Skadi, returning to infinity

. "

Emiya Kiritsugu opened his mouth slightly, then lowered his head.

Then he tried to say something more, but the words got stuck in his throat and he couldn't say them at all.

Finally, he lowered his head, completely at a loss for words.

"You made a similar choice before, didn't you?"

"Your philosophy is to save as many people as possible, even if it means sacrificing a smaller number of people."

"But if you keep saving people like this, more and more people will be sacrificed, and fewer and fewer people will be able to save."

“You know it’s wrong, but you have no other choice because it’s the only thing you can do.”

"But why is this all you can do..."

Why must some people sacrifice their lives for others? Don't their gods matter?

“I know you’ve thought about this issue and you understand that what you’re doing isn’t right.”

"But you believe you have no other choice but to sacrifice some people to save others."

"But why do this?"

Skadi's tone suddenly became serious as she spoke.

Her expression was serious as she looked up at the sky.

"Kill whoever forced you to make this choice."

"Just like the question I asked you earlier, why are you so insistent on making a choice?"

"Go and deal with whoever tied them up there and forced you to make this choice." (p6ny)

"If it's a systemic problem, then reform it."

"If it's a natural disaster, then you should fight against it."

"If it's a problem with the group, then you should solve it for them."

"If it's a problem with the wicked, then kill them all."

"This is the way to solve the problem, the way to address the root cause."

"That kind of repeated selection process, being forced to make choices time and time again, is just a cowardly retreat."

"I know you might think that you wouldn't have done this if you were capable."

"But if you don't have the ability, why are you forcing yourself to take responsibility for the deaths of so many people?"

"If you feel you should do it even if you're not capable, then why not try to do it to the best of your ability?"

Why put yourself in such a predicament?

“Tell me, Emiya Kiritsugu.”

Skadi spoke slowly, but that's precisely why she sounded so aggressive that Kiritsugu Emiya didn't know how to respond.

"Skadi".

Artoria walked over, wanting to say something, but looking at Kiritsugu Emiya and then at Skadi, she suddenly fell silent.

"I'm sorry about this..."

Irisviel knew that Kiritsugu Emiya had problems, but he was her husband, and Irisviel could not stand by and watch him do this.

"I know you care about him, but the way he is, it's impossible for things not to change."

“Mrs. I’ve said what I needed to say. Whether he can change is his own business.”

"I'm just giving him a final notice now."

"Either do nothing and return to the Einzbern family to retire peacefully."

"Either tell me your answer, tell me what you can do, instead of doing the exact wrong thing as before."

“I can tell you very clearly that if this happens again, he will not make the right choice.”

"I will make the choices that I believe are right."

After Skadi finished speaking, she took Artoria's hand and left, not giving them a chance to speak or refute.

"Kiritsugu...FI

Irisviel's voice came from behind, faint and indistinct.

Kiritsugu Emiya and his assistant have also regained their mobility.

Unlike his assistant who was standing there, Kiritsugu Emiya was slumped on the ground.

His eyes were vacant, as if he hadn't yet recovered from Skadi's words.

"Let's...let's go back first."

Irisviel looked at her assistant, Hisayuu Maiya, and asked her to help Kiritsugu Emiya home.

Was I wrong?

Kiritsugu Emiya sat in a chair by the window, without eating or drinking anything from noon until night.

Finally, when Irisviel came in again with concern and brought him a cup of tea, Kiritsugu Emiya suddenly asked a question.

...I don't know, Kiritsugu.

Looking at him tenderly, Irisviel gently took his hand.

"All I know is that I have always supported you, I believe in you, and I am willing to give everything for your wishes."

"I know I may not live to see the day you hope for, but at least..."

"I can be a witness to you achieving this dream, a witness to you putting your dream into practice."

"I also believe that the world will one day usher in the peace you desire..."

Irisviel raised his hand and placed it on her cheek, answering him gently.

"I see......

Skadi's words flashed through my mind.

Despite spending half his life pursuing his dream, he never found the real answer.

Now, it seems someone has already provided him with an answer.

Or is the person who answered his question capable of doing such a thing?

"We have no Command Seals, and no Servants... Shall we leave this place?"

Irisviel smiled as she watched Kiritsugu Emiya slowly recover.

No matter what, as long as I have my loved one by my side and can go back to be with my daughter, everything will be alright.

"She needs to complete the construction of the Holy Grail... she cannot leave this place."

Kiritsugu Emiya also wanted to leave, but when he thought of his wife, who was the one who had to sacrifice herself to build the Holy Grail, his tone softened.

It landed.

Irisviel knew this too, and she fell silent.

Just then, the phone in their room suddenly rang.

The atmosphere felt quite eerie.

"I'll go pick it up."

Irisviel held Kiritsugu Emiya's hand and walked over to pick up the phone herself.

"Is this your wife?"

The voice on the other end of the phone startled Irisviel. She looked at Kiritsugu Emiya, bit her lower lip, and after a moment of silence, she finally pressed the button.

nod.

"Yes."

"I'm here to tell you that you shouldn't leave Fuyuki City before the Holy Grail is summoned, or something bad might happen."

"As for whether you will die after the Holy Grail is completed, there is no need to worry."

“I have said that to me, Mrs. Irisviel, you are a beautiful symbol, so I would never sacrifice you.”

"So you don't need to worry. Once the Holy Grail is completed, you'll be able to leave Fuyuki City and go home."

“Live well with your husband and take good care of your daughter.”

"Don't worry about the aftereffects of artificial humans, I'll take care of them for you."

Skadi's voice was very gentle, and it sounded like a completely different person compared to when she was speaking at noon.

After saying these words, Skadi seemed to have something else to say, but she didn't say it, and just hung up the phone with a happy smile.

“Kiritsugu…” Turning to look at Emiya Kiritsugu, Irisviel didn’t know what to say. She only felt that all this happiness had come so easily.

单.

Are you someone else's dream achiever now?

At the Tohsaka residence, looking at Skadi who had just put down the phone, Gilgamesh swirled the wine in his glass, asking a question that sounded both mocking and curious.

"Anyway, I don't have to pay anything, so I'll just do it if I can."

"Besides, I have a lot to do. I need to tidy up this place so that I don't have to worry about what comes next."

Skadi stretched, completely unconcerned about Gilgamesh's taunts.

"So what's your answer? I've been here for hours, and I even cooked dinner."

"Can't you just answer this?"

"You should know that besides you, the others... oh, there's still one assassin who hasn't responded yet."

"Anyway, I just want to know your answer now."

"Would you like to cooperate with me?"

Skadi sat on the single sofa next to Gilgamesh, looking at Gilgamesh, and then at Tokiomi Tohsaka standing on the balcony.