Dream of The Beginning

Meanwhile, currently, inside EMIYA's Reality Marble... 

Ryan was looking serious. His face was cold and unforgiving as he looked at the grin on EMIYA's face. In front of them were some used and opened cards laying messily on the ground. 

They were playing poker. 

"You dare to do this to your own brother... Have you no shame, little brother?!" 

"Don't care. I've thrown away my shame long ago. Your future self often beat me up whenever we meet on a mission. This is nothing compared to it." 

"Ugh!" 

"Straight flush. You lost this round again, brother. Now fess up, what are you doing in this world?" EMIYA (Archer) turned serious. Considering Ryan's objective, they might really become enemies for this time. 

"Some random old man threw me into this shit; I was pulled into this Grail War without any warning. As for what I want to do, well, ain't it obvious? I want to mess up this Holy Grail War." 

'There is something else I want to try, but well, it's only an experiment anyway.' Ryan added silently in his heart. 

EMIYA (Archer): "..." 

EMIYA was speechless. However, he also knew that it was truly something Ryan might do for real. 

"Anyway, give me the dagger. I have answered your questions, Shirou." 

"...what if I won't give it to you?" EMIYA asked cautiously. 

He held the projection of Caster Medea's Noble Phantasm, Rule Breaker, tightly as he looked at Ryan with some caution. He was clear about what the dagger could do. 

Rule Breaker: All Spells Must Be Broken. 

It was Caster Medea's Noble Phantasm; the sword of negation and betrayal, that nullifies any kind of magecraft in the world. 

In retrospect, the contract of Master and Servant was also a form of magecraft. That contract, too, was able to be negated by the dagger. 

"What else besides severing some contracts? That dagger is useless for any others after all. 

"If you are worried that I'll use it on yourself and won't give it to me, that's fine too. But I will take Medea for my own use later. Hahaha!" 

Ryan laughed lightly. He quite liked seeing the angry-yet-so-helpless look on EMIYA's face. 

Aren't you just threatening me?! 

EMIYA cursed inside his heart. After all these times, his older brother still hadn't changed. He still liked doing things as he pleased... 

"...for you." EMIYA spoke through his gritted teeth as he gave the dagger to Ryan. 

"Nice. Now that's my good ol' little brother. Don't worry, I won't use it on Rin or little Shirou of this world." 

With Rule Breaker on his possession, he could finally break Avenger's final connection with Matou Sakura. That was the last thing that prevented his doppelganger from completely devouring Avenger. 

"Now that it's settled. Let's go back outside. They must have been waiting for us." 

EMIYA nodded. 

Although he didn't really agree with his brother's whimsical ideas, but EMIYA also knew that his brother wouldn't hurt nor betray him. 

Just now, if Ryan was determined to win, even EMIYA could not do much to prevent him. 

Since they were children, even if his older brother often spoke harshly and had a smirk that invited people's irk, in actuality he was a bit of softie inside. 

The reason Ryan's future self often beat him up wasn't out of hatred or anger, but it was related to his promise with Kiritsugu back then; 

To not let Shirou walk on Kiritsugu's path of being a Hero of Justice... 

'*sigh*...it's not like I want to be a Counter Guardian. However, some things just couldn't be prevented no matter how much one tries to change it. That was inevitable.' 

Yes. This EMIYA (Archer) was the Emiya Shirou of Ryan's worldline which became a Counter Guardian due to a completely different reason from the original EMIYA (Archer). 

In his original worldline, after the disappearance of his older brother and Tohsaka Rin back then, he eventually married Matou Sakura and lived a good life with her. He and Sakura worked hard to succeed the Emiya and Tohsaka bloodline; they had three cheerful kids, one boy and two girls. 

It was on his deathbed that the aged Emiya Shirou of that worldline was approached by the Counter Force... 

At the next moment when EMIYA released his Reality Marble, he was stunned to see the situation outside had become so much chaotic. 

The enemy faction had invaded their base the moment he held up Ryan! 

Artoria Saber and Emiya Shirou were fighting fiercely against Nero Claudius and Kazuki Kei. 

Rin was injured. Her left hand was limp, and her face was pale as she fought Mikaela Graham with her right hand. 

Sakura and Rider seemed to hold their ground, but they were pressured so much by Raiha and Tomoe Gozen that they couldn't utilize much of their ability. From the looks of it, Sakura was unable to properly utilize the evil magecraft which was granted by her connection with that aberration Servant – Avenger. 

