Note: This chapter was posted on July 14, 2023. In other words, this is the new chapter and not If Kintsugi no Fusei had an Anime Outro. That one was just me having a bit of fun. Probably not important...or is it? Who knows?
Disclaimer: I do not own Fate/ stay night and Fire Emblem: Awakening. Or any other intellectual property I reference for that matter.
Beta Reader: RedRat8
Kintsugi no Fusei
Book 1: On Fields of Fate
Chapter 9: Phantoms in the Sparks
Azure flames burned in the vast darkness. While not the only type of fire present as more could be found nearby and dotted the distance, it illuminated eyes of steel and amber as its owner contemplated all that could be seen around. And there Shirou found himself confused as he stood on a barren and boundless field. But strangely enough, the fire itself seemed to be created in an illusion of sorts, making everything in there look as though it was a mirage in a desert, as though it has yet to fully decide on what it wanted to be.
"What the…where am I?" He thought aloud as he began to walk towards the nearest light source. He shifted his gaze around to and fro, awe, and bafflement reflected in equal measure upon the sight before him.
Pursing his lips, the Champion of Naga tried to recall what had happened to him before he somehow ended up here. And immediately, the first thing that he could remember was dinner with the Pale Tactician.
"Shirou, if this level of quality keeps up, I seriously fear you will spoil me rotten with your food." Robin piped up as she downed her last spoonful of boar stew with a satisfied look.
"You keep saying that Robin, but you're the one who keeps asking for seconds," Shirou replied as he grabbed the tea kettle and filled a cup with its content, fighting to keep a smile hidden.
"Hey! I do not want to waste good food. Also, let me remind you that you keep telling me to eat more, so here I am." She shot back, seemingly incensed at his teasing words.
For his part, he simply raised an eyebrow as he kept his eyes on hers, her eyebrows scrunched together even as she accepted the cup of chamomile tea he offered. And so, they remained there, staring at each other in silence as the fireplace crackled nearby. Eventually, it was broken by the laughter that bubbled over and escaped from their mouths like a cup overfilled.
His chuckles felt strange. Though he had his moments since he had arrived here, they still came across as foreign to him. With no memories to fall back on, the distant familiarity of the motions of doing it was all he had. It was becoming easier now though, the act felt more natural as his chest warmed at the accompanying sound that filled his ears.
The melody of Robin's tittering was an experience matched only by the sight of it. With her chest heaving, eyes shut tight, and mouth wide open, he could not help but compare it to that day on the field when they had first met. She had been crying her heart out then but to see her as she was now, laughing at something so simple, he hoped that she would have more days like this.
Shirou paused as the memory seemed to loop and with what little memories he did have, it was hard not to. It seemed to be happening more often these days. However, he found that he was not opposed to it. Not when he could see that he could help her.
And especially not when seeing her happy made him happy.
Shaking his head, he refocused and examined where he had wandered. He was by a small hill with several small brambles burning with Naga's fire on it, the most notable feature of it being a tree at its very top. And like the brambles it happened to be on fire.
However, a metallic glint in a nearby bramble caught his eye, and what he saw inside of it surprised him.
Before him in the nearest blaze were the weapons that had led to his victory against Morgana nearly two months ago. Her blade stood impaled on the ground, holding within it the history of the time she spent under her master's tutelage. A precious history it was, with the sword mended and sharpened multiple times through bouts of frustration from continuous losses, but never replaced.
Beside it laid his pair of oaken blades, now a permanent mirror of those used by the same man where the former royal's admiration and vexation remained. There, they dwelt in harmony in that flame as if it was harmless.
Yet that very sight, that now existing possibility confounded him.
Normally, it should not have been possible for the history contained in one weapon to transfer to yet another. The material of his blades alone was different from the ones used by Niten Do'raku, even with the changes that his counterpart had guided him to accomplish through Alteration. However, something had indeed made it possible.
None other than the binding nature of the Divine Dragon King's flames, the Aether, and that very thing held his fractured self together with another.
With that realization, his mismatched eyes roamed through the brambles in sight and found more.
Swords. Blades of different make and sizes. Weapons of the common man. Crystallized legends of incredible power. Each of them held within them a story he had yet to learn.
And all of them were misty and hazy, yet Shirou could feel like he could have better access to or understanding of all of them.
