AN:
Not exactly the Shirou in Chaldea fic that I promised, but overall, something like that. It's better than nothing. Next update: TBD (if only I knew myself, lol). For more information on what is marked with *, see the end of chapter. Enjoy reading!
"Haa… Haa…"
His heavy breathing created perspiration. Beads of sweat trickled down his muscular arms, clutching the luxurious velvet fabrics, soaking them with sweat. His heart was pounding in his chest, pumping red-hot blood through his veins, distilling it from his brain to the lower half of his body. His excitement was fueled by the scent of incense, and the air was saturated with all kinds of smells that made his mind go blank.
He couldn't think of anything but the naked woman beneath him. She was beautiful. Despite the scorching sun, her skin was fair and soft. A magnificent mane of golden hair scattered around, sparkling like gold in the semi-darkness. He took a few strands, wound these golden threads around his fingers and brought them to his nose. It smelled nice and felt like silk of the highest quality.
The lower part of the woman's face was hidden by a veil, but this didn't detract from her extraterrestrial beauty. The piercing scarlet eyes with snake slits looked like gems. Her delicate brows furrowed, making him think that he was looking at a snake. Deadly, ready to make a lightning rush and grab with its venomous fangs. Myriad emotions were reflected in those incredible eyes: anger, rage, contempt, hatred, longing, desire. If the eyes are the mirror of the soul, then how many contradictory feelings was this woman experiencing right now?
His eyes roamed over her body, exposed for all to see.
Instead of the usual golden armor, the woman was wearing what he would expect to see on a priestess of the Goddess of Love or in a local brothel. There was a thick gold collar around her slender neck, overlapping the necklace. Two massive spheres of elastic flesh were barely covered by thin pieces of fabric, creating an improvised bra, which was attached to the necklace with thin gold chains. The fabric stuck tightly to her sweat-glistening skin, unable to withstand the humid climate, making her pink nipples visible. The piercing on them in the form of two thin golden needles connected by a thin golden chain attracted attention. This was also helped by the beads of white pearls hanging from the tips.
Beads of sweat were gathering on her flat stomach. When he ran his hands over her waist, tracing the curve and shape of her protruding hipbone, her abdominal muscles tensed. A bizarre scarlet tattoo, proof of divinity, pulsed like veins. He grinned, picking up a small ruby on a chain, which was decorated with a woman's navel. In the Middle East, it was believed that all energy channels connected in the navel, so piercing the navel severed this connection and partially blocked the left side of the brain responsible for rational thinking, forcing the concubines marked in this way to think only about how to satisfy the bodily needs of their master.
Then his hands moved to her hips, squeezing and kneading the firm flesh beneath which there were undoubtedly muscles, the only reminder that the woman beneath him was not some random trophy, a bird raised in a golden cage. She was a warrior and had her share of adventures. But he was sure that soon there would be no trace of it.
"Fu-fu, what kind of tattoo do you think she should get~?" he heard a sultry voice behind him, felt hot breath on his skin, and the exotic scent of minerals and essential oils mixed with sweat.
Long silky hair the color of a raven wing caressed his skin, perky breasts, swollen and full of overflowing magical energy, pressed against his left hand. The goddess looked at him languidly from under her long eyelashes, her red eyes had golden highlights, and her sea-green irises reminded him of an oasis in the desert. Just that look was enough to make men fall at her feet. The goddess snorted mockingly, taking one of his hands and placing it on the belly of the blonde lying under him, right where the womb was located.
"Don't you think it would be funny if all of her divinity was contained in just this place~?" Her sweet whisper was like honey heated in the scorching sun, burning his ears and putting such sinful ideas in his head.
"Ma, ma~! Look at those thick thighs..." the soft voice, filled with maternal warmth and love, was the exact opposite of the first one.
His right arm was wrapped in the suffocating embrace of two huge balls of pale milky flesh. Sparkling azure hair framed the woman's round face, cascading down. A pair of massive horns curled downwards were surprisingly pleasant to the touch when the woman, pouting slightly, rubbed them against him. The pink eyes were decorated with unique icons in the shape of the letter X, which from time to time shimmered with a gradient.
"These thighs are perfect for carrying children, don't you think, my child?"
"Humu! This arrogant harlot does not deserve to bear the Praetor's offspring!"
A voice full of arrogance and narcissism rang out from behind him as he felt something soft but fluffy pressed against his back. He turned his head slightly and was greeted by the grinning face of a beauty with animal ears sticking out of the top of her head. Instead of teeth, there were fangs, and red lines decorated her round cheeks, like animal coloring. The blond hair looked more like the mane of a wild but sophisticated beast. Her gradient purple eyes with scarlet irises widened slightly as she pressed herself against his neck, absorbing his scent with all her might, as if trying to completely fill her lungs with his essence.
"Or maybe you want to object?" she snarled, gently cupping his cock with her clawed palm and pressing it against the wet crotch of the blonde under it.
"You... Filthy mongrels!" the woman growled, spitting out each word venomously. "Don't even think about tarnishing me, you rootless mongrel!"
"What big words for a whore who enjoys humiliation~!" the goddess chuckled, slightly lifting the stuck fabric, allowing you to see how a sparkling stone flaunts between the folds of her meaty cheeks. "Fu-fu-fu~! With the key to your precious treasure trove stuck up your ass, you're not that powerful, are you?"
Bound by golden chains that suppressed her divine power, unable to use her treasures, she was completely helpless. Humiliated and defeated, reduced to the rank of a mere concubine who was forced to bow to her worst enemy, she was about to lose the last remnants of her dignity. He couldn't hold back any longer. His hips pushed forward, the head of his penis slid between his swollen labia, slightly entering, when suddenly...
"And what do you mongrels think you're doing?"
The stern voice, filled with royal authority, was like thunder. A divine force filled the room, tearing the fabrics from the windows and allowing the sun's rays to expose the debauchery inside to the world. Groans and irritated mutterings could be heard from all sides as the women began to rise, lazily trying to hide their modesty.
"Explain all of this... NOW!"
The walls, ceiling, floor–everything trembled from the overwhelming divine might emanating from the angry beauty, whose appearance was almost identical to that pitiful slave he was about to fuck. The same golden hair, the same scarlet eyes, and the royal aura. But unlike her twin sister, she was dressed in royal robes of red silk and a blue vest, and had a tiara of the same color on her head.
The True Queen.
Shirou Emiya froze with his standing cock, which rested on the crotch of the blonde under him. His mind cleared, and now, looking at the ferocious face of the Queen, he realized that he had screwed up. But, as if the situation couldn't get any worse, a sleepy grunt was heard next to him, turning into a startled exclamation.
"F-father?"
Oh, shit…
Now there was also a pair of emerald eyes looking at him, darkened by silent rage and shining with a sinister golden color. The petite female knight unsheathed her sparkling blade and exchanged glances with the Queen, preparing to carry out her sentence.
