"When Emiya Shirou is Special Summoned, I can add one Equip Spell from my deck to my hand. I choose [Fake Spiral Sword (Caladbolg II)]!"
"Spiral Sword? Isn't that from Celtic mythology...? Wait, what's with the 'II'?"
Jason almost mistook Archer for a certain someone named Fergus.
"Well, obviously, because it's a fake. But I find it more convenient."
Archer shrugged and slapped another card onto the field.
"That said, I do have a bit of a competitive streak, so I'll still give this battle my all. I Normal Summon [Emiya (Archer)]!"
[Emiya]Archer, Level 4, ATK 2000.
"Your name is Emiya?"
Shirou recalled how Fujimura Taiga had mentioned that morning that his Servant bore some resemblance to him. He felt like he had just grasped something crucial.
"Who are you, really?"
"Who am I? Maybe I'm your long-lost dad!"
Archer remained as sharp-tongued as ever, just as incompatible with Shirou as Shirou was with him.
"I equip [Fake Spiral Sword] to myself!"
[Emiya] ATK 2000 → 2500.
"I activate my effect! I tribute an Equip Spell equipped to me to destroy one Servant on your field! I tribute [Fake Spiral Sword] to destroy [Heracles]! Broken Phantasm!"
Under everyone's astonished gaze, Fake Spiral Sword was fired like an arrow toward Heracles. The explosion from the Noble Phantasm's disintegration was earth-shattering—even Heracles couldn't withstand it. When the smoke cleared, only half of his body remained.
"Spiral Sword's effect! When tributed, it inflicts 500 damage to the opponent!"
Jason screamed in pain as the explosion's shockwave hit him.
Jason LP 4000 → 3500.
"Don't get cocky! Heracles isn't that easy to defeat—he'll be back next turn!"
"Twelve Labors, right? It's certainly a strong Noble Phantasm."
Archer continued calmly, unfazed.
"But in the end, it's not your own strength. If I take you out, there won't be a next turn!"
"Emiya's effect! Once per turn, I discard a card to equip an Equip Spell from my deck to myself. I equip the undying, unyielding holy sword—[Durandal]!"
[Emiya] ATK 2000 → 2500.
"Though it's not the original, its effect is still useful. The equipped monster cannot be destroyed in battle!"
Archer gripped the legendary sword.
"Battle Phase!"
"Why aren't you using your effect?"
Rin was puzzled by Archer's actions—destroying Theseus would have been a better move.
"First, [Emiya Shirou] attacks [Theseus]!"
Shirou flinched—wasn't it more logical for Archer himself to attack?
"What are you trying to do!?"
"Shouldn't you feel honored to face a legendary Greek hero in battle?"
Archer smirked.
"Look at your own effect, idiot!"
"Once per turn, when this card is destroyed by battle, I can Special Summon an [Emiya] from my hand or Graveyard!?"
Shirou looked at Archer and finally realized the truth.
This Servant was his future self.
Driven by the rules, Shirou launched an attack beyond his own limits, perishing alongside Theseus and being sent to the Graveyard.
Then, another [Emiya] was summoned from Archer's hand. Unlike the previous one, this one lacked intelligence or self-awareness.
[Emiya] ATK 2000.
"There's no way you're me!"
Shirou couldn't believe his eyes. But all the evidence pointed to a truth he refused to accept.
For the past two days, he had been dreaming about Archer's past—a relentless cycle of slaughter, a path soaked in blood, a hellish road.
Shirou collapsed to the ground.
"I could never become someone like you!"
"People always become what they hate."
Archer, standing above his past self, looked down coldly.
"Your empty dream of being a 'Hero of Justice' only leads to more tragedies. Saving others means taking lives. In the end, even you will be sent to the gallows. What have you saved? Nothing. You can't save anything!"
"Give up on that foolish dream while you still can!"
Archer's wish had been to change his doomed future. As a Counter Guardian, he thought he could save more people in death, only to realize that he had instead taken even more lives with his own hands.
"Just live an ordinary life. That way, everyone will be better off."
But Shirou was never someone who would compromise. He had already made a promise—to become a Hero of Justice.
"Then tell me—when you faced your future self, how did you respond?"
"How could I possibly remember something like that?"
Archer genuinely couldn't recall much of his past, but he was sure he had never seen this particular Noble Phantasm before.
Shirou caught the subtle movement in his expression—after all, he knew himself too well.
"You're lying. Your past was different from mine. That means I'm not you. I will never become you!"
"Oh? Is that so?"
Archer's expression darkened completely. He had had enough of this endless cycle of fighting and killing. Every moment of this existence tormented him.
"Then make sure you keep that last Command Spell of yours safe. Otherwise, I will kill you!"
"Battle continues!"
Archer no longer wanted to see his past self's foolishly pure eyes.
"Huh? Oh, right!"
Jason had been so engrossed in the drama that he almost forgot he was within Archer's lethal range.
"Tohsaka Rin, right? Emiya Shirou—if I win this duel, I'll kill this girl."
