Never Imagine I would dabble on Nasuverse… too complicated to my taste to make a fanfic out of it. Anyway… this is an experimental fic, whether or not this will go anywhere is still in question even in my brain I called land of plot bunny XDDD Rewatching Fate/Zero and UBW really refresh my head.
This is an experimental fic...
BTW at some point I really have to clean up my abandoned stories and save it to AO3.

THE GENESIS

The world was older than humanity, all magus knew that and so did normal human. Of course, your planet existed longer than you who lived on it, and Gaia, the will of the world viewed human as intruder. How? Humanity was born on earth, had never been to another planet. We were living organism that originated from earth, it didn't make sense she hated us.

Right?

Greater existence such as Gaia of course was not comprehensible to mortal's mind, such as her idea to ask for bloodsucking alien's help to deal with humanity was apparently brilliant. Or why her primate murder now was a pet to one of the Dead Apostle Ancestor, and in general not accomplishing the purpose of its birth by Gaia.

There was some truth in myth that Gaia had bad luck when her children was concerned, she and the rest of her extended family according to Greek mythology. In this world, however… it was more complicated than Gaia as simply consciousness of planet that was out to get humanity and Alaya was the will of humanity against her.

You see, when sign of humanity came to be Gaia asked for help because she felt threatened. However it was not only Type-Moon answered her plea, another entity answered her too but with different interest. Uranus, the will of the sky and life. Unlike Crimson Moon who gives the help Gaia wanted to the letter, Uranus had another idea. All he cared about was for 'life' on earth to be preserved, after all it was his rain and the sea resulted that gives birth to life.

Gaia's will be damned, she asked for help but didn't mean Uranus got to do it the way she had in mind.

So when Crimson Moon gave birth to Dead Apostle, Uranus gave birth to something else called The Origin with splitting himself among them. The Origin went by many names as era by era passed, but their purpose was the same, to preserve life on earth and they cared not for reality and the planet herself.

Gaia start to view them as a threat, especially since they consider 'humanity' as part of life they had to preserve. It simply cannot do! So Gaia once again begged for Crimson Moon to act, and act it did. The Origin in spite of their divine status had one fatal flaw, their immortality made them fall victim to arrogance and boredom with no desire to increase their number like Dead Apostle could.

They didn't stand a chance.

Uranus' influence began to dwindle and the Origin was down to only seven entities, and only then the survivors faced the horror that called extinction. However as embodiment of will, preserving life on earth was still their ultimate purpose. Six of them believed their chance was to discard their divinity and became part of humanity so the 'will' could survive.

One remained as he was, keeping his divinity and faded to history. He watched his kin's descendants spread out around the world as he kept the crystallized 'will' they left safe. Only Sephira's line was still strong enough to continue the will of the Sky and at this point he was willing to do almost anything so their ultimate purpose would be fulfilled.

Cursing one or two line was a cheap price to pay. So he made a compromise with Gaia and Alaya to be the keeper of balance for space and time axis, so both side wins. He sided with neither Gaia nor Alaya, and both exist simply to make sure both planet and life forms survived. And so, both Gaia and Alaya bend the rule for him.

Vongola to protect vertical space/time axis was granted connection to Root that passed down without fail from generation to generation.

Mare, the sea of parallel was granted connection between the world in form of shared memory.

Arcobaleno was given the same as Vongola, ensuring the three lines and their blood to stay strong without thinning.

And so… the system called Trinisette was born, along with the curse of Vongola, Mare and Arcobaleno ten centuries after the end of Age of Gods.

Thus, the birth of true age of man. In which the Moonlit world had to welcome to new faction with their arms forcibly open, acceptance to this new side was not optional but absolute.

THE AGE OF MEN

Magus views the Three Great Families either with utter loathing or fear or begrudging respect, or quasi combination of three. Simply because they had reached the Root, took it for granted and had no qualm diminishing the value of Magus greatest aspiration with their every breathe. Vongola, Mare and Arcobaleno didn't see how being connected to Root was a noble goal of Magus society. They were born with innate connection and it was just a mean to protect the balance.

Byakuran, the holder of Mare and Mafia's version of Zelretch cemented their hatred with his careless comment in one of infrequent meeting with Magus Association.

"Connected with the Root is not that great, ya know! We just get to know stuff without trying."

That day, Magus community as a whole felt like they had been slapped silly.

"And also… with power come questionable sanity, not so great. Or so Tsunayoshi told me!"

He added as if to console them and failed spectacularly at it. For the next few weeks, assassination attempt was rampant towards the Three Great Families. They failed spectacularly of course, because Magus Association themselves prevented the attempt with all their might. They were tentative allies of Uranus' children, and they had no wish to jeopardize that. Not to mention…

If the three were gone, what would happen to the world?

Surprisingly or rather unsurprisingly, the three families and their inner circle felt exasperated with Magus and the rest of moonlit world. They were annoyance at best and arch enemy at worst, because the dweller of moonlit world especially Magus in general think playing seesaw with the world's balance they protected was acceptable thing to do. Sure, the Magus Association sent enforcer to deal with the source but more often than not the damage was done and the Three Great Family had to clean up properly.

Magus would think as long as the culprit was dealt with the world was saved, but no, any act threatening the balance leave a gaping wound. Just because the knife inflicting said wound was gone, it didn't mean it would heal automatically.

Of course, Magus community didn't care, it was their mistake but not necessarily responsibility.

Prologue : The Blade of The Sky

Palermo, Italy

It was stifling inside their office, and with both of them in the same place there would be too many prying eyes if they stay in their quarter. Ironically, they could get privacy in public space such as this park. There were many secluded part in this park in quiet corner of Palermo.

"Byakuran, do you have to make Magus Society to despise us more than they already had?" Sawada Tsunayoshi, also known as Vongola Decimo asked exasperatedly to Byakuran. He was a fair skinned teen with spiky brown hair and eyes like amber, a family trait he inherited as the Sky of Vongola.

The Mare holder laughed, his eyes that took colour of lilac shade of dawn sky glinted with mischief. "I didn't say anything wrong… I just can't resist teasing them. Their jealousy is annoying, they think we're ungrateful demi-human who takes our connection to the root for granted."

So you only felt the need to rub that in? "I can't say they're wrong either that we take what they want to achieve for their whole life, no, more like several generations for granted. I mean, if asked I won't tell them I think Hyper Intuition is greatest blessing in my life…"

Tsunayoshi was always too nice. "I don't see how they would hate us less… I mean, we did push technology to prosper during industrial revolution from the shadow." Which hopefully weakening magic even further in this era, so that Magus would be more manageable.

Or so they hoped, their predecessors thought it was a brilliant idea back then.

"It can't be helped…" Tsuna stirred his coffee idly, "Even at weakened state they're still a threat."

"Can't we just kill them all?"

Tsuna glared at him, "Byakuran, perhaps you should restrain your power some more… we can't have your sanity slipping. Suggesting such thing…" His nose wrinkled with disgust.

Byakuran grinned, spreading his hands theatrically as he spun to face his fellow sky, "Maa… I was just kidding, bloodbath is the last thing we want to happen!"

