Shirou grunted as he swung his hammer down, the ring of metal on metal reverberating through his ears and to a much lesser extent, his arm. A bead of sweat rolled down from his hairline and over his temple, joining another drop that had been forming over his cheekbone and diffusing into his heated skin.
The blade Shirou was hammering was a glowing, half-formed dagger type blade. Consisting only of the blade itself and the tang, as he was still creating it. He was looking to make a more double edged, European, dagger rather than something like a tanto.
So far he was well on the way to creating a mediocre, but functional, dagger. He could have done it better with some use of Structural Grasping, but he wanted to try and hone his swordsmithing skills without Magecraft, so that once he did use Magecraft it would turn out even better.
Feeling his hammer bounce a little bit more than it should have he focused back into reality and not on his thoughts, noticing the slowly dissipating heat of the blade. Clicking his tongue he grabbed the pair of tongs he had placed nearby and grabbed the tang of the blade, placing it back in the incredible heat of the forge and placing the tongs back down before wiping some sweat off his forehead.
"Hmph." Shirou froze at the sound of a voice behind him.
Slowly turning around, the first thing that he noticed was the clothing of the figure, white shoes with black pants, a fashionable white v-neck shirt and a necklace composed of golden ovoid shapes with no cord or tether seemingly keeping any of them connected. Moving just a little bit up from the male's necklace he was met with golden blonde hair that seemed to fall and rest perfectly on his features, not a single detail out of place. The figures expression just screamed smug and his eyes-
His eyes.
Shirou didn't quite freeze up, but he could feel himself tense under the intense, unwavering stare he received from the man's crimson, slightly slitted, eyes.
"I finally find the only one other than myself to push back against the curses. And he's a mere child playing at being a blacksmith." He snorted, both of his hands in the pockets of his black pants.
"Who are you? How did you get in here without me noticing?" He asked seriously, backing up a step from the figure.
Upon the arrogant look in his eyes transitioning into a half-hearted glare at best, Shirou backed up another couple steps.
"You have some nerve to ask me that, Mongrel." The figure drawled, tilting his head up while continuing to stare down at him.
'He doesn't care. You don't matter to him. You're nothing before this man.' His mind translated the man's gaze, a strange sense of panic beginning to slowly fill from within him.
"W-Well I don't know who you are." He shot back, both of his hands clenching.
"To think that no human in this pathetic age knows of their true King. Worthless cur. I am the King of Mesopotamia and of humanity. Gilgamesh." He introduced himself, the arrogance flowing out of him seemingly unending as his voice washed over Shirou's slightly shivering frame.
"Gilga… mesh?" He questioned, the lack of acknowledgement must have annoyed Gilgamesh though because he scowled down at the confused look of the boy.
"Even with knowledge of my name you still don't recognize me. Your every action seemingly seeks to aggravate me Mongrel."
"Well I'm not aware of any King's still alive mr….Gilgamesh." He said, trying to make himself appear relaxed and not like he was trying to edge closer to his heating up dagger.
"Because I'm not some pathetic King from this Age of Man. But the first King. From the Age of Gods." He said, his voice an odd mix of arctic fury and apathy as he shifted his weight from one foot to the other.
As Shirou lashed his hand out to grab the tang of the weapon, the bright golden glow that suddenly appeared within his family's forge caused him to shut his eyes tightly. Only for him to re-open them moments later when the sound of stone shattering and something forcing his movement to a complete stop registered in his mind.
What the 8 year old opened his eyes to was the sight of multiple swords and polearms stabbed into the ground around him, positioned exactly to trap all of his movements and leave him a sitting duck.
'Where did these come from? Projections?' He thought to himself, quickly muttering his Aria to reinforce his body and try to escape, to no avail.
"You think I didn't notice your movements towards that heated scrap you call a blade? Even someone from this age could tell what you were trying, and that's just pathetic." Gilgamesh mocked him, bringing Shirou's attention back to him "I expected more from a child that was able to stave off the curses for as long as you did. And yet you dare to try and pull a blade against your King?" His mocking tone didn't last long however, giving way to a terrifying fury.
Once again the golden glow filled the forge, but this time Shirou was able to see the cause. A golden portal of some kind opened next to Gilgamesh at roughly elbow height, the hilt of a sword poking out that he grabbed with an uncaring grace greater than Shirou felt he could ever achieve, even while attempting to.
Quicker than Shirou could track, even with his reinforced eyes, Gilgamesh swung his sword and had the tip of the blade resting against the bridge of Shirou's nose, the blade sharp enough that even just miniscule pressure made Shirou feel the edge of the blade cutting him slightly. Despite all of this though, Shirou's attention wasn't on the potential danger to himself, but rather the blade itself. Something inside him just….wanted to reach out to the sword. He wanted to know more about it, his every nerve focused solely on this blade.
"Trace On." Gilgamesh scowled, expecting some form of defense, and didn't get that.
Instead, glowing blue lines spread over the blade in his hand starting from where it was resting on the bridge of the boy's nose. Similarly, all of the weapons used to pin him in place had similar phenomena starting from where they rested against or pinned the boy's limbs. For the first time since his appearance, he saw the eyes of the boy light up with a shine. Yet, the boy ignored him and dared to use Magecraft on weapons from his treasury.
Fizzling away into golden motes of light, Shirou was caught completely unprepared for the sudden return of movement. His body began to drop, having been held in place by the weapons, only it never reached the ground.
The world spun and blurred chaotically in the span of fractions of a second. Shirou, not even aware that he'd been sent flying into the wall of his own forge until his Reinforcement broke with the sound of shattering glass and he coughed out a miniscule amount of blood. Despite the sheer feeling of pain that wracked his body, Shirou stood up seemingly without issue. The only hints towards how damaged he actually was being his coughed up blood and the shuddering breaths he took from heavily bruised ribs.
"You dare use Magecraft on my treasures? I've killed men for merely looking upon them, boy. Had I not already decided to use you as entertainment that blow would have ended your life." Gilgamesh growled, pointing the sword at the injured boy, an uncaring look in his eyes that proved to the boy that every word he spoke was the truth.
"I believe you." Shirou muttered, wiping his lips with the back of his hand.
"And yet you continue to show me such disrespect? Either you were born a cripple or…" His voice died off and his head tilted a degree or two to the left "No, I see. You hold no value in your own life."
"What value is there to be held?" Shirou asked, voice uncaring, as if he wasn't actively making a case for his existence being worthless.
"Your survival of the curses gives you value as my entertainment Mongrel."
"That means you hold value in my life. Not me."
Gilgamesh's eyes narrowed at the boy's response, his lips curling slightly.
