Chapter 1: The Girl Who Can See Won't Run into the Dual-Wielding Exorcist
Screech—Screech—Screech—
The sound of metal grinding against metal was quite harsh and grating, yet it brought a slight clarity to his consciousness.
Who... am I?
"I wish upon the Holy Grail.
Let Miyu live in a world free from suffering, where she can meet kind people and make friends with whom she can laugh."
Yes, he remembered.
His name was Emiya Shirou, and he lived in a dying world of magecraft.
The Greater Grail in that world was about to run dry, and with it, all of humanity would perish. The only solution was to use his sister, a natural Divine Child, as the Holy Grail to make a wish.
They said the only cost would be Miyu's life.
To protect his sister, Emiya Shirou abandoned his wish to become a Hero of Justice. He betrayed the world and finally wished upon the Holy Grail for his sister's happiness.
Just as he was gaining a slight awareness of his identity, countless scenes of battles and massacres flashed before him.
"With every battle I experience, I get one step closer to Archer EMIYA."
Archer EMIYA?
Is that... also him?
Yes, to win the Holy Grail War and obtain the Grail, summoning a Servant to fight was an indispensable step.
The one who responded to him in the Throne of Heroes was none other than Archer EMIYA.
He gradually saw the end of those scenes: he, who had manifested countless broken swords, clashed with that one, unique sword that split the heavens, and finally collapsed there from exhaustion of his magical power.
"I won, Kiritsugu."
The image of him saying that was because he had successfully saved his sister.
So... is he dead now?
The moment that thought flashed through his mind, the countless images before him suddenly began to twist and deform.
His head was throbbing as if pierced by a steel knife, making his consciousness gradually difficult to operate, like a decaying machine, yet he could still clearly see the scenes before his eyes.
"Shirou, you must defeat that Gilgamesh guy..."
A black-haired, twin-tailed girl... Who is that?
"I ask of you, are you my Master?"
A blonde knight in blue-silver armor... Who is that again?
"Is that so? You mean you won't inherit Emiya Kiritsugu's will?"
The man in the priest's attire whose name he couldn't recall... but he felt very disgusted by him.
"I'm afraid to lie to Senpai, but I also dare not tell him the truth. Everyone around me is so scary..."
"I completely don't know what to do. Even so, does Senpai still want me to live...?"
Sakura, gradually being stained by the black mud, crying?
"Emiya Shirou, if you can stick to your long-held belief, that's naturally good."
"If you choose another path... you will undoubtedly lose everything."
Is this the red-cloaked... Archer EMIYA?
"Hey, Shirou, do you want to live? No matter what kind of life, no matter what kind of form, do you, Shirou, still want to live?"
That was a figure with a crown on her head and long white hair facing away. Very familiar, but... he couldn't call out her name...
These scenes and memories all belonged to Emiya Shirou, but he couldn't recall them. His throbbing and decaying brain couldn't think of anything, allowing the memories to continuously crowd in.
Emiya Shirou, Emiya Shirou... Emiya Shirou...
He didn't know what he was experiencing. He didn't know what he was seeing. He didn't know where he was now. He just tried to clench his numb jaw, accepting everything that came with the name Emiya Shirou.
He saw himself hanged on a gallows. He clearly sensed that his body was decaying under the ravages of magecraft, yet he still had the ability to change everything.
But he didn't do so, just stood quietly on the execution platform, looking at the indignant people around him.
Thud, he died.
But he was still burning then, like a fiercely blazing bundle of kindling.
He saw himself holding twin guns and mercilessly slaughtering people in a crowd.
Countless people with flashing crimson eyes rushed at him like demons, but they were all cruelly wiped out by him, because his gaze was fixed on the distant woman with a face as embracing and compassionate as a Bodhisattva.
That woman ultimately had no place to hide from his ceaseless killing. He killed her, who was smiling even in death, but his feet were also trampling over the innocent corpses rejected by the world.
Bang, he died.
But he still hadn't stopped burning then; he was just an ember still clinging to a dream.
The images then began to flicker with static, like a TV with no signal, and remained silent for a long time.
He began to naively believe that the tormenting scenes had ended, but after a few more flashes, completely incomprehensible new scenes appeared before his eyes.
"This bandana has been used for a long time, so I'll give it to you."
That was a shadow lurking in the darkness, like a demon.
"I'll provisionally call myself the Nameless Heroic Spirit."
His appearance was similar to Archer EMIYA's, but... why the long hair?
