Amakusa Shirou

Let's Talk About Saving the World

Narration: The act of saving someone is arrogant by nature.

Narration: But unless one accepts that arrogance, one cannot hope to help others.

Narration: Saving someone is a simple act. One simply needs to sincerely care about others.

Narration: But then, what about saving the world?

Narration: I thought I understood what that involved, but perhaps I do not have the answer at all.

Narration: What's necessary is uncompromisable power.

Narration: The power of salvation that would equally save, with ruthless efficiency, everything in this world.

Narration: Of course, I answered this summon for the purpose of saving humanity.

Narration: But somewhere in my heart I'm searching for that power.

Narration: ...That's right. The ruthless salvation that is the Holy Grail.

Mash: ...Take this!

Mash: Enemies eliminated. Good work.

Dr. Roman: Understood. Please keep moving forward.

Dr. Roman: After the Incineration of Humanity, we can't ignore even a small Singularity.

Dr. Roman: I know you're busy, but destroying them when they're small is much more effective.

Mash: Yes, both Master and I agree.

Mash: This time, Amakusa is helping us, so we should be fine.

Amakusa Shirou: Please think nothing of it. A Servant that only speaks in irony would have been finished long ago.

Amakusa Shirou: Make full use of me.

Mash: Doctor, are we going the right way?

Dr. Roman: Of course. Once you're through that forest you'll find a cave.


Fujimaru 1: Let's hurry!

Amakusa Shirou: Please calm down, Master. Easy does it.

Amakusa Shirou: Patience is important as well. I've been patient for 60 years, so I can be sure of it.

Mash: ...60 years?


Fujimaru 2: Let's take it easy.

Amakusa Shirou: That's the right answer, Master. Hurrying won't lead to good results.

Amakusa Shirou: ...Especially in this unknown forest. We should be cautious since we don't know what lives here.


Dr. Roman: I've been meaning to ask. Amakusa, why do you use Black Keys?

Dr. Roman: They didn't exist in the place and time you were alive in, right?


Fujimaru 1: The black what?


Fujimaru 2: The Black Keys?


Dr. Roman: They're the Holy Church's Craft Essence. I don't know the details, but it's some kind of ranged weapon that uses Bible fragments.

Dr. Roman: There's no record of you belonging to the Holy Church, and that technology hadn't been imported into Japan at that time...

Amakusa Shirou: Oh, it's simple.

Amakusa Shirou: I incarnated during a certain Holy Grail War, then joined the Holy Church after.

Mash: Wha–

Dr. Roman: You what!?

Mash: You incarnated...? There are records of some Servants have been incarnated through the power of the Grail, but...

Amakusa Shirou: But what I just described contradicts the records in this world. Perhaps what I went through was some occurrence brought forth by an impossible process.

Amakusa Shirou: Even so, this form is without a doubt my most useful form as a Servant.

Amakusa Shirou: Normally, I am a third-rate Servant who can't even become a Ruler.

Amakusa Shirou: The best I could possibly hope for is to be a Caster.


Fujimaru 1: Maybe you could get Medea to teach you?

Amakusa Shirou: Hahahaha. No way. I'd die.

Amakusa Shirou: Mages from the Age of Gods are like... Well, if they are a motorcycle, modern mages like us would be regular bicycles.

Amakusa Shirou: Besides, I'm probably more of a simple spellcaster.

Amakusa Shirou: I don't treat magecraft as something mystical. To me, it's just useful.

Amakusa Shirou: ...Well, it seems like there are other Servants who feel the same way.


Fujimaru 2: Maybe you could get Edison to teach you?

Amakusa Shirou: Edison, huh...

Amakusa Shirou: ... ...

Amakusa Shirou: I just got an epiphany where a “Shin Amakusa Shirou,” conceptually improved with Rocket Arms, is revealed...


Dr. Roman: But if you don't have the right to be summoned as a Ruler, how can you appear as a Ruler now?

Amakusa Shirou: Oh, it's simple.

Amakusa Shirou: Because, in the Holy Grail War where I was incarnated, my Master broke the rules.

Amakusa Shirou: Normally Rulers are an eighth class. Their role is to mediate the Holy Grail War; their Master is the Grail itself.

Amakusa Shirou: It is a Ruler's duty to remain neutral.

Amakusa Shirou: ...But my Master ignored all that and tried to summon one directly. Master wanted to win the war, see.

Amakusa Shirou: A normal Ruler, summoned during a regular Holy Grail War, possesses Command Spells that affect all participating Servants.

Amakusa Shirou: ...Spells so powerful they can even be used to order Servants to commit suicide.

Amakusa Shirou: As such, making a Ruler into a familiar would, in my Master's eyes, guarantee victory in the war.

