Chains of Remnant

Chapter 00: Prologue

Oath under the broken moon

It was a slice like the wind.

It's going to cut open the neck of that man.

He will die.

He desperately tries to dodge.

But it's useless.

A human cannot avoid the wind so—

Steel meets flesh.

A crimson rain bathes his small body as it falls down.

And before the man's body hits the floor or the red liquid stops flowing, another life has been lost today.

Golden-brown orbs find me.

He wears a smile, unlike anything I have ever seen before.

And while looking down on me, tied lifeless on the floor.

"Thank the gods. You are okay."

That is the first thing he ever told me.

With the subtle orange light of the falling sun entering from the broken window.

It illuminates his sticky auburn hair.

Dripping red falls from his head onto the large brown cloak covered in leaves and various stains.

The only parts of his body that the cloak didn't cover were his face and neck, which wore a red scarf.

I couldn't help but think that such a sight was—

"Don't worry. I will make sure everything is okay."

His smile is still present while approaching with the steel knife in hand.

—Beautiful.

As I breathed through the piece of cloth around my mouth that was my only thought.

As long as I live in this cruel world, this sight will be ingrained in me.

Why is my body still moving forward?

Blood leaked from my wounds.

With every step my energy was drained alongside my blood.

But even beyond that, everyone is dead already.

My eyes abandoned Hate.

My hands abandoned Strength.

My feet abandoned Hope.

And my Heart abandoned Life.

So why does my body—

Keep going forward.

The sky covered in smoke looms over me.

The rubble of what previously was my town surrounds me.

And everywhere is covered with red pulps of mass.

Neighbors, classmates, friends—

family.

They all looked the same, splashed red organs and fluids.

Scattered on the floor, as if they were squashed like one would a bug.

Everyone was dead.

There would be no survivor to something like this.

Everyone died and I couldn't save anyone.

Just like no one would save me.

There wouldn't be a miracle because—

— They don't exist in this hell.

I saw with my failing eyes.

My body gave up with that.

And just like a broken toy on his last legs.

I collapse alongside the remains and the rubble.

Everyone died and there was no survivor.

Nobody would be saved.

Miracles don't exist but—

I still reach out with my hand begging to be saved.

My vision swirls.

A smile.

A different tone of red.

A hand grabbing my own.

A survivor that couldn't exist.

—Surely it must have been a miracle.

And darkness followed by light appears in front of my vision.

"Ha—ah—Ha—!"

I open my eyes in the dark.

My chest erratically goes up and down as I try to calm my breathing.

My body is drenched in sweat making my nightclothes sticky and uncomfortable.

"Again…"

I had a dream about that accident that happened almost two years ago.

It's always the same, ever since I was adopted, I have had only two types of dreams.

The one I just had is the most frequent one, and never lets me sleep well.

Fortunately, it seems I have become better at staying asleep.

My eyes accustom themselves to the low lighting of my room and the wooden ceiling, that I saw for the first time after waking up from the accident, welcomes me.

"Mh… it seems that I have a bit more time left…"

The lack of light from the window means that's it should be before six in the morning.

Standing from my bed I start my usual routine of doing my bed, going to the bathroom, and changing my clothes into something ready to exercise.

Exiting my room with clothes a size too big for me I check around the kitchen and living room but it seems the old man is still sleeping.

Click

The sound of opening the main door of our house spreads to the forest surrounding it.

Stretching my arms and legs a few seconds I start running through the trail I am used to.

As the sun still hasn't risen the path is too dark, uneven ground, roots, rocks, and all manner of things make it difficult to advance without tripping over.

But with enough practice running over and over in the same place has its benefits, like learning were not to step if you don't want to fall face-first into the mud.

Kiritsugu looked so amused the first time I came back dirty from my shoes to my head.

"Ha—"

After having the same experience happen day after day, learning the trail obstacles was a must.

Kiritsugu asked me around that time what was so fun about running but I never could answer him

Running after all is said and done, wasn't fun nor was it unpleasant.

it was something to do after waking up too early to do anything else.

Besides—

"If you want to become like me then you need to be able to run for a long time. You need to be able to reach the people you want to help."

That's what he told me one day when I asked how I could become a huntsman.

And it made sense, how could you help someone if you can't reach them in time?

"Ha—Ha"

So, I began to run every morning since he told me that.

There are days where it's annoying because of the rain or I might be feeling sick but as long as one puts their feet forward one at a time it isn't anything difficult but something that everyone can do if they keep trying.

"Ha—ha—ha"

My breathing getting this agitated means that I should be around…

And as soon as I think that, a particular tree comes into my limited view. Two times bigger than the average trees in this forest.