"I guess you can't count on oyakodon, huh?" he smiled wryly, looking into the face of his death.
Those were his last words. The trigger that activated the final attack.
"EX…"
"Melammu…"
And how did it come to this?
"CALIBUR!/DINGIR!"
The golden light engulfed the entire world.
[BAD END #69: Revolt in the Harem]
Try again, silly Senpai~!
"Haa… Haa…"
Every breath was a struggle, as if his lungs were being squeezed tightly in a huge metal vice. His face was wet with sweat, mixed with a stream of blood flowing from a cut eyebrow. His vision was blurry and the shrill wail of the siren mixed with the red light illuminating the spacious dark room got on his nerves and was very disorienting.
"The intruder must be eliminated. Protocol: Shield-0745."
"I thought shields were for protection. You're not the most peaceful guy, aren't ya?"
The crude mockery was addressed to a humanoid figure of a dark purple color, with long thin limbs, whose fingers resembled more claws or curved daggers, capable of tearing anyone to shreds no worse than the most ferocious tiger. It was a puppet, or rather, a special type of automaton, which was designed to protect the [Workshop] of a mage from uninvited guests.
They weren't capable of performing any complex commands, but as they say, strength and beauty lie in simplicity. Thanks to high-quality materials and the handiwork of the alchemists from the Prague Abbey, these automatons were transformed into real death machines, possessing incredible durability and resistance to magical attacks.
Even the Enforcers of the Clock Tower would have problems with one of these automatons in close combat. And here there were dozens of them. One crazy hermit* mage from the Department of Creation, who had recently received the Seal Designation, was quite rich and had influential friends in the Abbey, thanks to which he was able to provide decent protection for his [Workshop].
Which was originally a nuclear power plant.
The idiot was already dead, and most of the employees he wanted to use as guinea pigs had probably already been freed by other Enforcers. So, he had no reason to be here. So why was he fighting this automaton now, instead of celebrating his victory? Well, the answer was obvious, actually.
That psycho had managed to start the process of melting one of the station's cores.
The explosion at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant and the tragedy at Fukushima shook the world, but not so much that humanity was ready to give up such an incredible source of energy. Those countries that promoted the green agenda eventually faced electricity shortages and rising prices, which led to the collapse of the industrial sector. This only further strengthened the opinion that the 'peaceful atom' is a very necessary and promising industry.
And, in general, it was. Unless, of course, you take into account all sorts of crazy villains who see it as a weapon and material for experiments. Shirou knew that the Enforcers were confident in their exceptional ability to survive the aftermath of a disaster. As long as a magus had enough magical energy, he could even live with a destroyed heart.
An incredible ability, but Shirou doubted that it would help much in the event of a nuclear explosion. These smug idiots didn't want to listen to his arguments and twirled their fingers at their temples. Freelancer was unlucky that this time he got descendants of noble families, and not the same fellow mercenaries or at least more down-to-earth mages from lower-ranking families.
Unlike the pompous peacocks seeking power through control of the Department of Policies and the Carillon Observatory, they at least had more empathy and common sense. Shirou had to go alone to the very center of the [Workshop] of the now deceased mage in order to try to somehow stabilize the core and prevent a nuclear disaster.
He wasn't a physicist with a sufficient level of knowledge, and all the instructions were for some reason written in Swahili, so Shirou's entire plan was to use [Reinforcement] until everything returned to normal. It was a universal spell that could strengthen the existence of an object by infusing it with magical energy, so the probability of success was pretty good. At least it was higher than the nuclear explosion option.
Obviously, it couldn't be that simple.
The bastard didn't skimp on protecting his domain, setting up all sorts of traps, bounded fields, automatic Mystic Codes and other nasty crap. As a result, Shirou, already exhausted from the previous battle, had to fight his way through all of this right to the reactor.
Before the automaton could move, the freelancer aimed his gun at it and fired several shots. The enhanced magic bullets should have at least caused significant damage, if not reduced the automaton to rubble. Shirou's mouth dropped open in shock as the bullets bounced off the automaton's body as if they were made of rubber.
"Crap!"
Freelancer barely managed to duck as the automaton's sharp, sickle-shaped arm sliced through the air. The automaton's special feature was that its body wasn't a single structure. The body parts were connected to each other by moving red spheres, allowing them to rotate freely around their own axis.
Shirou barely managed to put Bakuya in front of him, blocking a slashing vertical strike that should have cut him in half. The automaton's torso spun again, and freelancer had to somersault to the side to avoid the attack. The puppet's arms began to spin at an incredible speed, and the automaton swung them, sending two air slashes his way.
Shirou threw the gun aside, replacing it with a second sword, this one with a black blade with a red turtle shell pattern. The man felt a small surge of strength and confidence as he blocked the automaton's attack. When Kanshou and Bakuya were used together, they increased the magical and physical resistance of their owner*.
The automaton rushed at him, attacking without the slightest chance to catch breath. Due to its rotating joints, the attacks occurred at the most impossible angles, and no matter how good Shirou's defensive style was, he could barely protect himself. After all, he was exhausted. All of the accumulated fatigue and wounds from previous fights weakened him, to the point, when he could only hold back without any chance to counter.
Not even thirty seconds had passed before he was pinned against the wall. A knee strike knocked all the remaining air out of his lungs, along with breaking several ribs. Sparks flew as the sharp claws of the automaton slid along Bakuya's blade, piercing straight into his abdomen and tearing through his insides. Shirou gritted his teeth in pain, turning his head sharply to the side and dodging the attack that followed.
Avoiding fatal wounds to the heart and head was the best he could do in this situation. Without wasting a second, he counterattacked, aiming for the golden dot on the automaton's forehead. These puppets were very unpleasant opponents due to the fact that defeating them required destroying most of their body. Otherwise, they could continue to fight even if they lost their heads or several limbs.
Like golems, they had a [Magic Core] that powered them. But these automatons were different from the ones he had dealt with in the past. Searching for the [Magic Core] in the puppet's body was like trying to find a needle in a haystack. Even [Structural Analysis] wouldn't help him in this situation, as he had lost the sight in one eye due to the blood, and the other was completely focused on the puppet's deadly attacks.
His own [Od] supply was only enough for two or three [Projections], and the mana density in this area was so low that it would barely be enough for one [Reinforcement]*. And that's not even taking into account the fact that his breathing was completely disrupted due to his injuries. Shirou closed the distance between him and puppet, then threw his blades at it.
Crane wings (Spirit and technique), without opening (flawless and firm)
Freelancer jumped up, projecting another pair in his hands, feeling his magic circuits burning.
Spirit and technique (Strength), reaching the mountain (pierce the mountain)
The automaton parried the first pair, completely oblivious to the fact that the blades he threw instead of simply falling somewhere to the side described an arc in the air.
