Disclaimer: I own nothing, just the oc. Support the official release.
It is morning in the penthouse as I walk out of the bathroom in my pajamas. Last night, I had a conversation with Khonshu on the importance of utilizing my arsenal to its fullest potential and suggested that I put the [Skill Cards] to good use.
"He doesn't have to sound like a condescending dick though." I mumbled as I made my way towards the main area. I walk up to the table and take a seat next to Illya. "Good morning, onee-chan."
"Good morning, Theo." Illya smiles.
I turn to Fillia. "Good morning, Filla."
Fillia yawns. "Morning."
Good Morning, Leysritt."
"...morning." Leysritt said.
"Good morning, Mashu."
"Good morning, Theo-san." Mashu smiles.
A plate of eggs and bacon is laid down in front of me. "And last but not least, good morning Sella."
"..." Sella doesn't respond as she lays down Illya's breakfast.
I notice Sella's odd behavior. "Is something wrong, Sella?"
"..."
"Sella, Theo is asking you a question." Illya said.
"... nothing is wrong." Sella said.
Fillia drinks her tea. "You shouldn't lie to our lady, Sella."
Sella narrows her eyes at her sister. "I am not lying."
"Sella is an awful liar." Leysritt remarks as she eats the bacon.
"Quiet, Leysritt. And don't eat that with your bare hands!" Sella yelled.
My eyes furrow at the sour atmosphere that permeates the table. Did my blackmail affect her this much? I wasn't even serious about it. I just wanted her off our back.
Without a second thought, I get off my chair and walk up to Sella which confuses the homunculus.
"Is there something wrong with your breakfast?" She asked robotically only to get tackled into a hug by the young boy. "Eh!?"
"I'm sorry, Sella, I didn't mean to threaten you." Sella's eyes widened. "We just wanted to see what the outside world was like. We didn't mean to scare you all like that so please don't be mad at us."
Sella's at a loss for words. "Theo-sama… I am not angry at you. I understand why you did it, and I don't blame you. If there is anyone to blame, it's me." She takes a deep breath. "I was created to protect you and Lady Illyasviel, but I failed." Her body starts to tremble. "When we found you in the streets, I almost had a heart attack. How could I look your parents in the eyes when I made such a blunder?" She then sighs. "You have every right to show them those pictures Theo-sama, I won't stop you." She then smiles. "Hopefully, our replacements can do a better job at protecting you both."
Fillia glances away with a huff while Leyzritt stares at me
"No! I don't want anyone else!" My grip on her waist becomes tighter. "You are my maids! There will be no one that can replace you!"
"Theo-sama…" Sella whispers.
"I won't show them the pictures. So please… promise me you won't go." Sella can hear the sobbing coming from the young man.
The homunculi didn't know how to respond to his words, or the tears. It is only natural for homunculi to be disposed of should they not fulfill their purpose. It's an accepted fact in this world. And yet this boy would shed tears for them…
How could she refuse?
"Young master… I promise I will never leave your side." Sella declares.
I look up with tears and snot in my face. "You promise?"
Sella nods and smiles. "I promise."
I turn my attention to the other homunculi.
Filla sighs. "I'm not going anywhere, brat. So dry your tears already." She then gives the boy a smirk. "Useless you're just that much of a baby."
I blush in embarrassment. "I am not a baby!"
"Crybaby master." Leysritt comments.
"Liz!" I exclaimed.
Illya giggles. "Crybaby otōto!"
"Onee-chan!" My face gets redder as everyone continues to laugh.
I am Thou… Thou art I…
Thou has acquire a new vow,
It shall become the path to Fate
That severe the deceitfulness of corrupted Destiny.
With the birth of the Hierophant Persona,
I have obtained the winds of blessing that
shall guide thee to a true route and new power…
[Hierophant] Confidant [Sella] has been attained!
The following perk [Magical Headmaid] has been unlocked!
Magical Headmaid: Rank C
Increases Spirit by 8
I desperately turn to Mashu. "Mashu, do something!"
"I-I..." The Shield Servant turns her head back and forth anxiously.
Sella calms down. "Alright, alright. That's enough teasing for now. Breakfast is getting cold."
"Haa, finally. I'm starving." Fillia takes a seat but notices something. "Hey, where did all the bacon go!?"
