"I almost forgot. I'm a sorcerer."
For some reason, the words from that day were at the forefront of my mind.
.
.
.
My eyes opened to the sight of a familiar white ceiling.
…
Where am I?
I tried to sit up, but a sharp pain pierced my form. I struggled needlessly and pushed through the pangs to look at my surroundings.
My hands held up my upper body as they rested on a soft, silky surface.
I gazed to the side to see an open window; looking through, I caught sight of an unfamiliar city. The window was level with some decently sized buildings, so I was probably on this building's third floor. The bustle and noise from outside easily reached my ears. Massive gleaming skyscrapers and various bright lights were everywhere in my field of view, but nothing seemed familiar. The number of people roaming the streets below seemed to dwarf Fuyuki's inhabitants. I was sure of it now; I wasn't in Fuyuki anymore.
As I pondered where I was, the smell of antiseptics and alcohol reached my nose, slightly burning my nostrils.
…
Ah, I see. I was in a hospital. I looked down at my figure, covered in partially bloody bandages, lying on the ivory-colored hospital bed.
I gazed around the room, seeing walls painted a polished white. The faint beating from the patient monitor echoed throughout the room. Its rhythmic pulse helped calm my mind and slightly assuaged my discomfort.
Was that a dream? I briefly recalled those images—Artoria, Excalibur, Avalon, Medusa, a body of blades, and curses, but they aren't things I remembered beforehand. But none of that explains why I woke up in a different city.
Slide
Click Clack
My thoughts were interrupted as I heard a door sliding and the faint tapping of shoes.
A young nondescript dark-haired woman dressed in nurse attire came into view. Her head was down, focused intently on the clipboard in her hands. She muttered something nonsensical to my ear as she checked the medical equipment.
Did she not notice I was awake?
I lightly coughed to catch her attention. Her focus shifted as her head quickly whipped towards the sound.
.
.
.
A split second after she noticed me, she ran out of the room and shouted,
"The patient is awake!"
...
A few moments later, the nurse rushed into the room with a doctor in tow. He was a middle-aged man with faint wrinkles spread around his face and a standard white lab coat.
"Hello, young man. How are you feeling?"
I moved slightly to check my condition and replied, "I'm a little sore and exhausted."
"Well, it is to be expected. Your body was riddled with cuts and stab wounds. There were also numerous abrasions all over your limbs. That's not even mentioning blunt force trauma. Honestly, it was a miracle you woke up in just a day."
.
.
.
As a doctor, shouldn't he try to be more reassuring? But seriously? I had no idea I was so injured in my fight.
If I remember correctly, I ignored any nonfatal attacks in favor of getting a chance at defeating Gilgamesh before he regained his composure. The number of non-life-threatening wounds must have piled up because I discarded safety for speed and efficiency.
He reached into his coat and pulled out a clipboard and pen. The doctor prepared to write, faced me, and said, "Alright, let's see ... Could you tell me your name?"
"Emiya Shirou."
"Age?"
"Seventeen."
"Any known relatives?"
"I have a guardian."
He asked a few more questions regarding my injuries and told me he'd decide how long my treatment would take tomorrow. He wanted to gauge my condition because I was healing quicker than most patients.
"That's everything. Thank you for cooperating."
"It was no trouble. Umm, excuse me, but what city is this?"
"Tokyo."
"—Bwuh!"
Tokyo!? How did I end up here!? That's in Honshu!
I had to call Fuji-nee and let everyone know I was okay.
"Could I have a phone to contact my guardian?" I implored hastily.
My whole body was rigid and tense; my hands felt clammy and numb. I shakily left my palms open to appeal to the doctor.
He pulled his phone out as he responded, "Sure." I quickly grabbed it the moment he gave permission. My hand was ready to press the digits. The number was—wait, was this a phone? It was much thinner and more compact in size. The newest model was a Nokia 1100, but this wasn't something I remembered being on the market.
The device had a double camera lens at the back on the top left corner. The phone's front side had a screen that replaced the keypad found in Nokia models.
"I'm sorry to trouble you, but could you type in the number ****-***-****. I'm not sure how to use this model."
He looked at me weirdly, like I should know to use it. "Sure," he said skeptically.
The doctor handed the phone to me as soon as it started ringing.
Ring~
.
.
.
Pick up! Come on, come on!
An automated voice from the device hummed, "This number does not exist. Please try again soon."
"What?"
The doctor replied, "Whoever you're calling is probably out of the phone's range, or maybe you got the phone number wrong."
No, there was no way that number would be wrong. Fuji-nee's too stubborn to change her phone—she had a tiger strap attached to it like her shinai.
