This is the next chapter. I am trying to not upload once per month. The problem was this chapter ended up being too long and there was so much I wanted to include, so I ended up making half of it into the third chapter and wrote another half into the second chapter. Hope you all enjoy this chapter. It is a great insight on how the relationship between Shirou and Irisviel will develop.
Chapter 2
Irisviel sat quietly, looking over the various documents on the table with a pen in hand. Patiently, though with a significant amount of frustration, she looked over the papers one by one, occasionally writing in a small notebook and doing calculations on an abacus. Each time she wrote down a number she groan audibly. It was the first time in her life she had to plan out a budget, and she saw no joy in it. Irisviel did not see herself as a hedonist or a spendthrift, but she really enjoyed spending money much more then saving it, and usually she could afford to do so. By all means, she was not in any financial trouble, but upon looking over the various finances she had to consider, she would have to do a lot of planning.
She had access to Kiritsugu's accounts and learned that he left her with enough to live comfortably for a few decades. In addition, the always-prepared freelancer had several life insurance policies should the worst happen. For now however, she would disregard those. Kiritsugu was never lacking money thanks to the various jobs he took as a freelancer, and now it all now belonged to her.
It made her bitter that she would be using the money Kiritsugu worked for, even if he was her husband and she was the beneficiary. Unfortunately, it couldn't be helped. Her family disowned her so she could not depend on them for financial support. For now she needed the money Kiritsugu left behind, and had to plan it out for as long as possible. Luckily, there was enough money to last her decades without her having to work, provided she live a humble life style. Despite this, she did not want to just use the money to lie about and do nothing for the rest of her life. Fuyuki City would be her home now. She would live there, help rebuild it, and do her part to erase the pain that the Holy Grail War caused. She owed that much to the city she grew to love, and thought it better to find some way, even if it was something small and insignificant, to pay the city back, and not be a burden. And so here she was, planning out her budget, and disliking every moment of it. Still, it was necessary. After all, she was not only doing this for herself, but for her new foster son.
Shirou, the young boy who Irisviel took in just a few days earlier, was preparing some kind of dish with the rice cooker Irisviel recently bought. Irisviel had begun her life with the boy in the room they currently reside in. It was a decently furnished room in a 4 star hotel suite that had a single bed, a sofa that can unfold into a bed, a desk that was currently being used by Irisviel, and a coffee table used by Shirou. The décor would have been quant by the standards of her family, but it was a pretty well furnished, western style room with white drapery and carpet. In fact, it was actually pretty high end for its price. She would have preferred something a little less extravagant though, but many of the cheaper hotels and motels (those that weren't caught in the fire) had no vacancy. Even more expensive ones such as these were being pact with people who needed a place to stay in a hurry. She was actually lucky to have found this one in such short notice.
"Say, Iri." Shirou called out to her, addressing her by her nickname. Irisviel turned to see Shirou coming to her with a plate full of what looked like rice shaped like triangle. "I made food. Come and try some."
"I appreciate it Shirou." Irisviel thanked barely giving a glance his direction. "But right now I have to finish my work."
"But you didn't eat today, or last night." Shirou explained. She was surprised he noticed.
"It's okay. I told you before I don't need food." As a homunculus, all she really needed was to replenish her magic supply, which she could get from mana heavy environments she happens across. She did not tell him she was a homunculus yet, but she did inform him she could survive on mana alone. Food seemed like more of a luxury to her, so she could skip meals and let their food expenses be spent on Shirou solely.
Still, Shirou looked at her with displeasure as she said this. "It's wrong." He stated bluntly.
"Shirou," Irisviel started only to be cut off by Shirou.
"No excuses." That line caught Irisviel of guard. "You have a mouth and a stomach, that means you can eat food. You are not just a plant in pot." Shirou put the plate of onigiri up in front of her. "Meals taste better if you eat them with others. So let's eat together."
"I…" Irisviel said not sure how to follow it up.
"Either we both eat," Shirou said in a serious tone. "Or we both become mana plants."
That caused Irisviel to chuckle. Did Shirou really see Irisviel and her ability to take in magic energy to function as being a mana plant? It probably was not too far from the truth, but if Grandfather Acht ever heard him say such a thing, he would go into a tirade over how Shirou simplified, what was in his mind, a complex process. Irisviel herself thought of the action as plant like herself, but hearing it said out loud, and from such a little boy no less, amused her.