Everyone turns to Leysritt, whose mouth is comically stuffed with food before swallowing it whole.
"*Burp* Thanks for the food." Leysritt said so nonchalantly.
Everyone sweat drops at the homunculus.
Later - Theo's Room
"You must become more accustomed to your gift. If you want to survive this world, you must not waste every tool at your disposal." The voice of Khonshu rings in my head.
I sit on my bed as I open the menu and tap on the [Skills] icon and my list of [Skill Cards] pop up.
I stare at the near gigantic list of skills with conviction. "That last fight with the Assassin showed me just how unprepared I really am. If I want to survive, I need to step up my game." I scroll through the list and select various different skills.
You have selected the following:
Brave Blade
One-Shot Kill
Agilao
Bufula
Zionga
Garula
Psio
Freila
Kouga
Eiga
Megido
Dormina
Diarama
High Counter
Fire Amp
Ice Boost
Elec Amp
Wind Amp
Psy Boost
Nuke Amp
Apt Pupil
Arms Master
Spell Master
Gun Amp
Regenerate 3
Invigorate 3
I sweat drop as I stare at the list. "I may have overdone it."
Would you like to equip these skills?
[Y/N]
I tap the [Yes] icon.
*BA-BUMP!*
"Ugh!" I clutch my chest as my body is overtaken by overwhelming heat. Sweat begins to build up as my body gets hotter, before the feeling slowly fades and goes back to normal.
"T-That was… overwhelming." I wheezed out as I wiped the sweat off my brow.
"The heat in your chest was a warning sign. Your young body has reached its natural limit. If you had equipped more cards, your body would have exploded from the sudden power surge." Khonshu explains.
I breathe in and nod. "How many Personas can I equip?"
"Because your body's brain is still developing, you can only have a set of five at any given time. If you want to change them, you need to come to the Tower of Babel and speak to me personally." My Persona explains.
"Okay."
"I am surprised that you didn't go with more powerful cards. You would have won this war."
"If I did that, then I won't be able to use you guys. What's good about having power if I'm just gonna neglect the friends who helped me get it?" I said.
"... I see." Khonshu says thoughtfully.
I arch an eyebrow as I go back to the main menu and open my [Compendium].
Current Personas Equipped:
Fool: Khonshu
Fool: Obariyon
Fool: High Pixie
Lovers: Pixie
Magician: Jack Frost
I then press Obariyon's name and look at his stat sheet.
Obariyon
Snap
Medium Gun damage to 1 foe.
Cost 9% HP
Sukunda
Decrease Agility of 1 foe for 3 turns.
Cost 8 SP
Lucky Punch
Minuscule Physical damage to 1 foe, high critical rate.
Cost 3% HP
Resist Fear
Reduce susceptibility to Fear.
Dekaja
Negate all -kaja buff effects of all foes.
Cost 10 SP
As I check on my other Personas, I noticed two things: one, the Personas have all of their skills unlocked and two, they have no level gauge meaning that they can't level up. Does this mean that everyone's levels are already maxed out? Yet, I don't remember grinding to the point that their levels reach maximum. Is it because of the rules of this world being so different to that game series?
"I guess I don't have to worry about grinding to get more skills." I comment.
Suddenly, the creaking of the door catches my attention as I quickly close all of the windows and Leysritt comes in.
"Theo-sama, Illya-sama is asking for your presence." Leysritt informed.
"Oh, thank you Liz."
Leysritt gives me a perplexed look. "Why are you calling me that?"
"Calling you what?"
"Liz." Leysritt points out.
"Well, Leysritt is kind of a mouthful and a bit hard to say, so I shortened it." I told her. "You don't mind, right?"
Liz shakes her head. "No."
Her face and tone doesn't show it, but I could see that the homunculus liked the nickname.
I am Thou… Thou art I…
Thou has acquire a new vow,
It shall become the path to Fate
That severe the deceitfulness of corrupted Destiny.
With the birth of the Priestess Persona,
I have obtained the winds of blessing that
shall guide thee to a true route and new power…
[Priestess] Confidant [Leysritt] has been attained!
The following perk [Artificial Strength] has been unlocked!
Artificial Strength: Rank C
Strength increases by 8
"Welp, let's see what Illya wants." I jump off my bed and walk out of my room with Liz in toe. When I arrived in the living room, Illya was wearing her winter outfit.
