A/N:
Well, I believe this is a good sign. I'm on chapter two, so lets hope it goes on. I'm really not sure how the mage circuits work so bear with me through this chapter for I'm sure I am going in the completely wrong direction. Also, I am going to need some tips on portraying a fight scene with spears and swords.
I've been using a few other authors as models for your basic scenes, but It doesn't look well enough for me to present.
Got nothing else to say.
Chapter 2 Preparation
Emiya Shirou could not breathe.
He could not move.
He could not speak.
He could only think.
'Thats a magus's circuit.' ran through the redhead's thoughts. His eyes forever focused upon the web-pattern yellow lights that spread across the exposed arm of his guest, Kazehara Ikari.
'I didn't feel anything from him until now. He can kill me. No. He will kill me.' Shirou began to sweat as he wracked his mind on how to survive this encounter. Before him was a magus, a man of magecraft that can easily surpass his own. While that is not saying much, for Shirou knew very little of the magical world, Kazehara seemed to scream power with such a small display.
"Calm yourself Emiya-kun." Shirou barely heard the words. He was fearing his impending death.
"Emiya Shirou, calm yourself."
Shirou shifts his eyes from the arm to the face. It held a serious expression of eerie neutrallity. That didn't help calm his nerves.
"Look Emiya-kun, I mean you no harm." Shirou watches the yellow pattern receed from sight, the skin returning to normal pale tan. The aura also appears to have receed with the circuits, thus Shirou finally releases the breath he had been holding.
"I just thought to let you know as soon as possible. I'm not gonna dance around it. I came here with a purpose and there's a few things I have to do." Ikari says with mild conviction, he reaches for his cup of the ginger soup. The two males still have the soup-turned-tea kettle and cups to finish. Though there was doubt that finishing it was going to happen. Shirou reaches for his own cup, but his hand is shaking and covered in perspiration.
'Had I been sweating that much?' he thought as he brings his hand back to wipe against his school uniform. He still had yet to change into his more comfortable clothes. "Y-y-you scared me, Kazehara. I c-could of sworn you were going to kill me." He was still shaken up and Ikari gave an apologetic look.
"Gomen Emiya-kun. Not my intention. Well if thats how bad you'd react, then this next one is going to throw you on a loop." Shirou glances back after managing to take a successful sip of the still warm tea. "You see Emiya-kun, I'm your cousin. Fairly close cousin actually." Once more, the redhead froze. 'Cousin? But how?' "Tou-san didn't mention there being any family out there." Shirou counters and Ikari grew a distant look. "Tou-san? You mean Emiya Kiritsugu." Shirou nods. "No, I am not part of the Emiya bloodline. I guess they were right though." Shirou tilts his head, confusion evident. "You remember that you had a family before the fire?" Shirou nods, his body now tense. 'You don't mean..' "Thats right Shirou, you are part of our lineage, the Kazehara family."
Shirou froze for the third time tonight.
'I have a family?' He found it hard to breathe. He found it harder to comprehend.
"Then what is my real name? I probably have a nickname right now." "No worries, your name was Shirou before. It was just Kazehara instead of Emiya. Now this probably sounds weird, but Emiya Shirou seems to match you better than Kazehara Shirou." He chuckles as Shirou looks at him with surprise before smiling himself.
'Thats good, I'm alittle too attached to Emiya as of late.'
"I've been wanting to see you again for a long time now, its only recently that I've been given a chance to do so." Ikari smiles as he takes another sip. "Again?" Shirou was concerned, Ikari seems to know him on much more personal base.
"Hai, you probably don't remember, but we use to be much closer. More brothers than cousins. My tou-san and your kaa-san were siblings, so we often visited you here in Fuyuki." Shirou was actually delighted to know he had fairly close relatives, but one thing made itself a point in his head. "If we were so close, how come when the fire happened, your family didn't come for me?"
Ikari's face fell at that and his eyes became more focused upon his tea. Shirou knew that had struck a nerve. "We tried. We were back home in Kyoto when the fire happened. My dad brought my mom and myself to a hotel on the outskirts of Fuyuki to begin searching hospitals for you and your parents." Shirou's face also became more attentive to his tea. He knew now that he wasn't found without attempts. "When we were told to identify the bodies of your parents, we began fearing the worst for you. When it was announced that the orphans would be taken to the church, we checked there and a few more hospitals. One actually had a child with your description, but when we arrived, you were gone. Not only that, but all records of your presence was gone. We had then figured you were taken in by a magus or something." Shirou nodded.
He remembered when Kiritsugu had saved him from the fire. He remembered when Kiritsugu had adopted him. He remembered that Kiritsugu had told him he was a magus. It all made sense.
"It wasn't until five years ago that I caught word of you." Shirou looks back at Ikari, he was looking right back at him. "Five years ago... Tou-san's funeral." Ikari nodded. "Correct, I had heard that Emiya Kiritsugu had passed away and left behind a single son. A son named Shirou. I had known of Kiritsugu during my travels, a magus that served no purpose to Clocktower and was shunned by most magi, but was feared to be a good specialist at what he does." Shirou narrows his eyes, there were somethings he had not learned about his father, like who he was before and what he did. Judging from Ikari's expression, none of it was good. "What did my father do for a living?" Ikari looks at him, but shakes his head. "No. Telling you isn't going to be helpful. Judging from what I've heard, you hold him in pretty high regards." Shirou reaffirms his stare into the other's eyes.
"I want to know."
"No"
"Kazehara-kun, please."
"Hmmm"
"Please, I need to know."
"Very well then, but know that what I am saying his the truth."
Shirou nods and Ikari takes another sip from his tea. It was now finished.
"Your father was a killer. More importantly, a magus killer. He specialized in hunting down and killing magi and other magical creatures, mostly dead apostles." Shirou narrows his eyes and asks, "Dead apostles?" Ikari knew that Shirou was not liking his father being called a killer, but he continued. "You may associate them with the more medial title, vampires. Now not all vampires are dead apostles, but all dead apostles are vampires. Moving on, Kiritsugu had been marked as a terrorist and a mass-murder by many. There are actually few people who knew who he was." Ikari looks back at Shirou, who nods for him to continue. "Your father was actually a good man. Didn't know him on personal basis, but someone I care for has. Your father wanted to walk the path of a superhero. Saving all that he could see. He had just been turned from the straight path into something more cold. He just turned from all life was precious to let few die so that many more could live."
