There were many scenarios that I expected after I finally decided to take in Asia Argento for the moment after understanding her situation and clearing it with Zelretch. (The old man was rather ecstatic for some reason and even volunteered to repair the Ryuudou Temple to serve as the temporary home for the girl should my parents disagree about it, along with sending me an artifact that could act as a translator for the girl. Very suspicious. Why did he have such a thing handy in the first place?)
However, what I am seeing now is something that I definitely did not expect.
"Here, try this."
"Um, O-Ok."
Irisviel von Einzbern, my mother, hovered over Asia as if she were her own daughter and was trying to make her try my food, while Kiritsugu Emiya, my father, sat in a chair and stared hollowly into the sky, as if he were a war veteran going through PTSD.
Sella and Liz, on the other hand, had already joined Mom in spoiling Asia while the poor girl looked like she might break down any moment.
Honestly, I expected suspicion and rejection when I pitched the idea after learning about Asia's circumstances in the morning. (and wasn't that an ordeal? I thought someone had somehow figured out my identity and found my home when I felt the faint Holy Aura around Asia. I was ready to pull out Gae Bolg for god's sake.)
But I did not expect Mom to immediately adopt Asia after I explained her circumstances (curated version) and promptly designate the girl as my new 'sister'.
As for Issei, he fled like his life depended on it after he too became the victim of mom's codeling and dad's glares. (I may or may not be the cause of that since I told him a lot about Issei's activities last year, soon after entering Kuoh.)
Turning to my side, I spotted Illya sporting the same confused look that I probably had as well, trying to take in the whole situation. Although I may also have a look of pity.
After all, as the usual victim of mom's clinginess, Asia is not getting out of this for a few more hours yet.
But maybe this is what the girl needs right now.
After learning about her life upto this point, which were probably watered down a lot given the girl's low self-esteem, I can't help but feel very angry at the Church.
If they dare show their face in this city, I'll have to have a really good talk with them about treating people like objects or weapons.
That being said, the biggest problem right now is to try and make sure Asia does not out her involvement with the Supernatural, and by extention, bust my secret as well.
At least not until I take care of the Class Cards. Because if Zelretch's warnings are anything to go by, the upcoming fights are going to take a real mental toll on me.
I remember when I asked Zelretch how the Class Cards were even able to handle the full power of a Heroic Spirit like Vritra in the first place, even if it was Angra Mainyu who made them.
The answer I got was chilling to say the least.
Angra Mainyu was specifically picking Heroic Spirits who could harm my mentality. He was specifically choosing Heroic Spirits that my counterparts had close bonds with or had regrets about, just like how Counter Guardian EMIYA regretted what he was forced to do to Vritra and Ritsuka during the Indian Lostbelt. Or, he was picking up powerful Servants who might be able to kill me very quickly.
Whatever the case might be, it is clear that, somehow, the evil god was targeting me.
Why go to such lengths? Zelretch did not say, but I had a guess. A really dangerous one that would prove to be disastrous for everyone involved if I were right.
"Hey, Onii-chan. I don't think the food's going to last."
At Illya's whisper, I looked at the table, and sure enough, the food was disappearing at an alarming rate.
I always make more food than we require, just in case Illya, Sell, or Liz end up eating more than usual. But then, Dad and Mom suddenly showed up out of nowhere like they always do, which meant that those extra servings went to them.
Then, in the middle of our breakfast, Issei and Asia showed up, which led to this situation where Mom is feeding her like a mother.
'Definitely not enough food left for anyone. Good thing I was going to take the day off anyway.'
I turned to Illya.
"You going to school today?"
"Nope. Not going."
Illya's eyes gleamed with happiness and excitement as she stared at our parents. This is how it always is with us. Given how rarely they return home from their jobs, Illya and I usually take the day off to spend some time with them.
It also helps that today is the day when I need to prepare for the Assassin Card anyways so this works just fine.
With a smile, I got up and headed into the kitchen, ready to cook up some meals for my family.
Looks like, aside from Asia's issue, this is going to be a rather good day.
Kuoh river banks.
In the middle of the night, Shirou Emiya ran across rooftops to reach the river banks while using his Archer Card.
'Damn it. The excitement from the morning made me sleep in. Now I am late, well past midnight when my magical energy should be at its peak.'
Sighing to himself for this miscalculation, Shirou made his way to the riverside, where he had originally scouted out the location and found out that the Assassin Class Card was located there.
Once at the spot, he wasted no time and plunged his dagger straight into the ground, opening the rift to the Mirror World.
However, all of his preparations and expectations went out the window.
Because the moment he made it through, he took an Excalibur blast to his face.
Author Notes: Read 5 chapters ahead on Patreon: patreon.com/Ruijard1 Like ReplyReport Reactions:Lucas Mikkelsen, Delta, Kakulaze and 173 othersRuijardDec 30, 2025Add bookmarkView discussionThreadmarks Chapter 26 View contentRuijardKnow what you're doing yet?Dec 30, 2025Add bookmark#467Illya was having a good day.
In the morning, her mother and father had returned from their jobs, much to her and her brother's delight.
Then, they got a new member in the family in the form of Asia Argento, the girl that her brother picked up from somewhere.
And then, Rin and Luvia came back from their trip and decided to confront the Caster Class Card.
They even managed to eke out a victory thanks to Miyu's new attack, and Illya managed to properly befriend Miyu finally, after all those attempts.
Yes, the little girl was having a really good day.
However, all that happiness went down the drain just mere minutes after they defeated the Caster class card.
Rin sighed in relief, watching Illya float down from the sky while Miyu formed her platforms, descending from her position.
"I didn't think we'd have such a hard time on our second card. And there are still three more to go."
Once again, the twin-tailed girl sighed in exasperation.
"We really have a long road to go."
"Speaking of which..."
Rin turned to the sky with suspicion, one that her rival shared as well.
"We already retrieved the card, so isn't the dimensional breakdown a little slow...?"
Luvia nodded.
"Indeed. What does this even mean....?"
The girls did not get the chance to contemplate any further, as an explosion rocked the riverside, producing powerful gust winds that threw off Illya and Miyu.
"W-What's happening, Ruby!??"
"The worst development possible."
Ruby's fear and shock were quite evident in her tone, which shook Illya to her core, while Miyu was the first one to understand the implications.
"Is this even possible...?"
