Chapter 2, Power struggle

The young magus had returned to the university town of his own faculty. Instead of going to his dormitory, he went to the main building of the faculty of creation. After entering and talking to the secretary, he informed her that he had an appointment with Lord Valualeta. However, he was forced to wait several minutes until she attended to him. After the secretary gestured to him that he would be attended to, he proceeded to enter the dean's office.

A peculiar room, within what it fits; however, it remained within the "normal" for a magus. In the deepest part of the room was Inorai Valualeta Atroholm, head of the department of creation and member of the democratic faction.

She was an old lady, so her hair was gray, as were her eyes. She wore a long green dress with purple details.

With a simple gesture, she invited him in, "Come in, Emiya Shirou, or would you prefer to be called Muramasa Shirou?"

He was in front of one of the people who occupied the position of lord within the Association and, despite her appearance, her presence was overwhelming. So much so that Shirou believed that he would be crushed at any moment.

"As you wish, my lady, both are my surnames, and I do not consider either one inferior to the other, and until I achieve my goal, I will not feel comfortable with either one."

"That's good." The woman smiled, "One of our principles is that any magus should be able to take pride, not in his surname or his history, but his own achievements."

The woman narrowed her eyes and, with a smile, answered: "But you plan to achieve something, that's why you came here, isn't it?"

Shirou nodded.

"What do you pursue Muramasa Shirou? What do you aspire to create? And, more importantly, will you be able to achieve it?"

At that moment, a fire was lit inside the blacksmith's heart. He was in front of a lord, a magus capable of killing him with extreme ease. Any raising of his voice could be considered an insult. However, if she wanted to test her determination, then he would walk straight to the same death if necessary.

"Yes! I will create that blade! The ultimate sword, one that surpasses all others."

She put her hands in front of her person and asked him, "You know where we are, don't you? You know what sword is revered in this country, don't you?"

He nodded, "Excalibur."

She nodded, "Still being in the country that saw the birth of the golden sword that gives the promised victory, and the sword that chooses the king. Two of the greatest swords that ever existed, one of them is a divine construction guarded by the fairies, even so... Do you keep your words?"

Shirou nodded without hesitation as he advanced, "Even to that sword I will overcome. Because my goal goes far beyond... To create the ultimate sword, I must not only surpass Excalibur, but I must also go beyond..."

"Going beyond...? Excalibur is a divine construct. The pinnacle of sacred swords. Being the strongest sacred sword, its equal is the strongest demonic sword, Gram. It is the greatest heroic treasure forged by the planet, the crystallization of desires of all humanity, stored and tempered within the world, guarded by its extensions, the fairies. And you will go beyond!?" Valualeta asked strongly, "Do you know what you are saying?"

Without backing down, Shirou nodded, "Yes, I know. I don't want to reach the pinnacle of sacred swords or create a sword that promises victory. And as beautiful as they are, I'm not interested in the crystallized desires of humanity. What I must reach, no, what I will create must be able to cut it off...!"

"Cut it?" Valualeta was confused, "Cut what?"

And, in the face of that question, the fire went out of control: "Everything. What I seek to create is a sword that cuts through more than just steel, flesh, bone, and life itself. I will create it. A sword that will end any entity, with the bonds, one that will cut off certainty, the causality, and karma itself!" Shirou reflected for a moment, "In short, a sword that cuts and frees from fate. And I will go on with my objective as long as my body resists and I have strength left to forge it. I will create it. Even if to prove its existence I must cut the very rupture of Genesis."

The blacksmith's apprentice was expecting him, at best, to be expelled. Although all he did was answer the question he was asked, the way he answered was his mistake. Lost control of himself and, not being able to stay calm, he raised his voice against a lord, indirectly challenging her. Unconsciously, he closed his eyes, waiting for the harsh words of the dean.

"Ja...!"

"Huh?"

"Ja, ja, ja…"

Is he laughing? But it doesn't seem like he's putting me down... Shirou opened his eyes and saw how the head of the creation department was laughing willingly.

"That's a great goal and a greater achievement if you can reach it," Valualeta stopped laughing and asked again, "And what is the guarantee that you will achieve it?"

"That would be me, my lady," For the first time since he had entered the office, Muramasa spoke.

Shirou held his katana and drew it so that the dean could see it.

"So, you are the spirit that possesses the sword, one of the three great blacksmiths of the Muramasa school of forging, Muramasa Senji. Is it not so?"

"That's right. I am the guarantor that this boy can create the ultimate sword."

"Oh? And how are you supposed to be the guarantor?"

"This sword is for us what for you is a magic crest. Perhaps I cannot enhance the magecraft of my holder, as I do not have magic circuits, but that was never necessary for us. We are not magi in the full sense of the word. It is more correct to say that we are blacksmiths related to magic."

"And…?"

"I keep the knowledge of the techniques that our family has inherited since the school was founded. As well as my own experience as a blacksmith, I can assure you that the more than five hundred years we have been perfecting our techniques have not been in vain. He will be able to achieve it, he to create swords that even surpass mine. I am sure."

"About that, since I researched your family, I always had a doubt," said the dean curiously, "Why haven't we heard about new creations from the Muramasa school during the last almost five hundred years?"

"Oh... Yes, there were... Many amazing swords, and other weapons, were forged by different generations during all these years."

"And what happened to these?" asked the lord.

"We destroy each of these," commented Muramasa without any interest.

"What?" asked Valualeta, stunned.

"What we seek to create is the ultimate sword. Anything less than that, for us, is nothing more than a failure. It would be like for you magi a failed investigation. At first, we gave them away; but, as swords gained fame as weapons against the Tokugawa dynasty, we decided to stop, for our own safety."

"So, they just destroyed them? Every single one of those great weapons was just destroyed?"

"A failure is a failure, no matter how good it is. And, if we couldn't even use them, what was the point of keeping them?"

Overcoming her stupefaction, she continued, "Even so, in these five hundred years, you have not been able to create such a weapon. What makes you think you will be able to create it now?"

"Who says we haven't created it...?" Senji replied mockingly.

Grandpa...! Shirou thought worried. They were in front of a lord. Mocking was something only a fool would do. On the other hand, he raised his voice and challenged her indirectly, so he had no right to reply to his ancestor.

She narrowed her eyes, "Are you claiming that you have already created such a sword?"

"Something like that... Although I reached a create sword with those characteristics, we could say that it was incomplete."

