I don't own Fate/Stay Night or RWBY.
Note: This story contains spoilers for F/SN Heaven's Feel route. Continue at own risk.
Ruby Rose skipped out of the airship with Yang close on her heels. The excitement had only been growing since the airborne vehicle began its journey from the port in Vale, and the passengers had been given an overhead view of the city with Beacon Academy slowly appearing in the distance.
After landing, the incoming students could see the combat school up close, and it made for an impressive sight. For a place that had been built several decades back, the sheer size and architectural design went beyond its time. Circular stone walls arched around the walkway that led in to the main building of the Academy which was connected via more walkways to several equally large buildings on either side that likely held the classrooms and student dorms. Rising above the rest of the physically imposing structure was the iconic tower that shared Beacon Academy's namesake.
"Wow…"
Ruby's eyes sparkled as she spotted several other groups of students walk past them. Literally fixated on their weapons, she naturally gravitated to them until Yang pulled her back by her hood, eliciting a yelp from the younger girl.
"Come on, sis. Get a hold of yourself. You'll get enough opportunities to look at weapons in our four years here."
"But look at all those different weapons!" Ruby whined as she broke free from Yang's grip on her hood. "They're all so coooool!"
"Ruby, they're just weapons. Why don't you try and make some new friends instead?"
Ruby looked appalled by Yang's comment, as though she had just suggested that cookies were in fact bad for her health. "What do you mean 'just weapons'? Weapons are an extension of the user! They define us just as much as we do ourselves! Besides, I don't need new friends. That's what you're here for right?"
"Actually well…" Yang avoided Ruby's piercing gaze. Her lilac eyes widened slightly as she spotted another group of students walk by from another airship before they narrowed. "Actually, I got to go meet some friends. Gottogoseeyoulaterbye!"
Yang hurriedly sped off past Ruby as she chased after a bunch of students Ruby did not recognise. In her haste, Yang had sent Ruby spinning when she struck her sister's side as she dashed off with blinding speed. The young girl was nearly swept off her feet from the force and staggered around in a dizzy state for several seconds before collapsing. Unfortunately for her, she seemed to have fallen over onto someone's luggage from sensation she got as she hit the floor.
"Hey! What are you doing?!"
Ruby clutched her head with a groan as her eyes slowly refocused. There was a girl in white with equally white hair done up in a ponytail standing over her. Her dress gave off an expensive feel with the way the fabric shone and flowed as the girl moved with practiced grace. Her features were unblemished with the exception of a single vertical scar that started above her left eye and ended below it, stopping just above her cheek. Bright blue eyes glared down into silver as the girl continued to yell at Ruby who just stared up in a slight daze.
"Uhh… I'm sorry…?"
"Do you know how much all this is worth? Can you even pay if you damaged any of this?"
"Uhh…"
"Hey! Give me that!" The girl in white grabbed the box that Ruby had absently picked up. A coloured cloud emerged as the girl opened the box to inspect its contents. Ruby still trying desperately to stop her head from spinning, did not notice that details as the girl continued to rant.
"This is Dust! Mined and purified in the Schnee quarries!"
"Ohh… uhh…"
"What are you, braindead? Don't you even know what the name Schnee represents? Do you have any idea who I am?"
Ruby perked up and tried to get a word in. It was not that she did not know what Dust was. She used it on occasion as special ammunition for Crescent Rose. As for Schnee, she had certainly heard of the largest Dust producing company in Remnant. There were few individuals who wouldn't have heard of it since Dust usage was so widespread.
"I know that. That's…"
"I am Weiss Schnee of the Schnee Dust Company! You'd do well to remember that!" The girl that Ruby now knew as Weiss ignored Ruby and continued as though Ruby had not spoken, her eyes still fixed on the vials of differently coloured Dust. She took out a bottle containing red Dust and shook it in the light to look for damage, unknowingly causing more of the small particulate substance to leak out.
Ruby's nose twitched as the cloud that surrounded her got thicker by the second as Weiss droned on. She was doing everything in her power to get rid of the Dust cloud and waved her hands in front of her face in an attempt to disperse the airborne irritant.
"Are you even listening to me? What do you have to say for yourself?" Another few shakes of the vial quickly undid all of Ruby's work as the young girl finally succumbed and her body jerked as she sneezed.
To say that the Dust ignited would be an understatement. The resulting explosion echoed around Beacon's large compound as various different types of Dust combusted together in a cloud of energy. Sitting inside that dark cloud that sparked and fizzed with various elemental effects, Ruby cast her eyes down guiltily as Weiss renewed her glare at her.
"You… you…" Weiss choked on ash for a moment. "You are unbelievable!"
"I'm so sorry! I didn't mean it!" Ruby hastily apologised as she turned her large silver eyes upwards in a pleading gaze. Weiss seemed to be unaffected as she continued to tear into the younger girl.
"You're useless! How are you even here? What's someone as young as you doing in Beacon?" Weiss demanded and the constant string of verbal blows seemed to knock Ruby further into the ground. "If you're not serious about this then you should just go back to where you came from. This isn't a playschool, you know!"
With a huff, Weiss stalked off as a group of well-dressed men picked up the rest of the fallen luggage and carted them off behind her. Ruby had not even been given a chance to retort to that last statement and her indignation quickly dissolved as she looked down at the ground that was slightly blackened from the explosion. The silence that followed was deafening compared to Weiss' outbursts.
"Welcome to Beacon," Ruby mumbled to herself, a tinge of sadness replacing her normally cheerful tone. She fell back to lie on the concrete.
"Hey there."
Ruby opened her eyes to see a head of messy blond hair and sapphire eyes staring down at her. She managed a feeble smile as the boy held out a hand to help her up. "My name is Jaune."
Ruby reached out and grabbed the proffered hand and got to her feet. "Ruby."
She smiled in gratitude at Jaune who looked more than a little nervous. 'At least that makes two of us.' Ruby thought. As she looked at Jaune, her mind quickly joined the dots and she pointed a finger in his direction while adopting a curious expression.