"Then you're trying to tell me that this is you mindlessly living with no purpose?" He gestured around to the forge with his free hand "If that's so, then killing you would be a mercy." His arrogant grin returned and his posture visibly loosened.
"I'm not mindlessly living. I'm carrying on my family's dream. To create the greatest sword."
There was a moment of silence, and then laughter, laughter so loud and true that one could never hope to fake it. No matter how well trained or brainwashed one was, they could never hope to fake the laughter that left Gilgamesh's mouth, a laughter stemming from his very soul itself. The sword in his hand nearly dropped to the ground as he bent over laughing, placing a hand on one knee to keep himself steady as his form shook with laughter that left him gasping for breath.
Shirou tried to be respectful and wait for Gilgamesh to finish his laughing fit before he did anything, he really did. Yet after a pure minute of laughing and no indication that it would stop anytime soon, he turned his attention over to the blade behind the laughing King. The redness indicating the metal's rising temperature was beginning to creep onto the tang of the blade itself, which meant that if he wanted to continue working on it, keeping it in the forge any longer wasn't a good idea.
The moment he went to walk past Gilgamesh, the flat of the blade bumped into his chest, causing him to stumble back a step as the blade, and by extension its wielder, refused to budge even an inch. The distinct lack of laughter led Shirou very quickly to the realization that Gilgamesh had blocked off his approach to his dagger, following the length of the blade up to its wielder confirmed that thought.
"I've been watching you Mongrel, you say you wish to create the greatest blade. Yet you waste time on pointless Magecraft and using a bamboo facsimile of a sword. That sounds a great deal like you tried to lie to me." He flared his power slightly, taking great vindication in the tensing and subconscious gulp the boy took as he did.
"…Then. Why did you laugh?"
"Because I alone wield the greatest blade in existence. The mere thought that anyone could create something greater is so ludicrous I couldn't help but find it incredibly amusing. For a brief moment you proved me correct in my decision to use you as entertainment. Now answer, were you attempting to lie to me?"
Shirou knew. Should he dare to answer with a 'yes', he would die. He wasn't sure how he knew this, perhaps it was the aura of the man. Or perhaps some innate aspect to humanity that would usually be paired with 'self-preservation instincts', he wasn't sure. Though the thought of dying didn't scare him. There was nothing about death that scared him except not being able to complete the blade of his family. Luckily, he didn't have to worry about that.
"No, I wasn't lying. It was my family's dream before me and now mine. I practice Magecraft to merge it with my swordsmithing. And I practice sword techniques to learn more about the sword. If I didn't know how to wield a sword, the blades I create wouldn't be anything more than pretty toys." Shirou answered seriously, getting a disbelieving scoff from the adult.
"You believe such a notion? The blacksmiths of my kingdom deigned to no such belief and many of their swords rest within my treasury." Somehow Gilgamesh both made that sound like he was bragging, and that those blacksmith's should be honored to even be considered for that.
"I do. To create the best possible blades. I need to know the ins and outs of using a sword." He answered, confidence inter-woven in every word he spoke.
"Hooooo? Very well. As your King, I hereby grant you your first 'commission'. Be grateful, Mongrel."
"And that is…?"
"Do not cut me off." Despite himself, Shirou's mouth clicked shut at the strange something that was carried on every word.
"This is a blade created by a Mid-level Urukian blacksmith," Gilgamesh explained, bringing another blade out of the strange golden portal "It is heavy and tough, yet not brittle. You will create a blade with similar attributes of equal or greater power. Pick it up and show me your fastest swing." He grabbed the handle of the blade and threw it towards Shirou, glaring at the boy when he didn't catch the blade and let it clatter to the ground.
Slowly, but without hesitation, Shirou crouched down to grab the blade, making a surprised noise at the strength he needed to lift it up. Even with Thaumaturgy passively enhancing his body the blade wasn't easy to lift for the boy. Crouching down a bit lower he heaved the blade into a proper stance before stepping forward and slashing with as much speed as he could. Overshooting the weight and causing him to stumble back, hopping a couple times to avoid falling over.
"Pathetic. From you entering your stance to completing the swing took four seconds. A child could do better."
"I am a child."
"Silence before I end you." There was the tip of a sword poking out of a golden portal aimed at him now, Shirou decided to just let Gilgamesh get his insults out of his system.
"Since you believe that your method is superior to the method of the blacksmiths of my kingdom. Then the challenge attached to your commission shall be this. Not only will you create the blade to my specifications, but you will also have to be able to consistently prove you can complete three attacks in four seconds with the blade I have just given you for reference."
"Ok….That seems-"
"You have two months. Fail to complete one or both of these tasks. And I will end your life and the life of every person that enters that 'home' of yours."
Shirou's eyes lit with unholy rage as he grit his teeth and took a step forward, Prana flooding out of all of his Magic Circuits in a singular instant. His pupils contracted to pin-pricks and his eyes were so wide they seemed to be on the verge of popping out of their sockets.
"Trace-" Shirou's next words were cut off by a scream as two swords impaled him, one in each thigh.
Instantly he crumbled to his knees and grit his teeth to suppress another scream from the shock that travelled up from his knees and to his wounds, instantly aggravating them. Collapsing forward and using his hands to stop his head from smacking into the stone.
With jerking movements he tilted his head up to glare into apathetic, half-lidded crimson eyes.
"I will not kill you until the two months are complete and you either pass or fail. But I will not allow you to do as you please, Mongrel. Next time I won't be so nice." As he said this Gilgamesh turned around and began to walk towards the ladder to the forge.
As he reached the well of the ladder one last golden portal opened. The tip of a blade pointing out just a few degrees below Shirou before firing off and stabbing into the stone by his left hand.
"Grab the blade" Gilgamesh spoke, as if Shirou's decision to grab it or not held no importance to him.
Slowly reaching forward, Shirou managed to wrap his finger's around the hilt and pull it out of the stonework. Upon grabbing the new blade both of the blades in his thighs dispersed into golden motes, accompanied by another scream, and the holes they left being surrounded by a soft green glow.
And so, Gilgamesh left the Magus Workshop as calm as he had entered. Having heaped a difficult task on an 8 year old child, and then proceeded to stab him. Truly, all was good in the world of the King of Heroes.
XXXxxxXXX
That night, Tohsaka Residence
"Muramasa? What are you- hey! Don't just shove past me!" Rin shouted, having answered her door only for Shirou to slip straight past her.
"Sorry. I'll explain while looking around. Your libraries this way right?"
"Yes but slow down! Why are you here? Why do you even need my library!?" She stomped after him, having to keep up with his power walking through her estate.