Rather then offend the young redhead, she decided to humor him and take one. After biting into it, it surprised her how delicious it was. It was not often she tried Asian cuisine, especially something so simple as an onigiri. This however had a variety of flavor to it as opposed to rice only. There were a variety of sour spices and some kind of sweet filling mixed into the center that complimented them.
"This is amazing." She stated astounded.
"I found the recipe in a magazine in the lobby." Shirou stated taking one for himself. "It said that it's good for energy and will help you make it through your busy work day." He must have been quoting the magazine when he said that.
She smiled at her foster son. "Thank you, Shirou."
"Make sure you eat more often." Shirou scolded. "We are supposed to be family and family eats together."
The boy once again surprised Irisviel. It was the first time he had personally addressed the two of them as family and if she going to be honest with herself, it felt nice. It was true she took in this red haired boy in hopes that they would eventually become family, but she did not expect him to adapt so quickly. Now that she realized how he felt, she wondered how she herself should approach their relationship.
"Is something wrong, Iri?" asked Shirou noticing her surprised expression.
"It's nothing." Iri responded looking away. "It's just you seem very mature for your age."
It was a curious statement made by the older woman. Shirou did not feel any more mature then any other children his age. If anything, he himself was someone who felt like he needed more growing up to do, especially after meeting Irisviel. The thought disappeared as he shifted his attention to the beaded tool on the desk. "What's that?"
She looked over at the tool and put it closer to Shirou. "An abacus. We use it do math." She demonstrated how it works, showing the heavenly and earth beads numeric value and how to use it.
"Wow," Shirou said amazed. "That's so cool. It's like a calculator."
"I've heard of those things!" Irisviel exclaimed with joy upon finding an interesting conversation piece. It surprised Shirou how quickly she brightened like a child who was showing off a new discovery to their parent. "Those machines are so convenient. They can do all sorts of math problems without writing anything down. They do all of your counting for you. I even hear they can say back sentences you've said before." Shirou noted to himself she seemed to have confused the functions of calculators with cassette recorders at some point. "I never got a chance to use one, but I heard about them from Kiritsugu. Say, if you ever come across one can you show me?"
Shirou was now even more puzzled before. He always thought this white haired beauty was a strange lady, but this was something new. How could she have heard of a calculator, but never actually see one? Not to mention she knew how to use something old like an abacus, but not a calculator? Since she had such sincere eye, he tried very hard not to look at her like she was an alien. Instead, he opted to ask her why she never used a calculator before.
"My family does not approve of technology." Irisviel answered in a more placid tone. "As I said, the Einzbern family was a family that dated back about 1,000 years ago. Because of our status as one of the oldest surviving magus bloodlines, my family is set in the old ways. They see the use of modern technology as inferior to magic tools. It's not just them either. Apart from basic tools we need to live in the modern world, other magi refuse to understand how to use technology."
"Then how do they watch T.V. or talk on the phone?"
"Most of them don't. Most are so wrapped up in their research they have no time for TV. As for phones, there are tools we use for long distance communication. Often however, there is very little use for them to communicate with other magus, unless it is with allies or to make business transactions."
"But how do they make friends?"
Irisviel hesitated before answering. "Most magi don't really make friends. We do research mainly for our own benefit. Anyone else is either an ally or rival, and if they are friends, it is usually for the sake of business." This may not be a fair description for most magi, but it was one for her family at least. The Einzberns made no attempts to be friendly with other magi unless there was way they could benefit.
"So nobody trusts one another?"
"Trust is something a magus cannot afford. For them, research is everything. Keeping secrets is a necessity, because it means you are one step ahead of your rivals."
Shirou looked sullen upon hearing that. "That sounds really lonely." Honestly, the homunculus could not help but agree with her little commentator. It was a lonely path, but a path many walk. "What about family?"
"Magi do involve family." Irisviel explained. "Often, a magus will try to keep their bloodline and pass down their wisdom and the mysteries they collected from their research to their children." Irisviel considered going into further details such as the one child per family rule and the rivalries between families and clans, but decided instead to end in a more positive note. "It is often a child's duty to continue the families' research and make the blood line stronger."
