votestaynight2

[votestaynight2]

15th Day - limited. (Scene 5)

Not gonna stop at the next choice. There are 5 lines between these two choices with Rider.

"―――――――" She once asked me… What was it? Remember. It was…

Answer: Will I be on Sakura's side until the very end.

…That's right. She asked me under the starry sky. If I'll be on Sakura's side until the very end.

The words I couldn't say to her back then. I can tell her now with confidence.

"Rider. I understand how much you care for Sakura. You're stopping me now because Sakura will suffer if you let me go, right?"

"………Yes. Are you still going to kill Sakura in spite of that?" "I'm not going to kill her. I'm going to save her. Rider. I'm going to protect Sakura until the very end. I'm going to choose Sakura no matter what."

"So―――please lend me your power. Tohsaka and I can't do this alone. If you care for Sakura, please help us."

"――――――Is that… Your answer to my question from the other day?" I nod.

"…………Very well. But I will not fight unless there is a chance to win. What do you expect of me, Shirou?"

What I expect from Rider? There's only one thing. Rider's the only one out of all the Servants that can oppose Saber's Noble Phantasm, Sakura's strongest card.

"―――I have some questions before that. Can you still use your Noble Phantasm?" "Yes. Sakura still supplies me with magical energy."

"Right, next question. Are Servants still spirits even if they take physical form? So you can't hurt them with normal weapons?"

"…Let's see. A normal Servant will be able to nullify them, but those consumed by Sakura are another matter. Having received bodies from Sakura, they cannot return to spiritual form. Strong magical weapons should be able to penetrate through their shadows."

"――――I see, then it's decided. There's a chance of victory, and the roles are clear. Rider. I want you to beat Saber one-on-one. To be specific――――"

I whisper in her ear. …I know nobody's listening, but I'm just making sure.

"――――I see. I can definitely penetrate her guard with that. It is a pure contest of power. Nothing is left to chance." "Right? …Well, if there is a problem…"

"It is your skill and my trust in you."

I nod. Rider puts a finger to her mouth, thinking… "Fair enough. I shall trust you and accept you as my temporary master." …And agrees with a smile that takes me by surprise.

The clock strikes midnight. It's twelve o'clock, the promised time.

I wrap the Azoth sword with cloth and tuck it under my arm. This is my only weapon. The only other thing I'm taking is the pendant.

"Shirou, Rin's calling for you. She's waiting outside, so she wants to meet up there as soon as you're ready." Ilya's going to stay here. It's partly because Zouken's after her, but I'm also having her stay here because she's my hope.

"I see. So she's out there, huh?" "Yeah. She looked like she wanted you to come quickly, so she'll probably scold you again if you don't hurry."

"――――――――" I nod and get up. There's no pain in my left arm now. It's just that my human functionality is eroding.

I can't tell what I'm doing if I stand still.

"Then I'm going. Be careful, Ilya." "See you, Shirou. Please come home with Sakura and Rin before the day breaks." I wave goodbye to her and leave.

The house is dead quiet. Ten years. Many things happened here, and I have a lot of memories. This just happened recently. A morning scene that was part of my life for a year and a half.

The shed is dead quiet. It's my small workshop that I frequented like my room. Here I trained hard every night, hoping to be like Kiritsugu. She'd wake me up from time to time when I slept in. It feels like it happened long ago, but I even remember how the air smelled.

The room is dead quiet. A room that was only used for the past couple days. I don't have many memories here. Only Sakura comes to mind.

"――――――Man." I sigh and lean against the wall. I can't remember. I can't remember what happened in this house or all the things I did. But still. Sakura's face comes to my mind just by walking to these places.

"――――Wow. I…" …She really means a lot to me. My consciousness is fading, and my memory is a mess. The ten years in this house are ambiguous in my head.

But―――I can still remember. I can clearly remember Sakura, no matter what part of me goes away.

"――――――――――――" I take a deep breath. What must be done has been determined from the start.

"All right――――let's go, Sakura." Taking a firm grip on my consciousness, I leave Sakura's room.

There's nothing left. We once made a promise here. We knew it wouldn't come true, but we encouraged each other.

I'll do it again now. What was that small hope used for?

16th Day - Final

Interlude 16-1

――――It's an altar enshrining the stars.

The fire blazes up as if to connect the heaven and the earth. The flickering fire illuminates the dark cave, and singes the surrounding dome. But this can't be a proper enshrinement. It's said to connect to the sky, but the heavens are still underground. And the shining light isn't red, but black. The air's impure, the wind's stagnant, and the drops of water on the walls are colored like poison.

The underground kingdom that's said to be the dragon's lair actually looks like the dragon's stomach. No human would come here. The only ones to come and honor this alien world are serpents fleeing from the light.

"Guh――――" A white skull coughs in this alien world. The one tinted by dark red light is the one who lost his Master, the Servant Assassin.

"―――This is the end. I cannot maintain my body without a supply of magical energy." The white skull creeps across the wall. A girl stands before him. Swathed in a black curse, she blankly stares at the oncoming figure.

"――――I finally made it. Magus. I cannot see you, but are you still alive?" He stops five meters in front of the girl. Sticking to the wall like a spider, Assassin speaks into empty space.

"――――Yes. Glad you could make it back, Assassin." And the call reaches him. The voice of the old magus echoes through the empty chamber. The old man who was killed by Kotomine Kirei still lives in this underground kingdom.

It's natural. The one killed in the forest was just a collection of worms. The main body of the old magus, the host that contains his soul, is sleeping in the safest place on earth. Even the priest's holy words cannot kill him unless the main body is destroyed.

"But having my limbs destroyed got me. I cannot make magical energy to send to you. And it is too much of a bother to go find a new body above ground. …Hm, this will burden her, but it is about time. Sakura, make a contract with Assassin. You need a new bodyguard now that Berserker is defeated."

The voice echoes. The girl clad in black curse――――Matou Sakura doesn't answer. Ignoring the one who has absolute control over her, she looks off blankly into space.

"…What are you doing, Sakura? Are you disobeying me?" The irritated voice also contains danger. The old man is irritated. He's angry that she lost Ilyasviel and Berserker.

"―――Sakura. I will ask you one more time. Are you going to defy me?" Cold scorn. The girl has never disobeyed this voice. It's not fear, but submission to his absolute controlling power. The girl does fear the old man. Moreover, the girl cannot disobey him. Because her heart is…

"―――Hold, magus. Perhaps there is no intelligence left in her. She has such a great power within her; it's not something a weak girl can withstand." "―――Hm?" His irritation disappears. …A gentle silence. The sounds of worms crawling fills the hell lit by black flame.

"Hm. It seems that way. I thought she would last a while, but the end came rather quickly." The old magus sounds disappointed, yet happy. The girl doesn't answer. Her mind has been swallowed by darkness.

"Then――――you will take the girl as planned?" "Do not put it like that. It is not as planned. It cannot be helped. Matou Sakura's mind disappeared. So there is nothing left that can control the monster. So although I know it is brutal, I must take over my empty granddaughter." A laugh. Coming from the girl's throat. Rising from her throat… is the old man's laughter.

"Then please hurry. My body is disappearing. I will disappear unless I am quickly supplied with magical energy." "Very well. I shall start. …My, this is disappointing, Sakura. You raised it to that degree. I wanted to give you the glory of obtaining the Holy Grail, but it cannot be helped. If you must curse someone, curse yourself. The ritual did not succeed in time because you let Ilyasviel go."

A gritting sound. A worm squirms to swap her head. It isn't visible. There are no worms on the girl's body. ―――It's not on the outside… It's a distorted thought that creeps up from her heart.

Worm-user, Matou Zouken. His main body, the host of his rotting soul, is a false nerve hidden within Matou Sakura's heart.

"Hah, her body hasn't changed yet, but I am not one to complain. I shall now take your flesh as my own. Farewell, Sakura. You've endured more than I expected from an experiment. You have done well to please me…!" A sound of writhing blood vessels. Matou Zouken's spirit orders his main body to eat the girl's brain.

――――But.

"There's no need for that, Grandfather. I'm fine."

The girl puts her hand on her chest and wakes up.

"Oh. I thought it had consumed you, but you still persist? ……Hm. Sakura. The circumstances have changed, and I can no longer maintain Assassin. It will burden you, but form a contract with him." The old magus gives her an order. But the girl shakes her head in refusal.

"――――What? What do you mean?" "I told you already, Grandfather. There's no need for that." An ice-cold voice. At that instant. A vast darkness swallows the white skull on the wall.

"Gi――――!?" "Wha――――!?" The surprise comes too late. The assassin's body is compressed in an instant, his mask the only part not crushed. "Gah――――ah, ahhhhhhhhhhhhh!?" The mask falls. Under the white skull… The face that should be there is a skull, just like the mask.

"……Fufu. Oh, I wondered what sort of face you had, but you had none to begin with. You didn't hide your face, but wore the mask to make people think a face lay beneath it. Such a disappointment." "Gi―――Girl, you―――" "You lost your face and name, but you still wanted eternity? …But how unfortunate. If you seek eternity, you should've sought to live forever like my grandfather. The Holy Grail can't go back into the past and regain your name."

"Disappear, old man of the mountain. You're nothing but an assassin. You can't become the one and only Hassan." "Gi, giaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa―――!" Even his death cry is swallowed by the shadow. The white skulled assassin is swallowed by the girl's shadow.

"Guh―――are you insane!? What are you doing, fool…!?" His panic is akin to fury. Is he surprised, or―――is he frightened?

In response to the old man's scream, the girl smiles. "He attacked Senpai twice. That's why I killed him. I'm the only one allowed to hurt him." "Wha――――" "And Grandfather. You don't need to be protected by him anymore. So we have to give him leave."

And then… She sticks her finger into her heart and pulls out a worm that was deep within her nerves.

"――――!!!!" How do you describe the fear, the terror? She gouged her heart and tore her nerves, but still smiles.

"W――――What, what are you doing, Sakura――――" The worm wriggles. The girl stares with empty eyes at her grandfather, what used to be her grandfather, what seems to have been her grandfather.

"Oh. It was easier than I expected. I thought you would be bigger." No. Actually, Matou Zouken's true body wasn't this small. The old magus switched his main body when he planted himself in her heart. To inhabit her heart, he had to be smaller than a heart. In retrospect, his strange preference was his downfall.

"Sakura―――Sakura, don't tell me…" "I should thank the priest. I would've been swallowed if he hadn't eliminated you."

She sees through his plan. No, this outcome was inevitable. The old magus didn't even try to hide his intentions, and the girl didn't disobey him. So there was no problem. She was just a piece of flesh that the old magus would eventually take over. Until she betrayed him.

"H―――Hold on, hold on, hold on, hold on…!! No, no, Sakura…! Possessing you is my last resort. I shall entrust you with the gate as long as you are still conscious. All I want is for the Matou bloodline to prosper. All I want is for you to win and obtain everything…!"

The worm squirms around. The girl smiles at the trash in her fingers.

"All the better, then. I don't need your help anymore. I can open the gate by myself."

The impossible occurs. The old magus only made one mistake.

"――――! Wait, wait, please, Sakura…! This has all been for you…! And this is how you repay me――――"

"Goodbye, Grandfather. It must've been tiring to crawl about underground for two hundred years, right? ―――You can disappear now."

The old man has raised her too much. Believing her to be pure, he never noticed the darkness within.

…The girl's the only one left at the altar. The swaying black fire rejoices at the independence of the girl that embodies it.

"―――――――Fuh." The girl stares at the blood on her hand, "Fufu――――Fufu, ahahahahahahaha――――" And laughs like an empty puppet.

End of Interlude

There's no reception. The Ryudou Temple hides in the dark, emitting alien powers like a crouching giant. There must be wind blowing far above me. If I strain my ears, I can hear it howling.

"…I feel a power from atop the stairs. It seems something is being created in the pond behind the compound." "No, we don't have any business there. The gate above must be the ostensible gate for the Masters that want the Holy Grail. …If we want the Great Holy Grail, we have to go down instead of up." Tohsaka walks away from the stairs into the forest.

"…Are you all right, Rider? There's a boundary field around the Ryudou Temple, right? I heard Servants can only go in from the front gate."

"…I feel some strain, but this is tolerable. This area contains the most suitable ley line in the land. Once we get inside, I can recover by drawing mana from the air." "I see. It must be tough, but please bear with us for a bit."

We push our way through the tree branches. There's not even an animal trail over the mountain, so we even have to climb down rock walls.

"Hm―――it should be around here, according to Ilya… Do you see anything like an entrance, Shirou?" "What do you mean, 'like'?"

"Like a crack in a rock that we can slip through, or a suspicious-looking shrine. It's an entrance, so I don't think it'd just be a pit." "…Don't be ridiculous. The stars are out, but I can't see anything in a forest at night――――"

…Oh, I can. We must be behind the temple, because I see many dead trees. There's no sign of human influence. There's nothing here but dead trees and a small stream.

"…Small stream?" Hold on. That means the water's coming from somewhere.

"…Rider. There's a bunch of rocks above the stream, right? It's too dark for me to see, but is that a cave?" "―――――Please do not turn around, Shirou." I hear a small metallic sound. Rider must've taken off her restraint.

"……Yes. It's a natural cave, but you should just be able to fit through. It looks like the path ends about a meter in, but I sense a magical camouflage." "I see, thanks. ―――Tohsaka. I guess there is something like it."

We pick our way down to the stream. …It's more like a spring flowing out from the rocks.

The stones are piled atop one another where it starts. There's a crack big enough for one person to fit through. It's like a snow hut made from rocks. You can see that a huge boulder is blocking the entrance, so nobody would even try to go in it.

"――――This is it. You can pass through the rock." Tohsaka walks into the darkness without turning around. "Please go ahead. I shall protect your back." I nod and enter the darkness.

The sound of scraping on a hard surface. I progress down the wet rock using my hands. The ground slopes steeply downward.

…The weight of the darkness is stifling. Unless I keep my back to the ground as I move, I might fall into the endless dark.

"………" I lay flat on my back as I slowly descend. ……It's dark, and I can't tell how far down this path goes. My breathing echoes in my ears.

"Shirou. I'm going to ask you now." …Then. Tohsaka, the one leading the way, suddenly speaks up.

"What?" "The gem sword. Why did you make it for me?" She sounds blunt, as if she's just asking to kill time while we're descending.

"Why ask?" "―――I've told you I'm planning to kill Sakura. Can you really give me a weapon, knowing that?" "―――――――" I nod in agreement. Well, Tohsaka certainly has a point.

"I'm not okay with that. But I can't save Sakura without you. It's better to have two people instead of one. And projecting the sword was a promise. I couldn't keep one of my promises with you, so I wanted to keep the other."

It happened a long time ago. I asked for Tohsaka's help after I lost Saber. Tohsaka responded to my call for help, and I made a promise with her.

To let her win. I promised to make her the victor.

…I can't keep that promise anymore. So I have to keep the other promise with her. For the girl I used to admire… For Tohsaka Rin, who believed in someone who had nothing at the time.

"I see. You're pretty faithful." "Yeah, but not as much as you."

Silence returns to the darkness. The conversation ends. We continue our descent without looking at each other.

A long path that seems to lead to hell. The path spirals downward, and just as I'm thinking we're over a hundred meters underground… The dark cave changes completely, welcoming us.

The path that could only accomodate one person widens up and leads on. There's no need for light. The cave is lit by a dim green glow, probably from some kind of luminous moss.

The path is saturated with life force. It feels too lively. An air of birth, filled with vigor and the joy of life. An immense amount of odo, and mana so strong that it's almost visible.

"――――――――" It makes me want to vomit. The warmth of life should be dazzling, but instead it's something rotten, making me want to look away.

"…………" "――――――――" I have no words to say to her. This is a land of death. Talking to each other to soften the tension would only cost us our lives.

"―――Let's go. From now on, look out for your own safety first." …Tohsaka heads down the path, to the source of the black air. Rider and I follow after her, concentrating on our surroundings.

"……?" I see something red on the ground. It's a trace of blood. It leads to the back.

"――――――――" Did someone come here before us? And someone wounded badly enough to leave behind a trail of blood?

"Shirou." "…Sorry. I'll be right there." I shake off that train of thought and head on. I can't be worrying about others.

"―――――――!" My consciousness fades away if I let my guard down. I'll disappear if I worry about needless things. "………" I tighten my grip on the pendant. Letting the pain clear my mind, I step into the green darkness.

―――A warm wind hits my cheeks.

At its end, the path opens into a cavern. It's about as big as the schoolground. It's too dark to make out the ceiling, but it must be about ten meters high.

I don't detect any signs of life. An unforgettable underground space that looks like the moonscape that I read about a long time ago. And there… Waits Saber, filled with absolute hostility.

She's the only one here. I don't see Sakura, Zouken, or Assassin. The only one blocking the way here is the girl who has turned black.

"――――――Saber." "――――――――――" There's no reply.

…Of course. Saber's duty is to eliminate any intruders. She's the gatekeeper and the executioner. Saber's the strongest Servant Sakura has, so she can fight us by herself.

"…Hmph. It doesn't look like we can talk her into letting us through." Tohsaka lowers her stance and reaches for the gem sword she's hiding behind her back.

―――She must intend to fight head-on. I don't know what kind of ability the sword has, but she's going to fight Saber.

But that's not a good idea. We still have a countermeasure, since we know Saber's powers. We can't use our only secret weapon when Zouken and Assassin are still waiting for us――――

"Wait, Tohsaka…! Saber's――――" "Rin. I have no reason to fight you. Please do not attack me. I will go against Sakura's orders if I kill you here."

"……!" Speaking in the same quiet tones as before, Saber stops Tohsaka in her tracks. We comprehend what she means right away.

"…What are you doing? You're keeping watch here, right?" "Yes. I am to eliminate anyone that passes by here. That is Sakura's order. But―――" "I'm an exception, and Sakura wants to see me?" Saber nods.

"……I see. She must be serious." She mutters. …After taking a deep breath, Tohsaka walks over to Saber.

"Tohsaka." "Sorry. I guess that's how it is, so I'm going ahead." Tohsaka walks on without hesitation and passes by Saber. And right before she disappears…

"Shirou. I don't know what'll happen to you, but I believe in you. So you'd better live up to my expectations."

"Huh?" …Wait. I can't understand if you complain to me without telling me what I should be doing.

"I-I'm saying it'll just be a pain if you come complaining after everything's over! …Um, make sure you're not too late if you want to save Sakura." Tohsaka disappears, her hair fluttering behind her.

"――――――――" …Thanks, Tohsaka. That gave me strength. In short, she told me to come help her while she keeps Sakura at bay.

"That is impossible. You will die here, Shirou." "……!"

Her hostility expands. Tohsaka left, and Rider and I are the only ones here. So she doesn't have to hold back anymore, huh?

"I cannot overlook what you just said. You only kill those that pass through. If he merely stays here, you should not harm him."

"I will not attack if he does not move. But he will advance, no matter what. He knows he cannot defeat me, but all he can do is move forward. Am I wrong, Rider?" "I see. You served him before me, after all. It's natural that you know his personality."

…Saber narrows her eyes. The black holy sword is in her hands. ―――She's coming. Rider or I. If either one of us takes a step forward, Saber will use all her power to kill us.

"……Saber. There's nothing that'll make you back down?" "Stop asking me that. I said this is my role." I grab the Shroud. …Saber shows no sign of hesitation. We're already enemies. I realized that back in the forest.

So… "―――I see. Then I'll eliminate you here." I have to accept it.

"――――" "I'm going to save Sakura. You're in my way." Saber's not my only enemy. There's still Assassin and Zouken. I can't be wasting my time here.

"Please stay back, Shirou. I shall fight Saber just as you instructed me." Removing the restraint on her mystic eyes, Rider motions me back with one hand.

Saber raises her sword. ―――The hostility is already aimed at Rider―――

"Don't be stupid. I said we're both going to fight her. You…" "I may not be able to defeat her, but I can keep her occupied. Fortunately, Saber does not have the ability to repel mystic eyes. I cannot petrify her as she has more magical energy, but I can pressure her. I can match her for two minutes if I use all my strength."

Rider's eyes capture Saber. The mystic eyes, which petrify anyone in her sight, temporarily lower Saber's ability.

"I will create the situation. Please stay there and concentrate so you do not miss our chance." "Rider." "――――I will be going. I shall entrust you with my life, Shirou."

Rider disappears. The black cavalryman dashes at the swordsman with light speed.

The attack is made so quickly that human reactions cannot even perceive it. But Saber repels it like nothing.

"―――Very well. You will disappear first, Rider." A heavy pressure fills the cavern. A cruel smile on her face, the black swordsman starts to move.

Interlude 16-2

Her vision spreads out. The instant Tohsaka Rin escapes the darkness, she forgets that she's deep underground.

The impossibly high canopy and black sun. The huge cavern isn't a cave, but a desolate land. There should be two, no, three kilometers across. In the distance stands a monolithic wall. …This is the start and the end of this war. There should be a giant crater above the cliff. Up there is the system that has been activated for two hundred years.

The massive rock that holds a large magic circle, the Great Holy Grail, belches black fire from its mortar-shaped center.

The embryonic movements of the black shadow. The light illuminating the desert is a wave of magical energy. …According to Tohsaka's records, this is what you'd call the altar of the beginning. The middle that leads to the middle. The circular circuit, the world of heart, Heavens Feel. It has immeasurable magical energy, creating an alien world that lives up to its name.

"That's Angra Manyu… So the name 'all evils of this world' isn't just for show, huh?" Rin talks lightly as she makes her way to the altar. …She's worried about Shirou and Rider, but her situation isn't too good either. The magical energy in the Great Holy Grail isn't something a human can handle.

The vortex of magical energy can be called infinite. There's so much that it won't run out, not even if all the magi in the world come here and use whatever magic they wish. It's more than anyone can use in a lifetime, and therefore can be called infinite.

"…Nothing is impossible, huh? That Holy Grail really can make any wish come true." Her determination almost breaks, faced with the numbing premonition of death. Keeping her spirits up with idle talk, she walks on.

―――The ones she's watching out for are Assassin and Matou Zouken. Matou Sakura isn't a threat. She has lost her mind, and Rin sees no danger from her. She's just Zouken's puppet, after all. Rin's greatest enemy is Matou Zouken. The fight against Matou Sakura isn't important.

"……Strange. I can make it to the altar." Zouken shouldn't allow an intruder to trespass this far. If he's planning to attack her, it'll be on the way to the altar. But it's not happening, and Rin's about to reach her destination.

"――――――――" She thinks. Why is there no interference from Zouken? Why can't she feel his or Assassin's presence? She makes a guess. She denies the possibility, but easily accepts it. No, she's forced to accept it. Because…

"―――I'm glad, Nee-san. You came here instead of running away."

…Her guess turns out to be true.

She looks up. On top of the cliff. With the black sun behind her, Matou Sakura welcomes her older sister.

"――――――――!" Rin retreats a little, overwhelmed by the pressure. …The girl has been transfigured further than Rin expected. Angra Manyu is a Servant without form. It's only a shadow that takes form using people's wishes. Therefore, its powers depend on its Master.

Matou Sakura is now Angra Manyu. "All evils of this world", the function to emit the curse is the girl called Matou Sakura.

"…Crap. If Kirei were here, I bet he'd call it a messenger from God." Rin looks up at Sakura, who has turned into a bottomless well of magical energy, and releases her gem sword. ―――But is it something that can match the being above her?

There are two functions for weapons that support magic and ceremonial equipment that assist in rituals. One function is to amplify. It's a backup, increasing and supplementing one's magical energy and strengthening the spell itself. These items are considered orthodox support equipment, and magi carry at least one. Rin's jewels are classified in this group.

Another is a limited function. It's a special magical item where the weapon itself becomes magic. It's activated using the magical energy of the magus and performs a predetermined divine mystery. Its greatest advantage is that it enables the magus to use magic she's not capable of ordinarily.

It only has one application and thus lacks versatility, but for that reason, its power is immense. A lance that always pierces the heart, a bridle that enslaves holy beasts, a dagger that cancels any magical effect. Noble Phantasms of Servants are usually classified in this group.

"――――――――" So, which is the gem sword? Is it support equipment that gives magical energy to the user, or is it a limited weapon that defeats the enemy with its unique ability? …But. No matter which it may be, nothing should be able to match Matou Sakura.

The difference in their magical energy is too vast. No matter what kind of a magic it may be, Matou Sakura should be able to drive it back in one breath.

"What's wrong, why are you trembling, Nee-san? …Fufu, don't tell me you've suddenly lost your nerve." "…Well said. Where's your guardian? You're a coward, so doesn't it bother you that he's not by your side?" "――――――――" …The air freezes. Hostile tension mixes into the warm air in the cavern.

"――――――――" The black girl bites her lip and sighs. "Grandfather's gone. He was a bother, so I crushed him along with Assassin." She smiles gracefully.

"……" She doesn't need to ask. Matou Zouken was killed by Matou Sakura. …It's natural that he hasn't shown himself. The old magus was eaten by his own pet dog.

"I see, so you're completely free. Zouken bound you in a good way and a bad way. You don't have anything to fear now that you killed him." "Not quite. Not yet, Nee-san. Killing my grandfather isn't enough. I'm this strong and I can do anything, but I'm still bound."

"…Geez. Nee-san, you're so insignificant, but you won't disappear from within me. You still torment me in my mind. So――――as long as you live, I can't be free."

Her voice is a light singsong, but the words are heavy as slime. The contradiction proves her madness. The hostility in the cavern is a rhapsody of superiority and awe.

"…Oh. But you seem happy in spite of that. You killed Zouken and Assassin, so I should assume you killed Kirei as well. What a performance for someone who hated killing… are you getting used to murder now?"

"Yes. Crushing people and eating them are no different. For people, it's boring and meaningless if you don't have fun, and it's painful if you don't eat, right? It's just the same. I'm the same as you. I'm just doing what everyone else's doing."

"―――Wait. Do you really mean that twisted logic?" "It's not twisted logic. I'm not wrong. It's different because I've gotten strong. I'm strong, so I'm different now."

"I――――I'm strong. Everything's forgiven if you're strong. …Yes. If I'm strong and no one can beat me, everything I've done will be forgiven. If I'm not myself, everything I've done couldn't be helped…!"

A scream of rage. It's the complaint of a petulant child who can't escape unless she believes in it.

"Do you understand, Nee-san? That's what I'm going to become. That's why I can kill anyone. It's natural for me." "……I see. So you're going to take it out on everything you see? But what about Shirou? He still believes he can save you. Are you going to kill him too?"

"――――!" The girl stiffens. Rin's question is her last obstacle. …Her excitement cools down. Thinking about him, she regains her sanity.

A serene smile crosses her face. "Yes. Senpai's no exception. No―――he's the only one I want to kill, Nee-san. …Yes. I quickly――――"

――――Want to consume Senpai.

"――――――――" Matou Sakura's reply shows that she is beyond help. Rin grips the gem sword and gauges the distance between them.

"…Hmph. What about taking Angra Manyu with you? I knew you were stupid, but I didn't think you were this stupid. You let yourself be swallowed, and you've already stopped being human." A voice filled with clear hostility. As the supervisor of this land, Tohsaka Rin acknowledges her own sister as "evil".

"――――Fuh. You're bluffing. Please be honest with yourself, Nee-san. You're envious of this great power, right? You're jealous, right? That's why you came to kill me even though you can't. ……Yes. You're going to take him away from me so you can keep the happiness to yourself."

The shadows stand up. A magic of absorption, a bundle of magical energy that matches a Servant's Noble Phantasm. Not one, but many rise up to attack.

"I won't give it to you. This is my power. All I'm going to give you is regret and despair. I'll slowly show you what I mean." There are four figures. They reach out for the small person beneath them like giants protecting the girl.

"――――I'll show you the difference in our powers, Nee-san. Nobody's going to come help you this time. You can drown in me like a bug in a lake." The towering shadows attack her. A titanic power that can neither be blocked nor dodged swallows Tohsaka Rin.

End of Interlude

Two black figures crash against one another. One is Rider, running at great speed, striking at her enemy from all possible directions. Her long hair blown behind her, she looks like a beautiful shooting star.

But. A shooting star is a small star, after all. The swordsman who Rider faces. Rider cannot break through Saber's guard, as she firmly fixes herself on the ground and overwhelms Rider.

No matter how quickly Rider leaps to attack her blind spots, Saber deflects the daggers with a single swing of her blade, striking Rider in the same motion. Her severe firmness reminds me of a black sun. A large star that will consume you once you draw near. No matter how fast Rider may move, an ephemeral shooting star can never match the light of one that burns in place.

"Ha――――ah――――" Her sneak attack is repelled yet again, and she's wounded. …She can retreat as Saber counterattacks because of her superhuman speed. Rider closes in and withdraws in an instant, just like a black spark. But her efforts merely prevent a fatal blow.

The difference in their powers is obvious. Rider's speed decreases the more she attacks. High-speed movement and continuous offense. Natural healing that regenerates the wounds Saber sustains. She's not thinking about anything that comes after. She can't match Saber unless she uses all of her energy.

Rider's blocking Saber's attacks by attacking. Once Saber shifts to offense, she and her master will be killed instantly. Therefore, Rider keeps running, knowing she'll eventually burn out.

―――Her energy's lost with every passing second. Rider said she could last two minutes. It's been ten minutes since passing that limit. Rider's legs are starting to give in to the strain.

In contrast, Saber is unscratched. Rider's attacks have not reached her, and she shows no fatigue. Technique, vitality, magical energy. Saber overwhelms Rider in these three aspects. Therefore―――once Rider loses her speed, her sole advantage, Saber will shift to offense.

Rider's speed is declining. …It's only a matter of time before Saber catches up to Rider's speed. A few more seconds. Rider will be out of breath once her next attack is blocked. The instant Rider loses her strength and magical energy, Saber will slice her body in half.

"――――――――" But this has been predicted. Before they came to the cavern. The boy told Rider of his prediction, of this exact outcome. She knows she'll lose if she fights like this.

There's only one way to change the outcome of death. They hold their breath and wait for the moment――――

Rider attacks Saber. At the same instant. I loosen the restraint on my left arm and start the projection.

――――I'm disappearing. Loosening the Shroud on Archer's arm

Search. I'm blown away. The wind's strong. I'm losing my comprehension of what's before me.

Let go of the right hand. Put the Shroud back on. I can't bear it for even a second. I'll lose everything. I'll lose what I value. Search, select. No, every part of my body's dying at this moment.

Rider's fighting desperately. I can't whine about this. I… have to do… what I can… and fight. I can't lose my concentration for even a second. Rider's going to time it. I have to free my left arm so I can match her timing.

Select, analyze.

But it hurts. It's painful and scary. Quick――――Quick, is Rid .

"――――――――" It disappears. Something I value disappears. I can't remember what I lost. But what I kept in my heart cannot be recalled ever again.

Defer. Defer. Defer. Defer.

Slash. My right lung is torn from within.

"Guh――――" Not yet? I can't stay conscious. Rider's also desperate. I won't lose. I give all I have to keep watching Rider. Rider's fighting her fight. I'll fight my own fight――――

"……!" Rider stops. Rider must have exhausted her reserves of energy, because she's on her knees in front of Saber.

Saber's sword moves. Rider's going to be killed. I…

[votestaynight2]

15th Day - limited. (Scene 4)

"I'm still taking you home. I'm not going back by myself." I don't even need to think about it. There's no alternative in my mind.

"――――" Ilya just stares back at me in surprise. I take her hand. "Let's go, Ilya. We'll go home before they find us." I pull her small, light body and start to walk.

"I'm stunned. Anything I say to you is useless." Ilya starts to walk without resisting. "Really. There's no way this will turn out well." She happily closes her hand over mine.

"What are you waiting for?" ―――Then. Kotomine jumps in through the window I broke.

"Kotomine…!?" Ilya pulls her hand from mine and stands on guard.

"Oh, wait, Ilya…! He's on our side. We're cooperating just this once. We made a quick team." "What!? No way, you're working with this guy!? Shirou, you can't, he…" "We can talk later. Let's go outside before they catch up to us." "Eh, kya――――!?"

―――He moves in an instant. Kotomine grabs Ilya's arm and jumps out the window without any hesitation.

"Wha――――Ilya……!!!!" I dash to the window.

…Kotomine has already landed. Ilya is in his arms. At once, she shakes off his grip and slaps his face. …She hit him so hard that I can hear it from up here.

"――――This isn't the time to be amazed. So he wants me to jump…!?" There's no time to hesitate. I can manage this height if I land properly.

"Fuh――――" I charge as much magical energy as I can into my feet. I can't strengthen my own body, but this should soften the landing――――

――――Or not!!!!!

"――――Uhhhhhh…!!!!" I jump down twenty meters and roll the instant I hit the ground. It's only the third floor, but the third floor of a castle is very high up. In a normal house, it'd be somewhere around the eighth story.

"That hurts… I thought my brain would pop out." …Damn, my feet are so numb that I can't even stand. But I'm lucky that it's grassy here. If this were asphalt, I would've broken my legs, and then I'd never be able to escape.

"I'm surprised. You're tough, Shirou." "Indeed. It is amazing that you jumped from that height without using any magic. ――――Are you suicidal?" The two stare at me. Setting Ilya aside for the moment, Kotomine's comment makes me forget about the pain.

"Shut up! I had to do it because you jumped! I don't want to do this ever again! You'd normally break your leg, and I almost fainted right when I started the jump!"

"But you have no injuries. You have no right to complain… But it is certainly a surprise. Why did you even consider jumping from that height? Even a magus would not think about jumping from that height without using a spell."

"Eh――――" Well, I was left behind, and since Kotomine jumped with Ilya, I thought I'd look bad if I didn't do it too――――

"It's not Shirou's fault. Archer's influencing his mind as well as his body. That's why his body's so tough. He thought he could handle that drop the way Archer could."

"…Eh? What does that mean, Ilya?" "I see, that is reliable. Please demonstrate that strong attitude during battles. Here's your sword." He throws me the sword I left here.

"Whoa…" "You can run, right? Our lives depend on it now." Kotomine turns to the castle gate, telling me there's no time to talk. And in challenge to him… "[wacky len=14]" An odd sound shakes the winter castle.

"…I thought so. You kept him in this world, eh, Sakura?" ―――That roar was definitely a signal fire for the hunt. Telling us that the most fearsome hound has been unleashed. It's like a death sentence placed upon a fleeing prisoner by an honorable, yet ruthless, lord.

"―――Berserker." "――――――――" My mind shifts into full alert. Berserker. I hear the name that embodies danger, and every last ounce of composure is squeezed from my body.

"Kotomine." "We'll retreat. We can do nothing even if we fight him. We will be killed once he catches up to us." Kotomine leads the way to the castle gate.

"Don't look back, Ilya…! Forget about him, Berserker isn't like before…!"

I take Ilya's hand and start running. ―――We can't be holding back now. If that mad warrior is after us, the only way for us to survive is to run with all our might for the whole three hours to the forest's edge…!

―――It's hard to breathe. A darkness I can't ignore no matter what is overtaking us.

"……!" I run through the forest. I still don't see anything behind us. All I hear is the sound of raging wind. The pursuer is not a hound, but a huge monster. As he cannot slip in between trees like us, he instead follows by knocking aside whatever blocks his path.

…It feels like we're being chased by one of those heavy drills used for digging tunnels. It's like there's a black wall bearing down to engulf us.

"Ah… haa, ha… no, I can't run that fast…!" "…!"

I slow down to Ilya's pace. …This is bad. The enemy's speed and ours are about the same. He'll catch up to us in a minute if I try to run while carrying Ilya――――!

"No…! I'll stay here, so escape by yourself, Shirou…!" "He hasn't caught up to us yet…! Get on my back! One little girl's weight is nothing…!" "Idiot, that's not true…! If you do that, he'll be on us in no time for sure…!"

"Kuh――――" What should I do? Should I carry Ilya and run, or――― ―――Or will I fight that monster? And I can't even match Assassin. Fight one-on-one against the strongest Servant with this borrowed sword――――?

"――――Ah――――" No. Stop. Please don't make me. There's no way in the world I can beat that monster…!

I'll die if I stop. He'll definitely kill me. The moment I face him, my body will be sliced in half, my torso crushed by strength like a machine, all while I'm still conscious, and――――

"―――There is no need for that. I will carry Ilyasviel." ""What?"" We both turn around. ―――I don't even have time to be surprised. Kotomine walks over to us, picks Ilya up, and starts running.

"――――――――!" He's fast…! Kotomine has a good build. With his height, he should be able to easily carry Ilya and run.

But we're in a forest. Even though the ground is uneven, trees are scattered everywhere, and his arms are full, he's not slowing down――――!

"Kotomine…!" I run full-speed after him. We're at equal speed now. Kotomine is carrying Ilya while I'm running without any shackles. In a forest where we might trip at any moment, we run at a pace of a hundred meters per seven seconds.

"――――!" My heart's beating rapidly. This isn't normal. I'm running too quickly. It's not possible for a human to run at almost fifty kilometers per hour through this terrain.

My left arm throbs. It feels like my left arm expanded beneath the cloth.

…This is probably what Ilya was talking about. Archer's battle experience isn't the only thing flowing into me. His physical abilities are flowing into me now. An overdose of strength-enhancing drugs. The poison seeps into my body, letting me demonstrate abilities beyond my limits.

――――That's fine. Even if this may be contamination too great for a Geiger counter to measure, I appreciate it for now.

But Kotomine's different. I don't sense any usage of magic or leak of magical energy. It's unbelievable, but he's running with Ilya in his arms without any magical assistance…!

"Hey, are you really human…!" "Not as much as you. But have you noticed? We can get away if we maintain this speed. It seems he cannot see through his eyes."

"…!? He can't see?" "That is the only reason I can think of. He is faster. The trees in the forest are like pebbles beneath his feet. But he has yet to catch up to us, which must mean something is wrong with him."

Kotomine plainly talks. I don't know why he's talking about this with such disinterest, but…

"…We can manage to get away. So it all depends on our cardio!?" "No. It seems things will not be that easy."

A voice filled with hostility. Before I'm able to tell what he means… "――――Assassin――――!" My left arm writhes.

"……!" I see a white skull. Assassin slips through the trees beside us, as if laughing at our attempts to escape…!

"Cra――――" By the time I realize how much trouble we're in, it's already too late. On the other side of the trees is Assassin, raising his left arm over his head and―――― ""!?"" Someone parries before it can pierce my skull.

"――――――――" I gasp. There's only one person that can do such a thing. Kotomine, still carrying Ilya, parried the attack that was fired without any indication…!

"―――How annoying. He never appears when your hands are free, but he shows up as soon as you're preoccupied." Kotomine slows down. …The priest frowns and glares at the black assassin keeping pace with us.

"Kotomine?" "I will leave Ilya to you. I shall take care of him in turn. I am a priest, after all. I have experience with exorcising evil spirits." Kotomine stops and lets Ilya down.

"Wha――――are you serious!?" I pull the bewildered girl towards me. At the same time―――three daggers are fired like bullets…! "Kotomine――――!"

"――――It's sharp, but too direct. The course of the attacks is too easy to read for an assassin." "――――――――" I doubt my eyes. Assassin fired three sword flashes. The priest easily knocked them all aside――――!

"[wacky len=12]――――"

"…!" Berserker…! Damn, that was close! He'll catch up to us if we slow down here…!

"――――!" This is no time to be indecisive. I have to go ahead with Ilya…!

"It's fine, right…!? I'm going, Kotomine…!" "That is what I am telling you. You do not need to worry about me." ―――I hold Ilya in my arms. I can't run as fast as Kotomine, but this is still faster than having her run with me…!

I turn my back to the priest. The dark roar is coming from another part of the forest. It's surely coming closer while destroying everything in its path.

I have nothing to say to Kotomine. Trusting him with my back and running with all speed will be my best reply. ―――And right when I'm about to start off…

"―――Emiya. Do not kill the person if the one you saved is a woman. Having her die in front of you hits you pretty hard." The priest says something strange, his voice heavy with self-derision.

"……Eh?" "It's just a meaningless warning. Hurry. If your only pursuer is Berserker, you should be able to escape. The rest of the fight is up to you, Emiya Shirou." "――――――――" I nod and start off.

―――Their shadows recede into the distance. His back is so far away. …I have a bad feeling. I think we will never see each other alive again.

Interlude 15-2

―――It's a bit abrupt. But driving away evil spirits is not a priest's duty.

A priest preaches about the teachings of God, but doesn't drive away evil spirits. Their god is one and absolute. Supreme and all-knowing. A spirit that created the perfect world. Such a god would never allow evil to disgrace the world that he created.

But evil still exists, corrupting men and tainting the world. God's world is being desecrated by something that should not exist. This is how they defined the contradiction. That even the evil that threatens mankind is a necessary part of the world. It is something worthy of love.

In this regard, evil is a messenger from heaven. If what brings out the goodness of men is holy, it follows that what brings out the malice of men is evil. They are both angels sent by God. As one who teaches the word of God, the priest has no right to eliminate them.

But. Evil does exist, corrupting men and tainting the earth, producing gruesome tragedies surpassing human knowledge. At times, the trials from heaven made people realize how powerless God is. The inhuman deeds of the evil caused people to desire for miracles from the great God.

Consequently, an exception was created. Apostles, humans that carry out the will of God instead of spreading his word… Trials that should be observed. Heresy that should be denied. People who possess what should not exist, the 8th Sacrament. Executors, destroyers of evil devised by the 120 Cardinals, were born.

They drive away darkness, purging all things that are not part of God's teachings. They hunt down that which doesn't exist in the doctrine, so they're not bound by the doctrine. Their immorality is forgiven. There's only one thing they must protect: the great name of God. For this purpose, they will destroy the evil that God created. That is the only difference between them and the Exorcists.

"―――Executors, eh? I hear the Church teaches to be frivolous as the pigeon, yet adaptable as the snake. …I see that you are no exception." The white skull laughs. The priest Kotomine Kirei doesn't answer, but checks his weapons.

Five Black Keys on each side, and a Command Spell on his right arm, unused since the last war. These armaments are more than sufficient against a low-ranking spirit. But he cannot kill a Servant even if he hits every one of his weapons. Even if he may be nameless, Assassin is a heroic spirit. He can't possibly defeat a heroic spirit unless he has a weapon of the "Scripture" scale that the selected Agents carry.

"What's wrong? It looks like your weapon is a projectile weapon as well. Would you like to try a match?" "――――――――" The priest doesn't move. He stares at the skull that lurks between the trees, listening to the sounds in the forest. Rustling leaves. The breath under the mask. The sound of slowly melting flesh. And the mad warrior crashing into the distance.

"…He went that way, as I thought. It seems you are not doing well with Matou Sakura, Makiri Zouken." He talks while staring at the skull.

"――――Ka. Kaka, kakakakakaka! I see, so you felt my presence, Kirei! Why did you stop in spite of that? You could have used the boy as bait to escape. So why are you conducting such a good deed as to be the bait yourself? Do not tell me you are moved by kindness!"

The laugh echoes through the forest. The white skull slightly wavers. The priest doesn't even move his brow. "――――I did not intend to save Emiya Shirou. I merely had business here." And he speaks with no sign of hostility.

"Oh? You had business with me?" "Of course. Either way, Emiya and I will not get out of the forest. I know we will both die eventually. Then―――it is only natural to do something for yourself before you die, correct?" "Hm……? Then you do not mind what happens to Ilyasviel? You came to rescue her, right?"

"I care not. I can do nothing, even if I defeat Assassin here and move to help the boy. Whether Emiya Shirou succeeds or fails to save her is no concern of mine." He holds three Black Keys in his left hand. The priest stares at the skull in front of him while holding the swords in a fan form.

"…Oh. Then you stayed here because…" "Yes. I must keep Ilyasviel from you, or…" …The hostility disappears. The white skull melts into the forest without trace.

"―――Or kill you here."

―――The blades run. The sword held by the priest and the daggers flung by Assassin clash…!

"Ku, haha, hahahahaha! I see, so that's why you came to die! Fine, Kirei. We have unsavory ties. I shall see through the battle of the Church's outlier――――!" The laugh echoes. The holy man who wards off evil meets Malak al-Maut, knowing it's impossible to win――――

"Ha――――Haa, haa, haa, ha……!"

I run through the forest with Ilya in my arms. I can't turn back. It feels like a black wall would be behind me if I turn back, which would kill my spirit to escape alive. I don't have energy to waste on that. He'll catch up to us if my resolve wavers. He'll catch up and kill us both.

"――――Ah, haa, gah, ah, ah……!" ; " "

It feels like my feet will tear off. Ilya may be light, but carrying someone still slows me down. Making matters worse, the forest isn't the best place to run in. Each step nearly causes me to trip.

"Ah――――! Haa, ah, ah, haa……!" ; " !"

Faster. Faster. Faster. Faster. He'll catch up to us unless I run faster. The presence behind me is getting closer by the second. This is no time to be moving this slowly. I have to run faster――――run fast like Kotomine and run away with Ilya…!

"――――――――Ah, ――――――――guh…!" ; " !"

My heart feels like it's about to explode. It's painful. I can't breathe. The muscles in my legs are about to tear apart, and my bones are screaming to break.

"――――――――, ――――――――!" ; " !"

It's painful. How long have I run for? I'm running frantically through the forest with Ilya in my arms. I've covered five kilometers already. Then again, I'm so short of breath that I can't think, so it might've been twice that. I ran full speed without slowing down.

"[wacky len=13]――――"

"Ah――――――――" ; " !"

But it won't go away. I'm running full speed, my heart and muscles are about to stop, and yet the presence behind me is getting larger.

"――――――――Kuh." ; " !"

Ilya is heavy. Oxygen is heavy. My legs are heavy. Death is heavy. I'll die if he catches up to me. I'm burdened with the fear of being killed in a single blow.

"Ah――――――――!" " !"

I mentally kick myself before I can falter. Run. Just don't think and keep running. So what if my legs are about to rip off? What's the point in worrying? Think about that when it actually happens. For now, I just need to get out of the forest as quickly as possible. Fill my chest with gasoline. Turn the key and ignite the engine that's stalling with fear. Keep the gear at the top. Remove the brakes.

"Ha――――ah, ah――――!" " !"

Run. Run. Run. Run to shake the uneasiness from my back. Run to ignore the fear behind me. Run so I won't think negative thoughts――――!

"[wacky len=14]――――!"

Shut up. Don't yell in my ear. My eardrums are about to burst just because of my breathing. I can't spare the effort to listen to your loud voi――――

"No, stop, Shirou……!!!!!!!!"

"――――――――!?" Ilya screams in my arms. My mind reacts to her frantic warning before my body does.

"Haa――――――――" I stop. My feet slide to a halt in the dirt, and I put Ilya down on the ground.

"――――Trace…" I ready the sword I had on my waist and create a Magic Circuit at the speed of 200 miles per hour.

"On――――!" Nothing comes to mind. In an instant, I manufacture everything without even thinking about it.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!!!" I resist the impact with all my strength. The whirlwind comes from the side. The pursuer has attacked us from the side, smashing away all the trees in his way――――!

――――I'm sent flying. All it took was one blow. The Black Key, which I strengthened to be as strong as diamond, is bent like melted candy. The impact goes through the sword into my body, permeating damage from the tip of my head to my toes.

"――――――――Ah." I'm flying. The attack I made with all my might was deflected like nothing. ――――I'm no match against him. I'm no match against him. Emiya Shirou isn't allowed to even stop that monster.

My body's floating in the air. No, I'm flying. I'm like a thrown lance, hurled dozens of meters by the impact. I might fly back to the castle. That's how much stronger he is. Escape is impossible.

Time has stopped. I'm still flying, and I should die when I fall to the ground. Having seen the difference in our power, I accept my fate, but…

"No way… No, Berserker…" …I see Ilya crying in disbelief, with the black monster in front of her.

"Gah――――……!!!!!" I frantically reach out. I stop my flying body by hitting myself against a tree.

"Ah――――haa………!!!!!!!!!" It feels like I've been hit in the back with a hammer. My heart, already pushed to the point of bursting, expands still further. It cries in pain as though there's a crack running through it.

"Haa――――ah――――ah……!" I can only draw a single breath. I need oxygen, but it feels like I'll explode if I take another.

"Haa, gu, haa――――――――!" But my body moves. That single breath gives me the strength to run. I use all of my Magic Circuit to move my muscles and―――

"Hey, what's wrong, Berserker? It's me. Can't you tell?" Entranced, Ilya doesn't move. She just calls out in a weak voice, trying to deny the unrecognizable figure before her.

…That's the black enemy's true identity. Kotomine said his eyes can't see. He's right, but he's not accurate.

…That Servant has no eyes, nose, or mouth. His glowing, red eyes are there to emit hostility. His body is covered by the black mud, and the wound he received from Saber is left alone.

…That's something completely different. Engulfed in the mud, he is a monster who can only destroy. He doesn't even see who he's attacking. The mad warrior can't recognize Ilya's figure, let alone mine.

"[wacky len=14]" He raises his axe-sword against the living thing in front of him.

The priest is about to end his life. "Fu――――Fuu――――fuu――――" Kotomine Kirei leans against a wall, staring at the white skull. His outfit is slashed up. He's breathing hard, with three Black Keys as his only remaining weapon.

"Hm, this looks like the end. I should commend you for lasting this long against a Servant." The old man's laugh echoes through the sky.

"――――――――" Assassin remains silent, in contrast to his talkative master. Battle is merely work for him. The Darks that go for his opponent's vital spots are also weapons to measure the strength of his opponent. He measures his opponent's mobility with the first dagger. He measures his opponent's action principles with the second. He always keeps seven meters between him and the opponent. He maintains a distance at which only projectile weapons are useful and measures his opponent's skill.

If he cannot kill his opponent in one blow, he will force his opponent to a place where he can. He will drive them into a corner by cutting their limbs and tiring their bodies. For Assassin, the daggers are merely preparation for his fatal attack. He uses them to analyze his target's skill, creates the perfect opportunity, and smashes his enemy with his evil arm. It's just a chore for Assassin, bringing him no joy.

It's a boring chore, but the priest is better prey than he expected. He has used at least twenty daggers already. Although he uses them to determine his opponent's skill, each one is still meant to kill. The priest has blocked them and reached this ruin. He dismissed the priest as a mere human, but his powers are admirable.

"Fuh――――fuu――――fuu――――" But this is it. His energy drained, the priest leans against a wall and stares at Assassin. He has three hidden Black Keys left. The seven he threw were all dodged.

"Then this is the end. Show him some grace, Assassin." The skull wavers. Assassin fires the daggers without motion. Aiming for the temple, pancreas, and diaphragm. The priest challenges the lightning flashes with his Black Keys.

There is a term called "fatal attack." A move that will kill, a move that will determine victory. This is it. The three daggers are a feint. Kotomine Kirei will die the instant he deflects them.

"――――Die." The wing flaps. The cursed arm, the one-winged spear, is developed. ―――It's an unavoidable attack. Assassin knows the priest's capabilities. He knows his prey is tired and wounded.

―――That is why this will kill. The prey should prevent death from the Darks. But that will be all. Even if he saved up his energy for a counterstrike, his body is incapable of carrying it out.

After repelling the three daggers, all the priest can do is jump sideways. And only three meters at that. He cannot escape the arm―――!

――――The cursed arm stretches out. The priest has no fear. He's prepared for it. He knows that the daggers are a feint, that the cursed arm will strike him the instant he repels the daggers, and that he has no way to avoid it.

No matter what he does, he will die. That is why… "Set――――" The only thing he can aim for is a double-kill―――!

"――――――Fuh." The skull laughs. The cursed arm going for the heart and the Black Keys cross. But there's no problem. Assassin's cursed arm is the only one that will directly hit the target.

The Black Keys will certainly hit him. But how unfortunate. No matter what magic he puts on the swords, the Black Keys cannot kill Assassin. The three swords will pierce through Assassin, sticking to the tree behind him. But that's it. The priest will inflict injury, but will have his heart torn out in turn――――!

Assassin's arm does its job first. His Noble Phantasm, Zabaniya, sticks to the priest's chest and creates a fake heart. But he feels no solid response. The man's heart gives no reaction, as if it's empty.

"Wha―――" At that instant, the impact hits him. The three Black Keys hurl Assassin backward, nailing him to a tree.

"What!?" There are two surprises. One is that the Black Keys have sealed his movement. And the other is…

"Impossible! Why are you not dead, Kirei――――!?" "――――――――" The priest's black outfit flutters through the air. He jumps. The inhuman action is like a cannon firing. Amassing his strength and releasing it, he covers ten meters in an instant. Up to the trees above. He instantly seizes the head of Matou Zouken, the one who has been observing the battle.

"Hm――――What are you doing, Assassin…!?" It does not need to be said. His bodyguard is sewn to a tree by the Black Keys. To Assassin, this is only a scratch. But the holy nails make it impossible to save the old man.

"I will kill. I will let live. I will harm and heal. None will escape me. None will escape my sight."

Why challenge an enemy he knows he cannot defeat? This has always been his announced intention.

"Damn you…!" "Be silent. You'll bite your tongue off." The priest grabs his head and drops to the ground.

"Gi――――!"

"Be crushed. I welcome those who have grown old and those who have lost. Devote yourself to me, learn from me, and obey me. Rest. Do not forget song, do not forget prayer, and do not forget me. I am light and relieve you of all your burdens."

He shows no mercy. The priest smashes the old magus's body on the ground, crushes his bones, and slams his head against the wall.

"Ha――――I see, so you will kill me!? Very well, do as you wish. But what will change? Do you think your wish will come true!?"

"Do not pretend. Retribution for forgiveness, betrayal for trust, despair for hope, darkness for light, dark death for the living."

He walks. Leaving a smear of blood across the stones as he goes.

"Hahaha, hahahaha! Such a hopeless wretch! Do you still seek mundane happiness!? Do you not understand that such a thing does not exist for you!?"

The blood and flesh paint a picture on the wall. All that remains of the old magus is his head. His body has been ground away against the stone.

And not even half of his head remains. Even with his brain pasted to the wall, the old magus gives off his last laugh.

"Relief is in my hands. I will add oil to your sins and leave a mark. Eternal life is given through death. ――――Ask for forgiveness here. I, the incarnation, will swear."

"You will never find it. Kirei, you were defective from birth. Just stand and watch, never fitting into the world…!"

"――――Kyrie eleison."

――――The laughter is cut off. The shape that can't be seen by human eyes withers away.

Baptismal chant. Within the systematic basis of their magic, the teachings of God are considered the greatest weapon against spirits. The key of providence that eliminates wandering souls. It sublimates the wish of the five hundred-year-old magus with great mercy.

End of Interlude

Time is stalled. "――――No. I don't want this, Berserker…!!!" Ilya pleads to the giant. But he doesn't even try to figure out who is talking before he swings his sword――――

"ILYAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!" I run. I was flung about ten meters. This distance is nothing. I'll definitely make it if I run. One breath. The blood, drugs, and propellant running about my body are like a jet stream, and the igniting thought is like an electric charge――――!

―――I step in. My body feels light. Time seems to stand still.

―――I'll make it. I'll definitely make it. But even if I do…

―――I couldn't do anything with the Black Key. I couldn't match him. So…

―――I search, retrieve, and create it. What can beat him. What can match him.

―――It's clear. It can be nothing less than the sword he carries―――!

――――I block it. Projection succeeds as a matter of course.

" Ah." A crack. A crack runs through the axe-sword I projected. At the same time…

"[wacky len=15]!" "Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!" I'm hit with feedback that's almost strong enough to kill me, punishing me for using something forbidden.

I'm flung away. My axe-sword shatters beneath his second attack, and my body slides across the ground like trash.

――――Fading. My consciousness is fading.

I can't think. I can't think even if I gather up everything.

My left arm revolts. My blood overflows. The restraint is still on my left arm, but my intelligence is half lost, and I feel a chill as though it'll never return… The ominous feeling will turn out to be true, and I'll start losing what I value the most.

"Ah, ――――" I'm enveloped by a rushing wind. I'm enveloped by intense light. I lost it, I lost it. I lost it amidst the agony. I can't find it, even though I search. My mind turns into a grain of sand within a desert, lost to everyone, drying up, drying up, drying up, drying up――――

"Shirou! Get yourself together and find yourself…!" There's Ilya. I'm on the ground. I'm about ten meters away from the black giant. His red, glaring eyes are looking around, as if trying to find me.

"――――――!" My consciousness returns. This is no time to be on the ground. My body still moves. The only external wounds are scratches from tree branches. It's just pain. My tongue tries to gasp for air. There isn't any oxygen in my body from all the running, so I want air.

That's all. What's important is inside my body――――I don't really want to know what condition it's in, but I can still fight――――!

"Let's get away from here, Ilya…!" I grab Ilya's hand and stand up. My body's all right, but I need air. I have to get out of his range to regain my breath――――!

But. "…Why? Shirou, do you even understand what's happening to you?" Ilya pulls away, as if denying my assistance.

"――――――――" Something's wrong. Berserker is right behind her. I'm myself, my head's not working due to oxygen deprivation, and I can't think why Ilya might say such a thing.

"Ilya?" "……I'm sorry. But it's fine now. Run away by yourself." "――――――――" Ilya hangs her head. I can't think straight. I can't, so I get pissed off instead.

"Man, don't throw a tantrum now! Let's go, Ilya! Now's not the time for that!" "Kya…!?"

I pull her arm. Her small body. Her desire to help me with that tiny body feels sacred.

"Hey, what are you doing, Shirou!? I said you've done enough…! You can still make it alone, so run…!" She hits my head. I ignore her.

"Shut up…! I wouldn't be here if I could do that…!" And I pull her close.

"Wha――――" Ilya's eyes ask me why. She's got to be kidding me. I don't even need to explain myself――――!

"I don't have a reason! I'm just selfishly protecting you! Look, an older brother protects his younger sister!" "What!? Are you stupid? I'm not your younger sister!" "It's fine! I'm an older brother since you called me Onii-chan! Even if we're not blood-related, you're still my younger sister!"

"――――――Shirou." The black giant turns to us. "Run, he's coming…!" I can think later. For now, I have to get away from him as fast as possible…!

――――It's a bit strange. I'm pulling Ilya and running at a speed far beyond Emiya Shirou's capabilities.

I come out into a familiar clearing. "Ah, haa, ha, ha――――!" Ilya's the one breathing hard. I'm not out of breath, maybe because my body's numb. My lungs are burning from lack of air, but I'm not breathing. I'm just like a corpse. My heart's gone on strike.

"Oh… I'm… fine… I can… run…!" Ilya's fingers are unnaturally hot. She's never had the energy necessary to run. Her design didn't account for ordinary human exercise.

"――――――――" I have a headache. Knowledge I never knew flows into my mind. Thoughts are useless. I have to get away for now. The mad, senseless giant is close on our heels.

I somehow widened the gap between us, but I can't hope for that speed again. My legs are shaking, and I calmly analyze that I can only run for about ten more meters.

Ilya can't keep this up either. There's nothing here for us to hide behind, even if we wanted to. Well――――hiding wouldn't accomplish much, since he can't see anything.

"――――Perfect." But we're fortunate. There's a crater. It's a scar on the earth made by Saber's Noble Phantasm.

"This way, Ilya――――!" I take Ilya's hand and jump into the crater.

The trench easily holds two people. "Haa――――" I lean against the dirt. Raising my head for air, I see the sky. A small cut-out patch of sky, as if I'm looking up from underground.

"Haa――――ah, ah――――" I just focus on breathing. For a bit, I relax and rest my body.

"……!" But it's only for an instant. The giant will not lose its prey. No matter where we run, he'll track us down and kill us.

"……Ah………! ………!" The suppressed voice is from the girl beside me. Ilya's frantically hugging herself so she won't be a burden on me.

"――――――――" This is the end. We can't run away, and we can't take much more of this. I look down at my left arm. The sole weapon to overcome this situation is waiting for its release.

I'll die. Kotomine said this is the switch of a time bomb. I recall the pain. Using projection nearly broke me. I can't imagine what the pain would be like if I released my arm.

The firing hammer is always in my head. Untying the red cloth is the same as putting a gun in my mouth and pulling the trigger. Once I remove the cloth, the firing hammer will go down. My brain will splatter out the back of my head, and everything will end there.

"――――――――" I have to be determined. The answer's already there. I need to bring Ilya back and save Sakura. I know what that means. I have to protect Ilya, defeat the shadow, and remove it from Sakura.

I wished for a miracle that I can't hope to accomplish. I'm still wishing with all my might. I know it's a dream that I can't make come true, but I've never even thought about giving up.

"――――――――" Then I have to go. I have to save Sakura and Ilya. It's impossible. Sakura's facing death, and only destruction awaits her. Someone said it'll take a miracle to save her.

――――That's right. Aid that's impossible with human powers. If I'm to perform a miracle that exceeds human capabilities, I'll need an appropriate compensation. I can't protect myself and someone else. If someone has to take Sakura's place in order to save her…

The ground's trembling. The embodiment of the storm is closing in.

"―――I'm going. I'm going to defeat him, Ilya." "Eh…?" She looks up in surprise. Ilya notices that my right hand is on my left arm.

"No…! You can't do that! You won't come back once you use Archer's arm…! You'll die. No, you'll be killed first! You haven't done anything wrong, so you don't have to go that far…!"

"I'll bear it. I'll somehow bear it even if I almost die, so you don't have to worry about me. Oh, and let me correct you. I've done bad things too."

"Eh――――Shirou…?" "Then I'm going. Wait here, Ilya." I pat her head and walk away.

I get away from Ilya. I'm going to attract his attention and fight him head-on. I have to get away from Ilya so she doesn't get involved in the fight.

"――――It's time." I place my hand on the knot by my shoulder. The knot by my wrist is tight, so if I'm going to take the cloth off, it'll have to be from up here. I just need to pull it all off after that. Then I'll be assailed by pain that's ten times worse than all I've suffered until now.

"――――――――" Kotomine said it's the switch of a time bomb. The fuse will be lit once I take it off. I don't know if it'll explode in the next minute or the next day. All I know is that I can't put out the fire once it's lit.

―――My mouth goes dry. Fear doesn't go away with determination. I want to scream out of sheer dread. ―――If I'll be sane or not. I'm scared of myself.

My death is only natural. I'll be killed even if I stay here. If I'm going to die either way, I'll choose the method that'll keep me alive longer.

So there's only one thing I'm scared of. And that is the possibility of losing my mind before my body dies.

"Ha―――――――aa." Will I be able to bear the pain? I might lose my sanity and forget about Ilya and Sakura. I might even forget the promise to protect them.

That's what I'm scared of. That's the only thing I'm scared of. That's why I sealed it. I know I can't use this arm even if my life's at stake.

…Berserker's appearance isn't somebody else's business. I'll be like him if I give in to the pain and lose my mind. No, the fear will always be with me so long as this arm exists. This arm's the embodiment of a nightmare that seeks to kill me. But. Why did I keep this arm in spite of that?

――――Then cut it off. There's only one reason. This arm exists to be used, and he entrusted me with it because it will be needed.

He said I'll be judged by myself. Ilya said I haven't done anything bad.

"Yeah――――that's good enough." The atonement lies here. I betrayed myself and sacrificed many lives. There's something I can't give up, and that's why I continue to live.

I put my hand on the red penalty. Live or die. I take a deep breath and rip the clot――――

At that instant. The world crumbles apart.

" [p] Ah."

Blowing despair. A strong wind that's going faster than a hundred meters per second. A fierce wind that doesn't allow the existence of living things, let alone allow one to stand up. Therefore, it's not a wind. It's steel, and my body's crushed by the pressure.

" [p] Gah."

My eyeballs are squashed. My back sinks into the wall. I can't lift my hand or fingers. My blood flows backward. My mind is bleached white. There's no pain. Feeling pain and enduring it are too human-like to happen here.

" [p] Ah, ah."

I'm melting. I can't even groan in protest. There's nothing. I have no way to fight it off. I have to move forward, but I can't move a finger.

" [p] Ahh, ah."

I'm melting into whiteness. My body and mind impassively crumble apart. Go forward. Why am I here? Keep going forward. For what am I here? Go to the other side. Why am I fighting? Pass through the wind and move forward.

" [p] ――――"

――――I'm disappearing. My body lost already, but I clench my teeth, not letting my mind lose… but my mind is disappearing.

I won't make it. I can't move, no matter how hard I try. I can't stay, no matter how determined I am. I try to clench my right fist with my whole existence on the line. If I can, I'll be able to hang in here. If I can move any part of my body, I can use that to move forward.

I can't move a finger, let alone make a fist. My left eyeball is crushed. The rush of the wind ruptures my eardrums. My vision fades away. Within it…

I see an unbelievable image.

" [p] Ah."

He's standing. He's standing in this wind. He's standing, walking to the other side. ―――As if it's a matter of course. The wind of steel has no effect on him. He walks forward, his red coat billowing behind him.

" [p] Ahh, ah."

Strength is back in my jaws. I grit my teeth. My right hand is already in a fist.

The red knight takes no notice of me. Set in a stern expression, his face is slightly turned away, showing no interest in me as the wind rushes to engulf me.

For him, this result was expected. Emiya Shirou cannot stand against this wind. He knew there's no future for the man who betrayed himself and wished for something out of his reach.

He's right. The crimes I've accumulated will judge me. But he…

'――――Can you keep up with me?'

As if to scorn me, as if to believe in me. He's waiting for me to get there.

" ――――It's not 'can you keep up with me.'"

My vision fires up. I force as much heat as I can into my body. My limbs cut through the wind like giant swords.

"You keep up with me――――!"

I pass the red figure with all my might.

"[wacky len=14]" I step up onto the ground. The wind's died down. There's about thirty meters to the black giant. It'll take him less than three seconds to close this distance. ―――Therefore. The outcome of this battle will be decided in the next three seconds.

My mind's clear. I know the scope of my power. Projection using creation concept, basic structure, composition, production technique, growth experience, and accumulated years. A Reality Marble that inverts the world engraved on your soul, the embodiment of the mental world using theory of magic, the world egg. Inheritance of battle technique, experience, and physical strength from Archer. Correction. Failed to read physical strength. I'll still be killed in one blow.

Reality Marble, "Unlimited Blade Works", isn't usable. Archer's world and mine are different. I can't reproduce it. I can only reproduce what Emiya Shirou has learned, or the Noble Phantasms he has recorded. If I'm to use a Noble Phantasm from my left arm, I have to search within "Unlimited Blade Works" for the Noble Phantasm best suited for the situation and reproduce it.

But be warned. Projection is a two-edged sword. If you use it once, it will――――

"――――――――" I hold my breath and put all my magical energy into my left arm. I only need to understand the weapons I can use. I already know the precautions. I have to move forward. I have to go beyond that wind and defeat myself――――

"――――Trace, on." I stare at it. I see through his giant sword. I open my left hand and grasp the imaginary handle of the weapon that has yet to exist. An extraordinary weight. Emiya Shirou cannot handle this giant sword. But―――my left arm will definitely reproduce the strength of my enemy.

"Ah――――――――" It breaks. A part of my brain explodes. My bones break, not being able to withstand the overflowing magical energy. It's unsightly like apple skin.

"Here I come――――――――" There's no need to worry. will reinforce the broken parts. I will give my undivided attention to killing him for certain.

"[wacky len=12]!" He notices me. His hostility now has a focus. Recognizing my use of magic as a threat, his eyes move.

They're like ominous stars. The giant gives a death cry and runs to kill his enemy.

―――Mad warrior. The giant is insane, but still the same. He's still fighting his battle against Saber. He is blind and insane, his life has ended twice over, and his body is rotting, but he's still fighting to protect Ilya.

――――――――――One second.

"――――――――" The running giant won't stop with one blow, and normal projection is useless against him. Tracing won't do the trick. I can't beat that giant unless I use projection past my limits. Therefore―――

"――――Trigger, off."

Nine in my head. I use all twenty-seven Magic Circuits in my head and smash it in one blow――――

――――――――――Two seconds.

He's right before me. His massive sword is upraised. Torrent and swirling vigor. He steps forward, and I confront him by also stepping forward. Upper arm, collarbone, windpipe, temple, diaphram, rib, testicles, and thigh. I take aim at the eight targets. "Set――――Nine Lives Blade Works."

I surpass the crashing speed of sound using godspeed―――!

"[wacky len=5]―――……!" But he doesn't fall. His entire body has been torn through by his own weapon, but Berserker's still alive.

"Haa――――ah――――……!!!!" I step forward. His weapon is in my left hand. I'm faster. I can land a finishing blow before Berserker, who's missing an eighth of his body. I raise the giant sword up to his chest and thrust it like a lance.

"[wacky len=16]――――!!!!" But I lost. I put all I had into it. I used every ounce of the unfair advantage I have, but it still wasn't enough. Berserker's attack draws near. It's swung down with hurricane force.

"――――――――" I twist my body. I use all my abilities to evade his attack. I saw it coming. So I can dodge it. Berserker's attack will only graze my head.

――――But that will still kill me instantly. Even a grazing blow from that monstrous blade will be the end. A direct hit can even destroy the ground. Even a brush with the tip of his sword will scatter my head like tofu.

The giant sword comes crashing down. My vision freezes the instant my head is blown away. ―――But. The sword swung with blinding speed… …Is stopped with blinding speed.

"――――――――Eh?" The deathblow never comes. "――――――――" The black giant is looking forward. Not at me, who's under him. He's staring at the white girl who emerged from her cover.

I pierce him. Without hesitation or mercy, I drive the giant sword into his heart.

There's no counter-attack. Berserker exhausts the last of his life force and crumbles to dust, for good this time.

…And at that moment. As his red eyes fade away, they remain focused on the girl, telling me to protect her.

――――The battle ends in an instant. It really does end in one breath.

The boy, with trembling lips, said he was going. He suppressed his fatigue and fear, put his hand on the red restraint, and walked away from the girl.

She went out to stop him. She hesitated for a second, wondering what she could say. She couldn't come up with anything, yet still followed after him. It wasn't even ten seconds. But that slight hesitation determined the outcome.

"Shir――――――――" She emerges, following the boy. The battle has already ended. The giant who once protected her disappeared, his eyes fixed on her. Wind blows through the clearing, as if signaling that the conflict has ended. The figure is all that's left in her vision.

"――――――――" The battle has ended. It's not the power of the heroic spirit's arm. Using his own power, the boy fought against his death and won. The girl keeps staring at his back. He will never turn around and look back again.

He has released the Shroud and defeated the giant. His figure looks heroic and powerful. There's no doubt left in him now. He cast away all agonies when he released the cloth and used projection.

"―――――――――Shirou." The girl keeps watching him, filled with sorrow. His body looks like someone else's now. ―――It's a foolish and sacred end with no return.

"――――――――Haa." I resume breathing. My left arm burns, and I ache all over. Snakes with electricity are in my body, wriggling around like mad.

"Ah――――guh――――" I can't stay standing. Quickly. I have to quickly cover my left arm with the cloth and escape this pain, or the time limit will come.

"Haa――――Haa――――" But I can't do that. Suppressing my left arm and resting… …Comes after defeating her.

"――――Saber." I endure my pain and stare at her so I won't lose spirit. "…………" Maybe she's been following Berserker all along. She slowly comes closer to me, as if resuming the giant's task.

……Seven meters. Saber stops once I am within range.

"――――――――" "…………" We face each other straight-on.

―――I'll be killed. After my fight with Berserker, I can't move anymore. I'll be cut in two without being able to fight back.

No. Even if I were in perfect shape, I wouldn't be able to beat Saber. I can't project anything stronger than her Noble Phantasm. So there's no competition. To beat Saber, I need an appropriate user to use his Noble Phantasm that equals her Noble Phantasm.

"Ha――――――――" There's a contradiction already. Saber's Noble Phantasm is the strongest. There may be heroic spirits whose Noble Phantasms exceed hers, but there are no such people in this Holy Grail War. If anything can beat Saber, it'll be her own sword.

Therefore, a contradiction. Saber's the strongest Servant in battle. …Sakura did have extraordinary amount of magical energy. But even Sakura wouldn't be able to defeat Saber. Saber is literally invincible now that she's released from me and has a great source of magical energy.

"―――What a futile effort. I warned you that you cannot save Sakura, and this is the result?" There's no emotion in her voice. "―――――!" That's the signal. She mercilessly comes to take my life.

"――――" So what? I can't be killed here. I can't lose, even against Saber. I may not be able to beat her, but I should be able to escape with Ilya――――

"But you are fortunate. I have no time to spare for someone who will soon die in any case. Sakura is calling for me." "Eh――――?" Saber turns around and walks off.

"…No. It is not merely luck. You earned your life with your own hands. You defeated Berserker. Your determination yielded this result." Saber leaves without turning around.

…I can't call out to her. She's my enemy. No matter the reason, I'll thankfully accept the fact that she spared my life. I'm covered in wounds, leaving me nothing to spare.

"――――――――" I stifle my pain and turn my back to Saber. I have to leave the forest with Ilya. …Saber's not my only enemy. Even if I do separate Sakura from the shadow, Zouken will get in our way.

"Guh――――" I know what happened and what's going to happen to my body. I can project three more times at most. …No, even projecting once is dangerous if I don't want any physical defects.

I can't fight Zouken and Assassin in this condition. There'll be no point if my body explodes after I beat them. Then I should keep my last projection to keep my promise with Tohsaka. Then there's still hope, even after I die.

"Shirou…?" I hear Ilya's voice from somewhere.

"…Yeah. Let's get out of this forest as quickly as we can. We won't be able to get away if Saber―――no, if Sakura changes her mind." I can't see Ilya. My heart's thumping loudly, jumping around inside my skull.

Interlude 15-4

―――Purification by the holy word. The priest's exorcism disperses Matou Zouken's spiritual body. Only two figures remain. One is Kotomine Kirei, leaning against a wall with wounds all over his body, his cloak red with blood. The other is the masked assassin, bound to a tree by the Black Keys.

"―――You completely eradicated the magus, Executor. Did you know he was just a collection of worms?" "――――" He turns to the voice. Assassin is no longer there. The only things on the tree are the Black Keys and a small trace of blood.

"…I've known him for a long time. I knew he was a spirit that used worms to tamper with this world. It would do no good to rip his body to pieces. If one were to kill him, one would have to completely eliminate his body, or…"

"Attack the spirit itself, as you did, eh? I see. The magus had a strong binding to the world, but he's vulnerable to the holy words of the Bible. Exorcist, eh? One might say you were Matou Zouken's natural enemy."

"――――――――" The priest doesn't answer, but checks on his wounded body. The bleeding has stopped. He's out of weapons, but he suffered no fatal wounds, and his strength should return once he rests for a few minutes.

"So, what are you going to do, Assassin? Your Master is gone. My holy words should have an effect on you now that your source of magical energy is gone." "…I would assume so. My body will soon disappear. Without a Master, I am no different from the wandering spirits in this forest. My body will degrade to that of a lowly spirit within a day, and I shall disappear from this world."

"Correct. I can harm Servants without Masters. So, what will you do? Will you avenge your Master?" "I am not so foolish as that. He suffered defeat because of his own arrogance. It is not my fault. But still, something does not make sense, and that I must ask of you."

"You must mean how your Zabaniya failed. I believe you obtained your arm from Shaytaan, but it will have no effect on me as long as it bears the name of the fallen angel. That arm punishes humans, so it cannot curse one of its own kind. As my heart is not human, it is strong against such a curse."

"――――I thought so. Your heart was the same as that girl's. You must already be tainted." The priest doesn't answer. He merely smiles ironically.