"So, I do believe we should have that talk now?"
Startled at the voice, Shirou turned his gaze to its point of origin, the hilltop where the burning tree stood.
"Well, what are you waiting for? Climb up already, hero."
The tone used was dryer than the desert in summer and ignited something fierce within Shirou as his fists tightened. He did not like it, not one bit at all. And he would remember that.
Thus, he made his way up the hill, passing by more of the burning brambles that dotted its surface. As he climbed, he found himself staring, drawn to certain brambles and what they contained. They seemed clearer to see than the rest of the weapons before, and he felt as though these weapons had a more personal connection to him.
A single-edged sword of surprising length, it gave off the sensation of lethal graceful calm.
A long, barbed spear, as red as the bloodlust it reeked of, eager yet obedient like a hound for hunting.
An enormous hunk of stone, shaped to look like a crude sword, yet deadly with all the rage buried within.
A pair of nail-like daggers connected to long chains ending with rings, rattling like snakes lying in wait until provoked.
An unusual dagger, its shape reminiscent of a lightning bolt, the prismatic hues it had dim with sadness and regret.
A set of dark hooked dirks, methodical and without bias, ironically shining with their loyalty to the cause of assassination.
And finally, an ornate golden sword of holiness and royalty, waiting for its user to draw it, to cleave the wicked and assure them their victory.
Shirou paused as he finally reached the tree. Nestled near its roots was another bramble, but the thicket and its accompanying flame were much thicker and concealed its contents. Still, he could tell that they were a pair of weapons though, and near them, the matte black bow of strange make that he regularly imitated but had yet to project.
He looked at them a little longer, their mystery enticing his curiosity before he finally turned to the figure at the base of the tree.
The other occupant of this strange world, the speaker he heard just now and on certain occasions before. Like most of what he observed in this strange world, mystery shrouded the stranger as he sat within an azure bonfire unharmed. Nevertheless, certain features of his silhouette remained distinguishable. A tall man in his prime with a similar physique as his but had his hair swept back instead. The clothes mirrored his save for a few key differences such as a matching pair of sleeves and the lack of a cloak.
Well, that and the fact that he also looked like broken glass and currently merged with the exposed tree roots. Or that what should have been eyes were instead sockets full of a darker shade of the same azure flames that had bound him there.
"Finally, you're here. The sooner you can adapt to my presence, the better your development will be." The bound man replied, his voice deep. Now that he could hear it better, it confirmed a suspicion of the champion of Naga.
It was his own voice. Sharp, like a sword sheathed and ready to be drawn. Older most certainly, but just how much older was uncertain for tiredness could also be found there. As if, he was a rusted sword, one broken. It gave him a question that dare not left his mouth, his jaw too tense and eyebrows furrowed together.
Through the fire, he felt rather than saw the figure's lips curl down a smidgen. "Do not hesitate to ask whatever asinine thought you have in that head of yours. Go on. Out with it."
Ah, there it is. He is definitely that voice. He thought as a puff of air left his mouth to get rid of the building heat in his chest. "Who are you? Am I you?"
The redhead dared to hope that it was not the case. If this was the result, he had to wonder what lead him, this him at least, to become this person in the first place. Moreover, he sensed that it involved the odd tidbits that he said to Robin without thought during their early days together. Eternal enslavement. A line of thought that bodes ill.
"The answer would be yes…and no. Any more than that, even my name might kill you…literally." The reply came, making his eyes widen and continuously blink as he processed it.
"It's that dangerous?" Shirou voiced as he stepped back an inch. He found his gaze turn to his own body, the phantom sensations of blades piercing him as it grew from inside reminding him of his previous predicament. A grim reminder of how he wouldn't have survived without Naga's intervention.
"Need I remind you of your state before Naga interfered? Why do you think I am in the Aether's flame?" The man presented the questions, and had he been able to, the redhead knew if he had been able to, the figure would have his arms crossed before him. "This is for my benefit as it is yours, but let's be honest it's mostly yours."
There was something about the way he said his piece to him. This was not the first time that his counterpart had to do something for him. Considering what he currently knew and learned from him, he didn't know what to feel about that fact.
"Fine. What do I call you then?" Shirou asked as he freed his mind of those thoughts for now. "I can't always call you the mysterious voice in my head."
