117Shirou stood frozen.
In his hands, the recommendation letter from Nemuri—no, Pro Hero Midnight—shook slightly as he reeled back in shock. His eyes were glued to it like a fly in a honey trap, unblinking.
He took a deep, shaky breath and started over from the top, reading the letter from start to finish. And then a second time. Then a third, just as he'd done for the letter before.
There was no mistaking it. It was a recommendation letter. A recommendation letter for one of the most prestigious hero schools in the country at that. And it was addressed to none other than him.
Suddenly, Midnight's previous disclosure made a lot more sense. It was all part of some plan of hers, one which he was admittedly struggling to understand right now. It was outrageous. It was desperate. It was… something he needed to clear up instead of wasting time trying to pick it apart.
"I'm… going to step out for a while."
Gil glanced away from the TV momentarily to give him a sidelong look.
"Do as you wish," he scoffed. "Far be it for me to tell you where you can and can't go."
Shirou returned a puzzled look at the Servant's unexpected sass but didn't think any deeper on it. He wasn't going to waste time trying to understand where Gilgamesh's attitude was coming from when there was something much more important on his plate.
He snatched up his wallet and pulled on the first jacket he could find, before leaving the apartment.
Shirou needed answers and for that, he needed a phone. Since he wasn't one to spend their limited funds on one when he ordinarily had no use for one, it would have to be a public one. The question was, how does one go about finding one in a future world where mobiles are so prevalent?
In the end, his worries were for nought, as he managed to find a public phone fairly quickly. Despite the changing times, it seems that Japanese society still saw some use for what many would see as redundant tech.
Pulling out the letter that had been burning a hole in his pocket, Shirou dialled the number and put the receiver to his ear. The dial tone repeated once, twice, then… click.
"...Hello?"
A cautious greeting.
"Midnight? It's Shirou Emiya."
Then, a delighted gasp. "Emiya, boy! Oh my, calling me so soon~? I see you got my letter."
Inwardly cringing at the slightly suggestive tone, Shirou kept his voice deliberately level.
"Yes, I did. To be honest, I was quite taken aback. Was your offer serious?"
"Hmm? Of course it was, why do you ask?"
"Well, despite how out of the blue it was, it seems quite extreme. Is this really necessary?"
The pro hero tutted at him. "The question you should be asking is, is it going to be enough? The world doesn't take these vigilante-type acts lightly anymore, boy. Anything less than this and we probably won't be able to dissuade them from taking more… drastic measures. You don't want that, do you?"
"Of course not," Shirou sighed. "But I fail to see what the plan here is."
"Then let me explain it to you, shall I?"—she paused to clear her throat—"Think of it like this: for the last few decades, the world has suffered from a massive surge in crime due to the emergence of quirks and so far, an effective solution has not been found. Multiple services have been neglected as governments focus on more 'pressing' issues, sentences have been increased and dozens of PSAs are released every year, all in an attempt to stem the tide of villainy.
"But it's not working. We're all just treading water, waiting for the wave that's going to wash over our heads. Would those same governments then want to allocate their limited resources to deal with a troubled teen? Or would they better serve in battling hardcore criminals?"
"I guess they have other priorities…"
"That they do, boy. But that doesn't mean they can just do nothing either—and that's where we come in. We can offer them another way. If we can not only can we keep you out of the judicial system but also turn you into an asset… doesn't that sound appealing?"
"Yes, but I doubt it's as simple as that."
"You're right, it's not like we can just sign you up and they'll forget anything happened. Certain reassurances will have to be made… monitoring, regular reports and the like. They already put a tracker on you, yeah? They'll keep a close eye on you for a bit, but assuming there are no further incidents then they should let up enough for you to live normally again. However, should there be any further incidents…"
"...Then they'll have no choice but to take it further," Shirou finished. "Still, that's surprisingly reasonable."
Thinking about it, it was rather fortunate that for all the publicity that incident drew, his identity wasn't made widely known.
"Can I take that as a yes?"
Shirou inhaled slowly. "You can take that as interest. But first, I have to ask… what are the chances this works out? And if it does, what happens next?"
"There's no guarantee they'll accept this. But with enough pressure, I think they'll cave—after all, the principal himself has told me he's willing to support me in this."
