== A Rain of Blades ==
He was useless.
Those were the only thoughts that ran through his mind. The only way he could describe himself.
In the face of turmoil, in the face of danger, in the face of death, he was the only one unable to stand and fight.
He had real no power, no skill, nor any ability to save or protect.
When his parents could fight a war with well-made plans, strategies, and tactics, when his sister and her friends could fight with the might of their magecraft, when even Sella and Liz could fight with their bare hands, he found he was useless.
He had nothing to offer. He didn't have the experience of fighting a war, the keen mind of a strategist, or the strength and fortitude of warrior. He was blissfully ignorant and unaware of the world that all his family and friends were a part of.
He could do nothing.
He could only stand and pointlessly struggle as everything he loved and cherished was cruelly wretched away by a calamity he had no idea was ever even coming.
He blamed the world and blamed the gods, he cried, wept and grieved but there was nothing he could do and nothing he could sacrifice to bring them back.
His story would've ended then and there, his ending would have been by the hands of black shadow-like monsters devouring every bit of his body. He would have fought with his bare hands and be torn limb from limb.
Yet the world deemed it fit to give him a chance.
Right in the face of death a rain of swords came down from the heavens. As if timed had slowed, he was able to witness each and take in every detail. Every single blade that mercilessly slaughtered the shadows attacking him looked grand and emitted power beyond anything he had seen before.
He knew by instinct alone that they were something of legend. That the blades were once held by people who moved the world and its people by the might of their words and actions.
The sight burned within his mind and soul.
"You truly are Shirou Emiya… to fight even when you had no power. To pointlessly struggle when faced with the inevitable… you and the one I'm acquainted with were similar in the respect."
What came into his sights was an imposing woman. She had a mature figure, one that was made clear from the fact that the gold armor she wore seemed to only cover her lower body, left arm and chest. Her exposed skin showed markings that seemed like tribal tattoos.
"Though he was certainly more powerful. It seems this once peaceful world had made you far weaker in comparison"
She walked casually towards him as she continued slaughtering anything that came near.
"I am one who repays my debts. Hence I will ask… Shirou Emiya, do you wish to continue fighting?"
That was the day he met the woman named Angelic Ainsworth.
== A Rain of Blades ==
"It looks like they've met up. Is this really necessary though? There are other options, one that presents better prospects than him."
It was a room only illuminated by the light of the large jewel in the middle. Two figures stood in front of the jewel, observing the show it displayed. One was that of an who was far older than what his aged appearance already showed while the other was a young woman.
"Hmph… we both know you simply don't want to subject the boy to what's about to happen. I've told you before child, he is different than the one you have come to know so well. It's best that you learn to distinguish the differences."
An old man scoffed as he chided his female assistant. The assistant only sighed and shook her head in response.
"It's because I've seen so many versions of him that I want to at least spare this one the suffering. A Shirou Emiya living a happy and peaceful life, or at least one that doesn't have to live and fight through tragedy after tragedy, is that so much to ask for?"
The pain in her voice could easily be heard. With time and experience, the woman had learned to hide her emotions and even silence them at will, but there were still a few things that could get to her with barely any effort.
"This problem we face has persisted and will only grow worse. Tohsaka Rin, if you were to trust anyone in the many worlds we've witnessed with the resolution of this problem, would you choose another?"
Rin couldn't find any rebuttal. Before, during, and after her she became the proper inheritor of the Second Magic, the one person she was able to always believe in was the existence named Shirou Emiya.
Being able to witness him in different worlds only made her faith in him grow, even when the one she personally came to know had already passed.
She'd come to know a lot of people since her ascension as a 'Magician' and quite a few of them were ones that could even be put into the throne of heroes. However she firmly believed that no other person was as reliable as Shirou when it comes to saving people.
"I know you don't want him to face another tragedy… but this sacrifice must be made if we want this problem to stop. You and I both know he would want this as well"
"…"
She understood her master's words. After all she and her master, Zelretch Schweinorg, the man capable of using the Second Magic held a unique position in the universe.
Due to his ability to see and operate parallel worlds, he also held the responsibility of taking care of any threats that were present at such a level. Such threats were almost non-existent, they were things that happened once in many millennia, yet now there was one happening, and it was drastic enough for him to take severe action.
"We can't interfere again, can we?"
She asked the question, fully knowing the answer her master would give.
"Not directly. We can exert our influence, pull some strings, and move the pieces in the board, but we cannot directly use our power in another world aside from our own. The consequences of that would only make things worse. What we're doing now is already far too risky as it is"
The level of influence they can exert was also limited. What they were planning to do was actually already qualified as direct interference.
"… Sometimes I wonder what Shirou would say to me if he knew I was doing this…"
"Knowing that boy, he'd probably thank you."
