Disclaimer: FATE does not belong to me, all its history and characters belong to Type-Moon.
The world of the magi.
Kiritsugu and Shirou had entered an apartment, and after this, the magus killer asked the boy to show him his arm, while they left their bags in the living room.
"I… just wanted to help," Shirou whispered.
"I know, but you must be careful when you go to help someone. You have to take into account several variables." Kiritsugu looked at the redhead's forearm; he had a bruise.
"What variables?" asked the confused boy.
"Who are you going to help? How are you going to help them? Why are you going to help them? And, above all, what are the consequences of you helping them?" the magus killer spoke normally as if used to considering such variables.
In the boy's mind, these variables began to be considered:
1-. Who did he help?
Answer: To a woman and a child. A security officer at the airport was mistreating them both.
2-. How did he help them?
Answer: He tried to keep the security officer from mistreating them.
3-. Why did he help him?
Answer: There was no specific reason, but, if there had to be, then it would simply be that the lady and the child were being abused for no reason.
4-. What were the consequences of helping them?
Answer: Because Kiritsugu intervened, the guard calmed down, but if it had only been him, then the woman would still be mistreated, and he would have ended up with more than just a bruise.
His foster father took out a medicine cabinet and used a cream to reduce the swelling.
"Shirou, there is currently a phenomenon of mass hysteria. What you was the right thing to do, but you must be careful. Especially since you will have to travel to England and enter the Clock Tower."
"Why especially in the Clock Tower?"
"Because magi are especially proud. An attempt to help could be taken as an underestimation of their abilities, and in the end, they will end up seeing it as an insult. Magi are the type of people who don't accept help from others, even if they really need it."
"But that is ridiculous."
Kiritsugu nodded. "It is. The advances that could be made in the world of magic if magi abandoned their pride would be abysmal. But that would mean abandoning prestige as well, and that is something they will never allow. That is why you must be careful when offering your help to any magus."
"I understand." Shirou approached the window of the hotel room. "The state in which this country is found is a bit sad."
The landscape seen through the window was really pitiful: The pollution filled the air, buildings are in a state of complete disrepair, and were people yelling at each other due to the mass hysteria.
"And this, Jordan, is one of the most stable countries in the Middle East. Unlike this, other countries must be much worse."
"And the countries of South Africa must be even more so."
Kiritsugu nodded. "Only when you see these types of situations, this is when you can realize what is the current situation in the world. The worst of all this is that it could be solved with absurd ease..."
Shirou and Kiritsugu had taken a layover flight from Japan to England, and now they were making a stopover in Jordan, one of the countries in the Middle East. This flight was cheaper than a direct one, and the freelancer had to save as much money as possible. All of this was to make the assault operation against the Einzbern a success. Also, if his plan failed and Shirou couldn't get a recommendation, Kiritsugu needed the money to be able to keep his son inside the Clock Tower.
"Using the Moon Cell?"
The magus killer nodded. "Surprisingly, humanity cannot agree, even on the brink of extinction," Kiritsugu sighed. If it was the old me, I'm sure I would have already taken action against the Harwey family conglomerate. It is they who have placed more obstacles when using the Moon Cell. The only reason I didn't join the resistance and became their enemy was that achieving my goal through Heaven's Feel was much more feasible. The Harweys control approximately 25% of the world through various means. Taking away their control of the Moon Cell is a job that requires more than one person.
"Shirou…"
"Yes?"
"Repeat our plan for me."
The redhead sighed, "Again?"
Kiritsugu nodded. "Having the plan as clear as possible is what will allow you to survive in the world of the magi. One mistake could cost you your life."
"We already boarded the flight to England, and once we get to the airport, we will part ways. I will take a taxi that will be waiting to take me to an apartment complex. There I will stay while I study at the Clock Tower. I will stop introducing myself as Emiya Shirou, and from now on, I will deny even knowing you. Nor will I seek to contact you unless it is a major emergency. While I am studying, I will keep a low profile and create as many contacts as possible. Furthermore, I will investigate as much as I can about the current state of the Einzbern family."
