FSN UBW Day 11 (EN)
Scene 00
――――What did I wish for, and why?
There were people that were not saved,
and there was me, who could not save them.
That should be the reason.
What happened after that, and what did I want to become?
...I remember the gray sky.
A dark sky on the verge of crying.
There, my will to fight for survival almost disappears.
One only dies when the will fades away.
Leaving behind many people, I survived a few minutes longer than everyone.
In the process, lots of things died.
That's why it was almost empty.
If the wish to stay alive dies, everything disappears.
If you have nothing, all that remains is to die.
And I died.
Thinking got difficult and I closed my eyes―――and right before everything turned black, my outstretched hand was grabbed by someone.
――――That was everything.
Everything disappeared.
There was nothing, so I only had that one thing.
I admired it severely since I could not do it.
...That's right.
I hoped to be of help to many people in place of all those I could not save.
―――But...
He said it is all false.
A borrowed ideal.
Salvation like a coin, passed from hand to hand.
A thankless end.
"――――――――"
What did I want to become, and why?
'I wanted to be a superhero.'
It's not me that said that, but――――
"――――!"
I wake up.
The light flowing in is bright, telling me it's sunny today, unlike yesterday.
"―――Damn. But I still have a headache."
I don't know if it's because of what happened last night, but I don't feel good at my awakening.
I must have had a bad nightmare, as my temples are throbbing in pain.
"Man... I'll go wash my face."
"Wow, it's really sunny."
Even though it's still six-thirty, the sky is clear blue.
It's warm for winter and the snow is all gone.
My sleepiness goes away once I wash my face and brush my teeth.
"Oh yeah. It's Sunday, so I don't have to go wake Fuji-Nee up."
I can prepare breakfast later than usual, and we can eat slowly as well.
There's no one in the living room.
"...So I'm the first one, huh? I can understand Fuji-Nee and Saber, but it's unexpected that Tohsaka is still sleeping."
Well, I'll prepare breakfast.
Even though it's Sunday, there are four people this morning.
I should start preparing――――
"Huh? There's no bread."
I bought a loaf yesterday, but it's gone along with the bag.
"Should I take it as sincerity that there are three 100-yen coins in its place?"
...I've never encountered such a crime.
The first suspect, Fuji-Nee, wouldn't do such an elaborate thing.
Then there's only one other culprit...
Well, what should I do?
I don't really care about the bread, but there is one extra person that'll be eating this morning.
"...It's before seven. I bet the tofu shop will be open."
Scene 01
"―――I'll make eggs and miso soup for breakfast. I don't want them to spoil."
The problem at hand is how to deal with the intruder that attacked the kitchen last night.
"Tohsaka. Are you awake, Tohsaka?"
There's no reply even after knocking on the guest room door.
It's almost seven.
Leaving Fuji-Nee aside for the moment, it should be impossible for Tohsaka, an honor student, not to be up at this time.
"Tohsaka. Tohsaka. Tohsaka!"
...That's strange.
There's no reply, so is she gone?
"...That's a bit weird."
...I get a bit worried.
It's not like she went out by herself and never returned, right?
"......Hm."
I'll―――
Scene 02
...Well, I know who the culprit is.
As the one in charge of cooking, I can't allow myself to waste precious time questioning her.
"Yeah. I should go buy some tofu if I have such time."
Scene 03
"......All right."
I'll look inside.
I have to find out where the bread went, and I'll have to go look for her if Tohsaka's not in her room.
I go in nervously.
"Um, excuse me...?"
I ask in a whisper, but there's no reply.
"――――Oh, she's not in here, like I thought."
The guest room is the same as always.
I don't feel anyone's presence, and there's nothing strange here.
The only thing here is a mysterious rectangular object on the table.
"...What is this?"
The length and width are about 15 centimeters, and it's 6 centimeters tall. It's made of plastic and it looks like a lunchbox.
"Actually, it is a lunchbox."
There's three of them.
I have no idea what it's used for or why.
"Why does Tohsaka..."
I reach out, curious.
――――Then.
"Huh?"
I hear a sound behind me.
"Hm......"
The faint sound of breathing.
It twists its body and faces in my direction, perhaps because of the bright light.
"―――――――――――――――――――――
―――――――――――――――――――――
―――――――――――――――――――――"
All thoughts vanish in an instant.
My mind turns white.
My breathing stops instantly, and I can't look away.
"――――!"
My throat gulps.
I don't think it'll be bad if I make a sound.
If you're talking about loud, my heart is loud.
It's pounding like mad. If I have to make a comparison, it's as loud as a train.
"――――!"
No, calm down.
I can't afford a mistake.
I have to leave this room quietly, as if nothing has happened, if I wish for our future cooperation to continue peacefully.
I'll probably be killed if Tohsaka wakes up right now, and um―――I won't be able to cooperate with her if I keep watching Tohsaka.
"Hm... Sorry... it'll a take a while..."
"......!"
My body jumps.
...Tohsaka's still asleep.
She must be well off in her dreams, as it looks like she'll continue to sleep on.
"――――Phew."
I sigh and slowly retreat.
...All the while...
I know I shouldn't be watching, but my eyes will not move away from Tohsaka.
...A girl is there sleeping.
Tohsaka is a girl, and it makes me forget that she's a magus and a Master.
Her breath and her disordered pajamas.
This is so heinously destructive.
This is almost unfair.
If I see such a thing, I won't be able to talk to her naturally like I've been doing up to now――――
"Ah... hm, so bright..."
"――――――――!"
A defenseless sleeping face.
I slowly retreat to the door, not being able to look away from her.
...How long did it take me?
The two meters were infinitely long and I slide out to the hallway with an almost-exploding heart.
"Haa――――――――Haa."
And I take a deep breath.
I release the breath I held for so long.
My knees give way and I fall onto the floor.
"―――Man, what the hell...?"
...Well, it's all my fault.
It's my fault, but shouldn't extenuating circumstances be taken into consideration?
"[line12]I'm sorry, Tohsaka."
As I murmur, fatigue assails me.
"...Man."
Well, anyway...
I'm glad I got out before I died of lack of oxygen...
...I decide to go cook breakfast.
It'll be killing two birds with one stone, because making breakfast will calm down my mind and Tohsaka will be happy if it tastes good.
"Good morning, Shirou. You are at ease this morning."
"Hm? Oh, morning, Saber. I can relax since it's Sunday and there's no school today. I feel good, so let's go to the dojo after breakfast."
I greet her while I peel some potatoes.
"Yes, that will be great. So your numbness has healed?"
"Oh, you're right. It healed while I was sleeping. It's a bit heavy, but it should be fully healed by tomorrow."
"That is good. I cannot be at ease if my Master is wounded. I can relax if I see you in the kitchen like always."
Saber takes a seat in her usual position beside the table.
It's eight-thirty.
Fuji-Nee and Tohsaka are sleeping in, but I can't complain today.
"―――Yeah. And thanks to that, I'm starting to forget about it too."
Tohsaka's sleeping face is being replaced with potatoes and onions.
I should be fine even if Tohsaka comes.
I would be able to deal with her like alwa――――
"Good morning, Rin. It seems you were able to sleep well last night."
"!!!!!!!!"
I freeze.
I-I'm so scared that I can't turn to the living room.
"...Morning. It wasn't really like that. The light was bright and there were people moving about even past midnight."
...Tohsaka answers Saber as she goes into the living room.
"――――――――"
This is a crucial moment.
Calm down, calm down.
It's easy. I just have to prepare tea for the three of us and greet her as I go see her.
"――――――――All right."
I put the cups on a tray and take one final deep breath.
I go out from the kitchen into the living room.
I put the tray on the table.
"Y-Yo. It's a morning with potatoes and onions, Tohsaka."
I greet her in an incomprehensible way and raise my head.
――――My breath stops.
Tohsaka is wearing something unfamiliar again.
"――――!"
Calm down.
It's all right, I saw her in normal clothes yesterday. I should have some resistance.
"No. I mean we're having Japanese food for breakfast this morning.
It'll take a bit longer, so have some tea while you're waiting."
I put the cups in front of Saber and Tohsaka.
―――Then.
"Why are you so slow? We're going out today, so get ready quickly."
Tohsaka glares at me as if breakfast can come later.
"Huh―――? Um, where are we going?"
"To the neighboring town. I want to go somewhere far away, but we don't have such time, right? So it's a compromise."
"...?"
Is this some sort of new surprise attack?
I don't get what Tohsaka wants.
"Okay. I get it, but why are we going there?"
"We're going to go have fun, of course. It's a date."
"Date―――who and who?"
"Shirou and I."
She declares naturally.
"――――――――?"
After tilting my head in wonder...
"D-DATE, ME AND TOHSAKAAAA!?"