It would be mutual destruction on both side. The Magi didn't know because they were under impression that their remaining ancestor, Kawahira would protect them. He would but that was only because he needed them to continue supporting Trinisette. There was no emotion attached to his action, as this was the man who had witnessed the Skies living their short human lifespan and passing the baton to the next generation. They were merely tools for Kawahira to protect the balance, no more no less.

Well, they didn't let Magus Community to know that Kawahira was their version of Zelretch, minus the pranking troll part. Technically he was your ally, but you'd be damned to count on him for anything. He was the embodiment of wild card at its finest.

"Forget bloodbath, I call you to ask about Aria-san's condition." Tsuna asked, switching the topic.

Byakuran beamed, "My family is giving her the best medical treatment we could offer! So she is recovering and if all goes well she can go home before spring!"

"That's good."

Badump!

"This is why I wonder why those Magus desires The Root." He stood up from his seat, the voice in his soul urged him to hurry.

Hurry!

My Child… the balance!

Punish!

Destroy!

Tsuna winched, a hand rested on his temple. "Oh, be quiet…" He hissed to no one in particular but as he learned from experience, it won't until he finish his duty. "I need to go."

Byakuran hummed, "Ah… problem in your axis?"

Tsuna nodded, "I have a feeling this is another Magus disturbing my territory." He clicked his tongue. "Now… let's see whose lifetime work we have to wipe clean from history before they reached Akasha." Or worse, screwing the balance of their world.

These Magus just didn't know where they should stop. You would think having the Will of the Planet herself out for them would give them a clue…

They came as quickly as they could, in a blink of an eye even as the world itself was their allies to protect the balance. However, the world was a willful ally, as he had learned from many destructions he had to witness. It was a simple case of a Magus, whose research to reach Akasha involved turning himself to a dead apostle and researching on the time alter regeneration the dead apostle race possessed.

It sounded simple enough to not warrant their concern at first, and Magus Association with their enforcer should be more than capable to deal with it.

However, the newly born Dead Apostle realized his young age meant his capability was limited and he had no patience to lay low long enough to have more control over the power of Crimson Moon's kin. So he chose a rural village with small population for his purpose, infecting their water with small dose of his blood from time to time. It was gradual but soon the whole village was turned to low level Dead-Apostle, an impressive feat considering none had turned to mindless ghoul. Their will was no longer theirs to control, because by his blood they were his pawns.

With his fellow newborn Dead Apostle, he started a ritual to wrench fabric of time open, as the Root was located outside time and dimension.

So the seemingly trivial problem with new Dead Apostle became It a disaster with capital D.

"Why the bounded field is not breached yet?!" Someone barked in the background.

"We're working on it.

Tsunayoshi's golden eyes narrowed at the presumed leader of enforcer who was barking order left and right. "It seems you're pressed for time."

The man in his thirties with solid build turned to face the Sky, and took a hesitant step away from him. "Vongola… Decimo." Oh, this man had met him before. If Tsuna recalled correctly his name was… Kingsley?

"That teenager?"

"An Asian…"

"If he is here, this means… this Dead Apostle is doing something drastic."

He ignored their chattering and informed the Magus. "Because a counter guardian is on the way…"

The man tried to stay calm but his dilating pupil, small gasp that escaped his lips, and erratic heartbeat gave him away to the eyes of Vongola. "A counter guardian… you said?"

Tsuna turned his attention away, "I suppose it's time for you to withdraw… unless you can eliminate the dead apostles before you get caught in this disaster."

Kingsley gritted his teeth, "We have our orders to retrieve Andrewira's research for Clock Tower."

Magi were prime example of humanity that consumed with their greed and lust for knowledge and power. However their desire for both more often than not made them forget of mortality. Sometimes Tsuna wondered if Magus really walk with death as they said, of did they... walk to its embrace?

"Magus..." Tsuna intoned. "The greed of your kin never cease to amaze me, do you value your life so lightly?"

The leader of enforcer, Kingsley gritted his teeth, "Vongola… the child of sky, perhaps to you who were blessed with connection to Akasha won't understand."

There was distrust in his eyes, and Tsuna couldn't blame him. After all, if left to him and his people everything would be purged by their flame, leaving nothing for Magus to be contributed to their search of Akasha. Still… was staying here worth that scrap of forbidden knowledge?

'Destroy!'

'Harmonize…'

'Rip!'

He glanced at his subordinates who were standing behind him, his mist duo. Mukuro and Chrome. "Even if the counter guardian descends to this area, they would leave us untouched…" After all, Alaya was their tentative ally, she won't let her champion to confront the children of Sky. "The same couldn't be said to you and your comrades."

Kingsley was not convinced, "My apologies… Vongola, but I would like to finish our mission. Then… you can do yours."

These Magus really think that the level of Vongola's mission was no different than cover-up job of theirs? "We have limited capability to protect those not favoured by either Gaia or Alaya… Leave now, or you're just getting on or way."

The leader of enforcer sucked in his breath, "We have our orders." He repeated stubbornly.

"If you stay, you will die." Tsuna stated. "Your life-"

He was interrupted by Kingsley's subordinate, "We got through the barrier, captain Kingsley!"

The expression Kingsley shot him was smug, "Then I'll be on my way… please wait for your turn patiently." He said before he and the rest of enforcers charged forward.

"…" Tsuna gritted his teeth as he watched them leave. "They won't make it in time, at this rate they would just end up as collateral damage by Counter Guardian."

Mukuro, his male mist stepped forward and blocked his way. "Tsunayoshi… please let them be, we warned them, didn't we? Don't you get tired to stop Magus from walking to their death? Beside… isn't their core principal is walking with death?"

Hearing condescending tone in his voice, Tsuna sighed. "This is why I told you to keep your mouth shut around those Magi, Mukuro…"

Mukuro shrugged, "Well, their principle walking with death is simply laughable… like an excuse to do whatever they want to achieve their lofty goal."

Tsuna looked down at that, "I wonder… compared to me who exist as the sky for the world, they exist for their own goal no matter how twisted it is…"

Chrome cocked her head adorably at that, "Boss?"

The leader of Vongola sighed, "They're still a bad example of irresponsible freedom of human will."

Mukuro snorted, "Magus can't be good example for anything, my dear Sky… in fact-"

Grooooar

Sound of sky splitting, followed by pillar of light that as if tearing the horizon and roaring wind. This was the music likened to horn blown by arch angel Gabriel that signalled the end of the world.

"In the end, they didn't make it in time." Tsuna said in somber voice. "Alaya's champion won't spare anyone…" Those Magus would get caught in calamity Alaya brought upon this land.

He wanted to save them, sparring them from Alaya's wrath but-

"Once Alaya or Gaia pass their judgement, there's nothing you can do!
We're part of the system…
You're not allowed to disobey the will of ultimate one.
You will save no one in that path…

We shall not get in between Alaya and Gaia!

He gritted his teeth, recalling the absolute rules imposed to them by Checker Face. He obeyed those because he knew the consequence, and risking it for the sake of his conscience would be selfish. So he would endure as he always had. Then something knocked the door to his soul, resonating to his with clarity that astound him.

"I am… the bone of my sword…"

His eyes snapped open, molten gold shimmering under the moonlight. "Did you guys say something just now?"

"Steel is my body and fire is my blood."

