AN: The questions about Rin summoning Saber, and about what Servant Shirou gets should be answered this chapter.
Casual reminder that this Shirou is neither Archer, nor Canon!Shirou. At least... not fully.
Xanaris: You are perfectly right, and I didnt think much on it till you mentioned it, but that is a good point. Id like to think, however, its less sucking with technology, and only knowing what she has to to seem normal. Phones, cars, TVs, computers, things commonly used that would be strange if someone had no idea how to use them. Even then she wouldnt seem strange for only knowing some things. However, when it comes to security systems, guns, or things that teenagers generally dont need/have, I dont believe she would know anything other than they exist, and sometimes not even that. I see it more as a need-to-know, than a technology-is-evil lifestyle. But, too late to change last chapter.
"Why am I doing this?" Shirou questioned as Rin continued creating the strange runes one the ground before him. They were currently in his shed, where Rin had summoned Saber. Shirou wasnt sure if it was a trick of the light or not, but Saber's eyes lit up when she saw the motorcycle that Kiritsugu left him. He had a license for it, but he rarely used it, since his school and the grocery store were both within walking distance. He wasnt quite sure how the bike had survived the fire, but Kiritsugu had it since then, at least.
"Because summoning a servant will help us a lot." Rin sighed. Shirou could be stubborn at the best of times, and at the worst, he was an immovable object. It did not help that he generally disliked relying on others. It came as no surprise that Shirou was against summoning a servant. According to Kirei, every servant had been summoned except Archer. Idly, she noted how terrifying an Archer/Saber combination could be, provided whatever Archer Shirou summoned was decent.
"I dont need the help, Rin." Shirou rolled his eyes, proving Rin correct.
"Then summon the servant to help Sakura, so she has someone to protect her while we fight." Rin had known Shirou for years, and knew exactly what to say to get him to agree, usually. When she couldnt convince him to do something, it was usually something that no one could convince him to do. Pointing out how Sakura would be vulnerable during the fighting was definitely enough to convince him.
Shirou paused, considering the truth. He knew Rin said that just to get him to agree, but she did have a point. Sakura was neither a Monster Magus like Rin, nor a Ridiculous Warrior like Shirou. In truth, she was an incredible magus, in terms of power and skill, but her skills were specialized and not to combat. Her archery was top notch too, but even then it paled next to Shirou. If anything, Sakura had the potential to become a support unit, but not a direct combatant. That being said, Sakura produced more prana than Shirou and Rin combined, though none of them knew why. According to both Sakura and Rin, Rin had more circuits as a child. How they knew each other as children was a question Shirou never asked. They would tell him if he needed to know.
"Fine, I just hope you know what you are doing." Despite Runes being one of the few things Shirou could do without utter failure, he never liked them. When Rin asked him why, he just mentioned that they smelled funny. Rin explained that it was probably because runes were meant to withstand Time, so the magic that resisted time interfered with his sensory, giving him a very odd smell. Shirou did not care, stating they smelled like old people.
"Glad you see it my way." Rin spoke smugly. "And done." Shirou could have done the Summoning Circle himself, but Rin outclassed him in nearly all magic. The only areas where he managed to overcome her skill were Projection and Structural Analysis. One might think Shirou's reinforcement was more effective, but in reality his reinforcement, at max, doubled whatever he was reinforcing. Rin could almost quadruple whatever she reinforced. The difference was that Shirou primarily used it on his own body, or on his swords. Rin also reinforced her own body, but Shirou's natural body was that much stronger, essentially meaning Rin's fully reinforced body could never match his own, even though she was better at reinforcement.
"So does there have to be an incantation?" Shirou questioned, hoping he could just pour prana into the circle and come out with a servant, rather than recite some silly aria.
"Of course, just read the lines in this book." Rin handed him a small book, which looked absolutely ancient, with the weathered pages. Rin turned to walk out of the shed, Saber following, though she kept her gaze on the bike with a longing look.
"Where are you going?" Shirou's eyebrow rose. Why would she be leaving?
"Duh. A servant summoned near another servant will probably attack that servant, let alone the master." Rin shook her head in exasperation.
"Oh." And that was that. Rin and Saber left the room, leaving Shirou to his work. He had to admit, he was curious as to what servant he would summon, since he lacked a catalyst. Because of that, he would summon the hero who fit him best, which he found himself curious about. Regardless, he began to recite the written lines, which made little to no sense to him, honestly.
"For the elements silver and iron. For the foundation, stone, and the archduke of contracts. For the ancestor, my great master Schweinorg. Close the gates of the cardinal directions.
Come forth from the Crown, and follow the forked road to the Kingdom.
Fill. Fill. Fill. Fill. Fill.
Repeat five times. But when each is filled, destroy it. Set.
Heed my words.
My will creates your body, and your sword creates my destiny.
If you heed the Grail's call and obey my will and reason, then answer me.
I hereby swear...
That I shall be all the good in the world.
That I shall defeat all the evil in the world.
You seven heavens, clad in the three great words of power, come forth from the circle of binding... Guardian of the scales!"
Although the words were... strange at best, their aftereffects were obvious. Merely three seconds after he finished the incantation, the runes glowed a bright blue, before a red clad man appeared on top of the runes. "So she managed to summon me correctly this time" Shirou heard the man mutter, before he looked up. Expectant eyes turned to hateful eyes, and Shirou was immediately on guard.
Within the blink of an eye, Archer was upon him, with two blades, Kanshou and Bakuya, aimed to stab into Shirou, right at his lungs.
It was only his quick projection of his usual claymores that saved him. Incredibly, his claymores shattered once more, reminding him that weapons held by servants were far above his normal projections. With that in mind, he knew what he had to do.
Archer was mildly surprised to see that this Shirou managed to block his attack, quickly pulling back before darting forward again, acting like a snake striking forward. Normally, he would have resorted to his usual style of combat, but he was not fighting someone stronger than him, he was fighting a younger version of himself. While this version of himself was strong, he did not have the experience that the Counter Guardian did. Idly, Archer Traced Rule Breaker right next to him, barely nicking his own skin, and terminating the contract between himself and himself.
