Advent of Muramasa Shirou

by Ronin2106

Shirou suffered from the Grail's fire greatly, but was saved by Irisviel instead of Kiritsugu, who escaped clutches of Grail. With her help and guidance, Shirou will discover his past and open a path forward for himself, as heir of Muramasa line, holding it's greatest treasures and secrets. Is the World ready for a new Hero, or will it destroy him? Very Strong!Shirou; Alive!Iri!

2. Chapter 2

Five months later. Oita Province. South of Fuyuki City.

The machine had finally pulled up near a secluded estate mansion that was some ways away from both Fuyuki and nearby smaller town south of it, with Irisviel leaving her driver's seat, with Touko following not far behind from her passenger's seat. Once she had opened up the door and stepped out, she had to stop herself from losing her balance, as her focus was nearly all over the place from a speedy and rather extreme ride. Though Touko herself was a speed freak and loved a fast ride, something that she and Iri had in common, she did admittedly kinda lost her edge in that department after wallowing in her despair in the past year and half and then next five months reconnecting with her son. So in other words, Touko was out of shape, and now needed a minute to get her stomach back in order.

"Are you alright?" Irisviel walked to heavily breathing Touko. "Sorry, it's just that I got so excited. It has been a long time since I had a chance to drive, especially without caring for all those stupid rules. I'll try to be gentler next time."

"N-no, it was grand, actually." Touko said, as she finally composed herself, before casting a little rune on herself, finally bringing her up to full health. "Phew, that's much better. Yeah, don't worry about it. I'm just a bit out of practice, otherwise, I'd probably take the wheel and show what a real speed freak can do." Touko joked, with Irisviel chuckling to it, realizing that she and Touko shared one more thing in common.

"Perhaps we can rent a speed track or something, and have a race for ourselves?" Irisviel suggested. "I did try to persuade Kiritsugu to have a race with me, but he was adamantly against it… and I think he was kinda afraid of me. Maybe it was because of the last time I raced…?"

"The Magus Killer, afraid of his wife? Somehow, I'm not surprised." Touko said, as she finally composed herself fully and the two began walking to the mansion's doors. "As for the race, we should do it sometime later. Now, let's see what we have to work here." Touko said, as she and Iri walked to the doors.

"Hm, there doesn't seem to be any bounded field in place, or at least any that I can sense." Irisviel said, as she turned to Touko. "Not to critique, but I wouldn't think that Genji would just leave it all unguarded like that. No normal Magus would leave his own house and Workshop as unguarded as this."

"You are right, and Genji certainly didn't leave it unguarded." Touko said, as she pushed down her glasses and looked at the walls and gates very carefully, before activating her Mystic Eyes, which immediately caused a magical reaction, with Iri's eyes widening from it.

"Wh-what? What did you just do?" Iri asked, as Touko pulled up her glasses and deactivated her Mystic Eyes. "I just felt like the whole area lit up with magical energy for a second, and now it's gone…"

"Yeah, that was the real defenses of Genji. Just as I thought, instead of utilizing Bounded Fields, he placed talismans fused with various Wards, along the walls, connected to a detector within the walls." Touko explained. "An automated defense system, activating upon the detection of magical energy of any kind, which puts up an appropriate ward for the appropriate situation. Anything from Elements to Curses and even Mystic Eyes - all are accounted. Just like it was when I left." Touko said with a small smile, recalling past times, with Iri looking quite impressed.

"But wouldn't the Wards wear off after such a long time of not being tended to?" Iri asked, before realizing. "Oh, he connected detector to the Wards, so they would only activate when triggered, hence their quality remained same as before. Quite brilliant, in all honesty."

"I know. He and I were quite proud of it." And with that, Touko pulled out a key and inserted into the key hole, deactivating the security system, and then unlocking the doors, opening them.

Beyond the gates, there was a front yard of a Japanese styled mansion, similar to the Emiya residence, though there were clear elements of modern classical style blended into it, along with being a two-story building. The grounds were expansive and vast, and instead of going straight into the house, Touko and Iri moved around it, and soon found themselves in the backyard, and there Iri saw, that the estate was quite a bit bigger than she originally thought. Added to the main building with several wings, there were also a garage, a large stone made building with a chimney to it, and another one similar nearby with Iri assuming those to be Workshops for Genji and Touko respectively.

As for the backyard, it was expansive enough for another house to be put in here, and Irisviel could clearly sense the magical energy being accumulated in the area, suggesting that the estate stood on the interconnection leylines, similar to Tohsaka mansion back in Fuyuki. If that were the case, then Emiya Matriarch could understand at least partially, how Genji Muramasa was able to create his Mystic Codes, which as she had learned, were regarded as the very best.

She did her own independent little research into him and did learn that Genji Muramasa, who in his time went under the alias of Shirou Masamune when he studied in Clock Tower, was regarded as the finest Mystic Artisan that came of Clock Tower in the last one hundred years. His Mystic Code weapons were sought after by even Lords of Clock Tower, with even Barthomelio Family rumored to have been among his clients, and that was a mark of the highest quality. He had reached the rank of Brand and was said to be able to reach the position of Grand at the same time as Touko, but did not due to becoming Zelretch's apprentice. On the subject of his apprenticeship, there were only speculations and theories, with the most conservative ones stating that he failed as his apprentice, while the more daring ones suggested that Genji actually managed to achieve Second Magic as well.

Regardless of which one was true, one fact was the same, and that he left Clock Tower, nearly severing all ties with it out of the blue, and settled on Kyushu Island, still taking orders from time to time. Among his last clients, surprising enough, was even listed Tokiomi Tohsaka, according to Touko, who wished an Azoth Dagger forged for him. Apparently, back in Clock Tower, the two were regarded as rivals, or at least that was the impression that Tohsaka wished to make, while Touko said that Genji viewed Tokiomi with contempt and tolerated him out of professionalism and simple politeness. After pondering what she knew, Irisviel observed the place one more time, before speaking up to Touko.

"I can sense traces of Magecraft in the air as it was performed just now, but that's not the case in reality. Is this place situated on the leylines?" Iri asked of Touko who nodded.

"Yeah, it's located on right in the spot where at four streams converge into one. The Muramasa have held this land for night four hundred years, ever since Tokugawa drove them out of Ise Province, and have maintained leylines, without draining or corrupting them." Touko explained. "The leyline here flows straight to Fuyuki and converges at Tohsaka Manor, with more than enough mana for Muramasa to use for their craftsmanship. I myself had no problem with Magecraft in here."

"Yes, I can sense it being a perfect base for a Magus Family. Maybe we can keep as our summer or winter retreat?" Iri suggested. "You should bring Shirou here next time. I'm sure it would do him well to come here again." On that one, Touko agreed.

"He actually asked to come with us, but I insisted he stayed home. I was not sure if the place was safe and not ransacked, or worse." Touko said, as she looked around, before her eyes stopped at her house, with Iri noticing it. "You mind waiting for a few minutes. I want go and grab something from the house."

"But of course, Touko." Iri said, with Touko heading to her old house, while Iri stayed to admire the view from afar, which was rather captivating, as open plains, hills of green and forests were open to her. "Ah, what a view… We are definitely spending next winter in here." Then she heard an all too familiar click of a gun's hammer.

"I wouldn't bet on it, girl." Irisviel heard a woman's voice, as she slowly raised her hands. "Now, turn around. Slowly, and if I see even a wave of hand or hear a whisper, I'll make an ugly hole in that pretty head of yours." Irisviel complied, turning around and seeing a woman with blue eyes and short silver grey hair, dressed in a white shirt, inky black coat and black pants with boots, with Irisviel realizing, that she had seen this woman before.

"An Einzbern homunculi… Guess those rumors of you all being gone were exaggerated." The woman noted, as she held the gun pointed at Irisviel's head. "What did your maker call you, and what are you doing in here?"

"I came here with a friend, to check the condition of this estate and if it was secure. And I am not an Einzbern, not anymore. My name is Irisviel, Irisviel Emiya." Irisviel introduced herself with stern resolve, with the woman looking at her with surprise.

"Irisviel?" The woman muttered more to herself, before she and Irisviel heard a door of the main building open, and Touko leaving it, a book in her hand, before she stopped and surveyed the situation. "Aozaki? The heck are you doing here?"

"Funny, I was about to ask you the same thing, Kaminski." Touko shot back in a casual tone. "Care to put the gun down and answer my question?"

"And why should I?" The woman asked of her.

"Because you are standing in the middle of my courtyard, and I know how to activate every single hidden Curse in here faster than you can pull that trigger." Touko casually answered, with Kaminski seeing she was not kidding, and so she put down her gun, with Irisviel taking her place near. "Now, Natalia, what are you doing in here, and how did you even hind this place?"

"Natalia Kaminski… Now I remember! Kiritsugu told me all about you, you are his mother." Once it clicked in Irisviel's mind who Natalia was, all previous thought of animosity was forgotten and she smiled brightly. "It's so nice to finally meet you. I am Irisviel, Kiritsugu's wife… Um, widow." Irisviel said the last part with a demure tone.

"I am sorry for your loss. I know you and Illya meant the world to him." Natalia said sincerely, as she put her gun away, before turning to Touko. "As for what I'm doing in here, it's my job. I was hired to guard this place and ensure that nobody manages to break in here. And should someone actually get in, I was to kill them. Though this is actually my first time even being in here, I couldn't even get past the Wards." Touko blinked at her response.

"And who hired you to do this job, exactly?" Touko asked of her.

"Normally it's not my policy to blabber out name of my clients, but since you got in, that means you were the one he was expecting." Natalia noted. "It was Genji Muramasa who hired me."

"Genji? Why would he hire you for something like this?" Touko asked of her, with Natalia shrugging at her response.

"Said he wanted an added layer of security to his home, in case someone actually manages to get past his defenses, though in my opinion he had overdid a little." Natalia commented, as she looked around. "He found me about a year ago, said he needed this place guarded, paid more than enough in cash for me to get loaded, plus covered the expenses for three years ahead. Easy money, I thought, and took him up on his offer, and then the Grail War happened… And I suspect he was afraid that it would happen to him. He did say that someone who had access would come, in case of his death, and if she did, my job was over, so I just sat tight in the nearby town down the road and waited." Touko and Irisviel thought of what Natalia said, before Iri asked the question.

