Chapter 36: The Fate of Heroes
After the Noble Phantasms of Shirou and Arjuna were unleashed, it was as if a low-yield nuclear bomb had been dropped; the entirety of the partitioned dark world was dyed red, and a lethal heatwave swept through.
However, their battle took place primarily in the sky; the city was not the epicenter of this release of power. Though the residual force alone was enough to destroy everything, it was naturally a simple task for Shirou to keep it under control.
In the end, the city below did not lose so much as a single blade of grass. This would undoubtedly bring a great deal of relief to the pressure facing the news reports of Fuyuki City tomorrow.
Another set of Golden Armor vanished from the world. From the midst of the blooming pyrotechnics, a golden light shot out, turning into an aurora that returned to Shirou's hand in an instant.
Retiring the returned golden spear into Unlimited Blade Works, Shirou fixed his gaze on Arjuna opposite him. This white-robed, black-haired hero "endowed by heaven" now had a substantial hole torn through his abdomen, and his entire body began to scatter the fluorescent light typical of a Heroic Spirit before departure.
"In the end... I still lost to his spear..."
The divine bow in Arjuna's hand was already shattered, and his voice was somewhat hoarse.
"Was it truly only good luck and the help of Krishna that allowed me to defeat him that time...?"
Looking at the self-doubting Arjuna, Shirou let out a soft sigh.
"I am not Karna. I cannot answer your question."
Arjuna gave a bitter smile upon hearing this, then shook his head gently.
"A warrior holds his weapon, stakes his life, and pursues glory while upholding the Dharma. I already lost that glory once on the battlefield of Kurukshetra... This time was a fair and square duel between you and me. Even in defeat, I have no complaints."
Along with the hero's fading words, the fluorescence suddenly burst apart, turning into stardust that filled the sky. The Heroic Spirit returned to his Throne, and the first Servant to depart this war carved his name upon the Holy Grail.
'Archer—Arjuna, Son of Indra.'
At this moment, Waver stood in the distance, somewhat dazed, witnessing the destruction of his Archer. Beyond the shock, an indescribable fear welled up within him.
"How... how could he be so strong...?"
While Waver was murmuring in a daze, Shirou approached him. Waver was startled and retreated nervously.
"No need to be afraid. I won't move against you, because there's no necessity for it," Shirou said with a smile.
"..."
Waver did not feel insulted. Insult only exists when strengths are similar; given the opponent's power, killing Waver would be nothing more than a casual gesture. There were, of course, reasons for not killing him.
"You have already lost the qualification to vie for the Holy Grail, but what truly allows you to live is the humanity that still remains within you."
Having said this, Shirou turned and walked away. Looking at the back of the red-haired youth, Waver fell into silence.
"Ha... haha..." Suddenly, his body began to tremble slightly. It was a mix of fear and the joy of surviving a disaster. He knew he had lost completely this time—his spirit, his power, all of it was defeated.
"I really lost thoroughly, didn't I...?"
Waver covered his face with one hand, his expression a mix of crying and laughing, as he raised his head to look at the bright moon in the sky through hazy eyes.
.
.
.
"With Archer resolved, one of the seven Servants is already gone on the first night. Besides Saber, there should be about five left..."
Though he said this, whether or not he eliminated those Servants was actually unnecessary for Shirou. If his goal were merely the Holy Grail, he would have ended the Holy Grail War long ago. The Holy Grail War was secondary; Shirou was simply investigating the details of the "great disaster" mentioned by the Wizard Marshall Kishua Zelretch while enjoying this returned daily life and spending more time with those around him.
While Shirou was thinking this, he suddenly spotted a familiar figure appearing in the moonlit streets.
"That's...?"
.
.
.
Mitsuzuri Ayako had stayed at a friend's house a bit too long, and only realized it was very late when she left.
"I can't believe I lost track of time. I didn't expect it to be nearly ten o'clock by the time I snapped out of it... Oh no, I have to get home fast!"
At this moment, the young girl was no longer dressed in her school uniform, but in a set of casual clothes. In her daily life, Ayako preferred casual wear; she was currently wearing light blue jeans paired with a pink hoodie, her style leaning toward casual and free.
Jogging quickly through the deserted streets and listening to the night wind whistling through the alleys, Ayako couldn't help but feel a bit nervous. As the captain of the Kyudo (Archery) Club, she was not only a top-tier archer, but because she came from a family that upheld the spirit of Budo (Martial Arts), she was proficient in eighteen types of martial arts, with Naginatajutsu being her specialty.
Beyond this, Ayako practiced Karate at a dojo in Fuyuki City and had long since reached the level of an assistant instructor (shihan-dai). Her reputation for being formidable even when empty-handed was widespread at Homurahara Academy; Tohsaka Rin had once remarked that Ayako could break ten roof tiles with her bare hands. In Karate, she held the advantage against her juniors at the dojo and was on equal footing with her peers.
If it weren't for her confidence in her own skills, Ayako wouldn't be so bold as to rush home during the curfew hours. But no matter how good her skills were, the thought of running into ghosts or monsters made her shiver with fear.
The place where Ayako lived was the Semina Apartments, located in the fourth section of Genmu-zaka in the New City.
"Almost home..." She could already see the faint outline of the apartment building. Though it wasn't clear in the night, even a slight silhouette brought her a sense of relief.
Just as Ayako picked up her pace, she suddenly heard a strange sound. It was like the sonic boom left behind by a fighter jet accelerating; the terrifying noise vibrated against her eardrums.
A spear of light descending from the heavens left Ayako frozen in place.
"What... is that...?"
Something transcending her understanding was happening before her eyes; Ayako even forgot to dodge. In truth, regardless of whether she thought to dodge, it would have been impossible to survive the collateral damage of a Heroic Spirit's power.
The spear of light that suddenly burst into her field of vision illuminated Ayako's slender figure. Danger was imminent, but her legs felt as if they were rooted to the spot, unable to move.
At that moment, Ayako felt her body being scooped up. The scene before her eyes changed at high speed, and in the next second, she appeared on the other side of the street.
The ground where she had just been standing shattered with a roar the instant it was struck by that spear of light.
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