"…But how did you know? You could not act as you did unless you knew my arm would have no effect on you. Your intention was to have me use my Noble Phantasm, correct?" "Yes. I already knew about your arm, Assassin. A cursed arm that creates an image of the target's heart and swaps it with the real heart. That's how you killed my Servant."

"――――! Then you…" "Yes, I watched it until he died. It's natural that I knew about your arm. Your blunder was made the instant you killed Lancer." "――――Damn, that was indeed a blunder." Assassin tut-tuts in self-deprecation. His hostility disappears at the same time. He must be satisfied with the answer, as he quickly retreats.

"…So he went to look for another Master. I'd assume his next Master would be Matou Sakura―――" That's not a problem for the priest. It's fine as long as Matou Zouken doesn't kill Matou Sakura.

Zouken's wish is immortality. He can achieve his wish by having Sakura's body turn into the Holy Grail. The curse in the Holy Grail will not hatch if the old man is alive. It's meaningless if Sakura becomes his tool. She needs to remain a Master. Because…

'――――You will never find it. You were defective from birth―――'

"――――――――" He gets dizzy. It must be because of the fatigue and loss of blood. The priest leans against the wall and closes his eyes.

It all happened ten years ago.

'Defective from birth――――'

The man did everything he could after accepting the fact. He couldn't understand morals, but had common sense. So his teenage years were spent trying to overcome his defect. But it never happened. The man's purgatories and sufferings were entirely useless. And his final attempt was a woman.

It's a simple story. Every human wishes to love one of the opposite sex, have a family, and die peacefully. Even if one may detest the peace, one can only dream about it. This man is no exception. He wished for such a thing, even though he felt no fascination in it. He loved a woman, trying to earn ordinary happiness.

The man chose a woman with no future. She was terminally ill, only expected to live for a few years. Did he choose her because of that, or was that his only choice? He still doesn't know.

Their life together lasted for about two years. The man tried to love the woman. The woman tried to love the man, did love him, and even had his child. But the result didn't change. It was because the man derived his happiness from the woman's suffering and his child's despair. The more he tried to love, the more their suffering saved him.

The contradiction didn't make the man suffer. He doesn't even know if he suffered. But the more the woman tried to cure him, the more he wanted to see her grieve.

The woman was a saint. She was sickly, but she was still a saint for him. It need not be said how faithful she was or how deeply she understood his anger. That's why the man was in despair. No human will ever understand him and try to heal him to her degree. And this woman still could not fill the void within him.

Then――――there was no need to live and question right and wrong. He was born defective. His birth was some kind of mistake. He concluded that if his existence was a mistake, it was best to disappear. And he went to bid goodbye to the woman before he died. He made her his wife as an experiment, so it's his natural duty to go tell her of his end.

The woman loved Kotomine. Kotomine tried to love the woman. That's all there is to this story.

The end came relatively quickly. "I could not love you." That's all the man said in the room made of stone. The dying woman smiled. She was unable to stand up, because her body was now composed of just skin and bone. "―――No. I love you." With a smile, she took her own life.

There was no way to stop her, and stopping her was meaningless. The woman had a fatal disease. She would eventually die. He knew that when he chose her.

The woman, covered in blood, looked up at the man and smiled. "See. You're crying." He wasn't crying, of course. It's just that the woman saw it that way. The woman used her death to prove to him that he could love, and that he deserved to live. The man silently left the room and broke away from the teachings of God.

―――Yes. He certainly felt sad. But not because she died. The man, at that time, thought… 'How terrible. If she was going to die, I wanted to kill her myself.'

He grieved over losing the chance to enjoy her death.

――――It happened long ago. He can't remember her voice or her face. But sometimes he thinks, 'I wanted to kill her.' Is that for his pleasure, or――― Is it grief over wanting to kill the one he loved with his own hands?

He cuts off his thought process whenever the answer flickers in his head. It's something that should be hidden forever. The woman's death was meaningless. Her devotion couldn't change him. But the man didn't want to consider her death to be worthless. ―――So he stopped searching for answers.

…It all happened long ago. The memory of the man who feeds on others' misfortunes. The man later meets his nemesis. Emiya Kiritsugu. A magus that cast away what the man might have wanted――――

"――――――――" He opens his eyes. It seems he fell asleep. He checks his condition, starts to walk to catch up to Emiya Shirou, and…

"――――No, you can't go anywhere. Because you die here."

…Is interrupted by a girl.

She has completely changed. Her black outfit is her shadow. She's covering her body with her own dark magical energy. ―――The amount and the presence of her magical energy is beyond human capabilities. She's at the same level as pure heroic spirits, the Counter Guardians.

"…You are completely tainted, Matou Sakura. You cannot change to that degree unless your mind is attuned to the curse. ―――So you've accepted the fact that you're a human-eating monster." Even though the priest wished for it, he still criticizes the girl. As if to blame her for being intoxicated with her power.

"…Hah. But is it wrong to be drunk with your power? It can't be helped. Everyone picked on me too much. I think I would've endured it longer if everyone was nicer to me." "――――Oh. Endure what?"

"Myself, priest-san. I finally understand now. I hate this world. The Tohsaka family that threw me away. Nee-san, who lived without any troubles. My scary grandfather and my pitiful brother. The people living peacefully without knowing about my pain."

"I can't allow such things now. …I know I'm just taking my anger out on others. I know it's wrong, but I still think this way. ―――Yes. I wonder what kind of face the people who haven't helped me will make when they realize I exist."

The girl smiles, as if it's a sacred pleasure. The priest doesn't change his expression. He keeps staring at the girl as if regarding something foul.

"You have changed, Matou Sakura. I see, your darkness was one of the qualities to adapt." "Yes, I've changed. I'm not the old Matou Sakura. That weak girl doesn't exist anymore. …Yes. Everyone tormented me until now. So I'm just getting back at them. The me who sat there and endured is gone."

She laughs. Double personality. The original Matou Sakura disappeared, and the other personality surfaced. That's the only logical reason for her change. But… "―――What are you talking about? You don't need to hide it, Matou Sakura." The priest quickly denies it.

"W――――What do you mean?" "I said there's no need to hide it. You are not another personality. You were swallowed by the mud and have become addicted to violence, but you are still Matou Sakura. You don't need to prepare another personality to excuse yourself." Her face stiffens. He's absolutely right. The girl grits her teeth and glares back at the priest.

"What are you saying!? You're the one who made me like this…!" The girl's shadow reacts to her hateful voice. ―――A blazing infringement. The shadow covers the ground in an instant.

"I won't deny it. I kept you alive so that you would remain its Master. You measured up to my expectations, and you are about to give birth to Avenger. You have easily accomplished what I could not."

"It wasn't easy at all…! You don't know how painful it was, how much pain I'm going through right now…!" "I don't know, and there's no need to know. I'm not so mad as to listen to a girl's complaint."

"――――! …………I see. You're right. I don't want you to know. I won't let you feel compassion. I'm in a position where I can make anyone realize whatever I want." She smiles cruelly.

"――――――――" The priest retreats without any hesitation. He quickly backs away, like when he captured Matou Zouken.

―――The priest retreats with one jump. She may have vast magical energy, but she's still inexperienced. She has no experience with battle, and she's unskilled as a magus. It's easy for him to retreat.

"―――How foolish. Do you think you can get away from me?"

She smiles. The priest falls to the ground at that instant.

"Guh――――gah……!" He rolls down. He falls to the ground, coughing up blood. "Haa――――hm, guh……!" It doesn't stop. He can't stop coughing up blood. Every time he tries to breathe, it wells up in his throat.

"How does it feel to have someone grab hold of your heart? Your life's under my control, no matter where you are." "Mm――――guh――――!" "You died ten years ago. Emiya Kiritsugu shot your heart and you died. But you stayed alive because of one reason."

"You're that… hmm, who was it? It's the Servant I ate before, but I guess his name doesn't matter. That gold person was showered with the contents of the Holy Grail, which connected him to it. But it couldn't taint that man, so it flowed into you, his Master. Right? And you were resurrected. Avenger. Your life was saved because Angra Manyu supplied you with magical energy."

"Ha――――I see. Then this is…" "Yes. You're connected to Angra Manyu. But I'm Angra Manyu. ――――So I squashed it. I destroyed the fake heart that kept you alive. I can squash your organs too if you want. I can pull out your insides, no matter where you are."

She raises her hand. How can she say 'if you want'? The girl has no intention of keeping him alive. No matter how much he may beg for his life, she'll laugh as she kills him. He'll give her back his fake life. Because it's hers. Even if it's just a speck next to her total magical energy, there's no reason for her to let the priest keep it.

"Goodbye. I appreciate the fact that you saved me." She grasps her slender fingers together as if to twist apart an invisible doll. A crushing sound. The priest's body is squeezed like a rag. One more twist. The priest will die in the next second. But right before that…

"――――! Ah, uh, ah――――!?" The girl doubles over in pain. …She coughs up blood. She scratches the ground, as if begging for help.

"Ku――――it hurts, no… don't… come in――――!" The shadow expands. …What happened? The shadow on her body expands, then slowly shrinks back to the original size.

"……No way…… Berserker lost…?" There's no other explanation. Berserker was defeated. He died, dissolved into pure magical energy, and was consumed by her, the Holy Grail.

"――――Ah――――Ah――――" Her mind distorts. The personality called Matou Sakura is pushed even further into a corner now. …She can't move any farther, but the great soul pushes her against the wall.

"――――――――――――Ah." …She'll disappear. She'll disappear. Matou Sakura will disappear. "――――――――Before that…" She thinks of killing the priest, looks up, and is annoyed by her failure to follow through.

"――――Fine. He's… going… to die… anyway." There's no one at the ruin. On the ground where Kotomine Kirei lay is his blood-soaked outfit.

End of Interlude

We reach the forest's edge faster than I expected. It's probably because I had Ilya's guidance. The car I arrived in is gone. We started walking to town, stopped a car, and got a lift.

We're both filthy after running through the forest, making us look really suspicious. So I jumped out in front of a car to stop it, and Ilya used suggestion on the driver to make him pick us up. Man. I never thought I'd get a ride like this.

"We're home, Shirou. Let's go in." "――――Eh?" We're back at my place in an instant. The sun's setting. It seems I fell asleep on the way back.

The sun has set by the time I make it to the living room. It's past seven o'clock already.

"―――――――――" Something's wrong. Time's passing by too fast. It was afternoon when I stepped into the house, so it's not possible for it to be night as soon as I step into the living room.

"Ilya. Isn't time passing by too fast?" I talk to Ilya, standing beside me.

"――――――――" But Ilya isn't there. Ilya is… "Hm? The dinner was good, Shirou." …Already in the living room, saying strange things.

"――――――――Dinner?" "Yeah. I was surprised you wanted to get energy before anything, but I'm glad we did. You were so enthusiastic while you were cooking."

"――――――――" There are remnants of dinner on the table. There are dishes in the sink. Come to think of it, I feel pretty full. It seems I really did make dinner.

"……That's strange. Did we have this in stock?" "Nope. That's why we were dropped off at the shopping district to get some groceries."

"――――――――" I look through my memory. …… ………… ……………… ……………………Well. I guess that's what happened.

"I see. I guess I'm talking nonsense. So we had dinner, huh?" "Yeah. All that's left is to rest."

"Hm―――yeah, we have to rest. I'm going to go change in my room. I need to talk, so please stay up. I'll be back right away." Ilya nods. I raise my hand in apology and leave the living room.

And the next thing I know, I'm in my room. The instant I step out of the living room, I'm on the floor in my bedroom.

"Ah… Guh――――!" I wake up because of the piercing pain. A sword's pierced in my chest. That's the first thing I imagine because my chest is hot and numb, and it feels like my life is draining out from it.

"Guh――――" There's no sword, of course. It's just an illusion. The left side of my chest is simply rebelling against my left arm. But I finally realize. My sense of time. The intermittent scenes are…

"…I see. It's not my sense of time that's odd." It's just that my mind is screwed up. It's not that I have no memory. I just can't record the events into my brain.

I can't hold events in my mind unless I concentrate on them. It's natural that I can't remember anything that happened after I left the forest. I can't stay conscious unless I'm in pain, like now.

"――――――This is bad." I frantically grasp at my fading consciousness. Unless I consciously focus my mind, Emiya Shirou will disappear. Only pain or the utmost concentration can preserve my memories. In short, I have to maintain the level of concentration I had when I was trying to insert the Magic Circuit into my spine.

"――――――――" …I'm stumped. I can't keep this up forever, and I don't know how long it'll work.

"…Wait. That means I shouldn't sleep." Once I fall asleep, I won't be able to wake up. Once I fall asleep, "Emiya Shirou" will never return. Even if my body's unwounded, my mind would be scattered.

"――――――――――" I raise my body. I search through my desk. I need a small blade. Something I can hide in my right hand that'll dig into my flesh if I make a fist. I can't keep up the concentration I have during training. I have to clench my fist every time I relax so that the pain will keep me conscious.

"…Oh. It's not a blade, but this might do." I find the crystal from that day. …The pendant I found beside me after I was killed by Lancer. I don't know how much magical energy was originally in this, but now there's not even enough for one strengthening magic left in it.

…That's right. Now, I can clearly think about who this pendant belongs to, and who could have saved me that night. After all, she was the only other person at school at that time. I don't know why she saved me, but she wouldn't need a reason to save a life.

"Ah――――!" My consciousness starts to fade away. I'll think about it later. I'll fall unconscious if I think about happy things and relax.

―――I check my condition. I released the seal on my left arm. I put the Shroud back on it, but it's only there to ease my mind. According to Kotomine, the switch would be tripped if I used Archer's arm. He said there'd nothing I could do after that.

"――――――――" But I can still move my body. The problem is my mind, but I can stay conscious as long as I stay awake. As for projection… I can probably project three more times using Archer's arm.

I know I can manage it once. I'm scared about the second time. The third will be fatal. I think my body will self-destruct, even if my mind's still alive.

"…………" I close my eyes and strain my ears. …I hear creaking sounds along with my heartbeat.

…The thing invading my body from Archer's arm. It gets harder to suppress his Reality Marble the more I use his Blade Works. Eventually, an infinite number of blades will be created inside my body instead of outside. …I don't even want to imagine what'll happen. A thousand blades will pierce my body from within, killing me instantly.

"―――――Don't kid me. I won't kill myself." I'm in a hopeless condition. I accept the whole situation. But I reject the facts as they stand. I won't die, and I won't self-destruct. Not waking up after I fall asleep is just a product of my frightened imagination.

―――I'll be saved. I'll be saved once I do everything I need to. It's meaningless otherwise. I said I'll protect Sakura no matter what. So I can't just die selfishly.

"―――That's right. I have to contact Tohsaka first." I don't have time. I'll go to her house. I'm worried about whether Kotomine's all right, but he's not my ally anymore now that we've saved Ilya. I can't ask for his help again, but the promise to…

It's past nine o'clock. I thought I came back right away, but it's been two hours already.

"―――Sorry to keep you waiting, Ilya. I'm going to Tohsaka's house, so let's go together." "Rin's house? I don't mind, but why?"

"Eh… why? We have to meet up with Tohsaka. And I'm worried about how she's doing. Kotomine said she'd heal by tonight, but I can't really trust him. If she's not doing well, I'll need to look after her."

"Okay. That's fine, but Shirou…" Ilya points to the wall. ――――Then.

"I'm glad to know you're worrying about me. As you can see, I'm all right. But if you were that worried about me, I wish you'd have come by my house before heading off to the forest."

"T-Tohsaka…!? When did you get here…?"

"I was here about an hour ago. I heard from Ilya what happened at the forest."

Tohsaka's in a bad mood… No, she's angry. It seems she doesn't like the fact that I went to the forest without her.

"I can't help it. I thought I had to act as quickly as possible, and Ilya was in serious danger. …Right, Ilya?"

"……Yeah. I wasn't locked up anywhere, but I could've been taken to the Great Holy Grail and had my heart taken out at any time. Zouken wanted to open the gate as soon as he took control of Sakura. I would be dead right now if Shirou and Kotomine had come a bit later."

"―――See. I wouldn't have made it if I'd waited for you." "Who knows? So it all depended on Sakura, right? Tell me the truth, Ilya."

"Oh, you can tell? Yeah, there was a bit more time. Sakura's strong, so she won't easily break. I think there was about one more day to spare until she lost herself and fell under Zouken's control."

"I thought so. You shouldn't pamper Shirou too much. A little strictness is just right for him." "―――You're right. I'll be grateful if you see to that."

The two criticize me. But if the time limit was a day, I don't think we would've made it if I'd waited for Tohsaka. I was faced with an important choice in the forest, but in exchange, I'm able to regain the time the three of us can spend together.

"――――!" …I concentrate hard, since I'm starting to relax. It seems the tension faded away during the conversation.

"……Hm……? Hold on, Ilya. You said Sakura might last one more day. Then the remaining time we have is…"

"Half a day at most. …No, no matter how hard Sakura tries, Avenger is about to be born. Once that happens, she will change completely. Nobody can save Sakura, and nobody will be saved."

""――――Avenger…?"" Tohsaka and I frown at the strange word.

"Yes, Avenger. It's the eighth class in the Holy Grail War. It's a 'violation' that the Einzberns summoned by breaking the rules. That's what tainted the contents of the Great Holy Grail. It's the main body that assimilated with Sakura, projecting the shadow because it couldn't go into the outside world. It's something that should not exist, consuming human lives to take form."

"That's Avenger―――an anti-hero that the Einzbern Master summoned in the third ritual."

"You know about it, Ilya…!? You know what that shadow is, and what Sakura's possessed by…!?" "Yeah. I got the information out of Sakura, so I understand what's going on. What we have to do. What, exactly, you've made into your enemy."

Ilya closes her eyes once. …Is that resignation? Ilya sighs and then stares at us.

"What I'm about to talk about is the heart of the matter, and it's nothing that concerns you two. You shouldn't be burdened with this. Shirou, Rin. As you two are the last Masters in the Holy Grail War, I shall tell you the truth."

"Ilya――――?" Tohsaka looks at Ilya in surprise. I do likewise. Ilya shows calmness and emptiness as if she's someone else.

"Everything started two hundred years ago. No, the journey of those who seek the Holy Grail began long before that. But two hundred years ago, the ritual was begun in this land."

"I'll start from there. The Holy Grail grants any wish. Einzbern, Makiri, and Tohsaka cooperated to conduct a ritual to summon the Holy Grail. That's how the Holy Grail War came to be. A murderous battle between seven summoned Servants to determine the ownership of the Holy Grail. Magi who are chosen as Masters become the hosts of the Servants and kill each other until only one magus remains. That's the ostensible reason for the Holy Grail War that you two know of."

"You don't look surprised, Rin. So you had some idea of it, huh?"

"…Somewhat. I knew all along that I was being used, but I didn't mind it too much. I'm reaping the benefits by using somebody else's system. We're both using each other. I'm not stupid enough to get angry over something so trivial."

"Really? Then I don't have to explain that the order is reversed? How about you, Shirou? Did you already know that the process of making the Servants fight is unnecessary?"

"――――――――" …Well, I did know.

Servants are summoned by the Holy Grail. The heroic spirits are summoned to determine whether the summoner deserves the Holy Grail. Once summoned, they make a contract with a Master to stay in this world and obtain the Holy Grail. Then they go out to defeat the other Masters and Servants.

…In and of itself, that's not a problem. But once I found out the defeated heroic spirits are absorbed into the Holy Grail, something felt off. Heroic spirits―――Servants are only a factor in determining which Master is suited for the Holy Grail. So why are they taken into the Holy Grail after their purpose has been served?

"…So does that mean heroic spirits are needed for the Holy Grail War, and Masters are just a tool to summon them?"

"Right. In the ritual of the war, Masters are mere receptors to summon the Servants. Once they've done that, they can die at any time. The heroic spirits are the only ones needed to complete the Holy Grail. Heroic spirits are pure souls separate from the time axis. Though they are outside of this world's logic, they can still influence it."

"That's the power they needed. They tried to exit into the outer world using that power. That's the real purpose of the Holy Grail in this land. The Holy Grail Wars were waged to create a phenomenon, a miracle, that is still out of human reach."

"That's the great ritual to attain immortality that's said to have been lost by the Einzberns. Not a heroic spirit or a holy spirit, but a soul of a mere human that's fated to disappear from this world. Bringing it about is an act of God."

"―――The name of the miracle is 'Heavens Feel'. It's the golden cup that's the third of the five existing sorceries."

"S――――Sorceries!? You mean 'those' sorceries…!?" "――――――――" The air tenses up. Ilya says that the Holy Grail is a ritual to perform a sorcery.

Sorcery. A divine mystery that cannot be reached with magic. An impossible phenomenon that cannot be achieved by modern people. It's the ultimate goal of every magus, and those who achieve it are called "sorcerers" with envy and awe.

There are five sorceries acknowledged by the Magic Association. As I'm not even in the Association, I have no way to know, but I've heard that there are five sorceries and that there are about four sorcerers.

"W-Wait…! So the Third Sorcery is the materialization of the soul!? But Servants are materialized souls too…!"

"No. The system does use a part of the Third Sorcery, but the heroic spirits are summoned. Servants aren't alive as part of this world or time. It's too imperfect to be the Third Sorcery. And heroic spirits can take form in this world without the help of sorcery as long as they have a host."

"Heavens Feel is not a spell that duplicates a soul perceived in the past. It's actually a spell to make an existence of a higher dimension that can take a spirit form and still influence the physical world. It takes a soul and elevates it to the next level of life."

"Next step――――that's certainly serious, but… Even though the details are different, all sorceries are a way to reach the origin! What does it have to do with the Holy Grail?"

"No. First of all, there's only one administrated land in Japan that can activate a sorcery. I know the ley line in Fuyuki is first-class, but there's not enough distortion to connect to the origin."

"Right. It's not distorted enough to reach the origin. That's why you make a hole. If the path is obstructed, you have to destroy the wall yourself, right?"

"The Holy Grail War is the process of destroying the wall. The process accumulates enough magical energy to grant any wish. But that's just a secondary matter for the Einzbern family. And it was also an advertisement to call for the Masters, the sacrifices."

"The Einzberns only needed a giant magic circle that could store great amounts of magical energy without attracting the notice of the Magic Association. The head of the Tohsaka family at that time cooperated with them. This country doesn't receive much attention from the Association, and there aren't many first-class lands that rank next to Aozaki's land. Fuyuki City was almost the perfect test site, meeting all the requirements."

"You should be able to figure out the rest. There are two kinds of Holy Grails that govern the Holy Grail War. The Holy Grail in this land and the Holy Grail Einzbern prepares. The former is a magic circle that uses the land administrated by Tohsaka. This is called the Great Holy Grail. The key that the Einzbern family prepares for each ritual is called the Holy Grail."

"The Great Holy Grail administers the system of the Holy Grail War. The Holy Grail collects the souls of the defeated heroic spirits and acts as the reactor core to activate the Great Holy Grail."

"And once the Holy Grail collects enough souls to activate the Great Holy Grail, it uses the heroic spirits' souls to open a hole. The Great Holy Grail fixes the small hole created when the heroic spirits return to their original place after their roles are fulfilled. This opens up the passage to the origin that humans cannot reach."

"Of course, this is just the first step. Your wish isn't granted even if the hole is opened. The path to the origin is too far."

"But―――the one who obtains the Holy Grail gains access to unlimited magical energy. The other side has large quantities of unused mana unlike anything seen on this side. For an ordinary magus, it's nothing short of a miracle."

"……I see. So the Great Holy Grail is the magic circle which serves as the foundation, and the Holy Grail is the key to activate it. The Holy Grail Wars must occur on a sixty-year cycle to accumulate enough mana to summon the heroic spirits."

"There's no way you can carry out such a summoning with one person's magical energy. The Great Holy Grail draws mana from the land slowly so as not to deplete it, and once it's full―――"

"Yes, it summons the heroic spirits as Servants. But you need an incentive to summon the heroic spirits. They won't heed your call unless you give them what they want. That's why the Holy Grail was prepared to reward them."

"…Well, that's a deception from the start. The Einzberns just wanted the souls of the heroic spirits. They didn't care about their rank. They just wanted strong souls. To hide that fact, they created the Holy Grail War as a cover. They deceived the Servants and Masters and made them kill each other."

"…Well, I guess that started from the second ritual. The first was conducted in a foolishly honest manner and failed right away because the three families fought for its exclusive right."

"So the rule was made starting with the second ritual. ̠ Outsiders were called and made to fight for the Holy Grail. Masters from outside the families were just an inconvenience after the Servants had been summoned, so it more efficient to have them killed in battle. It was convenient for the three families because they could legitimately kill their collaborators."

"Unbelievable. So the rule for Masters to kill each other exists because they couldn't decide who gets the ownership by talking and had to resort to violence?"

"Yup. But choosing the last magus standing proved to be an even better method than expected. It's just like you. There were Servants and Masters that found out they were tricked, but it seems they didn't care. It's because you obtain the Holy Grail if you win."

Tohsaka's convinced. "………" …In short, the Holy Grail War is not a battle to obtain the Holy Grail, but a ritual to escape to the outside world.

Attempts to reach the outside world. According to hermeticism, there's a power that governs dimensional theory outside of this world. It's called the 'swirl of the origin', and it's a coordinate that's considered to be the beginning of all things. It's the start and the end of all creation. It's the seat of God, recording everything and able to create anything.

"………" But I really don't care about that. My father would've understood what a big deal it is, but it doesn't concern me. What's possessing Sakura is much more important to me than how it all started.

"Ilya. I don't care about the real purpose of the war. It has nothing to do with us, just like you said. More importantly, tell us about the thing you mentioned earlier."

"It has nothing to do with us!? We're talking about sorcery here! And the Third Sorcery at that! It's the taboo out of all taboos that's been kept a secret even within the association! If you're a magus, you can't ignore something like this――――"

"I can. …Man, why do you have the wrong idea, Tohsaka? This isn't the time to be talking about something that can't succeed anyway." "C-Can't succeed? What are you basing that on?"

"Hey now. I don't know why, but the Holy Grail War has never had a victor. That means there's something wrong with the ritual. …First of all, how will you explain what's happening to Sakura? If the Holy Grail's a path to reach sorcery, does that mean Sakura's like that because of sorcery?" Maybe I convinced her, because she shuts her mouth.

"So, Ilya. Why did the Holy Grail War turn out like this? Kotomine said there's something in the Holy Grail. So is this that Avenger thing? And he's not in the Holy Grail, Sakura or Ilya, but in the magic circle you called the Great Holy Grail?"

"Oh, Kotomine would know, wouldn't he? He's a magus tainted by Avenger, just like Sakura. He already knows what's inside the Holy Grail." "Eh…? Kotomine and Sakura are the same…?"

"That's right. This concerns you two. This is about what Zouken's trying to obtain, what's changing Sakura, what's hiding in the Holy Grail, and what's tainting the souls of the heroic spirits. Its class name is Avenger. The heroic spirit that's about to take a living form through the power of the Holy Grail, a successful example of the Third Sorcery."

"…What? What was all that about sorceries not having to do with this? It does concern them."

"No. Avenger's materialization isn't sorcery carried out by the Holy Grail. From the start, it is a heroic spirit with that specific attribute. It can take form within the Holy Grail because it's Avenger. The Holy Grail merely summoned an avenger that can use the Third Sorcery, so it doesn't mean that the Great Holy Grail used the Third Sorcery."

"……? So in short, it's a monster that can materialize? It's someone who can embody the Third Sorcery even if the Great Holy Grail doesn't?"

"Yes. It all started during the third ritual. The first one was a failure. Einzbern was defeated quickly in the second war, and in desperation, they summoned a spirit that specialized in killing."

"They used an old scripture, a foreign folklore they obtained, as catalyst to summon the worst evil possible. They summoned what they shouldn't have summoned to kill all the other Masters, to activate the Great Holy Grail, and to keep all the achievement to themselves. ――――The spirit's name is Angra Manyu. A murderous anti-hero that embodies every curse in this world."

"――――Angra… Manyu?" …Hold on. Angra Manyu is the name of the ancient Persian devil. It's the embodiment of evil, the greatest devil in Zoroastrianism. It fights a nine-thousand-year battle againts Ahura Mazda, protector of human goodness. Zoroastrianism is a story mainly about the battle between these two gods. It's the first religion to come up with the doctrine of duality, the angels and the devil.

But the story contains no hero named Angra Manyu. First of all, how can someone crowned with the name of the king of devils become a heroic spirit?

"That's not possible, Ilya. The Holy Grail can only call on heroic spirits, and you don't need the Holy Grail if you can reproduce phenomena on the divine spirit level. No, first of all, there can't be a heroic spirit with the name Angra Manyu. Even if there was, it would be a nameless evil spirit that left no mark on history. Even if it were summoned, its soul wouldn't be compatible with the Holy Grail."

"…Ilya. What did the Einzberns' Master summon?"

"I said Angra Manyu, Rin. …He was certainly nameless, and not a devil. But a hero with the name Angra Manyu did exist."

"…Yes, the story takes place a long time ago. Insanely long ago, in a very small world. It was a hero that lived in a small, nameless village that practiced Zoroastrianism."

"I don't know how distorted their doctrine was. I don't know what led them to that idea. But they lived cleanly and righteously in accordance with their precepts. People are supposed to value goodness, protect the light, and live virtuous lives. For these people, segregated from the rest of the world, this supplication was absolute. It was probably the only source of human pride that they knew."

"――――Yes. The people in the village earnestly wished for everyone to live in peace. So everyone could be free from malice and live pure, upright lives. They renounced such human concerns as hunger, conflict, love, and hate. They were proud to be worthy of God's blessing."

"But it was impossible. People can't be freed from malice just through clean, righteous living. From the moment we are born, there is evil in us. You must take certain measures if you want to separate evil from yourself. And――――those measures were taken."

"They came up with a way to save not just their small village, but the whole world. It's hard to make everyone do good. But you can prove everyone's goodness. …You just need one person. If one person embodies all the evils of the world, the rest of the people cannot be evil, no matter what. They seriously believed in such a simple, child-like theory."

"And one young man was chosen as a sacrifice. They captured him, carved every cursed word onto his body, forced every sin imaginable upon him, and held him responsible for all evils in the world. That's all. A small world. But an ultimate evil was born in this one complete world."

"The people cursed, scorned, feared, yet adored this man. They believed they were pure and righteous, since all the world's evil was within him. They seriously believed it'd save everyone in the world and created a devil. To demonstrate human goodness, they continuously tortured one man until he went insane. No, they would not allow him to die until he succumbed to old age."

"…The name of the devil that corrupts men. He was given the name Angra Manyu, and was irrationally hated by everyone in the world."

"I don't know if he really did turn into a devil during the process. But everyone in his village believed him to be so, and they treated him accordingly. They hated and feared him, but he was the proof of their goodness. They revered him as the sign of their salvation."

"He was the object of everyone's hate, but he saved people. His existence pardoned everyone of their evil deeds. Though his method was unusual, he still saved people. He became a hero for the villagers."

"And a hero was born. Hated by people, losing his self… Someone who transformed into exactly what they wanted. A helpless sacrifice that came to represent all the world's evil."

"―――That's the anti-hero Angra Manyu. An ordinary person without any special talent that was determined to be all evils of the world. The king of devils that approves of all six billion evils in Zoroastrianism. He's a curse made by a concept of ancient people."

Ilya finishes her story with no sign of bitterness or contempt. …Anti-hero. Kotomine introduced me to the term when the war started.

"…………" …But. If Ilya's story is true, the guy who turned into Angra Manyu is still burdened with all the sins. It's because that's his reason of existence.

A heroic spirit who's had six billion sins pushed onto him. …If a guy like that is summoned, all that'll happen is a big massacre. It'd only be natural for him to hate people, and first of all, everyone around him established him to be evil.

…Angra Manyu. So the man is using Sakura to take revenge on the people… no, to carry out the role people pushed onto him?

"So I understand the story of Avenger… Angra Manyu. But why is he in the Holy Grail? He's just an ordinary person, right? Even if he's given a devil's name and treated like one, he's still just a human. That wouldn't turn him into a monster capable of eating the entire town."

"…Yeah. Angra Manyu is human. He was just an ordinary man, but was forced to become a heroic spirit. So there wasn't any problem, originally."

"…The Einzbern family summoned Angra Manyu in the third war. But the summoned heroic spirit was weak. The anti-hero was defeated in the early stage of the war, and the Holy Grail took him in. The Master of Einzbern grieved how this ordinary human could be a devil that destroys the human world."

"…Yes. The heroic spirit was merely human. A human that cursed the world. A human who everyone wanted to represent their evil. …So he had no power. He was merely constructed by the people around him. But everything reversed the instant he was taken in by the Holy Grail."

"The Holy Grail grants wishes. When defeated, Servants are reduced to raw magical energy and are taken in by the Holy Grail to await their release. They lose their individual personalities and stay in the Holy Grail as an omnipotent power. But Angra Manyu was different. He was a heroic spirit that others wished for. He was intended to be evil, regardless of his personality."

"――――No way. Could he…" "Yes. The Holy Grail grants every wish. He was a mere human, but wasn't treated as one. So he was an embodiment of people's wishes. So―――the instant Angra Manyu was taken in by the Holy Grail, the Holy Grail accepted a wish."

"An existence that should not be. The heroic spirit constructed from people's selfish wishes was finally given flesh within the wish-granting Holy Grail. …Five hundred years under the Makiri and a thousand under the Einzbern are nothing. After all, he's an ideal human that has been wished for since the age of gods, over two thousand years ago."

"That's what that shadow is. It finally obtained form as a heroic spirit. Angra Manyu used Servants' colorless magical energy to embody all evils of the world. Wanting only to be evil. It slowly matured with an ability to curse all six billion people."

"―――Then what? The contents of the Holy Grail have already been tainted by him? The wish the Holy Grail grants is already determined, and the fourth war took place only to store up the magical energy needed to give him form?"

"Yes. I don't know how much Kiritsugu knew about Angra Manyu. But believing the shadow leaking from it to be dangerous, he destroyed the Holy Grail."

"And his course of action was right. No matter what the previous Angra Manyu was, the Angra Manyu that formed inside the Holy Grail is real. It will become the greatest evil in the world, a devil that will kill every human being alive."

"But thanks to Kiritsugu's resolve, Angra Manyu was left unborn within the Great Holy Grail. Kotomine and Sakura received parts of it. Zouken must've known that a Servant was about to be born in the Holy Grail. That's why he implanted a piece of it in Sakura, creating a link between her and that Servant. He made Sakura a Master so that she can control the Servant once it emerges."

"No matter what Avenger is, it's still a Servant. No Servant, no matter how strong, can disobey his Master. That's Zouken's plan. He wants to use Sakura to obtain Angra Manyu."

――――Hold on. Does that mean Sakura has a contract with this Servant, Avenger?

"Are you serious? Even if Sakura controls Angra Manyu that way, she can't resist the taint of the magical energy. She's already changed that much when Angra Manyu is still inside the Holy Grail, so her personality will disappear completely once it comes out. Then being a Master won't matter."

"That's fine. Zouken isn't worried about Sakura's personality. What matters to him is her body and its connection to Angra Manyu."

"He's planning to take over her empty body after her personality disappears. …I don't think you know, but Zouken can take over anyone's body as long as the worm bearing his soul exists. That's how he stayed alive until now. From the start, Sakura was just a body to eventually possess."

――――Then what? The thing possessing Sakura. If what's changing her is a contract with a Servant――――

"Zouken kidnapped me, probably because he didn't want to let Sakura open the gate. He wanted me to take the role of the Holy Grail, allowing him to take over Sakura's body once she became Angra Manyu's Master."

"I guess he plans to take over Angra Manyu in time, since a soul given flesh is a living example of the Third Sorcery. It's like speaking ill of a perfect God because you're a human with desires."

"……The definition of God's creation… It's something that's made from people's wishes, but not affected by people's intentions. Well, I bet any god will turn into a devil if it reflects Zouken's personality. That must be why Kotomine considered him his enemy."

"I get it. That's enough, right, Shirou?" "――――Huh?" Tohsaka's voice brings me back to the present.

"It's not 'huh'. We know our enemy, and we know Zouken's intention. Then we don't even need to talk about the rest."

"――――――――" …We don't even need to talk about the rest, huh? She's right. What's in the Holy Grail. The disaster from ten years ago will be repeated if he comes out.

…No, that's an understatement. He'll kill countless people if we let him be. ―――Yes. Sakura's creation will take many lives.

"――――――――" I can't allow that. Then I have to stop it. I have to make whatever sacrifices I can to keep Sakura from being burdened with more deaths. ――――Stop Angra Manyu. I have to end the war before he emerges from the Holy Grail.

"I guess you understand now. We have to fight and win. And there are only two ways to do this. Kill Sakura, Angra Manyu's Master, before he comes out. Or destroy the Great Holy Grail before he comes out."

"…The former's the more certain method. Sakura and Zouken will surely get in our way if we try to destroy the Great Holy Grail. We won't be able to do it without defeating them. So it's easiest to defeat Sakura."

"Yeah. Fight Sakura and separate her from Angra Manyu. That's the easiest way, and the plan's easy to understand." "Oh. You have no problem with going after her?"

"…That's the only thing we can manage right now. If Angra Manyu is what Ilya says it is, it's not something humans can match. We lose the instant it comes out. Then we have to take the quickest and surest route. More importantly, Tohsaka. I don't mind fighting, but do you know where Sakura is?"

"That's not a problem. If Ilya's right, there's only one place the Great Holy Grail can be. Right, Ilya?"

"…Yes, you're right, Rin. Angra Manyu is about to be born, so Zouken is at the Great Holy Grail. The degraded ley line. The origin that was chosen by the three families two hundred years ago. Angra Manyu is being conceived in the large cavern underneath the Ryudou Temple."

"――――Under the Ryudou Temple…" …That's where Sakura is. That's where we'll be heading, the place where the Holy Grail War will end.

"………" I take a deep breath and allow my tense mind to relax slightly. The cold pendant in my hand settles my thoughts.

"――――――――" Fighting Sakura. Tohsaka isn't lying. It's just that our methods are different. Tohsaka must intend to finish the war by killing Sakura. But I'll end the war by saving Sakura's life―――

"…..!?" My body trembles. The house is beset by pressure, making the air feel like water. And… "Sakura――――!" The instant we realize the pressure's coming from the shadow, we run out into the yard.

――――We go out into the yard. The whole world is covered by the shadow. My entire body is numb with fear.

…The black shadow is standing in front of us. It can crush this house if it wants to. The difference in our power is obvious. It has transfigured to an existence that's unlike anything I've ever seen.

"……………" …The black shadow does nothing. It's not Sakura, but a shadow shaped like her. The real Sakura is under the Ryudou Temple. The thing in front of us is a virtual image.

"――――Hmph. So you're sending the shadow instead of showing up yourself? You've gotten arrogant during the short time you've been away." "………" Does she not hear Tohsaka's provocation, or does she not hear anything at all? Wavering in the moonlight, her shadow looks lonely.

"………" Her eyes look at me. 'Senpai'. Weak, as if she'll reply like always if I just reach out.

"――――――――" But I don't. What I must do is determined. I can't say anything to her, as doing so would weaken my resolve.

She looks away. After hanging her head for a moment, "Did you hear the whole story from Ilyasviel, Nee-san?" She confronts Tohsaka with a cold voice.

"Yeah. I heard about what's possessing you and the abilities of what's about to be born from the Holy Grail. So, Sakura. Let me ask. Do you have any intention of cutting ties with Angra Manyu?" Tohsaka's voice is the same. Completely cold, showing no concern for Sakura.

"No. I said the weak me disappeared, didn't I? I was able to obtain this power, so I don't intend to let it go. I couldn't even if I wanted to. …This is how Matou Sakura has to live from now on."

"I see. Then one more thing. How complete is the Servant you're boasting about? Ilya said it's coming out soon, but what do you have to say as the mother? Is it already born?"

"…Of course not. When that happens, this town will be consumed in a second. I can't allow that yet. Senpai's still here. So I won't let him out as long as I still exist."

"Oh, so there's no reason for us to hurry, huh? So you're going to keep Angra Manyu inside as long as Shirou's with me? That's good, Shirou. Sakura seems well enough."

"…Don't be ridiculous. You should know how much longer I'm going to last. Please run away with Senpai. I won't last long. I don't know when I'll disappear. I might only be able to hold out for one night."

"So I'm warning you before that. …Nee-san. Please take Senpai and run far away. Then I can be at peace and take his life with mine."

Sakura says she's going to kill him using her life. Tohsaka trembles a bit. Is that because she believes her, or…

"…Humph. You don't know when you're going to disappear, huh? You're wrong. You just don't know when you'll run out of patience." "――――Nee-san."

"Oh well. I don't know how you're going to kill Angra Manyu, but you can kill yourself without hesitation if I run away with Shirou? You'll kill the Servant within the Holy Grail along with you, right?"

"…Y-Yes. So please run away. I-I don't want you to see me change. It's fine as long as Senpai gets away. So――――please don't come after me anymore, Senpai."

She's desperately begging us. Sakura's shadow can kill us right now, but it asks for salvation by letting us go.

"――――――――" But I can't answer her wish. I can't leave Sakura and run away, nor can I let her kill herself along with Angra Manyu. And… "We'll go there. We'll go and kill you for sure." Tohsaka breaks away from her sister.

"Wha―――――――" "What did you expect? As Tohsaka's magus, I can't ignore you. And I can't believe you even if you say you'll kill yourself. Don't you get it, Sakura? You're not making any sense. You want to kill, but you're telling me to run. Geez, you're trying to act like a good girl because you're in front of Shirou."

"…What?" "Oh, you can make a good face. That's what you should've done from the start. So, is that all? Then get lost. You don't have to hurry since we'll go see you right away. Look, Sakura. I'll kill you with my own hands."

Tohsaka declares with voice that even contains kindness. …The shadow wavers. After freezing on the spot like a statue… "Yes――――I'll be waiting for you, Nee-san." …It smiles violently and disappears.

The shadow covering the house recedes. Tohsaka and I are the only ones remaining in the yard.

――――I get dizzy. I thought I was concentrating, but it seems I was agitated after seeing Sakura's image. …It seems Sakura's not the only one that's running out of time.

"――――Shirou. You heard what Sakura said. But what're you going to do? If you want to run, I won't stop you. But if you do, that'll be after you project the gem sword."

"You don't have to confirm with me. I won't run away, and I'll somehow project the gem sword. We're cooperating, right? Then I'll follow up by doing things you can't do."

"…I see. That's good, but do you understand, Shirou? Coming with me means killing Sakura. The same goes for the gem sword. You're going to prepare a weapon that I will use to kill her."

"…Yeah. The gem sword thing is contradictory. But Sakura's out of our control, and projecting the sword is a promise we made. If projecting the sword means we can match Sakura's shadow, then it's something we definitely need to do."

"Oh. So…" "Yeah, I'm taking the opposite measure. I'm going to end this war by saving Sakura. I've decided to be Sakura's ally."

"Even if letting Sakura live means killing everyone else?" "We don't know that yet. There should be a way to save Sakura and not let there be any more victims."

"…I don't know about that. Sakura's already killed many people. Is it justice for you to save such a person, Shirou?" ――――Her inquiry is decisive. A sin I can't talk myself out of. She puts it into words, and I finally…

"―――That's right. I'll protect her even if she's not human. I'm going to protect her from everything, including the part of her that wants to kill me. That's all I want to do. That's what it means to be someone's ally, right?" …I'm able to tell her what I think.

"……Geez. You really can just come out and say it." I nod back, feeling no shame.

"……I see. Well, I knew there was no point in arguing with you, but I didn't think it'd go this far. You beat me." "Huh? Where are you going, Tohsaka?"

"I have to go prepare for the battle. Sakura gave us that warning because she really doesn't have time to spare. So I have to get ready quickly." "That's true, but we were talking――――"

"We're done talking now. In short, you're going to save Sakura as long as you're still alive, right? …Hmph. Fine, do as you want. I'm not going to say anything now. Go struggle to your heart's content."

"Hm…?" Where did her nervousness go? Tohsaka looks angry now.

"But don't get me wrong. This is in exchange for making the gem sword. I'll leave you in charge of Sakura as long as you're trying. I won't do anything until you can't move anymore. …That's good, right? You might be able to save Sakura, if you try hard enough."

Tohsaka leaves with that. "………" The uneasiness in my chest goes away. We're thinking oppositely. But Tohsaka still wants to save Sakura.

Then I can entrust her with Sakura. We both like her. Then Tohsaka should be able to save Sakura.

It's ten o'clock. Tohsaka said we'll prepare for battle and go to the Ryudou Temple before the date changes.

"Well. I'm going to have you project the gem sword, but how do you feel? Can you project it while suppressing Archer's arm?" "Oh――――" …I see. Ilya hasn't told her how I took the Shroud off. "Well――――um, yeah…"

"Oh, that's good to hear. Then the rest is up to Shirou and Ilya. The Azoth Sword, which is as close as we're going to get to the gem sword, Shirou's projection, and Ilya's support. We may not be able to replicate it, but if all goes well, we should at least be able to reproduce half of its original ability." Tohsaka hands me a dagger.

"………" The dagger is a ritualistic equipment. It might be something she favors, as it looks well-used. Not only that. Even an amateur like me can feel how much magical energy is stored in this thing.

…Well, this is nothing compared to the shadow, but it's still a hundred times more than my magical energy capacity.

"…This is amazing. You had something like this up your sleeve?" "Of course it's amazing. I used all the jewels I had, which contained ten years worth of magical energy."

Tohsaka sulks, like she didn't want to use them. …She seems generous, but maybe she's really stingy when it comes to money. Well, with that aside…

"Hmm, but is that really okay, Tohsaka? You don't have any left for yourself if you've used everything you have, right? I know you're still not fully recovered, so can you still fight?"

"Well, I can manage to move around. But I haven't healed to the point where I can use magic again." "Wait――――then…"

"You don't need to worry. It's fine as long as you can project the gem sword. The sword has absurd powers said to have even stopped the 'falling moon'."

"…?" I don't get what she means, but Tohsaka has great confidence. …Well, if she's so sure of herself, I won't worry either.

"Let's start, Shirou. It'll take a long time to project that sword, even for you. We have to get started or the date'll change."

"You're right. Then let's go back to your room. If we're not someplace where you can relax, our chances are lower." Tohsaka heads back to the living room.

"Oh, hold on. I'll do the projection in the shed. And I want to be alone with Ilya while I do it, so can you wait in your room?" "Why? I have to be there in case something happens, right?"

"There's no need. It's a bother if you're here. Shirou gets distracted easily, so we might fail if you fall and get his attention when it counts the most."

"…Hey, that's rude, Ilya." Tohsaka complains with a sour look. She's not arguing back, maybe because she can't deny the possibility that she'll screw up at a crucial moment.

"…All right. Then I'll wait outside the shed. Is that all right, Ilya?" "…I guess it can't be helped. That's the biggest compromise we can make."

"Rin. Don't come in until I tell you to if you want us to reproduce the gem sword. I'll call for you if something's about to happen, so please stay outside until then no matter what."

"You're being persistent. I said I understand. I won't come in even if I hear Shirou scream." "………" It doesn't really matter, but I wish she'd picked a better example.

"Well, let's go, Shirou." Ilya goes into the shed. I decide to ask Tohsaka something before I follow.

"Tohsaka. Can I have this sword?" "…? You're going to be projecting using that. The Azoth Sword will go away once the gem sword's projected."

"Yeah. You can have the gem sword, so can I have this in return? See, this might break if I fail. I can't concentrate, thinking how you might get angry if I break this."

"…Geez. Fine. You can have the Azoth Sword if that'll help you relax." "Thanks. Then I'm going to go do my best."

…I shut the door. I can't let Tohsaka see this. I'm sure she won't stop me now, but she'll definitely feel responsible. If I'm to smooth this out, I have to tell her I used it after everything is over and get retroactive approval.

"…Are you ready, Shirou? You've released Archer's arm already, so I don't need to explain the steps, right?" I nod. Ilya tells me to sit down, and I do so.

"But Ilya. I can only project what I've seen or what Archer made. I have no information on the gem sword. I can't project it even if we have a blueprint and a dagger that's just like it."

"I know. I'll first have you come inside my memory. I haven't seen it either, but the record of the gem sword is in me. Tohsaka's great master was there when the Great Holy Grail was made. I'm sure the sword was there at that time."

"Whoa, Ilya――――" "Just close your eyes. I'll keep your body here and send your mind somewhere else. We did this before. I'll send your vision into my memory, so analyze the gem sword there. …I'll release your left arm once you're inside. You'll be hit by the pressure of two hundred years and the invasion from your arm at the same time. Brace yourself and try to finish the projection as fast as you can."

"――――――――" Ilya's voice is trembling. …Her arms are as well.

"…I'll take you to the gem sword, so you just need to hold your breath. Clear your mind and don't look at anything unnecessary. You just need to draw out his Zelretch――――"

――――Space splits. Is it because all my senses are within her memory… or is it because my left arm is released?

There's no pain, the cognition of pain doesn't matter now, I'm swallowed by my injury, I'm falling into a swirling maelstrom of pain.

I don't know where I am.

I don't know who I am.

I don't know what it means.

It's a large circuit. Multi-layered Crests are carved on a bare rock that's over fifty meters in radius. It's like a large observatory, rotating by itself in the deserts of Arizona.

The circuits cover the area in many layers. The geometric figures turn in place. A white girl stands in the center of the beautiful spider's nest.

Her name is Lizleihi. Lizleihi Justizia von Einzbern. She's the magus that devised the Holy Grail War. The great magus who was called the winter saint. A magus accompanied by Makiri Zouken and Tohsaka Nagato.

The Great Holy Grail is activated. Justizia becomes the key reenacting the ancient sorcery. Yes. The Holy Grail is just a Holy Grail without her. Her will is needed for Heavens Feel. The old man knows as well as Makiri and Tohsaka do that the Holy Grail is a mere wishbringer.

――――My vision narrows. The world expands. I concentrated on something needless. I did, so my body was ripped in half.

The world is too big for this small body. I'll eventually see nothing. The process behind this two-hundred-year-old ritual doesn't matter. There's only one thing I need to look at. I concentrate on the man standing in front of the Great Holy Grail. I concentrate on the dagger in his hand――――

――――That's the original. A ritual dagger with a jeweled blade. The kaleidoscopic gleam sears through my eyes and into my brain.

"――――――――, ――――――――"

I understand the instant I see it. I understand that I can't comprehend it. All I can imitate is its shape. I can't analyze its structure and project it.

What kind of a magical theory was it constructed with? The old man's dagger is still a mystery, even if I use Archer's arm and every last piece of knowledge in heroic spirit Emiya. It's alien technology. The old man is embodying general knowledge from a far future, beyond the reach of modern man――――

"――――. ――――……!!"

I'm repelled. I can't be repelled. I can't reach it. Not reaching it is unforgivable.

I reach out. I reach out. I reach out. My eyes are burned out, my brains are burned out. I extend my left arm for dozens of meters, extend, extend, extend――――――――

"Stop! Come back, Shirou…!"

I hear Ilya's voice. But I'm not there yet. I don't even have my fingertips on it. I can't back out now. How can I back out after seeing that miracle, the ultimate one…!?

"Give up…! Do you want to disappear, Shirou!?"

Get there――――

Get there―――――――――

Get there――――――――――――

Get there――――――――――――― ――――――――――――――――――――――― ――――――――――――――――――――――

"Haa, ah…….!!!!!!!!" "Shirou――――!" Did I jump myself, or was I pushed back by something? I'm flying, and I land on my back.

"Ha――――ga, ah――――!" My left arm pain . My tongue my fingers the trembling won't . "Ah――――uwa, ah, ah――――!" . , .

"Stay ! I'll Shroud !" "Haa, guh, ah……….!" A big knife stabs me from the side. It's so uncomfortable that I repel the one wielding it――――

"Oh… Ouch――――" And I realize I just punched Ilya. "……! I-I'm sorry, Ilya, I――――" She pats dust off herself and gets up. …Good. She's not hurt.

"I told you not to look at unnecessary things, you idiot! …Geez, I'll let you off the hook this time since it paid off, but I won't forgive you if you disobey me again!"

She points at my face as she scolds me. …Wait. Feeling something hard in my left hand, I look down.

"――――――――" ……I managed to project it. It's projected, but it doesn't seem like the one I saw. First of all, I don't feel any magical energy in this thing. Tohsaka's Azoth Sword is many times better than this, and this blade wouldn't cut paper.

"Yup. I have a lot to complain about, but thanks for your hard work, Shirou. Your projection was perfect. You showed me a flawless blade works." "Uh――――I don't know, but is this any good? It looks pretty crappy."

"That's fine as is. The sword is an extraordinary demonic sword that can only be used by Schweinorg's lineage. Well, I guess it's fate. Sakura is receiving the protection of the third and Rin's going to try to use the second. It wouldn't end up as mere investigation if the Association were here. Every department would be running to put them on trial." Ilya laughs.

"…Wow. So this dagger is that amazing?" "Yeah. To be more accurate, it's a multi-dimensional refractory phenomenon, Gem Sword Kishua Zelretch Schweinorg. It's called Gem Sword Zelretch, and it's the old magus's favored sword and Tohsaka's heirloom."

"But the sword wasn't passed down the Tohsaka line, just the blueprint. It's an assignment from the sorcerer that the Tohsaka magi must pursue for a long, long time."

"Assignment from a sorcerer… Wait, the great master Tohsaka was talking about is a sorcerer…!?"

"Yeah. But Zelretch is an oddball among the sorcerers in that he still associates himself with this world, so I'm sure he has other apprentices. I don't think Zelretch is in this world, but he might show up once Rin's capable of making the gem sword by herself."

"Hmm……?" He's not in this world, but might appear all of a sudden? Isn't he just a wanderer that likes to travel?

"――――――――" ――――Whoa. I let my guard down. I get dizzy. I clench my right fist, feel the pendant digging into my torn flesh, and keep my consciousness.

"――――, ――――" I steady my breathing so Ilya doesn't notice. My limbs――――I still feel my limbs.

"――――――――" ……Good. I thought I'd lose something if I used projection, but I'm not missing anything yet. My head's still working. The biggest proof is that I can check on my condition. I should be able to use one more projection.

―――No, I have to use it. I have to save Sakura in a way different from Tohsaka. Archer's arm will make it poss-

"So means. In short, the sorcery parallel worlds. So his nickname Kaleidoscope " "――――Tohsaka?" " ? , ?"

"――――――――" I can't understand her. It's not that I can't hear her. She's just speaking in a language I don't understand. She's talking in some strange language and holding something dangerous in her left hand.

…Tohsaka's holding a sword I've never seen before. Never seen before? That can't be. I projected (I think) that sword just now, and my left hand is empty, so it must mean I handed it to Tohsaka.

"Shirou? from . Was the projection ?" "――――――――"

I get a chill. My memory's vague. I can't recall anything. My understanding and the details don't match up.

"Guh――――, ……….!" I clench my right hand. My eyes finally focus in exchange for dripping blood.

"――――Um, Tohsaka." I get up. My limbs are light compared to my disconnected head. They're so light that I think they may be empty inside.

"It's not 'Tohsaka'. Ilya and I will go test it out, so you should rest―――wait, what's with your hand…!"

Tohsaka grabs me. Her speed is surprisingly slow, but… "Eh……? Why do you have this…?" My mind isn't working, and she has ahold of my hand before I know it.

Tohsaka's looking at the pendant in my palm with astonishment. I don't know why she's surprised. But I have this because…

"Shirou. Why do you have this? And are you crazy, holding it this tight?" "Why? I just have it as a charm. This is…"

…Something I picked up. Why did I pick it up? It's something I shouldn't forget, but I can't remember. But the stranger in my left arm knows what it is better than I do.

"……Um, it's something important. I have to have it on me until the end."

Words that are not mine come out of my mouth. "……… Shirou. I also have that pendant."

"Eh?" Tohsaka takes out a pendant from her pocket. It's certainly the same. It's a simple design for a jewel user like Tohsaka, but I think something simple like this brings out her beauty.

"Wow, they're the same." I nod back.

"No. Mine's empty, but there's still a bit left in yours. It's not significant, but I'm sure there's a meaning behind the usage of it." "…?"

"Keep that. It might come in handy." Tohsaka puts her pendant away and walks off with Ilya.

"Hey, Tohsaka. Where are you going?" "I need to talk to Ilya. I'll let you rest for an hour, so stay in your room. And I'll get seriously mad if you don't treat your hand right away."

"――――――――" Tohsaka's bad temper borders on outright hostility. She takes Ilya, who follows her without a word.

"………Oh well. I guess I'm saved." I have to find out what happened to me before I start moving around. I'm still conscious. I can figure out the situation if I don't let my guard down.

"……So. Why am I here?" I think about why I'm here in the shed. Sakura's warning. Sakura warned us to run, and Tohsaka said she'd fight. Then―――that's right, we have to go beneath the Ryudou Temple.

"So… Why am I lying in the shed when we have to go to the Ryudou Temple?" I'm on the ground. I realize that I'm inside the shed. My right hand is hurting. Thanks to that, my consciousness is back.

"―――――Damn. Pull yourself together, idiot." I get up and check how my limbs are doing. …Don't lose spirit. I'm certainly losing something at hopeless speed. But it's not fatal. At the very least, I should be able to fight normally until the day dawns.

"You look terrible. Do you recognize me, Shirou?"

"――――!" I quickly turn around. …In the back of the shed… Shrouded in darkness just beyond the moon's reach, there stands a Servant in black.

"Rider. You…"

"Yes. I was watching you. My mission is to protect you, but Sakura is my Master. So long as she is the one trying to harm you, I can offer you no assistance. That is why I did not help you in the forest. It was your own fault to be attacked by Berserker."

Rider explains lightly. …She speaks without emotion. It seems she was waiting for me to be alone.

"…I see. Then you came here to…" "To kill you. You and your allies are Sakura's enemies. Thus, I cannot let you meet her." Rider's holding a nail-like dagger. …I feel her hostility creeping up my spine.

"――――――――!" Rider's serious. I――――

[votestaynight2]

15th Day - limited. (Scene 3)

"…Do what you want. I don't know what your intentions are, but neither one of us likes Zouken." "I see, common ground is important. I do have some relation to that old man."

We start down the hill. We leave the church together without looking at each other.

Dawn has nearly broken when we reach the forest. "Wait here. You may go home if we do not return by the time the date changes." He stops the car on a road near the entrance of the forest. Kotomine arranged for the car.

"So how are you going to help me?" "Hm. Our method of transportation, to start out with." …After that conversation, Kotomine immediately prepared a car and driver. That alone is helpful. It's past three in the morning. Not many taxis would take a suspicious student out to the outskirts right now.

"It is possible that only the boy will return. That is not a good situation. Do not wait for me and go back to town as fast as possible in that case." Kotomine gives orders to the driver. The driver nods silently, then opens the trunk.

"――――Emiya. Take the weapon." "Huh?" He throws a long, thin object at me.

"Whoa. Is this a sword?" It's a slender sword. It's like a rapier. It's a sword made for thrusting, not slashing. But the blade's a bit too thick, and it looks like it'll be hard to use. It's like Assassin's Dark made into a sword.

"This is a weapon?" "Kiritsugu preferred guns, but unfortunately, submachine guns are the only firearms I have right now. Bullets aren't effective against ghosts, and you're not trained to use them in any case. That's better for you, since you're a magic user."

"――――――――" I lightly swing the sword. …It's oddly-balanced. It weighs about a kilo, but the tip is heavy. It's more like an arrow than a sword.

"…Is this a special weapon of the Church? I feel magical energy from it." "It is called a Black Key. It is not magic, but sacrament. It is our exclusive right, used to fight spirits. If you use your magic on that sword, it should be of some use, even against a Servant." That's if I can hit them with it, he adds.

"Make sure you do not get into a situation where you have to use it. ―――Let's go. It's been almost a day since Ilyasviel was kidnapped. The place may be empty already, but we'll think about that after we get there. We should at least be able to find out where Matou Sakura went." The priest, unlike me, goes into the forest empty-handed.

"――――――――" I take a deep breath. I put the sword into the sheath and follow after Kotomine.

I take the lead. I use my memory to head to the castle. …I couldn't reach it the last time I was here. It's because I met Ilya, fleeing from the black shadow, on my way to the castle.

"――――――――" …I check my left arm. I lost my arm at that time. I was almost killed by the shadow, and there wasn't a thing I could do about it. It's the same now. I have no way to match the shadow even if I encounter it, and they also have Saber.

…Once I run into them, it's all over. If I'm to get Ilya back, a surprise attack will be the only way. I'll rescue Ilya without Sakura noticing. Then―――

What should I do after that? What can I do to Sakura? How can I take Sakura back to my house?

"Hold on. Do not tell me you intend to bring Matou Sakura back." "Wha… O-Of course I intend to. I want to save her."

"Don't even try. We cannot match Matou Sakura… no, that shadow. It will swallow us without giving us a chance to talk. You should know that better than me."

"――――――――!" That's… It'll be just like when I confronted her in the yard. But still――――

"Let it go this time. We will have our chance if we can put Ilyasviel under your care. If you wish to speak with Matou Sakura, that can come after we prepare something that can match her." "…………"

A force that can match Sakura, who has an overwhelming amount of magical energy. …If anyone can prepare such a thing, it'll be Tohsaka. I'll have to project the gem sword we were planning to use against Zouken and the black shadow――――

"Damn…! Okay, so I'm supposed to concentrate on saving Ilya for now, right…!?" "Right. Then let's go. We don't have time."

"――――――――" I slap my cheeks to boost my spirits. This isn't the time to be feeling timid. I have to save Ilya. Sakura said she'll kill her. …I won't let her die, and I won't let Sakura do such a thing. All I can do right now is to get Ilya away from Sakura. Then I'll concentrate on that for now――――

I emerge in a familiar place. It's been two hours since I entered the forest. The sun should already be up, but the forest's still covered in morning mist.

"――――…She's here. The curse over this forest is definitely hers." "…?" Kotomine says something strange as we keep running. …The curse over this forest? Can he see such a thing?

"Kotomine. By curse, do you mean you can pick out Sakura's presence?" "It is more like a resonance. ……Well, I do not care. But if we are to fight Matou Sakura, I will retreat. Putting you aside, I cannot harm Black Sakura. I have no chance of winning even if I fight her." "……?" Well, I have no chance of winning either. But…

"Hold on. What do you mean by 'Black'? Sakura's Sakura. She's just possessed by the shadow, and she'll quickly…." "She'll quickly be back to normal? I explained that to you before. The only way to return her to normal is to separate her from the shadow."

"There are two ways to do so. Eliminate the main body of the shadow, or wait until Matou Sakura materializes it. You have no way to defeat the shadow right now. All you can do is protect Sakura's mind until the shadow is born."

"――――――――" But I don't know how to protect her mind. …The Command Spell covering Sakura's body… If that's what Kotomine means by Black Sakura, then isn't Sakura slowly turning into the shadow?

"…Kotomine. When you talk about materializing the shadow, do you mean Sakura turning into it?" "No. I'm sure there is some sympathy, but the main body of the shadow is in the Holy Grail. What is transforming Matou Sakura is inside the Holy Grail, but that is still her shadow. It cannot exist without her. The main body does not have form, so it exists in the material world by being her shadow."

"What's inside the Holy Grail will not come into this world unless there is an incomplete Holy Grail called Matou Sakura. But once it is born, it will be a separate entity. Once it is separated from her, the curse tainting her should stop."

"…Kotomine. You say born, but is that thing inside Sakura?" "Of course not. If it were, the matter would be easily solved. We would simply need to extract it from her body. The main body of the shadow is within the Holy Grail. Matou Sakura is merely a host that gives it energy and form."

"But Sakura's the Holy Grail, right? What does that mean? Are there many Holy Grails?"

"Yes. I explained to you in the beginning. This land has a Holy Grail, and they summon the Holy Grail into the Holy Grail the people prepared. The main Holy Grail―――the magic circle and the brain that governs the rules of the ritual called the Holy Grail War. That is the Holy Grail on this land that Einzbern, Tohsaka, and Makiri prepared."

"――――The Holy Grail in this land――――" All the laws… Summoning the Servants, making the Masters fight, and calling down the Holy Grail. If the Holy Grail War is man-induced, then it's obvious that there's also a man-induced cause.

Then―――if I find that large-scale magic circle and destroy it, I may be able to purge the shadow invading Sakura's body―――

"Do you know where that is, Kotomine?" "I have a guess. Ask Rin if you would like to know the entrance. The Tohsaka family are the supervisors of this land. The Einzbern cooperated with them two hundred years ago to secure a land for the ritual. Rin, the successor, should know where the place is."

"But―――that is all after we save Ilyasviel. If Zouken obtains Ilyasviel, she and Matou Sakura will be disposed of as the Holy Grail. Matou Zouken has no intention of using the main Holy Grail. For him, the two women are enough. Your idea of destroying the main Holy Grail is meaningless."

"D-Don't be stupid! I'm not thinking about such a thing!" "Really? I think it is the most realistic solution for you. It's strange that you wouldn't go through with it."

"―――Shut up. So why didn't you tell me about it? If you'd told me at the beginning, I would…."

"You would have destroyed the magic circle? Nothing would go so smoothly. My goal is the completion of the magic circle, after all. I cannot let you destroy it."

"I told you that we will be enemies after we rescue Ilyasviel. My goal is different from yours. I am interested in what comes from Matou Sakura―――no, what is trying to become her. Unlike Zouken, I have no wish."

"…Don't bullshit me. You're the same as Zouken. You're using Sakura to create something and make it yours."

"Make it mine…? Of course not. I have no interest in it after it is born. In any case, no human will be able to control it. What will appear is a phenomenon called hell. If Matou Sakura becomes that, I will die just like everybody else."

"Wha――――――――" What is that? Then his goal's just…

"―――Are you insane? You want to turn Sakura into such a thing, knowing that you're going to be killed…!?"

"Yes. My role is to bless whatever is born. That will not change, no matter what it is or what situation it is in. There is a life and a will to be born. I cannot oppose that. Emiya. If there is a pure wish in this world, it must be the desire to be born."

"But what's in Sakura is――――" "It is not evil. Humans can earn happiness just by existing. As they grow, they will learn of new happiness, of more advanced and complex pleasures."

"But humans are not happy at the moment of birth. An embryo does not have the knowledge to know what happiness is. Humans start from zero, learn what is fun, and learn what is right. The beginning is at zero. There is no good or evil. There is only the fact that it is allowed to exist in this world."

"――――――――" "Good or evil. The person's knowledge will decide that. If there is any responsibility, it lies with the environment and the 'self' that raised you. There is no crime in receiving birth. That is why I will bless even the birth of a devil."

"―――This is the way I have lived. This way of living is mine. Even if what Matou Sakura gives birth to is hell, it is hard to change my nature."

"――――――――" …I don't understand. I know he's serious. He knows he'll die, but he's still going bless the evil that will be born through Sakura. …I'll never be able to approve of this man. But it's true that he's trying to save Ilya and release Sakura from Zouken's control.

"―――――――!" Thoughts that are in conflict. Lives that cannot coexist. But we have the same goal right now.

"―――I can trust you, right?" "I said we will be cooperating. I will trust you with my back."

A reply without hesitation. …That's all that's there right now. I have an ally that's better than anyone. I'll just think about rescuing Ilya and getting out of this forest safely――――

Interlude 15-1

Ah――――Ah, ah――――ah――――

The space is filled with black fire. The luxurious rooms are burned away by meaningless gasping.

Ah――――Ah, ah――――ah――――

The blazing fire is like a heat haze. The formerly shapeless shadow breaks through every wall and floor in concert with the host's pain.

Ha――――uh, ah―――ahh, ah――――!

The black heat haze dances in tune to the melody. Each time the figure at its center curls up, claws at her throat, and gasps in agony, the old castle's beauty is disfigured further. ―――But this is nothing to grieve over. This desolate winter castle has been forgotten by everyone. Nobody has lived here or seen it, so it makes no difference even if it's destroyed.

"Ah…… Ua… ah… aaahh, ah……"

The hall has turned into the shadow's kingdom. Writhing in agony, the woman in the middle is both its king and its slave. It has already been a day since she arrived at this castle with Ilyasviel.

Matou Sakura's transfiguration is reaching its final stage.

As she's one with the shadow, having a physical form is torture. Her mind is being engulfed by pain and the impulse to destroy. …If that were all, she would be able to bear it. She's used to physical pain.

But―――the pain of having her existence denied is something she has never experienced. The shadow should not exist. This world has no blessings to offer it.

"Uh…… Ah… ah… ah……!"

She tears at her throat. She cannot breathe. The air is poisonous. Matou Sakura is turning into a deep-sea monster, so being on land is like being in a vacuum.

"Ah――――Ahhh, ahhhh……!!!!"

That's why she dances around like mad. Her sanity broken, she takes out her anger on everything she sees. She keeps appealing to the unconcerned world about her pain. About her misfortune and her pain.

"――――Well. It is about time. She remained Matou Sakura for longer than I expected, but she will turn into the vessel with one more push." Two shadows watch the spectacle. An old magus, Matou Zouken, and his Servant, Assassin.

"…One more push? I am tired of hearing those words. The match is over. I am the only Servant you need. Have her take in the remaining two." "I know. But she does not try to kill the Servants she has absorbed. I do not know if it is her shallow wit or cowardice. Saber and Berserker are still trapped within her. She should kill them, but she keeps them alive."

"…Interesting. So Saber is not the only one?" "No. It is probably to keep me in check, but how thoughtless of her. The more Servants she controls, the more magical energy she must draw from the Holy Grail. It is a supply of magical energy the Holy Grail receives from the Great Holy Grail, but magical energy is not the only thing that flows into her. She is accelerating her transfiguration by letting the Servants live. Her sanity will be lost and she will turn into an ideal tool even if I do nothing."

The old magus laughs, watching the girl's suffering. There's affection in his eyes. He loves her. What he originally considered a mere experiment grew beyond his expectation to grant him his dearest wish, immortality.

It would be strange not to love her. To the old magus, Matou Sakura looks like a beautiful bride. No matter how much she fights, she will be his in the end. It doesn't matter even if she obtains power, controls many Servants, and retains her sanity. Their hierarchy was set eleven years ago. The old magus can kill Matou Sakura merely by closing his eyes and opening them again.

"――――――――" …But the white skull is different. He's the symbol of ill omen, the wind that brings death, so he's sensitive to those of his kind.

"―――The magus makes light of the matter, but―――" Will everything turn out well? The situation will not change, even if the girl loses her sanity. She reacts to people with hostility.

In that regard, she's already acting the way she will once her mind is lost. Matou Zouken is conceited. Even if she goes mad, she will not obey his command.

"……Magus. There is a way to control her, yes? Her defensive instincts are excessive. Your voice will not reach her if she loses her sanity and can no longer tell ally from enemy. If that happens, you cannot approach merely by hiding your hostility. She is the kind that will eliminate her enemies by foreseeing the 'result' called her death."

"Oh, I see, that is promising. That makes it even better as the container." The old magus laughs.

"――――――――" Falling silent, the masked figure stares at the crumbling hall. …He cannot approve of the magus's plan. He says his goal is immortality, but his method seems distorted. No, he's a rotting human from the start. It's natural that he's crazy, but the old man's procedure seems inconsistent――――

"Haha, did you hear that, Assassin!? She's begging me for help now! Good, good! It feels like we're eleven years in the past! The pressure of being denied by the world itself must surely be painful, Sakura! But endure it. Your body can endure it. Remember all the days of pain and solitude over the last eleven years! For what did you bear the thousands of tortures!? What did you give your body to the tens of thousands of worms for!? That's right; pain of that degree is nothing to you! That's how I raised you! That's how I trained you!"

"………" It seems the old magus can hear the girl's voice. Assassin can only hear groans, but she must literally be begging for her life, begging for help.

"Yes, I will help you! You are my masterpiece! I shall see it through! But I can only save your body. Your mind did not follow me through the eleven years of training. You escaped the pain by accepting it, so you should not be able to bear that resentment. But you can rest assured, as I will guarantee the strength of your flesh! You can bear it! Your flesh shall put on Avenger!"

The old magus continues to laugh. Assassin looks at him emotionlessly and steps back.

"Hm? Where are you going, Assassin? There is a slight possibility of danger. I need you here to protect me from her." "…I do not mind, but why are you concerned about the black Holy Grail and not the white? Why are you letting the legitimate Holy Grail we obtained roam freely?" "Oh, that. Ilyasviel is cooperative. She exists only to open the gate, as is her duty. She does not mind what we do as long as her goal is achieved."

"………" "Do not be so doubtful. The Holy Grail you desire is that girl. Keeping your name in history and becoming the original. Your wish to be eternal through record will be granted by Einzbern. But I need her to keep her original form. Homunculi are outside my expertise. You can let her be until they prepare her formal dress."

"………So you will not force them, you say? But――――do we have such liberty?" "Of course we do. We have no more enemies. It was unexpected that Emiya's boy and Tohsaka's girl were alive, but they aren't important. Nobody is foolish enough to fight after being shown that much difference in power."

"We cannot take it back if we rush things out of needless worry and allow Ilyasviel to die. It is her role to open heaven's gate. We shall show compassion and let her carry out her duty――――Assassin?" "―――Stop. It seems there is someone that foolish." "――――Hm?"

At that instant, the white skull disappears. Assassin sensed the intruders and hurried out of the castle without hesitation. The enemies are already running outside. They have slipped through the unwary magus's guard and are about to exit the castle gate.

"――――Oh. So you are determined to die, boy?" But he hasn't been careless. Ilyasviel cannot run away. Einzbern's longstanding desire is in her core. The white girl will help him even if he doesn't force her. It's foolish to run away with such a girl. Even if they escape the forest with her, she will come to the land of the Holy Grail, the land of the origin.

"Hah. I have left her alone, but it cannot be helped now. ―――It is your turn, Sakura. You cannot be saved without Ilyasviel. If you would like to be freed from that pain, go trample upon them without mercy." With a loud laugh, the presence of the old magus recedes.

…A shadow is cowering in the hall. The shadow that shrouds the entire hall has become a black swamp, from which two dark figures emerge.

"…………………"

The girl no longer feels agony. It's not that she's accustomed to the poison now. It's merely that… "…………I see. You came, Senpai……"

…Pleasure has surpassed her dark pain.

"…So that priest's with him. How stupid of him. He came to be eaten?" She raises a finger. To the direction of the castle gate. The direction the trespassers have gone, where they are running even now.

"Go. You can kill anyone but Senpai. Kill anyone else, no matter who they may be."

The black giant is released. The unleashed hound roars and disappears with a sudden gust.

"But then―――you won't be able to tell who that is, though, Berserker."

She smiles. Slowly, she leaves the kingdom of rubble with the black swordsman.

End of Interlude

We emerge into a clearing. An empty, circular space within the vast forest. The castle I saw through Ilya's eyes is standing there, just like I remembered.

There's no one around. It's strange that there's no watch anywhere, but I can't back out even if this is a trap.

"Kotomine. Can we get up to the second floor from that tree?" Even if they don't know we're here, it'll be suicidal to go in from the front door. It might be useless, but I have to do everything I can.

"…Right. If we wish to sneak in, we should use an unused waterway, but they aren't the sort to fall for such time-consuming methods. They will notice our intrusion once we enter the castle. I would like to go directly to where Ilyasviel is held captive and escape immediately, but――――"

The priest looks up at the castle, pondering. …He narrows his eyes as if trying to look through the wall, staring at each window in turn.

