Chapter 1
Shirou made his way through the forest. He had no idea where he was, only that he wasn't in the best shape. He looked down and saw where he had been shot and stabbed. His black cloak was ragged, torn, singed, causing him to look more like Old Man Hassan than the mage he was supposed to be.
His red and gold scarf from Ereshkigal and his black sleeveless armor were the only things remaining from his protective gear. He had lost his jacket, breastplate, his gauntlets and greaves, and even his quiver of blades. His pants and combat boots weren't faring much better, having holes and rips with some blood from his rough patch job.
His gloves were torn, making the white wrap underneath them easily visible. The black leather bracers he wore were the only things that managed to hold up, though they were enchanted, so that was expected. He leaned against a tree, propping up his rifle/crossbow next to him.
He reached into one of the pouches on his belt and pulled out some gauze and medicinal salves. He proceeded to patch up the injuries that he could, though he wouldn't be fully healed for awhile. 'Nightingale would freak if she saw me right now.' He ran a hand through his red hair, though he noticed some white beginning to form on the edges.
He looked through what gear he had, noticing he had five black keys and the wakizashi he received from Ushiwakamaru. His rifle still had one sword bolt ready to be fired. He was low on magical energy, so he'd need to wait to create more. His pouches were still full and his gourd flask from Shuten was still intact, somehow.
He removed the bracer from his right arm and looked at the charm and feathers that hung from a bracelet. 'Circe, Medea, I certainly hope that your magecraft still works wherever I'm at.' He thought to himself. He let out a sigh, he was glad he still had a few of his cherished items still with him.
If there was one thing that bothered him, it was that he wouldn't be able to help Fujimaru anymore. However, he had faith that she'd manage to overcome whatever was thrown her way. He was really only support for her anyways. Though, he hoped she wouldn't take his sacrifice too hard.
He still didn't understand exactly what happened. It all happened so fast that Shirou didn't have time to comprehend the events, only focusing on escorting those he could to safety, mainly Mash and Fujimaru. He remembered a servant and a large force of masked soldiers appearing and wrecking everything.
Many were killed and Chaldea was no longer considered safe. The soldiers all possessed considerable strength, though with his abilities being strengthened by Archer, as well as mystic codes and charms from servants and Da Vinci, he was able to protect everyone long enough for them to escape to the Shadow Border.
It was during this time that he was injured and his gear sustaining considerable damage. Even with his rifle/crossbow, which was a high level mystic code built by Da Vinci herself, able to withstand broken phantasms being fired non-stop, he was still being overwhelmed. He had to switch to Kanshou and Bakuya, but even then, he was still only human.
He remembered pushing Fujimaru onto the Shadow Border as more of those soldiers began to approach. He loaded Caladbolg into his rifle and fired as the door closed. He loaded another bolt when the resulting explosion engulfed his being. He didn't know what exactly happened, but he remembered falling and then he woke up in this forest.
He put his bracer back on and stood up, shouldering his rifle as he did so. As he was about to begin walking, he noticed something on the ground. He leaned down, his eyes widening as he rushed to pick it up. It was a Glock 26 pistol. He smiled as he wiped away the dirt with his cloak.
'Must have fallen from my holster when I fell.' He thought. He never used it, but it was important to him, being a memento that belonged to his mother. After checking the magazine, he holstered it into the holster behind his waist. A feeling of relief washed over him, as he felt complete again. He then shook his head, before focusing.
He needed to find shelter for the night, he'd rather not be stuck out in the elements in a foreign land. He had to admit though, he didn't mind the serene feeling the forest was giving him. The smell of the forest and nature was amazing. Even the mana felt much higher quality, causing him to wonder about the reason why.
At least, that was until he noticed the smell of phantasmal beasts. His eyes narrowed and he quickly readied his rifle and ran towards the source. He caught another scent as he grew closer, recognizing it as human, though the only human he was used to be around lately was Fujimaru, and the two of them weren't exactly normal.
He shook his head, deciding to ignore it. "Trace on." He said, imagining the hammer of a gun firing off, activating his magic circuits and using a little bit of reinforcement to speed himself up. He didn't have much, so he'd have to make it count. He wouldn't let an innocent be harmed by a phantasmal beast, singularity or not.
He was an Emiya, which meant he was meant to save people. That was what his mother told him. He didn't know his father, but apparently he saved his life by sacrificing his own. He was adopted, but still, any memories from before the fire didn't feel like him.
A new name, for a new life. He wasn't normal, he knew that. But, he lived for protecting others, for those he considered family. His mother, Maiya, told him about how his father was someone who saved others, but he could tell she was like him, she didn't fully grasp what that meant.
He remembered that it was difficult in the beginning, with neither really knowing what to do. However, the two learned and grew together, becoming slightly more complete. She dedicated her very being to raising him and taking care of him as a son, only finding out that it was because the man who saved him was everything to her.
At least, that was what it was at first. It was only until later that the two realized they were a family who cared about each other. While he would admit that he didn't have a normal childhood, being raised by a professional killer who knew magecraft was the farthest thing from normal, he wouldn't change it.
She was his mom and he learned a great deal from her, or rather, they learned a lot from each other. He sometimes wondered what he would be like if he was raised by the man who saved him, but those times were few and far between. While he dedicated himself to protecting and helping others, he vowed to take care of those he cared about first.
Which was why he sacrificed his self for Fujimaru, Mash, and the other survivors. It was why he was in Chaldea in the first place. It was also why he was heading towards an unknown enemy while injured, low on magical energy, and only having one bolt in his weapon. If he could save even one more person, he would do it.
He was still a fair distance away, but he could see his targets. Three hound-like beasts were approaching a young girl with a brown cloak. He couldn't see her with her features obscured as they were. They were black beasts, appearing to be the size of, almost, a Rhino.
He was a bit surprised at their appearances, but he had faced phantasmal beasts much scarier than them in the singularities, that wasn't counting servants. His eyes narrowed as he took aim. He only had one bolt, but it was enough. He could hit three targets with one bolt with them lined up as they were.
He did wonder why the young girl didn't seem intimidated, but he figured she may have been paralyzed with fear, he had seen it happen. He took a deep breath, before pulling the trigger. The bolt was a twisted blade of purification, meant to target beings that didn't belong in the world.
The blade flew the air, before striking the first beast and ripping through it into the second, however, the hide of the beasts must have been tougher than they looked. The blade stabbed into the second beast, injuring it, but not killing it. It let out a deep roar, before the remaining two turned their heads towards him.
'Well, that's not good.' He thought to himself, before seeing them begin to run towards him at full speed. 'At least that girl's safe now.' He quickly reached into the pouches on his legs and pulled out two black keys. 'Let's take down the injured one first.' He quickly ran forward and jumped off a fallen log towards a tree.
He quickly bounced off the tree and threw the two black keys, piercing the back of the beast. He noticed the blades easily slice threw the hide of it, even causing far greater damage than he thought it would. 'It's weak to the black keys.' He quickly reached into his pouches as he landed on the ground.
The second beast was charging directly at him, causing Shirou to dive to the left and throw the two keys he had in his right hand. He hit the beast's right shoulder, causing it to fall forward and roll on the ground. He quickly charged the critically injured beast, reinforcing his legs to the max and jumping over it.
As he did so, he stuck the black key into its head, aiming for where the brain was. It easily pierced through, though Shirou ended up landing hard on the ground. The moment he did so, he could feel the injuries he had patched up begin to open again, while those he hadn't treated worsened.
The pain was worsening, though he couldn't stop now. There was still one left. He pulled out his wakizashi and stood in a stance with the blade in front of him. 'Alright Circe, I hope that barrier you put in this thing works, otherwise I'm going to die.' He took a few quick breaths, before the last beast charged forward.
It then opened its mouth to reveal flaming maws that could easily tear his arm off, but he believed in his friends and family. He quickly thrust his arm forward, sending what little magical energy he still had left into Medea and Circe's charm, and stabbed into the beast's throat. It quickly chomped down, causing Shirou to let out a yell.