"Incomplete? I can assume that you have already found what is missing?"

Muramasa would have nodded if he could, "Indeed, although I had to wait for five hundred long years..."

"For five hundred years?" Valualeta watched Shirou before stretched out her hand, "Boy, your hand."

Shirou did as she was asked and showed her his hand.

She read the lines on the blacksmith's apprentice's palm and her eyes opened for a moment, "This is... The same origin and element, both sword. You are the very embodiment of that concept. This is something with such low probabilities that it is almost impossible. For a normal magus, if this happens, it can ruin his career. But, for you, who seek to create the ultimate sword..."

"It is as if some blacksmith god has smiled at us..." his ancestor completed the phrase.

"This gives some credibility to your words... But just by chance, if you were to fail, how would you contribute to our faction?"

"I would offer my services," replied the boy.

"Explain yourself."

"Even if I don't succeed in creating that sword, I will be able to forge weapons with a quality not seen in the last five hundred years. Such weapons could be sold for a great deal of money. And if they are weapons for the faculty, and for the faction that sponsored me, I am sure the price would drop greatly.

"Hmm... That's more than an interesting offer, young. How much would we be talking about?"

"Hmm, how about a 40% discount?"

"60%," said the old woman.

"50%," contest Shirou.

"65%," said the dean.

"55% and you won't find mystical codes that have the same quality and at that price," the blacksmith concluded.

"Well, that seems like a reasonable deal to me. Tell me, what will you need to create that weapon?"

"I would only need the materials to forge. It would also help to have access to any sword that is significant. I don't need the swords themselves, it is enough that I can see something directly related to them," after thinking about it for a bit, he completed, "That would be all. The rest will be done by my skills and my projection magecraft."

This surprised the dean, "Do you plan to create that weapon using only Gradation Air?"

Shirou nodded.

Valualeta smiled, "So, it's done..."

"Wait! That means..."

The dean nodded, "You have presented us with a situation where, if we sponsor you, we will have a win-win deal. In light of this, I have decided to help you, which will reduce his tuition fees. We will provide the necessary elements to continue his research, and give some protection from us, including the concealment of his other lineage, of course."

Shirou bowed and answered, "Thank you very much. The only thing I can do to show my gratitude is to get the results to expect."

"And that's what I hope. You may withdraw, young Muramasa."

He gave a slight nod and left the office, not without first saying, "By the way, my lady, perhaps you should check the equations in the magic circles engraved on your office."

"Hmm? Why?"

Shirou pointed to a spot behind Valualeta, just to her right, "There is a great concentration of mana accumulated in that place. Maybe you should check it out."

She smiled, "I'll keep it in mind."

That said, Shirou left the office.

"What do you think? Lord Trambellio..."

The corpulent man appeared behind Lady Valualeta, just where Shirou has pointed out.

"In short, it looks interesting. He doesn't see magecraft as a vocation to which he can dedicate his life. Like his father, he only sees it as a mere tool. However, his goal is related to magic, and like any magus with research to complete, he is willing to give his life to realize it. His own denomination as a blacksmith related to magic is, in fact, the most appropriate."

"How far do you think he can go?"

"As Magus, no matter how much he studies, probably will not exceed the rank Cause. Considering which is his objective, I also doubt that he will get the rank Fes. If he manages to create that sword using the centuries of study and practice of his family…"

"A sword that can cut even to the same fate, the force that subjugates everything to its will, something like that should be worthy of a title of primary color."

Trambellio nodded, "Although there may be more than one magus with a title of the same color since Red fled to Japan after receiving a sealing designation and Blue..." Even someone as stoic as Lord Trambellio could not help but sigh with irony at the thought of the absurdly destructive magician who used the Fifth Magic, "Well, there's no need to say the crazy things she does. The fact is that both colors have become more than titles. At present is a way of referring to those two. Therefore, it is better to do not to relate him to either of them."

"There's still a third primary color left," said the woman.

Trambellio nodded, "If he achieves his goal. Then, we will do everything in our power to give him the title of primary color, Yellow." For the first time in the whole conversation, Trambellio smiled, "Touko and Aoko come from a lineage that, despite not having great renown, managed to reach the Root. Touko is an unparalleled genius with circuits of the highest quality, and Aoko inherited the Fifth Magic. None of these characteristics apply to the boy, even if his family has a lineage as old as that of a lord, the fact that this one has not achieved more than some extraordinary weapons in his early days detracts. His magic circuits are average, and his lineage is not renowned. If he can create that weapon based solely on his study, practice, and experience. And achieves it using useless magecraft such as Gradation Air, getting a color title..."

Valualeta also smiled, "The blow this would deal with the Aristocratic faction led by Barthomeloi, which puts lineage and magical circuits above achievement, would be... really catastrophic, maybe it could tip the balance in our favor."

Trambellio nodded, "Watch him well. Whether he fails or achieves his goal, it will be a win for us."

"I have included him in the class of Lord El-Melloi II. If anyone is capable of exploiting his full potential, it should be him."

"A good decision. How were our negotiations with his father?"

"As we wanted. In exchange for keeping the boy from having to take the entrance exams and our help in recovering Emiya's crest, he agreed to do work for us at no cost, as long as our interests are not totally opposed."

"Perfect. I leave the rest in your hands," said the lord as he left the dean's office.

It seems that things can get even more hectic from now on... She thought.

The meeting with the dean had left him mentally exhausted. Although he understood why his father had sent him to negotiate on his own, that didn't mean he liked it. Although, as the magus killer said, "Now that you are in our world, you must learn to deal with the magi," he didn't have much choice either.

He was also grateful to Muramasa for teaching him how to bargain. Both of them had spent part of the night thinking of a way to compensate the faction, in case they sponsored him, and that was the only feasible idea they had come up with.

"Oh...? You're not the guy who was paired with Tohsaka this morning?"

"Eh?" Shirou looked up and saw a girl a few feet away, apparently, a little exhausted. She was in my class on Mineralogy and Modern Magecraft Theories. He sighed and tried to be friendly, "Yes, are you a friend of Tohsaka?"

She, a girl of his age, with light skin and beautiful blond hair, as well as ochre eyes, placed her hand just under her chin, "Ohohoho! Me, a friend of that woman? Not even in her best dreams, although you could say I see her as a rival... My pride as Edelfelt dictates that I surpass her in every way."

