A/N: Dang this is a long one, welp I sure hope you're ready for this one! From last chapter, I knew a majority of you guys got it right on who the old man was, though to those who guessed wrong... I... can't really say anything about how y'all got to that conclusion. One more thing, I noticed a few reviews in Spanish, though I am flattered that I am getting recognition from a lot of others other than English readers but while I am decent in understanding Spanish it's been a LONG time since I had used it so can you please put them in English so I don't feel like I'm reading a short review for 5 minutes in another language please?
Anyways without further ado here's the next chapter!
Chapter 2: Flashes and Dreams
The past few days have all been a blur to Emiya Shirou, all he remembered was his name, native language being Japanese, and that he was supposed to be seventeen… and actually look like it! Now he looks like he lost two years somehow, woke up in a hospital bed, and then became a last-minute housemate for a girl he just met… Shirou swore he could hear someone chuckling at his expense, he wasn't sure who would but he could feel that someone was.
During those few days, true to his word the old man and Houki would actually discuss the paperwork for buying the property in his hospital room every afternoon, sure Shirou did put in some input here and there, but what actually caught him off guard was the actual price. The price of the property was thirty million yen in total, and yet Houki just paid for it right then and there. Shirou asked how she got the money, "My sister," was her only reply, and would avoid the subject entirely after.
If the days of having two strangers in the hospital room talking about real estate weren't strange for him enough, every night he would dream of the hill of swords. While it was initially strange to the auburn boy, it felt oddly familiar to him, a land with nothing but swords as far as the eye can see accompanied by an ominous cloudy sky above. Every night he would find himself walking through this strange wasteland of swords, but he would occasionally come across swords that stood out and sometimes other simple weapons. Shirou felt like he had seen all of them before from somewhere, but when he tried to think of how or where he couldn't. That is until he came across a few that seemed familiar to him.
First, he came upon a spear, however, it wasn't an ordinary spear. The first thing Shirou noticed was that it was red and the pole handle was covered in barbs. Thinking about where he had seen it before, Shirou saw a flash of a blue short-haired man wielding the spear, but it was pointed at him! Shirou then woke up from that night, slightly haunted by that spear.
Next in his dreams, he came across a lone sword, it was intricately decorated of blue and gold on the hilt and the bottom of the blade, and among the intricate decorations were red gemstones. Unlike the spear from before, this time Shirou felt more relaxed and calmer around this sword. Thinking about the blade some more he got a flash of a young but somehow familiar blonde woman in a grassy field pulling the same blade out of a stone. Shirou woke up shortly after, slightly confused. While at first, he thought the flash was a memory of him, but then when he thought about it, the flash was more about someone else. The young blonde woman. Shirou then tried to focus on her which only resulted in a small headache as a result. It was clear to the boy that he shouldn't push himself and try to force his memories to come back, and instead to let them come back naturally, no matter how sad it made him feel.
Those nights to Shirou were still fresh on his mind, even on Saturday, the day when he was finally able to leave the hospital. Both the old man and Houki actually came the morning Shirou was discharged, when he asked why the old man replied with a rhetorical question, "Well I am going to show you the property aren't I?" He also handed Shirou a small box, "Open that once I move out." the boy simply nodded.
Shirou really couldn't argue with that one considering he really had nowhere else to go. The old man had brought his car with him as they drive to the property would be shorter compared to just walking. The drive was relatively quiet though comfortable, Shiou rode in the front with the old man while Houki opted for the back seat. Looking through the windows of the car Shirou looked at the passing buildings and traffic, though while it kept him occupied, none of it seemed familiar to him at all. Shirou could tell it was still Japan, but it still had a slightly futuristic twist like the occasional holographic billboard here and there, and a few of the buildings had a sleek and smooth appearance to them.
When the car pulled up to the property, Shirou felt like he had definitely seen the property before. Even when Houki and the old man showed Shirou around, it all felt familiar to him and he found it slightly unsettling for him, though he never voiced it out loud. The dojo was almost through with repairs, and only needed a few touch-ups but also the old man was already in the process of moving out of the property, he would only be taking his clothes and some other personal belongings; everything else like small appliances, shelves, and other things he couldn't fit into his car he decided to leave it behind. The complex was practically move-in ready.
It was almost noon when Shirou finished touring the massive complex, to him the place definitely had a sense of familiarity to him, but outside it felt… out of place, like the complex itself didn't seem to belong here compared to the other large houses surrounding it. Yes, the property did have its own plot in the neighborhood, but that fact that it seemed to stand out compared to the rest due to the architecture style was what seemed off to Shirou. It was as if someone had placed an odd puzzle piece and made it fit unless one looked close enough.