The barrier held, but the heat still burned his arm. He quickly turned his wrist and let go of the wakizashi, a red gem being revealed to be gripped with the wakizashi. The beast threw shook its head and threw him away, before preparing to attack again, however, the gem finally activated. Exploding the beast from the inside out.
Shirou quickly pushed himself up, or at least, as quickly as he could manage right now. He looked towards the phantasmal beasts, before noticing the ones he killed were dissipating into particles of some kind. He let out a sigh of relief, realizing that they were dead.
He was in quite a bit of pain, his arm was broken and burnt, his ribs were probably broken or at least cracked. His wounds were aggravated and he had no more magical energy to use, at least, none he could use without damaging himself. He reached up towards the scarf on his neck.
'Is this where my journey ends, Eresh?' He thought to himself, with a somewhat bitter smile on his face. 'I wonder if I'll see you after I pass, though I would've like to see the others one last time.' He shook his head, before seeing the wakizashi stabbed into the ground nearby.
Trying to heal himself with what he had left wouldn't work, not to mention, there was only so much it could do. He looked down and saw the gourd. 'Why not? At least it will take away some of the pain.' He thought, before opening it with his one hand. 'Please don't be poison.' He then took a quick swig before capping the gourd.
As he placed placed it back on his belt, he could already feel it begin to work. 'What in the world did you give me, you crazy oni?' He did feel better, but it was insanely strong and quick acting. He shook his head and began to pull himself towards the wakizashi.
Slowly, but surely, he grew closer. He could feel the drink going through his system, though he kept his mind on reaching his blade. It was a gift and one he wasn't going to lose. He kept going, with one arm, foot by foot, until he finally reached it. He was weak, so it took considerable effort to pull the blade out.
His vision was going in and out, but he still managed to wipe off the blade with what remained of his cloak, before placing back in its scabbard. As he did so, he rolled onto his back and looked up into the trees and the night sky. High in the sky was the moon, shining beautifully in the air.
The sight reminded him of the times he would look up at it with his mother. He never knew what it was that he found entrancing about it, nor why his mother thought so, but he was drawn to it. 'A light in the darkness.' He thought to himself, before weakly reaching his hand out towards it. 'I saved her, mom.'
As his consciousness faded and his hand dropped, he felt a someone grab onto it. "It's alright, I've got you now." He heard a sweet voice enter his ears, giving him a greater sense of peace. "Rest now, young hero. I'll take care of you." He wondered who it was that said that. Her voice reminded him of certain Heroic Spirits. 'Is that Greek?'
A woman wearing a simple brown dress and a scarf around her neck, carried the young man back towards a small house that was nearby. She was a beautiful woman with medium length brown hair and fiery red eyes. She looked down at the young man with a curious gaze.
She was taking a leisurely stroll through the woods, deciding to visit one of the huts she liked to stay in when she visited the mortal world. It was there that three of those hellhounds appeared. She was ready to banish them back to where they belonged, when some sort of bolt killed one and injured another.
She was rather shocked by the suddenness of the attack. The hellhounds immediately retaliated, moving quick, though she was able to turn and see the young man who had fired the bolt. She noticed that he was heavily injured, being rather surprised he was even moving at all.
Rather than be terrified, he just pulled out some weapons and battled the creatures. She was surprised by the accuracy of his shot, being nearly a mile away at the time, yet hitting two of his targets, it would have likely hit the third if the attack went through the second.
He was surprisingly efficient with his attacks and movements despite his injuries. She was interested in his those hilts that manifested blades, as well as that short sword. A wakizashi, if her memory was correct, as well as how he managed to blow up that hellhound.
He also managed to keep his arm attached when he stuck his arm into the beast's mouth. She could tell he used magic of some kind, especially when she realized that he wasn't a demigod. She made her way to him and watched him crawl towards that weapon, despite his injuries.
She knew that it likely held sentimental value if he went that far. She could feel and hear his thoughts about home, family, and friends. To be so close to death, yet only caring that he saved someone's life and thinking of his family was heartwarming.
He appeared to be in his late teens. His red hair had white tips, which was rather curious. She noticed his golden brown eyes just as he passed out. He was a rather handsome man, if she were to be honest. 'To possess such abilities and skill, despite not being a demigod. It has been a long time since I've met a fully human hero.' She thought.
She laid him down on the bed in the hut, before thinking about what to do. 'He doesn't feel like a normal mortal. In fact, while I know he is mortal, he possesses something more.' She thought to herself. She left the room and returned with a small vial.
She opened his mouth and poured a small amount into his throat. She closed one eye, worried about the result, but to her surprise, nothing happened except for his wounds beginning to close. Her eyes widened, before placed her hands on him. 'Hmm, he is a mortal, but he possesses some sort of circuits that help him circulate magical energy.'
She shook her head, 'Not important.' She continued to scan him. 'Ah, there it is. He possesses some blessings, or little strands of foreign divinity.' She was rather shocked at the discovery. 'I can't pinpoint them all, but I can feel some of our power in him, as well as some from other lands.'
She was shocked by the discovery. She wasn't the greatest at sensing such things, so she couldn't get a good read, but she could tell that much. 'Who are you, young hero? What things have you seen?' She placed a hand on his heart. 'Though, I can sense that you have a kind and loving heart.'
'I should change you into something clean. I wouldn't wish for you to wake up in bloody clothes.' She then began to remove articles of clothing. She found his pistol and frowned at it, before she felt the connection he had to it. She was a bit puzzled, but decided to stow it away with his other weapons, namely the strange rifle, crossbow thing.
'You can hold onto this charm, I can sense it will benefit your healing.' She said, leaving his bracelet on. She removed and folded up his scarf, taking note of the power it held. She then removed his belt, taking great care in removing anything in them that may not be safe.
In them, she found other things that had strong emotions tied to them. A black and gold foldable fan with flames on the fan, a purple rope of woven hair that smelled of snakes and divinity, and a black and blue ribbon that smelled like a fox and possessed the smell of an eastern divinity.
She placed them all on a small table next to the bed, along with the gourd she found on him. There were other small trinkets that had some emotion to them, but they weren't as strong as the others, save for a small sword trinket painted gold, blue, and silver.
After removing most of his clothes, she was able to see the numerous scars on his body, as well as the healed injuries he had just before she found him. 'So, you really are a hero?' She thought, with a small smile. She had witnessed many heroes, though none really possessed the aura of this young man.
She was intrigued by him, though she knew she'd have to keep him hidden. She didn't wish for the others to find out about him, especially Zeus. He was already extremely paranoid, if he heard about the young hero with blessings and strands of divinity from other lands, who knows what would happen.
Actually, she had an idea of what would happen, which was why she would hide and protect him. Though, she was a bit worried about the smell and blessings she sensed. Snakes were an Athena thing, his scarf felt a bit like Hades, his charm felt terrifyingly close to Circe and Medea, not to mention the blessings, one of which felt like Aphrodite's.
Then, there was his strange rifle. She couldn't even understand how it possessed the feeling, but it felt like Artemis. After she replaced his clothes with clean jeans and a black shirt, she sat down on a chair nearby chair. She felt like she was going to have a hard time with him.
'Perhaps, it was the will of the fates that I ran into him and not any of the others.' She thought to herself. She turned and looked at the hearth in her home. 'Perhaps, I was meant to find you, young hero. Well, don't worry, the goddess Hestia will keep you safe.' She thought with a gentle smile on her face.
Despite all of the things surrounding him, Hestia wasn't drawn to him because of any of them. Rather, she was drawn to him because, despite having all of those items, blessings, and strands, he was naturally a loving, kind, and courageous man who cared about family and friends.
'He likely won't wake for a good while. I should return to the hearth, I wouldn't want anyone to look for me.' She thought, making her way to the hearth of the hut. She stopped and began to use magic to write some inscriptions on the mantle. After she finished, she looked back towards the young man.
