Well, here's the first real chapter. I got some messages concerning Shirou being overpowered. Keep in mind, He only has 160 high quality circuits, Rin has over 50 high quality circuits, take into account her family crest which has been embedded in her, which counts as another 30, include the fact that their potential only slightly outstrips hers', he's still only about 2-3 times as powerful as she is.
Also, remember that servants are legendary spirits equipped with the bells and whistles that made them legends, such that even Ilya at full power would simply crumble if she went against one by herself. I kinda had to give Shirou a boost if I expected him to be able to duke it out with any servant other than Gilgamesh (Unlimited blade works, once properly working, is his natural enemy, it'd be like fire pokemon vs water pokemon with UBW being water).
Shirou hasn't encountered any noble phantasms yet, and thanks to being too busy saving the galaxy from foes equipped with conventional, albeit advanced, arms, hasn't had time to develop his magical talents very much beyond reinforcing and tracing. The best comparison would be that he's an entire mountain range of uranium that hasn't been refined into "The Bomb" yet.
Japan.
Land of the Rising Sun.
A place with one of the richest histories and cultures in existence.
Home to many of Humanities greatest delights; such as natural hot springs, Japanese sweets, tuna fishing, underwear vending machines…
Shirou scratched his head upon reading the last entry in the travel brochure. Granted he'd been away from the place of his birth for awhile and hadn't really had much time to read about its culture (running around other planets and ring-shaped artificial environments left behind by a long dead super advanced alien species tends to take a toll on your free time) but he just couldn't understand why people would be willing to pay such an insane markup for undergarments, used ones at that. Apparently this was also a pretty hot commodity off-world, as he remembered once ripping open a container filled with such articles on a smuggling vessel bound for Mars that had been tagged by ONI as carrying hazardous materials.
The order had apparently come directly from the top too.
Can't see how these are so dangerous if they're legal on Earth. Whatever, I'm sure Margaret knew exactly what she was doing.
Making peace with his thoughts and his blind naïve faith in the obviously most trustworthy and mentally stable head of intelligence operations he knew, our hero put the booklet back into the pocket in front of him and looked out the window trying to make out the green landmass in the ball of blue that he was to call home.
*DING DONG*
"Ladies and Gentlemen this is your captain speaking. Our shuttle will soon be initiating atmospheric re-entry. Please return to your seats and adjust them to their upright positions. Also, please close the panels to the viewports on either side of this craft. Restrain any young children from attempting to re-open them to look at the shiny lights that result from air particles rubbing against our belly. Doing so may result in temporary or permanent blindness, not covered in 99% of travelers' insurance policies and which we will not be responsible for since you all signed a waiver on the 50 page fine-print form you were required to read prior to purchasing the ticket but most likely didn't bother to."
Twenty minutes later a jolt shook the spaceship as gravity fully took hold of it from reaches of space. Panic took some of the younger ones who were not yet accustomed to being packed into a metal box and dropped into a situation where the air itself was trying to tear your coffin, and by extension, you, to burnt up shreds. Other, older people were grabbing their barf bags and clinging on for dear life. As for Shirou…
Wow, this is really comfortable.
Remember troops, military equipment such as the type our Spartan is accustomed to using is always made by the lowest bidder.
Looking around like a misplaced tourist, Shirou tried to take in the entirety of the Miyama district where he had once lived. Though considered quaint and traditional by many, to him, this simply lent a comforting air to the locale. Having pinpointed the local produce sector, he made his way through the shops looking for the daily necessities that would undoubtedly be needed at his residence after nearly a decade of neglect.
Right about the reach for the miso, eyes suddenly made contact with a face that seemed startlingly familiar.
"Senpai? I-is it…really you?"
Wracking through heavily faded memories Shirou desperately grasped for a name to put on the new (old?) person. Demeanor was definitely the same, and face looked vaguely familiar, but were the eyes and hair supposed to be that color? Deciding that this may be a part of the "fashion trend" female soldiers kept talking about, he decided to take a gamble.
"Sakura?"
"Kyaaaa, Senpai, it's you, it's really you!" Sakura screamed as she jumped her long lost friend / love interest in a surprisingly strong bear hug before breaking down into tears.
For a moment, finally re-united, the two simply stood there in the bustling streets trying to make up for almost a decade's worth of lost time in a few paltry moments.
Finally settling down, Sakura released her companion. The reality of how close they physically were dawned on her leading to a deep blush
"I'm s-s-orry senpai, it's just, I was, I mean."
Shirou smiled. Yep, same old Sakura.
"I really missed you too."
Face now brightening, Sakura turned upwards to the one whose memory made her daily tortures bearable.
Unable to find the proper words at the moment, she settled for a joyful "Un" before moving to join her senior in a bid to get away from the knowing looks that were starting to pile on from the surrounding observers.
And so continued the Emiya-Matou shopping expedition.
"Senpai, you know, you won't really need all those cleaning supplies." Shirou's partner quipped as she peered through his purchases.
"What? Why not? I mean, nobody's lived there for ages, it has to be dusty, moldy and practically falling apart now."
