Fate: Konton no Tatakai

A/N: There will be a longer author's note below the chapter. This isn't the first story I've written, nor is it my first time in this Fandom, but I must admit that I've never dared to start something like this. I hope it will be liked by the readers who manage to catch its attention.

Mandatory notice: The Fate series, its characters, and any elements of the Nasuverse present in the following do not belong to me. They are property of Type-Moon.

Clue:

'Thoughts.'

"Diálogo."

"Voz sobrenatural."

"Thaumaturge."

Í͕̟͓̈́͑ǹ͛͒co͎͉̍̐n̨̼͔̤̉ͮ͊c҉̘̪̟͉e̖͐b̬̝̪͢í̡ͣ̏̄̚bͤl̗͙͕̘͠ͅͅe̟̝͓̘̘͍̮ͤ̿͒ͯ̽̒̀ ̺͕̇ͪ

Sighing had never before been a cause for so much sorrow. Just the simple act of exhaling some air through his mouth became a true torment, as with the slightest effort he applied, the curse present in his being would stir in such a way in the form of an exquisite pain that seemed to make his nerves scream in agony. Kiritsugu was already well familiar with the curse the Grail had imposed upon him after having 'betrayed' him. Although seeing what the alternative to such a fate had been, he did not regret at all having chosen the painful option that continued to afflict him, despite the hardships that took their toll on him every day he continued to live.

Kiritsugu relaxed in the rocking chair he had acquired from the Fujimura Family when he had acquired the rights to the property he had been residing on for nearly three years now. It had truly been a stroke of luck that this group was led by such a reasonable person as Raiga, who had bought from him without hesitation and at market prices a good part of the arsenal he had brought to Fuyuki for use in the Fourth Holy Grail War. From pistols and shotguns of all kinds, to ammunition packs of various calibers as well as tools such as grenades and mines. Even with the forced demolition he had carried out on the Hyatt Hotel in a failed attempt to end the life of Kayneth Archibald El-Melloi and therefore, the Servant Lancer, he still had quite a few left over, which he was frankly relieved that he had gotten rid of in a way that did not involve detonating them. He'd had enough explosions in his life, and after using one to cause a disruption in the Ley Lines in order to prevent a future Grail War, he considered his use of explosives over.

As for the rest of the equipment, it had no value to him other than a means to quickly acquire money and at the same time get rid of dangerous material that was a potential magnet for problems, which he preferred to avoid for his own sake, and that of his son. Of course, for obvious reasons he had not sold everything to the men of the Fujimura Group; leaving behind pieces of such advanced modified weapons that few individuals and corporations possessed was a terrible idea. He had only kept three pieces, which he kept under lock and key in the most remote places of the Japanese mansion.

The man sighed again before settling down and turning slightly to the left, where a mirror hung on the nearby wall, its position allowing him to see his reflection in great detail without any problem. Glancing over, what stared back at him was a haggard face, with noticeable dark circles that showed a lack of good sleep for a few days, as well as an almost cadaverous pallor and an exhausted expression, which belonged more on the face of an old man than a man who had not even reached middle age.

If one were to compare that man to his three-year-old self, one couldn't have been more surprised at the contrast between the two. Gone was the stoic and ruthless mercenary who had been for a couple of years labeled as one of the most efficient resources that the Mages' Association had employed against Magi who fell under the category of heretics and sealing designations, as well as the infamous international terrorist as he was known to the mundane public. His place was now occupied by a thirty-three-year-old man who seemed to have one foot already in the grave. His formerly stern and withering expression had been replaced by one that communicated both kindness and weariness.

The above was the easiest to figure out, and with what he had just done a little over three days ago they couldn't blame him. International travel, from Japan to Europe whether it was east or west was equally exhausting, no matter the age of the traveler. And seeing the state he was in, it was obvious that this had left him in a worse state than he was usually in.

This had been his second attempt to contact the Einzbern, and just like the first, it had ended in failure. Their stronghold was in a northern province of Germany, on a mountain surrounded by a vast forest filled with all manner of natural dangers, as well as man-made ones such as evil spirits and bounded fields of various effects. There was only one of these that was different, and it encompassed the entire forest. An elaborate piece of thaumaturgy reinforced over the centuries whose sole purpose was to grant free passage through all dangers to those welcomed by it.

The first time, he hadn't even been able to locate that barrier, leaving him alone in the cruel blizzard and perpetually wintry silence of the estate. This time, crossing the enclosed field had been almost suicide. If in his prime, as the most infamous Magus Killer, he hadn't been able to penetrate that obstacle, or fight his way through the formidable defenses of the estate, let alone into the alchemists' stronghold without losing his life unless he had top-notch resources to sacrifice, his hopes of doing so in such a minimal state were practically nonexistent.

Perhaps that was the worst punishment that could befall her. Knowing that her daughter would remain out of her reach and with the idea that her parents had abandoned her. Just thinking about that made her eyes water and tears form and run down her cheeks.

"Illya." She muttered as she wiped her face with a handkerchief. Her little Illya, the last remnant of her beloved Irisviel, completely alone and locked in the lair of mechanical and frivolous beings who would not hesitate to commit all kinds of inhuman trials and trials on her, both as revenge and to advance their perfidious goals that would never be fulfilled. She had failed her, as well as Iri.

But wasn't that what his life was all about? He had done nothing but make women cry and dirty his hands over and over again, leaving behind a pile of burning corpses that seemed to mock his disastrous but well-deserved fate.

However, that line of thought was halted when her gaze fell upon a framed photo resting on a small three-drawer cabinet. It showed Kiritsugu, a few months earlier, dressed in a yukata while carrying on his back a sleeping red-haired boy who couldn't have been older than eight years old. Seeing that, a smile formed at the corner of her lips that seemed to clear her tormented thoughts.

No, I had achieved something.

Shirou.

