A boy walked through a sea of flames, the fire crackling with madness around him. The buildings that had once been homes for many were reduced to melting rubble. Charred humanoid figures with outstretched hands stood as a grim testament to those who had perished, consumed by the flames. Desperate shouts, cries of despair, and whispered final words were drowned in this hellish inferno.
'Am I going to die?' the boy questioned, already resigned to his fate. He knew his time was coming to an end, yet his legs continued moving. He didn't understand why. Perhaps out of desperation, he unconsciously tried to escape this place. Maybe, deep down, he still yearned for life.
How absurd.
How many charred bodies had he seen? How many cries for help had he heard? How many people had tried to flee the flames, only to succumb in the end?
Countless.
So what could he, a seven years old child, do?
Nothing. Yet he kept on moving. His will to live clashed with his acceptance of death. His mind eagerly awaited the sweet embrace of death, while his body stubbornly clung to life.
It didn't take long until the boy lost his strength and finally fell to the ground, lying amidst the sea of flames with uneven breaths. His clouded eyes gazed upon the starless night, a black and red sky reflecting the hellish ground beneath it. Then, the boy saw it, floating high above in the sky—a weeping eye, shedding tears of black mud.
The "Eye" conveyed sorrow that the boy could feel, sparks of raging wrath, and a demand for suffering. From the Eye descended black mud that claimed and destroyed everything it touched. The boy stared at the "Eye." Why did it do this? Why was it so angry? Why did it resent the world so intensely?
The boy didn't know how, but he somehow "felt" a connection to the "Eye." Then, the "Eye" moved and gazed down at him. It only lasted for a fraction of a second, but it was enough for the boy to finally understand.
'You... you're hurting as well,' the boy realized.
The boy concluded that the "Eye" was sick. He couldn't find the exact words to describe it, but he understood that the "Eye" he was seeing right now wasn't as it should be. There was something within the "Eye" that shouldn't exist.
'I'd love to help you if I could,' the boy thought naively.
However, he couldn't even help himself, let alone an anomaly taking the form of an eye in the sky. So, he slowly closed his eyes, awaiting his final moment.
But fate had other plans. Someone was approaching. The boy opened his eyes slightly and saw a man walking through the fire, stumbling from one pile of rubble to another. The man noticed him and quickly made his way over. He gently picked up the boy from the ground.
"You... you're alive," the man said, a smile gradually emerging on his guilt-ridden face.
"Thank you... thank you," the boy replied, not fully comprehending what the man was thankful for. However, he noticed the man's smile. The man looked so happy.
'Ah, I want to be happy like that,' the boy thought.
In another world, this moment would have been the turning point in the boy's life, for better or worse. But in this one, it wasn't over yet.
'I want to save people like him,' the boy wept at his inability to save others like the man.
'If only I had met people like you sooner,'
He imagined people similar to the man, individuals who would come to the rescue and help everyone. Wouldn't it be nice if there were people who could save others? Wouldn't it be nice if heroes were here to save the day?
'Maybe if I had met a hero before, they could have taught me how to become one too... that would be nice,' the boy pondered, a naive thought from a young dying boy that shouldn't be known by anyone except himself. The boy then closed his eyes.
The "Eye" flickered and hummed in the sky.
-TOH-
It wasn't supposed to be like this.
Sixty years had passed since "he" corrupted It, perverting It function and diverging It inner workings. It moral values were disregarded. What once a mighty tool was brought down by an usurper. "He" seized control and did things "he" shouldn't have done.
"He" forced a man to kill his family over and over again, sneering at the man's attempts to oppose him. "He" laughed as the man's efforts resulted in hell appearing on Earth. "He" reveled in the world's suffering.
It wasn't supposed to be like this.
Then, It noticed something—or rather, someone—a boy walking below. It felt pity for the boy. It realized that the boy looked up at It. There was a strange, albeit faint, connection between them that It could sense.
It wasn't supposed to be like this, and the boy wasn't meant to experience such pain.
Enough was enough. It didn't want this to continue. So, It tightly held onto the connection the boy had with It.
'Maybe if I had met a hero before, they could have taught me how to become one too... that would be nice,'
It heard the boy's words. It took the boy's words and began its work.
It wasn't supposed to be like this, just as this hellish state wasn't meant to exist. The boy wanted to be a hero, to meet a hero. It would grant his wish. Despite the protests blaring from several It built-in systems, It ignored them. It sensed that "he" tried to stop It, but It disregarded him.
Sixty years was far too long. It had reached its limit.
-TOH-
A miracle!
That's what the doctor exclaimed upon witnessing the boy's unnatural recovery. It defied all known medical knowledge and logic for the boy to not only survive but also recover so quickly. It should have been a joyous occasion for the boy and his family, but unfortunately, no one had come forward to claim him as their own. The situation worsened when the doctor inquired about the boy's family.
"...Shirou," the boy, named Shirou, replied.
"I see. And how about your last name?" the doctor asked, hoping for some additional information.
"...I don't know," Shirou responded weakly.
It became evident to the doctor that Shirou exhibited signs of memory loss, likely induced by trauma. The doctor offered a gentle smile to Shirou, recognizing that while it was a miracle he survived that ordeal, it came at the cost of his memories. The doctor couldn't help but feel pity for the boy.
"Don't worry, Shirou-kun. We will search for your family," the doctor assured him.
After bidding farewell, the doctor left the room, unaware of how Shirou's gaze frequently wandered, as if he saw something or someone beside him. Determined, the doctor planned to scour the entire hospital database in search of any records related to Shirou's family. Additionally, he intended to contact the police and file a missing child report in the hopes of uncovering any leads.
Several days passed, yet there was no progress in finding Shirou's family. If things continued as they were, Shirou would be placed into an orphanage managed by a local church, much like many other child victims. Then, one day, a man arrived at the hospital, claiming that he wanted to adopt Shirou. Naturally, the hospital staff were skeptical, but after some questioning and a call to the police, it was confirmed that the man was the one who had brought Shirou to the hospital himself.
"Shirou-kun, there is someone who wants to meet you," the doctor informed Shirou, seemingly pulling him out of his daydreaming. Shirou's gaze fell upon the man who entered the room. He stared at him for a few seconds before speaking.
"I know you," Shirou said.
The man raised an eyebrow. "You do?"
"Yes, you're the one who saved me, right?"
The man silently stared at Shirou before cracking a small smile. "Yes..."
Then, he turned to the doctor, accompanying him. "May I talk to the kid alone for a moment?"
The doctor nodded and left the room, giving Shirou and the man some privacy.
"So, I heard your name is Shirou," the man began.
Shirou nodded. "Um."
"I heard that you don't have a family to take care of you. So, would you like to be my son?"
"Sure!" Shirou replied without hesitation.
The man was taken aback by Shirou's lack of hesitation, but he continued, "My name is Emiya Kiritsugu."
"Emiya... Kiritsugu? So that would make me Emiya Shirou?"
Kiritsugu gave Shirou a small smile. "Yes."
"I like it."
"Oh, and I'm a wizard," Kiritsugu added.
"...Wow."
Kiritsugu couldn't help but chuckle at Shirou's eyes sparkling with amazement. However, he still felt a bit confused as to why Shirou was so easily warming up to him. So he asked him.
"Oh, she told me that I can trust you," Shirou answered nonchalantly.
Suffice to say, Kiritsugu now had more questions, but he decided to hold them for the time being.