"I'll return when you awaken. So, rest and heal until then." She decided to speak aloud, hoping her words would reach his mind. She noticed a slight change in his breathing and facial features, one that would be missed by even most gods, but she saw it. She gave a gentle smile once again, before disappearing into the flames.
Shirou's eyes slowly opened. He felt minor aches, but that was all he felt. He expected to be in a decent amount of pain, but wasn't, save for a small headache that was likely from what Shuten put in that gourd. He sat up and found himself on a bed in a small house.
He had clean clothes on, being dressed in jeans and a black shirt. He didn't remember much of what happened after he took that drink, except for trying to retrieve wakizashi he received from Ushiwakamaru. He looked over himself, noticing his wounds had healed and he had no blood on his body.
He looked around and noticed his gear on a nearby table, laid out neatly and organized. He then saw where his weapons were, being placed in a corner nearby, along with his gun on a shelf near them. 'Someone must have found me and healed me, but to heal me to this extent? It must have been a capable mage.'
He was glad they didn't throw anything away, especially his mementos. While most weren't anything that could help him in combat, they meant a lot to him. He was surprised that whoever helped him, showed such great care to his stuff, considering he was just a stranger.
Now that he wasn't on the verge of collapsing, he could tell the quality of mana reminded him of the Okeanos Singularity. Thankfully, it wasn't like Babylonia, otherwise he may have died. He felt a lot stronger than he normally did, probably because of the high quality mana and whatever was used to heal him.
He wondered if he may have somehow ended up in a singularity, but knew that wasn't possible. He wanted to know where he was, but knew that he should just be thankful he was alive. He stood up and looked through his things, placing his scarf back on, along with his belt and a few other items.
He didn't need everything, since he only wanted to look around. He placed his boots back on and decided to check outside, before noticing himself in the mirror. He stopped breathing for a moment, noticing that he was younger. He didn't remember how old he really was, but he knew he wasn't 18 or 19.
Then there was the white tips on his hair, which didn't bother him as much as his age, but it was still a little disorienting. He shook his head, deciding that it didn't matter. He needed some fresh air, afterwards, he'd see about making some food, 'Hopefully the owner won't mind too much.'
After stepping outside, he noticed the hut was actually a bit larger than he thought, being about the size of a three bedroom house. He saw some doors, but didn't go into any of them. He figured since the bed was located in the rather large room, that the other doors were for storage.
Apparently, that line of thinking was wrong. He must have been in pretty bad shape if he wasn't put into one of the other rooms. He took a deep breath and looked around, noticing the location of the hut and the fence making a decent sized barrier.
Speaking of barriers, he noticed a rather powerful and impressive bounded field had been set up. It reminded him a bit of the shadow border, though that bounded field served a different purpose. 'A servant? Or maybe I'm somewhere in the past.' He thought to himself.
He was wary of leaving the bounded field for some reason, so he steered clear of it. He looked around and enjoyed the sight of the forest. He could even hear the sounds of the animals if he focused hard enough. 'Wherever I am, it's obvious that the world is alive, which is a good sign.' He smiled at the thought.
After nearly dying countless times, Fujimaru and him both, he couldn't help but happy that he was seeing a living world that wasn't a singularity. He had gotten used to knowing when he was in one, this was definitely a real, living world.
He decided to head back into the hut after spending a few more minutes outside. However, he felt a bit more relaxed after seeing the outside of the house. He was worried about the phantasmal beasts he killed, hoping they weren't the norm, but it wasn't like he couldn't handle himself.
After stepping inside and heading towards the cooking area, which was rather well supplied, despite being in the middle of a forest. Everything was high quality, reminding him a bit of the Chaldea kitchen, though nowhere near as big. Still, he could work with it.
He found himself making a bit too much for one person, considering he was used to cooking for others. He just made some meat and potato stew out of habit, considering he used to make it a lot. Besides, he didn't feel making anything too complicated.
Just as he finished up, he noticed a presence inside of the house. He turned and saw a women standing in the house. She appeared to be a young woman, close to the chosen age of Ereshkigal and Ishtar, though he noticed that she possessed a beauty that he compared to Martha.
The woman's beauty was gentle, warm, and had a loving and kind feel to it. It wasn't like Ishtar, Tamamo, Nero, or Medusa. She wore a brown dress with black leggings, and had beautiful medium length brown hair and entrancing fiery red eyes.
"I'm home!" She said happily, but he noticed her deflate a bit with a sigh. "Or so I want to say, but you're probably still asleep." She said to herself with a bit of exasperation. 'That's english, particularly American english. So, I'm in America.' He thought, thankful for that bit of information.
He noticed that he felt a strange warmth from her. She then noticed him, a look of surprise on her face, before greeting him with a kind, excited, and happy smile, one that would likely melt the hearts of most men. He could tell she was powerful, reminding him of some of the strongest caster servants he met. However, she wasn't a servant. She wasn't human either.
He could tell, just by feeling the aura around her. Her human form was amazing, he would admit that, but she couldn't hide the power divinity that leaked out of her. A normal person may not notice, but he wasn't a normal person. He had gotten used to the scent of divinity, and her's was definitely potent.
"You're awake! I'm glad, I was beginning to think you were never going to wake up." She said to him, her voice having the same warmth and kindness that she radiated. As she spoke, he realized that the feeling she exuded reminded him of Euryale and Stheno. 'So, she's definitely a goddess then.'
He then responded with a small smile, "So, you saved my life? It's a pleasure to meet you. I, uh, I hope you don't mind, but I thought I'd make some food." He tried to be as polite as he could, as he didn't know which deity he was interacting with. She felt similar to the greek servants, but he didn't know for sure.
The woman tilted her head and simply smiled. "Oh, that's fine. After being asleep for five days, I'd probably be hungry too." That little bit of information caused Shirou's eye to twitch, but managed to hold himself together.
"That's a long time." He muttered to himself. "Well, thanks for watching out for me during that time. Um, would you like to have some? I made a bit too much out of habit." He said, pointing at the pot of stew on the stove. She turned her head and noticed it, but nodded her head, maintaining her sweet smile.
After sitting at a table and eating some of the food, Hestia looked at him with a surprised expression. The food was delicious. She wouldn't have been surprised if the other gods thought the same. Though, she may have been biased, as she could tell that he was thinking about his loved ones when he made it.
However, it was an objective fact, the food was good. 'For a mortal to make food like this, I wonder who taught him?' She thought to herself. She supposed she could have looked into his dreams and memories, but that would have been a bit much, plus, she wasn't sure if she could.
"Where did you learn to cook like this, if you don't mind me asking?" She decided to ask him. It had been a long time since she conversed with a human, so it was rather exciting to be able to sit and speak with him like this.
She watched him look up at her, before he took a moment to think of an answer. "Well, I always enjoyed cooking. I suppose, I was self taught at first, since my mom couldn't cook to save her life." He then smiled, obviously at a memory of some kind. "So, I learned how to cook. After that, I began to buy cookbooks."
"Then, I began to travel for awhile, before I finally stopped at a certain workplace where I met many different kinds of people with different tastes and styles of cooking. They taught me a lot. I suppose this is just the culmination of all of my experiences with people and places, though this certain dish was something I made quite a lot, so that may have a bit to do with it."
"Did you make it for your friends?" She asked him, interested in what he was saying. He spoke as if he was older than what he appeared, which was possible. She could tell that his heart and mind were older than his physical body.
He looked up at her with a sad smile. "I did. It was something that was easy to make and, usually, everyone enjoyed." He replied, before leaning back in his chair. "My name's Shirou Emiya, by the way." Hestia looked at him with another surprised expression.
'Japanese? He doesn't really look Japanese, nor does he have an accent. In fact, his english is perfect.' She thought to herself. "It's nice to meet you, Shirou. You can call me, Tia." She replied to him. She paused, before deciding to ask more questions. "So, are you from America? Or, did you learn english?"