"Highly unlikely. Yet, it has happened anyway."
As the smoke cleared from the explosion, revealing the flames engulfing the area where Rin and Luvia once stood, the girls finally caught sight of their new enemy.
Dark energy swirled around her form as the evil blade in her hand radiated sheer power.
Black, jagged armor with crimson vein line patterns showed off her nature as a warrior, as a similarly shaped visor hid her cold gaze from the world.
With pale blond hair tied up into a bun and out of the way, the locks swinging in the wind, the warrior woman gave her full attention to the magical girls.
With each step of hers, the girls felt their hearts beat with terror.
"There is a second Class Card here."
Sapphire's words fell on deaf ears as the girls felt overwhelmed by the pure power radiating off the Saber Class Card's manifestation.
Ruby activated her magic and scanned for Rin and Luvia's life signs, and felt like sighing in relief when she felt their vitals beyond the veil of flames.
"Rin and Luvia are fine, but they seem to have taken severe injuries. Illya, Miyu, you two need to concentrate on the fight for now."
The girls nodded seriously at the Kaleidostick's words and took a stance, ready to fight, while also discussing the plan.
"I don't think we can fight that thing. We should find a way to grab Rin-san and Luvia-san and then retreat."
Illy mulled over Miyu's suggestion before asking softly.
"What about that red lance you used before?"
"The Lancer Card? I can't use it right now."
At Illya's confused glance, Sapphire decided to elaborate.
"Once a Class Card has been 'Included' in us, they become unusable for more than two days at least. This has to do with how 'far' our world is from the Throne of Heroes, coupled with the restrictions built into the cards, which push back against magical artifacts from using them, which my sister and I are classified as. Miyu-sama simply cannot access that power at the moment since she used it to practice yesterday with you."
Illya fell silent at those words, which Miyu took as her acknowledgement of the situation.
Taking a deep breath, Miyu concentrated back on the fight and thought.
'What would Onii-chan do in this situation?'
Thinking like this, she already arrived at an answer.
"I'll distract her. Illya, you circle her from the right, take Rin-san and Luvia-san, and then retreat back to the real world. Then, I'll follow after you."
The steel in her golden eyes stopped Illya from voicing out her protest, forcing her to agree with the dangerous plan.
"Are you two done planning?"
The girls jumped in terror as the sweet voice rang out in the clearing, forcing the girls to take a stance and look around.
Yet, the moment Illya spotted the source of the voice, she felt like the world fell away from beneath her feet.
"M-Mama....?"
The source of the voice was a woman who wore the face of Irisviel von Einzbern, wearing the ancient mystic code that was the treasure of the Einzberns. The Dress of Heaven.
However, this dress was different from its counterparts. Unlike the regular Dress of Heaven, this one felt tainted, as if something truly dark had latched onto its pristine white.
A clear sign of corruption from the mud of the holy grail.
And yet, the woman who should be under the corruption of the evil god still smiled serenely, staring with love, pity, and helplessness clear in her eyes.
"My precious Illya. To think I would see you like this once again. It is a shame that it did not happen under better circumstances."
Miyu and the Kaleidosticks could not help but feel like the world no longer made any sense as they stared at the familiar visage that they had seen just this morning.
The woman, who was most definitely a servant, smiled sadly and turned to the black-clad Saber servant.
"How nostaulgic eh? Saber? To think we would fight like this once again."
The Saber Class shade remained unresponsive, and it might just have been an illusion on the girl's part, but it somehow felt like Saber's stance softened slightly.
The unknown servant who wore Irisviel's face just smiled as mana swelled around her.
"Illya, Miyu. I suggest you two retreat from here if you don't want to fight. But if you do stay here, then I will assume you wish to fight us."
Miyu glanced at Illya, who looked like a complete wreck, unable to understand what was going on, and made a swift decision.
Grabbing the white-haired girl, Miyu dashed towards Rin and Luvia, intending on grabbing them as well.
However, a beam of pure darkness fell in her path, forcing her to stop.
"...Oh. How unfortunate. It would seem Saber has decided to take Rin and Luvia as her prey. Leave them here, and you may go."
Miyu gritted her teeth at those words.
"As if I would. Ruby, take Illya back-"
Suddenly, Miyu stiffened as a crushing pressure descended on her from Saber, who now stared coldly at a location nearby while Irisviel's sad gaze saddened even further.
Her whisper rang out in the clearing, clear as day, tinged with such despair and hope that it sent chills down Miyu's spine.
"...He is finally here."
Saber did not waste a single moment and charged up her tainted sword, releasing a beam of pure mana, while Sapphire suddenly felt something else the moment the Noble Phantasm was used.
"Miyu-sama! Someone else has entered the mirror world-"
"I am the bone of my sword!"
"Rho Aias!"
That familiar roar and that familiar magecraft made Miyu pause as dread and hope filled her very being.
The moment the petal shield was called into existence, the beam from the darkened blade met it head-on, making it loose a single petal before the beam dissipated.
Miyu and Illya felt like the world was spinning as they beheld the figure behind the shield.
Those crimson locks swaying in the wind, those golden eyes glaring ahead, that familiar face set in a determined expression.
It was a face they were all too familiar with.
This time, Illya really fainted from the stress while Miyu was on the verge of going catatonic.
Irisviel, on the other hand, simply smiled with a heartbroken expression, spotting the anger and despair behind Shirou's eyes.
"Hello, Shirou. We have been waiting a while for you to come get us."
I expected many things when I decided to fight the Assassin class card tonight.
I expected Angra Mainyu to call on a Heroic Spirit that I had a deep connection with. Like Jack the Ripper, the girl whom EMIYA took care of in Chaldea. Or Cleopatra, or one of the many Hassans that my counterpart had grown to care for as his comrades.
But I never expected this situation.
Staring at the woman who was the counterpart of my mother, my hands shook while my mind felt like it would break with anger and sadness.
Why was she, a Caster-class, here instead of the Assassin Card? Why did she have to be in the same place as the Saber Class Card from the Ainsworth deck?
Why did it have to be my mother that I had to kill to stop her?
Mother-no. Stop. She is not your mother.
Irisviel disappeared from behind Saber and appeared behind me. Her arms wrapped gently around me as her fingers caressed my cheek.
"Do not feel sad, Shirou. This is just the way things are. And, as Kiritsugu's son, you know what you need to do, right?"
