One month later. Fuyuki church
The Mages' Association and the Holy Catholic Church of Rome were not friends, which was a common knowledge to anyone even beginning their journey in the Moonlit World. They were not enemies either, one could say that they were closer to that definition more than friends, as minor conflicts, clashes between Executers and Enforcers were nothing new in and outside of missions, yet the two organizations preferred to maintain as steady peace as it could be, despite allowing an occasional minor bloodshed to happen. And yet, despite all of the animosity and conflicts of interests, there some topics and instances when the Mages and the Church are able to achieve consensus and work together, with the vast majority of these cases being tied to Dead Apostles, Demons and other Phantasmal creatures.
Shirou and his family happened to witness one instance outside of the established rules when both Mages and the Church put aside their differences and worked together. Shirou, as well as most of his family and Rin, were not sure or even aware of how did Touko manage to not only prevent the Church from retaliating after what had happened with Kirei, but also to launch an investigation into his activities. And at the same time, the Mage's Association pitched in and did exactly the same thing, investigating alongside the Church the events of the Fourth Grail War and Kirei Kotomine's overall involvement and actions. During this period, the Emiya-Aozaki family were confined to their mansion, with Rin having joined them, while investigations were carried out, with Irisviel having been questioned in detail and length.
This continued for a month, until they've received an invitation from both the Church and the Mages for Touko, Irisviel, Shirou and Rin to come to the Fuyuki Church, to hear the verdict of the two sides about their situation. When they've arrived and found their way inside, they saw a group of Executioners all around the place, with four guarding the restrained Kirei, who didn't even seem to mind his situation, but rather reveled in it. Shirou held Rin's hand in supporting her, for the girl had been orphaned by this very man and the sight of him caused her no small amount of pain and desire for revenge.
The Mages were not yet here, but the leader of the Church's operation in Fuyuki was present, a man a few years older than Kirei Kotomine, possessing an imposing strong build, with long blonde hair and blue eyes. What interested Shirou the most about the man, however, was a Spanish longsword strapped to his side, and even without Structural Analysis, Shirou could tell that this was not just for show. The man was reading what appeared to be the report about the investigation, before closing the file and turning to his four Mages and speaking up to them.
"Welcome and thank you for arriving on such short notice." The man spoke in a polite tone without any accent with a fluent Japanese, despite being clearly of the European descent. "I am Alessandro D'Estrella of the Holy Church's Eight Sacrament Division. As I am sure you are aware, as per the orders from the Holy See, my colleagues and I were sent her to investigate the incident and your accusations towards one Kirei Kotomine, as well as to determine whether or not he was complicit in the catastrophe that took place after Fourth Holy Grail War. Now, while we wait for the Association's representative to arrive, I would like to tell you, that based on what we have uncovered and the presented evidences, The Holy See has come the conclusion, that no retaliation will be made towards you and your family's members for the incident involving Kirei Kotomine."
"That is good to hear, Father Alessandro." Irisviel responded with a neutral tone. "However, if it is possible, I would also like to hear about what awaits this man."
"Of course, but in due time, Miss Emiya. I first would like to compile our research with that of the Association, and hear their judgement on the matter, concerning the item which you refer to as The Holy Grail." Alessandro replied diplomatically, before he and others heard the doors into the Church open again.
Shirou and others turned to see who it was, and in through the entrance moved a woman, which appeared to be in her mid-thirties or even early thirties, with flaxen light brown hair and purple eyes. Dressed in a regal ivory dress that both covered and accented her figure, she walked with poise and dignity, but also clear authority, yet without flaunting it, projecting a dignified and respectable image to all that saw her. As she moved past the newly arrived mages, Shirou's eyes met with hers, and for a second there, young Muramasa thought that he caught a glimpse of sadness in those eyes, which disappeared the moment she reached her counterpart from the Church and spoke up.
"Father Alessandro, my gratitude to you and your colleagues for providing me transportation." She spoke to him, with Alessandro nodding to her, while she turned to the Mages. "Irisviel Emiya, Aozaki Touko, Tohsaka Rin… and Emiya Shirou, I presume, or would you would like to be referred to as Muramasa?" She asked specifically of Shirou, feeling a little out of place due to being the sudden center of attention, though the woman's gaze was softer than he had anticipated.
"I… I think Muramasa or Emiya will either do." Shirou replied, with the woman nodding to him.
"Very well, then I shall refer to you as Muramasa. A minor technicality, for the sake of form." The woman explained, before turning to the Church's representative. "Father Alessandro, I assume you and your colleagues have completed your part of the investigation?"
"Yes, Lady Barthomeloi." Alessandro replied, as he took the file and handed it to the Magus. "Would you wish to hear a full summary, or a brief one?"
"A brief one will suffice for the moment." Lady Barthomeloi replied.
"Then in brief, the accusations put forth by the present Magi, against a member of our Church Kirei Kotomine, were proven to be valid and true." Alessandro replied with steel, as he glanced at Kirei. "Kirei Kotomine has indeed caused the magical catastrophe two years ago through the usage of the Greater Holy Grail of Fuyuki City. According to his confession, he wished to witness: "That, which would give me the greatest joy," Which in his case, had translated into a catastrophe of magical nature, which we initially treated as some sort of malfunction in the Grail during our initial investigation right after the war."
"The consensus of the Policies was the same on the matter, but my investigation has yielded different results, which correspond with yours." Lady Barthomeloi responded. "At the end of the Holy Grail, according to my investigation, there remained two active Masters and Servants, Kirei Kotomine and Kiritsugu Emiya with Archer and Saber servants respectively. At this stage of the war, the Greater Grail had already began to utilize Lesser Grail to begin it's own manifestation into the real world, but what was unknown at the time to all, was the fact that the Greater Grail had long since been infested and corrupted by a certain entity."
"What kind of an entity?" Alessandro asked of her, with Lady Barthomeloi continuing.
"It had participated as a Servant in the Third War, and had for 70 years, after its defeat, remained within the Greater Grail, not having left for the Throne of Heroes. This was because it did not belong there in the first place, yet it did end up participating in the War, as a Servant of the Einzberns, under a new Class." The Lady continued. "It's stated Class was that of Avenger, and it's name was Angra Mainyu, an ancient Zoroastrian God of Evil, or at least that was what the Einzberns wished to summon, yet in the end, this Avenger was barely stronger than a regular human being, and was defeated by the Master of Rider on the fourth day of the War."
"My knowledge on the subject of Holy Grail system is limited, but I assumed it was a given, that nothing can summon literal Gods into the war." Alessandro noted, with Kirei letting out a chuckle, which was ignored. "If I may ask, where did this information on the Avenger and details of his defeat come from? Our own investigation provided none of what you've mentioned."
"The source is me and my own memory, Father Alessandro." Lady Barthomelio said to him with a small smile. "The Avenger tried to assassinate me when my own Servant was fighting Rider, yet where I failed to see him coming, Rider's Master did and protected me, before taking him on and destroying him." Rin and Shirou looked with shock at the woman, before Rin whispered.
"Wait a minute… She was a participant in the Third War?! B-but I know that… O-oh my God." Upon her realization, Rin looked in shock and awe at the woman, confusing Shirou.
"Rin, what did you remember?" Shirou asked of her, but it was Touko who answered Shirou's real question.
