NOVEL ONLINE FREE Chapter 1: Chapter 1
AN: I'm using a translator, sorry if it has many mistakes
"If you want to cut off your hand, go ahead, but first, look behind you!" Archer commanded in a calm voice.
Shirou immediately turned around in the direction of Archer's voice. His right hand was still bound by the [Noble Phantasm] in the form of a chain. The chain had been identified as [Enkidu, possessing the trait [Divine Construct, and was stored in the [Unlimited Blade Works] record as an imperfect copy.
Suddenly, a short black sword projectile shot over Shirou's head and pierced the head of the [Heroic Spirit] directly in front of him.
"Damn you, Archer..." cursed Gilgamesh as his voice slowly faded into the portal.
"That man always has to show off," Shirou muttered, already imagining Archer's smug smile in his mind, which always annoyed him.
The portal, which had been strongly sucking in everything around it, slowly began to shrink and disappear.
Shirou exhaled a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding. The adrenaline and tension from the fight against Gilgamesh started to drain from his body. The pain he'd ignored earlier began to surface all over his body. Shirou's body was covered in cuts, his arms were numb, and his legs were shaking. Despite the pain, his mind was filled with concern for Rin and Saber.
'How are they?'
'Has the [Holy Grail] been destroyed?'
'I don't want the tragedy of the Fourth [Holy Grail War] to repeat itself.'
Holding his wounds, Shirou walked, dragging his exhausted legs. 'Rin, Saber, I'll be there soon. Wait for me.'
Unbeknownst to him, the portal that had closed earlier began to reopen. "Damn!" Shirou felt his weakened body being pulled into the portal. With his remaining strength, he grabbed the ground with both hands. His lower body was already hovering and almost entering the portal.
"Idiot!" Archer quickly started running toward Shirou, who was nearly sucked into the portal. Shirou's grip on the ground began to weaken, and he eventually lost to the gravity pulling him into the portal. With his vision blurred, Shirou saw the shadow of a white-haired man reaching out to save him. 'Ironic that out of everyone, it's Archer trying to save me,' he thought.
'Rin, Saber, I hope you're okay,' Shirou wished before his consciousness faded.
-Scene Break-
[Receiving sample]...
[Processing]...
[Testing eligibility]...
[Connecting]...
[Sample connected to [Heroic Spirit EMIYA]...
Error [The same entity has already been summoned]...
[Sample does not qualify as [Holy Grail's Core, sample must be deleted]...
[Deleting sample]...
[Deleting sample with [2nd True Magic Kaleidoscope]...
[Activating [2nd True Magic Kaleidoscope]...
[Searching for sample disposal location]...
[Disposal location found]...
[Sample successfully disposed of]...
-Scene Break-
The sunset began to set between the hills around the Ryuudou temple. A white-haired man in a long-sleeved red outfit stood, enjoying the setting sun. No one knew that this was his last moment in this world.
"Archer!" Rin shouted, calling him. Out of breath, she ran towards Archer and stopped near him, placing her hands on her knees to catch her breath.
"Archer..." Rin straightened her body, staring at Archer's back.
"It's a pity, but there's nothing we can do. Give up on the [Grail] this time, Rin," Archer said, then let out a small laugh.
Rin began to lose her patience. "What do you mean?! This is no time for jokes!"
Turning around, Archer spread his arms, making an apologetic gesture. "Sorry, but seeing you so anxious, I couldn't resist teasing you."
Hearing Archer's words, Rin calmed her anger and crossed her arms. "Archer, will you make a [Contract] with me again?" she asked hopefully.
For a moment, Archer didn't know what to say, but he had already made up his mind. "I can't do that. I doubt I have the right to stay here. Besides, I no longer have a purpose in this world; my fight ends here."
In a desperate voice, Rin protested, "But... But if that's the case, you'll... You'll never be saved." Rin began to sob, thinking about Archer's fate.
Archer was surprised by Rin's statement; it had been a long time since he'd heard words from someone who genuinely cared about him. His heart was touched, but he knew who Rin should really save. "Ah..., Rin!"
Rin, who had started crying, looked back at him.
Archer began to make his final request. "Please take care of me. As you know, I'm not very good at this and tend to cause trouble for others. Please give me your shoulder to lean on." Rin knew Archer was referring to the younger Shirou.
"Archer..." Rin said softly, understanding that this was Archer's last request to her. She then made up her mind to fulfill that request. "Yes... I know. I'll work hard so that he doesn't grow up to be a jerk like you. I'm sure he can learn to love himself. So you should too!"
"I know, and I've found the answer I was looking for." Archer remembered his purpose for participating in the [Holy Grail War] to kill his past self. But what he found was something better—his resolve to become the hero that had long died.
"Don't worry, Tohsaka." Archer used Rin's high school nickname. Then he smiled happily, a smile without regret. "From now on, I will also continue to strive." Archer knew he would be called back by Alaya to become a [Counter Guardian, but this time, he wouldn't regret it and would try to be a hero with all his heart. Even if only hell awaited him, he would continue to move forward, just as he had taught himself.
Archer's body, made of mana, faded and disappeared without a trace from the world. Archer ended with a smile of no regret, just like at the time of his execution at the end of his life. Rin, who had been sobbing, now started crying loudly.
-Scene break-
The world became pitch black without light. After a while, light began to flicker in Emiya Shirou's eyes. The small light began to shine brightly, ending his dream. Without realizing it, his eyelids were full of tears that flowed down his cheeks. "Archer..." he whispered softly. At that moment, he knew that deep down in his heart, he had forgiven Archer.