The bound being simply hummed. "I believe Archer will suffice for now."
"Ow!" A quick stinging sensation filled his head at the mere utterance before it dissipated, leaving him to rub his head.
As the Champion of Naga nursed his head, he heard the so-called Archer hum and speak once more. "Huh…Archer."
He flinched as the pain returned, albeit weaker and swifter than before. Nevertheless, he gave the figure a glare, who had begun to chuckle in response. "That was not funny."
"You're right, Shirou. It's hilarious."
Shirou resisted the urge then to shatter Archer's exposed teeth.
Pinching the bridge of his nose, he sighed deeply and instead chose to ask, "You said something about my development?"
At that, the bound being ceased his laughter, and though he had no eyes, the orbs of flames that replaced them emanated a sharpness like a sword bared to his throat. "Yes, your development. I say that I've let you live in comfort long enough."
With that said Archer's visible hand twitched, and that was the only warning Shirou got before he had to dodge a sword slicing through the air where his head was. Another sword was already en route by the time he regained his footing, forcing him to evade once more and struggle to keep his balance as it struck where he had been and caused a cloud of dust to obscure his vision. Forced to give ground and nearing the edge of the hilltop, he heard another one coming and raised his metal arm before him.
Metal clashed upon metal before the sword projectile detonated and pushed him off the hill.
"ARCHER!" The Champion of Naga shouted as he tumbled down the hill, rolling on and hitting the ground in pain before he managed to get a grip with his metal arm. His fingers carved droves in the hill as he slid down until he stopped short of the brambles that had the long single-edged sword.
Groans escaping his throat, he picked himself up, a bit shaky and cautious from the pain. Nearly stumbling, his normal hand grasped onto the sword nearby as a makeshift hilt, glancing at its guardless hilt before it shifted into a glare that he directed towards his counterpart from above. "WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT FOR?!"
"Like I said, your development." The bound being replied, his voice loud and clear. "I simply can't have you wasting away just learning to read the local language and playing house with someone you did not need to save."
Shirou's mouth hung open as he processed what was said, eyes wide open at the sheer incredulity of it all.
Development? Wasting away? Playing house? Someone...he didn't need to save?
Static filled his vision and with it the unrecognizable visage of a woman in despair crying out for him, filling his heart with glass. He tried hard to remember again, yet her name and face still escaped his grasp. And Archer's words echoed once more.
I simply can't have you wasting away just learning to read the local language and playing house with someone you did not need to save.
His vision flickered for a second time. And instead of a staticky image of an unknown woman, he looked upon the crystal-clear form of Robin.
Someone...he didn't need to save?
He watched as her body rapidly returned to its emaciated form, undoing the efforts he and Morgana had made. The smile that he had come to see more frequently faded once more to the misery and numbness he had first seen. And the hope that had begun to bloom in her eyes, the fire in them that had sparked in them, sputtered out like a candle lost in the tempest.
…no. No. NO. NO! NOOOO!
The roar filled his ears, one Shirou realized was his own as he tore out the blade in his hand from its resting place. Furious heat ignited in his heart and flooded his body, shaping the tips of his metal fingers into claws. The ground beneath him gave away, the hill's surface rupturing as each stomp of his feet propelled his ascent.
"WHO THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU ARE?!" Shirou bellowed in pure rage.
A torrent of blades was the answer Archer gave him.
He raised his clawed hand and long blade in kind.
And so began their furious clash, sparks flying as steel met steel with incredible force.
But as he parried barrage after barrage of flying steel, Shirou reached a horrifying realization.
The momentum he initially had was diminished and nulled as each exchange would send him back steadily. The parried blades began to course correct in midair and attack him from behind. One out of three blades would suddenly explode and destabilize his footing, leaving him open to be pushed back and wounded by the fragments.
Archer, his counterpart, was correct. He did have to develop his skills and get stronger.
But it would be by his terms. Not Archer's. His.
Shirou gritted his teeth as a blade sliced his bicep. He ignored the pain and raised the long blade in both hands as Aether coated the weapon. The two-word aria of 'Trace on' left his mouth, circuits flaring to life as it ran down and established a connection with the weapon, showing him the life of its wielder and the best way to use it.
He would be better for the one he saved. He would be better for Her.
