[Author's note]
Well guys, I decide to update this story once per month along with my other side stories.
Chapter 1: A calm beginning
(Unknown's point of view)
When I came to it, I was in a white room.
I squint my eyes at the light.
…
There were many children around me.
All of them were covered in bandages.
Am I in a hospital?
Suddenly, two men entered the room.
One of them was wearing white garb.
I assume that he is a doctor.
The other man is wearing black overcoat and looked extremely unkempt.
He seemed like a guy with no future…
"Morning', Shirou-kun..." The newcomer in overcoat greeted me.
I nod.
How did he know my name?
"I'll go straight to the point. Which would you prefer? Go to an orphanage or being adopted by a stranger?"
…
That's a rather tough choice…
…
I point my finger at him.
"Really…? That's great! I'll get your stuff."
He begun to collect my clothes and tried to fit them into a small bag.
And he ended up making a huge mess.
"Before I forget, I had an important thing to tell you."
He turned towards me with serious tone.
"I'm a magus."
/***scene break***/
(Shirou's point of view)
I'm dreaming...
I squint my eyes at the light.
"Didn't this just happened?" I thought about the déjà vu.
I sit up straight to get a clear view of my surroundings.
…
I'm still in my shed…
"Hmm, that was to be expected."
Suddenly, the door to my shed is opened.
A girl with long black hair and blue eyes enters my storehouse.
"Ah senpai, you're awake already." She says while smiling to me.
"Sakura..." I recognize the girl right away.
She's my childhood friend.
I already knew her before the fire broke out.
I thought I lost everything back at the fire.
Luckily, Sakura was living far from the incident.
Ever since my adoption, Sakura has been a regular visitor to the Emiya Residence.
Kiritsugu was very welcoming to Sakura.
"Good morning senpai, did you have a nice dream?"
"Well, I supposed so… I dream about Kiritsugu."
She nods to show her affirmation.
"Anyway, breakfast is ready. Fujimura-sensei will arrive in a few minutes."
"Is that so? I'm sorry that I didn't help much. I slept in just now."
She giggles a little before giving me a very radiant smile.
"It's okay senpai. It's not every day you slept in." She says while smiling.
[Heart thumping]
…
[THUD]
?
Suddenly, we heard a loud 'thud' sound from the house.
I could guess what happened already.
Both of us come out from the shed to see the source of the sound.
I see a woman in yellow shirt with black stripe pattern collapsed on the floor in my dining room.
"What is it now Fuji-nee?" I say tiredly to the woman.
The woman flinches a little from my comment.
She crawls on four towards me.
"That's mean Shirou! Here I am fallen to the floor and you didn't even bother to help."
I could only shrug at her claim.
"Well, if the victim were someone else, I would be obliged to help but…" I pause mid sentence.
"Since the one that fell was a little too energetic of a woman, I'll pass," I add the finishing blow.
"Shirou, you Meanie…!" She cries comically.
Sakura just giggles at our antics.
To tell the truth, I wasn't trying to be mean or anything.
But Fuji-nee is a different case...
Seeing her falling…to be exact…was common occurrences.
The last time I tried to help, she painted my face with watercolor.
Sorry Fuji-nee, I won't fell for the same trap twice.
"Let's have some breakfast before we all be late to school." I declare simply to ignore the still crying Fuji-nee (obviously faking it).
[Air draft]
All of a sudden, the brunette woman disappears from my sight.
…
Right now, she's sitting in front of the dining table, waiting eagerly for breakfast to be served.
"Fuji-nee…?"
"Come on Shirou! What's for breakfast today?" She asks eagerly.
[Sigh]
"That was quick."
/~after breakfast, on the way to school~/
"Seriously that woman, can't she act like a grown-up for once?"
Sakura just giggles at my reaction.
"I know her for more than ten years and she's still with her childish behavior. Last time I checked, she's 23 this year."
Sakura giggles again.
Well, she's been listening to complains for years now.
"I'm sorry Sakura. It must have bored you. I mean, I've been doing this for a long time."
She shakes her head.
"Not at all senpai… It makes me happy instead,"
?
I am confused by her statement.
Why would it make her happy instead?
"And why is that?" I decide to ask her.
