6.5 months after meeting with Taiga
Kiristugu POV
As I gathered my belongings for my upcoming trip to England and Germany, my mind was consumed by thoughts of Touko and Illya. I knew I had to find any leads or rumors about Touko's whereabouts and, if possible, rescue my daughter from the clutches of the old golem in Germany. Time was of the essence, as the curse imposed by the Grail was slowly weakening my circuits.
The thought of Illya weighed heavily on my heart. I couldn't help but feel a profound sadness knowing that she was likely being fed lies about the war and believing that both her mother and I had perished. It was a betrayal on multiple levels, and I yearned to reunite with my daughter and reveal the truth. The lack of response to my letters sent to the Einsbern mansion only deepened my heartbreak and frustration.
While Shirou possessed extraordinary abilities that could be invaluable in my mission, I knew I couldn't bring him along. His existence had to remain a secret, for I feared that others would hunt him down to study his unique powers or subject him to a sealing designation. It was a risk I couldn't afford to take.
My now son, Shirou, was an enigma in every sense of the word. From his unusual eyes and the star-shaped birthmark to his remarkable ability to adapt and improve at an astonishing rate, he perplexed me. His manipulation of time and fate, a skill few could ever hope to possess, only added to the mystery. I meticulously documented every piece of information I gathered about his abilities, but it seemed that the more I learned, the more questions arose. His lack of connection to any renowned and powerful magus lineage only deepened the enigma surrounding him.
As I observed Shirou closely, I couldn't ignore the nightmares that plagued him each night, remnants of the cursed fire he had miraculously survived. The guilt etched in his eyes was unmistakable. He carried the burden of being the sole survivor, haunted by the belief that he had sacrificed others for his own survival. It pained me to see him suffer, but I knew that time and understanding were the only remedies for such deep-seated guilt.
What concerned me, even more, was Shirou's seemingly reckless disregard for his own well-being. I discovered that he had been practicing reinforcement on his own body, a dangerous practice that could have caused irreversible harm. I immediately intervened and banned him from such practices, emphasizing the need for him to fully master the basics of magecraft before attempting such risky endeavors. It was my duty as his father to ensure his safety, even if it meant restricting his actions.
Finding myself at a crossroads in Shirou's training, I pondered on what skills to teach him next. We had made progress with bounded fields, but he seemed to excel in that area on his own. I decided to focus on marksmanship, hoping to develop his skills in that discipline. However, it quickly became evident that he struggled immensely in this particular area. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't hit his mark. I theorized that his conflicting origins played a role in this apparent difficulty. I realized that dwelling on this issue wouldn't be productive at the moment, as tomorrow would be a long day ahead. With a sense of urgency, I finished packing my belongings and retired for the night,
the next day Shirou's POV
I woke up once again, drenched in a cold sweat, as the all-too-familiar dream of the raging fire replayed in my mind. I pushed aside those haunting thoughts and focused on my morning training routine. Within half an hour, I had completed my exercises and stepped outside for my customary run around Fuyuki.
As I jogged along, the path led me to the park that had just been completed the day before. It was meant to serve as a memorial to the fire, constructed at the very spot where the devastating flames had first ignited. There was an eerie atmosphere that hung over the park, as if it were still afflicted by a lingering curse, despite the passing of seven long months. A sense of unease washed over me, but I was drawn to explore further.
Intrigued, I decided to remove my blindfold and truly take in the surroundings. What happened next was beyond anything I could have imagined. As the blindfold slipped off, my perception sharpened to an unimaginable level. Every detail, every flicker of light, every insect and animal within miles became vividly clear to me. But what shocked me the most was the discovery that the entire park was shrouded in a dark and twisted aura. Sinister whispers assailed my mind, filling it with unsettling thoughts.
Pain Pain Sin Death Pain PAIN PAIN PAIN
PAIN PAIN PAIN PAIN PAIN PAIN PAIN PAIN
I couldn't deal with it any longer and shut my eyes hard. The revelations left me bewildered and shaken. I quickly replaced the blindfold, attempting to shut out the overwhelming darkness that seemed to permeate the very fabric of the park. There was a part of me that yearned to uncover the truth, to delve deeper into the mysteries surrounding this place. But for now, I needed to focus on my training and the tasks ahead.
With a deep breath, I continued my run, leaving the unsettling park behind me. The events of the morning served as a stark reminder of the path I had chosen.
As soon as I returned from my run, I sought solace in the soothing embrace of a shower. The warm water washed away the remnants of the unsettling whispers and thoughts that had plagued me earlier. Feeling refreshed and rejuvenated, I made my way to the kitchen to prepare breakfast.