The familiar ceiling of the pit house greeted Robin's eyes as she woke up. Having recognized it, she fought off a yawn as she carefully stretched her limbs, embracing the wonderful feeling of freedom and choosing to ignore how it felt with the scars she got from her former manacles. She had many more important things to do than reminisce.
With one final stretch, she slowly sat up from the bed using her arms and moved her legs off the bed, her bare feet touching the wooden floor. The mere touch was invigorating, with the near-overwhelming urge to stand and walk again simmering beneath her skin. However, she made no further movements, instead choosing to look at the bedside table she shared with Shirou nearby.
The man himself was still asleep on his bed near hers. That in itself was unusual as he was usually the first to wake up so he could start making their breakfast and even clean up the place. Happily. However, a mere look at their shared table told her why it was and the sight alone made her lips curl upwards as she scooted closer to the table, which consequently made her closer to him.
Littered on the furniture were a few books, some of them hers and some of them his. There was also the corked inkwell and the cleaned quill he used, pinned underneath them were a few sheets of parchment he had written on the night before. And from what the pale tactician could see of it, Shirou had greatly improved when compared to his previous attempts.
If Robin had to judge it, his level of writing was now what could be considered passable. As for his comprehension of it and how well he could use it, that remained to be seen yet. Nonetheless, that did not diminish what he had accomplished in such a short amount of time despite his disadvantage.
Her gaze was drawn upon the champion of Naga once again, specifically his bare flesh and blood arm. Traces of dried ink were still on his fingers, with a similarly stained cloth near it on the bed and the spent lantern on the table all but telling her how much time he spent practicing long after she had fallen asleep.
Saving me. Cooking for me. Helping me walk again. And now you do this? What more will you do? Oh, Shirou. You stubborn, admirable man.
It was at that moment that she felt an ache in her cheeks. She reached up with her hands to rub them but stopped when she cupped them. They felt hot and she belatedly realized that they were still stretched, as her pinkies cautiously traced the edges of her lips.
She was still smiling, have been for a while now with how her cheeks ached, the muscles unused to the act after being unable to do so for a long time. And with how hot her face felt now, she knew she was blushing too.
Robin let that sit for several seconds before shaking her head to free herself of the thought and the heat gathering on her face. After she felt that she had done enough, she smoothed her hair out as she panted. Still, the rush of blood was almost deafening to her ears and the beating of her own heart betrayed her.
"Gods. This is dangerous…I can't. It can't be possible." Tears pricked her eyes and she hurried to wipe them away.
How pathetic can I be?
Her tears stilled as the taunting question echoed from the depths of her composite being. The answer to that question was one she cannot give nor did she want to. To acknowledge it was to stare directly into the abyss. But now was not the time, she was not strong enough yet to confront herself.
For she knew, she was not strong enough to admit what she had really become.
Breathing deeply as Robin rooted herself back in the reality of the pit house, she turned her gaze back to the small collection of books, eventually deciding to take one from Shirou's pile. It was a familiar book back in her heyday as quee– tactician, the ever-essential Royal Politesse. As for why her mother assigned something so advanced and maybe unnecessary for the man to read, she had no clue but she might as well.
And so, she read– well, browse the table of contents more really, refamiliarizing herself with the stories that had shaped the politics of the world and the many laws established in response to such events.
The Holy War of Genealogy.
Triumphs of the Hero King.
Romance of the Saint King.
The Mystery of The Schism.
Apotheosis of the Fell Dragon.
Awakening of the First Exalt.
The pale tactician paused her browsing at the last two titles, her scars itching irritably as she read them repeatedly. She let out a tired sigh. "One at a time Robin. One at a time."
She continued once more, reading title after title to keep her mind off the words with little success. Why did I even bother reading this?
That is because I cannot run from it. It is forever in our blood and that blood does not lie.
Her lips pressed tight together and she was now close to just shutting the book when one of the titles she read made her stop.
"The Treatise of Princess Euphemia." Robin read out loud, the name somehow familiar to her and just at the tip of her tongue. The problem was how it felt weird. "What is your story then?"
Now curious, she flipped through the pages until she found what she was looking for. The drawn image that accompanied the chapter was of a beautiful young Plegian woman with long pink hair and dark royal clothing reminiscent of a Lord and a Dark Flier. By her side was a similarly aged man of Chon'sin descent with brown hair, clad in a pale armor that was an odd mixture of a Swordmaster and a Paladin.