He only contemplated for a little bit before the old man had prepared lunch, after which he offered to give Houki and Shirou a ride to the shopping district to get supplies, for which the auburn teen was reminded again all that he had were the clothes on his back. Reluctantly Shirou accepted, and spent the majority of the afternoon getting more clothes for him, as well as essentials, during this time he was able to learn a bit more about Houki as well.
"So Shinonono-san, what exactly made you want to get such a large property in the first place?" Shirou asked while browsing through the shirt selection in the current clothing store the three were in, the old man was elsewhere in the store while Houki was nearby looking at a few clothing options herself.
"It's more of a personal reason really," Houki answered too quickly and Shirou knew that topic was out of the question.
He then switched to another topic as he grabbed another blue and white long-sleeved shirt, "What about a favorite hobby?"
"I practice a lot in Kendo actually," she responded as she continued to idly browse through.
"Kendo, huh…" Shirou reached for a few pairs of blue jeans.
"Yes, my father owned a dojo so I practically grew up around Kendo."
"What about school?"
"Oh, I go to the I.S. Academy, I'm currently in my first year actually."
"I.S.?" Shirou asked curiously.
"It's short for Infinite Stratos."
"Um… but what is an Infinite Stratos exactly?" Shirou heard Houki's movement stop, looking behind him, he saw the girl giving him an 'are you serious' look from the clothing rack she was looking through. The boy's response was to give an embarrassed smile as he lightly tapped the side of his head hoping the girl would get the message. She did, and her eyes widened and Shirou swore he saw the girl go through four emotions at once: Realization, embarrassment, depression, and finally back to being her serious self before looking through the clothing rack once more.
"An Infinite Stratos is a type of powered exoskeleton initially meant for space travel but later became used for recreational activity and sports." Houki simply explained.
Grabbing a black t-shirt Shirou then asked, "Space travel to sports, why the major change?"
"Initially the Infinite Stratos was not received well when it was created at first, that was until someone hacked all the world's military missiles and launched them all on Japan, that is until a mysterious white I.S. took down all of them. Since then the interest has gone up for I.S. tremendously but after that incident most countries have entered a treaty that an I.S. will not be used for war and the resources for it must be distributed equally."
"Sounds interesting, wonder if I could pilot one," Shirou muttered the last part as he grabbed another shirt.
Houki did hear Shirou's muttering and was about to retort but then stopped herself. The I.S. was designed to only be piloted by females, and males were not supposed to. Keywords, 'not supposed to'. The main reason she held retort was due to a certain childhood friend she was rooming with back at the academy was a male. "If Ichika was able to activate an I.S. let alone pilot one, can there be other potential male pilots out there?" It was something the girl had to think about another time as the old man came back from whatever he was doing in the store.
Currently, the old man was carrying two shopping bags with him, the contents inside unknown to both teens. "Well, I think I have gotten what I need from here, what about you two?"
Houki only shrugged, and when both she and the old man turned to Shirou, the former gave a deadpan stare at the boy considering his selection of clothing. Shirou only had grabbed a few pairs of blue jeans, two blue and white long-sleeved shirts, and five t-shirts of which three were white and two were black.
Seeing her stare at the clothes he selected, Shirou could only shrug in response, "It's just my style."
A chuckle and a facepalm were heard outside the clothing store.
It wasn't until a few hours later that the group of three returned from shopping, though it was more or less Shirou who needed it the most. While Shirou did buy some essentials like toiletries and such, his picking of clothes was for lack of a better term… bland. While it wasn't against any law to get multiple of the same clothes, the problem was that Shirou did not seem to get anything else except for the simple style he was drawn to. Hey, people have their own styles and preferences, clothes included.
Dinner seemed to have come and gone, though for Shirou it seemed to be more of a disgusting nightmare. The old man suggested getting fast food, and to the young boy… it was definitely something he would not want to eat again at all.
"All of that grease…" Shirou shuddered at the burger he had to eat, the amount of fat and oil used in that monstrosity still sickened the boy even a while after eating dinner. The boy then made a mental note to figure out where a supermarket would be to actually get ingredients to cook with… which made him feel slightly confused yet reassuring, "Definitely something to look into later, but for now I have to organize all of this first." Shirou looked at the bags he was holding under his arm, some were of simple toiletries as well as the clothes he selected, he added another mental note to find a way to pay Houki back as she paid for all of it.
Sighing he was walking to another part of the main building where the other bedrooms were not too far away from the main living room area, while the master bedroom was on the opposite end of the hallway where the old man was currently staying at and where Houki would be on the weekends once the dojo was repaired and the old man moved out.
