"A church on the hill, cool enough, I guess, I give it a three out of five, not quite generic yet not exactly original either." I was a guy who traveled a lot so rating the places where I had gone was a hobby of mine at this point.

It was dark and creepy, but maybe that was just because Fuyuki made me nervous, I mean I had killed lots of Dead Apostles in my lifetime, but an ancestor? Yeah, no chance, and of course the first one I had to kill just happened to be one of the strongest too.

Shaking my head to get rid of the thoughts I continue to the church and finally, I open its doors, while it would be rude to just enter in the middle of the night, the father who worked here was expecting me to arrive at any time.

And when I enter I see him, a man dressed in a normal priest outfit, but there was something wrong, I couldn't quite understand what was wrong, but something was. "Good night, what do you seek at the house of god this hour young man?" Kirei Kotomine says with a warm smile, but there is something wrong with that.

Not that it matters to me of course, honestly who cared if the guy couldn't smile right, as long as he wasn't killing children or something then he was already better than some of my superiors. "It's me father, Dulio," I tell him, honestly who the guy expected to be at this time in the night, it's past midnight. "Honestly father who else would it be?" Maybe a friend or something? But then why start with the god speech?

He chuckles and just like his smile, there is something fundamentally wrong with it. "Fuyuki is the city holding the grail you know." A pause as he takes a deep breath. "Many have lost their precious relatives and come to this church to pray for them, even ten years later, honestly they can be quite bothersome with their timing, but who am I to deny their suffering?" He tries to hide his smile when talking about their suffering.

But it's at that very moment that his smile becomes real, great another nutjob.

He walks towards me, it's a confident walk, one that just screams that he has been trained to be an executioner. "Well, I suppose I should introduce myself. My name is Kirei Kotomine and it's a pleasure to meet you young Dulio." Honestly, this guy had the aura of a James Bond villain.

But it isn't like I don't know other people like that in the church, so I smile and respond. "Pleasure to meet ya too, my name is Dulio Gesualdo." Honestly considering the fact the guy had introduced himself already made him better than someone like Freed for example. "But now that pleasantries are out of the way let's get to the matter at hand." Because honestly, I would like it if the father knew the situation, he was a very experienced executor, and even if he couldn't fight Blackmore directly at least he could kill his minions.

"Ah yes the ancestor, to be honest, I have a lot of questions." Yeah so did I Kirei get in line.

"Ask away." Even if I probably couldn't answer most of them.

"Why is Blackmore going here? I understand that the grail is a potent object of magecraft, but normally the ancestors don't make this much of a fuss." Yeah, normally they would stay hidden in their little castles, slowly draining the life of where they stayed.

I look him in the eye, I know he won't like what comes next. "We don't know." His eyes widened in surprise, I don't blame him normally we would have more information. "We do a have a theory, however."

"A theory? Well, I suppose it's better than nothing at all."

"Yeah, our theory is that he is bait." More surprise in his eyes, honestly, an Ancestors being bait sounds ridiculous but considering what we know it may very well be true. "The ancestors have been crazy lately, both the ones in Altrouge's faction and the ones in Arcueid's faction, we think he is a distraction because worldwide the ancestors are causing mess after mess."

"I see, that is quite concerning, I hope this ends soon." He sounded genuinely worried about the current state of things.

I knew it, he may be a weirdo, but he's still a good guy inside. "Yeah me too, the rumors have quite worrying as of late." He gives me a look, clearly asking me to elaborate and I do so. "They think the Aylesbury Valesti is almost complete and this is just a distraction to finish ut without any church interference, it doesn't help that Merem the only guy who is both an Ancestor and doesn't like the ritual is being grumpy recently."

"And the church is responding by doing exactly what they want?"

"No worries big guy we're clean to send operatives to fight them because the big guys above are here to help."

"You don't mean?" There is a lot of excitement in his voice.

"It's exactly what you think, normally they wouldn't send a Longinus user to a remote place like this, but since the Archangels are taking care of the mainland they were free to send me here, Merem is helping us too as usual." It's a shame Kirei didn't see them interacting, Merem had gotten surprisingly well with lord Michael.

He nods his head and says. "Well then, follow me young Dulio I have prepared a room for you." Well, there goes my excuse to stay in a classy hotel.

We begin walking towards the back of the church and there it was a simple room, but I didn't really need a big thing, even if I would have liked it. "This place is pretty clean, suspiciously clean, don't tell me you pulled the good old cleaning right before the guest arrives trick old man?" I say smiling.

He smiles back. "Yes, I had to clean a lot too, especially the basement it was… Quite dirty."

"Well, I do have one more bit of information for you." I had waited until this point to surprise him after all.

"And that is?"

"Well the church and the Grigori have surprisingly joined up for once and so Canis Lykaon is coming here too." Now to see his reaction.

