Life was... strange, to say the least.

Before the war, Akira was used to being alone. He had no one whom he can call a friend and often spends most of his time training his Magecraft, studying or reading novels.

Then he met Rin due to the two of them belonging in prestigious Magi families. At first, he didn't know why he warmed up to her so quickly until he realized that both of them were similar. She was just as lonely as he was. Though, unlike Akira who was alone due to being bullied, Rin deliberately pushed others away so they wouldn't pry into her private life.

He didn't know what it feels like to have a family that was supposed to care and love their children. All he remembers about his parents is them constantly pushing him to succeed, always berating him whenever he made mistakes and never praised him even if he succeeded at something. It reached to the point where he can even hear their voices after their deaths.

He was an only child, so he didn't know what it feels like to have any siblings. Rin's caring attitude towards him was foreign, as he never experienced it from his own parents. Soon, he grew to love that care and accept it, even if he still wasn't used to it.

Then, his Servant came along. Unlike most Masters, Akira treated his Servant just like a fellow human, not some disposable slave. In return, Assassin treated him the same way as Rin. It was surprising for sure, but not unwelcomed.

And then there was Illya, who went through nearly the exact same thing as he did. They started out as enemies at first, but then he realized that they have a lot in common. He was drawn to her due to their similar backgrounds and their view towards the life that turned a blind eye to their suffering.

But...

Assassin and Illya were gone.

It was honestly difficult to move on. The two of them were his recently made friends that helped him through his inner struggles and they died in such a short span of time.

Often times, he wondered if he could have done something to save them. Maybe if he knew how to destroy Angra Mainyu, then Illya wouldn't have to sacrifice herself. If he had more mana to give, then Assassin would have been able to stay like Rider.

But alas, life was really cruel.

Yu helped him realize that both Assassin and Illya wouldn't have wanted him to hurt himself over what has already been done. He knew that from the beginning but he figured that he had forgotten about it due to immersing himself deeply in his grief.

Both Minato and Minako can relate to what he is feeling. They mentioned that they have felt the exact same way when their parents died. The feelings of uselessness, dwelling on the "what-ifs" as well as coming into terms that they were not here anymore.

Even if he was starting to move on, he still desired to see Assassin and Illya again. Assassin was the father-figure he never had. Even if Illya had only less than 5 years of her lifespan, he still wanted her to experience a life outside of the cruel reality that she was subjected to, which she never got to.

It was really cruel. Cruel, unfair and it made Akira want to scream at the world for taking away the people he loved.

But there was nothing he can do.

And he grew to accept it over time.

However, at least he knew he wasn't alone anymore.

What sort of Magecraft should I give the Wild Cards?