Fate: I Will Eventually Become the Hero of Justice

Chapter 103

The intense light made it difficult for people to see what was inside, but it was dazzling enough to evoke thoughts of all things beautiful - hope, and the path to life.

Pointing to the path he had opened up, Shirou shouted, "The path to freedom is here! Move forward and help each other. Support one another, and keep moving! The light is waiting on the other side!"

The people looked around, confused and unsure of where to go. They couldn't discern the direction of the path. Then, Mrs. Fujimaru raised her hand and shouted, "I see it! The path is right here!"

The adults scooped up the children and followed Mrs. Fujimaru, running towards the path opened up by Shirou.

When Shirou had walked down the path earlier, he had left trails of mud behind him. Now, that same mud - which had kept the trees of the Forest of Einnashe at bay - emitted a bright light, creating a path of radiance.

People ran, tears of joy streaming down their faces as they held onto hope in their hearts. They knew that the long-awaited light had finally come.

Mrs. Fujimaru, the leader, turned her head and gazed up at Shirou, who stood tall in the sky like an angel of light, with a solemn expression on his face. She had never expected her child to possess such mysterious power, nor did she ever consider that he might be the rumored savior of light.

She could only think of the heavy burden on her small child's shoulders - a burden that represented both the despair and hope of life. A heavy burden, one that even adults and heroes couldn't bear, was carried by a child.

"No way! You can't take my food!" screamed a voice from within the crazed Forest of Einnashe. The trees seemed to come alive, their branches reaching out toward Shirou and the fleeing people.

Shirou's eight arms spun into action, his giant sword slashing at the branches that came too close. The mud around him also sprang to life, their luminous hands breaking every branch with a sharp snap.

He landed near the remnant of mud tide and reached out to touch it, tapping into its dark power.

"Please lend me your strength," he implored.

"If you can make use of it, take it," the great evil thoughts spoke before falling silent.

Drawing upon his own malevolent energy, Shirou reached out and formed a link with the mud tide. In a sudden onslaught, the massive evil thoughts within the mud tide attacked his mind.

"Hate, hate, hate, hate, hate, hate..."

"Kill, kill, kill, kill, kill, kill..."

"Die, die, die... let everyone die!"

...

This overwhelming malevolence was of an entirely different nature from All the World's Evil. A massive force of hate and destruction intertwined into a single intention, surging past the defenses of All the World's Evil and slamming into Shirou's heart like a colossal hammer.

"It's like a burning flame of passionate intensity," Shirou remarked.

"A burning flame of passion? You misunderstand," the malevolent thoughts retorted. "This is not passion, but rather my deep-seated hatred and repulsive evil."

"What are you saying? Are you denying yourself? Your hatred and malevolence are rooted in a deep-seated love, aren't they? Even someone like me, who's only just met you, can sense it easily. So why deny yourself this profound emotion?" Shirou argued.

"What... what are you talking about?"

"If we get the chance, we can talk about your story. I'll listen carefully to your profound love," Shirou promised. "But for now, I need your strength."