Shirou was instantly on edge the moment the King of Heroes' focus was completely on him. He couldn't have possibly done anything to warrant the man's attention, especially if his identity really was that of the oldest King of Humanity. He was just a kid.
"You, as small and insignificant as you are, have gained my interest by surviving what would seem to most as hell on Earth. The great fire that followed the events of the 4th Holy Grail War, which was responsible for the destruction of over a hundred and thirty buildings and the loss of five hundred souls. You are special and your survival only further-
That was it? Really?! He hadn't survived. He had been saved. He was just-
"You're wrong!" Shirou cut him off as tears began to well in his eyes, forcing Gilgamesh to stop before rage slowly appeared on his features.
"I was under the impression that you were told how to properly address me, cur…"
"I don't care! You're wrong! Those people… They deserved better than that, and I… I am nothing."
Gilgamesh gave a slight nod in understanding. The mongrel believed that his life was worthless and that he should have perished instead of everyone else. A guilt stemming not from the actual experience, but the nature of his character.
"Tsk, a mortal that claims to have no value certainly is troublesome, especially since most these days are worthless, yet they would never admit so. Doesn't that make you different from others in your eyes?"
Shirou was surprised at this. Not from the logic in the man's words but from the implications that came with them.
"Y-You really think those people were worthless… all of them, the families and lives that were destroyed, you don't feel anything for them?"
Gilgamesh sighed as he opened the Gate of Babylon and released a glimmering sword that embedded itself into the floor in front of Shirou.
"Humans have no value in themselves. It is when their lives have meaning and they strive to make their goals reality that Humans obtain value. Much like this sword in front of you. Whoever created this blade had no value by normal standards. It was when they succeeded in creating something that would stand the test of time that they gained value. As such, Humans are worthless but their creations... their goals... are valuable." The Golden King explained, watching the boy as he pondered his words.
"So is it not worthless for a person to simply exist as the days go by, continuing to be a burden on all creation without contributing to anything?"
Shirou was silent, merely observing the sword that stood before him as the King's words echoed through his mind. By all accounts, his logic was sound. A kid that had seen hell would know that life was meaningless without a goal, a desire to keep on living. But, wasn't the desire to live above everything else reason enough to exist?
"You're saying that… since those people died… and I lived, their lives must not have meant anything, and that mine did. That doesn't make any sense, how could their desire to live be any different than mine? Isn't simply wishing to live a beautiful goal that has meaning?"
Gilgamesh was surprised at the depth of the boy's words. He spoke with wisdom beyond his years and it wasn't entirely unpleasant. But that had only served to make him understand the boy even better.
It wasn't just that he found his life less important than others', he genuinely believed that all life was precious simply because it desired to live. An interesting philosophy, but one entirely different from the King of Heroes'. Not to mention hypocritical.
"Boy… listen close." The Golden King called out and Shirou's attention snapped back to the man.
"The desire to experience the world is an innate trait in all of Creation. As the King of Humanity I am well aware of the world's beauty, no matter how marred it has become in your times. But that desire does not equate to the value of someone. So when I say that your survival is what separates you from the ones that perished, know that I speak not of your will to live, but of the importance of your goals."
Shirou was surprised when he realised the true meaning of the King's words. The desire to live was indeed beautiful, but the goals of each person was what set them apart… If that was the case, how come he was the one to survive when all others didn't. He didn't have a goal to strive for and didn't remember any wish he might have had at that point. He focused hard on finding an answer to his question, completely forgetting about the uninvited guest in front of him, seemingly content with waiting silently.
Gilgamesh was pleased. He had seen how the kid had taken his words to heart and was fine with simply observing him as he pondered the issue by himself. It had been quite a while since he had last spoken like this to anyone. It most likely had to do with his weak spot towards children, however he wouldn't admit this to anyone.
And yet the boy had managed to keep up with him, speaking his mind in a way that belied his years. If he could convince the youth that his life had worth and uncover the meaning of his survival…
He turned his back to the still distracted boy and closed his Gate of Babylon with a satisfied smirk, the sword he had released from his treasury still embedded in the floor.
