8 The Birth of Ainz Ooal Gown - 2

"Satoru-san." A masculine voice called out his name.

Satoru Suzuki, the true name behind Momonga, quickly looked in the direction of his boss when he heard him calling out his name. He felt a momentary surge of panic before regaining his composure.

"Sir!" The middle-aged salaryman crisply responded, straightening his posture. The man standing before the salaryman was his district branch manager. "Is there something you need, sir?"

"Do you remember that proposal you suggested some weeks ago?" The manager asked, coming to a stop near Satoru.

The incident in question occurred when Satoru was in a board meeting with other managers and a few directors and was discussing matters regarding the company and ways to increase profit margins. Satoru absentmindedly spoke out in the middle of the meeting, throwing out his idea during one of the brainstorming sessions.

Instead of being accosted or ridiculed, many of the managers within his branch latched onto the idea. That was around two weeks ago.

Satoru slowly nodded.

"It turns out your suggestion has shown some promising results. The higher-ups have decided to take it up and implement the idea. They've also been informed that it was you who suggested it. You've been doing good work recently, Satoru-san. I, and the other heads, have decided that you would be perfect for a small management position we've been looking to fill. Do you think you'll be up for it?"

A promotion, Satoru quickly realized.

Outwardly, Satoru's face remained stone-faced. A straight poker face that revealed none of his true thoughts and emotions. He had developed this trait over the years during work whenever he was scolded by his superiors or others. He learned early on to never allow a moment of weakness to show, or else the vultures would come pecking. Inwardly, he was very much the opposite of cool and collected as his face might have suggested. His internal state could be described as full pandemonium.

For a salaryman who used to be at the bottom of the proverbial stepping ladder, this would be a dream come true! Workers like himself worked themselves to the bone, often literally, just to make ends meet. It wasn't an uncommon sight to see workers putting in decades of hard work and being rewarded with nothing.

Only those who were lucky enough or proved themselves had even the slightest chance of catching the attention of the higher-ups within the massive corporate conglomerate that runs Japan.

Many would've been overjoyed at such news. A promotion, this one granting him a higher position within the company and with it, a higher pay wage, some measure of influence, and a slightly more relaxed schedule as opposed to the rigorous schedule of a simple salaryman that saw a ridiculous amount of hours and worktime with little off time.

However, it wasn't all sunshine and rainbows. The biggest tradeoff was the new level of responsibility that would be thrust on his shoulders. He would not only need to worry about the new workload that came with his position but also those under his management.

Internally, he was sweating bullets. He never intended for the idea to work, and now they were offering him a job with greater responsibility and one that was outside his comfort zone. The thought of others looking to him and relying on him made him queasy.

Some would call him an underachiever, but that was fine in his book. While certainly not pessimistic, he knew from a young age that he would never truly break out of the mold that he and so many others were in. While it was not a bad life, as he knew some were worse off than him, he was content with what he had, and he made peace with that. The salaryman had earned himself a few small promotions in the past, granting him a minimally higher salary and little else. The work, while menial at the best of times or daunting at the worst, was manageable. His salary kept him afloat and covered all his necessities. Plus, he had a generous amount of time devoted to himself. I.e., free time that he would spend in YGGDRASIL.

On one hand, he wanted to deny the promotion, seeing as he was content with where he was. Of course, he didn't say that aloud. That, and mostly because he was afraid. As if someone like himself could manage or lead others. However, he knew such a rejection would be spitting in the face of all those who had tried before and failed. This was an opportunity that not many in his line of work could ever boast of reaching. He also wasn't too sure how they would react to a rejection. And that wasn't even considering how the higher-ups would feel upon hearing him reject their 'generous' offer.

Would they be spiteful toward him for turning down what many would consider a generous promotion?

Would his bosses get angry that a lowly salaryman spit on their offer?

A worse fear was him accepting the role only to fail completely and utterly.

Would they let him go for such a mistake? Scorn him and bar him from ever working again?

He could feel each question, concern, and doubt weighing on his shoulders. He struggled to remain upright, as if gravity had been multiplied tenfold. His heart hammered in his chest, ready to burst through.

In the end, the pressure got to him, and he snapped.

"I would be honored!" Satoru accepted. The salaryman bowed deeply to his manager.

"Excellent! I'll inform the others and let you know the details later. Now off you go, I'm sure you have a lot of work ahead of you, Satoru-san!" The manager clapped him on the shoulder before heading off.

