Apologies for the delay and possible false notifications, the site apparently refused to actually make the chapter visible for hours on end and I was forced to re-upload it. Enjoy.
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The days that followed were uneventful for the most part. It had been almost a week since the events of the 4th Holy Grail War concluded and Artoria Pendragon was conflicted on how she felt about her situation.
There were times during the night where she would wake up with a cold sweat, wondering if it was all just a dream before calming herself.
This wasn't right she said after those times. She had no idea of what to do with this second chance after all. That evil existance that had, to Kiritsugu's and her own understanding, corrupted the Grail had given her more or less a permanent anchor to this world. Not quite an existance that one would call reincarnation, seeing as she was far from the standard she was used to during her life. Still hindered by the limitations of Servants and their class-oriented abilities, yet a Servant she was not.
After testing herself in the past few days, she had come to the conclusion that while still retaining the abilities attributed to her previous Saber classification, she was limited by the obvious lack of a Mana source beyond her own, although normally vast, reserves.
Kiritsugu had questioned her on the topic during one of their meetings where they discussed their upcoming raid on the Einzbern Castle back in Germany and she had saw fit to inform him that as long as he didn't expect her to constantly bombard the enemy with her Noble Phantasm, she would be fully capable of performing to his standards.
Not that the man had any expectations from her during the war. Back then he had seen her only as a tool to be used, while the real war was fought by the Masters. And although he was only partly correct, the fact that he was willing to participate openly instead of leaving things to her was reassuring.
This time it was different. If they had any hope of getting through the Einzbern's defenses, they would have to work as a team.
This was another reason why Artoria felt conflicted. Sure she could have been fighting in a completely different Grail War right now, probably even one where the Grail worked perfectly fine and she would be able to fight for her wish once more. But this was the hand that was dealt to her and she couldn't say she was displeased with it, even with her wish seemingly now unattainable.
After all, she had managed to mostly reconcile with Kiritsugu, and was also given the opportunity to get to know the man's now legally adopted son, Shirou Emiya.
The paperwork had been dealt with and everything had been settled without any issues. Kiritsugu had even appointed the kid a secondary legal Guardian in the event of his passing. A teenage girl named Taiga Fujimura who apparently was the granddaughter of one of Kiritsugu's associates in the local Yakuza.
She had gotten to meet the girl too, although the event was best left unsaid. The girl's fiery personality had been a little too extreme for the reserved King's tastes. She could however admit Taiga had a positive air about her and already deeply cared about Shirou's safety, constantly doting on him despite the young Emiya's protests.
Artoria rubbed the sleepiness out of her eyes and proceeded to get ready for the day. She would have to get started early on her little project if she wanted to make it in time for dinner at the Emiya Household.
The files she had borrowed from Kiritsugu regarding the 4th War wouldn't read themselves after all.
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Kiritsugu sighed as he observed the clock hanging from the wall in the kitchen. The people he had hired to take care of the renovations were already gone, having spent the entire morning making sure the finishing touches wouldn't fall apart after all the work they had done during the week and he could finally have some peace and quiet. The tea he was preparing was almost done too. Nothing could ruin this moment.
"SHIROUUUUU! KIRITSUGU! I'M HERE!"
Almost nothing.
He liked the girl, but he had already figured out that the only person that could keep her mostly contained was his son.
"Good morning, Taiga. Shirou is in the dojo playing around with the new equipment if you want to keep him company." he informed her and saw her features brighten up at the chance to show off her brand new shinai and she stormed off towards the renovated training room.
Out of all the rooms they had touched up, Shirou spent the most of his time in the Dojo, messing around with all the practice weapons they had equipped the room with. He never had any idea what he was doing with them, mostly just swinging them around until he was too tired to do so. Occasionally he would find some sort of rythm to his strikes when dual wielding shinai, but it would only last a few seconds until he started flailing them around again.