Mukuro and Chrome exchanged glance, "No we did not, Tsunayoshi… perhaps it's your Hyper Intuition telling you something?"

"I have… create over thousands blade."

He shook his head, "No, what I heard is an aria… and such a-"

"Unknown to Death, Nor known to Life

Have withstood pain to create many weapons"

His eyes widened in shock, "Who was it?" This aria reek of despair and regret. This was so wrong!

"Yet, those hands will never hold anything

So as I pray, unlimited blade works!"

"Boss!" His Mist shouted, "A reality marble! It appeared right on top of the village!"

Reality… marble? Which idiot thought rewriting reality was a good idea when the space and time was as distorted as it was?! Whoever it was Tsuna was going to invite himself in. Not to mention those aria, how it resounded to his soul bothered him a great deal. "Mukuro, Chrome... stay here. I will go for a bit."

His hand touched where the doomed village was, an empty space that was left behind while the village itself was brought to the pseudo-world. His hand was shaking, why did he hesitate to rip the unseen fabric of reality? Tsuna was no longer the powerless and cowardly child he used to be, and the man he was today would follow his ideal. His hand burst in golden flame and he inhaled deeply, the miracle of his ring spoke the words of power to open the way.

"I announce myself, the one whose time recorded within the ring,
I hereby swear as the Sky who accept harmony.
I reject chaos.
I correct imbalance.
Thou... who rewrite the world, open to me."

Within the world of blades…

It was a good day for Emiya, at least for Counter Guardian like him it was. After all for once this mission while involving mass destruction he only had to kill Dead Apostles and some enforcers that got caught in this disaster. He felt little to no remorse for the enforcers, because the fact they were still here after the situation deteriorated to this level meant they cared more about research they could salvage from this disaster rather than containing the undead.

If they didn't blind themselves with greed they would have noticed this disaster was already out of their hands and let Counter Guardian like him to clean up in peace.

In peace, who was he trying to fool? Even after his 'reform' to follow his ideal once again, he was not under delusion that his mission as counter guardian was going to be less painful. Still, this was too many people and monster to kill in his limited time so with the backing of Alaya he summoned his Reality Marble.

He was pleasantly surprised to see the lack of thick smog in the sky of his Reality Marble, a comfort that his inner world was representing his newly found peace. The sky was not clear yet but perhaps soon he could see the same beautiful sky he had forgotten the day he parted ways with her, and maybe…

Badump!

His steel like eyes snapped open, as he sensed someone's presence. Whoever it was, they had not been here when he rewrote reality, someone came in after. Strangely, he didn't sense any power forcing their way in to his world. It was as if his world welcome this intruder. Well, a guest would be more apt.

He expected someone to walk up upon him, but something fell from the sky like a meteor. There was no explosion or crater, the meteor was apparently someone descended from sky while shrouded in flame. The shroud of flame vanished, and a man no, a boy who barely a teenager appeared before him. The boy's amber eyes that resemble Emiya's in his youth were wide in shock.

What's with that reaction.

Emiya couldn't help but frown at what the boy wore. He was wearing black suit with mantle that awkwardly wrapping his lithe body, as if he was a child trying to look like an adult. However aside from his appearance, nothing about this unknown guest was child like. His presence was peaceful, too peaceful it was almost inhuman.

It took seconds for Emiya to recognize the boy, not because he knew the brown-haired boy in his life but because this presence that screamed the boy's origin was too obvious to be mistaken by anything else.

Harmony… one of the children of Uranus. The child of Sky was here to 'fix' the fabric of time and space most likely, if Emiya was disinfectant that clean up the wound of the world, this boy here was the band aid.

Emiya frowned at the boy who thankfully alerted the counter guardian of his presence quick enough so there was no accident happen, after all his Reality Marble was in auto-mode to rain swords upon everything that was moving on ground. Well, both of them was standing in highest ground and relatively safe from the rain of steel.

"You come too early, I am not done yet." He informed the sky, "Shouldn't you wait outside? This will take a while…" He gestured towards the bloody hill of swords, in which around one third of undead was still alive. The enforcers were all unlucky, none of them survived.

"No."

He raised an eyebrow, inwardly he flinched at how young the boy sounded. Their respective position as Sky Guardian and Counter-guardian weren't too different after all, if he recalled correctly they had their own throne that was separated from both world and time axis. At least he 'chose' to be a counter guardian, but this boy… he was born for said position by blood.

"What do you mean by no, kid?" Emiya wondered, "I mean, sure I won't touch even a strand of your hair… but this place is too…" He searched for word, "Dirty and-"

They boy cut him off, pointing at the sky of his Reality Marble. "What is that mean… Counter Guardian-"

"Emiya." He gave his name, wondering what the boy wanted. "Well, I have to say I am not so proud about polluted sky of my Reality Marble but I am getting better. You know how our job works, our mental health is not Alaya's priority and I doubt Uranus is a better master to you."

The boy frowned deeper, "E...mi...ya?" The sky rolled the name off of his tongue as if tasting it. "How could you belong to Alaya? You shouldn't be hers." He said in whisper but Emiya was close enough to hear him.

"Well… we both wish the world didn't own us, I am sure." He waved the concern off, sharing the mutual sentiment of all martyr under the world's employment. "So, I give you my name. What's yours?" It didn't feel right to call him 'child of sky.'

"My name is Tsunayoshi."

Emiya blinked at that, Tsunayoshi was a Japanese name. "Well Tsunayoshi-kun… nice to meet you." He told the boy amicably. "You have been a pleasant guest, but I think you should leave me to work in peace."

"I will leave you to your 'peace' if you can tell me..." Tsunayoshi looked angry and for some reason Emiya couldn't understand himself, he feared for the boy's anger. "Why someone, who shares my blood is working for Alaya?"

Silence fell in the air, all swords landed with loud clank on the ground at that question. Emiya's eyes went wide, and his jaw slack at the revelation. "What did you just… say? Are you serious? You can't be related to me, kid… that's not possible."

Tsunayoshi inhaled deeply, "It shouldn't be… I admit, but looking at you now. My intuition, the root itself tell me you're of my blood."

The root? Emiya paused at that, recalling that indeed this boy was from that bloodline that had sorcery trait that enable connection to the root to a degree.

"A relative of mine should inherit the origin 'sky' and element 'sky' because we are the incarnation of sky. However… that only happen after we receive our inheritance, which triggered by near death experience and the likes…"

Emiya let out a bark of laughter, "That doesn't explain how I can be related to you… I am incarnation of sword."

It was Tsunayoshi's turn to be shocked, "You're a sword?" He looked around him as if it was for the first time he noticed the hill of swords. "Well, that make sense of this world..." He sounded bewildered by the sheer number of swords in Unlimited Blade Works. "However." The brown haired sky looked up. "I am more interested in this sky."

"My apologies if the sight offend you, child of sky." Emiya offered half-heartedly, "It got better, I swear..."

Tsunayoshi averted his eyes from the sky of forge and gears, looking at him bewilderedly. "You mean... your sky change as it reflect yourself?"

"Yes? It's my inner world after all..." He pointed out the obvious.

"If you're a sword, why it's your sky that reflect you?" Tsunayoshi asked, "And not... the ground where your swords lies?"