Satoru stood there for a moment before speed walking towards the closest men's restroom. He kept his head low and avoided everyone. He got into one of the stalls and immediately collapsed on the toilet seat. Shakingly, he covered his face with his rattling hands. A wordless whimper left his mouth as the reality of the situation hit him.

Thankfully, no one else was in there to hear him in his moment of weakness.

"Fuck…" He let out a hoarse swear.

The rest of the day finished off much quieter than Satoru imagined as the news of his promotion spread amongst his coworkers. He imagined some might congratulate him, or even a few might glower at such an opportunity being presented to him and not them. Instead, he was faced with indifference. Then again, it wasn't like he was close to any of them, and vice versa.

Within a few hours, he was finally home. His thoughts were still plagued by his meeting with the manager. The one thing he was thankful for was that he was done with work for the week. He had the weekends to look forward to. A weak smile wormed its way onto his face as the stress of the day was replaced with the thought of spending his leisurely time in YGGDRASIL with his friends to get away from his real-world problems.

If only for a short time.

Satoru reached into the pocket of his large protective coat and took out his keycard. He swiped the card. The electronic lock on the door beeped and flashed green. Entering, Satoru grunted as he peeled off the heavy coat, suffocating mask, and goggles that protected him from the polluted outside world. He hung them half-heartedly on the walls, too tired for anything else.

Satoru's apartment wasn't that large, even though he had more than enough money from his recent promotions to afford one of the nicer apartments closer to the city. The room was quite empty and basic, with only a fridge, stove, an old wooden table, and a small couch. There were two doors that led to Satoru's bedroom and the bathroom. The only notable item in the room was a high-tech electronic chair, connected to several pieces of machinery and computers, which were hooked up to the wall. It was his gaming setup and the only thing of true worth inside his apartment.

It wasn't much, but it was home, and that was what mattered most to a simple man like Satoru. The salaryman never considered himself to be materialistic and kept his possessions to a minimum.

With ease, Satoru booted up the CPU, and the lights around his electronic chair flickered as the system and machinery powered up. Rolling his shoulders, he sat down on the cushy chair, he let out a contented sigh, feeling his entire body start to relax. The tension and stress of the day melted away, allowing him a moment of peace. He connected the Neural Head Set, attached the router and cable, and with a few more clicks, everything was ready to go.

A small window displayed a meter that read [Nano machine level at 86%]. He quickly dismissed the notification but not before writing a quick reminder to head to the pharmacy later this week for his refill.

It would suck if he accidentally got kicked out of the game just because he forgot.

As he strapped on the Neural gear, his field of vision immediately darkened. Numerous windows and pop-ups appeared, along with a Heads-Up Display (HUD). Despite the overwhelming amount of information, he quickly located and opened the window to YGGDRASIL. However, as he pressed the icon, a message popped up, requiring him to download an update.

Suppressing a sigh of annoyance, Satoru reluctantly complied and patiently waited as the progress bar slowly moved towards completion. While he waited, his mind wandered to his friends, with one person in particular occupying his thoughts.

It had been two long years since he had joined Nine's Own Goal with Shirou and the siblings. During that time, the clan had expanded, taking in new members and growing in size. And in those two years, a lot has changed, but as the saying goes, just as things change, some things remain much the same.

Only the original eight members present at the time knew about Shirou's condition. The rest of the members, both old and new, remained in the dark, a result of the digitalized human request.

Despite the mind-boggling reality of Shirou's existence, which amounted to a consciousness being turned into Artificial Intelligence, surprisingly little has changed in his relationships with his clan members and friends. Despite the potential for this knowledge to drastically alter their dynamic, Shirou didn't wish for this knowledge to affect their current relationship, and each member strived to do so. Over time, the idea of Shirou being trapped within the confines of the game has faded away into obscurity, thanks in part to the chaos of their individual lives and the various dramas that come with them. To be honest, there have been moments when even Momonga has forgotten about Shirou's unique situation. Shirou himself has never brought up the subject, allowing it to gradually fade from their collective consciousness.

In the end, there wasn't much any one of them could do about it anyway. As Shirou stated, he gave full consent to Zelretch despite not knowing the exact method he would use. None of the clan members had any real financial power or sway to even think of going up against a powerful CEO like Zelretch. Nor did Shirou wish for any of them to fight on his behalf.

With regards to the rather frightening prospect of one's mind being digitalized and stored like he was, Shirou assured them that so long as they didn't go blabbering about it, they would be safe and fine.