"Who else is there? I told you last night, right?"
"Gah――――"
I feel dizzy.
I want to say something back, but Tohsaka is standing so majestically that I can't object.
"Come on, let's go. I knew this was likely to happen, so I made some lunch. Here, follow me and carry this tote bag."
She hands me a green tote bag and leaves the living room.
"――――――――"
I stare after her, dumbfounded.
"Shirou...? Should you not follow her?"
"Oh――――hold on, Tohsaka――――!"
Scene 04
I'm overwhelmed by the crowd the instant I step out of the bus.
The station is filled with people.
It's a sunny Sunday morning, so it'd be stranger for it not to be crowded here.
"―――I am surprised. So many people gather here on Sunday."
Saber looks at the town in wonder.
Her reaction is to be expected, since she has never seen the town in daylight.
"......"
I'm also stunned by the crowd.
"Well, where should we go? Do either of you have any requests?"
But.
Unlike us, Tohsaka is full of energy.
"Uh... That's troubling. I don't know any fun places."
"I thought so. How about Saber? Do you have anywhere you want to go?"
"Me...? No, I do not have any particular place I am interested in. First of all, I am Shirou's guard.
If this is a holiday for you two, please treat me as if I am not here."
"Wha-"
"Really? Then I can go wherever I want?
Ohh. If you don't have any requests, does that mean you guys will give me absolute obedience to whatever proposal I make?"
"Wha, wha, wha-"
I feel a chill.
Tohsaka's eyes are scary.
"H-Hold on, don't say it in a scary way!
First of all, I said I'd come with you, but I didn't say I'd go on a d-date with you. This is just to relax with the three of us――――"
"Too bad, this is what you call a date in society.
Come on, give up already. Girls will hate you if you're so persistent."
"Wha――――like who?"
"Who could it be? Well, I guess being stubborn may be a strong point. Right, Saber?"
"Yes, Shirou hates losing. His persistent mind is reassuring during battles."
"See. Isn't it good, Shirou?"
"Kuh――――"
Tohsaka smiles.
Man, what's so fun about making fun of me!?
"Well, let's go to Verde first of all. You two haven't eaten breakfast yet, right? We'll go window-shopping after a quick cup of tea to warm ourselves up."
Tohsaka starts walking.
I think Verde is the name of the new department store that opened up.
"Hey, I'll leave you if you're slow. The breakfast menu only goes on till ten o'clock, so we have to hurry."
"Wai――――――――"
She doesn't stop even if I stop her.
It seems Tohsaka will not even give me time to calm down.
"Shirou. Rin is walking away."
"Kuh―――geez, fine! I'll go anywhere now!"
I slap myself on the cheeks and summon up some resolve.
"Let's go, Saber! Don't get lost!"
"Yes. Please do not lose sight of Rin."
We run together.
Tohsaka doesn't even turn around in the crowded town.
It seems she's absolutely certain that we'll follow her.
So.
Before I know it, it's already past noon.
To be honest, I was just nervous for the first hour.
Everyone's paying attention to us wherever we go: bowling alley, cafe, shops...
Tohsaka stands out by herself.
Her vivid eye-catching red clothes and her long black hair.
Her colors would stand out on their own, but Tohsaka herself is beautiful.
It's natural for her to draw attention.
And Saber is standing next to her, so it doesn't even need to be said how gorgeous they look together.
But I wasn't nervous because of all the attention.
I realized that we were getting attention after my nervousness went away.
In short, I was just nervous about the fact that I'm on a date with Tohsaka.
I wasn't prepared at all, and I felt like I was in hell when we were in the cafe.
I can fight alongside her as a Master, but just the word "date" makes my heart jump.
We got so close that normal things have become difficult for me.
"――――――――"
I thought the day would end like this.
I don't know what Tohsaka intended, but I was sure that I would go around town nervously until the day ended.
...That's why I thought it'd be better for us to go home quickly to have a strategy meeting.
――――So.
What kind of magecraft was cast to make it turn out like this?
"Wow, I laughed my heart out. You showed me some great stuff."
Tohsaka laughs while walking in the park.
"Really? I cannot tell. Shirou did not look like himself back then."
"That's what's good about it. I didn't think he would look so much like a rich nerdy kid just by putting glasses on. You should've bought that, Shirou."
Tohsaka must have loved it as she's still laughing.
...It all happened about ten minutes ago.
I don't know what she was thinking, but Tohsaka took us to a glasses store and played around by getting Saber to try on glasses.
I got involved as well, and one of the glasses just got her laughing.
It was a pair of thick formal glasses that she made me put on.
"...Man, forget about it already. Look, I'm never going to wear glasses ever again. I have a young-looking face, so I won't allow myself to look any younger."
"Huh? Oh, so you were self-conscious, huh? But I don't think it's a problem. I don't have an issue with the way you are now."
"There is a problem with the way I am now! I can't help it about my face, but I need more height!"
"Oh. I think you have an average height, Emiya-kun."
"It's not average. And I'll be better able to brace myself if I'm taller, right? I need at least Issei's height."
"You don't have to worry. You'll still grow."
"...I'm glad to hear that, but what's the reasoning behind that?"
"Huh? Um, well... you have a firm build, so you'll grow if you get the right nutrition, right? I thought you'd grow if you used photosynthesis."
"What plant are you talking about? Don't treat me like some kind of a flower."
"Oh. Are you mad...?"
"No. I'll ignore it. ...Well, I guess I can look forward to it if you say so."
"――――Yeah. I can't make any promises about your height, but you'll be a great guy. You have my guarantee on that, Shirou."
"Wha――――"
W-Why does she have to say such an embarrassing thing!?
"Hah, you're so embarrassed. I like you since your emotions show up on your face."
"――――!"
S-She's playing around with me.
She's definitely playing around with me.
"Guh, you evil woman! Is it fun to tease a guy your own age!?"
"Of course. It would depend on who, but your reactions are great."
......God.
Please show her your wrath with divine punishment.
Not just for my sake, but for the sake of all the guys at my school.
"Oh, let's stop playing around with Shirou and get on with the date. Do you want to let some stress out before lunch?"
She fists her hand and swings it.
"...Could it be...?"
I'm sure of it. She's making "that" gesture.
But would a girl come out and say she wants to go to such a place...?
"It's a batting cage, of course. Don't tell me you don't know it."
The (former) school idol asks me seriously.
"Of course I know!
What I want to say is that batting cages aren't for girls――――"
Saying that, I imagine Tohsaka going into the batter's box.
"............"
...Crap. It does look strange, but why does she seem so reliable?
"What, do you want to go to an aquarium instead? I think they had penguin army versus the giant seal, the flaming freezing match, but it's a third rate attraction."
"――――――――"
I think it's second-rate, but I don't know about going to an aquarium when it's so sunny out.
"Rin. What is this batting you are talking about?"
"Huh? Well, it's something you should be good at. It's an integration of all your physique, considered to be training in some cases."
Wow.
Tohsaka's putting it in a ridiculous way.
"―――Hm. I cannot ignore that."
"Yeah, you should try it since it feels so good. I bet you'll be able to win all the prizes there."
She agitates Saber irresponsibly and starts walking again.
"――――Sigh."
I watch her, then run after her since it can't be helped.
There's no point arguing against Tohsaka's energy.
I can't stop her, and I also kind of like being pulled around like this.
So that's what it means.
My nervousness went away because it's fun.
I was taken to many places without rest, and my anxiety was gone before I knew it.
Tohsaka urges me to go to the next place, I respond reluctantly, and Saber quietly watches over us.
...It was really fun.
The town I only used to walk by...
I didn't know all the things I didn't involve myself in were so meaningful.
"――――――――"
As soon as I think so, something like a cage falls on me, and I understand.
I don't deserve this.
I'm unworthy of all this.
It tells me so from deep down within me.
――――I-I'm tired.
I never expected to play five games, with thirty balls each game, for a total of 150 swings.
It's all because...
"W-What is it, Shirou? It is troubling if you look at me like that."
...She hated losing.
"That was a miscalculation... I didn't think Saber would be so concerned about winning."
Tohsaka sighs next to me.
She also...
"Oh, I'll only play one game. My hands will get rough if I swing the bat too much."
...Said something like that, but ended up playing another game with Saber, and ended up complaining afterwards about how her shoulders and hands were tired.
"What are you saying? You only played twice. I played five times. And with the fastest speed too!
...Man. Saber would get mad if I went easy and sulk if I beat her too bad. It was a hellish hour."
"I-I did not sulk! I was only filled with spirit. First of all, this is nothing compared to the fights in the dojo. It is your fault for getting that tired."
"I get it. Saber's one that gets mad when she gets beaten in games, huh?"
I sigh and wobble on.
