Magus of Games
Chapter 1: Prologue
A young boy walked through cursed flames. With each step the boy sacrificed a part of himself, his mind, his body, and eventually, his very soul. His drive for survival the only thing that kept him going. Step after step, he sacrificed. His precious memories of his friends and family, his emotions, and finally burning his very soul for the strength to go onwards, not even noticing the inefficiency in his mad stumbling.
Finally, only one thing was left to fuel his stumble. The very name of Shirou, the only thing that currently validated his existence. On reflex the body dropped itself, forcing itself to keep the barest shred of humanity. Shirou felt the fire wash over him in a moment. Not even allowing him to continue. Slowly he closed his eyes, desperately wishing for something to saving him, and remembering all the people he had passed that had wished for the same thing. What made him so special?
Nevertheless, something did hear his silent plea. Breaking away from the control of Angra Manyu a small portion of the Holy Grail was absorbed into the young boy. Hearing his plea, the Grail gave him strength, giving him the power to live, and even more the opportunity to gain more power. It warded off the fire, trying to consume him.
When Angra Manyu could fuel the destroying fire no more, and the rain had set in Shirou got back up, finding it considerably easier than before. However a boulder fell on him, trapping him underneath it. He had given up when, as his eyes begun to darken, someone dug him up.
He knelt before Shirou smiling a huge smile. "Are you okay?" the man asked. Dumbly, Shirou nodded. The strange man's smile grew bigger. He held out his hand to Shirou, saying "Come with me." Still completely blank Shirou followed, oblivious to the dangers of following strange men. The grail shard, however, knew that Shirou was now safe. Thus it decided to start trying to grant it's master's wish.
To be as happy as that strange man.
When Shirou woke up the next day he found that his life had been turned into a game, not that he had any memories of before he found his life was a game. In any case, when he woke up Shirou would have been surprised by the screen in front of him reading
"You have slept 12 hours! Most of your Hp and Mp have been recovered."
As it was, Shirou just thought this was normal and accepted it.
Before he could figure out what to do with the screen, and before he could even start questioning how he could read the screen despite not knowing how to read, a new screen came up reading
"Would you like to take the tutorial? Yes or No"
Shirou, not knowing what else to do, pressed the Yes button.
Yet again a new screen came up. Pointing to three bars he hadn't noticed before. It read:
"These three bars represent your HP (Health) MP (Magic points) and Stamina. These stats affect your day-to-day life and help you keep track of your important attributes."
That confused Shirou though he supposed that was because of his lack of memories.
Yet again another screen popped up, reading:
"To continue say Menu."
Shirou, not having anything else to do, simply complied saying "Menu."
A new screen came up this time, it read:
Health 75/100
How much damage you can take before you pass out or die.
Magic 80/120*
How much magic you can use
STR:1
Str, or Strength, affects how physically strong you are.
CON:0*
CON, or CONSTITUTION affects how much health you have, your stamina, and your natural defense.
DEX:0*
Dex, or Dexterity, affects how fast and flexible you are.
Int:0*
Int, or Intelligence, affects how fast you learn, how well you remember, and how well you control your magic.
Wis:0*
Wis, or Wisdom, affects how well you make decisions, and how well you put together information.
Magic:3
Magic affects how much raw magic power you have, along with your affinity for magic.
Luck:1*
Luck affects the world around you, and how much things go your way. Note: can only be improved from the status menu.
Shirou felt rather bad about that. Most of his stats were 0, did that mean he had no strength? How was he supposed to do anything with no strength? How was he supposed to increase his stats? Also, what did * mean! as if to answer popped reading:
"Most of your stats are currently 0, but don't worry! Stats can be increased through use (Like reading to increase Intelligence), and leveling up. Notice, the * symbol however, that means that you have some form of status effect on you. "
That made him really want to read a book to increase his Intelligence, or train any of his basic stats for that explained what the star thing was, but what could give him some sort of status effe-
"The flames I walked through must have taken away my stats somehow." Shirou realized.