Two years have passed since the reveal, and they have continued with their daily lives unabated, showing that Shirou was telling the truth.

As time passed, their relationship with the silver-haired Player grew stronger and more meaningful. The members of Nine's Own Goal saw improvements in their daily lives thanks to their interactions with Shirou The members often joked amongst themselves that they didn't need to waste money or time on speaking with a therapist when they had Shirou around to listen to their woes and offer a helping hand. They wouldn't even need to travel far; they could simply boot up their rig and hop onto YGGDRASIL, where he always was. It was a role that Shirou took on effortlessly, offering all kinds of advice and words of wisdom whenever needed.

Shirou's presence in their lives was consistent and positive, and no one benefited more from it than Satoru. He found solace in his routine chats with his best friend and closest confidant. As a salaryman, Satoru often shared his doubts and anxieties, and Shirou would lend a compassionate ear, offering invaluable advice. Over the course of two years, Shirou's advice proved to be invaluable to Satoru, helping him to achieve those small promotions, and providing him with more leisure time to indulge in his favorite pastime - playing YGGDRASIL with his buddies.

A dinging noise took him out of his thoughts. The update finally finished, and the icon for YGGDRASIL appeared. Wasting no time, he selected it and waited as his vision darkened. The nanomachines within his body light up by the thousands, interfacing with his neural interface system.

Suzuki Satoru found himself staring at an image, an avatar, before entering the virtual world of Yggdrasil.

The Japanese salesman was struck by a sense of awe and wonder as he laid eyes upon the colossal Elder Lich. Its alabaster skull was smooth and pure, yet its empty eye sockets glowed with dark red orbs that burned bright and full. The Lich figure was draped in a great obsidian robe with a hood, and an additional dark mantle overlapped the illustrious robe. Lavender and golden accents ran down the length of the garment, adding to its regal and imposing appearance. In the center of the Overlord's chest, the robe opened up, revealing a skeletal ribcage and a floating red orb that added to the already frightening and inhuman appearance of the being. The skeletal fingers were adorned with glittering rings, and in one hand, the Elder Lich held a twisting obsidian staff with an orb floating at its tip. Truly, it was a sight that would remain etched in the salesman's memory forever.

The Elder Lich's appearance was the epitome of a dark overlord one might find in fiction or fantasy.

This was Momonga, his second, and arguably, his true life. It felt like he was staring into a mirror—metaphorically speaking, of course.

Satoru touched his character, allowing the waves of binary codes and data to wash over him. Within seconds, the form of Suzuki Satoru vanished, replaced by the Overlord of Death, Momonga!

In a flash, Momonga appeared in a too-familiar room, the spawn zone of the clan's hideout. Taking only a few steps forward, Momonga spotted three figures waiting at the connecting doorway that led deeper into the building.

Recognizing who they were, Momonga felt his spirits lift.

The first was Peroroncino, the Birdman sniper of Nine's Own Goal. His appearance remained relatively the same over the year, save for his equally impressive divine-tier golden armor and aesthetic. Next to the avian was Amanomahitotsu, with the same appearance he'd maintained for years now.

Rounding up the trio was Warrior Takemikazuchi, The Nephilim Samurai.

Warrior Takemikazuchi – Lvl: 100

Cutting an imposing figure and height, Warrior Takemikazuchi stood as one of the strongest Players in all of Nine's Own Goal. The Heteromorph was bedecked head to toe in bulky, deep red samurai armor that fitted the avatar's rather impressive model and form. Everything about the warrior was enlarged, from his frame and aura to his chest plate, armored kilt, and massive spaulder-like pauldron that rested on his shoulders, running down his arms. His head was unnatural, much like that of his fellow Heteromorphs, with bone-like teeth sharpened and filed to a point. Disproportionate horns sprouted from the top of his head. He held no visible eyes save for tiny holes filed evenly into the skull-like head. His main weapons of choice was the sheathed katana he kept at his waist.

As Momonga quickly took note of his companions, Peroroncino perked up, having heard his footsteps. The Birdman excitedly turned his head in the salaryman's direction, yet when he saw the undead, he almost visibly deflated.

"Ahhh, darn. I thought you were Emiya-senpai there for a second, Momonga-san." He said.

"Hello to you all, Peroroncino-san, Amanomahitotsu-san, and Takemikazuchi-san." Before anything else, Momonga greeted all of them before addressing Peroroncino.

