Disclaimer: I do not own Fate/ stay night and Fire Emblem: Awakening. It's that simple. Also, although it took me a while, I am finally back everyone.

Beta Reader: RedRat8

Kintsugi no Fusei

Book 1: On Fields of Fate

Chapter 7: How swords are judged

The radiance of dawn trickled through the trees that surrounded a familiar glade with mounds of earth. In its center, a noble beast slept peacefully, its body strangely loafed like an overgrown housecat with its eyes closed. But it was no simple beast, this beast had the body of a lion, the head, talons, forelegs of an eagle, and had a pair of functional large wings draped over its body like a blanket. It was no simple wild animal or critter; this was a Griffon.

And that is what Sharur is, and he had long since mastered– nay, surpassed the simple critters in their own art. It would have been even better if he had some gold around with him or if he'd been back in his comfortable nest. However, current circumstances made that quite…unavailable.

Case in point, the entrance to the secret den opened up and out came the strange man that his companion had introduced him to yesterday. What was his name again? Ah, yes, Shirou. The Griffon thought with his eyes now open to appraise the mysterious stranger.

And he was certainly quite the mystery, for how was it that he came to have a powerful arm (in every sense of the word with how it was shaped) from the Divine Dragon King?!

There was no way that Sharur wouldn't recognize that scent or that brand on said arm, not when the Grimleal hated it with a passion, nor the awe and fear that was ingrained through the blood of his kind. Like the Wyverns, Griffons were descended from Degenerated Dragons, but they only came to be through the past millennium. A millennium where the Fell Dragon rose to power and devastated the world, only to be defeated by a most sacred covenant between man and dragon, the First Exalt and Naga herself. It was their victory which made it possible for mankind to continue their existence as well as gave birth to new one, like his ancestors.

Sure, their kind ended up more beast-like and thus, much more vulnerable than most aerial beasts to certain weapons…and tomes. Nonetheless, it was better than extinction of course. Therefore, the Griffon would honor both his ancestors' saviors by giving this stranger respect, but this required further observation.

The white-streaked redhead had Morgana's sword with him, which like her other personal weapons such as her tome or axe, had a component that would allow access to important caches she had prepared and hidden elsewhere in the years that had passed. And they were quite a handful, if understandably few. He thought as he remembered that the former royal relied on him the most to be able to do such tasks swiftly and efficiently. His friend Arion may be the best war horse she could ever have but he definitely would have taken longer when hampered by the terrain.

He's probably eating something right now. Sharur realized as he can imagine the equine back in the barn, resting comfortably there and eating some hay. Ugh. That is disgusting. I should start my hunt soon.

It seemed that Shirou shared his sentiment as the griffon watched him grab a large branch off the ground. With a whisper of "Trace on." that his ears picked up; the noble creature witnessed the branch light up with azure lines before it became a longbow. At the sight of such a weapon, he had to fight off his instincts to fight or go flight and remain the image of collected calm, his reactions from yesterday certainly did not count. Naga. I hate those things.

As much as he liked the way that his rider and her son gave him respect, he would not forget the latter's mishaps with arrows. Just thinking about those memories made him shudder.

The bearer of the sacred arm looked at him suddenly, as if he'd noticed his apprehension. In response, Sharur glared at the human and surprisingly enough, he at least had the decency to look sheepish before he left him alone. Hmm…very well. You are forgiven. That was his thought, but unfortunately, his kind did not have the gift of speech as his message only came across as a placid squawk.

What they did have however, was superior mobility compared to their cousins the Wyverns. In fact, Griffons had become popular over the past centuries as mounts for elite Wyvern Riders.

Unfortunately, he had come to the conclusion that said riders were arrogant beyond belief when they thought they would only need axes and nothing more, which really squandered their gifts compared to Wyvern Lords who at least had spears as a secondary weapon. For example, his previous rider was a stubborn unworthy ass who forced him to go on a suicidal dive to kill Morgana before she kindly liberated him.

Sharur suppressed a shudder at the grim reminder of the former royal's use of an Arcwind tome to just bisect his former rider in half. Had he not dipped lower when he dived, it would have been him who was half the being he used to be. And this Shirou would have to face her. He thought.

Sharur was certain he would be a witness to a beat– sparing later. With her daughter more or less alive, it would be difficult for the pale woman to protect her. Especially, when she still had all her current responsibilities (and enemies) to keep in mind. Thus, why not have this stranger be tested, he who was with said daughter in the first place?

It would be interesting to see what he could do. Not everyone could impress the Divine Dragon King enough to gain her favor. His gaze went to the direction that he'd seen the young man take. Might as well see how good of a shot he is with that thing.

Sharur unfurled his wings as he rose up and stretched. After he was sure that he was all limber and ready to go, a swift sprint and a powerful flap of his wings allowed him to ascend past the trees. Finally, he could tail the strange human and maybe get some much-needed sustenance too.

As the gentle rays of morning warmed the noble beast's airborne body, little did he know at the time that he would find a person with a more frightening level of accuracy than his savior. Alas, he would abide by his duties to his current partner and his ancestors. Such was the life of Sharur.

Inhale. Exhale. Keep your breathing steady and draw your weapon.