Eyes blinking owlishly, the former Heart began to read, and a conflict soon took root in her mind as she continued. Information long since buried in her composite mind beginning to resurface. "Her family killed…she alone survived…and sentenced to exile."
Wait, wasn't it a boy prince who lived and got exiled? She thought, trying to remember the name of the prince, someone whose name started with L, before she continued.
"She arrived in Valm…hounded by enemies…until she met someone in Chon'sin…who would become her most loyal protector." That familiarity became ever stronger and from it, Robin's mind painted a little theory.
That there was more to this timeline than simply changing who lived or died between her and her twin brother. After all, why exactly had Validar chosen to sacrifice her? When she could have served as a spare if needed?
"She swore that upon her return…to change Plegia from within."
A pin could have dropped and it would have been the loudest sound Robin heard as she tried to register what she had just read.
"Change Plegia from within? Plegia?" She could only laugh at the thought. The Grimleal would never allow such a thing to happen or at the least, allow it to last.
And yet, it was a fact that there was a chapter dedicated to a person who believed in that ideal.
To change Plegia from within.
Mother, I…I don't want to…lose you. I…don't want my brother to…to have the same fate.
The pale tactician's thoughts drifted to her mother and the brother she had yet to meet, the only familial links she had that mattered to this world she was reborn in. She thought of their impending fates…and the potential future she wanted them to have.
A life of peace. A long life well spent. A life where they did not have to suffer, hunted for the rest of their days, and be betrayed, killed as she had in two lifetimes.
To change Plegia from within.
You can do it, Robin. Take as long as you can and don't be afraid to take some rest when it's too much. We have time to spare, and you have us. Shirou's words echoed and with it, the memories.
His amber and silver gaze on hers, reflected in them the fire he would usually tend to, be it for warmth or cooking. The firm gentleness with which he helped her and held her in his arms when she could not do much for herself.
And the smile he would always give to her, even when she had been at her worst yet. That smile that spoke more than words, a smile that told her of his irrefutable truth, that he wanted to help her despite what she had become.
To change Plegia from within.
The pounding of her reborn heart grew louder like war drums playing close to her ears. Gears started to turn in her head as she resumed reading, those five simple words now a mantra as the tale of the exiled princess and her loyal knight unfolded before her very eyes. She needed to know their history and she had a feeling that many more would need to learn them again. For what was history, but a lesson to learn from?
A lesson she would be more than willing to learn.
"Archer…take that back! Ngh! ARGHH!"
Robin stopped reading, her eyes wide and her jaw slack as her ears picked up the sounds. It was something she had not heard from anyone aside from hers since the day she had met him. Brave and ever-dependable Shirou, the man whose back seemed like a pillar of persistent strength was having a nightmare.
"SHE'S NOT– GAH! A MISTAKE!"
The former Heart was more than familiar with nightmares. Back when she was imprisoned, the cries that tore itself out her throat in the aftermath of such horrors were all she could hear. To hear him now groaning out in pain, anger, and even sorrow…
She could not bear it.
Immediately, Robin dropped the book in her grasp as she hurried on wobbly legs to reach him. She managed not to stumble as she sat by his side, her hands already reaching for him as she tried to wake him. "Shirou! Shirou, wake up– ah!"
She could not help but wince as his body felt hot to the touch, almost like the heat of an angry forge. Even more worryingly, areas of his skin would light up with a blue glow from now and then. Once the light disappeared, it left behind a thin line of darkened skin like the many "patches" he had. I don't understand this, it's almost as if he's being attacked!
Then, the word struck her like a bolt of lightning. Attacked… No…it– it can't be.
The pale tactician observed the patches both old and new more closely, a sinking feeling settling in her gut as she watched fresh lines be carved on his bare right bicep. Slowly, torturously, her right hand reached up to trace her chest. Though it was beneath the layer of clothing she wore, her fingers traced the still tender flesh that had knit the hole over her heart, the killing wound made by an exalted sword.
She remembered voices, of her father using her to commit his scheme, and of the Fell Dragon who made a twisted mockery of her life.
