An alternate Shiro in a Type-Moon universe! (Tsukihime, Melty Blood, Kara no Kyoukai, Fate, etc.)
What would happen if you extract the 'Justice' part and plug 'Beacon/Symbol of Hope/Power' into the iron hero? For example, a darker version of All-Might from Hero Academia.
That's what this story is about! FAV'N'FOLLOW if you like this idea!
HERE WE GO!
Chapter 1 Prologue-Born of Blood
A haggard-looking man stumbled through the burning ruins, a horrid place where once stood a city filled with life.
In the inferno he kept searching, hoping, praying. He sought for a cry of help, a plead, a voice, anything. However, wherever he looked, there was nothing but death, pain, and agony.
Suddenly, he heard the groans of a young child. A child, still alive amongst the blazing flames, thick smoke, and charred bodies. His face lit up in joy as he rushed towards the source of the sound, his heart pounding wildly in his chest.
There the boy lay, the lone survivor of this disaster. The child's skin was half melted away, his exposed organs pulsating with filthy black goo. 'The mud from the contaminated grail', the man realized with growing horror.
"Boy, hang in there! Don't die on me!", the man frantically shouted. Dozens of calculations ran through his mind, only to meet the same conclusion. It was too late to save the boy.
'NO!', he vehemently opposed his rational side. 'There must be a way!'
The holy scabbard of King Arthur was lost in the tide of mud, and there was nothing he could do to reverse this curse that plagued the boy.
"Do you need help, Emiya Kiritsugu?", a deep voice asked from behind.
He whirled around; his gun pointed at the unknown man who stood several yards away. The man looked old enough, his hair the color of silver, and his face scarred with deep wrinkles. However, he had this powerful air around him as he casually strolled through the inferno while humming a tune.
The man with the gun shivered in shock, his mouth hanging wide.
"Z-Zelretch! The Kaleidoscope of the Clocktower!?", he said in disbelief.
The old man chuckled; his warms open wide in a comforting way.
"In the flesh."
The two men stared at each other for a while, before the younger one jolted back to his senses.
"Lord Zelretch, please help this child! I beg of you! Please save this poor, innocent boy!", the Asian man sobbed.
The old European man- Zelretch, lightly nodded.
"Very well. This was actually my intention from the very beginning."
The young Asian-Kiritsugu, lifted his face in mild confusion. Zelretch laughed, waving off Kiritsugu's anxiety with a gloved hand.
"Fret not, young one. Let's just say I had some interest in this particular soul who survived the curse of All-the-World's-Evil, the devil king Angra Mainyu."
Zelretch stooped down as he inspected the boy in deep interest. He had seen several possibilities the boy shall follow throughout alternate timelines, but never once did he see this soul tread upon such a chaotic path as this one.
A smile split his face. 'This might turn out to be a path like non-other.', the ancient magician mischievously thought. 'I wonder what ALAYA might think of this. Hopefully, she wouldn't send any counter forces.'
'Not that would change anything.', he added with a devious grin.
From his long coat, he pulled out a small box. With a click at the bottom, a stygian blade shot out, black as the darkest of nights. The pocketknife had a strangely Asian taste, its blade glittering like crystals in the fiery light.
Zelretch pulled off his glove from his right hand, and cast the blade on top of his wrist. Kiritsugu gasped, realizing what the ancient magician was attempting to do. A forbidden act, an irreversible transfusion of greater power.
"Child.", Zelretch said in a grave tone. "If you wish to live, drink my blood and embrace this curse."
With those words, he drew the knife across his wrist in a straight line, the blade slicing effortlessly through skin, bone, and matter. Crimson blood gushed out from his gaping wound, dripping down into the boy's open mouth.
"This blood is the blessings of the Sovereign of the Moon, the Monarch of All-species. With this blood, you shall transcend humanity and achieve immortality. With this sin, your fate shall be forever sealed in time, trapped until the end of all things."
The boy's eyes fluttered open, filled with a surprisingly determined look of fire, a fire far more ferocious than the curse that was inflicted upon him. His mouth opened even wider as he hungrily gulped down every single drop of blood, his Adam's apple bobbing up and down.
"Heed my words, young boy. From this moment, this instant, you are no longer 'human'."
Zelretch's eyes were filled with strange sadness as he spoke his last warning, his mouth set in a tight line.
The boy kept devouring the red substance without the faintest trace of regret or fear, his eyes still shining brightly with pure determination.
Kiritsugu balled his fingers into fists in self-loathing. Never once did he feel so powerless, so utterly useless. Because of his failure, his utter stupidity, the boy is now forced to live an immortal life filled with harsh trials and challenges.
Zelretch put a reassuring hand on the distressed magus's shoulder. A trace of pity was evident in his unusually soft voice as he spoke.