Shirou was familiar with the his old man's dream of being a superhero. A dream of seeing a world without strife. He frowned at the fact that he was turned from such path though. "Why?" was all he could ask. "I don't know. I knew of his actions and his former wishes, but nothing of the cause of his new convictions." Shirou bowed his head. Noone, but the late man himself could explain it. "How come you couldn't find me for five years after the fire and when you did know I was here, what kept you away?" Shirou wanted to change the topic from his late father, Ikari didn't seem well to talk about. Not that asking him why he and his family didn't come earlier for him was much better though.
"Well, Kiritsugu was pretty good at staying under the radar. He had kept you and himself hidden from anyone of magical relations. After he had passed, the Fujimura family had announced his death. I had caught word of your name and believed you could possibly be our Shirou. When I came to Fuyuki and began to ask about you, I was taken directly to the Oyabun." Shirou eyes widened, "You came here?" Ikari nods. "Yea, like I said, I started to ask about you and was taken to Fujimura Raiga, the Oyabun. Raiga-san has a pretty good judgement about him. He knew there was something special about Kiritsugu and felt the same about myself. Though he was more cautious with me. I told him I wanted to see you to make sure that you were, well, you. He showed me a picture and I knew it was you on first glance. Raiga denied my request to see you though." Shirou's eyes widen once more. "He had a good reason however, you were still mourning Kiritsugu's death and having a big bomb such as you having a family would probably do more damage than good. Now the good reason was that he knew what I was or at least had a suspicion to be wary of me."
Shirou could expect that, Raiga was a good judge of character and was always careful are around his father. Despite this, the two were always friendly.
"Given that he is cautious around the Makiri and Tohsaka, the man is a natural deterent from magic." Wait, Shirou doubles back to his 'cousin'. "What about the Makiri and Tohsaka?" Ikari rises his brow. "Well the Makiri are more known as the Matou and this land technically belongs to the Tohsaka family. They are the magi that watches over the land. Last I've heard the Matou no longer have magi blood in them and there is only one heir to the Tohsaka. On the off note, I wonder if she had recieved my letter."
Shirou coughed, not once, but twice. 'Tohsaka-san is a magus?' He had never figured the school's idol to be someone of magical abilities. Then it hit him. No one seems to know about her personal life, not even her best friend, Ayako Mitsuzuri, knew about the star's private life. In a sense, Tohsaka Rin being a magus isn't too far-fetched.
Ikari mutters a few words to himself before looking back at Shirou, "So I was denied seeing you, but I was able to get Raiga to keep me up to date with you by an extension. That extension was, as you already know, Fujimura Taiga. Our first meeting wasn't the best of meetings, but she warmed up to me soon. Well she warmed up after learning what my dad did for a living and I had paid her 'tribute' with some of my mother's sweet bread. She became a good friend over the past five years and kept tabs on you for me. For that I am thankful for." Shirou smiles, he expected Fuji-nee to extort someone like Ikari when asked favors.
"It is only recently that I was able to convince Raiga-san to let me visit." Ikari pours himself a new cup of tea and then refills Shirou's.
"What did you say to convince him?"
"Told him something very important was coming up and that as your family, I will do what I can to help prepare you for it. Raiga-san wasn't convinced then, but when I worked it that Tohsaka and Makiri were going to be involved, he finally caved. Seems like his own father had drilled in him not to be involved with the two families. Thankful for that." "What is this important event that I would need to be prepared for?"
"I have no clue. I was only told that it was going to be a life or death situation and that you would be caught in the middle of it. So my job is to get you ready for it."
Shirou still held his head in a desperate fight for understanding. Ikari smirks before he places his empty cup onto the tray. He stands and walks around the table and kneels beside of the boy. "First things first, I need to see how far along you are as a magus. I know Kiritsugu would've begun teaching you." Shirou shuffled uncomfortably while trying to finish his tea. He wasn't liking how cold Ikari's eyes have become, they were now analytical.
An awfully silent moment followed. Shirou was more focused on finishing the tea in his hands whilst Ikari's eye remained upon the former. It remained this way until Shirou finally caved under the stare.
"Alright, Alright. Let's go to my workshop. It would be the only place I can concentrate." Both men stood up and the redhead lead the way out of the dinning room into the courtyard behind. "You have a workshop? Gomenasai, it seems you are more ahead than I originally thought."
8
"I stand corrected. You are actually right at where I originally assumed." Ikari mutters as he glances around the shed/workshop of Emiya Shirou. There were unmarked boxes piled up against the walls, parts of machinery strewn all around, pots and pans scattered, and several bokkens resting against pillars and boxes. The only part that seemed to appear that this was a place of study was a mat in the center of it all that had several pots and parts of technology spread upon it. 'Structural analysis. So at least he is not too green.' Shirou sat cross-legged in the middle of the mat whereas Ikari knelt off to the side of it. The redhead remained silent, eyes upon Ikari. He had felt a slight twinge of frustration when the raven-haired magus commented upon his workshop.
'Well its not like my workshop is any better, but this seems to me that he has only been practicing a few spells.' Ikari thought as he composed himself.
"You are familiar with structural analysis?" Shirou nods, "Good. I will need you to do a spell while I analyze your circuits. Use another spell other than structural analysis." Shirou nods once more and closed his eyes. He shall fall through his routine of eight years. Circuit creation.
His mind was clear.
Conception of a searing rod.
It is at the tip of his spine.
He braces himself. The rod inserts itself down his spine.
Lances of pain run through his vertebrae.
The heat does not burn, it only stabs like a knife.
All this agony, yet his mind was clear. This was routine.
Shirou opens his eyes as the pain subsides, he wipes one sleeve across his forehead. His sleeve came back partially damp, it is a trying action creating a magic circuit. Had he faltered during the process, he would have killed himself, but as luck would have it he still breathed. He moved to pick up a pot for his most practioned spell, Reinforcement, but a hand gripped his wrist in a death hold. The redhead's hazel eyes move and lock upon very cold brown irises.
"Is there a somethin-" Shirou starts, but was smacked over the head.
"BAKA! Do you have any idea what you just did?" Shirou recovers quickly and nods."I have went through circuit creation in prepartion into actual magecraft. Its how tou-san taught me and how I've been practicing all these years." Ikari closed his eyes and shook his head. "Shirou... You've been going about this the wrong way. I'm sorry, but Kiritsugu was a horrible teacher." Shirou frowns. "He started off on the right foot, circuit creation is important, but should only have been performed ONCE! You are suppose to build upon your first circuit, not keep making whole new ones." Shirou's eyes widen. Ikari moved over still he was kneeling infront of the redhead.