"―――What a surprise. It seems they really do think lightly of us, Emiya." A happy voice. "What?" I've never heard this tone from him before, so I doubt my ears for a second.

"W-What, Kotomine? Did you find something?" "I did. ―――Let me ask. Do you have experience in mountain climbing, Emiya Shirou?"

"…………Don't tell me…" "I mean free climbing, of course. It is vertical, but there is no overhang and there are enough holds. We can maintain a secure footing. It will be easy to climb this wall without tools. Compared to a wall of ice, this is like walking down the street." "Wai――――" Kotomine puts his hand on the wall before I can stop him.

"Wha――――" He presses himself against the wall and climbs up. He's going slow, but I see how stable he is.

"What are you doing? If you cannot find the points, copy me. You should not be so weak that four stories are too much for you. ―――Oh, and leave the Black Key. We can pick it up on the way out." The priest continues to climb as he speaks.

"―――He's serious." I throw down the sword and get on the wall. …He must have picked an easy section to climb. The rocks are pretty rough, so I can manage to get ahold of them.

You don't just use your strength to climb up. Knowing if the next hold is safe, knowing if the small hold can support your weight, knowing if there's another hold after you move… A vertical climb is like a puzzle of improvisation. Even if the goal is a meter away, you have to go back down and try a new route if you can't find the next hold.

A route to the destination. The technique of thinking two or three steps ahead only comes with experience. That's experience I lack, so I have to copy exactly what Kotomine does. I'll instantly fall if I miss the target by a few centimeters or grip the handle with the wrong force.

"――――I can't believe it. You let an amateur do something like this?" I grumble as I climb up. …Well, it's ridiculous, but it's not totally reckless. Normally, one climbs like this near the top of a mountain.

The wall isn't the only thing a climber fights against. Just as the deep sea is a sanctuary that humans cannot violate, high places are also a sacred place.

There's not enough oxygen above the altitude of six thousand meters, and untrained people cannot stay there for more than a few hours. Nausea, dizziness, brain edema from lack of oxygen, and finally, death. This is a hell that gets worse the higher you go.

And intense cold. Your bare skin would freeze, and even a slight scratch would turn into necrosis. Climbing is done in such extreme environments. Compared to that, merely climbing a wall is hardly impossible.

"――――But still――――" …It's still hard. I can only use the tips of my fingers. I have to put my weight there and support my body using a small foothold. I can't keep up with him unless I've trained every inch of my body…!

"Hm…? Hold on, she moved. I thought it was above, but it's actually below us. Emiya, go down to the third floor window and go inside." "Hey―――are you crazy?!" I'm not a spider, so I can't do such a thing――――

"Kotomine, there's a window…! How can I go inside!?" "I don't care, break through it." "…! You fraud, if it was going to be like this…" It would've been so much easier if we'd just gone inside using that tree――――!

"……!" I jump into the castle. I break the window and jump in using the same motion. I grab the wall with both hands, swing my body at the window, and kick my way in.

"Ha――――ah……!" I roll across the expensive-looking carpet. My body was falling when I swung my legs. If I'd kicked out a bit later, I would've hit the wall and landed back-first on the ground.

"Damn, I'd die if I fell on my head from the third floor…" It's dangerous to kick into a window and roll while scattering glass shards, but it's no worse than expected. "……Shirou?" ―――The instant I raise my head… All trifling matters escape my mind.

"――――Ilya." I forget I'm in enemy territory. I recall what happened in the yard. Ilya told me goodbye with a false smile.

"――――Unbelievable. Why did you come, Shirou? There's nothing you can do now. Are you going to waste your effort again?" A cold voice. Ilya puts on a cold face.

"――――――――" I'm used to it. I'm used to seeing that face on her, but…

"You still don't understand? You can leave Sakura to me. This is my duty, so you can just go home and…" "Idiot. Don't say dealing with the aftermath is your duty." I slap her across the cheek, unable to forgive her.

"Wha―――― H-How dare you…! It's not like a gentleman to slap a lady's cheek! I-I won't forgive you if you do such a thing to me!" "It's me that won't forgive you, you idiot…! I'd be punching you if you were a guy, you bad girl…!"

I yell back at her. I'm happy to be able to see her, but I'm really angry.

"W-What!? I didn't do anything to make you mad! I went with Sakura to fulfill my role! It was the best decision I could make, so you don't have the right to complain――――"

"Shut up, I don't care about that…! Look, I don't know about your role. I just came to bring back a bad girl who ran away selfishly. I won't be tricked, no matter how much you bluff and pretend you're all right. I'm going to take you home as long as you don't want to be here…!"

"Wha――���― W-Who's bluffing!? I'm not hating it. This body is made to be a Holy Grail. I don't like becoming the key for them, but if I can use the power of the Holy Grail, Sakura will…"

"That's called a bluff, you idiot! ……Look, I don't care about the Holy Grail. Ilya is Ilya. If you want to stay as yourself, just ignore all of this. Don't sacrifice your life for someone else…!"

"――――――――" She looks away. She bites her lip and… "That goes for you too, Shirou―――――――" …Murmurs something I can't hear.

"…Fine. Let's say I don't like this whole thing. What about it? We can't beat Sakura nor run away from her. It's impossible to get me out of the castle. That's why Zouken's letting me roam freely. He'll overlook you for now, but you won't make it out of the forest if you're with me."

Her red eyes reject me, telling me to go back. I――――

[votestaynight2]

15th Day - limited. (Scene 2)

Bit of a short update today.

"――――Of course…! What about the match is decided!? I can't back out now…!!!!"

"That's the spirit. It seems there is no need for hospitalization." "Eh――――――Kotomine…?"

"…That is my line. You and Rin were abandoned at the door. I wanted to leave you two, since you made a rather ugly pair as abandoned children go, but you were also dead on your feet. Had I done nothing, there would have been two dead bodies in front of my church. A church cannot afford that image, so I had no choice but to treat you."

"――――――――" …I figure out the situation I'm in. This is the chapel. There's nothing wrong with my body. The energy that was swallowed by Sakura's shadow has recovered. I lost consciousness back in my yard. It must be the same for Tohsaka. Rider probably carried us here.

Rider has no means of healing wounded people. Kotomine was probably the only one she knew that could heal us. How long has it been? The time is――――

"It is three in the morning. You have been sleeping for about twelve hours since you were carried here." "――――Twelve hours!? That's half a day…!" I get up from the chair I was lying on. I can't lie around like this…!

"Kotomine, where's Tohsaka!? She was there too, right!? Where is she!?"

"I have Rin resting at her place. You only had your energy taken away, but she had her magical energy taken away. It would normally take seven days to recover, but the land of Tohsaka is good for her. If all goes well, she should regain consciousness by tomorrow afternoon."

"―――I see. So her life's not in danger?" "No. The soil of that land is special. It is a ley line that is said to have been home to vampires. Rin is her family's heir, so she will be back to her impudent self if I keep her buried for a day."

"……" I think I heard something I'm not used to hearing, but I decide not to ask about it. Let's hope he doesn't literally mean "bury".

"――――I see. Thanks for the care." I leave the church.

I know what I have to do. Follow Sakura. Bring back Ilya. Bring back Sakura. Protect the one I love. So what if the fight's outcome is already determined? I still have the power to fight. So this is no time to be hesitating.

"――――――――" There's no time. I can't waste time going back home to find a weapon. …No, these people can't be fought with weapons from my house.

Sakura and Saber. Zouken and Assassin. If Zouken is after Ilya, I have to assume all my enemies are at my destination.

"So, where are you going, Emiya Shirou? I do not know the situation." "…? It's obvious. Ilya went with Sakura to protect us. She said to go to the castle if Sakura wants her formal dress. I don't know what this formal dress is, but they're likely heading to her castle."

"Formal dress…? No, never mind that. Matou Sakura has become your enemy? Then the victor of this Holy Grail War is decided." "…………" It's irritating, but Kotomine's right.

Zouken and Sakura. Sakura is obviously the superior Master, but she can't disobey Zouken. …I don't know what she's trying to do with Ilya, but it'll end once she meets Zouken. No matter how much Sakura refuses him, the crest worm in her body will control her.

"――――Hey, more importantly! Why are you following me!?" "It will be too much for you alone. If Ilyasviel has been kidnapped, I cannot just watch quietly."

"Wha――――" I stop at the unexpected reply. What did he just say――――?

"Too much for me? So you're going to help me…!?" "Are you discontent? You will be fighting against the greatest force. Now that Rin cannot help you, my powers should be of assistance."

"――――――――" There's no way I'm discontented. I'm happy for any help, but――――

"Why? There's no reason for you to help me." "Of course not. It is just this one time. Do not consider me your ally after we rescue Ilyasviel. We can never understand each other." "Then…"

"It is simply for mutual benefit. Furthermore, they defeated all my Servants. Is that not a good enough reason?"

…There's no lie in his words. A lot has happened between us, but he has never lied to me. I――――

[votestaynight2]

14th Day - servant eater (Scene 2)

"――――――――" Hold on. Steal Einzbern's Holy Grail…? "――――!"

I run. I don't care about the laughter. I'm sure he's watching me from a safe place. There's no time to let an old man's drivel get to me――――

"That's right. Hurry, Emiya Shirou! Sakura has turned dark. Once she captures Ilyasviel, she will swallow her without mercy…!" "――――!"

I kick the ground hard enough to tear my legs off. "Please be all right, Ilya――――!" It'll take twenty minutes to get to my house, even if I run full-speed. I glare at the gray sky and run frantically back to Ilya.

Interlude 14-4

The girl is looking up at the sky. The gray sunlight dulls her silver hair and red eyes. "…Yeah. I have to tell Shirou once he comes home." Ilyasviel talks to herself.

The Emiya household is quiet. Shirou and Rin went to find Sakura. Rider, naturally, is nowhere to be seen, leaving Ilya as the only one here. "―――The giant cavern. The promised land built two hundred years ago. From the feel of it, it's already activated." This is the fifth Holy Grail War in Fuyuki. The Holy Grail has been summoned into different places each time, but it has returned to the original site for this war.

It's only natural. They use one of the gates located at the four compass points, and move on to the next when one fails. The first was the Ryudou Temple. The second was the Tohsaka household. The third was the church on top of the hill. The fourth was that burned field. Then this summoning returns to the site of the first. The point of origin. The false utopia that sets the rules of the Holy Grail War.

"――――A Holy Grail filled with the souls of heroic spirits. Using it to open the gate is the very miracle they aimed for… But I didn't expect its contents to come out before the gate had been opened." Ilya murmurs in disbelief. This is far away from the Einzbern's dearest wish. They have failed. The disaster that will be born is a far cry from what they wished for.

"…I can just leave it be. My role is to open it. Nobody told me anything about closing it." And she couldn't possibly close it, even if she tried. Matou Sakura excels her in ability as the Holy Grail. Einzbern's Holy Grail cannot do anything to the gate opened by Makiri's Holy Grail. Matou Zouken thinks he opened the same gate, but in reality, he opened a completely different one. The only ones aware of this are the Holy Grails: the girl and Matou Sakura.

"―――Will Shirou make it? I could run away with him if he does." She looks up at the sky. The girl is wavering. She doesn't know whether to choose the role imposed on her or the desire born from within her.

"But Shirou. It makes no difference to the fact that I'm going to die." The result is the same. Regardless of whether she goes to the gate as the Holy Grail or runs away, she will die. Which is her true self? She asks the gray sky for an answer.

"――――――――"

That's why she doesn't notice. The person who came through the door with an "I'm home." Did she slip through the boundary field, or did it not consider her a trespasser?

"――――――――"

Slowly. She moves from the living room to the yard without a sound, then reaches out to the girl sitting at the porch. "―――You're home late, Sakura. Where were you?"

"――――Nee-san…" The trespasser, Matou Sakura, stops her hand. She looks away from Ilya and to Tohsaka Rin, who has been waiting for her in the yard.

"Get away from Ilya. I'll shoot you down if you get any closer to her." Everyone here knows it's no empty threat. "――――It's useless. Well, go ahead if it'll satisfy you, Rin." Ilyasviel starts walking without showing any surprise. The girl walks to the edge of the yard, as if to watch over the two's confrontation.

"…I see. You were waiting here all along, Nee-san. You knew I was coming for Ilya-chan." "Yeah. I don't have a reason to save you, unlike Shirou. It was obvious that you'd come to kidnap Ilya when the time came. You've done it once before, so I'd be foolish not to keep an eye on her."

Sakura's brows twitch at Shirou's name. Showing unhappiness. She shows undisguised hatred that would surprise anyone who knew her previous self.

"…That's terrible. You're always like that, Nee-san. You always make fun of me. You're beautiful, so you look down on me because I'm dirty. You're absolutely hateful. Nee-san. Am I that bad of a person?" Her voice contains no emotion. The question alone should send a chill up anyone's spine.

"Of course. You're a big idiot who gave up her chance to be saved the instant she stepped out of this house. You didn't trust the person that Matou Sakura wanted to protect." But Tohsaka Rin gives a firm reply.

"Oh――――――――" Sakura looks down. As if acknowledging the truth of her mistake.

"But I…" "Don't say you thought it was for the best. We told you not to go outside. If you had any objections, you should've come and talked with us first. But you went without saying anything. You went alone and made the same mistake you always made. Unbelievable. People take advantage of you because you can't do something as simple as that."

"…You're right. I was definitely like that until now. But Nee-san. I'm not weak anymore. You're the one who can stay in the house now. I'll protect Senpai." Her cold stare, the emitting ominous shadow… "――――――――" Realizing that it's as she feared, Rin takes a step back.

――――Not knowing… That her hesitation is the last trigger that drives Matou Sakura.

"…What's wrong, Nee-san? Curling your back like that makes it look like you're scared of me." "――――――――" It's too late when she clucks her tongue. ……No. It's not too late or anything. When Sakura reached for Ilyasviel, it was already too late.

"……I see. So you don't intend to stay quietly in your room anymore?" "No. I don't need to listen to what you say anymore."

"――――Because I'm stronger."

The shadow dances. Many shades of darkness emerge from the ground below Sakura and engulf the yard. And from the shadow… "Sakura, you――――" …Emerges a swordsman who is contaminated in black.

"Saber, capture the Holy Grail. If she tries to resist, go as rough as you like." "――――――――" Black Saber obeys without a word. …There's no doubt about it. What that shadow is. Tohsaka Rin bites her lip, seeing what kind of fate awaits a Servant swallowed by the mud.

At that instant. "!" "Hah――――!" A merciless attack. A shadow with magical energy far surpassing that of Tohsaka Rin is fired.

"……!" She rolls as she lands. The fired shadow is on the same level as the black shadow. It'll be the end if it touches her. If it even grazes her, it will stick to her skin, covering her in an instant. ――――And after that. If Tohsaka Rin is swallowed by the mud that even a Servant cannot escape, she will be absorbed without hope of resistance.

"Damn……!" The black tentacles whip towards her in rapid succession. Rin realizes that the attacks are not from the black shadow, but a magic Sakura possesses. That magic of Matou is to bind others. But Sakura is originally from the Tohsaka family―――a shadow-user with an origin of the imaginary element, the imaginary number. Matou Sakura is able to embody the black shadow to that degree because she has both of those attributes――――!

"……!!!!" She's easily cornered. Their magical energy capacities are too unevenly matched. Sakura's magical energy is infinite. Her capacity reaches a hundred million. To Rin, whose capacity is a mere three hundred, Sakura is a monster.

She controls both the black shadow and Saber, who has the greatest magical energy out of all the Servants. …Even a Servant will not be able to match such a monstrous magus.

"………This is bad. Her magic's simple, but our energy capacity is too different――――" She stares at what Sakura has become, gasping for breath. …She has no chance of winning, and she cannot escape. It'd be a different story if she had a source of magical energy like the Holy Grail, but she doesn't have such a thing.

"…Well, no magical energy source in the world can match the Holy Grail." She suppresses her frustration by grumbling. "Oh, you can't do that, Nee-san. It's dangerous if you stop there." Sakura points her hand at Rin without hesitation.

There's no mercy. Sakura smiles, enjoying the absolute dominance. "Now――――let's play more, Nee-san. I know you'll be caught in the end, but please keep running until then." She smiles at her beloved sister.

The result is as obvious as she says. Rin cannot get away from the shadow. Sakura can quickly cover the whole house with the shadow if she wishes. As Sakura slowly expands the extent of the shadow, Rin is defeated without being able to do anything.

"――――Ah, ah――――…………" The black shadow covers Tohsaka Rin. The gel-like mud tightly binds Rin's body, turning into numerous tongues to invade her Magic Circuit.

"Oh, is that all? You're not as strong as I thought, Nee-san." She looks down at her helpless sister. ―――Wild breathing and heated cheeks. Her older sister is covered with heavy oil, exciting even Sakura, who is of the same sex.

"――――Sa… kura――――" Her face is left uncovered, perhaps because Sakura wants to enjoy her pain. "――――You―――――………" Rin swallows her contempt and glares back at Sakura. But that's only for a few seconds. The mud that stirs her body violates her internal organs.

"Kuh…! Ahh, haa――――………" "Fufu. Then I'll be having you now. I was looking forward to this. This will be the first time I've eaten magical energy from a magus." The gel-like shadow tightens around Tohsaka Rin. The "meal" doesn't even last a second.

"Ah…… Hm――――――" "……It's good. I'm not full at all, but it helps a bit." The last traces of magic fade from Tohsaka Rin. That's the end. Head down and chest heaving, Rin has no power to resist. She has no way to fight back, but――――

"――――That won't do. I have to kill her here, or I…" Will lose to Nee-san. …It's a groundless assumption. The difference in their powers will never be overturned. But Sakura is firmly convinced that she will lose if they fight again.

So she has to kill her here. Taking her magical energy and leaving her powerless isn't enough. She has to kill Rin here, just as Rin tried to do to her. She tries to convince herself as she opens her palms.

"Nee-san, you――――" The shadow doesn't extend. She trembles, gaze focused on her weakened sister, and… "Sakura――――!!!!!!" The person she least wants to see catches up to her.

End of Interlude

"――――Damn, what's going on…!?" It's obvious that something's going on in the yard. A damp magical energy that makes me want to vomit is swirling so much that I can almost touch it. I would feel the abnormality even if I weren't a magus.

"Wha――――" I was prepared for it, but I get dizzy the instant I see it. Tohsaka is covered by a shadow like coal tar. Ilya is standing at the side of the yard, and Black Saber is standing in front of her. And in the middle of the yard is Sakura, pointing her hand at Tohsaka――――

"Sakura――――!!!!" I jump into the yard. ―――I have to help them both, but Tohsaka is in the most danger right now. Covered in coal tar, Tohsaka looks pale, and it looks like her life is in danger.

"Tohsaka…! Hey, pull yourself together, you idiot…!" "――――――――" There's no reply. "Hold on, I'll have this off you in a minute…!"

I tear away the mud that's covering her. The mud is gelatinous, but it's just like rubber. I can't grab it, and even if I pull it off of her body, it just bounces back onto her.

"……! What is this!? I can touch her, so why…!?" I can't get the mud off, no matter what. I panic and frantically try to free her.

There… "―――It's useless, Senpai. I'm the only one who can dispel my shadow. Someone as weak as you will be swallowed instead." "――――Sakura?" Sakura speaks in a cold voice I've never heard from her.

"Sakura――――your face…" My rage turns to ice.

…Sakura's neck. Something that looks like a tattoo is consuming her. It doesn't look like it, but it's a Command Spell. A mysterious Command Spell is crawling over Sakura's body―――

"…I'm surprised. You came here in a hurry, Senpai. But you're confused. You saw what happened to Nii-san, but you're not scolding me." "――――That's… fine. We don't have to talk about Shinji right now. I'll listen once you've calmed down."

…That's right. I have to talk with Sakura right now. Zouken said a lot of crazy things, but they're all lies. Sakura is still Sakura. She's talking to me like always and―――

"No. I don't want to talk about it, and I don't want to talk with you, Senpai. I'm the only one that gets to talk here. No one can scold me now, be it Senpai, Nee-san, Nii-san, or anyone in town."

"――――!" A chill runs down my back. No, this isn't just a chill. It's an intensely cold thorn, as if a knife were slashed from my brain down to my waist.

"Senpai. Why are you protecting Nee-san?" "――――――――" My vision whites out for a second. A shadow is standing behind Sakura.

"Ah――――" The chill runs throughout my body, paralyzing me with fear. That's Sakura. Even when I heard that the shadow is Sakura, I could bear it. But now that I've seen it, I know.

…My left arm melted when it merely touched it. The thing that went around town killing people like a machine――――is Sakura.

"Sa… kura." My throat goes dry. My eyeballs convulse. My vision wavers as if space itself is twisted. Every cell in me screams a warning, trying to defrost my frozen body.

But it doesn't melt. Sakura's presence isn't human, but something different. It's not her vast magical energy that got to me. There's only one reason why my body's frozen. Sakura is being hostile towards me.

"Yes. You were always like that. You said you'd protect me, but then you'd watch over everyone but me. ―――But it's fine. I wanted you because you're that kind of a person."

――――My vision distorts. The words from the Sakura I don't know cause my mind to break apart. It tells me it's not her. ――――She's not Sakura. Something I shouldn't think about fills my brain.

"My presence here is painful for you, right, Senpai? I know how much of a burden I am to you. You'll continue to suffer as long you're with me. So I had to get away from you."

The shadow dances around. The ground is like a stage for a shadow picture.

"But I can't. You're the only happiness I have. And you can't get away from me. Because you can't betray yourself anymore."

"……Yes. That's why I'll kill you. Then you'll be with me forever, and most of all―――― You won't have to suffer anymore, right?"

――――The shadow stretches. It surges forth like a wave, trying to swallow me along with Tohsaka.

I react by instinct, pushing Tohsaka away. The black tide sweeps over me. I don't even think about avoiding it myself. "――――――――" I was frightened. I thought Sakura wasn't Sakura for an instant. That knowledge wouldn't let me move my body.

―――I know this. This is the darkness I was showered with before. I'll go insane. I couldn't even bear it for a second back then. My mind will disappear before my body if it falls directly on me.

"Guh――――ah."

My body shrivels. My warmth fades away. It's more painful and frightening than I thought, so my body struggles to break free. But I can't jump. First of all, there's no ground to kick off of. I will…

"Ah――――eh?" I realize that I'm back in the yard. My vision is filled with purple hair.

"…Rider, you…" "This is your order, Sakura. You told me to protect Emiya Shirou no matter the circumstances."

"Ri――――der." It's Rider that saved me from the black wave. "Please do not move. You will faint if you try to stand up in your state." "――――" …No, I can't even stand up. I'm on my knees, and just breathing is enough effort to render me unconscious.

"………I see. You're going to oppose me, Rider? Then I'll take you in as well. I don't need any more Servants since I've absorbed something that wasn't in the plan――――

But I'll specially make you just like Saber."

…The shadow stands up. …Maybe she's serious because Rider is opposing her. The shadow coming from Sakura covers the whole yard.

…The whole place is dyed black. Rider doesn't show signs of running away, but stares at the creeping shadow like a criminal awaiting execution.

"That's enough. You shouldn't do anything unnecessary, Sakura. You can't come back if you take any more in."

"――――Ilya." The shadow stops its advance.

"…What does that mean, Ilyasviel?" "I mean exactly what I said. Even if you absorb Rider, kill Shirou, or disable Rin, it'll be meaningless. You're wasting your time, so why don't you stop throwing a tantrum?"

…What's she up to? Ilya walks over to Sakura.

"――――――――" "I'm the one you want, right? Then let's just finish this. I'll go with you, so leave them alone."

"Are you serious? I only want your heart. Coming with me means you don't mind getting killed." "I know. But I'm going to be killed either way, and resistance is useless. You're the strongest one for now."

Ilya talks without emotion. "――――――――" …It pisses me off. In my condition, I can't figure out what Ilya's trying to say.

"Are you saying you'll sacrifice yourself, Ilyasviel?" "Yes. That's my role. But the formal dress isn't here. If you want to open the gate as the successor, we have to go to my castle to get it." "――――――――"

"And you intended to settle things, right? Then there's no need to kill Shirou. You accepted it because you didn't want to kill anyone, but now you do want to kill them? You're contradicting yourself, Sakura." "――――――――!"

…The shadow retreats. Not only the shadow in the yard, but the mud on Tohsaka fades away as though it never existed.

"……All right. It'll save me the trouble of finding it myself. I don't know what you're trying to do, but I'll fall for your smooth talk." Her long hair flutters. Sakura turns her defenseless back to us and leaves, as if she lost interest in us.

"――――Sakura……!" I scream for her to stop. "…………"

"…Please never show yourself again. Should you stand in my way again――――I'll have to kill you."

Sakura leaves. I can't follow after her, or even call out.

"Sakura's right. Your role's already over. Dealing with the aftermath is my duty. I'll take Sakura, so you can rest now, Shirou."

I can't save Ilya either,

"―――Goodbye. It was fun, Onii-chan."

and I hear a sad farewell.

"――――――――" Everything melts away with that. My body stops trembling against the shadow. My guilt over thinking that Sakura was someone else disappears.

I'm pissed. I was trembling miserably, unable even to take Sakura's hand. Not only that. I made Ilya, the one who called me Onii-chan, make a face like that――――!

"Idiot――――!" I run. My whole body feels like lead and my brain churns with cold nausea, but I follow after them.

"――――Do not pursue them. I will kill you if you take another step." "……!" A black servant blocks my way. She points her sword at me, overwhelming us without saying a word.

"…Please get out of my way, Saber. I can't let those two leave like that." "That is my line. I cannot let you follow after them. …And even if I do withdraw, what can you do?"

"――――――――" "…This is your final warning. Sakura will obtain the Holy Grail one way or another. That is the only way for her to be released. Even if the result is her death, Matou Sakura will be saved."

"If you wish to save her, then withdraw. Should you follow us in spite of that―――I will take your head."

…Black Saber disappears. Sakura and Ilya are gone. They've vanished, as if they've faded into the shadow.

"Da――――――――" The spirit that kept me going until now dissipates. My body drops to the ground like a puppet with its strings cut. "――――――――mn."

…I can't stay conscious. As my vision fades… The image of Sakura drowning in the shadow sticks in my mind, as if to impeach me.

15th Day - limited.

―――Let's make the final decision.

The outcome of the battle is decided. Or more accurately, it was decided a long time ago. This end has been determined ever since you lost Saber.

'…But Shirou. To oppose that thing is to go down the most difficult path. Please keep that in mind.'

That was said by the girl who fought with you as your sword until the very end. The night you parted with her. You promised to keep fighting by yourself, stop the shadow, and end the war.

There was hell. There has to be a meaning to why you survived that hell. There has to be a meaning to why you must keep living. It's not that you miraculously survived while everyone else died. It's merely that one person was saved by the sacrifice of everyone else.

You hated that. To break through reality, all you could do was become a superhero that can save anyone.

I don't know what those tears were. He destroyed the Holy Grail, denied his battle because it was wrong, and frantically searched for any survivors. No matter what his intentions were, his tears saved you, and you were able to start walking on a new path with him.

But you were left alone on the path. The man who led the way died, leaving the dream to you. 'Yeah―――I'm relieved.'

Emiya Kiritsugu swallowed the sins for which he couldn't atone and left this world.

―――He couldn't save anyone. So he wanted you to be able to save someone.

'If you are to deny everything you've done. The crime will judge you―――'

…I know. I know what it means, and I have to atone for it using all my life. I killed the me that I believed in for ten years. The me that was killed will feed on me.

And this is the embodiment of that crime. A saint's shield is useless. Archer's arm will eat away at me, forcing me to atone for my sins. It will bring an end far worse than death.

That's right. It's only one arm. Now that you survived, you won't die even if you cut it off. So why?

'You know it too, right? You can't choose all, and you can only save one.'

A girl that longed for her father, but lived seeking revenge. She almost cried, but smiled and swallowed her words so that we could live together. Saying we can't do such a thing. We can't live long together. So…

'―――Goodbye. It was fun, Onii-chan.'

――――――――――――.

This is the final decision. You―

[votestaynight2]

13th Day - LAST TALK (Scene 2) / 14th Day - servant eater (Scene 1)

"――――――――" My heart hurts. Blood drips down my fingers where they grasp the knife.

"――――――――!" I grit my teeth. I frantically swallow against the sob rising in my throat.

"―――――, ―――!" My eyes are hot. I can't manage it looking down, so I tilt my face up and restrain my anger.

…Pushing the knife down. I can't do something so simple. I'm pissed. There's something really wrong with me. I had to come this far before I realized my own feelings.

"――――Am I stupid?" …Right. I had the answer already. My path was set the moment I embraced Sakura under the rain.

'Are you going to betray?'

Someone tells me to remember. Wasn't I going to become a superhero? My body is wracked by contradictory thoughts.

―――A superhero that will let many people die tonight for Sakura's sake. A selfish superhero.

―――Kiritsugu threw away his own wishes to pursue what he believed in. A powerless human that helps others just because of self-interest.

The fire ten years ago. Because I was the only one who survived, I lived on, swearing never to let such a disaster occur again.

All the time until now. The idea I believed in for ten years is piercing my heart. Asking if I am betraying it. Will I betray myself, who cried and tried to live on, ignoring the voices of the people who died helplessly?

―――The atonement. Am I going to betray my previous self, who had to cling to that atonement to continue living?

"Yes――――――"

No apologies will ever bring me forgiveness. I can't make amends for this crime. I'm throwing myself away. Even if my life turns out to be a fake after losing what I've believed in until now…

"――――――I will betray them."

I'll choose what I want to protect. In the future. If Sakura's smile is there, I won't even care if I have to live by deceiving myself.

…There's nothing wrong with it. I need Sakura. Sakura needs me. ――――For the first time… I wish to protect one life instead of many.

"…………" I take a deep breath and loosen my fingers on the knife. I won't lose my way anymore. I'll pull the knife back and leave before Sakura wakes up.

―――And right when I'm about to… "Senpai. Why won't you kill me?" Sakura talks in the dark.

"――――Sakura." She's awake. Sakura is lying there trembling, watching the upraised knife.

…Her eyes are clouded painfully. It's not sadness about having me kill her. She's apologizing for making me resort to this.

"It's fine, please do as you wish. I'm too scared to do it myself, but I don't mind if you do it."

Is she serious? I hear fear in Sakura's voice. Her body is trembling, her eyes fixed on the knife above her as if watching inevitable death. …It's… …It's a determination that's doing all it can to keep her from running away.

"――――――――Sakura."

…How can it be? I was so preoccupied that I didn't even notice it? Sakura's trembling. Why didn't I realize Sakura's determination――――!?

"Sakura, I…" "I know. What you decided is probably right. Because I'm at fault here. …I'll say it now, since this is the end. I don't know how long I can remain myself. I don't know how long the day is, what I talked to you about at noon, when that noon was, what happened yesterday, and what tomorrow is."

"That's not all. I see strange dreams. It's a scary dream. I'm always covered in blood, but a part of me finds it pleasant, and everything about it is scary."

"I'm the bad guy in that dream. I'm laughing as I'm stealing a lot of things from everybody. …I was scared, asked for help, but nobody helped me."

"So I told myself it can't be helped that everyone's getting killed. They won't help others, so it's natural that others won't help them, and I ignored everything, thinking it's just a dream."

"…But I was wrong. I wanted that dream. I'm actually cowardly, filthy, cunning… I hated everyone, and all I could do was curse them. It's my fault for thinking that dream was pleasant, even for a second. It's not the dream that's bad. It's me, the one who watches it, that should never have existed."

"Senpai. I'm slowly breaking down. At this rate, I'll see nothing but those dreams and forget about you. I'll be a villain for real, going around and killing people."

"So―――please. …If you can finish it here before I become the bad guy, then――――" Sakura tries to say she'll be saved.

But. "Oh――――" I silence her with an embrace.

"――――――――" I hold her to me tightly. …The embrace I could not accomplish before. I pull her to me with the arms that only touched her back then. I hold Sakura's body with all my strength.

"……Senpai." …Sakura doesn't resist. She's scared of dying, yet she asked to be killed. But, at last, she relaxes and… "……No, you'll regret it…" She says the same exact words as that night, as if thanking me.

"…It's too late. It's not about the future. I regret not being able to protect you all this time." …A quiet sobbing. Sakura puts her arm on my shoulder. Her cold fingers run across my cheek.

"――――I'll protect you. I'll protect you, Sakura." I promise Sakura as she cries. …That's all I can do. That's the only thing I can repeat to forgive each other.

I swore to be Sakura's superhero on that night. I have no regrets. I won't complain about this choice. If anyone deserves an apology, it's only one person.

――――Will you forgive me, Sakura? I don't say it out loud. ――――For betraying myself? And I confess my crime.

Interlude 13-2

――――The door closes. The boy, who said he'd protect the girl as if trying to convince himself, left after making sure she fell asleep.

"…………Haa." The girl, Matou Sakura, painfully moans in the darkness. She is not asleep. She only pretended to be asleep so that the boy, who was more tired than her, can rest.

And―――she cannot afford to sleep anymore. She'll see that dream if she sleeps. She'll see something similar to her kill people. It's frightening. She doesn't remember what kind of dream she had last night. She doesn't remember why she was unconscious outside.

So―――it feels like she will never wake up again if she falls asleep tonight. She will end up betraying the boy who held her close. The boy threw away his self and believed in the weak and sly Matou Sakura. His decision is still hurting her heart, so she will not be able to see him again if she turns out to be like the dream.

―――Yes. She has destroyed his mind to the point that it cannot be fixed. So she has to bear it. She has to stay conscious, not sleep, and never see that dream again. A person exists that will protect her. Even if she may be dirty and cowardly, she has to maintain control with all her might while she still remains.

"――――I'm fine with that. But…" …There's something that cannot be returned. She has committed a crime that she cannot atone for with the life that remains to her.

'――――I'll protect you.'

He repeated it, knowing there's no hope or future. Recalling it makes her cry. …Half an hour ago. She was determined when he came to her room. She knows that he came to kill her. She's sensitive to the hostility of others. Even if someone comes to kill her in her sleep, she will notice.

…But the hostility was empty. It's not that he's not feeling anything. It was a painful emptiness, as if there was a big hole in his chest with cold wind blazing through it. That made her accept death. She thought the best possible outcome would be if the boy were the one to stop her.

"―――――――y." But she was a coward, as she had known. She was ready for death, but she could not stop trembling. ――――And… She cornered him by saying something selfishly convenient.

"―――――――rry." He embraced her. The boy still embraced her. They both knew there was no future. But he still put his arms around her, knowing fully well what awaited them in the end.

The boy still had determination. His embracing arms told her that he will accept the crime she committed and will commit.

"…――――――rry, Senpai――――" That's why it's sad. He can do it. She knew that from the start. …The school in the sunset. The person that kept on running. The boy that changed her voice from "give up" to "keep going".

She has wished from that time. ―――To be with him. ―――To be protected by him. Admiring him for no reason, she went to his house like her grandfather told her and made her wish come true.

'―――I'll protect you. I swore to be your superhero.'

"―――……!" This is the result. As his life goes on, he will only continue to break down.

"Sorry… I'm sorry, Senpai――――" What she admired… She finally understands why. The boy was beautiful in her eyes. He's different from her, who is a coward. She wished for him to keep his upstanding character.

"But I――――" …Yes, she remembers. She wanted to protect him. She wanted to protect the boy. She wanted to protect the clumsy, but upright boy that she found in the setting sun. "――――I broke it."

That's all she wished for. So why… Why did it turn out like this――――?

…And then. The girl makes her final resolution.

"You're there, right, Rider?" She calls out into the darkness. "―――――――" The girl should be the only one here, but a woman appears like a ghost. It is Matou Sakura's Servant, Rider.

"…I thought so. Were you guarding me?" "Yes. Had he tried to take your life, I would have killed him." "――――" …She sighs, thinking it was close. Rider puts priority on her master. Her decision is based solely on whether that person will kill her Master, Matou Sakura. In that regard, Emiya Shirou was Rider's enemy back then.

"…Don't do anything to him, Rider. I won't forgive you if you hurt him." "My role is to protect you. If he is to be your enemy, I must fulfill my mission. I will protect you, no matter what you may become." "…Do you mean that, even if I turn into something other than myself?"

There's no reply. It's something she shouldn't say, the worst possible scenario. …Yes. Even if Emiya Shirou sides with Matou Sakura. If Matou Sakura recognizes Emiya Shirou as her enemy, he will become a foreign foe that must be defeated.

"…………" The girl raises her body and clenches her fists. …Rider's statement hasn't angered her. She's just scared that the assumption might become a reality.

"…Sakura? What are you doing? You cannot use magic with that body of yours――――!" Ignoring Rider, the girl raises her hand in the darkness.

The magical energy runs through it for only an instant. When the light fades, the only thing different is her left hand. "Sakura." "…This is my last Command Spell. Please, Rider. Please protect Senpai until the end, no matter what happens in the future." The girl gives her final order. The Command Spell is gone from Matou Sakura's hand.

"…I'll stop Grandfather. This is a problem between me and the Matou family. …I know it's too late, but I can't cause any more trouble." The girl holds her chest as she coughs. …Her eyes light up in the darkness. They are weak, but they are eyes of determination that belong to a magus.

End of Interlude

14th Day - servant eater

I wake up up at the same time as usual. It's before six o'clock. The day is dawning, and the sky is filled with gray clouds again.

I don't feel any pain from my left arm.

There's no one in the living room. I should make breakfast before Tohsaka wakes up.

The news is on. It's becoming my daily routine to check the news in the morning.

"There aren't any big stories. I guess it didn't appear last night." She must mean the black shadow. "―――Yeah. I guess it doesn't come out every day." I answer, careful not to let my relief show.

"Yeah. I wouldn't be able to bear hundreds of people getting hurt two days in a row."

It's past seven. Tohsaka and I are the only ones in the living room. Sakura and Ilya are both sleeping. I wanted Ilya to wake up and come, but Tohsaka told me that she's tired and I should let her rest.

"――――So you should rest too, in preparation for tonight." Tohsaka says this out of the blue. "…Why?"

"It's the creation of our secret weapon. We'll complete the framework today, so we'll do the projection tonight. We'll go settle our match with Zouken as soon as we succeed. We can't allow any more victims. No matter what that shadow may be, the Holy Grail War will end once we defeat Zouken. The mysterious shadow should disappear then."

"――――Tohsaka. You really think the shadow will disappear once the war is over?"

"It will. Whatever it is, I'm sure it appeared because of the Holy Grail. I don't know if it wants the Holy Grail, or if the Holy Grail summoned it. But either way, it's here because of the Holy Grail, so it'll disappear once the Holy Grail is gone. In short, the shadow will disappear once the war ends. That will happen when the time limit expires, when only one Master remains, or―――when the Holy Grail's vessel dies."

"Tohsaka, you―――――" …Already… Knew what that shadow is?

"I'm just guessing. It might not disappear even if we defeat Zouken. It might not disappear even when the war ends. So I'm going to take the surest method. We can't rely on uncertainties like obtaining the Holy Grail ourselves. We have to take down both Zouken and the shadow with our own powers."

Tohsaka gets up. I don't know why, but she takes the water jug and pajamas I prepared for Sakura.

"Hey, what are you doing?" "I'll go see how Sakura's doing. Her room is next to mine, so I'm in a better position to look after her." "Hey――――no, I'll take care of Sakura."

"Don't be stupid. You didn't get any sleep last night, did you? Can't you tell that you'll be a liability in your condition?" …? I didn't get any sleep?

"Don't be stupid. I slept last night." "I don't believe this. You're so tired that you don't even notice it? …Geez, go look at the mirror if you think I'm lying. If you went to nurse Sakura with dark circles around your eyes and looking pale, it'd just make her worried." "What――――are you serious?"

"Why would I lie? Geez, just go to your room and rest. I'll go get you in the afternoon. Oh, and if you can't go to sleep, I can help you. If you don't mind me copying Rider, I can put you under for about a day."

Copying Rider means copying her mystic eyes. But as far as I know, Tohsaka doesn't have mystic eyes. In short, she's…

"Are you telling me to be your guinea pig?" "Exactly. I wasn't interested before, but mystic eyes might not be that bad. I can't do anything on that scale, but I might be able to do something like sleep suggestion."

"――――Don't lie. What was that about them not being bad? You just don't want to stay defeated, so you want to learn it too, right?"

"J-Just be quiet! So, what about it? Do you want to try it or not?" "No, you idiot! I'm having nothing to do with such a dangerous experiment. First of all, if I sleep for a day, I can't wake up until tomorrow morning."

"Oh, right. It'll be paralysis instead of sleep if it works too well. I think it'll work well on you since you're simple-minded." Tohsaka seems to be convinced. I want to object, but I stay quiet since she might test it on me if I do object.

"Well, I'm not that sensitive, so I can sleep if I want. You don't have to worry about me." "Really? Then can you rest in your room and let me handle Sakura's care?" …Then. Tohsaka drops her joking manner and asks me with serious eyes.

"――――――――" I can't answer right away. …I want to be with Sakura. But I have other things to do, and I can't let Sakura see me if I look as terrible as Tohsaka says. I can trust Tohsaka with Sakura's care, so I'll take her offer.

"…You're right. Then I'll be in my room. I'll bring her lunch and dinner, so can you take care of her the rest of the time?" "Yeah, you can leave her to me. I'll scold her and put her back in bed if she tries to get up. So, can you really sleep by yourself? Don't you want to try it out once?"

"You're persistent. I don't want anything dangerous. But thanks, Tohsaka. I'm sorry for making you look out for me." "I-I'm not looking out for you. I-I'm going, so you go sleep, okay!?"

Tohsaka leaves in a hurry. …Man. I don't know if she's perceptive or not, nor if she's a good person or a cold person. I hear geniuses tend to leave everyone else behind them, and I'm guessing that's Tohsaka's type. Sakura has it tough. I'd never have peace of mind if Tohsaka were my older sister.

"―――Well, I bet every day would be fun, though." …Right. That's why I want them back to being sisters as quickly as possible.

Sakura and Tohsaka can be together again once the war ends, and the promise between their families goes away. The eleven-year gap won't be bridged that easily, but I want them to get close enough to laugh together over trivial matters.

I'll do anything to help. I think this is the most I can do for Sakura.

"Oh, and for Tohsaka too. Sakura is like the only one who can make her look troubled." Oh, crap. I just imagined Tohsaka smiling happily. I'm sorry, Sakura. Wait, does this count as being unfaithful?

"――――No, more importantly…" I can't take it easy forever. Tohsaka said she'll challenge Zouken tonight. …That's bad. The war will end if we defeat Zouken. The Holy Grail will appear once the war ends. No, rather, the Holy Grail will be opened.

Zouken said the Holy Grail is a gate. What grants the wishes is not the Holy Grail, but what's inside of it. …If that's true, what will happen to Sakura, who is the Holy Grail? Ilya said that… Sakura loses her human functions as she nears completion as a Holy Grail.

"―――――――――!" …So there's only one way to save Sakura. Protect her until the Holy Grail War ends. I don't know how the Holy Grail will appear. I don't know if it appears when there's only one Master left, or if the last Master summons it.

…There's no problem if it's the latter. I just have to defeat Zouken, eliminate what's threatening Sakura, and wait for the duration of the war.

Tohsaka said we'll challenge Zouken tonight. Then we can beat Zouken. If she says we're fighting, that means we have a high chance of winning.

"…Then there's only one problem." …The black shadow. Beating Zouken won't make it disappear. It will continue to surface as long as the Holy Grail, Sakura, exists. And it will take many lives every time. Waiting for the deadline means doing nothing about that shadow.

"…I have to defeat it. I have to defeat the shadow myself." …That's the only possible choice. But can I beat it? If that thing came from the Holy Grail, the shadow should not have a concept of death. If I'm to eliminate it, I have to eliminate the projector, Sakura herself, or destroy the main body that's sending magical energy to the projector.

"…Main body, huh…?" …I don't think such a thing exists. But I can't come up with any effective plans unless I assume so.

"――――The content of the Holy Grail. Zouken implanted within Sakura a piece of the Holy Grail that was shattered in the previous war. Did it contain anything back then?" ――――Oh. Wait a minute. Zouken said he made the crest worm from a piece of the Holy Grail――――

"――――Kotomine. He didn't notice that…!?" No way…! He extracted some crest worm from Sakura. He removed just a small quantity, but he treated Sakura's body.

There's no way he wouldn't notice. He's the supervisor of the Holy Grail War, and he was one of the last surviving Masters in the previous war. Then he should know what's wrong with her body…!

"Haa――――!" I run out the door. Compelled by the sudden insight, I can only think about the priest.

"Damn, why didn't I realize earlier…!?" If I'd just thought about it, I would've seen it right away. The shadow that appears as Sakura's subconscious form. That man should know what's inside the Holy Grail――――!

Interlude 14-2

"…Huh? Is that Shirou that just went outside…?" Tohsaka Rin wonders about the sound from the front door. She looks out the window and, sure enough, sees him running down the hill.

"That idiot…! I told him to rest, but he never listens to people…!" She stops filling prescriptions and gets up. Sakura's medicine is important, but stopping Shirou comes first.

"Man, warnings go in one ear and out the other for him…! He doesn't even realize how exhausted he is…!" She dashes down the stairs. She hurries to the entrance to quickly follow after Shirou.

"――――Oh, before that." She has to check on Sakura, just in case. She hasn't given her the water jug or the pajamas, since she was planning to bring them with the medicine. She hasn't taken her temperature either. Shirou's recklessness angers her, but she can't scold Shirou if she ignores Sakura.

"――――Well, it seems like she's sleeping." It's only been a minute. Shirou should quickly lose his breath, stop, and rest at the bottom of the hill. He shouldn't even be able to run a kilometer in his condition.

"…The worst part is that he doesn't realize it." If she runs, she can catch up with him in no time. Of the people in the house right now, she has the most energy. It's natural that the strongest one looks after the weaker members.

"I'm coming in, Sakura." She goes in without waiting for a reply. "I'm going outside. It won't be long, so keep resting. I'll leave your change of clothes here, so―――― She stops her sentence. And…. "――――Crap. You did it, Sakura." Rin punches the wall hard enough to break it.

―――Matou Sakura isn't in the room. The one in bed is not her.

"…You've fallen far, Rider. I never thought I'd see a Servant sleep in a bed, pretending to be her Master." "I was unwilling, but this is an order. But this is your carelessness. Please do not push your responsibility onto me." "…Well said. She's the one causing us the trouble." She grits her teeth. Rin glares at Rider with hostility, and Rider ignores it coolly.

"Tohsaka Rin. If there is a next time, set a better observer. You cannot deceive Sakura with a mere jade bird familiar. She does not match you in ability, but her instincts are as good as yours." "I see, thanks for the advice. …But I guess that's not all, huh?"

"Of course not. Sakura instructed me not to let you out of the house until she returns." "――――" Rin clucks her tongue. She can't do anything now. By herself, she cannot defeat or escape from Rider. She can only stay here, just as Sakura planned.

"――――I'm really pissed. He tried to help her since she can't handle it by herself, but now she's gone alone to settle things?" "Are you not going to resist? It is good to be graceful, but this is unexpected." "I just don't have to go outside, right? I can't match you, so I'll stay quiet until she comes home." She sighs and leans against the wall.

There's no will to fight. Rin relaxes, looks down, and… "But Rider. She won't come back. …No. Even if she does come back, she won't be the Matou Sakura we know." …Mentions the worst-possible future with the cold voice of a magus.

End of Interlude

Interlude 14-2

Ah――――haa, haa ha――――

My chest hurts. My heart has been sending me a danger signal for a while now. Thump, thump, splat, thump. The heart spits out blood to the rest of the body, raging around as though saying it'll ▊▊▊ if it moves anymore.

Ah――――haa, haa, ha――――

My throat hurts. It feels like I'm swallowing needles every time I take a breath. So it's too scary to breathe. I'm already oxygen-deprived, so intentionally limiting my breathing is like suicide.

Ah――――haa, haa ha――――

My limbs don't move well because they lack oxygen. I made it this far with unsteady steps, but I might fall unconscious at any time.

――――Fuh, kuh…!

That thought brings back my strength. I can't fall here. Sneaking out would become meaningless. I need to settle my match. I have to stop the old man that made me a Master, even if it costs me my life.

――――Haa――――Haa, ha――――

…I steady my breathing. It's fine, it's not hard. It might be hard for others, but it's no problem for me. I just have to look at him, like I do every night at dinner, and shake my head. And―――that old man's scheme will end.

…I don't think about what'll happen to me after I disobey the monster. If I do, I won't be able to go through with it. So I stop thinking too much. Fortunately, the memory in my head is vague. I won't remember what I'm doing now in the next instant, so the fear is relatively small.

I walk through my house, which I haven't been in for a few days. A dark house. I look through my scattering memory, but can't remember the house ever being bright. It's just like always. It's damp, degenerate, and viscous like always.

But――――

"No way――――why?"

But it's not as expected. Grandfather's presence is not in the house. The worms' presence cannot be felt anywhere.

"…Haa――――ah, ahh…" I hold myself upright and look around the empty living room. Something's wrong. Something's wrong. Something's wrong. That old man is not in the house. His laughing voice is not in the basement.

"…No way… Why?" It doesn't make sense. Grandfather―――Matou Zouken wants me back. But he couldn't do anything until now because I was at the Emiya household. So now should be his best chance. He will definitely come and try to turn me into a Holy Grail if I'm alone. So why isn't he coming out?

"Ah… haa… haa… ah――――" …My consciousness is fading away. …That's bad. I have to see Matou Zouken before I fall asleep, before Senpai goes into action. I have to see him and end it right now. It'll all be over once I see him, so why isn't he appearing today of all days―――!?

"…He should know…!" Right, there's no way he doesn't know. He's always watching me. He can find me, no matter where I hide or how far I run. He knows he can easily catch and control me. …He never considers the possibility that I might resist. He only treats me as a tool.

"……So… why?" There's no way he doesn't know. It shouldn't even matter that the priest removed some of my crest worm. …Because that's just insurance. He's watching my actions using a more reliable method. He knows my current condition. He's even listening to my heartbeat. He knows I'm alone here and that I left Rider behind. Because he's――――

"――――Sakura." A voice comes from right behind me. And… "…Nii-san?" Right when I realize it's Nii-san and turn around…

End of Interlude

I don't stop until I reach the church. I was breathing hard when I was running down the hill, but my fatigue went away by the time I got to the intersection.

"Haa―――――Haa, haa." Even I'm surprised by how well I'm doing. Even though I took the shortest route, I ran full speed for five kilometers from my house to the church.

"――――Wait, this is no time to be amazed at myself." I head to the entrance. I pull myself together, readying myself to have Kotomine talk if he knows everything.

"――――――――!" The priest is in the chapel.

It seems like he's been waiting for me… "Oh, what's wrong, Emiya Shirou? I did not think you were admirable enough to come pray to the God when you are at a loss. Did you change your religious beliefs?" …And he offers an absurd welcome.

"―――Shut up. I don't have time for your sarcasm. If you want to make small talk, do it alone." "Oh. …I see, you seem disturbed. I'm surprised you made it here in your condition. Why don't we go to the back if it's going to be a long conversation? It must be hard for you to stay on your feet."

"I'm fine. Just answer me, Kotomine. You knew that Sakura is a Holy Grail, right?"

"Of course. I opened her body, after all. I knew that she is a black Holy Grail that Matou Zouken coordinated." The priest plainly answers, as if it's not a big deal.

"Do you know what that means…!?" My head boils up in an instant. I tried to be calm, but Kotomine's reply shatters my composure.

"Yes. I knew better than you what that meant. If we let Matou Sakura live, she would end up killing many people. That is why I warned you. I asked you if she was worth keeping alive."

"――――――――" I stop. …He's right. Kotomine did warn me back then. He saved her, but he kept repeating that keeping her alive was a mistake.

"―――Then… then why did you save Sakura? I only wanted to protect her. But you don't have a reason to."

"I do have a reason. Like you, I did not want to let Matou Sakura die. I could not leave the new life within her to die. Humans die. Sakura's death would be only natural. Were she the only one to die, I would never have gone to such lengths."

"If Sakura were the only one to die?" In short… He's saying he saved Sakura to save that black shadow…!?

"That is exactly right, Emiya Shirou. It is the law of nature for people to die from wounds. But you cannot kill what has not yet come into existence. You protected Matou Sakura to save her. I saved Matou Sakura to protect the darkness that she conceived. That is my motive. We had different goals, but we both needed the girl to live. Are you dissatisfied with the result?"

"――――――――" I'm not dissatisfied. No matter what his intentions were, I had no choice but to ask for his help back then. And―――he sacrificed his entire Magic Crest to save Sakura. I should at least thank him for the result.

"…You're right. I'm not interested in what your motives are. But let me ask you. If you're saying that, you must know what that thing is."

"You must mean the shadow threatening the town. …Well, I have an idea, but what about you? What do you think it is?" "…Zouken said it's the contents of the Holy Grail. He said that what's inside the Holy Grail is coming out through Sakura."

"―――You asked him yourself, eh? …I see, that is certainly something he might think of. So, do you believe everything he said? Do you believe the shadow is the contents of the Holy Grail appearing through Matou Sakura, and that it will continue to kill people as long as she is alive?"

"I won't trust Zouken. …But his explanation matches the facts. I have to admit that Sakura and that shadow are related."

"Yes. Zouken's explanation contains no lie, but he is not telling the whole truth either. The power in the Holy Grail is colorless. It is colorless, so it will never attack people on its own. Power without direction only disperses."

"Oh." …What he's saying makes sense. First of all, why is something that's leaked out of the gate indiscriminately attacking people?

"What's going on? Why is it attacking people?" "I do not even need to mention why. There exists 'something that kills people' inside the Holy Grail. That is the only possible explanation." "Wha――――――" Something that kills people? That thing is inside the Holy Grail and ruining Sakura?

"――――――――" …My vision wavers. This is too ridiculous to be true… "――――――――" But didn't I…

…Look up at such a thing ten years ago?

"――――! That makes even less sense…! If the Holy Grail's power is colorless, something that has a purpose like killing people shouldn't exist in it!"

"Correct. It is something that should not exist. It is a contradiction that should never have been created. ―――But it is definitely there, within the Holy Grail. Ten years ago. I already told you how Kiritsugu and I fought for the Holy Grail. Its contents were already tainted at that time. The power that should have been colorless was instead a swirl that interpreted everything as slaughter."

"But it is a big enough swirl of magical energy to grant wishes. That function has not been lost. The only problem is that its idea of 'happiness' is to use the evil to expose the good. That is why it brought on that tragic fire ten years ago. I still found the Holy Grail worthy, but Kiritsugu destroyed it, unable to accept its evil."

"I need not remind you of the result. My Servant was showered with its tainted contents, and the mud that leaked from the Holy Grail burned the town and caused many deaths. You should remember the scene."

…Yeah, I did see it. I saw the cause of it…!

"―――Then that black hole is…" "Yes, it is a gate called the Holy Grail. How ironic. The cup that receives the purest souls. That pure object was completely tainted when a small amount of poison was mixed into it. It is colorless, after all. No matter how deep and magnificent the Holy Grail may have been, it was powerless against a colored foreign substance."

"Foreign substance…? That's what caused the content of the Holy Grail to change colors…?"

"Most likely. The Einzberns summoned something they should not have on the third ritual. As a result, an impurity was introduced into the Holy Grail War, the ritual they had prepared. Sixty years passed between the third and fourth wars, yet the impurity that had waited so long for its birth still could not emerge into the outside world."

"The fourth Holy Grail was too narrow. The war reached its deadline with Archer and Saber still remaining, and the Holy Grail was not complete. The gate did open, but Kiritsugu instantly destroyed it."

"Impurity―――then that guy's the main body of the black shadow…?" "'That guy' is hardly the proper term. Even if the contents of the Holy Grail are tainted, it is still only a swirl of raw power. What's inside is magical energy with a direction. It is a cursed swirl that is specialized and directed at killing people. It is a pure evil that is the embodiment of human evil."

"That is the phenomenon inside the Holy Grail―――the main body of the shadow roaming the town at night. Well, it is still only an expected baby that cannot even produce the shadow without Matou Sakura."

"Expected baby…? Don't be ridiculous! Are you saying Sakura has to give birth to something mysterious like that…!?" "No. It will appear from her body if she is a legitimately made Holy Grail. But she is special. That thing is trying to consume her and become the gate itself."

"Its birth. It is trying to come into this world by transferring its power to her. It is power without a body. It has no need for a human form. It can exist in this world if someone inherits its power."

"The content of the Holy Grail is not leaking out. It is an evil that is trying to bring itself into the world by permeating Matou Sakura. Therefore―――the black shadow is not the contents of the Holy Grail. It is already Matou Sakura herself. It is permeating into the master, and once the power is completely succeeded, she will turn into the shadow."

"――――――――" …Hold on. …Hold on a minute, Kotomine. Even if you say that, I can't think straight.

"It was an incomplete Holy Grail from the start. …No, she had already made the contract when the tainted Holy Grail from the last war was used. It would not have ended this way if the Einzbern's Holy Grail were used. It would have been filled with curses, but they would not be compatible."

"――――――――" Shut up. First of all, your talks are too long. You should keep things simple. Like how that shadow isn't Sakura's subconscious. That's what Zouken said, but the shadow is attacking people because that's its nature. Sakura… It's not something she wished for.

"The curse swirling within the Holy Grail. The curse would not have been able to take form unless the Holy Grail was compatible with it. Instead, it connected with something that could give it shape. It would not have taken a definite form if it were a normal Holy Grail, such as Einzbern's gold or a bronze using a body of a magus. It is a curse that has mass, after all. In some cases, it might turn into an expanding lump of flesh."

"――――――――" I said I don't care about things that don't concern us. Get to the point. Let me know the conclusion. I thought I could save Sakura if I defeated the shadow. I thought I could save her if I could defeat it before Sakura completely turned into the Holy Grail. But――――if that shadow is Sakura herself…

"The curse obtained a host named Matou Sakura. She is a human who was raised to be a Magic Circuit, embedded with 'the sense of touch' that leaked out during the previous war. The more she opens the gate as the Holy Grail, the more she will combine with what is inside. But do not worry. So long as she retains her sanity, the shadow will remain a shadow. No matter how much the curse may contaminate her, she still has command. As long as she tries to close the gate as a Holy Grail, the content will stay in her and not be able to escape outside."

"It is the same as the relationship between a Servant and his Master. The Servant, the curse, cannot use its power unless its Master, Matou Sakura, allows it. One cannot overturn this relationship, no matter how strong one may be. Matou Sakura's sanity obstructs the curse's desire to kill people."

"Matou Sakura can accept the curse as a part of her, or her sanity can cave in to the magical energy of the curse. The darkness in her will be given birth the instant either occurs. She is the shadow already. Even if the war were over, you could never return her to her original form."

"――――――――" That means… When I defeat that black shadow and see its corpse… Sakura's body will come out from beneath its darkness――――

"Haa―――― , ah." I thought my heart stopped. I clutch my chest and force myself to breathe.

"――――Then letting Sakura live means…" "Letting that black shadow emerge. Her mind will eventually die, and hell will take form. Well, I did not think her body could endure it, but you have done well, Emiya Shirou. She is still functioning as the Holy Grail, thanks to you." "――――!"

"Do you want to turn Sakura into a monster…!?"

"Of course. No matter what it may be, we cannot stop it as long as it has the will to be born. And do not misunderstand, Emiya Shirou. You call it a monster when it has not even come into this world?"

"Of course…! That shadow is a devil. It's a devil that's killing people without limit…!" "You are rushing to conclusions. Good and evil are what we decide on after it occurs. Nobody can deny what has yet to exist. Or what? Are you saying the son of a criminal will definitely be a criminal? So we should kill him before he is born?"

"Wha――――" How ridiculous. That thing is a killer by its very nature. And in reality, it is killing people――――!

"That is your mistake. That shadow has only been created from the host, Matou Sakura. What is about to be born from the Holy Grail is something different. That shadow is merely using Matou Sakura to suck lives needed for its birth. It is the same as a baby that wants to live. You cannot judge it to be good or evil, as it is doing so unconsciously."

"Don't be stupid! People are dying!" "True. It shall receive punishment for its crime. But that is after it is born. Nobody can deny its existence right now. You cannot reject that which has not yet been born and cannot be punished."

"Look. A clear evil does not exist in this world. But―――if there is an evil in this world… Would it not be the act of denying what is about to be born?"

"――――――――" I swallow my words. It's not that I agree with Kotomine that Sakura should become the contents of the Holy Grail. But condemning him won't change anything, let alone save Sakura.

"―――Kotomine. Is your intention to have Sakura turn into the Holy Grail?" I ask with hostility. It's a question to clarify our positions, a statement made too late to be a declaration of hostility.

"I said that is why I saved her. I will bless whatever is born. Just as you protect Matou Sakura, I will protect the embryo." "―――I see. Does that mean you're our enemy?"

"Of course. But it's not that I want Matou Sakura's life, or that I want the Holy Grail's power like Matou Zouken. I will only protect what lies within the Holy Grail after it has been born. If the mother, Matou Sakura, should reject the child before it is born, I will respect her decision."

…There's no lie in his words. This priest does not care who wins the Holy Grail War.

All he wants is the result. He just wants to see what appears after Zouken or I remain. He has no intention of forcing Sakura and altering her. He is saying he will save Sakura only when we're unable to save her and when she turns into something else.

"…All right. I won't do anything to you as long as you're just watching. No matter your intentions, you saved Sakura's life. …That's all I care about right now."

"I see. All I did was save the body of the mother, but I will not say anything if that is what you think. Well, is that all? Then go back to Matou Sakura. This is no time for her to be left alone."

"………" The priest is worrying about Sakura's health―――no, her mind. We're clearly enemies, yet I still can't tell for certain.

"――――No. I want to ask one more thing. …This will probably be my last question." "Oh. If that is the case, I cannot refuse. All right, I shall listen." "――――Kotomine. Can Sakura be saved?"

…The atmosphere changes. The pressure from the priest increases as he gives me advice.

"There is a way. But the success rate is about fifty-fifty. The person called Matou Sakura will disappear once she is complete as a Holy Grail. But if her mind can endure the power from the Holy Grail for a bit, that small amount of time will be your hope."

"A few seconds at most. You will need to control the Holy Grail and use its power to eliminate what is within her. In short, you're using brute force. You just need to use the Holy Grail to kill the baby within her and the crest worm that is transforming her. The Holy Grail is tainted, but it still has the power to grant wishes. If it is used to kill, it can kill any form of life."

"――――So it all comes down to the Holy Grail, huh? From the start, this war is…" "Yes, it all comes down to obtaining the Holy Grail. But watch out. You are directing the power of the Holy Grail at itself. A normal magus would not be able to control the magical energy, and it could end up repeating the disaster that occurred ten years ago. Not only that. It is madness to try to take control of the Holy Grail in only a few seconds. It's a miracle you will never achieve by yourself."

"Heh, but that's the only way, right? Then I'll do it. And if that's the case, I do have one hope."

"I see, you have Rin. Rin is Matou Sakura's older sister. It should be possible to tune with her sister's mind and moderate the reaction from the Holy Grail. But I do not think Rin would go with such a ridiculous gamble."

"――――――――" …That's true. I'll have to convince her to change our course of action once I get home.

"It's fine, that's my problem. Well, bye. I hate to say it, but thanks. I don't approve of your opinion, but I'll thank you." "Hold on. I answered your question, so I have something to ask of you as well."

"――――――――" I stop. …I don't want to, but it's nothing if I can return the favor.

"What? You're the one that said this is it. Make it short." "Well. Let's say by some chance, you do save Matou Sakura with this method. But are you fine with that, Emiya Shirou? Even if Matou Sakura is not a Holy Grail anymore, it will not change the fact that she ate humans. Are you going to protect such a sinner?"

"――――――――" It stops. My heart freezes.

"You are not the only one who cannot bear it. Matou Sakura has killed many. I do not think she will be able to forgive herself." "That's――――――" "It must be painful to commit a crime and live on, knowing you cannot atone for it. Then is it not better to just kill her? It is less painful that way, and it will be an apology to all who she has killed."

"――――――――" …That's right. The chain would end right there. It doesn't matter if she intended to or not. No matter the reason, the assailant must be punished. If she took lives, she must repay the victims with something of equal value.

So kill. My morals tell me I must kill Sakura if I truly pity the victims.

Not only that. If I can't save Sakura and she becomes a Holy Grail, nothing can stop her. Many more lives will be lost. Just like that day. Innocent people will die without knowing the meaning of their death.

I swallow the gastric juice coming up my throat. My eyes become bloodshot. I might bleed out of my eyes. ―――I slash the press͵re with thousands of swords and… "――――Right. But that won't be atonement." …I confess that I'll still protect Sakura.

"―――I see. So that means you will not follow Kiritsugu's path." He talks as if he's disinterested. The priest regards me with a bored expression, as if disappointed.

"Father's path…?" "That's right. Your father loved humans. Higher, wider, farther. He loved humans as they go over their limits without end. That is why he turned himself into the definite evil. That man would have killed Matou Sakura. He threw away his human emotions for the sake of justice."

"…Is that any different from you? Casting away one person's happiness for the sake of justice, for many people's happiness." "―――No. What you people call happiness did not bring me joy."

"Huh…?" That's not a reply. No, more than that… He's not even looking at me.

"Right, we were different. He threw away what he had, but I had nothing to throw away. The result was the same, but the process was completely different. His existence was too unpleasant. His agony was truly unpleasant. If he went to such lengths to cast it away, he should never have had it in the first place. But still he agonized over his decision, trying to pick it back up after he threw it away. As if saying that is the correct way for humans to live."

"The difference was crucial. Yes. If I cannot obtain anything, why was I born into this world?"

The priest's words are not directed at anyone. …But they contain anger. They contain emotion, which I thought this man did not have.

"…Hah. Come to think of it, there is no way you can succeed Kiritsugu. He did what was necessary by throwing things away, but you insist on having it both ways. We are similar, you and I. You died once and broke down when you were resurrected. It is posteriori, but you are like me, a defect from birth." "What…? What part of me is broken?"

"You just do not realize it. You have no concept of self. So I did not think you would concern yourself with a single person. No, rather―――" You are not concerned about many, but concerned about all as if they were only one. ――――Yes. Kotomine Kirei sounds almost envious as he speaks to himself.

"―――Anyway. I will not stop you if you plan to save Matou Sakura in spite of everything. Be burdened with as much sin as you want. But let me warn you. If you want to save Matou Sakura in any way, you will need to kill Matou Zouken. He will take over her body after her mind disappears. You will not be able to save her after that."

"You mean Zouken will take over Sakura?" "Yes. His main body is a parasite. I do not know where the worm with his soul exists, but it is easy for him to take over another's body as long as it is alive. He is immortal, in a way. You cannot completely eliminate him unless you find that tiny main body or purify his soul itself."

"―――I see. That's actually a relief. I have to defeat Zouken either way." "Hah. I see, it is certainly easy to understand. Defeat Matou Zouken and make Matou Sakura the winner. Control the Holy Grail that appears and purify Matou Sakura's body. So that is your course of action."

I don't want to, but I nod. The plan should be simple, like Kotomine said.

"This is just my personal opinion, but Matou Sakura's mind is surprisingly strong and too well-suited to the curse in the Holy Grail. If Rin is the positive, she is the negative. If Matou Zouken made a mistake, it is right there. That black shadow has developed Matou Sakura over his expectations. That must be why he contacted you."

"―――Protect Matou Sakura. If she can survive the emergence, she should not die." I don't say anything, but nod back. Kotomine wants Sakura to change. But he's still much better than Zouken.

"You won't get to take any part in this. I won't let such a mysterious thing be born." "That is the spirit. Whatever happens, do not let Zouken have her." With a snort, I turn my back to him.

―――I have no business here. I have to quickly go back to Sakura.

"――――――――What?" The first thing I feel after returning home is an icy chill. Nothing's wrong, and there's no sign of danger. But I have a bad feeling.

There's nobody in the living room. Ilya is sleeping in her room. Tohsaka is preparing for the projection in her room. Sakura is――――

"I'm coming in, Sakura." I call out and place my hand on the doorknob. ―――I feel a cold sensation on my back. I shake off my uneasiness and open the door.

"Sakura." "……!" I see Rider for a second, but her figure disappears. Behind her… The bed which Sakura should be in is empty.

"――――!" The light turns on. "Wha――――" I look around in surprise. "Welcome back. I won't ask where you were, but you certainly took your time."

"Tohsaka…? What is this――――?" "Isn't it obvious? Sakura went out by herself, and Rider has been glaring at me until now. …I guess she's under orders not to hurt you. She switched to spirit form and ran out as soon as you came in."

"Wha――――" Tohsaka sounds calm. …No, that's not it. Her voice doesn't sound calm. Her tone is one of cold disinterest, as if she's given up on something.

"――――Tohsaka. Sakura really went out…?" "It's true. She was gone before you left, so it's already been two hours. I don't know what her intentions are, but I guess she doesn't want to follow our directions. She had Rider stop me from going after her, so she must not want us to know what she's doing."

"Don't be stupid…! Sakura wouldn't hide things… from… us――――" I can't say for certain. …Sakura's nightmare. I have no idea what Sakura thought about her deteriorating body.

"We have to bring her back…! If we leave her alone, it'll…" "There may be victims. She might drain magical energy from anyone she sees, like when she attacked me at school. No one was attacked by the shadow last night, right? So she must be hungry."

"――――――――――――Tohsaka." Tohsaka looks away and swallows her words. Her eyes say to give up, telling me it's all over.

"Tohsaka, you…" "We can look for Sakura. I agree with that. But―――once we find her… You know what to do if Sakura isn't herself anymore, right?"

"―――That's not possible. Sakura will always be Sakura." "Are you insane? Can't you tell she's at her limit? Give up already, Shirou. If you keep protecting her, you'll be the first one to die――――"

"We can make stupid speculations later. We need to find Sakura and bring her home right now. After that I'll argue with you as long as you like, so shut up for now…!" "Hey, wait, Shirou――――!"

I run through the hallway. I don't have time to wonder where Sakura went. '――――It's over now, Shirou.'

I run outside at full speed, as if denying her words.

"Shirou. Are you going to go look for Sakura?" "――――" Then. Someone unexpected calls to me from behind.

…When did she come here? Ilya is watching me from a distance, as if there's a wall between us.

"…Ilya." "Tell me, Shirou. Are you going to go look for Sakura?" "――――――――" I nod. Ilya's voice is tense. The despair in her voice is different from Tohsaka's. As a Holy Grail, Ilya must understand what condition Sakura is in.

"I see. But Shirou, Sakura went outside by herself because she didn't want you to see her. She's scared and doesn't want to die, but she still chose to end herself in order to protect you. The Sakura you like doesn't exist anymore. She went out by herself to eliminate herself."

"――――――――" Ilya looks straight at me. I meet her gaze and shake my head. I won't let that happen. Even if Sakura isn't Sakura anymore, there's only one thing I'm going to do.

"……I see. But Shirou. Both Sakura and I have another self in us. It's probably not the Ilya you know, and it's not the Sakura you know. Sakura won't come back. She'll just be a different person after she changes. But you still refuse to kill her?"

A quiet question. This is what Ilya really means. The Holy Grail is made with the premise of it breaking down. So I don't need to hesitate about destroying it. But to me, it sounds like she's talking about herself rather than about Sakura.

"Shirou. Let me ask you one more time. Are you still going to go look for Sakura?" "………" I don't know how much emotion her question carries. So I honestly tell her the path I chose.

"Yes, I'm going to go look for her. Sakura will always be Sakura to me. The same goes for you. Even if you turn into a mysterious thing like a Holy Grail, you'll still be Ilya."

"…No matter how much you may have changed. If Ilya is inside you, you'll be the Ilya I know."

"――――" "I don't know about difficult things. That's all I care about."

I put my hand on the door. "…It's Zouken's place. That's the only place Sakura would go to." I hear her behind me. "All right. Please wait here, Ilya. I'll go find Sakura and bring her back right away."

I leave. Ilya stays standing in the hallway, as if seeing off something very far away.

I reach the Matou household. I'm not out of breath. My body has to be tired from all the running, but it doesn't complain to me at all.

"…It's open." I stop before I ring the doorbell. …Did someone go in or come out? The front door is half open, and it's dead quiet inside.

I don't feel any human presence. The Matou household is gloomier than yesterday.

There's nobody on the first floor. My footsteps echo through the hallway. The floor creaks as I make my way to the stairs.

There's nobody on the second floor. I see the sky through the glass above the landing. Once I make my way to the top, I'm able to tell that there's no living person on the second floor.

I turn to go back downstairs, but I stop. A living person. The strange feeling makes me head to the room with a slightly-opened door.

――――It's Sakura's room. I've seen it once before. But I've never actually gone in there before. It's because Sakura pushed us out with a red face when Shinji led me here.

I think that was two years ago. Nothing's changed. A girl's room. It's a simple room suited for Sakura. And on the bed… "――――Shinji." …Is the corpse of Matou Shinji.

Interlude 14-3

"Come here, you bitch…!" "Kya…!"

He pushes her down. Attacked from behind and still unable to move her limbs, the girl easily falls to the bed.

"You traitor! You're home late!" He gets on top of her as he screams. He scowls at the girl he pulled to this room, running his fingers across the skin he hasn't touched in a while. "――――!" The girl's chin jumps. The fingers, violating her as they crawl from her neck to her breasts, are a sign of the start.

Yes, the sequence is always the same. This man is the absolute master. The girl loses her will, opens up her body, and exposes her shame when he orders her. The only resistance came during the first time. The secret affairs after that were the same. The girl made no attempt to fight back, never showing even a sign of emotion. She was violated, attended to his needs, and drowned in lewdness like she was told to.

The reaction is the start of a regular routine. Even if she shows no emotion, her body cannot suppress the pleasure. Her lustful body reacts happily as it accepts men.

"Hah―――yeah, that's what I expect from you! That's right, you don't change, no matter how quiet you pretend to be. You're a Matou woman. You're a vulgar failure of a magus, a whore that wants men's sperm!" The man roughly pushes down the girl's body. "Hm…! No――――" A spasm runs through her. The man smiles, believing the reaction is the same as always.

It's no different. Their relationship will never change, no matter where the woman may run. Even if she regains her emotion or finds another man, she will want him once he pushes her down. This woman is his possession. It doesn't matter if she is the heir. She is merely a toy given to him.

That's why he doesn't notice until it happens. The girl struggling beneath him feels no excitement. He doesn't notice that she's filled with nothing but disgust and loathing.

"Oh, you sure are energetic today. I see, so Emiya wasn't able to satisfy you. I see, I see, that's great! I bet Emiya is depressed now! The girl he fell in love with was a real sex maniac!" Does that knowledge please him more than the act of violating her? The man laughs from the bottom of his heart and reaches out for her clothes. He'll do the usual. He will not undress her. He always exposes her body. He rips the clothes off her, as if tearing her apart.

"Sorry to keep you waiting. Let's have a wild fuck." A crack opens in the girl's chest. At that instant… "No――――stop! Don't come near me, Nii-san…!" The girl refuses the man with all her might.

"Huh――――?" The man stops. He lets go of her breasts, then looks down at the girl as one might look at a mysterious thing.