"No, I'm from Japan, from a place called Fuyuki. I know many different different languages. Those friends of mine, I asked them to teach me. I thought that they might enjoy speaking in their native tongue from time to time." He said with a smile.
"That's very kind of you, Shirou Emiya. There aren't many people I know that would take that kind of effort for their friends." She replied, placing her elbows on the table. "Did they also teach you how to fight?" She decided to ask, seeing him make a surprised expression, causing her to giggle. "I noticed you were quite skilled when you fought those hellhounds."
"So, that's what those were." He whispered to himself. "Uh, yeah, I guess you could say that." He said with a nervous smile while rubbing the back of his head. "They got me to that level, though, the one who first taught me to fight, was actually my mom." He revealed, which surprised Hestia.
"Really? That's rather surprising. I don't know many men who were taught by their mothers." She said to him, though she was thinking about mortals, though not many goddesses did so either. At least, not without blessing them with the talent and knowledge beforehand, which didn't count.
He let out a small laugh. "Well, I'm sure not many men these days would admit to being beat up by a woman without it hurting their pride. For me, well, I have no problem with it. Most of my life I've been surrounded by strong women. Though, I'll always be thankful what they taught me. Especially my mom."
"That's not to say she was a bad mom, she just wanted me to be able to protect myself and others. It was something she was adamant about. In fact, that gun over there is actually hers." He revealed to her. "While I'm proficient with it, I haven't actually used that gun. It just, reminds me of her I guess." He smiled.
Hestia had to admit, she enjoyed seeing the smiles he had when he remembered those he cared for. She could tell that he wasn't lying about anything he said either. He was being upfront with her and hadn't told a single lie. "Could you always see past the mist? Or was that something you learned?"
It was here, that Hestia was a little worried. Shirou only looked at her with a strange expression. "I'm sorry, the mist? I'm afraid, I don't understand." He revealed to her, not understanding why he didn't know about it. 'So, was he born with the ability to see past it? Something's wrong here.'
"The mist, it's what separates the supernatural from, well, the mundane. The mist doesn't allow normal people to see what we see. Those hellhounds, well, a normal person wouldn't have seen them as you do. In fact, you being able to kill them like you did was something entirely different. A normal person shouldn't be able to do that." She explained.
"Would a normal person be able to see you?" He asked, causing Hestia to still for a moment, before she quirked her head to the side. He gave her a small smile. "Your form is perfect, but my sense of smell has always been heightened. I've been around divinity before, and you definitely have the scent of divinity."
"So, you've know that I was a goddess since you've seen me?" She asked him, a bit impressed by the fact that he knew that. She then smiled at him, "What are you, Shirou? You're not a demigod, or any other kind of immortal. You are a human, but I can feel the blessings of other divinities, then there is the strange circuits in your body."
"No other person has those. I know they help you circulate magical energy, and the items you have, they're all special to you, yet they too hold blessings. You are skilled in combat, then there's your heart and mind. They're older than your physical body." She asked, surprised that he seemed a bit shocked at her words.
"Demigod? Immortal? My magic circuits are odd? I don't understand? There hasn't been demigods for a very long time, let alone gods. I mean, sure, the mana is potent here, and then there's you, but I figured you were a goddess who didn't leave and managed to stay in this territory."
"As for me, well, I shouldn't have any divinity in me, let alone blessings. At least, I don't think I should. I've interacted with divinity, but that was a very isolated and special case. This is Earth right? I mean, I don't get it." He said, bringing hands to his head.
Hestia raised her hands up, before deciding to stand up and walk over next to him. "Shirou, the gods never left. This is Earth, but what you're saying is odd. If you could see through the mist, then you'd likely have met a demigod at some point. The monsters are attracted to their divinity." She slowly and calmly told him.
She placed a hand onto his shoulder, using her powers to try and calm him. When she did, she could sense the confusion and turmoil he was feeling. "My true name is Hestia. The Greek gods moved to America after Greece, our power is more stable here. Magic circuits, I haven't seen anything like them." She paused, before kneeling down and grabbing ahold of his hands.
"Where are you from, Shirou? I don't mean you any harm, in fact, that's why I brought you here. I wanted to keep you safe, because of the divinity I felt from you. So, you can tell me, Shirou." She said to him, looking him in the eyes. She noticed his golden brown eyes radiated a warmth that she didn't notice before.
"I woke up in the woods after an explosion. I was a part of an organization called Chaldea. I'm a magus, someone who can use magecraft. After an event in my hometown, I travelled around helping people where I could, until I heard about Chaldea."
"I applied there, only to make sure that whatever was happening there wasn't being used to harm innocents. There was an accident, or sabotage, followed by Chaldeas, a mystic code that simulated the world's future, predicted that Earth had no future."
"Following that, most of the mages meant to correct these issues, were killed or injured, except for four people. My friends, Mash and Ritsuka Fujimaru, The Director, Olga Marie Animusphere, and myself. All of this is really just simplification, but you get the point. There were singularities we had to fix, because it was all a twisted plan."
"We travelled to each singularity, a different point in history for each one, and corrected the flow of time. We met heroic spirits, heroes from the past, and the future, who were summoned to these singularities or were the cause of them. Those were my friends, and probably where that divinity came from."
"It wasn't easy and we barely survived most times, even with help from heroic spirits, but we did it. We saved Earth, at least, that's what we thought." Hestia listened intently, becoming more and more fascinated with his tale. What he was saying, from what she understood, was far different from what she knew.
"After a singularity in Salem, Massachusetts, something happened after all the heroic spirits left Chaldea and it was only us humans. We were attacked by an unknown enemy, and despite doing what we could, we were overwhelmed. I escorted who I could to a vehicle and pushed Fujimaru in, before I delivered one last attack to buy time."
"I'm not sure of what happened, but an explosion occurred. I remember being swallowed in it, feeling like I was falling, then I woke up in the woods." He finally finished, taking a deep breath to try and calm himself after. "My best guess, is this is a parallel world. How I ended up here without the second true magic, I don't know."
That caught Hestia's interest. Parallel worlds? She heard of such theories, but they were never proven. Though, from what she heard and saw, it was true. He didn't know how or why, but he clearly wasn't from there. However, he didn't have a way home, meaning he was stuck there.
'To have no home, no friends, and no family, I couldn't even begin to imagine. Though, this does explain why he feels so familiar, yet unfamiliar. He must have met other divinities, as well as Greek divinities. He's changed and doesn't even know it.' She thought sadly. However, she made a promise to herself.
She became determined once again. 'If he's stuck here, then I'll help him. I won't let him fall into despair.' She thought to herself. "I believe you, Shirou. I truly do, and I promise, I'll help you." She said to him, putting a happy smile on her face. "I think it was fate that led us to each other. So, you don't have to worry."
"You won't be alone here." She said to him, causing Shirou to widen his eyes at her words. He thought about everything that happened to him, before realizing, he did save those he cared about. His mom passed away before he left for Chaldea. Most of his friends were mages or killers. Those that weren't had their own lives.
While he did wish to help Fujimaru, he couldn't return. The best he could hope for, was for them to somehow find and retrieve him. Even that was a long shot. So, really, what was there left to do? He was in a new world, where everything was different.
In front of him was the Greek Goddess Hestia, who was promising to help him and telling him he wouldn't be alone. 'There were monsters in the world and who knows what else.' He thought. 'No matter where I am, I'm an Emiya. That means, I save people.' He thought, before regaining his resolve.
"I understand, Goddess Hestia, I thank you for your help." He said to her, but she immediately changed her expression, looking a bit angry.
"Just Hestia is fine, Shirou. Don't start treating me differently. From now on, we're in this together. Okay?" Shirou looked at her, gazing into her fiery red eyes. He couldn't help but find them beautiful, but managed to nod to her words. However, unknown to him, but Hestia saw something when she looked in his eyes.