Amakusa Shirou: ...And so that's what my Master did–with me. My summoning as a Ruler was a violation of the rules. It shouldn't have happened.

Amakusa Shirou: ...But because it did, I was able to be summoned as a Ruler from there on out. I suppose I gained that right.

Amakusa Shirou: Of course, unless it's an urgent matter such as restoring humanity, it's almost impossible to summon me...

Dr. Roman: I see.

Dr. Roman: ...So you weren't summoned as a Ruler because you naturally had the right.

Dr. Roman: You were summoned as one because there was a precedence from some other time.

Dr. Roman: So then if that is the story, regardless to the particulars, it established a pathway to call you in this form again.

Dr. Roman: The second summoning was probably much easier.

Amakusa Shirou: I couldn't win the Holy Grail War I participated in, but through a series of coincidences I gained a physical body.

Amakusa Shirou: ...Oh! It looks like this is not the time to be talking about the past.

Dr. Roman: Oops, I was so invested in the story I stopped paying attention!

Dr. Roman: Yeah... Incoming enemies! Watch out!

Mash: Doctor, you're a little late!

--BATTLE--:

Amakusa Shirou: To be honest, I've never performed any miracles.

Mash: I-Is that so?

Mash: But legends unmistakably state that Amakusa Shirou performed miracles...

Amakusa Shirou: In that sense... Yes, I performed something magical.

Amakusa Shirou: But I did that subconsciously. My own body didn't realize what it was doing.

Amakusa Shirou: But faith is a strange thing. After I died and became a Heroic Spirit, I was able to perform miracles.

Amakusa Shirou: By miracles, I mean my original Noble Phantasms, “Right Hand - Evil Eater” and “Left Hand - Xanadu Matrix.”


Fujimaru 1: I'm getting an Immortal Chaos Brigade vibe.


Amakusa Shirou: Yes, you have the right idea.

Fou: Fou!?

Amakusa Shirou: Hehehe, I do feel a strange sympathy towards Sakata Kintoki and Fuuma Kotarou.

Amakusa Shirou: I invited Lu Bu too, but...

Lu Bu:berserk1!!!!

Sakata Kintoki: I see. That's pretty golden!

Fuuma Kotarou: Kintoki, what did Lu Bu say?

Sakata Kintoki: Well...

Sakata Kintoki: “Unfortunately, my Noble Phantasm's name is art, brought to life with strong will and passion. It cannot be changed.”

Sakata Kintoki: Lame!

Amakusa Shirou: So I couldn't get Lu Bu to join. What a shame.

Dr. Roman: Hahaha. I see Chaldea's Servants are developing some relationships we don't know about.

Dr. Roman: Something tells me that's no laughing matter... But I suppose it's a good thing if it makes it easier to work together!

Dr. Roman: ...Still, I'm surprised to learn that Amakusa Shirou was a spellcaster.

Dr. Roman: And by “spellcaster,” I suppose you mean you never actually learned magecraft properly, correct?

Amakusa Shirou: Yes. It was one of those very rare natural occurrences.

Amakusa Shirou: I was born with the ability to use magecraft. However, no one around me could tell its true nature...

Amakusa Shirou: And so I was worshipped as a miracle.

Amakusa Shirou: Perhaps Mori Souiken kept the rumors from spreading too far.

Amakusa Shirou: At this point, there's no way to know the truth...

Dr. Roman: From what you're telling me about your magecraft and its uniqueness, the Mage's Association at the time wouldn't have let you be, no.

Amakusa Shirou: In any case, it was all in the past–when I was alive. For now, let's focus on saving this world.


Fujimaru 1: Do you want to save the world?


Amakusa Shirou: Yes. I will save everyone. No matter what atrocities they may have committed.

Mash: You really are a saint...

Amakusa Shirou: No, I'm not. Besides, I'm not recognized as one by the Church.

Amakusa Shirou: I try to be one. However, there are things I must let go of in order to reach that point.

Amakusa Shirou: ...Hatred. As long as I have hatred in my heart, I will never be a saint.

Amakusa Shirou: Of course, some people, like Jeanne d'Arc, are basically born saints.

Mash: Jeanne doesn't seem to think of herself as a saint.

Mash: I hear people teasing her about that sometimes.

Amakusa Shirou: How she sees herself and how others see her are two different things.

Amakusa Shirou: No matter what she believes, I believe she is a saint.

Amakusa Shirou: ...Of course, she probably wishes I didn't.

Dr. Roman: Come to think of it, are you related to Jeanne d'Arc somehow?

Dr. Roman: You're both Rulers, but you don't seem to get along too well.

Amakusa Shirou: Oh, that's...

Amakusa Shirou: ...I'll keep that a secret. It has to do with both of our core beliefs.

Fou: ...Fou!?