"Edelfelt?"

"Hmm?" When she saw his confused look, she asked him, "Don't you know us?"

"Forgive me, but I am not from Europe, so I am not familiar with the families of magi on this continent." Shirou thought to himself, Although, if I'm honest, I'm not familiar with the families of magi in Japan either.

"Then you are from another continent. I guess that's the only explanation there can be for you not knowing us. After all, we Edelfelts are a great and distinguished lineage of magi."

The apprentice magus tried to be as friendly as possible, "That sounds incredible."

This brought a smile to the girl's face, "Of course."

"Are you okay, though? You look tired."

This made the girl lower her gaze a bit embarrassed, "Well... What happens is that I..."

"Yes?"

"I got lost." Closing her eyes, she sighed in defeat, "I've been in town less than a week and I decided to take a walk without my butler. And, in the end, I ended up getting lost. Besides, my cell phone battery ran out."

"Oh, I understand! This city is huge and I almost got lost too," Shirou put his hand into his pocket, "Here, you can use mine," he said, offering her his cell phone.

She took it with a smile, "You are very kind."

In this way, the girl used his cell phone to contact her butler.

"Will they come looking for you?" asked the boy as he received his cell phone back.

She nodded, "My butler is on his way."

"I'm happy for you. In that case..."

But before he could finish, she interrupted him, "Wait, as heir to the Edelfelt house, I cannot afford to maintain a debt of kindness."

"Excuse me?"

"Hmm... I mean, I saw a nice bakery when I was exploring. For helping me, how about I invite you to something while we wait for my butler to arrive?"

"Are you sure?"

She smiled, "Of course. It's my way of thanking you. By the way, my name is Luviagelita Edelfelt, you can call me Luvia. Nice to meet you."

"Muramasa Shirou, Shirou is fine."

Shirou and Luvia walked a little less than a block to a small but picturesque bakery. There they stopped and started talking while they ordered something. At first, the redhead was not sure what to talk about, Luvia was certainly a lady of high society and, according to her, the heiress of a high lineage of magi, and he had no idea how to deal with either of them. So, he just kept commenting on what she was talking about. When it was his turn to start the conversation, he would talk about worldly things, and, ironically, this seemed to please the girl more than bore her.

"By the way, Shirou, when we met you looked a little tired, did you get lost too?"

"Eh?" Shirou looked at her in confusion, "Oh no, it's just that I just finished a meeting with Lady Valualeta, and I ended up a bit exhausted."

"The head of the creation department?"

Shirou nodded, "I was looking for her recommendation and sponsorship."

"Are you having problems with your license plate?"

"Not exactly, but I can't afford to waste too much money. Also, I needed her help with something..."

Luvia nodded without wanting to inquire further, "Getting the patronage of a lord is a complicated thing. Don't be discouraged if you don't get it."

"Thank you for your concern, Luvia. But luckily for me, I was able to get the dean's attention."

She opened her eyes in amazement, "Does that mean...?"

The redheaded man nodded, "I managed to get her sponsorship."

"That's incredible... For Lord Valualeta to decide to sponsor you, it means you showed her something promising. Does it have to do with that katana you have there? Even if it's sheathed, I can say that it's a work of art made by a master."

"Your praise is appreciated, Miss Edelfelt," answered Muramasa.

"Have you spoken? Is this spiritual evocation?" asked the heiress Edelfelt.

"Not specifically, I am simply a spirit that has been possessing this sword since its creation."

Shirou held his sword and showed it to Luvia, "Let me introduce you. He is, Muramasa Senji, my ancestor, and was the third head of my family."

"I am pleased to meet you," she said as she admired the katana.

"It's a pleasure for me too"

After analyzing the sword, Luvia went to the redhead, "You said ancestor and not predecessor. It means that your family has more than three generations, doesn't it?"

"Yes, although we don't know exactly how many generations we've been. Grandpa doesn't remember..."

"Just because I have lived within the sword for more than five hundred years does not mean I remember all," said the blacksmith.

"500 years!? That is similar to the longevity of the youngest family of one of the lords, excluding Lord El-Melloi II, for obvious reasons," she said with an air of superiority.

"The teacher? Why?"

"Unlike the other lords, Lord El-Melloi II is only filling the position left by the previous lord. Once she is old enough, his adopted sister will take over."

"Don't you like the teacher, Luvia?"

For a moment, the girl's face frowned, "I think he is the worst kind of magus and the worst kind of person... Although I am still evaluating him as an instructor." After that evaluation, she asked him, "Did you do anything to make Lady Valualeta angry? Is that why you were so pale?"

He smiled uncomfortably, "I think I spoke too enthusiastically about my goal. I thought he would take it as an insult..."

The lady smiled, "All of us who have come to this place have a goal to achieve. Besides, Lady Valualeta is also a teacher. I don't think that showing interest in your goal offends her, as long as you don't contradict her directly, of course."

"I am sorry to interrupt your pleasant conversation my lady, but we will be late if we take too long..."

They both turned to see an old butler who had appeared behind them, and they had not even noticed.

"At what point...?" asked Luvia, surprised.

"A few minutes ago, my lady. I didn't want to interrupt you, but it's getting late."

She shook her head. They asked for the bill and, before Luvia got in the fancy car, she said to the redhead, "It was a pleasure, Shirou. I'll see you in class tomorrow."

He nodded and replied, "Likewise, see you tomorrow."

With that said, Shirou headed for his bedroom. He arrived at his faculty facilities and entered his dormitory. In his room, Shirou took out his tools and set out to forge...

A few hours later...

Knock! Knock!

Shirou opened the door and, as he expected, on the other side was the Tohsaka's heiress.

"Muramasa-kun..."

"Tohsaka-san, please come in."

The girl came in and took the only chair in the room. Having no other place to sit, he sat on his bed.

Interesting, Muramasa-kun. Is this some kind of delimited field? Is your magecraft related to forging?

Shirou nodded, "My family is not, strictly speaking, a family of magi. We are blacksmiths who use magecraft in, and for, their creations. In fact, I'm probably the only one in my family who's come to the Clock Tower."

She nodded. Crossing her arms and legs, she questioned him: "Muramasa-kun, you know that I am the second owner of Fuyuki, right?"

The redheaded man nodded.

"You know that not reporting your installation on land that has a second owner, can lead to several sanctions, right?" she asked.

