the living [comprehensive]

To save you no matter what—what a hopeless ideal.

Eliminating misfortune and saving others is the wish engraved in the soul of Emiya Shirou.If you don't give up this wish, "Shiro Emiya" will never be redeemed.

But as long as there is still a glimmer of hope, I will never give up.

The teenagers in the deepest darkness still firmly believe that the dawn is coming, and the girl who is destined to be alone has someone to know and love her; isn't this what I saw with my own eyes in the previous world?

So, no matter what, I will pull you out of despair——

Believing that he had conveyed the emotion to Archer, Shirou adjusted his breathing and opened his eyes.

What appeared in front of the boy was a completely strange land.

Is this in the middle of the desert?

Seeing the large expanse of sand, Shirou was a little perplexed.After getting up to see everything around him clearly, his warm-colored pupils jumped violently.

Although it is in the wilderness, the sight is not blank.Blood-stained swords stand on the pale sand dunes, and the scattered arrows have been covered with thick gray haze.The lake and green trees can be seen faintly in the distance, but where there should be vitality, there are only messy and dilapidated ruins.

It looks like a war-torn place.While Shirou came to a conclusion through observation, another thought flashed through his mind.

I always feel... this place is a bit similar to Archer's "Unlimited Sword System".

The chilling wind roared past with blood, and the earth was covered with traces of death.The morning sun seems to never come here, just like the light and warmth that have become a luxury for the victims.

It's... an illusion.

Although the ruins standing in the distance were burnt black and looked lifeless, Shirou still decided to try his luck there.The bitter wind blew in front of him, and the dust and sand it raised made his cheeks hurt.Realizing that night might be coming soon, he quickened his pace.

Stepping into the ruins of this former city, Shirou saw a scene like hell on earth.

The battle seems to have settled, but this small town is already a mess, with corpses lying everywhere.Those seemingly intact corpses were also extremely miserable: skinny and bony limbs were exposed under the wide robes, and bloody faces and white, godless eyes were under the messy turban.

Shirou couldn't bear to watch this sad scene any longer, and turned his head to the collapsed house.Through the hollow window of the broken window, he saw a light flickering slightly in the darkness.

—Someone survived!

The moment this idea popped into his mind, Shirou felt the haze that was clogging his chest disappear completely, and even fatigue seemed to no longer restrict his body's movements.

Although it is impossible to save the disaster that has already happened, at least the person in the house must be saved!

The young man jumped into the room lightly, and then, because he was afraid of scaring the survivors who were huddled in a corner of the room, he took a small step forward very lightly.

Hearing the voice, the other party also turned sideways.

The moment he saw the opponent clearly, Shirou's breath stopped, and the blood in his whole body seemed to be frozen.

The things squirming in the corners are simply inhuman monsters.If I insist, only the slender limbs are similar to human limbs, but the appearance of the black body with exposed fangs has nothing to do with "human beings".

——That thing is just a pure black monster from hell that looks very similar to a human being.

The brain stopped functioning due to expectations, but the body that has experienced a lot of battles has the instinct to defend and counterattack.When the black shadow rushed, Shirou pulled out the long sword pierced into the ground and cut off the pitch-black arm that was protruding.

Pushing back the black shadow with pain, the young man who got the upper hand lowered his head and frowned slightly at the arm holding the sword.

It was clearly just a body of flesh and blood, but his arm was numb from the shock of chopping the opponent.Such a powerful impact is almost no less than the experience of a duel with a heroic spirit.But no matter what, this black creature emitting a stench in front of him is hard to connect with the souls of the heroes who used to be.

So, what is this...?

Suppressing the doubts in his heart for a while, facing the black shadow that rushed again, Shirou raised his sword high and fought back.Facing unknown dangers, he decided to keep fighting.

When the boy stabbed the black shadow's vitals again, his stiff body lacking rest had almost reached its limit.Gritting his teeth, he tried to stab the sword deeper until it penetrated the opponent's chest.

However, in the next second, something happened suddenly.

The roof, which was already crumbling on top of the broken wall, finally collapsed due to the vibration caused by the battle.

Shirou, who killed the black shadow, was powerless to dodge, so he could only close his eyes tightly.

When Shirou was ready to bear the impact, he was completely hugged.

Eh?This is……

The unknown person jumped out of the window with the boy in his arms, and landed on the open ground.Behind them, the dilapidated house collapsed completely.Accompanied by the loud sound of a heavy object falling to the ground, the other party seemed to say something, but Shirou, who couldn't hear clearly, had no time to pursue it.

Leaning in the opponent's arms, Shirou still closed his eyes tightly, trying to hold back the tears that welled up unconsciously.

——Even if you didn't see the other party with your own eyes, even if the other party didn't say a word.

——Even if I was deeply hated and hated by the other party.

——Even if the other party doesn't remember getting along with him at all.

However, every time I was in crisis, it was the other side who extended a helping hand to me.

"Tsk, how long do you want to pretend to be asleep?" The other party finally spoke, his deep voice full of impatience.

Knew it.Shirou thought silently and opened his eyes.

The juvenile's amber pupils accurately captured the opponent's face, and when he opened his eyes, he stared straight at the opponent.

The heroic spirit's white hair gleamed silver in the moonlight, his red robe fluttered in the wind like a burning flame, and his steel-grey pupils were scrutinizing Shirou.That sharp gaze gave Shirou the illusion of being seen through his soul.

"If you stay in a daze like this, I'll just throw you on the ground, brat." Heroic Spirit spoke again, but the hostility that had lingered all over his body faded away, and his tone changed into helplessness.