He opened his mouth to answer, but nothing come to mind. "I... don't know." Tsunayoshi was right, why the sky and not the ground where the swords are? "Why the sky reflect me?" He asked not to Tsunayoshi but to himself.

"Because you're a Sky... Counter Guardian Emiya." Tsunayoshi declared with conviction.

For a moment Emiya Shirou almost believed him, "Aha ha... that's a fine theory, but I am a sword." He spread his arms, as if to hold his world. "And this world... is the definite answer obtained by someone whose life was saved by a sword, actually merged and lived with a sword, and acted as a sword all of his life!"

Tsunayoshi's eyes didn't waver at his answer, and it almost pained him to see the same eyes his younger self possessed. "Definite answer you said." The sky repeated, but he could hear disagreement clearly in the boy's voice. "Are you sure?"

That question stroke a chord with him and Emiya swallowed. "I am... not sure." Why could he lie?"

The boy smiled sadly at him. "Do you know what harmony is?"

Emiya paused at that, interpreting origin was something vital and broad. It depended on the Magus themselves to interpret their origin, to convince them of their authority to actualize their unique brand of mystery. Someone like his adopted father for example, actualize the mystery of his origin with terrifying efficiency.

"The quality of forming a pleasing and consistent whole… or perhaps, the state of being in agreement or concord."

Tsunayoshi nodded, "A textbook answer…and correct, but in broader sense of meaning harmony is a very 'frail' state. Slightest chip in that state and it lost the meaning. Our origin… represents a state without contradiction nor flaws in which the balance of the whole is maintained." He turned his gaze sideways, towards both Magus and Undead on the ground. "An ideal that could never be maintained with perfection just like the world… the world that desire such state but with the birth of Gaia and Alaya, for two will with opposite ideology would never be in harmony."

Suddenly two dots became connected in his mind.

"Harmony is an origin that means, balance is just an ideal, and it became extremely unstable under the right circumstances."

The right circumstance?

"You said... you're saved by a sword? Merged with one?" Tsunayoshi returned his words to him, "Your life must be in danger if you have to be saved, perhaps you were on the verge of death too."

Memory of walking through fire and screams for salvation replayed on his mind.

"You somehow survive that ordeal, perhaps by calling out your flame…" The flame of dying will, the power the guardians of Uranus possessed. "However, calling out to your dormant flame was even more dangerous than simply frying your circuit with mana overload, which will send your body and mind in state of shock…"

Their dying will mode in a sense was a state of nothingness and wholeness, focusing on one thing that harmonize their body,mind and soul. "Perhaps in the process… after surviving that you no longer become a whole in mind and soul."

Tiny body fell to the muddy earth, feeling pain and despair but he couldn't bring himself to care. He couldn't even cry, his soul felt numb.

"Afterward… your origin, harmony became dormant… but it's there. If you're left on your own device, your origin would recover on its own but something happened." Tsunayoshi was still talking but memory of his meeting with Kiritsugu kept playing on his mind. "That something... is your merging with a sword."

Kiritsugu found him and brought out the sheathe of King Arthur, Avalon. And then he-

"This sword changed you, and your birth-origin latched on it to become whole again and you become the incarnation of sword." Tsunayoshi finished, he didn't sound like he was making a theory, he was telling Emiya Shirou the story of Wrought Iron Hero's rebirth. "It makes sense but in the same time it doesn't."

Emiya Shirou swallowed heavily, "It can't be both."

Tsunayoshi looked at him in the eye once again. "If that's what happened Emiya... you should have been already dead when this sword changed you."

That sounded like a death sentence coming from Tsunayoshi, that the sky truly believed Emiya Shirou wouldn't have survived. "But I lived... I survived."

"Emiya." His name alone sounded like a denial, "Our origin ensure us legacy of great power but with it fragility like no other. Your 'harmony' origin would kill you from inside out to reject outside influence, because it can't be violated... at all."

Suddenly it clicked in his mind, that if Tsunayoshi was right..."But the sword or rather, the sheath that changed me won't break that harmony. As it's Avalon…" Emiya told the sky who stared at him wide-eyedly. "If it's Avalon, it's make sense… after all it represents a utopia." A personification of harmony. "Avalon, the ever-distant Utopia."

The sky looked shocked at the revelation, "The sheath from Arthurian legend… indeed with that, your origin would be at peace. That was why… you become incarnation of sword! Because your soul is convinced to match that sheath…"

Emiya Shirou was shocked when Tsunayoshi burst to uncontrollable laughter. "Tsunayoshi-kun?"

"Ha ha ha! No wonder Alaya dare to take you! Even if she knows you're of my blood, your current origin would fool most people! I can't believe this…" He was crouching down now, holding his stomach. "All this time we're under delusion the world is not going to cheat on us, that the contract is absolute! Kawahira, you idiot!"

The archer approached his 'relative' cautiously, "Are you alright, Tsunayoshi-kun?"

"No, I am not." The boy replied after a beat, "You just turned my world upside down, I don't appreciate to be informed that our ancestor apparently let something like this slip. I don't expect that damned ancestor to protect us… I never did, but I expect he would keep other entities in line to not do this to us…"

To you…

Now Emiya felt really guilty, because it had been a while someone he just met felt bad for him. This was not pity, Tsunayoshi felt guilty for him."I decide to accept a contract from Alaya, because I need to prevent a melting nuclear plant... I don't regret it."

Tsunayoshi unfurled himself from ball of depression, "So you make a contract with Alaya for that? You're saving people?" He sounded incredulous by the revelation, as if he was awed by Emiya's confession.

Now the counter guardian was embarrassed that someone was honestly awed by his dream.

"I have decided." The sky stood up, "I will save you…"

He would do what?

"But first thing first… I can't let this 'copy' of yours to disappear, ne? How fortunate we're in Reality Marble and Alaya won't notice a thing…"

Emiya took a step back, he had a very bad feeling. "What are you going to do?"

Tsunayoshi smiled, a smile that send chill down his spine. "Magi community said we're the one who master the fourth true magic… but do you know the domain of fourth magic?"

The counter guardian was taken aback by the question, "Uhm, some sort of time travel?" There was a lot of speculation about 'true' magic given to these Sky Guardians, as one of them possessed true clairvoyance, while another had ability that touched domain of second true magic but for sure it had something to do with manipulating fabric of time and space.

"Not quite… each of us is granted a miracle, or mystery as you Magus called them. Ours is the miracle of the Vertical Space-Time Axis. This power allows the Vongola to move through generations. The Vertical Space-Time Axis means the Vongola traditions can be passed down, from the past to the future… recording our will and soul."

That was… the same as throne of heroes, which mean their soul escaped restrain of time and space.

"And so…" What was that ice in his fist? And why he grabbed Emiya with that ice coated fist? No, the ice was not even cold… "Here and now, you shall stop."

As if abiding by his order, everything stopped moving. His gears stopped spinning, his forge froze and his world was covered in icy flame.

INTERLUDE: SKY OF VONGOLA

Tsunayoshi's POV

Vongola and their descendants are not heroes, and they would never be. I had sincerely accepted that bitter fact. Why it was an unpleasant thing to admit? No, it wasn't because I wanted to be a hero who saved the day. It was a simple fact that only heroes saved people, while we who was bound by rules protected the world couldn't choose to save people.