Kiritsugu nodded. "In the meantime, I will return to my trade as a freelancer. I will try to negotiate with the association to recover the remaining parts of the Emiya family crest. I'll also look for any weak spots in the Einzbern defenses."
"Kiritsugu, are you sure you can go back to your old job? You said you were injured..." Shirou asked worriedly.
"And I am. The Emiya Crest is with you now, making it difficult to use my time manipulation magecraft, and several of my magic circuits were damaged in my last job. And, that said, I was never overly reliant on my magecraft to hunt magus or Phantasmal Species. I can still use my Origin Bullets, as well as all the weapons I used to use. Also, since I had to research my family's magecraft to adapt it for combat, as long as I stick to the basics, I should be able to use it again."
"So, will you be okay?" the redhead asked worriedly.
Kiritsugu nodded. "As long as I don't have to deal with a very powerful magus or dead apostle, or something like that, I should be able to get out of my jobs alive."
At least, until Angra Mainyu's curse finishes corrupting my magic circuits, to the point where it will be difficult for me, even the simple act of moving. At the rate at which the curse is advancing, it should be at least a few years before the level of corruption becomes this high. Thought the magus.
"Are you really that infamous in the world of the magi?" the redhead asked, pulling him out of his thoughts.
Kiritsugu nodded. "By hunting down various magi who got out of control, I earned the hatred of many families. That is why they should not discover that you are related to me, at least, until you can defend yourself properly."
Shirou nodded. The apprentice magus and blacksmith was surprised when his father told him exactly what his job as a freelancer was, he was known as the magus killer, and, in a sense, he was the assassin of the Mage's Association. He was dedicated to hunting magi and other beings that got out of control, putting many innocent people in danger, but, in doing so, he saved more people than he endangered. When Kiritsugu told him about this, Shirou declared that it was something admirable, but the magus killer denied it. The freelancer told him that, to stop these magi, he had to do terrible things, actions that even cost innocent people their lives.
The redhead was confused, he couldn't see the same man who had saved him as a cold assassin, or put another way, the kind of person who sacrificed the minority to save the majority. He wanted to know more about his father's past, but seeing his sore face, Shirou restrained himself.
"Go to rest. There are still two hours until the next flight leaves; I'll wake you up when we have to go."
Shirou nodded and went to his room.
"You used hypnosis to get the child to go to sleep... what are you planning?" the sword that Shirou had left in the room spoke.
"I want to talk to you for a moment."
"What do you want?"
"I need you to take care of Shirou from now on. We both know that he is not cut out to be a magus, he does not have the personality magi should have. In short, he is too good for his own good."
"I know, and that's why, and because of your relationship with him, is that this mission is so risky..." Senji said.
"At first, I wasn't sure this was going to work, and, If I'm honest, I almost aborted all the plans multiple times."
"If you knew that the stakes were so high and the odds of everything going well were so low, then; why didn't you? For someone as meticulous and calculating as you, this is illogical action."
Kiritsugu smiled wryly. "What is the probability that you could create the ultimate katana?"
"While I was alive, the odds were slim to none. My goal is to create a weapon that matches and even surpasses various divine constructions. Creating that, with the limited time of human life, is practically impossible."
"And yet, you continued to pursue said dream without hesitation, just like me. The biggest difference is that: Unlike you, I ended up losing everything, and I reached a goal opposite to what I wanted to achieve."
"So…?" asked Muramasa curiously.
"Shirou was affected by the Fuyuki fire and suffers from survivor syndrome. Seeing how stubborn he is when something gets into his head and what little sense of self-preservation he has, I've tried to keep him from finding out about the dream I chased. For someone like him, who lives with guilt and the desire to help others, being able to be a hero of justice should be the perfect goal for him to achieve"
"But you fear that I will come to the same conclusion that you did..."
