FSN HF Day 14 (EN)
Scene 00 A ray of hope
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 Illya are both sleeping.
I wanted Illya 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?
Illya 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――――!
Scene 01 Foolish
"...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.
Scene 02 Trash
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...
Scene 03 What is hidden in the Holy Grail
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.
Scene 04 Matou household murder case
"――――――――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.
Illya 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?
Illya is watching me from a distance, as if there's a wall between us.
"...Illya."
"Tell me, Shirou. Are you going to go look for Sakura?"
"――――――――"
I nod.
Illya's voice is tense.
The despair in her voice is different from Tohsaka's. As a Holy Grail, Illya 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."
"――――――――"
Illya 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 Illya 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 Illya 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 Illya."
"...No matter how much you may have changed.
If Illya is inside you, you'll be the Illya 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, Illya. I'll go find Sakura and bring her back right away."
I leave.
Illya 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.
Scene 05 Last piece [version 1]
“You’re home late, aren’t you?!”
“…!”
The man who was her brother is no longer masking his expression.
There is no trace of the fake smile he wore until now, pretending to be her brother.
“You traitor… you’re a disgrace to the name of Matou…!”
He screams as he approaches her.
He scowls at the girl, approaching her with slow but menacing steps.
“!”
The girl’s chin jumps.
She knows that this hatredthis murderous emotion is aimed at her.
“Hahyeah, that’s what I expect from you!
That’s right, you don’t change, no matter how much you pretend to be a normal person.
You’re a Matou woman. You’re a vulgar failure of a magus. All you can do is fear, cower, and lose your emotions until you’re just like a doll!”
The man takes another rough step towards the girl.
“Hm…! No”
She shrinks away.
The man smiles at the sense of superiority he had long forgotten.
That’s why he doesn’t notice until it happens.
The girl cowering before his eyes has none of her former meekness.
He doesn’t notice that she’s filled with nothing but disgust and loathing.
“Oh, you sure are energetic today. …I see. I see, I see, that’s great!
I bet Emiya is depressed now!”
“Nostop! Don’t come near me, Nii-san…!”
The girl refuses the bloodthirsty man with all her might.
“Huh?”
The man stops.
He lowers his outstretched hand slightly, 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. Senpai accepted a girl like me. He said he’ll protect me…! I’m not your toy, Nii-san. I’m…!”
The girl frantically tries to shake off the man’s pressure.
“Wha”
A hollow voice.
The man looks down at the girl standing before him.
“Shut up. Shut up, shut up, shut up, you!”
And he releases all his rage on her.
“Emiya…!? You won’t do as I tell you…!?
Don’t get it wrong, what are you trying to do?! I’m your older brother, so I’m always the one to decide! You just have to obey me like always…!”
His fury is unstoppable.
The man has no sanity left, having been denied by something that had never betrayed him.
“Take it back, Sakura! You’re mine. You’re nobody else’s…! Know your place! You’re a Matou woman…! So you have no right to disobey me…!”
The man’s rage knows no bounds.
“ ”
The girl’s eyes show great determination, condemning the man.
He can’t stand the look in her eyes.
He doesn’t want her staring straight at him.
But at the same time, he laughs at her futile efforts.
He laughs.
He laughs.
Her brother laughs.
“”
And she realizes.
She realizes what he is thinking.
…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.
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.
Whythe 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.
“HaHaha, hahahahahahahahahaha!”
The girl stares up at him with empty eyes as he triumphantly lays bare his dark emotions.
“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 it 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 dreamso 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…
“FuFufu.”
…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.
She killed them, killed them 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…!
“FuFufu, 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 wasn’t slowly going crazy.”
She twirls in front of the mirror.
The girl makes a proud smile.
“Look, Senpai. I was broken 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.
In her mind, the girl kills everyone who has threatened her.
“Hm”
Her body trembles.
Just imagining it fills her with the greatest joy.
…And in this fantasy…
Foremost in her mind is the relative she loves the most, the one called Tohsaka Rin.
Scene 06 Last piece [version 2]
This is an alternative, more graphic version of the Last Piece scene. Viewer Discretion is advised. It is currently unknown how the two Last Piece scenes are triggered. :::
"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.
Scene 07 Choice
"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 True magecraft, will be achieved...!"
The annoying laugh echoes through the room.
I――――
Scene 07 Action Worst
"Zouken......!!!!"
I'll settle it now.
Zouken should be somewhere in this house. I'll find him and kill him...!
"Damn it, where are you, you old bastard...!?"
I can't find him anywhere in the house.
His presence is fading by the second.
"Oh, my. You must be blinded by your anger.
I thought you would be smarter."
Even his laughing voice is fading away.
"Haa――――Haa, haa, ha――――"
...Zouken's not here.
He wasn't in this house to begin with.
He's a worm user. The only ones here are his worms...!
"Are you satisfied now? Then go home, Emiya Shirou.
Sakura will soon swallow Illyasviel. If you do not hurry, you will not be there for the birth of the monster you raised."
"You old bastard...!"
I kick the ground hard enough to rip my legs off.
Giving in to my anger wasted too much time.
It'll take twenty minutes to get to my house, even if I run full-speed.
―――Will I make it?
I have to head back to my house before Sakura finds Illya―――!
Scene 08 Action Best
"――――――――"
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 Illyasviel, she will swallow her without mercy...!"
"――――!"
I kick the ground hard enough to tear my legs off.
"Please be all right, Illya――――!"
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 Illya.
Scene 09 Sacrilege-Sisters(VI)
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."
Illyasviel talks to herself.
The Emiya household is quiet.
Shirou and Rin went to find Sakura.
Rider, naturally, is nowhere to be seen, leaving Illya 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 Ryuudou 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."
Illya 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 Illya and to Tohsaka Rin, who has been waiting for her in the yard.
"Get away from Illya. 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."
Illyasviel 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 Illya-chan."
"Yeah. I don't have a reason to save you, unlike Shirou. It was obvious that you'd come to kidnap Illya 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 Illyasviel, 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 magecraft Sakura possesses.
That magecraft 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 magecraft'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 magecraft 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.
Scene 10 Finale
"――――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.
Illya 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."
"――――Illya."
The shadow stops its advance.
"...What does that mean, Illyasviel?"
"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?
Illya 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."
Illya talks without emotion.
"――――――――"
...It pisses me off.
In my condition, I can't figure out what Illya's trying to say.
"Are you saying you'll sacrifice yourself, Illyasviel?"
"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 Illya 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 Illya, 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 Illya 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.