The Tohsaka Family
"Emiya's adoptive father actually went through such a tragic experience..."
After watching the entire video, Tohsaka Rin felt a sense of desolation.
Was Emiya Kiritsugu truly wrong...?
Perhaps...
But perhaps not.
She had no right to judge.
"Wait—"
Tohsaka Rin's red lips trembled slightly, as if she had just thought of a terrifying possibility:
"So... was my father likely killed by him?!"
Although, according to Kotomine Kirei, there was no winner in that war, the footage shown on the screen seemed to suggest otherwise. And there was no reason for it to be a lie.
If Emiya Kiritsugu was the winner of the Fourth Holy Grail War, and her father, Tohsaka Tokiomi, had died as a Master in that war with the killer unknown...
She had wondered about it before. The fire in Fuyuki City had also been caused by Emiya Kiritsugu, but it was understandable as an effort to stop the corrupted Holy Grail. Rin couldn't bring herself to hate Kiritsugu for that.
But—
What if her father, Tohsaka Tokiomi, had been killed by Kiritsugu during the Holy Grail War?
That man, Emiya Kiritsugu...
He was like a madman, willing to kill even his own parents in the name of "Justice."
If he had killed her father for that same reason, Rin could never accept it.
"Shirou..."
Breathing rapidly, Rin reached out to the screen, wanting to send a message and ask her father directly. But her slender fingers froze mid-air.
While it was a quick way to learn the truth, if it turned out to be true, how could she face the son of her father's killer?
"Emiya... um... Archer..."
Taking a deep breath to calm herself, Rin shook her head helplessly.
No matter what, she just couldn't connect Shirou with the Archer standing before her.
"Archer, did Emiya Kiritsugu kill my father?"
"..."
Archer, who had been staring blankly at the screen, finally averted his gaze. His expression was complicated.
"If given the chance, I would confront that man myself."
Indeed...
He seemed to have come to the wrong place.
Compared to that young boy, Emiya Shirou, Kiritsugu was the origin of the so-called "ally of justice."
If he could eliminate Kiritsugu, perhaps the "Flawed ideal" would never take root, and Emiya Shirou could live an ordinary life.
Though, as a Servant, he wasn't the true Heroic Spirit from the Throne of Heroes and only retained some abilities and memories, Red Archer remembered this clearly.
Kiritsugu had never spoken of his past after adopting him. This was the first time he had learned about the first half of Emiya Kiritsugu's life.
That man was indeed different from the old Kiritsugu he remembered.
"So... you admit it?!"
Tohsaka Rin's heart raced as if she had grasped a critical point. Her emotions were on the verge of exploding.
If it were true, she couldn't face Shirou or continue working with Archer.
"No, not exactly..."
Archer shook his head seriously.
"I know nothing about the first half of Emiya Kiritsugu's life."
Red Archer's gaze returned to the screen, hoping to gather more information. Though he had briefly felt the urge to kill, it was true that he saw a shadow of himself in that man.
No...
Perhaps it was more accurate to say that he carried the shadow of that man.
...
On the screen, text appeared against the black background:
[After the smoke of the Fourth Holy Grail War cleared, Emiya Kiritsugu knew he had little time left and chose to retreat from the world, hiding his identity.]
[During that quiet time, he reflected deeply on his life and finally realized that the ideal of being an "Ally of justice" was an unattainable illusion.]
[He let go of his obsession, no longer dreaming of saving all humanity single-handedly, and chose to make peace with himself.]
[As the candle of his life gradually flickered out, Emiya Kiritsugu completely abandoned the ideal that had once consumed and tormented him.]
[However, he never expected that the child he had raised would unknowingly inherit this heavy ideal...]
[This may be a trick of fate or a miracle of life. Though Emiya Kiritsugu passed away, his dream took root and flourished in the child's heart. The continuation of this dream seemed like another form of his existence, continuing to shine in this world.]
[...]
Bullet Comments
[Kotomine Kirei: A sinful life has ended... yet the sin seems to continue... The adopted son of such a twisted man must lead a tragic life.]
[Goldy: Heh~ I remember that detestable man... But isn't the target of this so-called "justice" his adopted son? This king shall watch with interest!]
[Aoko Aozaki (putting on glasses): But I'm curious... @Natalia, when you smiled "as expected" at the last moment, did you foresee what Emiya Kiritsugu would do?]
[Touko Aozaki: @Aoko Aozaki; Sensei, are you paying special attention to me because we look so alike?]
[Aoko Aozaki (taking off glasses): Your talent for being annoying is remarkably similar to someone @Touko Aozaki; @Aoko Aozaki;]
[Natalia: I knew he would do this... To practice the justice in his heart, he would sacrifice everything... Though I don't know what goes on in that kid's head... I can't forgive him for not letting me have a last cigarette!]
[...]
Timeline of the Fourth Holy Grail War.
Seeing Natalia's name flash across the screen, Emiya Kiritsugu felt as if his heart had been struck by a heavy blow.
It had been many years since he had felt this way...
Even the pain had long since numbed him.
Shirley, Natalia...
It was as if a sharp knife had stabbed him again.
Though Natalia had repeatedly reminded him of the plane's landing time, almost as if hinting for him to blow up the plane, Kiritsugu had long stopped making excuses for himself.
"So that's it... You did support my ideals..."
"Mother..."
"..."
But soon, Emiya Kiritsugu calmed down and turned his attention to the screen titled "Ally of Justice—Emiya Shirou."
Though the pain had been reawakened, being exposed to the world like a dissected specimen didn't frighten him. For someone who had sacrificed everything in pursuit of humanity's happiness, it isn't easy to overcome.
But Kiritsugu couldn't accept the cowardice of his twilight years shown in the video.
How could he give up before achieving his ideal? Even after setbacks...
How could he fall?!
The young Emiya Shirou before him, who had inherited his ideals, became Kiritsugu's last hope.
[On the screen]
[Under the setting sun, Emiya Shirou runs forward, leaping high over the railing.]
[This is the only way to become an Ally of Justice!]