Author's Note: Apparently there has been an issue with 3rd party apps regarding Updates, Reviews and everything relative to that. It has slowed me down somewhat but not by much. Most of the delay was due to Holidays. This chapter was originally over 10k words (a new record for me tbh) but I felt the pacing was better when split in two parts. This is going to be either a double upload, or a really quick update depending on my screwed up sleep schedule. Anyways, enjoy.
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Shirou Emiya was an observant child by nature. He also tended to overthink things. And those two attributes made for a very unpleasant combination when he was focused on you. And over the past few weeks he had been focused on his newfound sister.
Illyasviel von Einzbern however would be lying if she said she didn't enjoy her little brother's company. He was kind, understanding and very considerate. And even if he could sometimes be a little snappy when things didn't go his way, he never let it bother him for long.
But despite all that, he also spent too much time fussing over every little thing. Especially so when it concerned her.
It had been a couple weeks since Kiritsugu had told them that it would be for the best if they trained in the ways of Magi and both of them had accepted without much questioning. After all, the dangers of being defenseless weren't lost on either of them.
Shirou was a bit too enthusiastic about finally learning about Magecraft though. So much so that he had been spending the past few nights practicing basic Structural Analysis on every little thing he could find in the Workshop.
Illya on the other hand had taken a much more reserved approach regarding her Magecraft training, instead choosing to focus more on Combat Training. Kiritsugu had been pleased with her decision and even if he didn't say it outright, Illya could guess that he was glad his daughter wouldn't be relying on Magecraft alone when in a tough position.
That approach however left her feeling sore and exhausted nearly every day and Shirou wasn't particularly happy with the idea of their teacher simply smacking them around for a couple of hours in the name of "training".
"Artoria, you're being way too rough on Illya! She barely has enough time to recover from a single blocked swing before you charge her again."
The King of Knights raised an inquisitive brow as she dropped her stance.
"I have already confessed that this is the only method I know of that is capable of training you. And I am just as hard on Illya as I am on you."
"But Illya is-"
"If you're about to say what I think you are then just drop it Shirou." Illya warned as she struggled to get up from the floor, panting heavily in the process.
Shirou sighed and simply went to retrieve one of the many practice swords before joining Illya with a soft smile.
"You know if you need a break you can just say so."
Illya scoffed at the offer before focusing on Artoria.
"If you think I'm weak just because you've had a bit more practice then you'll be the one left behind soon."
Artoria resumed her stance and beckoned them to attack. With a nod, they both charged at their teacher.
Shirou struck first but his swing was met with nothing but air, Artoria simply sidestepping and bracing herself for Illya's follow-up.
It came soon after and this time, the blow was redirected just in time to deal with Shirou, now recovered from the whiffed charge.
He tried striking at some openings he guessed were intentionally exposed, gauging the King of Knights' reaction before being forced to the ground harshly from an overhead attack that he had to block.
However that didn't stop him for long, opting to resume his attacks without much care for defense, only to be thrown back harshly when Artoria retaliated.
Illya used Shirou's predicament to initiate a series of attacks that Artoria had taught her. She had mentioned that the specific form she had shown Illya was a variation that she used back in her formative years. The Einzbern had found it to be a mixture of elegance and speed, yet not lacking in offensive power in any way.
It had taken some time, but she had managed to apply some of the motions into her fighting style.
Artoria smiled as she blocked the familiar moves, each one stronger than the last. Illya herself was barely managing to keep the offensive but she was not stupid enough to believe that she actually managed to do so by herself. This was a test.
With a final horizontal swing that served to give her some distance, Illya jumped back, clutching her sword tightly as she struggled to stand. They had been at this for a few hours already and it was getting to her.
Shirou winced at the ache that spread through his body from the force of the attack but managed to recover fast enough to join Illya's side.
Artoria hummed in acknowledgement before pointing her shinai at Illya.
"You have made great progress in using the forms I have shown you Illya. With a bit more practice, you'll be able to use it's offensive and defensive capabilities seamlessly. However we still need to work on your stamina."
"T-Thank you teacher." the small girl replied with a slight bow and Artoria turned to Shirou.
"Shirou. I will be frank. You have great potential as a swordfighter. But you have some glaring flaws that we have to work on. Try to attack me one more time and I will attempt to point them out."
Shirou sighed before readying his stance, taking a deep breath before charging once more.
His first strike this time was blocked and he used the opportunity to press his advantage, aiming his next slash lower to try and get through her impenetrable defense.
The following attack missed completely and Shirou watched as Artoria calmly raised her shinai for another vertical slice.
Without noticing the speed of the attack being slower than usual, he simply braced himself to block only for the blow to stop mere inches from his guard. At that he jumped back to observe Artoria who merely sighed in response.