Shirou nodded again, "Yes, I know, we would both be sanctioned. Me for not notifying you and not asking your permission, and you for mismanagement by not realizing that there was another family of magi in your territory."

The girl nodded, "That's right. Even though your fault would be greater than mine, Muramasa-kun..."

"I understand. Also, you could lower your sanction level if you use the relationship your family has with the magician Marshall, am I right?"

That surprised the heiress, although she only showed her surprise for a few moments as if she had realized that she had that option.

Could it be that she hadn't thought about it? But that would be foolish. Someone like the girl in front of him surely noticed that she had that option. After all, the Tohsaka had a good position in the Association thanks to their relationship with the old magician.

"That's right... I could use my family's relationship with kaleidoscope to lower the level of the sanction," whispered the girl, "But I wouldn't want to waste that letter on something we can fix between us."

"So, they'll just keep the secret and, that's it?" Senji asked.

"Huh? Who said that?" asked the heiress Tohsaka.

Shirou took his sword and showed it to the girl, "Tohsaka-san, this is my ancestor, Muramasa Senji."

"Delighted, Miss Tohsaka."

She nodded as she looked at the sword, "Likewise," she then turned to the ginger, "Does your family have a talent for spiritual evocation as well?"

He shook his head as he smiled wryly, "It is nothing but the product of an incredible obsession."

"Obsession?" she asked, confused.

It doesn't matter, the point is that he is my teacher."

"I see." Picking up the thread of the conversation, she said, "As ridiculous as it sounds, what your teacher says is what I mean. This will stay between you and me. You will send me an application to settle you in Fuyuki, and I will accept it. So, in the eyes of the Association, nothing will have happened. Do you understand?"

"Yes, That's it?" asked Shirou, a little confused.

She smiled, and the boy felt a chill run down his spine, "Of course not. After all, this fault is more your fault than mine. So, obviously, I expect compensation."

"C-Compensation?" He asked nervously, "But I don't have any valuable items... And I don't have a huge amount of money either."

"In that case, I will use your services, Muramasa-kun," she said with a smile.

"Eh? Do you want me to forge something for you, Tohsaka-san?"

She observed the boy's bedroom. There she saw several swords, some much better than others, although none was a masterpiece. There was only one exception: A Monohoshi Zao, a Bitchu Aoe blade more than five shaku long. In summary, a katana of 150 centimeters.

"That sword is absurdly long," said girl amazed, "Although it is very beautiful..."

Shirou smiled, "That's my biggest project yet. Not yet complete; but I'm close."

"My magecraft doesn't require weapons. So a sword would be useless to me. But I would like to count on your assistance, Muramasa-kun."

"My assistance? In what?"

"In the classroom, of course. Since we are magi from Japan, it will be difficult for us to get partners for group work and that kind of thing, I want you to be my assistant."

"So, do you want me to help you with classes?"

The girl smiled broadly, "Exactly, I want you to help me every time I ask you, do you understand?"

Shirou sweated cold, the smile, and the girl's words, said that; but his instincts told him he would be more like a slave, than an assistant. Sighing, he stretched out his hand, "It will be a pleasure to work with you, Tohsaka-san."

She accepted his hand and answered, "Call me Rin. After all, we'll be working together from now on. It's a pleasure, Muramasa-kun..."

"Shirou, call me Shirou."

"A pleasure, Shirou-Kun."

And, with that, the apprentice magus had no choice but to help the heiress Tohsaka. Once his meeting with Rin was over, the apprentice blacksmith continued with his training until it was time to go to sleep.

He closed his eyes, and...

There he was, again looking at the memories. It was part of the curse of the katana. This is one of the ways the sword uses to ensure that he can inherit the techniques and knowledge of his family.

He watched his ancestor and another young man. He was a young man with long indigo hair tied in a ponytail and eyes of the same color. He wore a traditional umanori hakama and a light purple kimono. Also, wore a tabi of the same color, and a black geta, with a purple haori.

It seems that his grandfather was teaching him what the refined behavior of a samurai should be like. In summary, a communion with nature. On his grandfather's back was the same sword that he had forged with his own hands.

The redheaded man knew both of them well. The Monohoshi Zao was one of his grandfather's last creations, or at least, that's what he told him. The blacksmith's apprentice knew the sword, had seen it several times in his memories, had forged it again with his own hands, and, in the end, had used it in combat...

He also knew the young man, who was none other than the famous swordsman: Sasaki Kojirou, a mythical swordsman who, it is said, faced the great Miyamoto Musashi in combat. If his knowledge was correct. The grandfather would die in a few months, and Sasaki would begin his journey to become a great swordsman.

"Wait, what am I saying? If my memories are correct, who taught Sasaki Kojirou, was Sengo Muramasa, not Senji. Then why did grandfather remember him? If he was Sengo, why did he introduce himself as Senji?" There was no data about the names of the second and third Muramasa, so he and Kiritsugu had inferred that the grandfather was the third Muramasa on record. But what if he was not? The grandfather had admitted to having forgotten even the face and names of his own grandchildren. The only thing he remembered accurately was each of the swords he and his descendants had forged, "Could it be that he forgot even his own name? No, perhaps his memories are so distorted by the passage of time that he simply became confused."

Shirou tried to clear his thoughts, but something else didn't add up. "When did I use the Monohoshi Zao in combat? I don't remember...".

The Shirou opened his eyes. He was in a nursing room. It was small and only had one window. He was lying in bed, and the only person next to him was... Gray? She was holding his hand tightly without any intention of letting go. The girl seemed to be asleep.

He tried to remember the events that had happened in his months in the Clock Tower. His first year was about to end, and he had somehow managed to end up in this hospital room.

The first memory that came to his mind was the dream he had the night he met Rin. After she left, he finished his training and went to bed.

The first part of his dream was what he expected the curse of the katana showing him the memories of his ancestor. Thus, he had managed to re-forge Sasaki's katana; but, the second part was what he never wanted to dream again...

"Sh-Shi... rou... Help me..."

Again, he was in that hell. Again, he heard the pleas and prayers of those who had not come out alive. And, again, he saw the black mud. Just like the last time, the mud took on organic properties and began to take on a humanoid form, but this time it was a little different.

She was much more defined, and yes, it was a she. The mud took the form of a woman. She wore a black mantle created by the same mud, her skin was still blackish and reddish, but she had distinguishable details beyond her gender, she had light blond hair and had a short hairstyle up to her shoulders, she also had blue eyes, clear as the sky.