People judged by the world as sinners and wiped away by their will. We can only watch and stepped in once the world descend on them like vengeful goddess, just to clean up the mess, soothing the wrath of ultimate one. My subordinates would argue that working as 'healer' of the world is heroic on itself, preventing bigger disaster to occur.

I disagreed, that sounded like an escape to comfort myself from guilt and assured me of my humanity. I used to be a naïve child with no will to be better, in comfort with my lack until my tutor and perhaps the world itself forced me to be the man I am today. Somewhere along the way from my pathetic thirteen years old self to the me today, I felt my humanity was chipped away as if the world sculpted me to their liking.

Magus said I had divinity in my blood, awakening my blood meant my humanity wouldn't be whole anymore. It allowed me to see through the world in bigger picture, but in the same time robbed me from seeing smaller but precious pictures. Such as children, family and other innocent human I could have saved from judgement they didn't deserve, just because they were in the wrong place and time.

The eyes of the sky that enveloped all, Hyper Intuition gave me insight but also blinded me.

You're not a hero,
You're a guardian,
A Sky can only guard,
A Sky can't save...

I couldn't accept it. If I accepted my helplessness, I would be no different than my predecessors. They accepted their fate as it was and went down the bloody path steeped with sin and tragedy. I told them as much during my trial of inheritance, I'd rather destroy centuries of tradition and the family itself rather than repeating their history.

Giotto accepted my resolution, he looked relieved even…

It was not after I met Kawahira I understood why, Giotto and I were of the same soul.

"You didn't change, do you? Struggle all you want…
I care not what you do as long as you stay within the line

And unlike before, there's no relative left for you to replace you…
You can't run away, no more."

Contrary to popular belief of more hardened members of Vongola, Giotto didn't run away to Japan with his safety in mind. His cousin, Ricardo was determined to be his heir and wouldn't take no for answer. If he stayed what left would be mutual destruction on both sides, so he compromised. He would step down, but CEDEF would have certain degree of influence in exchange so at the very least no matter how the next generation abused their power it would stay in Moonlit world.

Kawahira wasn't pleased, he didn't want Giotto to make amends like that. Kawahira didn't Giotto to save his family, the only thing he should protect was the world. Giotto had signed his soul away, and retirement and death was no escape.

I was born and Nonno's sons died one by one to clear my path to the throne. When I found out about it I fell on my knees and apologize to Nonno, but my grandfather figure only looked at me with acceptance.

"We know this would happen sooner or later, Tsunayoshi…

Ricardo lives the rest of his life realizing he was sitting on the throne he never deserves…

So did the rest of his descendant… including me.
We took the throne even though we never deserved it."

This was my throne, and yet I didn't feel I belong here. Still… looking at my family, my storm, rain, sun, lightning, cloud, and mist… I would endure any hardship for them. Even if I had to relive this thorny road as the sky again, at least… as long as I could save my family it would be okay and perhaps I could do more as long as I never gave up.

I was wrong…

I was proven wrong when I decided to let myself in uninvited to that world of infinite blades, and my eyes met that steel like pair that reveal untold suffering of thousands lifetimes. Just looking at him made me feel the phantom pain.

Everything I did was because I thought I would be in peace knowing at least I could protect my family, and apparently, I failed even in that one simple task. Alaya took him to be her champion, and he became cleaner of humanity. A fate worse than mine, and one I won't even wish upon my worst enemies.

"Make Alaya release him."

Checker Face just blinked at me, "Ah… I see you found the missing cousin of yours." He sipped his wine. "Second cousin to be exact… your father is his mother's cousin."

"Did you let Alaya to take him?" Accusation was on the tip of my tongue but he interjected. "How dare you!"

"I did not let Alaya do anything… that boy was missing from my watch, unlike Iemitsu who obediently stay within my sight… his family tried to run away and succeed too. There's this city where time and space fluctuate because of a grand ritual of Magus, and it messes with our senses… They risked their life staying there. I was right, a disaster happened and I lost track of them completely."

I swallowed, it was clear what Kawahira thought of Emiya and his family. It was karma for them to run away from their fate. I won't argue with him, it would be a circular argument as usual. "Regardless of what his parents had done, they're dead! You still have to release him from contract with Alaya! How could you expect me to trust judgement of the world any longer if you let this slide, Kawahira?"

He gazed straight at me and I didn't waver, even if this 'God' could kill me effortlessly I won't fear him! Never! "Very well my child… I have to admit I was careless with the boy." He glanced at the still form of Counter Guardian Emiya encased in my ice. "Have you unravelled his history?"

"What do you expect to see with that?" I asked with mirthless laughter, "I saw it in his eyes… his soul is already so old and I am surprised he still remember his name. You can't expect him to remember his original life clearly…" If I did such thing, not only I violated his privacy, all I would see was hell.

Kawahira put up his arms, "Alright, you're worked up enough for today… Tsunayoshi." Obviously he didn't have patience to deal with either me breaking down to nervous mess like when I was young or throwing tantrum at epic proportion. "Then… let's just connect your world to his and ask."

"Why do you insist to find about his past?"

"Because my child… breaking a contract with Alaya is no simple business, I can't just ask her to let him go. There are amends to make regardless who is at fault in this case."

"Why you selfish almighty entities who plays with mortal-"

"Tsunayoshi-kun, you want to save your dear cousin or not?"

Sometimes I really wished Sephira was the ancestor who stayed with us rather than this manipulative jerk. I gritted my teeth and pry into the sea of knowledge our miracle gave us access to.

The sky is vast

The sky encompass all

Rain, Storm, Cloud, Sun, Mist, and Lightning,

I am the sky who influences all of them.

The sky understands, I accept all of them.

For I, the sky that embodies harmony…

Our time is engraved on our ring

To prosper or to ruin

This is our path, our pride…

And our flame shall burn with dying will…

The flame burned the reality and we're welcomed by the world of endless sky…

INTERLUDE: EMIYA, The Tainted Sky

Emiya Shirou was not sure what was going to become of him. He had abandoned the idea of giving up on his ideal, albeit he needed to be utterly defeated in idealistic sense by his younger self. At least now he was on the right course, surely he could figure out something to make his 'afterlife' right. He was not sure what was going to become of him. He had abandoned the idea of giving up on his ideal, it took a beating for him to get over it but the point was… he was back to idealistic Emiya Shirou. With more common sense, he told himself. He couldn't forget that ever again!

To be fair looking back, while he viewed his younger self as a dark past he who had more experience and maturity couldn't stomach… the reason of things he did back then was not because young Emiya Shirou was an idealistic and suicidal fool.

Well, it appeared to be that way but now Shirou thought about it calmly in the first place since the fire he was already not right on the head. Or in Rin's wording, he was distorted. He lost his sense of self, not alive and not quite dead either. The closest thing he felt to being alive was to help people, so it was no wonder he was addicted to it like ant to sugar. It didn't paint a pretty picture to his mental health when he was young, but that was the cold truth.