So here's what I found out today. One, do not gamble with Saber.
Two, a rule where the winner is the one to have ten more hits than the opponent can end up in an infinite hell if the ones playing are at about the same level.
And lastly, Saber is physically weaker than us if she does not use her magical energy.
...Or rather, is Tohsaka the strange one for hitting back 120kmph balls like nothing?
It's natural since Saber is the smallest one out of all of us, but I guess Tohsaka is rather strong for a girl.
"How rude. Batting doesn't equal strength.
Even a girl can hit if the swing speed and the angles are right."
"Well, that's for one or two pitches. The problem is after that. Your arm would usually cramp up. Do you do push-ups or something before you go to bed? That's the only reason I can think of."
My voice is heavy with sarcasm.
But.
"...I-I do. What? Is that bad?"
"―――――Uh, no. ...Nice."
She replies like that, so I'm the one that gets beat.
"L-Let's have lunch. It's past two already. I'm starting to get dizzy since I haven't eaten."
A family restaurant by the bridge should be a good place around here.
There are lots of choices on the menu, so I'm sure Saber won't complain.
"Is that fine with you, Tohsaka? It's not like you had a plan on where to go eat, right?"
I call out to Tohsaka.
"I-I do have a plan. I have it all planned out."
"Oh, okay. So where is this place you want to go to?"
"......Here."
"Huh? What do you mean by that?"
"I mean here. It's so sunny out, so we're gonna eat here in the park."
...I look around.
I don't see any cafe, nor even a hotdog stand.
"Tohsaka. Don't tell me you're going to get delivery or something."
"...Hey now. What do you think is in that tote bag you've been carrying all this time?"
"Huh――――?"
Oh.
Come to think of it, she did hand me a bag to carry this morning.
"...Hm. This kind of smells like mustard. So this must be..."
"It's lunch, of course. Didn't I tell you that I prepared some?"
She glares at me.
...I think she did say something like that.
"Wow, I'm surprised. I didn't think you would put so much effort into this."
"Of course I would. I invited you, so I prepared accordingly."
"Oh, the mystery's solved now. You used the bread for this, huh?
I thought you ate it because you got hungry at night. It sounds like too much to eat a whole loaf, but I thought it might be possible in your case."
Wow, everything's solved now.
There are no more worries on my chest now.
"Oh."
When I look back up, Tohsaka is making a scary face.
"Emiya-kun?"
"Y-Yes? What is it, Tohsaka?"
"Can you stop talking and start preparing for lunch? Everything's in that tote bag. Oh, and I'll kill you if you're too slow."
"Oh――――yes, I'll do my best."
I quickly make a space on the grass.
...Man, that was scary.
It's bad for my heart to have her say something that doesn't sound like a joke with that big smile...
So.
Lunch starts two hours late.
"Oh, what's wrong, Shirou? Why are you spaced out?
...Oh, do you hate spicy food?"
She's right next to me.
Tohsaka says so from a close distance.
"Eh――――no, it's fine. It's really strong, but this is good."
I say so and take another bite.
"Really? That's good. It's a talent to be able to make a bad sandwich, right? I thought for a second I got that useless talent."
Tohsaka laughs.
"――――――――"
If I looked spaced out, it's probably because she's dazzling to my eyes.
We're eating lunch on the grass under the clear blue sky.
This is peaceful enough, but it's too much once Tohsaka's added to the picture, and my nervousness is returning.
"Oh, you have a piece of tomato on your lip. Should I get it off for you?"
"Bu...! W-W-W-W-W-What are you saying!? I can do it myself!"
I wipe my mouth with my sleeve.
"Oh."
...Crap.
I got a red stain on my sleeve now.
"Geez, I guess I played around too much. I'm sorry, it was too funny because you gave me the exact reaction I wanted."
Tohsaka hands me a napkin. I don't know if she's laughing or apologizing.
"――――Heh. I don't care. It's been like this all day today."
I take the napkin and wipe my sleeve with it.
The red stain isn't coming out.
...Hm. Looks like Tohsaka's using some original sauce.
The stain is in there and doesn't look like it'll come out easily.
"But just you watch. I'm going to learn from today's experience and be less perturbed starting tomorrow. Don't think it'll go your way forever."
"Oh. Does that mean I don't have to hold back starting tomorrow?
That's good. I was getting bored with putting a mask on."
The red devil smiles back.
"...Uh, I take that back. It'll take some time, so it'll help me if you keep it as it is now."
"Really? If you say so. But tell me when you want me to go to the next level, okay? I'll knock you out without reservation."
"――――Damn. I'll get you someday."
I'm not making excuses, but it sounds like an excuse.
...It's somehow really vexing, so I decide to take it out on the sandwich in front of me.
I eat the sandwiches.
I was hungry and it's Tohsaka's handmade meal, so I'm going to eat all of it myself.
...Well, actually, Saber already ate about a third of it.
So Saber and I munch down the sandwiches.
Tohsaka must be full, as she just stares at us.
"Your body seems to be doing well. I guess I don't have to hold back in the afternoon."
She makes an evil smile again.
It's that smile.
She's more looking forward to seeing me worn out then what she's actually going to do.
"Heh, don't take me too lightly. I won't be exhausted just by having you pull me around. With yesterday aside, I've been doing well all day today."
"I see. Then I guess you're all right."
Tohsaka sighs with relief and reaches out for a sandwich.
It's as if she's saying her burden's gone now.
"......?"
The moment I wonder why she said that...
"Oh."
Everything fits together.
"――――――――"
Come to think of it, it was really unnatural.
The reason Tohsaka came to my house...
Archer knew about my body.
He must have heard that I projected his swords and knew that there's something wrong with my body.
That's fine.
But Archer, the one who wasn't there at that time, knew about the projection because Tohsaka told him about it.
Then.
As Tohsaka told Archer about our battle against Caster, wouldn't Archer tell Tohsaka about the penalty on my body――――?
"Tohsaka."
"Uh, what?"
"Why did you come to my house yesterday? And it's strange for you to stay over. I didn't notice all this yesterday because of Fuji-Nee."
"――――――――"
A brief moment.
But I hear Tohsaka gasp.
"I don't have a reason. It was just a whim. I thought that it might be fun once in a while."
"I see. It was certainly fun last night."
"Right?"
"Yeah. But thank you."
"――――――!"
Wow.
She turned red in an instant.
"W-W-W-W-What are you thinking...!? I-I wasn't concerned about you―――!"
"I know, it's not good to have your ally die. That's why you came to check up on me, right?"
"Uh... T-That's right. You're pretty smart."
"Yeah. But I'm still thankful.
I don't know what your intentions were, but I'm sure you cared for me."
"......"
She groans in dissatisfaction.
Her gesture's so cute that it makes me smile.
"――――――I see, I get it."
I kind of understand now how Tohsaka feels.
It feels really great embarrassing someone you like.
The weather changes once we finish lunch.
The sky is filled with clouds, and it looks like it could start raining any moment now.
"...I guess it can't be helped. We don't have any umbrellas, so let's go home."
There's no objection.
It's Tohsaka who started this, so it's her duty to finish it as well.
Scene 05
"――――――――"
I nod.
I mentally apologize to Tohsaka, who is staring at me, and obey Caster.
"
!"
Saber looks away at my choice.
"......"
Tohsaka doesn't say anything.
We promised to beat Caster together, but she doesn't yell at me and just bites her lip.
"That's a smart decision, boy. That is what I expect from a Master chosen by the Holy Grail. This is a battle you have no chance of winning. It is best for you to obey me."
...Caster raises her arm.
The fingers that were grabbing Fuji-Nee's neck go for my heart.
"――――Hold on. Promise me one thing before you do as you wish."
"......Fine. It doesn't seem like you understand your position, but I will listen. What compensation do you want, boy?"
"...It's Tohsaka. You sound like you want to kill Tohsaka. Promise me you will not lay a hand on her until she gets home."
"Shirou."
―――Caster doesn't answer.
The purple-robed figure stares at me without moving, and...
"Fuh―――fufu, ahahahahahahahaha!
I was wondering what you would say, but you obeyed me for such a thing!? That is wonderful, boy! How many years has it been since I laughed so hard...!?"
"...What's so funny, Caster?
It's a stupid condition all right, but you have no right to laugh at Shirou."
"Yes, you're right, little lady. You are the only one that can laugh at him. That is why this condition is acceptable.
―――All right. I was going to kill her here, but I shall make an exception and let her live. It is a wish of my ally. It is sad if I don't grant it."
The magus laughs.
Glaring at her, Tohsaka slowly retreats.
"――――Tohsaka."
"Goodbye. It was going to end up like this anyway. We'll be enemies next time we meet, Emiya-kun."
...I hear her leaving footsteps
Before they disappear...
