When Shirou went to that world, Ethan had deliberately synchronized the time there with his own. So while Shirou trained, only a year passed for Ethan as well.
The results were obvious. Shirou had grown taller than before, and though his increase in strength wasn't immediately apparent, he now carried an indescribable aura.
"He's more like Emiya now."
It was a presence that only came from experiencing real life-and-death battles. However, compared to Emiya's bloody aura, forged by walking over mountains of corpses and killing countless enemies himself, Shirou didn't have such a heavy killing intent. He felt more like a man who had gone through many trials and matured as a result.
"He looks good."
"Shirou went through a lot of battles this past year. He's definitely grown."
Artoria, who had trained with Shirou, witnessed his growth firsthand and was qualified to speak on the matter.
"Want to give it a try?"
They stood on a grassy area not far from the coast. The terrain was flat, and the wooden cabin leading to Artemis was nearby.
This spot had become a favorite gathering place. Over time, it had turned into a fixed camp with fire pits, barbecue areas, and even simple comforts like lounge chairs, wooden stools and tables, and makeshift tents.
Everyone found a place to sit, though their attention remained fixed on Ethan.
"How should we try?"
Ethan looked around. He had originally planned to have Rin spar with Shirou. She had received training from both him and Scáthach, was an excellent magus, and had also undergone combat training from Kirei. She would have been perfect to test Shirou's progress.
Unfortunately, Rin had taken a potion that turned her into a little girl and hadn't returned to her original age yet. While her magic power and physical strength weren't affected, her short limbs put her at a disadvantage in battle. And although Rin had a well-balanced figure, her height wasn't much to begin with. She hadn't even reached 1.6 meters before taking the potion.
If Ethan remembered correctly, her height never changed after that...
Getting a bit sidetracked, Ethan pulled his gaze back from Rin and finally settled on Scáthach.
"Why me?"
"Don't you like teaching others?"
"Teaching only involves moving my mouth. I don't feel like moving today."
"..."
Scáthach lay there lazily sunbathing, completely ignoring the conversation.
Looking around, no one else seemed interested either. Maria Hill and O'Connell had just returned from special forces missions and a series of battles. Though they'd been dominating members of Cobra and other special forces, that didn't mean they wanted to fight again. None of them were battle maniacs.
Logan also showed no interest in sparring. He was too lazy to move if he didn't have to.
"Forget it. I'll do it myself."
Ethan stood in front of Shirou and gently stretched his neck and wrists. Seeing Ethan warm up, Shirou gave a wry smile.
He didn't refuse, even though he knew the outcome would likely be a one-sided defeat.
"Don't worry. I won't use offensive spells or control magic."
Ethan wanted to gauge Shirou's current strength. If he just knocked him out with a single spell or immobilized him, he wouldn't be able to see anything meaningful.
"I'll only use close combat."
Shirou wasn't particularly comforted by that. He knew how strong Ethan's close combat abilities were. He had taken plenty of beatings from him in the past.
Still, he understood this spar was to showcase the results of his training. Winning or losing didn't matter.
"Then I'm coming."
Shirou slightly spread his legs and opened his arms, activating his most proficient Projection magic. At this point, it could no longer be called simple magecraft. A pair of longswords appeared in his hands.
"Huh?"
It wasn't the familiar pair of twin swords. That surprised Ethan.
In that moment, Shirou had already closed the distance. While using Projection magic, he also cast Reinforcement magic on himself, greatly boosting his speed and strength. The power he now displayed was close to that of a Servant in the Holy Grail War.
As the longsword cleaved toward him, Ethan shifted slightly to avoid the slash. Then, with a swing of his left hand, a golden sword appeared in his grasp, blocking the immediate follow-up attack.
"Oh?"
Compared to the wild swings he had used before, Shirou's attacks had clearly evolved. He had learned the proper techniques for twin sword combat.
Even though they were still basic movements, thanks to Emiya's rich combat experience and his own year of fighting, Shirou had completely internalized them and could now use them freely in battle.
Blocking one sword didn't mean the attack was over. Shirou launched a flurry of strikes. Moreover, he wasn't limited to close combat. He would create distance and switch to a bow and arrow when appropriate.
Shirou also switched to long spears when needed. His Projection magic had become increasingly refined, as though he had an endless arsenal. The transitions between weapons were smooth and suited to the flow of combat.
Ethan didn't launch any real attacks at first. He mainly defended and parried, occasionally countering. He wanted to observe just how much Shirou had improved.
No matter what weapon Shirou used, Ethan always held the same golden Sword of Libra.
After letting Shirou attack for five minutes, Ethan finally began to strike back. The golden sword in his hand became two. After forcing Shirou to retreat, his weapons shifted into long spears. A sudden thrust nearly pierced Shirou's stomach.
Though they knew it was only a spar and that Ethan could easily heal any injury, the onlookers were still startled.
Just as Shirou narrowly dodged the thrust, Ethan noticed that during the dodge, Shirou had connected the hilts of the twin swords in his hands. As he spun, his magical energy surged violently, and the longsword glowed with dazzling light and intense heat.
"Twin Flame Slash!"
As he twisted his body and swung his sword, Shirou's movement from dodging, to connecting the swords, to releasing the attack was seamless. It looked more like a casual swing than an ultimate move.
As for calling out the name, Ethan, being a mage himself, naturally understood. Chanting could help focus one's mind and adjust the flow of magical energy. Shirou's ability to unleash such a powerful attack fluidly was already impressive. Calling out the name helped align his mind and magic.
The red-and-white flaming blade slashed toward Ethan. At such close range, if the opponent had been someone like Rin, she wouldn't have had time to react.
But the one facing it was Ethan. There was no such concern. He even had time to consider how much damage this move might do to the island and the boundaries of the space.
In an instant, he concluded that the space wouldn't be harmed, but if the blade swept through, it would definitely leave an unsightly trench on the island.
To protect the environment and preserve the beauty of nature, Ethan decided to take the move head-on.
To him, this level of energy posed no threat. Standing still and taking the hit would at most leave a bit of dust on him.
He extended his hand and caught the blazing, sharp energy, using his magic to compress the power and prevent it from escaping.
As the 'long blade' compressed into a sphere, the white-hot energy ball with red edges became even more intense. Unfortunately, it still couldn't harm Ethan, not even so much as a single hair. Eventually, it dissipated in his palm.
"Looks like you worked hard this past year."
Ethan could tell Shirou had exhausted most of his magical energy. Constant use of Projection, Reinforcement, and finally replicating and unleashing such a powerful attack... His performance had been very satisfying.
What stood out wasn't just his weapon-switching or the way he adapted in battle. For Ethan, Shirou's greatest progress was breaking free from the constraints of just swords. What he could Project was no longer limited to mere weapons.
"Truly worthy of Uchiha... Shirou..."
That Twin Flame Slash had been replicated through Projection magic, just like a weapon.
"However, its power is still far from the original."
Shirou had only depleted most of his magic and stamina and hadn't been injured. After a short rest, he was fine apart from the sweat on his forehead.
"Of course, with your current ability, to fully unleash that move, you'd need to be able to Project that set of armor."
Ethan paused, then asked a question he had been curious about.
"Can you Project those sets of armor?"
(To be continued.)