"Huh?"

A qiē happened so suddenly

It's really just a moment, one moment you can still see the dawn of victory, but the next moment you have fallen into the bottomless abyss.

As the wooden knife was shredded, so did the ability to think. The emerald green pupils widened, and for a moment Saber's head went blank, and even Emiya Shirou put the wooden knife on her neck without realizing it.

Did she really lose?

As a Heroic Spirit, as the guardian of the Covenant Master, did she really lose to the object she was supposed to protect?

impossible

It's hard to believe

How is this possible?

"It's really dangerous, although the flaws are deliberately exposed, but if it was just a little bit slower, maybe I'm the one who loses now."

When the battle was over, the exhaustion on his face was instantly swept away, and Emiya Shirou let out a long breath.

Obviously, whether it was just gasping for breath or slowing down, it was all just a pretense to lure Saber into attacking so that he could end the battle in one fell swoop.

Originally, as a god in the world, the bonus of faith and popularity alone was enough for Emiya Shirou to play for a whole day. What's more, over the years, he has been training with Joan of Arc and Elquit, who are first-class in combat power, almost every day, and his physical strength is completely out of proportion to his previous life.

The current Emiya Shirou can play sleepless for a day and a night even if he is driving the most powerful time system, how can he be exhausted after only a thousand rounds?

A qiē is nothing more than a tactic.

"Then the winner is divided. Is that okay?"

Seeing the expression on Saber's face, he could roughly guess what she was thinking in his heart, and Emiya Shirou sighed softly.

To be honest, when the other party is lost, he really doesn't want to fall into the trap again, but such a matter involving principles does not allow him to be deterred by soft-heartedness.

Glory brings self-confidence, but it doesn't always have a positive effect.

The more you value honor, the more your soul will be hurt when you are defeated

What's more, in addition to the simple victory and honor, there is also a very important factor, that is, the identity of Emiya Shirou.

If Emiya Shirou and Saber don't have any special relationship, and they are just fighting with each other, maybe Saber can still face the result with an angry mentality, and then try to defeat him in the next competition.

But Emiya Shirou is her deed owner, a person who deserves her protection.

As a knight of knights, since you have sworn to protect your master, it is only natural that you want to do your best

However, as a person who is supposed to protect others, but now she is defeated by the object of protection, from the side, doesn't she say that she, the guardian, is more incompetent than the person being guarded?

Defeated at the hands of Emiya Shirou, Saber was hurt more than anything else

The honor of the knight, the self-esteem of the heroic spirit, all flew away with the moment of Emiya Shirou's victory.

"Yes, Shirou, you won."

My heart was empty, as if there was nothing left

The brain was stuck in a state of stagnation, and it was no longer clear what Emiya Shirou was saying

The only thing Saber knows now is that she has lost this victory, losing to her own deed lord Shirou.

"Please rest assured, Shirou, I will keep my promise, and from now on, I will not interfere with your actions again."

The bangs covered the eyes, and it was impossible to see what the expression was on the face

In the past, it was always full of majesty and confidence, but now it is not even the slightest bit angry

Mechanically repeating his promise, Saber fell to his knees as if he had been emptied.

"Please, let me be quiet"

The hollow and powerless voice shows the collapse of self-esteem

It's not so much a request as it is a plea.

It is true that the Emiya Shirou in front of him is a strong man, and Saber, who has fought against him, is not unclear.

But it is also true that Shirou Emiya is a human being who lives in an era of peace, and she is a heroic spirit who lives in a time of war.

If it is said that it is the doppelganger who descends into the world, then it can be said that it is understandable to be defeated by the other party's hands, but now, she has come as a heroic spirit

Standing at a starting point higher than the opponent, he gave his full strength to fight, and then was defeated by the target of the guard.

This not only symbolizes her dereliction of duty as a knight, but also shatters her dignity as a heroic spirit.

Being able to barely maintain his own rationality is also thanks to Saber's strong willpower, but this is also the limit.

"Saber, you've seen my memory, right? You should also know how weak I was in the past."

Instead of obediently leaving the venue as Saber asked, Emiya Shirou slowly sat down next to her.

There is no doubt that Saber in front of him is on the verge of collapse, but seeing her like this, Emiya Shirou's heart is by no means happy.

Defeat is sad, and there is no half-joy in victory, right?

Righteousness cannot make up for a qiē.

No matter how beautiful the excuse is, hurting someone else is hurting someone else.

Even if it was to carry on his beliefs, it was he who forced Saber to be what he is now

Whether it was because of the guilt in his heart or because the girl in front of him was extremely important to him, all in all, Emiya Shirou couldn't just clap his hands and leave the scene alone.