"What did you say? What did you just say?" A voice of surprise. The girl gulps, but stares resolutely back at him.

"―――I-I said please don't come near me. I won't obey you anymore. …Senpai accepted a girl like me. He said he'll protect me…! I'm not yours, Nii-san! I'm Senpai's now…!"

The girl frantically tries to push the man off of her. But the man will not even budge. It's only natural. Her strength cannot push a man back, least of all when he has her in a mounted position. "Wha――――――――" A hollow voice. The man looks down at the girl on the bed.

"―――Shut up. Shut up, shut up, shut up, you whore――――!" And he starts punching his sister in a rage.

"Emiya's…!? You won't do as I tell you…!? Don't get it wrong, you don't have such a right! I'm the one to decide! You just have to nod back like always…!" He does not hold back. The man has no sanity left, having been denied by his possession, something that should never betray him.

"Take it back, Sakura! You're mine. You're nobody else's…! Know your place! You were sold to Matou…! So you have no right to disobey me…!" He punches her as though he has gone mad. ; " " The girl does not fight back. She doesn't even protect her face from the punches. Her eyes show great determination, condemning the man on top of her.

"……!" That is the last straw. He can't stand the look in her eyes. He doesn't want her staring straight at him.

So… "―――I see. Then I have a plan too. Do what you want if you like Emiya so much. …But Sakura. You shouldn't hide things from someone you love, right?" He decides to reveal everything the girl fears the most.

"――――――――Nii-san." Her eyes open wide. "Hah." He laughs. The expression of despair pleases him a bit.

"That's right, Sakura. I'll tell Emiya all about it. He accepted you, right? Then this is nothing at all." "N――――――――" She can't form the words. The girl stares in astonishment. She looks up at her older brother with empty eyes, just like before.

"Hah. Haha, ahahahahahahaha! That's right, that's all you can manage! Just be obedient if you don't want that. You're my toy. Don't disobey me no matter what…!" The laughter fills the room. But for the girl, it only sounds like annoying howling.

"――――――――y?" Why? The girl asks, her mind empty.

She doesn't want her Senpai―――Shirou to find out about her secret. The relationship with her brother, her task to supervise the Emiya household, and her eleven years of life in the basement. Her Senpai knows. He already knows. The only thing he doesn't know about is her relationship with her brother. But he should not hate her, even after finding out about it. Shirou will probably forgive her.

"――――――――Oh." Right. Just like last night, he will destroy something in order to accept her. But that's why she cannot bear it. She doesn't want to take anything more away from him. She would rather keep things like this. She can let her brother rape her, like she always does.

"N――――――――" But she can't. …She was able to bear it until now. But now her body belongs to Shirou… and the thought of giving that body to her brother disgusts her.

"――――――――o." She cannot accept either. She doesn't want to be violated by her brother, and she doesn't want him to tell Shirou about their secret.

All that's left is her naked emotion. The mind that has been suppressed for eleven years…

The man grabs her breasts. Her brother tries to expose her body as if it's natural to do so. "No――――No, no, no, no…! Stop, I don't want this, please stop, Nii-san…!" She resists with all her might. He laughs at her futile efforts.

"Hah, what are you saying? You want it, right? You don't care as long as it's a man. Oh, that's why I have to tell Emiya about it. About how bad you clung onto me and how dirtily we fucked…!" He laughs. He laughs. Her brother laughs.

"――――――――" And she realizes. He will tell him. No matter what happens, no matter what she does, he will tell her Senpai about it. …No matter what. He intends to ruin her for his own amusement.

"―――――――Why?" She murmurs. Why does it always end up like this? She endured so many things so he wouldn't find out about it. She lied, lied to others, lied to herself, and kept telling herself that she could be happy. She thought she was happy just by being at her Senpai's house.

But… Why isn't he protecting such a small thing? "――――――――" …No, he's not the only one who isn't protecting her. She thought for a long time. She has cursed for a long time. Why. Why―――the world around her hates her so much――――

"――――" The strength floods out of her body. She loses her will to resist, and her brother looks down at her in satisfaction.

"Ha――――Haha, hahahahahahahahahaha! Come on, spread your legs like you always do, bitch…! You wouldn't even care if a dog fucked you, right!? All you can do is accept a man…!" Asserting his dominance, he starts to violate her like he always does. The girl stares up him with empty eyes. "――――I wish he wouldn't exist." Eleven years. She thinks something she has never thought during that time.

"――――――――" The air makes a sound. The man on top of her falls down. Fresh blood splatters onto her. The girl raises her body and looks at her silent brother.

"――――――――Oh." It was an instant death. He must have been hit with a very sharp string. A line is visible on the back of his head, as if it was drawn in with a pencil. The line reaches his brain, but the line is too thin to make his brain spill out, and his blood is the only thing flowing out.

"――――――――Oh." She looks down at it without emotion. The shadow that killed her brother wavers. It wavers in the gray sunlight. Her own shadow… Her own shadow is standing up and wavering.

"――――――――Ah." So she's the one that killed. It was she who killed her brother. She understands, but does not feel anything. She feels nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. No disgust, no fear, no guilt, no regret. The only thought in her vacant mind is that it was easy.

"――――――――Ah, ah." She's used to it. This isn't her first time. Because she saw plenty in her dreams. She saw it in her dream――――so did she copy what she saw?

"――――――――Ah, ha." She doesn't know. But she thinks she should've done it sooner. If she'd known she wouldn't feel anything, she would've done it a long time ago. She thinks, and… "――――――――Fu――――――――Fufu." …Her empty emotion murmurs that it was fun.

It was fun. It was fun. It was fun…? It was fun…?

Where? When? What?

Dream. Dream. That's right. She wasn't dreaming. Those dreams were――――

Not dreams. The one that wandered through the night and killed the men was herself. Yes, she killed many people. She killed many, many people. KILLED those that ran away KILLED without leaving a drop KILLED everyone KILLED with pleasure KILLED laughing KILLED laughing KILLED laughing…!!

"――――Aha. Ahaha. Ahahaha." It's so funny, she laughs. Because she'll break down unless she laughs. She can't bear it unless she's laughing. But more tears flow out the more she laughs, and everything becomes meaningless for her.

"Haha! Ahaha, hahahahahahahaha!" It's so funny that her stomach hurts. It's as if she's regressing mentally every time she laughs. But it's so comforting and natural. Oh, how stupid, how stupid, how foolish…!

"――――Fu――――Fufu, ah." Her face is contorted in a manic grin. In place of her silent brother, the girl sweetly spills out a voice like glass.

…And like that. After tinkering with her brother's body like she's playing house, she gets up. She stands in front of the mirror, still covered in blood. ―――Behind her stands the shadow that killed so many.

Her own shadow. The black shadow that has eaten countless people. Someone was there, trying hard not to turn her into it. Someone was there by her side. She laughs. There was never any hope for her.

"――――I see. I was slowly going crazy." She twirls in front of the mirror. The girl makes a proud smile. "―――Look, Senpai. I was crazy from the beginning." And speaks as if asking for a dance.

The girl's consciousness ends there. No, to be more accurate, it changes. It's merely that her repressed subconscious has risen to the surface.

Something talks to the girl. Behind her. The darkness stays as darkness, shows up as a presence, and looks at the girl.

"――――You have killed many people, Sakura." The girl doesn't reply. She doesn't even need to acknowledge such a question.

"―――You cannot live as a human anymore." The girl doesn't reply. She doesn't even need to be told about it.

"―――Accept the shadow. Nobody can stop you. Seize the daughter of Einzbern and obtain the Holy Grail. That is the only way for you to live." "――――Yes. As you wish, Grandfather." She nods quietly. Did she agree because it sounds fun? Or did she just want to run away? The girl doesn't understand her own mind anymore.

But the pain in her body goes away as soon as she accepts it. …It crawls up. Black mud comes out from her core and smears itself on her skin. The pain turns into fire to burn her skin. Like a curse… It turns her white skin into something else.

"――――Oh. With this, I…" …Won't lose to anyone. Nobody will get in the way. She knows that she is the strongest one now. The absolute certainty is similar to a sexual uplifting. In her mind, the girl defeats everyone who has threatened her. She pierces their legs as they run, rips off their arms as they fight back, stitches shut their mouths as they beg for mercy, chews on their eyes as they cry from pain, and finally gouges out their heart, laughing.

"Hm――――" Her body trembles. Just imagining it brings her close to orgasm. …And in this fantasy… Foremost in her mind is the relative she loves the most, the one called Tohsaka Rin.

End of Interlude

"Shinji." Shinji's corpse is on the bed. There's nothing else. What happened here? There's no way I would know, but… "――――Sakura." …Somehow, I can tell that Sakura killed him.

"…………" I can't think. Shinji's corpse. Sakura's whereabouts. It's only been half a day since I embraced Sakura, so how did it end up like this?

"Oh. So it is the Emiya boy. I would like to commend you for coming here, but it seems you were a bit too late."

"――――!" I turn around at the sudden voice.

"……!" There's no one behind me. I know there's nobody in this house. Zouken's voice is echoing through the room even though he's not here.

"Zouken…! What did you do to Sakura…!?"

"I did nothing. As you can see, my unworthy grandson tried to violate her and was killed instead. It's nothing to make a fuss over. But―――this will be the last time I call him an unworthy grandson. He was useless, but he fulfilled his role in the end."

He laughs. I can't see the old magus, but I'm sure he's laughing with a hideous face.

"Shinji's role…?" "Yes. I cannot make her put her mind to it. She hates me too much. So I had to have you or Shinji break her down. I needed Sakura to feel despair in this world to have her accept her own shadow."

"Wha――――" "Oh, my. It was my mistake. I took her emotional strength too lightly. I expected her to break easily, but she would never do so on her own. It seems torturing her for a long time had its flaw. I did not expect her to become so persistent."

"You――――――――" My nerves condense. Before I even understand what he's saying, I clench my right fist, open my Magic Circuit, and…

"Well, if I am to be greedy, I wanted you to betray her. She would not have awakened incompletely, but her body and mind would have completely turned into the shadow in that case! But that is only a matter of time. With Shinji's death, she has finally accepted her position. I need only watch over her now. She will follow her instincts to feed on people, and destroy herself from overeating. My work comes after th――――"

I punch the wall. With all my might, I lash out at the darkness where the voice is coming from. I unconsciously fill my hand with magical energy, which is transmitted into the wall and sweeps the darkness from the room.

"My, how frightening. The worms I left to keep watch over this place have been crushed. Haha, soon my voice will no longer reach you." "――――Shut up and get out here, Zouken…! I'll rip you to pieces…!"

"Well, I am afraid I cannot do that. The goal the Makiri have sought for five hundred years is within my grasp. I cannot be killed now, yet I'm not so ungrateful as to kill you."

"Ungrateful…? Shut up! When did I do anything for you…!?"

"You did. You raised Sakura. Before, she merely endured, but you taught her how to desire others. Yes, I appreciate what you did, Emiya Shirou. This ritual was a success because of you. That is why I will not kill you. I need you to see her after she matures…!"

"Zou… ken." "Kaka, nobody can stop her now. She has killed her brother, so she cannot turn back. She will take in Archer's soul from Einzbern's Holy Grail and steal the key to reach the gate. That will be the end. Makiri's earnest desire, the reproduction of the Third Sorcery, will be achieved…!"

The annoying laugh echoes through the room. I――――

[votestaynight2]

13th Day - LAST TALK (Scene 1, Attempt 2)

Alright! So apparently we need to just be totally down with removing the Shroud. That gives us the following changes:

We get the following interlude in day 12:

Interlude 12-1

"――――Well." She leaves the two of them and comes out into the yard. "What's going on, Sakura? Weren't you resting in your room since you're sick?" Tohsaka Rin coldly regards the girl before her.

"………" Matou Sakura looks down uneasily. "――――――――" "――――――――" There are no words between them. Rin mercilessly condemns the outsider, Sakura, who is at a loss for words, feeling beholden and inferior.

"Sakura. If you're here because you're worried about Emiya-kun, go back. I'll pretend I didn't see you." "……!" Sakura trembles a bit. Her older sister is bitter. She corners Sakura, even when she knows of her uneasiness.

"No, Nee-san. I just…" Pushing her resolve, Sakura looks at her ideal, her older sister. But… "You don't need to explain. I'm telling you to go back to your room. I'm not going to let you in the dojo, no matter what you tell me." Rin cuts off the girl's utmost resistance.

"Why can't I go in?" "Do I really need to spell it out? You're our enemy when we're acting as Masters. Look, Sakura. Even if you and Rider are just staying in the house without fighting, it doesn't change the fact that you're under Zouken's control. There's no way we can train in front of such a person."

"――――――――" Faced with the cold words, Sakura can only stand there. Tohsaka Rin is serious. Unlike Shirou, her sister is worrying about when she might fall under Zouken's sway and become their enemy. …No. Rin probably assumes they will end up as enemies.

"……" She bites her lip. But she can't talk back. As Rin says, Sakura can fall into Zouken's hands at any time. Her body is getting worse every day, and her memory is becoming more vague. Her only respite came when she slept, but now she's begun having nightmares. …It'll be no surprise if she goes crazy at any time.

"That's right. Walking around when you have no magical energy only bothers us. You don't know when you might collapse. Well, I'm sure you won't collapse right now since you've settled down, but Emiya-kun will worry if you push yourself. …He'd be even more cornered if that happens. That's not what you want, right?"

"……" Rin is absolutely right. Sakura drops her gaze further, biting her lip helplessly.

"Do you understand? Then get going. I'll go get you at noon, so rest until then." She nods. Rin turns her back to her younger sister. As if to tell her… …That she's just a nuisance.

"H-Hold on, Nee-san…!" "What? You still have something to say?" "Yes. I understand your point. I'll go back to my room. …But please tell me. What are you going to have Senpai do? You know he can't fight anymore, right? But you're seeing him, and what more are you going to make him do…!?"

"――――――――" She stops before leaving. Matou Sakura's appeal is born of desperation. A fury of emotion that the quiet girl has never shown. Though surprised, Rin answers her with the same coldness as before.

"I'm teaching him magic. We can't beat Saber, Zouken, or the black shadow as we are right now. So I'm going to have Shirou draw magic from Archer's arm. That arm is filled with his experience, and that experience will flow continuously into Shirou if we loosen the Shroud, forcing Shirou to level up."

"Wha――――" As a magus of the Matou, Sakura knows that this is a reckless plan. What her sister intends to do is just torture. It's like pouring a hundred units of fuel into a container called Emiya Shirou that can only hold ten. Even if ten thousand units are poured, the excess will overflow, and the container will only hold ten.

But that will only be painful. Emiya Shirou will gain from less than a tenth of the agony he goes through. And most of all―――a person with a normal mind will never be able to endure it. If you set a mud puppet against a tidal wave, the puppet will be washed away. That's what loosening the Shroud means――――

"That's absurd! Senpai's body won't last if you do such a thing…! No, not only that! Senpai trusts you, Nee-san. That's why he's accepting your reckless plan. I'm sure he'll take that cloth off in the end if you tell him…!"

"――――Sakura." Sakura does not look down. She stares straight at her sister.

To that… "…You're right. But, Sakura. He would take the Shroud off himself even if I don't tell him to. I realized it when I was talking to him earlier. ……Honestly. In the end, he'll take it off like it's nothing, no matter how strongly I warn him." Tohsaka replies in a powerless voice.

"Eh… Nee-san?" "Yes. I know that, so I had to suggest a plan that wouldn't make him take it off. If he knows we can manage without having him take the Shroud off, he won't do it unless it's a last resort. So my role is to make him create a weapon within set limitations. I'll have him rest after that. I'll even confine him, keeping him out of combat until the Holy Grail War is over."

"――――――――" She's telling the truth. Tohsaka Rin is showing as much consideration as she can. …But that is her mind as Tohsaka Rin. As the successor of an old family lineage, Sakura knows the other side of Rin.

"Nee-san. I understand that you're concerned for Senpai's safety. But that's it. If you find out that you cannot beat Grandfather with the current method, you will end up using him. You're a magus of Tohsaka. You will use Senpai as a tool to win… to protect the law of magi."

They are not questions, but statements of fact. The Tohsaka heir closes her eyes and… "――――Yes. If our current method fails, and if Zouken and the shadow continue their rampage―――I'll have Shirou use Archer's arm. It's only natural if his life is the only thing at stake." …She makes a declaration with her head held high.

"…That's selfish of you. Senpai never wanted the Holy Grail. He became a Master by chance. So it's wrong to force him to keep fighting." "―��――Hmph. It seems you misunderstand, Sakura."

"Look. I'm not forcing him, and even if that's true, Shirou has no right to object. His life was saved because I gave him my Archer's arm. But he hasn't tried to cut it off yet. That means his life is mine now. He's my Archer as long as he doesn't get rid of his arm."

"Do you get it? Shirou is my familiar until this war ends. There's no reason for you to butt in. As long as he wants to fight, I'm going to lend him my powers, and I'm going to borrow his power." "……!" She cannot say anything. The girl cannot say anything back to her sister, who is full of intimidating confidence.

"―――Is that all? Then go back to your room. Didn't I tell you you're just being a distraction?" Tohsaka Rin turns around and heads to the dojo. The girl watches it as if it's a distant scene.

…The familiar yard is vast. There is nothing around, and it feels like nothing is within reach. In that artificial solitude… "―――I see. So you're taking Senpai as well, Nee-san?" …The girl murmurs something without emotion.

End of Interlude

Then it continues to day 13, and here is how it continues, after accepting Assassin's offer:

It's a trap. It's obviously a trap. But it's true that I might never have another chance to talk with Zouken one-on-one.

…And I don't really have a choice. Even if it's a trap, I have to go see him and have him remove Sakura's crest worm.

"…All right. Zouken wants to talk to me, huh?" "―――A wise decision. Let us make haste. Even I cannot deceive Rider's eyes for too long. The magus will change his mind if someone else realizes we're having this conversation." "……Hah. So it's a secret meeting for my ears only, huh?"

…There's no reply. His work must be done now that I've agreed. Before I know it, Assassin has vanished.

―――I sneak out of my house to head to the Matou household. The sky is filled with clouds. Maybe it's because of the dark sky, but the house is filled with an ominous air.

I go inside without ringing the doorbell. …It's been a year since I last came here. I go through the hallway following my faint memory and head to the living room.

"Oh. You came earlier than I thought, Emiya's successor." "――――――――" Zouken is the only one here. I don't see Assassin or black Saber. …It seems he really does want to talk with me.

"Hm? Oh, you don't even want to exchange greetings with me? My, you must hate me." I feel no hostility from Zouken. …In short, he's taking me lightly. His composure is self-evident, confident in his ability to kill me at any time.

"Well. You must have something to talk about as well, since you've accepted my invitation. Sit down. It must not be something to discuss standing up." "――――No way. Standing up is just fine for what we have to say."

…I suppress the urge to jump at him and punch him, and glare at him as if it could kill him. Unlike Zouken, I can't hide my anger. I won't let my guard down against the guy who changed Sakura's body.

"Zouken. If this is a discussion, I only have one thing to say. Release Sakura right now." That's the only business I have here. I'll just fight if Zouken refuses. I'll kill this monster before anything can happen, even if he calls for Assassin and Saber.

"Release Sakura, eh? …Hm, I would like to, but I'm afraid I cannot do anything." ―――Then. The old magus before me speaks in disappointed tones.

"――――What?" "She cannot be saved no matter what I do, as it has grown too much. Sakura is already functioning as a Holy Grail. She will die even if I remove the crest worm right now."

Hold on. Holy Grail? Sakura is functioning as a Holy Grail? Why is he talking about the Holy Grail…?

"Wait. What do you mean by Sakura being the Holy Grail? What did you do to her…!?"

"I tampered with her to obtain the Holy Grail and make my wish come true. It is all for Makiri's dearest wish, to put shape to the soul, the true immortality. That is why I embedded the Holy Grail into Sakura after the war ten years ago."

"What――――you embedded the Holy Grail…?"

"Right. You should have heard how the Holy Grail War ended ten years ago. Your father, Emiya Kiritsugu, destroyed the Holy Grail that was completed through the ritual we know as the Holy Grail War. The war ended, the summoning ritual a failure once again. But―――it was not a total loss. The Holy Grail was completed, if only temporarily. Then it would be a waste to leave the broken fragments as they were."

"――――――――" My head quickly cools down. In short, he took his granddaughter Sakura and…

"Yes. I embedded the Holy Grail within her. But I am no monster. I made sure she can function as a human. I knew it would be painful to have an inorganic substance in her, so I turned the shard of the Holy Grail into a living thing."

"――――Living thing… Then the crest worm in Sakura is…" "It is something I created using the Holy Grail as catalyst. With that, her body became a container to receive the souls. It became a tool to become the gate when the ritual is completed. It is just a copy of the Holy Grail the Einzbern family makes. Well, I do not have as much skill as them, so I did about an eighth my own way."

He laughs. …Copying Einzbern? All he did was pick up a piece of a finished product and implant it within Sakura…!

"…You bastard! You can't make a Holy Grail, so you used a human being to make an imitation of the Holy Grail…!?"

"Experiment. It's just an experiment, heir to Emiya. This experiment is merely a stepping stone to the next. My plan was to slowly change her to something like a Holy Grail over several decades. It was supposed to be an experiment of Makiri's Holy Grail which lives as a human but still has the function to collect souls."

"Sakura――――is an experiment…?"

"Of course. Sakura was given to the Matou family for that reason. To give a daughter to the Matou family means giving us a foundation to achieve our goal. Tohsaka is well aware of that. We both have the same goals. We will both turn ourselves into monsters to achieve immortality."

"Immortality…? You and Tohsaka's father used Sakura for something ridiculous like that…!?"

"Of course. The Holy Grail War has always been a ritual dedicated to that end. That is the only reason we cooperated, and I am the only one who still lives. To use the Matou successor to achieve our goal in the far future."

"But fate can be quite ironic. Sakura was prepared to be an unadaptable Holy Grail, but she has shown surprising growth. My, I have gotten old. I never expected Sakura to have that much talent. Not only does she still live in spite of taking in so many Servants, but she still retains her sense of being Matou Sakura. ―――She is a true Holy Grail, just like that of the Einzbern, which I thought was impossible to make myself."

"……!" I can't hold it anymore. I'm not patient enough to keep listening to the monster's nonsense. Forgetting the possibility of Assassin's intervention…

"Enough of this bullshit…! You can't call something that only sacrifices human lives a Holy Grail―――!" I let my anger take over and dash at Zouken with a raised fist.

But. "It is a Holy Grail. First of all, even the Einzbern, who create the Holy Grail, used a human as their Holy Grail for this war." "――――What?" Zouken's smile stops me in my tracks.

"…Using a human?" …My body wobbles back. I hate myself for knowing who he's talking about, even though I don't want to understand.

"Right. Ilyasviel is also a Holy Grail. But do not consider us as the same. The Einzberns are far worse. You can ask her yourself what kind of a Holy Grail they prepared."

"――――――――" My upraised arm falls. …Not only Sakura. Even Ilya is the same, and regret takes over my body in place of anger.

"Well, I assume that was all you wanted. Then it is my turn now. The reason I called for you. I want to discuss the shadow with you."

"Wha――――" Discuss the shadow…? He must be talking about the black shadow that's attacking the people in this town. But――――

"…What are you saying? That thing is on your side. So what do you need to talk about? Do you want us to beat it?" I glower at Zouken, my voice thick with sarcasm. "Kakaka, this simplifies matters! Yes, I want you to do something about that shadow. That is why I need your powers, Emiya Shirou."

"What―――are you serious…!? You guys are on the same side, right…!?"

"On the same side…? Well, I have helped it, but it has never helped me. I cannot even communicate with it. I merely arranged its path so it would not run wild. I calmed it down every night to minimize the damage it dealt, but as of last night, I can no longer continue. Did I not tell you? I cannot manage it anymore."

"―――――――" My heart thumps loudly. 'I cannot manage it anymore.' Who is that directed to?

"――――Zouken."

"Ah, yes. I must tell you what that shadow is before anything else. In short, that is the content of the Holy Grail. People say the Holy Grail is an omnipotent pot, but the Holy Grail we aim for is not a pot. The Holy Grail is only a means. Einzbern, Makiri, and Tohsaka. What the three families aim for is to open a gate using the complete Holy Grail. You can think of the complete Holy Grail as a gate to connect this world to a world where every wish comes true."

"…Hold on. Then the Holy Grail is…" "Yes. The goal of every magus is to reach the origin. But I am not interested in such a thing. The Einzberns only thought for the completion of the Holy Grail. Tohsaka is the only family of magi that is still aiming for the origin."

"…Anyway. The Holy Grail is a gate that connects to the wish machine. The shadow is something that has leaked from the other side. The real Holy Grail―――Ilyasviel would not have done such a thing. That shadow is a mistake made by the imitated Holy Grail."

"Well, I do not like to talk about the shame of my family, but it seems I did not discipline her well enough. She matured as a Holy Grail, but it would appear she cannot shut the gate properly. I do not mind if she dies from her own carelessness, but I cannot have her involve other people. What a bother… the Holy Grail I made might kill everyone in this town."

Matou Zouken shakes his head, as if it's someone else's problem.

"――――――――" I should punch him for saying that. But his words turn my emotions to ice.

"――――Then that black shadow is…" Truly… "You should already know. That thing is Sakura's shadow. You should recognize the similarities between them." …Matou Sakura herself?

"――――――――" …I fight off the dizziness. …The truth… I accept the connection I've already known but denied. No matter what that black shadow may be… I have to accept that the crime is Sakura's as well―――

"Does Sakura――――" "No, she should not know about it. That thing is the Holy Grail's shadow that appears through Sakura. It originally should not have form, but when it passed through the gate called Sakura, it took Sakura's form and obtained a body. The Holy Grail borrowed Sakura's sealed id to come into this world."

"It was beyond my expectations to be honest. I denied it since it was impossible, but I have to accept it now that it is getting stronger by the day. That thing is a Holy Grail with a will. That is why it keeps consuming human souls to complete itself. There is only one way to stop it. If the Holy Grail is born from Sakura's unconsciousness, you merely need to stop Sakura."

"I tried to persuade Sakura, but the shadow does not want me going near her. It does not have a will of its own, but that shadow is Sakura herself. It hates whoever she hates. I cannot even go near Sakura anymore."

"……What? Then you can't get close to Sakura?" "No. You people think Sakura is under my control, but that is all in the past. She is already yours. I cannot control her, as I have been cut off from her."

"………" It's something I can be happy about. At the very least, Zouken can't do anything to Sakura. Then if we can do something about the crest worm――――

"―――Wait. You haven't done anything to Sakura?" "No, nothing at all." "Then, Sakura's still in pain, because…"

"That's her own problem. I have never used the crest worm. She is breaking down because she is a Holy Grail and the powers of the Holy Grail are flowing into her. Think about it. There is a great swirl of magical energy that can grant any wish. Her human body must receive what flows from that source. There is no way Sakura's weak mind can endure the strong onflow."

"Wha――――then Sakura will…" "Unable to bear the strain of being a Holy Grail, she will explode. No, if Sakura's consciousness empties, the Holy Grail should appear. She might be swallowed by her own shadow."

"Do you understand? It is meaningless to kill me here. The Holy Grail War ends once you defeat me. At that point, all that remains is for the Holy Grail to activate. Sakura's mind will be obliterated once that happens. If you want to save her, endure for the duration of the Holy Grail War. The timing to open the gate, the completion of the Great Holy Grail, does not last long. It has already been ten days since the war began. Judging from the past wars, this war should end in about four more days."

"―――Four days. Are you saying Sakura will survive if four days pass?" "Who knows? That is for you to determine. How was she this morning? Do you think she will last four more days?" "――――! She will. Of course she'll make it."

"I see, I see. But the same cannot be said for the other people. How many disappeared last night? How many will disappear tonight? No―――how many days do you think it will take for the whole town to be consumed?"

I can't really hear his question. Does this man sound happy or sad? My head is shaking so much that I can't tell.

Defeating Zouken won't solve the problem. Sakura won't last until the Holy Grail War ends. We can't beat that black shadow. The people in town will continue to die as long as the Holy Grail War continues. "…Then how…" Can I save Sakura?

Then… "――――It's simple. You just need to kill Sakura." Zouken states the obvious.

"――――――――" "I am correct, am I not? She cannot survive even if you let her live, and the black shadow will attack people again tonight. Kill her right now to prevent that." I feel dizzy.

"――――――――" "That is what I wish to discuss. I wanted to inform you of the current situation. I wanted to tell you that you are protecting the greatest disaster." I feel like vomiting.

"――――――――" "Sakura will notice Tohsaka's daughter or me. But she will gladly give her life if it's for you." I can't breathe.

"――――――――" "―――Ending one evil life to save thousands. You should know. If you are to carry out Emiya Kiritsugu's will, Matou Sakura is your enemy." My mind isn't working at all.

I walk down the distorted hallway, unable to give a reply. I don't feel anything even when I walk or lean against the wall. It's ugly. It feels like I'm in a twisted nightmare without an exit.

I go outside, still forgetting to breathe.

"You will not make the wrong choice. It is a pity for Sakura, but this is fate."

…I walk.

"―――But I will thank you in my granddaughter's place. She has never done anything for herself. She never cursed herself for being thrown away by her father. She did not wish to be almighty like her older sister. She was a mere puppet."

…I walk. …I walk.

"The puppet was able to sleep with the man it loved. Surely, it must be satisfied. Do not condemn yourself too much. You gave my pitiful granddaughter a gift in the end."

…I walk. …I walk. …I walk. I stumble towards my house, where Sakura is waiting.

――――I walk down the hill. I'll reach the Emiya household once I go up the usual hill.

I can't leave my room empty forever. No matter what the reason may be, I secretly met with Zouken. It's not good to let Tohsaka or Sakura know about it. So I have to go home before they notice. Go home and…

I have to make a decision.

"―――――――!" The contents of my stomach come up to my throat. I chose to ally with Sakura. I swore to protect her no matter what. I chose to be with Sakura instead of becoming a superhero. But that means…

Allowing another disaster to occur, taking hundreds of lives.

"――――――――" I can't do that. I can't do that. Emiya Shirou cannot break that oath. It is like denying myself.

If you, the only one to survive that tragedy, are to allow the tragedy… You will be rejected by everything that has supported you until now.

No matter the end. Your crime will never be forgiven.

"――――――――" To not do anything means silently approving of the action. There are innocent people who will be killed tonight. If you know that, but still will not kill the cause… You are no different than the cause of the fire that day.

'―――If you deny what you have been until now to protect one person…'

'――――Will you be on my side no matter what?'

This is a choice between protecting one person or protecting everyone besides that person. Who will I side with in the end? I have to decide by tonight.

I go to the living room. "Huh? Did you come in from the entrance-side hallway?" Ilya is sitting alone in the living room.

"Yeah. I was outside for a bit. Did anything happen while I was gone?" "Nothing happened. But you have to stay in your room and rest, Shirou. Your body is as bad as Sakura's."

"Thanks. But I'm fine as long as the cloth is on." "Geez, you'll easily faint if you're talking like―――

―――Shirou. Did something happen outside?"

"―――――No, not really." "No way! I don't know what you went to do, but don't talk to me with such empty eyes!"

"Oh――――" She scolded me. …I see. I must've looked ridiculous. It can't be helped if that's the case.

"―――I'm sorry. I know it does no good to worry, but I had to think." I shake my head. Like Ilya says, I can't empty my head. I can't go see Sakura with a miserable face, so I have to show some spirit――――!

"Yeah, good. It seems you've cheered up. So, what do you want to ask about? I'll help you, if that's all right with you." "――――――――"

…Crap. Ilya sometimes gets really kind. This is the second time she's helped me when I'm feeling down. I can't tell which of us is the older one.

"Okay. Can I ask you something, Ilya?" "All right, I'll tell you anything. What do you want to know?"

"…The Holy Grail. Tell me about the Einzbern's Holy Grail." "…I see, so you found out, huh? There were two things I didn't want you to find out, and that was one of them."

"――――Ilya. Then…" "Yeah, I'm the Holy Grail. I'm not human. I'm a homunculus made that way."

Homunculus―――― An alchemical formula to create life without a womb, using sperm and other elements. They are not born from a proper reproductive system, and therefore have physical defects. Small bodies. Short lives. Lack of intelligence. Lack of reproductive functions. They have human shapes and human lives, but they are not human, and therefore are completed with a powerful Magic Circuit.

They are weak as a life form. But they far exceed human powers when they are made as magi―――no, as Magic Circuits―――

"――――Well, so that's it. The Einzbern family raised me to function as both a Holy Grail and a Master. The function of the Holy Grail is to collect the souls of defeated heroic spirits. Humans, coffins, stew pot, it doesn't matter what it's made of as long as it has that special function. It just has to be a sufficiently large container of souls."

Ilya sounds like she's not interested. But―――this is the first time I've heard that the Holy Grail collects Servants.

"Well, it's more like retrieving them than collecting them. Servants are summoned by the Holy Grail. Then it's natural that they return through the Holy Grail after they're defeated. I'm the only Holy Grail of Einzbern, so I should have collected all of them."

"…But it seems there's someone else that's functioning as a Holy Grail. It took Caster and Lancer when I noticed, and its drawing power was greater. So it took most of the Servants. ……I was able to collect Archer because he disappeared right in front of me."

…It doesn't even need to be said. The other Holy Grail is Sakura. According to Ilya, Sakura has already taken in Caster and Lancer… as well as Saber and Berserker.

"Four Servants' worth of souls. But can you hold such a thing? Isn't it a general rule that the human body can only contain one soul?"

"Yes, all the more so if it's the soul of a heroic spirit. The magical energy of a Servant that lost its 'shell' called class is enormous. Having one in your body is like creating a typhoon in your body. But it's the function of the Holy Grail to collect seven in the end. There's no space for the soul of the container itself."

"That's why all the Holy Grails until now were inorganic substances without souls. The function of the Holy Grail is to collect the souls of all seven Servants, then to unify and manage them. ―――You don't need extra programs in there. The personality of the Holy Grail will only be erased by the function of the Holy Grail."

"In short, Shirou. The Holy Grail loses its human functions the more complete it gets. The same goes for me. Once I collect many Servants, I have to cut off my functions as a human being to control the souls."

"I can manage them if I cut off the energy that moves my limbs. I won't let the souls out if I stop breathing. I can stabilize the integration of the souls if I use all the power I've used to construct my human form."

"That's the same for Sakura. You can't function as a human once you become a Holy Grail. You don't have the power to spare."

"……But, yes. If there is a difference between us, it's that I can switch at will, but Sakura is forced to. Sakura is an incomplete black Holy Grail, so she has no right to refuse."

Ilya shows no emotion as she continues. …She knew it. She probably knew it since the time she was born, no, even before she was born. She knew that her life was made for such a stupid reason.

"――――――――" But there's something I can be glad about. I place my hand on my tense chest and look up at the heavens, as if in thanks.

"What's wrong, Shirou? I said Sakura can't be saved." I know. I know that, but…

"You two are sharing them between you two, right? Then you're still…" "Hm, yeah. Sakura took most of it, so there's no problem in me staying as myself. Rider and Assassin. Even if I collect their souls, I don't need to cut off my functions as a human being."

…Yes, that's fortunate. If I lose Ilya as well, it will mean I can't protect anybody――――

"Eh, eh, Shirou…!?" Before I know it, I'm embracing Ilya. I can't promise her anything, and it's not like I want something.

"Shirou…" "――――――――" Her body is small, so I can't hold her too tightly. I just touch her, holding her in my arms. I let my fingers feel the weight of what I must protect.

It's almost two o'clock. It's late, but I decide to make lunch and take it to Sakura's room.

"――――――――Well." I take off my apron and put the rice porridge on a tray. I take a deep breath. And I fill my heart with ice.

I don't know what I'll say if I go see Sakura in this condition. I can't do that. If Sakura figures out that I'm troubled, she'll just be even more troubled herself.

I have to freeze my emotions so that I don't reveal anything. …This will the last time. This will be the last time we will be together to just casually see each other's faces. I want our precious time together to end in laughter.

"Are you awake, Sakura? It's late, but let's eat lunch." I knock and enter her room. It seems Sakura was sleeping, but her face brightens up as soon as I enter. "―――Yes. I'm glad you came, Senpai." She happily smiles.

Time passes. Sakura is getting better. She can sit up on her own, and she even ate the rice porridge without assistance.

Lunch ends and we talk about meaningless things. Apparently sleepy after eating, Sakura continues to talk while lying in bed. That's it. That's all we can do right now.

Sakura seems well. She's breathing normally, and her cheeks are red and healthy-looking. I can believe that she won't last even a few more days.

"But I've rarely caught colds. I have a healthy body, and I've never had to stay in bed with a fever."

We started with how she dislikes cold medicine, and she's now telling me how healthy she was. It seems she's never been seriously ill, and I hear she cured any cold symptoms with her spirit.

"Spirit? You mean you warmed yourself up and rested? …No, that's not what spirit means. How can you have spirit during a cold?" "Oh, um… it's an embarrassing story, so it's a secret."

Sakura laughs in embarrassment. …Hm. It seems Sakura was an energetic child in her own way.

"So it's not that I dislike cold medicine, but it's that I can't trust it. Don't you get nervous because you can't tell the effect of the medicine?"

"Oh, I guess it was like that when I was a kid. I didn't get well even after I drank this bitter medicine, so I blamed the pain and the fever on it."

Sakura happily agrees. …Seeing her smile makes me imagine that she's getting better and that she'll be up and well tomorrow.

"――――――――" …I silence my all too convenient wish. Sakura won't get well. I can't postpone my decision, believing that everything will turn out fine once she gets better.

"――――Hey, Sakura." Maybe it's because I've accepted the cold reality. "What do you want to do once you get better?" I ask her about a what-if. I ask her about a convenient future.

"Eh…? What I want to do…?" "Yeah. Something that's fun for you. Anything's fine. I'm just asking, so don't worry about if it's possible or not." "Eh――――hmm, hold on." Sakura looks around, troubled.

After some pondering… "I guess I don't have anything. I'm fine how things are right now, and just being with you is good enough." Sakura blushes.

"――――――――" My vision narrows. I have to keep my feelings frozen.

'She has never done anything for herself.'

Damn old bastard! It's not that she hasn't done anything…! She just doesn't know how. Fun things. She doesn't know what she wants because she's never known a normal life. She's never known normal happiness, so she values such trivial things――――

"…Senpai? Um, is something wrong…?" "Huh? Oh, I was just thinking to myself."

She hasn't done anything yet. Sakura doesn't know what she should have, what she should obtain.

Sakura doesn't smile outside. Sakura doesn't make friends. A closed world, consisting of my house and the Matou's. But if I can change it, I'll pay any price――――

"S-Senpai…? Um, you're acting strange. …Does your left hand hurt?" "No, it's not that. Sakura. Let's go somewhere far away once this is all over. We've never gone anywhere for fun, right? It's good to go off and enjoy ourselves once in a while."

"――――――――" Sakura blankly stares at me. It looks like she's surprised, like she thinks it's all a dream.

"It's decided. Where do you want to go, Sakura?" "Eh――――um, where? Um――――" She thinks in confusion. She doesn't answer for a while. But she must have found a wish she wants with all her heart.

"…Um. It can be anything, right?" Sakura timidly looks up at me.

"Yeah. There's nowhere you can't go if you put your mind to it." I'm serious, but it seems she took it as a joke. Sakura smiles with relief. "Then I want to go cherry blossom viewing." And she makes a trivial wish.

"Cherry blossom viewing? You mean that cherry blossom viewing?" "Yes. We can do it here, but there are only plum trees here. I want to go cherry blossom viewing in a big field on a sunny day."

"――――I see. That certainly…" …Sounds really fun. It'll be great to watch cherry blossoms under a clear blue sky at the park by the bridge. There are many fun things. Starting out with cherry blossom viewing suits Sakura.

"―――All right. Then it's a promise. Let's go there together once you get well and once this whole mess is over." Sakura shows a satisfied smile. I make the promise and stand up.

……Yes. How great will it be if we can really do that? I imagine my own happiness that I've never imagined since the fire ten years ago.

I leave her room. All that's left is a trivial promise. It's not just Sakura's wish. This promise, which can be fulfilled come April, is my wish as well.

"――――――――" I dream of a warm fantasy with a frozen mind.

Once winter is over. Once spring arrives, we'll go view the cherry blossoms together――――

―――And it's the night I have to make my decision.

We won't be patrolling the town anymore. Tohsaka spent the whole day making the gem sword and is now resting, completely exhausted. The same goes for Ilya. The three of us ate dinner silently and went back to our own rooms.

It's ten o'clock. …The shadow should go into action soon.

"――――――――" I get up soundlessly. I grab the knife I got from the kitchen and leave my room.

The door isn't locked. I open the door without a sound and walk to the bed.

"――――――――" Sakura's sleeping. That's all I can tell. I can't tell if she's getting better or worse.

―――There's something wrong with my vision. I can't even see Sakura's face even when she's sleeping right before me.

"―――――, ―――" I suppress my dizziness and trembling. Prepare yourself. That shadow might be attacking people while I hesitate.

If there's no way to directly kill it, I have to ▊▊▊▊ Sakura here. Even if it's not Sakura's fault, people are harmed. There will be victims. There will be people who could not prevent the harm. …And Sakura will commit crimes she does not want to commit.

"――――――――" I raise the knife. My mouth is dry. It feels like my tongue's turned into a piece of cardboard. The inorganic knife sends a chill up my spine.

My eyes become numb as I think about sticking this thin scrap of metal, whose only reason of existence is its sharpness, into a living human's throat, Sakura's soft flesh. It's like stumbling and falling eye-first onto a flathead screwdriver. The blinding pain of numbness peels the cerebral membrane like an orange peel.

"――――――――" There's something wrong with my senses. The fingers holding the knife look as if they're all bending in the wrong way. It looks like psychic powers in movies. I ignore it and tighten my grip.

I…

[votestaynight2]

13th Day - LAST TALK (Scene 1)

It's obviously a trap. I'm curious about what Zouken wants to discuss, but I can't be away from Sakura right now.

"―――I refuse. I can't trust you. Tell him to come to me if he wants to talk." "I see. Then I shall tell him so."

…I don't hear Assassin's voice after that. He must already be out of my house, heading back to Zouken.

"…This is fine. This should be all right." Even if I can face off against Zouken, I have no way to kill him. First of all, he's a monster one can't talk with. I have to have all the weapons ready if I am to confront him.

"―――Gem sword, huh?" The secret weapon Tohsaka and Ilya are trying to make. Even Archer's arm, which remembers close to a thousand swords, has no information on such a weapon.

"…But we can win if we can reproduce it. I can believe in you, right, Tohsaka?" I lie down on the tatami. …I'm tired, so I'll sleep. After I wake up, I'll go see Sakura, prepare dinner, and help Tohsaka――――

"――――……Hm." Dinner's presence wakes me up. Does dinner have a presence? Of course it does. Like the sound of a knife on the cutting board, the sound of the TV, and the good smell of the food.

"――――Huh?" In my room are Sakura's pajamas, an empty bowl, and a wet towel.

"――――――――" I search through my memory. Looking at what's here, it seems I went and treated Sakura. I try to remember, but I stop myself. These are trivial things. I must've forgotten about them somehow, so I don't even need to think about it.

Tohsaka is the one preparing dinner. Sakura and Ilya aren't here. They must be in the guest rooms.

"Oh, you're back? You just went out, saying you were tired and wanted to rest." "――――――――" My face stiffens for a second. "No, I'll help. You must be tired as well, so I can't let you do all the work." I try to respond naturally so I won't sound suspicious.

"Are you stupid? I appreciate the offer, but you can't use the knife with that arm of yours. Just let me handle it tonight." She starts cutting. She must be stir-frying vegetables, as she's cutting lots of green peppers.

"…I see. Then I'll go prepare the bath. Oh, I guess I'll do the laundry while I'm at it. Can I go get your laundry?" "W-Why are you saying such a stupid thing!? I'm going to do that myself, of course…!" She slams the knife down on the cutting board. She's dicing up some beef. I guess we're having meat tonight.

"What's she making?" I head to the bath. I don't know what she's going to make, but I'm looking forward to―――

"…?" The lights go off. "Is it a blackout…?"

"…I guess so. The switches aren't responding." "…Yeah. The boundary field hasn't been activated, so it's not an intruder." "Yeah, even if Zouken attacks us, the boundary field will――――"

Not necessarily be activated. Remember what happened this morning. Assassin was able to pass through the boundary field without any difficulty――――!

"Stay here, Tohsaka. I'm going to go check, just in case." "Hey, hold on. I'll go too. It's dangerous to go by yourself."

"Oh, yeah. …No, then please go check on Sakura. I'll head there right after I go get Ilya." "―――Okay. You can leave Sakura to me."

I hurry to Ilya's room. It's dead quiet, but the house feels normal. "Maybe I'm thinking too much. This is just an ordinary power outage." Well, I guess I'll go wake up Ilya while I'm at it. Even though the power failure interrupted the preparations, it's almost dinnertime.

"Are you awake, Ilya?" I open the door. "――――――――" Only scattered red comes into my view.

"―――――Ilya." Ilya isn't here. All that's left are traces of blood. In the corner of the room, admist the splattered blood, are minced flesh and a bundle of silver hair, but that's not Ilya. Ilya is not human anymore.

I jump out of the room. I cool down my head that's about to ▊▊▊▊▊▊▊▊ and head to the guest room. ―――Sakura's in danger. I grasp the situation in a second, but I haven't actually grasped the situation at all, and I jump out into the yard.

There… …Stands something that should not exist.

"Ah――――――――" It's like a ghost under a willow. Why the boundary field did not go off. Why such a thing is here. Before I can answer these questions… There was no time to run, and there was nowhere to run. The house is already engulfed by the shadow. If that is the shadow itself, there is no way to escape the dark night.

I've known it since last night. I will be killed the instant I meet it.

The tentacle pierces my chest like a crowbar. It mercilessly rips me open. Blood gushes while my ribs bloom out like a flower. Ilya must have suffered the same fate.

The flower petals flutter about. Kocher. ――――Here. Scalpel. ――――Here. Unable to fight back, Emiya Shirou's body is prepared for cooking with no anesthetic――――

TAIGA DOJO

"H-He's dead…!" The impossible has occurred. The door was locked from the inside when Fujimura-san went into the room. The only ones in the room are me, Fujimura-san, and Lady Ilya.

"But how…!? There's no one in this room other than us!" "There are two ways. One is an accident with lack of affection points. The victim had a low Sakura-chan affection score, so he mistook the ornamental guillotine for the bed, and he went to sleep."

"I see. It seems very unlikely, but it's certainly possible. That kind of taste is expected from Sakura." I see. Sakura's taste sure is troublesome. So the bed turned into a guillotine the instant someone got on it!

"Yes. So the solution would be to start over from day 9 and increase Sakura-chan's affection points. The other method is a direct offense brought on by an external factor. The victim was also the assailant. He tried to kill Sakura-chan here. But he was killed instead because the knife-throwing security system was set off―――"

"Mississippi system, huh? Setting such a scary trap… Sakura is a scary girl…!"

Their speculation heats up. But I think of another method that doesn't fall under either scenario. It goes like this. Going back to yesterday morning. What if my death was determined the instant I said "no" to Tohsaka-san's question…? "Anyway, the case is solved. Let's go, Lady Ilyasviel. We can leave the rest to the police and get away from this haunted mansion." "……Okay. But this case left a bad aftertaste."

The actors leave. The only one left on the stage is me, the corpse. ―――The conclusion is… I wish they'd never again do a one-time ridiculous Tiger Dojo that has no logical solution.

[votestaynight2]

11th Day - Beautiful (II) (Scene 2) / 12th Day - overdose (Scene 1)

I'll go see how Tohsaka and Ilya are doing. I'm curious about what they're up to, and there might be something I can help with.

"Nope. You're just a bother, so get out of here." Then. One second after I knock, she kicks me out without time for a rebuttal.

"Hey, what's with that attitude? It could get scary later if you kick away someone's goodwill."

"What goodwill? We're going to be using the Tohsaka and Einzbern's secret magic, so there's no way we can show it to other people. I'm glad to know you want to help, but your behavior itself is harmful. I'm sure you don't want us finding out about your secrets, right?"

"――――――――" …I see. When she puts it that way, I see her point. There are things I can't tell her, even if we're cooperating. Anyway.

"Tohsaka. Why are you wearing glasses?" "…Why? …What, does it look funny?" "Well, it's not funny, but―――" Her honor student style has upgraded, and she looks like some president now.

"―――It really suits you." "…I-I see. I don't really know because I only wear glasses when I'm alone, but… it doesn't look funny?"

"No. I might be tricked into believing that you're an honor student even though I know your true nature. Are you trying to hide your character?" "――――" Hm? Did the room suddenly get cold?

"Tohsaka? Um, I'm suddenly getting chills running down my back." I ask her with my eyes if it's just my imagination. "Oh, what a coincidence. My shoulders are shaking too, Emiya-kun. I'm thinking I should settle my match with you. If you have enough free time to be walking around, how about I train you until you can't walk?"

"Uh――――um." …Scary. She's serious. It seems she really wants to punish me for walking around when she told me to rest and save up my energy.

"…Sorry, I was being careless. I'll go rest in my room like you told me to."

"…Hmph. It's fine, but don't you have something else to do if you can walk around like that? We aren't the only ones who might need your help." "…? Who else needs my help?"

"Right in the next room. For her, having you by her side is a big deal. You should know that. You're the source of Sakura's energy."

"――――" My face burns up. It's really embarrassing to have someone else say that.

"Oh, okay, I understand. If I can go see Sakura, I'm going to." I nod awkwardly like a robot.

"Of course you can go. …Geez, you're usually rough, but you're really careful in the stupidest things, idiot."

She shuts the door. Sakura's room is right next door, not even a meter away.

"Calm down, calm down―――I'm just going to see how she's doing." I take a deep breath and glare at the door of the next room. I-It's not like I have a guilty conscience. I'm just going to check if Sakura's really resting or not.

"You there, Sakura?" I knock quietly.

"Oh, Senpai…?" I hear a sluggish voice. "Oh, please hold on. I'll get changed right away…!" She must've been sleeping, and now she's scrambling to meet me. After two minutes…

"Sorry to keep you waiting. Please come in." "Oh… okay, excuse me."

I suddenly get nervous that I'm about to enter a girl's room. I've been here before, but the situation is different. Sakura wasn't conscious back then, but now she's opening the door and inviting me in.

"So, is anything wrong, Senpai? I was sleeping, so I don't know if anything went on." "Oh, it's nothing like that. I didn't come here because something happened. I just came because I was worried that you weren't resting properly… but――――" It seems I woke her up as a result.

"Aha, then I passed. I was resting like you told me to." "Yeah. I'm sorry for waking you up. You should know about your own body. You wouldn't push yourself and move around if you're sick. …It seems I was caring excessively." I contemplate my actions. But Sakura starts laughing.

"…Ugh. I'm worrying too much?" "No, that's not true. You're pretty sharp. To be honest, I wanted to continue cleaning. I was thinking about sneaking out if you didn't come." "Whoa… sneak out?"

"Yes. I didn't want to rest when I feel fine because it makes me feel like I'm sick. So I wanted to act normal, in spite of what you told me. But Nee-san got mad and told me not to be foolish. She said it's a bother to you two if I push myself and collapse."

"――――Hm." …That's right. We stopped Sakura from doing the laundry after lunch. She wouldn't listen to me, but when I was wondering how to convince her, Tohsaka came to help.

But it wasn't anything nice… "If you collapse, we'll have to kill you." …As her harsh words would indicate.

"…Yeah. Tohsaka was mad." "Yes. Nee-san scolded me."

Sakura sounds happy. ……I see. She knows that Tohsaka cares about her, no matter what she said.

"Then you have to rest. No matter what you may think, your body's tired. Tohsaka and I can go outside without worries if you're resting like this."

"…You're right. But I'm really healthy. I'm just not feeling well right now, and I'll be back to normal tomorrow. This is just like that cold, and I'll get over it in a day."

"…You idiot. I know I'm not one to talk after I woke you up, but you should rest. Sleep, if you can. I'll come wake you up for dinner, so you just relax until then." I get up to leave. ――――But.

"Oh――――" Sakura grabs my shirt.

"Sakura…?" "Um――――I'm going to sleep like you told me to, but… Um, It'll make me happy if you're by my side."

"――――――――" Sakura rarely demands something. She must not want to burden others, so she tries to do most things by herself. But Sakura is asking something from me right now. Well, this is nothing, but it must be the most selfish thing she can think of.

That's why she looks so uneasy. I'll do any favor she asks of me, but she only asks trivial things like this.

"――――Okay. Then I'll stay here a bit longer." I suppress my urge to embrace Sakura and manage to tell her. "All right! Then I'm going to go brew some tea! I'll treat you the best Chinese tea!" Sakura heads to the door in a hurry.

"Hold on. I'll brew the tea, so you stay in bed. You're putting the cart before the horse." "Oh… Y-You're right. I'm acting strange." Sakura hurries back to her bed. I pat her head as I pass by and go to brew us some tea.

――――But. This situation is more nerve-wracking than I thought. I'm alone with Sakura. She's right before my eyes, and I can see her bare neck and her captivating breasts. That alone, um――――reminds me of what happened that night, and I don't know where to look.

"But to be honest… I knew you liked Nee-san. Because you're always so happy in front of her."

…So everything Sakura says goes over my head. I'll lose control if I look at her too closely. …I'm a man, you know? Recalling what happened that night makes me want to push her down and get a taste of her body again.

"…Isn't it? I'm not attractive like Nee-san. And you seem to like Ilya-san too. …Um, do you not like girls with big breasts?"

I take a deep breath and calm myself down. I can't push her down when she's not feeling well―――wait, having sex with her will help her. Then it's not bad. It's not bad, but――――

"…………"

―――That's right! Tohsaka is next door, first of all! They'll notice right away if I do such a thing, so I'm sure they'll look down on me for doing it so early in the day――――

"……Wait, Sakura…? …Um, did I do something to make you angry?" Realizing that Sakura is unhappy, I come back to the real world.

"…No, you haven't done anything. That's the problem." "…?" "…Um, I said something very suggestive. You weren't listening, though."

"Ugh… I'm sorry. I was spaced out. Um, I think we were talking about Tohsaka…" "Yes. We were talking about Nee-san. I was asking if you're happy now that Nee-san's staying here."

"Oh――――" …That's right. I was asking Sakura about our situation.

"So how is it? You like Tohsaka, right? So doesn't this make you happy?"

"…Yes, it is delightful. But I'm also feeling uneasy. Nee-san is my ideal, and she has many things I could not obtain. That's why I want to look away when she's near me, and I can't be honestly delighted. It feels like I'm being condemned by Nee-san and myself for what I'm doing."

"――――――――" I can understand Sakura's point. It's painful to have your ideal in front of you because it makes you feel inferior. …Well, I do understand, but…

"…Sakura. Your ideal is someone like Tohsaka?" I ask timidly. Tohsaka might punch me if she was here.

"Yes. I've always wanted to be like Nee-san. Oh, it's not as a magus, but as a girl. Nee-san can do anything, and she's always dignified. I want to be as cool as her."

Sakura sounds happy. …Hmm. I hate to admit it, but Tohsaka certainly is cool. She's really manly in the sense that she takes responsibility for what she says.

"…I see. But you couldn't see Tohsaka until now, right? Something about the agreement between the two families. So how do you know about her?"

"You can't help but wonder. Nee-san and I don't remember about when we were small. It was so long ago. But we both knew that we were sisters."

"That's why we were more interested, and we watched each other from afar. We never sat down and talked, but I heard a lot of rumors about Tohsaka-Senpai, who was a year ahead of me."

"――――Oh. You must mean the rumor that she's a perfect honor student. Now that you mention it, you never run out of things to talk about her since she's famous."

"Yes. And it's not like I never met her. She would often greet me at school and come watch the archery club."

"…And I would always think at those times. That I'm content that she's watching me. I'm happy that she's worried about me, and I knew she would hate me if I ask for more."

"……? Why would she hate you?" "…My magic is not like Nee-san's. There is no set limitation on how you use your magic. Senpai's magic is to accomplish something and to create a phenomenon. There is no restricted goal set from the start."

"Hm… You're right. Strengthening is one of the only things I can do, but you can use a strengthened object to do all sorts of things."

"…But the Matou magic is different. Matou's magic is limited to 'stealing away from others'. There is no other use for it. It only feeds on other people's pain, and there is no teaching to return their happiness."

"………" I can't just nod in response to that. I don't know what kind of magic she was taught at the Matou household. The magic she was taught is a heresy, and Sakura is ashamed of it.

…The problem between Sakura and Tohsaka is the difference in their family's magic. The more Sakura hates the magic of Matou, the more self-loathing she feels――――

"So you hate magic of Matou?" "Senpai. That's like asking someone if she hates breathing." Then. Sakura looks up and starts talking like Tohsaka.

"I don't like it or hate it. I just couldn't live without it. I was adopted by the Matou family for that reason alone. If I hadn't been able to succeed them, I would have died." "――――――――"

"Oh, please don't make a face like that. The teaching was certainly strict, but it wasn't as tough as you may think."

"And if you want to talk about strictness, it's not even close to your training. I'm fine with getting hurt by others, but I'm scared of hurting myself. I want to live, so I can't end it myself. I don't mind other people cutting my wrist, but I'm scared to cut it myself."

"But you can do either. …Um, I've seen your nightly training. I-It was only once, though. I forgot something here, came back, heard something in the shed, and went to check it out."

Sakura bows her head in apology. But I don't want her apologizing for something like that.

"No, you don't have to apologize. That's carelessness on my side. I'm a failure as a magus if I can't notice the presence around me."

"……………Um." "More importantly, when was that? Was it right after you started coming here?" I really hope so. I'm improving, even though it may be really slowly. If I didn't notice Sakura's presence recently, that means I haven't improved at all.

"…It was last summer. It's the day Fujimura-Sensei brought a watermelon." "――――I see, that's good." I sigh with relief. I guess I can excuse myself if it was half a year ago.

"…So, um, Sakura. …Well, what did you think?" She's the first person besides Kiritsugu who saw me training in magic. I practiced in front of Tohsaka these past few days, but that's different from the training I do in the shed.

So Sakura's opinion is like a test. Sakura is Matou's magus, so I might be able to get a good score――――

"Umm. I guess I'll use my right to remain silent. I'm not Nee-san, but it'd be terrible if I put a score on it." "Ugh――――does that mean I got a failing score?" "Ahaha, you can say it's a really bad failing score."

"――――――――" …Crap. Sakura doesn't seem similar to her sister, but she actually is.

"But Senpai. That's the only time I saw it. …No, I couldn't see it again because I was too scared." "…? Too scared…?"

"Yes. Not only that, but I thought many times that I should stop you. …Your training isn't normal. It looked to me like you were stabbing your own throat. It's not that I imagined it, but it really did look that way. …Your training was that dangerous."

I understand what Sakura wants to say. Creating a Magic Circuit is close to death for me. My body would explode if the concentration in me is off by a few millimeters. But isn't that an ordinary compensation for a magus? Kiritsugu was the one who told me that death is a magus' constant companion.

"―――Really? I hear that it's like that for all magi. Maybe it looks dangerous for me because I'm unskilled."

"You're wrong. It's not a question of skill. First of all, you're special in that you can use magic when you don't have the talent. Magic is not something you use, but something you teach the body. No magus creates a new Magic Circuit for each spell the way you do."

"……?" "I'm talking about the final result. …Every night, you did something that could kill you. Nobody forced you, and you didn't get anything out of it. But you stubbornly continued."

"…I think that's something even Nee-san can't do. You follow through on what you've decided until the very end, regardless of whether it's right or not. So you're probably the strongest one out of all of us."

"Wait――――――――" I-It's really embarrassing if you say something like that with a straight face.

"Y―――You idiot, I'm not giving you anything, not even if you flatter me! F-First of all, Tohsaka's the strong one! A-And I don't know what kind of a magus you are, but you're the successor of Matou, and you also have Rider…!"

"No, you are strong, Senpai. It's not because of your Magic Circuit or your talent, but because your mind is pure. …I knew that from the very first time I met you. I knew you would never betray anyone."

"Uh――――――well…" I don't know how to respond when she talks seriously like that.

"…Thanks. I'm glad you said that, even if you're just flattering me." I'm embarrassed, but I tell her how I feel. Sakura… Smiles happily and looks straight at me.

"……!" This is bad. The distracting thoughts I shook off earlier will return if she makes a face like that.

"…Um, I guess I'll get going now. You're sleepy too, right? There's always tonight, so you should rest well in the afternoon." I cough intentionally. I look to the wall… to Tohsaka and Ilya on the other side.

"Y-You're right. There's tonight too, and Nee-san is next door." She must understand how I feel, as she blushes and starts muttering. …I bet I look like that too.

"Then I'm going back to my room. I'll come get you when it's dinnertime." "Oh――――please hold on, Senpai…!" "…? What is it?"

"U-Um… I'd be really happy if… you could stay here until I fall asleep…" I bitterly smile at her intermittent words. Actually, it's something I want to ask her if I can. She's so timid that she probably doesn't even know how much I've fallen for her.

"Okay. I'll stay here if I'm not a bother. I'll go after you fall asleep. Is that fine?"

"O-Of course! I'll do my best to stay up!" But Sakura… I'm glad you're saying that, but that defeats the whole point.

Sakura suddenly falls silent once she lies down. She must've been tired. It looks like she suddenly got sleepy once she laid down.

But still… "But Senpai. I'll get well if I rest today, but what about your arm?" She must have no intention of going to sleep, as Sakura keeps talking.

"My arm is doing fine. It doesn't hurt as long as I keep this cloth on, and it's slowly starting to move. At this pace, I'm sure it'll move fine by tomorrow."

"That's good. It's been a while since Nee-san treated it, right? It looked like it was just first-aid, so I thought the effect might've worn off." Sakura smiles with relief.

"――――. What do you mean, it's been a while?" "Nee-san's at fault too. She's free to transfer her crest, but the Tohsaka's Magic Crest will never familiarize itself with anyone not from the Tohsaka family. She should know it was just a makeshift that won't even last seven days."

Sakura says it like it's nothing. But―――― "Won't even last seven days…?" It sounds very out of place.

"Yeah. It's about to wear off, so you have to get properly treated. My magic can't solve the root problem, so I'll ask Rider if she has any good ideas――――" Sakura looks sleepy.

"――――――――" I can't reply. …I can only convince myself that Sakura is saying strange things because she's about to fall asleep.

"…You're there, right, Senpai?" "Yeah, I'm here." "…Good. Please stay by my side, Senpai. I have nightmares if I'm alone, so please――――" …Sakura slowly closes her eyes. Her breathing becomes more gentle, and she goes into a deep sleep.

I turn off the light and leave her room. "…………" I saw Sakura fall asleep peacefully, but I don't feel any peace of mind.

So please―――keep watch and be on your guard against me.

…I think that's what she said unconsciously… …Right before she fell asleep.

Interlude 11-1

"I'm coming in, Sakura." He opens the door without waiting for a reply. He has never waited for his younger sister's reply before opening this door.

"What, she's not home yet? What a slug." He clucks his tongue and walks into the room. Scratching at the wall, Matou Shinji wanders through his sister's room like a blind dog.

"Sakura. Are you in the basement again? What're you doing down there, ignoring me?" He keeps asking questions that will not be answered. There is no one in the room. His sister has not been home the past few days. It is obvious that the master of this room is not here, but Shinji wanders through it all the same.

"It's just like always. Haha, it really is like always!" He throws the clock that touches his hand. The sound of shattering glass is more annoying than he thought.

"Where the hell are you? Keeping a secret from your brother? Why the hell is everyone doing as they please…!?" He starts throwing things like mad. …This is like always too. This outlet has been his daily routine for the past few years. It is his best opposition that began three years ago when he found out the truth.

――――The Matou bloodline came to an end when he was born.

The noble family lost its power, becoming mere humans. The only special thing is the accumulated knowledge. The once noble family of magi is fated to perish in this Far East country.

He has known this since he was young. The Matou family was a family that passed down secret techniques. But it is all in past tense now. As the Matou are no longer able to use magic, they are to blend into society as ordinary people.

But he did not think so. Their Magic Circuit faded away, leaving them unable to perform their secret techniques. The bloodline of magi ended for Matou in his father's generation, and he knows that he does not have the right to succeed the Matou name. But the Matou family still has the records. The bloodline perished, but the accumulated knowledge is not lost.

――――That itself is "special" enough for the boy. He thinks he is different from others. The Matou family have been chosen. That will not change, even if they lose their power and cease to be magi. He was proud of himself because he was born into a special family to be raised in a special way. Even if he is a failure as a magus, he is a child born into the chosen family.

…But a new child slipped into the chosen family. His father adopted a girl who had none of her own. It all happened more than ten years ago. The girl named Sakura became his little sister from that day on.

At first, he hated his new sibling. He did not want any outsiders coming into the special Matou household. But the boy started to accept his sister day by day. The girl named Sakura was silent and ordinary, no more capable than a guard dog. It is a waste of time to be hostile against someone like that, and it is more charming if one is to consider her a servant.

He looked through books, memorizing magic he could not use, to remind himself that he was the Matou heir. He was the only one who could enter the study. His adopted sister could never be named the successor, so she had no right to trespass there. His sister would live as a normal human being, never being taught the family's surviving knowledge. This fact greatly satisfied his pride.

A family of magi has only one successor. He knew that, so he did not question their separate upbringings. Only one could learn magic. Then it was only natural that his sister be raised apart.

Yes. He felt sympathy for his sister. They lived in the same house and had the same parents, but he was the only one who could call himself special, and he pitied his sister for not being chosen. It is like a compassion of a superior being looking down onto others―――and it is his most reliable pride.

The brother treated his sister as a failure. The sister feared her brother and always looked down, as if avoiding his gaze. He thought it was because of shame, and he despised and loved her for it at the same time. Until he found out the truth.

"What――――――――?"

That was all he could manage when he accidentally found the room.

A room he has never been told about. Knowledge that was not taught to him. Talent that was not given to him. Everything was in the room. A naked girl lay in the middle of the room. Around her were swarms of black worms and his terrifying grandfather. And his father glared at the boy as if he was a nuisance, an attitude he had never taken towards him.

And that ended it. Everything he believed in, everything that constructed him was turned upside-down.

It was not him that was special. It was not his sister that was kept at a distance. It was not her that was pitiable. And it was not her that was looking down on the other person――――

His life completely changed. Since he no longer needed to hide anything, his father took a defiant attitude towards his son. He started spending more time with the boy's sister instead. His sister did not say anything, but would just hang her head like always. She still acted as though running away from his gaze when she would say… "I'm sorry, Nii-san." …As if pitying him. She said it with the emotion that he once felt for his sister.

"Ha――――Haha, hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!!!!!!"

He laughed. It was funny. It was so funny that he wanted to kill. The one he had thought was his pet was actually his master, and he was just a fool. Which one is the funny one? It must be both. At that time, as he went back to the mansion with unsteady steps, he realized.

The world had not been turned upside-down. It had been like this all along. The inverted one―――the one who was misunderstood was him. It is just that he finally realized his own miserableness.

The three years after that were only pain for him. His father died, and his grandfather only cared about Sakura. Matou Shinji became just like air in his house. He was treated as an object whose existence did not matter, and that truly was the case.

She pitied the air. She apologized. Though she never spoke the words aloud, she apologized every time she saw him. She apologized for taking Matou Shinji's place.

"Why are you apologizing――――?"

She could've just ignored him. Then he wouldn't have hated her, wouldn't have clung to hope. Sakura apologized. Apologizing means submitting something. Then――――

"――――Then you're mine from now on."

Considering all the contempt he had endured, he saw nothing wrong in accepting this.

"Hah――――is she still over at Emiya's? Even though she's the successor of Matou. Even though she's the successor of Matou. Even though she's the successor of Matou――――!"

The room shows no signs of life. But that is to be expected. Matou Sakura's "room" is the underground worm's nest, and this is merely for show. The master of the room does not care how much he breaks the things in this room. This room is no different from the doorplate that hangs at the entrance.

"Yeah, but you still apologize…! 'I'm sorry, I'm sorry'…!? Don't disobey me if you think you're sorry…! If you feel guilty, keep compensating for it! If you know you've been sold out to this house, be mine…!" He scratches the sheets. Something that was his. Why did a doll that did not think or resist leave him?

"――――You took her. You took her, Emiya." That was his miscalculation. He knew she was attracted to Emiya Shirou. That thing that held no interest in anything started to say things after getting to know him. She gradually regained herself, and in the end, she betrayed him.

He trained her to never disobey him, but now she chooses a total stranger over her own brother――――

"That's why I said it wasn't safe to have her over at Emiya's. But that old bastard spouted some bullshit about keeping watch on that house――――!" His grandfather does not even try to take Sakura back. He said it is fine as is, and moreover, confined him to this house.

"――――You watch. I'm going to make you pay for this, Sakura. You should never disobey me――――" …That's right. If a doll is disobedient, he'll just reset the relationship to be like it was before. If she gained hope to become human…

"…Yeah. I just have to destroy her hope again, just like before." He laughs. The clouded window reflects a face as ghastly as a skull.

End of Interlude

It's afternoon now. Tohsaka seems busy and Sakura's sleeping, so I should make dinner. My left arm moves even though it reacts slow, so it shouldn't hinder me if I'm to make something simple.

"Hmm… I guess I can make fried swordfish and simmered meat and potato." I check the contents of the refrigerator and decide the menu. There are two additional people eating now, so the food gets used up quickly. I should find some time to go to the shopping district tomorrow.

"Itadakimasu!" Everyone must've liked having dinner ready when they came here, since they all seem to be in a good mood.

I'm worried that Rider isn't here, but I'm sure she has her reasons. Her top priority is guarding Sakura. So maybe she has no intention of spending time around Tohsaka, who may end up being her enemy.

"…Will Rider come eat later on?" I'll pack it up and take her some if she doesn't come. Rider seems to like desolate places, so I bet she's either in the dojo or the shed.

"Oh, so you're good at this? Sakura's good at Western food and you're good at Japanese food?"

Tohsaka picks up the fried swordfish and looks at me in surprise. It's golden fried with a scent of ginger, with an elegant soy sauce taste. She seems to really like it.

"I like this one better. I'm glad you're good at cooking." Ilya eats the potatoes in satisfaction. …It's unfortunate that she's only eating the "potato" part of the "simmered meat and potato", but I'm glad she likes it.

…Wait. Sakura is tilting her head in confusion, chopsticks in hand.

"Sakura? What's wrong? You don't have any appetite?" "…Oh… Um, I do, but Senpai? The simmered meat and potato doesn't have any sugar in it. It tastes strange."

"What!?" I-I made such a stupid mistake on something I'm so used to cooking…!?

"Damn, hold on…!" I serve myself out of the big dish in the center and try some.

"…Hm?" ………That's strange. This tastes normal.

"Sakura. Does this taste weird?" "Weird? Didn't you use salt instead of sugar? I don't taste anything sweet…"

"Really? Isn't it supposed to taste this way? Well, it does taste different because there's something in it to bring out the flavor. But this is something you can't readily copy and make." "I don't know since this is the first time I've had this dish, but it's good. It's sweet and easy to eat."

Sakura looks dissatisfied as she reaches out for seconds. …One bite, two bites, three bites. "Sakura…?"

"Huh? Oh, it seems I ate a piece that wasn't simmered. I'm sorry I said something weird. Your food is good like always." Sakura smiles and keeps eating.

"…………" Sakura keeps eating like nothing happened. I was worried by Sakura's odd behavior, but she seemed well enough after that. In fact, she asked for seconds three times. Sakura kept eating and finished off the food while Tohsaka stared at her in surprise.

It's past ten o'clock. "It's about time. Let's get going, Shirou." Tohsaka finishes preparing and appears. "――――I know. Please watch the house while we're gone, Sakura."

Tohsaka and I head out to patrol the town as planned. …It's stupid that this is our only measure against Zouken, but it's all we can do for now.

We need to defeat Zouken, Assassin, Saber, and the black shadow. …They aren't ones we can defeat head on. We have to sit tight until the countermeasure Tohsaka is preparing is completed.

But we can't just stay at my house. According to the news this morning, Matou Zouken has started to attack ordinary people. We can't match them right now, but we should at least patrol the town so that there won't be more victims.

"……" "……" We put our shoes on silently. We know how dangerous it is to go out into town at night. Zouken is only after Sakura, but we should get in his way if we're walking about. …In the worst case, it'll be a repeat of our encounter in the forest. Considering that, we can't be talking lightheartedly.

"…Hey. What are you doing?" Then. We don't have anything to spare, but Tohsaka glares at me and――――

"You don't need to see us off. Go back to your room, Sakura." "……" ――――No, she's not glaring at me. She's glaring at Sakura, who is standing in the hallway.

"N-Nee-san. I'll go too. It's dangerous for you two to go out alone, so…" "――――Sakura." …That must be why she's here. I appreciate her concern. but our plan is already determined.

"No. You should know you're Zouken's target. Please stay here with Ilya and protect yourself."

"I know. But you can only use one arm, Senpai. And Nee-san doesn't have a Servant, so…" "Don't be ridiculous, Sakura. It doesn't change the fact that you're our enemy. I can't trust you with my back when I don't know when you'll turn into Zouken's puppet."

"…But, Nee-san." "You just concentrate on protecting yourself. If you feel sorry for us, please don't trouble us about this. Just let Rider protect you and Ilya."

"Tohsaka, you――――whoa, hey…!" "Hey, don't just stand there. Let's get going. While we stand around, he could be out there attacking somebody else." Tohsaka grabs my hand and drags me outside.

"Oh――――just be careful and watch the house, Sakura…! I'll leave Ilya to you…!" I leave with Tohsaka pulling at me.

"………" Sakura doesn't say anything and stands at the entrance, lonely.

"Hey, wait, Tohsaka! I'll follow you, so let go of me already!" "Humph. It's your fault for being slow." Tohsaka lets go and comes to a halt.

"…What's with that face? If you have something to say, then spit it out." And it's like this all of a sudden. Tohsaka is acting defiantly. …Man. If it bothers her that much, she shouldn't have said it in the first place.

"…Man. Then I'm saying it, Tohsaka. It's about what happened now, but don't say such things to Sakura. Sakura isn't like that because she wants to be."

"I know. But that's why I have to be firm with her. If we aren't, Zouken will be sure to take advantage."

"…This is a good opportunity, so let me straighten this out. I don't feel any sympathy towards Sakura. It doesn't concern me if she's Zouken's puppet, and I have nothing to do with what happened to her after she was adopted to the Matou family. It does no good for me to say anything about her problem."

"――――Tohsaka." "Look. I'm at your house not because Sakura is there, but because you're there. My goal is not to save Sakura, but to obtain the Holy Grail. I'll keep watch on Sakura for that goal, and I don't care even if she hates me for it. That's why I'll say things like that, and I'm going to keep treating her as my enemy."

"…So it won't bother you at all if she hates you? Her feelings don't matter because she's a complete stranger?" "That's right. Do you have any complaints?" "You idiot. Of course I do."

…Man, this is not like Tohsaka. She should be able to say it like it's nothing. Instead, she's clenching her fists like she's trying to convince herself.

