บท 410: C410
It was nighttime. Seated at the edge of his bed, Shirou watched as the black mud surged out from within him, pooling before him.
"Splash, splash, splash—"
The mud amassed, sticking and melding until it shaped into a formless, obsidian humanoid figure. Yet, upon closer inspection, its silhouette bore an uncanny resemblance to Shirou himself.
Looking at this humanoid manifestation of evil, a satisfied smile appeared on his face, "At last, it's complete."
This black humanoid bore all the traits of the "All the World's Evil," yet it lacked the malice of genuine "evil."
Personality and thoughts were absent; only power and intention remained—essentially, a mirror image of himself.
A smile of fulfillment graced his face as he observed the evil humanoid.
And right then—
"Drip, drip~"
A blood-red mud oozed from his body, a viscous malice flooding his core.
—"Human... prey... hunt... devour..."
His brows knitted, and he reprimanded, "Begone!"
The vessel's unwavering will acted like chains, stopping the flow of the Vampiric Evil within him.
The blood-red mud paused abruptly, then condensed into a humanoid form with the same deep hue. Flesh and blood seemed indistinct, yet one could faintly discern the features of Arcueid's face.
Without a doubt, this was the interference of Crimson Moon's will, which had infiltrated his body, meddling with the Vampiric Evil.
Shirou projected Caliburn and with a swift motion, rammed it right into her chest, pinning her to the wall like a cruel piece of art.
"Splurt—"
The room was painted with blood.
"Shirou, you're quite enthusiastic," she chuckled, reaching out to softly touch his cheek.
He frowned, a flicker of disgust flashed in his eyes.
She kept caressing his cheek, a wicked grin spreading across her face. "Creating a clone to protect your sister—why not include a bit of my power? Wouldn't that make the clone even more powerful?"
His expression grew colder "Get lost!"
He projected another Caliburn, and this time he rammed it right through her forehead. Thick blood streamed down her face and dripped onto the floor.
She gazed at him, her eyes emitting a peculiar rainbow-colored light, "Looking at this face and yet showing no signs of mercy, you're such a heartless man."
She extended her hand toward him, gouged out his two eyes. Thick blood flowed from the empty eye sockets, but his expression remained unchanged.
No fear, no terror - his resolve stood firm and unshaken. He faced the nightmarish horror of his eyes being gouged out without a flinch.
"Hmm... Guess you've got the upper hand again, King of Men... As expected of a treasure I have my sights on... but don't let it get to your head. Sooner or later, you'll be in my hands. I'm sure of it."
She let out a sigh, and her impaled form instantly shattered, melting back into a blood-red mud that flowed right back into his body.
And just like that, his eyes, once gouged out, were whole again.
As it turned out, everything had been like a dreamy illusion, a trick conjured by the Mystic Eyes.
As long as he displayed even a hint of fear, Arcueid's Mystic Eyes would have their way with him. But his unwavering resolve left her no room to seize an advantage.
Shirou took a deep breath and, along with his mud clone, stepped out of the room.
He arrived at Ritsuka's room and stood by her bed.
The moonlight streamed through the curtains, casting a gentle glow on her peaceful sleeping face and the conflicted emotions that played across his face.
The scolding served a purpose; it was meant to ensure that Ritsuka remembered to steer clear of the world of magi. The Type-Moon universe stood apart from other supernatural worlds. The theme of this world was that the more one got involved with supernatural powers, the more difficult it became to have a good ending.
Dabbling in magi affairs and becoming entangled in the hidden world wasn't something to be taken lightly; it was no joke.
He just wanted to protect his younger sister, to let her grow up healthily and normally. He only wished she wouldn't experience the hardships he went through.
However, the future was uncertain now, and he couldn't assert with the same confidence as he did during the Camelot era that he could protect others throughout their lives and that the future would be fine.
He... found himself gripped by fear.
Maybe age was beginning to catch up with him.
Shirou let out a self-deprecating laugh.
With a thought, he linked his awareness to the mud clone.
Guiding the clone, it slowly entered the slumbering body of his sister.
"Ugh..." she stirred, a faint discomfort pulling her from sleep. Her drowsy eyes looked at him. She mumbled, "Big brother...?"
Seated by her side, he gently brushed her forehead, "Go back to sleep. Your brother's right here with you."
"Okay..."
She closed her eyes, feeling reassured.
Simply because her brother was right there, by her side.
After a brief pause, he shifted his gaze toward the mud clone.
This clone had been brought into existence using the black mud. A constructed, evil doll, devoid of any personality or will, and it wouldn't absorb any malice from humanity, so there was no chance of it affecting her negatively.
The purpose of this clone was to protect her. It served as a substitute, a body double.
He had created this body double to watch over his sister. It could even be described as a safety backup for her. He had meticulously etched his own fighting moves onto this double as best as he could.
This body double would protect Ritsuka day and night until she no longer needed it. Furthermore, since this body double was created using his black mud, any information observed by it would also be known to him.
