the living [comprehensive]

Emiya Shirou came to the hill full of swords again.On the eve of dawn, the sky was dim, but this did not prevent Shirou from seeing everything around him clearly.

The dry, pale sand beneath his feet gave off a lifeless gloomy light, and the valleys where the dunes joined were drenched in sticky blood red.Emiya Shirou fell into deep thought amidst the bloody death atmosphere.

Why did I come here again?The moment Archer disappeared, the bond between him and the other party had already disappeared.

—Cha!

Shirou, who was confused, was startled by an inescapable sound behind him—it was the sound of sharp knives rubbing against each other, cutting his clothes and piercing his skin.He turned around quickly, and then covered his lips because of the scene in front of him.

Behind him was a scene of hell.Broken corpses were scattered everywhere, and the white sand under the corpses was stained red.Humanity seems to have just fought a terrible war, and they have won a hard victory.

The young hero who leads everyone to victory stands under the hill.

—It's Archer.To be precise, it is Archer who is still the "Guardian".

It's just that the victorious people don't seem to need heroes anymore.At the moment when the hero turned his back and raised the flag, all the companions of the hero raised their weapons one after another——

What caught Shirou Emiya's eyes was the embarrassing appearance of the white-haired young man with torn robes and bloodstains all over his body.Countless sharp blades were buried deep into his solid back, and some even penetrated his body.

Having fallen into such a miserable situation, the young man showed no trace of resentment on his face.Because of the realization of his desire to "protect others", his dying heart burned even more intensely at the last moment.He struggled to climb towards the top of the hill where Shirou was standing, causing quicksand to flow every time his raised foot fell.

——Want to come to the highest place and enjoy the last sunrise?At this time, Archer probably still believes that after his death, he can become a heroic spirit and save more people, right?

Unscrambling the other party's mind effortlessly, the boy's heart was filled with bitterness.

Despair is always accompanied by hope.And the "Shiro Emiya" in front of him fell into a futile reincarnation just for a beautiful illusion destined to despair, experiencing deception, betrayal, and killing endlessly.

Although they were determined to go farther for each other, they also decided to completely forget about Archer.However, as long as he watched this young man who didn't know what the future was going forward in such a tragic and satisfying way, he would feel a sharp pain in his chest.

Shirou let out a painful sigh, then raised his eyes slightly.

As if telepathically connected, the white-haired young man with dark skin also raised his head with difficulty.The gaze that was supposed to be looking at the sky behind Shirou happened to meet the boy's gaze.

The moment the two looked at each other, the whole world seemed to stop at this moment.

are you looking at me

You know I'm here watching you?

The body pierced by countless sharp blades finally lost the last bit of mobility, and the young man who yearned for the top of the hill staggered and fell down.

Everything that happened in front of him was almost the same as the scene after blocking countless treasures for him.

Unable to hold back the impulse in his heart any longer, Shirou took a sudden step forward and stretched out his hand: "Archer!" The boy shouted loudly.

——I will catch you!

For the anonymous Heroic Spirit, it seems that his code name, Archer, has also become a taboo.After uttering that word, the boy found that the world in front of him had undergone earth-shaking changes.

The blood-stained sword mound slowly faded in front of his eyes, and was finally replaced by a dark green bamboo roof.The field of vision became dim, but everything that appeared in the dim light was familiar and intimate.There are brisk birdsong outside the window, and the waterwheel under the eaves is also slowly rotating with the sound of water.

Realizing that this was his home, Shirou sat up.

I would actually have a dream related to that guy.Moreover, everything I felt in that short and long dream was too real.

Realizing that he was in a daze again, the boy tapped his forehead and shook his head vigorously.

The Holy Grail War is indeed very unforgettable!Getting along with Saber, Tohsaka...and that guy is worth remembering!But, it's all over!What I can do is to continue the dream that only belongs to me and Archer, and go to a farther future!

The boy quickly changed his clothes and opened the door.And that inconceivable figure in the courtyard frightened Shirou who had just cheered up again: "Saber!?"

"Shirou." The girl swordsman who changed into casual clothes nodded, still as calm as ever.

"I said, Saber? Did you stay?" Although the young man was surprised and delighted, he was not dizzy yet, "But when you destroyed the Holy Grail, your magic power has been exhausted..."

"Because I signed a contract with Saber! With my magic power, Saber can stay!" Tohsaka Rin, who was sitting next to the girl swordsman, was a little dissatisfied, "Is Saber the only one in your eyes, Emiya-san? "

"Sorry, but I was very surprised to see Saber reappear..." After hesitating for a while, the boy asked what he was concerned about, "A genius magician like Tohsaka is actually enough to support the two heroic spirits to stay." down, right?"

"Of course. To me, it's not a complicated magic trick, just need to pay a few gems."

"So, you also sent an invitation to Archer?"

"Yes, but that guy rejected me." The girl with twin ponytails was a little disappointed, but quickly raised her head, "Let's not talk about this. What is Wei Gong's next plan? If it's okay, follow me Let's eat curry with Saber! We can also discuss your training as a magician."

"Huh?" Shirou was taken aback, "Practice means..."

"Don't you have an ideal to realize? You can't do it halfway like now." Tohsaka Rin nodded, "Archer entrusted you to me, of course I have to take responsibility!"

"Ha...thank you so much." The boy looked at the proud but friendly girl, and then turned to the swordsman sitting quietly beside him.

I want to go out to eat with Saber, and I want to learn how to become stronger from Tohsaka.After all, I promised Archer.

Speaking of which, I don't need to worry anymore, do I?The guy who seems to have a steel frame.