"Do you need something from Emiya-san?" An emoticon with a question mark over his head appeared.

"Yes! Err… well, no. Kind of? I-we..."

"What he means is that there's something we wish to discuss with Emiya-san." Amanomahitotsu interjected on behalf of the avian Player.

"Have you tried using [Message]?" Momonga suggested.

"I wanted to, but then I remembered Emiya-senpai saying something about him being busy with something important. I didn't want to disturb him." Peroroncino answered.

"You worry too much, my friend." Warrior Takemikazuchi chuckled heartily, his deep and powerful voice befitting that of a seasoned warrior. "Today's the day of our usual clan meet. Emiya-san has always been punctual when it comes to such matters. I'm sure he'll pop up any second now."

"…Is there something the matter?"

Speak of the devil, and he shall appear.

Turning as one, the four Players turned to see the only Humanoid member within all of Nine's Own Goal. Following behind him were flashes of light, signs of teleportation as Variable Talisman and Herohero appeared as well.

"Emiya-senpai!" Peroroncino greeted him excitedly.

"Nothing is wrong. We were simply waiting on you. We've something we would like to show you. If you're not busy, that is." Said Warrior Takemikazuchi.

"No, we just finished and came back." Shirou answered, shaking his head and turning to Variable Talisman and Herohero.

"Can I leave it to you guys?" He asked of them.

"No problem. We'll drop off the loot, so you go ahead Emiya-san." Answered the black Oobleck.

"Yup. See you guys at the meeting." Said the cyclops, waving as Shirou nodded in thanks and followed after his friends.

After exchanging pleasantries, the group of five began to walk through their base. The Players fell into idle conversation, chatting about their day and whatever else was on their minds.

"Oh, Takemikazuchi-san. I also have something I would also like to give you." Shirou said during the halfway point of their walk.

Opening his menu, several bright red Data Crystals appeared in his hands.

"I managed to find some of those specific data crystals you were looking for. Here." He then handed them to the armored Heteromorph.

"I cannot thank you enough, Emiya-san. Were it not for you, I doubt I would be able to indulge like I am now." The samurai humbly bows his head in thanks. "With these, I'll be one step closer to perfecting my Takemikazuchi MK 6!" He crowed giddily.

"It's fine Takemikazuchi-san. They would be of better use to you than me anyhow. You don't have to thank me for something as small as that."

"I doubt many would consider handing away valuable Divine class data crystals as a 'small' thing, Emiya-san." Amanomahitotsu spoke in good humor. "Compassionate as always."

Didn't take them long before they arrived at their designation, the clan base's workshop. The room was used mainly by Amanomahitotsu, Warrior Takemikazuchi, and Shirou, seeing as they were the only ones with the [Blacksmith] job class and interest in creating. As a result, they have the entire room to themselves to tinker away as they please.

The room was divided into three areas, designated for each one of the Players. Each had a workshop and smithy in their respective corners.

Looking at their workstations, it was clear that Shirou, Warrior Takemikazuchi, and Amanomahitotsu had different styles of organization. Shirou's corner was impeccably arranged, with a vast array of weapons, scraps, and materials neatly categorized by weapon type. Meanwhile, Warrior Takemikazuchi's workspace appeared to be an organized mess, with materials, weapons, tools, and parts scattered about seemingly at random. Lastly, Amanomahitotsu's area was much like Shirou's, with a tidy and organized layout, but with a scattering of armor pieces and various junk items to add a touch of personality.

"So, what was it that you wanted to discuss with me?" Shirou asked, turning to them.

"I also hope you don't mind that I'm here as well." Momonga spoke up, realizing that he might be intruding on their discussions.

"It's fine, don't worry about a thing, Momonga-san." Peroroncino reassured him, waving away his friend's idle worry first. "As for you, Emiya-senpai, we wanted to give something."

"Yes, a gift." Amanomahitotsu added.

"As a show of appreciation for everything that you've done for us." Finished Warrior Takemikazuchi.

"A gift?" Shirou blinked. "You guys, you didn't have to—"

"We understand, but we still wanted to." The samurai interrupted politely. "You have done so much for the clan and for us personally. You have been helpful and provided for us, and we felt we needed to repay the favor." The Nephilim spoke in a tone that said they would not be denied.

"I see. Very well, what did you have in mind?" Shirou relented. Part of him was curious as to what the gift would be.