The only survivor of the epicenter of that disaster that had devastated the Shinto area at the conclusion of the Fourth War. A true miracle, he had found and managed to save in time by introducing Avalon inside. The mythical sheath of the King of Knights, which still retained some of the magical energy of its bearer, kept him alive and since then, had remained inside him.

She had adopted him a couple of days after he had ended up in the hospital, along with other children whose families had unfortunately perished in the catastrophe. That had been two years ago, and they had since formed a rather warm father-son relationship.

Kiritsugu wished that Illya could be with them. They could be a happy family, far from the misfortunes that the supernatural world had forced upon them. If only he could…

"¡AHHH!"

He had closed his eyelids for a couple of seconds, ready to take a nap to regain his strength. Tomorrow he had to travel again, but this time to a much closer destination, the city of Misaki. He had an appointment with a healer particularly attuned to unnatural cases and treatments and he could not afford to have access to more medicines to keep his condition in better condition. However, that plan went down the drain when a scream was heard in the nearby Dojo.

"Shirou?" Old instincts kicked in and despite the pain, Kiritsugu rose from his seat with admirable agility and ran with difficulty towards the room with his heart beating a thousand miles an hour. Only to sigh with relief upon entering the place, and seeing his adopted son intact.

A pair of ochre-colored eyes stared back at him from the ground. Shirou merely frowned as he waved his left hand before placing it on a shinai that was resting in front of him.

"Are you okay? What happened to you?" Kiritsugu asked as he suppressed a wince from crouching down, his joints protesting the position. That moan he heard had definitely been one of pain, but he didn't see any injuries on his son.

The redhead looked sad, but unable to lie to his father he just muttered. "... I was trying to practice my magic on this shinai."

That made Kiritsugu sigh as he shook his head. One of the first things he had revealed to Shirou after adopting him was about the existence of thaumaturgy and the supernatural world. The boy had been practically insisting for almost two years that he teach him a little, only for Kiritsugu to flatly refuse, thinking that one day he would give up. But unfortunately, he had ended up learning one thing the hard way about his adopted son.

Shirou was as stubborn as a mule, and he just wouldn't take 'no' for an answer. Days of persistence turned into weeks, and weeks turned into months that turned into a whole year and then more months, until finally a couple of years ago he finally gave in, and had shown him how to try and reinforce a simple wooden post to keep him busy.

He hoped that the monotony of such a thing, as well as its uselessness, would be enough to make him bored and eventually give up. But it seemed that hadn't happened, although he could very well try to use it to discourage Shirou from continuing down that path.

Practicing thaumaturgy was not easy. It was a select and dangerous art, which only those who were the product of selective breeding and followed a series of guidelines bordering on fanaticism could embrace without hesitation in order to advance in their respective practices. This was well stated by a saying from the early Middle Ages whose author had remained anonymous.

"To be a magus is to walk with death."

He didn't wish that kind of life on anyone, much less on his son. Shirou had already lost too much despite his young age, he didn't need to remain immersed in that path of madness and mystery.

"I warned you, that it wouldn't be easy, and that you might get hurt even if you were careful." Kiritsugu said in a conciliatory tone, not wanting to sound like he was scolding him. Shirou was just a child, there was no need to act that way over such a mistake. "What did you do?"

With any luck, this would be the last time they would ever touch on the subject. She had already managed to interest Shirou in kendou, no thanks to the presence of Taiga Fujimura, Raiga's granddaughter who was already a state champion in the sport and had practically decided that Shirou would be her little dueling partner, much to the misery of the latter who practically gave her desperate glances every time he was dragged to the dojo by the hyperactive teenager. At least it was a much healthier hobby than dedicating himself to studying the magical arts.

"I just did my magic circuit, and it burned more than usual."

Those words made Kiritsugu freeze before staring at Shirou, believing he hadn't heard correctly.

Create a circuit? What? That didn't exist. To use thaumaturgy traditionally, you just activate your circuits and cast the spell you wanted to perform. Nothing more.

Magical Circuits are a pseudo-nervous system that runs through the human body and qualifies a person to be a magus. They are also pathways that connect the material world to the astral plane. They have two basic functions; one is to convert life force into magical energy and another is to allow their owner to perform mysteries.

The composition and number of these could not be changed naturally, so he had no idea what Shirou was talking about. However, the fact that Shirou said that such a method made him hurt set off several alarm bells in his head.

"Shirou, when you use thaumaturgy, what do you normally do?" She asked him, this time with a worried tone that had a confused reaction in the redhead, who nevertheless responded while shuddering under his father's gaze.

"Well, first I imagine a new circuit and I imagine flooding it with magic and then I feel like something has been pushed into my back. It hurts a little, but sometimes when I think about it a lot it hurts more."

Said father wanted to kick himself. How could he be so negligent as to have overlooked something so obvious? In his little quest to try and sabotage Shirou's interest in learning thaumaturgy, he hadn't even bothered to teach his son how to use his own magic circuits.

Still, I needed to clear things up and do some damage control. It might look okay, but nerve damage could show up later. The sooner I know how far the damage has spread, the sooner I can try to find some kind of treatment for it.

"Listen Shirou, when you use thaumaturgy you don't create magic circuits. You use the ones you already have. What you're doing is basically using your nerves and turning them into makeshift circuits. That's very dangerous." He said, trying to instill a sense of urgency in the boy who now seemed to look mortified.

Kiritsugu couldn't employ much thaumaturgy in his current state, nor was he versed in spiritual analysis that would allow him to determine if Shirou had suffered any kind of damage. And even if he could, there was still the risk that the curse that affected even his own circuits could try to affect Shirou as well.

He needed to take him as soon as possible to someone who knew about the subject, as well as some possible remedy. But who and where? Then he remembered, tomorrow at approximately three in the afternoon in Misaki City, Jinan Clinic. That would be two birds with one stone.

Seeing that her son remained dejected, she placed her hand on his head and stroked his hair. "How about we go for a walk?"