"She remembered that there were only 2 Masters left alive after the War's end, and one of them was the victor, a woman from a Barthomeloi's branch family and Master of Lancer, and Master of Rider. Even those who didn't have an interest in the Grail, have heard stories of their rivalry and the three battles they've waged in the War, before uniting and fighting alongside one another, something that was thought as foolish, and yet they've succeeded and in the end, only their pairs remained." Touko told Shirou, before continuing. "These two Masters of Lancer and Rider were such a massive threat to all individually, that when they united, Edelfelts, Tohsaka and Matou had been forced to unite, and yet it was not enough to defeat them. The recognized true victor of the Holy Grail War and a legendary Magus of the Association, the last Grand before me and the former Lord-Regent of Barthomeloi Family, Venelana Runeas." Shirou could hear both coldness and respect in his mother's tone, as he looked at the woman, who also turned her head to them.
"Please forgive my lapse of manners. I am Lady Venelana Runeas, 39th Head of Runeas Family, and former Barthomeloi's Lord-Regent." Venelana nodded in their direction, before she returned to Alessandro. "I believe my word is still regarded as trustworthy by the Church?"
"More so than most other Magi's, Lady Barthomeloi." Alessandro responded.
"Lady Venelana will do much better." Venelana corrected him, before returning to the topic. "Continuing on, after our examination of the Greater Grail's remains and analysis of its functions and magical structure, we've determined, that Angra Mainyu, upon receiving it's wish, began to manifest itself in a physical form, using Grail's energies from defeated Servants to do so, as while the Grail served as de-facto womb."
"Womb?" Alessandro asked of Venelana. "Could you elaborate?"
"Lady Irisviel can give you the more detailed explanation, if she agrees to it." Venelana turned to Irisviel, who nodded and stepped forth, answering.
"Angra Mainyu first manifested as a Grail in physical form, before it began to consume energy of Fuyuki's leylines and living energy of those that it came in contact with through it's Mud, which acted as it's extension and proverbial umbilical cord, through which it fed and grew." Irisviel explained. "Eventually, it would have become too big to be contained within the Grail, and then Angra Mainyu would have been "birthed" into our world, as a monstrously powerful being, unlike anything that has been seen since the Age of Gods. It would probably be considered as a viable Beast of Gaia." The sole mention of it had the Executors whispering among each other, while Shirou blinked in surprise.
"A Beast of Gaia?" Shirou asked in a quiet tone, with Venelana answering.
"A creature, brought forth by the will of the Earth, with sole purpose of eradicating Mankind, once it becomes too tired of us." Venelana explained, with Shirou nodding to her in respect, before she turned to Alessandro. "As you can see, Father Alessandro, your venerated and admired Inquisitor over there, had nearly brought about the end of the World upon us. Oh, and let's not forget how he and his father had conspired with the Tohsaka, going against the set agreements between Association, Three Grail Families and the Church, with Church's full backing."
"As well as Association's knowledge of Kotomine's past affiliations." Alessandro parried respectfully, before letting out a sigh. "I believe it is a moot point to bring it up, Lady Venelana, after all this time, and in light of the crimes perpetrated by Kirei."
"I would be remiss if I had failed to mention that fact, at least in the eyes of my peers." Venelana noted in an off-handed fashion.
"If you say so. And this brings us to one mystery that had managed to remain unsolved." Alessandro stated, before he turned to Shirou. "How was Angra Mainyu destroyed, and what does young Shirou Muramasa has to do with this?"
"What do you mean?" Shirou asked of the man.
"According to Kirei, you hold that which had destroyed Angra Mainyu." Alessandro stated to Shirou. "Despite all of his crimes, he has confessed all that he knew and his crimes, and was found truthful. That would mean, that you possess, knowingly or not, something that can potentially be a weapon of mass destruction, and if that is true, then…" At that moment Touko and Irisviel shielded Shirou and Rin, as Executors took out their Black Keys, preparing to attack, with Venelana remaining composed, before she spoke up.
"You had additional orders, not from your direct superiors, to retrieve what is inside Shirou Muramasa, didn't you." Venelana stated, with Alessandro laying his hand on the handle of his sword, already sensing the danger coming from the woman, as her gaze hardened. "I recommend you consider your next course of actions very carefully, Father. I would like to avoid spilling your blood because of the ambitious Cardinal back in Rome wanting to have that which he has no hold or right to."
"I can hardly imagine the Lords being prepared to let this boy remain free and not Sealing Designated." Alessandro remarked in a neutral tone. "The Holy See's orders stand, and as for the Clock Tower, we shall solve any issues with them on the subject at the earliest opportunity." Venelana clearly was not satisfied.
"You seem to misunderstand, Father. It is not the Association that will fight you over that boy." Venelana raised her right hand slowly enough for all to see. "It is I who shall fight you all." And in that next moment, she snapped her fingers.
Right next moment, every single Executor were sent flying to the wall with great force, with Kirei being pinned to the ground, before the new person revealed herself. Appearing before all in a flash, golden armored and with a trident in her arm, pointed at the final Executor, who was frozen in fear. A daring smile on her tanned face, framed by white hair and a clear eagerness to fight in her sky blue eyes were seen by Shirou as clear as day. His family were all nearly frozen from the shock, before Irisviel spoke up.
"A Servant… Y-you are…" Irisviel, through the accumulated knowledge of the Einzberns, recognized who this was.
"Lancer Class, Caenis!" Caenis, Lancer of Venelana Runeas and the victorious Servant of Third Holy Grail War, announced herself proudly, before she turned to Alessandro. "So, think you are fast enough to keep up with me?"
"H-how did it manage to knock all of them out? I-it was like a gust of wind or something and then…" Rin was trying to figure out what had happened, before Shirou answered.
"She swung her trident so hard and fast, that she created air waves, which sent Executors flying, and then pinned Kirei, before dropping her Cloaking Ward." Shirou stated what he believed had happened, and Caenis turned her head for a second to him, flashing him a smile.
"Right you are kiddo! You have got one hell of an eye for battles, don't you?" Caenis praised, before returned her attention to Alessandro. "So, are you now gonna listen to what the good lady has to say, or do I need to make you?" Alessandro took his hand off his katana, and then Venelana spoke again.
"You will take your men and leave, stating to your benefactor Laurentis that Shirou doesn't possess anything of true value to him." Venelana stated to Alessandro steel cold tone. "You tell him to drop this case, or else his hopes of becoming the new Pope will be gone faster than he can sire another one of your bastard brothers. You and those akin to you are to leave Shirou Muramasa and his family alone for good."
"And if I refuse…" At that moment, Caenis' spear touched his neck, ready to tear open.
"Care to guess?" Caenis dared him, with Alessandro relenting nodding, before Venelana produced a Geis Contract, making the Executioner widen his eyes, but accepting his conditions, and signing it up, sealing the Geis. "Well, that takes care of it. What are gonna do with that trash?" Caenis and others turned to Kirei, who rose to his knees, still restrained by Holy Shrouds and spells, with Venelana moving to him.
The next thing she did was erect a soundproof Ward around her and Kirei, before she suddenly took out a Japanese kodachi from the folds of her dress, and then slashed Kirei's throat, and then drove her weapon into his heart, ending him for good. To Shirou and Rin, it all seemed surreal, with Venelana soon dropping the Ward and coming out, before speaking for the last time to Alessandro.