She smiles giddily.
"Because it makes me feel like a part of your family," She answers with a hint of loneliness.
Tohsaka Sakura, her full name.
I haven't forgotten.
She's been living alone inside that huge mansion of hers up the hill.
Her mother passed away 2 years before Kiritsugu's passing.
And she was alone since then.
She has a guardian but that guy was some kind of ass?
Her guardian, Kotomine Kirei, was some sort of priest.
Though, Sakura herself resent the guy by nicknaming him fake priest.
Somehow, that name suits him.
I meant; what kind of priest has that kind of smirk?
It's creepy now that I thought of it.
"Sakura, you're already part of my family," I gently state the fact.
I wasn't lying.
I already consider her as part of my family.
?
For some reason, Sakura's face is a bit red.
We were walking our way to school.
…
We're the centre of attention again…
I can't blame them though.
Here I am walking to school with the most popular freshman in the school.
For the first two months, I was uneasy with all the attention I get.
Gradually, I became oblivious toward their glares.
Well, that's because I got used to it.
Many people asked me about my relationship with Sakura.
I simply answered that she is my childhood friend.
Some of them would just yell 'NO!' for no reason.
I fail to see the logic here.
Why would they yell for something as trivial like that?
Was I missing something?
Anyway, we have reached the school.
Huh?
There is a crowd in front of the school gate.
I wonder what was causing it.
/~in front of the gate~/
"What's with the commotion?"
Sakura simply shakes her head.
Suddenly, a bespectacled boy approaches us.
I recognize that boy as Ryuudou Issei, the Student Council President.
"Good morning, Emiya and Tohsaka." He greets us.
"Morning, Issei. What's going on?"
[Sigh]
He sighs and points at the crowd.
"It was nothing of major concern. Fujimura-sensei accidentally rammed the school gate and she's still fainted over there." He informs us.
Sakura and I trade glances with each other.
After that, we break into laughter.
"Fuji-nee, when are you going to grow up?"
The three of us approach the crowd.
And there she is, the 'tiger' of Fuyuki.
…
She's still fainted.
"Hey Emiya, what do you think we should do?" Issei asks me.
I ponder for a while.
She doesn't look like she's hurt.
Her scooter was in better condition than the gate.
I wonder what her scooter is made of.
Class will start in a few minutes and my homeroom teacher is sleeping outside the school.
Technically, she's fainted and in front of the school gate.
We need to wake her up.
Knowing Fuji-nee, she wouldn't wake up from simple nudges.
I came upon a single conclusion.
"Guys, we'll need to do that," I declare.
The whole crowd grows wary.
"Emiya, you don't say…" Issei trembles as he speaks.
The crowd becomes even gloomier than before.
Sakura was also trembling.
Because what I have in mind was…
"TIGER WAKE UP! IT'S TIME FOR CLASS!" I yell before making a dash into the school building.
The others follow my footstep.
Suddenly, we heard a loud roar.
[TIGER ROAR]
"WHO CALLED ME A TIGER!?"
Luckily, I manage to hide inside the building.
Unlucky passersby were eaten by the tiger.
She really hates people calling her that.
/~one school day passes~/
The rest of the day went flying like any other day in my life.
It was a just plain normal day.
There's nothing unusual aside from Fuji-nee's accident.
The school is over and I should head home.
I'd better apologize to Fuji-nee for my mischief this morning.
I hope she wouldn't eat me alive for that.
Maybe I should cook more dishes today to appease the Tiger of Fuyuki.
"Yo, Emiya…!"
All of a sudden, Issei calls out to me.
"What is it, Issei?"
"Are you free tomorrow morning? There are a number of broken equipments that I would like you to inspect. The school's budget is a bit low this winter so we can't afford to hire a technician."
He wants me to help with school equipments again.
"Sure. I don't have any club."
"Excellent…! Let us meet before the homeroom period." He nods to himself.
/~several minutes later~/
It's evening and the day is still far from reaching nighttime.
So, I decide to take a stroll in the city before heading home.
Sakura has archery practice so she'll be late.
Fuji-nee also have some work at school.
I was the only who had free time.
When I was in the first year of highschool, I was in the archery club as well.