"The boy chose his own path with his own will. Respect that and lead him, for that is your duty."
Zelretch tapped a finger on Kiritsugu's shoulder, the place where the Emiya Crest was planted.
"Remember, the boy shall need all the help he could get."
The ancient magician leaned over, his mouth right above Kiritsugu's ear as he spoke in a hushed voice.
"This boy might even be the key to saving your daughter. The Einzberns surely would've already secured her by now, if you know what I mean."
"…!?"
Kiritsugu's head shot up, his mouth open to ask more questions-
-only to find the wind howling where Zelretch stood.
"Arg, gah!"
The sound of rough coughing brought his attention back to the boy. In the place where there were exposed organs and melted flesh, there now grew perfectly white skin and a toned body.
"Thank god!", Kiritsugu gasped, tears flowing from his eyes once he realized the boy has been truly saved. "Thank god! Thank you!"
He clung onto the boy as tears shamelessly poured from his bloodshot eyes, his whole body shaking in relief.
"Thank you! Thank you!", Kiritsugu kept repeating. At last, someone was saved. At long last, an innocent was healed.
The boy in question looked at the sobbing man in curiosity. He was half-conscious all along, so he vaguely knew how he was alive. What he did not know was why this man cradled him in his arms, like he was the most precious thing in the world.
The boy cannot remember his family, friends, or his entire past life. He felt hollow inside, right until that moment.
Something reignited his flames and stroked the roaring fire in his heart. Something kindled him, coaxing him to fight back.
His tongue ran over the inside of his mouth, marveling in the mysterious iron taste still remaining within.
He raised one, feeble hand, and gently patted the man's disheveled hair. Kiritsugu gasped as a shudder traveled through his body.
"Thank…you.", the broken man whispered, a watery smile on his face.
It was at this moment that the boy understood his urge, his 'fire'.
'I shall be stronger in the place of the weak. I shall be the hero to rule over all.'
With this vow, his consciousness sunk into the awaiting darkness.
Tohno Shiki stood up with a loud clatter, an alarmed expression plastered onto his usually stoic face. His jaw was clenched, his brows furrowed in frustration.
"WHAT!?", he shouted.
"The entire Fuyuki city burned up.", a feminine voice coolly repeated.
Tohno Shiki ran a hand through his hair as he bit his lip in agitation.
"What about my only living family!? My little brother we found out about!?"
Another feminine voice coughed loudly. A blackish red-haired woman stood beside Shiki, glaring at him with a small pout.
"Err, I mean, my other family. Sorry, Akiha.", Shiki said sheepishly. "Anyway-"
Shiki placed both hands on the wooden desk before him, his blue eyes flashing behind his enchanted spectacles.
"-We got to find him! He's the only living member of Nanaya (七夜：' seven nights', One of the four Demon hunting families)!"
"He also has the blood of the Ryougi family from his mother. Technically speaking, he's your half-brother. There's no need to risk your life rushing into a magical wasteland.", an athletic-looking woman with long red hair chirped in.
Shiki glared at his mentor as Akiha rolled her eyes at the woman's antics.
"Geez, I'm just joking! I would've smashed your head in myself if you had refused to go looking for your little brother for such reasons!", Aozaki Aoko said with a sigh.
"Ok, it's settled then.", Shiki declared. "We shall set off to Fuyuki."
"WHAT!?"
Ryougi Shiki jumped up from the couch she was lounging in with the squeak of cushion springs. Her usually cool expression was now contorted in anger, her eyes blazing in blue light as she directed her gaze towards her old friend.
"Did you say that the city he resided in, my long-lost brother who we at last discovered that he existed-", Shiki flung her arms sarcastically as she gestured towards the map pinned on the wall,
"-was burnt into crisp by some freaking magical battle royal!?"
"I'm afraid so.", a voice nonchalantly replied.
"Shiki, calm down. Yelling at Touko-san wouldn't solve anything. Let's just go find out with our own eyes.", a gentle voice reassured a fuming Shiki.
Shiki sighed deeply. Her husband was right; she needed to keep a cool head if she wanted to find her brother. Kokudou Mikiya, calm and firm as always. Always the most reliable when she was at her most vulnerable.
"Thank you, Mikiya."
"No problem, Shiki"
"Would you two stop flirting in my office? Please?", a tired Aozaki Touko grumbled.
Ryougi and Tohno, Emiya and Einzbern. The world of Magic shall soon rotate in the swirl of Chaos with Shiro in its center.
Will it be the birth of a hero like no other? Or shall the darkness consume him whole?
The world has yet to find out. However, one thing is for certain.
The boy who lived shall take all with storm.
Leave a comment if you want more! Thanks for your support!
X-kalibuuuur, over and out!