on Tohsaka Rin's forehead.
The high cost of using the gem sword, which shreds the muscles in her
arm with each swing.
"――――I won't lose when it comes to stock, but the question is how
long my body'll last――――"
Light purges the attacking shadows.
But their powers are not equal.
Tohsaka Rin and Matou Sakura. The difference in their power is still the
same.
Matou Sakura's stock of magical
energy reaches a trillion.
As it cannot be used within a lifetime, it can be called an infinite supply.
"Why――――!? I'm stronger than anyone.
Nobody can scold me.
So how can you catch up to me like it's nothing...!? Someone at your
level can't do anything but get swallowed...!"
"That's where you got it wrong. Even if you have a large supply, it's the
caster that uses it.
Do you get it? No matter how much water you have, the amount that
comes out depends on the size of the faucet.
The Magic Circuit called Matou Sakura can only instantaneously release
about a thousand.
Then we both have the same release rate, no matter how much you may
have in your stock...!"
"Kya......!"
"So! I don't need to prepare a supply as large as yours! I merely need a
thousand magical energy each time...!
Such a large supply of magical energy is just a waste――――!"
The line of light is swung.
If a thousand light is smashed against a thousand shadow, the powers
will certainly cancel each other.
But Tohsaka Rin's magical energy doesn't even reach a hundred.
The contradiction.
It doesn't need to be said that her sword creates the competition that
should not be possible.
A sword of light that releases a thousand units of magical energy with
each attack and replenishes even more.
It's not using Tohsaka Rin's magical energy.
She's merely collecting the mana saturating this cavern and releasing it
through the gem sword.
Odo is the energy within a magus, while mana is energy within the air.
It's self-evident which is stronger.
As Rin is inferior to Sakura, the only thing she can rely on is the mana in
the air.
True. The mana in this cavern reaches a thousand.
It would only be once, but with the mana's help, she would be able to
eliminate a giant.
―――But there would be nothing left after that.
Air holds a finite amount of power.
Just as with humans, when the mana runs out, it takes a long time to be
replenished.
Tohsaka Rin can only oppose Matou Sakura once in this world.
―――But. That being the case, consider for a moment...
What if another cavern existed here? That would mean she could oppose
her enemy one more time.
And what happens if something can make that "if" into reality?
Parallel worlds.
What will happen if one can open a hole into a parallel world and pull
out the unused mana from the cavern there?
"......! That distortion's the same as the Holy Grail――――Nee-san, it
can't be...!?"
"Yup, you're not the only one pulling magical energy from elsewhere.
But don't get me wrong.
Mine's not something that's needlessly expanded like yours. I'm merely
using the mana in this cavern from parallel worlds.
I'm taking a thousand magical energy from one of the infinite parallel
worlds and attacking you with brute force...!"
"......!"
The girl drawing a massive supply from the Great Holy Grail gasps.
"No way. That's ridiculous...!"
"Do you get it? If you have an inexhaustible supply, I have a limitless
supply――――!"
――――Gem Sword Zelretch.
It's a "miracle" that makes a path in between infinite parallel worlds.
That's the sword's only ability.
An equipment that creates a small opening too small for humans to pass
and looks into another possible world.
The dagger has no function to amplify magical energy, nor does it have
the power to create energy when swung.
But its sole ability is enough.
She merely needs to pull unused magical energy from the next cavern
after she uses up the energy in this one.
She can move on to the next one after that.
Then next after next after next after next.
There's no end to the parallel worlds. The possibility of opposite mirrors
are infinite.
Therefore, limitless.
Even if Rin's capacity is only a thousand, it doesn't matter.
An inexhaustible supply and an infinite supply.
Because the powers of their Magic Circuits are equal, the two magi are
equal――――!
...Another rumbling echoes through space.
Rin's gem sword not only destroys the shadows.
Its excessive force slowly brings the cavern towards its collapse.
When that happens, the altar and the Great Holy Grail will be desroyed
as well.
Matou Sakura will lose if she continues fighting.
Even if she attacks until Tohsaka Rin tires, the room will cave in shortly
thereafter.
"Haa――――ah, ah――――"
...The shadows stop.
She must finally understand the origin of her enemy's power.
Gasping for breath, Sakura glares at her older sister.
"No matter how many times you try, the result will be the same. That's
all that your power can manage. Have you cooled your head now?"
"Don't be ridiculous――――! This is unfair! Why, Nee-san, why are
you always the one―――!"
The battle continues.
Matou Sakura keeps screaming, even though she knows it's useless and
that she's pushing herself into a corner.
Along with...
The grudge she kept inside for a long, long time.
"That's right...! I was jealous of you...!
You stayed at the Tohsaka's house and were always brilliant. I hate you
for never knowing any trouble.
That's why I want to win. I wanted you to praise me, just once...! Why
can't you let me have a little thing like that...!"
"――――――――"
...The older sister slashes away the oncoming shadow.
Gritting her teeth, she catches a glimpse of her sister's mind.
"Why!? It was different for me. We were sisters, we were born to the
same family, but I had nothing!
I was trapped in the room with worms and was treated as an object! I
never led a human life, and nobody said anything kind to me...!"
"――――――――"
The hatred.
The hatred is not directed at her older sister, but...
"I almost died every day. I always looked at myself in the mirror,
wanting to die. But I was scared of dying, and I didn't want to disappear
by myself...!
Because I heard that I had an older sister.
I'm a child of the Tohsaka family, so I always believed that my older
sister would come save me...!"
"But you never came.
You just kept smiling, having no idea. You took no notice of the
miserable girl and lived happily in the Tohsaka household.
Why...!? We're sisters and we're both human, so how come you're the
only one smiling like that...!?"
"――――――――"
...Her hatred isn't directed at her older sister.
It's a blind plea to herself and the world.
"I quit being human...!?
Of course! I haven't been treated like one for a long time. My eyes and
hair were changed, and every cell in my body was changed so I could
become the magus of Makiri...!"
"Eleven years, eleven years, Nee-san!
The Makiri didn't train me. They didn't expect anything from my
intelligence.
They taught my body and made me into a mere tool that uses magic.
They'd laugh that I'd become a better tool the more pain they gave me."
"They started putting poison in my food, so even eating became a
terrifying agony.
Once they put me with the worms, I had to ask for Grandfather's
permission even to breathe...!"
"――――――――"
She's crying.
But Rin slashes away the shadows without a word.
"...Aha, I know I'm crazy. But it hurts, and the more I begged them to
stop, the more delighted they became and the more they tampered with
my body.
So I'm not smart like you. It's not like I can do everything like you. All I
can do is to take my pain out on others."
"――――――――"
Her oppressed soul.
Her irreparable body.
And――――
"...But is that my fault? The ones who made me like this are
Grandfather, and my father that sold me to the Matou family, and Nee-
san who didn't come save me...!
I didn't become this monster because I wanted to...! I was forced to
become one because everyone cornered me...!"
But.
"――――Oh. What of it?"
She doesn't feel for her at all.
――――Not a single word of sympathy.
"Wha――――――――"
"Things like that happen. It's not like crying will change anything, and
besides, being a monster doesn't sound so bad.
It doesn't hurt now, right?"
Cruel approval.
...The girl's cries did go a bit too far, but they were just asking for
warmth.
But Rin denied it.
She says it's right to be a monster.
Saying it's because she was weak.
Her always-perfect sister tells her the hard truth.
"Nee-san―――It's all because you're like that――――!"
The shadows boil up.
The girl, who only seconds ago was about to abandon the fight under
pressure from her sister, gives form to her curse and her despair.
"I see. Then let me tell you something.
I never thought it was painful.
I could turn aside most problems, and there was nothing I couldn't do.
So I've never been cornered like you, and I was never interested in what
the cornered people thought."
"That's how I am. I don't understand other people's pain.
To be honest, I don't know how much pain you've suffered or what cruel
treatment you've received. I'm sorry, but I'm not even going to try to
understand."
Concise words.
She's not lying.
She just tells her younger sister the truth.
"But Sakura. Even as insensitive as I am...
I never thought I was blessed."
She looks straight at her.
She stares back at Matou Sakura, with all emotion contained in her
words.
"Huh――――?"
She cannot understand.
What did ▊▊▊▊▊▊▊▊▊▊ just say?
I...?
Wasn't blessed either...?
"What――――"
―――Hatred dyes her brain red.
She must be fooling around, saying such convenient things now.
――――Shut up.
"Now you tell me you weren't blessed?"
She's about to lose her mind.
She's about to break down.
Her sister has never looked at her.
She showed off her great talent and happiness.
――――Shut up.
"How can you say that――――"
She never liked or hated me,
who wanted everything from her but received nothing,
and says she's still pure and clean―――!
――――Shut up, Nee-san. I won't forgive you.
"That's not good enough―――!
I don't want to hear such things! I'm not going to listen to your excuses!
Nee-san, I―――!"
'Don't need you anymore.'
The girl screams, as if denying her inner darkness.
"――――――――"
...That's the last resistance Tohsaka Rin could manage.
She makes the decision she's been postponing.
She wanted to wait for Emiya Shirou as long as she could, but she can't
postpone it any longer.
――――No.
First of all, it was a mistake to entrust Shirou with their problem.
It's Tohsaka Rin's weakness against Matou Sakura.
"Sakura."
"――――Eh?"
Rin calls out to her calmly, as if saying hello.
―――At that instant.
Tohsaka Rin finishes the battle.
"Sakura."
She calls out and throws it.
Her strongest weapon.
She throws the sorcerer's inheritance.
"――――Welt, Ende."
The whole cavern is filled with light.
Explosion.
In the act of its own destruction, the miraculous gem sword erases all
shadows.
She runs.
She runs straight at Matou Sakura.
Sakura can't move, wincing from the light.
No matter how much power she has, she's still inexperienced in battle.
