I rushed through the forest and out of trees when they finally broke what I found was a white sandy beach wave washing towards the land under the moonlight.
While this may sound like the perfect place for a date that wasn't what was on my mind at the moment.
"Oh hey there Archer."
I turned to the voice who called out to me.
He was standing in the waves letting the past over his feet staring at the ocean and he turned his head back at me with a quizzical expression.
Every time I look at him now I want to look away.
Because the way he looks could only be described as depressing.
He was only wearing simple white clothes that he made cover his entire body.
But the thing that made my heart break was his body. He was frail beyond wear from one look at his arms and chest you can practically see the bones, him being almost half the height he was 7 years ago. The reason why he's standing here with that body was probably due to a feat of magecraft.
I guess this is what osteoporosis does to a person or in his case a simple side effect.
When he received the diagnosis at the ripe old age of 25 he said this.
"Yea, I saw this coming."
This was one of the side effects of his limited time, his body essentially imploded under his magic circuits. But the truth is… his body was just on a time limit for some unknown reason he would never reach the age of 30 it wasn't a question or probability it was a fact. Others had said it was like his death lines grew to the point where they would cover his body entirely.
I couldn't even say anything. I knew what Assassin said was true but… Words and reality are two different things.
"Now come on, don't make a face like that, you look like a grumpy cat."
I couldn't help but sigh at that.
He saw right through me like always and bluntly called me out.
That bastard probably did this to get back at me. Only a person like this could come out of him and Rin.
Another sigh was let out from my mouth and I held my head just trying to figure out how I ended up here.
What did I deserve to have a son like you?
"Now what are you here for buddy?" Him acting clueless about his situation.
"I came here for you, you shouldn't be out like this, you are just shortening it."
He rolled his eyes.
"Why does it matter if it's either today or tomorrow?"
I just gave this fool a blank stare which as always made him twitch.
"Fine," He proceeded to fully turn to me and walk from the waves and sit himself down on the beach. "What are you going to do? Drag me back?" He sarcastically asks me to turn his head up at me with a sly grin.
"Nope." I shrugged. "That's just what I just told them. But is this fine? Just leave them like that?"
To my question, his grin turned into a half-lidded smile.
"What's the problem? I left her with a fling and a memory. Isn't that enough?"
"I mean, for chasing you down several continents for 7 years I wouldn't think so," I added.
"But it's the thought that counts?" The black hair man gave me a wide grin.
"..."
His smile slowly changed into a frown.
"Fine, you're right!"
"I didn't say anything. "
"You didn't need to!"
"Good."
"Gah!"
That girl really did love him even to sacrifice her duties at the clock tower just to search for this dumbass along with his niece. But I'm sure even she knows his reason for running is for her not to get attached to a dying man.
His expression then changes from annoyance to somber.
"She'll be fine as long as you're around."
Another memory I would rather forget.
But the oh-so-familiar burning sensation on my hand made that impossible.
I turn to his arm…or the lack of it.
Shortening his limited existence even more just to incarnate me by using the piece of the grail and his command seals. At this current moment, I'm a free man. No counter guardian I had to return to cause when I disappeared my existence will be too different from my original self to return to it so it will just be nothingness. I could easily spend my days doing whatever I desire.
I gave a glance once more at the frail man staring at the ocean with a blank expression.
But why did it have to be like this? I could not help to ask myself this question.
He told me it would be better for me than you but it's more than just that.
I did not notice my knuckles turning white at these thoughts.
I would give up this chance for him.
"Hey Mister brooding lord? Erath to master!"
At the sight of his waving hand, I blinked.
"Jeez, live a little old man?"
The next glare I had was probably harsher than trying to make it.
Which he proceeds to skillfully ignore as he returns to stare at the ocean. I joined soon after and sat right next to my former master.
"..."
"..."
The wave crashed in the distance I could taste the salt in the air as the moon glittered the water
But between the two of us, it was silent for a while until he spoke.
" Oh yeah, how are Julian and Loholt? Did Grace say anything about them?"
"Both dead."
"Oh… Aoi?"
"A few bullet wounds but she's fine planning to retire soon."
"Well, that's good for her."
"..."
"..."
"You know we could have found a cure."
"And not stop those 5 apocalypses with you? No thank you." His answer was cheeky as always and it disgusted me.
But for his sake, I played along with it.
I scoffed at his answer.
"More like 3.5."
To that, he got somewhat irritated as if they had this discussion before.
"Hey! I know you don't count the Egyptian tomb but the terrorists should count."
Shrugging at this I answered. "I mean that was one of those if it wasn't us it was gonna be someone else."
"Okay, then why did you give the subterranean. 5?!"
"I mean you could count it…"
He nodded to that and then I gave him a smirk.
"If you're an amateur."
"Why you! You see here-"
After that talk went on for hours shifting from different topics like extraordinary to us discovering el dorado was real. To the mundane where he talks about how he drives Rin up the wall with his antics.
We laughed, we argued and sometimes we just talked.
We might not admit it but he knows as much as I do. These were the best 5 years of our lives. Even after he needed a wheelchair and slept for 20 hrs he still felt as lively as before.
…
I honestly wished these days could go on forever from the bottom of my heart.
"Hey, can I ask you one last thing?"
I had asked him before it was too late.
"Shoot." He casually answered.
"Why me?" The wave crashed at that question.
"Not simply because you wanted to put your limited time to this but it's something more your eyes when they stare at me they always shine differently even around your brothers or Illya they only glow when you look at me."
He chuckled at that and scratched the back of his head awkwardly." So you noticed that?"
" Yeah, Assassin gave me a heads up so I have to ask. '' He twitched at that statement not knowing how cunning and underestimating the former mercenary.