Getting up, he tucked her in with a blanket and turned around to head out, the bedroom door creaking shut as he left.
Walking down the hall, he spotted Sakura standing hesitantly outside his door.
"What's wrong, Sakura? It's pretty late, and you're not sleeping?"
"Bro... Brother?" she was startled, but when she saw him, a sigh of relief escaped her lips.
"Do you need something?"
She hesitated for a moment, then asked, "Brother, is there... something bothering you?"
"There's nothing," he shook his head.
"Don't hide it from me! I've studied your microexpressions thoroughly, and whenever you're worried, your attitude towards others becomes a bit softer!"
Shirou: "..."
"A silence lasting 0.75 seconds means you're feeling speechless."
He sighed, about to speak.
However, she was one step ahead and said, "A silence of 0.75 seconds followed by a sigh means you're about to start lying! The first thing you'll say is 'Sakura, you're overthinking it,' and you'll end with 'You troublesome little sister.'"
A twitch appeared at the corner of his mouth.
"Brother, don't think I don't notice. I've been watching over you all this time," she persisted. "I might fall for other tricks, but not with you. So, please, what's going on? I'm not that naive little sister from nine years ago. I want to be your support. I want to be the one you can lean on."
"Sakura..."
"I'm here, brother..."
With a serious expression, he extended his hand and pinched Sakura's cheeks gently, giving them a playful pull.
"Ouch... Ow, brother, that hurts!" she yelped.
"You've let your imagination run wild. Head back to bed."
"But, brother..."
"If there truly is something, I'll share it with you. After all, Sakura, you've become someone I can count on, haven't you? So, get some rest."
"Brother..."
"Yes?"
Sakura said earnestly, "That's a promise, okay? If something's bothering you, please don't keep it from me. I... I want to be someone you can rely on."
"Sure thing," he nodded, his lips curling into a slight smile.
Turning around, her face lit up with a genuine, happy smile.
It all began nine years ago. From the very moment her brother saved her nine years ago, she had been pondering. Imagining a future where one day they could switch roles: she becoming the hero supporting her brother, and he becoming someone she supported.
"It's a promise, brother!" she looked back at him.
He met her gaze with a nod.
Returning to his room, the remnants of his smile gradually faded. He settled at his desk, laying out the sheets of paper before him once more.
...
The Fujimaru residence had two empty rooms, one assigned to Miyu and the other to Gray. Currently, this one room was shared by Gray and Artoria.
As Artoria entered her room, she noticed Gray still awake, eagerly working on something at the table.
"What are you doing, Gray?"
Gray's cheeks turned a bit rosy, and she stammered, "Oh, you know... um... Illyas' birthday is coming up the day after tomorrow, and I thought of preparing a few small presents."
Artoria's interest piqued, she glanced at the boxes lined up on the table, "And these are...?"
Gray's voice held a touch of shyness as she explained, "I'm not really sure about what Illya and the others would like, and I'm kind of lost about what gifts to get... So, I thought of making three sets of seventy-seven origami cranes for each of them."
She paused, her gaze dropping to the floor as her cheeks turned a shade redder. "I mean, I... I'm only good at origami and that's pretty much all I've got. I wish I had something more impressive to give."
Artoria, understanding her feelings, pulled up a chair and settled beside her. With a reassuring smile, she said, "Gray, there's no need to feel inferior. We all have our strengths and weaknesses. The King once said that humans aren't all-knowing or all-powerful, but they have the capacity to learn and grow. So, don't sell yourself short."
"Is that so?" she mumbled, her fingers fidgeting with her clothes as she glanced downward.
Shyness still clung to her like a shadow, whether it was the excitement of preparing for someone else's birthday or the late-night origami sessions. Especially now, as Artoria's comforting words reached her ears.
In that moment, a mix of shyness and joy welled up within her. It was the knowledge that someone cared enough to offer comfort.
Artoria leaned in, "Let me help you."
Gray looked up, a surprised expression on her face. "Your Highness, you know how to fold origami cranes too?"
"Teach me, and I promise I will learn it seriously!"
A smile broke across Gray's face, "Okay then, let's do it."
Bathed in the gentle lamplight, two figures, almost mirror images of each other, sat engrossed in folding paper into delicate origami shapes.
"Your Highness, that's not the way to fold it."
"So, how should it be folded then?"
"See, it's folded this way."
...
The night was incredibly peaceful, and the only sounds were the gentle rustling of paper and the occasional voices of the two women.
Gray glanced over at Artoria, her profile illuminated by the lamplight. There was an earnestness about her that drew Gray in.
There was something deeply comforting about her presence, as if she was looking out for her. It was a sensation that made her feel safe and cherished.
Slowly, Gray was starting to relish this emotion, the simple pleasure of feeling cared for.
And as they sat together under the lamplight, the night remained quiet, as if holding its breath in anticipation for this moment.
...
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