"You had plenty of time to dodge. Avoiding attacks can usually lead to an even better opening than merely parrying your opponent. And you're not even considering the difference in skill."
"What does that mean?"
"It means you're going to die trying to face something way out of your league instead of trying to avoid it."
The seriousness of her voice and her words forced the young Emiya to stop before turning to look at Illya. She too shot him a concerned look before averting her eyes in favor of the floor.
"It's not that you can't evade. You have sufficient speed and reflexes to avoid such attacks. You however choose to face them head on, knowing that it's futile."
Shirou remained silent as he considered her words. He guessed it was true. Not only did he have a preference for charging headfirst into the fray, but he also lacked the instincts required to avoid unnecessary risks. He could see why both Artoria and Illya were worried.
"How do I even change something like that? By the time I think of trying something other than what my gut tells me, it's too late."
Artoria shook her head before approaching the kids with a thoughtful look.
"Honestly, I have no clue. We might have to create a fighting style that best suits your instincts without leaving you in unnecessary danger. But that could be more trouble than it is worth. Or we could try a variety of weapons? Even if you are skilled with a sword, maybe a paired shield would benefit you more in the long run."
Before he had a chance to consider his options, Kiritsugu entered the Dojo with a happy expression on his face.
"I see you're all keeping yourselves busy again. But you shouldn't forget it's almost dinner time."
Shirou sighed and turned to leave towards the kitchen before a firm hand rested on his shoulder to stop him.
"Woah there, not so fast kiddo. You don't have to trouble yourself with all that today." Kiritsugu told him with a slight smirk and the young Emiya looked at him in confusion.
"You're joking. Who else is gonna do it if I don't?"
"No one. Because today is special. We have been invited by a very influential family to join them for dinner."
Artoria's features darkened and her eyes met Kiritsugu's. He only responded with a slight nod to confirm her suspicions.
"So, who are they? Are they a Magus Family?" Illya asked and Kiritsugu nodded in affirmation as he patted her head.
"That they are. So go get ready because we have dinner plans with the Matou Family."
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A few days ago...
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Kiritsugu Emiya had already spent a week scouting the Residential Area for signs of the Matou's familiars, hoping it would lead him to the Head of the family. Nothing had turned up of course and he was getting antsy.
Time after all was not on his side and the questions he still had couldn't be answered by anyone else. If there was any hope in resolving the coming Grail War without another disaster occuring, then he had to prepare. Both himself and his family.
The sun however was already setting and he was disappointed that another day had been wasted. Even if most Mages operated during the dark, he had almost zero chances of spotting his target without daylight. So he had been forced to make due.
Right as he turned to pack up his gear, the sound of insects gathering behind him instantly put him on edge and he loaded his Thompson Contender before pointing it at the swirling mass of bugs in front of him.
He did a double-take when the growing lump of insects started forming what resembled the shape of a human before a decrepit elderly man emerged from within, his cane supporting him as he approached.
"Kiritsugu Emiya. It has come to my attention that the Magus Killer has been looking for dear old me. I must say I am surprised." The old man spoke in a gravely voice before flashing a smile that almost made Kiritsugu flinch.
"Zouken Matou. I too must admit that this is a first for me. Usually when I am looking for someone, they are smart enough to avoid coming straight to me."
"And yet, here I am. And seeing as you haven't killed me yet, I can only guess that you don't intend to do so."
"Not unless you give me a reason."
Zouken chuckled darkly and the familiars that were flying around him menacingly retreated to the shadows.
"Then tell me, what is it you want with the Matous, especially after what you did to the Einzberns, a family very dear and close to me..."
"An audience." Kiritsugu replied simply, lowering his pistol as he did so.
"An audience. With me." The old Magus repeated only to receive a nod from Kiritsugu.
"That is disappointing. Here I thought that you wiping out the Einzberns was only the beginning when it was merely the end. May I ask for what reason then?"
"You may, but you won't be getting an answer here. It is a sensitive matter and we both know this rooftop isn't really a place fit for such things."
Another laugh escaped from the Worm Magus and he spoke one last time before turning to leave.
"Very well. You and your family is more than welcome to join mine for dinner at the Matou Household. There we can discuss this matter of yours. I will be expecting you in 2 days time at this hour."
And with that, Kiritsugu was left alone on the rooftop, the old Magus having disappeared as quickly as he had come.
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"And you thought it was a good idea. Endangering yourself and your children for what could very much prove to be nothing more than a dead end?!" Artoria was furious as she paced back and forth, the kids having left the Dojo already. That was when her former Master found the opportunity to fill her in on the details for the first time.
"It's a calculated risk. You remember the files. The Matou Family is all but harmless in terms of Magecraft, Kariya Matou is dead and the only one who would be a threat to us is Zouken himself. He knows better than to try his hand against me too."