"Let me explain it to you. Uh... Are you familiar with any rpgs?" Shirou nods, "Ah yes, Final Fantasy." Ikari smiles. "Good, that makes this alittle easier. Imagine two mages, Black mages. One mage goes through battles and dungeons, fights with his all and tosses out spells, and manages to live through each one. All the experience he gets adds to his levels. With each increase, his stats go up, more importantly, his mana capacity and his mana regeneration. Over time he gets to throw out even more powerful spells and his body is accustomed to recover faster from the drain." Ikari's arms and and hands move in unique gestures to emphasize the explaination and Shirou nods at each interval. "The other mage, instead of joining the first one in his travels, goes about constantly drinking 'mana up' potions. Each potion increases his mana capacity and he drinks tons and tons of them. By the time he meets his fellow mage again, he has already accumulated around 1500 points of mana capacity whereas the other mage, we will call him the leveler, has only accumulated around 800 or so. The potion drinker has a larger amount of mana than the leveler and the two join up to fight a big monster. Both mages toss out alot of powerful spells, but soon the potion drinker is out of the fight. When he taps out of mana, his body generates his energy very slowly. You see the leveler can recover quickly because his body has already accustomed to his mana capacity whereas the potion drinker had yet to train his body to do the same."
Ikari drops his hands and points at Shirou. "Emiya-kun, you are the potion drinker. You are increasing the number of circuits faster yes, but you are not trainning your body along with it. Infact, you are worst than the potion drinker. For every circuit you have, you are only using the most recent one you made. Your body is only accustomed to one circuit. At this rate, you would never move past being a third-rate magus. Only able to master just the most basic level spells." Shirou drops his head. He had been doing everything for the past seven years the wrong way. He was a failure.
"There is one way I can help you." Shirou's eyes snapped up. Ikari held a genuine face of caution. His lips were neutral and his eyes were off to the side. He appears to be thinking and whatever it is, it was risky. "How?" Shirou asks, if whatever he is thinking can help him over his failures and allow him to be more of a hero of justice, it is more than worth the risks.
Ikari reaches into the back of his jacket and pulls out a purple stone, it is an amethyst. He raises it up to both of their eye levels. Surprising. Shirou knew that Ikari was taller than him by a few centimeters, but when he is kneeling they match at eye level. The redhead's eyes focus upon the jewel, it appears dull and refracts some purple glints from the moon shining through the open door of the shed/workshop. It looks unimportant, but the way Ikari holds it decieves that appearance.
"I will need you to swallow this." Ikari held an utmost serious expression. "Eh?" Shirou tilts his head and scratches his scalp. "You want me to swallow that?" Ikari nods. "...but its-" "I know what it is and you will need to ingest it for its effects to work on you." Shirou glances from the jewel to Ikari and back to the jewel. He repeats this for a few moments. "Emiya-kun, if you want to be a magus, I will need you to put this jewel in your mouth and swallow. Or would you prefer I stuff it down your throat for you?" Shirou blanches, Ikari seems to be taking this failure of his cousin on a more aggressive scale. "I-I-I'll take it." Fearing that his cousin would actually follow through, Shirou takes the jewel from the more accomplished magus and brings it closer to his lips.
'Suddenly its bigger than before. Can I actually swallow this? I'd probably choke and die. That would go great on the obituary. "Boy chokes on jewel, stunt done while inebriated" I don't want to do this' Shirou thoughts are racing as he continues to determine whether or not swallowing the gem is a good idea.
"If you are hesitant for a while longer, I'm going to force it down your throat myself. You won't like the way I will have to do it and neither will I." Shirou suddenly pictured Ikari taking the jewel into his own mouth and forcing it down Shirou's mouth with his own. Shaking his head of what will soon be homoerotic, he pops the gem into his mouth and knocks his head back. Coating the jewel with his saliva, it painstakingly slows down his throat. It is moments of no breathing for the redhead before he no longer felt the stone.
"It would help if you try to focus on lowering your defenses"
He highly expected some reaction, like lights or sounds. He soon felt warm. The warmth emanated from his gut and spread throughout his body. When it reached his fingers, the heat began to increase. Soon it became more than what he was comfortable, his breath began to quicken. His eyes dialated and sweat had begun to arrive in droplets. His breath became gasps as the heat in his gut became a fire. He brought his hands to his chest as if to claw away the fire. A hand gripped his shoulder, but Shirou could barely focus his eyes. Ikari held onto the redhead, "Emiya-kun, stay with me. Keep your eyes open. Emiya-kun, stay with me." He had held onto the boy as he begun shaking and his irises were pinpoints. Shirou could only think, feel, and see fire. He fell back, but he never felt the ground as he fell into darkness.
8
He could not see.
He could not hear.
He could not smell.
But he could definitly feel.
Searing lances of pain ripped into his back, hot rods of fire slipped through his arms, and he felt like he was walking on lava. It was inconcievable, it was unbearable, most of all it should be impossible. All of this pain should not be bearable, yet Shirou did not feel like he was in hell. No, this pain paled compared to that hell ten years ago. If he could live through that, this was a cake walk.
He fought, he struggled, and he bit.
The pain became manageable.
His vision of black became white.
8
Shirou's eyes open to reveal a dark ceiling. A dark ceiling of his shed. He could feel his breath come under well needed levels. He blinks several times. Finally, he sees the brown-black hair of his cousin pop in from the side.
"Congratulations Emiya-kun. You have now one hundred and fifty four circuits in total. Well above an average magus' amount." Ikari held a smile for the sweating redhead and offered his hand to him. Shirou took it and righted himself in his seated position. He could see the faint markings of a spiderweb-pattern on his wrists, they faded when they reached his hand, but were a bright cyan color before they were covered by the sleeve. Shirou felt a wave of joy overcome him as he restrained himself from crying out.
The failure of a magus had just done a turnabout.
"You had less than five percent of your total circuits filled before, including the newly made circuit. Now you have little over fifteen percent of your total circuits filled. Your assimilation of my prana was better than I originally hypothesized." Shirou focuses back on Ikari and held confusion upon his face once more. "Your prana? What exactly did that gem do?" Ikari figured Shirou would be curious and shrugged his shoulders as he retrieves yet another amethyst.