"Aren't you the guy that threw up on the ship?"
0-0-0
Emiya Shirou dispelled the dagger he held in his hand and in doing so, became visible once more. Carnwennan, the item he had traced, was a dagger that belonged to King Arthur. Shirou had managed to glean the weapon from Saber's memories when he experienced the dream cycle that allowed a Master to witness the past memories of his Servant and vice versa. In addition to Carnwennan, Shirou had seen most of the weapons and armour used by the various Knights of the Round Table and had them stored in his Reality Marble.
Carnwennan gave little in the way of offensive capabilities but when activated, had the ability to shroud its user in shadows and conceal them from the conscious perceptions of those around him. It did not provide invisibility or Presence Concealment like those of the Assassin class, but instead offered a weakened version that simply made him imperceptible to those who were not already aware of his presence. Among the lower ranking weapons Shirou could trace at that time, Carnwennan was arguably one of the more useful and versatile.
Shirou slipped into a relatively large group of passing students and moved along with them near the back of the group with no one the wiser. He had spotted Ruby and her sister Yang a distance away after he alighted from the airship he was on and decided that it would be better if he did not encounter them right at the start of the new students' arrival at Beacon.
That and the fact that Shirou did not really know how to approach Ruby after hearing her answer. While it did not surprise him as much as he had initially expected, he had felt strangely conflicted about seeing the girl so easily declare her dream.
The very same dream he had discarded.
A part of him wanted to sneer at it, considering it as nothing more than childish idealism, either through ignorance or simply running away from the reality that not everyone could be saved. That eventually she would either come to understand the truth of the world and fall away from her path in disillusionment, or be consumed by the very ideals that she stood for.
Shirou shook his head to dispel those thoughts, mentally reminding himself that he never once felt that way even after what he did; that those were simply the aftereffects of Archer's influence on his psyche. He might not truly believe in it anymore, but by no means did he despise it as much as the Counter Guardian.
Another emotion sprung up in the depths of his heart as he mulled over that memory. A part of him held envy that Ruby was able to continue holding on to that dream, and he felt disgust at having even harboured such a thought.
But by far the greatest part of Shirou was a sense of relief that Ruby had not experienced the suffering he did. That she was able to retain a peace of mind to strive for her dream with the same innocence and fullness of heart that he once had. That eventually left him with the final portion of himself that contained just a simple wish, the faintest hope that she might someday succeed where he had failed.
Shirou let out a sigh as he recounted the time roughly a week prior when he had contacted Ozpin. He had turned up at the Headmaster's office in Beacon tower itself at Ozpin's request. When Shirou had affirmed his decision to accept Ozpin's offer, the man had a knowing smile as though he had expected Shirou to take that course of action, to Shirou's mild annoyance.
Shirou had still been uncertain as to what he truly desired, but he had decided to take the first step regardless. While he was still plagued by memories of the past, he would continue to walk forward if that was what the world expected of him. He would live, if only to see his path to the end regardless of its destination.
"What is this for?" Shirou asked in surprise as he peered into the plain envelope Ozpin had slid over to him from across the table. It contained a sizeable amount of Lien that made Shirou's eyebrows disappear into his hairline at the mere sight.
"I noticed that you did not have any proper combat gear. Most students here in Beacon come from other combat schools which would already have provided them with resources to either construct or purchase proper armour and weapons. Since you did not come from a combat school, Beacon is willing to sponsor you in this regard." Ozpin calmed sipped at his coffee as he explained. "Since we're on the topic of finances, you should not worry about fees either. That will be covered as well."
That baffled Shirou. For a school to expend that much for a student was unheard of even for special applicants. Or at least that was the case back in his world.
"Why are you doing this? I'm sure that you don't do this for just any student that applies to your school," Shirou asked with some suspicion. It felt too good to be true, and he knew that things rarely turned out that well without a reason.
"Let's just call it an investment," Ozpin replied with an enigmatic smile. "We try to create the best Huntsmen and Huntresses possible, and sometimes there are some who need help taking the first steps. I believe that you will become a remarkable Huntsman with the proper training and I'm just here to make sure that you do not fall behind for any reason.
"Of course, we also expect you to do something in return. I already mentioned your special condition, and the staff here in Beacon would like to run some tests to find out more about it. A small matter I can assure you. You will be appropriately compensated in the case of any accidents that may happen. Not that we expect there to be any."
Shirou had finally agreed to it, seeing as he could benefit from the tests himself. He still knew little about how Archer's arm had merged with his body and the effects of the integration. It was a very small price to pay for what Ozpin was giving him. He shrugged off the risks. He had survived a Holy Grail War. Shirou was sure that none of their tests could trump that.
Ozpin gave him further details such as where the airships would be waiting in Vale to pick up the new students, and the personal items they would be expected to bring. Nothing that would be a problem considering the amount of Lien Ozpin had given. Ozpin also subtly added that he had extended the duration of Shirou's temporary accommodation until the time for him to join Beacon officially.
As Shirou left, Ozpin gave him one final reminder. "This is an investment on my part. So I do expect to get some returns for it at the end of your four years in Beacon. Just something for you to think about. Have a good week, Mr Emiya."
Following that visit, Shirou had gone to a couple of stores in Vale that provided Huntsman equipment to acquire a combat outfit for himself as per Ozpin's instructions. Ozpin had subtly hinted at a preference for those particular stores due to the quality of their products and if the Headmaster of Beacon himself saw fit to direct him there, Shirou saw no reason to go elsewhere.
Shirou snorted at the memory that followed. After several hours of choosing between different protective equipment and accessories, the final outfit he had purchased and was currently wearing bore incredible resemblance to what Archer had worn during the course of the Holy Grail War. He considered it appropriately ironic that after receiving the Servant's knowledge and weapons, the next thing he ended up with was his outfit, or one very similar to it at least. It was a fitting conclusion for the Faker.