He would consider asking Sabe- no, Artoria he corrected himself, to give the kid some pointers if he didn't give up on his antics soon. If it turned out to be more than a phase caused by young age, Shirou would need proper training to avoid hurting himself.
Thinking about the King of Knights was a completely different headache. Whatever the outcome of the 4th Holy Grail War had been, he had never imagined that his Servant would have played any role in his life after said war had been dealt with. And yet, here she was, still around and kicking, literally.
She had one day seen Shirou with a gun the Magus Killer had mistakenly left around in the shed, and had promptly hunted him down and made him swear to never allow Shirou near guns again.
And despite what he was willing to admit to the once and future King of Britain, her presence was comforting in it's own way. Perhaps it was her natural Charisma at work. Or even the fact that her being there had meant that he wasn't completely alone in taking care of Shirou.
He could see that she and the kid had an unusual affinity towards each other. Despite not knowing him for any longer than he did, she already treated him as a younger brother, always giving him advice and making sure he was happy.
He would have been jealous if the kid wasn't hanging on Kiritsugu's every word.
Which made each day passing by a bit more painful than the last. And it would continue like that until he figured out a way to get Illya back, so that they could all be happy despite the pain they had all endured already.
Kiritsugu reckoned that he wouldn't get anything done on that front unless he went back to researching the Einzbern's Boundary Fields, taking a sip from his freshly brewed tea before getting to it with renewed vigor.
Artoria had already informed him that she would coming later than usual today. He guessed it had something to do with what he'd seen her sneaking out of the Workshop with.
So while Taiga beat Shirou into shape, and Artoria was out doing… whatever a King does during the day, the Magus Killer worked out his next move.
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Shirou could tell that his Dad and Artoria were working on something in secret. While he didn't have any particular idea about what it might be, he at least knew it had nothing to do with him.
Kiritsugu had said that he was a Magic User, and everything else he had learned about the man after the fact, as well as the company he kept, all supported the claim.
Sure the world of mystics and magic were not something that a kid his age would easily dismiss as fiction, but he could feel that he had never really felt any sort of desire to learn about the supernatural, heroes of legend and their stories like other kids likely did.
That all changed when he met Artoria. He had seen her using the dojo a few days ago and was instantly captivated. The way her movements felt measured and wasted no effort as she struck in the most optimal and efficient way, as if in a trance, had instilled in him a desire to be just like that.
Especially when her body spontaneously dashed around the room, the energy used to propel her at frightening speeds, with what he could only assume was magic fueling each and every burst.
That was the moment Shirou Emiya had decided that he wanted to practice Magecraft.
Not just as a way to become more like his idol, the hero that had taken him under his wing, but to also be like that dashing and elegant Knight, and be able to save people just like in those stories that spoke of Knights and their chivalrous dreams.
So as he practiced his swings with a shinai, he pictured Artoria in his mind, and how the weapon in her hands had been moving as if she were just it's vessel.
He could feel sweat starting to gather over his brow as he picked up his pace, striking and jumping around frantically in an fruitless effort to match the sight engraved in his memory.
"Wow, look at you go champ! I didn't think you'd have enough juice in you to keep going after you started to jump around the place." Taiga exclaimed as she observed the young boy.
"Fuji-nee? How long have you been watching?!" Shirou asked before finally collapsing on his back, the intensity of his movements getting to him at last.
"Long enough. You got stamina, I'll give you that. But in kendo, that's only the beginning. And your form is all over the place. Sometimes you slip into some nonsensical stance that would be better suited for a long sword before switching back to your usual pattern. Want me to give you some pointers?" she offered sweetly and Shirou released a breath he didn't know he was holding as he took in the information.
It was nice to know that at least some of the stuff he had seen Artoria perform had stuck with him, but he could use the help of an actual Kendo champion.
"Sure, just give me a minute to take a breather.
