FSN UBW Day 12 (EN)
Scene 00
"―――――――"
I open my eyes.
My eyes are not the only things that wake up, as my sleeping mind wakes up as well.
"The wound is――――not a problem."
I check the wound on my left shoulder.
It still hurts, but there's no intense pain like last night.
The heat in my body has gone away somewhat.
It shouldn't be a problem for me to move around.
I eat breakfast and satisfy my hunger.
Food comes before anything else. My body won't move unless it gets the nutrition it needs.
"――――All right."
I reapply the bandage.
The wound has turned dark blue.
It hasn't healed up, and I can see fresh red meat.
"―――Of course. Saber's not here."
I disinfect it, put gauze over it, and wrap bandages around it.
It's a primitive first-aid treatment to wrap and constrict the wound, but I have to do this so it won't get any worse.
"All done. I'll need a weapon now."
It's cloudy today.
It must be really cold, as there is frost on the grass outside.
"――――――――"
But that's meaningless to me.
I feel no cold.
My body is burning and I want to pour ice water over myself.
But this is much better than the condition I was in last night.
The only things I can find are wooden swords.
I choose the one that looks like it is the best and put it into my shinai bag.
I slap my cheeks.
I don't know if it's to encourage myself or to reassure myself that I won't be coming back here.
I honestly don't know why I did that.
I carry the shinai bag over my right shoulder and head outside.
The place I've lived at for so long.
The shed was like my own room, but I don't turn to look at it.
――――Well, even though I've decided to fight, there are many problems.
I have to determine clearly what I should do first, or I'll probably end up not getting anything done.
There are two courses of action. I―――
Scene 01
――――I'll go find Tohsaka.
She told me to forfeit.
If I'm going to ignore her advice and fight, I have to make her realize...
That I'm not going to give up, and that we're still cooperating.
And――――
I can't let her fight by herself.
I owe her bigtime.
I can't forfeit until I repay her for that.
"...And she always screws up at the crucial moment... And she's so unreliable that I can't let her be alone."
I adjust the shinai bag on my shoulder.
...I know I won't be of much help and that she will object.
But I can't obtain peace of mind until I see Tohsaka's face.
...This is just a what-if...
But if she gets injured away from me, I can't even be there to help her―――
"―――――Phew."
I sit down on a bench and rest my burning body.
It's past noon.
I've searched all around Shinto, but I haven't found anything.
"...Damn. I knew it wasn't going to be easy, but I didn't think I would find nothing."
I knew from the start that I had no way to find Tohsaka.
I let my luck take over and searched through the town, but I couldn't find her, nor any traces of her.
"...The other Masters aren't coming out either... I guess there's no need to attack me now that I don't have my Command Spell."
I sigh and lay back.
"――――――――"
I'm making no progress like this.
Tohsaka hasn't left any trace, and my last resort of using myself as bait to lure out other Masters is failing so far.
...I get a bit uneasy.
I might not be able to find Tohsaka, and I might not be able to save Saber.
They might already be in a terrible situation by the time I find them――――
"――――It's still noon. I won't let that happen so easily."
I get back up.
I ignore the renewed throbbing in my shoulder and leave the park.
I'll search one more time.
I'm sure that she's in Shinto.
It's just like last night.
I don't know why, but I can feel that "he" is around here.
It's not something ambiguous like a premonition. This is a certain knowledge, like a conviction.
Scene 02
"It's useless. With so little power, you cannot run away from me no matter what you do."
Caster's voice echoes.
Where am I――――no, what happened to my vision...!?
"Caster...!"
I swing my wooden sword in a world without any direction.
I don't feel it hitting anything and I don't hear the sound of its swing. I just use up my energy and worsen my wound.
"Do not worry. I won't kill you. You are valuable since you are rare. I shall rip off those annoying limbs of yours and use you as a wand for projection magecraft."
"Ah――――, gah."
My insides writhe.
My body won't even budge, but my insides are turning like laundry inside a dryer.
"...I'm surprised. Your body has not given up yet even though I have your mind. ...Fufu, I like you all the more now. Saber will soon be mine, so I will treat you gently like I will her."
"――――........."
The nausea that almost causes me to throw up my organs stops.
The magus in purple reaches out with her finger, wet with someone else's blood.
"That man got away, but I will not let you go.
Here―――I shall let you see your beloved princess."
My vision is cut off.
I don't feel my limbs, and the only certain thing I feel is the pain in my shoulder.
But that ends quickly as well.
Scene 03
...I'll go to the church.
It's irritating to go ask that priest for help, but this is no situation to be caring about such a thing.
Even if meeting up with Tohsaka and getting her help may be the best course of action, I have no way of finding her.
But that priest might know where she is, and maybe even how to fight against Caster.
...My body feels heavy.
The wound on my shoulder aches and gets hotter with each step I take.
"...Gu... Haa... Haa... Ha――――"
...This small hill feels like a wall to me.
But it'll end soon.
I'll be relieved from this heaviness once I go up the hill and reach the church.
The church looks as if it were constructed near the sky.
...Blood is dripping down my chest.
"...Damn, my wound opened up..."
I don't think my weak will made the wound worse.
I should actually be resting.
So it's natural for my wound to open up if I push myself and move around.
"...But if I see Kotomine, even that will..."
He might not be able to treat me, but I'm sure he has some medicine.
His role is to protect Masters that are not able to fight anymore.
...This is ironic, but I am qualified to be under the church's care as I have lost my Command Spell.
".........Haa."
...Only a bit more until the church.
I'm worried about where Tohsaka may be and how Saber's doing, but I just want to sit down and cool my body for now.
The lights are out.
The church is silent.
"Kotomine――――――――?"
I don't see the priest.
...But I'm sure that he's here.
I feel a presence.
The church is not empty, as I hear sounds from deeper within.
"......Huh?"
Something's wrong.
What I feel and what I know are in conflict with each other.
"...Ah, hah..."
...I can't concentrate.
My wound is aching and I'm unable to judge what's wrong, what's happening, and what could be dangerous here.
"――――An earthquake?"
I stop myself before sitting down on the chair.
A shelf might have come down, as I hear things breaking and Kotomine's voice.
"...So he's in the back."
It's dark in here.
Then today might be a day off for the church and the priest might just be in the back.
I don't know if the church has a day off, but I don't think it's accepting visitors, since the lights are off.
"――――And on a day like this?"
It's hard to keep walking with this wound, but I can't just sit down.
I have to go see the priest to have this wound treated and to find out where Tohsaka might be.
I emerge in the courtyard.
I couldn't tell from the outside, but it seems this building has a small plaza in the middle.
The hallway surrounding the garden is splendid and it reminds me of a monastery I read about―――
"――――Huh?"
I stop.
I think something that shouldn't be there was on the pillar right there――――
"―――Oh. I thought I'd see you again, but I didn't think it would be this soon."
"...!"
I turn around as I fall.
My feet are wobbling and I keep myself from falling by leaning against the wall.
"Why are you here...?"
I bear the pain in my shoulder and stare at the shadow in front of me.
"That is my line. I thought you wouldn't be able to move for a while with that wound, but you are much more resilient than I expected."
The purple robe comes closer.
I――――
Scene 04
"――――――Man."
I sigh and lean against a sign.
I searched until the sun set, and the only thing I figured out was how useless I am.
