Shinji Matou at Your Service

A group of people.

On the windswept, sandy earth, they wore cloaks of a dull yellowish-brown. Roughly counting, there were more than a dozen of them.

Some of these figures lay on the ground, while others stood.

Those lying down were mostly scattered around Shinji. The ones standing had gathered around another individual.

A familiar black overcoat, a towering figure, and a serious, brooding face.

Araya Souren!

This guy is still here? He wasn't burned to ash by the Root?

But even if he hadn't been burned to ash, he wouldn't last much longer.

Surrounding him were cloaked figures. One had driven a sword into his chest; another had sliced him in half at the waist with a katana; and a third had appeared behind him, aiming a classic submachine gun at his back, unloading round after round until Araya's massive body was riddled with holes.

Only after all this did Araya Souren react, as if suddenly waking from a dream, roaring:

"It's you dogs of the Counter Force again!!! Why? Why do you always stop me?"

"The Swirl of the Root is not something mankind should touch," the man with the gun said indifferently.

"I will never give up! One day, I will reach it!"

This wasn't the first time Araya had said this, nor was it the first time he had been stopped.

"No matter how many times you try, we will always stop you."

The woman, taller than the man and wielding a large katana, slowly sheathed her blade.

As her sword clicked into its scabbard, Araya's soul returned to its stillness.

In the next instant, the woman leaned forward slightly, drawing her katana again in a stance directed at Shinji.

Shinji raised his hands, signaling that he had no hostile intent.

"Uh, hey, I was just dragged into this. I have no interest in reaching the Swirl of the Root. I'm just looking for a way home. If it's not too much trouble, could you tell me how to get back? You guys should know, right? Guardians of Alaya."

Although he didn't fully understand why, he knew that those who tried to reach the Root were blocked by the Counter Force. Given the desolate, windswept desert around him, the Servant-like aura emanating from these three, their full-body cloaks, and their exposed brown skin, Shinji was certain that these were the legendary cleaners of the Counter Force—Alaya's Guardians.

The existence of Guardians was similar to Heroic Spirits, though most of these individuals hadn't ascended to the Throne of Heroes due to their deeds in life. Instead, for various reasons, they had formed contracts with the Counter Force, handing over their souls to Alaya and ascending to the Throne by what could be seen as cheating. The price was that these people would forever be at Alaya's beck and call, acting to eliminate human threats or potential threats, never to find release.

There were exceptions, such as Artoria, who had formed a contract with the Counter Force while retaining her identity as a hero. But such cases were exceedingly rare.

The Guardians didn't bother to listen to Shinji's explanation. Before he could finish speaking, the Guardian wielding the submachine gun had already appeared behind him, unleashing a spray of bullets without hesitation.

"Hey, listen to me!"

Shinji complained while dodging with a quick sidestep.

At the same time, a fierce whistling sound came from above, as a dense rain of swords and blades fell.

Shinji planted one hand on the ground, rolling to the side while activating Kazikli Bey, summoning wooden stakes to clash with the blades. Having once gone head-to-head with Gilgamesh's Noble Phantasms, he was quite experienced in this.

However, as soon as he deflected the wave of arrows, the female Guardian wielding the katana was already upon him. Her blade moved at such a speed that even Shinji couldn't track it.

Even though Shinji summoned the Aegis of Athena as a defense as quickly as possible, the terrifying strike couldn't be blocked. Not only was the shield cleaved in two, but the black energy radiating from the blade's tip cut into Shinji's abdomen, leaving a gaping wound.

The female Guardian hadn't expected her ultimate move to miss, and her body hesitated for a moment. Seizing the opportunity, Shinji detonated the Aegis of Athena, sending the Guardians flying.

Protected by the stakes and bolstered by True Ancestor blood, Shinji waved away the surrounding dust and sand, looking strangely at the three Guardians who had now formed a triangular formation around him.

"I think I know who you are. Kiritsugu Emiya, Shirou Emiya, Okita Souji… or maybe it would be more appropriate to call you Alter?"

The reactions of all three stopped simultaneously, confirming Shinji's guess.

Like Heroic Spirits, Guardians transcend the confines of individual timelines. Just because one version of themselves became a hero on one timeline doesn't mean that another version won't end up as a dog of the Counter Force. This was especially true for people like Shirou and Kiritsugu, whose ideals made them prime candidates for Alaya's recruitment.

The phrase "The whole Emiya family, loyal to the end" wasn't without merit.

As for Okita Souji, she was one of the rare Guardians who, like Artoria, had formed a contract with the Counter Force while retaining her identity as a hero. She was the other side of the hero known as Okita Souji, or perhaps a certain possibility.

These three Guardians were undoubtedly powerful, which was why they could easily kill Araya, unlike the others who had fallen.

After a moment of thought, Shinji continued, "Considering your appearance and connections, Okita, you might as well change your last name to Emiya."

Guardian Okita Souji shook her head.

"There's no need. Guardians have no names."

"Oh? I think they'd disagree."

Shinji pointed toward Shirou Emiya, who was currently staring at Kiritsugu in a daze.

"Who are they?"

Okita asked.

"Father and son. Or more accurately, adoptive father and son, though they're not from the same world. If Kiritsugu hadn't formed a contract with the Counter Force and had taken a different path, he would have adopted a boy named Shirou. After Kiritsugu's death, that boy would inherit his ideal of becoming a hero of justice and, eventually, be snatched up by Alaya—who, by the way, is the biggest Emiya fan in the universe."

"…"

Okita Souji was silent.

Kiritsugu finally broke his silence as well, pulling back his cloak to reveal a face that, apart from skin tone and hair color, was identical to the one Shinji remembered.

"I… am not your father."

Shirou followed suit, pulling back his cloak to reveal a mild, friendly smile. "I know, but I also know you're the same kind of person as the one I know. And compared to him, you're far more distant. Isn't that right, Shinji Matou, from a world I don't know? I never imagined you'd end up here."

Shinji chuckled.

"The universe is a big place, full of surprises. I'm sure you also never imagined you'd become the 27th Muramasa. And I bet the 27th Muramasa never thought he'd end up as a Guardian."

"You're right. And since I'm a Guardian now, there are things I have to do. We must kill you here."

Shirou raised his most familiar weapons, the black and white twin swords—his modified projection of Kanshou and Bakuya.

Shinji shrugged helplessly.

"I understand. But since we're all connected in some way, can you at least answer one question—why does Alaya want to eliminate me?"