Chapter 6
"Now, don't try to do everything all at once. Your body needs to adjust to walking again. This includes allowing your mana to circulate properly into the new legs." Shirou explained, guiding Sara by the hands to stand up. Her legs were unsteady, but he could tell that was from her lack of walking.
"Can you feel them?" He asked, getting a nod in reply. "Good, they should function and feel as if you've never lost them. Now, let's try to walk to the other side of the room." He said to her, guiding her gently, while watching his creations closely for any kind of malfunction.
With each step, Sara began to slowly get better. She was breathing heavily, not realizing how much effort was required to be able to walk again. However, Shirou was being careful to not push her to hard. She'd be able to walk, but she'd still need her wheelchair for a little while, and maybe a cane.
However, Shirou deduced that she should be back to her old self in a month's time. That was him giving her the absolute maximum recovery time as well. She could very well be back to it faster than that. Especially with the use of magic. As he was helping her, he thought he heard her say something.
"You alright, Sara? I didn't hear you. If you need to take a break, just let me know." However, Sara shook her head, before grabbing ahold of his arms. Shirou's eyes widened when he noticed some tears fall to the ground. 'Oh, man, maybe I should have waited until later to give them to her.'
Since she was looking down at the ground when she grabbed ahold of him, Sara knew that Shirou had no idea that she had a large smile on her face. She couldn't hold it in and refused to hold back her emotions at the moment. Besides, she was never good at doing that anyway.
She took another step forward while holding Shirou in place and wrapped her arms around him. She knew there were still tears running down her face but she didn't care. "Thank you so much, Shirou! Thank you, thank you..." She continued repeating really quickly.
She honestly had no idea what else to say. She was able to walk again, even though she had given up hope of ever being able to. She had come to terms with it long ago. But, Shirou gave her the ability to walk again. Honestly, she should have known that this was going to happen.
She knew Shirou about as well as Luvia did. He cared about his family and would do anything for them. The fact that he did this, told her something rather important as well. Ever since the accident, Shirou must have never stopped thinking about it. 'He probably sacrificed a lot just to make these.'
For she knew that, while she may have come to terms with it, Shirou never did. However, it also told her something else about him. It was also something that caused her to feel some sadness. 'He probably still blames himself for what happened. Even though I've told him not to do that many times before.'
She then felt Shirou place a hand onto her back. "You don't have to thank me, Sara. What kind of brother would I be if I didn't do all I can to try and help you out?" At his words, Sara could only tighten her grip on him. 'Shirou, you really are a big dummy.' She thought with some redness on her cheeks.
Shirou couldn't help but have a small wistful smile on his face. He had failed to find a way to help Illya in his old world, but here, he could at least find a way to help those he considered family. It was always his biggest regret, but this time, he would live a life where he would have none.
"If you really want to thank me, then perhaps you could help me teach some of the kids in my class. Luvia and I aren't that good at wind magic and Sistine could really use the help." He said to her, feeling her nod to his words.
"Now, why don't we do a little bit more walking, we still have a bit more time before the games actually start. You'll be able to surprise everyone next time we see them." He said with a small laugh. Sara finally stood up after drying her face with Shirou's shirt, which caused him to let out a small sigh.
"Thank you, Shirou. I never thought I'd be able to walk again. I'll be sure to help you out in any way that I can." She replied with a smile.
The magic games festival was a relatively big event. Of course, what caused the event to become a big deal in the first place was the appearance of the queen herself. So, naturally, everyone always did their best to attend the arrival of her majesty. Though, there were two certain people missing, and not the two Celica was expecting.
She would have expected the combination to be Shirou and either Glenn or Luvia, but not Shirou and Sara. That was the most surprising part of it. She didn't know whether to be upset or concerned. At least with Luvia and Glenn, she could more or less guess what they were doing, but Sara was another deal entirely.
As she was about to call Luvia, she saw Shirou and Sara finally enter the arena. She let out a sigh of relief, before realizing that Sara had a happier than usual smile on her face. Even Shirou seemed to be a lot brighter than usual. If she didn't know them as well as she did, she would have been getting funny ideas about it.