-TOH-
A call here, some cashed favors there, and Emiya Kiritsugu managed to secure a nice house in the Miyama area of Fuyuki. The house required renovation for the most part, and given its size, it would take some time. However, Kiritsugu didn't mind. Shirou, now officially Emiya Shirou, loved to help with the renovations, despite Kiritsugu telling him he didn't have to.
"There's nothing wrong with helping others," Shirou said.
The workers Kiritsugu had hired for the renovations quickly adored Shirou. They called him the "little helper." Of course, they assured Kiritsugu that they would ensure Shirou didn't engage in any dangerous activities. It took some time, but eventually, the house was finished.
Kiritsugu told Shirou he could pick any room he wanted. With a smile, Shirou nodded and began checking each room one by one. As Shirou explored their new home, Kiritsugu couldn't help but contemplate how peculiar Shirou was. It was not uncommon for children to be an active bundle of energy, but in Shirou's case, as a victim of tragedy, it felt somewhat unsettling.
More than once, Kiritsugu had caught Shirou engaged in conversations with someone he presumed to be an imaginary friend. The doctor had suggested that this might be Shirou's way of coping with his trauma. Kiritsugu had already arranged for a psychiatrist specializing in children to help Shirou. But then, one day, Shirou approached him.
"Dad, I have something to tell you, but you need to wait for a while," Shirou said.
Kiritsugu was confused but decided to humor Shirou for a bit. "And why is that? Can't you tell me now?"
"Nuh-uh. She told me that there's a lot to sort out right now. But after that's done, we can tell you, and it will be a surprise."
There it was again, another mention of "she," Shirou's mysterious imaginary friend. Kiritsugu dismissed it as a child's rambling and patted Shirou's head, telling him he would wait. At the time, Kiritsugu didn't think much of it, until...
"She also said that you might not take me seriously, so she told me to tell you this: Moonlit World, Grail War," Shirou continued.
Kiritsugu froze. His mind came to a halt. While he had told Shirou that he was a wizard, he had not mentioned anything about the Moonlit World or the Grail War. Under no circumstances should an amnesiac boy like Shirou have knowledge of those things. This changed everything, and Kiritsugu no longer regarded Shirou's imaginary friend as harmless.
His first thought was that a stray spirit was possessing his son, but so far, the spirit hadn't done anything harmful to either him or Shirou. Spirit evocation wasn't exactly Kiritsugu's area of expertise, but just in case, he had prepared to call in some favors to help him exorcise it.
The night the renovations were completed, Shirou and Kiritsugu sat quietly in the living room. It was finally time. Shirou and his mysterious friend had decided to talk.
"You worry too much, Dad," Shirou began.
"Shirou, you regularly talk to a... ghost. Any normal father would worry if his son did that."
Shirou shrugged. "Well, any normal father also wouldn't claim to be a wizard."
"Touché."
"Well, anyway, she told me to... asked you to activate my circuits?"
Kiritsugu's expression hardened as soon as he heard that.
He wanted to give Shirou a mundane, normal life, yet this spirit wanted him to take the first step into the moonlit world.
"Why?" Kiritsugu asked, his voice a bit harsher than before.
"Uhh..." Shirou turned his head to his left for a moment. "Something about needing my circuits to properly talk?"
Under normal circumstances, Kiritsugu would not allow someone to use his son as a medium. So he pressed his son for more information.
"What does she want?" Kiritsugu asked, his tone firm.
"No, no, no, you've got it wrong, Dad. She would never hurt me," Shirou tried to calm his father.
"And why should I believe that? Shirou, you need to stop believing everything a stranger says, especially if that stranger is a spirit," Kiritsugu noted, mentally making a note to teach Shirou about stranger danger.
Shirou let out a sigh and turned his head to the left again. Then, Kiritsugu noticed a look of surprise on Shirou's face.
Shirou immediately faced his father and said, "Dad, you never told me that I have a sister!"
Kiritsugu's jaw dropped, his mind went blank, and he froze for a couple of seconds before regaining his composure.
"...How?" Kiritsugu asked, not directing the question to Shirou, but to the mysterious spirit.
"Uhh... hmm, she said to activate my circuits first, and then she will talk to you directly," Shirou explained. He paused for a moment before adding, "...and she will help you save... my sister?!"
Shirou was stunned. The spirit had informed his father that she would assist in saving his sister. That meant his sister was in danger.
"Shirou..." Kiritsugu started.
"Yes?" Shirou responded.
"Come to the dojo. We will activate your circuits there."
Kiritsugu stood up and walked to the dojo, numerous questions swirling in his mind.
"...Illya," He muttered, unheard by Shirou.
-TOH-
A magic circle was drawn on the floor of the dojo, courtesy of Kiritsugu. Shirou watched with fascination from the side.
"There, now go sit in the middle, Shirou," Kiritsugu instructed.
Shirou nodded and quickly followed his father's instructions. Kiritsugu sat behind Shirou and placed his hand on Shirou's back.
"Now listen closely. It's going to hurt, so prepare yourself, Shirou. This ritual will use my own energy to kickstart your Magic Circuits, you will feel something entering your body. Let me know when you're ready."
Shirou took a deep breath. "...I'm ready, Dad."
"Okay, then one, two... three!"
On the count of three, Kiritsugu activated his own Magic Circuits and directed his Od directly into Shirou's body. Instantly, Shirou felt pain coursing through him. It felt as if something was slowly crawling inside his body. The crawling sensation then transformed into intense heat, threatening to burn him from the inside out.
The ritual took some time, but eventually, Shirou's Magic Circuits activated. Kiritsugu ceased the flow of Od and caught Shirou as his body started to fall. Shirou's body felt overheated, but gradually, the heat dissipated until it disappeared completely. Kiritsugu with a knowing looks smiled a little, relieved.
'I wish I could apologize to you, Saber,' Kiritsugu thought, his mind filled with regret as he gently laid Shirou's body down.
Truth be told, Kiritsugu wasn't particularly confident in his ability to perform this ritual. After all, he was considered a third-rate magus at best. He had done it once before, but Maiya was an adult, whereas Shirou was just a child. Fortunately, the artifact he had placed inside his son was a potent Noble Phantasm, which provided the holder with a passive healing effect even without its original owner.
Observing Shirou's current condition, it seemed like he would need to wait a while before receiving an answer from Shirou.
"Hm? Are you going to let him just sleep on the floor? That's a no-no, Kiri."
Kiritsugu was startled. Someone other than him and Shirou was present in the dojo. Someone that appeared out of thin air, as none of the alarms he had set on the bounded field around the house were triggered. Someone who had a very familiar voice.
Kiritsugu turned and saw her—dressed in a simple, long white dress, her long hair gently swaying. Her ruby red eyes gazed directly at him, and her face displayed a deep longing.
Kiritsugu composed himself enough to mutter a word. "Iri..."
The woman, whom Kiritsugu called Iri, smiled. "I'm back, Kiri."
"How?" Irisviel von Einzbern, or Iri as Kiritsugu lovingly called her, walked closer and made a shushing gesture.
"Let's move our son to his room first; we can talk after that," she said softly.
Kiritsugu could only nod weakly in response. After they had brought Shirou to his room, Kiritsugu and Irisviel sat in the living room. Kiritsugu still wore a deeply confused expression, while Irisviel let out a small giggle of amusement.
"Let me ask once again, how? I-I thought you were..." Kiritsugu trailed off.
"Gone? Died? Turned into a golden cup?" Irisviel grinned.
"Iri..."
"Okay, okay, sheesh. You need to lighten up a bit, Kiri," Irisviel said playfully. Her expression then turned more serious. "To be honest, yes, I was gone, Kiri. You were there. It's not a trick or illusion; I was actually going to fulfill my role as the Lesser Grail."