So it's easy to beat her once she sets her mind to it.
Tohsaka Rin quickly closes in.
As she runs, she grasps another dagger hidden behind her back.
"――――"
Sakura can't react.
It seems she's realized she's going to be killed, but it's too late.
...She's got her.
She thrusts the dagger to finish her off,
――――Oh, I can't.
and realizes her own defeat.
'...I'm dead.'
She understands that the dagger will pierce her heart before she can
dodge it.
Her body tries to counterattack, but it won't make it in time.
'――――I'm going to be killed.'
There's no fear.
She's used to being hurt by others.
And she thinks it's natural that Rin is the one doing it.
But she doesn't like getting hurt and dying scares her, so she closes her
eyes.
She sighs with relief; after all, once she dies, the pain will end.
"――――?"
But there's no pain, and the end doesn't come.
Warmth fills her instead.
The instant she realizes what it is...
Matou Sakura regains her sight.
...There's blood.
Warm, human blood, flowing from the stomach.
The blood's flowing out of her older sister, whose arms are firmly
wrapped around her.
"...Nee-san?"
The girl asks why.
Rin was definitely faster.
She could've killed her, but she stopped her dagger at the last second.
"......Geez. I can't be complaining about Shirou."
A faint voice.
It's the voice she's always dreamed of.
The voice of Tohsaka Rin that's relentless, but warm and kind.
Rin thinks to herself.
...It's nothing special.
She just realized when it counted the most.
Right when she saw Sakura up close, she realized she couldn't kill her.
"......Geez. I'm stupid."
...She's dumbfounded.
Her foolishness must be absolute if she doesn't realize it until the very
last moment.
She should've realized it earlier.
...But Rin's convinced that it can't be helped.
"...Yeah, it can't be helped.
I can't ignore a slouch. I like orderly schemes, and it irritates me when
people aren't repaid for their efforts."
―――And first of all...
"I like you, Sakura. I've always watched you, and I wanted you to
smile. ...Yeah. I wanted to believe that you had it better the more I
suffered.
I was so preoccupied with that, so I didn't even have time to think about
if it was painful or not."
She embraces Sakura with love.
A once-in-a-lifetime embrace between sisters.
She softly embraces her sister, who pierced her stomach, and holds her
there like a treasure.
"Nee―――san―――"
......Her warmth fades.
There's no complaint.
Tohsaka Rin regrets, not her death, but her inability to save her sister.
"I'm sorry I'm a selfish sister.
...And thanks. I'm glad you always wore that ribbon."
She crumples to the altar like a falling red flower.
"――――Ah."
The weight disappears.
It only lasted for an instant. Her older sister disappears along with the
warmth.
―――But Sakura. Even as insensitive as I am...
I never thought I was blessed―――
"――――No."
What kind of loneliness is contained in Sakura's words?
Her agony for her alone.
Nobody else can understand or relieve her.
There's no such hypocrisy.
And at the same time...
What if the girl she admired felt a loneliness nobody could understand?
"――――――――No."
...What would happen then?
She was her ideal. Someone brimming with confidence, who had
everything she wanted.
What if her older sister were always bound by something, just like her?
"I――――"
...Then...
The one that's weak, the one at fault, isn't her world...
...But her, the coward who couldn't look up―――
―――And there were people who clumsily loved her.
"But――――I destroyed them."
...Where did she go wrong?
She had everything.
Everything she wanted was actually right there in front of her.
They loved her and embraced her so kindly.
But she destroyed it all herself.
"――――――――Ah.
Ahh, ah, ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh......!!!!!!!"
Her hands are still frozen in place, trying to hug someone who's no
longer there.
The girl, wet with her beloved sister's blood, starts to strongly curse
herself.
INTERLUDE END
...I hear sounds.
A rumbling shakes the cave.
The light and sound are still far off, but the cavern's creaking and
trembling.
Is it distant thunder?
Suddenly I realize that I can't recall when I've ever heard distant
thunder.
...The dagger in my hand crumbles away as Saber disappears.
It must be because I eliminated a Servant, a strong familiar.
The Azoth Sword Tohsaka created with all her magical energy crumbles
away without a trace.
"――――――――"
I tighten the restraint on my left arm.
I've used up most of the magical energy.
What's left in Archer's arm and myself.
I should be able to do more if I combine them, but I can only manage
one more projection. I won't be able to suppress Archer's arm after that.
"――――――――Ri... der."
That's right. What happened to her?
I get up.
My body's stiff and rigid.
It feels like my joints have turned into steel.
I could probably repel bullets now.
"Are you all right, Rider?"
I can't walk well.
I walk.
Blood comes out.
Something's coming out of my bent legs.
I pretend not to notice.
It feels like a metal pipe's protruding from my leg, but I can manage to
walk if I grit my teeth.
...Something's making a sound in the distance.
It sounds like something I heard a lot as a kid.
It's probably still ingrained in my childhood memories.
One gets curious about a lot of things as a kid.
"Rider."
I walk to the wall Rider smashed into.
She's still there.
But she's covered in wounds, with her magical energy almost completely
depleted.
She shouldn't be able to move for a while.
...I should have her rest.
"I'm going ahead. Please come after me once you can run again."
I murmur to Rider and start walking.
"――――Ugh. ...You treat people more roughly than I expected."
Oh, she's conscious.
Unable to stand, she watches me in a daze.
"Sorry. But I'm counting on you. Please come help me after you're
slightly healed."
"――――Yes. Don't worry, I shall follow you shortly."
Rider doesn't push herself.
She knows she should start moving after she heals instead of pushing
herself now.
I can depend on her because she actually thinks ahead, unlike me.
...The rumblings are coming at shorter intervals now.
There's no time to waste.
I drag my wounded body and follow after Tohsaka.
"――――Haa, haa, ha, haa――――"
I'm breathing hard.
I lean against the wall as I walk.
I'm not making bad progress.
My body's stiff, but it's nothing once I get used to it.
"Guh――――ha, gah."
Something comes out of my mouth.
I wipe it away and pretend nothing happened.
"Guh, ah――――"
My thigh muscle goes numb, and I almost fall.
It's just a little numbness.
My pants leg is ripped from inside, and I can see inside my body.
Desperately, I look away and walk on.
――――I'm almost there.
Warm wind hits my body.
"――――All right."
I slap my cheeks and start running.
I burst out of the darkness.
The familiar deserted land fills my vision.
No.
This isn't something I've seen.
That thing didn't exist in Ilya's memory.
"――――So that's..."
The main cause of this ridiculous war.
The guy who took Sakura from me.
"――――It's about to be born."
Pressure and unpleasantness hit my whole body.
The breathing of life tells me it's about to hatch.
A flash of light and a rumble.
The light came from the top of the cliff, wreaking havoc on the cavern.
...I don't know what's going on, but such flashy things can only come
from Tohsaka.
Then that means――――
"You're in a rush."
The distorted embryo looks at me, even though it has no eyes.
...There's no mistake about it.
He wants to come out right this second, maybe because he doesn't like
how Tohsaka's raging around.
But his body's not ready yet.
His placenta is inside the black pillar.
He can't come out until his body's completely formed.
He's impatient because Tohsaka's about to destroy the womb itself, and
that's why he wants his body completed, even if it may be hurriedly
built.
He wants to be summoned into this world as a Servant with a body.
"―――――Fuck that."
I run.
A desperate clash of light and shadow.
"――――Sakura――――?"
Once I'm close enough to tell that it's the battle between Tohsaka and
Sakura...
The time in this cavern stops.
I can only think of one possible cause of the great light.
'Nee-san'
With a childish cry, the world starts to quake.
This isn't the destruction of the cavern walls by the light.
This is destruction on a more fundamental level. The cavern is shaking
because the giant shadow's trying to come out.
"That's――――"
A chill runs up my spine.
I get a bad feeling.
Hearing Sakura's cry, I imagine the worst possible outcome.
"Tohsaka――――Tohsaka, Tohsaka――――!"
I run.
Panting frantically, I scramble up the cliff on all fours.
――――The tremor doesn't stop.
I hear a large boulder crash to the ground somewhere in the cavern.
"Haa――――Haa, haa, haa, ha――――!"
I don't care what's happening behind me.
I run in desperation, covering myself in dirt.
...And my eyes are seared with the fact that I was too late.
"――――――――Tohsaka."
...The ground's shaking.
I can't see Tohsaka's face, since she's lying face down.
She looks like a large flower, fallen from its stem.
"..............., .........Sen... pai..."
I raise my face.
Backing away from Tohsaka's blood-soaked body, as if fleeing, is
...Sakura, cursing her own existence.
"――――Sakura."
"......I killed her. Nee-san cared about me, but I killed her―――"
Sakura's voice isn't directed at me.
She's rejecting everything.
Her own body, covered in Tohsaka's blood, her darkened self, the pillar
connected to her.
She's cursing everything with all her might.
"I was stupid. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. There's nothing but pain. You always
told me not to lose, but I was too stupid to understand. Senpai believed
in me, but I just kept betraying him―――"
The shadow's binding Sakura.
The black Command Spell's binding Sakura's body.
"......No... I have to stop... But I can't go back―――no, no, I don't want
this―――!"
―――She's refusing it.
Sakura's refusing the shadow.
She's hating herself, refusing the temptations from the shadow, and
trying to kill herself.
But she can't.
Sakura's necessary as a host for the shadow.
It won't allow her to take her own life.
Sakura's being torn apart by both the shadow and her own guilty
conscience.
"――――――――"
...So Tohsaka won.
Sakura regained her sanity.
Tohsaka chose her sister's life in the very end.
Sakura's Sakura.
Her heart doesn't change, no matter how much the shadow swallows
her.
...I'm the one who made her like that.
This would never have happened if I hadn't gotten scared back then and
scolded her.