"Concerning The Greater Grail and potential of its repair and recovery, the damage it sustained rendered it completely and utterly inoperable, without any way of sufficiently repairing it." Venelana stated to him, before she turned to the Magi. "Now then, let us be off. Lancer." Caenis nodded and followed her Master, with Shirou and his family following behind.
Once they were outside of the Church, Shirou and his family turned to face Venelana, with Caenis dematerializing before their eyes, with the Grand Magus ready to answer their questions.
"I suspect that you all have questions, and I am ready to provide you the answers." Venelana stated. "First of all, what you just witnessed were unsanctioned by the Church, but orchestrated by Cardinal Laurentis, who took notice of Shirou's ability, and devised to have it in his possession. Rest assured, after today, the Church or individual Cardinals, will not attempt such a thing again."
"That's all good to hear, but what are Association's plans on Shirou?" Touko immediately asked of Venelana, who turned to face her. "If the Church took notice of Shirou, I doubt Association wouldn't do the same. Just the fact that he is mine and Genji's son puts a bullseye on his back, and if rumors of what had happened to Kirei spread, then he'll have a Sealing Designation put on him immediately."
"Astute as always, Aozaki. Indeed, there already were whispers and plans on doing it, put forth by your former mentor." Touko grimaced when she remembered Inorai Valualeta. "However, these talks were ended before they gained any official grounds by the Director of the Clock Tower, Brishisan." That got surprised looks from Irisviel and Touko.
"Why would Director oppose it?" Irisviel asked of Venelana.
"Unknown, though there are some rumors that he had been persuaded by one of two current Wizard Marshals, and to my knowledge, current Lord Barthomeloi was in favor of having Shirou locked up in Clock Tower, which leaves the other one." Venelana witnessed the unsuppressed shock on the face of Rin Tohsaka. "The Association has agreed to leave you alone, so long as you do cause much disturbances, though I suspect that all will be eager to see what the new Muramasa walk through the doors of Clock Tower, akin to hungry wolves."
"Unless I decide to skin them beforehand." Touko added, with Venelana letting out a genuine chuckle of amusement.
"I shall take your word on it, Aozaki, but if I may offer a piece of advice to your son in private? You have my word that I shan't hurt him in any way or form." Venelana asked of her, with Touko turning to Shirou, who nodded, with the rest deciding to give them a bit of privacy, and once they stepped aside, Venelana casted a privacy ward, as her visage softened. "I thank you for your trust, Shirou. I appreciate it, despite all the hardships and pain you had suffered because of Magi." Venelana was sincere, knowing that anyone after all they had been through because of the Magi, would be apprehensive at least.
"Kaa-chan and Mom told me to always be cautious and think carefully when among Magi and to assume the worst as a rule of thumb." Shirou noted, with Venelana nodding to him.
"A sound approach." Venelana noted. "Though I am surprised you've trusted me so quickly."
"You've put yourself at risk against the Church, and were ready to kill all of them then and there. That and you don't really strike me as someone who would hurt me or my family." Shirou admitted to Venelana. "The least I could do was trust you, after you've all but saved my life there." Venelana looked at Shirou with a bit of surprise, before she smiled to him.
"I see, and I thank you again, Shirou, or would you prefer I refer to you by your family name?" Venelana asked.
"Shirou will do, thank you." Shirou answered. "Lady Runeas, can I ask you something?"
"Of course." Venelana answered.
"Why would you go so out of your way to help me and my family?" Shirou asked of her directly, with Venelana having anticipated that question, as she turned and looked towards the city outside of the church's grounds, with Shirou mirroring her actions."
"Over 70 years ago, I came to this city to participate in the Holy Grail War, expecting it to be an easy play with no challenge whatsoever, like all other obstacles I've faced beforehand were. I was, to put it bluntly, an arrogant prodigy, drunk on my own successes and victories, yet also yearning for a true challenge, and so I entered this war, outwardly to prove to all the superiority of the Barthomeloi family, while inwardly, I yearned for a true competitor, someone who could match and maybe even surpass me." Venelana told her tale to Shirou. "I got my wish granted to me the second day I arrived here, when I crossed paths with Rider and her Master, Hiryu Muramasa, your grandfather."
"My grandfather was a participant in the Third War?" Shirou asked, with Venelana nodding to him. "But from what I know, my family never had much of an interest in the Grail. At least, I know that my father didn't want anything to do with it." Venelana nodded to him.
"Your grandfather was of the same mind, but he was forced to enter by circumstances outside of his control. He was only a second son, unexpected to receive Magic Crest, and so he was able to pursue his own interests in the Clock Tower, before he received word, that his family was killed, and Crest was stolen by one of the core participants of the war- Zouken Matou." Venelana told Shirou, surprising him. "Hiryu knew, that with the War waging on, he would have no chance to reclaim his Crest, and so he entered it and summoned Rider on his side, and then… Then we met, and fought, three times in a row, both our Servants and we have clashed, and for the first time in my life, I was unable to defeat someone, overcome something. But what was even more shocking to me, was the fact that he had saved me from Avenger, without any reservation, even though it would've been to his advantage to see me dead. For most of the Barthomeloi family, it would have been seen as an insult and outrage, but to me it was like an eye opening, fulfilment of my wish, and instead of being outraged, I gained respect and even admiration for him." The tone with which Venelana spoke of Hiryu bordered on near veneration.
"Was my grandfather really that strong?" Shirou asked of her, with Venelana nodding.
"He was one of a kind, much like his son after…" Venelana simply answered. "After our third duel, we were both beset separately by other Servants, hoping to score easy victories over weary us. Hiryu was the one who offered to meet upon these very grounds, and he offered to me an alliance on the conditions of equal partners. Any other Barthomeloi would merely laugh at his offer, but I was more than ready to accept, and so I did, and then we have affirmed our bond mere hours later in next battle, when we took on Assassin and his master, and then the coalition of Tohsaka, Matou and Edelfelts and their respective Archer, Caster and Sabers. They've attempted to ambush us, and nearly killed me, yet Hiryu again saved me from Archer of Tohsaka, with his Rider fending off both Sabers at the same time, while my Lancer tangled with Caster of Matou. We were on the back foot, and yet, instead of retreating, we fought side by side with our Servants, and had managed to drive off Tohsaka and Edelfelts, while Hiryu defeated Zouken and reclaimed his Crest, while destroying Caster. From then on, we've simply fought those three one at a time, and won, and in the end… In the end, Hiryu willingly yielded me the victory, and yet I urged him to one more duel, not out of pride, but out of respect and admiration."
"How did it end?" Shirou asked of Venelana, who smiled at the memory.
"Same as all the previous ones, and yet I've felt it was the sweetest victory and prize than Grail itself was to me." Venelana said to Shirou. "After that, I claimed victory, had my wish granted to me and my Servant, and returned to London a new person. And to answer your question, Shirou, I owe the Muramasa, both Hiryu and your father a debt that one can't repay, and so you should know, that in me you have both a friend and an ally." Shirou could see the clearest dedication and sincerity in Venelana's words and eyes.
