At night, the palace house.

In the dojo, two figures sat opposite each other.

By the hazy moonlight, Emiya Kiritsugu carefully looked at the young man in front of him.

It's so similar! The more he looked at it, the more he couldn't help but sigh.

Except for the difference in hair and skin color, in other places, the other party is exactly the same as his adopted son.

Looking at that mature face, Emiya Kiritsugu couldn't help but think to himself, perhaps, in another ten years, Shirou will be like this?

"I heard...... Are you from a different world? ”

After pondering in his mind for a while, making sure that there would be no misunderstanding, Emiya Kiritsugu broke the silence first.

Of course, affected by the other party's appearance, he unconsciously lowered his voice, hoarse, with a trace of concern.

“…… Yes. ”

Archer was also looking at the middle-aged man in front of him.

Hearing the familiar voice, he couldn't help but show a look of nostalgia......

Once upon a time, under the same moonlight, the child told his adoptive father about the dream that affected his life.

However, after all, he was an adult, and Archer's emotional control was excellent, and the next moment, he regained his composure: "According to the magic theory proposed by 'Kishua Zelrich Hubein Ogu', I am indeed a guest from a parallel world. ”

"As for my real name, you should be able to guess that I'm a ...... on another timeline"

Archer paused, and finally said the name that he had abandoned in the past: "Emiya Shirou." ”

"Sure enough."

Emiya Kiritsugu nodded slightly, his guess confirmed.

He said in the tone of a parent lamenting that his child had a good life: "I can be promoted to a heroic spirit with an ordinary body." You must have done a lot of commendable feats in the world you live in, right? ”

"You're wrong......"

Archer was slightly distracted by his words, and then he sighed.

In the face of the closest person, even if he knows that the other party is not the one he remembers, Valhalla Palace can't always maintain a strange attitude.

The emotions that have been suppressed in my heart for a long time have finally broken completely in front of this person who can talk to me with confidence.

"I don't think that's something to show off."

His voice was soft, but with a heaviness that could not be ignored.

"I thought...... No, I thought I could be a partner in justice. ”

Archer seemed to be remembering something, and slowly said to Emiya Kiritsugu, "However, when I was really faced with a choice, I hesitated. ”

"In that moment, I finally understood that justice is not something to be taken lightly. In many cases, it is fundamentally contrary to the reality you expect. It's like a shackle, so heavy that you can barely move. ”

Emiya Kiritsugu clearly saw a look of death and despair in his eyes

- That's just my past self.

"In the end, how do you do it?"

Emiya Kiritsugu hesitated for a moment, but still raised the crucial question.

"For the sake of the citizen's life as the 'majority', I killed her as the 'minority'......"

At this point, Archer paused, as if hesitating to continue.

After a long time, he continued: "After that, I continued to carry out my righteousness until I died." ”

There were too many things omitted from his mouth, but Emiya Kiritsugu could imagine how he buried his emotions with his own hands and walked over step by step.

“…… What I didn't expect, though, was that death was not the end for me. ”

Archer exhaled heavily, "I was favored by Arya and resurrected as a Heroic Spirit. After that, I had to make choices again and again during the long journey, until the moment I woke up......"

“......”

"Can you show me your inherent enchantment?"

After a moment of silence, Emiya Kiritsugu made a very abrupt request.

Archer didn't refuse, but readily agreed.

When the intricate incantation was finished, Emiya Kiritsugu appeared with him in the red wasteland filled with swords.

- A wilderness full of swords, a dark and gloomy sky, a slowly spinning gear.

Looking at the flaming flames dancing on the horizon, Emiya Kiritsugu fell silent again.

Inherent enchantments don't deceive.

It is the image of the owner's mind

Mapping of the landscape!

Every bit of grit, every piece of equipment, every piece of fire, every gear in this 'infinite sword system' is a true portrayal of Archer's heart.

"Sure enough, did you follow my old path?"

Emiya Kiritsugu only felt extremely heavy in his heart.

How many things did Shirou from another world go through to have such an inherent barrier?

"Did You Know ......"

Archer said softly, "Once, a girl said this to me. She said...... I am alive in this world, unarmed, and no one stands behind me to block the wind, and no one stands in front of me to block the vast sun......"

There was no expression on his face, but Emiya Kiritsugu could see in his eyes a look of memory and pain.

"I'll never forget the look on her face when she said that to me."

“…… Perhaps, I was influenced by her? ”

After another pause, Archer continued: "At that moment, I thought of something, I can't remember now, and when I woke up again, I already had the 'Infinite Sword System'...... It's my magic trick and it's my life. ”

"It's a long road, but the sword is the company. Is this the path you chose......"

Thinking back to the incantation Archer had chanted earlier, Emiya Kiritsugu understood something.

He sighed heavily: "My death in that world has made you carry too many things that are too heavy. ”

"So, the reason why you put aside other affairs and came to this world is because you want to kill your 'past self'?"

"It's worthy of Daddy Kiri, with such a little information, you can guess what I think."

Archer smiled bitterly, "Yes, the reason why I will answer Rin's call and come to this world. It's an attempt to change my stupid past. I don't want to see that figure walking down the wrong path again. ”

"However, now it seems that this world is very different from the world I am in, and I have given up."

