A/N: Holy shit, that was long wait. Forgive me, a lot has been happening in my life right now. Still thank you for the support.
Now here's the review answers (Please if you're reading this, review more, I desperately want feedback.)
Bucio: Thank you for the feedback, Liz's new character is a way for me to create a new fighting style for our beloved Saber. hope you look for ward to that.
Kurogami Mikoto: Thank you for the support, the short chapters are way for me to practice more, this new chapter with be a little longer though...
S0LARIS: Saw you at discord lel. So, Liz... you'll see about her her later, she's pretty open-minded y'know? wink wink.
Well-O-Being: I have big plans for Liz and Artoria, so i might consider that.
guillermocejas767: Thanks.
Now, here's a longer chapter to compensate for the long wait.
Illya
The morning sun shines brightly at the sky. Birds are chirping, the wind is blowing, it was a good weather overall.
"Ughhh…."
This highly contrasts the princess' current mood, she sat at her desk sulking for mysterious reasons, her pale skin somehow became even paler. Bags appearing below her previously brilliant eyes, and a frown that ill fits her built reputation of elegance. Folks that doesn't know her personally would ask: Who did such a terrible thing to the princess? Or what tragedy has befallen the royal family to warrant such expression from her highness?
Those who know better however, would ask a different question: How long has it been since her last interaction with her brother?
"Will of the planet…please just delete me now…" The eighteen-year old whined. Face-first at the table.
It has been a month since Shirou's coronation. He had been hard at work to become a good king… though, for some weird reason he recoils slightly when you tell him about becoming a "perfect king." So he settled with becoming a good king instead.
'Me and Shirou have been very busy all week… We didn't even eat breakfast together today.' The princess thought in despair. Become Royal Advisor to be at his side… yeah, she thought that was a good idea… she can't escape her role as princess regent in case Shirou was absent though, on and on, all day she has to handle the application papers of the staff, she even forego magecraft training for some time.
Not that Shirou was any better, the former freelancer's one weakness was paperwork. Sure, he could bare hours upon hours of house chores, but paperwork? Nah. He only does it because it's one of his duties.
Illya rubs her eyes as she puts another batch of application papers at the table beside her, where all the accepted ones go. She was done with all the staff along with her aide, the enlistment papers were next.
"Your highness, here's another batch." One of the aides said, passing a pile of folders to the princess.
Illya nods, she looks through the files. "Hmmm, we should schedule the field exam after I finish with these ones." The ones accepted were to be tested at the field in fighting monsters, then a tournament style competition to determine what units they were to be assigned to should follow as intended.
She was skimming through the papers when she suddenly stops, she found something- no, someone interesting.
"Huh, a commoner of unknown origin…" She says as she reads the rest of the document. "Ector, a mercenary. Title of "The Holy Blade"… Pretty risky in front of the clergy." She chuckles, deciding to stamp the paper for acceptance. "This should be more interesting…" Sure there were commoners that applied as always, but they were either self-taught or inexperienced. She accepted some of course, but not all of them.
"Sadine!" She calls her aide.
"Yes, Your highness?" The aide responds.
"Reschedule the field exam to a week from now, we have enough applicants." She orders in an elegant tone "Send it to the king's office for approval, set the announcement to be this afternoon."
The aide nods and starts writing.
Illya sighs in exhaustion as she considered her work finished. Considering that it was still early afternoon she has a lot of time in her hands. 'Shirou is probably finished now too, I'll go to him later.'
Shirou
Metal clanged as it was thrown to the ground. The one holding it was lying on the floor of the arena, a sword pointed at their throat. Their blue eyes stared at the Red-haired king in front of them. His name is Henry, the Knight Captain's squire, and he was just beaten to a pulp.
"You're improving, Henry. " The king said as he offered his hand to the knight-in-training. Sweat was trickling down his body in exhaustion.
Henry took the hand and stood up. "Heh, but still clearly far from your caliber, Your Majesty."
"You're joking. As far as I know I'm the worst swordsman you'll ever meet." Shirou said, procceding to sit at the nearest bench after getting a cup of water from the servants.
"Pffft" This elicits a snort from Henry. "'Worst Swordsman' my ass! Now you're bullshitting me!" Henry spoke with unexpected casualness.
Shirou didn't mind it though. "Remember, I'm not a swordsman, I'm a mage." The king responded. "If you study my moves correctly, you'll notice that I'm improvising."