"I see, and thank you, for everything you did today." Shirou thanked her, with Venelana nodding to him with a small smile. "You also knew my father? What was he like?"
"A rarest gem even among the prodigies of Clock Tower, and just as stalwart in his dedications as he was passionate in his ambitions. He had no mind for politics or schemes and manipulations, sharing Magi's sense of dedication to their goals, yet tempered with morality and wisdom that few of our kind possess." Venelana told Shirou. "He also had a great talent of finding trouble and adventures on his head, but always pushed on with a smile on his face. He was also a follower of Musashi Miyamoto's teachings in both life and swordplay, but beyond fighting, he loved two things the most- crafting, and his family."
"Did… Did you also know my grandmother?" Shirou asked of Venelana, before her smile dropped a little. "Kaa-chan doesn't talk about her and all I know is…"
"That she and your father didn't see eye to eye and had not spoken to each other in years." Venelana said to for Shirou, with her tone clearly one of regret. "I know her, yes, and I know that the fault in their estrangement lay with her and her selfishness. She… She regrets every day not having seen her son and his family, and not telling him, how sorry she is for having failed them both."
"I see…" Shirou said with a bit of a sorrowful tone. "When you get to London, can you… Can you tell her that I'm sure Dad didn't hate her and wanted to make up, and she can come to visit? I know it is not much, but at least she may feel easier knowing it."
"What makes you believe that Genji wasn't mad at her?" Venelana asked of Shirou with clearest curiosity.
"He himself said to me, a few days before Kaa-chan had to leave us." Shirou revealed to Venelana, with a look of shock becoming apperent on her face.
"I see… I will relay your words to her." She assured Shirou. "And in the meantime, if I may offer my advice?"
"Of course." Shirou assured her.
"Do not be haste in your desire to get to Clock Tower, and instead, take your time and spend it with your family here. The Tower will not go anywhere, and right now, it would be far more worrisome for you to go there, or in the next few years." Venelana told Shirou. "Best you wait at least until you 14 before venturing there, wait a bit for things to calm down in the Clock Tower, and for you to properly prepare for it. And I do not merely mean in terms of Magecraft, but in terms of politics, schemes and such."
"I see. I'll take your advice to heart, then." Shirou assured Venelana, with her nodding to him and dispelling the privacy ward. "Again, thank you for all your help today. And, uh, what will happen with Rin?"
"Ah, the Tohsaka princess. I have nigh forgotten of it, my thanks for reminding." Venelana said, as she motioned the girl to come to her. "Rin Tohsaka, the Second Owner of Fuyuki City and Sixth head of Tohsaka Family. It is my understanding, that aside from your grandparents on mother's side, you are without any viable candidate to fulfill the role of your guardian?"
"I am, and my grandparents… They are little better than Kirei was, and I doubt the Matou would be as kind to me." Rin said with sadness, with Shirou placing his hand on her shoulder for support, with the girl smiling a little at his support, with Venelana noting the connection between the two.
"In light of your current situation, a number of Magus Families have already stated their desire to either become your guardians, or to outright adopt you and claim this city for themselves." Venelana informed Rin, shocking her, with Shirou tensing after hearing it. "However, once these families were informed of the presence of Aozaki sisters in the city, and your clearly amicable and close relations with their family, as well as Touko Aozaki's son, they've decided to relent. According to my assessment, most of the Magi already consider you "taken" by the Aozaki, but I would like a confirmation.
"I… Yes, the Aozaki family have been gracious enough to accept me as a ward, milady." Rin replied, with Venelana having anticipated that answer. "So, until I reach maturity, I wish for the Clock Tower to recognize them as my guardians."
"I believe that will be possible, though as a word of advice, I would recommend you avoid visiting London and Clock Tower, at least until you are 14. You would be surprised how many of the Magi families were quite… disappointed having lost their chance to get you in their clutches." Venelana informed Rin, who nodded to her, as Touko and Irisviel came closer to them. "The necessary papers will be transferred to you within the week, and with all that said, I believe this concludes my duties in here."
"Kids, why don't you wait in the car? We'll be right back, just gonna say goodbyes." Touko told them, with Shirou and Rin bidding their goodbye to Venelana, before giving her, Touko and Irisviel privacy. "Never thought in my life I would say this… but thank you, for everything you did, Venelana." Touko said with sincerity and some subtle submission, while Irisviel looked at her with surprise, yet Venelana simply gave her a weak smile.
"I did not think the day would come, but I had been wrong in many things, so I shouldn't even be surprised." Venelana let out a weak chuckle, before turning to look at Shirou one more time. "He looks so much like Genji, it makes me want to call him that, though his hair… Genji only gained white hair after he managed to reforge those shards into the new sword."
"Yeah, and now it rests inside Shirou, having saved his life and the world, and having saved him from Kirei, having come into contact and resonating with Avalon." Touko told Venelana, who looked at her with surprise.
"As in the Sheath of Excalibur and one of the most powerful Ward Noble Phantasms in the history?" Venelana asked of them, with both nodding. "How?"
"I gave it to him. It was the reason why he was healing so fast when you saved us." Irisviel responded. "It was the catalyst for summoning of Saber, otherwise known as…"
"King Arturia Pendragon, king, or rather, Queen of Camelot and wielder of Excalibur." Venelana answered for them, surprising Irisviel a little with the knowledge of King Arthur's true gender. "To think, that Arturia would once again come to this world, though as a Saber… You probably should have summoned her as a Rider instead of Saber." Irisviel blinked at Venelana's words.
"Why… What makes you say that?" She asked her, with the woman smiling to her, before she realized what she meant. "You do not mean…"
"Stats' wise, Sabers are rather quite well balanced in most cases with high combative powers, hence why I suspect they are regarded as the strongest Class of Servants. However, the true power of the Servant comes from his or her legend, and how much of it he or she can use it in its manifestation. In that case, Rider can hold a serious advantage, and with the specific Heroic Spirit, one can be stronger than other Knight Classes." Venelana said with a small smile, as memories of the past came to her mind. "For example, your Saber could only employ her Excalibur as single Noble Phantasm, while Rider can have an advantage in numbers of her Phantasms, while also having quality and variety on her side. And I can assure you, in terms of stats and skills, Rider can very well match and outperform all three Knight Classes." The realization of the meaning of Venelana's words hit Irisviel rather hard.
"Then that means, that Saber, or rather Arturia…" Irisviel tried to process it, before Venelana spoke up again.
"Do not dwell on it, because, as I'm sure you know, Heroic Spirits are not full persons of people that they were. They are more like aspects of one person, given form and body, yet not completely the same as they were in life, even if memories are there." Venelana told her, with Irisviel deciding to agree with her, before the Grand Magus let out a sigh. "Still, the last thing I wanted for Genji is to get involved with this whole damn thing. Why in the world would he accept that request from Zelretch, it still eludes me."
"I doubt it was request." Touko said with a sad sigh, with Venelana agreeing with her. "I know I shouldn't be asking, but will you come to visit? Not for my sake, but for Shirou's?" Venelana looked at Touko with clearest surprise and shock.