His smile gets bigger. "I see, good I was going to be worried if you had to fight Blackmore alone." He laughs a good-natured one. "It truly warms my heart that we are finally cooperating with them." Nice I expected an old man complaining about old enemies, but instead, Kirei proves that he has a good heart again instead.

And as we talk time passes by and we finally decide to end our conversation. "Good night father."

"Yes, good night to you as well." With that, he leaves the room and I finally sleep.

What a pleasant young man, I expected an arrogant idiot, but that boy was a nice surprise, the Ancestors were a pain as always, but Grigori and heaven joining forces was… Nice

"What a shame, this place used to be so much better." I say as I look around the basement, my batteries, or more precisely children had to be disposed of.

Golden light shines behind me as he appears. "They weren't needed anyways." Gilgamesh is right of course, he had more than enough mana for everything he needed, but I quite liked my… Work of art.

I turn around and look at him, he seems pleased. "You look happy Gilgamesh." Not that there were many moods he could be having, it was always boredom or happiness, anger rarely showed in his face.

After all the day Gilgamesh got angry at me would be the day of my death.

"Yes Kirei today was pleasant enough, that boy radiates with power, far above the common mongrel, and if the user of Canis Lykaon keeps up with this trend then I won't have to dirty myself by fighting the thieving bird." Ah, I see, the archer was always like this, he did enjoy a fight, but only with those he considered equal to himself, those were so few they could be counted in one hand, Namely Enkidu and Iskandar.

He looks at me and makes a confused expression. "I do wonder however Kirei, what part about heaven and Grigori joining forces bring you pleasure?"

"It's quite simple, I just like that they are united that's all, I am not a good person, but even I am not immune to the happiness of such an alliance."

"I see, well it doesn't matter." Not much mattered to him, so it wasn't a surprise. "Be aware, however, that if the boy stumbles upon me I won't hesitate to kill him."

"I didn't think you would, I'm already very glad that you are hiding your presence in the first place."

"Tsk. It matters not if I hide my presence or not, the fact that he failed to notice someone as great as I is a great sin, but for now, I shall allow it." I struggle to not roll my eyes, he is quite petty, but I suppose that as the strongest hero he is allowed that privilege.

Even so, would it be such a big deal to just leave the church while young Dulio stayed here? Even if he could say to the church faction that Blackmore had killed Dulio, cleaning the mess that would occur with that fight would be a pain.

And more importantly than that even I didn't know if Gilgamesh would win that fight if it was just a one on one then the King of Heroes would be victorious for sure, but if the King of Wolves joined the fight as well then…

"No need to look so worried Kirei, even I know my limits." How did he know what I was thinking? "Kirei I know because I know it all, it is simple, and more importantly if I had to fight both of them I would just draw Ea, it would be a worthy battle."

My worries disappear, after all, if Gilgamesh used Ea nothing could stop him.

Nothing.

"I will be leaving now Gilgamesh, I will scout the town to see the moment Blackmore arrives so I can warn Young Dulio."

"I see, take care Kirei, and if you do stumble upon something greater than what you can handle you have my permission to call me with a command spell."

"Thank you, my king." And with that, I leave the basement and start walking towards the exit of the church.

Gilgamesh's permission made me relieved, while I was confident in my abilities Gransung is a power Ancestor far above the common Apostle

As I leave the church I wonder. "Should I warn Rin of the situation?" Hmmm, it would be troublesome if she went picking a fight honestly, the girl had too much fire, still, it was funny in a way if Tokiomi had half the courage his daughter has then he would be alive today.

I walk patrolling the city, nothing abnormal so far, Gransung was troublesome mostly because any bird could be his familiar and a powerful one at that.

"No, no, no, no!" A scream, well I found what I have been looking for.

I rush towards the sound, I doubt I can save the person screaming, but it was my duty to eliminate the dead.

When I arrive there all I see are two ghouls, a woman, and a man, most importantly is the fact that they have become a hybrid between a bird and a human.

Is Blackmore here? Doubtful it was most likely the work of a familiar, but still, I ready my command spells just in case.

The monsters rush at me, intending to turn me into rotting meat, I draw my black keys.

They are in front of me in an instant and with the sound of cutting wind they swing at me.

I dodge at the last second feeling the tips of my hair being cut.

And with speed unthinkable to normal humans I strike back slashing the man's abdomen with my Black Keys, he does not die, the woman attacks me from the back.

Crack is the sound of my bones as they twist in a way no normal human bones should, they are not twisting because of the enemy, they are twisting because the dodge I perform is just not possible with a human body.

I do it nonetheless, I am far above human after all, and with another slash to the abdomen I finish the man, quickly I turn around and kick the woman.