He now sported a black, closefitting body armour made of a metal-synthetic polymer hybrid which had appealed to him due to how little it weighed. A simple Structural Analysis had told him just how durable it was despite its weight. It covered only his chest and torso, while leaving his arms bare.
To match the armour, Shirou had on a pair of loose, black combat pants with multiple pockets on the sides and back. It was made of a thick, almost coarse, fabric that the storekeeper had assured him was treated to be more resistant to tears. Covering his feet and ending about fifteen centimetres above his ankles were black combat boots. Complementing those were fingerless gloves, also in black. A leather belt with customised sheaths allowed him to carry Kanshou and Bakuya behind him, the handles of the married blades sticking out from either side of his hips.
Finishing the outfit, Shirou had purchased a brown, long sleeved leather jacket with no lapels that reminded him of his uniform from Homurahara which he wore over the body armour to at least provide some protection for his arms.
Idly, he ran his hand over his left chest, where a black symbol had been emblazoned onto the jacket. The storekeeper had asked if he wanted his personal emblem anywhere on his outfit and after a bit of thought, Shirou decided to commission one, as a reminder of the world he had left behind. The symbol he finally decided on was of Excalibur sheathed into Avalon, with the handle and cross-guard sitting snug above the rounded edge of its scabbard. As the last projection he had made in his world along with the fact that its original wielder had been his Servant and he still had Avalon inside of him, Shirou felt that the symbol was suitably appropriate.
The outfit had significantly reduced the Lien Shirou had received from Ozpin, but he did have some left over which he used to purchase several books on history and various topics he considered relevant to his time in Remnant such as Aura, Semblance, Faunus and Dust.
For some reason beyond his understanding, the knowledge of the language used in Remnant was available to him, and he found that he was able to read and write as naturally as he could for Japanese. Seeing no other possibility, he just assumed that whoever sent him to Remnant had seen fit to provide him with the knowledge. Shirou did not complain; he had nothing to lose and everything to gain from it.
'It would be bad if I showed up with no knowledge of those subjects,' Shirou had reasoned when he first purchased the books. 'While I will likely have free time to read up while I'm here in Beacon, that will still put me at a disadvantage.'
The explanation how Aura worked had been educational to say the least. The proposed origin of Aura as a form of energy that was a manifestation of the soul was a close parallel to how Od, the magical energy produced in the human body, was created. A magus' magic circuits, which generated Od, were contained within the soul of the person even if they had physical representations that appeared like nerves throughout their body. Hence, both Aura and Od could very well be considered "energies from the soul".
Due to the similarities by which the two energies originated, there was no surprise then that his magical energy could be detected and misidentified as Aura. From what he could glean, the greatest difference between the two would be the manner in which each energy behaved. He would have to do further reading on the finer details of Aura at a later time, if only to find further ways to mask his magical energy as Aura to avoid detection in the future.
But that brought another question to Shirou's mind after he read through the documented research on Aura.
'Can humans in this world perform magecraft with Aura as the fuel?' Shirou found himself wondering. 'It would be unlikely that I'll ever get a chance to test this hypothesis unless I meet someone who already knows of magecraft in this world. But with all the similarities between Aura and Od, and how saturated Remnant is with ambient Mana, I wouldn't be surprised if almost any person can do so if they knew the proper methods.'
When he first saw them, Shirou had assumed that Faunus were some kind of demi-human, and he was only partially right in that regard. While being nearly anatomically identical to humans, each individual had an animalistic trait and as a whole they were classified as a different race entirely. To Shirou, this was a negligible difference. After dealing with a Gorgon, several demi-gods and All the World's Evils, he was more or less comfortable being around non-humans even if he did find it strange to see things like animal ears or tails on a near daily basis.
Dust was another subject that greatly interested Shirou. The material was completely foreign to him as it never existed in any form back on his world, not that it prevented him from being able to comprehend it; it was still a material natural to the world. There were numerous types of Dust that could be found on Remnant, both naturally and artificially, and different reactions could be created using various combinations of Dust. He would have to find time to experiment with the material, especially if it could augment his abilities in combat. Suffice to say, it would be an extensive endeavour that he would continue even after starting classes at Beacon.
Semblances on the other hand, terrified Shirou somewhat. That Semblances were supposedly unique abilities based around a specific aspect of a person which could affect the material world meant that they came remarkably close to a Reality Marble in execution. From the knowledge provided by Archer's arm, Shirou knew of Reality Marbles as a projection of one's inner world onto the world around them, and depending on the user could be deployed either outside the body or within it like an innate bounded field.
For every single person on Remnant to have a power that resembled Reality Marbles regardless of whether they were able to access it was a frightening prospect. Especially since Reality Marbles were exceeding rare in his world, and most known users were of inhuman origin.
Granted, Semblances enacted much more limited effects on the material world than Reality Marbles. Yet that did little to relieve Shirou of the fact that even the students he would meet had abilities on par if not greater than that of an average magus courtesy of a combination of Semblance, Aura and Dust usage. He had not even started considering how a fully trained Huntsman would compare to the magi of his world.
'At least I'm not the odd one out here,' Shirou mused as he reflected on his Unlimited Blade Works, something that he was admittedly still far from attaining. Archer's knowledge had provided him with the understanding of the true nature of his own magecraft, but nothing that could aid his progress in unlocking his Reality Marble as the two individuals were too different in that respect.
Shirou followed the group as they approached the main hall where other groups of students were gathering in wait for an official announcement.
While he would certainly face competition in Beacon, it was of a different kind from what he had experienced in the Holy Grail War. A good kind of different. Shirou would not run into any hostile Servants, was highly unlikely to lose any limbs, and definitely would not encounter familiar faces springing up to attack him without warning.
'This place doesn't seem too bad. Now, I just need to get through the rest of the day without any problems. I should try to avoid meeting Ruby and Yang until at least after classes have begun. With this many students, I should be able to avoid detection for a while. How difficult can that be?'
