Emiya Shirou, after being repelled, steadied himself and continued to stagger towards Archer with Kanshou and Bakuya, but to Archer,
[ Emiya Shirou, after being repelled, steadied himself and continued to stagger towards Archer with Kanshou and Bakuya, but to Archer, his speed was like that of an ant. ]
[ Archer casually used his sword to parry Emiya Shirou's attack. Looking at Emiya Shirou's wild attacks, Archer questioned, "So... I ask you, do you really want to become a hero of justice?!" ]
[ The blood flowing from his forehead blurred Emiya Shirou's eyes, but he still raised his head and firmly stated his answer: "At this point, why ask that? I don't want to become... I absolutely will become!!" ]
[ As Emiya Shirou's words fell, he charged forward with force. Archer dodged to the side and then used his backhand to block Emiya Shirou's hands. The two stood back-to-back in this barren hill of swords. ]
[ Archer saw through Emiya Shirou's thoughts. "Yes, you absolutely must become one. Why? Because that is Emiya Shirou's only emotion... even if it doesn't come from within yourself." ]
[ Then, Archer felt Emiya Shirou struggling behind him and continued, "Looking at this, you seem to have realized something. I no longer have my past memories..." ]
[ "But even so, I will not forget that scene. In a sea of fire filled with the smell of death, the feeling of crying out in despair and being rescued!" ]
[ "The relieved face of the man named Emiya Kiritsugu when he saved me, that is the root of your ideal. It is merely something born from gratitude for being rescued." ]
[ At this moment, the scene shifted. Blazing flames dyed the screen red. After the fire subsided, rain began to fall. Little Emiya lay on his back in the ruins, his eyes vacant, staring at the phantom of Emiya Kiritsugu. ]
[ "You merely admire Emiya Kiritsugu. That man's expression when he saved you was simply too happy. You just want to become someone like that." ]
[ .....]
~Projection of All Worlds~
" If it's admiring someone like that, it is indeed a foolish ideal... but it is not laughable."
As the saying goes, there are a thousand Hamlets in a thousand people. The people outside the video also had different views on Emiya Shirou's ideal.
It is indeed foolish... but also dazzling! It is not entirely realistic to act for the sake of good ideals, but the spirit of striving to achieve them, of doing something even when you know it's impossible, isn't that also very dazzling and worth pondering?
~Type-Moon World, Fourth Holy Grail War Worldline~
"Is someone like me really worth admiring..."
Emiya Kiritsugu understood what kind of person he was. He also realized now that this ideal was probably something he couldn't achieve.
Moreover, the great fire in Fuyuki City ten years ago that they mentioned was likely related to this Holy Grail War. Since he lived until that point, perhaps he was the culprit who almost caused that child to die in the sea of fire.
He, who had always acted by sacrificing a small number of people to save the majority, never expected to be admired one day.
.....
On the other side, in the Tohsaka Villa, Kirei Kotomine observed the scene with empty eyes before letting out an amused chuckle,
"To admire someone like that... How utterly foolish, Emiya Shirou..."
~Type-Moon World, Fifth Holy Grail War Worldline~
Meanwhile, in Fuyuki City, a certain enthusiastic citizen, Gilgamesh, with his hands in his pockets, started to mock after seeing this scene,
"That's why I say you are a fake... even your ideal is fake, just imitating someone else's good deeds! It's not your own idea in the end. mongrels..."
He doesn't even have his own thoughts; he's just blindly imitating others' actions. No wonder he will reach the end of his ideals and become a self-contradictory existence.
The most speechless were the residents of Fuyuki City. So, all their fighting and suffering is for them?! Couldn't they fight somewhere else, causing them such great pain?
They even naively believed that the great fire ten years ago was really caused by a gas explosion. They should know that many of their relatives also lost their lives in that fire!!
.....
[ Emiya Shirou, with his back against Archer, also expressed his view from his perspective, "Yes, but I wasn't the only one saved at that time. In a great fire with no survivors, a child who shouldn't have been saved. And a man searching for a survivor who shouldn't have existed." ]
[ The scene returned to the past. After that great fire, what little Emiya saw was Emiya Kiritsugu holding his hand, his expression filled with joy because he was still alive. ]
[ "If you're asking which was the miracle, it was..." ]
[ Back in reality, Archer completed his unfinished sentence, "It's natural for a child to admire their parents, but... that guy left you a curse before he died." ]
[ The scene returned to the past again. The familiar scene appeared before everyone. Little Emiya sat on the veranda of the courtyard, saying something to Emiya Kiritsugu. ]
[ "From that moment on, you were convinced that you had to become a hero of justice. Your ideal is borrowed. You are just imitating the ideal that Emiya Kiritsugu once gave up on." ]
[ .....]
