Hey guys! Welcome to the new story that will be replacing Journey. As you will notice it is a bit more fluffy than I usually write but I assure you it will have the action that is common in my stories. I would like to thank "A Dyslexic Writer" for use of his terminology for Shield Hero fics! Now since this is the first chapter there isn't much to say but enjoy!

Next Update: Arcane Craftsman

Fate/Shield:

Chapter 1: It's Zelretch fault.

The sound of wet coughing echoed through the room of one little girl. Her hair was white as snow, her eyes a blood red. She was small, looking about eight or nine years old. The girl wiped her mouth clean, a content expression on her face as she rested in her bed, reaching for a V.R headset. It was a sleek design, completely black in look with a dark blue visor. It was connected to a large three foot tower, on its little screen blinked words.

"Legend of the Four Heroes!"

The little girl smiled as she caressed her helmet. She coughed again. The sound was guttural and raspy this time. The girl frowned as the splatter of blood that flew from her lips hit her helmet. It had been happening more and more often, not to mention the acute pain. But the girl had been through worse in her life and while annoying the pain was tolerable.

The fact she could say it was "tolerable" when her own nerves and body was being broken down bit by bit could only be a sign of what she had endured.

"Ilya!"

The girl turned her head and smiled. With a worried expression a man entered her room. His broad shoulders and height made him look like a giant in comparison to her.

"Brother!"

She loved saying that, mostly as a tease against her brother and what little comfort that brought her as well. Shirou, the man that saved her from a devastating war and showed her what living truly meant. Admittedly he embraced his role as her adopted brother way too seriously…but it was precisely for that reason that she loved him so. They met only nine years ago but those years were filled with the best days of life that this girl ever had. In another world she would be dead, in another her brother's body reconstructed and life continuing on. In this world? In this Kaleidoscope? She had lived and her brother's body remained intact enough to survive. There was some concern over Archer's grafted arm but thankfully nothing too major came of it.

This little girl was one Ilya Von Eisnbern. While she may have looked like a small child…the truth was that she was 27 years old. The girl born from a normal man and a homunculus woman was far from what could be called the norm for humans already but that wasn't the reason for her state. She was altered, imbued with fake magic circuits, pathways in the body that allowed an individual to use magic, to artificially increase her power at the cost of her ability to mature and her life span.

All to win a war and get back at the man that had abandoned her and killed her mother…her father. The prize was negligible at best for Ilya, what she truly cared about was getting back at her father for everything he had done. She had been casted aside…her mother sacrificed…for what? An ideal? World peace? It was ludicrous…did the man ever truly care? To Ilya it didn't matter that the man tried to get her back, it was the fact that he was willing to sacrifice his wife and by extension his child.

It was these thoughts that caused Ilya to gather so much hate for Kiritsugu Emiya…her father. She weathered the hate and embraced the cold darkness of the world they lived in. Than this fool did the impossible…and showed her that the world was never as dark as it may seem. Her father had the mission in his mind constantly, his eyes cold and distant. He always smiled with her though…but it was obvious now in her later years that he was always focused on his goal and that time with Ilya was merely a reprieve. Shirou though? He had a similar goal once upon a time…a goal that he had casted aside to save Sakura and ultimately save Ilya as well. He was a devoted and caring brother, giving Ilya all the love, she could handle and then some…even if his distorted nature reared its head every once in a while. Even now he simply doted on her…even in the midst of what was happening.

"Ilya you have to rest" said Shirou "No games today...you…you might."

"I know brother" smiled Ilya "I was just…reminiscing."

Due to the efforts of Shirou and Rin, Ilya's life expectancy had extended. The rejection of her magic circuits and its effect on her body were dulled due to the swords and magic of Shirou Emiya and the expertise and talent of Rin Toshaka. However, that wasn't all they used. They had pursued everything within their means. Shirou accepted contracts and deals to gather rare and powerful resources to buy them more time. Hell, Rin even tried to appeal to Zelretch of all beings for a solution, a few times. The response was merely a creepy smile as it was told. For years they cultivated everything they could to save Ilya.

But…for all their efforts Ilya's condition steadily, albeit more slowly, began to peak.

"…Today is probably the day" smiled Ilya.

Shirou sat beside her and frowned. His expression grew dark as he looked sullenly at the ground. Ilya didn't want him to feel so…broken but there was no point in lying. She could feel her body wearing out, little by little. She knew that it not being as painful as usual was not a good sign.

Her nerves were dying after all.

"I'm…I'm so sorry" whispered Shirou.

Ilya smiled as she looked at her younger brother. During the war he had been average height…but afterword's the boy had grown to be a man that towered over most in Japan. He had grown into the arm of the servant Archer, a possible future self, that had been grafted into his existence and than some. He had bulked up considerably. The constant sparring with Rider and the missions he undertook to get the resources for Ilya had left Shirou with a body that bordered on disbelief. If the looks Ilya noticed Shirou garnering throughout the neighborhood was anything to go by at least. His hair was his most eye catching feature however. Due to the inclusion of Archer's arm, Shirou was more effective with his magic and had options the Archer lacked in life. This resulted in Shirou's hair only being snow white at the tips of his hair and in patches through it. His skin remained pale, if a bit more tanned than usual. His face was strong and his eyes piercing. That wasn't to say the effects of his signature magic wasn't occurring, but rather it was happening at a far slower pace than his future self's.

Shirou carried a presence that many lacked. A presence that Ilya admitted that she found comfort in. He cared for her and tried his best to ease her suffering as much as he could. He had even gone through the trouble of buying a state-of-the-art V.R set, so that she could experience moving around when she became bedridden. It was a blessing for her, because through technology she saw a world beyond her own. Games, movies, t.v series. Everything that she had missed out on as a child had been placed before her. She was especially fond of the M.M.O game "The Legendary Heroes". The title itself sucked but what was worse was that the game itself was based on a book with the same title.

But the game? The game was beautiful beyond words. The story of a legendary weapon that evolve with the user? Ilya always picked the sword amongst the wide variety of options. What was unique about the game was that depending on the choices and inputs of the player, the way the sword evolved could become unique as well, resulting in millions of unique builds and skills. The games almost limitless choices and creation options made each character and their weapon practically unique for every player, making the game hailed as the greatest ever made.