Once Shirou reached the doors that he was certain where his room would be, he slid them open, inside the room he saw a small knee-high table in the center, a drawer on the right to put his clothes in, and a small futon on the left meant for one person. Shrugging, Shirou then walked over to the drawer and started to organize the small number of clothes he had gotten. It only took a couple of minutes when Shirou finished and had decided to prepare to turn in for the night, and after a quick shower and brush, Shirou was in his room futon for the night. Houki already left earlier to go back to the academy so it was just him and the old man on the complex for tonight. It took Shirou some time to fully relax before sleep finally took him…
"When will you teach me magecraft?" a young auburn-haired boy asked impatiently, "You said you would teach me about it!" The boy was currently sitting legs crossed on what was a wooden floor.
"Alright, alright I suppose I can teach you some things…" a man replied in deep thought, though most of his face was obscured, what could be seen was the spiky black hair and the gray kimono the man wore and he too was sitting across from the boy. "I guess I need to tell you about Magic Circuits before we begin." the man started.
"Magic Circuits?"
"Magic Circuits is what makes a magus perform magecraft. Think of it like another nervous system, the nervous system in our body allows us to move and operate, Magic Circuits allow magi to perform magecraft."
"Do I have magic circuits?"
The man froze when the boy asked this question, then simply replied, "Why don't we find out and see." The boy simply nodded.
"Close your eyes, and take deep breaths to calm yourself." The boy complied, closing his eyes shut, and took a few deep breaths. The man himself had taken a few deep breaths himself but held out his hand and placed it on the boy's shoulder.
Focusing to send a small bit of mana to the boy, the man took a few more deep breaths to do so; it only took a few seconds before the man saw green circuit-like lines appear slowly on the boy's body. Giving a small smile the man simply spoke, "Open your eyes."
When the boy did open his eyes, he saw the few green circuit lines that were on his arms, the boy's eyes filled with wonder and awe.
"Seems like you can be a magus," the man removed his hand off of the boy and the green lines started to recede and fade away. "Then it seems I can start moving onto actually telling you how to actually perform magecraft."
Though the boy was initially disappointed in seeing the lines that he associated with magic circuits fade away, he did give the man a slight nod. The attention of the young child was still enamored with learning magecraft.
"First you must clear your mind, a magnus must always have a clear mind when performing magecraft. One wrong move and you can hurt yourself… or worse..." the man said in a grim yet serious tone before continuing. "There's also the type of energy that a magus can use, the energy of the world or Prana, the energy of your own surroundings or Mana, or the energy within yourself or Od."
The boy seemed puzzled by those strange terms the man spoke, so the latter explained.
"Prana is usually only used for a magus workshop to conduct experiments with their magecraft, using it for any spells or magecraft outside of a workshop is extremely difficult if not impossible. Od is meant for small spells, something like firing a long-range shot or reinforcing your own body with it; magi usually call Od the Lesser Source, as the energy within yourself, though a good amount Od does not compare to Mana. Mana is called the Greater Source, and usually is used for the more advanced and more complex spell of magecraft; usually, magi use the Od within themselves to start the spell and then use Mana to continue the rest and even prolong the duration of the spell."
Now the boy was starting to be overwhelmed by this explanation, there were three types of energy, and that along with what the man said so far was starting to go over his head.
Noticing the boy's dilemma, he spoke, "We should probably focus on one first, Od as it's usually the starter for using simple magecraft as well as activating your Magic Circuits on your own. So first we must find a mental trigger for you to activate those circuits."
"Mental trigger?" confusion already plastered on the boy's face.
"Think of it as a way for you to activate and perform magecraft when you want to, though a mental trigger differs from one magnus to another."
"Oh, what do you think mine would be?"
The man gave a small smile, "That is for you to figure out on your own..."
It seemed a week had passed and the boy was focused on trying to find a way to activate his magic circuits. Whether it was from seeing passing cars to even watching paint dry he would not back down from quitting to learn magecraft, and it seemed that he finally found one at the end of that week.
"I think I found my trigger!"
"Oh, and what would that be?" the man asked.
"Uh… I think it was the back of the gun moving… I don't know what it's called…" the boy looked down on his lap in embarrassment.
"I think you mean, firing a gun, specifically the hammer which is at the rear of a gun," the man smiled a bit after explaining, while this boy is still very young, he still needed to expand his vocabulary.