Well, that was a surprise. To think this plan wasn't just something Midnight concocted on her own.
"If our proposal is accepted, we'll begin preparations for your admission. This will involve no small amount of paperwork, interviews, several rounds of quirk counselling—nothing you haven't been through before"—not only had he not been through it, he wasn't even sure what it was—" But clearly some revision is in order. Then, if all things are well, you will be admitted at the start of the next school year as one of our recommendation students."
"Recommendation students?" Shirou questioned.
Midnight hummed. "It's as it sounds, they're students that have received recommendations to be enrolled in UA."
"I don't know if I like the idea of entering UA that way. It feels like I've cheated someone out of a placement."
"Receiving a recommendation is by no means a free pass, Shirou. You would still have to undergo written and practical exams as well as take part in an interview with a member of staff. We will expect more from you than we would other students and you will have to fight to avoid being surpassed by your peers. If anything this will only make your life at UA more challenging."
"...Can I have some time to think about it?"
The sounds of distant voices came over the line. "Ideally I need an answer by tomorrow. The officials have held off from taking action at our request and for the moment are just keeping an eye on you because they don't see you as a flight risk, but there's no saying how long that will last."
"Okay, I'll give you my answer tomorrow morning then."
"Alright. Ooh, not too early though! I have classes from nine to eleven. Ta ta for now~"
With a click, the phone went silent. Shirou returned the handset to its cradle and started making his way back home, his mind just as unsettled as it was before.
When Shirou arrived back at the apartment, he found it much the same as he had left it: clean, if still somewhat shabby. The walls were still mostly adorned with that tacky wallpaper, but large swathes had been stripped away in order to tackle the mildew festering underneath; the carpet was no less threadbare than before, but was markedly less stained than it was a week ago; and while the furnishings had definitely seen better days, at least they weren't dusty anymore.
There was one notable difference though… the conspicuous absence of the recommendation letter, which Shirou had left on the kitchen counter. A quick investigation revealed that it had migrated over to the living area, where Gilgamesh still perched and into the Servant's hand.
"...I'll give it to you, you know pick yourself up out of the dirt at least," Gilgamesh jeered, though without much venom. "Have you always been so closely acquainted with charity?"
Shirou wordlessly shut the door behind him, momentarily channelling some of his mana into the door to reinforce it as was his new habit, then crossed the floor to snatch the letter from the Servant's limp fingers.
"So? How will you respond?"
"I'm not sure yet."
"Not sure?" The Servant asked, incredulous. "Is this not the opportunity you've been waiting for? The opportunity to pursue your ridiculous dream has been handed to you on a golden platter and you're hesitating?"
Shirou grimaced. "It comes with a lot of strings attached."
"Strings, be damned!" Gilgamesh shouted, leaping to his feet. "Strings or chains, when has that ever mattered to you?! Until now you've stubbornly bludgeoned your way through whatever stands in your way, what's changed?"
"Everything! I don't know if you've noticed, but this isn't our world! We're alone in an unknown place with no way back and no hope of help on the way. I can't afford to make snap decisions, I have to think things through from every angle, I have to…"
Gil's face hardened. "I see… so this is the extent of your resolve. I expected more from the one who—"
He cut himself off then and slowly sat back down.
"Suit yourself. I thought you might manage to achieve something, but clearly, I was mistaken."
Gilgamesh said nothing more after that—rather, it was as if Shirou had ceased to exist. Not a word was said between the two of them until late into the evening when Gilgamesh retired to his room for the night.
Thus, Shirou was left with nothing but his thoughts for company and a big decision to make. As he laid out his blanket and pillow on the sofa, he reflected once more on the events of the last few days.
…What a mess.
One snap decision had snowballed out of control, leaving no obvious avenue of escape. At least, none that wouldn't lead into another treacherous alley.
Ideally, he would be able to backtrack and reset things to what they were before. But going back wasn't possible, he could only move forward and face the forking path that lay in front of him: to become a criminal on the run or a bird in a cage. Both options had their benefits—namely freedom versus opportunity—but also came with unforeseen pitfalls; innumerable and indiscernible.
