"Phew. Guess after days with that prototype mystic code hasn't dulled my skills...although now I have a weird feeling of shooting beams out of my swords..." Shirou thought as he was practicing his magecraft in Chaldea's training room.
It has been a few days since the day Shirou had the prototype mystic code destroyed. While Shirou was glad that he got both his magecraft and outfit back after the prototype mystic code was destroyed, he was still confused about how a prototype mystic code Da Vinci made had a costume that looked like a magical boy from anime.
As Shirou was focusing on his magecraft, he didn't notice a servant coming into the room.
That servant was Scathach, the queen of the land of shadows.
Who happened to be Cu and his alternate versions' teacher.
"So, that's the kid Setanta and his alternate versions were talking about..." Scathach as her thoughts went back to the time where she had to interrogate them about Emiya Shirou...
(A few days ago...)
"So, what's this I've been hearing about someone copying Gae Bolg? Huh?" Scathach asked in a menacing voice.
"W-Well...it's sort of a-" Lancer Cu stutteringly said.
"Answer me," Scathach said authoritatively while menacingly at the same time with her hands crossed.
Lancer Cu, Proto Cu, Caster Cu, and Berserker Cu slumped their heads in defeat and prepared themselves for the interrogation that was about to come. "Crap, I think we screwed the kid over..." they thought in unison.
"Well, I'm waiting..." she said as she was tapping her foot.
Lancer Cu sighed in defeat and said, "Well...do you remember where I told you about the time that I failed to kill a certain magus three times in a holy grail war?"
"Yes. And I remember increasing your training afterwards because of it," Scathach replied.
Lancer Cu sighed again as he remembered the hellish experience he went through after that. "That certain magus that I failed to kill three times is the same kid that copied Gae Bolg."
"Is that so?"
"Yeah. And apparently, the kid can not only copy Gae Bolg, but he can also copy our fighting styles as well."
Scathach was slightly amused when hearing this. "Really?"
"Yeah."
"Huh. And I assumed that he beat all of you?"
Lancer Cu, Proto Cu, Caster Cu, and Berserker Cu gulped after hearing Scathach's question.
"Well?"
"Y-Yes..." they muttered in unison.
For a moment, she didn't say anything, making Lancer Cu, Proto Cu, Caster Cu, and Berserker Cu freaking out on the inside.
Because when Scathach is quiet for a while, she's thinking of something painful.
"Oh crap! I've got a bad feeling about this!" they thought in unison.
"Setanta."
"Y-Yes?!"
"Tomorrow, I'm doubling your training menu. Prepare yourselves until then," she said as she walked out of the room Lancer Cu, Proto Cu, Caster Cu, and Berserker Cu were in.
Lancer Cu, Proto Cu, Caster Cu, and Berserker Cu sweatdropped as they heard that. "Well, we're screwed...and maybe the kid too..." they thought in unison.
"Hm...a magus that can copy weapons at sight and is able to copy fighting styles as well...he seems interesting..." Scathach thought as she walked out.
(Back to the present...)
Scathach was walking up behind Shirou, not letting herself being known with her presence concealment skill. As she was directly behind him, she let herself be known to him.
"You seem to be doing something interesting."
Shirou's eyes widen and he turned his head in awe to see Scathach in her beauty and wearing her skin-tight black bodysuit.
"Is my face that fascinating?" Scathach asked, sounding amused.
Shirou snapped out of his daze and asked, "Who are you?"
Scathach gracefully stood, revealing her goddess-like body in full. "My name is Scathach, the queen of the land of shadows. I am a god-killer and teacher of the Child of Light, who you may know by the name of Cu Cuchulainn."
Shirou was surprised to see after hearing her introduction. "I-I see. My name is Emiya Shirou."
"I see...so that is your name then."
"So...Scathach, how did you find out about me?"
"Well...I was told about you from Setanta and his alternate versions..."
"I see, and why are you here right now?"
"Well, after hearing you defeating Setanta and his alternate versions has made me have an interest in you. What's more is that you were able to copy Gae Bolg and his fighting style as well, in which I taught him. Therefore, I wish to fight you."
Shirou gulped as he heard that. "You aren't mad, aren't you?"
Scathach laughed at what Shirou just said. "No. Just interested."
"And I can't say no right?"
"Yes."
Shirou sighed. "This is just like what happened with Cu and his alternate versions..." he thought. "Well, follow me to the arena," he said as he went to the training arena.
Scathach accepted Shirou's request and followed him to the arena. As they arrived on the arena, Shirou and Scathach went into different corners of the arena. Shirou then drew his katana while Scathach drew her spears.
"Ready?"
"Yeah."
"Well then, here I go!"
Scathach charged at him, using a tenth of her strength. She wanted to see what he was capable of, not overwhelm him with just sheer strength. Especially after hearing from Cu and his alternate versions on how he beat all of them and gave them a good fight. She swatted at him with her spears only for him to hop over them, and swing at her with his own blade. Scathach moved back, avoiding an injury by a hair's breadth. She then spun her spears deftly in her hands, getting him outside of her guard before she poked at him repeatedly through the many holes in Shirou's defense.
