40,000 Blade Works

Concept and adjustments

This is a fanfic crossover, a what if Shirou was actually on Holy Terra during the unification wars. Emiya is from the last bad ending from the UBW route, that for reasons explained in the story, will have a patchwork soul, and memories from various versions of himself.

The story will try to be as loyal to the source material of both franchises as possible, and besides characters, with as little Author´s "inserts" on lore and interpretation of things as possible, to keep things enjoyable for fans(but some might be unavoidable).

Assumptions:

*The physics and supernatural phenomena of both worlds are compatible, except that magical energy from fate comes from life force from the planet(mana) or the user body(od), and psykers take energy from the warp.

*Run natural planet energy(mana from earth or wathever from other living worlds) is safe but run warp energy from the warp, a planet close to the eye of terror or a demon world through circuits has risks, like the use of sorcery and psyker powers, just reduced due to the circuits "filter" the energy absorbed, still dangerous through.

*Mystery is stronger on the worlds due to the lack of "gaia/alaya", but that's offset by the lack of the age of gods, divine spirits and mages, as explained on the nasuverse, overall mystery is rare, but powerful.

*They aren´t the same type of power or have the same source, but can and do interact. Holy Terra had enormous amounts of mana in the past, and since never had a Gaia, Alaya or mages, this amount piled up for ages. But on the other hand, most of the world's mystery is instead of being underground on another "texture", it's on another dimension, the warp, in the end, magecraft and mystery is stronger than modern times fate, but weaker than the age of the gods on fate.

*People from the nasuverse transported to warhammer universe are always normal humans, not psykers, not blanks, but they can vary from normal human with "big soul"(flirting with low level psyker) to Psionically-dense individuals(flirting with being blanks).

*The numbers on fate rank system, means "peak human" numbers, so rank E strength would be the strength of 10 peak "powerlifters", some high level space marines, custodes and primarchs, can easily fight on Servant level. A Udug Hul from the unification wars, said to be as strong as 10 men, would have his physical strength ranked around rank E in servant stats.

Shirou POV

A chain wraps around my arm, I gasp, the chain drags my body towards the void. I put power into my body, but I can´t resist. My feet slide across the ground towards the void.

I´m Emiya Shirou, third rate magus, at the end of a bizarre battle royale ritual called "holy grail war", it´s the 16º day of the war, after defeat the summoned "king of heroes" with my reality marble, fueled by the energy provided by Rin´s crest, i was stupid and lowered my guard, and now i´m in trouble.

"Ku...Fool, does it not know servants cannot become the core?" Gilgamesh protests.

" ...You..." I interject.

The king of heroes is appearing from the void. But his body is partially melted. The void must melt everything it swallows...

" ...Damn...!" I look terrified at the phenomena.

I try to get the chain off me, but it doesn't even budge, it was the chain that restrained Berserker after all.

"...Are you trying to take me with you?"

"Hah, I have no intention of dying... Wait until I pull myself out, mongrel!" Scream Gilgamesh.

I can't think straight, all that crosses my mind is how everyone will be killed if Gilgamesh somehow escapes, Saber and Rin are defenseless. In a twist of fate, I instead hesitate and consider severing my arm, being saved by Archer like in the only alternate reality i survived this situation. run towards Gilgamesh, on my last show of defiance before certain death that this will bring me.

"Don't ever come to this world again!"

"Fool... Are you Insane?!" Scream Gilgamesh at me.

In a flash, as i slam into Gilgamesh, seconds before we both vanish inside the Grail, my mind goes into a trance, looking desperately at all noble phantasms on my reality marble, my magical energy is depleted, if i project once more time i will faint, but as someone about to die, i have nothing to lose after all.

"Tohsaka, Fuji-nee, Illya, Sakura, Saber... Goodbye, i´m sorry, I could not save any of you in the end..."

The moment Shirou flares his reality marble, only on his own body, a weird phenomenon happens, his head seems to split in a moment, and his reality marble starts to be invaded, by fragments, of himself, similar to his battle with archer, but deeper.

"...What the hell..."

I start to see another possible reality, i see myself fighting the war without clash with Archer, instead of Archer open my magical circuits, like i remember happening, i ate a jewel from Rin this time, i had this time performed a "ritual" with Rin and Saber to recover her magical energy, and on this my memory split in two.

In one version i awaken her "dragon core", on other, i perform a very intense "tantric" ritual with Saber and Rin, where we have lots of intimacy, i can see i had feelings for saber, deep feelings, i somehow projected caliburn this time to defeat Berserker due to that close link i had with her, on this version of the war, berserker died by my hands, instead of Gilgamesh.