"――――!"
The wound on my left shoulder is throbbing with pain.
I don't know if it's opened up, or if the bandage is getting loose.
...Either way, I can't spend too much time on the search.
It'll end up like last night if I can't find a clue.
"...Man, where could she be?"
...I recall when I parted ways with her last night.
It's already been a day since she told me to run to the church since I can't fight without Saber――――
"――――Oh. The church."
There is a clue.
I thought about it when I started the search this morning.
The supervisor of the Holy Grail War.
The priest at the church might know where Tohsaka is――――
"...It's irritating to go ask that priest for help, but this is no time to be hung up on that sort of thing――――"
...No, I shouldn't go see that priest, regardless of my feelings.
He's a priest, but Kotomine Kirei is not a man that should be approached.
I don't want to go ask him for advice, but he's the only one I can count on right now.
"...I'll consult him just this once. That shouldn't be a problem."
I convince myself and move my aching body.
It's almost seven o'clock.
Twenty minutes' walk from the station.
The church is in the suburbs, away from the noisy town.
"――――――――"
It's been nine days since I last went up this hill.
But I'm going there pretty often now, considering that I've never went there before.
...To be honest, I don't like the church.
Maybe that building itself is a forbidden place I shouldn't approach.
The fire ten years ago.
The church took care of all the orphans at that time, so it reminds me of that incident whether I like it or not.
I get up the hill and come out into the clearing.
"――――――――!"
I get a sudden headache.
It's not because of the wound on my shoulder.
The wound is causing me to have a fever, but it shouldn't give me such a headache.
"Ku......"
My temples are hurting.
I lose myself and feel a chill, as if my body is splitting in two like a shedding insect.
"――――This is weird."
I bear the headache and start running.
It's because of the hunch I've had since yesterday.
The conviction that Tohsaka is in Shinto.
That sensation is assailing me now and causing the headache.
Then―――something should be going on in there――――
There are bloodstains on the floor.
The blood continues to the door at the back of the church.
"...No, that's wrong. It looks more like it came out from that door."
...I'm curious about it, but now's not the time.
If there's blood, it means someone's hurt.
And this much too――――their life must be in danger.
"――――――――"
I feel a sharp pain in my head. Dull heaviness settles in my body.
I ignore it, take out the wooden sword, and start walking quietly.
"Tohsaka――――are you there?"
Nobody replies.
The air is tense.
I feel like the windows here will break if I'm too loud.
"――――――――"
I follow the trail of blood.
It's coming from in between the columns.
A dark stairway that you would normally not notice.
"...A descending stairway... This place has a basement?"
This is a church, so could it be a mausoleum?
"――――――――!"
...I don't have enough energy to just stand here and think.
I cautiously step into the darkness.
I descend into the dark.
...I see a faint light at the end of the stairs.
Breathing quietly, I make my way down using that faint light.
The narrow corridor ends and I come out into an open space.
It's a big stone room.
The stairs follow the wall down to the catacombs.
There is an open space at the end of the stairs...
And―――there is the person I've been looking for, Tohsaka Rin.
Tohsaka confronts the "enemy" before her with Archer's protection.
In front of her―――in front of the altar are two people.
It does not even need to be said who they are.
The magus in a purple robe, Caster, and her Master, Kuzuki.
And on the altar behind them is...[r]
Saber, who is looking down and panting painfully.
"――――――――"
My heart jumps.
My pulse is beating faster than normal.
"――――――――"
The situation is obvious.
Two pairs of Master and Servant are confronting each other in the temple about five meters below me.
They haven't noticed me standing above them, as they're too absorbed.
Tohsaka and Caster are looking for an opening to strike.
It would be suicidal for them to look up in a situation like this.
"――――――――"
My heart beats even faster.
My head pounds and my shoulder aches as if seared by a hot iron.
I can't keep my presence hidden forever in this state.
Caster or Kuzuki will notice me if they happen to look up just a bit.
I――――
Scene 05
―――Now's my chance.
It's not just a surprise attack.
Tohsaka and Archer, Caster and Kuzuki. If their powers are equal, even I can make a difference.
I can let Archer take care of Caster, so if I can stop Kuzuki for a while, Tohsaka can shoot him from a distance...!
"Shirou...!?"
"――――――――"
"――――――――"
I run down the stairs.
I have "strengthened" the wooden sword in my hand.
I suppress the pain in my shoulder.
I can't let Caster know that I'm wounded.
"Are you out of your mind...!? Why are you here...!?"
"What are you saying? You're the one who told me to go to the church.
I didn't think I'd run into such a situation here either."
Tohsaka gasps.
Good. I said that on a whim, but it seems Tohsaka understands now.
"I'm going to help you. I should be of use in this situation, right?
...Complain to me after we defeat Caster."
I slowly close in on Kuzuki so that I'll be able to protect her.
"...You idiot. You and Rin would have survived if you had not come out."
"Huh――――?"
He mutters as if he's given up.
Before I realize what he means...
"Caster. This makes three against three. You should have no complaints. Get Saber."
Kuzuki uses his Command Spell to order Caster.
"Wha――――"
...Saber's bindings are released.
The golden-haired girl falls powerlessly
to the ground and――――
"No way...!? Saber shouldn't be under her control yet...!"
"Yes. That's why I used the Command Spell and ordered her to kill you guys. It was my Master's order. I did not want to use it, but I had to, right?"
...Saber gets up.
Her body is covered with her silver armor, and in her hands is a golden sword I have never seen before――――
"...You got me, boy. I only have one Command Spell remaining now. This is for my protection, so I cannot order Saber by force anymore.
...My plan to make the Holy Grail eternal has been foiled. I can only make one wish come true now, but――――"
"I shall have fun here before that.
Saber. Show them your true powers, as they have spoiled my wish."
Saber readies her golden sword and steps toward us.
"
"
Archer is silent.
Instead of telling Tohsaka to run, he stands in front of Saber.
―――It is...
...The final loyalty of the knight that understands he cannot protect his Master no matter what.
Saber and Caster begin their attack.
There's no way to counter-attack nor is there time to run away.
How can a mere human defend against it when even Archer has abandoned all hope?
Saber and Caster.
Ordered by the Command Spells, the two Servants attack mercilessly――――
Scene 06
"――――――――!"
I breathe quietly.
I push my body against the wall and watch while keeping myself hidden.
...It's still too early.
It'll be too reckless to charge in when I don't understand the situation yet.
And more than anything, I don't have much power.
The strengthened wooden sword is my only weapon. It's foolish to confront Caster without a plan.
―――No, that's wrong.
I do have another weapon.
"......No way. What am I thinking?"
I can't use projection.
Half my body became numb after I used it once.
Archer told me that it'll end up worse if I do it again.
Using magecraft beyond your capabilities can destroy you.
If I use projection magecraft in this state, it'll be natural for me to die on the spot.
"――――The chance will come. For now..."
I'll bide my time and wait for my chance.
"―――I see. So you killed Kirei?"
Her voice only holds murderous intent.
Tohsaka is glaring at the enemy with a coldness I've never seen before.
"Yes. He didn't seem like someone that would obediently hand me the Holy Grail. I also didn't want him to interrupt later on."
In contrast, Caster is calm and composed.
The magus in purple cheerfully admits the murder of the priest.
"――――――――"
A gritting sound echoes through the temple.