"All right. If you want to act that way, then go ahead. Sakura knows how you feel, no matter what kind of attitude you take towards her."

"Huh―――what do you mean by that!?" "I'm talking about how important Sakura is to you. I'm an outsider and I notice it, so it should be obvious to her."

"――――That's a misunderstanding. I just…" "There's nothing to misunderstand. People can't get seriously mad about things they don't care about. You're strict to Sakura for a reason. You don't say it, but she's still your precious sister." "W――――What are you saying, you idiot!!? Stop saying such snobby things!!!!"

Tohsaka's face turns red with anger. But I don't feel the usual intensity, and I know why.

"Oh? Was it a bother?" "It is a bother. Isn't it obvious?"

"I see. Then while I'm at it, I have something else to say. I want you and Sakura to get along. She likes you, and you like her. So I don't like it when it's this awkward between you two."

"…Hey now. She has to be my enemy. Making friends with her now won't do any good. I wouldn't even know where to start." "Isn't it fine as is? Have confidence in yourself, Tohsaka. Even I can tell that you're being a good big sister."

"――――E-Enough with the chatting! We're going to the place they showed in the news this morning!" Tohsaka looks away and starts to walk. I reply to her absent-mindedly and follow. ――――Then.

"Shirou." She calls my name without looking at me and… "Um, thanks. That made me, um… happy." Tohsaka grumbles, embarrassed.

…There's nobody at the central park. The park that's deserted even during the day is even quieter after the murder yesterday. The park is not a place for relaxation within the business district, and it is no different from a desert in an uncultivated land.

"…A murder, huh? It seems people are treating it as an accident rather than a murder case. Well, I guess you really can't call it murder when you can't tell who died and what the missing body parts are."

I still see traces of blood on the grass. …It looks like a bucketful was spilled in four separate areas. The darkened patches have some distance between them, probably because the victims frantically tried to escape.

"Tohsaka. You said this might be Zouken's doing, but what do you think now? Do you still think so after coming here?"

"……Let's see. I thought it might be the black shadow's doing, but it doesn't seem that way. All the mana in the area would be swallowed if that thing had appeared. But the magical energy here isn't exhausted. …Well, I still think the incident here was an unexpected meal."

That's all the information we can get out of this place. Tohsaka and I leave the site of the tragedy behind us.

…We didn't find anything in Shinto. Maybe Zouken is not active tonight, probably because the incident yesterday was so vivid.

The date's about to change. A riverside breeze blows as we trudge home. And… "Tohsaka. Sakura is the successor of Matou, right?" I suddenly feel like asking the question that was on my mind for a while.

"Why are you asking that now? I have nothing to hide." "No, that's not what I meant. If she's the successor, that means she's a magus, right? So I'm wondering what kind of magic she uses." "Oh, I see now."

"…Yeah, I hear Matou's magic is in bindings and coercions. I also hear that the Command Spell wouldn't have been possible without Matou."

"Oh. So Sakura's magic is restriction? But then…" On that day… The magic Sakura used when the crest worm tortured her must have been Rider's power.

"……I don't think it's restriction. That's the Makiri's forbidden magic, and it's not their strong point. But it's meaningless to think about it. Sakura doesn't have the magical energy to use magic. The crest worm will feed on such excess energy first, so she shouldn't be able to use magic."

"…I see, that's good. So, how good is Sakura in your eyes? Is she about as good as you, considering she's the Matou successor?" "We have about the same number of Magic Circuits. Did you forget that we're sisters?"

"Oh." That's right. That's why they wanted to adopt her in the first place.

"Oh, so she's about as good as you?" "I don't think so. My attribute is 'five elements', and hers is 'imaginary element'. But the Matou family has a water attribute, so they changed her by force. What do you think would happen to a bird that has a potential to fly if it's put in water?"

"It'll die, or…" "Yes. Adapting to the water would be all it could do. She would've had great success as a magus of Tohsaka, but she's no different from you because she was forced to change into a magus of Matou. No, you're much stronger than her because you train your body."

"Then let's say you and Sakura fought using magic…" "I'd win ten times out of ten. With her magical energy capacity, Sakura would never get past my barrier."

…I see. I couldn't figure out what kind of magus Sakura is, but I got to know their power balance. Tohsaka isn't one to bluff, so she must be speaking the truth.

"…But I'm embarrassed. I never knew Sakura was a magus, and I don't know how good she is. I'm a dumbass for pretending to be her guardian all this times." "Hey now. The crest worm eats the magical energy in her, so you'd never know she's a magus even if you're by her all the time."

"…And she did her best not to let you know. So don't say such a thing in front of her, okay?"

"…………" She doesn't even need to tell me. Sakura is Sakura, even if she is a magus. First of all, I'm not that skillful. No matter who Sakura may really be, I can only treat her like I always have.

"You're right. If you say so, I'll just treat her the same as always. I won't even think about asking for her help as a magus. That's fine with you, right?"

"Of course. If you were going to rely on Sakura, I would've taken her to my house."

Tohsaka's kindness makes my heart jump. …See. Tohsaka really is a good sister.

"But I don't think that's possible. Sakura smiles when she's at your house. If you talk about surprising, that's what surprised me the most." ―――Then. A look of happiness on her face, she says something odd.

"Smile? But Sakura, is, um…" She's always like that.

"Yeah, it was needless worry on my part. I can't talk to her that much, so I watched her. I went to the archery club every day after she started coming to our school."

"―――――Yeah, I know that, but…" "…Yeah. And I realized after a while that she never smiled."

"――――――――" That's… …Something I'm hearing for the first time, but I can't deny what she's saying. Come to think of it, Sakura always looked gloomy at school.

"Well, the only exception was when you were there. She smiled whenever you came to the archery club. In short, Sakura's only cheerful when you're in front of her."

"……" Her words should make me happy. But… "…Sakura doesn't smile in front of people?" …They seem to hide a dangerous truth.

It's past one o'clock when I return to my room.

"――――――――Phew." I sit down on my futon. Our patrol yielded nothing. All we did was confirm that this morning's news was real.

"……" Enemies we must defeat. Just thinking about them sends cold, nauseous feelings through me.

Even a human could match Zouken or Assassin. But those two are different. I don't even know if the black shadow has a concept of death, and Saber is someone we don't even stand a chance against. But―――as long as there are victims, we can't just ignore them saying we can't beat them.

"…Archer's arm, huh?" I put my hand on the red cloth. …I have a weapon. I don't know how far this will get me, but I do have a weapon. The question is if I can manage it, and if my body can withstand it.

"………I guess a bit is fine." I untie the knot on the red cloth. The cloth loosens up, and blood flows into my arm.

At that instant. I think I heard a beast's howl.

I'm stabbed. My whole body is pierced. Is this pain? If this is pain, then the pain I've experienced until now isn't pain.

It hurts, it hurts, it hurts, it hurts. The floor's ruggedness. The softness of the futon hurts. It feels like I'm sitting on a mountain of swords. The air is poisonous, and I die three times as I breathe it in. Birds are chirping in the distance. The wind is strong. There's no moisture. My skin dries and turns into sand. Flowing, scouring, crumbling.

Tongs are inserted from the hollowed holes. Thirty-two enter where my shoulder used to be. They carefully, accurately, and elaborately pierce my internal jugular vein, trachea, spinal cord, sympathetic nervous system, lobus superior pulmonis, lobus medius pulmonis dextri, lobus inferior pulmonis, main artery, heart, diaphragm, spleen, stomach, liver, gall bladder, and colon.

"Ah――――!" It's crumbling. Time slows to an impossible crawl. I see sixty-trillion cells crumbling apart at the rate of three four naught per second.

"―――――, ―――――――" There is no pain. There is no pain. There is no pain. There is only fear. The end roll invades with amazing speed. The flashback stops with fantastic image. Death before my eyes, death past me, death at the moment, the pain is not physical, but only the explosion of negation every time death is thrown at me―――― "Haa, ah――――………!" …I hear a sound. The sound of my head striking the floor.

"Ah――――Ah." …My eyes are hot. I realize I've been crying.

"Ah――――Ahh, ah." Desperately, I stifle the scream building in my throat. I curl up, push my head against the floor, grab my left arm with my right hand, and just cry.

"――――Ah――――Ahh, ah――――" I'm scared. The thing I've been missing since the fire ten years ago. I'm scared. A natural fear for any living thing. I'm scared. For the first time in my life, I want to run away from my end.

"Haa――――――――aa." It's not because dying will hurt. It's not because I want to live. It's just because it fills me with dread.

"――――Ah…… Kuh." I tie up the red cloth. I tie the knot tight, so that it'll never come loose again.

"――――No. This isn't good." I groan and cry. The priest said I'll die if I use my left arm. That's nonsense. I'll die if I take this cloth off. My body might be able to bear it, but my mind will die.

My consciousness crumbled away when I loosened the cloth and my shoulder touched the outside air. I could not bear it. I cannot live without this cloth.

――――No. If this arm is a contradictory existence that people should not associate with,

my body, its death foretold, runs to the terminal station,

the ship, with a crack in the bilge, can only sink into the ocean depths,

the passengers unaware, too late for anything――――

"………Ah――――"

――――My breath is running wild.

"――――Ah, guh."

――――I had a bad dream.

…I wipe the sweat off my forehead. I can't stand up. I stay cowered, bearing the strange pain.

"Ugh――――" …I can't remember. My left arm hurts. It hurts so much that I want to cut it off. I try to recall why it hurts, but I can't remember how to recollect anything in the past.

"Hm―――――――" The pain goes away. I gather up my consciousness. It must be because I was asleep. The dispersed memories look as if they can be cooked nicely, just like chopped onions. See, I can add color with soy sauce, add flavor with pepper, and add some potato starch to complete the dish.

"Whoa――――that sounds nasty." I murmur to myself. My head is good for nothing, but I can still manage to come up with a conclusion. In short, I don't have to eat something that's not good.

My left arm is already gone. Nobody relies on something that's not there. Therefore, Emiya Shirou has no weapon. This foreign body is something I must suppress using all my life, and will contaminate me for the rest of my life.

"………!" Suppressing it with the cloth is meaningless. If I want to rid myself of this poison, there is only one way. "―――, ―――――" But I still hold on to my left arm.

A gun is pointed at my forehead. An image of a trigger. The trigger is my left arm. Once pulled, the gun will fire, blowing my brains from my skull.

"……" I shudder. I hold my breath and stare at the white wall.

"………" Clutching my arm, I lie down. …I close my eyes. My whimpering finished, I decide to get some sleep for tomorrow.

…A small sound. I awaken to the sound of footsteps.

"――――――――" I wake up my dozing mind. It's almost two o'clock. …It hasn't even been thirty minutes since I fell asleep. I get up, still unconsciously holding on to my left arm.

"――――Sakura." Outside the room. I call out to the hallway where the footsteps came from. It's not that I know who's there. I just thought Sakura might be there.

"……….." ……The door opens. Sakura steps through into my room.

"――――――――" Biting her lip in embarrassment, she looks down as if unsure of what to say.

"……I'm sorry, Senpai. I, again…" Sakura apologizes. "――――――――" But I'm the one who should apologize.

The reason why Sakura's here. I know well enough the pain she has to go through. The crest worm feeds on her magical energy, so Sakura periodically needs to receive more from a magus.

"―――I'm sorry. I should've gone to see you as soon as I came home. I'm sorry for making you suffer."

I get up. …What was I thinking? I was so caught up with my left arm that I forgot about Sakura. I can't be forgiven even if I apologize.

"Um, Senpai…?" "Yeah, I want to make love to you, if that's all right with you." I use my left arm to pull her to me. I want to take the lead to make up for forcing her to come to me.

"Oh――――whoa." "S-Senpai…!? Are you all right…!?" "Oh, it's nothing. I just felt a bit dizzy."

―――Damn, that's pitiful! I unconsciously used my left arm and was reminded of the pain. Still, it shouldn't hurt so long as I have the cloth on, so what am I frightened about?

"…Oh, I have to take my clothes off. Can you take yours off too, Sakura?" I shake off the dizziness and look at her. …Then.

"Oh… S-Senpai…! I have a suggestion…!" I don't know if she's happy or nervous, but Sakura says something strange.

"…? Suggestion?" "Oh, yes. You're tired from the patrol, right?"

"…………Hm." …How should I answer? I can't deny it because I really am tired, but I'm not tired enough to not have sex with Sakura. Actually, I want to have sex even if I am tired.

"…Um, I'm tired. I'm tired, but I still want to make love to you. So you don't have to be concerned about me. …Well, you came all the way here, so don't stop now."

I'm ready to go. I'll be troubled all night if Sakura stops now.

"――――Yes, so I have a suggestion. I'm sure you're tired, so let me start off." "――――?" Sakura smiles. I nod, even though I have no idea what she's talking about.

"―――――――" I gulp. …At Sakura's request, I'm still standing. …On the other hand… Sakura is naked and on her knees in front of me.

"…Hm… It's already hard――――" "…Sakura, are you really-" "…Yes. It's all right, Senpai. I can make you feel good." Sakura takes my half-erect dick and gently holds it up.

I feel her breath on my crotch. "――――!" My dick expands. I get nervous and excited. I never thought I'd feel Sakura's breath on my penis.

"Hm… Ah."

Sakura's tongue touches my half-erect penis. "…Ah… Hm, mm, mm…" Something rough touches my head. A needle-like sensation lances into me from the tip. She only licked me, but it feels like she's caressing my whole back.

"Ah, ha… hm, hm… hm, how is it, Senpai…?"

……She doesn't need to ask…! Sakura traces my penis with her tongue, as if savoring the taste. Her tongue crawls across my member. Feeling the faint sensations, it instantly arches up.

"Kya…! Oh… it's so hard…, hm… I have to hold on to it…" My meat stands erect, almost touching my navel. But Sakura takes it and pulls it down. She gently grasps it with her slender fingers and puts the head in her mouth.

"Hm… kuh, hm…! Ah, hm, ah, it's so big… hm… my mouth is numb…" Sakura's tongue rolls around my tip as if licking on something sweet.

"――――!" I can't hold it back and I start to let out my pre-cum. "Ah… You're starting to feel good, Senpai… Hm, hm, nn, ah――――" She drinks it down. Sakura licks my urethra and moves her tongue carefully over my head.

The juice keeps spilling from me. She licks behind my shaft, my head, and even my rims.

"Hmm… ku, hm… fu, hm…" …I'm already hard. My nervousness is gone now.

"Ahn―――it twitched again… Aha… It feels good, right…?"

She licks it with familiarity. Her lips press against my tip. Her fingers gently stroke my sensitive genitals. Her thick tongue tickles me, but stimulates me at the same time.

"――――!" My penis enlarges in response to Sakura's tongue. It stands fully erect, clear liquid dripping from it. And…

"Ah, hm, haa…! Oh, it's so much… It's like it's crying… it's so――――" 'Cute'. Sakura kisses and drinks from it.

"Hm… hm… ah, hm――――" ―――She gulps audibly. The stimulation from her red tongue doesn't cease. "…Hm, fu, ah, is it here, Senpai…?" …This is how Sakura feels towards me. She caresses me with sweet kisses. She touches me as if touching something dear and tender.

"Ah, fu… Yes, I'll do my best… so… please feel better…" Her touch is not intense, but full of deep affection.

"…Sakura…" There's no way her careful movements wouldn't feel good. Sakura doesn't move her face because she's only licking the tip. Her hot breath hits my fired member.

"…Ha… Nha, ha… Haa, hm…" Her ragged breaths. Sakura breathes, her shoulders moving up and down. The slight movement causes her large breasts to shake. "――――――――" Her soft touch, her sensual body. Heat starts to gather in my testicles.

"Hm…! …You're feeling good, right? Hm, it's moving… Aha, it's like it's alive." She laughs innocently. …Did she feel my desire? She runs a finger playfully along the vein.

"Hey――――that's…" "Oh…? You don't like it…? …Fufu―――then I'll do this." She pushes on my shaft, making rhythmical sounds. She pushes her fingers as if pushing on a pressure point.

"Kuh――――" The soft pleasure takes a sudden change. "Amazing… There's more… ahh, hm… hm…" …Sakura licks up the juice with her tongue. In its place, her saliva drips down her lips.

"Ahn――――I'm getting wet. Hm, hm… Is this better for you…?" Sakura wipes it with her hands and uses it to wet my member. She takes her slick hand and slides it across my shaft.

"Ah――――!" The sensation. My penis is wet with liquid from Sakura's mouth.

"Am… hm, fuh… Hm, hmm… Ahh… hm…" Sakura licks it and kisses my head. "Hm, uh…… Nha, ah, fuh…!" Maybe she can't breathe out her mouth because it's filled with my penis. Air blows out of her nose and along my organ.

"……Sakura, I――――" I want to let it out. Sakura's only sucking the tip, so the stimulation isn't that strong. It's a nice sensation, and my body could bear it if I wanted to.

"Hm, ah, Senpai…?" "Ha――――!" But my mind is at its limits. "Sakura, I…" I reach out to her shoulders.

"Hm… You're coming, Senpai? …Please leave it to me… I'll let you finish off." She puts the tip in her mouth. "――――!" She surrounds my tip, lightly nibbles on it, and gives me the stimulation I want.

"Hm―――Hm, mm……!" She sucks hard. Her tongue rolls around the rim. The rough top of her tongue and the slippery bottom of her tongue attack me continuously――――!

"…! No, Sakura, I'm coming…!" "Hm, okay… Please let it out, Senpai―――" ―――Sakura pulls her mouth away. I'm about to explode. She grabs the root of my shaft and squeezes the cum out of me.

"――――――――!" "Hm――――Hm, hm――――" My cum surges out. Sakura opens her mouth and catches my cum.

"…Ha, ah―――it's still coming out… hm… You're still hard, Senpai――――" Her fingers slide across my shaft. She strokes it, trying to squeeze out what's left inside.

"――――――――Ah…" "Hm… hm… Did it feel good, Senpai…?" Sakura drinks my cum with an expression of ecstasy. …She looks lascivious and beautiful at the same time. The thick liquid drips down her chin and her breasts. Smiling, she lets it run down her body.

"――――Sakura." It's not enough. I want to drive Sakura crazy. "Hm……… Senpai…?" I grab her hand and pull her to my futon.

"――――Let's continue. I want to put it in you so that I can feel you." I embrace her hot body.

"…Okay. If you're doing it, Senpai." Sakura leans against me, accepting my offer. …My penis is still rock hard. My lusts won't go away with just one orgasm. I can only think about following my instinct and piercing it in Sakura.

"Eh…? On top of you…?" "Yeah, you're doing it today, right? Just spread your legs and move yourself."

―――I lie down and have Sakura come on top of me. I didn't have anything specific in mind. I just thought I'd be able to connect deeper with her this way.

"………Um, like this…?" Sakura puts her knees on the floor and sits over my crotch. Sakura looks like she feels awkward being on top, but all that's left is to drop her body.

"…Um, Senpai. I…" "It's all right. I won't do anything until you get comfortable. You can move at your own pace." "………Okay. If you say so." Sakura nods uneasily and slowly lowers herself.

"Hmm, it's here, right…?" She takes ahold of me and guides me into her. The tip touches her slit with a wet sound. She must be aroused already. It's so wet that there's no need to caress it.

"Ah――――!" She holds my penis and pushes it into her.

"Ha, ah――――nha……!" She must not be able to adjust her height, as half my penis is inserted in one breath.

"――――Sakura, put your strength in your legs." I grit my teeth and try to bear the sudden pleasure as I direct Sakura.

"Oh, yes… You're right…" She must be nervous, as her walls are different from before. They still wrap warmly around me, but they don't squeeze. It seems Sakura doesn't have the composure to concentrate on her hips.

"Sakura…? You have to lower yourself." "…Oh, okay…" But she doesn't. She just looks away awkwardly.

"What's wrong? Is there a reason you can't?" "U-Um… It's because… you can see everything in this position…"

That's what's causing Sakura to get nervous. Embarrassment and hesitation. She caressed my penis so intently, but it seems having her vagina seen is embarrassing.

"It's fine. I want to see everything. I got into this position so that I can feel you the most." I reach out. I wrap my arms around her waist so that I can ease her nervousness.

"……! Y-You said you won't move, Senpai…!" "Yeah, I won't move if you do it. Come on, lower your hips if you don't want me to move." "……Hm… You're mean, Senpai." Sakura sighs and closes her eyes as if to bear the embarrassment.

"…Hm… Ahh… ah, hm…!" She slowly lowers herself. ―――As she said, I can see everything from here.

Sakura's weight causes my penis to penetrate deeply into her. I can clearly see her slit and her clit showing underneath her pubes. It's wet between us, and she's overflowing with her desires.

"Hm… This is certainly embarrassing. Did you have an orgasm back then?" "Ah… ah… No…! I-I only started feeling good after being in this position…!"

She gives a cute excuse as she keeps lowering herself. She must have wanted it so bad that she can't stop herself now.

"Ha, hm…! No, Senpai's looking, but I want it in deeper――――" Her knees completely bend. Sakura's soft butt touches my thighs.

"Ah… ha… hm, haa… ah… It's all in, Senpai――――"

Is it painful to have all of it inside? Sakura breathes out and tries to bear the foreign substance within her.

"…All right. Then lift yourself up now. Keep moving until you get used to it." "…Hm… All right. I'll keep moving, Senpai." She slowly lifts herself. My penis is gradually exposed to the outside air.

"…Haa… Haa, haa, ah…!"

―――It doesn't take long for Sakura's body to accept it. She moves up and down. The slow movement slowly speeds up.

"Fua, ha, hm――――! Haa… Senpai, this is scary…!" …Sakura's breaths heat up along with her body. ―――Her figure. A woman is shaking while breathing heavily. Just watching Sakura's voluptuous body pours gasoline onto the flames of my desire.

"―――――!" I'm beginning to forget about my promise not to move until Sakura gets used to it. But my penis pulsates before anything.

"Ah, ha…! Ah, it's hitting me, it's coming in, ha, fua――――!" My meat pushes inside of her. As its arched back, it pushes up on her stomach. "Hm… Ah, my stomach――――ah, hah…! Amazing, it's so full…!" She must like it as she starts to move faster.

"Kuh… haa…! Ah… ahh…! Hm, it's deeper than before…!" "Guh――――" She'll pull me in at this pace. My reasoning will be burned by Sakura's hot walls.

"Ah… hah, ahh…! It's heavy, and I can't stop my butt…!"

This position gives me too much pleasure. My penis goes in and out like last time, but the sensation is different. Is it because she's on top of me? Sakura's body is more sensual than last time, and she seems to be wetter.

"Sakura――――" The feel of her weight on me is so lovely that I reach out unconsciously.

"Hm… Your hand, Senpai…!" I cover her breasts with my hands.

"I'm so glad―――please touch them… Please squeeze them, touch them as you like…!" ―――Her breasts are soft, yet firm. Letting my male instincts take over, I dig my fingers into her breasts and fondle her hard nipples with my thumb.

"Hya…! Ah, mm――――!" Her body arches back. I circle her areola and roll her nipples between my fingers. "Haa… ah, haa… Do my breasts feel good…?" Her pink nipples grow still harder. Sakura's body grows even hotter.

"Ah, hm…! Ah, it feels good…! Please feel it, Senpai――――!" Her butt moves in a rhythm. …The love juice starts to fill the air with an obscene smell. My crotch is damp with her fluids, dripping down with every movement.

"…Ah, haa, ah――――no, Senpai―――i can't hold it any longer――――I can't stop my hips…!" Sakura puts her hands down on my chest. Her walls were only accepting me until now. But suddenly, it's like it was the last time.

"Kuh…!?" ―――She undulates inside. The honey pot that only accepted me until now suddenly starts to attack the foreign body.

The numerous walls surround me, entangle me, and suck on me. It's moving in a complex manner, but it still only gives me pleasure. It reminds me of a carnivorous plant, slowly digesting its prey.

"Hm, fua, ah.. mm, ah…! Ahh… this is good…!" "Sa――――kura…" Sakura's hair tosses as she moans. Her love juice helps the rubbing friction, urging to move faster.

"Kuh…!" "Ah… hm…! Amazing―――it's driving into me…!"

"―――――――, ――――" I'm pushing my hips up before I know it. Did Sakura drive me to do it, or did she start to go crazy because I started to push my hips up? We move apart and collide like magnets.

"Ah, hm, ahh…! Ahh, ahh, oh, ah, haa…!" Sakura's body shakes in response to the thrusts. She takes it with all her body, begging for me to go deeper still.

The tip hits the ceiling. The wet walls protest, but accept me, and the hundreds of walls caress the tip.

"Ah, ahh…!!! It's deep in me…! You're deep in me――――!"

"Guh――――!" The semen reaches my urethra, waiting for its release. If I can, I want to let it all out. Not only my semen, but every liquid within my body.

"Ah, ah――――" It's abnormal. She feels too good. Her body sucks on me, as if trying to devour my whole penis. The pleasure is limitless.

"Ah―――Ah, haa―――!! I can't put power in my body… Senpai, I can't stay up, ahh, haa…!"

"Sakura…!" I support my falling body with my hands. I can't bear it either. I can't bear it, but I can hold on a bit. Sakura's calling out to me, so I want to finish together.

"Ah―――I'm glad――――you're coming in――――Senpai, I'm glad, I'm glad, Senpai…!!!!" For as long as Sakura calls out to me, I'll love her. Until I break apart.

―――I push up. I ram myself into her to respond to her call.

"Haa, ahh, kuh, ah――――! Haa, it's good, please thrust it in, Senpai…!"

―――Our minds melt together. Her breasts shake with our movements. It must be because Sakura is up on her knees. Sakura is bracing herself with her legs. So she's putting strength into her sphincter, causing her walls to squeeze me harder than before.

"Ah, it's gonna rip…! Senpai, ahh, ah, hm, ahh――――!" …Sakura isn't moving anymore. I'm the one doing the thrusting. ―――I thrust so hard that I might break her.

My urge to ejaculate is already over the limit. I can't hold it back with my will anymore. It should already be over. But my ejaculation is held back. I'm not bearing it, but something's holding it back as I keep thrusting into Sakura.

"No, ha, no, ahh, no―――I'm gonna go crazy… Senpai… More, Senpai…! Ahhh, ahh, fua, haa――――!!!!"

The pleasure just keeps accumulating. The light of pleasure almost fries my brain. But I still lust for Sakura.

"Nha, haa…! More, Senpai…! Please break me more, ah, I love you, ah, you're breaking me, ah, this is like a dream, I always wanted you to embrace me, Senpai―――Senpai, Senpai, Senpai……!!!"

"Haa, ah, ah!" ―――Which one of us is broken? It feels like she's sucking up my energy.

It's similar to something…

It doesn't matter. I don't care. Sakura is the only thing I care about right now.

"Come, haa, nhaa…! Yes, ah… deeper…! Don't let me go, no, Senpai, I don't want to let go…!"

My sensations run wild. My sanity escapes into oblivion. Yes, I'm crazy. Then why not forget about things I don't want to think about: my tired body, Sakura's perverted actions, my left arm that I want to cut off――――

"Ha―――Sakura―――Sakura, Sakura, Sakura…!" Cracks run across my vision. The thing that held me back starts to disappear.

"Ahh…! Ah, haa, ha――――I'm coming, no, I'm gonna come before you…! Together―――Senpai, Senpai, come together with me――――!" "Yeah――――me too…!"

The urge to ejaculate. It's about to unload everything from the very root. "Hm, ah――――ah, Senpai――――!" I slam my cum into her pussy along with my penis.

"Ah――――hm, ah――――……"

Her walls convulse. In a trance, Sakura strokes her stomach, filled with my cum.

"……Hm…… I have to take all of it―――" How conscious is she? My cum flows out of her slit, dripping down indecently. "…Oh… No, it's flowing out…" Sakura squeezes, as if unwilling to let it go.

"――――!" My penis convulses and lets out what is left inside. …And I'm done. My penis loses its power, turns flaccid, and stops pushing apart Sakura's vagina.

"Ah……… Haa………" I somehow manage to keep my sanity while the pleasure assails me. …I push her waist and let myself out. "Oh――――it's out…" A shudder runs through her.

Sakura takes a deep breath, and… "Fuaa… I reached orgasm, Senpai――――" She falls onto my body.

――――My reasoning disappears. My energy is gone, and I released all of my magical energy.

"Ah――――!" …The power in my mind turns off. I can't think of anything. I can't recall what happened tonight, the pleasure that was only pain.

"This is just like――――" It's like it was a dream. …I fall into a deep sleep. My tired body forgets about the fact that Sakura came to this room, the uneasiness in my mind, what happened tonight, and… …I go back to the light sleep I was having an hour ago.

Interlude 11-2

――――It is in a red sea.

The familiar scenery is submerged in seawater, turning the town into an aquarium. Instead of air, something thick flows into the throat. The more it gasps for breath, the more of the heavy, watery substance it sucks in. So this has to be underwater.

It gasps out that it is painful. It originally lived on land. It cannot possibly live underwater. It tries to reach the surface, and it eventually reaches the highest place in the town. The suffocation does not abate. It looks down at the town, lungs burning from lack of oxygen, and curses the peacefully sleeping townspeople.

It hurts. It hurts. It hurts. It hurts. There's no air here. There's no pain here. It hurts. It hurts. It hurts. It hurts. It drags corpses behind it. Its body is bright red with blood. It hurts. It hurts. Need more. It hurts.

In its black hands are many corpses. The distorted hands grasp many dead bodies.

Need more. Need more. Need more. Need more.

It smashes them, dyeing itself red. Need more air. The air hurts. The water pressure is uncaring. The water pressure is unbearable. It smears the red blood all over its body. It probably thinks that the blood is the only watertight protection it has to live in this water.

It reaches out its twisted hands. Illuminated by the moon, the dark hand becomes a giant shadow and descends to crush the town――――

"Ah……!" She wakes up. She's breathing hard from her restless sleep. Astonished by the dream's realism, she hugs her feverish body. At that instant… Her hands are wet with blood.

"Ah, ah――――!" She shuts her eyes and pulls her hands away. …But when she looks again, they are clean. Although she knows it was just a hallucination, she can't stop trembling.

She trembles. She trembles like a broken machine. She trembles so violently that bolts might spill from her ears. All the parts in her body will spill out like that―――and the image is so frightening that she cannot stop trembling.

"――――My face. Yeah, I have to go wash my face――――" She heads to the bathroom. She makes it only a few steps. Her quaking limbs will not follow her orders. She braces herself against a desk.

"…Ah… Ah――――" Her vision wavers. She can't make it to the door. She can't even see it clearly. She can't remember what kind of a dream she was having, or why she got out of bed.

"…Ugh… Ah." She's broken. She can't remember anything. She can't think of anything. There is nothing but lust and hunger. She wants hot skin, breath, sensation, penis, semen, and kind words. Her empty but mushed-up insides plead for more sex.

"Ah――――――――uh." She lies on the desk and shakes her head. Fear and infinite self-hatred. Something is wrong. Why hasn't she had enough? A few hours ago, she was loved, just like in her fantasies, but it hasn't filled her up at all. It felt great, and she thought there could be no greater happiness, but she's not the least bit satisfied.

She's probably empty, and that's why he alone cannot fill her up. But she doesn't want anyone else. She wants to be his for much longer. She wanted it at the cost of time, emotion, and other people, so why didn't she do so? And she naturally realizes that she can eliminate all the things she just thought about.

"Oh――――" She feels dizzy. It's not so far-fetched. What's scary is that… She really thought that it would be fun.

"Ah――――uh… ugh…!" She leans on the desk. She keeps her collapsing body steady. The frightening dream becomes clearer every day. The frightening dream becomes less frightening every day. She is breaking down. Until now, it was only her body. But now, she is beginning to go mad.

"…Uh… uh, ugh." Moans escape her mouth. Her vague memory is no problem. It doesn't matter if she cannot remember what happened a few hours ago. She's not scared of being in bed forever.

She is terrified of becoming something else. She doesn't want to become a bad person. If she slowly breaks down like this, she will go crazy in the end. She will probably become something that will cause him the most trouble.

"――――――――" That's what terrifies her. It's scary to go crazy. It's more scary than anything else. If she does, he will not touch her, nor will he love her. She won't be able to be with him. She won't even know if she is with him. Not only that. If she loses her mind, he will be with another woman.

She doesn't want that. She really doesn't want that. She always thought he should be with someone else, someone better suited to him, but she can no longer accept that.

――――Because… He is already hers.

…That's why it's frightening. She's scared of what she might do.

"…Ugh――――uh, kuh――――" She knows, yet there's no salvation. She cannot tell him of this disfunction. If she tells him, it will be back to the cold for her. She cannot return to the cold now that she has known warmth. She wants to… Keep smiling at him.

But she knows what will be lost if this continues. Her wish is just a desire. She wishes for one person's happiness, yet her happiness requires the ruin of that same person.

If she cannot do so, she should just break down and disappear. If she's going to go crazy, she should disappear now and become a monster in a place with no people. That should be the best choice.

But she still clings to it. She wishes for more because it's warm and happy here. So why? Why is such a normal desire forbidden to her?

"No――――No, no, no, no…!" She shakes off her weakness. She's not envious. She's not holding any grudges. She justifies her decision, saying that she merely wants to stay here.

"No――――this isn't me." She shakes her head in denial. She shuts her dark mind with an empty head. ―――There are no happy endings. She turns her eyes away from the obvious conclusion.

"Ugh――――uhh, ugh――――" …Her hazy mind is already experiencing another nightmare. Forcing down her wish to be saved, she keeps on crying.

End of Interlude

12th Day - overdose

It's morning. My mind slowly

.

"Hm――――……" It's morning. As my mind slowly awakens, I sit up.

It's past eight o'clock. I'm late for school. Well, that's not really true since I'm not going to school, but it makes no difference to the fact that I slept in.

"Whoa. I have to make breakfast." I get up and get changed. I can't avoid looking at the cloth wrapped around my left arm.

"………All right." I swing my arm as a warm-up exercise. It's fine. It rises up to my shoulders, as I intended. It's getting better day by day. There's still no sensation, but at this rate…

"What're you doing, Shirou? Breakfast is already over." "Huh? What? What?"

Ilya is in front of me. I should be in the living room, but I'm in the shed for some reason.

"Are you listening to me, Shirou? I'm asking what you're doing here." "Y―――Yeah, I'm listening. Good morning, Ilya. What a strange place to meet up."

……Hm. That was an odd reply on my part. It seems I'm not awake yet.

"Shirou? You're not feeling well?" "Huh? Oh, no. It's just that I'm only half awake, so give me a minute." I shake my head. My body is dead tired, but my sleepiness goes away.

"――――All right. So, answering your question, I don't have any business here. I just made a stupid mistake because I was half-asleep." "I see. Then let's go to the living room! I'll prepare your breakfast." Ilya happily runs across the yard.

The sky is nice. It's bright blue, as if trying to wash away yesterday's gloomy air. I take a deep breath, and the cold, refreshing air fills my lungs.

"――――Hm? Did Ilya just say she'll make breakfast?" That's the first thing I say after I'm fully awake.

Ilya's breakfast… I'm looking forward to it, but I'm also worried at the same time. I'm pretty sure that Ilya has never even held a knife before, let alone cooked.

"Oh… I should go keep an eye on her." I run across the prickling grass to the living room. And I'm astonished once again. I must've been really out of it. What was I thinking, coming here in my bare feet?

Four minutes after Ilya… I get up on the porch after wiping my feet. "Oh, Senpai." I run into Sakura as she comes out of the living room.

"Good morning, Sakura. …I'm sorry about this morning. I overslept, and it was past eight when I noticed." "――――――――" …? Maybe she didn't hear me. She's just looking blankly at my face.

"Sakura?" I reach out, afraid that she's sick again. Then. "G-Good morning, Senpai!" Or maybe she isn't, because she greets me with lots of energy.

"Oh, you're full of energy. So I'm guessing you feel well?" "Y-Yes, I'm doing great, thanks to you. You gave me energy!"

"…?" Sakura sounds awkward. …Being energetic is a good thing, but I get uneasy seeing her so restless.

"What's wrong, Sakura? You're acting weird. First of all, what do you mean by me giving you energy?" "Um―――well, um, last night…" "In your room…" Sakura trails off, blushing furiously.

"――――――――Oh." I remember now. No, there's no way I can forget about it. Last night… I had sex with Sakura.

And it was our second time. We did it more furiously than the first time, and I lusted for Sakura's body.

"Uh――――um." Blood rushes to my head in an instant. I almost think that there's no blood left below my neck.

"S-Sakura… The thing last night…" That wasn't a dream, right? Sakura is still blushing, but she shakes her head and looks at me critically.

"…!!!!" Amazing. I thought my face couldn't get any hotter, but I guess I was wrong. …Um, last night was amazing.

Sakura's service, our animalistic sex… It was so stimulating that my mind labeled the event a dream and filed it away in the corner of my memory――――no!

"Sakura. Um… I'm sorry I was rough yesterday." Ignoring the blazing heat I feel, I apologize. "―――Okay. But I was happy, Senpai." Sakura smiles and gives a lethal reply.

"Uh――――――――um." She got me. Sakura's so cute that I want to push her down right here.

I would've lost it for real if the sound of the TV hadn't come from the living room, and… "Shirou? Breakfast's ready." …And if Ilya hadn't called for me at exactly the right time.

"S-So I'm going to go eat breakfast! I-I'll talk to you later about this!" I pivot like a robot and head to the living room. My limbs move awkwardly as I force down my desires.

"Here's your breakfast, Shirou!" Ilya hands me a plate as soon as I enter the living room. On the plate are blackened toast, a runny sunny-side up egg, and cut tomatoes.

"Oh, thanks." My head's still dizzy, but I sit down at my usual spot and start biting on the toast. I decline to comment on the toast, but the egg is done pretty well. Maybe she copied someone, or perhaps Tohsaka taught her. Anyway, I have to give her a perfect score if this is her first time cooking.

"It's good." I crunch on the toast. Ilya doesn't seem happy or proud, but simply watches me in satisfaction.

I'm not giving in to her happy mood, but I decide not to ask why the toast feels like coal. It's good. Having your toast black or hard is a matter of personal preference.

"It is a problem. You'll get sick if you eat something burned like that." "You idiot. The burned spots are the best, whether it's rice or toast." "…Hey. Are you all right, Emiya-kun?" "I'm saying it's good. And I guess doing it rough is all right." "You must really be half-asleep. This isn't time to be saying such carefree things, you know?"

Tohsaka looks at the TV. The TV is on, showing the morning news.

――――Is this deja vu? The news seems to be a story I've already seen―――and my mind sharpens up.

The captions on the screen. An incidence of unexplained comas occurred in Shinto last night. The residents lost consciousness overnight. It's being treated just like the other mysterious comas, but it's different from before. The area of the incident is 50 meters in diameter. It used to only happen in one building at a time, but the damage is spread much further now.

…And that's not the only problem. At the end of the report… Beside the triple-digit number of victims is a new list called "missing people".

"Tohsaka, this is…" "Yes. Fourteen missing people. I'm sure there'll be more once they look into it. Well, it looks like about a tenth of the people were completely swallowed."

"――――――――" My mind freezes. I unconsciously…

"Do you get it now? I don't know if this is Zouken or the shadow's doing, but it makes no difference to the fact that there are more victims now. At this rate, a whole section of the town will be swallowed in a few days."

Squeeze my left arm.

"――――Tohsaka. Are the missing people dead?" I ask to confirm. Tohsaka looks away, which is answer enough.

"…That's all. I understand how you feel, but feeling guilty can come later. Look, they're starting to do as they please because they think we can't do anything about it. They can do ridiculous things because they're taking us lightly. So I don't even need to say what we need to do, right?"

Tohsaka quietly gets up. …There's only one place she could be going. Tohsaka does not urge me to join her, but goes ahead to the dojo.

"So. First off, how's your arm doing, Shirou?" Tohsaka cuts right to the chase when I get to the dojo.

"Well, I can move it fine. But that's not what you're asking me, right?" "Right. I'm asking you if you understand Archer's arm." Ilya is watching us silently.

"――――――――" …I swear Tohsaka doesn't know what this arm is. She doesn't know about the fear I felt last night. It'll be over for me if I take this cloth off. She doesn't know my body will be destroyed if I let this arm free, let alone use it.

――――I recall the sensation. Unavoidable death. It felt like being buried alive. Utter obliteration, where the world is covered beneath something mysterious and ends in silence.

After just a glimpse of it, my mind repeated to itself in terror… That I cannot use this arm. I'll die if I use it. Without some sort of miracle, I will definitely die.

"How is it? It's been a day since I transplanted my crest, so it should be working now. Answer me. Do you know what you can do with Archer's arm?"

"――――?" …Hold on. Tohsaka's question is not exactly what I'd been expecting. I thought she wanted to know if I could use the arm.

"Um… so you're not asking me if I can suppress his arm, but if I know what his Noble Phantasm is?"

"O-Of course! It'll be terrible if you use Archer's arm, so there's no way I'm going to let you! Or what!? Were you thinking about using it!?" Oh. Tohsaka's seriously angry.

"Uh… No, but I thought that's where the conversation was going…" "What are you talking about!?"

"…Geez. Let me tell you. I forbid you to use Archer's arm, no matter the situation. And don't even consider using it without my permission. …Um, you're taking Archer's place, so it'll trouble me if you die."

"――――――――" Tohsaka's serious. …I take back what I said earlier. She knows. She's a much better magus than I am. She knows more than me about what'll happen if I free this arm.

"So, how is it? Do you understand what Archer's Noble Phantasm is?" She repeats the question. I don't know what kind of an answer Tohsaka is expecting, but… "Geez. Why don't you just tell her, Shirou? That you knew what it is since his arm has been transplanted."

"Wait, is that true, Shirou?" "Ugh―――well, I think so. Archer's Noble Phantasm is his projection magic, and it's reproducing weapons, right?"

I have a vague idea, but I can't be sure, so I'm still half in doubt.

"…I guess I didn't need to be so nervous. So, you're already connected to it. That's helpful in its own way, but why didn't you say anything, Ilya? If Shirou knew about Archer's projection magic, I didn't even need to ask him."

"You didn't ask. You're the one who wants Shirou to do projection, so it's your role to ask. It's nothing I should butt in on."

"What's that? Are you going to say we're stopping after all that preparation?"

"That's for you two to decide. You'll certainly win if you can reproduce the gem sword. That's why I gave you a hand. But I only helped you because it's my obligation. It's not because I agree with your plan."

"……?" Um… Judging by their conversation, Tohsaka wants me to project something――――

"Can I say something? So in short, you have something you want reproduced?"

"Yup. I need you to reproduce something for me. We can't match Saber or that shadow. So we have to create something in place of Servants, a Conceptual Weapon that exceeds the Servants."

"Conceptual Weapon――――? Is that the fixed magical item that executes a set phenomenon?" "Yes. It's an Outbreaker that defeats its opponent using the weight of its concept rather than physical damage. I'm going to have you project a special Conceptual Weapon that has been passed down through the Tohsaka family."

"The goal is to make something that can match Saber's Noble Phantasm. You saw Saber's Noble Phantasm that defeated Berserker, right? In terms of raw power, Saber's weapon is the strongest. I'm sure even the shadow would be destroyed by a blow from her Noble Phantasm, and we can't dodge or block it if it's used against us. Conversely, we can manage a fight if we can make a sword that exceeds Saber's Noble Phantasm, even if it's an imitation that breaks easily."

"―――――" …It's a sound argument, and a natural conclusion. If Saber's Noble Phantasm is their strongest weapon, we just need to prepare something that outperforms it. Make a weapon that is stronger than your enemy's. It's the simplest and surest way to win. But.

"…I don't know. I can't project such a strong Noble Phantasm. No, first of all, I've never succeeded at projection magic――――"

"Yes. I'm sure you've never been able to do the kind of projection that we magi are familiar with. But your projection isn't on that level. You were merely doing it wrong because you didn't know how. But you now have Archer's knowledge, so you just need to trace it. With Archer as your example, you will succeed."

"――――" Tohsaka sounds confident. But even so, I have no confidence in myself.

"Look. I've told you before, but you're a magus that uses projection, not strengthening. You might not be able to make a replica with the same power as the original, but you should get close to it if you follow Archer's theory."

"Our role is to back you up. We'll prepare the materials to be as close to the original as possible. Ilya is analyzing the blueprint that you'll be using during projection, and I'm preparing the materials that were used to make the real weapon."

"…It'll be a little longer, but it's up to you after that. If you can reproduce my master's pass, even if it's just the shape, we have a chance of victory against Zouken."

"……" Um. So they're going to prepare the blueprint and the materials, and I'm supposed to put it together? I have no problem if we can defeat Zouken that way. I'll happily go with her plan, but―――

"Let's assume I really can project this weapon. If that's the case, we won't need any materials. If you show me the original, I can copy it. We can try it right now instead of waiting for you to get ready."

"Are you stupid? If it were that simple, I would've had you try it two days ago. Look, you'll be able to project once at most, and the projected weapon is certain to have flaws. But that's meaningless. We can't have you make an imitation like the failures in the shed that look the same on the outside, but contain nothing on the inside." "…Hm. But I can only make such imitations."

"That's why we're backing you up. We're preparing materials that are as close to the real thing as possible to compensate for the required knowledge and magical energy, and have you fix it in place with your image. It's simple addition. We add your image and the materials we prepared to achieve a better result."

"…Well, I'm sure we don't need the material or the blueprint if you use Archer's arm to project it, but that's not possible. This is the only way to prepare a weapon without relying on that arm."

"So we're strengthening what's there using projection, huh? …Yeah, that does sound…" It sounds plausible, and we might be able to do it with practice.

"But I don't know if it'll succeed or not. I wasn't able to consistently use strengthening magic until I became a Master. I don't think I can do something like that on the spot." "Oh, that's all right. I'm going to have you train your projection and practice retrieving Archer's knowledge."

"…I see. That's good for me too, but you look happy, Tohsaka." "No way. I've been playing with building blocks with Ilya for a while, so I'm just thinking how refreshing it is to talk with a bad student."

"……" …Ugh. I get the chills, recalling the weird sensation from yesterday. Tohsaka got me naked, came close to me, and stuck her fingers in me.

Nothing happened then, but if we're going to do that again today…

"―――Ugh." I might get a big scolding from Sakura, resting in her room.

"So, do you get it now, with all jokes aside? I want to confirm everything one last time." "Confirm?"

"I'm asking if you're okay with this plan. We'll be relying on your projection. I won't let you use Archer's arm, but his influence will still poison you as you imitate his magic. Knowing that, are you still okay with this plan?"

"Hey, I have no complaints if we can defeat Zouken. And it's promising if you're the one training me in magic."

"…I'll be honest here. Using Archer's magic means releasing the seal on his arm. In short, I'm telling you to take off that Shroud while we're training projection."

"――――――――" My mind freezes. Take the Shroud off? Release this arm that terrified me, made me cry, and made me shake in the corner, just by loosening the cloth?

――――I don't even need to think about it. I…

[votestaynight2]

10th Day - darkwood,sleepingbeauty(Scene 5) / 11th Day - Beautiful (II) (Scene 1)

―――My normal arm should be there.

Wha I can't brea my nerves, my nerves

It hurts

I'm alive but where is my sense

It's cold

Death―――― hurry I have to quickly get it back on

It's scary

The arm below the cloth is

It's black

An arm that is not mine――――

"What――――was I doing?" What was I doing? I unwrapped the cloth because of this sudden idea. I don't understand what happened after that. What has been done to me. What will be done to me. It only happened a few seconds ago, but I can't remember at all――――

"――――This is bad. It's really…" I'll die if I release it. The priest's words were true. I don't know what'll happen, but what's under this cloth is not mine.

"……Forget about it. It's just that my arm doesn't move. …If I think about it any more, I'll…" I'll slow down because of fear. That's not allowed. Archer's arm wasn't transplanted onto me so that I could cower in fear.

"…That's right. I have to think about Sakura instead of my arm." Sakura wasn't that different from this morning, but I don't know when she might collapse. …I have to defeat Zouken and obtain the Holy Grail before that. I have to think about how to do that. A way to beat Zouken and Assassin with one arm. …No, they aren't the only enemies. There are the mysterious enemies too.

"――――――――" I don't know their circumstances. I don't know what that black shadow is, nor if Saber became Zouken's Servant. All I know is that she's my enemy now.

"………" …To be honest, I know. We have no chance of victory. I don't know what this pain will be like in the future. The difference in our powers is overwhelming, and I'm not even sure about myself. How can I protect Sakura in such a state――――?

"――――――!" I stand up at the sound of footsteps. I know who it is without looking.

The Servant in a black outfit is silent like always. She usually doesn't make a sound when she walks, but I'm sure she wanted me to hear her coming.

"What do you want, Rider?" "…………" Rider looks down at me silently. ……Hm. This is totally unrelated, but Rider is tall. There's something wrong with me too for noticing it now.

"―――What is so funny, Shirou? I have not said anything yet." "Huh…? Oh, no. You're taller than me, right? Even though we've seen each other many times, I just noticed. I was laughing at myself for how slow I was."

"I see. You seemed like you were in pain earlier, but it appears I worried needlessly." …? It might be just me, but Rider sounds angry.

"Anyway, Rider. Were you the one who saved me today? I don't remember, but I think it was you that carried me to the church from the forest."

"…Yes. It was me. Sakura told me to protect you. I only obeyed her order as her Servant."

"―――I see. That was a big help, but that means Sakura used magical energy to use you, right? Then――――" "Yes. There is now even less of her scarcely remaining magical energy. I will consume Sakura if she uses me like she did today."

Rider plainly speaks. There's no pity or hatred towards Sakura. Rider is only stating the natural fact as a Servant.

"Can I ask you something, Rider?" "Of course. If you have a question, please ask it."

"…All right. Are you going to kill Sakura if she loses her Command Spell?" A Master that uses up her Command Spells is first targeted by her Servant. If they have not established a relationship of mutual trust, Rider will mercilessly kill her Master, using her life to stay in this world until she can form another contract.

…Rider is protecting Sakura out of duty. I see no affection there. That's why I want to know what Rider's feelings are.

"――――――――" "Tell me. Are you going to kill Sakura?" "Yes. If Sakura wishes, I would consider killing her to end her agony. But Shirou, I wish for her to live."

"…! ――――Then you won't attack her even if she loses her Command Spell?" "The binding of the Command Spell does not matter. I will protect Sakura willingly for as long as she remains a Master. I do like her."

"Eh――――really?" "Yes. Is it that unexpected for me to have such an emotion?" "Oh… I'm sorry, I misunderstood. You didn't look that way, so…"

"You do not need to apologize. I do not engage in proper conversation with Sakura, nor does she talk to me. But Shirou. Servants are summoned by beings similar to them. You summoned Saber not by chance, but because you two are alike."

"Sakura and I are the same in that regard. We are not talkative, so it is natural for us to have no conversation. We understand each other without a need for such things."

…I hear warm emotion in Rider's voice. I imagined her to be cruel because of her appearance, but maybe Rider is actually quite gentle.

"…I see. Yeah, that's great. I'm glad you're on Sakura's side."

"I see. Then it is my turn. Shirou. You do not know what kind of sufferings Sakura endured through. Do you know what she endured since she was adopted to the Makiri family?"

"That's――――" …There's no way I'd know. Well, Kotomine told me what kind of things she went through. "…I don't know. So I don't think I can say anything about it, nor should I mention it."

…Yes. I'm a magus, and I know what kind of a person Zouken is. It's easy to imagine what happened, and my imagination should be close to reality. But――――I should not easily mention that I "understand".

"I thought as much. Sakura did her utmost to hide it from you. I would have killed you if you had claimed to understand." "…Is that for Sakura's sake?"

"Yes. But it seems such measures were unnecessary. You are inexperienced and clumsy, but what is at your core is something trustworthy. That must be why you are a salvation for Sakura."

"…For a long time, Sakura knew only resignation. She did not feel pain or suffering, but accepted everything as it was. But she changed after meeting you, Shirou. You made her regain the emotions she had lost. The biggest emotions she regained were pain and suffering, but she only had resignation before, and you were the only salvation for her."

"……" I don't really know what Rider is trying to say. I cannot understand what Sakura has been through, so I don't know why she likes me. But Rider's words are true because she shares her feelings with Sakura, her Master.

As if speaking for Sakura, Rider quietly states… "Shirou. You said you will make Sakura happy. But for her, these two years were happiness itself." …With quiet sorrow and appreciation.

"That is all I wanted to ask you. Happiness for Sakura is to have you alive and for you to be by her side. There is nothing else she wishes for."

Rider presses the question on me through her blindfolds. …Asking me if I understand what that means. For Matou Sakura, the fact that Emiya Shirou is fighting threatens her happiness. So Rider is condemning me for what I'm planning to do with my body.

"But I――――" …I tightly grasp my stiff left arm. If I can fight with one arm, I should.

I swore to save Sakura. I chose to fight for Sakura, and not to stop the war.

So―――if I stop fighting now, I'll be nobody.

"―――――――――" …Silence falls. Rider is silent, and I have no reply. How long has it been?

"……Are you on Sakura's side, Shirou? No matter what may happen in the future?"

"――――――――" I don't even need to think about Rider's question. Emiya Shirou chose to be Matou Sakura's ally. Then I should nod without hesitation.

"――――――――" I understand, but I can't express my feelings. '―――No matter what may happen in the future'

Because I realize what those words mean.

"…Fair enough. You do not need to push yourself here, as the answer will eventually come to you. You should be prepared when that time comes." Rider leaves as if melting into the night. I watch her disappear, then look up at the sky.

"――――――Damn." …Yes. I couldn't answer her because I realized.

The mysterious shadow. The unstable left arm. The ideal I sought for years, then threw away. Everything is telling me.

That once I obtain the Holy Grail, it can make any wish come true. But―――my wish to provide Sakura happiness is an illusion that can never become reality.

Interlude 10-5

I see a dream inside the breeding box. Egg's shell. Black yolk. There's no memory of the sea of love. Reaching the placenta. The line does not exist from the beginning. Labor expulsion is not allowed, and is melted into love. There's no memory of miscarriage.

Swaying as I walk. Wavering brain is empty, and the grinding intention is forgotten.

Shivering and trembling. The dried limbs are like paper balloons. Rolling across the ground. Floating comes after maturing.

Roaring. Roaring. Roaring.

"Hey, look ▊▊ that ▊gi▊, is▊wet▊?" Someone approaches with squeaking. "Hey, it's a pretty good-looking woman. ▊▊▊ barefeet? Damn ▊▊▊ she's ▊▊▊]" People approach me. "It's ▊▊▊▊. ▊▊ bored ▊▊▊ want to ▊▊ with us?"

Dried up laughing voices. I do not remember tempting them. I am scared, so I should go home.

"Hey ▊▊ why ▊▊ running ▊▊" "Hold on ▊▊▊▊▊▊? Hey ▊▊ she re▊ ▊!" "I bet ▊▊ is. You won't walk na▊in ▊▊ town ▊▊" "Haha▊▊ha! Yeah ▊▊ that's ▊▊ we need to protect ▊▊ or ▊▊?" "Agreed! I ▊▊ to protect ▊▊ socially ▊▊ wea▊▊!"

"▊▊▊▊ Ha▊▊▊▊ha▊▊▊▊▊ha▊▊!" "Ah▊▊▊▊ha▊▊▊hahaha▊▊▊▊▊▊!" "Ahahaha▊▊hahaha▊hahaha▊▊" "Ahahahahahahahahahaha!"

They follow me. They echo loudly in my head, so my stomach growls.

"▊▊▊▊▊▊▊▊▊▊▊▊▊▊▊!!!!????" "Hey ▊▊▊▊ wha▊▊▊, w▊▊▊gih▊!?" "A-Ah ▊▊▊▊ don't run, help ▊▊ ehhh!" "Ha, ha, ha, where are you gu―――― Giiiiiiiiiiiiii!" "Ow, ow, no, I-I'm sorry, i, hiaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!?"

I see a dream of a breeding box.

Tonight. I squashed a bug.

End of Interlude

11th Day - Beautiful (II)

――――Light that destroys my eyes. The strong headwind pushes my mind and body away from the entrance.

The light is too strong for me to perceive what it is. My body, exposed to the wind, is rusting with each passing second. How long will I stay here? An infinity that is not even a second, and an instant close to eternity. With no sense of time, years change to seconds. Therefore, my body is eternally exposed to the wind, polished and clouded like a mirror, and crumbling apart.

"――――――――Oh"

Go forward. This place is painful.

A zero gravity without any handhold. An airless vacuum. The world of wind erosion is not a place one can stay in human form.

That's why I move forward. My volume doubles with each step I take, and it gets harder to breathe. One step. Two steps. The third step is impossible. I can't go any farther. The wind gets stronger the more I advance, tearing at my body.

But I have to move forward if I want to escape. The wind is coming from the other side of the light. The light is the entrance and the exit. ――――This place hurts. So I have to quickly get to the other side. A stronger wind is there once I pass the entrance. Once past the exit, this pain would become lighter.

"Ha――――ah, ahh――――!" I reach out my hand. I reach out with all my might. The light is in front of me. But I can't reach it. The polar light destroy my eyes. I can't reach it no matter what.

It hurts. I can't reach it even if I cough up blood and reach out. Why? It's only a meter away. So why? Why does it feel like I'm trying to head to the distant polar lights?

"――――Shirou." "Eh?" I wake up.

"You can't. You'll die if you take it off just because it's painful." "――――――――" I blankly stare at Ilya, standing before me.

"Ilya…? Why are you in my room?" "Because my room is close to yours. I woke up early, so I came to look at you."

…Man. It seems she woke up before me and came here. I don't care about that, but maybe Ilya did so because――――

"…Hm. Was I having a nightmare?" "Yup. You were moaning in pain, trying to pull that cloth off your arm. Well, I came here because I expected you to do that. I suppressed the pain while you were asleep, so it feels better now, right?"

"Oh――――" I now notice that my right hand is on the cloth covering my left arm. …..Oh man. If Ilya hadn't come, I might've taken it off in my sleep.

"――――I see. Thank you, Ilya." "You don't have to thank me. It's between you and me. And I promised, right? That I'll help you when you're in trouble."

"――――――――" Her smile captivates me.

I know Ilya's just saying that out of kindness, but… "Fufu, and I wanted to see your sleeping face. You were in pain, but your were trying your best to endure it. You were so cute." I slam the brakes on my panicking heart.

"――――Ilya. It's not good to go into someone else's room without permission. Mornings and evenings are out of the question. I'm an ordinary guy, so it's troubling." "Oh, really? How is it troubling? I want to know in detail."

"Ugh―――even that question is troubling. First of all, you're a girl, so you can't go into a guy's room in the morning. It's dangerous. It's really dangerous. You're not just endangering yourself, you're putting the innocence of an adolescent boy at risk too."

"Really? But that makes even less sense. What's so bad, and what's so dangerous about it? I won't stop unless you tell me why."

The silver-haired girl puts her hand down, gets on all fours, and… "See, I'm closer to you now. So, why is it troubling for me to come near you in the morning, Shirou?" "Y-Y-Y-Y-You idiot…!!!!!"

I roll backward head-over-heels while keeping ahold of my futon. That was close. Guys experience a certain physiological phenomenon every morning. I could be given a man's mark of shame if she comes close to me in such an outf――――

"Oh." "Gah――――" I hit the back of my head hard.

"Ah, guh――――that's why… I said it's dangerous." I make up an excuse.

"O-Okay. I'm sorry, Shirou. …Um, did it hurt…?" It hurts. I saw stars and my head is throbbing, but I can't be whining if I hear a voice like that.

"No, I'm fine. It was a good wake-up call, so don't worry about it." I shake my head and get up. My morning issue has calmed down thanks to that.

"…All right. It's about time, so I'm going to go cook breakfast. What do you want, Ilya? If there's anything you don't like, say so now."

"Eh? No way, you can cook!?" "Well, I can cook like everyone else. I don't know about Western snacks… but I guess I can manage pancakes." Ilya's face lights up. It seems the fact that I can cook is a delightful thing for Ilya.

"Hmm… Then do you want to make it together? I thought I'd go get you after breakfast's done, but it's better for you to be in the living room if you're awake." "Really!? Yeah, I'll go! I want to see you wearing an apron!"

"I see. Then let's beat Tohsaka together with the three of us. I promised Sakura we'd be cooking together this morning, so we'll have the strength of three with your help." "――――No. I'm not going if Sakura's there. You go by yourself, Shirou."

"Eh… Why? Because Sakura's there? Do you hate Sakura?" "No, I actually rather like her. But I can't approve of her because she's not suited for you." "…? What do you mean by not suited, Ilya?"

"It's true. You ought to know why, but you're trying so hard not to notice it. Telling you now won't do any good." Ilya goes out into the hallway.

"And I don't know what kind of trance you were in, but don't keep charging ahead recklessly. You're watching Archer's magic, not Shirou's magic. …I know you'll eventually obtain the magic, but there's only the possibility right now. Your body will destroy itself from within if you try projection in such a state."

"Projection――――?" I repeat Ilya's word absentmindedly. At that instant… The cocking hammer goes down. The dream I saw while I was treated. I vaguely understand what it is and what it means.

――――It's probably… Projection taken to the utmost limit, reproducing every weapon you've ever seen and making them your own.

"…That's right. Archer's Noble Phantasm is 'magic' that only he can use. Archer is a blacksmith heroic spirit that can reproduce any weapon he sees. The power is something you can use too, now that you inherited his arm. You're probably not conscious of it now, but you'll remember the activation spell if you put your mind to it."

"But don't think about using it just because you can. That priest is right. If you remove the cloth and use projection even once, you will certainly die. …So don't take it off, no matter what. I won't forgive you if you die like Kiritsugu. I'll never forgive you if you leave me alone before I kill you."

Ilya leaves. Her warning contains both caring strictness and murderous hostility.

"Senpai, I'm done cleaning the turnip. How are the chicken wings going?" "―――Yeah, I'm done skimming the foam. Let's cook it once we've cut those into four pieces."

"Okay. What are you doing with the curry powder, Senpai?" "I'm making the sauce. We'll put it on the sardines. Even if Ilya doesn't like fish, she should be able to eat it if it's curry flavored, right?"

"I see, you're smart, Senpai! Then I'll cut the fish, so please check the simmering."

"Huh? No, I can cut the sardine without the knife, so you don't have to. I'll ask for your help when I get to the center bone, so can you make simmered pumpkin with broth and soy sauce? I think we should have at least one sweet dish." "Okay. Oh, you look like a sushi chef when you're cutting the fish one-handed like that, Senpai."

Sakura goes to the refrigerator. Sakura must be feeling better after a good night's sleep, because she's in a good mood this morning.

"――――――――Hm." And standing in the kitchen with her is fun for me too. Sakura is thoughtful and is attentive to my needs, preparing things ahead of time. It feels really good to cook with someone like that.

"Senpai? Sushi chef, your hands aren't moving." "Hm? Oh, I was spaced out. We should hurry. It's almost seven o'clock."

I sigh so she can't see and continue cutting the sardine. Sardine is soft, so it's better to use fingers than a knife. It's something even I, one with my left arm not moving, can manage to cook.

"But when did you learn such a technique? It's not normal to do it with just your right hand." "It's not a technique. This is about timing and determination. I'm sure you can do it too if you try."

"Oh, is that so?" "Yeah. Techniques are things like cutting apart a cow with a kitchen knife or making an ice sculpture. Here, take care of the rest. We'll cook it after you're done, so put it in the bowl."

I move away from the cutting board and walk to the gas burner. I put the frying pan over the fire and pour some oil onto it. My body knows how to do this, so I do it absentmindedly.

"Um, Senpai…?" "Hm?" I vaguely reply.

"…This might be none of my concern, but did something happen between you and Ilya-san?" "――――――――" My hand stops. But it's only for an instant. I'm sure Sakura didn't see my disturbance.

"Yeah. We talked before I came to the kitchen. Ilya has a lot going on. I really don't know how to answer her." "…Is that a problem as a Master? Does Ilya-san still want to fight?"

"No. I don't feel a will to fight from her. …No, I don't think she had such a thing from the start. I think she tried to obtain the Holy Grail as the Master of Einzbern, but Ilya had another goal. But…"

…That goal disappeared long before the war even started. Ilya's goal. Emiya Kiritsugu, the one she wanted to meet, died five years ago. Then―――what can I do and what should I do in his place?

"Hey, Sakura. Is it all right if Ilya stays here if she doesn't want to go back to her country?"

"Oh―――um. This is your house, Senpai. My opinion doesn't really matter." "What are you saying? This is your house. I can't decide on something important like having Ilya stay without consulting my partner."

"I――――I'm your partner…!?" "Yeah. Who else would it be?" Neither Ilya nor Tohsaka can help me with cooking this perfectly.

"Sakura, the frying pan's ready." I take the sardine Sakura prepared. Sakura hands me the sardine with an airy motion. ……? What is it all of a sudden? Did she get a fever again…?

"O-Okay, I understand…! I'll do my best to get along with Ilya-san…!" "―――Yeah, it'll be great if you can. Ilya said she doesn't hate you, so you should be able to get along with her if you talk with her."

…Yeah, I'll be really happy if that happens. After the Holy Grail War is over, Sakura and Ilya will be here making breakfast without worry. I'll pay any price for such a wish to come true――――

"Good morning. You two sure are up early on Sunday." …Wait. Something amazing just passed by.

"S-Senpai… did some strange person pass by just now?" "…Ugh. If you saw it too, that means it wasn't just my imagination." We timidly look into the living room.

The person that shambled over to the table glowers as she pours herself some tea and turns on the TV.

"…I'm surprised. Tohsaka-Senpai isn't a morning person…" "……" Wait, Sakura. Doesn't someone who's not a morning person, um, look cuter?

Breakfast starts. Sakura and I sit next to each other, while Tohsaka and Ilya sit across from us.

"Oh, wow. This has some refined taste, Sakura. I guess this deserves to be eaten." I don't know if Ilya is attacking or praising Sakura.

"Geez. I usually don't eat in the morning." Tohsaka complains as she eats the omelet. "――――Hm." …Then, for some reason, she silently starts concentrating on eating.

"……" Breakfast continues quietly. The only loud thing is the TV Tohsaka turned on, offfering many topics of information.

"Hm……?" ―――A familiar scene is on TV. I can't be mistaken. The TV is showing a baffling story about a park in Shinto.

"……A missing person in central park? …A lot of blood around the area…?"

It's a pretty vivid incident. An old man was jogging in the park, found a trace of blood, and reported it to the police. A policeman came to the scene and found what appeared to be one person's worth of blood and pieces of the apparent victims. …But it seems the pieces are just scraps of flesh, and that they don't even weigh fifty kilograms when gathered together.

"…The police are trying to figure out the four victims' identities… wait, why four people? There was only enough blood for one, right?"

"That's probably because the scattered flesh came from four people. I'm sure there were only leftovers, but that must have been enough to figure it out."

"…Tohsaka. By 'leftovers'… do you mean this is a Servant's―――Zouken's doing?" "Who knows? I can't tell if Zouken had a hand in this. But I'm sure that shadow did this. See the corner of the screen? The grass has turned black. It's exactly like when the shadow appeared in the forest."

"――――――――" Tohsaka states simply. But I'm not convinced for two reasons.

"Why? No matter what that shadow may be, it hasn't done anything like this before. It has sucked up magical energy from people, but it never, um…" Directly killed people like this.

"…You're right. The only reason I can think of is that there aren't any enemies now. There aren't any Masters now that can defeat them straight-on. So that means they can do whatever they want without worrying about whose attention they may get, right?" "―――Does that mean they're being indiscriminate?"

"…I don't know. I'm the one that said it, but it doesn't seem like it. Even if Zouken and that shadow are related, I'm sure this was an unforeseen accident. I'll bet my omelet that Zouken is surprised to hear this news as well."

…Tohsaka's omelet is gone as she speaks. Her hawk-like eyes are looking at the only untouched omelet on the table, mine.

"……Hm. Why do you think it's an unforeseen accident?" "It's not cleaned up. With the blood aside, Zouken's not someone that would leave pieces of the dead body behind. In other words, Zouken was not at the scene, and that shadow was the only thing that ate there."

"―――I see. …Then one more thing. How do they know there were four victims? There was only one person's worth of blood, and there was only one person's worth of flesh."

"It's the shape, not the weight. I'm sure there was four of something people only have one of. That way, you'd know how many victims there are without any identification. See. If there were four left hands in a pool of blood, anyone would know how many victims there were."

Tohsaka states simply. "――――――――" I imagine the scene and my appetite quickly goes away.

After breakfast… "Shirou. We have to do some things, so come with me." Tohsaka takes me to the dojo.

I had no reason to refuse and I also wanted to talk to Tohsaka, so it was a timely offer. It was, but… "Hey. I only wanted Shirou. Why are you all following him?" Tohsaka is unhappy at the unexpected guests.

"…Um, you're menacing, so I thought it's dangerous for Senpai to be by himself." "Hey now. I made a pact with Shirou, so I won't attack him. You know that, so why did you follow us, Sakura?"

"B-Because it's my role to protect Senpai." "…You declare, huh? Then how about you? You should know what I'm going to do. Did you come to heckle me?"

"No. I'm here for the same reason as Sakura. I know what you want to do, but I don't know how you're going to do it. I came to make sure you don't do anything strange to Shirou."

"…Oh well. I'm going to tamper with his body for his own good, so don't jump to conclusions and interfere, okay? We don't have time to be taking things slow."

She must have prepared it before breakfast, as Tohsaka's bag is at the dojo. It's full of equipment like what I saw at her house, and it's easy to guess what'll happen, but…

"Sorry. Can I say something beforehand?" "What? Don't tell me now you don't want anything that hurts."

"Of course. Nobody wants anything that hurts. Anyway, any normal person would run away after seeing these things with no explanation."

The other two nod. I have two reliable supporters this time.

"I'm sorry I'm not explaining things to you. I know I'm not normal compared to you. You can go somewhere else if you have any complaints." Oh. Tohsaka's sulking, unhappy about the three-on-one situation.

"No, I'm not complaining. I have a vague idea of what you might be doing. That's why I'm putting every trust in you. I'll trust you no matter what you tell me to do. I promised you last night, right?"

"H-Heh. Then why did you stop me? If you don't have any questions, then sit and be quiet."

"No, this isn't about that. I want to make sure what our future course of action is. We have to decide now what we should be doing."

…Everyone's expression changes. What I just mentioned is a problem we all postponed last night. What we will fight against, and what we will do. We can't back out after we make our decision. No, we already can't back out, so this is just a statement of our resolve.

"………" "I'm not going to take part in battles. I'll fight if someone attacks me, but I don't intend to start a fight myself. I don't know what'll happen even if I win this Holy Grail War."

"…I feel the same way as Ilya-san. I don't think I can beat Grandfather. The match is pretty much decided, so I don't think Grandfather will come attack us if we stay quiet here…"

"…………" …Tohsaka doesn't say anything. I don't know what she's thinking, but I want to believe she has the same opinion as me, since she's not agreeing with Ilya or Sakura.

"―――You're right. I agree with concentrating purely on defense. Sakura stays here to defend against Zouken. Rider is with Sakura, so she should be able to defend Sakura and Ilya if she concentrates on defense."

"Tohsaka and I will try to come up with a way to defeat Zouken. We'll be attacked eventually even if we stay here, and we can't leave them be. We don't know if something like this morning's news is going to happen again."

Tohsaka doesn't interrupt. It means she intended for the two of us to fight Zouken, no matter what her true opinion may be.

"I can't ignore Zouken, but I can't ignore the shadow either. Tohsaka and I will start patrolling the town tonight, so Sakura and Ilya are to stay here and keep watch."

I confirm the plan with everyone. ――――Then.

"W-What are you saying, Senpai…!?" "Sakura…? What? It's nothing ridiculous, right? Tohsaka and I are the only ones who can fight, so we have to beat Zouken."

"That's the ridiculous part…! You can't use one of your arms anymore! Do you really know what that means…!?" "Eh―――――Sakura…?"

"…I don't get it. You're acting strange. Why are you going to fight even after what's happened to you? You should know that things are out of your hands now because you actually took part in it. So why are you saying such a ridiculous thing? I was relieved because I thought you wouldn't fight with one arm, so why―――"

"………..Sakura." Sakura is trembling. She's hanging her head as she trembles at her words. I don't know why she's trembling. The only thing I can do is to answer her question.

"Sakura. I'm going to let you win. That's why I'm fighting. Yes, I don't want to ignore Zouken and the shadow. But more than that, I want the Holy Grail. Nobody's making me do this. This is a selfish wish of mine."

―――That's right. It's a selfish wish I had ever since I decided to be Sakura's ally and not everyone else's.

"………Is that for my sake?" "―――Yes. It will be for your sake if we can remove the crest worm from your body."

"…It's all right, Sakura. If there's no chance of victory, we'll make a chance, and we won't fight while we don't have any chance of victory. There's still danger even if we have a chance, but there's always a risk, so I can't promise you I won't get hurt. ―――But I'll definitely come back. I told you I'd protect you, right? So I can't fulfill my promise unless I'm by your side."

"Sen… pai…" Sakura looks down painfully. It looks like she's apologizing.

"――――All right, can you stop it there? Our course of action's already determined, so it does no good to whine. Sakura and Ilya are to stay here. Shirou and I will patrol the town at night. We won't carelessly attack Zouken even if we find him. We'll chip away at their force only when we have a chance of victory. That's our future course of action, right, Shirou?"

"Y-Yeah… It'd be great if that's your decision."

"――――Heh. I don't even need to tell you."

"And, Sakura. Kirei couldn't completely extract your crest worm, but he suppressed its action. So it can't run wild unless they use a drug on you like Shinji did. But at the same time, Zouken can't be the winner as long as you stay here in this house. He's going to come take you sooner or later, so refusing to fight is not an option. How can you say you won't do anything knowing that?"

"That may be true, but―――Grandfather shouldn't do anything rough if we don't do anything―――"

"Sakura! Stop being so submissive. Zouken isn't your grandfather or your master. Do you still think he's human after all the terrible things he's done to you!?" "………No. I've never thought he was human."

"Then prepare yourself. Shirou and I will be fighting outside, so you have to fight here too. If Zouken attacks this place, you have to get away at any cost. The Holy Grail cannot be completed as long as Rider isn't defeated. You have a hope of being saved as long as Rider's alive."

Tohsaka's voice is firm. …Is it the dignity of the older sister? Sakura nods and replies that she understands.

And after that. I ask why she brought me here to the dojo.

"Let's see. Why don't you get naked to start with? No matter what we end up doing, nothing would go right unless I take a look at what kind of a body you have." And she gives me a ridiculous reply.

"Wha-" "WHA-WHAAAAAT!?" "…Whaaat?" I continue in a small voice because she's more surprised than I am.

"What? Is that such a shock, Sakura?" "I-It is…! You want Senpai to be naked!? What are you thinking, Tohsaka-Senpai…!?"

"I'm thinking about Shirou, of course. You're in danger, but Shirou's also in a lot of danger. You should know too that we have to get a lot of things done now." "…That's true… but…"

"If you know, then don't butt in. Hey there! Don't just stand there and take off your top! I'm going to put on a warding sign, so I can't do it if you keep your shirt on!" Tohsaka glares at me.

"Ugh……" But Sakura's stare is painful. It's uneasily asking me if I'm going to go along with Tohsaka.