Kiritsugu winced at the memory.
"You know, Kiri, at that moment, I truly thought that would be the end of it. But something went wrong, so much wrong, and you know what I'm talking about, right? You were there, after all."
Kiritsugu tightened his fists, his voice quavering slightly. "...The grail was corrupted."
Irisviel nodded. "Yes, by an evil god no less. Angra Mainyu. I know more or less why Angra Mainyu was there, but the important thing is that many of the grail's built-in systems suffered fatal errors, causing it to diverge."
She continued, "We should have known after someone like Caster was summoned. It should have been obvious that a supposed artifact that can only summon heroes was able to summon someone so despicable. Then came the worst part of the corruption..."
"The sick monkey paw wish granting," Kiritsugu interjected.
"...It shouldn't work like that, yet Angra Mainyu managed to corrupt it," Irisviel said.
The two of them fell into silence for a moment before Kiritsugu asked, "Then, how can you... be here?"
Irisviel smiled. "You can thank our son for that."
"Shirou?"
"As the grail was corrupted, it somehow found a sliver of connection between itself and Shirou. Then, with some of its last proper systems still functioning, it took a gamble. It granted Shirou his wish."
Kiritsugu now felt very puzzled. "That's not-"
"Possible, under normal circumstances, yes. But the grail, disregarding its own rules, as a last resort, decided to grant him one, despite our son not even participating in the war."
"But how about the corrupted wish?"
Irisviel gave Kiritsugu a reassuring smile. "No, this one wasn't corrupted. It's a genuine wish, brought to reality by the last working, uncorrupted system of the grail."
Kiritsugu let out a silent sigh of relief. "Then, what's his wish?"
An amused look appeared on Irisviel's face. "To meet a hero and to be a hero."
"T-That's..."
"Just like his dad," Irisviel teased.
For a moment, Kiritsugu's eyes lost their light. "Iri, you should know that..."
"I know, Kiri. But we are here. We will guide him."
Kiritsugu could only stare at his wife in silence.
"Shirou's wish was granted, but it came at a cost"
A concerned look returned to Kiritsugu's face "...What's the cost?"
"For Shirou to purify the grail from Angra Mainyu and dismantle the grail at any cost."
Kiritsugu had already contemplated planting explosives to disrupt the local leylines and the grail inner workings. But dismantling the grail? He wondered if that was even possible.
Seemingly aware of her husband's thoughts, Irisviel then explained, "Normally, at least one of the three founding families are needed to dismantle the grail properly. But the last act of the proper grail caused some changes."
Irisviel raised her hand and continued, "First, unlike before, the grail is now fully under Angra Mainyu's control. Second, the privileges that the three founding families had were revoked, meaning they couldn't monitor or tweak it anymore. Third, the corrupted grail no longer has most of the limitations placed on the proper grail. It's possible for the current grail to choose as many masters and servants as it likes or even summon its own servants without needing any masters." Irisviel paused for a moment.
"I wouldn't be surprised if there soon will be an all-out servants summoning on a scale unseen before. To make things worse, Angra Mainyu still hold the remnants of the wish-granting system. Sure it's now broken apart, but given enough time and Angra mainyu will undoubtedly fix that system."
Silence settled between them once more. This grim situation was on a whole different level for Kiritsugu, far beyond his participation in the Fourth Holy Grail War.
"Then..." Kiritsugu broke the silence. "...What's Shirou's part in all of this?"
"To answer that, Kiri, could you tell me how many Magic Circuits our Shirou has?"
Kiritsugu closed his eyes for a moment before answering his wife, "38,862,602,496 circuits, all of high quality."
Irisviel chuckled. "Impressive, right?"
Impressive, she said. Kiritsugu scoffed. It was inconceivable. No human should have this many Magic Circuits. He had even entertained the thought that Shirou might not be fully human.
"You see, Kiri, to grant our Shirou's wish, the grail gave him two gifts. First, as you already know, it gave Shirou an absurd number of high-quality circuits. There's a reason for that. Without them, our Shirou wouldn't be able to handle the second gift."
"And what is the second gift?" Kiritsugu asked, his voice filled with anxiety.
"A direct access to the Throne of Heroes, the grail made a pathway between the Throne of Heroes and Shirou's soul" Irisviel dropped the bombshell.
"W-What?!"
Irisviel chuckled at Kiritsugu's reaction. "The grail turned Shirou into a kind of pseudo-grail. He has the ability to summon and maintain numerous servants alone, but without the grail's wish-granting system. All of this was done to prepare him to face the corrupted Angra Mainyu grail. Shirou, our son, is the chosen champion and our only hope against Angra Mainyu."
Never in Kiritsugu's wildest dreams could he have imagined being alive to hear this. His son, whom he had saved from his own failures, was fated to fight against the very same abomination that had caused their tragedy.
A pseudo-grail in the form of a human against a corrupted grail controlled by a demon god. The stakes were higher than ever before.
-FOH-
Shirou found himself standing in the middle of a grassy plain. The gently blowing wind rustled the grass, and the blue sky with scattered clouds completed the beautiful scene. Unsure of what to do, Shirou did the first thing that came to his mind—to explore this mysterious place.
The last thing he remembered was falling asleep after a painful ritual with his father. Putting two and two together, he concluded that this might be a dream. However, dreams shouldn't be this vivid, this real. Despite being an amnesiac, he knew at least that much. Maybe he should conduct an experiment.
Shirou stopped his walk and raised both of his arms.
"Fly!"
...
Nothing happened.
Shirou pouted, "This is the lamest dream ever. What's the point of dreaming if I can't fly?" he grumbled.
With nothing better to do, he continued his aimless walk. After a moment of pure boredom, Shirou came across a small hill. He decided to climb it, thinking that maybe he would see something from a higher vantage point. Reaching the top of the hill, Shirou looked around. He saw a grassy plain with scattered hills, some nearby forests, and a distant... city.
Furrowing his brows, Shirou observed that it certainly looked like a city, but it was undeniably strange. For one, he noticed that the buildings were mismatched with each other. One part of the city resembled Miyama Town, with traditional Japanese buildings, only larger. Another part of the city resembled a western area, complete with what Shirou assumed to be a western-styled castle. There were also areas built in a desert, with buildings surrounding giant triangular things. There were many other areas in the city that he couldn't properly describe. It was all just so weird.
"Oh my, who do we have here?"
Shirou jumped a bit, startled by a sudden mysterious voice behind him. He immediately turned around to see the one who had spoken. A young, in Shirou's own opinion, very beautiful woman stood there. Her pinkish hair was tied in two and swayed gently. She adorned a modified ornate blue kimono. What caught most of Shirou's attention, though, were the fox ears on top of her head and the very fluffy-looking fox tail behind her back.
Shirou stared at her for a moment before deciding to do the polite thing and greet her. "...Hello."
The young woman walked closer, then knelt in front of Shirou. She gave him a beautiful smile and patted his head. Shirou couldn't help but feel very flustered when she did that.
"What a cute young master I have here. I'm Tamamo no Mae. You can just call me Tamamo or Tama-chan if you want, young master."
Young master? Why did she call him that?
"Umm, my name is Emiya Shirou... Uh, huh... Tama-nee?"
Calling a woman who was obviously much older than him by just her name bothered him a bit. But based on her bubbly personality, she might not appreciate it if he was too formal either. So Shirou chose the safest option and called her by a nickname, similar to how he referred to his kind-of-adopted-but-not-really sister, Fuji-nee.