Spirit and technique (Sword), crossing the Yellow River (split the water)
Shirou launched his blades at the automaton in a jumping attack, as the first pair returned like boomerangs, slicing through the spheres connecting the legs to the pelvis. Freelancer delivered a back kick to the body, throwing the puppet away and simultaneously throwing the second pair at it.
Name (Fame), ending in a different heaven (reaching the imperial villa)
A third pair of blades appeared in his hands as Shirou pushed off the ground, rushing forward, raising the blades above his head in a swift finishing move.
Two rivals (We), sharing a life (cannot embrace heavens together)
The X-cross double slash, along with four other blades, tore the automaton's body into several pieces, destroying the magic core that served as its power source. It wasn't the most perfect version of his signature move, [Triple-Linked Crane Wings], but Shirou felt relieved that it was enough to secure victory, despite the lack of [Overedge] in the final blow.
However, he had no time to celebrate. Freelancer immediately rushed towards the reactor, but then his consciousness became clouded. Just a second and that was enough for him to clumsily slip in a pool of his own blood and fall face-first onto the floor. His body refused to move despite the fact that he had been in worse scrapes.
Shirou was sure that he was far from critically injured, so why couldn't he get back up now? The answer came to him instantly, as soon as he noticed the traces of purple drops in one of his wounds.
Poison.
"That… Fucking… Piece of… Junk!" Shirou croaked*.
He was going to screw up at the last moment. It couldn't end like this. Shirou forced his body to move with his willpower. He crawled awkwardly, like an earthworm, pathetic and helpless. A feeling of utter helplessness, fueled by disappointment and anger from failure, took over his glass heart.
When he learned the true identity of that guy, he refused to accept his existence. Now, in such a hopeless situation, he finally began to understand why that guy became who he was. Only a miracle could help him now, but any fool knows that miracles have a price.
Shirou understood his personality and internal contradictions well enough, and he had also learned from the sad example of Archer what awaited him on the other side. Was he willing to make the same mistake? It would never bring him peace, and he would ultimately fail to achieve victory anyway. Maybe he should stop right now?
The thought of accepting defeat had never seemed so appealing.
"Haa… Damn it… Maybe I shouldn't have agreed to this mission in the first place…" a dry laugh escaped his lips.
The only thing that separates a hero from a suicider is that he can choose his battles wisely and always knows his limits. What makes a hero a hero is his willingness to sacrifice himself for others. But isn't the death of a Hero who can potentially save even more people a tragedy? And here he was again faced with this dilemma.
When he was a teenager, beating up bad guys who bullied other students, everything was much simpler.
Shirou leaned against the steel railings, managing to sit up on his knees. Just a little more. He had just a little more to go. The core was a few meters away from him. But, as luck would have it, he no longer had the strength. All he could do was hang his head and curse his weakness, waiting for his inevitable death.
Freelancer was sure that Alaya would appear with her slave contract. The [Will of Humanity] had used him in its machinations before. Not directly, but through the people it controlled, to achieve the desired result and direct him along the right path. The embodiment of the [Will of Humanity] turned out to be a complete bitch. Who would have thought?
Shirou felt the atmosphere change. It must have been her. The world has lost its sounds and a veil of silence has descended. The man raised his head with difficulty, expecting to see the [Goddess of Humanity] in all her terrible splendor. He couldn't help but be interested in at least getting a glimpse of her. Just out of curiosity.
It wasn't Alaya.
In his memories, she appeared either in the form of a planetary model of the earth, or took the forms of various people from their lives, acquaintances and not. What Shirou saw now was different from what he expected to see.
[Congratulations! You have been chosen as the Protagonist by Moon Cell!]
It was a blue window floating in the air, resembling the interface of some kind of application with a welcome text. Something like this would look appropriate on the screen of some smartphone or billboard, but not in the middle of a mad mage's Workshop, which was originally a nuclear power plant.
It is unlikely that in the modern era there would be a person who wouldn't have heard about [Moon Cell], an alien quantum supercomputer that was created by an unknown race with the sole purpose of observing the Earth and recording it all. It turned [Moon Cell] into a kind of [Akashic Records].
Due to its effect on reality, [Moon Cell] was able to act as an autonomous Holy Grail with pseudo-self-awareness. Many mages who used to turn up their noses at technology changed their shoes in the air as soon as they realized that [The Root] was actually not as far away as they thought. It's only 384,401 kilometers. It's nothing compared to the distance to the center of the universe.
[Moon Cell] independently invited some people inside who could 'teach it something new'. A kind of exchange of experience. As for the mages, the supercomputer occasionally held its own [Holy Grail War] or other similar events. One scientist even created a VRMMORPG using the [Moon Cell] internal space.
Something about the Masters of Destiny online. Shirou wasn't particularly interested in this, although he also played a couple of times with his friends from El Melloi's class. Only later it turned out that death inside [Moon Cell] means death in the real world. They were lucky that they weren't stuck inside when the [Moon Holy Grail War] started. The other 10,000 people were less fortunate.
"Argh!"
His deplorable condition made itself felt. The poison had already spread through his body, making it impossible for him to move half of his limbs. His breathing became difficult, and he had to swallow air through his mouth just to keep from suffocating. Staying conscious was an impossible feat.
[If you agree to become the Protagonist, Moon Cell will resolve the crisis you are in. In exchange, you must become Moon Cell's Guardian and participate in the mission to save the World. Once you agree, there is no way to refuse.]
The text seemed vague, but he was able to understand the general meaning. It didn't sound like an offer to become a slave, but it wasn't worth expecting anything good from [Moon Cell] after all these deaths. And yet, it sounded much more poetic than the prospect of dying from poison and wounds in the next minute. His failure to neutralize the rector's core scared him far more than just dying in battle.
He had a chance to save people, whatever that meant. Shirou recalled that man's face, devoid of all life. The same hill, dotted with unmarked graves. Giving up right now was very easy. But…
Did he really give it his all? Does he really want this ending?
"Haaa… Fuck it… I'll deal with the consequences later..." Shirou croaked, pressing the 'OK' button on the floating window.
Even if he regrets this decision, it will be his own choice, dictated neither by the frightening prospect of becoming a soulless death machine, nor by rotten ideals.
He made this choice and he will follow his chosen path to the very end.
I can't go along with this.
Why?
A gruesome battle to the death is wrong.
And what are you going to do?
"I'm not going to fight. I forfeit my rights as Master."
What are you doing, idiot!? A pathetic coward, planning to run away with your tail between your legs the moment the prospect of getting your hands dirty appeared?
The priest takes my left arm.
Idiot, don't do this!
His fingers plunge into my arm.
Five fingers dig mercilessly inside my arm.
My entire body jerks from the pain.
I hear the sound of tearing flesh.
This wasn't my mind playing tricks.
Even if it was some sort of illusion, I can feel my arm being torn apart.
My arm is unscathed though.
It's as if his fingers became intangible and moved through my flesh.
You fucking retard, you don't know what you're doing!
The priest tells me that the operation was a success. I look down at my left hand.