But I have to resign when I suffered an injury to my shoulder.
When I recover from my wound, the injury left behind a scar.
…A huge scar…
A friend of mine told me that it was ugly.
I usually let the cloth on my shoulder slide off whenever I shoot.
It displayed the scar to everyone.
That same friend of mine also told me that it is uncomfortable to watch such an unattractive scar.
I quit the club so I wouldn't bother the other archers with my unsightly blemish.
After quitting the club, I found myself with a lot of free time.
Usually I spend my time helping people with errands or fixing school appliances.
Today, no one actually needs my help with anything.
I also have part time jobs but surprisingly, all of my workplace was taking the day off.
Some was renovating and the others were just slacking off.
No helping, no work…
I have nothing to do.
I'm bored.
I guess I'm not used to slacking like this.
/~after a few minutes~/
I decide to ride a bus that head to Shinto.
Shinto is the bustling part of the town.
It was built after the Great Fire ten years ago.
Thanks to the New Fuyuki Project, our city managed to catch up with current urban development.
?
I see a girl with white parasol by my side window.
I can't see her face…
I notice that she is wearing white long dress and her long plum hair is visible.
…
Somehow, she looks so lonely and miserable.
I continue to stare at the girl until she's out of my sight.
Who is she?
/~Shinto~/
I'm walking along with the crowd in New Fuyuki.
The girl earlier still lingers in my thought.
Why am I so attracted to the girl?
As if, I'm connected to her.
Suddenly, I bump into someone.
I guess I was spacing out.
"I'm sorry." I apologize to the person.
The said person was a man wearing a suit and a spectacle.
His face is stern and serious.
His posture was that of a cautious man.
His presence alone intimidates me.
He looks like a disciplinary teacher.
Oh, wait a minute!
I knew this guy!
"Evening Emiya, having a stroll?" He greets me.
I am a bit startled at the moment, so I was unable to reply to his greeting.
I identify him as Kuzuki Souichiro, a teacher in Homuhara High school.
He teaches history.
Everyone knows that he is a perfectionist.
"Good evening, Mr. Kuzuki. Yes, I'm having a stroll. I found myself having a lot of free time this evening." I answer his greeting.
He nods to show his affirmation.
"Well then, I'll be off. Fancy meeting you here Emiya." He says before saluting a goodbye.
[Sigh]
I sigh after that.
He must have thought that I was spacing out while loitering around.
…
It doesn't matter because I was dawdling around.
Meeting him here was quite a rare occasion.
Usually, Mr. Kuzuki would be busy in his office until late night.
Maybe today is an exception for him.
…
[Sigh]
I sigh again after contemplating.
I should head home.
It's getting dark.
/~an hour later~/
I've arrive in Miyama.
My house is a few meters from the bus stop.
It should take me a few minutes to arrive home.
…
It's already dark.
The night lamps are already lit.
It's not the first time I walk in the middle of night.
So it doesn't faze me in the slightest.
?
There's a strange looking girl.
She had silvery white hair and red eyes.
It was quite a peculiar sight.
What's a little girl like her doing all alone during this time of the day?
…
I walk passes her silently.
"You going to get killed if you don't summon it soon, Onii-chan,"
?
When I turn my back to see the girl, she's no longer visible.
What was that?
What did she mean by summoning 'it'?
…
/~at home, after dinner~/
"Alright, Shirou…! I'll be heading home!" Fuji-nee claims.
"Be careful out there. Don't ram into street lights while walking."
"I'm not that clumsy…!" She retorts.
"How about telling that to your scooter? I can't believe it got busted…"
[Sigh]
It was a miracle it didn't get busted after Fuji-nee rammed the poor scooter at the gate.
However, luck cannot last for so long…
She accidentally rammed a wall while on her way here.
Right now, the poor vehicle is completely busted.
I already inform Old Man Raiga about it.
The brunette woman pouts at my remark.
"Well, good night."
She storms off without looking at me.
I chuckle at her antics.
It's not the first time I tease her like this.
…
"Senpai…"
Sakura calls my name.
I turn to face my kouhai.
…
No, right now she's not my kouhai.
She is my sensei.
/~inside the shed~/
Despite being able to use magic, I'm practically a talentless magus.