Shirou paused as he felt a tap on his shoulder. Turning around, he froze and the colour slowly receded from his face as he stared into lilac eyes.
"Wow fancy seeing you here, Handsome." Yang had a wide grin as she placed her hands on her hips. There was no way Shirou would ever mistake that expression for cheerfulness. He had seen that predatory smile countless times on the face of Tohsaka Rin whenever she found his friend Issei in a tight spot.
Much like the one he was now in.
A moment later, Yang's irises turned red as she narrowed her eyes. "I think you have some explaining to do."
At that moment, Shirou really wished he had not dispelled Carnwennan.
0-0-0
"All I'm saying is that motion sickness is a much more common problem than people let on!"
Ruby giggled as Jaune awkwardly tried justifying his performance on the airship. She apologised for the nickname she had come up with, only for him to quickly throw one back at her. She admitted that while Jaune did seem rather clumsy and socially awkward, much like her, he seemed to be a genuinely nice person. Unlike a certain white haired girl who yelled at her earlier.
'I hope I get to apologise properly later.' The glum thought passed through her mind. 'I really hope we can be friends.'
Outwardly, Ruby kept a cheerful smile as she chatted with Jaune. "So… I got this thing!"
Ruby proudly deployed Crescent Rose. It was her masterpiece that she had spent weeks designing and assembling back in Signal Academy. Jaune's mouth fell open as the compact weapon opened up to reveal its true form.
"Is that a scythe?"
"It's also a customizable high-impact sniper rifle!" Ruby replied, puffing out her chest as she hefted the weapon.
"…What?"
"It's also a gun." Ruby pulled back the charging handle with an audible click to emphasise her point.
"Oh. That's cool!"
Ruby smiled happily as some of her previous bad mood was driven away by Jaune's compliment. That he seemed to like Crescent Rose already meant that he was an okay guy in Ruby's book. She asked about his, which turned out to be a simple sword with a sheath that could change forms into a shield bearing a double crescent logo. They were simple implements with no hidden functions, and Ruby could see signs of wear on both items even if the blade itself looked to still be in good condition. Jaune explained that they were used by his ancestor back in the Great War and were essentially hand-me-downs within his family.
That had its own appeal to Ruby, as old weapons that lasted since the War were rare. Even more so for a sword which had no signs of either rust or cracks even after so much time had passed. That would suggest that the blade had being forged with exceptional materials and methods. It was expected that weapons from that era had no Dust functions or inbuilt firearms but that meant little in light of the sword's apparent history and quality.
"So… Where are we going?" Ruby asked as she looked around her.
"Oh, I don't know. I was following you."
Ruby and Jaune paused and looked at each other.
It took the two individuals some trial and error before they finally made their way to Beacon's main hall. By then, most of the other students had already assembled and were standing around talking to one another and waiting. Ruby looked around for familiar blonde hair and was not disappointed as she found Yang waving in a distance, her voice carrying over the chatter around them.
"Ruby! Over here!"
"Oh! Hey, I-I gotta go! I'll see you after the ceremony!" Turning to Jaune, she stammered out a quick goodbye before running off towards Yang, missing a rather frantic response from the blond boy.
"Hey Rubes. I got a surprise for you!" Yang grinned as Ruby approached. A look of confusion flitted across Ruby's face as Yang reached behind a pillar and dragged out a person who had been standing outside of her field of vision.
"Uhh… Hello again Ruby."
Ruby's mouth fell open as she came face-to-face with Shirou who sported a haunted and slightly dishevelled look. The boy seemed to tremble slightly in Yang's grip as she continued to hold onto his arm.
"Shirou? What are you doing here?"
Yang's grin widened.
"You see, Rubes, dear Handsome here is a freshman just like us," Yang teased as Ruby gawked at Shirou who was offering his best apologetic face. "I caught him trying to sneak in with a bunch of other students that I know I had seen back in Signal. Bad move Handsome. If I didn't know better, I'd say you were avoiding us."
"That's just your imagination." Shirou laughed nervously as Yang's grip tightened.
"Why didn't you say that you were coming to Beacon?!" Ruby finally found her voice and shrieked, the volume causing the people nearby to stop their conversation and look at them.
"Well, remember that choice I told you I had?" Shirou replied with a lame smile.
"That was it?! You actually thought about turning down Beacon?!" Ruby asked incredulously. "Why? Beacon's the most prestigious school in Vale!"
"I had… circumstances."
"Oh." Ruby's energy petered out as she remembered Shirou's story. "Right. Sorry."
Shirou shook his head. "I should be the one apologising. I… I just didn't know if I should tell you since I wasn't even sure I was going to come here in the first place."
"If it were up to me, I'd say a little punishment is just about right," Yang piped up playfully and Shirou stiffened again. To Ruby, it looked like his face had turned a sickly shade of green. "But I'll leave it to Rubes to decide."
"Hmm." Ruby made a show of thinking about it. Besides the fact that Yang had very obviously done some punishment of her own, Ruby did not want to hurt Shirou as he did have a rather legitimate reason for not telling them. Furthermore, they had not asked him specifically what his problem had been. But, Ruby thought, it was a good opportunity to get a favour from him nonetheless.
Ruby's eyes fell to the two handles sticking out from either side of his back and the tell-tale glints of black and white.
She knew what she wanted.
A gleam appeared in her eyes as she greedily eyed the swords. By the sigh emanating from Shirou, it seemed that he knew exactly what she was looking at too.
With a shake of his head, Shirou drew the falchions.
0-0-0
Shirou watched with no small amusement as Ruby nearly fainted the moment the grips of Kanshou and Bakuya touched her hands. He had never before met anyone who had such a love for weapons. Even when he took pride in his swords, he was sure that he would never come to love them the same way Ruby did. He watched as Ruby tried balancing them in her hands. Remembering how easily she had swung her scythe in their first encounter, Shirou could understand how a girl her size had no problems with the weight of the twin blades.