"Um, pardon the curiosity, but how come you and Genji met, if you do not mind me asking?" Iri asked.

"I've got the same question. I don't remember my husband ever mentioning you." Touko noted, with Natalia chuckling at that one.

"Oh, so that's who he married… I don't know if I should be envious of the man, or pity him." Natalia said humorously, before returning to the matter at hand. "We weren't exactly friends. I procured special resources for him outside of Association's control, while he supplied me with Mystic Codes, cash and so. Pure business relations, nothing more, although I did owe him a big one…

---

1997. Paris.

Seated outside of one of the café's, Natalia was drinking her coffee, while pretending to read her paper, all the while she was listening in on her devices she implanted in Odd Borzak's suit, making sure she had all the relevant information on her target. In the past, this Magus turned Dead Apostle had managed to not only elude her, but had nearly turned her into another one of his Ghouls because of his Demonic Ghoul Bees. While Natalia was not one who preferred to ask for help or receive it, she decided to go against her old habits and got in touch with an old friend of hers, or rather a business partner, to get herself an edge over the Dead Apostle.

She was now waiting for him to come, and given the fact that Borzak's plane was leaving for New York in about four hours, Natalia couldn't help but start to get nervous that her friend wasn't going to make it. Fortunately, her concern was alleviate when she saw the familiar dark red coat over a black vest, with their bearer possessing a mixed Japanese and European features, which made him stand out as both unique and handsome man. Red flaxen hair that came to his neck with golden eyes were a clear identification of one Genji Muramasa, who sat at Natalia's table.

"You almost had me worried you weren't going to show up." Natalia said straight away, before she saw Genji cast a special Ward around them, to given them the needed privacy. "Usually you come rather quickly when I call with a business offer."

"Usually you do not deal with guys like Odd Borzak and ask me to get you an edge over him." Genji replied, before shrugging. "Noted, he's only in the lower mid-tiers of regular Dead Apostles, but still, I thought you stayed away from such big targets."

"Let's just say I decided to take this one up out of personal reasons." Natalia said. "I know you could kill him with no problem, since you are swinging with some of the Ancestors on the regular, but we regular mortals do have to cheat a little if we are to stand a chance against even such cannon fodder as Odd Borzak." To that Genji simply chuckled, with Natalia doing the same.

"Well, luckily for you, I'm always happy to supply cheats for all kinds of situations." Genji answered, before he pulled out of his coat what looked like a black handle of a sword, before putting it before Natalia.

"A Black Key? Did you steal one from another poor victim of yours?" Natalia asked with a bit of disappointment in her tone, as she took up the small handle, before pouring in mana, yet not seeing the blade materialize before her eyes, but sensing magic course through it, confusing her.

"Not quite, I merely took inspiration and created something of my own. Pour in the mana, and the blade manifests not in the physical form, but in a spiritual form, so it can phase through immaterial objects, and concealed and not detected by regular means." Genji began to explain. "The blade itself is a combination of two reverse Curses, one that strengthens the spiritual link of the soul, and the second is specially designed to work against Dead Apostles. It targets all that is inhuman and destroy their soul and all it is connected to, and since familiars are connected to their master via the utilization of Magic Circuits and mana, they too die. Just get close enough to Borzak, stab him with this, and it will kill both him and his bees."

"Just like that?" Natalia asked with clear skepticism present in her voice.

"I've already tested it plenty of times on Mages and Dead Apostles who had familiars, worked all the time." Genji replied. "I've made this one's prototype some time ago and used it when I needed to get out of tough spots. Yours I modified for concealment by making the blade spiritual instead of physical, hence why I was a little late." On that, Natalia was prepared to believe.

"Alright, and what are the drawbacks?" She asked of him.

"It's single-time use. Strike it ones at someone, and it is gone, so make sure to hit Borzak." Genji simply told her, with Natalia understanding him, taking his weapon into her pocket, before Muramasa rose up. "Oh and one more thing." And before he left, he produced what appeared to be a journal out of his coat, handing it to Natalia, who raised an eyebrow to that.

"Crosswords?" She asked, with him smiling to her.

"To pass the time. Have a nice trip, Natalia." And with that, he dispelled the Ward and left, with Natalia simply drinking her coffee.

---

Ten hours later. New York.

"Natalia, I've eliminated Borzak's associates, and have acquired the transport. How are things on your end?" Kiritsugu asked, before getting a reply from Natalia.

"Oh, Kiritsugu, perfect timing. Here's a question for you: what do bees, cocktail and a British musician have in common?" Natalia asked him out of the blue, surprising Kiritsugu. "I've brain racking my brain out on this one for a whole hour, got the whole rest of it all solved, but this one sticks like a goddamn stick in the mud. Help me out here, kid."

"A… Sting?" He suggested, and then he heard what appeared to be a cry of victory.

"STING! That's bloody it! Damn it, kid, you have NO idea how much you have helped me here. Once I've landed, I'm taking you out for drinks." Natalia promised, clearly being in a jolly disposition.

"Natalia, what about Borzak?" Kiritsugu asked.

"Hm, what about Borzak… Oh yeah, he's dead, and his familiars too. Took care of ages ago, his corpse has been moved away, everyone thinks he had a heart attack." Natalia replied, with surprising and dumbfounding Kiritsugu. "Now that this is over with, what's on this page? Anyway, here's another question for you…" Then Natalia continued her conquest of the crosswords, while Kiritsugu was left wondering, what was going on exactly.

---

Back to the Present.

"Wish I could've taken a picture of Kiritsugu once I've landed." Natalia laughed at the memory. "After that, I've worked with Kiritsugu for a bit, but then I got hit by a Curse that was deteriorating my body, so I sought out a solution from Genji. He took care of the Curse, but I was too far gone to reverse the effects, so he recommended me you, Touko, and told me where to find you. Speaking of which, thanks again for the new body. Worth every damn penny stole from me." Natalia said to Touko.

"And what were you expecting? I don't do discounts." Touko reminded her. "I was wondering how you found me back then. Should have known it was Genji. Even when we had a break-up, he still kept an eye out for me." Touko said with a bit of a nostalgic smile.

"You and Genji actually dated?" Iri asked of Touko out of curiosity. "Was it like in romance novels?"

"Truth be told, I doubt it could even be considered dating by normal conventions, given that I was a Sealing Designation most of the time, and before that was obsessed with beating my sister, not to mention that I… Well, I could be difficult to handle." Touko admitted. "I've made his life plenty difficult, insulted and even all but gave him every reason to stay as hell away from me as possible, and yet… Whenever I was hurt or in mortal danger, he was always there, no questions asked, no remorse, no nothing. It took me a bloody long time to realize that whenever I was with him… it made me really happy, happier than I would've been if I had that Fifth Magic." Touko admitted, with a sad smile gracing her face, while Iri placed her hand on her shoulder for comfort.

"Well, hate to break your drama, but I've got to ask, if you are moving back in here or not?" Natalia asked of Touko.

"I came here to see how things are in here, and to pick up something for my son." Touko said, as she held her book close to her, before surveying the place. "While I would like to come back home, we now live in Fuyuki, and Shirou is comfortable and happy there. Maybe in the future, we'll come back here, but not today…"

"Okay then. I guess my job is done anyway." Natalia said, as she took out a cigarette pack, before offering it to the other two. "Want one?"

"No, I'm not into it. Tried once, didn't like it." Irisviel was almost green from the memory.

"I've quit." Touko answered, with Natalia raising a brow at the one. "Pregnancy, needed to change my lifestyle, plus Genji made it clear that if I hadn't stopped, I would really regret it."

"And what did he threaten you with? Curses?" Natalia asked her.

"Worse. No sex until I quit." Touko admitted without embarrassment, with Iri looking at her with widened eyes, while Natalia laughed aloud. "You think it's all laughs, but trust me… After what he did to me, that was the worst threat I've ever heard."

"Was he really that good?" Natalia asked with the clearest interest, after lighting her cigarette.

"He ruined other men for me and some women too." Touko admitted, with Iri's imagination starting to run wild, while Natalia let out a whistle of respect. "Alright, my sex life aside, what's your plan now, Natalia?" She shrugged at that one.

"Well, I did retire from mercenary life. I only took this job up because I was starting to run low on money, and now I am back to being loaded again. Guess I could hit up Las Vegas again." Natalia considered, as she smoke her cigarette. "Or Monaco. Whichever is best this time of year?"

"And what if I were to offer you a job?" Touko suddenly asked of Natalia, catching her by surprise. "You may be retired, but you've got decades' worth of experience and training when it comes to dealing with Moonlit World and its inhabitants most efficiently and in the ways that they won't see coming."

"I suppose." Natalia commented, taking a puff of her cigarette. "Where are you going with this?"

"My son Shirou, I want you to train him." Touko told him, surprising both Iri and Natalia. "Irisviel, I and my sister are teaching him Magecraft, but you can teach him how to eliminated Mages, Dead Apostles and others. After all, you are the teacher of legendary Kiritsugu Emiya, the infamous Magus Killer. I can bet there is lots you can teach him that one won't learn at Clock Tower."

"Maybe, but why do you want this for him? I assume you know how Kiritsugu turned out to be, so I might not be the best role model to be around." Natalia remarked.

"Because we trust you, and because we know you can teach him what he needs to learn to protect himself against Moonlit World." Irisviel picked up the idea. "That, and unlike Kiritsugu, he will have his family to also guide and help him, but… Shirou knows how dangerous the Mages are, and he has already suffered from it. I do not want him to suffer again because of them, and if it means that he can learn how to best defend himself from another Lianer El-Melloi Archibald or Cornelius Alba by studying under you, then I'll be more than happy and content to let it happen." This was the sentiment that Touko supported, with Natalia thinking about for a few moments, before finishing her cigarette.

"Oh what the hell… Okay, I'll teach the little rascal." Natalia agreed, with both mothers glad they've managed to convince her.

"Marvelous, now, let's…" At that moment both Touko and Iri froze in their place, as they felt a far distant pulse from Fuyuki, one that was all too familiar to them. "Touko…" Iri was starting to get concerned, but Touko remained composed.

