Journey of the Sword Hero

by Shadowfox42

Shirou thought his life would finally end, alone in a desolate place fulfilling his duty, until he heard a voice call out to him searching for a hero. Now he is in a new world where he is connection to swords is even stronger but changed. Maybe in this new world he can finally be the hero he always wanted to be. Rated M for canon violence, blood, and dark themes and situations.

7. Dreams

Journey of the Sword Hero

Chapter 7

Dreams

---

Unknown Location

The world was on fire. At least it seemed to be from Lenora's perspective.

The teenage girl initially panicked when she woke up submerged in a sea of flames. Smoke filled the air and towering structures were crumbling around her. She only calmed down once she realized the hot flames did not hurt her and her lungs felt clear. The smell however, was all too real and unfortunately familiar.

Lenora tried to recall the last time she saw this kind of destruction 'I saw Lurolona being attacked during the first wave but that was from a distance. Is this what it was like for those who were there?'

Lenora took a deep breath. 'First, calm down. Assess the situation' Lenora tried to remember Shirou's teachings.

The fire would normally be the immediate threat and she could feel the heat attempting to sear her skin but there was a certain numbness about the feeling. A visual look confirmed that despite the odd sensation, her skin did not burn nor blister under the heat. Her nightdress was also unharmed.

There were several dead human bodies that could be seen. Screams and cries of pain could be heard all around her. The cause of these human's deaths appeared to be from the fire or falling rubble. She could not see any that were obviously killed in battle nor could she hear the clashing of weapons.

She noticed that there were no monsters present, dead or alive. Details of the world around her were hard to make sense of past the obscuring flames. Objects faded in and out of focus. A nearby street sign was blurred despite not being damaged but a shop name was clearly visible, although she could not recognize the language.

"Where am I?" She called out, not recognizing any of the burning buildings or their foreign architecture. Anything more than a few hundred meters became blurry and then unrecognizable. She tried to find a path that would let her escape the fire but the flames were present in every direction as far as she could see.

"I'm not sure." She heard someone answer from behind.

---

When Kotone woke up among the flames, her first reaction was to find Rifana and run. When she finally took the time to actually observe her surroundings and when she recognized the feelings that were being forced on her, she realized she had nothing to fear.

'This is not my village. And this is not my dream. But, how did I get here?' Kotone thought to herself.

Kotone was a little familiar with the concept of sharing a dream. But her only experience with it was when her mother had to comfort her and wake her up from a few nightmares. Kotone felt sad as she recalled the memory, she may never get to learn as many enchantments as her mother knew.

What she did know, was that she was in no real danger. She would wake up when the dream ended.

Kotone walked among the rubble of strange buildings and the marveled at the state of this world 'Such destruction and death, this is even worse than Lurolona. Whose mind could conjure these images?' Kotone hoped she hadn't accidently slipped into Rifana's dream, or nightmare in this case. She tried to be there for her whenever she was feeling sad or lonely to prevent this sort of thing.

Kotone walked along the ruined streets and took in the sights feeling pity.

She could see many humans who attempted to escape the flames, only to fail and succumb to either exhaustion, falling debris, or to the flames themselves. Some humans tried to help each other escape, attempting to rescue those who were trapped or immobile. Others willing left those same people behind in an attempt to increase their own chances of survival.

None of them survived.

She suppressed the memories that rose up at the familiar sights. 'No one deserves to die like this. human or not.'

Kotone tried to focus on the foreign emotions. 'The owner is scared and sad. Somehow in pain? You don't usually experience that with dreams. Maybe a particularly lucid dream?' Kotone was able to distance herself from feeling the emotions too strongly. Keeping in mind that these emotions were not her own.

As she explored the city streets, she heard a newly familiar voice say "Where am I?"

Kotone followed the sound to meet the back of the Sword Hero's companion Lenora. Unlike many things in this dream world, Lenora was clearly visible among the blurred and occluded surroundings. She wore the same clothes she went to bed last night with.

Lenora seemed confused as she took in her surroundings and tried to make sense of this dream world. Normally a futile effort.

'Lenora? Is this her dream? Or is she simply a part of it?' Kotone thinks to herself.

"I am not sure" Kotone calls out in answer.

As Lenora turned around to meet her, they both heard another familiar voice call out nearby.

"Hold on! I'll help you!" They both recognized the voice of Rifana and they both rushed in the direction of her call. They see her fall to her knees next to a collapsed building.

---

Rifana woke up alone in a scary place. This empty room was not her home. Those voices outside were not her friends.

"Kotone! Shirou! Lenora!" Rifana tried calling out to the people she knew. She received no response.

Rifana tried to leave the house she woke up in but a burned body was laying on the floor in front of the exit from the house. It was hard to focus on the man's face. Rifana did not really want to look at it anyways.

"I'm sorry but I can't stay here" Rifana said to the body before she dashed around it and out of the house only to stop as she saw the state of the burning city.

Rifana was tempted to hide back in the house until she remembered what Kotone once told her "I'm sorry Rifana but we need to go. I need you to be brave. If we run past the monsters we MIGHT die. If we stay here, we WILL die."

Rifana did not see any monsters but these fires were just as dangerous. She had to run away again.

Rifana tried her best to find a safe path through the fire but it was hard to focus past the heat and roaring flames. Screams would occasionally gain her attention but she could never see where they were coming from. She eventually managed to find a road that cut a path through the chaos.

As she passed by a collapsed house, she could hear a call for help accompanied by groans of pain. A woman was trapped under a broken wooden beam.

"Hold on! I'll Help you!" Rifana called out to the lady. No one was around to stop her THIS time.

---

Lenora and Kotone rushed to Rifana's location. They found her trying to rescue a woman trapped under rubble. Rifana was just as clearly visible as the two of them were.

When Rifana reached the human, she was shocked that the woman seemingly had no face. It wasn't that the face had been damaged or burned off. It was simply missing all defining features. No eyes, no nose, no mouth, nothing but smooth skin where a face should have been.

Rifana gathered what courage she had left to attempt moving some rubble out of the way. Her hands passed though the material as if it was an illusion and the woman did nothing to acknowledge her existence.

Rifana attempted a few more times to grab the woman before the trapped lady gave a final groan and then ceased to move. Her agony was finally brought to an end. Rifana began to cry in response "Why can't I touch anything? Are we ghosts? Did we die? Was getting rescued all just a dream? Are we still in prison?"

Kotone knelled down next to her and brought her into an embrace. She offered her soothing words in comfort "Shh. Shh. I am here. It's ok. We're ok." Lenora spoke next "Something's odd about this place. I don't recognize anything." Lenora could not recognize any of the architecture. Strange carts lined the streets and buildings made of metal and glass rose high into the air.

"I'd be panicking right now if not for the fact that standing in this fire does not hurt. I must be dreaming right now." Lenora admitted.

"We all are, it seems. But I don't know how we all seem to be here together." Kotone says.

Kotone managed to get Rifana to calm down a little and sent out a brief flash of blue fire. It did nothing to influence the red fire all around them. "This is not a dream. It can't be. Even visitors should be able to affect a dream. We can only touch each other…"

"This is a memory." Kotone realized. "We cannot effect anything here because this has all already happened. These events are already set in stone." Kotone held Rifana's hand for comfort and tried to block her view of the dead around her. She was only partially successful.

"But whose memory is this? And how did we all get here?" Lenora wonders out loud.

They were all startled out of their thoughts when the front door of a burning house across the street burst open. A man and woman stumbled out of the entryway while the man held a child to his chest as best as he could. The adult couple have already suffered severe injuries from their escape and even walking seemed to be a daunting task for them. The child was not unharmed in the escape but he was in better condition than the adults.

The man had dark hair and light skin. His face was a hard to see, his facial features were partially obscured but not to the extent of the man in the rubble. They could at least see the man's mouth and jaw line but his eyes and brow were difficult see in any detail other than he appeared to have golden colored eyes.

Kotone noticed the world sharpened into clarity around the family. The vague image of a road underneath them became a detailed road made of dark grey material. The surrounding flames began to burn and melt parts of the road into a sticky dark substance which intermingled with the black mud that covered the ground.

Unfortunately for the man, father? He was too distracted to notice the state of the ground. A misstep caused the man to trip into a pool of black liquid but not before he was able to twist himself mid fall so that only his back fell into the burning hot pool. The man cried out in even more pain but he was successful in sparing the child from most of the substance. The child tried to stifle a cry of pain as the few black splashes that reached him stuck to and burned his skin.