"Well, after you left, Taiga kept coming to check up on you. Even when it was pretty clear you would be gone for awhile, she would use it as a place to practice by herself."
Sakura's blush returned a bit as she was about to make her confession.
"And I…umm…I kept the place cleaned and tidy. Ah! Don't get me wrong, I had to cook dinner for Taiga there sometimes so it was only right that I give back a little bit!"
Shirou was stunned.
"Wow, I mean, thank you. Really, I mean it, thank you!"
"Hehe, don't mention it Senpai!"
After all, being there and remembering you was what kept me alive. Sakura thought to herself. Having had her body ravaged by both her adopted parent's experiments and her brother's twisted urges, it was only the hope the someday, somehow, her beloved would come back, that prevented her from diving into the pits of despair.
Noticing that while she was in her thoughts, the one she was walking with was reading what appeared to be a letter, she decided to sneak a peek at the contents.
Shirou,
Your belongings along with a few gifts will be delivered to your place of residence.
Whenever you have the opportunity, contact my secretary to let her know that the bank account we set up for you is properly funded. If you ever need more, don't hesitate to ask. I know what you're thinking right now and I won't have any of it, think of it as your long overdue hazard pay.
Also, the association has agreed to send a representative to develop your talents. Something they weren't able to do very effectively in the past due to the fact that you were usually occupied with more pressing matters. The person in question will contact you at your estate.
Finally, at the soonest possible time, make sure to go to Homurahara High school and confirm your enrollment. You will be entering as a second year.
Regards,
Hood
"Hey Senpai, that's the same high school I'm going to be attending soon!"
"Really? Haha, I'll be in your care then."
"That's what I should be saying, now I'll really be your junior!"
The two laughed as they walked, recalling old memories.
"Say, how is Taiga nowadays?"
"Oh, she's the same as always, still kept the nickname too! Ah, by the way, you should get used to calling her Fujimura-sensei now that she's teaching at the school we're going to."
Shirou's jaw dropped.
"Taiga? A teacher?" How the hell did that happen!
"Well, you know how she's always said she likes kids…"
But still, a teacher? Isn't that supposed to be a respectable job? Taiga? Respectable job? Just what is the world co…
"And her father happens to know everybody on the local school board."
Ah, ok, that makes sense.
Having made peace the new events and the fact that reality was not crashing down on his head, Shirou took in the sight of the Emiya estate that he had spent his joyful, albeit short, childhood in.
Same traditional shingles, bushes, cherry trees, giant entrance, corpse in front of giant entrance…
Wait. What? Rewind and try that again.
Same traditional shingles, bushes, cherry trees, giant entrance, corpse in front of giant entrance…
Okay, so maybe he'd been away for awhile. But last time he checked, corpses did not just appear out of nowhere, nor did they grow out of the cracks in the sidewalk. You had to kill something in order to make a corpse—a fact he was very familiar with.
Dropping his bags, he rushed over and picked up the prone figure.
Breathing? Check. Not a corpse then, a body that seems to be seriously stretched to its limits.
Wait, pink hair? Fox ears? Bushy tail? Odd looking Kimono?
Wow, this "fashion trend" thing is really weird.
But first things first, his instincts as the "protector of Earth and all her colonies" (regardless of how odd the inhabitants are) quickly took command and he carried the stranger into his house for basic treatment. Only upon entering the living room he was met with another person, who was evidently quite irritated.
"Well, it's about time you arrived. Just what kind of gentleman makes a lady w—"
When her eyes finally fell on the subject of her ire, they quickly widened to the size of saucers as realization dawned on her.
"S-S-S-S-Shirou-Kun?"
Suddenly he is met with another childhood friend, one who did not alter her features, enabling instant recognition.
"Luvia? What are you doing here?"
"Ah? W-well, I-I was, a lady of my stature cannot be forced to wait outside in the open after all." Luvia stammered out while striking a proud pose.
"I thought you went back to Finland?"
Shirou instantly put two and two together.
"Wait, you're the representative from association?"
Cover blown, shock was evident on her features as she stammered.
"H-H-How did you find—you're the one I was told to formally train!"
Granted the missive she had received had been classified as top secret with the name omitted for security reasons, but with the meeting location, rendezvous subject's age, height, and other physical descriptions, most other people who had been associated with Emiya Shirou in the past would have been instantly been able to connect the dots. Luviagelita Edelfelt was evidently not most other people.
Let's just say that stereotypes about rich, pretty, blonde women and mental cognizance have their origins.
However, right now, there was something much, much more important than her sworn duty as a member of the Clocktower Association and messenger of its head.
"SHIROU, JUST WHO IS THAT WOMAN IN YOUR ARMS?"
Having settled down and made tea for all the guests of the Emiya household, Shirou took his own spot across from one he had rescued from the front of his house. Sipping his beverage, he studied her for a moment and noticed that the ears and tail apparently moved on their own without any noticeable assistance.
Ok, maybe not accessories than. But if that's the case, what is she? I remember the last person from the association telling me about familiars and the like but she doesn't look like any of the ones I saw in the book he gave me.
Seeing that the appendages were moving more erratically now, and that the eyes were darting all over the place except for the person in front of her, he made his decision.