"To be worthy of you and this body, this old man shall brandish the Sword That Saves People once again!"
An aged voice shouted from within the familiar body, and then... the sword cut through the sky?!
As these unfamiliar scenes began to flood his mind, he could finally no longer bear the grating pain.
His senses vanished in an instant, and his consciousness was thus interrupted.
So, it was 'me' all along...
But, thank you all the same.
.
.
.
"Where... is this?"
"Heaven? No... it should be hell, right."
The ground after the rain gave off a damp, earthy smell, and it was this smell that woke Emiya Shirou from his unconscious state.
Yes, he was a man who deserved to go to hell more than heaven; Emiya Shirou himself believed this.
Entering into a contract with the world, becoming a Counter Guardian... that was a certain possibility his future self had reached.
The Guardian's power was meant to be used to protect humanity. But Emiya Shirou, conversely, had used that power to hasten humanity's demise.
People often find it difficult to anticipate whether they would truly abandon more for the sake of one thing. But when the choice actually arrives, they find that there's no need to think about it at all.
Just because it had to be done, he did it.
"That Shinji guy said he'd wait for me in hell, but he's not even a shadow here in the end."
"But... does hell have stars?" Emiya Shirou looked up and voiced his confusion to the vast expanse of stars.
Thinking this, he suddenly sat up and looked at his hands.
His originally fair and smooth forearms were interspersed with hideous, mottled scars, like healed burns from a flame, yet much smoother than that.
Emiya Shirou knew that this was the price of his excessive use of magical power—an allergic reaction left as his body could no longer bear the strain.
He... didn't die after all?
Then where is this place?!
Emiya Shirou abruptly stood up and looked around, only to see dozens of thick tree trunks standing all around. Dense branches and leaves hung down, and the pitch black made it impossible for him to see the distant scene.
A normal person who suddenly finds themselves in a dark, desolate wilderness would immediately be consumed by fear. But Emiya Shirou was more eager to know exactly where he was.
This was certainly not the valley where he lost his memories, nor was it any place he was familiar with.
But if he hadn't died, who would be so idle as to transport him to such a secluded place?
Compared to mere fantasy, Emiya Shirou was more of a man of action.
He followed the distinct slope under his feet and walked towards the higher ground. He didn't know if this was some remote mountain forest, but standing high up would always provide an answer.
Since his physical condition was not as good as he had imagined, it took Emiya Shirou more than ten minutes to barely reach a small peak. Fortunately, the area was open enough, and it also allowed him to successfully see the scenery beyond the mountains.
What was now displayed before him was a truly magnificent picture. Countless colorful neon lights stretched from the lower part of his vision all the way to the distant end—skyscrapers, symbols of the fire of civilization.
Emiya Shirou had never seen such a prosperous city, nor had he ever heard of anywhere in the world that was so flourishing.
Although this place was unfamiliar, the presence of people was the best thing. As long as he could reach the city below, many of his questions could be answered.
No sooner said than done. To prevent himself from getting lost, Emiya Shirou simply started walking straight towards the city. Although he occasionally completely lost sight of it in the forest, he thankfully arrived at a road after about ten minutes.
He followed this empty road downwards until he was close to the city's edge before finally stopping.
"I've felt a sense of malevolence lingering behind me for a while now, and since this spot isn't quite the city yet, so..."
"Trace—"
"...on!"
.
.
.
The soul... Because humans couldn't achieve emotional fulfillment in reality, they came up with this word to substitute it.
Generation after generation, humans have been happy to deceive themselves with such lies, believing in the so-called afterlife, believing in the permanence of consciousness.
They disguise the mortal world as a place where death doesn't exist, until death suddenly intrudes upon their lives and descends upon their loved ones.
But in this increasingly digitized world, most people have begun to reject the existence of the soul. They have started to discard former beliefs and have largely lost the fear left by their ancestors.
Only Yotsuya Miko knows that the soul is a real thing.
However, rather than believing they are human spirits, she is happier to believe they are some kind of twisted, cursed ghosts.
That's right. Starting one day, Yotsuya Miko suddenly awakened Yin-Yang Eyes that could see ghosts.
She discovered that the world is actually not as beautiful as people imagine. Countless ugly-shaped ghosts lurk in every corner of society, but everyone else can neither see nor touch them.
But this doesn't mean these ghosts have absolutely no effect on humans... quite the opposite, they are constantly looking for ways to touch humans.
As soon as they discover that you have the ability to see them, they will suddenly become tangible from intangible, and launch a fatal attack on you.