"I… Last time I remember, you were ready to kill me before I came close to either of you." Venelana recalled, with Touko chuckling at the memory, before Venelana's expression changed to one that was of insecurity. "Last thing he needs is to deal with more trouble than he already has, especially from Magi. It would best for him to…"
"It would be best for him to also have a grandmother, despite how much she and his mother once were prepared to tear each other apart over Genji." Touko interrupted Venelana, before continuing with a softer tone. "Venelana, I… I admit that I was impossible to deal with, especially when it came to my relations with Genji, and I shouldn't have pushed him to make that choice."
"You weren't the only one, Touko. I did that and much more, and because of that I lost my boy." Venelana said, while clutching her pendant, as a lone tear came from her eye. "Please do not do the same to Shirou. Please… Be better than I was."
"I will, hence why I want you in his life." Touko repeated, with Venelana glancing one more time at Shirou, before lowering her head in shame, with Touko realizing what it meant. "Genji would want it, want us to finally make up."
"I know, Shirou told me, but I… I don't think I'm ready who you want me to be for him." Venelana said to Touko with clear shame in her voice. "I… I am not worthy to be his grandmother, not after I've all but renounced my son because I put politics ahead of what truly mattered." Touko knew that nothing she said now would convince Venelana, so instead she decided to try a compromise.
"Then at least be his friend. Write letters, come to visit and so on, become part of his life, step by step." Touko suggested, with Venelana looking at her with surprise, while Touko looked towards her son. "It was difficult for me, not being able to hear my son call me Kaa-chan, to know that I'm all but an alien. First weeks were a nightmare, but I didn't back down, and took it one step at time, and now… Now he calls me Kaa-chan again. We both know you want to be part of his life, Venelana, so be it, one step at a time, and when the time comes, I know he'll not even need to accept you, because you already will be his family." Venelana listened to Touko's words, before considering them.
"I… I may've retired mostly, but Lorelei is keeping a close eye on me, but I'll work it out." Venelana replied, with Touko and Irisviel smiling at her. "Thank you, Touko. I… I was wrong about you." To that Touko could only chuckle.
"Only on about half of the things you said about me, and I actually did learn how to cook." Touko recalled, with Venelana and her chuckling at the memory. "Just don't be a stranger, Venelana."
"I won't, I promise." Venelana assured her, prepared to leave, but then stopped by Irisviel.
"Lady Runeas, please wait." Venelana stopped in her tracks and turned to face her. "We… We would like you help in something."
"What is it?" Venelana asked of her.
"We have been looking for the Muramasa Crest for a long time, and we have had no success in finding it." Irisviel revealed to Venelana, who widened her eyes in surprise.
"Is this true, Touko?" She asked of her, who nodded.
"Yes, but I know that it is not in anyone's possession or was stolen. Genji made sure I had the means of knowing it, but where exactly it is, I… I have no bloody idea." Touko said with exasperation to Venelana. "I have turned damn near every stone looking for it, and still can't find it. I'm starting to think that either it died with Genji or that asshole of a teacher of his stole it."
"No, I doubt Genji would allow either to happen, not after what that worm Matou had pulled off." Venelana thought about it, before speaking up. "When he was little, Genji liked to play hide and seek, and he always liked to hide in plain sight, somewhere as obvious as it can get, yet impossible to see, because it seems unlikely." Touko and Irisviel exchanged looks, before a thought hit Touko, and she face palmed herself, surprising both women.
"I. Am. A. Fucking. Idiot…" Was all that Touko said, much to the confusion of both women.
An hour later. Emiya residence.
"Here it is, Touko. I've kept it in special storage, just as you've requested." Irisviel said, as she entered the living room with the white cloth, unrolling it on the table before all, with Touko immediately going to examine it. "Touko, I've examined in and out multiple times, and aside from the enchanted wards on it, I have found nothing else."
"Perhaps that was the intention, to make it so others wouldn't be able to find it even if they've looked through Magecraft." Touko said, as her Structural Analysis was complete, revealing nothing that she did not already know. "Genji was more than just a blacksmith. He could create nearly every kind and type of Mystic Code. He even told me that the Muramasa were able transfer their Crest into inanimate objects, and none would ever find them. I thought nothing of it, because he told me of it ages ago, but now… Now I get it. Shirou, put your hand onto it and pour your mana into it." Touko commanded, and Shirou complied, putting his palm onto it, and then sending a pulse of mana through it.
The very next moment, the entire cloth glowed, and upon it, crimson glowing lines began to appear, forming patterns, shapes and figures, covering nearly an entire cloth's surface on both sides. Nearly all looked in awe and shock, while Touko let out a small chuckle, as she recognized it.
"Muramasa Magic Crest." Touko said it, before turning to Shirou. "The legacy of 24 generations and all those that came into the family. Their knowledge, power, mana and more- all of it is yours, Shirou."
"Hold on, th-this is… It's too vast and complex to be just 24 generations." Rin stated with shock.
"She is correct, a Crest of this size and complexity could only be possible if it were a Source Crest, like ones that Barthomeloi or El-Melloi families have." Illya agreed with Rin, as she touched the cloth and its lines. "There must be more than just Muramasa's knowledge in it, because I can't believe that a blacksmith family would have THAT complex of a Crest. Um, no offence, Onii-chan."
"None taken, and I kinda have the same thought." Shirou noted, with Touko deciding to answer it.
"Throughout the ages, Muramasa married members of other Magus Families, Priestesses and such, and added their accumulated knowledge to the pull. From what Genji told me, fixation is the way to death, while fluidity is the way of life." Touko recalled. "The Muramasa followed that principal, hence why they have such a varied Crest, containing Curses, Wards, Blessings, Onmyodo and so on. I imagine that is why Zouken Matou had tried to steal it so desperately."
"Heck, if those Edelfelt hyenas were learn of it, they would not stop until they got their hands on it." Rin noted, as she looked at it with amazement, before turning to Shirou. "Shirou, what you are going to do with it?" She asked of him, with Shirou looking to his Kaa-chan.
"Can you transplant it on to me?" Shirou asked of her, with nodded to him.
"With it's size and complexity, it would take me up to nine months to fully transplant it in pieces and to fully integrate, if we decide to transplant them in pieces every month or so." Touko said. "But do you want it, Shirou?" She asked of her son, before hearing his answer, as he touched the cloth.
"This… This is the hard work of my family over hundreds of years, their legacy to the future. Everything that they passed on to future generations is all here, and when I look upon it and touch it… It almost like speaks to me." Shirou told them. "And when I sense it, I know that this… This is what I want. I may not share their dreams and desires, but even if I don't achieve it, I will not let it simply to go to waste. I will bear it, as the pride of my bloodline and responsibility for the future, and when the time comes, I will add that which I achieve to this Crest." Shirou stated with determination, with nearly all looking at him with a bit of awe, with Touko smiling to him.
"Spoken like a true Muramasa." Touko told her son, smiling upon him.
One year and two months later. South of Fuyuki City.
"Okay, I'll see what they have. You stay in the shade and relax, kid." Aoko ruffled her nephew's hair, as they got out of the car near local supermarket, in the town near Muramasa Estate.
"I can help you carry the bags. I didn't get banged up that bad." Shirou complained a little, but then Aoko hit on the forehead with one of her fingers. "Ouch! Hey, what's big idea?"