It was silent between the two of them for a moment as Shirou navigated through her house, her annoyance only increasing the longer he took to answer.
"I was attacked and blackmailed. I need to find out who it was." Shirou finally relented, getting a blink of surprise from Rin as she stopped walking, falling away.
It wasn't for long however, as she caught up to him and slipped into her family's library right behind him.
"What!? By who!?" She snapped, running around to stand in front of him, side-stepping to block him off when he tried to go around her.
"The 'King of Humanity', said his name was Gilgamesh." Shirou muttered, immediately heading for the 'G' section of her library.
"G-Gilg- Gi-aaaauuuughhhhhhhh!?" The young Heiresses mouth hung open, her arms going slack at her sides and her eyes wide open as she stared at him.
"Gilgamesh." He helpfully supplied again, finger tapping each book as his gaze ran over them just in case they happened to be the one that he was looking for.
"THAT'S IMPOSSIBLE!" Shirou shuddered and hopped on one foot away from Rin, as if her shout had physically buffeted him.
"I don't know what to tell you. Blonde guy, red eyes, introduced himself as Gilgamesh, introduced me to the sharp side of multiple blades."
"Wait- You- I- He- WHAT!?"
"Oh you do have something about him! Great." Shirou ignored her spluttering as he pulled out a book about Gilgamesh before sputtering himself as it was ripped out of his grasp.
"Gilgamesh was the Heroic Spirit that my father summoned in the Fourth Holy Grail War. When the war ended he would have returned to the Throne of Heroes, Muramasa," She explained, narrowing her eyes at his blank look "Because he was a Servant." She stressed, getting a slow blink in return.
"What's a Servant?"
"He was a Mana construct not an actual person!"
"Like Projections?"
"NO- Wait…..Same basic principle! Very different advanced principles!" She yelled, waving the hand holding his book and simultaneously bouncing in time with her words.
"Then he'd be gone by now. But I definitely got threatened by him a couple hours ago."
"Exactly! He'd be gone by now! There's no possible way that Gilgamesh is still here!"
"Maybe he found a way to constantly receive Mana?" Shirou suggested, trying to grab the book and clicking his tongue when she moved it away.
"Do you even understand what that would need!? Forget a Master and sacrifices! Without the Holy Grail supplying any energy there's no one alive that could supply enough to keep him stable!"
"So this Holy Grail- just let me have the book! So this Holy Grail supplies the Mana to summon these 'Servants'?" He questioned, trying to pry the book out of her grasp while she simultaneously danced out of his way and shoved him back.
"Don't you know anything Muramasa? Hmph! Well I guess since you're so lost I could explain," She replied, puffing her chest out in pride "The Holy Grail is a magical Artifact that can grant wishes! Every sixty years it gathers enough Mana to start the Holy Grail War!"
"Why not just-" He stopped talking at the icy glare she gave him, almost daring him to keep talking ill of the powerful magic item "Nevermind. So it can grant wishes? Maybe Gilgamesh just wished to be alive again or something?"
"There's no way!"
"Why not?" He gave her a blank stare, watching her open her mouth before pausing and closing it again.
For a couple seconds the cycle repeated of her opening her mouth, thinking for a moment, and then closing her mouth. Finally she seemed to snap out of it as he finally grabbed the book off of her.
"It's just impossible ok!"
"Doesn't seem like it. Cause it happened." He muttered, opening the book pertaining to the legend of Gilgamesh.
"N-No it…it can't! My father….h-he died before the war ended. A-And the fire-!" Shirou flinched and nearly dropped the book at the reminder "And if Gilgamesh still lived. Kirei would know!"
"I don't know Rin. I know Gilgamesh is still alive. Maybe he's too good at hiding for this 'Kirei' guy to notice him," Shirou shrugged, flicking a page over "Or maybe Kirei does know?"
"There's no way!" She denied immediately, fear in her voice as if the thought itself scared her.
"It could be the truth Tohsaka-"
"Shut up!" She shouted, balling her fists by her side and stomping her foot.
"I don't mean to make you angry but it could be the truth, Tohsaka. You can't just ignore the idea because it upsets-"
"Get out."
"h-huh?"
"Out! Get out! Out out OUT!" He gave her a confused blink while slowly holding up the book before quickly ducking out of the way as she tried to hit him.
"Tohsaka why are you-"
"GET OUT!" He pursed his lips for a moment before sighing and nodding, beginning to walk out.
As he walked past her, he put her book in her limp hands and kept walking, leaving her library, and moments later her estate all together.
"That….That asshole! Saying that Kirei could know about my fathers servant still being alive…." She hugged the book to her chest, her head bowed as small droplets formed in the corners of her eyes, "He just can't…."
XXXxxxXXX
Fuyuki Markets, A Week Later
Shirou grumbled to himself as he walked down the street, a hand up to his mouth that he mumbled into. Despite his eyes scanning over the stalls and the quality of the items within them, none of it registered consciously within his mind. His mind moving faster than his mouth could keep up with as he mumbled about alloys, heat treatments and possible enchantments.
Out of the 8-ish weeks that he had, he'd already wasted 1/8th of that time. While his physical sword training was going well so far, his swordsmithing wasn't going anywhere. He'd made zero progress despite the different alloys and Magecraft he'd tentatively tried and it, along with his argument with Rin a week ago, was beginning to make him more anxious as the days went on.
Out of the corner of his eyes he saw golden hair and spun around with wide eyes. Only to pause when it turned out to be a mannequin someone was rolling past, his eyes shutting and his breathing levelling back out as he took a moment to calm down.
"Excuse me?" He opened his eyes and turned to the voice, seeing a girl that looked a little younger than him, with purple eyes and hair "Are you well?"
Empty.
Shirou froze, his eyes widening as he looked at her. Her voice, her body language, her eyes. Everything about her was intimately familiar to Shirou. Of how he had been following the fire, of how he still was at his very core.
XXXxxxXXX
A Minute Earlier
Sakura Matou made her way through the street being used for the market. Gaze swiveling back and forth robotically as she walked, something which seemed to unnerve the children and adults that looked at her or were too close. She would care, but she hadn't felt much the last year and a half, surviving Grandfather's training required nothing less…
Movement in her periphery caught her attention and made her swivel her head in the direction, uncaring of what someone else may think from seeing her move in such an unnaturally stiff movement. There, a little bit ahead of her, was a red haired boy that appeared a little older than her. A feeling in his aura and the way that he was staring at a mannequin being wheeled past that she understood instinctually, having seen a similar look whenever she caught sight of herself in the mirror the first year and a half of living with Grandfather.
Deep within her soul. A spark flickered to life. A spark thought to have been dead to her family and herself.