"It was quite a challenge to figure out the perfect gift to give you, considering you are skilled in creating cool and fancy weapons and armor by yourself. So, the three of us put our heads together to come up with something special and unique for you." Peroroncino ran towards Amanomahitotsu station and pulled a trolley with a sheet over it.

"It took us a lot of time, effort, and data crystals to get it just right. We hope you'll like it." With a flourish, the crustacean Heteromorph unveiled the gift.

Shirou and Momonga leaned in, their curiosity rising to see what exactly it would be.

"A… gun?" Momonga voiced.

Indeed, sitting innocently in the middle of the trolley were two guns, pistols to be more accurate. They looked sleek and compact, almost resembling a hand cannon. One of the pistols was colored chrome silver with white accents running along its body, while the other one was black with red accents. The barrel and slide of the guns were elongated, and they even had blades fashioned on the underside of the barrel, making it look like Kanshou and Bakuya were fixed to the guns like bayonets. It was quite an impressive design, to say the least.

"Sooo? What do you think?!" Peroroncino eagerly awaited hearing the magus's opinion.

Shirou reached out and grasped the two pistols. He was surprised to see that they felt right in his hands. Not too heavy or bulky, nor was it too light. Some subtle and small grips gave the weapon a nice feel to them. Like it felt right to be wielded in his hands.

"I… it's nice, but you guys do remember my fighting style, right?" He couldn't help but ask.

"Of course. Emiya-san, if you would twirl them at the trigger guard." The crustacean blacksmith instructed.

Shirou raised an eyebrow at the instruction but did as he was told. Loosening his grip, he twirled the gun. He was then treated to the sight of them glowing, their shape taking on a new form. Upon catching them, the guns transformed into exact copies of Kanshou and Bakuya.

Shirou was pleasantly surprised. He wasn't expecting that at all. However, the surprise didn't stop there.

"Try connecting the ends of the weapons." Instructed Warrior Takemikazuchi, a gleam of excitement in his voice.

Shirou did just that, connecting the ends of the faux Kanshou and Bakuya, and watched with surprise as the married blades changed once more. They connected, or perhaps intertwined was the more apt description. The pommel and grip of the swords combined to create the grip and arrow rest of a bow. The blades extended to form the upper and lower limbs, as well as the recurve of the bow. Finally, a long bowstring stretched the length of the weapon, completing the transformation. Unlike Shirou's Black Bow, this one followed the same color scheme as the other forms, a mixture of chrome silver and white, and the obsidian and red patterns of its previous alternate modes.

Silently, Shirou plucked the bow's string, and it responded with a satisfying 'dnnggg' sound, showing its tautness. The grip on the bow was comfortable, and it wasn't too heavy or too light either. Just like the other forms, the bow felt right in his hands.

This time, he was left truly speechless. A weapon with three alternative forms, even he knew that such complexity would've taken an enormous amount of time, coding, and materials to get it just right.

"We had a bit of a challenge figuring out what would be the best to give you. Peroroncino originally suggested the idea of making a sniper rifle or even a railgun. However, he seemed to have forgotten in his excitement about your conventional mean for attacking at long ranges." Amanomahitotsu explained.

"If by conventional, you mean summoning swords and shooting them like missiles, or using a massive bow to shoot swords, then sure, let's go with that." The Nephilim samurai quipped.

"Hey! If Emiya-senpai can do amazing stuff with his bow, then he would be unstoppable with a sniper!" The golden avian argued.

"You do realize that Emiya-san would have needed the appropriate classes just to use said weapon effectively, don't you?" Warrior Takemikazuchi fired back.

The crustacean Heteromorph continued whilst the two bickered.

"Takemikazuchi-san suggested a more traditional weapon as you are a close-quarter fighter. Ideas were brought forth, such as falchions or katanas, that complimented your particular style of fighting. I suggested the idea for the bow, seeing as you do possess the [Archer] class. But Peroroncino-san was extremely persistent, so we shifted our focus to a weapon with medium to close-range uses. Ultimately, we came up with the idea of combining all three, a firearm, a sword, and a bow, into one versatile packet. It took a little more preplanning than we'd like to admit, but we finally nailed down the idea of the weapon being able to switch from Kanshou and Bakuya to gun form and bow form. A trick weapon, if you will."

"I can't imagine the work needed just to get this all right." Said Momonga, admiring the craftsmanship and inner mechanism of the weapon.

"I had to slave away at the design and coding just so I could get it just right. It took a dozen alternations and reworks, but we finally got it down. I'd say it was worth it." The four-limbed crustacean admitted.