The boy was quickly pulled away by the woman. Their similar red hair color and light skin gave the impression she was the mother. Unlike the father, her face could clearly be seen. Her violet eyes teared as she clutched her son to her chest and could only watch as her husband spasmed in pain on the ground, too fearful to touch the black liquid.

The father tried to stand but he couldn't find the strength to carry on. He mouthed some words to the mother who then gave him a nod in response before running away with the child.

As the two fled down the streets, the three girls noticed the world beginning to fade around them but was expanding along the mother and child's path. "Follow them!" Kotone shouted "The memory is centered around one of them."

The three follow the two and tried their best to ignore the pained screams and cries for help. Kotone reminded them that they can't influence this world. In their pursuit, they noticed large sections of buildings were completely absent from the world. In their place were perfectly smooth plots of earth covered in flames. Kotone assumed them to be gaps in the memory.

They eventually catch up but only because the mother ran out of strength to carry on. Despite the impressive distance she ran, the end of the fire was still nowhere in sight and her body was failing her. They managed to catch some of the last words of the mother as she pushed the boy to continue running along the path "…Sorry…Run… Shirou…Lo-…you…"

"Wait… Shirou? That's our Sword Hero?" Kotone asked out loud.

Suddenly, something clicked in Lenora's recent memory.

"I lost any memories of my birth family when I was seven. I was rescued by my adopted father after a catastrophe killed a lot of people where I lived." "This is what Shirou told me when I told him Lurolona village was destroyed." Lenora explained. "He seemed to remember a little more than he said."

"Then these must be one of Shirou's memories even if its fragmented. And this must be the catastrophe. Wait, seven? No child should have to see all this. Neither should you Rifana. But why are we seeing them? And how are we seeing them all together at the same time?" Kotone asked while once again trying futilely to cover Rifana's eyes. Rifana stubbornly kept her eyes focused on the child Shirou.

"I have no idea. You seem to know more than me considering you knew this was a memory." Lenora replied back.

The three of them watched the boy named Shirou walk forward to escape the fire. The three girls walked alongside him, only able to passively observe as he stumbled and fell down multiple times over flame covered debris, into shards of glass and metal, and even over the bodies of the dead and dying.

With every fall he got up from, Shirou's face lost more and more expression. With every fall, he moved a little slower. Eventually, he could not even place one foot in front of the other. He fell to the ground and continued to move forward by crawling as far as he could.

By the time the boy finally could not go any further, he was covered in injuries. His clothes burned away in sections. His exposed skin showed it was burned off in multiple places. His feet were torn down to the muscle and bone. Rocks, mud, and black tar were stuck to his body. A rib could be seen visibly through Shirou's chest due to him dragging his body across glass and sharpened metal.

"How did he survive all of this?" Lenora wondered out loud.

The face of Shirou, when he flipped over to stare at the sky, made the three girls' cry. The look reminded them of the last look of some of their family and friends who died during the wave attack on Lurolona territory. It reminded them of some of the prisoners in Rabier's cells. It was the look of someone who had given up any hope of survival.

The world seemed to finally grant some pity as the clouds began to rain which brought some safely to the area a little too late. As Lenora and Kotone watched Shirou's hand rise up into the air as if to say goodbye to the world. It was Rifana who saw the man rushing through the remnants of the disaster to reach Shirou.

The man caught Shirou's falling hand and then proceeded to weep at the sight of Shirou. The man's words were heard by all of them as if they were right next to him "Thank goodness. Your alive" The man repeated several times to Shirou. The man cried and smiled as if he himself was the one rescued from this hellish place. Shirou seemed to stare back at him in question before closing his eyes.

"He looks so sad. But he is also Happy? I don't understand." Rifana said. "They are tears of joy. I did the same when I found you." Kotone replied.

As the world around them began to fade away. The three girls last vision was of the world being suddenly filled with a soft golden light and all their fears and worries were washed away with serene peace.

---

Unlimited Blade Works

Shirou woke up on soft grass and with his head laying on a beautiful woman's lap. The svelte woman had fair skin, blue eyes, and white hair. She possessed an inhuman type of beauty. Further emphasized by her pointed ears and fairy wings reminiscent of starlight. Her gold and white dress made her appear radiant in the warm light. She was also running her fingers through his hair. "Finally aware I see. Its about time we were able to meet face to face" She gives a soft giggle "So to speak."

Normally, waking up in the lap and arms of an unknown individual would trigger Shirou's fight or flight response but he felt surprisingly at peace despite the unexpected meeting. "Do I know you?" Shirou asked.

"Do you know me? How rude." She playfully smiles and says with a bit of mirth. "You would forget your partner so easily? The only one you need in this world? The only one who will forever stay by your side, no matter what?"

It takes Shirou a moment to connect this woman's voice to one he has heard several times since entering this world "Vivian?" Shirou assumes.

The woman claps a few times in response before she confirms "Yes, I am Vivian. I am the loyal spirit of your Legendary Sword and guide made manifest. I must say, you have a lovely soul. But all the other swords you have been keeping here are enough to make me feel a little unwanted."

"Spirit?" Shirou questions.

"Yes, spirit. All the Legendary Weapons have one. Though I will admit that we are far closer than other Legendary Weapon users have been in the past. It is a very welcome change." Vivian answers.

She leaned over slightly so she could look Shirou directly in the eyes. One of her hands drifted to his shoulder and then she proceeded to dig her nails into his skin with a surprising amount of strength. "You gave me quite a scare last night, summoning that awful thing… but its ok. I have already solved that problem."

"What have you done Vivian?" Shirou asked with some apprehension.

Vivian released his shoulder and responded "Oh, nothing that would hurt you. I've just been adjusting your inner world to be a little more compatible with me. Your sheath has been a very accommodating "home" for me here."

"Sheath?" Shirou initially questioned. He then saw familiar motes of golden light drift though the air like little fairies or fireflies. Shirou tried to rise from his comfortable position on the ground, feeling the desire to see his world. Though it seemed Vivian was unwilling to let him fully leave her arms. They ended up sitting together with Shirou's back leaning against Vivian's ample bosom. Vivian wrapped her arms around Shirou's waist and rested her head on one of his shoulders.

The first thing Shirou noticed about his world was that it was now flooded. The once never-ending expanse of dry earth was now an ocean of water. The second thing was that the sky was a little brighter. The once setting sun now looked like a rising sun, sitting a little higher than it once did. The sky was still colored a mix of purple, orange, and red but a little blue could also now be seen.

The two of them were sitting on an island of green grass and under a large hawthorn tree that was in full bloom. The island was fairly large and Shirou could see familiar swords and knives forming a ring in the shallow waters around the island. Little islands could be seen in the ocean which held a single sword or knife each. Three large islands were also visible that had a long stone bridge each which connected them to their center island. The central island seemed to be exclusively for themselves and the gently glowing Avalon. A large iceberg covered in chains could be seen poking out of the water in the distance and extending down below.

"How did you even get Avalon to work with you? It's never given me anything more than the minimum except when Art-… when its previous master was with me." Shirou tried to not think about her.

"I had no problems since Avalon welcomed me here. I AM a Legendary Spirit able to call forth beings across worlds, it was not difficult to have it accept me. Or maybe it is simply because I am a spirit similar to its creator? I have not questioned it. It now willingly accepts you as well. It is the source of your healing and recovery magic affinity." Vivian replied a little too casually. As if making a legendary artifact constructed by otherworldly beings and designed to only work for one individual was a simple feat.

Shirou let out a sigh and decided not to further question the entity who could reshape his inner world seemingly on a whim. "What happened here? And where are all my other weapons?" Shirou asked.

"Like I said. I made your world more compatible with me. The water represents your new water affinity. The golden lights and warm sun represent your healing affinity. All those other useless weapons are submerged down below because they were not wanted nor needed. Or at least they were until last light." Vivian explains.

Shirou now understood that this is why his projections of other weapon types were slower than normal. They literally had to be dragged out from the depths in order to be used.

Vivian pointed to one of the nearby large islands "Those were not done by me. Those are there because of you." Vivian said with a small pout on her face. "A curious thing really. I buried every weapon not associated with swords underwater but then those three islands all formed last night. Some of your buried weapons have migrated to them. There is now an island for shields, an island for polearms, and an island for ranged weapons. Those bridges connect us to your new servants and represent their place in this world."

"Can we go there?" Shirou asked in curiosity. He felt like he should be more concerned about how drastically his inner world has changed but he also for some reason felt this was better.

