"Shirou! Shirou! Are you okay…? "

Shirou felt himself being shaken harshly, forcing him out of the vision that he had just experienced.

What… what… exactly was that…vision?...

Did… did I actually get a vision of the history of the sword? That… was weird. I had not spent anywhere near as much magical energy as I should have in order to get the full history of that sword…

I had only stored enough energy to get a glimpse of the significance of the sword, I had not forced the spell with magical energy to provide me with the full history of the sword… It was effortless, like the history, the legend of the sword wanted me to know it. But that couldn't be, the sword has not gained sentience, either through forging or legends… but it was like I owned the sword, that I created the history of the sword… the sword felt like it belonged to me… it was almost like I was Miyamoto Musashi…

Shirou felt his body being turned around, lifting his head, he gazed upon the visage of the old man Raiga. The Yakuza boss had a questioning look on his face, as though wondering what he was thinking.

"Shirou, how did you get here? I was about to ask you to come here with me, it was lucky that we were invited to be here too, you would have been in considerable trouble if you were caught here alone."

"Hey, old man Raiga… what is so special about this sword that it has to be guarded so securely?" Shirou inquired, not quite trusting his vision of swords history that he had gained upon the weird result from structural grasping. He had also wanted a confirmation that he was not hallucinating, the doctors did say that there would be mental scars left from the fire after all…

"Ah… Shirou, that is a Masamune sword, one of the best swords ever forged… legend says that this particular sword was owned by the greatest swordsman who ever lived. Miyamoto Musashi, who later had his name associated with this sword."

"You know… back in my day when I was still a boy, my mother had read me stories based on his legend, I had wanted to be a samurai when I was ten…" Raiga continued, gaining a strange look of remembrance.

Raiga had then held Shirou's hand and waited for the crowd around the sword to clear up, not wanting Shirou to be lost again.

Raiga had also felt a tingle of excitement in his old and weary bones, he was rather curious and fascinated to have the opportunity to gaze upon the visage of the sword which had once occupied his childhood fantasies.

Looking at Shirous expression of awe upon looking at the sword, Raiga had assumed that Shirou must have had stories told to him about the sword, holding the same respect and awe that Raiga had possessed about the legendary sword. He might have had a harsh life so far, but he was still a boy at a young age. It was natural for him to be fascinated by swords.

Raiga had considered it a lucky happenstance of fate that one of his business partners had a conflict in schedule and had passed the special visitor passes to him, it was a once in a lifetime opportunity to be able to view one of Japan's national treasures.

Shirou glanced upon the sword, admiringly. He observed some diagrams and informational materials at the side of the booth that depicted and given a detailed explanation on the history and legend of the sword. He collaborated the knowledge portrayed with his version of the story and had grasped that the version of the swords history that he had gotten from the vision was more detailed. Nonetheless, what was astonishing was that Shirou's history of the sword was completely accurate from the sparse details that had been provided.

After viewing the gift shop of the museum and at the end of the trip, Shirou looked back upon the majestic entrance of the museum. He glanced upward and whispered softly in reverence the name of the sword that had impacted him and provided him with the biggest eye-opener of the day...

"Musashi Masamune…"

Shirou would spend the rest of the week at home, reheating food for meals. He would have cooked with his now above average skills at cooking but he had found himself unable to concentrate.

Taiga had arrived every evening for dinner to accompany Shirou. Shirou would be found lost in his thoughts, preoccupied with an expression that any young boy should not have the ability to possess. It was rather similar to the look Shirou had adopted the first few months after his adoption.

Taiga, being her usual boisterous unobservant self, had not noticed the difference in Shirou's demeanor.

It was during kendo practice, that Taiga was surprised, looking upon Shirou utilizing a different form, with oddly skilled movements and calmer, more graceful attacks, yet with a brutal efficiency contrary to the forms he was taught by both Kiritsugu and her.

Shirou had gained a noticeable increase in skill and efficiency in swordplay, Taiga had considered Shirou to be rather gifted in the art of kendo but had not expected that he would be able to gain such an increase in skills out of nowhere. Taiga would have considered Shirou not using the styles that she had taught him to be a snub but whatever Shirou was using was truly working for him.

Taiga was surprised to have so much trouble against a boy not yet a decade old, every offensive move that she had made was not so much blocked but redirected, every defending stroke she would be forced to make was due to straightforward thrusts and strokes, not swung especially hard nor fast, but rather effectively at angles that were hard to block and hard to counter.

The movements made by Shirou were not wasteful, the strokes were economical, lacking the artistic flourish that had taken up much of modern swordplay. This had provided Shirou a considerable advantage by using the flaws created by the emphasis on grace to his own advantage.