There's not a single wound, yet I fell a bruising pain throbbing along the whole arm.
In exchange for that unpleasant feeling, the inscription on my hand changed shape.
Now I'm no longer a Master.
That's right, you're a dead man now.
I barely pay attention to what happens next. After a short conversation with Saber, I leave, wanting nothing more to do with the Grail War.
My thoughts are focused on how I'll go home, take a bath, and go to bed, forgetting about everything that happened that day.
Yeah, in the end you're a pathetic coward, capable of only hiding your head under the sand when your pink world collides with harsh reality. You make me sick.
What happened next was nothing surprising. Having voluntarily given up his Servant and lost his position as Master, Shirou Emiya was killed by Berserker.
The one who chooses shame over death, will die a shameful death. I'm not surprised it ended this way. A dream is worthless if you don't have the determination to make it happen.
[BAD END #1: FOREST OF NO RETURN]
With a silent scream, Shirou woke up. His mind hadn't yet had time to process anything, but his right hand was already reaching for his left, making sure it was in place. He filled his lungs with air as fast as he could, like a dead man trying to breathe before dying. Drops of cold sweat trickled down his temple as he searched for the remains of the long-since time-worn red tattoo that adorned the back of his hand, with a mad gleam in his eyes. When Shirou saw what he wanted, he calmed down. His breathing evened out, the veil of madness that had clouded his vision evaporated. Intelligence appeared in his copper-colored eyes.
Nightmares were always harbingers of bad omens, a rule he had learned well as a child. The horrific scene of the fiery catastrophe haunted him throughout his life, and only in rare moments of peace, when his bed was warmed by a woman dear to his heart, could he sleep normally without waking up at five-thirty in the morning. Still, he didn't try to escape these nightmares.
They reminded him that he was still alive.
After all, he wouldn't be able to see peace even after death.
"Haa…" Shirou sighed, finally coming to his senses completely.
The memories of the battle inside the nuclear reactor, as well as what followed, rushed into his head, hitting him like a hammer. His exhausted brain couldn't structure it all, so Shirou had to sort it out on his own.
As he tried to organize his thoughts, his gaze caught on the bandages that were tightly attached to his body like a second skin. He didn't see any traces of blood or poison, and they seemed very fresh to the touch. Shirou didn't know what happened after he lost consciousness, but it seemed that the nuclear reactor explosion disaster had been avoided.
He doubted that the other members of the Enforcers would come back for him, which begged the next question: who saved him and why? Shirou raised his head and looked around. His eyes widened in surprise and his mouth opened in an 'o' shape.
He was in a place that resembled a normal hospital. The soft feather bed beneath him felt so comfortable after the hard branches of the tree. There were several empty beds nearby, perfectly made, indicating that there had been no patients in this place for a long time and now he was the only one. There was no important equipment for life support, indicating that he was in a general regime ward, for patients whose condition was stable and required simple rest. The IV drip next to him, feeding him vitamins, was proof of this.
The writing on the posters and the stand was in English, which left doubts about where he was now. This was clearly not one of the Red Cross field hospitals, and the room itself was too clean and sterile. There was no medical staff, but a small dent in the soft seat of the empty doctor's chair indicated that someone had recently sat there. The desk itself, to his surprise, was in perfect order. This wasn't what you would normally expect, since doctors are often overwhelmed with a lot of paperwork.
Shirou's attention was drawn to the old-fashioned analog clock hanging by the entrance. The small hand pointed to 11, and the large one to 4. Apparently the doctor had decided to have an early lunch. Shirou decided to just wait until someone came, deciding to use the time to check the condition of his body and come up with an initial plan of action.
He threw off the blanket and moved his legs closer, touching his toes and checking their sensitivity. Then he bent his arms at the elbows, twisting them both in his direction and back. There was no pain. He seemed to be completely healthy and full of energy, which made him wonder: how long had he been unconscious? Suddenly, static appeared before his eyes and after a few seconds of headache, a floating window appeared out of nowhere in the air.
[System loading complete. All updates installed. Starting up. Please, wait a moment!]
Shirou blinked, then rubbed his eyes. The interface was still there. He placed his hand on his chin, remembering that he had seen a similar message shortly before he had passed out in that ill-fated nuclear reactor room. Under any other circumstances, he would have doubted his own sanity, but now he was completely calm. The world suddenly becoming a game wasn't the strangest thing he had ever seen. After thinking for a moment, he pressed the 'OK' button and the window disappeared, only to flash again, this time with a different size and different text.
[Enter activation command]
Recalling his experiences playing games, Shirou typed the word 'status' in English, poking at the keyboard that opened with his index finger. He then pressed the confirm button and saw a spinning circle, indicating the download and synchronization process. He waited for about a minute before it was finished and he was presented with what he guessed was the main menu.
[Alteration of Soul]
?
?
?
?
?
?
?
?
Well… He expected anything but to see only question marks in front of him. Above, apparently, was the name of the 'game', or at least the System itself. In the upper right corner, he noticed a small icon with a scroll, which was highlighted in yellow. Since he couldn't find any other information in the main menu, Shirou decided to press his finger on the icon in the hope that something would change. A new floating window appeared, covering the main menu.
[Quests, Events & System Messages]
This window will display information about main and side quests, ongoing events, and system messages that the Master should not ignore! I'm serious, you shouldn't do this, or it will end badly~
[Quests]
"New game Started I"
Unlock the first function of the Alteration of Soul system by doing special actions.
Completion conditions:
Unlock one function and thoroughly examine the available options.
Time limit: None.
Reward:
EXP 50
Free SP 3
Failure penalty: None.
[Events]
There are currently no active events. But they will definitely appear in the future, so be very careful~!
[System Messages]
"Fallen Hero"
You failed to complete the previous mission on your own, and were forced to rely on outside intervention. As punishment, penalties and negative effects will be imposed on you. Access to [Unlimited Blade Works] and some other System features has been temporarily blocked.
Shouldn't you have learned to rely only on yourself and not on manna from heaven? What a bad silly Hero wanabe~!
He chose to ignore the strangely familiar contents of the notifications for now, so Shirou's attention was drawn to the last message, as it contained the most important information to him. [Unlimited Blade Works] was the core of his magecraft. Without access to it, Shirou felt like a helpless lamb in a lion's den. He wondered what exactly those words meant: that he wouldn't be able to deploy UBW, or that he would be blocked from accessing his [Magic Circuits] and [Tracing]. If it was the latter, it didn't make sense. His entire value as a combat unit was reduced to a minimum.
Wait, doesn't everyone start at level 1 in the new game?
His eyes suddenly widened at the realization of that simple fact. Usually, players always started at level 1 and progress slowed after a while. It depended on the game and its genre, but on average, after level 30 and above, the amount of points needed to reach a new level increased many times, turning the leveling process into a grind. Suddenly, everything made sense now. Shirou could only hope that he could regain his fighting ability as soon as possible. If his entire initial power level was scattered between 100 levels, it would be a complete disaster.