"Their land is still being established. I would wait a little while longer until your servants' islands are finished." Vivian cautioned.

"Speaking of servants. What happened last night? What was that weird sword form? Why did you overload Rule Breaker? What happened during the ritual afterwards?" Shirou really wanted some answers to ensure nothing that chaotic happened again.

"I… do not know what that sword form was. The system labeled it as part of the cursed series of weapons but it was definitely not one of the seven sins I am more familiar with. The sword form increased your parameters enough to overcome the level gap between you and Rabier. However, I could sense an increase of strong and aggressive emotions while you used it. I will admit I was… preoccupied with another task at the time to properly analyze it myself."

"Whatever it was, the fact that it is labeled as part of a cursed series means you should take care not to use it at all if possible." Vivian began to share what little she knew.

"Cursed series? I'm going to assume they give you power but at a cost to either your body and/or mind. The cardinal sins are called the seven deadly sins for a reason." Shirou assumed anything associated with those sins would be bad to use.

"Last night… I could feel the building resentment while we were in Rabier's prison. It was like I was collecting all the lingering emotions of those who had suffered there. The feeling slowly started to fog over my mind and created a strong desire to punish Rabier as soon as possible. I didn't even need to rob him afterwards but I felt like he deserved it."

"It kind of felt like a possession. I could feel multiple emotions that were not my own but I didn't want to fight it off. Not after what I saw in Rabier's weapons history nor after he used the slave crests to hurt Kotone and Rifana. I can at least say Melromarc is better off without him. Those strong emotions seemed to fade away after the target of their sorrow was eliminated."

Shirou frowned as he recalled the memories of cruelty inflicted by Rabier's weapons. Unfortunately, these memories were now recorded forever in Unlimited Blade Works. Shirou could choose not to look at them, but they will always be there.

"While you DO seem to possess a strong enough mental fortitude required to resist most of the curses' influence, I must do my job as a Legendary Weapon and strongly advise you not to use any curse series weapons anyways. I don't want them to influence your thoughts. I like you just the way you are." Vivian says with pride.

"Its probably for the best if I avoid using that form." Shirou agreed. He understood that things could have gone far worse last night if he lost control of the situation or if Rabier had escaped. 'Would I have chased after Rabier and left the girls behind?' Shirou did not want to know the answer.

Shirou unwillingly recalled an event from his past. His body burned as magic beyond his control flooded his circuits. His skin became pale, his hair bleached white, even his eyes reflected the steel of his remembered the temptation as the red magic energy tried to influence him to accept the all the world's evil and to become a sword of merciless justice.

'No. I refused then, and I refuse now.' Shirou vowed. He was then saved from that chain of memories by Vivian continuing the discussion.

"As for that thing you summoned last night… It's in there." Vivian pointed to the iceberg covered in chains that could be seen in the distance. "It's buried deep below the waters, incased in ice, and locked away."

"Why?" Shirou asked while observing how many layers of protection Vivian put into hiding a single weapon.

"Why? Because I hate that blades existence. That thing could sever even our legendary bonds. The system may accept its use but I won't allow it. I made the initial mistake of overlooking it but when you summoned it. I knew I had to get rid of it." Vivian practically crushed Shirou as she clung to him from behind. Shirou could feel her body shaking as she held him.

That's when Shirou realized what really happened "You were scared. Scared that I would use Rule Breaker to break our bond and leave you."

He felt Vivian relax her hold around him a little before sadly responding "Yes. Look at all of them out there." She sweeps her hand across the horizon line, pointing to all the sword islands that were visible. "Swords of all kinds. Great swords, minor swords, fragile swords, indestructible swords, powerful swords, weak swords. Swords of Legend… how can I compare them to what I am now?"

"I am sorry if I caused you any pain or suffering but I do not regret doing it. I will not undo the binding either. I can feel you right now and speak to you. In a way I have not been able to before. I will not give this up. Please do not ask me too. I promise I will do whatever else I can to help you in return." Vivian begged Shirou to not replace her.

Shirou could feel the desperation in her voice and, despite feeling like he might regret this, he agrees to accept her "It's ok. I understand what it's like to stand next to a Legend and realizing how far the gap between myself and them is. It may seem foolish but if I can make it to their level with time and effort, then so can you." Shirou tried to encourage her by using his own past as an example.

"This mess started because I wanted to free those girls from their slave crests, I just wanted to stop their pain. At least we all got out of the prison safely. We can try to find a new way to break slave crests that does not involve rule breaker."

Shirou could feel Vivian's wings flutter in response before she said "Thank you. The system might be able to do something if you can get me a sample of the ink used in slave bindings."

"You have mentioned the system a few times already. Are you and the system not the same entity?" Shirou asks.

"No actually. We work closely together but the weapon spirit is technically separate from the system functions. To use an example from your world. I am a system administrator, not the system itself. That would make you the user of the system. Certain system functions work automatically like storage and sword form integration without any need of input from you or I." Vivian explains.

"So, the servant binding was not because of you. It was because of the system automatically integrating my past experiences?" Shirou guesses.

"Correct. Skill integration is an automatic function. The system determined you would prefer more familiar servants as opposed to slaves. Was this a mistake?"

Shirou thinks for a moment before responding "I don't think I would like a slave. I would not mind having a servant again in general but I do not like that this was forced on them. I will need to explain what has happened to them and see how they feel about it. I will make sure they all get something out of it, if they accept."

"I understand. Please be aware that, because the binding was a converted otherworldly skill, I cannot predict all of its functions. I encourage you to at least experiment with your new connections before making a final decision." She advises.

"Fair enough. As long as it does not hurt them in the process." He agrees.

The two of them sit in silence for a moment longer to enjoy their world together. Vivian eventually released her hold on Shirou to allow them both to stand and walk around their island. The island itself was covered in green grass and flowers. There were several large trees scattered around that were also in full bloom.

Vivian took Shirou's hand and walked him onto the shallow waters around the island. Shirou was surprised to learn that the water's surface was solid enough for them to walk on. "Your water affinity allows you to walk across its surface. You should be able to learn to do this in the real world with some practice." Vivian informed him.

Shirou looks across the vast waters that reflected the early morning sky and says "I think I prefer the way this world looks. It looks like a world that shows some sign of life." Shirou says absentmindedly. "Plants grow here now, even if only on this island of ours currently. I can still see plenty of weapons above and below the water's surface."

"We will continue to grow this place together and as this world grows, so will we. Maybe your companions will help us expand this world too." Vivian said.

"Maybe. Though I have to ask. Why would you let me see and access the other non-sword weapons anyways? Why keep them around if you don't like them?" Shirou asks.

"Because they are a part of you. They each have their own history before and after meeting you. They are monuments to those who have passed. But more importantly, they remind me how far I must go to become your one and only weapon and tool. Eventually, with your help, I will surpass them all. You will never need multiple weapons prepared for every occasion. Only me, Shirou's Legendary Sword called Vivian, who can be used for any occasion." Vivian proudly states.

Something about what Vivian said resonated within Shirou's soul. Even Avalon seemed to shine brighter with her words. Shirou felt their connection grow stronger when he figured it out. "We are two swords who just want to fulfill their purpose. You want to become the Legendary Sword and companion of the Sword Hero."

"And you want to become the sword that protects and dispenses justice. You can be the sword that protects the people, like a hero. I will be your sword that protects you and cuts down your enemies. With me by your side, we can both achieve our goals. You will never fight alone ever again." Vivian promised.

"We will do it together." Shirou affirmed.

Shirou and Vivian then walked back their islands center and they were treated to Avalon's gentle comforting light and warmth. Shirou's lingering anxiety of what was going on in his soul faded away with Avalon and Vivian's presence. No matter what was going on in his life, Shirou was always able to draw comfort from Avalon's presence.

When Vivian leaned her head against his shoulder, he realized she must have felt the same. Avalon demonstrated its ability to bring peace even to spirits.

Shirou realized he was waking up when his body started to lose sensation. "Looks like it's time for me to go." He spoke.

"I will still be by your side. Who knows, maybe we can meet face to face again in the real world too." Vivian replied.

Shirou faded away shortly afterwards, leaving Vivian behind in a world of unlimited swords.

Vivian sat down next to Avalon and brought up a system menu. "There has to be something I can do. Hmm… projection? No, not enough data. Illusions? No, not solid enough to be useful. Doppelganger? Hmm… maybe, let's see what we can do." Vivian spoke to herself in an uninhabited world.

