After coming to this world, Shirou had basically stopped using Servant Emiya's core power – Unlimited Blade Works.
The only time he tried to use it was when fighting the Dragon God Orsted.
Facing the overwhelmingly strong Dragon God, whom he had almost no chance of defeating, he had no choice but to use the power of Unlimited Blade Works to fight back.
However, at that time, Orsted interrupted his chant, and Unlimited Blade Works could not be fully activated. Later, with the help of Servant Emiya, he barely managed to release his Unique Magic, trapping Orsted.
The reason why Shirou was so against Unlimited Blade Works was because he could clearly sense the close connection between Unlimited Blade Works and Servant Emiya.
Once he used Unlimited Blade Works, it would be like signing a contract with Servant Emiya again, and his body would be further turned into a Servant version of himself.
If that was all, it would still be fine.
What Shirou feared most was that his will would also be affected by Servant Emiya, causing his mind to be eaten away by the Guardian and turn into a justice-enforcing machine.
Although it wasn't certain that this would happen, Shirou didn't dare to risk it, even if there was only a one in ten thousand chance.
However, that was Shirou's thinking in the past.
Since coming to Ranoa Magic Academy and studying the magic of this world, Shirou's thinking had gradually changed.
Although he was still wary of Servant Emiya's influence on him, he had gone from fearing Unlimited Blade Works to trying to understand and control it.
After all, Unlimited Blade Works was indeed Servant Emiya's power, but power itself could be controlled.
If he could further understand the power of Unlimited Blade Works, it might improve his own sword magic.
Of course, since there weren't many strong enemies in this world, there were basically no chances for Shirou to use Unlimited Blade Works.
So even though Shirou's way of thinking had changed, he had no chance to use Unlimited Blade Works.
Now, when the Demon King of the Demon Continent challenges him, Shirou can finally say that he has found the right time to use Unlimited Blade Works!
"I Am The Bone Of My Sword."
"Blood is like iron, heart is like glass"
Now that he had made up his mind, Shirou didn't hesitate and immediately began to create Unlimited Blade Works.
Remembering Servant Emiya's stance when using Unlimited Blade Works, Shirou gradually focused his mind and fully released all the magic circuits in his right arm.
In an instant, twenty-seven magic circuits shone brightly, and hot energy, along with his beating heart, began to surge through his body.
At this moment, Shirou clearly felt a sharp pain. The extreme sensation was like suddenly falling into a pot of boiling oil, his whole body being burned.
But his senses were not wrong, and even became more sensitive as the power surged.
But every second, his body was being torn apart, reminding him of the power he was using.
...
The battle between Shirou and the Demon King Badigadi shocked everyone watching outside the barrier.
Principal Jinas and many school teachers never expected Shirou to be able to go so far, fighting a Demon King head-on and remaining evenly matched.
Although they were all magicians, they could clearly judge that Shirou's swordsmanship level had definitely reached the Saint level.
Rudeus was also surprised. Although he knew that Shirou's swordsmanship was strong enough, seeing him fight a Demon King and not lose ground was still very unbelievable.
He had previously said that Shirou's North God Style should have reached the upper level, but now he knew how shallow he had been. There was no doubt that Shirou was a North Saint.
However, at the same time, Rudeus was also very confused.
Because he remembered that Shirou had clearly learned the Sword God Style. When he was learning swordsmanship from Paul, his Sword God Style had also reached the upper level early on.
But now, why didn't him Shirou use Sword God Style instead?
While Rudeus couldn't understand, the battlefield had already changed.
After realizing that it would be difficult for him to defeat his opponent with ordinary skills, Shirou directly began to activate Unlimited Blade Works.
As he began to chant, everyone could feel a hot energy beginning to boil, and even blue flames appeared out of nowhere on the ground, spreading rapidly in all directions.
"Oh? This is?"
Badigadi, as Shirou's opponent, was undoubtedly the first to notice that something was wrong.
But unlike the Dragon God Orsted, who had directly launched a series of attacks to interrupt Shirou when he had activated Unlimited Blade Works, Badigadi not only didn't try to interrupt Shirou, but instead crossed his six arms in front of his chest with great interest and said expectantly, "You actually have something stronger? You really make me happy, Shirou Greyrat."
Badigadi clearly wanted to see Shirou's power, so he stood silently in place, allowing Shirou to unleash the power of his Unique Magic.
Shirou didn't waste the opportunity and began chanting Unlimited Blade Works at great speed!
"Hand-made swords have reached the thousands"
"Unknown To Death."
"Nor Known To Life."
"His body always stands on the top of the hill of swords, alone, drunk in victory"
"This life has no meaning"
"Therefore, as I pray, Unlimited Blade Works"
Shirou recited the entire chant of Unlimited Blade Works in one breath.
The twenty-seven magic circuits in his right arm also operated to their limit at this moment, and the dazzling blue light almost pierced the darkness, showing the essence of energy.
Under the influence of such a huge amount of magical power, the entire reality began to change.
With the unfolding wall of flames, the entire world was turned upside down—
Under the influence of the blue flames, the surrounding space gradually changed from the Magic University's training ground, little by little, into a sand dune covered in sand and standing with countless swords.
"What is this?!"
Badigadi was shocked.
Not only him, but everyone who saw this scene was truly shocked, never imagining that such a sight would appear.
The sky and the earth had disappeared at some point.
The simple but solid buildings of the Magic University had disappeared at some point.
As far as the eye could see, everything in front of them had become a barren land stretching to the horizon.
Huge gears hung in the sky, replacing the clouds, and the red skyline gave off high temperatures and heat. Countless swords flew into the distance in a constantly repeating pattern with an almost indescribable sense of pressure.
What is this?
Anyone who saw the scene in front of them would be incredulous.