Dr. Roman: Wait! The Singularity in that cave is rapidly establishing itself!

Dr. Roman: It's fast... What is this!? Hurry! Something bad is happening!

Amakusa Shirou: ...!

Mash: This is...!

Dr. Roman: A tainted Grail!? What's this doing here?

Dr. Roman: Be careful! The black mud coming out of it corrupts Servants!

Amakusa Shirou: ...Hmm.

Amakusa Shirou: Calm down, please. We can just blow it away before it establishes itself.

Mash: Th-That's true, but...!


Fujimaru 1: How?


Amakusa Shirou: With Noble Phantasms, of course. It will be a race against time, but...

???: I won't let you do it, Ruler...! This Grail is mine!


Fujimaru 1: A human...!?

Dr. Roman: No! That's no human!

Dr. Roman: It's a remnant of a record, created by the Grail mud!


Fujimaru 2: Nurarihyon...!?

Dr. Roman: No, no. No, no, no. What would a Japanese monster be doing here?

Dr. Roman: It's probably the remnants of a record created by the Grail mud.


Dr. Roman: ...Not exactly a common occurrence, but anyway...! Just don't hold back against it!

Amakusa Shirou: Oh, it's possible it's someone I fought during the Holy Grail War. But I'm sorry, I don't remember that well.

Amakusa Shirou: But if he's here...

???: You... You want this too, don't you! If this Grail fully forms, it will be a powerful weapon!

???: One that surpasses the Fuyuki Grail!

Amakusa Shirou: ...Master, let's destroy him. Talking to him is a waste of time.

Amakusa Shirou: Here we go!

--BATTLE--:

Mash: Enemy defeated. Confirmed elimination.

Dr. Roman: Whoa, whoa! Hurry! The Pseudo-Grail's like a volcano about to explode!

Dr. Roman: As soon as it explodes, it will properly establish itself as a Holy Grail.

Amakusa Shirou: Activating Noble Phantasm. Please stand back.

Dr. Roman: ...Something else came out of the mud!

Amakusa Shirou: They just keep coming...!

???: Hey pretty boy. Is this my first time meeting you? It is, right?

???: I'm a sewer rat, born from the mud. I got no business with a saint!

???: But... I see. I can see you've led a hard life.

???: That Heroic Spirit smell you're giving off is pretty damn close to my own!

???: And that exhaustion you just can't shake? Clear as day! That tired state of mind leaves you open to danger...

???: ...but I guess we can't help it!

???: You chose to go through all that! Nobody will sympathize with you!

Amakusa Shirou: You're right. I have no intention of seeking sympathy. If anything, I am the one who sympathizes with others.

???: Seriously? Damn, you think just like our new recruit!

???: An iron will... No, more like the power to get things done, eh? I'm weak to that stuff. In the sense that it makes me want to puke.

???: So...? My being born means that someone here wants this Grail...

???: Who is it? Who's the tasteless human? You?


Fujimaru 1: No way.


???: I know, right!? I mean, didn't think it'd be you!

???: And it's not that delicious tender-looking Servant over there, either.

Mash: Tender-looking?

???: Which leaves... Hey now, saint.

???: Are you serious about joining our side? Only bad guys want the Grail. Everyone knows that.

Mash: Huh...? A-Amakusa?

Dr. Roman: Hahahaha. Hey, you're kidding me.

Dr. Roman: ...Amakusa?

Amakusa Shirou: ...Don't worry about me. I know how to deal with Grails.

Amakusa Shirou: I will take this Grail and make good use of it.

Dr. Roman: What... Are you insane!? That's highly corrupted matter!

Dr. Roman: Even the resistance power of a Ruler has its limits!

Dr. Roman: You'll be corrupted instantly!

Amakusa Shirou: Yes, I'm well aware of that.

Amakusa Shirou: But even if it means taking risks... I can't give up on saving the world.

Amakusa Shirou: So I'll try to do so every chance I get.

???: Wait a minute... You want to use the power of destruction to save the world? You might as well start the doomsday clock right now.

???: No human, good or evil, can handle the power to save the world.

???: Right, Master? Did my words move you?


Fujimaru 1: I suppose so.

???: Right???


Fujimaru 2: Since when were we friends?

???: Hey now! You may have a point, but still, that hurts!


Amakusa Shirou: ...That mud is right. However, not giving up in the face of adversity is exact what's necessary for salvation.

Amakusa Shirou: Master, please decide.

Amakusa Shirou: Will you let me take care of this incomplete Grail?


Fujimaru 1: Nope.

Amakusa Shirou: ...I figured. Then I'm sorry, but...


Fujimaru 2: ...Sorry.

Amakusa Shirou: I see. That leaves me no choice.