"Oh…" the boy seemed to somewhat understand what the man said, before taking a few deep breaths and focused on a gun being fired. Thinking on the rear of a gun, the boy imagined himself was the one holding it, and when he pulled the trigger…
"Well I'll be, it seems that you have indeed found your mental trigger for your magecraft," the man sounded surprised but still held a small smile.
"Does this mean you will teach me magecraft now?!" the boy asked as his eyes were filled with excitement and anticipation.
The man let out a small chuckle, "Yes, yes it does."
The boy could not contain his excitement anymore. It was like he was given the best gift ever on Christmas and this gift would be one he would cherish.
"I think I should teach you about Reinforcement first," the man said.
"What does that do?"
"Reinforcement is more or less enhancing an object of certain properties. An example would be a rock, usually, rocks are durable and with Reinforcement, you could actually make the rock harder to withstand more damage from either you or something else entirely. If we used Reinforcement on something different, let's say a lightbulb, then instead you would make it shine brighter when turned on, as that is the main property of the lightbulb."
"I think I get it, but what should I use Reinforcement on?"
"I suggest we start with something small," the man hummed before he noticed something on the ground nearby and quickly picked it up. "How about we start with this leaf first, once you get used to reinforcing small items like this then we can go to slightly larger ones and so on."
Nodding the boy took the leaf from the man and held it in his small right hand, making sure to hold onto the leaf so it would not blow away. Taking a deep breath the boy closed his eyes and started to focus. The gun appeared in his head. Another deep breath. The hammer was cocked back. He started to focus on the leaf in his hand. The gun fired.
"OUCH!" as fast as the slight pain came, the boy opened his eyes wide and dropped the leaf… as it was burning and turning into ash. Shaking his hand back and forth to stop the burning sensation he felt his eyes water a bit, before a hand on his shoulder brought him out of almost crying.
"Magecraft isn't simple and easy to get on the first try Shirou, it takes time and practice," the man said sagely. "The reason the leaf was turning to ash was that you put too much of your Od into it. How to use Reinforcement properly is to take into account the size, as well as the structure of the object, putting too much of your prana, can cause it to break or worse, and too little would result in a small difference or no change at all in the object's main property."
"I think I get it now…" the young Shirou replied, now rubbing his right hand with his left.
"Ready to try again?" Shirou simply nodded. "Well I'll get another leaf from one of the bushes, you can take a small break until I come back with one." The man then stood up and started to walk off to the nearest bush. While the man was away, the young Shirou then turned back to his right hand, though the pain from the burning leaf went away, he felt that his arm felt a little numb for some reason. Maybe it was a side effect of putting too much of his Od into the leaf as his dad said.
Shirou started to open his eyes, the natural light from the window shining into the room started to make him rise slowly. As he sat up in his futon his eyes widened as the dream… no memory he saw came back to him, he then looked down at his left hand and then his right that was in a cast save for his fingers then clenched them. It was worth a shot. Having a goal for the day he walked out of his room and into the main living area where surprisingly he saw the old man with a few bags in hand in the small kitchen area.
"Oh, you're awake my boy, I just came back from the store to stock up on the fridge for the last time since the dojo will be fixed sometime this week. Are you hungry?"
The small rumble in his stomach was Shirou's only response, making the old man give a hearty chuckle.
"I guess that settles it, I can whip up something simple for breakfast, in the meantime there's the television if you want to watch something," the old man pointed to the flat screen on the other side.
Shirou was about to, then thought about the food, currently being stocked up in the fridge. Looking down at his hands once again, then the fridge, and finally thinking about what he might do in the future before going to bed that night. Shirou decided what he wanted to do first, "Actually is it alright if I cook breakfast this time?"
The old man stopped and looked at the auburn-haired teen warily, "Are you sure, that cast of yours isn't going to come off in a few weeks, and are you sure you can cook considering your condition?"
"I'll only need help in cutting in the very least, but I can definitely manage," Shirou said with confidence.
Seeing that the teen made up his mind, the old man could only simply shrug. "Well alright, but I will help if the task requires two arms," he ended the sentence with a smirk like he made a pun, Shirou's response was to tilt his head in confusion.
Though the meal the duo prepared for breakfast was simple to make, the old man admitted it was even better than what he could've made at all much to Shirou's relief. Who would've thought mixed rice and grilled fish tasted so good according to the old man.
After eating breakfast Shirou decided to go around the complex finding a place to see if he could test his possible abilities. Knowing that the dojo was still being repaired, he decided to go into the one place that seemed to be isolated enough for him to test them, the large shed. Deciding to pull off a few small leaves from a bush he passed by on the way, Shirou entered the two-story shed. The interior was mostly empty, there was a step ladder to the second-floor deck, and there were several tools and shelves lining the wall. Though it was dark, Shirou was able to see a light switch. Flipping it, he saw a few lights in the ceiling turn on brightening up the room slightly. Rummaging around the shelves he saw a large tarp, with it Shirou laid it out on the dirt floor and then walked to the center of the tarp and sat down.