"――――――!"
I run to Tohsaka.
She's still breathing.
――――It's too early to give up.
"Sakura. Tohsaka's still alive."
"――――――――――?"
"Right, she's not dead. She can be saved. No, she has to be saved. We
have to save her.
Right, Sakura?"
"Ah――――eh?"
Light returns to her eyes.
―――The restraint of the shadow loosens a bit.
Her eyes focusing on us, Sakura finally sighs with relief,
"――――! No, run, Senpai――――!"
and frantically tries to control herself.
"――――! ――――!"
Covering Tohsaka's body with my own, I receive the shadow's blow on
my back.
"Ah――――no, Senpai. I, I......!"
The shadows come up behind Sakura.
......Damn it.
He's not alive yet, but his sense of danger's first-class?
"I know. It's that kid's fault for not giving up. He's throwing a tantrum
because he doesn't want you taken away.
―――Hold on. I'll smack him and get him off of you."
I start walking towards Sakura.
"No――――please stop, Senpai――――!"
The shadow grazes my cheek.
It should've cut through my neck, but Sakura's scream made it miss.
"Haa――――ah, ah, uh......!"
Clutching at herself, Sakura fights against it.
Instead of disappearing, the shadows keep increasing in number.
"Uh... uhh, uhhhh..."
She's crying.
Sakura's crying.
It's not because of the pain of the shadow swallowing her.
She's crying from frustration because she can't suppress herself.
"......No, Senpai. I can't suppress it. Nee-san taught me, but I'm going to
lose. ...I wasn't strong. I'm a coward, a wimp, and a terrible person."
Another step.
The shadow's lance grazes my cheek.
"――――! No, why are you coming, Senpai...!?
I'll kill you if you come any closer...!"
Another step.
I put my right hand on my left shoulder.
"Why? Run. Please run, Senpai. Please take Nee-san and run...!
You can forget about me...! I'll, I'll die here! I can die by myself...! I
don't want you to see me like this...!"
――――The shadow's pressure gets stronger with each step.
My advance is hurting Sakura's body and mind.
"Why aren't you listening to me...!?
I won't hold back if you're going to come any closer. I'll kill you before
you kill me...!"
"I don't need to explain. I'm going to get you out of here and save
Tohsaka. That's what I said, right?"
"―――Are you still going on about that?
...Don't. I can't be saved. No, I shouldn't be saved. I shouldn't live."
Another step.
"――――!"
The shadow hits my stomach.
...It didn't pierce me. It's just a strike.
Sakura's intentionally trying to push me away.
"See, you saw that. This is how I am. I can't go back, and he's not going
to let me go.
And――――even if I do go back..."
"...I've killed a lot of people. I killed many people, killed Nii-san, killed
Grandfather, and killed Nee-san...!
What―――What do you want me to do...!? I can't give back what I've
taken. I've killed many people. Are you still telling me to live...!?"
"――――――――"
...I see.
She can't back out now.
She's trapped by crimes she can't atone for.
There's no salvation.
Even if it wasn't Sakura's will, those actions will haunt her forever.
Even if she's released from the shadow, the darkness will remain within
her.
But.
"―――Of course. You took lives, so take responsibility, Sakura."
I release the restraint on my left arm.
The last time. I remove the red cloth that barely kept me alive.
...I feel faint.
I have to go forward before I disappear.
There are things I have to tell her.
"Sen... pai."
"Yes. I don't know where the crime is, or how heavy it is."
"......!"
The shadows lance toward my chest, shoulder, left leg, and stomach.
Clank.
The shadows don't pierce me, but slide off with a spark.
"But I'll protect you. I'll protect you from everything.
It may be hypocrisy, but my ideal has always been to protect the one I
love―――"
I move forward.
Sakura's right in front of me now.
"No――――Senpai, your body's..."
......Trace, on.
I only think about one thing.
I use every last ounce of my remaining magical energy for its
projection.
The last projection.
I raise the dagger that breaks all contracts.
I can't see her face clearly.
"Sen, pai."
"I'm going to punish you. This is gonna be harsh, so grit your teeth."
"―――――――――"
I hear her gasp.
Then.
With a "yes", Sakura holds out her chest―――
Hoping this will be her punishment...
"Let's go home, Sakura. Cut your ties with him."
And I thrust it into her heart with a single breath.
She is released.
The black Command Spell cloaking her body disappears.
A contract-breaker.
A Noble Phantasm that nullifies all magic and negates the contract with
a Servant.
Without taking Sakura's life, it destroys the contract that bound her.
――――My vision isn't continuous.
Sakura's alive.
I don't know if it's reaction from being released, but she's lying on the
ground like she's sleeping.
Tohsaka―――Tohsaka will make it too.
She's not bleeding anymore. She has a legitimate Magic Crest.
The Crest is the crystallization of the Tohsaka family's magic. It won't let
their successor die even if she's unconscious.
"――――――――"
The cavern is shaking.
Angra Manyu.
A ridiculous curse called "all evils of the world" is writhing.
...Damn.
Even after losing its host, the black shadow hasn't disappeared.
It has grown too large.
It can come out without Sakura's help.
It will emerge so long as the Great Holy Grail still exists.
――――I'll destroy it.
I'll destroy the giant magic circle, and the shadow along with it.
Angra Manyu's fetal activity is slowly destroying the cavern.
...But I don't think it'll die even if the cavern collapses.
I have to destroy that thing here and now.
Is it possible?
...Yes, it's possible.
I'll go as near it as I can and attack it with great force.
Angra Manyu can't move as long as it's in the black fire.
I'll cleave it in two before he can emerge.
If there's anything capable of such a feat, it's――――
The greatest Noble Phantasm I know of.
"――――――――Guh."
My breathing stopped for a moment.
There's about a hundred meters to Angra Manyu.
...It's fine, I can walk this distance.
It's just one more time.
One last projection, and it's all over.
It's fine, I'll be able to do it.
I'll finish this off, take the two of them above ground, and...
"Shirou, do you hear me?"
Someone taps my shoulder.
"――――――――"
...Who is this?
She can't possibly be a stranger.
I know her. She looks dangerous, but I remember that she's trustworthy.
"Good. Can you take Sakura and Tohsaka and get out of here?"
"―――――Shirou?"
The long-haired woman stares at me for a few seconds.
"What about you?"
"I'll go after I destroy that thing. It'll be quick, but every second counts
for Tohsaka. And Sakura would be affected by the shadow if she stays
here. Angra Manyu might be persistent and make Sakura his Master
again."
"――――Understood. I will carry Rin and Sakura.
Please rest assured. I have rested enough for that."
"Please. Go outside with those two. The cavern's collapsing. Um,
R―――R- damn, your speed would have no problem with the falling
rocks."
".....................
――――Then I will be going. I shall come get you after I get them to a
safe place."
"Um... That's nice to hear, but make sure they're okay first. You're the
only one I can trust. I'll escape by myself, so please treat Tohsaka.
Sakura can't be happy without her."
...I don't think this woman has any ability to heal people.
But I still have to entrust her with Tohsaka's life.
"Certainly. But the same goes for you, Shirou.
Sakura needs you and Rin. Please remember that. ...I need you to
support Sakura."
"......?"
"I shall hurry. ――――Good luck."
The woman in black picks them up with ease and runs down the cliff.
―――Weaving between the falling rocks, she hurries to the exit.
"――――――――Phew."
...I don't have to worry about them now.
They'll be saved if I let her take care of them.
So――――
Now, I just need to take care of one more thing.
"――――, ――――, ――――"
My consciousness is breaking apart.
A mere hundred meters become an impossibly vast expanse.
"――――, ――――, ――――"
It's only a matter of time before the cavern collapses.
The ceiling's crumbling in places, and the ground is strewn with rubble.
"――――, ――――, ――――"
My joints are stiff.
It hurts to bend my limbs.
If I let my guard down, I stop breathing. Finally, with the determination
it would take to stick a knife in my throat, I manage to draw a few
breaths.
I keep doing it in spite of the pain, because people can't live without
oxygen.
I might be able to move without oxygen, and even if I am to breathe, I
would stop moving soon.
"――――, ――――, ――――"
...It's hot.
Hundreds of blades are growing out of my body.
An inescapable death by skewering.
I am the bone of my sword.
But I already knew that.
▊▊▊▊▊▊▊▊ said...
The time bomb was activated when I used projection.
So this end was already determined.
"――――, ――――, ――――"
...My legs are heavy.
...I don't know what I'm doing.
My heart's about to explode from pain, fatigue, and emptiness.
But just a bit more.
Everything will end once I beat him.
There's no one in my way.
There's no one getting in my way anymore.
――――But.
"Haa――――――ah――――"
The shadow wavers.
In front of the crater, the Great Holy Grail.
Bathed in the ruddy glow, ▊▊▊▊▊▊▊▊ is standing.
"――――Kotomine Kirei."
"Yes. It seems we've both managed to survive, Emiya Shirou."
A voice filled with strong will.
As if it's fate, the man blocks my way through this desolate realm.
"―――What are you doing?
There's nothing for you to do now."
I don't ask him how he's alive.
He's dying.
I don't feel magical energy from his body.
There's a black stain where his heart should be.
...Like me, a brief fire that's like a turned hourglass.
I don't hear his heartbeat.
He doesn't have much longer to live.
This is not speculation, but a predication.
Kotomine Kirei will die in a few minutes, even if he doesn't do
anything.
"Do not ask something so obvious.
There is only one goal for me: to give birth to the curse."
"――――What? You can't do that. He won't become yours."
"Of course not. I cannot intervene with this, and I have no intention to.
But I have told you. I will bless anything that comes to life.
This is about to be born. So it is only natural for me to protect it from an
outside enemy that tries to kill it."
"...Are you insane? What are you saying with that dying body of yours?
