The frenzied surge of magical power transformed into a violently gusty wind, sweeping everything in its path at an alarming speed. The glass of the nearby building emitted a clear, mournful sound, shattering one after another. Onlookers standing at the windows were easily toppled by the shock wave.
As the spiral sword exploded wantonly, it mercilessly rolled up the broken asphalt and concrete blocks under the roadbed. The torrential rain momentarily ceased, as if the time itself had stopped.
Subsequently, the hurricane plunged into the ground at an oblique downward angle, leaving behind dark potholes across the entire road and a cracked trail extending a hundred meters. The raindrops halted for a brief moment, mingled with scattered gravel and asphalt, and descended to the ground again.
Amid hard objects falling to the ground, sounding dense and crisp like hail, Shirou Emiya descended back to the ground with a calm expression. The monstrous entity, directly struck by the spiral sword, finally succumbed, losing all its power.
Even though the Honkai beast lacked a physiological structure since its creation, it couldn't survive after more than 80% of its body was swept away by the storm caused by the spiral sword.
The remains of the creature's body entrenched in the middle of the road began to gradually fade away, like a pile of sand, white dust scattered in all directions and was quickly washed away by the downpour.
Thunder flashed in the sky, a low roar echoed in the night, and the rain persisted. After confirming with his own eyes that the Honkai beast had been defeated, Emiya Shirou couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief amidst the heavy rain.
At this moment, cries and wails emanated from the surrounding buildings. Emiya Shirou surveyed the scene, lips pursed slightly, a trace of guilt in his amber pupils.
The fully liberated noble phantasm had disrupted the surroundings, causing telephone poles to collapse, and wires to spark in the water. Lights in houses and streetlights lost power during his battle with the Honkai beast.
At this moment, with the moonlight and stars obscured by dark thunderclouds, everything around was completely shrouded in darkness, occasionally lit by distant lightning. But for Emiya Shirou, with his eagle eyes and good night vision, everything was clear.
He observed the shattered glass windows and heard various negative emotional sounds clearly.
Curses, cries, shouts of pain, and horrified screams filled the air. Feeling the tide of negative emotions from all directions, like a relentless surge, Emiya Shirou lowered his head silently, tightly gripping the bow's handle with his palms, veins slowly moving on the back of his hand.
In the silence that persisted for a long time, Emiya Shirou finally released an inaudible sigh. As the five fingers holding the bow's handle gradually loosened, he dispelled the projection of the bow, forcing himself to ignore the aftermath of his actions. He turned around with some difficulty, leaving the desolate battlefield silently.
The wind was strong, dark clouds loomed low, and the rain fell heavily. For some reason, whether to be alone to sort out his emotions or to shield Elysia, who was in the suite, from witnessing his current state, Emiya Shirou chose not to turn himself into a spirit body. Instead, he walked slowly in the freely falling rain.
He walked quietly along the side of the road, his steps heavy, and his young back, wrapped in a long red cloth, revealed an indescribable weariness. Despite the successful battle against the Honkai Beast, Emiya Shirou felt as if a heavy weight pressed against his chest, making it difficult to breathe. Even without a mirror, he could guess that his complexion at the moment was far from good.
For a long time, while raising Elysia, he believed he had temporarily forsaken his unattainable ideals. Chasing after his father's dream was once his only way of life, but now for Shirou Emiya, being a parent to his daughter took precedence.
During the days spent with Elysia, he almost felt like he was gradually forgetting the hell. However, the cold rain flowing freely over every inch of his body brought back vivid memories—the pungent smell of living human bodies burned to ashes.
Emiya Shirou knew all too well that the hell composed of blood and fire had returned for him, or rather, even after entering a different world, living in this distant world with Elysia for nearly seven years, he had never once escaped that hell.
Twelve years ago, when he ignored the pleas for help and did nothing, the "curses" of the victim of the fire became an immensely heavy shackle, that would continue to drag his soul to the red hell. Again and again.
An icy chill flowed over his cheeks, rainwater clung to his eyelashes and bangs, and zigzag lightning briefly illuminated the dark night.
Emiya Shirou abruptly stopped in his tracks.
Despite the ongoing heavy rain, a rainless area had formed around him. Judging from the shadow reflected on the ground by the momentarily flashing lightning...
He turned his head subconsciously.
What met his gaze were the pink cheeks belonging only to Elysia.
She wore a pink dress, her young feet stepping on the stagnant water in thick-soled sandals. The dress's skirt and puffy shoulders had already soaked in the rain, and her slightly wet bangs clung to her forehead.