Shirou immediately parried the strikes with his newly proj-no, his newly Traced Gae Bolg. If Archer was surprised, he did not show it. He merely struck forward again and again, for the first time in a long time going on the offensive. Shirou's initial surprise wore off, and the two began to develop a pattern. If they were asked, they would both have denied enjoying the moment, but they would be lying.
In a burst of speed, Shirou pulled back, leaping out of the shed, which was surprisingly undamaged from the combat. He paused as Archer followed him out to the yard. "For a hero, you have no pride in your blades." Shirou noted. Archer's strikes were meant to maximize power, at the risk of his blades breaking. Judging from the feel of the strikes, they would break soon.
Archer's eyes widened, before they narrowed. "I dont need pride. I need results."
A combat pragmatist then. Just great. Shirou sighed before lowering into the same stance Lancer used. "We could probably talk this out." Shirou attempted to convince the Servant into peaceful negotiation.
Archer snorted, a grim smile on his face. "We both want this." Immediately after speaking, Archer charged Shirou, striking at his shoulders. Shirou backpedaled fast enough to avoid the majority of the injury, but not all of it. A thin cut appeared from his shoulder to his lower abdomen, blood trailing down the cut already.
Shirou grunted, before charging forward, spear aimed to pierce Archer's heart. Archer prepared himself to parry the spear, but was surprised when the spear dropped, his eyes momentarily stopping at the spear, rather than his enemy. In that moment, Shirou Traced Kanshou and Bakuya, striking Archer, who managed to avert the strike, except for a small cut which appeared on his right arm.
Archer stared at Shirou for a moment before jumping away, reminding Shirou of Lancer for a moment. As Archer left, he had an odd thought. 'Im a better swordsman than me.'
Shirou looked to where Archer had vanished for a good minute, before the weapons in his hands, as well as the dropped spear, faded into prana. He calmly walked into his house.
Once Rin saw him, she immediately panicked. "Oh my god, Shirou what happened?"
"I summoned an asshole who severed the contract with some weird weapon and wants to kill me for whatever reason." Shirou stated calmly. He was coming off of the adrenaline high he had during the fight. More than that, he really wasnt too bothered by the idea of a servant wanting to kill him. Curious perhaps, but not worried. Although he had to wonder how bad his mind was that the best match for him was a servant who specifically hated him.
"Oh god, Im so sorry." Rin was genuinely panicking, however, as she felt guilty for what happened. "Sakura, get the first aid kit and bring it here." She spoke loud enough for Sakura, who was currently in the hallway to hear her. Part of Rin was glad that Sakura did not see Shirou, let alone know that it was because of her that he had been hurt. Sakura could be scary sometimes...
Within a few moments, Sakura was next to them, Shirou was shirtless, and they were examining the wound.
"Shirou... have you been practicing healing magecraft?" Rin's voice sounded as if she was a thousand miles away, her mind racing at the lack of a wound. The blood had obviously come from Shirou, his shirt being cut in the same location as the blood, yet there was no wound, not even a scar.
"No... this happened yesterday too, actually. I cut myself in the kitchen and when I looked at it again, it was already healed." He was rather perplexed at this.
Sakura was obviously the more worried of the three. She had only seen such regeneration when she had attempted to kill Zouken so many years ago. She had struck him with a knife, and out of sheer amusement, he let her. The way he healed afterwards was the most sickening thing she had ever SEEN. Note, feel is different than see. The way his skin stitched back together like some it was just some fabric under a sewing machine haunted her to this day. Hell, Zouken encouraged her to attempt to kill him after that, if only to show her how fruitless her efforts were.
However, she knew Shirou would never resort to such things, no matter how much he enjoyed fighting. Rin would never let him, either. The only other option for that level of regeneration was...
"Anyone bite you recently?" Rin asked warily.
"Oh good god Rin, I am not a Dead Apostle." Shirou huffed at the ridiculous suggestion.
Sakura giggled at the interaction, before turning serious again. Serious as it was, it would be more accurate to call her expression a mix of worry and nervousness. "Senpai, could it have been his weapon?"
Shirou shook his head. "I got a good read on them, they are great swords, but dont have any auxiliary effect that couldve caused this." He paused for a moment, thinking. "Though, could it be a personal skill?"
Rin shook her head. "Ive never heard of a personal skill like that. What did he look like? Maybe we can find his legend."
Shirou looked towards the ceiling. "Well, aside from hating me personally, he didnt show much personality wise, but he wore a red cloak. It had two crosses on it, so he was probably Christian. He wore black armor under that. As for physical attributes... he had white hair, spiky, but slicked back. His eyes were the color of steel. He was pretty tall, with sharp features, and he had tan skin." Shirou shrugged. "Thats about it, really."
Sakura and Rin stared at him for a long moment, making him confused. Rin began smacking her head into a wall, muttering something about idiots and temporal fallacies. Sakura just stared at him, before speaking. "Uh... Senpai, maybe we should schedule some counseling?"
Shirou blinked. "What for?" Oddly, Rin began to laugh.
"Well, I mean... Depression is a common issue, and suicidal thoughts are sometimes a symptom." Sakura suggested, her tone light.
"Im not depressed." Shirou was incredulous at the suggestion. He rather liked his life, actually.
Rin fell to the floor from laughter. Sakura cracked a small smile. "Of course not, Senpai."
"Okay, what are you two so amused bout?" Shirou stared at the two of them, an annoyed expression on his face.
Rin calmed from her laughter, for the most part, before explaining. "You summoned yourself, you idiot!" She immediately began to crack up once more.
"Okay, I can accept that I eventually become a Heroic Spirit, but I dont think you can summon future heroes, would they even be recorded in the Throne of Heroes yet?"
Sakura shook her head. "No, it exists outside of time, so they have always been there, and have all yet to been placed there."
"Okay, but this guy acted nothing like me." Shirou defended. There was no way this guy was him. He couldnt accept that.
Rin finally calmed down fully, standing up. "What do you mean?" She was more curious than amused now, thankfully. Her laughing was beginning to grate his nerves.