"Hurry up. We won't make it before tonight's patrol unless we give your body some time to familiarize itself with it." "Umm……"

This is no time to be embarrassed about something like this. I don't want to take my clothes off, but taking off my top is like getting changed, so it shouldn't be a big deal.

"…Man. All right, Tohsaka. So, what do I do now?" "Come here. I'll transplant a small part of my Magic Crest onto you." "…! Over there!? You mean like this!?"

"Of course. I have to touch your body with my left hand, comprehend it, and share my warding crest with you. It'll tickle and hurt, but bear with me." Tohsaka wiggles her fingers.

"Ugh――――" …I can't run away after coming this far. I give up and go near Tohsaka. …Um, Sakura's stare is more painful now.

"I'm going to start now, but let me confirm beforehand. I said before that I'll put a switch in you, but I won't do that. In your state, it's too dangerous to be able to turn your Magic Circuit on and off so easily."

"O――――Okay, I got it." I manage to reply with a high-pitched voice. It's natural that I'm acting strange and can't breathe. I'm naked, and Tohsaka is near me. It'd be more strange not to be nervous!

"Hey. You don't seem to be calm. Are you listening to me?" "――――I'm listening. I'm listening to you."

"……? All right, then. So this operation is to suppress magical energy. Your body is unstable right now, and we don't know when Archer's arm might flow magical energy into your body. I'm going to put needles into your left shoulder, belly button, and your throat, so that your left arm won't be connected to you unless you really want it to be."

"This is also a countermeasure against the shadow. That thing sucks up magical energy just by being there. The sign I'm going to carve into you will also have resistance to magical energy, so you should be less burdened when facing that thing." Then, Tohsaka places her hand on my chest.

"Whoa――――!" I barely stop myself from jumping back.

"Oh, was it hot? Can you bear it? I'm going to transplant the Magic Crest from my arm, so I can't lower the temperature." "No――――I don't care about it being hot or cold."

Tohsaka's hand is soft, and her touch sends a shudder through my heart. Every time her slender fingers run across my chest, my temperature rises by a degree.

"……All right. I think I have a grasp of your chest. Next is your belly button, but this is going to hurt. I'm going to put my finger in, so try not to move. Don't worry, it won't injure you, and I won't move it around much."

"Hey――――what do you mean by move it, Toh… saka――――!" My body convulses.

―――My stomach. Having Tohsaka's hand on my stomach is bad enough, but something rigid tears through my skin and into my body――――!

"Haa――――h-hold on, that's, ba――――" "I-I said it's going to hurt. Don't make noises like that, it's distracting. It makes me feel like I'm doing something wrong!"

"A-Are you stupid――――!?" My face is going to get redder if you say something like that, you idiot!

"…Humph. I'm done with the belly button. All that's left is your shoulder and throat, so stay calm and don't run away."

"………" I would really love to run away right now. I would love to, but doing so would seem like I'm conscious of Tohsaka and I won't be able to excuse myself.

"Come on. I'm going to do the same thing to your shoulder, so suck it up. Grit your teeth and don't make any weird noises." "O――――Okay. I'll try my best." It's embarrassing, so I look away from Tohsaka.

It's not just my face that's blushing. I think my entire body's turning red. I'm blushing even though I know this is only for magic, so I bet Tohsaka's having a hard time too. …Man. How can I ever face Tohsaka again after committing such a disgrace…?

"All right, that's it. I'm going to put away the equipment, so you go cool yourself off." Tohsaka grabs something that looks like a first-aid kit and goes to the corner of the dojo, where her bag is.

"――――――――" My face is still red, but I'm finally able to calm down and take a deep breathe. …Then.

"……?" Sakura twiddles her fingers, looking like she wants to say something.

"…Sakura? W-What's wrong?" "………Um, well…" She takes a look at me. Then she takes a breath, as if preparing herself…

"Um, Senpai…! W-We, um… made love, right!?" …And she asks me a ridiculous question.

"――――――――" My face, which had finally calmed down, passes its boiling point and turns red again.

"Ah――――um." I feel dizzy. Just recalling what happened that night is so stimulating that it makes me forget about our current situation. So for Sakura to ask me fro confirmation like this, when I'm already off-balance from Tohsaka, is like getting hit twice as hard――――

"Um… Senpai?" "――――――――" No. This isn't the time to be speechless.

"――――Yeah, I did make love to you." "R-Right!? Then it's strange for you to lose your composure against Nee-san!"

Sakura looks up at me unhappily. …I finally realize why her stare was so painful earlier. It's because she was sulking.

"I-I'm sorry. But Sakura, this had nothing to do with Tohsaka, and, um, it couldn't be helped." "I-I know, but please bear with it! You're m-m-my lover!"

"―――――Ugh. I… know that, but…" I couldn't fight against it. I'm a guy, and I've admired Tohsaka since I got into this school, so I couldn't help it.

"…I'm sorry. I'll try to bear it next time. I'll do my best not to lose my composure." "…Really? I'll get mad if this happens again next time."

She stares straight at me. Repentant from the bottom of my heart, I tell her I'll do my best.

…Man. I only realized it just now, but… Having three girls under the same roof might be a really stressful thing.

It's eleven-thirty now. With lunch coming up, the kitchen is filled with a noisy, forbidding atmosphere.

"Um, Tohsaka-Senpai. I'm thinking of making a dish that everyone can eat from. Do you have anything you don't like?" In the kitchen… With the refrigerator at her back, Sakura speaks timidly.

In response… "I see. Then I'll make mapo tofu." …Tohsaka cuts her off and selfishly starts cutting the tofu.

"―――They aren't getting along. What were you thinking, letting them cook?" Ilya sits Japanese-style on the cushion and speaks without reserve. Hm. It seems even Ilya can tell Tohsaka and Sakura are tense.

"It's just going to get worse if you leave them be. You should know that, so how did you let it come to this?"

"It just sort of happened. We were wondering about lunch. Tohsaka said she'd make it, and Sakura said it was her job. Neither one would back down, so I took both their ideas and suggested that they make lunch together."

"You said that? …I see. No wonder they can't back out now." Ilya seems to understand and takes a sip of tea with proper manners. As expected from a princess. She shouldn't know the proper etiquette, but she's elegant even with something as simple as this.

"But Shirou. Couldn't you have made lunch? Why did you get Rin and Sakura to do it? Tohsaka and Matou are enemies, and Rin wants to kill Sakura."

"That was only up to yesterday. Tohsaka is working with us because she doesn't want to fight Sakura. And they aren't enemies. They get along, and I entrusted them with lunch because I thought it would go well."

"Huh―――they get along!?" "…? Is that so surprising? Ilya and I are friends even though we were enemies, right? Then it should be the same for Tohsaka and Sakura." "Eh… Well, Shirou and I are special…"

"Being special has nothing to do with this. You'll understand if you watch. Tohsaka is being more blunt than usual, but she warns Sakura every time she does something wrong. It means that…" "……She's concerned about her. But she's putting on a cold face and ignoring her because she doesn't want her to find out."

"Right. And Sakura knows that, so she's making mistakes she normally doesn't. She's concerned about Tohsaka too." "…Now that you point it out, I can see it. Then what? They want to get along, but they're too embarrassed to start talking?"

I nod. I don't know about Tohsaka, but I know how Sakura feels.

Sakura likes Tohsaka, and she wants Tohsaka to like her. Or she would never call her Nee-san.

"…I see. So Rin is clumsy, in spite of her appearance." Impressed, Ilya murmurs and looks in the kitchen.

"――――――――" I follow her example and look in the kitchen. They must be half done with the cooking. Standing side-by-side in the small kitchen, Tohsaka and Sakura are making their dishes.

"――――――――" "――――――――" One holds the frying pan while the other holds the ladle, but neither says anything. …And after a silence that even gets us nervous…

As expected from sisters, they start talking at the same time.

"What? Go ahead, I'll listen to whatever you have to say." "Oh… um, it's really nothing. Didn't you want to say something?"

"…It's nothing. Well, different people cook differently, right? So I thought it might be useful if you can teach me some of your flavorings." "Y-You're right. I'd love it if you could teach me your recipes, Tohsaka-Senpai."

"――――――Hm." "…That's it? I don't believe this. At this rate, they'll be like that forever."

"……" It's scary that I can't deny the possibility. Tohsaka is normally dominant, but why is she so shy when it comes to Sakura?

And Sakura too. She calls Tohsaka Nee-san when she's with me, but she's reserved when she's actually with her.

"――――Sakura." "Huh? Oh, yes, what is it, Senpai?" "I need to talk to you. Can you come here?"

"Senpai? Is there something outside?" "No, being outside isn't the important part. I just wanted to talk secretly."

"Um… talk secretly…? Um, is this something you can't let Nee-san hear?" "That's it. That's exactly what I want to talk about."

"…?" "I'm talking about how you address Tohsaka. You don't call her Nee-san when you're with her. It's obvious that you really want to call her that."

"Eh―――you mean it's obvious to Nee-san!?" …Whoa. I just made that up, but it seems Sakura is more reserved about her sister's feelings than I thought.

"N-No, Tohsaka doesn't know. I don't know why, but she's really dense when it comes to you. …But in the worst case, she might think that you hate her."

"T-That's not true…! It's natural for Nee-san to hate me, but I'm happy to be with her. I never even dreamed that we could make lunch together…"

"Right. Then why don't you just be honest with her? Even someone as dense as Tohsaka can't possibly miss it if you tell her straight-out. Then you should be able to…" Sakura should be able to realize by herself that Tohsaka wants to get along with Sakura.

"…Um, Senpai?" "―――It's nothing. Just go call Tohsaka Nee-san. I'll bet you she changes so much that it's funny."

"…Would it really turn out like that? I think having someone like me calling her 'Nee-san' will only bother her. I'm a magus of Matou, and I can't do everything like Nee-san can. Tohsaka-Senpai is probably disappointed that a failure like me is her sister."

"You idiot. Don't bring other things into a sister's relationship. You like Tohsaka, and she's your big sister, right? Then there's nothing more important than that. I'll guarantee it. There's mutual love between you two. To be honest, there's so much love that I'm a bit jealous." "Eh… I-Is that so?"

"Yeah. So you call her Nee-san. I think Tohsaka believed in it, just like you did. So there's nothing to be scared of. It's for her sake too. Please call her Nee-san." "――――――――For Nee-san's sake."

…I don't know what's going on in her mind. But after putting her hands together, as if praying, and thinking it over… "Okay. I'll do my best." She smiles softly in thanks.

――――We return to the living room. Sakura exchanges a glance with me, takes a deep breath, and heads to the kitchen.

"Welcome back. Sakura's tensed up. What happened?" "Hm? The rest depends on her courage. Well, I'm sure it's going to go well." "…?" I sit down on the cushion.

"―――Nee-san. Can I finish this fried chicken?" "Yes, all that's left is to fry it, so I'll leave it to you… wait, Sakura, did you just…"

"Okay. If I'm doing the chicken, can you cut the lettuce, Nee-san? I'll leave the serving to you." "O――――Okay, that's fine, but…"

…Everything goes still. They both fall silent, and the tension is much greater than before. "――――――――" "――――――――" Not even breathing, they stare at one another.

"……Um, is it strange, Nee-san?" "Uh――――i-it's not that. I was just surprised because I've never been called that way." "…Then, um…"

"I-I have nothing against it. You're free to call me whatever you want, and I'm calling you by name. Well, it could get confusing because there are two Senpai here, so that should make things clearer."

Tohsaka makes it sound like it can't be helped and looks away. …But Sakura should be able to tell that she's blushing and can't hide her smile.

…Their joint work got even more awkward after that. They messed up so many times that lunch turned out to be a disaster. The fried chicken was covered in pepper, the mapo tofu was hot as hell, and the rice cooker was never turned on, so we ended up eating without rice. But Tohsaka and Sakura both looked happy, smiling at every opportunity.

"…Geez, they sure are clumsy." Ilya sounds dumbfounded as she eats mapo tofu that's hot enough to numb your tongue. I nod back silently and gratefully eat the food they made.

I return to my room to rest after lunch. Tohsaka had something to do, so she went to her room with Ilya.

"I'm going to take measures against Zouken with Ilya's help. It should take some time for the crest to familiarize itself with your body, so you can rest for the whole afternoon. You'll just get in our way even if you're here."

That's how it is, according to her. We have no way to oppose Zouken right now. So all I can do is to wait for whatever Tohsaka's preparing.

Sakura has returned to her room. Sakura was feeling dizzy while we were cleaning up after lunch. I wasn't worried because she seemed well this morning, but Sakura is no different from a sick person. Tohsaka and I told her to rest if she's feeling even a bit tired, so Sakura is back in her room now.

"――――――" I check out how my arm's doing. It didn't move at all before, but I can manage to move my elbow now. It's still numb, but I feel no pain.

If I'm to talk about pain, the crest Tohsaka planted hurts more. My shoulder, throat, and belly button. It feels like bolts are in those areas as if I'm Frankenstein.

"My left arm is borrowed, and my body is held together with bolts, huh?" It reminds me of cyborgs one would see in science fiction movies. It's an interesting idea, but I can't laugh it off. …I was going to check how my arm's doing, but I didn't even stand in front of the mirror.

It's almost two o'clock. Well――――

[votestaynight2]

10th Day - darkwood,sleepingbeauty(Scene 4)

"It's Tohsaka. I don't even have to think about it." "W-Why? Rin's oppressive, greedy, and loud like a myna bird. But you still like her more? Are you a pervert?"

"No. This isn't like that. This is about whether I'm going to obey Tohsaka, right? Then I'm going to obey her. I can't stop Zouken by myself, and Archer saved my life."

"That's… because Archer is your…"

"I'll give her the right to command me. See, that's just like being a Servant. Tohsaka, if that's what you want, it won't bother me at all." I confirm with Tohsaka.

"…………" "Tohsaka? Hey, don't ask someone a question and then ignore the answer."

"Oh―――y-yeah, I'm glad you understand. My Archer put his trust in you, so we're working together now. He gave everything for you, so work hard and return the favor." "Of course. I have to return what I borrowed."

…That's right. No matter how things ended up this way, my left arm has been replaced by Archer's. But Archer disappeared without fulfilling his contract with Tohsaka. It's only right that I succeed the promises he's made.

"Then let's part here for now. I'm going back to my house to pack, so you go on ahead." "……? Pack? Are you going to come to my house?"

"Of course. We're cooperating now, so we have to be together. Ilya doesn't want to be at my house, and Sakura's living at your place. Your house has to be the main base, no matter how we look at it."

"Oh, yeah. When you put it that way, it makes sense." "…Geez. I thought you were firm, but you're pretty loose too. Maybe I made the wrong choice." Tohsaka sighs and starts walking in the opposite direction.

"…? My house is this way, Ilya. Why are you following Tohsaka?" "It's just for a bit. Rin wants my help, so I'm going to go with her. I'll head over there as soon as we're done, so you go ahead." "…?" Ilya's going to help Tohsaka…?

"Really, Tohsaka?" "Yeah. This is a serious matter, so we need one or two secret weapons. A secret I can't unlock myself might open to an Einzbern magus. ……But I really don't want to find one. If Tohsaka's inheritance, Kishua's keepsake, is just as I imagine, it's not something I can handle myself."

"Then I'm going as well. I'm not interested in Kishua's keepsake, but Zel Schweinorg's treasure chest sounds pretty." Ilya's skirt flutters as she runs off.

"……Kishua? Zel? Schweinorg?" I tilt my head in wonder. I've never heard those names before. Are they famous among legitimate magi?

Interlude 10-4

The guests have left. The chapel regains its silence and the priest looks up at the statue. "――――Was it fine to let the Holy Grail go?" The voice comes from behind. Where was he hiding? The golden-haired man asks the priest cheerfully.

"I do not mind. I never had any attachment to it. I will not stop the Holy Grail from siding with them." "You're right. You had no wish from the start――――if your words are true, it would not make sense to stop the Holy Grail." The man laughs. The priest's words… As if to make fun of the fact that he has no wish.

"――――――――" He does indeed speak the truth. It is just that the golden-haired man cannot comprehend the fact, but the priest has no wish. Kotomine Kirei does not need the power of the Holy Grail. All he has is a thorough inquiry.

The Holy Grail merely answers one's wish. It is a machine to create the desired outcome for one's own question. Is there a meaning in obtaining the answer that one wishes for?

"Kotomine. Let me ask again. You really have no interest in the Holy Grail?" "I have no interest in a machine that grants wishes. The same should go for you, Gilgamesh. Our goals are not our wishes. We are merely seeking pleasure because it is more fun that way. It is like eating food. A wish is something that is answered. But humans will not be saved if a wish grants itself."

The priest keeps staring up at the statue. ――――And beyond it. To ten years in the past, when he still had a wish.

The man is a child his father was gifted with on a pilgrimage in 1967. The name Kirei is supposedly a word of a prayer. The father named his son in the hope he would be pure and beautiful. The boy grew up according to his expectations. Even as a young child, he had morals and good sense, showing such great insight that people thought he was precocious. The father was delighted to be blessed with a great successor, and the son knew of his father's delight. It is a great pleasure for a parent to know his child is gifted. That must have been why the man considered him valuable. ―――Understanding this, the boy grew just as his father expected.

There was no doubt. His inability to love his father was unrelated to meeting the man's expectations. The boy named Kirei grew up healthy. ……But there was one point. He could not understand the "beauty" of which his father spoke.

―――One morning, he realized the inconsistency. He woke up, raised his head, and knew. He was not sure why he understood at that moment. No, he wondered why it took him so long to realize.

In either case, he knew what he had forgotten. His father prayed for him to be beautiful and named him Kirei. That had always been his question. The things his father considered beautiful… The boy had never considered beautiful.

It was as simple as that. He considered moths beautiful instead of butterflies. He considered poisonous plants beautiful instead of roses. He considered the evil beautiful instead of the good. He had a common man's sense of morality, recognizing that it is correct to be good. But by his nature, the boy was only interested in the exact opposite.

Nobody can understand the agony he felt. Even Kotomine himself was never certain whether it was agony or not.

But he worked hard. He tried to be pure and beautiful, and pursued something he did not have from the start. Shaving away the skin, ripping off the flesh, and dislocating the bones. He even tried looking within his body for what he could not find in his mind.

His father spent over ten years on his pilgrimage wearing thorned shoes. The distance he walked could stretch to the moon. It was not for physical pain. For missionaries, the mental pain is far more significant. The boy abstained from eating during their pious act. If he was a sinner by nature, then according to the morals he believed in, he needed to punish himself to maintain balance in the world.

Ten years passed. Unable to reach the epiphany he sought, he arrived at a single conclusion in its place. It was simple. In short, he did not have the sense to feel normal happiness. Good matters that people consider right and find happiness in. Philanthropy, trust, glory, safety. Such matters did not delight him, and it's just that he was born with the deficiency.

All he took pleasure in was the suffering of others. Murder by others, love and hatred of others, degradation of others. Such negative concepts were the only things that made him feel happiness. …His misfortune was carrying a sense of morality, even when he had such a mind.

The child understood at a young age that he was not in accord with the world, and he tried his best to overcome it. He did not surrender to his condition by indulging in twisted pleasure. He tried to save himself, one who could not find happiness in any normal way, by turning himself into a normal person.

And the path was his creed; to become a priest and preach life like his father. ――――It is said that God forgives everything. So he thought God would even save someone "who is not born with it" like himself.

But the result was tragic. He abode by the rules of God, followed the law, and lived modestly, but he could not find any pleasure greater than the pain of others. He believed in the church's teaching that forbade immorality, yet immorality was all he had.

But there was no anguish there. From the beginning, he sought after something that did not exist. He did not lose something he had, so there was no reason for him to grieve. The only thing that concerned the priest as he matured was the question "why?"

Yes―――at every crossroads of his life. The pleasure of committing crimes. One could understand if he reveled in his own corruption, satisfying his urges by committing crimes himself. Wealth gained from evil deeds. It would make sense if he entrapped others out of greed and obtained wealth.

But. What was wrong with him to not even have the option of turning from good to evil? Who could possibly be born a defective being and end his life still detached from the world? Do they not come into this world with the premise that they harm the world?

Call of good sense. Acknowledgment of morals. Trial of justice. Every one of these conclude that evil should not exist. ――――But what about it? If it should not exist, why are such things created?

―――That is right. If one has a deficiency, one should not be born. The world hates evil and removes the faults. But something that was never wanted was given life. There are beings that exist to be hated and die.

――――The man inquired where the crime was.

His reward for years of anguish and blind devotion was not salvation. Just… "why?" It is a pure question, and also anger towards something unknown.

"Then why did you become a Master? You do not need the Holy Grail if you have no wish." "――――――――" The inquiring words bring him back to the present. The priest―――Kotomine Kirei nods in self-derision.

"I did not need the Holy Grail. I was just interested in what was inside it. I sought the Holy Grail ten years ago because it tried to exist. No matter what it may be, I bless anything that tries to come into existence. That is my job."

"Hah. Is that the case even if you have no interest in what is born?" "…Of course. Even in the last Holy Grail War, I was not interested in the Holy Grail or its contents. All I had back then was hatred towards a person who was the exact opposite of me."

But the priest ponders. He can only find pleasure in others' suffering, but he is interested in the end of this Holy Grail War. Zouken's actions behind the scenes. Another Holy Grail that is about to be born. Someone called "all evils of this world" was brought into existence by the people, but not wanted by the people. If it would conceive such a thing, maybe that is――――

"――――The whereabouts of good and evil. Something that was stuffed in the shell, but never hatched." The Holy Grail cannot give answers. The wish-granting machine fulfills its owner's desire. So no revelation can be obtained even if someone without a wish obtains it. But――――

"What if I do not ask for answers, but instead create something from the Holy Grail that can give the answer?" "What…?" The man narrows his eyes. The priest is smiling in front of the statue. "――――――Kotomine." That smile is that of a dying woman. That expression is worn by a man with no interest or desire.

"…The answer should come soon. If this question is a blasphemy to God…" His eyes aren't showing joy. The priest, like an angel that fell to the ground… "―――I shall pledge before God. With all my might, I shall question the Lord even unto death――――" …Looks up at the distant sky with cursing eyes.

End of Interlude

I trudge up the hill. The town is unlively. It's still eight or nine o'clock, but the town is desolate and devoid of any human presence.

"――――, ――――!" Before I know it, I'm stopping and leaning against a wall. My left arm is burning. Maybe my tension went away by being alone, but my left arm started to hurt ever since I got to this hill.

"――――Well, of course. Someone else's arm is attached to me, so no wonder it hurts." …I can't get my breathing together. My arm gets hotter with every step. When it gets hotter than my normal temperature, pain attacks my chest from my arm.

"Oh… So that's where it hurts instead of the arm, huh?" I lean on a fence and take a deep breath. …I think I understand where the pain is coming from. Basically, it's trying to cool off. I don't know how, but my left arm gets hotter every time it moves. When it overheats, the arm sends the excess to the rest of my body.

"――――!" That heat is enough to burn me, causing the pain. The heat enters my body with a sharp pain, and it's more like a cut than a burn. Every time I feel the red dizziness, I feel like I'm getting a long knife inserted from my shoulders and churned inside of me.

"Guh――――haa, ha――――…!" …It's not something I can bear many times. I've had my stomach torn by Berserker and my ribs crushed by Rider. Even with such experiences in mind, the prospect of getting stabbed by my own body sends a chill through me.

"It's fine, calm down――――it'll calm down if I don't let it get hotter――――" I try to relax while looking up at the sky. It's been twenty minutes since I parted with Tohsaka and Ilya. I should've been home by now, but I can't let Sakura see me like this. …I have to keep the abnormality of my left arm to myself.

"―――Damn Kotomine. What did he mean, it wouldn't interfere with my ordinary life? This can't be handled easily―――" I place my hand on my left shoulder and press against the arm covered in red cloth. Hard and rigid as steel, it doesn't even budge.

…Well. I've stopped sweating, and my breathing is back to normal. It's getting late, so I should quickly go home and see Sakura while I still look well――――

"I'm home!" After taking a deep breath, I holler out and enter my house. "…Oh… Welcome home, Senpai." Maybe Sakura's been waiting all this time, because she's already at the entrance.

"…? You don't look lively. I'm glad you're welcoming me home, but I can't be happy when you're making a face like that."

I take off my shoes and go up into my house. I want to rest for today. I'll fill her in on what's happened today after I drink a cup of tea in the living room.

"…Wait, I can't do that. I have to tell her what's going on first." Tohsaka will be coming soon. I have to tell her about what's going on beforehand, or she'll be on guard against Tohsaka.

"Sakura, it's about what happened today." "…Senpai. Aren't you going to say anything about that?" …Then. Sakura says something with difficulty.

"What do you mean?" "…………" She keeps silent. She's looking at my left arm.

"Oh, you mean this? Yeah, I'm sure you're surprised if it looks like this." It's covered with cloth that doesn't look anything like bandages. Even if she doesn't know what went on, she would assume something happened to my arm.

"Yeah, I injured it a bit. But it moves fine, and it's all right now. This cloth is just a bother, but Kotomine told me not to take it off. Well, he's the one who treated me, so I'm going to obey him."

I pat my left arm to show her it's all right. …But Sakura is even more silent now.

"Sakura…? It's really fine. It looks worse than it is. It's just a scratch. It'll heal right away, so you don't need to worry――――"

"I-It can't be just a scratch…! Your arm's gone now! So how can you tell me that…!? I won't fall for such an obvious lie! Or are you not telling me because it's meaningless…!?"

"――――――――" Her reply is like fire. …My insensitivity leaves me speechless. I haven't even considered how Sakura felt all day today, waiting for me here.

"―――――Sakura." "Oh…… I'm sorry, Senpai. I-I didn't mean to blame you. …You were so reckless and didn't care about yourself, so I…"

"―――No. Well, you're right, but you're wrong. I'm not mad because you yelled at me. …Um, this is the first time I've seen you seriously mad, so I was surprised and was contemplating my actions."

"Eh… Contemplating…?" "Yeah. It's certainly not good to bluff. All the more if it's to you. …I probably didn't want to look bad in front of you. That's why I bluffed and tried to act normal. But now that I think about it, that looks worse. It's natural for you to get mad."

"Oh… No, you never look bad." I do look bad. …Man, don't tell Sakura about it so she doesn't get worried? No, I was just putting on a show to look tough.

"―――Yeah, I'm sorry, Sakura. I lost. My arm turned out fine, but I couldn't be of use to you."

"Oh―――that's not true…! You were splendid! I-I didn't see it, but you looked really good!"

"Ugh… No, I really was pathetic, so it hurts me if you say that. I couldn't save Ilya like I'd planned, and all I could do was come running home."

"…No. But you still came home. I'm really happy because you kept your promise."

"Oh――――yeah. That's good." I scratch my head. …But, well… I'm embarrassed, but happy at the same time.

"…You're right. I guess being alive is good enough." "――――Yes. You're good-looking. I fell in love with you all over again."

"――――――――!" Sakura must have cheered up if she can say something like that with a big smile.

"Uh…… um." I don't know how to reply to something like that, so… "Um, what should I say, Tohsaka?" "Who knows? If you want my opinion, I just don't want you two flirting too much at the door." …I ask Tohsaka, who is standing behind me.

""――――Huh?"" Our voices overlap. Sakura and I both jump back at the same time. "S-Since when were you there, Tohsaka――――!?" "Why are you here, Tohsaka-Senpai?" And we give the same reaction again.

"'Since when?' I thought you'd be done filling her in already, but instead I find the two of you having a lovers' quarrel. Geez, do you even understand our situation, Shirou?"

Tohsaka sets down a large bag next to the door. Behind her is…

Ilya, silently radiating a strange pressure.

"I-I don't mind if you want to continue where we left off yesterday, Tohsaka-Senpai. I'll fight you as Matou's magus as long as Senpai's protecting me."

Sakura clenches her fists and glares at Tohsaka. …Well, it's more like a frog desperately opposing a glaring snake.

"……Geez. So you haven't heard anything about it? Look, Sakura. I'm going to put on hold what to do with you. My first priority is to defeat Zouken. We can settle our match after that. …Well, we won't need to fight after Zouken's defeated, so everything should be fine as long as we can defeat him."

"Eh――――then you're…"

"I'm going to ally with you―――no, with Shirou ―――to defeat Zouken. So it'd be a waste to live separately, right? So I'm going to stay over here and train Shirou. It'll be hard work if I want him to become strong in a short time."

"So I'm going to borrow Shirou for a while. It's going to be rough, but you two don't mind, right?" ""Wha――――"" Tohsaka Rin sets a schedule even I haven't heard about.

"H-Hold on, Tohsaka. That's too sudden――――"

"Y-You can't do that…! Nee… no, Tohsaka-Senpai. What right do you have to say that!?" "………I have to be mentally prepared first, you know?"

I stutter off. Of course, my opinion is dismissed by Sakura's voice and Tohsaka's glance.

"Oh, so it's fine as long as I have the right? Then it's even less of a problem. It's because of me that he's alive. Shirou has to do what I say until he repays the favor. You'll give me a place to live if I ask, and you'll make meals for me if I ask, right?" "――――――――" Tohsaka. Those lines could bring on a big misunderstanding.

"No way… I-Is that true, Senpai…?" "―――Yeah. I want to object, but what she's saying is true."

"――――" "And it's better to have more allies, right? We know Zouken is after you. With Tohsaka's help, we can definitely protect you." …And Tohsaka is Sakura's older sister. If possible, I want them to be together, not fighting.

"……All right. I understand if you say so." Sakura averts her gaze.

"Then it's decided. I'm coming in. Come on, Shirou, show me the guest room. I had my eyes on the guest room in the outbuilding last time I was here. Oh, where do you want, Ilya?" "――――――――"

"Ilya? Why are you spaced out? You were so happy we were going to stay at Shirou's house." "…That's not true. I was never happy."

A weak voice. Ilya hangs her head and stares at the floor. …As if saying the small step up is a towering wall.

"――――Shirou. Let me ask. Where is that woman sleeping?" Then. What happened to her depressed attitude? Ilya's now glaring at Sakura.

"…? Um, Sakura's sleeping in the guest room in the outbuilding." "I see. Then you can go to the outbuilding by yourself, Rin. I don't care where I am, as long as it's not in the outbuilding." "Is that so? Then I guess you can have the Japanese-style room." They're carrying on a relaxed conversation, and it sounds like they're close enough now to call each other by name.

"Oh yeah. Sakura, this is Ilya. Berserker's defeated, but we managed to save Ilya. We're going to have her stay here like Tohsaka, but please give her your best regards." I introduce Ilya to Sakura, and Sakura to Ilya.

"Hello, Sakura. I hear you're the daughter of Makiri, but I won't look down on you. It seems you're Shirou's acquaintance, so I'll specially treat you like a human being." "…You're right. Then I'll act like you do."

"…?" That's the entirety of their introduction. Ilya follows after Tohsaka to the living room. And…

"――――――――" Sakura watches her go with cold eyes.

Dinner commenced like a storm. …No, it's misleading to use the word storm. That was more like a calm wind. Since there was no wind, I didn't feel the passage of time, and dinner ended like that. The atmosphere was painfully tense.

"I'll cook dinner. It's like having soba to celebrate a move." Tohsaka made dinner by herself after that. I hate to say it, but it tasted better than mine. Sakura might just be even with her in Western food, her specialty.

"――――Y-You're good at cooking, Tohsaka-Senpai." Sakura was torn apart in shock, and she started eating silently. I couldn't do anything extra because I was worried about things like Tohsaka's food, the fact that I'm eating Tohsaka's hand-made meal, Sakura's dejection, Ilya's tension, and Sakura's tension.

As a result, I couldn't taste how good Tohsaka's meal was. I was just made to realize how perfect Tohsaka is throughout the hour.

――――So. "I need to prepare my room, so I'm heading off. I'll give you the details tomorrow morning, so you should rest for tonight." Tohsaka even washes the dishes perfectly, then heads out.

"I'm going to my room too. Everyone who went to the forest is tired, so your body won't last unless you get some sleep." …It must be an insinuating remark to Sakura, who stayed at this house today. Ilya speaks without looking at Sakura and gets up.

"…Man, what's up with her?" Tohsaka is just as expected, but Ilya's acting strange. She's acting as cold towards Sakura as she did towards me the first time we met.

"Why is Ilya so aggressive towards Sakura? Do the Einzbern and Makiri families not get along?"

According to Kotomine, Einzbern, Makiri, and Tohsaka are noble families of magi who started the Holy Grail War. It seems the Einzberns were the highest ranked, so from her point of view, Tohsaka and Sakura must be below her.

"…Man. Don't misunderstand, okay? Ilya's saying that because she's moody, but you'll get along with her if you start talking to her. She's just really shy… Sakura?" Sakura doesn't reply. She shakes her head back and forth, and gradually starts falling back――――

"Sakura…!" I grab her shoulders to stop the fall.

"…Huh, Senpai? Why the scary face?" …Sakura hasn't noticed. She looks at me like nothing happened, completely oblivious to her near-collapse.

"No, it's nothing much." I let go of her. "Oh…" That must be why she noticed.

"…I'm sorry. I fell asleep because I'm a bit tired." She apologizes for something she doesn't know about.

"…Well, it's only been a day. You should rest too. Let's listen to Tohsaka and sleep for today. We don't have to push ourselves to stay up."

"Y-You're right, I'll gladly go with that idea. I'll be up and well tomorrow if I get a good night's sleep. I'll cook breakfast tomorrow since Tohsaka-Senpai treated us tonight. I'm going to get back at her by cooking breakfast you've trained me in."

Sakura smiles jokingly and gets up. …She looks to be standing steadily. It won't change anything to follow her to the guest room. Sakura seems well, so I have to believe in her.

"Yeah. Take Tohsaka down a peg. You're our last hope. We're cornered unless we can strike back here." "Please leave it to me. I'll make sure to give her a punch."

"I'm glad I can count on you. …I'll give you what little help I can. We'll sleep early today and meet at the kitchen at six o'clock tomorrow. Is that fine?" "Yes. I'll be waiting, Senpai."

Sakura bows and heads to the porch. ……Then. "―――Um, Senpai. Please don't tell Nee-san about what happened earlier." Sakura speaks in a tense voice without turning around.

"I know. You just fell asleep, so it's nothing to tell Tohsaka." "――――Okay. Good night, Senpai." …She closes the shouji. Sakura leaves without turning around.

"――――――――" She must have been talking about the fact that she almost collapsed. Sakura hasn't recovered as much as she thinks. Kotomine said she won't last more than a few days. Even ignoring what Zouken will do to her, she is unstable.

That's why Sakura's trying to act fine. As if telling us… That she's all right, and that we don't need to worry about her.

"…Nee-san, huh?" Sakura says that word only when she's alone with me. And only when she's feeling faint-hearted. …Sakura calls Tohsaka "Nee-san" when she can't suppress her cries for help. Their complicated upbringing created a wall between them.

They may be able to return to being normal sisters if that wall is destroyed. That might be the best thing I can do for Sakura right now.

"…Yeah. They're acting awkward, but they show some hope." This situation was dumped in our laps, but it may be a good opportunity after all.

"――――――――, So hot." I wake up. My pajamas are drenched in sweat, and my futon is kicked away. I wipe my forehead and feel that it's wet with sweat.

"――――――――" …I can't think straight. My brain might be fried from the midsummer-like heat. I can't figure out what time it is or where I am, no matter how hard I think.

"――――――――" I go out into the yard. I want to cool off my body more than anything. …I don't know if the heat is coming from the room or my body. I'm too lazy to think, so I'll sleep in the shed tonight. It's cold there, at the very least. It doesn't matter if it's hot or…

"Guh――――, ah――――!" A sudden, sharp pain brings me to my knees. "――――. Ow――――" I stay crouched, breathing heavily.

…I wake up. I squeeze my left arm, the cause of the heat and the pain. The Shroud is still wrapped around it. The red cloth is restraining my arm. I can move it, but it's wrapped so tight that the circulation is restricted. Maybe this cloth is the cause of the pain.

"Maybe my arm's just as it was if I take it off." The wild idea sounds very attractive. First of all, I never saw my arm destroyed or transplanted. It's not that I don't trust that priest, but I'm sure he makes mistakes too.

Maybe nothing is wrong with my arm, and my real arm will be there if I take off this cloth. My arm isn't steel. The cloth is just making my arm stiff, so if I remove it――――

[votestaynight2]

10th Day - darkwood,sleepingbeauty(Scene 3)

I'll protect Ilya. I can't try to save two people. Tohsaka has Archer, but Ilya has no one. Then… I have to take Berserker's place――――!

"Get down, Ilya…!" I tackle Ilya, forcing her to the ground. And the instant I cover her body with my own… My vision and perception is filled with black.

"Oh――――"

It's hot.

My body is almost blown away. The condensed and released wave of magical energy rages through the forest as a storm.

It's not there.

My vision is painted black. If it's this dark even though I can clearly see, a black sun must have come falling down.

My body's not there.

It probably melted from the heat. My body's not there. The loss of my sense of touch is more disgusting than the pain.

"Ha――――ah――――ah――――" But that's a problem. I can't protect Ilya unless I have a body. The black shadow tries to take Ilya. I flail my right arm to drive it off. Embracing her with that same arm, I press her to the ground.

"Ha――――ah." And I finally realize. My body's there. My body must be there, or else I couldn't have protected Ilya. …Man, I panicked too much. All I lost was my left arm. That's the only part of me that vanished without trace. The rest of my body is still there.

…But I still have the sense of loss. I only lost one of the two. But it feels like I lost my whole body.

"――――――――" …It's disappearing. The shadow fades away without trace, its energy spent.

…Ilya's safe. My ears must be numb, as I can't hear what she's saying.

What… happened to Tohsaka? Archer is… there. His red cloak is painted a deeper red, and he's so weakened that he might disappear in the next second.

…How strange. Why is she here?

"――――Have you gone mad? If you do such a thing, you will…" "I do not even need to think about it. Two will disappear if I do nothing, but one can be saved if we transplant it. …This body is almost dead anyway. If I am to disappear, it will not make a difference even if my arm is cut off."

Archer and Rider are talking.

…What the hell is going on? And in the end… "One would normally die. One cannot survive after attaching a spirit body to the human body. But the boy and I are an exception. Rin should treat him appropriately once she wakes up." He tenderly runs his fingers through Tohsaka's hair.

――――My vision fades to black. The dark sun no longer shines on the forest. Then… The darkness must be falling on my consciousness. "――――So this is it. Farewell, Tohsaka." Archer bids farewell in a voice that sounds just like mine.

Interlude 10-3

The shadow wavers. The red knight is covered in blood, and Tohsaka Rin is sitting on the ground, dumbfounded. About five meters away from them stand the silver-haired girl and Emiya Shirou, hand in hand.

…The shadow wavers. After shrinking like a dead tree, the shadow expands like a blowfish. No, its poisonous nature is like an uglier deep-sea fish. The expansion continues without limit, swelling outward and dyeing the forest black.

――――At that instant. The red knight dies protecting Tohsaka Rin, and Emiya Shirou survives by pure luck. It is fortunate that the ground is uneven. The expanding shadow passes over Emiya Shirou, who is in a hollow pit. But his left arm is above its rim, unable to share in that fortune―――

"――――!" She wakes up. It's been half a day since she sent Rider to guard Shirou. Matou Sakura, who shared vision with her Servant to follow the situation without ever leaving the house, is brought back to reality with that scene.

"Haa――――ah, uh……!"

She feels like vomiting. Her vision is blurred as if she had lost it, because she cut the shared vision off by force. Her body is sweating, and as soon as she breathes――― "Ugh… ha, ahh……!" What's in her stomach rises up to her throat.

She runs into the dressing room. She's covering her mouth with her hands, and as soon as she gets to the sink… "Uh, ugh, uh…!" She vomits out everything in her stomach.

"――――Oh." She stands there with her head down, shoulders heaving. Her long hair flutters like a curtain, hiding her face from the mirror.

"……No way. Senpai's arm…" She recalls the nightmare. …There's no mistake about the vision. Emiya Shirou lost his left arm while protecting the silver-haired girl. It melted away without trace from the shoulder down.

"――――What have I…" Sakura masochistically yells at herself for considering such a thing. She feels a chill and a strange uplift, not able to think about what happened and what she should do. All she knows is that she hates herself. …She previously got the idea that… If Emiya Shirou were injured to a point where he wouldn't be able to go outside, he would not be in danger anymore.

"No… That was all wrong." Yes, she was wrong. It will not solve anything. Was it simply carelessness that made her wish for him to be hurt? Now he has been wounded, regardless of her wishes. Not a wound that will keep him indoors, but one that threatens his very life.

There's no difference between the two. That's what it means to be injured. Why did she think that a misfortune to lose a part of one's body is a good thing?

"Ugh――――ah, uh…….!" The nausea does not go away. She does not stop vomiting even after throwing up everything. Gastric juice and blood. She thinks that the sharp pain in her stomach and the scratch on her throat is like a punishment to condemn her.

…And after a while… Her nausea finally goes away when the gastric juice runs out, and she regains her composure. She breathes heavily. Her shoulders are moving up and down painfully. She puts her hands on the sink and tries to calm down, as if she's just finished running a marathon. "―――But Senpai can't fight anymore." In a trance, she speaks her true feelings.

A short murmur. Still breathing heavily, she raises her head. The figure in the mirror is crushed by a feeling of guilt. The apologetic expression is caused by her worry for Emiya Shirou's well-being. She truly wishes for his safety. The mirror reflects a face with a crooked smile.

End of Interlude

――――It's hot.

I'm trapped in a sultry stone room. The heat radiating from my shoulder is like a plague of microscopic bugs eating my cells. My shoulder. The place where my arm used to be is covered with honey, and ants are swarming on it so it looks like a carpet.

――――――It's hot.

My body is burning from within. This isn't like a sultry stone room, but more like a sealed frying pan. I hear the sound of something burning and realize that I've been scorched black.

――――――――――It's hot.

The heat melts my mind, leaving my body untouched. Slowly and fiercely. It burns through my genes as if trying to overwrite them.

…Is this nightmare finally coming to an end?

――――――――――――It's hot.

The hole is sealed so that the ants cannot escape. ――――It's hot. ――――It's hot. ――――It's hot. ――――It's hot. ――――It's hot, it's hot, it's hot, it's hot……!!!!!

The hole is in my shoulder. I don't know why, but my missing left arm became a gateway, allowing the ants to flood into my body. And the entrance――――the hole to let them out is sealed with flesh that's not mine――――!

It's changing. It's changing to something I don't know. It's coming in. Knowledge I shouldn't have is flowing into me. It is his battle experience and battle information.

"Ha――――ah, gah――――!"

This is his Noble Phantasm. It's not the pair of swords. Kanshou and Bakuya. Favoring the treasured swords made by an ancient blacksmith, he himself was a blacksmith heroic spirit.

That's why he creates. He duplicates everything he sees and understands. No. It is not duplication, but projection. A unique magic that reproduces the real thing using an image in the caster's mind. And―――the heat burning my mind tells me to manage this skill.

"Haa――――ahh, ah――――!"

Don't kid me. That's impossible. It won't fit. I don't know about projection. I'm not at that level yet. Cutting corners like this will destroy my body. First of all, I have my hands full with myself. I can't memorize or use someone else's ability. I don't have the needed power to begin with, and we're strangers with no connection, so there's no way it will become familiar with my body. No, I won't be able to bear it even if it becomes familiar with my body. You can't put time out of order or destroy the regularity. Even if you help me, I don't have the skills to handle it―――― "――――――――" …My consciousness slowly returns. I'm sleeping on an unfamiliar bed in an unknown room.

"…Huh…?" I raise my body. I think――――I met Saber at the forest, ran away with Tohsaka, and Ilya―――― "……" Our eyes meet. Ilya is beside the bed, staring at me with blank amazement.

"――――I see. So you're all right." I sigh with relief. I don't get the situation, but I'm glad Ilya's all right.

"Oh, good! You're awake, Shirou!" "Huh――――wait, Ilya…!" Ilya charges at me.

"Whoa." "I'm glad… I'm so glad, Shirou…!" Hugging me, she buries her face in my chest and repeats herself over and over.

"――――――――" …Man. I don't get what's going on, but I can't do anything if she's crying like this.

"Does your wound hurt? I'll make him put on another one if you think it's slightly strange!" "……? Oh, it doesn't hurt anywhere. More importantly, can you explain to me what happened after th――――" As I speak… "Gih――――!?"

I feel like a long knife is thrust into me.

"Ha――――gih, guh――――!" Unable to bear the pain, I tear at my chest with my right hand.

"Shirou…!? Calm down! Don't try to bear it, but try to repress your left arm…!" "Oh――――left… arm…?" ……I don't quite get it. I don't, but I want to escape this pain as quickly as possible.

"――――Haa――――Haa, ha――――ah." …I relax my mind. Once I start meditating, I quickly understand which part of me is abnormal. I can control it more or less if I know the origin of the pain. I just need to create a barrier so that the foreign substance can't enter my body.

"――――Phew. I'm fine now, Ilya." "Yeah, I can tell. I wondered what'd happen, but they don't seem to reject each other, at the very least." "……?" It seems like Ilya knows what's causing the pain.

"……Hm?" I look at myself and notice that I'm wearing big hospital clothes. …No, these are more like restraints. All I can move is my right arm. Everything else is firmly belted down, and I can't take them off myself.

"What are these? Why am I wearing something like this, Ilya?" "U-Um… that's…" Ilya looks away awkwardly. "I shall explain the rest, Emiya Shirou." …Then. A person I really don't want to see appears.

"She has recovered as well. All I need to do here is to explain the situation, so leave if you have no business." "…Hah, yeah right. I'm going to leave with Shirou. There isn't a problem even if I'm here if you're not going to do anything, right?"

"I see, there certainly is no problem. But I would like to keep the explanation short. If you will not interrupt, go sit in the corner quietly." "All right, I guess I'll do so." Ilya passes Kotomine and walks to the wall.

"――――Well. I shall answer your question before I explain the situation. Do not be too surprised, Emiya Shirou." Kotomine reaches out. He unbuckles the belts and removes the coverings.

"Wha――――" The arm there is not Emiya Shirou's arm.

I can tell even through the wrapped cloth. …My left arm is not part of my body. It is a foreign substance that should not be there, attached by opposing the natural Providence.

"Kotomine, this is…" "It is Archer's left arm. In accordance with Archer's wish, I have transplanted it from his corpse."

"Archer's wish…? Wait, did you say corpse?" "He disappeared after the transplant was completed. He was almost dead when he was carried here, but surprisingly, he endured until the operation ended. It must be because of his capacity for independent action."

"………" Archer has been eliminated. Then the remaining Servants are Zouken's Assassin, Sakura's Rider, and…

…No. I don't think I can call her a Servant anymore.

"…Hold on. Archer disappeared, right? Then isn't it weird that his arm's still here?"

"His left arm would have disappeared too if he disappeared before the transplant was completed. But that has been cut and planted to your body while Archer was still in this world. It is a part of a heroic spirit that has been connected to your Magic Circuit, and it stays in this world using your magical energy. …It has become a part of your body after the transplant was completed. The left arm will remain even if Archer disappears after that. That left arm is already yours now."

"Then… this is really his arm?" "Yes. You two would have died in your conditions. Archer lost the core that anchored him in this world, while you lost your arm in a mortal wound. Fortunately, Archer did not have many physical wounds, so he saved your life by offering you his body."

"――――――――" …The left arm that melted. The heat that violated my mind, and this left arm that is not mine. Everything tells me that the event in that forest really did happen. ――――I fell in that forest. And I was saved by Archer after that.

"…But is it even possible to transplant a Servant's body onto a human's?" "It's possible to just connect them. Spiritual doctors are said to heal the soul and not the body. I guess this priest here is the real thing, in contrast to his looks."

"I accept your compliment, but this is nothing to celebrate. Joining two separate spiritual bodies is forbidden magic. It cannot succeed. Spiritual bodies… resurrection and restoration of souls are divine mysteries that cannot be handled with magic. That is why I thought I only succeeded in shape, and expected him to die of shock, but――――"

"…Shirou and Archer are a special case. I found out earlier that he would pull through if the connection was made."

"…?" Ilya looks away and lets her eyes wander sadly.

"Oh. Well, I do not know why. All I know is that you two were suited for each other. I was surprised when I started the operation. Even twin brothers would not look this alike." "――――――――" I flex my left arm to test his words.

…I don't feel anything. I don't even feel pain. It's like a lump of dead meat. It doesn't move, no matter what I do. It's like a hand numbed by loss of circulation. The sensation of a part of my body not moving brings mental fear rather than physical pain.

…The left arm is just a piece of metal. One might feel constricted like this if one became a tin man.

"…It doesn't move at all. Was the operation really successful?" "Do not wish for such an excessive thing. That is all it can do right after connecting it. It shall familiarize with your body in a few days. I told you earlier, but you two are compatible. At this rate, it should heal well enough to give you no trouble in leading an ordinary life."

"But be warned. I am only saying that the Magic Circuits are compatible. No matter how suited you may be to his arm, this arm is the arm of a heroic spirit, something a human cannot handle. No, it is more like a weapon than an arm. It is powerful, but it will swallow you if you use it." "―――Does that mean I'll self-destruct?"

"Of course. If a human like you uses the arm of a heroic spirit, your body will be consumed by Archer's arm. No, the term blown away is more accurate."

"Your body is spiritually far inferior to Archer's arm. Archer's Magic Circuit will be activated if you use that arm even once. At that time―――your body will be unable to withstand Archer's magic, and it will break down. Look, it is not that your lifespan is shortened with each use. The time bomb in you will be turned on once you use it."

"――――――――" …What is that? In short, that means I'll certainly die if I try to do what Archer does even once. "……Then this cloth is for that reason…?"

"Yes, it is a seal. The Magic Circuit in your left arm will not be activated as long as you keep it on. Your arm is treated as a different object even if you use magic. But do not let your guard down. Magical energy flows through your body even if you do not use any magic. Pain will assail your arm as it reacts and tries to activate. Your left arm is covered with the Shroud of Martin to prevent that. It should be able to suppress the infringement from your left arm to a certain extent as long as you keep it on."

"Hold on. To a certain extent? That means…"

"It cannot completely suppress your arm. …Yes, you will be consumed by Archer's arm whether you use it or not. If you want to live to old age, become a great enough magus to match the arm. You should then be able to seal your arm without the shroud."

"I estimate it will be about ten years before the arm consumes you. You have that much time. You can become a master magus and control your arm, or you can fail and be consumed. It is not an imminent threat."

"……" This is like I was remodeled without my knowing. …But it's no use complaining. I would've died in that forest. Transplanting Archer's arm was the only way to save my life, so complaining would mean I don't want to live.

"――――I understand. Let me thank you. …You did another favor for me. Could you please pray that it doesn't happen a fourth time?" "I suppose I do not need to worry if you can talk like that. Then go outside. Rin is waiting for you in the chapel."

Kotomine heads to the door. I get off from the bed and put on the prepared jacket. I can't move my left hand, so I just drape it over my shoulder.

"Okay, it won't hurt if I keep my guard up. Let's go, Ilya." "Oh… yeah, I'm coming."

…I exit and find myself in the courtyard. The sky is dark, and it's already nighttime.

"I forgot to tell you, but you can easily take off that Shroud. The choice is always yours. You are free to use Archer's power, but your survival will not be guaranteed. Do your best with that in mind."

Tohsaka glares at me as soon as I enter the chapel. …I don't know what I did to deserve it, but I'm relieved to know she's all right.

"Well. Everyone is treated now. Emiya Shirou's arm has been transplanted, and Rin's poison is purified. Is there anything else you require of me?" "……Of course not. You might claim our lives as collateral if you do us any more favors."

"I see. Then we shall be parting here, but let me ask as the supervisor. What are you going to do now, Rin? The Holy Grail War is a failure now. The outcome is practically decided already, as most of the remaining Masters do not have Servants."

Tohsaka shuts her mouth. …The match is pretty much decided, just like Kotomine said. The only Masters with Servants are Zouken and Sakura. …Ordinarily the last two standing would fight, but Sakura cannot oppose Zouken. Looking at it that way, it's already over.

"Matou Zouken will either recapture Matou Sakura or kill her. It will be difficult to stop him, and you are under no obligation to do so. There is no benefit to kill Zouken." "Oh, is that because Masters without their Servants can't obtain the Holy Grail?"

"Right. That is why there is no reason to fight. Any more battle is meaningless. You would be wise to stay in your mansion and wait until the war is over." "―――Thanks for the warning. But I'm not going to forfeit."

"―――I'm surprised. So you cannot give up the Holy Grail?" "Of course not. I'm still a Master, even if I lost my Servant. Don't assume that I'm going to forfeit just because I'm alone now."

"Oh. I see, you are certainly right. There is one other who shamelessly stayed on the battlefield after losing his Servant. So you cannot give up easily."

"――――Heh, Shirou has nothing to do with this. This is my decision. I haven't given up yet, and I don't intend to let Zouken win. Neither of those will save her."

"Tohsaka." I open my eyes wide and look at Tohsaka.

"W-Why do you look so happy? I-I didn't copy you, okay? I'm not giving up because I think I still have a chance of winning. I'm not like you, staying in it even when I don't have any chance." "―――Yeah, I thought so. That's what I expected from you, Tohsaka."

"……That's annoying in a way too, but it's fine if you understand." She looks away.

Tohsaka doesn't want to give the Holy Grail to Zouken not because of her sense of justice. Sakura cannot be saved if Zouken wins. If we want to save Sakura, Sakura has to obtain the Holy Grail―――or else someone who wants to save her has to claim it.

That's why Tohsaka said she or Sakura has to win. That's the only reason she's fighting against Matou Zouken. Tohsaka cannot obtain the Holy Grail anymore, but is still wanting to save Sakura, her younger sister.

"Hm. So what about you, Emiya Shirou? Will you not give up the Holy Grail, just like Rin?" "No, I won't stop fighting. I have my goals too. I won't let Zouken do as he wishes."

"…I see. I shall not stop you if you want to fight. There is a hopeless difference in your powers, but Matou Zouken is a weak person. I am sure you can devise some plan."

"…………" "…………" We look at each other silently.

…Some plan, huh? I can't come up with one by myself, but with Tohsaka, we just might figure out how to beat the old man―――

Our conversation ends. The treatment is over, so Kotomine requests that we leave, as we are not asking for protection here.

"―――I'm leaving even if you don't tell me to. Hey, do you have a place to go, Ilya?" "…? I still have my castle, and Sella and Leysritt will come if I call to them, so I still have a place to go back to. …Why are you asking such a thing?"

"Well, it's dangerous to be by yourself, right? I want you to stay at my place if you don't mind. I think that's more convenient too." "I don't mind, but I have to refuse. That woman is at your place." Then. Ilya answers me in a weird way.

"…?" I stare at Tohsaka because I don't understand what she means by "I don't mind, but I won't go". Oh, she looks like she doesn't want to interfere.

"Oh. So you chose Matou Sakura, Emiya Shirou." "…Kotomine?"

"I do not mind taking care of Ilyasviel. Even if she goes back to her castle, Matou Zouken will only kidnap her." "I refuse. I'm taking Ilya." "No way. I'm borrowing Ilya." "I'm sorry, but I can choose where I want to go."

"……… That is unfortunate. So Ilyasviel is to stay at the Tohsaka household?" "D-Don't say such a stupid thing…! The Master of Einzbern will not go to Tohsaka's house!"

"Okay. Then where are you going to go? You'll have to go back to your castle if you don't want to stay at the church, my house, or Shirou's place."

"I know. That place is my workshop, so I won't go into the care of another Master. I'm going to do things myself even without Berserker."

"Oh, I thought so. You almost killed Shirou once, but he came and saved you in spite of that. But you don't feel any appreciation and you're going back to your castle, huh? Did you hear that, Emiya-kun? After all you've done for her, she still hates you. She says she doesn't want to stay in that tiny house of yours."

"W-What are you saying, Rin!? I never said anything like that――――" "You are saying it. You're not going to Emiya-kun's place because he's unreliable, right? You're saying you're going bacͫ to your castle where you can feel safe."

"…That's true… But I'm going back to my castle because I have to get away from Shirou――――" "Huh? Oh, I see. So him being reliable doesn't matter because you hate him, huh? Well, why didn't you say that in the first place?" Tohsaka calmly criticizes Ilya.

"――――Oh." This is bad. Just as I'm worrying that this will turn bloody…

"T-That's not true! I never said I don't want Shirou! It's something else that I don't like…!" "――――Hear that? You're really popular, Emiya-kun." Tohsaka smiles gently, and Ilya glares at her with vexation.

"…………" …Um. So whose house is Ilya going to…?

In the end, Ilya will be coming to my house. Tohsaka and Ilya leave the chapel, arguing. I guess I can say they're getting along.

"――――――――" …Our conversation is over. It's our problem now, so there's nothing to talk about with Kotomine.

I follow after them and leave the chapel. But then… "Do not forget, Emiya Shirou. That body of yours will no longer permit you to fight." The priest gives his usual warning.

"That's not true. It's just that I can't use my left arm. I can still fight." "I see. By the way, how is Matou Sakura's condition?" "Sakura's condition…?"

…That's a bit unexpected. I thought he was going to make more sarcastic remarks, so why is he suddenly concerned about how Sakura's doing?

"What's going on? What good would it do for you to care about Sakura?"

"It seems you do not understand. I am talking about your body. Look, Emiya Shirou. Your body is in critical condition, but Matou Sakura is carrying a more dangerous bomb. You will be safe if you do not fight, but she is breaking down with each passing second. That is why you cannot stop fighting, even though you know fighting will only bring you closer to death."

"………" "Emiya Shirou has to fight if you are to save Matou Sakura. But now, fighting is like committing suicide for you. Therefore―――you must understand that saving Matou Sakura means killing yourself."

"……So what? That doesn't concern you at all." I chose to save Sakura. I won't back out on my oath, no matter what happens to my body.

"I see. A devotion to offer your life is beautiful. But is that woman truly so valuable to you?" "What…?"

"This is your last warning, Emiya Shirou. To save a life is to satisfy one's desire. If you would like to keep Matou Sakura alive―――do not forget this until the very end."

"……" I go outside. Tohsaka and Ilya are waiting for me there. Ilya is looking up at the sky, and Tohsaka is glaring at me like she wants to complain.

"You're late! What were you talking with Kotomine about, Shirou?" "Well, it was just his usual criticism――――"

More importantly, there's something that's on my mind, but I don't know if I should bring it up. …Tohsaka. Are you calling me by my first name now…?

"…Hmph, fine. We're short on time, so I'll get right to the point. This is a serious matter, and we don't have much chance of winning if we go our separate ways. I'll forgive you for what you did yesterday, so you'd better be grateful."

Her manner is pompous, but her words are even more so. …Um, it's hard to understand, but what Tohsaka wants to say is…

"Tohsaka. Does that mean…" "Yeah, I'm saying we can cooperate! First of all, you're unreliable. We're both out to defeat Zouken, so I can cooperate with you!"

Tohsaka continues angrily. "――――――――" It feels like I'm hit in the head with a hammer. The sudden request is a great fortune.

"O―――Oh, thank you! I owe you, Tohsaka! There's no greater help than having you on my side…!"

I take Tohsaka's hand and shake it up and down. This is troubling. I know I'm being too happy, but I can't stop myself.

"Hey, I understand! You don't have to thank me, so hold on…!" Tohsaka retreats quickly. …Then. I don't know why, but she looks at my left arm.

"…Let me ask you beforehand. You do know whose arm that is, right?" "…?" I nod, since it's a matter of course.

Tohsaka then takes a deep breath. "Then you're my Servant from now on, Shirou. You were saved thanks to my Servant, so that's natural, right?" …And makes a ridiculous demand.

"Wha―――――" "―――――What?" I'm really lost. I try to figure out what Tohsaka means.

"W-What are you saying…!? It's stupid to claim his ownership just because of something like that!" Yes. Ilya can be reasonable, after all.

"First of all, you're completely missing the point. Shirou is mine, so there's no

way he can be yours!" …I see. So she's missing the point too.

"Hey, you're the one talking big. Do you think Shirou is yours because you spared him once? Then that goes for me as well. I was so angry when I met him at school that I almost went berserk myself."

"That's just because you're immature. I spared him every day, so Shirou's life is obviously mine. I can choose to keep him alive or not, and you have nothing to do with this, so stay out of this."

"I have nothing to do with this…? Don't take me so lightly! I can't concern myself this much if I have nothing to do with this…! Archer entrusted me with him, so I'm going to take responsibility and make sure he stays alive!"

I can almost hear their teeth grinding as they glower at each other. "……" I wait for it to end. …Well. It's going to be troublesome, no matter who wins.

""So, which one is it!?""

It seems they've realized that fighting solves nothing, so they've chosen me to make the final decision.

"What do you mean 'which'?" "So whose Servant are you? I haven't heard your answer yet, so it's best to clarify it now."

"Yeah. Rin doesn't seem to realize you don't want her, so you have to be clear. Come on, say it. You're mine, right?"

"……" I don't need to think about it. The one who has the right to order me around is――――

[votestaynight2]

10th Day - darkwood,sleepingbeauty(Scene 2)

"――――I'll go too. That's what I came here for." "Then stay behind me. I'll let Archer lead the way. That way you won't get cut down the moment we get there."

Tohsaka starts running. Archer takes form, gives me a single glance, and takes the lead.

"Please be all right, Ilya……!" I clench the wooden sword in my hand and run after them at full speed.

Interlude 10-2

The girl flees the castle with the black giant. It is a baffling escape. She has abandoned her castle, the place designed to offer her the best defense, to run to the forest.

――――Danger is approaching. The girl was the first one to sense the unavoidable fact. …The "enemy" is approaching the castle. Because she felt that the enemy is a great one, she maximized the castle's defense and woke up the giant in anticipation of the enemy. The giant of steel, Berserker. Personification of destruction who has his sanity taken away and only obeys the girl.

With her bodyguard and the castle's protection, she has nothing to fear. She tells herself this, suppressing her unease.

But. When the enemy drew near, her giant said… Run. Even the one with no reason left understood that he could not beat the approaching foe.

The girl started running at that instant. She knows that. She already knew that. The thing that reached the outer wall is not something they can match. The ominous shadow expands with the sun behind it, and it becomes a great shadow to easily climb over the outer wall.

――――They will lose. With her aside, Berserker cannot beat that thing. He will lose if he fights it, and Berserker will not be her Servant anymore. That is the root of her uneasiness. She ran away from the castle not in fear of her own defeat, but in fear of losing her Servant.

The black giant carries her as they make their way through the forest. The uneasiness does not go away, but assails her with increased weight. ―――She cannot get away. The girl vaguely understands that she cannot get away from this uneasiness and fear―――and the black giant stops.

"Oh. Such wisdom. You came out because you know you cannot win."

In front of them is a withered magus. Next to him is Assassin, wearing a white skull mask. Matou Zouken. She figures out right away he is the magus of Makiri that she was informed of when she left her home country.

"―――Matou Zouken. So a person that's not chosen by the Holy Grail is acting like a Master?" The girl jumps to the ground and confronts the old man. There is no fear in her eyes. The enemy before her is not the terrifying one she sensed.

"Hah, chosen by the Holy Grail? Do not speak such nonsense. The Holy Grail does not choose the Masters. The Holy Grail is just a vessel. Are you poisoned by the church, saying that it has a mind and that it consecrates?"

"………" The girl coldly glares at him as he laughs. …The Holy Grail does not choose, just like the old man says. Masters are chosen by the Holy Grail, Servants are given form with the Holy Grail's power, and they stay in this world with the help of the Masters. The rules are intentionally distorted and spread around. The girl knows that the purpose of the Holy Grail War is actually the other way around.

The Holy Grail is merely something to be filled. Masters are not chosen, but prepared as part of the ritual. And Servants are merely tools used to open the gate―――

"…Hah. Aren't you the one who got your mind poisoned? The Holy Grail that becomes the container has no will, but the Great Holy Grail that chooses the Masters does. You people tried to fill the Holy Grail by summoning heroic spirits because the prototype is here, in this land. ―――Well, I'm sure the Makiri blood declined because you, the person concerned, forgot about such a thing." Her voice is cold. The old man accepts her scorn with a laugh.

"Oh, there is no need to worry. Makiri's decline will end now. The matter is about to be completed. The plan was to take part in the next ritual, but I was blessed with good game pieces. My earnest desire is about to come true." "I see. Then do as you wish. I'm not interested in you. I don't like having vessels besides myself, but you're going to fail anyway. I won't bother you, so why don't you go back to the pit where you belong?"

"You do not need to tell me. The sunlight is tough on this old body of mine, so I'll return to my nest once my business is done. But―――I get rather uneasy when things run too smoothly like this. I shall take your body just in case. My dearest wish is virtually complete if I can seize you here."

―――Hostility lights up in the old man. The white skull gets up, but stops in contrast to the old man's wish. "――――――――" It's obvious why. The white-masked assassin is overawed by the giant who's protecting the girl. He has no chance to defeat such a foe. He will be cut in half with one blow if he steps in―――― The assassin does not move because he is sure of that fact.

"…Heh. Your Servant's a coward, just like his Master. He doesn't have to fight if he's so scared of dying. Do you two value your lives so much?" "――――――――" There's no reply. Assassin does not speak, but his master laughs in his place.

"Of course I value my life! My wish is immortality. His wish is for his name to remain forever. We struggle on together for our same goal." "…Are you mad? You desire the Holy Grail to grant you immortality?" Hatred shows in the girl's eyes. His grin widens still further. It's as if he was waiting for that scornful reaction.

"Of course. Look at this body. It rots by the second, reeking of decay, melts my flesh and bones, and my brain deteriorates and loses its knowledge. ―――This pain. Do you understand the pain of rotting alive?" "…That's your own fault. A human body cannot endure a hundred years of life. Compensation is needed if you want to surpass that. If it's painful, you can be at ease if you die."

"――――――――Ka." The old body trembles. The magus shakes, as if wracked by coughing, and… "Kaka, kakakakaka…! I thought so, Einzbern! You people have had the same thought processes for a thousand years! You are just a puppet, after all! You will never know what it means to be human!" He laughs from the bottom of his heart.

"…What did you say?" "――――Fool. Listen closely, daughter of winter. For people, there is no regret greater than death. The pain of my rotten flesh becoming the nest for worms is like a pus in my brain compared to death. The sole escape from the pain is to keep myself alive. Saying you will be freed from the pain if you die is proof that you are not alive. That is why you are a mere puppet. Your hurriedly constructed body should not last for another year. A short-lived artificial product cannot understand human passion…!"

"―――Right, I don't understand. You're an exception even within the humans. You can't accept your life span even though you've lived for that long. I can only think that you're crazy. Do you want not to die that bad?"

"Of course not. I cannot die. I do not want to die. I have to stay in this world and live on. But I am at my limit. What I need now is a vessel that will last forever without decay. ――――That is why…" "That's why you want to obtain the Holy Grail? You seek the Holy Grail because you're afraid of death?"

"Hah, is there anyone that does not fear death? Understand, it matters little what conclusions you come to in your life. You cannot overcome the collapse of your body or the end of the world. Let this be a lesson to you. If there is a way to prolong your life and if it is within reach――――humans are creatures that will obtain it, even at the cost of the world itself…!"

"―――Then you're saying you'll sacrifice everyone else so you can stay alive?" "Of course. I would gladly kill everyone in the world if that would grant my wish. There is no end to human greed. I am sure you will cut down all the trees in this forest if the trees are a medicine to prolong your life. Even if they may only prolong your life for a day. Killing a part of the world for another day of life. That desire shall drive you to go kill every tree in this world."

"You will not care if the world dies because of your actions. Isn't it natural? Throughout history, humanity has expanded, grown, prospered, and nourished in this way. There is no space for chain reaction now. If humans are going to eventually die off, nobody will care even if I do not act in concert…!"

The old man speaks happily. After looking at him in surprise… "―――I'm utterly amazed. You lost your way to that extent?" The girl speaks in a voice not her own.

"…Wh… at?" "Recall where our desire for a miracle came from. Why we are particular about having human form, and why we are trying to reach an inhuman place while keeping our human form."

"――――――――" His laugh stops. The old magus squints, as if peering into the distant sky. "―――Hah, well said for a puppet. So Justicia's mimicry is already imprinted in you." He distorts his face in hatred and glares at the white girl.

"――――Enough talk. The time for play is over. I need your body, but I do not need your mind. I, Makiri Zouken, will take the Einzbern's Holy Grail." "――――――――" The old man's shadow creeps across the ground. …With that, the pressure on the girl increases.

"[wacky len=12]" The black giant enters battle without waiting for the girl's order. "No…! Come back, Berserker…!" The girl's voice does not reach him. The black giant, accompanied by a whirlwind, mows down the pressing shadow, but――――

End of Interlude

Sounds of wind. The wind running through the forest and shaking the trees is something I've heard before.

"――――――――" The tremors are growing more intense. …We're closing in on the source. It's probably on the other side of that next thicket. The battle to decide the strongest is raging just behind those dense trees――――

"…!" My feet stop. A second before I burst into the open, I skid to a halt and hide myself.

"Berserker…!?" Tohsaka also hides behind a tree and stares at the disastrous scene in the clearing.

―――The place is literally a battlefield. There are three Servants fighting. One is the black giant, Berserker. Another is the white, skull-masked killer, Assassin. And the last one――――the last one is…

"…Hey. Could that be…?" Tohsaka's voice is shaking. "――――――――" I can't really hear her. Even though she's right next to me, her whisper doesn't register for some reason.

The third Servant. I'm seeing the one clad in black armor for the first time. But… "――――No way…" She reminds me of someone I know really well.

"[wacky len=9]――――!" The black giant howls. An attack powerful enough to destroy a mountain swings through empty space, smashing down into the ground.

"――――――――" Even the flying rubble does not cause her to falter. The source of the raging wind must be that black swordsman, and the black figure makes her way through Berserker's sword and the flying clods and attacks at his defenseless body.

"[wacky len=12]" The anguish is the giant's. His body of steel can nullify almost any attack. But the black swordsman cuts it like nothing. The sword stains the giant's side black, just like darkness consuming light.

"No, run away, Berserker…! You won't be able to come back if it defeats you…! You don't have to fight anymore, so hurry…!" Ilya sounds like she's crying.

"It's useless. You cannot run away after being surrounded by them. Maybe if it was two against one, but even the great hero will lose here with three against one." Matou Zouken laughs.

The two Masters, Ilya and Zouken, confront each other while their Servants stand in front of them as shields.

In front of Zouken is Assassin, who must have been defeated by Berserker. In front of Ilya is Berserker, his entire body covered in black.

…The ground beneath his feet has turned into a black pond. It is not soil, but a bottomless swamp, sealing his movements. Not only that, but black veins are coming out of the swamp, restraining the giant's limbs.

…I know what that is. That has to be the "black shadow". But for an instant…

"………" It looks like something I know.

"――――!" The deafening crash shocks me back to reality. …The situation is hopeless. Berserker is strong. Even though the shadow has nearly engulfed him, he still stands against the swordsman.

But he's at his limit. The black swordsman charges and slashes at Berserker. Even if they are equally strong, Berserker's movement is further restricted with each passing second. …Then… The balance will only tip further towards the swordsman the longer they fight.

"――――Hm, the match is decided. I shall leave the rest to you, Assassin. It will be dangerous for me to remain here. Capture the Einzbern girl as soon as Berserker is consumed and return to me." His figure grows hazy. He vanishes from the forest, leaving Assassin behind.

"…Look. That thing swallows anything it sees. All the more if it is a clump of magical energy. Make sure the girl of Einzbern does not get swallowed."

…His presence, along with his figure, fades away. Zouken has disappeared. The only ones remaining are Assassin and Berserker. And the black swordsman, raising her sword.

"――――No. Even you will die, Berserker. So run away, Berserker." Ilya murmurs in an emotionless voice. "[wacky len=12]" What did he make of that? The giant advances with a roar.

"Wha――――" His advance is like a storm. "[wacky len=12]" Berserker charges, kicking away the black shadow that has swallowed him up to his knees.

It is an impossible action. The mud below him isn't the only thing binding him, as the black shadow is coiled all about his body. He cannot move forward. Berserker cannot even take a step forward with his body bound by the black shadow.

For that reason, he tore his body apart. He grabbed his chest, and tore off the black shadow with a sound. ―――He tore off his flesh along with the shadow, going deep enough to expose his bones.

The giant bursts into motion. With the force of a whirlwind behind it, the next swing will surely destroy the black swordsman. It will be his last attack. He has ripped his body apart and is executing this attack on the verge of his death. There is no way his attack isn't fatal.

And in response… The swordsman meets it with her strong attack.

"No――――stop, Berserker…!" Ilya starts to run. She dashes frantically to Berserker, as if she doesn't see the shadow expanding at his feet.

"Ilya……!" I can't do anything even if I go out now. I have no hope of winning against either the shadow or the swordsman. But still――――

But still――――I have to stop Ilya…!

"No, don't go, Ilya――――!" I jump out from behind the tree. I grab Ilya from behind as

she runs toward Berserker. …The mad warrior's roar, the strong wind, and an explosion that even takes away my vision. They all flow into my numb ears at once.

I hold Ilya in my arms as the wind knocks me to the ground. White light fills my vision, and I can't even manage to stand up. …No. Standing up never crosses my mind.

"――――――――" …My body feels hot. Something deep within me resonates with the attack. I don't understand why, but this heat is in resonance with the Noble Phantasm.

"How―――――――"

My breathing has been deadened, just like my vision. I can't do anything right now. My body will not function as a human being as long as that sword is engraved in my eyes.

"――――――Absurd."

I'm entranced. My heart is taken away by something I only saw for an instant.

…That thing is an illusion far superior to the numerous other Noble Phantasms. There are many that are crafted more splendidly and with better skill. But the beauty of that Noble Phantasm is not its appearance. No, to describe this sword as beautiful would only dirty it.

The sword is not beautiful, but sacred. People's conception, legends weaved only out of hope. It's not a myth, nor is it inhuman work. It is a crystal trained by heart alone―――and that is why that sword will reign as the strongest fantasy.

―――My vision returns. The sky is lit with dark-red light and is dark like night. The light that split the forest must have been darkness itself. The fire is burning silently, but the air is still cold. Is it something that freezes oxygen instead of burning it? The darkly lit forest lowers its temperature.

"――――――――" A swordsman is standing with the black fire in the background. With Ilya still in my arms, I glare at the pointed sword.

I don't feel any hostility from the swordsman. I fear my death, and at the same time, grit my teeth in vexation.

―――It's different. She's a different person. It's not just her hostility. …She's… I don't feel any of the nobility I previously felt from her.

Her helm breaks. It must have been Berserker's last attack. Her face is revealed, and although she is completely different, she's still the same.

"Sa… ber." "――――――――" There's no reply. The now golden eyes do not reveal anything, but plainly look down at us.

"――――Shirou." Ilya's voice is trembling. A sword is pointed at her, and Berserker is sinking into the shadow behind Saber. The defeat of her Servant and her impending death. Any young girl would tremble in this situation.

"―――――――Saber." I shake off any unnecessary emotions. I hug Ilya harder and put strength into my free right arm.

――――Now's not the time to be spaced out. I'm going to save Ilya. I'm going to save Ilya and return to my home. So I can't just cower and wait for my death――――!

"――――!" Saber swings her sword. She tries to slash at me as I stand up――――and at that instant, parries three arrows shot from her side.