She hadn't meant to do it, but the moment she looked into his eyes, she looked into his soul. What she saw, amazed her beyond belief. She saw a whole world, one with a night sky and falling snow. There rose petals, purple butterflies, small cages suspended on sword handles, and a few other objects.
Though, those weren't what caught her eye, they looked like they were simply reflections or items associated with important things. What really caught her eye, were the swords, spears, shields, and the other large variety of weapons that spread as far as the eye could see.
She noticed many of the weapons felt familiar, but were far different from what she knew. She could feel the bonds and memories he had in each one that she saw. One that really felt familiar, was Tauropolos, a bow that was blessed by Artemis and Apollo.
She then realized, Shirou was far more special than she had ever realized. He had an internal world, with infinite legendary weapons, each that she had a feeling he knew how to use. Each was special and some even held divinity. Specifically some red barbed spears, a purple scythe with a chain, and multiple katanas and swords.
'Hephaestus must never learn about this.' She thought to herself. Before she returned to the moment she entered his soul. Without missing a beat, she merely smiled as Shirou nodded. 'Shirou, you have no idea how special you are, do you?'
Shirou stayed in the Hestia's hut for months, often conversing with Hestia and spending time with the Goddess, telling stories and other things, like showing some talents he picked up. He often hunted in the forest, killing monsters who appeared and guiding lost hikers back to their trail. Hestia revealed that he was in the Rockies, in a forest on a mountain.
They were in a rather remote area, so no one would stumble upon the hut by accident, especially the mist and bounded fields set up. He enjoyed his time there, especially when he saw her smile and laugh when he told her stories. His time in Chaldea often had its fun moments too, after all.
She enjoyed hearing about his time with the people and heroes she remembered, as well as hearing about the lands he traveled. She was amazed at the differences in history as well, with Shirou being similarly surprised. He was saddened to hear about Medusa and her sisters, as he was when he first heard it.
He had grown close to the gorgon sisters, so it didn't help that their fate was still the same. He wasn't surprised to learn that most gods were still ego maniacal children with great power, though he was holding out hope that he was wrong about that in some way.
Hestia had showed him that not all gods were horrible, so if he ever met another, he would give them a chance, but he wanted to punch Poseidon in the face at least once. Maybe a few others, but mainly him. He did wish to see a few of the people he remembered, but was a bit afraid of their personality shift.
In particular, Circe and Medea. When he heard about how they were here, he was wary of ever meeting them. He was also wary about meeting Artemis, considering Orion wasn't the same in this world. Though, he would find this out the hard way. Hestia had given him a protective charm that would hide his scent and divinities.
She had given it to him, in case he wished to visit cities and towns. Which he did, because he was wanted to try and help those that he could. Though, the two often went together when she had time. Strangely enough, he found that Hestia was a rather sneaky goddess.
She had managed to spend a decent amount of time with him, despite needing to keep up appearances in Olympus. No one had asked about her or where she went. It was a rather peaceful existence for awhile, one that Shirou found to be enjoyable.
He hadn't used his rifle or anything in awhile, preferring to use his bow and a few swords that he traced. He didn't wish to draw attention to himself or Hestia. Though, he did continue to wear Ereshkigal's scarf, as it was rather important to him.
He had begun to wear the jacket he wore in Babylonia, since he found it went with his scarf, as well as being a reminder of Fujimaru. There were times that he would wonder what she was doing, but knew that she had capable friends with her.
Shirou often travelled after he finally decided to leave the mountain after some months. Mainly, when Hestia had to be gone for large periods of time. Thankfully for him, Hestia had given him a gift, well, actually a few gifts, but the main one helped him travel. It was a black and red motorcycle, one that didn't need gas.
Rather, it ran on magical energy, which was amazing. He didn't even know such a thing existed, but supposedly, Hestia just asked someone to make it for her and that was that. He was still amazed that she was able to do that sometimes. Especially when she was able to get him papers for his identity, which helped immensely.
He decided to visit one of the big forests one day, Cherokee National Forest if he remembered correctly, particularly when he smelled the scent of something strange. He wasn't exactly keen on being in the domain of Artemis, especially with the sun setting, but the scent troubled him.
Shirou ventured off the main path, followed the scent and tracks of what he was following. Unlike others, he never saw or felt the mist, so he never knew when he passed barriers until he felt a shift in the air. Which was exactly what happened when he was deep in the forest.
The scent thickened, though he picked up more scents, as well as the smell of blood. He noticed the other scents were human, or well, mostly human. He was having a hard time differentiating humans from special humans. He needed to be closer to actually tell.
However, the fact that there was something similar to humans and blood was never a good sign. "Trace on." He activated his magic circuits and called his black bow. He quickly dashed through the woods, eventually deciding to jump onto the branches of the trees as Atalanta had taught him.
Granted, he wasn't nearly as good as her. He would occasionally fall after a tree branch snapped, so it wasn't something he did all that often. However, this was an emergency. This world was different from what he knew, but he still felt a need to save others.
Hestia did warn him not to stand out too much, but some things outweighed his own personal safety. Such as the safety of the innocent. 'Besides, what's the worst that could happen?' He thought to himself. He still had Hestia's charm that hid him, so really, it wasn't a big deal.
His eyes finally caught sight of what he was tracking, that being a group of ten young girls dressed in silver, each smelled of nature. They were all in rough shape, though a few managed to still be in that state to fight. 'The others will die if they don't get medical attention.'
He noticed a large arrow then come into view and nearly pierced on of the young women, however, they managed to dodge at the last second. Without a second thought, Shirou lifted his bow and nocked an arrow, firing off an arrow with magical energy directly towards the hidden attacker.
He couldn't tell who or what it was, but it wasn't a human, he know that much. It was too large, though he could tell it was some sort of hunter. The girls wouldn't hold out much longer, so it didn't matter, even if they appeared to be capable huntresses. They weren't normal humans, so he held out hope they'd be okay.
The moment his arrow exploded, he saw a look of surprise on the huntresses faces. Granted, he understood, his range was quite long. Archer could fire up to four kilometers, while Shirou could only manage two at the moment. Maybe if he used runes and magecraft, he could up that to three, but he was fine where he was at.
He was a little under two kilometers right now, so he was confident in hitting his mark. He then continued, firing multiple shots and seeing the arrow he was hitting explode. He knew that the enemy hadn't moved yet. Just as he was about to project a low ranked noble phantasm, the branch under his foot broke causing him to fall.
However, just as he did, a large arrow hit where he would have been, causing his eyes to widen. 'It seems I'll have to try harder.' He thought, before landing on his feet. He still had some pouches on his belt, just in case he required a different method of attack. He didn't want to fight up close, but he was thinking he needed to.
Whoever this opponent was, they were not on the level of someone he could fight halfheartedly. He positioned him behind a tree, before taking a few deep breaths. "I am the bone of my sword." He could feel all of his circuits begin to awaken. With each one, he remembered a time of his training.
He remembered training his close combat with the mightiest of the heroic servants, learning archery with legendary archers, perfecting his magecraft with casters that could put anyone in the modern age to shame. He learned many things over his time in Chaldea, and he would put them to use.
'I won't let any of you down.' He thought to himself, before moving from the tree just as an arrow pierced the trunk. Another arrow came, but it was easily dodged. More and more were fired, however, Shirou simply weaved through them, before firing off arrows of his own.
Those that were predicting where he would be, were shot down first. He wouldn't allow someone to best him here. He had trained too hard and with too many people to allow such a thing to pass. He raised his bow and batted away an arrow, allowing it to fall to the wayside. 'Analysis complete, projection ready.'
Two swords then appeared in his hands, one black and one white. They were the married blades, Kanshou and Bakuya, the preferred weapon of his future self. Each arrow that came forward were cut down and parried away. The runes on his boots activated, causing him to burst forward with greater speed.
He noticed that each arrow was striking harder and with more precision, however, it didn't matter. The swords would hold, even if they didn't, he had more ready. He saw the group of girls notice him, finally. He could see shock evident on his eyes, as well as a bit of contempt, though he also noticed fear present in their eyes.