"Well for one, he had no pride in his blades, like... at all. I dont have much, but damn if Im not proud of doing what no one else can." Shirou stated evenly. "Plus his style was... wrong. He was on the offensive most of the time, but it was like he had rarely done that before. When he finally went on the defensive... well, Ive seen stupid styles, but his was both stupid and brilliant."
"What do you mean" Sakura questioned, not bothering with Shirou's odd way of contradicting himself while being correct.
"He had so many openings, but the way he was positioned made it seem deliberate. He either wanted to die, or he is a defensive person, with a suicidal style... probably the latter." Shirou nodded in thought.
Rin frowned, but nodded. "Well, it could be from an alternate timeline. Like Sakura said, the Throne of Heroes exists outside of time, so its possible."
"But wouldnt that be well known? I mean an alternate version of, say... King Arthur could be a bloodthirsty maniac. That would be news."
Rin shook her head. "You are thinking about it wrong. Imagine the process of summoning as a highway, and the alternate timelines as lanes. Its easier to get off on an exit if you are in the closest lane, right? While its possible to go from any lane to the exit, you have to put forth more effort, and it generally isnt allowed, or advisable. That said, that means Archer's summoning was an improper summon... or worse."
Shirou looked at Rin, brow crinkled in thought. "Worse?"
The expression on Rin's face was absolutely grim. "It could be that something interfered. Something big."
And with that, the mood, which was already pretty strange, turned solemn.
Archer was quite unsure what to do now. He knew that this world's Shirou was not him. He did not have that physical power till at least five years after the grail war. That being said, he still had a job to do. Angra Mainyu was still part of the grail, which meant his job, no, his very existence demanded that he make sure Angra Mainyu could not be born. If Angra Mainyu fully formed, humanity was done for. Except possibly Zelretch, but Archer honestly had no idea how to kill that bastard. He had tried. Many, many times.
Aside from the absolute must that was destroying the grail, he was unsure what to do. He had no idea who he could go to for a master. In all the worlds where he had been summoned by Shirou, he had been tutored by Rin or Kiritsugu beforehand. Honestly, he was unsure which one was worse. Rin may be a magus who would eventually be on par with the Queen of the Clocktower, or on some occasions, Zelretch himself, but Kiritsugu was a brutal tactician who could probably have taken down the majority of the Dead Apostle Ancestors, provided he had a plan. Part of Archer realized that if he were any other magus, he would LOVE his position, since he got to visit so many parallel worlds and had the potential to learn types of magecraft that were dead to the world. If not for his position as Alaya's top dog, he would never have had the opportunity to see all of the incredible worlds. Only Zelretch had seen more than him, disregarding those who existed above the 'world'.
He had long given up on being freed from Alaya. He had tried killing his past self, making his past self turn into a true Heroic Spirit, even binding his soul to a world, but in the end he always came back to Alaya. He was no longer driven to relieve himself of the burden, he was just... tired.
It was a sobering thought. If he bothered to count the number of years he had been alive, he was probably the most experienced swordsman there was, in this section of Akasha's influence. All that time, all those lives taken. It was sickening to think he had begun to enjoy the thrill of battle. Perhaps it was because he mostly served Alaya as an assassin/archer, but he enjoyed fighting Heroic Spirits who could keep him occupied, rather than humans which died so easily.
In any case, he realized he had a problem. He had no source of prana. He COULD tap into the leylines, provided Caster had not already done so. He could try to find another master, but considering the few people he knew of in Fuyuki who would be suitable... Shinji, for all his lack of ability in magecraft, could feed him mana well enough, although having learned of what a despicable brat the child was, he did not want to know what Shinji would order him to do. Sadly, Shinji was also the best choice. Kirei and Zouken were also choices, but Archer would NEVER side with those two. The only thing creepier than those two in general was the rare timeline where they were actually good people. Seeing Kirei with a genuinely kind smile on his face, and Zouken acting like a kind old man... that was the most frightening thing he had ever experienced.
Considering the other option was to feel on souls, Archer was in quite the pickle. So, figuring there had to be at least one magus other than the usual who existed in Fuyuki, decided to go on a search... right after a quick visit to the closest bar. He did not know if Servants could get drunk, but damn if he wasnt going to try.
Kirei Kotomine was not a happy man. Probably because no one was currently suffering within his range of sight. However, he was also not angry. If there was a word that could describe the man, it would be empty. That being said, he did not believe current events were going in his favor. Rin befriending the son of Kiritsugu Emiya was both good and bad. Good, because until then Kirei had no idea the man even had a son, and bad because she was now out of his reach. He loved to witness her suffer.
That being said, he did genuinely like the girl. It was just that the only way he could feel any sort of happiness was through suffering, be it his own, or another's. From what he had heard of Shirou through Rin, who he was convinced was seeing Shirou through heart shaped glasses, he would like Shirou even more. It was only too bad Shirou had learned from his father's mistakes, or Kirei might have liked the boy even more. From what Rin said, Shirou had incredible morals, which he approved of.
The most horrifying thing about his life was not that his only chance to attain any form of joy, for any period of time, was through suffering, but that with all that, his morals were in tact. His soul was constantly tearing itself apart because of this, one path led to the horrifying emptiness, while the other led to temporary happiness yet eternal... guilt? Yes, he supposed, guilt fit. It wasnt like the emotion most would associate with guilt, it was deeper than that. Had he not been born empty, he would have been a saint. Because of the emptiness, he was a devil.
Of course he enjoyed every moment of it. He had no choice, after all. He would burn, and he had no choice in the matter. His own suffering was why he could smile so much now. Even a fake smile used to be impossible for him, it was only thanks to Gilgamesh that he discovered happiness. Part of him hated the Servant, part of him was grateful to the man. Both parts knew he could do nothing to the spirit, so he did nothing. People came to his church, cried for forgiveness, he lectured them in their sins, enjoyed the suffering that the guilt of their sins gave them, and lived a modest, boring life. At least until recently.
