A tense atmosphere was filling the air between the two assassins and the archbishop and his cultists. Elsa readies her blade as Meili readies her horned beasts. "Oh my, my, my, my! What vicious stares are you darting at us, dear ladies! I think it's proper, to return the favour, yes?!" Betelgeuse frantically shouted as his cultist began to move towards the two. "Meili, I'll handle their archbishop. Take out the cultists." Elsa instructed, to which the younger assassin agreed. Elsa darts into the fray, slashing some cultists down before facing off with their eccentric leader, but before she could strike him down, a torrent of fireballs took her by surprise.
Suddenly, a large shadow stood between Elsa and the fireballs. It was none other than Meili's hippopotamus-looking horned beast who tanked the damage. As the wolgarms began taking out the cultists with efficiency, Elsa vaults over the beast and lunges towards Betelgeuse. The archbishop smiles and simply moves to his side, dodging Elsa's overhead strike. Sensing danger, the assassin quickly moved in closer, which made the archbishop go defensive. After some empty stabs in the air, Elsa manages to slip into an opening and cocks back her arm, but the archbishop simply grabbed a nearby cultist and shoved him towards Elsa's blade. "Tch! You really don't like your men, don't you?!" Elsa shouted with some annoyance in her tone as she tries to take out her blade from the corpse in front of her.
"My followers? Well, they are quite diligent … especially the ones who died to protect me. But to think that woman … the person who would bring back our beloved witch … would employ some savages is quite surprising. Yes, yes. Quite savage indeed." Betelgeuse remarked as he playfully dodges Elsa's attacks. Feeling annoyed that the archbishop was toying with her, Elsa brings out her other blade. With some coordination with Meili, the hippopotamus-looking horned beast blocks Betelgeuse's path, leaving him wide open to the other assassin. "Go, Elsa-nee!" Meili shouted as Elsa dashes towards the archbishop.
For a second, she thought she managed to slash his neck clean with her blades, but when a sudden kick sent her flying towards a nearby tree, she realizes that she only managed to slice off one of the archbishop's arms. "You, you, you, you!" The eccentric madman shouted as his remaining cultists quickly surrounds him. "Tch. He's quite fast. I underestimated him." Elsa muttered as Meili runs to her side. "Are you alright?!" Meili asked as she begins to tend to her partner, but a sudden blast of ominous aura coming from the cultists surprised her. "My, my. I applaud your prowess, your skills, and your diligence that are giving us a rather, hard time," Betelgeuse snickers as he began biting onto his remaining fingers in a rather bizarre manner. "But, but, but, but! I find your … determination … lacking. In a sense, how slothful! Very, very, very slothful!" He shouted as his cultist charged in.
Elsa tries to fend the cultists off, but her body was still shook up. Seeing this, Meili steps up and instructs her wolgarms to take the cultists down. For a moment, her beasts were winning against their hooded assailants, but suddenly, they froze in their tracks, whining in pain. "W-What's wrong?!" Meili shouted as she tries to take a step towards her beasts, but was stopped when one of them suddenly began levitating in the air. The beast winced in pain as an unseen force was pulling its limbs away from its body. In a matter of seconds, the beast's limps were torn apart in front its master, making Meili reel back in fear. Seeing the two assassins confused and fear-stricken, Betelgeuse began to laugh manically. "Now then, let me bring you closer so that I could tell you how I should properly punish you!" Betelgeuse shouted as he flung his Unseen Hands towards Meili. Sensing danger, Elsa quickly sprang up and pushed Meili from harm's way. She gritted her teeth and closed her eyes as the dark, ominous feeling closed in towards her.
"Geez. I never thought you would throw your life away for Meili."
Suddenly, no harm came to her. Elsa could still feel her body intact, but something was carrying her. She slowly opens her eyes and found herself levitating above in a nearby tree. She could feel an arm carrying her, but she can't see anyone around her. To her surprise, a face suddenly appeared near her face, making her grab onto her blade. "W-Wait! Wait! It's me! Its' Shiro!" The man, who was standing on one of the tree branches, shouted as he takes off his hood. "W-What? Invisibility?! What's … going on?" Elsa asked with a surprised tone. Shiro lets her stand up beside her and readies his crossbow. "Nee-sa … I mean Ram contacted me. She told me that you were … having problems." Shiro as he looks at Betelgeuse, who was glaring at them. "Heh. Trying to be a hero? Where's your blades?" Elsa asked as she tries to ready herself for another round.
Just a few minutes before Shiro re-entered the battlefield, he was instructing the combined forces of the Crusch and Anastasia camps. The soldiers and mercenaries listened attentively as Shiro tells them their plan. "We'll be facing against a rather large cult. Our key objective right now is to kill them, all of them." Shiro said which caught Wilhelm's attention. "Kill all of them? Can't we disable them or just render them unconscious?" The older butler asked. "No, it's far too dangerous if we let one of them alive. Their archbishop has an ability that allows him to hop one body to another. As long there's a cultist alive, he can escape our ambush." The younger butler replied. The older butler sighs and nodded to his plan. "Quite ruthless, but understandable. So, who's taking charge of the teams?" Julius asked Shiro. "Hmm. Wilhelm-san and Ricardo for one team, the other will be you and in Felix. Will that do?" Shiro replied. Ricardo and Julius gave him a nod and they began prepping their equipment.
"Alright. Everything's going well. I still have enough mana to do this. I'm counting on you, Archer." Shiro muttered as he brings out his card.
"Card Art: Install!"
"Class: Archer!"
"Servant: The Wrought Iron-Hero, EM-"
Suddenly, Shiro froze. His mind became blank and his memories with the Red Archer became filled with static. "W-What's this? What's going on?" Shiro muttered to himself as he tries once more but it became much worse. It felt like his bond with EMIYA was severed as he can no longer connect with his servant. His body began to shake as Shiro tries his best to force an Install, or even a connection with EMIYA, but there's something within him stopping the art. "Am I … low on mana? No, I'm pretty sure I still have plenty in the tank …" He muttered to himself once. "What's wrong, Shiro-nyan? You look … a bit weird …" Felix muttered as he and Julius approached the butler. "Do you need rest? We can go ahead and start our att-"
"No. I'm fine. Don't worry about me." Shiro said, cutting Julius mid-sentence. Seeing a nearby bird that was trying to get his attention, he simply shakes off this frantic feeling in his chest. "I can deal with this problem later. If that's Nee-sama's magic right there, I have to move." He muttered to himself as he takes a deep breath. Once more, he checked the fragmented memories of his past, looking for a servant that could have an advantage in their surroundings. Oddly enough, even though he could see his other servants clearly, he could only see EMIYA as a faint silhouette covered with static. Brushing it aside, he finally remembers one of his servants who excel in guerrilla warfare. A nameless, chivalrous thief that helped him a lot throughout his journey. A man that has a sharp tongue and a snarky attitude, but his heart is in the right place. "Heh. Alright. I'm counting you, O' protector of the green, Robin Hood!" Shiro muttered as he readies his card.