If I were to be graded, I would simply place as a third-rate in no time.
Sakura said I was unable to use normal mage craft due to my unknown element and origin.
Magi have their own elements and origins, which determine their abilities and specialties.
Sakura possesses the Imaginary Element, which is very rare among the magi.
I was awed by her talent at deploying her magic.
She could fix a broken glass as if it was new.
In comparison to her, I'm nothing.
My foster father, Kiritsugu doesn't know anything about his element but his origin lies in binding and severing.
He also possesses a Mystic Code that is known as Origin Bullet.
According to Sakura, if any magi were to be hit with that bullet, they will instantly crippled and unable to use mage craft for life.
The higher the quality of the magic circuit, the more damage they receive from it.
My foster father is considered a heretic by most magi since he deployed guns and other firearms.
He even earned a nickname, The Magus Killer.
Sakura, in the other hand, was not disturbed by the fact.
In fact, she was rather fond of him.
She said Kiritsugu was a better father than hers.
Kiritsugu also developed an amazing spell that only he could employ it.
He named it Time Alter.
Time Alter is a spell that creates a Reality Marble inside his body.
And within that Reality Marble, Kiritsugu was able to perceive the surrounding situation and react faster.
From the outside, people would see him moving faster.
However, he didn't enhance his body to move rapidly.
Instead, he slows down the perception of time within his body, allowing him to act faster in response.
Due to certain event, Kiritsugu becomes weaker and unable to use mage craft normally.
Every time he employed mage craft, he would shorten his life.
Hence, Sakura stepped in as my magic instructor.
According to Kiritsugu, to be a magus is to walk with death.
Sakura was also supportive of his statement.
When I said I want to learn magic, both of them objected.
At first, I was surprised that Sakura was a magus.
It turns out that she is a better magus than my own father was.
She even came from a long line of magus.
Kiritsugu said that a magus quality is usually measured from the length of their lineage.
Sakura was born in one of the oldest magi family.
However, I was adamant to learn magic.
My goal is to become an Ally of Justice.
I need to learn magic if I want to save people.
Sakura was touched by my sincerity to help people.
And so, she agreed.
Kiritsugu was still obstinate against my wish.
But in time, he yielded.
And so, I manage to learn magic.
But the result was so embarrassing.
I am still unable to use magic properly.
/~several minutes later~/
My regular training resumes as usual.
Sakura is by my side.
She's appraising the result of my mage craft.
Reinforcement
That's the only mage craft I could use.
By infusing prana into an object, I can strengthen its properties.
For example, a simple newspaper can be reinforced as hard as a metal rod.
Kiritsugu was the one who recommended it.
Sakura can also use Reinforcement.
She usually applies the spell to herself instead of objects.
Practically her limbs when she needed.
Self-reinforcement
An advance form of Reinforcement
Similar to reinforcing objects, magi can reinforce their limbs so they could perform ridiculous human feat such as running faster than a surging car or leaping higher than any living things could.
However, such magic has its own disadvantages.
Such a convenient spell will come with a great cost.
If the caster failed to conjure the spell successfully, their limbs may tear out causing them to be crippled.
Thus, I avoid using Self-reinforcement for my own safety.
Sakura, who already mastered Self-reinforcement, avoid using it since a single mistake could prove harmful.
In the end, we all agree to apply Reinforcement only on inanimate object.
Despite being the only spell, I could use…
I've failed.
The object used for my training, a plastic pipe rod, was crumbling.
"Tch…"
I click my tongue in irritation.
This was the thirteenth failure this month.
Each day I only have one chance to use mage craft.
I made an agreement with Sakura and Kiritsugu that I will only practice magic once per day.
The reason is…
I have no Magic Circuit…
So in order to compensate for that, I have to construct a makeshift Magic Circuit.
To create the fake magic circuit, I have to alter my nerve in my spinal cord.
This is extremely dangerous according to Sakura.
Being insistent on learning magic, she allowed me to do it only with her supervision.
If anything goes wrong, she will be there to save me.
Surprisingly, nothing bad happened ever since I started my magic training.
Sakura said it was pure luck.
Lucky me…
Even with sheer luck, I was unsuccessful in my attempt to strengthen the pipe.