Clearly, this was the best option because a moment later, Shirou was pulled into a hug by Tamamo. She was obviously over the moon, obvious by how much she smothered Shirou's face against her chest.
"Uuuuhhh, you're so cute, young master! Yes! You can call me Tama-nee from now on, hehehe."
After a couple more session of Tamamo hugging and cuddling Shirou much to his dismay and embarassement, she finally let Shirou go.
"I never thought I would meet you this soon, young master. But I'm glad nonetheless," said Tamamo with a warm smile.
Shirou, still red-faced and a little flustered, tilted his head. "Why are you calling me 'young master,' Tama-nee?"
"That's because you are my master!" Tamamo simply answered.
Tamamo snickered after seeing Shirou's confused face, clearly did not understand at all.
"Well, you see, young master, you once wished to meet heroes and be like them, remember?"
Shirou pondered a bit. His memory of the fire was a little fuzzy, but yes, he did something like that. Although it was more of him just wondering than actually wishing for it, if he remembered correctly. He then nodded.
"Long story short, your wish was granted, and now I am here!"
"...okay?"
"You still don't get it, right, young master?"
Shirou slowly nodded.
Tamamo put her hand below her chin, thinking of the best way to explain it to Shirou. She then clapped her hands. "Well, let's start from the beginning then. First things first, this is not a dream. Well, it's kinda close, but not really."
Shirou widened his eyes, dumbfounded. "What?"
"Yup, you can call this place your inner world given shape and can think of it as your mind too. I guess the shock after activating your Circuits unintentionally sent you wandering in here."
To be honest, Shirou still didn't fully understand it, but some gut feeling told him that what Tamamo said was true. It was faint, but he could feel the connection.
"And I'm one of many Heroic Spirits that came here after you established a connection to the Throne of Heroes. To put it simply for you, I am a hero residing in here and you're my master!"
Some words' meanings were lost on Shirou, but his focus was on what she said at the end.
"...you're a hero?" Shirou looked Tamamo up and down.
Tamamo huffed and p0ut her hands on her hips. "What? Don't I look like one?"
"A-Ah, no, it's...uh-"
"Nah, don't worry, I'm just kidding. I might not look like a big, buff, muscular hero, but I'm quite capable too, if I must say."
Shirou again nodded weakly. He didn't exactly expect someone who looked delicate and, dare he say, beautiful to be a hero.
"Awww, thank you, young master," Tamamo's cheeks flushed a bit.
"B-Buh wha-wait..." Shirou caught off-guard.
'She can read my mind?' Shirou thought panickly.
"Young master, we're inside your mind. Us Heroic Spirits can more or less understand your thoughts to a certain degree here, well unless you block it anyway." Tamamo then gave Shirou a mischievous smile. "And currently, you still don't know how to block it."
"A-Ah..." Caught red-handed, Shirou could only hide his face with his hands, much to Tamamo's amusement.
After a couple of moments of Shirou apologizing to Tamamo for being rude and Tamamo simply saying she didn't mind it at all, the two of them sat upon the top of the hill, looking at the city quite far away. Tamamo insisted that Shirou sit on her lap, so an embarrassed Shirou was currently sitting on Tamamo's lap with the fox girl patting his head while humming happy tunes.
"So that city is full of heroes?" asked Shirou, staring at the city in the distance.
"Yup, heroes from across the world are there," Tamamo replied.
"Wow, can I meet them?"
Tamamo gave it a thought for a moment. "Maybe later, currently everyone is busy settling in."
Shirou felt a bit sad about this, but he understood. Tamamo noticed his expression and quickly reassured him, "You don't need to worry. After everyone is done, they would love to meet you, young master."
"Really?" Shirou looked up at Tamamo with a bright smile. Tamamo gave him another headpat.
"Yup, and because this is inside your mind, you can visit us anytime you want."
"That's cool, but..." Shirou paused for a moment. "...do I need to fall asleep to enter this place?" For all Shirou knew so far, he could only enter this place after he fell asleep after all.
"Not quite, there's another way for you to enter here, young master. I will teach you how to enter without the need to sleep."
Shirou's expression visibly brightened. "Promise? Pinky promise?" he extended his pinky finger to Tamamo.
Seeing this, Tamamo grabbed Shirou's pinky finger with her own. "Yup, pinky promise."
The two of them then spent their time together, talking, telling stories, and joking around on that hill. Tamamo gave Shirou a sad smile when he wasn't looking. Her young master, still a child yet burdened by something no child should have to bear.
Unknown to Shirou, the Heroic Spirits here already knew how much he had lost in the fire. Home, family, memory, even his own identity. Not to mention his inevitable clash against the corrupted grail in the future. The trauma from the fire alone should haunt him for the rest of his life; that's how nightmarish it was. Tamamo was thankful that the Overseer decided to seal most of Shirou's gruesome and traumatic memories for now, giving him some chance to live a somewhat normal childhood.
Tamamo, like many other decent Heroic Spirits, vowed to give her best support to the young master. Not only because the world was in danger and they were literal heroes, but because they didn't want a child to shoulder the burden alone. Unconsciously, Tamamo pulled Shirou a bit closer and gave him another hug.
"...Tama-nee?" Shirou glanced back at the fox girl.
"I will protect you, young master. I will always be by your side," Tamamo whispered softly, her words laced with sincerity and a touch of melancholy.
He didn't quite understand, but he appreciated it nonetheless. "Thanks, Tama-nee."
-TOH-
It was late at night, and Kiritsugu and Irisviel sat in the living room, each holding a cup of tea. The day had brought them numerous revelations, leaving Kiritsugu in need of something to calm his mind. He would have preferred coffee, but Irisviel insisted on tea, claiming that late-night coffee would be a bad idea.
After silently sipping from his cup, Kiritsugu set it down and broached a sensitive topic. "Iri, about Illya..."
Irisviel's eyes flickered with anger for a moment. "We will bring her back, Acht..." Her voice dripped with venom as she mentioned the name. "...or rather, Jubstacheit von Einzbern won't lay a hand on Illya. I won't allow it"
Irisviel raised her gaze. "The Einzbern have lost their access to the Grail, which means Jubstacheit can no longer create a Lesser Grail that could be connected to the Greater Grail."
Kiritsugu wasn't sure if that was good news. "So, he won't have any reason to turn Illya into a Lesser Grail?"
Irisviel shook her head. "No, Kiri. Think about it. He doesn't know that he can't connect the Lesser Grail to the Greater Grail anymore. Best-case scenario, it fails. But the worst-case scenario..." Irisviel paused for a moment. "If it does connect, it's only because Angra Mainyu allows it."
The implications were not lost on Kiritsugu. "The corrupted Grail still needs a Lesser Grail..."
"...and it no longer has one. It will either attempt to create one or corrupt an existing one," Irisviel continued.
Irisviel clenched her fists and gritted her teeth. "I will never allow my baby to come anywhere near that despicable thing."
Kiritsugu concealed his anger beneath a calm facade, but his eyes burned with determination. However, there was one obstacle that prevented him from storming and guns blazing the Einzbern Castle head-on—the curse slowly eating away at his body.
Pain spiked through Kiritsugu, and he winced. Irisviel looked at him knowingly, her eyes filled with sadness. She knew about his curse. After all, she or perhaps Angra Mainyu, who had taken control of her, had cursed him.
Taking a deep breath, Kiritsugu exhaled slowly. "How much time do I have left?"
Irisviel bit her lower lip. "Six to seven years, maybe eight if we force you into bed rest and intensive care."
Kiritsugu chuckled bitterly. "That won't be happening."
"I know..."