"...Saber... I loved you..."

I discovered Avalon on this timeline, Saber's scabbard, that was inside my body. With the blueprint on my body I managed to project it perfectly, but... I refused to give it to Saber, in the end, like a idiot, i did not trust her, ended being swallowed by the grail, the damaged soul that fused with me, was the soul of a Shirou Emiya that died on the 15º day of the war consumed by the mud thrown at me by Kotomine.

"...Avalon... Maybe if i... No, I have no energy for a projection of that level, Avalon could save me from being dissolved by this, but it's impossible..."

My skin starts to melt, i can feel i'm dying, even with the extra memories, even with the collection of noble phantasms in my reality marble growing, if i don't find something to save myself, i will be dissolved by the grail and even my other "souls" will be eaten for real like that.

Again my soul is invaded, this time, i can see himself in another timeline, another version of the events, myself being killed by lancer and followed by my house, to summon Saber, seems to be the only thing that almost never change, this time, i abandoned my dream, for her, for my precious Sakura.

"...So... I loved her in another world too huh...?"

He discovered her past, how the Matou household abused her in terrible ways, she suffered, i decided to be her hero, only hers. In the chaos of the war I somehow saved Illya from Angra Manyu, losing my arm in the process, having it replaced by Archer´s, with his arm and abilities I somehow by miracle, defeated Berserker using his own weapon against him, as I was invaded by Archer.

It was too much, my body was torn apart by unlimited blade works, my own mind could not resist the magical energy and memories from a servant, even worse, on this reality i never awakened my own circuits, never learned proper magecraft, Archer mind was too powerful and tore my soul apart, and my remains were devoured by the mud that absorbed Saber´s corpse, after i defeated her.

One variation of this universe has me teaming up with Rider, beating Saber, but I project Excalibur and destroy the grail myself, being devoured by the burning grail as it's cut from the world by the holy light.

"...Do I always have to fail? I can never save everyone?"

But something in that memory "clicks", suddenly i make my last projection, i would faint after that, but would be his last chance to save myself, somehow, if not my current body, maybe my soul would not be consumed.

I see a child version of myself in pain, starting to be consumed by the grail. I project the Martin Shroud, the holy Shroud that protected my other self from being invaded by Archer's arm. Covering my child self entire body, and once i was dissolved, i somehow hoped in.

"...Why do I care? The only body left I have is my child's body, that was somehow "empty", I´m crippled, blind, deaf, my skin is gone... Even if I survive..."

I finally collapse, my mind drifts, slowly I start to dream, I see myself in another world, with Kiritsugu and Irisviel, being raised with Illya, as a normal teenager for once. In this world, I had no magic knowledge at all, I just enjoyed life as a normal kid, ignorant about my family magic legacy.

"...So... That's how it would be, it wouldn't be that bad..."

I see myself raising a girl with black hair, her name is Miyu, my adoptive little sister, a new name, but seems so familiar, that my heart tightens when i think about her. I see myself fighting a blonde woman using the powers of "gilgamesh", i fought for Miyu, against everything, i fought for her, several times...

I then see other wars, now, as a observer, i see a war on America, on a place called Snowfield, and a war on Europe, on a place called Romania, see the adventures of Lord Melloi, it seems a grail was made there too, and a abnormal servant was summoned, i see this servant antagonize a man with long black hair.

I recognize him from the clock tower, somehow, I had memories from it. He seems to be Rin's teacher, and to be involved with the grail, and helped her dismantle it in the "dismantling wars", with Rin´s help. Then see myself as an adult in the gallows, about to be executed, with a Smile on my face.

After see all worlds connected with the grail and the root, my patchwork soul wander dangerously close to it, i feel that my entire original body was dissolved, all i have is my crippled child body, i hear Illya and Sakura voices, and remember that on my own timeline, Gilgamesh killed Illya, took her heart, yet, i can hear their voices in the dark mud. They both had connections with the grail after all.

"Onii Chan... Senpai... Do you want to live? No matter how "grim dark" and painful this life will be?" I can hear both their voices like on a chorus.

"Illya... Sakura... Illya!" I panic, trying to see them, but I have no eyes anymore.

For some reason, that i can't understand, her question seems familiar, a sense of familiarity.

"Good bye, onii chan, senpai."

"An older sister should protect her younger brother." This time, the voice of Illya only can be heard.

"...I will make you fulfill your promise, we will meet again." This time only Sakura's voice can be heard.

Then everything was white, a massive explosion happened, and I could not think anymore. I did see debris of several houses flames and the mass of dark mud from the grail, the mud being purified by a bright golden light, thoughts were fading.

"...I wish I had more time..."