"This gem, like the one you just ingested, holds a portion of prana that I have stored in it. Also a small, small portion of my soul or essence." Shirou's eyes widen. "Don't worry, you won't turn into a clone of me. Not that I'd think that be possible. The soul portion of this gem serves two purposes." Ikari crosses one arm across his chest and the other arm rises up with pointer extended and rests the elbow on the other arm. "First is that the soul was adjusted to be submissive. Your circuit's natural defense to foreign entities is to expell it from the circuit, however the soul in the gem 'convinces' your circuits to assimilate it and the prana. This turns the prana in the gem to become yours. Mind you, not all of it will as it is still infact my prana, but your body takes in most of it." Shirou nods hesitantly and Ikari now extends the middle finger to join the pointer. "Second is that the soul and the prana are enchanted. It took me awhile to attain this, but I was able to make the prana open up and activate your other circuits. This is how most of the prana disappears. Had you have no unused circuits, you would have gained quite alot of prana, enough to fill half of your circuits. As you can tell, the unused prana became yours and your body is now attempting to fill the vast capacity you now have. The soul enchantment is alittle more complicated in creation, but rather simple in its actions." Ikari brings up the gem again, twirling it inbetween his fingers. "This is a rather nasty way of messing with ones circuits. Say for instance, a magus you were fighting forces you to swallow a gem with similar effects like this one. He or she could enchant the prana so that when it is used for one of your magecraft, it would just burn your circuits." Shirou pales as he begins to think of other possibilities of prana enchantments.
"Now, you don't have to worry about that." Ikari sees Shirou tilt his head in the same fashion as before. "The soul enchantment is to make the soul remain in your circuits. Its purpose being to prevent the assimilation of foreign prana through ingestion and other means. So whenever a foreign source of prana attempts to link with yours, even should it convince your body to allow it, the enchanted soul will reject it and expell it. Now there is a way around it, you need only be aware of this exchange and allow it. Should you hold doubts, the soul will expell it." Shirou nods his head. While he could not imagine the process of when he should allow someone else's prana link with his own, he feels gratitude that he now had another protection. It seems Ikari had done alot for him with just a small gem.
Then Shirou felt bile rise in his throat. His mouth tasted extremely bitter and rancid. He tried to withhold the bile as it pooled in his mouth. Ikari grabbed Shirou and rose him to his feet. He took him out of the shed. The taste became too much for Shirou and he vomits the bile onto the ground. The substance held a black color and a gel-like state. The redhead continues to heave for a few moments before finally he only needs to spit out the remainders. Holding a queasy expression, Shirou raises his head and looks back at Ikari.
"There is one side-effect, It has a pretty bad aftertaste." Ikari smiles sheepishly as Shirou glares at him. "If you thought that was bad. You should've tried the earlier version." He chuckles. "Arcueid could barely handle it and threatened me to adjust it." he continues to laugh. "Arcueid?" Shirou asks, but Ikari waves him off. "Not important. Now Kiritsugu had started you off, but did not teach you properly to be a magus. Now you are back on the right track. Your body will adjust to your new capacity soon enough and I'll start teaching you what I can. When I'm done with you, you will be a more respectable magus." Shirou smiles as the queasy feelings finally pass. This is a new start. He could become a hero. He now had a better chance at achieving his dream.
"Now I figure you want to go do some practicing with your expanded circuits. So I'm heading off to bed. Don't worry, Tai-chan had already shown me where you keep the futons." Ikari turns to head back into the Emiya estate. "Also, don't go through circuit creation again. Most magi conceptualize a proverbial gun as a trigger to their circuits. Just keep focused and it will soon come naturally."
"Kazehara-san." Ikari turns and faces a smiling Shirou. "Arigato. For everything." Ikari returns the smile. "No problem Emiya-kun. Its what I'm here for. Good night." With that Ikari walks into the estate and disappears.
Shirou returns to his workshop. He now held much more vigor than ever before. He grabs the nearest pot and begins.
There it was, a switch. No it changed. Now it was a revolver. Shirou imagines the trigger being pulled, the hammer sets back. His body hummed. The trigger is fully pulled and the hammer slams down. Warmth engulfs his body. Shirou had successfully activated his circuits. His smile grew.
Now it was time to try reinforcement. Analyze the object, feel for its gaps and cracks, and flood it with od.
'Crrrck'
The pot shatters. Shirou's smile fell.
"Right, just because I have more prana doesnt mean my application is any better. Alright, next pot."
There were many more unsatisfactory results that night.
8
"Okiru senpai" A soft voice drifts into Shirou's ears. This was then followed by soft nudges. "Okiru senpai" once more repeated, the soft voice actually lulls the redhead deeper. More soft nudges. "Mou senpai." There is silence. Soon more nudges to his shoulders and the boy begins to awaken. His eyes open to reveal purple hair and purple eyes. A soft face is what they belong to.
"Good morning Sakura. I overslept again, didn't I" The purplette smiles and nods. "Hai senpai. You should get up. Ikari-san is making breakfast." Shirou proceeds to get up. The moment he is on his feet, Sakura smiles and walks out of the shed. Shirou tilts his body back and stretches. He had fallen asleep in the shed that night, he had only done fifty tries of reinforcement. Only seven were successful. It wasn't much, but he will take it. After a few more stretches, he dusts himself and exits the shed.
Wait
"What did Sakura say?" Shirou returns his thoughts back to what Sakura was saying earlier. 'She said that Kazehara-san was making breakfast.' Shirou felt less than what he was. He had been so happy about being a better magus too.
He began to drag his feet toward the Emiya estate.
8
Shirou had changed his clothes to his school uniform, a light brown long-sleeve blazer with matching slacks, and made his way into the dinning room. There he sees Sakura in her school uniform, a light brown vest combo'd with a long sleeve shirt with a light red bow/ribbon at her collar, along side Fuji-nee in her average attire. He glances up toward the kitchen to see the black clothed Ikari shuffling about.
Sakura was telling the truth about Ikari making breakfast. Now seeing his cousin 'intruding' upon his sanctum, he felt all the more depressed.
Ikari emerges from the kitchen shortly with a tray. It contained natto, tamagoyaki, and various fish. It didn't help Shirou much that the food was already smelling great.
"Ikari-chan, you know you didn't have to make breakfast. Sakura-chan or Shirou-chan have always prefered to cook it themselves." Fuji-nee says as she grabs herself a share of the food. "You know me Tai-chan, I've always prefered to cook myself, thats why I've always denied going with you to eat out. Besides, I'm sort of freeloading here so this is my way of making dues." His smile was well and good-natured, but Shirou still didn't feel better. He felt worst when the food met his tongue.
It was so.
So.
SO good.
It easily matched his own level. His cousin was a good cook, with such a simple meal too.
No, Kazehara Ikari was not a cousin. He was an unknown, an intruder, an ENEMY.