...He was more like a devil than a saint to me, but that priest was a fellow apprentice to Tohsaka.
And he was killed.
Even though he was involved and might have been prepared for it, it's not something she can take in readily.
"...I see. That's fine. Kirei should have been prepared for such a thing. But Caster. Did you check his corpse?"
Am I mistaken, or has she suppressed all her anger? Tohsaka seems like she's not angry at all.
Caster evades Tohsaka's question.
"...What are you saying? Such a thing should not concern you."
"No, it doesn't. But it's not something totally unrelated to me. I just wanted to make sure, since I'll be relieved if he's really dead."
"――――What does that mean, little lady?"
"It means what it means, Caster.
He's not one to die so easily. I just thought he might be alive, since you didn't check the corpse."
"Damn, you're useless. If you attacked Kirei, make sure you killed him.
Oh well. I have something to do now, so let's finish this quickly, Caster. We can fight freely, as there are no hostages this time."
―――A signal to start.
Tohsaka or Caster...
If either one of them takes a step forward, this temple will be filled with magecraft―――
"You talk big. Do you think you can beat me in this situation?"
"It depends on how I do it. Fortunately, it seems Saber has yet to come under your control, so the conditions are the same.
And I also know about Kuzuki-Sensei. Saber was surprised, but he's no threat to Archer if he knows his attacks beforehand."
Tohsaka points to Archer while staring at Caster.
"You heard it, Archer.
I'll fight Caster. She might break your contract if you get too close to her."
"...Hm. So I will be fighting that man?
I do not mind, but―――do you know that a magus cannot beat Caster, Rin?"
"...Don't worry. I wouldn't say anything if I didn't have a chance of victory.
I'll surely defeat Caster here. If I do that, Saber will be freed and Shirou can make a contract with her again, right?"
―――Tohsaka tenses for action.
I feel pressure as if she's a tiger about to attack its prey.
And as if to stop her...
"That is only in theory. It is difficult to defeat her here.
She is a master when it comes to running away. She is a woman that will kill her own brother to escape."
Archer steps in between Tohsaka and Caster.
"Archer...? What are you doing?"
"――――――――"
He does not answer Tohsaka.
The knight in red silently confronts Caster.
I think...
I saw something like this before...
"...I killed my own brother...?
You talk like you know about me. Do you know my true identity?"
"I hear human-shaped creatures made of dragon's teeth are magecraft used by the king of Colchis.
I hear that his daughter, Medea, was famed as an excellent witch."
――――The air freezes.
Caster's composure disappears and enmity like fire is directed at Archer.
"―――I see.
Then you should know which one of us is at an advantage now, right?"
"――――――――"
Archer does not answer.
His expression is like stone, as if accepting everything that is happening.
"Resistance is futile, Archer.
You won't be able to take back Saber no matter who you may be. She still has a will to resist me, but that should not last for another day.
And―――I can make her into my puppet now if I use my Command Spell."
"――――――――"
I barely stop myself from moving.
...Not yet.
Even if that's true, now's not the time.
If I want to save Saber, I can't jump out now――――
"―――Heh. Saber should be able to stand it even if you use the Command Spell. I don't know if it'll be a minute or two.
But we should be able to beat you in that time."
"Yes, you are right. You look like you have some plan.
But Archer, do you really think so? Do you think you can defeat me here like that girl thinks?"
Caster and Tohsaka are glaring at each other.
Standing in between them...
"That is impossible. Even if we attack you, all we would manage is to take half your powers at most.
What awaits us after that is a disadvantageous situation where we would be fighting both you and Saber."
...Archer does not meet his Master's expectations.
"Archer, that's..."
"You should know, Rin. We cannot win if that happens.
Saber's abilities were restricted because of her incomplete Master. As she does not have that restriction anymore, she is the strongest Servant now. Only Berserker should be able to match her."
He speaks plainly.
Tohsaka stares at Archer in astonishment,
and even Caster is bewildered by the sensible enemy.
But it's different for me.
I've experienced something like this before.
"――――Could he...?"
I get a bad feeling.
Back at the Ryuudou Temple...
When Caster proposed that he join her, what did he say back to her when he refused?
"――――Don't."
I murmur without realizing.
Don't do it.
It's not because the situation will get worse.
You're Tohsaka's partner.
So don't do it.
If you do such a thing―――I don't know what kind of an expression she'll make.
Archer steps forward.
He is empty-handed as usual.
He steps forward without enmity or intent to kill.
"―――Don't curse me, kid.
There's nothing else I can do in a situation like this, right?"
He looks and smiles at me as if he knew I was watching this whole time――――
"Well, Caster. Let me ask you. Do you have room for one more Servant?"
"Archer, you...!"
"Fu――――Fufu, ahaha, ahahahahahahaha!"
Caster laughs out loud while Archer stands tall before her.
And Tohsaka...
...Takes this in with an expression I have never seen her wear.
―――She does not look away.
She should break down at a time like this, but she keeps a straight face and endures it, gritting her teeth.
"Of course. I have enough capacity to accept all the Servants. You know where I get my magical energy, right?"
Magical energy that allows her to maintain seven Servants.
It is the lives of the people in this town.
"Then this should be easy. I shall accept that earlier offer you made, Caster."
He holds out his hand to Caster in spite of that.
"――――――――"
I feel like I'll go crazy.
―――I can't forgive him.
For betraying Tohsaka.
And for approving of Caster and joining Caster's side.
―――A hero.
For this hero, who embodies Emiya Shirou's ideals, to do such a thing――――
"Even though you refused back then? You are pretty unfaithful."
"The situation has changed.
If Saber is on your side now, you are likely to win the Holy Grail War. It is natural to want to be on the winning side, right?"
Archer walks towards Caster defenselessly.
That means he's abandoning Tohsaka.
Tohsaka does not stop him and stares at her enemy.
"――――――――"
I know that figure.
The red classroom.
She tried to hide her trembling legs and act like the same old Tohsaka Rin, even with the collapsed students in front of her.
...That's her strength and weakness.
She tries to act firm in any situation, so everybody around her gets the wrong idea that she's a strong person――――
"Use your contract breaker. Rin still has her Command Spell. I might attack you if you don't hurry."
His tone doesn't change.
He betrayed Tohsaka in front of her, but he's still acting normally.
She must be on guard against such a guy.
Caster takes out the distorted dagger, but she does not pierce Archer with it.
"What? You'll obtain a loyal subordinate without trouble.
Why do you need to hesitate?"
"...Really? I do not trust betrayers. If your words are correct, then shouldn't Saber be enough for me?"
"You don't trust betrayers, huh?
I certainly might betray you. I am going to your side for my own benefit. I did not approve of you as my master. But―――"
"The Command Spell is there to punish the betrayer, right?
...All right. I shall prove to the world that I am great enough to take you in. I am interested in your Noble Phantasm, so I will follow your plan."
Caster raises her arm.
The dagger to eliminate the contract pierces Archer's chest.
"――――!"
Tohsaka makes a pained face.
It must be the reaction of having her contract broken by force.
But this isn't the time to be hesitating.
This has become the worst possible situation.
Tohsaka watches Caster and slowly retreats.
...Tohsaka's calm.
She knows it'd do no good to fight them now.
If she wants to keep on fighting, she has to retreat for the moment.