Yesterday, after Lancer had been repelled by a human teenager, of all things, Kirei felt something he had not felt since Kiritsugu Emiya had fought in the Grail War. Interest. For a human to be capable of facing a servant... Kirei agreed with Gilgamesh completely on one thing. Suffering gives strength. For a man to weather the weight of the world, he had to suffer first, which gave him strength. Humans only grew when they needed to, so if strength was necessary, then those who wanted that strength had to suffer for it. Everything he knew proved this true. So he had to wonder...
What sort of suffering could have created a human capable of facing a servant in this boring era?
...If he knew said human had at least two girls pining after him, living on an already-paid-for home, with considerable skill in all forms of fighting, and cooking, with various friends, and incredible connections, he would probably be as closed to pissed as he had been when the false human showed it could feel more than him.
That said, Gilgamesh also expressed interest in this human, claiming that it took a truly extraordinary soul to become powerful in this lackluster age. Kirei had to bribe Gilgamesh with wine so that the Heroic Spirit did not venture to meet this human. From what Lancer said, he would stand out easily. White and red hair, tanned skin, tall, and gold eyes. What kind of person had gold eyes? Honestly that made Kirei wonder what genetic defects this person could possibly be caring. Probably a lot, given his mixed hair and gold. fucking. eyes.
He had no idea why the color of his eyes bothered him so much, but it did.
Saber leaned back against the wall, having heard the conversation from the room she was in. Apparently Rin and Sakura would be staying at the Emiya household for a while because Shirou was summoning a servant. She wouldnt mind too much, but that boy... something about him was off. She felt a familiarity that should not be there. If he were her master, she wouldnt have minded, but she was just a friend of her master, which made him both a potential threat, and someone to protect. For all her actions, Rin was the kind of person who would let herself die before someone she cared about. Saber had seen that kind of person before. Her master had lost everything, she knew it. That was why she was so reluctant to lose anything, including money. Her master's frugality was less about money, and more about the concept of losing something. That might also be why she was a perfectionist.
In any case, Shirou Emiya... When she heard his last name, she had expected to be reminded of Kiritsugu, her former master. She was not. If anything, Shirou was closer to Irisviel than he was to Kiritsugu. To be more accurate, he was like some horrifying fusion of the two. Not to say she disliked him, she may not trust him, but in other circumstances, he was the exact kind of person she could come to respect. But he had the mind of Kiritsugu, if to a much lesser extent, still being a child, and the heart of Irisviel. She only hoped, for the sake of everyone in the city, that he did not drive like her. For all his faults, Kiritsugu had been a good driver. Irisviel... she would sooner ride a dragon from the inside than let her drive again.
She was not a magus. She had massive mana, even during life, but she could feel when it drained. Usually, it drained only when she used Excalibur, Prana Burst, or Avalon. She no longer had Avalon, but it had a distinct feeling when it was used. That was how she understood. Somehow, Shirou Emiya was in possession of her beloved sheathe. In life, she had thought Excalibur was more important, yet now she knew which was more important. She let out a sorrowful chuckle at that. Not a giggle, a chuckle. Warrior King Knights did not giggle, damnit!
She shook her head of those thoughts. Aside from his possession of her sheathe, she liked the kid, especially his cooking. Dear god she would have knighted him if he existed in her time, if only so that he could cook exclusively for her. Though she somehow imagined if she brought Shirou somewhere, even through time, Rin and Sakura would follow, somehow. Probably through Zelretch, who would find the situation all too amusing. She saw the way he looked at the two girls, and the way they looked at him. It was too bad... Heroes never got happy endings.
Shirou was in one of the most unnerving situations he had ever been in. No, he was not facing down Berserker, nor Gilgamesh, not that he knew who either of those were yet. No, he was laying down in his shed-workshop, shirtless, with two girls staring at him, one in worry, the other in concentration.
It was all because of him suggesting he cut himself and see how it healed so they could know what caused this miraculous healing. They knew it had not existed before, at least not to this extent. He had always been an extraordinarily fast healer, but that couldve been good genes. This was on an entirely different level, going right into regeneration. That was confirmed when his palm healed immediately after he sliced it, with only a blue glow to erase the wound. Yes, erase, not heal. It was as if the wound never even existed. There was no phantom pain, no scar, just... an inexistent wound.
Rin had not spoken much since, simply telling him to follow, then to remove his shirt and lie down. Sakura had not spoken a single word, though if the look on her face was any indication, she was worried... and embarrassed. He supposed that wasnt much of a surprise. A lot had happened to make the girl worry. Unlike Rin, she did not hide that worry, even if she was better at hiding things than Rin. He never managed to find out what she was hiding, but he didnt try all too hard. Whatever it was, she would tell him when she needed to.
He trusted his friends. They knew he could shoulder their burdens, but he knew that their burdens were just that, theirs. He had no choice but to wait until they were ready to share that burden. Pressuring them would make it worse. He had never been an idiot, so he knew this. For all his idiotic actions, most people failed to realize his intentions were the cause of it, not his intellect. He knew quite well how stupid it was of him to nearly break his body in training, but what other way could he possibly gain the strength he need to make Kiritsugu's dream a reality?
Anyway, Rin had brought him to the shed and began to examine him, making him feel tingly. No, literally, her prana was invading his body, if only slightly. While it would dissipate almost instantly, it gave her feedback about the condition of his body, and magic. It was an archaic method, but it worked well enough for those with enough prana to spare, like Rin or Sakura. Rin apparently did not want to wait to use the normal method, which Shirou did not know of, other than the fact that it was much cheaper, prana wise, to use. The method Rin was using currently was similar to echolocation, albeit with prana.
Shirou almost had a heart attack when Rin's face turned from concentrated to shocked, and she cut the prana flow. Sakura hardly fared any better, fearing the worst... not that he could really imagine how bad healing could get. Maybe hyper-aging. That would definitely explain the white hair, and his recent height boost.
"Shirou..." Rin began, a strange, hollow tone to her voice.
"Yes?" His voice was filled with trepidation, worried about what she had found. He would rather not die of old age at twenty.