Irisviel noticed how Shirou's face seemed to take all of this in with a glum analysis. He seemed to be considering all the goods and bads of being a magus. From what she recalled, she had been outlining many of the negative aspects of being a magus and hardly stating the positives. When she considered that the only real experience she had with magi outside her family was in a war where each one had to kill the other, she began to understand where this newfound cynicism for her people came from. It had to be an unfair assessment towards the magi she had not met, but she was not in any frame of mind to defend them.
"I must be giving you a bad impression if the magi, aren't I?" she asked. "I wish I could give you a brighter picture of what being a magus, but in all honesty, the magus community is very distrustful of one another, even in their respective families." And considering the lengths some magi would go to accomplish their goals, distrust is can be a necessary defense mechanism.
"But Iri isn't like them, right?" Shirou asked with pleading eyes.
"If you mean if I trust people," Irisviel started, "There are actually a lot of people I distrust." She sighed as she recalled the war once again. "I won't lie to you. Magi can do horrible things for their own benefit. I wish I could trust others more easily, but many magi do things that can be perfectly acceptable to many within the community, but society in general would condemn. To be honest, distrust is not always a bad thing. It keeps you on guard, even from people you are suppose to put your faith in."
Shirou looked at Irisviel with the biggest most hopeful eyes she had ever seen. "Do you trust me Iri?"
She looked as though she was considering it, and then gave her most playful smile. "I'm not sure." she responded.
"Huh? Why?" Shirou asked with fret.
"I did say magus don't trust easily."
"But I trust Iri."
"You shouldn't do that either." She scolded. "I'm a magus with her own secrets."
"What secrets?" Shirou asked curiously.
"Who know?" She teased.
"No fair! That's no fair Iri!"
Irisviel playfully giggled as the boy complained. When Shirou began to open up, she found that he was an excellent conversation partner. So far, Irisviel gave Shirou a brief history of the magus, how they perform miracles, and even showed him a bit of her thaumaturgy. She recalled the first time she did this by forming a bit of her wire into a small bird before his eyes and made it fly around the room for a bit. Shirou watched in the awe only a child could display as the construct flew about, occasionally diving down out of range of Shirou. It made her wonder if she had that kind of expression when she first came to Fuyuki and strolled around the city for the first time.
Some information was held back for his sake. The morally questionable actions of most magi were not discussed as much, though she was careful to allude to them without giving too much away. It also seemed wise to not mention the Holy Grail War. That particular can of worms would have to be saved for another day. She considered identifying her self as a homunculus, but decided to wait for a more appropriate time to reveal that bit of trivia. For now, she would enjoy the time she had with her new son and occasionally educate him about her world.
"Say," Shirou said suddenly said. Irisviel looked at the boy who suddenly became serious. "Could I be a magus?"
The boy's foster mother had a feeling the question would come up sooner of later. Of course, in order to be an orthodox magus, one would have to have magic circuits, something she doubted Shirou possessed. She did not tell Shirou about magic circuits, partly because she did not want to see Shirou's hopes of performing thaumaturgy to be dashed so quickly, though another part was reluctant to bring him further into the magus world. Once they settled down in a permanent residence, she would bring the subject up, and perform an examination on him to confirm whether or not he did have them. If the results were as suspected, she would comfort the boy, and depending on how he takes the news, she may teach him alchemy to appease his interest, some of which required no magic circuits. For now, she decided to cross that bridge when she got there.
"We'll see Shirou." Irisviel assured. "Let's wait until after we find a house."
"Did you find one?" Shirou asked.
"Not yet. Right now I have to find some way to obtain legal citizenship."
"Why?"
"My status in this country is… foggy. Legally, I do not exist."
"But you're right here."
Iri giggled at that. "I mean proof that shows where I was born, like a birth certificate." Irisviel was after all, an unknown individual. She was not born but created. She had no birth certificate and could not exactly tell city hall she was a homunculus born nine years ago in Germany. It really was problematic. Without any form of documents confirming her identity, she could not obtain legal status in Japan. Getting a job and owning property would be difficult, and because of the recent… disaster… that occurred, the government will have all of their resources focusing on rebuilding the city, so she can't expect to obtain legal status anytime soon. Even getting a steady income would be difficult. It was unlikely anyone would hire an unknown foreigner. The fact that she had very little experience outside the castle in Germany would make things especially difficult. She explained most of these issues to Shirou the best she could in a way he should understand.