"Now that I see them, I have to agree with Ruby. These are some nice swords," Yang commented as she watched from the side as Ruby tried swinging Kanshou and Bakuya but failing to create any coherent movements due to her lack of experience with dual wielding. "Where did you get them?"
"They were given to me," Shirou replied simply. He kept a safe distance from Yang ever since escaping from their little altercation. He may have participated in the Holy Grail War, fought against beings beyond the limits of humans, and attained the knowledge of a being whose life spanned over an uncountable amount of time, but he still could not understand women.
He suspected that he probably never would.
"Where their previous wielder got them, he never told me."
'It will be really awkward to talk about who Archer really is with them. Either they'll think I'm mad or they lose their minds completely.' Shirou chuckled wryly as an image of the red Servant appeared.
'Do you ever feel that they're kinda boring?" Yang asked curiously. "You don't see many weapons with no gun parts very much these days."
'That's the problem with your world.' Outwardly Shirou just shrugged. "I don't need anything else. Swords are all that I will ever need."
"If you say so."
The sound of tapping and a throat being cleared slowly attracted the attention of the crowd as conversations around the hall died down to focus on the Headmaster standing with a microphone on the stage, flanked by another professor who had introduced herself on the airships as Glynda Goodwitch.
"I'll... keep this brief," Ozpin announced as he adjusted his circular spectacles. His gaze passed from one end of the hall to the other. "You have travelled here today in search of knowledge, to hone your craft and acquire new skills, and when you have finished, you plan to dedicate your life to the protection of the people. But I look amongst you, and all I see is wasted energy, in need of purpose, direction."
Standing purposeless on the hill of swords.
Shirou blinked as the words vanished as quickly as they had formed. His brow creased in a frown as he found himself unable to properly recall them even when he tried. All he managed to do was give himself a headache. Deciding it was nothing important, he turned back to the Headmaster who was continuing his speech.
"You assume knowledge will free you of this, but your time at this school will prove that knowledge can only carry you so far. It is up to you to take the first step."
Ozpin walked off the stage after he ended his speech and the Huntress that Shirou recognised as the one he had met on his first day in Remnant stepped up and dismissed the crowd.
Turning, Shirou glanced at Ruby who protectively held his swords to her chest when he gestured for them back. Yang snickered at the blank look that appeared on Shirou's face when Ruby backed away from him before disappearing in a cloud of rose petals with a cry of "Mine!".
Ruby had still been holding his swords.
'This is going to be a long day,' Shirou thought with a sigh.
0-0-0
It had taken Shirou nearly an hour to find Ruby and prise Kanshou and Bakuya away from the crying girl who had taken to talking to the swords in a remote corner of the school. He eventually promised to lend them to Ruby once in a while after she kept staring sadly in his direction. All the while a laughing Yang had tagged along behind him, watching the scene play out with mirth.
'I really have no power over that girl. Whenever Ruby pulls that face… ugh.' Shirou lamented with a sigh of defeat as he finally placed the swords in his designated locker.
The rest of the students had prepared sleeping bags in the hall as night fell. Most seemed to want to get an early rest for the initiation test that would take place the following day. After having Archer's arm grafted onto him, Shirou found that he no longer required as much sleep as he needed to function normally. Shirou had changed into his usual blue-and-white shirt and a pair of baggy pants before making his way to an empty spot in the corner of the hall and placing his sleeping bag down. He sat down cross-legged against the wall and closed his eyes. Inhaling and exhaling, it took him several minutes before his breathing stabilised.
Meditation was the best option he had to retrieve the fragments of Archer's memories. As he delved deeper into his mind, the images slowly appeared as bits and pieces, each showing a small portion of Heroic Spirit EMIYA's time as a Counter Guardian. The people he met, the places he visited and most importantly, the weapons he had seen.
Shirou already had a range of weapons to choose from after watching that golden man's brief but intense fight against Saber Alter. After what happened, he had never gotten a chance to learn of his identity. The weapons he had attained that day were all powerful in their own right. The only issue Shirou had with them was that most had a high cost to either trace or activate their abilities. He could not rely on them alone. Shirou needed the weapons of Archer.
Previous sessions had granted him a couple of Archer's more commonly used Projections. The first weapon to appear was a large helical sword that belonged to the Irish hero Fergus mac Róich. Archer had modified that blade into a smaller, sleeker version that he had named Caladbolg II – The Fake Spiral Sword. When activated at full power, it would release a massive amount of energy in the form of an explosion. The next to appear was Hrunting, the sword of the hero Beowulf. When altered into a projectile, the black sword would continue to pursue its target for as long as the shooter maintained an aim on it.
As he slowly watched the images pass him by in a manner reminiscent of the dream cycle he shared with Saber, eventually Shirou found what he was searching for. The two images to appear were, surprisingly, not that of weapons but defensive armaments. One was the Aegis, a protective garment that resembled tanned animal hide. It had been used by the goddess Athena and was later passed down to and used by Perseus. Wearing the Aegis passively increased the magic resistance of the wearer, but did not provide much in the way protection against physical blows.
The second and last was the armour of the hero Achilles, said to have been made by the god of blacksmiths Hephaestus himself. The armour bore no name of its own, but in legends was said to be nigh impenetrable. It appeared as a bronze plate armour that would change its size to fit the one wearing it and could fully absorb physical blows so long as the wearer constantly supplied it with magical energy. If not for the immense cost to maintain its effects, Shirou would have considered it an ideal armour to use in Remnant where most of the battles he would be involved in were completely physical in nature.
Reopening his eyes as he exhaled, Shirou ended his search. There was only so much he could do in one night before the stress overwhelmed him. That he had gleaned two new items was already better than what he had managed on previous nights, some of which ended fruitless as the memories he saw failed to provide any additions to Shirou's Reality Marble.