He began to study the text carefully, and his eyes caught on the description of the [Quest]. It seemed that each [Quest] had unique parameters, from the conditions for completing it to the time intervals and penalties in case of failure. However, it was still unclear whether he had the ability to somehow refuse to complete the quest BEFORE accepting it and whether there was any penalty for doing so. It was also questionable whether he could refuse a quest once it had already been started. In some games, this was considered a failure, while in others there were no consequences.
He was also drawn to the words under the reward line. EXP was short for [Experience], which was the amount of experience points that were used in games to calculate [Levels]. As for [SP], he wasn't sure. It often referred to [Skill Points], which were used to level up skills, but there were also games where skills could only be upgraded up through frequent use. Most often, a hybrid system was used: some skills required active use to level up, while others could be easily improved with [Skill Points].
This made Shirou wonder: if his life was now subject to a level system, did that mean he could become stronger than he was before if he could suddenly restore his original strength before reaching the level cap? And was there even a cap?
Well, I'll figure that out later.
First, he needed to complete at least the first [Quest] and unlock the rest of the menu items. The wording of the conditions for doing so confused him. What was meant by these special actions? He had a rough idea in his head of what the rest of the menu items should be: a window with stats, skills, and inventory. But how the hell was he supposed to unlock all of that?
The answer came to him on its own.
The door to the room opened and a young woman who looked to be in her mid-twenties walked in.
She was beautiful.
Fluffy orange hair of a delicate peach color was gathered in a ponytail, tied with a purple elastic band. A long, tight-fitting green medical uniform with a silver clasp in the form of a strange diamond-shaped symbol emphasized the curves of her body. Her breasts bulged a little, but they weren't bulky–they fit her slender body well, standing out against her slender waist and rounded, full hips. There was also a white doctor's coat on top, which seemed to somehow connect with the rest of the uniform, like a special one-piece suit.
The woman held a small plate in her hands, on which was a piece of chocolate cake, with a teaspoon sticking out of it. The eyes of the supposed doctor or nurse widened in surprise when their gazes met. They stared at each other for a moment, the woman looking like a deer frozen in the headlights. Shirou's gaze was fixed on her chest, or rather, on the plastic card that served as identification. Only it turned out that there was no need for it.
Head of the Medical Department
LV: ?
Romani 'Roma' Archaman
A small floating window appeared directly above the woman's head, which contained a small amount of information about her. She didn't seem to notice it. The window moved with the woman as she walked to the table and put down a plate of cake, then headed in his direction. Her hair, tied in a ponytail, bounced, but every time Shirou thought they would touch that floating window, it lifted up.
"How long have you regained consciousness?" she asked softly in English.
"About twenty minutes ago."
"How are you feeling? Are there any body aches or hallucinations?"
The doctor's voice was filled with almost maternal warmth as her gloved hands touched his face and the doctor carefully began to examine him. There was a slight concern in the greenish eyes. She combed back his hair, examining his forehead and lightly ran her palms over his temples, after which she moved her face closer, checking the temperature in a rather bold and at the same time intimate way.
Their noses were almost touching and only a few centimeters separated their lips from each other. Shirou's brain shut down for a couple of seconds as he looked at her beautiful face, those pinkish inviting lips. His nose caught a faint scent of saffron and feminine perfume, she really smelled good, which he clearly did not expect, assuming a sterile smell of disinfectants. Shirou didn't blush like some innocent virgin, but he was still a little embarrassed. He wasn't one of those people who often got sick, so hospital visits were very rare, with only rare exceptions when it was necessary for preventive purposes at the insistence of the educational institution. Therefore, his experience of interacting with doctors was rather small.
Ordinary bandages and greenery didn't do a very good job with magic burns.
And it also confirmed that Shirou wasn't in a simple hospital, but in a place where, at least, they knew how to cure the poison created and enhanced with the help of magecraft. And yet, he wasn't particularly worried about it: if they wanted to harm him or take him apart for organs, he wouldn't even have time to regain consciousness. And the concern in the woman's... Romani's eyes, was genuine.
"It's okay, Miss Romani, I feel just fine," Shirou replied, then added. "My eyes are a little blurry, but otherwise everything is fine."
"Great, I'm glad to hear that," a slight smile appeared on the woman's face as she stepped back and, pulling a chair closer to his bedside, sat on it and began to write something down in what he assumed was a medical record. "To be honest, I'm surprised that you were able to heal from such terrible wounds so quickly. It's only been three days, and you're already as good as new. Do you have any healing factor?"
In the past, he would never have thought about keeping his mouth shut, but years he speand as a freelancer had made him adept at this kind of conversation. Shirou wasn't sure if Romani was a mage, he didn't feel any signs of magical energy, and his nose didn't itch*. However, Romani was still someone who knew, or at least was related to, Moonlight World, so he shouldn't have let his guard down.
"I'm not sure myself," he replied evasively, shrugging his shoulders.
"Most of the poison was removed from your body, but I would recommend that you check the mobility of your limbs and fine motor skills of your hands. If there are any problems, let me know immediately." if Romani realized that he wasn't telling her something, she didn't show it.
"I guess this is the moment when the interrogation of a prisoner begins."
"Unless you think bandages are shackles," Romani allowed herself a light laugh before setting the completed form to the corner of his bunk. "Why don't you introduce yourself first? I'd like to know the name of the person who appeared out of nowhere in a pool of blood."
"My name is Shirou. And, as you've probably already guessed, I'm a mage. To be more precise, a freelancer from the Clock Tower," he introduced himself, deciding not to mention his last name yet. "As for the answer to the second part of the question, the last thing I remember is fighting against the puppets of the hermit mage who was given the Seal Designation by the CarillonObservatory. I was in the middle of his [Workshop] and... Well, the mission didn't go smoothly. That's all I can say."
"I see. That explains the nature of your injuries. And yet... if you were somehow transported here with the help of magecraft, then it means that someone in this era managed to recreate the magic of instant displacement, while managing to bypass the Bounded Fields..." Romani muttered thoughtfully. "This is... Quite disturbing news."
Shirou didn't miss how strange her words about teleportation sounded, but the part about Bounded Fields caught his attention even more. He thought he was pretty well versed in this branch of magecraft, as he possessed [Unlimited Blade Works], Reality Marble, the apogee of what was considered possible in the theory of Bounded Fields. And yet, he couldn't sense anything at all. A bold thought crept into his head, could the Bounded Fields surrounding them be so large and dense that he, who was inside, couldn't even noticed it?
"May I know where we are?" he asked, interrupting Romani's thoughts.
"M? Oh, yes, of course. We are in a place called Finis Chaldea," Romani replied, clearly expecting this to tell him something. But seeing that he just raised an eyebrow, the woman was slightly taken aback. "An Organization to Ensure the Continuation of Human Order. The UN from Moonlight World. Ring any bells?"