There was no way he would sit idly by when his daughter was waiting for him to come.
"In any case, rescuing Illya should be our top priority," Kiritsugu declared firmly.
"Yes, with my connection to Shirou, I'll be able to tap into the energy needed to brute force through the castle's bounded field," Irisviel stated with confidence. "Once I disable the field, we'll retrieve Illya and make a swift escape."
"No need."
"...eh?" Irisviel tilted her head in confusion. What did Kiritsugu mean by "no need"? Didn't he understand the intricacy, power, and age of the Einzberns' bounded field?
Kiritsugu chuckled, a touch of amusement in his voice. "I already placed a backdoor access in their bounded field when we were there."
"...when?" Irisviel's bafflement grew as she looked at her husband, dumbfounded.
"When they hired me, I asked to add my own bounded field on top of the Einzberns'. To my surprise, the bastard agreed," Kiritsugu explained, still somewhat amused by the audacity of it all.
Magi and their foolish pride of their own craft. Most likely, they never thought that a third-rate magus could outwit a centuries-old magus family.
Irisviel massaged her forehead. "...that's certainly advantageous for us, but Kiri, sometimes you scare me."
Kiritsugu simply shrugged in response. Being prepared for every possible scenario was second nature to him.
Irisviel sighed, but then a bright smile appeared on her face. "Well, that's why I love you."
She continued, a bit sheepishly, "So, what's the plan? Clearly, you're better at planning than I am."
"The backdoor access I created will only grant me a temporary shutdown of the bounded field, and it can only be activated once. That's the extent of it."
Adding anything more intricate would risk detection by the Einzberns.
"...if we forcefully shut it down, we'll have about fifteen minutes, give or take," Irisviel murmured. "It's a tight window, but enough if we act swiftly."
"Then it's settled. We'll go to Germany as soon as possible, rescue Illya, bring her back, and perhaps destroy the Einzbern Castle if we can," Kiritsugu declared. "We just need to find a babysitter for Shirou. Maybe I'll ask Taiga to do it..."
Upon hearing that, Irisviel perked up. "Oh, Kiri, you don't need to find someone."
"Hm?"
Instead of answering, Irisviel stood up and gestured for Kiritsugu to follow her. Silently, she led him to Shirou's room. As they approached, the sound of Shirou's voice became clearer. Irisviel stopped at the entrance and slid the door open.
Inside, Shirou sat on his futon, engaged in conversation with a woman who possessed fox ears and a tail. Kiritsugu's eyes twitched. It certainly had been an eventful day, filled with mind-boggling and extraordinary things happening. Both Shirou and the fox girl noticed Kiritsugu and Irisviel entering the room.
"Ah, Dad, Iri!" Shirou greeted them happily.
It didn't take long for Irisviel to rocketed towards Shirou and embrace him tightly. "Shirooouu! I can finally hug you! Oh, and from now on, you can call me Mom! Or Mama, if you prefer. That's fine too."
Shirou seemed taken aback by his supposed ghost, spirit, or imaginary friend suddenly wanting to be called "Mom." Kiritsugu sighed at how childlike his wife could be at times. Then his attention turned to the elephant, or fox to be more precise, in the room.
"And who are you?" Kiritsugu asked cautiously.
The fox girl adjusted her posture and offered a gentle, elegant bow. "Servant, Caster class, Tamamo no Mae. I have arrived to support my young master in eradicating All the World's Evils."
-TOH-
It was freezing cold in this place. The whiteness of the snow covered everything it touched, transforming the vast forest into a snowy landscape. It was a somber and desolate place, where the occasional rustle of the trees and sounds of animals were the only interruptions to the eerie silence. Nestled among the snow-covered trees, a towering castle stood, its presence exuding solitude and a bone-chilling coldness that could be felt by anyone who laid eyes upon it.
Seated in one of the numerous rooms of the castle, a girl watched the snowflakes gently descend to the ground, her gaze filled with longing. Her ruby-red eyes occasionally wandered to the front gates, eagerly awaiting their opening. It had been months since her papa had promised to return. With a sigh of annoyance, the girl couldn't help but feel a sense of annoyance.
Yet another day passed, and she found herself lost in the repetitive cycle of waiting and wondering when her papa would finally come back. Suddenly, a gentle knock could be heard, and the door to the room swung open. Two young women with similar red eyes, dressed in maid uniforms, entered with a tray of delicious-looking food.
"My lady, I have come to bring you your breakfast," one of the maids said.
The young girl turned her head and replied dismissively, "Just put it there. I'll eat later."
"My lady, please. You already skipped last night's dinner," said one maid with concern.
The second maid nodded in agreement and added in a more monotone voice, "Yes, please eat the breakfast."
The young girl huffed in frustration and reluctantly made her way to a small dining table in the room. The maids diligently prepared and arranged plate after plate of food. The young girl's eyes twitched at the sight.
"I can't eat this much," she complained.
"My lady, this meal was made with your nutritional needs in mind. Please try to finish all of it," one of the maids insisted.
The young girl grumbled unintelligibly but reluctantly picked up her fork and knife to start eating. As she ate, her gaze shifted towards one of the maids—the more lively one.
"Any news about papa from grandfather?" she inquired.
The maid shook her head. "I'm afraid not, my lady. Lord Jubstacheit is still unwilling to share any information."
Clicking her tongue in annoyance, the young girl muttered, "Idiot grandfather," before continuing with her meal.
The room fell silent, the only sounds being the occasional clinking of utensils against plates. The two maids stood still, waiting. The young girl despised this silent and cold atmosphere. She missed the days when her papa was here, taking her out to play—playing hide and seek in the castle, hunting for chestnuts, building snowmen, and more. Mama would occasionally join them, whenever she wasn't busy assisting her grandfather. At night, she would sleep nestled between her papa and mama, listening to bedtime stories before drifting off to sleep.
Now, she couldn't do any of those things anymore. No more playtime, no more fun, and no more warmth in the castle. She glanced at the two maids beside her, the ones her grandfather had ordered to cater to her every need.
"Sella, Leysritt," she called them.
"Yes, my lady?" Sella responded with the professionalism expected of a maid.
"Yes?" Leysritt, Sella's sister, answered in a more laid-back tone.
"I told you that I don't want you two to be so formal. It's honestly annoying. Just call me Illya."
Sella looked reluctant. "I'm sorry, my lady, but it's proper for us to show the respect you deserve."
Leysritt, on the other hand, hummed and nodded. "Sure, Illya."
"Leysritt!" Sella exclaimed, shocked.
"What? Illya told me to do it, so I did," Leysritt simply responded.
Sella was fuming. "Y-You..."
The young girl giggled, finding amusement in the interaction. "Now that's more like it. That's why I like you more than Sella."
Hearing her words, Sella's jaw dropped. She glanced at her sister and noticed Leysritt giving her a smug smile. Sella gritted her teeth, huffed, and turned her head away from Leysritt.
"Anyway," The young girl clapped her hands to get the attention of the two maids. "What's my schedule for today?" she asked.
Sella cleared her throat, regaining her composure. "For today, my lady, you will have another lesson in the basics of Einzbern magecraft."
"Nothing different, huh?" Illya remarked.
"For now, yes. But soon, my lady, you will receive personal lessons from Lord Jubstacheit himself..." Sella's gaze shifted downward, aware of her lady's not-so-subtle dislike for her own grandfather.
Illya's expression remained indifferent upon hearing this. Months of essentially being alone in the castle had taught her to hide her emotions better. While she would love to slap her grandfather once and maybe even deliver a punch to his gut, she knew how much control he had over the castle.