Archer's words were ruthless. He was going to teach his past self a brutal lesson.
"Hate me with everything you've got!"
The 2500 ATK Emiya attacked first, slashing Jason with a swift, fluid strike. Jason screamed in agony.
Jason LP 3500 → 1000.
"And now, for the final blow!"
Archer raised his hand. The other Emiya pulled back his bowstring, ready to fire.
"Due to the duel rules, even though this isn't a Shadow Game, it will still deal severe damage to a Servant. No one here can stop me. If you want to save Rin, use your last Command Spell!"
"But if you do—I'll kill you instead!"
This was a blatant trap. If Jason lost, either Rin or Shirou had to die. And Shirou, with his nature, would never stand by and watch Rin die.
"Who said you could touch my Master!?"
Jason, gritting his teeth through the pain, stood up once more.
"So what if it's my dark past! I'll overcome it! I activate [Medea Lily]'s effect! When I would take lethal damage, I can Special Summon this card from my hand, negate the damage, and recover 1000 Life Points! Faultless Healing!"
Jason LP 1000 → 2000.
"Jason-sama, you finally summoned me! I'm so happy!"
Bathed in soft purple light, Medea appeared—a stark contrast to the woman she would later become.
[Medea Lily]Caster, Level 4, ATK 1600.
"So it's this version of Medea? I nearly broke out in a cold sweat," Jason wiped his brow. "You're reliable in this form, Medea! Please, lend me your strength!"
Medea nodded obediently.
"Looks like Greek heroes are pretty popular," Archer quipped.
He hadn't expected to win so easily anyway.
"I set a card and end my turn."
"For my Master—I will not lose!"
Jason gritted his teeth and finally managed to utter words befitting a hero. At the same time, Medea secretly shot him a murderous glance.
"My turn! Draw a card!"
"Indeed, even Hercules is helping me!"
Jason's face lit up with triumph. He had drawn a card that would secure his victory. "My turn begins! Due to Hercules' effect, he returns to the field!"
[Hercules] Attack Power: 3000
"This is your final turn! I'm attacking immediately!"
Jason entered the battle phase without hesitation.
"You'll never breach my defenses this way."
Archer's front field held two servants with over 2000 attack power, both completely undamaged. Even a formidable hero like Hercules couldn't defeat him in a single turn.
"Who said it's impossible? I activate my Quick-Play Spell Card! [Nine Lives Shooting]! Card effect: Once per turn, this card can be activated only if [Hercules] is on the field. This turn, increase his attack by 1500 points and allow him to attack a number of times equal to the enemy servants currently on the field—two times in total!"
"This is the Noble Phantasm evolved from Hercules' martial arts used to slay the Hydra. If we're placing it here, the Hydra must be around 3500 attack points. As expected, Hercules is invincible!"
Jason showed no restraint in his admiration for Hercules.
Archer glanced at the trap card covering his field. [Seven Rings of Blazing Heaven](Rho Aias) could be activated during an enemy's attack by discarding a card. That turn, his servants would be immune to battle destruction and damage.
"You're looking at that card in the back field, aren't you?"
Jason had sensed danger from that card earlier when he bit his knuckle, but once [Nine Lives Shooting] was activated, that feeling disappeared.
"The Hydra is a legendary immortal creature. Do you know how Heracles managed to slay it?—Of course, it's because when [Nine Lives Shooting] is activated, during Heracles' attacks, the opponent cannot activate Monster effects, Spell Cards, or Trap Cards until the Damage Step ends!"
"Now, first strike!"
With the force of a mountain crashing down, the axe-sword cleaved straight through Archer, splitting him cleanly in half.
Archer LP 4000 → LP 3000.
"It won't be that easy! [Emiya]'s effect—once per turn, when destroyed by battle and sent to the Graveyard, Special Summon a Shirou Emiya from the hand or Graveyard!"
[Shirou Emiya] (DEF 2000) appeared on the field reluctantly.
"The great Greek hero better not lose now!" Shirou complained.
"Medea's stats aren't enough to break through anyone, so who will you attack, hero?"
Since Heracles could only attack twice due to the Spell Card's effect, and both Archer and Shirou Emiya had higher stats than Medea, Archer saw an opportunity to turn the situation around.
"Who said I needed Medea to break through? [Heracles]'s effect! When he destroys an opponent's Servant by battle, he can target and destroy one card on the opponent's field! I'll destroy your set Trap Card first! Now, second strike!"
At Jason's command, Heracles' axe-sword roared as it came down again.
The Attack Position [Shirou Emiya] was cleaved apart.
Archer LP 3000 → LP 1500.
"[Heracles]'s effect activates again! This time, I'll destroy [Shirou Emiya]!"
"And now, it's over—[Medea Lily], attack the Archer and finish this!"
A torrent of magical energy surged from Medea's staff, piercing straight through Archer's body.
Archer LP 1500 → LP 0.
The immense impact sent Archer crashing through the walls of the Emiya residence, even bringing down the warehouse in the process.