Fate/Inferno Chap #1

"𝔸𝕟𝕪 𝕞𝕒𝕟 𝕨𝕙𝕠'𝕤 𝕘𝕠𝕥 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕘𝕦𝕥𝕤 𝕥𝕠 𝕤𝕖𝕝𝕝 𝕙𝕚𝕤 𝕤𝕠𝕦𝕝 𝕗𝕠𝕣 𝕝𝕠𝕧𝕖...𝕘𝕠𝕥 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕡𝕠𝕨𝕖𝕣 𝕥𝕠 𝕔𝕙𝕒𝕟𝕘𝕖 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕨𝕠𝕣𝕝𝕕."- ℂ𝕒𝕣𝕥𝕖𝕣 𝕊𝕝𝕒𝕕𝕖

Shirou POV:

The night was ablaze with an inferno that devoured everything in its path. The flames danced hungrily, consuming homes and lives with ruthless abandon. Amidst the chaos and despair, I found myself standing before our house, watching helplessly as my family were being consumed by the fire, their agonized screams echoed out into my mind.

Tears streamed down my face as I choked on the acrid smoke, my heart pounding in my chest. "Someone, anyone, please help I beg of anyone!" I shouted, my voice a desperate plea that seemed to echo out through the universe.

Time slowed to a crawl, and in that suspended moment, a figure materialized before me an old man holding a cane while maintaining a twisted grin on his face sending shivers down my spine, but hope flickered within me as I saw a glimmer of salvation.

The man's voice slithered through the crackling flames, his words a sinister melody. "Oh, what a pity, young Shirou. Your family's fate rests in my hands. But perhaps, for a price, I could save them from this fiery demise."

My heart leaped with a mix of desperation and newfound hope. "Please, save them! I'll do anything!" I pleaded, my voice trembling.

The man's crimson eyes gleamed with malevolence. "Ah, but the price for their salvation, dear Shirou, is your eternal servitude. You shall become my personal bounty hunter, forever bound to the cursed mantle of the Ghost Rider."

I hesitated for a moment, uncertainty gnawing at my soul. But the overwhelming desire to save my family pushed me to the brink. "I... I agree," I choked out, my voice barely audible amidst the crackling flames.

Without delay, the man produced a parchment stained with dark ink. I hesitated once more, my trembling hand poised above the paper. But my desperation overruled my doubts, and with a deep breath, I signed my name with my blood from the wound on my arm, sealing the deal that would change my life forever.

As the blood dried, I gazed at the man, my eyes filled with a glimmer of hope. "Where are they? Are they safe?"

The man's lips curled into a malicious smile, his amusement evident in his tone. "Safe? Oh no, dear Shirou. You see, I never promised they would be alive. I only guaranteed their escape from a slow, painful death."

My heart shattered into a million pieces, grief and anger intertwining within me. "You... you monster! How could you? We had a contract!"

The man chuckled darkly, his form beginning to fade. "Ah, the fine print, my dear Ghost Rider. Remember, you are mine now, forever bound to my will. Till we meet again..oh and before I forget make sure to remember my name Mephistopheles."

In a blink of the eye, Mephisto vanished, leaving me alone amidst the consuming flames, the echoes of his laughter ringing in my ears. Desperation and rage surged through me like a torrent as I try to escape from this hell filled landscape.

Exhausted and defeated, I collapsed to my knees, the flames licking at my scorched body. Darkness encroached upon me, and just as I was about to succumb to the fire's embrace, a figure emerged from the shadows.

"Thank god I can at least still save you!" a voice called out, slicing through the haze of pain and despair. It was Kiritsugu Emiya, my savior in that moment of utter devastation as I would come to understand later. With unwavering determination, he reached out and pulled me from the clutches of the flames.

He held my hand to his face crying endlessly thanking me for whatever unknown reason while giving me the largest smile I had ever seen and for some reason it resonated with me could I ever be happy like that again after all of this? I questioned remembering the good times that I had with my mother, father, and elder sister.

I coughed intensely choking on the inhaled ash the man began to panic and the next thing I saw was a beautiful golden light followed by garden of pink flowers one thing was for sure I would have the head of the man who took my family away from me I thought before passing out never noticing a pink haired man looking at me with widened eyes filled with shock and curiosity.

-timeskip a few years later age eight-

The nightmares of that night never stopped haunting me and fueled my desire of revenge. I sighed after drinking a bit of cool water before heading out to the yard I see my adoptive dad the man who had saved me from that fire. I owed everything to him from my mage training to my eternal gratitude I silently walked over him taking a seat next to him watching the moon.

Unexpectedly, he broke the silence. "You know, when I was young, I aspired to become a champion of justice..." I turned to him, my deep golden eyes reflecting curiosity. "You wanted to be a champion? Did you give up?" I inquired.

His gaze lingered on the moon, deep in thought, before letting out a small grunt "Yeah it's unfortunate, but...being a hero is a limited time thing. When you grow up it gets harder calling yourself one." he said with a slight mournful tone at the end.

Lost in contemplation, I looked down at the ground and after a long moment, I spoke "If you couldn't do it...then perhaps I can yeah I can do it for you." Kiritsugu glances at me and I continue "Well since your old and all I figured I could do it after all I am still young, and I can use what you've taught me to achieve it... so just leave it to me dad."

Kiritsugu glanced at me, his eyes brimming with tears, and slowly closed them for a long moment. Finally, he whispered, "Then I can be at peace... Shirou, thank you." A smile crept onto my face as I continued gazing at the moon, savoring the serene moment. However, as the chill of the night grew unbearable, I turned my attention back to Kiritsugu, who had his eyes closed.

"We should head inside now, Dad," I suggested, but he offered no reply. Concerned, I gently shook him, yet he remained unresponsive. Gradually, a burning sensation welled up in my chest.

"Dad... Dad!... Dad!! Please, wake up," I pleaded, desperately searching for a pulse as I pressed my fingers against his neck, but there was none. I wrapped my small arms around his waist, sobbing uncontrollably. In an instant, he was gone. Just like that, he had left me, and I was left all alone.

Kiritsugu was the only one who truly understood me. Not Taiga, Sakura, or anyone else. It felt as if the last remnants of warmth in my heart had been extinguished, leaving only darkness and hatred in their wake.