Medea was holding a dying Souichirou Kuzuki as she defended against Arthur Blair and Medea Lily. Her desperation had turned into rage as she looked at her younger counterpart which was always hindering her magecraft.  

Illyasviel and Heracles were held up by Minamoto no Raikou and Ushiwakamaru. 

Cú Chulainn and Bazett were carefully defending against Kizuna and Karna's onslaught. If they were not careful for a moment, they might be instantly slain by Kizuna's relentless assault. 

At that moment, EMIYA Archer suddenly felt an incomparable killing intent erupted from beside him. 

Black fire raged fiercely on the dark knight as he saw the current situation on the battlefield. 

'…this is the first time I see him becoming real angry.' EMIYA Archer thought quietly as he retreated to Tohsaka Rin's side. 

Clank! Clank! 

EMIYA shot several successive arrows to separate Mikaela from Rin. 

"Archer! You're late! I will punish you for it later, but we still have more pressing matter to do. So please do your best!" Rin looked relieved when she noticed that Archer was fine. 

When Archer arrived at her side, he quietly told her, "Don't make any rash movements. 'He' is quite pissed off at the moment." 

At same time, the dark knight laughed grimly from inside his helmet, 

"You guys… it seems like you forgot what I told you earlier, eh?" 

When he took a step forward, an overwhelming pressure descended on everyone present. 

Be it those from the Blue faction or Red faction, the people and Servants present at that place felt a great suppression on their spirit. 

A large six-colored wheel of light bloomed furiously on the ground, covering them all inside its domain. 

It was on that moment when they were engulfed within the mysterious domain that they felt 'it'; the sensation of when their life and death was hanging on the thought of someone else. 

A thought to let them die, and a thought to let them live. 

Few moments before, Ryan had told them to mind their own business and not to spoil his plan. Now that they had blatantly ignored his warning and hurt Shirou and the Tohsaka sisters, he couldn't allow them to wallow in their ignorance any longer. 

"Was I still… unclear?" 

Pin-drop silence descended on the surroundings area as the dark knight spoke. 

The Masters from both factions could feel their back was soaked with sweat as they felt a great terror inside their heart. 

The only one who could seemingly resist the influence of this domain was Kizuna. 

Her previously ordinary white eyes had gained blue pupils filled with overlapping white flowers which resembled six-petal lotus. At that moment, her Byakugan eyes had turned into Tenseigan eyes. 

Kizuna was shrouded inside a cyan chakra shroud as she levitated slightly above the ground. Behind her, six Truth-seeking balls were rotating calmly. 

She looked at the mysterious domain under the dark knight with some interest, "So you do possess some trump card after all. Now this is something befitting of a Reincarnator." 

The dark knight was silently staring at Kizuna. Behind him, several manifestations of the sacred lance Rhongomyniad appeared, pointing toward her. 

"Do you want to fight?" 

The dark knight looked at Kizuna deeply. His voice was laced with heavy killing intent, his eyes gleamed with a ferocity to shred his opponents asunder. 

"I would love to, but unfortunately, we can't fight here. This world can't withstand our might, and these people would also be implicated by our fight. After all, the reason for your anger should be because of these people, no?" 

"…" 

"You don't have to deny it. Most of the reincarnators, more or less, also build emotional relationship with the residents of their respective reincarnated world. Your situation is quite common," Kizuna smiled lightly as she pointed to the group of Emiya Shirou and the rest. 

She added, "I hope to fight you in our own world. There are lots of fun and strong people, you should return quickly, Ryan. You can't imagine just how much that world has changed in these years we've gone." 

Saying so, Kizuna and Karna disappeared from Emiya residence as they returned ahead to the hotel. 

As Kizuna went away, the dark knight took back his spiritual pressure. 

He already felt that Kizuna was a dangerous chick. However, to think that she would possess the Tenseigan… that was more than a surprise for him. 

"Now then, let's start with you, young lady from Matou family." 

When they were still frozen in shock, a flash of black light suddenly appeared in front of Matou Sakura. 

Under the dark knight's lightning-fast movement, she didn't even feel the pain when he stabbed her with Rule Breaker, breaking the last connection she had with Avenger. 