Previously, it was not unusual for him to travel constantly. The life of a mercenary was very nomadic, and those who dedicated themselves to that work could not afford to stay in one place. There was always something else, another mission waiting for them or having to face the risk of persecution.

But now, he was sure his legs were about to go on strike. Walking through three train stations was almost as tiring as walking through two airports, but after about six hours they had finally made it to their destination. Misaki was more of an extension of the municipal seat of the city of the same name, which remained somewhat isolated by the mountains.

As soon as they arrived, both he and Shirou noticed the difference between Fuyuki's environment and this one, in more ways than one. Misaki was the spiritual land with the greatest capacity for ambient energy in all of Japan, with Fuyuki, Mifune, and Kyoto behind. However, it was not the center of the Association's influence in the country, that dubious honor belonged to Tokyo.

It was controlled by the Aozaki Clan, one of the oldest bloodlines of magi following Western doctrines in the country, which was not exactly noted for having a particularly long history of such practice. Although, from what he had been able to ascertain, it rarely intervened in matters within its territory, choosing to remain in seclusion with the exception of its two most famous members.

Or rather, famous ones. None of which were present.

Which was a relief, because wherever one appeared, trouble was almost certain to arise.

Kiritsugu had been to Misaki several times already, the city being a place where he had a few contacts. He could take Shirou out for a stroll when they finished their business, but it was essential that they be attended to first.

And that had brought them to a clinic in one of the regions further away from the center, where they were greeted by a middle-aged man with strong Japanese features dressed in traditional clothing. Without saying a word, he let them in and made sure to lock the door before turning around to address Kiritsugu.

"You're an hour late, and you still bring someone else. Some things never seem to change, Emiya." The man growled before crossing his arms, causing Kiritsugu to sigh. Sougen Jinan, a spiritual healer and former member of a certain organization responsible for demon hunting in Japan. For the past two years, he had been the one he had relied on for medicine to treat his condition. He had also obtained from him a small amount of thaumaturgy-made vials that he had given to Shirou for his nightmares during the first few months of them living together.

"It's an emergency." Was all he could manage to say, the trip hadn't done him any favors and he was too tired at the moment to think of a more forceful response. Likewise, Sougen simply rolled his eyes before turning to Shirou.

"Okay, son. What's your name?" That harsh tone remained, but you could tell he was trying to sound friendlier.

"Shirou, Shirou Emiya." The redhead replied. At first, he had felt somewhat intimidated by the presence of the lord, but seeing the way he addressed him, that feeling ended up fading away.

"Very well, Shirou-kun. At the end of the hall, to your left, there's a game room. Do you think you could wait there for a while?" The look he gave Kiritsugu as he turned communicated little more than immense sternness. "Emiya-san and I, we need to talk." He added in a tone that would not accept a negative answer.

Shirou looked at his adoptive father, asking for permission and Kiritsugu nodded. He knew this was going to happen and it would have been naive to try to expect otherwise. Well, as soon as Shirou disappeared into the hallway, Sougen crossed his arms again and maintained that stern expression, as if he were a judge ready to sentence the guilty.

"Explain." It was the only word that came from his lips. And so Kiritsugu did.

She told him of how she had found Shirou amongst the burning rubble at the end of the Grail War, how she had saved his life with the help of a certain artifact she had placed inside him, how she had adopted him and lived with him for two years, fervently refusing to teach him thaumaturgy until recently, how she had tried to sabotage his interest by teaching him half-heartedly, and finally the consequences of that which she had only just begun to realize.

Throughout this time, Sougen remained silent, merely maintaining the same judging expression. Every now and then, he would arch an eyebrow or nod, though Kiritsugu swore he saw him tense up at some of the information, especially the reason for bringing Shirou. Once he was done, he expected to be subjected to a series of shouts and even profanities from the man, whose vocabulary was quite colorful most of the time. Only to be surprised when Sougen merely sighed before rubbing his forehead.

"Nothing can be easy with you involved, Emiya." He commented. "At least you had the foresight to come as soon as possible this time, unlike the last few times." That was unlike the man, but Kiritsugu wasn't going to push his luck. Sougen was a spiteful man, but with a strict sense of duty.

"Thank you for being able to help him." I cleared my throat, needing water after talking non-stop for several minutes. "How much would I end up owing you?"

"Leave it alone, it will be the usual amount for your checkup." Sougen replied as he prepared to go meet Shirou. Those words made the former mercenary stop dead in his tracks. He didn't think he had heard correctly, he usually ended up paying double.

"Excuse me?" he ventured.

The healer paused in his steps before turning around. "Don't confuse things. This is a unique occasion." He stated, showing that his anger was not being so concealed. "You may be many things, but someone who doesn't pay his debts is not one of them. Besides, an innocent child like him shouldn't have to pay for his father's stupidity."

"I appreciate it very much." Kiritsugu bowed his head slightly.

"Thank me with the money you owe me, and by being a better man." Sougen's words were as sharp as a knife, and the raven-haired man certainly felt them deep down. But it was neither the right place nor the right time to be rambling on about that. He hurried to catch up with Sougen, and soon found him in a nursery with Shirou, who seemed to have been watching a movie he had paused.

The healer breathed in and out a few times to relax, and addressed Shirou in the same manner as the previous time.

"Shirou-kun. Do you know why you're here?" He asked him kindly, and the redhead who seemed to have already given him his trust was quick to answer.

"Why is there a problem with my circuits?" He answered in the form of a question to which Sougen responded in turn while laughing nervously.

"Not exactly, Shirou-kun. Your father made a mistake while teaching you. We don't know how your circuits are yet, because you've never really used them. You're here so I can see how yours are, and if anything has happened to you because of that mistake." Seeing the redhead's expression turn into one of alarm, he reassured him with a gesture of his hands. "Relax, it's probably nothing now. Tell me, does anything hurt now?"

At Shirou's refusal, he let out a sigh of relief. "And you don't feel anything strange?" Another negative answer, which only left an option when performing a spiritual analysis. Sougen prepared himself, before communicating it to the redhead.

