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The following is a fan-based
FICTION
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Chapter 20: Chariot (3)
Birds were chirping eagerly and a calm breeze was in the cool air as it filled the urban scenery when Shirou Emiya first left the car Kiritsugu had rented in Tokyo, his attention directed at the familiar sight of home's entrance gates.
He took a small intake of air, eyes wide open and brightly glowing as a smile was perched on his face revealed his genuinely happy mood.
His reaction could easily be confused as mere nostalgia, but the fact that he was back in Fuyuki meant that… things were going to be safer now.
Or at least that was ignoring the threat created by that priest, Kirei Kotomine, and what was going on with the dangerous construct known as the 'Holy Grail'.
Still, the reason behind is relief was that now he was back to his home, a little haven from the issues that had plighted him in what had initially been planned as a simple trip around Europe.
The girls were quick to disembark too, everyone was there except for Taiga. The brunette had been left back to her grandfather's compound because Raiga had requested her to return there.
Pouting and sporting an annoyed grimace, the Fujimura was quick to rush within the set of buildings after waving at the retreating car driven by the older Emiya.
The girl promised that she would then visit a little later, once she was done 'defusing' the absurd mess of used clothes and magazines contained within her baggage.
A feat that was sure going to take her some time since the redhead had taken just a glance at the problem itself and knew of the full extent of such task, which would even take possibly hours to accomplish and by that time it would have been dinner time, thus denying the brunette any chance of coming to visit.
That is if one considered the Tiger of Fuyuki a normal human being to waste that much time on the difficult deed, surely pulling some impressive feat by safely getting this situation… even worse for herself once she had to return once again home.
And while this amusing situation unfolded and he joined the collective effort of pulling the bags and the rest of the luggage off from the car's trunk while Kiritsugu prepared to properly park the vehicle for the time being.
The man was oddly quiet, even quieter than the day before and Shirou wouldn't be lying in saying that he was more than unnerved by the former mercenary's attitude.
The flight that took them to Tokyo was equally silent and uneventful, with the Gamer deciding to check upon his stats after what had happened back in the Castle.
He had to wait for the entire entourage to fall asleep, with Illya being the one sitting on the seat beside his and falling asleep with a hand squeezing at one of his.
The girl had been quite nervous of experiencing flying for the first time and, while Kiritsugu had more that happily offered to be there for him, the man was denied as his daughter decided to 'stay by her little prince'.
Ignoring the brief but incredibly murderous glance appearing on his step-father's face, an expression that promised a slow and painful death for depriving him of the long-wanted father-daughter moment with Illya, the minutes prior the take off were spent getting the Einzbern to calm down over the noises coming from the large plane.
Her uneasiness was then vaporized when the flight began and the noises lessened to a comfortable pitch. The girl had been surprised at the sudden development, but soon her surprise became calm when she was told it was the plane finally going in the air.
She glimpsed from her little window, her short stature offering just a limited look through the glass and her red eyes had widened in awe at what she was looking at.
Moments passed and her awe increased at the presence of fluffy clouds passing by the plane, mesmerizing the child for several minutes… until the first yawn came by.
Tiredness was acceptable as sleep was preferable considering the long flight before them. The girls stayed awake for some time but then, one by one they all went to catch some 'little naps' to keep up their strengths.
Being afar from where Kiritsugu was sitting, the redhead was finally offered his chance to finally check on his Stat Menu and… he was shocked of the resulting noise coming from some boxes.
The boy could still remember when he heard the unusual bell sound that had popped out after he had thought of the command, drawing numerous windows at once and giving him quite the surprise and shock.
DING! 'Grand Quest: Tutorial Arc' has been bypassed!
DING! 'Quest: The Lost Girl' has been completed!