---

West Melromarc – Sword Hero's Campsite

Shirou woke up on a soft, fluffy, and furred pillow. He snuggled into the warmth briefly before realizing he owned no furry pillows. Shirou heard a soft giggle from his side and turned his head to meet Kotone's blue eyes and mirthful smile.

"Oh my, how bold. Well, I guess you do deserve a reward for rescuing us. The least I can do is serve as a blanket and pillow." She then gestured to their bodies where their traced blanket seemed to have disappeared in the middle of the night. Probably stretched too much by the three of them sharing it.

It took a moment to remember that after the four of them made it home last night, they were all so tired that they all ended up in the same small tent together. None of them cared about the state of their clothes. Shirou's quick trace must have been weaker than normal and dispelled in the middle of the night. This forced Kotone to use her tails as a makeshift blanket to compensate. Only Lenora still had the real blanket. Luckily for them, the four of them in such a small space helped keep all of them from getting too cold.

"I'm sorry" Shirou said. "I guess we will need a proper structure if we are going to be out here for a while."

"Expecting us to move in already?" Kotone teased. She notably made no attempt to remove Shirou's head from her tail. Though it might have just been to keep Rifana, who was still asleep between them both, from waking up.

Shirou blushed slightly at the somewhat familiar tease "Well… not exactly. You are both welcome to stay if you still want to after my explanation later."

"Oh? Going to confess why you claimed us as yours? I have to say, as far as masters go, we can do far worse than the Sword Hero."

"It wasn't intentional, and you shouldn't be so quick to give up your freedom." Shirou muttered in response. "Look, I have a few things we need to check today. Vivian, my Legendary Sword spirit, has advised we check a few things with this servant binding. After we test things, I will release you all if possible. If not, well, I will try to find you two somewhere safe to stay until we figure something out."

"Somewhere safe? You mean you don't want us to come along? Now that I think about it, where are your other party members?" Kotone asked.

"Lenora is all I have right now. And well… technically you two as well. But I didn't exactly get your permission so I wont force either of you to fight with us. You both just got free of Rabier. You must be eager to get back to your family." Shirou would not force the burden of life and death battles onto them. Especially not on a child, like Rifana.

Shirou watched Kotone's expression and ears fall. She paused for a moment before replying "We have no one left to return to. Rifana's family died in the wave attack of Lurolona village and so did mine. We were able to stay together afterwards with some friends who also survived for a time but then we got separated from each other when we were taken by Lord Rabier. "

"I managed to trick some of the guards into giving or dumping some of the other prisoners away but I would not let Rifana leave my side out of fear I would lose her forever. We both watched as Rifana's best friend broke down in tears after I made her and the guards think Rifana was tortured to death. That was the first time I was able to force a hypnosis on someone. I could only do it because I knew her well. Iheard the poor girl was sold off afterwards as a slave but I think anyone is better that Rabier."

"You seem to care about Rifana a lot. Is she family? Or simply a friend?" Shirou wondered.

Kotone smiled at the memories "She's kind of like a little sister to me. Her mother and mine were childhood friends and stayed relatively close even after they had kids. I would sometimes watch Rifana when her mother needed to go out for errands. Rifana is a good girl who did not deserve to lose her home and family. I guess you could say I still feel a little responsible for her. I promised her family I would look after her before they… died." She explained. Her smile shifted to a frown at how the memory ended.

"I never had any siblings. My father died when I was young and my mom never remarried. I always wondered what it would be like to have a big family. Taking care of Rifana just seemed natural at the time." Kotone admitted.

Rifana chose that moment to reach out in her sleep and claim Kotone's other tail for herself. Rifana rubbed her face into the fluffy tail and muttered incoherently.

The action made Shirou chuckle to himself "It seems she is just as attached to you as you are to her." Shirou jokes.

"Ha-ha. Very funny Mr. Hero." Kotone replies with mirth.

Kotone begins to remember the dream from last night. "You know, we all dreamed about you last night." She confesses.

"Really? What was it about?" Shirou asks in curiosity.

"To tell you the truth. It started out as a nightmare. We all saw a strange city on fire and we are pretty sure it was your home world. We think we saw a child version of you but your hair and eye colors were different. The kid had red hair and gold eyes but he was called Shirou." Kotone explained.

Shirou let out a sigh in response "I was hoping you wouldn't see anything like that but I'm not surprised. I had red hair and gold eyes up until about 7 years ago."

"You're not surprised?" Kotone's head tilted in curiosity.

"No. It is considered a normal side effect of the servant binding we made last night. Normally, the master of the contract would see memories of their servant's past, but the opposite seems to be happening here. My past, especially that event, is not pretty to look at. I am sorry you all had to see it. I hope you won't have to see more." Shirou apologizes in advance.

He then realized all three of them saw that nightmare "Wait. You all saw that? Even Rifana?" Shirou was worried for the youngest girl.

"Yes. Even though I tried to shield her from the visions. She was too stubborn not to want to see everything. She seemed to handle it well enough once she realized it was all a memory."

Kotone paused as she recalled the end of the memory "We probably would have all woke up crying but something at the end of the memory soothed our fears and allowed us to peacefully sleep."

Kotone reached over to gently touch one of Shirou's cheeks "I suspect it was whatever saved you from the horrible state you were in. It was a miracle that you were able to survive all of that, even more so as a child. I remember being bathed in a golden light and then all our fear and sorrows melted away. The feeling kind of reminded me of how you healed me yesterday."

Shirou thinks about what he should say or leave out. After deciding a little information would not hurt, he says "I would have died that day if not for my adoptive father and the relic of his… servant. That same servant and her relic saved my life again years afterwards."

"What is a Servant anyways? The way you talk about it seems to be more than just an attendant or helper." Kotone could sense some underlying emotion about the topic. Sadness perhaps?

"I think I should explain when everyone is awake." Shirou delays the conversation for later.

A low rumbling sound from Kotone makes Shirou smirk at her as she tries to hide her red flushed face.

"But first, how about breakfast?" Shirou offers.

"I would like to help. Please? I want to do something normal for a change." Kotone accepts but she also wants to participate.

Shirou almost told her not to worry about it but, when he saw the earnest look on her face, he couldn't find the will to say no. "Alright, let's make something together."

Kotone gave him a smile as she stealthily freed her tail from Rifana's grasp and then slipped out of bed. She managed to pull some of Lenora's excess blanket over Rifana as well. The two of them then escaped the tent.

"Very smooth. You didn't wake up either of them. Have you had a lot of practice?" Shirou complimented Kotone's skill.

Kotone laughed in response "Rifana likes to get clingy when you nap with her. I've gotten used to escaping her clutches unnoticed."

Shirou lead her over to the runework firepit. "First things first, proper clothes." Shirou traces an apron for himself and for Kotone. Shirou was staring to find it funny how everyone seemed so surprised by what many magi called a basic spell back home. Though some of them just considered it a waste of mana to use it for basic objects.

Shirou then notices the state of Kotone's cloths, specifically the amount of skin showing from the oversized men's shirt she was wearing "Are you sure you don't want to wash up before breakfast? I can make you some clean, if temporary cloths to wear if you want to wash first."

Kotone looks at Shirou with suspicion and says "Hmm… I get the feeling that if I leave you right now, when I return the food will already be cooked."

Shirou rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment "Umm… Well… the thought did cross my mind" He admitted.

Kotone gave Shirou a pleased smirk as she took the second apron from him "That's what I thought. You're not getting away from me that easy." She teases as she covers up her front with the white apron.

"So, it would seem. Alright then. Hold out your hands at least?" Shirou instructed.

"OK?" Kotone did as instructed without knowing the intent. She was then treated to the sight of Shirou's water magic cleaning their hands.

"With that out of the way. Let's start the fire" Shirou motions towards the pit.

Kotone looked at the pit in confusion "Don't we need wood first?"

Shirou then shows her how to start up the fire magically. He is only slightly surprised to find out that Kotone already had some basic knowledge of fire magic so teaching her how to increase and decrease the fire temperature went smoothly. Kotone admitted to being unpracticed with combative fire, having only previously used her species innate fire affinity for illumination purposes and to start other fires. She never formally studied magic. He also learned that Kotone's fire spells evoked blue flames after she gave a simple demonstration.

"I should have guessed a kitsune would know a little bit of magic, especially after you admitted to knowing hypnosis." Shirou commented as they started cooking some fish and mixed vegetables.