Giving it a light tap with my right hand I turn around and retrace my steps.

Running isn't fun.

It Isn't particularly rewarding.

And even after a whole year, I don't think I came closer to being like my dad.

But when I run through the trail for some reason—

"Ha—ha—ha"

My mind is always calm.

I don't remember.

I do not feel anything besides the burn of my muscles and lungs.

I don't fail as I only need to keep moving forward.

"Haa—Haa—Haa"

Leaving the trail behind me I reach our house once again.

Now faintly illuminated by the rising sun the wooden cabin, it was large all things considered.

Having four rooms, a kitchen room, a bath, and a living room seems more than necessary for a family of two.

"No lights on…"

I murmur while slowing down and trying to re-adjust my breathing I walk towards the back of the house.

That must mean that dad is still asleep, not surprising as he usually wakes up around seven.

It usually takes me half an hour to finish my run, so I should have less than an hour left to finish my morning routine.

At the back of the cabin was a small yard with neatly trim grass and a small vegetable garden.

And beyond the yard stands a wooden building, half the size of our home with a chimney escape protruding to the side. On its left side, there is a well encircled by a fence.

Walking up to the plain well, I pull up a bucket full of water and use a ladle to drink enough to make up for what I lost during the run.

Throwing the leftovers water over my head to refresh myself I return the bucket down to the well and go into the building next over.

Opening the entrance, and flicking a light switch on a small storage shell is revealed with many objects piled together and a locked door to the side.

I grab a wooden sword that was resting next to the entrance and go back into the yard after turning off the lights.

Standing in the middle of the yard, I remember what my old man taught me and position the meter-long wooden sword in front of me.

After taking a full minute of I swing downwards.

"…1!"

"Remember Shirou, you need to do a lot of things when you fight with a sword.

First of all, your breathing needs to match your actions. Every type of movement has a breathing rhythm that matches perfectly with it.

Every swordsman will desperately train every moment of their life to get to that level.

And almost none manage to get there, even among legendary warriors."

"…60!"

"Your footsteps must always be deliberated; you can't just forget about them and focus on your enemy or your weapon.

They have to be clean, precise, measured, and powerful.

You need to always consider your own and your enemy's attack ranges, the terrain, the position of the people you are fighting or protecting, and more things you will discover when you gain more experience.

Every weapon and environment will have you changing your footwork and if you commit a single mistake you will die."

"...150!"

"The grip on your weapon matters more than whatever muscles you ever will gain.

Even if you become a mountain of pure muscle when you grow up, if you have a loose hold on your sword, it will easily get sent flying with a single well place strike.

The length, angle, and strength of your blows will depend on whether you can hold properly your weapon.

A swordsman without their sword is simply a training dummy for others to attack.

You need to learn to keep a grip on your weapon no matter how much pain you are in, how injured your hands are or how much force your enemy has."

"...300!"

"Shirou you simply don't have any talent as a swordsman.

That is a fact that won't change, the best thing you could do is quit before truly beginning to train to be a huntsman or at least change the weapon you chose and specialize in firearms like me, that way I might be able to teach you more than the basics.

But If you are too stubborn to change your mind, so listen to me well.

A sword will never be your true weapon, you need to sharpen your mind a shape it into a ruthless tool to defeat your enemies.

Always keep your mind clear, cease any meaningless thoughts and focus on every detail related to the fight.

Analyze everything and seek a path to victory by using your opponent's weakness without mercy.

Predict your enemies' movements and ensure that you have a path to beat them."

"...600!"

"It seems that at least you have the talent to not give up after failing Shirou.

If you keep training you should be able to meet the requirement to become a huntsman someday.

But there is one thing you need to learn.

If you want to become a huntsman you will need to stop being human.

You need to accept death, as someone who wields weapons and violence to solve problems can only expect to die violently.

You are going to kill, that is the only thing a sword is made for, after all, Grimm or humans you will kill a lot.

And they will certainly kill you back, no matter how strong you get.

Are you ready to walk your entire life next to death?"

"...1000!"

"Hah... Still nothing..."

I can't get any progress, no matter how many days or how many times I train I can't improve at all.

I guess this is what Kiritsugu meant when he said that I don't have talent...

Like running I started this training to become a huntsman like my father but my improvements in the year since I began is minimal.

I know why I can't get better; the reason is quite simple.

I just can't focus while practicing.

"—You will kill."

Those were my old man's words when he first showed me how to train with a sword.

And I couldn't accept them back then when he told me.