"Card Art: Include!"
"Class: Archer!"
A bright light engulfed Shiro, catching the attention of the troops. As the light dissipates, a green cloak materialized on Shiro's shoulders, while a sleek-looking crossbow formed on top of his right hand. "Hmm. Wait. This … cloak? That means I can use his hidden Noble Phantasm, so that means … this crossbow isn't the Bow of Prayer, huh." Shiro muttered as he checks his equipment.
"W-Woah! That's not your usual weapon, nya?" Felix remarked. "I know. I wanted to try something that would help me in the forest. Anyway, Julius, I leave the attack force to you." Shiro said as he looks toward his senior knight. Julius simply smiled and nodded as Shiro ran towards Ram's familiar before running into the forest. Since Ram can't use the bird to talk to the butler, she simply directed him towards the cave where the cultists were gathering. "This path … tch. Those two didn't listen, huh?" He muttered. Arriving near the cave, he imbues his legs with mana and jumped towards a tree branch. "Alright. Let's do this. No Face, May King." He whispered, activating one of Robin Hood's noble phantasms.
No Face May King, Robin Hood's hidden noble phantasm. A cloak that allows him to completely conceal his sound and scent, making him the best servant in guerrilla warfare, but in return, he can only use one noble phantasm at a time, making his Bow of Prayer, or Yew Bow, unusable. "I guess I can only use the Yew Bow when I install you, huh?" Shiro muttered as his presence slowly vanished into thin air. Back at the village of Irlam, Ram was using her magic to direct Shiro, but to her surprise, the butler vanished into thin-air. "W-What? What's going on?" She muttered as she uses the bird to look for the butler, but he completely vanished.
Hearing the sound of blades clashing, Shiro began to move towards the cave. He could smell the thick scent of blood even though he's meters away from the opening. Reaching the edge of the forest, he sees Elsa downed beside a tree while Meili was fending off the cultists with her wolgarms. He notices that Betelgeuse lost an arm and the frantic expression on the face of the archbishop alarmed him. As one of the wolgarms was torn apart by the Unseen Hands of the archbishop, Shiro readies himself to move. As the Unseen Hands darts towards Meili, he quickly leapt towards Elsa who pushed Meili away. "Geez. I never thought you would throw your life away for Meili." He remarked as he grabs her and quickly returned to his position.
"I have a plan. How many blades do you have?" Shiro asked Elsa as Meili retreats towards them. "I still have a spare. Do you want it?" Elsa replies as she hands him one of her blades, which the butler takes. He began chanting a spell under his breath, and imbues some mana into his right hand, then he places it on top of Elsa's shoulder. Elsa felt a sudden jolt coming from Shiro's hand, which made her reel back. Red markings began to form in Shiro's right hand, which the assassin noticed. "Don't worry. It's a temporary master-servant contract. It'll last for some hours. It'll allow us to talk telepathically. I gotta thank Medea for that," Shiro stated as he sheathes the blade and readies his crossbow. "Anyway, I'll tell you where he'll attack, so you better listen attentively. I'll strike when I see an opening." He continued as he dons No Face May King once more, disappearing completely.
"Hm. So I'm the bait … huh?" Elsa muttered to herself as she leaps towards Meili's side. "I can hear you, you know." A voice said within her mind, which surprised the assassin a bit. "You weren't kidding, huh? Meili, you fall back for now. We'll deal with them." Elsa instructed as she readies her blades. Meili nods and quickly mounts her hippopotamus-looking horned beast. Seeing one of them retreating, the remaining cultists tried to rush her down but they were taken down one by one with arrows. "W-What? What's this?! Invisible … huh? Intriguing, but you're simply delaying the Ordeal! We can't be stopped!" Betelgeuse shouted as he lashes his Unseen Hands around him, trying to hit his invisible opponent.
"Frantic ramblings won't get you anywhere, dear archbishop."
"You'll die here. You'll never reach Emilia."
"Insolence … heh," Betelgeuse muttered before breaking into an eccentric laughter. He clutches on his bleeding stump and a wide grin appeared on his face. "Then come at me! I will show you … how diligent is the Archbishop of Sloth is!" He shouted as Elsa began to charge in. Elsa throws a couple of blades she picked up towards the archbishop, but the madman simply grabbed the blades midair with his Unseen Hands. "Elsa! Jump to your right and keep moving! Don't stop!" Shiro instructed, which Elsa followed. As the assassin leapt towards her right, she narrowly evaded an Unseen Hand, which destroyed a tree behind her.
The archbishop of Sloth charges in, levitating above the ground while a whirl of blades protected him from any frontal attacks. "Tch. I can't use poison with this crossbow." Shiro muttered as he kept shooting and moving around Betelgeuse. Some of his arrows manages to find its mark, piercing the archbishop's limbs, but after a while, Betelgeuse began to telegraph his moves. "What now?! I can't close the gap with those blades whirling towards me!" Elsa asked her contractor with some annoyance in her voice. "I'll give you … an opening then!" Shiro shouted as he takes off his hood and jumped towards their opponent. He throws his borrowed blade towards Betelgeuse, which was easily blocked by the whirl of blades. He lands a few metres away from the eccentric archbishop and proceeded to rain arrows at him. "My, my! Aren't you getting a bit … desperate?!" Betelgeuse shouted as he lashes the blades towards the green-cladded butler.
Shiro quickly reels back and kept on dodging the blades, but as soon Elsa charges in, a set of blades went towards her direction. "Tch! He's pushing me back!" Elsa shouted in her mind while Shiro gritted his teeth. "If that's the case … he just needs to pay attention towards me more, huh?!" Shiro shouted with zeal. He jumps back, then clutches his chest in anticipation.