She smiled at him, seemed happy about their reunion, "Welcome back, Shirou."

"Do I know you?" he asked, confused.

"Of course, you do, silly, don't you remember?" Stretching out her hands' side by side, she continued, "We met in this beautiful burning field..."

This surprised the boy, "In the Fuyuki fire?! In the middle of this disaster?"

She nodded, "That's right. You're a little cruel to forget me, you know. We've been together for the last seven years."

He could feel the sorrow in her voice, and unconsciously, felt bad for the girl, "Sorry, I really didn't want to forget anything."

Seeing his sincere apology, she was happy, "Oh, well, I guess there was nothing else you could do. The trauma must have been too great. Since you're sorry, I'll forgive you, but you know what, Shirou? There's something I don't like..."

"What?" He asked without moving from his place. Something told him that if he tried to escape, he could die.

She frowned as she placed her hand on the boy's cheek, "I don't like that you and she met."

"Eh?" Shirou didn't know what she was referring to.

"Shirou... You and I saved each other in this same burning field, seven years ago, you know what that means, don't you?" She whispered in his ear with a beautiful smile, "It means that you belong to me, you belong to me, and only me. Shirou, do you understand? You're not allowed to join her. I don't care if you get a little attached, but in the end, I'll be the one who fulfills your wish."

The boy swallowed saliva, not knowing what to say.

"I'll sleep for a while until I get back to a decent state. I don't want to reappear like this." Taking a few steps back, she said goodbye, "We will meet again when I recover, until then, wait for me, yes?"

After that, he woke up.

The second event that came to his mind was in his second class of General Fundamentals. To his surprise, Lord Trambellio also conducted his second class.

His ancestor warned him to be careful, for he had noticed Lord Trambellio occasionally keeping an eye on him.

Shirou didn't know why one of the three most influential lords in the Clock Tower was paying attention to a third-class magus like him. But he would not neglect his grandfather's warnings. The blacksmith was undoubtedly more experienced than he.

This probably had to do with Lady Valualeta. Who, in addition to being his dean, was also another of the three great lords. As well as a member of the Democratic faction.

The third event that the boy remembered. Was the accident that occurred in the auditorium of the Mineralogy class.

It happened when the teacher gave them a job in pairs.

Obviously, he had to fulfill the agreement made with Rin and help her as her sla... partner... Yes, partner. So he went to the place where the girl was already waiting for him, everything was going well.

"Oh! Sheroooo!"

He turned to see Luvia coming towards him with a smile. The red-headed man, feeling a terrible sensation, turned for a moment to see the face of Rin. He felt very concerned when he noticed a black aura covering her. He didn't know if it was a kind of illusion, but the feeling chilled his bones.

"Edelfelt, what the hell do you want?" asked Rin with obvious animosity.

"Oh, Tohsaka? So, you were here too?" said Luvia, ignoring her animosity and making it seem as if she hadn't even noticed her. This made Rin even angrier. "I came to ask Shero to be my partner in this work. Obviously, being with me, she will only get the best of the best."

Rin clenched her fists tightly and tried to hold back her anger, smiling forcibly, she replied, "With great regret, Edelfelt, Shirou-kun has already agreed to be my partner in this work. In this one and all the others, to be exact."

This upset the Edelfelts' heiress quite a bit, who also responded with a forced smile, "Oh? Don't you think that forcing a colleague to do all the work with you is unfair and petty, Tohsaka?"

Rin clenched her teeth, "Who says I'm forcing him?"

Luvia smiled superiorly, "And how else would you get Shero to agree to be with you in all the works? Heiress of thieves..."

That was the straw that broke the camel's back. Rin smiled as Luvia did and said, "Oh? That's very bold of you, scavenger Edelfelt."

From one moment to the next, the words became insults, and the insults became gems that were thrown by both girls, which were charged with magical energy to try to harm each other.

Their classmates tried to intervene but were thrown out by the fury and magecraft of the two girls.

Shirou was about to intervene as well, but, wisely, he followed his ancestor's advice, which literally told him not to even think about getting in the way of those two.

In the end, the professor had to intervene, and yet even he found it difficult to stop the two magi with magical circuits of almost the highest quality; furthermore, both were Average One, that is, both could manipulate the five elements.

Since that fateful day, jobs in pairs became jobs in threes. Fortunately for the teacher and the students, and unfortunately for Rin and Luvia, who had to put up with each other. Also, to the misfortune of Shirou, who had to mediate between the two.

Another relatively interesting event occurred in his Modern Magecraft Theory class; for some reason, the teacher's apprentice began to sit next to him. Which didn't seem to please the heiress Edelfelt very much and, above all, brought on the wrath of one of the two blond boys in the class, if he remembered correctly, his name was Svin Glascheit. So much was his disgust that the boy lost his head on several occasions and had to be stopped by his friend, Flat Escardos, or by the teacher himself. Although the blacksmith's apprentice was oblivious to all this mess.

He did not care at all for the girl's company. The first time the two spoke, she introduced herself as Gray. On the other hand, he told her to call him Shirou. In fact, the two of them really enjoyed each other's company, although neither of them knew exactly why. Every time she was around, that strange feeling of warmth and tranquility came over him.

Soon, the three of them, the two of them, along with Flat himself, became the trio of "idiots" in the class. Idiots not in the sense that they were fools, in fact, Flat was a magus with incredible abilities, but in the sense that both he and Gray were the most impressionable when it came to the teacher's lessons. In the case of both because they were not directly linked to the common teachings of magi from their respective births. And in Flat's case, he was just Flat.

He had also gotten along well with another boy, Caules Forvedge Yggdmillennia. Perhaps because both were the least potential magus students in the entire class, or because both were the most struggling to overcome their lack of talent. The fact is that Lord El-Melloi II had put them together in a job that required both of them to cooperate to create a barrier. Needless to say, no matter how hard they tried, they failed miserably. On the other hand, Shirou's stubbornness encouraged Caules not to give up so quickly, and the two ended up helping each other after that.

Another interesting thing that she had discovered was about Gray herself, in addition to the feeling of comfort that the girl transmitted to her, it was that, one day...

Shirou and Gray were sitting down finishing listening to lord El-Melloi II's class.

Once the class was almost over...