I was trying to strengthen it to be as hard as steel.
My success rate is lower than 17%.
I really despise myself.
How am I supposed to save people when I can even use simple magic?
Kiritsugu was a great magic user.
He became a hero because he can use his magic properly.
He even saved me from that bizarre fire 10 years ago.
…
Sakura is inspecting the crumbled dust.
I am very upset with my own progress but Sakura was different.
I was waiting for her to comment on my current progress.
…
She never scolded me.
She only encouraged me to do better the next day.
But today, I really wish she would scold me.
Why is she so kind?
I am a mess of a magus.
Why a fine magus like her would bother teaching me?
Kiritsugu once said that magi are a proud bunch.
They took their arts to great length.
If someone were to insult or belittle their arts, they would simply destroy them.
Failure is considered as an insult to mage craft.
Normally, a magus would punish their disciple dearly should they failed.
I am Sakura's apprentice.
Yet, she hasn't punished me.
Today, she smiles again to give me encouragement.
But she also adds some different comment.
"Sempai, I think you got a knack for self-destruct spell." She says to me.
I blink my eyes in amazement.
"Self-destruct spells?"
"Lately, your Reinforcement influences the object to disintegrate due to their unstable structure. I believe this isn't a failure. Instead, it was simply a branching effect of Reinforcement. I've heard that several magi in the past used Reinforcement to force objects to self-destruct." She explains.
I listen to her lecture.
"Sometimes failures lead to discovery." She advises me.
I could only smile at her.
Heck, she got me…
So, my talent is in destroying stuff…
I wasn't expecting that.
"That conclude today's lesson. Perhaps tomorrow we could focus on the destructive part of your spell." She says while reaching out for a broom.
Given that most of my 'reinforced stuff' turned into dust, she prepared a broom to sweep.
"You should have some rest, senpai. You must be tired from that spell."
…
"Nah… I think I'm fine. Let me clean up."
I gesture for the broom.
?
The black haired girl distances the broom from my reach.
"I insist that you take a rest."
"And I insist that I want to clean after my own mess."
I reach out for the broom again.
…
Once again, Sakura keeps the broom away from me.
"Senpai, don't be stubborn and go to bed."
…
I quietly reach for the broom.
And the blue-eyed girl quietly distances herself along with the broom.
…
"Sakura, I think there's something on your hair."
"Huh…?"
There's my chance!
My eyes become stars.
With the agility of a 'tiger', I grab the broom from her custody.
VICTORY!
…
"Sakura-san, you don't look so friendly…"
The girl is currently emitting reddish, fiendish aura from her body.
"Senpai…"
It was a shrill voice.
…
I know that tone…
"How about staying in the bed for a couple of days?"
...
She's going to use Gandr!
/~later~/
She insists that I would be better off resting.
And I insist to help.
In the end, she got mad and shot some of her spell to get me out of the shed.
Sakura has been hot headed lately.
It's partly my fault…
Kiritsugu once said that I was a stubborn boy.
And a stubborn girl would be a good pair.
Tohsaka Sakura is a stubborn person in her own way.
I guess Sakura and me were meant for each other.
…
…
…
Did I just…
…
Come to think of it…
Sakura has grown into a beautiful girl.
And I'm attracted to her.
Why didn't I notice her sooner?
Fuji-nee always teased us about dating.
But what if we become an actual couple?
…
…
I guess I should try asking her out.
Maybe, just maybe, she would accept.
…
For some reason I think I have forgotten something.
…
Oh well.
I'll remember it later.
For now, I should go to bed.
Tomorrow is going to be a big day.
I had better prepare myself physically and mentally.
If not, I might lose my mind whether she accept or reject me.
I inhale a great deal of air and exhale it.
"Senpai, I'll be heading home now."
The black haired girl declares.
"Take care."
I wave at her.
Sakura can take care of herself.
Besides, if I insist to escort her, she might throw a couple of Gandr Shot at me.
I head to my room after seeing Sakura off.
I enter my bedroom and slide in my futon.
After that, I close my eyes and embrace the dream world.
#Chapter End#
[Author's note]
See you guys again next month!
Sorry for the late update rate though...