"Relax, Iri. Aoko is with them, and if there is one thing that my sister is good at, it is destroying someone 'till they are but a puddle of dried up blood." Touko said, with Natalia agreeing with her. "Not even Dead Apostle Ancestors want to tangle with her, so unless it's someone like Altrouge Brunestead or her sister True Ancestor, they are safe and sound. Although I do have to wonder, what an absolute moron would think it a good idea to pull up to the one place where both I and my sister live?" Touko genuinely was curious, because she was sure that even the top brass of Clock Tower knew where Aozaki sisters now congregated, and how best to avoid them.

One Aozaki sister is already a Dead Apostle Ancestor level threat, but two of them at the same time and working together… That is equivalent of attempted suicide in most cases. Whoever it was, Touko could already imagine that the bloodstain on the pavement when she got home.

---

A little earlier. Fuyuki City.

Rin Tohsaka had considered herself a smart person, much smarter than those of her age, which was to be expected of her, given that she was a Magus, and not just any run of the mill kind, no. She was the a sixth generation Magus of the Tohsaka family and it's head, the family that had helped establish the Holy Grail War and had a distinguished and prestigious lineage of over 2 centuries, starting with their founder, Nagato Tohsaka, apprentice of the legendary Kaleidoscope. Not even some of the ruling families of the Clock Tower could trump that, and that's not to mention being foremost experts in Jewel Magecraft, one that rivaled, though in Rin's belief, surpassed that of even Edelfelts, who wrongfully claimed Tohsakas' to be thieves of their knowledge and prowess.

Like her late father, Rin wasn't going to simply let those accusations stand, and once she is old enough to go to Clock Tower, she will show her true potential and prowess and make everyone see the real genius that she was. It would be the same as her father had done, Rin imagined, but for now, the recently turned 8 year old was dealing with a different issue, one that stemmed from her duties as the Second Owner, or at least as she perceived it to be. Being a Second Owner of Fuyuki, formally all Mages that operated and lived in it owed her their fealty, though in practice, it was far less streamlined and clear, but what was clear as day was that no Magus could simply settled down in her domain without getting her approval and permission. Such was the law that the Clock Tower had set in stone when they have allowed her family to become Second Owners of Fuyuki, and some months past, she had discovered that this law was broken in the rudest fashion.

She had encountered in the most sudden of places- a cutlery store, sensing Mana in the air, which nearly spooked her, but she did not give it much thought. Then she began to sense that same Mana in other places as well, like local market, bookstore and other such places, making it clear that there was a Magus in Fuyuki that Rin did not know of. And what was even more of an insult that he was so brazenly walking around like he owned the damn town, and that was what pissed Rin off even more. Under normal circumstances, she should've reported it to Kirei, her guardian, but since he was the least favorite person to her and he was away in Italy for an extensive period of time, she decided to confront this invader personally. This way, she would not only demonstrate to others her capability as a Second Owner, but also potentially silence anyone at the Clock Tower who may think that a little girl should not be running Fuyuki, and that, perhaps, the Matou would be better suited for this.

Rin wasn't going to squander her family's legacy and name, and so, after spending several days prowling the town, she finally managed to find her prey, which had satiated itself just a relatively short distance away from her own house. That added to the veritable insult that Rin suffered to her pride, to have not been able to discover the interloper sooner, but now she was going to correct the mistake. Moving to the gates, she sensed a Bounded Field that covered the area, not one with defensive or offensive capabilities though. Most likely a merely warning one, which suggested to Rin that this Magus was either stupid or thought himself powerful. Either way, she wasn't going to meander about.

She was Rin Tohsaka, and it was time for this interloper to learn what it was like to deal with one like her, as she walked up to the gate and sent a pulse of Mana through it, serving as a veritable warning shot. If the magus wasn't an idiot and he hadn't skipped town, he would be here, sooner or later, and this time, it was sooner, as the gate soon opened, and before her stood a boy of roughly her age, with near golden eyes, dressed in normal clothes. Under different circumstances, Rin wouldn't have suspected him to be a Magus, but the fact that he was metaphorically drenched in Mana, the very same that she's been sensing, left no doubt in her mind that he was a child of the Magus that was all but running around in her City.

"Um, can I help you?" Shirou asked, growing a little concerned by the fact that this girl was now trying to glare him to death. "Is… Is something the matter, miss…"

"Tohsaka. Rin Tohsaka." Rin said with a stern glare to the boy. "Ring a bell, Magus?" She asked slowly, in as threatening tone as she could, with the boy simply blinking at her words before replying.

"Daughter of Tokiomi Tohsaka, current sixth head of Tohsaka family, specialists in Jewel Magecraft and martial arts, and official Second Owner of Fuyuki City." Shirou recited the general info he was given by Touko with respect, which somewhat placated Rin, though it did not deter her glare. "Oh, my apologies, I forgot my manners. I am Shirou Emiya, pleased to make your acquaintance." Shirou bowed his head in respect, with Rin feeling a bit of pride swelling in her chest.

"If you know who I am, then would you care to take me to your parents, Emiya-san, so that they may explain to me, why have they so brazenly trampled upon my domain?" Rin demanded in a haughty tone, with Shirou blinking at her, before replying.

"Actually, my mom and Mother are away from town on some business, but my aunt is here, so…" Shirou was about to continue, when he heard a voice coming from the house.

"Shirou! What did I tell you about answering the door when a Bounded Field is triggered?!" A clearly annoyed cry announced the incoming Aoko Aozaki, as she approached her nephew. "You should've woken me up first instead of coming out so openly. What would happen if it was someone like Alba or El-Melloi all over again?" Aoko asked of him as she closed the distance.

"But Mother put up all those special Runes that would've warned us if it someone serious. Plus so long as she is not inside the premises, we are safe." Shirou reminded her, with Rin gaining a slight tick at his response, while Aoko conceded the point to her nephew with a sigh.

"Okay, I stand corrected." Aoko admitted, before she turned and looked at Rin with a bit of a sleepy expression. "And who are you, munchkin?" She asked directly, which quite literally made Rin red with fury.

"EXCUSE ME?!" She shrilled, with Aoko closing ears from the high pitch sound, while also waking up fully.

"Geez, kid, easy on those screams. Almost busted my eardrums…" Aoko said, letting out a yawn.

"This is Rin Tohsaka, Nee-san." Shirou intervened, with Aoko blinking and then responding to the clearly irritated kid.

"Oh, so you are Tokiomi's kid, huh." Aoko said, as she looked at her. "Anyway, you need something or were you passing by?"

"Don't you dare act like you've done nothing wrong!" Rin said with indignation, before turning to Shirou with a demanding look. "Now let inside, before I force myself in." Shirou turned his head to Aoko for confirmation, who simply shrugged, and Shirou stepped aside for Rin, who went through the gate, and then sensed like she had passed a veritable wall of mana, thicker and much stronger than even one at her house, leaving her surprised.

"This way, please." Shirou led Rin inside, with Aoko following closely behind. "We were about to have tea and some snacks. Would you like some too?"

"Hmph, don't think you can get out of it with just some tea… But, if you are offering, I guess I will accept." Rin added in a more polite tone, with Aoko suppressing a chuckle, as they've reached the main building, with Illya already waiting for them at the entrance inside the house.

"Shirou, who is that?" Illya asked, looking at the girl with curiosity, as they got out of their shoes, with Rin eyeing Illya with surprise.

"This is Rin Tohsaka, Illya. Tohsaka-san, this is Illya, my sister." Shirou introduced her, with Rin quickly responding.

"Doubtful, for as far as I known, Einzbern homunculi are created artificially, and she clearly is one." Rin replied, with Illya clearly not liking her response. "And I would've expected a former ally of my family to at least formally introduce herself before settling down in here."

"And I would expect a member of Tohsaka line to be a more polite in other's house, but I guess we can't have things go the way we think they should." Illya replied, with Rin taking a back a little by the bite Illya showed. "Why did you invite her in, Onii-chan?" Illya asked of Shirou in a tone that one would attribute to a petulant child.

"Because Tohsaka-san wanted to discuss something, and I think that there was some kind of a misunderstanding made, so it would be best resolve it in a civil fashion." Shirou replied, with Illya deciding to accept it, before they all proceeded to the living room, where Sella expected them, while Leysritt was munching on crackers and watching TV without a care in the world. "Sella, could you prepare one more cup for Tohsaka-san."

"Of course, Shirou-sama." Sella bowed and proceeded to do so, as all were seated at the table soon, with tea and snacks served, after some time enjoying both, Rin finally decided to speak up.

"Now, let's get to the business. Emiya-san, I believe you understand who I am and what being Second Owner means, correct?" Rin asked of him, and Shirou nodded to her. "Then you must also realize the severity of the crime you and your family have committed towards me." Rin stated with as much seriousness as she could muster, while the members of Emiya household exchanged looks, before Illya spoke up with the poise of an Einzbern princess.

"Tohsaka-san, of which crime do you accuse my brother and my family, and what evidences said crimes you have in your possession?" Illya demanded to know, with Rin replying.

"The fact that you are here, living on my land and using Magecraft, without my permission or even knowledge." Rin replied in a fully serious tone, surprising everyone. "You realize that for such a crime, I have the full right to report you straight to the Clock Tower? Do you know what will happen then?" The threat did not go unnoticed by anyone, as Sella and Leysritt tensed and were prepared to reach for their weapons, while Illya glared at the girl, before Shirou spoke up.

"Tohsaka-san, I am sorry, but what do you mean by your words?" Shirou asked, before elaborating. "My family and I do have a permission from the Clock Tower and a written document, confirming our right to live and practice Magecraft in this city, as well as procure necessary land. We believed you were fully aware of this fact as well." Shirou spoke in a diplomatic tone, remembering the lessons from Irisviel in politics of Mages, with Rin blinking at him with confusion.

"What? But… I-I have absolutely no knowledge of… Are you trying to deceive me?" Rin was ready to accuse Shirou of lie, before he spoke again.

"Of course not, Tohsaka-san, I meant no insult, and we have proof to confirm it." And just as Shirou said it, Sella produced the writ. "Thank you, Sella. Here, Tohsaka-san." Shirou passed it to Rin, who opened the document and read it's contents, with her eyes going wide at what she read here, before she took a good look at Aoko, before going pale.

