A few days later.
The mountainous regions of Croatia.
A cold wind blew, and even through his clothing, Shirou felt its biting chill.
In the distance lay a small town. It was almost completely shrouded in darkness, with only a few faint lights indicating any activity at all.
- What are we doing here, Sif? - Shirou asked, pulling his gaze away from the cityscape.
- Well... You see, kid, I decided to make some minor adjustments to your debut... - the man beside him replied evasively.
- Is it normal for me to already feel chills down my spine?
- Quite normal... You see, your old man wanted this assignment to be relatively easy since it's your first swim, but... I found that approach ineffective. We've invested a considerable amount of time and effort into you, and I want to see the fruits of our labor. However, in simple matters, you can hardly demonstrate what you've achieved...
- And you decided to give me a more challenging task?
- Bingo! I believe it's in extreme situations that a person's true nature is revealed. We'll see what you're made of... It's like with birds, pushing the chick out of the nest. Can you fly? Great! No? Well, sorry, survival of the fittest! - grinned Katalan, patting him on the shoulder.
- I'm afraid to think what my father will want to do with you...
- We'll think about that, depending on the results... - Sif replied, then pulled out a folder from his bag and handed it to Shirou. - Your target...
- Last week, the Clock Tower sent two Enforcers to capture a subject, - he began the briefing as Shirou skimmed through the dossier. - The target is one Anton Ristic, a fourth-generation mage from some minor family. His main specialization is the creation of synthetic familiars. He wasn't considered a priority target, which is why only a couple of Enforcers were sent. But this little bastard somehow caught wind of the operation and managed to transform into a bloodsucker, dragging an entire town down with him. The second barely managed to send a report before he died from his wounds and blood loss... After that, the Association and the Church began to see him as a threat, and a bounty was placed on him. Most likely, Executors and Hunters will arrive here within a few hours, so we have a little head start. The population of this town was around 15,000 people. But now, all either lay dead or had been turned into ghouls. This freak seems to have lost control after his transformation and fell into a bloody frenzy, infecting everyone and everything...
- And you obviously didn't think it necessary to inform me? - Shirou asked with irony.
- Unnecessary details... - he shrugged.
- Unnecessary details that could cost me my life, - Emiya thought angrily.
He felt an urge to strangle him. Instead of hunting a mage, he was sending him after a Dead Apostle?! Shirou didn't even know what to think; on one hand, the mission was clearly exceeding all his expectations, and he simply wasn't prepared for such a thing. Doubts, while natural, were now becoming increasingly loud...
But on the other hand... If he were to refuse now, it could lead to unpleasant consequences. It was unlikely he would get another chance to prove to his father, to Sif, and to himself that these past two years hadn't been in vain. Yes, the risk was incredibly high, but if it all worked out...
Yes, it's decided...
- Is that all? - he asked Sif, who was smoking nearby.
- Oh? Have you made up your mind? I honestly thought you'd back down, - he said, surprised. - Yes, everything else is in the file. The only thing I can say is, don't hesitate when you meet him, just kill him, forget about the crest. They do pay more for those, but we're not here for the money, right? - he smirked at this moment. - There are no innocents here, so don't hold back if there's a chance to minimize risks...
- Got it... - Shirou replied distantly, turning his gaze back to the town.
- Besides, - he added, handing Shirou an earphone, - UYou won't be without support; we'll keep in touch, and I'll cover you from a distance when the time comes. We leave in an hour, check your gear and save your strength; you'll need it...
***
Shirou silently trudged through the streets, listening intently to every rustle. He gripped his M4 rifle tightly. Normally, such a weapon wouldn't be effective against a vampire, but it was just right for the lower ranks of their kind.
The streets were empty and deserted, with rotting and disfigured bodies lying around here and there. Shirou was immensely grateful that he was wearing a mask, as it helped him better endure the stench that permeated the air.
- I wonder... what was this place like before? - he thought involuntarily.
He didn't have a clear plan on how to find Anton, so he cautiously and methodically surveyed the town.
- If he hasn't completely lost his mind, he's likely holed up somewhere fortified or guarded. So I should be looking for places with the highest concentration of these creatures... — he was sticking to approximately that course of action.
A sharp crunching sound interrupted his thoughts. Shiro immediately tensed and slowed his pace. The sounds persisted, and he involuntarily felt he had an inkling of their source.
Just behind one of the mangled cars lay a body, with a grotesque figure looming over it, making disgusting slurping noises.
- A ghoul... - Emiya recognized it without a doubt.
They represented the lowest tier of vampires. Mindless husks, driven only by the satisfaction of their blood and flesh thirst. They instinctively fed on humans and gradually restored their former selves. Although this process could take years, if not decades. The irony was that when they returned to their senses, they fully remembered what they had done.
- What a disgusting thought — waking up one day and remembering how you butchered and devoured your kind... and enjoying it... - Shirou thought grimly.