"――――――――"
But there are six meters between Tohsaka and the stairs.
Is it possible for her to run that distance safely?
―――Impossible.
It's apparent, watching the scene from above.
Kuzuki, who has been silent up to now, is on guard against Tohsaka.
If she turns and runs full-speed, would she be able to reach the stairs and get to the exit before Kuzuki catches up to her?
Tohsaka sighs while looking at them.
Her face...
"Heh―――that's impossible."
...Seems to say so.
"――――――――"
She'll die.
She'll be killed.
If I try to help her, I will also die.
The area below me is a land of death.
There is a Master called Kuzuki along with two enemy Servants.
There's no way I'd get out of there alive.
"――――――――"
My throat is dry.
My fingers are tense from nervousness.
Zero or one?
Even before I can think...
Tohsaka moves.
She starts for the stairs without any warning.
Behind her...
A tall lean figure catches up to her so quickly that Tohsaka appears to be standing still.
Kuzuki's fist should hit her in the back of the head.
He was able to hurt Saber through her armor.
It should be easy for him to break a human skull.
"――――――――"
―――I can't save her.
I can't save her by myself.
I can't save her with this wooden sword.
...I'll die if I go out.
I'll die if I go out.
I'll die if I go out.
I'll die if I go out.
I'll die if I go out――――!
Scene 07
I won't help her.
There's certain death waiting for me if I go help her.
If I'm human and if I'm alive, there's nothing else I can do.
――――But still.
"Ah――――Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!"
My body does not stop.
―――I can't run away.
I'll die if I go out, but I'll live the rest of my life as a corpse if I run away here...!
Scene 08
I jump down.
I don't even use the stairs.
I have jumped down behind Tohsaka without even knowing it.
But that's it.
My wooden sword is destroyed by Kuzuki's fist, going for Tohsaka's head.
"What?"
Everyone's astonished by the sudden intruder.
Except for one man, who reacts as though it's perfectly natural.
"――――――――"
He does not hesitate.
It does not matter for this man who the enemy is.
He has no emotion for the one who appeared.
Death's scythe is thrust.
There's no way to block it.
I'll have my neck snapped like a flower.
How pitiful.
It's meaningless if I won't last even two seconds.
I...
...Will not be able to do anything, not even save Tohsaka――――
――――No.
I had a way from the start.
I can prepare numerous things to block the attack.
If I am a magus...
What does the fighting is not my body, but something I make out of magecraft――――!
"――――Trace, on."
Then make it.
Success is a matter of course.
Do not reconstruct it from the basic structure.
(Danger)[r]
Read its concept, the maker's thought, expectation, moral, faith, and the origin itself.
(Danger)[r]
That is why it is not reconstruction, but projection. It is an equal shadow cast by the true object.
(Danger)[r]
It does not matter how great the work is.
If it has been accomplished, there is no problem with recreating it――――!
(Overload)[r]
But there is another problem.
Yes, the problem is, the problem is the problem is, the problem is the problem is the problem is that the unit cannot keep up with the function. My body is burning.
Every cell in me catches fire. My nerves let out agonizing cries, my retina cracks and dries, and my heartbeat disappears.
I ignore my body's order to stop. The concept of creation, the basic structure, the composition material, the skill of its making, the experience of its growth, the accumulated years, I skip it all and make up Kanshou and Bakuya.
My whole body is burning.
Using projection now means dying.
Emiya Shirou's body cannot handle such magecraft.
My head ignores it, and therefore, my body will die.
――――But.
That cannot be a problem.
No, it cannot be.
――――I will die if I reproduce swords?
Of course not.
This body is a Magic Circuit specialized for this purpose alone.
I have been saved by swords, and I have lived with swords.
I do not know about others, but it is impossible for me to destroy myself by reproducing swords――――!
"Hah――――......!!"
I repel it.
The same weapons are in my hands, and my enemy is the same.
Kanshou and Bakuya are in my hands.
The reproduced Noble Phantasm of Archer has repelled Kuzuki's fist once again.
"――――――――"
―――It stops right there.
Kuzuki must have figured out this would turn out like last time, as he takes a step back.
"Haa―――, guh......!"
My lungs explode.
The breath I've been holding escapes my mouth in a rush.
I don't feel my left shoulder.
My wound has completely opened up and the blood stains not only my bandage, but my shirt as well.
―――It's not damage brought on by using the projection magecraft.
Two attacks.
I only repelled Kuzuki's attack twice and my shoulder got destroyed.
I bet my shoulder would have been dislocated with one more attack, and my arm would have been ripped off.
"――――Haa, haa, ha――――"
But I can't show that.
I ready my twin swords and protect Tohsaka's back.
And Tohsaka is...
"Y-You idiot―――! Why are you here...!?"
She has stopped and is complaining to me.
"――――――――"
...I'm relieved.
My choice wasn't wrong.
I'm glad her good-heartedness is still there.
"――――――――!"
No, now's not the time.
It's too early to tell if my choice was right or not.
We have to get out of here alive.
"―――Sorry, complain to me later, Tohsaka. I'll listen once we get out of here, so let's take care of them first."
Tohsaka nods silently and readies herself behind me.
"―――I knew you were going to do something, but I did not think you would jump down."
Kuzuki is watching us, his fists ready to fight.
...He has no intention of letting us go.
He's standing there so he doesn't let one of us go.
If either one of us moves, he should react right away――――
"――――――――!"
But I can't be taking my time.
...The wound on my shoulder is getting worse by the second.
My concentration fades as more blood is lost.
My body won't last long to start with.
If we are to run, we should do so as fast as possible.
...But we can't run away that easily.
Kuzuki will react if I move. When that happens, Tohsaka will be the first one to die.
I have to defeat Kuzuki to let Tohsaka go. But I don't have the power to beat Kuzuki, and he's not our only enemy.
Behind Kuzuki are Caster and the betrayer, Archer.
...No, in the worst case, Saber might also become our enemy.
"――――――――"
Was there no exit to begin with?
There is no miracle that will let us escape from here.
I want Tohsaka to escape at the very least, but even that would require so much luck that it makes me sick――――
"That's it. I was surprised by your intrusion, but the result does not change.
...Yes, it looks like you have given up. You came out, so you don't mind dying, right?"
"I shall end it here. It would be troublesome to keep you alive, so―――"
"――――!"
...She's coming...!
I'll resist with all my powers. I ready my twin swords and stand in front of Tohsaka.
Released intent to kill.
Right before it reaches us...
"――――No. Hold on, Caster."
The knight in red stops the attack with an emotionless voice.
"...Archer. I thought you would know that you have no right to say anything here."
"No, there is something I forgot to tell you. I want to give one condition for me to side with you."
"...A condition?"
"Yes. I gave you my freedom without resistance.
As compensation, I would like for you to let them go.
They are useless as Masters now. There is no merit to killing them."
His proposal sounds objective.
Tohsaka watches it intently.
"Let them go? ...Heh, you are more good-natured than you act."
"I was born as a human. It will leave a bad aftertaste if I kill my master right after I betray her."
"Oh. You are a traitor, but you say such a thing in front of the one you betrayed?"
"...Fine. I shall let them go this time. But I will kill them if they get in my way again, no matter who stops me.
Is that fine, Archer?"
"Of course. If they are stupid enough to continue fighting in this situation, they deserve to die."
