Archer doesn't hate himself. In fact, as much as he'd be loathe to admit it...he's proud.
He'd come from a time where he had to face Shirou in battle to realize that his ideal wasn't his own, to truly take it on for himself and not just borrow it. He'd let the battle end the way it did, not because Shirou was stronger than him - but because Shirou had changed enough that he knew he didn't have to kill him anymore.
And faced yet again with another version of himself, who's let that ideal break - he can see it in his eyes - he's...happy. But also sad, because -]
...Looks like it was a foolish hope after all.
[It's mumbled so quietly Shirou can barely hear it, but it's not aimed at the teenager - as always, it's aimed at himself.
Heroic Spirit Emiya will never be able to break out of the cycle he voluntarily put himself in, all those years ago - not as long as humanity desires to live. And he'll...just have to live with that.]
As long as you realize that, then there won't be as much issues between us.
[...A smirk.]
Make no mistake - that doesn't mean we'll ever be anything approaching friends. It just means I can tolerate you a little more than I already could.
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Archer doesn't hate himself. In fact, as much as he'd be loathe to admit it...he's proud.
He'd come from a time where he had to face Shirou in battle to realize that his ideal wasn't his own, to truly take it on for himself and not just borrow it. He'd let the battle end the way it did, not because Shirou was stronger than him - but because Shirou had changed enough that he knew he didn't have to kill him anymore.
And faced yet again with another version of himself, who's let that ideal break - he can see it in his eyes - he's...happy. But also sad, because -]
...Looks like it was a foolish hope after all.
[It's mumbled so quietly Shirou can barely hear it, but it's not aimed at the teenager - as always, it's aimed at himself.
Heroic Spirit Emiya will never be able to break out of the cycle he voluntarily put himself in, all those years ago - not as long as humanity desires to live. And he'll...just have to live with that.]
As long as you realize that, then there won't be as much issues between us.
[...A smirk.]
Make no mistake - that doesn't mean we'll ever be anything approaching friends. It just means I can tolerate you a little more than I already could.