Part 362: Nine Bullet Revolver
Music: Footsteps of Destruction
"
No.I don't want this, Berserker…!!!"
Ilya pleads to the giant.
Video: First Projection (mirror)
But he doesn't even try to figure out who is talking before he swings his sword
Music: Sonic Barrage (Realta Nua)
"Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!"
I'm hit with feedback that's almost strong enough to kill me, punishing me for using something forbidden.
Music: Stop
I can't think.
I can't think even if I gather up everything.
I'm on the ground.
I'm about ten meters away from the black giant.
His red, glaring eyes are looking around, as if trying to find me.
Music: Nightmare
That's all.
What's important is inside my body
I don't really want to know what condition it's in, but I can still fight!
But.
"…Why? Shirou, do you even understand what's happening to you?"
Ilya pulls away, as if denying my assistance.
"
"Something's wrong.
Berserker is right behind her.
I'm myself, my head's not working due to oxygen deprivation, and I can't think why Ilya might say such a thing.
I can't, so I get pissed off instead.
"Man, don't throw a tantrum now! Let's go, Ilya! Now's not the time for that!"
"Kya…!?"
I pull her arm.
Her small body. Her desire to help me with that tiny body feels sacred.
"Shut up…! I wouldn't be here if I could do that…!"
And I pull her close.
"Wha
"Ilya's eyes ask me why.
She's got to be kidding me.
I don't even need to explain myself
!"I don't have a reason! I'm just selfishly protecting you! Look, an older brother protects his younger sister!"
"What!? Are you stupid? I'm not your younger sister!"
"It's fine! I'm an older brother since you called me Onii-chan! Even if we're not blood-related, you're still my younger sister!"
The black giant turns to us.
"Run, he's coming…!"
I can think later.
For now, I have to get away from him as fast as possible…!
It's a bit strange.I'm pulling Ilya and running at a speed far beyond Emiya Shirou's capabilities.
Ilya can't keep this up either.
There's nothing here for us to hide behind, even if we wanted to.
Well
hiding wouldn't accomplish much, since he can't see anything.
It's a scar on the earth made by Saber's Noble Phantasm.
"This way, Ilya
!"I take Ilya's hand and jump into the crater.
Music: Stop
"Haa
ah, ah"I just focus on breathing.
For a bit, I relax and rest my body.
"……!"
But it's only for an instant.
The giant will not lose its prey.
No matter where we run, he'll track us down and kill us.
"……Ah………! ………!"
The suppressed voice is from the girl beside me.
Ilya's frantically hugging herself so she won't be a burden on me.
Video: Nine Bullet Revolver (mirror)
Music: In the Name of God (Realta Nua)
The firing hammer is always in my head.
Untying the red cloth is the same as putting a gun in my mouth and pulling the trigger.
Once I remove the cloth, the firing hammer will go down.
My brain will splatter out the back of my head, and everything will end there.
"
"Then I have to go.
I have to save Sakura and Ilya.
It's impossible.
Sakura's facing death, and only destruction awaits her.
Someone said it'll take a miracle to save her.
That's right.Aid that's impossible with human powers.
If I'm to perform a miracle that exceeds human capabilities, I'll need an appropriate compensation.
I can't protect myself and someone else.
If someone has to take Sakura's place in order to save her…
She looks up in surprise.
Ilya notices that my right hand is on my left arm.
Oh, and let me correct you. I've done bad things too."
"Then I'm going. Wait here, Ilya."
I pat her head and walk away.
"
It's time."I place my hand on the knot by my shoulder.
The knot by my wrist is tight, so if I'm going to take the cloth off, it'll have to be from up here.
I just need to pull it all off after that.
Then I'll be assailed by pain that's ten times worse than all I've suffered until now.
My mouth goes dry.Fear doesn't go away with determination.
I want to scream out of sheer dread.
If I'll be sane or not.I'm scared of myself.
My death is only natural.
I'll be killed even if I stay here.
If I'm going to die either way, I'll choose the method that'll keep me alive longer.
So there's only one thing I'm scared of.
And that is the possibility of losing my mind before my body dies.
That's what I'm scared of.
That's the only thing I'm scared of.
That's why I sealed it.
I know I can't use this arm even if my life's at stake.
I'll be like him if I give in to the pain and lose my mind.
No, the fear will always be with me so long as this arm exists.
This arm's the embodiment of a nightmare that seeks to kill me.
But.
Why did I keep this arm in spite of that?
Ilya said I haven't done anything bad.
Music: Stop
" Ah."
Blowing despair.
A strong wind that's going faster than a hundred meters per second.
A fierce wind that doesn't allow the existence of living things, let alone allow one to stand up.
Therefore, it's not a wind.
It's steel, and my body's crushed by the pressure.
" Ah, ah."
I'm melting.
I can't even groan in protest.
There's nothing.
I have no way to fight it off.
I have to move forward, but I can't move a finger.
" Ahh, ah."
I'm melting into whiteness.
My body and mind impassively crumble apart.
Go forward.
Why am I here?
Keep going forward.
