14Chapter 1.
A sharp grown escaped shirou's lips as he stood from his kneeling position, any sense of pain long since dulled as his body became more sword than man.
He trudged forward, the long dead corpse of Kotomine Kirei fading into the distance as he slowly approached his destination.
Each step was like a thousand knives stabbing through his legs all at once, but he persevered, the image of his loving kohai Sakura all the motivation he needed to push on.
After many minutes of pain laced steps, Shirou arrived at the final cavern, his vision now white and static laced, like an old time TV during a snow storm.
He stood still; the looming black visage of the Great Grail loomed overhead.
After seconds that crept on like hours, he began scanning the room, and saw Sakura, hair white as ash and skin resembling marble, seated on the ground.
Shirou burst forward at a breakneck pace, any previous hesitation lost to the wind as rushed towards his adoring kohai.
A jarring "SKRCHHHHHHH" echoed through the previously silent cavern as Shirou came to a sudden halt, the scene surrounding sakura now becoming visible through his haze filled vision.
Her entire lower body was covered in blood that was clearly not her own, streams of wet tears flowing freely from her red eyes, a distraught look haunting her visage.
Shirou's static infringed vision then lowered from Sakura for the first time since entering the room, slowly descending until he was met with an image that would remain with him for the rest of his days.
R** lay under Sakura, the midsection of her chest freely flowing blood like lava from the tip of a volcano, her left pigtail soaked red as she lay dead in a pool of her own blood.
Sakura's distraught visage slowly rose from her sister, finding its mark on the unexpected appearance of her senpai.
Shirou's mind could barely process words, but he still managed to force words as he began to speak. "Sakura..." he began, his raspy voice akin to gravel
as he was interrupted by his kohai.
"Senpai, please kill me." Sakura mustered out as she stared into his steely eyes, a mix of anguish and disgust covering her face.
Hesitation crept over Shirou like a warm blanket, his calm demeanour melting away as Sakura's words slowly processed through his haze filled mind.
His thoughts were interrupted when Sakura's anguish laced voice snapped him back to attention. "I killed her Shirou, and the voices keep telling me to kill more, please just end this, for me, for R**" She stated sternly, presenting it more like a fact than a request.
A drop of sweat traced its way down Shirou's forehead as he slowly moved towards Sakura, a low crunch emanating through the silent room as his boots impacted the cave floor.
He reached her in a matter of seconds, muscles tensing as he knelled down in front of her.
They sat inches apart, steel gray meeting blood red as they longingly gazed at each other.
Seconds felt like hours as they sat there, neither daring too move a muscle.
Sakura broke the stalemate, opening her lips too speak.
"Shirou. Ple..." She was interrupted, as Shirou enveloped her in a hug.
'Is there any other way.' Shirou pondered, blueprints flashing in and out of his head.
He brought his gaze back up too meet Sakura's, staring into the endless sea of red one last time.
Suddenly, Shirou's head twitched, a semblance of consciousness returning to his haze laced robotic mind.
'What was I thinking.' Shirou thought, as he realized the action he was about to take.
"I'm sorry Sakura, I can't do it." He murmured, his gut twisting up as Sakura's previously serene face twisted into an annoyed scowl.
Shirou stayed in Sakura's embrace, confusion beginning to sprout in his mind as a myriad of emotions washed over Sakura's, before finally resting in that all to familiar distant, empty stare.
"I'm sorry senpai, but I wouldn't have this any other way." Sakura stated, determination burning in her previously void eyes.
Shirou froze for a second, hesitation washing over him as her words slowly sunk in.
His mind quickly jumped into overdrive, a thousand blueprints flying through his consciousness in the blink of an eye, before settling on a jagged ceremonial dagger.
"Trace o…." Shirou began, stopping briefly as a pertrudant smell of rot and decay overcame his nostrils.
Shirou's world erupted in pain as he was pushed away from Sakura, a large shadow construct now surrounding her.
Shirou rose to his feet, a rough creek coming from his legs as he did so, his insides now more sword then man.
Pain did not begin to describe the feeling washing over Shirou at that moment, like comparing a matchstick to the sun.
"AHHHHHHHHH." Shirou screamed as he finally reached his feat, fighting off the feeling as best he could.
His eyes slowly rose to meet Sakura's as she hovered in the air, her body shaking and convulsing as she stood.
"I love you senpai." She said, a thick, dark mass of shadow hovering in her hand. Shirou closed his eyes, his hands balled and chest aching as he lay down, ready to die.
One, two, three, the seconds ticked by, and yet nothing happened. Shirou's eyes slowly crept open, trepidation washing over him like cold water as he stood up.
"HAAAAAAAAAAH." A terrifying shriek rose Shirou from his ruse, the pain he had previously felt fleeting him completely as his blood ran cold.
Sakura's prone form lay face down on the cold, murky floor of mount enzo, a gaping hole now present in her chest.
'What.' Shirou thought, his mind reaching a blank as he saw red.
'What what what what what what what.' The scene before him seemed, no was impossible. He had promised to protect her, to be her shield, he couldn't have failed, could he?
"HRURRK.' Sakura slowly rose, spewing blood onto the cavern floor as her icy gaze met his.
"I'm… sorry senpai, this….. HRUGGGGGG, was the only way it could end." Sakura stated, once again vomiting up blood.
Shirou was still as a statue, as the last remnants of consciousness left in him began to fade, archer's arm finally finishing the teen off.
"Please Senpai, don't give up, end this…. For me." Sakura stated, before dropping back into the cavern floor, serenity washing over her as her eyes closed one last time.
"TrACe On." Shirou said, his voice now a deep, raspy tone. A silver broadsword appeared in Shirou's outstretched hands.
He held the golden pommel in his hand, 27 magic circuits flaring to life as Gram, the demonic sword of the sun began to glow an ethereal blow.
Shirou stared straight at the towering black abomination before him, his lifeless, grey eyes fixated solely on the Greater Grail.
"Heaven's Wheel of Destruction." Shirou churned, as he raised the towering blue mass of energy above his head.
"GRAMMM." He bellowed as the sword fell, an ethereal tidal wave of blue prana racing towards the Greater Grail.
As the blade fell and Shirou's last figment of conscious faded, the hulking abomination began to glow a sickly yellow.
"THWISH." A loud bang emanated throughout the empty cavern as the tower of holy judgement engorged the greater grail, Shirou Emiya vanished in a puff of black smoke.
Hey guys.
Sorry for disappearing for a months, had some real life issues to deal with and writers block did not make it any easier. I returned to writing the story 2 weeks ago, but upon re-reading the first chapter I realised how wrongly I had portrayed heaven's feel Shirou as a character.
So as you can most likely see, I have rewritten the latter half of this chapter and corrected a few minor errors, like Shirou being unable to trace excalibur. Expect chapter 3 in 1-2 weeks, its roughly 50% complete at the moment. Also I am currently searching for a Beta reader if anyone is interested.
