Shirou POV
It's odd I had thought being in the void of the afterlife for so long I would have thought I would have lost my ability to feel any kind of emotion.
Yet as I stared at my reflection in the bathroom mirror, I suddenly felt an unyielding amount of rage. I can't remember what I originally looked like, but I know for a fact that I was never a red headed Japanese boy with amber eyes with a slight tan.
That's right my friends I am now in the body of the local wannabe hero of justice in the making Shirou...Motherfucking Emiya said dumbass had finally killed himself after messing up on 'creating an artificial magic circuit.'
Worst of all is the fact I am now in the typemoon verse Heroic Spirits? Holy grail war? Zouken?King of heroes? Kirei Kotomine? nah those weren't even half of my main problems. No my three main concerns are Alaya, Gaia, and ORT.
In regard to Alaya it's mainly the fact that she may have some bullshit reason to try and kill me or force me into becoming a guardian, Gaia I am worried she may try to erase my existence since I am an anomaly, and lastly ORT when that monster wakes up it's basically the end of the world and I would rather not die again thank you very much.
There's all the fact that after this Shirou variant died, he left behind an echo or rather a lingering will of sorts that's been trying to integrate itself to my own soul however I like being me and would rather not have that suicidal idiot's thoughts and ideals mixed in with my own.
A faint feeling of indignation that wasn't my own filled my chest I clench my fist "don't tell me...what to do you brat!" I lashed out at the mirror causing it to shatter apart. My hand feels no pain the wounds begin to slowly heal back courtesy of Avalon.
I had to take complete control of this body before things spiraled further. The kid had attempted some half-assed method to use magecraft and paid the price for it. If I was going to survive in this hellhole, I needed to unlock his circuits properly—without killing myself in the process.
After calming my racing thoughts I sat down cross-legged on the bathroom floor, breathing deeply. Activating a magic circuit wasn't something to take lightly.
I closed my eyes, focusing inward. I could feel them, like dormant wires hidden deep in my soul. Shirou's magic circuits were still there, untouched—he'd barely scratched the surface before he died. They felt fragile unused but there was potential.
"Alright," I muttered under my breath "time to wake up, you lazy bastards," I mutter going through every kind of mental switch I could think of starting off with Shirou's original mental switch but no such luck, so I continued until I imagined a hammer forging steel "forge on," the words slip out without me willing to.
All at once my body heated up while the smell of ozone entered through my nose I exhaled "alright that worked now let's properly go through the steps of tracing shall we," I muttered although I wouldn't call it tracing any more since my chant is different, so I guess I'll rename it as forging.
Standing up I quickly headed over to the kitchen grabbed a knife and started the tracing process "analyze begin....forging process begin judging the concept of creation, hypothesizing the basic structure, duplicating the composition material, imitating the skill of its making, sympathizing with the experience of its growth, reproducing the accumulated years, and lastly excelling every manufacturing process," a bead of sweat goes down my face as I focused on all the steps until finally an identical kitchen knife appears in my grasp.
I frown looking at the blade it was a successful projection recreated down to it's last detail but when I took a closer look at it, I noticed the replica had some knicks and chips in it meaning it wasn't a complete exact replica "more practice is required I suppose," I said throwing the knife letting it disintegrate away.
It was the best attempt that I ever done so far though came the random thought causing me to grit my teeth the brat's remnants have as of yet to shut up. I close my eyes imaging the black void that was my afterlife I imagine it as a barrier in my head and finally...there was blissful silence "thank fuck I thought he would never shut up," I exhaled with relief.
"Now the question is...what do I do I know for a fact that I don't want to die ever again so I should probably focus on methods to obtain said immortality either from the grail which I would have to purify in some way or I use the still building reality marble inside of me to somehow become immortal," I muttered grasping the air once more 'forging' the same knife once again.
I dismiss the knife, project, dismiss, project, and then repeat if I keep practicing then the better my projections will be. So, I continued doing this for as long as I could until I felt my circuits burn from exhaustion but even still, I pushed myself to keep projecting "forge on!" I chanted out once more hand trembling from overuse.
A small spark later and the knife reappeared once more I took it and compared it once more with the original both were now nearly identical no chips or weakness in my copy. Suddenly my stomach grumbled causing me to freeze up "damn I lost track of time and forgot to eat lunch alright let's see if I've retained this body's ability to cook if not then I'll just order a pizza," I said.
I dismissed my 100th attempt at the knife and headed for the fridge never aware of the dark tan patch that appeared over my shirt covered right arm.
As I rummaged through the fridge, I realized the contents were... sparse to say the least. A few leftover ingredients nothing fancy definitely not enough for a proper meal.
"Figures," I muttered "Shirou may have wanted to be a hero of justice, but his fridge is more tragic than anything else."
With a sigh I grabbed what I could—some eggs, green onions, a tomato, and a small chunk of cheese. Not ideal but enough to whip up something resembling an omelet. My hands moved automatically as I gathered the ingredients a strange mix of my muscle memory and Shirou's instincts kicking in, he was a supposed master cook after all.