"Well―――the farce ends here, boy."
...The magus's finger cuts out my mind.
...I'm in a deep darkness.
I don't know how many hours have passed.
I'm trying to count to keep track of time, but I can't think of any number above ten.
...Everything is vague.
I don't feel my limbs, and it's calm as if I'm floating on water.
Algae must have filled up my skull, and I want to laugh at this darkness.
"......"
Saber looks away every time I see her.
I think we obtained the Holy Grail quite some time ago.
But she doesn't seem happy at all, and she repeats "I am sorry" every time I see her.
"How do you feel, Shirou? We obtained the Holy Grail thanks to you. Tell me if there's anything you want. I can create anything for you, even if it is Saber or that girl."
...Something I want, something I want...
Nothing comes to mind. I've never wanted anything, and even if I did want something, it does me no good now.
If anything, I want a colder place.
A deep darkness that will freeze the algae in my skull and make me want to start dancing.
"Long time no see, Emiya-kun. I finally found you."
――――I hear a familiar voice.
"Caster was right. You were turned into that to let me go. So I'm the only one who can laugh at you."
――――I try to raise my hand to greet her, but I can't find my hand.
I recall an embryo in a test tube.
I'm floating in water.
I don't feel my limbs.
"――――I'll laugh it off.
The bad dream ends here, Shirou."
Oh, the water's flowing out.
My floating body rolls on the ground.
A warm darkness that washes out the algae in my skull and makes me want to go crazy...
Scene 06
"――――I refuse. I won't cooperate with you."
I say so to the magus without looking away.
"What...!?"
Three people gasp.
Nobody here expected me to reply like that.
"A-Are you mad――――? Do you understand the position you are in?"
"Yeah, I get your point. I think you're saying the right thing."
If battles can be avoided, they should be avoided. And if the Holy Grail can be shared, it should be shared.
――――But.
"But I won't help out a witch that's attacking people indiscriminately.
You're right, but the method is wrong.
...And one more thing. I wasn't forced to be a magus. I succeeded my father out of my own will.
―――You have no right to say anything about it."
"―――I see. Then I do not want you. You can die here."
Caster's voice fills with intent to kill.
"You――――"
At the same time, Saber gets ready to attack.
And...
"Don't move, Saber―――!"
...I stop her with all my might.
"...Please. Don't move, Saber. You too, Tohsaka. We can't move right now."
She'll be killed if any one of us moves.
I'll lose the person that was with me until now, a person that is like an older sister to me.
I can't allow that.
"...But Shirou."
"...You idiot. Then why did you refuse?"
But the two stop.
"......"
I take a step towards Caster as if to hide them.
"Oh, I thought you might be clueless, but I guess you do know the position you are in."
Caster smiles once again.
...Her arm.
Her left arm that was carrying Fuji-Nee points slowly at me.
"...! How unfair, are you going to kill Shirou when he is not resisting!?"
"Of course not. I will not take his life. I am just going to take his rights as a Master. It seems you only have one more, but give me that Command Spell.
You won't come to my side, but you want to save this woman.
You should have been prepared for this when you said that."
"――――――!"
Saber gasps.
"........."
I apologize to Saber in my mind and take another step towards Caster.
"―――All right. But how can I hand you the Command Spell?
I don't know of a way to give it to someone."
"Shirou...! No, even if you do that, it..."
"Let's see. I can transplant it if there is no intrusion, but I don't think I can wish for that here. Transplanting it would be impossible unless we go to a better place. So..."
――――Cut that arm off here.
"――――――――"
The black witch says so with a smile.
"―――That is it.
Shirou, please give up on Taiga. I cannot let Caster do as she wishes...!"
"I feel the same way. First of all, she's not one to release a hostage. She'll use you until the very end if you obey her."
"――――――――"
The two have a point.
So I can only apologize to them in my head.
"――――Take it. This is good, right?"
I raise my left arm.
Caster should be able to cut off my left arm along with the Command Spell with one word.
"―――No, Shirou...!"
"What's wrong with you...!? There's no need to go that far to save someone else!"
"There is. If I can save Fuji-Nee at the cost of just one arm, I don't even need to think about it."
I point my left arm at Caster.
"...All right. Come here, Emiya Shirou.
I don't know what you're intending, but my finger is faster than any of your surprise attacks."
Caster still must not trust me, as she puts some distance between us.
"........."
I walk to her.
...Caster's right in front of me, and the other two are far away from me.
I walk to the place where I won't be able to get away and hold out my arm.
"Ha――――――――"
The black witch watches me in astonishment.
"Haha. Ahaha, ahahahahahaha......!!
I'm surprised. You really are a good person! Fine, I shall give you back this woman in deference to your good faith!"
Her robe flutters.
Caster keeps a hold of Fuji-Nee with her left hand and takes out a strange dagger with her right.
"This is amazing. I didn't need to go through so much trouble if it was going to be like this!
You really are a stupid boy. You are annoying, so a softhearted person like you should die...!"
She swings her dagger.
It goes not for my arm, but my heart, and――――
"Caster――――!"
She explodes.
Saber charges in with such speed that I thought she exploded.
"――――!?"
The speed must have been faster than Caster expected, as her dagger is repelled.
Caster retreats and Saber follows her.
She must have figured out that she can't get away.
"I see, then――――"
Smiling happily, Caster puts power into her right hand and―――
"―――No, stop, Saber...!!!!"
I pray from the bottom of my heart and reach out with my left arm.
"Wha――――you used your Command Spell――――?"
Saber stops.
Her movements are stopped by the absolute obedience enforced by the Command Spell.
There,[r]
the dagger is stabbed as easily as making footprints in snow.
"Wha――――"
It feels like time has stopped.
Saber is looking down at her chest in blank amazement.
"Caster, you..."
"Yes, this is my Noble Phantasm, Saber. It has no attack power and is only a key used for rituals.
But―――this is a blade of betrayal that overturns any contract. You are like me now.
Betray your master and entrust your sword to me."
"――――!?"
Red light erupts.
Magical energy flows out like tumbling water.
It spreads through Saber's body, destroys every rule controlling her, and――――
The connection between Saber and me is completely cut.
"Haa, ah――――!"
Saber crumples onto the floor.
...There is a mark like a bruise on her forehead.
I see three marks appearing on Caster.
The Command Spell to control the Servants...
What used to be on me, the proof of being Saber's Master, is on her arm now――――
"Wha――――"
"Are you surprised? This is my Noble Phantasm, 'Rule Breaker'.
It is a sword of betrayal and negation which nullifies any magecraft in this world."
"Ah――――――――kuh."
Saber is moaning on the floor...
...As if fighting against a poison that entered her.
"You――――a Servant is taking a Servant――――?"
"Yes, I made her into my familiar. Now, everything is as planned.
Emiya Shirou isn't a Master anymore, and Saber is mine.
There is nothing to fear now that I have her. It does not matter even if Berserker attacks me. I shall go attack them this time...!"
Caster laughs and picks up Fuji-Nee.
"Here, I'll give her back to you. She's important to you, right? Then you have to do your best so she won't die."
Fuji-Nee's body floats up.
She goes through the air as if being pulled by an invisible arm.
"Fuji-Nee...!"
I catch her at once.
"Fuji-Nee...! Are you all right, Fuji-Nee...!?"
There's no reply.
But her body is warm.
Fuji-Nee is unconscious, but she's still breathing and is unwounded.
"――――――――"
I sigh with relief.
"Are you happy now? I shall spare the woman since I promised you. And... Yes, I shall let you go as well.
Your previous action was so wonderful that it made me angry.
But――――"
"...I see. Well, I knew it was going to be like this."
"Yes, the fun's over, little lady.
Saber, kill Archer's Master.
If he gets in the way, you can kill your previous Master as well."
"Guh... Ridiculous, who would obey you...!?"
Saber glares at Caster while on her knees.
"No, you obey me, Saber. You are mine now. You cannot disobey me as long as I have the Command Spell."
"Ah――――, guh――――!"
Saber's voice fills up with pain.
...But on the other hand...
Saber's body slowly gets up against her will.
"Ah――――ha, ah――――!"
Saber's body moves.
She charges at Tohsaka with the same speed as before,
and――――
She thrusts her sword.
"Ah... kuh――――......!"
I feel a dull pain on my shoulder.
I feel the steel stabbed into my shoulder.
The sword that should be invisible is outlined in my blood.
"You idiot, why――――?"
I hear Tohsaka's voice from behind me.
...But I can't do anything, no matter what she says.
It's just that my body moved on its own, and most of all―――I didn't want to see Saber attack Tohsaka.
I didn't want to see it, so I just placed myself in between them――――
"Guh――――!"
My body twitches.
Saber's sword hasn't stopped yet.
