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IBHJ Chapter 90
🕑 Added 2023-02-10 22:30:42 +0000 UTCThe 5th century CE was a time of great unrest in the island of Britannia. The West Roman Empire on the mainland was facing continuous uprisings and foreign invasions, with the Gaul's Bagaudae Movement and the North African's Agonistes Movement destabilizing the empire's regime. This turmoil spilled over to Britannia, causing the decline of its forces under imperial protection and attracting a dangerous foreign enemy in the form of the Saxons.
Britannia was home to a diverse range of ethnicities and kingdoms, and despite the ongoing disputes among them, the kings of each kingdom worked together to defend against the invading Saxons and the Picts who were eyeing their lands in the north.
However, one king's actions would shatter this fragile unity. King Vortigern, born in Britannia, used the Saxons to further his own aims of unifying the island nation. He was known as the white dragon incarnation, and legends spoke of his destiny to destroy Britannia.
The Saxons, under King Vortigern's leadership, had wrought destruction on the once-thriving city of Londinium and defeated the revered King Uther Pendragon. They now set their sights on the rest of Britannia.
It was a rainy day when a badly injured boy stumbled onto a muddy road in the forest near the kingdom of Logres. He had black hair in disarray, and his white shirt was stained with blood. Three deep claw marks marred his back, and the rain was washing away the black and red blood as it flowed down his skin.
Despite his wounds, the boy was still alive. The mud near his wounds was churning, attempting to heal them using what little magical energy remained, but it was quickly running out of energy. Escaping with his life was already a stroke of good luck, but it seemed like his journey would come to an end here, on this muddy road.
But was this to be the end of his life?
No, he had to return. He had to go back to his family!
His battle wasn't about winning or losing, but about being able to smile and see the people who mattered to him again. This was a belief the young man held dear.
So,
Please, someone, come and save me!
Footsteps echoed in the young man's ears as he struggled to lift his head. Blood flowed from the wound on his forehead, mixing with the rain and trickling into his eyes, but he could still make out the figure approaching him. It was a princess, with long black hair and soldiers in tow, who had come to his aid.
"Goodness! How could his injuries be so severe? My knights, quickly lift him up!" The princess instructed.
The black mud, sensing the evil of humans, began to absorb it, and as it did so, the exhausted magical energy started to replenish. The mud began to heal the wounds, repairing the damage done.
"Thank you!" the young man whispered before he lost consciousness.
The story begins ten days prior to this moment...
...
On the afternoon of April 5th, 1994, a Tuesday, the sky had started to darken as Shirou practiced the pole vault. He had only been practicing for a short while when suddenly, he reached up to roll up his sleeves and wipe the sweat from his face. It was then that he found himself surrounded by dozens of towels of all different colors.
"Fujimaru-senpai, use this one!"
"Fujimaru-san, use this one!"
"Fujimaru-senpai, I heard you like pink, so please use this one of mine!"
Boys and girls alike stood before him, offering towels and staring at Shirou with shining eyes.
He was starting to feel overwhelmed. "No, no need. Thank you for your kindness, but I don't need a towel,"
"But Fujimura-senpai must be thirsty, right? I've brought you lemon water. Please look at me and drink it!" said one of the students.
"And I've brought you bubble soda, Shirou-kun. You must be so tired from practicing for the sports festival. You have to drink it and look at me!" said a big boy.
The students started to argue, offering Shirou drinks and vying for his attention.
'Help!' Shirou screamed in his mind.
Just then, their homeroom teacher arrived and scolded the students. Then, he patted Shirou's shoulder and spoke in a serious tone. "Shirou, you're working so hard in training for the pole vaulting for the sake of the class's performance in next week's sports festival. I'm deeply grateful as your homeroom teacher. And as a reward, you don't have to do homework this month. Come, look at me with your eyes."
The back of Shirou's neck was damp with sweat, and he said to his homeroom teacher, "Excuse me, I have to go home now. My mother will be looking for me if I'm any later."
"Very well," the teacher replied. "Do you need me to escort you?"
"No, thank you," Shirou replied, picking up his schoolbag and leaving the room.
On the walk home, every passerby who looked worried, would stand tall and smile after walking past him, as if all their negativity had been drained away.
He could feel eyes on him from every direction and he suspected that it was his classmates and teacher, who was secretly observing him.
This had been happening for almost five months now, and Shirou was getting more and more uncomfortable.
"This is becoming a problem..." he thought to himself, creasing his brow in concern.
Everyone was focused on his eyes, not just his classmates and teacher, but also a growing number of shady individuals.
He couldn't understand why everyone was fixated on his eyes, but he suspected it was due to his "Evil Flower" skill, which he couldn't turn off. The skill automatically absorbed humanity evil and transformed it into magical energy, and negative emotions were also considered a form of evil. Those around him would feel inexplicably comfortable as a result.
Despite the growing attention he was receiving, he was still relieved to see the people around him smile. But the number of people staring at him only seemed to increase.
