FSN UBW Day 13 (EN)
Scene 00
Well.
Now we're drinking tea after dinner.
"So, projection has its limitations.
Its power seems unlimited since it makes your imagination real, but projection has its own set of rules.
The simplest is about the projected object's durability. The strength of its existence."[l]
Tohsaka puts up a finger as she drinks her tea.
"Strength of its existence...? What? You mean its flimsiness in being unable to bear the existence of the illusion?"
I sip the tea and tilt my head in wonder.
"...You seem like you don't know anything, but you know some interesting terms. ...Well, you're not right, but not wrong.
Projection uses your mental image to completely reproduce the genuine object. There is no exception to this.
You can't project it if it's not perfect inside of you. As it is a shadow of the true object, the projection magecraft requires that there be no mistake."
"So―――basically, the projected object has the strength as you imagine it. An illusion is perfect in this regard.
The closer the knowledge and the image are to the true object, the more perfect the projected object is in real life."
"...Hm? Wait, that's strange.
I projected Archer's swords. But Kuzuki destroyed them.
I know Caster strengthened Kuzuki's fists, but they aren't strong enough to destroy a Noble Phantasm.
Doesn't that mean the Kanshou and Bakuya I projected are inferior to the originals?"
"Yes, you realized a very good point, Emiya-kun.
That's the limit of projection, the strength of the object's existence.
Projection is just a projection. It's not creation. What makes the projection is the image in the caster's mind. So when a flaw is created in the image, the projected object vanishes even if it has the same ability as the original."
"...? When a flaw is created in the image...? Isn't that also strange? You can't project it if the image is incorrect, right?"
"Right. So the flaw would be created after it is projected.
...Let's see. Let's say you project a 'sword that will not break'."
I nod.
Tohsaka nods in satisfaction.
"But a sword that will not break doesn't exist.
It's just that the sword is famed or called 'unbreakable', so it can break if it comes across an illusion greater than itself."
"...? Doesn't it mean my image was wrong once it breaks? I made a sword that won't break, right?"
"That's wrong.
It's perfect the moment you project it. First of all, a 'sword that will not break' is just a name. There isn't an actual sword that won't break.
But what you imagined is a 'sword that won't break', right? If this sword breaks in real life, what is projected becomes a lie."
"This isn't because the 'sword broke'.
What you imagined is a 'sword that will not break'.
So when it breaks, the 'sword that broke' and the 'sword that will not break' in your imagination become two separate things.
―――It's because the scales between you and reality tip."
...?
So, if I sum it up...
"―――All right.
So, I imagined a sword that would not break and projected it. But the projected sword broke during battle.
When that happened, I denied the sword, saying 'Hey, this sword broke.' As a result, the projected sword disappeared.
And that's because there was an inconsistency between reality and the image, right?"
"You're pretty bright. Yes, you're right.
You projected Archer's swords.
I don't know how you ranked Archer's swords, but you did not imagine swords that would break from Kuzuki's attacks."
"But the swords were destroyed.
At that time, you thought, 'these aren't Archer's swords'.
The projected swords were denied by the maker, so they lost their strength of existence and became a fantasy once again."
"――――――――"
...I see.
Even projected weapons can break.
But it's not the enemy, but you, who make them disappear from this world.
When the difference between the reality and the image becomes too large to be reconciled, the projected weapon disappears.
It is because the one who projected the weapon stops believing in the image.
"Do you get it now? So projection starts from the blueprint. You should consider material, properties, and even its history. If you have those down, I don't think the projected object will disappear right away even if it's a bit different."
"Huh? Wouldn't you start from how it was considered to be made?
Materials and techniques aren't enough.
Let's take today's dinner as example. It started when you said you wanted to eat Japanese food, right? So you have to start from the very beginning of the creation."
"――――――――"
Oh.
Tohsaka's stunned.
"............"
Tohsaka stares at me.
I drink tea and tilt my head in wonder.
"Hey, how did we start talking about this in the first place?"
"...You're right. I thought we were talking about what our future course of action should be..."
Oh yeah.
We were talking about what our course of action should be...
"Shirou. Do you want to seriously practice projection magecraft?"
...When Tohsaka derailed the conversation.
"...I remember now. We were so stumped that we started placing hope on uncertain factors."
"―――Yeah.
First of all, all I can manage to project are swords. That hasn't helped me too much, so it's probably not much use."
"............"
Oh, she's looking at me with those eyes again.
...I wonder why. She always makes that face when we talk about projection magecraft.
"...Oh well. Let's confirm our current situation.
For now, our enemy is Caster. She isn't too bad by herself, but we can't do anything as long as she's protected by Kuzuki and Archer.
Plus, it's only a matter of time before Saber is controlled. The situation is getting worse by the second――――"
"...Yeah. But Saber isn't under Caster's complete control.
That gives us a chance of victory.
There's no chance of victory once Saber gives in."
I can't let that happen.
She told me to run.
She told me as she cried. So for Saber's sake, I can't let Caster do as she wishes.
"――――That's right.
So, raise your hand if you have an idea. Shirou, do you have any good ideas?"
"Hm――――"
An idea that will break the current deadlock.
If there is a way to oppose Caster, it is――――
Scene 01
"―――There aren't any more plans to consider.
We won't use any tricks and just fight them head on."
I stare at Tohsaka straight in the face.
"......So.
Let me ask you just in case. Are you serious?"
"――――――――Ugh."
...This is intense.
Tohsaka isn't stunned, but really angry.
"...Sorry, I just said it on a whim. I'm sorry I wasn't thinking at all."
"Yeah. For a second, I thought about breaking my alliance with you, you idiot."
"Yeah, yeah, I know I'm stupid.
...So what about you? Do you have a plan?"
"Huh? ...Well, I do have one, but can I say it?"
"...? What's wrong? You're timid for once. Just say it if you have a plan.
I'll listen to whatever you have to say. Well, I'll object if it sounds unrealistic."
"Then I'll tell you.
It's obvious that we can't beat Caster by ourselves, right?
So we have to increase our force.
They have three Servants, so we should have at least one."
"Increase our force...? Then we're going to go ask other Masters for help?"
"No, it's more like cooperation. Caster is a powerful force now, so other Masters can't just keep watching, right?
If they want the Holy Grail, we have to collaborate to defeat the most powerful force. We can break the collaboration after that.
This is a basic tactic in battle royal, right?"
"――――――――"
So we'll make an alliance of the remaining Masters since Caster is so strong now, huh?
"...I see. We might be able to cooperate depending on how the negotiations turn out.[l]
Then..."
"Yes, there are two remaining Masters now. Lancer's Master and Berserker's Master.
There's no way to negotiate with Lancer's Master because his identity is unknown. But we might have a chance with Berserker's Master, Illyasviel."
Berserker's Master.
The white girl and the statue-like giant I met on the night when it all began.
She sounded dangerous, but I don't think she's cruel.
"...Yeah. I think she would at least listen to us. I don't think she'll ask for much in return, either."
"―――You idiot. She's the most dangerous for you.
She was only looking at you, Shirou. I don't know what she'll do to you."
"W-What do you mean? I've only met her once, so that can't be possible. Quit scaring me like that, Tohsaka."
"......Humph. We'll stop the negotiation right then if that does happen."
Then...
Tohsaka averts her gaze and gulps down her tea.
"...But we can only bet on Illyasviel for now. If Archer is right about Caster's identity, Berserker would be her natural enemy.
They knew each other when they were alive, so he should know Caster's tricks. Berserker can handle Caster and Archer by himself. We can take care of Kuzuki while he does so."
"That's an optimistic thought. But does Berserker really know Caster?"
"Yes, Archer told me that Berserker's true identity is Hercules.
If Caster really is that witch, Berserker might know her through the Argo Expedition.
It's just like how I don't get along with Kirei. Everyone has a natural enemy."
...Okay.
But I'm sure everyone would dislike that priest.
"―――Then it's decided.
But how should we find her? She hasn't appeared since that night. We should be able to find her because of her large magical energy, right?
But we can't find her in spite of that, so doesn't that mean she's not in this town?"
"I'd assume not. Illyasviel must be having fun, watching the Holy Grail War from a faraway place."
"...Faraway place? Is she keeping watch over the town like how Caster was doing at the Ryuudou Temple?"
"I don't know. But I have an idea of where she might be.
...I heard from my dad that the Einzbern family has a villa in the forest on the outskirts of town."
She says so with a tense voice.
―――A villa inside the forest...
Tohsaka's expression tells me how dangerous the place is.
Scene 02
...It'll just end up like today if we fight them head on.
As we are inferior, we have to execute a surprise attack to catch them off guard.
"Hey. You're Kotomine's student, right? Then don't you know a lot about that church?"
"...? Well, I have stayed over at the church a couple of times... Oh, I see.
I'm sorry, but there aren't any secret passages in that church. That was the first time I've seen the underground temple. Even if there is one, Kotomine would be the only one that knows about it."
"I give up. ...Damn, I guess it won't be that convenient. I thought it would be possible, considering that priest."
"Yeah. But as long as we can't use it, we have to come up with something else. ...Um, this is a what-if, so can you hear me out?"
"Sure... but do you have an idea?"
"It's not good enough to be called an idea.[vr]
Look, it's obvious that we can't beat Caster by ourselves, right?[vr]
So we have to increase our force.
They have three Servants, so we should have at least one."
"Well, that's true... but increase our force...?
Then we're going to go ask other Masters for help?"
"No, it's more like cooperation. Caster is a powerful force now, so other Masters can't just keep watching, right?
If they want the Holy Grail, we have to collaborate to defeat the most powerful force. We can break the collaboration after that.
This is a basic tactic in battle royal, right?"
"――――――――"
So we'll make an alliance of the remaining Masters since Caster is so strong now, huh?
"...I see. We might be able to cooperate depending on how the negotiations turn out.[l]
Then..."
"Yes, there are two remaining Masters now. Lancer's Master and Berserker's Master.
There's no way to negotiate with Lancer's Master because his identity is unknown. But we might have a chance with Berserker's Master, Illyasviel."
Berserker's Master.
The white girl and the statue-like giant I met on the night when it all began.
She sounded dangerous, but I don't think she's cruel.
"...Yeah. I think she would at least listen to us. I don't think she'll ask for much in return, either."
"―――You idiot. She's the most dangerous for you.
She was only looking at you, Shirou. I don't know what she'll do to you."
"W-What do you mean? I've only met her once, so that can't be possible. Quit scaring me like that, Tohsaka."
"......Humph. We'll stop the negotiation right then if that does happen."
Then...
Tohsaka averts her gaze and gulps down her tea.
"...But we can only bet on Illyasviel for now. If Archer is right about Caster's identity, Berserker would be her natural enemy.
They knew each other when they were alive, so he should know Caster's tricks. Berserker can handle Caster and Archer by himself. We can take care of Kuzuki while he does so."
"That's an optimistic thought. But does Berserker really know Caster?"
"Yes, Archer told me that Berserker's true identity is Hercules.
If Caster really is that witch, Berserker might know her through the Argo Expedition.
It's just like how I don't get along with Kirei. Everyone has a natural enemy."
...Okay.
But I'm sure everyone would dislike that priest.
"―――Then it's decided.
But how should we find her? She hasn't appeared since that night. We should be able to find her because of her large magical energy, right?
But we can't find her in spite of that, so doesn't that mean she's not in this town?"
"I'd assume not. Illyasviel must be having fun, watching the Holy Grail War from a faraway place."
"...Faraway place? Is she keeping watch over the town like how Caster was doing at the Ryuudou Temple?"
"I don't know. But I have an idea of where she might be.
...I heard from my dad that the Einzbern family has a villa in the forest on the outskirts of town."
She says so with a tense voice.
―――A villa inside the forest...
Tohsaka's expression tells me how dangerous the place is.
Scene 03
"――――――――"
They aren't opponents that we can take on by ourselves.
There are three enemies.
Then we'll need at least one more on our side.
...Then there are limited possibilities.
People who are magi and have a reason to fight against Caster.
It'll be other Masters.
"―――Tohsaka, don't get mad and hear me out. Um, do you think it's feasible to cooperate with other Masters?"
"......All right, why do you say so? You must have a plan."
"Well, that's not the case, but Caster isn't someone the other Masters can just ignore, right?
So I thought we might be able to cooperate just to beat Caster."
"...Yes. I was actually thinking of the same thing. I didn't say it because I thought you'd object."
She says so unenthusiastically.
She must not like the idea, but she must know that's the only option we have.
"Well, there are two remaining Masters now. Lancer's Master and Berserker's Master.
