Shirou had a dream.
He stood on top of a grassy hill, overlooking the burning city that was formerly known as his home, Fuyuki City.
The destruction had come to his city.
Red skies hung above him ominously. Fire raged across the land, consuming buildings and lives alike.
A beautiful sight, yes.
This was the hell where he earned salvation from an unexpected person. Emiya Kiritsugu saved him and granted a new life that Shirou appreciated so much, despite the hardships he faced later in life.
He stood in the middle of fire, watching the man crying silently, holding the body of a little him. His appearance didn't look so different from his current one.
Kiritsugu hugged him close, clutching him tightly. He was sobbing uncontrollably, shaking violently.
The hazard and broken man murmured something repeatedly under his breaths and it was getting louder with every passing moment.
"Thank you… Thank you for surviving… Thank you!"
Looking at them closely, Shirou could understand why his adoptive father felt that way. He managed to save his new family, so he knew how hard it was losing someone that he cherished more than his own life.
The scene changed.
Now he stood atop the barren hill with thousands of swords sticking out from its surface. He turned around to look at the black mud below him.
It felt empty, yet nostalgic for him. It wasn't only a graveyard for heroic spirits that lived a hero's life, but also where his origin was sealed.
"Trace... On."
He traced a blade.
Unlike most of the time when he traced, his image didn't overlap with Heroic Spirits whose swords he traced. It was a simple katana, a single edged silver sword without any fancy detail carved onto it.
He recognized the katana in his grasp.
Emiya.
This was his inner sword. His personal weapon. This represented Emiya Shirou, the magus he was. Its steel edge gleamed brilliantly under the dim sky, reflecting the light casted down by the moon.
Gripping it, he could feel something similar to prana flowing into his hands from the weapon. A connection with his inner core, establishing itself.
Then he heard a faint noise resounding around him.
"So you've decided to throw away your ideal." The voice laced with sarcasm and arrogance reverberated throughout the entire space. "How ironic."
He turned around to face the newcomer, whom he recognized.
Archer.
His Counter Guardian self stood in front of him, staring intently at Shirou, piercing through the younger man's resolve with his red orb.
Shirou returned Archer's gaze equally intensely, unyielding in his own way.
"I didn't throw it away."
He replied simply and truthfully.
"I simply change the scale."
Not the entire world, but the loved ones. Those he could reach within his hands.
"I see..." A deep sigh escaped Archer's lip as he pinched the bridge of his nose in disappointment. "Such idiocy coming from the same existence as me..."
"Don't interfere with my life."
A low chuckle rang out. "Oh, I won't. I had promised Tohsaka that I would try my best once more, afterall. No matter the circumstances, I won't go against it."
"Thanks."
"But really... I just want to warn you." He smirked. "That is the same choice that ended my path. Regret and misery. Betrayed and broken. Are you ready to walk the same path as me?"
Shirou didn't falter hearing the warning.
In fact, he accepted it readily. Even if this road was different from his original path, it wouldn't deviate too far from the end.
After all, he had died once. What was another life compared to that?
Even if this life would be his last, he would cherish every second of it.
"But I believe in those who struggle. I will protect them." Shirou said firmly, gripping his katana tighter. "Until I can see them safely return to their homes... Until the very end of my existence. I will save them all."
Archer stared quietly at Shirou's determined figure, seemingly finding the resolve admirable.
The heroic spirit disappeared soon, leaving behind no traces.
And so, he awakened with a groan. He could hear an annoying voice calling out to him.
When he opened his eyes, he saw Isshin's face which brightened with joy immediately upon noticing Shirou was awake.
"Thank god! You woke up, Shirou!"
And thus, the chaos began once again in Kurosaki's house.
***
A few days had passed after that day.
Just like usual, he sat in front of a metal pipe with his hand hovered above it.
However, unlike the usual, he managed to draw his power.
"Trace On."