This caused the knight to raise a brow in confusion. "A mage? Haven't seen you cast any spells." True, this would cause confusion in any citizen of Antaria, as far as they know mages were snob frail humans that were blessed with mana, or at least that is the common consensus.
But Shirou and Illya were different, they're magi. Sure the terminology were the same at times but one can see the difference if they look close enough. The magi of Shirou's world were as arrogant as ever but they could back that up. Often fighting alone in the front lines and taking enemies down by themselves. While the mages of this world cower at the back of swordsmen to prepare a spell despite believing themselves superior than "mere" foot soldiers.
Shirou starts explaining. "Well, you see… that can be explained by-"
"My King! Your Majesty! A letter from the office, it requires your approval immediately." A servant ran towards the king. "It's a rescheduling request from the princess!"
"Give it to me." He stretches his hand.
"Here it is." The servant passed the document while nodding.
Shirou looks over the document that was sent to him. He saw the standard field exams and many more… but there's something that interested him more… the schedule. "Illyasviel, what are you planning…?" He whispered, not being heard by the servant and the squire. 'She wants to reschedule a week early? That's weird…' He puffs his shoulders and sighs. "Did you bring my ink well?" He asks the servant.
"Yes, My King." He hands the ink well.
Shirou nods in appreciation. "Trace…on." A quill suddenly appears in his hand, which shocked the servant and the squire. He dips the quill on the well and signs the document then hands it back to the servant. "Approved." He says.
The servant bows and walks away from the king, walking towards the hallway back to the office.
Shirou turns his back and faces Henry. "Looks like something is about, I need to go. We'll discuss this tomorrow."
The squire nods slowly, still thinking about the quill. "As you wish." He bows down as his king turns his back once king proceeded to his sister's office, he would have to ask about what's going on in Illya's mind, he in his two lives could not fathom what's inside that girl's head.
Moments later, he arrived at the Princess' Office, the room was on the other end of the castle relative to the King's Office. Which was a weird decision, Shirou thought.
'I gotta ask Bartholomew to arrange a minor renovation later…' The king mused, having the Princess' Office being this far away was inconvenient, really slows down the work. She is also the first advisor, his second one doubling as aide and advisor. So it would be most logical to transfer her office near the king's.
But enough of that, he was already at the front door, all he has to do is knock and-
The door suddenly opens from the inside, a figure was blocking his way. Distinctive pink hair could be seen in front of him just below his shoulder, now he knew who it is.
"Meriel…" He calls, it was bizarre to have the "heroine" here, as Illya told him she should be avoiding the princess if she was sensible. "What are you doing here?"
The maid looks up and wears her signature smile. "N-nothing Your Majesty. Her Highness has called me for something…" Her smile widens, looking at the king in the eye. "By the way I have to tell you something important, would you give me some of your time, pretty please?"
This irritated Shirou for some reason, the smile felt like something he would wear but with less finesse. 'There's that sickly sweet smell again.' The smell of honey permeated his surroundings, the odor being forced upon his nose. Frankly, it was repulsive for Shirou.
The king looks at his sister who was still sitting in her chair, smirking. He nods slightly, as if asking for permission from the princess. The princess nods back, granting it. The exchange was not noticed by the maid thankfully, as the aim to keep their true status as reincarnations secret.
"Well, of course." He grants the maid's request. "I certainly have a lot of time in my hands." Shirou closes the door as the maid dragged him away from the room, the maid looking back at the princess with a sinister grin, thinking that she hasn't been noticed by the king.
The maid guided the king to the garden, where a bench was present under a tree. They sat there as Shirou crosses his arms, still in his Isaiah persona. "So, what does this humble maid want from me?" He asks.
"Ah…uhm…" She hesitates slightly, she then gulps and exhales some air. "Your Majesty, I have a warning for you… The princess, she might not be who you think she is." She said with a serious tone.
The caused Shirou to raise a brow. "What do you mean?"
"Uhm… Do you belive in reincarnation?" The maid asks.
'Ah, so that's what it is… has she found out already!?' The former freelance mage thought, panicking slightly. 'Keep calm… Maybe I can salvage this.' His eyes blinked before speaking again. "Well of course. A person dies and gets their souls recycled to a new being. I might have been a lowly sellsword in my previous life for all I know."
