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IBHJ Chapter 92
🕑 Added 2023-02-11 22:31:13 +0000 UTCIn the realm of darkness known as the land of shadows, a red spear appeared like a meteor and struck Shirou. With a sudden movement, a black hand reached out from behind him and deftly caught the spear.
Scathach took hold of the weapon and said, "Shirou, shake off the mud. It won't serve as proper training if you don't."
Shirou, unable to do anything about it, responded with a hint of helplessness, "That's because every time I enter, my shisho creeps up on me. It's enough to give me nightmares."
Scathach was about to continue speaking when Shirou swiftly removed the black hand and projected two swords, sneaking up on her like the wind.
With a flick of her wrist and a shift of the spear, she effortlessly defended herself against his attack. A small smile appeared on her exquisite face as she said, "You're not learning obedience, but instead how to sneak up."
He chuckled and replied, "I learned that from my shisho." He then resumed his attack.
But it was to no avail, as she expertly stabbed him with thirty-seven precise strikes, causing him to fall to the ground, lifeless.
"This is truly disheartening. In terms of martial arts, I can still only get in three moves before being defeated by shisho." he rubbed the back of his neck.
"You could try awakening the Wisdom of Dun Scaith, it will allow you to last a few more moves," she suggested.
"That won't work. How can a copied skill compare to one I've created with my own two hands? Watch this, Shisho!" he kicked the ground, sending sand flying and momentarily blinding her. He then charged forward with a slash.
"It's amazing how pure your eyes are, yet you're becoming more and more cunning," Scathach said as she closed her eyes and thrust her long spear, directly piercing his abdomen and ending his life.
An hour had passed, and the Hero Fujimaru Shirou had used twenty lives but still couldn't defeat the Great Demon King Scathach.
Although he had contemplated using underhanded tactics to secure victory, he never got the chance to act on his deceitful thoughts. Scathach's javelin hit him square in the head, and the game was over. Laughing at his foolishness, she offered some advice: "You ought to focus on training honestly. Don't even consider sneaky tactics."
From that point on, the practice was no longer about pushing the limits of one's spirit after four battles, but two hours of normal training. The first hour was actual combat training, and the second hour was dedicated to learning Rune Magecraft.
Rune Magecraft can be considered a simplified version of the Primordial Rune and is a branch of Nordic Magecraft. It's also a necessary prerequisite for learning the Primordial Rune.
She was willing to directly teach Shirou the Primordial Rune, but if he couldn't understand the mechanism and method of the Rune, then it would be useless. So, he had to learn Rune Magecraft first.
Unfortunately, Shirou struggled with understanding the concepts.
He could only rely on his greatest mortal ability, hard work, and the special skill of a student, memorization to fill the gaps in his understanding.
First, he memorized the various runes, then he memorized the mechanism and method of use, and gradually he began to understand.
The two hours passed quickly.
"Goodbye, shisho. I'll see you tomorrow!" Shirou smiled and waved goodbye to Scathach.
The next day, he met Kiritsugu at a newly opened coffee shop in Miyama, where he returned the book he borrowed.
"So, what did you think of it?" Kiritsugu asked.
"It was good, but I would have preferred a different ending. The way the protagonist ends the war and is forced to hang to death after saving those people is a bit disturbing," Shirou replied, having been reminded of the shadow of the Heroic Spirit Emiya after reading the novel from start to finish.
"I can't change that ending. It's the inevitable conclusion that the protagonist must face," Kiritsugu stated firmly.
"Okay, then just make sure not to change your pen name, and let me know beforehand if you plan to change it," Shirou suggested.
"Why?" Kiritsugu asked, confused.
"So I can avoid it in the future and keep it from falling into the wrong hands," Shirou explained.
The two continued their conversation but were briefly interrupted by a yawn from Ilya, who was nearby eating cake.
Ilya wasn't the only one feeling drowsy in the cafe. The ambiance, combined with the long music playing, made many of the patrons feel drowsy.
Shirou noticed Kiritsugu's eyes scanning the room before settling on him. Kiritsugu's chin moved slightly as if he was hinting at something.
Pretending to yawn, Shirou let his head fall onto the table and closed his eyes, as though he had dozed off.
"I'm so tired... Kiritsugu, I'm going to take a nap," Ilya said, following Shirou's lead and collapsing onto the table.
Soon, the cafe was filled with the sounds of gentle snores as everyone, including the owner who was still wiping down cups, had fallen asleep.
Only Kiritsugu remained awake, sipping his black coffee.
The sound of slow footsteps approached the door, "You are the fifth generation of the Emiya family, the magus killer, Emiya Kiritsugu."
A soft voice echoed in the room, causing Shirou to squint toward the source. Standing before them was a man with silver hair tied in a long braid.
