First battle

(Shirou's pov)

The next day few minutes before midnight under the bridge I was waiting for Rin, Luvia, Miyu and Illya. They arrive soon after me.

Rin: "You are early today."

Shirou: "I have bad experience with people leaving me behind."

Rin: "Would it hurt you to not be sarcastic for 5 minutes?"

Shirou: "It actually does hurt and if I don't say anything sarcastic at least few times a day I'll day."

Illya: "Really?"

Illya looks at me with concern in her eyes. It seems that she believed my little joke.

Rin: "Don't worry about him, he is just lying. Nevermind that are you ready?"

Shirou: "No problem at my side."

We teleport into the mirror world and Medea was waiting for us with her magic ready to fire at any moment.

I immediately summon Bakuya and Kanshou to block incoming attacks. At the same time Rin and Luvia are looking at me with shock.

Luvia: "Is it include of class card but you don't have kaleidostick or even class card so how?"

Shirou: "Busy now, question me after we defeat her."

She nodded and together with Rin went to place outside Medea's range. While they did it Illya and Miyu stood at the side looking at me like they want to help but unfortunately this is my first battle and I want to test my abilities.

Shirou: "Sorry but can you let me fight solo this time?"

I say with soft voice to assure them that I'll be alright.

Illya: "B-but."

Shirou: "Don't worry about me. I may not look like it but I'm quite strong and have few tricks up my sleeves."

As I say that I pat her head as if it was natural thing to do. When I take away my hand from her head she looks a bit disappointed. Did I unlocked the legendary technique of patting the loli. I just hope FBI-san doesn't see it.

Nevermind that first I need to deal with Medea.

I threw both of my swords missing her completely. All of the girls look at me as if asking what am I doing.

When swords flew past Medea I summon a new pair of Bakuya and Kanshou making the old one go back to me.

Medea notice it at the last moment and teleport to another location making me miss but I was expecting that and was ready as I immediately dematerialze all of the swords and summon my nameless bow with Caladbolg.

Shirou: "Caladbolg!"

With that name I shot at her but she managed to avoid it with her teleportation. She was hurt tho, and it was not shallow wound but she healed fast back to full health.

That few seconds of healing was all I needed to project Gae Bolg. I went into stance where I was ready to throw the spear.

Shirou: "Gae Bolg!"

At the same time I did that attack all the girls looked at me with wide open eyes as they don't believe what they are seeing.

My blood red spear start glowing and as it leaves my hands I goes straight to Medea. She tries to dodge it with teleportation but Gae Bolg follows to her new location piercing her in the end.

With Medea's 'death' her card showed up. I take it, walk towards Rin threw it to her.

Shirou: "Mission accomplished."

Rin: "Mission accomplished my ass, what the hell was that. You were using weapons of heroic spirits without kaleidostick or class card and you even Gae Bolg. It's card is currently in the hand of Luvia and Miyu."

As she was asking me all these questions my instincts are screaming that something dangerous is coming towards our direction.

Shirou: "I am the bone of my sword, Rho Aias!"

I deploy my most powerful shield blocking incoming excalibur attack. Artoria was able to destroy 5 of my players with just attack. Fortunately it was not her full power attack because if it was I am not sure I would be able able to block it.

Rin: "How is it possible?

Luvia: "Two servants in one world?"

Shirou: "Leave being confused for later and let's focus on target before us."

I'm glad that I prepared myself for today. I trained the best weapon to defeat Artoria Pendragon and that is of course Clarent the sword that kill King Arthur.

As I materialized Clarent, Artoria started to scream with rage. It seems that she still remembers the sword that ended her life.

She starts to gather energy in her sword I did the same thing. At the same time we fired our swords beams at each other. When they clashed her excalibur overpower my Clarent and at that time I remembered that this sword was only anti-Arthur weapon because of Mordre's hatred for her father but I don't have that so Clarent is 'only' B-rank Noble Phantasm.

Thanks to Mind's eye I was able to dodge the attack but it cost me an arm. It realy hurts but thanks to Avalon it started healing and my arm regenerated. The girls didn't see it because of the dirt flying around caused by both of our attacks clashing.

My composure still remains even after lost of my arm which surprises me greatly. Using Clarent wasn't the best idea so plan B it is.

Shirou: "How about little match in swordsmanship, king of Britain."

I project my most powerful sword besides excalibur, Balmung.

I start smiling. This is bad, I have too much fun fighting. At this rate I'll become battle junkie but who cares about little details it's time to fight.