There's no way to negotiate with Lancer's Master because his identity is unknown. But we might have a chance with Berserker's Master, Illyasviel."
Berserker's Master.
The white girl and the statue-like giant I met on the night when it all began.
She sounded dangerous, but I don't think she's cruel.
"...Yeah. I think she would at least listen to us. I don't think she'll ask for much in return, either."
"―――You idiot. She's the most dangerous for you.
She was only looking at you, Shirou. I don't know what she'll do to you."
"W-What do you mean? I've only met her once, so that can't be possible. Quit scaring me like that, Tohsaka."
"......Humph. We'll stop the negotiation right then if that does happen."
Then...
Tohsaka averts her gaze and gulps down her tea.
"...But we can only bet on Illyasviel for now. If Archer is right about Caster's identity, Berserker would be her natural enemy.
They knew each other when they were alive, so he should know Caster's tricks. Berserker can handle Caster and Archer by himself. We can take care of Kuzuki while he does so."
"That's an optimistic thought. But does Berserker really know Caster?"
"Yes, Archer told me that Berserker's true identity is Hercules.
If Caster really is that witch, Berserker might know her through the Argo Expedition.
It's just like how I don't get along with Kirei. Everyone has a natural enemy."
...Okay.
But I'm sure everyone would dislike that priest.
"―――Then it's decided.
But how should we find her? She hasn't appeared since that night. We should be able to find her because of her large magical energy, right?
But we can't find her in spite of that, so doesn't that mean she's not in this town?"
"I'd assume not. Illyasviel must be having fun, watching the Holy Grail War from a faraway place."
"...Faraway place? Is she keeping watch over the town like how Caster was doing at the Ryuudou Temple?"
"I don't know. But I have an idea of where she might be.
...I heard from my dad that the Einzbern family has a villa in the forest on the outskirts of town."
She says so with a tense voice.
―――A villa inside the forest...
Tohsaka's expression tells me how dangerous the place is.
Scene 04
I run down the stairs.
The fierce battle is happening nearby.
"All right. This place is connected to the stairwell down to the hall."
Tohsaka confirms what's down the hallway.
The hallway splits at a T-junction, both branches leading to a terrace at either side of the hall.
"Let's part here. I'll go from this side, so you go from that side."
It's better to split up.
...As we are now, we have no way to escape once we're found.
There's no point in staying together right now.
We don't stand a chance either way.
If we're separated, there's hope for the other one to escape even if one of us is found.
Tohsaka walks down the hallway facing east.
"――――――――"
I nod and go down the other hallway―――the one heading west.
"――――Shirou."
She suddenly calls to me.
"...You know, right? Don't do anything, no matter what happens. We have no way to fight right now.
Run away if you think it's dangerous. Run away even if one of us gets caught. ...Saving others comes after you save yourself."
She suppresses her emotions.
It sounds more like a wish than a warning.
I go around and come out into the terrace.
I see Tohsaka emerge on the opposite side.
She immediately takes cover, then peeks out.
As soon as I follow her example and look down, we both gasp.
"S-Shinji――――!? Why is he here...!?"
Shinji stands atop the rubble in the corner of the room, happily watching the scene.
No.
That's not the surprising thing.
What I have to accept right now is the battle Shinji is observing.
"
"
The black giant lets out a roar.
The swinging axe-sword blows up dust and grinds the rubble into powder.
The mad warrior appears no different from before.
No, his dreadful roar is louder now.
The girl in white is behind the giant.
Berserker's Master, Illyasviel.
An ever-smiling girl, unsuited for murder.
But...
That girl is now shivering and watching her Servant with a face almost in tears.
Her pale face is desperately trying to deny the despair in front of her.
"Someone help me."
The girl's trembling lips mouth these words.
"――――No way."
A storming whirlwind.
Berserker's axe-sword is repelled each time.
By the "Noble Phantasm" of one Servant,
the one reigning from the throne of rubble in the center of the hall.
Many swords are released.
Each one of the weapons appearing from behind the man would cause certain death.
"
――――!"
They attack.
They are like gushing water.
The infinite Noble Phantasms not only repel Berserker's axe-sword, but pierce his body.
Pieces are blown from his body.
The sword cuts through his body, penetrates his skull, and pierces his heart.
―――But he still does not die.
The giant regenerates every time he is killed, slowly but surely moving forward.
Eight times already...
He has been killed so many times, but Berserker still moves forward.
The "enemy" greets him with a smile.
The tragedy continues.
Berserker is killed without even being able to go near the enemy.
"――――No way..."
It's not because Berserker is getting killed without being able to do anything.
That man―――that Servant is beyond belief.
The infinite Noble Phantasms he sends out are each a true Noble Phantasm.
I can tell since I've projected Archer's swords.
They are the originals of every Noble Phantasm. The first ones, from before they became legend.
Who could he be, having an infinite supply of such weapons?
No, first of all, there should only be seven Servants.
Then he is the eighth one――someone that shouldn't exist―――
"――――――――"
I can't breathe.
Berserker defies description.
His body of steel and his superhuman strength, and his regenerative powers on top of that. He is not someone you can match.
But the eighth Servant does not retreat from such an opponent and overwhelms Berserker using the demonic swords and the holy swords he releases.
"――――――――"
When I look up, I can see that Tohsaka is pale as well.
―――It's only natural.
The place below us is a land of death.
We'll die instantly if we enter it.
No, more than that――――
...He is a demon.
He has a brutality different from Berserker―――that man wishes for battles only to kill others.
――――But.
With such an enemy in front of him, the black giant is still the strongest.
He does not stop even if he is pierced or slashed all over his body.
He receives the rain of Noble Phantasms, regenerates each time, and closes in on his enemy.
It is an advance devoid of tactics.
He is not thinking about countering the enemy's attacks.
It is a savage fight where he advances on his enemy as long as he still lives.
""
...He will not reach the enemy.
Berserker's brute courage will prove futile and he will end his life as a mere target.
The enemy understands that.
That is why he is standing there and provoking the foolishly advancing giant.
""
The black giant does not have a way to win.
It's something the enemy and even I understand.
―――And probably...
Even Berserker himself knows that.
""
But the giant keeps walking forward.
He knows no retreat and does not avoid the attacks.
The man greets the figure with a smile.
"――――Ha. As expected from dogshit. You can only fight. I had hopes for you as a fellow demigod, but it seems I expected too much!"
The Noble Phantasms emerge from space.
Letting out a laugh, he readies the Noble Phantasms behind him.
"Then let me finish you off now. It will be unpleasant for you to come any closer."
―――At his signal, the numerous Noble Phantasms descend on the giant.
The giant repels most of them, and at the same time, loses most of his life.
""
The black giant shakes.
The body of rock starts to fall.
―――But.
The giant stands his ground and shakes the Noble Phantasms from his body.
"Wh――――at?"
The exclamation of surprise comes from the strange Servant.
The black giant destroys the swarm of Noble Phantasms and moves toward his enemy.
...His body is dying already.
With a hopeless fatal wound, the black giant still advances.
"――――――――"
...It is the result of a strong will.
It is not madness resulting from being a Berserker.
The giant faces this hopeless fight with an iron will.
"Damn―――a mere target survived my attack...!?"
The magical bullets are fired mercilessly.
""
Repelling it with his axe-sword, the giant corners the man with his body slashed and with his limbs pierced.
"――――――――"
He will not reach the man.
But he still challenges the man because there is something he cannot give up.
―――Then what is he moving forward for?
Servants fight for their Master, to protect the Master's life.
That is why that giant does not retreat.
He can only move forward as a shield to protect the frightened Master behind him.
The giant continues his foolish advancement.
It is because he knows that he needs to take all the attacks in order to beat that Servant without having his Master killed.
And―――when he reaches his enemy, that is when he wins.
From the beginning, that has been this battle's nature.
The man has to kill the giant before he reaches him.
The giant has to approach the man before his life ends.
It is a battle where the one to accomplish their goal is the one to win.
The giant is aware of that.
......Even if...
...It is a battle with no hope of victory from the start.
"――――!"
He roars.
Coming out of his tenth death, his body explodes forward.
He charges into the man like a bull challenging a matador.
"You lowlife――――!"
Numerous arrows are released.
Was it his last charge, or did he just get used to the attacks?
The giant repels all the arrows.
He approaches the owner of the Noble Phantasms――――!
He swings his axe-sword.
The weapon that has not yet been raised against the man rips through the air――――
"――――Heaven's chain――――!"
The black bull is captured by numerous appearing chains.
What kind of a Noble Phantasm is it?
The chain that appeared out of nowhere confines Berserker as if binding space itself.
""
The chain twists Berserker's arms and bends them in a direction they should not go.
The chains tighten mercilessly, trying to tear off the rock-like head.
"―――Damn, you still won't die?
This chain once bound the Bull of Heaven, but even this does not seem to be enough to finish you."
The man's voice.
The hall is filled with the creaking sounds of the chain.
It must be Berserker's power.
The giant tries to break the chain that binds even space itself.
Even if it sounds impossible, I'm sure the giant will be able to manage it.
And the man acknowledges that as well.
"No――――come back, Berserker...!"
The girl screams.
Illyasviel commands Berserker to retreat using her Command Spell.
But the giant is still bound by chains, unable to move an inch.
"Why...? I told you to come back inside of me, so why...?"
"It is useless, you puppet. Not even the gods can escape these chains. No, it will become stronger the more divine one is. This is a chain made to bind the gods. I will not allow transportation through a Command Spell."
And so...
The man points to the giant as if to denote the end.
"Oh――――"
An astonished girl's voice.
............It's over.
It really ends.
Bound by chains, he receives 22 Noble Phantasms on his defenseless body.
The black giant falls silent after becoming a grotesque object.
...I don't even need to check if he's alive or not.
Even if he is a great hero that overcame ten deaths, he should not be able to get up after receiving twenty.
...Yes.
Even if he is alive, he should not even have the power to breathe.
―――And the battle ends.
It was known from the start who was going to win.
...Berserker cannot beat that Servant.
No, Servants cannot beat that man as long as they are heroic spirits. All heroic spirits have things they were weak against when they were alive.
Those are their greatest weak points.
Then―――what if there is a hero who possesses all of the Noble Phantasms, even the ones that killed each hero?
This is the result.
Even if he may have been stronger, he cannot beat that man――――
"No――――No, Berserker...!"
The girl in white runs to the giant corpse.
Seeing it...
The man mercilessly slashes the girl with the sword in his hand.
"[line12]"
A scream.
The man slashes her eyes in one blow.
"[line12]"
And he pierces her heart.
But it misses.
No, he made it miss.
The girl is pierced in her lung and coughs up blood.
――――The chains are broken.
"――――!!!!"
Shattering his binds, the black giant charges at the man.
The man pierces the slow-moving target.
A lance to pierce the heart.
He impales the giant with a lance very similar to Gae Bolg.
――――That's it.
The black giant dies for sure this time.
"[line12]"
The sword is pulled out from the girl.
Leaving traces of red, the girl crawls to the unmoving giant.
"[line12]"
Watching it in delight, the man walks forward.
He throws down his sword.
He will use his bare hands...
...To finish off the dying girl...
"[line12]"
I'll die.
I'll probably die.
I'll surely die this time.
There is no logic behind that Servant.
He will kill anyone that hinders him.
I will surely be killed if I don't get away from here before he finds me.
And I...
Scene 05
The sun is setting.
We return to the hall when the sky turns red.
...The corpse of the girl is not on the mountain of rubble.
We just buried her in the courtyard.
I don't know if it's normal for Servants, but the black giant turned into sand. But we put the sand in the same coffin as the girl.
"Well. Do you have any ideas on what to do now?"
"...I'm still thinking. The situation just got worse. I can't think unless I get this sorted out."
"Yeah. ...The strongest enemy, Illyasviel and Berserker, are gone, but an unknown foe came out in their place.
There should only be seven Servants, but he makes eight, right? ...He's not a Servant that should exist. How did Shinji make a contract with such a guy?"
...An eighth Servant, huh?
I don't think we can treat that man as a Servant.
He is a heroic spirit that dominates all others.
He has a seemingly infinite supply of Noble Phantasms, and he is a devil without any human emotion.
"―――Gilgamesh. That's the hero appearing in a myth of ancient Mesopotamia, right?"
"Yeah. He's half-human, half-god. He is the king of Uruk, and the seeker of immortality. He is said to be the tyrant that obtained everything in this world, but I didn't think he was that crazy."
"...He defeated Berserker so easily, so he might be stronger than Saber even if she has her true powers released."
Tohsaka doesn't sound as sharp.
