Chapter 90. "Yukinoshita Yukino, Drown in your ideals and die!"
["With that naïve ideal, do you think you can catch up to my swordsmanship?"]
[The white-haired female Servant tightly gripped her dual blades, calmly looking at the young girl Yukino, her high ponytail fluttering in the wind, "Yukinoshita Yukino… you must die."]
[The young girl Yukino didn't answer, her eyes suddenly turned sharp, both legs gathering strength.]
["Bang!"]
[In the deathly still air of the castle, a loud explosion rang out, the smooth ground burst into a small crater as if struck by a meteorite. The roar drowned out the sound of crumbling debris as the girl Yukino shot forth like a swallow, so fast that countless afterimages appeared.]
[The black-and-white dual blades danced wildly, slashing through the air, carrying unyielding conviction as they slashed toward Servant Yukino!]
[The white-haired female Servant remained indifferent, raising Kanshou with one hand to lightly block.]
["Clang!"]
[The crisp sound of metal clashing rang out, the torn airflow slashed across the ground!]
[Under the sunlight, two figures darted like thunderbolts, finding the best footing in any terrain, stamping hard with each step. The entire ruined castle was swept into a storm, the battle intensely fierce.]
[No,]
[To be precise, Servant Yukino was completely overwhelming her in a one-sided crush!]
[She could always precisely predict the young girl Yukino's actions, pressing down on her little by little.]
["Clang!"]
[With another crisp cracking sound, the white-haired female Servant shattered the Noble Phantasm projected by the girl Yukino. The broken weapon turned into particles of light that dispersed, vanishing into the air. Her flexible right leg, like a storm, kicked Yukino hard.]
["Bang!"]
[The air vibrated madly as the snow-white figure was kicked flying like a cannonball.]
["Damn it...!!"]
[The young girl Yukino struggled to stand, eyes fiercely locked on the opponent before her, breathing heavily.]
[Facing a Servant head-on, even though every clash seemed to grant her strength from her future self, enhancing her power—there was still too much of a gap.]
[Blood dripped from her forehead to the bags under her eyes, staining the area red, exuding a tragic resolve. Without hesitation, her hands once again erupted in dazzling blue lightning, projecting Kanshou and Bakuya.]
[The white-haired female Servant coldly gazed at the young girl, her body beginning to emit particles of light, becoming blurred.]
[At that moment, a familiar white figure stepped forward. Seeing the blue lightning emitted from Servant Yukino's body, he sighed softly: "As expected, even though you are an Archer and possess the skill Independent Action, without a mana supply from a Master..."]
["Raku-kun?"]
[The young girl Yukino turned in surprise, not expecting him to step onto the battlefield.]
[Raku Sou looked calm and serious: "Yukino, I will not interfere in your battle."]
["Mm...!"]
[The girl nodded lightly. After regaining her composure, her eyes once again looked resolutely toward the white-haired female Servant.]
[As if already knowing what she was going to say, Servant Yukino said coldly, "No need for words. Even though I've reached my limit after canceling the contract, the remaining strength I have is still excessive for someone like you."]
[As she spoke, she beckoned to the young girl Yukino with a finger, full of provocation.]
[Yukino, without hesitation, once again burst forth toward her adult self!]
["Clang clang clang clang clang——!!"]
[In a flash, the two identical flowers clashed once again. The dual blades scraped together, scattering countless sparks.]
...
Everyone held their breath.
Was the final decisive battle about to begin?
Many clenched their fists tightly, holding their breath for a moment, afraid of disrupting this earth-shaking battle — a clash between the convictions of past and future.
The boundary between Archer and Yukino seemed to have long blurred, the two figures gradually overlapping. The deeper one understood, the more tragic this battle felt — one was a lonely Yukino bearing a decayed ideal and a heart without blood or tears; the other, a Yukino who refused to bow, persistently pursuing justice.
You are the me of the future.
I am the you of the past.
Whether one favored Archer or Yukinoshita Yukino, at this moment their hearts were full of conflicting emotions, silently watching the battle, praying in silence.
"…Archer."