Amakusa Shirou: In that case, let's have ourselves a good old-fashioned Holy Grail War. Winner takes all.

???: Hahahahaha! Man, you really are like our new recruit!

???: Especially the way you'll do whatever it takes!

???: But our black-caped recruit always puts so much effort into aesthetics.

???: You're colder, and more efficient. Which makes you impossible to persuade.

???: Master, you're gonna have to defeat him.

???: And when a Ruler gets out of hand, what you need is an Avenger to stop them!

???: Lucky you! You won the chance to try out a rare dark Servant!

???: I won't last the night anyway. Might as well die in style!

???: Let's go, Boss!

--BATTLE--:

Amakusa Shirou: ...It seems... I'm the one who lost this fight.

Mash: But the Grail...!

Dr. Roman: This is bad. I'm getting you all out of there now!

Dr. Roman: Without a way to destroy it, you have no choice but to evacuate...!

Amakusa Shirou: No, I will destroy it. Now that I've lost, this is my way of taking responsibility.

Amakusa Shirou: ...My conversation with you was worthwhile, Aŋra Mainiiu. Farewell.

Aŋra Mainiiu: Yeah? If it helped you vent a bit, then I guess it was worth the risk.

Aŋra Mainiiu: I'll let you clean up after yourselves. I'm a slacker at heart, you know. Don't go knocking on my door too often!

Amakusa Shirou: Activating Noble Phantasm. Twin Arm - Big Crunch...!

Dr. Roman: ...That was a close one.

Amakusa Shirou: Indeed. But unfortunately, I don't feel bad at all.

Dr. Roman: Now then... Fujimaru, you're his Master.

Dr. Roman: Since he's rebelled against you, it's up to you to decide on his punishment.

Amakusa Shirou: ...


Fujimaru 1: Rain check.


Fujimaru 2: Just don't do it again.


Amakusa Shirou: Is that all?

Dr. Roman: (Sigh) I had a feeling you'd say something like that...

Amakusa Shirou: Master. To me, the Grail is–no, the power the Grail brings is my greatest desire.

Amakusa Shirou: If the same thing happens again, I can say with almost certainty that I'll try once more for the Grail.


Fujimaru 1: It can't be helped.


Amakusa Shirou: It can't be...helped...?

Amakusa Shirou: ...Um, if it happens again, what will you do, Master?

Amakusa Shirou: Will you stop me again?


Fujimaru 1: Yes.


Amakusa Shirou: I see... We'll never see eye to eye on this matter.


Fujimaru 1: That's fine.


Amakusa Shirou: What did you say?


Fujimaru 1: I'll stop you as many times as it takes.


Amakusa Shirou: As long as you're my Master, you'll stop me? As many times...as it takes?

Amakusa Shirou: Well, that's a problem. As a Servant, I cannot betray my Master.

Amakusa Shirou: ...Very well. As long as you're my Master, I won't pursue my dream.

Amakusa Shirou: Even if we can't understand each other, we can fight together. Even if we must someday part, we can still hold hands.

Amakusa Shirou: If you will believe in me like that, I swear that I won't give in to my desire.

Amakusa Shirou: ...Anyway, at least give me some form of punishment.

Amakusa Shirou: It wouldn't sit well with me otherwise.


Fujimaru 1: ...Clean my room, or something...?


Amakusa Shirou: Thank you, Master.

Amakusa Shirou: I, Amakusa Shirou Tokisada, will give your room the best cleaning ever!

Let's Talk about Evil

Narration: There is nothing helpful to be gained by separating good and evil.

Narration: Good people miraculously cause evil to rain down upon us, and the same is true for evil people and good.

Narration: ...It is instinct itself that gets in the way of doing good. People resort to evil for all manner of reasons.

Narration: To eat... To sleep... To escape pain... To earn praise... To gain respect... To avoid having to think...

Narration: To connect with others... To form bonds... To rest... To have peace of mind... To avoid death...

Narration: That is why, sometimes, people choose evil. It's just not as simple as telling them to be better.

Amakusa Shirou: ...So I can't blame the samurai we fought at the Shimabara Rebellion for killing my compatriots and myself.

Amakusa Shirou: ...Of course I can never forgive them for what they did. And I have no desire to do so.

Amakusa Shirou: But would we have been any more merciful had the tables had been turned? I doubt it.

Amakusa Shirou: Demanding that others do things we can't is one of mankind's worst habits.


Fujimaru 1: Hey, so... Maybe we could talk about something else now?


Fujimaru 2: I gotta say, this isn't really what I had in mind for tea talk.


Amakusa Shirou: Hahaha, I can't blame you at all for feeling that way. But I'm not about to stop now.

Fou: Fou, fooou.

Amakusa Shirou: There have been lots of heroes and such who have tried to resolve the problem of evil once and for all...