"I can't die! The Witch of Envy gave me the power of Return to De-"
Just like whenever he tried to say his "curse", Shiro could feel an ominous aura brewing within him. He could feel something grabbing onto his heart, making sure that he couldn't finish those words. He could feel his scent becoming thicker, filled with the miasma of the witch. To Elsa's surprise, Shiro's sudden outburst froze the archbishop. "W-What … did you say? The witch … of envy … gave you something?!" The archbishop questioned the butler. "Maybe, maybe not. Well, how can I say? That topic is off limits." Shiro replied with a smirk.
While the archbishop was furiously glaring at him, a red-looking orb appeared on Shiro's shoulder. He takes notice of this and nods. "Alright, once I don the cloak, charge towards him. Also throw a dagger towards him, but miss intentionally! I'll do my best to catch it!" Shiro instructed Elsa as he readies his hood, but when he was about to reel back, the archbishop began lashing out towards him. "How … dare you! How dare you!? That's a bluff, huh?! To distract me?! How dare you use her name! I'll tear your limbs apart! I'll-"
Seeing the opportunity, Elsa flings one of her daggers towards Betelgeuse. The bishop evades it and began lashing towards the assassin, making her reel back defensively. "I was talking … yet you, interrupted me! You barbaric woman!" Betelgeuse shouted furiously, but the sudden change of attention made him fail to notice that the dagger that Elsa flung vanished. The assassin gritted her teeth as she keeps blocking the blades, but one fell swoop from the archbishop disarmed her. "Now, repent … for your tardiness!" He shouted as he ready his blades for the final attack.
The sound of something sharp piercing thru flesh echoed through the clearing. Blood slowly began to trickle the ground as the sound of someone wheezing was heard. "Y-You … how … could you mask that scent …?" Betelgeuse weakly muttered, falling face first onto the ground. A blade pierced through his skull, and it was deep enough to kill a normal person. "Ask the green man, he owns this cloak after all." Shiro replied as he lets out a deep breath. He reaches out a hand towards Elsa, but the assassin ignores him and stands up on her own. "I was really a distraction, huh?" Elsa asked with annoyance in her tone. The butler tries to defuse the situation, but suddenly, the archbishop's body began to twitch.
Noticing this, Shiro and Elsa quickly readied themselves. Betelgeuse let out some faint laughter, followed with some wheezing as he pushes his body upwards. "You're … diligent, for a barbaric … butler. Killing my fingers … before striking me down, huh …?" Betelgeuse weakly muttered as a tense atmosphere kept the two from moving. "That's some … wicked determination you got there, but yeah. What of it? I know how you could jump from one body to another, so I had my allies kill your apostles first." Shiro remarked as Elsa takes a step towards the archbishop. "Yes, yes … my brain … trembles … but, there's still one … who's rich with the witch's miasma!" Betelgeuse shouted as he glared at the butler. Hearing this, Elsa quickly charges in, beheading the Archbishop of Sloth's head cleanly. "Heh, now you owe me one." Elsa said, letting out a sigh of relief.
But to Elsa's surprise, Shiro falls onto his knees, clenching his temple. "O-Oy, what's going o-" Still being telepathically connected, Elsa could hear her contractor's agonizing thoughts. "You are the perfect … vessel for me. Rich with the witch's miasma, a broken husk … yes, yes. This will do!" Betelgeuse's voice remarked with glee as he began corrupting Shiro's will. Thinking fast, Shiro quickly uninstalls Robin Hood and begins to ponder to do next. He needs to counter Betelgeuse's influence from overtaking him, and he needs a servant who could protect his mind.
"Wait … a minute. Tch. I have no choice!"
Though his memory is fragmented, he could remember a rather eccentric, and dark servant that definitely unnerve him a couple of times. A once nobleman that served a noble cause, but fell into heinous crimes when his idol, their beloved commander, was ousted as a witch and burned at a stake. Though he managed to disturb his Master's thoughts, he still showed loyalty to their cause, probably since his holy commander was there to keep him in check. "I'm counting on your mental pollution, Gilles!" Shiro shouted in his mind which alerted the foreign being trying to break his will.
"Card Art: Include!"
"Servant: Caster!"
Within the depths of Shiro's mind, Betelgeuse found himself surrounded in darkness. As he tries to poison this vessel's psyche with his corruption, a sudden ominous aura appeared behind him. "Hmm? Who's there?! Is that … you, dear witch?" Betelgeuse asked, hoping that his actions drew the attention of the witch. Though the space around him was filled with the witch's miasma, something else began to overpower the miasma, startling the archbishop. "My, my. Master doesn't usually calls me to the fray, but as his loyal servant, I must answer." A voice stated as the sound of footsteps drew closer to the eccentric madman.
From the darkness came a rather peculiar-looking man, cladded in rather eccentric dark robes. His pale complexion stood out from the darkness, and his weird-looking eyes caught Betelgeuse's attention. "Who … are you? You're not the witch." Betelgeuse asked, but sensing no hostility from the man, he lets down his guard. "Witch? No, no, no. You shouldn't say that. If you're asking who I am, I am a Caster servant, Gilles de Rais, former marshal of the French army, loyal follower of the Holy Maiden, and a loyal servant to the last master of Chaldea." Giles introduces himself with a rather carefree smile, though he kept Prelati's Spellbook ready at his hands.
"F-French? Caster? What is that? Some nation? Also, why are you here … inside this man's mind?" Betelgeuse asked, observing the pale man's movements. "Oh my. You haven't heard about the country of France? Even a country bumpkin would know about my country," Gilles remarked as he shakes his head. "Let's put that aside, why are you inside my master's mind, dear … priest?" Caster asked as he began to circle around Betelgeuse. "He is … a worthy vessel. A vessel rich with the witch's miasma. He killed my previous body, so in return, I think I should … claim his as mine, right?!" The eccentric archbishop shouted as he suddenly brought out his Unseen Hands.
Using Shiro's own miasma, he forces his Authority to appear within Shiro's mind. He quickly grabbed onto Caster's limbs, preventing him from moving. "My, my! I have never seen any magecraft like this! Invisible limbs, hmm?" Gilles remarked with a rather curious glee which irked the archbishop. "Magecraft? This is my authority! If this is the only defence against my corruption … his body is good as mine! The Ordeal … will revive our beloved witch!" Betelgeuse cried out in an erratic manner as he tries to flood Shiro's mind with his corruption.
"Witch … witch … You keep saying those words in front of me …" Gilles said as he began to grit his teeth. "Hmm? Why shouldn't I? You're weak, and you failed to protect your master with your chatty mouth of yours. You're quite … slothful, right? Right?" Betelgeuse remarked as he prepared himself to fully assimilate Shiro's mind. Suddenly, the Unseen Hands that were binding Caster was rendered useless when Gilles let out a huge wave of dark mana, releasing him. Surprised, the archbishop readies for a fight.
