Lost Bullet

You awake now, Master? You remember anything?

No, huh.

Looks like you and I are in the same boat then.

The situation looks pretty grim.

I think we're in Japan sometime in the 2000s, but as you can see, there's been a huge disaster.

And we can't seem to get in touch with Chaldea either.

Looks like our only choice is to make our way through this burning city.

I'm sure you're not thrilled about being stuck with me, but I'm sure we'll find a Servant who's a better fit for this sooner or later.

In the meantime, I'll start by cleaning up the riffraff.

Don't fall behind. Make sure you keep up.

？！

Well that was a waste of time. Come on, let's hurry.

Whatever it is, I'm not interested unless it has to do with my capabilities.

？！

... ...

That said, the fact that you still have energy for idle chatter is good.

If there's something you wanna ask me on the way, go ahead. If I feel like it, I'll answer.

If you're wondering what I am, that's hard to explain.

As a Master, you ought to know that every hero has another side to them.

Some of them, they slaughter innocent people without so much as blinking. Others, they fight to protect their country like their lives depended on it.

Most of those types that everyone looks up to have some sort of hidden cruel side.

Then you have Servants, which reflect only one side of the hero they represent.

Sometimes, a Servant'll reflect that hero's hidden side...

...and sometimes, their Spirit Origin'll end up corrupted for one reason or another.

Servants like that all get lumped into a different category.

We're talking the possible destruction of all of humanity here. We need all the help we can get, and we can't be choosy about whether we get it from good or bad people.

...But even there, I'm an unusual case.

The other me was a nameless hero, shaped by society at large.

It might've been a one-of-a-kind event, but it still happened naturally.

But me, I'm not one of a kind. I'm just twisted.

The past that made me a hero is gone, and I don't remember anything about who I used to be.

All that's left now is my ability to kill my enemies. That's the only reason I materialized.

Yeah.

The others try to find meaning in existence, but since I'm just a weapon, I don't bother with anything outside of a fight.

After all, no one should go waving weapons around when there's no battles to be fought, right?

I know in my head that the other guy is who I used to be.

But it doesn't feel real. It's like we've been separated into two completely different people.

？！

Anyway, enough prattling. Come on, Master.

...It's faint, but there are traces of magecraft being used up ahead.

And since I don't see any other obvious leads, I guess we'll just have to head there next.

Come on. It'll be a walk.

...What? You still want to talk?

I can tell you're the inquisitive type, but you're better off forgetting about it.

Other Servants have pasts and presents.

They've got honor, goals, purpose, glory, desires, dreams, feelings... All that stuff.

I don't have any of that. I have nothing to give, and nothing to offer.

...That's the main thing I've got going for me. The cradle of my origin.

So there's no point in learning about me.

All you need to know is what I'm capable of.

...

？！

Is this guy why we're stuck wandering around here...? Well, I guess it doesn't matter.

Fire up your magical energy, Master. We're taking him down!

... ...Guess he wasn't the one.

But at least I found some new traces of magecraft. Come on, let's keep moving.

？！

Why don't I ever talk to my other self?

Why would I? There's no point.

If he's all that's left of the man he used to be, I barely qualify as whatever's left over from that...

No, even that's giving me too much credit. If that were the case, I'd still have some reason to exist.

But I'm just a thing, without any purpose. It wouldn't make any difference if I was gone.

As far as the other guy's concerned, he could kill me a thousand times and it still wouldn't be enough.

...These traces lead into that cave. Let's hurry.

...Don't you think it's strange?

... ...

Gotcha.

At least you're not as dense as I thought.

？！

I'm guessing this is a dreamworld. An artificial hell. The end of nothingness.

A place that makes you confront your sins and demands you pay for them.

...I've seen it before.

But I don't know why we're here.

I'm not looking for anything from you, and you're not looking for anything from me.

We're just helping each other out. That's all there is to it.

So then, why am Iwhy are we here?

Anyway, let's keep moving. Whatever's going on here, we'll have to take care of it before we can go home.

You're right. But I'm pretty sure this is our last stop.

Who're you talking about?

...Ah, whatever. Just hang on.

？！

If you're here, then I doubt anybody summoned me.

That's right.

You're like a tumor that snuck its way into my dreams, aren't you? I'm taking you out and getting Master home.

Hope you enjoyed your life, because it ends here.

Oh, I'm pretty used to that sort of thing by now. That said...

...I'm not just going to abandon my survival instinct and let you chop my head off.

...The hell?

What's there to be upset about? Isn't that why you need a Master?

No...you're right.

Come on, Master. This is the last battle we've got to fight to get home.

Let's go.

I see. Well, for your sake, I certainly hope you can return home.

...!

...Something's not right.

？！

...I know my swords and bullets tore through you.

So how are you still alive?

Why wouldn't I be? A Servant can't go down without a fight.

...Huh!?

？！

...There you have it.

I'm sure you can understand, since we are the same person.

... ...

...Yeah, I get it now. I was the tumor.

Sure looks that way.

There really isn't much difference between us, though.

Our rote, mechanical way of life is just so simple that even the concept of who we are starts to get hazy.

That's the long and short of it, Master. Now stand back a bit.

...You came here to save Fujimaru?

Of course. Despite everything, I'm still his Servant.

Hmph.

I might be the cancer here, but you're not far off from being just like me.

Whatever fate's got in store for us can't be that different.

...You might be right.

That said, it does look like I'm getting in the way.

So then, there's only one way to end this.

Don't look at him, Fujimaru.

Screw that. You should see this through to the end.

You should see what happens when a man who's lost sight of everything is as far gone as he can be.

I'd say it's a fitting end for me, don't you think?

I told you not to look.

Don't worry about it. It's what had to be done to resolve this.

？！

I don't blame you for not realizing he was an imposter. He wasn't.

This dreamif that's even what it really iswill be over soon.

Once you're awake, you should forget this ever happened.

It's all been just a nightmare. That's all.

Once you forget it, I will too. After all...

You up now, Master?

There was something strange happening with my Spirit Origin. It happened right around the time your vitals started going haywire.

Guess you and I were sharing one of those Servant dream things.

You look like you're all right now, but make sure you get yourself a mental health checkup too.

So? What'd you see in there?

Good. It's better that way.

Don't worry about it.

Whatever you saw wasn't worth remembering. It was just one possible end to one man's life.

It was a glimpse of a future that has to come, sooner or later...

Hmph. But I digress.

...I see.

Well, whatever you're sad about, I'm sure you don't have to be. When you get right down to it, I'm just a bullet.

I don't have any thoughts or ideals. Once you fire me, I'm gone. Out of sight, out of mind.

？！

Anyway, what do you say we get going?

You're on another mission to save the world, just like always, right?

Like I said, I'm a bullet, so lock and load. I'll keep on flying at my targets until the day I fall apart.