"Yeah, a trick so simple it couldn't be simpler. Only an idiot would fall for it!"
A key was tossed over, landing on the floor with a crisp clatter. Then a girl wearing a gray kimono with a red jacket over it walked in. In this world, there was only one person who dressed like that: Ryougi Shiki.
"Speaking of which, Emiya, is this guy some kind of older brother of yours?"
Just as a certain blond savior had said, although Shiki was not blond, she had always spoken her mind and followed through on her words. So, she got straight to the point.
"No, he isn't. I don't have one!" Shirou denied it without hesitation. "If I had an older brother that weak, I'd just go to the Vegetable Market, find a block of tofu, and bash my head into it."
Just as Shirou said, everyone in the Emiya Family was combat personnel. Setting aside the two people surnamed Emiya for now, Fujino possessed the Mystic Eyes of Distortion, with astonishing destructive power. If used properly, Kirie's dual existence could become an ultimate move no weaker than Song of Delusional Love, and Shirou was guiding her in that direction. Although Illya was not that Magical Girl from a parallel world, as an exceptionally gifted homunculus, she was incredibly skilled at alchemy; in the original timeline, she had chased Devil Muscle Rin all over the streets. Sella and Lizelotte were specially manufactured models whose strength was measured in tons. And lastly, there was the godlike Natalia...
Seriously, Enjou, you should just leave the group.
Enjou Tomoe protested indignantly at Shirou's words. "Hey, who are you calling weak? I've killed someone!"
"Oh, and?" ×2 Perhaps the word "murder" might scare a few ordinary people. But the people standing before Enjou Tomoe were Shiki and Shirou.
Not long ago, Shiki had killed Shiramizu Rio. As for Shirou, forget killing people—he had even turned souls into Hollows.
The two of them reacted as though they did not believe him, so Enjou Tomoe continued shouting, "What are those looks for? Really, I really killed someone! Just now! I stabbed them in the stomach with a kitchen knife and stirred it around, blood splashing everywhere!"
To that, Shiki said, "Oh."
Shirou said, "That method was terrible. Murder is supposed to be a one-hit kill! Like this—"
Before he could finish, Shirou did something that shocked the other two immensely. He reached into his eye socket and exerted a little force, actually digging out his own eye!
"Emiya!"
As Shiki and Enjou Tomoe stared in jaw-dropping shock, Shirou's gouged-out eyeball grew back. The eyeball in his hand, meanwhile, was crushed between his fingers and turned into glittering fragments.
"Your suggestion is tempting, but as they say, when entrusted by another, one must remain loyal to the task. You should die instead."
"My apologies, everyone. Return your lives to the gods!"
"Hand over your heads!"
"Hello, and... goodbye!"
"Only those prepared to be killed have the right to wield a sword. I welcome you to try killing me too, provided you can survive!"
"Now, everything is over."
Scenes of murder played before Shiki and Enjou Tomoe like a movie. Some were beheadings, some were hearts torn out, but every single one was a one-hit kill that took a life.
Things ordinary people might never see even once, Shirou carried out as though they were nothing. Killing—but killing with a purpose.
"Bleurgh—" How could Enjou Tomoe possibly stomach such bloody scenes? He immediately bent over and began retching.
"See? If we're talking about murder, I've killed people too—and far more than you have!" Shirou said, provocatively lifting his chin at Enjou Tomoe.
"What kind of people are you?" Enjou Tomoe clutched his head as though resigned to his fate. "Fine, fine, whatever. Just hurry up and hide me somewhere nobody will find me—somewhere you can guarantee no one will discover!"
"That's impossible. This is a city, a gathering place for humans."
"Yeah. If you insist on hiding, the only place would be your own home!"
Shirou and Shiki's back-and-forth drove Enjou Tomoe even crazier. "You two idiots! I can't go back anymore. Are you seriously telling me to hide at one of your homes?"
Shiki and Shirou turned their heads at the same time, exchanged a glance, then said in unison, "Sure. Pick either one of us!"
Emiya Residence.
"Shiki, I get why that guy who looks exactly like me is here, but why are you staying at my place when you have somewhere to live?" Shirou asked Shiki helplessly. And Enjou, why did you choose my house, a man's house, instead of that perfectly good beautiful girl's? Don't tell me you like men!
"It's on the way, and it's convenient. Your place is much bigger than mine, so I'll be troubling you, Emiya." Shiki answered with amusement in her eyes.
"Ha..." Shirou sighed, then looked out the window... This was the first floor, damn it!
Through the kitchen window, Shirou checked the clock. After counting to three, a scream rang out from the guest room right on schedule. It was Enjou Tomoe.
Just as Shirou expected, he was having that nightmare again. Strictly speaking, it could not really be called a dream. Two completely identical individuals possessed a certain degree of synchronization.
For example, Red Archer could synchronize his combat experience with Emiya Shirou through dreams, secretly giving the latter cheats. Otherwise, even if Shirou managed to create Unlimited Blade Works, that filthy rich Gilgamesh could still send a hundred or eighty Wang Cai at him in one wave and take care of him.
"What's wrong, face twin? Having that nightmare again?" Shirou pushed open the guest room door and swaggered in, carrying a bowl in his hand. "Come on, have some porridge. You'll feel much better."
Enjou Tomoe's breathing was somewhat unsteady, accompanied by light panting. After all, being killed again did not feel good. It was hardly a pleasant experience.
"Yeah, it was that dream again. I don't know what's been going on lately, but I keep having the same dream." Halfway through speaking, Enjou Tomoe looked up at the clock again. "And it's always at the same time."
"Maybe it isn't a dream," Shirou said as he sat across from Enjou Tomoe. "Have you heard of parallel worlds? According to that theory, two identical individuals will always have a certain degree of synchronization. For example, someone who clearly doesn't like ramen shops might buy a lot of ramen, only to regret it after getting home. In this timeline, you successfully fought back and killed them. But perhaps in another timeline, you didn't manage to fight back."
"Hey, Emiya." Enjou Tomoe did not know whether he had listened to Shirou's words at all. He asked in a low voice.
"Hm? What is it?"
"Um, I wanted to ask... You've killed so many people. What exactly do you think, or feel, when you kill someone?"
Saying I had no thoughts about it would be a lie. But if you want to hear them, I don't mind telling you. It would be a long story.