Chapter 1
The whistling of an arrow was heard for a moment, before the thud of deer's body replaced the sound. Another successful hunt. The young man who had managed the shot, made his way to the animal. He had red hair and steel colored eyes, which he gained from his mother. Currently, he was wearing a green tunic underneath a leather vest and a black archer's chest protector and leather archer's gloves. He had dark brown pants and leather boots with a red sash tied around his waist with the symbol of his house inscribed on it.
A beautiful black bow with red accents and a steel string was in his hands. An inscription written in Japanese read, 'For my hero and husband, may your arrow always find its mark-Ayako'. It was a bow made for Shirou, now named Tigre, by Ayako. She, of course, had help in enchanting it and finding the right materials to create a bow for him that allowed him to fire both noble phantasms and normal arrows without sacrificing any accuracy. It was a treasure for Shirou, so much so that he had been terrified that he wouldn't be able to call it when he was born into this strange world.
Thankfully, it seemed that it was now tied to him in some way. Not unlike another Black Bow that was currently residing in his family home. He slung the bow onto his shoulder, moving around the deer until he was in a good position. He hoisted the deer up onto his opposite shoulder and made his way to his horse.
He dropped the carcass off at the home an old couple who had recently lost their eldest son. Thankfully, they still had a son and daughter who were old enough to provide for them, but Shirou didn't want to burden the young children with too much responsibility. He tried to provide for everyone in his territory, even going so far as to introducing some of limited knowledge of his modern world.
He had to say, he missed his wife, she was always the smarter one of the two. Though, he was thankful he had Titta to help him out with the more obvious things now. Though, he had to admit, he missed being able to do his own cleaning and cooking. He begrudgingly admitted, she was a great a cook.
He rode through Selestat, often stopping to help anyone who needed it. He enjoyed these moments, as they often allowed him to hear the complaints and requests of those he was looking after. Thankfully, there wasn't much going on recently, as Shirou had managed to gather quite a bit of money for his region and Selestat recently. The taxes of his region may be low, considering Alsace was mainly populated by hunters and their descendants, much like his family, but thanks to him introducing a few things to make life easier, they didn't have to worry too much about money.
After assisting a trader who had recently moved into Selestat, he decided it was about time to head home. He was already late as it was.
After returning his horse to its stable, he decided to sneak into his manor. He carefully made his way around the building, and found the landing that led into his room. Normally, it would near impossible to climb up onto it without the proper gear, especially with the condensation from the waterfall. However, other people didn't have the ability to trace Rider's spike and chain at a whim.
He carefully aimed the spike and wrapped it around a beam on the roof before managing to climb up the chain. He reached the ledge and pulled himself up to his room. After returning his bow and quiver back to its stand, behind the sword of his servant, he removed his armor and gloves before opening the door to head downstairs. Upon opening the door, he was met with a very angry girl with golden, brown hair in a maid outfit.
"Oh, hey, Titta, how funny, I was just about to come see you." He said with an awkward smile while rubbing the back of his head. He attempted to joke, however, it did little to help his current situation.
"You're late. You said you were going to be back an hour ago!" She exclaimed, causing Shirou to flinch at the reminder of his words. "Lord Tigre, your the Earl of Alsace, you shouldn't push yourself too hard helping everyone." Yeah, he was used to this particular speech from her.
"I'll be fine Titta, besides, its been a week since the last time I did that." He attempted to plead his case, however, she wasn't having any of it.
"And what about two days ago? When you spent the whole day in the forge and somehow nearly blew yourself up." Shirou let out a weak laugh. Yeah, he remembered that. He was attempting to create arrows that functioned like his noble phantasm arrows, however, he messed up the formula and it caused an explosion.
"Or the time when you almost blew up trying out your other creation." Okay, he almost blew up quite a few times. He figured out how to make sure it didn't explode after that, but he had a good reason for the first time. He was rushing its creation after he finally managed to recreate his servant's sword, the Heshikiri Hasebe.
"Alright, I see your point Titta. I'll try and slow down. However, with winter approaching, I am going to need to contribute a bit more to the province." He could see Titta about to interject, so he began to pat her on the head, "So, I'm probably going to have to rely on you and Bertrand when that time comes, alright?"
Her face lit up with a smile, "Of course, I'll always be there to help you out in any way you desire."
"I know you will." He said with a smile. "Now, how about we eat some dinner?" The two made their way down to the kitchen. Shirou was thankful for this certain day, as it was the day that he was able to help prepare dinner with Titta. It made him feel like he was back home with Ayako.
After dinner, Shirou was sitting on the landing overlooking Selestat. It was another peaceful day, one that he was very thankful for. After taking over for his father when he died, Shirou had been able to ensure the prosperity of his province. With the assistance of his father's teachings, as well as the memories and experience of his servant in the holy grail war, he had managed to turn Alsace into a fairly profitable province, though it was still one of the poorer provinces in Brune.