So, guided by something she neither realized nor understood, Sakura approached the boy and spoke.
"Excuse me?" When he turned around to look at her she looked into his eyes, a trick she had learnt from her time with Grandfather.
The eyes were the window into the soul, or so the saying went, and with this boy it proved no different because within his eyes she saw something which only further cemented her thought that they were similar.
'He's empty too. Like me. But he can still feel?' She hummed internally.
"Are you well?" The words left her mouth just as she had intended, heavy and blank in tone but clear in pronunciation.
"I….You're like-" He seemed to stumble over his words, his eyes clouding strangely and his eyebrows furrowing.
"I am like you?" She attempted a guess at what he'd been trying to say.
It wasn't like her to interrupt someone when they spoke. Grandfather and Shinji had taught her never to interrupt someone above her. This boy though, he wasn't like Grandfather and Shinji. He was like her, broken, empty, of a lower station. If so, then a single interruption wouldn't be seen as aggravating, would it?
"Yes….Exactly. You're…empty." He mumbled leaning closer to peer deeper into her eyes seemingly.
She didn't move despite their noses touching, only blinking once as he scrutinized her. She was too busy staring into his own eyes, and listening to the tinkle of music that began to dance on the air. It was oddly oriental, something she'd be more likely to hear at a kabuki theatre or a traditional Japanese tea house. Yet, hidden in the background, the sound of a hammer ringing off metal could be heard in a consistent beat, tying the entire harmony together in a way that Sakura couldn't quite describe.
However the sudden appearance of music that wasn't there previously made a stray query appear in her mind, bouncing around for a moment before she figured out the cause.
"You shouldn't use Magecraft in public." She mumbled in a low tone so that only he would hear, watching his eyes widen while he leant back.
"How do you-"
"I don't think this is a good place to discuss such matters." Once again her voice was blank and flat.
"I-….No. No you're right," He missed her blink of surprise at his acceptance of being wrong without any sort of negativity aimed at her "How about we go to my house then?..." He asked, fishing for her name.
"Grandfather said to be back before 5. So that should be acceptable"
"Right. I'm Shirou Emiya." He greeted, holding a hand out.
"Sakura Matou." She shook his hand in a weak grip before adjusting her singular bag of shopping and following after him.
As she walked, she allowed her mind to wander. This enigma of a boy in front of her was confusing to the young girl. They were both empty, yet he could feel. They were both afraid, yet he could still smile and be kind. They were both Magus, yet he didn't seem to mind pushing on their sacred rules. As much as everything about him made her want to move away, to avoid the ire of her Grandfather. Everything he achieved despite their similarities, she wanted to achieve as well. She wanted what he had. She wanted to know his secret behind how he could be broken yet hold himself together. One could even say that she was equal parts envious and curious.
While she would realize it later that day, at that moment she was ignorant to the spark of emotion that flowed through her as she spoke to and thought about Shirou. Something that had been nothing but a ravenous, overbearing void for over a year. Yet Shirou was able to effortlessly bring back that spark. Unlocking something precious from within her heart that in time, with the right nurturing, would bloom into something beautiful.
XXXxxxXXX
"The bounded field around your house is well hidden." She complimented him as she sat at his table, listening to him beginning to make some tea.
"Thank you. Though not as well hidden as I would like…" He mumbled the last sentence, but she heard it.
Anger and powerlessness in every word.
"You're like me."
"We've figured that out already?" His voice was strange, a light lilt to his words that strangely made her think that he wasn't mocking her like he should be.
"In a new way this time."
"Oh. How so? Do you also like to cook?"
"I've never tried. I will ask Grandfather and Shinji about cooking when I return home tonight."
"Oh." He sounded disappointed, why did her chest suddenly constrict?
"You are scared of someone strong. Like I am." He froze and she felt his eyes burning into her form.
"How do you-"
"Your body language is strange compared to most people. But it is like mine. We are both empty, so we have things in common like that."
"I do but I doubt yours is worse than mine." Again, his voice was strange. She didn't understand it, but strangely she wanted to.
"Mine isn't bad. It's my fault anyway." Shirou frowned at that, walking back to the table and sitting across from her.
"Somehow I don't believe that Matou-san."
"It's the truth though. And were we not talking about you Emiya-san?"
"Emiya-san feels weird…" He muttered.
"Then Senpai?"
"I…guess?"
Sakura just stared at him blankly, not saying anything and making him sigh.
"Look. My Magecraft is focused on swordsmithing and….I was commissioned, with a price if it isn't up to his standard."
"This is a price you do not wish to pay?" She guessed, getting a nod from him as he sipped some tea, "Then it is as simple as creating the commission is it not?"
"You say that like it's easy. I've already wasted 1/8th of my time and made no progress. I'm sorry for using Magecraft in public. That was my bad, but I need to practice before I fail."
"Why tell me this?"
"I don't know. Because my family are away at the moment? Because the only person I could consider a friend refuses to speak to me now. Because I know no one else who knows about Magecraft? And….I feel like I can trust you."
"You shouldn't. I'm not worthy of trust"
"Would you tell someone everything I told you if I asked you not to"
"I-" She paused, her expression changing for the first time since he'd met her, cheek twitching and eyebrows furrowing "I…wouldn't"
"I'm glad." He smiled sincerely at her, his eyes staring so intently into hers that he didn't notice the reddening of her pale cheeks.
Sakura meanwhile, had looked back up at him, and stared directly into the most beautiful expression she had ever seen in her life. A smile and softness in his eyes that seemed to light up the room around him. An expression full of so much soft relief and happiness that Sakura couldn't help but stare unblinkingly at the boy she had met barely twenty minutes ago.
Ba-bump
"I-I can help you," He blinked in surprise, his expression shifting into one of confusion "My family is a Magus family. I might be able to find something in our library that could help?"
"That….that would be nice, thank you Matou-san." He smiled gratefully at her, and Sakura felt her lips twitch in a way they hadn't in so, so long.
XXXxxxXXX
That Night, Matou Residence
"Sakura? Why are you here? You have no training today" Zouken grouched, easily ignoring the pit of his worms devouring the carcass of a wolf below him.
"Apologies Grandfather. I merely wished to ask if we have the additional food so that I can practice cooking."
"Cooking?" Despite the scowl that seemed naturally affixed to his features, he gave her a quizzical look "Whatever for?"
"It is a fascination I developed today, Grandfather." His cold, blackened eyes narrowed and glared down at the blankly staring purple haired girl.
"You? Fascinations? Do not try to trick me. You don't even have a fascination in Magecraft, let alone frivolities like cooking."