"Y-you are A-Aoko A-Aozaki, M-Magician of Fifth Magic?!" Rin nearly freaked out of her mind, realizing that she had screamed at one of two confirmed Magicians in the world.

"Yup, munchkin." Aoko clearly enjoyed the look on Rin's face, before she pointed at Shirou. "And this is my nephew, whom you were ready to eviscerate with your eyes." Rin gulped at the thought, before another one hit her like a train.

"Wait… I-if she is your aunt, th-then your mother is…" Rin finally managed connect the dots in her head, remembering from her father's journals who was the other Aozaki.

"Touko Aozaki, yes." Shirou answered like it was no big deal, while Rin quite literally wanted to be anywhere but here. "But it's okay. I mean, you were not aware, and no harm was done so why don't we have a fresh start?" Rin was surprised by his capacity to so quickly forgive her for insults and all the rest, and decided not waste this opportunity.

"Um, o-of course, a-and… My apologies, Aozaki-san." Rin bowed her head in respect before Shirou.

"It's okay, and it's actually Emiya." Shirou replied, with Rin looking at him with confusion.

"But you are son of Touko Aozaki, the only Grand of Clock Tower and greatest puppeteer in the world. Wouldn't you feel more proud to wear her family name than that of her unknown husband?" To that, Aoko could only chuckle, while Illya glared at Rin again, before Shirou spoke up, this time with more force than before

"Tohsaka-san." Shirou's serious tone was enough to send shivers down Rin's spine, making her feel like she was now speaking with a different person. "Please stop insulting me and my family. I understand you are surprised and confused, but that doesn't excuse disrespect." Shirou stated to her, with Rin feeling rather guilty at her words.

"My apologies, I meant no offence." Rin said, before her mind caught up with something. "Wait, but how are you his sister?" Rin asked of Illya, with Illya looking quite pleased with herself at the fact of Tohsaka being confused.

"That's because he is my brother! My mother adopted him, and now he is my Onii-chan." Illya seamlessly switched from her Einzbern mode to Little Sister mode, as Irisviel jokingly called it, while Rin looked even more confused, with Shirou noticing it and deciding to elaborate.

"I was adopted by my Mom, Irisviel Emiya, after the Fire, when I lost my dad and my memory of before it. My Mother, Touko Aozaki, thought I was dead, until five months ago, and now she is here, living with us, along with my aunt." Shirou pointed towards Aoko, with Rin finally understanding what had happened. "While I know who my real mother is, I do still call myself Emiya, because I also see Irisviel as my mom."

"Oh, I think I get it now, and I'm sorry for what had happened to you." Rin said genuinely with sympathy. "I… I too had lost my father some time before the Fire, and my mother… She was unwell since then."

"I have heard about your father's death, but I am sorry to hear that about your mother." Shirou added. "The Grail War was a real nightmare for all, I guess." Hearing that, Rin perked up in surprise.

"How do you know about the Grail War? In addition, how did you know about my father's death? Was your father a participant in it?" Rin immediately asked with an intense stare, with Shirou shaking his head at that.

"Hey, lay off Shirou with the questions, Tohsaka." Aoko decided to intervene, before answering some of her questions. "Shirou's father wasn't a participant, despite your own father's insistence. As for how we knew of his death, he was the Second Owner before you, not to mention that my sister, and I personally, would've loved to put him in that grave ourselves, especially after what he did."

"Wh-what do you mean, Aozaki-san?" Rin asked. "My father was a well-respected and honorable Magus. I can't imagine him doing anything to upset you or Shirou's father. And why would he want to involve him in the Holy Grail War?" Aoko only scoffed at Rin's words.

"Same reason why he meddled with him back in Clock Tower- because he thought himself too prim and proper to actually do any "menial work," except for when it was time to show a spell or two before all others." Aoko stated with clear annoyed tone, with Rin shocked to hear it. "I only met him two times, but seriously, I've never seen a man, who couldn't even comprehend people that didn't act or think like he did, at least when he couldn't make use of them."

"M-my father wasn't like that! He was a powerful Magus and a respected member of Clock Tower of the rank of Fes." Rin defended him, with Aoko only glancing at him. "I do not know what have you heard from Shirou's father, but I suspect that the two were not friends."

"No they were not." Aoko confirmed that fact. "Especially after he all but blackmailed him to enter that stupid war on his behalf, by threatening to expose my sister's whereabouts to the Clock Tower."

"What? What do you mean?" Rin asked of her, with Aoko deciding to share the story with all, one that she had heard straight from Genji.

---

Two years ago. Tohsaka Mansion.

"You have my gratitude for answering my invitation of such a short notice, Genji. Please." Tokiomi offered Genji the seat, which he took, while also placing the box onto the table. "Would you like some refreshments? A track from countryside back to Fuyuki must've left you somewhat parched."

"I'm good, Tohsaka." Genji replied in a neutral-cold tone, with Tokiomi deciding to sit as well. "Why don't you get to the point? Last I recall, you wanted nothing to do with me, especially after I "stole your" apprenticeship. Trying to have Edelfelts kill me certainly cemented your animosity towards me." Tokiomi did not visibly react to it.

"I will not deny that in the past we have had certain disagreements in some matters, but as Magi, and even more, as disciples of the great Kaleidoscope, it is our duty to look past our past grievances and find common ground and unity in purpose." Tokiomi said to Genji, who merely cocked his brow at that, as Tohsaka poured both of them wine. "Despite our different outlooks on life, you and I share more in common than we differ in, Genji. Both of us are scions of noble families, furthering our bloodline's goals and passing on our goals onto our children. I with my Rin, and your with your Shirou, one destined to inherit the goal of Tohsaka, and the other the goal of Muramasa and…"

"Tokiomi, get to the point." Genji slowly told him with a clear cold edge to it. "This is strictly between you and me. Mention my son again, and I'll leave." Tokiomi understood that Genji was not kidding, and decided to oblige him.

"Very well. As I am sure you are aware, the Holy Grail has nearly completed its recharge, and will soon have enough power to manifest, which means that a new Holy Grail War is upon us." Tokiomi began to explain, as he took his wine. "The ritual created by the Einzberns, the Matou and the Tohsaka families with a singular purpose of reaching the Root, yet this goal is not ours alone. It is the one that is shared by all who proudly bear the name of Magus and practice our noble craft, and soon, the door to it will manifest itself, granting a chance for the worthy to reach it." Genji could already see where this was going.

"So you plan to fight in it, and you want me to help you win it, do I get it right?" Genji asked of him, with Tokiomi chuckling to it, as he sipped his wine.

"I already have a winning strategy prepared, which will ensure that the victory will belong to the Tohsaka family." Tokiomi assured him, before looking at Genji. "What I offer to you is a chance to take part in the achievement of the greatest dream that all Magi shared, to honor your bloodlines by repeating the participation in the same ritual that had brought them glory and honor."

"I've learned enough to know, that this Holy Grail is far more trouble to me than gain, nor does it hold any value to me, wish granter or not." Genji stated to Tokiomi, who clearly was not pleased with his answer. "And I know exactly why you want me to participate, and my answer is no, Tokiomi. I have far better things to do than help you stroke your ego." Genji stated, as he rose up from his seat, preparing to leave Tokiomi's study.

"Would you truly throw away such an opportunity, Genji? A chance to finally reach the Root, the answer to all questions and the absolute truth of the universe, would you truly let it pass you without even considering it?" Tokiomi asked of him, with Genji snorting at his reasoning.

"I would've thought you wound understand by now, Tohsaka, but even after all these years, you still don't get it, do you?" Genji turned to him with a mocking glint in his eyes, before shaking his head. "At this point, it's too late to try to explain it to you, so I'll instead say this: I could not give a damn about the Root, because reaching it goes against my own goals, one that you would not understand."

"And why do you think so?" Tokiomi asked of him.

"Because of what you did to your own daughter." Genji stated with coldness, making it clear he knew about Tokiomi's deal with Matou Zouken, before turning to leave. "I've wasted enough time here. Rest assured that I'll not bother you again, and should you win, my congratulations." He said in a half-mocking manner, preparing to leave, before Tokiomi spoke again.

"Then perhaps you need another incentive to reconsider my offer, Genji." Tokiomi spoke up. "Instead of uniting with me to reach the Root, you would instead assist me out of consideration for your wife's well-being and safety." That immediately got Genji's attention, as he stopped.

"What are you talking about?" Genji turned to him, with Tokiomi smiling, as he sipped his wine.

"It always was an open secret that you and Touko Aozaki have shared a… connection, while you were at the Clock Tower. Two of the most brilliant students of Inorai Valualeta Atroholm, prodigies in their own rights and fields, equals in abilities, naturally predisposed to being rivals and enemies… Yet instead, you got married and had a son." Tokiomi turned his head with a clearly winning look in his eyes. "I assume you are aware of the Clock Tower's policy in regards to the offspring of Sealing Designated Magi, and one bred from you and Touko Aozaki… I imagine that the Clock Tower will be more than eager to get their hands on Shirou. Given Touko's incredible quality of Circuits and your astonishing number of them…"

"Tohsaka… If you dare…" Genji spoke through gritted teeth, but was interrupted by Tokiomi who stood up and walked to him.

"Genji, my good friend, I would never lower myself to such crass things as attacking one's own family, and naturally, as we are to be allies in the coming War, I will do my utmost to provide all the necessary protection your family may require." Tokiomi assured him with a charming smile, with Genji wanting nothing more than crush his head with his bare hands. "Now, I hope you will be able to procure a suitable catalyst for your servant and will inform me in advance of its identity. Should you encounter problems, I shall lend you my support, naturally. Now then, time is short, and we best not waste it. Oh, and you my thanks, for completing my order so quickly. I am certain that the Azoth Dagger is as splendid as I would expect from the world's finest Mystic Artisan." And with this Genji left Tokiomi's mansion in fury and rage, before returning home.

Yet Tokiomi's beliefs would be proven incorrect, for Touko Aozaki would soon again reveal herself in a loud enough fashion, drawing the attention of Clock Tower to herself and far away from Fuyuki City and her family, leaving Tokiomi deprived of a potentially powerful tool.

---

Back to the present.