It was to her inner shame that Taiga had to use her advantage in size and strength in order to disarm Shirou.

"Ne? Shirou… where did you learn such a sword style? I don't think that this style of swordsmanship is taught anywhere?" Taiga questioned, astounded by the progress of her surrogate brother in her favorite form of stress relief. She had felt rather confident in her skills in kendo after all, for she was praised as a young prodigy in kendo.

"Erm… I… ah… learnt it in a book. Yes. I saw this in a book containing a diagram on sword forms on the day old man Raiga brought me to the museum convention on swords… Apparently this is a long-forgotten sword form that is not used due to modern teachings being more focused on exercise and looking pretty as well as being non-lethal." Shirou lied, finding a convenient excuse in order to avoid explaining any more to his quirky sister.

Shirou was also not too sure about his increase in skills. He recognized whose skills he was using of course but he had not a clue as to how he had managed to replicate the skills. He would get to the bottom of this mysterious increase in skills of course but he had to first avoid suspicion from his adopted sister. She would not leave him alone to his discoveries if she had thought that there was something wrong with Shirou.

In the meantime, even if the cause of the mysterious replication of the sword skills were not found by Shirou. He had found an alternative sword form from what he had previously knew. More than that however, he had found that this sword form appeared to suit him rather well. He was rather excited to incorporate this form of swordplay into his repertoire when practicing.

Shirou had spent the rest of the month mostly alone, using structural analysis and reanalyzing every single object in the house, searching for a catalyst for the phenomenon that had caused the history of the legendary sword to flow into him.

While Shirou had seemed to reach another level in structural analysis, being able to force more information out of objects with far less magical energy used, he add experienced an oddity, in which he was able to get more information out of objects that possessed sharp points and instinctively know the full history of objects such as knives and practice swords that his father possessed.

Shirou, being rather inquisitive, had begun snooping around the house, looking for any object that he may have missed the first go around, as well as wanting for more sophisticated objects for him to be able to test the extent of and discover more about his new stage of structural analysis.

Shirou had gotten a breakthrough on one of the last days of Kiritsugu's 'business' trip when he had recalled his first meeting with Raiga Fujimura and reopened the garage. He had first began analyzing the tools and other materials belonging to the garage and had not been able to discover anything interesting or anything that would also stress the new level of progress that he had attained in structural analysis.

It was at this point where he decided to have a look at the sports bike that Kiritsugu possessed but had not used as far as Shirou remembered. Shirou was rather puzzled, why would Kiritsugu leave a sports bike that Shirou had known to be a special model with racing track modifications around without using it? Shirou thought it unlikely that Kiritsugu lacked qualifications for riding bikes, he had seen Kiritsugu's license before, nor was it likely that Kiritsugu possessed a phobia of riding bikes. That just didn't seem like Kiritsugu to have such a simple fear.

When analysing the bike, Shirou had made sure to gather a larger amount of mana, as he assumed that the forcing a detailed history out of the bike may require more magical energy.

What Shirou had discovered from analyzing the history of the motorbike was that it was rather new. It was less than half a decade old and only one owner ever used the bike and for a short period of less than a month. The user of the bike was a woman in which Shirou had never known before, she possessed a lithe figure, blonde hair and green eyes.

In the small handful of events that Shirou had forced out of the history of the bike, the woman possessed an ethereal beauty, was extremely graceful and had a dominant aura of authority, making it likely that she was an important figure. She was also likely extremely skilled in riding and a daredevil, having been able to get a glimpse on a couple of stunts made by the lady who previously had possession of the bike.

There was not more that he could get out of the bike. Every owner that had interacted with the bike had not spent enough time with the bike in order for the Shirou to derive more information out of the analysis of the bike.

Shirou was quite bewildered about the strange figure that he had gained a glimpse from a sensation through the spell but had not deigned much thought on the history of the bike for there was something else that had taken Shirou's attention. It was near the bike where Shirou had found what seemed like a secret compartment in the ground, it was held with a handle by a thick piece of concrete which was atypical for the construction of the house, having been built with a focus on Asian architecture.

Shirou pulled on the handle and was unsuccessful at lifting the piece of concrete up… He used both his hands and pulled to the limits of his ability but to no avail, unable to lift and open the compartment.

Shirou had an idea, using reinforcement carefully to be able to greatly enhance his strength over human limits especially for a young boy. Inwardly shirou was relieved that he had continued to practice reinforcement repeatedly even after mastering the basics quickly. This time shirou was able to lift up the structure and had found a large box inside.

Shirou pulled the box up and opened it, it was filled with bullets as well as a couple of guns, it had also contained some different objects such as metal wires and grenades, there was also a strangely shiny dagger in the box.

