[ Feeling that her existence would only harm Shirou Emiya, Sakura chose to return to the Matou household. There, she encountered Shinji Matou! ]
[ Shinji Matou, jealous of Sakura's magical talent while he had none, habitually vented his anger on her in fits of rage. ]
[ Seeing Sakura return home, Shinji's cruel impulses flared up again. He intended to hurt Sakura once more, even continuously shaming her relationship with Shirou in the process! ]
[ "It would be great if scum like this could just disappear," Sakura thought. ]
[ Just as Sakura thought this, the 'Shadow' suddenly erupted, directly killing Shinji! ]
[ "So, it ends this simply..." This was Sakura's thought after killing Shinji Matou! (From the game) ]
[ Similarly, this was the first time Sakura killed someone while conscious, and then everything changed. Black shadows gradually enveloped the room, and small, paper-like figures appeared beside her. ]
[ Sakura began to assimilate with the dark Holy Grail fragments, awakening! ]
[ Ribbons made of black illusory figures appeared above Sakura's head, enveloping her, then transforming into a red and black outfit that covered her body. Red stripes also appeared on her face, her eyes turned crimson, and she wore a twisted smile. ]
(A side note here: Shinji was originally quite kind to Sakura until he learned he was a magical failure while Sakura was a magical genius. This caused his attitude towards her to change... But even so, there's no excusing him. Not even bleached Earth could wash away his sins.)
[ .....]
~Projection of All Worlds~
"Seeing Sakura kill Shinji Matou, for the first time, I felt such a great sense of satisfaction. In a word, well done!"
"This is practically dancing in a minefield! Trying to bully Sakura and then daring to insult Shirou Emiya? He's practically asking for a swift death, isn't he?"
Everyone cheered as they watched Sakura kill Shinji Matou. However, this seemed to be the final straw that pulled Sakura towards the abyss.
After realizing how easily she had killed the person who had tormented her for so long, Sakura succumbed to her dark desires and embraced her darker side.
~Type-Moon World, Fourth Holy Grail War Worldline~
"Ultimately, a 'fake'. It seems it can no longer contain the magical energy after devouring this King... 'Fake Holy Grail'."
Gilgamesh observed the corrupted Sakura with interest.
It was known that Shirou Emiya had lived by the belief of becoming an Ally of Justice. Now, for the sake of one person, he abandoned his former ideals and chose to become 'evil'!
If Sakura were to get lost, then Shirou Emiya would also die; he would have no reason to exist, or rather, no reason to live.
.....
"Sakura!!"
Kariya Matou's deteriorating body twisted his face. Seeing Sakura's corruption made it even harder to hide the pain in his heart.
He had accepted Zouken Matou's modifications to become a Master and participate in the Holy Grail War all for Sakura. In the end, nothing had changed!
.....
[ Sakura, now assimilated with the Black Holy Grail, appeared at the Emiya residence. After assimilating with the Holy Grail, Sakura's power granted her the authority to do as she pleased! ]
[ Having been powerless to resist for so many years, she wanted to experience the joy of controlling everything as she retaliated against the world. ]
[ Facing her older sister, Rin Tohsaka, with a mere wave of her hand, a black shadow enveloped Rin, instantly eroding all her magical energy! ]
[ Seeing Rin Tohsaka collapse in pain, Black Sakura cradled her own abdomen and let out a joyful laugh, "Hehehe, it tastes so good! Is this Onee-chan's magical energy?!" ]
[ Just as Sakura was about to deliver the killing blow, Rider returned with Shirou Emiya. Seeing Shirou Emiya immediately go to care for Rin Tohsaka, Sakura's expression gradually darkened. ]
[ "Ah!!" Shirou Emiya instantly felt a sharp pain and couldn't help but let out a scream. ]
[ Black Sakura's mental state became increasingly unstable, and black illusory figures began to dance around her. "Why are you so biased towards Onee-san? Why don't you say anything? Why don't you scold me? You clearly saw what happened to Onee-san!" ]
[ "Look, Senpai!" Black Sakura clasped her hands together at her chest, a smile on her face. "I've been crazy from the start." ]
[ The darkness beneath Black Sakura's feet continuously spread outwards, and her body occasionally flickered with red light. The shadow of the Black Holy Grail flickered within. ]
[ "So... I'll kill you, so you won't suffer anymore, so you can stay by my side forever." ]
[ Black Sakura's illusory figures lunged at Shirou Emiya, but Rider saved him. This was a command Sakura had given with a Command Seal earlier. ]
[ However, the sudden appearance of Saber Alter directly stabbed her through the abdomen, causing her to fall to the ground. Illya decided to leave with Black Sakura to protect them. Before leaving, Dark Sakura turned to Shirou Emiya and warned him, "Don't appear before me again, or I'll have no choice but to kill you." ]
[ .....]
~Projection of All Worlds~
"She's completely turned into a yandere, even wanting to kill Shirou Emiya, who used to be her only one."
"The reason Shirou Emiya didn't scold you, Sakura, is because he already guessed it, and was even prepared to bear the pain of this sin with you!!"