"Archer…!?" I get to my feet, still holding Ilya in one arm. "Don't stop! Take Ilya and run!" The swords clash. Archer shot at Saber, and attacked her without pause.

"……!" "―――――――" But it doesn't do much. Even with his godlike speed, Saber easily repels his twin blades.

"Guh…!" Archer is acting strangely. Looking, I see that the black shadow is entangling around his feet.

"―――How unsightly, Archer. True heroic spirits cannot oppose the layer of the cursed world. Right now, you are no different from the apparitions in this forest."

…The cool voice is definitely Saber's. She easily smashes the black shadow and…

"Guh…!" …Sends Archer flying into the forest behind him.

"Wha――――" She struck with enough force to throw him back, in spite of his defense and the shadow holding his feet.

"――――――――" And once again… Saber confronts us silently. ―――Her eyes. They tell me she has resolved to kill me if I do not hand Ilya over.

"…Shirou." Ilya lets go of my arm. It seems she wants me to hand her over, and the last switch is tripped inside my head.

"――――Stay back. Tohsaka is in the forest. She should be able to do something if you make it there." I push Ilya behind me and grip the wooden sword with both hands.

…I hold it at the ready, right in front of me. I'll drive all of my power and magical energy as soon as Saber charges at me.

"――――――――" That's all I can do now. I have nothing to say to her. I can't apologize, nor can I tell her to come back. I can't say something like that when she hasn't said anything herself.

―――Saber is in front of me as an enemy. Then the only way to answer her is to fight with all my might.

"……!" …I take aim. I won't even try to take her life at the cost of my own. Saber taught me that such tactics are useless. An attack with the premise of your death is only effective against an opponent as strong as you. Against Saber, I can't hope for something as good as a mutual kill.

Therefore, I'm only aiming at one spot. Her helmet shattered, so her head must be damaged somewhat. That's where I'm going to strike with all my might. I'll defeat my enemy and live on. Unless I get that clear image in my head, I won't even be a match against Saber――――!

"――――――――" She's coming…! Dodge it, dodge it, dodge it, dodge it…! I don't care if I look miserable. I don't care if I have to crawl on the ground. Unless I dodge this attack, I can never protect Ilya――――

"Oh."

―――I'm dead. I've fought Saber before, so I know this will be fatal. The lightning-fast attack comes from the upper left. Slicing through my neck will be as easy as mowing rice.

…But. My head is still attached. Saber's sword stopped just shy of my throat.

"――――――――" …What happened? She silently sheathes her sword and jumps away.

"――――!" …Could that be her reason? The black pond expands on the ground. The "shadow" is about to crawl out of there.

…I'm sure of it. That's the thing I saw at the park the other night. An unknown thing that's just like a cluster of curse―――

"My duty is complete. I shall leave the rest to you." "I appreciate it. This is an easy job. I can make up for losing against the Majnun." Saber walks over to the black mud.

…And. She sinks into the mud, just like Berserker did.

"――――――――" I watch her until she completely disappears. ―――I don't care why she's still in this world or why she's my enemy now. Now that we're enemies, all we can do is fight. That is the nature of this war.

"――――――――" …But still. I think for a second―――that she wouldn't have been stained black like that if I had been stronger.

"Emiya-kun…!" "――――!" Tohsaka's voice brings me back to myself. ―――In front of me are the approaching "black shadow" and Assassin, whose white mask is distorted with a smile.

"Let's run away, Ilya…!" I take Ilya's hand and start running. "――――――――" Ilya takes one sad glance at the mud that swallowed Berserker, then keeps back her tears as she starts running.

We run through the forest. In front of me is Tohsaka, leading the way. Behind us is Assassin, pursuing us through the trees.

"Behind you, Emiya-kun…!" She must be worried about us. Even though she could've escaped by now, she slows down and turns to look at us.

"……!" I know that the enemy is right behind us. But I can't shake him off. Servant Assassin is after us. There's no way I can shake him off when I have Ilya with――――

"――――That is far enough. There is no need for you."

"What…?" I hear an ominous voice right by my ear. When I look to my side…

I see a white death's head, smiling as he licks the dagger.

"Guh――――!?" The masked figure is knocked away. While running beside me, Assassin was thrown off-guard by a kick to the side.

"…Hah. So you cannot even kill a kid unless you attack him by surprise, you third-rate?" Archer does not slacken his pace as he talks.

"I will take the rear. You take Ilya and run. ―――Hurry. We'll all die if that thing catches up to us." Archer is looking at Assassin and something else that is coming from behind him.

"――――――――" …It's after us. That shadow is coming after us while staining the ground black――――!

"What is that, Archer…!?" "We can talk later. Run, kid. You took Ilya's hand, so protect her until the very end."

Archer slows down a bit and goes behind us. …At that instant. Right before he leaves, he gives Ilya a look heavy with regret.

I go through the forest with the sound of clashing swords at my back. As Assassin follows, he is obstructed by Archer's efforts.

"Nu, guh――――" Unable to sustain the offensive, Assassin is once again forced to retreat. Their attacks are matched. Even the daggers thrown at me are shot down, and it's obvious that Assassin is not in control of the fight. But it's not because Assassin is weak.

"Hah――――!" Archer repels the multitude of daggers. His vigor is incomparable to before. ――――The scales of victory are tipping towards Archer. I don't know why, but he is as strong as a fierce god right now.

"Nu――――how can you still move…!?" With even his strongest attack repelled, Assassin raises his voice as he retreats. In response…

"It's simple. I'm not a respectable hero like the others. A heroic spirit that is not pure is no different from that mud. In other words――――" Archer must consider it his chance of victory, as Archer charges. "Although it is not to your degree, I am a distorted heroic spirit as well……!" He cuts the white skull with one blow.

"Gi――――!" The black cloak scatters in all directions. Assassin retreats, clutching at his broken mask.

It is not a retreat to regroup, but a retreat to save his life. The black Servant runs away from Archer and disappears into the trees.

"Nice job…! We don't have to worry about getting overtaken now…!"

"Thanks for the hard work, Archer. You're tired right? You can return to spirit form and rest."

Tohsaka looks relieved. "――――Rin!" Behind her… "――――Toh-" It appears, as if born from the trees' shadows.

"Huh, what?" She looks behind her. At the same time, the black shadow extends its tentacle and――――

"Toh… saka――――" I won't make it even if I run. I'll witness Tohsaka getting pierced by that black tentacle.

"Guh――――" But the one I actually see impaled is Archer, who pushes Tohsaka aside.

"Huh……?" Tohsaka looks up at Archer without comprehension.

"――――――――" It's the end for Archer. He's still breathing, and he's not bleeding much. It should be possible for him to heal himself even if he is pierced, as long as it's not fatal. …But somehow, I understand that Archer cannot fight anymore.

…That thing kills Servants. No matter how strong a heroic spirit one is, one cannot beat that black shadow as long as one is summoned as a Servant. I vaguely comprehend that fact for some reason.

"No way… What… are you doing… Archer?" …Tohsaka must have felt the same thing. She calls to Archer with a trembling voice, stands up unsteadily, and―――― "Don't come…! Run away, you fool…!" Archer's shout stops her cold.

―――The black shadow throbs. The forest is dying. All the magical energy here is being sucked by that shadow.

"――――" For some stupid reason, it reminds me of a water balloon. It's like putting more water into an already-full balloon. It's expanding beyond capacity, and I get the bad image of it explo――――

"Crap." We'll get sucked up. If we stay here, we'll be engulfed for sure. …Archer pulls out the tentacle that pierced him and starts to run to Tohsaka. Then I――――

[votestaynight2]

10th Day - darkwood,sleepingbeauty(Scene 1)

…Hm. To be honest, I can't quite figure out how to deal with her. But I already know Rider is my ally. The reason I can't calm down is not that Rider is here, it's that――――

"Aren't you going to eat, Rider? Isn't it hard for you to just sit there when we're both eating?" Um, I feel bad because it feels like I'm forcing Rider to fast.

"I will not eat." S-She's mad for some reason. "Why? Servants get hungry too, don't they? Saber ate a lot, even though she didn't say much."

"She is different from us. I am not interested in how humans consume nutrition. And―――your manners do not suit me."

"Oh. You should've said so if you can't use chopsticks." "Eh, Senpai?" "Hold on. I'm going to go get dishes and a spoon for Rider."

"…! ―――Yes, then I'll make an omelet. That'll be quick, right?" "Sakura."

"It's all right. This is your first time eating, right? You're going to be doing a lot of things for me, so please let me do at least this much." Sakura happily says this and comes into the kitchen.

"Oh, how about we make some soup while we're at it? We still have some consomme, right?" "Oh, that sounds good. We have some tomatoes, so let's make this in a flash!"

…Sakura starts to cook for Rider. Rider watches Sakura as she happily starts cooking.

Breakfast is over, and it's now nine o'clock. I skipped school today. Things are getting serious, so I have no intention of going to school until the Holy Grail War ends.

My only reason to go to school was to meet Tohsaka. Now that the reason is gone, there's no meaning in going outside, and most of all―――― It's too dangerous to have Sakura go outside.

"……" Sakura's been looking healthy enough, but we don't know when she'll collapse like she did yesterday. Although she recovered, thanks to Kotomine's treatment, she's walking a thin line.

…I don't know what Zouken intends to do, but I can't let Sakura meet him in her unstable condition. If the crest worm is activated, it'll all be over.

Shinji did it using a drug. But for Zouken, the one who put the crest worm there, it should be easy to activate just by looking at her.

"――――――――" Kotomine said it too. That Sakura won't last long. That I'm the only one who knows about this. …I can't tell Sakura or Tohsaka. I have to end the war before Sakura finds out what I'm doing.

I don't have the power to save Sakura. But the Holy Grail, the thing that is said to grant any wish, should easily be able to save her.

"Senpai? You're making a scary face and acting strange. We skipped school, so I think we can relax…"

"No, we should rest after the war. We have to think about how to win now." "…Senpai. You still want to continue?" I'm taken aback by her uneasy tone.

"……" …I vaguely understood, but Sakura doesn't want to fight. She should know the Holy Grail is the best way to cure her, but she's not even considering it.

…Hatred of battle. Sakura is terrified of harming others. She's right, and I have no intention of contradicting her. Sakura can stay that way. I'm the one who's made her cry all this time. Therefore, it's my job to fight for her.

"―――Yeah, I'm going to continue fighting. If we could talk it out, I'd do it, but we can't be saying that. I don't think Zouken will release you, and I'm sorry, but I can't give him the Holy Grail. …There are four more Masters. I'm going to make you win and have you use the Holy Grail."

"…I'm happy to hear you say that. But… can you fight Tohsaka-Senpai?" "I'll fight her if she gets in our way… Well, I really want to entrust her with something as dangerous as the Holy Grail. I'm sure she can manage it and save you as well."

"…Is… that so? She's a magus. I don't think she will think about someone as weak as me."

"――――――――" I can't say it's not true. …Tohsaka is a nice person. I already know that. But with that aside, Tohsaka is a magus. Last night, she said she would kill Sakura. Even though that might've been the only choice at the time, she was willing to take it.

…So. If the Holy Grail turns out not to be able to save Sakura, she would surely use the Holy Grail, something far superior to Archer, to kill Sakura.

"…You're right. But still, Tohsaka won't be able to do it. She can't kill you." "Eh…? Why do you think so, Senpai?"

"Well, I don't have any proof, but deep down she's an amazing person. I bet the future she chooses is a really happy one where nobody has to die. So it's fine. Tohsaka will surely save you in the end."

"…Um. So about Tohsaka-Senpai. You… um…" "Hm?" "…No, it's nothing. I'll believe in her if you say so."

"Yeah. Then again, it'd be a shame to put everything on her shoulders, and I don't want to just hand it to her in any case. I want to be the one protecting you." I chose to lead Sakura's way, so I can't give that role to anyone else. I'm going to do my best to make Sakura happy.

"…Um, Senpai. I appreciate your concern. But I don't think you're in a state to fight. Saber-san's gone, and you're enemies with Tohsaka-Senpai now. There's no need for you to involve yourself in the Holy Grail War. So please go back to your usual life. …I don't want you getting hurt because of me."

"Idiot. That's not your fault. I'm doing it because I want to, and it's not something I can withdraw from now. You should know that too, Sakura."

I participated in this war as Saber's Master. I didn't become a Master because I was dragged into it. I became a Master by choice. Then―――I can't withdraw now.

I'll fight, even if I have to do it alone. I will see this conflict to its end. …This is also my atonement for Saber, who lost her life fighting for my selfish goals.

"…Then no matter what, you will…" "I won't stop. So I think we need to come up with a plan of action. Is that fine with you, Rider?" "I do not mind. You are correct. What is your opinion, Sakura?"

"……" Sakura agrees with silence. …Good, it seems she understands.

"All right. We need a plan, but before that…" I glance at Rider. …I'm getting used to her presence, but I want to do something about this.

"What is it?" "It's about your eyes. Why don't you take off your blindfold when you're in the house? I know about your mystic eyes, so you don't need to hide them, right?" Isn't it uncomfortable?

"…So my beauty is being spoiled by its appearance?" "To be frank, yes. Your clothes may be fine, but isn't it hard to keep that blindfold on? You're beautiful, so why don't you take off that sultry thing?" "That is what he says, Master. I shall consider it, depending on what you say."

"No! Absolutely not!!"

"Huh?" …Wait. Why is Sakura objecting so desperately?

"Why? Doesn't it trouble you to have Rider walking around blindfolded?"

"N-not at all! First of all, she has mystic eyes. What would you do if you're affected by them on accident?" "Hm. Would such a thing ever happen, Rider?"

"Yes. My eyes are more like evil eyes. It would be difficult to keep from targeting you even if I saved my magical energy." "Whoa, are you serious? You can't control your own eyes?"

"No. Hence my title. …But I cannot hope for an effect equaling yesterday. You now know that my eyes are mystic eyes of petrification. This recognition weakens the effect that a surprise attack has, so you should petrify at a slower rate."

"I see. So my body won't suddenly go numb like yesterday?" "It would depend on the situation. The effect will be magnified if you let your guard down."

"Hm. So I just have to not let my guard down, right? Then there's no problem. Even if I'm captivated, you're on my side, so you can dispel me right away."

"Yes. I will not take your life. In that regard, there is no danger." "No, no, I said no…! Rider's eyes aren't just to petrify others!"

"You are right. Then I shall keep them sealed." Sakura lets out a sigh of relief.

"……?" …Hm. I don't really understand, but it seems Rider's going to keep her blindfold on.

"…I see. It bothers me, but if that's what you want, I'll have to deal with it." "Yes, I do not like revealing my face. Please do not bring this up again."

Where did her previous lightheartedness go? Rider is suddenly acting cold now. …She's hard to understand. I guess I just can't get along with her all that well.

"Let's get back on topic. About our future course of action… First of all, you're not to go out of this house, Sakura. It's too dangerous for you to meet Zouken. I'll handle him."

"That is a proper approach. But how will you defeat that magus? Do you have any thoughts?" "――――――――" …I hesitate to answer if she asks me like that. There are several possibilities, but I haven't put any thought into them.

"That's――――" …The choice will likely determine our fate. There are many choices. Of them all, the most realistic and reliable method would be…

"――――I think I should cooperate with another Master. She may not become our ally, but she may help us defeat Zouken if we tell her about the current situation."

"Another Master… Do you mean Tohsaka-Senpai?" "Eh? No, it's not Tohsaka. I know Berserker's Master. Her name's Ilya, and I know she'll listen to me if I go to her and talk."

…And to be honest, I can't leave her all by herself. Leaving Tohsaka aside, I don't know what Zouken will do. He's the kind of guy that would implant a worm in Sakura and force her to fight. Ilya and Berserker should be many times stronger than Zouken in combat, but we're talking about that monster. I'm sure he will use any means possible precisely because he can't beat them in combat. So even those two should be careful.

"Berserker… You believe that mad warrior will become our ally?" "They may not become our ally, but they should at least overlook us for a while. And even if we can't cooperate, I want to warn them at the very least."

The girl that came to this town alone. Ilya was raised as a Master and crowned with the name Einzbern, so she's not a total stranger to me.

"…I see. But Senpai, do you know where this Ilya person is?" "Yeah, she showed me once before. I remember the way. It's a big forest, so I don't think it'll go exactly as planned, but I should make it in half a day."

"Half a day… That means you're going to set out now?" "Yeah. They say to strike while the iron's hot, and if I head out now, I should be back by nightfall."

I was pressed to make a decision, but this is good. Ilya helped me yesterday, so I want to thank her for that.

…And. It might prove fatal for her if I don't tell her about Matou Zouken and that mysterious shadow.

"I'm gonna get going. I'll come back as quickly as possible, so you rest in your room." "―――Okay, Senpai. Then please, at least take Rider with you. She can protect you from anything that might happen."

"Oh, yeah. That's safer for me." …But I can't agree to that. Sakura is also in danger. No, she's in greater danger because she can't oppose Zouken if she meets him.

"No, you protect Sakura, Rider. If Zouken comes, try to avoid battle since that uses your magical energy. Instead, carry Sakura and run away. I'm sure they can't catch up to you." "――――――――" Rider nods obediently, apparently thinking the same thing.

"See, Rider's saying the same thing. You'll be staying home for today." "……But it's dangerous for you too. That forest right now is…" "Don't worry. I'll run away if I think it's dangerous. And Ilya isn't interested in anyone that's not a Master. It's not dangerous for me since I'm not a Master anymore."

I pat her on the shoulder and leave the living room. ―――Well. I'll go to the shed first and find something I can use as a weapon.

Sakura sees me off as I go. A shinai bag with two wooden swords inside and another bag filled with light food are the only things I'm carrying. I didn't bring a map or a compass. It's a route Ilya showed me with her magic. So all I can rely on is my memory and my instinct.

"…It's before ten. An hour on the taxi, and four hours on foot…" I hope that's all the time it'll take.

I'll ask the taxi driver to go slow and find the entrance to the forest. I'll get off the taxi when I find the entrance, and continue on foot from there. ―――I'll make it to Ilya's castle before sunset if I take the shortest route. I'll figure out what to do next once I've met Ilya.

"――――Shirou." "Huh?" …Then. I hear a familiar voice from behind me. It sounds practical, and cold depending on how you hear it. But my name is said politely, with as much intimacy as she can show.

"――――Sab…" I almost say the name, voicing my impossible wish. "Wait. I must speak with you before you leave."

"――――Ri… der." I turn around and accept reality. Rider is in front of me. The girl who used to call me with that tone is no longer in this world.

"Fine, but what is it? I'm in a hurry, so please make it short." "I only have one question. You said you will protect Sakura. But I have not heard your reasons for doing so, Emiya Shirou."

"Are you saying you can't trust me?" "Correct. I do not know you as well as Sakura does." "……"

That's a natural question. Rider protects Sakura, not me. As a potential ally, she just wants to know my intentions.

"……Phew. I'll only say this once, so don't ask me about this again. It's not that I'm putting undue importance on it. It's just not something to go around telling people." "………"

"―――Look. I like Sakura. Not only that. I had sex with her last night." "…It seems so. Sakura's magical energy was stable this morning. Sakura would have been sick again if she did not get outside provision. ―――What of it?"

"That's all. I like Sakura, and I made love to her. That's the only reason I'm protecting her. It's natural for a man to protect his woman, right?" "――――――――"

"…Then you are fighting for Sakura? Your goal is to save Sakura. You have no intention of letting her obtain the Holy Grail for your benefit?"

"Well, I am planning to use it. I don't know what the Holy Grail is, but if it can bring Sakura happiness, I'm going to make full use of it." "――――Bring Sakura happiness?" "Yeah. I've made Sakura suffer until now. So I want to compensate for that by making her happy."

Rider just stands there without saying anything. …It seems she understands why I'm embarrassed to tell people about this.

"―――All right. I answered your question, so it's my turn. I have a request to ask of you." "O-Okay, I shall answer it to the best of my ability."

"It's easy. Can you not say my name with that accent you just used? Can you pronounce it properly? It's Shirou. Don't drop the 'u' and pronounce it clearly."

"…? …I-I understand. Shirou is fine?" "That still sounds weird. You don't have to put any unusual accents on it." "Um, S-Shirou. Shirou. Shirou. Shirou, no, Shirou."

Rider struggles as she practices pronouncing my name. ……Yeah. She has a sharp image because of her blindfold and her black clothing, but Rider is actually sociable. I'm just guessing, but I think Rider is a klutz in her private life.

"―――Shirou. …Hm, so is this the correct pronunciation, Shirou?" "Yeah, it's perfect. I'm sorry I asked you a selfish request."

"Selfish…? You did not like to be called with the accent I used, right? Then I believe it is right for you to correct me." "――――You're wrong. I did like the way you called me."

…That's right. I liked it, so I don't want anyone else saying it the same way. I know it's a stupid thing to care about, but she was the only one I wanted to hear call me like that.

"I'm sorry. It's really just something selfish. It's not that you're at fault." "I understand. I shall not inquire about it if you say so." "Okay, then I'm going. I'm leaving Sakura to you, Rider!"

I wave to Rider and start running. I'll go to the intersection and catch a cab. Then I'll go to the suburbs and look for the forest entrance that I only saw once.

Interlude 10-1

――――And she is left alone. There is no reason for the boy to fight. The one who is no longer a Master walks into danger while she, the danger's cause, is resting. That fact depresses her even more.

"He has headed to the forest. ―――Do you regret it, Sakura?" The servant asks her master. The girl does not nod, but narrows her eyes and shakes her head once.

"…I can't regret it, Rider. There's no point now." "You are correct. That was certainly a meaningless question." "Yes. But it's not all painful. I know it's wrong to say this, but I'm happy. I'm happy that Senpai's doing something for me." But her face is filled with agony. The mouth that says she's happy is heavy as if bound by a feeling of guilt.

"But that's wrong. Grandfather will show no mercy. As long as Senpai keeps fighting, there's a chance that he'll die. And most of all――――" It's troubling for her if he stays in the war any longer. It will bring a bad fate down upon them both.

That's why she wants him to simply return to his normal life. She will not last long. That being the case, she wants him to live. …But… At the same time, she clings to hope. For as long as he fights, she can be with him. No, it delights her that the person she loves is fighting and getting hurt for her sake.

She doesn't want him to fight. But having him fight makes her happy. The two contradictory wishes compete for control within her.

"…What a lie. It's not competing at all." With a pained murmur, she acknowledges the darkness within her. Yes. She wants him to fight. She wants him to save her. She wants him to answer her to make up for all the times he did not. For that reason――――he can get hurt. And she thinks about something she shouldn't.

"Hah, kuh……!" She clutches her chest. As if responding to her dark passions, the worm within her stirs against her nerves. …It was only for an instant. She imagined him getting hurt for a mere instant, and the worm has begun to violate her once again.

Wriggle, wriggle. Wriggle, wriggle. Wriggle, wriggle, wriggle. The squirming in her body makes her ears ring. It melts into her blood, causing a chill to run through her body. The feeling stimulates her, and she thinks her body is lewd and evil. …The worm that melted into her blood becomes aphrodisiac, heating up her body. The waves threaten to wash her consciousness away. She always thinks with her heated head.

That her limbs are too dirtied to be called human limbs. Sexual desire easily fills her body, and she clings on the ground in a vulgar manner. Her panting does not stop, and her hips wriggle like mucus. It is no different from the thing entangling her nerves. The worm violates her the more she tries to deny it, her consciousness is melted away, and… ――――She feels like she is a worm herself. And in the end, an ominous feeling dominates her whole body.

"Sakura." "…It's fine. I'm still all right. More importantly, Rider. Please go with Senpai." "…I shall obey if that is an order. But Sakura. You do not have long to live either. To use me is to shorten your remaining life. Is that fine with you?"

"…Yes. I won't last long anyway. I'm fine now, but I lose track of what I'm doing if I let my guard down. …My memory becomes more vague by the day, and I can't feel anything in my limbs anymore. Even my sense of time is going, so that a day doesn't flow properly for me. …Like today. It feels like it's been a week since I saw Senpai off."

She says it as if it's nothing. …She has accepted death. She's fighting the ugliness of clinging to hope, and she has ordered her to protect him.

"―――Understood. I shall obey my master and guard Emiya Shirou." "Thank you. …I'm sorry, Rider. If I'm no good anymore, then go make a contract with someone else. I don't want Senpai… but maybe it's okay if it's with you." She forces a smile. The Servant in black nods and turns her back to her master.

"…An ill wind blows. I will be using my Noble Phantasm. Is that permissible?" "Yes. Please bring Senpai back if things turn out to be dangerous." "I know. But Sakura. I believe we should be on guard against that priest over the old man." Rider speaks without looking back.

"――――――――" That's a surprise for her. This Servant does not state her opinions. She silently does as she is told. She has never shown concern for her the way she does now.

"―――Yeah. I think so too." She murmurs as if singing. Her grief dispelled, she is now filled with languorous elegance. "―――But don't worry, Rider. He can't beat me." She smiles like a girl picking flowers.

End of Interlude

A few minutes' walk from the national highway. Even though I've never seen it in person, the forest's entrance looks familiar. It's white like morning mist, even during the day. The dim sunlight and fog steal the sense of time from this place.

"…Whoa. Am I really going to be fine?" I can't believe how reckless I'm being. I didn't get lost back then because I was watching it through Ilya, but this isn't something I can manage by memory alone.

"―――No, I can whine later. I'm desperate, so I just have to go tackle this." I put spirit in myself as I put the bag over my shoulder.

It's past noon. It takes about four hours to reach Ilya's castle from here, according to what I saw. All I can rely on now are my physical strength, memory, and recollection skills――――

I walk through the forest. The smell of sap is a bit suffocating. The unpaved path is tiring to walk on.

It's been two hours, and I think I'm following the route Ilya showed me. But it's worrying that there's no sign to confirm that I'm on track.

I can keep walking all day because of my training, but mental fatigue is chipping away at my energy. If memory serves, I still have two hours to go. I can easily imagine what'll happen if I don't end up at the castle in that time. My physical limit is far, but I'll make trivial mistakes with a disturbed mind.

Rehydration and monitoring your condition are your highest priorities during mountain climbing, and you have to worry about which foot you step with and the depth of the bare rock you're scaling.

Even though the forest isn't as dangerous as a mountain, this place has a different kind of danger. Losing your sense of direction, not knowing where you are… There's the danger of getting lost, and who knows what beasts you might encounter.

The beasts living in this vast forest are likely to have their territories. When people stray into those territories, they're usually attacked.

Walking aimlessly is like asking to be attacked, and even a straight animal trail needs to be avoided from time to time. Fortunately, snakes don't seem to exist in this forest. All I see are traces of wild dogs, and that's rare too.

I bet there aren't many living things here because of the magic of Einzbern on this forest. But there are a few wild dogs, and there may be far worse things.

"―――Oh, that way is bad. I'll have to watch out on my way home."

I go around the thicket that an animal may be lurking in and make my way according to my memory. Discretion is the better part of valor. It's a rule of thumb to simply avoid dangerous places rather than waiting until the danger confronts you and then running away.

"…But still… This forest seems different from the one Ilya showed me."

…The air around me feels different. An ominous chill runs down my back with every step. ―――Don't go any further. ―――Get out of this forest now. ―――Nobody will return alive from this forest today. I feel like the swaying trees are warning me.

"―――――Come to think of it, this smell is…" I thought it was sap, but that's not quite right. …The sweet smell is nothing like the forest. This is―――― ――――Probably…

"――――――Hold on." I take out a wooden sword from my bag. …I stop, concentrate, and strengthen it within a few minutes.

"―――――Something's coming." …I hear footsteps from the other side of the thicket. I hear sounds among the swaying branches.

"――――――――" …It's coming. It comes out and heads straight for me――――!

I raise my wooden sword. Tensing my arms, I grip the sword and stand ready.

"That's it, don't move――――!" "All right, don't move――――!" We both freeze.

"……" "……" …………Well. How should I handle this situation?

"…Hey. Can you lower that? This isn't a haunted house, you know?" …Tohsaka lowers her guard first.

"Oh, sorry." I follow her example.

"…Hmph. What a strange place to run into you. I guess I'd better ask, but you're not just scouting sites for a picnic, are you?" "Of course not. What about you? You're not the type to take walks in a forest. What are you planning?"

"How rude, I do too take walks in the forest. Well, my business today is different." She protests. The surprising part here is that she's not denying that she's planning something.

"――――Tohsaka. Are you planning to fight Ilya?" I get right to the point.

"…What if I am? You're not a Master anymore. So you don't have the right or the duty to meddle with our battles." "――――I don't. But I'll stop you if you're going to fight Ilya."

"Why? Are you planning to have Ilya join forces with Sakura?" "That's part of the reason. But you won't come out unwounded if you fight Ilya. One of you will end up hurt if you two fight. I don't like that. First of all, I…"

"You decided to fight to stop the battles, right? I see you haven't changed your mind." Her sharp tone gone, Tohsaka shrugs in resignation.

"……Oh." That's Tohsaka's real face that she had on before that thing happened to Sakura.

"W-What? I can't change it so easily because it's something I decided on."

"I figured as much. Geez, I've suspected this for a while now, but…" I don't know why. But Tohsaka gives an exaggerated sigh… "You're really stupid, aren't you, Emiya-kun?" …And gives a smile that surprises even me.

"Wha――――" "But this is good. You never learn your lesson, but that's what I expect from you. You should do your best as a clumsy person."

"W-What's with that triumphant expression!? You piss me off!"

"Now, now. So I guess you have business with Ilya too. You're really planning to talk with her?" I'm angry, but Tohsaka just stares at me with a smile.

"Hm――――" …Damn. I don't know why, but I can never deal with Tohsaka in these situations. I feel like I'll back myself further into a corner no matter what I say.

"…? Why are you quiet all of a sudden? It's not like you." "……Heh. Yeah, you're exactly right. I'm going to see Ilya, so don't bother me. I'll chase you away if you come following me."

"Huh? Oh, you know where Ilyasviel lives?" "Oh." Crap. Me and my big mouth.

"Good, can you lead me there? I know the general location, but I only have a really old map, and I can't really trust it. It's great if you know where it is." "――――Hey now. I told you not to follow me."

"Oh. Can you let me be when you're going to go talk to Ilyasviel? If I find her first, she'll be too busy to talk with you."

"…! A-Are you threatening me!? First of all, you're going to fight her even if we go together, right!?"

"I won't. It's best if we can cooperate with her. Our priority is to kill Zouken, right? I came here to warn her." "――――! Warn her about what?"

"Matou Zouken is planning something, so I'm going to warn her not to let her guard down. You remember what happened to Caster, right? It'll be to our disadvantage if the same thing happens to Berserker. But I was ready to fight her even though I only came to warn her. Considering us, we can't just talk. I thought it can't be helped if we ended up fighting after I warned her. I have to beat her eventually, so this is just a matter of time, right?"

"But you seem to have expectations. Then I don't need to take risks, and things can end peacefully depending on your efforts." "――――――――"

"Hey, don't make a difficult expression! I'll go back without doing anything if you can persuade Ilyasviel. But if you fail, we can beat her together or I'll help so that we can both escape. How about it? It's not a bad deal, right?"

"…Deal or not, you're going to follow me anyway, right?" "Of course not, that's a false accusation. We just happen to be heading in the same direction."

"……" She's a devil. But she'll listen to me, so long as I'm guiding her. Tohsaka will go fight Ilya if I leave her be, but she'll stay quiet if I take her with me.

"――――I'm not too sure about the way either, okay? Don't complain if we get lost." "You don't need to worry. You're heading exactly the way my map says. We won't get lost with your guide and my map."

"――――――――" I sigh loudly, making sure Tohsaka can hear it.

"All right, I give up. Let's go to the castle together. You won't fight Ilya, right?" "Right, I won't interfere while you're talking with her. She's troublesome if she's your enemy, but she's reliable if she's――――"

"An earthquake…!?" The trees shake. I hear explosions in the distance. …No. This isn't an earthquake. Something like a typhoon is raging nearby――――

"Tohsaka, this is…!" "――――Berserker. I guess we were a bit too late."

"Wha… Then Berserker's the one raging around!?" "Yes. We're here, so there's only one person Berserker would be fighting against. …What will you do? I'm going, but will you stay?"

There's no time to think. I…

[votestaynight2]

9th Day- RAIN (Scene 9)

"――――――――" I'm sure I'll regret it if I lie to myself and keep going.

Where the responsibility lies, existence of good and evil. Losing Sakura will weigh more heavily on me than either of those things. …I don't even need to think about it. I just want to protect Sakura, that's all.

"―――Yeah. It's a matter of course to protect the girl you like. Even I know that, Ilya." "Right? I'm your ally because you're that kind of person."

Ilya smiles delightedly. "――――――――" Her innocence encourages me. …I don't know if this is the right choice or not. But I do know I won't regret it.

"I'm sorry, Ilya. I have to get going." "Yeah. I'll forgive you since you have that expression. Let's meet again, Shirou." "Yeah. See ya, Ilya. And thank you."

I leave the park. I start running to the church as if to shake off my doubts.

「――――――――」 …My answer's determined. I don't know how much Sakura supported me after my father died.

The girl I tried to see as just another fellow student. I kept on deceiving myself because I wanted her to stay by my side. But such deception will no longer work.

―――Emiya Shirou does not want to lose Matou Sakura. That's all. If I can't think things through, I'll just have to trust in the only definite feeling I have.

…But within my determination… 'If you are to protect just one person――'

…I can't shake off Archer's premonitory words.

Rain starts. The winter rain mercilessly shoots down at me as I run.

Interlude 9-2

…Dragging sounds. These sounds are familiar. They are the sounds of crawling worms.

"――――――――" This place is familiar as well. The dark, damp, secret room. An underground mausoleum. This green room is the first room given to her after she was adopted by the Matou family.

"――――――――" A lone figure stands in the center of the room. …It may not be human, but its appearance is that of a human. This figure called for her, commanding her to fight in Matou Shinji's place.

"――――――――" She was prepared for this. At the very least, she accepted the possibility up until two days ago. But now her determination is gone. Once she discovered that Emiya Shirou is a Master, her will to fight left her.

She visited the Emiya household to keep watch over him. But Emiya Shirou did not have the aptitude to become a Master, and he had no knowledge of the Holy Grail War. That fact became clear at once. Thus, there was never a reason to keep watch over him. She stayed as his underclassman, using the role of keeping watch over him as an excuse.

She had an optimistic view that there would be no need to fight him. Although she knew her true identity may be revealed at some point, she never dreamed that they would end up fighting one another. So―――how did it come to this?

"…Grandfather. Do all Masters need to be killed?"

She knows what the old man's reply is going to be. She knows, but she can only ask. But… "Well. You can keep one or two as playthings, if you like. All I want is their Servants. After stealing them, you may turn the Masters into your toys or puppets." The old man's answer is not what she expected.

"――――――――What…?"

"Do you not understand? I said there is no need to kill all the Masters. We will eliminate those that are dangerous to keep alive, but those who will not be obstacles can be spared. It is the wish of my cute granddaughter, so I shall be a bit flexible, even if this is our greatest desire."

Hearing his words, she lowers her guard a bit. …The old man becomes strangely kind sometimes. When teaching her the family's magic, he is an inhuman monster, as cruel as a beast. But sometimes, when they are talking, he becomes just a good-natured old man.

"……"

But she cannot be deceived. She does not know if this is a whim or a calculated act of kindness. Moreover, she knows she will end up fighting him if she agrees. Even if she does not have to kill him, just having to fight him is bad enough.

"Is that still not enough? …My, you are a troubling one. That cowardice will prevent you from ever obtaining what you desire. Look, this is a good opportunity. If you want something, take it by force. Sakura. How long do you plan to remain a mere watcher? Reach out and claim your desire. You have the power and the right."

"……"

She does not answer. First of all, there is nothing she wants. She admires him, but she would never expect him to accept her.

She is impure. She is not suited for him. So someone more appropriate should stand next to him. All she wanted was to be by his side until that time came. It'll all be ruined if she wishes for anything more. …Not only her… He, too, will come to a bad end.

"…Grandfather. I cannot fight. I will give Rider to Nii-san."

She speaks with a trembling voice, prepared for re-education. She knows what awaits her for disobeying him. The fear of being thrown to the worms, of losing one's sensation, is something one can never get used to. The longest she was able to keep her sanity was two hours. She almost goes crazy, thinking that she will have to endure many times that, no, at worst until the Holy Grail War ends.

"……"

Her body trembles. Fear of punishment makes her want to scream. …But it is not the pain that she fears. All she fears is… …That when the pain becomes unbearable, she will do as he commands.

"………Hm. It cannot be helped, I suppose. I cannot force you and lose my valuable successor. I shall remain an observer as well in this war."

"――――――――"

She gasps. She does not know how serious he is, but he has accepted her excuse. The trembling goes away, replaced by a warm sense of relief.

―――But into that defenseless mind… "But it is a bit disappointing. Looking at all the Masters in this war, the daughter of Tohsaka is looking pretty good. The unlikely might happen if luck favors her." …Enters the old man's disappointed voice.

"――――Nee-san is?"

Evil enters at that time. She knows it intuitively. Nee-san will certainly win. She is that kind of a person. She obtains everything she wants and passes through as if it's natural. …Nee-san will take everything she wants without even a glance towards her, the one standing in place. Then――――Nee-san will win.

"――――――――"

Her body turns cold as ice. …She doesn't care about that. She's used to it. She's used to it. She's used to it. ―――She's used to such treatment.

Nee-san will take it all. Nee-san is going to eliminate everything, the pain she went through, the bright future ahead of her, and the only person she can rely on――――

"――――――――"

…The ground wavers beneath her. The words make her dizzy and nauseous. …Her chest is hurting. Something unpleasant assails her. …As if a needle is in her chest.

…It has started raining. The chilly winter rain mercilessly beats against the gutters.

"―――――――" She slowly opens her eyes. …It seems she was dreaming about what happened a few days ago. She is sleeping on an operating table in a room made of stone. In front of her is a black priest she has never seen before.

"You are finally awake. Do I need to explain to you what is going on, Matou Sakura?" "………No. It's my body. I know all about it." She answers simply. She does not focus on him, but on the sound of the rain against the walls.

"All right. Then get changed quickly. Tohsaka Rin and Emiya Shirou are waiting in the next room. We have to explain your situation to them. You cannot run after that if you are naked, right?" "……Are you going to let me run away?" "That is your decision. I merely helped you. It is not for me to plan your actions for you. Well, it was a waste for me to save you if you die. I do want you to remain until the very end, though."

"…Why is that?" "It is more fun that way. Tohsaka Rin and Emiya Shirou will suffer more if you live. It is delightful the more sufferers there are." The priest turns his back after he answers. The priest will go to the chapel now. He does not look back at her, hugging her knees on the operating table.

"Well. Will they kill you, or will they let you live? You may wait here if you are interested in their decision. Though it does not look it, this building has a flimsy structure. For some reason, you can hear all the conversation going on in the chapel." He smiles and leaves.

"……Senpai. What should I do?" She embraces her knees. The quiet weeping is drowned out by the sound of rain.

End of Interlude

―――I open the door. Tohsaka is already here, standing in the corner of the chapel. She's not sitting down but standing there, and I can see her determination. She has the cold face of a magus, saying Sakura will be her enemy if the crest worm isn't removed.

"……" Tohsaka doesn't look at me, and I have nothing to say to her either. ―――The sound of rain echoes inside the chapel. How long has it been?

"The operation is complete. There is nothing more I can do." Breaking the deep silence, Kotomine Kirei appears.

"Eh――――hey, Kirei. What happened to your Magic Crest?" "Hm, you can tell? As you can see, I used all of it on Matou Sakura's treatment." "―――Y-You used it all?" Tohsaka is astonished.

"……?" I don't get it. All I can tell is that something happened to Kotomine's Magic Crest, and Tohsaka is surprised about it.

"D-Do you understand? We're talking about a Magic Crest here! Why does something you built up for generations go away in just a few hours…!?"

"It could not be helped. The Crest I received from my father is not permanent, like the one you have. It is a consumption type that goes away the more I use it. We have never been a family of magi to begin with. You can think of it as a lower-rank Command Spell."

"――――Then you really…" "Yes. I've used up all of it for the treatment. It was the extraction of an eleven-year old pus. It should not be surprising that it took all of my remaining Crest."

"――――――――" …We both gasp. The priest is saying he used all of his Magic Crest to treat Sakura. Tohsaka's expression tells me how valuable the compensation was. Kotomine threw away all of his fortune for Sakura.

"…Kotomine." "What? Do not tell me it's troubling for you. You two are the ones who told me to save her. I merely answered your wish."

"Oh… no. It's not troubling at all. …Um, thank you." "Do not thank me. You will take it back later anyway." "――――Take it back later…?" Does that mean――――

"So, how's Sakura? You did that much, so――――"

"She escaped death, but it is just temporary. I was able to remove most of the crest worm, but some parts were buried too deeply to be removed. Some of it has eaten into the nerves. I can extract it all if I remove her heart, but that will kill Sakura as well."

"All I could do was to remove the crest worm that did not metabolize with her nerves, decreasing her pain and the pressure from Zouken. Her life should have ended tonight, but I prolonged it on a whim. Well, it will all be vain effort if the worm in her nerves start moving again."

"Wha――――then Sakura is…" "It means nothing has changed. She will have no problem living normally, but Zouken can easily drive her berserk. That old man can force her to fight, whether she wants to or not. In short, she is a bomb with a lit fuse."

"――――――――" I'd be lying if I said I'm not agitated. But I'm not surprised or puzzled. I've made my decision already. I chose to be on Sakura's side, no matter what happens, no matter what state she's in.

"I see. Then there's only one thing left to do. I'm sorry for making you use you Crest."

Tohsaka starts to walk. I instantly understand what she's going to do. "Hey, stop, Tohsaka…!" I grab Tohsaka's hand and stop her.

"What? Talk to me later." "What are you saying? Are you planning to kill Sakura?" "Hey, it's something that has to be done. Didn't you come here, prepared for that?"

"I'm not prepared for such a thing. I came back for Sakura. If you're going to kill her, then I'll stop you." "――――!"

"Then what are you going to do…!? Look, Sakura can't live unless she fights as a Master. She has to absorb other people's magical energy to survive…! Don't you see how this will end!? Killing her here is for her own good…!"

"…No way! Why are you jumping to conclusions when she hasn't done anything yet!"

"How could I not? If this were just about Sakura, there'd be hope. But it's not, is it? That damn old man holds her life, and she's his puppet as long as he lives. Do you think he's ever going to let her go?" "――――That's…"

"See, you understand. Zouken will never give her a moment's peace. …Then… If she's going to go through endless torment with no hope of escape, all we can do is kill her here and minimize the number of victims. Sakura and all the people Sakura will kill would be saved."

"Unlike you, I can't endanger everyone while clinging to a forlorn hope. The weakness to delay your decision is going to hurt her even more." "――――――――"

Tohsaka's right. It's not that death itself is salvation, but if our goal is to save people, her solution is the best. Any other idea would just be a selfish mistake.

Ten people will die if we don't do anything. But if we can save nine by sacrificing one, then―――― ―――That's… The reality I have always tried to deny, but have known deep within my heart to be true.

"――――No. You're mistaken." "Emiya… kun?" "I won't let there be any victims. You're the weak one, jumping to conclusions before even trying."

"D-Don't kid me…! Do you know what that means!? Save Sakura? What does that mean!? Are you going to save both her and the people she's going to kill!? Don't make me laugh! You can't do such a thing alone…!"

"――――No, I can't. But I'm going to protect Sakura. I'll think about what the result may be starting now."

"―――! I see, then you're my enemy. …Let go of me. Or you're going to be blown away." "――――Go ahead. But Tohsaka, don't think everything will go your way."

…Our hands tighten on each other. Mine is from tension. Tohsaka's is―――well, I want to believe hers is because of tension too. It's give-and-take, but we can't back down because we both have things we believe in and――――

"What the…!?" "What…!?" Outside the chapel. We hear the sound from the next room and exchange looks.

"Did you hear that, Emiya-kun…?" "――――A window broke. And after that…"

"Running footsteps. The only ways out of here are through this chapel or the back door. What is she doing, breaking the window to go outside? …Oh, I see. Most windows here have fixed fittings. She had to break it to get out. For someone who's still recovering, she's pretty violent."

"Recovering――――do you mean Sakura!?" "Who else? From the room she was in, you can somehow hear everything said in the chapel. I am sure she fled when she heard you discuss killing her."

"Wha-" "Forgive me. It is a structural defect." "Don't lie, you fake priest…! I'm sure it's intentional!"

Tohsaka shakes off my hand and starts running. She runs not to the room, but to the door leading outside.

"Tohsaka――――!" "We'll talk later! Finding Sakura comes first! Geez, where is she going to go in her condition…!?" She quickly opens the door and runs outside. Tohsaka goes into the rain without an umbrella.

"――――!" I don't have any time to lose either. I don't know where Sakura went, but she can't be left by herself now――――!

"Wait. I do not mind if you plan to search for Matou Sakura, but there is something I forgot to tell you." "――――What? I don't have time for one of your long speeches…!" "Do not say that. This is important. I will be troubled if I do not tell you. Rin ran off without listening to me, so I need to tell somebody. Do I not?"

"…Is this about Sakura?" "Yes. She does not have long to live. The crest worm continues to corrupt her body as we speak. It is easy to extract it, but her body would never withstand the shock. It's like pulling out four-tenths of her nerves. She would die as a human being before the pain caused her to die of shock."

"But leaving her alone will lead to the same result. The loss of magical energy is slowly eroding her sanity. Soon she will lose all sense of self. Once that happens, she will be nothing more than a rampaging Master. She will sacrifice many people to maintain her Servant, and when the strain becomes too much to bear, she will self-destruct. ―――In short, you cannot save that woman, no matter what you do."

"――――――――" I feel dizzy, as though I'm looking into a strobe lamp.

"Broken things do not repair themselves, and lost things never return. If you wanted to save her, you should have done so eleven years ago. Do you still intend to save her, Emiya Shirou? She will die in the next few days no matter what we do. Is there a meaning in saving such a person?"

"――――――――" I can't breathe. I can barely stand under the impact of his words.

"…I don't know anything about that. But you saved Sakura. Isn't that reason enough?" "Well. I only treated her out of duty. I cannot turn away someone who came seeking help."

"――――Don't lie. You wouldn't use up your Magic Crest just out of duty. I don't know why, but you wanted to save Sakura. You didn't want to let her die. I feel the same way too." I glare at the priest. …He must understand, because he nods slightly.

"Yes. Then hurry. Rin will surely kill Matou Sakura if she finds her first. Provide that lost child with shelter before that happens." He doesn't need to tell me. Turning my back to him, I follow Tohsaka into the rain.

――――My breath is white. Under the cold winter rain, my breath seems to freeze and blow back against my face.

"――――Sakura." There's no one on the road. The street lamps light up the night in vain, and I run without aim. …I'm going to find Sakura. It's not just the premonition that something terrible is going to happen if I don't find her quickly. I just want to hold her hand right now and feel her warmth.

"Haa――――Haa, ha――――" I run blindly. I don't know where she went. …Sakura no longer has any place to go. There's no place for her at my house nor at the Matou household. She has to be wandering in the night.

"…She shouldn't have gone far. If you needed to find shelter where there weren't any people――――" It's a wild guess. But the only thing I can do right now is to check every one of the possibilities――――

"Ha, haa, ha――――ah." I cross the bridge. Sakura wasn't around the Shinto station, and I didn't hear anything about a girl like Sakura being there.

Even though it's night, it's not so late that places will be deserted. There weren't many, but I saw a few people walking about. But if none of them saw Sakura, maybe she avoided Shinto and went back to Miyama City.

She's probably still in her school uniform, so she would stand out in this rain. If she wanted to avoid attention, she would head to Miyama City―――and that's what I'm thinking as I run through the rain, when…

"――――――――Sakura." I come to a stop. Under the bridge. Sakura is standing alone on the dark, desolate, brick road.

I go down to the park. …Does she notice me? Sakura is looking down while exposing her body to the rain. "――――――――" …I can't think of anything to say to her. All I can do is take her home.

"Sakura." I call out to her as I approach. "No, please don't come…!" And… Sakura refuses with desperateness I've never seen before.

"――――――――" I stop. Sakura is still looking down, tightly clutching her skirt in her hands. She looks like a criminal mortified by her actions. It's heart-breaking. …I can't go any closer. I feel that I shouldn't until she raises her head.

"――――Sakura." "…Please go home. If you come near me right now――――I don't know what I'll do."

Her voice is shaking. She's trembling because of the cold rain and her feelings of guilt. …I can't erase them from her. All I can do is… "―――Let's go home. You haven't recovered from your cold yet, right?" …Extend my hands.

"…Senpai." Sakura's wet hair sways. Sakura bites her lips. "I can't go. Where can I go back to now?" Her voice is heavy with self-loathing.

"――――――Sakura." "It's fine, Senpai. You don't need to force yourself to care for me."

"…Because you know already, right? You heard what I am. You heard what's going on with my body, didn't you? Then――――this is…" …All over. Her white breath tells me the end of her sentence.

"――――Don't say such a stupid thing. What I heard is unimportant. The only Sakura I know is the one I've been with. So why does it have to end because of something like this?"

"…Because it will end. I'm not a virgin, Senpai. I was raped at the place I was adopted as a kid, and my first time was a long time ago. Not only that, my body has been continuously violated by unknown things."

Sakura's nails dig into her elbow. …It's a masochistic action as if punishing the dirty stains on her body.

"――――――――" "That's not the only thing. I'm a magus of the Matou family, and I've been hiding that fact from you. …I didn't tell you when I became a Master, and I pretended not to know anything when you brought Saber-san over. Don't you see? It would've been so much more convenient. And you wouldn't get mad at me that way, right?"

"――――Sakura."

"But I'm really stupid. I shouldn't be able to deceive you, but I thought I could. I thought it's fine even if my grandfather's worm is in me. I thought I wouldn't lose if I held myself firm, but I easily lost. …The stuff that was splashed on me was just aphrodisiac. It's not poison or anything, but it makes my body more sensitive. That's all it took to make me go crazy and hurt you."

"…Tohsaka-Senpai is right. I'm a coward, I'm a crybaby, I'm selfish… I knew this was going to happen, but I couldn't disobey my grandfather or end it myself. I didn't want to be hurt or scared, and I value myself more than others, so I couldn't find the courage to kill myself…!"

…She's crying. Sakura is crying. She's crying and doesn't know what to do, which just makes her cry even harder.

"――――――――" Feeling her pain, I regret what I've done. ―――I have never seen her cry before. The reason behind those tears… Why didn't I realize sooner that she can only cry when condemning herself?

"Don't cry――――Sakura."

"You see――――everything is my fault. I'm just a puppet for my grandfather, and I could go crazy any minute now. Sooner or later I'll do something terrible. So where can such a person go, Senpai…!?"

Sakura corners herself. …Nobody is condemning her. That's why she has to do so herself. She has to say she's the evil one. She has to condemn herself and punish herself.

"―――――So, don't cry."

…Sakura once said it. That she's a coward who needs someone to lead her by force. I finally understand what she meant.

Someone I want to protect. Someone important to me. Someone I never thought I would lose. If I don't want her to cry anymore… I have to take her hand and lead her to a place in the sun, so I should now――――

"…I'm sorry, Senpai. I've been deceiving you all this time. I never really believed I deserved to be with you. Every day I thought about ending it all… just acting like a stranger from that day on. I'd just pass by you in the hallway, ignore you after school, go home alone at night, and forget everything that happened…!"

――――Oh. If she'd done that, I would've gone crazy. I'm sorry I didn't realize that.

"But I couldn't…! My body would tremble at the pure thought of it, and it was really frightening. It was scarier than the time I put a knife on my wrist, and I couldn't stop myself from going to your house. I was scared of deceiving you, scared to stop deceiving you, and everything around me was scary. I couldn't move at all, and I didn't know what to do…!"

But I believe this is for the best. Sakura says I should never have learned about this. But if that were the case, she would just have kept on crying.

"…I'm stupid, right? You would've eventually found out. But it's too late now, and I can never go back to your house. I thought every night that I should get away from you before it happened. It's for your own good, and I knew I would stop crying at night, but――――"

I can't let her cry anymore. If Sakura has to blame herself because nobody will blame her…

"But―――But I still wanted to hide it from you…! I wanted to protect my time with you…! That was the only meaningful thing for me, so why…!"

Even if nobody would forgive her, I would keep forgiving her in her place.

"Oh――――――――" I embrace her cold body.

…My arms are terribly unreliable. I can't hold her tightly, nor can I pull her close. …I can't save Sakura. I want her to be with me, and I can only stay by her side.

…Awkwardly, I wrap my arms around her. Even if this is all I can do right now, my determination is definite and firm.

"Senpai, I――――" "Don't cry. I understand you're a bad person now." "――――――――"

She gasps. Sakura is confused, torn between guilt and regret. To deny those feelings, I tell her what I truly feel.

"――――So I'll protect you. No matter what happens, even if you try to kill yourself――――I'll protect you, Sakura." "Sen… pai." "I promise. I'll be your superhero."

…I hold her a bit tighter. Even if it's just a touch, I do so to tell her that my oath is more firm than anything.

"……" How much effect did it have? The stubbornness flows out of Sakura, and her shoulders relax.

…No matter what she says, Sakura is still the same. Her sensation and her warmth are the same. Our breaths are white, and the pouring rain has turned to a drizzle.

In the freezing night… "No, Senpai――――I'll probably end up hurting you." Her words sound like a confession.

"――――――――" The rain is stopping. The night is cold as midwinter, and Sakura doesn't try to free herself from my arms. …And… "I'm going to hurt you, Senpai, but――――"

――――I want to stay like this. A tear trickles down her cheek as she says it.

――――And with that, the choice is made. Something decisive has ended.

I don't know if this is love or not. But―――a premonition lingers in the back of my mind… Telling me that the end of this love will not be compensation.

The rain has completely stopped by the time we return to my house. …We've been holding hands ever since we left the park. We calmed down as we walked, and by the time we got to the hill, we were actually embarrassed, but in the end we didn't let go even for a moment.

"Huh……? The light at the door is on. Did you come back here, Sakura?" "…Um, I don't think it's me. It might be Fujimura-Sensei."

"Oh yeah." We go to the door, hand in hand. Her cold hand has become warm. I'm relieved to feel the warmth of her life, and I enter my house as if I've just come home from school.

"Welcome home. I know it was rude, but I came in without your permission."

"T-Tohsaka――――" "Nee…… Tohsaka-Senpai."

"Yes. I guessed you would come back here eventually, but I didn't think it was going to be both of you. …Well, I thought it might be possible in your case."

"――――!" I quickly push Sakura behind me and confront Tohsaka.

"Tohsaka, you still…!" "Of course. I can't leave Matou Sakura alone as a magus of Tohsaka. The Association will be after me if I don't punish her as the supervisor of Fuyuki. It'll be too late then."

"I don't care about your circumstances. Sakura hasn't done anything yet. If you still want to do something to her, you'll have to silence me first." "You're right. You're a free magus that doesn't belong to the Association, so it might be good to discipline you here. I'm going to kill Sakura. I'll kill you too if you get in my way."

"……" My senses become alert. …Tohsaka's fingertip. Once it moves, that'll signal the start of the battle.

I'll escape outside with Sakura before Tohsaka can finish her spell. After that―――I'll decide what to do after that on the spot. For now, I'm going to concentrate on getting away from here. The difference in our skills. I can't even spare to think about what I might do against Archer, who should be here.

"――――――――" Tohsaka's lips start to move. When I notice she's merely speaking, not casting a spell… "Stop, please stop, Nee-san…!" …Sakura jumps in between us.

"――――Sakura." "S-Senpai's right. So far, he's the only one I've hurt. So if he's forgiven me, I shouldn't be punished yet."

"――――Hey now. Do you really understand the state your body is in? How can you say that?" "…I can say it. I'm still fine. Are you serious, Tohsaka-Senpai? Senpai isn't a Master anymore. Saber-san's gone, and he's just my Senpai now, but you're saying you're going to kill him?

"――――Of course. It doesn't matter whether or not he's armed. If he's planning to get in my way, I'll have to dispose of him."

"――――Then. If you're still going to fight Senpai, I'm going to fight you. I won't lose to you as Rider's Master." Sakura is trembling, but she confronts Tohsaka with the utmost courage.

"――――――――" …Is she surprised by Sakura's determination, or does she think it's disadvantageous to fight here? "I see. If you can say something like that, then fight on and win the war as a Master. Come to think of it, there is one way that you could be saved. You would easily be able to disenchant Zouken's bindings if you obtained the Holy Grail."

"Oh… Tohsaka-Senpai." "It's not that I'm letting you go. …We'll have our chance to fight as Masters. I'm just saying this isn't the appropriate place."

She passes by us. To my surprise, she doesn't show any enmity as she passes by.

"Tohsaka." "……Hmph. So our alliance only lasted a day, huh? We can't cooperate as long as you're protecting Sakura." "――――――――"

"But don't forget. We don't know when Sakura might run wild. It's your own fault if you die when that happens, but since you took her in, you'd better make sure you're the only victim." She leaves without turning around.

"…Senpai. Um, I…" "Don't look so worried, you idiot. That's her way of being ironic. It's her hobby to make fun of people." "……"

I do my best to cheer Sakura up as we go into the hallway. We're both freezing, so we should quickly get changed and warm ourselves up.

'…Since you took her in, you'd better make sure you're the only victim.'

That means that when she kills me, I have to kill her as well. Tohsaka left, leaving me with what I must do at the very least. "―――――――" …That will never happen. I keep convincing myself as we head to the living room.

…Our clasped hands are really warm. Sakura is here, alive. That's all I care about now. I can't make Sakura uneasy by worrying about other things, but…

"…Hm?" Wait. I think Sakura's hand is too warm.

"Sakura. Did your cold get worse again?" "Huh…? U-Um, how is it? Do I feel hot?" She must not know herself, as she asks me a strange question.

"No, it's not terribly hot, but you're warmer than me. It feels warm when I touch you." "Oh――――i-it's probably a cold…! I think I caught a cold because I was in the rain for so long." …? I don't know why, but Sakura lowers her head in embarrassment.

"I see, you're right. Then you have to hurry and get changed and warm your body up. I'll cook dinner, so you go check your temperature, and if it's high, you're to come back to the living room wearing something warm. I'll make sure to cook something that's easy to eat."

"Oh… N-No, I don't need dinner. Um, I'm going to bed, so you can rest as well…!" Sakura leaves in a hurry.

"…?" Oh well. I'll catch a cold too if I stand here like this, so I should take a bath and warm myself up.

I finish taking the bath and return to my room. Now that I've changed out of my wet clothes, I finally feel like I'm home again.

"―――――――Phew." I sit down and let out a sigh while relaxing my shoulders. …Today was a long day. Many things happened, and there were many ups and downs. I sort out the things I've lost from those I still have.

"…Right. Sakura is Rider's Master." It seems Sakura had given her right to Shinji, but she is Rider's Master now. Then Rider must be nearby, protecting Sakura.

"…Yeah. I've seen Rider a few times already. If she'll be protecting Sakura, I have to go introduce myself to her properly."

…She's unapproachable because of her appearance, but I think she's understanding. I don't know when Sakura will be attacked by Zouken, so Rider is the only one I can rely on.

…Well, according to Kotomine, Sakura's condition will get worse the more she uses her Servant, so relying on Rider is a last resort.

"All right. I'll have Sakura introduce me to her tomorrow. Oh… but she might hold a grudge after losing to Saber." My shoulders slump. …But Rider will be living here too, so I should at least greet her――――

"――――Who is it!?" "……!" I raise myself so that I can jump back instantly and glare at the shouji. …Outside the room. …I can see the silhouette of someone standing on the porch.

"――――――――" …There's no reply. The figure seems to be waiting for my reaction.

"――――――――" …Damn. There's nothing I can use as a weapon here. I guess I'll have to attack first before――――

"――――S-Senpai. Um, are you awake…?" "Huh…? Oh, it's you, Sakura." I sit back down. …Man. She should've said something. What's wrong with her?

"What's up? You can use the bath whenever you like. If you need a change, there's Fuji-Nee's clothes, right?" "…Yes. I've already taken a bath and borrowed Fujimura-Sensei's clothes."

"…?" Now I'm really confused. I don't think there's anything else to ask.

"Um… Senpai. Can I come in?" "Yeah. Why are you being so formal?" The shouji opens. And the person entering the room is…

"――――――――" Sakura, in normal clothes, acting strangely.

"――――――――" I hear someone gulp. I realize that it's me and feel myself heating up. "Uh――――um…" I cover my mouth with my hand and look away.

"――――――――" …This is bad. I looked away, but the urge to look at her is overwhelming. My heart's beating rapidly, and my head is so confused that it might run away unless I keep the reins on.

"――――" In short, I'm about to go crazy. I don't know why, but Sakura is unnaturally beautiful right now.

"……" Sakura just stands there. I finally realize that something else is strange.

"…Sakura? You're acting weird. How's your fever? Do you have a cold after all?" "…No. I do have a fever, but it's not because of a cold. It's not because I'm sick that I'm burning up." Sakura looks down awkwardly.

"――――――――!" The gesture almost makes me let go of the reins.

…Sakura acted like this from time to time over the last couple of days. I thought I'd grown used to noticing parts of her that I didn't know about, and that she's a girl my age. But… I think this is on a different level entirely.

"…Sakura?" "…It's no good, Senpai. I can't suppress it by myself any longer." Sakura blushes and tries to endure the embarrassment.

"W―――What can't you suppress?" "…It's exactly what you're thinking. …The worm in me is eating my magical energy and telling me it's not enough. …It wants more. My body started to heat up just by holding your hand and thinking it's warm."

"――――――――" I can hear the heat in her unsteady words. Sakura is feeling embarrassment and something like joy from exposing her dark side.

"…You know, right, Senpai? I was trained as a magus at the Matou household. …Grandfather tampered with my body so that he could turn a child of another bloodline into a magus of the Matou family."

"…The result is this lewd body that desires men. …My body heats up and goes crazy unless I get semen from a magus."

"――――――――" …I get dizzy. I don't know when I entered another dimension. but the room itself starts to warp and laugh.

But I'm the one who's strange. I should be angry at Zouken, but I can only stare at Sakura's body.

"…Senpai. Why did you protect someone like me? I'm already impure. Even if I like you, I can't do anything for you. So why are you protecting me, going as far as making Tohsaka-Senpai―――Nee-san your enemy?"

Sakura's voice echoes in my head like a clanging bell. …The reason I'm protecting Sakura. I don't even need to think about it. I don't even need to think about it, so I can tell her even in my current state.

"―――You're wrong. I didn't protect you. I just wanted to be with you. I need you, Sakura, and I couldn't think about being separated from you. So I can't give you to Tohsaka, even if she is your older sister."

"Are you saying that as family? Or do you see me as a woman?" "――――――――" There's no way that I can see her as family now. I've wanted Sakura by my side these past couple of days―――no, for a long time. …It's just that I can't lie to myself any longer.

"――――Yeah. I love you, Sakura." I'm still entranced, but I manage to say it. …I know it's something I shouldn't say, something I shouldn't give in to, but I can't fight against it any longer.

"Then please make love to me. Or else―――I'll feel so uneasy that I'll go crazy."

"――――But Sakura…" My voice of reason mounts one last, desperate defense. But… "…Senpai. Am I dirty…?" Her words destroy every obligation in me.

"―――――――, Sa…" My tongue is not working. Proper thoughts freeze in my brain. ―――Sakura's bare legs. I try my best to look away from the spectacle that grabs a hold of my heart.

"Sa… kura――――" Is my mind not the only thing frozen? My eyes keep staring at Sakura, and my body, even the fingertips, doesn't move.

"……Senpai." Embarrassed, Sakura trembles a bit. The motion causes a silver droplet to stream down her legs.

"――――" The smell makes me dizzy. I shouldn't be able to smell it, but seeing the light reflected off of it makes me feel her warmth.

"…Please look, Senpai. Please don't look away and watch my lewd body." "――――――――!" I can't oppose her voice. …I know I'm disgracing Sakura the more I stare at her, but I can't avert my eyes.

The juices stream down. Her bare vagina is more than wet enough. The lewd juice flows out and streams down her legs. Although she closes her thighs bashfully, she cannot contain the flow which is down to her ankles now.

―――The moonlight entangles with the trickling juice. Sakura's love juice does not let go of the light it catches. The light sparkles in between her legs.

―――So… "…It's strange, right? I-It's natural for you to want to look away. …I've been like this ever since we held hands. …It does this just by being near you, and no matter how much I pleasure myself, it won't settle down. I can't take my mind off you, Senpai, and I…" ―――How could I ever call her dirty?

"Why? You're not dirty. You're beautiful, Sakura." "――――Senpai." Her voice flushes a bit. She looked like she was about to collapse, but now she seems a bit more steady.

"…I'm not lying. You're so beautiful that I had to lie to myself so that I wouldn't notice. …So don't condemn yourself like that. It's not your fault that your body's like that."

My heart thumps. I talk as I try to suppress the blood from going to my crotch. It's the last-ditch resistance brought on by my reasoning. To that…

"Then please make love to me. …I want you right now, Senpai." …Sakura destroys it with a heated voice.

"――――――――" It's as if she whispered it by my ear. Sakura's voice seeps down to my bones and destroys my small reasoning. ―――No, there's no way to fight it from the start. No man can stay calm when faced with the naked body of the woman he loves the most.

"――――Sakura." "…You don't have to move. …I'll make you feel good."

Sakura tempts me with words like burning steel. ―――I understand it in my head. I know I want Sakura. My penis is so erect that I can't hide it anymore. Sakura is wanting me, and Sakura's body is needing magical energy―――my semen.

"――――――――" Then there's no reason to oppose her. I can satisfy both if I accept Sakura. …But… Wouldn't that keep the most important reason unclear?

"…Senpai." Sakura's voice is coming from near me. Sakura's body is right in front of me now. …I can't move. Is it because of tension or confusion? Every part of my body is bound, and I can't stop Sakura.

Her skirt falls to the ground. …I hears the sounds of clothes being taken off. Sakura takes off her clothes to get naked, and I'm taking off my shirt even though I can't move by myself―――

"…Please, Senpai… I can't bear it any longer――――" Sakura sounds like she's apologizing. "――――Sa… kura." The zipper on my pants is lowered as soon as I hear her voice.

"――――――――" My reasoning cracks. My head blanks out when I see her young and vivacious body.

"Ah…… Hm……. I'm going to touch it, Senpai…" Sakura's fingers touch my erect penis. She handles it like a valuable object. She entangles her white fingers around my hot and hard penis.

"Ah, s――――――――" There's no way I can stop her. Sakura's fingers are touching my thing. That feels good enough to make me moan. No matter how much my useless mind tells me to stop, my body is already tempted by Sakura.

"…I'm sorry, Senpai… I know you don't like this, but――――" Sakura turns around and slowly lowers her waist. Hot juice drips down onto my crotch.

"Haa… Hmm… Yours is so hard…" …The love juice flowing out of her wets my manhood like honey.

"Mm… We have to make sure it's wet…" Sakura grabs my shaft as if to soak her honey onto my shaft.

"――――Hold, on――――" Her fingers stimulate my body, and I feel something sticky between us. I'm about to fall from just this, but Sakura is… "Haa… Hm, mm… Ah, I can, right, Senpai?" She sighs painfully as if she cannot wait any longer. And she pushes the head of my penis onto her crevice.

"Ahh… ah, mm, fu…" "――――……!" ―――A slight shock runs through my back. My erect head enters Sakura with a sound. Her wet vagina accepts the hard foreign body without resistance.

A wet sound. The tip, which should be too big to enter Sakura's small hole, easily pushes in between her walls and plunges deeper in.

"Hah, ah―――…!?" ―――I don't understand. Just putting the tip in feels so good that I'm going to go crazy…!

"Hold… on, Sakura――――……!" I quickly pull my hips back. But my body is still numb. Sakura doesn't listen to me.

"Mm… ha, it's big… but――――ah, haa… It's coming… in――――" She breathes with her shoulders and slowly lowers herself.

"――――Ah……!" The sound. I can't bear the sound of me tearing Sakura apart.

"Ah, mm…! Ah, fua, ah―――hm… Sen… pai―――Senpai's touching… me…" ―――Sakura's crevice. The red part has accepted the tip of it already. The walls roll up as my penis is pushed in, and at the same time, they try to accept the penetrating object and guide it deeper inside.

"…Haa… Haa, haa, ah…" ――――It's tight, but not, at the same time. Sakura's slit and my penis melt and join into each other. And from behind her too. We're in such a position, but Sakura's the only one moving.

"Ha――――――――" It feels so good that I want to vomit. A woman's back is before my very eyes. Her big butt is squashed in front of me. ―――I'm piercing Sakura from behind. It makes me imagine that I'm inserting it in her butt instead of her pussy, and it's all the more unbearable.

"Ah――――, ah." "Ha, aha… It's getting bigger, Senpai… Does it feel good…? Mm… aha, ah――――! …Ah… It feels good for me too――――"

I'm scared. I bear the welling cum because I'm scared. I grit my teeth and endure the oncoming surges of pleasure.

"Ah… Ah, no… Senpai…? Mm, ahh… um, is it painful…?" Painful――――? No way. It can't be painful when it feels this good. I'm just scared because I can't suppress myself.

My desire is up to my throat now. If I can move, I want to push Sakura down and pierce through her. I'm scared of myself for wanting to fuck Sakura like mad.

"…D-Don't Sakura…! If I continue, I'll――――" I'm scared that I might lose my sanity.

"Ah… Haa, hmm, mm…! …No, I'm sorry, Senpai―――ah, I can't… stop myself――――"

"Hey――――I'm saying… don't…!" ――――There's no way she'd listen to me. My cock is deep inside Sakura. So―――how could she stop now?

"Haa… Mm, the big thing's coming in――――" Sakura moves as she moans in an intoxicated voice. The surge that led me inside is now trying to keep me inside.

"…!" Her walls are pulsing. Her thick walls grasp at my penis and softly wrap themselves around it.

"Ah, aha, hm… Can I, Senpai…? It's in, so I'll move now―――" Her warm pussy has me caught. Sakura slowly starts to move up and down.

"Ah, aha, ahh…!" "……!" I grit my teeth and bear it. I will release my cum along with my mind unless I do so.

"Ahh, fua, ah, haa…! …Aha… Good―――it's so big." I'm caressed with numerous fingers and tongues. Sakura awkwardly moves up and down while squeezing her walls. "Hah, hmm, mm, mm……!"

A sound of liquid. Her love juice leaks out. She's moving as if to taste my penis with her vagina. It's a diligent service that tells me how she feels. She's not good, but she's trying her best to please me, and that fact itself is a pleasure.

"Ah, it's touching me inside… It's coming in slowly… Haa… mm, ah…! I'm glad… I'm so happy――――I'm sorry, Senpai." Her voice sounds like she's crying and intoxicated at the same time. Sakura is apologizing, but shaking with pleasure at the same time.

"Hm… mm, fu, mm…! You can see it, right, Senpai…? I'm connected with Senpai… Mm… I'm happy… I always wanted to do this with you, Senpai…!"

…Sakura heats up and starts to move faster. Her movements were kind, but now they're getting more intense. She's happy. Her movements reflect her emotion by sucking, squeezing, and entangling herself on me.

"…Sa… kura――――" "Ah, haa――――I-I'm going to do my best…! So, you too, Senpai…!"

…My reason is melting. Her walls expand and contract, matching her movements. They contract when I'm going out, but they suck me in when my tip is reinserted, drawing up my urge to ejaculate. "Haa… ah――――!" It feels so good that I can't keep my mouth closed, and my saliva drips down my chin.

"Mm… Is it too strong, Senpai…? Aha, then… I'll slow down… a bit――――" Her juice covers my cock while her butt moves vertically. "――――!" It's like a simple up and down movement, but it's actually a pot of meat that wriggles around from time to time to stimulates my manhood.

"Ah――――" …This is hard. I never thought it'd be this hard to keep my reasoning and suppress my urge to ejaculate. It feels good inside Sakura. But it feels like torture as well――――

"Hm… Ah, aha, mm…! …Huh? …I'm going slow… but I can't… stop my hips――――hm, ha, haa, nhaa, ahh…!" Sakura's movement does not stop. A shock goes through my abdomen every time her firm butt presses on it.

"Haa――――, guh――――…!" …Her wet meat. Her delicate walls vibrate to invite me into the deepest part of her.

"Guh――――ah." "Hm, nha, why――――!? Why am I―――ah, faa, hm, ah…! …Ah… I'm sorry, Senpai―――I'm sorry, Senpai…!"

Sakura apologizes, but her pussy squeezes my erect shaft even harder. …I could ejaculate any second now. Our genitals are wet with her juice and my pre-cum. Sakura's pussy still has some room even after accepting me. It expands, contracts, wraps itself around me, and squeezes me. The varying movements are like those of an educated prostitute.

"…Haa… Haa… Hm, ahh… Amazing… Yours is amazing, Senpai―――" "――――――Sakura. Please… stop." "…Ah… Ah, no…! …Mm, no, I can't, Senpai――――ahh, mm, I can't stop myself――――!"

…The swirl greedily demands more. …My reasoning is crumbling apart. Her soft walls are like an aphrodisiac. My penis is wet with aphrodisiac, and the pleasure is melting my brain.

"Ah――――Ah――――" The overdosage of aphrodisiac causes my form to be vague. I can only open my mouth and suppress my voice. …I'm swallowed by pleasure. I'm like a bug that fell into a pot of aphrodisiac.

"――――――――Guh." My desire washes away my reason. …This isn't just a pot of aphrodisiac. This is a never-ending sea of pleasure. The body accepting me right now is of the finest quality that any man would be addicted to. That body is telling me to go crazy. I'm telling Sakura to stop for her sake, but she isn't listening to me. Then―――there's no need to―――restrain myself.

"Hm, Senpai… Senpai, please use your hips too… Mm, nha……!"

―――There's only a fragment of reasoning left in me. Sakura doesn't know how I can't retreat and keeps moving her hips to pleasure me.

And… The obscene body that wriggles like a snake…

"Haa――――ah, ah――――!" …Crushes my hindering reasoning.

"Ah――――hau, Senpai…!?" I raise my hips. I grab her butt and sink my nails into her hot body.

"――――! …! Ahh… haa…!! Faa, mm, aha…! Hm―――ha, it's amazing, Senpai, you're so rough…!" I plunge into her without any consideration. I'm ignoring Sakura's condition, but she just shakes her butt in delight.

"Ah―――mm, haa, ii…! I'm glad… More, Senpai…!" She raises her indecent ass. Sakura holds out her body without me ordering her.

"Fuu, nha, ah…! It's big, and thrusting me from behind, ah, hmm……!" Sakura moans. She arcs her back and takes the thrusting meat on all fours.

"…! Senpai, Senpai…! Senpai is so, ah, nha, mm…!!!" I pierce her without hesitation to make up for all the time I couldn't move. Over and over. I violently pull back, push in, pull back, and move my penis as if to oppose the welling urge to ejaculate.

"Ya, mm, ah… Hia, ahhhhh…!!!! Senpai―――ah, hah, amm, ah, fua…!" It might be painful, as Sakura's voice starts to contain some agony.

―――But I don't stop. Our sex turns ferocious. Sakura tries to accept it and raises her butt. "――――, Haa――――" My vision, the only thing not invaded by the pleasure of Sakura, breaks with that.

