Unlimited Blade Works of the Raging Dimension 20

Title: To Leave or To Stay

After parting ways with Night Raid, Shirou returned home smoothly without any issues. The security forces, drawn by the noises from Night Raid, couldn’t find anything—after all, the gap in strength was too vast.

Pushing the door open, Shirou washed his face briefly and went to bed, closing his eyes. It wasn’t because he was sleepy. In truth, a Heroic Spirit doesn’t need sleep. He was just slightly annoyed and confused because he was facing a choice.

“Alright, Shirou, we’ve collected the last light source and completed our mission. It’s time for us to leave.” Said Zaruba.

Shirou pondered whether to leave or not. Honestly, he had no ties to this world. He came here only to complete the task assigned to him by the light source. Now that his task was finished, it was only natural for him to leave.

‘But is it really okay for me to just leave like this?’

At this moment, Shirou’s eyes flickered with scenes from his time in this world: his arrival, the battle with Esdeath, the noblemen in the imperial capital who were like man-eating beasts, the faces of the tortured victims, and the warehouse at the target location. The incomplete corpses in those scenes kept appearing before his eyes again and again, as if questioning whether it was right for him to do this.

‘You’re just an outsider in this world, so don’t worry. Making everyone happy is just an impossible fantasy.’

‘Maybe it’s just a dream, but that’s fine. Don’t forget your own heart. The people in this world need you.’

These two voices echoed in Shirou’s mind, making him hesitate and feel annoyed. At this moment, a figure appeared in his thoughts.

Unlike his pale hair, his fiery red hair still radiated brilliance. His clothes were stained with blood, and his magical energy was nearly depleted. Whether in terms of combat experience or magical power, his opponent had no reason to be better than him. After all, it was his past self—Emiya Shirou, who still clung to the illusory dream of becoming a hero of justice.

Only...

Blood flowed from his chest—his own blood, not his opponent’s, but a gift from the past Emiya Shirou to the future Heroic Spirit Emiya.

The visions of the past and future intertwined, but collided, creating a situation even the Heroic Spirit who planned all this hadn’t anticipated.

“I won, Archer.”

“Yes, that’s my defeat.”

The Heroic Spirit Emiya calmly acknowledged his failure, but surprisingly, he didn’t feel frustration over it. Instead, he felt relief and a hint of embarrassment.

Why?

Perhaps it was the shadow of his past that conveyed to him the feelings he had forgotten—the feelings that boy had when he confidently told his adoptive father about his illusory dream under the moonlight.

Gradually, Shirou’s brows relaxed, and a smile appeared at the corner of his mouth.

“What is it? Seems like you’ve found something good.”

“Nothing, just a clue about things I had lost.”

“What? Don’t get too deep.” Said Zaruba, but then the topic shifted to another aspect. “Honestly, Shirou, now that we’ve found all the light sources in this world, it’s time for us to leave. When are you setting off?”

“...”

“What?”

“It’s nothing, I’m just thinking about something, Zaruba.” Shirou shook his head and answered Zaruba, “By the way, Zaruba, can you not leave this world for a while? I have other matters to attend to.”

“Is that so? How long will it take?”

“About a year.”

“A year?” Zaruba’s voice was filled with slight surprise. “A year is too long for you to do anything.”

“There are many reasons. Can it be done?” Shirou didn’t directly answer Zaruba’s question but only asked him.

“I’ll talk to that person. It should be fine.” Seeing this, Zaruba didn’t ask further and would instead inquire with the person in charge—the light source within Shirou’s body.

The journey to a new world is determined by that light source. However, the light source itself cannot clearly express its meaning, so Zaruba was created as a communicator.

“Alright.” Shirou nodded and continued to close his eyes and rest.

Even so, his thoughts drifted again.

The boy who had an impossible dream worked hard to achieve it, even signing a contract with the Counter Force while still human. Although he could only live for five years, he still worked hard to make everyone happy.

Yet in the end, the people he saved sent him to the gallows, and after becoming a Heroic Spirit, he was also drowned in endless slaughter.

‘But even so...’

Shirou slowly opened his eyes, and the figure of the red-haired boy running toward him appeared before him once more.

‘Even if that dream is an illusion and the darkness of human nature runs deeper than any other species, humans also possess the most beautiful qualities in the entire world. This complex race cannot be fully understood even if one is part of it.’

‘Perhaps my way of life is wrong, but it’s not wrong to want to protect the hearts I wish to protect. Within the reach of this hand, see how much change I can bring to the world.’

Shirou thought so as he looked at his outstretched hand.

“Shirou.”

“Hm?”

“That person has given an answer. You can stay here for a year.” Said Zaruba.

“Turns out the boss is an easy person to talk to. I thought it would take more effort.”

“You seem to have forgotten one thing, Shirou.” Zaruba said, “That person only has a vague consciousness. Their behavior pattern is closer to instinct. They have no sense of time at all. To them, even ten thousand years is the same as a single day. It doesn’t matter, as long as the goal is achieved, you can do whatever you want. There will be no restrictions on you.”

“I see.” Shirou nodded, then suddenly remembered something and continued, “So, I can stay here as long as I want, right?”

“Of course not. A few years might be fine, but it wouldn’t suit longer than that. That’s roughly what I meant.” Zaruba refuted Shirou’s idea. “After all, even if there’s no concept of time, as long as there’s a goal, there will still be a sense of urgency, but compared to us, this urgency relates to a much longer timeframe.”

“I see.” Shirou nodded to show he understood. “Thank you, Zaruba.”

“It’s just a small matter. Are you ready for what you want to do?”

“Ah, I’m ready, right now.” A strange expression appeared on Shirou’s face, and he glanced out the window slightly.

The night gradually faded, and dawn arrived. The light of the rising sun already shone on the edge of the sky, as if symbolizing the most impossible thing to possess in this imperial capital: hope!