Shirou was perplexed, why would his father have use of such weapons?... Why would his father hide these objects out of the way?... Was this related to how his father would have been able to make an acquaintance of Raiga Fujimura?... Was his father in the Yakuza?...

Shirou had decided to find out the answers himself by using structural analysis on the objects, Shirou had been able to determine that the objects in the box were used prior to his adoption but had been unable to determine more out of the objects due to the fact that the objects were strangely resistant to his magecraft such that even when using a more significant amount of magical energy, he was incapable of determining much more.

Shirou had not had much interaction with objects regarding magecraft but he had felt that it would be a reasonable theory that the objects were enhanced by magecraft or somehow enchanted to be resistant to magecraft.

Shirou had just reached the final object that he had not analyzed and had decided to use structural analysis on the dagger. Even before using structural analysis, he had been able to determine by eyesight alone that the dagger was sharp and well made but even with it being made out of silver, a metal that signified wealth, it was still a practical weapon and had been well used in its history.

The dagger was made with a silver alloy of high purity, it was made in a foundry but produced in large numbers. It was like a novelty item. It had possessed large quantities of silver but it was still a very high-quality knife and not simply a showpiece. Every manufacturing process was made by machines, stamped, hardened and polished.

It was checked for quality at the final check and had been used for export. It was first purchased by the church and widely distributed to several priests. It had then been given to a girl named Shirley, and was then passed to Kiritsugu several decades ago. It had been regularly by Kiritsugu Emiya until several years ago where it was stored in the box.

The dagger was used primarily as a utility tool, cutting, slicing as well as prying open locks. With its sharp edge and durability, it was constantly used as the most reliable tool in many situations.

The condition of the dagger reflected its primary owner, it was polished and sharpened regularly, the owner never wanting a blunt knife just in case the situation required for the knife to be used. It was used effectively as a tool, its owner possessing no opinion for the knife, aside from maintaining it so that it was able to perform its required purpose to the best.

The owner was cold, brutal and efficient, using the tool as an accomplice to make traps. The knife was also used on occasion used to draw blood to perform its role as a dagger.

The first time it was passed down and used, it had drawn blood, it had been used as both a tool of salvation and betrayal. It had been one of the first situations in which Kiritsugu had taken a knife.

It had signified Kiritsugu's transition into his new life and to what would be his lifelong career.

It accompanied its owner in dozens of assassinations, it being one of the more useful tools as a trump card by Kiritsugu, being able to take advantage of the controversial tactics of using technology against mages in order to achieve its objective.

Its owner had an admirable dream, every death and every action in which the dagger was used for was to provide for a better future for humanity. Its owner hardened his heart and acted like a machine in order to achieve a utopia, a goal. The goal was eventually lost after a traumatic incident.

The dagger was eventually put away with the rest of the tools, its owner spending his time, looking back on his actions and mistakes, not regretting, but with a hope that was lost, a hope that was never regained, its owner becoming what he had forced himself to be, an empty existence.

Shirou blinked… surprised at what he had analyzed from the dagger, the fact that the history being gained from structural analysis thus proving his conjuncture about the phenomenon regarding his skills with the sword was thrown to the wayside.

Due to the dagger not constantly being with its owner, there were many blanks in between the events of the history that Shirou had gotten from the dagger. However even with the blanks in between the events that Shirou had seen, he was able to get an idea of the life of his father.

It had appeared that his father was apparently an assassin, a hunter tasked by the Magus Association in order to hunt down rogue magi that conduct immoral actions deemed a danger by the association.

Shirou had not considered the fact that his father was not the regular Magus, but it had made sense when comparing the new information gained with the feeling Shirou had that his father was oddly empty.

Kiritsugu would always hide his true self away from Shirou of course, however Shirou had still occasionally spotted the look of sadness and depression that his father possessed when he assumed that Shirou was not looking. If Shirou was less observant, or denser it would have been less apparent that his father was not completely who he portrayed as.

Shirou reflected on the information he gleamed from the dagger, it was all that could be gained from the dagger, especially since he maintained physical contact, there was nothing more that was relevant that could be gleamed from structural analysis.

He re-evaluated his thoughts and opinions on his father. He was conflicted, it had seemed that despite what his father had done and how a third party may determine them to be, his father had nonetheless done it with a purpose, his father had forced the actions and consequences on himself, sacrificing his mental state in the name of justice, in the purpose of becoming a hero of justice, even if he was to remain hated, even if he was to remain unknown.