And even if it's born like you wish, you'll――――"
"The same goes for you. There is no sanity here. Our end will be the
same, even if we accomplish our goals.
You will destroy it, while I will protect it.
But there is nothing to be gained, no matter whose goal is achieved. You
came here knowing that.
―――This is a meaningless battle. We are two madmen engaging in
useless folly."
"――――――――"
...Kotomine will not back down.
He won't retreat, and I can't use projection as long as he's there.
I need time to project.
He'll smash my head if I show such an opening.
"...Why? Why are you going so far to protect him?
Even if he's born, you gain nothing. So why?"
Even on the verge of death, why does he approve of mankind's enemy,
all evils of this world?
"There is no room for questions. This is my only pleasure.
――――Emiya Shirou.
As you feel supreme bliss in others' happiness.
I feel supreme bliss in others' unhappiness."
"――――"
"First of all, why kill it? It is arrogance to assume it is evil even before
its birth. Is it not love to allow a life that yearns to be born into the
world?"
"Don't bullshit me. He's killed many people already. I can't let him out."
"Oh. Then let me ask. What is good and evil? Are you saying murder is
an absolute evil?"
"That's......"
...I can't answer such a question.
Good and evil mean nothing to me now.
The justice Emiya Shirou believed in disappeared the instant I decided to
save Sakura.
"―――Fair enough. There is no answer from the start. That's what
humans are like. There is no clear answer, and they accept a changing
truth. We have no absolute truth from the very beginning.
Humans have both good and evil, and it's up to you to decide which is
which. The start is at zero, and there is no crime in being born. I thought
I'd already told you."
"――――Yeah. You said there's no crime in the baby even if it's evil."
"Correct. Humans become good or evil through learning.
A certain scripture mentions that humans are superior beings to angels.
Why? Because there are people who know of evil, but do not become
evil.
It's different from angels, who only know of good since birth.
Humans have evil, but can live as good, so they are superior to angels,
who only know of good."
"――――And at the same time.
There are rare moments of goodwill shown by evil men.
There are bad intentions shown on a whim by saints.
The contradiction. The coexistence of good and evil is the Holy Grail
that makes people human.
Living is a crime by itself, and there are punishments because one is
alive. Good exists with life, and evil exists with life.
Therefore――――"
"――――You cannot inquire about the crime of one who has not yet
been born.
There is no existence that is born as evil, that is unwanted by everyone.
It has no reason to be punished until it is born."
That's Kotomine's answer.
That man pardons "all evils of this world" for this reason alone.
"―――So you're going to forgive him? He's someone that can only kill.
If you know he'll kill many people once he comes out, he's a definite evil
for us...!"
"Yes. His nature is evil. He was made that way, after all. He was born to
be evil from the very beginning.
He's not like people. This is a pure deity that people made.
But――――even if his actions are evil, we have yet to know what he
thinks of it."
"Eh...?"
What Angra Manyu thinks about his own actions...?
"Yes.
If Angra Manyu considers them evil and agonizes over them, or
considers them good and laughs about them. That is not something we
can assume.
If that thing has emotions like those of humans and agonizes over its
doings, it is evil.
But if it has no doubt about its existence, it is good. Everyone wished for
him to be that way, after all. If it has no doubt about its function, it
cannot be evil."
"Wha――――"
"Yes.
Those with defects at birth.
Those who were not wanted, even before birth.
It should show us the worth of worthless life: the meaning of birth."
"Would it be able to forgive itself after destroying and losing
everything?
That's what I would like to know.
I want to know if it is a crime to live as you are, when you are different
from others.
That is why I killed your father and let Matou Sakura live. I cannot come
up with the answer by myself. That is why I wish for the birth of what
can provide me with the answer."
"―――That is my goal, Emiya Shirou.
I am at the opposite extreme from you, as you have no wish for yourself.
Our desires are of the same nature."
"―――――――"
...I can't comprehend him.
His wish is too alien for me.
...So there's only one thing I understand.
That's the only reason he...
"Sakura. You used Sakura for such a thing?"
I shake off the vagueness, glaring at the priest with all the hostility I can
muster.
And...
"Yes. To that end, I have taken many lives. That is why I cannot back out
now.
I told you. That is how I lived.
I lived to answer that question.
It will not change, even on the verge of my death."
He makes this declaration, holding my gaze.
"――――――――"
His words are bold.
He states it as a matter of course, saying he has no regret or doubts.
"........................I see."
That makes me realize.
We're irreconcilable. I opposed him ever since I first saw him.
...I finally realize why.
I don't want to admit it.
But it seems... I like Kotomine Kirei.
I was frantic to see him as an enemy because I didn't want to accept the
fact.
He said we're similar.
I understand now.
We both believed ourselves to be sinners.
And we both lived in a certain way to free ourselves of those chains.
―――We both knew we could never be freed, but believed it was the
right atonement, and sought salvation that would never be given to us.
"―――――Of course you're not going to back out."
There's no way he'll withdraw if he's the same as me.
It's not that he's trying to grant his wish because he's about to die.
...That's right. It's not that he's protecting his oath in his last moments.
That's how he lived until now.
He never walked a different path.
So even if he's to die in the next minute, he doesn't know any other way
to live.
"......Humph. And this is also a way to take out my anger.
I knew it was a possibility, but at last I realize it."
He steps forward.
There's not much time left for either of us.
So we have to settle the match quickly.
We have to extinguish the other's fire before our own blows out.
"――――I envy you people.
What I sought, but could not obtain. What I obtained, but could not
obtain. Many things slipped out between my fingers, no matter what
commandment I used."
'What other people called happiness――――'
"I am going to release my pent-up emotions here."
'――――Did not bring me any joy.'
...Yeah. He's empty because he couldn't obtain it, no matter what he
tried.
He sought and sought, but couldn't obtain happiness.
And the only way of life he found was carrying death.
So how can he abandon his way of life now?
"I see. I guess I made you waste your time, Kotomine."
I resume breathing.
Pulling oxygen into my lungs, I get my body ready for battle.
"I do not mind. Neither one of us has much time."
Strength enters Kotomine's body.
There's no way this is going to turn into a battle of magic.
We're both almost dead.
All we can do it to drive our fists into our opponent.
There's no technique or strategy involved. It's a mere brawl to the death.
He needs to kill me to make his wish come true.
I need to kill him to destroy his wish.
We both put our lives on the line.
I need to beat him and eliminate the shadow before my life burns out.
He kicks off of the ground and runs straight at me.
"Haa――――"
I don't have such power left in my legs.
I lower my stance, eyes fixed on his oncoming chest, and...
"Ahhhhhhhh――――!"
I swing my fist full-force at a speed he can't avoid...!
But my fist swings through empty space, and I'm the one who gets hit.
"Guh――――!?"
I don't see Kotomine.
That speed. The enemy that charged me disappears from my view in an
instant, crouches down by my left side, slams his palm into my stomach,
and kicks up at my body with his lightning fast legs.
"Haa――――guh......!"
His kicks are like fire.
It's been a while since I felt pain strong enough to make me lose
consciousness.
"Gi――――"
How many meters was I kicked up?
The impact was strong enough to rip my head off.
No, if I'm going to talk about impact, then the second blow to my
stomach was strong enough to pulverize my organs.
"You――――"
I know this.
Taking the shortest route without any initial movement. A circle and a
line. It tries to damage the inside instead of outside.
"A priest using Chinese martial arts?"
And he's really good at it.
It's not something he copied on the spot...!
"That's not true. My moves are mere mimicry. It's a mimicry of taolu
without much in it―――but it seems to be enough against a dying
man."
He turns to me.
"......!"
He strikes again.
Forcing my fused joints to bend, I get up.
"......?"
But Kotomine stops and looks at his fist.
His hand's covered in red.
"What a troublesome body. The one attacking has to risk his life."
It is...
...A price he had to pay to attack a body made of swords.
"Haa――――ah."
...I gather my consciousness and face my enemy.
It doesn't matter.
He won't stop attacking, even if faced with the thorns of death.
"But this should make a good handicap.
In short, our fight is..."
"――――!"
Kotomine lowers his stance.
His trained body is getting ready for the explosion.
"Not a fight against someone else, but a battle with your body at
stake――――!"
――――The enemy closes in.
Kotomine is far stronger than me.
His fists won't break.
At this rate, the hourglass itself will be destroyed before all the sand
spills to the bottom.
"Haa――――"
I don't look away from my enemy, closing in like a spark.
There's only one thing I have to do.
I have to be faster than last time. I have to punch him faster, even if he
avoids it.
――――All I can hear is the sound of my heart, pounding in my ears.
I take no notice of the rumbling or the raining bits of earth.
The one I must defeat is right in front of me.
I don't care about some centuries-old wish or the end of this small
world.
For Emiya Shirou,
defeating this enemy is the last remaining purpose.
INTERLUDE BEGIN
――――Everything's falling apart.
The collapse is definitive.
The search that took the Einzbern a thousand years.
The earnest desire that took the Makiri five hundred years.
The continuous world that was never completed is about to end.
"Oh――――Oh, ohhhhhhh."
Amidst the chaos, it is still conscious.
――――I don't want to die――――
The body's a mere collection of dark red flesh, bearing no resemblance
to a human being.
The swarm of worms fills the cavern.
It cannot maintain its body, even when using all of the worms.
"Oh, ohhh, oh, oh――――"
The writhing figure is just a moving pile of meat.
But it's alive.
The mass curses its rotting, melting body.
――――I don't want to die――――
Its obsession is the only thing keeping it in this world.
"Ohh――――Ohh, oh――――oh――――"
It crawls.
Makiri Zouken. The old magus, his soul's vessel destroyed, remains in
this world only through sheer force of will.
But it's only a matter of time before he dies.