Now that Shirou had a moment to think about it he did remember Amanomahitotsu asking for a blueprint/design of Kanshou and Bakuya some months back.

"What do you think, Emiya-senpai? Do you like it?" Peroroncino anxiously asked, similar to a child gifting their father a present. A sense of giddiness sprinkled in with a touch of nervousness.

The others, too, were waiting to hear his thoughts.

The first thirty seconds passed in silence.

Then came a minute.

Then two.

As time stretched on, an air of uncertainty started to surround the cheerful avian. Did he not like the gift? Or, perhaps, he had offended his senpai? Did he not like the gift somehow? What if… the weapon brought back memories of the war? A hundred and one possibilities swarmed his brain. And not just him, but the other three were starting to feel the trepidation building in the silence.

The others quietly glanced at one another, unsure of what to say or do but also hesitant to speak up.

Of course, Peroroncino couldn't have known that the individual who currently encompassed his thoughts was having an even more frantic train of thought.

What did he think of it?

Honestly?

The weapon… it was weak. Far weaker than anything within his Unlimited Blade Works.

The main gimmick of the weapon being able to change between three alternate modes was certainly unique and appealing, but it was simply that.

A gimmick.

With a simple glance at it and Unlimited Blade Works working its magic, Shirou learned of the weapon's strengths but also its limitations and flaws. The three alternate modes have their strengths, but as a whole, they weren't that powerful when compared to the powerhouses he held within his Reality Marble.

Heck, even his [Trace Bullet] far exceeds the gun and bow's damage value simply because he could break them into Broken Phantasm and use them as impromptu artillery. Even a simple traced version of Kanshou and Bakuya edges above the one in his hands in terms of damage and viability.

In all honesty, there would be no practical or realistic reason for Shirou to even think of using it when he had a dozen other more viable and powerful options to choose from.

And yet…

As he gazed down on the weapon, a single thought echoed throughout his mind. "When was the last time someone gifted him something?"

Shirou was many things. A wannabe hero, a great cook, and a selfish idealist. What he wasn't, was materialistic. Of course, he never said this out loud. However, perhaps it was the way he acted toward objects that gave people this idea. He never took more than he needed and never asked for anything in return. Shirou never felt entitled to receive gifts, as he didn't believe that he deserved them.

But now, as a man who has seen and done so much, looking back on his life, he realized just how scarce gifts were to him.

Kiritsugu wasn't the gift-giving type. Well, besides imparting onto Shirou his ideals and dream of being a hero. But that hardly counts. In a way, it was thanks to him that Shirou's unmaterialistic mindset was fostered. They didn't have much, but what they did have growing up was more than enough for them. He indirectly taught Shirou to take and keep only the most important items. Everything else was replaceable.

Taiga was pretty much a freeloader for a good chunk of his teenage years. A lackadaisical and almost demanding woman who took many things for granted. While Shirou would never think ill will of her, he would acknowledge her faults and vices. She mooched off of Shirou's goodwill and food, mostly food, for years. And it was only thanks to her grandfather, Raiga, that Shirou had the money necessary to help feed Taiga's food addiction. But then again, Shirou was also at fault for never trying to correct her behaviors.

Tohsaka doesn't fare better than Kiritsugu. In a way, she was the complete opposite of Shirou, avaricious when it came to gems and wealth. The twin-tailed magus was, at times, the very definition of a magus. Persistent, covetous, manipulative, and even dismissive at the worst of times. Due to the nature of her magecraft, she could never have enough, and rarely did she ever think of spending it on him. Of course, Shirou's unmaterialistic mindset and habits did nothing to dissuade her otherwise. There were times when she did gift him with one thing or another, but they never lasted. The only thing he could truly say he coveted was Rin's pendant.

Issei followed a similar mindset to Shirou's own. Due in part to his own humbleness and lifestyle as a Buddhist monk. The two had an understanding of sorts, as Issei would always call on Shirou whenever they needed something fixed to save on expenses. And he would be more than happy to help out.

There was Shinji, and enough was said.

As for Sakura… his kouhai was a lot like him, or rather, she picked up a lot of his habits as she stayed with him. The most she would gift to him were groceries or kitchen toolsets for his birthday or Christmas. Completely expendable items.

In a way, it was partially Shirou's fault as well. He had always wished to help others at no cost to himself, doing anything and everything for free. All in some vain belief and hope that it was the right thing to do, as any Hero would.