"Oh? Did you know a kitsune before you met me?" She asked in curiosity.

"Not really. But there were tales back in my homeland about kitsunes. They described them as mischievous tricksters, as faithful and loving companions, and as loyal familiars. They said they possessed great intelligence and long lives. They had supernatural abilities over fire and were able to cast illusions, enchant the mid, and shapeshift into both fox and human-like forms. Their power was said to grow with age and/or skill and the number of tails they had indicated their level of strength."

"How much of that is still accurate here?" Shirou asked in curiosity.

Kotone smirks in pride over how her kind was described "A good amount actually. Although I have to ask. Why do you describe them as past tales?"

"Unfortunately, as far as I'm aware, they are either hiding very well from everyone or they are all gone. I'm afraid humanity has not been kind to the supernatural forces in the world. But to be fair to humanity, there are a lot of supernatural forces that consider humans prey or simply beneath them. I had a live and let live approach. If you were not hurting any innocent people, then we got along just fine. I even managed to make friends with a few vampires."

"Your world has vampires too?" Kotone was surprised.

"Yes. Most of them, unfortunately, used their powers and status to exploit and kill a lot of innocent people. Sometimes, they killed just for their own amusement. Many of them considered humans nothing more than food. I was actually on call to deal with some of the more lethal or tricky ones. But they were not all bad. Some of them even helped us fight the more aggressive ones."

Shirou remembered his friends among the executors, it was interesting to learn how dead apostles lived by learning from other dead apostles. He was also pleasantly surprised to find a fellow collector called Merem who was more than willing to share stories in exchange for being able to look at Shirou's traced relics.

It was also while working for the executors and exorcists that he met Ciel, Caren, and Sumire.

Kotone showed her previous experience in the kitchen by smoothly cutting and preparing the vegetables while using Shirou's traced knives and cutting blocks. She began to happily hum an unfamiliar song to herself and bobbed her head side to side to the beat. Her two tails swayed back and forth in contentment. She looked cute to Shirou but he had to force himself to focus on the food after he got too comfortable with the image of them making breakfast together while she wore nothing but one of his shirts.

The smell of food must have woken up Lenora and Rifana because they managed to shuffle their way out of the tent as Shirou and Kotone were putting the finishing touches on breakfast.

"Good morning. Breakfast is almost ready. You're welcome to eat first and then bathe. I know last night was tiring." Shirou called out to the two of them. They all would need the energy for their discussion today.

"Thank goodness" Rifana said before she plopped onto a blanket that was set the ground.

"Thank you Shirou, and thank you too Kotone." Lenora said as she sat down on a flattened log that had been serving as a bench.

After a quiet breakfast. The three girls left to bathe by the river. Shirou promised to trace them some cloths to use while at camp when they got back. Kotone and Rifana were given one of Shirou's spare shirts to use in the meantime. 'Now that I think about it. I wonder if I can use some water magic and runes to make a large hot tub here. Laguz is a water rune but it is also associated with cleansings. Something to experiment and practice later.'

Shirou was beginning to think they would be staying at this camp site for a while so it would not hurt to establish a proper base here. They can practice magic, reinforce their defenses, and set up proper dwellings all at the same time. 'With some magecraft to assist me, I could build a basic log cabin with fireplace in about two days by myself. If we all helped… we could probably make a larger cottage in only a few days of time. It would be good practice for everyone as well.'

Shirou took out some parchment and planed the layout for a cottage with four square rooms on the base floor, a second floor with three bedrooms, and a cellar. A central fireplace could heat all rooms at the same time. A couple restrooms could be built on the first and second floor and A large hot tub with changing room could be built and attached to one of the four base rooms.

By the time Shirou finished the basic plan, the three girls were approaching after finishing their bath. Shirou thinks about how much time it would take to build the whole thing. 'Probably two weeks by myself, that would take too long. It would only be a few days if all of them helped. If we all helped then it should not take too much time out of preparing for the wave. Of course, all this is assuming they want to actually stay and help. Otherwise, a simple one room cabin will work for just Lenora and I.'

Rifana was rushing ahead of the group, her hair was still wet. Shirou called out to her "Rifana! You're going to catch a cold running around like that. Please come here for a moment and I'll help you dry off." He then gestured to one of the nearby log benches.

Rifana hesitated for a moment before sitting down on a log in front of him. Shirou then traced a towel to dry as much of her hair as possible while trying to be gentle around her weasel ears. After that was done, he traced a brush and brushed her short pink hair until all the knots were gone and her hair was completely dry.

Lenora and Kotone watched the interaction with an amused smile on their faces.

"There, all pretty again. Your free to go now." Shirou told Rifana and patted her on the head. Rifana turned around to give him a quick hug and then started running around the camp again.

Kotone complimented his ability "I'm surprised you got her to sit down long enough to finish the job. You have any experience with girl's hair?" Leora seemed interested in his answer as well.

"I am formally trained as a butler. So, I am skilled in most domestic tasks, including hairdressing. I have had to work with hair much longer and more stylish. Rifana's short hair is easy to deal with by comparison." Shirou remembers having to deal with Luvia's complicated curls. Rifana's hair was much simpler.

Shirou called out to the girls "Alright, I'm going to wash myself as well. But before that, what would you two like to wear?" he offers.

Lenora explains "Shirou can make a lot of different temporary cloths. They won't survive combat but they should be fine while we relax here. If you can think of it, Shirou probably has something close to match. You saw it yesterday with the fake guard outfits."

Rifana hesitates a moment and then asks "Can you make me a dress? A pretty pink dress? Maybe something like a princess would wear?"

Shirou gives a chuckle at the request "A dress fit for a Princess? Such a minor first request." Shirou gives her a low bow "Let this humble knight present you with a royal dress."

A flash of light reveals a small pink dress with a long-ruffled skirt that stopped at mid shin, lace, and puffy sleaves. Light pink flats competed the look. It was a modern take on the classic but still made of expensive materials that sparkled in the daylight.

Rifana's eyes sparkled with delight to match the dress "This is for me?" She said as she took the dress from Shirou.

"Yes, but unfortunately only until tomorrow. It's a magic dress. It will fade away after a while but you can be a princess for today." Shirou tried to break it to her gently.

Kotone eyed the traced dress with curiosity "So its like a hard illusion?"

"Kind of." Shirou admits "But it's more like I create a temporary copy of something that already existed. I can't make anything from scratch but I have a lot of templates to choose from." 'Thank you Luvia, for your families' extravagant tastes.' Shirou had to force another memory away as he thought of a white-haired girl who also would have appreciated the cute dress. 'Don't think about her.'

Kotone thinks about what she would like to wear now that she has a choice, "Could you make me something from your homeland? Something a kitsune would wear?"

Shirou was surprised by the request but he searched his memories for something close. "I think I have something." Shirou then traced a blue kimono decorated with white lilies. He gave her a lighter version in the Kofurisode style which had shorter sleeves, hakama pants, and boots.

"While this type of clothing is not specifically for kitsunes, it was the type of clothes many women, including kitsunes, wore during the time period they were most known." Shirou admits.

"If you have any problems with the layers, please feel free to ask me for help after my bath." Shirou knows the layers can be confusing at first glance.

Kotone feels the smooth material in her hands 'Is this silk? Isn't that expensive? Where did he see this?' She wonders. "Thank you Shirou, I'm sure ill figure it out." She did not want to disappoint him over something so simple.

Shirou leaves the girls to change and takes a bath by the river. He gets some water magic practice by creating a section of clean water by changing the waters flow.

When Shirou returned to the camp. He was greeted with the sight of the two girls in their temporary clothes while Lenora wore one of her sundresses. Lenora and Rifana were playing a game of tag while Kotone seemed to be struggling with the Kimono obi.

Shirou walked over to her to help "Here, let me fix it for you" Kotone seemed reluctant to give up at first but she let out a sigh and allowed him to remove and retie the waist layers.

His experience seemed to confuse Kotone "How do you know how to wear these if these were worn by women from the past?"

Shirou answers "Our country likes to preserve past traditions. We host festivals every so often and its common to dress up in older style clothes. Even when we don't have festivals, its not uncommon to wear a yukata, an older more casual style robe, around the home or at bath houses. I had practice helping my friends with their kimonos. This outfit is also light enough to run in if you had to."

After finishing straightening out her robes, Shirou admires his work. "Perfect. You look really beautiful in this." Shirou casually complements her.