"Good, you're here!" Illya smiles.
"What's going on, onee-chan? Why are you wearing your winter coat?" I asked.
"Fufufu~ isn't it obvious little brother?" She then dramatically extends her arms outwards. "We're going to the park!"
I blink. "Wait, really?"
"Yup!" Illya gives me a beaming smile.
"I figured it would be a good activity for all of us to enjoy." Sella began. "I read in a book that spending time outside improves motor development and lower obesity rates and myopia risk. It also makes children more engaged in learning, which will be beneficial for Illya-sama's lessons in the future."
"Just admit it, Sella. You just want to go to the park." Fillia told her.
"I do not know what you are talking about." Sella firmly denies.
"Lying again." Liz remarks.
A vein mark appears on Sella's forehead. "I am not!"
"If we're going outside, then you three will need a change in wardrobe. Those outfits will make you stick out too much." I gesture to the maid outfits. "Especially those ridiculous mushrooms you call hats."
"These aren't ridiculous! They're traditional Einzbern servant hats!" Sella defends the hats.
"They are." Leysritt quietly chimes in.
"Wha-?" Sella whips her neck around to look at her sister in disbelief.
"They do look like mushrooms..." Illya chimes in.
"Not you too, mistress." Sella says, defeated.
Fillia then bursts into a fit of laughter. "Finally, someone said it! I don't know how long I was gonna hold that back!"
"Then it's settled! We're going shopping!" Illya exclaims.
"WHAT!?" Sella yelled.
Early Noon - Mount Miyama
We walked through the streets of the Miyama shopping district, getting glances from everyone who passed by us, not that I blame them. It's not everyday you see six foreigners with three of them wearing old-style dresses with weird hats and a woman wearing a black suit.
It is embarrassing! We stick out too much!
You're likely wondering why we're walking instead of taking the car. That's because Illya wanted to take the "scenic" route and that 'it's way more fun that way'. We took the subway and arrived at Miyama Town, the suburban area of Fuyuki that contains old houses and traditional buildings. It is also the home of both Tohsaka and Matou families, two contenders in the Holy Grail War.
Sella tries to talk Illya out of exploring this area of the city, since it is practically enemy territory, but Illya tells her that the war only happens at night and the Masters won't dare attack them in broad daylight unless they wanted to jeopardize the existence of the Grail and by extension the Moonlit World.
"According to this map, our destination should be right up ahead." Sella states as she reads the map.
Illya squints her eyes and looks around before something grabs her attention. "There it is!" She points up ahead.
The camera shifts viewpoint to show a clothing store with clothes left on display outside which is right in between what looks like an antique store and a flower shop.
'Well, that certainly wasn't there before.' I remarked.
Fillia reads one of the signs on display. "It says here that this store is having a closing sale. Almost everything here is 90% off."
"What does that mean?" Illya curiously asked.
"It means that everything in this store is being sold for a lower-than-average price." I explained.
"That's a good thing, right?" I nod. "That's great! Let's go buy clothes."
"Illya-sama, are you sure that is wise?" Sella eyes the old building. "Would it not be wise to find a store that is more… presentable?"
"Nope! We're doing this Sella! The Artificial Human Squad never backs out once an objective is set!" Illya proclaims with gusto.
Right, that was another thing I needed to point out.
Before we left the penthouse, Illya suggested we name our little group. Since we were all Homunculi by nature, she decided that we should call ourselves the "Artificial Human Squad", a name that Fillia disregarded completely in the most blunt way possible.
Illya then started crying crocodile tears and the rest of us had to console her. It only took less than a second for Fillia to rescind her statement and Illya went back to her cheerful self. It also didn't help that Mashu admitted that she was also an artificial existence which just added fuel to the fire.
And so, we are now the Artificial Human Squad.
The group enters the store and we all wander around the floor and browse through the various clothes in stock.
"Hello! How may I help you?" The shop clerk asks in a faux french accent, catching our attention.
Illya steps forward. "Hi! Do you have any cute and sexy clothes for us?"
I facepalmed. "Goddammit, Illya!"
The clerk's taken aback by the question. "Well, we certainly have cute ones but I'm not sure if that's appropriate for a young lady like you."