He had to admit that protecting the land of Alsace was a lot like protecting Fuyuki, though it was on a much larger scale. As he was enjoying the night sky, he began to think about the Black Bow of his ancestors, making a mental note to light some incense and clean it. He remembered reading a journal of his mother's, seeing that she often gave small offerings to the goddess Tir Na Fal. He often thought that the Black Bow was related to her, remembering times he would speak with it.
It had been some time since the last time that happened. He supposed he would set something up tonight, considering he often found the night to be the most beautiful time of day. He took a deep breath, drank some of the wine on his table and decided to read through the letters.
There, amongst the letters, was the call to arms. Apparently, the prince was setting up an army to combat the incoming Zchted force. Shirou let out a sigh, war was always nasty business. He remembered the last war he was a part of. The one that ended up costing him his life, though he did end up saving Fuyuki and his family at the end of it, so he didn't regret it. Either way, he wasn't looking forward to it.
He stood up from his chair and sought out the room of the Black Bow. While no one else in Brune lit incense, Shirou was pretty sure that the world he was in didn't know a thing about it, old habits died hard. He didn't know if the gods really cared about the offerings given to them or not, however, he figured that they were essentially conceptual beings, so it was the feelings that counted he guessed.
He lit the candles and incense he made for the room and poured two cups of wine, placing one on the table near the bow. He picked it up and could immediately tell that it had a sort of presence to it. He noted that it felt similar to a noble phantasm, and not a weak one either, it felt like a considerably powerful one. Balmung, Durindana, and Calabolg, each seemed to resonate with the bow from within his reality marble.
He began to clean the bow, polishing it, and checking the string of the bow. It was nothing more than maintenance, though it was a bow that he knew never needed it. It was an heirloom passed down through the generations, yet, it was untarnished and felt as strong as ever. Honestly, if it wasn't for Ayako, he probably wouldn't have bothered caring for the bow or any of his weapons.
She taught him to respect his weapons and to take some pride in his weapons and skills. Though, he was still a fool dedicated to protecting those in his care. The Fool of Fuyuki they called him, holding out and protecting it, despite it being called a lost cause. As he was cleaning the bow, he let his mind wander.
Though, the one thing that stuck out in his memory was his first one. The fire that forged him into a sword in the first place. He was forged in the flames of the holy grail war, so he knew that he would answer the call. He was a sword meant to protect and save those from the horrors of war. The only problem was that this would be his first time leading men into a battle like this. The modern era he was used to was now gone, he now had to lead men into battle of open plains.
"This war will end up disastrous. I can only hope that I'm able to save as many people as I can while I fight in it." Shirou looked at the bow, inspecting it closely before setting back onto its rightful place. "Zchted huh, the home of the war maidens. If any of them are going to join the battle, then I suppose its only right that I go." He took the cup beside the bow and drank the wine in it before leaving the room.
He never noticed the slight breeze that emanated from the bow, slowly extinguishing the candles and incense inside of the room.
Sadly, the next day, Shirou had to begin making preparations for joining the prince in combating Zchted. Alsace wasn't very large when compared to the other provinces, so he only managed to gather a hundred or so men to join him. Titta was naturally very upset that he was having to leave and take part in a war, though, he was able to reassure her that he would return home safely.
However, Shirou knew that war was unpredictable. Even with all of his skill and experience, a stray arrow or one moment of carelessness would get him killed. So, despite everything he said, he did leave a note detailing instructions should he die. It never hurt to be ready for such an outcome.
But, Shirou was going to do everything in his power to return home. Alsace, Selestat, was his home. Titta was his family and he was going to come back if it was the last thing he did. He had failed to do that in one life, he was not going to fail again. Titta didn't deserve to hear about him dying in a war that he really had no real motivation being in, other than he wanted to save people. He supposed, dying in his old world doing just that, had mellowed him out in that regard.
The Dinant Plains, that was where Shirou would join in the war. It was also the place that the prince would stage the decisive battle of this war. Honestly, Shirou thought the location the camp was located was rather exposed. He was also worried about the prince, remembering that he had once met him when they were younger. He was young, but with the force he had gathered, Shirou figured that it was a nice cushion in case anything went wrong.
Most people didn't see loss as an option, however, his servant had managed to win a battle against an overwhelming force once upon time, so Shirou wasn't treating it like a done deal. Numbers didn't mean anything when the enemy force was asleep, drunk, or tripping over themselves when attempting to mobilize. Not to mention, when you had lords that only cared about their own hides and would happily allow everyone else to die in order to strengthen their own standings, well, it wasn't hard to see that such people wouldn't fight very hard.