"Very well, Shirou-chan. I'm going to perform a small spell on you now so I can further verify this. Are you okay with that?" At the boy's puzzled expression, he elaborated. "It'll be quick, but it requires you to be asleep. I'm going to use a simple spell to make you sleep but I need you to be both okay with it and relaxed, do you think you can do that?"

Shirou seemed to hesitate but when his eyes met Kiritsugu's he nodded, causing the redhead to finally accept, relaxing from his seat.

"It will only be for a few minutes," Sougen assured her, before placing his palm on her forehead and opening his mouth.

"Ryokō-sha, yoku numare (Sleep peacefully, traveler)"

Sougen chanted before sending a light pulse of magical energy towards Shirou, who immediately closed his eyelids and fell into a deep slumber. A one-line spell made from a Buddhist mantra that caused instant sleep. However, it could only be used on people who gave their consent and were not using magical energy, limiting its uses to anything other than medical.

"I never thought you'd be good with kids," Kiritsugu commented, more used to seeing the grumpy doctor than the kind doctor in front of him.

Sougen snorted. "I'm a father too, and I have to tend to the Tohno brats at times. We both know Makihisa would have my head if he ever made any of his 'precious offspring' cry." The grimace he made told Kiritsugu that this was a subject he shouldn't ask about.

He was about to say something, but stopped when he saw Sougen now lying there in a puzzled state as he stared at Shirou. The healer seemed genuinely puzzled by something he had seen during his analysis, and before he could ask what, Shirou beat him to it.

"Emiya…" Sougen cleared his throat, before walking towards him with confusion clearly written on his face. "How many magic circuits did you say Shirou had?"

Kiritsugu raised an eyebrow. As he explained to Sougen about Shirou's circumstances, he revealed that he had previously verified with a quick spell that Shirou possessed magic circuits, a good amount of them. Such a spell only allowed one to detect the existence of magic circuits as well as their quantity, making it useless for any other purpose, which was why he had brought Shirou to Sougen.

"Yes, about twenty-seven. But I don't know what quality. Why?" He replied, equally surprised by the question.

Sougen narrowed his eyes before pointing at Shirou. "Because I just saw that the boy isn't twenty-seven, he's thirty . Thirty dormant magic circuits."

"..." That made the raven-haired man stunned. But what the hell? It was true that his thaumaturgy skills were disastrous at present, but even then it couldn't be confused with a difference in numbers as such. "Of course they're dormant, we've already made it clear that Shirou has never used them."

The healer shook his head. "No, Emiya. I said dormant , not closed. Shirou has all his circuits open, they're just in a dormant state from lack of use for a long time."

"What?!" Kiritsugu exclaimed, growing more and more confused. "But how is that possible?" Rather than answers, all he had gotten were more questions. Just as Sougen had stated, nothing was ever really simple when he was involved.

"This is going to require something more specialized." Sougen said, before carefully carrying Shirou in his arms and leaving the room towards another room. This one looked more like a real office with a stretcher in the center on which he placed the sleeping redhead.

"What are you going to do?" Kiritsugu asked, entering the new room after following him. He was met with the sight of the healer moving around, collecting all sorts of vials and talismans that were on various pieces of furniture.

"A deeper reading." Sougen declared after placing the artifacts in place, before positioning himself on the opposite side of the stretcher from Kiritsugu.

"Kakusareta sekai o abaku. (Revelation of the hidden world)"

The spell showed its activation with a magic circle shining on the ground, from which an ethereal copy began to levitate and landed on the ceiling, remaining perfectly aligned with its lower counterpart with Shirou in the middle of both.

And in the space in the air above his unconscious form, a mist began to appear, flickering several times as if it were a screen with static. Finally, the mist cleared away, revealing an image that showed a series of faint lines on a black background. The lines were not entirely straight, they were stacked horizontally and took on different shapes that contrasted with each other.

Kiritsugu had seen that before, the time he had determined Shirou's circuit count. He specifically remembered twenty-seven of those lines, but then... Why were there three more in the same state?

"Those three circuits weren't there when I checked." He pointed at Sougen, to which the healer responded by reciting the same spell.

"Kakusareta sekai o abaku. (Revelation of the hidden world)"

A cobalt-colored light scanned the lines, turning them reddish with the exception of the last three, which took on a pale violet hue. This made both men raise an eyebrow, but for different reasons.

"It's been a while since I checked the standards the Association uses to categorize magic circuits, but if memory serves this would indicate that they're at least B-rank in quality." Sougen mentioned, only to notice that Kiritsugu was staring at the ones that contrasted with the previous ones.

"... Impossible." Was all he could manage to say. He had never been a magus truly versed in the advancement of mysteries in general, but if there was one thing he knew well, it was the characteristics of magic circuits. Being a magus killer whose trump card consisted of disabling those organs, his knowledge on the subject was quite vast. And what he was seeing at that moment represented a complete anathema to what he thought he knew.

"They are magic circuits, yes. But they are nothing like the previous twenty-seven. The quality of these is inferior, D or at most C I would say."

But Kiritsugu wasn't listening, absorbed as he was in the impossibility he was witnessing. Shirou's original circuits were there, still in good shape and of respectable quality, but it seemed as if some of his nerves had been converted into… actual magic circuits?

That was not possible. It was inconceivable that his nerves had been converted into real, functional (albeit low-quality) magic circuits. Such a thing could not happen naturally...

Kiritsugu narrowed his eyes. Something was strange.

They still functioned like nerves, but magic circuits had appeared inside them. And they weren't Shirou's either. They felt completely different. But that would mean…

"Can you try to analyze those three further?" he asked. "I have a hunch."

"I was going to do it anyway," Sougen muttered, before chanting again. "Kakusareta sekai o abaku. (Reveal to me the hidden world.)"

