In the original Heaven's Feel game script, in order to build up the player's emotions and pave the way for that cool CG of Shirou Emiya, Nasu had Shirou and Illya go through two rounds of emotional scenes.
First, there was a moment where they acted like siblings, followed by a scene where Shirou pulled Illya aside to hide in the square.
However, Shinji didn't intend to drag things out like that. For a film adaptation, one emotional moment before the big fight is enough.
Thus, in Shinji's version of Heaven's Feel, Shirou directly went into battle with Berserker.
"Haah—!"
With a flash of magical energy, Shirou lured Berserker into an open area in the forest through various clever distractions.
During this time, Shirou paid a huge price—his body was covered in wounds, and his clothes were soaked with blood.
Several times, he was forced to risk his life, putting himself in danger just to keep the black giant's attention.
Because, from beginning to end, he was facing the strongest Servant—Berserker!
"Huff… huff…"
Finally leading the giant far away from Illya, Shirou gasped heavily.
At that moment, he was like a taut bowstring—one that could snap at any moment.
"Am I at my limit…?"
Shirou knew clearly that if things continued like this, he wouldn't be able to escape or survive.
His only option was to bet everything in a fight to the death.
His gaze fell on the red cloth wrapped around his left arm.
This was the only weapon that could break the deadlock, but it was also a ticking time bomb that could very well send him straight to hell.
Just from the brief skirmish with Berserker earlier, Shirou could feel his body beginning to fall apart.
If he unwrapped that cloth, the consequences would be unimaginable.
This wasn't some edgy, juvenile thought—it was something that would actually happen.
He could die.
Even if he survived by sheer luck, he might end up permanently crippled.
"I knew the answer from the start… But still… I have to bring Illya back. I have to save Sakura!"
At this life-and-death moment, Shirou smiled.
It wasn't a dashing or heroic smile—on his wounded, battered face, it looked more pathetic than anything else.
Yet, everyone watching Heaven's Feel was moved by that smile.
"That smile isn't a bitter one, is it?"
Sitting on the couch, Shibamatsu guessed aloud.
Alice nodded. "Shirou knows that achieving such a miraculous wish is impossible with his own strength. But even so, he hopes for that result and never considers giving up."
"He's really an incredibly kind guy," Shibamatsu said with a hint of envy. "I admire that kind of determination, to fight to the death to achieve his goal."
"Wow, Shibamatsu, it's rare for you to say something that actually makes sense."
"Yeah, Shirou really is super kind!"
In the club, several female magi were also touched by Shirou's smile.
"We knew this back in Unlimited Blade Works. Even though this boy isn't as handsome as Lord Gilgamesh or Lord Diarmuid, he has his own charm."
"If only my boyfriend could smile at me like that…"
…
"Tch, greedy women," Fujita muttered in annoyance as he overheard the female magi whispering behind him.
"They want their men to have Gilgamesh's wealth, Diarmuid's looks, and Shirou's heart? That's way too much!"
"As if a perfect man like that would exist. And even if he did, why would he choose them?!"
"That's not entirely unreasonable," Shibamatsu joked. "If they could win over Shinji's heart, they might get all three. After all, Archer is basically a variant of Shirou Emiya."
Suddenly, the room fell into silence.
A moment later, the girls erupted in excited screams.
"Shibamatsu, you're a genius!"
"How did you come up with such a great idea?!"
"Good point! We could just go after Shinji Matou…"
…
"Are you… serious?"
A cold storm swept through the room, instantly cooling the girls' feverish excitement.
It was Alice.
Like an ice queen, she glared coldly at the girls who had jokingly expressed interest in seducing Shinji.
"Alice-san, we were just joking!"
Faced with Alice's commanding presence, the girls could do nothing but force an awkward smile.
"You'd better be."
After issuing her warning, Alice turned back to the TV.
"Alright, let's keep watching."
That sentence seemed to flip a switch, and everyone—both male and female magi—breathed a collective sigh of relief.
◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆
On the screen, Shirou Emiya's desperate battle continued.
"Come on… Berserker!"
Shirou took a deep breath and yanked off the holy shroud—
In an instant.
The world began to collapse.
Despite his best efforts, the first clash still ended in the black giant's victory.
The boy's back slammed into the wall, embedding him deep into it like an ancient Egyptian relief.
He couldn't even lift a hand to resist; he couldn't move a single finger.
"Ahhhhh——!!"
Shirou let out a desperate scream.
Completely overwhelmed.
This was the unbridgeable gap between a human and a god—a difference he could never hope to close.
Shirou's body and consciousness were gradually breaking apart.
He knew he should stand and face the giant head-on, but he couldn't control his body.
His left eye was destroyed, his right side had gone numb, his bones were completely shattered, and his blood loss had long exceeded the fatal threshold.