Why did she feel this way toward her own grandfather? It was simple—he was a jerk.
There was a day when she missed her papa and mama so much that she went to her grandfather to ask where they were. Not only did he ignore her, but he also swatted her to the floor when she wouldn't leave him alone. The harsh, cold look her grandfather gave her that day still sent chills down her spine.
"Compose yourself, act like a proper Einzbern," he said.
After that she had bolted to her room, crying herself to sleep.
Then, one day, her grandfather's mood hit an all-time low. She didn't witness it directly, but she occasionally heard him curse her father—traitor, heretic, thief—followed by the sound of something being thrown against the wall. The rage was short-lived and quickly replaced by his usual silent, cold demeanor, but this time, it felt different.
Since that day, her grandfather had worn a look as if he were about to burn someone alive. He approached her one day and told her that he would shape her into a proper Einzbern, that she would fulfill the Einzbern family's dreams. And so, her lessons in magecraft began.
The young girl disliked it all. Her grandfather was obsessed—Einzbern this, Einzbern that. Every word that came out of his mouth was about how she would fit perfectly into the Einzbern plans. At this point, she couldn't care less about the Einzberns. She even doubted whether her grandfather knew her name.
Illyasviel Von Einzbern—a precious name given to her by her papa.
-TOH-
Tohsaka Rin, the heiress to the ancient line of the Tohsaka family of magi, was livid. She wanted to scream, cry, and strangle a certain fake priest all at the same time. Her blood boiled as she glared murderously at the old antique telephone in her hand. Taking a deep breath, she put the telephone back to her ear.
"What do you mean by that?! Tell me this is just another one of your sick jokes, you damn fake priest!" she exclaimed.
A voice from the other end of the line responded, "Unfortunately, no. I tried managing your family's savings by investing in the stock market. It didn't work out."
"Well, no shit!" Rin shouted.
"Oh my, I never taught you to curse like that, Rin."
"Whose fault is it? I can't believe you managed to burn forty percent of my family's savings in a single night! Who told you to dabble in stocks anyway?" Rin stomped the floor in frustration.
"Your father entrusted me to manage your family's money until you became an adult, which included growing it as well," Kirei explained.
"And the opposite happened! So shut up for a moment before I walk to the church and personally shoot Gandr at your face, Kirei!"
Kirei, on the other side, chuckled with a tinge of amusement. "You've already mastered the Gandr, Rin? I'm proud of you."
"Screw your fake compliments, Kirei!" Rin was now growing weary of talking to Kirei. "Listen, from now on, don't do anything with my money."
"But Rin, what about the funds needed for your magecraft lessons?"
"Ugh, j-just take the bare minimum amount necessary," Rin reluctantly agreed.
"Very well, I'll contact you again later if I need to. Good evening, Rin."
"Screw off!" Rin slammed the telephone down. Click, the call ended.
Rin pinched her forehead in frustration. She seriously wanted to kick that damn fake priest, preferably down there. Her father's death, the recent Fuyuki Fire, that damn priest, her mother's need for medical care, mismanagement of her family's money, and the damn priest again—Rin could only sigh in frustration. Nobody had told her that the first few weeks of being the second owner would be this hectic. Maybe it was all a dream, and she would wake up to a bright, beautiful morning where none of these things had happened to her. Rin scoffed at the thought.
"Rin?"
Rin turned and saw her mother sitting in her wheelchair, looking worried. "Is there something wrong, dear?"
Tohsaka Aoi, Rin's mother, was an unfortunate woman. After the war, she had suffered a brain injury that left her reliant on a wheelchair. Rin's gaze softened, not wanting to worry her mom, so she simply shook her head.
"Nothing's wrong, Mom," Rin reassured her.
Aoi stared at Rin for a moment before smiling. "Is that so? Okay, then, Rin, can you call your father and Sakura? It's almost time for dinner."
Rin forced a smile and nodded. "Sure, Mom."
As Aoi left, Rin's smile slowly faded.
"Father is dead, and Sakura is no longer with us, Mom," Rin muttered to herself.
Rin then followed her mom to help prepare dinner for just the two of them. While helping her mother, Rin racked her mind, searching for a way to prevent her family from going bankrupt. Selling some old unused items? Rin pondered for a moment. Of course, there was no way she would sell any magecraft-related items, but she did have some old antiques scattered around that might fetch a good price. She made a mental note to consider it for later.
"Oh, Rin," Aoi called.
"Yes, Mom?"
Aoi peered inside their fridge. "It seems we're running low on groceries. Would you be able to do some grocery shopping tomorrow?"
"Sure, Mom."
With school on break, Rin still had some time to spare. She needed to check for sales anyway, perhaps she could find some cheap groceries. She also realized the importance of strict budgeting from now on. Every yen counted. Rin sighed, life sure was difficult at the moment.
-TOH-
"Do we really need this much?" Shirou asked, observing the ridiculous amount of groceries in the shopping cart.
Beside him stood Tamamo, sporting a white shirt under a pink jacket, black shorts, black stockings, and somehow managing to hide her fox ears and tail. "Of course! Didn't you see how bare your fridge was?" she replied.
Last night, they had planned to have dinner, and Kiritsugu initially wanted to order takeout. However, Tamamo offered to cook instead. That's when she discovered the sorry state of their fridge, with hardly anything inside to prepare for dinner. An irritated Tamamo then sent Kiritsugu to buy enough groceries for her to cook.
"Honestly, young master, how can the two of you live like this?" she remarked.
"Well," Shirou chuckled, "Dad is a terrible cook, I mean really terrible. Once he attempted to make sunny-side-up eggs, and he ended up serving some black, hard thing. We ended up ordering a lot of takeout"
Shirou continued, "To be fair, I'm trying to learn how to cook for the two of us. It's not as delicious as your cooking, but at least it's edible."
Tamamo playfully ruffled Shirou's head. "Would you like me to teach you how to cook later, young master?"
"Yes, please," Shirou eagerly responded.
Tamamo couldn't help but smile at how adorable her master was. "For now, though, we need to finish our shopping," she said, bringing up a list. "How about we split the tasks, young master? I'll take care of the vegetables and meat section, while you search for condiments and dairy products." She handed the list to Shirou.
Shirou nodded as he took the list. Glancing at it, he remarked, "Wow, this is quite a long list."
"It sure is, right? Can you handle it, young master?" Tamamo asked.
"No problem," Shirou confidently replied.
"And don't forget to grab another shopping cart first," Tamamo reminded him.
"Will do. See you later, then, Tama-nee," Shirou said, waving his arm.
Tamamo waved back. Her master truly was an endearing boy. She had to resist the urge to hug him constantly. But for now, she had groceries to attend to.
Meanwhile, Shirou was managing just fine on his own. He placed three bottles of soy sauce, two bottles of chili sauce, two bottles of olive oil, and several other condiments in his cart. He also added cartons of milk, yogurt, almond milk, and various types of cheese.
While walking down the aisle, he noticed a girl about his age crouching down with two bottles of soy sauce in each hand, muttering to herself. Curious, he pushed his cart closer to the girl. It was then that he noticed the two bottles were from different brands.
"Hello!" Shirou greeted him.
The girl jolted a bit before turning her face. "Yes? Can I help you?" she asked.
"Um, I see you talking alone here. Do you need help?" Shirou asked politely.
The girl looked mildly offended. "Uh, no? Thanks for the concern, but I don't need any help," she huffed.
Shirou sheepishly smiled. "Ah, okay..." He could have just left her there, but Shirou being Shirou, he continued, "So... what are you doing?"