Ilya thought the story kind of bland though. In Ilya's case she created a character as close to Shirou as she could get. She entertained the thought of making a bow hero and a spear hero as well. There were numerous other "Hero" classes one could make in the game. Hell, she almost made a shield hero that looked like Berserker. Everyone always complained about the lack of offensive power for the shield hero but honestly just punch and bash everything, problem solved.

Ilya chuckled as she felt her helmet again. Ilya almost giggled at Shirou's forlorn expression. Death was an everyday part of the magus world…just another reason Shirou was a third rate magus. Another reason that Ilya loved her brother so.

"You say sorry way too much Brother. Is everyone else here today?"

Shirou swallowed and nodded. She didn't normally act this reserved or demure…nor did she say brother so often. It was all just signs that Ilya's time was nearing.

"Sakura is making waffles" he smiled "Rider is out getting a book for you, as you asked. Rin should be here anytime she was…asking Zelretch to help again."

"…Again?" asked Ilya "but Zelretch is Zelretch…why would he even help us?"

Shirou sighed.

"I know…I know...but we don't have any other option, we exhausted everything we could feasibly get our hands on."

Ilya chuckled as she amped up her attitude.

"Oh, come on Brother! You haven't even used a quarter of the money Kiritsugu left you."

That was true. Apparently a "Modest" sum for the old assassin was in fact a retarded amount of money. When one dealt with the moonlit world, their "common sense" was usually the first to go. After all, money for mage families was like water. If you didn't have enough of it, you constantly needed more. As such the money left to Shirou was in fact of such a sum that he would have been one of the richest men in the world. Nowhere near the top 100, but more than enough to spend recklessly on anything that caught his fancy till the day he died. Even the monster of a bike that he tricked out for Rider barely made a dent in his finances. But modern medicine would not fix this…

They both knew that.

The roar of a bike was audible as it was nearing home.

"Rider is almost home" smiled Shirou "don't worry Ilya…we'll all be here for you…I can at least promise that much."

With that Shirou began to use his magic, Tracing. The ability to perfectly replicate any weapon that he had ever lied eyes on, so long as they could be called a "Sword" or in some cases an arm of war. The further away an item was from "Sword" the more degraded or imperfect his tracings could become if he wasn't careful. Not to mention the cost in mana and Od that came with such objects. In Shirou's case he decided to trace a sword that carried divine blessings but yet was not of divine make. A sword that never battled, but gained fame all the same. It never performed any great deeds, but rather embodied the power of the Fox god Inari of Shinto beliefs.

From Shirou's hands formed a Katana called the Kohitsune-Maru. Forged in the year 984, it was the product of a man named Munechika, born from his desperation not to lose favor from his emperor. He went so far as to pray to receive assistance in the creation of his sword, as he had no assistants to aid him. The fox god Inari answered his prayer and assisted him. As such, the power of Inari flowed through this weapon, but it was not a divine construct as the god merely assisted. It held the power to infuse Inari's blessings into any that wielded it, but it lacked enough power to even be called "divine". Ranked a mere C rank, the sword was not best in battle, in fact the sword itself was quite brittle in comparison to others of its rank. However, what it did do for Ilya made the sword all the more special to Shirou. The flow of divine power, however minuscule, allowed the Noble Phantasm to dull Ilya's pain. It took a good deal of Shirou's reserves, but it was worth it.

The fact that Shirou knew about this trait simply showed how desperate he had searched for a sword within his reality marble to save Ilya. There were other blades that did the same thing, some could even outright heal, but Kohitsune-Maru's blessings were passive and didn't require any additional magic to activate its effects. Meaning that Ilya's relief was long lasting rather than a burst of healing that was temporary and simply didn't work.

Without Saber, Avalon was not an option either.

The sword didn't need to be drawn to be effective thankfully and as Shirou finished his tracing he gave the sheathed blade to Ilya. Her coughing grew less destructive and her face seemed to brighten as the all too familiar pain eased away.

"Thanks, Shirou."

She clutched the sword to her chest and smiled. Shirou merely gave a weak one in return…his heart not ready for what was to come. The door opened behind him as Sakura peeked in, her own expression controlled but sad. Sakura had only grown a few more inches than her teenage years, but her body had blossomed even further into a woman of peerless beauty. Her purple hair and kind eyes made her attractive to all sorts. Her devotion to Shirou made her popular amongst the older wives of the neighborhood as well, constantly asking when they'd finally get married.

The truth was that Sakura and Shirou already considered themselves married and bonded, they simply rejected the use of rings to signify their marriage to each other. All Sakura cared about was being devoted to Shirou and Shirou returning that devotion. Not to mention that marriage between them, even if it had nothing to do with the moonlit world, was likely to attract SOME unwanted attention. She kept her hair in a pony tail that draped over her left shoulder and below her breasts. She normally wore jeans and a purple blouse, having taken after Rider's look after all these years.

However, while she was incredibly beautiful and kind, more than a few fools within the neighborhood had been on the receiving end of Sakura's wrath. A misspoken comment, a crude gesture, a…push to far as we should say, unleashed a tyrant of a woman that after all her years of torment would no longer suffer for more. Having found Shirou in her life…it was safe to say that she would KILL to maintain it…

As more than one idiot Magus had found out in their life.

Sakura had a plate of waffles for Ilya, covered in her favorite sauce and fruits.

"You hungry?" she asked.

"Starving" smiled Ilya.

Sakura gave Ilya the plate after moving the V.R helmet. She took a delicate step afterword and sat beside Shirou, shoulder to shoulder. Without speaking Sakura took her lover's hand and squeezed it for support. Without any sound Rider's hand squeezed Shirou's shoulder. It was only for a second, but the support spoke volumes.

"I got a book" stated Rider.

From a bag that Rider carried she took out a book. The glasses she wore hid the powerful mystic eyes that she wielded. Her figure was divine and her purple sweater and dark jeans did nothing to hide it. However, her tall stature made her intimidating to most men…which she never truly cared about in the first place but it did create a complex about her height. Thank god Shirou grew taller let's just leave it at that.

The book however, was interesting. Ilya began to laugh as tears began to form.

