Emiya Shirou and Rin Tosaka searched the streets aimlessly, wearing raincoats and umbrellas, but the pouring rain still soaked their raincoats and umbrellas.

According to the previous arrangement, Emiya Shirou, Rin Tosaka, and Archer formed a group, and then the rest of the people also formed their own teams to scatter around to search, but the overall search was along the west.

"Sakura-Sakura-where are you?!" Emiya Shirou shouted hoarsely, but he didn't dare to stop, the majestic rain covered most of the sound, and he didn't know when it would stop.

10 minutes, 20 minutes, 30 minutes...... An hour passed, and they still didn't find the girl.

"Archer, haven't you found it over there?" Rin Tosaka greeted, and the spirited heroic spirit suddenly revealed the entity and came to her, shaking her head and saying regretfully, "I'm sorry, I still haven't found any clues." ”

"Damn, where the hell did that kid go!" Rin Tosaka complained, but she also knew that complaining would not help, so she stomped her foot and could only continue to plunge headlong into the rain to continue searching.

"Huh? What about Emiya-san? Rin Tosaka was taken aback, why did Emiya Shirou disappear?

"No......" Rin Tosaka wailed, that guy must have run away without paying attention, there was already one person missing, and now he had to find another one.

"Archer, find me a good emiya...... Where did that big fool go! Rin Tosaka waved his hand weakly, and Archer immediately turned into a spirit and disappeared beside Rin Tosaka......

Sakura...... Cherry...... Cherry............!!! ”

Emiya Shirou ran in the rain, and the umbrella had long since been discarded.

[Listen, the worst-case scenario is undoubtedly Sakura being taken advantage of, the Black Chalice is different from the real Great Grail, and she herself has the conditions to directly make the Holy Grail come. If the worst happens...... Kill her as soon as possible! Feng Jie's cold voice still echoed in his head until now.

"Sakura ......"

I seem to remember that the first time I met Sakura...... It was the first time I was invited by Shinji to go to Shinji's house, and then, I saw Sakura...... Sakura didn't smile at all at that time, and it seemed that she spent a lot of brains trying to make her laugh at that time.

[Shirou, I didn't expect you to face a choice so soon. If...... Or not so many ifs. If Sakura is safe, you can bring her back. But if Sakura is being used by the enemy...... You have to decide whether to be on our side and kill Sakura, or to stand on Sakura's side and fight us. You've got to think about it. Jiang Yin, is the expression on your face regretful?

"Sakura ......"

That was a year and a half ago, because she was injured, so Sakura came to my house to cook for me, and she didn't even know what salad oil was at the beginning, but now she is a master chef above me.

[Shirou, don't forget your insistence all along, you have always regarded the messenger of justice as your ideal, but can you really understand what justice is? The latte asked.

"Sakura ......"

I (Emiya Shirou) once longed for him (Emiya Kiritsugu......

Since Kiritsugu's death, I have been working towards this goal......

After Kiritsugu's death until today, Sakura has been supporting and taking care of me......

Unknowingly...... When did it start? My life is already full of Sakura's figure and her smile......

[Do you understand? Emiya Shirou. …… This is my advice, you just have to keep the faith you have so far. But if you choose the wrong path, then Emiya Shirou has no future. There is something resolute and empty in the words spoken by the red archers.

"Sakura ......"

I want to stay with her, but that means giving up my ideals and making enemies of the world......

I want to stick to my own path, but that means letting go of that figure, that smile......

What should I do? I...... How do you choose?

The rain gradually subsided unconsciously, and Emiya Shirou, who had long since lost his knowledge of where he had run, suddenly stumbled under his feet, but he was already exhausted and was so tired that he couldn't stand.

"Sakura ......"

I seem to have seen cherry blossoms......

No...... It's not like, it's true! Sakura is there!

On the red-brick road, where there is no light and no people, Sakura stands blankly under the street lamp in her pink home clothes...... She just kept her head down, exposing her body to the icy rain.

"Sakura ————!!!!!!"

He shouted with all his strength...... I don't want to say anything.,Now all I have is the thought of bringing Sakura home.。

Shouting as he ran towards Sakura......

"No, please don't come here————!!!"

And then—

Sakura rejected herself with an attitude she had never had before.

He stopped and stared blankly at Sakura.

Sakura didn't look up, clutching the hem of her skirt tightly, her posture as sad as if she were a ashamed sinner.

…… I couldn't go any closer, and I felt that I couldn't go any closer to her until Sakura raised her head.

"—Sakura."

“…… Please、Go back。 If you are near me now, I don't know what I'm going to do. ”

Sakura's voice was trembling, was it the cold rain that made her tremble?

…… I couldn't wipe her shiver away. All I can do is—

"———— go home, Sakura, you'll catch a cold if it rains here." I held out my hand to her.

“…… Senior. I can't go back. Where else can I go back now? She spoke decisively in a voice mixed with hatred.

"———— Sakura."

"That's enough, senior. People like me don't have to be reluctant. ”

“…… Because, you already know it all, right? You know what kind of person I am and what kind of body I have, right? So...... Already, the next ————"

It's all over...... In this way, the silent words are spoken in a white breath.