He nodded. "That's right, and, in my ignorance, I told him about it, and, although I regretted it and did not speak about it again, even so... I was forced to touch the subject tangentially when I explained why I came to be known as the magus killer."
"Do you think he inherited it? Your dream…"
"I doubt it, but my words affected him, and I think his performance at the airport is a sign that I am correct. That's why I want you to protect him, not only from the world of magi but also from his own distortion."
"And are you not afraid that he will end badly by chasing my dream?"
"Is different; even if he becomes obsessed with creating the ultimate sword, you will be there to guide him. And, even if he fails, he will only have to pass on his achievements through you, as its predecessors did. He shouldn't put his life at risk for that, or at least, I hope so..."
Senji was silent for a moment, then he finally spoke, "Well... I understand. Besides, he is my descendant; I can't let him die so easily. Relax, I'll help him get a good scabbard."
This caught the magus off guard. "Scabbard?"
Muramasa laughed lightly. "That boy is as close to being a sword as he is to be a human. In short, what he needs is someone to act as his scabbard, swords are damaged if they are used a lot and not taken care of properly, and the scabbard is used to retain and protect them; so that they are not damaged. The boy needs someone to act that way."
Although somewhat puzzled by the way the blacksmith decided to explain things, the magus killer got the point. "Finding someone like that will be difficult."
"But it is much easier than being a hero of justice or creating an almost impossible weapon."
At this comment, the freelancer could do nothing more than smile; the same ironic smile with which he had questioned the blacksmith.
The next day…
Shirou was getting off at an airport in London while the people surrounded him, some boarding and others overflowing, and to say that he was not nervous would be silly. Although the two had flown in the same plane, he separated from his father within it so that no one would suspect their relationship. He had gotten off the plane on his own and was now in a country he did not know, and he was going to a place full of people who could kill him if they found out about his relationship with Kiritsugu. Also, his only ally hung from his waist, protected in his sheath.
The boy, who had big dark circles, was grateful that his father had managed to engrave a small spell on the sheath of his sword; this created a simple suggestion that made any normal person not give importance to the katana.
The apprentice magus exited the airport and saw a man holding a sign with his name on it. And, for the first time since he started receiving those spartan English lessons given by Taiga, the redhead really appreciated them.
"Hello..."
"Muramasa Shirou?" asked the man in front of the taxi.
"Yes, I am." The apprentice magus said as he showed his passport ID.
The man nodded. "Okay, let's put your luggage in the vehicle's suitcase first. After you do, I will take you to where I have been directed."
"Thank you."
The boy stored his luggage with the help of the driver. And then he got into the car and let the conductor drive him to his destination, and so, took him through London to the address he had given him.
Fuyuki was a great city, so much so that it was divided into two parts; however, it was nothing compared to the UK capital; the city was so big that Shirou was afraid of getting lost. If his studies were limited to just one part of the city, he wouldn't be concerned; but, as each department has its own facilities scattered throughout London, the apprentice magus would have no choice but to learn how to move within the capital.
The driver dropped him off a block from where the "door" he will use to enter 'reality' should be, where the Clock Tower Creation Department's facilities are located.
The redhead entered the space where the facilities were located, and he was surprised to see them.
When Kiritsugu had said that: all the students within the Creation Faculty are artists in some sense. He really wasn't kidding.
If the apprentice blacksmith had to describe the facility in just one word, it would be: extravagant. The buildings were anything but typical. Statues, or rather golems, adorned the streets. The lights of the lamps glowed in different colors and intermittently.
This is incredible... Shirou thought excitedly, but he didn't show it. Kiritsugu had warned him: don't reveal your thoughts to magi, or they will take advantage of them. He was a terrible liar, but thanks to his father and Senji, he had managed to control his emotions, at least to some extent.
Shirou entered the building that seemed to be his bedroom. The quirky building confused him a bit. Luckily, after a few twists and turns, he managed to find his room.
"Please, let this be the room," the boy pleaded before inserting his key and turning the knob; luckily for him, the key went in smoothly, the door opened, and he was able to enter.