It doesn't seem like it's because there's a new enemy.
"...? What's wrong? You sound like you want to say something."
"Hm... well. He was certainly strong. He has so many Noble Phantasms, so he's powerful, right?
But I'm wondering how it really is. I felt that there wasn't much difference between him and Berserker."
She ponders.
...Huh?
Could it be that Tohsaka doesn't know about his powers?
"No, he himself is about as strong as Saber or Berserker, if not weaker.
First of all, heroic spirits are as strong as their fame in the place they're summoned, right? There aren't many people here that know about Gilgamesh."
"―――That's true, but the change in power from popularity isn't that big.
It seemed to me like that goldie had an unfair advantage..."
"...?"
Tohsaka calls him by a strange name.
Well, with that aside.
"He did. All the Noble Phantasms he has are real. ...No, they are all originals of the real ones.
Gilgamesh is a hero in the oldest myth, and he was a king that indulged in every possible luxury. Then it shouldn't be strange for him to own all the originals of the legendary weapons."
"Oh―――then what? The Noble Phantasms he used weren't Noble Phantasms, but just weapons...?"
"I'd assume so. I bet his Noble Phantasm is his 'treasury'.
I think his Noble Phantasm is the 'treasury' where he kept all the weapons he collected during his life."
"...I see. Then it's natural that Berserker couldn't beat him. Every heroic spirit has a weak point. If he has the originals of every Noble Phantasm, he just needs to take out the one that is the most effective against his enemy."
...That's right.
If there is a chance of victory, it is that he is not a master of these weapons.
He is not a "wielder" that has mastered his weapon to the limit, so I think there is still a way to beat him.
But with all that aside...
"Hey, Tohsaka. This has nothing to do with this, but why did you call him goldie?"
"Huh...!? Um, I guess... um, he had golden hair."
"What are you saying? You should have called Saber that if that's the case. It seemed like you said it with a lot of meaning behind it. I think you noticed something, right?"
"Huh――――?"
"Don't hide it now. You noticed something, right?"
"Y-You're wrong. It's nothing serious like you're thinking, so don't worry too much about it."
"Don't lie. You wouldn't call him goldie for nothing. Come on, Tohsaka. I want as much information as possible right now."
"Uh――――Uh."
I stare at Tohsaka.
After a few seconds...
She sighs as if she's given up.
"...Well... he had many valuable looking things, right? So I just thought he's really rich.
...That's why I called him goldie. He looks like he's living a luxurious life, right?"
Tohsaka scratches her cheek while looking away.
How scary.
It seems anyone who's rich is called goldie by Tohsaka.
What's more scary is that Tohsaka figured out the Servant's true nature just because he "seemed rich".
"―――Anyways, that's another troublesome guy. There's not supposed to be an eighth Servant, so he would be the Joker.
...I want to question Kirei as the supervisor, but I don't know his whereabouts.
Well, we have to postpone that since Caster is more important right now."
...That's right.
Caster is obtaining more power as we speak.
Saber should not be able to oppose Caster's control much longer.
No.
In the worst case, Saber could already be under her control.
"―――Yeah.
We couldn't get Illyasviel's help, but that doesn't mean we can let them be. We'll just have to think of a way to beat Caster with the two of us."
"...Yeah. We don't have any ideas, but we'll have to."
She sighs and sits on the rubble.
"...Phew. I never thought we'd have a strategic meeting in a castle."
I follow Tohsaka's lead and sit down.
...Well, we'll have a bed to sleep in here.
If we're lucky, we might even find some magical item of Illyasviel's.
And the moment we let our guard down...
"Get real. You're going to defeat them just by yourselves?
That's impossible, you idiots."
A stunned voice comes from the front entrance.
"!?"
We jump up and turn to face the speaker.
"Since that night, huh? It's great you two are still hanging in there."
"L―――Lancer...!?"
I quickly concentrate and connect my Magic Circuit.
He is certainly Lancer.
...He speared my heart on that night ten days ago.
I can't let it happen again.
I have to let Tohsaka escape before he attacks―――!
"Get away, Shirou...! I'll keep him busy, so you run to the second floor...!"
"Run, Tohsaka...! I'll hold him back, so you run outside――――!"
"――――Hold on.
It seems you weren't listening to me at all when I told you to value your life."
She lowers the hand she pointed at Lancer and points at me.
But I have objections as well!
"Don't be stupid. I told you I won't heed your warning. It's a guy's role to fight hand-to-hand. This is the second time I'm fighting him, and I'm more suited for it."
"That can't be true! He's a foot soldier. How can I, the ranged attacker, run away from an enemy with no ranged weapons!?"
"That's why! Can't you tell you'll die if he closes in on you!? You can just back me up from a distance!"
"You idiot! I can't back you up! I don't know any magecraft that's that precise! I bet I'll blow you away along with him!"
"――――! Don't come out with your destructive personality!
First of all, why do you always try to be flashy!? Try doing something modest for a change! I can understand Caster not wanting you now."
"W-What――――!?"
...And we argue for a few minutes.
When we begin to tire and wonder how this got started...
I notice that Lancer is watching us with a smile.
"―――Oh, you're done? I'm in no hurry, so finish it off. It's good to let out everything you have."
"――――――――"
"――――――――"
I cough and glare back at Lancer.
I take half a step forward, and Tohsaka is right behind me.
...Man, we should have done so from the start.
"Oh, hold on. I'm sorry to say this after you've reached a compromise, but I don't intend to fight. I was just unable to ignore you guys. I'm butting in so that I can help you guys a bit."
"Wh――――at?"
Hold on.
What did he just say――――!?
"...Did I mishear you? I think I heard that you're helping us."
"Oh, is it hard to understand my point? I guess I'll rephrase it. You two are no match for Caster. So I will lend you guys a hand."
"――――――――"
I'm stunned.
But Tohsaka quickly grasps the situation.
"I see. You really are butting in. Is that really your idea?"
"No, it's an order from my Master. He wants to cooperate against Caster since he's alone. Well, we're just making a quick alliance until we defeat Caster."
"That's a sound reason. But I think there's a more reliable guy to go talk to."
...Is she talking about Shinji and Gilgamesh?
It seems Tohsaka is trying to figure out if Lancer knows about them――――
"No, they won't do. I don't want to ally with them.
I have no complaints about his power, but it's too troublesome to worry about my back when I'm fighting."
"...Oh. That's the correct choice, Lancer. Is that an order from your Master as well?"
"That's wrong as well. I chose you two out of personal interest. You guys are easier to talk to since we're acquaintances, right?"
He speaks plainly.
It seems that fighting Archer and driving his lance through my heart are the same as becoming acquaintances in his mind.
"...Hold on, Lancer. I was almost killed twice by you. And you think I'm going to believe you?"
"I do believe so. Your commander-in-chief is a good frank woman. Such a good woman is helping you out, so you must be good-natured as well, right?"
"Hm
"
I frown.
...I'm troubled that Tohsaka is nodding at our enemy's words.
"So that's it. That's why I thought we might be able to cooperate.
―――Oh, but let me tell you. It's not 'you guys'. 'I'm' the one who thought that you guys would make good allies."
"......?"
I can't understand the difference.
"...Aren't you the cocky one? You brought on the proposal, but you're the one that's going to choose?"
"Yeah. I've liked you since the first time I saw you.
You're beautiful, stubborn, and courageous. If I'm to have a female Master, I want someone like you."
Lancer looks at Tohsaka with cool eyes.
"...Humph."
...I don't like him for some reason.
"―――Fine. I'm up for it. But it's not decided yet.
If Emiya-kun can't trust you, we have to break off negotiations."
"So, that's what she's saying. What will you do, kid? Your character is being tested."
Lancer looks at me, trying to suppress his laughter.
"――――――――"
My answer is―――
Scene 06
"――――――――――――――――"
I restrain my body that wants to go out.
I see Tohsaka biting her lips.
...I know.
Tohsaka wants to stop him as well.
But we'll be the ones to be killed if we do so.
We can't stop him.
The man's arm reaches out for the girl.
"――――, ――――, ――――"
I can't breathe.
My feet are on fire from wanting to jump out.
My arms want to go over the terrace.
My body is shaking as if it broke down and it tries to go against my brain.
―――It's as if I've gone crazy.
"――――, ――――, ――――"
I kill my voice and kill my mind.
I kill the girl below me as if to kill myself.
"――――――――"
And it ends.
The man pulls something out of the girl with a smile.
A red object that looks like a poisonous fruit.
The thing in the man's hand is the girl's heart.
"――――――――"
My mind burns down.
My brain that has gone white shakes with violent anger.
"Oh? I smelled something bad, but I see, there was a fool that has been watching this spectacle, huh?"
With the girl's heart in his right hand...
"How insolent of you. A mere lowlife should not look directly at me...!"
He shoots off one of his numerous Noble Phantasms at me.
Scene 07
"――――――――"
...We have to accept his offer.
Even if he's an enemy, he's still right.
Tohsaka and I can't beat Caster.
But we might have a chance if Lancer's with us.
"......All right. I'm also up for the alliance."
I turn off the Magic Circuit and relax.
―――That's the best sign of goodwill I can show him.
I won't be fighting him.
I'm showing him that I'll be trusting him with my back if we're fighting together.
"―――I see, this is seriously bad. No wonder you're going through so much trouble, young lady."
"Oh, you can tell? That's great. There's finally someone who understands. I was worried that things would stay like this to the very end."
"I feel for you. Still, he's not bad, as guys go.
You can be stupid and foolish when you're a kid.
You can learn stuff and get twisted after that."
With that, Lancer walks to us.
His red lance isn't in his hand.
Lancer has let his guard down, just like I did.
Scene 08
"――――――――"
...We have to accept his offer.
Even if he's an enemy, he's still right.
Tohsaka and I can't beat Caster.
But we might have a chance if Lancer's with us.
But―――
"...All right. I'll believe you.
But it'll be under one condition. I'll accept your help in defeating Caster, and we'll trust you.
But――――"
"But what? You want me to tell you who my Master is?"
"No. Even though we're cooperating, stay away from Tohsaka."
―――The air freezes.
Lancer is speechless, like he's been sucker-punched.
"Hah, I see, I see! Yeah, that's so much more important than who my Master is! You're right, kid!"
He starts laughing heartily.
"Is that bad? I'm telling you that you can't have Tohsaka."
"That's not bad at all. Rather, I have a better opinion of you now.
Wow, that's great, young lady. This kid's completely fallen for you!"
"――――! W-W-W-What are you saying!? We're not like that! Um... yes, we're just cooperating...!"
"Reeeally?"
"...! You're irritating. What's with that know-it-all face...!?
Come on, say something, Shirou! Tell him we're just cooperating!"
"――――――――"
..................
"Hey, say something, you idiot...!
T-This is as if we really do love each other...!"
"Hey, it's not 'as if'. You two are already in love. Even I can tell, and I'm only watching it from the side. But she's actually denying it? This is troublesome, kid."
Lancer makes a sympathetic gesture.
"......Well. I already know Tohsaka's troublesome."
I dismiss his sympathy with a sour look.
"Wha-"
"Oh, how reassuring. Then I shall take care when I socialize with her.
But she's fun to tease, so I'm going to entertain myself while we're together. You don't mind that condition, right?"
"...All right. We'll go with that. We'll have your help until we beat Caster."
"Then it's decided. Well, let's shake hands."
Lancer walks to me unarmed and shakes my hand.
―――There are worrying factors, but we're able to obtain a reliable ally.
All that's left is...
"I'm so mad!!!
Fine, I'm breaking my ties with you guys!!! I'm going to go beat Caster by myself!!!!"
How can I calm her down...?
Scene 09
"I refuse. I can't trust you."
It's not only Lancer.
I don't want to go along with Lancer's Master, who is still unknown.
"I see. Your partner is saying so, but what about you, young lady? You said you'd go along with his choice."
"―――I won't take back my words. It's meaningless to cooperate with you if Emiya-kun can't trust you."
"I see, you're right... This is disappointing. You really were my type."
Lancer turns.
The blue figure does not look back and disappears in a flash.
Scene 11
We're back at my place.
I never thought I would make it back alive, so I relax once I get into the living room.
"――――Whoa."
I feel a bit dizzy and lean against the wall.
"See. You can't even stand up, you idiot."
"......Hm."
...She's right, but I think her last comment was unnecessary.
How many times did she call me an idiot today? I bet she set a new record already.
"Come over here. We have to replace those bandages at the very least."
"――――"
I nod and move by Tohsaka.
"I can use this first aid kit, right? Oh, as expected from a house with a dojo.