"I'm just trying to use my old thinking to empathize......"

Seeing him say this, Emiya Kiritsugu sighed with emotion: "If I hadn't met 'him', maybe I would have felt sorry for myself like the person in your memory, and before I died, I would have instilled some bad ideas in Shirou, right?" ”

"Daddy, do you think it's a mistake to be a partner in justice?"

Even though Archer had already denied the first half of his life, he still couldn't help but ask when he saw Emiya Kiritsugu say this.

The Infinite Sword System had been removed, and Emiya Kiritsugu stood up and looked up at the moonlight outside the courtyard.

He turned his back to Archer and said softly, "Do you regret it?" For every choice. ”

Archer shook his head with a wry smile: "I've thought about this question many times...... Will regret it, and will not regret it. ”

"I would be miserable about the part that was given up, but I knew very well that if I didn't make the decision to give up part of it, more people would die."

He said softly: "There is always someone to do this kind of thing, it can be me or someone else, but it must not be without."

"I regret it because I chose to be a righteous partner in the first place, and I had to bear this inner pain, but I have no regret for what I did after I embarked on this path."

"I did everything I could, and that's it."

Emiya Kiritsugu sighed, "Yes...... You tried your best, and I did my best. ”

"There's nothing wrong with expecting to walk on the right path and do the right thing......

"Only, have you ever wondered why you regret being a righteous partner?"

“…… Because there is nothing to be done, because it is destined to abandon some people, because a choice must be made. ”

"That's right."

Emiya Kiritsugu said: "That's the crux of the matter. ”

“？”

Arhcer didn't understand what he was talking about.

"The reason why you are upset, regretful, and painful is because of ......"

Emiya Kiritsugu paused word by word and pointed out Archer's mistakes: "You! Too! Weak! Finish! ”

"The weak have to make a choice, for the sake of the majority, give up the ...... of the minority"

Emiya Kiritsugu's hand rumbled, shattering the air, and said loudly: "Many times, the regrets we cause are due to being too weak!" If I had enough power, then, everything would be different! The strong, the talented

I won't be torn between being torn between giving up or not, and I won't regret my choice......"

"A real strong man, he will only ......"

Speaking of this, Emiya Kiritsugu's voice was already deafening: "I! Whole! All! Want! ”

"Yes......"

Emiya Kiritsugu seemed to recall too many painful things, and his voice turned low: "It's Charlie, Natalia, and Alice Phil...... If I had the power to change everything at that time, those tragedies would not have happened! In the final analysis, the reason why we feel that the path of practicing 'justice' is painful, why we feel that it is difficult to bear its weight, and why we feel lost because we are too weak! When there is a mismatch between the ability and the dream, when the desire is not effectively supported, it is forced to do and choose, and that tragedy will be staged......"

“…… So, how do I do it? ”

Archer only felt dizzy and his throat a little dry.

"Of course, that's only - get stronger!"

I don't know when, Emiya Kiritsugu exuded a powerful momentum.

Looking at the middle-aged man with his right fist raised in the moonlight, Archer couldn't help but be surprised.

His impression of Emiya Kiritsugu is thin, sickly, panting when he says two words, and always looks weak......

And who is this guy in front of him whose muscles have swelled to the limit, and his chest is full of bullet holes, and he is even taller and stronger than himself?

"My heart is my way. Clear as a mirror, what you do. All for justice! ”

As Emiya Kiritsugu punched, a vigorous energy directly blasted through the roof of the dojo.

He looked at Archer sitting in front of him, unabashedly showing his inhuman strength: "Justice can't be wrong!" If justice is a mistake, there is a price to pay. Well, the world is really wrong, and we need to correct it! If we can't, we're not strong enough. We just need to be strong enough to continue to enforce justice......"

Whoa......

At this moment, there was a noise at the wooden door of the dojo.

Under the influence of Emiya Kiritsugu, the gate, which was already somewhat rotten, fell inward!

"Oops......"

After it, a small figure also fell in.

Judging from Rin Tosaka, who fell to the ground, and couldn't stop rubbing her legs, she has probably been lying at the door for a long time.

"Well, I'm not eavesdropping...... It was Emiya who was not at ease and insisted on pulling me to take a look. ”

Rin Tosaka rubbed it for a long time before she felt that the calf cramps had improved a little.

She looked up, only to see that Emiya Kiritsugu and Archer were looking at her, and she couldn't help but be a little embarrassed: "Don't worry about me, please continue." ”

Emiya Shirou, who came in after her, touched his head and didn't defend anything.

Looking at this scene, Emiya Kiritsugu was full of gentle eyes.

As for Archer, he couldn't help but laugh out loud after a brief pause.

There are many parallel worlds, and in each world, Emiya Shirou's experience will not be exactly the same.

If you say that you are the worst one, then the other world's Emiya Shirou will have a better life, right?

“…… Stronger? ”

After laughing for a long time, Archer finally stopped.

Just as water flows downward, something special happens when the same person appears in the same world.

This Emiya Shirou is stronger than him, so his memories and experiences will flow uncontrollably to Archer.

He has gained too many precious memories over this time.

After talking to Emiya Kiritsugu, he didn't know what his future would be.

However, with a new goal to guide him, at least he will not be as confused as he was in the past......

。