U.A's Magus-0
Contest Entry Prologue for Alex-Keller's writing contest: Route 1, small changes.
Pain, that was all Shirou felt, as he regained consciousness. Pain was coursing through him, like he had just been hit by a truck. In a way, Shirou guessed that he had been. Pain seemed to rocket through his side, as he remembered the events that transpired, leading up to when he blacked out.
As he picked himself up, keeping himself steady against the wall he had been leaning on, Shirou began pondering what could have happened. He wasn't anywhere near the temple anymore, and his clothes felt baggy like they belonged on someone older and bigger than him. Not to mention they were torn, and stain with his blood, but that wasn't anything new, since he sustained that damage during the fight against the King of Babylonia.
"Gilgamesh, the Holy Grail, Illya. They're all gone." He said, feeling sorrow for the last name he spoke, as Illya had her heart torn from her body by the King of Kings. "Wait, Saber, Rin. Are they all right, did they make it out okay?"
"They're fine young hero I can assure you."
Despite the pain racking his body, Shirou was still able to jump back and hit the edge of a dumpster, as a man in a black trenchcoat with silvery white hair, and a goatee, with red eyes, was standing behind him. Under the trenchcoat the man looked to be wearing a suit and tie, one that would be far too expensive for Shirou to purchase, even if he saved up a years-worth of paychecks from work.
"Calm yourself young hero." The man said. "There's no need to be alarmed."
"Who are you?" Shirou asked, ready to pull out the married blades, but couldn't as he still felt his Prana reserves were drained.
"My name is Zelretch, I'm a friend so to speak an, allay if you will, I fight for humanity." He said. "Though, I'm not exactly someone you'd call human. Not anymore at least."
"Where am I, where are Saber and Rin, are they safe?" Shirou questioned, using the dumpster to keep himself standing.
"They are safe, I assure you. Though there was an issue after you defeated Gilgamesh, and I had to, intervene a bit to save your life. Which is quite the coincidence actually, since we're somewhere that needs your help as well." Zelretch said.
"Where exactly?" Shirou questioned.
"We're in an alternate dimension. In this world, on this Earth, the Holy Grail War never exceeded past the first war, and died out, as the Grail itself was completely obliterated, not even a remnant of its power remained." Zelretch stated, bemused by the shocked look on Shirou's face. "I am one of the very, VERY, few magus who have managed to master Second Magic. As such, I have the ability to travel between, to, and from, alternate dimensions."
"If you've managed to reach a state so powerful, couldn't you help this world on your own without having to drag me away from my own?" Shirou questioned.
"Ah, there's the defining point I was waiting for you to ask about." Zelretch stated. "Unfortunately even though I'm all powerful, similarly to the Holy Grail, I am forbidden to directly interfere with the quarrels of other worlds. But, there's nothing that forbids me from choosing a champion to meddle in my place."
"Wait, you chose me for that position?" Shirou questioned. "Why, there surely must be others, who are more qualified than I?"
"True, there are people I considered who are a lot stronger than you, there was a young girl with a demon nine tailed fox I thought might help from this one dimension where the world evolved to be a world of ninjas instead of what Japan is today, but I reconsidered given how much of a pain it would be for me to clean up her mess, if she lost control of her temper and let the demon take over. No, I chose you, not because of the amount of power you have, but because of the size of your heart." Zelretch said placing a hand on Shirou's shoulder.
"My heart?" Shirou questioned.
"Indeed my boy." Zelretch smiled softly. "Despite what your future-self, told you, there was still a piece of him that held onto the dream of becoming the world's hero. You never lost that spark, and if I'm being honest. It reminds me of myself when I was about your age."
"So, what am I supposed to do in this world?" Shirou asked.
"You won't have to worry about money, the currency is still the same in Japan on this Earth as it is on ours. But I would recommend practicing caution. In this world there's a power known as a Quirk, and 80% of the population has one, so be careful. You can pass off your power as a Quirk, so long as you don't use a reality marble." Zelretch explained.
"Couldn't use one even if I wanted to. Rin's power was what allowed me to create one when fighting against Gilgamesh." Shirou said.