...That must have concluded the negotiation.
The intent to kill filling the temple goes away, and the restraining enmity fades.
"So that's it, you two. I will let you go this time.
Now, run like the dogs you are."
"――――!"
I glare at Caster.
...But.
Tohsaka pulls on my arm silently.
"Let's go. She's right."
She whispers in my ear.
"――――――――"
I calm down and turn my back to the enemy.
We don't run but slowly make our way to the stairs.
The distance that seemed so great is covered in just a few steps.
A footstep.
Tohsaka takes a step onto the stairs and turns back to Caster.
...No, that's wrong.
Tohsaka did not look at Caster, but at the man smiling beside our enemy.
"It is wrong to curse me, Rin.
It is just that this woman is a better Master than you are.
If the difference is clear, I will choose the stronger one."
"―――You're right. But you'll regret it. I will never give up.
I'm going to defeat Caster and get you back. I won't forgive you even if you apologize to me at that time."
"That is just vain effort. Well, I will not stop you if you want to throw away your life."
She turns away and starts to walk.
She's biting her lip in anger.
But she does not speed up, and Tohsaka leaves the underground temple in a magnificent manner.
We get out of the church.
We do not say anything.
Scene 10
"It's useless. With so little power, you cannot run away from me no matter what you do."
Caster's voice echoes.
Where am I――――no, what happened to my vision...!?
"Caster...!"
I swing my wooden sword in a world without any direction.
I don't feel it hitting anything and I don't hear the sound of its swing. I just use up my energy and worsen my wound.
"Do not worry. I won't kill you. You are valuable since you are rare. I shall rip off those annoying limbs of yours and use you as a wand for projection magecraft."
"Ah――――, gah."
My insides writhe.
My body won't even budge, but my insides are turning like laundry inside a dryer.
"...I'm surprised. Your body has not given up yet even though I have your mind. ...Fufu, I like you all the more now. Saber will soon be mine, so I will treat you gently like I will her."
"――――........."
The nausea that almost causes me to throw up my organs stops.
The magus in purple reaches out with her finger, wet with someone else's blood.
"That man got away, but I will not let you go.
Here―――I shall let you see your beloved princess."
My vision is cut off.
I don't feel my limbs, and the only certain thing I feel is the pain in my shoulder.
But that ends quickly as well.
Scene 11
"It's useless. With so little power, you cannot run away from me no matter what you do."
Caster's voice echoes.
Where am I――――no, what happened to my vision...!?
"Caster...!"
I swing my wooden sword in a world without any direction.
I don't feel it hitting anything and I don't hear the sound of its swing. I just use up my energy and worsen my wound.
"Do not worry. I won't kill you. You are valuable since you are rare. I shall rip off those annoying limbs of yours and use you as a wand for projection magecraft."
"Ah――――, gah."
My insides writhe.
My body won't even budge, but my insides are turning like laundry inside a dryer.
"...I'm surprised. Your body has not given up yet even though I have your mind. ...Fufu, I like you all the more now. Saber will soon be mine, so I will treat you gently like I will her."
"――――........."
The nausea that almost causes me to throw up my organs stops.
The magus in purple reaches out with her finger, wet with someone else's blood.
"That man got away, but I will not let you go.
Here―――I shall let you see your beloved princess."
My vision is cut off.
I don't feel my limbs, and the only certain thing I feel is the pain in my shoulder.
But that ends quickly as well.
Scene 12
――――When did I figure out what the dream was?
A desert as far as I can see.
The numerous swords stuck in the ground do not have a wielder.
The sky is stormy and there is no forest, town, or sea within my sight.
A hill of blades stretching to infinity.
A graveyard of steel without any wielder or bearer.
I knew from the start...
That this is the scenery inside that hero's mind.
After many sequences of events, one who becomes a heroic spirit ends up in that place.
There are those who left the world loved by people, and there are those who left the world praised as noble kings.
There are those who died wanting to fight, and there are those who died in satisfaction.
...But it seems there are many that have been praised as heroes against their will.
If true heroes are those who have legitimately earned the title, these are a different kind.
They were forced to the throne of heroes because of their fate, and they should be called Avenger, the anti-hero.
They are the opposite of heroes, but they were praised as heroes regardless.
Even those that hated humans and those the humans hated are summoned as guardians.
...But he's neither.
He's not a true hero nor a rare anti-hero.
He was never compensated for his efforts and his own life ended with betrayal, but he never hated humans.
――――But it didn't last.
Yes, he probably grew weary.
I was mistaken.
Heroic spirits, familiars called Servants.
...Humanity's power to control called the "guardians".
They are summoned into every age to prevent humanity's extinction.
But the only condition for their summoning is "destruction brought on by humans".
Naturally, destruction brought on by an outside factor is solved not by human power, but by the world's restraining power.
...So the only thing guardian heroic spirits can see is self-destruction.
They are an existence that eliminate destruction brought on by human greed.
He made a contract with the world to save humans and became a hero.
After he died, he became a heroic spirit and was shown humanity's self-destruction over and over again.
He is summoned as a "heroic spirit" to save people, but he only gets to clean up after people's wrongdoings.
...It did not take long for him to realize that it is meaningless and start loathing the human world.
And in the end...
He was betrayed by the ideal that he protected unto death.
"Rin. Do you feel dizzy?"
"Huh――――?"
Hearing the call, Tohsaka Rin wakes up.
...She slowly looks around.
This is the foreigners' cemetery.
It's just past seven o'clock, but there is no one here.
Well, the hill with the church is always empty to start with.
"...Sorry, I fell asleep. I guess I'm tired."
"That is understandable. You have not slept since last night. Should we postpone this if you are not feeling well? We do not have to go get them right at this moment."
"...No, we can't take our time. Since we know where Caster is, we should settle this right now."
After saying so, Rin realizes that her body is warm.
Her familiar, Archer, must have kept her warm using his cloak.
"...Heh. You knew I was asleep, huh? And you didn't wake me up?"
"Well, it's rare to see someone sleeping while they are standing. I was fascinated, so I had to observe it."
"―――That's even worse. Who are you to be staring at a girl's sleeping face?"
"Do not worry. I have done nothing so rude.
But I did hear something else. I can close my eyes, but I cannot close my ears."
"......I see. What was I saying, Archer?"
"I heard a few scary phrases, like how you're so angry."
"――――――Oh, that's good."
Rin sighs with relief.
The dream she saw should not be discussed.
She can't have Archer know about it.
She likes their relationship.
...To maintain it, she has to hide the fact that she knows about Archer's past.
"Let's go, Archer. I know a bit about the church. I can guess where she might be hiding."
She brushes away Archer's cloak.
Archer silently protects from behind her.
Then...
"Hey, Archer. Have you ever regretted your own actions?"
She asks without turning around.
"――――――――"
"I don't want to if I can help it. I want to grit my teeth and be stubborn, even when I'm completely beaten.
But I'm sure that's hard. Harder than I imagine, I suppose."
"That would depend on the person.
There are those who can and those who cannot do so. You are the former. Such people will not make mistakes, let alone consider them."
"...Hey. That sounds like I'm an arrogant tyrant."
"That is a good observation, Rin.
A brilliant person shines brighter than others.
Such people never have to grit their teeth.
...So. This is a personal opinion, but you would fall under that category. Tohsaka Rin will follow her path until the very end."