Amakusa Shirou: ...but unfortunately, none of them ever succeeded.

Amakusa Shirou: Some of them went about it the wrong way... Some of them got bogged down in the details...

Amakusa Shirou: And some of them were mistaken about what the end result of their endeavor would be.

Amakusa Shirou: Strangely enough, it turns out that in order to eradicate evil...

Amakusa Shirou: ...one must resort to the decidedly evil measure of sacrificing the few for the sake of the many.

Amakusa Shirou: And of course, in doing so, such an endeavor ceases to be good.

Amakusa Shirou: That is the part that tripped up everyone who attempted this, be they hero, genius, or otherwise.

Amakusa Shirou: Which is exactly why you shouldn't lose heart. After all, this is the only option you have.


Fujimaru 1: Huh?


Amakusa Shirou: I'm talking about the Lostbelts. You seem to be taking their loss pretty hard, after all.

Amakusa Shirou: You may give us orders as our Master, but at the same time you also have your own orders to follow.


Fujimaru 1: I appreciate the thought, but I can't let myself get used to this.


Amakusa Shirou: Yes, that's true.

Amakusa Shirou: Getting used to it would erase one of your key advantages.

Amakusa Shirou: Most Servants are merciless, myself included.

Amakusa Shirou: After all, whether it's for a greater cause, our country, our loved ones, or ourselves, we wield our blades.

Amakusa Shirou: And we would never have become heroes had we not grown accustomed to fighting.

Amakusa Shirou: But you're an ordinary person. And as long as you remain so, you'll never get used to that.

Amakusa Shirou: One slight misstep on the path to your destination, and you could even end up with lifelong trauma.

Amakusa Shirou: However, that willingness to hold your ground even as you get hurt, despite not being a hero...

Amakusa Shirou: ...is also why you shine so bright.


Fujimaru 1: I...think I get it?

Amakusa Shirou: It's fine if you don't understand everything.

Amakusa Shirou: As long as you continue to do what you can, that's all that matters.


Fujimaru 2: I just try to help however I can.

Amakusa Shirou: Indeed. That's all you need to do.

Amakusa Shirou: Simply doing what they can is all any human can hope to do.

Amakusa Shirou: Expecting anything more requires us to stand on the shoulders of those who came before us.


Amakusa Shirou: Oh my, look at the time. I didn't mean to go on this long. All right, I think I'd better bid you good night now.

Amakusa Shirou: Sweet dreams.

Amakusa Shirou: ...There we go.

Amakusa Shirou: I'm sorry, that was more than a little intentional. I expect when [♂ he /♀️ she} goes to sleep tonight, [♂ he'll /♀️ she'll} end up wandering into the rift.

Amakusa Shirou: I can't let [♂ him /♀️ her} depart this world now, so I'm going to tag along and tie up some loose ends.

Amakusa Shirou: ...Luckily, it should be easy for you to carry me there, right?

Amakusa Shirou: Thank you. Now I can finally clean up this mess.


Fujimaru 1: What the!? Where am I!?


Amakusa Shirou: Hello again, Master. Can you see how horribly everything is burning here?

Amakusa Shirou: ...Oh? You seem suspicious about something. It's almost as though you think I'm responsible for us being here.


Fujimaru 1: Aren't you?

Amakusa Shirou: Indeed, I am.


Fujimaru 2: Aaamaaakuuusaaa!?

Amakusa Shirou: That's me. Amakusa Shirou Tokisada, your faithful Servant.

Amakusa Shirou: Hahaha, now you seem more suspicious than ever. Hahaha.

Amakusa Shirou: Unfortunately, you've every right to be.


Amakusa Shirou: This is as much your nightmare as it is mine.

Amakusa Shirou: Do you remember seeing this scenery before?


Fujimaru 1: Yeah, I do. This place is–


Amakusa Shirou: Indeed. Reality Marble: The Hell of Shimabara...

Amakusa Shirou: The living hell you once experienced in the Shimousa Province Pseudo-Singularity.

Amakusa Shirou: I too experienced something very similar to it back when I was alive.


Fujimaru 1: But, why are we seeing this again now?


Amakusa Shirou: That would be my doing. Do you remember what we talked about before bedtime?

Amakusa Shirou: About Lostbelts, and evil, and all that jazz?

Amakusa Shirou: It was through that talk that these memories came back to life and merged with the curses you've been accumulating.

Amakusa Shirou: Normally, driving such curses away falls to another Servant, but tonight, I asked him to let me handle it.

Amakusa Shirou: ...So yes, this was all intentional. I'm sorry I dragged you into it, but...


Fujimaru 1: Oh well, I guess it's okay.


Amakusa Shirou: Oh? You really don't mind? Even though, by all accounts, this is a fairly serious situation?