His eyes widened slightly and searing, white hot pain coursed through her body. The seven year old falling to her knees and clutching her chest as the Worms within her body began to wake up and actively drain her Prana while constricting. Wracking her mind with pain on multiple fronts, it was downright impressive that she was even able to keep a semblance of coherent thought.
Every nerve in her body wanted to shut down. To give up her tentatively growing emotions once more and tell her grandfather the truth to make the pain go away. Yet in the recesses of her soul. In the one part that had been locked away so as to avoid the corruption that seemed to emanate from every inch of the Matou estate and its clan members. She felt an iron that she never had before, even as a Tohsaka, and she knew that even if she was worthless and corrupted for having broken, Shirou wasn't.
"I-I sawwwwwwww R-R-RiiiiinnnnnnNNNN!" She managed to grit out, feeling the pain let up all at once, making her tip forward.
Her left hand shot out to collide with the stone floor and catch herself, her right still clutching her chest, her breathing heavy and sweat beginning to coalesce on her skin. She heard the skittering of the worms in the pit pick up in pitch and volume as her grandfather walked closer to her, till she could barely make out his feet in the periphery of her vision.
"The Tohsaka Heiress?" He questioned, a subtle yet also overt threat to continue what she had been saying before.
"S-She mentioned….n-not knowing how to cook." Sakura stammered, the pain she was in unknowingly helping hide the lying in her voice.
'This isn't going to work. We've lied to him before. He always knows. We'll be punished. Why did we try this? Why!? We're sticking our neck out for someone we met today.' A voice in her mind pleaded with her, probably whatever shreds of self-preservation had survived The Pit.
'He did what we could not. Do you not find that admirable? Do you not wish to learn? Could you not feel that warmth that filled me?' She thought to herself, speaking aloud once more.
"I-I just want to….b-be better than her at something. C-C-Cooking, Magecraft…"
Unseen by her, Zouken narrowed his eyes. Her body was wracked by pain from his worms and that pain came out in every word she spoke. It made it near impossible to tell how much of what she was saying was the truth. However….the idea that Sakura might be harboring some jealousy and hatred towards her former sister? That was too good to pass up, if the only emotions she felt were jealousy and hatred she would fall into line as the perfect lesser Grail just as he wanted.
And so, he spoke once again. Deciding that even if it was a lie, he could use it to his advantage to make it the truth.
"Very well. You may cook as you wish, provided you clean up. And train in Magecraft, if you wish to become greater than your Sister in Magecraft then prove it."
"T-Thank you….Grandfather." She panted, beginning to push herself up onto her feet.
"However, your training will be earlier than usual due to this." He revealed suddenly and with the grace of a sledgehammer, the worms in the pit suddenly began to slide up the walls and stairs towards her.
"Ah," Her body went slack and her eyes went completely blank once again "Very well, Grandfather."
And as Sakura retreated into her own mind, curled up in a small corner of safety and positivity in her blackened soul and mind, her body was besieged by hundreds of worms. The young girl being drowned in them in mere seconds.
XXXxxxXXX
Fuyuki Church, Same time
"Kirei"
"Ahhhh Rin," The Priest closed the bible in his hands slowly, placing it down on the altar and turning on the spot to face her. "You finally come to visit me after a week. I was worried, you know, you put quite the emotional strain on me."
Even as young as she was, Rin knew that nearly every word out of the man's mouth was utter bullshit. Huffing and rolling her eyes as she crossed her arms.
"Sure. Anyways, Kirei I…" She rubbed her elbow with her other hand while averting her eyes, not hearing the interested noise the Priest made at the motion "I have a question I need you to answer."
"Oh? Well I am your caretaker Rin. Any questions you have that I am able to, I will answer."
Man, even when giving her what she wanted he managed to make her angry, that was impressive in a very annoying kind of way.
"My father. He summoned the strongest Hero, didn't he?" Unnoticed by Rin, in the upper levels of the Church something shifted "What happened to him?"
"I believe I showed you the knife Rin. Unless you threw away the last reminder of your fath-"
"No! Not father! The Servant! The Strongest Hero! Gilgamesh!" She snapped, her fists balled at her sides and her face set in a furious scowl even as tears welled up at the thought of her fathers murder.
"Oh? You wish to know what happened to the Servant of your late father?" Kirei questioned, his voice smooth as silk despite the odd line of questioning.
"That is what I asked." She grit out, trying and failing not to let the single tear in each eye fall.
"Well. Without a Master, any Servant will fade without any mana sustentation." Kirei answered in a roundabout way, beginning to predate around the edge of the church pews.
"Could he have survived without another Master someway?"
"Are you hoping to find some feeble connection to Tokiomi, Rin?" Kirei questioned, an eyebrow raised as he circled behind her, out of her vision unless she spun around.
Which she did. Something that Kirei mentally admonished while also grinning sadistically over. Such a reaction showed either a lack of discipline, an overabundance of emotions, or both. When this trick had been pulled on him a couple years ago, he had barely wavered his gaze, but Rin? She allowed him to gauge exactly how much control she had over herself. Which was to say, a pitifully small amount.
"I- what- why would you think that?"
"It's only natural Rin. But for Gilgamesh to survive without Tokiomi, he would have needed access to some kind of constant Mana input. Something which I assure you I would notice Rin." Kirei said, his voice the same as always, no care or concern as he, as far as he knew, crushed a young girl's hopes and dreams once again.
"I….I need to go." She stammered, stumbling back and down the center of the church, leaving through the double wooden doors with a loud slam.
Above Kotomine, watching through a window in the Church, Gilgamesh stared at Rin's back as she left. His Crimson eyes tracking her as she ran out of the church grounds, stopping for a moment and looking back at the Church doors before taking off running again. The incarnated Servant, fully aware of what she had been fishing for from the Priest, but wanting to see how his entertainment would handle the fallout.
Meanwhile, the moment the doors closed, Kirei began to laugh to himself, his hands finally unfolding from behind his back as his shoulders shook and a manic grin spread his lips. His laughing continued for a few moments before he finally regained control of himself, a smile still on his lips even as he pulled an opened letter out of his pocket and read over the details once more.
'Hmm. The buyer's died. Unfortunate, that sets back my plan to be rid of the Tohsaka investments. But no matter, they are valuable. Another will want them eventually.'
XXXxxxXXX
"You took them out?"
"Singular explosive underneath a floorboard, got them both and set the house on fire," Kiritsugu answered, desperately wanting a cigarette at the moment "How is Irisviel?"
"Recovering. Her progress was slow at first. Picked back up to expected levels though. Now, I need you to destroy some information an independent Magi family managed to figure out."
