chsdbacks Page 245
Page 245
"The future me is filled with regret. He hates himself, but he doesn't actually hate the self that became a partner of justice. Rather, he hates the self that strayed from the partnership of justice. In contrast, I seem to have succeeded and achieved my goal, but I may not have become the ideal self. There are thousands of roads, but not every road that leads to the end is the right road, and not every road that leads to suffering is the wrong road."
"In short, what I want to say is, Your Highness Ariel, please never forget your original intention. If you lose your original intention, no matter how right you make a choice, you will inevitably fall into regret in the end."
Shirou's words were like a revelation to Ariel.
The girl stared blankly at the boy standing before her, unsure of what to say.
Shirou slowly raised his right hand and said quietly, "I said before that I wanted to show you something. Now I'm going to show you the end of the road of someone who has forgotten their original intention and important ideals, and who has fallen into the quagmire on what seems to be the right path... That is my advice to you. I hope you will never forget the original intention and goal you had when you first embarked on this path."
"Varied……"
Before Ariel could react, she saw Shirou raise his arm.
All twenty-seven magic circuits suddenly lit up, and dazzling magic began to erupt like a motor.
That's the light of Unlimited Blade Works!
Chapter 322 Demonstrating Unlimited Blade Works to Ariel!
Shirou is determined to show Ariel Unlimited Blade Works.
This is not only to make Ariel realize the dead end she will face after making the wrong choice, and to make her deeply aware of the consequences of different choices, but also because Shirou himself wants to try again.
Before Ankylosaurus assisted him, he himself wanted to try to understand why he couldn't fully activate Unlimited Blade Works.
"call--"
Shirou took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and began to concentrate.
It's different from when I used to unleash Unlimited Blade Works.
Previously, every time Shirou used Unlimited Blade Works, it was during a battle with a powerful enemy that he was forced to use the power from the Heroic Spirit Emiya.
But this time is different. Shirou is not facing any powerful opponent, so he can relax completely and extend his preparation time indefinitely.
Sink your spirit into the bottomless abyss in one go, and then, at the moment when everything is concentrated on one point, suddenly burst forth!
“IAmTheBoneOfMySword”.
(This body was formed from a sword)
Under Ariel's gaze, Shirou slowly raised his arm, and as his magic circuits shone, he began to chant the incantation for Unlimited Blade Works.
As his voice rang out, heat appeared out of nowhere in the surrounding space, and azure flames began to burn fiercely without any sense of heat.
Even so, Ariel inexplicably felt a terrifying pressure emanating from the unseen space before her.
Even though she lacked eyes that could see magic, she could still sense a vast amount of magic rising up.
At the same time, Shirou was slowly chanting the incantation, confirming each word one by one.
"."
(Blood tide as iron, heart as crystal)
"."
(More than a thousand swords have been made by hand.)
"UnknownToDeath".
(Not knowing what death is)
"NorKnownToLife".
(He also did not know what life was.)
"."
(He often stood atop the hill of swords, reveling in victory.)
"."
(Therefore, this life has no meaning.)
"."
(Therefore, as I pray, Unlimited Blade Works)
As all the chanting was completed, Shirou felt as if a huge hole had been dug out of his heart, and a sense of loss and bewilderment kept emerging in his mind like fragmented pieces.
It was an oppressive feeling that almost crushed his soul.
However, unlike the last time when Shirou was completely unprepared and was suddenly overwhelmed by the enormous impact and lost consciousness, this time he forcibly held on to himself and confronted the immense sense of justice within Unlimited Blade Works.
Although it was an extremely difficult thing, it was a huge pressure and test for Shirou's soul, like being pierced by countless needles into his bone marrow, that level of pain.
But Shirou gritted his teeth and endured the mental pain, overcoming all the oppression and sting, and stubbornly maintained the occurrence of Unlimited Blade Works.
"Boom!"
As the azure flames suddenly swept across the scene, everything around changed dramatically; the trees, the grass, the birdsong and the fragrance of flowers were all gone.
The fields that were once characteristic of the northern lands have now been replaced by a huge smelting plant.
The gloomy sky, the churning dark clouds, the pungent smell... everything around had been completely transformed into a hill filled with endless swords.
Shirou stood silently in the center of the hill, gazing at the familiar yet unfamiliar surroundings. He confirmed once again that this was not the Unlimited Blade Works he had used in his battle with Angelica, but rather the Unlimited Blade Works possessed only by the Heroic Spirit Emiya himself.
The most distinctive feature is the countless gears in the sky that are swaying little by little. The gears keep turning, just like a sophisticated machine that is constantly pushing forward.
That is the symbol of the Guardian, the constraint created by the Restraint Force for its own Guardian, which forces the Guardian to take the path of salvation only to save humanity.
That's why Emiya, the Heroic Spirit, was plunged into such pain, doing things he didn't want to do in despair, yet he was helpless to stop it.
All the bitterness and hardship eventually turned into a long sigh, and like the embodiment of will, it added countless sword marks to this boundless plain.
That was both a psychological trauma to the Heroic Spirit Emiya himself and a manifestation of his unwavering, rock-solid will.
Even though he went down the wrong path, he never gave up his ideal of being a partner in justice.
"Snapped!"
Now, Shirou has fully mastered Unlimited Blade Works, but none of the swords on the mound obey his commands.
He could only stand in the very center of this sword hill, as if gazing at the shape of someone's soul, but he had no way to further interfere with this space.