An arm clothed in a red, removed the blade from its scabbard. Slow, in execution, the sound it made as it left the scabbard and sliced the air was music. It was a music that brought forth a haunting familiarity for Shirou as his heart thundered within his chest.

Remember why you are here.

Fully unsheathed, the golden glow of the sun illuminated the exposed metal of the blade from one side. On the other side, it reflected eyes of steel and amber, resolute yet without pride for what was to come. The challenge that came from Morgana was not one he could ignore; he could believe that the woman wanted to gain the measure of a stranger like himself.

Across from him on the stone ruins, that was their battleground, stood Morgana. In her hands were her weapons, a one-handed steel sword and what appeared to be a book. He knew not why she had it, but with it came the scent of magic, and a particular one at that. It smelled like air, pure and without other scents mingling with it and he had the odd feeling of gusts waiting to be unleashed.

Interesting. But how will I counter that? Shirou asked in his mind as he spared a glance at the new bow he made at dawn. It was just like the one he had yesterday, similarly stylized, but now that he actually got to use it…

It was simply lacking and wrong in his hands.

The redhead's lips thinned into a line as he suppressed the eeriness of what he discovered. Whatever gripes he had with his bow could be dealt with at a later time, it was passable enough to obtain their breakfast. Speaking of breakfast… "Was the meal satisfactory?" He asked Morgana.

"It was a very fine meal. Thank you for that young man." The pale woman answered with a smile, her eyes yet to be open. She was dressed in armor again, but her thick coat still remained with her daughter. "Do tell, why did you hunt for boar? Don't get me wrong, I love their flavor but they are quite fast." She turned to her right and raised her voice a bit. "Isn't that right Sharur?"

"WARK!" At that cry, his gaze turned to the Griffon, who looked nonplussed at being called out by her. He was away from their battlefield by a fair distance, though not far enough from them so that they can be witnessed by a certain albino. It was done to keep her company and to serve as her protection if things were to ever go out of hand. After all, one can never be too sure.

For her part, Shirou saw that Robin at least looked focused, if a bit understandably worried. Though this was just supposed to be a spar, Morgana's insistence of using blunted steel was still dangerous. Not to mention that she appears to have a magical tome. He thought before he was reminded of his own cheat in the form of a quiver now strapped to his waist, filled with a sheaf of arrows he had made from various materials this morning.

"It was and is a good amount of protein. Saves me the effort of hunting everyday if I just smoke most of them for later." With that said, the champion of Naga lifted his metallic arm in front of him while he reversed his grip on the sword and brought it back. His dominant foot slid back as his left advanced before he lowered his center of gravity. "I'll need to watch them closely though, so shall we begin?"

The darkly clad mother finally opened her eyes and raised an eyebrow at his stance. There was a curiosity in her eyes outshined by a gleam of amusement and he was well aware why. The stance exposed his front. "Very well then young man. I don't like the idea of wasting food just because of a spar." She said as she took her own stance.

Her arming sword was held out, its blade angle upwards and back. The verdant-covered book in her off-hand was close to her chest as she kept her feet even and spaced. She smiled. "Show me what you are capable of."

Thus, the whistling of the wind and the rustling of plants replaced all sound. In the silence they remained still and unmoving while the grass swayed and loose leaves fell around its wake. They did not dare move but he knew that one of them would do so soon enough. The first to move could either set the fight's pace or fall into a trap.

When the breeze ceased and the last leaf fell, Shirou finally made his decision. The stone bricks beneath his feet cracked as he kicked into motion and lunged straight for his opponent. I won't know if I won't spring it! He thought as there were several ways to respond. Block or parry his initial attack. Redirect or dodge it entirely.

But when faced with an unknown like me however, the most likely action Morgana that would choose is none other…

A kick against the stone beneath propelled the redhead once more, upwards this time to avoid the worst of the verdant gust that appeared before Morgana to blast him away.

…than to attack! He continued in his mind as he felt his body forcefully turned to somersault by the wind.

Though Shirou was able to perceive the scent of magic the moment it pulsed and reacted accordingly, she did not remain idle and took the opportunity for what it was as she lunged as well. Now, as he was sent into a slight tumble through the air, he saw the glint of her steel on its attempt to skewer him.

His outstretched metal arm lashed out and successfully slapped the blade downwards to avoid the thrust and create his own opening. With that advantage, the champion of Naga swept his sword forward, its hilt now on a collision course for her temple. Of course, no matter how much he wanted to end it swiftly for the former tactician's sake, her mother would not be denied.

Morgana had already begun to roll sideward the very second his hand deflected her attack and by committing herself to the motion, she was able to avoid the pommel strike. Nonetheless, a good length of his blade made contact with her armored arm. Unfortunately, the pain he inflicted with it wasn't enough to loosen her grip on her magic book.

Somersault completed and now back on the ground, Shirou swiftly turned around and lunged once more at the pale woman. He couldn't let her use those winds again. If a mere glancing blow was enough to trip him up, a direct hit would certainly cause damage…or just send him flying. The latter would be much better. It would set up my counterattack just nicely. He reasoned as he changed his grip on the sword and lifted it above his head.

Purple eyes met with contrasting ones as the metal arced through the air and was brought down with frightening speed.