I asked him to try a few more times, but the same automated message responded.
"You can try reaching them once you're out of the hospital."
"Yeah, alright." I sighed defeatedly.
As he took his phone back, I managed to catch the image of his home screen. It displayed the date 2018.
...
Huh? Was that—
"Wait for just a second!"
"Hmm?"
"What is today's date?"
"February 16, 2018."
.
.
.
2018? I don't get it. It was 2004. There was no way I could've gone into the future.
No, wait, all of this was strange.
I saw that weird phone.
I was in Honshu while Fukuki was in Kyushu.
...
That can't be.
...
Fourteen years.
...
Was I really in the future?
I don't understand. I thought I only ended up on a different island. What do I—
No, I need to calm down first. Think, think, what had the power to send me into the future? What did I recently encounter that could have made this possible?
…
Was the Grail the cause?
…
It was feasible. Tohsaka said that the Grail could grant any wish, so I could have somehow unknowingly used it to send me into the future. If it took me into the future and gave me knowledge of things I never knew, what else happened when it swallowed me?
.
.
.
Ugh, this was all speculation. I'm not even sure if any of this was true. Tohsaka was the expert on this stuff. She'd probably figure out all of this instantly.
...
I wish she were here.
It wasn't until sunset that the doctor came in again to check on my condition. He changed my bloody bandages with fresh new ones and examined my other injuries.
...
I was still clueless about my situation, so I had to see if I could find out what was going on.
As the doctor left again, I asked, "Excuse me, could I ask you something? Do you know a city by the name of Fuyuki?"
"No, I have never heard of such a place before."
...
I fell silent as my mind carefully mulled over my situation for several more minutes. I meticulously went over all the details to reach a valid explanation for everything that happened.
...
I woke up on another island about 1000 kilometers from Kyushu. I was in a time in the future when Fuyuki didn't exist. I can't get a hold of Fuji-nee at all. Then, there was that doctor's weird reaction and those advanced phones.
Before I came here, that orb swallowed me whole.
And that voice. It said it granted my wish.
...
I see.
The answer was in front of me, but I couldn't accept it.
No, I refused to acknowledge it.
Acknowledging it would mean admitting that I was alone.
That I would have nothing again.
But denying it would get me nowhere.
.
.
.
I was in another world.
The doctor left a couple of hours ago after answering my question.
I spent my time lying in bed after he left, thinking—about the reality that I was in another world.
...
I also recalled those images from when my mind drowned in information.
I learned that my Reality Marble crumbled away a second earlier due to the mana of Excalibur, the greatest and most famous holy sword.
Avalon, that was another thing.
I never knew it was with me this entire time, yet it saved my life countless times in the past two weeks. Many of those being encounters with Archer, that bastard.
...
I saw in that vision that Avalon was the reason I survived the fire, how Kiritsugu saved me.
I was grateful. I wouldn't have made it as far as I did without it. I wouldn't be alive without that sheathe or Kiritsugu. I would have returned it to Saber, but—
.
.
.
There was also the fight with Rider or Medusa. My skin turned into blades and withstood an attack from a servant, but that's strange.
I don't recall her chain's nail hitting my shoulder when we fought.
…
The last truth I remembered was a different world of curses. But what kind of curses? Were they like the Grail mud that started the Fuyuki Fire ten years ago? There was also the fact that I learned about a different world. Did that mean the world I was in now was the same one I saw in those images? Did seeing that world of curses transport me here? Was it somehow related to the Grail granting my wish?
I had so many questions but no answers.
…
Wait, I felt like I forgot something.
There was something else those images showed me. The first one, yet I seem to have no recollection of it, no matter how hard I try to remember it.
I tried to force the memory, but it was out of reach.
...
A strange feeling plagued me.
...
I was unusually frustrated, but I couldn't understand why.
Slide
As I pondered over that peculiar feeling, I once again heard the sound of a sliding door. The doctor appeared from the doorway and softly spoke, "Hello, Emiya-kun. Sorry to bother you, but you have a guest. He's the person who found and brought you here. They even paid for all your treatment."
A guest?
"I leave you to talk with him." The nurse and doctor quickly exited the room after they offered pleasantries.
As I turned to face the doorway, I almost expected to see a man in a black suit. A faint outline of Kiritsugu superimposed itself on the shadowy figure waiting by the door. It faded as the person moved to my bedside, revealing a man in a beige suit-wearing green-tinted glasses with no handles. He was unusually tall for an adult in Japan, standing at six feet and a half inches. He had blonde hair styled into a neat part, accentuating his serious image.