And yet, he sidestepped, deflected, and dodged every single attack she threw at him, before swinging her sword at her again. He just managed to tap her on the tip of her nose this time, surprising her.
"How is he doing that? His stance is full of openings. I've counted at least 30 openings in his stance and yet he avoided every strike I threw at him...I can see why Setanta and his alternate versions have trouble fighting against him."
Emiya Shirou kept facinating her to no end. She wanted to learn more. Scathach put a little more power into her strikes now, and Shirou still countered her every strike back.
At that point, both sides decided to distance the space between each and moved back to their sides of the arena.
"You know...you seem pretty good. I can see how Setanta and his other versions would have a hard time defeating you and well...killing you. Heck, you even manage to cut me, and that's something only a few can do," Scathach said with a smile on her face.
"Well thank you for the complement," Shirou replied.
"But...how about you unleash your magecraft on me right now? I am quite interested in how you are able to copy weapons."
Shirou smirked. "As you wish," he said as he raised his arms and said his aria. "Trace on."
In an instant, a copy of Gae Bolg appeared in his hands as he began to position himself into Cu's stance. "Will this suffice?" he asked.
Scathach smiled. "Yes."
In an instant, both servants lunged at each other. Their spears clashing against each other, strike against strike, parry against parry, and guard against guard. Both Shirou and Scathach were copying each other. During this encounter of strikes and parries, Scathach thought to herself, "Wow. Emiya Shirou seems to be a lot better than I expected. The fact that he's not only able to copy Gae Bolg to every detail, but he was able to replicate Setanta's fighting style..."
"Wow. So, this is Cu's teacher? She is a lot stronger and faster than Cu. Well then again, she does have the title, "The Queen of the Land of Shadows..." Shirou thought as he blocked another strike from Scathach.
Eventually, both servants ended their clash with each other and went to their sides of the arena.
"Wow. Never have I ever seen anyone other than Setanta use Gae Bolg so easily, and replicate his fighting style..."
"Are you mad about it? If you want, I can change fighting styles," Shirou asked as he diminished Gae Bolg from his hands.
Scathach smiled. "Don't. I want to see more of it," she said as she readied herself for another strike.
However, it was then that another servant came in.
"Hey other me, is that the kid your student and his counterparts were talking about?"
Shirou and Scathach turned around to see a servant standing in the doorway of the training room. At the doorway was a servant that looked like Scathach, but was wearing a purple dress instead. She was also wearing a crown and instead of wielding a spear, she was carrying a wand.
"Ah. Hey caster me," Scathach said to her caster counterpart.
"Is that-" Shirou asked.
"Yes. That is my caster counterpart," Scathach replied.
Scathach Skadi came up to Shirou and said. "You must be the kid my counterpart's student and his counterparts were talking about."
"Y-Yeah...who are you?"
Scathach Skadi cleared her throat before introducing herself. "My name is Scathach Skadi, a bride of the ancient Norse gods, and the queen of ice and snow."
"I-I see. My name is Emiya Shirou."
"Emiya Shirou...so that is your name...huh?"
"Y-Yeah. How did you know about me Scathach Skadi?"
"Well..." she said as her thoughts went back to what happened earlier...
(A few days ago...)
Scathach Skadi was walking in Chaldea's hallways, getting her daily dose of ice cream. It was then that she passed by the room Cu and his counterparts were in and overheard them muttering about something.
"Crap. We're screwed now...and the kid too..." Lancer Cu muttered.
"No kidding. Not only we have our training menu doubled, but now shishou has her eyes on the kid," Proto Cu said.
"Oh boy, this can't be good for him..." Caster Cu said.
"Yeah. Just imagine the things she'll do to him..." Berserker Cu said.
Lancer Cu, Proto Cu, Caster Cu, and Berserker Cu shuddered at the thought of the things if Scathach managed to find Shirou.
Then they started to pray.
"Kid, if you manage to meet shishou or her alternate version or both at the same time...I pray for your survival..." they thought in unison.
Meanwhile, Scathach Skadi overheard the conversation Lancer Cu had with his counterparts and thought, "A servant outside of Cu and his counterparts has gotten the attention of my counterpart? This I got to see..."
(Back to the present...)
"And that's how I got here," Scathach Skadi said.
Shirou was surprised about the conversation Lancer Cu had with his alternate versions while Scathach looked stoic and didn't say anything. "Jeez, just how scary Scathach can be? To think that Cu and his alternate versions started praying for my safety...that's something I would have never thought to see..."
"Are you listening to me?" Scathach Skadi asked, snapping Shirou out of his thoughts.
"Sorry. Anyways, what are you doing here Scathach Skadi?" Shirou asked.
"Well, after hearing how you apparently got the attention of my counterpart from her student and his alternate versions, I wanted to see if you would measure up to their expectations," Scathach Skadi replied.
"I-I see..."
"Anyways, do you mind if I fight him right now?" Scathach Skadi asked her counterpart.
Scathach thought about it and said, "Sure. I've already had my evaluation of him now."
"And the results?"
Scathach smirked. "He's something alright. He even scratched me a bit."