"Don't you think it's weird? A person who was once unable to fight even a follower can now grow to a level of existence that rivals the Heroic Spirit. It's a rebirth, right? ”

“”

Without answering Emiya's question, Saber's head still drooped.

Seeing that Saber didn't care about himself, Emiya Shirou sighed heavily, and then continued to talk to himself.

"Talent can't explain a qiē, success is often accompanied by sweat and risk, as a hero who has crossed countless battlefields, it is impossible for you not to know this."

“”

"I've died twice."

“!!!!”

This time, instead of being unresponsive as before, Saber's shoulder moved slightly.

Seeing this reaction, doubly sure that the other party was not really completely deaf, Emiya Shirou continued.

"A digression, shall you? Take your sister as an example. I've heard that the relationship between you is not very good, but with Saber's character, if you see the other party in danger, you must go to save the other party, right?"

“”

"The so-called relatives, that's what it's all about. Whether you admit it or not, deep down the importance of your loved ones is never comparable to anything else, and although I know you won't agree with me, as I said before, for me, you are just as important as your loved ones. But I've seen you happen twice in a row and I can't help you!"

From the very beginning of persuasion, it unconsciously became an expression of true feelings

Memories of the past surfaced in my mind, powerlessness and self-blame arose, and I couldn't help but clench Bai Huahua's fist. Emiya Shirou almost gritted his teeth and continued.

"Because my memories are not connected, I didn't even know what the Holy Grail War was in the last two lives, so I can say that I was really and inexplicably involved in the Holy Grail War, so as you can see, I was just an ordinary person at that time. The first time was because I was just an incapable magician, so I could only watch you being consumed by the evil of this world and unable to do anything about it, and I was killed soon after. The second time was also because I was just an unsuccessful magician, so I couldn't help you and my friend, so I could only watch her and you walk into the darkness with a blank eye, and I couldn't do anything about watching my important person die in front of my eyes twice in a row, after inheriting the memory, can you imagine how I felt?"

Speaking of the sore spot in his heart, he unconsciously clenched his fists with several times the strength.

As if he had never been calm, Emiya Shirou lost his ability to think rationally for the first time.

The love was almost completely out of control, and even the nails were in the flesh without realizing that the red blood slowly flowed down Emiya Shirou's hand, and then dripped to the ground.

"I know. You want to say, actually, I don't need to take you so seriously, but I can't! If it were you, would you be able to remove the Gawain knights from their current position in their hearts? Even if they are nominally nothing more than kings and servants, you don't see them as mere tools, do you? I'm the same! Even if it's only a short time together, I can't treat you like an inorganic thing!"

“”

"Saber, you also know very well that no one can go from an ordinary person to a strong man overnight, and no one can become a hero without any danger. The improvement of strength is not only about time, but also about effort and risk. I was able to go from being an ordinary person who couldn't even fight a Servant to being a character who could now rival the Heroic Spirit itself, do you know how much hard work I've put in?"

Even when facing Rin Tosaka and Sakura, who couldn't be protected in their previous lives, their emotions have never been as out of control as they are at this moment

I no longer have any reservations about what I said in my heart, and the guilt and sense of mission that have been buried in my heart for many years are like explosives that have been detonated at this moment, and I don't vomit or feel unhappy.

Emiya Shirou paused, took a deep breath, and tried to calm down his feelings.

"Because something went wrong with the operation of the world, I was able to inherit the memories and abilities of the previous two lives. Burdened with the unwillingness and guilt of two lifetimes, and burdened with unforgettable grief, I have always been trying to find a way to get stronger. In this life, when I was ten years old, I gave up the stable life of modern society and ran away from home, in order to provoke other strong people, and break through myself through actual combat exchanges or life-and-death battles. On this point, I can say that it was quite successful. I've forgotten the number of injuries and the number of actual combat training, anyway, I can't count the experience of being seriously injured and dying, about six times or so, and two of them would have been dead for a long time if it weren't for the mercy of the other party's men, let alone come back alive to meet you again. ”

“”

"I'm not the kind of strong person who pursues endless martial arts. Even if you've only been together for a few days, you should have noticed that I don't have this kind of fighting spirit and determination, and the reason why I want to become stronger at the expense of crossing the ghost gate is to protect you and let myself play a role in the next Holy Grail battle," his voice revealed an unprecedented weakness, and Emiya Shirou tiredly covered his face with his hand, "As if I begged you to be good, I didn't say that from now on, all the battles will be solved by myself, please let me protect you until the last moment, okay?"