Rewards:
-25000 Yen;
- New Routes Opened: Caren, Taiga, Gray, Illya Routes unlocked;
- Improved Closeness with Kiritsugu Emiya (Step-son);
- Improved Closeness with Taiga Fujimura (Surrogate Otouto);
- Improved Closeness with Gray Pendragon (Little, Noble Guardian);
- Improved Closeness with Caren Hortensia (Childhood Friend);
- Improved Closeness with Illyasviel with Einzbern (Step-brother);
- Improved Closeness with Leysritt von Einzbern (Young Master and Friend);
- Improved Closeness with Sella von Einzbern (Young Master);
[Status]
Name: Shirou Emiya
Title: The Gamer
Age: 7
Level 15 – Exp: 56,78%
Health Points (HP) : 750/750
Mana Points (MP) : 1500/1500 (60 MP per Min)
Attributes
POW: 32
INT: 30
AGI: 36
WIS: 30
VIT: 37
CHA: 25
LUK: 26
Skills
Gamer Body (LVL Max.) - Congratulations, your body had been turned into one influenced by the rules of the Game Module. This Skill is present in all Users from the very beginning.
Unbreakable Willpower (LVL Max.) - The hardships of your life had been making you stronger than the average human being. Risk of Possession and Mind Control are reduced by the 75%.
Noble Soul (LVL Max.) - Having experienced the worst trauma, you know the pain and sufferings of others. Your Soul is brave and determined enough to let you become whatever you wish.
Charged Attack (LVL. 8/10) - Deliver a powerful strike against your opponent! The ATK is determined by STR*5! (Cost: 40MP)
Fake Concept of the First Magic (Sword 1 of 4) - The ability to recreate from nothing but the mere memory a Sword-Type blade, your Origin and Element aid you to the task of perfectly copying the essence of the object. Creation cost is 40MP for each blade, 4MP/s the maintaining cost. (Currently limited to non-legendary objects.)
Traits
Natural Prodigy (Cooking) - You are incredibly proficient in cooking, it is in your blood. Food prepared by your hands receive a 25% Boost to their HP recovery rate.
Sword Proficiency (Rookie) - You have grasped the basic notions of swordmanship and can use it in a fight. Your stats receive a 15% Boost when using a Sword-Type weapon.
Bow Proficiency (Rookie) - You have grasped the basic notions of Bowmanship and can use it in a fight. Your stats receive a 15% Boost when using a Bow-Type weapon.
Things have… improved a lot since he had left Fuyuki.
With the presence of some Quests, the fight at the Castle and the temporary stay of Archer, he gained more power and experience over the world around him.
He was more aware of the dangers, the means to counter them and… the growing need to continue down this road for the sake of protecting others.
While before he had but just a brief understanding of the threats he would have to eventually deal with, Kotomine being far tamer compared to anything he had seen until now, his perception of things was more methodical, more… cynical.
Shirou wouldn't go as far as to consider himself emotionless, far from it.
It was just the way he would 'greet' beings and objects around him that was different, from trustful to uncertain and careful.
His paranoia was evident, but so was his sense of control over it from not going overboard.
With Merlin's words still ringing in his ears and with the terribly-confusing aftermath of his 'fight' against the Golem, the young Emiya was brought before the fact that superior powers were indeed involved with whatever was going on.
Something was changing from the past easygoing pace of life, gone was the calm before the approaching storm and…
The boy was unsure how to react to it all and that left him at unease over everything.
He was cautious enough to not show any of this restlessness, taking the happy moments with the brightest of reactions and-
"Shirou," Kiritsugu spoke quietly as he walked inside the front door.
The child's eyes blinked twice, his mind returning right at the task at hand and… he had just finished to drop one of the bags back to the living room.
A little humming developing from his throat as he continued with the mechanic work of bringing out bags and settling them by the living room, only for the two former Einzbern maids to come and help the girls to set those in the respective rooms prepared for the new inhabitants of the Emiya household.
The dark-haired man closed the door behind him and nodded. "We need to talk."
Eyes widening and body tensing, Shirou had then expected a Round Two of what had happened during their last day in Germany but, surprisingly enough, the adult merely took a seat by the table and gestured the child to follow his example.