After hearing the entire story and then remembering Shirou's losses, Rin was completely shaken to the core, realizing that the object of her admiration and respect, her father, was not only acting in a way that went against her beliefs in him, but also showed himself to be apparently incapable of understanding what true parental love is and capable of. She… She knew that to be a Magus was to always walk with Death as your companion, and she knew that he gave away Sakura, her sister to, the Matou, but she believed that it was all so that both sisters could achieve greatness. That in the future both Rin and Sakura would both stand as equals and be sisters again, perhaps, and move forward together as allies in blood and goals.

She knew that her father and Kirei worked together, but she believed that it was a mutually arranged agreement, and that her father had died because he actively partook in the War, but now… Now she was questioning it, and the thought that her father was not the man she thought him to be hurt her, and as much as she did not want to believe in Aoko Aozaki's words, there was one thing that couldn't let her brush it all off. That something was Shirou, or rather how he reacted to this story, not in posture or voicing it all, but his eyes…

When Rin looked into them, she could have sworn that she saw the pain, one that was all too similar to the one she saw in her eyes, when it feels like your entire world was destroyed, taken from you in one fell swoop. Rin realized that because of her father's desires and actions, Shirou had been separated from his mother, and then his father died because of the Grail War, the same one that her father tried get him involved in. He suffered because of it as well, losing his memories and identity and having to build it again, and yet… And yet he didn't even say a bad word to her, not after all that she said and had done, she more than deserved his scorn, and she understood that coming here was one of her worst ideas period. Composing herself, she decided to at least leave in a graceful manner.

"I… I know that nothing that I may say will be enough, but I want to say, that I am sorry for all that had happened to you, Muramasa-san, and for the way I have acted. You have suffered because of the Tohsaka family's actions, and I take responsibilities for them, so I understand if you feel wronged." Rin said with remorse, as she rose up. "I shall take my leave. You needn't worry yourselves, I'll not disturb you anymore, and…" She was about to leave, but then Shirou called out to her.

"Tohsaka-san." Shirou called to Rin with a softer tone, surprising her. "You… You have nothing to apologize for, Tohsaka-san, and as for what you said earlier, it was just a misunderstanding, which we resolved so I don't see any reason as to why we can't have a fresh start." Shirou said with a small smile, which astonished Rin.

"H-how can you say that? M-my father had threatened your family, deprived you of your mother, a-and because of the Grail War, you lost your father and memory, and I've done nothing but insult you and yet…" Rin was seriously unable to comprehend for a moment why Shirou would be so cordial with her after all that had happened. "A-any normal Magus would've declared a blood feud for less, and you just… You just want us to start again as friends, after all that my father had done? Why?" Shirou looked at her with a bit of a surprise, before replying.

"Well… Because it was not your fault, and even if it was your father, you are not him, Tohsaka-san." Shirou replied to Rin, who looked shocked at his response. "I know that in Moonlit World, families and legacies are very important, more so than individuals, but I don't think that it's right, at least to me. Every person is not simply defined by his or her family and their values, and you are not like your father, so I don't see why we can try and be friends, if you would like. My father and yours were enemies, but that doesn't mean that we have to be the same, just because of the past, and what really matters is what we do ourselves, and not simply do what others did before us." Rin blinked at his words, taking it all in, before processing it and finding that there was a lot that she agreed with, and that… she did indeed wish to be friends with him.

"I… I suppose there is sense in your words, and it would be to no one's benefit if we were to feud, s-so, a-as a head of Tohsaka family, I accept your offer friendship and cease of hostilities between our families." Rin said it in an as official tone as she could, while being quite red in her cheeks.

"You know you don't have to be all prim and proper before us, right?" Aoko decided to interject with a smirk, causing Rin to go beat red in embarrassment.

"I-It's only proper that we follow the traditional way of peace arrangement!" Rin tried to explain, before seeing Illya, Aoko and Leysritt chuckle at her, before she turned to Shirou. "A-and I would like for us to start anew, M-Muramasa-san, as friends." Rin said with an embarrassed tone.

"I would like that too, Tohsaka-san." Shirou smiled to her. "And call me Shirou, since we are friends now."

"Th-then you call me Rin, s-since we are equals i-in status… and friends." Rin told him the last part more to herself, with Aoko chuckling to herself.

"Tsundere…" Leysritt called Rin out in her slow tone, with Illya bursting out laughing.

"Wh-what is that supposed to mean?!" Rin called out in indignation, with the room chuckling at her.

"Don't worry, Liz is like that all the time, but she means well." Shirou told Rin. "By the way, would you like to stay for dinner? My mom and Mother should be home by then, you can meet them, if you like."

"A-are you sure this would be appropriate? I mean, this is Touko Aozaki herself, a-and a person of such magnitude require certain…" Rin was about mumble, but Aoko stopped her.

"Trust me, munchkin, my sister doesn't really care about dress-code and such things. Just be nice to her, Shirou, and you will do just great." Aoko told her. "Oh, and one more thing: never call her by her Colored Rank, or worse, the nickname she gotten from Clock Tower."

"Why? Doesn't it denote her accomplishments and status as a great Magus?" Rin asked of Aoko. "And what is this nickname you mean?"

"Best you never ask about it, or else Touko might kill you because of it. Last time I called her that, she nearly broke my spine, and I'm the lucky one." Aoko admitted, with Rin paling from the thought. "Last guy to call her that ended up as a dinner for her pet Demon."

"P-pet D-demon? You are joking, right?" Rin asked, with Aoko looking at her with a serious look, with Rin turning to Shirou. "Shirou, she's joking, right? H-how can a Magus have an actual Demon for a familiar? That is like… That should be illegal, and impossible, shouldn't it be?"

"I'm pretty certain Mother doesn't really care for these things, as for how, I don't really know." Shirou said, turning to Aoko.

"Eh, her new one is actually weaker the last one. You should've seen the one she used against me back when I was in high school." Aoko commented. "That one was an Elemental and a Phantasmal Beast at the same time. Damn thing wouldn't even bloody flinch she I kicked him in the head…"

"That's… That's not normal." Rin commented with clear fear in her voice.

"I thought that having familiars was pretty common for Mages." Shirou commented.

"Yeah, but not the kind that can go toe to toe with freaking Servants!" Rin was having a bit of a mental breakdown. "Just… Just what kind of a family is this?" Shirou simply shrugged at her words.

"I dunno, but I love it." Shirou admitted to Rin, who let out a sigh. "By the way, Rin, wouldn't your grandparents be upset with you being so long away?" Rin was surprised by his question.

"Not really. My father's side is all gone, and my mother's… Well, let's just say that I don't get along with them, and in their eyes, I can do whatever I want, while my guardian is away for a long time." Rin answered. "And why would I be concerned with them? It's not like I live with them or anything?" That caught everyone by surprise.

"You… You live with your mother in your mansion?" Shirou asked, with Rin shaking her head.

"No, my mom requires constant care, so she was admitted in a special hospital, so it's just me alone." Rin said, catching a look of sadness from Shirou and others. "Why? What's the matter?"

"Nothing, it's just… Anyway, about what we talked earlier, about dinner? You are welcome to join in, and I'm sure Mom and Mother would like you." Shirou decided to deflect the subject, with Rin noticing it, but deciding to let it slide.

"If you insist, I suppose I can, though as a Second Owner I am a pretty busy person, I'll have you know." Rin huffed a little, with Aoko chuckling at her.

"Whatever you say, Munchkin. Well, it's gonna be some time until the Touko and Irisviel turn up, and even longer 'till dinnertime." Aoko looked at the time, before a thought came to her head. "Say, kids, how about a few rounds in Call of Duty?" That immediately got Illya excited.

"I'm in! I've just finished unlocking that new assault rifle I wanted!" Illya immediately darted to TV and began to turn on the game station, confusing Rin to no end.

"Call of Duty? Assault rifle? What's that all about?" Rin looked to Shirou for explanation.

"You never heard of it?" He asked of her. "It's a first-person shooter, available on PC, XBOX and Play Station, one of the most famous series in the world. The one we are playing is Modern Warfare 3 and…" Shirou trailed off when he saw Rin looking at him like he was talking on a whole different language.

"Um, Shirou, what's a PC?" Rin asked of him in a confused and dumbfounded tone, with Aoko and others, safe for Shirou, who proceeded to explain to her the modern technological marvels and irrevocably corrupting Rin Tohsaka.

---

Sometime later.

"We are home, everyone!" Irisviel announced in her usual chipper tone, with Touko and Natalia following her into the house, all nearly soaked, as they've gotten hit by a heavy rain.

"HA! Take that, you stupid noob! Eat RPG to the face!" The three women froze in the tracks when they heard a girl's voice filled with such viciousness, coming from the living room. "That's what you get for trying to snipe the Tohsaka!" The women exchanged looks and then proceeded into the living room, finding the kids playing, with an additional girl all but swallowed up by the game.

"Welcome back, Mistresses. The dinner will be served within an hour." Sella bowed respectfully, while Liz muttered something akin to a greeting, muffled up by a cracker, while the two mothers of Shirou Emiya and his de-facto grandmother, looked at the situation before them.

"Aoko, mind bringing us up to sped?" Touko asked of her sister. "Why is daughter of Tokiomi Tohsaka currently playing with Shirou, and who had disturbed our Bounded Field?"

"She did, turns out that the Clock Tower didn't notify her of us, and she thought we were interlopers, but we got it cleared up. As for why she's here and playing with Shirou, well, let's just say that our boy will be quite a ladies man when he grows up." Aoko chuckled at that, with Touko giving her a questioning look. "Oh don't give me that look. He managed not only to calm that girl down, but also made friends with her, after I've all but made it clear what a piece of trash her daddy was and what he did to us all. She even apologized to us all like a good and proper girl, even for her father, all within an hour. Gotta say, Shirou's definitely got a knack for making girls like him…" Touko could only sigh at her sister's words, while Irisviel was considering what she heard, while Natalia was chuckling.

"Well, sounds like I'll not be bored with this one." Natalia admitted, just as Shirou and Rin were blasted together by Illya.

"What?! Where did that grenade come from?! You cheated!" Rin was ready to tear Illya a new one.

"Oh, what's wrong, Tohsaka? Shouldn't a Magus Princess be able to take a loss with dignity and grace?" Illya mocked her with a smirk, with Rin all but crushing her controller.