He stuffed his rotting soul into a hurriedly-constructed worm, but he
can't heal his wounds after being killed twice.
――――I don't want to die――――
The old magus has turned into a pile of flesh, and will die after going
through immense pain.
He'll rot until the very end and die in regret.
With his earnest desire in front of him.
What he yearned for, what he was about to obtain.
"Oh――――Ohh, ohhhhh."
Is his dying cry from pain or anguish?
――――I don't want to die――――
He doesn't want to die.
How can he just disappear?
Five hundred years.
The result he achieved after five hundred years, the reward he deserves,
is right in front of him, so why does he have to disappear?
"Oh――――Oh, ohhhhhhhhhhhh."
He only recalls pain.
Makiri's karma.
A noble family of magi that was driven out of their homeland and
declined in this far eastern country, unable to familiarize themselves
with the rules of the foreign land.
―――But that's wrong.
If that were the case, salvation would be possible.
If that were the reason for his bloodline's end, he may have accepted
fate.
――――I don't want to die――――
But that's not why.
It's not that the Japanese soil didn't suit them.
The Makiri didn't die out because of an external factor.
They merely dropped out.
It has been three hundred years since the start of their search.
Three hundred years was their limit.
The family died out in Zouken's generation.
The suffering started there, and the old man could do nothing but deny
the truth.
Matou Zouken's life was a frantic protest against the end of the Makiri
bloodline.
――――I don't want to die――――
I don't want to die, I don't want to die, I don't want to die, I don't want to
die, I don't want to die, I don't want to die, I don't want to die, I don't
want to die, I don't want to die I don't want to die I don't want to die I
don't want to die......!!!!!
"Oh, ohh, ohhhhhhh......!!!!"
Right, dying's not possible. The rotting body. It's painful. Nothing but
pain. The five hundred years were filled with pain. Pain filled the whole
life. So what's so bad about seeking eternity?
Suffering without satisfaction. Can't disappear without leaving anything
behind. The Holy Grail is right there. Grant the wish. The answer being
"not wanting to die". The wish will come true on top of the cliff. But it's
impossible with this body. This short distance is nothing compared to
five hundred years. So why is it so far away――――――――!!!!?
"Oh, ohh, oh, oh――――"
The meat crawls across the floor, leaving bits of itself behind.
Such tenacity.
It should have no function to move, but it moves forward with tenacity.
A thought that's filled only with obsession.
Ignoring the impending collapse, it moves forward to the Holy Grail.
But someone calls out to the hideous monster.
"――――You have changed, Makiri."
A bell-like, beautiful voice.
"What?"
He looks up.
Within the blur.
Stands a girl.
"――――――――"
The flesh stops moving forward.
It looks up at the girl in astonishment.
...The old magus doesn't see her.
A woman deep in his memory.
Einzbern's golden saint, who has stayed in his mind without fading.
―――Two hundred years ago.
His partner sacrificed herself to create the Great Holy Grail.
"――――――――"
It hasn't faded at all.
The holy woman still has the eyes he adores.
"I ask of you, my foe. Why do you not want to die?"
And the girl lets out a familiar voice.
"――――――――"
The pure question shields his mind from the pain.
Why?
Why?
Why?
Now that she asks him, it is strange.
Why doesn't he want to die?
Why shouldn't he die?
Dying means escaping the pain, so why did he cling onto life along with
all the pain involved?
"Oh――――Ohh, ohhhh."
He remembers.
Yes. In the beginning, he had a supreme goal.
To obtain all creation.
To obtain all knowledge.
To reach where no man can reach.
To exceed the limits of the body and reach the infinity we call the soul.
The species called humanity has set limits.
To go outside the spiral of the brain.
To eliminate and cure all hatred and suffering.
――――He remembers.
The grief of finding out there's no such thing as paradise.
If it doesn't exist in this world, if its creation is impossible with a human
body, he inspired himself to go to a place where it can be done.
Not to make a new world, but to change his human life.
"Oh――――Oh."
...That's right.
To the sky, to the limits.
Be reborn and reach the unimaginable land.
The ideal utopia.
――――It is for that reason.
That's why he sought the Holy Grail.
He sought a miracle beyond human reach.
He can't disappear until he makes it reality.
He couldn't give up, no matter how many times he was beaten, no matter
how often he was shown that he could not reach it.
―――There's only one thing he dreamed of.
To eliminate all evils of this world.
They risked their lives for an ideal that couldn't come true.
"Oh――――――――"
That's why he remained.
He kept seeking even after his enemies died, knowing it was
meaningless.
He believed he had a reason to exist, and that his existence would bring
on a successor.
That's why he continued to live.
He can't die, no matter how much it hurts him.
He wanted to overthrow the youthful anguish he felt when he was
young.
That was his way of life: the answer he came up with.
...Yes.
Even if his life is not compensated for.
"Oh――――Ohh, oh......!"
That was his first wish.
The pain.
How small is the wish of not wanting to die, compared to pursuing a
wish that will not come true...!?
"――――I see. You're right, Justizia."
...He looks up at the world.
The cavern's collapsing.
Matou Sakura has been released and taken out of this small world.
The Third Sorcery that was created by mistake, Angra Manyu, is
flickering like a heat haze.
―――And...
The old magus accepts that everything is out of his reach.
"So this is it.
My desire, my pain, Makiri's mission――――everything ends here."
This end was determined at the start.
This is all that Makiri's journey can accomplish, no matter where it
ends.
"Ha――――Haha, hahaha."
But.
In no way is it a miserable end to a life filled with pain.
It's probably just a start.
His journey is just starting.
Five hundred years is nothing.
How can it be reached in a mere five hundred years?
What they wished for is distant, dazzling, sacred... something that will
come true in the distant future.
A growth of the human species that will come after many years,
thousands of years, tens of thousands of years.
So this is a trifling, but meaningful matter to start the journey.
It's not that their desire ends here.
The journey starts here.
The history to reach the distance starts its loop with an end of a dream.
"――――But how disappointing. My, I was almost there."
The voice is that of the old magus.
No matter what light he sought, he's a heretic who approved of
wrongdoing.
Not hiding it until the very end, he cuts his attachment to life.
――――The last one disappears.
One of the magi that sought a miracle, the observer that also started
everything, rots away.
"Five hundred years――――hah. Come to think of it, it was a desire
that only lasted for an instant."
The pile of flesh is buried without trace by the crumbling rocks.
The one that lived on, taking many forms.
Every last trace of the magus vanishes from the world, as the
embodiment of his desire is destroyed.
INTERLUDE END
"――――――――"
His palm slams against me.
It doesn't matter what my body's made of.
The attack's meant to damage inside me, so the impact mercilessly
pierces through me.
I'm overwhelmed in this battle.
My fists are dodged and parried, while his attacks land cleanly.
Every time his fists hit me, my vision whites out.
It's not because of the damage, but because of the pain brought on by my
left arm which tries to heal and overwrite my wounded body.
"――――――――"
I protect my head.
My face hasn't turned into swords yet.
It'll be over if I'm hit there.
I can't manage to strike him, so I put everything into fending off his
attacks to my head.
My sense of pain's already numbed, and my vision will be cut off soon.
The only pain my brain can sense is the invasion from my left arm.
His bloody fists pulverize my body.
My left arm frantically tries to repair me, and consequently――――
Everything turns white.
My vision and mind turn too white to be recovered.
"――――――――"
Even thinking brings pain now.
As my body is destroyed, swords are created, trying to keep it alive.
In exchange, my brain continues to be ground away.
I don't know which one of us will die first.
"――――Guh, fu......!"
The bones in his fists are destroyed.
He bears it with an agonized expression and keeps up the assault.
"――――――――"
I dodge and swing my right fist.
It's repelled.
A jolt runs through my left rib. I resist the swords stabbing my brain and
punch again.
"――――――――"
I can still move.
I can still move, I can't move, this is my la-
"――――Ah."
"Ah――――"
That hurt. That one hurt.
I shouldn't feel any pain, but my body's about to cry out from it.
Flung like a rag doll, my body hits a large piece of rubble, narrowly
avoiding falling off the cliff.
"――――Ah."
"Ah."
――――
I can't get up.
If the impact hurts this much, the pain to reinforce my body would be
beyond imagination.
I'll go crazy.
I'll burn out, unable to bear the pain.
――――But if I go to sleep before that...
If I close my eyes...
"So this is the end. Then I shall crush your head."
The enemy walks to me.
...He can't run either.
Both of us might disappear within the next minute.
Then――――
"Ah."
What did you swear?
Who did you swear to protect?
"Ah."
Live.
She said she won't be saved unless both of you are alive.
"Ah, ah."
What did you lose?
What did you lose in exchange?
"Ah, ahh――――"
The enemy comes closer.
He drags his legs, trying to get close enough to crush my skull.
――――No way......!
I won't lose! That man has no goal! He's just following his way of life he
protected...!
But I have one.
I have a goal.
I have a reason that I have to beat him, a reason that I have to
win――――!
"Ahh, ah――――ah."
I don't know how much I made cry.
was crying where I couldn't see her.
She only smiled in front of me, and always cried by herself.
"Ah――――oh."
...Yes.
So I have to protect her.
The crimes committed, the crimes that condemn , the crimes remembers.
I have to protect her from everything.
The girl that could only smile in front of me.
Her body was dying, but she still said she'd protect me―――
―――So she can eventually smile in front of other people.
You're getting in the way of that.
"Ah―――Ahh, ah――――"
――――Get lost.
Sakura can't smile if you exist――――!
"Ahhhhhhhhhhh――――!!!!!"
"Guh――――nu――――!?"
"Ah, ahhhhhh――――!!"
One blow.
I punch my enemy in the face with everything I have.
"You, still――――!"
"Kotomine, Kirei――――――!"
Two blows.
Three blows.
Four blows.
Five blows.
Six blows.