Illya arches an eyebrow before realizing her mistake. "Oh! No, no, they're not for me! The clothes are for them." She gestures to the maids.
"Oh my! Those clothes are absolutely dreadful! They look like something from the 18th century!" The clerk exclaims with horror.
Illya sagely nods. "These poor girls have no sense of fashion."
Sella opens her mouth to protest, but it gets covered by both Fillia and Liz.
"So, could you help us?" Illya asks in a cutesy way.
The clerk's smile widens. "Bien sûr! This way please!"
The clerk guides us to show us an array of women's clothes of varying colors and styles.
The clerk then turns to Mashu. "You too, miss."
Mashu smiles and takes a step back. "I don't think that's a goAAAHHHH!" But she is dragged to the back by the clerk.
I find a chair and take a seat while the girls' clothes are getting tossed around by the crazy clerk while screaming like there's no tomorrow.
I think I may have fallen asleep because the next thing I knew I was being shaken awake by Ilya and my eyes widened at what I saw.
Fillia was wearing a yellow sweater under a white coat that reached down her legs, blue jeans and brown high-heeled boots.
Sella's outfit was much like Fillia's: a gray coat with blue/white striped scarf around her neck, gray pants and white boots.
Liz' outfit was the complete opposite. She is wearing an apricot turtleneck sweater with a cut out eyelet which showed an ample glimpse of her cleavage with a pair of skintight black jeans and a pair of black shoes.
Mashu was wearing a lilac winter coat similar to Illya's, a black skirt and tights, and brown shoes.
"What do you think, Theo?" Illya asked with a grin.
I gave them a thumbs up. "C'est magnifique!"
"Yes, truly beautiful!" The clerk agrees. "One more thing." The clerk walks towards Sella and Liz and pulls off their mushroom hats, revealing Sella's long hair and Liz' short hair.
"You don't need these anymore~" The clerk dumps the hats and the maid outfits into the trash.
"Hey, we needed that!" Sella yelled.
"No, we don't." Filla countered.
"But… those were-"
"Impractical and useless." Liz chimes in.
Sella sits in a corner crying as her sisters win the argument. However, despite this, I feel that the six of us have grown closer.
I am Thou… Thou art I…
Thou has acquire a new vow,
It shall become the path to Fate
That severe the deceitfulness of corrupted Destiny.
With the birth of the Fool Persona,
I have obtained the winds of blessing that
shall guide thee to a true route and new power…
[Fool] Confidant [Artificial Human Squad] has been attained!
The following perk [Will of the Homunculus] has been unlocked!
Will of the Homunculus: Rank B
Chances of victory increases by the number of artificial humans working together
Illya's eyes are sparkling. "Wow, you four look amazing! Just like in those modeling magazines!"
"Illya-san! How did you know that!?" Mashu exclaims.
"From Fillia's collection!" Illya reveals.
"I knew it was you who was going into my room, you brat!" Fillia screams out.
'OKAY! We're definitely gonna stop by a video store and buy Disney movies when we get back!' I thought.
Sella lets out a defeated sigh. "Let me just pay for the clothes so we can leave." She heads towards the register to check out.
It was the first time I've ever seen her eyes completely bugged out.
After leaving the clothing store, we continued wandering through the shopping district. We found a Chinese restaurant and went inside. We got a variety of Chinese dishes however, I was too entranced by what Mashu ordered.
Mapo Tofu.
The same accursed dish Kirie Kotomine eats.
Actually, can you even call it food? It looked like a boiling volcano and yet somehow, the tofu didn't seem to melt despite the sizzling red broth it was submerged in. Even worse was that Mashu was enjoying it! She took a spoonful of that hellish substance and ate it again and again, all the while sporting a smile on her face.
'Those two are fucking weirdos!' I though in cringe.
After paying for the meal (and Sella almost tearing up over the bill), we arrive at the train station and take a train back to Shinto and finally arrive at the park.
The park is exactly what you'd expect, a large open space with green grass, trees, and benches all around.
"Wowie! This place is amazing!" Illya's eyes sparkle at the sight of the park. "It's so… so green!"
I shrug. "It's a nice change of scenery compared to the forest near the castle."
Illya turns to me. "How can you not be excited!? This is our first real taste of the outside world!"