He didn't dwell on it, it wasn't any of his business anyways. He only needed to make sure they didn't die. He continued forward, before beginning the process of his projection once again. Just as he reached them, the projection completed, he held out his hand and a large blades formed in front of him.
They weren't too large, but they offered enough cover to protect the girls from any stray arrows. He had to admit, Gilgamesh had quite a large amount of weapons that weren't wieldable for normal people. It would have been impressive if he didn't have a natural dislike for his Archer form.
'At least his Caster form wasn't nearly as bad.' He thought to himself, before turning towards the groups girls. "I don't know what's going on, but if you stick around any longer, those wounds will end up being the death of you. I'll hold this thing off and give you time to escape." He said simply, before turning forward again.
He knew that the swords wouldn't hold against the strength of those arrows, especially with them coming even quicker and stronger than before. He reached into his jacket and pulled out some gloves. They were imbued with magecraft and runes, so they would give him an edge, just in case.
He then bit his lip, causing it to bleed, before taking the blood and writing a small rune on his temple. "Kenaz." He whispered, before reaching into one of the pouches and pulling out a small blue gem. He used Bakuya to inscribe a rune on it, "Keep this on the one whose in charge, when you leave, stay together. It will protect you."
He then threw on of the stones to one of the girls, "Tiwaz." The moment one of the girls caught it, a barrier formed around them. Their eyes widened, realizing that the one in front of them must have been a magician, or even a demigod, though he didn't really feel like one, nor smell like one.
One of the girls, presumably the leader stepped up. "We didn't need your help, but thank you. My name is Mia, one of the huntresses of Artemis." She revealed, before looking him in the eyes. "Be careful, that monster is Orion. We're still young huntresses, so we couldn't do much, but I promise, I'll come back with help."
The moment she revealed who was fighting him, Shirou's eyes widened and his blood ran cold. 'Orion?' A sad look appeared on his face. 'What could have possessed you to do such a thing, Orion?' He shook his head, before looking back towards Mia.
'Hestia said most of the huntresses hated men, but she did say they were young, so maybe they haven't fully developed into man-haters just yet.' She had blonde hair with green highlights, and appeared to be in her mid to late teens. Her overall appearance reminded him of Atalante, without the animal features.
He offered a sincere smile, "No, thanks necessary. If you want to thank me, get out of here alive and see to your injured. That'll be enough. Now, go, I've got this." He said to her, unknowingly mimicking the words he would say to Ritsuka from time to time.
The girls then gathered up their comrades and began to head deeper into the forest, though they weren't moving too fast, as they were all pretty banged up. However, when Shirou turned forward, he failed to notice Mia turn around and look upon him once again.
He was sincere with his words and his smile matched that sincerity. He was strong and she knew that he was strong. Just from the look in his eyes and the way he stood, she could tell that he was a hero. She wished to know more about him, if only to thank him later, if he survived.
But, her first priority was the other hunters. She refused to allow them to die, especially since they were still young and she was the leader for this hunt. They hadn't planned on running into Orion here, but she knew that, without the strange man's appearance, they would have likely been brutally killed.
She would need to get reinforcements and return with haste to save the young man. Hopefully, she would be fast enough, otherwise, Orion would escape and their savior would die. That was not something she was willing to let happen. The girls then hurried their pace the moment their heard steel shatter.
The moment the swords broke, Shirou de-materialized everything else, before charging forward and swiping away arrows. However, he was surprised when the arrows stopped. He knew Orion knew that his swords were cracked. Of course, he knew that Orion was clueless about his magecraft.
His thoughts were cut short when a deep voice called out. "I was surprised by your talent in the bow. I had thought you to be a demigod, or maybe even one of HER hunters, but I see now, that you are naught but a human. I admit, I'm impressed. However, I must tell you to step aside and cease your foolish actions human."
Shirou saw Orion step out of the shadows of the trees, seeing a nearly ten foot tall muscular and handsome man with dark hair. His eyes were mechanical, appearing like night vision goggles, and his clothes resembled and old fashioned hunter. The moment Shirou looked at his bow, he felt a sharp pain, before he shook it off.
He saw many images of death, of many huntresses and animals. He saw many things, but the bow was forged after his time with Artemis, so he didn't see what caused him to be the way he was. However, what he saw was enough to cause Shirou's blood to boil.
"I'm afraid I can't do that. You are going to kill those girls, despite the fact your quarrel isn't with them. I don't know what caused you to be this way, but I cannot let this stand." He said in a calm voice. 'I must correct this, for my friends, Artemis and Orion. I will not allow you to taint their memory.'
He heard Orion scoff. "Those girls are Artemis's huntresses, as such, they are part of this. I don't know what stake you have in this, why you, a human, would attempt to fight me. But, if I have to kill you to get to them, then very well. But, tell me one thing." He said to him, raising a finger as he did so.
Shirou's eyes narrowed, "Are you doing this, because you have a relationship with a god? Or do you maybe feel something for one of THEM? No human in their right mind would face a giant, let alone any other monster or magic creature. I mean, didn't you wonder why I stand here unfazed by your attacks?"
"It's because a human cannot kill me. Humans aren't worthy enough to even be harmed by most weapons of divine beings, so, why are you doing this? You must know, you will die here. So, tell me." He said to him with genuine curiosity.
Shirou only let out a sigh. "I am friends with a goddess, yes. Though, that friendship isn't what decided this. Perhaps, I am not in my right mind. I wouldn't know. However, I intervened, because those girls needed to be saved. No more, no less. Even if I die here, if even one of them can be saved, then I will die with a smile on my face."
His words caught the giant off guard. He then began to laugh. It was a laugh that was demeaning, one that thought the whole idea was absurd. Shirou had heard it many times. However, he didn't care. This thing didn't know about what Shirou had been through. He didn't know about those he saved and those he loved.
Maybe he was crazy, but it didn't matter. He would fight and chase that dream, the unfulfilled dream of the man who had saved him so long ago. His mother told him about him and he admired those goals. A Hero of Justice, that was what that man wished to be. The dream that saved his mother, the dream that saved him.
He would be a Hero of Justice, if it meant he could do for others, what had been done for his mother and him. The smile he saw on his mother's face when she spoke of the time he found and saved her, that smile was what he wanted to be on others faces.
If he could make others smile in their darkest times, that would be enough. His mother wasn't one to show emotion, but when she did, it was always a beautiful sight. Those smiles and moments of happiness were only possible because there was someone who wished to be a hero.
Maybe he was going about it wrong, maybe he wasn't as heroic, perhaps he wasn't strong enough, but it didn't matter. Even in a world where gods as kind as Hestia existed, there was still suffering and those that needed to be saved. Because of that, he would strive to be the Hero of Justice the world needed.
"You would put your life on the line to save others? How utterly ridiculous. You are a fool. Whatever it is you wished to accomplish will die out here, human. I will track down those huntresses and kill them, so just know, that what you're doing is nothing more than a mistake." Shirou felt his hands clench the swords tighter.
"Very well, giant. I've heard those words before, and just like then, I won't falter in my beliefs. Saving those girls, will never be a mistake." He said to him, dropping the swords in his hands. "However, there is one thing I must do, a wrong that must be righted."
"Oh, and what's that?" The giant said with a smirk on his face, obviously looking down on Shirou.
"You have been corrupted by hate and vengeance, as such, I must stop you here. That is my obligation as a friend. I don't know what happened to you, but you have lost your way. So, I will stop you, for the memories of the two I called my friends." He lifted his hand in air, before a burst of magical energy erupted from it.
The giant's eyes narrowed, before he quickly pulled his bow up while nocking an arrow, intent on shooting Shirou down. "I am the bone of my sword." An ominous blood red spear appeared in Shirou's hand, before another appeared in his off hand. The spearheads being as long as a short sword.
