Chapter 25: Decisions
As shirou practised the magecraft in the temporary workshops kiritsugu left for the city nearest to the winter castle.
While wandering around the bounded fields of the Enizbern family he thought.
< I will save Iliya from having the same fate as her mother, if Shirou's visions are something to go by there will be a holy grail war in the future.>
< sabre was likely unable to destroy the holy grail or the real body of the grail never was Iri. Shirou and Iliya I would make sure to make arrangements for you before my death.>
After wandering the warded grounds for 3 days and unable to find any breakthrough.
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Altair`s voice echoed from the satellite phone inside the hotel room. Checking the bounded fields of the room again kiritsugu said
"Altair I was able to to recover some documents as well as research papers from a backup workshop of that magus after a month of searching around."
"Thank you, my friend. I had belief in your capabilities. Now tell me the price for your such long-term efforts when you are supposed to be retired."
Said Altair without a change in his tone making the receiver uncomfortable.
"Stop trying to creep me out with your acting and yes I need you to get a job done in exchange for this much effort."
Not giving the scholar to talk the magus killer continued.
"I want you to connect me with a suitable crest tuner or crest restorer."
"So that time has come for you too, huh? With your damaged crest you need to rely on a tuner or restorer to pass it on."
Said Altair and then continued in a cheerful mood as if his previous gloom was a lie
"I will find you one so that you can officially retire and then you can visit me to drink."
Kiritsugu didn't reply but just smiled.
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After finishing multiple arrangements kiritsugu went to get shirou. They both left Germany a day later than the planned week.
By the time they reached fuyuki airport, it was already 9 pm, forcing the emiya family to eat in a restaurant and immediately sleep after reaching home.
The next morning shirou rushed to school after making breakfast. At the gate, he greeted Shinji who was brimming with energy and asked why was shirou absent. To which he replied
"I went with my dad on his business trip."
Shinji was still curious and as he was about to ask further issei came and said
"Kive emiya alone seaweed, let's go to class as it's already time."
Laughing at the outburst of Shinji when he was called seaweed head, the 3 boys merrily went to class.
During class, Shinji was acting strangely thrifty and shirou ignored him for the sake of his mental health. At lunch, Shinji dashed out of the room and shirou thought of peacefully eating his lunch.
Until he heard a sharp knock beside his table and turning around he saw Rin standing there and looking at him with an expressionless face, which shirou had come to understand was her angry face. Looking into his eyes she said
"Shirou emiya, follow me."
Shirou followed Rin to the rooftop, the whole walk was eerily quiet but shirou shook it off. Reaching the roof Rin threw 2 red and 2 green gems in 4 cardinal directions, establishing a simple bounded field she said
"You ran off to Europe without even telling me, what would you do if something happened to you."
"Of course, I don't care if you are imprisoned by the magus association. I am just asking as the second owner of fuyuki to keep track of Magis in my territory."
Looking at this behaviour of Rin, Shirou just smiled and held her hand as he sincerely said
"Tohsaka I am fine, you don't have to worry."
"Who was worrying about you, I was just doing my duty" she replied slightly flustered.
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After coming home from school shirou prepared the ingredients for dinner as he awaited Taiga. She was late by half an hour so after greeting him she pulled him into the dojo.
Taiga pointed out
"You must have practised a lot on the trip, your swordsmanship is becoming smoother and your instincts are developing. Good, let's take it up a notch."
Shirou enjoyed a thorough thrashing from an excited taiga that day and he moved to his room with difficulty as she went to his father.
Shirou took the supplements from the Miller family and then started meditating with a katana on his lap as he flooded the katana with mana.
As shirou flooded mana into the sword and his prana flowed through his body he slowly went into a trance.
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In a room filled with scents of metal, an indistinct figure could be seen by working. Shirou was unable to explain what he was doing, it was not like his visions nor was it like learning.
Some information came pouring into his mind. Shirou witnessed the man standing in a forge heating a piece of steel made from iron sand in a furnace fueled by coal. Shirou witnessed the man heating the steel and then shaping it then heating it again.
He saw the man continuously hammer the billet as it started flattening. Shirou felt the temperature of the room, the heavy smell of metal as well as the dedication of the smith.
He felt each hammer strike intimately as if each strike was being scanned and uploaded into his brain. Shirou witnessed the billett being drawn flat and becoming an irregular piece of smooth steel but flat.
Here Shirou's mind felt sluggish and he woke up from the trance. He felt his brain seemingly melting. The sensation of having burning coal poured into his cranium overtook his senses and his thoughts turned sluggish till he fainted.
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Kiritsugu after teaching taiga came to check up on his son only to find him fainted. He sighed with untold emotion. Looking at the child that he wished to and still desired to keep out of the moonlight world suffering under the load of the future, he felt as if fate was mocking the one named kiritsugu emiya.
He never was able to make up for his regrets as trying to make amends always made the situation worse for him. Moving away from his thoughts he picked up shirou and put him in bed after giving him a nutrient solution made by the millers and setting up a simple warning bounded field.
A week went by and shirou followed his routine. Now 3 children could be seen fighting in the forest.
Rin and shirou moved around the forest with mana flooding their bodies, strengthening them in response. Rin showing her talent and capability was easily overtaking shirou but just releasing a lot more mana.
This highlighted the difference between bloodlines as the quantity, as well as the quality of magic circuits, was superior in her allowing her to easily suppress the just-above-average shirou in both quality and quantity.
Shirou fired bullets while easily dodging fin shots fired by Rin. The back and forth was coming to a climax as Shirou`s mana-enhanced bullets collided with a Finn shot and exploded.
Shirou took the chance to fire 2 shots and threw his activated mystic code aiming at the immobile rin. Rin surprised shirou with her counter, she dashed towards him instead of dodging as he predicted.
She closed in on him took a martial arts stance and used her wrist joint to aim at Shirou`s stomach. Shirou in reflex flooded mana into his shina that he kept on his back and swung at at her shoulder.
Before the shinai could hit Rin a small blast of mana came from her elbow and her palm got planted in Shirou's stomach making him fall forward as kiirtsugu came and caught his shinai before it struck Rin.
Kiritsugu said
"Rin Tohsaka won."
Shirou and Rin listened to kiritsugu pointing out their flaws as well as pointing out the ways they could do better.
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At home, shirou sat in front of his father and kiritsugu asked with a serious expression.
"Shirou I am about to ask you something that you have to think deeply about before answering."
"Yes Father." replied shirou and kiritsugu nodded.
He then began explaining the case with Shirou's origin, the swords growing out of his body. The meaning of his visions and about the holy grail war that might happen in the future.
(A/N: I am moving the rest part of this convo from this chapter from here because it would be better to start the next chapter. And people can you recommend me source to understand the timeline of the case files, i just need to know the arrangements of events in chronological order.)