His eyes never rose from his food as he continues to eat in silence. Ikari and Fuji-nee toss banter with a comment from Sakura every now and then. Shirou added his two cents aswell, but he wasn't focused on the conversation. He was plotting, plotting a sure-fire strategy to retake his sanctum and bring down the devil Kazehara. Oh it will be glorious victory when he would rise from the ashes of war after slayin-
"Shirou-chan, you have a scary face on right now." Shirou raises his eyes to see that Ikari and Fuji-nee stopped talking to look at him. Even Sakura looked uncomfortable. Shirou blushed and waved off everyone's looks. Ikari smirks before he pulls out a cellphone from his jacket. He flips it open and looks at the screen. "Mou, Tai-chan shouldn't you be heading for school now?" He flips his phone and faces the screen towards Fuji-nee. Her face fell. "Agh!" She quickly forces down the remains of her share. "WAAAAGH! I gotta get going. See you at practice Sakura-chan. See you in class, Shirou-chan. Catch you later, Ikari-chan. Thanks for breakfast!" In a flash, the Tiger of Fuyuki makes her peace and dashes out of the Emiya estate.
Shortly after, Sakura excuses herself and explains she needs to be at the club early today. Shortly after her departure, Shirou gets ready to leave after cleaning up with Ikari and doing about his morning exercise. As he was putting his shoes on, something drops onto his shoulder.
Looking over, Shirou met vibrant red eyes. Shirou jumped with a yelp as he swiped at his shoulder only for the red-eyed creature of white furriness to leap out of his reach into the awaiting hand of Ikari.
"Now Shirou, don't go smacking Guinevere. She's a special partner of mine." Shirou looks up from the small creature to see Ikari's smiling face. "What is it?" Then something unexpected happened. The white creature snorted. "I am a special kind of ferret familiar. A fire ferret to be exact. And you are far too young to take shots at me." Its voice was fairly soft and feminine. It was a white ferret with the occaisional brown and black spots. Its most intriguing feature was that blue flames licked up from its four paws. The flames seem not to bother Ikari or singe his hand. Despite this, Shirou was only concerned with one thing.
"It talked?" Ikari watches Shirou's reaction with some amusement. It's been awhile since someone's reacted like that to his special familiar. "Guinevere is special familiar that I had summoned when I was younger. She is very powerful and is how I will keep you protected." Shirou raises his eyes from the ferret back to Ikari, "Wait, keep me protected. How?" "Easy Emiya-san, I shall be on your person whilst you go about your daily activities." The ferret answered as she began to prune herself. "She will be hiding in your clothes. Your bag is a tad too small and that goes same for your pockets. Shes small and you'd soon be none the wiser about her pressence." With this, the ferret leaps from the hand to the redhead's shoulder before slinking through the back of his collar and beneath his clothes. "Agh! Get out! Gah! That tickles!" Shirou began to cup his hands around his body in vain attempts to capture the ferret. Ikari could only chuckle.
"Oh calm down Emiya-san. I've been alive for quite a long time, you don't have anything I haven't seen before." A muffled voice within the redhead's clothes speaks. Shirou still attempts to capture her. "Guin, go easy on him alright. Shirou, Guin and I have a special bond. Should we need to, we can share what we see and know. As of now, I'm blocking that part of our bond for your sake. Guin will let me know when shes done harassing you." Shirou nods his understanding, but he still appears to be chasing after the perverted ferret.
"If anything happens, Guin will be your shield. And should anything be out of her capabilites, she can contact me." Shirou finally gives up as he could no longer feel for the ferret. It would appear Ikari was right about not noticing her. "Alright, I'm heading to school. Take care of the house while I'm away." Ikari nods as Shirou puts on his shoes and makes for school.
8
Shirou had a nearly average day of school. He attended his classes as usual, but what wasn't normal was that he had begun talking to Guinevere in his boredom. So throughout the day, he had been speaking with the ferret hidden within his clothes, mostly about mundane things since she refused to discuss her nature and abilities along with some facts about Ikari. Shirou had been overly cautious around the school's idol, Tohsaka Rin. When he had learned from Ikari that Tohsaka was a magus, he had been alittle more wary of her.
He still is comfortable with Sakura mainly because Ikari had said that the Matou family is considered a dead magi line. Guinevere had questioned Shirou on why he had put upon himself the task of fixing up things for the school. He had told her it was one of the few things he liked doing and left it at that.
So all in all, an average day.
Nearly average.
8
Shirou was returning home from work that day. His body was slightly off with all the lifting and loading of wine and various drinks. He was more than willing to head home and relax the muscles.
Well, thats what a normal teenage boy would do.
Shirou is far from such.
He was currently thinking of what to cook that night. If he recalled correctly, he had made Sakura promise to let him cook this night so he was plotting his course strategy.
Of course, he had forgotten the most important obstacle.
8
Shirou's head barely rose from his food. He only did so to partake in the conversation that is pretty much dominated by his cousin Ikari and his Fuji-nee. He had forgotten that Ikari had a inkling for cooking and such almost cried out against the cruel world as he subjects himself to his relative's brilliant cooking. However, there was something strange during this dinner.
Everytime Shirou happens to look up toward Ikari, Ikari would be looking right back at him. This time, Shirou wanted to grab more sauce for his dumplings and he saw Ikari looking at him with the biggest smirk across his face. Not just any smirk. A truly sadistic smirk. A smirk that shouted, 'You're too easy'. 'Wait, why would his smirk read off like that?' Shirou shook his head and closed his eyes for a moment.
His vision was filled with red. His eyes snapped open and he whipped his head around. There was nothing out of the ordinary and no one noticed Shirou's distress. He brings his attention back to his food and blinks.
There it was again, his eyes closed for the briefest of moments. Within that momentary darkness, it read in large bold red letters.
'You're too easy, Emiya-kun'
Shirou's eyes immediately lock with Ikari's. Ikari held a neutral expression, but his eyes held a glint. 'What was that?' Shirou thought. He returns to his food. A few more bites and his eyes close once more.
'Victory is mine'
The redhead once again stares back at his cousin. There his cousin held a small smirk. 'How is he doing this? What does he mean victory is his?' Shirou was utterly confused. He blinks.
'If you keep this up, your kitchen is already mine.'
'SHOOOOOM'
The atmosphere of the dinning table dropped. Though Fuji-nee and Sakura did not feel it for they were focused on the food and their conversation, Shirou and Ikari had locked eyes.
Shirou now knew his previous statement about Ikari was right. He was the enemy. His objective was clear. Shirou knew what he needed to do.
"Shirou-chan, you're making a scary face again." Shirou corrects his expression into a false smile as he mentions to Fuji-nee that he was thinking of school. Ikari still bore a wide smirk and Shirou did his best to match.
It was on
8
That night, Shirou accepted that it was Ikari's win. After Sakura and Fuji-nee made their leave. Ikari began to instruct the failure turnabout with his form of basics. It wasn't long for Ikari wasn't actually the best teacher himself. Despite that, Shirou now had some tips on how to get his reinforcement down better.
