DISCLAIMER

The following is a fan-based

FICTION

F/SN, F/Z, F/KPI and other products related to the Fate Series are all owned by TYPE-MOON, Kinoko Nasu and Takashi Takeuchi.

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Chapter 11: Memoirs of the Magus Killer

After hearing the shocking answer, Sean stumbled backwards and stared wide-eyed to Shirou.

"A-And she said that s-she is your sister?"

Shirou was looking confused at the mood swing of his friend but nonetheless nodded slowly.

Sakura had moved to see what was wrong with her crush, surprised too that he seemed terrified of this news.

Sean's stare then fell to the ground and was thinking of this new development, trying to see a way to learn more about it.

Then, he remembered something he had heard from Shirou.

"Shirou-kun, you told me there were documents left from your father, right?"

The red-haired Magus hesitated to answer but nodded at the question. "Y-yes. Kiritsugu had left a diary but I had never bothered to check it."

This was Sean's moment to appear confused. "Why?" His friend once again, hesitated.

"Because... before dying Kiritsugu had asked me to not open his diary, that there was too much pain inside of it." The foreign teen shook his head.

"Well, I think we can both endure this 'pain' if it's to avoid any unseen menace from the past."

Shirou nodded and, after leaving the room for few minutes, he returned with a black box. The three sat before the box and Sean opened it slowly.

Their eyes widened at the sight of its content.

A small book, a photo and a gun. "A Colt Contender. It's really rare to find one of those and even more rare for someone to use them. The limited capacity for bullets makes it a bad choice in many situations. But..".

Sean picked it up and looked closer the interesting piece.

"It seems like this model had been modified."

He opened the chamber and his eyes widened.

"The chamber had been expanded to hold .44 bullets! And is this a Prana enchantment?"

As Sean was analysing the gun, Shirou had decided to pick up the diary and he saw a little, white letter fall from it. The young Emiya felt that it was important and decided to read it, silently.

This letter is addressed to whoever it may concerns.

My name is Emiya Kiritsugu. I'm the Magus Killer, an assassin, an husband and a... father.

I don't feel worthy to add 'hero' to the list. I'm no hero. In the past, I would have been quite enraged by not classifying myself as such, but my actions did more damage than the worst of the villains.

Ten years ago, I choose an illusion over family. A family that I cherished and loved. A family that I destroyed because of my ideals. Because of the Fourth Holy Grail War, Fuyuki burned and, if I hadn't ordered the destruction of the grail, the world would have soon followed.

Shirou, when I saw you, I saw redemption. A chance to save the innocence from my own greed. The last time I saw you, you were begging me to become a Magus and you promised to become an Hero of Justice. Don't do the same mistakes I did, Shirou. Don't become the monster I truly was.

Avoid any implications with the Holy Grail War, the grail is corrupted by the Servant Avenger, Angra Manyu.

Illya. My sweet, little daughter. You were the second, greatest treasure of my life. I'm sorry for not having been there for you until now. The situation was far more complex than we all thought. In light of my failure during the War, your grandfather decided to officially reliquish the alliance we had and ban me officially from the Einzbern Castle. I'm sorry for having been the worst of the fathers.

I have tried everything I could to breach into the castle but my damaged Circuits can do so little...

Irisviel, wherever you are...

Forgive me.

Old tear stains were visible on the paper and Shirou saw how draining his father's remembrance. Emiya Kiritsugu, his stoic father, had his façade finally removed, leaving just the real deal.

The letter contained little, yet the content was enough to leave Shirou to think about his life. His ideals had been directly influenced by Kiritsugu somehow. If the path of an Hero of Justice was as horrible as Kiritsugu described, then things needed to change.

"Why not become just a normal hero then?" Shirou snapped to the voice behind him. Sean was hovering above him and he had a perfect look to the letter. "If the 'path of the Hero of Justice' is too much angsty-filled, why not become a good hero? The protector of your own precious people?"

Sean took a serious visage. "A true hero is someone who protects his friends and family first, then he act to save others. While it's a greedy form of heroism, it's the pure, modern form of what remains of heroes."

That. That was something Shirou could actually thrive to achieve. While his dream was no more, a new ideal had formed in his head.

He shall become the hero for his friends. Rin, Sakura, Sean...

And maybe he will be able to save Illya before it's too late!

"The grail is corrupted."

"..!?"

After reading that part of the last wills, Sean had asked Shirou to call Rin and have her come to the household.

"As you know the Third War, the Einzberns tried to summon an eight Servant, Avenger-"

"But he was too weak! While it was the Zoroastrian God of all Evil, it was useless and died early in that war." Rin interceded, not seeing how that fact was related to the corruption of the Greater Grail.

"Yet." Sean continued. "The process of return of the Heroic Spirits was different. During the Fourth War, the winner of the Grail witnessed the hidden corruption and had.. ordered the destruction of the Grail. It happened ten years ago."

Rin thought about what the foreign teen had just said and, understanding the last sentence, whispered. "The Great Fire that happened ten years ago.."

Shirou nodded. "I was there." He said, remembering the horror. "The screams and the fire..."

"The problem is that I may know more about the corruption of the Grail." Shook from his remembrance, Shirou glanced at his friend in confusion.

Sighing, Sean decided to reveal his little night problem. "It's been a while since I started to make some serious 'dreams' about a dark void. In that place, I wasn't not alone.."

"What do you mean, Sean-kun?" Rin asked, curious at what he was trying to say.

"I had several encounters with Angra Manyu. But... the thing that shocked me was that It also used another name to describe its.. host."

Shirou's eyes widened. "You mean that-" "Her name was Irisviel Von Einzbern, Illya's mother and..."

His eyes stared the floor. "Kiritsugu's wife."

Silence fell on the room and everyone was trying to think on how to digest this news.

"I-" Rin started, trying to break the dark atmosphere. "I think this will have to be discussed more.. later. We still need to win the War and yet we are thinking on what to do after that."

"Are you serious, Tohsaka-san?!" Shirou snapped, looking completely furious at her attempt to change the subject. "There is the possibility that this War will lead to the end of the war and you discard it so easily? I thought you were smarter than that."

Shocked, Rin stared at the young Emiya's rant and felt more inclined to his logic. While the Grail War was still far from over, if they weren't ready to deal with the Zoroastrian God...

She shivered at the thought and nodded at Shirou. "I understand, Emiya-kun. I'm sorry if I did offend you."

The somber silence fell once more and this time it stayed even after Rin left to return to her home.

Odds against the dark ones might seem scarce, but there are two heroes ready to defend the world with their lives.