'Huh? This feeling…' 

At same time, a new set of Command Spells appeared on his left hand the moment he stabbed Matou Sakura with Rule Breaker. 

He felt a new connection with another Servant was formed with him. It was likely that her original Servant was also 'stolen' by him the moment he stabbed Sakura with Rule Breaker. 

At same time, an announcement came to each participant present, 

[The 'King' of the opposing faction has been captured. The condition to clear the trial has been completed. Each participant may head to the second stage soon.] 

"That's it??? I thought I have to force them all to surrender, but I only needed to get the opposing faction's 'King'…? What a bummer!" 

When the dark knight was still wondering about what the second stage entailed, he suddenly felt a presence was nearing him from behind. 

When he turned around, ready to respond to any attacks, he was suddenly stunned the moment 'Raiha' removed her mask. 

A familiar face appeared on his memory, stunning him on the spot. He muttered in shock, "Y-you… how are you here?" 

"What? Surprised seeing me? Damned bastard. How dare you enjoy your life here after making me your widow?!" 

The dark knight, aka Ryan: "..." 

Holy shit… I didn't remember marrying you before I died though?! Did someone impersonate me and make me a cuckold?! 

Well, I probably did have the intention to marry you, but unfortunately, I just happened to be dying first then… 

'Raiha' hit his chest 'violently', though it was apparent that she didn't use an ounce of force within her punches. Although she tried to vent out her frustrations and anger she felt because of him, she couldn't bear the thought that he might disappear from her life again… 

"I see. But, still, 'Raiha'? Hahh... what a childish name to use for your alias, Aisha." 

Once, in his childhood, there was a gloomy little girl who often stayed with him. 

She mostly kept things to herself, staying close to her little diary book in her own seat if she was not with him. 

She didn't have a father, and was raised alone by her mother all those years ago. There was no one who knew about who her father was– except her mother. Although, her mother always kept quiet about it. 

Due to her circumstances, she was often called an illegitimate child by her peers and became the easy target for the bullies in their class. 

Day by days she endured it alone. 

Even if she resisted for a moment, the bullies would increase their bullying in the next moment. That was why she chose to endure it. 

However, there was a boy in her class who got fed up seeing the other boys and girls bullying that little girl. 

His reasoning was: they were too snobbish and disgusting. They were a failure of school bullies. After all, what's the point of picking on the weak classmate if they felt they were that strong? They should just fight another gang on nearby school! 

 

In the next day, that boy roused his sleeve, and beat down those snobbish little kids until their face swollen so much that their parents might not even recognize them. 

Later, he was called to the school office, and told to write a letter of apologize to those kids' parents. 

Even so, he felt it was worth it. No one dared to pick on that little girl again and disturbed his lazy time in the school. 

Though, his mother scolded him instead. She said, "What an embarrassment! You should have beat them more until they couldn't come to school again, boy!" 

"The heck! If I really did that, I wouldn't be coming out unscathed, mom!" 

Ryan remembered that he used to argue strongly with his mother back then for that issue... 

Since that incident, he often felt that little girl always stared at him with a strange gaze at school. 

It slightly spooked him, so he confronted her then. 

He was slightly stunned when she then mustered her little courage, speaking with some stutters, and saying that she wanted to be friends with him. 

He nodded lightly. At that time, little Ryan thought that it was not so bad to get a sidekick at his side. Thus they often stayed together from that time. 

That little girl always followed him around as he wandered on the school, accompanying him as he went to beat the bullies gang of another school, playing in his house, as well as inviting him to her house some times. 

They were innocent and had a great time together back then. 

Then, they were separated when Ryan entered Senior High School. 

She moved out of the city with her mother. 

When they met again, it was on his last year on University as they attended the same seminar. He almost didn't recognize her there. 

'After all, who would've thought that little gloomy girl would turn into a beauty later? Though, not only she is a beauty, but she also becomes quite a troublesome woman too...' 

"Hmm, what should I do with you, Ryan? Should I roast you? Or should I grill you? Even then, I feel like those aren't enough of punishment after you dared to cheat on me!" 

Ahh. 

Now I remember why I often tried to avoid her later on,  'Cuz that little girl has turned into a yandere...!' 

A certain holy maiden was forgotten on the side as Ryan was overwhelmed by his reunion with 'Raiha'.  

The holy maiden was staring fixedly at the dark knight as she was reminded of her vision from last time. 

"It's actually you!"