His thoughts were more on plotting a course for reclaiming his beloved kitchen.
8
The moment Shirou's eyes cracked up a centimeter, he shot his eyes open. He saw the familiar ceiling of the shed and shot up from his back. He quickly made to his feet and dashed out the shed. He must hurry before it was too late. Trekking across his courtyard in record time and making a beeline for the kitchen. Ikari was nowhere in sight.
Victory.
As he prepared to make breakfast, he heard Ikari walk into the dinning room. Turning his head, Shirou flashed a victorious smirk at his rival. Ikari could only smile as he made to sit down, "Tadaima" a soft voice stops him from completing this action and the raven-haired magus made for the entrance.
He returns shortly with Sakura following. She is surprised to have been greeted by Ikari, but smiles. It was nice to be greeted when she arrived. Her eyes took notice of Shirou's form in the kitchen, but something forces her to confront him.
"Ano, senpai. Your clothes are pretty dirty." She saw Shirou stiffen while he was about to put on the customary apron. He looks about himself and sees that he is indeed dusty and had patches of dirt over his shirt. His head droops and Sakura suddenly feels like she had just stabbed her senpai.
"Gomenasai senpai, I shouldn't have said anything."
"No worries Sakura, It's my own fault for not cleaning myself. I'll be back." Shirou hangs up the apron and walks past Sakura and was face to face with a smiling Ikari with twinkling eyes. The message was clear.
'Too rash and too impulsive'
Shirou's head dipped further.
8
The redhead returned shortly after changing into cleaner clothes, not yet his uniform, and walks into the dinning room. Sakura was seated along with Fuji-nee and as Shirou was about to sit, he heard Ikari call for him in the kitchen. The boy complied and walked into his former sanctum.
Ikari points at the hanging apron and Shirou puts it on. Ikari had his own apron on and motioned for Shirou to start cutting up the potatoes next to him on the counter. Once more Shirou complied.
"You are definitly new to the game, Emiya-kun." Shirou looks over. "The game?" Ikari nods, "Its a small personal game I like to play when I stay over at people's homes. I call it 'Kitchen Conquest' and as you can see the name speaks for itself" Shirou raises an eyebrow. "You play this game at every house you stay at?" "Yup, its only fun if the place has a prideful chef. I took over the Fujimura kitchens within a week. The cooks there hate me." The two snicker a bit. "So I suppose I'm your next game then?" Ikari nods "Yea, but then you made it alittle too easy. Especially this morning. Like I told you, too rash and too impulsive." Shirou doubles back and smiles. 'And I thought I was just thinking into it too much.'
"So rather than completely dominate your kitchen, I'll teach you the trade. You are my cousin so I'll ease up and teach you about the game. Just don't think I'm giving up on your kitchen though. I still got a reputation to keep." Both cousins look at one another and soon both were sporting very, very sadistic grins.
Ikari may not know it, but this was the first step to what would soon be known as the creation of the Dark Iron Chef. Emiya Shirou would take his lessons to heart and become a sadistic conqueror of kitchens all across the world. He shall employ only the truly dastardly tactics and truly brutal strategies to take over every proud chef's sanctum. It would be the start of the dark ages of kitchen warfare and all will fear and perish in culinary delights by the DARK IRON CHEF!
Both cooks froze in their actions and glance their heads about. Ikari turns to Shirou, "...Did you..." Shirou nods, "...Did you..?" Ikari nods. Both chefs look at one another for a moment before shaking their heads. 'What was that?' were their shared thought.
Shortly after, the dynamic duo bring forth a brilliant breakfast and all was enjoyed. Despite such a great morning for the two females, they would never see that a truly dark war had begun right next to them.
8
The next couple of days came and went fairly quickly. Shirou had familiarized himself with Guinevere and most of Ikari's training, both magical and culinary warfare. He had brought his game to Ikari's half-assed attempts to take his kitchen, but knew he had to improve quick less he bore Ikari out of giving him a handicap.
Sakura had become more accustomed to Ikari's pressence and also took note of the increased frequency of Shirou's cooking along side Ikari. Not that she minds having two men cook for her, but she still wanted to indulge in her former habit. It didn't help that Ikari was very good at making his mother's sweet bread. Oh truly sweet sweet bread.
Alas, despite the warming atmosphere of friendly rivalry and magic. The true purpose of Ikari's pressence finally becomes known.
8
Shirou was going to leave school around the usual time, but was intercepted by his close friend and Sakura's older brother, Matou Shinji, and was convinced to clean up the archery dojo. By the time he had finished, it was dark outside and he should be heading home. Especially when there have been recent murders.
As Shirou made to exit the school grounds, loud cries of metal upon metal drew his attention. He came to the baseball field to see that the origin of the noise was a battle.
A figure coated in blue armor, thin and held firmly to his person. He wielded about a long red spear. His movements were quick and each thrust spelled death, yet none ever came. His opponent, a man in red wielding a sword of light and a sword of darkness. Yin and yang, swords were beautiful. His movements were strict and deliberate, he kept the blue spearman at bay. Flashes of light from each clash of sword on spear with their cries of metal ringing out with each impact. This was incredible. It was unbelieveable.
He shouldn't be here.
"Shirou, we should leave." Guinevere's voice rises from his clothes. Shirou nods and makes one more lingering glance towards the fight before stepping to leave. His foot hits a can.
Despite the ongoing battle, that sound alone appeared to ring louder. The two warriors stop and both focus in Shirou's direction. Shirou ran after a few moments hesitation.
He shouldn't have been here.
His steps made for the school building, but Guinevere informed him that would only lead to him being trapped. So he opted for the school gate and try for home. He looks over his back to see if any of the warriors were giving chase, "Shirou! Infront!" He turns his head to see the warrior in blue stand before him. The school gate was ten more meters behind him.
"I'll have to say, you ran pretty fast for a human. Don't take this personally, you were just in the wrong place at the wrong time." The blue spearman says as he thrusts out his spear with one hand.
Time slowed.
Shirou rose his arms.
He was going to die.
No.
The spear crashed upon a very transparent cyan barrier, absorbing the entire power of the thrust. Both the spearman and redhead's eyes widen.
"Get past him Shirou. NOW!" Shirou extended one arm towards the blue warrior and the magical ferret pops out of his cuff. Her mouth opens and a vast torrent of blue fire flies past the barrier towards the spearman. He dodged to the side and made to stab once more at the redheaded spectator, but saw the boy had moved. He had ran through the flames unharmed and was already past the school gate.
The spearman's brow furrowed heavily.
The chase has begun.
He jumped quickly out of the school grounds after the boy.
