"Heh heh, didn't you know? Aside from you, faker, Shirou Emiya no longer existed in almost every world! All thanks to the man who tried to gather every Shirou Emiya from every world into the concept of an 'embodiment of justice.' He transcended the Throne of Heroes, denied everything, and wanted to resolve Human Evil and every disaster at its root through his own strength alone!" the black mud Heroic Spirit mocked.
"Was something like that even possible?" Shirou asked in disbelief. In his previous life, he had nearly made a contract with the Counter Force. Even the price he could pay with his 'eternity' had only been enough to save a little over five hundred people.
"If even you think it's impossible, how would I know? But the fact is, scraps abandoned by Heroic Spirits, like me, appeared here. Because Emiya vanished, yet someone still had to fulfill his mission. That was why I knew the Counter Force would definitely bring you here, but I never expected me to be the one who lost..." The black mud Heroic Spirit laughed bitterly at himself.
"Even if you defeat the Demon Pillar, five Servants are still waiting for you. Shirou Emiya, your end is destined to be destruction. Go on, dream your sweet dreams, then struggle with all your might! Hehahahaha!!" The remnants of the black mud Heroic Spirit made that curse-like declaration, let out one final mad laugh, and left this world.
"Cough, cough..." Shirou still wanted to ask something, but his vision went black and he collapsed.
"Hey! Shirou! Are you okay?!" The blonde girl ran over.
At that moment, Artoria, who had been fighting Berserker, seemed to sense that something had happened here. The instant she finished the battle, she ran over.
She crouched down and picked up the young man from the ground.
The young man had already fallen unconscious. When she saw that the bleeding from the wound in his abdomen had stopped and was slowly healing, she finally let out a sigh of relief.
Artoria stared at the place where the black mud Heroic Spirit had vanished, as though pondering something.
"Mash, how is Shirou doing over there?" Jeanne d'Arc stood with her arms folded, her eyes fixed on Shirou's direction.
When she saw Artoria dismiss her armor and sit down with the young man's head resting on her lap, she could not help clicking her tongue.
"His breathing and pulse have returned to normal. His body is recovering. Shirou-senpai is no longer in any serious danger." Mash had long been monitoring her senpai's condition through Chaldea's observations in the holographic display.
"By the way, Miss Jeanne d'Arc, why don't you just go over there?" Mash asked curiously.
"Hmph, why should I go over there?" Jeanne d'Arc snorted irritably, muttering under her breath, "It's all because that place was full of Holy Light just now, so I slowed down a little. I didn't expect that cold-blooded woman to get there first! If I go over now, won't she just laugh at me?"
"Haa..." Mash made it clear that she had heard every word.
At that moment, a man dressed like an ordinary citizen quietly emerged from an alley, circled behind the girls, and finally reverted into a shirtless, tattooed, black-haired young man with braided hair.
"That was close, that was close. I was planning to find a chance to launch a sneak attack, but I nearly got caught in that Noble Phantasm and died. I should get out of here. But if I'm going back, I should at least bring a gift."
Yan Qing's gaze finally settled on the red-haired girl, the Master. At that moment, all the Servants around her were looking toward Shirou, making her seem like an easy target.
"Waaah!" Gudako was suddenly picked up by a Black Shadow and cried out. Then pain shot through her neck, and she passed out.
Holmes Appears
The Black Shadow grabbed Gudako and swiftly fled.
"What?!" Shinjuku Archer cried out.
"Gudako!!" Jeanne d'Arc turned around and immediately activated her magical energy, unleashing flames.
Afraid of hurting Gudako, the flames blasted toward the black-haired young man's legs, but he nimbly dodged them.
"Ahaha, then I'll be taking this girl and leaving!" Yan Qing tucked Gudako beneath one arm and, using his wall-running agility, leaped onto the rooftops and escaped.
"Damn it!!" Jeanne d'Arc cursed unwillingly.
"You were right beside Gudako, so why weren't you watching her?!" Jeanne d'Arc glared at Shinjuku Archer and scolded him.
"No, uncle was looking toward the young man too," Shinjuku Archer defended himself.
"What do we do?! We have to catch up to her! And Shirou just had to pass out now!" Jeanne d'Arc shouted anxiously.
"Wait, uncle thinks that even if she's been captured, the Master won't be in danger for the time being... probably. Uncle's sixth sense says so." Bearded Uncle said, blinking one eye.
"I really should burn you first!" Jeanne d'Arc snapped.
"Calm down, calm down. Uncle will go after her now." Shinjuku Archer said as he fled.
"Hey! Cold-blooded woman, I'll leave Shirou to you for now! I'm going after her first!" Jeanne d'Arc shouted as she chased ahead.
"Got it! Assault Girl! I'll catch up once Shirou wakes up," Artoria agreed.
But the road ahead was filled with ambushes. Jeanne d'Arc was stopped and fell into danger, while Assassin seized the chance to take Gudako farther away.