The redhead's overhead slash made contact with her hastily raised sword. But rather than the hasty block he initially thought it was, she had angled her blade to use his own momentum against him as she advanced into his space. A few sparks flew as his blade slipped on hers and she was well within range to do something devastating, like a pommel to the face.

Not happening. With quick thinking, his metal arm came up and blocked the fluid counter. Just as swiftly, his back foot rose up from the ground as he also committed to his own advance and unleashed a powerful knee strike to her armored torso.

Morgana's eyes widened with pain as the hit connected and the metal of her armor creaked dangerously. A sizable dent was left at its center, before the force sent her back upwards a good distance.

Of course, Shirou expected that she would retaliate regardless as she gave him a stubborn grin and the scent of magic filled the air…from underneath?!

A quick glance below revealed a page from her book left behind, now with an ominous green glow. Oh fu–

With only a second to brace himself, the champion of Naga leaped back as he curled into a ball, arms crossed before his face, to reduce the winds' intensity. Nonetheless, he was still caught in its brunt as it sent him in the air once more, a lot higher than expected. Damn. He thought as he returned his line of sight to hers. Is it supposed to be that strong or is it just her?

The pale woman had now fully opened her book, ready to release a salvo of verdant gusts whenever she pleased. Upon seeing his stare, she gave him a cheeky grin in return before the first gust soared to bludgeon him.

What will you do? How will you respond? Can you take this on? Though she did not speak, the eager look in her eyes filled him in on her thoughts.

Funny, I could do just the same. He thought as he swiftly sheathed the blade in mid-air before he grabbed his bow with his left hand and loaded a stone arrow from his quiver with his right. Breathing perfectly even, he began to draw the arrow and saw the magical winds slow as his mind perceived it faster. "Trace. On."

Shirou's circuits manifested once more on his right arm. The magical energy then transferred to his waiting projectile, now drawn up until his left elbow. Logic dictated that the arrow should be drawn up until his shoulder or just before his face to maximize the power and increase the range. However, this was a spar. No matter what he felt about his current way of archery, the result of his earlier hunt spoke for itself.

With an exhale, the redhead released the arrow. While he felt that there was something missing with his archery, as if his body knew there was a faster and easier way that probably involved his circuits, the arrows made from the materials he found did their job and pierced through the boar's head with ease…

Nearly half a thousand of yards away with a full draw of his new bow.

In retrospect, that was perhaps the reason why the noble creature had a terrified look in his eyes when it had met him on the way to retrieve his kill. Though bereft of his memories, even he was aware that no normal human should be able to have so far, an effective range. Without years of proper training to use a war bow with a heavy draw weight, which was essentially what his was, it was near miraculous to make a kill in such a manner. And yet he was able to do just that.

And now, as Shirou watched the arrow descend faster than it should have with such a 'sloppy' draw and pierce through the center of the squall, he had only one thought. I need something better.

The arrow detonated in a burst of magical energy, for the champion of Naga had overloaded it rather than just being a simple reinforcement. The magic that held the wind together was destabilized by the burst and the destroyed arrow spread a cloud of dust. A cloud of dust that had now successfully distracted Morgana.

Or would have had the pale woman not blown most of it away from her position with the winds at her disposal. Tch. She's slippery. He thought as he landed back on the ground and used the dust cloud to get to cover behind a ruined wall of stone bricks.

You know that would have been more successful if you had done a full draw, right? The mysterious voice suddenly drawled somewhere inside his mind.

And risk hurting her, and Robin by proxy? Not a chance. Shirou mentally replied, his eyebrows scrunched as he took another arrow from his quiver.

Hey, I'm just stating the obvious. Oh, and watch your six. The redhead took the warning for what it was and dived out of his cover. The stone was then literally blown to bits by green wind tinged with yellow moonlight. What in the world?

Hmm, that is quite an interesting skill. One uses their magical energy to give a weapon or spell the power to pierce through most defenses.

You know of it? How? He asked as he let loose a wooden arrow which she deflected with a swipe of her sword. However, she was then forced to take cover herself when it detonated afterwards and sent sharp shards of wood flying, which successfully deterred her next magical attack.

When I got a glimpse of her weapons before, yes. It's called Luna, one of the many things that this world's divinity imparted to humans through a class system of sorts. The voice continued as Shirou took a bone-made arrow and aimed for the wall where Morgana retreated to. He reinforced it once more but did not overload like the previous arrows. Instead, he opted for a full draw. If it so pleases you to know, she's got quite the impressive repertoire…for a former royal.

Wait, she's a what? Distracted by the thought, the Champion of Naga accidentally released the arrow a bit too early than he would have liked.

The arrow tore through the stone like it was nothing and got stuck on the remains of another wall. Thankfully, the mother of Robin revealed that she did not get hurt as she peeked cautiously through the resulting hole and gave him an incredulous look. "Young man, could you perhaps tone that down a bit?"

Funny how Naga forgot to mention that to us, then again, she was pressed for time. As if what had just happened was of no cause for concern, the voice in his head went on while he did his best to get his apology across.

"But you did it first mother!" The albino daughter piped up; her voice aghast as the battle paused to address the issue. "I thought this was supposed to be a simple spar! Why are you even using Luna right now?!"