Shirou was currently sitting with his attendant, Bertrand, enjoying their dinner for the night. All in all, Shirou was having a pretty good night in spite of all the posturing of the lords. Though, it was ruined by one of the lords Shirou hated the most. He reminded him of a certain blue haired boy Shirou knew in his old world. Zion Thenardier, son of Felix Thenardier, Duke of Nemetacum, an obnoxious boy who was full of hot air.
"Oh, well if it isn't Count Vorn, who would have thought you would be here." Zion said in his usual condescending voice.
"Well, I'm not going to tell my men to go into battle if I myself won't join in, though I don't have to tell you that, do I lord Zion?" Shirou replied, his eyes narrowed. Zion's face contorted, not expecting him to talk back to him.
"Please, join in battle? What are you going to do with that puny sword and bow of yours?" Pointing out his katana and bow. "Not mention you're armor, leather and a small breastplate?" One of his followers then decided to join in.
"Aren't you supposed to be a nobleman? Shouldn't you act least dress like? Even if Alsace is nothing but a poor province." He laughed, though Shirou only rolled his eyes at that, considering the fact that wasn't technically true anymore.
"I don't need to wear that heavy armor your lord wears since I don't plan on getting hit. Though, I suppose neither do you Zion, considering how ornamental your armor looks."
"Oh, you think your so tough Vorn? Please, can you even lift a real sword? Makes sense you'd have to use a peasant's weapon. Was it made by some illiterate who can't even write? That thing is an insult to real weapons. It'd be better if it was gone." He said as he stepped over his bow, attempting to step on it. Shirou, quicker than anyone could react, stepped forward, unsheathed Heshikiri Hasebe and put it to his throat.
"If you put a single speck of dust on my bow, then I swear on the gods that I'll cut you open and show everyone what Zion Thenadier is truly made of." It already looked like Zion was about to start crying out for help. The two men by his side were about to do something, when another knight cut in, pulling Zion back and grabbing Shirou's arm, holding it steady.
"Now, now, I know your all worked up on the night before a big battle, but perhaps we should all settle down." He said, as Shirou stepped back and put his sword back in its sheath. He then grabbed his bow, gripping it tight. Zion appeared to want to say something more, but the knight stopped him. "Their handing out the wine rations, I assume you cool off by drinking your fill."
Zion clicked his tongue before deciding it wasn't worth it. Though, Shirou knew that this wasn't going to be the last time he saw that guy. Honestly, he wanted nothing more than to do what he did to Shinji for trying to get Rider to feed on Ayako. It had been a long time since Shirou felt such anger. Shirou shook his head, deciding to thank the knight, "I appreciate the assistance Lord Mashas, I may have done something foolish if you didn't stop me."
"Hmm, I was more than happy to. I can understand letting your anger get the best of you, I was young once too." He said as he let out a laugh. "Though, I would advise you to be careful, the Thenardiers' aren't known to be forgiving."
"I'll be sure to remember it, Lord Mashas." Shirou, Bertrand, and Mashas spent another hour speaking until Shirou noticed something out of the ordinary.
That was when he heard those on watch call out. "Ambush! The enemy is attacking! To arms!" That was all Shirou heard before everything turned into a blur. Thankfully, most people were still in their armor. He saw as many of the knights attempted to find their horses and ride out. However, it was clear that it was too late.
Shirou called out to his men, most of whom were experienced archers and hunters. They numbered one hundred total, while nowhere near enough, he figured they could buy some time for the rest of the army. Unlike most of the army, his own men hadn't drank the night away, knowing that a night attack may be possible. "No one should be outside of the boundaries of the camp, the call to arms came from the north. Fire to the north in volleys. I want arrows firing at all times until the men are ready."
Despite the attempt at buying time, most men had already panicked and began to retreat. Those that chose to fight onwards, those that weren't trampled that is, were far from enough. "Bertrand, load as many quivers as you can onto my horse. We need to try and salvage the situation. If camp borders are broken through, I want you and the rest of the men to retreat."
"Lord Tigre, what will you do?" He asked. Shirou's mind raced through many different options, before coming to a conclusion.
"I'm going to head to find Prince Regnas, we need to escort him out of this fiasco." A Zchted knight managed to make his way through one of the barriers and charged at Shirou. He quickly grabbed his bow and an arrow, before dodging a sword strike, rolling a short distance away before shooting the knight in the heart. "If I'm not back in a minute, get everyone out of here. I'll be behind you if the prince isn't in his tent."
Shirou called out as he quickly strapped his sword to his belt and grabbed a quiver. He ran through the camp, weaving his way through the madness present. He eventually made it to the tent, however, all he saw were the bodies of guards. It seemed that the prince had managed to escape and the guards sacrificed themselves.
He heard more and more people fighting and dying outside of the tent. He took a deep breath, knowing that he was going to be stepping into hell. He quickly stepped out, his bow ready and began to fire at any foreign warrior he saw. He heard some scream out, "They have a War Maiden!"
