Chapter 29: Beyond Despair

The unexpected arrival of Kuzuki Souichirou caused a momentary lapse in vigilance on both sides—friend and foe alike. Souichirou used that single instant for one action.

A simple motion: from his pocket, he tore a slip of paper he had already prepared. In that moment, a magic circle formed in midair, and from it appeared a magus from the Age of Gods.

"Caster... Really now, please don’t be so reckless, Souichirou-sama."

Caster let out a sigh as she murmured.

"My apologies. But as a teacher, I cannot stand idly by when one of my students is being assaulted."

"...You never change, do you?"

Caster stepped forward to shield both Souichirou and Archer. Souichirou reached out toward the fallen Archer.

"Get up, Emiya. You still have things left to do, don’t you?"

"...W-why?"

"Add a subject to your question. Did the version of me in your world never teach you that?"

Helping Archer to his feet, Souichirou spoke. Realizing that Souichirou understood everything, Archer pressed on with another question.

"Why... did you save me?"

Confusion colored Archer’s expression. Kuzuki Souichirou was no magus—that much was certain.
For an ordinary human to stand in front of a Heroic Spirit was pure folly.
What’s more, the one about to be killed was a Servant who might eventually become his enemy. There was no logic in risking his own life to save him.

"That’s a strange thing to ask—"

Souichirou calmly adjusted his glasses.

"Because you’re my student."

"...Huh?"

Still stunned, Archer listened as Souichirou continued.

"I’ve heard the story from Caster. I know exactly who you are. Even if you’re from another world—an alumnus who’s already graduated—you’re still my student. And Caster has called you all her comrades. That leaves me with no reason not to save you."

"...Sensei..."

Archer, dumbfounded, saw Caster smile softly.

"Now do you understand why I fell for him?"

"Caster... you..."

Archer, still bewildered, could only stare at the witch beaming with pride. Then Souichirou spoke again.

"There’s one thing that woman was completely wrong about."

"Wrong...?"

Caster addressed Archer.

"If your life had been meaningless, I wouldn’t be here."

She smiled at him.

"The day I contracted with you, you showed me an unbelievable dream. I opened the link to learn more about you as a Heroic Spirit—and regretted it instantly."

"Y-you..."

Realizing she had seen his past, Archer paled.

"But... it made me want to protect you. Because you were far too single-minded. To the point of being self-destructive."

That’s why she had helped him, Caster said.

"To keep you from repeating your regrets, I gave Saber some shock therapy. Your Saber told you, didn’t she? ‘Lately, I’ve been feeling strange. I don’t know what’s right and what’s wrong anymore.’"

Archer drew in a sharp breath.

"Your Saber was already mentally unstable back then. Of course she was—forcing herself into intimacy while still strongly identifying as a man is like smashing delicate glasswork with a hammer."

"I... I—"

"You’re tired of regretting things, aren’t you? So push forward just a little more, Emiya Shirou."

Caster’s gaze shifted forward—toward Artoria, who now stood with a furious expression.

"...Thanks to the talisman I gave Souichirou-sama, we managed to get in. But to escape, we’ll have to break this barrier."

Caster’s eyes moved from Artoria to Rider.

"Saber and I will take down Rider. The enemy will probably bring out Assassin and Berserker too, so it might take some time. That’s why—"

"Yeah. I’ll take care of that woman. This time, I’ll put an end to her."

Archer’s expression hardened.

"Good. Make sure you finish her off properly this time."

With that, Caster layered multiple spells onto Archer.

"Too much?"

"Not at all. I appreciate it, Caster. After all... the only thing left is that."

Murmuring this, Archer quieted his mind, sinking inward.

In the darkness, a voice spoke.

"Archer."

He didn’t need to ask who it was—it was a voice he knew all too well.

"...I would’ve preferred to hear it from your own mouth."

Apparently, Caster was quite the chatterbox. He hadn’t expected Rin to hear about his shameful past.

"Stop being embarrassed and focus on what’s in front of you."