I break the sound barrier, my Black Keys are thrown with the strength of a truly powerful executioner, hitting the woman's head.

With that, she dies. "Rest."

Thunder, behind me, strikes thunder.

No, not thunder it's a bird, no not a bird it's a monster one who is as tall as me.

"So it was a familiar huh." It did confirm that Blackmore was in the city at least.

The bird flies at me with the speed and strength of a truck.

I duck at the last second, the last black keys in my hand fly at the bird.

They do not pierce his flesh, he turns around and flies at me yet again.

I strike a stance if Black Keys did not work I would have to rely on my body.

All my strength is localized, the ground cracks at my feet.

Thunder, but this time the sound comes from me as my punch stops the bird on his tracks.

Crack it hits his head, my punch ending the beast.

Now that the familiar is dead I fire my magic circuits, I'm not a combat magus so they don't help me with fighting, cleaning the mess my fight made, however? For that, they were good enough.

The corpses are set on fire and disintegrated, the concrete is put in its proper place and then fixed with earth magecraft. "I guess since it's already here I might as well go warn Rin." Dulio was tired from his journey so waking him up now wouldn't do much anyway.

It would also be funny to wake Rin past midnight to talk about vampires of course.

I do take time to pray for the dead, of course, how sad that their lives had ended so soon

So sad.

A sword goes through my back

"Why did I have to burn?" It's the sound of my faceless mother.

"Why me and not you?" My faceless father.

"I don't want to die!" My faceless younger brother.

A sword goes through my heart, a sword goes through my mind.

"Thank you." He's crying, why?

Because he saved me, I'm happy.

"You chose to forget them, pathetic." It's the voice of someone I don't recognize, the voice leaves from a man standing on a hill of swords.

"I am a forge." It's my voice

"I know." The man responds

A sword goes through my soul.

And then I see it after all the pain there he is.

His name is Mu% $#.

I wake up, everything looks normal, no fire and no weirdos are talking about swords.

It's late, really late, usually, even though I have nightmares I'm able to sleep until morning, this is weird.

I close my eyes trying to go to sleep again.

I cannot, I don't know why, but I feel that if I fall asleep right now I will forget the man in red, and something important will never be achievable again.

I go towards the shed, I need to do something, I don't know what, but I need to.

I reach the place.

Bang the gun fires, my circuits activate, they ask who is Shirou.

I respond Emiya, even though I know it's the wrong answer.

"Why, why, why, why!" she screams at me, my faceless mother.

I have to remember, I can't forget her, I can't.

Clang the hammer strikes hot iron.

"Naoko." My mother's name is Naoko.

Clang the hammer strikes hot iron.

"Kenichi." My father's name is Kenichi.

Clang the hammer strikes hot iron for the final time.

"Subaru." My younger brother's name is Subaru.

The forge asks my name.

I respond "Muramasa".

The man at the hill smiles.

My circuits burn, all of them.

"I am a forge." And my memories are the fire that heats that forge.

I project, something appears, it can't be called a sword, but it's definitely one.

My magic circuits fire, more than twenty-seven, my long-forgotten magic crest fires as well with more than twenty.

I see the hill, an old man smiles while a tanned man makes a disgusted face.

I forge a sword and fall asleep.

A dragon appears in my dreams, he says. "You better be thankful I brought the blacksmith to you brat." I don't know why he did it, but I thank him nonetheless.

"Thank you Great Red." And with that, the colossal dragon leaves.

But before that, he grumbles. "Eat shit Alaya, I do whatever I want."

Countless red beings attack him, the tanned man is there as well, yet the dragon defeats them all.

"I want that." And with those words leaving my mouth I wake up for real this time, not only as Shirou Emiya but as Shirou Muramasa as well.

Dad is gonna be weirded out.

Linebreak Linebreak Linebreak

"Shirou! What happened?! Are you okay?!" A voice reaches me, I am being shaken.

I open my eyes. "Muramasa." I mumble I'm really tired, it's much worse than the normal training I do, I feel as if every last inch of my body had been burned.

Dad takes me, he is clearly worried, but it's fine, I'm fine, and tell him that. "Dad is okay, I just have a lot to tell you."

And so I do.

"Great Red?!" The old man is surprised, it's only natural, Great Red was one of the top beings to exist in this universe.

"Yeah." There is nothing else to say.

He ruffles his hair. "That's… Unbelievable, why would he do something like that?" It's not like I know either, Albion didn't tell me anything so I was just as stupified as my father.

"Right I'm going to test my magic crest." I prepare to fire my circuits, even if it hurts it's fine, I want to know my new limits.

My dead stops me. "Nope, you are resting today, no training." He gives me the good old head pat. "Magic crests are dangerous, better to wait while Avalon fixes everything." Annoying, but understandable.