"The Legendary Heroes" she chuckled "you found it."

Rider merely nodded. She took a seat on the other side of Ilya's bed. She noticed the Noble Phantasm that Shirou had traced and smiled.

Even now the man was trying his best. Ilya began coughing again, but thanks to the influence of the Katana, the girl's coughing was not as bad. No blood spilled and it was easier for her to breath.

"Where's Rin?"

SLAM!

The sound of heavy footsteps began to echoed through the house. Rin came barging in, breathing heavily.

"Did I make it!?"

Ilya smiled and nodded. There was no need to ask why she seemed stressed…

They all knew what was to come after all.

"We just made her food" whispered Sakura.

Shirou's eyes closed as he clenched his fists. Another of his spells, structural grasping, had just been used. The ability to read and understand the composition and in some cases, the history, of any object Shirou viewed. He had used it on Ilya. While he could never "understand the history" or "remaking the manufacturing process" on humans (Thank fucking god) it did tell him the state of her body…

She did not have much time. It could be hours…minutes…or if they were lucky a few days.

"I hope we can finish the book" smiled Ilya "I would love to know how the game ends."

Shirou bit his lip while Sakura closed her eyes, her mask breaking as she showed an expression of true sorrow. Rider maintained her usual stoicism…but she took the book from Ilya's hands and turned opened the book. For a woman that didn't speak much Rider was unexpectedly an excellent story teller. Rin sat beside Shirou on the other side. She placed her hand on his leg and simply looked pissed at the world for what was happening.

Much like her sister Rin didn't grow that much nor did her body uh…blossom like Sakura. However, Rin carried a grace few could match. Her temper remained much the same but unlike her youth Rin was far more honest with herself.

And far more direct as well.

She was headstrong and powerful. Even if she was a "backwater Japanese" magus, many still vied for her hand in marriage. They were promptly compared to Shirou and found lacking. Severely. The relationship Shirou shared with Rin and Sakura was something many would look at with confused and shocked expressions, but the two wouldn't change it for the world. Shirou was Rin's equal and opposing force now a days, along with being her lackey. They could fight from time to time, but the passion shared between them wasn't something that was common. It was for this reason that Rin was able to tolerate Ilya in the beginning.

But, over the course of the years they had all been in each other's lives…the midget had become something akin to family. At least a lot more than that stupid priest and her father were anyways.

Rider opened her mouth but closed it again. She opened the back of the book, checking the information at the back, before re-reading the front. She even went as far as to take off her glasses, blinked, than frowned.

"What's wrong?" asked Shirou.

"…. This book…it says the author is Zelretch."

"Wait what!?" yelled Rin.

Before anybody could say anything, a sigil appeared beneath them, spinning widely and pulsating with ominous energy. There were too many symbols to count, but Rin already saw a few sigils that had nothing to do with the Kaleidoscope. This was something different.

"Close the!"

She never finished her sentence, because Rider had already closed the book. She had already moved Ilya but the spell kept going. Rider had already reached out to Ilya, taking the small girl into her arms. She appeared next to Shirou and the others, her lithe but powerful body trying to shield them all from whatever was happening. Rider glared at the magic that made up this seal, as whatever it was doing prevented rider from leaving the confines of it. She had thrown her nail at it, only for it to bounce off. She dispersed her noble phantasm and simply braced for the worst.

Whatever magic did this was dangerous.

-To a world beyond-

"I'm alive!?"

"Where am I?"

"I'm….i'm still alive?"

"Zelretch I swear to God!"

The sound of confused screaming as several bodies landed in the seal was all the priests could see. The head priest, a kind looking man in ornate robes blinked. There was far too many within the circle. The ritual should have only summoned four, not eight.

"Sir" whispered a hooded attendant "Are there not only supposed to be four?"

"Indeed" whispered the head priest "but it would seem that some stranglers have been brought it…was this because of attempting to summon all four at once?"

The priest stayed quiet as the summoning ritual completed. He eyed the legendary heroes first. The detestable shield hero looked far too timid to be effective. He seemed lost and a bit afraid, lacking any confidence in his movements and expression.

Good, it would be easier that way.

The biased view of the priest aside, the hero of the shield did indeed look lost. He looked around wondering what exactly was happening. He turned to see the jumbled mess of bodies that was Shirou's group. He quickly turned around, not wanting to stare.

The spear hero seemed older, if not by much, but he too lacked any sort of heroic posture in the priest's eyes. He was more confident, but he lacked any sort of muscle that any respectable warrior would have. Already the priest could tell the man liked women, perhaps a little too much, as the Lancer just stared at Sakura as she fixed her clothes and helped Rin and Shirou up.

The bow hero was not much better, a child by the looks of him. There seemed to be an excited glint in his eyes as he looked around.

"Perhaps the most worrisome of the bunch in some ways" thought the priest.

However, that was not to say they were useless. Oh no, the priest could tell these two had more potential than the detestable shield. Now that the man was up, the priest turned his attention to the sword hero.

One glance told the priest all he needed to know. The difference between the sword hero and the other three was…simply incredible.

He was the same height as the spear hero (6.1), yet he seemed to tower over the others. His body was chiseled and strong, his gaze constantly looking at the priest and his cohorts with precision. He eyed them wearily, like any in this position should. There was…an aura surrounding this man. He had experience. The way he held his sword reminded the priest of some of the warriors that fought for the church.

The priest eyed his legendary sword, a white long sword with a red gem in the pommel. Unlike the other weapons, that seemed like something a child would consider a toy, the sword was more…material in a sense. The blade had no edge though. So, unlike the others, that seemed like toys, this sword seemed like a cheap replica of an actual sword.

But that was just a nice difference. The truth was the surprising amount of magic that was generating from the sword hero and his compatriots. At least, the priest assumed they were his compatriots as the women surrounded him. Speaking of the women, if the sword hero had a surprising amount of magic, the other three were absolutely bathed in it.

What made the priest worry was that the sword hero was by far the oldest of the four, his white hair a testament to that. The sword hero's face was kept in a passive stone like expression he stood in front of the four other "passengers", all women. One of whom was a filthy demi-human. The issue was that it was obvious from first glance that this was not a man that easily manipulated. The large amount of magic, his obvious experience with a blade, and his eyes speaking of experience and stubborn resolve…

In that way, he was the most dangerous of the four heroes.