Meriel's eyes widened, not expecting the answer. "Ahem!" She clears her throat. "Of course, of course…" Her lips curled up before speaking. "The princess… is not a good person, she is pretending, wearing a mask and manipulating you to her bidding…"
The king did not respond. His emotionless face returning to its default state of a permanent scowl, an expression that he was known to wear. He listens more, waiting for the young maid to speak again.
"What I'm saying is you should take caution, she might be up to something evil and dark… she has sank her claws to the castle already, I hope that you hear my advice." She said with a serious expression, waiting for a response.
But suddenly, the bell tower rang, indicating that it is already three in the afternoon. Isaiah stood up and spoke: "Looks like our time is up."
The maid tried to object. "B-but!"
She was met with a glare. "Go to the servants' quarters for the headcount. That is an order." The king said in a commanding tone.
Meriel bowed down, albeit reluctantly. "Yes, Milord." She proceeds to walk away from the king.
Moments later, she was gone and Shirou was the only one on the garden. Or at least that's what it looks like. He looks up at the tree that he was sitting for cover in. There was a white bird sitting in on if the branches, the bird looked bizarre, as if made of glass or some other material. It was one of Illya's familiars.
"You got all of that, Illya?" He speaks to the bird.
The bird nods, affirming to the king's question. "You thought I wouldn't notice, didn't you?"
The bird shook its tiny head. "Illya, we have a mental link. You know that." Shirou said with a deadpan expression.
'Just come to my office… please?' Illya spoke mentally, begging in her usual cutesy tone.
Shirou sighs and rubs the back of his head. 'Alright… I was going there anyway.'
After a few minutes he arrived in front of Illya's office… again. Speaking of offices what was Meriel doing inside's Illya's? They couldn't be discussing anything normal considering what Meriel just told him. He would have to find out one way or another. He opens the door and was greeted by-
"Oniii-chaan!" A grown woman of a missile. He was knocked down to the floor with a hug from the white-haired princess.
Shirou's brow twitched. "You're a grown woman, what are doing!?"
"Shut up, I'm recharging!" She hugs tighter.
"But didn't you just tackle-"
"Shush!"
Moments later, she was back to her seat. "Phwaaah~ All better!" She says cheerfully. "Now what can I do for you?" Illya asks.
Shirou unwrinkled his clothes and puffed the dust off it. "It's about the reschedule, what were you thinking?"
"Oh, that? I saw someone interesting!" She says casually.
Shirou squeezed the bridge of his nose. "You… saw someone interesting. Who was it?" He says, irritated.
Illya pulls a paper from the documents beside her. "Here!"
Shirou reads the document, it was one of the application paper that they sent in all of the post offices on the kingdom in an attempt to recruit more than nobles.
"Ector the Holy Blade?"
Illya nods.
The king continues reading. "No origins, just the title the locals gave him… What so interesting about this?"
"His whole thing! He radiates "Main character" energy to me. No background, a commoner, slayed a wyvern easily and being loved by the locals! Isn't that interesting on it's own!?" She says enthusiastically.
Now that Shirou thought about it more, it IS interesting. A person that appeared out of nowhere and gained a title. Sounds like a hero for him. He sighs and concedes. "Okay… Just make sure that it doesn't ruin anything."
"Don't worry about it, I already thought of everything."
Shirou shook his head. "By the way… what was Meriel doing here?" He asks.
"Pfft!" He was met with an unexpected snort. "Pwahahahaha!" Illya laughs loudly, startling the poor king. "S-she was, Threatening me-HAhahaha!" She slams her hands at the table in laughter.
"She WHAT!?"
"D-don't worry about it Shirou, not really a problem." She wipes the tears from her eyes. "She threatened to "expose" my reincarnation to you."
…
…
…
This took a few moments for Shirou to process… "But we're-"
"I know!" Illya speaks, smiling widely. "It's hilarious!"
While Illya was laughing, this bought something Shirou's mind. So Meriel knew about Illya, but not about him.
"She doesn't even know who I am! She said I was just a nobody who got lucky and now I'm abusing my power! It's pitiful, she's just dancing in the palm of my hands…" The princess says, a dark smile appearing in her face.
This caused Shirou to shiver a little, this was the smile that she often wore during the grail war. He could only pray for the maid's safety.
"Now, now, stop that. We still need to be cautious if she's up to something, she might be…" Shirou couldn't find the words.
"-Stupid." Illya answers.