"WARK!" Beside her, the Griffon replied with a tone of similar intent…or perhaps it was actually just fright with how the battle had turned into a war between magically-empowered projectiles and weaponized winds flung about.

"Hey! I'll have both of you know that this is–" With Morgana addressing their audience, it left him free to handle his own dispute.

You…did you just really do that on purpose?! What the hell is wrong with you?! Shirou shouted in his mind.

Oh please. We both know that the second you aimed at that wall, you saw a bit of her hair peek out, realized her position, and wanted to give her a warning shot. I just made it happen faster. And that reminds me. The redhead had the distinct feeling that the voice had a know-it-all-look. Though he couldn't actually confirm it, it annoyed him nonetheless. Had you bothered to know of your opponent's capabilities, to actually Grasp what she can do, this battle would have been over by the first time you saw her weapons.

…Are you trying to tell me something? He asked, annoyance bit back for now as the word 'Grasp' gave him an odd sensation that moment, a sensation that was similar to each time he vaguely remembered something. This time however, it was specifically like how he 'remembered' the Reinforcement spell.

No, I'm trying to get you killed. Though it couldn't be seen, the eye rolling that the voice did was practically palpable. Of course, I'm trying to tell you something!

You're an ass. Shirou concluded as he closed his eyes to concentrate on the clue, his circuits at the ready. Weapons, grasp, and the ability to know an opponent's capability. What spell could it be?

That makes one of us. With that reply given, the champion of Naga remained silent, not willing to prolong their dispute further than necessary. So, did you finally get it or do I have to spoon feed it to you?

Two words finally reached the forefront of his mind. It was a spell that he had unconsciously been using, otherwise, how would he have accurately used Reinforcement before? Somehow, it would be the key to his supposed victory. Structural Grasp.

I think I finally did. He thought as he opened his eyes and set his sights on his opponent's weapons. Thank you for teaching me how to prepare the boar.

...fine. You win this one. But make it quick, I don't want some unwanted visitors trying the boar. The mysterious voice grumbled and it was enough to make Shirou smirk briefly before he grew serious.

How will Structural Grasp help me though? I've a feeling that it's not all there is to it. Something's missing.

Structural Grasp is only one part of a greater whole. I have an idea I'd like for you to try.

Is it dangerous? He asked.

Trust me, better to find out now if it works than to worry about it later when you'll need it.

So it is dangerous. Got it. As the redhead opened his mind to receive the information through his eyes, his personal aria left his mouth and triggered his circuits. "Trace…On."

Permission to show the host weapons.

Denied. Selected weapons' history is too deep. Binding still fragile. Mind shatter will be inevitable with the bleed. Recommended action. Seek alternative.

…permission to guide the host's analysis and the necessary steps in Tracing.

Accepted.

Judging the concept of creation.

Hypothesizing the basic structure.

Duplicating the composition material.

Imitating the skill of its making.

Sympathizing with the experience of its growth.

Reproducing the accumulated years.

Excelling every manufacturing process.

…permission to grant the perceived history to the selected items with Alteration and Binding.

Accepted.

Loose leaves flew once more from the natural spring breeze as sunlight trickled through the shade. The whispers of the wind, the call of birds in the sky and trees, and all that nature had to offer would have sent Robin to a comfortable slumber. And yet, what peace there was however, was quickly hampered by a quarrel between two.

"WARK?" A certain Griffon beside her squawked angrily, wings flared.

"It was never going to hit you and Robin, Sharur!" The former royal answered insistently, which the tactician knew was correct and factual. None of the spells and projectiles that had been exchanged between the combatants whatsoever had even gotten close to where they were.

"WARK." Despite the confident tone of the response, it failed to convince the noble creature.

"Fine. Why don't you ask an apology from him then?"

At such an audacious dare, the panicked reply was certainly a surprise if one were to take into account the creature's pride. "WARK! WARK! WARK!"

"By the gods, for a Griffon you are such a–!" With that, the argument was in full swing again.

Shirou fared quite well against mother. Robin thought as she ignored the dispute that was now solely between the Griffon and her mother as she reviewed what had happened so far. Despite the mishap that had caused the lull in battle with both combatants equally at fault, the fight between the veteran and the amnesiac was much closer than she had initially expected. Although, I don't remember being able to fight like that when I didn't have my memories then.

For what was supposed to be a spar, things had already fallen on the wayside from the time it started.

The opening stance of the redhead was definitely strange. Deceptively open with the blade brought back in a reversed grip, his divine arm was actually a shield hidden in plain view. Not only was he an extremely accurate shot with his longbow– if she were to believe and hope that he missed the last one on purpose– but against the spells sent his way, he was able to use his strange magic to retaliate effectively. He is definitely proving how weird he is, but it's a good thing, I guess.

Her mother fought in the way she remembered it to be. Grounded yet fluid in her movements, her bladework executed with relaxed simplicity to slip through an attack and execute her counterattack. Despite the rather moderate form, the use of her wind tome had allowed her to maintain a creative offense and defense even when she got hit and that successfully got him once before he revealed his bizarre counter.

It'll be nice to be able to practice the forms. The albino thought to herself as she looked at her scarred and thinned arms, which inevitably caused her to frown at her emaciated state. But how long will that take?