"If the 'Shadow' was controlled by Sakura, then how many times has she tried to kill her older sister, Rin Tohsaka?... Last time, if it weren't for Archer, she would have died."
Why did she try to kill her older sister, Rin Tohsaka, time and again?... Was it just because she was jealous of Rin's closeness to Shirou Emiya, or were there other reasons?
Perhaps, as Dark Sakura herself said, she had already gone mad. Her downfall was merely a shift from her 'A-side' to her 'B-side', releasing the cruelty that had been hidden deep within her for years.
.....
[ After Shirou Emiya found Kirei Kotomine to treat Rin Tohsaka, he decided to defeat Zouken Matou before Matou Sakura became an empty shell. ]
[ Upon arriving at the forest, Kirei Kotomine asked Shirou Emiya a question, "Matou Sakura, she has already devoured people. That is an unchangeable fact. Even so, will you protect her?!" ]
[ "She has killed many people. I don't think she will forgive herself. So, killing her would be a release for her. It would also be atonement for the people she killed." ]
[ Shirou Emiya's face was grim. "But... that's not compensation." ]
[ "Is that so?! Does that mean you will not inherit Kiritsugu Emiya's ideals?" ]
[ .....]
~Projection of All Worlds~
"She has already devoured many people; this is an undeniable fact... Shirou Emiya is no longer a hero of justice. From the moment he didn't strike her down, he could no longer inherit Kiritsugu Emiya's ideals."
In everyone's eyes, she was not innocent, nor was she entirely a victim.
Whether she deserved salvation was not for anyone to decide, but to completely deny her the chance for atonement felt somewhat arrogant.
Even so, Dark Sakura was not someone who could be easily forgiven. She had to bear her sins. While she had the right and need for spiritual salvation, she also had to pay the price for her mistakes.
~Bleach World~
"Honestly, I don't agree with Shirou Emiya protecting Sakura's actions. Sakura indulged herself in malice and killed many people."
Ichigo Kurosaki believed Shirou Emiya's approach was wrong and would only lead to more casualties.
(Translator-kun: umh.... Ichigo, you forgot about 'Fade to Black' in which Rukia almost does the same with Sakura here...)
He admitted that Sakura's past might have been very tragic, but what about the innocent bystanders who never harmed her yet suffered terribly?! Most of her targets for revenge were people completely unaware of her plight. Because of this, he couldn't agree with Shirou Emiya's actions.
He also knew that Matou Sakura was not the primary culprit and was also a victim. Therefore, she must be saved; this was long overdue justice for the suffering she endured.
At the same time, she must be punished. This was also accountability for the innocent victims who died at her hands. Matou Sakura and the innocent victims were equal in life. He would not condemn her.
But as a person, she had to fulfill her responsibilities.
.....
[ Kirei Kotomine, who had arrived at the base of the castle, asked Shirou Emiya a strange question, "So, Shirou Emiya, do you have any mountain climbing experience?!" ]
[ "Bang—!!" ]
[ The next second, Shirou Emiya was directly thrown by Kirei Kotomine into the high castle, smashing through a window and landing in front of Illya, startling her. ]
[ "Ah, who throws a living person through a window?" Shirou Emiya lay on the floor, groaning in pain. ]
[ Kirei Kotomine also leaped onto the windowsill. "It was just too pathetic watching you wriggle up the wall with one hand." ]
[ "Why did you come? Go back..." Illya's face was grim as she spoke in a low voice, "There's nothing for you here. I'll take care of Sakura. Because that's my duty." ]
[ Shirou Emiya let out a long sigh. "I don't care about any duty. No matter how much you try to be strong... Don't sacrifice yourself for something else!" ]
[ Illya averted her gaze. "Why don't you say that to yourself..." ]
[ "Illya!" Seeing Shirou Emiya extend his hand, Illya's face became a little shy, and a smile gradually appeared. Just as she was about to take his hand, Kirei Kotomine picked her up. ]
[ "Who has time for idle chatter?" Without another word, Kirei Kotomine jumped out the window with Illya. Shirou Emiya followed closely behind. ]
[ This time, it was Kirei Kotomine's turn to be surprised. He looked at Shirou Emiya, who landed on the ground from a great height, his legs trembling, filled with admiration. "To jump from such a height without magic, truly impressive!" ]
[ .....]
~Projection of All Worlds~
"Uh... mountain climbing experience, does it require throwing people through windows? I don't understand, but I'm greatly shocked."
"Kirei Kotomine is simply a beacon of clarity! What he said makes perfect sense. Who has time to chat in the enemy's stronghold? Hurry up and run!"
"What a man! He really dares to jump from a building, and with his normal human body!? No wonder Kirei Kotomine said he was impressive!"
Everyone watching Shirou Emiya's actions gave a thumbs up. To jump from such a height without using magic to strengthen his body, just directly jumping down—one word, incredible!
.....
(Author Note: Next chapter, the true man makes his appearance. And then suddenly I got interested in Yu-Gi-Oh! Got some ideas.)