Robin reached for him again, ignoring the painful, stinging heat as she cried out for him. "Shirou! Wake up! Please!"
Her touch did nothing. Her voice did not reach him. Shirou's screams continued to fill her ears, increasing in volume as more thin lines were carved on his healthy skin. And one of them spawned very close to his throat as if to silence him.
Wide, horrified eyes drifted to the metal arm he bore, which had now become clawed, the shine of the metal almost taunting. This was the same arm she remembered him looking at from time to time and the look he had then was as if in conversation with someone else, someone unseen. And now she realized, there was someone inside it, someone making him suffer.
That was…
This is…
UNFORGIVABLE!
A fire began to blaze in her chest, an anger she had not felt since her first days of rebirth rising to the surface as she reached for the offending limb. Her teeth clacked together as she grabbed the metal tightly, and spoke. "Let him go…I SAID LET HIM GO!"
The metal did not budge and Shirou continued to scream. Blood roared in her ears and she felt the flecks of darkness began to flicker on her wrist. "DAMN, YOU! I SAID LET HIM GO!"
The arm then shuddered with a blue glow as its claws had become fingers again. Shirou gasped awake, his eyes moving about wildly, his breathing just as rough before settling on hers. "Robin? What happened? What are…are you all right?"
The sight of him fully conscious extinguished the spark of her Ignis, the anger that had filled her subsiding with it. A surge of emotions took over and Robin let herself fall limp on his chest, her arms now grasped tightly onto him. "Shirou…you're an idiot. I should be the one asking you that question."
"I…" His arms moved around her and she flinched at the feeling of his metal arm on her back before she relaxed in his embrace. "You are right. I'm sorry that I worried you, Robin."
The former Heart shook her head and looked him in the eyes, her left arm letting go to trace the new lines that decorated his bare arm like a tiger's stripes. "Of course, I'm worried! You were having a nightmare! You wouldn't even wake and that thing was hurting you! Why didn't you tell me there was someone there?!"
The champion of Naga looked at the lines she traced in silence before he stared at her once more. He then rose with care and after, she was now sat on his lap. His hand reached up and wiped away the wetness she hadn't realized where flowing on her cheeks. "It's…a bit complicated. I didn't even know this could happen."
"Shirou, I technically died three times and got merged with a future version of myself who had been the puppet of a deranged dragon for years. And I got puppeted too. I can handle complicated."
"…all right then. There is a damaged future version of myself named Archer bound inside what seems to be our inner world who had been giving me advice since we got here. He decided that I needed to develop my skills for our mission, but he did that…by insinuating that learning the language was a waste of time and insulting my choice to save you."
Upon hearing all of that, Robin felt a flicker of that anger return as she looked at the metal arm, even as she felt a stab of pain that a future version of the man who saved her thought differently. "He sounds like an ass."
"He is one and I don't like what that entails." Shirou concurred. "But he is a smart ass and as much as I hate to admit it, he's right. I do need to get better, to get stronger. But that is the only thing I will agree with him on."
So, he must face something like I did too. She thought with a frown as she leaned on him again, listening to the beating of his heart. It calmed her, but she found herself asking. "And what about the things that he said, Shirou? What do you think of it?"
He remained silent for a while, giving her question serious thought with his eyebrows scrunched together and his eyes closed. Eventually, he voiced his thoughts.
"Now that I think about it, for someone who told me I shouldn't have saved you, he's the one who did give me the idea for your parallel bars and keeps giving me cooking advice." The pale tactician blinked at his admission, throwing her initial understanding of his counterpart in disarray. It really was complicated.
"Whatever the case is, I honestly don't care what he thinks." To her surprise, the amnesiac swordsman held her more firmly in his arms. "I made my choice Robin…and I do not regret choosing you."
At his words, the pale tactician buried her face in his chest, her face hot at the contact but allowing her to hide it from him. She tried to still the feeling welling inside her like butterflies fluttering but ultimately failed as her cheeks ached again, a smile on her lips. And so, she simply settled for hugging him tighter.
Saying things like that…you really are a dangerous man, Shirou.
"I'm guessing I woke up too late to prepare breakfast?" He asked her moments later as they loosened their embrace.
"It's okay, I can wait for a few more hours Shirou." She replied, her emotions thankfully back in her control.