"Hold, I'm sorry!" Shirou forced himself to jump off the ground, and frantically stabilized his weak body.When he was about to fall, the heroic spirit seemed to reach out his hand, but in the end he restrained himself.

"It seems to be all right, you." Ying Ling's tone was cold and alienated.

"Yeah. Thank you for saving me." Shirou, who was exposed to the cold wind, subconsciously rubbed his shoulders.For some reason, Heroic Spirit's indifferent attitude gave him the illusion of being resolutely resisted.

But, it shouldn't be like this.

In Tokyo before, even though Archer no longer remembered himself, he was able to get rid of despair to a certain extent.Even in the dark and hopeless long samsara, but because of himself, Archer should change a little every time they meet.

"That... you seem a little familiar?" Although he had no hope that Archer would remember him, Shirou still asked tentatively, "Have we met somewhere?"

Hearing this, there was a hint of astonishment in Ying Ling's steel-grey eyes.However, that trace of fluctuation was like ripples rippling on the stagnant water, and disappeared without a trace in an instant.

"What nonsense are you talking about. How could you and I have seen each other." There was a hint of sarcasm in Ying Ling's deep voice, "Could it be that your brain is broken, brat."

"No!" Shirou subconsciously countered the familiar sneer from the heroic spirit.After realizing that the person in front of him didn't remember him, his imposing face was occupied by blankness again.

"It's fine with you, anyway, it has nothing to do with me." Heroic Spirit took a step back with a cold face, his tone was cold, "Looking at you, you don't look like someone who should appear on the battlefield. If you leave for some illusory matter If you come here, it’s better to get out of here quickly.”

"Huh? Wait!" Sensing that the heroic spirit wanted to leave, Shirou subconsciously stepped up to chase after him, but was stopped by the heroic spirit's gaze.

That is, the coldness of looking at strangers, the sharpness of looking at enemies, and the disgust of looking at something dirty.

"Meeting for the first time" but showing such an expression...why do you hate it so much.

The boy who was standing there lowered his head sadly, and bit his lower lip tightly.However, in the next second, he raised his head again without admitting defeat.

The Heroic Spirit in sight was walking away without hesitation.When the other party turned around, he caught the expression belonging to the other party, and Ling Shirou's eyes widened.

Heroic Spirit gritted his teeth silently as if holding back something.The ruthless eyes that were clear and unwavering before were also filled with struggle and inexplicable sadness.

Archer? !

***

Magic power gathers in the storm, and heroic spirits flash into the world in the gray dusk.

What appeared in front of the heroic spirit was an extremely familiar land.

He had lived for ten years in this land scorched by war and full of sorrow and death.

Stepping into the blood-stained gravel, Heroic Spirit was stunned by some hard object touched by his feet.

Even if the long sword pierced deeply into the ground, it shone with a sharp cold light, and there was an unconventional power that was almost magical attached to it.

A weapon forged to protect others is still usable, but its bearer is nowhere to be found.

"Another completely destroyed guy? A soul that exists with that identity." Heroic Spirit said to himself, and the words that came out were obviously questions, but he said them in an affirmative tone.

——Just the same as I was back then.It doesn't matter if the way of dying is different.

——Even if some people can be saved temporarily, it is impossible to bring hope to everyone.

Heroic Spirit strode forward expressionlessly, leaving the weapon that had appeared in his memory far behind.

No one knows what kind of stormy waves of emotions are hidden under the hard and cold appearance of the heroic spirit.

From the moment he set foot on this land, the long-lost memory has been awakened, whether it is the boyhood of "Shirou Emiya" or the ten years of living in the Middle East with a new identity.

When he was still "Shirou Emiya", he made a deal with the suppression force in order to save the lives of hundreds of people, and obtained a new identity with the mission of protecting mankind.There are still many people who are looking forward to accepting the new identity with him.

They ran on this land in order to prevent war and destruction, and their hands were stained with blood.

The wide cloaks covered their strong and agile limbs, and the dark soft armor covered their flesh and blood that was gradually rotting and festering.

Deep in pain, they stubbornly refused to give up hope, and they knew nothing about their doomed future.

They are called—

--protector.

Ahh, it's all old stuff.

How can I, who has experienced countless killings, be moved by these again.

The heroic spirit who thought this way moved forward quickly in the long yellow sand until he passed a small town that had been destroyed by the war.He wanted to go around here and continue walking, but he stopped because of a faint breath of life.

In such a hopeless situation, is there such a vibrant life?Yingling was a little dazed.

Although it is likely to be that kind of monster, let's take a look.Heroic Spirit followed his own curiosity in a rare way, and stepped into the ruins.

He did meet a living human being.

To be precise, the other party is connected with his soul, almost can be said to be the same person.

"It would be great if I could kill myself who holds the ideal of justice earlier", this thought accompanied the heroic spirit through countless reincarnations.However, now that he meets his boyhood self, Heroic Spirit flies out without thinking, and saves the other party who is in danger.

——It turns out that even after going through the dark and hopeless past, the ideal that he believed in since childhood still has a place in his heart.

Holding the boy in his arms and falling to the ground, Heroic Spirit whispered a word amidst the sound of the collapse.

"So it was you."

——It’s you, Emiya Shirou.

The author has something to say: the background of this unit is the period in the Middle East~ In a sense, it is a magic garden paro233

I always wanted to write about the encounter between young Shirou and Archer in the Middle East (^o^)/~