You call this a projection?

Compared to [Osiris], [Atum] is indeed much more convenient in many respects.

However, in exchange for that convenience, [Atum] also suffers from a weakened soul-seizing capability.

Unlike [Osiris], which makes resistance impossible once an opponent admits defeat, [Atum]’s soul-snatching appears to require only a single victory—by any means—to grab hold of another’s soul. But to truly seize it completely and extract it, one still needs to achieve a ”total victory.”

This flaw was inherited by the [Pseudo-Atum] projected by Emiya Shirou. And in this operation against Matou Zouken, the soul-seizing was currently being resisted by Zouken’s will.

However, that was merely Emiya Shirou’s internal perspective. If changed to anyone else’s—especially to Matou Zouken, whose soul was currently being physically gripped by Shirou—they would scream: Emiya Shirou, do you even hear yourself!?

To be able to grab someone’s soul without practically doing anything... is that even a legitimate ability? And yet, you’re still not satisfied!? If Matou Zouken knew Shirou’s inner thoughts, he would have shouted those rebukes at the top of his lungs. But right now, Zouken was nearly scared senseless.

Specifically, he could truly feel the physical tugging sensation of his soul being gripped by something.

”You... you brat!? ...You monster!?”

Oh, it’s getting looser. Emiya Shirou, who had found things a bit difficult, heard Matou Zouken’s words... Of course, the point wasn’t the words themselves, but the fact that as Zouken spoke, the [Pseudo-Atum] was actually able to extract more of the soul.

Realizing something, the corners of Shirou’s mouth curled up slightly: ”Don’t talk, or you’ll bite your tongue. After all, the sensation of soul extraction is not pleasant.”

As if to prove his words, Matou Zouken let out another wail: ”Hmph hmph hmph, AAAAAAAAAGH—!!”

—’I see, the sense of defeat can be accumulated.” Emiya Shirou confirmed his theory, thinking to himself in a good mood: ”In that case, I think I understand the correct way to use [Atum].

Essentially, if the target doesn’t know the true nature of the Stand’s ability—unless I’m unlucky enough to encounter someone with an incredibly unshakable will like Jotaro—the fear of having one’s soul gripped, the feeling of failure and death, will only spread deeper into their heart as time passes. They will scare themselves into the abyss of total defeat.’

Of course, this also required the [Pseudo-Atum] Stand ability to be sufficiently powerful.

One must remember that the TYPE-MOON world also has magecraft targeting the soul.

Take the Holy Church’s Baptism Rite, for example. Baji Quan targets the flesh; Baptism Rite targets the soul.

These two moves are the most common ”two axes” of the Holy Church.

As an Executor of the Church, Kotomine Kirei naturally knew the Baptism Rite and had used it against Matou Zouken. But it was useless.

In the original story, what Kotomine Kirei destroyed was merely the soul on a clone body composed of insect familiars.

The soul residing in Matou Zouken’s true body remained safely hidden within Matou Sakura.

But this strategy of ”hiding for survival” might work against others, but it was completely useless against [Pseudo-Atum]!

[Osiris], which has a similar range to [Atum], can seize someone’s soul from over 10,000 kilometers away as long as consent is given. With a range that exceeds the Earth’s radius, how could Matou Zouken, whose true body was still within Fuyuki City, hope to evade the soul-grip of [Pseudo-Atum]? Under this clearly felt threat of death, Matou Zouken, who had long ago lost the ambitions of his youth and possessed a spirit as wretched as a pile of rotten meat, only wanted to beg for mercy.

”Wait! Wait, Emiya Shirou! Do you know the secret of the Holy Grail!?”

As [Pseudo-Atum]’s grip grew tighter and Matou Zouken felt his life force slipping away, he began to desperately grab at any straw that might save his life: ”I can help too! I also have a way to utilize the corrupted Holy Grail!

You don’t need Caster, and you won’t have to worry about her being disobedient. As long as you let this old man join you, I can immediately let you, who are about to win the Holy Grail War, inherit and realize Emiya Kiritsugu’s ideal!”

That’s right, Kotomine Kirei had lost. Recognizing Emiya Shirou and seeing him arrive, Matou Zouken—who knew Shirou had been at Kotomine’s location earlier—was almost certain that Shirou was the final victor of the Holy Grail War.

At this stage, no one could beat Emiya Shirou.

Caster couldn’t. Tohsaka Rin and Lancer were his allies. As for Berserker, even less needs to be said; he was nearly killed by Shirou not long ago.

Thus, realizing he couldn’t win this Holy Grail War, Matou Zouken decisively left himself a back path. In the art of ”hiding for survival,” he was confident he would outlive Emiya Shirou. As long as he could survive, as long as he didn’t have to die, Matou Zouken would do anything.

”Matou Zouken—no, Makiri Zolgen—why have you become so hideous? And why are you so obsessed with living, clinging to life by any means necessary?”

There was no joy, no sadness. As [Pseudo-Atum]’s ability continued to reach deeper into Matou Zouken’s soul, Emiya Shirou no longer needed to do anything else. He simply watched Zouken’s struggle calmly: ”One who wishes to eradicate all evil in the world often ends up becoming the evil that must be defeated. Or rather, when one who swings a heart of justice begins to bare ferocious fangs...

...no matter how righteous the cause, does it eventually cause the bottom line to sink lower and lower through ’any means necessary,’ until it becomes completely rotten?”

It... it...? Matou Zouken stared blankly at Emiya Shirou. Makiri Zolgen... a very familiar name. It had been so long since anyone called him that. But the one who wanted to eradicate all evil in the world... who was that? Was it Emiya Kiritsugu? Or was it Emiya Shirou, who inherited that ideal?

Having long forgotten many things and now only wishing to live, Matou Zouken simply couldn’t understand what Shirou was talking about.

’... Why does he feel so inexplicably sad...?’

Boom!