"I don't need to know the entire story, Aozaki." Kiritsugu cut her off, getting a snort from her.
"No. I don't suppose you do, do you Magus Killer?" She responded dryly, opening a drawer and pulling out a manilla folder before handing it to him "That should have everything you need."
"Does it actually?"
"I've worked on the field just as you do, it's never enough." Kiritsugu just clicked his tongue at that but didn't refute it, knowing it was true.
XXXxxxXXX
Rin huffed and smoothed out her skirt as she approached the Emiya residence the next day, making sure that she was mentally prepared for the conversation she was about to have. After getting angry at Shirou and then refusing to speak to him for nearly a week and a half, she knew she would have to give him reparations in some way. The only challenge would merely be figuring out the best way to do so.
"Muramasa. I know that you explained the situation bad- Argh! No. Muramasa. I'm sorry you couldn't hand- agh! Come on Tohsaka. You can-" As Rin ranted to herself, she heard the shifting of a plastic bag, immediately closing her mouth with an audible click and looking over.
Aqua eyes stared into blank purple as the owners of both sets of eyes froze. The both of them paused mid-step as they just continued to stare at each other silently and intensely.
Despite the changes to her hair and eye colour, Rin could immediately tell that the girl she was currently in an impromptu staring contest with was her younger sister. There was a part of her that wanted to call out to Sakura, to ask how she was doing and why she looked so empty. Yet she didn't. It was easier to do as a proper Magus would and not interact beyond necessity. She was the heiress to another Magus family after all, outside of business or research agreements there's no reason for them to interact.
The voice in her head that hissed 'coward' was promptly ignored, she was already pushing herself by having to apologise to Shirou.
With a hesitant smile she quickly turned on her heel and began to walk, hoping that was the end of it.
Moments later she was cursing every deity she knew of when she noticed purple in the corner of her eye and looked over to see Sakura almost perfectly in-line with her, just a step further back. Evidently, the both of them had been travelling in the same direction. Greeeeaaaaaaattttttt.
The further the both of them walked, the more and more uncomfortable Rin got. The silence and tension in the air eating away at her mental barriers with frightening speed and efficiency.
Then, to twist the knife in even further. When she paused to turn and walk into the Emiya residence, Sakura mimed her without any hesitation. Almost as if she had already been-…..
'Noooooooooo.'
"Sakura," The purple haired girl gave only a quick blink to show that she had been surprised by the sudden call "Why are you coming to the Emiya Residence?"
"Could I not ask you the same Tohsaka-san?" She asked, the name sounding hollow and meaningless when coming from her lips.
"I am here to talk to Muramasa…-san" She finished lamely at the end, both realizing that until they made up she should be more respectful, and feeling uncomfortable being even that close to someone while talking to Sakura.
"I am here to learn to cook." Rin waited for more, and when nothing came after a few seconds she nearly fell over.
"That's it!?"
"You only want to talk to him?" She tilted her head to the side and Rin groaned, burying her head in her palms.
"It's like dealing with a second Muramasa…." She mumbled into her palms.
"It is? But Senpai is very unique. I still have much to learn from him." Rin took her head out of her hands and raised an eyebrow.
"What do you even mean?"
For the first time since meeting her ex-sister again, Sakura's face shifted into something that appeared a bit more pensive and thoughtful.
"Senpai has managed to do something that I haven't. I wish to try and recreate it."
"That's….huh? Like a Magecraft or a food dish?" Rin questioned, a question mark almost physically hanging above her head as she looked at Sakura in sheer confusion.
"Not quite." Was all Sakura said before reaching into a small pocket of her cardigan and pulling out a pocket watch.
'A pocket watch? Who still carries one of those around?' Rin asked herself, ignoring the fantasy that suddenly popped into her mind of an adult her walking around the Clock Tower and using a pocket watch to intimidate younger Magi.
"It's 11:30. Hopefully Senpai has stopped by now…" Sakura mumbled to herself, her voice still monotone but soft in a way that barely tickled something in the back of Rin's mind.
"Huh? Stop what?"
All Sakura did was respectfully gesture for Rin to enter the premises before her. Something which Rin did somewhat cautiously, only to be confused when nothing immediately happened.
"Senpai told me he has been training hard recently. He is meant to be doing sword practice until 11:00. If he hasn't stopped he'll probably be too taxed during his Magecraft training in the afternoon and overuse his Circuits." Sakura explained as she walked deeper into the estate now that Rin had done so first.
The entire time she walked she kept her body language 'Shinji readable' so that Rin would be able to tell what she meant to do next. Careful to move through the house but not to try and seem like she was leading Rin or trying to tell her what to do. Luckily for her, it seemed that Rin seemed to know the basic layout of the property which only made it easier to avoid angering her.
'I wonder if Senpai has brought Rin over before? Are they friends?' It wasn't difficult to keep her face blank, but a burst of something dark shot through her system for only a moment before settling down into complete obscurity once more.
The moment they walked out the back, they could see that Sakura's guess was correct. Standing a couple meters away from them, his form drenched in sweat, the form of Shirou Emiya could be seen wielding the blade he had been given by Gilgamesh. Centering himself for a moment he heaved his blade into position and swung out. His blade cleaving through the air three times, a definite improvement over his swordsmanship the last time that Rin had seen it. Yet if anything, Shirou seemed disgusted by it if the glare and grimace on his face was anything to go by.
"9 seconds…Not enough."
"That seemed very good Senpai" Sakura said encouragingly from the side, making him look over in surprise.
"Oh! Matou-san. You're here early. And…..Tohsaka-san?" He raised an eyebrow in confusion.
"It's 11:30." Rin pointed out before Sakura could open her mouth, getting a click of Shirou's tongue as she seemed to realize how rudely she might have come off as.
"Ah. That's why Matou-san is here. But why are you here Tohsaka-san?"
"To talk about what we were last…discussing." She tried to explain awkwardly without giving away any information that Sakura might not have been privy to.
"Right. Matou-san. Do you wish to start cooking now?" He asked Sakura, golden-amber staring into purple.
"I can wait, Senpai." His expression furrowed as he looked her up and down before nodding slowly.
"Ok. I'll have this conversation and then start the lesson right away." He informed her before starting to walk over to where he had a towel and some water prepared for himself.
As he sat down he gestured for Rin to come over, watching Sakura walk into the house before wiping some sweat off of his face.
"So….Gilgamesh?" Rin started the conversation awkwardly, instantly flinching as she realized how she'd started it.
"The first Hero." Shirou affirmed, taking a drink of water but otherwise offering nothing to the situation.
"Look, Muramasa. L…Let's just say that I might believe he's still alive."