"How the fuck did you get a Conceptual Weapon of Healing inside you?" Rin blurted out, shocking both Shirou and Sakura. While she tended to be less polite than the other two, she avoided using 'fuck' for some reason. It would have made sense, if she didnt use every other cuss word under the sun.
"I have a what." Shirou stared at Rin, a blank look on his face.
"A Conceptual Weapon..." Seeing Shirou's face remain blank, Rin explained further. "An item which embodies a concept, similar to that mystic code you created, remember?" Oh god did he remember THAT fiasco. He dropped it once, and it vanished into the earth, never to be seen again. Rin had laughed at his success/failure, and he had too. What did you think would happen with a mystic code in the shape of a pen, with the concept of 'cutting' placed onto it? Most magi would have simply made the pen into a plausible weapon through the process, but for someone who was a sword incarnation... well. It might as well have been a mono-molecular blade. Now when he placed it on the edge of his arrows...
"Sorry, I was confused because that name actually made sense." This time, Rin was the confused one. Seeing this, Shirou explained. "Oh, after all the ridiculous names like Heaven's Feel, Mystic Code, Noble Phantasm, Kaleidescope, and Dead Apostle, I expected the name to be misleading." Rin turned red, both from annoyance and embarrassment on her culture's behalf. Her perceived culture, at least. She may have all the talent of a top notch magus, but she was as ruthless as... well, as a teenage girl. She could probably buckle down and kill if needed, but she could not bring herself to harm anyone she cared about, especially not for something such as knowledge. Not that he would point that out to her. As much as he could destroy her physically, he was incapable of hurting her, while she knew he could take a couple of punches without feeling angry.
"Whatever. Look, whatever is inside you is healing you. Why it only started recently... Im not sure."
"But you have a theory." Shirou pointed out, recognizing the expression she held.
"Maybe, Ill have to check on something. If it turns out to be true, Ill let you know." Rin proclaimed. Good. When she set her mind to something, Rin could be downright scary.
"Are there any negative side effects?" Sakura finally spoke up.
Rin shook her head. "Nothing I can tell, although..."
Sakura glanced at her. "What is it?"
Rin sighed, putting a hand to her forehead. "Im not entirely sure, but if Im right, then... Well... You arent aging normally."
"Shit"
"Now now, its not bad, its more that your aging is slowed, possibly stopped." Rin frowned. "Though thats just a theory, I cant really tell this early, the only real way to prove it is to wait until you should age naturally, and see if you dont."
Shirou shrugged. "Better than hyper-aging. Kind of a wait-and-see thing, too. No use worrying over it right now."
"yeah, not much we can do for now, but on the bright side, with this level of healing we dont need to worry about you getting yourself killed." It was a testament to how strange the three were that the mention of death did not disturb them. Sakura, because of the worms, Rin, because of her parents' deaths when she was young, and Shirou because he was Shirou.
"Alright. Ive got to head out and pick up some food. I had no idea Servants ate so much." Shirou chuckled. "If she was a physical being, Id wonder where she put it all."
"Do you want me to go with you, Senpai?" Sakura asked, as polite as always.
"Ah... are you sure Sakura? considering my luck with Servants, it might get dangerous." He wasnt joking. It was incredible for a single being to encounter two servants within a 24 hour span, especially when one was on the first day of the war.
"Senpai will protect me." With the brightest smile Shirou had seen from her on her face, and a resolute voice, she gave her answer.
Rin sighed exaggeratedly. "I guess that leaves me to deal with Taiga."
"You could always come with us." Shirou responded with a confused grin.
"No, no, I think you two need the... alone time." Rin grinned like the chesire cat.
"Nee-san!" Sakura flushed, expressing her displeasure, which Rin and Shirou both found adorable... not that either would admit it any time soon.
The trip to the store was both uneventful and quiet, Shirou and Sakura both being quiet people by nature. It helped that the employees knew the two well enough that the presence of two teenagers at eleven at night did not go questioned. Shirou never slept as much as other people, and Sakura was naturally a nocturnal person, just like her sister, only more agreeable in the mornings.
The boring part ended when a little girl appeared, skipping towards the two. The smell coming off the girl was similar to a normal magus, but... hollow. Not in the same was as Rin's Void scent, nor Sakura's Hollow scent, but as if she was a container, rather than a person. It was weird. It was only when a second smell hit his nose that he began to worry. The scent that he smelled was Horizon. To understand what that meant, one had to understand that Shirou's sensory revolved around placing whatever he smelled under things he understood, and this usually meant concepts. Usually it embodied the person's origin, like with Rin and Sakura. In this case... he believed it embodied the very concept of the existence of the thing that appeared behind the little girl. To try to reach this being would be to try to reach the horizon. This being was something beyond his capabilities, he knew, and yet, he felt an odd kinship with the beast.
At a massive height of over 300cm, this beast had a lion's mane for hair, with almost charcoal skin, and, oddly enough, heterochromia. One eye yellow, the other glowing red. All in all, this thing was something to run away from, but... He glanced back at Sakura, who looked frightened, yet still resolute... interesting.
"You failed to summon a servant Onii-chan~" Her voice was light and whimsical, as expect of a little girl. "I guess that means I dont get to play with you before you die" She pouted, discussing death as easily as the Broken Trio had a few minutes ago.
"Why do you call me that?" Shirou narrowed his eyes, knowing exactly what was going to happen now. He handed the groceries to Sakura, and motioned for her to run.
"Oh she is free to go. Im only after you." Her fight was actually with Kiritsugu, but he had no need to know that. "And I call Onii-chan Onii-chan because he is Onii-chan." She pouted. If she wasnt probably going to attempt to kill him, he would have called her adorable. Little did he knew, she was older than him.
"Stay nearby, pay attention to the fight for Rin, then get home, alright?" Sakura nodded, though he had a feeling...
"Thats enough." The girl's voice turned to steel as she spoke. "I am Illyasievl Von Einzbern, master of Berserker."
Shirou nodded, as Sakura began to lightly jog away, as it was hard to run with groceries. "I am Shirou Emiya, former master of Archer."