"Not only you keep spouting the word "witch", disgracing my beloved saint …," Gilles muttered as he hands began to shake. "You're trying to harm humanity's saviour too! How dare you … you vile cretin!" He shouted as tentacles began to manifest behind him. Seeing this, Betelgeuse quickly lashes his Unseen Hands towards Caster, but was overpowered when a vile aura shielded the crazed servant from his attack. "Now, I must punish you. I must … show how loyal I am to my dear master!" Gilles shouted as his tentacles lashed towards the archbishop, latching onto him. Betelgeuse could only scream in fear as he was slowly swallowed into the seeping, dark mud where the tentacles came from. "Hmph. What a waste. We could've been friends, right, Master? Perhaps … you'll wake up now … hmm?" Gilles said as he closed his eyes, holding Prelatti's Spellbook near his chest.
"Card Art: Uninstall!"
With a blinding light, Shiro ends his magecraft, leaving him wheezing and gasping for air. "Are you … okay?" Elsa asked, after hearing everything what was happening inside Shiro's mind, which unnerve her. "Y-Yeah, I think so. I think … Betelgeuse is done for. There's no way he could escape an Eldritch Horror after all." Shiro replied. He feels grateful for Gilles' Mental Pollution, but still, it's enough to creep him out. He leans onto a nearby tree for support as he slowly regains his strength to stand. "So … is it over?" Elsa asked as she picks up one of her blades. As Shiro was about to answer, Meili comes out from the forest, riding one of her wolgarms. "Elsa-nee, Shiro-san! They're done! The mercenaries did their part!" Meili exclaimed.
Hearing this, Shiro finally lets out a sigh of relief. "It's over. Finally." He mutters with a grin, relieved that the ordeal finally came to pass. "Are you sure? Not one of those cultists remain?" Elsa asked Meili as she gave her a head pat. "From what they told me, yep! Also, they're currently at the village centre right now, you know, where we met that oni-maid earlier." Meili replied. "Good. We can finally rest. Is Emilia at the village right now?" Shiro asks Meili as he approaches the two. "Is that the silver-haired, pointy ears lady?" The young beastmaster asks to which Shiro nodded. "Yup! She's there. She was tending the wounded when I left the village." She stated.
"Alright, we'll head back to the village. I'll talk to Emilia regarding our contract." Shiro said as he stretches his arms. The three began walking back to the village under the shades of the trees. Though exhausted, a sense of pride filled Shiro's chest, knowing he finally did something heroic for once. "That reminds me. I need to talk to Emilia about my relationship with Rem." He pondered in his mind. "We're not cheap, you know? You think you guys have enough coins for us?" Elsa asked sheepishly. "Hmm. You tried to kill us back in the loot house, twice, and Meili tried to harm the villagers with her wolgarms. Yes, you were contracted at that time, but how about we settle for a discount, hmm?" Shiro replied with a grin. The assassin can't help but to laugh as she heard Shiro's proposal, which surprised Meili. "Yes, yes. A discount will be suffice." She said as she tries to calm herself down.
Reaching Irlam village, Shiro quickly went towards the combined forces of Crusch and Anastasia. Julius sees him and approaches him with a smile. "The mission was a success, eh, Julius." Shiro said as he shakes Julius' hand. "Yes. We suffered no casualties, but there are some wounded." Julius stated as Felix suddenly appeared behind Shiro. The catboy playfully jumps onto Shiro's back, which shakes the exhausted butler. "W-Wait! Don't! We-" Before he could even finish his words, his knees buckle, sending them to the ground. William lets out a chuckle as he watches the younger butler scold the playful catboy.
"Anyway, we're tending to the injured, Shiro-nyan, but after this, we'll be returning to the capital so that they could get proper medical treatment." Felix said as he stands up and shakes off the dust from his dress. Shiro nods and went towards Ricardo and Wilhelm to give them thanks for their cooperation. After a while, Shiro then went towards Emilia, who was guarded by Ram and the village kids, but before he could approach his royal candidate, Julius stops him.
"Shiro, that book …" Julius muttered as he sees the gospel of the fallen archbishop in Shiro's hand. "Oh? This? Betelgeuse … I mean the Archbishop of Sloth had this with him when we took him out. I might as well take it since I need to research about the Witch Cults after all." Shiro stated as he hides the book behind his back. "I … don't mean any offence, but that book is rather … ominous." Julius commented, but the butler shrugs it off and continues his way towards his royal candidate.
Seeing their butler, the kids quickly ran towards him, playfully grabbing onto his arms to the butler's dismay. Petra remained at Emilia's side, watching the young boys tug Shiro's arms. "Now, now boys. Shiro's quite tired. Give him a break, okay?" Emilia asked the young boys to which they obliged. Finally, Shiro reaches Emilia, and this time around there's no longer any threat to them. No Witch Cults, no White Whale looming over the fields. He lets out a deep breath and kneels down on one knee, which surprised Emilia. "Heh. I'm home, Emilia-sama." Shiro said with a smile on his face as his eyes were locked onto his royal candidate's. Emilia could feel her cheeks redden, but she chooses to brush it off. "Welcome back, Shiro." She said, return Shiro's smile.
S-Shiro-kun … I'm sorry …
Suddenly, an ominous feeling brewed inside Shiro's chest. Though it was faint, he felt like he heard Rem calling out to him. Thinking fast, Shiro stands up. "Sorry to cut our reunion short, Lia, but I need to do something first," He said as he quickly looks around for his ground dragon. "Those two over there are contracted to me. I'm pretty sure you still remember when the older one tried to kill us, right? Don't worry. They won't bite." He continued as he sees Patrasche by the village square. "W-Wait! Where are you going?" Emilia asked while following her butler. "I … I need to get to Rem. There's something in the air. I need to make sure she's safe," He replied as he caresses Patrasche's cheek, before mounting her. "I'll be back soon, Lia. Don't worry!" He said as they sprint back to the highway.
"But … who's Rem?"