I felt my heart break, hearing that pleading tone underneath her words. Her mind, which was still intact under Angra Mainyu's curse, thanks to a combination of her devotion to her family combining with the Divine Core of the Goddess that she has thanks to her status as the manifestation of the Grail.
'I need to free her from this suffering as quickly as possible.'
The moment I nodded, Irisviel disappeared and appeared behind Saber again.
"Good. That's how an Emiya is supposed to be. But I must warn you."
She smiled sadly as her mana rose to a new level, intertwining with Saber and elevating her own power to a whole new level.
"I will not make it easy, because I have no choice in this matter. My body will not listen to me, and I suspect, my companion will not either."
The moment her words fell, Saber shot forward, forcing me on the defensive.
I knew this version of her. Alters, as they are called in Chaldea, are tainted versions of the original versions and could be born due to various circumstances.
And yet, I could not help but feel saddened to see the glorious and chivalrous knight that many of my counterparts fell for reduced to this state.
The former King of Knights moved with precise and aggressive moves. Backed by her monstrous strength, it would be enough to easily kill most people and even servants with her swordsmanship alone.
But I am not most people.
I took a deep breath and took a stance that mirrored her own, much to her surprise, if the way her grip in that monstrosity of a sword tightened was anything to go by.
'No more hesitation. The only way to save them is to kill them.'
We moved as one, and our deadly dance began in earnest.
Miyu stood over Illya's unconscious form while Rin and Luvia tried to wrap their heads around what they were seeing, waking up just in time to see the duel begin in earnest.
"Just what is this....?
"How is Shero going toe-to-toe with that monster like this?"
Miyu ignored the two teenagers as they tended to Illya while staring with awe at Shirou Emiya, who was fighting Saber on equal footing.
No, it would be wrong to say that they were on equal footing.
It was true that they felt like mirrors of each other. Their every move mimicking the other. Every sweep of the sword countered perfectly, and every dodge was taken advantage of.
Move for move, it looked like Saber was fighting a mirror.
Yet, Miyu could see the underlying truth due to her experience and knowledge.
Shirou Emiya was using Reinforcement and an unknown form of energy to keep up with the monstrous power and pace of the Saber Card.
This meant that he was rapidly burning through his magical energy and that unknown energy, just to keep up with Saber's speed and power.
Every strike, every sweep, every exchange of blows, reduced Shirou's odds of survival by a sizable chunk.
In truth, Miyu was wondering how he had not burned out of magical energy yet.
Simply speaking, their fight looked equal. But underneath, there was no doubt that Shirou Emiya would lose this war of attrition.
Her heart ached with every bruise or cut that formed on Shirou's body under the assault, as his image overlapped with that of her own brother, her own version of Shirou Emiya.
"Sapphire, we need to help. We can't leave everything to him."
"I am ready, Miyu-sama."
Luvia stood up as well, exchanging an understanding nod with Rin, who continued tending to Illya.
"I'll help you, Miyu. We need to make sure that harlot doesn't kill my Shero."
Miyu's lips twitched at Luvia's words, but she let it go since this was not the time to think about such things.
"Do you have a plan?"
"i was going to use the same move as I did against Caster."
"It won't work."
Luvia refuted Miyu's plan instantly.
"The Grandmaster told us that the Saber Class Card is especially resistant to magic of all kinds, so that kind of concentrated mana blast will not work against her."
"Then, what do we do?"
Luvia smiled confidently as she pulled out a few jewels.
"Its simple. I'll trap her with a seiðr and try to strip her of whatever resistance she has. Meanwhile, you provide support fire to take some pressure off of Shero since he seems to be the only one capable of handling that spirit."
Miyu nodded and took to the skies again as Luvia threw her jewels into the air, where they formed a large magic circle.
However, the moment the magic circle took effect, its restraining and suppressing effect was negated effortlessly by Irisviel, who gave her an amused look.
"Runecraft? And such an advanced form at that? You seem well-trained. Too bad it will not-"
"Oi! Idiot Rin! Give me some backup!!"
"Don't call me an idiot, you bimbo!"
Despite their bickering, Rin wasted no time in throwing her own rubies into the magic circle, feeling her heart bleed with every lost jewel since she was not rich like Luvia.
The moment Rin's jewels, which had Rin's own magic circles engraved onto them through Jewel magic, made contact with Luvias seiðr runic circle, the spell's power quadrupled instantly.
The two servants felt the pressure instantly as the spell forced them to slow down while also playing around with their perception and innate abilities, trying to disrupt Saber's magic resistance.
Yet, it was all for nothing as Irisveil finally took the girls seriously and pushed her mana out, disabling the spell instantly.
"Like I was saying. This level of magecraft will not work on Saber or on me, who was taught by the Einzbern."
Suddenly, Irisviel's head snapped forward, watching with an alarmed look as Saber's sword darkened like the night itself and her mana flooded the area.
The source of the servant's anger?
It was the sword in Shirou's hand.
Its golden guard accented with royal blue, shone with light, while the fairy letters on it read a sentence that many had long since forgotten.
"Do you remember this? Saber? The sword that started everything?"
Shirou's soft words rang out in the clearing as Saber gritted her teeth in rage, her mana flooding her sword, which was already at the peak of her swing.
Shirou knew that there was no use speaking to Saber. Yet, he could not bring himself to kill her before at least trying to remind her of what she once stood for. The person she once was. The person that many versions of him had fallen in love with.
[Whosoe'er pulleth out this sword of this stone is the rightwise king of all England.]
"Do you remember these words? Or have you forgotten why you became a king in the first place?"
Saber Alter did not reply, only swinging her sword forward.
"Excalibur Morgan!"
Shirou could have used that moment to swing his own sword, stopping the darkness in its tracks without question.
Yet, he did not.
Because there was something else within his very soul that wished to manifest. Its anguish at seeing its wielder's king reduced to this state resonating across his reality marble.
So great was its pain that it overshadowed the anger and betrayal that many weapons within his reality marble exhibited at the visage of the Tyrant he faced at this moment.
So, he let go of his control and let it manifest.
A tower shield. One carved from the very Round Table that Saber once gathered around with her knights.
Its grey and gold colorings reflecting the light in this mirror dimension, giving it a regal aura.
Without hesitation, Shirou called its name.
"Lord Camelot."