What on earth happened? Why were additional people summoned? All the priest was happy about was that these four additional summons, while radiating magical power like a facet, lacked any legendary weapons. They would not be a concern in the long run.

(I would like you all to take a moment and pray for this dumb fool but don't worry, I won't be listening XD).

"Welcome legendary heroes!" announced the King "please, save our world!"

"Now" thought the priest "the game begins".

-Shirou's P.O.V a few minutes ago-

Shirou blinked. Then he blinked again. As the smoke cleared Shirou noticed that they were surrounded by people in strange robes. Shirou sensed through smell that everyone within the room had magic to varying degrees but the scent was not…normal. It was distinct and wholly separate from the scent of magic that he was accustomed to. The group seemed stupefied as they stared at him and company. He felt a blade in his hands and looked upon it.

Shirou's head hurt just looking at it. Not like it would when attempting to analyze a divine construct (an experience courtesy of Archer's memories) but rather due to an overload of raw information. What he had learned in the midst of his massive headache was…interesting. Shirou had some experience with sealed swords, that much was true…but this sword was blank, a mass of power that seemed to evolve and change in dependence with the environment? The user? Shirou didn't know just what exactly sparked the release of this sword's power. Not to mention that the sword itself was a divine construct of some kind, so Shirou's brain should have melted from the overload of information.

The man took a breath and focused. It was absurd, absolutely absurd this happening now. He could only say one thing in the face of all this absurdity.

"Are…are you serious?" he muttered "now? Zelretch pranks us now!?"

He ignored the group in front of him, deciding if they were going to attack, they would have done so already. He turned to Rider, the heroic spirit holding Ilya close as the poor girl grimaced in her sleep.

"Is she ok!?" asked Shirou.

"…she's been altered in some fashion."

Shirou looked at Ilya, wondering what had happened to her. He already noticed the additions to her skull, some form of feline ears, and what seemed like a tail weakly twitching from Rider's arms. Shirou placed his ear on Ilya's chest and then placed his hand on her head. He used structural analysis and breathed a sigh of relief.

"She's ok" he whispered "nothing's changed about her condition but the rejection has stabilized for a time. Whatever she turned into has…stalled her condition."

"…did Zelretch do this?" thought Shirou "I know Rin asked him for help a few times over the years but…"

Shirou removed the useless thought from his head. He needed to focus on the now and their immediate safety. He looked to the males closest to him, dismissing them as threats for the time being. They were just as dazed and confused as he was a few seconds ago. The likelihood that they were in league with the summoning party was highly unlikely. Not to mention they had the same evolving weapons that Shirou did. He now officially had a migraine from looking at their weapons, but he learned a bit more about the nature of the tool in his hands.

The key one being how it was bonded to his damn SOUL.

Rin looked around the room before whispering.

"Shirou."

"I know" he whispered back.

The two subtly looked towards the group. Shirou could sense, however brief, that there was a strong sense of hate aimed towards their direction. It disappeared as soon as it came through. Rider looked at Sakura, her master. The two were still under their bond as Master and Servant, as such the two could still communicate telepathically. Whatever Rider had learned had put Sakura in a dark mood. She walked closer to Rider, her shadow spiking softly at her commands. Sakura's eyes dulled as she stood protectively in front of Ilya. The king didn't notice…

But the head priest sure did.

Sakura's shadow began to bubble, her raw magic having no restraint in this new world. Remnants of her connection with Avenger.

They were ready to kill if necessary.

"Of course, this is Zelretch" grumbled Rin "this is totally like him."

"At least we're all alright" sighed Sakura, relaxing her intent a bit as she noticed the lack of aggression in the room.

"True. But that doesn't change where we are now does it?"

"Please legendary heroes, save our world!"

"….Oh for the love of!" grumbled Rin "seriously!?"

Rin was quiet thank god, but her aggravation was clear to see.

"My apologies" murmured the King "only the heroes were meant to be summoned to assist us. Please be assured that we take full responsibility for your safety in these unexpected events."

The man was good, that much Shirou would give him. There was not a hint of his dislike anywhere in his body language nor his face. The fact he didn't apologize for essentially kidnapping four people to forcibly draft them into a battle of some kind was telling.

"They're with me" declared Shirou, his eyes hard and his back straight.

"Oh?" murmured the King "I see, the spell must have accidentally drag them in. I assume you must have many questions!"

"Yea, like the first one being where the hell are we!?"

A young man with blonde hair and spoken up, a toy like spear hanging from his grip with a yellow crystal.

"I assure you all your questions will be answered in due time. For now, please relax and collect yourselves. We will answer any and all questions tomorrow in the throne room."

A boy with a bow that looked like something out of walmart with a blue crystal began to voice his own concerns. The man with a shield that carried a green crystal began to speak up as well. The king directed his attention to them, but his subjects did not. Many priests kept staring at Rin and the others.

"They're freaking out" whispered Rin "they weren't expecting four more people. They said legendary heroes right? They must have only meant to summon you and the three stooges."

"Rin" sighed Shirou.

"What? It's true and you know it. Those three have no experience whatsoever. Whatever criteria they inputted into their summoning must have been faulty."

"Or the catalyst was at fault" whispered Rider "I've been overhearing their conversation when we arrived. From what I gather…each hero was only supposed to be summoned one at a time with specific catalysts involved. They used a different one and preformed a mass summoning."

"We're assuming it's like the grail system" muttered Rin "with Zelretch involved…I'd like to think so, but…its Zelretch. He probably launched us into a world that doesn't follow any common sense."

The group was ignoring the ranting of the three other "heroes" as they conferred to themselves. The head priest rose an eyebrow and swallowed nervously. The tallest woman, the one wearing glasses, when she had directed her attention at him…

The man felt death warm over.

But even so, the faith of the church would shield him and be his sword (I.E I'm gonna have fun with this fool XD).

Shirou directed his attention once more to the "legendary" weapons. They looked like toys.