Nor can I accept every time I use swing my sword.

Thinking that with each cut you kill someone.

That is how I tried to train day after day for a year.

But I can't accept it.

The formless chunks of meat and bones turned into a bloody paste flash in my vision for a second.

To accept my death is quite simple, I understand that if you use a weapon, you will hurt others.

So others hurting you back is understandable even if it's scary.

But killing people is—

Not how he saved me.

I move my tired body to return the wooden weapon to the shed before going back into the cabin.

Entering the building shows quite a different picture now than when I left in the dark.

With morning light coming from the windows the living room with a small table we use to eat, four chairs even though we never use more than two, and two couches with a rug underneath them in front of a TV.

Past the room, there is a corridor that led to the bathroom and the bedrooms.

To the side of the living room is a kitchen with the standards equipment that only I have used since the first week I had to live with my old man.

He is a great father but—

Households' chores aren't his strong suit.

So even if I wasn't very good when I started taking care of the kitchen I managed to get better with practice.

I don't dislike cooking and he—

did smile the first he tasted my cooking even if it was even worse than his.

So I wanted to keep cooking for us.

I walked over to the kitchen and step on a small wooden stool that I use to be able to get the sufficient height.

While I grew enough this year so my jaw passed the line of the kitchen sink, it isn't enough to properly cook or clean anything.

I start the Dust-powered rice cooker with enough for three people and start reheating the leftovers of yesterday's soup while turning on a stove to a minimum to preheat a cooking pan with some vegetable oil.

After that, I check the fridge to see what ingredients we have left.

"Hmm…enough vegetables and eggs to not have to go to the city for a while but we are running out of meat and fish…"

I grab the vegetables and the fish before closing the refrigerator.

Leaving the fish in the pan and turning up the flames I start preparing a small salad as a side dish.

I hear the sound of a door closing somewhere inside the house before the thuds of steps fill the cabin.

I stop making the salad for a moment to start the coffee machine at the corner of the kitchen before going back to the salad.

"—Good morning Shirou."

"Mornings dad."

He greets me while sitting at the living table and I respond to him without turning back.

After a while, I start taking the breakfast to the table using a tray.

There, my father Kiritsugu Emiya sits while in his sleep were, a set of dark blue long-sleeved robes and a matching pair of long pants made out of cotton.

They apparently are from the kingdom he was born from. My own sleepwear is similar but with lighter colors.

"Thanks for the hard work as always, Shirou."

"It's nothing, really."

His disheveled black hair still messy from sleep, eyes with heavy bags under them gave him the look of a much older person, ever since the day he adopted me he has looked like this.

Although he looks much older than two years ago.

Now that I think about it...

"...Dad, how old are you.?"

With his cup of coffee mid-way towards his mouth, he doesn't say anything and simply stares down at me.

It was an honest question so I just keep staring back at him.

But for some reason, a shiver runs down my spine.

"—Why do you ask so suddenly Shirou? No, how old do you think I am.?"

After finishing the question, he brings the mug to his mouth and begins to sip his coffee without breaking eye contact at any point.

I don't know why but I have a bad feeling about that question.

I know what to do, I will tell him he looks younger.

"I was just asking because you look so young, not a day younger than forty."

"Forty?—...hmm."

He murmurs to himself while keeping his eyes closed and sipping on his drink.

"I am thirty-two this year Shirou."

"W-What?"

That is—

I had lowballed what I guessed his real age was by ten whole years.

"Do you want to know why I look this way.?"

He asks me with an expression I have never seen on his face before.

His usually calm expression that was always present except on the extremely rare occasion I saw him smile was gone.

In its place, a look that didn't suit his face at all.

"...Y-Yes."

"Well, have you and your tutor covered what a Semblance is?

I shake my head; I think I have heard about the term but I don't know what it is.

"Then do you remember what I told you about Aura?

I remember that he mentioned something like that when he talked about being a huntsman

"Aura? You mean that thing that people who train a lot get?"

"Indeed, do you remember what it did or what it was?"

"Aura is something like a power born from the inside of a person that people use to fight right?"

Kiritsugu told about a lot of things that were needed to become a huntsman like him after I bugged him for an entire year asking him how I could be like him

That is when he told me to start running and training with a weapon, we also started having spars where he taught me what a fight is.

The first day he started explaining a bunch of stuff about Grimm, Aura, and a lot of other things.

I can't really say I understood everything he said back then.

"You aren't wrong but your explanation is a bit lacking.

Aura is the power born from the soul of every living being with one.

With it, a person can protect themselves and even become stronger, faster or heal themselves and that is just the basics."