"Who are you?" Kiritsugu inquired, his gaze fixed on the stranger.
"Allow me to introduce myself. I am Animusphere Marisbury, the current head of the Animusphere family," Marisbury announced as he took a seat across from Kiritsugu and next to Shirou.
Kiritsugu frowned at the mention of the Animusphere family. "The head of the Department of Astromancy in the Clock Tower? What do you want from me? I don't remember any bad blood between us, and the Clock Tower has never marked me as someone to be sealed."
Marisbury chuckled, attempting to ease Kiritsugu's concerns. "Please, there's no need to be nervous. I'm not here to stir up any trouble. I simply wish to inquire about the Fourth Holy Grail War."
"The Fourth Holy Grail War... isn't this Tohsaka's area of expertise as the Supervisor of Fuyuki? Why are you asking me?" Kiritsugu queried, his tone suspicious.
"Tohsaka was unable to witness the final outcome. He was, after all, destroyed by an Origin bullet on the battlefield."
"... What is it you want to know then? I must warn you, I don't have much information to offer."
Marisbury's eyes gleamed with interest. "The truth. That power which reversed life and death in the end, was it truly the arrival of the so-called savior of light, or was it the power of the Holy Grail?"
Kiritsugu hesitated, but before he could answer, Marisbury chuckled. "No need to come up with a story. My inquiry is not only directed at you but also at the young magus beside me who's pretending to be asleep."
The room became quiet and tense.
Shirou, looking slightly embarrassed, rubbed the back of his head and sat up. "Uh oh, was I that obvious?"
"After entering the room, I was feeling quite on edge. However, once I sat down next to you, I suddenly felt much calmer. It's as if my negative emotions were absorbed by something. If one cannot detect such an abnormal occurrence, then they are not a competent magus," Marisbury stated.
Shirou let out a sigh, "Whether it's Kiritsugu, Kayneth, or even you... magi can never be underestimated."
Marisbury smiled and fixed his gaze on Shirou. "Are you the Master of Caster during the Fourth Holy Grail War, and also the Master who was able to merge with the Servant?"
Shirou raised an eyebrow. "Did Kenneth reveal my information to you?"
Marisbury shook his head. "On the contrary, the information about you was very well concealed in the reports that El-Melloi submitted to the Clock Tower. Despite several months passing, the Clock Tower still hasn't assigned you a Seal. I was able to deduce this because El-Melloi's actions can't escape my notice."
"You don't have to deduce anything," Shirou said. "Just come right out and ask. I wouldn't lie to you."
Marisbury smiled, "There's no need to ask. I already have the answer I was looking for." He stood up and made his way toward the door. "I apologize for interrupting your tea time."
Shirou called out, "Wait!"
Marisbury turned to face him.
"The Grail has been dismantled and the crystals have disappeared. It's no longer possible to recreate the Grail War," Shirou said firmly. "I hope you keep that in mind, Mr. Marisbury."
Marisbury nodded. "In exchange for this information, let me offer you a piece of advice. If you want to protect this city, you better be careful, Caster's Master. Chaos might return to this place in a few days."
Shirou was stunned, "What do you mean?"
"I can't say for certain," Marisbury replied. "It's just a conclusion I've come to based on the actions of others. Farewell, it was a pleasure to meet you."
As he left, the hypnotic atmosphere in the room began to dissipate, leaving Shirou to ponder Marisbury's ominous words.
"What could he have meant by that?" Shirou asked, his eyebrows raised in confusion.
"It's probably related to the actions of the Church," Kiritsugu replied.
"The Church? You mean the Holy Church?" Shirou asked.
"Yes, you might not have noticed, but there are now many representatives of the Church in Fuyuki City."
"Are there any evil magi coming to cause chaos, or some inhuman creature attacking the city?"
"I don't know," Kiritsugu said, shaking his head. "Those are just a couple of possibilities. The most likely explanation is that they're investigating the Fourth Holy Grail War, like Animusphere Marisbury. The commotion caused by the war was too great, especially with the arrival of the savior of light at the end."
Shirou couldn't help but show a shy smile at the mention of the savior of light.
Ignoring his reaction, Kiritsugu continued, "No matter what happens, I will protect this city that I once destroyed."
"You really are dependable," Shirou said with a sigh of relief.
"I have something I'd like to ask of you, Shirou," Kiritsugu said, looking a bit unsure.
"What is it?"
"I heard that your school is having a sports festival, and things are bound to get lively around here. Would you be willing to take Ilya for a walk around the City?"
"Of course, that's no problem. But is it really okay?"
"It's okay,"
"In that case, I'd be happy to. I enjoy spending time with sunny, energetic children," Shirou said with a smile.