The Castle of Distant Ideals manifested around Shirou, its ethereal walls that embodied Saber and her knights' very ideals and hopes clashing against the rage of the Tainted Tyrant.
Excalibur Morgan's beam did not let up for many minutes, bolstered by Saber's Magic Core and Irisviel's own magical energy.
Yet, the Walls of Camelot would not relent, for they were as pure as the Perfect Knight, the Knight of Heaven, who once wielded it.
Saber, true name, Artoria Pendragon, knew this fact. How could she not know when Galahad was one of her own knights?
She knew, even in her current state, that the very fact that Shirou could manifest Lord Camelot meant that the Noble Phantasm had approved of its usage by Shirou, that it had acknowledged the justice and truth that Shirou fought for.
Finally, her blast sputtered out, giving Shirou the opening he had been waiting for.
Dashing forward, Shirou spoke with determination as the sword in his hand shone, once again showing its acknowledgement of the young man.
"Sword of Selection, Grant me your power!"
"Cleave the wicked!"
"Caliburn!!"
It was a swift blow, one that would catch many a heroic spirit off guard. But she was not just any heroic spirit. Combined with her training and instincts, she could easily dodge it.
Yet, her pride would not allow it.
Because she, too, has acknowledged this man's courage and determination
It was a fair victory, and she would not rob that of him even in such a reduced state.
The beam of pure energy struck the tainted Saber, piercing straight through her core and ending her fight.
For a moment, there was only silence on the battlefield, as everyone watched the Saber class card float in front of Shirou.
Finally, after gathering himself together, Shirou turned towards Irisviel.
"...Will you return to the throne now?"
Irisviel smiled sadly.
"You should know the answer to that, Shirou. I cannot do that, because that decision is not in my hands. Besides, did I not tell you?"
"My companion will not make it that easy."
Chills shot down Shirou's spine at those words, just in time for his enhanced senses to pick up words that made his heart shatter.
"Time Alter: Double Accel"
The sound of a gunshot rang out across the clearing, one that made Shirou react instantly and shoot towards the girls, protecting them behind Lord Camalot, knowing exactly what kind of man he was dealing with.
And true to his expectation, the bullet bounced off Shirou's shield, the trajectory of which would have drilled through Luvia's brain if Shirou were any slower.
The shooter revealed his presence.
His face was hidden behind bandages and a crimson hood, with only a few strands of his white hair visible.
Grey armor covered his torso over his black body suit and the many utility belts he had around his waist.
His gun, the one that he just used, a Calico M950, still smoking from the muzzle, was aimed straight at the humans.
The Assassin Class Card.
The moment he appeared, he shot towards Irisviel and stood in front of her. With a combat knife in one hand and his Calico in the other, acting like a knight when he should be an assassin.
Irisviel placed her palm on Assassin's shoulder, smiling sadly.
"Come, Shirou. It will not be easy, but is it not your duty to release your parents from this tortured existence?"
"....Why? Why is he going so far...? Why does he want to break me so much?"
Assassin's words came out in the dead tone that Shirou expected, but stung nonetheless.
"You should know that by now, Shirou. Or at least, you should have an idea, yes? I would at least expect you to think about it after all this time."
Kiritsugu Emiya, or as he should be called now, Counter Guardian EMIYA, spoke to the young man who was his son in many different timelines. One who was the source of his pride and his anguish after learning about the other Counter Guardian EMIYA in Chaldea and his life.
Meanwhile, Rin, Luvia, and the Kaleidostics only had one thought running through their minds.
'Just what the hell is up with this family?'
Within the mirror world housing the Class Cards, it was a scene of absolute chaos.
A storm of steel, barrages of condensed mana, and charged beams of magic clashing against steel and lead.
Shirou Emiya stormed a version of his father, the Counter Guardian EMIYA. Kanshou and Bakuya exploiting every opening and every opportunity to kill him instantly by shattering his Spiritual Core.
Yet, the Counter Guardian would not make it that easy.
Kiritsugu dashed all over the battlefield, avoiding Shirou's Sword Barrel and maintaining distance from Shirou, enough to escape his melee attacks.
He also used his agility to easily avoid the barrages of magical attacks from Rin and Luvia, who tried their utmost to help by wielding the kaleidosticks, even though all they managed to achieve was to become more obvious targets or distract Kirtisugu enough for Shirou to get a few hits in.
But what little damage that Shirou did manage to inflict on EMIYA, Irisviel's Noble Phantasm would heal instantly.
Shirou knew that the only sure-fire way to end Kiritsugu was to destroy his Spiritual Core in a single hit, something that he could do with ease if he used some of his more powerful weapons within his reality marble.
However, the moment Kiritsugu sensed Shirou's activation of his aria, he would instantly target Miyu, who was a non-combatant at the moment, and the now awake but still catatonic Illya, forcing Shirou to switch to a shield instead and protect the girls with Rin and Luvia covering his back.
In essence, Kiritsugu was using the girls as hostages, forcing Shirou to rely solely on his sword barrel and swordplay to fight Kiritsugu and Rin, and Luvia from even dreaming of taking the girls and escaping.
If what Kiritsugu fired were regular bullets or even those enhanced with mana, Shirou would not have worried that much. He would have simply put Rin and Luvia in charge of protecting the girls with the barriers that their Kaleidostics produced.
Given what he had seen so far, those barriers were definitely strong enough to easily tank most attacks.
However, he knew Kiritsugu better than anyone and knew what kind of dangerous arsenal he held with him.
His ruthlessness in battle meant that he would go to any lengths to win. Even going so far as to use the bullets as a distraction and then stabbing the girls with his Noble Phantasm, the Phantasm Punishment.
Given that the girls, except Miyu, don't have any magic circuits or crets and instead rely on this world's magic system, one that Shirou knew only general knowledge about since he did not have much time to delve deeply into it, there was no telling what that Noble Phantasm that is based on Kiritsugu's origin bullets would do to the girls.
He feared that not even the Kaleidosticks would be able to handle Kiritsugu's Noble Phantasm.
That is why he could not risk any of the girls being targeted by Kiritsugu.
"Time Alter: Triple Accel"
Dodging another barrage of bullets from Kiritsugu, Shirou activated his own counter.
"Sword Barrel: Full open!"
Several swords shot forward, intending to skewer Kiritsugu, but failed as the man used his agility to evade the attack.