"Shirou, me and everyone appreciate your determination and resolve in learning and training, but the whole idea of coming here was to relax and rest up, and for a long while, you've been anything but relaxed or rested." Aoko noted to Shirou, before letting out a sigh. "Look, if it were just hormones and such, none of us would've been so worried, but that's not it, is it? C'mon, Shirou, tell me, what's bothering you?" Aoko asked of him, with Shirou letting out a sigh.
"Ever since Mom finished transplanting the Crest and I've finally adopted the name of Muramasa as my own, I… I felt like I should be trying harder to live up to it all and…" And then he received another flick on his sore forehead. "Hey, are you trying to break my head?!"
"No, just trying to get something through that dumb thick skull of yours, Shirou." Aoko said, before letting out a sigh. "Shirou, you are only 11 years old, you are still just a kid, and you should have a childhood, make friends and have fun, not be so worried about the whole Magus stuff. Heck, not even Touko was that obsessed about it as you've apparently been these past few months, and believe me, I know how determined she can get."
"Then, what should I do? I'm the head of Muramasa family and yet I…" Shirou was at the metaphorical crossroads, before Aoko put her hand on his shoulder and spoke up.
"Shirou, nobody is pushing you to make do anything. I think I know what is really bugging you, and I've had the same problem- you feel like you are lost, missing something that makes you who you are, am I right?" Aoko asked of Shirou, and he nodded timidly, as she sighed. "Oh boy, I had hoped you wouldn't have that problem, or at least it wouldn't come until you were older… You don't know who you are and what you want to do with your life, am I right?"
"Yeah…" Shirou admitted in quiet tone. "It's like… I feel that there is something I should do, or could do, but I don't know what it is, and so…"
"And so it drives you nuts, and you are taking it all out in the training sessions." Aoko surmised. "Let me give you a piece of advice, kiddo: calm down, take your time and think about it. You have all the time in the world, and I assure you that this calling will come to you, in one way or another. Promise me that you do that."
"I promise." Shirou promised, with Aoko smiling to him.
"Good, now you go and sit in the shade over there, before you get a heatstroke. I'll be right back and…" And just as Aoko reached for her wallet and looked inside, her eyes widened in surprise.
"Is something the matter?" Shirou asked of her.
"Yeah, my card is gone." Aoko said with shock clear in her eyes. "I'm pretty damn sure I've put in here before we left."
"Would it happen to be you Visa card?" Shirou asked of Aoko, who slowly nodded. "I, uh… might have an idea about its whereabouts, but…"
"Shirou, did Touko steal my credit card, hacked my password and bought herself something, that's gonna leave me half broke, again?" Aoko asked of Shirou with full readiness to murder her sister.
"I'm afraid I can't confirm or dispute that." Shirou quickly answered, with Aoko practically fuming steam at that point, before heading for the car. "Um, Nee-san…?"
"You stay right here, while I go and get my card, as well as break your mother's spine!" And with that said, Aoko drove off at a speed that would make even Irisviel and Touko whistle.
"Good thing she didn't notice her Master Card missing." Shirou muttered once she was well out of the earshot, with Shirou deciding to do as Aoko said, as he sat down on the bench and looked up to the skies, his mind tracing back to the events of the last year.
Once the matter with Kirei was settled and the Church had left Fuyuki, peace and quiet had returned to the city and the life of his family returned into a semi-normal routine, spiced up by the fact that Rin now lived with them full time. Like Venelana had promised, the Church and the Association have left Shirou's family alone and they didn't have to worry about any form of retaliation or other form of action coming their way. In most ways, things continued on as they were prior to incident with Kirei, safe for the fact that Rin now lived with them, though she did at times visit her house, either to practice or perform some sort of necessary ritual and such. Since she had already stayed quite a awhile with them beforehand, it wasn't all that much of change for them, so life proceeded without a hitch.
Touko did well on her promise to Shirou, and over the following months, transplanted the Muramasa Crest onto him, and just as Shirou had expected, it was not an easy process. He had already heard from Rin and Illyasviel about how it takes time for the Crest to adapt, and that it's a painful process, and there were always risks with Crest rejecting it's bearer. Fortunately for Shirou, the implantations and adjustments to them went quite smoothly, more so than most had thought would be possible, and as it turned out, instead of nine months, Touko needed only seven to complete the full transplantation. Once it was done, Shirou understood what Rin and Illyasviel meant when they described having a Magic Crest on them, how it was like a whole library of Magecraft to which your mind had a full access to, and in Shirou's case, they weren't wrong.
Once the Crest was fully implanted, Shirou was floored and shocked to discover just what and how much there was in it, and it wasn't just Magecraft on Curses, Blessings, Onmyodo and as such. There were knowledge on how to create Mystic Codes or all kinds, not just forge them, yet in terms of the knowledge on how to forge something, there was no mistaking that it was the largest and most detailed section. Muramasa have done an extremely good job at preserving every bit of information and knowledge that they could get their hands on, and it showed not only in the Magic Crest, but also in journals, books and such that Shirou found in the Muramasa Estate. To say that Muramasa were careful with the knowledge would be an understatement, but when one has such an extensive and detailed Crest as Muramasa, that was to be expected.
However, with such great knowledge and powers also came feelings of expectations and desire to prove himself for Shirou, and that had pushed him to train harder and harder, as well as study much more than before. He had been a diligent student before, but now he took it to a whole another level, working until he couldn't even stand before he would quit with any spell, Magecraft and such, and bore good fruit. Shirou advanced his Projections, Alteration, Strengthening and every other area he had studied before, as well as learning Healing, Blessings and other types of Curses, as well as practicing and memorizing what was in his Magic Crest. Normally, that wouldn't be necessary, but young boy figured it would be prudent to also learn as much as he could and use it without Magic Crest, and as a result, he learned Onmyodo Healing and actually used it on himself. The result was him restoring most of his hair back to it's red color, though with a side effect of it now being a little deeper in color and some strands having white color, which actually added something of a uniqueness to him.
While he focused so much on his training, he didn't even notice how he had made his family concerned with him, and now he realized that he may indeed had been pushing things too far, and yet… Shirou felt like he should be doing something, and not just sit around. His soul was aching for something, something that he couldn't grasp yet, but knew was somewhere in sight of him, a purpose to which he could devote himself, a goal to pursue… Maybe he indeed needed to simply stop and wait until he figures it out.
"Pardon me, young man, but is this spot free?" Shirou's thoughts were interrupted, and he looked up to see an elderly looking man, probably in his fifties, dressed in what appeared to be aristocratic clothes and with a cane, looking at Shirou with his red eyes, with all of it alerting Shirou to who he was.
"Um, sure." Shirou said with a bit of a tensely in his tone, with the man plopping down in a near unceremonious fashion.
"Phew, much obliged. I had heard that summers here in Japan were hot, but this… This is damn near murderous." The man moaned in an open fashion, surprising Shirou with such a childlike antic. "How do you Japanese Magi stand it, still eludes me." At that moment, Shirou's eyes widened when he heard him openly say it.
"Mister, I don't know what you mean." Shirou decided to play the ignorance, but the man wasn't too taken with it.
"Really? Huh, I would've thought you did, because otherwise you would be staring a lot more at a man dressed in a black Victorian three piece with a coat, holding a cane and looking like a stand-in for Dracula in the middle of a summer." The man said with a cheeky smile, surprising Shirou. "I may be old, but I am also quite self-aware, young man, and I'm not here to cause you any trouble, as you were starting to suspect."
