As the chant began, Shirou could feel something flowing into his body, into his mind.
Countless voices continuously echoed in his ears.
The voices sounded as though a pair of headphones had been plugged in improperly, abnormally shrill and filled with static, making them deeply unpleasant to hear.
He could not tell whether they belonged to men or women, the elderly or children, but there was one thing he could discern clearly.
These voices... were overflowing with negative emotions.
Sorrow at having contracted Oripathy and becoming Infected.
Hatred toward those who persecuted them because of their status as Infected.
Fear of the way Ursus chose to treat the Infected.
Anger toward this land that constantly devoured their lives.
Although these voices did not inflict as much psychological damage on Shirou as the cries for help he had heard earlier, they still made him feel extremely uncomfortable.
Gritting his teeth, Shirou took a deep breath, forcing himself to stay conscious.
Do not listen to those voices. Do not understand their anger.
He repeated the warning to himself over and over, because he had something more important to do.
"Trace the foundations of creation. Determine the basic framework..."
Bzzzzzzzz—
He wanted to continue the chant, but the deeper he went, the clearer the noise inside his mind became.
Then came a click, as though someone had gently flipped the switch on a radio, shutting off the blaring static.
"Tsk, tsk. You are really trying to get yourself killed."
Replacing the noise was a voice Shirou knew all too well.
His own voice.
Unlike before, when he would be dragged to some strange place, Shirou's eyes remained open this time. He could still see the outside world, although time itself seemed to have been frozen.
No, not frozen. Merely slowed.
Raindrops that had once fallen as fast as bullets now drifted before his eyes like feathers floating gently through the air.
The kind that fall very, very slowly.
"I have to admit, you are unbelievably reckless. Using Originium as a source of magical energy? Sure, you will draw far more mana than when you are treating the Infected, but if you want to project that sword you have in mind, your body will give out long before you succeed."
A figure suddenly appeared within Shirou's field of vision.
It looked just like him, though slightly shorter.
Emiya Kuro.
He still wore the black-and-red armguard and the crimson markings that covered the left side of his body. Combined with those fierce-looking eyes, his appearance was enough to make Shirou uncomfortable.
After all, that was his own face.
If it had been Archer or Nameless, that would have been one thing, but Emiya Kuro was essentially what he had looked like during high school.
Seeing his younger self in such a state would feel strange to anyone.
"..."
But more than the other's appearance, Shirou was concerned about what he had said.
He had already suspected before acting that this would probably fail, but hearing someone point it out so directly still stung.
Even so, Shirou had no intention of stopping.
What if the other man was lying?
As long as there was even the slightest possibility, he wanted to take the gamble.
If he succeeded, everyone in Chernobog would be saved.
If he failed, it would only mean one more death.
The choice was obvious, was it not?
"Heh. Looking at you, I guess you have no intention of backing down."
Emiya Kuro leaned closer, first looking at Shirou, then at the massive Originium crystal beneath his hand.
Once he understood Shirou's decision, a peculiar expression appeared on his face as he said:
"That is true. This is exactly the answer Emiya Shirou would choose."
"Taking responsibilities that were never yours to bear, carrying them on your shoulders, and continuously burning yourself away until nothing but ashes remain."
Listening to Emiya Kuro's words, Shirou knew they were correct.
That was precisely why they sounded so harsh.
He did not know what the other version of himself had experienced, but judging by his current appearance, it could not have been pleasant.
He or rather, any Emiya Shirou who held onto the dream of becoming a Ally of Justice was probably exactly as Emiya Kuro described.
Constantly giving away the few things he possessed to others, only to find his own hands empty in the end.
But he did not regret it.
After all, Archer and Nameless had chosen much the same path. They had burned themselves away and brought hope to the people of this land.
He was merely walking the road that the two of them had already traveled.
Pursuing that ideal version of himself.
"You could choose another path. Why insist on following the road they already walked? Besides, you already know what awaits at the end of that road."