Shirou hurriedly got up from his table, leaving Muramasa very close to Gray's coat, to start arranging his things. Which resulted in...

"Hihihihihi! Wow, that sword is no toy, is it boy?" spoke a noisy voice.

"Huh? Who said that?" asked the blacksmith's apprentice as he watched the rest of the room.

"Here, down here!"

"Don't shout Add, the master isn't finished yet," Gray said.

"Huh? Was it you, Gray?" asked the confused redhead.

"No! It was me!"

Gray shook her head and, from her coat, pulled out a small cage. Inside this, she had locked a... Box?

"Add!" she shouted as she shook the box inside the cage.

"Wait! Wait, Gray!" said the mystic code trying to stop his partner.

"Shirou, this is Add. He's my partner."

"A mystical code?" said Shirou as he tried to use the structural grasp in the box; however, what he saw was too much information at once and, in the end, something his mind simply couldn't comprehend. It was a kind of pillar that shone in the distance. So much information was absorbed by Shirou that he ended up falling back into falling into his seat.

"Shirou!?" asked Gray worried and surprised.

"Hihihihihi! That's what you get for treating me like a simple mystical code. I deserve more respect."

"Add!" she shouted as she shook the box inside the cage.

"Wait! Wait, Gray!" said the mystic code trying to stop his partner.

"Shirou, are you okay?" she asked worriedly.

Shirou nodded with a small apologetic smile, "Yes. He's right. It's certainly not just any mystical code."

"It's good that you recognize it," said Add.

"You have to be careful with what you analyze, kid. Sometimes certain information can be counterproductive," said his ancestor.

"Huh? Who said that?" asked Gray now.

This time, it was Shirou's turn to show his companion, "Gray, Add, this is my ancestor, Muramasa Senji."

"Oh? Then it is a spirit possessing the sword...." said Add.

Shirou nodded.

"It's a pleasure. I'm Gray."

"Same here, miss." After introducing himself to the girl, the blacksmith addressed his apprentice, "Kid, I understand that you want to get to the workshop as soon as possible, but remember that the lessons of Lord El-Melloi II are very important. Even you think his lessons are worth gold."

Shirou nodded in shame, "You are right."

"Do you enjoy the teacher's lessons so much?" Gray asked.

Shirou nodded, "I think your lessons are very good. I have very little talent as a magus, because of the alignment of my origin and my element. Even so, he has given me some advice on how to overcome my limitations. For example, he recommended that I study runes. Despite his somewhat bitter attitude, he is a very good teacher, isn't he?

Gray nodded with a smile.

What the apprentice blacksmith didn't know was that there were two reasons why Gray started sitting next to him.

The same day that Shirou had obtained his patronage, in the office of the young lord...

Waver and Gray had just arrived, and a young lady was waiting for them inside the office. She had bright blond hair as well as pale white skin. Her most impressive feature was definitely her eyes, burning like fire, even though they were greenish. Her name, Reines El-Melloi Archisorte.

"Did you have a good conference, big brother?"

The way she called him brought a great headache to the young lord. He sighed and asked, "If you have called me, it means there must be a case. Doesn't it?"

She smiled mischievously, "Do you know anything about Adra Castle?"

Waver nodded.

"We have received an invitation..."

"I must assume that you want me to attend."

Reines nodded while winking at him.

This only increased the lord's migraine.

"By the way, big brother, you met the student who caught your eye today, right?"

Reines handed him some documents, "He didn't. He received a recommendation."

Waver started reading the documents, "Lady Valualeta?"

Reines nodded, "That's right. The head of the creation department seems to have an interest in him."

"Why do it? I analyzed it in class and didn't notice anything special. Did you notice anything, lady?" He said, turning to Gray.

"Do you mean the boy who was with you when I called you, master?"

Waver nodded.

"Well, when I was near him, I felt something strange. As if something connected or linked us..."

"¿And?" Both asked.

"Quietness. I felt calm as if a warm feeling were flowing into my chest."

After hearing this, Reines couldn't help but want to bother the girl a little. Sketching a mischievous smile, she asked him, "Oh...? A warm feeling in your chest? Could it be that Gray entered that age?"

This took the young woman by surprise, as she tried to deny as much as she could the implications of the lady, "N-NO, I-I just... I didn't mean that..."

This joke attracted the fun of Add, who couldn't help but burst out laughing.

This gave the young lord an idea, "Add, did you also feel that feeling that Gray talked about?"

"I am not a simple mystical code. I deserve respect," he grumbled, however, "But I understand what Gray means. I felt it too. It was a power similar to Rhongomyniad, but opposite in function."

"Opposite?"

"Yes. Like a shield or something. At least, that's how I felt."

"That's strange. Why could only Gray and Add feel that?" Reines said.

Waver tried to find an explanation; however, she couldn't think of anything, "Lady, I have a request to make of you, will you listen to it?"

And that's how Gray ended up keeping an eye on the boy and sitting next to him. Not that she minded, Shirou was quite industrious and took her master's lessons seriously. Besides, every time she was near him, that feeling of tranquility and security began to flood her.

Another thing he remembered clearly was his research on the Einzberns. In addition to what they already knew, he could not learn much more. The Einzberns were a family independent of the Clock Tower and extremely isolated. They communicated through the homunculi they produced, which, from time to time, came to the Clock Tower to make the occasional deal; beyond that, he could not find out anything new.

Finally, he arrived at the last event that happened... It hurt him to remember this part, but he almost had the answer.

It happened after his Modern Magecraft Theories class…

He was calming the already normal arguments between heiress Edelfelt and heiress Tohsaka. Rin had attended as a listener, as she wanted to enroll in the class for the next period. It all ended when Lord El- Melloi II stopped them both by threatening to remove them from the auditorium.

Once the class was over, everyone prepared to leave when he entered…

He was a boy his own age, had a superior look and an arrogant smile, his hair was bluish and reminded him of a pile of seaweed.

"Tohsaka! So here you were."

Once Rin saw who it was, her expression went sour.

"Matou-Kun ... I thought you were at your Zoology lecture. Why did you come?" She said with a forced smile.

Her smile became wider, "Of course, I came to see you. Our families have been allies for the last 200 years. So, I came here so that we could study together."

She put all the effort she could into keeping her smile, "I'm sorry, Matou-kun, but I promised to tutor Shirou-kun, so I can't help you. I have to make sure he passes his final exams."