As Shirou thought this, yet another screen came up reading:
"Well now you know your stats, so why don't we check upon your talents and skills? To open the Skills Menu say Skills Menu."
The box read. Simply following whatever the boxes told him to do at this point, Shirou complied. "Skills Menu."
Suddenly, a new screen replaced the Stats Menu in front of him.
Skills Menu
Misc:
Element/origin: Sword/Sword
Magic Resistance: 5
Curse Resistance: 5
Unlimited Blade Works: Level 1 EXP: 00.10%
At this level Unlimited Blade Works passively increases your ability to wield a bladed weapon and gives a 1% EXP increase to all bladed weapon skills. It stores any D- Rank and under swords within.
Charisma: Level 1 EXP: 00.00%
Weapon Expertise: Level 1 EXP: 00.0%
You can use any bladed weapon with some modicum of skill.
As Shirou read through all the information he understood somewhat that his skills would only grow as he used them, thus getting him stronger.
"By continually using your brain, your Intelligence has gone up by one!"
Clicking the Continue button at the bottom he decided to continue on.
Just as he decided to go on a new screen came up reading:
"Now that we've gotten to know you, why don't we open up the Quest Menu? The Quest Menu shows the task or jobs you have or can accept. To open the Quest Menu, simply say Quest Menu."
Having already decided to continue, Shirou complied, saying "Quest Menu." Like before, the Skills Menu closed itself and the Quest Menu opened, reading:
Quest Menu
Active Quest:
Tutorial/Prologue: Complete the tutorial and learn about the game.
Optional Quest:
Shirou read the Quest Menu several times. Had there been any notice when he started the tutorial? Well, he guessed didn't really matter. So he simply accepted it as a part of reality he didn't get yet. Yet again, as if his response determined what the game did, a new screen popped up reading
"Now that you've seen all your stats and visited all the menus, why don't exit the tutorial? To exit the tutorial press the red X button at the top of the screen, or say exit."
Quickly finding the X button, Shirou pressed it and was completely unprepared when another screen popped up reading:"Congratulations! You have finished Tutorial! Reward: 60 EXP."
Shirou could feel something in his body stir a bit before settling down again.
"I guess EXP is the stuff that levels me up." Shirou thought.
He then noticed the machines he was hooked up to, he realized he must be in a hospital. A pop-up window then appeared telling him about a skill he just gained.
"[Observe], Through continuous observation, a skill to observe objects, situations, and persons was generated allowing the user to quickly gather information. The higher the skill, the greater the data obtained, also couple with innate skill [structural grasp](Passive) only gained after being introduced to ?"
Then Shirou looked around, the machines where measuring stuff about himself.
"By looking at medicinal machines you gained the skill [Medicinal Knowledge] you now understand basic medicinal knowledge"
Shirou closed the screen as he saw a doctor come in, his name and title appeared over his head
"Iwatta Kushiki, doctor, lv: 10"
"I see you are recuperating from your ordeal... I wish to ask, do you know your name?" The doctor asked.
Shirou replied that while he did know his first name his last name has been lost from him.
A new pop-up window appeared "Due to the Cursed Flames, your memories have been scrubbed, you can now select the new Quest, close this pop-up to receive a quest from the doctor"
"Since we can't find your parents you can be taken into an orphanage, or you can stay with this man, he is the one who rescued you" the doctor said.
"Do you go with the strange man or choose the orphanage? "
He looked at the man, " Kirutsugu Emiya 'The Magus Killer' level ?"
"If I go with him... maybe I will be able to both understand that smile... and become strong" he tough as he selected to be with the man.
"Congratulations, you have gained a new titles: "Son of the Magus Killer", "Heir of the Emiya clan", "The second Magus Killer", "Son of the Magus Killer" gives the spell [Time Alter] and boosts them by a +5, "son of the magus killer" boosts Machinery skills +2, gun handling by +2, and [Time Alter] by +2, titles will allow you to get positive or negative effects,the titles can increase their boosts as you grow for now please select a title"
Shirou decided to select "Heir of the Emiya Clan" as he was able to change it later as he was told, he didn't think the abilities he received from the other one would help him much as of yet, also he wanted to know what [time alter] is.