I need to know this answer.
Not as a friend or father but as a person who is in his eternal gratitude for giving me another shot at life and dreams.
To that, he sighed at this and with some effort got up and turned to the ocean.
"I'm not gonna lie to you if I've never met you. I would have been content with what I was doing until I croaked."
I could easily see that, the amount of effort and tenacity he has for the art made him able to compete and surpass his mother in some areas ls
But he wasn't done.
"The reason why I was dedicated to my craft is because it was the only time I truly felt alive, everything else feels like tiny barely noticeable pricks as if I was a corpse who just happens to move or a bugged-out machine."
He said these things like it was the most obvious thing in the world.
"Maybe because of simple nostalgia or I'm just broken to the core…"
His head lowered he was just truly that disgusting with his entire being.
" But!" He raised his head with a wide grin and eyes sparkling." When I saw you, emotions burned into my core: joy, drive, admiration, jealousy, all these things returned to me with a passion! "
He gripped his hand and stared at it, looking at himself like a puzzle that had yet to be solved.
"They just grew more during the war and I gained new ones like love, determination, rivalry…But they all in some way lead back to you."
My eyes widened not realizing how much he did for the kid by just existing.
"So it should be me to say thank you for giving me something more to live for than just my parents."
The man let out one large breath.
"So you want to know why you?" He then dramatically turned towards me and shouted "Because damn it, I believe you're worth it!"
I could only stare baffled at his finger.
This goes way beyond simple admiration.
…
Damn it! That idiot made another one!
He then retracted it and folded his arms.
"To me, you're my greatest work! My masterpiece! If being a hero of justice is your ideal then my ideal is the machine that loves humans, you Archer!" He then pointed at me again. "and I will do everything with my life to make you go as far as you can! But most of all…"
He grabbed my cloak and pulled me straight into his face with an intense stare. "You have something more to live for, idiot! Than just being a hero of justice right?!"
I nodded.
I have more to live for now more than ever.
Even though I thought I abandoned everything there was still something I remembered no matter how many times I'd fall into hell.
"And you're going to meet her right?!"
I nodded once more.
Yes, I want to see her again more than anything…
Even if I'm not the one she's waiting for.
"So are you or are you not going to break through your limits, do the impossible, and fight the world and density itself?! WELL, ARE YOU?!"
Grabbed his lone arm and gave a steel glare with a fearless smile.
"Is that even a question?"
He then proceeded to beam at me and let go.
"Good snarky answer! Not that's done, " He dropped like a rock on me and then tiredly rolled over to the side of my back with an exhausted expression. "You have no idea how tiring that was…"
"Did you need me to carry you?"
"I am not getting princess carried by you of all people."
Seeing how bluntly that came out makes me can't help but chuckle now.
"Heh, how about piggyback?"
"That's better… Hey Archer?"
His voice now was strained and tired like he lost an effort to put a front.
Can you… turn around for a second?
Immediately without any words, I acknowledged his request and back faced him.
After waiting a few seconds ahead, he softly leaned on my shoulder.
There were no words for a while. I didn't hear tears either.
Just silence.
There are times when I almost forget that at his core despite how much distorted the person that he loved his parents.
He is just simply a kid who misses his dad.
"I'm sorry old man…"
I almost forget.
Almost.
After a few minutes, he fine pushed off my back and began to stand
"Now that's done I think you need to go."
Wait.
Me?
I quickly turned at him not realizing how much the night hid his features.
He was agonizingly pale. I can even see his cheekbones now.
He was slowly getting worse and worse over the night and I didn't notice!
No.
That's not it… he purposely hid it from using magecraft.
So he really did want me not to worry that bad huh?
"So this is it?" My face was practically unreadable.
"Yep," and he had a somber look with a smile as the sun rose.
We just stared at each other as Sun began to crep up and begin a new day that he'll never see.
"Now Archer…"
Despite his body wearing away he still had the same shine he always had when looking at me.
"I pray that you find happiness and peace someday for here in my hearts of hearts you will always be remembered as a hero"
He took a breath preparing himself for his last words.
"In the beginning, no even now you are still a dumbass"
This kid…my son turned in the direction as if he was looking beyond it.
"Helping others is never wrong huh…. I hated that, you, but I was also jealous of your conviction"
So these are his true feelings huh.
"We may have had our differences but still you fought even for a scumbag like me….. For whatever reason…"
That's not true at all… you neither scumbag you help me gain so much yet ask for nothing. You just want to see me go the farthest I could and now you can't even do that you fool!
"You slowly became everything to me ….. you were my teacher….. my friend….you were my hero"
What kind of hero can't save their own son…
I had so many things I wanted to say but I had to let him speak.
"You were everything that I needed and more so yet for all we hoped and fought for…..in the end I wanted to save you…"
"It's not fair I thought … even after saving so many, why can't you have a happy ending!"
My neutral mask broke.
"...That's what you wanted?" I whisper.
"I hope that one day you are saved just as you saved them… and me."
His single arm widened as the sun rose above our heads.
"You may not realize but you've saved me multiple times over and over again!"
I saw it. The brightest smile I have ever seen on my child's face.
"I did..?"
"So this is my last order as your master!"
"Crush your dreams and reach your paradise, I command it!"
"SO I'LL GIVE MY SALUTATIONS AND BID THIS WORLD ADUE!"
"MY SUPERHERO!"
"SHIROU EMIYA!"
And with that, he disappeared.
No corpse to mourn over or ash to recover.
Just the clothing he wore on the ground
This was an inevitable end for his body.
I walked up and picked it up.
"Yeah… I will."
X-X-X
"But I failed…"