Her emotions were coming through clearly, almost too clearly. He nearly sighed. As always, he couldn’t win against this girl.

"No gloomy talk. Do what you want to do with everything you’ve got. I’ll lend you my strength for that."

With her words, vitality surged through his body.

"Do your best, Archer. And... if you can, come back, okay?"

He would try. In both life and death, he had been nothing but trouble for this girl, and he had yet to repay her in any way.

"Yeah, I’ll definitely come back—Tōsaka."

He spoke the words with deep affection.

"It’s a promise... Shirou."

"Yeah. It’s a promise."

When his eyes opened once more, Archer ran a hand roughly through his hair.
With his hair let down, he looked exactly like Shirou.

"――――Let’s go, King of Knights!!"

He chanted the incantation that expanded his mind outward, declaring the very nature of his existence.

"I am the bone of my sword."

As Caster and Souichirou retreated toward Saber and Shirou, Artoria moved at once.
She was likely wary of the strange martial arts that had just sent her flying—Souichirou’s inhuman skill.

"Steel is my body, and fire is my blood."

Projection magic was performed. Swords materialized in numbers, but Artoria evaded without slowing her advance.

"I have created over a thousand blades."

Yet she could not close the distance.
The blades rained down around Archer, as if forming a barrier centered on him.

"Unknown to Death. Nor known to Life."

Off in the distance, Caster and the others began to move as well.
That side of the battle, he would leave to them.

"Embraced regret to create many weapons."

Artoria slipped through the gaps in the sword barrage, drawing near.
He projected the axe-sword of Berserker, imitating the man’s technique at the same time.

"――――Hrunting: Slay a hundred heads."

The swordplay was far from the genuine article, but it was enough to make Artoria instinctively leap back to open the distance.

"Yet, those hands will never hold anything."

Only one verse remained.

Sensing the change in the air, Artoria stopped and fixed her gaze squarely upon Archer.

"...Interesting. You still intend to resist? Very well—show me."

A king of knights, brave and powerful, standing tall and unyielding despite having only one arm.

Once, he had been unable to even approach that distant summit. Now, he reached for it—

"So as I pray, 'Unlimited Blade Works'."

The world rewrote itself into an endless wasteland.
Countless swords stood like gravestones, and at the very center rested two beautiful twin blades.
The sky was overcast, the world steeped in dim light.

This was Archer’s inner world.
The sole magecraft granted to Emiya Shirou—if his element was “sword,” then a Reality Marble that could replicate any blade.

"...I see. So you are neither a swordsman nor even an archer, are you?"

Artoria muttered, almost in exasperation.

"And yet, to possess swordsmanship of that level..."

She sighed. Archer’s reply came quiet but firm.

"Everything is to defeat you—and this time, become the ally of Sato!!"

That was the wish he had kept locked in his heart.

A selfish desire that denied the prayer entrusted to him by his father.
A childish dream—to live for the sake of the girl he loved, and her alone.

"...So this is jealousy. Your heart has always belonged to only one person."

If, that day, there had been a way to save Sato without letting her die, there might have been a different future.
A path where he turned away from the entrusted dream and the burdened prayer, living only for one person’s sake.

Chasing an impossible “what if” from the past, he had struggled desperately despite knowing it was futile.

"But she is not the woman you loved. Merely something similar, yet different. Even so, you—"

"I know that. I’ve never thought about trading places with that kid. I just... as long as I can carve out a future where Hino Sato is happy, that’s enough for me."

Archer spoke.

"I didn’t care if she loved me back!! I just wanted to make her happy!! And yet—overcome by a moment’s emotion, I did something I can never take back!!"

Yes. It wouldn’t have mattered if she had never returned his feelings.
If Sato could have been happy, that would have been enough.

But he had destroyed that future with his own hands.
He had crushed the path that might have led to Sato’s happiness.

That was the true nature of Archer’s obsession.

"I will carve out Sato’s future!! That’s the only reason I’m here!!"

Archer raised his single arm.
Drawn to that hand were two holy swords—light and darkness, the same blade split into opposing attributes.