This caused a flush to spread across Kotone's face "I... Well…" she stammered before they were interrupted by Rifana running head first into Shirou's stomach. He managed to avoid falling over and caught her before both of them fell over.

Kotone took the distraction to lightly scold her "Rifana! Please be more careful. You could have gotten yourself or Shirou hurt. Say you're sorry to Shirou."

Rifana hugged Shirou around his waist and apologized "I'm sorry Shirou. I was not watching where I was going. But I've never been able to run around so much before. I feel like I can run forever. I'm not even tired!"

Lenora walks up to the group and says "She's not the only one who feels different. I don't feel like I've gotten tougher but I'm way more nimble and faster than I was yesterday."

Shirou feels like this is now a good time for their talk "Its probably because of your servant classes. I think now's a good time to talk about them. And then what you want to do after knowing about what I can do you."

The group agrees to finally talk about their servant status. Shirou starts a pot of tea over the fire for them to drink while they talk.

"First off. Let me confirm what I think happened." Shirou says to the group while activating his appraisal ability on the three of them.

---

Name: Lenora

Age: 14

Class: Archer Class Servant

Level: 12

Race: Lion Demi-Human

Status: Anxious

Parameters:

Strength: C

Endurance: D

Agility: A

Mana: B

Luck: C

Class Skills: Independent Action: B, Magic Resistance: D, Enslavement Immunity

Personal Skills: Quick Draw: A, ?: C (Unknown Racial)

Unlimited Blade Works Link (Projectiles): Lv1

Command Seals: 3/3

Magic: Wind Affinity

---

Name: Kotone

Age: 18

Class: Lancer Class Servant

Level: 5

Race: Kitsune Demi-Human

Status: Embarrassed

Parameters:

Strength: B

Endurance: C

Agility: A

Mana: B

Luck: C

Class Skills: Battle Continuation: B, Magic Resistance: C, Protection from Arrows: B, Enslavement Immunity

Personal Skills: Disengage: C

Unlimited Blade Works Link (Polearms): Lv0

Command Seals: 3/3

Magic: Fire Affinity, Hypnotism, Illusions (untrained)

---

Name: Rifana

Age: 10

Class: Shielder Class Servant

Level: 1

Race: Weasel Demi-Human

Status: Excited

Parameters:

Strength: C

Endurance: A+

Agility: D

Mana: B

Luck: C

Class Skills: Magic Resistance: A, Poison Resistance, Self-Field Defense: C, Mana Defense: B, Enslavement Immunity

Personal Skills: ?: (Unknown Racial), ?: (Unknown Racial)

Command Seals: 3/3

Unlimited Blade Works Link (Shields): Lv0

Magic: Unknown Affinity

---

Shirou was able to confirm a few things but was puzzled about the few unknowns in the appraisal. 'Maybe the appraisal won't show what they themselves do not know?' He also noticed that they were somehow linked to his unlimited blade works. That would explain the new islands he saw there. He decided to move on explaining what he knows.

"So, what I know. You three have been bound to me as Servants. These are not the cleaning or attendant types of servants. A Servant from my home world is the spirit of a hero from humanities past that has been summoned to fight for their master."

"However, instead of summoning part of a heroic spirit and putting it into a class container like normal. The ritual yesterday designated each of you as a servant bound to me and gave you all new abilities and boosted stats as if you yourself were a Servant. I myself gained the Saber class when I first linked with my Legendary Sword. I was designated as the leader last night."

Shirou turns to look at Lenora "Lenora, you were given the archer class. Archers specialize in long ranged combat and make excellent scouts, snipers, and fire support. Your health pool and defense stat have more than doubled what it was yesterday. your natural attack stat has increased by more than three times. Your magic stat and mana pool quadrupled. Lastly, your agility has multiplied by five. Part of it is from your level ups but your stat growth now is way more than you have been getting normally though level ups."

Shirou then looks to Kotone and Rifana "I don't know what your stats looked like previously but I could only assume they have been increased depending which class parameters were assigned to you."

"Kotone, you were given the Lancer class. They specialize in high agility close combat as well as hit and run tactics. Their weapons allow them to keep enemies at a distance and can sometimes be used as ranged weapons."

"Rifana, I'll be honest and say I've never heard of the Shielder servant class. But based on what I'm seeing from your stats and skills, you were chosen to be a protector. With as much defense and magic resistance you have, you will be hard to take down. Unlike the Shield hero, you actually have the ability to inflict damage and a good amount of it."

Shirou believed he figured out the connection between parameters and stat increases. Rank D increased base stat gain rate per level by two times, Rank C by three times, Rank B by four times, and Rank A by five times. He wasn't sure if Rifana's A+ Endurance was six times or just more than five. Judging by how energetic she claims to be, especially at level 1, he going to assume it's six times for now.

"You all have received additional abilities based on your class such as magic defense or other protections, but they all involve combat in some way. These make you far more powerful than what you were before."

"But there is a cost." Shirou explains the part that makes him the most uncomfortable. The three girls nervously wait for the downsides to come.

"The crest on your chests is called a command seal. It is proof that we are bound together. Normally only the master would have them but it appears that the mix of slave and servant rituals has made them present on both of us. Their power… is to force an absolute command that cannot be resisted."

Kotone raises her hand in question "That sounds like a normal slave crest to me? Is it really so bad?"

Shirou sighs "Maybe you have become used to someone having command over your life but I don't like it. Command seals work a little differently. Individually, the commands are far more powerful. I can't give you tons of commands and then punish you if you don't obey them. I could however, command all of you to kill yourselves from the other side of the world and it will force you to do it."

"I could force you to kill your friends or family. I could force you to kill the King or even myself. The command does not enforce obedience through pain, it will take control of your body to complete the command if it has to, you will be a prisoner in your own body who can do nothing but watch."

Rifana fidgets at Shirou mentioning having them kill himself.

Shirou continues "It's not all bad. I could command you to do something you already wanted too and it will boost your ability to do so. I could also call you to appear by my side no matter where you were if we were separated and the world itself will distort to make it happen. The servant crest also apparently prevents you from being enslaved by anyone else."

"I also can only command you all three times each. One seal will disappear with each command until none are left and you are free. I assume you will also loose what power was given to you by the binding but you would be free to do whatever you wish."

Rifana spoke up next "Anything else we can do because of the seal?"

Shirou smirks for a moment and then Rifana hears Shirou's voice despite his lips not moving 'Maybe, why don't you ask Kotone what a telephone is?'

Rifana turns to Kotone "Kotone, what's a telephone?"

Kotone looks confused "Shirou just said It's a device to… Oh" She turns her head back to Shirou.

Shirou had sent the answer to Kotone but the question was sent to Rifana.

Shirou continues "That's right. Something that has no limit is the ability for me to talk to all of you telepathically. Which means mentally/supernaturally Rifana. It's not just that. I can see what you see, hear what you hear. At any moment I choose to. Are you willing to give up your privacy to a man you just met? Or put your life on the line for complete strangers? Humans, demi-humans, and beastkin?"

The three of them contemplate in silence for a moment until Lenora spoke up first "You know, you seem to be trying really hard to scare us away right now. Like I said last night, you can't get rid of me that easy. I already put my trust in you over a week ago. Now I get cool powers as well? I see no problem with this."

Kotone looked to Rifana in askance. When she received a nod in confirmation, Kotone responded "they say that those who do not desire power are the ones most suited to wield it. To be perfectly honest, I think I would regret not helping you. I think Rifana feels the same way. Neither of us would be here if it was not for you. We have no place left to return to either. The least I can do is repay the life you have given us by devoting myself to you. And besides, it's a lonely world out there. Why not spend it together?"

Kotone continues "As for any lack of privacy. I could feel it when you were mentally communicating with me. I could feel your apprehension. I believe you would respect our privacy as much as possible. You are a good and kind man."

Rifana was the last to speak "I want to help. I wasn't strong enough to help my village. I wasn't strong enough to help my family. I wasn't strong enough to help Raphtalia or Keel. I wasn't strong enough to help Kotone. I want to be strong enough to help other people. I want to help you. Please let me. Demi-humans grow up fast if you let them. I promise I won't be a burden."

Shirou filed Raphtalia's name for later and looked at the three girls who were confirming they wanted to journey with him. He had no reason to doubt their commitment. He could feel it though their servant connections. However, he had to make sure Rifana knew what she was doing first.

"Are you sure you want to fight? You're still a child, hold on, I'm not saying your childish. I'm just pointing out that these are adult problems and you should enjoy being a kid while you can. I already know a kid your age who is out fighting the waves so I can't really use that as an excuse."