Taking a deep breath Shirou laid out the few leaves he grabbed, five in total. Picking up one at random he then recalled what he could remember in those dreams or possible memories of his. Clearing his mind and closing his eyes he imagined the gun, focusing on the leaf in his left hand he imagined the gun in his mind focusing on the hammer once more. The gun fired.
"Ah!" Shirou dropped the now burning leaf as the same in his dreams, it started to burn away. It at least confirmed Shirou one thing, he had the powers of magecraft from what he remembered it was called. Feeling the slight numbing in his arm he decided to go for another leaf and try again-
"Wow, a week away and you already forgot the steps of Reinforcement already?"
Shirou blinked a few times, that clearly wasn't his voice in his head, whoever it was they were definitely older and used a snarky tone.
"Think for once, you don't make a magic circuit!"
Deciding to humor the strange voice in his head for now, Shirou thought back to what the dream/memory was and recalled when the man in his dream tried to see if the young Shirou had circuits or not. It was then Shirou realized that he did, looking back on it he had the circuits already on him. Maybe he had to focus on a path for his energy to travel through the magic circuit he had then to the leaf? It was definitely worth a shot.
Finally holding his second leaf Shirou cleared his mind once more but this time instead of reaching out to the leaf he focused on his arm. Shirou then 'felt' multiple straight pathways that seemed to reach the leaf. Deciding to use that first, Shirou imagined the loaded gun once more. Taking a deep breath, he then focused on the pathway in his arm to the leaf. The gun fired once more.
Feeling a slight warmth in his fingers Shirou opened his eyes and found the leaf was starting to smoke, then the tip of the leaf had a very small but noticeable flame. Shirou's eyes widened as he shook his arm back and forth to snuff the small flame. Once the flame was out he then noticed that his hand had a small green line that gave off a very dim light. Shirou gave a small smile in victory.
"Congratulations, now you need to regulate how much prana you need to put into an object to avoid breaking it," the snarky voice returned, ruining Shirou's mood slightly.
Reaching for his third leaf, Shirou then concentrated like the last two times, however he imagined the loaded bullet to have not as much gunpowder compared to how he originally imagined the gun…
On his final leaf did Shirou see the fruits of his labor. The leaf Shirou held now felt more rigid and harder to bend. Shirou found that the more he practiced the easier it was for him to use Reinforcement on the leaf. Looking out the window, Shirou saw that the sun had reached about noon. He needed to eat lunch as well as start looking for bigger objects; small leaves could only go so far in helping him learn about his powers or well magecraft.
Standing up and leaving the shed, Shirou walked back to the main living room area of the complex again where he saw the old man sitting by the TV watching the news. Taking a glance at the television Shirou saw it was some sort of inventor being interviewed on television, however she seemed really hungry and was consuming a red bean bun… Shirou could only blink at that absurdity.
"Ah my boy, I was about to go around looking for you, I had made some simple sandwiches that are on the counter. I had already eaten lunch not too long ago," the old man told Shirou before turning his attention back to the screen. Shirou took another glance at the television, it seemed the inventor on screen calmed down and was explaining some invention meant for aviation on gliders. Not really being interested, Shirou went to the small counter and saw a plate of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, grabbing another plate from one of the cupboards he grabbed three sandwiches and a napkin. Shirou then walked out once again to the shed, grabbing a pebble on the way.
Once inside the shed once again, Shirou placed the plate of sandwiches on the tarp before rummaging around the shelves for other objects to test out his magecraft with Reinforcement. Within a few minutes, he found a rock that was about the size of his hand, a metal rod, a rusted knife, a dated newspaper, a wooden dowel, and a small plate of metal. Quickly eating one sandwich Shirou started to begin with the small pebble and continued his self-training on Reinforcement…
It had only been a few hours when Shirou only went through about half of the items he picked around, all he had left was the newspaper, the metal rod, and the knife left. So far the hardest item he had used Reinforcement on so far was the metal plate he found as it was not only the largest item to hold onto so far it was pretty thin. Using Reinforcement on it was useful as the plane was more durable and harder to make a dent or a scratch which Shirou took note of. Seeing that it was getting late, Shirou decided to leave it at that, eat a small dinner that he had to make for himself and the old man, and call it a night.