'Probably because I'm a 23-year-old inside the body of a 6-year-old.' I thought. "Illya, we live in a penthouse, the highest point in any building. We could see the entire city from up there."
"Yeah, but it's so different when you're up close and personal!" Illya counters. "It feels like a dream, you know?"
"I guess so." I had to agree with Illya. Everything feels like a dream. The Grail War, the Servants, my Personas, nothing about this felt real. It was like someone's fever dream that was turned into a fanfiction (AN: Heh).
But there's no denying it. This was real and I am enjoying every second of it.
Sella pulls out a folded piece of paper. "Alright, everyone. I have prepared a series of activities for today." She unfolds it and it keeps unfolding down until it goes all the way down her legs. "First, we will perform a scenic walk, then we will 'play ball', then we shall-"
"Illya and Theo are gone." Liz quickly interrupts her.
Sella's neck snaps at Liz. "What!?" She looks down and sees that the children are missing. "Why didn't you stop them!?"
Her two sisters simply shrug.
Sella lets out a frustrated groan. "Shielder. Please bring them back here."
"Hai!" Mashu exclaims and runs off.
Illya and I wander aimlessly through the park, taking in the sights while passing by a number of adults.
"It's so weird. The weather's cold yet the grass and trees are still green." Illya comments as she looks at her surroundings.
"Some trees take longer to wilt than others. It's mainly because the abscission layer on these trees does not completely form until spring, which allows them to hold on to their leaves much longer." I explained.
Illya cutely tilts her head as a question mark appears over her head. "Eh?"
"Basically, younger trees don't wilt like their older parents." I simplified.
"Oh, why didn't you say so!" Illya exclaimed.
I let out a sigh before I collide with something, causing me to lose my balance and fall to the floor. When I look up, I see a group of boys who seem to be about two or three years older than me.
"Hey guys, check it out! Their hair is white!" Boy A said.
"What!? Are they old or something!?" Boy B asked.
"And they have creepy eyes, too. What weirdos." Boy C gagged.
'Oh no, bullies.' I get up and look at the trio. "Could you stand aside, please?"
"Oh look, the freak can talk!"
"His eyes remind me of a rat. The ones with white fur and red eyes."
"You're right! He does look like a rat!"
"H-Hey!" A purple cap falls to the pavement.
My eyes immediately snap to Illya being grabbed by one of the bullies.
"Let go of my hair!" Illya demands, but gets her hair pulled. "Ow!"
"And what's a little girl like gonna do!?" The bully pulls harder, making scream in pain.
I narrow my eyes at the older bully. "Let her go."
"Oh? And what are you gonna do, rat boy? Glare at me to death?" The bully taunts as the other bullies continue pulling Illya's hair.
"Help me, onii-chan!" Illya pleads.
Blue embers manifest on my face. "Let. Her. Go. Now."
"Or else what?" The bully continues to taunt but before anything can happen, a voice catches our attention.
"Hey, stop that!"
Everyone turns to the sound of that voice and I cannot believe what I am seeing.
Standing a few feet in front of us is a boy with auburn hair and golden eyes. He is wearing a light-brown winter coat, blue pants, and brown shoes. But that wasn't what was shocking.
What was shocking is that the boy is Shirou Fucking Emiya!
"Oh shit! It's Shirou!"
"Let's get out of here!"
The bullies let go of Illya and she falls before they all run as fast as their little legs can take them.
"Illya!" I ran to her and gave her my hand. "Are you okay!?"
"My head hurts!" Illya pouts as she takes my hand.
"It's okay. I'm here." I pulled her up.
Shirou picks up Illya's cap and walks up to us. "Are you two okay?" He hands us the cap.
Illya takes the cap. "Yes, thank you onii-chan." She smiles as she puts it on her head.
"Ah…" A tinge of red appears on his cheeks. "Y-You're welcome!" He notices the other boy staring intensely at him. "Um… is he okay?"
Illya sees her brother in a trance-like state and furrows her eyes. "Don't worry. I got this." She secretly casts [Reinforcement] on her hand and proceeds to smack him on the back of the head.
"Ow!" I hissed in pain. "What was that for!?"
"You were being rude to onii-chan, Theo. Apologies." Illya said.
I massage my head and turn to Shirou. "Sorry about that."