The screen flickered, before the same blue light focused on the violet circuits again and began scanning them from top to bottom. The violet lines continued to expand until they separated from the twenty-seven copper-colored ones and ended up joining with an amalgam of lines of the same color, which also had other yellow and reddish ones. The mere sight of that made Kiritsugu's eyes open wide, while Sougen's jaw dropped.

It was easy to understand the immense surprise that the two men were feeling. It was not an everyday occurrence to find a Magic Crest a couple of generations old inside a nine-year-old child.

"..."

"..."

Neither dared to break the silence, both were absorbed in their respective thoughts, and in Kiritsugu's case, it seemed like he was going through an existential crisis.

His son was a magus. No, that had to be scratched. His son was the heir to a family of magi. And until today, they had remained ignorant of that fact. He didn't know how to react to that information…

"That explains why there are three additional circuits." Sougen's voice, who had not yet recovered from the shock, brought him out of his thoughts. "Every time he tried to use thaumaturgy, he accessed the circuits of his crest. But since he did not know how to use them, he forcibly manifested them within his nerves and that got to the point of separating them from it and including them among his own. Not bad, this crest has around twenty circuits." He explained before coughing.

"I've heard rumors of similar cases before, but this is the first time I'm seeing anything like this. His attribute must be something pretty special to allow him to do such a thing without any real negative consequences other than pain."

"Ah?" Kiritsugu asked intelligently, causing the healer to snort. "True, you never thought to find out what his was, good thing we have this here."

Shaking his head, Sougen prepared the command for the Consecration spell he was performing.

"Kakusareta sekai o abaku. (Revelation of the hidden world)"

Normally, to identify which of the Five Great Elements is their Elemental Affinity, magi use the process of Consecration in other ways, such as the use of sage, tarot cards, and personality tests. However, the spiritual analysis spell from the Onmyoudou that Sougen used was much more effective.

It was a simple test. Usually, a magus only possesses one element that corresponds to the four essentials plus Ether. Occasionally, two would manifest, and even three. But few were those who could boast of having all five as affinities, such individuals being known as Averages.

The method they were going to employ was relatively simple. It would read the alignment of Shirou's original circuits and this would show which element it was targeting.

Fire, Earth, Water, Wind, Ether. Any of those would manifest themselves through a symbol on the screen.

Fairly simple.

Which made them get a further surprise when it didn't register any of the symbols.

"What the heck?" Sougen grumbled before repeating the command, only for the same results or rather, lack thereof to manifest.

"What does this mean?" Kiritsugu hadn't determined Shirou's Element when he had verified that he had magic circuits, he had no idea what his affinity would be.

If this turned out to be abnormal, it would bring another round of headaches. The former mercenary had no idea how close he was to the truth of the matter.

"His element doesn't belong to any of the traditional five," Sougen admitted. "And it doesn't seem to be one of the imaginary two, either. He's completely irregular, I've never seen anything like it Shirou."

"Is there any way to identify him?" That field was beyond her knowledge. She knew well about the two he carried, Fire and Earth, of which he had used certain attributes based on what Natalia had taught him.

Sougen was about to shake his head before stopping himself. The doctor sighed before swallowing.

"A few months ago, in Mifune, I met a magus named Araya. He was seeking medical attention for a youngish woman. He was a rather imposing and somber man, but honest. A rare thing among magi. He offered to pay for our meal at a nearby restaurant, and there he told me about the Origins." I reveal.

That term made Kiritsugu narrow his eyes. He knew well about that concept, as esoteric as it was fundamental in the world of Thaumaturgy.

He knew firsthand how important he was, and so did some of his victims. About thirty-seven of them knew it, too. He made a gesture to indicate that he could continue.

"Under the system of Thaumaturgy, Origins are used to describe precise details about a magus, while elemental affinity indicates one's general alignment. Magi with an Origin that is strongly expressed outwardly are sometimes removed from normal alignments, and there are times..." Sougen paused. "Where the Origin itself becomes the alignment."

That got Kiritsugu thinking. He had heard something like that but only in the form of rumors as well as other things like that

Even those without an Elemental Affinity are sometimes able to cast spells simply by following their Origin. It is possible for them to overcome great obstacles, such as a lack of circuits or a lack of talent for magic in general.

Could Shirou be one of them?

"Do you think Shirou's Element is the same concept as his Origin?" If so, that explained a lot of things, and complicated even more.

"I don't think so." Sougen replied before pointing at the screen. Kiritsugu followed where he pointed and for the second time, he felt his heart skip a beat.

A single character was written on it.

sword

Ken.

Sword.

And it took up both the entire screen and a prominent shape in Shirou's original twenty-seven circuits, showing that they shared characteristics.

"... Incarnation."

The title given by the Association to individuals whose attributes were aligned within the same concept. Strange existences of which few cases had been documented and in all of them it had been shown that such characteristics carried a unique potential, if not superior to that of other magi.

And his adopted son was now one of these.

At this point, Kiritsugu didn't know whether to laugh or cry.

"And I just saw what the cause was."

As soon as his black eyes focused on the screen, they could see a blue and gold triangular shape that emitted a resplendent aura. An elegant sheath whose visage sat ethereally on the figure of Shirou's circuits, as if they were the same sword he was holding, which carried two pairs of bands that crossed in perfect diagonals, and in whose center there was writing in an illegible language that seemed to float above the surface.

Avalon.

"...This is definitely not just any artifact. It's not a Mystic Code, much less a Concept Weapon. Where the hell did you get this from?"

"It's a Noble Phantasm, a gift from the Einzbern Clan." Kiritsugu replied mechanically, not having the energy or desire to omit more than necessary. "It was used to summon the Saber-Class Servant during the War… Its powers were what saved Shirou's life."

"A NOBLE PHANTASM?!" This time Sougen did not hold back his shout. "Sacred Nichiren. In this day and age? What legend does this come from?"

Kiritsugu gulped before answering. After all he had revealed, it was pointless to cling to the last details.

"King Arthur's magical sheath that protects from all wounds, Avalon."