"Shirou?" asked the confused magus. After a few moments, he observed the red-headed man standing right next to the heiress Tohsaka.

"Muramasa Shirou delighted," he introduced himself.

"Muramasa? I have never heard of a lineage of magi with that name..."

"We are not magi properly speaking. Let's say that our trade is linked to magic."

"Are they not magus? Tohsaka, do you really think relate and studying with a random person is better than associating with me?"

With that said, Rin stopped holding back, "Matou-kun. If I'm preferring to associate with Shirou-kun, it's because I obviously think it's worth studying with him. At least, more than it is worth studying with you. Also, Matou-kun, I understand that you take pride in your lineage, but considering that it's a declining lineage that had to use a designer baby to prolong its existence... If you're not even naturally someone born into the Matou family, do you really have anything to be proud of?"

That left the whole classroom silent. Even Lord El-Melloi was silent about this statement. Rin had not only despised Shinji and his lineage, she had even questioned his place as a member of the Matou family. For a magus, receiving such words was equivalent to receiving several of the worst insults that could be done to him, one after another.

"Tohsaka…" Shinji looked at her with hatred and suppressed rage. If not for the presence of other people in the room, including a lord, he probably would have jumped on her, "Hey you." Shinji pointed at Shirou.

"Yes?" Shirou asked, not knowing what he had to do with this discussion.

"Let's go to one of the rooms used for self-defense classes. Let's fight there."

"What?" Shirou asked in a daze.

"The only way to shut that bitch up is to prove I'm better than you, or are you afraid your pathetic magecraft can't do anything about mine?" Matou asked, abandoning all manners and smiling mangily at her last statement.

"I have no reason to fight with you."

"Oh? So, you want me to give you one?" He asked, having fun, "Do you only have that sword to show off? Oh, don't tell me. It's just a useless piece of plastic, isn't it?"

Seeing that this could escalate, Lord El-Melloi decided to intervene on behalf of his student, "Matou, if you came to my class just to cause trouble, I will be forced to report you to your dean. I understand that your family has not done any research in the last centuries, right?" Waver, who normally looked tired and bitter, was stern and determined in front of the young magus, "You are not being sponsored by any lord, and you are only coming to cause trouble. I will make sure that you receive a proper punishment."

That pushed back the arrogant heir, it probably would have ended there, but Shinji pressed a button that even Shirou didn't realize he had: he insulted his swords.

"You can rest assured, professor. If Matou-san wants to measure his strength against my sword, I have no problem with that." Shirou approached Shinji, "Let me show you how well he cuts this piece of plastic."

Having said this, Shinji left the classroom and made a gesture to Shirou to follow him.

Before he left the class, Rin stopped him, "Are you sure about this? He may be a scumbag as a person, but the magecraft of the Matou family is quite problematic and dangerous."

Luvia was also approached with concern. Even Caules and Gray looked this way too.

However, Shirou smiled, "I may not be a magus in every sense of the word. But I have something to be proud of too, those are my swords. I can't let him just insult them, just like that."

"Hihihihihi! That's right, kid, kick his ass," Add encouraged.

Muramasa did not say anything, but he did not need it. His descendant, and he, were in perfect synchrony.

Shirou left the classroom followed by all of his classmates. The four mentioned above were worried about him. Lord El-Melloi was doing his duty. Svin didn't really care about the fight and simply followed the others. And, others, like Flat, or a hairy girl with an eye patch, the self-proclaimed number one mistress of Lord El-Melloi II, Yvette L. Lehrman, were just excited to see the fight.

The two arrived at the hall and stood on opposite sides of it. Both were so focused on the battle that they didn't even notice how the hall was quickly filled with spectators. Nor did they notice the three lords who were watching them.

Once they were ready, or more specifically, Shinji was ready, they both stood facing each other, at a certain distance.

Shinji knew that Shirou would use his sword, but Shirou had no idea of the Matou's magecraft. So, he simply grabbed his sword hard and prepared to cut whatever the Matou threw at him.

What the apprentice magus did not expect was that, from the clothes Shinji, a large number of insects would begin to emerge.

"These are my sword-type flying insects. They love meat as much as piranhas. I'd avoid them if I were you," Shinji said with an arrogant laugh.

He sent a small first wave of these insects right to where Shirou was. But when they came within range of his sword, in a few seconds, all were reduced to pieces.

"It seems you don't just have that sword to show off," he said without worrying.

Soon a large number of insects were on Shirou and he, reinforcing his body, began to move through the whole room while cutting as many as he could and, at the same time, making sure he was not cornered. However, Shirou did not realize that more and more insects were surrounding the room. At one point, the insects covered all directions inside the room, leaving no room for escape.

"Was not bad, Muramasa. In an open place, I would have had problems, but inside this room, I have the advantage." Shinji clicked his fingers and laughed, "Let the show begin."

Each and every one of the insects threw themselves like sharks towards their prey. Each one of them tried to tear the flesh of the redhead. If not for the reinforcement, he would have been devoured in a matter of seconds.

Shit! Shirou clenched his teeth tightly so as not to complain.

"Shirou-kun! / Shero!" shouted the hederas respectively.

Both were about to intervene. Lord El-Melloi was also about to stop the fight. Even Gray had to Add ready and about to jump. To be exact, several of the students in El-Melloi's class were preparing to take action. Flat had momentarily abandoned his funny attitude and was looking a little serious and worried about the scene. Caules seemed to have some sort of battery in his right hand and was squeezing it hard. And, even Svin was not oblivious to the fight.

But someone stopped them all, Lord Trambellio, his words were clear and precise, "Do not interfere."

It was then that Gray felt it, a tug, something that connected her to Shirou. It was similar to the same sense of security he gave her. That kind of bond was asking for mana...

No one in the room could stand up to the stout lord, at least, not without she revealing the mystery inside Add. So, with her hands tied, she did the only thing she thought would help her classmate, she poured as much od as she could into that link and, suddenly, from inside the insect cloud, a beautiful, beautiful light began to shine.

It began to regenerate Shirou's wounds at an extraordinary rate, and it seemed that the light had a certain disturbing effect on the insects, as they were driven away for a few moments.

Shirou tried to cut off as many insects as he could, but there were too many. They threw themselves into his hands in an attempt to snatch his sword, and no matter how hard he fought, he could not stop them from taking his weapon.

The insects snatched his sword and took it to Shinji.