In such a downpour and strong wind, merely holding an umbrella couldn't completely shield her from the pouring rain.
Observing the flawless girl who had appeared beside him seemingly out of nowhere, Emiya Shirou, usually composed, displayed a look of panic. He took a step to the side, and his voice, sounding somewhat staggered, said, "Elysia? Why are you here? How long have you been following me? It's pouring, why aren't you staying in the hotel? And, how did you find me?"
Shirou didn't know if it was because his reaction was interesting, but Elysia grinned and laughed. She stepped forward, raised the umbrella handle, and covered Shirou Emiya's head again. Her voice brimmed with pride as she spoke, "Emiya is my guardian spirit, so I can, of course, sense your position"
"You..." Emiya Shirou wiped his rain-stained face and looked at Elysia's proud expression. He felt his blood pressure rise, and the earlier melancholy disappeared. "Do you know how dangerous it is to run out at night in heavy rain? Even the nearby street lights are off. Have you thought what would happen about getting lost in this weather?"
Emiya Shirou closed his mouth, realizing he was venting anger. He took deep breaths, suppressing the anger, and changed his voice from a roar to a stern warning, "Anyway, don't do such impulsive things next time. I appreciate your concern, but as your 'Guardian spirit,' unnecessary worry is not needed. Your safety is the most important thing."
"Do you understand?"
After Shirou Emiya's barrage of words, Elysia looked stunned and put away her smile. She lowered her head and said, "But Emiya is not just my guardian spirit, he's my family. I can't help but worry about my family!"
Emiya Shirou was speechless for a while. He looked at Elysia's expression, a mix of grievance and loss, feeling a strong sense of self-loathing. He wasn't her real family, only building a false relationship through the "Mother Simulator." Yet, he gained the child's sincere attachment.
Compared to Elysia, he felt hypocritical and despicable. Should he confront her to stop seeing him as family? Emiya Shirou recalled information from the suite's computer, rejecting an immediate confrontation.
After a direct confrontation with "Honkai," Emiya Shirou understood the seemingly prosperous era's hidden dangers. The Honkai had no symptoms, making it impossible to escape forever with Elysia. If she saw him as family, he could use her sincerity to teach her how to fight "Honkai."
"Sorry, you're right. Family takes care of each other, worries about each other, and faces difficulties together." Apologizing in his heart for deceiving Elysia, Emiya Shirou gently lowered his head. "Elysia is, of course, my family. It's my fault for leaving suddenly at night and making you worry."
Elysia accepted the apology, her joy returning. Before she could express her thoughts, Emiya Shirou continued, "But, Elysia, do you know why I left suddenly?"
Elysia blinked, asking, "Why?"
"Because this world is very dangerous," Emiya Shirou said. "Remember the sister with most of her body replaced by mechanical components we met today?"
Recalling the encounter, Elysia's expression turned sad. "Of course, I remember that sister... she was really pitiful."
"After you fell asleep, I found a lot of information using the suite's computer," Emiya Shirou said, producing a small flashlight.
"Wow! It's amazing! Is this magic!" Elysia's eyes suddenly lit up. She was obviously talking about heavy topics a second ago, but after seeing something she was interested in, the child as if unable to comprehend what the emotion of "sadness" was, focused her complete attention towards the novel scene.
"Although it's magic, it might not be what you imagine. But that's not the point now. Look -"
Emiya Shirou switched on the flashlight, projecting a dazzling beam of light. Raindrops looked like slender needles under the beam. Elysia, following the light, became stunned, "Why... why does the road look like this?"
Because it was late at night, and the confrontation between the two did not last more than five seconds from start to finish, meant expect for the few sounds Elysia didn't witness the fight. Even in the daytime, people couldn't keep up with their movements. Despite this, the traces left by the Spiral Sword's true name were eye-catching.
Emiya Shirou turned off the flashlight, shaking his rain-soaked hair. His serious expression turned playful, "It's an exaggerated mark, right? What if I tell you I caused it?"
Elysia's mouth opened in an O-shape. She blinked at the darkened street, then looked at Emiya Shirou, stunned. After a while, she stammered, "E... Emiya, are you that powerful?"
"I am your guardian spirit," Emiya Shirou shrugged. "If I want to protect you, I need some skills, right?"
"Awesome!" Elysia exclaimed. "Can I learn Emiya's fighting skills?"
"Okay, I'll teach you," Emiya Shirou said, trying to touch Elysia's head but realizing his palm was soaked. "But it's too late tonight. Let's go back to the hotel. You can go through the information I found. The tactics I'll teach you are not to fight humans but 'inhuman monsters.'"