When she was done, she sighed heavily upon reflecting on the issue. It was stressful when she was thinking it over, but talking about her problems out loud seemed to make her situation that much heavier. Becoming a wealthy NEET was sounding more and more appealing.
"Don't you have any friends who can help?" Shirou asked. "I know you said magi don't make friends, but you seem like you can make lots of them."
Irisviel took that as a compliment. "Unfortunately no." She responded in a despondent tone over what was the bitter truth. "The only one who had friends was… Kiritsugu!" she suddenly called out in an epiphany.
It was true she did not have friends, but this was Kiritsugu's home country, and he without a doubt had connections in Fuyuki. In fact, she recalled Kiritsugu saying he had a particular friend who lives in Miyama.
"That's right!" Irisviel said looking through her papers. "Maybe there is someone who can help." She just needed to look through the papers and find the name of that person. Eventually, she came across a document that dealt the sale and delivery of some of the weapons and equipment Kiritsugu purchased. Among the various parties involved, one of the most prominent was the name Kiritsugu mentioned.
"Fujimura… Raiga." Irisviel read out loud.
"Who?" Shirou asked.
"He's a friend of my husband's who lives in Fuyuki. From what Kiritsugu told me, he is a dependable person." Kiritsugu once mentioned how this Fujimura was the head of one of the most influential Yakuza families in Fuyuki, and how he was one of the few people in Fuyuki he trusts, and the list of people the Magus Killer trusts is not a long one. If he spoke so highly of this Fujimura, then chances are he was someone she could turn to for help. Hopefully, her relationship with Kiritsugu would be enough for an informal meeting. It was worth a shot
Irisviel rested on the raised floor of the mansion breathing heavily. There was nothing else she could do but sit there in the run down building that was once hers and her faction's base of operation during the war. This was the first time she returned to the old house since the war ended. Now here she was, resting on the edge of the raised floor in the back yard. Since the mansion was on the way to the Fujimura residence (in fact, they were neighboring buildings), she decided to stop by and recuperate after the long walk.
After separating from the grail, Saber's sheathe managed to restore her to a functioning state. The effect was almost miraculous. Without the grail within her, she actually began to feel more or less like her old self. As long as Saber stayed within the world, she managed to obtain a large amount of mana and heal the multiple human functions that were gradually fading away. She felt that affect disappear along with Saber, but she still recovered enough to move. After a few days of rest and recovery, she found herself able to move more easily. Nowadays, she could walk for meters, though she still had to occasionally stop and rest.
As she currently rested, she looked over the progress she made and was impressed. The self-made physical therapy plan she was following was working wonders, even her sense of touch was gradually returning. She still could not exert herself too much though. Thankfully Shirou was there to help her along the way, holding her up whenever she felt queasy. Now he was away at the moment to get her something to eat. She did not bother stopping him this time. Truthfully, she wanted him far from the house while she confirmed something in the storage house.
After a few minutes of rest, she psyched herself up for what she was about to do, got up, and walked over to the badly damaged storage house. Leaning on the shattered doorway, her eyes scanned the inside of the abandoned shed. It was almost exactly as she left it. From the equipment scattered about, to the magic circle in the back. It was just like the night she separated from Kiritsugu. Cold, separate from the world of the living, and bittersweet from that one act of kindness from her husband that probably saved her life, and condemned his. The only difference of course was the debris all over the ground, and the door, broken off in the center of the shed's floor. Another major difference was the main reason she wanted to send Shirou away.
"Maiya-san." Irisviel stated sadly. A large pool of dried blood covered a spot near the center of the floor. There was only one person she could think of who was the owner of that blood. Irisviel remembered conversing with Maiya and how she had a child. Suddenly the door of the storage house shattered. All she could remember was being taken away by what she assumed was a servant, and after that, everything went blank. Maiya, Kiritsugu's assistant, had made it her duty to protect Irisviel till the end of the war. She held no illusions of Maiya's status from looking at that dried pool. There was no way anyone could loose that much blood and still be alive.