"That's harsh. But still, you saw that she didn't tell me about your reincarnation but only told me that you were evil, it's suspicious."
This caused Illya to pause, her expression becoming serious. "Yea, that's weird…" She cups her chin. Her expression suddenly brightens once more. "Alrighty~ Let's shelf that for now, your birthday is coming up soon! We'll celebrate it after the field exams, we'll need to prepare."
The sudden change in subject didn't go unnoticed for the king but he didn't mind it, he knew what Illya meant. "Isn't that the start of chapter 2 as you told me last time?" As far as he can remember, Illya told him about the many plot points of Royal Road, most of them of course involving her or Elizabeth.
"Yep! It's very important! It's your twenty-first birthday, many developments in the story could happen."
Shirou looks down solemnly. "Twenty-one…" He spoke the number loudly. It has been a few years since that incidents, the incident where he first remembered his previous life. The event that changed him.
He could still remember most of it… he could not forget, he should not forget.
"Onii-chan? Shirou? You okay?" Illya calls him. "You just zoned out."
"Y-yeah, I'm alright…It's just, I'm thinking about a lot of things right now." He tries to sound stoic.
Illya looks down sadly, she knew very well what Shirou was thinking… The attack at the castle years ago, the death of their parents.
?
Corpses, that is all the boy could see around himself. He walks the once beautiful marble-like walls of his home, now it is tainted with blood. The more he walks, the more dead bodies he sees. He holds the hand of his younger sister, a child five years of age.
Isaiah! Run!
Go on, my child! Take your sister with you!
Those were the last words of his ******* before they were ******* to ***** by soldiers. His memories start to blur, everything becomes red everytime he tries to remember. At least his sister was still with him, her glimmerless doll-like eyes observing the corpses that they were passing through.
The boy wants to find the Knight's captain to seek answers. What is happening? What has become of his home? His *******, what has happened to them? Questions upon questions covers his mind as he slowly walks in exhaustion, a small wound in his leg burdening him further.
Sweat and grime covered his body as he uses all of his remaining strength to walk to his destination. He turns his head to his sister. "Elise… Just wait for awhile longer, we will find the captain and ask for help…" he assures, panting.
The little girl nods slowly, holding tightly to her brother's hand, displaying no emotion.
Bizarrely enough, the boy did not feel anything in seeing the piles of corpses that dotted the castle halls other than regret, not fear, like normal child should.
He knows that he could not do anything to help, oh he could hear their screams, their call for help. The cries of the citizens under the rubble.
Help us!
Save me!
Help! Help! Help! Help! Help! Help! Help! Help! Help! Help! Help! Help! Help! Help! Help!
HELP!
He could feel regret and familiarity in the burning inferno, the smell of flesh getting charred by fire surround him as he walks away, gazing at the bleeding moon at the sky. His soul and very memories being eroded slowly as-
'Fire? What fire? The castle is not burning!' He thought, drenched in sweat. 'A bleeding moon? The halls are roofed, how could that be possible?' He questions, sheer horror present in his mind. He almost let go of his sister.
The voices, they were still there, screaming. Beckoning him to take action, to save them. But... there was one voice that stood out the most, the voice of a woman, the voice of his ******.
Shirou! Run- no! LIVE! Live for me! Go-
As soon as the woman finished speaking, the memory became shrouded by fog. Isaiah was confused, terribly so. 'Shiro? Who's name is that?'
He looked up and saw a door, the end of the hall he thought. The long walk was almost finished, next to this hall is the throne room, and then… at the west was the barracks, put deliberately near the seat of the monarchs for fast response.
He walks further, just a little bit more and he could call for help. But he could feel his body break down, his speed being drained with every step. His sister was the same, her cold expression may not show it but she is also as exhausted as him, maybe even more so due to her frailness. And that is after accounting his small wound.
"Dammit!" He cursed, kneeling down to the floor. "Elise, leave me! C-call Someone! A…ny…one!" He shouts to his sister as everything turns black.
This is the start of everything, the one who changed destiny, Shirou Emiya's reincarnation.
A/N: End of the first arc, thank goodness. Thank you, and I mean it with all my heart, THANK YOU! I'm really happy that you liked this fic.
Now, please follow and favorite when you can. And please review, I really want to know what you think about this fic, feedback is necessary, it's okay it's not critique, simply letting your presence be known is enough.
Next Update is peace at last, stay tuned.