"—stop talking stupid. It's good with what I've heard. The only Sakura I know is the Sakura I've been with me so far. Why end up with such a thing. ”

“…… Because, that's the end. Senior. I'm not the girl I imagined, right? Not only that, but since I was a child, my body has been eroded by insects that I don't know what it is......"

Sakura pinched her elbow with her fingernails...... It was like punishing the filth of the body.,Masochistic behavior.。

"And that's not all. I've always kept it a secret from my senior.,I'm a magician of the Makiri family.。 I also know everything about the Holy Grail War, and I pretended not to know when the senior introduced Miss Saber to deceive you. You see, because this is appropriate, so that you won't be hated by your seniors. ”

"———— Sakura."

"I hate pain, I hate fear, and I care more about myself than anyone else...... I don't even have the courage to die!! Someone like me...... Someone like me...... How can you stay by the senior's side! Even...... Even when I finally mustered up the courage to rush out of the classroom in the afternoon, I still had a despicable purpose in my heart! ”

…… She cried.

Sakura kept sobbing and crying, not knowing what to do, and fell into even more sorrow. It's like wanting to open all the inferiority complex and ugliness in his heart in one go, and tear open the already scarred wound again......

“————————”

What I felt, it was, regret.

- Until now, I've never seen Sakura cry.

This meaning, this kind of crying that just blames oneself. Why couldn't I have found out earlier?

"Don't cry—Sakura."

“………… I'm sorry, senior. I've been cheating on my seniors all along. I've always thought so, though. I'm someone who can't stay with my seniors. So only today, from tomorrow onwards, you have to pretend that you don't know someone. It's just a passing pass in the hallway. I also go home alone at night and forget all about everything that has happened up to now! ”

Ahhhh......h If that's the case, then what should I do? I didn't even notice, I'm sorry.

"But I can't!! As long as I think about it, my body trembles, it's terrifying, it's terrifying. I was so scared, more scared than if I wanted to die with a knife on my wrist. So I can't stop not going to the senior's house. Even if you want to stop deceiving your seniors, you feel so scary, and all around you are full of terrible people. I can't even move a single step anymore. I don't know! ”

"I knew that one day, the seniors would find out about it. By the time it was discovered, it was already too late. I can't go into my senior's house anymore. So before that, I just left my senior's house. I think about it every day, every night. As long as it is for the sake of seniors, I will definitely not become so sad and cry so much, although I know ————"

"But—but I still, I kept it a secret. The time I spend with my seniors is the only thing I want to protect! To me, it just makes sense that way, but why ......!! ”

…… The answer has already been decided.

From the time of Kiritsugu's death to the present, I don't know how Sakura has supported me.

That's the school girl I've always believed in, and I never realized it was a girl of the opposite sex. If she wants to stay with me, she has to be like this, and she has to continue to deceive herself.

However, it is no longer a situation that can be maintained with obfuscation.

———— Shirou Emiya, and he doesn't want to lose Sakura Makiri.

That's all there is to it now. If nothing can be considered, then the only way to believe in this is the only certain mood.

I want to protect it.

The most important thing for me.

I can't even think that I will lose it.

If you don't want to cry anymore.

As long as I take her hand and take her to a place full of sunshine, then from now on, Sakura————

"Ah——————h

Unexpected hug, Sakura's already cold body felt a different kind of warmth, and the solid and powerful beating heart seemed to beat the same frequency as his own heart, this hug ...... Why is it so warm?

"Then, it's up to me to protect Sakura, just like you want to protect me today, from now on, I'll protect Sakura......"

I hugged her cold body and wrapped my arms around her, not worth relying on at all. I couldn't hold her hard or hold Sakura in my arms. I can't save Sakura right now, I'm just like this now, she wants someone to be around, so I'm just coming to her.

…… Clumsily hugged Sakura's arm. Although I can only do this now, I can only make up my mind, and I can't shake it.

"No matter what happens———— even if Sakura wants to kill herself, I'll protect Sakura."

"Learning, Growth————"

The girl in her arms hugged herself gently, she was never full, but her heart was unprecedentedly calm, ah...... Why is that? Obviously contrary to his ideals, he once vowed to make everyone happy, but now, I just want to fight for the person in my arms, for her, even if I am the enemy of the world.

"It's ...... convention"

So, it's up to me to protect ......

"From now on, I will be a righteous partner only on Sakura's side, and I will belong only to Sakura...... Messenger of Justice. ”

…… Holding her arms, a little more force, although now they are only touching each other, but declaring this oath is more indestructible than anything else.

Please don't say "goodbye", I'll keep shouting until I convey it to you - Sakura, I like you, I'm very, very, very... I like you, even if I want to be the enemy of the whole world, I will definitely protect you...... Become a messenger of justice that belongs only to you!

For a long time......

It seems that even the rain in the sky has gradually turned into a drizzling rain, and Sakura, after accepting Shirou's words, finally spoke slowly again-

"What if...... If I do something bad, will you be angry, senior? ”

"Hmm...... If Sakura did something wrong, I would be very angry and angry, and I would definitely be several times more angry than everyone else did something wrong. So, I'll definitely punish Sakura and work with Sakura to correct this mistake......"

Then, Sakura smiled, and the smile on her face was so happy, it seemed to be the happiest smile in the world.

"Great......"