Hours later and the pair had gone through most of the basic stances and forms of Kendo, with Taiga continuously baffled at the speed at which Shirou picked up everything. Sure he would still have to practice them regularly, but the the fact that he remembered everything and would be able to practice without help was incredible. Shirou had insisted that it was all because of Taiga's teaching and she had wanted to agree with him simply because it felt nice to know that she was just that good.
But no matter how you sliced it, Shirou was some kind of prodigy swordsman in the making. It was both unsettling, considering the boy's age and awesome that she would soon have another sparring buddy that she could practice with.
It wasn't long after they were done that Kiritsugu came out of his study and the pair could easily see that the man was mentally exhausted, his disheveled hair even more wild and his eyes sporting a far away look to them, seemingly still lost in thought.
It was even worse for Kiritsugu, as the last few hours of research had basically confirmed his theories.
The Einzbern Boundary Fields would be too strong for him or Saber to get through by any normal means. And if she revealed herself immediately by using her powers to destroy the defenses, who knows what they would do to Illya by the time they got to her.
Simply passing through them was not an option either. He had seen first hand the damage the following traps that would be triggered would cause to any outsiders, his 8 years of staying there more than enough for a few wandering wolves to serve as a demonstration.
They had to play their cards right, or find a way to infiltrate without being detected. These were the only options. And both looked equally unappealing for different reasons.
He could only do so much without actually being there to observe the field's workings, and if he did so he risked detection. That would only make things harder for him in the long run. Without discussing this with Artoria herself, there was no way he could decide on a course of action and the past week had already been enough to make him feel uneasy.
What if the Old Man had already started some kind of sick experiment on his little girl just to get even. Would betrayal instill that kind of reaction from the Head of the Einzberns?
He didn't know and that's what scared him the most.
The doorbell rang before he could ponder the issue any longer and thanks to the Boundary Field he had set up, he could already tell that Artoria was at the door.
Shirou ran past him excitedly, most likely sensing Artoria's arrival as well. While the boy hadn't asked Kiritsugu for any Magecraft lessons yet, not that he would agree to them anyway, he had quickly informed Shirou of the field's workings and how he could use it as well. After all, it would still be useful for detecting bandits and intruders, even if the kid never became a Mage.
Letting her in and leading her to the living room, Kiritsugu noticed that she gave him a strange look when she met his eyes but she didn't say anything ouright. Maybe her little project had something to do with him?
Everyone sat in silence as they waited for Shirou to serve today's food. It had taken the kid a full day to learn his way around a kitchen, but he had learned to follow recipes to prepare a decent meal quickly enough. By the 5th day he had started experimenting with the recipes he had on hand, almost moving around the place on instinct, preparing dinner with an air of confidence usually reserved for experienced cooks, a fact that impressed Kiritsugu. Shirou definitely had a knack for the culinary arts that he would admit was definitely needed in the Emiya Household. What with himself being admittedly terrible at it, Taiga claiming she was no different and Artoria's experience with food belonging to the early 6th century.
As such, he wasn't surprised that Artoria in particular had praised Shirou's food as if it was the work of God. It was definitely good, but he couldn't help but wonder how low the standard for meals was back then.
It was only after everyone had their fill and excused themselves that Artoria and Kiritsugu were the last ones to leave. It was clear to the Magus Killer that the King had something on her mind, so he would lend her an ear.
Artoria, being the ever graceful and reserved king that she was, promptly slammed the files that she had spent all day reading on the table, her eyes constantly on her former Master.
He observed the files as if nothing happened, which only served to irritate her even more. He closed his eyes as he spoke.
"You know, you still haven't told me, what you wanted these for…"
"Don't play dumb Kiritsugu. These clearly contain information that is critical to the way we go about the future."
Kiritsugu looked at the files sprawled out in front of him in passing before sighing.
"Everything in these is in the past. The war is over. I don't see any role that could be played by any of these people or the information here. Perhaps you're overreacting?"