Fujimaru 1: You had a reason for doing this, right?


Fujimaru 2: I know you didn't do this for no reason.


Amakusa Shirou: ... ...

Amakusa Shirou: Well, now I'm kind of embarrassed.

Amakusa Shirou: All right, if you trust me that much, I'll go ahead and tell you everything. No more lies.

Amakusa Shirou: But first...

Amakusa Shirou: We need to dispose of these riffraff. Let's talk more once this is over, shall we?


Fujimaru 1: Sounds good!


--BATTLE--:

Amakusa Shirou: Now then, as I was saying.

Amakusa Shirou: Over the course of your adventures, Master, you've been unwittingly collecting some...less than desirable things.

Amakusa Shirou: I speak of the kind of residual feelings wild beasts can only dream about. In a word: grudges.

Amakusa Shirou: And while you may not usually be aware of them, these grudges still find ways to cause you pain.

Amakusa Shirou: Of course, Da Vinci and the rest of Chaldea's staff do everything they can to care for your mental health...

Amakusa Shirou: But it's just not enough.

Amakusa Shirou: And because it's not enough, an Avenger has also been secretly helping you, even as he pretends not to care.

Amakusa Shirou: However, there are some things that not even he can do.

Amakusa Shirou: As you've escaped Chaldea and gone on journey after journey, you've continued to accumulate curses slowly but surely.

Amakusa Shirou: Curses that will destroy a core part of you someday.

Amakusa Shirou: So this time, I decided to try handling one of these...let's say karmic debts before it got too big.

Amakusa Shirou: Left unchecked, curses can grow into dreadful, powerful things.

Amakusa Shirou: But, if I can give this one some form of direction... it might just change into something I desire.


Fujimaru 1: Wait. You don't mean–


Amakusa Shirou: I do. I've always wanted to meet this other being who called himself by my name ever since I heard about him.

Amakusa Shirou: Now, what other name did he go by again?

Amakusa Shirou: Ah yes. Sorcerer.

???: Haha, hahaha. Hahahaha! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

???: Foolish. Foolish! How incredibly foolish! I knew my Heroic Spirit self had been reduced to slaving for humanity...

???: But I would never have dreamed he was this foolhardily ignorant!

Amakusa Shirou: Well now, that didn't take long at all.

Amakusa Shirou: I don't suppose you could also manifest Onriedo Castle while you're at it?

Sorcerer: ...I cannot.

Sorcerer: All I can do now that I am a mere dreg of my former self is to recreate this very place.

Sorcerer: But now, to my surprise...

Sorcerer: ...that [♂ boy /♀️ girl} there has chosen to throw [♂ his /♀️ her} life away of [♂ his /♀️ her} own volition!

Sorcerer: I was prepared to spend years–decades, if necessary–clinging to life in the darkest recesses of [♂ his /♀️ her} brain stem, but–

Amakusa Shirou: Hahaha, I can't imagine that would have worked out for you.

Amakusa Shirou: It would've only been a matter of time before you were discovered and scrubbed away...

Amakusa Shirou: ...or burned to ashes by a certain someone I could name.

Sorcerer: Exactly.

Sorcerer: A tiny mouse can never hope to defeat a tiger, after all. But now, you have committed a crime of arrogance.

Sorcerer: One that resulted in giving me an opportunity with which to manifest my very self!

Sorcerer: My next step will be to destroy that [♂ boy's /♀️ girl's} mind, turn [♂ him /♀️ her} into my puppet, and then–


Fujimaru 1: Um, am I in as much danger as it sounds like?


Amakusa Shirou: Don't be silly. Surely you haven't forgotten that I'm here too, have you?

Amakusa Shirou: Everything will be fine. I promise.

Amakusa Shirou: In fact...I'll even say this.

Amakusa Shirou: Hehe.

Amakusa Shirou: According to my calculations...

Amakusa Shirou: ...I'm ninety-nine point nine percent sure to win!


Fujimaru 1: Wha... Are you nuts!? You just doomed us!

Amakusa Shirou: Oh good, you got what I meant. Excellent.


Fujimaru 2: Why would you even voice that possibility!?

Amakusa Shirou: Hahaha, I'm just kidding.


Amakusa Shirou: I always wanted to say something like that once in my life.

Amakusa Shirou: I never thought I'd get the chance to actually say it loud and proud like that.

Amakusa Shirou: Of course, chances like that are few and far between in reality, but here...

Sorcerer: Huh?

Sorcerer: What in the world are you talking about?

Sorcerer: No, never mind that. How can you be so confident!?

Sorcerer: You think me an imposter!? Do you make light of me, as a fragment of my former self!?

Amakusa Shirou: Not at all.