However, the moment they reached Shirou's class, she was stunned speechless. She watched as Sara slowly made her way to her feet, with Shirou's help, and walked over to Glenn and Luvia. 'No way, how did she walk?' She almost thought it was magic, but knew that Shirou didn't have access to magic like that.
However, she remembered what Shirou's magic revolved around. Rather, she remembered the lesser known aspect of Shirou's magic. 'Did he make her puppet replacements?' She thought, smiling at the overjoyed reaction of Glenn and Luvia. Though, she could tell that Luvia wasn't as surprised as Glenn.
'Those two were keeping secrets again, weren't they.' Shirou explained how his puppet magic worked, but she didn't think it would work that well. He mainly focused on swords, runes, and his magic bullets, so no one would suspect that he was the one who did it.
Though, she knew better. The only reason he never used them was because he had no need to do so. She had seen his workshop on a few occasions, and she saw the collection of puppets he had in there, along with his other magic implements. Athena and Robin were the only two he used regularly, but she knew he had more on standby.
She smiled at the group. She was glad that the four were now back to their old selves, or, were as close as they could be to their old selves. Shirou was was slowly reverting back to himself, while Sara, Glenn, and Luvia were now back together with him. She had already thought about when they had their reunion.
'It seems that our small family has finally reunited.' She thought happily, before looking at Shirou. 'And it's all thanks to you, Shirou. You brought us all back together, whether you know it or not.'
Luvia had to admit, she was worried for a moment. However, Shirou managed to return in time for the start of the magic games. Not to mention, he returned with Sara who was able to walk again. She knew about her legs, she had seen Shirou working on them for awhile now.
Back in their old world, something like that would cost a fortune. It didn't matter if it was done by Touko or him. She had a feeling that Sara probably knew how special and valuable her legs were. She let out a sigh, before seeing Shirou trying to explain the game plan to his students, though they were focused on Sara.
She smiled at the sight of Shirou trying to teach students. No matter how many times she saw it, it was always a heartwarming sight. She looked down at herself. 'I wonder what he'd think about having a child?' She thought to herself, imagining such a future. "Luvia?" She opened her eyes, seeing Shirou standing in front of her.
"Did you have anything you wanted to tell the kids?" He asked, rubbing the back of his head. Luvia let out a laugh, before looking towards the kids, seeing them looking at her expectantly. 'Well, I suppose it'll have to wait until after the games. We have to take care of these children of ours first.'
"Shirou, I know that I don't have any right in asking this of you, especially when the odds are impossible, but please, will you save my daughter?" The Queen opened her eyes to look out at the field, particularly at a certain professor. That memory seemed to replay every time she saw him.
He may have changed his looks and adopted a different name, but she never failed to recognize him. Nor would she ever forget his words, or his eyes. "Even if I have use true magic, I'll make sure your daughter returns home safely. I swear on my life, I will save the princess." He said, grabbing ahold of her hands, his eyes flashing blue for a moment.
She had a small smile on her face, watching Shirou's class place high in each competition, even winning a few. She let out a small giggle, seeing the way some of the young girls reacted around him when he went out to congratulate them. Even the camaraderie he had with the boys was nice to see.
She hadn't really seen him smile when he was an Imperial Court Mage, so seeing him do so was a rather bizarre sight. However, this was what she wanted from him. She was the reason that he was able to disappear from the government for as long he did.
Part of that was because of Celica and another part was because she felt like she owed Shirou a great debt. The reason she always remembered when she asked him for help, was because she doubted there was anyone else who could have pulled off the rescue that he did.
From everything she had been told, the rescue of her daughter was impossible. Yet, Shirou managed to do it. For that, she would always hold Shirou, and those that helped him, in high regard. Add to that, Shirou was also the one who was teaching her daughter how to be a mage.
She honestly couldn't think of anyone better for that job. Though, there was a part of her that wished she could speak with her. If only for a little bit. Then again, she was friends with Celica, perhaps she knew of some way to do so. 'It would have to be during the break.' She thought to herself with a smile.