"I must say you have provided me with a unique first impression. And although I don't expect for you to realize your value anytime soon, do give it some thought."
He spoke with a calm voice as he started walking away before Shirou turned to watch him go.
"Hey! Uh… you forgot your sword." he said, pointing to the weapon as it glistened with a radiance that seemed as unnatural as the Babylonian King.
"Hmph, I have no use for it now. It is yours to keep and use for your training, provided you offer something in return."
"Huh? I don't have anything to offer that even comes close to this…" Shirou replied as Gilgamesh turned slightly towards him.
"Your name will do just fine."
"Don't be ridiculous, that's not fair to you in any way-
"Do not make light of a King's generosity… Now speak your name so that I'll be on my way. It is getting late."
Shirou gulped as he stared at the sword one more time, observing it's design and make one last time before standing up.
"My name is Shirou. Shirou Emiya."
Gilgamesh smirked and finally left the Dojo, leaping over the walls surrounding the Emiya Household with elegance and not saying another word, leaving Shirou alone with his thoughts and the sword that he moved to take in his hands.
The moment his hand gripped the hilt, a warm feeling rushed through him and his eyes shone as information was fed to his mind through the history of the sword. He didn't know what could have possibly caused it, and he couldn't bring himself to care as his thoughts were overwhelmed by the brilliance and nature of the blade.
A sword with an identical nature and soul, destined for many legends yet unaware of what they might be, a sword that serves to inspire others to reach their true potential.
The blade was flawless, and it's design was simple, serving as a model for others to build their legend on it as they strive to attain their ideal.
The guard was much like the blade, elegant in form, yet devoid of character, again a model for others to overwrite with their own goals.
It was a sword without a will of it's own, without any past or present and yet with many futures, each as great as the legends that it will inspire.
"Merodach…"
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Kiritsugu and Artoria stopped the car near the outskirts of the snowy forest, their destination completely concealed from sight behind the trees that stood in their path.
The Magus Killer stepped out into the cold air and immediately grabbed his suitcase to retrieve a pair of jackets for both him and the King of Knights. Had they tried to traverse the forest leading to the Einzbern Manor in this weather, they would have frozen to death.
Artoria rubbed her hands together to provide some warmth as every breath she took left a trail of warmth in the air. Kiritsugu laughed at the sight.
"I didn't know Servants could feel cold."
Artoria then leveled him a serious look that did nothing to erase the man's good mood.
"I'm not a regular Servant you know. I can freeze, starve and bleed to death just like anyone."
"Yeah yeah, I know. Just teasing you. Damn, I feel so unprofessional…" he finally conceded as he retrieved his Thompson Contender and his Calico M950 from a hidden compartment in his suitcase. Practicing his reload time for both weapons, he released a soft disappointed sigh.
"The downtime between shots is slower than I'd like and my reload speed is a bit rusty. Let's hope it doesn't get any worse for now."
"Agreed, we should-"
Before she could finish her sentence, Kiritsugu fired a burst of bullets with the Calico over her head and a small thud was heard hitting the snow covered ground.
"A familiar. We've been spotted already."
Artoria blinked. They were too far away from the castle grounds to encounter defensive measures. The Einzberns must have upgraded their security. But that should only be the case if they-
"From the look on your face, you probably reached the same conclusion as I. They're working on something so important that they can't risk any surprises. So they sent out familiars to scout for any problems."
"Y-You don't think it has anything to do with Illyasviel?"
Kiritsugu loaded a full clip and holstered both his weapons properly before turning to the King of Knights.
"It had better not. Otherwise, I don't see me keeping my cool for long."
"We should hurry then."
With a quick nod to eachother, they ran off into the forest, mindful of any possible traps that could be set throughout the woods.
Kiritsugu could feel his heart beating hard in his chest. The trek was long and with each passing minute his mind wandered off to his daughter. He didn't want to imagine what was going through her head right now. A quick glance to his right told him Artoria felt much the same. They needed to get into position immediately and start dismantling the Boundary Field, a task that would probably take anywhere from three to ten hours, judging from the complexity of the Tohsakas' field.