"Ugh...for a moment, I thought I'd have to ask for help or something. That might be bad since I don't know anyone." Shirou entered his bedroom. He noted that it was just a normal room, and inside it, there were some furniture, a wardrobe, and a bed. "What do you think, grandfather?"
"It's good enough. Now, come on, start setting up the spell, just like I taught you..."
Shirou nodded. He took out four small metal sheets that were stored in his luggage and placed them in the four corners of the room, then took some steel powder and proceeded to create a magic circle, as his teacher indicated.
"Ready…"
"Okay, now put me in the center," said his ancestor, and Shirou did what was asked and stuck the katana in the center of the circle. "Now light it up with your od."
Shirou nodded and turned on his magic circuits. His od went to the katana and, from this, went to the magic circle, "Creation of territory: the Muramasa workshop."
As he said these words, the whole room began to change. The circle was burned into the floor, and when the "remodel" was over, the room became a cross between the room in the bedroom and the workshop at his home in Japan.
This was the only territory manipulation magecraft his grandfather was capable of using, the visualization that his workshop would always be with him.
"Well, it seems that it worked perfectly."
Muramasa would have nodded if he could. "It was our only option. A blacksmith is nothing without his forge."
Shirou nodded.
"By the way, kiddo..."
"What?"
"Do you think it was okay?" Senji wasn't someone to show his concern, but that didn't mean he wasn't worried about his descendant.
"Hmm? What do you mean?" asked the confused redhead.
"You didn't tell Kiritsugu about your dreams, and you said you would."
The apprentice magus looked somewhat regretful. "I had planned to do it; however, I realized that he already has a lot to worry about, and I don't want to put more weight on him..."
"I can understand that, but you must understand this, kiddo: The dreams of magi are much more than what you can see with the naked eye. Those nightmares that plague you lately maybe reveal more than you imagine..."
Shirou gulped. "Do you think it could be something dangerous?"
"Normally, I would tell you that it is unlikely; but, considering the content of the dream, I am almost certain it does."
"In that case, I'll be careful."
"For your sake, I hope so."
The redhead nodded. "Do you want us to start forging?"
Senji replied happily, "I am glad that you are excited. But after a long journey, the best thing you can do is rest. You must be able to stay focused when you have to forge."
"I understand, and, in that case, I will go to sleep. Good night grandpa."
"Sleep well, kiddo."
Normally, Shirou would have been delighted to be able to sleep after such a busy day, but, a few weeks ago, that had changed. When he was a child and was adopted by Kiritsugu, he never stopped having nightmares about the fire; unless he took the magical medicines that his father prepared for him, however, ever since he met Muramasa, his dreams had changed, he stopped having nightmares about the tragedy and started dreaming about swords. But, that only lasted until a few weeks ago, suddenly, the memory of the fire reappeared, and more and more strongly, every night was worse and today seemed to be no exception.
Shirou was in the middle of the fire... and everything was reproduced as he remembered it: The air was laden with smoke and ash, the sparkling sound and heat of the flames, the smell of burning meat. The first thing he saw was that flaming hell, the fire that took everything from him. And he was standing in the middle of it, in the distance, he could see it, the reddish-black mud moving fast as it consumed everything.
Once again, that voice called him, "S-Shirou, please help me."
But he couldn't see whose it was, so he began to walk without control of his own body as if he were in a trance. With much effort, Shirou clenched his fists tightly. Just like he did that time, he forced himself to ignore everything, to ignore the screams, the pleas, the fire, and the pain. He ignored everything while wondering only one thing: Why? Why do I keep coming back here!?
What he never expected was someone to answer him...
"B-Because... t-that... I... d-desire it..."
"What?"
Listening to that beautiful voice, so sweet and innocent, in the middle of that hell, he felt a chill. Looking for its origin, the redhead turned to where he thought it came from...
The mud began to change at great speed. What looked like lava began to take on organic properties, and little by little, what was nothing more than black and reddish mud had transformed into the vague shape of a person.