"Ahem!" Touko gotten everyone's attention. "Shirou, could you introduce your new friend to us?" Touko asked of him, with Shirou and Rin rising up.

"Mom, Mother, this is Rin Tohsaka, my new friend. Rin, these are my Mom and Mother, Irisviel Emiya and Touko Aozaki." Shirou introduced them, with Rin bowing in respect.

"It is my pleasure and honor to meet you. I am Rin Tohsaka." Rin introduced herself.

"My, aren't you just the sweetest thing." Irisviel smiled brightly to her. "I am so glad Shirou has a new friend. Please, feel free to come and stop by whenever you feel like it. We are always happy to have guests." Irisviel assured her, while Touko eyed Rin with a bit more reserved look.

"Tohsaka… I assume you've been made aware of what happened between my family and yours in the past?" Touko asked of Rin, who froze up after hearing it.

"I… Yes, Miss Aozaki, and I am deeply sorry for what had happened. I didn't think my father would act like he did, and…" Rin was about to apologize more, before Touko stopped her.

"Don't worry, girl, I was just curious if you knew. Your ain't your old man, that is for certain. He would never have had any balls to come openly and show himself to anyone who appeared to act out of order on his territory." Touko chuckled, with Rin deciding to take it as a compliment. "Well, if Shirou likes you, I'm okay with you, but if you hurt or use him, you better have a grave ready." To that Rin could only audibly gulp.

"Mother, please stop scaring Rin. She still hasn't gotten over the fact of you owning a Demon." Shirou asked his mother, with Rin shivering from the memory.

"Okay, just making sure all the formalities are in order." Aoko waved it off, as she took her soaked coat. "Looks like it's gonna be raining cats and dogs till tomorrow, if not longer."

"I'll draw the bath." Liz called out and headed to do just that.

"If that's the case, then why don't you Rin stay over for the night?" Irisviel immediately offered, taking her by surprise.

"I'm okay, thank you. I'll be…" Rin was about to speak against before Touko interrupted her.

"Kid, you'll not make it ten steps out before you soaked to the bones. Give us the number of your guardian and we'll inform…" Touko did not have a chance to finish her idea.

"That won't be necessary!" Rin immediately put a stop to Touko's idea. "I graciously accept your offer."

"Splendid! Oh, I know! Why don't we all have a movie night tonight?" Irisviel was already enraptured with her new ideas, while Shirou turned his attention to the newcomer.

"I'm sorry I don't think we've met before. I'm Shirou Emiya." Shirou introduced himself, with Natalia smirking at him.

"Actually, we did meet, sometime in the past, but it's okay." Natalia told him, with Shirou blinking at her with confusion. "Though the last time I saw you, you had a mop of red hair instead of white, but I guess you are like your old man."

"Shirou, this is Natalia Kaminski, she is an acquaintance of mine and your father's from the past. Starting tomorrow, she will be your self-defense instructor." Touko told Shirou, who blinked at them.

"Self-defense? Like karate or judo?" Shirou asked in a confused manner.

"Not exactly. I specialize a bit broader field than just those." Natalia answered.

"Um, what exactly do you specialize in, if I may ask?" Shirou asked of her, with Natalia grinning at him.

"Killing, kidnapping, torturing, assassinations and all in the between, all geared up against the Mages." Natalia answered, with Rin immediately gulping in fear. "And don't you worry, kid. If I've managed to turn Kiritsugu Emiya into Magus Killer, then I'll turn you into something even better."

"I take it back. This family is way crazier than I thought!" Rin mentally screamed to herself.

---

Later.

After the hearty dinner, just as Irisviel had wanted, the family and their guests were now watching movies, with Shirou deciding to take a little bit of a break from all the activities. Leaving the living room, he stepped on to the backyard porch, where he saw the rain falling down, sitting down on the floor and breathing in fresh air, while also listening to the rain. He didn't even notice when he wasn't alone anymore.

"Feeling exhausted?" Touko asked softly, drawing Shirou's attention to her, with the boy noticing her holding a book with her. "I wouldn't be surprised. It was a pretty exciting day for you."

"Just wanted to get some fresh air." Shirou said, with Touko nodding to him with a soft smile.

"I see. Mind if I join you?" She asked, and after receiving his nod, sat down near him, her book in hand, as she looked out at the rain. "Hm, this sure brings back memories…"

"Did we use to sit like that in the past?" Shirou asked of her, with Touko nodded.

"All the time, we would just sit on the porch like that in our home, listen to the rain hitting the leaves and trees, and then after it was over, we'd watch rainbows appear." Touko said with a heartwarming smile, as she looked at her son, before bringing up the book. "I can show it to you, if you like?" Touko said, as Shirou turned to her, while she opened up her book, revealing to be a photo album, with pictures of Shirou, Touko and Genji in it.

"Is that…" Shirou looked at its contents with surprise, with Touko nodding.

"Our family album." Touko confirmed, as she moved her finger on to the pictures. "Back when I was in Clock Tower, I had a hobby of taking photos, but after I was kicked out, I've nearly forgot about it. Genji actually kept my old camera and all the albums, and when we got married, I decided that I wouldn't let a single moment of our life escape, and so I started taking photos again. Here, this here is when you've said your first word…" Touko pointed at the photo of little Shirou with teary-eyed Touko holding him, the brightest smile present on her face.

"Kaa-chan…" A distant memory called out from Shirou's mind, once forgotten and resurfacing, bringing with it warmth and happiness of the moments and times when he was with his mother.

"Kaa-chan…" Shirou repeated, with Touko freezing when she heard Shirou said it. "Mother… C-can I call you Kaa-chan, l-like I used to?" Shirou asked in a bit of timidly, with Touko not responding for moment, making Shirou look up, and seeing tears falling from eyes, as the infamous puppet master couldn't contain them, before moving and bringing her son into a warm hug, with Shirou reciprocated it.

"O-of course, Shirou." Touko told him, as she quietly cried, while holding her son close to her.

"Kaa-chan, can you tell me more of those times? About dad and…" Shirou wished to ask her of more, but Touko was ahead of him.

"I'll tell you everything, my boy. Tell and show you everything." She told him, and so she led her son on a journey of rediscovery of his past.

---

A year later. Miyama Park.

The year passed in a peaceful and calm manner for Shirou, with the quietness and tranquility broken down only by the usual family antics, which were all quite welcomed by him, as he loved it all. He and others didn't even notice when Rin all but moved in with them, or at least one could get an impression of it, as the current Tohsaka head spent nearly all of her free time in Emiya residence, quickly becoming an unofficial part of their family. The only extended periods of time when she didn't show up was when her guardian was in town, one that clearly made Rin's life miserable, if her following foul mood was any indicator. A couple times when Shirou did hear Rin talk about him, she made him sound like a person he certainly did not want to meet, though she never did state in clear who he was, and all that Shirou knew that he was once Tokiomi's former apprentice and was actually a member of Church. Though Shirou was not quite involved with the Moonlit World, he was knowledgeable enough as to understand that Mages and Church do not mix well, which Rin confirmed to be true, but her guardian was a special case, apparently, since Tohsakas had good relations with the Church, or at least she claimed it to be so.

Deciding that it was best not to ask too many questions about this man, Shirou lived his life about as normally and peacefully as one would imagine, though to call a standard normal life would be impossible. When he was going to school, helping out his schoolmates or neighbors, Shirou was training under the watchful eyes of Irisviel, Touko, Aoko and Natalia, plus having study sessions in Magecraft with Rin and Illya, who did warm up to the Tohsaka head and did become friends with her. Most Mages in Shirou's age usually trained with their families, if they were from Magus bloodlines, exclusively, but in his case, he had a far more varied education.

Irisviel, due to her heritage as an Einzbern, was a specialist of rare quality in arts of Alchemy, and so she taught it to Shirou, and while he did show a certain aptitude towards it, it was clear that he wasn't as well suited for the most complex of Einzbern magecrafts. Instead, Shirou's aptitude with Alchemy actually lay with fundamentals, such as manipulation of matter and form, as well as basic thaumaturgic work, which Irisviel taught Shirou even before his kidnapping. From those lessons it became clear that Shirou was extremely well suited for Material Thaumaturgy, which included Structural Analysis, Gradation Air, Strengthening and even Alteration, with which Shirou seemed to excel. His proficiency with Structural Analysis alone was so good, that he actually managed to modify the standard spell to make more thorough and effective, allowing not only analysis of the structure, but also it's history, composition and more. To say that his mothers were impressed would be an understatement, and so under Irisviel's guidance he continued his studies in those fields, as well as Alchemy.

Touko Aozaki was regarded as a genius polymath in terms of Magecraft, the foremost expert in Runes and greatest puppet mistress, not to mention having a higher than intermediate knowledge of Wards and Curses, having learned those from Genji, along with various other fields. She taught Shirou the more complex and powerful Magecrafts, with him learning of Runes, Wards and Curses, to all of them that he showed both an ability and a talent to utilize them. Each of the three fields were actually balancing each other quite well, with Curses' offensive potential, Wards' defense and Runes' versatility, and Shirou clearly saw the potential in utilizing all three, as well as other fields that Touko was teaching him.

However, it was not just Thaumaturgy studies for Shirou, as Aoko took over his physical training, teaching as well as serving as his primary sparring partner, teaching Shirou martial arts, and to say that Aoko didn't exactly know the meaning of going easy would be about right. She believed in learning by doing something, and so when they sparred, she didn't make it easy for Shirou, forcing him to rely not simply on Reinforcement and traditional hand-to-hand styles, but also making him incorporate Magecraft, ingenuity and unpredictability. Mixing in Rune traps with wards, low level Curses to make Aoko move slower and other such things were what Shirou learned to rely upon. It was also this made him want to improve even further, leading to him picking up kendo, to which he showed the clearest aptitude that was only rivaled by his determination to learn. It wasn't long before he was practicing and keeping up with Taiga Fujimura, the infamous Tiger of Fuyuki, quite infamous for her prowess and temper when it came to swordplay.