It rips into my flesh and grates against my collarbone.
The sword will eventually cut the arteries in my neck and kill me.
"Ha, ah――――!!!!!"
That's... not good.
I'm still holding onto Fuji-Nee.
And Tohsaka is behind me as well――――!
"...That's too bad. How wasteful. I was interested in him, but..."
Far away...
Caster is... saying something.
"Follow the Command Spell, Saber. Just slash them both."
A cold-hearted order.
With sounds as if opposing it...
Saber's arm shakes and stops.
"――――! No way, Saber's magecraft resistance even opposes the binding of the Command Spell...!?"
Caster is astonished.
Saber looks down, bites her lips, and desperately pulls back her sword.
"―――n."
She moans in despair.
Drip.
Saber hangs her head and cries.
"―――Run, Shirou...!!!!"
Saber pleads with so much effort that she might cough up blood.
"Come on, Shirou...!"
"Oh――――hold on, Tohsaka――――"
I run, my arm pulled by Tohsaka.
...The wound on my shoulder is so hot that my mind's not working.
But I have Fuji-Nee in my arms and I have accepted that running away is the only option.
...No.
I have no choice but to accept it.
"Sa... ber..."
...What a contradiction.
She threw away her pride as a swordsman and told me to run away.
To honor her wish is the greatest help I can provide for her.
...But on the other hand.
Ignoring her tears and running away means losing her――――
Scene 08
We get off the bus.
It's about to start raining when we reach the familiar intersection.
"Did you have fun today?"
Right when we start to head home...
Tohsaka suddenly asks that question.
"Huh――――?"
I don't even need to answer.
It was fun.
It's like I got thrown in a washing machine and turned around and around.
I feel like my nervousness got washed away along with the dirt.
But...
"So? Was it fun, Shirou?"
"I give up. It's been a long time since I've played this much. Man, you really did take me to so many places."
Um, the more fun it is...
The more awkward I get, feeling that such a thing is more than I deserve.
"...I see. I don't know what you're thinking about, but honestly tell me it was fun if it was. You're being rude to the one that escorted you."
"Huh...? No, that's not what I meant."
"Yes, that's what you meant. You're unconsciously putting brakes on. ...Heh, I don't know what happened to you before, but why don't you just forget it if it's so painful?"
"――――――"
...My breath stops.
It feels like she stuck a knife into my wound with amazing precision.
"Tohsaka, that's..."
"It's not something I care about. ...Well, I fulfilled my original objective, so it's all your problem now."
With her hair trailing behind her, Tohsaka heads to the hill road.
Not towards the Western-style houses, but to the Japanese-style houses.
"......"
I stand there in a daze.
"Shirou, are we not going home? It will rain soon."
"Y-Yeah. Let's go."
Being urged by Saber, I start off.
"――――――――What?"
As soon as I return to my place, I feel something really strange.
Nothing is missing, but a sense of nothing being right assails me.
The two make difficult expressions. That goes the same for me as well.
This feeling...
It's like always, but something important is stripped off.
The thing missing from this place, it's――――
"The boundary field's gone――――"
The boundary field my father set up.
The boundary field to notify us of intruders has been cut off by force――――
"...It seems like someone came in here while we were gone... I guess it was fortunate we were gone."
"Shirou, what about Taiga――――!?"
"――――――――"
My anxiety rising, I begin to run.
There's no time to think.
"Hold on...! The enemy might still be inside...!"
――――I hear a sound.
The instant I open the door, I can feel the stagnation in the air.
The remains of the intrusion...
The air is heavy like silk with just a small amount of filth.
I run in with my shoes on.
I don't have the time to take them off, and I don't have the composure to even consider such a thing.
Tohsaka and Saber are running behind me.
I don't even look at them and head straight to the living room.
I run into the living room.
The lights are turned off.
Under the gray sky, the dark room contains...
"Oh. I thought I'd just take her, but you came at the right time, boy."
...Fuji-Nee, standing unconscious, and an enemy called Caster.
"Caster...!"
I hear Saber's voice from behind me.
The two stop when they see Caster.
It must be because Fuji-Nee is held as a hostage.
Caster will cast a spell if Saber or Tohsaka attack her.
It will be faster than anyone here.
Even if Saber charges,
even if Tohsaka casts a spell,
Caster's finger will light up faster than anything.
Their position...
If Caster would do that, 's face will explode like a tomato.
"――――――――"
My mind freezes.
I'm angry.
I'm so mad that my vision is about to turn red.
But my mind is objective.
I never knew that you get calm if anger passes a certain level.
"You're too careless, boy. If you are a magus, you should put more care into your boundary field."
She laughs.
I take it like it's happening to someone else.
"How admirable, Caster. Did you come here to surrender yourself?"
"Yes, I have similar business. Well, it will be you people that will be asking for forgiveness."
The voice is enough to create sparks between them.
Tohsaka glares at Caster and does not do anything.
's life will end if she moves.
If Tohsaka's going to move, I'll Tohsaka before Caster will.
"―――So. What are you going to do using that hostage?"
"I have no business with you. I'm concerned with this boy."
"Hey, do you still remember the offer I made?"
The event at the temple...
Caster told Archer and me to be her subordinates.
"...! Didn't you learn from previous experience...!?"
Tohsaka's angry.
...That's surprising. Archer told Tohsaka about it, huh?
"Learn from previous experience? Yes, I usually would not be interested in someone who refused already. But that depends on the person, little lady."
Caster's watching me.
As if saying she's not interested in Tohsaka.
"You are very interesting, boy. This is the fifth Holy Grail War, but I don't think a case like you has existed before.
It's easy to kill you. But you're a valuable sample, so I would like to obtain you alive if possible.
Do you understand? I am doing such an inelegant thing because I want you to be on my side alive."
That means...
She will kill if I refuse.
"I came here disobeying my master. I value you that much, so can you not trust my enthusiasm?"
"Don't say ridiculous things...! You're just doing whatever you like without obeying your Master―――!"
"Oh, are you jealous? But I'm sorry. I'm not interested in you. You seem to be a strong magus, but you are far from being able to match me. I do not want complete omnipotence, but an incomplete unique ability.
...In that regard, this boy is ideal. He is an amateur magus and it will be easy to control him."
A charming laugh.
Caster urges me for my reply while digging her fingers into 's neck.
"...How troubling. You should not need to think about it.
Nobody other than me will obtain the Holy Grail. This town is already mine. No matter how strong Saber may be, she cannot defeat me as I have infinite magical energy."
"――――"
Saber's presence moves.
She's ready to fight. She will charge at Caster if she sees an opening.
"―――Hah. I am telling you it is useless.
Look, the one here is only my shadow.
The source of my power is everybody in this town. It is like having a thousand Masters.
Do you understand what that means?"
"――――! No way..."
"Yes. Even people without magical energy have souls, right?
We are soul-eaters to begin with. We can get unlimited magical energy if we suck magical energy called 'life' from our Masters.
...I can even use your great Noble Phantasm as many times as I want."
An unlimited source of energy.
Magical energy she sucks out of everybody in this town.
...That's why she's going to win?
She's saying she's invincible because she controls innocent people like ?
It's the same.
She is saying she will laugh on top of others' sacrifices――――
"――――――――"
The firing hammer rises.
Heat returns to my calm mind.
"Now, let me hear your answer, Emiya Shirou.
You have no chance of winning. Will you, along with Saber, obey me?"
"――――Let go of Fuji-Nee."
"...Did you not hear me? I told you to come under my control."
"Shut up. Let go of Fuji-Nee."
There's nothing else.
I have nothing to give to her.
"――――――――"
A gritting sound.
Caster grits her teeth in annoyance and sighs as if to calm herself down.
"......All right, so the negotiation is denied? Only one Master can obtain the Holy Grail. So you have no intention of cooperating with another Master?"
"I don't care about the Holy Grail. I just won't cooperate with you."
"I see. I must really be hated."
There's no sarcasm in her voice.
There's only anger.
"...This is really disappointing. I really did like you.
I could have shared the Holy Grail with you if you had cooperated with me."
"That's none of your concern. I decided to fight so that I can stop people like you. The Holy Grail has nothing to do with this.
Just let Fuji-Nee go."
I glare at Caster.
Taking my stare full of enmity, Caster――――[r]
"Fufu――――ahaha, ahahahahaha!"
...Laughs for some reason.
"――――You."
"Oh, did I get on your nerves? But it's your fault. You said something that totally went against what you believe in."
"――――――――"
My throat clogs up.
I didn't... say anything... against what I believe in.
"The Holy Grail has nothing to do with this? Fufu, is that really so? You are a victim of the Holy Grail.
The moment you say the Holy Grail has nothing to do with this―――proves that you detest the Holy Grail."