If he was being honest, he had no idea how to feel. It had been a long time since he had received a gift. And had they not, it wouldn't bother him in the slightest.

But they did.

His clanmates and friends did this for him out of the goodness of their hearts and of their own volition, because they believed he was worth it. He was worth being gifted something—something that they poured their time, energy and hearts into.

He recongized that it wasn't powerful, but even Shirou would admit that such a trick weapon would be quite useful in the right situation.

But there was one thing that separated this from all the rest. It was forged by mortal hands, by his friends. It possesses no true origin or purpose but symbolizes something much more. Their friendship. And that alone makes it priceless in his eyes.

"I… like it." Shirou finally professed.

The audience let out a collective breath.

Jeez, senpai, did you have to make it so dramatic?" Peroroncino jest.

"Sorry…" Shirou apologized softly, his finger running along the surface of the bow.

"Why don't you give them a try and let us know what you think?" Amanomahitotsu suggested.

Adjacent to the workshop was a small training field. The field was decorated with various practice dummies, set up to provide ample opportunity for experimentation with the weapons.

Amanomahitotsu took the lead and explained the mechanics of the weapon. He demonstrated how it could transform from gun to sword to bow, and then back to gun seamlessly and in that order. Returning the bow to its gun form, Shirou decided he would start with that.

Shirou stood at a safe distance and paused for a moment to adjust his posture to suit the use of the firearm in his hand. Eventually, he settled on a basic stance. With his silver and white pistol raised, Shirou aimed at the dummy ten meters away and fired. The initial kick and recoil caught him off guard, but he quickly got it under control. Despite aiming for the chest, he hit the dummy's shoulder.

"Hmm, [Reinforcement]!"

Activating his magic circuits, Shirou tried again, but this time the kick was almost nonexistent. The shot was on target, hitting squarely on the dummy's chest.

Shirou spent the next half hour or so firing and experimenting with his new weapons. Eager to test their limits, he pushed the guns to see what he could accomplish with them. He discovered that the guns had a capacity of twenty-five rounds each, with a total of fifty rounds between them. One thing he was pleasantly surprised to learn was that he didn't have to to contend with a pesky reload mechanic similar to the rifle-style weapons, as the guns auto-generated a new shot every five seconds. Both pistols could be fired semi-automatically or in rapid-fire bursts, allowing him full versatility.

As he continued testing, Warrior Takemikazuchi suggested a spar to break in the weapon and get a better feel for them. Shirou readily agreed, and they began their practice.

During the close-range testing, Shirou truly began to enjoy himself. Despite not being all that proficient with firearms, he found that the weapons offered offered a wide range of moves and attacks. The guns allowed him to keep his foes at bay or to lay into them to close the distance. Even close-range combat was possible with the guns, thanks to the weapons' bladed underside. The blades under the barrel were as deadly as the guns themselves, as evidenced by the shredded dummies.

As Shirou wielded his trick weapon, he marveled at its versatility. With the trick weapon's ability to turn from bladed guns into his signature blades, this allowed Shirou to control the flow of the fight easily, when in other situations he might have had to expend more prana tracing new weapons.

Its bow form boasted extended range snipes that the gun form lacked. While the bow couldn't be used as liberally as the other two forms, it was nowhere near worthless. Shirou could already imagine several scenarios where its extended range would be advantageous. And thanks to the weapon's quick and easy-to-switch alternate modes, he could cover his bases should any enemies get too close.

And those were but a few options he managed to glean from his short spar with the katana-wielding Heteromorph.

Shirou couldn't praise them enough for their ingenious idea and integration of the trick weapon. The weapon covered all bases for close, medium, and even long-range encounters. The ability to freely switch between the forms allowed for further avenues to explore in the weapon's move set. This would allow him to control the flow of battle depending on his opponent. And that was not even considering swapping them mid-fight, allowing for an even greater variety of move sets and surprises.

Shirou figured that with enough time and practice, he could master the weapon's fighting style and incorporate it into his own.

"So, what do you think, Emiya-san? Do you like it?" Asked Amanomahitotsu as he and Warrior Takemikazuchi finished up their last duel.

"I do, I really do. Thank you." Shirou nodded to the three, and while his character model couldn't show it, they got the distinct feeling he was smiling. And so, the three smiled as well.

"Wonderful. Now all that's left is to name it. After all, a weapon is never truly complete unless it possesses a name." Warrior Takemikazuchi patted his katana, Takemikazuchi MK 5, proudly.