While all those subjects were more or less focused in theory and practice in controlled environment, Natalia taught Shirou things that one wouldn't teach even a magus child, and that is how to best fight other Magi, Dead Apostles, survive and win in the Moonlit World. Natalia was once one of the top mercenaries in the Moonlit World, and she quickly ingrained into Shirou the components to her success, making sure he learned the value of adaptability, practicality and did not put others before himself, or risked his life foolishly. She especially made it clear to Shirou, that he was to protect and defend himself even more than others, not simply because it was common sense, but because he was hurt, his family would also be hurt, and Shirou took it to heart. Add to that all also knowledge on how to use firearms, grenades, explosives and other such things, Shirou figured he was well on his way to becoming quite a magus, and that is not to mention the fact that Shirou, as it turned out, didn't possess his family's Magic Crest.

The discovery of that fact was actually a bit of a surprise to both him, as he was actually of the age to receive it, like Rin had done so, but as it turned out, Shirou's father never did transplant it. At this point, his memory of the past restored quite well and extensively, with only missing parts being those that were of the time after Touko left. Initially Shirou and others pondered about this, but Touko quickly explained the reason as to why Genji probably never got around: the Magic Crest that Muramasa possessed simply extremely extensive, powerful and varied, and even parts of it were enough to surpass the collected knowledge and Circuits of someone like the Tohsaka family. According to Touko, Muramasa Crest incorporated in itself knowledge and powers of several Mages Families, with the included knowledge aside from traditional Curses, Mystic Codes creations and Strengthening, there were Wards, Onmyodo and other arts. In her opinion, the collected knowledge in that Crest was enough for half a dozen of Families, and in that case, Touko was not exaggerating.

It was a well-known fact that Magic Circuits were not easy to transplant, and there were risks that they would not integrate well, either not being active, or in worst case, fry a person's mind, with Muramasa's Crest being one that could do it. Touko and Genji were well aware of it, hence why they resolved not to pass on the Crest until Shirou was properly trained and strong enough to handle the strain, which would explain why Shirou missed his Crest, but there was now the matter of finding it. The Crest did exist, and Touko knew it, but she did not know where exactly it was, as she was not able to find it in their old house, but she was not relenting and was employing resources to find it.

Today though Shirou was having a free day from studies, and he decided to spend it with Rin, accompanying her to see her mother, Aoi, allowing the daughter to take her mother out for the day to park. It was a sad sight for Shirou, to see Aoi in the state that she was in, clearly unable to connect with reality and not even seeing or recognizing what was going on, or even Rin, and for Rin, to see and realize what was happening with her mother. As they walked through the park, with Shirou and Rin pushing Aoi's wheelchair, they soon found a pretty spot where they stopped, with the woman quietly looking out with a dreamy sight, while Shirou and Rin sat on a nearby bench, with Rin speaking up.

"Thank you, Shirou." Rin told him, her feelings clear to see. "I… I'm sorry you had to see her like this."

"You have nothing to thank me for, Rin, and no need to apologize." Shirou assured her, as he took a glance at Rin's mother, who looked around in a dreamy way. "She seems happy to see you." Shirou tried to support Rin, who could only shrug in a defeated way.

"I'm not even sure that she even knows that it's me, or if she even remembers that I'm her daughter." Rin admitted bitterly. "She… My mom has been like this since the end of War, and no matter all that had been done, she's only been getting worse. In the beginning, she would at least talk and seem to notice things around her, eat and wash up on her own, but now… Now it is like she lives in her own little world, and… And I hear that it's going to get even worse." Rin said with a saddened tone.

"I… I can't imagine how hard it's for you." Shirou said, as he put his hand on her shoulder for support, with Rin appreciating it. "Maybe we could ask my Kaa-chan to take a look at Aoi-san? She knows more about human body than anyone in the world does. Surely she could come up with a way to help her?" Rin perked up at his words.

"Do you think she would be willing to help her?" Rin asked of Shirou. "I mean, I know how much she hates my father, not to mention that it's not exactly a cheap thing, to construct a puppet."

"Well, maybe it won't have to come to it, but even if it did, I'm sure she would be willing to help. She did provide new bodies for Mom, Illya, Sella and Liz, didn't she?" Shirou reminded her, with Rin agreeing with him in that regard. "I'll talk with her and Aoko Nee-san."

"Thanks, Shirou, I… You have no idea how much it means to me." Rin said, with hope for a better life once again lit in her heart. "Can we talk about something else for a bit? You said you were interested in starting forging or something?"

"Sure." Shirou said. "Yeah, and the more I think about it, the more it just feels like the right thing to do. I guess it's pretty much in my blood, making things, and I have been asking Kaa-chan to let me do it, and she finally relented."

"That sounds great, but are you sure you'll be alright? I mean, without your Crest, you are pretty much starting from the ground up, don't you?" Rin asked of him, with Shirou shrugged at that.

"Well, not exactly. Dad had kept up journals and wrote manuals on forging and creating Mystic Codes, and I have spent near half of my life in his forge, so I actually have a fair bit good idea on how to make things." Shirou revealed to Rin, who nodded to him. "Though I'll admit that it's concerning that we still can't find the Crest. Kaa-chan said that Dad would not let it be lost, or even allow a chance of it to exist. Dad was many things, but careless with Crest was the last of them."

"Could he have given it to someone he trusted, like a Tuner or even a Master of Restoration he was friends with? I read in my dad's journals it was a common practice for the Magus Family to entrust their Crests to Tuners and Masters of Restoration for safekeeping, though it is a rare enough occurrence." Rin suggested, with Shirou shrugging at it.

"Maybe, but Kaa-chan pretty much checked all of Dad's old acquaintances, and none knew anything." Shirou revealed to Rin, who took a moment to think about it, before a thought hit her.

"What about your Dad's parents? He could've entrusted it to your grandparents." Rin suggested. "Speaking of which, I don't think I ever heard you speak about your grandparents or tell me anything about them."

"That's because there isn't much to tell, really. Kaa-chan told me that her parents were dead a long time now. As for Dad's, I know that his father died when he was a kid himself and as for my grandmother… Kaa-chan said they were not on speaking terms, neither she nor Dad." Shirou told Rin. "I never even seen or met her, and all I remember is that she didn't want to see us either. I asked Kaa-chan about her, and she told me that it was best that we don't reach out to her." Rin blinked at that.

"Do you think there's some kind of animosity between Miss Touko and her?" Rin asked him, with Shirou shrugging, not knowing anything about it.

"Maybe. All I know is that Dad's mom is some sort of big shot in the Association, maybe related to a Lord or something. That, and she is the one Dad learned Wards from and whose name he used as an alias back in Clock Tower." Shirou told to Rin. "Speaking of Clock Tower, I have been thinking…"

"Don't tell me you were thinking of going to Clock Tower to study." Rin said to him, with the look on Shirou's face said it all. "Shirou, you know what kind of a place it is, right? I thought you didn't want to get involved with it, not after what happened to you."

"I know, but it's not like I'll be gone indefinitely there, and I'm not planning on going there immediately, nor would Mom or Kaa-chan even allow me to go there." Shirou said. "I… I already discussed it with them, and they did agree that sooner or later I would get involved, so they agreed it would be to my benefit if I made my appearance of sorts first, instead of drawing their attention through some other action."

"So, when do you plan on going then?" Rin asked of him.

"In two year, probably, if all goes well. Kaa-chan won't let me leave until she makes sure I've covered all of the subjects." Shirou told Rin, who breathed easier a little. "You know, I have been meaning to ask, why you never gone to Clock Tower? I imagine a Second Owner and a Tohsaka would be welcomed there." Rin groaned at that.

"You think I didn't want to, but to get to Clock Tower, you either need to have a recommendation from the Tower, or to be able to pay for the tuition, and unfortunately, I can't get any of them." Rin sighed. "First one is simple, because I am a relative nobody in the eyes of Clock Tower."

"I would like to dispute that." Shirou commented, with Rin chuckling at it.

"Well, maybe I'm awesome in your eyes, but it's not enough for Clock Tower and as for the second method… That one is closed off as well, because my guardian has the full control over my family's fortunes, and he is what you would call an embodiment of frugality, and an absolute disaster for my family's finances." Rin groaned painfully. "And to make matters worse, he'll be arriving back in a few days, and staying for longer than before, so…"

"I see, and I'm sorry to hear that." Shirou told her. "If you would like, I could visit to your house with Illya."

"I appreciate the thought, but really, I don't think it's a good idea. For one, that guy is just the worst and he has a knack for making people feel miserable. That, and I don't want him to ruin the only good thing I treasure." Rin said openly, before groaning a little. "And it is so boring in my house! You have no idea what's it like to not have game station, computer or even a goddamned TV! I mean, seriously, the most modern things I have in my house are fridge and stove, and that I'm sure only because mom insisted on those. There's literally nothing for me to do in that house in terms of entertainment!" Rin complained in comical fashion.

"If only Tokiomi Tohsaka were to hear you…" Shirou couldn't help it, with Rin nearly shouted out.

"I would give him a piece of my mind! Him and that stupid apprentice of his!" Rin exclaimed, before calming down. "But seriously, it might be best you don't meet him, Shirou."

"Oh, and why do you say that, Rin?" A new voice spoke, and when Shirou heard it, he couldn't help but feel his entire body freeze up upon hearing it, before he and Rin turned to see the source it…

…And the moment Shirou saw this man, he felt like he was back in that Hell from which Irisviel saved him from, back in the moment when that Fire surrounded it, feeling like he was drowning in darkness, malice and pure evil. When Shirou looked at that men, he felt all that evil pooled in him, like he was an embodiment of it all, and something inside of him screamed that he should not let this man anywhere near him or Rin. Fear and terror took over his sense of reason, but they subsided a little a moment ago, as he and Rin stood up, as the man, wearing a priest's attire approached them, a smile upon his face, as Rin spoke up to him.

"Kirei, what are you doing in here?" Rin asked of him sharply.

"Isn't it obvious, Rin? I came early to visit my ward, but found her missing. How fortunate that you've left a reminder on your calendar, so it was quite easy to find you." Kirei Kotomine responded, before his eyes turned to Shirou, and the boy shivered from his gaze. "Ah, and you must be the illusive new friend of Rin. I must admit, she had been quite adamant about not telling me anything about you. Almost as if she was afraid I would do something to you, if I knew." Somehow, Shirou was certain that this thought was a true one.