But the sword in his hand? It looked a bit more like a proper weapon, but it seemed to lack an edge. As such it was more a toy in Shirou's opinion than the other three. What made his blade different? The difference of mentality, experience? The blade was bonded to his soul, so it was definitely possible.

"What on earth is going on" muttered Shirou "Rin…what should we do?"

Rin frowned as they moved with the group, following the King and servants to a prepared room.

"I want to just get out of here and not bother with any of this…but we lack information. Rushing out before we know anything is just as dangerous as staying. With Rider here I think we can at least make it out if we need to…"

Shirou and Rin looked at Rider. The servant nodded as she adjusted Ilya a bit. Her presence seemed…different somehow.

"Is it me or does she seem different?"

"You were in London for a year Rin" smiled Sakura "I think it's just you."

Rin sighed as she scratched her head.

"Yea probably…guess it's just this whole situation. We can't even discuss amongst ourselves properly with all these eyes. Think I'll start screaming the second we're out of sight…how's Ilya?"

"She's ok. The…damage has stopped but not receded. Whatever this is…it just bought us time."

Rin frowned as she shook her head.

"This is just…so Zelretch!" she growled.

Shirou scowled. He was happy that Ilya's time living was extended but the poor girl looked like hell was washing over her. She was sweating a bit, but her body was stable for the moment. Whatever it was…it likely had little to do with the rejection of her magic circuits…but Shirou was no doctor and wasting time here was not going to do a damn thing.

Rider stilled as she blinked. Her eyes shimmered as something seemed to alter. She was usually stoic but suddenly she bit her lip in concern. She kept quiet as the group was lead out of the room. The king began to explain that they had rooms prepared for each hero whenever they were ready to sleep, along with a lounge room to meet and talk amongst themselves.

"Shirou…I think we should remain here for a time. We must learn as much as we can before we make a move."

Shirou rose an eyebrow and turned back to look at Rider, the group ahead of them kept walking, not yet noticing the still in movement.

"What's wrong Rider?"

Rider stared at her lover with surprise. His first response as always, was his concern.

"Nothing…at least as far as I can tell. I…just have an option here that I didn't before…if that makes sense. We have no idea what the outside world may be like, I'd prefer to do this with a roof over our head."

Shirou just stated one thing.

"Will it help Ilya?"

Rider nodded.

"It should at the very least stabilize her condition for far longer…what worries me is what brought this about…"

Rider seemed deeply conflicted about whatever was happening, but Shirou at the moment didn't care.

"I trust you Rider. Do what you have to. If you think we should stay and learn more, than its probably for the best."

Rider's expression remained blank, but her cheeks lit up like cherries. Rider had always been weak to praise, at least honest praise like Shirou's.

"I'd like to leave…but I'd rather not cause more issues than there already is" argued Rin.

The group was beckoned to follow once more, as they had stopped when Rider mentioned her thoughts. Shirou sighed as he rubbed the back of his head. Rider's words of assurances at least calmed his anxiety over Ilya's condition, but the rest of his concerns were not so easily laid to rest.

"Shirou…one step at a time" smiled Sakura "you're not alone…so don't try to shoulder this yourself."
Shirou grimaced a bit but nodded. Rin sighed as she shook her head.

"Whatever the hell is happening right now, its best we get to the bottom of it and quick. The more information we can get the quicker we can leave" assured Rider.

-4 hours later-

It was official. Rin was stupefied. Rider had just returned from wherever she went for "privacy" and Sakura was beginning to get a little annoyed with the stares coming from the tall lanky blonde.

"So…you're all from different versions of Japan?" clarified Shirou.

"Basically" said the tall blonde, Motoyasu.

"That's…that's insane" muttered the dark haired man, Naofumi.

"As insane as being summoned to a new world? You guys seem a bit older" muttered the youngest, Itsuki.

"I'm 21" smiled Motoyasu.

"I'm twenty" chuckled Naofumi weakly.

"26" stated Shirou.

The other heroes stared at Shirou in surprise.

"Though you were a bit older than that with all the white hair gramps".

Shirou chuckled at Motoyasu's jab, the small insult clearly going over the older man's head.

"I certainly look like it doesn't."

Shirou turned to his sister and sighed in relief at her sleeping face. Rider had disappeared with Ilya for a bit. Her concerned expression worried Shirou, but as he said he trusted Medusa. When she returned…it was if the damage done to Ilya's body had healed. She was still afflicted by the rejection of her magic circuits, not to mention her lack of muscle due to being bedridden still prevented her from moving, but the actual damaged organs? The teared muscle?

All gone.

It was…both elating and disturbing. Disturbing because Shirou couldn't help but wonder what change occurred to Rider to allow her to HEAL of all things? Well…she would explain in her own time.

"So all of you guys come from the same Japan? Are you all the same age as Shirou?" asked Itsuki.

Sakura smiled sweetly as she nodded, having taken a seat beside Shirou. Itsuka was young, but unlike Motoyasu his gaze carried no sexual intentions. He was a child in the midst of all this madness. Old enough to date certainly, but he was unlike the older blonde. It made Sakura want to dote on the poor boy, a reminder of what she and shirou had been discussing these last two years.

"Yes. We all live together with Shirou and his sister. We were reading her a book when we were summoned here."

"You too" muttered Naofumi "I just opened a book and here I was. I'm honestly thinking I'm dreaming right now."

Motoyasu chuckled.

"Lucky you, I was ran over by a truck."

For some reason Rin knew he was speaking bullshit. There was obviously more to it than that. As a magus Rin was not what one would call…acclimated to modern society. However, even she knew that getting ran over by a TRUCK was one of the most cliché things in Isekai animes/mangas.

"You too?" asked Itsuki.

The kid was so innocent and gullible that Rin believed him when he said that. Sakura at least acted horrified.

"Oh" whispered Sakura "that must have been horrible."

Shirou began to sweat as he realized that Sakura only directed that to Itsuki. After the holy grail war, Sakura began to gather more confidence bit by bit. She wasn't like Rin, blunt and direct to the world. But Sakura was no longer a push over. Her strength of will made her more stubborn that Rin in most cases. Her subtle hints that she wasn't interested that she aimed at Motoyasu was either going over the mans head…or being ignored.

"That man is going to die" thought Shirou.