Seeing this, all the viewers who hadn't read the script thought Shirou was done for.
They believed the upcoming battle would follow the movie version's outcome, except this time, Rider would probably team up with Shirou.
However, Shinji's bold plot twist far exceeded their expectations.
As Shirou's consciousness and vision faded, he suddenly saw an illusion that shouldn't have been there.
A red figure stood firmly in the wind, walking forward with unwavering resolve.
The red coat fluttered wildly in the storm, yet the figure kept moving, as if it were only natural.
"Ah..."
The boy's broken body made a grinding sound like shattered gears turning. He clenched his teeth and slowly formed a fist with his left hand.
The red knight turned slightly, his stern expression directed at Shirou.
"Is that all you've got?"
It sounded like mockery, yet it also carried a hint of concern. This was the man named Shirou Emiya, pushing himself forward.
"You've got to be kidding... No way!"
His feet planted firmly on the ground again, and despite his bleeding, battered body, the boy stood up once more.
For Shirou Emiya, losing to anyone was acceptable—except losing to himself!
"Then follow me," said the knight.
With determination burning in his eyes, Shirou poured all of his magical energy into his numb body.
"Of course I'll follow—no matter what!!"
Using every last ounce of his strength, the boy charged through the red figure's back!
The black giant was about 50 meters away—a distance it could cover in three seconds.
Therefore.
The outcome would be decided in those three seconds!
Shirou felt an unprecedented clarity in his mind, finally grasping control over his fighting ability.
"Projection start... Concept identification... Defining basic structure... Copying material composition... Mimicking production techniques... Synchronizing growth experience... Reproducing accumulated years... All processes complete!"
Holding his breath, the boy channeled all his magical energy into his left arm.
He had to defeat himself—
"Trace—On!"
The giant's sword, along with its monstrous strength, was perfectly copied. Shirou extended his left hand, grasping the invisible hilt of a sword and raising it high.
"■■■————!!"
The giant roared as it charged forward, its mind still locked in battle with the black swordsman.
Blind, irrational, and decaying from head to toe, yet still fighting to protect the girl.
"Trigger—Off!"
Mobilizing the 27 magic circuits dormant within his body, Shirou focused them all on a single strike.
Two seconds remained until impact!
Facing the oncoming giant, Shirou raised his sword high and stepped forward to meet it head-on.
Upper arm, collarbone, windpipe, skull, sternum, ribs, perineum, thigh.
He targeted eight vital points.
"Come on, Nine Lives!"
With a speed surpassing that of sound, Shirou swung his great sword.
But it wasn't enough.
Even after being cleaved into eight parts, Berserker was still alive, and the giant's sword was already closing in on Shirou.
"Tch, no time to dodge!"
Shirou knew he couldn't retreat. The giant had already been sliced into eight pieces, and if it came down to speed, he was definitely faster!
"Ahhhhh—!"
Raising his sword to his chest, Shirou thrust it forward like a spear.
The two black swords met in mid-air, clashing parallel to one another before swiftly separating.
At that moment, time seemed to stand still.
Just as Shirou resigned himself to perishing together with his opponent, the giant's sword suddenly stopped in mid-swing.
"??"
Only then did Shirou notice—the black giant wasn't looking at him.
Those irrational eyes were locked onto the white-haired girl behind him.
In that instant, the battle was decided.
Squelch—
Without hesitation or mercy, Shirou's sword pierced straight through the black giant's heart.
There was no counterattack.
Having exhausted the last of its strength, Berserker was finally returning to the earth.
In that fleeting moment, Shirou saw the giant's lips move.
"Protect… her…"
Of course.
Shirou nodded, silently responding.
The black giant vanished, and sunlight once again bathed the forest.
In the girl's vision, only the boy's back remained.
Red hair, the fluttering holy shroud, a blackened arm, and a slender yet resolute figure.
Sunbeams streamed down upon the boy, creating a sacred effect reminiscent of Tyndall rays.
"Shirou…"
The white-haired girl softly called out the red-haired boy's name.
"He looks kind of cool, doesn't he?"
Meanwhile, sitting below, Shirou covered his mouth, snickering quietly to himself.
He knew his behavior was childish, but boys never really stop being boys. What's wrong with indulging in a bit of chuunibyou now and then?
"Hey, Shirou," Shinji suddenly spoke.
"What's up?"
"If I released a 5 star character of you in that form, would you spend all your money maxing out its level?"
"Uh… huh? What are you talking about?"
Shirou looked utterly baffled, while Shinji smirked with a devilish grin.
"Never mind, Shirou. I already know the answer."
"You… know what?"
A chill ran down Shirou's spine—it was the same feeling he got as a kid whenever Shinji set his sights on his or Rin's pocket money.
<+>
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