"How'd you find out?" He asked curiously.
"I talked to Kotomine" She answered before giving him a condensed version of the conversation between her and Kirei, leaving out some of the jabs at her late father.
"Well that's one way he could have survived. But Kotomine never confirmed he was still alive?" Shirou asked, confused at how she had jumped from what Kotomine had said to believing that Shirou had been telling the truth over a week ago.
"Muramasa," Rin said seriously, sitting on the deck just as he did, but with a healthy distance between them "Kotomine assured me that Gilgamesh wasn't alive anymore. He never assures me of anything." She answered him, shaking her head as if to reinforce her answer.
"You think that he's lying because he assured you?" Let it be said that Shirou was definitely lost on Rin's reasoning.
"Yes. He….he's just weird Muramasa. He loves to be mean to people. So to try and make me feel better?"
"O..kay. I think I see where you're coming from?" He mumbled, staring at the grass in mild confusion for a moment before his expression smoothed out and he shrugged "Eh. At least you believe that Gilgamesh is alive now."
"Right. That reminds me. Muramasa. I'm sorry," Shirou blinked rapidly for a couple moments before tilting his head "I said some very mean things and stopped talking to you for over a week. I had my reasons but it was still very mean of me. So I'm sorry."
"Apology, accepted?"
"What? You can't just accept it so quickly. Shouldn't you be asking for something in return?"
"Why would I do that?"
"B-Because that's how it's supposed to work! That's how Magi always do things!"
"I'm not a proper Magus, remember?"
"Muramasa. You may focus on creating weapons. But you're still a Magus." She said sternly, crossing her arms and glaring at him.
"You still don't have to give me anything in return. I accept your apology"
"Nope"
"Yes…?"
"Nope! I won't consider it over until I've given you back something in return."
"Tohsaka you don't have to."
"My mind is made up! I will find a way to pay you back." She declared resolutely, jumping to her feet and raising a fist in the air.
"Right. I'm going to go help Matou-san." He mumbled with a deadpan look, pushing himself up with a grunt and walking off.
XXXxxxXXX
"And now we just put the lid over it like this and leave it for a couple minutes. Stirring every now and again." Shirou said, a pep in his voice as he went through the motions to make a simple dish with Sakura.
"You made it all look so easy Senpai." Sakura muttered, finishing up a small note she made in a hand-sized notebook she had brought.
"It's just practice. Kaa-san is ok at cooking but Tou-san… I'd think he knew how to cast Alchemy because of his cooking." Shirou joked, his humoured smile becoming more sardonic as Sakura seemed to struggle to even smile.
"Senpai. The person you're scared of. It's Gilgamesh isn't it?"
"How do you know about Gilgamesh?" He asked seriously, looking at her not suspiciously, but merely curiously.
"I'm sorry Senpai. I overheard your conversation with Tohsaka-san. I know you'll want to punish me…" She said submissively, clasping her hands in front of her and bowing her head submissively.
"Matou-san…I don't want to punish you. It was an accident wasn't it?"
"It was Senpai. Tohsaka-san can be…loud."
"Then there's no harm. It's just another secret for us to share. Is that ok?" She looked up, seeing the genuine concern and care for her held in his eyes.
Ba-bump.
"I-It's ok senpai." She found the smallest, faintest, of smiles adorning her face as she looked back at Shirou.
The both of them unaware of Rin, standing around the corner and biting her lip gently while clutching her wrist with her other hand.
"Thank you for asking me Senpai. But do you- do you still need my help with Magecraft? Tohsaka-san is a much better Magus after all." Sakura's words sounded resigned, as if she already knew the answer despite asking him.
"Of course I'd like your help. Your family might have information that she doesn't. And I still need to help you with your cooking, don't I?"
"Yes. I'm glad Senpai. I'll make sure to be the best help possible."
"You don't need to be the best help possible. Just trying to help at all is nice in my book," He gave her a quirked smile while briefly closing his eyes, unaware of the effect his words and smile had on both the girl in front of him and the girl hiding around the corner "Oh. The pot's ready."
"R-Right. So what do we do now, Senpai?"
XXXxxxXXX
6-ish weeks later
"Show me." The voice of humanity's first Hero ordered.
The King's voice was harder than either of the blades Shirou had on hand by several magnitudes and held such a sharp malice to it that Shirou was happy neither Rin nor Sakura were supposed to be coming to his house today. The boy nodded and placed the blade he had created on the ground gently before grabbing the Urukian blade, settling into a stance and lashing out with three strikes. All of this being done in the span of four seconds.
Any regular person would have been impressed, especially considering his age. Yet Gilgamesh only stared coolly at the boy, his gaze narrowed on him as he reviewed the three strikes that Shirou had performed.
'He's pathetic. But not completely useless. He didn't just learn to flail wildly to achieve those strikes. The boy actually learned to perform three proper strikes in the time allotted to him. Though having to enter the stance weakens it and only announces he's going to attack, the little fool.'
"Again." Was all he said outwardly, watching the boy perform his three attacks once again.
The King of Heroes made the boy repeat his triple strike another two times on top of the already performed exhibitions. Noticing that he barely made it on the fourth attempt. If the golden haired man had wished to be petty he could have gone for making the boy perform once more. But he'd gotten bored of watching a child perform sword swipes in all honesty.
"Show me your blade now." He ordered, knowing that this was the more difficult part of his commission for the young Swordsmith.
For the past two months he had refrained from checking on the boy or the girl that seemed to know of his existence from him solely to keep the element of surprise for himself.
'After all. It'd be poor entertainment if there was no suspense.' He thought to himself, an arrogant smirk appearing as he did so.
The moment he held the blade he could feel it's weight. Slightly heavier than the blade he had so graciously gifted the boy with. Not by a substantial amount, especially for one as strong as he was even with his currently weakened body, but enough to be noticeable.
Holding his hand out expectantly towards the boy once more, the incarnated Servant was pleasantly surprised as the handle of the Urukian blade was placed in his hand. His grip shifted so that both blades were held properly before he smashed them against each other.
Shirou winced slightly as sparks flew and a high-pitched grating noise aggravated his ears for a few moments. His gaze never leaving his blade though.
As the sparks left his vision and he blinked a reflexive tear out of his left eye, he felt a surge of relief at seeing his blade holding up just as well as the Urukian blade did. Shirou grinning proudly at the sight.
Gilgamesh, meanwhile, snorted before beginning to laugh. Bending backwards slightly while holding both blades as his laughing got louder and louder. Going from mere chuckling to a full blown belly-deep laugh in the span of a couple seconds. Shirou, not interrupting him, both because he saw no reason to, and because he was just enjoying the pride and relief at how well his blade held up after two months of agonizing over it and being told off by Rin, Sakura, and Taiga.