Scathach Skadi was surprised. "Really?"
"Yeah. Go test him out if you don't believe me," Scathach said as she got out of the arena. Scathach Skadi then entered the arena and drew out her wand.
"Ready?" Scathach Skadi asked.
"Yeah," Shirou replied.
"Well, here I go," she said as she took a step. In an instant, a giant wall of ice appeared, making Shirou to dodge.
"What the?! Did she just summon a wall of ice with her foot?!" Shirou thought.
"Hey, do not get distracted," Scathach Skadi said as she waved her wand around, runes appeared in the air. In an instant, the runes turned into large shards of ice and headed towards Shirou. Shirou immediately dodged the shards of ice, but Scathach Skadi lunged towards Shirou, turned her wand into a giant ice sword. She swung her giant ice sword and Shirou blocked it with his blade. Shirou the pushed the ice blade back with his own and swung his sword at her. However, she jumped back and in an instant, more runes appeared behind her in a circle and she started shooting lasers at him. Shirou then blocked the lasers with his blade, much to Scathach Skadi's surprise.
"Interesting. The fact that he had blocked some of the lasers with his blade and hasn't broken yet...must be a case of reinforcement magecraft," Scathach Skadi thought as Shirou blocked the lasers with a few scratches on his body.
"Wow. So that's Scathach Skadi...it seems I can't let my guard down when it comes to her..." Shirou thought.
For a few minutes, it was silent between the two. Then Scathach Skadi said something.
"Emiya Shirou."
"What is it?"
"You seem to be quite an interesting fellow. To turn something as useless as reinforcement into something quite fearsome...you earned my interest."
"Why thank you."
"Although...is reinforcement magecraft the only thing you know of?"
"Not quite. I do know projection magecraft as well."
"Projection magecraft?"
"Yeah."
"I see...would you like to show it to me?"
"As you wish," Shirou said as he sheathed his blade back into its scabbard and raised his hands. "Trace on."
In an instant, Kanshou and Bakuya appeared in his hands, grabbing Scathach Skadi's interest. "Oh? So, he can use projection magecraft like this...this is interesting..."
"Hm...so he can copy not only spears, but also swords as well...guess Setanta was right after all," Scathach thought as she watched the fight between Shirou and Scathach Skadi.
Meanwhile in the fight, Scathach Skadi jumped and summoned a giant fragment of ice, dropping it on Shirou. Shirou immediately dodged it and threw Kanshou and Bakuya at her. Scathach Skadi dodged it easily and going to shoot more lasers at Shirou.
However, before she could do so, she felt Kanshou and Bakuya coming from behind and immediately dodged it at the last moment. Shirou then caught Kanshou and Bakuya and then headed towards Scathach Skadi. Scathach Skadi then proceeds to shoot more lasers at Shirou, but Shirou was dodging them. While doing that, he also projected multiple copies of Kanshou and Bakuya and started throwing them at Scathach Skadi.
As a result, laser and sword met together, creating both an array of offense and defense for them. Eventually, they got tired of using this tactic and started to switch it up.
"You know, never have I ever seen someone turn a useless magecraft into a formidable weapon," Scathach Skadi said with a grin on a face as she landed on the floor of the arena.
Shirou chucked. "You aren't the only one who has ever said that to me."
"Really?"
"Yeah. Trust me, you have no idea how many people tell me that every time I show it to them..." Shirou said with a sigh.
Scathach Skadi chuckled. "I see," she said as she turned her wand into a giant ice sword. "Let's finish this."
"Agree," Shirou replied as he readied himself in a lunging pose.
After a few seconds of silence between the two, Shirou and Scathach Skadi lunged at each other with their weapons. In a moment, their weapons met each other as they clashed with each other and landed in opposite sides of the arena.
Everything was silent in that moment as Shirou and Scathach Skadi were standing still after that encounter.
It was then that Scathach Skadi broke the silence.
With a laughter.
"Hahahahaha..."
Shirou was confused why Scathach Skadi was laughing.
"Emiya Shirou, you truly are worthy of me and my counterpart's interest. I can see why my counterpart's student and his alternate versions would have a great time fighting you."
"Why thank you."
"Although, you could use some more training."
"I'll take that in mind then," Shirou said as he got off the arena. "Anyways, I got to go right now, so bye Scathach and Scathach Skadi," he said.
"Sure. You go ahead then," Scathach said.
"Yeah."
Shirou then left the training room, leaving Scathach and Scathach Skadi alone.
"He seems to be an nice and interesting fellow, don't you think?" Scathach Skadi asked to her counterpart.
"Yeah. He managed to turn a useless magecraft into a weapon. And he managed to hit me," Scathach replied.
Scathach Skadi was surprised. "Is that so?"
"Yeah."
After hearing Scathach's words, Scathach Skadi thought, "Emiya Shirou...he may have the potential to be a great warrior...wonder if I should train him the next time I see him..."
"Emiya Shirou...Setanta said that he was a magus in the holy grail war he was in...wonder what would happen if I was his servant in the holy grail war he was in..." Scathach thought.
Meanwhile, Lancer Cu and his alternate versions sneezed and shuddered for no reason...