Shirou gestures as if to say "don't worry about it". "It's alright. Anyone would have done the same."
'Anyone would have looked and just ignored us.' I mentally countered.
Shirou raises his hand. "I'm Shirou."
I stare at his hand as time seemingly grinds to a halt.
Shirou Emiya. The aspiring Hero of Justice. The Boy Wonder. The future Hero of Wrought Iron.
... hypocrite.
I don't hate Shirou and frankly I couldn't. I do believe his character has some good qualities. It's just that because of his massive hero complex it makes him slightly annoying and a bit hypocritical. He wants to be a [Hero of justice], someone whose willing to sacrifice anything and everything for the sake of helping or protecting as many people as possible, but there's a fine line between fighting for the sake of others (altruism) or oneself (glory) and sadly Shirou falls under the former.
Shirou spends every waking day trying to fulfill his dream. He would help others when there was no reason for him to. He would turn his nerves into pseudo Magic Circuits, cannibalizing himself just make a single spell work. He jumped in to stop an attack from a literal demi-god and almost got himself torn in half for it. He's friends with a complete bastard and a rapist. And finally, in one timeline, he made a contract with the literal representation of the human collective unconscious, forsaking the afterlife in order to continue saving lives by killing lives. A sad and honestly ironic end, where the dream he worked so hard to attain would ultimately consume him and leave him a literal shell of his former self; a janitor (killing machine) to the whims of humanity.
Overall, Shirou Emiya is a character who has no sense of self preservation. He is an instrument (Sword) ready and waiting to be used by others, whether to save or destroy.
And for that... I pity him.
I felt something hit my side. "Theo, stop spacing out already. It's creepy."
"Huh? Oh, sorry." I blink several times as I finally raise my hand and shake it. "My name is Theodore, but you can call me Theo." I gestured to Illya. "And this snow angel is Illya."
"D'aw, stop it." Illya nudges my side.
Shirou's eyes widened. "Wow, I never met a real snow angel! I guess that would explain why you're so cute."
Illya blushes at the comment. T-Thank you."
Making blunt comments without a second thought, huh? I guess some things never change.
I let go of his hand. "So what are you doing here, Shirou?"
"Oh. My parents and I are just wandering the city. Taking a nice walk with people you're close to helps you relax." Shirou states.
I give the future ally of justice a look. I suppose since the fire never happened, Shirou still has his birth parents.
"Oh? Mind if we come with you? We're new here so we're exploring the city with our family." Illya said.
Shirou smiles. "That sounds great!"
The three of us then begin exploring the rest of the park. Eventually, we reach the edge of the park where the Fuyuki River is. We take a seat on a nearby bench and look on in awe at the view of the city and the bridge.
"Say, Shirou." I turn to the redhead. "Those three bullies back there seemed to know you. Are you popular in your neighborhood or something?"
Shirou looks at me sheepishly. "You could say that…" He begins to fidget around a little. "I have something of a reputation at school… but it's no big deal."
"Mind telling us what that is?" I asked.
"No. It's alright. It's dumb anyways." Shirou was flustered.
Okay, now he got me interested. "C'mon, Shirou. You can trust us. We're friends."
"Yeah! You can trust us!" Illya adds.
"Oh, alright." Shirou completely gives in. "I want to help people see, so I help everyone who needs it."
That... doesn't sound too different from his canon self. "How do you help them?"
"Simple. If I see someone in trouble, I beat the other guy to a pulp." Shirou said, slamming his fist to his hand.
I was shocked by his answer. Did he seriously just say that? That sounds like something Taiga would say.
I sweat dropped. 'Oh my god, he's a delinquent.'
"Wow! You must be super-duper strong!" Illya exclaimed.
Shirou smirks. "Yeah, I am! With me around, no one's gonna harm an innocent life!"
'Oh dear. I better change the subject before Illya gets any ideas.' I thought as I tried to come up with something. "Hey Shirou, you're strong right? Exactly how strong?"
"Strong enough. Why? Want a demonstration?" Shirou smirks.
I smirk back.
Two minutes later
Shirou and I stand in an empty area a few meters away from each other.
"Let me say this to start: I am fairly strong!" I exclaimed.
"We'll see!" Shirou shoots back.
"And… fight!" Illya signaled.
Shirou makes the first move. He charges forward before reeling his arm back and launching it for a hit.