Before he could fire his arrow, both spearheads came forward causing the giant to deftly move out of the way, while using his bow to push one of the spears away from him. For some reason, he felt like those spears had the ability to harm him, even if it was a human wielding them.
"Tch." He then jumped back with his strength, firing an arrow as he did so, however, Shirou simply spun one of the spears and deflected the blow. 'I need to get him in the right position. I have an idea.' Shirou thought to himself. "Steel is my body and fire my blood."
The giant quirked his brow, wondering what the human was doing. However, he didn't have much time to ponder, as Shirou burst forward with much quicker speed than before, extending the spear by allowing the spear to slide forward on his hand grabbed the edge of the handle.
This was followed by swinging the second spear the side, slashing towards where Orion would land. He quickly pulled out his hunting knife and used his bow to block the strike. He would admit, the human was much stronger than he thought, as well as much faster. He was faster than most demigods, if he was being honest.
Even the strikes had some genuine weight to them. Whoever he was, Orion wouldn't hold back. He couldn't, otherwise Artemis would arrive with her huntresses and he wasn't confident in that match-up. So, he'd kill the human and escape. "I have withstood over a thousand blades." Another strange chant.
It was as if the human was reciting a poem of some kind. He let out a growl, before attacking himself. With furious swings from both his bow and knife, the human's eyes narrowed, before spinning the spears and parrying or dodging the strikes. Strikes which shouldn't be able to be dodged.
However, the human did just that. However, Orion could tell what he blocked was getting to him. He could keep up for now, but he would tire. "Forged in battle, I strive onward." The next line came, though now Orion could feel the magic in the words, however, he wasn't worried.
As Shirou finally made a mistake. He slowed only slightly, but it was enough for an arrow to strike his thigh. However, Shirou didn't react, he only continued to attack and defend. Though, even he knew he was no Scathach. He couldn't keep up this level of combat for much longer.
One more slip up, the knife sliced his arm and part of his chest. However, Shirou used that attack to land a hit on Orion, stabbing the giant in the leg. Orion wasn't worried, at least, not until the wound didn't heal. With a quick kick, Orion struck Shirou's stomach, however, Shirou managed to block the attack with his spears.
The strike pushed Shirou back until he hit a tree, where more arrows began to rain down on him. Shirou quickly used his spears the swipe away the attacks, though some arrows hit his arms, left shoulder, his right leg, and one hit his chest. "Withstood pain to create weapons, pushing past the limits."
He could feel his body beginning to creak under the continued pressure he was putting on it, but he couldn't stop. Rather than stop, he pushed farther. Even with his wounds, he wouldn't slow any farther. He dodged and parried away arrows, before Orion slashed at his neck.
Shirou stepped back and swung one of his spears at the same time, both men hitting the other. Orion was cut on the chest, Shirou on the left side of his face. "I have no regrets, this is the only path." He went through one more line, before jumping back with all his strength. "My body will always be..."
Orion's eyes filled with rage at being struck twice, by a human no less. 'No, it's time to end this.' He thought, before using every ounce of his strength to charge forward with is knife. He brought the knife down towards Shirou's head, far faster than any attack he made previously. "Unlimited Blade Works." But it was too late.
A light exploded from Shirou's chest, a ring of flames spread from his body and engulfed the entire area. The whole thing blinded Orion and caused him to recoil and attempt to protect himself from any attack. However, he felt nothing.
He then looked around, realizing that he wasn't in the forest any longer. In fact, he couldn't feel his connection to the world like he did previously. This land of blades was unlike anything he had ever seen. There were weapons of all kinds, not to mention many different types of bows.
He was wary of the moon, as well as the many different items scattered around. However, he couldn't focus on that now, he needed to kill the human now. Otherwise, he would be caught, and he wasn't going to allow that. However, what he didn't know, was that Shirou was counting on Orion's slight break in concentration.
"Stab and pierce..." Orion turned and saw Shirou thrusting the spear in his left hand forward, striking him in the chest. Though, he didn't feel it penetrate his body, however, his body was immediately pulled off the ground and into the air, his arms and legs being restricted by red energy "Thrust and Drill!"
No matter what he tried, he couldn't move. Even with everything he tried, he could only manage to struggle a bit. However, he knew that this wouldn't hold long. What he didn't know, was that it didn't need to hold long. He looked back down at Shirou and saw him holding the second spear back like a javelin.
The spear was radiating a red energy, twirling around the spearhead like a cyclone. It had engulfed the entire spear, causing Orion's eyes to widen. The signature of the spear was one he recognized. It was one from Ireland. If it was what he thought it was, then... "Wait!"
Shirou, however, had gathered the required magical energy, that being a whole lot. He then stepped forward, "Gae Bolg Alternative!" He released the spear, causing a shockwave of energy to explode from it. The spear flew fast and quick, causing multiple booms, before finally striking Orion in the heart.
The energy travelled through and onwards into the sky, before Orion and the spear exploded. Shirou's arm was now busted and he was injured, however, he had a feeling he couldn't go back empty handed. He quickly grabbed the purple scythe that appeared next to him, just as Unlimited Blade Works deactivated.
Shirou was leaning forward on the scythe. His blood dripping from his wounds and his arm hanging limp at his side. He limped forward, heading towards the area he knew Orion's body was. He had one last thing he needed to do. When he reached him, he saw Orion laying on the ground.
A giant hole in his chest and his body was nearly torn to shreds. Shirou didn't know if he was dead or not, but he wasn't going to take the chance. He mustered what strength he had left, lifting the scythe in the air and bringing it down onto the giant's neck, severing his head entirely.
Right after, the weapon dissipated. 'With Harpe, I know you're dead. Hopefully, you can rest now. I wonder, was my Orion as strong as you?' He shook his head. 'No, I have a feeling that he was far stronger than you, but still, I would have lost if you didn't underestimate me and let me finish my chant.'
He shook his head, deciding he didn't want to stick around. He began to limp away, trying to go as fast as he could. He didn't stick around to see if the body would dissipate or not, as he only wanted to go home and rest. He needed to fix his arm and patch up his wounds.
Honestly, if he hadn't activated those runes beforehand, he may have died. If he didn't use runes and reinforcement to the max, he would have met his end far sooner. 'Preparation is always the first thing before a battle.' He thought, remembering many of the heroic spirits telling him that.
'I hope Hestia's busy. I'd rather she didn't see me like this.' He thought to himself, taking a deep breath. It was going to be a long day and long ride home. He thought about stopping at a hotel, but thought better of it. Besides, his motorcycle was pretty fast and had some pretty decent functions.
Mia was not in the best of moods. She wanted to try and save the stranger who saved her, but it took forever for them to return to their campsite where their healing items were. After that, they contacted the other huntresses and Artemis. Despite them being with Artemis, it still took hours to arrive.
'There's no way he's still alive.' She thought sadly. However, since they were still alive, she knew that Artemis and the huntresses could track him down. She quickly led them through the forest, finally reaching the spot where she left her savior. What they found amazed everyone, even their goddess.
The entire area was littered with marks from blades, arrows, and craters. There was a lot of blood in multiple areas, as well as fallen trees and destroyed rocks. She noticed Artemis's eyes were narrowed as she checked everything, however, they all heard an audible gasp from her, causing them all to become surprised.
That was before they followed suit. In another clearing, one that was far more destroyed than the one previously, was the slowly dissipating head of Orion. His bow was laying a short distance away. 'How strange, I wonder why it's taking so long?'
She then shook her head, before realizing something that caused her eyes to widen. 'Orion's dead.' She thought. 'He actually managed to kill him. But, wait, how? Could another god have come and saved him?' She couldn't fathom something like this happening.
However, there was one indisputable fact, Orion was now dead. The huntresses, animals, amazons, and their goddess no longer had to worry about him. He wasn't going to hunt them down anymore. Honestly, the whole thing seemed unimaginable to them.
"What was the name of the one who did this?" Was the simple question from their goddess. Mia quickly ran forward and stood up straight to report to her.