In the real world, Haruno looked on with sorrowful eyes at this adult version of her little sister who had never been loved by many.
White-haired Yukino, her very existence evoked an unparalleled sorrow.
It's just that...
If you truly want to erase your past self, then why haven't you delivered a fatal blow?
...
The passionate BGM exploded like an "Execution March," sending chills down everyone's spine!
Images flashed wildly as the two clashed nonstop in the ruined castle.
...
[Whether it was swordsmanship or the power of the projected weapons, all were completely overwhelmed by Servant Yukino.]
[The young girl Yukino attacked with desperation, moving at high speed throughout the fortress, again and again trying to strike from the most ideal angles; Servant Yukino remained utterly still, her expression indifferent, eyes half-closed, casually blocking each attack.]
["Hmph, no finesse in direct combat, powerless in counterattacks."]
[The white-haired Servant coldly stated the truth, then raised her right leg and kicked with force.]
["Boom!"]
[A gust of wind erupted, and a figure was once again sent flying like a cannonball, the residual force still unspent, pinning her against the wall like a hanging painting.]
[The white-haired Servant slowly approached, picking up Kanshou and Bakuya that Yukino had just projected.]
["Crack."]
[She crushed them in her hand and calmly said, "What use is this kind of Projection with only form? Without understanding the internal structure, it's just an empty shell."]
[The young girl Yukino gritted her teeth.]
[She couldn't refute it—this was complete domination from start to finish, a fundamental gap in quality.]
[She furrowed her brows, deep in thought, when suddenly, like a lightning bolt, inspiration flashed through her mind. She stared at the Kanshou and Bakuya in Servant Yukino's hands, as if she had realized something…]
[Then, to test her theory, the young girl Yukino braced her legs and charged forward once again.]
["Clang!"]
[The sound of metal clashing rang out. The white-haired Servant was momentarily taken aback and tilted her body to evade.]
[In that moment, Yukino had deconstructed the inner structure of Archer's Kanshou and Bakuya.]
[A single slash tore through the air—this was the first time Yukino had forced Servant Yukino to move!]
[At the side, the corner of Raku Sou's lips lifted in a subtle smile.]
...
In reality, many people on Earth were shaken, their hearts stirring with suspicion.
"Hmm, why does it feel like Servant Yukino is giving a lesson?"
Someone quickly explained.
"No doubt about it, that's exactly what's happening."
"Archer is like us looking back at our own darkest times. Though we want to kill that version of ourselves, what we mostly feel is regret for how pathetic we were."
"Teaching a lesson is instinctual. Otherwise, erasing the past wouldn't mean anything, right?"
"Makes sense. Just look at Raku-kun munching popcorn on the side."
"Two Yukinos fighting each other. Raku Sou: Girls, hold up, let me grab some popcorn."
"Raku Sou: Omoishiroi (≧▽≦)/!"
"Emmm… looks like no matter who wins, he still gets the beauty in the end."
"So jealous, my eyes are turning red."
...
["So stubborn, aren't you~."]
[Servant Yukino raised her right arm, effortlessly flicking away the blade slashing at her, and said coldly, "Because a Heroic Spirit is the sublimation that comes after death, and we are the same person."]
["Which is why with every clash, you can absorb part of my strength, isn't that right?"]
[The young girl Yukino curved her lips in a faint smile: "Yes, exactly. So, are you going to run away?"]
["What a pain…"]
[Servant Yukino suddenly exploded with force. The moment the words left her mouth, her body burst into a torrent of magical energy. Within the violent current, she vanished.]
[When she reappeared, she was already above Yukino, a slash tearing through the air, crashing down!]
["Death."]
[A chilling voice fell as Servant Yukino's blade collided directly with Yukino's twin swords. Blue sparks of electricity flashed—Yukino's eyes opened wide.]
[She had seen it.]
[She had seen everything.]
[The entire fate of the one named Yukinoshita Yukino!]
[Boom!]
[A terrifying explosion rang through the castle as a raging gust blew Yukino away.]
[Yukino rolled across the ground, pupils contracting violently, her face stiff with fear, unable to even stand—every cell in her body trembling, submerged in terror.]
["You saw it, didn't you?"]
[Servant Yukino appeared calm, "Then… look again."]
[A thunderous roar, icy winds blew her garments about, and blue flames ignited on Servant Yukino's body.]
[The place I've already reached…]
[The End.]
["I am the bone of my sword..."]
[As the incantation was spoken, Servant Yukino's snow-white hair fluttered within the blue flames.]
[The ground cracked open, blue fire burst out violently, and in that instant, the heavens and earth seemed to be overturned.]
[Under the dusky twilight, a lone figure stood tall atop the high hill.]
[All around were countless remnants of swords, like a desolate graveyard.]
[Servant Yukino stood quietly at the summit, speaking calmly: "Do you understand now? I am the ideal you have realized, the final end you will reach."]
["Whoosh!"]
[At that moment, the young Yukino, more hot-blooded than ever, charged forward furiously with her twin blades.]
["Clang——!"]
[Servant Yukino blocked the slash, her eyes calmly reflecting the furious girl gritting her teeth. "I see… you can't accept it, can't admit the truth?"]
["Then, do you still remember why you wanted to become an 'Ally of Justice'?"]
["Clang!"]
[With a single swing, the young Yukino was flung behind, their backs now facing each other.]
[Two slender and beautiful figures stood back to back atop the twilight hill, as if they had become one.]
[A faint voice echoed from behind the young Yukino, "You still remember… that silhouette you can't forget, the woman named Yukinoshita Haruno, your own elder sister."]
["That's right, Yukinoshita Yukino, your ideal is hollow, it's a lie."]
["Because…"]
["It was borrowed to begin with!"]
[A flicker of confusion flashed in the eyes of young Yukino, recalling her childhood, when under the moonlight she had asked that gentle woman about the past.]
[That woman smiled and said, "Me? I used to be an ally of justice~"]
[That smile was too radiant, too full of happiness…]
[It inspired admiration, and made people want to reach for it!]
[The young Yukino's gaze gradually became calm and resolute, "Even if that's true, this ideal is not wrong!"]
...
WTF, even Haruno can show that kind of expression?
Hiratsuka Shizuka's eyes almost rolled out of her head, as if she had just seen a ghost.
If one could say the Yukinoshita Yukino from the two worlds still shared many similarities — one pursued justice, the other pursued what was right, and both had the same desire to help others — then Haruno was just pure possession by a ghost.
She trembled, lit a cigarette, and amidst the haze, there was a tinge of melancholy.
As expected, if the multiverse is infinite, then everyone can have limitless possibilities.
Even Haruno could become an 'Ally of Justice', so shouldn't there be a parallel universe where Hiratsuka Shizuka has a husband too?
...
["Still not giving up...?"]
[Servant Yukino's voice gradually became filled with anger. "Ally of Justice? Don't make me laugh!"]
["A person like you—who could you possibly help!!"]
["Arrogant!"]
[She roared, turned around, raised one arm high, and stabbed a blade through the young Yukino's thigh. Crimson blood gushed out, so fast that Yukino couldn't even react.]
[Without pause, another slash followed.]
["Fake! Just self-gratification, nothing more!"]
[Splurt——!]
[Kanshou and Bakuya tore through Yukino's calf muscles, blood splashing everywhere once again!]
[Each strike crueler than the last!]
[Unlike at the beginning — now every slash drew blood!]
["Prideful!"]
[A brutal slash pierced through Yukino's abdomen. Even Raku Sou at the side furrowed his brows. He was about to intervene, but in the end chose to endure.]
["The adult world is about choices — because good things in this world are limited!"]
["If you have it, then why I won't!"]
["That ideal where everyone can be happy — how utterly arrogant and delusional!"]
[The terrifying blade swung down, the Noble Phantasm tearing through the air, while the white-haired Yukino's furious roar echoed, like a lioness in a frenzy.]
["If you still can't understand after all this…"]
["Then drown in your damn ideals!"]
...
Hiss~.
Many people on Earth were stunned, watching as the white-haired female Servant brutally struck her other self.