Shirou looked at his class with an expression of pride. 'These kids have actually grown a lot since I've began teaching them. Though, I credit that more to Luvia than myself. Without her, they wouldn't be able to see most of the practical applications.' He thought, impressed at how well they were doing.
He noticed that Luvia was particularly excited at their performance. 'And it looks like Luvia's excited about winning that prize.' He chuckled to himself. He was amazed at Rumia's performance, but pretty much expected that she'd win. He had to admit, he was worried, which was why he forfeited after she went down.
He would have to tipped his hat to the other contestant, as the level of mental attack they endured for that contest was no joke. But, he only looked like he passed it, in reality, he was knocked out the moment the spell hit him. So, Rumia got the win, since she only dropped down to her knee.
Unlike everyone else, he knew that Rumia was a lot tougher than people gave her credit for. In fact, she had more in common with him than ordinary people. He didn't know whether that was good or bad just yet, but it did give her an advantage. He was just saddened that she had to go through what she did to get to that point.
However, unlike him, she was still intact. She was still whole and had come out of it stronger. He supposed he kept an eye on Rumia and Sistine because they both reminded him of himself in some way. Though, he wanted to make sure that they never had to go through anything like he did.
Maybe he was coddling them too much, but he wasn't going to let that happen to them. It wasn't just them, none of his students should ever have to experience the things that he did. He still blamed himself about the fact that Luvia had been dragged into the Grail War.
There was still a part of him that didn't think he deserved to find Avalon. Maybe he was being hard on himself, but that's why he was trying to do better in this world. When him and Luvia first arrived in this world, he didn't know what to think. But, as time passed, he saw it as a second chance.
During the lunch break, Shirou found himself taking a walk outside of the arena. In his hands was Avalon. 'Saber, am I still on the right path?' He let out a sigh, before allowing his projection to fade. He looked at the back of his hand, remembering the command seals that used to reside there.
He hadn't thought about it in awhile, but the memories were still there. He knew about the Grail War, but he had no desire to participate in it. He had no wish that needed granting, nor did he have the desire to face off against the three families. He enjoyed his time living as a freelance mage.
That was, until the Grail War began to affect his daily life. He had plans to return back to Misaki and study witchcraft with Alice, but he ended up caught up in the whirlwind that was called Luviagelita Edelfelt.
Shirou had just returned home after school, deciding to forego his archery club practice to begin his packing. Waiting for him in front of his house was none other than his significant other. Arranged significant other, thanks to his mother's usual antics, but Luvia and him got along well, so it wasn't that big of a deal.
She was waiting there in a blue skirt and white top. "Shero! I have decided to come and visit you in your new home. Don't worry, I've already moved most of my things inside, so we can just enjoy the rest of the day without any worries." Shirou let out a sigh, before walking forward.
"You know, Luvia, you could have called beforehand so I could get everything ready." She then let out a small laugh in response, following him as he went inside the house.
"I wanted to surprise you and if I called, then the surprise would have been ruined." She replied, taking off her shoes and kept following him until he reached his room, where she waited as he changed his clothes.
"Well, I still need to pick up some groceries for dinner tonight. So, in honor of your surprise, why don't we go and pick up something special?" He said as he opened the door, looking at Luvia with a small smile. She had a bit of a surprise expression, before she smiled in return and nodded.
Shirou found himself thinking about Sakura. He wondered if she was going to drop by for dinner. He thought it would have been nice to introduce her to Luvia. Despite their differences, he thought that they would get along pretty well. Though, he was a bit worried about Taiga dropping by.
Now that he thought about it, he was having to deal with a lot of things lately. Even his puppet familiars were being overworked, with all of the strange things happening lately. He supposed it was only natural. Luckily, nothing major happened that day. Not even when Taiga met Luvia, though she did mention something about Sakura, which confused him.
It was the next day, however, that changed everything. Still needing to attend school, he left Luvia to take care of the house in his absence, promising to return sooner rather than later. Though, that changed the moment he entered school grounds. A strange feeling came over him, causing his eyes to narrow.