The next day seemed to have gone by quick for the auburn-haired teen. From what Shirou was able to observe using Reinforcement on most of the objects he gathered was more of increasing durability. However, when it came to the rusted knife, not only did it seem easier for Shirou to use Reinforcement on the object itself but also the knife's blade became sharp, sharp enough that it was able to draw a small cut when Shirou thumbed the blade. The most confusing one for Shirou was actually when he decided to reinforce his lunch, another PB and J sandwich courtesy of the old man. Turns out Reinforcement was able to make food either taste better and be more nutritious when applying the spell, although Shirou was initially confused he decided to roll with it in the end, Reinforcement goes for a specific trait on an object after all. That night it seemed more would be revealed to the auburn teen.
"I think I'm getting the hang of it!" a younger Shirou exclaimed, holding the reinforced leaf.
The man seemed impressed by his son's progress; it seemed that it took only a week for young Shirou to get the small basics of Reinforcement down. "You seem to be catching on quick for the small fundamentals of Reinforcement Shirou, though there is more to it."
"What do you mean?" Shirou asked curiously.
"Well as you get older you can try to use it on bigger objects, considering the amount of Od you have, a small object like a leaf or a small pebble is what you can reinforce, but with practice and as you grow you can definitely move on the larger objects."
"Oh ok…"
"However, Reinforcement is not the only thing you can learn right now," the man said with a small smile.
Shirou's eyes widened in excitement, "There's more…?"
Nodding at Shirou's wonder, the man continued, "I think next should be Structural Grasping."
"Structural Grasping?"
"Structural Grasping or Structural Analysis is like the analysis of the object," the man stated, "Think of it like looking at something complex like a toaster and seeing how it works and the individual parts that make it. You use structural grasping to basically see the blueprint of that particular object. It is also helpful for repair and checking the condition of equipment or tools if something is or seems wrong with them. You can also see the material composition as well as the history of that item."
Shirou seemed confused, "You mean there's more to a toaster than simply making toast?"
The man blinked a few times, then gave a small chuckle realizing how naive Shirou was. "Yes, yes there is, a lot of tools and machines we use have a lot more to them than their intended function. You'll learn more about them as you grow older." Shirou simply pouted in response. "Anyways, I think a single yet simple object might be a good start," the man took out a plastic fork from behind him. "I think this will do nicely, now be careful Shirou, Structural Grasping takes more of your Od than Reinforcement so be careful."
Nodding in slightly better understanding, the young Shirou grabbed the plastic fork out of the man's hand. Holding the plastic utensil in his right hand once more, Shirou was wondering where to start. Noticing the young boy's dilemma the man explained, "When you focus on the object for Structural Analysis you focus on the object's structure and design."
With one nod, Shirou then began to concentrate once again. Focusing on the fork in his hand, but also making sure he kept his prana output to a minimum he started to think of looking at the utensil's structure and design. In Shirou's mind slowly the black void in his mind slowly began to fill with a simple wireframe of the fork he was holding. Once the layout of the fork was formed, Shirou learned about the small details of the fork, and even the smallest but barely noticeable defects. The boy also learned that the plastic that made up the fork was more complex than he realized, let alone the process of making it. "I think I did it, though I still don't understand why I need to learn the smallest details of objects let alone its history and composition…" Shirou said, finally opening his eyes.
"Once you're older you'll learn to appreciate it more for the more complex tools and appliances," the man said simply.
"Like the toaster?"
"Like the toaster."
"Anything else you can teach me dad?" Shirou asked the next day.
The man seemed to think for a little bit, "I think all that's left I can teach you is Gradation Air."
"Erm… Gradation Air…?"
"Gradation Air, also known as Projection, is using your own prana to create what you can put your mind to."
"So, I could make anything?" Shirou asked with wide eyes.
"As long as it is a non-living object, yes," the man replied, "however Projection does have its limitations. While you can create what is on your mind, it isn't part of the natural world, so eventually, it will be erased either by time or you would dismiss the projected creation you made with a simple thought."
"How long would the projections last?" Shirou asked curiously.
"Depends on how detailed you are, the greater the detail, the longer the projection lasts." the man replied sagely. "You have to take into account the materials your object is made of as well as its design, that's how detailed you need to be. We can start with something simple, why not try the plastic fork, considering that you had learned Structural Analysis with it, it might be a good start for you."
Shirou nodded, closed his eyes, and started to focus, recalling the blueprint of the dreaded plastic utensil to create his first projection. Thinking of what came up first about the plastic utensil was the material. Okay, it seemed to be made of white plastic, that's a start. Now how was the fork created? An image of a heated injection mold came to mind when Shirou used Structural Analysis on the original utensil. Seemed simple enough to the auburn-haired boy. Deciding to focus on his open palm, the shape, the structure, the material, the measurements, and the process of the plastic fork to form onto his hand.