It was the man I saw after I arrived in this world.
He appeared to examine my injuries with a critical eye. After a moment, the blond-haired man spoke,
"Good morning. Are you able to speak?"
"..."
I took a moment to clear my throat and uttered, "…Yes, are you the person who found me?"
As he raised a hand to cover his chest, he replied, "Yes, my name is Nanami Kento. I found you lying unconscious on the ground by the abandoned warehouse. You were losing a lot of blood, so I rushed you here."
...
So that was where I ended up.
And it was thanks to Nanami that I arrived here.
I smiled in gratitude and said, "I'm Emiya Shirou, and I'm grateful to you, Nanami-san. Thank you for saving me."
He nodded towards me as he answered, "It was no issue."
.
.
.
An awkward silence ensued.
Um, what do I do now? I had no idea what else to say.
I fidgeted slightly as the man stared at me with an unnerving gaze, not saying a word. He appeared to be scrutinizing something closely.
"… Um, do you have something you want to ask?"
"Yes, I was wondering how you got those injuries."
.
.
.
Crap.
There's no way I could make a convincing lie when he put me on the spot like that. He'd figure me out right away. The best way to avoid explaining the Grail War is to use half-truths—a misleading statement that omits certain relevant information—like Archer.
"A pompous blond-haired megalomaniac with a fetish for throwing blades."
"…"
"…"
Maybe I should've lied.
"Do you know the possible whereabouts of this individual?"
"No, I don't know where he is."
Gilgamesh was in the Throne of Heroes, but I had no idea where that was, so I technically wasn't lying.
"Do you think he is still a threat to your safety?"
"No." It was impossible to summon him without the Grail, and I was sure Tohsaka and Saber destroyed it with Excalibur's attack—through the knowledge from the Root.
"I see." The blond-haired man seemed to want to learn more about the King of Heroes, but he relented after hearing my cryptic answers.
Sigh~
Haah, that was a relief. If he kept at it, I don't know if I could continue.
.
.
.
"Also, I wanted to mention something." If possible, his disposition seemed sterner than before.
"Sure, go ahead."
"…"
He paused for a moment before revealing, "I'm a sorcerer. I believe you can see curses."
…
I blinked as my mind took a second to process his sentence.
"What?"
"It's possible that a cursed spirit attacked you."
"Hold on, what are you saying? Curses? Cursed spirits? I have no idea what you're talking about."
"My apologies, but it's best to demonstrate it."
"Demonstrate wha—"
His body erupted in a light bluish aura outlined with faint traces of black. The energy covered his entire body from head to toe.
The words died in my throat.
I was speechless.
That energy, was it mana? That was my first thought, but that was impossible. My nose wasn't picking up the scent of mana.
No, it was something else; foul and negative.
That meant he was speaking the truth, but I had never heard of cursed energy before. Kiritsugu never mentioned anything about that. Then again, he never told me much about magecraft either. Was this unique to this world? Ah jeez, ever since I came to, I keep getting hit with surprises left and right.
"Emiya-kun."
"Huh? Sorry, I was spacing out. Please continue."
"Of course. Cursed energy is found in almost all humans and comes from negative emotions. When I found you at the warehouse, I noticed that you emitted an abnormal amount of cursed energy for an ordinary human."
"Is it a bad thing?"
"Yes and no. Those with an above-average level of cursed energy can see cursed spirits, creatures made of negative emotions. These people can become jujutsu sorcerers, cursed energy users who exorcise curses. The drawback is a high possibility of injury or death from a curse. Since you can see my own, you can learn jujutsu, any form or skill that utilizes cursed energy."
I took it all in. Curses, cursed humans, jujutsu, and jujutsu sorcerers. The information wasn't mind-boggling, but that was because I use magecraft. It was just overwhelming, especially after everything that happened.
"Why are you telling me all this?"
"To protect you. The purpose of cursed spirits is to harm humanity, and they are especially abundant in Japan. Now that you can see curses, you will need to defend yourself. Only cursed energy can kill them. If you want to live, I will bring you to Tokyo Jujutsu Tech, where jujutsu sorcerers train. Of course, you are free to refuse, but I wouldn't recommend it. Without cursed energy, you will be defenseless to cursed spirits."
…
I mulled over everything he said.
…
Nanami claimed that only cursed energy worked on cursed spirits, but he probably doesn't know about magecraft or my abilities.
The cursed weapons in my Reality Marble might fall under the same concept as cursed energy, so I could use them to exorcise curses. That was not even mentioning holy weapons, which are effective against things like curses.