And there was his newly revealed birth family, of all people in universe he was related to a freaking line of Sky Guardian that in Magus Community was considered closer to divine spirits rather than human. He had heard of them in passing, the so called 'corrector' of the world rather than 'counter' like him. Magus envied their power but in the same time wary of them.

For a counter guardian to meet one of Sky children, it was a rare encounter because usually they would wait for counter guardian to finish before it was their turn to clean up. Which was just their way to preserve their sanity because like Counter Guardians, dead body and tragedy was a sight too common for them already. Though from what Shirou had heard in passing the Sky Children while born from union of God like entities and human was not demi-God like Hercules or Gilgamesh. They were likened more to divine spirits most of the time, and there were rumours their 'humanity' was questionable.

Apparently divine ancestry as said in myth meant harbinger of problem, and Magus would rather to avoid them like a plague. According to some who had been unfortunate enough to have any type of affiliation with them, Vongola and Mare line had serious issue with their mentality because of their status as sky incarnation and its harmony trait. They weren't outright insane of course but different than normal human in mentality.

Apparently he was one of them, if Tsunayoshi was right. In one hand it explained his 'distorted' worldview but also making him even more confused. Then again considering definition of 'harmony' Shirou supposed it made sense, it was unviolated state of balance but in the same time meant imperfect perfection that easily tipped at slightest influence. The world itself was a form of harmony, always trying to correct themselves to preserve the fragile balance. It was no wonder Tsunayoshi from what Shirou had seen from their short meeting while sane had this 'inhumane' quality in him.

He had to apologize to Rin if he had a chance to see her again, because if his off of his rocker reaction at Tsuna's antics was anything to go by this was what Rin felt whenever he was acting like suicidal idiot as she put it.

"Well, this is a patched up and messy inner world indeed…" Someone commented, snapping him out of his thought.

There was Tsunayoshi and he brought a 'friend' along? No, this man could be a friend… Just by being near him made Shirou want to run. "What the hell are you?"

The man sighed dramatically, "Oh dear, it seems all of you children just hate me… well Aria don't but then again she is of Sephira's line."

Shirou didn't know when but Tsunayoshi had moved towards him, and standing by his side as if the young sky was more familiar with him. "You're not human."

"Correct… and since you didn't figure out who am I right away I suppose your 'connection' to the Root is not how it should be, gee… you looks like you're in your thirties and for sure have a good share of near-death and death experience." He inspected the world like a curator appraising antiques. "Not only your inner world is botched, so is your Hyper Intuition."

He remarked in lazy voice, "Tsunayoshi-kun, I fail to see how this child worth any trouble I have to go through with Alaya to free him."

"Last time I checked, in our contract you didn't get to decide the worth of my family members! I put up with you because I won't let you repeat your machination with my family!" Tsunayoshi hissed, "I want you to do your job just like I do mine."

Shirou gaped at him, "You…" Hope bloomed in his chest. "You want to free me from Alaya's chain?"

Tsunayoshi nodded, "You shouldn't be eligible to be under a contract with Alaya in the first place! Your blood ties you to another, while my position is not the most glorious job either at least my afterlife would be hanging around jewelry and watch over my descendant or if my luck is bad I would be recycled back to do my job again in the next generation!"

Kawahira protested, "Don't summarize it so crudely, you ungrateful child."

He was not totally free but Shirou could see the charm of having more choice in what to do. "Wait, I am already dead…"

"Death is not freedom for us guardians, you already know that." Tsunayoshi told Shirou, "I am sorry but once you awaken any power related to our blood such as this Reality Marble of yours, you no longer have right for normal incarnation..." he held up an ornate right with orb like gem. "Hanging inside jewelry forever is not the most glorious fate, I know… and another downside is our contract is established by our ancestors."

And Shirou's contract with Alaya was his…

"...I see… a limited freedom."

Tsunayoshi took a deep breath, "Well, after this faux pass... you should be able to get Gaia and Alaya to compromise something."

"What?!"

Shirou pulled his Kanshou and Byakuya because Kawahira looked like he was about to commit murder, and he found himself standing between the God and his cousin. They just met but he was already attacked. "Don't you dare..."

Tsunayoshi stepped forward, "It's fine... he needs me alive."

"Doesn't mean I will listen to your insanity."

"The current system should change…" Tsunayoshi proposed in firm voice, "It's not working anymore, or rather it's not working right for a long time."

Kawahira was looking at the sky with eerie calmness in response, "On what basis you said such thing, child?"

"Base on what, you ask?" He echoed with a snort, "In the first place how Alaya sent her counter guardian when a disaster is too far gone is foolish. It's like because your finger had a cut you cut it off, unnecessary force that erode the world even more…and there's us, who got stuck in three way cold war. Gaia and her beasts, Alaya and her Counter guardian, and there's us who sooner or later going to strangle ourselves to stand on two boats, siding with neither, duty demanding us to lean to Gaia but our free will lean us to Alaya." Tsunayoshi listed on, "Such as the nature of Sky, you see my point?"

Kawahira narrowed his eyes, "Breaking the status quo, is that what you want?"

"If it means an all out war, no… I simply want less indiscriminate annihilation." Tsuna admitted in somber voice. "To you as long as liforce continue to its eternal flow in this planet, a thousand or two lives snuffed out to avoid disaster means nothing but it's different to us…"

The 'God' snorted, "I heard this argument before, and I recall without my consent you let Byakuran take the matter to his own hand…" Tsunayoshi flinched and Shirou wondered what Kawahira meant. "There's a reason why you three are called the 'Guardians' because you're born to guard not to save or lead…"

Shirou interrupted them, "Well, since I am involved now may I know what is this is about?"

Tsuna tensed, "It's just…"

"In alternate future…" Kawahira interupted him, "The holder of Mare whose blessing share similarity to one you Magus called Kaleidoscope had enough of Gaia's and Alaya's rivalry and decide to take matters to his own hand. He almost succeed… uniting the parallel worlds under one banner, but at the cost of his degrading sanity."

His eyes went wide at that, "That's no future to anyone."

"There's always a price we have to pay for our power." Tsuna told him, "We doesn't earn them, we're born with it, especially the sky… holder of Arcobaleno pay it with their lifespan. Mare with their sanity and Vongola… with our blood."

The archer eyed his relative contemplatively, he understood the first two sacrifice. Clairvoyance that surpass Grand-magician in exchange of living in shortened lifespan, operation of parallel world chipped away the user's sanity because a human didn't meant to live dozens and hundreds of life at once but Vongola… their blood? What did that mean?

As if reading his unspoken question from his face Tsuna answered, "This power condemn our bloodline, perfectly passing on knowledge and power from generation and generation… along with sin we accumulate. And so we will remember all the blood we shed, the destruction we cause and what we were born for…" He raised his hand, "I never took a single life when I passed the trial of inheritance but after, it felt like I had taken thousands and even millions. Then when I had to take life for real…" Tsuna trailed off. "I can't even feel anything when I disintegrate future Byakuran with my flame."

Emiya Shirou thought he was already numb with feeling sorry for anyone, but now he felt myriad of emotion for his cousin. That trial de-humanize him, and that was why he felt something was 'off' with Tsunayoshi. He had been unfortunate to live through that fire that distort him, but Tsunayoshi… he inherited memory of sin and blood to mold himself to be the perfect agent of the world.

