The Ainsworth family initiated a Holy Grail War, summoning seven Servants using Class Cards, all with the goal of executing their plan through Miyu. But in an unexpected twist, Emiya Shirou achieved victory against all the Servants, and he further solidified this by making a wish for Miyu to lead a normal, peaceful life. This effectively brought the entire conflict to an end.
But, as luck would have it, this move led to Emiya Shirou getting caught by the Ainsworth family. Eventually, though, they turned the tables and managed to rescue him.
"Kiritsugu, are you sure that the world Miyu went to is really yours?" Emiya asked, a hint of uncertainty in his voice.
"While I can't claim absolute certainty, I did manage to reach this world through the Grail in my own world. Our parallel worlds share some connections, indicating a strong possibility that Miyu might find herself in my world."
"If that's truly the case, then that's great... If the version of me in that world is truly as strong as you said, he will surely protect Miyu," Emiya replied, his heart filled with hope.
Just as Kiritsugu had learned about the inner workings of this world from Emiya, the latter had also learned about the situation in Kiritsugu's world from him.
Learning about Kiritsugu's world made Emiya feel as though he were dreaming.
In that world, things played out quite differently. Kiritsugu didn't adopt him, and at just six years old, Shirou found himself caught up in the Holy Grail War. Surprisingly, he managed to defeat all the Servants in a single night, saving everyone.
Most importantly, he had gone head-to-head and actually beaten Archer, the King of Heroes himself – Gilgamesh!
To him, this was almost unbelievable.
This was because, in his own world, he had been captured by Ainsworth family using the class card.
The Holy Grail War of the Class Cards was essentially a battle among magi, and it differed significantly from battling regular Heroic Spirits.
Yet, in that world, he managed to defeat the standard version of Gilgamesh who was summoned according to the regular procedure!
Most importantly, in that world, he succeeded in changing Kiritsugu's obsession and was even regarded by Kiritsugu as a true hero of justice!
And in that world, he was only six years old!
When Emiya was six years old, he was probably still wandering with Kiritsugu...
The gap between them was quite astonishing!
So, if Miyu ended up in that world, she would definitely be safe, right? Just the thought of it brought tears to his eyes as a protective older brother.
"Speaking of which, what does the Ainsworth family actually want?" At that moment, Kirei spoke up. "Initially, they conducted thorough searches, but recently, their surveillance seems to be loosening. Do they think we've left Fuyuki City?"
Emiya shook his head and replied, "I doubt it. They're as cautious as Kiritsugu; they won't let their guard down."
Kirei turned to the other man, "What's your take on this, Kiritsugu?"
Kiritsugu took a sip of the soup in silence and then said, "It's hard to say. Even if they're up to something now, we don't have the power to stop them. The only ones capable of directly facing them is Shirou. I can use my Origin Bullet to ambush Julian, but there's no opportunity for that. So, we'll wait. We'll wait for Shirou..."
Pausing for a moment, he glanced at Emiya and added, "We'll wait for Fujimaru Shirou to come."
"Are you sure the me from your world will come, Kiritsugu?"
"He will," he nodded, stating firmly, "He's the one who informed me about the Class Cards. Once he realizes the gravity of this issue, he'll definitely come."
"Why?" Kirei asked, his curiosity piqued, "Why put so much trust in that Shirou?"
"Because he's the one standing tallest in that world. When everything comes crashing down, he's the first to hold it up. He won't dodge or shy away from it. That's just how he is."
Kirei chuckled, a smile playing on his lips, "That's quite the commendation, Kiritsugu. You've sparked my interest in this version of Shirou from your world. Or should I say, Fujimaru Shirou? Defeating the corrupted version of me and even Gilgamesh in the Fourth Holy Grail War... hehehe, now that's interesting."
Emiya scratched the back of his head and said, "Honestly, I'm quite curious about the 'me' in that world as well. Especially since Kiritsugu holds him in such high regard, I want to meet him and understand how he views the concept of a hero of justice."
"He'd probably scoff at the idea."
"Oh? Why's that?"
Kiritsugu took a reflective pause, then began, "That guy, he's like a blazing fire. People are drawn to him, caught in his warmth and ignited by his leadership. He's got all the qualities of a natural leader. That's why he can't stand seeing others carry their burdens all alone.. To him, the me from before—well, the version of me in this world—is like a criminal of thought, someone with an extreme ideology."
Emiya furrowed his brow, "But wait, if I'm getting this right, isn't he also carrying a massive burden all by himself?"
"It's a bit different," he clarified, shaking his head. "That guy carries his burden, sure, but unlike us, he doesn't just lug it along, letting it turn everything black. He's like a lead sheep or a guiding light amid the dark unknown. He shines bright and draws others in. He makes them believe, makes them follow him, all moving forward on the same path. In this way, he could illuminate even the darkest and thorniest road."
"I'm having a bit of trouble understanding," Emiya chuckled with a hint of frustration.
"You'll understand once you meet him. He's like a blazing fire," he said, shaking his head again.
Emiya nodded slowly. Honestly, he felt a sense of anticipation toward the Fujimaru Shirou who was so highly praised by Kiritsugu.
If... If the Shirou whom Kiritsugu spoke of in such high regard were in his current situation, could he open up a different path?
Emiya's gaze turned towards the entrance of the cave, as if his vision pierced through a thousand miles, seeing a young man inside a magnificent castle.
"Julian..." His palm slowly clenched.
And at that moment—
"Boom, boom, boom, boom—!!!"
The earth suddenly trembled. Kiritsugu and the others were taken aback, looking at each other, then hastily rushed out of the cave to look into the distance.
"What in the world...?" Kiritsugu couldn't hide his astonishment.
Not just him, even Emiya and Kirei was left stunned.
A clap of thunder tore through the sky, instantly shrouding the once clear sky in darkness.
In the distant sky, a massive black rectangular object stood against the sky.
"Boom!"
"Boom!"
Bolts of lightning intertwined, ripping the sky apart like a sheet of white paper, giving birth to a massive void.
"Could this be... something is about to happen?" Kiritsugu muttered to himself.
...
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