Artoria raised a brow at that. "Oh? So the information you kept on the Masters and the three founding families is completely irrelevant? Or about a possible connection with the Clock Tower through Waver Velvet? He seemed reasonable enough. If we could explain our situation to him, he could help us find people to dismantle the Grail-
"And let a group of mages run around Fuyuki, looking for leylines and messing around where they shouldn't, when they're supposed to be working towards the Root or protecting the mystics from the world. I'm sure they'd jump at the opportunity." Kiritsugu cut her off, his words dripping with sarcasm and Artoria felt irritated.
It seemed that whatever the man's true colors were, he could still slip into the same insufferable Master she had come to know during the war.
"So you're saying we should do nothing? About any of the people that were hurt or worse because of the Grail, when you knew about it and could in fact help them?"
Kiritsugu flinched at that. It was true that his findings had mentioned many a victims that suffered at the hands of the Einzberns, Makiris and Tohasakas. All collateral before their goal. When he first found out about these, especially the fates of the Tohsaka girls, he had been disgusted at the ways of the Magus Families. He would never even think to give Illya away, especially for a petty reason like the Makiri's.
In a way he could say that Berserker's Master had probably been the only one that was actually fighting for a decent cause, even if his goal was narrow minded in comparison to Kiritsugu's dream. Salvation for the world and Salvation for two girls that were separated despite what their wishes might have been came hand in hand after all.
Which is why he had ignored such misfortunes when he came across them during the war. If his goal had come to fruition, he wouldn't need to go out of his way to save them.
Perhaps that's where he went wrong. Being a hero could never be as easy as wishing for it after all. Any shortcuts towards that goal would most likely lead to the same result he had arrived at.
Alone and confused, wondering how anything that wished for the salvation of the world could lead to the end of it.
"Artoria, I can't help these people anymore…" he finally said, looking down with a sad expression.
"All I can do now is focus on saving my daughter."
The King of Knights shot a quizzical look at the man despite his sorry state. If Kiritsugu was unwilling to help her make things right then she would just have to do things on her own.
But that wasn't what he said, not exactly at least.
"Understood. As soon as Illyasviel is safe and with her family, I will begin to unravel this mess. You are free to help me."
Kiritsugu, now relieved that she understood his intentions, gave her a brief smile.
"Yeah, as soon as that's done, I'll try and help for as long as this withering body will let me. You can count on that, my adorable King of Knights."
Artoria for her part scoffed at the banter before rising to her feet.
"Before you leave, I have one more question if you don't mind."
She turned to her former Master again, prompting him to go on. He stood up as well, taking one more look at the files on the table before doing so.
"You mentioned Waver Velvet in great detail. But from what I remember he is just a student. What made you think he could be of any use to us?"
"Ah, you see I never mentioned that he would be of use just yet. Chalk it up to Intuition if it makes you feel better." she responded with a hint of playfulness that Kiritsugu was certain he had never seen the once and future King display. It made him feel uneasy indeed.
"Respectfully, you are a headache, o King."
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Review Corner Time:
I will be replying to questions if I can, as long as answering it isn't a spoiler.
Here we go!
LegoMyEggo02: It appears the app I am using doesn't quite reflect the spacing I intend on leaving, and editing through Doc Manager doesn't seem to resolve this. If you have any apps to suggest, I would appreciate it a lot!
mathdump: Indeed, it always seemed to me that Artoria was salty at Kiritsugu and in many occasions it irritated me that she never got to resolve her issues with him personally.
lolgustavillo2015/ Dan1142000: You both raised very valid points that I was already aware of regarding Artoria's physiology. However in this Chapter I take the time to state exactly how I perceived Gilgamesh's condition in the VN, as a being not quite Human, seeing how he was still hindered by his Mana source as long as Kirei didn't provide for him through the uh...yeah, and yet not quite a Servant. I hope that clears things up.
I appreciate all reviews and the, honestly unexpected, positive feedback so far. Feel free to ask any questions for next Chapter's Review Corner. Until then, take care!