The War

The cart trundled down the road and Shirou was walking beside it, contemplating his adventure so far. When he saw Rin or Sakura he would want to tell it properly. There was an awful amount of travelling in it compared to the grail war but it still had some high points.

A lot of it was fighting bandits but there were stories like the golden lion god that were interesting.

Shirou was considering other high points as the cart and the procession came to a halt, when he looked up to see what it was he was shocked. Their way was not blocked by bandits but by soldiers.

One of the soldiers, a captain or other leader of the small group of soldiers stepped forward. Shirou didn't recognise the crest on his armour so it was likely he wasn't a party sent by Tepet to protect them. The leader of the soldiers began speaking a language he didn't know and now wish he had learned.

Nereth's servant spoke up and said something in the same language and the leader looked shocked before glancing around the group with the cart as if looking for someone. Eventually his eyes stopped at Shirou who he considered for a moment, he said something and Nereth's servant responded in an affirmation.

The soldier straightened up before speaking in high realm "In the name of house Mnemon we are seizing this cart and all who are with it," he glanced again at Shirou before continuing "No one will be harmed if they don't resist."

He considered the soldiers, there were 25 of them and in theory he could use his noble phantasms to beat all of them. He debated with himself on whether that was safe but eventually thought better of it. People on both would die if they fought now using that much power. Nereth's warning spoke again in his memory "People will target you if they know what you can do."

Shirou thought of something, it was stupid and unlikely to work but it seemed as if people in this land would keep a promise if they got something out of it. He wasn't about to give away the treasure that wasn't his however, he would pretend he was but use a treasure of his own.

"How about a wager?" Shirou asked as he held out his hand "You vs me in a sword fight, if you win I come quietly and you get the card, if I win we get to go along to our intended destination unhampered by you."

The commander considered before eventually nodding but he added "of course if we lose there will come more after us." Shirou winced at that, if there were more coming then they would trade information, the next one might simply refuse the duel.

The commander had agreed however so Shirou raised his new sword and the duel began.

The fight was fast, Shirou attacked first by getting in close and making a wide slash towards the soldier's belly. The attack was parried and the soldier stepped back to cut overhead. Shirou got out of the way, considering his next move.

Eventually Shirou got one, it was risky but it might work. He couldn't use a skill properly without holding the noble phantasm it comes from but he had learned. He was unable to use the full skill but 30% is enough.

Shirou jumped back and took up a stance of preparation, the soldier knew that if he got within striking range without a plan he would lose. A plan was formed, the soldier would circle around the boy quickly to attack from the rear. He ran towards Shirou before sliding to the left, stepping within a short distance he could use to land the last strike.

Shirou was faster however "Fake Nine Lives; Three lives", Shirou's sword flashed out. Leg, Arm, Throat. The soldier's leg was cut and bleeding, the opposite arm was broken and Shirou now had a blade to the soldier's throat.

The soldier laughed and called out "Well done, we will leave you alone. for now." Shirou sheathed his sword and walked over to the cart.

Shirou's party moved on. The commander watched them leave with a slight smile before telling his men "Send word to the next scale, if you duel the boy you will lose so find a different way to obtain his surrender."

Shirou was once again sitting in the cart, he was again considering his new sword.

Yes it wasn't that impressive even considering some of the weaker and cheaper noble phantasms but it would have to do.

His Unlimited Blade Works was a copy of Archers, it was not made by him. That is important as it shows another reason why he now didn't want to have to overuse Unlimited Blade Works.

It was after the battle against the fairies that he noticed, his Unlimited Blade Works had a flaw. Archer had created it as one who followed the absolute path of the hero as Archer had travelled that path a long way before mastering it, even when he started to hate the idea that was still the path he followed. Archer was a counter guardian who saved the majority at the cost of the minority, even has he cursed that path he didn't waver.

Shirou was different, he had chosen a different route as the grail war ended. Shirou was a hero who would save those he loved then try and save the majority. He was a selfish hero.

At first this had been fine, for a long time it looked like Unlimited Blade Works was unaffected by the change, the problem was that the flaw was growing slowly like a pothole in the road.

Shirou's Unlimited Blade Works was breaking, the most he could do to hold off the damage would be to never use it in full and to only trace when he had too.

Thus even as he disliked the sword it was still better than his soul collapsing.

End of chapter

Fake nine lives is completely non-magical, in Exalted terms it's just a flurry.

For the UBW stuff may I direct you to the scene in heaven's feel where Shirou has archers arm and says "Unlimited blade works can't be used, my internal world is too different from Archers"

Shirou noticed the problems after the fey as that was the first time since the end of the war he had used UBW (As the fey were in a chaotic space there is a chance that if he had used it in creation proper it would have just broken)