Amakusa Shirou: I'm not making light of you in the slightest, nor do I think you're anything less than a formidable opponent.

Amakusa Shirou: I'm just fully confident that I can beat you anyway.

Amakusa Shirou: To be completely honest, I wasn't sure how this would go until I came face-to-face with you.

Amakusa Shirou: But now that I have, I can say this with complete certainty:

Amakusa Shirou: I will never end up like you.

Sorcerer: ...!

Sorcerer: No. No, you absolutely won't!

Sorcerer: How could you, now that you've thrown away your revenge, and forgotten these flames!?

Amakusa Shirou: ... ...

Amakusa Shirou: You're wrong there, Avenger.

Amakusa Shirou: I've never forgotten these flames or this hell.

Amakusa Shirou: All I've done...is make peace with them.

Sorcerer: Ridiculous!!!

Sorcerer: How can you claim with a straight face that you've forgiven such cruelty? Such despair?

Sorcerer: Are you telling me I should just forget it ever happened? That I should wash my hands of it like so much soap!?

Amakusa Shirou: I'm afraid you've fundamentally misunderstood me, sorcerer. We may be similar, but you are definitely not me.

Amakusa Shirou: Just because I've made my peace with it doesn't mean I've forgotten it, or my hatred.

Amakusa Shirou: But my hatred was only reserved for mankind's sins.

Amakusa Shirou: Then, we come to everything good in the world.

Amakusa Shirou: Until my body completely falls apart, I'm going to keep searching for a way to purge evil and save all of humanity.

Sorcerer: ...You're no hero. You're not even a saint.

Sorcerer: You're just broken! A half-wit chasing delusions! There is no possible way I will fall to the likes of you!

Amakusa Shirou: It seems we really are fundamentally the same at heart then, right down to the things we say.

Amakusa Shirou: Which means this battle will all come down to the strength of our trump cards. All right, let's get to it, shall we?

Amakusa Shirou: My name is Amakusa Shirou Tokisada.

Amakusa Shirou: Though you may look like me, if I must destroy you in order to purify your curse...I won't hesitate to do so.

Sorcerer: ...!

Sorcerer: Very well then! If you truly think you're capable of it, then go ahead and try!!!

--BATTLE--:

Sorcerer: You... You bastaaaaaard! You're nothing but a damn hypocrite pretending to be a good Samaritan!

Amakusa Shirou: Well, I can't say you're wrong there.

Amakusa Shirou: But...it's still better than going around doing evil while not even trying to pretend otherwise, don't you think?

Sorcerer: Why!? Why don't you loathe them!? Why don't you despise them!?

Sorcerer: I have every right to hate the Tokugawa family! Shimabara was hell on earth, in every sense of the word!

Sorcerer: Ordering their starving citizens to die... Killing mothers in front of their children...

Sorcerer: The Tokugawas exploited us mercilessly for years on end! And you would have me forgive them!?

Amakusa Shirou: Yes, it was hell on earth. Which is why I'm going to make damn sure it never happens again.

Amakusa Shirou: My goal is to save all of humanity and usher in an era of permanent peace.

Amakusa Shirou: I'll admit...your grudge is not without merit.

Amakusa Shirou: That anger and hatred are like scars carved into my Spirit Origin. I'll never be entirely free of them.

Amakusa Shirou: In that sense, the only difference between you and me is that you're still giving them voice.

Amakusa Shirou: But when it comes to hurting my Master, our goals couldn't be further apart.

Sorcerer: ...I see...

Sorcerer: But...that doesn't mean I'm about to give up!

Sorcerer: I will never lose to the likes of you! Never!

Amakusa Shirou: This is as far as that spirit of yours goes, sorcerer. Come. Let's finish this.

Sorcerer: ... ...

Amakusa Shirou: ... ...

Narration: ...In strength, skill, and striking distance, they were each practically identical. Between two such opponents, a single ordinary strike could render all their prior injuries meaningless.

Narration: Given that their fortune, compassion, and resolve were each perfectly matched...

Narration: ...victory would go to the one with greater determination.

Sorcerer: ... ...

Amakusa Shirou: ...Phew. For all my big talk, that turned out to be disturbingly close.


Fujimaru 1: So...that sorcerer was you?


Fujimaru 2: Was he another way you could have gone?


Amakusa Shirou: Yes, I suppose so.

Amakusa Shirou: In my case, I just happened to end up with a mission to save all of humanity.

Amakusa Shirou: But if I had never found that mission, and continued to nurture my hatred...I may well have ended up like him.

Amakusa Shirou: Or perhaps he's simply another side of me who could have been summoned under different circumstances.

Amakusa Shirou: But either way, that's just an empty hypothesis now.

Amakusa Shirou: For my part, I've never forgotten that promise.