The man was calm, looking at Shirou with a patient gaze, but noticed the young Shirou's hand began to form small blue motes of light on top as it began to come together and take shape. A few seconds later did the blue lights from into a white plastic fork. Shirou opened his eyes, looked at his hand, and his eyes widened in slight surprise. The man chuckled, "Well considering you had used Structural Analysis on the fork, I had a feeling it would come easy to you."
"Is that why you taught me Structural Analysis first?" Shirou asked.
The man simply nodded, "While I could have taught you the spells in a more acceptable order, I think that these spells could go hand in hand. If used correctly it could prove beneficial as a magnus when you seem to have nothing on you. While magecraft is a tool magi use, it is the mind of the magi themselves that make it being used in many ways optimal."
"Wow…"
Chuckling slightly the man simply continued, "Now I believe there is one final thing I should tell you."
"I thought you said Projection was the last thing you can teach me," Shirou's face scrunched up in confusion.
"It is but I think I should at least leave a few pointers for you first," the man started off. "While I did teach you some magecraft spells you should practice them as it will not only help with your efficiency of casting these spells, but it can reduce the amount of energy needed to use them. Another thing is probably to use a trigger phrase."
"Trigger phrase?"
"Think of it as a simple way to start up your Magic Circuits quickly when needed, like your mental trigger to activate your magecraft. A trigger phrase can help improve your efficiency in casting magecraft overall."
"Hmm, I wonder what that would be…"
"That Shirou is for you to find out, but you have more time to grow and improve your magecraft, so don't rush it," the man simply replied with a small smile on his face.
"I won't dad, I promise," Shirou gave a smile in return, that is until a low rumble was heard from the man.
"Huh, I guess it is around lunchtime," the man chuckled.
"I think today calls for a good meal!" Shirou started to stand up, "I think this occasion calls for hamburger steaks!"
The sunlight began to peek through the window for Shirou, as the teen began to open his eyes once more. More dreams of small memories seemed to resurface, considering how Shirou was able to use this so-called magecraft he suspected he should try the new spells he dreamt about with his… father. Shirou's mouth seemed to frown from that thought, he had a father, the question was what exactly happened to him. Shirou wasn't sure if he wanted to find out as a small sense of dread seemed to fill his mind before he shook it off. It was a new day, and he at least had something to occupy his mind with.
A quick yet healthy breakfast later, Shirou once again headed out to the shed once more. After scouring around the shelves, he found an old blender and a small dusty analog radio. Setting the two objects on the tarp, Shirou then sat down in the middle of his 'work area' once more. Thinking for a minute he then decided to start with the small radio first. Taking the small rectangular device in his left hand he began to concentrate; he began to slowly focus his magic energy into the radio for using Structural Analysis on it. Once going through the steps of using the circuits correctly Shirou then began to see if he could learn more about the radio when using the spell. Shirou made sure that he didn't put too much of his prana into the radio for risk of possibly breaking it, and then after a few seconds of waiting patiently the teen was starting to see the radio's blueprint in his mind. At least it was a lot more interesting and complex to look at compared to a dreaded plastic utensil. Looking at the analysis of the radio he saw that the batteries were all that needed to be replaced. Stopping the spell, Shirou then placed the old handheld down to the far end of his little 'workspace'
Moving onto the blender Shirou had to be careful with this one; since he only had one usable arm, Shirou only had to move it closer to him. Touching the blender and focusing his energy on it, he was able to see the blueprints and Shirou noticed that the blender was really old, but also the motor itself needed to be replaced due to wear and tear. Looking into the analysis more in-depth, a few other minor things Shirou noticed were wrong with the blender, though they were small, heavy usage could make it worse. Dismissing the spell once more Shirou knew that using Structural Analysis was indeed a success.
Now Shirou had to try out Projection, he wondered what he could try to project. Thinking about it the auburn-haired teen wondered if he could bring out some of those weapons he dreamt of on the hill of swords while in the hospital, at least the simple ones. Mulling about it, Shirou decided to go for it, he first thought of a plain basic sword. The first that came to mind was one mostly made of iron; its handle was covered in leather.
Thinking of the blade's history Shirou thought of how the sword was formed. Iron ore heated in an old stone furnace one used by a blacksmith of old.
Next was the structure of the sword and its composition. The melted iron, molded, hammered, and cooled forming the actual blade. The grip of the handle wrapped in leather, the crossguard made of silver and iron. The blade itself is straight and sharp to the touch.