Seven blows――――!
"Haa, haa, ha, gah―――!!!!!!!!"
I punch, I punch, I punch, I punch......!!
This is it. There's nothing left if I miss this chance. I put all of my
remaining life into this miraculous chance――――!
"――――, Ah......!!!!"
I'm blown away.
He deflected my attack and counterattacked me with a hard shot.
"Ah, gah, guh――――!"
Damn! I know! ...He won't let me punch him that easily!
He's many times stronger than me, so he can easily fend off my attacks
and come finish me off――――!
"Ha――――ah――――!"
Yeah, so what...!?
The difference in our powers won't change.
Things won't conveniently go right for me.
I'm blown away, and my enemy comes to smash my head.
I'll lose. I'll lose. I'll lose. I'll lose.
It's a self-evident truth.
But my body still moves――――!
"Kotomi-"
My enemy looms over me.
My legs don't move―――yeah, my right leg really doesn't move at
all―――but I fire them up to raise my body.
I won't die here.
I can't avoid the enemy's attack with these legs.
In desperation, I try to evade the death coming in the next second
and――――
"―――ne?"
The guy in front of me didn't make it.
He's standing in front of me with an upraised fist.
"...This is how it ends. A simple difference in time."
He looks down at his chest.
The black stain is right where his heart should be.
...The difference in time.
So he became half-dead in the forest a bit before I did.
"You win, Emiya Shirou. I don't know how many more seconds that
body will last you, but you must hurry if you need to do something."
He's just like before.
He sounds uninterested in anything, just like when I first met him at the
church.
"――――Kotomine."
"You are the last Master.
Go to the Holy Grail and fulfill your wish."
The last Master.
The words contain deep weight, but the priest still sounds the same.
It's natural.
This man won't change, even on the verge of his death.
He continues to be my despicable enemy.
"―――Yeah, this is for hurting me so much. I'm going to mercilessly
destroy your wish."
"―――――――"
Did he smile in his last moment?
On the verge of rusting away, my eyes no longer serve their purpose.
The priest disappears from this world, with no one to bury him.
"――――――――"
I take a breath, drawing enough oxygen to allow me to move.
My throat only moves once.
Fortunately, it's not painful.
Most of my senses have turned to steel.
――――No matter how hard I try.
I'm starting to feel faint.
――――Let's go.
It's my final job.
I release my left arm.
My consciousness is about to fade away.
"――――Trace, on."
...My last projection.
I'll use the strongest sword I know to destroy the curse along with the
Great Holy Grail.
"――――――――"
It'll be the definite end.
I…
――――No.
I can't go back if I use it.
I know I'm going to disappear anyway.
But I have to try to find some other way as long as I'm alive.
I promised that I'll protect Sakura from everything.
I can't selfishly die.
I want to live with Sakura.
So――――
"――――Trace――――"
...But there's no other way.
Sakura's crime. The absolute requirement for Sakura's happiness is the
destruction of this curse.
...Only a single grain of my consciousness is left.
Sakura, I――――
"――――Trace, on."
The promise I made with you――――
;""
A sword is in my hand.
is body last
――――No, you won't die, Shirou.
Because I'm the one that's going to shut the gate.
"――――――――――――"
It's...
The voice of someone I can't remember.
"―――――――― ?"
I can't remember, but I call her name.
I know I have to do it.
―――Because will never return if I don't.
――――Hey.
Do you want to live, Shirou? Do you want to live on, no matter what
kind of life you become?
; "―――――――― "
I want to live. Name. I have to call her name and stop her.
But I want to live. I know will disappear if I nod, but I want to live from
the bottom of my heart.
――――Yeah.
I'm glad to hear that. I wanted you to live instead of me.
; "―――――――― "
What are you saying, idiot?
Just come back. You won't be able to return if you go any further.
I'll take him, so, damn, I have to remember her name, but my head's
turned stupid, and the important name is...
――――Then I'll show you a miracle.
It's an application of the magic I showed you earlier, but this one's
amazing.
This is the sorcery everyone wanted to see, after all.
"―――――――― a."
No, I don't need to see it. Just come back.
I...
――――But the container's a bit cheap.
I can't completely reproduce it using only my own body, but it's all right.
You'll be back in no time if you and Rin keep trying.
"―――――――― a......!"
She goes to the center.
The person in white becomes the sacrifice, just like in the first ritual to
close the Great Holy Grail.
―――Goodbye.
We aren't related by blood.
But I'm glad we were siblings.
"――――――――"
ya.
If that's how you feel, then don't go.
I can't sacrifice you. I said we'd live together to make up for all the time
you've lived alone.
But――――if one of us has to be sacrificed, then――――
―――No.
You said an older brother protects his younger sister, right?
...Yeah. I'm the older sister. So I have to protect my younger brother.
"I――――――lya."
I remember.
Her name.
Kiritsugu's real blood relative. The girl who was left alone because I
came and stole him.
A girl with silver hair and red eyes that's a bit older than me―――
"Ilya―――Ilya, Ilya, Ilya, Ilya, Ilya, Ilya, Ilya, Ilya―――――!!!"
I can't reach her.
I don't hear voices any more.
I can't see anything in this light.
And at the last moment.
She smiles goodbye and shuts the gate of the Great Holy Grail.
I can see the sky.
I can go into the sky if I reach out just a bit.
But there's nothing left.
There's absolutely no energy left in my body.
I'm sinking.
The life she saved is sinking.
I clench my fist out of vexation.
I feel something cold in my hand.
The sensation rouses my mind――――
'It's all right. Rin will save you.'
――――Yeah.
There's a miracle in my hand.
A little magical energy.
A small, useless pendant, but it can at least help me reach out with my
hands.
I reach out.
The gentle atmosphere and the warm sun hits my skin.
In my hand is the endless blue sky――――
TRUE END
Epilogue (True End):
"――――Phew, I'm tired."
Thump.
I drop the bag filled with souvenirs on the ground and stretch.
The sky's clear and sunny, and the spring sunlight feels great.
It's too bright after the darkened interior of the plane, but this is nothing
since I'm finally free of the long journey.
"Oh, Verde's gone. There's a movie theater there instead. ...This place
changed while I was gone."
I stretch myself out and look around the town.
It took twenty-five hours to travel from London to this suburban
Japanese town.
My body's cramped from being stuffed in a small seat. My butt hurts
from all the sitting, and I hit my head on the ceiling during the landing.
"...It was worse than economy class. I should've at least used a legitimate
travel agent."
Moral of the story. Don't skimp on travel expenses when taking long
trips.
Even if I'm dirt poor, and Luvia Zeritta says,
"Oh, Miss Tohsaka. If you're having financial troubles, I can take you on
as my maid. I can guarantee a monthly salary that equals the yearly pay
of the cheap waitress down at the fourth street. Hohohoho. Oh, I'm quite
serious, so please submit your application tomorrow morning."
I can't be stingy when I'm coming back to my home country.
Yeah, I'll be smart next time.
I have the return ticket, so I'll have to deal with that worn-out plane on
the way back.
"The bus is...... a twenty minute wait.
―――Well, I don't wanna wait, so I guess I'll walk."
I lift up the bag and start to walk.
It's about an hour on foot.
It takes a while, but it's good since there's still time until we're supposed
to meet.
"――――Hm. This brings back memories. It's the seashore wind."
I squint against the wind as I roll my travel bag.
――――I'm back.
The home town seemed to have changed in the year I've been away, but
it hasn't actually changed at all.
I walk on, delighted by every trifling detail.
It's my yearly homecoming, my first time back in this country since I
went overseas to London.
It's pleasant to walk through the town for the first time in a year.
Well, the happiness doesn't change the fact that the bag is mercilessly
heavy.
"――――All right. I guess this will do."
I take a shower and check my appearance in the mirror.
...It's not that I'm self-conscious, but it won't do any harm to get fired up,
since this is the first time I'm seeing them in a year.
Oh, there's one person that might glare at me, but I'll ignore her just for
today.
The house is cleaner than I thought, and there isn't much accumulated
dust.
Sakura might be cleaning this place from time to time.
I'm thankful. I really am, but...
"......I hope she's not using this place for anything strange... I saw a bottle
of shampoo I didn't recognize."
Shampoo goes in the bath. You don't put shampoo in the study, kitchen,
entrance, or the yard.
...No.
It's nothing to worry about, but it's pretty suggestive.
"―――Wait, it's three already...! Geez, what was I doing for two
hours...!?"
I dash to the door, try to put on some pumps to show off, give up and
change back into my boots, and dash out again.
I'm supposed to be there at four.
I want to get there early and inspect my enemy, but my strength will go
down if my hair gets messed up.
It's regrettable, but I should face them straight on.
"――――――――Well."
It's an emotional moment, but I just want to forget about everything and
run in now that I'm here.
I go through the gate and up to the door.
Well, let's ring the doorbell.
After the ding-dong, the door opens.
"――――――――"
"――――――――"
I'm surprised.
Rider came to the door, and she's wearing normal clothes.
"I'm home. It's a bit early, but I'm back.
Is Sakura here, Rider?"
"―――Yes. Sakura is waiting in her room, and Taiga is waiting in the
living room."
"Oh, Fujimura-Sensei's here too? ...Oh, I guess it's natural since it's
spring break. Then excuse me. Should I go to the living room?"
"Yes. I shall go get Sakura."
I walk into the hallway.
I glance at Rider while we head to the living room.
...Could she be considered an ambush?
She was beautiful before, but it stands out much more in her normal
clothes.
To be blunt, she's really gorgeous.
When a woman calls another woman gorgeous, you know it's true.
I've seen many beautiful women over there, but I haven't seen anyone as
beautiful as Rider.
Well, she's superior to humans, so it's natural that she's extraordinary.
She's a Servant, after all.