Robin watched as Shirou glanced at the ceiling above them and she could see the candle lit up in his head. With a grin, he turned back to her and the words that came out of his mouth shocked her.
"Robin, would you like it if we go outside then?"
But what did not shock her, was the response she gave him and the lack of hesitation with which she did it. Happy and content.
"I would love to Shirou."
Story Corner
RedRat8 paced back and forth on his hind legs in the usual gathering place. "Will told me not to worry...and that it's only been two months and give or take six days since the last update...but maybe I should use it?"
The giant rat stopped and turned to look at the "it" in question. On the floor was a large summoning circle drawn on its surface. "I mean I already made this over the last few years and didn't get to use it because he came back before I could...so maybe I should use it!"
Now excited, he grabbed a nearby package to reveal the old, black-rimmed glasses of the author, who had left it behind two months ago on the update. Carefully, he used his prehensile tail to place the item in the center of the summoning circle, all while rubbing his front paws in excitement. "Just need to chant and I'll be using this bad boy to...why am I hearing Carnival Music and an engine?"
The answer arrived in a flash as RedRat8 saw Will S. LaVi wearing shades and arriving on Unit Lion. As the author got closer, the giant rat saw as he proceeded to flip the bird on physics and engineering by initiating an Akira Slide with a vehicle not designed to be able to do so.
It was absurd. It was awesome. It was...
It was ruining the summoning circle as it skidded to a stop there, undoing years of painstaking effort to reach symmetrical perfection in a single moment.
"Hey there Red! Guess who got his teaching license!"
"...yay. I mean, YAY!"
"Also, it's been two months." Will pulled out a stack of papers from a backpack, holding it out for Red to take. "You up for cooking?"
Red Rat grabbed the papers. "Where do we start?"
Moments Later
"Damn man, you beta fast!" Will marveled as RedRat8 moved at the speed of a certain Mangaka that made his home in Morioh.
"I've been waiting for a long time to do this, to see this story continue, as such, I must become Speed!" RedRat8 declared, using not just his paws but also his feet and tail to move at lightspeed.
Will laughed at that. "Well then mush my friend, mush." He commanded jokingly before he turned to the audience. "Well, until next time folks."
"Don't forget to check out the ending theme of Kintsugi no Fusei!"
My responses to the reviews:
Tenma Kirin: Thank you! Glad to be back! Hope you liked this new one as well!
DragonTetho: Here's hoping I can continue to do so. As for Shirou and Robin, well, let's see what fate has in store for them.
Zeyu Pan: I am indeed back and am flattered by the compliment, but it ain't the only one. I do hope I continue to deliver with RedRat8.
LockeBelmont: Thanks and that is true. I do apologize for the cliffy but that felt like a good scene to end the chapter on. Wonder what you think of this then lol.
jordanlink7856: Glad you liked it.
Nanasheep35: You are welcome and I am glad that KnF helped you out. Thank you for reading and remember, like Robin, you are much stronger than you think you are.
warrior of six blades: Oh he definitely is and yeah, not that bad even with his current state. As for Shirou and Robin, well...as I've said many times before, I have plans.
Primordial Inscriptor Z-09: Just gonna say this now, I had a jolly good time reading your simultaneous reviews. Yes, even at your tears, which my Inner Kirei has been delighted to receive. Jokes aside, I am glad to see you like the story so far and to answer your question regarding onion ninjas...perhaps look for the song called Saigo no Hanabira by EGOIST.
dmoose18: It's a good thing that I updated then, thank you for reading!
Darth Kyuubi kurama: Thank you.
Eisenhower Haloway: Thanks, I also passed my licensure exams! As for that farewell... *shrugs* Who knows?
Greyfox2: Thank you! I hope you like the update.
Guest: That it does.
Author's Note:
Okay, it was only about two months but better than years of delay right?
First of all, the good news, I passed the licensure exam and would soon be taking the oath as a licensed professional teacher!
Bad news is that I am busy jobhunting so that'll affect future updates.
In any case, I'll still be doing some writing. Now, the next chapter would be a very important paralogue. As for why, well I got something cooked up that you'll all need to see.
Anyways, don't hesitate to tell me what you thought of this chapter in a review. Love it or Hate it, do tell me for improvement. I hope I was able to entertain you all.
Till next time, this is Will S. LaVi.