Once again, Father and Son were left at an impasse as a momentary lull fell upon the battlefield while Luvia and Rin floated in the air and watched Kiritsugu's every move with caution, while also trying to think of a way to take out Irisviel from the equation, something that Kiritsugu would not allow.
'Damn it! I can't bring out any powerful Noble Phantasm with Kiritsugu always interfering and targeting the girls. What now?'
Kirtisugu did not give Shirou the time to think as he once again open fired with his Calico, forcing Shirou to keep moving, while Rin and Luvia reacted instantly and rained down beams of magic, forcing Kiritsugu to keep moving as well.
Trutfully speaking, with his install, Shirou should be on equal grounds with Kiritsugu in most ways except for agility, where Kiritsugu outpaced him, and Shirou having the advantage in magical energy reserves compared to Kiritsugu.
Yet, that difference in agility was forcing Shirou, Rin, and Luvia into a no-win scenario where they were forced to concede ground with every clash.
'Ok. Let's try it one more time.'
"Trace On-"
The instant Shirou started his aria, Kiritsugu fired at the girls, forcing Shirou to stop and cover the girls with a set of shields which were instantly reinforced by Rin and Luvia through their magic, barely protecting the younger girls from magically enhanced bullets.
Once again, the deadlock began, while the children watched helplessly.
'We are practically dead weight.'
Miyu watched with a lost expression as Shirou, Rin, and Luvia clashed with Kiritsugu Emiya, the man that she once called a father, even if that man never saw her as a child and only saw her as a tool.
Miyu liked to think that this Servant that they were facing was probably the endpoint of the man that her father was. A man who probably never knew love, unlike his counterpart from this world, who had a loving family.
Watching this world's version of her brother go through the same fighting patterns and stances as her own brother, her heart felt like it would shatter all over again.
Once again, Shirou Emiya was fighting to protect his loved ones, pushing himself beyond the limit.
And once again, she was rendered helpless, watching with her hands tied as the kind boy was forced to sacrifice everything all over again for his family.
Gritting her teeth, Miyu reached into her pocket, taking out the Lancer Class Card.
Fear and unwillingness clashed against her determination, forcing her to hesitate on what to do.
While she did not know much about the Class Cards, she did know how to properly use them thanks to her situation.
After all, it was thanks to a Class Card that her brother was able to win the Holy Grail War and save her from the Ainsworth, and then wished to send her away to a different world.
But, she was afraid. Afraid of what kind of being inhabits this Class Card. Afraid that, if she used it, the Ainsworth will somehow track her down again and cause trouble for her friends.
She felt afraid that, once again, her happiness would be stolen from her by the Ainsworth should she install the Class Card.
"...We have to help them."
The whisper from beside her caught Miyu's attention, making her focus on Illya, who stared ahead with a blank look.
Miyu had no words to describe how haunted and broken Illya looked at that moment. But she knew the truth in those words.
"How do we help them?"
And yet, despite knowing the truth in Illya's words, Miyu hesitated. Unable to answer.
Then, she saw it.
While Kiritsugu was firing at Luvia and Rin, in a split second, he replaced his gun with a different one.
Miyu never knew the names of her father's weapons, but her brother always taught her that the weapon he now held, the one called the Thomson Contender, was a truly dangerous weapon.
Her eyes widened, just like Shirou's when he noticed.
"Watch out/Look out!"
Both of them shouted at once, yet it was too late.
A bullet different from everyone that they had seen so far was fired from the Thompson.
Knowing exactly what it was, Shirou did not hesitate to jump in front of Luvia, who was the target of the bullet, since she was distracted by drawing up some runes to trap Kiritsugu.
The Origin Bullet. A weapon that holds the concept of severing and binding, based on Kiritsugu's own Origin and made from his own ribs, pierced through Shirou's skin and was stopped in its tracks by Shirou's sword armor beneath his skin.
And yet, despite being stopped, the conceptual weapon caused immense pain to the teenager as his Reality Marble clashed with the conceptual weapon designed specifically to target the magic circuits of the target.
His screams of pain were chilling to say the least.
"Shero!/Emiya-kun!"
Rin and Luvia caught the boy and retreated towards Miyu and Illya while creating a multilayered barrier around themselves.
The sight was enough to squash any fear that Miyu may have held up to this point, as a new kind of fear and desperation overrode her previous hesitation.
The fear of seeing her friends in this world die as she watched helplessly.
Taking a deep breath, Miyu spoke with determination.
"Illya, I will go and help. You stay here and-"
"No."
The steel in Illya's words made Miyu stare at her with surprise. Illya, in turn, gave Miyu a determined look.
"I will help. Tell me what to do."
"But-"
"Miyu. Please."
She saw it. The same desperation that she felt.
Miyu saw the fear and anger in Illya's eyes. The fear of losing her brother and friends, and anger at the man who wore her father's face for doing it in the first place.
Faced with such an expression, all Miyu could do was nod.
"Ok. Do as I do."
Taking the Lancer Class Card, Miyu placed it on the ground and spoke the words that she had seen the Ainsworth woman back home speak when she was their prisoner.
"Install: Lancer"
She felt a rush as power surged through her tiny body.
Knowledge, skills, and understanding of how to use what she now held in her hands flooded her mind.
Her school uniform was instantly replaced by a blue body suite and the familiar crimson lance landed in her hands.
While installing the Ainsworth Class Card would not give her the memories of the Heroic Spirit within, not even their real names, this was still adequate in her opinion.
Because now, she had the power to fight.
Seeing her friend's actions, Illya mimicked her.
"Install: Archer"
Instantly, Illya felt power rush through her just like Miyu.
Yet, something went wrong.
Because when the transformation was complete, it was not Illyasviel von Einzbern, the bubbly and self-conscious but kind girl that Miyu had come to call her friend.
No. This was not that Illya.
This was someone who held a world of infinite swords. A barren world of smog, ash, and rusted gears.
Seeing those emotionless golden eyes, Miyu felt a chill go down her spine. As if she had unleashed something that she never should have.
Yet, deep down, from the very core of her Class Card, Miyu felt something different.
A raw excitement not her own. Like a hound that just saw its most favoured toy.
'Now is not the time for this.'
Taking a deep breath, Miyu focused back on reality.
"Are you ready? Illya?"
"Hm. Let's go."
As one, the two girls shot forward.