"I want you to know you don't have to fight if you don't want to. You don't have to grow up so fast. You are going to see many things even adults shouldn't see. Do things many people shouldn't have to deal with. I promise we will still take care of you regardless of your ability to fight." Shirou offered her a way out.

Rifana at least considered his words before confirming "I still want to help. I'm not just a kid anymore. I want to be a hero like you. I want to protect people so they don't end up like us."

Shirou sighed in response "Well, I can't say I approve of your willingness to risk your life fighting. I would be a hypocrite to deny you now. I am still glad you want to stay. As much as I hate to admit, I don't think I can do all this alone. So, from this moment onwards, we are all in this Journey together."

Rifana raises a fist in the air "Yeah! Were going to be heroes! The real ones!"

Shirou chuckled at her enthusiasm "Oh? I though you wanted to be treated like a princess?"

Rifana placed her hands on her hips and princess dress and then turns slightly with her chin pointed upwards "I can be both!"

This gets a laugh from all those present.

*Status Update*

*Kotone Affinity LV 1*

*Unlimited Blade Works Link (Polearms): LV1 unlocked*

*Rifana Affinity LV 1*

*Unlimited Blade Works Link (Shields): LV1 unlocked*

'So, that's how it works' Shirou commented mentally. 'It's a representation of trust' he assumes.

"Now that everyone has agreed to stay, we have a few errands to run. A trip to the city for gear. Stop by the magic shop to find out Rifana's magic affinity. And some materials to furnish a house."

"A house?" Rifana perks up in question.

"A house." Shirou pulls out his home plan he sketched earlier.

Kotone presses herself into Shirou's side "Oh my. You really were planning on having us move in with you so early. Well, I guess I am already committed to you. Might as well perform some domestic duties as well." Kotone teases.

"Please don't say things that can be misinterpreted." Shirou blushes in response.

Lenora presses herself into Shirou's other side to look at the sketch "How are we going to build this? And where?" Lenora asks.

"Right here." Shirou gestures to their campsite. "We won't be able to hunt monsters or practice fighting every day. Kotone and Rifana will need a few days to catch up to our level and they will need some time to recover after training. During our down time, we can work on this house. I know several spells that will help speed up the process. We can also practice our elemental magic while building it."

"We have everything we need close by and we already have a teleport point here. Might as well make this our official home." Shirou said to the group.

"Our home…" Kotone said while feeling hopeful.

"Right" Lenora confirmed.

"We will be together, like one big family." Rifana said.

"If that's how you want to see it. Now, you all have been though a lot today. Take the rest of today off to relax. You all deserve it after all the things you have had to deal with. We will go shopping tomorrow for proper gear and then begin your training." Shirou gave them some time off to relax for now. The real work would come latter.

"What are you going to do Shirou?" Lenora asked.

"I'm going to test out some of my sword forms. I should be able to level out a foundation and lay some runework to provide a stable base for the home." He answered.

"So, you want us to relax while you are working?" Rifana asked in confusion.

"I think you all need some time to unwind first. You may feel fine but you have all been in a stressful situation. Its good to relax every once in a while, to keep the mind sharp. Have a cup of tea, relax on the blanket, or just chat. If you're hungry, tell me and I will make everyone something." Shirou explained.

Kotone looked over to Lenora and asked "And how many times has Shirou taken a break since you've been with him?"

Lenora thought for a moment before she realized "You know, I don't remember Shirou taking a break outside of spying or stakeouts. It was always mixed with a mission or training."

Kotone turned to address Shirou "Hmm. Is that so? Well, sounds to me like we need to make Shirou relax today as well."

Shirou tried to wave off her intent "It's alright, I'm fine, really! I am, by far, more used to dealing with these kinds of things. I'll be ok"

He tried to step away from the ladies, only for his retreat to be blocked by Lenora. "Come on Shirou. Even heroes need breaks, right?" Lenora said as she grabbed one of his hands and then dragged him to their blanket and pillows that were shaded by a traced parasol.

Kotone and Rifana assisted in dragging Shirou, not that he struggled much, to lay down on the blanket and each of them held a limb to keep him there.

Shirou sighed as he accepted his fate "Can I at least sit up?" he asked.

"No." All three of the girls said.

"Alright then, you got me here. Now what?" Shirou tried to make himself comfortable.

A moment of silence passed as no one in the group had thought far enough to know the answer.

Lenora was the first to answer "We could talk about each other. If you don't mind. The dream we had last night made me think about your world. What was it like? What kind of family did you have?"

Kotone and Rifana seemed just as interested.

Shirou saw no point in not telling them at this point. They already saw his birth by fire.

"Well, that fire you saw last night was known as the "Great Fire of Fuyuki" that disaster was responsible for destroying one hundred and thirty-six buildings and killing over five hundred people." Shirou told the tale.

The girls gasped at the number of deaths "over five hundred? That's and entire town, let alone a village."

"Back home, that's not considered a high population but any number of deaths is something to be mourned." 'It was also nothing compared to the disaster that would hit Fuyuki later.' Shirou thought.

"As far as I'm aware, I was the only survivor who was caught in the fire. If my adoptive father hadn't saved me then, I would not have survived either. I looked up to him as my hero for a long time afterwards." Shirou gave a bitter chuckle and said "Despite his many attempts to tell me otherwise."

"That man adopted me after the fire. After much pestering, and after almost killing myself accidently, he taught me how to fight and survive the dangers of the world."

Rifana asked "He didn't want you know how to fight?"

"I didn't know it at the time but he didn't want me to be like him. However, I was too stubborn to look away and do nothing. I felt the need to help other people, to make up for all those I abandoned to die in the fire. I wanted to become a hero that saves people. Just like my father did for me" Shirou admitted.

Kotone rested her head on Shirou's shoulder in comfort, one of her fox ears would occasionally flick against his cheek. She still clutched his arm to her… sizeable breasts. "You don't have to feel bad for surviving. No one, let alone a child should have had to go through that."

Shirou tried not to think about how or why Lenora was mimicking the same to his other arm and shoulder.

Rifana gave him a pat on the leg from where she was holding his shin. "It's ok now." She spoke.

"Thank you, but I have long since gotten over my guilt. It just took some life altering events and some good friends to put things into perspective." Shirou was truly over it. He won't forget what he did, he just won't let past events drag him or others down.

"My time is a bit more modern than this world. Technology there is about a few hundred years in the future compared to here. Modern life has more conveniences, food is easy to come by for example, but it is not stress free. Humans are the predominant sentient creatures in the modern world but they are not alone. There are several monsters, or simply monstrous people, that prey on them from the shadows. Only a select few of humanity know about them to combat them. There are no beastkin or demi-humans there, or at least not out in the open."

"Magic is scarce in my world. Only a few are born capable enough to use it and it requires careful study to get any real use out of it. Those who are not careful die sooner rather than later. Either to their own magic, or another mage stealing their work. Mages guard their secrets zealously and good morals are laughable to them. The only rule they respect is don't let the supernatural world be discovered. Standard protocol for them is to kill any witnesses who see things they shouldn't."

"Tales exist of other spirits, monsters, or otherworldly entities throughout history. The kitsunes are one such example or the nekomata, also known as the two tailed cat yokai. They probably existed at some point. Although I have learned that not all old tales are told accurately."

"My father tried to let me be a kid growing up but we soon found out I would never be a "normal" kid. I always had to "act like a kid" around the other children."

"Kiritsugu, my adoptive father, even tried to sabotage my training after I convinced him to teach me magic. It wasn't until I almost killed myself that he taught me the proper way and then realized I had real magic potential the whole time."

"He only got serious as a teacher after that. He taught me how to fight and survive the supernatural world. Then he died a few years later. I was left with my… guardian who I had to take care of more often than not."

"It was… difficult to interact with normal people. They didn't understand why I only had a few friends. It was hard to relate to most of them when we lived in different worlds. Most of the friends I did have were secretly mages themselves. This led to several… arguments later. I had to keep secrets from my own guardian so she would not be killed by association with me."

"So, to summarize my childhood. It was difficult but life does not care if it is easy or hard. My past made me who I am and I managed to find my place in the world eventually. Then, when I thought my life was over. I found my place in another world."

"Truthfully, I'm still adjusting to this new world and getting over the fact I will never see any of my previous fiends. But I learned to roll with the punches I was given. A hero should not let adversity stop them from helping." Shirou finished.