He held the sword like a toy, "Hey Muramasa! Is using this piece of plastic the only thing you can do?"

That was the last straw. For some reason that he did not know, his magical circuits lit up as never before and, at that moment, some words appeared with force in his head along with the distorted reflection of that land of steel that he dreamed of almost every night...

In anger and determination, he pronounced: I am... The bone of my sword!

The redheaded man stretched out his hand and, in his palm, a bluish glint began to take shape, lengthened about 150 cm, and, when it stopped shining, had transformed into a Monohoshi Zao.

"That sword!" Rin thought as she recognized it.

Shirou smiled unconsciously. The blade had not degraded.

"Another useless sword? And created with such a pathetic magecraft as Gradation air? I expected more..."

The blacksmith's apprentice jumped forward without a second thought. He ran at full speed against Shinji, without caring about the insects' attack. The sword was ready, but he was not capable enough of throwing that technique created by the simple and pure effort that had reached the territory of the gods. Or so he thought...

Faster, I need to be faster!

And, as if his magical circuits obeyed an order, the crest of the Emiya family began to shine under his shirt, words that he did not understand began to resound in his head:

Opening the temporary manipulation file...

Creating a delimited field within the user's body...

Temporary acceleration of the user to twice his usual speed is possible. Do you want to proceed?

He somehow knew the words to say, "Double accel!"

Everything for the redhead moved in slow motion. Although to the others it looked like he had gone off like a rocket.

Shinji tried to stop his advance, but it was useless. The sword was already ready and, when the legendary technique was said, the sword of infinity roared in response...

-TSUBAME GAESHI!

The first cut was thrown with extreme speed and force, the wave of insects that Shinji sent was reduced to pieces. The second cut destroyed the insects that the Matou used to protect itself.

And, the third cut...

CRACK!

The sword went on its way until it hit the wall. It entered the wall as easily as a fiery rod would enter human flesh. There was Shinji, between the sword, his enemy, and the wall.

"It's my victory," said the redhead, picking up the sword on which the kanji of his ancestor was written. Muramasa didn't need to say how proud he was Shirou had been able to use the technique of who was once his student.

But Shinji did not answer him, his eyes lost all energy, he was not dead, but he had fainted from the shock. Soon after, Shirou fainted as well.

After having his memories clear, the redheaded man looked again at the girl holding his hand on the hospital bed. He didn't know how, but he was sure he had survived because of her. The boy approached her and said:

"Thank you. I don't know how, but without you, I could have ended up dead." Unconsciously, he placed his hand on Gray's cheek, pulling her hood a little apart and looking at the girl's fine features, lowering his face in shame. He muttered in a low voice, somewhat surprised, "You'd look so much prettier if you didn't wear that hood all the time."

"Eh...!?"

Hearing that exclamation, he looked up and saw Gray, who was awake and somewhat nervous.

In a rush, he tried to explain himself. But was interrupted by the mocking voice of a girl he didn't know. He had blonde hair and green eyes.

Unable to avoid making fun of both of them, Reines said, "Big brother, it seems we've come at a bad time. I think we should leave them alone for a while longer."

Behind the girl, there was his teacher, who, instead of having a bitter look, maintained one that balanced between fun and feeling pity for Shirou... Wait, pity, why!?

The redhead found out soon after, as the heiresses Tohsaka and Edelfelt entered the room with clear displeasure etched on their faces. And soon after, Svin also entered, who apparently wanted to kill Shirou.

Oh yeah, this was going to be another long day...

Omake:

There was another relevant event that had occurred in the last few weeks. Although deep down, he didn't want to remember it, more out of shame than anything else...

There he was, sitting on his bed. There she was, sitting on the only chair in the room.

"So Shirou-kun?" spoke the heiress of the Tohsaka with an air of sufficiency.

Not that it bothered him or embarrassed him to ask for help, but the smile on Rin's face made it seem like he was admitting defeat, "Rin..."

"Yes?" She smiled with false elegance.

"Final exams are coming up and, well..."

"Yes...?"

"Could you tutor me until the exams?"

She made a pretense of considering it, which was false because in her head she had already accepted it, "Well, my schedule is very tight, and I didn't think you'd ask me..." Another lie. She wanted him to ask so she could show off front Luvia later. Of course, the redhead didn't know about this.

"Well, if you find it too complicated..."

But before he could finish, she interrupted him, "Although, if Shirou-kun showed me how much he really needs my help, I could make an exception..."

Hmm...? And how do I prove it to you?

For a moment she started to think, she really hadn't thought of a way for him to show her, after a few minutes, an idea came to her. She took off her shoe and stretched out her foot dressed in long socks, "Do it," she said with a smile.

"What?" He asked, confused.

She rolled her eyes when she saw that he didn't notice, "Lick it," she said, smiling superiorly.

"Excuse me?" He asked without understanding the situation.

"Lick it. Or are you not able to throw away your pride to get help Shirou-kun?" She repeated.

At that moment, Rin was having the time of her life. Not only was she in complete control of the situation, but she could also see her classmate's confused and embarrassed face. She was enjoying herself so much that she didn't notice the conversation between the redhead and his ancestor.

"What am I supposed to do?"

Sighing, Muramasa replied, "She is a 15-year-old girl born into an ancient lineage of magi. If you want this to end quickly, just do what she asks."

"Is it serious?" He asked, stunned.

"I have lived for 500 years. Kid, if you trust my experience. Just fulfill her whim."

Resigned, Shirou set about doing what she was asked to do. It was either that or lose his sponsorship, and he couldn't afford it now.

After having some fun, Rin was ready to end the joke, when she felt a pair of hands holding her foot.

"Hey?" Rin watched as Shirou slowly removed her stocking, undressing her foot, "Wait? W-What are you doing?"

"What you told me..."

"W-Wait!"

But Shirou was determined to get her help at any cost.

So, bringing his face close to the sole of her foot, he licked it... Then, he walked away and looked nervously at the girl.

"Rin-san?"

She, having covered her face with her hands, got up from the chair and, walking like a kind of robot, reached the entrance of the room, there, she stopped...

"Shirou-kun?"

"Yes?"

"I'll be waiting for you tomorrow to study."

"Understood."

"And, Shirou-kun?"

"Yes?"

"I don't have to tell you what will happen if someone finds out about this, do I?"

"No," he answered immediately.

"Very good." Rin locked the door and ran out of the room.