"Charming. I've never been privy to such legends, but even I know that such a thing, created by beings like the fairies of Europe, is comparable to the divine royalties of our myths." Sougen muttered, before having the screen rewind to show a complete schematic of Shirou's circuits, his Crest, and the Avalon Scabbard in the background.

"Around fifty magic circuits. A Crest a couple of generations old. Attributes aligned under an irregular concept. And a fairy-crafted artifact sealed within it." Sougen let out an exasperated whistle. "The potential it holds is unique within a generation. An Association Lord would pay its weight in gold. Be proud, Emiya. You practically hit the jackpot on problem child of the year."

However, he noticed that the ex-mercenary was too quiet, which made him turn around to look at him, only to see how his face tried to adopt a very serious expression.

"I'm going to need you to sign a slut contract."

That set off an alarm in the healer's head, who merely arched an eyebrow at that request. "What are you up to, Emiya?" He asked while crossing his arms. To tell the truth, he was feeling something in his stomach that didn't make him feel anything good.

Kiritsugu's gaze would have been an ode to coldness if it weren't for his gaunt face. "This must not be known. By anyone but the two of us. Much less Shirou."

That made things clearer for the healer. "I see, I see. This never happened, and you'll continue your initial ruse of keeping him away from it. And here I thought you'd given up your old habits." The sneer emitted from Sougen's words was not concealed in the slightest. "Do you even have the slightest idea how horrible this idea is?"

"That's none of your concern," Kiritsugu replied, with a hint of venom. "I'll pay you triple if you want, my only concern is that Shirou is okay. That nothing jeopardizes his leading a normal, happy life."

"A normal life?" Sougen snorted before pointing at the screen. "Open your eyes Emiya." He practically barked before pointing intently at the schematic displayed. "Do you think that'll be possible with something like that?"

"So what do you suggest?" The ex-mercenary's tone of voice rose slightly in intensity. "Should I then expose him to the horrors of the supernatural world? Never. I won't let him go there if I can help it."

"Why don't you want me to end up like you?" Was the inflexible reply from the healer, whose patience seemed to be almost at its limit. From the furious expression that was forming on his face, there was no doubt about it. "The only thing you're going to achieve is to leave him defenseless, you big idiot."

That made Kiritsugu truly burst into anger. "What did you say to me-?!"

"You heard me perfectly, Emiya." Was the angry response of the opponent, cutting him off before he could shout. "A Noble Phantasm, a damn Noble Phantasm of mystical origins within it. What assures you that something cannot be attracted to that thing and eventually detected? Things extremely sensitive to something of this nature are in abundance in the world."

Kiritsugu gritted his teeth. "Per-!"

"He has a Magic Crest. You of all people should know what such a thing means." He continued angrily, not caring in the least that I had interrupted him again. "He is the heir of some magus or worse, of an entire family. Such matters are a can of worms that no one wants to deal with. They could be looking for him, and you know how stubborn magi are in trying to recover something like that."

"You have no way of being sure of that," Kiritsugu growled, finally managing to speak.

"Perhaps," was Sougen's icy reply this time. "But one thing I can be sure of. You live in Fuyuki, Emiya. Use your brain, that's Tohsaka and Matou territory, and I understand the Church itself has an interest there. Since when do rabbits hide inside fox holes?"

"Then we'll get out of there," Kiritsugu replied sardonically. "Somewhere where there isn't a spiritual land, let alone any Magi families to worry about."

"Will you run away then?" Anger returned to Sougen's words. "Killing, lying, and running away. Those are the only things you know how to do well. What an excellent father you are being, I wonder if Shirou will learn to run away from his past like you do."

"I'm not h-!"

"Alimango." Was Sougen's response that made Kiritsugu stop in his tracks. "Hudson." That caused a visible reaction from Kiritsugu, who now looked like he had been hit. "And now Fuyuki."

The healer remained completely unyielding and oblivious to Kiritsugu's grief. "Time and time again, you escape, leaving behind a burning memory that will always haunt you. You'll continue to run, neglecting everything around you, only now dragging someone else along with you. You'll carry it to the ends of the earth, and I wonder… What will you do when you can run no longer?"

The question unsettled Kiritsugu and caused his anger to be channeled into morbid curiosity despite his instincts already screaming about the terrible feeling they were having.

"I don't understand what you mean."

"Let me change the question." Sougen's voice took on a sepulchral tone. "What will you do, Emiya, when you leave him alone? "

His heart skipped a beat, and even more so when he thought he understood the reason for the question. As if reading his mind, the healer let out a sigh while his features softened.

"I had planned to tell you in person during this session, but this caused my attention to be diverted." Sougen shook his head, carefully choosing his next words knowing that what he was about to say would change everything for the man. "I'm so sorry."

"How was it?" he asked in a broken voice.

"This curse is nothing like I've ever seen before. I had to call in a few favors to find out as much as I could from what you left me and it still wasn't enough." Sougen looked his age for the first time. "This country has had a long history with curses and yet this one is on a completely different level than those found in traditional ones, from the origin you told me about. I tried to contact some of the Middle Eastern associations but there was no response and I had to work with what I had. It's pure malice that takes a physical form, and it settled into most of your circuits. It's possible with some concoctions like the ones I've given you to lessen the pain, and even suppress it on some occasions. But that's all."

The healer moved a nearby chair, so that the other man could sit down.

"It's corrosive on a spiritual level. It eats away at everything it can, and nothing I try can stop it. Eventually, it will cause multiple damages to your organs and there will be nothing left."

"H-How long?" Kiritsugu's hands were now shaking.

"Three years, tops." Sougen clenched his hands so tightly that his knuckles turned white. "I'm so sorry, kid."

But Kiritsugu was no longer listening. It was as if a barrier had been imposed between him and reality. Even if he tried to speak, his throat was tight. His eyes were petrified and his heart seemed to shrink with each beat until it became suffocating.