He stopped for a second to check I was following what he was saying before continuing.

"Aura is essential for anyone needs to be called a proper warrior.

Huntsmen, elite soldiers, or even criminals like bandits or terrorists have an Aura."

"At the same time, everyone that has an Aura unlocked also has a Semblance.

A special ability that is unique to each person even if there are exceptions.

There are some that make the user faster, others can allow flight, to move objects with the mind almost anything is possible.

That why you need to always have in mind your enemies might have an unknown trump card."

I can feel my eyes widen in shock; everyone can have something like that?

If I had such a thing then—

"You are getting ahead of yourself Shirou, Semblances aren't as amazing as what you are thinking."

"Ah... Sorry—"

He must have been able to tell what I was thinking about just looking at my face.

"It's alright. I understand, but that is what I was talking about in a sense."

"What you were talking about...?"

"I was explaining why I looked so much older than I am, remember?"

That's right!

Then his looks are related to...

"My appearance is the result of using my Semblance beyond my limits. You should take it as a warning to not overuse your own if you ever get one, you get it Shirou?"

I nod my head while absent mindlessly returning to eat my breakfast.

Kiritsugu using his Semblance beyond his limits...

I wonder why he would need to do such a thing.

He is nothing like someone without talent like me, even when he uses guns as his main weapons, he was able to show me how to fight with tons of different weapons like a bow or a sword.

And when we spar, I am only getting thrown around.

Then what could have demanded that he overworks himself like that?

-Ruined buildings and red flashes in my mind for a second.

Time blurs and before I realize it, our breakfast is already over.

I couldn't say what it tasted like if someone asked.

The old man is already picking up the plates before I noticed.

"Go take a shower and change before your tutor arrives, I will take care of cleaning the dishes for once."

After telling him a quick thanks for doing taking care of the dishes I leave a go into my room.

Opening the door I entered my room, to one side is my already made bed and to the other a medium-sized wardrobe.

Grabbing the clothes that I usually wear during the day I head to the bathroom and drop off my used sportswear into the washing machine before taking a quick shower.

The person who comes three times a week to teach me shouldn't arrive for a while longer, so there is no reason for me to hurry.

Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays a young woman comes into our cabin to teach me stuff that one would normally learn at a school.

My old man told me that we live too far away for me to attend a regular school so I should just continue to be taught this way until I am old enough to go to a study somewhere in a dorm.

I don't want that.

Even If I can't meet many people living here with Kiritsugu and it's lonely when he goes out to do stuff, I still prefer to live with him.

I can still meet with my tutor, that black-haired lady that delivers things to dad from time to time, and the people of the nearest city when we go buy provisions once in a while.

"Shirou, I am leaving until the afternoon. Behave yourself, and don't let the tutor burn down the house...Again."

I am using a towel to dry my hair in the living room while looking towards the entrance.

My old man, dressed in a long leather coat, tight sweater, and trousers all of them colored black waves me goodbye from the door.

He is wearing similar clothes to the day we meet; the only difference is that the red scarf he used to wear is now resting on my neck.

"Bye old man, take care out there!."

Kiritsugu always leaves during the day unless something happens, always carrying a large silver suitcase.

Recently he has started to leave for days at a time.

My tutor, a young woman with short light brown hair that must have become an adult recently checks on me and tends to stay for longer than usual at those times.

Strangely she started to stay after her working hours the same day she first ate lunch with me.

As I am finishing toweling my hair the door burst open—

"Yahooo! Shirou, did you have leftovers from breakfast!?"

The rustling of leaves, the chirping birds, and the different noises of living creatures fills the forest.

The shadow of a tree covers my body, a cloak covered in stuck leaves and dirt, is barely visible for the lack of light from the thick foliage that surrounds me.

I am carrying a wooden bow with a quiver on my back and a hunting knife for skinning is strapped to my waist.

An hour after I was done with my tutor, and I was done revising the study material for the day I was left without anything to do and remembered that we were running low on meat.

"—haa... I can't find anything today, maybe I should just come back tomorrow?"

The old man always tries to do stuff efficiently, so if we can save going to the city for meat that we can hunt ourselves or stuff we can grow or find on our it's all the better.

I asked if I could accompany him once a few months after he adopted me, and since then whenever he went hunting, I went with him.

When I asked him if I could help him with the hunting, he decided that I should learn to use a bow as a ranged weapon and taught me the proper way to use it the same way that he did with other weapons.

He demonstrated how to shoot it and even if he praised me saying that I had a talent for it, but even if he told me that my current skills don't hold a candle to his when shooting.