"Ah yes, my prodigy's daughter. A shame what happened to her father really, what with him being stabbed in the back, literally, by that bastard of a priest and Gilgamesh. Framing it on that poor young man who just wanted to help Rin's sister. But, such is fate." Zelretch sighed reaching into his trenchcoat. "I must be on my way, I've spent too much time here already, but before I go, take this." He said pulling out a familiar ruby pendant.
"That's Rin's pendant isn't it?" Shirou questioned holding out his hand for Zelretch to put it in.
"Indeed it is. She snuck it into your coat pocket before the fight, it fell out when you were fighting Gilgamesh. So I grabbed it. Now I really must be off. Though I'm sorry to say, I can't help you with living arrangements, or money. All you've got to your name now is this pendant, and the small amount of Yen you do have." Zelretch said.
"I figured it wouldn't be that easy." Shirou sighed putting the pendant on. "Will I ever return to my world?"
"When the crisis here is averted then yes, I'll be able to bring you back. But I cannot tell you how long it will take. Your presence here changes things, so be careful. Oh an' sorry about stretching out your clothes, that kind of fabric doesn't tend to do well in the slip-zone between time and space." Zelretch said, before disappearing in a wisp of smoke.
"Now time to figure out where, here, actually is." Shirou said, limping his way out of the alley. "Damn Zelretch, couldn't have done something to heal my injuries before you left?"
As Shirou made it out of the streets, he saw that he was in a shopping district. He looked around, the streets were mostly empty, aside from a few people. He sighed as he tried to stand up as best as he could, passing by some who were out and about doing their daily shopping. Letting those who asked him if he was all right, that he'd be fine.
"I really need to find a job, and a place to stay until I can get on my own two feet." Shirou said, before the echoing sound of an explosion came from across the street in another alley, as the ground rumbled, and a crowd formed.
Shirou, having his hero complex, decided to go check it out. Pushing himself through the crowd, Shirou saw in the alley, a monster made of green sludge, resembling sewage. To his right, a young petite girl with green shoulder length hair, wearing a black sailor's uniform stood beside him, clutching tight to a slightly charred notebook, that he could read off the cover said, Hero Notes for the Future #13. Judging by the uniform, Shirou would have to guess that she was in middle school, third year at most. The young girl looked mortified looking at the monsters.
'Hero notes? I'll have to do research about that later.' Shirou thought. As he was about to jump into the fray, and fight the sludge monster, he noticed something odd, like something was struggling inside he villain's liquid body.
"Why aren't the Heroes doing anything to stop it?" He heard a civilian ask.
'Heroes? Do the people of this world use their Quirks as a profession to fight against those who would use their power for harm? If so, then Zelretch really picked one hell of a world for me to help in.' Shirou thought.
"Apparently the villain took a hostage, some middle schooler kid. Young girl to." Another civilian answered. "The villain is forcing her into using her own Quirk to keep the heroes at bay."
Shirous eyes widened as his pupils shrank, hearing this. Someone was struggling against that monster's hold on them, and she was being forced to fight those who were trying to save her. Looking closely, he could see the ashen blonde hair and the half covered face, of the villain's hostage, her eyes filled with fear, horror, and pain, the look in them, pleading for anyone to come save her.
Before he could do anything to go and try to help the hostage. The young green haired girl beside him dropped her notebook, and made a mad dash through the crowd, and past the heroes there at the scene, running straight for the villain.
"No you idiot." A rather large muscular hero shouted at her. "Stop you're gonna get yourself killed."
'Does she have a Quirk that can help? Given the society I've seen so far, there might be strict regulations about using one's power in combat, I don't have time to contemplate this.' Shirou thought as he saw the girl throw her bag at the villain, distracting it as something flew into its eye actually hurting it.
"KACCHAN." The girl shouted, as she began scrapping against the villain's body, as the hostage's mouth was freed, allowing her to breath.
"What the hell, why are you here?" Kacchan asked, their voices carrying over to Shirou without a problem.
"I don't know. My legs, they just started, moving." The green haired girl said. "Kacchan. I couldn't just stand there and watch you die."
