Seeing that Adam's side now held the clear numerical advantage, EMIYA clicked his tongue in annoyance and switched to guerrilla tactics, fleeing back into the forest.
Kiritsugu Emiya gave immediate chase. Thanks to his superior speed, the rest of the group quickly fell behind, turning the situation into a direct one-on-one confrontation between Kiritsugu and EMIYA.
When EMIYA judged the distance was right and confirmed the others wouldn't catch up anytime soon, he stopped running.
Kiritsugu saw the opening and didn't hesitate. He raised his gun and fired without a word.
EMIYA ducked behind a nearby tree. Kiritsugu pursued, but the Archer had already vanished.
A voice echoed from an unknown direction.
"Why are you standing against the Human Order?"
"If I'm not mistaken, you're also an agent of the Counter Force, aren't you?"
Kiritsugu's brows furrowed tightly.
Indeed, in his own timeline he had signed a contract with the Counter Force and become one of its agents—just like EMIYA.
He caught the strange familiarity in the Archer's tone, especially that crucial word "also."
"'Also'? Who exactly are you?"
"Why don't you come out first? We can talk. I won't shoot."
Of course, those words were nothing more than bait. The questions had sparked some genuine curiosity, but they could wait until after the enemy was eliminated.
All his bullets struck was EMIYA's ragged cloak.
Just as disappointment flickered across Kiritsugu's face, the voice spoke again from directly behind him.
"No matter which world it is, you really haven't changed at all."
Kiritsugu spun around, finger already tightening on the trigger—only to freeze the instant he saw EMIYA's face clearly.
"…So that's how it is."
"I see…"
Understanding dawned on him. The gun in his hand slowly lowered.
EMIYA looked straight at him.
"You… are Kiritsugu Emiya, right?"
Kiritsugu remained silent for a moment before giving a small nod.
"Judging from your appearance, you've also formed a contract with the Counter Force… correct?"
"That's right."
EMIYA's expression suddenly flared with rare, intense anger.
"Then you should understand!"
"Chaldea's actions right now are clearly standing in opposition to the Counter Force!"
"So why the hell are you helping them?!"
Kiritsugu stayed quiet, seemingly thinking over how to respond.
"..."
Seeing his silence, EMIYA continued, his voice calm yet his fists clenched tightly.
"Even if you aren't the Kiritsugu from my memories…"
"Your ideals should still be the same, right?"
"You want to save more people."
"But the ones blocking that path right now should be Chaldea!"
"Why would you abandon your own beliefs?"
Kiritsugu looked at the agitated EMIYA and let out a quiet sigh.
Although he wasn't the exact same Kiritsugu from EMIYA's past, he carried those memories. He had also learned about the Archer's entire life from the version of himself serving under Adam.
He naturally understood why EMIYA was reacting with such unusual fury.
EMIYA had been pushed to the absolute limit by the very ideal he pursued, losing everything in the process. And that ideal had originally been instilled in him by his adoptive father—Kiritsugu Emiya.
On top of that, Kiritsugu himself was an enforcer of the Counter Force, making them colleagues in a sense.
All those factors combined made EMIYA's rage completely understandable.
Kiritsugu stayed silent for a long moment before finally speaking.
"…I'm sorry. I am no longer an agent of the Counter Force."
"I've already abandoned that role."
EMIYA's eyes widened in shock.
"What?"
Kiritsugu continued, speaking from the heart.
"Because at Chaldea… I finally found what I truly wanted."
"That so-called ideal—I've left it behind."
"Right now, I am a Servant of Chaldea."
EMIYA stared at him in utter disbelief.
"What exactly does Chaldea have…?"
"What could make you throw away the ideal you clung to your entire life?"
A gentle, heartfelt smile appeared on Kiritsugu's face as he recalled his time with Chaldea.
"It's something…"
"That a person like me never dared to dream of."
The expression on Kiritsugu's face left EMIYA stunned. He had never seen anything like it on the man he remembered.
Kiritsugu raised the Thompson Contender loaded with Origin Bullets toward the man standing on Chaldea's opposing side.
"I'm sorry it's come to this."
He pulled the trigger.
Bang~
EMIYA no longer had any will to fight back. Part of his heart had already died.
He didn't dodge. The Origin Bullet grazed his leg.
The bullet severed his magical circuits.
He could no longer feel his leg at all. He slumped helplessly against a tree trunk.
At that moment, Adam arrived, carrying the injured Cú Chulainn on his back while Mash followed close behind.
Cú Chulainn looked at the defeated Archer in surprise.
"Not bad at all, kid. How exactly did your Servant manage to beat the Archer?"
He hadn't heard any intense sounds of battle. Given EMIYA's strength, he was genuinely curious how it had been done.
Adam glanced at EMIYA, whose eyes had lost focus as if he were silently replaying his entire life.
He answered simply.
"Psychological warfare."
His gaze flicked to the system panel, where the affection values continued to climb.
[EMIYA Affection +10]
[EMIYA Affection +10]
[EMIYA Affection +10]
...
Adam walked over and crouched down in front of EMIYA, meeting his eyes at the same level.
"EMIYA, I have a few questions for you."
"This Singularity was created by the Counter Force's intervention, wasn't it?"
"Tell me. Why did she do this?"
EMIYA's lifeless eyes shifted from Adam to Kiritsugu Emiya.
Finally, he let out a heavy sigh.
Perhaps because of Kiritsugu, or for some other reason, he chose to answer.
"The reason is actually quite simple."
"In the Counter Force's eyes, your future is a mistake that should never have existed."
"I'm sure you're already aware that the Human Order is currently being incinerated."
"One of the major causes of that Incineration is the result of this Holy Grail War."
"Therefore, after the Incineration of Humanity began, the Counter Force chose to alter the outcome of this war."
"She wants the Saber to win."
"So that the Incineration of Humanity can be prevented."
***
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