Where was once standing was then occupied by a twin tail raven-haired girl in a red overcoat. Her eyes narrowed upon the escaping spearman. She needed to hurry.
"Archer, we're going" She says as she makes her run. With a leap, she rises up and never comes back to earth. She is held by the man in red and the two give chase to the chaser.
8
Shirou had made it home in world record time, fear had been his inspiration of the sprint, and now he was home. Despite the situation, he still followed his home ettiquette and took his shoes off before stepping onto the hardwood floors of his entrance. There he noticed that there was only one pair of shoes resting.
Ikari's shoes.
Shortly after he had made that deduction, Ikari came into the entrance. His face was furrowed into a scolding expression. Shirou had figured that Guinevere had already inform Ikari of what is going on.
"Ikari, are Sakura or Fuji-nee here?" Shirou watches as Ikari shakes his head. "I've already sent them home. Told them you would be later than usual." He motions for Shirou to follow him. The two come into the dinning room. "Emiya-kun, are you certain that the spearman didn't come after you?" Shirou shakes his head, "I'm not quite sure." Ikari sighs, Shirou notices that his cousin has his jacket on. He was about to say something, but the lights went out.
Shirou stiffens.
He couldn't see.
All he can hear was his and Ikari's breathing.
A hand grips his shoulder, "Emiya-kun, get behind me" Shirou complies with Ikari's order. He shuffles about and his eyes soon adjust to the darkness, he can start to make out his surrounds of the dinning room. He also saw that Ikari had a dark grey sword in his right hand and he hadn't noticed it, but Ikari's magus crest was glowing on his exposed arm.
Suddenly Ikari shoves Shirou back with his left and swipes away with his right. A 'clang' cry of metal rings throughout the room, his attacker had come for their left. The man steps back and around to the front of the two boys, it is the blue spearman from before. His red spear practically calls for their blood.
"You sure can run. I'll give you that. I ask though, please stop being a hassle and just die." His voice was a blade and his intent was overwhelming. They matched well with his red eyes.
"Shirou, get to the workshop." Shirou looks to the back of Ikari's head. "Now." With that Shirou steps back and spins on his heel. He could make out several cries of weapons colliding. He rushes out of the estate into the courtyard and a large crash draws his attention back. Right next to him, the dinning room door to the outside bursts open and Ikari is flung from the home. He skids across the ground, but quickly recovers onto his feet. His grey sword glints in the moonlight. Shirou quickly returns his vision to the busted door to see the blue spearman standing near him, his focus solely on Shirou himself.
"Hoy! Do not ignore me teme, I am more than willing to fight you here!" Ikari shouts at the spearman. "I will love to fight you, but first things first. No witnesses." The spearman readies his weapon. Shirou hopes the barrier will save him once more.
It never came.
A red spear came.
But it was not from the blue warrior.
The warrior quickly steps back to avoid the oncoming spear, it plunges into a pillar between Shirou and the spearman. Shirou's eyes first move to Ikari, whose right arm extends from his body in a throwing form, and then moves back toward the spearman. The warrior's eyes only focus upon the spear in the pillar, it is the exact same spear he holds in his hands. He turns to Ikari, but quickly leaps back.
"Sagitta Aqua" the more prominent magus cried as his already extended hand bears his glowing crest. White-blue bolts of light expell from his palm, four in total, towards the azure warrior. Ikari quickly moves before Shirou and grasps the red spear.
"Shirou! Get to the shed!" Without a moments pause, Shirou is running. Once more metal meets metal behind him and he runs into his shed. His hand reaches to shut the door.
It doesn't shut.
Metal Clashes.
It doesn't close.
Screeches reach the skies.
His hand won't close.
Breaths are taken and lost.
Shirou can't close the door.
He can't close the door. His body refuses to listen. No. He doesn't want to close the door. He doesn't want to hide. He turns and faces the clash of spear and sword. He wants to watch. He wants to support. He wants to fight. Little did he know, a red circle and pentagram glows dimly around his feet.
8
Ikari watches Shirou turn. The raven-head plucks the spear from the pillar, twirls it, and then swings the twirling spear behind him. It spins and impacts a thrust, throwing it off to the side. The screech of metal does not reach Ikari until he thrusts his spear after quick recovery. His aim is the chest of his opponent.
The spearman's chest is punctured.
Incorrect: the spearman retreats to the side.
Ikari's head is smashed.
Incorrect: the magus ducks and rolls under the retaliatory swipe.
Ikari sets to his feet quickly, he leaps over a low swipe, and returns with his own high swing. The blue warrior ducks under the attack and thrusts his weapon forward. Ikari slides the non-bladed end of his spear across his body and turns. The opposing spear slides across the haft of his own spear and lightly grazes his upper arm, cutting the sleeve open. The spear does not taste flesh and Ikari leaps back. The spearman does not let Ikari escape cleanly, he whips back his spear. Ikari suddenly loses his grip and his spear rips out of his hands and off to one side of the courtyard.
Ikari leaps back and reaches into the back of his jacket. The thrust comes and Ikari pulls out a black and grey metal rectangular bar. Both of his hands grip the bar and it becomes white and glows. It morphs and shifts from its original shape into one that any can identify as a sword, the glow fades and replacing it is a dark grey long sword. The sword is straight and places across Ikari's head to deflect the oncoming spear.
The blue warrior, Lancer, is genuinely surprised by his opponent's actions. He didn't expect him to be fairly skilled with a spear, his own spear nonetheless, and now seen the boy draw arms with a sword. That was a very good sign for the warrior. It meant this could be an interesting fight.
Ikari shoves the spear off and swipes his sword at the other's throat. His reach wasn't long enough and the warrior had backed up. He doesn't let up, he quickly charges, and stays within the spearman's guard. His strikes are quick and accurate, but his opponent is just as good if not better. His strikes never hit their mark.
The spearman advances on him. His body readies for another thrust. A step to the side and the the spear flies. The boy spins just enough for the spear to avoid impaling him, but not enough to get away unscathed. The red spear sinks slight teeth into his left arm, but he manages to bash the spear away. Rather than retreat, the magus charges in once more. His strikes fast and accurate; to the untrained eye, he would appear wildly swinging, but his opponent knew better. If not for his speed, he would've been cut many times already.
Ikari was sweating, how many times has he struck out to meet nothing but air and steel? Another thrust from his opponent has him sent rolling, his sword is raised to meet a slam from above. He slides his sword down the spear towards the lancer's hands. Of course, Lancer wasn't one to be injured by such a tactic and leaped back before the blade made it to his fingers.
He didn't expect his spear to be heavier.