Illya giggled. "Your servant died already, Onii-chan? Pathetic"
Shirou summoned Kanshou and Bakuya to his hands. He may not like Archer, but he did enjoy the two swords he used. "No. He tried to kill me, and ran away. Our contract was terminated by a conceptual weapon." One that he now had in his mind, though he did not want to use it. Unlike Illya, Shirou had relatively little magic circuits. More than the average magus, but compared to the monsters that were Sakura, Rin, and Illya... Well. He was not an idiot. Berserker would drain him dry. "Does he" Shirou pointed Bakuya at the beast. "Have a name?"
"Shirou Emiya, meet Heracles, or Hercules, the greatest of all heroes!"
Well. Shit.
Sakura managed to make it to the nearest pay phone in record time, before calling the Emiya residence.
"Emiya Residence" She heard Rin's voice over the phone, an uncaring tone in her voice.
"Nee-san!" Sakura spoke hurriedly, wanting Saber here as soon as possible. "Senpai is in trouble, bring Saber, quick."
"On my way" It was almost amazing how fast Rin's voice went from lazy and uncaring to serious.
Sakura wished she had kept Rider, at least, so that she could have Rider help Shirou out.
It was barely a minute before a blue, red, and black blur zoomed past her, all the while she heard her sister screaming for dear life. Wait... was that Senpai's motorcycle?
Shirou ducked under the massive blade. Actually, to call it a blade would be an insult to anything sharp. Or anything logical, as it was more a slab of rock than anything. Still, it was a Noble Phantasm, called Nine Lives, or at least part of one. Shirou wasnt quite sure about that, since the slab was a 'form' of the true Noble Phantasm, though he was not quite sure how that worked. Still, if he managed to get some room, he would used his opponent's weapon against him. After all, he would never expect that.
The thing screamed, a bestial roar more than a human scream, and Shirou idly remembered how Rin told him Berserkers, when affected by mad enhancement, did not think... normally. She seemed hesitant on that part, but this... thing. It did not think. It felt. That was the only way to put it, the thing reacted with instinctual skills, skills that Shirou, had he not focused on training in both hand to hand(Foot to face, in his case), and swordsmanship, would have never been able to match. That was just in terms of skill, too.
The man moved with a... Shirou hesitated to call it a grace, but it was as close to it as an eight foot man could come. His sheer speed and agility allowed him to dance around the battlefield like a god damn ballerina. Shirou was small, and thus, more agile, but he was barely capable of match Berserker's speed, even with his full reinforcement. Even then, he lagged behind. For all his massive strength, Berserker was fast. So fast Shirou was lucky to be alive at this point.
He had already tried using Gae Bolg's special ability, but that did not even slow Heracles down. Illya proudly explained about Godhand, which made any attack lower than A rank useless. So, unless Shirou managed to Trace Nine Lives and activate it before Berserker killed him, it was over. Gae Bolg could be considered EX in terms of practicality, but in genuine ranking, it was only B, less so with the degradation which came with Tracing. He had already dismissed it after it shattered on Berserker's skin like glass, along with Kanshou and Bakuya.
Then it occurred to him. He did not have a Noble Phantasm of A rank power that he could Trace. He did, however, have A rank strength, when fully reinforced. Would it be enough? He hoped so.
Nine Lives swung back, too close to the ground for Shirou to duck this time. Instead, he jumped on it, for a split second, before jumping upward, and stretching his leg out, reinforcing himself to the max as he did so. His foot caught Berserker's chin, and for a moment, the world stopped. Berserker looked dazed, somehow, while Illya looked shocked.
Shirou immediately jumped back, pushing off of Berserker with his incredible strength. The worst part of this encounter was, unlike Lancer or Archer, Shirou did not have a single stat would was higher than Berserker's. His strength, fully reinforced, was absolutely monstrous. Berserker was twice as strong. His speed, fully reinforced, was below Lancer's. Berserker was just as fast as Lancer. His Mana, if he were a servant, would be considered less than E, as E was still ten times the average human, at least according to Rin. Despite his immense strength, speed, and durability, his magic reserves were paltry compared to even an E rank of Mana. Berserker did not have E rank Mana. He had A rank Mana. His durability at least matched Berserker's, theoretically. Though he was no longer a true Master, he could still 'see' servant stats. Berserker... was ridiculous. He had seen Saber's incredible stats, but Berserker was absolutely monstrous compared to her.
Illya giggled. "You somehow managed to daze him, congratulations. With that kick, you had me worried you killed him, but you cant do that~" The same light, mocking tone she had used before came through again.
Shirou took a second to look through his options, before realizing what he had to do. Unlike Godhand, which was based solely on Rank, rather than power, Tracing Degradation was based on power. Generally, it lowered the 'units' of whatever he traced by ten, if it were a Noble Phantasm. Nine Lives could get up to A+, in power. In Rank, it would work. In power, it would work.
Instantly, the oversized sword-axe manifested in his hand, before he swung it, calling out "Nine Lives: Blade Works" as he did so. Nine slashes, each aiming for a vital point on Berserker, shot out, seemingly at the same time. Even Shirou was amazed at the speed which the strikes occurred. He was happy to see his attack worked, seeing nine wounds appear on the giant.
Illya looked absolutely shocked at the result. "Three... Onii-chan managed to take down three lives. Incredible" Was this why Kiritsugu abandoned her? Because she was weak? This boy... was strong.
"Three lives?" Shirou asked, surprised at the drain on his reserves. Probably from fighting Archer earlier, then fighting Berserker now, without rest... combined with his Traced weapons, he should be about half empty right now, especially since he had activated two Noble Phantasms, as well as constantly reinforcing himself to stay alive with Berserker.
"Oh did I forget to mention that?" That innocent/smug expression was back on the girl's face. How she managed to pull off looking both innocent and smug, he would never know. "Godhand gives him twelve lives~ Good luck Onii-chan!" And the beast moved once more, steam rising from its body.
Shirou grit his teeth. He had just, according to Illya, killed this thing three times, what was nine more?