The redhead complied at the request, uneasiness replaced by confusion as there was none of the strange cold stares the man had shown in that ugly situation.
Instead of being the subject of that conversation, the boy ended up discovering that the topic was still important and essential to discuss.
It was natural for Kiritsugu to ask now that the girls were busy with preparing their new rooms, offering them the time to speak about future plans about their mutual target.
"Kirei Kotomine, you have seen him," He pointed out, giving color to what was going to be the main theme of the conversation. "The priest, what do you think of him?"
The question was simple but the boy could see the not-so subtle implication about it.
How much dangerous is he?
"He is very calm," Shirou admitted with a slow pace. "But…"
He paused, what was he supposed to tell the man? That he knew that Kotomine was dangerous and to avoid at all costs?
"But?" The older Emiya pressed him to continue.
"I think he is… hiding something," The boy replied cautiously. "He seems to behave strangely around Aoi-san."
"Aoi Tohsaka?" The man asked quickly, before shaking his head. "The woman still lives? What about her daughter?"
He knew about Rin? How much did Kiritsugu knew about the Tohsaka family and why would-
The Holy Grail War.
The connection was slowly forming up, the conflict taking place in Fuyuki and the last event had taken place several weeks ago… right by the time Rin's father had died and her mother had become like that.
Kiritsugu had been part of the competition as the Einzbern Master and… then things turned blurry.
The Gamer wasn't fully documented over what had happened in the days during the War, but he was sure that by seeing the dark-haired man's face steeling at the mere mentioning of Kirei Kotomine, the priest wasn't supposed to be alive after what had happened.
A multitude of theories drowned down on his mind but without any major hints the young Emiya couldn't certainly draw any certainty over this shady situation.
Soon the discussion resumed, with Kiritsugu questioning Shirou about the details he knew of the still-alive Kotomine. Nothing worrying at first as the adult was keeping things low-toned as to not gain the attention of anyone still busy with the rooms-preparation.
Then the bomb was dropped and… the boy was unprepared for what his ears were to be subjected.
"Shirou, I wish you do something for me, something about your… friend," The man began with a simple tone, catching the redhead's attention with the sudden request. "Next time you see Rin, I wish that you offer her to spend some time at hour home. And you may also extend an invitation to dinner and for a sleepover too."
It seemed quite normal from a simple point of view, but knowing how complicated Kiritsugu was, Shirou slowly realized what was going on and-
-One life for Another-
Time Limit: Unlimited
Kirei Kotomine is too dangerous to be left alive. Still, you aren't ready to face someone as dangerous and powerful as the priest and… sometimes sacrifices are a must.
Reward
-Rin is Saved-
-Title: Hero of Justice-
-Aoi's Route is Permanently Closed-
-50.000 EXP-
Failure or Refused
-Your Fate is Sealed-
Accept?
Y/N
What? N-No! This can't be it!
The boy's face flashed a worried look, his mind picking the smiling face of the green-haired lady, the one that was the one suffering the most and, if he had to assume from Kiritsugu's subtlety and the new quest info…
He couldn't do it. He wouldn't do it!
Without hesitation, the Gamer refused the Quest, setting himself a limit for himself.
The Game was powerful and it was indeed offering him the chance of growing to become a true hero but…
What kind of Hero would just sacrifice someone so easily?
He then remembered the words of the curious blonde back in that dream, the one that accepted the hardships of her path to become a hero and paid heavy consequences.
Would he suffer too? Of course, he almost facepalmed at the uncertainty and he came to a solid realization from the look present in Kiritsugu's face.
While Shirou was unwilling to sacrifice the frail life of Aoi Tohsaka…
Kiritsugu Emiya wasn't going to take chances with Kirei Kotomine, even if it meant orphaning someone close to his step-son.
Meanwhile, near to where the Emiya Household is…
From the dim-light coming from his old but trusty lamp, another boy sighed as he continued with his homework in partial silence.
Tiredness was evident in his face and his glasses were starting to drop low by his nose as the child continued with the most draining task possible.
