We're not really Doctors. (Shirou x Harem) Arknights x Fate

Chapter 30 - 2

=== SHIROU ===

Well, it was to be expected. Shirou knew he was entering a losing fight.

With the Holy Grail or not, he couldn't match against the both of them alone. The scales were tipped too far in their favor. One was a hero of legend, famed all throughout the world. The other a dedicated host for the Holy Grail- even if a small part of it. Strengthened and influenced by the corruption within the Grail, nothing Shirou had could remove the curse or its influence over her.

Sakura Matou stood a distance away, studying a small crystal of Originium she broke off a larger shard embedded in the building's roof. Arturia Pendragon stayed guard between them, watching Shirou and his constraints with rapt attention. The dark mud assisting Sakura kept him from moving. He was lucky that it hadn't killed or corrupted him yet, no doubt Sakura's will holding back the black substance from devouring him like all the other bodies it came across.

"...it's not just corrupted mana."

Shirou heard Sakura whisper. It was silent around them. The sound of battles going on in the city- if there were any left- were too far to reach them. Up here, on top of Chernobog's control tower, it was only the sound of the wind rushing past them.

"There is something inside. Something big." Sakura held the Originium higher and showed it to him. "I can feel it- no. The evil inside me feels it." All The World's Evil within her was reacting to the contents of the crystal. It could sense something inside. She didn't know what it was, but that All The World's Evil wanted it. It had no jurisdiction over matter. Its power was over the minds of men. Of emotions. Over spirit, body, and soul.

"Does it want Originium?" Shirou asked. He couldn't do much after the loss. Even with the Holy Grail empowering him, his preparations were disrupted by Saber. She had fought alongside him before. Not to mention her previous tenure as his father's servant. She was more than aware. She was more prepared this time. Saber pushed him back and broke his catalysts, delaying Shirou's ability to manifest Unlimited Blade Works. It was the only card he had that could match her and Sakura. With his preparations in ruins, it was a quick and deafening loss to the woman who trained him for a short period of time.

"No...it cannot use it." There were things inside the Originium. Sakura couldn't explain it. What she can say is that they were not alive in a sense she was familiar with. It was All The World's Evil that was trying to penetrate the inner workings of the mysterious mineral. Sakura herself could only glimpse small clues, but nothing that could easily be perceived.

Shirou hesitated. If All The World's Evil was interested in Originium, then the mineral was no doubt something far more dangerous than an infection on the land. It grew on living and nonliving matter alike. There was no cure for it, aside from their method of drawing or cycling out the contagious excess the body absorbed. Even then, some had lived with it for so long that the Originium had embedded itself into their bodies. Removing those would've meant tearing out Originium from vital organs. People would die. It was too dangerous.

"It cannot use it?"

"It's not alive. Nor does it have the means to bring it out...whatever it is." Sakura was under the influence of All The World's Evil, but she was also interested in the Originium. Her primary goal of capturing Shirou was finished. The next thing she could do is continue their research into this weird mineral of Terra. "As far as I can tell, until we learn the means to...activate the Originium, then all the evil stored within is unreachable to it." That was the only access All The World's Evil had to it. The mineral contained evil and it was the connection it used to probe the inactive content.