~Projection of All Worlds~
That scene... Viewers from other worlds are not unfamiliar with it.
Shirou Emiya, back then, said that he would inherit Emiya Kiritsugu's ideal...
'Dad is an adult, so it's hopeless, but I can still do it, Dad's dream, I'll take it!' (This ideal, like a curse, twists and turns: to twine around, to bind, to pester)
Emiya Shirou, which is why Emiya Shirou became distorted! Yes... distorted!
Emiya Shirou, holding this ideal, was harmless to others, but in the end, he was always hurting himself.
~Type-Moon World, Kaleid liner Prisma Illya Worldline~
"The feeling of being saved in despair is probably something only I can understand."
Shirou Emiya placed his hand on his heart. Having experienced despair, he understood the feelings of those in despair the most.
It was also born from that experience, and precisely because he understood this feeling so well! That's why he could understand how much those who have experienced despair long to be saved like him.
But he chose to ignore his own powerlessness and live alone, so his conscience was condemned, and he felt guilty! He didn't want his conscience to be tormented by guilt again, so he hated not saving others.
That's why he longed to be someone like Kiritsugu! My answer at that time was also like this, but...
Sorry, Kiritsugu, I gave up the survival of Mankind. I... failed to become a hero of justice who saves everyone...
I chose Miyu's safety. Even if this path is wrong, I will resolutely walk down it.
.....
[ Saber watched the battle of beliefs between the two men silently from the side, without intervening. ]
[ "That is..." On the hill of swords, as Emiya Shirou's belief wavered, Archer's sword had already embedded itself into Emiya Shirou's blade, seemingly about to be cut off! ]
[ Then Archer's low voice continued, "Hero of justice? Don't make me laugh. Live for others?! Such an ideal is definitely not what you yourself desire." ]
[ "For a man like that to be able to help others is simply arrogant in the extreme!" ]
[ Having said this, Archer forcefully cut off the sword Emiya Shirou had projected, and then fiercely stabbed it into Emiya Shirou's thigh! ]
[ "Ah!!!" Emiya Shirou let out a painful wail and fell to his knees. ]
[ Archer frowned and looked at Emiya Shirou, "The thought of wanting to help others, because it was beautiful, you admired it! Therefore, it is not an emotion that flows from within yourself!" ]
[ Archer began to attack Emiya Shirou furiously, striking the sword Emiya Shirou had re-projected with blow after blow! ]
[ "If this isn't hypocrisy, then what is it!! Driven by the compulsion of 'living for others', you keep advancing with arrogance." ]
[ Having said this, Archer angrily stabbed through Emiya Shirou's abdomen, "But after all, it's a fake. With this kind of hypocrisy, you can't save anything. No... You couldn't even decide what to save in the first place." ]
[ "Look, this is the final result." Blood surged out of Emiya Shirou's abdomen, spilling onto this land. ]
[ "You didn't know how to save from the beginning, nor did you have anything to save others with. Look closely. This is the fate of an ugly doer of justice." ]
[ Having said this, Archer pulled the sword out of Emiya Shirou's body, forcefully shattered Emiya Shirou's blade, and sent him flying. ]
[ .....]
~Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magica World~
"Emiya Shirou's essence, in the end, is to want to help others. Such an ideal is absolutely not unrealistic; in fact, it is easily achievable."
As they spoke, Madoka gradually understood the contradiction they were facing.
What truly exceeded Heroic Spirit Emiya's expectations was that he had to sacrifice a small portion of people while helping the majority. After becoming a Guardian, he didn't even have the freedom to choose.
That's why Heroic Spirit Emiya's mind collapsed, wanting to dismantle his past 'wrong' ideology...
~Type-Moon World, Kaleid liner Prisma Illya Worldline~
"What Heroic Spirit Emiya said, perhaps only I, who am also 'Shirou Emiya', can understand..."
Shirou Emiya frowned slightly at this scene.
Emiya Kiritsugu's dying wish solidified Emiya Shirou's journey of atonement as a hero of justice!
Archer's talk of hypocrisy... is because 'Shirou Emiya' wanted to save specific people, while the Guardian's act of slaughter always abandoned those people.
He didn't save the people who truly needed help, and he couldn't even save himself.
"As a Counter Guardian, you couldn't even make a choice, but I am very grateful that you were able to answer my plea at that time..."
Shirou Emiya expressed his gratitude to Archer for being able to respond to him at that time.
After all, from the moment she called me brother, I swore I would protect her.
"Sorry, Kiritsugu, I can't be a hero of justice like you. After all, in the end, I'm just a selfish person who wants my family to be safe..."
.....