"Then, I'll be taking the first move!"
Rin Tohsaka smoothly drew five cards from the top of her deck.
"First, I activate [Gallows of the Branded Sin-Bearer], sending a Level 4 or lower Servant from the deck to the graveyard. I send [Kiritsugu Emiya] to the graveyard and add [Emiya] to my hand. Thanks to Kiritsugu's effect, I also add one [Origin Bullet] to my hand."
"Next, I Normal Summon [Emiya]!"
At Rin's summoning, Archer leapt into the battle zone. With that, everyone now knew his real name.
[Emiya] – ATK 2000.
"Emiya?"
Illyasviel looked at the tall man. He had the same name as her father, but there wasn't the slightest resemblance in his expression. Considering what Hundred-Faces had said about him still being a high schooler, the answer was obvious.
"You're Shirou Emiya, aren't you? Should I be calling you my dear little brother?"
This wasn't some pre-recorded broadcast—Archer had no time to stop her. Everyone heard the name Shirou Emiya loud and clear. And just like that, Archer's secret identity was completely exposed.
"I've been meaning to say this—when you're up against a Caster's Noble Phantasm, what's even the point of hiding your name?"
Rin gave Archer a side glance, clearly unimpressed.
All of Shirou's classmates who knew him turned toward him. Fujimura Taiga instantly threw an arm around his neck. "I didn't know you'd go on to do such great things! Looks like you were destined for greatness!"
Shirou twitched at the corners of his mouth. If he'd known this would happen, he never would've come to watch the duel in person—he would've fled Fuyuki entirely. He could already see the rest of his life being plagued by nosy people. His future self really loved causing him trouble.
Archer gave Shirou a look that basically said good luck, and then turned to Illya. "I'm just someone who inherited the lingering wish of that man."
Thinking back, during the years he lived with Kiritsugu, the man never once mentioned Illya. That really was hard to justify.
Fortunately, in this timeline, Kiritsugu was dead and couldn't testify. So Archer decided to spin a white lie.
"Before he died, he kept calling your name. But he never told me anything specific about you—probably because he was worried I wouldn't have the strength to bring you out."
"Is that so? Then let me ask you this, Shirou Emiya: is what he said true?"
If it weren't for the events ten years ago, Illya would've immediately confronted Shirou. She knew him well. Back in the church, he hadn't reacted at all to her presence—when her face was very recognizable.
The screen instantly locked onto Shirou in the stands.
"Ah? Ah! Yes! That's right!"
He hadn't expected the conversation to come back to him so suddenly. He shot a glare at Archer. "Kiritsugu held my hand and kept calling your name. You were always on his mind. He mentioned you to me all the time."
"Then why didn't he come for me? Who stopped him? How old am I now?"
Illya had already learned the truth from Jiang You. Though she still bore resentment toward Kiritsugu, she had come to terms with it—accepting that her father had a "justice brain."
"Uhh…"
Archer covered his face. Of course Shirou wouldn't know those things.
"You think I'm easy to fool?"
Illya narrowed her eyes and pointed at herself. She could tell Archer was trying to spare her feelings. But after being let down by two of the most important people in her life, she had no love for liars.
"That guy had so much justice stuffed into his head it burned out his brain. And you, too—being a so-called ally of justice, but forgetting how important family is!"
"Hmph, is calling me big sis really that hard?"
Illya was clearly losing interest. She had wanted to lord her seniority over Archer, but then he had to go and bring up that man, completely ruining her mood.
The audience, meanwhile, was thrilled—getting gossip along with a duel? Worth it!
Too bad there was no prior plot recap, so half the tea flew over their heads.
"Even as a Heroic Spirit, can't you tone down that good-guy personality a little?"
Rin helped shift the topic back to the duel. "Let's continue. I activate the effect of [Rin Tohsaka], discarding a [Jewel] Spell to Special Summon her!"
[Rin Tohsaka] – ATK 1200.
"Now for [Emiya]'s effect! By discarding one card, I can equip him with an Equip Spell!"
"I choose—[Jeweled Sword Zelretch]!"
Rin Tohsaka LP: 4000 → 4250
Illya LP: 4000 → 3750
[Emiya] ATK: 2000 → 2500
"Doesn't that Equip require banishing a [Tohsaka]...?"
Illya quickly realized where the [Tohsaka] in the graveyard had come from.
"Exactly. Emiya discarded [Nagato Tohsaka]! His effect activates—when sent to the graveyard by a card effect, I can search one [Jewel] Spell from my deck! I add [Inherited Jewel Necklace] to my hand!"
"Then, the [Jeweled Sword]'s effect allows me to search a [Jewel] Spell from my deck, excluding itself! I add [Black Jewel Magic]!"
"[Black Jewel]'s effect: pay 2000 LP to send three [Jewel] Spells to the graveyard and add one [Ruby Jewel Magic]!"
Rin LP: 4250 → 2250 → 2500
Illya LP: 3750 → 3500
"Finally, I set two cards and end my turn!"
Rin held two cards in hand and passed the turn to Illya.
"You had one more chance to trigger a [Jewel] Spell to heal and burn me—why didn't you use it?"
Illya picked up on the inconsistency. Rin definitely still had a [Jewel] Spell in her hand. With [Inherited Jewel Necklace], she could've summoned another Servant for defense. Something was definitely off.
Illya quickly locked onto [Jeweled Sword Zelretch]. As the Mystic Code of the world's most powerful magus, it was no ordinary card. Clearly, something was tied to it.
"If that's the case, I'll just get rid of it early! I activate the Spell [Unfulfilled Promise]! I send [Kiritsugu Emiya] from my hand to the graveyard and add [Castle of Snow] from my deck to my hand! Thanks to Kiritsugu's effect, I also add one [Origin Bullet] to my hand!"
Kiritsugu got sent to the graveyard yet again. The fact that he appeared in both decks was truly dramatic.
"If I get a chance to build my own deck, I have to get a copy of [Kiritsugu Emiya]!"
One spectator commented in awe.