He has admitted his former "self" and this ignorant brat; Archer, who has been relieved, will never despair again even if he returns to the Heroic Seat and continues to repeat the work of obliterating despair and evil.

However, something always feels wrong.

It was difficult for Emiya Shirou to recall the scene when the heroic spirit left.

Archer asked Tohsaka Rin to take care of himself before disappearing, and gave himself the only smile.

and many more!

A thought flashed quickly in the boy's mind.

"As long as I have Tohsaka Rin by my side, I won't become an Archer." ——That guy, think so?Does he want to bear all the pain by himself!

"This self-assertive bastard." Clenching his fists on his knees, the boy whispered to himself.

"Indeed, he's a big bastard." Tohsaka Rin nodded, "So, shall we go out for dinner?"

"Sorry, let's forget it today." After struggling for a moment, Shirou still rejected Tohsaka Rin's invitation, "I'll go to Dad's place later."

Emiya Shirou wasn't lying.He did intend to go to Emiya Kiritsugu's tomb and describe to the opponent the Fifth Holy Grail War that he was involved in, including his own growth and the defeat of the opponent's mortal enemy.But, besides that, he has another thing to do.

Shirou, who had left from Kiritsugu's tomb, came to the basement of Ryutoji Temple by a strange coincidence.

This place is where the spiritual veins of Fuyuki City gather, and it is also where the true Holy Grail was born.Thinking of the chaotic darkness and the terrifying power capable of destroying the world, the young man felt his heartbeat speed up instantly.

That wicked grail can't save anyone; but if only he could touch the forbidden power.In this way, Archer will...

Thus?

Suddenly, Shirou understood the bitter and unspeakable hidden wish about Archer in his heart.

The ideal of justice will be realized by myself, and the girl who comes before me will support each other; but, the difficult wish born of Archer makes it difficult for me to move forward.

——I don't want to watch you save your companions only to lose your life because of their betrayal.

— don't want to watch you sink into the cycle of killing and lose hope in this long and hopeless process.

The previously hazy mood that seemed to be covered with a thin layer of mist became clear, and Shirou murmured, "It would be great if we could reach the era he was in."

"However, this kind of thing is not possible." Shirou came back to his senses and felt that his thoughts were too ridiculous, "Besides, that guy probably doesn't care about my 'rescue'."

Taking a last glance at the huge magic circle drawn on the icy ground, Emiya Shirou planned to leave this weird place.

However, the moment the boy turned around, the magic circle behind him changed.

A faint black shadow emerged silently in the center of the magic circle, and spread out with a ferocious gesture about to entangle something.It moved towards the boy who was walking away slowly, forming a huge shadow behind him that could swallow him completely.

Emiya Shirou quickly noticed this weak but evil magical power.But before he could fight back, he was completely engulfed by the dark shadow.

The black shadow forcibly took away the color of the world, shrouding the young man in a darkness that was so oppressive that it almost made one want to vomit.In it, Shirou felt overwhelmed.The black shadow that engulfed him didn't seem to want to hurt him, but the thick and inexplicable sadness completely overwhelmed him.

"Is there anyone you want to save?"

The teenager who was already deeply disturbed was frightened again: the person talking to him seemed to be a little girl.

"You, do you have an ideal that you want to realize no matter what?"

The young man finally broke free from the state of anxiety: "Of course. As long as there is a glimmer of hope, I will not give up. So is the ideal, and so is the person I want to save."

"Really? Even if you will fall into a reincarnation that is difficult to escape from?"

The young man answered quickly: "I don't really understand what you said. But in reincarnation, I will definitely be able to make more progress every time. In this way, the hope will always be fulfilled."

"Even in infinite reincarnation, the person you want to save doesn't remember you?"

The boy is still firm: "He is my 'ideal'. That's why I want to save him and bring him hope again. It doesn't matter if you don't remember my words."

"Even if 'despair' will eventually fill the vacancy of 'hope'? As long as there is hope, there must be an equivalent despair. Maybe, in the end, you still can't save him, and you may even be swallowed by despair together with him." .”

The boy did not answer.

"If you want to save him, maybe you will pay more than you imagined?" The unknown girl said, "For you, this person doesn't have to be saved, does it?"

Indeed, Archer doesn't have to be saved for himself.The other party will not lose hope easily, and he just needs to go on with his ideals in mind.

The boy who tried to convince himself in this way became more and more contradictory.

Can you really ignore Archer?The guy who was imprisoned by ideals for a long time.

The concern for Archer will gradually fade with the passage of time, but even so, the current self is struggling with this guy, and he can't ignore it no matter what.

"He's not someone you have to save, is he?" the girl hiding in the shadows repeated.

"No," the young man finally replied—in an extremely firm tone, "he is the one I must save. Even if the efforts to save the other party will be in vain, and even the hope of each other will become illusory, at this moment I... ..."

At this moment, Archer, I choose to save you who are reincarnated in pain.

You are the ideal I yearn for.So, I'm going to save your lonely soul.

After that, I will wait for you, in what you are looking forward to, a better future.

The girl didn't speak out again, but acted silently.

The thick and inextricable darkness in front of him disappeared, and what became clearer in the field of vision was the clean white and bright tones.Through the increasingly thinning black mist, the boy vaguely saw flying black feathers, and the red headband fluttering along with the long hair.

"Really..." It's a girl.

The boy couldn't complete the sentence.His thoughts stopped abruptly with the sudden whiteness that enveloped him.

The author has something to say: Well, because Archer, who is a heroic spirit, may appear in various desperate or sinful situations, so Aishirou will travel through 2333 if he disagrees.

The idea of ​​this article is a bit like Madoka paro~ So who is the girl who appears, I don’t need to shrink it