After a while, Shiro reaches Flugel's Tree. "I wonder if they already reached the capital …," He murmured to himself, but he then sees a black smoke from a distance. "Wait. That's towards the capital …" He said. A sudden feeling of urgency filled him, and he instructs Patrasche to go faster. Not long, he reaches some of the wagons. A number of soldiers from Crusch's camp were nearby, lifeless. Some of them got their limbs torn off, while the others got their throats sliced. The butler quickly jumps off from Patrasche and begins looking for Rem. "Rem! Rem! Are you here?!" He frantically shouted as he keeps looking around for any signs of his beloved oni. From a distance, he sees two figures standing idly, chatting. He readies his card and began running towards them.
A few metres away from them, Shiro sees a downed Rem and a trembling Crusch, who lost a hand. In front of them were two men, a thin, white-haired man cladded in white clothes, and a young, long-haired tan boy. He chooses to ignore those two for now and rushes towards Rem. "Rem! Are you alright?! Hey!" Shiro asks Rem, but she remained unresponsive, not moving at all. He clutches Rem's body into his arms and quickly rushes to Crusch. "Crusch-sama! What happened?!" He asks, but Crusch simply looked at him in confusion. "W-Who … who are you?" Crusch weakly asked.
"Reinforcements? Though … just one person?" The white-haired man muttered with a disappointed tone. "Heh. I don't mind. I'm still hungry after all. Hey, can I eat him too?" The boy asked his companion. "Do what you want. He doesn't look any trouble for us though." The man replied. Shiro was completely in distraught. They just won against the white whale and the cultists, and now this? He doesn't even know if Rem's alive or not. He tried to fight against the two but before he could even cast his card art, the young tan boy stabs his back with his sword, piercing through his guts. He falls down and his assailant mounts him. He lets out a pained grunt as a blade pierced through his right hand, forcing him to let go of his card. "Hmm. You look like someone who has some delicious memories. How about you tell me your name, huh?" The boy stated as he stabs Shiro's other arm, leaving his blade there.
Slowly being filled by rage, Shiro tries to lash out. He musters enough strength to force his left arm to move, pulling the sword from the ground. He could feel his magic circuits being forced open as he pushes himself upwards, knocking the boy to the ground. With all of his remaining strength, he grabs onto the boy's neck, and begins choking him. "Ho? He's quite a fighter." The white-haired man commented as he watches with a grin. "You … I was just asking for your name!" The boy shouted as he pulls out his blade, releasing Shiro's right hand. He began stabbing Shiro's body, but the butler's rage was enough to keep him going.
As Shiro's grip became tighter, the boy had no choice but to slice the raging butler's neck, but that wasn't enough. Even with his life fading from his eyes, Shiro kept on pressuring him, screaming in rage while blood keeps on spewing out from his mouth. In the end, the tan boy had to slice Shiro's arms off to save himself. The butler finally lets out a blood-filled grunt as his body slumps down. "G-Get him off me!" The boy shouted for help, but his companion simply let out a laugh. "And get his blood on my clothes? No, thank you. Enough messing around, let's go." The white-haired man ordered. As Shiro's consciousness slowly faded away, his rage didn't dissipate.
Time rewinds once again, and Shiro finds himself back when they just defeated Betelgeuse. He falls down to his knee and began wheezing, gasping for air. Unknown to him, Elsa could still hear his thoughts. She hears his final moments in the previous loop, just before he dies after failing to kill Rem's assailants. "H-Hey, are you okay? What's going on? Was that … a premonition?" Elsa asked him, a bit unnerved. "You … Tch. The magecraft is still active, huh?" Shiro replies while trying to collect his bearing.
"Answer me. Who was that … screaming inside your head just now?" Elsa asked once more as Shiro stands up. "I don't know, but we have to reach the convoy. We'll talk to Emilia and the others later." Shiro answers, but his answer didn't satisfy Elsa's curiosity. Knowing that her contractor will keep his mouth shut, she lets out a sigh and followed him as the butler began sprinting towards the village centre, passing Meili who just arrived in the scene.
Before Julius and others could welcome Shiro, he quickly mounts Patrasche with Elsa on his back. His royal candidate sees him, but before she could say anything, they began galloping away. "S-Shiro! Where are you going?!" Emilia asked as she sees her butler riding his ground dragon towards the highway. "Hmm? Was that Shitro?" Ram asked Emilia. "Y-Yeah. He was in a hurry or something." She replied. Seeing a rather distressed look on her butler's face, Emilia can't help but to worry about him. All she could do for now is to wait for him to come back.
In a matter of minutes, Shiro and Elsa reaches the base of Flugel's Tree. Just as before, he sees the smoke along the highway which made him more distressed. "Tch. Did we not make it in time?! Did those two already attacked the convoy while we were taking out Betelgeuse?!" Shiro angrily asked as he brings out his card. "Those two? Wait. What's our plan?" Elsa asked. "Based on the premonition I saw, there's only two assailants. I'll take on the small fry, you take on the other." He replied, making sure not to slip any hint about his power. "Small fry? Whatever. Just make sure I get properly paid after this." The assassin stated.
"Card Art: Include!"
"Servant: Rider!"
Reaching the end of the destroyed convoy, the two quickly alight Patrasche. Equipped with Medusa's chains and dagger, Shiro sprints towards Rem's location, leaving Elsa behind. "W-What?! Hey! Wait up!" Elsa shouted as she follows him. Again, Shiro arrives too late. Even though he did his best to reach Rem faster, even if he didn't waste any time, he still can't save her. As frustration began to fill his chest, he rushes towards Rem's side. "Hm? Reinforcements? Only two though. Are they underestimating us or what?" The white-haired man commented as he looks at Elsa and Shiro. "Heh. I don't mind. I'm sti-"
Before the tan boy could finish his words, Shiro quickly charges in. Using Medusa's speed, he quickly closed the distance between them, forcing the boy to go defensive. "W-What the hell?! What's your problem?!" The boy asked as he blocks Shiro's chain attacks with his twin swords. "You … fucker! You did this, huh?! You did that to Rem?!" Shiro furiously shouted. Fuelled by rage, the butler kept on the pressure, leaving the tan boy with no opening to strike back. Frustrated, the boy tried to make some space between them, but fails over and over again. With one strong push with his left hand, the boy pushes the raging butler away, but the butler uses this as an opportunity to wrap his chains around his hand. With one swift straight landing squarely on the boy's cheek, Shiro sends him flying.
While the butler and the tan boy duke it out, Elsa kept a close eye on their other assailant. The white-haired man remained calm and collected, watching the two with a rather curious glint in his eyes. "That guy … though he looks rugged and savage, his movements are quite calculated. He doesn't waste any movement and keeps on the pressure, huh? So he's the "hero" that girl was speaking of," He commented. He sees Elsa slowly taking out her dagger and lets out a sigh. "Don't even bother. I don't like fighting and I don't want to get my clothes dirty after all." He continued returning his attention back to the assassin. Without saying anything, the assassin flung her dagger towards him.