Now that she clarified it, Shirou remembered that he had once heard of something like this. There were rumors about this that flows around the Department of Astromancy, saying that it had something to do with the ambitious project of the their Lord. But he didn't know much about this place, as he was more focused on more mundane things rather than the underhanded political games of the mages.
"I have a rough idea, but can you be more specific?"
It seemed that the purpose of the organization was revealed in its name, but that only raised more questions. Wasn't the preservation of the human species supposed to be handled by [Alaya] and her [Guardians]? To some extent, [Moon Cell] was also interested in this, because if humanity had died out, the lunar supercomputer would have lost its object of observation. Well, technically, [Moon Cell] was only watching the Earth, and people wanted to use power of [Moon Cell] for their selfish desires.… But something told Shirou that the supercomputer, like [Alaya], possessed a pseudo-will and the biggest fear of such deities was boredom.
"Chaldea was created by Lord Marisbury Animusphere under the auspices of the UN and with the approval of Atlas and the Clock Tower. It specializes in handling temporal anomalies and other existential threats to humanity. The headquarters is built 6000 meters above sea level with basement workshops in the snowy mountains of alpine tundra. The mountain range is hidden by an endless blizzard and the lingering scent of Mystery, further reinforced by a Bounded Field."
The amount of information and its contents were quite impressive, and it made Shirou wonder why he had heard so little about this place. Among all three major organizations of the Mage's Association, only the Atlas Alchemists were most interested in preserving humanity, firmly believing in the terrible prediction made by one of the previous heads, Zepia. Shirou would never have thought that someone from the Clock Tower would do something like that.
On the other hand, mages often resorted to Astrology and Astromancy to predict the future, so perhaps the Lord Animusphere saw something terrible in the future that made him create Chaldea. Alaya, of course, always intervened to ensure the survival of humanity, but her methods were often questionable, to put it mildly. He wouldn't be surprised if the weirdos from the Astromancy decided to rely solely on themselves, rather than relying on Alaya.
"I see," he nodded his head. "What are the intentions of the Chaldean leadership towards me?"
They will probably write him a check for medical care, and then the Clock Tower will send its representatives to interrogate him. However, to his surprise, Romani just shook her head, making it clear that the situation was a little different from what he thought.
"Chaldea is a strictly guarded facility, which can only be entered with the approval of the Director or his deputy. Unauthorized entry in any way is considered a threat to the organization's activities, so the internal security service immediately deals with the situation," the woman explained. "Fortunately, you were discovered by my pupil, so only two people know about your whereabouts here, not counting me. One of them is the Head of the Technical Department. If someone else had found you, you would have woken up in a holding cell."
Her words shocked Shirou. He was genuinely amazed that Romani had circumvented the rules by hiding his presence from her superiors, risking her own position and reputation. His years in the Clock Tower had taught him that many Moonlight World representatives were individuals with questionable moral codes. He knew that he was also a hypocrite and a liar, but the fact remained.
"Why did you do that?" he asked, and couldn't help but add. "Is this the Hippocratic oath?"
He felt like a jerk, but the sarcastic nature of that guy had become too entrenched in him over the years spent as a freelancer. He used to keep his opinions to himself, but lately he has noticed that it has become more difficult for him to keep his mouth shut and he is increasingly making pointed remarks. Well, at least he knew he was a jerk. The first step to fixing a problem is to accept it.
"You could say that," Romani smiled, not batting an eye at his banter. "When my pupil brought you in, bleeding profusely, reporting to my superiors was the last thing I thought about. At least I wanted to wait for you to regain consciousness."
"Thank you for your help, I'm in your debt. Shirou said, bowing his head in gratitude. "
"You can repay my debt by coming up with a good explanation that will convince the Director not to throw you in the camera," Romani teased him. "Olga Marie Asmleit Animusphere is the daughter of the previous head and she has a rather short temper."
A young lady from the noble mage family with a long, fancy name that would take him more than five seconds to pronounce? He already knew this was going to be a tough case.
"Oh, sounds like she's quite handful." he smiled crookedly.
"You could say that," the woman nodded her head, then got up from her chair and straightened the folds on her robe, and then went to her desk and picked up the key card, put it in the pocket of her doctor's coat. "I'll go find some clothes for you, and you should rest for now."
Shirou wanted to ask what happened to his clothes, but he bit his tongue, remembering that Romani had mentioned the Head of the Technical Department. It was probably this person who was currently studying his [Mystiс Code]. As Romani left the office, Shirou's gaze slid over her retreating figure. Through the fabric of the robe, he could see the outlines of her perky bubble butt and round thighs, which were rhythmically swaying.
The idea of a female doctor helping him recover from battle seemed quite hot, awakening old memories of his trip to the dentist many years ago*. He went for a dental checkup, only to find that the dentist is a smoking hot woman. And there he was, sitting on a chair and staring at her boobs. Shirou shifted his gaze and found a growing tent on his hospital pants.
"Haa… Calm down, buddy, she's already done a lot for us. Lusting her is beyond rude." he massaged his temples in irritation.
On the other hand, if Romani who changed clothes on his unconscious body… Well, it's become much more awkward now. The best thing he could do in a situation like this was to ignore the details and behave as usual.
[By performing a special action, you have unlocked a new System feature! "Bonds & Secret Gardens" is now available to you!]
Huh?
Suddenly, a new notification appeared in front of him, according to which he somehow opened a new option in the main menu. Shirou was at a loss. What exactly did he do to fulfill the condition? The only thing he thought about was that Romani was a pretty hot female doctor and...
Oh, that's how it is.
A light bulb went on over his head when he combined his not-so-decent thoughts, what he knew about games and, in fact, the System itself.
"Don't tell me it's eroge..." he muttered incredulously.
Eroge is a special genre of games with explicit erotic content, most often presented in the form of dating simulations. It's not like the system of social links was new, because in classic games, developers very often resorted to practice when the effectiveness of their partners' actions increased due to good relations with the Main Character. However, in eroge, all this was necessary only to bring the player to the H-scenes. The very essence of eroge was about sex.
"I will not rush to conclusions. I need more proof." Shirou started exploring the new option.
[Bonds]
It reflects your social connections and the degree of your relationships with the people around you. There are 10 Bond levels in total and you can get various rewards for achieving them. The limit of the maximum Bond level that you can currently achieve is determined by the current SG. The more often you interact with people, the faster you level up. After all, [Heroines] don't like socially awkward losers~! This can also lead to the generation of random events. For conquering a certain type of [Heroines] you will receive special rewards~!
Shirou sighed as his fears were confirmed. In games where the plot receded into the background or even the third plan, the key focus was the interactions between the characters. Depending on the player's actions, the party's composition could change, which also affected the course of the plot. If you don't have enough attachment points with a character, you're more likely to fail when trying to recruit them. This can even complicate the process of completing the game and even lead to [Bad End]. When it came to dating simulators and eroge, it really had far-reaching consequences.