But the question that still lingered in his mind was if they could even afford to take that long.
"Artoria, I need your honest opinion. Do you think we can possibly break through the Boundary Field as we are without putting Illya in danger?" he finally decided to ask his former Servant and she turned to look at him, not slowing down her sprint.
"I want to say yes, but we have already been detected. The chances of them simply letting us dismantle the field when they know we're here are very slim."
"In that case, can I trust you to take care of this?" he inquired and she hesitated for a moment, knowing exactly what he was requesting from her.
"You can rely on me, but know that I will be right behind you so try not to die until then." she affirmed and Kiritsugu scoffed at that.
"I don't plan on dying just yet…"
With their backup plan now set in stone, Kiritsugu took a sharp turn to distance himself from the King before turning once more to the barely visible Castle in the distance and taking off in a full sprint towards it.
Artoria stopped in her tracks, using a small amount of her Magical Energy to equip herself with her enchanted armor and raised her Holy Sword over her head.
The energy around them began to swirl, golden motes of light rising from the earth to herald the Promised Victory as she aimed at her target.
Kiritsugu barely made it out of the woods before the giant pillar of light shone over the open field. He stopped only for a moment to admire the magnificent glow of the crystallized miracle he was about to see for the third time in his life.
Even having seen it before could not reduce the brilliance or the warmth that the sword coursed through his being and the cold of the winter storm was forgotten in an instant.
Artoria took one step forward as she poised herself to strike, the power in her hands almost urging her to release it. So she did.
"Ex-
Kiritsugu snapped out of his trance to brace himself a short distance from the Einzbern Manor, ready to breach the moment his opportunity presented itself.
"I'm coming for you, Illya."
"-CALIBUR!"
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Jubstacheit von Einzbern scowled and the Homonculus that alerted him of Kiritsugu Emiya's arrival just outside their grounds left the room as quickly as it entered, having completed it's report.
He wasn't surprised to see the Magus Killer return here. Not at all in fact. After all, his daughter, the unique spawn birthed from the union of a Human and a Homonculus, was still in their possession. No one would believe that the Magus Killer, as heartless as he may have been in his life, would simply abandon his child.
He was glad at that point that his preparations hadn't been meaningless.
The Head of the Einzberns grinned as he called for another Homonculus to alert their guest of the situation. Well, he reckoned guest was too nice a word for the heretic that was hired to ensure that the Magus Killer would be dealt with.
Of course, he didn't even have to kill Kiritsugu Emiya. So long as he prevented his interference with the operation, the Necromancer would be well worth the money.
However he hadn't prepared for the Magus Killer to come back with his Servant. The same Servant that should have been long gone after the 4th Grail War ended.
"It wasn't enough to betray us and destroy our chances of victory right at the very end, you have the audacity to appear here with a Servant that if not for us, you would have never summoned…"
No matter. He would not manage to get in before it was too late. The operation was starting soon, and they would have to make sure it was a success if they were to have any chance of winning in the next Holy Grail War.
Before he could dispatch a group of Homonculi to delay King Arthur's arrival, a great tremor momentarily shook the ground before the booming sound of an explosion rang throughout the halls, the force of the blast so great it shattered every window of the castle.
The crash that followed was equally deafening and a part of the structure collapsed, the entrance to the castle grounds now wide open and several explosions once more shook the halls.
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Kiritsugu leapt into action the moment Excalibur's blast pierced through the barrier and destroyed the entrance, easily dispatching some the Homonculi that rushed him on sight.
A group of Halberd wielding Homonculi then appeared and stormed his position, ready to cut him down and he rolled to the side, preparing his next move.
He removed the pin from a handful of grenades before chucking them in the group's general direction. A hail of bullets from his Calico followed immediately after, suppressing their movements and preventing escape from the blast radius.
