Fate: Abyss of the Heart

Dark Revelations

Artoria's heart raced as she faced Vanitas, the darkness swirling around him like a tempest, amplifying the fear and uncertainty within her. The name Tohsaka Rin lingered in the air, and she steeled herself, forcing herself to ask the question that burned in her mind. "What happened to Rin?"

A derisive laugh escaped him, echoing in the barren landscape, cold and devoid of warmth. "Why? Are you worried about that bitch?" His lips twisted into a cruel smirk, eyes glinting with malice. "But it doesn't matter, after all. She's dead. And I'm the one who killed her."

Artoria felt a chill run down her spine, the words hitting her like a blow. "You... killed her?" she whispered, struggling to comprehend the depths of his darkness.

"Do you want to hear how she died?" His voice was smooth, almost taunting, as if savoring the memory. Artoria remained silent, dread pooling in her stomach, but he continued unabated. "I didn't just destroy her; I obliterated her—body and spirit. I crushed every bone in her arm and ribcage before ripping both her legs off. Can you imagine the screams? The agony?"

Artoria's stomach turned at his casual cruelty, her mind racing to block out the horrific images he painted with his words. "Stop," she implored, her voice barely above a whisper.

"Finally," he continued, relishing her discomfort. "I dropped an entire building on her almost-dead body, utterly crushing her." The malevolent glee in his voice was unmistakable, an echo of his madness reverberating in the emptiness around them.

"No..." Artoria's heart shattered, the anguish of Rin's death hitting her like a tidal wave.

"And what about Illya?" she asked, her voice trembling. She had to know, had to piece together the remnants of their world that had been destroyed. "What happened to Kiritsugu's daughter?" She hesitated, carefully omitting the name of the man who had once been her master, fearful of the reaction it might provoke in this twisted version of Shirou.

"Oh, you want to hear about that bastard's daughter?" Vanitas sneered, his eyes glinting with malicious delight. "Fine, it will be a refreshing memory for me."

He stepped closer, the shadows around him thickening, consuming the light. "I went to the Einzbern castle and massacred everyone that day. Their screams of pain and agony still echo in my mind, a symphony of despair that never fades."

Artoria felt a surge of horror, and she clenched her fists, fighting against the rising tide of revulsion.

"That was when my so-called sister, along with her servant Berserker—Heracles, if you remember—tried to stand in my way." Vanitas' voice dripped with mockery. "Let's just say, I consumed Heracles while she was still distracted. I took advantage of her moment of weakness and struck."

He paused for a moment, relishing the horror of what he was about to reveal. "I went behind her and sliced her body in half. It was too easy. I caught her upper body by the head, looking deep into her eyes. And as she realized her fate, I thrust my finger into her heart, killing her instantly. I whispered to her, 'When you see that bastard, can you send this as my regards to him, trash?'"

With a twisted smile, he continued, "Then I tossed her corpse aside like the garbage she was, and burned that castle to the ground. The flames consumed everything, erasing any trace of what once was."

The world around them seemed to darken further as Artoria's breath hitched in her throat, the weight of his words pressing down on her. She felt the crushing sense of loss for the bonds that had been severed, the people who had been extinguished in the relentless tide of Vanitas' wrath.

"And you stand before me," he taunted, eyes glittering with a sadistic light, "a mere remnant of your former self. How tragic."

Artoria's heart ached with the memories of those she had lost, the faces of her fallen friends and allies flashing before her eyes. She gripped Excalibur tightly, the sword pulsing with the remnants of her hope. "You may have taken them from me, Vanitas, but I will not let you take anything more," she vowed, her voice steadying as the fire of determination ignited within her once more.