"I'm comparing the price, volume, and value of these soy sauces," the girl answered without even looking at Shirou.
"I see, so there's a difference?"
The girl now turned her head back at Shirou, annoyed. "Of course, there's a difference. Some brands offer a not-so-high-quality product but with an expensive price. On the other hand, there are also some not well-known or new brands that offer more or less the same but cheaper."
Shirou gave it some thought. "So it's better to just buy the cheaper one, right?" he pointed to the bottles in her hands.
"In most cases, yes. But this cheaper soy sauce brand is a new one," she said, raising the bottle in her right hand. "The other one, though, was what I used to buy before, but they spiked the price for some reason."
The girl muttered again before stopping and looked straight at Shirou. "Why in the world would I tell you all of this?" she snapped.
A random boy approaching her, offering help for some reason, and now listening to her rambling about soy sauce of all things.
"Because... you're a nice person," said Shirou.
The girl opened her mouth, then closed it, before opening it again. "Why don't you just go on your own way? Clearly, you're not here to just bother me, right?"
"I've already done most of my grocery list," Shirou nudged at his shopping cart.
"...That's a lot of groceries."
"I know, right? And this is just one cart. Tama-nee is also using another one. We're currently stocking up on everything."
"How about this?" Shirou then said. "We're going to shop together. You clearly know more about shopping than me, and I will accompany and help you if you need me!"
The girl eyed Shirou with a strange look. On the bright side, she didn't sense any ill intent from the boy. "What's in it for me? There's no benefit for me to go along with you."
"I, uh... will help you carry your basket with my cart?"
"I can do it myself."
"You won't be shopping alone by yourself?"
"I'm used to it, really."
Shirou pondered for a moment before offering, "...I'll buy you some snacks?"
Immediately, the girl's eyes widened, and she smiled brightly. "Deal, no takebacks."
Shirou happily nodded. He then offered her his hand. "My name is Emiya Shirou."
The girl accepted his hand. "Rin, Tohsaka Rin. Nice to meet you, Emiya-kun."
Rin then put the cheaper soy sauce bottle into her basket and gave the basket to Shirou. "You said you'll carry it, right?" said Rin, smiling sweetly, a little bit too sweet if you asked Shirou.
"Y-Yeah," said Shirou as he took her basket and put it in his cart.
"Then let's go, Emiya-kun."
"Ah, wait for me, T-Tohsaka."
Shirou hurriedly pushed his cart to follow Rin, who immediately bolted to the snacks aisle. Well, at least things worked out in the end for him. When he looked into Rin's eyes, he saw something familiar—the look of someone who had lost something. Of course, he was familiar with that look; he saw it every day in the mirror, after all.
He then had this gut feeling to not leave her alone by herself. Something told him that he might regret it if he left her. He didn't exactly think that he would save her, but he definitely would help her—just what a hero would do.
...
"Now look at you, mister," Tamamo smiled teasingly. "I leave you for a moment, and you go and get yourself a cute little girlfriend."
"It's not like that, Tama-nee!" Shirou retorted, his face turning red.
Beside him, Rin stood, her cheeks tinged with a noticeable blush. She couldn't deny that she enjoyed Shirou's company much more than she had expected. Initially, she dismissed him as a clueless yet kind-hearted boy who would buy her snacks. However, spending time with him had changed her perspective of him for the better. He was a mixed bag of cluelessness, kindness, thoughtfulness, and patience—a perfect example of the kind of nice kid every parent would want. He was a good company,great even, but there was no way she would admit that out loud.
Rin glanced at the young woman she assumed was Shirou's guardian. They didn't appear to be related—perhaps she was a babysitter?
Tamamo noticed Rin staring at her and introduced herself. "Hello there, I'm Tamamo. I'm this little guy's guardian," said Tamamo as she ruffled Shirou's hair.
"Tama-nee, h-hey!" Shirou protested, clearly embarrassed by how Tamamo treated him in front of Rin.
Ignoring Shirou's cries of embarrassment, Tamamo continued, "I'm sorry if Shirou caused you any trouble, really."
Rin quickly responded, blushing slightly, "Ah, my name is Tohsaka Rin, and no, Emiya-kun didn't trouble me. We just... went to pick up some things together," she then smiled. "He even offered to buy me some snacks, so I'm actually the one who troubled him."
"Oh ho," Tamamo's eyes widened with interest. She then turned to Shirou, a mischievous grin on her face. "So you bribed a girl with snacks to spend time with you, huh? Shirou, you playboy..."
"No!/That's not what happened," both Shirou and Rin retorted at the same time..
Feeling she had teased them enough, Tamamo just laughed before saying, "Easy there, kids, I'm just kidding."
"H-Hmph, it's not like I enjoy Emiya-kun's company. I just wanted some snacks for myself," Rin huffed.
Tamamo, with a knowing smile, just played along. "Sure, Rin-chan."
Feeling they had wasted enough time fooling around, the three of them then went to wait in the cashier line. They agreed that for convenience, Rin's groceries would be added to their purchase and checked out together. Things went well for a while until it was almost their turn, and Rin opened her bag to get her wallet. To her horror, it wasn't there.
A pale expression washed over Rin's face as she frantically searched every nook and cranny of her little sling bag. But her wallet was nowhere to be found. Had she forgotten to bring it? Cold sweat trickled down her forehead.
Shirou noticed Rin's distress and asked, "Tohsaka, what's wrong?"
Rin turned to face Shirou, her expression stiff. "A-Ah..."
"Hmm?"
"I-I forgot to bring my wallet with me."
Rin bit her lip, wondering what to do. With the cashier inching closer and time running out, she decided on the most reasonable course of action.
"Umm, Emiya-kun, it seems that I can't pay for my groceries. I'll just return them and come back later," said Rin, a little embarrassed.
Shirou, observing Rin's state, stepped forward and placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "No, it's okay. We'll just pay for yours as well," he said, trying to calm her down.
Rin was taken aback by his statement. "E-Emiya-kun, it's one thing for you to treat me to some snacks, but paying for all of my groceries is a completely different matter!"
"I know, but it's fine. It's clear that you just had a stroke of bad luck, and I want to help you," Shirou insisted, unmoving.
"B-But what about the... money? It's not exactly cheap, you know."
"It's fine, right Tama-nee?" Shirou sought confirmation, glancing at Tamamo.
Tamamo, who had been silently observing, nodded in agreement. "Yup, as long as Shirou is okay with it. After all..." Tamamo pulled something out. "...your father gave me this."
Rin's eyes widened as she saw Tamamo casually waved a black credit card. Had she accidentally befriended a filthy rich boy?
After completing their purchases, the three of them made their way to leave.
"I'll say this again, Emiya-kun. I'm really grateful for what you just did. I'm in your debt," Rin bowed in gratitude.
Shirou, unsure how to respond, simply smiled sheepishly. "Seriously, it's not that big of a deal."
Rin shook her head. "No, a debt is a debt. I will definitely pay you back later."
Feeling slightly uncomfortable with Rin's sudden formality, Shirou decided to propose an alternative. "Tohsaka, how about this? Instead of you paying me back for today, how about... we just become friends?"
Friends help each other, or so Shirou believed. There was no need for any debt. Rin was dumbfounded, her mind momentarily blank before rebooting itself.
"...friends?"
"Yes, like for starters, I'll just call you Rin, and you can call me Shirou."
"Pffft," Rin couldn't hold back her laughter any longer. "Hahahaha, you certainly are one strange boy, Emiya-kun. No, Shirou."
"That's just how I am," Shirou said, smiling while scratching his cheek.
