Rudeus fell into a state of fear.
He himself didn't expect to feel such great fear about going outside. He also didn't expect this fear to overwhelm his entire body and shake his very soul.
But he did expect it somewhat, because he had noticed earlier that—
he had never escaped the shadows of his past.
After coming to this world, Rudeus had never left his house, and rarely even his yard. This wasn't because he was too weak to run around outside, but purely because he was afraid.
Whenever he came to the yard and saw the outside world, his memories would immediately return.
Memories of being bullied, of being a shut-in for over ten years, of wasting his life, of the pain in his side, of the cold rain, of regret, of despair, of the pain of being hit by a truck...
These memories would all come back as if they had just happened yesterday.
Rudeus trembled at the thought.
He could look outside from the window, and he could walk around the yard with his family.
But he couldn't leave the yard, and he couldn't go any further.
Because he was still afraid.
He was afraid that the peaceful countryside before him would suddenly turn into hell, afraid that this seemingly peaceful scene would never accept him.
In his previous life, it was this intense paranoia that made him give up on going outside. He always felt like everyone was watching him, like everyone was laughing at him and making fun of him in their minds.
So, he chose to shut himself away and immerse himself in fantasy.
He thought that if Japan was suddenly dragged into a war, or if a beautiful girl suddenly came to live with him, he would definitely be able to do his best.
He used these fantasies to escape from reality.
Rudeus had many dreams.
In his dreams, he wasn't a superhero, just an ordinary person, doing what he could and managing to survive on his own.
But dreams always come to an end.
If he took a step outside this house, perhaps this dream would end too.
And when he woke up, maybe he would be back in that moment of despair when he was kicked out of his house, back to that moment when he felt like he would be swallowed by a flood of regret...
No, this isn't a dream.
How could a dream be so real?
This is reality.
Even though he kept telling himself this, again and again, his body still couldn't move. His legs were still shaking with fear.
What if the moment he stepped out of this house, everything turned out to be fake, and he was back in his old world?
What if Paul and Zenith got angry because he set the house on fire, and kicked him out like his old family did?
Could a three-year-old baby really survive in this world?
He knew all this in his mind, but he couldn't take a single step.
No matter how motivated he felt, even if he swore to live his life seriously, his body just wouldn't cooperate.
No matter how anxious he was, or even if he was about to cry, his body gave him no useful response.
Fear,
fear,
Endless fear spread from the bottom of his heart.
Fear is the most terrible disease in the world. It doesn't hurt the body, but it breaks the spirit and wears down the will.
The first step towards any kind of fall is fear.
"Rudy..."
Lilia had already gone out, but Rudeus was still standing there, not moving for some reason. Shirou finally looked worried.
His magic was almost completely gone, and he had no way to use enhancement magic. He couldn't just pick Rudeus up and carry him away.
And Rudeus was in such a state of confusion that he had completely shut himself off and couldn't hear anything anyone was saying.
What to do?
What was the right choice to make in this situation?
To abandon Rudeus and save himself?
Or to take a chance and risk everything?
"..."
The moment the choice was put before him, Shirou realized that he didn't hesitate at all, not even for a second.
He suddenly realized.
Ah, I am still myself after all...
Even though he had sacrificed an entire world to save Miyu, even though he had become a complete hypocrite, a real villain, he had never given up on his dream of becoming a hero.
So, Shirou dragged his body, which was almost completely out of strength and magic, straight to Rudeus. He didn't care what Rudeus thought and dragged him towards the outside of the house.
However, the house had already reached its breaking point. After wasting so much time, a chain of collapses finally broke out completely!
"Boom!"
Flames and wind came from all directions.
Shirou and Rudeus were like mosquitoes caught in a storm, unable to resist at all and about to fall into the abyss.
However, whether it was pure willpower or the power of Servant Emiya that remained in his body, Shirou somehow managed to burst out with strength beyond his limits. He grabbed Rudeus and threw him out of the collapsing house.
And he followed close behind, taking a big step forward.
"Bang!"
A huge crash echoed!
The entire village of Buena was drawn to the commotion at the Greyrat house, and many villagers came to help.
When Rudeus came to his senses, he was lying on the grass outside the house. Hot flames were rushing at him, and the scene was like a war zone, with broken walls and rubble everywhere.
Am I still alive?
That was the first thing Rudeus checked.
Strangely, he didn't feel joy or relief after confirming this fact. Instead, he felt something more complex, more strange, and harder to express.
He soon realized why his emotions were so complicated.
Because Shirou had saved him.
If that older brother hadn't suddenly come back and pulled him out of the abyss, he would have become one with the rubble of the house.
That would have been an even worse death than in his previous life...
Complex thoughts flashed through Rudeus's mind. He suddenly remembered that since he had been saved, where was Shirou?
In an instant, a strong sense of panic spread through his heart.
Rudeus scrambled to his feet and looked around nervously.
Soon, a familiar red-haired boy came into view, but he didn't look good. As he was about to escape the collapsing house, he had been hit by a broken beam, pinned underneath it, and part of his body was burned.
"Big brother!! Hey, Shirou big brother!! Don't die!!"
In a flash, unstoppable regret welled up inside Rudeus. He couldn't imagine the guilt and regret he would feel if Shirou died saving his cowardly self. He might never escape the shadow of this day.
Fortunately, Shirou was still breathing. In fact, when he saw that Rudeus was alive, he couldn't help but sigh in relief.
"That's great, that's really great... Rudy, I'm glad you're alive."
"..."
Rudeus hadn't expected to hear those words.
Rudeus was completely stunned, and tears involuntarily streamed down his face.
—Because he had never imagined that someone would show such joy at this moment.
He was the one who was saved, and Shirou was the one who was injured so badly because he saved him.
But why?
Why are you so happy?
Rudeus suspected that he would never forget this day, never forget the sight of someone smiling with more joy than he himself felt after saving him.
And it was on this day that he truly accepted Shirou as his older brother.