It was no wonder his parents tried to run from that fate, and he was a fool who threw himself to similar fate.

"I don't know such thing happen, Alaya and Gaia won't let that happen!"

"Because it's corrected." Kawahira supplied, "That future no longer exist to the world and remain just as memory to us… as if it's just a bad dream. That's the price Vongola and Arcobaleno paid to correct the world after Mare's fall from grace…"

Kawahira turned to Tsunayoshi, "His future self summoned him from the past… as to minimize the paradox caused if Vongola and Mare are in conflict because he who was from the past is not aligned to future Mare holder. However… that means after everything, that future shall cease to exist."

The price was that high? For his past self to interfere with the future?

"The same could be said to Arcobaleno… to stabilize the worlds, they who represented turning point of history sacrificed herself." Kawahira finished, "Which is why… after that spectacular failure that end with total annihilation on you three I can't believe your impudence to start plotting another revolution my child..."

Tsunayoshi gritted his teeth, "It's not impudence! Or arrogance! Or ambition! What do you think happened in that erased future that push us to that road of no return?! Gaia and Alaya are dying!"

That stopped Kawahira on his track, "They're?"

He scowled, "Crimson Moon himself has no hesitation to throw second moon to earth to accomplish his task! Even though he suppose to protect earth and Gaia seems to think some destruction is alright if it what it takes for her to be clean of humanity! Alaya wiped out humanity bit by bit with her counter force and guardians whenever anything go wrong!"

Shirou stared his cousin in disbelief, 'That makes a lot of sense…' Both will of planet and humanity were single minded in their pursuit, to the point they didn't even realize they were strangling their own neck while the children of the sky run themselves dry to keep some semblance of order.

"The current system is akin to suicide! And we." Tsunayoshi pointed at himself with his thumb, "We're no different than calming draught to stave off the inevitable!" He declared, "And in case you haven't gotten around to ask Byakuran, one of the world had just ended the other day…"

"WHAT?!"

Surprisingly it was Shirou who seemed surprised by the revelation.

"It's a world on the verge of death anyway… Gaia and Alaya are dead there, and Byakuran said the end of the world is delayed by creating pseudo replacement called Moon Cell, it didn't work for long…" Tsunayoshi sighed, "And that means letting Gaia and Alaya to perish then replacing them doesn't work according to him.'

"That child as usual don't think it's prudent to inform me?"

"In case you have forgotten… out of us three Sky Guardians, Byakuran is the one with least empathy… Just the other day he wonders if he will feel something if I kill him again." Tsunayoshi said, shaking his head.

Shirou clenched his fist, the burden the three guardians shouldered were so great they started losing their humanity.

"I get your point… and I will address Byakuran's carelessness of not informing me later." Kawahira turned his attention to Shirou. "But this boy aside from being an 'evidence' to correct our current system… what use we have of him? You do realize, I don't do favors for free, Tsunayoshi-kun."

Tsunayoshi let out a bitter laugh, "So it's his value you're concerned about? If he has so little value to you surely Alaya could spare him!"

Shirou swallowed, he felt uncomfortable under Kawahira's piercing eyes appraising him.

"His sky as you see is tainted." Kawahira gestured to the sky of his Reality Marble, "Or corrupted… his mere existence is a concern by itself if this is any indication."

In short, Kawahira didn't like the idea that apparently a sky could be corrupted to this extent like his.

"However… it would be a waste to just discard him now, and earn your animosity in the process." The mist chuckled as rubbing his chin. "You already dislike me, and I don't see how it's productive to make you to hate me…"

It hurts Shirou to see obvious joy in Tsunayoshi's face, and it hit the fact they were 'related' home really hard. He smoothed his expression quickly before asking, "And the price?"

Kawahira turned to Shirou once again and asked, "Now boya… I know your memory is fuzzy after years of service but tell me, what do you remember? Even though you have been removed from our system for quite sometime, as one who share Vongola's blood… you're bound to remember the turning points in your history."

"There are… two memories." The archer admitted, first was memory of walking through Fuyuki fire and found by overjoyed Emiya Kiritsugu. It was the birth of Emiya Shirou. And second one was a memory he held dear, one he would never forget even if he fell to deepest hell. When he summoned her, the girl he fell in love with at that short moment and still in love with for more than a lifetime.

After he finished he couldn't help but wondered what the look on Tsunayoshi's face meant, relief?

"The fourth and fifth grail war… hm?" Kawahira narrowed his eyes, "The grand ritual Heaven's feel…that damned ritual is a thorn in our side, a gap in dimension and time we could never heal."

Tsunayoshi scowled at him, "To be fair… you ignored the first and the second when it's just a little experiment to see if the system works!" He pulled the memory of his ancestors about the damned grail war, "The third come and you told us to wait and see! Daniella agreed, but then it went completely out of control." It didn't help military was involved because it was the eve of world war II.

The corrupted grail started to tear time and space bit by bit so they couldn't no longer do 'heal and correct' the normal way, it would take a grand ritual but the problem was they needed to get where the intersection of vertical and horizontal axis lies in that city. That was no longer possible with Angra Mainyu, the source of corruption itself. Daniella and Luce couldn't even go inside the city without risking their sky, and previous holder of Mare fell victim to it. Which resulted to the previous Mare holder's death. it was that tainting to them, like poison.

It was determined that, the right time would be after the 'grail' was used and Angra Mainyu would be tamer for them to get inside the city. There would be some damage to the world, but their families crossed their fingers in hope it was reversible enough so they could purify the grail. The fourth grail war didn't happen as they planned because while Emiya Kiritsugu meant 'well' with destroying the lesser grail, he set the evil god off. The gathered mana was unused because there was no wish granted, it didn't help because the grail was still active somewhat and entering Fuyuki was akin to entering area with high radiation to them.

"Wait, what year is this now?" Shirou asked, curious because they had not said anything about the fifth war.

Tsunayoshi frowned, "It's 1998, why do you ask?"

Damn…

"You're older than me." Shirou breathed out.

Tsunayoshi blinked owlishly at that, "You mean there's a younger you running around in Fuyuki now?"

"Yes."

The god's smirk was impossibly wide now and both Vongola and Emiya took one step back from him. "My… my… and what happened in the fifth war you know of?"

"I destroyed… the greater grail?" The archer offered nervously, "And dismantle it ten years later with help, I remember… vaguely after that your people come to fix whatever you have to fix." He struggled to remember and used all his power to jog the memory. "There's a political chaos then, and I am not sure about the detail but you guys win the ownership?" He knew of this not as memory but as a fact he knew, Rin was pissed but she could be careless because she'd rather pursue her own future after her family messed up a big time with Heaven's feel.

"We didn't heal anything." That stopped both the archer and Kawahira. Tsunayoshi was rubbing his temple. "True the corrupted grail and the city are saved to an extent, but the damage was beyond complete repair at that point… year 2014, right? In the end… just patch-up job and crossing finger that it would hold, it's another reason… why we took ownership of that city."

Kawahira sighed, "I see… well, it seems you have present a value I can't ignore… Emiya Shirou." The God said as he held his palm up, and a parchment with burning indigo flame on the top materialized. Somehow there was already a contract written too.