As though he had understood Shirou's thoughts, Emiya Kuro spoke to himself.
At that moment, Shirou could also sense the other's intentions.
Simply put, he wanted Shirou to stop what he was doing. To stop chasing after the backs of those two men.
But why could he sense it?
Ah...
The red markings had already spread across his entire left arm, had they not?
Though he could only see his left arm. For all he knew, the corruption might have already spread across the entire left side of his body.
Realizing the condition of his body, Shirou began to understand what was happening.
Emiya Kuro was right.
His body could not withstand the magical energy being converted from this Originium crystal.
Or rather, he could not withstand the contamination brought by those crimson markings.
And because that contamination was worsening, the connection between him and Emiya Kuro seemed to be growing stronger and stronger.
The infection monitor attached to his left wrist was gradually shifting from blue to orange, and steadily approaching red.
That meant the concentration of Originium within his body had reached an extremely dangerous level in a very short period of time.
Yet Shirou still had no intention of giving up.
"...Sigh. You really are stubborn."
Seeing that Shirou remained unwilling to abandon his plan, Emiya Kuro merely let out a sigh.
He had only tried to persuade him.
The outcome had never been in doubt.
After all, he was also "Emiya Shirou."
And precisely because they were both Emiya Shirou, Emiya Kuro understood exactly what the other was thinking and what choice he would make.
Although his own nature was somewhat complicated, compared to Archer and Nameless, he was actually the one closest to the Emiya Shirou standing here now.
She had done all of this because she wanted Emiya Shirou to live an ordinary life.
Yet this fool's obsession had already taken root so deeply that it could never be pulled out.
It could only be said that miracles were never free.
What this land needed was Shirou, not Emiya Shirou.
That was why so many strange things had appeared within Shirou's body.
And among those strange things was himself.
At this point, Emiya Kuro knew exactly what he had to do.
Since he could not stop Shirou, then he could only help him.
If he had remembered sooner, perhaps things would not have developed this far.
Though that was only wishful thinking.
No one understood how stubborn Emiya Shirou was more than he did.
Or perhaps it would be more accurate to say that Emiya Shirou's fate had already been decided from the moment of that fire.
With that thought, Emiya Kuro extended his hand toward Shirou.
"Welcome back, Emiya Shirou."
Unlike his usual stern expression, Emiya Kuro wore an awkward smile as he said:
"Welcome back... to this hell."
As soon as he finished speaking, Emiya Kuro dissolved into a massive tide of black mud that surged toward Shirou.
The black mud spread through Shirou and flowed across the entire Originium crystal.
"!"
For a brief instant, Shirou had tried to dodge it.
But the exhaustion of both mind and body robbed him of the ability to move.
He could only watch helplessly as the black mud swallowed him whole.
"..."
Once the black mud completely enveloped him, the piercing voices and the pain vanished.
What echoed in his ears instead were Emiya Kuro's words:
"I will take the cost upon myself. I have also called in reinforcements for you. The rest depends on your own willpower."
The moment those words ended, Shirou felt power suddenly surge through his body.
"Replicate the constituent materials. Imitate the methods of creation. Empathize with the accumulated experience. Reproduce the years engraved within—"
With his magical energy replenished, Shirou regained his strength and continued the chant.
Before him, the enormous Originium crystal began shrinking beneath the black mud's embrace.
Gradually, it started to take the shape of a sword.
"Surpass. Complete all processes—"
Grasping the pitch-black hilt, Shirou knew the most critical moment had arrived.
Countless magical circuits spread across his entire body, emitting a crackling hiss as they operated at full capacity.
Shirou felt as though his body were about to melt.
He could clearly see raindrops turning into steam the instant they touched his skin.
From this, it was clear just how high his body temperature had become.
Thump-thump-thump-thump—thump-thump-thump-thump-thump-thump—
His heart was also beating at an incredible speed, as if it could burst apart at any moment.
Yet Shirou still refused to let go of this last shred of hope clutched tightly in his hands.