"Um, I'm not sure milady. He didn't give a name. He was busy trying to keep him from attacking us. He gave us this. It activated some kind of barrier when he spoke in some kind of language." She said, offering her goddess the gem he threw to them.
Artemis took the gem, inspecting it closely. 'Runes?' She thought to herself. 'We would have known if one of the other pantheons entered America. So, this had to be someone who had the knowledge.' She looked towards the head of Orion. 'I must find the one who killed him.' She thought to herself.
"Search the surroundings for anything that could be used to track him. Someone wrap up the bow and store it away. Those spoils belong to another." She said to her huntresses. Her huntresses then scattered, hurrying along with her orders. She reached down and touched the blood.
'A human? So, I'm looking for an exceptional human with knowledge on runes. I'll follow the trail of blood, it seems to lead away from the battle.' She quickly tracked the blood, following it until it reached a small spot on the side of the road. She noticed the tracks of what appeared to be a motorcycle.
They seemed to begin to head away from the forest, before they just disappeared. As if they just vanished into thin air. However, she could tell what happened. 'So, he was teleported away by someone, or had the ability to teleport himself. I'll need to investigate.' She thought to herself. 'I will find you, stranger.'
Shirou had many happy memories. Hestia had looked through them when she felt like Shirou trusted her enough. She was surprised when she looked through his memories at first. She had originally believed his mother to have been rather bad, but realized that she was just as damaged as Shirou was.
He had shared a lot of his past with her, including some fun stories about Chaldea. She particularly enjoyed hearing about his version of Artemis. She couldn't imagine Artemis being an overly loving maiden, or the psychopathic Orion as a small teddy bear because of Artemis.
She shook her head, she was getting off track. Shirou and his mother were both damaged individuals who didn't possess a sense of self. It was actually a very odd thing to witness, but the more she watched, the more she was intrigued. She watched as the two slowly transformed.
The two found a sense of self in each other. She watched, arguably, the worst person to be a mother slowly transform into a proper mother. Someone who showed no emotion began to have them, even if they weren't conveyed a whole lot.
Then there was Shirou. He learned by watching others, being a very impressionable kid and somehow becoming the man he was now. From a mother who was a professional killer, to even past heroes, and everything in-between, they all shaped him into who he was.
He was still damaged and she could see times where he would slip, but those times were becoming fewer as he spent more time in his new world. She often wondered if she would ever see a time where he would be able to express himself like a normal person.
Though, there were times where she wanted to throttle him, such as now. Now, Hestia was, arguably, the kindest and most loving and caring goddess there was. She wasn't one to get angry, but when she did, it was never a good thing. Shirou hadn't really caused her to be angry, considering he never did anything to warrant it.
He did do things to annoy her, like constantly fighting monsters and protecting people. She didn't mind it too much, but he was starting to be noticed by some of the demigods. So, she decided she needed to speak with him about these habits. However, when she returned, he was nowhere to be found.
She assumed he was out traveling, as she did tell him she would be busy. However, when she decided to check on him, she found him getting on his motorcycle with several serious injuries. She quickly transported him back home, before grabbing him and taking him inside.
She hadn't seen his injuries this bad since she found him in the forest. She did her best to treat him, though it was obvious that he lost too much blood to stay conscious for too long. So, she let him sleep, but not before he told her about what he did. It was what he told her that caused her to want to hit him and interrupt his sleep.
But, she held it in. 'It's fine, he only killed one of the biggest mortal enemies of the gods and huntresses ever. It's not a big deal. It will be fine.' She thought, putting a sweet smile on her face. 'It is not fine, not at all!' She thought with a groan. 'Artemis is going to be looking for him now, I just know it.'
Hestia began to pace back and forth, wondering what to do. Shirou didn't give a name out, he had her charm, and he didn't leave any weapons there. The motorcycle was brought back with him. 'The only thing I need to worry about is his blood. Artemis could track it, but I teleported him away, so that should be safe.'
"Why did you have to go and save them, Shirou? I mean, I'm happy you did, but I don't want anyone to find out about you and try to kill you, particularly Zeus." Needless to say, she was exasperated. "What am I going to do? I need to ask someone, but who could I trust with this?"
As she pondered on the question, she came to a decent conclusion. 'Maybe mother could help me? I mean, if there was someone who could help me, it'd be her.' She thought to herself. 'But, she tends to hide and wander around. So, how am I going to find her.'
"So, this is the mortal that's caught your eye, I must say, I'm rather surprised." She heard a very familiar voice from behind her, she quickly turned and saw Rhea, the mother of the gods standing over Shirou's sleeping body. She hadn't changed since the last time she had seen her mother.
Dressed in jeans, shirt, and a jean jacket, her brown hair hanging freely behind her. Hestia was rather surprised, as her mother just happened to appear. "Don't be so surprised, I heard you thinking about me and I found your plight interesting. Especially because of this one." She said with a smile as she pointed at Shirou.
Hestia let out a sigh. "Do you think you could help me? I'm not sure what to do." She said, figuring she'd get it out of the way.
"Well, first, you should run back to your hearth before Artemis suspects you. After she leaves, I'll still be here. I'll watch over him for you. It's been awhile since I've spoken with such an interesting human." She replied, causing Hestia to realize she was right.
Without saying anything, and trusting her mother implicitly, she quickly teleported back to the hearth, leaving Rhea alone with Shirou. She let out a small hum as she inspected the young man. She reached out and touched his forehead.
The moment she did, she saw what Shirou was seeing at that moment. She looked around and him standing on a piece of rubble overlooking a sea of flames. She already knew what he was watching, but was surprised that he was so calm when he looked upon it, before she came to realization.
"You see this quite a lot, don't you?" Shirou's head popped up, before he turned his head to look over his shoulder. She began to walk up with a smile on her face. Though, Shirou only responded with a small smile.
"You look a lot like Hestia, you even smile the same." He said to her, causing her eyes to widen, before she chuckled at his words.
"Well, you have it backwards, Hestia looks like me. I'm her mother, Rhea." She revealed to him, surprising him. He shook his head and let out a small laugh at his situation.
"She mentioned you. It's a pleasure to meet you. I'm sure you already know who I am. To answer your earlier question, yes, I often see this place. Less than I used to, but I still see it every once in awhile." He answered her, looking back towards the flames and the young boy walking amidst them.
Rhea walked up beside him and saw the same sight, becoming saddened at the thought of such a thing. Shirou's eyes narrowed, before he looked up into the sky. "I see the flames, but since arriving here, I now see those before the landscape changes." He said, pointing up towards seven bright lights descending downwards.
Then, everything froze, before the dream began to shake. Rhea was rather amazed at what she was seeing. Not so much the sights, but rather the fortitude of the man beside her. To survive such things was no easy feat. To lose so much, yet still have the will to continue forwards.
Unlike Hestia, she was able to see a lot more than her daughter. The moment she was present in the dream, she was able to see a whole lot of the man's life. Even seeing memories that weren't his. She had a feeling, if any other person was where he was, they would have broken long ago.
After the shaking stopped, the landscape completely changed with a flash of light. Then, the two were standing in a land of blades. This was what Rhea was interested in. The moment she saw it, she was intrigued. This was the deepest part of Shirou Emiya. It was his soul.
I had written this some time ago, long before I wrote my first story on here. It was my first foray into Fanfiction and was really not good. I had to go back and clean up so much and even then, it's a bit off on some things. I mainly put this up and made it a one-shot because one of my readers mentioned a percy jackson crossover and I remembered writing one awhile ago, so I was like, "Oh, I can put that up as a one shot for them." So, hope you all enjoy it. For those of you worried about this being another story, don't be concerned. This will stay as a one shot for a good while, unless I get a bunch of people wanting me to continue it, in which case, I'll add more to it after my other stories progress a lot more. Anyways, I hope you all enjoy the read. I will answer any questions anyone has, I usually answer. Until next time friends