the living [comprehensive]

Chapter 36

Under the dark sky, broken weapons and shattered corpses almost filled the pale wilderness.

That is not an ancient battlefield, but a sad corner of the modern world.The gun barrels buried in the gravel and the swords and arrows with the magic power remaining indicate the continuation of the human tragedy called "war" in history.

"What... is this place?" Standing in the middle of the dead desert, Shirou looked around uneasily.The smell of sulfur and blood in the air stimulated his sense of smell, making his shoulders tense subconsciously.

The endless war with no signs of ending has turned the formerly prosperous city into scorched earth. The lives of innocent victims have died, but the mourning of the soul still seems to resound under the blood-red sky.Wrathful spirits of the dead haunt the cursed land, adding even greater darkness to it.

After looking around, Shirou couldn't help feeling tense.But there was nothing he could do, not even knowing where he was supposed to go.

At this moment, as if to guide the frightened young man, a bright beam of light tore through the gloomy air, piercing through the shadow that shrouded it with the momentum of piercing the clouds.

That is……!

Shirou felt familiar with the bright flames surrounding the Arrow of Demon Breaking, and he was even more inexplicably familiar with the magic power permeating the air.Sweeping away the confusion in his heart, Shirou stepped forward and ran towards the place of the person who fought against the darkness.

Standing at the top of the hill, Shirou, who had been running for a long time, finally saw the figure of the tireless fighter.

To be precise, the white-haired red figure is exactly what Shirou expected.

Looking at the heroic spirit that belonged to him, Shirou felt his chest agitated for a while, with mixed feelings.

That figure belonged to a true hero.He walked in the sea of ​​gunpowder and flames, even though his body was covered with bruises, his pace of progress did not stop.

Archer... he really is a powerful and noble existence.

The longing Shirou smiled from the bottom of his heart.But after a while, he suppressed his smile again, and looked worriedly at the heroic spirit whose back was straightened towards him.

strangeness.

From any point of view, Archer is an invulnerable existence.

However, I was inexplicably worried about Archer, as if there was something about him that I couldn't stop worrying about.

Looking away from the heroic spirit who was fighting calmly in the distance, Shirou followed the opponent's footprints from far to near.

Discovering something from the only one line of footprints, Shirou suddenly felt a pain in his heart, and his foggy mood became clear.

From a long time ago, that red figure was fighting alone.

Once upon a time, there were traces left by other fighters to accompany him, but the other party eventually lost all his comrades in arms.Today, Archer is the only surviving warrior in this ruined land.

In Shirou's heart, the pain was born of the heroic spirit's loneliness, which overwhelmed the admiration for the heroic spirit's unwavering fighting stance.And the scene in front of him has undergone earth-shaking changes again.

The blood color in the sky was replaced by bright blue, and the blood stains printed on the white sand were washed away by something.Countless sharp blades shining with cold light stood up in the open space, and the red figure surrounded by the sword wall and sword forest finally put down his long bow and opened his arms towards the dawn.

Seeing that the heroic spirit can finally embrace the dawn with ease, Shirou's heart tightens even more.

Archer was also a person who fought to the death for his ideals.Even, at the last moment of his life, the other party also condensed the remaining magic power to erase the darkness in front of him.

——This was the moment when Archer, who had been a human being, exhausted his mana and died.

"Archer..." Shirou who woke up slowly, opened his eyes slightly.

In the blurred field of vision are extremely familiar bedroom furnishings, but there is something strange in the hands.Shirou moved his fingers subconsciously, but someone clasped his hand tightly.

Huh?Is it Archer's hand?

"Archer?" Shirou asked in a low voice, feeling only surprised.

The hand clasped with him moved slightly, and Heroic Spirit's voice as cold as steel came to his ears: "Having a nightmare again? What a nerve-wracking Master."

Sure enough, it was Archer.It's just, is this guy with a bad personality always by his side?

Shirou is confused by Heroic Spirit's attitude.The other party leaned forward and stroked Shirou's red hair.

"You worked very hard yesterday. It doesn't matter if you take a little more rest, Master."

Hearing Heroic Spirit's almost reassuring words, Shirou was a little dazed.

You can hear the "gentle" quality from Archer's tone... it must be your own illusion, right?

Thinking "it must be an illusion", Shirou fell asleep again.

When he woke up completely, he made a new decision.

In order to prevent the Holy Grail from being obtained by people with ulterior motives, he must win.In order to achieve this goal, of course I must become a stronger magician, and at the same time, I must also clarify the matter with Archer.

After all, Archer is a heroic spirit who wants to help him and fight side by side with him. If the other party is troubled by something, it is better to help him solve it as soon as possible.And the past of the other party, I can't help but care about it.