This was the miracle brought about by that Emiya Shirou. If he gave up at this stage, then that hope would truly be lost.
The heat and pain had already been pushed aside by Shirou's mind. There was only one thing he was thinking about now.
Among the countless memories, it was the sword he had seen there the sword that belonged to Saber.
Strictly speaking, a sword of this level should not have been something he could project. However, there was already a record of it having been projected within his body, so as long as he paid a sufficient price, it might be possible.
And besides... the support that person had mentioned had arrived.
He could feel that something within him was awakening.
"Shirou, you have done well. Let us complete the final step together."
As the familiar voice fell, a pair of translucent hands joined Shirou's and gripped the sword's hilt.
The owner of that voice was someone Shirou could never forget.
It was Saber's voice.
Although there were many things he wanted to say, this was not the time for casual conversation. Judging from those translucent hands, she did not have much time left either.
The moment Saber's hand touched the hilt, the black mud gradually receded, revealing the radiant holy sword hidden within.
This was Saber's Noble Phantasm, Excalibur—the Sword of Promised Victory.
"At this very moment, complete the sword that gathers all victory—!"
The two of them drew the sword together. At the same time, countless particles of light rose into the air, and a dazzling brilliance instantly illuminated the entire campus.
Standing at the center of that light, Shirou and Saber lowered the glowing golden sword and shouted in unison:
"Ex—"
As the word left their lips, the blade of Excalibur was instantly enveloped by immense magical energy.
Controlling such an overwhelming amount of power, Shirou could clearly feel his body protesting against the strain.
If not for the Mystic Code, even with the assistance of Emiya Kuro and Saber, his body probably would have collapsed first.
But now, only the final step remained.
"—calibur!"
As they swung the sword upward from below, they released the true name of the Noble Phantasm.
The magical energy coating the blade transformed into a colossal pillar of light that shot straight into the heavens, tearing a massive hole through the storm clouds above.
A single opening was naturally not enough to eliminate a catastrophe of this scale. Therefore, Shirou and Saber worked together, holding the still-released Noble Phantasm aloft as though it were a gigantic blade of light, carving apart the clouds overhead.
"To hell with this Catastrophe! Disappear already!"
With the unleashed Noble Phantasm raised high above Chernobog, Shirou shouted those words through gritted teeth.
"What is this...?"
On the rooftop of the school, Frostnova witnessed the appearance and eventual fading of the enormous pillar of light.
As the pillar vanished, more than half of the storm clouds above Chernobog disappeared as well.
That meant the Catastrophe threatening Chernobog had come to an end.
Frostnova was not the only witness.
The students and civilians at the school, every refugee throughout Chernobog, the people of Rhodes Island, and even members of Reunion all saw it.
Everyone was captivated by that brilliant light. Even after it faded, their eyes remained fixed on the glowing particles drifting down from the sky.
On that day, light enveloped the city of Chernobog and shattered the Catastrophe that had already taken shape.
Once they confirmed that the disaster had passed, cheers erupted throughout the city as people celebrated the joy of surviving what had seemed certain death.
"Hah... hah... We did it."
On the school athletic field, Shirou lay flat on the ground without caring whether it was dirty or not, still holding a fragment of Excalibur's hilt in his hand.
Compared to the ground, which had been battered by wind and rain and then swept by magical gales, Shirou himself looked far more disheveled.
His entire body was covered in bloodstains that neither storm nor rain could wash away, forming a stark contrast with the clean ground around him.
As for Saber, her figure had already disappeared.
This was probably their final meeting.
With Saber's disappearance, Shirou also felt that something within him had vanished.
There was a trace of regret, but Shirou was already satisfied.
At the very least, their final meeting had been spent fighting side by side rather than as enemies.
Once he finally relaxed, all strength seemed to drain from his body. His eyelids slowly closed against his will.
The tattered Mystic Code then dissolved away, transforming into the Holy Shroud that wrapped itself around Shirou's neck.