'She jumped in without giving any thought to her own safety, only concerned about her friend. Her body just moved on its own.' Shirou thought as he began reaching deep inside him. 'My Prana reserves aren't even close to being back to full capacity, but I still have Rin's Crest, which has helped to speed up my Prana's restoration rate. I should have enough for a single spell, two if a spread my Prana thin enough.'
As the crest on his shoulder began to glow, Shirou leapt through the crowd and over the heroes, pushing himself as fast as he could with his Prana powered legs. He thought about using the married blades, but his mind quickly shifted gears when he saw the villain was about to strike the green haired girl down, and decided to go for a more defensive approach.
"Trace On." Shirou shouted, creating a shield on his right arm, before he grabbed the girl by the back of her uniform and pulled her behind him to the ground, taking the attack that should have his the girl he just protected. His legs were still empowered with Prana, keeping him firmly standing on the ground against the villain's attack, but it was draining fast.
"Another one?" The villain questioned. "You're being annoying, get lost."
"I won't let you hurt them." Shirou said, grabbing the ashen blonde girl by the arm, and with the last ounce of Prana he could muster, pulled the girl from the villains grasp, and to the ground behind him.
Seeing Kacchan was free, the green haired girl took her by the hand and helped her up.
"Get out of here." Shirou said, struggling to push against the pressing arm of the villain.
"What about you?" The green haired girl asked.
"JUST GO." Shirou shouted.
Before either girls could say anymore, another attack from the sludge villain came up around the other side, hitting Shirou in the back, knocking him off his feet, and slamming him into the concrete wall to his right. The impact of the hit, had caused Shirou to cough up blood, and his vision became hazy as both girls came to his side shouting if he was okay.
"Go… get out of here." Shirou wheezed out, with a small smile, touched by how they were concerned for a complete stranger they didn't even know. He was drained of Prana, and he was pretty sure that attack from the villain caused a rib to break and puncture one of his lungs.
"Times up kiddies." The villain slithering upon them. "I'll take any one of you three to be my meat suit."
"You monster." The green haired girl shouted.
"Shut up Deku." Kacchan shouted getting in front of them her face a deep scowl of anger. "I want you to just stay there, and don't try to fight. I'll protect the both of you."
"No. I'll… I'll fight to. Even if I'm Quirkless." Deku said, as she raised herself to her feet, on shaky legs. "I won't just stand by, and watch someone in trouble."
"Brave talk for a couple of kids, but I've grown tired of you, I think I'll take the redhead as a meat suit instead of you." The villain smirked, raising one arm high up into the air. "Which means, the two of you are gonna die." He shouted throwing his arm down, the impact of it causing a gust of wind to blow around them, and bring up a cloud of dust.
"I really am pathetic." A mighty, respect demanding voice said.
As the dust and smoke cleared, Shirou forced himself to painfully look up and see the man who had saved them. Standing there, having taken the attack without being moved an inch, was a giant of a man, with a bright smile on his face, his blonde hair slicked back, and two bangs up like antenna on his head.
"All Might." Deku gasped in seeing him. "But…"
"I told you the traits to make a great, champion." All Might said, pushing back against the villain, sounding a bit strained. "But I see now I wasn't living up to my own ideal." He declared, breaking the hold the villain had on his arm, and pulling it back, ready to strike the villain back. "Pros are always risking their lives, that's the true test of a hero." He shouted, blood spraying out of his mouth.
"Damn you All Might." The villain said, preparing to strike with another swing.
"DEROIT: SMASH." All Might shouted, throwing his punch.
The force behind the blow put Shirou in awe, as he witnessed the display of strength, as the wind force behind the strike not only splattered the villain everywhere, it also doused the fires, and caused a tornado, changing the weather and causing it to rain like it already had been for hours. Not even Berserker had been that strong. The last thing he saw before he blacked out from pain, was the smiling man, standing tall, one of his arms raised into the air, signifying victory against the villain.
'All Might?' He questioned as he fell unconscious with a small smile on his face. 'Seems like… I might have a hero to look up to… once more…'