"W-Who are you?"
This had never happened, in any of his dreams had it happened! And this terrified him.
That creature began to move, it seemed to try to smile at him. "I am… am… I w-want to… f-fulfill your w-wish…"
"My wish…?"
"W-We can d-do it. We will b-bring the grail to this w-world once a-gain."
The thing approached slowly, and, for every step it took forward, the redhead took a step back. But it seemed that it was impossible to escape from that being.
"Th-There's still time, don't worry, th-they will try one more time, there is no do-doubt.
The thing was about to touch him, but the moment its fleshy red hand was about to do it, he fell out of bed, waking up.
"Kiddo, are you okay!? You're sweating, and you look pale."
The apprentice blacksmith could not speak; he knew that if he did, then he would throw up.
After calming down a bit, he was able to say, "I had a very, very bad dream."
"Are you kidding me!? You are perspiring! Also, it looks like you might have seen a monster or something!"
"I did it. I don't know what that thing was, but it was terrifying."
"Do you think it was just a dream? Or, did you feel something else?"
The young man lowered his gaze. "I'm not sure, but it came from within the mud, and whatever that thing was, it was very scary. It also said something very strange…"
"What?"
"It wanted to fulfill my wish..."
This confused the blacksmith. "Your wish…?"
Shirou nodded. "Although I don't know how that thing could help us create the ultimate sword."
Muramasa was silent for a few moments. "I am not very informed about beings that get inside people's dreams, but I know they exist, of that, I have no doubt, even so, if that thing was born from that accumulation of curses..."
"Accumulation of curses?" the confused boy asked.
The sword would have nodded if it could. "That's it is. I was sealed when all the disaster happened, but even from inside my seal, I could feel it... That was an insane amount of cursing, as I'd never felt before, and kiddo, I am a blacksmith who has created many cursed swords, believe me when I tell you that, never in my life, have I felt anything like it..."
This surprised the boy. "W-Wait! Does that mean the fire wasn't from a gas leak!? Was there magecraft involved!?" Shirou was trembling. What was this he was feeling? Was it anger? Was it fear? Or was it both? He couldn't put it into words, however, just knowing that it was a magus who caused the Fuyuki fire made him realize many feelings that he did not know he possessed.
"Of course! Did you really believe that disaster was not related to magecraft? I thought Kiritsugu would have told you..."
"No... he didn't tell me anything. Maybe... maybe he didn't want to remind me of those moments. Before, he used to tell me that when he saw me for the first time, I looked like a puppet whose strings had been cut..."
"That could be a good reason." A momentary silence covered the room. "By the way, kiddo, shouldn't you prepare for your classes?"
"¿Eh…? ¿¡Eh!?" seeing how much time he had wasted, Shirou rushed as fast as he could.
For a moment, he was grateful that there were no set uniforms. He dressed in a white and blue shirt along with black pants. And Before leaving, he also grabbed a jacket and his katana and ran out of the room.
Shirou ran until he reached a bus stop, where he took the one that would drop him closest to the British Museum, the hidden face of the Clock Tower. Later, he crossed the necessary barriers to reach the facilities where the departments that made up the institution were located.
"Which class do you have first?" asked his ancestor.
"Today I have three classes: General Fundamentals, Mineralogy, and finally, Modern Magecraft Theory," he replied panting as he reached the room where he would have his first class.
The boy entered the large auditorium where his first class would be given. This was full of several magi from various countries around the world, and although most were European, they were all young magi whose ages were between the ages of thirteen and sixteen.
The boy was careful about where to sit; because, he was known that, within the Clock Tower, There was a certain preconception and discrimination among the magi of the Tower towards foreign magi.
Finally, he found a free seat next to a girl who appeared to be Asian just like him.
She was a young girl similar in age to Shirou. She had long brown hair as well as blue eyes. The girl wore a purple-blue jacket, along with a white blouse and shorts, and besides, she also wore glasses.