"――――――――"
At that instant...
My mind freezes.
"...Shirou?"
I don't understand anything since my mind's frozen.
Not even Tohsaka, who's watching me with worry. Not even Saber, who looks down painfully.
"――――――――"
Not even the nausea that fills me up.
"I know, Emiya Shirou. The previous war was ten years ago, right? You lost everything at that time. You were left alone in the fire and all you could do was wait for death. And Emiya Kiritsugu found you at that time.
So you're not a real child of this house.
But you were forced to become a magus and you've suffered all this time, right?"
"――――――――"
"...No way. Emiya-kun, is that..."
"Yes. The Holy Grail is an enemy you have to detest. It's ironic that you've entered this war."
"――――――――"
"I understand how you feel. Everyone has to curse something if their happiness is taken away unreasonably.
...Yes, I like the past you carry, Emiya Shirou."
"――――――――"
"You are qualified to take revenge. You have the right to obtain the Holy Grail and to settle what happened ten years ago. That's why I considered having you on my side."
"――――――――"
"―――Now, think again, boy.
I don't want to fight. Battles are stupid, right? If the Holy Grail has infinite wealth, it should not run out no matter how much we split it.
Then can you not share the Holy Grail with those you trust?"
"――――――――"
She's probably not telling a lie.
Caster must seriously think so.
"Take revenge, Emiya Shirou.
The Holy Grail is practically in my hands already. It will be easy to make your wish come true."
"That is nonsense, Caster...! The Holy Grail will not appear until there is only one Servant left. Do not insult my Master with such talk...!"
"No, there are ways to obtain the Holy Grail without fighting, Saber. Even if it may be impossible for other Servants, I, as Caster, can see the trick of the Holy Grail.
Yes, if you, the one with enormous magical energy output, will help me, it should be possible to summon the Holy Grail right now."
"Wha――――"
It creates a crack in Saber's resolve.
It's because Saber feels that Caster is telling the truth.
"This is your final warning, boy.
You want to avoid needless battles, right? Then obey me. I shall give you the Holy Grail if you give me Saber and cooperate with me."
The final negotiation.
Saber is perplexed.
It's because avoidable battles should be avoided, and it will be best if the Holy Grail can be obtained that way.
And besides, the enemy has 's life in her hands.
There's only one answer.
Even Tohsaka is biting her lips as if she has given up.
――――I...
Scene 09
I'm curious as to why there's no reply, but Tohsaka might be one of those rare people who sleep with earplugs on.
...Well, knowing her, she might be sleeping because she stayed up late last night for unknown reasons. I guess I can let her be.
"Yeah..... First of all, you can't go into a girl's room without permission, you idiot."
I scratch my head and walk away from the forbidden door.
...That was meaningless.
It's not too late, so I'll go to the shopping district and buy some tofu.
Scene 10
I head to the tofu shop under the clear blue sky.
I buy three tofu with the 300 yen that was on the table.
"Oh, Shirou-kun. Great for you to come even on a Sunday!"
I go home drinking the soy milk I got as a service from the tofu shop owner.
"――――Yeah, this is great."
This is perfect.
This is a perfect morning with nothing to complain about.
"...But I feel like I'm at a loss..."
I tilt my head in wonder and look up at the sky.
A big serving of tofu and a 60-yen soy milk.
I don't think good things like this happen that often.
I slowly walked back and pondered what to do with the tofu for about twenty minutes.
It's eight-thirty already.
"Good morning, Shirou. You are at ease this morning."
"Hm? Oh, morning, Saber. I can relax since it's Sunday and there's no school today. I feel good, so let's go to the dojo after breakfast."
"Yes, that will be great. So your numbness has healed?"
"Oh, you're right.
I was able to walk from the shopping district without a problem, so I guess it's pretty much healed. ...It's a bit heavy, but it should be fully healed by tomorrow."
"That is good. I cannot be at ease if my Master is wounded. I can relax if I see you in the kitchen like always."
Saber takes a seat in her usual position beside the table.
Fuji-Nee and Tohsaka are sleeping, but since it's Sunday, I should let them sleep in until breakfast's ready.
"Good morning, Rin. It seems you were able to sleep well last night."
Oh.
It seems Tohsaka's awake.
"...Morning. It wasn't really like that. The light was bright and there were people moving about even past midnight."
...Tohsaka answers Saber as she goes into the living room.
―――Well.
I don't want to complain so early in the morning, but I have to know why she took all of the bread.
"Good morning, Tohsaka. So, about――――"
――――My breath stops.
Tohsaka is wearing something unfamiliar again.
"Ah――――um..."
My heart starts beating rapidly.
...It's because of the red clothes.
It hurts my eyes so much that everything I wanted to say escapes my mind.
"―――I'm cooking breakfast. Have some tea while you're waiting."
I put the cups in front of Saber and Tohsaka.
But.
"Why are you so slow? We're going out today, so get ready quickly."
Tohsaka glares at me as if breakfast can come later.
"Huh―――? Um, where are we going?"
"To the neighboring town. I want to go somewhere far away, but we don't have such time, right? So it's a compromise."
"...?"
Is this some sort of new surprise attack?
I don't get what Tohsaka wants.
"Okay. I get it, but why are we going there?"
"We're going to go have fun, of course. It's a date."
"Date―――who and who?"
"Shirou and I."
She declares naturally.
"――――――――?"
After tilting my head in wonder...
"D-DATE, ME AND TOHSAKAAAA!?"
"Who else is there? I told you last night, right?"
"――――"
Hold on.
It's so sudden that my mind hasn't caught up yet...!!
"Come on, let's go. I knew this was likely to happen, so I made some lunch. Here, follow me and carry this tote bag."
She hands me a green tote bag and leaves the living room.
"――――――――"
I stare after her, dumbfounded.
"Shirou...? Should you not follow her?"
"Oh――――hold on, Tohsaka――――!"
Scene 11
I quickly start running.
I hear another set of footsteps.
It seems Saber is following me.
"You're late. You have some nerve, making a girl wait."
I'm not that carefree at all.
She doesn't hear me out and it seems determined that we're going on a date.
"Wait, hold on...! Why are we going!?"
"Because I feel like it. You don't mind, right? We're not doing anything during daytime anyways. I won't let you run away now."
"―――I certainly don't mind, but―――yeah, what about Archer!? I bet he's against this!"
"I left Archer. I bet he's sleeping at my house right now."
"――――――――"
I freeze.
...I can't beat her.
I can't talk Tohsaka down by myself.
If anyone can stop her, um――――
"That's right, Saber! What about Saber!?"
"Saber can come along as well."
Defeated.
All my cards are trumped in just one sentence.
"Have you accepted it now? Then let's hurry. We're going to forget we're Masters today and play our hearts out."
"Huh―――hold on, you idiot...!"
There's no time to be confused.
Tohsaka grabs my hand and runs out the door.
"―――.........!"
...I guess I have to give up.
Tohsaka is so energetic that I don't think I can beat her, and I'm sure she'll defeat me in an argument even if I say something. And I don't know why, but Saber is following us without complaint.
...Well, that's good.
Um, see, it's really sunny today.
Scene 12
...My breath is ragged.
I don't know where we ran, but the familiar Western-style mansion is before me.
"This way, Shirou...! Are you conscious? Can you walk?"
...I run, being pulled by someone.
My body is strangely light.
I must have gotten lighter after losing the things within me, or I just feel nothing.
The only weight I feel is the body of Fuji-Nee in my arms.
I can't see well.
I'm not sure where I'm walking nor what I'm doing.
"You can lay Fujimura-Sensei there. ...Hey, are you listening to me, Shirou!? It's safe here, so let go of her...!"
Someone takes away the person in my arms.
――――The important weight disappears.
At the same time, my body becomes heavy.
The light body turns into iron, and I fall, unable to keep myself up.
"...! Hurry, Archer! I'll treat him, so take him to my room...!"
I hear someone's voice.
My body is heavy and hot.
...I imagine turning red.
Does it get this hot when you put steel in fire to make a sword?
The heat gradually goes away as time passes.
"[line12]"
A room I don't know.
I stare at the ceiling with a boiling head.
...That's the only thing I can do.
It seems I'm lying on a bed.
"I can't heal this wound. You can't fight with this wound, but―――you're not a Master anymore, so there's no reason for you to fight anyway."
...A calm voice, unlike before.
The person that brought me here to treat my wound...
"―――This is it. You don't have to fight anymore, Shirou."
...Says those words.
"――――――――"
I try to say something and my vision turns black.
My eyelids fall.
Anesthesia causes my body to fall asleep.
I feel someone leaving and hear the sound of the door closing.
"――――――――"
My consciousness turns off at that moment.
Scene 13
――――It is a quiet night.