While Shirou thought himself versatile enough to deal with most threats, there were a lot of unknowns out there in the world and he was self-aware enough to know he wasn't infallible. Sooner or later, Shirou's luck could run out… and he could meet a ghastly end.
He'd already had enough close encounters to know just how easily that could happen. Even if he knew he would die one day, he wanted to make sure he died for a reason.
What awaited him was that hill of swords. But as for how he reached that place… was there really just one answer? Could there be multiple paths that would lead him to that end?
Which path did he want to walk?
What was the shape of his dream?
What sort of hero did he want to become?
Just a few days ago, his answer would have been a nameless vigilante, but… what about being a pro hero? Someone who openly defended his ideals of peace and justice, surrounded by adoring fans?
Truthfully, the thought of that much exposure did not appeal… recognition was neither his need nor due. What he yearned for was not accolades or monetary compensation, but that his actions each day would lead the world towards a brighter future. A future where nobody cried.
Ah… it really is as simple as that, isn't it?
He suddenly felt quite silly.
There had only been one question all along: would this give him the best chance of achieving his dream?
Without a doubt. And therefore, there was only one answer.
He had to plunge forward and grasp that future with everything he had.
How ironic it was that he was only able to come to that answer because of the man who had tried to kill him not so long ago.
Shirou smiled ruefully and closed his eyes contentedly. He had made up his mind.
He would take on the chance presented to him, no matter the cost.
Somewhere above him, the stars were inching their way across the sky, ushering in a new dawn.
It would take him three years of studying, but Shirou Emiya was ready to become a hero.
Braving the morning sun, Shirou found himself standing before the same public phone for his scheduled call with pro-hero Midnight. Staring at the phone for a few moments—it wasn't like he was nervous or anything, he was just mentally preparing himself for what was to come!—he finally picked up the receiver, dialled her number and began to wait.
Within a few seconds, the call was connected.
"G-good morning Midnight. It's Shirou Emiya."
He was welcomed with a silence long enough for him to become aware of his all-too-sweaty palms and the quickened beat of his heart, but then came a brief greeting.
"Good morning, Emiya. I trust you've made your decision."
Strange... wasn't that the first time she had called him by his surname? From the moment they'd met she'd been overly familiar, either calling by his first name or an inappropriate pseudonym. Maybe she was just a little bit nervous too.
Shirou took a deep breath to steel himself and then finally replied:
"Yes. I still have plenty of questions, but I've decided to accept your offer."
There was a pause.
"I see. Well, that's good news. Would you like to discuss it now, or shall we meet up so I can fill you in on the details?"
Realizing that it was a valid question, and likely one he should have thought of himself, Shirou hurriedly responded.
"Ah, for something like this, I think it's better face-to-face."
"Agreed. Are you free this afternoon? There's a trendy place not too far from your place where it wouldn't be strange for a young man to be seen meeting up with an older woman~" she joked. "Plus, they offer discounts for pro-heroes."
"...Don't you have work to do?"
"Eh, I'll have a word with the rest of the faculty, see if we can't shift some things around. Trust me, there won't be any problems."
...Once again, Shirou was taken aback by just how far U.A. seemed willing to go to bring him under their wing.
Midnight rattled off the address for the place where they were going to meet, which Shirou hastily wrote down in a small notepad he had brought just in case and she hung up without waiting for a response.
Still reeling from the abrupt cut-off, Shirou blinked owlishly at the touchscreen, where the words 'Call Ended' flashed on repeat, then returned the handset to its cradle.
Well, I guess that's that then.
Then, all that was left to do was figure out where he was going...
Shirou checked the address he'd written down, stepped away from the phone and made his way to the cafe.
The place he was headed to was a small, cosy cafe on the corner of a side street in the city. Rows of pastel potted flowers lined the outside of the building and from the fresh smell that greeted him as he stepped through the door, it seemed that it had been recently renovated. Though the lunch rush had passed, the place was surprisingly busy.
Shirou quickly grabbed an empty table by the window. He was early, but he was too anxious to simply wait outside. Over the next few minutes, more and more people started trickling in. However, none of them was the person he was waiting for. In fact, he was waiting long enough that a waiter eventually came over to take his order, at which point he had to awkwardly explain that he was still waiting for someone.