She gave a slight nod as a sign that she recognized his presence, a gesture that he returned. They didn't talk much, because the girl was uncomfortable and quite nervous, so he didn't want to bother her even more.
The two of them waited for a few minutes until the professor entered the room. He was a tall, stocky man who possessed large muscles, in addition, he had a semicircular chin, as well as a beard and blond hair. Besides, the man wore a gray suit with vertical stripes, he looked like a politician.
He was one of the Lords of the Clock Tower, the leader of the Democratic Faction as well as the head of the General Fundamentals Faculty. His name was McDonald Trambellio Elrod.
The burly man silenced the room by his mere presence and began his lecture without delay.
Two hours later…
Shirou had just come out of his first-class, and it had been more informative than he expected. Although Lord Trambellio appeared to be a harsh and somewhat inflexible person, he was an excellent educator in his eyes. He informed them of everything they will study in the next years, in a way that even he could understand.
The blacksmith's apprentice wondered if Lord Trambellio would be his teacher in all his next classes or if, on the other hand, he would only give them this initial lecture and, in the next class, it would be given by another teacher.
Shirou was glad that, during his first year, all his classes would be taught in the main building of the Clock Tower. In the next few years, he would have to go to the specific facilities of each faculty.
He had half an hour between his first class and his second, so he walked calmly.
He was moving through the corridors of Mystile to another of the five main rooms of the department. In this, he will receive his first lecture on Mineralogy.
Shirou entered the auditorium, this one was similar to the other, but inside it was different tools, as well as precious stones and other minerals.
The redhead took a seat in one of the empty places. Unlike the previous class, this one was not as crowded. The class of the General Fundamentals was mandatory for all magi, unlike this one.
Like last time, he had to wait until the professor arrived, and this was not a Lord, as in his previous class, but he was a member of the Meluastea family. And this was the family that was in charge of the Mineralogy Department.
In their first class, they were asked to form duos, as they would be put through a series of small tests to gauge their abilities.
He and another girl had trouble finding partners, well, not only him and the girl, the magi from little-known families and magi foreigners also had slight problems.
But, in the girl's case, it was a little worse. Not only because she was not European, which stood out thanks to her features, but also because the professor praised her, saying that she was one of the best freshmen, according to the notes on her income test.
Normally, any magus would have wanted to take advantage of that, but the fact that the girl was from a family outside of Europe and that, also, they had to do it during the first class... well, nobody liked to compare themselves to the first day with the best of the class.
Although for him, this did not matter in the slightest. He didn't come to the Clock Tower for things like prestige, what Shirou wanted to gain was as much knowledge as possible to achieve his goals, so working with the best in the class was more of a blessing to him than a disgrace.
She was a girl his age, possessed aquamarine eyes and long wavy blonde hair, with a hairstyle consisting of two twin ponytails. Her outfit consisted of a red turtleneck coat, a black skirt, and long black stockings under her brown leather shoes.
"Nice to meet you," she said with a hint of pride in her voice, and, to the point of view of Shirou, she acted like a lady and a model student. Perfect in both appearance and qualifications.
"Muramasa Shirou, it's my pleasure," he introduced himself, extending his hand.
"Muramasa Shirou… Hmm… Are you Japanese by any chance?" she asked curiously, at the same time that she returned the greeting.
Shirou nodded. "My family lives on the island of Kyushu, in the city of Fuyuki," Shirou replied.
The girl smiled with interest. "Oh, seriously? My family also lives on the island of Kyushu, and also in Fuyuki..." it only took a few seconds for her to realize what that statement meant. "Wait! What!?"
"Miss Tohsaka! Lower your tone of voice!" The teacher scolded her.
Wait, Tohsaka!? The same family of magi that Kiritsugu told me not to go near, that Tohsaka!? According to what Kiritsugu told me, she would not be attending classes this year.
"Although you are the best student in this course, remember that we made a special exception so that you could enroll. Considering how late you applied. Show some respect!" The professor continued.