Even if both items were, by and large, useless to him.
Glancing around, Shirou noted the various sleeping forms of the students. Life in Remnant was peaceful, for lack of a better term. Despite the dangers of Grimm, people in the city lived in relative safety thanks in part to the Huntsmen that protected them. As for Beacon, Shirou felt a sense of nostalgia during his interactions with Ruby and Yang. They reminded him of his life before the Holy Grail War where the only things that he had to be concerned about was school and helping the student council and the various clubs. It was a normalcy that Shirou found himself unused to given the War he had participated in and the way in which it ended.
That was not to say that he disliked it. Shirou found it a strange yet pleasant feeling to be able to just laugh along with friends without a care about the rest of the world. It was not a bad thing. He would just need time to get used to the peace once again. A lot of time it would seem.
"Hello Shirou. What are you doing by yourself here?"
Speak of the devil…
Ruby and Yang walked up to him, the former giving him a friendly wave. Both girls were wearing their sleeping attire. Ruby's being a black top and white pyjamas pants with prints of rose flowers, while Yang wore an orange top and black shorts.
"I'm more comfortable here than among the rest of the students," Shirou explained as the girls sat down in front of him. "Not used at all to sleeping so close to others like this."
"You'll have to get used to it soon, Handsome. The teams are grouped into fours that share a single dorm room. Speaking of teams, you've found anyone you want to team up with yet?" Yang sidled up to Shirou who, to her surprise and consternation, moved away from her to maintain the distance. "What? You don't like what you see?"
"I can see perfectly from where I am, thank you," Shirou replied dryly. "As for the teams, I'm not entirely sure that we will have the chance to choose our teams. I'm waiting to see what Ozpin has in mind."
"It'll be nice if we could be on the same team," Ruby murmured with a dreamy look in her eyes. When Shirou stared at her suspiciously she hastily added, "I mean, you're a really nice guy, Shirou. It's not like I want to be closer to your swords or anything! Well… maybe a bit but that's not the point!"
Shirou wanted to smile at her faux pas but settled for reaching over with one hand and gently ruffling her hair, the action making the younger girl blush. "Thanks Ruby. I wouldn't mind being on the same team either."
"So, enough about us. Tell us more about you. If we're going to be studying here together then we should get to know each other better." Yang cut in.
"What do you want to know?" Shirou replied, scratching his head.
"Oh! Tell us about your family!" Ruby interjected excitedly.
"My biological parents died in a fire that killed around five hundred people when I was very young. I was taken in right after by my adoptive father. He passed away a few years ago due to a sickness. As far as I know, I don't have any living relatives." Shirou was treated to the sight of both girls' faces paling rapidly.
"I'm so sorry!"
"Don't worry. It was a long time ago. I've gotten over it already."
"Wow. Just… wow," Yang murmured with a shake of her head. "No offense, but your life reads like a tragedy novel."
"Then what about your hometown. What's it like?" Ruby asked quickly, desperate to salvage the conversation.
Shirou smiled as he thought about the various landmarks in Fuyuki. "It's called Fuyuki. It's not a small town, but not that big either. A river divided it into two, with the residential district on one side and the commercial district on the other, and both districts are connected by a bridge. In total, there were probably a few thousand people living there. The town was just by the ocean so people could go there to fish at the harbour. Then there is the school I went to. It's called Homurahara. It's not a combat school so the students there are of the… mundane sort. It was a peaceful place."
"So you don't get to fight there? Boring."
Shirou glanced over at Yang who looked unrepentant. "They do have clubs… err, student groups where you can participate in similar activities. I used to be in the group that practiced archery before I left."
"You use a bow?" Ruby perked up. "But I didn't see you have any such weapon with you."
'I technically have Archer's bow with me, but I suppose that is not the point.'
"They weren't very effective against other humans when used in duels. I am proficient at archery but recently I've been using swords a lot more," Shirou replied. "I still have a bow but I don't use it often."
"Who needs a bow when you can have a gun?" Yang grinned as Ruby looked conflicted, as though she did not know whether to agree or disagree with Yang's statement. "That's part of the reason everyone has a gun as part of their weapon. Or almost everyone."
Shirou gave a nod. 'That does make sense. Taking into account the availability of Dust ammunition, there's no wonder firearms became the most popular type of weapon around. So much so that regardless of what weapon someone is proficient with, they would include a firearm into its build. Doesn't make the practice of doing so any less strange.'
"I can help you build a gunblade." Ruby's eyes were hopeful.
As much as Shirou did not want to disappoint her, he knew from Archer's memories that while he would maintain his current level of mastery with a bow, he would never truly be proficient at using a gun even after years of practice. There was also the fact that guns were completely incompatible with his brand of magecraft. "I'm sorry, Ruby. But I'm not good with a gun. I might experiment with Dust infused arrows in the future but that is the most I can do for projectiles."
"Oh! I can help you with that too. I'm not too good with Dust but I have made Dust ammo before."
"That would be a big help."
They continued to converse for a while longer after that, with Ruby discussing animatedly with Shirou the types of Dust that were best used for ammunition. Despite what Ruby had said about herself, her time in Signal had imbued her with more knowledge on the practical applications of Dust for combat use than what regular civilians would ever know. This had been what Shirou was looking for rather than textbook information on Dust properties which he could easily research on his own.
So when Shirou asked about the Dust needed for explosive-tipped arrows, Ruby had immediately fired back with the right ratio of burn to energy Dust to create an explosion rather than a firestorm. A question about methods to increase the speed of arrows in flight was met with a detailed explanation on incorporating wind and gravity Dust into the arrow shaft to reduce both weight and air resistance. The two traded questions nonstop, with Shirou listening attentively as Ruby enthusiastically answered every query he had. If either of them had looked to the side, they would have seen Yang sporting a genuinely happy smile as she watched them converse.
"So why won't you use ice Dust for holding enemies in place? If you enhance the effects with lightning Dust for an added stun wouldn't that be the most effective?"