His eyes widen as the magus had gripped the spear near the blade and pulled himself much closer than Lancer is comfortable with. The blade is thrust toward his face, he jukes quickly to the right. Its just enough as the blade only grazes his cheek. His eyes narrow slightly and a smirk is spread upon his lips.
'This kid's got spunk.' The blue-haired blue spearman couldn't hope for more favorable confrontation.
Alas, he has his orders.
His free hand snaps up and grasps the the thrusting sword hand and his left leg shoots toward the magus. It crashes into the left side of his chest, an audible crack is heard, and the boy is sent flying.
He doesn't crash or tumble like Lancer believed he would. The magus hit the ground in a roll, one somersault, and he was back on his feet. Sort of. He was crouched down, his left hand held the sword, and his right held his left side. Fractured ribs.
Lancer knew it was slightly dirty, but the kid had done his own unhonorable trick.
Rather than dwell on it, Lancer charges forward, his spear ready to impale. Ikari quickly gets to his feet and deflects oncoming thrusts and swipes with his sword. Each breath is pain.
Despite reinforcing his lungs, he still couldn't shake off the pain. Each full blocked strike rippled through his arm and into his chest. More pain would arrive that way, he wasn't going to last too long in this fight. His options aren't looking to good. Flash forging would do great if he had time to do so. If he had been alittle more focused on the fight and not on Shirou, he would've been able to keep his spear.
Lancer was curious. His opponent is obviously hurt, but there was no sign of him giving up in this fight. That was alright with him, but his master wouldn't be happy, the damn coward. Disregarding that, his opponent seems to only to lose slight speed and power, but he is compensating with manueverability and smart deflections. He is experienced, far beyond what someone his age can be.
"Results of a misspent youth." Lancer lets out with a smile under his breath.
He launches another assault, determined to bring an end to what should've been done long ago. A flurry of thrusts, inescapable to humans, even abnormal onces. The unexpected occurs.
Before he begins his assault, Ikari charges. His strikes become unseen, unheard, but not unfelt. He quickly forces the lancer on the defensive, his strikes holding no pattern, and that was evident as Lancer could not determine where to block next.
Why.
Why was the injured magus suddenly fighting with strength anew.
Had he been holding back?
Lancer needed to calm his thoughts, he was internally giddy of the fight re-engaging, but like before, his master wanted him to end it fast. His eyes caught something. The warrior-magus no longer held his side, did he heal it? No, he wasn't breathing.
There was no rise or fall of the chest, no exhaling from thrusts, and no tell-tale signs of his onslaught ending. He was withholding air to keep the pain of breathing from innuring his ability.
Admirable, but not good enough.
An overhead strike, instead of deflecting like before, Lancer shunts his weapon's haft back at the oncoming weapon. This forces the weapon up and back and Lancer throws out his left into Ikari's midsection. He flies back, hits the ground in a roll, and quickly returns to his feet, but this time, he clutches his side with his right hand and drops to a crouch.
This fight was over.
8
Shirou stood aghast. He couldn't believe his eyes. This far from the fight from before, but this was as close as possible. If the fight before was a clash of the titans, this fight was a battle between a game's protagonist and the antagonist. It's not as unbelieveable as the first, but it feels twice as suspensful.
Each clash of steel entralled him further into the fight. He had clenched his fist each time a strike would befall his cousin and each time his cousin gets a strike in, he would pump his fist in joy.
When the second kick sends Ikari flying, it dawned on Shirou that the fight was over. Ikari was holding his injured side once more, anymore and Ikari would be killed.
Killed.
Killed for him.
Ikari had protected him.
His life wasn't worth protecting.
Shirou cannot accept that someone is going to die for him.
He has to help.
But how?
The back of Shirou's right hand had begun to burn. He quickly withdraws the fist and cradles it close to his body. Three red insignias were ecthed into his skin and glowed vibrantly. He also noticed the ground under him was glowing red, bright and moving. A pentagram with a circle around it, it spiraled, and he could feel a vast energy flood from it.
It grew brighter and brighter til suddenly a white light engulfed all that he could see.
8
Ikari held his broken ribs. There wasn't much he could do now and his opponent knew it. It didn't settle well with him. The blue lancer stood non-chalant, his spear in his right hand, and his face held a truly amused expression, his red eyes twinkling.
"Truly. Truly you are a superb fighter. A mere magus that could stand and actually injure a servant. A heroic spirit nonetheless." The lancer's voice is full of mirth and his expression supports this. "Had this been any other situaton, boy. I would've gladly fought you straight up. No tricks and no rules." He beams his smile toward the fallen magus.
Ikari returns it ten-fold.
Lancer's smile widens, "Alas" then dulls to a smaller smirk "Orders are orders. Goodbye, magus knight." His thrust is haphazard. It is not fully commited and comes at only a quarter of his normal thrusting speed. Why would he need to do so full speed? It wasn't like the boy was going anywhere.
A quick flash of light goes unnoticed, but its aura overwhelmed both.
Ikari could feel a large pressence behind, but he didn't turn. The aura had closed the distance between them in a second and he could feel a gale of wind blow over him. A flutter of blue cloth covers his vision. A clang of metal reaches his ears. He finally refocuses his sight.
Blue.
The figure wore a blue dress.
A metal breastplate that was grey and yet also silver.
Grey silver metal gauntlets engulfed the arms.
What stood out more, was the blond hair tied into a bun. They belonged to a soft face with strong emerald eyes. There was also a slight ahoge, but that shouldn't matter right now.
What stood before the magus was a strong female knight whose hands held a distortion of air.
"Servant Lancer. I, Servant Saber, shall be your opponent." Her voice carries will and power like none Shirou and Ikari has ever encountered.
8
A/N: Well, Once more a cliffy. I really don't know chapter endings. Is this really a cliffy? Who knows, you'll probably tell me. Now for the questies I'm expecting. Ikari's abilities. Flash forging is a temp name I'm going with until I can determine whether or not my char's abilities are already existent or If I had just made something new.
Summary of flash forging:
Ikari can sense materials needed for weapons he plans to make within a 20 to 30 meter diameter around him. He then can call these materials to his hand and either use reinforcement to forge them into weapons or some other morphing magecraft that makes them into weapons. They are not total disturbances to the world and as such will not be corrected. They are simply materials that have gone through a highly sped up process of forging.
The third ability linked to this shall be revealed in the next chapter.
I want to know, is this already a spell that exists? Slightly different than Projection I believe.
Could this possibly be a marble phantasm-esque ability What is a good name for it other than Flash forging.
Well I'm done and I gotta catch some rest.
Read and review. Teach me some nasuverse stuff.