"I'm sorry." Irisviel said apologetically. She did not speak much with the cold woman, but she came to see her as a friend. It seemed so unfair. Maiya was supposed to live. She was supposed to go out in the new, more peaceful world and possibly find the child she had lost long ago. And now she was gone. Irisviel hung her head in prayer. Hopefully the mercenary's spirit could hear her. "Rest in peace, Maiya-san." After a few more moments of silence, she created a construct with her wire. A small bird made of wires flew towards Maiya's blood and proceeded to burn away the organic matter with a beam of clear white prana. She was grateful her body wasn't still here. Kiritsugu most likely took care of her, hopefully giving her a proper burial. It gave her some comfort knowing she would not have to dispose the decomposing remains of someone who gave her life to protect her.
After finishing the clean up, she returned to where she was sitting and rested a bit. She lay on her back this time, waiting for Shirou's return. Even that small task took a lot out of her. She did not have to wait long. Shirou returned with a bag full of something Irisviel admitted smelt very pleasant.
"Are you alright, Iri?" Shirou asked seeing Irisviel breathe heavily.
She got up, showing little sign of her earlier fatigue. "I'm fine. Just a little winded." She tried very hard to not fall back over as she held herself up.
Shirou looked at her, concern still in his eyes. He decided to not push the subject and opted to hand over what he purchased. "I bought taiyaki." Shirou said holding up the paper bag.
That taiyaki was an interesting dish. A pancake shaped like a fish with a red bean paste filling. The foreign quinine was not unpleasant. It was certainly very sweet. Shirou at one point claimed he could do better, and Irisviel agreed to try it once he got around to making a batch.
"You bought this house?" Shirou asked.
"A while ago." Irisviel confirmed. "But it's not really livable. I need to fix it up a bit and it should be good to live in."
"Will this be our new home?"
Irisviel thought a moment. She had considered it, but in the end, she couldn't bring herself to look at it as a home. This place held a connection to the war that took her life away from her. It wasn't as bad as the castle, but it still presented some feelings of anxiety from just being within it. Plus, she could not bear to be so close to Maiya's death spot. No, she had other plans.
"I think I'll make it into a boarding house." Irisviel explained. "I want to give back to the people in Fuyuki, even if it is in a small way. This mansion will serve as a starting point. I will be a landlady, offering shelter for people who have nowhere else to go. It will also provide a steady income for us."
"How do you become a landlady?" Shirou asked.
"That's a good question." Irisviel admitted. "I was hoping to partner with Fujimura. Hopefully, we can come to an agreement and help make this mansion a home for some people in need."
For a while, they sat there, resting in the sunlight, Shirou looked over at the woman who adopted him. Irisviel noticed the boy had something on his mind and encouraged him to speak.
"Iri." He seemed really uncomfortable. She had recently lost Kiritsugu and he was very reluctant to ask anything about him. Despite this, he was still curious. "What was your husband like?"
Irisviel thought for a moment. This was another question she was preparing for. "He was cold and distant." Irisviel began to answer. "And people generally saw him as a scary person. But he was also kind." Shirou seemed genuinely confused. Irisviel was not surprised. It did seem like a contradiction. "If you knew him, you would understand. He does seem gloomy, but if you look deep inside, you will find a man with so much love in his heart mixed in with the sadness and regret."
She chuckled to herself. "I really am contradicting myself a lot. But Kiritsugu was a man with plenty of contradictions." Irisviel listed them. "He hated violence, but knew it was necessary. He wanted peace, but fought in a war. He hated to see people cry, but could only see sadness all around him." Irisviel looked downcast once again. "He loved his family, but kept his distance. " Shirou was unsure how to handle this. Irisviel was able to speak so kindly yet so poorly about a man she loved all at once. He was unsure about what about the man Irisviel loved. He seemed so miserable, yet she clearly showed to care for him all the more.
"Honestly, he probably thought he was a man who did not deserve happiness, but I never thought so." She sighed bitterly. "So many bad things happened to him in the past. Some of it he still never told me, and the ones he did tell me about were things no person should ever have to go through." She paused for a moment and looked out into the yard. "Despite that, he still saw the world and the people within it as something worth saving. That was why he wanted to fight to create it a better world, an ideal, peaceful world." She began to frown once again. "But in the end… he couldn't." Once again she sighed. "For years he fought without recognition from others. He did bad things, but it was always for the greater good. Many called him a monster, but he was a man who fought monsters. If he was a monster, then the ones he fought were far worst, demons in the form of men." She shivered at the thought of Kiritsugu's work.