"Is that denial of nothingness?" He dared himself to ask.

Kawahira didn't even hesitate, "To an extent it is… Magus didn't record the first true magic properly, there's so many ways of denying nothingness. For example, for me the record keeper I accessed Akasha to create contracts that bind soul, making new rule of reality to certain degree. But of course God or no I can't create a human out of nothing for example…"

Right, he apparently had a crazy ancestor too.

He wordlessly took the contract and began to read, if his eyes didn't deceive him this was universal language before Babel. Somehow he could read it, but he was not concerned how he did it. The content was his main concern…

WHAT THE HELL?! As counter guardian he had seen and met insanity of the world but this! This was something even Zelretch would consider crazy, the vampire would laugh at him for sure! If he go through with this...

His expression gave his feeling away and the contract was snatched by Tsunayoshi whose eyes went impossibly wide like his.

"YOU ARE INSANE!" Tsunayoshi roared at Kawahira. "This is another mind fucking trial! Do you enjoy messing with our mind?! In case you don't realize it yet, we need certain degree sanity to do our job, Kawahira!"

Tsunayoshi let the contract fell from his hand and was about to throttle Kawahira when Shirou did something he knew was as stupid as taking Alaya's offer but true to his ideal. He grabbed the contract, bit his finger and signed it with his blood. Tsuna's hand was on Kawahira's collar and dropped when he realized what had happened in his momentary lapse of control.

The IDIOT just signed something even worse than death warrant.

The contract burst to a tongue of flame before rising to the sky of Unlimited Blade Works, the sky was set aflame as Vongola's ring in his finger shone and Tsuna screamed, "Don't!"

Shirou saw himself fall, his first trial began and his world was plunged to colour of blood and sin.

His hand was holding a gun and before him a Caucasian man was begging for his life and family. His plea was ignored as the trigger was pulled and my hand was soaked by warm red liquid.

Cruelty

Then the image shifted to a gunfight, smell of blood and smoke hung in the air heavily.

Betrayal…

This time someone slit my throat, it was a swift death.

Revenge!

Burning buildings and human… smell of burning flesh…

"My eyeeeeeeeeee!"

"Please! Spare my son!"

"It's so painful! Stop!"

This was the sin of Vongola.
Their curse and blessing.
The legacy.

UPDATE 2/2/17 some rewrite.

I fall in love with FSN years ago, I didn't read VN at all and as confused as hell about a lot of things but somehow manage to fall in love with the anime. Then I find UBW and heaven's feel route and while I life the first two routes, I simply can't sympathize with Heaven's Feel for some reason.

Some fans analyze Fate - UBW- Heaven's Feel as transition from child- teenager- adult when Shirou's idealistic self is concerned. I copy this from TV tropes and this IS NOT Mine... I will take it off if I am not allowed to post this

"In Fate, Shirou remains a child in many ways, facing the future with his ideals unexamined and uncompromising. His love for Saber is a very Fairytale like thing; indeed, in later remakes they are given a distant, but very fairytale like ending.

In Unlimited Blade works, we see a world view many would see as young adult— the view of a teenager who wants both the ideal and reality. Even though he's been shown the faults in his hero of justice ideal, he decides to pursue it anyway— a struggle, to be sure. Here, Rin and her Cynicism serve to balance his idealism.

In Heaven's Feel, reality and Sakura drive Shirou toward a more adult viewpoint. Here we see him holding fast to what he can, and compromising when he must. This is more mature than he can bring himself to be in the other ends. His father was right, you can't save everyone— and so he will save what is important to him."

This is GOOD and everything but in the same time hammer down as an 'adult' you have to compromise your dream when reality hits you hard. It's not wrong but as an author it's hurts me to go with such plot. So there's other POV that theorize it's more like from an idealistic and untainted person like Enlightened one Shirou become humanized from fate to UBW to HF. I agree more with this analysis

"In the Fate route, Shirou refuses to let go of his ideals, and his love for Saber. Shirou faces down Angra Mainyu, the personification of All the World's Evils, with nothing more then sheer willpower. His heart enters pure, and emerges untainted, despite witnessing all the ugliness and hatred humans are capable of. He refuses to drown in his ideals, and in the end manages to reach the Everdistant Utopia, reuniting with Arturia in Avalon.

What the distant finale means is that, despite everything the world could throw at him, Shirou emerged unscathed. He lived his ideals as best he could, and grasped his reward by entering Utopia (The absolute endgoal of every religion ever: To cast off sin, and be allowed into heaven). Shirou accomplishes this, and yet Fate/Shirou is cast as being the least developed of the three."

At some point this Shirou frustrates me too especially some of his sexist comment, however when I look closely I feel 'sexist' is not what Shirou have in mind when he make that comment. I mean there's Taiga, and as prominent female figure in his life before Grail War it doesn't make sense Shirou look down on girl as weaker sex and Kiritsugu didn't seem to be the type who teach Shirou that. Heck, he loves house chore! In Fate, he didn't seem to comment on not fighting Rin because she is a girl but do so with Saber. So in my logic, Shirou 'make up' a reason to justify protecting Saber and it clicked with how Saber argue with de-humanizing herself... Shirou more or less making those comments -which is idiot of him- to counter Saber's opinion of herself as a tool/servant.

"In Unlimited Blade Works, Shirou's ideals begin to waver. He begins to develop an ego to supplant the super ego he had been operating primarily on. In this route, Shirou does not face any true and major tests of his ideals. He is never plunged into the muck of the grail, which I doubt UBW/Shirou could have survived. This Shirou begins to yearn, his selflessness begins to slip. He wants everyone to be happy, but he also wants Rin (and Saber, in the good end) to be happy. This places a strain on his ideals: Whose happiness does he value more? Humanity's, or Rin's (and Saber's)? Shirou slides further away from enlightenment/salvation/whatever, but he never falls. When he is faced with Archer, the manifestation of his ideals betrayed, he catches himself. He truthfully examines his ideals, and comes to a conclusion: He will strive for both. He will save as many as he can, and he will be happy with saving as many as he can.

I feel UBW/Shirou is the best most humans can achieve. He slips from enlightenment, but stops his descent, and begins to pull himself back up. He never reaches that everdistant utopia, but he lives as best a life as a man is able."

Then there's HF Shirou... one can say the last version of Shirou is the fallen one, especially at 'mind of steel' bad ending.

These analysis prompt me to rework interpretation of 'idealistic idiot' Fate Shirou portrayed to be and how he is most likely to be ARCHER theory... And SO KHR element come to the picture. This is not just because I like KHR X-over but because I want to portray my KHR chara in different way for once. I always feel I portray my chara as 'human' like in UBW Shirou who while idealistic still compromise and happy about it sometimes verge to HF state...
I find it strange myself I like how Fate route goes than UBW, even with 'fairy tale' like ending. The idea of being idealistic and untainted, suffering to achieve it but never waver. This is the 'hardest' part if not outright impossible to achieve, but in this story Shirou/Archer who once taint themselves have to be enlightened once more to break their contract with Alaya.

In short I am challenging myself to write about idealistic idiot to be a Budha. Yeah, I know how that sounds... I wonder what the heck I drink to have this idea.