"Because that's what gravity Dust is for. It can do essentially the same thing with less hassle. You keep the target in place and you don't need to worry about mixing different Dust together beforehand. Plus, ice and lightning Dust are known to have unpredictable reactions when you put them in the same bullet… or other projectiles. You'd need two shots if you want both the ice and lightning Dust to work reliably."
"Then what about…"
Eventually, Yang put a stop to their little discussion to pull Ruby back to where they had laid out their sleeping bags. Neither had noticed just how much time had passed with how focused they were on their conversation. Yang and Ruby waved as they left, and Shirou decided that it would be best that he had gotten some rest as well. No matter how much his physique had improved, he was ultimately still human. Closing his eyes, Shirou dreamt of the hill of swords.
0-0-0
Shirou was an early riser, and not even finding himself in a different world would change that. By the sound of light snoring and the darkness that covered the sky, Shirou reckoned that there were likely few, if any, other students even awake at that time. Slipping out quietly, he went to wash his face before changing into his combat attire and heading out to retrieve his weapons from the locker room.
The air was cool, suitable for morning practice as Shirou went through several routines he had developed for training his body to adapt to Archer's techniques. He did not dare to use tracing for fear that some random student could accidentally walk in on him performing his magecraft. By the time the sun had risen and most of the students had awoken, Shirou had completed his practice. He had enough time for a quick breakfast, mostly western type dishes Shirou noted, before heading out to the cliffs as per the announcement that had been given over the intercom system.
'What is this… They can't be serious.'
Shirou's eyebrow twitched as he found himself standing on top of one of many metal platforms that formed a long line along the edge of the cliff that overlooked the Emerald Forest. It was a launching pad; the design and placement had all but given away the intention of the test.
Some distance away from where Shirou was standing were Ruby and Yang whom he had met along the way to the cliffs. When they had asked him where he had been, he just replied that he happened to wake up early and was doing some workouts on his own. The look of faux horror on the faces of both girls clued Shirou in on the fact that both were likely not morning people. He turned to where Ozpin and Professor Goodwitch were standing and explaining the rules of the test.
"…the first person you make eye contact with after landing will be your partner for the next four years."
'What kind of test is this where something as important as team placements are essentially randomly assigned?' Shirou thought with a frown and a pursing of his lips. 'If I didn't know better, I would have thought that Fuji-nee had a hand in planning this. It certainly sounds like the kind of crazy stunt she would pull on students.'
Ruby was panicking while Yang had fished out a pair of aviator sunglasses and had casually put them on. The two girls were polar opposites in their reaction to the sudden revelation on how they would be forming teams. Shirou understood Ruby's anxiety, having seen how awkward the girl was at interacting with people she did not know. Doubly so as any mistake they made would stay with them for four years.
"After you've partnered up, make your way to the northern end of the forest. You will meet opposition along the way. Do not hesitate to destroy everything in your path... or you will die."
That was to be expected from the forest which was likely infested with Grimm. Shirou glanced quickly to either side. Most of the students with him had already received prior training in killing Grimm, and so would not find much of a challenge unless they were unfortunate enough to stumble on a rare type of Grimm.
"You will be monitored and graded through the duration of your initiation, but our instructors will not intervene. You will find an abandoned temple at the end of the path containing several relics. Each pair must choose one and return to the top of the cliff. You will guard that item, as well as your standing, and we will grade you appropriately."
'So a test of navigation and teamwork ability, rather than one of individual combat capability. At least the scope of the test is reasonable, even if the execution is more than slightly questionable.'
The first student was launched with a mechanical hiss. Other students along the line followed suit with an interval of several seconds between each launch. Each had prepared their own methods of landing, either using their weapons or Semblance to slow them down as they descended into the canopy.
Just before Shirou was propelled into the air by the mechanism beneath his feet, he could have sworn that Ozpin was looking straight at him. He would never know, as his vision changed rapidly and he was forced to narrow his eyes against the wind buffeting his face. The trees shot by beneath him in a blur. Reaching the height of his parabolic motion, Shirou cast his eyes about for movement. There were a few discernible objects moving in the forest beneath him, mostly large and black and distinctly nonhuman.
Shirou already had a plan on how to land. He had executed similar actions on his own towards the end of the Holy Grail War when he had jumped out of the Einzbern castle that one time.
"Trace on."
Prana flooded Shirou's body as he closed his eyes in concentration. He had done this before, yet this instance would be different. He never had to perform Reinforcement to break his landing while moving at such high speed in the past. Even the slightest miscalculation here would lead to his bones shattering on impact. A drop of sweat worked its way down his cheek as he carefully poured prana into the hollow of his bones and the fibres of his muscles from his feet to his legs and finally up his back and arms. Each individual part of his body had to receive the right amount of prana. The ground was getting closer.
'The moment of truth.' Shirou braced himself as he positioned his legs outwards and ahead of him, knees bent slightly. Angling his body, Shirou narrowly avoided crashing into trees as he aimed for the ground. He crashed through the trees like a small brown meteor a moment before his feet met earth.
As he felt his feet sink into soft soil and dirt, Shirou bent his knees in the same motion, ignoring the pain that lanced up his back. The dirt collapsing under his feet, Shirou curled his upper body as he rolled forward. The action shed most of the remaining momentum from his rapid descent. Gritting his teeth as he stumbled a few steps, Shirou paused momentarily to check his body.
'Impact only partially absorbed upon landing. Muscles in feet and legs strained. Minor tear in left calf muscle. Several burst blood vessels in both thighs. No fractures in legs or significant damage to middle or upper body. Not as good as I had expected but nothing that Avalon can't deal with.'
So narrow was his focus that Shirou never sensed the mass hurtling towards him from behind until it struck him full on the back. He tumbled forward with a shout of surprise. Twisting his body, he drew Kanshou and Bakuya in one swift motion. Preparing to launch a counterattack the moment he landed on his feet, he briefly gazed back at his assailant. In a moment of surprise, he lost his footing and landed on his back with a grunt.