Structural analysis activated, allowing him to trace the structure of the object and the history recorded within it. A projection began forming in front of his palm as Shirou concentrated harder on projecting his magic.
Although it was only structural grasping, he knew that this time it wouldn't fail. Slowly, the pipe started taking shape.
Like a clay formed by an invisible hand, its rounded tip gradually regained its smooth roundness until it became similar to the one on the ground. The process took him less than a second to complete, far faster than his previous attempt.
Shirou opened his eyes slowly.
'It worked.'
He didn't know what happened. But since that day when he protected his mother from being attacked by a monster, he could access a strange power within him.
Was it magic circuits? Shirou was far from a real magus to know about it.
The only thing he knew about his power was the fact it wasn't normal. It was stronger, stranger and far more powerful compared to his limited magic circuit in the past.
Heck, it could rival the magic circuits Tohsaka had given him to activate his reality marble.
'Let's check the details.'
He could sense his origin. Unlike before when it laid dormant inside him, now it responded eagerly to his calls. As a result, it became easier to grasp what his innermost core was.
He closed his eyes and tried to analyze himself, focusing on the source of his magical energy within.
Sword.
That was what his origin was.
Not a specific sword, but a whole variety of weapons with blades, like dagger and spears. Not limited to certain shapes or sizes.
Anything related to sword and bladed weapons was the center of his soul.
Shirou sighed, rubbing the temples of his head.
The knowledge he got from the previous life was still there, intact. The experience from Archer also didn't disappear. His arsenal of Noble Phantasms remained unchanged and Shirou was capable of tracing each one of them flawlessly, if he could provide sufficient power.
He let go of the metal pipe and it disappeared in a burst of light.
Then, he gazed upon the bed where Ichigo was still sleeping.
Fortunately the boy didn't sustain any injuries or any trauma.
Strangely, though, it didn't seem he remembered anything about the attack.
Also, he remembered the magic circuit-like glow around his mother's arms that night.
'Could she be a magus too?' Shirou couldn't help wondering.
It seemed like she also knew the monster that attacked them. They certainly were unnatural beings.
'I should investigate them later.' Shirou made up his mind and stood up.
First, he had to learn about his newfound ability.
For now, his investigation regarding those creatures and his mother's secret was set aside temporarily.
As for the magus... Shirou doubted there was any in Karakura city, judging by how peaceful this town was despite the numerous weird phenomena happening lately.
Anyway... time to go to school.
He approached Ichigo's bed and woke the boy up, greeting him with a cheerful smile.
"Morning, sleepyhead."
The orange haired boy groaned loudly and tried to kick him.
Shirou easily grabbed his leg and threw his brother out from the bed, making the poor boy squeal painfully upon landing on the hard floor.
"Eh!?" Ichigo jumped out from the ground and rubbed his back. "Oww~"
He glared at his assailant who shrugged nonchalantly. Shirou had the audacity to act innocent! He only smiled and put his hand on his waist.
"Let's get some breakfast. Mom's waiting."
Grumbling in annoyance, Ichigo rose from the floor. He yawned lazily before dragging himself toward their wardrobe to get a change of clothes. Then, they both left the room afterward to prepare for another day of boring school.
Or so Shirou thought when his father suddenly said something to him.
"Shirou, I need to check your condition today. I already called the school to inform them that you'll skip school today."
"Huh? Why? Am I sick?"
"No, no. You're completely healthy." Isshin shook his head. "But you know, especially after that accident..."
"Ah!"
It took Shirou a moment to realize what the old man meant by accident. Oh yeah, that day he fought against the monster. And his mother saw that.
He looked at Masaki, whose expression didn't seem to be any different than usual. Her warm smile reassured him that everything was alright, but she did worry about his condition.
"Alright."
*** Chapter end ***
A katana in his dream? Also, Archer?!
That bast- I mean Hero of Justice.
Now why is Shirou dreamed of Fuyuki City? And why did he stand on a grassy hill? He also changed the scale of his ideal, what did he mean by that?