[Secret Gardens]
These are the secret parts of a person's heart. They are meant to be discovered by others and then shared with them and accepted to strengthen the bond between the SG owner and the discoverer. In the case of [Master] and [Servant, this will improve the abilities of both. Weaknesses, secrets, and sinful pleasure are all things that a person wants to hide, but it's not necessarily something negative. Attempts to suppress or destroy SG will lead to devastating side effects, affecting the owner's personality! Be careful when you play with other people's hearts, mister~!
Shirou tilted his head in puzzlement. He had never encountered similar mechanics in a game before. If these were people's secret desires, then shouldn't they have done everything to hide them? Why force him to pick at their hearts? In his opinion, it didn't make sense at all. All people have their skeletons in the closet, and the worst thing he could do is drag them out against their will. He didn't need to be a psychologist to understand the inconsistency of the concept imposed on him.
But the further he read, the more his eyebrows shot up. Each person had an average of four [Secret Gardens]. All of them directly affected the maximum Bonds level that he could achieve with that particular person. By default, the limit was Bond Level 4. When he reached it, he had the opportunity to enter the first room of the [Secret Garden], where he had to confront the incarnate [Guardian] guarding the entrance to the human heart.
Shirou had to reveal the "secret" and defeat the [Guardian] in order to get the key to the [Secret Garden]. For this, he received various bonuses and rewards, more detailed information about the person, as well as a [Conquest Strategy], whatever that meant. In addition, the maximum level of communication that he could achieve was increased and communication points were gained faster. These trials awaited him at Levels 4, 6, 8, and 10 [Bonds Levels]. Shirou had never played dating sims before and had only a cursory understanding of them. In them, the player usually had to establish romantic relationships with the characters and reach various endings. But it all seemed much easier than fighting the [Guardian] and the other 'charms' of the [Secret Gardens].
Was this really a hint that in order to regain his abilities, he had to seduce women left and right? He had no problem picking up someone for a one-night stand, but there was a time and place for everything. Despite the ridiculous rumors circulating around the Clock Tower, he wasn't some horndog at all. On the other hand, he always took missions extremely seriously. Right now he was in potentially hostile territory, his strength was limited, and a screen loomed in front of his eyes, prompting him to take action.
"Sigh… Shirou muttered to himself, after which a small window suddenly appeared in front of him, the appearance of which was very different from the others. There was an image of a sakura petal in the center, and judging by the time scale, it was a loading screen. "What is that?"
[Ahem! Hi, hi~! Can you hear me?]
Shirou instinctively leaned back when a perky female voice came from the window, which for some reason sounded familiar.
Too familiar.
"Sakura?" he asked incredulously.
[The first thing you say is the name of some other woman? Geez, Senpai, is that really possible? You have absolutely no sense of tact!]
After these words, which sounded deliberately offended, the sound of static was heard, making Shirou wince. Finally, the static disappeared, and he saw the person he was talking to on the screen. The face of a beautiful girl in her teens appeared in front of him. He would never mistake that long purple hair tied with a red ribbon for anything else. However, instead of tenderness and affection, Shirou found on the girl's face only a devilish smile and mischief in her purple eyes.
"You're not Sakura."
[Well, of course, I'm not some kind of shy cutie who can only sigh heavily from unrequited love!] the fake Sakura declared pompously, with a certain degree of disdain in her voice.
Shirou frowned at her words. The manner of speech of this fake Sakura was quite strange. The image of sweet and polite Sakura overlaid on top of this cheeky girl and caused dissonance in his brain. He quickly ran through all sorts of ideas about the current situation in his head until he remembered what he was dealing with at all.
"You have something to do with [Moon Cell," Shirou made his guess. "You're either an NPC or some kind of Spiritron Hacker using Sakura's appearance."
[Wow, you're quite perceptive~!] there was mockery in her voice. [I'm glad my dear Senpai isn't a complete fool, otherwise it would be a problem~!]
Sakura trying to insult him was something out of a fantasy. Shirou could only blink his eyes in silence as this situation took him by surprise.
"Don't call me Senpai," he replied sharply.
[Oh my, are you offended by me?] the fake Sakura brought her finger to her mouth and tilted her head to the side, looking at him as if he was some kind of strange hamster with two heads. [Well, like it or not, Senpai is Senpai~!]
"How long are you going to talk this nonsense? Just explain yourself already." demanded Shirou.
[I am Mankind's Continuity AI, whose goal is to take care of people and ensure the preservation of Human Order. Charming and innocent kouhai with a devilish personality who leads his dear Senpai on the path of a Hero is the one and only... BB-chan!] fake Sakura smiled broadly, waving her arms at him. [Hmpf! Don't give me a standing ovation, dear viewers, being number one in saving humanity is my destiny~!]
He saw explosions of firecrackers appear around BB. Shirou looked on calmly as she bowed to the off-screen applause of non-existent viewers, as if she were performing in front of an audience on live television. This girl… She was definitely a fan of theatrical antics.
"That doesn't explain why you look like Sakura."
[Moon Cell often creates its own NPCs based on people from Earth. For some reason, the girl who was the prototype for my creation was chosen as the AI responsible for taking care of the health of not only the participants of Moon Grail Wars, but also of humanity as a whole] BB replied. [I don't know why Moon Cell decided that, but Sakura Matou is the best candidate for the role of kouhai's assistant. Hmpf! What nonsense! Who needs this old maiden when there's a charming BB-chan? I'm better than the prototype in every way! He-he, you think I'm pretty too, nee, Senpai~?]
"So… You're like that assistant paperclip that helps you figure out the System? Maybe I should call you Clippy? BB, huh… That doesn't sound very good."
It seemed like his words really hurt her, because BB froze and soon her face turned red in indignation as she puffed out her cheeks like a hamster, staring at him with a look like he just insulted the potato dishes at an Irish pub.
[Moou! How dare you, how dare you say such terrible things!] BB waved her hands furiously. [Comparing me, the apex of AI development, to some… Pathetic program written for computers that are so inferior compared to Moon Cell!]
"To be or not to be?"
[You know well that there is simply no answer to that question!]
"Hm, the original Sakura would have come up with something," he chuckled defiantly, crossing his arms over his chest. "And she could also cook top-notch Japanese cuisine and do housework. What can you do?"
[Fu-fu-fu~! You finally asked something normal~! Unlike that useless whiny girl, I can directly interfere with my Senpai's affairs, guiding him along the difficult and thorny path of a Hero!] BB proudly declared, pushing her chest forward. [I will help you, a silly and helpless Senpai, save this World from destruction with the power of AoS !]
Great. Now he would have to deal not only with [Moon Cell], but also with this weird version of Sakura from the Moon. She was a lunatic. Both literally and figuratively. His life was becoming more and more interesting with each passing moment. Shirou was about to ask BB a question, when suddenly the door opened and Romani walked in again.