Pushing himself into a sitting position on the ground with his hands planted behind him to prop himself up, Shirou found that he could not stop a smile from manifesting. It was as though history was repeating itself. The scene before him was all too similar to that fateful night.
He found himself sprawling, this time not in a cluttered tool shed but on the forest floor.
He looked up into female eyes which stared back down at him. While the first had gazed upon him with stern and regal eyes, the ones he now saw were filled with energy and life.
Once again the man named Emiya Shirou met his partner.
A rustling of the trees brought a single ray of sunlight down into the forest, illuminating the girl who stood over him with a radiant smile. Where the former had glowed under the moonlight like pristine metal, the latter now seemed to light up like the sun itself. They were so different, but at the same time so alike. To Shirou, just like the first time it happened the scene in front of him could only be described as beautiful.
Unbidden, the words sprang to his lips.
He wanted to laugh at the irony that he was the one who was speaking them this time, considering the position he was in. As golden eyes stared into silver, Shirou's question resonated forth.
"I ask of you. Are you my partner?"
Author Notes
Wow. 3 chapters released and I've passed 600 follows. Seriously, thanks for the support from all the readers out there. I've mentioned this before, but I feel that I need to say it again. As a new writer, your support really means a lot to me.
Okay, on to stuff that happened here. I think it is very obvious that someone is missing in this chapter. I will make this clear. That person is NOT removed from my story. I have other plans for that character that includes a different role in my story. Yeah there will be less interaction with the main cast because I basically relegated this character to a supporting role. You'll see more of this character sometime later. As for chapter length, this is longer than my normal. I usually do about 7k+ words per chapter and it will likely stick to that for the most part. This chapter also contains somewhat lengthy exposition, which I feel is needed since we need to see Shirou's perspective of the world for the first time, as well as his thoughts on various subjects. What is mentioned may or may not be entirely accurate, because what is mentioned in the chapter is from Shirou's POV. He makes misconceptions too sometimes.
As I had mentioned in Chapter 3's AN, this chapter reveals a bit more on how I intend to compare magecraft to Aura. For those who want to know, yes it was specifically mentioned that the soul contains the magic circuits. Go check out the Heaven's Feel route epilogue for those who have the VN, Rin states it clearly there that this is the case.
On the topic of soul, I find it utterly hilarious that I stumbled upon this tidbit in Fate/side material that stated that Gil's soul glowed gold. Does that mean that every person in Nausverse has a colour to their soul? Or is it just Gil? Note: Don't worry, this won't be a sticking point in my story. Just something I feel is interesting to note on the possible parallels between the two worlds. Hurhurhur.
Holy crap. I can't believe I forgot Kanshou and Bakuya had anti-monster properties. Once again, a big thank you to all the readers for reminding me about this. *grumble* getting old… bad memories… *grumble*
As for the killing Fate/Zero Caster's giant tentacle monster part, that was stated by Nasu to be possible in one strike ONLY with the originals. So I will give Shirou's copy a degraded version of this passive ability due to the fact his projections are not perfect copies. So yeah, he gets some bonus damage. But don't expect him to take out powerful Grimm with single attacks. He needs more powerful weapons for that…
About the conversation in chapter 3 feeling rather unrealistic. Yeah. I know. That's what happens when a dude with next to zero social life tries to write about a distorted guy experiencing post-traumatic stress and minor depression (both topics I have no first-hand knowledge of). It definitely doesn't come out perfect. I'll most likely go back and revise the chapter someday when my writing improves, but until then it'll unfortunately stay that way.
I like the idea by swiftrabbit, especially the part about how there are literally only 4 people using the Maidens' "magic" on Remnant to explain why it is stronger. It keeps in line with how thaumaturgy works and is a simple explanation to boot. Much thanks for the idea and all credit goes to swiftrabbit if I decide to use this in the future. Keep on analysing, my good fellow. Your insight along with those of other readers have more value to me than you think.
Lastly, on the topic of Shirou's arsenal. Now that we see Shirou actually using more weaponry, how many of you readers would like if I keep an updated list of all the weapons Shirou has access to plus their abilities on… say my profile page? If the majority likes this idea, then I will update my profile every time I include new weapons so that you can keep track of what Shirou definitely has as opposed to speculating on what he may have.
Also, as mentioned, Shirou has some weapons from watching Gil. These I won't include in the list unless a particular weapon was specifically mentioned or used in a chapter (highly unlikely due to the reasons mentioned above in the chapter).
ZenithTempest: Shirou in CRDL? Sounds like great omake material. Thanks for the potential idea. :)
(Q&A)
Shirou's skill level compared to Archer
Nope. Not anywhere close. Just because he has one arm and access to some of his knowledge does not put him on the same level. He does indeed observe Archer's tracing for now, but his tracing does not meet up to the same standards as Archer's as of now. Also in terms of techniques, he is way beneath Archer. He will eventually get better, but gradual progression is how it'll go.
Does Shirou have Rule Breaker
No. This Shirou failed to get it from Archer due to the arm not containing the blueprints to the weapon in this version of the Holy Grail War.
Maiden's Powers and how it affects Magecraft
I would say that the closest thing to a Maiden's powers in the Nasuverse would be a Marble Phantasm, which is something that is used by nature spirits (this includes True Ancestors) to influence the world and control natural phenomena with their will. While not the apex of what Thaumaturgy is able to do, Marble Phantasms are still regarded as being very powerful magic, partly because they are the realm of non-human being and partly because of the scope of what such a power is capable of. So as a result of this, I would say that the Maidens' powers are definitely able to destroy weak copies of a C rank Noble Phantasm. But the same can't be said for better quality copies of higher ranking constructs. In that light, future battles will reflect this when Shirou gets better at tracing as well as when he uses better weapons (not likely for some time).
Once again, thank you all for reading.