Part 203: Puppet master

Music: Footsteps of Destruction



""
I don't move at all.
I don't care about the rubble falling down.
I don't have time to run, and I have no intention of running.
I don't care even if a big piece of debris scratches against my back.
I can't think of looking away from that guy now.



His red eyes react to my enmity.

I'm going crazy.
I'll die in the next instant. There's no way I'm not afraid of that.
But my body refuses to run away and keeps screaming to defeat that enemy.
The girl's corpse keeps ordering me not to forgive that man.

It's only natural for me to go crazy.
My mind churns with conflicting impulses towards life and death.

""


"It seems you have a will to fight, but that is nothing. You are worthless without Saber."


A sword appears in his left hand.
The sword is mercilessly raised and should come down to kill Emiya Shirou.

""
I keep glaring at the enemy.
I can't even think about showing my back to him.

"Hold on. I know this guy."
The man's sword stops.


Shinji, who was watching from the other side of the wall, walks to the center of the hall.




The man does not move.
There's about ten meters between us.
…Would I be able to get near him? Even Berserker could not close this distance.


"Oh, are you so scared that you can't talk!? Well, I understand how you feel. I was like that when Rider got killed.
Yeah, that's right, that's right! I'm glad you let me go back then!"

Maybe if you keep ignoring him, he'll just go away.


There's nothing I can use as a weapon.
But I don't care.
My head is clear right now.
I don't feel any uneasiness about projecting his swords right now

"Hey, I'm telling you to look at me…!"
""



I look at Shinji while keeping the man in my view.


"That's right. So you do know who's the most powerful here."
""
I gasp.
It's not because of what he said. It's unexpected that he is saying so from the bottom of his heart.


"That's right. So you know, right, Emiya? You'll die now."

…How out-of-place.
Why say something that's so obvious?

"Sorry I didn't introduce him to you yet, but he's my new Servant. He's more amazing than Rider, right?"
Shinji puts his hand on the man's shoulder.
And with a delighted face…



"Beg for your life, Emiya. I might consider it."
…He says something unimaginable.

"I refuse."
I do not hesitate.
I answer right away without showing any signs of even considering it.



Shinji jumps back.



The man, still with a cold expression, finally brings his sword do

Music: Stop

"Hold on. I won't guarantee your Master's life if you move an inch."
And the man stops his sword once again.

Music: Premonition of a Storm





Everyone looks up.
Everyone down in the hall turns his attention to the girl on the terrace.

Tohsaka's hand is aimed at Shinji.
Even though Shinji is not a magus, he should know what that means.
Tohsaka's serious.
If the man brings down his sword, she will kill Shinji as retaliation.

"T-Tohsaka…! Why are you here…!?"
""
She doesn't answer, but just keeps her aim on Shinji.

"WWhat, are you really going to shoot me, you murderer…!?"
"You're the one who killed first.
Well, I don't care about that. The right to kill and be killed are the same. You should know that with your human instincts even if you're not a magus."
"!"
Shinji retreats weakly, being stared down by Tohsaka.



He looks at Tohsaka.



"……?"
…Then.
I think there was a strange shaking for an instant.



"I see. You know you will not be able to kill me, so you went after the Master instead. You brought on the negotiation because you know I would not stop even if you killed my Master."

"…That's right. You wouldn't stop even if I killed Shinji. But you can consider it in this situation, right?
You can save Shinji right now. If you're a Servant, it should be a hard blow for you to lose your Master."



"Hah. I see, you are pretty clever. That is your only option if you want to save that scum."
His sword disappears.
He turns his back to me as if he's lost interest.




"Nothe situation has changed, Shinji. She will be perfect as the vessel."


"Huh?"

Shinji stops breathing.
His face filled with irritation suddenly turns into a dirty smile.



"I seewow, I'm glad you're still alive, Tohsaka."

"I see. I'm relieved as well. I've known you for a long time even though you're like that. It'd be discouraging to have you dead already."




"Oh well. With that aside, how about it, Tohsaka? Do you want to forget about Emiya and team up with us?"
"'Us'?"



"That's right. You should know that Caster is stocking up power. The Ryudou Temple is the altar this time. It's a bit unfavorable for us if she's taking position there and stocking up magical energy."

Shinji says this with both his hands raised.
That's an obvious fact.
If I have to add, it seems Shinji doesn't know Caster obtained Saber and Archer.



"You can tell, right? There's not much chance of victory by myself.
I beat Berserker's Master, but this isn't enough. We can make one that will even beat Caster if you join us."
Shinji invites her with confidence.
To that…

"I refuse, Shinji. I don't know who you're connected with, but there's no way I would follow a guy that is being used."
Tohsaka refuses him without twitching a brow.



"Can't you tell? I'm warning you since I've known you for a long time. You should get some intelligence to observe what's going on around you.
You're the only one who considers Matou Shinji to be a Master. Don't you realize by now that you don't have talent as a magus?"


"You!"

Shinji's face stiffens up.
The harsh words must have caused him to forget that his life is in Tohsaka's hands.


"Do it, Gilgamesh! Kill Emiya and Tohsaka…!"
Shinji orders his Servant.

Shouting out your Servant's true name is such a great idea.

""



"W-What, I told you to kill them…! It should be easy for you to kill them before I get killed…!"
"No, this is too bad, but we are out of time. It will rot if we take any more time."

The man shows Shinji, who is walking up to him in anger, what is in his right hand.
…A red piece of meat.
It is the still-throbbing heart he ripped out of that girl.



"Damn, don't regret it, Tohsaka! I won't let you be on my side now…!"
Shinji runs towards the gate.

…The other one stays.
And after watching his master's disgraceful behavior…



"So that is it. You have a good friend."
With those delighted words he leaves the room filled with rubble.