The group contemplated what they heard for a moment before Lenora apologized "I see. I'm sorry if I brought up bad memories."

"It's ok." Shirou replied before he looked at Rifana "This is why I didn't want you involved with fighting the waves. I never had the chance to have a proper childhood. I didn't want you to have to give up yours too but I guess it's a little foolish to expect you to be a normal child after what you all have already experienced and seen. If you ever want to talk or just feel sad, I will be here to listen and help the best I can." Shirou promises.

Rifana accepted the offer and decided to open up next. "I was born and raised in Lurolona Village. I was friends with a girl named Raphtalia, a tanuki, and a boy named Keel, a wanui. Kotone was kind of like a babysitter but she was also more like an older sister. I grew up hearing the tales of Legendary Heroes and we played games like we were knights or companions of the Heroes. We really liked hearing stories about the Shield Hero because he was always described as being kind to all beastkin and demi-humans."

Rifana laughed at the memory "Me and Raphtalia even used to talk about what we would do if we met the Shield Hero. It's kind of funny that instead of meeting the Shield hero. We were saved by the Sword Hero and I would become the Shield Servant."

"When our village was attacked, my mom and dad died protecting the village. Kotone was able to find me, Raphtalia, and Keel during the attack and we all escaped together with some other survivors. We were eventually captured and sold as slaves to Lord Rabier. I know Kotone was able to get Raphtalia sold to another slave trader but I don't know where Keel disappeared to. I do know Rabier didn't kill him."

Kotone interrupted to explain "Rabier sold Raphtalia after she no longer amused him. I… am ashamed to admit I made Raphtalia believe Rifana was tortured to death. Rabier brought me to Rifana's cell with Raphtalia so I could watch her be tortured. It was the first time I was able to force a hypnosis on someone that did not desire the fake memory and I overdid the spell. I still remember Raphtalia's tears when she left the cell. I never had the chance to explain what really happened before she was sold off."

"As for Keel. I remember being escorted past his cell after he had a particularly bad session with a guard. I was able to convince the night guard that Keel didn't survive the process and he was "disposed" of by one of the guards. I have no idea if was able to escape afterwards or not. Its not like they gave the dead proper burials. If we were lucky, they abandoned his body outside somewhere and he would have been able to run away afterwards." Kotone was not always successful with her hypnosis. It didn't help that she had to learn quickly.

Shirou was the one to offer comfort this time "You did what you could. We can't always save everyone but at least you were able to increase their chances of survival. Rifana would be dead without you, Keel might have survived but his chances are better because of you. And I know for a fact Raphtalia survived."

"What?" Kotone and Rifana questioned.

"Raphtalia, little racoon girl about Rifana's age? She survived. She was actually the one who told me about Rabier. She is safely with the Shield Hero. They are training for the waves as well right now so it might be a little while before I can bring you to meet them. The last I saw of her, Naofumi was taking good care of her. She is still branded as a slave but in Naofumi's defense, he is going through some real trust issues right now and he has not treated her unkindly so far."

Rifana begins to sob but she was still happy at the news "So she did escape. And right into the arms of the Shield Hero. *Sniff* Ha-ha. Ok Raphtalia I see how it is. That's fine. I got a Hero of my own with me." She then tightened her grip around Shirou's leg.

Shirou feels like he is missing some context but he does not want to upset her further by asking about it.

"Thank you for telling us. It actually does make me feel a little better about what I've done. Now I know that at least some of them made it out." Kotone thanked Shirou.

Kotone then retold her past to the group now that everyone was awake to hear it. She also talked about her mother "She raised me by herself after my father died and while I would say she did take good care of me by herself, we struggled sometimes with just the two of us. Mother would often have to leave me with her friends while she worked until I got old enough to stay home by myself. I learned how to clean and cook for myself. Mother would usually be too tired after work to give me much attention so we were not as close as we could have been. I knew she was trying her best for me but it was kind of lonely growing up without anyone around."

"The only thing I really regret as a child was was not getting the chance to learn magic properly from my mother. There never seemed to be enough time to do so. I was hard enough to finish my general education, let alone a magical one."

"When I was old enough to be responsible for others, I was recruited to take care of Rifana when her parents were away. I knew Raphtalia and Keel as well but not as well as Rifana seemed to. When the village was attacked, I tried to grab as many of the kids as I could as we all escaped."

Kotone's voice then became tinged with anger "Apparently the hard part would be keeping us from being separated by humans. No offense to you Shirou."

Shirou waved off her concern "Its ok, I understand. As long as you keep in mind that not all humans are bad. Humans have the potential for great good as well as great evil. It is their choice which path they walk and they will suffer their own consequences." Seeing both living legends and all the world's evil gives him a unique perspective on life.

Lenora opened up last "I grew up on a farm outside Lurolona proper. I was the youngest of three children. When I was younger, I got to play like a normal child. As I got older, I started to be given farm duties. Pulling weeds, watering plants, hauling product, boring stuff but I was thankful for my Lion heritage otherwise I would have found the work quite exhausting."

"The village was a little too far for me to just walk to but sometimes I got to go there on delivery trips and to nearby villages. I also got to visit Castle Town occasionally but those stops were as short as possible. Even as a kid, I knew we were not welcome there."

"You know, I feel kind of selfish after hearing your stories about escaping Lurolona. Because we lived so far from the village, by the time the monsters made it to our farm Lurolona was already being swarmed. My brothers never made it out of the village as far as I'm aware. My father stayed behind as a distraction from the monsters and my mom took a bad hit while we were escaping. She gave me a pack of dried food and water and then told me to run away as far as I could."

Lenora tone of voice then became full of anger "So that's what I did. I didn't even think about going back to find others. After days of travel, I finally made it to Castle Town and told them what happened to Lurolona you know what they said? "Good riddance! It's about time!" They only moved the army in after confirming the village was lost. Anyone who escaped was rounded up and enslaved. I refused to become one of them so I lived on the streets for a while after that. I hid and stole what I needed, not caring who I stole from as long as they were human. It worked for a while until I got caught. If Shirou hadn't picked me up, I would have a real slave crest on me now."

Shirou rested his chin on top of Lenora's head to calm her down "It's ok now. Its not selfish to want to live. Your family wanted you to survive and you succeeded in that. That does not mean you have to live alone though. If I'm not allowed to regret surviving my disaster, then you are not allowed to regret surviving yours either. All we can do is live a life they would be proud of. Would your family approve of what you are doing now?"

Lenora though for a moment and then answered "yes, I think they would."

"Then you have done enough." Shirou responded.

The conversation slowed to a stop after that. The four of them being emotionally exhausted after their talk. They relaxed in comfortable silence under the shade of a parasol and enjoyed the gentle breeze together.

Shirou was eventually released in order to make them all a cup of tea and lunch. As Shirou promised, they all took the remainder of the day off in order to take their mind off things and relax. Their plans for the future could wait until tomorrow.

---

Author notes: (Possible Spoilers)

Exposition dump, I know, but I couldn't figure out a better time or place to do it so I just treated it as a group bonding session to grow a little closer.

I thought about breaking it apart but I believed it worked best in the "dreams" chapter.

Everyone shares the servant memory dream sequence. Shirou is not one to talk about his past unless asked so this was a way to force the conversation to happen.

Shirou finally finds out how Vivian has redecorated his soul. The similarities between Fate Vivian and Sword Spirit Vivian are intentional but they are not the same beings.

Shirou finds out that he has a REALLY clingy sword spirit but she will be loyal to him.

I know the Tsukihime world is an alternate version of the fate world but I don't care. I'm mixing the two because I can. Shirou mentally reveals some of his associates among the church. Might have Shirou talk about them later if it makes sense.

Shirou gets tackled by floofs and is forced to share his past. Shirou's broken bird syndrome makes others more affectionate to him. He hears their stories and wants to help them just like he was helped though some of his trauma.

Shirou decides to make a home for them all and establish a base camp.

Fun fact: Record for building a standard 1 room cabin with fire place was accomplished by 3 guys in 2 days. They did have the advantaged of precut material however. Still impressive.

Lenora's parameters are based off Archer Atalanta with an extra rank in strength and endurance due to her Lion demi-human heritage.

Kotone's parameters are based off Lancer Cu Chulainn with an extra rank to mana because of her Kitsune nature.

Rifana's parameters are based off Mash as the only real one to compare to.

Yes, I know Keel is actually a girl but Rifana does not know. Neither does Kotone.

They will eventually get to meet each other again.