It's rare to see a first aid kit with needles and threads along with scissors... Hey, come on. Take off your shirt and show me your wound."
"Eh―――I have to take my clothes off? Oh, no, I can do it myself. I treated myself this morning, so it shouldn't be a problem."
"...Come on. I don't know why you're so reserved, but who do you think treated that wound in the first place?"
"――――Ugh. But that was, um..."
I was unconscious and I was only causing trouble for Tohsaka at that time.
"Stop your whining and hurry up. Your wound is special, so we have to treat it right for it to heal up."
"......"
How unfair.
I can't complain if she tells me with a face like that.
"...Okay, I'll leave it to you. To be honest, it's burning right now."
I give up and sit down.
Seeing that the shirt is stained with blood, Tohsaka gives up taking it off and starts cutting it right away. She then quickly but carefully takes off the bandages.
"――――――――"
...Is it that bad? Tohsaka gasps when she sees it.
"......"
...But I'm troubled as well.
It's so embarrassing having her stare at my body so closely.
"You really did push yourself. It was healing up, but the wound opened up again.
...Geez, I can't get mad at you if I see a wound like this."
She talks like that, but gently touches the wound.
"――――――――"
...Crap, I'm getting dizzy for a different reason.
I was able to stay calm even if she was near me, but my heart's beating fast now and I'm having trouble determining where to look.
"......Man."
I criticize myself mentally, but it does no good.
The temperature inside my head will keep increasing as long as we're like this.
Because the dizziness isn't caused by my wound.
"...Tohsaka? It's fine now, right? Just use styptic and roll up the bandage."
"That's not called treating. ...I take it back. I'm angry. You went outside with a hackjob like this?"
A slapping sound.
"Gii......!"
W-What was that for...!?
Tohsaka just slapped me on my wound!!
"Guh, you...! Do you have some grudge against me!?"
"Humph. You have no idea. You should thank me for going easy on you."
Saying so, Tohsaka takes out something that looks like ointment.
"That hurts, right? I healed the dead nerves, so it should hurt for a while. There's painkiller in this ointment, but it's mainly to replace your flesh.
It'll hurt until it familiarizes with your body, so don't do anything reckless until the pain goes away."
She takes the jelly-like substance and applies it to my wound.
"――――――――"
It looks really suspicious, but I stay quiet since I know Tohsaka is seriously treating my wound.
"That's it. You should feel much better tomorrow if you wrap some bandages around it and get a good night's sleep."
She skillfully wraps the bandages around the wound.
...I'm not praising her or anything, but she does a much better job than I do.
"...Yeah. Um, thanks, Tohsaka. I feel much better."
I thank her while averting my gaze.
"Eh―――w-well, that's good. I'm glad I treated you if you say so."
"Yeah, it's even more helpful because I thought it wouldn't heal up.
Thanks for treating the wound."
"――――H-Heh. That's only natural. It'll heal as long as I treat it."
Finishing the treatment, Tohsaka gets up.
...Then.
I don't know why, but she heads to the kitchen.
"Tohsaka?"
Am I seeing things?
She's checking what's inside the refrigerator and the rice cooker.
"Hey, what are you doing?"
"I'm preparing dinner. You haven't eaten yet, right? I haven't eaten either, so we're going to eat dinner."
"...Yeah, I can tell. But why cook dinner in this situation?"
"It's natural, right? People can't come up with good ideas on an empty stomach."
Tohsaka speaks while staring inside the refrigerator.
The sound of our utensils echoes inside the room.
It's past ten o'clock.
I don't know how it ended up like this, but Tohsaka and I are eating a late dinner together.
By the way, the dinner was made by both of us.
Tohsaka wanted to eat Japanese food, but she didn't even know how to make miso soup.
It really makes me wonder what they're teaching in the cooking class at school.
Tohsaka is concentrating on her meal.
She must be hungry, as her plate is almost empty.
"――――――――"
But I don't have much of an appetite right now.
It's partly because this isn't the time to be eating, but more so because I haven't replied to Tohsaka.
'――――You can forfeit here, Shirou.'
I haven't told her my reply to those words.
"――――Tohsaka. I have something to talk about."
I put my chopsticks down and stare at Tohsaka.
"What?"
"I've been thinking. About my reason for joining this battle.
And what I wanted to do."
"Yeah, and?"
She urges me to go on as she sips on the miso soup.
...She's putting my spirit down, but I try to get myself together.
"At first, it was because I was dragged into this. And I wanted to do something about this war.
―――But it has nothing to do with how I became a Master or how I got dragged into this."
"――――――――"
"I like superheroes. That's why I have to protect everyone. I don't care about this Master thing. It makes no difference that I'm not a Master or that I've lost Saber."
I say so, ready for Tohsaka's rebuttal.
...But...
"Oh, I see."
She makes an absentminded response and finishes her rice.
"Hey now, Tohsaka. I'm talking seriously, so―――"
"I am listening. You'll fight by yourself, right? The fact that people are dying bothers you more than the fact that you might die.
That's why you decided to fight no matter how weak you are."
She looks straight at me.
It's as if she sees through the part of me that I don't even know about―――and most of all, she approves that I am fighting.
"Eh―――oh, yeah. That's right."
"What's with that face? You look like a squirrel that has licked sugar."
"Well. I thought you would object."
"I am. But I can't complain to you when you've saved me like that.
...And I understand that you're like that no matter how much I try to stop you."
Tohsaka averts her gaze a bit.
"?"
I don't know why, but――――
"Then we're still cooperating...!?"
"―――Yeah. I can't help it, so I'll go along with you. First of all, I'll be so worried that I won't be able to sleep soundly if I let you be by yourself. And..."
She takes a huge breath.
After getting ready for some reason...
"To put it in your words, I don't hate you, Shirou.
...So it's fine if we stay together, right?"
She hands me the bowl with a red face.
How long did it take me to realize that she's asking for seconds?
"Oh―――of course...! I don't care how much of a tyrant you are!"
I take the bowl, fill it from the rice cooker, and hand it back to her.
"...Fine. I'm hungry and the food's good."
Tohsaka starts eating the heap of rice.
"―――――――!"
I smile.
I bet I'm smiling as I eat.
But I can't help it.
I'm so happy right now, so let me smile like a fool for a while――――
Scene 12
I go back to my room and lie down.
Drowsiness fills my body as soon as I do.
"――――――――"
I stare at the dark ceiling.
We are going to Illyasviel's hideout tomorrow.
No matter what kind of negotiations take place, it's obvious that we'll need energy.
Tohsaka said we wouldn't get good results with tired bodies, so we decided to head out after we sleep.
"...It's five hours until dawn. We have to go talk to her after that."
The young Master that appeared on the night I became a Master.
If Saber is a Servant excellent in all aspects,
Berserker is a Servant specialized in battle.
There is no Servant that can match Berserker in simple combat.
"―――How can I talk to such monsters?"
Saying it makes me believe it's impossible to negotiate with them.
But――――
Strangely, I don't feel any uneasiness.
I think Illya will understand us if we talk to her.
...Just like Tohsaka, she will classify enemy and ally as a magus, but I think she's a proper girl with all that aside.
"...Man, what wishful thinking when I haven't even talked with her yet."
I bet he would scorn me, saying that it's a convenient fantasy.
But what's wrong with believing?
Is it wrong to have hope for someone you haven't met yet?
"――――――――"
I realize that I'm gritting my teeth.
The man who told me to drown in my ideals and die betrayed Tohsaka in front of me.
A guy with that much trust and power switched his allegiance so easily.
"―――――――Archer."
My mind darkens.
No, it's freezing.
My head cools down thinking about what he did.
I'm angry.
I can't forgive him for betraying Tohsaka.
I can't forgive the fact that he cast away his partner.
I――――will swear here.
Even if that may have been the very best action and even if it turns out that it was the right choice to survive, I will never do something like that.
His actions have been getting on my nerves.
He told me not to talk about ideals.
I opposed him when he told me I cannot save everybody.
But――――I agreed with his words somewhere inside of me.
...His words are correct.
The superhero my father talked about is just a fantasy,
and I accepted the fact that I would have to become like him to get as close to the ideal as possible.
Not wanting to do so, I openly denied the idea even though I accepted it in my mind.
...But this isn't on such a level.
I can't approve of him.
I can't approve of his action no matter what the circumstances may be.
I won't be able to keep standing if I approve of him.
"――――That's why I can't lose to you."
...My words do not disperse into the darkness, but stay in the room.
A few hours until dawn.
I keep repeating those words even in my sleep――――
Scene 13
She is alone with her thoughts in the darkness.
It has been a day since she attacked the church and killed the priest.
It has been a day since she declared that she can find it, no matter where it may be hidden, if it "exists".
It may not be the case for other Servants, but there is no way someone versed in magecraft like her would not be able to find a relic as holy as the "Holy Grail".
Then there is only one answer.
The Holy Grail was never hidden in this church to begin with.
"――――――――"
She sighs and puts her fingers on her temple.
...When she closes her eyes, heavy darkness assails her body.
No, it is just a scream.
It is not coming from outside.
The scream comes from her body and mind, telling her that her fatigue is at the limit.
It has been a month since she was summoned.
Since then, she has done her best to win.
Her Master is an ordinary person without a Magic Circuit, and she is the weakest of the Servants.
To make up for that, she abused forbidden magecraft.
Collection from the people. The magical string she placed throughout the town and the control of the ley line using sacrifices.
...These are all reasons why she was called a witch during her life.
But she has never used them before.
She should have never used them, and she did not intend to do the forbidden.
―――So...
Why did she end up using them for a meaningless conflict like this?
She became a heroic spirit to take revenge.
But she also knows it is meaningless to use the skills that labeled her a "witch".
She only uses trivial magecraft.
She only created disasters that caused people to destroy themselves with their own greed.
That was all the revenge she could manage, so what caused her to stray from her path so much?
"...It is all for the Holy Grail. It is natural for me to go crazy for something that can grant any wish."
That is a lie.
She knows the true identity of the Holy Grail.
She already knows what that thing is and why Servants like her are summoned.
...It is true that most wishes can be granted using the Holy Grail that appears in this town.
It will allow her to stay in this world with physical form, and it will allow her to start a second life as a "human".
――――But.
"――――How stupid. There is no meaning in such a thing."
Saying so, she closes her eyes.
She empties her mind.
For now――――she lets her guard down and rests her mind.
...She hears the sound of rain.
It was a night without moonlight.
The surroundings were pitch black, and she wandered with an empty mind.
That is where she met him.
With bloodstained body and frozen limbs.
A chanced meeting that was more miraculous than any miracle.
It was the mountain where the Ryuudou Temple is located.
Falling rain.
She was stumbling aimlessly through the dense forest.
"Haa――――Haa, ha――――"
She left behind a trail of blood.
In her hand was a dagger that breaks all contracts.
Her purple robe was wet with rain, and her limbs had turned white from the winter cold.
"Ha――――Haa, ha――――......!"
She staggered around, holding on to the trees for support.
She walked on, dirtied with mud, her breath ragged, reaching out her hand as if begging for help.
She did not look like her usual self, filled with cool composure.
No, even the amount of magical energy was unlike her.
―――She was exhausted.
She only had a handful of power left.
For a Servant, magical energy is like a lifeline that allows them to stay in this world.
But that was all lost. No magical energy was coming from her Master.
But that was only natural.
She had just killed her own Master.
That was the cause of her exhaustion.
She―――Servant Caster was about to disappear alone as compensation for obtaining freedom.
"Haa――――aha, hahaha――――"
A dry laugh.
It is funny that her body was not able to maintain itself and that she betrayed her vulgar Master.
Moreover, it's quite amusing to see how badly she had underestimated the relationship between Servant and Master.
――――She had done well.
Her Master was a legitimate magus.
He was in his thirties, had a medium build, and had few noteworthy characteristics.
He had no will to fight, but dreamed of victory. He was a man that only waited for the other Masters to kill each other.
The man had not trusted Caster.
He treated Caster coldly as she was a superior magus, and he insulted her for being inferior to other Servants.
She gave up on him after a few days.
She acted as an obedient Servant and filled the man's conceit.
In short, she made him use his Command Spells for meaningless things.
She told him he did not need the Command Spells.
She made him believe that she would be faithful to her Master even without the Command Spell.
It was his fault for believing in her.
The Master used his third Command Spell for a meaningless thing, and was killed by Caster at that moment.
It was easy.
She did not like the fact that the contract with him still existed, so she killed him using the Rule Breaker.
"――――Kuh, ah――――"
But she had made a mistake.