A̵̲̖̻̫̍ͤ̌͗̒ͅṅ̨ͣͯ̃g̦͍͙̟̀ṛ͕̫͙͎̱ͪ́̈ͣ͆̚͘a̼͗ M͌̇ͦa̸̅̍ͭ͂ͨ̽ͥi͙̭̱̓͆̚n͡y̪̟͖̘u̟̫͖͈̖̔ͦͪ̇͊͘u ̗̮̻̗̬̣̌̋́̓̎̐tͮ̿̂̈̕ë̯̭̽ ̲̦̝̭͕ͬ̉̃̅͂m̸̖͔͐͆a̹̱͔͚̔̋̓ͭ͡l̸̮͙̰̜ͅd͇͒i͔̫͍̠̱̍̃̆̋c͢e

That infernal voice loomed again in the distance after two years. Unable to move from that place, he was left vulnerable only to its perfidious influence.

A͚̽n̡͓͉͓ͫͪͯg̴ra̮͊ ̊ͩ̋͐̀̚M̼̙̀ͤa̪̻̥̤̱i̛͔̩̣̬ͧ̔͌ͣn̎̍̊ͥͯ̏y̐̃̌͑u̪̹̹͑͊̉u͡ ̹̳tě̉̇͐ ̣̹͍̀ͣ̓ͮͅo̩̚d͔̮̦ͭ̾̒iă͎̺̥ͬ̍

His breathing became labored, and as if he were inhaling a cloud of ash, his throat began to burn. But it was preferable to listening to that voice.

Let's go ˜Må̲̲̲̣̲̊̊̇͒̆̋̋ ȋn̜̘̪̜̲y̲ẙ̲̲̣̣̇̇ ̣.̣̎̎te ̲̣̣a̗̰ͣ͑b͔͕̂̐ͮͫ͢ọ̲r̼r̙̙̪̪̲ẻ̲̲̲̲̝̲̲̋

"¿Emiya?"

As if a thousand red-hot pins were inserted into his back at the same time, that dull, grotesque voice manifested itself again, piercing his consciousness.

The most important thing is to be able to do it. ̞̯͇͒̆ͨs̺̦̹͕̬̎̐̇̽e̩̭͖͂͗ͣn̗̝̩̺͉͖̻͆͆́̆͌̂t̜̟̆ͥe̸̹ͨn̿̏ͧ̅cͦͥ͌ͪ̌͐҉͇̣̱̳͈̘ï̌̓ͯ̌̀a

"Are you listening to me?"

He tried to scream, but nothing came out of his mouth. It was as if a monstrous claw had gripped his throat and prevented him from speaking as a result.

A͕͔̖n̴͇̬̻̪̬͐ͪ̏̓̒g̺̘̹͓͉̀ͅȑ̞a͟ ̜̰̫ͥ͌̈M̛ǎ̤̤̻ͮͤ͜i̝͖̟̪ͧ͐ͪ̈́̀n̔͌̉ͩ͆͡y̬̼̜̩̙͓uu̠̩̬͙ͅ ͇t̟̜̻͈̩͖͖̾̊̓͆̒̌̚e͞ ̟̠̯͔͕͌͒̆ͬ̆ͬ̆ͬ̆ͬ̆ͬ̆ͬ̆̓o͙̦̺̩̗͐ͧ͊̚̚n̟̠͎ͤ͊̚͜d̫̙̄̊̃ͬͅͅe̬ͨn͉̗̬̼a͗̀ͤ͒̌̈́̌̈́̌͘

"¿Emiya?"

And just as he was kicking and struggling to try to free himself from the sensation, something seized his limbs with what appeared to be scaly, rotting chains that seemed to be digging tiny hooks resembling fangs and spurs into them.

M̡̹̱̺ͭ̃̚u͖͈͎̘͇͕̻ͧ͐ͪͫͧ̽ͨe͑ͨ͗͋r͂ͫ̌́͏̺̮̻͎e̴ ̟̤̣̘ͨ̾̎͂s̡̺̃û̜m͒͂̅i̢̮̣̠̞̼͉̣ͩ̐̔ͧͪͧ͂d͎̒̀o ̙̦e̗̥ͥ̓̄ͅn ̪̼̙̱̰̤̽͒ͫ̆̾̔̂͞ͅe̬̝͙͉̦͍͢ļ͕ͤ ̛ ́ ́ ́ ́

Still, he fought on only to feel whatever had him in such a grip getting closer. He couldn't see it, much less hear it. He could only feel it, a horrid presence whose very aura resonated in his heart and made every part of him scream with one impulse. Every section of his consciousness united in a terrified cry that communicated little more than a cry for help that would never come. He closed his eyes, unable to bear it only to open them and face the deepest, blackest of glooms in front of him, and the abyss stared back at him.

M̔ͪͫͮ͗̄͏͕̯͓̪̯̘Ư̖̘̟͍̭͔̪̮ͫ͗͐̿͑̿̐̽̚͞E͔̤̖͖͔͍̔ͮ͗̄̉ͫR̸͙͕̯̬͕̯̫̞͖͐͌̎͌̀̾̓̏̑ͥ͟ͅE̢͐̆ͮ͌̏ͦͧͭ̚͜͜T́̇ͤ̾͆ͯ̀ͮE̛ͥͧ̈͊́ͣ̇̄̆̔ͩ̄ͯ̀҉

"Kiritsugu!" Sougen exclaimed once he saw how the man was starting to hyperventilate. Alarmed, he shook him somewhat forcefully only to notice how his eyes were clouded over, and a trickle of blood was running down his nose.

"Damn!" He cursed before running to one of the cabinets and throwing open its doors. "Where is it, where is it?" He searched desperately, while through the mirror of the cabinet he could already see that Kiritsugu was suffering from spasms.

Finally, he finally managed to find a glass vial which he quickly took before running back to the black-haired man and forcing the contents into his mouth while muttering a quick prayer.

Kiritsugu cleared his throat before his eyes returned to normal. The man let out a long sigh as his body slowly relaxed.