'A bounded field, at school? Tch.' He looked throughout the school day, searching for whatever was causing it. Using his mystic eye, he followed the flow of magical energy to the roof, finding the cause. 'What kind of bastard would put up this kind of bounded field in a school?'
"Trace on." He let out a hum, reading the spell's structure. 'This is an old spell, archaic even. The field hasn't been completed, so it's not a problem, still, my puppets should have informed me of whoever did this. Tohsaka wouldn't have pulled this, so she's out. Doesn't matter, I'm destroying it.'
'All other sigils are connected to this one, so this should begin destroying the others, much like a domino effect. Spells like these, according to Alice, are easily destroyed by a sudden influx of magical energy.' "Overload."
The sigil lit up, before exploding, leaving a small crater on the roof. "I don't have time to properly deconstruct the spell, since Luvia's waiting for me. This will have to do." He then let his circuits deactivate, before making his way out of the school. As he left, he turned his head and noticed Tohsaka making her way through the school.
She didn't notice him, thankfully. He shook his head and began to head back home. 'Watch the school and Tohsaka, should anything happen, inform me immediately.' He commanded mentally, looking up at an with ruby eyes. A little afterwards, he felt his connection light up.
He found a nearby bench and took a seat, before connecting his senses to his puppet. When he did, he saw Tohsaka talking to some strange guy on the roof, obviously finding the aftermath of his spell. 'Servants? So, it's begun. As long as they keep the civilians out of it, I'll let them do as they please.'
He watched as Rin jumped off the roof, followed by the servants beginning to battle each other. Watching them was beginning to get his blood pumping. He hadn't seen such movements since he sparred with his aunt, even then, he could tell the servants were holding back. Though, so was his aunt.
'I wonder, could Aoko fight against a servant?' He shook his head, deciding to keep his focus on the two fighting. 'Oh, they're talking now.' Suddenly, he felt his senses heighten, before his blood ran cold. The spearman's spear turned red. 'A noble phantasm, I doubt Rin has anything to counter it.'
'A shame I can't use my eyes on it when using a puppet. Guess I'll give her a little help.' The owl then left its perch, flying towards the heroic spirit, before the eyes of the puppet fired off magic bullets, interrupting the Lancer's noble phantasm. Of course, the bullets didn't do anything, as they were easily knocked away.
'Return home, we're done here.' He mentally commanded, before opening his eyes and returning to his previous walk back home. Of course, he had no clue, at the time, that Rin had actually saw him. He also didn't know that he was being followed by a certain purple haired servant.
An overpowering scent then came over him, causing him to turn and look around. 'Tell Luvia to go into the garden and set up a some kind high power trap with her jewels.' He sent out another mental command, this time, to Robin who always accompanied him when he went out.
The blue bird puppet flew away, "Trace on." He activated his magic circuits, 'Connecting to magic crest. Circuits, full rotation.' He then reinforced his body to the max, before quickly turning and dashing ahead, just before a spike hit his previous location. 'A servant!'
He quickly ran forward, sending magical energy into the soles of his feet, giving himself small bursts of speed. He hadn't mastered all of his magecraft yet, but he was at least proficient enough to mimic his aunt. His puppets were busy monitoring the city, so he couldn't use them.
He didn't bring his knife, as he was at school. And he wasn't confident in using projection against this particular servant. All he had in his arsenal was his bullets, Snap, Draw, and, maybe, a magic blow or two, but that had the chance to blow off his arm if he messed up.
He had that old katana Shiki gave him, but that, much like his knife, was at home. 'If I can get to my workshop, I can fight back.' He was determined to survive this. Besides, servants weren't completely immune to magecraft. If they were smart, Luvia and him could cause it to retreat.
'Just have to hope it isn't a strong hero.' He thought to himself, growing closer to his home, though each step felt like an eternity. He had to keep dodging spikes, getting cuts from the ones he was too slow to dodge. He saw the entrance to his home, making him charge up a spell.
Magic circles encircled his arm, with a singular one on his hand that was filling up with magical energy. Just before he reached his door, he turned around and brought his arm up, however, a spike then stabbed into his left shoulder. He let out a pained yell, before focusing, seeing a purple haired, blindfolded servant.