For what am I here?
Go to the other side.
Why am I fighting?
Pass through the wind and move forward.
"
"
My vision fades away.
Within it…
I see an unbelievable image.
" Ah."
" Ahh, ah."
Strength is back in my jaws.
I grit my teeth.
My right hand is already in a fist.
The red knight takes no notice of me.
Set in a stern expression, his face is slightly turned away, showing no interest in me as the wind rushes to engulf me.
For him, this result was expected.
Emiya Shirou cannot stand against this wind.
He knew there's no future for the man who betrayed himself and wished for something out of his reach.
He's right.
The crimes I've accumulated will judge me.
But he…
As if to scorn me, as if to believe in me.
He's waiting for me to get there.
Music: Emiya
My vision fires up.
I force as much heat as I can into my body.
My limbs cut through the wind like giant swords.
I pass the red figure with all my might.
There's about thirty meters to the black giant.
It'll take him less than three seconds to close this distance.
Therefore.The outcome of this battle will be decided in the next three seconds.
"
"I hold my breath and put all my magical energy into my left arm.
I only need to understand the weapons I can use.
I already know the precautions.
I have to move forward.
I have to go beyond that wind and defeat myself
"
Trace, on."I stare at it.
I see through his giant sword.
I open my left hand and grasp the imaginary handle of the weapon that has yet to exist.
An extraordinary weight.
Emiya Shirou cannot handle this giant sword.
But
my left arm will definitely reproduce the strength of my enemy.
"Here I come
"
There's no need to worry.
will reinforce the broken parts.
I will give my undivided attention to killing him for certain.
They're like ominous stars.
The giant gives a death cry and runs to kill his enemy.
He's still fighting his battle against Saber.
He is blind and insane, his life has ended twice over, and his body is rotting, but he's still fighting to protect Ilya.
"
"The running giant won't stop with one blow, and normal projection is useless against him.
Tracing won't do the trick.
I can't beat that giant unless I use projection past my limits.
Therefore
"
Trigger, off."
He's right before me. His massive sword is upraised.
Torrent and swirling vigor.
He steps forward, and I confront him by also stepping forward.
Upper arm, collarbone, windpipe, temple, diaphram, rib, testicles, and thigh. I take aim at the eight targets.
"Set
Nine Lives Blade Works."
I surpass the crashing speed of sound using godspeed
!
But he doesn't fall.
His entire body has been torn through by his own weapon, but Berserker's still alive.
I step forward.
His weapon is in my left hand.
I'm faster.
I can land a finishing blow before Berserker, who's missing an eighth of his body.
I raise the giant sword up to his chest and thrust it like a lance.
But I lost.
I put all I had into it.
I used every ounce of the unfair advantage I have, but it still wasn't enough.
Berserker's attack draws near.
It's swung down with hurricane force.
Music: Stop
"
"The black giant is looking forward.
Not at me, who's under him.
He's staring at the white girl who emerged from her cover.
…And at that moment.
As his red eyes fade away, they remain focused on the girl, telling me to protect her.
Music: Ever-present Feeling
The figure is all that's left in her vision.
"
"The battle has ended.
It's not the power of the heroic spirit's arm.
Using his own power, the boy fought against his death and won.
The girl keeps staring at his back.
He will never turn around and look back again.
"
Shirou."The girl keeps watching him, filled with sorrow.
His body looks like someone else's now.
It's a foolish and sacred end with no return.Music: Stop
I have to quickly cover my left arm
with the cloth and escape this pain, or the time limit will come.
"Haa
Haa"But I can't do that.
Suppressing my left arm and resting…
…Comes after defeating her.
Music: Confrontation (Realta Nua)
"…………"
Maybe she's been following Berserker all along. She slowly comes closer to me, as if resuming the giant's task.
……Seven meters.
Saber stops once I am within range.
We face each other straight-on.
After my fight with Berserker, I can't move anymore.
I'll be cut in two without being able to fight back.
Even if I were in perfect shape, I wouldn't be able to beat Saber.
I can't project anything stronger than her Noble Phantasm.
So there's no competition.
To beat Saber, I need an appropriate user to use his Noble Phantasm that equals her Noble Phantasm.
Therefore, a contradiction.
Saber's the strongest Servant in battle.
…Sakura did have extraordinary amount of magical energy.
But even Sakura wouldn't be able to defeat Saber.
Saber is literally invincible now that she's released from me and has a great source of magical energy.
There's no emotion in her voice.
"
!"That's the signal.
She mercilessly comes to take my life.
"
"So what?
I can't be killed here.
I can't lose, even against Saber.
I may not be able to beat her, but I should be able to escape with Ilya
"Eh
?"Saber turns around and walks off.
"…No. It is not merely luck. You earned your life with your own hands. You defeated Berserker. Your determination yielded this result."
Saber leaves without turning around.
Music: Stop
I can't fight Zouken and Assassin in this condition.
There'll be no point if my body explodes after I beat them.
Then I should keep my last projection to keep my promise with Tohsaka.
Then there's still hope, even after I die.