Perhaps not literally, but it was going to suck. But it wasn't like Shirou didn't understand the attraction though.

The demure and kind aura that Sakura naturally had was out in full force with Itsuki in the room. Her concern for the young boy gave Sakura a motherly aura. Not to mention that Sakura truly was that beautiful. Shirou blushed a bit at the thought of children but kept silent, trying to gather as much information as he could. Motoyasu grinned. Sakura, Rin, and…Rider were all SMOAKING HOT. Easily the top three most beautiful women he had ever seen. Rin was like a bossy tsundere type, Sakura seemed like the housewife stuck at home, and Rider was his darkest fantasies come to life!

"So what's your deal with uh…Shirou here?"

Sakura gave a wider smile, her eyes filled with both annoyance and overwhelming adoration.

"Oh he's my husband."

CRACK!

Naofumi blinked, looking at their hands and not finding any rings. Perhaps their Japan was different? Itsuki didn't care, while Motoyasu seemed disappointed.

"Oh…I see" smiled Motoyasu "ah…what about you two?"

The smug grin on his face was…offsetting. Not necessarily due to his obvious desire to hit on them…but rather how forced it all seemed. Shirou rose an eyebrow, wondering why the younger man felt he needed all this false bravado. It reminded him of Shinji, but not nearly as bad….

Well at least he hoped.

"Oh I'm his wife too".

Shirou sighed as he closed his eyes. Rin enjoyed doing this to people that annoyed her.

His relationship with Sakura, Rin, and Rider was…unconventional he would admit. Theirs was a relationship forged in the fires of war, deep bonds that were created and cemented quickly. He had damn near sacrificed his entire existence to save Sakura, he was devoted to Rin in every sense, and Rider's feelings for him were…. complicated but strong. They made it work…

And Shirou could never thank them enough for that. Years after the war he had…come to terms with who Archer was and who he represented. The years of being subjected to the memories stored within the arm of his future self and made him witness all of which that broke him. It made him realize that his dream was not wrong…but that his sense of self was too weak to fulfill that dream. He needed people, bonds, that tethered him to life…a reason to LIVE and go forward. It was slow going and the reality was that he would never be "fixed". Shirou would always be a distorted man…but one that was surrounded by love and tried to reciprocate.

"I'm sorry wah?" asked Motoyasu.

"Oh yes" grinned Rin, her eyes gleaming with a dangerous glint "she is to."

Rider simply nodded, a wicked and sadistic smile that spoke of all the things she's done with Shirou came out in full force. Motoyasu's jaw dropped along with Naofumi's.

Rin just grinned darkly, thanking whatever deity ruled this place that she could stop that infernal jackass's flirting. She got enough of that from money hungry assholes at the clock tower.

"But…that…how!?" demanded Motoyasu.

Shirou shrugged. Sakura just giggled as she patted Shirou's arm.

"So" scowled Shirou "what does everyone think about this whole…legendary hero business?"

"No, you are not changing the subject!" yelled Motoyasu

"I'm a little concerned not gonna lie" murmured Naofumi.

"Well the shield isn't exactly that good" preened Itsuki "all support and defensive skills, no attacks."

Shirou rose an eyebrow.

"Oh that's right" he thought "these two think they're in some kind of game."

It was utterly ridiculous that they thought of this world as such, but nothing he said seemed to change their minds about it. However, their disrespect against the shield was childish, not to mention it only fueled the younger man's concerns as Naofumi stared at the shield.

"Depends" said Shirou "shields by their nature are meant to defend yes, but that's not to say you can't attack with them. Many cultures around the world had combat arts that centered around shields."

Naofumi blinked, looking at the shield in a different way.

"Trust me dude" smiled Itsuki "the shield has nothing."

Shirou narrowed his eyes a bit, going unnoticed by the other "heroes". This kid…there was something off about him. Rin seemed to know as she just scoffed at the child, a glint of recognition in her gaze. He'd ask later.

"Regardless" said Shirou "we'll be working together for the future it would seem. I hope we can all get out of this safely."

"I'd rather not die either" muttered Motoyasu.

Motoyasu blinked at Shirou though. He was man enough to admit that he was intimidated by the more…athletic man. He fired a few jabs to see how the man reacted but he just brushed them off. In Motoyasu's book the guy was alright, besides the whole foursome relationship thing was just a joke right?

He knew he could be annoying when he flirted, the man wasn't that unaware…but he had to admit that was certainly a unique way to shut him down.

"Man, who knew the stubborn girl had a sense of humor!" chuckled Motoyasu.

Itsuki blinked and smiled. Rin just gave a dark smile as she chuckled away with them. Shirou began to shiver as Sakura comforted him. Rin was already painting a picture of how she wanted to be seen by the world. It was high school all over again. However, the aura of annoying and forced pride that was coming off of Motoyasu had lessened considerably.

"Yea I guess" muttered Naofumi.

Naofumi looked at other two like they were morons. Did they not just witness the entire scene? The body language alone told the unusually observant man that the group was close…not to mention the sick little girl.

"Is…I'm sorry if I'm over stepping but will she be ok?" asked Naofumi.

Shirou blinked in surprise at the question. Motoyasu grew concerned as well as he looked at the panting youth. She was cute in a way, especially with those cosplay items. The poor girl.

"I've been wondering that myself honestly."

Itsuki blinked and bit his lips. He was never that comfortable around sick people.

"She's not um…contagious is she?"

Shirou smiled while the others grew a little annoyed. It was a bit calloused of the boy, regardless if it was a legitimate concern.

"No" said Shirou "she's just suffering from a genetic disorder. We were with her when this whole summoning situation occurred. Don't worry you'll be safe."

For some reason Itsuki felt like he would be. The adults back home were all…in it for themselves in a way. They always made promises and offers they never kepts, his own parents especially. Yet, the older man's expression was kind and understanding. He gestured for the others to sit as he took a seat beside Sakura. Rin took a seat at his left while Rider disappeared, not at all comfortable leaving Ilya in her condition in the open. Shirou knew that she was bringing them to the rooms they all had.

"I can't help but ask" said Shirou "but why do you two think this is a game of some sort?"

