Chapter 4: Chapter 4
A double-edged, red mark appeared on Shirou's right palm.
In the same instant, the magic circle beneath him begins to radiate a faint, reddish light and a powerful wind sweeps away the debris surrounding it, forcing Ryuunosuke to take a few steps back in surprise.
"Wow! Cool! What is this? Is the Demon Lord coming?" Ryuunosuke's eyes sparkled with childlike fascination as he stared at the magic circle and the strong wind.
The girl at the center of the formation, sensing the abnormal change, cried out in fear and instinctively moved closer to Shirou. However, Shirou, in his poor state, was unaware of this.
In the land of Fuyuki City, a magic ceremony known as the Holy Grail War is about to take place. The Holy Grail is a wish-granting machine, and in addition to the three families that originally established the ceremony system and the Clock Tower that accepted it, other participants must have strong wishes to be selected by the Holy Grail.
Shirou's fierce desire for survival had previously been recognized by the Holy Grail, granting him the participant's proof of the seals, the double-edged, red sword-like mark on his right palm.
Ryuunosuke learned from magical books that the ceremony to summon a Servant involves using a spell drawn with fresh blood and chanted aloud.
Now, the participants, the magic circle, and the spell are all in place, and the Holy Grail War ceremony has begun.
However, there is a problem with this ceremony.
The Holy Grail War is a conflict for magicians, so naturally, the participants are all magicians. After all, how could they possibly summon and control a Servant without the necessary basic magic power?
But Shirou is just an ordinary elementary school student, even though his body possesses 27 magic circuits. He is still just a six-year-old elementary school student who hasn't yet awakened his magical potential.
Yet, he has still managed to establish a connection with the Holy Grail. As a result, the powerful magic of the Holy Grail ceremony has directly overwhelmed his magic circuits and forced his body's hidden magic circuits to start connecting with the summoned Servant.
"It hurts... it hurts..." Shirou muttered, his nerves feeling like they were on fire, the pain indescribable.
In addition, the magic circuits being forced to open and connect with the summoned Servant caused a huge influx of magic power at the initial contact, making Shirou see an illusion.
A sword.
No matter where he looked, all he saw was swords!
Divine swords, holy swords, demon swords, cursed swords, blessed swords, legendary swords... All these swords are stranded in a dark and seemingly hopeless world, like a sword graveyard.
"Tsk. You actually summoned me," a male voice, sounding rather unhappy and rude, spoke in Shirou's ear.
"The miracle known as the Holy Grail, if it is summoned by you, the command seals on your hand cannot fulfill my wish. Most importantly, if I have to take orders from you, I'd rather die," the summoned Servant declared, shattering his spiritual foundation (Saint Graph) and returning to the outside of the timeline and worldline. However, his remaining spirit foundation was not destroyed, but instead absorbed and integrated into Shirou due to the origin awakening Shirou underwent.
Yes.
The summoned Servant is Shirou. Well, more accurately, it is the second-generation hero of justice who was not taken over by a stranger soul, survived the Fuyuki fire, lost both parents, and changed his name.
Heroic Spirit Emiya Shirou!
Shirou's young body cannot bear the burden of the Saint Graph of a Servant, which is difficult to bear even for those of the same source. His whole body feels hot like he was being roasted, and some marks similar to Emiya's are etched on his body.
The surging power begins to rampage, and with a "crack" sound, the pure force tears apart the thick ropes wrapped around Shirou's body.
"What's going on? Where's the Demon Lord? What's wrong with you? How can a child possess such immense power!" Ryuunosuke exclaims in shock.
Shirou's piercing stare seems to bore into Ryuunosuke's soul, causing his heart to skip a beat under the intensity of the young boy's gaze.
The surging energy coursing through Shirou's veins leaves his head spinning and his body begging for rest. But he knows he cannot succumb to fatigue, not while Ryuunosuke remains a threat and the innocent girl at the center of the magic circle is at risk of losing her life. He fights off the fatigue, determined to protect both himself and the girl from harm.
Despite the excruciating pain in his head, Shirou gritted his teeth and summoned the knowledge of the [Projection] magic principle stored within his Saint Graph. With a swift flick of his hand, a shimmering sword materialized and shot through the air towards Ryuunosuke, its cold momentum slicing through the space between them. However, Shirou's aim was thrown off by the throbbing pain in his head and the sword only narrowly missed its intended target, piercing Ryuunosuke's chest instead.
A fountain of fresh blood gushes forth, clouding the air with a red mist!
Despite the excruciating injuries he has sustained, Ryuunosuke remains eerily calm, showing no signs of agony or fear. It's almost as if he is immune to pain, a disturbing revelation considering his profession as a killer. But even without the ability to feel physical pain, Ryuunosuke is not completely oblivious to danger. He seems to sense that something has gone awry and makes a desperate bid for escape.
Shirou aches to pursue Ryuunosuke and put an end to the madman's reign of terror, but the strain of merging his spiritual foundation with such overwhelming power has left his mind and body on the verge of collapse. Despite his best efforts to stay conscious, he eventually succumbs to the exhaustion and slips into a coma.
"Woo woo..." The girl sobs uncontrollably as her body is wracked with fear.
Soon, the police arrive.
...
Shinto Police Station
"We apologize for this unfortunate incident. It is a result of our police force's dereliction of duty. The child may experience strong emotions and will need the support and care of their parents."
"We don't want to hear apologies. What about the perpetrator? Have they been caught?"
"I'm sorry, ma'am. We were unable to apprehend the suspect. But rest assured, we are doing everything in our power to track them down and bring them to justice," the police officer explains, trying to reassure the Fujimaru couple.
When the couple returned home, Sakura was there waiting for them. She had a strong bond with Shirou. In the past few days, he had told her stories and had been very kind and gentle towards her, just like a sister. So now, seeing him unconscious, she was very worried.
"He..." Mr. Fujimaru hesitated, not knowing how to answer.
"This kid collapsed after running a race and experiencing physical exhaustion," Mrs. Fujimaru smoothly covered up the truth.
Sakura said nothing, watching Shirou's pain-filled face as he lay on the bed. She went to the bathroom and grabbed a cold towel, then climbed onto the bed to help wipe the sweat off Shirou's face.
"It hurts... it hurts..." Shirou muttered in his sleep, his face contorted in pain.
"It doesn't hurt, it doesn't hurt. Sakura is here. Brother doesn't have to hurt. Be good, brother," Sakura gently touched Shirou's forehead.
The Fujimaru couple watched this scene from outside the room and quietly closed the door.
"I really like this girl. She will make a great wife in the future," Mrs. Fujimaru said.
"Yes. I wonder which family she belongs to, and how could they be so heartless as to abandon her?" Mr. Fujimaru asked.
"I don't know. What does it matter? Those trashy parents are not worth mentioning. In the future, she will be my daughter and I will dote on her," Mrs. Fujimaru said.
Mr. Fujimaru nodded with a smile.
"Narita... do you think this incident will cause Shirou to suffer from psychological damage?" Mrs. Fujimaru asked worriedly after a moment of silence.
"Sigh... don't say that. I'll ask the school for a long holiday. I'll talk to the president and see if I can take some time off to take him out and relax. I don't want to cause any psychological problems."
"Will the company allow you to take time off at a time like this?"
"If they don't approve it, I'll quit. I can find another job, but I only have one child. I don't want Shirou to be like us, never experiencing the love of parents. Such a life is incomplete." Mr. Fujimaru said.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone