Emiya Shirou doesn't want to work overtime

"Zi la——!"

As an unusual sound rang out, Shirou Emiya felt as if he had been struck by a violent electric current.

In this dim, silent dark space, his body twisted violently from side to side.

Under normal circumstances, it is impossible to enter the Holy Grail.

If anyone could easily enter the Holy Grail without paying a price, then Darnick would have found a way to enter it long ago.

The temptation to make a wish before achieving final victory in the Holy Grail War is probably irresistible to most.

Emiya Shirou felt his body begin to tremble uncontrollably, and waves of pain, like a tsunami, came one after another.

A terrifying sense of suffocation constantly overwhelmed Shirou Emiya.

"poison--?"

No matter how fast Shirou Emiya is, he can't possibly withstand the poison of [Bashum]. You should know that even if Astolfo used a Command Seal, released his Noble Phantasm, and wore [Demon Possessed], he couldn't escape that poison.

Moreover, Shirou Emiya, who was merely a human, had his body completely corroded by the poison gas the moment he broke through the barrier.

If Shirou Emiya were a Servant, he might have already turned into golden light and vanished within the Church.

As a human, Shirou Emiya doesn't possess the A-rank Magic Resistance that Mordred has.

Rather, it's more accurate to say that Shirou Emiya is not a Servant and has no magic resistance whatsoever.

But it is precisely because he is human, and because of his mortal body, that Shirou Emiya was able to reach the Holy Grail even though he was already dead.

That's right, Shirou Emiya died the moment he broke through the barrier set up by Jeanne d'Arc; what rushed onto the altar was merely a corpse.

This is a poisonous gas that even the gods fear. Even Avalon could not save Shirou Emiya, who was infected by the gas.

This poison gas can not only kill a Heroic Spirit instantly, but it also has a lasting effect. In such a terrifying and persistent poisonous fog, Shirou Emiya has absolutely no power to resist.

But he was willing to take the gamble, and even though Jeanne d'Arc tried her best to stop him, and even though everyone on the Black side disagreed with the plan, Shirou Emiya still made this choice.

After all, in that situation, only by reacting as quickly as possible can victory be achieved.

Emiya Shirou did not hesitate at that moment, as if he were not the one who was going to die.

"Uhhhhhh!!!!!!"

Chaotic thoughts raced through Shirou Emiya's mind, his brain spinning and vibrating like a blender.

Something resembling gibberish kept appearing on Shirou Emiya.

As if rejecting him, Shirou Emiya's presence began to become disordered in this space.

In that instant, a feeling that was impossible to describe overwhelmed Shirou Emiya.

As if his soul were being torn apart, Shirou Emiya could only see golden cracks and stripes covering his entire body.

This feeling should have been incredibly painful, and it did indeed cause Shirou Emiya to struggle constantly within it.

However, Shirou Emiya felt a strange sense of happiness, as if only in this way could he find liberation, and he couldn't help but want to immerse himself in it.

"Pfft——!"

Just as his mind was about to be immersed in this indescribable feeling of happiness, a knight's sword appeared in Shirou Emiya's hand.

Without any hesitation or preamble, Shirou Emiya used the last of his willpower to pierce his own abdomen.

Unlike any other pain, Emiya Shirou felt a slight jolt of clarity, but that indescribable feeling, a mixture of intense pain and bliss, once again enveloped him.

"Pfft——!"

"Pfft——!"

"Pfft——!"

One knight's sword after another was plunged into Shirou Emiya's abdomen, as if Shirou had suddenly realized something.

In this silent and boundless deep space, blood did not gush from Shirou Emiya's abdomen, and his right arm did not appear at any time.

Emiya Shirou had long since separated from his body; what floated here was his soul.

"Is this the inside of the Greater Grail?"

That's really terrible.

Emiya Shirou couldn't help but smile bitterly.

Joan of Arc had long ago told herself that the space where the Holy Grail was located was completely different from the outside world, and neither the laws of physics nor the laws of magic applied in this space.

Such an abnormal space, if one were to rush in without any countermeasures, would probably be dissolved in an instant, turned into pure magic, and assimilated by the Greater Grail.

This is why Amakusa Shiro Tokisada needed to make so many preparations before daring to enter the interior of the Greater Grail. If time had not been so tight, Amakusa Shiro Tokisada would have taken even more precautions.

This was his long-cherished wish, and no amount of protection would be too much, but time did not allow him to do so.

Amakusa Shiro Tokisada had to take this risk to go inside the Greater Grail.

If it weren't for Shirou Emiya's incredibly strong willpower, coupled with his unwavering self-harm...

Just now, an indescribable sense of happiness had completely overwhelmed my thoughts, even my personality was being disintegrated, leaving only my body and soul, wandering in this Holy Grail, and ultimately transforming into pure magic, which was then stored away.

Perhaps not entirely accurate, but Shirou Emiya will only have his soul wandering within the Holy Grail, eventually being stored away as pure magical energy.

"Is Amakusa staying here?"

Emiya Shirou, who had finally regained full consciousness, muttered to himself.

This altar was not a privately constructed mark; he not only helped Amakusa Shirou Tokisada, but also Emiya Shirou.

In reality, even someone with a strong will could not enter the Holy Grail in this way; they would only be swallowed up the moment they entered it.

It is precisely because of this altar that Shirou Emiya does not turn into pure magical energy the moment he enters the Holy Grail.

But this also means that Amakusa Shirou Tokisada also experienced what Emiya Shirou was going through at that time.

His conviction is equally astonishing.

After all, no matter how powerful a person is, maintaining their existence in such a space is an extremely difficult thing.

Amakusa Shiro Tokisada seems to be heading towards an even more central location, which is truly astonishing.

Chapter 208 It won't stop, and it's impossible for it to stop.

Naturally, if Shirou Emiya wants to find Shirou Amakusa, who is everywhere in the Greater Grail, he must undergo the same trials as him.

Furthermore, even after passing numerous trials, he was unable to complete the work of modifying the Holy Grail before Amakusa Shiro Tokisada finished.

Finding him would ultimately be futile.

Emiya Shirou now has to not only pass the test in the Holy Grail, but also race against time to find and stop Amakusa Shirou Tokisada before he reaches the very center of the Greater Grail and before he completes his work of modifying the Holy Grail.

Emiya Shirou had to put in even more effort and pay a higher price than Amakusa Shirou Tokisada.

After all, compared to Shirou Emiya who has only just entered the Holy Grail, Shirou Amakusa had already entered it half a day earlier, not to mention Shirou Emiya.

Having previously served as a Ruler, he has a deeper understanding of the Greater Grail's internal structure, and he even possesses things that Shirou Emiya currently lacks.

That is—the physical body.

Compared to the physical body, the soul finds it much more difficult to move around inside the Greater Grail. Without the protection of the physical body, the soul is more easily absorbed by the Greater Grail.

The surrounding space was an endless expanse without any boundaries, so much so that even up, down, left, and right were indistinguishable, causing Shirou Emiya's senses to begin to become confused.

Shirou Emiya could only persevere and try to regain his composure.

At that very moment, a pure white beam of light shot out from behind Shirou Emiya and struck him directly.

But Shirou Emiya didn't feel any pain; he only felt waves of warmth, as if someone was praying for him.

This was a scent that Emiya Shirou was very familiar with.

A pure white light surrounded Shirou Emiya and quietly arrived at his feet.

A pure white road appeared silently.

As a saint who was able to communicate with the Lord and trusted Him implicitly, the Lord also responded to her prayers in this Holy Grail.

But rather than a response from God, it's more accurate to say that the Holy Grail received a blessing from the Virgin Mary for Shirou Emiya.

After all, Joan of Arc was summoned by the Greater Grail. Although she did not ask for his prayers, the Grail would still provide the assistance it could offer to the fullest extent.

After floating in the air for a long time, Shirou Emiya finally felt a sense of grounding.

Seeing the pure white road that had appeared, Shirou Emiya did not hesitate at all and ran forward with all his might.

He believed in Joan of Arc, and he also believed in the path that had shown him in such a time of crisis.

But all the Holy Grail can do is point out a path; everything that follows is up to Shirou Emiya to face on his own.

"If you can't do it, go back—"

"Give up, this road is far more difficult than you imagine—"

"Let's immerse ourselves in happiness together—"

Countless whispers appeared in Shirou Emiya's ears.

Their words seemed to be filled with boundless magic, constantly disturbing Shirou Emiya's mind and full of temptation, leading him to another path beside Pure White.

Yes.

Why do we have to work so hard?

Why would someone risk their life like this?

Why can't you just lie down peacefully?

Isn't it better to enjoy life comfortably?

Even if you give your all, what will you get in return?

But Shirou Emiya acted as if he hadn't heard, and continued to walk along the pure white path.

They didn't even pause in their steps.

But in his heart, there was only this thought.

"Only by shouldering the burden can more people live a better life!"