The stone giant known as 'King Lear' surged in from behind, wielding a stone-pillar Greatsword as it smashed down at the silver-haired girl.
A black magical blast slammed into 'King Lear,' forcing it back.
It was the awakened Shirou and Artoria, who had come to provide support.
The three of them broke through the monsters together and searched everywhere for Gudako, but they could not find her.
Several hours later, Mash, who had also been desperately searching for Gudako through Chaldea, joyfully reported to everyone.
"Shirou-senpai, we've detected Gudako-senpai. Her physical condition is good, and we can confirm that she is safe, but we haven't been able to establish communications."
"Shirou-senpai, everyone~!" A familiar girl's voice suddenly rang out.
The red-haired girl came running over with a joyful smile and a wave of her hand, followed by a gentleman with a pipe in his mouth.
Shirou, Artoria, and Jeanne d'Arc all breathed sighs of relief when they saw the girl, smiling as they went to meet her.
Then three fists landed on the girl's head at the same time.
"Ow! Why did you hit me?" Gudako covered her head in grievance.
"Hoh? You could clearly have contacted us long ago, yet you leisurely strolled back with this man?"
"Little Gudako, do you know we ran all over Shinjuku looking for you?"
"I'm sorry!" Gudako lowered her head and apologized. She felt like a child being scolded by her whole family for coming home late after playing too much.
"It's good that you know you were wrong. I'm just glad you weren't hurt." Shirou patted the girl's head.
After Gudako introduced Holmes to everyone, she told them what had happened after she was abducted. Assassin had taken her to the tower atop the Spear Body, where she met the evil Shinjuku Archer and learned of his plot to destroy this Shinjuku. She had also encountered Shakespeare, who was bound in chains and tortured into creating Phantom Spirit soldiers for them. Afterward, Holmes had rescued Gudako.
"Shakespeare? The Shakespeare who wrote plays?" Shirou asked in surprise.
"Yes. In a world overrun by Phantom Spirits like this one, Servants who are writers have become extraordinarily useful as well." Da Vinci said.
"King Lear... He was a troublesome monster, but fighting him felt a little strange," Artoria said.
"A play written by that British trash should have been burned from the start," Jeanne d'Arc said unhappily.
"Then, could you come out? Since you were the one who used a scheme to force me out, it's about time you showed yourself, Shinjuku Archer." Holmes said.
Bearded Uncle walked out from behind them and greeted them with a smile. "Yo, Holmes. Long time no see. Well then, everyone, farewell."
"Where are you going?" Holmes called out to the man.
"Although I did this because I was sure the Master wouldn't come to harm, I deliberately allowed her to be abducted by Assassin and frightened her. I truly did something unforgivable... I'm sorry." Uncle lowered his head in apology.
"Even if you apologize..." Gudako looked at the uncle who had saved her multiple times, her feelings complicated.
"Mm, so it really won't do... Then, considering the local customs, I suppose this is when I should commit seppuku. Seppuku... it sounds incredibly painful!" Bearded Uncle said, clutching his stomach with both hands.
"Haha, what an amusing criminal gentleman. But Gudako has probably already forgiven you." Holmes said with a smile.
"Eh? Really?" Uncle asked in delight.
"More or less..." Gudako said, pursing her lips.
"Ooh, my dear friend!" Bearded Uncle said emotionally.
"Back to the matter at hand, you have recovered your True Name now, haven't you?" Holmes asked.
"Yes... I suppose this sort of ceremony is still important. Master, please accept my trust." Bearded Uncle agreed. Then, dropping his joking demeanor, he looked solemnly at Gudako and swore:
"My name is James Moriarty. I descended into this world as a composite Servant fused with Phantom Spirits. I swear to serve my Master faithfully and devote all my strength to you. Please form a contract with me once more...!"
As he spoke, Moriarty extended his hand to the girl again.
The last time, he had been a suspicious man who could not even remember his own True Name, yet his Master had accepted him.
And this time, he had acted on his own and done something that hurt his Master...
"Please take care of me." Gudako looked at the Servant before her and still chose to trust Professor Moriarty, clasping his hands with both of hers.
Holmes and Professor Moriarty explained the principles of the Spear Body to everyone, and Holmes arrived at a brilliant deduction.
"Though he possesses the Holy Grail, destroying Earth is impossible. It might be another matter for a wandering star from beyond the heavens, but those of us who were born on Earth and live off its resources could never destroy Earth."
"Moriarty's goal, however, is not to destroy the world. It is to sever this world—in other words, to prune this world from history."
"Damn... I never imagined it would be like this. This world has already lost all meaning." Da Vinci cursed.
"What do you mean?" Shirou asked in confusion.
"Because... this place is no longer within the scope of history. No matter what happens in this Shinjuku, modern Shinjuku will not be changed by it, nor will it have much impact on humanity's history. Even if this place is destroyed, it would only cause the slightest tremor to humanity's history, and Chaldea would not be affected at all," Da Vinci said.