Author Notes: Read 5 chapters ahead on Patreon: patreon.com/Ruijard1Last edited: Wednesday at 4:26 PM Like ReplyReport Reactions:Lucas Mikkelsen, Delta, Kakulaze and 191 othersRuijardWednesday at 10:50 AMAdd bookmarkView discussionThreadmarks Chapter 28 New View contentRuijardKnow what you're doing yet?Thursday at 10:12 AMNewAdd bookmark#511Pain.
All I felt was pain beyond explanation as my Reality Marble clashed with Kiritsugu's Origin Bullet, along with something else.
A world of infinite swords resisting the power of severing and binding, along with another alien reality within me, And I was caught in between the three.
Kiritsugu's Origin Bullets were created from his very ribs in his life, using his dual Origin of Severing and Binding as the base.
For most Magi, this bullet would first sever their Magical Circuits and then bind them haphazardly, completely ruining their futures as Magi. In the case of Family Crests, it was even worse as these bullets would destroy entire legacies.
This was one of the main reasons why Kiritsugu, in many realities, is feared as the Magus Killer. Because he literally kills the Magus's future completely and utterly.
The bigger problem right now, however, is that I am not facing regular Kiritsugu. I am facing his servant version.
A servant version who has a far deadlier version of the Origin Bullet in the form of a Noble Phantasm that he hasn't even unleashed yet throughout this fight.
"W-What is happening to him?"
"I-I don't know! I've never seen or even heard of anything like this!"
Luvia and Rin stared with disturbed and worried expressions as swords started to jut out of my body. A result of my reality marble going all out in rejecting the Origin bullet's power.
However, the pain of swords poking out of my body is far more manageable compared to the pain I felt in the depths of my very soul.
Kiritsugu's Origin Bullet is a conceptual weapon designed to attack the magic circuits of a magus, which exist within the very soul of a human.
But my soul is currently not empty.
Aside from housing my reality marble, my soul is also home to the Class Card, which houses my servant self.
That is where the problem is coming from.
Counter Guardian EMIYA's reality marble, which usually remains dormant within the Class Card due to my deliberate suppression, is now fully unleashed within my body due to the disruption of spiritrons within my soul caused by the origin bullet.
The result is a clash between my reality marble, EMIYA's reality marble, and the origin bullet's power.
My body and my soul have been literally turned into a conceptual battlefield.
A green glow washed over me as Rin and Luvia tried to use some kind of magic, probably a healing spell, based on what I could feel. But I knew it would be a futile effort.
A larger shard of a sword punched through my shoulder, spraying blood all over their bodies, much to their horror.
"W-Why is it not working??"
"The Grandmaster! We need to contact him-"
"How!? We are stuck in this mirror world until we kill that Supernatural Killer look-alike!"
Despite my senses being focused within myself to observe the damage and try to mitigate it as much as I can, I still heard and saw everything around me just fine.
That is why I saw something that made my blood run cold.
An explosion rang out in the area, forcing the girls to look towards the fight going on a little distance from us.
Miyu was wearing clothes similar to Cu Chulainn, the Lancer Servant, which meant that she had used Install on her Class Card.
She bobbed and weaved through Kiritsugu's attacks with ease, and retaliated with swift strikes that put Kiritsugu on the backfoot, forcing him to use us as hostages by shooting at us.
But Illya would not allow it.
I felt my heart skip a beat as Rho Aias, a version of it with only five petals, manifested in front of Rin, Luvia, and I, stopping the bullets.
'No.'
Those emotionless golden eyes that reminded me too much of my servant counterpart simply glanced at us and returned to fighting. Kanshou and Bakuya gracefully danced through the air while she took full advantage of her shorter stature.
'No!'
With machine-like precision, she projected low-ranking Noble Phantasms, turned them broken, and threw them with extreme force towards Kiritsugu, causing explosions after explosions.
But Kirtisugu would not go down that easily.
"Time to use my Trump Card"
I felt it, the surge in his mana as Irisviel flooded him with all her power, using her own Noble Phantasm, The Song of the Grail.
Kiritsugu was going to use his Noble Phantasm, and I could only watch helplessly.
"Chronos Rose."
Kirtisugu's Innate Time Control magecraft manifests as a Noble Phantasm. That is what Chronos Rose is.
In a single instant, he disappeared and reappeared in his place, as if nothing happened.
However, in the next instant, countless bullets peppered Miyu and Illya, getting past their innate magic resistance and damaging them severely.
Miyu could no longer stand as she bled from several bullet wounds, while Illya simply stood her ground, despite sporting similar bullet wounds, the only saving grace being that she activated Rho Aias partially during the attack, saving both of them from fatal wounds.
For a split second, I saw my vision warp, and a scene from my nightmares manifested.
Blood everywhere, a stone giant held back by chains, a laughing King of Heroes.
And the cooling corpse of my sister beneath his feet.
'NO!'
"W-Wha...?"
"....Is he even human?"
I ignored the girls' words and stood up straight.
My blood pooling at my feet, boiling the very ground I stand on since my Blood is Fire.
EMIYA's reality marble wants to rebel against me? Fine. I will devour it whole. Because My Body is Steel.
I took out my dagger and plunged it straight into my heart.
"EMIYA-KUN/SHERO!!"
I ignored the girls and focused inwards.
I guided the Kaleidoscopic energies within the dagger and forcefully connected it to my magic circuits, and by extension, my very soul.
Kiritsugu's origin bullets contain the concept of severing and binding. So, what if I use it to my advantage?
Instead of bolstering my reality marble to supress EMIYA's power and the bullet's power, I did something else entirely.
I pushed the power into the concept of severance and binding using the dagger as the conceptual medium.
I 'Severed' the concept that defined the power within the Class Card as 'Borrowed'. I severed the concept that says that the power I draw from the Class Card's servant is 'External'.
Then, I 'Bound' the concept of mana, the 'vessel' of the Servant, the Ghost Liner, into myself. I bound the blueprint upon which the Servant's power courses through their body, their version of magic circuits, into my own magic circuits.
I severed EMIYA's ego and reality marble. Returning his Ego to the throne through the loss of his spirit core, and isolating his reality marble within the card.
As for said spirit core that I separated and hollowed out? I merged it with my own soul.
My ego and reality marble replacing the hollowed-out portion within the core.
With the change done, I removed the dagger from my chest, while the swords that were piercing my body slowly retreated back into my reality marble.