However, from my perspective, the punch was moving in slow motion. It was so slow that I couldn't help snort at the effort.
I step aside and Shirou stumbles from the excess momentum. "Too slow, too slow, Shirou. How can you protect someone if you can't even protect yourself?" I proceed to do a spin kick, sending him spiraling head-first into the grass.
"Theo, that was uncalled for!" Illya comments.
"It's fine, he can take it. He has to learn how to tolerate pain if he wants to be a real hero." I told her.
Illya's brows furrowed as he said that. "Theo…"
Shirou slowly stands up and turns to me. "I can still fight!"
"Good." I crack my neck. "I was starting to think you gave up."
"An Ally of Justice never gives up!" Shirou said as he strikes a very familiar pose. "The laws of victory have been decided!"
I just blink at what I'm seeing. 'Did he just quote Kamen Rider Build?'
Shirou runs forward before jumping up- wait, what?
"Rider Kick!" Shirou screams as he does a flying kick.
I was dumbstruck as the whole scene plays out, but not before Shirou fumbles in mid-air and crash lands on top of me, sending us both crashing on the grass.
"Theo, onii-chan!" Illya screams in horror and rushes towards the boys.
The two boys groan in pain as they slowly get up.
"That hurts!" Shirou cries as he nurses the bump on his head.
"Why did you have to fall on top of me? Matter of fact, why did your big forehead have to hit mine!?" I hiss in pain as I slowly get up.
"Hey, it wasn't my fault! A leaf got in my eyes!" Shirou justified.
"There aren't trees around, you idiot!" I countered. "Why did you even do a flying kick in the first place!?"
"I thought it'd make me look cooler." Shirou admits.
I gave the redhead a look. "... you really are an idiot."
"Hey! My mommy says I'm a smart boy!" Shirou sobs.
"Smart boys don't crash into other people, idiot!" I argue as I pull his cheeks.
"Ow, stop it! Stop it!"
"Admit your stupid then!" But before anything happens, a shoe collides with my face sending me tumbling back.
"Stupid, Theo. Stop bullying onii-chan!" Illya yelled before turning his attention to Shirou. "Are you okay?"
Shirou looks at Illya in a trance. "An angel…"
"Eh?" Illya sweat dropped.
"Shirou? Shirou, where are you?"
Said boy blinks in recognition of the voice. "That's my dad. He and mom must be looking for me." He stands up. "It was nice meeting you both. Is your brother gonna be okay?"
Illya shrugs. "Oh, definitely. He's taken worse punishment than this."
Shirou blinks at her answer. "Okay… I'll see you around then."
I walk up to Illya as I watch Shirou run up to a man who looks like an older version of Shirou with brown hair. Next to him was a woman with black hair and golden-brown eyes, however, what surprises me is that the woman looks like an older Miyu from that magical girl spin off.
What's even more shocking is that the woman is holding a baby in her hands. A baby that's, without a doubt, Miyu herself.
Did this mean that Miyu existed in this world from the beginning? Or was this universe just another possibility? That's when I came to a horrible realization.
Shirou will lose everything in the Fuyuki Fire. His home, his friends, his family, his sister. And what's worse is that he loses his memories of it all.
I can't even begin to imagine going through all of that.
"C'mon, Illya. Let's find Sella and the others." I grab her hand.
Illya nods and the two of us walk off.
I am Thou… Thou art I…
Thou has acquire a new vow,
It shall become the path to Fate
That severe the deceitfulness of corrupted Destiny.
With the birth of the Magician Persona,
I have obtained the winds of blessing that
shall guide thee to a true route and new power…
[Magician] Confidant [Senji Shirou] has been unlocked!
The following perk [Ally of Justice] has been unlocked!
Ally of Justice: Rank B
When facing evil intended foes, odds of victory increase
Nighttime
After going our separate ways, we were immediately intercepted by Mashu who was both happy and frustrated to see us. She was so ecstatic to see us and we immediately made our way back to Sella and the others where we got the scolding of a lifetime courtesy of Sella.
Her face literally turned as red as a tomato from the nonstop yelling.
After that, it was decided to just go back to the penthouse, but not before stopping by a rental store and rented a bunch of Disney movies like The Little Mermaid, the Lion King, the Beauty and the Beast, Mullan, Aladdin, the Jungle Book, and so on.
