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Chapter 185: Three Reality Marbles, three paths for Emiya Shirou.
🕑 Added 2025-08-06 03:05:01 +0000 UTC【 Hearing Shirou Emiya's somewhat overconfident words, Archer's voice deepened: “Catch up to me?! What a ridiculous misunderstanding! As expected, you don't understand anything.” 】
【 “Misunderstanding?!” 】
【 Before Shirou Emiya could figure it out, Archer's figure flickered, quickly disappearing from his original position. By the time he reacted, Archer was already in front of him! 】
【 “Bang—!” Accompanied by a burst of sparks, two identical swords violently collided, emitting a piercing sound. 】
【 “That means you don't even have a sliver of a chance of winning!!” 】
【 Shirou Emiya could only grit his teeth and hold on. Then, from the intertwining of their swords, strange images flashed through his mind... 】
【 He saw Archer, cloaked under a dark sky, inserting a long sword into a hill of swords. But every time he inserted one, a scene of someone dying flashed by. 】
【 But even so, Archer continuously erected sword graves on this barren land... until it was covered with a vast hill of swords! 】
【 Even Archer's body was covered in swords. At this moment, Shirou Emiya saw himself dying on a gallows! 】
【 “Is this... that ending? I will never sympathize. I will never sympathize!! I will never sympathize!!!” 】
【 “But...” As the camera continuously pulled back, Shirou Emiya stood at the other end of the hill of swords, looking at Archer standing alone in the desolate land with swords stuck behind him, inevitably feeling a little shaken. “Thinking that I'm about to walk down such a path, it feels like a hole has opened up in my heart.” 】
【 “Those I trusted, those I believed in, even if they are covered in lies! Even if they seem as illusory as a dream! I still...” 】
【 Returning to reality, Shirou Emiya's sword began to crack and then broke. Having witnessed the previous scene, Shirou Emiya himself fell to the ground, seemingly recoiling in fear for a few steps, and began to breathe rapidly. 】
【 Archer slightly frowned, looking at Shirou Emiya, who was recoiling in fear. “Look at you, you look like you're about to vomit. You saw it, didn't you? Then things are simple. All of that is fact!” 】
【 “Shirou Emiya, to catch up to me. That means something like this...” 】
【 。。。。。】
~Projection of All Worlds~
“So the swords in Unlimited Blade Works were inserted by Archer... Each one represents the slaughter committed by the 'so-called ally of justice'.”
“Shirou Emiya's belief was the first to waver, so his sword was the first to become unstable, showing cracks just like his belief.”
Everyone in other worlds shook their heads at this.
Shirou Emiya lost this battle of beliefs. After witnessing the future Archer had reached, the end of his ideal, Shirou Emiya began to waver!!
Ultimately, Shirou Emiya's ideal was too idealistic. A world where no one gets hurt?! Can an ally of justice save everyone?! Where in the world is there such a good thing?
What Archer showed was the truth. Walking down this so-called path of justice, only to be betrayed by the very things he protected. Even after becoming a Guardian, he could only repeatedly violate his ideals and commit slaughter... So Archer's heart must have also somewhat broken.
~Type-Moon World, Fourth Holy Grail War Worldline~
“Hahaha, future Archer! A tragic life, achieving an ideal only to be betrayed by it... How sad!”
Gilgamesh crossed his arms, clearly still holding a grudge against the future Archer for taking him out in such an underhanded way.
This King can retire, but not in such a sneak attack manner; it doesn't suit this King's image at all!
The King of Conquerors let out a barely audible sigh.
“He is still a boy, after all, clinging to unrealistic ideals. After seeing reality, has his belief begun to waver?”
Ultimately, this is a twisted ideal. What he wants to do and what he is doing can never be consistent...
The conflict between Archer and Shirou Emiya is bound to lead to a clash of destinies.
~Type-Moon World, Kaleid liner Prisma Illya Worldline~
“...!”
Shirou Emiya, the Big Hero, felt a sense of absurdity looking at this scene. If he were also in it, whose belief would prevail?
Archer, who reached the end of his ideal...
Shirou Emiya, who harbors an ideal... and himself, who abandoned his ideal!!
He just doesn't know if there are other Shirou Emiyas who made different choices.
Thinking of this, the Big Hero Shirou suddenly gave a self-deprecating smile.
“After all, I, who first abandoned my ideal, have no right to judge their right or wrong... Everything is 'my' choice.”
However, he does not regret or waver in his decision to abandon his ideal. He hasn't forgotten the words he spoke when he fell under the moonlight, reaching for the sky, “I won!”
~Type-Moon World, Fifth Holy Grail War Worldline~
“In the end... did I still walk down the same path as Kiritsugu Emiya?”
Shirou Emiya stared blankly at the reality displayed on the screen. Not having experienced it yet, he couldn't help but feel a sense of self-loathing at this moment.
Kiritsugu Emiya is someone he looks up to, but at the same time, Kiritsugu Emiya is the type of person he dislikes the most... He never expected that the so-called Guardians are killers who 'kill the few to save the many' like Kiritsugu of the past.
That hill of swords, to him, each sword is a grave, a sin committed by 'Shirou Emiya' under the banner of justice...