Shirou was undecided as well as conflicted upon knowing the nature of his father, he had however made a vital conclusion. His father was empty but he had moved with a purpose, a determination…

Shirou had felt empty ever since the fire, he had lost his prior memories but he had nothing to fill that void, he had his hobbies and interests, but Shirou had wanted to experience more… There was an inner voice within Shirou that mentioned that it was vital for Shirou to pursue a purpose, an ideal… Exhausted by the revelations of the day, Shirou had decided to turn in and determine whether to confront his father upon his return from the trip…

Kiritsugu had returned from Germany, he had looked rather haggard and defeated. It was peculiar Shirou thought, his father must have undergone something truly sorrowful in other to reduce his normally strong-willed father to such despondency.

Shirou had considered bringing up his findings with his father but refrained, furthermore, he was not yet sure where he stood with his father and how he felt about his father's path. He supposed that this had not changed much about his evaluation of his fathers' character, it was in the past and was a phase the Kiritsugu looked like he wished to forget. Furthermore, he had always attempted to be a good father figure to Shirou.

Regardless, Shirou had felt quite concerned on behalf of his father, he had tried to think up on methods that could help to get his father out of his slump but he was still a young boy without much experience, not knowing the correct emotional sensitivity in which he should approach the situation in order to achieve the results most suitable to help his father…

Fortunately, there was a convenient distraction which arrived, compelling both Emiya's to forget their thoughts at the moment…

"Kiritsugu!... is it time for my lesson?" Taiga shouted, entering the house abruptly.

Shirou was startled, Kiritsugu had just arrived back home less than half a day ago and Taiga had somehow been informed that his father had returned.

Shirou had not yet figured out the odd fixation that Taiga had for his father, it had seemed that she had gained an immense interest in learning English ever since his father had first started teaching her the popular language on a whim.

Shirou, distracted, had decided to head into the shed where he would practice his magecraft in improving projection, it was better not to get caught up in the brand of madness that described Fujimura Taiga…

Besides, it would be rather cool if he was able to create a projection that recreated the Musashi Masamune…

Authors notes:

This chapter concludes the first arc with a small timeskip next chapter. Basically this chapter is just essential for laying out and advancing the plot a bit as well as describing Shirou's advancement in skills.

Shirou confirms his knowledge of his first noble phantasm, starts accumulating improvements in swordsmanship which will be an essential skill I need to show Shirou developing when the Holy Grail War comes around, he also gets a major Revelation about Kiritsugu's past.

Regarding Taiga's sparring performance against Shirou, the reason she has so much trouble is due to the style of swordsmanship rather than anything else, while Shirou himself has a bonus talent in learning kendo from Kiritsugu and Taiga due to being a sword incarnation, its due to Musashi's style which is based on no wasted movement which basically means that when sparring with Taiga, his sword will always reach Taiga's first, giving him the advantage in initiative due to modern styles focusing more on aesthetic considerations.

Also, a focus on Musashi's swordsmanship had always been the effective usage of parrying which gives Shirou a major advantage especially in Kendo sparring. Keep in mind that Shirou is currently under 10 years old and considering that Shirou eventually becomes one of the tallest characters in the nasuverse, I believe that considering his size and this newly gained skill which can be utilized to a decent level due to Shirou already sparring with his father and taiga.

As such, I feel that Shirou forcing Taiga to use her size and strength advantage to win is based in realism. If Shirou were to face Kiritsugu in kendo, even though Kiritsugu doesn't use swords, since Kiritsugu's instincts are sharp enough, he would still have more trouble facing against Taiga than Shirou.

Shirou also works more on his Projection and structural analysis. Keep in mind that Shirou will not know the Holy Grail War is happening and thus all the skills he has gained is based on his personal interest in Thaumaturgy and not due to focusing on combat.

This is why he doesn't have projection down yet since he is not trying to retrace swords he has seen but rather just projecting ordinary objects without taking into account the inner workings, the objects projected are thus hollow and will fall apart. He will start to be able to trace objects once he starts to recreate the Musashi Masamune.

Also the importance of Musashi Masamune is more on the skills he had gained from analyzing and less on the actual sword itself, the sword is just an excuse for Shirou to have a weapon in the Holy grail war that will hold up against noble phantasms that is not kanshou and Bakuya.

Aside from being surprised, Shirou doesn't have too much of on opinion on Kiritsugu yet. This is just a year or two after the fire and Shirou is still learning his path, losing all his memories doesn't provide Shirou with an opinion on morality other than the logical considerations.

Shirou will look at Kiritsugu differently but he doesn't care or particularly feel the need to confront him, he doesn't have a moral code to disagree with Kiritsugu's actions yet and it doesn't really concern him, so still being the eight year old he is, albeit a mature one, he shrugs the revelations off.