Servants exist using the supply of magical energy provided by their Masters.
But not just magical energy.
Servants are only allowed to exist in this age by being connected with people of this age.
In other words―――to lose one's Master, the passport to this age, means being forced to return to the "outside" world.
...But she would not normally be this exhausted.
This was the curse her Master had left her.
Her Master did not approve of her, as she was a better magus than he was.
Therefore, he limited her magical energy to be always below his level.
The magical energy level of a mere human cannot keep a Servant in this world.
She would normally be able to stay in this world for two days after losing her Master.
But now was different.
Her magical energy was drastically decreasing with every second, and the end was near.
...Probably a few more minutes.
She would disappear if she could not find her next Master in that time.
She would disappear before she could fight, unable to do anything. She would be a pitiful Servant, summoned only to be trampled upon.
"Ah――――haa, ha――――"
It was vexing.
It was vexing, but it wasn't anything out of the ordinary.
It had always been like this for her.
She was treated unreasonably like this all the time.
She was always used as a tool, and she was never understood by anyone.
――――Yes.
Her life was always controlled by someone else.
Her mind was destroyed at a young age to save a hero chosen by the gods.
Just for the sake of a hero the goddess of beauty happened to favor, the goddess cursed her to blindly love a man she had never seen.
The girl betrayed her father, and she was even forced to betray her own country.
...There is no memory after that.
After everything was over, the girl, who was a princess, was in an unfamiliar country.
A girl that betrayed her father, the king, for a man.
A witch that cut apart her own brother and threw the pieces into the sea to escape her native country.
―――And the man who wanted it done cast her aside in order to become king, saying he could not marry a witch.
She was controlled and taken to an unknown country, was marked as a witch, and the only person she could rely on threw her away.
That is her origin.
There is nothing people can blame her for, and people around her were aware of that.
But still, people continued to demand for her to be a witch.
An evil to protect the king.
An evil to be on the receiving end of evil superstitions.
People wanted a convenient scapegoat that they could blame for any disaster.
This pattern has never changed.
People demand easily understandable evil to reassure themselves of their own goodness.
In that regard, she was the perfect sacrifice.
The father she could rely on was in a distant country.
Nobody defended her, and people gladly blamed her for all the ugly things in their world.
They decided that every ugliness was the witch's doing:
that they are poor,
that they hate others,
that humans are ugly,
and even that people die.
"Ha――――Haha, ah, ha――――"
...So she merely accepted it.
Since she could only live as a witch, she decided to live like a witch.
She swore to show them the ugliness of the wishes they demanded of her.
If people do not know their ugliness, so be it.
They can stay ignorant, go to hell for their own crimes, and suffer forever.
They won't be able to get out of hell.
They will suffer forever as criminals because they do not know what crimes they have committed.
That is the reason for existence she imposed on herself.
That is the only role people gave to the girl, to the one called the witch, who never had a free will.
"Ah――――Ah――――"
But...
Nobody actually wished for such a thing.
The same goes for her as well.
She seeks revenge against her will, without having any wish for herself.
―――Yes.
Until she met up with this stranger.
A rustling sound.
"――――――――"
She peered ahead, even though she was barely able to stand.
It's midnight.
Who could possibly come into this forest at this time?
"What are you doing there?"
It was a heavy voice.
She did not have the composure to check who it was.
She just thought it was all over.
She had no power to use magecraft.
Her purple robe might have looked like a coat, but she was covered in blood.
A woman covered in blood was hiding in the rain.
It is obvious what such a person did.
Anyone would run away first.
What would they do after that? They would either call the police or pretend they hadn't seen it.
...It did not matter to her, as she could no longer move.
That caused the last of her spirit to give out.
Her last moment was cold and lonely, just as it was at the end of her true lifetime.
―――Or so she thought.
When she regained consciousness, she was in that place.
In front of her is that man――――the man who she met in the woods.
"So you've awakened. Can you tell me your circumstances?"
Those were his first words.
When she watched the man with blank amazement...
"Go home if I did a needless thing. If you wish for me to forget about this, I shall do so."
...The tone of his voice never changed.
...That was her first encounter with her Master, Kuzuki Souichirou.
Kuzuki was a strange man.
Should he be called a ghost?
He had no reason to live, but had no reason to die.
He was just there, and since he existed, he followed whatever whim took him.
He has no self.
That was her first impression of him, and she thought it would be easy to turn him into a puppet.
―――She grew to realize that the thought was a mistake.
Kuzuki Souichirou does not have a past.
He has no self because he has no past, but it does not mean Kuzuki Souichirou is empty.
Kuzuki was a sincere man.
He easily accepted her when she told him that she wanted him to be her Master and when she told him about her true identity.
When she asked him, "Do you believe such a story?"
He replied, "Was that a lie?"
He accepted it after she told him it was the truth.
And the most amazing part was the night they met.
As she was about to disappear, she told Kuzuki to lay with her.
After making a difficult expression...
"Let me ask. Do you want it rough or gentle?"
After that, he made love to her without waiting for her reply.
To put it his way, they had sex before the Buddha.
It seemed rough like Asura, but it also seemed gentle like Bodhisattva.
...Either way, the contract was completed.
She obtained a new Master, was able to stay in this world, and returned to her role of being a witch.
...She still considers it to be a miracle.
She would have disappeared before she woke up if she wasn't taken to the Ryuudou Temple.
The Ryuudou Temple is a demonic place for Servants, but it is a perfect summoning place once inside.
As the Ryuudou Temple is surrounded by a boundary field, it is suited for keeping anything inhuman.
She was able to remain without disappearing because she was brought to the Ryuudou Temple. Had it been anyplace else, she would have vanished after being taken there.
As a result, she obtained the best ley line and the best protection.
She easily occupied the Ryuudou Temple, figured out the mechanism of the Holy Grail, and summoned Assassin as the fifth Servant.
But such things are trivial matters.
She was certainly lucky on that night.
Many miracles saved her, and she is now on the verge of victory.
But they do not deserve thanks. She would have been fine with it even if those miracles had not occurred.
―――There is only one important fact.
A very small matter that is trivial for anyone else.
For her, the fact that she was able to meet Kuzuki Souichirou is a miracle beyond belief.
"――――――――"
But it's not going well.
No, she feels that everything she does is not going well.
Her Master will not be delighted with what she did.
He has never had an interest in the Holy Grail.
She would do her best to grant any wish of his, but Kuzuki Souichirou has none.
A one-sided relationship.
They do not get along well.
It is not going well at all.
"―――So the mummy hunter became the mummy? Even the rare witch is fragile, huh?"
"――――!"
She turns to the intruder.
It is not her Master that is standing there.
It is the knight in red, Archer, with his true identity still unknown.
"...Archer. I thought I ordered you to keep watch outside."
"Yeah, but I didn't see any enemies around here. I got bored, so I came to check what was going on in here."
"...Heh, I would assume so. The only enemy we have is Berserker. Even with him, we will go attack them ourselves once Saber is fully controlled. We have had nothing to fear since you joined us.
―――Isn't that why you came to my side?"
"Who knows. Don't you think I only wanted to break my contract with that Master? Don't you think I didn't care who my new Master was?"
There is some truth in Archer's words.
...But what does it mean?
Archer had no intention of betraying, but betrayed his Master only because he wanted to break his contract with Tohsaka Rin?
"...I see. So you did not like looking after that little girl? Well, it is true that Servants are dissatisfied with their Masters. It is natural for you to run out of patience with yours."
"No, she was perfect as a summoner. But some miscalculations occurred.
And Caster, let me warn you. Do not consider all Servants to be like you.
At the very least, Saber and Berserker were satisfied with their Masters. A righteous hero can only be summoned by righteous people."
"...Heh, why tell me that now? A twisted Master calls for twisted heroic spirits. You do not need to tell me that."
...That is right. Servants are determined by their summoners.
Summoners with dark shadows in their mind cannot summon heroic spirits who are on the light side.
In that regard, she and Rider are not heroic spirits.
A twisted Master calls for twisted heroic spirits.
As Rider was "one that was beautiful", she was also "one that was pure".
It is ironic how the Servant Caster summoned is a fictional hero.
"But it is indeed strange once I think about it. You and Rider are ones that oppose the heroic spirits. But you two are still summoned as Servants.
...Well, the Holy Grail does not differentiate between good and evil. So I guess it will summon anyone with powers, huh?"
"―――Originally, a mixed spirit that had a heroic side would not have been called upon.
Things went out of order starting with the third war. Heroic spirits like Rider and I were not summoned before that."
...That does not concern her now.
She is not concerned about the true identity of the Holy Grail.
Servant Caster's mission is to win this war.
She is not interested in what comes after.
No, to be honest, that is not the end she wishes for.
"――――Enough with the meaningless talk.
Get back to your station. I don't care what you're thinking. You are my Servant now. Your life is in my hands. Put that into consideration when you talk to me."
"Understood. Then I shall live up to my Master's expectation like an obedient Servant."
The knight in red goes up the stairs.
"――――――――"
Seeing him off silently, Caster lets out a long sigh.
―――One more day until Saber surrenders.
She does not have the Holy Grail yet, but she will approach the end once Saber falls.
...What will happen when the war ends?
Caster will make every wish come true with her powers.
It is not bad to live as a witch, like she swore before dying.
But―――the reason will go away once the war ends.
Even if she still has the will, her master will lose the reason to stay as her Master.
"―――――I will obtain the Holy Grail soon."
Caster gracefully reaches out into empty space.
Her hard work is about to be rewarded, but her expression is like that of a criminal about to be executed.
Scene 14
―――I saw many corpses.
I died at that time and was reborn.
I do not have any regrets.
My eyes lost hatred there.
My hands lost anger there.
My legs lost hope there.
My self lost its self there.
Everything went away.
It is not because I gave up that I believed nothing would save me.
I just found out that it's natural.
It's just that dying people will die and survivors will survive.
I laid down on the rubble and stared at the burning field.
I understood everything then.
I thought I understood everything.
――――But I still considered it...
How wonderful it would be...
If I was able to save everything here.
That's what I admired.
I just wished nobody would have to suffer.
That's why I tried to become a superhero.
It was simple, and it seemed like an ideal existence.
That was why I aimed for it.
I knew where I had to be, but there were many ways to get there.
I kept on running, wanting to get as close to it as possible, even though I did not know what was right or wrong.
Many paths I took were crooked, and my destination was only getting farther away.
I'm taking the long way.
I've been repeating this for ten years since I got saved by Kiritsugu.
But I won't regret it.
I'm not as skillful as Tohsaka.
I will take the wrong path and lose a lot of things at times.
But I cannot discard them as meaningless.
I have to present meanings for everything I've trampled upon and everything that cannot be returned.
So I cannot lose.
It can't be helped if I lose against someone else.
But I can win against myself. I can always fight back against my mind that tells me to give up.
So that's all I swore upon.
There's only one thing that I believed in and wanted to believe in.
...That's right.
Even if I am walking down the wrong path, I will not regret believing in it.
"――――――――!"
I wake up from the light shining in.
It's before six o'clock.
The sky I can see through the window is a clouded one.
I get ready and leave my room.
My body feels well, and there isn't that much pain from my wound.
I shouldn't be a burden to Tohsaka even if we end up fighting.
"――――You're here. Are you ready, Shirou?"
"――――"
...I'm ready, but...
Tohsaka has transformed.
"...? What, you look like a new soldier that just stepped on a mine. Are you not ready yet?"
"――――Um, that's not it. Tohsaka, you look different."
"Huh...?
Oh, these? I only put them on when I do detailed work, so don't worry about it."
"......"
Well.
I guess it's all right if you say so.
What kind of magecraft is it? It looks so wrong, and yet so right.
"All right. We're heading to the forest on the outskirts of this town.
It's a huge woodland, unkempt and far from the city.
It has rejected human interaction for a long time, so the forest is big and wide. You know how there are a few people every year that get lost in there for going in without any preparations, right?"
"――――――――"
I nod silently.
Our destination is the Einzbern villa that is said to be somewhere in that forest.
Our fate will be sealed the instant our negotiations fail and we end up fighting.
We won't be able to call for help, and it will be difficult to run away.
We cannot escape that forest unless we defeat that giant―――Berserker.
"Then let's get going.
I stayed up all night figuring out where it could be, so we should be able to find it within half a day if we're lucky.
We'll take a cab as far as the highway, so get some money ready."
She starts walking with a big bag in her hand.
"――――Hm."
I follow her with the usual shinai bag in mine.
...But Tohsaka.
Money for the cab is fine, but does that mean we'll be walking back on the way home?
―――We rode the taxi for an hour from the town.