"Trace. On." Suddenly, through the song of winds and the noise from rider and mount, an invocation was uttered and brought with it the thrum of magic. Something had changed.

That was what Robin noticed when her gaze shifted from Morgana to that of Shirou upon hearing those two words. And there indeed was something different about him, something more. For where before there was a warmth in the steel and amber gaze, now there was a calculated sharpness that was focused on her mother.

No. Not mother specifically. The albino realized as she more closely followed his line of sight and found it set intensely on her mother's personal training sword and wind tome. Her weapons, but why Shirou? She thought. It was strange for him to do so. What could he accomplish from staring at them now compared to all those times before?

"Is there something wrong Shirou?" For the first time since this morning, the former royal finally called the new champion of Naga by his name rather than calling him 'young man' insistently. However, she didn't know whether that would be good or bad with how his demeanor had suddenly changed. Whatever it was, she could only hope that this would not lead to something worse.

"Nothing." She heard him answer with his tone flat and noticed that his eyes were still stuck on her mother's weapons, drinking it in. "I'm just learning what I can."

"Oh, really now? From who and what?" Morgana asked as she resumed her preferred stance.

"You'll see." He said as held the longbow with both of his hands as it lit up with azure lines and changed once more as it ignited with flames of the same color. Flames that made her tense as she remembered what it was. Aether.

Its string disappeared as its long limbs shrunk into itself, broadened, thinned, and then split in half at the small guard which molded to accommodate to the grips of the split weapon. Finally, the conflagration dispersed and held in his hands were a pair of curved swords, one longer than the other. It eerily reminded her of the favored swords of Say'ri and the people of Chon'sin, a Killing Edge.

At that moment, it was as if thunder had struck Robin's thoughts as she remembered the things Shirou was capable of. His spell was able to change objects, from turning a branch into a functional longbow up to causing the arrows to explode with magical energy or just straight up pierce through stone as if it was made of paper.

And who ever said that those were the only things he was capable of? None. Thus, if the redhead's situation with his memory loss were similar to hers, then that meant he could now possibly remember a few more things that he was capable of. So, what sort of spell did you remember just now and why did you use Aether for that? The former tactician wondered as she watched him take a deep breath…

And use a familiar stance that was not his own.

"WARK?!" The half-lion, half-eagle mount beside her screeched in shock.

Wait, th-that's–! She let out a gasp, rendered speechless at the actions and the expression on the redhead's face.

"Well…this is certainly a surprise." Her mother commented with a now uneasy grin at the sight as she gripped both her sword and tome tighter. "I haven't even used that form yet nor have I given any indication of it. So Shirou, do tell me how you know of it?"

Cool steel and amber orbs reflected confused amethyst eyes. "My own master's dual wielding form?"

Morgana was doing her very best not to remember the past, of the time that she was being beaten down to the dirt by a sword master who had decided to take her on as his student on a whim while she was on the run with her child. Sure, she eventually urged him to teach her more about wielding a sword on her own volition to ensure that she could protect her son if she had no tome with her, and she was forever grateful for that old scarred bear. But the fact that the stance he used against her so many years ago, the very same stance that eventually lead to the creation of her personal one that she was doing her best to pass onto her child for his safety, was now before her to witness once again made her feel…conflicted.

I get that you said his magic is weird, the exploding arrows and the stone piercing one clued me in on that, but this is not at all what I expected my daughter. The pale woman thought as she gripped her tome tighter to hide her jitters as she examined the form to make sure she wasn't hallucinating. Unfortunately, she concluded that she wasn't hallucinating.

Feet evenly spaced, his arms matched this with both blades raised before him at shoulder level. He held them horizontally, nearly crossed together if not for the difference in length and each of the blunted edge would have been aimed at her neck if she was not shorter than him. There was no mistaking that it was the old latecomer's opening stance, the champion of Naga even had the same twinkle in his eyes now as well as that infuriating smirk of her old teacher.

Hold on, the smirk is not actually there. Morgana amended in her mind as she looked at his lips, which were still as flat as before. But gods above why do I feel that it actually is there? It's like Old Man Do'raku is here!

The mere fact that Shirou was able to mimic her master's opening stance unnerved the former royal, but there were still several questions left unanswered that required answers, like the one she had just asked him a few seconds ago for instance. How did you know of it? How much do you actually know? If so, is this all a bluff or is the truth? Even as the questions swirled, there was still no answer in reach, not until he could shed light on it…that is if he wanted to.

Finally, the redhead opened his mouth to speak his voice just loud enough for only their ears to register save for maybe Sharur. "I told you before High Princess Morgana. I learned what I can. That's all I can say."

The mention of her discarded title would have sent alarm bells in her mind had she not already judged the night before that he clearly cared for her daughter despite being a stranger, an amnesiac stranger at that. After all, he had plenty of opportunities to kill her and Robin the day before, like that dinner he made for instance. But he didn't do that. Otherwise, the Mark of the Divine Dragon King on his metal arm would have been just for show and prove that he was unworthy of it, like a certain exalt whose actions had nearly brought two nations to their ruin.

Naga would not have given that brand to you without knowing if you're worthy. Truly, you are a mystery Shirou. Morgana thought as she took deep breaths and prepared herself to act. Very well then, I won't know if this is a trap if I just dallied. Here I come!