Even Shirou himself, when he first used Unlimited Blade Works, felt the same shock.
However, it was different from the Unlimited Blade Works of the past.
When he fought Angelica, the Unlimited Blade Works that Shirou released was a snowy field, with countless snowflakes falling from the sky, replacing the huge gears in the sky.
But now, the Unlimited Blade Works that Shirou released was not like that. Instead, it was more like the Unlimited Blade Works used by Servant Emiya himself.
At the moment he realized this, Shirou suddenly pressed his chest.
His eyes suddenly became extremely blurred, and a tearing pain swept through his body.
Something's wrong, where did I mess up...
The moment he thought of this, Shirou's vision suddenly went black.
All he could see was a burning hell and a flame vortex soaring into the sky.
What he heard was the sound of resentment and pain.
Shirou was familiar with this scene.
That was the great fire that had swept through his childhood.
Emiya Kiritsugu had rescued him from the fire, freeing him from death, and at the same time, he admired that figure and dreamed of becoming a hero of justice like him.
Justice...
Yes, a hero of justice...
Emiya Shirou's foundation was the desire for justice. This desire, this admiration, continued to extend and develop, and the final destination was Servant Emiya.
Unlimited Blade Works was the sublimation of Servant Emiya's own power and great achievements, and undoubtedly, it was also the embodiment of his justice.
Never doubt justice, never question justice.
Live for justice and die for justice.
If you can't do that, you're not qualified to use this power.
"..."
Suddenly, Shirou saw the streets burning, with many people dying, many familiar and unfamiliar faces burning in the fire and turning to ashes.
No matter where he looked, he could see people burned out of shape in the flames.
And everyone was looking at him...
As if questioning—
You who have abandoned the path of a hero of justice, why do you have the face to live in this world?
Shirou had no answer, and could not answer.
He felt like he was drowning, his whole person falling into a bottomless ice cave, constantly falling, falling, until his whole person was swallowed and destroyed.
Everything turned into cold nothingness.
And outside of Shirou's point of view.
Rudeus and the others were still shocked by the power of Unlimited Blade Works, and couldn't believe that it could create such an exaggerated and hot space, as if it had created a world.
But before they could be shocked, they found Shirou standing in the center of the yellow sand, pressing his chest in pain. His whole person showed a painful expression as if he was drowning, or as if his heart had suddenly stopped, and then he fell straight to the ground.
As Shirou lost consciousness, the huge Sword Hill of Unlimited Blades also disappeared.
The earth returned to normal, and everything was as if nothing had happened.
Only Shirou himself was still lying on the ground, unconscious.
Rudeus and Principal Jinas were startled, and without caring that the duel was still in progress, they rushed in to try to save him.
Badigadi was also very generous, directly allowing them to enter and saying that the battle was over and that he admitted his defeat.
Yes, Badigadi had actually planned to surrender when Shirou had pierced his body with a spear.
The reason why he continued to fight, even forcing out Shirou's Unlimited Blade Works, was actually because someone called Hitogami had asked him to have a full-force match with Shirou, preferably forcing out all of Shirou's cards and moves.
Badigadi would naturally not agree to such a condition, but because he still owed Hitogami a favor, he chose to complete this goal for him.
The result was truly beyond his expectations.
Even Badigadi was truly shocked by the power of Unlimited Blade Works, a power he had never seen before.
He finally understood why his fiancee Kishirika and Hitogami both valued this human boy so much.
"I'm really sorry, this time I did such an unprincipled thing to repay Hitogami a favor, so I owe you a favor."
Badigadi silently apologized to the unconscious Shirou.
He didn't care whether the other party heard it or not, because the favors of the Demon King were secretly kept in mind.
At the same time, Rudeus and the others hurriedly sent Shirou to the infirmary and urgently gave him various treatments.
Although the result of the examination was that the latter had no wounds at all, and the reason for his unconsciousness was just heart failure, Principal Jinas still forced the healers to give Shirou a full range of treatments.
Later, Ariel, Fitz, and others also anxiously came to take care of the unconscious Shirou.
At the same time, the battle between Shirou and the Demon King spread like wildfire, quickly spreading throughout the Magic University, and even throughout the Northern Lands.
Although Shirou did not win the victory and obtain the title of hero, he still became famous and became a chapter sung by bards.
By the way, during Shirou's coma, there was also someone who came to visit Shirou.
That was an existence that many people in the Magic University didn't recognize, but the students of the special class knew him, that was Selent, one of the students of the special class.
He seemed to be very concerned about Shirou, and after secretly observing Shirou, he left a note, saying that he wanted to meet him alone.
Of course, Shirou himself did not notice all of this.
Under the strong side effects of Unlimited Blade Works, his consciousness completely fell into slumber, and his soul seemed to be trapped in a dark and boundless whirlpool.
Because of the denial of justice in his heart, the Unlimited Blade Works that he used was like a sharp knife aimed at himself.
All the thousands of swords in Unlimited Blade Works became blades stabbing at him.
Tearing his soul to pieces.
At the same time, the inner questioning of justice made him almost unable to breathe, and even made him have the idea of giving up his life.
Until he fell into the bottom of the dark abyss, a pair of hands suddenly appeared in front of him. The gentle palms stroked his head, causing him to gradually awaken from his unconsciousness and darkness.
Before completely waking up, Shirou saw the owner of those hands, Zenith.
That seemed to be the scene of Zenith hugging him before he left Buena Village.
It was clearly a scene from a long time ago, but recalling it now, it was like injecting power into his heart, giving his broken body the strength to fight again.
"I have to go... I still have things I have to do..."
The obsession in his heart suddenly rose, and Shirou forcibly broke free from the chains of justice that bound him, and returned from the end of nothingness, recovering his consciousness.
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