The knight in the red cloak praises her.
Rin blushes at his answer, but keeps asking without turning around.
"...Then what about you? Do you think you would be able to believe in yourself until the very end?"
"Hm? I'm sorry, but that question is meaningless."
"...Why? It's something you're able to answer, right?"
She sounds a bit nervous.
To that...
"The 'until the very end' part is meaningless.
Did you forget, Master?
―――I met my end a long time ago."
...The knight in red gives this reply.
Scene 13
"――――――――!"
...My wound hurts.
The sweat on my forehead drips down to my eyes and my vision wavers.
"Haa...... guh."
Even walking hurts my wound.
It hurts every time I take a step, and my strides are getting shorter.
"...Emiya-kun?"
She turns back to me, as I am falling behind.
...Then.
Tohsaka suddenly looks at me seriously.
"Let's rest for a bit. It should be hard for you even to walk."
"Huh...? No, I'm fine. I can bear this. We need to get home as soon as possible."
To the Emiya or Tohsaka household.
It doesn't matter, but we should get Tohsaka back to her home ground.
"Don't worry about my wound. It's not like there's poison in there."
I ignore Tohsaka's stare and keep walking.
"――――!"
...How pitiful. My knee's about to give out right after I say so.
"See! You're pushing yourself too much. It's suicidal to fight against Kuzuki with that wound of yours. Take a rest. They won't come after us."
"...I'd assume so, but let's go home as quickly as possible. It's not that painful."
"Hey now...! Don't say it's not painful when you're bleeding so much! I don't know why you want to go home so bad, but we should rest for now, right!?"
She scolds me.
...Oh, so she's not back to par yet, huh?
Her usual coolness isn't there.
She's very emotional, so her anger will be unstoppable if the brakes give way.
"Are you listening to me!? You're not like Kirei, so it's troubling to have you leave a trail of blood after you!
First of all, why did it end up like this!? I know I told you to go to the church, but couldn't you tell it was dangerous right away!?"
"...Hey now. I was able to tell right away. I knew something bad was happening the moment I saw the church."
"――――! You should've gone home right then, you idiot! Not only that, but you came in with that wound of yours and used projection again! It's natural for your wound to get worse! And you're saying it's not painful!? Geez, what's wrong with you!? Why would you push yourself so hard...!!!!?"
Tohsaka roars out without stop.
...But well...
It really isn't that painful, and――――
"―――It's more painful for you, right?"
"
"
"So let's go home. You can complain once you get home."
...That's why I wanted to go home as quickly as possible.
She doesn't have to act that strong.
Tohsaka can let everything out once she's back in her own room at home.
"What――――?"
"――――!"
She wipes her face like she made a mistake and turns away.
"Ah――――eh――――um..."
I-I can't think of anything to say.
That was...
"...I can't believe it. A guy made me cry."
She murmurs while looking down.
――――Then.
"...! T-Tohsaka, your hand...! You're holding my hand...!"
"―――Shut up. Take responsibility, you idiot."
"Eh――――hold on, my wound's hurting...! Don't pull on my LEFT hand...!"
It's the foreigners' cemetery.
Tohsaka walks over to the grassy area and finally lets go of my hand.
"―――Hey, Tohsaka.
We don't have time to be playing around――――"
"Sit down. Just sit down for now."
"......"
She does not let me object, so I sit down.
"And turn your back to me. Don't turn this way, okay? I'll get really angry if you look at my face."
I hear a sound behind me.
"......?"
We sit down on the grass with our backs to each other.
...I don't get why she's doing this.
Tohsaka is silent, and she told me not to turn around.
I don't have anything to do, so I look up at the sky.
"――――――――"
I gasp at how big it is.
Is it because I've been underground so long, or is it because the sky is clear tonight?
Anyways, the winter night sky is so beautiful that it makes me forget about my wound.
The warmth of Tohsaka's body on my back doesn't bother me either.
I look up at the black sky, forgetting about everything for now.
―――How long have we been sitting like this?
The silent girl starts to talk in a calm voice.
"――――I'm just talking to myself."
...I see. I can't reply if she's just talking to herself. I'll keep staring at the night sky.
"I might have made a mistake.
I should've done what Archer said and beaten Caster without caring about how I did it.
I was trying to find an opening because I was worried about small sacrifices. But it turns out that everybody in this town might be sacrificed now."
She keeps talking.
She's probably whining.
She's not saying so because I told her.
In short, Tohsaka doesn't want to contemplate her actions by herself, but wants someone else to make her do it.
"...I'm not complaining, but I keep on screwing up when it counts the most. I can handle the second and third most important things with ease, but I always have a problem with the single most important one."
The winter sky is clear.
But in contrast, the air is really cold.
I don't care about myself, but isn't Tohsaka cold without her coat?
...I'm worried about that.
"It's not Archer's fault alone that he went to their side. It's my fault for letting Caster be.
But yeah... it really gets to me. I was talking to him earlier, but I'm cornered already."
She sighs.
I can't see it, but I bet her breath is white.
"...Hey now. I think this is where you make a comment."
"Oh. So, what were you cornered by, Tohsaka?"
"It's about never regretting your own actions.
He said I'm not the type to regret my actions, but it seems now's the critical moment. I'm even more depressed that I've made a mistake."
"――――――――"
...I see.
I don't understand her too well, but Archer's right.
Tohsaka isn't the type to regret her actions.
"That's just now, right? It's irritating, but I agree with Archer. There's nothing for you to regret."
"Why? Caster is doing whatever she wants, and even Archer lost faith in me. This is because my policy was a mistake, right?"
"It's just that you were unsuccessful. You haven't made a mistake. If you haven't made a mistake, you can be proud of yourself even if you were unsuccessful."
―――The process.
If you walk down the path that you believe is right, you cannot be wrong.
...At a time like this, most people will realize that their path is a wrong one, but she's different.
Her path should always be one that she can be proud of.
"―――Yeah. To be honest, you've always shined.
...I won't regret my actions either. I believe what I've done is right, but it's full of stitches."
―――I don't want to regret anything.
I want to make all the tragedies that happened into meaningful things by believing that my path is right.
"But you're different.
You're the type that will regret something, then go back and retaliate. I'm deceiving myself with all the patchwork, but you go and completely destroy it with a straight face.
You're breaking even. You only get depressed once in a while, but what comes after is scary in your case. I think you will go to the one that got you depressed and get them to be even more depressed."
"――――Ugh. What is that, are you trying to finish me off?"
"Yeah, I thought I'd strike while your guard was down.
Well, isn't that true? I'm sure you don't intend to give up now."
I look up at the night sky and say so as if talking to myself.
Tohsaka doesn't answer.
But I think that...
She smiled, getting herself together.
"――――――――"
And silence follows.
Tohsaka must have said everything she wanted to, as she stops talking.
I aimlessly look up at the night sky.
...We should be going home... But neither one of us can stand up to break the moment, so we just keep our backs to each other.
"―――Oh yeah. Why did you come help me, Shirou?"
"――――――――"
I can't explain.
There are many reasons.
I think it'd be stupid to explain each one.
So I say something I have to tell her.
"You remember this pendant, right?"
I show her the pendant.
"――――――――"
I hear her gasp behind me.
...I thought so. I bet she intended to keep this a secret, but she made a mistake again.
"Hey... where did you get that?"