Thankfully, Midnight arrived not long after, shooting him a smile the moment she laid eyes on him.
"Sorry for keeping you waiting," she said as she took a seat opposite him. "Have you ordered?"
Shirou shook his head. "No, not yet."
"Okay, I suggest we order drinks at least. We may be here a while."
After flagging down the same waiter who approached Shirou earlier—who showed a brief instance of surprise when he realized this was who Shirou was waiting for, but was professional enough to hide it quickly—they ordered something to drink and some sides to snack on while they talked. Shirou was hesitant to order more than a glass of water at first, conscious of just how little money he had to his name, but—
"Don't worry about the bill, I'll cover it."
—is what Midnight said, to which he reluctantly but gratefully accepted.
"So, how did you manage to alter your schedule?" he asked.
Midnight gave a sly smile. "It's nothing too elaborate. I just spoke to the principal and he said to leave it to him. Everyone's quite excited to welcome you to U.A., you know."
Shirou shifted awkwardly in his seat. "Ah, I see. Well, thank you for organizing this."
Midnight waved away his gratitude. "No need to thank me so quickly, we still have to discuss the details. And you still need to pass the recommendation exam. They're not as competitive as the standard exams, where there are three hundred applicants or more for every placement, but you'll be competing with the cream of the crop. Don't let your guard down."
Shirou's eyes hardened. "Don't worry, I won't."
Midnight cocked her head slightly, meeting his unflinching gaze.
"I see," she said finally, smiling faintly. "Seems I was worrying for nothing. Still, attitude will only get you so far, so let's go over what you need to know."
For the next hour or more, the two continued to hash out the details. There was still much to do before Shirou could even be officially enrolled, like getting him an ID so he wouldn't be deemed a foreign entity and running him through a quirk counselling course to show that his misdeeds were being addressed. Then, last but not least, there was the ultimate hurdle of getting admitted to the top hero school in the country.
The conversation was finally coming to an end when Midnight leaned back in her seat and sighed contentedly.
"I think that covers about everything," she began, "Unless you have any more questions for me?"
"No, I think that's about everything… if anything else comes up, can I call you again?"
"Please do. We're expecting a lot from you, it wouldn't do for you to fail at this point."
Shirou smiled gratefully. "I won't let anyone down."
At that, Midnight stood up abruptly. "Well then, with that settled, I have to get back to class. It was nice seeing you again, Shirou."
"Same here," he replied, standing too. "Thank you for everything you've done for me."
Midnight nodded her head. "I'm sure we'll meet again soon. Stick to your studies and good luck with your entrance exam!"
And with that, Shirou headed home, feeling a newfound sense of purpose and determination. He had been given an opportunity and he was going to make the most of it.
Chapter 5 - End
It has been 84... I mean 2 years (nearly).
Greetings y'all. As you may have guessed, I'm not dead, but I've definitely been absent. You know already that I was having issues with writer's block before this, but not long after I last posted I managed to get back into work and unfortunately, having 45-50 less hours free time a week puts a bit of a damper on one's motivation and energy. Doesn't help that said job is not going great atm, but maybe that just means I'll soon be in a different job where I'm happier and maybe more inclined to write? Who knows.
Anyway, I ultimately ended up finishing this chapter using ChatGPT, as after months of chipping away at it and not making much progress, I needed some major help putting pen to paper (metaphorically) and unless I can find a co-writer willing to give me a kick up the ass and/or write some chapters, our future AI overlord is gonna be my wingman.
Here's a fun little game, can you spot the point in the chapter where the AI joined the crew? Closest guess nets you... nothing, there are no prizes. But I will be impressed if anyone gets it right.
Onto other news, I'm happy to announce the arrival of our first patron, WOOHOOO! Special thanks to Pyromania101 for supporting my fic-writing journey.
Anyway, will try to get back to updating semi-regularly now, but no promises.
Any questions about the chapter/fic, or suggestions? Leave me a review, or pop into the discord (link in profile). I may also start responding to reviews by answering in my profile, or writing reviews myself or something... not sure what the best way to do it is tbh.
Till next time.