Her butt is lewdly raised, exposing her excretory organ. ―――It squeezes tight. It's straining as if to bear the pain, and it's closed as if to follow her pussy's example. It is wet with my pre-cum and her love juice.

"Ah――――kuh." The dirtiest place on Sakura is dirtied with our juice. It's so lewd that I want to start laughing, and it makes me all the more crazy.

"Ah―――it's embarrassing, Senpai's, aha, ahh, watching my butt…!" Our juice splatters around every time I push into her, and the juice sticks onto her butt.

"Ah――――, kuh――――" The scene fires up my desire. Sakura's asshole. I see the place where even Sakura cannot see, and a sense of domination assails me.

"Mm, Senpai…! It's good, it's deeper, ahh, nha, it's good, so good, ahhhh…!"

―――I keep thrusting. My thrusts get stronger. My penis is fully expanded, stirring up Sakura's vagina. She accepts it painfully. "It's painful―――ah, move more, Senpai―――please go harder and squash my butt…!"

And Sakura's walls change as if to match my sexual desire.

"Ha, you――――!" The waves of pleasure that I thought were at their limit grow bigger. My brain is filled with Sakura's sensation and is about to explode.

"Haa――――aha, haa, ahaa, mm……!" ―――She desires me without end. But that's not only her wish, as it is also mine.

"Ah… Mm… no… I'll overflow, hmm, if you do that――――" I raise my butt and thrust up. "Mmm, ah――――! Ahh, nha, haa… Ah, fuaaaaa…! Senpai, I'm going to come…!" I don't pull back and rub my tip inside of her.

――――Dry sounds constantly echo through the room. The room is stained with the sound of our moving hips, the sound of the juice splashing, and Sakura's moans.

"Haa, ah――――I like you――――I like you, I love you, Senpai…! I've loved you for so long, nha, I can't keep it in anymore…!"

"Ah, kuh――――!" I keep moving, while Sakura accepts it and shakes. The pleasure changes every second, not letting me rest. Her walls change shape every time she arcs her back and stimulates me from different angles. ――――I feel faint. My mind is constantly being stimulated and is about to escape my body.

"Fua, haa, ah, ahh, ahh…!!! More, Senpai, together, Senpai…!!!!" "――――――――!" I can't end easily. If Sakura wants it, I have to answer her.

"――――――――Ahh." And I want to savor Sakura without end. I don't need my reasoning. I don't care even if my mind escapes my body. I can kick away such nuisances that keep me from being human――――!

―――Our membranes rub against each other. My grotesque member is wet with foaming love juice. Her contracting walls suck on my blood-congested penis.

"――――, ――――" It'll end anytime. I'll ejaculate with the next thrust if I let down my guard. I frantically grit my teeth, wanting this pleasure to last longer.

"Ah, haa… Hm… Does it feel good, Senpai?" "――――, Ah――――" I can't say anything. I'll be unable to endure it if I say something.

"――――If it's good――――please say my name―――haa… I want you… Senpai, to say my name…!" Her pussy contracts with her voice and squeezes me.

"Sa――――kura." I pierce her. She doesn't need to tell me. My head is filled with Sakura and Sakura only.

"Sakura――――" "Yes…! Senpai, Senpai…!" Her back is covered with sweat. My member is covered with both our juices. Sakura's crotch is covered with something viscid and is reflecting light like something about to emerge from a pupa.

―――I'm melting. My senses are so vague that I'm starting to think I'm melting.

"Aha―――Senpai called my name… You properly said my name when I'm so indecent――――nha, Senpai… Senpai, Senpai, Senpai…!!" Sakura responds every time. I feel a definite sensation every time she squeezes on me.

"Sakura――――Sakura…!" My desire gets worse. Her lewd and meaty butt, her smooth back, her messed hair, her sweet moaning. Everything is like a dream, and my consciousness is about to…

"No――――I, I, I'm――――!" ――――It must be the same for Sakura. The body that desired me raises itself, as if drawing on its last power.

"Ahh, ahh――――! …No, I don't want this myself…! I――――I want to feel good with you, Senpai…!"

Her pussy squeezes me with all its might. "――――Guh……!" I thrust it in as if to fight against it. I feel pain as my impulse breaks the dam.

"Sakura――――, Sakura……!" "Nha, ahh――――no, don't let me go, Senpai…!!!" I release the strained power. My restrained desire is let loose as if guided by Sakura's orgasm.

"Ahh―――mm――――mm, Senpai… is ejaculating… a lot…――――" "――――!" My cum ejaculates as if to shoot down her womb.

"――――Wait――――hey――――" ―――Something's wrong. I've let enough out, but it doesn't stop.

"…Ahh… Mm… Aha, ahh…" Sakura takes in my hot impurity. Sakura sounds satisfied and drains her strength.

"Ah――――kuh." A long ejaculation I've never experienced before. My cum fills up Sakura and flows out. I've let out enough, but it doesn't stop ejaculating.

"Ah… aha, amazing, it's still coming in. Senpai… Senpai's hot juice… it's coming in me and flowing out――――" Sakura sounds like she's in a trance. …My consciousness fades. I can't hear Sakura's voice.

―――A never-ending ejaculation. It's more than what my testicles can generate, and it's a pleasure as if I'm ejaculating my organs out.

――――I see a dream after that.

We're both tired and sleep together after having sex. Sakura hesitated with a blush, but she nodded when I asked her if she wanted to, and came into my futon with a red face.

"――――――――" I'm dreaming. I'm sleeping and was so tired that I won't wake up till tomorrow, so this has to be a dream. That's why… I'm still having sex with Sakura.

"――――――――" I'm desiring Sakura even in my dreams. That's how exciting the sex with her was. If it's possible, I want to embrace her and sleep together like this. …I want to tell her that I love her. She was filled with pleasure every time she said Senpai, and I want to respond to her affection.

"――――――――" I'm having sex with Sakura. I'm having sex with her even in my dream. ―――I'm still having sex with her even though we've already made love like mad.

I had sex, but it wasn't enough, so I'd rather fuck her really violently so that I can really destroy her―――― "――――――――Oh." What am I thinking? That's going too far.

"Ah――――" My vision wavers. Sakura's not there. I was holding on to Sakura, but I'm now holding something strange.

"Ha――――, ah……" It's hot. My foothold is melting. I'm sinking into an eternal desire. I'm literally drowning in a sea of pleasure called Sakura.

…I see a violent dream. I see an ominous dream in a sea of hot coal tar.

10th Day - darkwood, sleepingbeauty

"――――――――" …I open my eyes. While staring up at the ceiling, I raise my arm and let it fall to the futon.

"――――It's a bit heavy." I keep my eyes on the ceiling in a daze, not bothering to get up. …My body feels dull. I'm not awake yet, and I feel like I need more rest. Even though it's morning already, I really don't feel like getting up.

"Hm… Why am I so tired?" I try to recall what happened. ――――Then.

"――――――――" At the very least, my sleepiness is blown away in an instant.

"――――Um." I look beside me. No one is beside me. All I see is my lazy arm.

"Oh, so Sakura's already awake." Then she should be in the kitchen. Knowing her, I bet she's preparing breakfast and letting me sleep in.

"Man, she always pushes herself if I don't stop her." I raise myself up. Immediately, dizziness assails me.

"…Whoa. My body sure feels heavy." Maybe I'm tired. A lot certainly did happen yesterday, but, um… I don't think what happened last night would make me this tired. I haven't been training for nothing. It must be because I didn't get that much sleep.

"…I couldn't sleep really well. Well, my blood should get flowing once I start moving around." First of all, Sakura's in a worse state. And she's pushing herself even harder, so I can't be resting just because I feel a bit tired.

Mustering my resolve, I get out from the futon. "――――Ugh." And I get dizzy again. It's not because of fatigue. It's because, um, my appearance is very unique, causing me to remember what happened last night.

"……Um. I have to put some clothes on." I drag the futon with me as I make my way to the wardrobe. …Crap. If this is causing me to blush, how in the hell can I greet Sakura…?

"――――――Phew." I take another deep breath to prepare myself.

"――――――――" It's all right. I've simulated it many times in my head. It's nothing difficult. I've greeted her numerous times before, so it's weird to be nervous.

"All right, I'm going." I put gasoline into my empty tank. I turn the key, kick the gas pedal, and enter the living room where Sakura is.

""――――Oh."" Then. Sakura, who I thought would still be in the kitchen, is in the living room, putting breakfast on the table.

"Uh――――g-g-good morning, Senpai." "Uh――――Yeah. G-Good morning, Sakura." We both greet each other with tense voices.

"Um……… well." "Uh……… um." I try to say something, but my head is blank.

"――――――――" "――――――――" ―――This is bad. It's bad to have silence so early in the morning… no, more than that, as a man, I can't trouble a girl…!

"G-Good morning, Sakura…! The food sure looks good!" I talk stupidly. …Wait, this greeting isn't any different from the earlier one, you idiot!

"Oh, yes! G-Good morning, Senpai!" "――――――――" …Um. I think Sakura's response is the same as well.

She looks at me in surprise, evidently thinking the same thing. To her, I must look the same way.

"――――――――Hah." Thinking about it makes me relax. We were both nervous, but we were looking forward to seeing each other.

"…Phew. This is the third time, but good morning, Sakura." I give a natural smile and greet her again. The instant she sees me relax… "―――Yes. Good morning, Senpai." Sakura returns the smile and responds for the third time.

And so our awkward breakfast starts.

"Itadakimasu." "Yes, itadakimasu." Even though we can do all the usual formalities, I'm still nervous.

"――――――――" I eat restlessly. …Sakura must have gotten over it, as she's eating in a good mood. …Hmm, are girls stronger in this regard?

"…? Is something wrong? Oh, do you want more miso soup?" "―――No, I'm still on my first bowl. But it's good. Yeah, it's really good." "Yes. I'm confident in today's food, so I'm glad you like it."

"――――!" Her smile makes me choke. It's embarrassing to be blushing when Sakura's already composed, so I start eating to hide it.

"――――Phew." I put down the empty bowl. But the side dishes are still untouched. It was all I could do to finish the rice and miso soup. I don't even want to think about eating anything else.

But it can't be helped. Forgive me, Sakura. I want to get away from here and give myself a chance to calm down.

"…Senpai. Um, did you not like the breakfast today?" "―――――――Ugh." Strategic retreat, failed. It seems I'm the only one who didn't notice that there is no escape.

"……" I hand her the bowl silently.

"Oh, seconds!? I made a lot, so please eat up." …I take the refilled bowl and resume breakfast.

"――――――" …I guess it can't be helped. I'll prepare myself. I'll just have to deal with the fact that I'm blushing, and I won't make excuses for looking at every move Sakura makes.

But still… "―――Sakura. Isn't she a problem?"

"…? What do you mean by that, Senpai?" She looks at me in wonder. In other words… It seems that the presence of Rider sitting silently next to her doesn't bother Sakura at all.

"Well, by problem…" I take a look at Rider. She must have realized she's out of place. "You do not need to worry about me. Please go ahead and eat." Her elegance is a match for Sakura's.

"Huh? Were you feeling uneasy because of her, Senpai?" "It seems so. We fought several times, after all. I am sure having your bitter enemy at the table with you is uncomfortable."

"That's not true. Senpai doesn't hold a grudge against you." "――――――――" …This is troubling. I don't have a grudge against her, but she has a rank of A+ in terms of people I cannot get along with.

"…What shall I do? It seems he is not eating much because of me. I can leave if I am annoying him." "I'm saying that's not true! Right, Senpai? You don't mind even if Rider's here, right?"

"……" I'm troubled. I'm troubled, so――――

[votestaynight2]

9th Day- RAIN (Scene 8)

There's no time to think. I can still move my legs and arms. Then I just need to move forward and pull Tohsaka――――

"Tohsaka――――!" "What?" Tohsaka doesn't even budge when I grab her arm and pull. It seems she's heavier than she looks.

"Damn, you're heavy――――!" She doesn't move even when I pull with both my arms. Then all that's left is… "Damn, just move――――!" I charge at her to push her away…!

"――――Ow." I hear a dull piercing sound.

"―――W-What are you doing!?" "Toh――――" I can't hear her voice clearly.

…My body is burning. Everything is hazy, as though I have a high fever.

"――――Senpai?"

…A familiar voice from a distance. My sense of reality is fading. My mind whites out and my left arm bleeds red, mixing like paint.

"――――No."

I see Sakura staring at me as I fall to the floor.

"Nooooooo…!!!"

And she falls to the ground like a puppet with its strings cut.

"How do you feel? Have you calmed down?" "―――――――――" Sitting on the church's long bench, I nod silently.

"I see. Then there's no need for treatment. Your wounds should all heal as your energy returns, so just rest for now."

Tohsaka sits a bit away from me. …The distance between our minds is much greater than this. There's no idle conversation as we wait for Kotomine.

"―――――――!" My left hand screams with pain when I clench it. It feels like there's a nail driven through my palm. The cut from grabbing the knife hurts more than the bruises from Rider or the stab wound from Sakura.

The dark clouds block the view of the night sky. The rain clouds tell me that it's going to rain soon.

"……" …I guess the spear-like thing that attacked Tohsaka was Sakura's magic.

The magical nature that the Matou household inherits is "absorption". When lack of magical energy made Sakura suffer, she unconsciously cast the spell. She probably aimed at Tohsaka because she had the most magical energy there. It stabbed and entangled around my arm because I pushed Tohsaka away, and it sucked all the magical energy out of me.

Magical energy is life force. It's natural for me to lose consciousness when it's sucked out of me. I'd already used up my energy when I fought Rider, so I easily fell unconscious, and Tohsaka brought me to the church after that. …I hear Sakura fainted when she saw me fall.

"―――She attacked herself." Tohsaka murmurs and explains to me that she's getting treated in the back right now.

It seems Sakura is in critical condition. The liquid that came out of her earring was poison, and Kotomine is purifying it now.

Tohsaka doesn't say anything. Neither Archer nor Rider are here. Only the two of us are in the church, waiting for Kotomine's return.

"――――Tohsaka." Still sitting down, I call out to her. "What?" "I want to ask you something."

"……I thought so. Fine, I'll tell you. It's no use hiding it from you, and it's meaningless to do so now. So you want to ask about Sakura?"

I nod. Tohsaka takes a deep breath and starts to talk in her normal tone.

"―――It all started quite some time ago. The Matou blood started to run thin, and their children were born with fewer and fewer Magic Circuits. The family is originally from another country, so I think the land of Japan didn't suit them. Their decline started when they started living here, and the Magic Circuit finally disappeared in this generation when Shinji was born."

"…The history of Matou ended with that. They should have taken an apprentice or something if they'd wanted their quest to continue. But the Matous are a distinguished family, and to the last, they refused to take in an outsider.

"As a result, their successors had less magical energy, and it finally ran out in the end. …They finally started looking for an apprentice when that happened, but no magus would come to a fallen family. Hundreds of years of Makiri history should have ended at that time."

"But they weren't people who could give up then. Shinji's father adopted a child and taught the child magic."

"―――So. I expect you wouldn't know because your family is a special case, but a family of magi hands down its secrets to only one child. They don't teach magic to any other children. Zouken said this, right? If there is a sibling, one is your successor, while the other is raised normally or put up for adoption."

"――――――――" There's no need for two successors. In a case of siblings… no, "sisters", what would be done to the one who wasn't needed?

Some may raise her and hide from her the fact that they are a family of magi. But that's difficult and inefficient. If they trained their Magic Circuit over many generations, it would not be their wish to waste the excellent gene even if she is not chosen as the successor. Then――――

"Tohsaka." "Yes. I had a sister a year younger than me. …The declined Matou family had no hope of someone giving them a child for adoption. It's only natural for them to rely on the Tohsaka family, the ones they held a pact with for a long time."

"I don't know which one of us my dad intended to make his successor. But I remained a Tohsaka, and she was taken to the Matou family. That was eleven years ago. I couldn't go see her much after that. It was an agreement made with Matou, and I couldn't readily go see the successor of the Matous."

"I see. Then you and Sakura are…" "Real sisters. …Well, we never called each other like that."

…I don't know how much emotion is contained in those simple words. But that makes me understand. Why she always asked about Sakura. Why she didn't let Archer use his Noble Phantasm.

"…That's good. You're on Sakura's side." A dim light shines into the gloom of my mind. …I don't know what's going to happen to Sakura, or what she's going to do from now on. But if Tohsaka cares for Sakura, there just might be hope waiting on the ominous path ahead.

"No. I'm not her ally or anything." ―――But… Tohsaka denies me as if reading my thoughts.

"Not her ally…?" "Right. If Sakura can't be cured, I'll dispose of her, just like I would with any other Master gone rampant. I can't sit idly by while a magus indiscriminately attacks people. If Kirei can't treat Sakura, then I'll just have to get rid of her myself."

"W―――What are you saying…!? Sakura's your sister, isn't she!? Don't ever say something like that…!"

"Sakura is a child of the Matous. She stopped being my sister eleven years ago." "Tohsaka, you――――"

"…Hmph. The outcome won't change even if Sakura is my family as you say. It wouldn't change anything. In fact, that would give you even less right to interfere." Tohsaka speaks as if it's a matter of course.

"―――――Then you're…" No different from Shinji. But before I can say the worst thing possible…

"What are you doing? The operation is complete, but she is still in critical condition. If you want to make a commotion, go do so outside." …Kotomine Kirei emerges from the back of the church.

"…Hmph. I can't tell if you two are on bad terms or in good harmony."

"Oh――――" "――――H-Heh. You're just mistaken."

"I see. Then sit down. I shall explain the state Matou Sakura is in."

"――――――――" "――――――――" Taking our separate seats, we listen intently to the priest.

"To put it simply, there is a poison, a worm, in Matou Sakura's body. The worm is called crest worm. It is like an artificial sanshi, the three corpses. Do you recognize this name?"

…I shake my head. Sanshi―――a bug said to inhabit a human body that reports the person's evil deeds to the Judge of Hell. I've heard of sanshi, but I've never heard of a crest worm.

"So you do not know. Well, it was originally just a harmless parasite. It's a familiar that lives off of its host's magical energy. It is of the lowest rank of familiars, as it does nothing beyond telling its master whether or not its host still lives."

"……I see. So it's like a monitoring device. So Zouken's monitoring Sakura with that?" "Oh. When was it decided that Matou Zouken is the master of the crest worm?"

"―――I'm sorry, but I'm in no mood for your long talk. Who else but that old bastard would do something like that to Sakura?" "I see, that is certainly true. Matou Shinji cannot use crest worms. So it can only be that vampire."

"Right? Just go ahead and tell me the result. Can Sakura be saved or not?"

"―――You are being hasty, Rin. You seem to understand her condition, but the boy does not. We should explain for his sake, right?" "……!" Tohsaka looks away awkwardly. Judging by her expression, she doesn't want me to find out.

"Well, what shall we do, Emiya Shirou? Rin says she just wants to know the result." "……No. Please explain things in order, Kotomine."

…I'm sorry for Tohsaka. But I can't yield to her about this. If this has to do with Sakura's life, I have to know everything about it.

"Then let me continue. The crest worm I explained earlier is undermining Matou Sakura's nerves. It must be the result of eleven years spent growing within her. The crest worm has turned into a nerve, like a Magic Circuit, and it has entangled with her own, swarming all throughout her body. It has transformed into her Magic Crest. Under normal circumstances it is suspended, having no effect on Matou Sakura's body."

"But once activated, it will violate Matou Sakura's nerves and will keep moving using her magical energy. That's what happened earlier. The crest worm roamed through her body, absorbing her magical energy."

"Had she remained in that state for half a day, she would certainly have died. The crest worm would suck all of her magical energy as its power, then eat her flesh as nutrition. It means she would have her body consumed after her magical energy was sucked dry."

"If you have a Magic Crest, you should well know how painful it is. Even the faintest trace of a foreign substance puts a human body through discomfort, and can even be life-threatening. Having another creature entwining its nerves with your own, moving within you, would easily be enough to kill you."

"……In that regard, I'm surprised Matou Sakura was conscious until just now. I do not know if Matou Sakura has a strong will, or if she is just used to the crest worm's activation. We will need to ask her if we want this answered."

"――――――――" I hear a sound. It's the sound of my teeth grinding. 'If you have a Magic Crest, you should well know how painful it is'?

I couldn't possibly know. I cover myself in sweat just to insert one Magic Circuit into my body. Sakura has it several times worse. I couldn't even guess at her pain.

"…Hold on. You said if it's activated, right? Then the crest worm isn't usually active?"

"That is correct. The poison put on her only awakens the crest worm. The crest worm is only an observation device. It is only activated as punishment for the host, Matou Sakura, when she breaks a 'certain condition'."

"――――――――" Just listening to his words makes me go crazy. I know it's not something Kotomine did, but I almost attack him for saying that.

I suppress my selfish emotion and… "What is the condition?" I urge him to go on and tell me the heart of the matter.

"Matou Sakura fell, and Rin tried to save her. But Rider prevented her from doing so. Then the condition is obvious. To abandon the battles as a Master. That should be the restriction of the crest worm."

"She has approved of the battles by entrusting Rider to Shinji. But the crest worm will torment her as she refuses it now. It has calmed down for now, but the crest worm will keep tormenting her. It will tell her, 'What are you doing? If you are truly a Master, then go kill the other Masters. If you cannot, I will eat you and kill you'."

"――――" My mind almost breaks down. Just hearing about it makes sparks flash in my vision. More than anything, I want to kill that old man.

"…That's the condition Sakura must follow?" "It seems so. Nothing else seems likely." "Then――――! Can't she just not be a Master? If she uses up her Command Spell and cancels the contract with her Servant, she won't be a Master anymore―――"

"I would not recommend that. I told you that the condition of the crest worm's activation is to abandon her duty as a Master. If she cancels her contract with Rider, the crest worm will consume her for sure."

"I see. So she can fight and survive, or refuse to fight and be killed by the crest worm. Those are the only options Sakura has, right?"

"Right. The crest worm will torment its host for as long as the Holy Grail War continues. If her condition keeps up, her body will not last long, and her mind will be destroyed. She has a Magic Crest all over her body, after all. You should understand how absurd that is, Rin."

"…Yeah. Even though it should be familiar with my body, I still periodically get the urge to cut off my arm. I'm like this with one arm, so her function as a human being should be violated if she has it all over her body. She's no magus, but a cluster of Magic Circuit. The human mind should be overwritten by the wave of magical energy."

"Wha―――then Sakura is…" "She is in danger if her condition keeps up. I don't know how many more days she can last, but the crest worm will spread further with each successive day. She will die if we cannot remove it before it infects her whole body, but her body will not last that long in any case."

"The only thing I did was to purify the poison. The surgery to call back her lost magical energy and mind is after this, but the chance of success is very low. ―――That is all. To sum everything up, Matou Sakura cannot be saved. Are you satisfied now, Emiya Shirou?"

"――――――――" There's no way I'm satisfied. Sakura can't be saved? That's ridiculous. She was doing so well until yesterday, so why are things like this now…!?

"―――What about removing it? Can't you extract the crest worm? If you know it's there, you should be able to take it out, right!?"

"Extraction would be difficult. The crest worm has already integrated itself into her Magic Circuits. Even the one who implanted it wouldn't be able to extract it now. …Yes. If you wanted to extract it, you would have to rely on a miracle, or the Holy Grail."

"――――!" The Holy Grail. So that's where it ends up, huh? Sakura's only choice is to keep fighting as a Master, and the power of the Holy Grail is the only thing that can save her――――?

"I understand the situation now, Kirei. Let me thank you." She bows without showing much gratitude and confronts the priest.

"But isn't this too sudden? The crest worm wasn't implanted in her yesterday. So why did she suddenly reach her limit?"

"Why do you ask that now? Matou Sakura's body was tampered with many years ago. The changes were so extensive that even her hair and eye colors no longer reflect her heritage. This did not start recently."

"Well, it seems it was never intended to kill her as it's doing now. It seems Matou Zouken did not intend to use Matou Sakura in this war. She is not adjusted to fighting. I would assume she was treated that way because unexpected conditions were met."

"Unexpected conditions, huh? …I don't know what those are, but that means Sakura suddenly won Zouken's confidence?"

"Probably. I would assume some change occurred within her that Zouken did not expect. But that is only one factor. There are other reasons for her drastic change. She is now constantly using magical energy to maintain her Servant. If she cannot spare any for her crest worm, what will the starving worm do?"

"…I see. Regardless of the conditions, it'll drain her body to acquire the magical energy it's not getting――― But she wouldn't lose magical energy if she doesn't use Rider, so――――"

"Yes, she should be able to live as before, for a while. But I don't think the old man will let Matou Sakura do as she wishes."

"……Right. He wouldn't plant a creature like that in her otherwise. The worm will kill her if she doesn't fight, and her body will also be destroyed if she fights and uses up magical energy. No, not only that, but Zouken can do anything he wants with Sakura because he's the one who planted the worm in her."

"―――He can do anything he wants with Sakura…?" "Yes. Zouken is holding Sakura's life in his hands. So defeating Zouken is the only way to save Sakura. ―――But Emiya-kun. You have to defeat Sakura before you can defeat Zouken. She's his puppet. I'm sure he would use her as his shield if you corner him."

"Exactly. Matou Sakura is a convenient tool for Zouken. He will control Matou Sakura as he instigated Matou Shinji. In fact, she is superior as a Master. She is urged on by her worm, and she will run even wilder than Matou Shinji, just like Zouken wants." "―――――!"

"…But I will be a bit irritated if everything goes his way. I will perform the surgery on Matou Sakura. I have purified her poison and anesthetized her. The healing and the extraction of the crest worm will be performed next."

"Huh…? Hey, Kirei…" "It is hopeless, but I will do my best. I cannot simply allow Matou Sakura to die. And what sort of priest would I be if all I could do was rely on the Holy Grail?"

"――――――――" Tohsaka's surprise is natural. His words are surprising even to me, and I've only known him for a short while. …This isn't a guess, but a conviction. Kotomine is seriously trying to save Sakura. It might just be because he's a priest, but this is too much even for that.

"…What's going on? This is the first time I've seen you support someone like this." "It's not just a whim. It is simply too wasteful to let her die. Well, I suppose it is better for the two of you to have another Master eliminated."

The priest's response is plain. Tohsaka glares at the priest… "―――――I'll leave her to you. I'm going to come back when the surgery should be over." …And leaves the church with those words.

Tohsaka leaves, and the church regains its silence. The priest silently sees Tohsaka off, and I can't even stand up because I can't think of anything.

"What are you doing? You are of no use to me here. I want no distractions. Go kill some time until the surgery ends." "――――I won't bother you. I trust you when it comes to surgeries. You helped that woman before too."

"Hah. The scale of this surgery is much greater than before. Matou Sakura stopped herself by shooting herself. She is suffering from autointoxication probably because she harmed you. To put it simply, she killed her own mind to stop herself since she was controlled by Zouken."

"The procedure I'm about to perform is like starting a heart that has stopped. …Well, the crest worm has kept her body alive. If all I have to do is recover her mind, it should succeed."

"But your presence here is a liability. If you come barging in when you hear her scream, I will certainly fail. In any case, you bear no responsibility for her sufferings. You and Matou Sakura are strangers now."

"――――Strangers?" "I am telling you not to have any sympathy for her. There is nothing you can do. Leave, like Rin has done."

"―――Why? Can't I pray for her sake here if I can't do anything?" "That is a crime. You have no right to share her pain. Do you not understand? I am telling you the surgery will fail if you are here. You are only a harmful enemy to Sakura right now."

"Wh――――" I can't finish my sentence. His words are heavy, and they are pointing out the crimes I didn't know I had committed.

"Matou Sakura feels some kind of guilt towards you. If you are near her, she may refuse to wake up." "…Guilt towards me…?"

"Yes. It is more like repentance than guilt. ―――She is a victim of sexual abuse. It is easy to imagine the kind of training Matou Zouken imposed on her. To state the fact, Matou Sakura is not a pure virgin, but a woman who knows men."

"――――――" I'm not surprised. I know this feeling. It's just like when I found out Sakura was a Master. I silently accepted the truth when I saw the Command Spell on her hand.

"The girl tried to hide that fact from you, but always sought salvation. I don't know how long the abuse called inheritance of magic lasted."

"But―――what do you honestly think you can do now, when you stood by her side, completely oblivious, for all that time? That's what I mean by you not having the right to pray here. But if you still care for Matou Sakura, leave. That's all you can do for now."

"――――――――" …I get up. ̊ It's not that he's talked me into it. It's just that―――what he's saying is correct. I shouldn't be here if I really care for Sakura. I shouldn't be allowed to care for Sakura when I can't think at all.

I turn my back to the priest and head for the door. "Oh. I do not think I even need to mention this, but…" I don't have the composure to turn around. I stop, still facing the exit.

"That incident you mentioned earlier. A woman was attacked when Matou Shinji still controlled Rider. She was saved thanks to you, but she would have died under normal circumstances."

"――――――――" I'm pissed. Somehow, I understand why he's bringing this up now.

"That's right. I need not mention who is at fault here. When Servants attack people, the responsibility lies on the Master."

"Are you saying Sakura's at fault?" "Of course not. I am only talking about the responsibility. I am not talking about good and evil. In reality, that woman is alive because of you."

――――But… If I made a wrong decision back then, Rider would've killed that woman.

That means―――― "Yes, this is about the future. If Matou Sakura recovers, it will be the same in the end. The same thing is bound to happen again even if she regains her consciousness. Which one will you protect then?"

―――We don't know when Sakura might do the same thing.

"――――――――" I have nothing to say to him. I quickly make my way to the exit as if to run away from his words.

"Emiya Shirou. Do you remember why you became a Master?"

I grit my teeth and walk on. His words are an ultimatum.

"You said you would be a superhero. Then make your decision. Will you, or will you not cast aside your own desires like Emiya Kiritsugu―――to protect your ideal and your belief."

I shut the door. The door to God's house is heavy like the cross.

―――I smell rain. The plaza is empty, and no one is visiting the church. There…

Stands a man, waiting for me without his master.

"―――Archer." I strangely don't wonder…. Why he's here and why he's waiting for me.

The red knight silently stares at me and closes his eyes once as if to part with something. "You know, right, Emiya Shirou? What you are fighting against, and who you must kill."

He clearly states the question I must answer.

"――――――――" His words freeze my heart. …I know. I vowed to fight to stop the war, to stop Masters who involve innocent people.

That was my decision, and that's why I asked for Saber's help. I can't go back on my word. Then―――Sakura is the Master I should be stopping first.

"――――――――" I know, but I can't say anything. "――――――――" The knight in red remains silent. We stand there staring at each other under the gray sky.

"……Then do as you wish. My goal has changed. Now that the thing has appeared, it is not the time to be caring about personal grudges." "What……?"

"…This is a warning. If you're going to protect the belief you've had until now, that's fine. But―――if you choose another path, there will be no future for Emiya Shirou." "―――Does that mean I'm going to die?"

"If you equate self-imprisonment with death. Isn't that right? You have existed until now to let people live. How can you throw away that oath and discard everyone to save one person?"

His declaring words contain no scorn. Archer's words contain determination and emptiness.

"I don't know which path Emiya Shirou will choose. But if you are to deny everything you've done to save one person―――the crime will definitely judge you."

…Archer leaves. Unable to stop him, I start down the hill, paralyzed by indecision.

When I finally come back to myself, I'm sitting on the bench in the park. I don't feel like going home, and I can't wait at the church.

This park is far away from both. …It's been a few hours since I found out Sakura is a Master. Its location suits an indecisive guy like me.

"――――――――" An answer. I have to come up with an answer, but my brain is so messed up that I can't even come up with what I should be thinking about.

―――She has suffered sexual abuse. It is easy to imagine what kind of training Matou Zouken imposed on her. To be blunt, Matou Sakura is not a pure virgin, but a woman who has known men―――

"………Shut… up." Don't repeat it. I understand. I'm a magus, even if I'm just an amateur. I know what it means, and I can tell what Sakura has been through――――

―――That girl tried to hide that fact from you, but always sought salvation. Someone who sat by, oblivious, has no right to care for her―――

"Shut up, shut up, shut up…! I know. You don't have to tell me such a thing――――!" …Such a thing… Why couldn't I notice it?

"……!" One of my back teeth cracks. I grit my teeth too much today. It's a wonder it didn't break until now.

"Damn――――Damn, damn, damn――――!" I grind on the bare nerves. Pain assails my brain. But it can't even drown out the hatred in my brain.

"――――――――" A fire ignites inside my head. Now that I know the truth, thinking about our time together drives me crazy.

Sakura was smiling. She was always smiling gently. I never knew what kind of pain she went through, and I accepted her as a matter of course.

…I don't care if her smiles were real or fake. It makes me want to kill him, just thinking about what kind of pain was hidden behind her smiles.

"Matou Zouken――――!" I can't forgive him. I don't need recompensation. I want to eliminate him and remove him from Sakura's life.

Because everything is his fault. Sakura would've been able to live as a normal girl, and she would've never had a crest worm in her body if it wasn't for him. She wouldn't have become a Master, and Shinji wouldn't have lost himself if Zouken didn't exist. So… If he had never existed, none of this would've happened――――!

I punch the bench. The wound on my hand opens up, and blood drips down onto the white bench. The clear colors transfer into my head.

"How stupid―――what would've happened if he didn't exist?" I'm disgusted with my own foolishness.

"…That has nothing to do with this. Why am I pushing the responsibility onto someone else?" Why am I trying to make myself feel better? I won't deny what Matou Zouken has done to Sakura. Just thinking about it disgusts me. It makes me jealous, as if something important has been taken away.

But it doesn't lessen my guilt. I'm the one who didn't notice. No matter what Zouken did, it's my fault for not noticing.

"――――No. It's not that I didn't notice. I…" I just didn't try to notice. The night when I confronted Zouken. He said Sakura was unrelated, and I believed him.

…How stupid of me. Why did I believe his words? There's no way she'd be unrelated when she's of the Matou family. On the night I lost Saber, I realized Matou Zouken is a monster who doesn't care about other people's lives.

If that monster gave Rider to Shinji, there's no way he'd do nothing to Sakura.

But… I believed his words because they were convenient for me.

I could've easily realized it. It's something I could've guessed with even a little thought. …That's why I wasn't surprised. I knew it was obvious when I found out Sakura's a Master and that she's been raped until now. But I didn't think about it because I couldn't keep going if I realized it.

If I realized, I'd have to fight. If Matou Zouken is evil… The superhero has to fight against him.

"――――――――" …No. It's clear what I must do. If Sakura is going to be Zouken's puppet and use Rider to indiscriminately attack people, it's clear what I must do.

That's why I learned magic. I've been able to live because I have to save people from unreasonable disasters.

"――――!" So it's clear. It's just like that red knight said.

―――Senpai. If I become a bad person―――

I don't want to hurt Sakura, and I feel sympathy. But there can be no exceptions. No matter how important it is to me, if it would create a disaster like that time…

―――Yes. I wouldn't mind if you do so.

"Uh――――, guh……!" …I just need to eliminate it. I shouldn't have to think twice, so why… "Haa――――, uh, guh――――!" Why am I desperately trying to keep myself from throwing up…?

"Ah――――haa… haa, haa, haa――――" I endure the nausea. …How long has it been? I don't have time to be worrying about stupid things. Tohsaka said she'd be back when the surgery ends. The town smells like rain. I have to go back to the church before it starts raining, find out how Sakura's doing, and――――

"Let's play, Shirou!" I'm suddenly embraced from behind.

"…Ilya." I can tell without turning around. The one I meet at this park is always this white girl.

"Heehee, were you surprised? I had to greet you because I saw you." Ilya laughs cheerfully.

"――――――――" Her innocence is painful right now. I know it's selfish of me, but I don't want anyone smiling in front of me right now.

"Oh. What's going on, Shirou? Why are you ignoring me? It's rude to keep looking down when a girl's talking to you." "……" …I wish she'd be quiet. I don't have the composure to talk with someone right now.

"Humph. Hey, Shirou! You have to listen when people talk to you!" "……Ilya. I'm sorry, but I can't afford to do so right now. If you want to play, you'll have to do it by yourself."

"What? I got to see you, so that's boring. You never came here after that day. If I let you go today, I bet you won't come again."

"…I didn't promise to meet you here every day. And it's night already. Don't Masters kill each other at night?"

My unkind words bring a renewed wave of nausea. …I hate myself so much that I want to punch myself. I'm driving Ilya away so that I can be at ease.

"Why? You're not a Master anymore, right? So I'm going to let you go for tonight." "――――'I'm not a Master anymore'… Ilya?"

"Hah. There's nothing I don't know about. You lost Saber, and Rin was almost defeated by Rider. But Rider's Master collapsed, so there are only two more left." Ilya speaks cheerfully.

"――――――――" It looks like she knows about Sakura's condition and…

"It's obvious now who's going to win. Rider's Master will self-destruct, and Archer isn't a big deal. No one can beat my Berserker now that Saber's gone. See, so let's play! You're not a Master anymore, so I'll specially invite you to my castle!"

Ilya hugs me without reserve. Seeing her innocent smile makes me so angry that… "Shut up…! I said I don't have such time! Go play by yourself if you want to play around!" "Kya…!?" I push Ilya away in a fit of rage.

"Oh―――――――" ―――It's too late to regret what I've done. Ilya is standing there in shock. I can tell without looking how shocking that must've been for her.

…I have pushed aside an honest, pure show of affection. It's like a parent rejecting a child. I have just ruined everything Ilya felt for me.

"――――――――" She stares at me in silence.

"……" Unable to hold her gaze, I look down――― "I'm sorry, Shirou." A small hand pats my head.

"…What?" I raise my head again. Ilya is looking at me with a worried expression.

"……Ilya. Aren't you going to get mad?" "No. You're about to cry, Shirou. I don't know what happened, but it'd be too bad for you if I hate you. So I'll be your ally no matter what you do."

"――――――――" My vision is covered in white. …It's just one phrase. But that phrase washes everything away from my head.

"My… ally――――?" "Yeah. It's natural to protect the ones you love, right? Even I know that."

Someone's ally. Ilya easily tells me the motive to be on someone's side.

"――――――――" …I know what's right and what's wrong. What I've protected until now, and what I want to protect right now. I know which choice is correct, and which is wrong. With that in mind, I――――

[votestaynight2]

9th Day - RAIN (Scene 7)

…I'm worried about Sakura. I feel bad, but I should clearly tell her.

"Tohsaka? Would you mind doing that at my house?" "Huh? At your house?"

"Yeah. Sakura's lying sick at my house, so I want to go check on her. I won't be able to rest easy while I'm lying in bed unless I'm sure she's all right."

"Crap―――that's right." …She's astonished. It's only natural. Anyone would get mad if someone asked to cooperate, but told them today is a bad day to train――――

"You idiot! I wouldn't have kept you here for so long if you'd told me earlier…!" "………Huh?" She stands up as soon as she yells at me, then crosses the room and puts on her coat.

"Let's go. We've done everything that has to be done here, and we can do the rest at your place. We'll continue as soon as you're done with nursing Sakura, so let's hurry." "Eh――――o-okay. That'll help me out."

"…Humph. I'll tell you now since I don't want to have to keep remembering this. ―――Your nature is in projection and not strengthening. I don't know where you made your mistake or what your misunderstanding is, but you're a magus that belongs on the 'side that creates'." Tohsaka walks off down the hallway.

"…?" I tilt my head in wonder, but I follow Tohsaka and leave the Tohsaka household.

Interlude 9-1

The second hand on the clock ticks loudly, causing her to look up. It's past four o'clock. School's already over and he should be home by now even if he went by the shopping district.

"…I wonder what's going on. Senpai sure is late." She leans on the wall and murmurs absent-mindedly.

"――――Huh?" She feels heavy and dizzy. She's surprised at how quiet her voice is. The second hand is annoyingly loud, but her words are almost inaudible. Only simple sounds echo in her ears. The monotonous ticking of the clock, and the painful thumping of her heart. The two sounds enter her brain even if she covers her ears, and her dizziness gets worse.

"That's strange… I'm really not sick anymore." That's why she sent the housekeeper home. She was down to her normal temperature when she checked it, and she was able to cook her own lunch. She was just fine after lunch, and she waited eagerly for his return.

"――――It's hot――――" But her whole body is hot now. The heat source isn't her, so it has to be something else. Between her blood vessels. Between her muscles where there are no spaces. Something that's not her is in there, turning like a car engine. ―――Her fever is so high that it makes her imagine such a thing, and the abnormality is unprecedented.

The sensation is strange and unpleasant. She isn't the only one that's in pain. It's shared by the things in her body, crawling through her blood vessels and nerves. To speak figuratively, it's like a dog looking for the exit to a can filled with meat. The heat source, the things within her, are trying their best to fulfill their role. Thinking about that makes them seem charming, and she cannot make herself hate the sensation.

"…The clock's loud…" She looks up at the clock absent-mindedly. It's four-thirty. A bit longer. He should be back in half an hour. She has to calm down and suppress the things running around inside of her by then.

"…It's fine… It's happened many times before…" Yes, she is used to this. She has been disciplined and reformed many times since she was a child. She tells herself that it will be no trouble this time either―――but her fever does not go down, and the things within her keep speeding up.

"…No… This is strange, Senpai." Her body does not calm down. She has never been able to. What's missing, what she needs, and what has changed. She tries hard to think about these questions, but the ticking of the clock keeps distracting her.

"――――Huh…? This sound…" When she realizes the sound is not the clock, but a warning from the house itself… "Oh, Emiya's not here? That's convenient." A familiar person enters, barefooted.

"Nii-san." "Huh? Oh, Emiya's not here and you're getting all hot and horny by yourself? Did I use Rider too much, like the old man said?" He comes into the living room and walks over to the girl leaning against the wall.

"Oh――――" She tries to run, but can't muster the strength. No, she had no will to run away from the start. Even if she gets away―――she can never truly escape.

"This is your last order, Sakura. You said you'd do anything, right?" The one looking down at her is smiling. "――――Nii-san." "Let's go. I have to settle my match with Emiya. I'm sure you want to see him cry, so I'll let you see it up close." The boy grabs her arm and hauls her to her feet.

"No――――I don't want to…!" She tries to get away, but lacks the strength to do so. The man pulls her in and grabs her neck.

"Don't disobey me so much, Sakura. You're making me want to kill you. You just have to keep obeying me." "No――――it's not as you promised, Nii-san…! You said you wouldn't do anything to Senpai…!" She protests, her hair disheveled. He stops her with his foot. He has let go and kicked her stomach.

"Uh――――guh……" Collapsing to the ground, she lets out a moan. "I'm being kind. I have the medicine I got from the old man, but I'm not using it." He forces her to her feet.

"Ah… Ah, uh――――" He grabs hold of the coughing girl's neck once again. "Don't worry, I'll keep my promise. I won't tell him about what happened. But I won't be satisfied until he gets hurt." He puts his mouth close to her cheeks and whispers in delight.

"――――, Uh――――" With her neck held, she shuts her mouth in vexation. She tries to accept this turn of events, thinking that it always ends up this way.

"Yeah, that's right. Let's go ahead, Sakura. This is Emiya's territory. We have to be in my territory if we're going to play around. Rider, bring this woman with me." Giving her a violent shove, he exits. "――――Ri… der…" The girl raises her head. There stands a Servant with long hair.

End of Interlude

"I'm home!" I raise my voice as I go into the house. "――――――――" …Then. I feel something strange as soon as I enter.

"The hallway, Emiya-kun." "――――――――" She doesn't even need to tell me. There are footprints on the floor. The only shoes I see are Sakura's. The housekeeper's aren't there, and the house is dead silent.

"Sakura." I go into the guest room. It's empty. The strange feeling turns into an ominous conviction.

I return to the living room. Sakura isn't here either. The footprints end here in the living room. Somebody came in here with his shoes on, did something in this room, and then went back outside.

"…Emiya-kun. Look at the floor there. It's small, but there's a trace of bl――――" "I know. Sakura was here." Yes, I know. Sakura was waiting for me alone in the living room, but is not here now.

There are unfamiliar footprints in the hallway. That's all. It's more strange not to draw a conclusion. The answer is clear if I think about it just a bit.

Calmly. Calmly. Calmly. Calmly think, and I can tell what happened here. So, why―――― "――――――――!" Why is my head not working at all?

"H-Hey, Emiya-kun…!?" "――――――――" I should've come home earlier. I should've thought about it more seriously. Didn't I have Sakura stay over for fear of just this situation? Matou Zouken said Sakura is unrelated. Why did I believe his words? There's no way she's unrelated when she's part of the Matou family.

So why? Why did I believe such a convenient story――――!?

"―――――" The phone rings. I nod at Tohsaka and slowly pick up the receiver.

"Hello? Are you finally home, Emiya?"

It's Shinji. There's no mistake about it, and I knew this was what happened.

"What have you done with Sakura?" "Huh? I only took back what's mine. I can't leave her at someone else's house forever."

"Shinji." "Haha! That's great, you're getting pissed! You're vexed that I took Sakura!"

Tohsaka must be able to hear Shinji's voice, because she's leaning forward. I raise a hand to stop her and urge him to go on.

"Don't waste my time. Just tell me what your business is." "Heh―――you should know. Let's decide our match. You don't think that last fight was the end, do you?" "I do. You ran away. Everything was decided right then."

"It's not decided…! That's the difference in our Servants, not your power! I wouldn't have run away if Saber wasn't there! There's no way I'll lose if Saber doesn't come…!"

If Saber doesn't come…? …I see. Rider must not have told Shinji that Saber was eliminated. Oh―――that must be why he kidnapped Sakura. In short, this phone call is…

"Shinji. What are you going to do with Sakura?" "Nothing. But that would depend on what you do. I won't do anything to Sakura if you come alone. You know what that means, right?" "――――!" I stop Tohsaka. If she interrupts now, there's no telling what Shinji will do.

"So you want me to fight you without Saber?" "Yeah, I'm glad you're perceptive when it counts. ―――We'll fight at school. Come alone, okay? Rider set up a boundary field over the school. I'll know right away if you bring Saber along. If that happens―――I can't guarantee what'll happen to her."

"Ow…!" I hear the sound of him kicking something.

"I'll go right away. But just in case, I want to know one thing. Are you a Master, or are you Sakura's brother?" "Hah…! Are you joking? Why would I be this shit's brother? Well, she's not completely useless because I can lure you out like this."

"――――All right. I'm going to go fight you as a Master." "Yeah, if it ends up being a fight."

I put the phone down. I start off right away.

"Hold on…! Are you really going to go alone!?" "That's what he wanted. We can talk later, Tohsaka."

"That's my line. Shinji has Sakura as a hostage. You'll be killed if you go. Seeing you die will be unbearable for Sakura. We should wait and see, and come up with a plan."

I know. But we don't have time. I can still hear her moans in my mind.

"――――I see. Would Shinji kill me in front of Sakura?" "Hm… I don't know, but that's highly possible since he's using Sakura as a hostage. …Hey, are you all right, Emiya-kun? You look calm, but don't tell me you've actually lost your cool."

I've lost my cool? Is she asking me if I can only think about going to school and punching Shinji in the face? Oh, then――――

"Yeah. I can't think of anything else. I'm mad at myself for not saying anything because I thought it was a family matter. He said he's not her brother. ―――Such a guy took Sakura."

"He took her, so I'm going to go take her back. Don't do anything, Tohsaka."

I go outside. The sky is dark, and the sun's about to set. I bet it'll rain tonight. I have to come home with Sakura before that.

"Hold on…! Didn't you join forces with me because you couldn't save people by yourself..!?"

"――――――――" I stop. Her words splash cold water onto my heated brain.

"――――I'm sorry. But Sakura's in danger. I know it's suicidal to go alone, but this is all I can do."

"…I thought so. But I can't readily help you as long as Shinji is holding Sakura hostage. But Emiya-kun. If you can manage to get Sakura back from Shinji, I can do the rest."

"――――You'll take care of Shinji?" "No, I'm talking about Rider. Servants are ones who fight other Servants, right? I'll be hiding, so do anything you can to save Sakura. If you can manage that, I'll save you no matter what, even if you are about to die in the next second."

Tohsaka sounds like she's trying to convince herself. …This is just going to increase the burden on her. I'm fully aware of that. I got Tohsaka to help me, and now Tohsaka's trying to fulfill our promise.

That convinces me. I'll rely on Tohsaka. In return, I'm going to get Sakura back.

"All right. I'll leave the follow-up to you." "Yeah. But that's under the condition that you're still alive to protect Sakura. Even Archer can't protect Sakura while fighting Rider. It's meaningless to save Sakura at the cost of your life."

The school building is deserted. Thanks to the series of comas, the school closed early. It's not even six o'clock, but there are no students or teachers to be seen.

"――――Can you tell where Shinji is, Tohsaka?" "…Knowing him, he's probably inside. I'm sure he's waiting in familiar territory on an upper floor." That could only be one place. Shinji is in the classroom on the third floor.

"I'll go ahead. You come later, Tohsaka." "…Okay. I'll go through the gate after ten minutes. I didn't tell you, but a boundary field's set up here. I'll be found even if I hide my presence, so keep their attention so they don't notice me."

I nod and start running. ――――There's hot steel in my back. The Magic Circuit is already made. I tell myself that my only weapon is meant to protect Sakura, not to harm my enemy.

"…!" I stop. On the third floor hallway are a black Servant and Shinji, holding a knife at Sakura.

"You――――!" My mind explodes. My feet start to move again. Then―――the black Servant blocks my way.

"Stop. My Master will harm her if you take another step." "…!" I slide to an abrupt halt. My mouth hurts. I'm gritting my teeth so hard that they're screaming.

"Shinji――――!" "Yo. Just like I thought, you came flying over here. I knew you would come alone if I told you to."

"――――!" My cool brain boils up once again. My head shakes so much that I almost forget about the Servant in front of me.

"…What is that?" Why is he doing such a thing?

Sakura is Shinji's sister. An older brother should protect his younger sister. Family members should help each other and laugh together. So why doesn't he understand? Something I couldn't protect. Why can't he understand how Sakura must feel to have her own brother holding a knife to her!?

"Are you serious, Shinji――――?" "Of course. I'm using the last trump card because I'm serious. Why are you stupid even at a time like this?"

"…!" Before I know it, I'm running. I can't stop until I get Sakura away from him.

"――――――――" But she's in my way. Rider is blocking my way, protecting Shinji.

"…I do not understand. Why did you come here? In coming here, you showed you were willing to obey my Master. If you planned to fight, you should not have come alone."

"――――!" …Rider's right. …I have to calm down. Since I obeyed Shinji, I have to think only about saving Sakura and not defeating Shinji.

"―――――――Phew." I take a deep breath and pull myself together.

Shinji is enjoying my dismay with Sakura in his arms. …Sakura hasn't raised her head since I arrived. She's not unconscious. She's standing unassisted. Her head is down because she doesn't want to raise it.

"―――Shinji. Did you tell her about us?" I glare at him, unable to hide my anger. "Huh?"

"――――Oh. Oh, I see! Yeah, don't worry, Emiya. Since you wouldn't tell her, I told her everything! I told her we're both Masters and tried to kill each other!"

"――――!" "Did you want to hide that from her? Are you stupid? Of course she'll find out! She knew you were hiding something, but she couldn't ask you because she's just your underclassman!" "……!"

He presses the blade against Sakura's cheek. Sakura looks away, but grits her teeth so that she won't raise her face.

"Come on, don't be reserved and ask. Emiya won't hide anything now. See, it's your wish come true!" "――――――――" She doesn't reply. With her head down…

"Hey. Why aren't you saying anything? I told you to ask him. I'm telling you to ask him what he thinks of you and if he hates you after finding out that you're a dirty woman of Matou!"

"Shinji――――!" …Her figure looks like she's apologizing to me, and I can't contain myself anymore.

"It's fine now, right? I came here, just like I promised. Let Sakura go." "What? I didn't promise you anything. I gave you a command. I just said I wouldn't do anything to Sakura if you came alone." "――――――――"

"Don't glare so much, Emiya. I'm not a devil. I'm glad that you want to save my sister. I'll meet your sincerity if you act accordingly. I can send Sakura home once we're done.

"I see―――is that a promise, Shinji?" "Yeah. I'll let Sakura go if you do as I say. This is a promise. I swear."

"All right. So, what do you want me to do? Do you want me to get on my knees and beg?" "Nope. What's the fun in making a guy beg? I brought you here to fight. I told you we're settling our match."

…Rider takes a step forward. There's no enmity or intent to kill. Rider steps forward to obey her Master.

"But it's boring to just fight, right? It's not fair since I'm not a magus, and it's obvious that I'll win in a fight. So to be fair, I'll have her fight you."

"――――――――!" …Heh. Fight Rider empty-handed, huh? That's like telling me to die.

"I won't take your life. I've told Rider to go easy on you. Well, I'm sure you'll be a nuisance if you keep running around after today, so I'll have her break your limbs."

…Rider is not holding her dagger. It seems she really is going to go easy on me.

"Isn't your job easy? You just have to stand there and get hit like a dumbass. Oh, but don't go down too soon, okay? If you faint before I'm satisfied, I'll have Sakura take the rest."

"――――――――" …Rider comes closer. Three more steps. Then I'll be within her reach.

"…Heh. Don't resist, but don't go down easily? You're contradicting yourself. What do you want, Shinji?"

"Hah, that's obvious, isn't it…!? I just want to beat the crap out of you…!!"

Rider springs forward. "――――" I raise both my arms in preparation for her attack. At that instant―――― An impact that almost blows the bones away with it pierces my right arm.

"Guh――――!" She aimed at my arm that was guarding my face. My arm is still attached. But it's numb and I don't feel anything.

"Haa……!" I lace my senses as fast as possible. I can't do anything bare-handed. Unless I strengthen everything that can be strengthened, my limbs will be torn clean off. I have to turn my uniform into steel and turn my body into something even stronger, or the next attack will kill me――――!

"――――!" A tremor runs through my left arm. The blow like a bushhammer penetrates through my strengthened uniform and tries to break my left arm.

"Haa――――you――――!" Both my arms have been rendered useless in a mere second. ―――No, they do move, but I don't feel them. I can't use my deadened arms to block her attacks. If she takes another shot at my head now, I'll be knocked out for sure…!

Rider is merciless. She beats me relentlessly, just as Shinji ordered. Her movements remind me of a machine.

"Ah, guh……!" I protect my face with arms that barely move. From the start, I can't perceive Rider's attacks to block them accordingly. I have to concentrate on guarding my head so that I won't get knocked unconscious.

"Kuh, guh――――!" What is Rider thinking? Even though my arms are an easy target, she ignores them. She only hits my exposed chest and stomach. …They are agonizing blows, but aren't as strong as the attacks that numbed my arms.

"―――――――, ――――" …It's strange. With the strength Rider showed at the Ryudou Temple, a single blow should be enough to tear me in half. …Is she going easy like Shinji said? Well, she is going easy on me by not aiming at my face, but even with that in mind, something's not right.

"――――――!" In short, her power is way too different. A Servant's power is in direct proportion to the magical energy you can feel from them.

Rider was a strong Servant back at the Ryudou Temple. But the Rider before me now is the Rider that was defeated at the park. I don't know what happened, but if that's the case, I still have a chance to outwit Shinji―――!

"Gu, fu…!" I fall forward. Seemingly tired of using me like a punching bag, she steps forward and drives her fist into my stomach.

"――――" It's like a stake gouging into my abdomen. …The attack is really effective. The bruises from last night are screaming with pain. Gastric juice fills my mouth and I almost fall down to my knees.

"What, is that it, Emiya? That's pitiful. You're in front of Sakura, so take it like a man!" …I fall forward.

"――――――――" Rider steps back and watches.

Then… "――――Ahh……!" I grab Rider's arm and force myself up.

"――――! That's good, Emiya! You're as persistent as a roach! Ahaha, you're hilarious!" Ah… guh. Damn, that hurts. My head is spinning, even though she didn't hit me there―――

"But, well… This is a third-rate show. Even if we continue, it'll just be more of the same. I'm getting bored, so let's finish it off with an exciting knockout scene."

――――The same? Are you stupid? What's the same about this? We're standing in a different position now. Hasn't he noticed that I switched positions with Rider when I pulled myself up using her arm?

"――――There are about five more meters. Your patience has won out." "What…?" I raise my head. What did Rider just say?

"Enough resting. Start the second round, Emiya." Rider shakes off my hand. The black Servant resumes her attacks with the artificiality of a machine.

―――I'm being pushed back. To avoid finishing me off, Rider's attacks stay clear of my vital areas.

"――――――――" My body is numb. I'm bruised everywhere I got hit, and I don't feel pain anymore. It's because the pain from within is worse than her attacks. Rider has attacked me to destroy my body.

"――――――Prepare yourself." The black Servant closes the distance with an emotionless voice.

And in that moment, I am certain. This isn't part of Shinji's plan. Rider's decision not to go for my head, and that I can still move my body… It's not because Shinji ordered her to go easy on me, but――――

"All right, you don't have to hold back anymore! Kill him, Rider!" "…!? Nii-san, stop…!"

Rider's hair flutters as she steps in… …and hits me in the chest with her most powerful strike yet.

"Guh――――――――" I can't breathe. I don't feel the ground anymore. Her attack almost blows me unconscious even though I knew it was coming.

"Senpai…!"

I hear a scream and a delighted laugh as I fly through the air. …Sakura's voice is close.

―――I fall. Under normal circumstances, I would've hit the floor and died. The impact of the fall doesn't matter. It's an attack strong enough to blow a human away. It wouldn't be surprising if the strike blew a hole in my chest.

"……Hah." But I'm alive. Anyone can jump back if the timing is set so perfectly. That attack wasn't meant to kill me. She's kept me conscious and mobile, not because of Shinji's order, but――――of her own free will.

"――――Now." The range is perfect. I turn my body right before I hit the ground, straighten myself instantly,

"Huh?" and grab the knife in front of me with my left hand.

I catch it by the blade. I don't care about it digging into my hand because it's numb.

"W-What――――!?" I raise my other arm. Without a thought for the pain…

I punch him square in the face with my clenched fist.

"――――Ah." I throw away the knife. Trying not to look at the blood, I run to where Sakura is sitting.

"Sakura…!" "…Senpai――――" Sakura doesn't raise her head to look at me.

…She's trying to avoid talking to me. I don't know if it's because of Shinji, or because of all the things I've hidden from her. All I can tell is that Sakura's body is hotter than this morning.

"…It's fine. Let's talk later. We'll go home for now and――――" "…!" "It's over. The match is decided, Shinji."

…Then. I realize that Tohsaka is behind me.

After being wounded by Archer, Rider is crouching down on the floor. Her clothes are wet with blood. Even though it's not fatal, she shouldn't be able to continue fighting.

"T-Tohsaka…!? Damn, that's not fair! You broke your promise, Emiya…! I told you to come alone!"

"Yeah. But that was an order, not a promise, right? Then I think it's illogical to call it unfair."

"T―――That's sophistry! It's natural for him to come alone since he said he'll come alone!"

"…That's fine. We were together, but Emiya-kun didn't ask me for help. I came here because I wanted to."

"You're lying…! Why are you here if he didn't get you!? Emiya acted honest and tricked me!"

"Oh, that? That's simple. I was next to him when you called. You had such a loud voice, Matou-kun. I was able to hear you even though Emiya-kun was trying to hide it."

"Do you understand now? There's no way I'd just sit there if Sakura's been kidnapped. You lured Emiya-kun to you at the price of making me your enemy."

"Kuh―――so you're here for Sakura too? …Sakura. Sakura, Sakura, Sakura, SakuraSakuraSakuraSakuraSakura…! I don't believe this! Are you still concerned about it!? She's just a quiet bitch that shrinks with fear! Look, I'm a Master! You shouldn't worry about them! You should just be concerned about me…!!"

"I see. Then why don't you make your Servant fight? Archer only cut her stomach. He hasn't destroyed the core of her embodiment, her neck or her heart. Go ahead and heal Rider if you're a legitimate Master." "Kuh――――damn you…!"

Shinji scrambles away and takes out a book. "That's――――" That's Shinji's Command Spell that burned up at that park. He still has it…!?

"Get up, Rider! It's your Master's order! Get up and beat Archer…!" "――――――――" There's no reply. Rider is crouching, motionless.

A puddle of blood is under her, and the blood keeps flowing. She is the one who needs help right now. To order her to fight is to hasten her death.

"Damn…! You're my Servant, so fight until you die, you bitch…!"

Shinji's fingers tighten on the book. That must be how he uses his Command Spell. With trembling movements, Rider tries to stand.

"Stop―――that's enough, Shinji, give up…! Rider will die if you push her any more…!" "Hah! Servants don't die that easily! You just shut up and take care of that piece of trash…!"

Shinji does not relent. "……!" I let go of Sakura and rush him again.

―――At that instant… "…No…! No more…!"

"――――Sakura?" I stop and turn back. Clutching her stomach, she moans as if in the throes of a nightmare.

"Wha――――!?" Shinji's book burns to ashes, just as it did that night.

"――――What?" Wind blows inside the enclosed hallway. It's coming from Rider, who was lying on the ground, and from Sakura, who is still crouching.

"――――No way. This is Rider…?" Tohsaka stands ready while Archer silently watches the enemy that stood up. Rider is completely healed. The power flowing from her body is just like when she was at the Ryudou Temple.

"――――?" Then. Her figure disappears. Rider suddenly disappears from my vision…

"Get down, Emiya-kun――――!" "…!"

The moment I duck, long hair flutters right above me.

"Sakura…!" Rider has instantly jumped with Sakura in hand. She lands opposite us―――between Shinji and the rest of us.

"Huh? …What are you doing? Who told you to bring Sakura?" "No, there was no such order. As a Servant, I merely protected my Master."

Rider lets Sakura down and glances at Shinji. …Her eyes are covered with a leather mask, but her expression is frighteningly cold.

"D-Don't be stupid. I'm your Master. Why are you wasting time instead of protecting me――――" "Shinji. A Command Spell appears on the body of a Master. I have never accepted anyone who does not bear the holy sign as my Master."

"What―――?" "You are a fraud. You have lost the book which granted you false ownership, so I can no longer obey you."

Rider turns away from Shinji. That motion tells Shinji that she will never look at him again.

"―――I see. So that's how it was, Rider?" "Your guess is correct, Archer's Master. You already knew, did you not?"

"…Yeah. I knew it was strange. There's no way one of the Matous would be chosen as a Master. Their bloodline has grown thin, so no magi should be born to them."

"So it shouldn't be possible for Shinji, one of the Matou family, to become a Master. But Rider was summoned, and a person from the Matou household was chosen as a Master."

"…Yes. I thought Matou Zouken summoned you and entrusted you to Shinji. But it's actually much more simple. Zouken doesn't need to do anything. Because the most appropriate person in the Matou household to be a Master is―――"

Tohsaka isn't looking at Rider. She is only looking at… "―――The legitimate successor of Matou. This generation's magus of the Matou line. It's you, Sakura." "……" She's looking straight at Sakura.

"――――――――Huh?" I can't say anything. Tohsaka and Sakura. I can only look at them alternately and try to figure out what was just said.

…My left hand hurts. My relaxed mind finally starts to inform me of the pain on my hand.

"――――――――" I see. It seems my mind is calm. Tohsaka's words and the sight of the Command Spell on Sakura's left hand have numbed my senses, but―――my mind isn't surprised at all.

Only… why? Why did such a thing happen――――?

"………" Sakura is hanging her head as if trying to hide. Judging by her body language, she didn't want me to know.

"…Transfer of a Command Spell. A Command Spell ordering her to obey Matou Shinji, huh? Rider became Shinji's Servant with that, and you lost your right as a Master at the same time, becoming an ordinary magus. …So when I first had you show me your arm, you'd already given your Command Spell to Shinji."

"…………" Sakura doesn't answer and bites her lips.

Then.

"Damn, again, Sakura! Give me the right to control her again!" Shinji runs to her as if begging her.

"…………" "Hey, say something! You don't want to fight, right? You said you didn't want to be a Master, so that's why I took over in your place! Why are you pretending to be a good girl now…!?"

Shinji raises his arm. …But there's no need for me to stop him. "R-Rider―――are you going to disobey me?" "You are not my Master, Shinji. If you intend to harm Sakura, I will kill you."

Rider releases him. Shinji backs away, clutching his arm where Rider gripped it.

"Ha, haha――――I see. You'll regret that, Rider. No matter what you say, everything will be back to normal when Sakura makes another book. Do you know what'll happen to you once you become my Servant again――――?"

"It's useless, Shinji. It's almost impossible to entrust a Servant to a human, and someone that's not a magus at that. The transfer using the Command Spell made it possible."

"Y-Yeah. There's one more Command Spell. Sakura won't disobey me, so…"

"That's why this is it. Sakura only has one more Command Spell. If you use it, you'll have no way to control Rider. Rider would be freed. You can't bind a Servant with a fake right made with a Command Spell. It'll just burn your book like earlier even if you order Rider."

"Wha―――― Then I'm…" "Yes. You lost your chance to be a Master. No, you were never a Master as you were only controlling her using a fake Command Spell."

…A crack runs through. With a sound, the existence of Matou Shinji breaks.

"Ha――――Ha. I see, so it was impossible from the beginning. I have no talent. The old man cast me aside as a failure, and I was pitied. …Yeah, it's only natural. I knew it, I knew it, I knew it, I knew it, I knew it…! I knew from the beginning that I'm not suited!"

"――――Nii-san." "No, don't worry about it, Sakura. This was all just a farce. I knew that I have no talent. You're the family's heir. There was no need for me to butt in."

"Nii-san." "Yeah, I know, I know. So, Sakura――――you continue."

"Huh…?" "I'm telling you to beat them

in my place! Look, Emiya and Tohsaka are enemies! You're the successor of Matou, so act like one…!"

"Shinji―――haven't you heard a thing I've said? Sakura won't fight, and you have no right. We won't attack you, since you don't have Rider anymore. Just stay in hiding until the Holy Grail War ends."

"I'm not asking you. ―――Come on, Sakura. I'm telling you. You're going to obey me like always, right?"

"……" There's no reply. Sakura clenches her fists, turns her back to Shinji,

"…I don't want to. Let's stop, Nii-san." and clearly refuses his order.

"――――Sakura. What did you just say?" "…I don't want to. You broke your promise. You said you wouldn't kill Senpai, but you broke our promise. So――――"

"――――――――" Sakura doesn't turn to look at Shinji. Shinji looks at it like someone else's matter and laughs.

"――――――――" I feel a chill, and in that instant… "―――All right. Then you can die." I hear the sound of glass breaking.

"Ahh――――!" Sakura falls. Her knees lose strength and she falls to the ground.

"Hah, bye, Sakura! If you're going to hold a grudge, don't hold it at me, but hold it against that old man for making your body like that. Well, you were gonna end up like that anyway. It's better for you to be freed from the pain now――――!" Shinji runs away.

"Ah――――ha, ah――――!" Sakura tears at her chest. ―――Her earring breaks and chemical-like liquid is pouring out of it.

"Ah――――no――――no……!" She goes into convulsions. No, it's worse. Sakura's shaking so bad that it seems like she's going to crumble like a building in an earthquake.

"Sakura…!" I don't get what's going on. In my worry, I run to her.

"Fool――――! Don't you understand what's going on!?" "…!" Someone stops me. I don't know when he got here, but Archer is grabbing my shoulder.

"Get away from here. You will not be able to restore her if you feed her without care." Archer pushes me back and says something strange.

"Feed her…? What do you mean――――?" The question dies in my throat.

"――――――――" The hallway tints red. The air becomes a mist, moistening our skin, and every wall starts to sweat like honey.

"Ow, guh――――!?" …My chest is burning. This air. This red world is a different world made by magic. This must be a boundary field that melts everything within its framework, on this premise.

"Tohsaka, this is――――" I can't breathe. No, the mist clogs my throat and burns me from the inside when I breathe.

"…It's the boundary field Shinji set up here. But it's much stronger now that Sakura is Rider's Master." "Wha――――――"

I look. …On the other side of the hallway is Sakura, clawing at her chest in agony, and Rider, who is confronting Archer to protect Sakura.

"――――Move aside, Rider. Your master is running wild. She will be addicted to it unless she is stopped before she gets a taste of another's magical energy." "I refuse. My role is to protect my Master. I cannot let you through as long as you are trying to kill Sakura."

"…Oh. So you will stand there and let your master die? Your Master is using up magical energy at a high rate. Do you understand that she will certainly die if you leave her alone?"

"No. She can avoid death if she takes in more magical energy than she loses. Fortunately, there are two magi here. Shinji escaped, but they cannot escape now. I shall take your Master before Sakura is consumed."

"Heh―――so your character doesn't change even with a new Master, huh? It seems you value yourself over other people's lives." "That goes for you too. You are trying to protect your Master by ignoring mine." "I see―――then there's no need for either one of us to hold back―――!"

Archer charges. …Without heed for the corrosive boundary field, he rushes at where Sakura still crouches on the ground. And he clashes with Rider as she blocks his way.

"Hey―――are you okay with this, Tohsaka!? He started fighting with Rider…!" "…Of course they have to fight. We won't last like this. …And as a fellow magus, I have to prevent Sakura from becoming a heretic."

"Huh――――?" Heretic…? Are those people who use magic against the law of the Association, or people who cannot stop the Magic Circuit and destroy themselves…?

"――――Wait. What is that? Why Sakura?" "She's running wild. Rider made this boundary field, but Sakura's the one maintaining it. I don't know what Shinji did, but Sakura's attacking indiscriminately now."

"…I bet Sakura is like us. It's just painful and she just wants air, so she's sucking on other people's air, or magical energy in this case. ―――I can't leave her be as the supervisor of Fuyuki."

"Wha――――? You can't leave her be? What are you going to do to Sakura!?" "…Ask Archer. I only know of one way to stop a magus like that. But Archer might know of some other way."

"…Well, we have to do something about Rider before that anyway. From what I can see, Archer is the stronger of the two, but it seems his output is down." "…Output is down?"

I look back at the hallway. Archer is overwhelming, even in my eyes. In terms of pure power, he is stronger. There's no way that Rider can hold him back.

"――――――――" But. It's strange.

Rider's strength is her agility. She shouldn't be good at fights where she has to protect someone. Being forced to protect someone should put her at a disadvantage. Archer should've already defeated her and moved on to Sakura. But that's not the case――――so could Rider be overwhelming him…?

"Fu――――!" Archer's sword swings through empty air. Her hair flowing as she moves, Rider arches back and avoids the attack, then steps in and slashes at Archer.

But Rider isn't the only one who attacks and defends at the same time. Archer repels Rider's dagger with his other sword and pushes her back.

――――Advance and retreat. They are evenly matched. Archer cannot press forward, Rider cannot force him back, and they consequently clash swords without any progress.

"Kuh――――" The impatient one is Archer. Though his enemy is weaker than him, he cannot repel her, and the boundary field is slowly taking his energy.

And to add, Tohsaka and I are at our limits. Just stopping our breaths is painful, so being in the hallway stabs at our minds. At this pace, we'll fall before Archer defeats Rider.

"Damn――――" Archer clucks his tongue in annoyance. There.

"―――I understand your power. I am sorry, but you cannot defeat me." Rider stops and makes an announcement in a regretful voice.

"What…?" "I said you cannot beat me. You are not using your Noble Phantasm. I do not know if your Master has forbidden you from doing so or if you are concerned for Sakura's safety. Regardless, if you will not use it, this is it. You cannot defeat me."

Planting her feet, her only weapon, Rider confronts Archer. …She looks so defenseless that the match could be decided if Archer attacked her now.

"…Hah. I'm not worried for your Master. I just think that there is no need. And you cannot use your Noble Phantasm either. Matou Shinji was your Master until just now, so you do not have enough magical energy stocked up to use it."

"Yes. Shinji could not give me magical energy. So I cannot use my Noble Phantasm right now."

"…That's right. There's no need to waste my magical energy against an opponent who will not use it. I will slash you with my next attack, proceed and slash that girl, and everything will end."

"Yes. Let's say that's how it will be. It will be easier for me to kill you if that is the case." Rider answers calmly.

―――What does she intend to do? Without even readying her weapon, Rider stands against Archer… "…No, Rider…!" …but stops when she hears the voice.

"Please endure there, Sakura. I will solve everything." "Stop―――please stop, Rider. I didn't call for you for something like this." "…I cannot follow that order. Your life takes priority above all else."

Rider raises her arm. There's four meters between her and Archer. Maintaining that distance, the black Servant puts her hand on her ͛wrap text="face"]face and…

"―――Also… This is what you wished for, Sakura." …She releases the black seal.

――――Everything solidifies at that instant.

Rider's naked eyes. They are inhuman eyes, one of the highest rank among numerous mystic eyes.

"――――――――" Grey eyes. They look like crystals, and they are too abnormal to be called eyeballs.

The corneas do not take in light. The pupil sees the world through a square. The iris is solidified, not allowing the eyes to close. The millions of cells that make up the retina are composed of ether.

―――Are they art that the gods admired, or are they nature that the gods cursed? Rider's gray eyes are abnormal, and at the same time, too beautiful for any human to have.

"――――!" Archer is frozen in place. …It must be because he saw her eyes from such close range. His eyes are frozen even if he wants to close them, and his arms are frozen even if he wants to cover his eyes. He tries to charge forward and slash at Rider, but his legs are already petrified up to his knees.

"No way, mystic eyes of petrification…!?" Tohsaka's voice is almost a scream. …I can't tell what kind of face she's making. My eyes are also captivated by Rider's mystic eyes, and I can't look away. My blood is thickening. The flow is solidified, and my senses are ceased.

――――Mystic eyes. A single action magic that magi have.

It takes the eyes, passive receptors of the world, and makes them function actively to influence the world. It indiscriminately casts its magic upon anyone within sight, though the effect is vastly increased if the target meets your gaze. In short, it's something not to be looked at, and it is a frightening magical nature that entraps anyone that looks at them.

Their abilities and concealable nature make the mystic eyes proof of a first-rate magus. The technique to make one's own eyes into a Magic Circuit is close to that of a Magic Crest.

But then, artificial mystic eyes only have strong enough powers to cast Charm or Whisper. Possessors of truly powerful mystic eyes are always born with them.

Binding. Coercion. Contract. Burning. Illusion. Extreme luck. Mystic eyes that directly intervene with another's fate are called Noble Color, and among the highest-ranked of them are the eyes of petrification.

No magus of this age possesses these eyes. There are only a few magi that make petrification magic possible. How great a miracle is it to be possible to petrify others just by looking?

…Breaker Gorgon. It is the curse of the gods sealed by the powers of shrines. It is said that such evil eyes were only possessed by evil beasts and spirits in the age of the gods. The magical Noble Phantasm that can petrify people with its glance, the symbol of the heroic spirit Medusa――――!

"―――Get away, Rin! The real attack is coming…!" Archer screams, his body now petrified up to his waist. …Beyond him… A dark-red wave is expanding from within Rider, who has released her mystic eyes.

"Wait… even if you tell me…!" Tohsaka is moving too slowly. Something terrible is flowing forth from the other side of the hallway. The wave becomes sharp like a spear and aims straight at Tohsaka.

"――――――――" She'll die. Tohsaka must be more entranced than me, as she cannot even move a step. Unable to dodge, she will be impaled by the spear. With the scene of several seconds in the future in mind, I…