This is actually late because the anniversary of Fate was last week. Oh well.
Shirou wiped his sleeve across his forehead. He'd worked up a bit of a sweat; cleaning the dojo was a big job, after all, such that it was already way after curfew when he finished. Still, he didn't regret it. It wasn't like him to ever deny the request of a friend in need.
"Whew, I think that's everything that needed to be done. I should head back soon, before Fuji-nee starts to worry."
The night darkened slightly, as clouds drifted across the sky and covered the pale moon. It was quiet, incredibly quiet. Even the smallest tap or creak of the floorboards seemed to disrupt the tranquillity of the night. The school should be completely vacant right now, all the buildings locked up, with the exception of this one. Nobody else should be here, not even the most studious of pupils, definitely not after all the recent incidents around town. His teacher had warned him repeatedly not to go out by himself too late at night.
Yes, the school should be completely empty. Yet, even though there should be nobody else remaining at school, there was a noise outside. A sharp clanging of metal on metal that did not cease as it echoed through the night. It was a strange noise, one that you would never expect to hear in a place like this.
Are there...people?
One part of Shirou was telling him that he should just ignore it. Forget hearing this, forget ever being here. Just go home and go to sleep. But, another part of him was curious as to what could be happening outside. Locking up the dojo and against his better judgement, he headed to the source of this mysterious sound.
"Wha...?"
An intense battle was taking place. Red and blue streaked across the schoolyard as two men engaged each other in a fight, one brandishing twin swords and the other a red spear. This was something far beyond human comprehension; a normal human mind couldn't possibly follow the flow of this battle. No, these people must not even be human, for the strength of this battle was beyond human ability.
With sudden force, the man in red managed to push the other away. Just at that moment, he looked across the yard, and for some reason his eyes widened as Shirou met his gaze –
– and then, the universe, unable to handle the paradox of Shirou seeing another 'himself' even if the self from the future was virtually unrecognisable, immediately imploded.
.~*~.
"This is bullshit!"
Zelretch cursed as he pulled his other leg out from the rapidly collapsing universe.
"I've fit more King Arthurs in a room before the smallest strains on reality even began to show!"