We drove on the highway, passed many mountains, and reached the entrance to the forest.
Of course, the forest does not have any paved roads.
We finally reach the entrance to the forest after walking about a kilometer from the highway.
"――――――――"
I knew it wasn't going to be easy, but I get nervous once I actually face it.
The forest is dark even though it's daytime.
The tall branches block off the sunlight, and it's hard to see more than a few meters ahead, let alone to the end.
"Shirou. Can you walk ahead for a bit?"
"...? Fine, but you're the one who knows where she could be, right? I think it'll do no good if I go ahead."
I complain as I enter the forest.
―――Then.
"――――What was that!? I felt a shock...!"
I pull back my foot.
I only felt the shock for an instant.
It's not that strong, so it'd hurt more if I hit my foot on the corner of a dresser.
...Well, in short, it was like static electricity.
"―――I thought so. I'm sure it's only for identification, but it seems she has the whole forest under her surveillance."
"Eh―――hold on. Isn't that bad?
That means we got caught in an alarm, right?
Then――――"
"I don't think it'll be a problem. We didn't come here for a surprise attack. We came to talk, so it would be in our favor to let them know we're coming."
"Oh. Be careful though. It'll shock you a bit."
"I know, I know. I can tell how bad it is by looking at you――――"
She waves her hand and steps into the forest.
Then.
"UKYAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!"
Tohsaka jumps back with a funny scream.
"Wow..."
I hear fire hissing.
I want to believe it's my imagination that the leaves under Tohsaka's feet are scorched.
"...I guess there's personal differences on the alarm. It was light in my case."
I calmly analyze the situation.
"Kuh――――kuku, kukuku――――"
But it doesn't seem like Tohsaka is listening to me.
"That does it, kid...! I heard you laughing...!"
Tohsaka yells into the empty sky.
She's so angry that she might go to fight instead of talk.
...Well, anyway.
It seems talking bad about Tohsaka is fatal no matter how far away you are from her, so I guess I'll refrain from doing so.
Scene 15
My frozen body bursts.
My feet lift me up and my arms grab the railing at the same time.
I see Tohsaka as I do so.
She is biting her lips in anger while watching the tragedy below us.
...I know.
Tohsaka wants to stop him as well.
But we'll be the ones to be killed if we do so. She can't stop him.
That goes the same for me as well.
I know it's stupid of me to die trying to save a dying girl.
―――I don't care about that.
I just can't leave her be.
That's all that fills my mind.
I jump down over the railing.
Tohsaka and Shinji both look in surprise at the intruder, but the man does not even look at me.
The man reaches for the girl's body.
"――――Stop―――!!"
I yell.
I stop him with all my might.
"――――――Oh?"
The man stops his arm.
And he slowly turns to me like Death that found its new prey.
Scene 16
Going back over a month.
He was summoned into this world before anyone.
He was not summoned in this country.
A faraway foreign land.
The land is always covered in white, the sky is always gray, and the castle is built within a hidden mountain.
It is always winter in that land.
Coldness and stagnation, barrenness and longing
As they cut all ties with the present world and await the reproduction of the miracle, they are like living corpses.
The cold winter air steals their human warmth.
And the stagnant world does not allow them a new lifestyle.
...The family is the seeker of the Holy Grail.
Spring does not come for the Einzbern family until their wish is fulfilled.
It has been ten centuries since they started the search for the Holy Grail.
As they used every possible method to attain their goal, they were eventually able to forge the Holy Grail.
But even then, all they can build is the vessel.
The divine mystery that should dwell in there is empty, and they keep building vessels that will never be filled.
―――But a foreseeable end comes to them.
They perform a ritual to fill the vessel with help from outsiders.
The result is both a success and a failure.
The Holy Grail is made.
The Holy Grail should be filled with that method.
But they make many enemies at the same time.
Even though they should be the owners of the Holy Grail, they have been degraded down to common magi that "donate" help.
Their tenacity is abnormal.
No, they have been obsessed since that time a thousand years ago, when they almost obtained the Holy Grail.
They broke the rules and constantly pulled out the strongest card.
In the first one, they did not have time to do such a thing.
In the second one, they finally found a loophole in the rules.
In the third one, they summoned what they shouldn't have.
And in the fourth one...
They were sure of their victory, having the strongest card and its master.
The result was a total failure.
The Servant and the Master they selected betrayed them.
The man destroyed the Holy Grail, leaving behind his wife and daughter in the winter castle.
They were infuriated with the man's betrayal, and they lamented their mistake.
Outsiders cannot be trusted.
Their family, with their perfected magecraft-Circuits, will be the only ones to obtain the Holy Grail.
They had insurance to begin with.
And on the fifth one...
They finally prepared the strongest Master and Servant.
It was him.
Two months before the Holy Grail War began...
Every rule was broken for him, Berserker, to be summoned.
The days that followed were to only hurt the Master.
...The Command Spell engraved all over the girl was used to control Berserker.
It did no good as a Magic Circuit and only drained her life away.
Even the slightest move on Berserker's part caused the girl to scream in pain.
―――It was only natural.
The Holy Grail would appear in two months.
The only things keeping him in this world were the girl's magical energy and her Command Spell.
Berserker was not created from the magical energy of the Holy Grail.
Even if the girl may have been special, to keep Berserker in this world using her own magical energy was like having her life taken away.
Knowing that, they still did not allow for her to rest.
They abandoned them in the winter forest, filled with hungry beasts.
They gave them over to possessed corpses.
They threw them in a wasteyard full of failures.
The only way for the girl to survive was to rely on the giant she had been given.
―――She survived the training that was more like torture.
She would let the giant attack the oncoming enemies.
She would let out screams of anguish, but she allowed him to attack every one of her enemies.
...He does not know himself...
...When the process became a special one for him.
In contrast to her young appearance, she hated whining.
Everything that came out of her mouth was an insult.
She must have instinctively known that if she was going to murmur something, she would get stronger when she would insult and hate someone.
The girl scorned Berserker for being ugly and cursed his existence.
It was only natural.
The girl would not have had to suffer if he had not existed.
She would not have been thrown in hell if she had not been chosen as a Master.
The girl insulted the giant every chance she got and used him to take out her anger.
The pain had lessened by the time she mastered Berserker's control, which was when the Holy Grail showed signs of its appearance.
The girl took away the giant's sanity as if in revenge, treating him as a "mad warrior".
―――But he already knew that this was the girl's desperate opposition.
The girl did so to hide her weakness.
She walked with pride as if saying that she could live alone.
...And that she did not need any friends or collaborators.
...It was...
...A bluff to ignore the fact that she was fated to have nothing.
"You're strong, Berserker."
The winter forest.
The girl timidly touched the arm covered in blood.
Surrounded by hungry beasts, the girl was prepared for her death, but desperately denied it.
―――At that time...
He was not able to move without an order from his master, and he was the first to be attacked by the beasts.
The beasts bit off pieces of his neck, head, and limbs.
With the scene in front of her, the girl screamed.
...As he had his sanity taken away, he cannot recall what she said back then.
But the girl yelled not for her sake, but for his.
Even though her body was destroyed whenever he swung his arm, she endured it for his sake.
That's why they were both covered in blood.
The giant was covered in the beasts' blood, and the girl was covered in her own blood.
...He remembers the winter forest.
The weight of the girl that rested on him, crying tears of anguish.
And he realized.
In that small, cold castle...
He was the only one she talked to.
"No――――No, Berserker...!"
Her figure appears in his vision.
It is just like that time. The tears he did not see on her since she became a complete Master. The girl is running to him in tears.
And the man slashes her.
The golden foe gashes her eyes with a single slash, taking away her light forever.
Her face is covered in red.
She still runs in spite of that, but falls over a piece of rubble as her eyes are cut.
The slender body falls over.
There...
The enemy's sword is brought down.
The sword misses her heart.
The girl is coughing up blood as her lung must have been pierced.
It is not instant death.
But it is fatal.
With her eyes slashed, her lung pierced, and her Servant eliminated, she has nothing now.
So she should at least die peacefully.
It might be a salvation if she would just go to sleep right there.
But...
"...Huh? ...It hurts, it hurts, Berserker..."
The girl crawls, leaving traces of blood.
Crying in pain, she crawls towards the black giant.
How much power was left in him?
Breaking the chains with all his might, he charges at the man.
"――――Heh."
The demonic lance is thrust.
The heart-piercing lance impales the giant.
"――――――――"
That ends it.
The man pulls out the lance as if nothing has happened, and the remaining power in the giant completely disappears.
His body disappears.
All the power that was giving his body form has disappeared.
So all that is left for him is to disappear.
As he ran out of magical energy, there is no way for him to stay in this world.
He falls.
But in his last living moment...
He sees the girl fumbling around for him.
"――――――――"
Power returns to his falling body.
The law of magecraft that constructed him,
the regulation of the world that hates inconsistencies,
the body that is crumbling away like sand...
'You're strong, Berserker.'
He pushes aside all powers trying to eliminate him, using his own power of will.
―――He cannot disappear yet.
He is probably the only one she relied on.
He has to answer the solitary girl that believed in him although she insulted him.
"...Where are you? I don't know, it's so dark, Berserker―――"
With her eyes slashed, the girl crawls with her hands stretched out.
...She must want to feel him, as she cannot see now.
The bloodstained hands grope through empty space, trying to verify his presence.
"――――――――"
There is no power left in him.
There is nothing he can do.
Berserker will fall here and die here.
His body has died, and there is no power left to support him.
―――So I'm fine.
I won't lose to anyone,
as long as I have you, Berserker―――
But that cannot be allowed.
His mind is dead.
Supporting his body with his will that should no longer exist, he parts from this world.
His body is still standing, just as it was when he was invincible.
As if to say his body has to be invincible until the very last second for the girl that depended on him.
...And the girl reaches him.
The hand that was grasping through empty space finally touches something.
"Oh―――"
Coughing up blood, the girl crawls to the hard figure.
...She cannot see, but she can still feel him.
Berserker hasn't lost yet.
She cannot see anymore, but Berserker is still strong like always.
"―――That's good, Berserker. Stay there, okay?"
Strength fades from her body.
She is hurt and scared, but it's all right as long as he's here.
He always protected her.
He was scary, but he was really kind.
His big body was like that of a dad, and she wanted for him to pick her up once.
"I'm not scared anymore even though it's dark. You're strong, Berserker.
I'm safe if you're there like that―――"
She rests her body on him.
It feels as though he'll rest one of his big, solid hands on her head.
It's probably true.
He should be patting her head when she opens her eyes.
"......Mm... It's a bit cold."
Her body is cold.
Recalling the forest from that time, the girl smiles.
It happened so long ago.
Recalling the giant that protected her even when injured, the girl peacefully falls asleep.
――――The man reaches out for the girl that went to sleep.
"――――Stop―――!!"
I yell.
I don't consider the personal danger, nor what could happen to me.
"――――――Oh?"
The man stops.
Behind him stands Shinji, surprised at the sudden intruder.
The man smiles ominously.
"Sto――――"
My shaking throat speaks up before I can think.
But...
There is no way that man will stop.
"――――――――"
I couldn't even tell him to stop.
The man pulls something out of the girl with a smile.
A red object that looks like a poisonous fruit.
The thing in the man's hand is the girl's heart.
"――――――――"
My mind burns down.
Fear of being killed mixes with my desire to kill him.
"So there was an audience. I understand how you want to observe my gallant figure, but―――"
With the girl's heart in his right hand...
"Watch what you say. No one gives orders to a king, you lowlife!!"
He shoots off one of his numerous Noble Phantasms at me.
Scene 17
The terrace falls.
The man's Noble Phantasm destroys the wall of the castle.
"――――――――"
I don't move at all.
I don't care about the rubble falling down.
I don't have time to run, and I have no intention of running.
I don't care even if a big piece of debris scratches against my back.
I can't think of looking away from that guy now.
"―――Oh. So it is Saber's Master."
"――――――――"
His red eyes react to my enmity.
―――I'm going crazy.
I'll die in the next instant. There's no way I'm not afraid of that.
But my body refuses to run away and keeps screaming to defeat that enemy.
The girl's corpse keeps ordering me not to forgive that man.
It's only natural for me to go crazy.
My mind churns with conflicting impulses towards life and death.
"――――――――"
"It seems you have a will to fight, but that is nothing. You are worthless without Saber."
A sword appears in his left hand.
The sword is mercilessly raised and should come down to kill Emiya Shirou.
"――――――――"
I keep glaring at the enemy.
I can't even think about showing my back to him.
"―――Hold on. I know this guy."