"Dude weren't you listening?" chuckled Motoyasu "It's just like the game back home. The same setting and everything."

"So…does that mean you know how these weapons work?"

"For the most part yea" chuckled Motoyasu "the only ability I got right now is weapon copy though since that's the first function you get in the game."

Both Shirou and Naofumi blinked as a small red and green box respectively opened up in front of their eyes.

Weapon Copy

The ability to copy the form and function of any other "Sword(?)"

"Interesting" murmered Shirou "so the weapons evolve on their own?"

"In some cases yea, but most of the time you feed it materials" said Itsuki "if you get the sands from the hourglass you can teleport!"

Shirou blinked, his expression becoming impressed. He smiled at the younger man. He sensed the unease the youth had. It must have been hard being summoned to such an environment, ripped away from your family and friends. Shirou attempted to ease the boys suffering, as he saw it anyways.

"Really? That's incredible to know, thank you Itsuki. Perhaps we should all make our way their tomorrow if its close."

Itsuki didn't know why, but the smile from Shirou's face made him feel warm. His own father was…disappointed in his lack of powers. In his world Espers were a common sight, individuals with unique and incredible powers, and all Itsuki had was…well accuracy. His father and mother were never around and when they were Itsuki could feel their constant disappointment, no matter how much he succeeded. His friends were much the same. They called him a try hard or an attention seeker for all the accolades he collected in his academic career. It was why he loved the feeling of being praised. When Shirou smiled at him…it made him wish it was his father that did it…Itsuki pushed the feeling away, not really understanding why he felt so safe with Shirou, nor why he was even feeling this in the first place. It was definitely weird to the younger man.

Sakura smiled at Shirou, a small blush on her face. For all of her "husbands" faults, Shirou was actually excellent with children.

It was the people his own age that he had issues with.

Motoyasu nodded.

"Good thing the shrine is right here in the city. If I remember correctly its usually in the center, we can go looking for it."

"A dragon shrine?" asked Naofumi "that sounds important."

Motoyasu nodded, his memory being jogged.

"Yea its super important man, it tells you when the waves come."

"Waves that split open the sky with a bunch of monsters" clarified Rin.

"Yup. Gotta kill the boss monster to shut the rift."

"…I'll believe it when I see it" grumbled Rin.
"Rin, honestly" sighed Sakura "you could stand to be a little nicer."

Rin rolled her eyes. Her patience for people died a brutal and agonizing death with her time spent at the clock tower.

"So" asked Sakura "is there anything else we should know about the weapons?"

"Hmm…oh right you can't equip anything but the legendary weapon. You get a nasty shock when you do" sniggered Motoyasu "At least according the lore anyway."

Shirou blinked. If he hadn't heard about weapon copy he might have faltered in his expression. If his noble phantasms couldn't be copied…than they were without a resource in a world they knew nothing about.

"Oh and the weapon's development is dependent on the user apparently" he continued "a bunch of bull if you ask me. Just something to spice the story up a bit, there's only a few functions and gimmicks to the weapons to being with and they all unlock at certain levels on their own."

Shirou narrowed his eyes. Best not to go with the "hope for the best" approach. With Rin and Sakura here, Shirou knew that the sword would be figured out in no time.

"Hmm…"

The older man looked outside and smiled. It was a beautiful night, filled with stars that you couldn't see in the city.

"It's starting to get a little late" smiled Shirou "I think its time we all go to bed. We have a few places to check out. I think it's best we all stick together as much as we can. We know next to nothing about this world."

Rin glared at Shirou, knowing exactly what he was doing. Sakura simply smiled, knowing full well what her man was like.

Shirou smiled as he got up, noticing that Itsuki seemed exhausted while Naofumi was constantly checking to see if he was dreaming. Sleep was for the best. Tired minds wouldn't be able to handle any additional stress…

Even if they all looked fine to Shirou anyways. Weren't they all too comfortable with this? Regardless, Shirou needed time to digest all of this himself…and the implications of what happened. He bid his goodnight and left with the others, all of them going to the room that was assigned them. When they arrived and shut the door Rin simply gave Shirou a blank stare.

"…..What?" asked Shirou.

"You know what" sighed Rin "Shirou if this goes badly, we can't baby sit those other three."

"Rin…we can't just leave them alone."

"We can certainly leave them alone!" she grumbled.

"They're not exactly…"

"Say it" chuckled Rin "One's an idiot who thinks with his dick, the other is a child, and the third is constantly in denial about what's happened."

"They're not that bad" smiled Sakura "although I could do without Motoyasu's looks."

Shirou felt for the briefest of moments a white hot rage. Alas the devastation of the fire in his youth and the trauma it brought dulled the sensation considerably. But as the years went on Shirou learned to express those emotions more effectively, however little there was of them.

"I won't let him near you Sakura, not if he's acting like that."

Sakura just giggled as she shook her head.

"I can take care of myself Shirou."

What went unsaid was the fact that everyone was terrified of Sakura doing exactly that. The poor boy wouldn't survive. She wasn't violent by any means but her smiling visage as she verbally destroyed whatever poor soul couldn't accept a no was…

The details were unnecessary, I am sure you all can guess as to what happened.

"But seriously" grumbled Rin "we can't constantly be looking after those three…not when we have to take care of Ilya."

Rider, who had placed Ilya on one of the two large king beds within the makeshift room simply frowned.

"…Rider".

The monster goddess turned to Shirou, her eyes questioning him. Already she seemed defensive.

"You don't have to explain anything right now" smiled Shirou "I'm just happy Ilya is ok. I told you to tell me only when you were ready. I meant that."

Rider blinked…and than a small unnoticeable blush creeped into her cheeks. Damn that inhuman man and his understanding…

"Then again it would take someone like Shirou to even feel for something like me" thought Rider.

Rider stared at her hands, something occurring that only she knew about.

"I think its time for sleep" muttered Shirou "Ilya has already fallen asleep and I think we should follow. The earlier we wake up the better."

"We learned quite a bit about that sword" muttered Rin "that one guy said it could copy any weapon right?"

Shirou nodded.

"Lets see if it can copy a noble phantasm?"

Shirou rose an eyebrow and shrugged. He placed the legendary sword down and traced Konshou and Bayakuya. The swords of the nameless archer were now his own. They had assisted him many times in batt-

BZZZT!