"And why would I trust you word on it? It is common sense for two unknown Magi to treat each other with suspicion." Shirou told him, with the man snapping his finger.
"Good thinking, and would any Magus act like I did just now?" The old man asked him, with Shirou slowly shaking his head at that. "See? Now that we've established that I'm not enemy to you, let's get acquainted. You can call me Elzretch, and you are one and only Shirou Muramasa, son of the two biggest troublemakers in Clock Tower since Venelana Runeas and Hiryu Muramasa."
"Sounds like my parents were quite infamous even in their college years, so to speak." To that Elzretch laughed heartily.
"You can say that again, kiddo! Oh, if only you into what kinds of trouble those two caused… But nothing compares to your mom flipping the bird at current Barthomeloi Lord in full view, and then years later, your dad doing the exact same thing, when she wanted to marry him!" Elzretch laughed almost hysterically. "Ha! The look on Lorelei's face was just priceless, trust me!"
"I will, but what are you doing in here, exactly?" Shirou asked of Elzretch. "As far as I know, the Clock Tower generally doesn't like getting involved with Asia, and Japan in particular, and this isn't some city, but a rural town, with Fuyuki about two hours by car to the north." Shirou stated, with Elzretch smiling to him.
"Clever one, eh? Well, to tell you the truth, I'm on vacation." Elzretch answered, with Shirou not believing him. "What? Doesn't it look like I'm on vacation?"
"Being dressed like that? Nope." Shirou deadpanned, with Elzretch looking at himself.
"Ah, that… I've got my Sunday dress in the dry cleaning, and I lost my luggage back at airport, and still waiting for it. But then I got bored, saw this tour of the country side and decided to hop in." Elzretch answered, with Shirou not buying it for a second, with Elzretch groaning. "Look, here's the talon from dry cleaning for you to believe." Shirou saw it, and actually believed.
"Okay." Shirou said. "And what are you doing now?"
"We've had a break on our tour, and so I decided to come over and say hi, when I saw and recognized you as a Muramasa. You redheaded firebrands are unmistakable." Elzretch said, with Shirou nodding to him, while still haunted by his own thoughts. "Now then, kiddo, what's gotten you so worked up?"
"What do you mean?" Shirou asked of him.
"You were so deep in your thoughts, that you didn't even notice me coming over, before I talked to you, so I figured you had something weighing you down." Elzretch said, with Shirou surprised he could see through him so quickly, with the man smiling to him. "Let me guess: you feel like you should be living up to your family's legacy, but can't decide how to do it, am I correct?"
"Am I really that transparent?" Shirou asked of him, with the man chuckling.
"Once you get as old as I am, you learn how to read people like a book, but enough about me." Elzretch commented. "Well, I could go ahead and offer a wise advice that could be of great use to you… But I can see that you would much rather not listen to me blabber about something for another half an hour and I'm not yet that hammered, I'm gonna do the next best thing: I'm gonna offer you a job." That caught Shirou off guard.
"A… job?" Shirou asked him again while blinking.
"Well, more like make an order." Elzretch smiled to him, before he produced from somewhere out of his coat a katana and tossed it to Shirou. "Here, kiddo. What can you tell me about it?" Shirou looked at him like he was crazy for a moment, before turning to the sword, unsheathing and examining it.
"Hm, pretty average uchi-katana, 15th century, I'd guess." Shirou said, before he used his Structural Analysis on it. "1587, produced just before Hideyoshi Toyotomi enacted his sword hunt. Nothing noteworthy, just your normal katana from Buzen Province, which is here."
"Absolutely correct kiddo. So, think you can make a better one?" Shirou looked at him with surprise. "You are a Muramasa, aren't you?"
"Well, yeah, but I've never really learned any ropes of it." Shirou stated, though the thought of making this sword was suddenly making him excited, more so than he would have expected.
"Then hammering down on metal and shaping it up into something useful is in your blood!" Elzretch exclaimed, before deciding to add. "Well then, how about I sweeten the deal? You make me a sword better than this one in one month, and I'll pay you its full weight in jewels. Make me a matching short sword, and I'll even pay you double, how does that sound for an incentive?" Shirou took a moment to process it all, until giving his answer.
"Okay, I'll make it." Shirou answered, before passing the sword to Elzretch, who smiled to him fully.
"Splendid!" And then they heard an announcement. "Oh, looks like that's my ride." Elzretch rose up and began to walk back to the bus.
"Wait, how will I…" Shirou tried to ask him, but Elzretch spoke up again.
"I'll be back in month's time, don't worry kiddo! Just make sure that blade is ready. See ya!" Elzretch waved him and disappeared from Shirou's view, leaving him to process what he had just did, yet finding he didn't have any regrets, but actually looked forward to it.
Soon enough, Aoko Aozaki returned to her nephew, though on a completely different car, one that Shirou didn't see before, but already suspected where it came from, and when Aoko left the car not so calm and serene, he figured that Kaa-chan gave her the slip, again.
"Another Doll Clone?" Shirou asked of Aoko, who groaned when he said it. "And the new car…?
"Confiscated as a compensation for theft." Aoko stated with a huff. "Anyway, sorry I've kept you waiting, Shirou. You must be parched. I'll buy you something real quick."
"I'm good, though I do have a favor to ask you, Nee-san." That got Aoko's attention.
"Sure, what is it, but I do hope it's not another training session." She said to him, with Shirou shaking his head.
"No, I need you to buy me something. Well, a lot of something." Aoko blinked at him.
"Are we talking about soda, chips, popcorn…" Aoko thought, before Shirou interrupted her.
"More like coal, firewood, quenching oil and a few other things." Shirou told her, with Aoko looking at him with surprise and bewilderment.
"Shirou, what happened while I was away?" She asked of him and he answered to her.
"I've got an order to forge a sword." Shirou answered to her, before smiling. "And I mean to make it." Shirou smiled to her with a determination, something that surprised Aoko, but the fire that now burned in his eyes made her feel like he was going to be alright, better than before.
Two weeks later. Muramasa Estate.
For any blacksmith, forge was akin to a temple, the most sacred place and heart of their craft and work, where the blacksmith could turn raw metals into work of art, and Genji's forge could considered an exemplary Workshop of a Mystic Artisan. Every item in here was specifically designed to assist in the creation of items, from crucible and anvil to the tongs and hammers, and could be regarded as a Mystic Code, which it was.
Everything in here was made to make forging easier, to increase the quality of the items upon their completion, or to shorten some processes, all of which made life easier for the Blacksmith. And to add to it all, Genji had always maintained a well-stocked warehouse, full of all the necessary materials to work with, and Shirou was quite glad that it was so, as he was able to get to work as soon as he could.
Having grown up in the forge since he was a toddler, read his father's manuals, watched his work and memorized it, as well as having Muramasa's Crest, one could say that Shirou was a born prodigy for this kind of work, and as it turned out, he definitely had it in his blood to start working. Despite yet being a boy, Shirou followed every procedure and every step of forging with the precision of a jeweler, and the determination and reverence of a monk.
