Chapter 4: The Truth is a Sharp Blade
Along with the opening scene.
And this dialogue that would influence the boy's entire life, countless people familiar with the Emiya household fell into contemplation.
The Shirou they knew.
Warm-hearted, kind, always ready to help.
Though he kept others at a certain distance, he never refused a request.
All the viewers continued watching.
But soon, many grew restless.
The first scene showed Shirou training in the warehouse.
But before long, he stopped, panting heavily, breathing with great difficulty.
In total, he had trained for less than an hour.
Scene cut.
To a certain night.
When Shirou was returning home after cleaning the archery dojo, he was drawn by unusual commotion.
Red and blue, two intertwined figures were performing a dazzling waltz.
Sword and spear, clashing in combat.
A silver-haired, dark-skinned youth gripped two broad blades in reverse, while the spear-wielding youth at the other end of the field wore a battle-hungry expression.
Their confrontation sent shockwaves sweeping across the schoolyard.
The asphalt playground shattered into debris in the blink of an eye, overlapping afterimages continuously clashing as the two fought on into the dark night!!
And in the distance, a black twin-tailed girl stood solemnly.
"Is that... Rin?!"
Tokiomi Tohsaka slammed the table and stood up, disbelief flashing in his eyes.
He never expected to see his daughter's grown-up appearance in these images!
Speaking of which, who was this Servant his daughter had summoned?
There was no time for further contemplation.
The scene continued.
The storm of battle raged on as Shirou watched in terror.
When he tried to escape, he dramatically stepped on a roadside pebble, alerting the two Servants who immediately ceased their movements.
"He's done for," Kiritsugu narrowed his eyes witnessing this scene.
Indeed.
The Holy Grail War had its commandments.
All innocent bystanders caught in it must be eliminated on the spot.
The blue lancer, following orders, immediately abandoned Rin's group.
He successfully intercepted the frantically running boy in the school corridors and eliminated him.
The scene stopped here.
The dark screen was accompanied by the sound of keyboard typing.
Two lines of text appeared on the screen.
[Am I... doomed?]
[The end of the Hero of Justice's path... concludes here?]
The two lines were erased one after another...
But viewers across the infinite realms were in an uproar.
Such talent... the Protagonist?
"How utterly boring. Thinking about it... you're truly suited for the role of Protagonist, you dead-last. Hah..." In the world of Naruto, Sasuke felt disappointed by the so-called Protagonist. He had never seen someone on the verge of death from basic training.
"While the determination to risk death and continue striving for your ideals is commendable, such behavior isn't worth encouraging. All of you remember this... especially you, Yuji." In the world of Jujutsu Kaisen, Gojo took this opportunity to explain training principles to his students.
"Kehahaha... Humans are truly fascinating! I've decided not to destroy Earth after all!" In the world of Kamen Rider, Evol, who had forced Soichi to break his staff, laughed maniacally at the video of the boy desperately defending his beliefs: "This absurd comedy brimming with infinite possibilities makes for the most entertaining chapter."
Those who could see through appearances to grasp the essence were few.
But they did exist.
Within moments.
Shirou's position as Protagonist seemed like a joke.
Everyone began mocking him.
Juwon's explanatory voice rang out again.
"I believe many people watching are laughing at him right now."
"But is this truly laughable?"
"This is wrong!"
As these words fell, a lyrical yet intense piece of music began playing just as Shirou awakened.
Insert Song - [Last Stardust]
"I... didn't die?"
The red-haired boy woke up in confusion.
Just like the astonished people before their screens, he too wondered why he was still alive.
Carrying this bewilderment, he faced the approaching blue spearman once more.
Hearing the spearman's disregard for human life, Shirou's panic transformed into rage and hatred.
What exactly did these people consider human lives to be!?
In his fury.
The activated Magic Circuits stimulated the scabbard within his body, erupting magical energy that formed surging waves.
The golden-haired knight girl stood in the moonlight, while he sat collapsed to her left, their eyes meeting.
Everything was conveyed without words.
After requesting Saber to repel the spearman, the two made a vow.
Thus began their bond.
What followed were countless perilous trials.
These dangers came sometimes from nearby, sometimes from unpredictable unknown forces.
They joined forces to drive back Rider who invaded the school.
They collaborated with the Master of the Red Archer to defeat the powerful Berserker.
Particularly during the battle with Berserker, he fearlessly threw himself forward to save the familiar girl, continuing to fight even when his intestines spilled out after being slashed.
Visible progress, willpower as strong as steel.
Various essential qualities of a Protagonist gradually revealed themselves to everyone!
However, while his spirit grew stronger, it didn't increase the boy's power at all.
He continued training in the same way.
Until one night, when the Red Archer could no longer stand watching and revealed the truth.
Finally, all those watching the video understood one thing...
Shirou's method of practicing magecraft was completely wrong.
Every training session brought him near-death agony, yet he never gave up.
And the reason he practiced this way...
Was because someone had intentionally taught him the exact opposite method of operation.