To Elsa's surprise, the white-haired man remained still. With a smirk on his face, the dagger was deflected by some unseen force. "W-What?!" Elsa exclaimed. She was about to pull out another dagger when the man turned his attention back to her. A sour expression of disgust appeared on his face, which surprised Elsa. "You people don't really listen, huh?!" He shouted as a sudden shockwave sent the assassin flying towards a nearby wagon. Her body crashes through it, making her wheeze in pain. She began to cough up some blood as the impact manages to crack three of her ribs. "W-What … was that? Where did that … shockwave came from?" She muttered as she tries to push herself up.
As Elsa's body was suddenly flung by the sudden shockwave, that caught Shiro's attention. "Elsa!" Shiro shouts, giving some room between him and the tan boy. "Heh. Don't even bother. You guys can't win against us." The boy stated as he wipes his blood from his nose. "What … do you want? Who the hell are you guys?!" The butler shouts once more, trying to get the white-haired man's attention away from his downed assassin. "Oh, yeah. Pleasantries, I forgot about that," The boy replied as he lowers his guard. "Before anything else, tell me your name. I want to know the person first before I eat them." The boy stated as he licks his blade.
Confused and furious, Shiro only grits his teeth in response as he stared down the tan boy. "If you tell me your name, and you defeat me, I'll bring back that blue-haired girl. How about that? Sounds good, hmm?" The boy said in a rather confident tone. "W-What the hell is this brat talking about?! But … if it'll restore Rem, I'll just have to win to get her back!" Shiro said in his thoughts. Thinking that he has to play the boy's game to bring back his lover, the butler concedes. "Shiro. The name's Shiro. Butler of royal candidate Emilia-sama, and her knight-to-be." He said as he introduces himself. "Shiro … huh? Heh. Hehehe. That was easy. Really easy!" The boy said with a rather confident smirk. "Ah, it's over. This idiot actually said his name. So much for a hero." The white-haired man said with a disappointed tone, as he approaches his young companion.
"That power of yours, your strength, it's all … mine, mine! Thank you … for the feast!" The tan boy snickered as he began licking his left palm, which baffled Shiro. To his utter surprise, a sudden wave of nausea filled him. The nauseous feeling was enough to daze him. "Y-You … you lied to me …" He continued as a sour look appeared in his face, which alarmed his white-haired companion. Seeing this as an opportunity, Shiro dashes towards them. He kicks the kid out of the fray, turning his attention towards the white-haired man.
Duck if you don't want to lose that head of yours!
Before he could even attack, a shadow appeared behind Shiro's back. As Shiro ducked, a black blade swung towards the man's neck, but again, it was deflected. "D-Damn it! I don't get it! Surprise attacks doesn't work?!" Elsa, who recovered and used Shiro to cover her approach, shouted in frustration. Even with Shiro's chains and dagger, they can't land a hit against the man, who suddenly dashed away from them in an instant. "Acceleration magic?! I'm sure that the chains landed!" Shiro exclaimed as they try to charge in once more, but a sudden angry outburst from the white-haired man stunned them.
"I told you guys … that I don't want to get my clothes dirty! Are you idiots who can't understand?! You're violating my right to talk! You pieces of garbage!" The man shouted. In a blink of an eye, another shockwave lands on the two, this time sending Shiro and Elsa flying towards Crusch and Rem. Shiro's head landed hard on the ground, rocking him. He could feel something piercing his lung, perhaps one of his broken ribs. "F-Fuck." He grunted as blood begins to gush into his throat.
Completely dazed and suffering from a concussion, Shiro wills himself up. He begins throwing up, but he bites his own lip to snap out of it. "Elsa … you okay?" He asks with a grunt, but was surprised to find Elsa, who lost a leg due to the shockwave. She was out-cold, probably suffering the same ailment as him. Blood began to seep down on the butler's face as he drags himself towards his downed assassin.
"Insolence! You people don't really understand that when a person tells you he doesn't want to get dirty, he means it!" The white-haired man lashes out as he and the tan boy slowly made their way towards the two. Feeling cornered and needing to act fast, the butler pools his remaining mana and channels it towards his eyes. "If normal attacks won't hurt you … then … how about this?! Blood Fort Andromeda!" He shouts as a bounded field began to form, trapping the six of them inside. "W-What? What's going on? I … feel sick. It's like … my essence is getting drained …" The white-haired man stated as he began to feel the bounded field's effects.
Blood Fort Andromeda, a bounded field that Medusa and her sisters once used to protect their home, the Shapeless Isle. Inside this field, the very life essence of the once brave, foolish men who tried to slay the sisters were sucked out. Without any magic resistance, a normal person's life force would be plundered in a matter of minutes.
Though the two tried to run towards Shiro, who stared at them with his odd-looking eyes, they were caught surprised as their bodies slowly turn to stone. "Petrifaction?! Oi, you hot-headed freak! Do something!" The tan boy ordered as they began to panic. Blood began to trickle from Shiro's eyes as Medusa's magecraft began to take its toll on him. "I … should have known that forcing this magecraft while in an Include would kill me … but I have to stop them! I have to … bring Rem back!" Shiro muttered to himself as he could feel the veins in his eyes slowly swelling up with the mix of blood and mana. He could sense that Medusa's magecraft were sucking Rem's, Crusch's, and Elsa's life force as well, forcing him to push even further so that he could end the bounded field sooner.
The white-haired man gritted his teeth. Knowing he wouldn't reach Shiro in time, grabbed onto some pebbles. "I'll take … those pesky eyes of yours!" He shouted as he threw those pebbles towards him. Sensing danger, Shiro dodges in time as the barrage of pebbles flew just above his head, having the same force with the shockwave earlier. Since Shiro closed his eyes, the bounded field slowly dissipates, and when he tried once more to reactivate it, a sudden wave of nausea and pain filled his mind. His magecraft abruptly ends and his card falls beside him. He was nearly out of mana, and his concussion slowly crept back. He falls into his knee as he gasps for air. His vision was clouded with red as his irises began to fail. He was losing his vision, but the danger hasn't passed.
