Fate/Hollow: ETERNAL FLAME

Chapter 37: Protectors of Humanity III

Shirou, Archer, and Faker... these were just the few names that Emiya had over the course of his life.

For the memories of the 99th Grand Holy Grail War, it will be recounted from the perspective of Archer due to the current circumstances of Emiya being two individuals bonded together.

There was never the possibility that crossed the counter guardian's mind of Archer that he would somehow find his way to be summoned back into the time where he was alive, and into a Holy Grail War no less.

Emiya was surprised to see Rin when she had summoned him by complete accident from the sheer condensing rant she went on when Emiya was summoned. Many thoughts went through Archer's mind at that moment in time, but he had believed himself to be in the past of another timeline that was at least similar to his own.

Though, Emiya could not have been more
wrong in this judgement.

World which Archer was summoned into was a hellish warzone being run by two selfish factions trying to obtain the Holy Grail. They were at one another's throats fighting in a large scale open war to obtain a prize which could only grant a single wish.

The incredible amount of atrocities and many horrors within the torn world were appalling. Archer could not help but feel pity to anyone who had to live in it especially for Rin and the others. Instead of Holy Grail War which took place within a localized area similar to Fuyuki War with 7 Masters which Archer knew all to well, he found himself placed into a Grand Holy Grail War as this world had called it.
There were nearly a hundred Grand Holy Grail Wars when he was summoned in the 99th, and the amount of masters and servants trumped all expectations.

The fighting was tough throughout all of the war. Emiya had to go against multiple servants at a time occasionally while dealing with his own faction's stupid inner rivalries and politics. All the drive Archer had within him was to protect Rin from the war, and it did not help that even in this timeline, his idiotic younger self happened to be in the war as well.

The biggest change for Emiya in his mind was Shirou did not summon King of Knights herself outright but instead her altered version.

A strange relationship was shared between Shirou and that Saber but it somehow grew into a close friendship, and Emiya did not know what to make of it exactly. A part of him wished to kill this version of himself for still holding onto that same dumb idea of being a 'Hero of Justice' , but Emiya oddly could not find within himself to go through with this resolve.

There was also another reason for Emiya's non-action. Alter Artoria always use to give Emiya strange side glares and looks any time he was around Shirou. For Archer, it felt as if she knew exactly whom he was. It was not till later, Emiya came to know that the Alter Artoria understood that Archer and Shirou were in fact the same individual. It lead to an awkward situation when confronted about it.

It had seem this version of Saber had participated in a grail war before but her memories were blurred of that time as was all other servants memories of different wars when they get summoned countless times. Servants can never fully remember the events that transpire, some even fully forget they participate within another. For Archer, it always felt like getting a letter from himself with only the key information and details but even then, he knew somethings slipped past his memory.

Archer had many thoughts to stumble though on a constant basis during the course of the war. It left him becoming a little more friendly inadvertently as he almost grew out of the usual cold demeanor which he presented. One such instance was when Rin convinced him to cook, which she somehow got him to do.

Nearing the end of the 99th Grand Holy Grail War, Archer was pitted against a catastrophic event. Sacrifice his life to preserve some of the integrity of the damaged leylines within Japan so half of the nation did not die. It was a simple decision for Emiya. One life to save countless thousands.

But Archer's life alone would not be enough to hold together the damaged integrity so Shirou also stepped up much to the dismay of Rin.

Shirou seem content to fulfill his life's goal which his Father had dreamed of, so he would die being the hero that saved many of the innocent people whom would die from the leylines destroying themselves.

Rin protested both of their decisions and especially Shirou's. She even attempted to stop him but Shirou used his command seals ordering his Saber to stop Rin.

At that critical moment, there was hardly enough time to waste bickering over it. Archer and Shirou both sacrificed themselves shortly after to repair the leylines leaving Rin in complete shambles.

Her tears and cries for them were met with deaf ears as she wept horribly. Shirou's Alter Saber still remained in existence and due to her Master infusing with the world's leylines bounding her to the mana and lifeforce of the planet.

Alter did not know what to make of the entire event and the war as she would be bound for eternity to the planet. Her personality was a strange so at the moment, all she did was comfort Rin as it was mostly limited to shoulder pats and a small hug.

Rin's command seals remained as she in her plight of sorrow, used them to conjure back her servant not wishing for their fate to be sealed away within the world. As if the world heard her cries and revised the contract.

Due to the process that occurred during the sacrifice process, what remained of Emiya and also Shirou had bonded together.

Rin had summoned her servant back but it was different.

Emiya was had become a single person, bonded between both Archer and Shirou. His appearance had shifted between Shirou and Emiya, where it could be deduced that their age had averaged between one another. Auburn hair which Shirou was most notable for remained, except for a single patch of white which now accompanied it. Archer's attire was similar with changes. The right arm sleeve was gone instead showing skin, and the left arm was changed to a bright red material. Final big difference was a white cloak rested upon this Archer/Shirou hybrid.

Shirou's and Emiya's minds becoming one creating a person of interesting merits. Experience, thoughts, feelings, and anything else was combined mentally. Emiya was the best name to use now as it was synonymous with the two men. The personality of Archer remained primarily, but the soft heart of Shirou and drive to be that Hero to save others stayed. Shirou had mellowed the stoic and cold older version of himself whom had given up on idealistic ideals. Whatever transpired between the bonding process, it seem Archer came to accept his younger self and the Kiritsugu's ideal maybe understanding it from a whole new perspective.

As for Alter Saber, she had come to question much of her existence and purpose throughout the war. This question was alwaus discussed between her and Shirou on their free time. They got sometimes philosophical and other times, Saber felt lost needing guidance oddly enough.

Emiya spoke with Saber about what she desired. In a way, Shirou was still her Master and Saber was contracted to be his servant. During their talk, Emiya released Saber to allow her to be able to freely traverse the world to find her purpose. The two left on good terms including Rin to Saber was well.

From there, Rin and Emiya left to pursue different avenues to stop the Grail Wars plaguing the world. They eventually found Chaldea and Diarmuid was later acquired by using Chaldea's heroic summoning system.

At the present, Emiya was investigating in Germany for the whereabouts of a servant of black. He had been pursuing leads that may bring some insight into the plans of the black faction. They had been oddly consistent in probing into Japan which was territory of the Red. This probing was not for territorial gain, they were looking for something else beside the servant contract. Emiya was hoping to find something within the Germany that may lead him to answers, the country held one of the largest headquarters for the faction.