"T-That w-was it." He tried to say, only for Sougen to place a hand on his shoulder. "A rather aggressive reaction to the curse. I sense it's a response to your emotional state, but more intense than usual." He tried to explain before pointing to the container he was still holding.

"It's a concoction of distilled water with the essence of Ephedra herbs . It was easy to get a few bunches from northern China." Sougen ran his left hand over his cheek. "I'm not familiar with Iranian mythology. But it didn't take an expert to figure out that those herbs are commonly associated with their divine plant, haoma . I figured it was the closest thing to an attempted cure."

"I see." Was Kiritsugu's dry response before extending his hand, receiving the vial which he drank in a matter of seconds.

An awkward silence of several minutes fell between the two men, who used it to try to recover from all the shocks they had received that day. However, both knew that after what had happened, neither of them would recover easily.

"I don't understand." Kiritsugu suddenly spoke, bringing Sougen out of his stupor. Sougen raised an eyebrow, as if asking him what he meant.

"I know you Sougen. Natalia did too." The raven continued, evoking his mother in all but blood and name and mentor. "You have a sense of duty as a doctor, but you're not that charitable. I hadn't noticed it at first with all this, but now I can see things more clearly. Antagonizing me is one thing, we've never really met face to face but with Shirou, you're taking it way too far to be just a patient you just met."

The healer sighed, before taking a seat as well. "I had a brother," he began, his tone truly tired, evoking a deep anguish that had not entirely faded despite the years.

"I didn't know that," Kiritsugu replied, genuinely surprised.

"Not many people do." Sougen snorted half-heartedly before setting his gaze somewhere in the distance. "My family has been immersed in this world since before the Meiji Era. We were originally simple healers, but a monk we once hosted taught us medical thaumaturgy, allowing us to take our art a step further as spiritual doctors. For a couple of generations we practiced that, occasionally serving a certain organization comprised of four families that was dedicated to hunting oni."

Kiritsugu nodded, he knew of the existence of that organization or what was left of it.

"However, my father had a natural aversion to this world and as soon as he could, he cut all ties with the family and left to make his own life." It was at the next part that his face darkened. "But you can never leave this world, not really. My family didn't exterminate demons or half-breeds from it, and that's exactly why they were an easy target. One night, a hybrid somehow managed to track my father down and raided our house…"

The black-haired man couldn't help but evoke a memory that would never leave his mind. An almost paradisiacal and peaceful island during the day, which at night ended up becoming a faithful recreation of hell with the flames conjured by the Association's hitmen and the Church's executioners sent to purge the vampiric corpses that had risen as a consequence of his father.

"I'm very sorry."

Sougen shook his head. "The family took me in without any problem, and I ended up just like them. And I have no regrets, I've made sure to keep a low profile and owe a debt to certain figures that ensure a safe future for my daughter." The healer stared at him. "I can understand your reasons, but I cannot accept them. If it were up to me, no child would have to go through what happened to us, but…"

"The world doesn't work like that, I know that very well." Kiritsugu finished, before beginning to laugh bitterly. "My wife died for nothing, my ward will never wake up, my daughter is alone and out of my reach. I only have Shirou left, and I don't have much time left to be his father, if I can protect him from all of this."

Kiritsugu Emiya. A mercenary categorized as the Magus Killer for his brutal and effective work in hunting down and killing dozens of Magus. The terror of hundreds of practitioners of thaumaturgy around the world, and one of the three who had allegedly survived Fuyuki's lethal Heaven's Feeling ritual, he lay totally powerless and more human than ever.

"There is something you can still do," Sougen finally spoke. "Teach him how to live."

The answer came with a completely sardonic gesture from the black-haired man. "Live?" He asked, as if he didn't understand what he was saying. "After what I did, do I now have to turn him into cannon fodder against the things that lurk here? Do I have to force him to give up his life too? Take away the only thing he has left?!"

They heard a gasp that didn't belong to either of them and turned to the left, only to see Shirou very awake, off the stretcher and looking at them with wide eyes and an expression that emitted fear, doubt, anguish and above all betrayal.

Kiritsugu didn't know who felt more stabbed, Shirou or himself. He tried to get up and reach him, only to notice how the redhead became alert, taking a couple of steps back.

"S-Shirou…" Titubeo.

But the child, far from paying attention, ended up running as fast as his legs could carry him until he left the room and crossed the hallway with the two adults unable to stop him.

A/N: I've been reading Fate fanfiction for a couple of years now, mostly in English, and so far there are only a handful of stories that I consider to be truly great in terms of originality, development, writing, and characterization.

However, I could hardly find the tropes that caught my attention in all of them. And in those that did exist, they were cursed with being abandoned or taking directions and elements that made me lose interest in them.

That, combined with the large number of elements that Fate has introduced into the franchise in recent years, many of which are rare to see around here or I consider have not been given enough attention in the canonical materials, made me consider the idea of ​​trying to write this.

As you can see, I decided to go the Stay/Night route, but with a lot of twists (and not to mention changes). Features, elements and characters from other Fate entries such as Zero, Hollow Ataraxia, Prototype, Extra, Apocrypha, Strange Fake, Grand Order as well as other parts of the Nasuverse (Kara no Kyoukai, Tsukihime and maybe Notes) will be included in one way or another, but I'll try to keep such resources in an orderly manner and not overuse them without proper development and setting.

Needless to say, with what has been shown in this prologue, many things were and will be different here. While I will try to stick as closely as possible to many of the parameters established in the Nasuverse Lore, there will also be times when I will have to take my liberties for the sake of originality. But I will not fall into absurdity without offering a detailed explanation on the matter.

Finally, I have an idea about the structure of this story, but many of the details are still vague, so apart from writing the next chapters, I will continually come up with the arcs that will form it as well as the development of these. Something that is already decided, is that the Fifth War will be the climax of this story and to get to it, it will take a long, long time.

With all that said, I welcome you to Konton no Tatakai. I hope you enjoy reading this journey, as much as I will enjoy writing it.