"Well, well. I made the right decision to make you my entertainment boy. You actually managed to make a blade of equal qualities to the one I gifted you." He spun both blades experimentally "Very well Mongrel. You, your family, and your allies shall survive without repercussions."
Opening a golden portal the Hero dropped the Urukian blade into it before throwing Shirou's blade back at him, watching as it stabbed into the ground perfectly upright in front of him. The boy reached forward and pulled it out with a small grunt.
"I will wait for your skills to grow before commissioning you again. It's no fun if I'm aware of exactly what you'll be learning. Do not let your combat or swordsmithing proficiency diminish or slack, Mongrel. Otherwise I'll kill you where you stand."
Shirou said nothing, staring back into the red eyes of Gilgamesh, as if the casual threat on his life didn't faze him in the slightest. Which based on the reading Gilgamesh had already gotten on the boy. It truly didn't, except for maybe the regret of not passing on his family Crest.
Without waiting for another moment, the golden haired King stuffed his hands in his pockets and began to walk away. The man hopping over the wall around the estate with as much effort as a regular person might step up a stair with.
XXXxxxXXX
A month later, Bitburg Airport
"Ahhh Germany. I missed this country." Irisviel sighed happily as she and Kiritsugu walked through the airport, dressed in a nice fashionable white coat that covered most of her appearance from view.
"I didn't." Kiritsugu grouched, holding his and Irisviel's bags as they both walked.
"Awww come on Kiri. Don't be such a grouch."
"If you remember Iri. We aren't here to have fun."
"You're right. But that doesn't mean we can't have any fun~" She teased him, clasping her hands behind her back and walking backwards for a few moments to smile warmly at him.
"You'll have some fun while we cross the border once we get Illya." He responded, walking out of the airport and into the cold air of Germany, starting to walk through the carpark to the car he had organized to be 'conveniently left' there.
"You're being too paranoid." Irisviel giggled, walking alongside him as they navigated through the parked cars.
"I'm being the right amount of paranoid."
"Not really. We could just come back here and take another plane home."
"Jubstacheit would immediately have homunculi in or watching airports. By the time he sends some to the borders we'll be out."
"Not if he's unalived." She responded simply, running up to their car once she noticed it and standing next to it as Kiritsugu put their bags in the boot.
"If he is. Then plans will change. But until that possibly happens. We stick with my plan."
"Fiiiine. Such a stick in the mud Kiri." She stuck her tongue out at him.
"You'll thank me when we have Illya back safe and sound."
"Nah. I'll keep calling you paranoid till one of us croaks."
"Why doesn't that surprise me." Kiritsugu muttered, slipping into the driver's seat, his wife hopping in the car moments later.
XXXxxxXXX
Omake: Cooking
"This is….a-a lot of food Muramasa" Rin muttered, gulping at the veritable feast laid out on the table in front of her, Shirou and Sakura.
"Will my cooking be like this too?" Sakura asked, looking at Shirou blankly before turning back to the food when he looked over at her.
"Hmmm. One day, definitely. Hopefully better than this" Shirou confirmed, grinning at Sakura.
"That's good. May i try this?" She pointed to some soba noodles plated near her.
"Go ahead." He gestured to the plate with a helpful smile.
With a dainty grace, Sakura got some of the noodles on her chopsticks, dipping it in the sauce that came with it. Slowly placing it in her mouth she chewed before swallowing, her eyes staring intently at the noodles.
"Was it...good?" Rin asked, a bit worried by the other girls purple eyes beginning to roam over the table.
"It was delicious."
"Oh that's good! The both of you feel free to eat whatever you'd like." Shirou said, beginning to grab some food for himself.
"I think i might try some of the Soba noodles." Rin spoke, leaning towards it before a hand clamped over her wrist.
Looking up, her eyes widened and she gulped in fear. A shadowy aura coming off of Sakura and red veins beginning to creep along her paling skin.
"Touch the noodles and i'll eat you instead"
"A-Ah! N-No noodles! Got it! I-I'll just…..h-have some of the karaage instead"
Meanwhile Shirou was glaring at the dipping sauce for those very same noodles, having tried some during the whole fiasco and realizing he'd messed up the balance of it.
XXXxxxXXX
Hey guys!
We're finally here, Sakura has appeared. Gilgamesh has appeared. Kiri and Iri are back up and in commission and they're in Germany. I wonder whyyyyyy? X3
Regardless, this is the largest chap of HttB to date, including the ones that have been finished but haven't been released yet. Though I've managed to keep a fairly consistent 7K for all of them so I hope you all enjoy that! I can't wait to see the reviews and thoughts you guys have for this chap. Adiosssssss
Discord code: ctMzhq3
RandomDude15: Oh yes. The steps of Tracing are gonna be a reoccurring 'theme' for a bit of this fanfic, something he's always sorta working on in the background alongside his swordsmanship and forging. And yes, the Rin and Shirou interactions are incredibly fun to write. The Gilgamesh and Shirou relationship….not quite what you were expecting was it? XD
Darkscythe Drake: Luvia will be one of the more central characters, yes. Though at the end of the day it is still a Shirou-centric story and so some characters won't always be shown too constantly.
Superpierce: Quite a few magics. Some that he's still not aware of and won't be for some time.
Hiremsage00: Yes this is a Harem and yes Rin and Sakura are both apart of it x3
SentinelSlice: I'm very sorry to hear about your dog! I hope everything's been ok since then. Also on the punctuation, I'm just a dumbass at proper English XD And yes, I am going off the basis that the better Shirou gets as a smith, the better his Traced blades will be.
Devilknight358: yes, the Dead Apostles and Dead Apostle Ancestors are in this story and as of writing this review I have no plans to add Altrouge to the harem, sorry.
Asgeir Skjaldberg: All in time dear reader, all in time
Jacks: that's a pretty good suggestion, it also lead me to finally discovering the difference between mystic eyes and pure eyes XD
Anti-Mage 29: Now that's an interesting thought! Fairy Eyes could certainly be useful for this version of Shirou. I'll think about it. Also, yes this is an underdeveloped Tracing. Because Shirou is 8 and unless you go the path that FFD did I refuse to believe he'd figure out the steps straight away, especially at that age XD
AnimeFan13579: its…alarming how close you guessed to what happened with Gil and Shirou in this chap. Like bravo but….alarming XD
Lawrence H. Bain: Yes, Lorelei will appear in this story, and much like Altrouge, as of writing this comment I have no plans to add her to the harem.