Shirou's blood immediately went cold. A war maiden, the equivalent of one of the heroes of old in his world. Based on his knowledge, they were more like dragon slayers, which were the mightiest of the heroes in his world. He had Durindana placed on his horse in it's sword form, with Heshikiri Hasebe, he may be able to survive this battle and get back home.
'Yes, that'll be the plan. Get to my horse, use my bow until I run out of arrows, then resort to my experience.' He quickly made his way back to the location of his tent.
After managing to make it back, he found his horse, quivers of arrows were covering it. He let out a quick smile, 'Bertrand did what I asked, that's good. Hopefully, most of my men will make it back to their families.' He mounted his horse and began to ride through the camp, firing upon any enemy he saw.
Shirou was pretty sure he had saw hell once before. In another life, he watched countless people die, burning in the flames of the grail. He had witnessed wars and even protected his home from an invasion during one such war. Ayako often helped him get through the nightmares of his younger years, assuring him that he did all that he could do. He really wished she was waiting for him back at home in this world. Alas, he knew that was not the case, but he still had Titta to return to and a promise to keep.
Death surrounded him all around. He fired arrow after arrow, using quiver after quiver, until he was finally knocked off his horse. He quickly unsheathed Heshikir Hasebe and grabbed Durindana from where it landed on the ground. He may have been able to fight with a spear thanks to Ayako, but he was much better using it as a sword. He relied on his fighting style of leaving small openings for his enemy, something that would be considered suicidal if he was a normal person. Thankfully, he wasn't, he was was a magus. One who had managed to master reinforcement in his last life.
He fought on and on, rescuing anyone he could. He tried to get as many as he could to retreat, though there was just too much death. At this point, he figured the only thing he could do, was try and take out the war maiden leading the charge, but he wasn't completely sure if he'd win that battle right now, not without using up all of his reserves of mana. So, rather than take a gamble, he decided to save as many as he could. Hour after hour, he fought and killed hundreds.
It wasn't until the morning had come that he found himself alone, surrounded by a pile of bodies, his clothes turned black and red from mud and blood, appearing to have the same color scheme as his servant from so long ago. He used a little of his reserves to trace some arrows, sheathing his katana and dismissing Durindana. He began to walk around the battlefield, searching for anyone left breathing. He heard the galloping of a horse approaching. He turned, immediately knocking an arrow, a second resting in the other hand.
He let one loose, hitting the horse in the eye, then knocked and released the other, piercing the knight through his helmet. Shirou immediately began to feel the fatigue from fighting for so long. He continued forward, resting against a large boulder.
He then saw a group of knights riding in the distance, the beautiful war maiden that led the charge in the middle of the formation. He let out a sigh, he supposed he might as well attempt to take her down. Five swords formed around him, planting into the ground, altering themselves into arrows of twisted metal. He took the closest arrow, and took aim.
'Ayako, guide my arrows, may they strike true.' He fired two of his arrows, taking out two of knights' horses, causing them to fall to the ground. He grabbed another arrow and knocked it, however, he was momentarily shocked when he saw the war maiden swipe her sword, causing winds around her to lift her and her horse into the air and over her allies.
'Now, that's just unfair.' Shirou thought to himself, before letting out a small huff, 'Says the guy with a reality marble.' He shook his head, before firing the second arrow at the war maiden who was now galloping towards him. She swiped the arrow out of the sky. 'Okay, try this.' He knocked both the remaining arrows, taking careful aim. He loosed the arrows, both flying true.
He noticed the war maiden's eyes widen momentarily before smiling. Rather than wait for arrows to reach her, she swung her sword at the arrows, her mouth moving as she did so. A massive wind blast emitted from the blade, despite Shirou's arrows being twisted swords, they still veered off course. For a moment, Shirou considered using his katana and breaking it, but he doubted that would work, then he'd have to forge it all over again. Which, was near impossible already, it was a fluke he managed to forge it this time.
As she rode closer, Shirou simply let out a disappointed sigh, he slung his bow over his shoulder while grabbing his katana from his waist. He grabbed tore a piece of fabric from his tunic and tied the katana guard to the sheathe. He held both arms up as the war maiden finally reached him, her sword held out towards him.
"Drop the sword, my name is Eleonora Viltaria, what's yours?" She asked.
"Lord Tigrevurmud Vorn, and I'd rather not drop it into the mud, it has sentimental value." He answered with a disarming, but altogether tired smile.
"Very well, Tigrevurmud Vorn, from this moment forward I claim you as my property." She withdrew her sword, knowing he wasn't going to fight back.
He let out a sigh at her words and muttered underneath his breath, "Great, first Ayako now her."
Decided to switch a few things up, I wanted a change from the teaser. Hope you enjoyed it, until next time my friends, up next will be The Hero and Holy Maiden.