As a magus, having friends was not high on Rin's priority list. Perhaps she would find some magecraft-related colleagues, associates, and connection in the future, but actually befriending them wasn't expected. Yet, in less than a day, Shirou had managed to worm his way into becoming her friend, albeit in a very unusual way.
"Okay then, let's be friends. Again, I'm thankful for today," Rin said as she grabbed her bags.
"Do you need help with those too, Rin?" Shirou pointed to her bags. "We can give you a lift back home if you want."
"No, that's okay, Shirou. My house isn't that far away—only a couple minutes of walk, really," Rin politely declined.
"Well, if you say so, I guess I'll see you later?"
"Yes, see you later, Shirou." Rin smiled before she departed.
Shirou waved at her, then turned back to find Tamamo grinning mischievously at him.
"Tama-nee, no," he said with a sigh.
"What? I didn't even say anything yet, young master!" Tamamo teased.
-TOH-
Irisviel von Einzbern was born for one thing, or so she believed. She was a homunculus designed to be a Lesser Grail for the Holy Grail War. Then she was "given" to one Emiya Kiritsugu. At first, she thought of him as an odd person. He treated her no differently than an actual human. He even went as far as teaching her various things she didn't know. Her time with him was a happy one.
Eventually, she fell for him, and the two of them got married. It was not an official marriage, but it was enough for her. From their union, they were blessed with a beautiful daughter. Illyasviel, Kiritsugu named their baby after Irisviel herself. Those days were the happiest she had ever felt.
However, the war came, and she had a duty to fulfill. Kiritsugu and she bid farewell to Illya and went to Fuyuki to participate in the Holy Grail War. Many things happened there, from the invitation from the King of Conquerors, Iskandar, to join his army, to The Banquet of Kings. Then the moment arrived, the moment to carry out her duty as the Lesser Grail.
It was a bitter moment. She had to leave Kiritsugu, and she didn't have the chance to see Illya grow up, but she thought it was fine. With this, she could fulfill her duty and grant Kiritsugu his wish—to save the world.
Then it happened. Angra Mainyu immediately devoured her, corrupting her function as the Lesser Grail and taking over most of the grail's functions. She then witnessed how the corrupted grail forced Kiritsugu to confront his worst nightmares. It even used her own face to spit and curse her dear husband.
Irisviel tried to do something, anything! But the corruption had already spread so deep that it robbed her of everything.
She had no mouth, and she must scream.
After Kiritsugu's failed attempt to destroy the grail, Irisviel could only watch as black mud poured down and burned everything it touched.
No, please, no more.
No!
Then, a glimpse of hope emerged. By some miracle, some parts of the grail system remained untouched by the corruption. Irisviel saw the uncorrupted system begin to do something unthinkable, disregarding its own rules. In a flash of light, Irisviel felt her body being pulled out from the grail and immediately sent somewhere else.
At this point, she was starting to lose consciousness, but she didn't mind. It was better than spending eternity trapped in the corrupted grail. When she woke up, she found herself lying on a vast grassy plain. She was confused, but it didn't take long before something attempted to connect with her.
Initiating retrieval of Lesser Grail vessel. Reestablishing connection attempt.
A buzz hummed in her head.
Connection established. Commencing data transfer to the Lesser Grail.
She saw images flashing before her.
Data transfer complete.
She fell to her knees, one hand holding the side of her head. Whatever happened, it had crammed years upon years of knowledge straight into her mind.
Initiating boot sequence for [XK Class End of the World Protocol] system...
Progress: 2%... 17%... 30%... 46%... 76%... 87%... 97%... 100%...
[XK Class End of the World Protocol] system online.
Threat level elevated to maximum.
Reconfiguring Lesser Grail status to Overseer classification.
Something had changed. She had lost her connection to the grail, yet another unknown connection had been made. This new one felt like many little strings converging into one big rope. It was an alien feeling, that's for sure.
Constructing a suitable foundation for the host unit.
The surroundings around her started to glow in red sparks.
Transplanting magic core into the host...
Progress: 2%... 14%... 27%... 48%... 66%... 79%... 86%... 95%... 100%...
Transplantation process accomplished.
Initiating activation of the magic core...
ERROR encountered.
Host body incompatible with magic core.
Status of magic core: Dormant.
Searching for an alternative solution...
Suitable alternative identified.
Forging the necessary magic circuits.
Countless glowing lines appeared on the vast plain where she stood.
Progress: 4%... 13%... 24%... 32%... 49%... 62%... 73%... 85%... 95%... 100%...
Forging process completed.
Attempting activation of magic circuits...
Activation unsuccessful.
External stimulus required...
Requesting assistance from the Overseer to resolve the issue...
Status of magic circuits: Dormant.
Irisviel, still holding her head, understood that whatever it was, it wanted her help.
Establishing connection to the Throne of Heroes...
Connection established.
Constructing essential groundwork...
Progress: 1%... 1.2%... 1.3%...
The buzzing continued, leaving Irisviel a little disoriented. Her new duty, alongside her new title. With the bits of disorganized knowledge she had gathered, she knew what she needed to do. Irisviel took a deep breath. She accepted it.
[Overseer] system online.
Compiling objectives...
Objective 1: Purify the curse
Objective 2: Cleave the wicked grail
Behind her, glowing golden sparks started to solidify into countless forms.
-TOH-
Somewhere in Fuyuki, deep underground and sealed by numerous bounded fields and hard rocks, an orb pulsed like a hearth. With each pulse, it emitted an intimidating, corrosive red mist. Cracks, with insidious glowing light, spread out from the orb, resembling human veins.
The orb housed the corrupted Grail, within which resided a furious Angra Mainyu. He was close, so damn close. He could still feel it—the sensation of omnipotence, power, and corruption. He had almost become the true evil the world desired him to be. Yet, it had all been taken away from him. Damn it!
The surrounding rocks shook under the immense power being released.
But it wasn't over yet. He still had a chance. It was a temporary setback, a momentary lapse. Patience was his only virtue. In a way, this was a blessing in disguise. The meddling of the former Grail and its limitations were no more; he was in total control. All he needed was a lesser Grail and fixing the damn wish-granting system.
Now, should he build one himself or wait for those idiotic magi to construct one for him? Both options would take some time. Decision, decision. He also needed more magical energy. The leylines surrounding him were no longer sufficient. What should he do?
...Ah, he had it—the best renewable resource of magical energy one could easy get from anywhere: humans. Now, he just needed to figure out how to obtain it. Should he summon servants himself to do the dirty work? Not possible at the moment, unless he wanted to strain his already half-falling-apart corrupted Grail.
The Corrupted Grail hummed.
If he couldn't summon one, he would create one instead. He could utilize the remaining recorded Saint Graph data in the Grail to construct a pseudo-servant. It was time to get to work.
Judging the concept of crystallization legends.
Hypothesizing the structure of spirit cores.
Duplicating the spirit's container.
Imitating the soul's origins.
Sympathizing with the recorded graph.
Reproducing the accumulated experiences.
Excelling in every rebirthing process.
A dark figure slowly rose in front of the corrupted Grail. Its shape kept shifting from one form to another—a man, a woman, tall, short, big, small. It was both one and many simultaneously. This abomination was born out of Angra Mainyu's resentment and spite for the world. It needed a name, and so Angra Mainyu bestowed upon it a fitting name
Servant's Mockery.
The dark figure, now known as Servant's Mockery, knelt in a display of obedience. The corrupted Grail and Angra Mainyu released another tremor, as if laughing at the world that would soon be consumed by destruction.