Fate: Hammer Time

Chapter 3: The Dawn of a New Hero

Shirou walked over the streets of his hometown, past the flames that were surrounding him on all sides. His empty, lifeless eyes stared forward as he walked, hoping against all hope for a chance at survival, the roaring flames chasing him forward.

The flames encompassed everything in sight, burning it all to cinders. Even things that should not burn were consumed by this unnatural fire, that seemed to roar its fury and hate to the equally burning sky, as if cursing something up there.

Bodies laid everywhere, spread around, as if a giant had randomly poured them out into the streets. All of them blackened and burned, yet somehow still fuelling the fire.

Screams of pain and anguish filled the air. Desperate pleas and prayers were called out by all those who somehow still lived. But they all went unheeded. The flames continued their work, making no distinction between man, animal, or thing, young or old, noble or evil.

It just burned.

Shirou still walked on, past the bodies of the dying. People all around him were pleading for his help, for him to look at them, to acknowledge them, but he could not stop, he had to keep walking. So he kept walking.

He saw people trying to help each other, but failing miserably. Friends attempting to support each other while fleeing, only to burn together; parents trying to free their children from the wreckage, only to be crushed alongside them. Total strangers trampling each other in their blind panic. Lovers united in one last embrace, fused together by the immense heat. There was only death, no matter where he looked.

And Death then came for him as well. When everyone in Shirou's sight had died, it finally directed its empty sockets at the boy himself.

It came in the form of those unnatural flames. They whispered to him, tried to claim him for themselves, as they had all others. They demanded a sacrifice, the ultimate sacrifice: His life.

Shirou however did not want to give up his life, stubbornly clinging onto it, fighting against the flames, resisting their will with his own. But ultimately, it was futile. Unless he would sacrifice something to the hungry conflagration around him, he would fall. So he began feeding it, with whatever he possessed.

His memories went first, all of them, from his birth until this night, all lost to the fire. Then his emotions, as they only weighed him down here.

His hatred held him back? He got rid of it; his sadness made him want to turn around? He got rid of it; His despair made him want to sink to his knees? It went right into the flames; his happiness, fear, anger, all of it, gone.

Eventually, it was only a hollow existence that was still walking there. And still the flames surrounded him, demanding more.

It was then that Shirou had nothing more to offer to those flames, nothing left to give to the Thing that had sent them. His legs gave in, exhausted, their limit finally reached. As he laid there on his back, his empty eyes stared up at the sky, no longer seeking salvation, but simply desiring to see it one last time.

Blackened flames elongated towards him, to burn him to ashes like everyone else, to curse him with All the World's Evils and feast on his Soul.

Hollow he might be, Shirou still tried to struggle, desperately crawling away with his aching arms, attempting to fight off the taint. He didn't notice his surroundings anymore, didn't care for his situation except for that once again, he had to survive.

The taint pursued him however, reaching out to their meal, laughing mockingly at his attempt to flee, to defy them.

Eventually, Shirou could no longer continue crawling, his arms bruised black and bleeding from dozens of cuts, and the last bits of strength fading from his failing body. He was forced to come to a halt, and watched with empty eyes as the flames cried out in pleasure and anticipation as they jumped towards him...