Illya instantly fell in love with the Lion King, she wouldn't stop singing "hakuna matata" and all of us eventually joined in. Sella tried to sing at a higher pitch but ended up almost choking on her own spit. It was hilarious.
We pretty much spent all night marathoning through a fourth of movies we rented before going to sleep. I managed to quietly cast [Dormina] on Mashu before going to my room, the only indication I got that the spell worked was the thud I heard coming from the living room.
I don my [Moon Knight] outfit and quietly snuck out of the penthouse and began my night patrol. I wander through the city, watching its people flock through the streets high in the roof.
*KA-BOOM!*
"Huh!?" I turn to see a building in the distance imploding in on itself. I leap towards the destruction to see the flaming remains of a building as fire trucks, ambulances, and police cars drive in and try to quell the people while trying to put out the fire.
"If I remember correctly, one of the Masters was staying at a hotel; Kayneth or something. His name is too fucking long to remember." I said. "Kiritsugu may be an assassin, but he doesn't have to be so flashy."
"I don't see why we don't just kill him. He has more blood on his hands than that serial killer." Khonshu said.
"Because then I'll fuck up screw up everyone if he dies too early. I can't just go around killing people just because you say so. We have to be smart about it." I told him. "Also, why do you wanna kill him? He only kill people that deserve it. I thought you'd be happy about this."
"This is why you're an idiot." The Persona scoffs. "Just because he kills magi doesn't make him any different than them. So what if he only targets those freaks, it doesn't change the nature of his crimes." He states. "Do you have any idea how many have suffered at the hands of these fools? Do you not hear their cries for vengeance, for justice?"
"I don't know, man. It kind of sounds like you're being vindictive because someone else is doing your job." I remark.
"Do you want to die, boy? Because I can make that a reality. And trust me, it won't be pretty." The Egyptian God growls.
"Well, hello there. I didn't expect anyone to be up and about this late at night." A female voice suddenly catches my attention.
My head snaps back to see who it is. Standing behind me is a female teenager around 16-17. She has short, golden blonde hair and piercing crimson red eyes, wearing a white turtleneck sweater, a blue skirt, black tights, and black boots.
However, despite her radically different outfit, I instantly recognize the woman before.
"Good Evening." Arcueid Brunestud, the White Princess of the True Ancestors, smiles at me. "You wouldn't happen to be the weird presence I've been tracking for a while, are you?"
"Oh fuck…"
Author Notes
Edit: 6/8/23
Hot damn, it's been a long time since I've tackled this story! My brain was going into overdrive just trying to figure out how to get this chapter off the ground. It's a good thing my friend already had something in mind or else I'd still be stuck in the drawing board (Thanks, triscythe59).
I realized I didn't do this in the last chapter, so here are the Confidants Theo has so far:
0. Fool: The Artificial Human Squad (Theo, Sella, Liz, Fillia, Illya, Mash)
I. Magician: Senji Shirou
I. Councillor:
II. Priestess: Leysritt
III. Empress:
IV. Emperor:
V. Hierophant: Sella
V. Apostle:
?. Faith:
?. Hope: Mash Kyrielight
VI. Lovers:
VII. Chariot:
VIII. Justice:
IX. Hermit:
X. Fortune:
XI. Strength:
XI. Hunger:
XII. Hanged Man: Kariya Matou
XIII. Death:
XIV. Temperance:
XV. Devil:
XVI. Tower:
XVII. Star:
XVIII. Moon: Illyasviel von Einzbern
XIX. Sun:
XX. Judgment:
XX Aeon:
XXI. The World:
I wasn't sure how to handle them at first. Should the Confidants rank up or just have the OC unlock them? That drove me nuts. In the games, you have up to a whole year to max out all of the Confidants but the Holy Grail War lasts only a few weeks, so I'd be trying to condense it all in the span of almost a month and I wasn't gonna torture myself trying to figure it all out.
So the idea I came up with was that at some point, the OC will unlock the character's Social Link after reaching a point where they become closer and then unlock a special perk as a way to show the fruits of their bond.
I know some of you may not like it, but that's how I want to handle the story so I can make it easier for myself.
Anyways, I hope everyone has a Happy New Year.
Peace~