A strange sense of euphoria washed over Shirou.
It wasn't joy.
It wasn't relief.
It was something deeper, something overwhelming… like his very existence was being rewritten.
He smiled.
Not softly.
But like someone who had just glimpsed something beyond human understanding.
A quiet, almost manic smile.
His body drifted weightlessly, as if gravity itself had forgotten him.
Above him, in the cold night, the distant moon shimmered in the darkness, as if it were watching over him.
Shirou raised his hand toward it, his fingers trembling slightly, as if trying to grasp something just out of reach.
"Goddess of the moon… Kiana," he murmured.
A soft smile formed on his lips, his voice calm, yet carrying a strange certainty.
"I see it now…"
Fragments of knowledge surged through him, not learned, but understood, something beyond logic.
His very soul responded.
"My Origin…"
He paused.
For a long time, he believed his Origin was a sword, just as it was meant to be.
But-
"...it was never a sword from the moment I awakened." A faint golden light flickered within his eyes. "It changed from the moment he remembered his past."
No.
That isn't the case at all.
"It just evolved."
Just like a blade reforged into something beyond a weapon.
Shirou let out a quiet breath, his smile softening into something calmer… his clouded mind become clearer.
"I see it now. Of course… it would become something like this."
A quiet laugh escaped him beneath the moon, unheard by anyone.
His fingers slowly closed, as if finally grasping that invisible truth.
"After everything I've seen… everything I've lost… everything I've carried…"
His voice steadied.
"How could it stay the same?"
The air around him trembled faintly.
As if the world itself was listening.
"...Genesis." A faint smirk curled on his lips. "The origin… the beginning… the power to create everything from nothing."
Looking at the status panel, he smirked. "Maxed out the Archer template, huh… Still, I feel like going for a walk. Got too much energy."
_______________________
Upon walking, he eventually arrived at the playground.
"I feel nostalgic about this place," he muttered, looking around.
For a moment, it was as if he could hear a voice.
"Are you okay?"
A girl with long white hair reached out her hand, carefully placing a bandage over the boy's deep wound.
The boy smiled at her.
"I am."
Shirou shook his head.
As if it were just an illusion, the image of the two teenagers vanished like smoke.
Sitting on the swing, he took out his phone and checked his messages.
There was one from Iroha.
"Uhm… that alien baby suddenly turned into an adult!"
His expression tightened.
He couldn't help but feel responsible. After all, he was the reason she ended up taking care of that child.
Without wasting time, he dialed her number and held the phone to his ear.
"Hello?"
"Shirou!" Iroha's panicked voice came through.
"I can hear you," he said calmly.
"She suddenly grew up and woke me up, saying she was hungry!" Iroha blurted out, explaining everything in one breath.
"...I see." Shirou pinched the bridge of his nose, then sighed softly. "Are you alright?"
"...I am." There was a brief pause on the other end.
Iroha lowered her voice slightly, suddenly aware of how worried he sounded.
"I'm fine… really."
Her fingers tightened around her phone.
For some reason, her chest felt light, yet restless at the same time.
Like something fluttering inside.
Butterflies.
"Who are you talking to?" A girl with ash-colored hair leaned closer, her red eyes filled with pure curiosity as she looked at Iroha.
"I'm talking to Shirou," Iroha replied with a tired sigh.
"Shirou?!" The girl suddenly snatched the phone from her hand.
"Hello! I'm Kaguya!" she said brightly. "Are you Shirou? The ginger guy who carried me when I arrived here?"
Her voice was overflowing with enthusiasm.
Hearing that, Shirou couldn't help but smile wryly at her energy.
"Yeah, that's me," he replied. "Emiya Shirou."
"I'd love to talk to you more tomorrow!" she continued cheerfully. "Ah- Iroha's glaring at me like she's about to stab me, so I'll give the phone back now! You should go to bed!"
She laughed and handed the phone back, already looking around Iroha's small apartment with curiosity.
Letting out a deep sigh, Iroha put her phone down.
She ended up chatting with Shirou for a bit longer, but somewhere along the way, her voice softened… and eventually, she fell asleep.
Meanwhile, at the playground.
Shirou stared at his phone for a moment before shaking his head lightly.
"...She fell asleep, huh."
The swing creaked softly as he pushed himself back and forth.
Out of habit, he reached to the side, and opened a can of beer.
"...Normally, I'd only drink if Himeko-nee was around," he muttered. "But I guess tonight's an exception."
He paused.
His gaze slowly dropped to the can in his hand.
"...Wait."
A small frown formed.
"Where did this come from?"
Silence.
"No way…" As if testing a theory, he raised his hand slightly.
A faint ripple spread through the air.
And another can of beer appeared in his grasp.
Just like that.
"...What?" His brows furrowed. "I didn't activate my Magic Circuits… I didn't use any mana at all."
He tried again.
This time.
A knife.
Then a book.
Then a small metallic object.
One after another, items formed out of thin air, as natural as breathing.
Shirou stared at his hand.
His confusion only deepened. His eyes widened.
"...Don't tell me."
A large mirror materialized before him.
He grabbed it and turned slightly, pulling his shirt down just enough to see his back.
Red burning patterns. "...Stigmata."
His voice dropped to a whisper.
"My stigmata… it came back?" He stared at his reflection, mind racing. "How…?"
"Is it because of my soul?" His grip tightened slightly on the mirror.
"Is this why my Origin changed?" His gaze sharpened. "From sword… to Genesis?"
"I don't even have an activation chant for this." He muttered, then swiped his hand across his arm, leaving a trail of neon green light behind.
Closing his eyes, he listened to the creaking sound of the swing. In that quiet moment, he focused inward, adjusting it, rearranging it, revising it, and reinforcing it as if it was something natural to him.
When he opened his eyes, his lips twitched as he tried to stop himself from making a stupid face.
"Hehehe."
A creepy laugh escaped his mouth.
"My inner chuuni is screaming at me."
He imagined himself fighting a Servant. When his enemy suddenly released its Noble Phantasm, he pictured himself speaking.
"You know… I can create anything I want. But if I don't put a limit on it, I might end up imagining a weapon that could harm people around me. That's why I add restraints, a seal, and even a chant… to make my creations stronger and more stable."
He snapped his fingers, and countless weapons materialized around him, every single one from within Unlimited Blade Works and his own imagination.
Shaking his head, he decided to head back, but then he saw someone familiar walking down the slope.
Her short black hair swayed gently, and her golden eyes faintly glowed under the night sky. She looked distressed.
A car suddenly honked at her, making her flinch as she quickly stepped onto the sidewalk.
Then… her gaze shifted toward the trash.
Shirou frowned.
"...So it's about to start, huh."
He wondered if this was the moment when Illya's story was about to begin.
After a brief pause, he let out a quiet sigh.
Remembering Zelretch's warning, he shook his head, a hint of pity in his expression.
"...Guess I can't get involved."
He watched as she picked up the tracksuit from the trash.
The moment she tried to undress, he quietly set up a bounded field around her, then closed his eyes.
He doesn't have a habit of watching his little sister change her clothes, and he still has a promise to fulfill to the person who gave him the Blank Class Card, even if it costs him his life.