The papers in his desk weren't something related to school, that kind of preparation homework had been dealt with mere hours earlier.
No, his attention was drawn by the peculiar lecture that his father had left him to finish, a follow-up to the previous tome he had been supplied for his secondary studies over the arts of his family.
The book was old, written by one of the earliest ancestors and founders of the family he was part of, a parting gift to his children before he ventured through Death.
English letters were forming somewhat familiar words, some being still used in the current disposition of the language while a minority being fairly archaic and difficult to understand without some dictionary of Old English.
His father had been kind enough to also give this to him with the tome, instructing him to continue with a pace that best suited with his age and didn't hinder on his pursue of happiness.
Strange words considering the primary role of their family, this attitude being rather… odd compared to the other groups he had known of from Britain.
Yet the boy couldn't just spend time mindlessly think about the past, his present being far too important and demanding to be pushed aside for some remembrance.
With his siblings either napping or playing around the living room, the dark-haired youth was left to conclude another session of careful translations and analysis of the spellcraft described by the papers.
As the only male child of the Ainsworth Family, Julian wasn't truly forced to follow some of the strict rules imposed by the London-based society, he wasn't even the official heir to the house.
That role was well-taken by the eldest of the children sired by Zachary and Artemisia Ainsworth, Angelica Ainsworth.
He sighed at the mere mentioning of his older sibling, considering the fact that she wasn't currently in Japan like their father had wanted.
Deciding to spend some time in France to compete in some regional fencing spars, the blonde had preferred to keep staying there for the time being with their mother, Artemisia being more than supportive of the ambitions of her daughter.
Still, the temporary separation had left quite the disgruntled bunch around to bemoan the situation, Beatrice being the one having taken the worst out of that unexpected decision.
The adopted girl had been more close to Angelica rather than with Julian, the reasoning being that the first few days within the family were spent under the care and lead of the blonde.
The redhead was attached to the boy too, but between the two oldest children the always-smiling girl would pick Angelica.
Erika was influenced too but her mood was mostly stabilized by the fact her big brother was still play around to her heart's content.
The energetic rambunctious child was fiercely attached to Julian, testament of such connection being how the little girl had openly refused going to France with her mother and big sister.
The surprising choice gave relief to Zachary, the man enjoying spending more time with his family rather than dealing with the 'pesky' paperwork regarding the family status within the Clockwork society.
The Magus Association might be divided in three grand factions, but even the Barthomeloi-led group was the worst-organized. Numerous noble families squabbling for the feeblest advantage they could gather from espionage, powerplays and duels.
And that jarring setting was a strong enough reason for Julian's father to decide to move out of Europe and settle in… Japan.
The large distance had been shocking for the boy, especially considering the culture shock he was still dealing with the other members of the family, but Zachary's plan wasn't truly simple as he made it seem.
The plan itself lived by two conditions.
The first one is that their relocation to the place where the three grand families that created the Holy Grail would provide some shelter away from the vultures back by their former home while also allowing some chances to broaden the knowledge of the family itself.
The second condition was quite… doubt-inducing.
Julian had just recently tapped into his father's recent past, the man describing some of his youthful adventures to Erika as night-tales and sometimes he would digress to add some details that not even the boy had been aware of.
The detail in question, the one that brought him no little uneasiness over the current setting of their new home, was that Zachary wanted to score a favor with someone he had saved years ago.
It had been purely casual, even the patriarch of the clan had to admit that the dumb luck involved in scoring a debt to the infamous character living just down the road was more than a small fragment of the story.
Kiritsugu Emiya, the Magus Killer, the monster that chased and killed some of the most powerful Magus all over the world.
So much blood dripped off the little tales his father would give away about the gritty man, but Julian was smart enough to see where some sugar-coating had been applied.
It was difficult to stomach the fact that this former mercenary, now retired right in this city, was supposed to guarantee for their safety during their stay in Japan.
The stay wasn't given a limit of time, Zachary being unsure if it would be convenient to even consider a return to London.