"Tch. That was a close one. Now then, I have to make sure you pay for dirtying my clothes." The white-haired man remarked with a grin as he glared onto the downed Shiro, but before he could approach the butler, he was stopped by his companion. "Hey, how about let's not kill him?" The tan boy asked. "What …? Why? Tell me why shouldn't I just chop his head off right now?" The man asked back. The boy lets out a huge smile as he began salivating. "I need to get his name. His power … I want it!" The boy stated as his hands began to tremble.
"Y-You … Come at me! I'll … take you guys … on …" Shiro weakly muttered as he tried to grab onto a weapon. The white-haired man looked at his companion, then at Shiro. He then takes a deep breath and sighs. "Alright, alright. We already had our fun after all. Good thing I'm unselfish enough to listen to your little request," He said as he crosses his arms. "We better go. We made a ruckus that probably alerted their friends. We can take them on … but I don't feel like it." He continued, to which his companion nodded to.
"W-Wait! Who … the hell are you guys?! Why … did you attack us?!" Shiro asked as he tries his best to stand up. "Huh? Why we attacked you guys? Well, we were curious. I mean, you don't get to see the White Whale, a beast that have been rampaging for 400 years, fall every day. We wanted to see who took it down, and have a little fun." The white-haired man replied. "Not to mention, you guys killed one of my witch's beloved pets. I think that's a good reason for me to eat you guys, right? Right?" The boy continued, which caught Shiro's attention.
"W-Witch?" Shiro weakly muttered. "Yes, witch. I'm the Archbishop of Greed, Regulus Corneas." The white-haired man introduces himself. "And I'm one of the archbishops of Gluttony, Ley Batenkaitos." The boy said, following Regulus' introduction. Shiro was left shocked after hearing their words. Just after they took down Betelgeuse, the Archbishop of Sloth, two more archbishops appeared. Frustration, despair, and anger slowly swelled up inside Shiro's chest, but soon, his body falls down, trembling in pain. He finally reached his limit and could no longer put up a fight. "Ah, he fainted. Heh. I'll find out who you are, 'Shiro-san'. I'll eat your true name and memories, oh, what feast it will be!" Ley taunted the downed butler as the two finally began walking away from the carnage.
Weak and nearly fading, Shiro forces himself up. With his remaining mana, he closes Elsa's bloody stump and began to crawl towards Crusch, who had a distressed look on her face. "Who … are you? Don't h-hurt me! Do-" Crusch continued asking Shiro, but the butler ignores her. He closes her stump, where her right hand used to be. Before losing his consciousness, he crawls towards Rem, who remained unconscious. She looked like she was simply sleeping, but Shiro could feel there was something missing, something essential. He finally succumbs and faints beside his beloved oni, holding onto her hand.
Back in Chaldea, a pink-haired girl slowly gets up from her slumber. She slowly stretches her arms, careful enough not to hit the unconscious patient beside her. "Good morning, Senpai." She greets the man, but there's no response. At this time, she grew accustomed to this, talking to her beloved senpai, even though he's completely out. A breathing apparatus kept his body breathing, and based on Da Vinci's latest medical report, his brain activity is rather, active.
He … Master called me. He used me as an Install. He's … somewhere, far from us.
Emiya's words lingered in the mind of Mashu. Though his body is unresponsive, they were given a ray of hope that he'll eventually come back. After all, this wasn't the first time that the last master of Chaldea's mind drifted away from his body. "Senpai …" Mashu muttered as she plants her lips onto her master's cheek. She then stands up, fixes her clothes and was about to go back to her room for a shower when suddenly, Lancelot enters the ICU.
"Ah, Lady Mashu. Good morning. I brought you breakfast." Lancelot said as he places down a tray beside their master's bed. "Ah, Lancelot-san. Good morning. Thank you, but I'll eat it later. I'm going to take a shower first." Mashu replied as she fixes her glasses. "You look … quite cheerful today." The Knight commented as he sits down beside their master's bed. "O-Oh? I just had a good dream. A dream where … Senpai took me out to the outside world." She said as she looks lovingly to her master.
Before Mashu could exit the room, she heard someone bickering with another just outside of the ICU. As she steps out, she sees Robin Hood, the well-known protector of the woods, trying to stop Gilles de Rais from entering the ICU. "I told you, Da Vinci told us not to let the rather … weird servants close to Master right now." Robin Hood stated, but Gilles kept on insisting. "No, I must see him! He appeared in my thoughts! I … saw a rather bizarre man trying to take his mind!" Gilles exclaimed. "Look who's talking. Tch. Anyway, follow the memo. If not, Lancelot and others will take action. Do you want me to call the holy saint?" The green-cladded man stated, making Gilles falter.
As the eccentric servant slowly walked away, one of the Gorgon sisters shows up. Medusa, who was watching from a distance earlier, approached the two. "Ah, Medusa-san. Are you going to visit Senpai? Lancelot-san is attending to him right now." Mashu said. "Yes, I need to confirm something with Master." Medusa said with a rather serious tone. "Hm. You too, huh," Robin Hood muttered, which caught Mashu's attention. "It's like what Emiya said. Master's somewhere out there, but we still don't know if it's a singularity or what." He continued as he shakes his head.
"Master drew my abilities twice now. Even Cu Chulainn experienced it too. He's … fighting somewhere … and we can't be there to help him." Medusa stated with a pained tone in her voice. Mashu could understand Rider's frustration, but with her current condition, she can't do anything but wait for him. After all, she lost Galahad's power, making her a simple designer baby. "Don't think like that, missy," Robin stated as he tries to calm Medusa. "Think of it this way. Even though we can't be with him right now, at least he could use our abilities to his disposal. That's one way of helping him." He continued as he gave the tall, pink-haired girl a pat on her shoulder before he bids them goodbye.
"He has a point, hmm," Medusa said as Robin's words echoed in Mashu's mind, making her feel more anxious. "I'll be going inside now, Mashu. Good day." She said as she nods goodbye to Mashu before entering the ICU.
At least you guys could be useful to Senpai …
How about me? What can I do for him?
Back in Crusch's manor in Lugnica, a large number of bodies were laid at the front yard under the night sky. Some were injured men, getting their injuries tended, while most of them were dead, killed by Ley Batenkaitos, one of the Archbishops of Gluttony. Some of the bodies were unrecognizable to others, all thanks to the Archbishop. Like the White Whale, he has the power to erase someone's memories and name, leaving their bodies unrecognizable to others and in a perpetual state of stasis. In Crusch's situation, she lost her memories, leaving her amnesic, but in Rem's situation, she lost both her memories and name, leaving no one in the world but Shiro who could remember her.