Each lacked what the other possessed.
They filled each other’s voids, becoming a single miracle.

"To think you would fuse two Excaliburs into one... how utterly reckless."

Artoria laughed as if amused.

"How childish… You think that if one blade cannot match mine, you can reforge two into one?"

"It’s not something to mock. With this, even your genuine article won’t be able to beat me."

"But if you wield something like that, you will—"

"I know the risks."

The two Excaliburs were fused into one.
That didn’t mean their power had simply doubled.
It was only that the flaws of the sword of light and the sword of darkness were covered by the other.

Yet now, possessing both the power of light and darkness, it was already—

"...Half of that sword is my own, isn’t it?"

When Archer nodded, Artoria’s face lit with joy.

"I see… so I am truly present in your heart as well."

She raised the jet–black holy sword.

"Then I will face you head–on."

Artoria poured immense magical energy into the dark blade.
Archer, in turn, channeled every drop of strength Caster and Rin had given him.

"Then let your thoughts be only of me in this moment—Emiya Shirou!!"

Artoria cried out with all her heart, and Archer roared back like a blazing inferno.

Light erupted.
Two legends clashed, ravaging the world itself.

It was like beholding the dawn of creation—
The instant when nothing split apart and heaven and earth came into being.
A place where all life’s death existed, and all life’s birth as well.

And then—

"...Ah."

Beyond his fading vision, stood the person he had once loved.

"Don’t… don’t go, Shirou-kun…"

Saber’s face twisted in grief, tears welling in her eyes.

"…What about… her…?"

The words barely came. His injuries must have been severe.

"Makiri’s Saber has vanished. And you’re still… here. You’ve won, Archer."

Caster smiled gently as she spoke.

"Archer…"

The boy looked at him, his expression complicated.

His consciousness was slipping away. In the blurred haze, he could see the light—
There wasn’t much time left.

Ignoring the pain, he forced his mouth to move.

"…Emiya Shirou."

"What is it?"

Half of Archer’s body was already gone.
Through a face twisted in agony, he spoke.

"Don’t… make the same mistake I did."

"…Yeah. I know."

Then Archer turned to Caster.

"…Can I leave it to you?"

"You’ve removed our greatest obstacle. That’s a deed worthy of proper reward."

Caster nodded.

"I’ll take care of it, Archer. So rest easy."

"…Thank you."

Finally, Archer looked to Saber.

"…Shirou-kun."

Tears streamed from her eyes. Archer’s voice was quiet.

"I… wanted Hino Sato to be happy."

Archer’s words hung in the air as Saber listened silently, attentive.

"Please… be happy, Sato."

That phrase pressed heavily on Saber’s heart.
But she couldn’t push it away.
There was only one thing she could say to the person who had spent almost his entire life for her sake.

"…Yeah. Thank you, Shirou-kun."

She forced a smile with all her strength.
By now, more than half of his body had already vanished.

"…Also, please tell Rin. That I’m sorry…"

"—Say things like that yourself, idiot."

At that voice, Archer’s eyes widened slightly.
There stood Rin, sweating from her brow, breathing heavily through her shoulders.
She had run desperately all the way here from the Emiya residence across the river.

"…I’m sorry, Rin. I wanted to make you the winner. That much I swear is true."

"…We’ll see about that, liar."

Which lie was she referring to?
So many had been told that he couldn’t tell right away.
He felt sorry for all the falsehoods he had spun.

"—You said, ‘Come back,’ didn’t you?"

Rin’s tears flowed freely.

"You deserve to be happy, too…"

She gently stroked Archer’s hair.

"You really did your best."

"…Do you think so?"

Archer asked uncertainly.

"I think you definitely…"

"You’ve become a wonderful person, Shirou-kun."

Saber said with a smile.

"You really have become a wonderful person."

"…Yeah, that makes me happy."

Tears streaming, Archer smiled.

"Thank you, Tōsaka. Because you summoned me, my life—finally… has been redeemed."