Cracking the eggs into a bowl I whisked them together, adding a dash of salt and pepper. As I sliced the tomato and grated the cheese, I focused on keeping my movements controlled and precise.
The pan sizzled as I poured in the egg mixture, watching it spread and bubble in the heat. It was... calming in a way I have no idea why though. I was never much of cook in my previous having only relied on junk food mainly pizza but I guess Shirou must have enjoyed cooking just as much as he did with 'helping others' I thought.
I finished the omelet folding it neatly and sliding it onto a plate as I plated it, I heard the faint sound of footsteps approaching the house. I tensed quickly wiping my hands on a towel and projected the kitchen knife—not for cooking this time.
The door creaked open slightly and a familiar (yet unfamiliar to me) voice called out.
"Shirou? Are you home?"
It was Fuji-nee—Taiga Fujimura Shirou's guardian figure. I could hear the shuffle of her footsteps followed by the usual crash as she tripped over something in the hallway causing me to let a slight laugh.
I dismissed the knife away it wasn't a threat—just Taiga I still needed to be careful around her though. For all her quirks Taiga had a way of knowing when something was wrong with 'me' worst case scenario though I may have to use hypnosis on her.
"Yeah, I'm here," I called out trying to keep my tone neutral she barged in with her usual energy, a wide grin plastered on her face.
"Shirou! I'm starving! Did you make lunch?"
I gestured to the omelet on the counter "not exactly Lunch but we were out of ingridents I'll have to go and restock Fuji-nee in the meantime you can help yourself to this one I'll make another plate for myself," I replied taking the remaining ingredients and started cooking once more.
Taiga wasted no time snatching the plate and digging in without hesitation "Tehehe you're the best Shirou! I knew I could count on you!" she exclaimed.
As she wolfed down the omelet I quickly finished up making the second one and joined her at the table flicking the old school looking tv on.
With that I quietly ate my omelet which honestly tasted way better than an ordinary omelet should be.
"You've been quiet lately," Taiga suddenly said taking me out from my thoughts "everything okay? You seem... different," she asked.
I tensed but forced a casual smile "just been thinking a lot nothing to worry about Fuji-nee,"
She gave me a curious look narrowing her eyes slightly for a second, I thought she might notice something off but then just as quickly she shrugged it off.
"Eh, maybe you're just growing up," she said with a laugh "just don't get too serious like Kerry used to be, okay? You're still my little Shirou."
I nodded forcing a chuckle "yeah...I'll keep that in mind Fuji-nee,"
She finished the meal in record time and left with her usual chaotic energy leaving me alone in the house once again.
The silence felt heavier now, more oppressive I sighed turning my attention back to the tv eating the rest of my omelet "in other news the recently built Museum in Fuyuki city will be having its grand opening today at 2:00pm for a limited time only don't miss out on the opportunity people!"
I hummed in thought the museum that was opening today... it could be exactly what I needed. Museums often had historical weapons, artifacts—things that might have belonged to legendary figures.
In this world anything tied to legends could have power if I could analyze and record those weapons, I could add them to my still growing reality marble that's still empty with the only blueprint being the kitchen knife.
I glanced at the clock it was nearly 1:30 PM the museum would be opening soon which gave me just enough time to prepare and head over.
I headed over to the room that was once Shirou's most of his clothing were a bit bland for my tastes still, I quickly grabbed the gray hoodie and dark blue khaki pants.
After changing my clothes, I then went back to the kitchen grabbed a cleaning broom then went back to the bathroom to clean up the shards of glass that were on the ground.
I frowned occasionally when I caught sight of my appearance it wasn't me anymore it would always be Shirou Emiya....still if I continue to just overuse my circuits my appearance would look alike to a young EMIYA instead. The thought made me have an uneasy feeling that wasn't my own and for once I agreed with Shirou.
I'll just grow my hair out to a ponytail and let my bangs grow out longer Fuji-nee might question it but a hypnosis spell could deal with that.
That aside I continued cleaning the shattered glass until the floor was all clean "there now I can head out," I said placing the broom back near the kitchen.
Heading to the front door I slipped on some sneakers, grabbed my wallet, and walked out making my way through Fuyuki's quiet streets.
The walk to the museum wasn't far and I wanted to take the time to see the sights of the city get more familiar and comfortable with it since the city will be my home for the time being.
After enjoying the sights for a while I finally made it to the museum with a small crowd which made sense since it was weekday most people still had work to do.
I walked in looking at the beautiful structure of the halls the layout was typical—dim lighting artifacts encased in glass, and small plaques explaining the significance of each item.
I moved slowly taking in everything, analyzing whenever I passed by a weapon, I would quietly whisper the chant "forge on" and record the weapon sometimes I would see brief flashes of the weapon's history. Most of them showing the deaths of their previous wielders other times a weapon would show a battlefield it was an interesting experience but so far, no weapons of unique value.