However, that didn't mean he felt pity for them. You could only feel pity for those who could still be helped, and they didn't fall into that category.
With that thought, he aimed his gun at the ghoul, and the sound of the shot shattered the grim silence that enveloped the town.
The body dropped to the ground with a dull thud. However, the silence didn't last long. Shirou began to hear indistinct sounds, accompanied by the appearance of new ghouls. They emerged from around corners and ruined buildings, and some bodies began to sluggishly rise and move toward him.
- Great... Now this whole mob will start converging here, eager to feast on me... - he muttered as he aimed his rifle at the nearest ghoul. - But... this is exactly what I need...
***
Sif Ferro perched on a hill, watching the city from his commanding height. Tracking Shirou wasn't difficult; all he had to do was listen for the gunshots and see where the vampire creatures were all rushing.
To Sif's surprise, the boy was handling it relatively well. Although the ghouls were closing in on him, it seemed that was part of the plan. Shirou was clearly luring them into one spot, presumably hoping to take out as many as he could in one go or escape by cutting off their pursuit routes.
A rather effective tactic, given that ghouls weren't particularly bright. The main thing was to choose the right moment; otherwise, they could end up boxing him in themselves.
Over the past two years, Sif had studied the boy. At first, he found it hard to believe that a ten-year-old had taken down a trained killer. The element of surprise and those strange eyes certainly played their part, but it was far from being the main factor.
It didn't matter what weapon you had or how much you knew. When it came down to the actual killing, you quickly forgot all of that...
An ordinary person, especially one without any training, would simply panic and end up dead.
But Kiritsugu's son turned out to be different. He took the necessary steps to ensure his survival before he even fully realized it. And that mercenary learned this the hard way…
Of course, Kiritsugu had told him how he found Shirou in that blazing hell. The fact that the child had been there for so long and managed to endure under the rubble… Such a fierce will to live was impressive.
That's exactly why Ferro had thrown him into that situation. He wanted to see how Shirou would react in an unconventional scenario. At first, he thought the boy would refuse. But whether it was pride or determination that drove him, the younger Emiya didn't back down.
— Well, let's see if you can fool the Grim Reaper this time… — Catalan muttered with a smirk.
***
Another empty magazine fell to the ground, making room for a new one.
Shirou began to realize that he had slightly overestimated his abilities. He clearly hadn't expected such attention on himself. The number of corpses was beginning to exceed all limits. What saved him was the fact that they were completely mindless and acted solely based on instinct. They couldn't even sense one another, tripping and getting tangled up with their less fortunate "companions."
- Once they were just ordinary people. They went to work or school, smiled, and enjoyed life… — Shirou thought between shots, — Until that bastard showed up… And turned them into this…
He tried to maintain his composure, but such thoughts kept racing through his mind. Inside, a growing rage began to build up, released with each bullet he fired.
Finally, the number of corpses had exceeded a hundred, and it was clear that this situation couldn't continue. Shirou shot down the nearest ghouls, then retrieved a grenade from his imaginary space, pulled the pin, and threw it under the nearest car…
The explosion that followed surpassed all his expectations. The nearest ghouls were torn apart or blown away by the shockwave. The car was lifted off the ground and then crashed down onto the crowd of corpses, becoming an unusual kind of hearse for them.
A vision of the burning city flashed before his eyes. For some reason, the corpses seemed to gain human features, and he thought their lips moved, as if trying to say something to him.
Shirou shook his head sharply, trying to rid himself of the hallucination. The last thing he wanted to think about right now was that…
The advance of the corpses had slightly slowed down, which Shiro took advantage of. With a quick and practiced motion, he drew the runes Ansuz and Solio on the ground and on a couple of nearby cars. The flame generated from this was meant to calm their frenzy a bit. And when the fire reached the gas tanks, the ghouls would be in for a much less pleasant surprise.
Drawing the only smoke grenade he managed to take with him, he pulled the pin and tossed it to the ground, creating a smoke screen. This should give him the necessary time to escape and continue his search. He had stirred up this hornet's nest enough…
***
— Ha-a… — Shirou sighed heavily.
For the first time in the last hour, he allowed himself a moment to catch his breath. He was now on the roof of one of the buildings a couple of blocks away from the gunfight, where he could assess the situation and get a better view.
— Great job, kid, you're a resourceful little bastard… — Sif's approving chuckle came through the earpiece.
— I see you're enjoying the show? — he replied.
— Why wouldn't I? I have the best seats in a splendid VIP box… But enough of the poetry. You've stirred things up nicely here; the ghouls are flocking to that spot, but don't expect them to stay there for long.
— I know, that's why I came here. It gives a decent view, and it'll be easier for me to figure out where Anton has disappeared to.
— Ooh, listen to him; looks like there's a new sheriff in this town!
— Very funny… — Shirou muttered through clenched teeth; sometimes Ferro's humor genuinely annoyed him.
— So? What have you got in mind?