Shirou jolted as the two phantasms dropped from his hand, a massive electric shock rocking his body. A small red screen appeared in Shirou's vision.

The hero cannot equip any other weapon but the "Legendary Sword"

Rin blinked.

"Huh so that's actually a thing"

"oh dear" whispered Sakura.

Shirou stared at the twin blades a rush of worry entering his system. He couldn't wield his magic? Shirou took a breath and picked the legendary sword back up. Suddenly he felt the sword shimmer with magic and the noble phantasm got scanned by the legendary sword.

Kanshou and Bakuya

Quality: Masterpiece

Base Attack: 150 x 2

Equip bonus: Duel wielder (unmastered). Attack + 40. Speed +25. Defense + 35. Stamina +20. Additional 45% damage against {Monsters}.

Unique abilities: Attraction

Proficiency: 0

Rin blinked, looking at the Kanshou and Bakuya on the floor and the ones in Shirou's hands.

"They're better" muttered Rin "it seems the holy sword's copies aren't degraded."

"…"

Rin blinked…and than a small dark chuckle began to echo as Rin absorbed the fact of what just happened.

"Hey Shirou" smiled Rin sweetly "lets try a few other things shall we?"

Shirou swallowed and nodded.

"No".

Shirou blinked.

He turned around and noticed that Sakura had been busy setting the room up. The younger sister simply pouted at the older one.

"You know how you get when you start experimenting Rin, we'd be up all night. This is the first time in a while that Ilya is feeling better, not to mention that were all here together now. Lets sleep and deal with everything tomorrow. Besides, you look exhausted."

Rin scoffed, but the bags that were beginning to form under her eyes said a lot.

"Fine" grumbled Rin.

Shirou smiled as he took of his shirt. Rin just bit her lip as she stared at his back, her expression conflicted. The scars Shirou had over his body did indeed heighten his image as a warrior…but it bugged her how he got them in the first place. Either way now wasn't the time to rehash an old argument. Rin blinked only now feeling the exhaustion set it. She yawned as Shirou took off his clothes fully.

"Didn't realize we were banging" chuckled Rin.

Shirou rolled his eyes as he climbed into bed clad in underwear.

"I doubt you'd want your clothes to smell tomorrow."

Rin opened her mouth and than closed it again. He wasn't wrong. It wasn't like they teleported with an extra set of clothes. Shirou climbed into bed, Sakura quickly forcing Rider into Shirou's side. The Gorgon looked at her master with shock, only for Sakura to smile demurely.

"You look like you need it" she smiled.

Rider, for all her strengths and power, and one glaring weakness.

She adored cuddling. It was something she never experienced in life but something she vehemently denied as well. Still though, she climbed in without a thought and rested her head on Shirou's broad chest. The sound of his heart beating lulled her to sleep. Sakura smiled as climbed in as well, taking Shirou's other side.

Rin crawled in, laying her head on Shirou's stomach. She was always cold at night, especially now. The body heat of four people enough to keep her warm. It was weird. Their entire relationship was weird…but damn it if it didn't work. Sakura was going to pay though.

Rin wanted the damn arm spot.

Sakura was the next to sleep, her snoring adorable but noticeable. This whole event had been stressful for all of them.

"We have to be careful you know."

Shirou tilted his head to look at Rin.

"We can't simply force our way through this, not if we want to keep them all safe."

"I know" sighed Shirou "we can't trust the king or those hooded mages."

"Not a chance" agreed Rin "I honestly want to leave and just be done with it but Rider's right. We need information. Tomorrow I'm going to have the king take me to the library. I'm going to try and get as much information on their history and magic as I can…maybe Zelretch sent us here for a reason."

"….you think so?"

"Zelretch is the biggest pain in my ass" grumbled Rin "but he admittedly doesn't do things without a reason…unless this is all a thoughtless prank, which he does often."

Sakura's snoring stopped and her hand caressed Shirou's face.

"Sleep" she commanded.

Shirou sighed and smiled. He jolted a bit as Rin's face snuggled into his uh…"package" shall we say.

"Rin!" he whispered.

The devilish girl chuckled as she simply laid on his body, a grin spreading on her face. Shirou smiled, his body warm. So long as he had them by his side, he knew he would never waver. The first goal was Ilya. The clock had essentially restarted and they now had more time and a whole new world of possibilities to try. He would not fail…he would save her.

The second was finding a way home and helping the people here if needed. For all Shirou knew, the waves were the way home and being sent back was only possible by clearing them. He hoped not, but knowing his A rank luck that was probably the case.

As the world of sleep beckoned for Shirou, the sword in human form couldn't help but sigh.

Life was never easy for a hero was it?

END

Feels kind of short to me, but things start to build up in the next chapter! Besides I wanted to give you guys a taste of what this story will be like and there's a lot more to come don't worry XD. Now for those of you wondering about Shirou's interactions. I've decided that Shirou is basically a meddler. He gets involved with people's business in order to "save" them. He actually cares about their health and survival and as such is expressed in different ways. For Motoyasu, whose main flaw is his libido and overall idiocy with regards to women, he views Shirou now as kind of an ok guy. Itsuki and Naofumi are the two big ones though. I've always viewed Itsuki as a desperate child, who craves to be special and unique. To be loved and adored. I decided to stem this from the fact that his powers aren't very spectacular and as such he would be a disappointment to his parents. It's why he pushed himself constantly to succeed in school but in the end only alienating himself from his peers. As such when Sakura expresses genuine concern for him and Shirou displays actual authentic appreciation for him, Itsuki drinks it up, quickly developing a bond with the two, albiet unknowingly. If this makes things go better or worse, well you'll have to find out. Naofumi is the biggest mystery though and it will be addressed in the next chapter as more of the discrimination against him becomes apparent. How will Shirou and the others react to the King's decisions and actions? Well, till next time for you guys to find out! The next update is Arcane Craftsman and then The Ultimate Weapon. So, it will be a time before the next chapter will be updated. However, if there are per say, issues, with The Ultimate Weapon, I may delay it for one more update cycle. However, that is all dependent on my planning and how its going. Till next time guys!