Young Muramasa discovered soon after starting, that to him, the act of creation was not merely work, but something akin to a ritual of sorts, a religious prayer maybe, and it filled with purpose, serenity and calmness that he had been seeking. It was at the anvil and crucible that Shirou finally discovered that which he was looking for all these months, and now he was finally doing that which he unwittingly wanted, and as he hammered at the red hot blade, his family watched from the distance.
"He has been going at it for the past hour, in and out of the furnace, hammering and hammering it. Is this really all that it takes for him to make a sword?" Rin asked, as she ate a piece of watermelon. "Doesn't really look all that difficult to my eye."
"Appearances are can be deceiving, Rin, and in terms of art of blacksmithing, nothing is as simple as striking the hammer." Touko told her ward, as she ate her apple. "To be fair though, Shirou is doing a pretty damn good job out there. Better than I would've imagined him be, but I guess that's in his blood. He stacked up the different kinds of steel, then connected, and then layered it in perfect way, to make it equally strong and tough, and has already gotten the shape of it, all in a week's time. Genji would be proud of him."
"And he also looks so oddly… calm now that when he is doing it." Irisviel added, with others nodding to it. "I've not seen him this calm in a long while."
"He's been restless because he couldn't find his own niche, a place in this world, or rather a path to pursue of his own." Aoko commented, as she watched Shirou flip the blade and continue his work, smiling at him. "And now he found it. Who would've thought that he would find it through a dare of all things?"
"Yeah, but who is this Elzretch? Name sounds kinda familiar, but I can't put my finger on it." Illya commented, eating her ice cream and watching her adoptive brother.
"Same thing, never heard of him, yet sounds as familiar as it gets." Aoko said, with others agreeing with her. "Guess we'll find out when we meet him." Aoko said, and others agreed with her, whilst allowing Shirou to continue his work in peace, as the blade finally took the needed shape, Shirou examined it, and found that all was well in place, and so he could finally proceed to the quenching and tempering.
By the time the sunset, Shirou's blade had quenched and heatreated, and prepared for grinding, and he left the forge with a smile on his face, knowing that his work was going quite well.
Three weeks later.
Just as the old Magus promised, he did come back, and this time he was actually in his Sunday dress, which consisted of a Hawaiian red shirt, white freely shirts, a hat and slippers, which caught Shirou and others off guard. However, what came next was a complete shock for him, Rin, Illya, Irisviel and their two maids, as both of the Aozaki sisters screamed at the man.
"ZELRETCH!" They screamed in unison, nearly sending him flying through the gate with their voices.
"Ouch! Easy on the volume, ladies." Kischur Zelretch Schweinorg, Magician of Second Magic and Wizard Marshal of the Association, complained, cleaning up his ear.
"The heck are you doing in here, you old vampire?" Touko demanded to know.
"What am I doing in here? I'm here to see if my order was completed or not, what else?" Zelretch said with a Cheshire's grin. "Oh, and sorry about a bit of a misdirection there, kiddo."
"How the heck did we not figure it out. I-I mean it was pretty much on the nose…" Aoko and others were asking the same question, while Zelretch simply laughed.
"Trade secret. Now then, Shirou, how's that order doing?" Zelretch asked of the kid, as he walked to him with a grin, with Shirou simply smiling to him and pointing with a hand.
Not far from them, on a table was placed a double handle, and on both of them rested blades, a wakizashi and a katana, the two swords that were forged by Shirou Muramasa, his first ever work. Zelretch moved closer to examine them with a careful and critical eye, one that was befitting of Magus of his status, with his thoughts on the matter known only to him alone. The swords were made in a traditional Buzen style and seemed to have nothing remarkable or outstanding about them on to the naked eye. Such was the case at a first glance or to someone who possessed none of the knowledge about blacksmithing. Once he has had his fill of just watching, he took the blades and examined them carefully in his arms one by one, before speaking up with a completely serious tone.
"Though their appearance may seem identical, once one looks past the initial shine, they see the true marvel that these blades are." Zelretch stated with a completely serious tone, as he carefully laid the weapons on to the table, and walked to Shirou, a proud smile on his face. "Last time I saw such good work was from my last apprentice, and I had not expected to see someone who could match his talent. I am glad to stand corrected in that assumption." This praise alone was more than enough reward for Shirou, as evidenced by his surprised look, but Zelretch was not done, as he produced a large bag and handed it to Shirou.
"This… This is more than four times of these swords' weight." Shirou said, as he struggled to keep the bag in his hand, before Aoko took, with others looking into it, and shock appearing on their face.
"Th-that's… Those are some the best jewels I have ever seen. There must be more than I have in my house!" Rin exclaimed with shock, as she looked at it. "Each and every one is of best quality possible…"
"Why of course, little Miss Tohsaka. Who would I be if I were pay with some generic goods?" Zelretch said with a chuckle, before he turned to Shirou. "You can keep the blades as well. I'm sure they'll serve you far more than me, kid. Keep practicing, Shirou. Your father once told me that there was only one person who had the potential to surpass him as a blacksmith, and that it was you, and now… Now I can see why he was so certain in it. One could say you wore born to do it." Zelretch told him, with Shirou and others not understanding him,
"What do you mean by that?" Shirou asked of him, with Zelretch smiling to him.
"Ah, I see you do not know… Before going to Fuyuki, your father had performed a small ritual on you, to learn your Origin, and to say it surprised him, would be an understatement." Zelretch told Shirou, with others surprised to hear it. "Your Origin is one that I've not seen in anyone, or in any other of your versions. Most of your versions that I've observed have Sword as both Origin and Element, but you… You, my dear boy, have Creation and Adaptation for your Origin." That got shocked looks from everyone, especially Shirou.
"That… That would explain Shirou's unusual pace of learning and training." Touko said. "Your Origin applies in here, when you create a skill, or a Magecraft, and then make it better, or rather adapt it."
"Yep, and with that Origin, and his determination… We might one day be looking at someone who could rise above even Gods." Zelretch noted with a wishful smile, before he turned to Shirou. "So keep at it, kiddo. Until we meet again." And with this, the legendary Kaleidoscope left to continue his vacation, yet he was not the only one who observed the exchange.
"Well, this has certainly been an interesting show to watch. Not only does the boy have hidden treasures in him, but he himself can be considered one." Gilgamesh said, as he observed through a Noble Phantasm in form of a mirror what was happening, a smile on his face. "Though these blades are far below my notice, the fact that he crafted them on the first try from a basis of such a worthless piece of junk is both amusing and impressive, for a mongrel of this era. Now then, I believe it is time to see, if this "blacksmith" is worthy to receive the privelage of becoming my subject." And so, Gilgamesh's mind was set and he left to venture to where Shirou Muramasa was.
Sorry for the delay, I caught a mild cold and it had impeded my work somewhat. I'm getting better by the day, and should be fully healthy soon enough, and I hope I didn't make you wait for too long. As you can see, we now have answers and reveals on earlier questions, but also more mysteries.
And before you ask, yes, I did all but copied Venelana from DxD, and gave her the last name of another DxD Character. I can be lacking in certain originality, my bad, hope you can forgive me.
Hope you enjoyed this chapter and will give me your opinion in the review, as well as suggest potential romance options, future events in the story, or ask questions. Your feedback helps me make this story better.
Next time: The King and a Blacksmith;
See ya!