The magi in the spirit dispelling department would be unable to work for
three days if they saw her. I bet they'd lock themselves up in their
workshop for a month if they found out she's a familiar.
"Rin? Do you need to talk to me?"
"Hm, I guess. How are things? Is everyone getting used to everything?"
"...Let me see. It has been stable compared to two years ago.
There was some unsteadiness once you left, but it started to settle down
about a month ago. It seems Sakura has grown used to it."
"I see. Well, I wasn't worried, since the two of you have good
chemistry. ...Um, you're not drinking blood without telling her, are
you?"
I ask her in a whisper.
It's not that I'm blaming her, but if she is, I'm worried about whether she
can follow through.
"There is no need to worry. I will never allow Sakura to know such a
thing."
"......"
It's a vague answer, but I guess I'll let it slide since she doesn't seem to
be troubling anyone.
It's a bad habit of mine as a magus.
Familiars as strong as Rider are so valuable that I tend to overlook some
mischief.
"Then I will see you later. I need to consult you, so can you make some
time for me at night?"
"Oh. If you want to talk secretly, we can do it at my house instead. I'm
spending the night here tonight, so can it wait until tomorrow night?"
Rider nods and heads to Sakura's room.
――――Oh.
"Welcome back, Rin."
"Thanks. Sorry for all the trouble while I was gone, Rider."
She smiles and leaves.
...Geez, I'm speechless.
She's a real beauty.
"Oh, welcome, Tohsaka-san. I'm glad you look well."
"Yes. I'm glad you're still the same. Are there no club activities today?"
"Oh, I skipped it because I heard you're coming today. Well, this year's
captain's reliable, and today's just a meeting to get more new members,
so it's not a problem."
"New members? Are there fewer people in the archery club now?"
"Hmm, there's more. But you see, Sakura-chan was the captain last year,
right? We got more boys, but we don't have enough girls.
...Oh, you wouldn't know since you graduated.
The captain this year is a good-looking guy, so we'll get a lot of new
members if we do things right."
"Oh. Who is this handsome man?"
"It's Mitsuzuri-san's younger brother. He's actually the opposite of his
sister and is really timid.
I bet he'll freeze on the spot if we put him up on stage during club
introductions."
"........."
I think she's choosing the wrong person for the job.
...Well, archery has this strict image, so it might be good to appeal to the
girls by showing how easy it is. ...But Ayako's brother, huh? I've never
heard she had one.
"So how's the living over there? Are you getting picked on because
you're Japanese? See, people at the College of Arts make friends just by
competition."
"That's just a stereotype, Fujimura-Sensei. Nobody who loves art has
such a narrow view."
"Oh, teehee. I got scolded."
...I can't tell her all they care about is themselves.
Making things worse, Fujimura-Sensei's concerns are 100 percent
correct at the department I'm in, but I'm going to keep quiet.
...Wait.
Fujimura-Sensei's looking at me and smiling.
"―――What is it, Fujimura-Sensei?"
"Hm? I'm just thinking how you got more beautiful. You look more
mature now. Did you find someone good over there?"
"――――――――"
...Why does the conversation end up here when girls are talking? And
she's sharp too.
"Oh, looks like I'm right. So, how is it? It's London, right? Don't tell me
you guys were followed by some strange organization the instant you
met him, had to part ways around the burning London Bridge with ten
minutes left, and just kissed and said goodbye."
"No. Nothing like that happened."
"Hm. So nothing good happened?"
"...............I can't say for sure.
Well, there are people, and there aren't."
...I can't help but give a vague answer.
I've had no shortage of proposals, and I'd at least like to have a research
partner.
...But I somehow can't get serious.
Every time I go out with a guy, I can't concentrate because another idiot
keeps popping up in my head.
It's unbelievable, but I think everyday that it might mean I'm in love with
him.
――――No.
It can't be true―――
"Oh, Sakura-chan."
"......!?"
I straighten up at once.
Sakura's confused by my reaction.
...Wow. She hasn't changed a bit.
"H-Hi. Have you been doing well, Sakura?"
Sakura nods.
And, her happiness is written on her face plain as day,
"Welcome back, Nee-san. I'm glad you look well."
she congratulates my return with the biggest smile I've seen.
An hour passed.
We talk about what's happened during the year since I went overseas.
"I see. So you've graduated. So what are you going to do? I can whip up
a letter of introduction if you want to come over here."
"Let's see... I'm happy to hear that, but I'll pass.
There's things I need to do here, and there's someone who'll teach me."
"Hm. So it's Kirei's successor that you mentioned in your letter,
huh? ...Well, he sounds like a nice guy, so it might be better than coming
here.
But you need to go out and have some adventure.
You're lazy, so your teacher needs to be active."
"Oh, that's fine. Rider's really strict.
She makes a really scary face if I slack off."
"Oh...... Well, I'm sure her serious face is scary."
She has mystic eyes of petrification, after all.
I bet your clothes will be turned to stone if she gets mad at you.
...Oh.
Why doesn't Fujimura-Sensei look well?
"Fujimura-Sensei?"
"Eh? Oh, what? Sorry, I wasn't listening."
"No... you were so quiet that it made me wonder."
"Oh, yeah...
Watching you two talk reminded me of Shirou. It would've been best for
him to be here right now, but he's losing out when it counts the most."
"Man, Shirou's late. When is he coming home?"
Fujimura-Sensei looks out the window with the cup in her hand.
She's looking off into the distance.
She's looking up at the clear, blue sky.
"Oh, it's a bit awkward now.
...Um, is it my fault?"
"That's not true. I'm glad you're talking about Senpai."
"Oh, that won't do, Sakura-chan. Shirou isn't your Senpai anymore.
...Well, anyways. I feel like some exercise, so I'm going to go swing a
shinai around in the dojo."
Maybe Fujimura-Sensei's being considerate.
―――Well.
I'm glad she's thinking about us, but I don't know how to start the
conversation now.
"...Oh well. I don't need to worry about such things.
I have to ask what I need to.
So, Sakura. How are things for you? It's been two years. Do you think
you can manage?"
"―――Yes. It's a slow process, but I'm able to accept a lot of things. I
think letting guilty feelings crush me is the same as running away.
I'm going to do what I can and do my best."
"I see. I took a quick look, but the town's back to normal. The scar from
two years ago is gone, and there haven't been any more weird incidents.
...I dumped my responsibilities on you and went to the Association, but I
guess it turned out all right."
"Yes. Filling your shoes was hard work. I think I'm much stronger now
thanks to that."
She must mean mentally.
Well, it just means people are better off moving around than sitting there
and worrying.
"So what about you? I heard you were in a lot of trouble."
"Me? ....Uh, well, I guess you could say that."
...Where should I start?
I'll have to start two years ago.
――――Holy Grail War.
It's been two years since the war Sakura and I were involved in.
The Great Holy Grail was destroyed, and the foundation of the Holy
Grail War along with it.
The search for the Holy Grail in this land has been permanently stopped,
and the city of Fuyuki has regained its peace.
But it didn't end for me there.
The whole event on the land I supervise.
The land of Fuyuki belongs to my family, but the Magic Association
approved it, so it's not completely ours.
The Magic Association demands that all divine mysteries be hidden, and
we broke that rule to pieces.
First, the enormous damage the Holy Grail War caused to society.
Next, the assassination of the Master dispatched by the Magic
Association.
Finally, the activation of the "swirl of origin" that the Association
measured.
...Well, the first two are Kirei's responsibility, and he's the supervisor
they sent, so I had my excuse.
But I can't duck responsibility for the third one.
The appearance of the gate from the Holy Grail. A ritual leading to the
origin needs to be conducted under the supervision of the Magic
Association.
And by their rules, I'm a criminal.
They detected its activation in the far eastern land. They were surprised
and happy, but it suddenly disappeared.
They were mad that we opened the gate, but I hear they really wanted to
kill me since we closed it even though we succeeded.
Even though I was busy dealing with the aftermath, I was taken to
London's clock tower.
And that's how the one-man court started, in a meeting room that could
hold three hundred people.
There were heads of every department, along with magi who wanted the
Tohsaka family's rights once I'd been sentenced. It was more of a circus
than a trial.
'Oh man, I guess this is it for me. I should run to the Middle East where
they're against the Association, or fight until the very end in Japan.'
I was determined and was even making my escape plans, but there were
people that wanted to save me while there were people who wanted to
kill me.
In the face of everyone's condemnation,
"―――Well. The carelessness of my apprentice is my responsibility."
The old man, who slightly outranked all who were present, appeared and
nullified all the charges against me.
It's not that the he took the blame in my place.
It's give and take.
Out of everything he could have done,
"All right. Then I shall take apprentices. I will teach up to three students.
All the departments are to select prospects in a conference."
he dropped a bombshell.
I mean, a long-missing sorcerer appeared, and said he'd take apprentices
on top of it.
The whole place became a riot.
Completely forgetting about me, everyone ran to their departments,
panicking over who should be selected.
And he came to me, who was standing there dumbfounded, and smiled.
"So an unremarkable parent produced a superior child. I expected the
least out of Tohsaka, but you managed to reach it in just six
generations."
And he said something ridiculous like that.
"W-What do you mean?"
I played dumb.
Because I thought he'd kill me if he found out what went on.
Sorcerers don't tell others about their sorcery.
My instincts told me he'd kill anyone who followed in his footsteps,
without mercy.
But my enemy's no ordinary person.
He pats my head and praises me.
"Use the people of the Association. It's a stiff, conservative place, but
they have the tools."
As expected from the great master.
The old man who traveled across many parallel worlds was a
wholehearted guy.
...Yes.
The truth is, I can recreate the gem sword.
I comprehended the blueprint and the theory during that fight, so I can
copy the sorcery if I have the needed material and time.
Well, I need a lot of money for it, so it's nothing I can accomplish in tens
of years.