"A name…" Shirou looked back down at the weapon.

They did have a point. Every weapon in his Unlimited Blade Works had a name; even the YGGDRASIL created Noble Phantasms. It was only right.

Kanshou and Bakuya were used as the basis of the weapon's design. And just like their original counterparts, they weren't forged for a grand purpose or a desire to be a powerful weapon. They were created for Shirou and him alone. They had the unique ability to switch to three different alternate modes. An alternative form and method of fighting.

"Kanshou and Bakuya… Alternative."

"Alternative? Huh... Not the name I would've gone for, but it's your choice, Emiya-senpai." Peroroncino and the rest shrugged at the odd name, but it was his choice, so that was that.

Shirou activated his Magic Circuits, allowing them to flow freely into the weapon. They ran along and down the weapon, categorizing every fundamental aspect of the weapon. Within a few seconds, Unlimited Blade Works took Kanshou and Bakuya Alternative in and stored them.

Within his soul, amongst the hills of swords, lay the original Kanshou and Bakuya, the married blade. Shimmers of blue light popped, and from them appeared Kanshou and Bakuya Alternative, the married trick gun-sword-bow.

There the two sets of weapons stood, almost like they were distant kin.

With nothing left for them, the four Players walked out. The call for the clan meeting hadn't come in yet, so they had time left to burn.

Shirou easily spotted Momonga browsing the weapon on display at his side of his workstation.

"See something you like, Momonga-san?" He asked, coming to his side.

"No, I was just looking, that's all. I've been meaning to ask you this, but how come you don't use any of these weapons?" Momonga asked curiously, gesturing towards the weapons on the walls.

"I… they weren't good enough for my liking." Shirou answered.

"They are not good enough?" Peroroncino couldn't help but repeat incredulously. While the avian Heteromorph was an archer, even a simple glance at the various weapon's stats showed that they were powerful. Most of the weapons on display were all Divine tier.

And these weapons were what he considered not good enough?!

"They didn't turn out exactly how I hoped they would be." The magus rephrased.

"Doesn't mean they can't be useful. I know many Players that would kill just for even one of those." The Nephilim pointed to a particular row of weapons.

They were a powerful set of swords that Shirou dubbed the Excalibur series: α (alpha), β (Beta), ζ (Zeta), δ (Delta), ε (Epsilon), and Ω(Omega).

At first, he came up with the idea of forming alternate swords in the hopes of reaching the likes of Caliburn or Excalibur. The idea died down rather quickly, and now they serve as simple set decorations.

It didn't seem right to create and use what amounted to cheap copies or gimmicks of the true Excalibur.

"It seems a bit of a waste to have them collect digital dusk." Amanomahitotsu agreed.

"Still, I do wonder. What? Planning on taking on a guild or something in the future, Emiya-san?" Warrior Takemikazuchi teased.

"It never hurts to be prepared."

"Of course, but realistically speaking, even with your unique build, it's not like you can use all of them at once." The armored Heteromorph pointed out. He knew his friend's build and abilities were absurdly broken. He would go so far as to say it was the most broken build he'd seen in the game, having seen what Shirou could trace. But even the magus admitted that there was a limit to what he could bring out. It didn't make sense in Warrior Takemikazuchi's mind. What was the point of having twenty different weapons if all had the same function when one would serve just as well?

"Funny, I could say the same to you, Takemikazuchi-san. How many weapons have you created as well?" Amanomahitotsu interjected.

"I'm not saying there's anything wrong with it; I would be quite the hypocrite to admonish Emiya-san for something I too indulge in." Warrior Takemikazuchi fully admitted with a casual shrug. "I can understand being prepared, but it seems more likely that you're kitted out to go to war with someone or something. I like making powerful weapons as much as the next guy, but it does seem like overkill to make an arsenal worth of weapons. Especially since you have some terrifying ones already, Emiya-san."

The others nodded, showing they too thought the same.

"You never know when they might come in handy, Takemikazuchi-san. Just in case…" Shirou trailed off.

"Just in case of what?" The Humanoid Player remained silent to the Nephilim's question.

While the samurai Player was curious, he knew better than to badger his friend. If he was not comfortable saying it, he would not broach the issue. Still, he was curious as to what enemy a Player of Shirou's caliber felt the need to create so many powerful weapons for. A question for another time, as the group of five received a notification via [Message].

It was time for the clan's meeting.