The man's sword stops.
Shinji, who was watching from the other side of the wall, walks to the center of the hall.
"Yo. Long time no see, Emiya. I didn't expect to see you here, so I'm a bit surprised."
"――――――――"
The man does not move.
There's about ten meters between us.
...Would I be able to get near him? Even Berserker could not close this distance.
"Oh, are you so scared that you can't talk!? Well, I understand how you feel. I was like that when Rider got killed.
Yeah, that's right, that's right! I'm glad you let me go back then!"
There's nothing I can use as a weapon.
But I don't care.
My head is clear right now.
I don't feel any uneasiness about projecting his swords right now――――
"Hey, I'm telling you to look at me...!"
"――――――――"
...I slightly shift my gaze in his direction.
I look at Shinji while keeping the man in my view.
"That's right. So you do know who's the most powerful here."
"――――――――"
I gasp.
It's not because of what he said. It's unexpected that he is saying so from the bottom of his heart.
"That's right. So you know, right, Emiya? You'll die now."
...How out-of-place.
Why say something that's so obvious?
"Sorry I didn't introduce him to you yet, but he's my new Servant. He's more amazing than Rider, right?"
Shinji puts his hand on the man's shoulder.
And with a delighted face...
"Beg for your life, Emiya. I might consider it."
...He says something unimaginable.
"I refuse."
I do not hesitate.
I answer right away without showing any signs of even considering it.
"......! Fine, then you can die."
Shinji jumps back.
The man, still with a cold expression, finally brings his sword do――――
"Hold on. I won't guarantee your Master's life if you move an inch."
――――And the man stops his sword once again.
Everyone looks up.
Everyone down in the hall turns his attention to the girl on the terrace.
Tohsaka's hand is aimed at Shinji.
Even though Shinji is not a magus, he should know what that means.
Tohsaka's serious.
If the man brings down his sword, she will kill Shinji as retaliation.
"T-Tohsaka...! Why are you here...!?"
"――――――――"
She doesn't answer, but just keeps her aim on Shinji.
"W―――What, are you really going to shoot me, you murderer...!?"
"You're the one who killed first.
―――Well, I don't care about that. The right to kill and be killed are the same. You should know that with your human instincts even if you're not a magus."
"――――!"
Shinji retreats weakly, being stared down by Tohsaka.
And...
"――――Hm."
...The man just watches it in delight.
He looks at Tohsaka.
"......?"
...Then.
I think there was a strange shaking for an instant.
"I see. You know you will not be able to kill me, so you went after the Master instead. You brought on the negotiation because you know I would not stop even if you killed my Master."
"...That's right. You wouldn't stop even if I killed Shinji. But you can consider it in this situation, right?
You can save Shinji right now. If you're a Servant, it should be a hard blow for you to lose your Master."
"Hah. I see, you are pretty clever. That is your only option if you want to save that scum."
His sword disappears.
He turns his back to me as if he's lost interest.
"...! What are you doing!? Who told you to stop...!?"
"No―――the situation has changed, Shinji. She will be perfect as the vessel."
"Huh――――?"
Shinji stops breathing.
His face filled with irritation suddenly turns into a dirty smile.
"I see―――wow, I'm glad you're still alive, Tohsaka."
"I see. I'm relieved as well. I've known you for a long time even though you're like that. It'd be discouraging to have you dead already."
Laughing, Shinji claps his hands.
...It's so strange.
Shinji shows no fear even though Tohsaka can end his life.
It seems an overwhelming joy is numbing his emotions.
"Oh well. With that aside, how about it, Tohsaka? Do you want to forget about Emiya and team up with us?"
"―――'Us'?"
"That's right. You should know that Caster is stocking up power. The Ryuudou Temple is the altar this time. It's a bit unfavorable for us if she's taking position there and stocking up magical energy."
Shinji says this with both his hands raised.
That's an obvious fact.
If I have to add, it seems Shinji doesn't know Caster obtained Saber and Archer.
"You can tell, right? There's not much chance of victory by myself.
I beat Berserker's Master, but this isn't enough. We can make one that will even beat Caster if you join us."
Shinji invites her with confidence.
To that...
"I refuse, Shinji. I don't know who you're connected with, but there's no way I would follow a guy that is being used."
Tohsaka refuses him without twitching a brow.
"W――――What...?"
"Can't you tell? I'm warning you since I've known you for a long time. You should get some intelligence to observe what's going on around you.
You're the only one who considers Matou Shinji to be a Master. Don't you realize by now that you don't have talent as a magus?"
"You――――――!"
Shinji's face stiffens up.
The harsh words must have caused him to forget that his life is in Tohsaka's hands.
"Do it, Gilgamesh! Kill Emiya and Tohsaka...!"
Shinji orders his Servant.
"――――――――"
"W-What, I told you to kill them...! It should be easy for you to kill them before I get killed...!"
"―――No, this is too bad, but we are out of time. It will rot if we take any more time."
The man shows Shinji, who is walking up to him in anger, what is in his right hand.
...A red piece of meat.
It is the still-throbbing heart he ripped out of that girl.
"Kuh――――"
Shinji grits his teeth in vexation.
"―――Damn, don't regret it, Tohsaka! I won't let you be on my side now...!"
Shinji runs towards the gate.
...The other one stays.
And after watching his master's disgraceful behavior...
"So that is it. You have a good friend."
With those delighted words he leaves the room filled with rubble.
Scene 18
――――And we walk to her.
The center of the hall.
With the sunlight coming in from the ceiling, the girl is sleeping amongst the rubble.
"――――――――"
Her eyes will never open again.
Looking closely, the girl is not white at all.
She has red all over her, and she looks nothing like she did before.
"...It's not your fault.
You know, right? We couldn't have saved her."
I know.
I've been taught that there are people I can save and people I cannot save.
I know it'll put my own life in danger if I try to do something beyond my capabilities.
――――But still...
I still wanted to save her.
I don't want a child dying in front of me.
I don't want anyone dying in front of me.
It is more painful and scary than anything else not to be able to save someone asking for help.
"――――――――"
There's no way I can apologize, and I don't know her well enough to apologize to her.
This girl is unrelated to Emiya Shirou.
I know that without having to be told, so why――――?
"――――――, Oh."
Why are these eyes crying?
"――――Why?"
"...Tohsaka?"
"...Why?
You should have known we'd be killed if we appeared in front of him.
So why did you try to save Illyasviel?
No matter what the results may be, she was our enemy.
So how can you go so far for her sake?"
Is it an inquiry?
Tohsaka's eyes are serious.
"―――I have no reason. I stopped him because I just wanted to save her."
There's no other way to explain it.
After glaring at me...
"...I see. I thought you were abnormal before, but I'm sure now.
Shirou. Your way of life is really distorted."[l]
...She tries to open a lid that I've kept closed for so long.
"Distorted...?"
"That's right. It's wrong to live thinking that others are more important than you.
Look, I'm not talking about the common opinion that we save others so we can be loved.
With such hypocrisy aside, we have to put ourselves first.
Well, there are people with others as their priority.
But you're something 'special' that you can't put on the scale. It's like the scale itself. So why do you try to destroy that scale to save someone you don't even know?
...Yes, if you truly were a person who was merely alive, such self-denial would be fine.
But you can't do that.
You can't pretend you are not living for yourself when you have such a strong sense of personal conviction and self-awareness.
―――If you continue something like this, you'll eventually break down."
"――――――――"
No way.
I can't break down.
I'm doing this so that I won't break down.
I'm trying to save people that I could not save so that I can hold my head high――――
"No. You're broken already.
...So tell me. I don't know what happened to you ten years ago, but that must be why you're so screwed up...!"
Tohsaka looks like she's crying.
Why does she have to make a face like that?
It's as if...
...She knows I'll live a thankless life, so she's trying to stop me.
"...You were like this at school. You were so calm in front of all those bodies. ...Even I mistook them for corpses, but you knew right away that they were alive."
"I always thought that it was strange.
You never had proper training as a magus, but you got calm every time you got into a fight to the death.
You would get enraged by seeing corpses, but you didn't feel any shock or disgust.
It's probably because―――corpses are something you got used to seeing. You saw something gruesome ten years ago, right?"
I got used to seeing them...?
Well, it's true that it wasn't my first time seeing a corpse.
The students at school, Rider who got her neck twisted off, and even this girl sleeping in front of me now... I think they've died a natural death compared to that time.
"――――――――"
But she's wrong.
The fire ten years ago saved Emiya Shirou.
That cannot be the main reason why Tohsaka is criticising me now.
"That's wrong, Tohsaka. I was saved, that's all."
"'Saved'...? So you were saved from the fire ten years ago? And that was by Emiya Kiritsugu?"
"Yes. But that's it. That isn't the reason for anything."
My heart aches when I answer.
My body is telling me that it's a lie.
"Then was there something else? Something you're always regretting or something Emiya Kiritsugu took from you as compensation for saving you?"
"―――There's no such thing. Kiritsugu merely saved me. And you talk about taking something from me, but at that time..."
...I had nothing to give.
―――I saw many corpses.
I died at that time and was reborn.
――――I do not have any regrets.
My eyes lost hatred there.
My hands lost anger there.
My legs lost hope there.
My self lost its self there.
...So why?
Why do I have this self-consciousness that Tohsaka speaks of?
"――――――――, That's..."
I have accepted death.
I knew I was going to die.
Even if my body was saved in that situation, there's no way my mind could have been saved as well.
At that time...
I was empty, and I just admired something sacred...
"Oh――――that's... right."
I remember now.
No, I didn't even put it into my memory.
So I didn't realize until now that it's what really saved me.
"...Shirou? Did he make you establish a contract or something?"
"No. He didn't take anything away. I only received."
A world like hell.
In the place where everyone but me died, I was saved.
Nobody saved me, and I wasn't able to save anybody.
And at the very end, he granted something that I thought was a miracle.
"―――I remember. Those eyes that looked down at me and the voice pleading for me to live.
At that time, I thought not about the fact that I was saved, but the fact that someone's there to save me... The fact itself is..."
It's so wonderful, and it's such a miraculous thing.
That's why I admired it.
I had nothing, and there was nothing remaining in me, I admired the first thing that came into my sight.
"So I――――"
―――That's the only thing I had.
That's the only emotion I felt after I was saved.
I was happy.
I cried.
That's all I could think about.
So――that's all the emotion I could create――
"――――Yeah. You're probably right."
It's distorted for me to put priority on others before me.
There is something seriously wrong with the procedure.
"But I was the only one who got saved. I thought about it at that time.
―――That if such a thing happened again, I would save everyone in place of all those I could not save then."
"I'm telling you that's crazy...!
Look, if you were saved, take care of yourself! I'm sorry for the people who got killed, but it's only by chance that you were saved!
Then you should take full advantage of your good fortune. You suffered such a hell, so it'll be a waste if you don't have fun!"
Tohsaka is seriously angry.
"――――――――"
Yeah, that makes me happy.
I finally realize now, because Tohsaka is that kind of person.
The question I've been wondering about all by myself.
I wanted to be a superhero, and I always tried to help others.
I knew there was something wrong with the method, but I did not understand what.
―――But it's so clear now.
It's because of this person that is seriously angry for my sake.
"W-What? You still don't understand after I've told you this much?
You really make me mad. If you're really that stupid, I'll break my allian――――"
"I know. I told you you're right, didn't I?"
"Then――――"
"But I can't listen to your warning.
I realize there's something wrong with me. But it's all right.
Because there's no way that wanting to help people can be a mistake."
So...
I answer her with as much gratitude as I can possibly put in.
"――――――!
...Geez, I can't say anything if you make a face like that."
Maybe it got awkward, as Tohsaka turns and walks away.
And then...
"―――Well, I guess it can't be helped. I guess I'll do something about it."
She sighs as she says this.
Scene 19
The sun sets and the hall is filled with darkness.
...We came here to look for an ally, but the only thing remaining here after turns of events is this empty castle.
"So, what will we do? We can stay here if we want to go into defense.
There's food and beds here. If we fix the walls, we can probably manage to protect ourselves inside the castle.
"――――――――"
That's the best thing we can do if we want to protect ourselves.
But we chose the path to "fight" because we couldn't do so.
"...No, it's meaningless even if we fortify.
Any defense will be penetrated once Caster completely controls Saber.
...And even if we do survive here, it doesn't matter if Caster obtains the Holy Grail."
"Not only us, but the people in town will suffer as well.
...Then there's only one thing to do. We'll get Saber back before Caster controls her. We have to defeat Caster, Archer, Assassin, and Kuzuki-Sensei by ourselves."