"Are you okay?"
"Eeeek!"
Come one, was he really that scary?
"U-umm, I guess?" She timidly replied, obviously not at ease.
Shirou frowned, he recognized the signs, having protected defectors before. Uncertainty as to whether or not to trust present company, eyes scanning possible entry/exit points in the structure, constantly checking the corners as if the shadows themselves would jump out at her.
"Don't worry, whoever's chasing after you, they'll have to deal with us first."
Having refocused on her situation, a bitter smile formed on her lips.
"It's more like I took care of him. And sealed my own fate as a result."
Shirou nodded.
Most likely a remote implant that had been fused or injected into her body to ensure compliance. Considering the fact that she's still in one piece, it's probably not an explosive. Slow acting poison maybe? Released upon the overseers death? But then what would that make her? Why would she even have these anti-mutiny countermeasures installed? Escaped slave? But that shouldn't be possible, ONI records indicated that almost all slaving operations had been annihilated through a combination of UNSC raids and covenant assaults. And this close to Earth? How did this go unnoticed?
A dainty throat clearing interrupted his train of thought and made him look over to blond heiress from which it originated.
"Shirou, if I may. I do believe she is what would be known as a servant—a spirit summoned for the purpose of doing battle in a tournament that is to be held in a few months."
"However, we are short on time; if you want to aid this person, the full explanation will come later. To my understanding, she must have killed the one who summoned her and as such is in danger of fading away as there is no longer a source of prana sustaining her existence."
Shirou nodded. What short lessons he was able to receive on magecraft from the previous representative sent by the association as per the agreement made with ONI had made him comfortable with some of the more basic theories, the workings of different sources of energies available to magi being one of them.
Luvia continued, pleased that her pupil-to-be had some foundation in the field. "But before I make any recommendations, I would like to know just WHY you killed your previous master."
Noticing that everybody's attention was now focused on her, the Pink-head went through an internal struggle before she finally mumbled out something incoherently with a down-trodden expression.
"…"
"What was that?" the association representative was straining her ears.
"…"
"Speak up girl, I can nary make out a word you're saying."
"I SAID HE TRIED TO D-D-D-DO THINGS TO ME!"
Silence filled the room at the admission.
Looking at the distraught girl, Sakura realized what had almost transpired to cause such a situation. After all, it was what she suffered through on an almost daily basis in her own home no less.
"Senpai, I think you should hel—"
"What do I need to do?"
"Wha?" this time from Luvia
"I've seen enough to know the difference between victim and aggressor." After all, he had plenty of experience being the latter.
Surprise came across the newcomer's face.
"Huh? But, you don't even know me!"
"Doesn't change the fact that you need help." He rebutted.
"But you life might be put in danger!"
"Meh, not like anything I'm not already used to."
"Hawawaa?" Far be it for her to reject a person's kindness, but this was all moving too fast all of a sudden for her brain to process.
Turning to Luvia, he steeled himself for what was to come.
"So, again, what do I need to do?"
"Well" Luvia began as she composed herself.
"You'll need to form a fact with her. When that is done a connection will be established between the two of you allowing a constant stream of prana to flow from master to servant, preventing her from fading away."
Shirou nodded.
"Sounds good, how do we form this pact?"
Luvia had taken to scribbling down something on a piece of paper.
"Just focus on an extension of your power connecting to her."
"Oh, you mean like in a mid-air refueling?"
"Errm, well, I suppose…Anyway, as you're focusing, say the words I wrote down."
Shirou skimmed the sheet, committing what seemed like a chant to his memory.
Satisfied, he faced his beneficiary.
"Are you ready?"
"Umm, well, it's not like you can be any worse than my last master, so sure, why not?"
The room collectively sweatdropped.
"Uh, in any case, here goes."
Reaching out his arm, Shirou focused on his magic circuits, feeling them hum to life as he prepared for the ritual. Imagining an ethereal chord connecting the two of them, he began.
"I hereby propose
Thou shalt come under my command,"
Suddenly, a strange glowing circle embedded with ancient runes appeared beneath the servant.
"And thy sword shalt control my fate.
Abiding by the summons of the holy grail,
If thou accedest to this will and reason, answer me."
The circle had now doubled in size and created another one, concentric to itself that was rotating in a direction opposite the original.
"I hereby swear.
I am all that is good in the eternal world.
I am the disposer of evil in the eternal world.
Thee, the seven days clad in the divine trinity,
Come forth from the circle of constraint.
Guardian of the heavens
Accedest to me and my fate shalt become thy sword."
An explosion of light engulfed the entire room as eldritch energies swirled around the contractors, preparing themselves for the final trigger.
By this time, the Girl's entire body was glowing, her kimono rippling in the Maelstrom.
It was her turn now.
"I accept this pact under the name of Caster.
I recognize you as my master, Shirou"
Conditions fulfilled the incorporeal entities coalesced into a blinding flash, signifying the completion of the ritual.
When everybody's eyes readjusted to the new levels, they were stunned by what they saw.
Caster was the first to break the silence.
"KYAAA! By the Four Heavenly Beasts! I got my other 8 tails back!"