Also, there is another thing.

Shirou recalls his first meeting with Heroic Spirit.

At that time, the Heroic Spirit who turned his head to look at him had shock and some kind of indescribable strong emotion flashing in his eyes.Although it was extremely short, that moment has been engraved deep in my mind.

Although it was impossible to think about it no matter what, Shirou still gently asked the question in his heart: "Archer...does he know me?"

Heroic Spirit was no longer in the room, so naturally he couldn't answer.Shirou, who was thinking of something else, suddenly jumped up from the bed.

The rich aroma of fried eggs and the fragrance of rice porridge drifted into the room through the gap between the sliding doors, but this pleasant aroma reminded Shirou of a very important matter.

His junior and ex-friend's younger sister, Sakura Matou, came to help him with housework early in the morning these days because of apologizing for his brother.

——If Archer is seen by the school girl, he will be in trouble!

It was almost predictable that Matou Sakura would be frightened, and Shirou lost all sleep in an instant.He quickly changed his clothes and rushed to the kitchen, and then he was dazed by the scene he saw.

The white-haired heroic spirit was standing in front of the stove, putting just the right amount of fried eggs on the plate.Wearing an apron, Matou Sakura stood a little awkwardly one meter away from the heroic spirit, but she was earnestly asking for advice, and was carefully asking the heroic spirit about the heat and seasoning.

——There must be something wrong!The kitchen is your absolute domain!

From the corner of the eye, he caught a glimpse of the boy with his eyes wide open, and the cold voice of the heroic spirit explaining the cooking process paused slightly.He turned his head to the side, and raised the corners of his lips mockingly at Shirou: "Hmph."

Shirou, who had been robbed, complained secretly, but he couldn't attack because of the presence of his junior, so he could only silently stare at Heroic Spirit.

The bad attitude bastard!

Use the master's kitchen casually, and look like it's a matter of course!

...Although this guy's cooking skills are not bad.

Shirou silently enjoyed the seafood porridge with luxurious ingredients, his heart was full of admiration for Archer's omnipotence, but he refused to give in to praise.And Ying Ling, who noticed that the boy was making trouble, didn't make a sound, but just looked at the boy across the dining table with a playful look.

"Thank you for the hospitality." As if not aware of the subtle emotions between the other two, Matou Sakura nodded slightly at the heroic spirit, and then smiled at Shirou, "Although I didn't get the cooking instruction from the senior today, thank you too."

Shirou moved his lips and wanted to respond, but the Heroic Spirit on the opposite side suddenly stood up: "I'll wait for you in the yard. You should have a bamboo sword and bow at home, right?"

"Of course!" Realizing what these words meant, the young man's dissatisfaction quickly dissipated like melting snow, and his slightly wide-open eyes shone with anticipation, "Are you... to guide me?"

"Well, as you wish." Yingling gave Shirou a deep look, and then walked out of the room first.

Staring at the back of Heroic Spirit a little excitedly, Shirou belatedly realized that Matou Sakura had been looking at him curiously for a long time.

By the way, it's no longer suitable for the school girl to stay here.Participating in the Holy Grail War, I must keep innocent people out of danger.

For the purpose of protecting Matou Sakura, Shirou politely told her not to come again.Unexpectedly, Matou Sakura, who is always gentle, showed a rare insistence this time: "I have already made an agreement with the senior, so I can't cancel it so easily? Or is there any last resort for the senior? "

Whether it is the girl's tough attitude or her keen insight, Shirou is surprised.He didn't know how to respond, but the girl guessed on her own and continued: "Sure enough, the senior has been involved in some troublesome trouble."

Shirou's heart skipped a beat at the girl's tone of voice as if she knew something.He settled down: "Sorry, it's indeed a little troublesome. But it will be resolved."

"Then, I understand. However, after the matter is over, please allow me to continue interrupting." The girl returned to her usual gentleness, "And, didn't the senior have a reliable companion? It was the man who made breakfast for us just now. .”

Shirou was a little concerned about Matou Sakura's firm tone, but compared to the fact that the other party seemed to know the inside story, he cared more about a certain word: "Companion... It's true to say that. But it's too early to say whether it's reliable or not. Good morning. Forgive me for not being able to tell you more details, but at least for now, I still don’t know what kind of person he is.”

"But I can feel it." The girl watching Shirou said with a smile, "That man is a very reassuring existence for seniors."

The author has something to say: As the Master of Black Tea, Shirou must often dream about each other, right?After all, they are a pair of 233 that couldn't be more compatible

And Sakura is an angel! ! !