…
Then, there was no reason to heed his warning. I could combat these threats without issue.
Though I still had several problems as someone in another world.
...
I didn't know what this world was like, but it wouldn't be much of an issue finding a library to learn what I needed.
No, the real issue was—
I laughed nervously and asked, "Does Jujutsu Tech provide a place for students to live?" I rubbed the back of my head and continued, "I don't exactly have a home or money."
"Yes, jujutsu sorcerers get money from completing missions, and there are dorms for students."
That's good.
Money wasn't the issue, nor the lack of a dwelling. I could work under the table and stay a night at a hotel to compensate.
No, it was because this wasn't my world.
If I didn't have a double in this world, there would probably be no information on who I was until Nanami found me and brought me to the hospital. I'd be a suspicious person to the authorities. If they came to question me, I wouldn't have a good explanation on why I wasn't on their records, and I doubt they'd let me go free if I couldn't give them a suitable answer.
It'd be inconvenient, but I could avoid them with magecraft and Archer's experience.
The problem was I couldn't work to save as many people if the authorities misunderstood my intentions and hindered my movements.
...
Nanami said cursed spirits appear all over the world, especially in Japan. If seeing curses is rare among humans, then most of the world is vulnerable to them. That also meant that Tokyo Jujutsu Tech's operations must be secret because non-sorcerers don't know about curses.
...
I can use that to my advantage.
I could use their headquarters and student dorms to hide and avoid scrutiny from the authorities, and working as a jujutsu sorcerer would be better for fulfilling my goal. I'd get the organization's support and better understand how to fight cursed spirits to save people more effectively.
...
Now, I had to decide if following Nanami was worth it.
He could have lied and had malicious intentions, but I doubt it. If Nanami wanted to, he could've killed me while I was unconscious, but he decided to bring me to the hospital.
He even took the time to explain the basics of curses and cursed spirits.
On top of that, I needed someone to rely on for this world's knowledge. A library might have extensive knowledge, but that wouldn't make up for the fourteen-year gap in culture. The differences between the norms of my world's Japan and this one could make me appear suspicious. It'd be best to stick with him for now and plan my next move.
"There's one more thing. How are you sure I can see these cursed spirits?"
"When I found you, you reacted to the noise of a cursed spirit. You wouldn't be able to perceive them if you didn't have the minimum requirement to be a jujutsu sorcerer."
"… I see."
I made up my mind.
"I'll do it. I'll join Tokyo Jujutsu Tech and become a jujutsu sorcerer."
AN: Thank you to everyone who read, favorited, followed, and commented! It's great that this fanfiction is getting a lot of attention quickly! Please give me feedback to improve and write a story you can enjoy!
Also, a heads up to anime-only jjk fans, this story will include jjk manga content.
Skywolf99: Thanks for the advice! I read the manga after finding some contradictions with my future ideas. I'm all caught up, and I'm excited for you to read my plans for this story!
CEPHALON, Darkjaden, & taiwoeretan1: I haven't thought of adding Mystic Eyes of Death Perception or True Magic, but it's possible with a path to the Root. I don't plan on adding them in because it'd complicate my plans for Shirou's strength. The next chapter explains some of his powers. I hope you guys will like what I have planned! Thanks for commenting, and feel free to give more ideas!
xvotex123: Thanks for the comment! I have some plans regarding all those ideas in the story, but no spoilers. You'll find out as you read! I hope you stick around to see them!
Jellpo: Yup! Nanami was my first choice because I thought he'd blend well with Shirou. Also, that's an intriguing idea! I might do something with it in future chapters.
Blue Glass Spear: I appreciate the comment; it means a lot as a new writer! Also, I'm a fan of your story Blades Forged in Blood. It's a great read, and I'm looking forward to what your story has in store!
Kayen1024: I'm grateful for the review! The answer to your question is at the bottom.
Information about COJ Grail War:
It follows the UBW Route with some changes—like the final fight and his romantic partner. Shirou was close to Rin and Saber, but he never developed sincere romantic feelings. Events like the confession and the "mana transfer" never happened. Although if Shirou had not died, he would've fallen in love with one of the FSN girls.
The 5th Holy Grail War ended on February 15, 2004, the same day Shirou arrived in jjk 2018, ten years after the Grail War. He woke up a day after, on February 16. This story takes place four months before Jujutsu Kaisen and about a month after Jujutsu Kaisen 0.
I don't plan on having any Fate/Stay Night characters in this story except for Shirou. It isn't official, but it's unlikely to change.
The story will be mainly Shirou's PoV/first-person, but other PoVs will appear when needed.