He had no time to focus on anything else, he needed to get inside. "Draw!" He yelled out, firing off a beam at the servant, causing the chain to slacken, allowing him to turn and run inside. He ran through the house, before bursting through a window into the backyard.
He then remembered the bruise on his hand, or rather, the mark of a master. 'A servant, I can summon a servant. I have no catalyst, but it's better than fighting a servant on my own.' He thought to himself, before diving into the shed. Just as he did, he felt himself be pulled onto his back.
The chain was still there, just ethereal. He looked up, seeing the servant standing in the middle of the garden with an emotionless face. "Luvia, now!" Just as he yelled, the ground surrounding the servant lit up, before multiple gems were thrown out of the top window of the shed, shattering and creating some kind of purple dome around the servant.
She then threw out more, before they too shattered, revealing a cage made out of red lighting. "I don't know how long these are going to hold, Sherou! Whatever you're going to do, I suggest you do it now." Luvia cried out. Shirou nodded, before making his way to the faded magic circle in the shed.
He placed his right hand onto his wound, grabbing the blood there and holding it over the circle, seeing it light up. 'I don't know the incantation to summon a servant. But, I suppose I can make due with what I do.' He thought, before reaching deep into his crest and soul.
He looked up, his face set with determination. "Hear me, Lord of Creation." He felt static enter his brain. 'Go away, I'm not casting magic.' "In my name representing order (Blue), I ask thee." A rush of pain entered his body, before it soothed. 'Yeah, I told you, now buzz off.' "Will you answer my call, my wish?"
"Whatever the cost, I shall pay it." Another kind of static entered his brain, followed by faint words. 'I am...bone...Sword.' He shook his head, ignoring it. "To bring forth peace and justice, I shall fight all that may hinder me. If you believe in these virtues, then may our fates be intertwined, answer this call for the Grail."
Another piercing headache entered, this time, a vision of some kind of wasteland entered his sight for a split second. 'Steel...my body. Fire...Blood.' He clenched his teeth, focusing on what he was doing. "If you have a wish, then answer me! Guardian of the Scales!" He finished, just as the cage surrounding the servant broke.
He felt something within him push through, as red markings appeared on his hand, and his magic circuits began to slow from whatever he summoned. There was a flash of light, followed by the air moving wildly throughout the shed, causing him to stumble back and onto the ground.
He looked up, "I ask you. Are you my master?" Her voice was such that it lit up the dark room. Shirou thought that Luvia was a beauty unmatched by many, yet, the woman before him was undoubtedly something beyond any he had seen before. Her quiet green eyes, her golden hair, and even her blue outfit that swayed in the wind.
Shirou was sure, that even if he died and fell into some timeless space, that this scene would forever be etched into his mind for eternity. The way the moonlight entered the room, framing her against the open doorway perfectly. She then spoke again, her voice matching the ethereal beauty she portrayed.
"I have come forth in response to your summons. From this time forward, my sword shall be with you, and your fate shall be with me. Now, our contract is complete." He was sure that it lasted no more than a second, but for him, time had stopped completely. It was, and always will be, his greatest treasure.
"Professor? Professor? Shirou?!" Shirou's eyes shot open, his body jolting awake. He looked around, before seeing the cause of his awakening. Rumia was staring at him, a somewhat pouty look on her face. In her hands was something wrapped up in a cloth of some kind.
"Sorry, Rumia. I must have dozed off or something." He said while rubbing the back of his head. Though, he could still feel a slight ache in his chest. Rumia tilted her head, before she looked down at his legs, causing him to do the same. What he saw surprised him.
Caliburn was resting on his lap, fully sheathed. 'Did I trace it in my sleep?' He shook his head, as he couldn't imagine doing that. However, he ignored it, grabbing the sword and placing it next to the bench he was sitting on. "Sorry, again, I forgot that was there."
"Professor, are you okay? It's not like you to be so forgetful." She said, taking a seat next to him on the bench. She then unfolded the wrapped package, revealing some sandwiches.