"Y-Yes, professor... My apologies," she answered, embarrassed.
The girl looked at Shirou with suppressed anger, and, for the rest of the class, she didn't speak to him even once.
The girl was, without a doubt, the best in the class. She excelled in all aspects, while Shirou was average in most of these, the only case in which he surpassed her was in the analysis of minerals and jewels.
The lesson ended, and Shirou was about to leave for his last class.
"Wait there!" said the girl holding his hand.
With an awkward smile, he asked her, "Is something wrong, Tohsaka-san?"
Her model student mask was falling apart, but she cared little at the moment, "What do you mean with: is something wrong, Tohsaka-san?" she said, clearly angry. "I am the heir to the Tohsaka family. The family was designated as the Second Owner of Fuyuki City, and I was never informed about any family of magi with the surname Muramasa. You and I have things to talk about..."
Shirou sighed internally, this was the reason why he didn't want to meet the heiress of the Tohsaka family; she was the Second Owner of the Fuyuki spirit land.
The Spiritual Lands are mystical grounds where strong leylines of Mana can be found, places that increase the power of Magecraft, and, in the case of those of top class, where Magic can be activated. The Mage's Association has the ownership of most of the high-quality spiritual lands around the world but, for practical purposes, the actual administration of the land is left to a local lineage of magi that is related to the Association.
These magi in charge are called: Second Owners. They are in charge of managing all the supernatural activity within their territory. And, once a new magus takes up residence for himself in a Spirit Land of the Association, it is expected to seek permission from the Second Owner before establishing the Workshop. Of course, some magi do not respect this rule, like his father, these are usually magi who are not within the Association, and, generally, these will remain hidden, so, as long as they do not cause problems, they should not have problems to remain in it.
He really didn't know what year his family had moved from Kuwana to Kyushu, and for some reason, his grandfather didn't remember clearly, there was a possibility that they had moved before the Tohsaka arrived in Japan; however, even if this was true, the land had been owned by the Association for who knows how many centuries, and since they were not a part of it and had never attempted to associate with it, the authority over the land had been given to the Tohsaka.
The logical thing would have been to inform the Tohsaka about their stay in the city and explain that they had been in it for who knows how long, however, apparently, their family had not done so, perhaps because they did not consider themselves really magi, or for any other reason, while, on the other hand, Kiritsugu had more than one good reason for wanting to remain hidden from them: which boiled down to him being in Fuyuki illegally, at least from the Association's point of view.
Now, back to his dilemma, Tohsaka didn't seem like she would take no for an answer, and he didn't want to antagonize the family that ran the town where he lived.
"I understand Tohsaka-san, but, right now, I have classes. Could we finish this conversation later?"
She narrowed her eyes. "What class do you have to go to now?"
"Modern Magecraft Theory…"
The girl clicked her tongue. "I planned to listen to that class but did not write it as part of my study plan. Besides, I also have classes after this..." she murmured.
"¿Tohsaka-san?"
"Well, give it to me..."
He cocked his head, in confusión. "What?"
"The address of your bedroom! What else!?"
"Oh, that, sure..." Shirou replied while giving him a paper with his address, without fully understanding why.
She took it and said, "Well, I'll go tonight. Don't think about escaping, or I'll chase you all over the Clock Tower, do you understand!?"
"I understand…" Shirou replied, more for instinct, than because he really understood what happened.
"See you later then..." with that said, she left the class to go to her next lesson.
"She is an intense girl. Don't you think?" Muramasa commented, dangling from the boy's waist.
At this, the redhead couldn't help but nod.
According to what Kiritsugu had told him, this was the Clock Tower's newest faculty, only 100 years old since its inception, however, it was said that the professor teaching this class, despite being the youngest Lord, was also the one that had produced the most amazing students in recent years.
The apprentice magus sat down on an empty seat, and as the teacher had not yet arrived, he began to analyze his classmates. There were two blond boys, who were completely different from each other. There was also a brown-haired boy with glasses, and, a few seats away from where he was sitting, there was a blonde girl with a pigtails hairstyle in the shape of... drills?