With the enemy dealt with for now, Kiritsugu carefully started moving towards the more familiar halls of the manor, or what was left of them at least.
The damage from Artoria's Noble Phantasm had pierced straight through the front of the castle and due to it's Anti-Fortress abilities, also managed to deal extensive damage to the interior, severely weakening the foundations of the building and resulting in the collapse of a number of rooms. He briefly wondered about how much of the castle would be left standing had she used her Noble Phantasm without conserving energy.
His train of thought was immediately put aside when another group of hostiles started sweeping the halls for any sign of him and he took cover around the corner to observe them. Their appearance most likely meant these ones were proficient in Magecraft and he tightened the grip on his Thompson Contender.
Apparently their enhanced senses were alerted to that and almost instantly a flying sword shaped spell was shot in his direction. He barely managed to dodge it by abandoning his cover and rolling to the side, spraying bullets in front of him to ensure he had time to reposition himself somewhere less exposed.
The group now fully aware of his location cast their spells and the flock of sword shaped familiars that they had created using strands from their hair shifted to take the form of birds. The flock quickly moved to intercept Kiritsugu and he groaned in annoyance.
It would have been fine if a flock of magic birds had stormed him, so long as they were controlled by a single Mage. A group of Homonculi however could be a big problem since he couldn't fire his Origin Bullets in quick succession. Taking a shot at even one of them at this point would be akin to suicide as the flock of familiars bombarded his newfound cover.
Much to his relief however, he was almost instantly reminded that he was not alone as the King of Knights leapt into the fray, the blasts of the familiars evaporating upon contact with her form and she charged at the group of Homonculi with incredible speed.
Making short work of them at close range, Kiritsugu left his cover to join Artoria, a grin stretched across his features.
"Magic Resistance sure comes in handy when storming the house of a Magus Family huh?"
"We all have our strengths I suppose. Your Origin Bullets, much as I loathe to admit it, would make short work of any unprepared Magus and with much more subtlety than rushing at a group of enemies." She responded before turning to observe the state of her former Master.
"Are you feeling okay? You aren't injured I hope."
His breathing was laboured and sweat rolled off his brow as he steadied himself on a wall.
"I'm fine. It's just… all this action is getting to me. What do you say we wrap this up and get out of this place?"
"Gladly."
"Well, ain't that a shame… If you had just left right away, I wouldn't be forced to make a mess of your Master there."
Those words echoed through the hall and Kiritsugu froze, his gaze locked on to the heart shaped grenade that was attached to the ceiling.
In that single moment, with the ticking sound of what could only be a bomb the only sound in their ears, the pair realised that things had been going too smoothly for an on-the-fly assault. As such, something like this was inevitable.
And while Kiritsugu cursed his decaying reflexes and abilities, Artoria leapt into action, grabbing her former Master and throwing him out of the way just before the explosion could graze him.
She however, was not spared from the force that shook her mortal body, or the poisonous cloud that followed. Things only got worse when the ceiling collapsed onto her and broke through the floor, separating her from both Kiritsugu and their assailant.
Kiritsugu stood up and turned his head to look at where Artoria had previously stood when a hail of shotgun pellets in the shape of human fingers almost grazed him. Thankfully he was still capable enough to dodge these from that distance.
"Kairi Sisigou…"
"Oh, you remember me? It's been a while since we our first meeting and you were always so focused on your job… Man, makes me nostalgic just thinking about it…"
Kiritsugu sighed. He remembered the young man from his days as a mercenary. He was still inexperienced back then, relying on his tools rather than his Mage Arts to carry out orders, something that required extra attention to conceal from the world in a battlefield, yet he insisted that was how he did things.
"Well, I tend to do my research when I run into a person of interest such as yourself." He finally responded and Kairi revealed himself at last, a grin on his scarred face.
"Oh! Do tell what kind of dirt you could possibly have on little ol' me."
"Well, when we first met you had only recently abandoned the Clock Tower for reasons that were never revealed to anyone. Already surprising considering the impressive history of your Family. Seven generations of Mages worth of history only to abandon everything? Something major must have happened to you."