A Dance with the Girls
"A Singularity originally refers to the moment history changes—a 'turning point.' But this Shinjuku has already broken away from history. It is no longer connected to the original world, no longer matters, and is already fated to have no future."
For example, the world was like a great tree, while a Singularity was like a certain branch being infested with wood-boring insects.
Because the branch was connected to the tree, if the insects were not removed quickly, they would sooner or later crawl along the branch and bore into other parts of the tree.
But now, that branch had been cut off and thrown far away, so there was naturally no need to worry about the insects in that branch anymore.
The great tree would grow new branches, while the branch severed from it would have nothing to do with the tree afterward, whether it was burned by fire or eaten away by insects.
This Shinjuku was that severed branch. What the girl wanted to save was merely a branch cast onto the ground, destined to wither and rot sooner or later.
Moriarty said, "That is indeed correct. The world will perish, and this Shinjuku will reach its end as a city of sin. But so long as you, Master, return safely to Chaldea, there will be no problem. Though we here will die, we will merely return to the Throne of Heroes. Everything will simply return to zero."
"I don't think that's acceptable." Gudako shook her head.
"I agree. Going back so half-heartedly would be no different from running away. Even if this world has been isolated from history, even if its destruction would not affect the original world, a lot of people would still die here." Shirou said. It was true that in this life, he had resolved to let the people around him find happiness, but that did not mean he would abandon everyone else.
"That is true. But from Chaldea's standpoint, I will not let Gudako and Shirou risk their lives for a Shinjuku like this. However, as comrades who repair humanity's history and save the world, I will ask you one final time!" Da Vinci asked solemnly:
"Even if saving this Shinjuku will produce no results, bring no benefit to human history, and the humans you protect will never return to the world; even if the Servants fighting alongside you will ultimately return to the Throne of Heroes—despite all that, do you still believe this place is worth saving?"
"It is!" The girl and young man answered as though it were only natural.
"Is that so? That really is your style, as always." Da Vinci looked at the girl, seeming both helpless and comforted.
"Shirou, since you agreed as well, Chaldea will support you with everything we have! But preparations for forced transfer will continue. If anything goes wrong, I guarantee that I'll bring you back safely."
"Mm! Thanks, Da Vinci, Mash, and everyone at Chaldea!" Gudako agreed with a smile.
"Then prepare to change clothes," Holmes said.
"Ehh? What's going on?" Gudako cried out in confusion.
Led by the great detective and the professor, the young men and women chased off the mohawk-wearing thugs on the street before arriving at an abandoned formalwear shop.
"You two ladies, please change into beautiful formal dresses as well." Holmes gestured toward the inside of the shop.
"Will this method really work?" Artoria asked skeptically.
"Since it's a plan made by a famous detective and a criminal mastermind, it should be fine, right?" Shirou said.
"Yes. His plans may seem a little reckless, but they are all calculated with precision. So long as they can be carried out, there usually will not be any problems. Besides, this young man is also looking forward to seeing the ladies' gorgeous new appearances." Holmes walked over and patted Shirou's shoulder.
"Is that so..." Artoria glanced at Shirou. This time, she did not hesitate and walked directly into the clothing store.
"Hmph..." Jeanne d'Arc also looked at Shirou, rolled her eyes, and followed her inside.
"Then I'll go too..." Gudako said as she ran over, only for Holmes to grab the back of her collar.
"As for the Master, please go this way." Moriarty smiled and pointed toward the men's suit section.
"Ehh?" Gudako was dragged inside by Holmes.
"Ehhhhhh!!!" Several minutes later, Mash covered her flushed face on the screen and gasped in amazement.
The first to emerge from the formalwear shop were two girls in gowns.
The blonde girl had pinned up her ponytail and tied it with a black bow. She wore a long black dress that exposed her collarbones, white as polished jade. A butterfly pattern spread across her chest, wrapping around the twin buds there, making her resemble an elven queen of the night.
Her noble and aloof aura was utterly bewitching. Even those eager to pursue her would shrink back the moment they met those jade-green eyes. She was as beautiful as the Pandora crafted by the gods in legend, filled with lethal danger.
At that moment, the girl looked at Shirou and smiled, like a snow lotus on an icy mountain that bloomed only briefly, solely for the first person to reach its summit.
As expected of Saber. She really looks beautiful in anything.
Shirou smiled back at her, making no effort to conceal the admiration in his eyes. Everything was conveyed without words.
"Ahem." The other girl gave a light cough.
The silver-haired girl had let down her long hair, beautiful like a waterfall covered in winter snow. A purple flower adorned it, and she wore a purple-and-black gown. Her tall, voluptuous figure and the smooth, snow-white skin exposed across her entire back gave her a mysterious, exquisite beauty. Beneath her flawless jade-white shoulders, she wore long black gauze gloves.
Of course, it would have been even better if her expression were a little gentler.
So... why? Why is she glaring at me the whole time? Shirou wondered inwardly. Still, it was not right to keep being stared at like this,
Before you continue