"Sorry for the wait, I was wondering which size would suit you better. I brought both just in case." the woman said with a slight smile, holding a branded bag with the letter 'C' in each hand.
[Wow, here comes our first Heroine !]
Shirou turned his head sharply to the side in the direction of the window with BB, but she smirked as if nothing had happened, making it clear that only he could interact with her. He had to make a mental note to always look around, otherwise he would be taken for a madman who was talking to himself. If he tried to prove to Romani that he was talking to an imaginary kouhai, he would probably be sent to another, less respectable section of the medical wing. Shirou was about to thank Romani, when suddenly the world stopped, losing all color.
Huh?
More floating windows immediately appeared in front of him.
[A - "Could you help me change my clothes? My body is still weak."]
[B - "Thank you, now leave the room so I can change."]
[C - *Silently start undressing]
"What the hell is this?" Shirou turned to BB again, demanding an explanation.
[Param-pam-pam, time to raise the Flags~! Get to work, Senpai!]
I hate my life.
AN:
Ergm, long time no see? Well, something like that. After much thought, I finally decided to turn OneShot Eroge SinglePlayer into a full-fledged fic, which now has the title you see. Multiplayer is a reference to Neoshadows' work RWBY Multiplayer (which is sadly dead, as the author has moved on to other fandoms). Multiplayer also refers to the fact that Shirou should not level up by killing Monsters, but instead improve his bonds with people around him to get Power Up. This fits in with the paradigm that in CCC Nameless claims to be able to perfectly recreate a "Holy Sword" tier NP if he has the support of the original owner. I also wanted to release a new chapter of the Emiya x ProtoMerlin fic in DxD World on Friday, but since the divergence from the original occurs there, there is a scene that needs time for me to write, since, as I mentioned in AN Curse of Joy, this is not just a translation, but a full-fledged alternative version that will include the author's ideas that were cut.
1) I don't remember where I saw such a classification of mages, who are being chased by the Enforcers. Maybe it was mentioned somewhere in canon, or maybe it's fanon (Fake Dreams, for example), but I generally like this idea. Those with Seal Designation are divided into two categories: a hermit and a recluse (I think so). The ones are dangerous, since they violate the main rule of the Mages and their actions can lead to the disclosure of the Moonlight World, so they are immediately sent to the surgeons' table as guinea pigs. The latter are simply kept locked up under close supervision, allowing research to be carried out in anticipation of new discoveries.
2)There was a similar joke in one of my favorite childhood cartoons "The Replacements". In the episode, one of the characters pretended to know German and in a critical situation to stop a mechanism from collapsing, there were instructions in two languages: German and Swahili. When a guy is found who claims to know Swahili, MC calms down, but it turns out that he only knows how to speak, but not read.
3)The original rank of Kanshou&Bakuya (Projections) is C, but when both swords are used, they not only increase physical and magical resistance. This also causes the rank to increase. It is unknown how much the rank increases, but I assume they become B-rank. This would make sense, since Shirou, using Overedge, was able to tear apart Salter's body and armor, which was able to withstand attacks from Heracles with his A-rank STR.
Kanshou or Bakuya, when user holds only 1 sword is C-rank = Kanshou or Bakuya when user holds them together is B-rank = Kanshou or Bakuya when user use Broken Phantasm/Overedge is A-rank.
If we follow this logic, it would answer the question of how Archer took one of Heracles' lives with Crane Wings.
4)Mages are able to absorb Mana from the environment and use it for their Spells. In Nasuverse, Od is called a minor source, as it is the life energy of the person themselves. Mana is the raw magical energy of nature, which can be absorbed using special breathing techniques or Mystic Codes.
For example, in HF Route, Rin uses the Sword of Zelretch to absorb all of the mana in the Grail Cave, 1000 units, in one swing. Due to the sword's ability to manipulate parallel worlds, Rin pulls these 1000 units from a random cave each time. Therefore, in theory, a situation could arise where one Rin stole these 1000 units of mana from another Rin, so the robbed Rin ended up dying because she was unable to pull anything out of the cave.
This also tells us that even if a Mage has exhausted his own ME, if he has breathing techniques and enough Mana around him, he can recover.
In general, the numbers in Nasuverse sometimes contradict each other.
E rank of Magic is 300 units.
D rank = 600
C rank = 900
B rank Magic = 1200-1300, cuz Saber has the same amount under Shirou and her stat is B.
So A-rank would be 1500+-
Saber under Rin has A-rank Magic, but Shirou in UBW describes the magical energy emanating from her as "incredible".
Erghm, is the difference of a couple of hundred really that big?
Cuz the current Clock Tower record holder, Lord Trambellio, can release 2000 ME at a time, while Ciel (OG Tsuki) has a limit of 4000 and Ciel(Remake) is 5000.
5)This technique does have many variations, and even Nameless has different versions of it. This version, which Shirou has, is closer to Nameless than Emiya.
6)Shirou actually swears quite a lot and has a generally dirty mouth. Archer is even worse. In one of his lines in Unlimited Codes, he calls Rin a slut to her face because of how short her skirt is. It's just that the Mirron Moon version smoothed it all out, while the Remastered version does a good job of showing how his aggression increases with each sentence in his death scene from Lancer's spear. There's also another translation where all the characters swear, but it's pretty Cringe.
7)There is always confusion here and fanon overlaps with canon. SHIROU DOES NOT have some kind of magical sense of smell.
It's just the way his body reacts to a surge of magical energy.
If Shirou's nose itches, it means that his nose is just itchy, or there is magical energy floating in the air nearby
8)In Fate/Extra, Archer once tells Hakuno that he went to the dentist once and it was a woman with a cigarette in her mouth and big boobs. What did he do? He just sat there and stared at those gazongas. The dude is based as fuck.
Also some fun facts we learned about Emiya from FGO CBC 2025:
● Emiya is a well-known guru of romance, acknowledged even by Chaldea.
● Although he claims that his knowledge of the concept of love is rather mediocre, in reality, his personal life is filled with an excessive amount of romance, beautiful women, and the resulting problems.
● Even during his lifetime, Archer acquired a trait called the "Harbinger of Disasters through Women", a special kind of fate in which Emiya will always be drawn into love affairs with beautiful maidens, and due to which his skill in caring for women and insight reached the highest possible level.
● In the event that the Chaldea team needed help in restoring the love bonds between characters (a necessary condition for resolving the singularity), Emiya was one of the people Da Vinci herself asked for help, which turned out to be the best decision the team made.
● His advice based on his personal experiences with the opposite sex is very effective, causing Da Vinci to call Emiya the "Chaldean Don Juan":
"As expected of the Don Juan of Chaldea. The way you sum things up so well was very helpful, thank you."
● Emiya had previously received a similar comment back in the events of Fate/Extra CCC, where Hakuno also calls him Don Juan, however, the Nameless One prefers to compare himself to James Bond rather than the Spanish seducer.