— At first, I thought he'd be in some large municipal building, like the city hall. But then I figured that would be too easy and obvious. Besides, he's still a mage, which means he probably wants to continue his research, so he'd need something like a lab. So I'm betting he's at the school about a kilometer from here, if I remember the map correctly… — Shirou answered.
— Not bad, not bad… That makes some sense… In bocca al lupo…
— …Crepi il lupo, — Shirou replied.
***
The road to school was relatively calm. As expected, most of the ghouls had gathered in another part of the city, and it was easy enough to eliminate the few remaining groups.
Before entering, Shirou tucked his rifle away into his "pocket." There wasn't much room to maneuver with it inside. Instead, he pulled out a folding blade, about a meter long, with a sharp edge. He then removed his glasses and channeled some prana to his eyes, activating them.
Like the others, the building had fallen into disrepair, but there were still signs of human presence. These led him to the biology classroom.
As he swung the door open, he was immediately hit by a suffocating stench. Rows of cages lined the walls, housing the most exotic creatures. One had the head of a crocodile, dog ears, and a broad torso, while another had the body of a wolf and a massive, distorted bird's head…
- You know, it's a bit rude to barge in while someone is working, - he heard a low voice from the wall opposite.
There stood a tall man with pale skin, dirty blond hair, and red eyes.
- Anton Ristich… - Shirou spat out his name.
- In the flesh, - Anton theatrically spread his arms. - And you're just another lackey of the Association? They despise me so much that they send kids after me? And what for, exactly?
- Look out the window; that should give you some idea… - Shirou replied irritably.
"Think I care about those lives? Not at all! Until those old geezers from the Association intervened, I didn't kill anyone! Didn't even think about it! - Anton exclaimed maliciously. - Do you think anyone cares about this nightmare? Don't make me laugh! They only got concerned about me because my existence threatens to reveal the secret of magic to the world! If I had just kept quiet and been left alone, no one would have died, and eventually, everyone would have forgotten... The only difference between me and your employers is that they don't want to share! But enough of this lyrical nonsense… You came here to kill me, right? So come on… If you can!
As if on cue, the entire grotesque menagerie lunged at Shirou. But he was already prepared for such a turn of events and began to shorten the distance, readying his blade.
The first beast with a crocodile's maw charged at him, intending to literally bite him in half. But Shiro swung his blade, cutting through one of its multiple death lines, causing it to fall apart in two.
- What the…? - Anton muttered in surprise.
His familiars were being torn apart like wet paper... Familiars that even bullets couldn't harm.
The beast population was quickly reduced to zero. Only blood stains and what remained of Anton's work were left on the floor.
- And that's it? Is that all I'm worth? - Shirou asked in a dull voice, scanning the room.
It was then that Anton saw the horrific blue glint in Shirou's eyes, which made him uneasy. It felt as though he was looking into an abyss.
- What the hell are you...? - he hissed.
- So many lives lost, turned into these vile abominations... And for what? - Emiya asked, staring at Anton. - Even after everything you've done, you continued your experiments… Why? To uncover the truth about this world, or something like that?
Shirou slowly approached Anton, gripping the bloodied blade in his hands.
- You played with human lives…
- Just die already! - Anton yelled, deciding to kill Shirou himself, charging at him.
- For selfish reasons, you looked at people as if they were toys to play with… - Shiro quietly said, then caught sight of Anton, who was only a few meters away from him. - I'm sick of your existence!
A dull, squelching sound filled the room, and Anton's head rolled off his shoulders while his body staggered a couple more steps on inertia before collapsing on the floor.
The head flew a bit further, bouncing off the wall before rolling a few meters across the floor.
Shirou closed his eyes and breathed a sigh of relief. It was all over…
- Remember this feeling... Now, you'll go on to kill many more people, right? - he heard Anton's quiet, hissing voice, his head staring up at him from the floor. - I'll go ahead… And wait for you in Hell…
Then his eyes closed, and his body and head crumbled to dust.
- Hell, huh? Shirou asked again.
In his mind, the image of a burning city flashed once more, and he felt as if he could still hear the screams of the people and the heat of that fire.
- I'm sorry… But I won't be going back there… - he said, casting one last glance at what had just a moment ago been Anton Ristich…
***
Half an hour later, he arrived at the spot where Sif was waiting for him.
- Oh, the brave hero returns victorious… - he smirked, finishing his cigarette. - So? How does it feel?
Shirou turned his back to him, glancing once more at the city where fires blazed here and there.
What did he feel?...
He completed the mission, justified the expectations placed upon him, rid the world of a scoundrel... He should have been happy, but… Why did he feel nothing?
Maybe because these people were already doomed? And Anton's death wouldn't change anything? They wouldn't go anywhere, continuing to wander this city, devouring the dead, until someone finally put an end to their suffering…
Was there even any point to what he did?...
- Nothing, - Shirou replied shortly. - Just fucking nothing…
After which he turned and headed away from the city…
Inside him was an utter emptiness…