"[Time Alter] level 1 EXP 0.00%, a magical ability that allows you to control time inside your body, increasing your speed by x2, x3, x4 times or decrease bodily functions by that much, puts a lot of stress on your body, your current level of constitution is insufficient (required constitution level: 25")
Shiro nodded understanding, "I'll go with you" he said.
"I will tell you this, I am a magus" Kiritsugu said.
From that day, he went to live with him.
Shirou noticed that his stats returned to normal, for some reason his "cursed status" has been lifted.
"Due to ? It has manages to undo the curse that has plagued you, it also gives you the ability 'Vigorous' level: max' you are unable to be sick and your physical resistance to fatigue is abnormal"
He then used observe on Kiritsugu.
Kiritsugu Emiya Lv:? 'The Magus killer'
Bio: A freelance assassin, works around the world killing evil people, he uses the Emiya family magecraft, he is called the magus killer because he specializes in killing magi, but also because people not in the knowhow of magic think his skills are like magic (they have no idea how right they are)
Status: Cursed
Currently under the full brunt of "Wrath of the discarded wish" a curse inflicted by Angria Manu, manifestation of all the evils in the world, you don't know how he gotten that Curse but you feel that the feeling of it is similar to what yours was, his over-all health and status taken a big penalty due to it.
It seems he also was under the effects of the curse he had too...
He went to the state he would live in now.
He didn't have memories of his life before, but he was PRETTY sure that his house could fit inside this place at least 5 times over.
It was a huge place, there were some workers doing their job of fixing this place up.
"You feel a presence sizing you up and declared you an inhabitant of this place, you obtained the skill [detect intent] you can now differentiate hostile and friendly intentions, people who specialize at hiding their intent may fool you tough, level it up to decrease chances of that happening!"
"You obtained the skill [detect magic/magecraft], you have the ability to notice magecraft using one of your 6 senses (in your case, your sense of smell), you can tell when something or someone with magic is there, you can also tell about the type of magecraft they use and the danger level"
"I see, that is actually real useful, especially now that I will learn about magecraft" Shirou tough.
"Hey... dad... what was that feeling when I came in?" Shirou asked.
"You felt that? That's impressive, that was a bounded field... it detects the intentions of people coming in and alerts the inhabitants in case of I'll intent" Kiritsugu explained.
Kiritsugu could help but be surprised at that, was he naturally sensitive to magical signatures?
However he was hesitant to the idea due to the inherent danger of magecraft and what path he would set out to.
2 years later
Time flies and Kiritsugu noticed that Shirou was training every morning doing morning jogs and reading books (which disappeared mysteriously), he felt, Shirou's magecraft potential increase, as well as his physical strength, he also learned how to cook, as he was rather hopeless at it.
"You obtained skill [Cooking] lv:1, you are able to cook easy meals, adds a 3% speed to cooking, the higher your level the better food you will be able to make, the higher level food you cook can have special status bonus upon consumption"
Shirou meet a young middle schooler (soon to be high schooler) girl, Fujiwara Taiga.
He used observe on her.
Name: Fujiwara Taiga 'the small tiger of Fuyuki'
Kendoka level:16
"[Observe] leveled up! You now have access to more information
Age 14, she is a strong contender in the kendo circuit, her grandfather, Fujiwara Riga dotes on her a lot, she seems to have a slight crush on Kiritsugu.
Emotion : Love, hesitant, curious.
Shirou was a bit taken back, this was a bit more than what someone needed to know.
She looked hesitant as she looked inside our home.
"Hey, nee-san, what are you doing, people will think you are weird" Shirou said.
Taiga nearly jumped from her skin.
"Gah! K...kid... you scared me half to death" She said as she put her hand on her chest, trying to control her beating.
"You are looking for my dad, right? Hey dad... someone is here looking for you" Shirou said.