Then, with a thought, the Install came undone.
Yet, nothing changed.
The moment the Archer Card flew out of my body, it immediately started to destabilize, now that the true power of the servant within had been removed, and only a copy of EMIYA's ego and reality marble remained trapped within.
Dark energies surged through the card before it erupted in a shower of swords, like a fragmentation grenade, and exploded outwards. The Reality Marble isolated within it through Kiritsugu's Severance and Binding exploding outwards with the loss of EMIYA's power.
What remained of the Card turned into ether and dissipated into the air.
Thus, the Archer Class Card that started me on this path in the first place came to an end.
But this is not the end of my journey.
My skin, now permanently tanned throughout. My hair, now stark white. A complete reflection of my potential future self.
In essence, I am now an incarnated servant. EMIYA's full power at my fingertips.
Mana surged around me as my body now directly drew in the world's power without the need to convert it into magical energy.
A golden staff manifested in my hand, not even needing me to use my aria, thanks to my new power.
Instantly, healing energies erupted from the staff and enveloped the girls and I, healing their wounds and my own easily.
While it was nowhere near the true power of the staff, it would do for now.
Kiritsugu must have felt the change within me, as he and Irisviel were staring at me with wide eyes.
Taking advantage of their distraction, I moved with my full power.
I knew, despite the boost I've now gained to my baseline, I am still nowhere near as fast as Kiritsugu.
That is why the element of surprise is essential.
Moving through the battlefield, I discreetly placed the Staff of Asclepius, the same one I used before, beside Illya and Miyu to heal them.
Then, I rushed Kiritsugu.
You want to kill my sister? Then, I'll show you what happens when someone tries to harm my family.
Heracles's axe-sword materialized in my hand, my enhanced body now able to handle its full power without the need for the class card.
Kiritsugu must have realized that he is now in danger since he abandoned his Calico and instead took hold of his Thompson.
But it is already too late.
"Nine Lives Blade Works"
The technique that was originally developed by Heracles to defeat the Lernaean Hydra, adapted into a technique for close combat.
Replicating Berserkers' full power, I struck with the technique that could bring down such a legendary monster.
Upper Arm.
The strike went clean, cutting through Kiritsugu's right arm, severing it completely.
Collarbone.
Kiritsugu tried to dodge, but at this moment, his agility meant nothing when faced with Berserker's godlike swiftness.
The axe-sword cleaved through his collarbone, crushing his torso, deforming it into a grotesque form.
Windpipe.
The pain never stopped Kiritsugu, showing his resilience.
"Song of the Grail!"
Irisviel unleashed her Noble Phantasm's full name, indicating that she, too, was going all out.
Once again, he tried to dodge while Irisviel worked on healing the damage being done to him, barely saving himself from being beheaded, but the axe-sword still managed to crush a part of his neck.
Temple.
This time, he was far too weak to do anything but close his eyes and accept his fate.
For a brief moment, I saw a proud smile on his face before the axe-sword finally crushed him with overwhelming might, reducing him into a mess of flesh and bone that rapidly faded into the ether.
With only four of the nine strikes, I took down the enemy.
Irisviel smiled sadly as tears flowed down her face. Yet, she still held a proud look.
She spread her arms open, a wordless gesture that I understood.
Without hesitation, I plunged the axe-sword through her torso, making her disperse as well.
'It is finally done.'
By this point, I would normally be exhausted beyond recognition, yet I felt nothing.
Dismissing the sword and looking at my hands, which now reflected the worst version of myself, I could not help but smile wryly.
'I guess, we can never truly escape our fate, huh?'
I picked up the class cards and put them away in the dagger's storage, finally gathering the courage to look the girls in the eye.
Rin and Luvia were tending to Illya and Miyu, who had released their Install by this point. The wounds on their bodies had healed with the staff.
Yet, despite their exhaustion, I saw the fear and anger in Illya's eyes, just as well as I saw the naked hope in Miyu's own gaze. I also saw the suspicion and worry in Rin and Luvia's gaze.
Seeing their gazes, I could not help but smile wryly again and unconsciously scratch my cheek.
"....So, fancy meeting you all here, huh?"
"...Emiya-kun. You have a lot to explain."
'....Looks like this is going to be a long night.'
Shirou's new look:
Author Notes: I know what some of you guys will think and say that this kind of merging method is not canon to both series, and you would be right. This is an AU, so I decided to change a few small details here and there to give Shirou a good upgrade path.
Read 5 chapters ahead on Patreon: patreon.com/Ruijard1
Ps: Happy new year to everyone!Last edited: Thursday at 12:08 PM Like ReplyReport Reactions:Lucas Mikkelsen, MatMuraGarcia, Kakulaze and 233 othersRuijardThursday at 10:12 AMNewAdd bookmarkView discussionThreadmarks Chapter 29 New View contentRuijardKnow what you're doing yet?Friday at 10:57 AMNewAdd bookmark#624I placed the tea cups in front of Rin, Luvia, Miyu, and Illya before sitting at the table in the reconstructed Ryuudou temple, my training grounds.
I had expected this talk for a long time now. I even prepared myself for the eventuality that, one day, I would be exposed to the girls.
But this is not how I expected it to happen.
I did not expect such a coincidence where both the Ainsworth cards and Angra Mainyu cards would exist in the same Mirror World.
And yet, here we are.
Rin sighed and took the tea, sipping it to calm herself while Luvia continued staring at me with a strange look and a blush on her face.
....Now that I think about it, Rin also has a similar blush on her face. What's the deal with them? Why are they embarrassed like that?
Surprisingly, it was Miyu who spoke up first.
Hesitating for a bit, she spoke up softly.
"Do you....know about....?"
"The Ainsworth? Yes. And, I know what you are thinking as well. Unfortunately, I am not him."
I smiled gently at the girl who looked rather down at my words before patting her on the head.
"However, I do know of him and you, thanks to the Class Card. And, if you want, I can try asking Zelretch to bring him here."
I made sure not to use words like 'world' or 'brother' or anything else that would clearly inform the others of what we were speaking of.
Miyu's secrets are her own, and the choice to share them is hers alone. Even though I know her situation and her brother is my counterpart, I have no right to make those choices for her.
Her downcast expressions turned a bit brighter at my promise to talk to Zelretch, but the others did not seem to like the vague way we spoke.