。。。。。
【 Perhaps feeling that this was not enough to destroy Shirou Emiya's belief, Archer decided to let him see it again. “Look again with your own eyes!!” 】
【 “The world I reached...” A blue light glowed under Archer's feet, like blue flames, surrounding him, and then he began to chant. 】
【 “I am the bone of my sword!” 】
【 “Unknown to Death!” 】
【 “Nor known to Life!” 】
【 “So as I pray, Unlimited Blade Works!” 】
【 Archer unfolded his Unlimited Blade Works. Giant gears hung in the sky, and broken sword blades were scattered everywhere. Archer stood on the hill of swords, looking down at Shirou Emiya. 】
【 。。。。。】
~Projection of All Worlds~
“Unlimited Blade Works, Archer version... Another Reality Marble. We've seen three different versions.”
“They are clearly the same person, but the appearance of the Reality Marble is somewhat different.”
Everyone looked at the Unlimited Blade Works displayed by Archer. Firstly, the giant gears in the sky were different from the other Shirou Emiyas.
Do those giant gears symbolize the Counter Force... Archer, who became a Guardian, could only mechanically violate his own will again and again, completing tasks like a tool.
~Type-Moon World, ██████ Worldline~
~In the 7th singularity, Absolute Demonic Front: Babylonia~
“This King has truly seen something interesting... Shirou Emiya, the Big Hero's snowy field, Shirou Emiya's twilight, Archer's gear hill of swords.”
King Gilgamesh's gaze scanned Archer's Reality Marble. Each of Shirou Emiya's Reality Marbles seems to be subtly different.
A Reality Marble is a manifestation of the mind. Three different Reality Marbles, does it mean that the three Shirou Emiyas walked different paths?
“Hahaha, this is getting more and more interesting. This King is very curious, what kind of path did your Reality Marble choose to present itself as Twilight!”
If the previous Shirou Emiya could be described as ignorant and naive! Then, having come into contact with Archer's memories, are you still going to pursue that ideal now?!
~Type-Moon World, Fifth Holy Grail War Worldline~
“Another Reality Marble...”
Rin Tohsaka's mouth twitched slightly. Is this kind of Reality Marble, which stands at the pinnacle of mages, being mass-produced?!
Or does everyone named Shirou Emiya know this Reality Marble... Are your Reality Marbles shared?! That's a bit too ridiculous.
“Gears...”
Shirou Emiya murmured, seeing the other party's Reality Marble.
Does this symbolize the Counter Force? Archer can only act like a tool, violating his own will, being sent to different eras to mechanically complete tasks... Is this the end of his ideal?
。。。。。
【 In the Reality Marble, Shirou Emiya supported himself with his broken Kanshou and Bakuya, kneeling on the ground, panting heavily! 】
【 “Knowing you couldn't defeat me, yet still appearing here, this foolishness, imprisoned by this boring ideal your whole life. A fake without self-will.” 】
【 “Do you understand that this is your true face? Simply wanting to save is wrong in terms of emotion.” 】
【 “You, who malfunctioned as a human, are a fake that should not have existed from the beginning. Such a thing has no value to live.” 】
【 Archer looked at Shirou Emiya, whose belief was wavering, and continued to destroy the other party's will. “I am your ideal; you should understand that it is absolutely impossible to defeat me.” 】
【 Hearing all this, Shirou Emiya gritted his teeth and tried to stand up, but the images he had seen before kept flashing through his mind. 】
【 “Ah!!” Shirou Emiya roared in anger, projecting Kanshou and Bakuya with both hands again and charging forward. This was his answer. 】
【 “Bang!!” Archer blocked his attack with a single hand. 】
【 “Yes, it's understandable that you can't accept me. As long as I am your ideal, Shirou Emiya must deny me more than anyone else.” 】
【 。。。。。】
~Projection of All Worlds~
“This sentence is very brilliant! They are the same person, but also contradictory existences. As long as Shirou Emiya still holds onto that ideal, he will never accept Archer's existence!”
Everyone in the other worlds silently shook their heads. Shirou Emiya's conviction had already faltered, leaving him unable to argue or defend himself.
He could only attack Archer haphazardly as if venting his anger. If this continues, he will be the first one whose belief collapses.
Ultimately, Shirou Emiya's ideal was borrowed. Archer didn't strike to kill; he was just constantly destroying Shirou Emiya's unrealistic ideal.
~Type-Moon World, Fifth Holy Grail War Worldline~
Rin Tohsaka huffed, crossing her arms as she eyed the despondent Shirou beside her.
Seeing the depressed Shirou Emiya next to her, she also began to refute him.
“Hah?! So what if you're 'future' Emiya Shirou? That doesn't give you the right to keep dismissing yourself as some counterfeit—!”
Her voice softened slightly, fingers tightening around her elbows.
“Sure, Emiya-kun's naive and weak... But that stubborn idealism of his? The way he refuses to stop caring? That's... admirable in its own way!”
Speaking of this, Rin Tohsaka suddenly noticed Shirou Emiya staring at her blankly, her face suddenly turned red again, her voice became hesitant and smaller,
“Of... of course, this way of sacrificing oneself to help others is a little bit heartbreaking.”
Rin Tohsaka gestured to Shirou Emiya with her fingers... Only she knew how much she meant by “a little bit heartbreaking”.
“Thank you, Tohsaka.”
Shirou Emiya's eyes suddenly brightened slightly, and he thanked Rin Tohsaka. His idea of wanting others to be happy was not wrong, and he would continue to walk down this path in the end.
。。。。。
( Translator-kun: Alright, I understand I just called 'Archer' as 'Archer', for simplicity and to stop the confusing part. But take note that I won't edit the past chapters to change 'Red A' to 'Archer', that will stay as that. But starting with this chapter, 'Red A' will become just 'Archer', or maybe I just used it vice versa. just depend on the intention of the paragraph, like how I use 'Star Gods' and 'Aeons'. )