The wind blowing on the mountain is gentle, and the rustling of the trees is as quiet as a whisper.
There are no birds singing about winter, nor are there beasts howling at the moon.
The only path leading to the Ryuudou Temple...
The long stone steps preserve its peacefulness tonight as well.
But others do not know.
This place has withstood five battles already, each one was a great clash.
Many Servants challenged the Ryuudou Temple.
Berserker, Lancer, Rider, Saber, Archer.
This mountain gate is able to enjoy the darkness thanks to the monster that has repelled all five enemies.
The longsword moves.
It is fortunate that the moon is not out.
The arc of the sword moving in a crescent-moon shape is so beautiful that the moon would be ashamed of itself if it saw it.
"Are you listening, Assassin? I told you that you will continue to guard the gate."
He ignores the magus in purple, Caster.
Assassin lowers his longsword and glances at the mountain forest without interest.
"Well, there was an intruder. I saw a strange bird, so I cut it. But it did not spill blood nor scream. Is this one of yours, Caster?"
"......! ...I see, this must have been a familiar spying on us. It must be Berserker's Master or that young lady. Either way, this place will not last long."
Caster walks to the forest and looks down at the "thing" on the ground.
It is the corpse of an owl.
It is a bird made from crystal. It is simple, but suited for spying, and must have been made by Archer's Master.
"...Heh, that lady is unlucky. I could have made her my student if she were less talented."
She steps on it.
The amethyst crystals are crushed to powder, scattering star-like dust.
"There are people like this, so I leave you in charge to protect my Master. I will disappear if my Master dies. If that happens, you cannot exist either.
If you do not want to disappear, protect the gate and be prepared even for death."
"Well―――it is hard to be prepared for death. I have never felt that I was 'alive'.
Is it not meaningless to ask that of one such as I?"
"――――Stop your impudent talk.
Do not misunderstand, Assassin. You are a Servant I summoned. A slave should act like a slave.
If you cannot swear your loyalty, you can disappear right now."
Caster's words are filled with enmity and contempt.
For her, Assassin is only a tool.
It is annoying for a tool to talk, so it is natural for her to get mad when it starts to speak cynically.
"I see. Good heavens. My life is like a heat haze, but it is problematic if I disappear now. I have made a promise. If I can, I would like to fulfill this promise."
"――――Then hold your tongue. You only need to protect this place.
If you're able to do so, I can make you real. A low-class like you without a Noble Phantasm can become a heroic spirit, so it should be worth risking your life, right?"
"You do not need to worry. I have belonged to the other world from the beginning. I will act out my role.
But is it all right, Caster? I am not loyal to my master, but you are dishonest as well. Tonight's matter is a secret to your Master, right?"
At that instant, Assassin's body explodes.
A thumping sound.
The curse that was put into his body upon summoning has exploded.
The trees sway.
Assassin is flung into the forest, his chest pierced from within by his own ribs.
His figure is like a bloomed flower.
"Guh―――geez. You are getting worse every day, Caster."
"――――Quiet. If I have to tell you one more time, I will eliminate you before waiting five days."
"...Geez. They say women and mean people are unmanageable, but you have gone too far."
The flashy Servant gets up.
This Servant does not lose his elegance even if he shows his ribs or if his body is covered in blood.
"Oh, do not glare at me like that. You are wasting your beautiful face, Caster. I know, everything is to be a secret from your Master, right? I will hide the fact that you caught Saber and that I am guarding this place.
It is a moving story. I wish that your caring spirit would reach him."
"
Assassin, you..."
"I am just being a poor loser. I cannot attack you, so allow me to joke around like that.
―――I will protect the gate. I will protect it no matter what.
But where are you going? Do you not trust my protection?"
"――――Of course not. You're just insurance.
But that's at an end as well. Once I have control of Saber, I don't have to use this rustic place as my temple."
"...Hm, so you will relocate? Then I am certainly not needed. Is there a sacred ground superior to this place?"
"Yes. It is inferior to this place, but there is a place suited for me. And―――I will be going there in the near future anyways. There is no problem if I go now, right?"
"――――"
Assassin's expression, which had been cool up to now, clouds up.
Caster smiles as if she's satisfied.
"Yes. Our victory is certain, so I'm going to go receive the prize ahead of time.
A new territory and the Holy Grail. And I also have another piece called Saber. With all this, I am sure my uninterested Master would have no complaints with my policy."
That is true.
No matter how much Caster's Master, Kuzuki Souichirou, stays silent, he would be forced to fight if the conditions are set so perfectly.
But what is more certain is that...
"―――The boring war will end. There will be nothing to fear once I obtain the Holy Grail.
...Yes, nobody would be able to stop me―――!"
Loud laughter pollutes the night.
The magus in purple expresses her victory.
The knight with the longsword looks up at the sky.
――――The time is near.
No matter what the end may be, only five days remain.
Even though the remaining time will not likely be used up, the swordsman that has lived through hell feels that the match will not be settled easily.
Scene 14
"Ha――――, haa――――, haa――――"
And I fall.
I can't even breathe properly.
The wound on my shoulder is swelling up, and it hurts just to breathe.
"――――――――"
I can't keep my consciousness.
I'll fall asleep if I let my guard down.
...No, first of all, I'm not too sure if I'm conscious or not.
I don't know how I got home from that rooftop nor why I came home.
...My thoughts become vague.
The only sure thing is my thumping heart.
"――――――――"
...Tohsaka told me to not involve myself.
Because I'm powerless and I don't have a reason to fight anymore.
"――――――――"
But that's wrong.
I knew more than anyone that I'm powerless.
My reason to fight is something different.
...I can't let it become just a scar.
Losing against others is inevitable.
I'm used to being beat up, and it's vexing, but I know I can't reach them no matter what I do.
But that's only when my enemy is someone else.
I can't lose against myself.
There's no element that would make me lose if our powers are equal.
To admit defeat against such an enemy is to declare that I'm wrong.
"――――――――!"
The wound distorts.
Blood stains the bandage.
"Ah――――, ――――!"
I grab it with my left hand and glare at the darkness.
The memory from ten years ago...
The words of the man who was my father...
...Even if I was wrong from the start, there is nothing wrong with the path I took.
I wanted to be a superhero so that incident wouldn't just become a sad memory.
A time where everyone would be happy and shed no tears.
I have held that ideal for ten years.
"
Then..."
It doesn't matter how badly my head refuses to function.
What needs to be done is determined from the start.
I didn't fight because I became a Master.
I decided to fight because it's something I can do, and I believed it's something I have to do.
I finally remember the obvious.
"――――Tohsaka, no matter how much you tell me..."
If I believe it is right, I will believe in this path until the very end.
I won't stop, and I won't let her fight by herself.
...That's why I will sleep now.
I won't let her call me a burden.
I'll heal this wound up in one night.
And when I wake up in the morning――――
...And when I wake up in the morning...
I'll catch up to her for sure and repay her for what she did that night――――
Scene 15
The sun sets.
The sun, which wasn't even visible, sets and the dark sky gets even darker.
"―――I see. So Saber got taken away."
That's the only response Archer gave.
His master, Tohsaka Rin, simply stated the facts, but he states it even more matter-of-factly.
"...That's all? There are two Servants under Caster now. Don't you have anything else to say?"
"I cannot think of a way to beat her at the moment. But we should consider it fortunate that we know her Noble Phantasm now.
―――Break the contract between the Servant and the Master, huh? We should be able to do better if we know that ahead of time."
"That is true.
...But you sure sound uninterested, Archer. Weren't you supporting Saber?"
"―――I don't think I ever showed interest in her. What makes you think so, Rin?"
"Let's see. Would woman's intuition be a good enough reason?"
"No. You are not of an age to be called a woman. First of all, you do not have enough charm.
You lack elegance as well.
And most of all―――yes, this is fatal... your charm is hard to understand."
"――――Heh. I see. You're finally back to par now."
She smiles pleasantly.
Archer has to be like this.
An unemotional person isn't the partner Rin trusts.
Her partner has to always be composed and has to speak cynically against anyone.
Rin knows that is the kindness of this knight.
Speaking cynically is like indirectly telling others to fix that part of them.
"I see. Then here's the first proof.
You went easy on Saber the first time you met her.
Even though Saber may be strong, I don't think you, the one good at defending, would be beaten in one blow."
"That was a surprise attack. I am weak against unexpected things, like you are."
"Heh, shut up. So, here's the next proof.
You provoked Saber after the incident with Rider.
That wasn't like you at all.
I realized after I looked at it from a different angle. You were scolding Saber back then, right?"
"............"
"Oh, am I right? I thought so. I don't know if you knew her from your previous life, but it's rare for you to act so coldly."
"Really? I think I act that way towards everyone."