Finally beginning to bring the sword from his mind to the real world. To Shirou it seemed familiar to him doing this process, it felt like it was second nature like he had done this many times before. Not really giving it a second thought, he uttered two words that seemed natural.
"Trace, on…"
Feeling the single magic circuit he activated so far, Shirou began to see blue motes of light start to form on his hand. Forming his hand over a handle that had yet to exist, Shirou witnessed his prana he used to form from blue light into the exact blade he thought of in his mind! Standing up amazed at his work Shirou started to swing the blade with caution. The weight, the shine, and the sharp blade he saw were all there, down to the last detail in the leather handle. Seeing the success he had done, Shirou smiled at his own progress, though a thought came to him. "Could I trace one of those weapons?" Shirou thought to himself, referring to the ornately decorated blade as well as the ominous red spear he saw on that hill of swords in his dreams. He then saw the current sword he held. It might take a similar process, but Shirou might be able to.
Deciding to give it a shot, Shirou sat back down and dismissed the simple iron sword away. Sitting crossed legged once more he focused on the intricate sword he saw in his dreams. Thinking of the blade once more Shirou found himself on that hill of swords once more, and the ornately decorated blade embedded in the ground in front of him. Walking up to it he slowly grabbed the handle of the sword. At once Shirou's mind was flooded with the history of the blade. The creation of the blade coming from a king who wanted to unite a kingdom. The blade being blessed by some wizard before being embedded into the stone. A familiar blonde woman was seen removing the sword from the stone many years later…
On the outside world, Shirou was struggling to bring the blade into existence, his current active circuit being unable to take the toll of using this much prana at once to bring the projection out. However, Shirou refused to give up and began to force more prana to trance the projection.
"Trace… on!"
The magic circuit on Shirou's left hand began to slowly spread from the palm to the rest of his body, once circuit became three, then five, seven, twelve, twenty, and finally twenty-seven circuits on his body flared up. Focusing more on the sword's image, Shirou was determined to trace the intricate sword he saw in his dreams.
Though only thirty seconds passed, to the auburn-haired teen it felt longer, that was until Shirou finally brought the intricate sword from his mind into the world. Taking a few deep breaths to slow his rapidly beating heart, Shirou took a good look at the sword. The blade itself shined silver and gold, the hilt and pommel dominated with royal blue and decorated lightly with more gold and the crossguard was of the same color scheme. Though the sword looked more of a decoration, Shirou felt the power inside of the blade.
Shirou also saw the flashes play into memories that are not his own, but it seemed more of the sword's history. The sword was a blade forged by a king who had the idea of uniting people under one great kingdom to defeat their oppressive invaders, yet it lost the master it once called king. The sword became blessed by a fae magus and was enchanted to choose the rightful heir to the throne of Camelot with the blessing of the fae themselves, embedded in stone, waiting for its next worthy wielder.
The Sword of Selection, Caliburn.
Shirou also had a name of who would draw the sword, the young blonde woman again was seen drawing the sword to take up the responsibility to lead her kingdom.
Artoria Pendragon.
While Shirou was entranced by the sword he did not notice the presence outside looking into the work shed. Beforehand the old man seemed to be writing a letter in his room before feeling something was off, he went to go check it out and saw the young boy, Shirou, trace a very special sword. The old man was also in slight awe of seeing the intricate sword as well, before long he snapped himself out of it. Now knowing the source, the old man simply decided to let the young teen be and quietly walk away smiling slightly as he did so.
Word Count: 8,094
Updated on 8-15-2022 for slight changes. Caliburn IS the Sword of Selection but it was also called, Sword of the Victorious which is VERY similar to another NP. So I changed it to just be the former title.
A/N: So obviously if you guys know the writing contest deadline is actually tomorrow, 10/20. With the pace I'm going I won't be making it by that date considering I am underneath the word count, and I haven't even mentioned the character I need in this story at all. But that won't deter me from writing this. I'd rather write a good story than rush something to meet a deadline that's for fun only. In other news with IRL coming into full swing in the form of university this quarter as well as getting some work experience, my free time is extremely limited now... RIP me I guess. So please be patient with me as I try to make time to write. Lastly, I am gonna put a poll on my profile about Shirou's Tracing in terms of well... bladed weaponry (I'll explain more in the poll). Anyways, if you enjoyed the story leave a review of what you think, constructive criticism is always appreciated!
P.S. One small easter egg I left in this chapter as it is a small reference to a light novel/dating sim game. If you can point it out in the reviews, that'll be amazing.