Chapter 118: Emiya Kiritsugu and Archer!

Fate/Zero is reaching its conclusion, and at this pivotal moment, Emiya Kiritsugu's story unfolds.

He aspired to be a champion of justice.

Knowing he couldn't save everyone, Emiya faced a critical decision when his childhood love became an unwitting tool of destruction, leading to the massacre of their entire village by the Church, condemning countless innocent lives to a fiery end.

This tragedy marked a turning point for Emiya Kiritsugu. He began to contemplate a haunting question: "If I had taken her life earlier, could I have saved more?"

Emiya harbored no regrets about ending his father's life, understanding that by doing so, he prevented the birth of more unwitting agents of destruction.

To save the many, he was willing to sacrifice the happiness of the few, even if it meant staining his hands with blood.

Yet, deep down, he yearned for a chance to rewrite the past, a desire he knew was futile. All he could do was wield his blade and make the agonizing choice between the lesser and greater good, even if it meant taking the life of the woman who had given him renewed purpose in life, Natalia Kaminski, his mentor and mother figure.

Despite the personal costs, Emiya found solace in the countless lives he had saved through his actions.

This revelation left those present in solemn silence. Emiya Kiritsugu had never shared this harrowing chapter of his life with anyone, not even Irisviel, who had been his wife. Now, his companions gained a deeper understanding of the complex motivations driving Emiya Kiritsugu's quest for a just world.

"Is this Emiya Kiritsugu's idea of justice? It's truly... interesting," Gilgamesh remarked, finally breaking his silence. He had always found Kotomine Kirei intriguing, but he now realized there was much more to this man than he had initially thought.

"Would you sacrifice your loved ones for the sake of justice? While your actions as a combatant were justified, I cannot agree with your methods." Artoria's head bowed slightly. She respected Kiritsugu's goal of saving the world, but the idea of sacrificing individuals to achieve it was something she could not condone.

In truth, Artoria believed that if she were ever forced to choose between Great Britain and all of Europe, she would choose Great Britain without hesitation. As a king, she felt a deep responsibility to her own people above all else.

On the other side, Iskandar bowed his head, lost in his thoughts. He found the man before him to be quite vexing.

Emiya Kiritsugu remained silent. He didn't need their understanding; he only needed to pursue his goals and ideals.

"This ideology... is flawed." Archer suddenly appeared, surprising everyone with his appearance. Despite their shock, the day's events had already desensitized them to surprises.

"Do you also believe my actions were wrong?" Kiritsugu asked, surprised by Archer's statement.

"You think I don't understand such decisions?" Archer laughed, surprised by the notion that he couldn't comprehend such things. As one of Alaya's key agents, tasked with eliminating threats to humanity to ensure its survival, he had more experience in such matters than most.

Seeing Archer's smile, Alexander intervened, "Allow me to introduce Archer, Rin's heroic spirit, who is actually one of Alaya's safeguards for humanity. His task is to eliminate individuals who threaten the stability of mankind to save the world. He has been doing this for many years. In this regard, Archer may have more experience than you, Kiritsugu."

"What! How is that possible?" Kiritsugu stared at Archer, finally acknowledging the gravity of the situation. "If that's the case, you should consider it the best choice."

"That's correct. It may be the best choice, and I've always believed that," Archer replied, his expression shifting. "But why should I be the one to carry out such actions? I once thought it was the best choice, but I will always be haunted by the pain of those decisions. You must feel the same."

Archer's words struck a chord with Emiya Kiritsugu. Did this heroic spirit truly understand him so well? It was surprising to find someone who could comprehend his inner turmoil to such a degree. In that moment, Kiritsugu couldn't help but wonder: if he hadn't used Avalon as a catalyst to summon a heroic spirit, but instead summoned someone directly connected to him, like Archer, from his family of heroes, what kind of person would he have summoned?

In reality, this was entirely possible. If Kiritsugu hadn't used a holy relic, the summoned spirit would have likely been someone with a particularly strong connection or compatibility with him. But with his family full of heroes— Irisviel, Archer, Illya, the daughter from the parallel world, Miyu, and even Fujimura Taiga, who shared meals with them— Who knows which one he can summon?