"I found it in your room. Oh... You might get surprised when you get home, but I'm sorry. I tipped over your dresser."
I return her the pendant behind my back.
"...Heh. So what about it?"
"Well, I have the exact same pendant at my house.
I picked it up when I found it after being killed by Lancer."
I casually hint about that night.
Then――――
"――――There's an identical one...?"
Tohsaka gasps as if she's heard something she shouldn't have.
"Huh? Did I say something strange?"
"Uh... no, it's nothing. But why would that be a reason to come help me? That pendant means nothing, right?"
"Right. ...It's just a reason I made up afterwards.
To confess, I've been admiring Tohsaka Rin for a long time.
And this is a problem, but I got to like you even more after I talked to you. So I didn't want you to die, and I jumped down even before I realized it."
"!! ――――H-Hey now. Don't say it so directly! You'll create misunderstandings if you talk without thinking!"
"I won't create misunderstandings. I really do like you."
I obstinately reply at once.
It's not a lie, so there's no misunderstanding to be made.
"Y-You idiot...! That's why you jumped in suicidally, you big idiot!"
Tohsaka keeps calling me an idiot.
She's criticizing mercilessly, but I strangely don't feel bad.
The night sky is beautiful, and I feel calm.
And I'm just really happy that Tohsaka's back to normal.
"All right. Let's go home like you said."
"Here, give me your hand. It should be hard for you to stand up with that wound of yours."
I grab her hand with my right.
Tohsaka pulls me up.
"Then we don't owe each other anything now. Let's not count today's incident."
"――――――――"
That would really help me out.
I don't know what the pendant meant to Tohsaka.
I bet I would have felt more guilty towards Tohsaka if I found out.
Tohsaka didn't want that and said the incidents offset one another.
So Tohsaka shouldn't feel bad about getting helped earlier.
―――And we leave the foreigners' cemetery.
And on the way...[r]
"...Thanks for helping me, Shirou. Um, it really did help me out."
Tohsaka adds with embarrassment.
We walk down the hill.
When we're going back to our home ground where it's safe...
Tohsaka heads for my house and not her house, as if it's natural to do so.
Scene 14
The stone room is illuminated by the morning sun.
The light coming in from the ceiling pushes back the darkness.
Every entrance and every window is sealed off, but even that cannot block out the sunlight.
Even the place that should be covered in darkness benefits from the break of dawn.
"――――Haa――――ah――――"
Entrances and windows are ordinarily used to let things enter and leave.
The cracks cannot be covered, and besides, if it is entirely closed off, it cannot fulfill its duty to be used as a passage.
If one wants to completely shut out the light, there should not be any entrances.
If one prefers darkness, one should go to an underground place without a way to return.
"Hm――――, ah――――"
In that regard, this underground temple is not perfect.
Light exposes all secrets without reservation.
The hidden temple was easily discovered, and its master was easily eliminated as well.
There are traces of blood on the floor.
The original owner of this temple was killed by an intruder.
The supervisor of the Holy Grail War, Kotomine Kirei, was removed from the stage by Caster's hand.
"Kuh...... ah, hah......――――"
That battle happened a few hours ago.
The underground regained its silence.
The new master of the church is standing in the darkness.
But the winner scorns herself.
Caster glares at the darkness with an irritated look.
First of all, this temple is unpleasant.
Neither the sanctuary nor the secret sanctuary hidden beneath it suit her taste.
The intruding light is unpleasant, and the priest she killed was unpleasant as well.
And most importantly, the crucial objective has not been accomplished yet.
She is shocked at how poorly things are going, and she even considers reducing this whole place to ashes.
"Fu―――――, haa...... ah."
Fortunately, she refrains from such violence.
It is not because she regained her composure, nor is it because of respect towards the church.
She suppressed her emotion only because of this sound.
Faint, periodic sounds.
A woman's painful voice is like fine music to her.
She forgets her troubles and enjoys the spectacle.
"Hm―――! Ah, haa, ah......!"
The groaning sounds of pain come from a girl.
The weak murmur contains heated arousal.
The groans would inspire either compassion or sadistic pleasure in those who may hear them.
It does not need to be said that she falls under the latter category.
Sweat drips down her forehead.
Just watching the beautiful lips, gasping in shame, seems to bring heat to this cold room.
"―――You are doing very well, Saber. I would never have expected you to resist the Command Spell for a whole night."
She talks with delight.
"Hm――――Hm, ah――――"
At the back of the temple...
The girl hangs, only able to moan.
As long as she opposes the Command Spell, free will does not exist for Saber.
Worse still, a magecraft so strong that it is visible tortures Saber's body.
The Command Spell pressures her from the inside and Caster's magecraft tortures her from the outside.
The torture is more unbearable than having her body wounded.
"――――Ah, ahh, hm......!"
Saber's reasoning has already been melted away.
Only the last remnants of her pride hold her back.
Neither the Command Spell nor Caster's magecraft can take away that deep root.
Therefore, the torture continues forever.
Caster watches the process――――how the girl desperately tries to hold her ground.
It was Caster that dressed her in this white costume.
It is not arousing with her armor, and most of all, the armor does not suit her.
If she is an untainted virgin, she should be in a pure white dress when she falls.
"...Fufu. How brave of you.
No matter how much you resist with your will, that Servant body of yours is different.
You can tell that the Command Spell is slowly infringing on your mind, right? You will be mine in less than a day. In that case, is it not easier to give up now and become mine?"
"――――Kuh, hm......!"
The voice protests painfully.
Even though her reasoning is melted, Saber does not yield to Caster.
As Caster says, she will endure this torture until the Command Spell fully controls her body.
"You are stubborn, Saber. ...But I shall forgive you.
I like girls like you. That golden hair, small body, the boyish gallant figure, everything is so cute. And I love your loyalty for trying to choose death over betrayal.
―――Really, I want to step on you and crush you."
She looks at the girl with eyes filled with joy and hatred.
If Caster put her mind to it, she could get Saber to surrender in an instant.
Saber's freedom is lost from fighting one Command Spell.
Then, the result is obvious if Caster uses a second Command Spell.
Saber will become Caster's without the need for such torture.
"Kuh... Haa, ah――――!"
But she will not do such an inelegant thing.
Caster should take time training her, since she is a lovely toy.
For Caster, Saber is a tool with first-class appearance and ability.
It is natural for her to savor this rare jewel.
"...Yes. It is boring to control your body using the Command Spell.
I will have you become my Servant out of your own will. ...Yes, I will destroy your mind before your body."
Caster glares with bewitching eyes at the girl in the white dress.
She almost forgets about the Holy Grail. She thinks about Saber's white skin and imagines transforming her into a slave that only seeks pleasure.
―――She will make the girl into a tainted slave to her lusts.
She will not do something crude like taking her virginity.
She is a virgin.
Then she should make her into a virgin that drowns in pleasure.
A girl whose body will never be satisfied, greedily seeking pleasure...
When she imagines it and smiles...
"What are you doing there, Caster?"
An unemotional voice suddenly calls her from behind.
"――――!?"
She turns around immediately.
Above the temple...
Someone slowly comes down the stairs that lead outside.
A tall, lean figure appears from the darkness.
There is no sound of footsteps, nor is there any presence to be felt.
The man comes down into the temple and shows no emotion even after seeing the blood on the ground and the girl.