He Traced another copy of Nine Lives, settling into his usual dual wield stance, before pausing. He wasnt faster. He wasnt stronger. He wasnt more durable. He didnt even have more Mana than the beast before him. So he had to be smarter. Rin's conversation of Servant classes came to mind, bringing a smirk to Shirou's face.
Seeing the smirk, Illya puffed her cheeks. "Kill him Berserker!"
The great lumbering beast surged forth, the ground ripping apart from the power behind each step. Still, Shirou did not move.
'Berserker is just that. A being capable of only destruction, with no rational thought, generally.' Rin told him, back when he first learned of the war.
Even as the sword-axe descended upon him, he did not move. He idly noticed Illya bit her lip watching, a conflicted look appearing on her face. Interesting.
'therefore, to beat a Berserker, you just have to think. Berserker's very existence is to go berserk, to attack relentlessly.'
A twitch of his wrist was all it took. The Nine Lives in Berserker's hand moved just slightly, enough to miss Shirou, and embed itself into the ground. It would not stop Berserker for even a second.
'So you fight defensively, wait for an opening, then kill it.' Shirou had completed Rin's explanation, bringing a grin to her face. Trust Shirou to know anything about battle.
Still, a fraction of a second was all that was necessary.
'If an opponent is stronger than you' Taiga had once lectured him 'You can divert the blow of the blade by smacking it from the side. All the power of the blade is headed in a single direction, so batting it aside actually takes less strength, but more skill, than blocking.'
The Nine Lives in Shirou's right hand stabbed forward, aiming right for Berserker's heart, getting closer and closer, until...
The beast shot backwards with that ridiculous speed, avoiding the attack by a hair. Shirou was shocked for a brief second.
Still, a fraction of a second was all that was necessary.
Berserker mocked the same action Shirou did, confusing him. Still, Shirou sidestepped the attack, bringing his left blade up to slash Berserker's neck. Surprisingly, it connected, the blow cutting from his neck to his hip. Just deep enough to be fatal.
'Eight more' Shirou thought, focusing on the task at hand.
Berserker swung his sword-axe sideways, hoping to catch Shirou in his swing. Shirou, rather than jumping so close to Berserker, who he remembered was Heracles, who was a skilled wrestler in life, judging from the Nemean Lion, stabbed his right Nine Lives into the ground, blocking the block, though pushing Shirou away from Berserker.
For a tense moment, the two limitless beings stared at each other, before they struck. Shirou blocked, stabbed, and dodged. Berserker took all the hits, none of them yet vital, all the while swinging his weapon to kill Shirou.
Illya could hardly believe her eyes. When she learned that her Onii-chan had driven away a hostile servant, she imagined he had merely summoned a cowardly, or weak servant, like Assassin or Caster. What she did not expect was for this boy-no, this warrior, to be capable of killing Berserker FOUR times. Even that Lancer only managed to take a single life, and that was through a combination of runes and Gae Bolg, which was a Noble Phantasm.
Watching Berserker and Shirou clash was the most incredible, terrifying, and awe-inspiring thing she had ever witnessed. For each attack Berserker made, Shirou was able to block it, having the advantage of having two blades instead of one. That said, Shirou had yet to be able to make any more killing blows against Berserker, but the fact that he had lasted this long was insane. Humans werent supposed to be capable of such feats! What WAS this guy? She would have been proud of her brother, if she didnt want to kill him. Honestly, now she wanted to study him. As odd as the girl was, she knew Shirou was... different. To be able to match a servant... he either had to be a Dead Apostle Ancestor, as doubtful as it was, or he was something new, which was both promising and terrifying. THIS was the boy she was supposed to kill?
The two monsters clashed, again and again, and soon minutes passed. Illya found the two had gone on in a sort of dance, with Berserker swinging his weapon once, followed by Shirou blocking the weapon, then attacking with whatever weapon was not blocking, which Berserker dodged, then attacked again, which Shirou dodged. It continued like this for some time, before Shirou managed to land ANOTHER fatal blow, this time Tracing a third Nine Lives and kicking it right into Berserker's gut, impaling him on the weapon. Naturally, that did nothing to stop her precious Berserker, but it was still incredible. At least, it would have been fatal, had Berserker's Godhand not had time to regenerate his body, giving him an immunity to the blade, shocking Shirou.
Suddenly a voice called out "SHIROU! TEN METERS, BACK!" Illya glanced in the direction the voice came from, not registering it fast enough. Berserker also seemed distracted, probably more from his death/resurrection than the voice, but it was enough for Shirou to shove off of the ground, jumping ten meters back. Illya was glad she had decided to sit away from the fight, as she heard a world.
"EX...CALIBUR"
The world around Berserker became nothing but light, yellow and... glorious. Even though she was disappointed Berserker died again, she felt 'hope' come from that light. Still, she had to question. "Why is King Arthur a girl?" Shirou stared in the direction of the blast, the same question coming to mind, although he was not about to ask that.
Five lives... Illya decided enough was enough. "Berserker! We are leaving!" She immediately felt herself being picked up by the Hero, who, in a fit of sanity, paused, turning to Shirou, and nodding, a smile on his face. Illya's eyes widened, even as Shirou returned the gesture.
One thing was for sure. Her Onii-chan was incredible.
"Shirou!" Shirou was unsure of who said it, Sakura or Rin, but both of them hugged him as tight as they could, his weapons having already disappeared. Cuts littered his body, the very wind from Berserker's swings being enough to cut him, though not deep. Even so, he was in quite a bit of pain, but he enjoyed the hug, both for the pressure it applied to the bleeding areas and because his human nature.
Then Rin slapped him. Then Sakura slapped him. Then Saber... spoke to the bike. His bike. Like a horse. No, he was too tired for this shit.
"I probably deserved that first one, but why the second?" Shirou questioned.
"You scared me." Sakura mumbled, leaning further into him, only for him to topple over, the three of them falling into a mess on the ground.
"Ow." Shirou muttered blankly. "So... I dont think I can walk."
Sakura shared a glance with Rin, before they both used their shoulders to help him stand. "So how was your fight with Berserker?" Rin questioned.