My dad takes me to my room, I guess it's gonna be a lazy day, I do take the opportunity and ask him. "Anything weird happened in the city dad?" It would good to know if the monster was already here.

"I haven't found anything yet, but I got a feeling things are about to start." It didn't matter what came, dad was invincible. "Anyway, Raiga and I have prepared a trip to Hokkaido for you and Taiga." Wait what?!

"Dad, but I need to be here!" Was he seriously just gonna send me away?

His face suddenly became serious. "No Shirou, you are not ready, Raiga and I are making plans to deal with this and we don't need children throwing themselves in front of vampires" How the hell was I supposed to accept that?

"But, dad I need to help!" I need to pay him back, to pay everyone back.

"Shirou." Dad looks at me. "Being a child is not a sin."

He didn't understand.

He didn't understand at all, but it was fine, all I had to do was prove to him.

It was finally night, dad had left, according to him he was going to Raiga to get weapons and stuff.

This means it was the perfect time to prove my worth, the plan was simple, leave the house, find the bad guy, kick the bad guy's butt and then become a hero.

Scouting the city was simple for me, It Albion's wings I could just fly and see everything, right now I was close to Homurahara, a popular high school that Taiga went to.

"Nothing and more nothing." There wasn't anything abnormal so far, not even a normal crime.

That is until I hear a scream, I immediately fly there and…

A dead body, it's a child, two birdmen are eating the child, the child cannot understand why his parents are attacking him.

A switch flips in my brain, I forget that the child is now a corpse and focus on what is in front of me.

"I am a forge." The gun fires and the hammer strikes the hot iron, and with that, both my circuits and my crest activate.

I look for it, a spell that can help me in this situation, flying is my mains strength, even though these monsters are birds they cannot fly, a spell reaches my mind, one that came from my crest.

While my family focused primarily on the creation of mystic codes, it did still have other magecraft, one of them being…

"Shōka!" A fireball leaves my palm and rushes towards the birdman, the fireball isn't anything special, but for these monsters, it's enough.

They burn.

They die.

I have to report this to dad, the apostle has reached the city…

Thunder, behind me there is thunder, a flying bird much bigger than me flies at the speed of thunder.

Death, I am dead, there is no way Shirou Emiya could survive something like that so I have died.

Slash, the sound of cutting wind, the bird is cut in half, I look down and there he is.

The man has black hair and holds a black and red sword, he cleanly slashed the monster that was going to kill me in half.

He did not leap however, he simply slashed the air and created a shockwave strong enough to split the bird in two.

"Yo small guy, my name is Tobio Ikuse." My mouth is left hanging open, this guy is strong I can feel it.

I descend from the skies, there's something about this man that screams that I can trust him, and to not be rude I introduce myself. "Hello mister, my name is Shirou." I leave my last name out, it's pretty clear that Kiritsugu was well known in the magus community so I figured it would be better to hide it.

He nods and gets close to me, his hands go to his pockets and he takes out a card. "Here." I take the card, it's a business one with a calling number and everything, more importantly, it seems to be about something called Grigori.

"Hmmm, I don't think I'm old enough for this." Business cards were stuff done by adults, I was not one.

He mumbles something, it's clear I'm not supposed to hear it, but I hear it nonetheless. "Damn freaky prodigies, old enough to kill, but not old enough to take a business card?" It wasn't like death was a big deal.

People die, it's as simple as that.

His sword shifts, no longer a sword, but now a dog, and he says. "Well even if you can't accept that then how about working together with me, we both have Longinus so it would be pretty convenient."

A Longinus sword dog? Cool. "Yeah, working with you would be fine."

"Ok then, meet me tomorrow here at the same time, ok?" I nod, if the guy has a Longinus then he must be a good guy right?

Oh, it would be pretty easier to work with this guy than dad right? He didn't seem to care that I was a kid so it would be pretty easy to find this vampire and kill him.

His hand goes to the card again and he says. "Still you should take the card, if not for you then for your parents."

"That makes sense" I take it from him and stuff it in my pockets.

A smile reaches his face. "So your parents know huh, that's good." So he was worried about that?

Well, I guess I could understand. "Yeah, my dad knows so I'm gonna give it to him."

He looks at the corpses, and with a snap of his fingers his wolf dashes and eats them. "What are you doing?" I ask.

He gives me a look of confusion. "Just hiding the evidence." Oh, that makes sense, magecraft is supposed to be a secret. "Honestly is kinda weird that you don't even bat a look at this, you okay?"

"I'm used to it." Fire the hell that will never leave me. "And you?

His smile vanishes. "I'm used to it too."

And then I understand why I trust him, it's because the two of us are the same.

We are swords.

Author's Note: It took a long time for this to come out, I don't have an excuse outside of laziness, but the next chapter won't take as long as this one to come out.Probaly