"――――――――"
I silently nod.
Since we could not get Illya's help, that's all we can do.
...The sun will completely set soon.
We'll have to get out of this place before that and attack Caster before Saber is completely controlled――――
―――It's a simple plan.
The process will change depending on the situation. Our only objective is to confront Caster as a result.
It doesn't even matter if that only happens for an instant.
Caster is the weakest when it comes to hand-to-hand combat.
Even if she may be a Servant, there is a chance of victory if we can fight her two against one.
Tohsaka's jewels and my projection magecraft.
We can win if we use all of our abilities.
That's the result we came up with, and we go out of the forest believing in it.
We don't talk after that.
...There's only one reason not to.
We're desperately bluffing to try to deceive ourselves.
The morning light is gray.
The sun is blocked by clouds, obscuring the dawn.
A cloudy sky is above us.
The sky is more gray than black, and it reminds me of that time ten years ago.
―――It should rain soon.
An impure gray sky.
The man is standing below the cloudy sky.
"So you did come. I know your personality. I knew you would be back with some sort of a plan."
He stares at her with cool eyes.
"I'm sorry, Archer. I can't live up to your expectations.
We have nothing to start out with. We thought for a day, but we couldn't come up with anything."
"――――What?"
"You might not believe me, but we're here today to die honorably.
...But I guess we're still a bit lucky. If you're here, it means Saber is still opposing Caster."
So there's four enemies now.
If we pass Archer, we can fight Caster and Assassin head on.
Our plan is that we would fight Archer together and confront Caster with the two of us.
...That's the lie Tohsaka made up.
"―――I see. Caster and Emiya Shirou. The scales tipped to Caster, huh?"
Archer's question is a loaded one.
"Yes. I hate my own personality, but I guess I can't change it since I'm born with it. I'm inhuman at the very end."
Saying so with an emotionless voice, Tohsaka steps forward.
"―――Shirou. Archer will only attack you. I won't back you up. I'll try to fight Caster while you get killed."
Tohsaka apologizes with her back turned...
Confessing that she intended to use me as a sacrifice from the start.
"――――――――"
How stupid of her.
She didn't have to say such a thing.
"Don't worry about it, you idiot. I know your personality."
"Huh――――?"
"You're not one to do anything without a chance of victory, right? That's why I knew. This is certainly the only way we'll have any chance of winning."
"――――Shirou."
Her back shakes a bit.
...Oh.
That's all the apology I need.
"Go. I'll keep Archer busy. I'll keep him here at least until you make it into the church."
I control my breathing and turn the gears of the engine.
―――I feel great.
I should be able to project his swords in this state.
"――――Thanks. I'm sorry, Shirou."
Tohsaka runs.
...Archer lets her go as if he has no interest in her.
"Well done. It seems you understand your own powers."
He emits an intent to kill.
"――――Trace, on."
...I project his twin swords.
The battle should be decided in an instant.
I only see Archer and the back of Tohsaka running to the church.
...Was it over in one blow, or was I able to last a few seconds?
The battle has ended, and I look up at the sky powerlessly.
A gray cloud is overhead.
It should rain soon.
The sky is near, and the clouds block my way like a wall.
"――――Tohsaka, please... be... safe――――"
My body is burning.
I hear the sound of flames from the church.
"――――Ha, ah."
The sun is too far away for my outstretched hand.
It looks like the time from ten years ago...
Scene 20
We walk through the dark forest.
Although we don't know his intentions, having Lancer's help means we don't need to stay at the castle anymore.
Lancer must have taken a liking to Tohsaka, as he keeps messing with her and getting hit by her.
"Hey now. You have your own Master, right? Then you should stay quiet.
We're going to be enemies after we beat Caster, so it does no good to be talking. Anything other than planning is unnecessary."
"What, we can't talk because we're going to be enemies? You have less composure than you look like you have, huh? It should be natural for you to drink until dawn with someone that gets along with you, even if he may be your enemy."
"When are you from?
All that 'friends today, foes tomorrow' business is out of style these days. If we don't think things all the way through, it's rude to the other party."
"...Wow. It sure became a boring world."
...Lancer does not learn his lesson.
I think they've been repeating the same kind of conversation for a while now.
"More importantly, Lancer. You know what your role is, right?"
"Huh? Yeah, leave it to me. You two are going to fight Caster and her Master, right?
My role is to fight Archer.
I'll have to fight Saber as well in the worst case, but it won't be a problem if all I have to do is keep them busy."
He speaks objectively.
He isn't even scared of fighting Saber and Archer at the same time.
"――――――――"
Oh yeah, Saber commented on him when we were training in the dojo.
She said Lancer is the best when it comes to "surviving".
She praised him, saying that with his excellent agility and great experience, Lancer would be an impregnable wall if he went into defense.
...He must have fought many battles from disadvantageous positions when he was alive.
This man ran through fatal battles like a panther and lived on.
"...That's fine. But our enemy isn't just Archer and Saber. Caster also has Assassin. In the worst case, you'd have to fight three."
"Oh, that's bad. I don't like that guy. I don't even want to fight him one-on-one if I can help it. It's best to kill such a guy from a distance―――but there's no point in worrying.
Assassin won't be at the church."
"...? How can you say so? If Caster won't go back to the Ryuudou Temple, wouldn't she call for her guard, Assassin?"
"No. Assassin is a Servant that Caster summoned, but he has his limitations because of that. He is a heroic spirit summoned to that place. He can't leave the Ryuudou Temple, and in any case, Caster won't call for him.
He is a Servant that Caster summoned without letting her Master know.
She will try to hide Assassin as long as they're at the church, and I'm sure she won't let go of the Ryuudou Temple either."
"She won't let go of the Ryuudou Temple...? Does that mean..."
"It's because that mountain is the summoning place of the Holy Grail. Do you know? This is the fifth Holy Grail War, but there are only four possible places for the Holy Grail to be summoned into. Two of the places are the Ryuudou Temple and the church.
By the way, it was summoned at the church in the third war. The fourth one was summoned in a plain somewhere."
"―――Oh. I thought you didn't think at all, but you're pretty well-informed."
"It's just that my Master is fastidious. I'm not interested in your doings."
"Okay. ...But, I see. So the summoning this time has returned to the same place as the first time, huh?"
Tohsaka starts to ponder.
Lancer watches her with delight and walks on in the dark forest.
"――――――――"
The date has already changed.
The day should be dawning by the time we get out of this forest.
...I mentally prepare myself as I walk.
We will fight Caster again in a few hours.
...I won't hesitate, even if that girl would have turned into our enemy by then.
We'll defeat Caster.
I have to tell myself that it is the most important thing right now.
――――We head to the battlefield.
No matter what may be awaiting us at the church at daybreak, we cannot stop now.
Scene 21
...We walk in the forest.
We're the only people in this vast place.
I don't hear any beasts, and the grasses are dead like corpses.
The endless rows of trees makes me think this forest goes on forever.
It's been three hours since we entered.
Just as our surroundings start to blur together...
"――――Found it.
...Geez, I'm still stunned even though I knew about it. They really did build something like that in such a place."
I follow Tohsaka's stare.
There's only darkness ahead.
Between the trees.
There is something unbefitting of these surroundings, visible through a crack so small that you'd miss it if you weren't careful.
"...What's that? Is that a wall?"
"It is a wall. Geez, what's up with them? They brought that whole thing from their country."
Tohsaka complains and heads to the "strange object" we can see in the distance.
I still can't tell what it is, so I follow her.
We get out of the forest.
The endless forest quickly ends.
No, it seems like the forest is scooped out here with a big spoon.
The sky curving above us is gray.
―――A giant dome.
It seems more like an underground kingdom than a clearing.
This is Illyasviel's dwelling.
An old castle built within the forest.
A solitary castle without any visitors, too big for one girl, not to mention too desolate for anyone to live alone in.
"――――――――"
...Anyway, it does no good to be standing here.
According to Tohsaka, Illyasviel knows we're here.
Then we should go in from the front entrance as a sign that we're not here to fight.
"Let's go, Tohsaka... Tohsaka?"
Tohsaka is looking up at the castle with an alarmed expression.
Her face is tense as if she's confronting an enemy.
"Tohsaka. Is there something wrong?"
"...Yeah. There's someone else besides us here."
"Of course. This is where Illya and Berserker live."
"That's not what I mean. There's someone else other than that. ...We're going in this way, Shirou."
"Eh――――w-wait...!?"
Tohsaka starts running towards a big tree by the wall, and I don't have time to stop her.
No, that's not all.
She grabs onto a branch and skillfully climbs up.
"――――――――"
I look up in astonishment.
Tohsaka looks around and―――
She jumps and kicks at the castle.
A shattering sound.
The window breaks and the red figure disappears into the castle.
"Come on...! There's something seriously wrong with this castle...!"
"―――Hey, weren't we here to talk...!?"
But what's done is done.
I climb up the tree and jump into the second floor window like Tohsaka.
We enter the hallway.
Even before I'm dazzled by the magnificence of the castle, I sense the "abnormality" Tohsaka is talking about.
I hear sounds of fighting.
Swords crashing against each other.
But―――would such a storm-like battle even be possible?
Even the most fierce battle of swords, the battle between Berserker and Saber, did not create such sounds.
"――――――――Oh."
Then I suddenly realize.
This isn't the sound of swords crashing.
This is one against many―――there is literally a war going on somewhere in this castle.
One side has to be Illyasviel.
This is Illyasviel's castle.
If there is a battle here, it could only be Berserker attacking the intruding enemy.
I run.
The sound is coming from below us.
Considering the location we came in from, the battle is happening right in the center of the castle―――in the guest hall.
I run through the unfamiliar castle.
This isn't the time to be talking.
I don't know what's going on, but something terrible is happening―――
Scene 22
Even though people have said this Tiger Dojo is meaningless, it is already in its 23rd session.
Well, this is a sudden announcement, but this is the last Tiger Dojo in part II!
Huh? But we have one more Tiger Dojo in part II according to the schedule.
Kaahhhh! Don't talk about the 24th one!
I have no business with a weakling that will die that way!
O-Osu!
I don't quite get it, but this is the last Tiger Dojo of part II!?
Yup.
There was a rumor on part I's final Tiger Dojo that this corner would be powered up, but I won't fall for something like that this time.
We will remain here alone and preserve this modest paradise.
.........Heh.
Ugh, I feel something rebellious.
Could this devil child be plotting something again?
Oh, that's a misunderstanding.
I'm just thinking that I might make you feel lonely because I can't be here often during part III.
Hm...!? You can't come to the dojo!? Could it be, Illya-chan...!?
Yup. I'll be busy taking part in the main storyline.
It ended up like this in the Rin route, but part III is when my true worth comes out.
It seems you will be taking fewer parts in the main story.
My condolences to you. This is the difference between a heroine candidate and one who was not even considered to be a candidate.
Well, you can rest assured that I'll still be your friend even after I become a heroine. Let's see... When I take over the storyline, I can make you my servant...
......Hiya.
What are you doing!? I'm saying this out of good faith!
I don't need it! I don't need love if it's this painful!
Actually, you're disqualified to be my student! You will be too bright in my eyes if you become a heroine!
Get out! Get out-uwaaan!
Heh, I'm quitting as well!
You stupid Taiga! I won't forgive you even if you apologize!
...She's gone.
Well, this is fate. If my cute student will become a heroine, it is my role as her master to be hated.
Fight, Illya-chan! Go after Sakura-chan and take her spot as the heroine!
Don't come back here! Because you'll take away some of my roles!
...Uhh. But it's kind of lonely that I have to do the last Tiger Dojo of part II by myself.
I'm lonely, but I'll do my best. Fight alone, me.
Well, this dead end is a bit special.
It's too reckless to enter battle with just Shirou and Tohsaka-san. There's no way you can win.
I know you might have something against him, but go ahead and shake hands with the "cooperator" that appeared.
For those of you for whom the cooperator didn't even appear!
You're a failure as a main character! How can you not save a girl that's about to die in front of you!?
The event at the castle is an important part of the story that reveals "a cause" that has been hidden up to now! You have to see it.
Tohsaka-san's route is also the main character's route. So go ahead and solve the problem.
―――Well, this is it.
Tohsaka-san's route is entering its climax.
There will be a series of fast events without a dead end after this, but let me give you one piece of good news.
Tohsaka-san's route has a "true end" and a "good end".
I can't tell what each of those is about, but the condition for seeing them is how faithful you were. It's either "only one" or "flowers on both hands". You get to find out after the battle.
All right, everyone, I'll be waiting in the part III Tiger Dojo.