Amakusa Shirou: “Even if we can't understand each other, we can fight together. Even if we must someday part, we can still hold hands.”

Amakusa Shirou: While I am still trying to save all of humanity, my vow to you comes first.

Amakusa Shirou: You know...

Amakusa Shirou: ...that sorcerer's purity may be the same quality I just lost in myself.


Fujimaru 1: Even though you're clearly having fun?

Amakusa Shirou: Ah, you'll have to forgive me for that.

Amakusa Shirou: Let's just say that in losing some things, we gain others.


Fujimaru 2: But you're okay with that, right?

Amakusa Shirou: Of course.

Amakusa Shirou: If I wasn't, I would have left right after humanity had been restored.


Amakusa Shirou: Now then, Master, give me your hand, and let's wake up from this nightmare together.

Narration: Some time later...

Amakusa Shirou: All right, the library is nice and organized. Now I just have to go through the things from Chaldea that have been left lying around...

Inshun: Pardon me, Lord Amakusa.

Amakusa Shirou: Oh, hello, Lord Houzouin. What can I do for you?

Inshun: Well...

Inshun: ...I'm just about to have a sparring session with Lord Yagyu in the combat simulator.

Amakusa Shirou: I see. But I'm afraid I'm not sure what that has to do with me...?

Inshun: I'm getting to that. Would you mind if I copied your catchphrase during our duel?

Amakusa Shirou: My catchphrase?

Amakusa Shirou: ...Oh no!

Inshun: I'm ninety-nine point nine percent sure to win!!!

Amakusa Shirou: Khh...!

Amakusa Shirou: H-hearing it from someone else's mouth is even more devastating than I'd imagined!

Amakusa Shirou: Wait, hang on. How do you even know about that? On second thought, don't tell me.

Amakusa Shirou: It was Master, wasn't it? Hehehe, I can't believe [♂ he /♀️ she} of all people would blab about that!

Amakusa Shirou: ...On third thought, I absolutely can! Dammit! I knew I should have paid [♂ him /♀️ her} to keep [♂ his /♀️ her} mouth shut!

Inshun: Well...

Inshun: I believe all will be clear once you pay a visit to the cafeteria.

Amakusa Shirou: The cafeteria!? Crap! I'll go there right now!

Inshun: ...Alas, I'm afraid it may already be too late.


Fujimaru 1: Then he held up his sword and said this!


Fujimaru 2: “I'm ninety-nine point nine percent sure to win!”


Amakusa Shirou: Gaaah! I'm too late!

Sakata Kintoki: Damn, Amakusa, that's really golden!

Fuuma Kotarou: I'm so sorry, Amakusa.

Fuuma Kotarou: I confess I may have been a bit wary around you, especially since the Shimousa incident.

Fuuma Kotarou: I had no idea you were capable of saying something like that so earnestly. On behalf of the Fuuma clan, I apologize for my misconception. That was indeed worthy of praise.

Jack: That's so cool! We wanna say it too!

Jack: “We're ninety-nine point nine percent sure to win!”

Jeanne Alter Santa Lily: That's so logical of you to account for the remote possibility that you might lose, Mentor!

Jeanne Alter Santa Lily: I want to be ninety-nine point nine percent sure of winning too! What's the trick? Is it glasses? Do I need glasses!?

Osakabehime: I'm still amazed you actually won after saying something like that.

Osakabehime: I mean, that kind of line is just begging for dramatic irony to come and smack you down!

Osakabehime: Still, it's so good that I absolutely have to use it in my next book. Arigathanks for the inspiration!

Amakusa Shirou: How could I let this happen!?

Semiramis: Hmm, interesting. Veeery interesting.

Semiramis: Being cool and collected is all well and good, but in your case, you always use your smile as a mask to hide your true feelings.

Semiramis: I never thought I would see you panic with such urgency. This has been most entertaining.

Amakusa Shirou: Not you too!

Semiramis: What is wrong with it, Amakusa Shirou?

Semiramis: “I'm ninety-nine point nine percent sure to win!”

Semiramis: Yes, I have taken a liking to it as well. I think I will continue to say it for the time being.

Amakusa Shirou: Please don't...

Semiramis: Oh, worry not. These sorts of fads die as quickly as they begin. You need merely suffer humiliation until this one blows over.

Amakusa Shirou: (Sigh)... I guess you're right.

Amakusa Shirou: I'll just have to chalk this up as another punishment to endure.

Amakusa Shirou: ... ...

Amakusa Shirou: Besides, to be honest...

Amakusa Shirou: I still can't entirely deny that catchphrase's sheer coolness.

Semiramis: Hm? Did you say something?

Amakusa Shirou: Oh, it's nothing.

Amakusa Shirou: Ninety-nine point nine percent...nothing at all!