Kairi laughed as he took a moment to reload his sawed-off shotgun.
"You know how it is… Shit happens and the world says you should move on. I tried for three years but I guess it just wasn't for me. Figured I could help elsewhere. Much like you did. But damn man. To share a target with the infamous Magus Killer might just be my greatest accomplishment. Not that the years after haven't been kind."
Kiritsugu could only nod at that. He was aware of the reputation the Necromancer Kairi Sisigou had amassed. From hired hits, to heretical hunts, he was a Magecraft User much like himself and he wouldn't be honest if he said he didn't respect the man even a little.
However, he was an enemy. And he was alone.
"Guess it can't be helped then. I figured the Einzberns wouldn't place their trust on hired help again, especially after me. Turns out I was wrong."
"Well I can't exactly say they trust me, the Old Man especially sees me as expendable. But a quick look at you tells me I might just have a shot at killing you here."
Kairi's sunglasses gleamed as the sun shone through the broken window and he watched Kiritsugu arm himself.
"I guess it doesn't really matter why they want you dead either, otherwise they would have told me. Makes it easier too. Just business and all."
Kiritsugu readied his Calico with a sigh and took aim at the Necromancer, his eyes focused and determined despite his exhausted state.
"Yeah, just business…"
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Artoria stirred from her place under the rubble of the collapsed floor and ceiling, a sharp pain immediately running through her arm.
Her left side had taken the most damage, with several human teeth that most likely served as shrapnel for the heart shaped grenade, piercing her flesh.
"Great, just great."
With a pained yelp, she crawled out from the rubble and used a Mana Burst to get rid of the shrapnel stuck in her side and arm, the appendage now limping uselessly at her side.
It would take a while for it to heal without a source of Mana, and she took a moment to observe her surroundings. It looked like she had dropped two floors at most. An easy jump to make she reckoned.
Preparing to leap and rejoin the fight, she was taken completely by surprise when something enormous took hold of her before pinning her to the wall with incredible strength.
A monstrous roar threatened to burst her eardrums and she barely managed to look at the beast that rushed her before being tossed aside.
Artoria normally loved dogs. This thing however, with it's oversized and deformed physique and the alarming amount of human sized arms and legs attached to it's body, could hardly be described as anything as harmless as a simple dog.
The monstrosity composed of a magically enhanced wolf from the forest and what most likely was the remnants of failed Homonculi paced around the room menacingly, stalking it's prey before a hunt. And the King of Knights' intuition told her it was hungry.
"When compared to my Cavall, you might just be the most horrendous thing I have laid my eyes upon. Prepare yourself beast!"
And with a fierce roar, the King and the Beast clashed.
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Review Corner Time:
SentinalSlice: You basically called it, and although it is not simply an item to make him more powerful or interesting, Gilgamesh is looking forward to seeing what greatness Shirou is possible of reaching. A sword that is devoid of identity or purpose much like Shirou here is perfect when considering that Merodach is a base for greater legends to be born through it. Apply it to a Shirou with Artoria close by and basic understanding of his abilities and a realization could occur sooner than one might expect. Glad you enjoyed!
Dan1142000: Gilgamesh and Shirou are a very interesting pair to write. And while they are destined to never quite see eye to eye on a lot of things, I believe I can provide a story that takes advantage of their characters to make something unique and unexpected. So keep your mind open to many possibilities :)
Supremum Rex Stulti: I did have a bit of trouble with the opening of the Chapter as you could tell, though the dialogue I believe was necessary to convey that Kiritsugu didn't like leaving Shirou alone so soon after adopting him and also that Shirou had caught on to their scheming. Probably something to hold over them later...
*insert evil laugh here*
Oh and I also firmly believe that Kid Gil should remain exclusive to more light-hearted stories like the ones he has already appeared in (H/A and PrIllya) so don't expect him in this story.
Anyway, as always I hope you enjoyed the Chapter. Let me know what you think by Reviewing and stay safe.
Next Chapter most likely before next Saturday!
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