Just then,
"You haven't failed."
Shirou spun around. Someone was behind him.
No, not "standing."
Just "there."
That person seemed to be there, yet Shirou felt as though he did not exist.
His long golden hair and gentle, almost feminine features made him look benevolent. He wore a simple white robe, its hem stained with dust, as though he had walked a long way to get here.
Shirou's eyes widened. The repeated swings between crushing sorrow and overwhelming joy left him stammering. "Y-you're..."
"My name is Miquella. I suppose you could call me a saint."
The boy tilted his head slightly, his gaze passing over Shirou toward the Great Hollow.
What was he looking at? Shirou kept getting the feeling that he was watching someone's embarrassment...
Miquella soon withdrew his gaze and looked at Shirou. He struggled to maintain a saintly facade, while Trina sighed within.
"You wanted to summon me with a Command Spell? But the Command Spell didn't work."
His words stunned Shirou.
It didn't work?
Then... how did you get here?
Miquella seemed to see through his question. "You commanded me to appear. But the Command Spell wasn't powerful enough... my existence isn't something a Command Spell can command."
He paused, the smile on his lips deepening a little. "But you still succeeded." (＾ｖ＾)
"Why?"
"Because you believed."
"You knew the Command Spell might not work. You knew it might all be futile. But you still raised your hand, closed your eyes, and called my name in your heart."
"That wasn't a command. It was a prayer."
He gently placed his hand on Shirou's head, and Trina used the contact to soothe Shirou's exhausted mind.
"A miracle is a possibility that occurs amid the impossible."
"And humanity's greatest miracle is its willingness to keep believing amid despair-even