With that thought, the former royal surged forth, blade poised to cut in her dominant hand. In the other, her magical energy poured into her wind tome and established a connection between them while the images of starlight danced within her mind. Where before she was just a gentle stream, now she would fight like coursing water from a river.

Despite the speed at which she approached, the white-streaked redhead just walked slowly and steadily. Each step that he took was measured, as if he was a wall of earth ready to weather her assault.

And weather it he did.

The cut was smoothly pushed aside, guided down past his right side by the longer blade while the shorter blade remained steady, already on its way to strike her head.

Morgana went low and aimed to use his own deflection of her attack against him as she twisted her grip on the sword before she brought the pommel up to strike him in the chest.

Shirou stepped back to avoid it, eyes still on her as he moved his left arm to guard his right. Aptly timed as she continued the flow of motion from her failed strike to transition into an upward diagonal cut, only to be caught and foiled by his shorter sword.

And then, it was the pale woman's turn to step back swiftly to her right as he immediately jabbed with his other weapon. She was successful, if only barely as it still grazed her damaged armor, but it did free her sword from the brief lock for her next offense.

Her arm already raised and sword now enveloped by the glittering light of Astra, she quickly prodded at his defenses with four consecutive attacks, each one faster than the last.

A strike to the temple.

A hack to the collar.

A cut to the hip.

And finally, a most vicious unavoidable thrust to the chest.

But his swords were waiting for each and not one managed to make its mark.

The strike was parried upwards.

The hack was batted aside.

The cut was avoided subtly.

And the thrust she executed was struck down hard enough from above that she nearly dropped it. It didn't end there as his shorter blade filled her line of sight once more for a strike to her head.

OH FUCK!

Immediately, Morgana's mind and body worked together in sync as magical energy filled her and enveloped her a pinkish-purple glow. It gave her a burst of speed that rivaled the force of a gale, which allowed her to avoid the attack and retreat meters away. Mercifully, she saw Shirou didn't move to pursue her and simply slipped back into her master's stance, an opportunity that allowed her to get her bearings and catch her breath as her mind reviewed what she had witnessed so far.

Tight bladework and energy-efficient movements to provide maximum defense for the user, a defense resilient enough to wait for the right moment to strike back.

Gods, those were the old bear's moves alright. The former royal concluded before she winced as a flare of pain erupted from her sword arm. Each hit that she had attempted before was a gamble in a bid to realize the extent of his knowledge of the stance, but she surely paid for it now with her bones rattled and muscles now aching like crazy. It's sloppier than he would have done, but he made up for it with power.

The copycat swordsman began to slowly walk in her direction once more, an act that made her curse with each flare of pain from her arm as she let it hang by her side. Fighting him at close range clearly wasn't going to cut it. So, let's start with this! She thought as she opened her tome and unleashed a barrage of Astra empowered winds.

But the moment she met his eyes again, she realized she made a mistake. Where before he was the earth, now he was like water as he changed his footwork in response to the squalls.

Loose and wide, yet precise and swift. Each step led forward as he flowed with the first verdant spell. He did not fight the push it gave, he allowed it to turn him and gave momentum to slip through the next one a second behind.

Even as she prepared her next spell and imbued her sword with Luna, Morgana watched in shock and awe as Shirou bobbed and weaved through the spells she sent forth like how water would slip past most obstacles. A mesmerizing sight for a man his height and build to do with surprising flexibility as he swiftly closed the gap between them like the rushing tide.

Just like how her master defeated her preferred wind tomes.

The pale woman released her spell point blank the second he got close, only for him to kick off the ground and crack stone, similar to his first move when the spar started. And just like before, he tumbled in the air just above her. But rather than a thrust, she instead opted for an upward slash with the sword.

Two blades of darkened wood met moonlit metal and time itself slowed in her perception.

And Morgana realized her defeat the second she saw a glint of white from his mouth, his teeth revealed from a grin that resembled her old teacher.

The empowered sword began to cleave through the thin wood, but as soon as it reached half of the broad material, familiar azure lines quickly formed all over his weapons. What felt like a hot knife through butter became the opposite as her swing was stopped cold, her blade stuck in the wood.

With his combined weight and strength, Shirou easily wrenched it out of her taxed grip as he got past her. Through her periphery, she saw him throw his blades and hers far away as she turned with her tome open.

But that same tome was slapped away by his metal arm faster than the former royal could unleash another point-blank wind spell, much less attempt to use Galeforce again when that same hand lashed out like a desert viper and caught her arm in a vice grip that discouraged her from making any movement.

Steel sang in the air as the white-streaked redhead drew his sheathed sword. "Yield." He stated as he placed its blunted edge on her neck.

For her part, she first turned her eyes to their audience. Sharur was blinking owlishly with his beak wide open while her daughter was in a somewhat similar state, the only difference being that her eyes asked for her to yield and end this. Then she brought her gaze back to her opponent and saw that he was as he was before, if in a bit of a confused daze. Finally, the odd feeling that she was facing a mirror of her master, despite the clear difference, was now gone.