"――――Souichirou-sama."
Caster changes her attitude right away.
Her expression changes from one filled with joy and irritation to that of a tense Servant.
"Why are you here...? I believe I asked you to stay at the Ryuudou Temple."
"I questioned you first, Caster. I asked you what you are doing here."
The man―――Kuzuki Souichirou does not change the tone of his voice.
The flat voice is more terrifying than any threat.
A voice without emotion is like a mirror.
A guilty conscience.
The voice is more fearful to those with greater guilt.
One is questioned not by Kuzuki, but by one's own mind.
"――――!"
Caster holds her hands on her chest and reports to Kuzuki.
He is not one that can be fooled.
No, she cannot bear to tell a lie to this person.
"I have taken away a Servant last night from one of the Masters, Emiya Shirou. ...I let Emiya Shirou go, but he is no longer a Master. If he is smart, he should not oppose us anymore."
"I see. But I have not given such an order."
"I acted arbitrarily, Master.
After that, I attacked the church to obtain the 'vessel' of the Holy Grail. I have killed the priest, the caretaker of the Holy Grail, but the Grail's whereabouts are unknown."
"That was your decision as well, huh? You must not have returned because you could not find the Holy Grail. ...Hm. But it is a place you obtained after much trouble. It would be meaningless to abandon it without finding what you are after."
Kuzuki's words are not criticizing her.
But Caster can only be ashamed of herself.
She killed the priest who knew where the Holy Grail was, but she still does not have the Holy Grail.
Furthermore, she has revealed her own action which should have been hidden from him. What else can she call it but a total failure?
"I understand the situation. Can you explain why you did this, Caster?"
"...I am sorry. But this is all for you, Master. My goal is to lead you to victory. I have no other reason."
"――――――――"
A long silence.
After hearing Caster's declaration, Kuzuki Souichirou murmurs, "I see".
"Then I cannot move away from here. Your troubles will be for nothing if other Masters find the Holy Grail while we are absent."
"Then, Master..."
"You can search this place until you are satisfied. I shall remain here until you are done. You alone are not fit for fighting. You will need a guard until Saber is under your control."
"Huh―――? N-No, there is no need for that. I do not need your help, and I do not know how long the search will take.
And this place is dangerous. You will be safer if you return to the Ryuudou Temple."
"That is true. But if I do that, I cannot fulfill my objective."
"?"
Those words are unexpected even for Caster.
What kind of an objective does this man have, who has no interest even in the Holy Grail which can grant any wish?
"Souichirou-sama, then..."
"Hurry. I do not care if it is not here. Just make sure you come up with a clear result."
With that, Kuzuki goes back up the stairs.
"――――――――"
Caster watches him go in blank amazement.
The dark room is still silent.
The footsteps going up the stairs still cannot be heard.
Scene 15
"―――――――"
I open my eyes.
My eyes are not the only things that wake up, as my sleeping mind wakes up as well.
"The wound is――――not a problem."
I check the wound on my left shoulder.
It still hurts, but there's no intense pain like last night.
The heat in my body has gone away somewhat.
It shouldn't be a problem for me to move around.
I eat breakfast and satisfy my hunger.
Food comes before anything else. My body won't move unless it gets the nutrition it needs.
"――――All right."
I reapply the bandage.
The wound has turned dark blue.
It hasn't healed up, and I can see fresh red meat.
"―――Of course. Saber's not here."
I disinfect it, put gauze over it, and wrap bandages around it.
It's a primitive first-aid treatment to wrap and constrict the wound, but I have to do this so it won't get any worse.
"All done. I'll need a weapon now."
It's cloudy today.
It must be really cold, as there is frost on the grass outside.
"――――――――"
But that's meaningless to me.
I feel no cold.
My body is burning and I want to pour ice water over myself.
But this is much better than the condition I was in last night.
The only things I can find are wooden swords.
I choose the one that looks like it is the best and put it into my shinai bag.
I slap my cheeks.
I don't know if it's to encourage myself or to reassure myself that I won't be coming back here.
I honestly don't know why I did that.
I carry the shinai bag over my right shoulder and head outside.
The place I've lived at for so long.
The shed was like my own room, but I don't turn to look at it.
――――Well.
Even though I've decided to fight, there are many problems.
I have to determine clearly what I should do first, or I'll probably end up not getting anything done.
...There is only one course of action.
Scene 16
Hi, is everyone doing well?
This is the corner that helps the unfortunate people who get run over by trucks once they enter a shortcut, the Tiger Dojo!
......
Well. The cause of death this time is pure misfortune.
It's the correct choice to go to the church, but I recommend looking around for Tohsaka-san by yourself for a bit.
......
......Hey. Why are you frozen, Illya-chan?
Did you mistakenly eat something spicy?
......
...Are you ignoring me?
That's rude. Answer me. No, keep me company. I'm feeling lonely.
Geez, shut up!!!!
Oh, you're awake now?
It's not "am I awake"!
I was frozen from shock! Fainted! Ectoplasm!
Why?
"Why"? What was that intro!?
What is that? Isn't this the Tiger Dojo? I don't get it at all!
A magical girl is like that, you know?
You don't know that, Illya-chan?
Ahhhg!
That expression of pity irritates me!
First of all, are you of an age to be a magical girl!? Out of everybody in Fate, the only one suited to be a magical girl is me...
U-Umm... and Senpai!
Anyway, that intro won't be allowed in the future! The magical girl joke will not be allowed!
I see. You wanted to be a magical girl too, huh?
But I'm sorry. It's impossible. There are the right people for the right things, you know?
―――
But I'll work something out for you. You're pretty evil inside, so I think you'll make a good enemy, like Germanburuma or General Tiger-
I-I won't play such a weird character!
Go to hell, you drunk tiger―――!
Kyaaa! A new rival appears?
Scene 17
Hello, everyone.
It is time for the counselor of life, time to resolve all your secret problems.
This is today's guest.
The one living in Ryuudou Temple in Fuyuki City, Caster-san (Pseudonym), 28 years old (Estimated).
Hello. Please give me your best regards...
(The voice is changed for privacy reasons)
Oh my, you are beautiful.
What's wrong? Someone as beautiful as you shouldn't have any problems.
Um, well... I think I'm not standing out... People say I'm plain compared to the other six, not a good character, and that I'm too old...
Oh, that's terrible.
Oh, what is this? It says here that you are a fortune teller.
...Yes. I actually want to be a housewife and raise a warm family. I returned to work in hopes of decreasing the burden on my husband, but I'm getting tormented at work as well...
What should I do!? I want to change!
I want to be a more lovable character!
Haha, that's impossible!
During the development phase, it was said that "Caster turns into a loli with hyper power", but we only need one loli!
Give up your hope of being a cute character!
...Sigh. You're right. I kind of realized it, but it's just too painful...
I'm doing my best, you know? I secretly saved up, hired a guard, and set up surveillance cameras everywhere.
But my husband doesn't even thank me for my hard work! Just a while ago, my plan was foiled by these kids that suddenly appeared...
I'm working so hard, but I'm not getting compensated for it!
Fujimonta-san, can someone like me find happiness?
Nope.
It's your fault, Caster-san.
N-No way... Even here, they abuse me...?
All right, I'm bored with this now! The case is settled!
That is all for the life counseling by Fujimonta!