"Yeah, I'm okay. Just had a lot on my mind, I guess. Though, I'll be fine now. Did you make those?" He asked, before she handed him one. He gently smiled as he took the offering. Rumia smiled as he began to eat the sandwich. Shirou raised a brow, letting out a small hum.
"As much as I'd like to take credit for it, I can't. It was another cute girl from our class, who woke up really early to prepare it for someone special. Of course, she failed to give it to him when she had the chance, so I now have them and decided to give them to you, since you looked like hungry." She replied.
Shirou let out another hum. "That's a shame, these are actually really good. Contrary to popular belief, making a delicious sandwich is much harder than one may think. Well, whoever they were made for missed out. I'm sure she would have captured that boy's heart with these." He replied with a small grin.
Rumia giggled at his words. "Well, I'll be sure to let her know that you enjoyed them." She said just as Shirou finished the last one.
"Well, I suppose we should head back to the grounds. I'd hate to be late again. Though, I should tell you now, you did really great Rumia. I'm proud of you." He smiled as he patted her on the head. Rumia's eyes widened, before she smiled at his words. "Just, don't push yourself to hard. Remember, this is supposed to be fun."
"I won't, though, you really should tell the other's that. They can be pretty competitive, especially with Miss Luvia's speeches." She said with a weak laugh. Shirou had a weak smile on his face as he shook his head. "But, thanks, Professor. I had a lot of fun during my competition."
Shirou took a deep breathe, before grabbing Caliburn and placing it on his belt. "Most mages don't carry swords, but I'm sure it'll be fine." He said to Rumia, causing her to laugh.
"I think it makes you look like a knight." She replied, causing Shirou's eyes to widen in surprise, as he never heard someone say that before. He had a small smile on his face as he ran a hand through his hair. Though, Rumia thought she could see some slight redness on his face.
"Well, if that's the case, then would you like me to escort you back to the grounds, milady?" Shirou held out his hand with a slight bow, causing Rumia to giggle, before gently taking his hand with a nod.
"Excuse me, sir, could I have a moment of your time?" He heard from behind him, causing him to look at Rumia with a puzzled look, who responded with one of her own.
"Well, we were about to head back to the arena, but I suppose I can offer a hand if you..." He said as he turned around while answering, before stopping. His eyes widened in surprise, as if he saw a ghost. He took a step back, standing besides Rumia, who likewise had a stunned expression.
Standing before them, with beautiful teal eyes, golden hair, and a royal red gown, was the one woman who Shirou willingly bowed to. He didn't know what Saber would like if she had matured normally, but he had a feeling she would look a lot like the woman in front of him.
"Queen Alicia, what are you doing here?" He asked, with the Queen simply looking at him with a smile on her face, before she looked at Rumia with a fond smile. Shirou then felt Rumia tighten her grip on his hand, realizing that she had come to see her daughter.
And that's it for this chapter. I wanted to show off the beginning of the Grail War with Shirou and Luvia, before I showed more later on. I also wanted to include some bits with Sara and Shirou, as the two of them are rather close. The next chapters, if you have watched the anime, are where Shirou will be getting into some trouble. Things will be different of course, because it's Shirou instead of Glenn. There will be more to take care of this time around. I will say that we'll see Shirou and Glenn team up and also see how potent they are as mages. Luvia and Sara will also be teaming up, and I'll say that out of all the team ups, they are arguably one of the more powerful pairs. I also wanted to hint at a few things that will be coming up in the story, as I have a plan for where I want to go with this. There will be a lot of things that are different, but a lot of things that are the same as well. I may or may not include Eve soon, still debating. Though, I really want to include her. I also want to get to the part where they enter the tower soon, since I want to get to introducing fairies and the demon lords generals. It'll be fun. Anyways, I hope you all enjoyed, thanks for reading, I really do appreciate it. Feel free to ask any questions, I usually try to answer them. I appreciate the support and, as always, until next time.
Up next, because of the responses: Lost Hero of Chaldea.
Afterwards: The Fate of a Princess and Her hero