"I wonder how much training dad must have done to be so good with so many types of weapons..."

Crunch!

A sound coming from a distance behind a group of bushes catches my attention, it should be around forty meters from where I am, landing a shot from this distance is going to be difficult.

Well, hitting whatever animal is there isn't too much trouble from this distance but the arrow would certainly lack the strength necessary to kill it or even cripple it momentarily, at most I might injure it enough for me to have time to land a second one while closing the distance.

That is the simple unavoidable reality, Shirou Emiya is nothing but a child.

He began trying at the age of 8 and now a year later he still is weak and incapable.

And a child lacks the strength no matter how much he trains.

"Even so..."

The bushes start shaking with vigor while I draw back the bow with all the power I can gather and I empty my mind for a second.

A silhouette of black appears.

A Grimm, creature of darkness that has been the enemy of Remnant for a long time.

With the size of a medium-sized dog and the appearance of an ant with a body with irregular patches of white protuberances.

The arrow is released and hits the eye of the creature, first in my mind—

Twang!

Then as if in an afterthought the arrow flies from the bow and I don't waste the time to check if it hits true.

Readjusting my breath and nocking another arrow I tense my body and prepare for another shot.

The target is now trashing around, uncontrollable spams assault the six legs clad in white armor, the arrow stuck in his right eye must have reached deeper than I thought.

Twang!

This time the unprotected neck is struck.

The movements of desperation grow even more fierce.

The mandibles in front of the face open wide to let a cry of anguish.

Twang!

"Haa—haa—haa"

My breath goes out of control now that the Grimm lies dead with an arrow stuck in its open mouth.

There wasn't much physical activity.

My arms throb and my fingers sting for using more force than normal.

But that isn't why I am in such shape.

"Haa—Haa-"

It's always the same, no matter the circumstance.

Be it a Grimm or an animal.

Whenever I kill something hearts races, my hands tremble and I can hear a familiar voice in my head.

"Why—?" "How someone like you-?" "Not fair-"

"Haa—"

The first time it happens when I killed something the old man had to carry back to the cabin.

Now I can somehow get myself together after focusing on my breathing for a minute.

I know the reason why this happens.

How could someone without—

I slowly drag my feet towards where the Grimm fell.

My arrows now lay on the ground without a trace of the monster that they had injured.

That is the nature of the Grimm, moments after dying their body dissipates into nothingness.

There was no reason to kill it.

One cannot use their bodies for food or materials.

And when they are so small and weak, they are no danger to anyone.

Even an untrained village boy could kill one with a stick if they needed it.

"—Dad shouldn't take much longer to get home, I should go and start making dinner."

I store the arrows in the quiver and start walking back.

I pulled the scarf that hung up towards my face for a moment.

I need to keep hunting to get used to the feeling.

If I want to become like him, I can't fail at something so simple.

The familiar ceiling of my room greets me once again.

It's late at night, Kiritsugu came back at some point in the afternoon while I was cooking dinner.

After I finished and stored it for later he and I went to the yard to do our sparring for the day.

As always, he beat me up without me being able to touch him.

I don't think I have learned anything about how to fight from our spars.

But at least I know how to differentiate a street fight from a fight to the death.

That should be what he is trying to teach me.

I think.

While it's painful, my old man must have been holding back a lot.

I don't get hurt much and even when I do.

The bruises heal up quite quickly.

That must be because he holds back, right?

My body is tired from everything that happened today.

So, I went to bed early after doing the dishes, trying to pass out.

But whenever I close my eyes.

The ruins and the unrecognizable corpses come out.

"...Maybe I should go and leave the breakfast of tomorrow already made?"

I go out of my room.

The hallways that should be in complete darkness are slightly lit.

There, sitting on his nightclothes on the opened entrance to our home.

Kiritsugu is looking upwards while being painted with the subtle blue light of the moon.

I sit next to him without saying anything.

The broken moon was clear to anyone who would look up to see.

Cold assaults my body but I don't mind it.

The sight of the moon always captivated me.

Something forever broken, unable to ever be whole again.

Time passed and neither of us said anything.

We just looked up and never bother to do anything else.

As if we were captured in our heads.

But that spell was broken by the old man.

"It's wonderful to be able to spend time with you like this Shirou.

When I was younger, I would never have guessed.

That I could have something so peaceful."

His words captured my attention even more than the moon.

My eyes fell into him.

While he never stopped looking up.

"When you were younger?"

"Yes, back then I had a dream and that was all that mattered to me."

His voice was not the calm that I had come to expect from him.