Even if I trained in swordsmanship for 3 years I can't compete with Artoria and her sword that brings certain victory to who ever wields it. We exchange few blows with each other but she kicks my torso and sends me flying.

Rin, Luvia and Miyu: "Archer!!!"

The only one not saying anything was Illya with all of her hope buried beneath despair.

Shirou: "You hit like a truck and trust me I know best how bad it hurts."

She doesn't even blink at my poor jokes. It seems that it isn't easy to taunt her.

I threw Balmung at her which suprise her for a moment and I use it to project Gae Bolg ones more.

I launch my spear in the direction of Arturia. I knew that I couldn't kill her with just that. Even Cu Chulainn could not defeat her with her instincts, which is bullshit by the way.

Gae Bolg managed to scratch her making one of her arms unusable but it's still not enough to overcome her.

As I had my fun with Artoria, Illya appeared with archer card installed. Miyu and even Rin and Luvia are suprised at what happend with her.

She starts to fight with Saber ignoring me completely. It looks like my fun ends here.

After a short fight Illya project excalibur so I do the same to overpower Arturia but tracing excalibur is a lot more challenging than anything I did before. My skin starts to turn dark and my hair white causing me a great deal of pain but I bared it all and finally making excalibur. Fortunately it was just some strands of hair and a bit of my arms that changed colour. I know that Illya would be able to to it herself but better be safe than sorry.

Shirou: "Bye bye."

I wave my hand as I charge my own excalibur. Our attacks were able to overpower hers without any trouble.

I walk towards where Artoria should be but I saw there was anything beyond my imagination. She was still standing with all her wounds. Her mask was completely broken and I could see her eyes. They weren't eyes of mindless machine created just to kill but warm ones and they were directed to me. She looked me full with emotions.

Artoria: "Thank you, Shirou."

With these words she vanished leaving only her card after her. She left me with shock. She gained back her reasoning at the end and she recognized me. I just hope that one besides me heard it. On another hand what caused her to regain her sanity. It could be my avalon inside me or something completely diffrent.

I took card from the ground and walk toward unconscious Illya. Rin, Luvia and Miyu looks worried.

Rin: "What happend to her?"

Shirou: "It's nothing dangerous, you don't need to worry. Take her home to her bedroom. Tomorrow she'll have fever and won't have any memories of it so make some excuse how we won or just say that I managed to defet Saber with your help or something."

Rin: "And how do you know all of that?"

She looks pretty annoyed but I still can see her worries about Illya.

Shirou: "Add it to the list."

Rin: "Y-you, are you not worried about her at all."

Shirou: "It's not that I'm not worried but my panic won't help us in this situation besides as I told you I know what is happening to her and it's nothing dangerous."

I feel little bad after I see them so worried about Illya so I'll give them a little bonus.

Shirou: "I know that you are worried and all that and it's suspicious that I know all these information so I'll answer one of your question without any lies so choose wisely. Before you start don't ask about my identity."

Rin and Luvia look at each other and start discussing what's the best question to ask. After a short while Rin and Luvia turn in my direction.

Rin: "When Illya used install on her cards she used similar powers to yours. After creating excalibur your skin on your hands and hair started to change making it look like hers. What exactly are you?"

Shirou: "You started with a difficult question, you know that?"

Rin: "I hoped for that"

She looks realy smug now. She looks cute when she thinks she has the upper hand but promise is a promise.

Shirou: "*Sigh* Tell me what you know about heroic spirits?"

Rin: "What does it have with our question?"

Shirou: "You'll see."

Luvia: "Heroic spirits are heroes from the past. They are granted power from using human imagination as a container."

Shirou: "Not a bad answer but you had one thing wrong in it. It's not only heroes from the all of mankind history, be it past, present or future."

They widened their eyes.

Rin: "Dies that mean that you ar-."

I stopped her from finishing her sentence and make X with both of my arms.

Shirou: "Incorrect. What I am is just a possibility of another hero. As you saw Illya had her whole body in dark skin and my did darkened during the fight."

Rin: "But it does not explain why you have all of these Noble Phantasms."

Shirou: "Because it has nothing to do with it. You asked what I am and I answered. Any more questions would need to go to you list of Archer's mysterious."

I say with a smug face and I think she knows what kind of expression I have because she was angry. She looked as if she would jump at me any moment just to get her answers. If I'm being honest she reminds me of Truck-chan when she hunted me.

Shirou: "With all that being said let's leave for now because you won't get more answers from me tonight and I want to go home."

Unwillingly they let me go. Rin together with unconscious Illya went to my house leaving her in her bedroom and she left I could also return and sleep after my first battle.