Chương 68: Chapter 68

Kneeling on the ground, Shirou stared blankly at Shinji, whose chest was covered in blood and whose breathing was faint.

Shinji, on the other hand, looked at Shirou, who was gritting his teeth in distress, with gentle eyes and a tragic smile.

"Hold on, Shinji! I'll get you to the hospital right away! You'll be fine!"

Seeing Shirou's panic, Shinji smiled weakly and spoke in a faint voice.

"No need... I know my own condition best. You know it too, right? There's no saving me. So, at least let me say something in my final moments..."

Shirou's nose tingled with emotion.

Indeed, just as Shinji said, being stabbed in the heart with such a strange weapon, there was no hope...

"Listen, Emiya. I'm entrusting Sakura to you."

"Yes."

Suppressing his sobs, Shirou nodded heavily. To him, Sakura had long been a true sister, a family member.

"That's good." Shinji looked relieved, his voice growing even weaker. "And one last thing... There's something I've always told you jokingly, but now, at the end, I hope you'll understand..."

"What is it?"

"I like..."

Shinji didn't finish his sentence, but the tenderness in his eyes made Shirou understand.

"I know this feeling will never lead to anything, so I've kept it hidden. But at this very end, can I say it?"

Though surprised by this revelation, the grief of losing a friend overwhelmed any other feelings. After all, the dead deserve respect.

So Shirou's response was a forced smile.

"Yeah, go ahead. No matter what you say, I'll remember it. We're friends, after all."

Saber, who had been listening, turned away at this point. Such private matters were not for her to hear or comment on, a common courtesy she understood.

"That's good. And finally..." Shinji's voice grew weaker, as if he was on the brink of death. "...Could you give me a kiss? So I can leave this world without regrets."

"Uh..." Shirou was stunned again, but seeing Shinji's eyes about to close and his breathing slowing, he steeled himself. Ignoring the presence of others, he closed his eyes and puckered his lips, moving slowly towards Shinji.

At the same time, Saber began walking towards the door, sensing that staying longer might negatively affect her state of mind.

But then...

Click!

The sound of two camera shutters made Shirou open his eyes in confusion.

Seeing Shinji holding a new model phone with a mischievous grin, Shirou finally realized what was happening and shouted.

"Are you kidding me right now?!"

"Sorry, sorry. Your reaction was so genuine, I couldn't help but play along."

Shinji laughed, dusted himself off, and stood up as if nothing had happened.

"Huh?" Shirou looked up, dumbfounded at the sight of Shinji, who appeared perfectly fine except for the bloodstain on his chest. "You're okay?!"

"Yeah, I'm fine." Shinji put his phone back in his pocket, shrugging nonchalantly.

"But you were stabbed in the heart by that cursed spear..."

Saber frowned, watching Shinji intently, as if on guard.

"Yes, my heart was pierced," Shinji nodded, then reached into his coat, "but it wasn't my heart. It was this little guy's."

He pulled out a dead rabbit, making Shirou's mouth twitch uncontrollably.

"Poor little thing, getting its heart pierced like that..." Shinji sighed, then handed the dead rabbit to Shirou. "Didn't you just promise to let this life leave with your kiss? Go on, Emiya!"

"Who would do that?!" Shirou shouted, "And why did you have a rabbit in your coat?!"

"I found it injured in the bushes on my way here. It looked like someone's pet, so I thought I'd take it home and treat it. But then..."

Finding a broken bone on the rabbit, Shirou muttered, "Your luck is incredible, dodging so many attacks and still surviving! Wait! Shinji, delete those photos now!"

Seeing Shirou revert to his usual self, Shinji sighed. "I say, Emiya, now isn't the time to worry about that."

Realizing the situation, Shirou glanced at Saber and nodded. "You're right. The most important thing now is to figure out what the hell is going on..."

Shinji nodded, cutting him off with a serious expression, "The most important thing now is to eat!"

"Right, the most important thing is to eat. There's still some food in the fridge—" Shirou began automatically, then stopped. "No way! That doesn't make any sense!"

Just then, Shirou's stomach growled loudly.

"Told you it was important, didn't I?" Shinji said, smiling and winking.

Emiya household—late-night dinner edition.

In front of the refrigerator was Shirou, who had changed his clothes.

Squatting and searching for ingredients, Shirou asked, "Shinji, you seem unfazed by what just happened."

"Well, I have some understanding," Shinji replied without looking up, examining the dead rabbit by the trash can. "Simply put, Emiya, you've been dragged into a ritual where seven Masters and their Servants fight for the Holy Grail. You're a Master, that girl is your Servant, and you'll be fighting together from now on, getting married, having kids, and living happily ever after."

"Wait! What was that last part?!" Shirou exclaimed, his face turning bright red. "Be serious, Shinji! Seven pairs of Masters and Servants fighting for the Holy Grail..."

"I'm not really suited to explain this..." Shinji sighed, internally blaming Rin for not arriving on time. She was the one who should be explaining this to Shirou.

Shinji got up, placing the rabbit in the sink to prepare for its disposal.

"Anyway, let's start with the Holy Grail. Emiya, do you know what the Holy Grail is?"