The reason is also very simple.
This is not his Unlimited Blade Works, but the Unlimited Blade Works of the Heroic Spirit Emiya.
There are huge differences between the two, the most important of which is their complete contradiction on a spiritual level.
This is why, even when Shirou uses Unlimited Blade Works, he cannot gain the approval of this space, and the power of the Reality Marble cannot be used by him.
In fact, as Shirou continued for a longer period of time, he could even feel a strong sense of rejection.
It was as if the space itself was repelling him.
This rejection wasn't obvious at first, but it became clearer and clearer over time, until it transformed into a sharp, piercing blade, aimed straight at Shirou's heart—
"Woo!"
The same pain he felt in his chest was the same as when he faced the Demon King Badigandi last time.
Before Shirou could even think, the massive Unlimited Blade Works shattered instantly.
But before disappearing, Shirou seemed to see a red figure, a figure like one of the thousands of swords, which, despite enduring endless wear and tear, remained unwavering and confused, still walking on a road with no end in sight.
On this lonely road, only endless sandstorms accompany him.
The other party is destined never to reach the true end.
Shirou had mixed feelings about this.
He harbored complex emotions toward the Heroic Spirit Emiya; it was neither admiration nor disgust, neither empathy nor complete denial.
Because the other person represents a possibility for his future, and is one of the final paths that Shirou Emiya's path has led to.
Just like when people look in a mirror, they don't have many emotions about their reflection.
Shirou also couldn't form too many opinions about the Heroic Spirit Emiya.
He just stared at the other person, scrutinizing them, but ultimately still couldn't accept them.
Relentlessly pursue justice until your soul is completely consumed by its flames.
But what exactly does justice mean, and what does all that is sacrificed for it entail...? Perhaps even the Heroic Spirit Emiya himself cannot answer these questions.
The only thing I can remember is that moonlit night.
The poignant sigh and lament of Kiritsugu Emiya before his death, and the image of a boy, still a child, accepting the mission of a comrade of justice with a face full of longing.
What was I thinking at that time?
When did that original aspiration change...?
Shirou's consciousness unknowingly sank into chaos, sinking into the dark abyss.
He didn't know how much time had passed before he regained consciousness.
When I woke up, the first thing I felt was a soft touch; it seemed like something incredibly soft was resting against my neck.
Shirou opened his eyes, and what came into view was the sky, white clouds, and the profile of a girl so exquisite that she seemed to have stepped out of a painting.
"you're awake?!"
Ariel saw Shirou open his eyes and spoke with considerable concern.
Shirou then realized that he seemed to have been resting his head on Ariel's lap the whole time; the princess had apparently made him a lap pillow.
Shirou was undoubtedly startled by this treatment, which was too much like that of an anime protagonist. He instinctively tried to stand up, but Ariel forcibly held him down.
The girl seemed to have witnessed Shirou suddenly fainting and saw the extreme pain on his face, which made her realize the price he had paid for showing her that he had just done.
So, disregarding Shirou's own wishes, she forced him to rest more.
"..."
Faced with Ariel's attitude, Shirou had no choice but to accept the girl's kindness and continue to rest his head on her soft thighs.
The air suddenly fell into extreme stillness.
The only sound was the rustling of the wind blowing through the grass.
In the silence, Shirou spoke first: "Did you see that just now, Princess Ariel? That is the end point I will reach in the future, the end of the path of the heroes of justice."
"The end of the road..."
Hearing Shirou's words, Ariel seemed speechless.
Her body had become tense at some point, as if she was still not overwhelmed by the shocking scene from before.
Upon first seeing Unlimited Blade Works, Ariel, like most people, was initially shocked by the sheer size of the Reality Marble and the bizarre nature of the scene within.
But in that instant, she also felt a strong turbulence in her heart, and her soul was strongly impacted and resonated with.
It was a feeling that couldn't be described in words.
It is filled with loneliness, yet it is as fiery as a flame. It is surrounded by despair, yet it is never truly defeated. It is like a soldier with countless sword wounds, yet he stubbornly advances, fighting with all his might on a battlefield where he is all alone, heading towards an unknown end.
For Ariel, who had never risked everything, even her life, for anything, it was something dazzling and impossible to ignore.
No human emotion, whether familial, friendly, or even romantic, could compare to the profound impact Ariel had felt upon witnessing Unlimited Blade Works.
If she could, Ariel didn't expect to see the same scenery as Shirou himself, but she at least wanted to be in a seemingly ambiguous position, just like before, watching the destination that the man who had given his all finally reached.
This was the only emotion left in her heart.
"I will continue to challenge myself and gain Lord Percius's approval."
A firm resolve arose in Ariel's heart.
This pleased Shirou, making him realize that his efforts had not been in vain.
However, Shirou did not know that what Ariel witnessed was not what he imagined. She did not develop a genuine desire for it because she saw a wrong example.
On the contrary, Ariel saw Unlimited Blade Works and was genuinely awestruck by the scenery, which made her determined to continue seeing the end.
But no matter how the process deviates, the result is correct.
After resting, Shirou stood up again.
He didn't notice the slight disappointment on the girl's face, and silently looked at the ground not far away.
After Unlimited Blade Works disappeared, nothing was left behind, not the dark clouds that covered the entire sky, nor the constantly spinning gears that seemed to never stop, nor the endless mound of swords that seemed to reach the end of the world...
All disappeared.