After a while, the professor arrived, and he was followed by a person whom he couldn't quite distinguish, as she was wearing a hood.
He was a tall man of about 26, with long flowing hair. He wore a red coat with gold trim on the shoulders, and his face had a tremendously bitter expression.
The person following him sat on one of the seats. Shirou started to feel something strange about this person, but the teacher proceeded to start the class, so he had to pay attention.
"I will be your teacher this year, you can refer to me as a teacher or as Lord El-Melloi II, don't forget the II."
Shirou could see how the man had a bad attitude from the beginning. He was undoubtedly the type of person who started on the wrong foot in the morning. However, as a teacher, he was very dynamic and didactic. And Shirou could understand why he was one of the greatest lecturers inside the Clock Tower.
The class itself flew past, and he didn't even notice. For someone like him or Kiritsugu, this man's classes were worth pure gold.
Just as he was about to leave the room, a voice stopped him, "Wait."
Again? The redhead thought something worried. "Yes, teacher...?"
"Your name is Muramasa Shirou. Isn't it?"
Shirou nodded. "So is"
"According to your papers, you come from Fuyuki city in Japan, true?"
Shirou nodded again.
This left the young Lord thoughtful.
"Is something wrong, teacher?"
"Nothing, it's just that the last time I was in that damn city, I didn't hear of any magi family that had your last name."
Damn city? The boy thought, confused. "My family is a bit different from the other usual magi families. Beyond our works, we are not well known."
"Works… And that sword. So, you are related to the cursed swords of Muramasa. I thought you only shared the last name, but it seems that it is not only that."
"Exactly, my ancestors created those swords."
"I understand... There's something I want to ask you about: Do you know anything about a ritual known as..."
However, someone interrupted them before the Lord could ask him. It was the same person who came in behind the teacher. That person wore a coat with a hood and a skirt, and Shirou recognized her as a girl a little younger than him.
"Excuse me, Sir. I ran into Miss Reines when she was leaving the classroom, and she asked me to tell you that she is waiting for you in her office."
The professor's face became bitter at the mention of that name. "Thanks, Gray."
Shirou moved closer to look at the person his teacher was talking to more closely, and, suddenly, he felt as if time had stopped. Something ignited within him, a warm sensation that he hadn't felt since he met Kiritsugu. The boy saw that it did not possess the same strength as that time, yet even so, whatever it was, it had ignited.
The girl also stared at him for a while…
"Is something wrong with you two?" the young Lord interrupted them.
"No, nothing," said the redhead. "Was he going to ask me about something, teacher?"
"Yeah, but it looks like it will have to be later. I don't want to tempt that girl."
"I understand. In my case, I have to meet with Lord Valueleta."
"Are you in the Creation Department?"
Shirou nodded. "My goal is to create the ultimate sword."
For a moment, numerous emotions ran across the lord's face, the first was fear, and the last was bitterness. "You have a very big goal if you want to create something more powerful than that thing. I'm not even sure if it could be called a sword."
"What?"
Lord El-Melloi II shook his head. "Nothing. Let's go, Gray."
The girl followed the Lord, but not before giving the boy a small gesture of farewell.
His classes were over for today, but despite that, he still had a lot to attend to during the day: The meeting with Lord Valueleta, his meeting with Tohsaka, and his training with Muramasa. Today was going to be a long day...
Author notes:
Well, this chapter is ready. I had forgotten that, from now, on the chapters will get longer. Thanks to everyone who gave me suggestions and corrections in the previous chapter. Again, if I make a big mistake, I appreciate being told so I can fix it.
SentinalSlice: It is a Spanish expression for melee weapons. I didn't know that that expression translated differently.
Alphazero524: Sí, después de investigar me di cuenta de que no se tranducia de forma literal.
Without more to say. I appreciate your comments and hope you enjoyed the chapter, see you in the next one.