"But it was perfectly normal for Erika to like me. After all, I was Shirou Emiya, beloved by all and admired wherever I went." Shirou smiled faintly. He couldn't help it; he was just naturally irresistible to women.
"But lots of people at school think you're really distant. You're not as enthusiastic with them as you are now."
Scratching his cheek, Shirou realized that did seem to be the case. Other than a few close friends, he barely spoke to anyone else. He only had a handful of friends he truly got along with.
"Hahaha... Is that so? Come on, Erika. Want to play something else?"
"Sure, sure... Um, I'm only accepting a gentleman's invitation because I'm a lady!"
She brushed back her beautiful hair and looked at Shirou. He was somewhat different from before; he no longer seemed troubled or lost. That was truly wonderful.
"Sorry, Big Brother Shirou, my dad's here!"
In the middle of their game, Erika suddenly spoke up. She slung on her backpack and hurried out of the park.
Following Erika's gaze, Shirou saw a middle-aged man in baggy shorts and slippers.
Darius. Every generation of the Einzbern family head was him.
Each new family head was replaced by Darius, allowing him to endure for over a thousand years.
They claimed to be a family dedicated to saving the world, but Shirou didn't see it that way.
Magi could all be called lunatics in the eyes of ordinary people. Their pursuit of truth—or rather, magecraft—ran deep in their bones, and they could sacrifice anything for it.
Because of that, Tokiomi bore all the blame, Grandpa Zouken went mad, Justicia became the Holy Grail, and after that, almost no one survived any Holy Grail War.
Grandpa Zouken, in particular, had lost his original wish during his struggle to extend his life, becoming an insect-controlling monster who sacrificed everything merely to keep living.
If you extended your life without following the proper methods, this was what happened. Darius's method of prolonging his life didn't follow the proper methods either. Even if he had once dreamed of saving the world, he had already turned into a washed-up nobody!
"Erika, you ran out here without listening to me. Daddy's going to spank you." The scruffy, bearded middle-aged man, Darius, stroked Erika's head as he spoke, then glanced at Shirou.
But Shirou knew full well who was really beneath that mask.
"Julian, long time no see." Shirou narrowed his eyes, wanting to learn from Darius's response just how deeply his former close friend had been infiltrated.
The shell called Darius instantly faded away, revealing Julian's appearance—the man who had taken his little sister Miyu.
"Looks like the corruption hasn't gotten too serious yet. I thought I'd have to use the Talisman of Breaking All Laws to bring you back."
"You got some Heroic Spirit Cards made by the Einzbern family, and now you're this smug and arrogant?" Julian adjusted his glasses and spoke coldly.
"I'm still far better than someone who sacrifices other people's little sisters to create a Holy Grail War."
"What we seek is the continuation of human history. We see not the branches, but the trunk; not the trees, but the forest; not the individual, but the species. This is the Ally of Justice you hoped for, isn't it?"
"Your explanation is meaningless. If anything, it reveals your guilty conscience." Shirou sneered. "An Ally of Justice sacrificing others? Don't make me laugh.
"I have always respected Allies of Justice, and sympathized with them as well, because being an Ally of Justice is no easy task.
"They first offer themselves up as sacrifices upon the altar, then send the companions willing to follow them onto that altar as well. They sacrifice themselves before anyone else. They do not treat their own lives as lives, all for the happiness of others.
"For example, someone who lost his wife, sent his child to war to die, and ultimately staked his reputation to slay a dragon, only to be slandered in return.
"For example, someone who had no choice but to confront his own mother to protect humanity, then later lost his wife, his child, everything he had, and received no salvation at all.
"You think you deserve to be an Ally of Justice? By sacrificing others—my little sister. I never trusted magi like you. You're all lunatics! If you want to save the world, then have the guts to offer yourself, your sister, and the entire Einzbern family as sacrifices first!"
Before you continue