That is until I reached a small display at the far end of the room there encased in simple glass was a Naginata. At first glance it didn't look special—worn out red and black flag with a rusted blade from years of exposure to the elements.
The plaque beneath it labeled it simply as 'Naginata of Tomoe Gozen, Female Samurai of the Genpei War.'
I whispered my chant softly "Forge on."
My circuits sparked to life once more as I focused on the weapon the naginata's structure it became clearer in my mind.
"Judging the concept of creation."
As I focused, the image of the Naginata became clear in my mind. Its shape, its structure, down to the smallest imperfections from centuries of use. It wasn't just an object—it was a piece of history a weapon forged by human hands, shaped by battle.
"Hypothesizing the basic structure."
A vision flashed before my eyes—an open battlefield, filled with chaos and bloodshed. The clash of steel echoed in the air, and there, amidst the carnage, I saw her Tomoe Gozen. She stood tall, her long white hair flowing freely behind her as she drew back a bow, an arrow ready to pierce the sky. She was both graceful and deadly her expression calm yet fierce.
"Duplicating the composition material."
The weapon began to form in my mind piece by piece as I called upon its composition. The cold steel, the intricate folding techniques that gave it strength but more than just the metal—her fierce spirit had shaped it, and it was as much a part of her as her armor or bow.
"Imitating the skill of its making."
Another glimpse Tomoe on horseback, charging into a sea of enemies with her Naginata drawn. Her strikes were precise, calculated—no wasted movement, no hesitation. She cut through the enemy lines like a windstorm her Naginata gleaming as it cleaved through armor and flesh.
I could feel her fighting spirit the determination she had carried with her into every battle.
"Sympathizing with the experience of its growth."
Years of use and countless battles. The Naginata had grown alongside its wielder each cut it made, each life it took, adding to the legend of its owner. I felt the weight of its history—the blood it had spilled, the victories it had won.
"Reproducing the accumulated years."
Time blurred in my mind as I relived its journey. From the forge where it had been crafted, to the hands of its first wielder, to the moment it was passed to Tomoe Gozen herself.
In one battle, she fought beside Lord Kiso, the man she served and loved, defending him against overwhelming odds. I saw her ride into the fray single-handedly cutting down foes as arrows whistled past her.
"Excelling every manufacturing process."
The final steps of the process solidified the image in my mind. The Naginata was no longer just a weapon—it was a reflection of Tomoe herself the will to fight and to protect. I felt a surge of strength as the forging process reached its end.
When I open my eyes there in my grip was an exact replica of Tomoe Gozen's Naginata fully traced the blade gleamed as though freshly forged. However, it wasn't just the weapon I had projected—I had seen its history, lived through glimpses of the battles it had fought, the hands that had wielded it as if I had become her for a split second.
The images lingered in my mind Tomoe, standing tall on the battlefield, her bow at her side, her Naginata stained with the blood of her enemies. I could feel it all in this weapon a faint pulse of her memory within it.
"Not bad," I muttered to myself, inspecting the pole arm. It was nearly identical though it still felt different less worn, perhaps, less touched by the passage of time brand new in face.
As I released the projection I felt a brief sense of loss—as though the connection I'd shared with the weapon however fleeting, had vanished. I could still feel the knowledge of it in the back of my mind.
I smiled with glee "this will do nicely," I murmured with a smirk and continued looking through the exhibit catching sight of some interesting sets of armor and bows as well.
-end of chapter one-
Day #1
The afterlife... a void of eternal darkness only awaits for those that die, and I... I never intend to return back there.
I got lucky enough to escape and take over this body. Unfortunately it just so happens that the body I've taken over belongs to Shirou Emiya, the MC of fate stay night.
Am I afraid of what's to come? No, I am not afraid of the grail war and its horrors. What I am more afraid of is Alaya, Gaia, and ORT.
Alaya will instantly seek to eliminate me should it find that I am an anomaly that must be killed for the sake of humanity. Either that or she just might force me into becoming one of her dogs...no thanks I've no desire to end up like EMIYA or his lost counterpart.
Gaia is a being that hates humanity without a doubt of my foreign existence is noticed by here then she will try to erase my existence on the planet or have one of her beasts try to kill me my best option if Gaia tries erase me is to forge a weapon that will rid the world of its consciousness but not of its functions it would also help with the ORT problem.
ORT is a being that will only awaken at the promised time when Gaia lets out her cry to kill off humanity which not only awakens the alien but brings the other ultimates. ORT can effectively kill humanity just by itself, it doesn't matter if your heroic spirit, counter guardian, magician, magus, or human nothing can be done to stop it will only devour...yes even immortals could possibly die. The alien must never awaken until I can be sure that my eventual immortality will allow me to survive its rampage in the future.
That is all I can currently say on those matters. My ability to use Shirou Emiya's tracing-projection was quite easy, almost too easy. I suspect it has to do with the brat's lingering will stuck inside the body.
Sometimes if I imagine the black void of death the will just shuts up completely so there's my solution to that problem.
Question is how long will doing that last.
-From the journal entry of 'Shirou Emiya'