All he could do was hope that he wouldn't disrupt their normal daily routine. This was his only thought.
As he walked home, he came across the newly-constructed commercial street. In the center of the street stood a stone carving that had become the symbol of the city's revitalization.
It was the entity that brought light to this once desolate area several months ago, and it was called Ultraman Seven.
Every time Shirou passed by this statue on his way home, he couldn't help but smile bashfully.
He never intended for things to develop in this way, he simply wanted to ignite people's passion and provide a ray of hope to break through their despair.
There were already three Ultraseven statues in the Shinto district, with seven more sets to be erected in the rebuilding Miyama district. One of these statues was to be placed in front of the newly relocated Tsuburaya Corporation headquarters in Miyama, while another, said to be of great expense, was carved by the renowned international sculptor Master Joseph. This statue was to stand where Shirou once stood and become the landmark of Fuyuki City.
All Shirou could do was smile wryly at the thought of all this.
Over the past few months, many influential and well-known figures have visited Fuyuki City, including representatives from the Clock Tower and the Church who come and go frequently. Kayneth had informed Shirou of this, although with a sarcastic tone.
In the past, when Shirou was at his peak, he would have beaten up Kayneth, but now he has returned to being a normal person with a passionate heart.
He can see through the magical energy and evil within these visiting magi and individuals, but they remain unaware of his existence. This could be due to Kayneth's influence or Shirou's low profile during the Fourth Holy Grail War. If he were to ask Kayneth, he would likely be met with sarcasm and ridicule.
Though his adventures may have come to an end, Shirou remains determined to help those in need to the best of his abilities.
The Clock Tower had successfully sealed the Greater Grail and Shirou had secretly taken away the Grail crystals, ensuring that there would never be another fifth Holy Grail War.
People's lives in the future would be filled with hope and determination, as they strive to make their own lives meaningful and help others in any way they can.
Shirou had no regrets, despite the fact that his previous adventure had nearly resulted in the destruction of many lives. The young hero who had ended the Holy Grail War and forced the King of Heroes to withdraw was now enjoying a peaceful life with his parents.
However, his journey had not been without its challenges. After being turned into a twelve-year-old by the black mud, Shirou had to use all his wits to minimize the impact without resorting to using Suggestions. With the help of his Shishou in the Dream World, they came up with several creative solutions, even though they seemed unreliable.
Shirou avoided using Suggestion for two reasons. Firstly, if the perception of the people doesn't align with reality, the suggestion can be easily dispelled by their mind automatically. Secondly, he had made a promise to his father to not abuse his mystical powers and live a happy and lawful life.
His mother had not noticed her son's extraordinary powers. However, his father, with his rich social experience and flexible and meticulous mind, had become aware of them. As no wife and mother would mistake a stuffed teddy bear for her actual son, especially when she is also married to him.
Eventually, after learning of some of the small adventures that Shirou had fabricated without putting himself in any life-threatening situations, his father made an agreement with him.
"Hu hu hu~"
The wind was bitter cold in the early spring, and the economic depression only added to the chill, but this city, once touched by the light, was burning with energy. Simply walking through its streets, one could silently feel the enthusiasm emanating from the people.
This was several months after Shirou had brought light to this city.
"My balloon!"
Shirou heard a girl's voice and looked up, spotting a red balloon floating towards him. He extended his arm and caught it. As he did, a delicate-looking girl as white as snow leapt forward, but Shirou quickly stepped in front of her to intercept. He studied the girl's angelic face before letting out a faint smile and handing her the red balloon. "Next time, hold on a little tighter."
"Hmm!" The girl nodded with a charming smile. "Big brother, what's your name? Oh, that's right, Kiritsugu already told me. You should introduce yourself before asking for someone else's name. My name is Illyasviel von Einzbern, but you can just call me Ilya!"
"I'm Fujimaru Shirou," he replied with a smile. "I'm close to your age, so you don't have to call me 'big brother.' You can call me Shirou or Fujimaru."
"Eh?" Irisviel was surprised. Her large eyes blinked and she cocked her head, a smile still on her face. "Big brother is lying!"
Shirou chuckled, not offering any further explanation. Although he appeared to be 12 years old, he was actually only ten days away from his seventh birthday.
"Kiritsugu said that exchanging names means we're friends," Ilya said.
Shirou nodded in agreement.
"Hehehe... then you're my first friend in Fuyuki City!" Ilya laughed, but then her expression changed to one of worry.
"Oh no! I just remembered that Kiritsugu is still at the convenience store. Bye-bye!" She waved goodbye with a smile like that of a snow fairy as she hurriedly left.
Shirou waved back and turned to walk down another road. But then he suddenly spun around and pointed to Ilya's red balloon. With a sharp "pong" sound, the balloon burst.
Ilya was stunned.
A black car screeched to a sudden halt, leaving a ten-meter skid mark on the road. The car shook a few times.
Ilya was petrified, her tiny frame quivering with fear.
