Although Emiya Shirou was not literally Angra Mainyu, the mud of the corrupted Grail flowing through his body was that very evil—All the Evils of This World.
Thanks to his wish, however, he had gained complete control over his body and soul. After fusing with a fragment of the Lesser Grail, his body had been transformed by the Grail's mana.
Now, his very being was the Lesser Grail.
The Lesser Grail, compared to the Greater Grail, could be understood as a "gate"—
A conduit.
Through it, Shirou could draw forth the limitless, corrupted mana of the Greater Grail.
---
❖ That Night…
The moon was hidden behind black clouds, plunging the Yorifis estate into an oppressive, near-total darkness.
The once grand and noble residence now sat cloaked in shadows.
Upon the ornate throne of the house—
Where the family head, Luvreyus Nazele Yorifis, once sat with pride—
Now sat a six-year-old child.
All the magi of the Yorifis family were gathered in the grand hall, kneeling with one knee to the floor.
No one dared raise their head.
It was unthinkable.
The House of Yorifis, one of the Twelve Lord Families of the Clock Tower, now bowed before a child.
Who would ever believe such a thing?
> "From now on, I hold absolute authority over the House of Yorifis,
Shirou spoke, calm and expressionless.
His young voice, however, carried a weight that far exceeded his years.
> "Whether your family's legacy fades into obscurity, or rises to surpass all other Lords…
That's entirely up to you."
Even Shirou had to admit he was surprised.
He hadn't expected Luvreyus to be capable of summoning a remnant of an ancient Heroic Spirit's power.
Luckily, the summoned entity had no intelligence—
Or perhaps it was Luvreyus's own arrogance that cost him. He'd ordered the specter into a frontal assault.
Had the entity used sword techniques, Shirou might have struggled.
After all, he could swing a sword—
But he didn't actually know swordsmanship.
---
Luvreyus, still kneeling, looked up with a spark of insight in his eyes.
Maybe… this was a rare opportunity.
If they could win the favor of this mysterious, terrifying being, then the House of Yorifis could finally surpass the other Lord Families.
Under normal circumstances, Luvreyus would never place his hopes on a "demonic being."
But now… the "demon" had come to him.
> Damn that Cydra… bringing a demon god into the family!
Luvreyus nearly spat with frustration at the thought.
But this wasn't just any evil—
This was Angra Mainyu, the source of all darkness, the origin of sin.
To depend on such a being was madness…
And yet, this particular god hadn't devoured them all—
Yet.
For now, they were still alive.
> "We swear eternal loyalty to you, my lord!"
Luvreyus dropped both knees to the floor.
The other magi followed suit without hesitation.
---
> "Don't call me a god."
Shirou frowned.
This constant "god of evil" talk was irritating.
Cold sweat beaded on Luvreyus's forehead.
It seemed the demon lord disliked that title.
> "Then… yes, My Lord."
He bowed deeply.
Stealing a glance upward, he saw that Shirou appeared neutral—not displeased.
> Thank the heavens…
One wrong word and we'd all be dead.
> "Yes, My Lord!"
The rest of the magi echoed, trembling.
None dared speak before Luvreyus gave permission.
---
Truthfully, Shirou still feared the Twelve Lord Families.
They were ancient, deeply rooted in magecraft, having passed down generations of arcane knowledge and bloodlines.
They might still have unpredictable tricks up their sleeves.
But ultimately, most of the Lords were in decline.
Only the Clock Tower as a whole remained dangerous.
---
> "I have something I need you all to do."
Shirou finally spoke again.
> "At your command, My Lord,"
Luvreyus replied immediately.
> "The Tohsaka family has two daughters. They intend to give one of them to the Matou family."
> "Send someone to request the girl instead.
Offer to raise and train her properly. If anything changes, report to me immediately."
Shirou had no way of knowing whether this plan would succeed.
But if it worked, Sakura could be saved without bloodshed.
And if it didn't?
He'd go to Fuyuki himself.
One way or another, he would save her.
> "As you command, My Lord!"
Luvreyus bowed again.
Shirou stepped down from the throne—it was too tall for him anyway.
Once he'd returned to his room, the rest of the family breathed a sigh of relief.
They were still alive.
---
Luvreyus, however, was left deep in thought.
He had begun to understand.
This child still had a mind of his own—his own identity—
But within him, Angra Mainyu lurked, subtly influencing him.
From the very beginning, it had been a setup.
The god knew it would be brought to London.
Knew it would reach the Clock Tower.
Knew it would have access to its libraries and records.
That's why it never resisted—
It wanted to learn.
And now, it made sense why the child had been so obsessed with reading grimoires.
Even books far beyond a normal child's comprehension… he read them with ease.
> If he really houses Angra Mainyu… then it all makes sense.
---
❖ The Next Morning
Shirou slept peacefully—
But he never let down his guard.
Thanks to his heightened sensitivity to mana, he'd developed a habit:
If any mage entered his room while he slept, he would wake instantly.
Even if he was the Lesser Grail, he was still human.
And if he wasn't careful—
He could be killed.
Unless…
He had Avalon, the Scabbard of Excalibur, also known as The Distant Utopia.
---
During the Fourth Holy Grail War, the Einzbern family would retrieve Avalon from Cornwall.
It would be this artifact that allowed Kiritsugu Emiya to summon Saber—
Artoria Pendragon.
At the end of the Fourth War, after the Great Fire that consumed Fuyuki, the young Shirou would be rescued by Kiritsugu…
And in that moment, Avalon would be sealed inside his body.
Kiritsugu also left a summoning circle in their home as a contingency.
Because of that, in the Fifth Holy Grail War, when Lancer hunted Shirou and forced him into the storage shed, the summoning circle was activated, and Avalon within him allowed the summoning of Saber.
---
❖ Avalon – The Distant Utopia
A legendary artifact with terrifying powers:
It automatically heals its wielder (gradually)
If in contact with Saber, healing becomes rapid and consumes very little mana
Grants the wielder agelessness and extreme resilience
In its true form, Avalon disassembles into hundreds of fragments, placing the wielder inside the realm of fae and protecting them from all physical interference.
It becomes an artifact on par with True Magic—capable of absolute defense, untouched even by the Five Grand Magics.
Not even Gilgamesh's Ea (Sword of Rupture) could bypass it.