As I cooked, I couldn't help but notice a system notification that had appeared earlier, as well as a new one that had just popped up:
The skill "The Six Eyes" has leveled up from 3 to 4:
The duration of using the ability is now limited to 4 minutes (80 minutes with blackout sunglasses) before the user starts to experience significant brain damage.
Perception has increased as well.
The skill "Cooking" has leveled up from 32 to 33:
Increases the tastiness of the food I prepare by 66%.
Enhances my knowledge and proficiency in cooking by 66%.
With plates in hand, I stepped out of the kitchen, pleased that my encounter in the park had contributed to the leveling up of my "Six Eyes" ability, even though it had only reached level 3 a short while ago. However, my excitement was interrupted by the sight of Kiritsugu placing a travel suitcase next to the front door.
Curiosity piqued, I couldn't resist asking, "Dad, where are you going?" He replied with a sense of mystery in his voice, "To England and later Germany." Naturally, I probed further, asking why he had to go. His answer was cryptic yet filled with a hint of secrecy, "I will tell you when I come back."
Realizing that he wouldn't divulge any more information, I inquired about the duration of his absence. He responded, "At least a month, but it might be longer. I've asked Mr. Fujimura to take care of you until I return." Understanding that there was nothing more to be said, I suggested, "Okay, Dad. Take care of yourself. Now, let's eat before the food gets cold."
We settled down at the table, ready to eat the meal I had prepared. Despite the lingering questions in my mind, I tried to focus on the present moment and enjoy breakfast together.
Before Kiritsugu left he emphasized the importance of focusing on the magecraft skills I had already learned, urging me not to venture into new territories until his return. I assured him that I would heed his advice and dedicate myself to honing my existing abilities. With his departure imminent, we bid each other farewell, and I watched him leave with a mix of concern and anticipation.
Left to my own devices, the rest of the day was spent in rigorous training and studying the school curriculum that Kiritsugu had diligently taught me over the past few months. Due to the unique challenges posed by my eyes, attending a regular school was not feasible for me at the moment. Wearing a blindfold in public would only draw unnecessary attention, so homeschooling became the temporary solution until I could comfortably wear my glasses without experiencing debilitating pain or risking further brain injuries.
After completing my training and studying, I attended to the household chores, ensuring that everything was in order. Time seemed to slip away quickly, and I realized it was already late. Tomorrow, Taiga would be taking care of me in Kiritsugu's absence, providing me with limited time to continue refining my magecraft skills. However, before retiring for the night, I couldn't resist checking my status.
Name: Shirou Emiya
Class: Magus
Level: 2 Experience Points: 6/100 Next Level: 94 EXP
Status:
HP: 200/200 (HP increases every level by 100)
Stamina: 1480/1480 (Recovers at a rate of 3.7% per second(changed to second cuz the only one that was supposed to be per minute was prana), scales with Endurance)
Prana: 640/640 (Recovers at a rate of 1.3% per minute, scales with Wisdom)
Circuits: Unlocked (27/27)
Attributes:
Strength: 25
Agility: 27
Endurance: 37
Dexterity: 19
Intelligence: 32 (from studying and learning and understanding his magecraft)
Wisdom: 13(from studying, solving a couple of complex puzzles he bought to find a way to increase this stat, and learning magecraft he managed to increase it)
Charisma: 27 (from helping people around Fiyuki while wearing his glasses of course)
Luck: -10
A smile crept across my face as I gazed at the familiar display of my stats. Despite the initial rapid growth slowing down, I continued to witness significant improvements in my abilities. I had become over 2.5 times stronger and faster than before the system's arrival. The thought occurred to me that I might even surpass Taiga in physical prowess, despite being half her age.
our training sessions had been few and far between in the past few months. Taiga's visits primarily revolved around enjoying the meals I prepared and studying English with Kiritsugu.
removing the thoughts I made my way to my room and retired for the night.
(sorry for the short ch this time I am currently planning out the next chapter to be mostly about Kiritsugu and the last ch was way too long 4.5k+ words I usually limit myself to only 2-2.5k each ch, anyway I'm planning to speed up the pace of this story a little next in the next chapters
also I am currently wondering if I should make touko help Kiritsugu by utilizing the events of tsukihime main plot (basically by a recon mission to find out what aoko is doing in that town) what do you guys think? anyway hope you enjoyed this ch please give me feedback and tell me if I f0-ked up in anything or if anything is confusing.)