"W-Wait! Shiro!" Emilia shouted as she tries to stop the injured butler from going to the front yard. When they found them along the highway, he was near death, particularly due to his magic circuits burning his internal organs and a broken rib of his managed to pierce his lung. Not to mention, he nearly lost his sight when he kept on using Medusa's magecraft. The moment he woke up a few minutes earlier, he hurriedly went looking around for Rem, to Emilia's dismay.
Reaching the yard, Shiro quickly began looking around, his eyes jumping from one body to another. Eventually, he sees Rem's body, alone, without anyone tending to her. He hurriedly rushed to her side, checking for any injuries. Though she was breathing, Rem is completely unresponsive. It was like she fell in a deep sleep, a slumber where she can't wake up. "Damn it … damn it …" He muttered to himself, grinding his teeth in anger. He wanted to ask someone, anyone, to help Rem, but he knows that no one can revive her. Even Felix couldn't probably mend her. Just like the merchants that were erased in one of his previous loops, there's no going back once you get erased.
When Emilia caught up to him, he was clutching onto Rem's body with his trembling hands. "S-Shiro?" She called out to him. "Do you … know this girl?" Shiro asked. "No …, I don't remember meeting her at all. Is she im-" Before Emilia could finish, her butler punches the ground in anger, making his royal candidate more worried. Before the silver-haired girl could approach his side, Shiro began bawling his eyes while embracing Rem's body. "W-Why … why …? Why does it always end like this?!" He cried out as the pain of losing Rem made some of his lost memories to resurface.
He lost Shizuka when he waited for his teacher's instructions, leaving her to fend off the cult who framed her by herself. He lost his sensei, Emiya, Shirou when he couldn't convince his two lovers to attempt to break him out, leaving him to be hanged for his actions against the cult. He lost Mashu, his beloved kouhai, when Beast I overpowered them. In the end, he always loses the people he cherishes the most.
Is it because he's not that powerful enough to protect everyone his cares about? Is it because of fate that he'll always lose the people he loves? Shiro doesn't have any answer to that. He doesn't know if this is how things supposed to be. What he knows is that he's tired of this, tired of always losing. Without thinking, he grabs onto a nearby knife. He fully knows that even if he tries to loop back in time, he'll return to the moment where they defeated Betelgeuse, leaving him no time to save Rem, but he's willing to risk it. "I can't let her down … I am her hero. I have to save her." He muttered to himself as he brings the knife close to his neck.
Without even thinking about Emilia, he slashes his neck open. The torrent of blood began to wet the grass around him, also staining Rem's body. Emilia could only watch in horror as Shiro slowly slumps down. She was too shocked to even scream. "Shiro …? Why?" Emilia murmured to herself as she slowly approaches the butler. His eyes were already lifeless, yet he still clutched onto the blue-haired girl's body tightly. As the bloody sight of her butler slowly began to take a toll on Emilia's mind, she faints beside him.
Over and over again, Shiro went back in time. He reached the point where he already lost count he killed himself just to reach Rem in time, but no matter what he do, he still couldn't made it. He tried using Medea's magecraft to fly towards the wreckage faster, but he was still too late. He tried fending off the two archbishops with an Install, but they still overpowered him. Slowly, his mind began to break. His will began to falter and soon, he found himself again staring at Rem's body while she lied underneath the night sky in the front lawn of Crusch's manor, still unable to save her.
"I … can't do it." Shiro said to himself. He stared blankly at Rem's face as the feeling of defeat and despair filled and gripped his mind. He looked around for the knife again, planning to kill himself once more to try one more time, but was stopped when a figure loomed behind him. "You look like shit," The feminine voice remarked. Shiro slowly turns his towards his back and sees his contracted assassin, looking at him with a rather confused look in her face. "You forgot to cancel the magecraft of yours." She continued while pointing her head. Since the butler was always in a hurry to reach Rem, he'd always forget that Elsa could hear his thoughts. In this loop, Shiro didn't enlist Elsa to fight alongside him against Regulus and Ley, since in the previous loops, she kept on dying over and over again in front of him.
"A-Ah … I see. Sorry about that." Shiro muttered with a low tone. With a wave of his hand, the magecraft between them ends. "So? What's this? Were you planning to kill yourself just now?" Elsa said as she stared at him rather coldly. "Y-Yeah. I have to. I have to g-" Before Shiro could finish his words, he was then reminded by the Witch of Envy of his power. He could feel a tight grip on his heart as he choked in his own words. "S-Sorry. It was … just a thought. Just a thought." He muttered as he clutched onto his chest.
After letting out a sigh, Elsa brings out one of her daggers and points it at Shiro's neck. "Though you bested me, that doesn't mean I'll follow you around like a follower. Remember that I could kill you anytime I want once you let down your guard …," Elsa stated as Shiro could feel her bloodlust, but to his surprise, she throws the dagger on the ground. "But killing you like this, will leave me unsatisfied." She remarked as she turns her back and began walking away from him. She sees Emilia running towards her butler, but she ignores her and turns her attention towards Meili, who was sitting on a nearby ledge.
"So? You didn't kill him?" Meili asked the older assassin as she jumps off the ledge. "No, it wouldn't be interesting if I kill right now, don't you think? To be honest, I'm quite surprised. He suddenly became a husk of some sorts. When we arrived at the wreckage of the returning caravan earlier, he was already like that, shaking and in distraught." Elsa replied. "Not to mention, he reeks. The miasma around him is so thick that I have to leave my pets far away from the manor or else they'll go berserk." The younger assassin commented as they watched Shiro reaching out for Elsa's dagger while Emilia tries to stop him.
"Shiro, stop! Don't hurt yourself!" Emilia pleaded as she tries to grab onto Shiro's wrists, but his sudden outburst startled her. He throws the dagger away and begins pounding the ground with his fist as he finally realizes something. He was … ignoring Rem's wishes. By constantly throwing his life away, over and over again, he was going against Rem's wish; for him to return safely to her. He wanted to save her so much that he even forgot her own words. What he was doing was something Rem wouldn't even allow. "D-Damn it … I'm sorry. I'm sorry … Rem," He muttered as he gritted his teeth in anger. "This … isn't what a hero should do … right, Rem? I'm sorry … I was too late …" He cried out as Emilia embraced his back to soothe his emotions. With a heavy heart, he finally gave up. He can't save her right now, but one thing's for sure. He'll get her back, one way or another.