For Yotsuya Miko, who possesses the Yin-Yang Eyes, this is an indescribable disaster.
Because if she dared to show any sign of acknowledging the ghosts' existence—such as displaying emotions like fear—she would probably completely disappear from the face of the earth the next second.
Some people always hope to be a little more special than others, but all she wants is to be an ordinary person.
"So why on earth did I agree to Mom to deliver the package to Grandma's house in the evening?" Walking on the road at the edge of the city, Yotsuya Miko's body moved with slightly stiff steps, and her golden-yellow pupils would occasionally drift to the sides of the road.
She can see them, she can totally see them!
In those dark corners that ordinary people often wouldn't notice—such as the blind spot next to a cabinet, the tiny gap in the bed against the wall, and behind old, untouched clutter... those terrifying guys are hiding there!
The ones with strange colors and shapes that resemble reptiles are considered the better ones.
The scariest ones are some ghosts that are designed to be as terrifying as possible: creatures with necks several meters long, creatures with a pitch-black void in the center of their head, or even distorted monsters formed by splicing together countless human remains...
This world is definitely hell!
Especially since even in a bustling city like Tokyo, areas near the countryside at the edge are rarely traversed at night, making Yotsuya Miko feel even colder down her spine while walking this road.
Fortunately, this stretch of road has been quite smooth so far. Yotsuya Miko hasn't encountered any ghosts sticking to her, as if all her bad luck has been shaken off.
Finally, after about ten minutes, the prosperous area of the city was already close at hand. She could even see the bustling crowds on the street just tens of meters away.
The sleepless city that never completely shuts down, even after midnight, truly makes one feel safe.
After letting out such a sigh in her heart, Yotsuya Miko subconsciously wanted to step towards the brightly lit area, but suddenly saw a figure walking from the other side of this triangular intersection.
It was a strange youth with a streak of white mixed into his red hair. His face was gentle, yet it also contained an unusual firmness.
He gave people a sense of approachability at first glance, but also made them feel that he must be quite reliable.
However, what made her stop was not just the youth's appearance, but the several-meter-tall creature behind him that almost squeezed the entire street.
Its appearance resembled a fox, but it was far from it. Normal foxes don't have over a dozen human heads, and their tails aren't sections of bone plates like a spine.
Aside from the 'Gods,' this was the first time she had seen such a massive ghost!
The worst part was that the youth seemed to have noticed something, turning his head to meet its gaze, and was about to say something.
No, he can't do that, it will kill him!
He will die!!
She must do something, she must do something to save that youth.
Fear could be ignored for now, she couldn't possibly stand by and watch someone die!
"Um... student over there?"
Yotsuya Miko thought the youth should be about her age and definitely still in school. She figured it wouldn't matter if she pretended to be a frivolous girl who mistook him for a classmate and wanted to flirt, as long as she could save him.
Just as she reached out her hand and prepared to say the lines she had ready, she suddenly seemed to hear the youth mutter something.
"Trace on."
Yotsuya Miko hadn't had time to react to what this English phrase meant when she saw a black and a white katana suddenly appear in the youth's hands, and he immediately swung them in a cross-slash towards the evil spirit.
Screech————!
Even though it was a colossal evil spirit, several meters tall, which she had never seen before.
Even though the length of the twin swords was less than half the length of the evil spirit's body.
But when the twin swords crossed over the evil spirit's face, it didn't even have time to react. Its entire body was neatly sliced into four pieces, and then foul-smelling blood began to spray out as if it were free.
Perhaps the slash was too sharp; the evil spirit's body only seemed to realize its death a moment later, collapsing in two directions.
The blood transformed into a dense rain that soaked the youth's clothes, but he looked towards Yotsuya Miko's direction as if nothing had happened.
"Sorry, I just noticed someone else was here... Is there something I can help you with?"
'Yikes, Yikes.....'
What is this person? An exorcist? How can he do something so terrifying without any change in expression!
Even though she tried hard to maintain a calm expression on her face, Yotsuya Miko's hands subconsciously gripped her skirt, and tiny tears began to well up in her eyes.
If she accidentally said the wrong thing, would she be killed? She would absolutely be killed, right!
However, exorcists are generally considered good people in many TV shows and movies, so even though he was cruel when killing the evil spirit, he wouldn't necessarily chop her up into pieces too, right!
So!
"I'm sorry, I actually didn't see anything at all!!!"
"...Huh?"