Onee-san, do you really have to be this savage with yourself!?
...
["Boom!!"]
[At the Graveyard of Swords, it was as if something massive had crashed into the earth, kicking up a thick cloud of dust.]
[Yukino's pupils were slightly unfocused as she lay in a pool of blood, her flesh torn and mangled.]
[At that moment, her mind was flooded with clashing memories of the white-haired Yukino — that Yukino's past.]
[Like an endless cycle of hell.]
[In pursuit of justice, in pursuit of her ideals, she had forged a contract with the Counter Force.]
[But after the contract was sealed, in order to achieve so-called righteousness, she endlessly slaughtered anyone who stood in the way of "the greater good," anyone unfit for humanity's future. Some were evil… but most were ordinary people, even good people.]
[An unceasing cycle with no end in sight, an endless chain of massacres.]
[Yukino had come to regret it.]
[As long as the Counter Force required it, no matter how many times, she would have to pick up the sword and kill.]
[There was no way to refuse, no means of escape…]
[Only now did she awaken — the ideal harbored by the woman named Yukinoshita Yukino was nothing but a selfish kind of idealism.]
[For the sake of what she called "Righteousness, Correct, Justice," she had taken it upon herself to snatch away others' lives…]
[Heh~.]
...
Seeing that mocking smile, reality itself trembled as countless Earthlings fell silent.
Especially victims from war-torn regions — the resonance they felt reached a fever pitch. In a deep breath, their fingers flying across their keyboards as they typed clack-clack and posted:
"Yukino may be the protagonist, but Archer is the one who's right!"
"Ideals only exist in fantasies!"
"Why does war never end in reality? Because of the fight over resources!"
"You live in comfort, and I can't have that, so I fight, I kill."
"A world where everyone is happy simply cannot exist."
"Even if technology satisfies material needs, what about spiritual needs?"
"There are those who can only feel satisfied by inflicting pain on others!"
Before long, that post shot straight up the trending charts.
Beneath it, some netizens couldn't stand it and fired back:
"Just find a masochist, problem solved!"
"The world is vast, surely there's someone out there for everyone!"
"Summon Darkness-kun!"
"Also… isn't it okay for humans to have ideals? What's wrong with wishing for everyone's happiness?"
"Isn't there a saying — it's not the result that matters, but the journey!"
"Striving toward an unreachable ideal… isn't that beautiful in its own way?"
...
Soon after, cynical laughter followed, with others mocking:
"Yeah, and look how that ended — Archer trapped in an endless hell of slaughter. Grow up, kid."
"What is an army for?"
"It exists to secure benefits for the group represented by the nation!"
"A soldier's duty is to protect their country — to kill enemies!"
"Isn't a soldier righteous too?"
...
Kudou Shinichi furrowed his brow: "Absolutely not. As long as it involves killing, it's never right. No reason can justify taking a life! Life is precious — no one has the right to take that away."
"What a load of shit. If you try to kill me and I fight back, what the fuck, that's not justice?"
Down below, furious replies exploded:
"If one country invades another, then the moment of retaliation is absolute justice — even sacred!"
"That's how it works in the real world."
"When the law can't give you justice, then revenge is justice — and sacred!"
"..."
In an instant, two schools of thought clashed in a chaotic storm online!
But clearly, the other side didn't truly reflect Yukino's views — they were just naive leftists, nothing more.
As for Yukino herself — if faced with those who had utterly sunk into darkness beyond redemption, then even if she bore the will to save them, she would kill them all the same.
...
[In the blood-soaked pool, Yukino's eyelashes trembled. After a brief moment of confusion, she quickly regained clarity.]
[She understood and accepted reality.]
[Yet still, she would chase after that unattainable ideal.]
[And that in itself… wasn't it beautiful?]
[Thump!]
[Her heart pounded fiercely.]
[The flame of conviction erupted in that very instant!]
[From deep within the concept of the one called Yukinoshita Yukino, a golden scabbard radiated a faint, glowing light.]
[It spread outwards, ever expanding, its light growing brighter and brighter.]