Too much politics, too little time with the family…
It was annoying, but now that his father was here to help, his studies had seen an immediate growth in pace thanks to the presence of the experienced Magus.
Julian was fairly close to grasp the theoretical extent of the Flash Air, the magecraft being the one the family was mostly specialized in, but there was also a minority which Zachary was part of that believed in the well-being of the body and promoted physical enchantments for the sake of creating the pure stability and balance required by their unique specialization.
But while his mind and will were directed at the papers in front of him, a small distraction that has been going in his head for a while now was starting to gain more importance the more he thought about it.
The Magus Killer had been absent while they had settled down in Fuyuki, giving his father time to think how to best interact with the Emiya without being harmed in the process, but Zachary had informed the entire family that the man had returned… with his own family.
To imagine someone as gruesome as Kiritsugu Emiya dragging around some heavy bags back to his home while a pack of young girls rushed to do the same… Julian couldn't help but snort at the sight.
The Boogeyman of the Magus Association was rendered a simple family-man and the sight was granted when his father had called him to look at the scene unfolding.
He had seen the situation happening before his eyes and the amusing mood was then replaced by genuine curiosity and interest.
In that multitude of girls, a young boy that looked to be as old as Julian was calmly walking with his own bags back to the large house.
Surprise had stirred at the idea that the fellow child was the son of the Magus Killer, intrigue and interest mixing at the conclusion that he might end up having to meet him somehow while living there.
With Julian enrolled to the local school, Homurahara Academy, it was bound for him to happen to encounter the red-haired boy in one of the classes, even though they couldn't be sharing the same.
Numerous were the thoughts about this curious development, but still what truly jumped to his attention was the expression present in the youth's face.
He was thinking about something… deep. Something important, something that burdened him and…
That was intriguing to the core much to his surprise.
Maybe it was the fact that he had been holed up in the new house for some days now, or that he merely craved some more social contacts with people his age that weren't his siblings.
Erika and Beatrice were good companions to talk, have fun and play, but then again he wouldn't mind having some friends of his own to spend his time with.
It was a childish demand, but he was a child so…
Maybe he could try to approach the fellow boy. Who knows, maybe he would prove to be an interesting companion to have around.
AN
Here is the update, my giddy mood has dried out today for personal reason and… Do you believe in Gravity?
Some info about the Ainsworth: They are all normal Magus, no Dolls. Beatrice was orphaned by an earthquake and was adopted in the family at the age of five; Erika is not Pandora, but a little girl the same age as Caren. Julian is going to be important and… Angelica will have a fun part in the future arcs.
A major difference compared to the first draft: In the first version of the story, Miyu was supposed to have been adopted too in the Ainsworth family, but now her role has been shifted and her importance has been elevated. Expect some minor Kaleid Liner vibes of the Dark Souls kind (I'm referring to the Movie kind of creeps).
For FF readers: Last Update, instead of producing a chapter, I went back to some of the earlier chapters and fixed most of the mistakes, polished some of the wording and expanded those. Yep, Chapter 2 and 3 have been expanded.
P a treon . com (slash) socialistbukharin
k o-fi . com (slash) justbukharin
REVIEW Q&A!
Paxloria: Kiritsugu is planning something like that, just not anytime soon. After the first attempt, he will be cautious enough to not joke around. Without more info about Shirou's conditions and the full extent of his unknown ability, it's fair to assume he would hesitate from going too direct after the first time. The reason why Shirou isn't going to tell Kiritsugu is based on the fact that he doesn't trust Kerry. As much as they both mean well in the end, they are unaware of their true colors and the general distrust warrants some unwillingness from both parts to open up. They can cooperate against Kotomine and Zouken, but in the end their trust is still far from opening up to each other. Also Kiritsugu's conditions can't be healed via Game as this isn't an overpowered system (yet) and the current reach can't do anything about the curses inflicted by Angra Mainyu so no solutions for Kerry's plight rn, maybe in the future…