Morgana let loose a relieved sigh as she closed her eyes. This wasn't the spar that she had expected, but she still got results that she wanted in the end. "Very well, I yield Shirou." She answered with a nod as she opened her eyes to meet his mismatched ones.

The tight grip on her arm and the blade on her neck was immediately removed as Shirou stepped back to put the practice sword away. "I'm sorry…for getting carried away." He said immediately afterwards, the worry palpable from his tone.

"Oh, it's fine. It was…fun." The pale woman said as her lips curled to a smile. Despite her defeat, her heart was at ease as she remembered the time, she and her son had spent with the first person who helped her despite his ways as a wanderer. "I haven't seen my sword instructor in a long time. It was a bit of a shock at the start but the fight was a nice refresher. At least I know what to work on for myself."

"I see. Glad to know that I helped you." The Champion of Naga replied with a smile of his own.

"Alright then." She clapped her hands together. "Now that's done, let's clean up here and get going. I've worked up quite a sweat and I reckon that's enough excitement today."

At that note, he gave her an eager nod. "I'll go and get your sword." He said as he turned around and began to head for the place where he threw their weapons.

Morgana dropped her hands with a wince, shaking them a bit as the pain flared up again, now from both of them this time. "Ouch, that was a bad move." She was now certain that they were bruised underneath the gauntlets. Ignoring the stinging pain, she went to retrieve her wind tome and made her way to the tree where her daughter and friend awaited her, thoughts swirling within her mind.

I wonder what allowed him to learn it so quickly. The 'two heavens as one' form of Old Do'raku takes years to learn and use effectively so for him to suddenly execute it, if a bit messy since the battle would have been over at the first exchange, is quite a mystery. The former royal blinked at the last word. Mystery huh? A spell then.

She combed her mind for the details before the second bout happened and remembered two things. His invocation, as well as his razor-sharp focus on her weapons. Oh my, I'm certain that the spell which gave him the edge was the one he did earlier when I was preoccupied. Quite sneaky of him, but nonetheless, I approve of the pragmatism. After all, one must never interrupt their enemy when they are making a mistake.

And she certainly did make a mistake. Perhaps I should have brought an Arcwind tome instead. A bit of an overkill for a spar though, besides my daughter would never allow me to use that.

Shaking her head, Morgana stopped before Robin to kneel down and talk with her…but not before she closed Sharur's still open beak. "You might catch flies inside there, old friend."

"WARK. WARK." The Griffon snapped.

"Sharur, no. We do not speak that language here." The pale woman shot back teasingly.

Her mount bristled but she ignored the reaction in favor of her daughter who waited for her to speak. They both knew that he wouldn't do anything. Not when he actually liked to take on challenges that did not involve arrows or wind spells. "Well, he passed my test. That means I can truly trust that he'll protect you now."

"I know that mother." She replied as she twiddled her thumbs together, her purple eyes downcast. "He's really shown himself to be reliable and kind…even if I don't deserve it."

Morgana barely stopped herself from flinching as if she been doused with ice cold water. The last part painfully reminded her yet again of the steps needed to be taken for her daughter's recovery. Despite this, what she felt about her hardship must have shown on her face. Before she could give her an answer, Robin quickly continued to speak. "But I know that you will still keep testing him."

"Of course, I will Robin." The former royal managed to say after a moment of silence. If her daughter wanted to change the subject, then she would allow it. But she knew that her all of fears must be faced eventually to heal the scars in her mind and heart. "I feel that there are quite a few things that he sorely needs to learn."

"Learn?" The twin-tailed albino asked curiously with her head tilted. "Learn things like what mother?"

"Now that we know he's skilled even for an amnesiac in the ways of fighting, housekeeping, and making divine dishes…" She said the last part a bit louder as she heard the sound of footsteps getting closer behind her. Maybe its source would get a hint and help her out, even at his expense. "Does he actually know how to read and write our languages?"

Her daughter blinked owlishly. "Oh. That's actually a good point."

"Don't I get any say in this?" The subject of their conversation answered as he knelt beside her, her old practice sword in one hand and his reformed bow in the other, a sight that made the noble creature nearby take a few steps back.

"No, I don't believe so." Morgana answered with a grin as she took the blade that had been in her possession since her time with her old teacher as well as the bow in his hand. "I won't accept nothing more than the best from you for my daughter's sake. So, shall we go then?" She said as Shirou and Robin nodded.

With both the weapons in her hand, it was obvious that the duty to place Robin on Sharur's back would fall upon Shirou, a fact that made the former stunned and the latter blink before he did the unspoken command.

The mother certainly did not miss the hint of red on their faces. Oh my…perhaps I can give another test for another time. She thought as they all began their journey back to her pit house. I wonder, where would this development would lead to?

For that only time would tell. And there was plenty of time in the world. Time to heal the fresh wounds and learn of possibilities. A hope that she would ensure that she'd keep alive.

In another place, another time…

Two ethereal figures watched from the distance beyond the flow of time. One stood strong as the other one knelt weakly. The former held power and knowledge in her hands while the latter stroked lifeless strands of her verdant hair. A stark contrast between these two identical beings.

"I see why you've chosen the Sword as a champion." The strong one spoke as she gazed upon the other. "Worry not, for the hope you've given my timeline, I will do what I must to ensure that your sacrifice will be not in vain."