"Shero? How do you even know the Grandmaster? And why do you have class cards as well? Can you explain what exactly is going on?"
"Yeah! Starting with why you never told us you were involved with the supernatural!!"
Luvia's calm professionalism and Rin's frantic worry reminded me of the many lives that my counterparts led with them as their partners.
No matter the universe, these two never truly change.
With a sigh, I decided to come clean. At least, as much as I could without destroying their minds with multiversal theories, Kaleidoscopic existences, and far more complicated subjects.
"Well, just like you, I too am tasked with retrieving the Class Cards from Kuoh by Zelretch. As for how I know him, did you two seriously forget who my father is?"
That shut the girls up as they started to make theories of their own in their minds, just like I wanted.
When I first learned that Kiritsugu was still a boogeyman in this world, just like his other incarnations, except on a much grander scale, I really did not know what to do with that information.
Or the fact that his organization is called Dead Apostles. A name that nearly made my instincts flare with fight or flight response before I read up on them in the books that Zelretch gave me.
Somehow, it feels like this one is most definitely Zelretch's fault since there is no way that naming is just a coincidence.
Rin shook her head and turned to me seriously.
"Emiya-Kun, I saw the Class Card that you used back there, or what it was before you somehow destroyed it. That was the Archer Class Card, yes?"
I nodded my head, knowing where she was going with this.
"That should be impossible, because we have the Archer Class Card."
I took out the dagger and accessed the storage space, taking out the Class Cards and placing them on the table.
"Look at them and tell me what you see."
Rin and Luvia took out the Saber and Caster cards they had while Miyu handed over her own Lancer card, placing them against Angra Mainyu's Lancer, Assassin, and Caster cards.
The Ainsworth cards had bronze backgrounds and golden accents, with the figure depicted in them looking regal and noble.
However, the Angra Mainyu cards had a crimson hue to the background with silver accents and a rather sinister tint to the figures depicted on them.
Not to mention how my cards felt a bit more dangerous than the Ainsworth cards.
"This...how?"
"Another set...? But this doesn't feel artificial."
Rin nodded at Luvia's words.
"This thing, it feels more like a sacred gear than a simple artifact like the ones we have. As if they were not made by human hands."
I nodded at the girl's deduction. As expected of the most talented magi in many realities that I've seen.
"As you can see, the cards I collect are different than the ones you were tasked to collect. That is why I chose not to tell you girls about my awareness of the supernatural. Because I felt this method of us doing our own thing separately was far more efficient."
I will not deny that I felt a bit guilty when their eyes flashed with a hurt look when I spoke about efficiency and keeping them in the dark about me. But it does not matter anymore.
Not to mention how they, too, hid things from me. In fact, the only reason I tolerate all of this in the first place is that I care about them.
The girls fell silent as they contemplated my words before Rin finally spoke up again.
"But, why did the Grandmaster not tell us about this?'
"Because I asked him not to say anything, as I said, I wanted to make this as efficient as possible-"
"Why?"
Illya's soft question silenced me completely as a suffocating tension built up between us.
"Why did you do something like this? Why are you doing something so dangerous on your own?"
"Why didn't you tell me anything about it?"
"I thought you would not keep any secrets from me?"
I scooted over a little bit and hugged her gently.
"Illya. Let me ask you something. Do you really think I was not aware of Ruby's existence from the very moment it floated into your life?"
That made her stiffen a little bit in my arms, while said Kaleidostick somehow managed to give me a shocked look even without a face.
'Must be somekind of emotion transmission magecraft.'
"I could see her from the very day it chose to follow you around. And, I also know about what kind of things you were doing with it."
"....How long?"
I smiled wryly at her question.
"That night, at Kuoh High's track. Where you met up with Rin, behind my back."
I gave a light, playful glare at Rin at those words, making the teenager sweat buckets while Luvia grinned at her rival's discomfort.
Illya's hold on me tightened a bit as she refused to meet my eyes.
"I...I did not mean to hide it from you-"
"I know, Illya. I know that you did not mean to hide anything from me, but did so anyway because you thought it was the right thing to do. Because you did not want to worry me, Sella, Liz, mom and Dad."
"And, I trusted your judgement. That is why I did not expose you, even though I felt very worried about the things you were doing."
I felt my smile become something worse.
"After all, I know better than anyone the weight of secrets and the failures of not being able to trust anyone."
I took a deep breath and spoke seriously.
"That is why I want you to trust me. Trust me when I say that I had very good reasons to keep this secret. Even now, there are many things that you do not know about me, about our family. And, I hope you will never find out about these secrets in your lifetime."
"Because some things are better left forgotten."
Illya remained silent at my words as the eveyrone looke at us with a strange look.
However, the tension in the room was destroyed instantly when the door was flung open with force.
"Wow! When did you find the time to hire people and fix up the temple, Shishou-geh!"
"Issei-san! You shouldn't barge into someone's place without announcing yourself-Oh my!"
Issei Hyoudou, the idiotic, perveted Sacred Gear wielder, stared with a stupefied expression on his face at the scene he stumbled into while Asia, who probably followed him here after I texted him to meet me, stared at the scene with a curious look.
Issei looked at Rin and Luvia, glacing at their bodies for a bit, (which really dissapointed me, but hey, at least he is not focusing solely on them and is instead taking in the area, so at least my training is working) then looking at Miyu and Illya who was still clinging to me, before finally looking me in the eye.
"....Shishou, you do know it is a crime to go after minors, right? Also, what happened to your hair and skin tone?"
He shut up instantly when multiple copies of a certain shinai materialized behind me.
"You were saying?"
"...Nothing."
"...Emiya-kun, who is this?"
Issei brightened up at Rin's question before blatantly materializing his sacred gear.
"Issei Hyoudou, second-year student at Kuoh High and student of Shishou! Oh, also, the wielder of Boosted Gear. Say something, partner!"
"....You are a real idiot, you know that, right? Who just shows their Sacred Gear without even considering if the person in front of them is aware of the supernatural."
I felt a creepy smile form on my face while a vein throbbed on my forehead.
"Good point, Ddraig. I guess we will have to beat that stupidity out of him, huh?"
"....Mercy?"
The only response the boy got was the widening of my grin.
As for Asia, she was already seeking refuge behind a bewildered Luvia who was still trying to understand what the hell was going on, just like Rin.
'Really, when will my life stop throwing curve balls to my face like this?'