"You're the only one who thinks so. I think you're really clumsy when it comes to anything that concerns you. Everyone's tricked because you're not clumsy towards others."
Archer frowns.
He must have been self-conscious of it.
The knight in red ponders with a troubled expression, and his master looks at him in pleasure.
And suddenly...
"So, do you remember which hero you are now? If you're related to Saber, you must be a hero from around that age, right?"
She says so as if testing something.
"――――No, my past is still hazy.
But I do remember Saber as you say. She doesn't seem to know me, so I guess we didn't have a deep connection."
"Hm. So I guess you two weren't friends or lovers.
That's too bad. I would've found out Saber's true identity if that were the case."
She doesn't sound disappointed.
It's just an offhanded remark.
"Well, I'll remember eventually.
By the way, Rin. How is the one you brought here doing? Is that one doing fine?"
"...Yeah, he survived. His wounds healed up automatically until yesterday, but this wound isn't healing at all. I think Saber's self-healing powers went away because the contract came to an end.
But he survived. Fortunately, he didn't get hit in any vital points, so he should be able to get up and eat in about three days."
"No, not that one. I meant the other person."
"Huh? Oh, Fujimura-Sensei? I let her sleep in the guest room. I think Caster used a sleeping magecraft on her, but she's still doing really well. I did treat her, so it shouldn't be a problem even if she sleeps for a week."
"――――I see. But she might turn into a sleeping beauty with Caster's magecraft. That woman's spells are more like curses. The simplest way to dispel her is to kill Caster."
"Yeah. Either way, the Holy Grail War won't last much longer. We're going to beat Caster as fast as possible, and knowing Fujimura-Sensei, she might wake up on her own."
Archer nods.
And after a brief pause in the conversation...
"Beating Caster comes first. Even though there is one less Master now, Saber still exists. ...We do not have time to spare, Rin."
"I know. We'll go out to town immediately.
Even Caster should take some time to completely control Saber. If possible, we have to beat Caster before Saber is fully controlled."
"All right. ――――So the contract about that kid ends here, huh?"
"Huh――――?"
"Emiya Shirou isn't a Master anymore, right?
Then he will be of no help and there will be no need to protect him. The second Command Spell can be lifted off me now, right?"
"――――――――"
"What? Don't tell me you'll take care of him because he cooperated with you."
"――――Of course not. I'm not that good a person."
"Then..."
"But it's not over yet. I won't break the promise until he himself says he's out of this war.
...I'll try to get him out, but we can't end it until he gives up."
She declares stubbornly.
What can he reply to that?
"That's my course of action. Do you have any objections, Archer?"
"――――It cannot be helped. I'm fully aware that you are like that."
His voice sounds cynical.
She just laughs it off and makes an order.
"Let's go, Archer. I don't know why, but Caster isn't back at the Ryuudou Temple.
Then――――let's find her and defeat her before she goes back to the temple."
There's no need to answer.
The knight in red nods and follows his master.
Gloomy clouds are still overhead.
A moonless night. She departs with Archer to take aim at her target.
Scene 16
It feels like I just got punched.
"――――――――, ah."
I wake up from the pain in my shoulder.
...My body's still there.
I feel my limbs and hear my own breathing.
There's bandage wrapped around my shoulder, and the bed I'm in is soft.
"――――Huh? This place.. is...?"
...I don't know.
And――――someone said...
―――This is it. You don't have to fight anymore―――
"...!"
I get up.
I remember everything and jump up from the be――――[r]
"Guh――――!"
Pain causes my back to arch.
"Ah――――hh.........!"
...I feel my left shoulder.
It's burning hot.
It feels much worse than a pulled muscle.
No, I'm lucky that my arm is still attached after a sword went through it, but it still hurts bad.
"Guh... ah, ah, ha――――"
I slowly get out of bed.
I can bear this pain if I grit my teeth.
Then――――
"――――――――"
...The heat in my shoulder reaches my head.
I shake it off and move my legs.
"――――No... one's here?"
There shouldn't be anyone.
I remember Tohsaka's words.
She said those words and left.
So she went to fight by herself.
"Haa――――Haa, ah――――"
I head to the door.
I have to go outside.
I have to go find Tohsaka.
"Kuh――――"
I fall.
I almost collapse and support myself using the dresser.
"Guh――――"
...It's useless.
I fall along with the dresser.
"Sorry... I made a mess, Tohsaka."
I pick up the scattered stuff.
"......Huh?"
I find something familiar.
It's a simple pendant made of crystal.
"...I think I saw this before――――"
I saw it somewhere.
...Yeah, it was like this back then as well.
The night I got pierced by Lancer...
The fatal wound was healed before I knew it.
There was something I picked up when I left the hallway with a tired body.
It's hot.
The poison in my shoulder gets to my brain and makes me dizzy.
"...Yeah. This is the same one."
I know, but my mind does not think.
Like the thing I dismissed as a dream...
Like whose Servant was fighting Lancer at that time...
Like who could have saved me and who could have been there at that time...
...There's no need to think about it, but my head is spinning.
"...Damn. What is that? She talked about owing me and all, but this is something I can never pay back――――"
I feel dizzy.
My head's messed up from pain, heat, and self-deprecation.
"Haa――――ah――――"
I move my legs.
I have to look for her.
I have something I want to tell her, and there's something she needs to know.
That's all I can think about with this dizzy head――――
"Haa――――Haa, haa, ah――――"
When my senses return, I'm in front of the station.
My hazy head is moving based on a vague image.
...That "she's there".
It orders me to go there if I am to look for her.
"――――――――"
...I don't know why I'm directed here.
My boiling head is only thinking about this building.
"
!"
...Then I can only follow my instincts.
I didn't have any way to look for Tohsaka from the start.
So I can only cling to this thing.
――――I get to the rooftop.
The wind blowing here is even colder and cools down my heated brain.
"――――――Why are you here?"
I hear someone gasp.
Tohsaka is looking down at the town from here, like that one night.
"Go home. I don't know what you want to do, but you're an eyesore."
She expresses her anger and stares at me.
Behind her,[r]
he is standing there, telling me silently that I am of no use.
"I won't go home. When I do, it'll be with you. We promised to fight together, right?"
I collect my hazy mind and move my lips.
"Forget about that promise. First of all, what can you do? Without Saber, you're no match for any Master."
"――――――That's..."
"And there's no need for you to fight.
You're not a Master anymore, so you'll be safe if you run to the church. You just need to stay there and the Holy Grail War will come to an end."
"――――――――"
I almost faint at her words.
It pisses me off.
"Don't be stupid, I can't leave Saber like that...!
Look, I said I'll fight. So I'll fight until the very en――――"
"Guh――――!"
My vision turns red.
I can't talk.
Just yelling makes my muscles cramp up, and I almost die.
"See. You had Saber's help until now, but that's how it is once you don't have her help.
...Look, Emiya-kun. People normally die when they are killed. Your wound should be fatal, you know?"
"Ah――――haa, ah――――ah."
...Damn.
I know that.
I know, but it's so painful that I can't speak――――
"And you talk about Saber and all, but it's not a problem of yours.
You're not a Master anymore, so it shouldn't concern you what happens to Saber."
"――――――――"
It does concern me.
All the more if Saber has helped me with pain like this up until now.
"...No, even... if I'm... not a Master.
Saber... didn't want it. I can't... have her be controlled...!"
"――――I see. But you're powerless.
...Fine. If you don't want to admit it yourself, I'll tell you.
You can't save Saber as you are now."
"――――――――"
My heat disappears.
Her cold words freeze my boiling brain.
"That's all.
You lost Saber and you're not a Master anymore.
There's no reason for you to be involved in this massacre, so you can forfeit here, Shirou."
Tohsaka turns and walks off.
"――――Stop, Tohsaka. But still――――"
"――――!"
Amidst the blowing winds...
Tohsaka kicks the ground without any hesitation.
"You idiot――――! What are you thinking――――!?"
I reach out frantically.
"――――――――"
There's no need for that.
The knight in red appears next to Tohsaka as if protecting her.
Even if she jumps off from this height, she should be able to land without a problem if she has her Servant.
"――――――――"
Tohsaka's lips move slightly.
...I can't hear what she said.
But her eyes...
―――You'll die if you keep involving yourself.
...Coldly tell me so as if it's the last warning.
"――――――――"
My heat returns.
The heat and the pain make my mind go crazy.
――――I cannot save Saber.
And there is no reason for Emiya Shirou to fight.
"――――――――"
...My wound hurts.
I look down at the night scenery that swallowed Tohsaka and repeat those words in my head.
Scene 17
Notice
This Tiger Dojo is canceled because the instructor has been kidnapped.
Please look forward to the new series, "Magical Fuji-Nee, Magical Tiger".