The trait of tranquility now was replaced by something else.

I want to know, no.

I need to know what his—.

"I wanted to be an ally of justice back when I was younger, a world where everybody would be happy."

"Wanted to? Did you give up?"

"Being one is quite hard Shirou, there has only been one time I became something close.

And the older you get it becomes more difficult, now I don't think I could keep trying."

Something inside me was pushed.

"Then there is no other way, if you became too old it can't be helped.

—Don't worry, I will do it."

The gears began their movements after so long.

A dead machine starting to function once again.

"I will make sure that your dreams. "

A direction was picked.

The one that lacked any meaning.

"Comes true—"

Now doesn't exist anymore.

"... I'm relieved then."

That was his response.

His words came with a smile that I had only seen once before.

We went back to gaze at the sky.

I am sure I won't ever forget this night where a promise was made—

Underneath a broken moon.

It was the next day.

I am in the same area where I killed that Grimm today.

I decided to go hunting right after Kiritsugu left today since my tutor won't come today.

My morning routine this morning was probably the best I ever had in terms of progress.

"Okay!... I am not going back until I get something to bring back."

With steady steps, I explore the forest.

Searching for any clue that might reveal an animal trail.

It takes a while but after twenty minutes.

A set of hoof prints on the dirt next to a bunch of broken twigs.

There is a trail of evidence that something had been here.

And moved further up the mountains.

I would have usually missed something so small.

But my eyes were drawn there for some reason.

I tighten the grip on my bow.

The sounds of my steps fill my ears as I jog.

The thick foliage that surrounds me is ever-present.

And no matter how long I go forward it doesn't seem to end.

"Hgn...!"

After passing through a particularly tall set of bushes.

There it is.

On four legs, with gray-brown skin, a tail and belly snow white in color, large eyes with white rings inside, and a pair of magnificent antlers.

A deer staring right in my direction.

I am dumbfounded for seconds.

When I regained my clarity, I pull my bow forward.

But it was too late.

With a speed that the human body cannot keep up with the animal leaps away.

"No way...!"

Before even I, myself, realize it, I am running after it.

It's futile of course.

There is no way for me to keep up with it.

But somehow, my body is doing the impossible.

The distance between the two of us is neither being increasing.

Nor is it decreasing.

Somehow, I am running with the speed of an animal.

If I can keep up then...

"—I feel like now I can't fail at all...!"

Ever since I woke up.

No.

Ever since last night when it was decided that I would become an ally of justice.

Someone who would save everyone.

Someone who would allow a tragedy like that to ever happen again!.

I pulled back the string of the bow with an arrow in place with extreme ease.

Just like this morning when my sword practice went better than ever before.

Even if this is the first time I shot while running I know I won't miss.

I will surel—!

My head turns to the side as if someone had tried to snap my neck.

My feet dig themselves into the floor.

In front of my sight, there is a clearing in the middle of the forest.

The deer is now long gone.

Inside the clearing, there is a wooden house, similar yet more humble than ours.

There is a small garden to the side and clothing hanging in a coat rack.

The entrance was slightly opened.

"What—?"

Something is wrong.

The air itself turned into mercury the moment I acknowledged the house.

The sounds of the forest that should be ever-present don't exist any longer.

Something is telling me that I should not approach that house but at the same time.

My feet are already moving.

Everything sways while I am getting closer.

My senses go wild.

The air grows even heavier.

Now, something isn't saying that I shouldn't come but it screams so.

The force pulling me intensifies and I am jogging there now.

When I grab the handle of the door suddenly.

Everything returns to normal.

I push open the door.

And there I realize.

I had failed once again.

A corpse of a tall man with blond hair who looks so confused, his hands around his stomach.

Stained with the same red that I am so familiar with and that pools underneath him.

To his side, a beautiful black-haired woman with an expression of pure horror as a chunk of her shoulder and chest is missing.

What were once human beings—

"Hgn—!"

A sharp breath escapes my throat.

It feels like someone reached poured liquid cement down my airways.

My own heart has stopped and no oxygen reaches my brain.

My eyes are glued to the dead glossy orbs of the woman.

I am even alive?

These appearances aren't anything new.

You could say that I have seen dead bodies hundreds of times now.

But this is different.

Something tells me that I am a failure.

That the very thing a promised yesterday was betrayed.

I don't know how or why.

But my gaze moves from the woman.

A picture on the wall.

There what once was a happy wife, a joyful husband and...

The wind cuts into my face.

My feet are moving with beast-like agility.

My heart pumps like a vehicle at full throttle.

My eyes are wildly moving in their sockets.