...Anyway, I got to walk away free.
In addition, I got a free pass to the clock tower. So I named Sakura the
supervisor of Fuyuki and left for London.
It's been a year since then.
Life at the tower knocked me around a bit, but like Sakura, I'm slowly
expanding my territory.
"...I see. So, Nee-san. Emiya―――Senpai's..."
"...It's not a problem.
I haven't told them about it, and Kirei reported that he's just an ordinary
person who got himself killed by getting involved. ...I don't know if we
should consider ourselves lucky, but we're the only ones that know about
him."
"――――――――――――"
...The air tenses up.
After the incident.
Sakura and I were carried to the surface and managed to survive.
Rider took me to my house and replenished my magical energy.
My Magic Crest will keep me alive, even by force, if I still have magical
energy.
I wasn't able to eat for a while, but I healed quickly.
Sakura suffered after-effects from her connection to Angra Manyu and
from the fact that he was gone.
She didn't panic, nor did she get depressed.
...She pretended to be all right so that he could come back at any time.
If she'd freaked out instead of acting like that, I could've done
something.
...But that's all in the past.
Time passes, and the days slowly change.
Sakura graduated, and she's saying she'll stay in this town a bit longer.
I'm going to spend my whole vacation here, and I have to fly back to
London in a week.
"――――――――"
...Why did I come back to this place?
A year ago.
No, a lot of things happened two years ago.
My memory stops a year ago, but I was a frequent guest here until I
graduated.
Is that why?
It feels like if I turn towards the kitchen, I'll see him there, cooking with
a knife in hand.
An amateur magus who was involved in the Holy Grail War.
He actually won, and――――
"I'm home! I'm sorry, I had to go get stuff from Issei's temple."
He's still alive and well now.
Shirou comes in to the living room, arms laden with groceries.
――――And.
Of course, our eyes meet.
"―――Hey. Y-You seem to be doing well."
Crap, I'm about to burst out laughing.
It's totally obvious that he took a deep breath in the hallway and tried to
act as normally as he can.
"―――L-Long time no see. You seem to be dumb as ever."
Wait, why am I panicking too!?
And Sakura's laughing at us for that!
"Senpai. Nee-san will just laugh at you even more if you try to bluff it
out. Well, she's bluffͩng too, so it's even."
Sakura says something scary.
"―――Who's bluffing? Tohsaka's family, so it's natural that she'd be
here. There's nothing special about it."
But he's loaded down with groceries.
...Geez.
What are you going to do with that? We can't eat that much, you idiot.
"―――Yeah. It was a waste to get nervous. He hasn't changed at all."
"Right. Senpai hasn't changed at all."
"..........."
Oh. He's got that familiar look where he wants to say something, but
can't.
"Eh. Whatever. More importantly, Tohsaka. Are you going to be eating
dinner here?"
"Yeah. I'm already planning to sleep over."
"I see. Then you can rest. You must be tired from the long trip. I'll make
dinner, so you can wait with Sakura.
I'm sure you two have a lot to talk about."
He goes into the kitchen and puts on his apron.
This has been the scene here for a year... No, for half a year.
"Thanks. I'll accept your kind offer."
"Yeah.
―――Oh, and welcome back, Tohsaka. I wasn't worried, but I'm glad to
know you're the same as always."
"Yes, I'm back, Emiya-kun. I'm glad you haven't changed either."
And the master of this house goes to make dinner for the freeloaders.
...Well.
I'll look forward to finding out how much he got back to normal in the
last year.
"Oh, he seems well. I wondered what'd happen, but I bet nobody would
notice now. There's no problem with school?"
"No. We were able to graduate together, thanks to you."
I see.
Then there's nothing else I can do.
...Well, he didn't need our help in the first place, but I was able to come
up with excuses for why he missed school for a year to deceive
Fujimura-Sensei.
So.
If you ask me why he's alive, I have to say it's sorcery.
Emiya Shirou's body was destroyed.
Between the influence of Archer's arm and the strain of projecting
beyond his limits, his Magic Circuit was broken to pieces.
It was a death that even the Holy Grail couldn't reverse.
But he's still moving around like that because the Shirou over there is his
copy.
No, that's not right either.
Anyway, Shirou's body died.
That Holy Grail can't revive a dead body.
The Holy Grail―――Ilya can only use the divine mystery called the
Third Sorcery.
Ilya managed to revive Shirou's soul with that.
She revived his soul and gave him a body free of wounds.
You might not believe me, but this is the Third Sorcery we're talking
about.
It's not just putting your spirit into someone else's brain and controlling
them.
Once you give it a container or a body, the soul manifested by the Third
Sorcery will take perfect form.
It's the genes of the soul, not those of the body.
Preserving Shirou's soul, Ilya revived him by inserting it into a
container.
...But it wasn't perfect. Maybe Ilya's Third Sorcery didn't match the
original.
A few days after the cavern collapsed, the Shirou Rider found was just a
bit different from the Shirou we knew.
...No, she didn't find him, she picked him up... no, it was more like she
plucked him out.
I was surprised and wondered how it could be possible.
But if I think about it, the body that's cooking right now is being
remotely controlled by his soul.
Memories, mind, and Magic Circuit are actually in the soul.
So the body's only a terminal to move around, and the command
structure is invincible in that world.
...Well, we experimented with a lot of things in the first half a year.
It's not like he'd grow if we watered him, and we weren't equipped to
make a homunculus.
So we ended up selling the books at the Matou house and obtaining a
body left by a famous puppet maker, leaving us where we are now.
...Don't take this the wrong way. Shirou's as human as the rest of us.
He can go get surgery at hospitals, drink cold medicines, and die when
he's killed.
Souls can be put into bodies to give them life, but the souls will be fixed
to the body in exchange.
In short, he's like a Servant that can operate without a Master.
The only difference is that he's living in this age.
He will grow old and die of old age, and he cooks like he's doing now.
He's the same Emiya Shirou.
"But it's used goods. I tried a few more good puppet makers, but I didn't
find any better than the one right now.
I thought about asking the person who made it, but I heard she was
marked to be sealed and ran away. I'm sure it'll be a pain in the butt to
find her."
"I see. But Senpai says it's fine as it is. The magical energy doesn't flow
well, but everything else's better than before.
...Um, I think so too."
Oh.
The soul will overwrite the body no matter how good the body is, so
there may be places that aren't functioning properly, and I don't think it'll
get any better――――
"―――Wait."
Why are you getting embarrassed?
"Sakura?"
"Um...... Um, I think we're doing it too much, but my body's, um..."
"――――Oh."
...That's right.
Sakura's body still has after-effects from Angra Manyu.
Even with the contract broken, she's still a Holy Grail.
She was connected to Angra Manyu, so she's still connected with the
other side.
Vast amounts of magical energy are collecting in Sakura's body, and she
has to periodically let it out.
It's because of that magical energy that she can keep Rider, even after
the Great Holy Grail's destruction.
But she still can't use it all, so she must be giving the surplus to Shirou.
Shirou's current body has a very weak Magic Circuit, so he would return
to how he was before without her help.
"......Geez. It's a complicated situation you guys are in."
"Yes. We have a rocky road ahead."
―――There are lots of problems to living normally, but Sakura's
constitution is a huge advantage if she's planning to live as a magus.
"...Wait. Come to think of it, we're an amazing bunch."
Shirou's a successful example of the Third Sorcery, and he should be
able to use his Reality Marble if he starts training.
Sakura can use her abilities as the Holy Grail, although only in part.
And she even has Rider.
And I can manage a copy of the Second Sorcery.
"―――――――――――"
We're invincible.
I wish they'd hold a magic tournament at the Association.
We'd easily win, so maybe they could just hand us our prize money.
About five hundred thousand. Pounds, of course. And don't deduct
income tax, because we're Japanese.
"Hm."
Crap, I'm beginning to feel like it.
We'll be able to do whatever we want after that. Full of happiness and
hope.
I'll use the money to reproduce the gem sword, leave that crappy place,
and come back to this town.
Then, we can――――
"――――Well, that's impossible. Slow and steady is always best."
I quickly give up on the idea.
I think it's too fanciful.
I like my life, and I'm looking forward to the changes in the future.
And it's not like we'll be apart forever.
I'm sure they won't lead an ordinary life in this peaceful town, with all
the potential problems they have.
"Nee-san? You had an evil smile."
"Oh, really? You're pretty perceptive, Sakura."
I get up from the cushion.
I can't take things slow.
I can only stay here for seven days, after all. I can't skip a single one of
these dinners.
"Shirou, I'm helping, so let me use the gas burner. I'll show you the skills
I got in England."
I reject his protests.
I'm smiling more than I really mean to as I put on the apron that's
prepared for me.
"Well――――"
I roll up my sleeves and head to the kitchen.
...Oh, before that.
I remember the most important thing I need to verify.
It's been two years.
I turn back to my younger sister.
"Are you happy, Sakura?"
"――――Yes."
Her full smile is perfect.
That made my whole trip worthwhile.
She gives me some of her happiness, and I look up at the sky.
Winter passed before I knew it, and it's spring.
The scenery is dyed pink, without a trace of the cold days.
I keep walking on, weighing what we've lost and what we've gained.
――――Well.
The story in this town has ended, but our story is just beginning.
The end roll will come in the distant future.
It looks like it'll be another clear day tomorrow, and my vacation's just
starting.
Let's look forward to the new day, the new future.
I can see us leisurely walking down the hill road.
Well.
Let's go see the flowers we promised to see――――
So the winter went by, and spring came along.
Nature is in its full bloom, and there is nothing left that reminds you of
the cold hard days.
Stash away what you both lost and gained, for life continues on.
Now then…
The story that unraveled in this town has reached its conclusion.
New stages and people are waiting for us…
END OF ABSOLUTE