"How did you know it was Berserker?" Shirou blinked.
This time, Rin, Saber, and Sakura gave Shirou a dull stare. "Right, stupid question. Anyway, Id say it went rather well. If I counted right, I managed to kill him four times, and Saber's Excalibur killed him once too."
Rin glanced at Shirou as if he were an idiot. "Shirou... people die when they are killed."
"And since WHEN has anyone in this town followed normal logic? We have three Magi who are more humane than most magi, one of which can generate enough Prana to match a Caster servant, one of which can physically match a Berserker class Heracles, and one who can physical outclass both Assassin and Caster, while preforming magic on a level beyond even fully grown magi. I dont think a servant with multiple lives is impossible at this point. Oh, and apparently he cant be harmed by anything less than an A rank attack. Apparently he can be dazed with enough power, but even then it just dazes him, rather than actually damages him. His stats? Everything but Luck is A, and his strength is A+. If he didnt have Mad Enhancement, I would have died faster than you could say 'Unlimited Blade Works'"
SHZZT
Shirou flinched as the words spilled from his lips before he knew what he said. Unlimited Blade Works? A world of swords entered his mind, for a brief moment, before he came back to reality. He shook his head. "I did good, I think. If Im right on this servant stat thing, Ive managed to get my strength to A rank, and my speed/endurance to B, if I used full reinforcement."
Rin sighed. "Just... be careful, okay? I dont know what I would do-with Sakura, if you died." She added the 'with Sakura' in a hurried voice, but that was probably just her pride.
Sakura chose that moment to ask a very important question. "How are we all going to fit on the motorcycle?"
They all stared at the vehicle for a moment, before Shirou flipped out his phone, dialing a certain number. "Shirou! What are you calling so late for? I know school is out today, but its almost midnight." Idly, Rin glanced at Shirou's watch, mysteriously undamaged. It was closer to eleven thirty than midnight, but that was Taiga for you.
"Hey Fuji-nee. Sorry, you know I wouldnt ask, especially so late, if I didnt need it, but Saber and Sakura need a ride, and my motorcycle wont carry them all."
"Oh alright, where are they?"
"At the corner of Hoshimura and 35th. At the field next to Wallace's Grocer."
"Alright, give me ten minutes." With her driving, it would be about three.
As Shirou closed the phone, Saber spoke up. "Master, is this wise, separating me from you? Shirou is in a weakened state, and unable to defend you."
Rin glanced at Shirou, obviously wanting his reasoning.
"Im injured, Sakura is vulnerable. Having you with me lets Saber protect Sakura, and if we get ambushed, you can summon Saber."
"Wouldnt having Saber ride with you work just as well?" Sakura spoke up.
"No, because she would try driving MY motorcycle." Saber and Shirou glared at each other, before Saber backed down, her code of honor overriding her love for the machine. Even so, Rin noticed the small pout on the Servant's face.
"Fine" Saber huffed, turning away with her arms crossed, obviously not pleased by the events.
Rin idly noted she had never been on the motorcycle with Shirou. She wondered how he drove. Sakura had gone with him a few times, when they went out of the city for special sales on rare food.
As she got on, right behind Shirou, she remembered what he said earlier. "I thought you couldnt walk?"
"Oh yeah, motorcycles dont really require much footwork compared to a car, or even walking. All I do is twist my wrist, and off we go." Shirou chuckled, obviously he loved the machine.
"Huh. I havent seen any around here." Rin noted.
"Oh, most people dont like to use them in the city. Too busy." Shirou explained.
"Ooooh I see" Rin spoke with her lazy tone. "So how do you drive, personally?"
Shirou cracked the most malicious grin she had ever seen on his face. "You are about to find out."
A minute later, they were home. Rin was clutching onto Shirou tighter than he thought possible, frightened by the 300mph speeds. Considering his reflexes were at least thirty times a normal human's, without reinforcement, he felt safe doing it. His bike, having been upgraded from the spare parts the Yakuza he helped had given him, could reach even faster speeds, especially if he bothered to reinforce it. Even so, with Rin disliking cars, and rarely having moved faster than footspeed, it was no surprise the girl was frightened.
Shirou finally pried her off of him, watching her stand on wobbly legs. He suppressed a laugh at that. The big bad magus, scared of high speeds. Berserker moved faster than that motorcycle, for god's sake. He couldnt fault her though. The first time he reinforced his speed, he was even worse.
As they walked through his door, Rin collapsed onto the floor. A few minutes later, when Sakura and Saber arrived, Rin asked Sakura "How do you handle his driving?"
Sakura looked bewildered. "Havent you ever been in a car? Senpai only goes the speed limit."
"And how fast is the speed limit?"
"Sixty kilometers an hour, fourty in the city."
Rin glared at Shirou, whose smirk was not helping his innocence. "You bastard."
Shirou just shrugged with a smile. Today was a good day. Two fun fights, and he had a new favorite weapon to dual-wield.
AN: Holy hell I could not stop on this one. I promised a fight with Berserker and by the time I finished that, it was almost 10k. Whew
Edit: One of my friends reminded me about the third effect of godhand, that is to become immune to attacks that have killed him before. My bad, every time I read anything about it, everyone put 'resistance'.
That being said... a few things. Yes, Shirou is above normal human limits. Im rather sure that has been stated. Shirou's ability to go beyond human limits WILL be answered, just be patient. Revealing it now would be both tacky and boring, as well as destroy a plot point. And yes, Nine Lives IS A Noble Phantasm... check out the wiki, or Berserker's stat sheet. How was Saber summoned? In a shack. Which held the same summoning circle from her last summoning. As well as a motorcycle she used. As well as the suit she wore. With Rin utterly lacking any real conduit, as her necklace was not with her (Why WOULD it be? She is visiting a friend, not showing off her /lackof/wealth.
To be absolutely clear, yes, Shirou's base parameters are well above and beyond human limits. Human limits, to my understanding, are 1/10th of E rank. Why is Shirou so much stronger than other humans? Be patient and find out. All will be revealed with time.