Found it!

A small trail of blood and stomped grass leads to the other side of the house back into the forest.

My limbs move beyond what is possible.

But I don't feel any heat or pain coming from them.

It must be because of the force pulling me forwards.

"Haa—Haa!"

For around an entire hour I ran, while the sun began to set.

The trail of blood has long since stopped.

But I could still tell where to go.

A Small cabin that looked as if it had been abandoned for decades.

The lights were on.

Standing outside next to broken and dusty windows.

My body heats up once I looked inside.

Two men talking to each other and a small girl tied on the floor.

Her face is expressionless.

It was so different from the innocent look she had on the picture.

The two men were dressed in clothes closer to rags than anything else.

One sitting next to the table with dark hair and an annoyed look.

A cheap-looking dagger to his side on the table.

The second one is a blond man with bloodstains all over with a foot over the girl.

A bloodied axe in his hand.

"...the one who would sell well was the woman you killed, you fucking moron!"

"it's not my fault that she attacked me with scissors!"

The blond one responds with anger but then continues with a more subdued tone.

"we will still be able to sell the brat, right? It can't be that we did all this for no lien.

If the huntsmen find out.."

"We should still be able to get something from the girl, Atlas is full of rich perverts that would pay for some kid with her looks."

They continued talking but it didn't matter anymore.

My mind was focused on something else.

Every possible action either they or I could take is simulated in my head.

I know I am not Kiritsugu probably never will be as good.

So, I can´t simply enter and take care of the problem.

I need to understand their capacities, their weapons, breathing, reach—

Their everything.

And form a plan with that information.

But a plan with the desired outcome is impossible.

At least I see no sure way to create it.

If I go with my best simulation the girl might die.

So—

"Sometimes, you can't save everyone, Shirou."

"You can only be a hero to those you choose to save, no one else."

My dad's words rang in my head before I make my decision.

I eliminate two of my final objectives.

Now only the survival of the girl matters.

The other three variables can be disposed of.

Now.

A path is created.

My teeth grind themselves.

I tighten the grip of my bow enough for it to creak.

For one second, I steady my breath and sharpen my mind.

I jump through the window.

Shatter!

Both men are taken by surprise and turn towards me.

My arrow is already nocked and the bow aimed.

Before I reach the ground and with glass flying around me.

The target is less than four meters from me.

I will not miss.

The shoot is released.

I prepared a second one right away as I land.

Before I could fire the first one had already stuck the blond man in the chest.

The second is fired.

It hits his throat.

"W-What—!?"

The sitting man is too confused to react.

The one who wields an axe still hasn't realized his fate.

His expression is that of a man who had to witness something incompressible.

I prepare myself to bite my own tongue.

That's the only way I could come up with to stop my reaction to kill.

But the hand holding the bow remains steady.

And my heart rate is calm.

Wha—

The now-dead man plummets to the floor.

Like a puppet with his string cut.

The other one finally wakes up from his confusion.

He jumps to his feet, the dagger in his hand.

"YOU BASTARD—!"

I forget about the reaction I was supposed to have.

I throw the bow itself at him.

I can't risk that he goes to the girl while I take my shoot.

He uses his arms to block his face.

I start running towards him.

The hunting knife at my waist now is gripped in my right hand.

He has superior strength, speed, and reach.

I need to eliminate his advantages so I close the distance as much.

He staggered for a moment after being hit with the bow.

At that moment I already reduced the distance to two meters.

He panics and wildly swings his weapon at me.

With my speed dodging would be difficult.

Clang!

Steel hits steel.

And his dagger flies into the air.

With strength that shouldn't be found in my body.

I parried his blow with all I could.

He is falling after losing his balance.

I use all the energy that pushed my body so far.

And slash towards him.

He tries to dodge…

The battle is decided.

My blade cut his neck.

Even if he tried to dodge it was impossible for him.

His blood rains down to the me, who is looking upwards.

I turn my now drenched face with a warm liquid towards the girl.

"Thank the gods. You are okay."

A bubble threatens to burst inside me.

The muscles of my face feel strange.

Finally, someone I didn't fail.

Even if I failed today and couldn't save those who died.

She is okay.

She is alive.

Then it´s when it hit me that she has said anything.

A piece of cloth is tied around her mouth.

And her hands are also bound by a rope.

"Don't worry, I will make sure everything is okay."

I walk towards the black-haired girl.

With the knife raised in my hand.

Before I even thought that it could scare her.

I am already next to her.

"I found your house with your parents there; I followed the trail those guys left.