"I simply didn't want you to scare him off, Kotomine." Rin barked back, with Kirei paying her little mind. "Now why don't leave us alone. As you can see, I am quite fine as it is, and we can discuss our business alone."

"In due time, Rin. For now, I would very much like to actually get to know your new friend." The way Kirei said it made Shirou feel like a prey in the eyes of a predator. "Now then, young man, tell me, do you have a name?"

"I do." Shirou answered, with Kirei having expected him to give it to him.

"Did your parents not teach you, that it is impolite to not introduce yourself when greeted by someone?" Kirei asked of him.

"They also told me not to trust strangers right away." Shirou responded with steel, surprising Rin.

"Ah, I see what you mean. I am Kotomine Kirei, guardian of young Rin Tohsaka, and now I am not a stranger to you." Kirei remarked with his now usual smile, while Shirou remained tense from mere sight of him. "Perhaps now you will share yours with me now?"

"Sorry, but I don't think I should do it." Shirou answered, with Rin taken aback by it, while Kirei merely cocking a brow at it.

"Oh, and why is that?" Kirei asked of him, with Shirou deciding to be blunt.

"Because you reek of evil." Shirou stated directly, with Rin looking at him with shock, at the sheer animosity he had in his tone, while Kirei with surprise, but also widened smile.

"Shirou, what are you talking about?" Rin asked of him, with Kirei smiling even more.

"Ah, so it is Shirou then." Kirei said, deciding to reach for Shirou, with him stepping back.

"Do not touch me." Shirou said with as much steel as he could muster.

"Oh, and why is that?" Kirei asked of him. "Is this because I smell funny or something?"

"No… You don't smell." Shirou said, as he narrowed his eyes at Kirei. "You hold that which caused that Fire. All that malice, abhorrence… That evil is in you!" Shirou practically growled it out, with Kirei laughing at his words, with Rin growing concerned at his words.

"Shirou, what do you…?" Shirou then interrupted Rin.

"Rin, run. Run away." Shirou implored her, as Kirei laughed, and then suddenly moved faster than most eyes could see.

"Yes, Rin, run." Kirei said, as he rushed towards Rin with clear intent of hurting her, but then he was suddenly stopped, feeling as his limbs grown heavy, like they were filled with lead, before sensing Mana in the air. "Ah, so your friend knows a little Magic… Don't you know that Curses are a weapon of the evil men, child?" Kirei chuckled darkly, as he turned to Shirou, while Rin was frozen in place, before Kirei broke through the Curse, and turned his attention at Shirou, blitzing to him with speed that not even young white haired Magus could see him.

"Shirou!" Rin cried out the moment when Kirei's hand was but a millimeter away from Shirou's throat, ready to grab and squeeze till it breaks, with Shirou knowing that nothing would save him this time.

However, what none of the present could have known, was that the moment Kirei's fingers touched Shirou's skin, something that was hidden away in Shirou, concealed and dormant, finally awoke in the fullest. This something had begun to stir when Kirei appeared and all but screamed to Shirou that Kirei was a bearer of the same evil that took his father, but the moment Kirei finally touched Shirou… Was the moment when it had woken up, and revealed itself to Kirei Kotomine. Out of the depths of Shirou's being, it reached out, resonating with another hidden miracle from the Age of Gods residing in the boy, and then it manifested it's power.

The moment Kirei's fingers touched Shirou, an intolerable golden light surrounded the boy akin to a second skin, burning his hand like he had put it into the depths of the sun, forcing Kirei to jerk it away, hissing from pain that was unlike any he had felt before. The next moment though, he saw something that quite honestly nearly scared him, as the left arm he tried to choke Shirou with, began to rot from the hand, becoming akin to Grail Mud, starting from his palm, and then traveling upwards. With only seconds left, Kirei drew out his Black Key, and severed his struck limb, and the moment it fell onto the ground, it burned away in a golden fire, shocking Kirei, as he had realized something. Something that quite literally gave him pause and fear.

"You… You hold that which killed Angra Mainyu?!" Kirei stated with shock towards shaken boy, before he drew his Black Keys, ready to throw them at Shirou, before he felt his back being struck with gems and magic stored in them.

"Don't you dare hurt him!" Rin screamed at Kirei, ready to send new ones at him, before Kirei turned at her with an absolutely furious expression.

"Annoying brat, if you wish to be like your father, then I shall help you, by killing you, just as I've killed him!" Kirei said while hissing from pain, as he sent his Keys at Rin, who was frozen at his words and unable to move, until she was suddenly pushed aside onto the ground by someone she didn't expect.

"M-Mom?" Rin said in a dumbfounded fashion, as her eyes stared widely at her fallen mother's form, chest and stomach pierced by Black Keys.

"R-Rin… I-I am sorry…" Aoi Tohsaka said, seemingly once more lucid and aware. "P-please, forgive me, R-Rin… S-Sakura, I… Forgive… Me…" And so drew her last breath Aoi Tohsaka, with Rin frozen in place by what just happened.

"What a pitiful end for that pathetic woman. As pathetic as Kariya Matou was." Kirei commented, as the pain still scorched him, nearly stumbling from it, as he turned to Shirou. "And you… Now I realize who you are… Shirou Muramasa." Kirei growled that name out like an animal in fury, as he prepared to launch another attack at the boy.

"SHAPE IST LEBEN!" Irisviel's cry was heard as loud as thunder, her magical wires taking shape into five birds and struck at Kirei Kotomine, breaking shape and then wrapping themselves all around Kirei Kotomine's form, completely restraining him and squeezing him as tight as her power allowed her.

"Mannaz!" Touko's Rune hit Kirei, and in the very next moment he lost complete control over his body, becoming akin to a puppet, until he felt additional four more paralyzing Curses cast by Aozaki hit him.

"Rin! Munchkin, are you okay?" Aoko immediately moved to the shell-shocked girl, while Touko and Irisviel put themselves between Kirei and Shirou, as the false priest was restrained in his absolute entirety.

"Kirei Kotomine." Irisviel hissed out that name, her hand and magic ready to tighten the grip on the monster.

"Kiritsugu's puppet…" Kirei called back. "Your powers have improved, though your soft heart remained…" I that moment, Irisviel tightened her wires around Kirei, digging deeper into his skin and breaking several of his bones and tearing up his muscles, though the man didn't even flinch, even as his black blood began to pour out of his body.

"You truly are a black-hearted monster, but I'd expect nothing less from the man who unleashed that hell upon the world." Irisviel stated. "You took my husband away from me, tried to kill my son. You said my heart was soft. Let me prove you wrong…"

"Iri, wait." Touko suddenly stopped her, with Iri shooting her a scandalized look. "This bastard is a member of Church, and one that is respected and revered by them. You kill him- and we'll have them coming after us in droves."

"I will not let him go alive!" Irisviel was ready to do whatever it took to destroy Kotomine, who merely chuckled at it.

"If only you had this resolve back then, maybe Kiritsugu Emiya wouldn't have had to…" At that moment, Kirei was hit by another Curse, only this one was from Shirou, who huffed from fatigue, having poured as much mana as he could, managing to silence Kirei for good.

"He… He needs to be punished." Shirou simply said, before he slumped and was about to fall down, before he was caught by Touko. "S-sorry, Kaa-chan…"

"Oh don't you even start…" Touko muttered while hurriedly checking her son, before letting out a tired sigh. "We won't kill him, but he won't get away with what he did. We just need to make sure that all know the truth."

"And how do you plan on doing it?" Irisviel asked of Touko, who gave Irisviel a look, before answering her question.

"I'll make a call to someone who's got influence with the Church and will help us." Touko answered, as she picked up her weakened son. "If we are lucky, then they will arrange for an investigation into Kirei's activities, and then we'll be able to present our proofs."

"And what are we to do with him until then?" Irisviel asked of Touko, with her turning to look at the false priest with clearest malice in her eyes.

"He won't get anywhere." Touko's words were as clear as crystals, and as strong as her resolve.

---

And as Kirei Kotomine's fate was being decided, a certain golden haired man watched the situation unfold from afar, a smirk on his lips.

"Looks like your race is run, Kotomine. A shame that your usefulness has expired, but at least you provided me with entertainment while you could." Gilgamesh, the incarnated King of Heroes said to himself, before his eyes fell upon Shirou. "But it seems the loss of you has unveiled to my eyes something extremely interesting. This child seems to hold quite some treasures inside him, and what potential for entertainment for me to observe."

After the war, Gilgamesh had been deprived from quite a few means of entertaining himself in this indolent and insufferable age, but now… Now it seemed like he has found himself someone who could alleviated the boredom, and may yet show him something that he may find worthy of remembering, and so, he made a decision, as he watched his former Master being carried away.

"Consider this a blessed day for you, little mongrel, for your King has cast his gaze and blessing upon you." Gilgamesh uttered, as he prepared to leave. "I shall let you take my former jester and do as you wish with him. In return, I expect you to me, that you will be a much worthier replacement for my amusement. Until the day comes, make sure to live, mongrel, or else I shall drag your pitiful soul out of Kur to punish you for failing in meeting my expectations." And with that promise and the expectancy for new entertainment, Gilgamesh departed from the scene, knowing that this Shirou Muramasa will indeed bring him much entertainment.

---

Well, looks like Shirou has caught an eye of one nasty piece of Golden Work… Aside from that, I must say that I am quite surprised pleasantly with the support you've shown me in this work, and hope that you will find this chapter to your liking.

And as you can see, I am not a fan of Tokiomi Tohsaka, because, as much as I may understand his magus view, he is a piece of trash, complete and utter one, while your daughter is a complete and utter baddass with more balls then you could have. To be honest, I'm not much of a fan of Aoi either, mainly because of her complete inability to stop Tokiomi from doing what he did to Sakura.

And as for Kirei… Oh he'll be begging for death when this is over, but now a new question arises: what is it in Shirou, that nearly killed Kirei?

Also, how do you feel about Shirou going to the Clock Tower and maybe getting involved in El-Melloi's Case Files and other Clock Tower intrigues?

Hope you enjoy this chapter and will give me your opinion on in the reviews. If you have a suggestion about possible future events, romance options or questions about the story, please, ask and write them down in reviews, for your feedback helps me get better at my work.

Next time: False Priest's judgement; Calling found in the fire of furnace;