"I saw how he died." She said reluctantly. "At the end of his life, he was something more then the killer everyone labeled him as. He gave his life to protect everyone from a great evil." She brightened a bit as she looked out into the wide empty yard with a bitter smile on her face. "In the end, he was a hero." The wind blew past her. "Maybe he was not the one children dream of becoming. Maybe he was not one the world would admire and sing praise about… but he was a hero nonetheless." Shirou noticed tears trickle down Irisviel's cheek as she looked out smiling once again with pride and longing. "Even if he was not recognized by the world, Emiya Kiritsugu is, and always will be… my hero. "
Shirou looked on as the wind blew Irisviel's hair back. She did not cry, but tears streamed down as she smiled, recalling the man she loved and the person he was. Now Shirou was even more curious. He wanted to know what this Emiya Kiritsugu did to make the woman before him admire him so much despite apparently being a man who suffered so much. Even more so, he wondered what kind of man he was to be named a hero by her but be called a monster by others. The way she spoke, it was not the general wife supporting her husband, but a deep, sage like criticism that reflects on a great champion. Who was this Kiritsugu, and how was he able to make this mysterious woman smile to such a degree?
He was interested in more details, but he seemed to sense something in Irisviel's demeanor, like telling the story would cause her more pain. Irisviel in her part must have noticed she was making the boy uncomfortable and composed herself, wiping the tears from her face. "I'll tell you more later. For now, know this." Irisviel looked the boy in the eye. "At the end of his life he had the chance to make his dreams come true, but he didn't." The widow smiled with pride. "He had the chance to assure victory for himself, but he choose me instead" Irisviel then pointed a finger at Shirou and placed the tip on the boy's chest. "Just as I choose you."
Shirou looked at the woman analytically. She always seemed like a big kid at times, and it was weird how she took the slightest fascination in the smallest things. Still, there were times such as these where Irisviel showed herself to be more than a smiling face and an airy beauty. Sometimes she was something else. A teacher, a sage, a mother, she was all of these roles combined into one. It was that part of her that captivated Shirou the most.
Suddenly, Irisviel then got up and dusted her self off. "Now then. I feel better now. Come one Shirou. Let's go to Mr. Fujimura. I have a lot of things to discuss with him." She put her hand out. Shirou, with a lighthearted smile on his face, reached out and grabbed her hand.
Omake: Tiger Cub's Dojo
A teenaged girl dressed in bloomers and a blue track shirt, was chasing a bunch of huge scary looking men with an oddly decorated shinai with a tiger shaped phone strap hanging from the guard. Laughing like a mad woman, the girl, probably half the size of most of these men, mercilessly chased them around, swinging the shinai. It was an odd site that both Irisviel and Shirou observed with a fascination for several minutes while munching on some of the taiyaki they bought at a stand near by.
The girl continued to laugh and letting out various challenges to the fleeing men. "Too weak!" she would call out along with other phrases such as "Come back and fight" and "You call yourselves men" with plenty of other things you would not normally hear a girl like her say. Irisviel herself was more interested in the kendo sword she was using. She could not help but feel something coming from it. Maybe it was the girl's bloodlust being channeled within the weapon, or maybe there was some kind of dark presence within the blade. Was it a cursed item? She pondered this as she took a bit into her taiyaki.
"Which of you dumbasses unsealed the Tora-shinai!?" A heavily scarred man asked his compatriots as he ran into the bushes.
"It was Nagahama!" a bald guy said trying to hide behind a large stone. "All Nagahama!"
"Don't pin this one me!" the man named Nagahama said. "You said it was okay! You said Ojou-sama has been training her mind to handle the power!"
"You idiots!" The scarred man yelled. "You know that the Tora-shinai is cursed! Now Ojou-sama won't settle down till that thing drew blood! And since Ojou-sama is in one of her super-hard-work-at-training moods, nothing can stop her now!
From the side lines Irisviel and Shirou overheard them after analyzing the scene with interest. "Ah, what a convenient exposition." Irisviel commented.