"Yeah… he's the type that would definitely say that… though Sakura would definitely never forgive me, regardless of what version she is. Rider as well."
Rin stood closer to the large jewel in the room, already ignoring her master's existence, closely paying attention to the version of Shirou they had chosen as he was training for battle along with Angelica Ainsworth.
To her master's credit, he had quietly left the room to give her some privacy.
She spent a few moments looking at him as he struggled to learn Tracing. She chuckled a bit when he fumbled and made mistakes. It was one of her favorite things to watch, an innocent Shirou Emiya that was still learning, one that hadn't turned into a battle worn man that had been forged through the flames of conflict.
"I'm sorry… I know you can't hear me and I know you don't even know what will happen but… we're about to put you through a lot of hardships…"
They were words that would have never left her mouth in the past long gone but she's had enough time to grow and mature enough to be able to say them unabashedly.
"You're strong and kind, albeit a bit twisted. Regardless of how many worlds and how many version of you I've seen, you were always the one person that would do everything in his power to save lives…"
When faced with parallel worlds, differences would always exist, but the existence of Shirou Emiya had somehow remained consistent in one aspect.
He would fight to save lives. He always has and always will.
Sometimes what power he used was different if he had any at all. Sometimes he had a different personality and sometimes he wasn't even heroic by any definition of the word.
Still he never once deviate from saving others.
"I'm sorry. I'll say it as many times as I can. I know that right now you think that what you have will stay but… there's still another tragedy you need to see. We'll need you to fight a battle harder than what you'll be fighting now so we need you to get stronger…"
The world that the version of Shirou Emiya they had chosen was already considered 'hopeless and beyond saving'. Any effort that the Shirou Emiya in that world would make would not save his world …
…but they will use it to save the other worlds instead.
Tears went down her face as she smiled bitterly.
"Do your best and good luck. That's… that's the only thing I have any right to say to you Shirou."
Within that isolated room, Rin Tohsaka wept, hoping that someday the Shirou Emiya in her sight will find a happy ending.
She continued to watch, never allowing herself to even miss a single moment, finding it her duty to see this Shirou's life to the inevitable bitter ending.
== A Rain of Blades ==
He was lacking.
Those were the only words he could describe himself with.
"Behind you!"
Angelica's voice roared to alert him of the large shadow about to attack him from behind. He responded immediately, traced a nameless blade and beheaded the shadow.
More approached him but a rain of swords from Angelica quickly took them out.
Both of them were injured and exhausted. Having fought for a full day without rest in order to hold back the horde of shadows to give enough time for survivors to escape.
They're already achieved they're objective but found themselves too occupied by an endless stream of enemies blocking any path to escape.
"SHIROU!"
"TRACE ON!"
A storm of blades rained down the battlefield, kicking up a large amount of dust and killing a great amount of shadows. They were both at wit's end and had nothing left to fight with.
"Did it finally end?"
They found themselves back to back in the battlefield. Angelica had been pushing her class card to the limit while his own circuits were aflame from over usage.
He didn't have enough power to truly protect or save anyone.
The dust cleared and their hopes were crushed by the sight. An army of shadows already manifesting from the ground and ready to devour them.
"That's a no then…"
He traced more swords and Angelica took some from her Gate.
They both knew this battle was already lost.
"Shirou…"
"Yes?"
Angelica seemed to struggle internally before continuing to speak.
"We both know this hopeless. There won't be any miracles here that can save both of us…"
The shadows approached slowly but surely. Shirou felt something off about Angelica's words, and decided to tear away his sights from the enemy to her face.
He was greeted with a warm and gentle smile…
"So let me say these last few things… Thank you for everything… I've enjoyed my time with you… and …please live."
…and a stab from a mystic code that invokes sleep.
He struggled to keep awake to trace something to counter the effects but his consciousness slowly faded.
"Thank you … cooperating… we'll take care …. him…"
"I don't like how… using him like…. but… him alive…"
He could barely make out who Angelica was talking too and what they were saying. He could feel the shadows already coming near.
Just like in the past, when he was first saved, a torrent of legendary blades entered his sights before he fully lost consciousness.
Even with years of training and experience from battles… He could do nothing.
== A Rain of Blades ==
A/N: Yet another story I wrote in the midst of a stress filled day with schoolwork.
An F/SN story featuring Prisma Illya's Angelica(miyu-verse), Shiro(prisma illya-verse, non-miyuverse), and Rin (from Heaven's Feel true ending).
Well that's about it. Will be designated as a one shot for now. Might work on it in the future when I'm not so busy or stressed or if an idea suddenly pops out and I feel the urge to write again for this (Which happens a lot actually).
Thank you for reading and review if you feel like it.