Until I found this place. I am sorry for not being there sooner. "

Those words are the absolute truth.

Had I been a couple of hours sooner, not only her parents.

But even these guys could have been saved.

I cut the ropes and remove the gagged around her mouth.

"...Three— There were three..."

Her words jolt my brain.

In my rush, I must have forgotten to think of that possibility.

At the same moment, I put more strength into the hand holding the knife.

A feeling of someone behind me enters into a sense that shouldn't exist.

"You killed them!"

I leaped forward before those words were utter.

Taking hold of the girl.

I roll on the floor and throw her behind me.

I look back to where I stood.

A tall man with a bottle in his hand.

He is recovering from an over-extended swing.

His eyes, bloodshot and wild.

I gulp the contents of my mouth and put my knife forward.

"…Mister, if you just let us go then—!"

He didn't even bother to respond.

Wildly moving his limbs like a mad animal.

He runs towards us with killing intent.

I need to do something.

I throw the knife towards him with all I got.

If I can't stop his charge then—

The girl behind my back would get injured.

I succeeded but my luck ran out.

"—What!?"

As he flung the bottle in his hand towards me.

His aimless movement managed to deflect my throw.

Now both of us are unarmed.

There is no need to say what the outcome will be.

I kick off the ground.

And throw myself into the man.

We both fall to the floor marred with blood.

If I want to win a fight without a weapon a grapple is the only way.

But.

A blow connects with my face.

My vision stops for a moment.

Blood fills my mouth.

My sense of sight returns.

The enemy on top of me.

Another blow comes down.

And then another.

Then another.

They don't hurt much compared to Kiritsugu's.

I can handle something like this.

The punches stop.

His hands take a hold of my neck.

And he tightens his grip.

I can't breathe.

"NGH—…!"

I hold onto his wrist.

My lungs burn with need.

My consciousness begins to fade.

I need to break his arms so I put all I can into my hands.

But I can't.

Is this—

How I will die?

After surviving that hell?

After being saved?

Without making my promise come true?

Not being able to save one single girl.

No, I can't let that happen.

I won't die such meaningless death.

Not again.

Strength surges from within.

I open my mouth to scream so I can coax everything I have into breaking his wrists.

"Aaaaaaahhh—!"

"Ghck…!"

Blood splurges from his mouth.

His teeth are stained with red.

His face twisted with pain and confusion.

He falls to the side.

No longer among the living.

My knife is stuck to his back.

The handle is completely broken.

Standing over me.

A beautiful black-haired girl.

It wasn't my scream what I heard earlier but her own battle charge.

It seems that I was saved once again.

Standing outside of the run-down abandoned house.

My mind reels while looking towards the moon.

My breath is visible due to the cold of the night.

And my body hurts all over although it's slowly feeling better.

Standing to my side the girl.

Her face is downcast.

Looking towards the ground lost in thought.

Somehow it feels familiar.

"Uh, it might be a bit late but my name is Shirou. Emiya Shirou."

"…Mikasa— Ackerman."

She doesn't look up.

She is lost to the world.

I don't know what to do.

What would the old man do right now?

"Shirou… can you tell me how to go to my home?… I'm cold—"

She breaks the silence before I manage to think.

I Just noticed but she is trembling.

I already why it felt so familiar.

—A child with nothing and nowhere to go.

I don't need to think about it.

I pull the scarf from my neck.

And wrapped it around her face.

I grab her hand and walk off.

"Let's go back to our home, okay?"

"…Yes!"

I don't look back.

Her choked voice, barely audible.

As I look up to the moon.

I can only wonder if—

She feels the same I did when Dad told me I was going to live with him.

Author's note:

Hello everyone, thanks for reading so far.

I had uploaded this chapter without the proper line-breaks and without this sections earlier by mistake, I noticed only after a reviewer said so.

As you might have noticed, this has a different style of spacing and formatting than a usual fic, this is because I have been trying to recreate the feeling of the original Visual Novel as best as I could.

You could say this is a work in progress to see how well I can do this, it might honestly be unpleasant to read so I do apologize if anyone found this a waste of their time.

About the crossover elements people might expect to see in the future of this piece, the answer to that is that they will be minimal.

If anything about either the Nasuverse or another franchise hasn't been present in this chapter or the next, you can assume they won't show up at all.

Regarding my probably disastrous grammar and spelling errors, I can only say I'm truly sorry and doing my best.

The combination of both not being a natural english speaker and having dyslexia make that my best is just not that good, I will try to get as not bad as I could possible get.

Thanks everyone for the reviews and like someone once said to me

"Who reads the Author's notes anyway?"