"See to it that you would not fail as I or the other had, for I have hope that you will not repeat the mistakes that were made." The weak one replied as she continued her ministrations on that whom she had lost. "Thank you for this one kindness you have granted me. There is, however, only one last advice I can impart upon you…Naga."

"What is it then…Naga?" Naga asked in return as she waited for her counterpart to speak, she who still cried tears for the daughter she lost. Around them, the timeline of her counterpart was approaching its end. Barren, devoid of life and with it, hope that it could ever recover. Already, its reality was ceasing, pruned from the other timelines.

This Naga had sent the Sword on his mission to save an individual rather than confront the source. One might think it was illogical but it was ultimately the better choice. For they had seen that the timeline affected by the anomaly was already on its way to damnation, it was beyond salvation.

"She may be the Heir, our Voice…" The dying divine dragon began as she turned her eyes to meet hers. "But Gotoh was right. Tiki deserves more than this. Promise me you will remember that when you return to yours."

The divine dragon king looked at her counterpart's daughter, or what remained of her after she was desecrated by the Fell Dragon. Her body was beyond repair, the terror now forever frozen on the eyes of her barely intact head.

She was aware of her many failings as a mother, she was the same as every Naga in every timeline. For at one point, she was willing to eliminate her own daughter should she ever degenerate for the sake of mankind and had to be convinced by the White Sage to spare her and send her on deep sleeps instead. She knew all that already.

But seeing Tiki like this and knowing the eventual fate of the one in the anomaly-afflicted timeline as she flew in to save Robin's allies…

My daughter, I do not wish for you to suffer.

"I…promise that I will." Naga eventually managed to say as the gate to her timeline opened behind her. "Farewell Naga." And with that said she returned to her own timeline.

Left behind, the Naga who had made Shirou her champion turned her gaze back on her daughter, the one lie she told to the redhead. "Tiki, forgive me my daughter." Gently, she kissed her daughter's forehead as she closed her eyes to grant her peace.

And with it, reality ceased.

Story Corner

"Greetings, I'm Will S. Lavi." A young man clad from head to toe in dark clothes and rimmed glasses spoke.

"And RedRat8." Said a giant red rat with the number eight tattooed on him.

"And we proudly present, the Story Corner!" Both said ecstatically.

"Now then, I imagine that some of you are curious as to what the Story Corner is." Will S. Lavi spoke up.

"And that will be explained here, as you see the Story Corner is going to be a recurring Omake of sorts in which we, the Writer and Beta talk and discuss some features or events like this Story Corner we're doing." RedRat8 explained.

"And as you can imagine it can range from giving you guys supplementary info." Will S. Lavi explained further.

"Random scenes that we think are hilarious." RedRat8 jumped in.

"Or just talking about random stuff that happened in the story thus far." Will S. Lavi finished.

"So, we hope you guys enjoy this." RedRat8 said.

"Yes, and to give you the first bit of background info for this story, it's important to know that multiple timelines are going around much like the story I got inspiration from. So, don't be surprised if some characters act drastically different from their other timeline counterparts." Will S Lavi explained.

"Ah Time Travel, the biggest annoyances and plot devices in media." RedRat8 nodded. "You never know what can and will go wrong with them, or know how some people take certain actions in one timeline but they don't in a different one," RedRat8 noted as Will S Lavi nodded.

"You may get Multiverse Theory in Effect, or Timelines drastically changing as a result of those changes, or Time itself pushing back, or you're effectively creating a new timeline that you can no longer change." RedRat8 pointed out.

"Exactly. We hope you all like that bit, so until then, see you all next time!" Both Will S. Lavi and RedRat8 nodded.

My Responses to the Reviews:

Qrow454: Thank you for your valid criticism. I've taken to steps to fix this with the help of my new beta reader by rewriting the previous chapters.

VGBlackwing: Don't worry. It might be sad but I aim to please...my Inner Kirei. Okay that was a terrible joke but I don't want to spoil anything. Nonetheless, thank you for the review.

Crown of Reaper: I'm flattered. I do hope that the spar between Shirou and Morgana was satisfactory.

RedRat8: Thank you for becoming my beta reader Red.

Kayen1024: I see. Well, I hope that this chapter has the spice then.

M2R: Thanks.

warrior of six blades: Thank you for reviewing. Does the new chapter satisfy you?

prisontaker: Well, I must be doing something right with the descriptions then. Thanks.

SentinelSlice: It worked out though new ones kept piling up to delay me. Thank you for reviewing and I hope you stayed healthy as well.

ShinyKyu: Yes, sal- I mean, thank you for reviewing. My IRL situation is okay even if caused me to delay this longer than I'd like. I am under oath not to say anything.

HeroBladeRiyet: *Inner Kirei grins*

joshiro99: Thank you! *Inner Kirei gags me*

NarutoCloud: Thank you for waiting and I hope the chapter delivered.

Deltozilla: I am a guy. Thank you for the review.

ulttonova: Thank you for the review. As for those questions though- *Inner Kirei gags me again*

Edits (Saturday, February 27, 2021) - I decided to change some things in the latter portion of Shirou's part to better fit what he should be capable of. I also made some minor changes to Robin's part.