"Then what about the others? Byakuya Matou will most certainly remember you interrogating him during the War."
Kiritsugu took a long drag from his cigarette before throwing it away.
"Then I hope Zouken has seen to that personally. After all, it's his family. By the way, we have to increase the security of the Boundary Field to prevent Familiars from entering. Knowing about me is fine, but I'm not comfortable with Zouken Matou knowing what Shirou and Illya are up to."
"So we're really going through with this?" Artoria asked in an unsure tone and her gaze was met with Kiritsugu's tired expression.
"Do we have a choice at this point?"
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Gilgamesh was seated on the roof of Kotomine Church, the air inside the Chapel being a bit too... much for his tastes lately. Not that he would admit that to anyone of course.
Kirei had already approached him with a proposal that would give him enough Mana to restore him to his Servant capabilities. And as much as the idea seemed appealing to the King of Heroes, he had decided to decline, at least for now.
He wouldn't need such things any time soon anyway. And to be completely honest, the thought of draining orphaned children dry for his benefit didn't appeal to him, no matter how useless they were otherwise.
So here he was, a bottle of the finest wine he could find in hand, simply overlooking the entirety of Fuyuki from atop the hill the Church stood on.
His eyes glowed as he pondered all of the things he had experienced since his arrival to this era.
"Mongrels, the lot of them..."
Everywhere he went it was the same. From overzealous Mages with ambitions too high for their pathetic existances, to mere commoners that walked his earth without a care in the world. Simply living their idle lives thinking they were special.
A waste of space.
Even the most interesting individuals were beginning to lose their splendor, one such being Kirei Kotomine himself.
True, guiding the priest into discovering his true nature during the War had been entertaining. But part of the fun had been in the struggle. The conflict. His insistence in believing that a being such as him was pure evil and didn't deserve to feel joy from the suffering of others only to make it his life goal to cause as much of it as possible had been more fun than he could imagine.
But now, with the answers in his hands and his goal set in stone, Kirei Kotomine had resigned himself to spending his days either at the Church, maintaining the image of a priest for some unknown reason, or at Tokiomi's place. Because apparently he was a guardian to his daughter and it was his duty to raise her properly, as he had told the Golden King.
What a load of bullshit.
If the man was low enough to find pleasure in making a young girl's life miserable, then Gilgamesh would leave him to his devices.
Such things were beneath him after all.
So what else could the King of Heroes bother himself with, now that Kirei Kotomine was not his priority?
Ah yes. There was that kid, wasn't there?
A few weeks had passed since the last time he encountered the boy, Shirou, he remembered. But he didn't need to look far with his eyes to know that he was still fine.
Of course, even if he wasn't... that too wouldn't be that bad. Trials after all were necessary for one to grow above their current selves.
Yes, Merodach would also serve the youth well in that regard. What better way for one to discover their true worth than with a sword that specializes in the making of legends?
He only hoped that he was taking care not to sully his treasures without good reason. Gift or not, weapons of such quality shouldn't be used carelessly. Gilgamesh himself only used it to judge the worth of an opponent. Should they prove worthy against Merodach, then they would be granted the great honor of falling to his Sword of Rupture, his greatest treasure.
That too of course wasn't a common occurrence.
Taking another swig from the bottle in his hands he glanced once more towards Shirou's residence, on a whim more than anything, only to see that he was preparing to head out for what seemed like the first time in weeks.
"Ho? Have the wheels of fate started moving for you at last?"
He guessed he had nothing better to do. A closer look would help alleviate some of his boredom. Who knows? He might also get another glimpse at a treasure he had failed to obtain.
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Review Corner Time:
SentinalSlice: Shirou's hollow existance can't be boiled down to him simply being happy. He has expressed the capacity to feel happiness whether or not he feels undeserving of it, and it still doesn't stop him from wrestling with his existance. Additionally as both Archer and Shirou have stated and agreed on, Shirou Emiya is incapable of being truly and completely happy in the first place, since the thing he is striving for is an unattainable dream. Only solution would be to strive for something else like in HF.
Dan1142000: Regarding Angra Mainyu's curse and the Emiya Family Crest. From my understanding, Kiritsugu's father was a Sealing Designate, so Kiritsugu wouldn't have obtained the crest and anything related to Time Alter and the Family Crest having anything to do with it is Fan Canon. Especially when you consider the extreme difference in Magecraft Kerry's father was involved with. That however both complicates and simplifies some things regarding Time Alter in my story :)
Darthcourt: I had previously mentioned that spacing was an issue with my previous writing app and since then, the format of the story has also changed slightly. As such, I have edited the earlier parts of the story to match the rest.
In any case, expect the next chapter very soon and don't forget to stay safe!
Hope you enjoyed.