"What's a super-hard-work-at-training mood?" Shirou asked.
"Whatever that is apparently." Irisviel responded as she saw Taiga successfully land a blow on Nagahama.
"Is the sword that Onee-chan is carrying really cursed?"
"I'm not really sure. I do sense it is not ordinary, though I think most of her 'mood' has to do with her rather then the sword."
The girl's eyes glittered with a golden twinkle as she chased after one of the men. Irisviel concluded she was in some kind of state similar to a runner's high, where a person continues to exercise and obtains a sort of bliss or elation. The girl appeared to have taken it to a new level. She certainly had enough energy to spare, so it wouldn't be surprising if she managed to somehow get so involved with kendo training she lost herself. If what the men were saying was true, it apparently happened before.
"Too weak!" the girl yelled. "Get over here and show me what tough guys can do!" She was relentless, calling out to the fleeing men. "Ain't there anyone one here who is man enough to train with me!? Come on out if ya got the balls!" She roared like a feral beast.
"Say Iri," Shirou called out nonchalantly. "Who are the bad people here? Is it the big men or the scary Onee-chan?"
"That's a good question." Iri nodded. She finished her taiyaki and proceeded to walk towards the confrontation. "Let's go ask them."
As they approached, the girl, lost in some form of frenzy turned her attention towards Irisviel. Her eyes shining like golden stars, she charged at her not realizing it was a completely unrelated person.
"Oh my." Irisviel exclaimed nonchalantly as the girl charged. She proceeded to hide Shirou behind her back and analyzed the situation.
Looking around, Irisviel saw the men cowering behind various objects, trying very hard not to be seen. She also noticed that their faces were covered and they were unable to see the scene. She then took another glance around and noticed that besides Shirou, nobody else was around, and the girl herself was too lost in her charge to notice anything. In other words, there were no outside witnesses. As she looked at the girl charge at her, Irisviel could have sworn she saw the image of a large cartoonish tiger appeared behind her and roared with the girl. Well, it didn't matter.
With a flick of her wrist, a long silver wire slid from her sleeve to her side. The end quickly bent and in an intricate pattern, to the form of a small, baseball-like shape. Before anyone could see, she threw her arm up, raising the ball into the air. With a smile on her face, Irisviel said one word before bringing it down.
"Naughty…"
Quickly, the floating ball slammed the unsuspecting girl on the top of her head. Her battle cry ended, the bloodlust died down, the girl's eyes went white. Everything froze as Irisviel recalled her wire and watched the girl stand there like a modern art stature. The young shinai wielding warrior then dropped her weapon of choice, stood motionless for several more seconds, and then collapsed. Falling face first, she plummeted just inches away from Irisviel and Shirou. Irisviel knew how to hold back of course, but the girl was hit with enough force as to knock her out in one quick strike on the head, leaving a large lump that would stay for a couple of days.
Kneeling down, Irisviel proceeded to poke the unconscious girl on the cheek with Shirou looking on in a silent fascination. The older woman then scolded the teenager like a mother catching her child doing something particularly mischievous. "Play nice with your friends, okay?"
And that was how the Emiya family first met the girl, Fujimura Taiga. Incidentally, it was also how Irisviel first got a taste of the sadism buried deep within her.
A/N
Yes that omake is canon in this story. I wanted to make this the beginning of chapter 3, but I have been writing a lot of depressing stuff so I wanted to end this chapter on a higher note, and what better way to do that then with Taiga. Also, Iri's path to trolling begins here, though it will be some time before we see something genuine.
I am personally proud of that scene where Irisviel described Kiritsugu to Shirou. I wonder if I managed to catch the emotions well.
Please let me know if there is anything I am doing wrong when writing about the magecraft. Type moon has a lot of detailed information, yet at the same time not very detailed about some specifics. I am personally unsure if Iri could make those beams come out of her constructs like Illya, but I will just wave it off as a creative licenses. I might be doing that a lot in this story, so don't hate me too much if I am getting something wrong. If it is something really big, I welcome criticism. I am trying my best to make the story as close to Fate lore as possible, but at the same time toying with new ideas to make the story less predictable.
I hope you enjoyed this chapter. The next will be up soon.