A man stopped out into the front entrance, he was a bit old, he was a bit old looking but had a mysterious feel to him, he was wearing a black yukata.
He blinked "Shirley?"
"Uh?" Taiga said, confused.
Kiritsugu blinked. No, this was not Shirley, but the similarities of them was astonishing.
"Would you like to come in?" He asked.
Taiga nodded.
She trusted him, because she knew he was a friend of her dear grandfather.
To be honest she had a crush on him ever since she laid her eyes on him.
She decided to know him better, and tried to go to his home.
She did not know he had a kid, she wondered who, or rather where the mother was.
"I was adopted, if that's what you are thinking" Shirou said to Taiga as her skin crawled by how perspective he was.
"How... how did you know?" She asked.
"It's written all over your face" he said, "Besides me and Kiritsugu-tousan don't look alike" he said. "He... adopted me"
"Oh? What happened? How did that happened?" She asked.
"I..." he begun.
"I found him... I ground zero of the Fuyuki fire, I rescued him" Kiritsugu said.
"The...the F...Fuyuki fire?" She said in shock.
Shirou stood by his father's side as he nodded.
"I took him in and he been very good kid, very helpful and very smart, is too bad that he couldn't remember his past" Kiritsugu said.
"Oh you poor thing" she said as she hugged Shirou.
"He will be going to school in a few weeks, I was wondering, think you could tutor him a bit? So he can be at the same level rather than to try and catch up to the rest" Kiritsugu said.
She blinked, she now had an in and not look like a stalker!
"When can I start?" She asked.
And so she would begin tomorrow.
"So... did you know she..." Shirou said.
"Yes..." Kiritsugu said cutting him.
"Dad... I have a question" Shirou said.
He nodded.
"Why hasn't the curse run its course like it did with me?" He asked.
Kiritsugu was taken back, how did he know?
"Whatever do you mean?" He said trying to shove the topic away.
"There is a peculiar scent on you, is the same I had when I was in the hospital, but yours... is stronger... like is strangling my nose" Shirou said.
Kiritsugu was taken back, he actually has smelled the magical signature of the curse?
He sighed, it seemed he had some talent detecting magic.
Shirou noticed something using [observe]... Kiritsugu was under a plethora of curses from the same origin.
[Curse of Angria Manju: Breaking of the soul] as well as Breaking of body, as breaking of the mind, not to mention curse of weakness and curse of corroding magic.
In other words the curse was not only more potent than on him, but it was breaking his will to live... torturing him and slowly but surely killing him.
"Dad... let me help you, please" Shirou begged.
Kiritsugu Emiya sighed in defeat...
"Very well... I will teach you the ways of magus" he said, he knew he didn't wnts to do this... but he was sure... that his son... would walk a path similar, but different than his own.
That is how I started to train.
That is how he began his apprenticeship with Kiritsugu.
"Quest completed: opening the circuits, reward 1500 EXP you leveled up three times, you have 15 status points to spend"
"Obtained [basic magecraft], increases INT +7 and WIS +8"
Character Stats:
Emiya Shirou
"Heir of the Emiya clan"
HP: 200
MP: 150
Level 8
STR: 18
AGI: 15
DEX: 15
INT: 20 (+7)
WIS: 17 (+8)
CON: 26
LUK: 8
Skills:
Unlimited Blade Works LV:3 EXP:30.00%
You are able to record any bladed weapon and obtain the skills of those who wielded them, able to store any weapon up to level C+.
Time Alter LV: 2 EXP:15.00%
a magical ability that allows you to control time inside your body, increasing your speed by x2, x3, x4 times or decrease bodily functions by that much, puts a lot of stress on your body, your current level of constitution is insufficient (required constitution level: 25). Max speed/slow boost: x2
Charisma: Level 3 EXP: 20.00%
Has slight ability to convince people to help you out or bend them to your will.
Weapon Expertise: Level 3 EXP: 00.0%
You can use any bladed weapon with some skill.
Basic Magecraft LV 1 EXP:0.0%
Understanding of basic magic techniques, increases INT +7 & WIS +8