บท 51: Chapter 26.2 - Sincerity [2]
"A divine spirit, is it?" Gilgamesh narrows his eyes, contemplating, and Shirou nods in response.
"Yeah. She takes men from the village as sacrifice in return for the town's safety. I managed to drive her off, but…" Shirou frowns. "She wasn't going all out, and she isn't the one taking the sacrifices."
"Oh?"
"Fuj-, Jaguar Man brings the sacrifices for another god. I don't have a name, but she seems related to Jaguar Man." He continues, coughing softly at the mistake he'd made.
Ritsuka frowns as well, recalling the snippet of battle she remembers before being knocked unconscious. Silently, she clenches her fists, stifling that ever-present feeling of weakness inside her. Had it been not for Shirou driving her away, she and Mash would've lost completely, and who knows what would've happened then?
She needs to get stronger.
"Hmm…" Gilgamesh mulls to himself silently, his eyes closed as he ponders over the new information.
(Of course, this was nothing but a test. Gilgamesh already knew of the two divine spirits in [Ur], but Shirou remains silent, both for the king's sake, and himself.)
"Very well, you are dismissed for the day."
And so, the recently returned trio leave the throne room. They're tired from their trip, and it shows, with Ritsuka's cheerful demeanour overshadowed by the exhaustion in her bones. Mash is not different, even somewhat limping from the aches of her recent defeat. Only Shirou looks somewhat unaffected, with only traces of dirt present on his shirt as evidence of any previous battle.
Then, as they neared the cottage they've taken shelter in, Shirou turns, heading somewhere else.
"Eh? Where are you going, Shirou?" Ritsuka asks.
"Hmm?" Shirou blinks, turning back to face her. "Off to train. Why?"
"Do you do anything else besides training?" She can't help but deadpan, and the teen blinks at her, surprised at the sudden question. He goes silent, mulling over his answer, before smiling wryly and rubbing the back of his neck.
"...Not much I remember." He says, sounding almost embarrassed about it.
Isn't that a bit sad? She silently wonders, frowning slightly.
Then, Ritsuka stops and thinks.
She looks to Mash, seeing her on the edge of falling asleep, and she can't help but feel sorry for the girl. She took a much heavier beating in between them all, and she needs some well deserved rest.
So, "Mash, go have a good rest, okay?" She says and Mash simply nods and walks into the cottage, her silence another testament to her weighing exhaustion.
"Shouldn't you go rest as well?" Shirou asks, his brows furrowed with worry. She smiles back.
"I think it's better to train." She shrugs.
Though he's still clearly worried, he nods. "Are you sure?" He asks again, and resolutely, she nods. Shirou sighs, running a hand through his hair before nodding. "Alright then. I'll continue with the basics-, and, I'll make sure to be gentle this time." He quickly adds, still somewhat embarrassed over pushing her so hard the first time around.
Ritsuka only smiles, before her ears redden.
"Gentle this time…?" Your words Shirou. Please.
~~~
He actually did keep to his words. Throughout the night, there was no practical training, no simulated combat. They hardly even moved from the spot they'd gone to.
Didn't make the session any easier though. In exchange for the lack of physical training, he led her to better her magecraft, spending most of the night training the most basic magecraft most magi would learn.
For as much as Shirou claimed himself to be a 'third-rate', the explanations he gave were surprisingly in-depth. His explanations over what [Structural Analysis] and [Reinforcement] can do sounded a whole lot like the ones given by professors in the Clocktower, according to Romani at least.
The doctor was actually quite intrigued as well, forgoing his sleep to listen in on Shirou's explanation as well.
Then, after he'd finished his explanation, he instructed her to use her Structural Analysis on a nearby rock, asking for her to give him as much information she could gleam from the little thing. She did as best as she could, giving the information on how durable it is and the layout of its internal structure.
"Not bad." Shirou had said, before proceeding to demolish her sense of accomplishment as he not only spelled out the things she'd already said, but also its spatial coordinates, when it arrived at that location, who stepped on it, how much time had passed since it came to that specific spot, and even the amount of accumulated force that it'd taken throughout its time being here.
Ritsuka's jaw had fallen to the floor, and she was sure the doctor's had as well.
"Structural Analysis allows you to see the blueprints of the analyzed objects." He said to her, holding up the rock. "But it can go farther than that. You can view more, delve into its history, see every single kink it has."
And so, with her spirits returned, she began her training, going through several different objects and analyzing each and every one, following the many advice Shirou gave as she did so.
For the first time, she pushed her mental strength far beyond what she'd done before. It was painful, extremely so, so much so that she'd actually collapsed and suffered a short seizure one time, much to the worry of both Shirou and Romani.
But she kept going, and both men could only watch in silent worry.
Eventually, twilight arrived, and Shirou forced her to stop, carrying her to her bed. She was fairly certain he did something before he left the cottage. She remembered seeing a strange golden glow and feeling some of the weight in her mind lift, but she was too tired to remember the sight clearly.
That aside, even now, after quite some time sleeping and with the sun now high in the sky, her eyes and mind still ached from the strain she'd forced herself to go through.
"Senpai…?" She suddenly hears Mash mutter beside her, and she turns to the girl.
"Mm?"
"Are you okay?" The Shielder's brows are furrowed in worry-, actually, everyone sitting at the table is looking at her in worry. Even the normally smiling Merlin looks somewhat worried for her health.
"Ah, no, it's okay. Just a bit of training." She tries with a casual shrug, hoping to relieve some of the worry.
It doesn't. The others only look on in further worry.
"I understand the need to train, Fujimaru-sama, but to strain yourself so much is…" Ushi says, frowning as she notices the master's eyes slowly begin to droop. "It's worrying."
"Ah-, well…" How is she supposed to explain this? That she decided to, instead of resting after the long journey, go on and train far into the night with Shirou, straining her mind and eyes until she collapsed because of a seizure?
"It's my fault."
Thankfully, she doesn't have to explain that as Shirou enters, wearing an apologetic smile as he carries with him several large plates of food. "She wanted to practice, but since she'd just returned, I trained her magecraft, and I...might have gone a bit too far."
"Well, what were you even training her in, Shirou-kun?" Merlin pipes in, already beginning to eat the food he's just placed down.
"Structural Analysis." He shrugs.
Merlin stares. "...Structural Analysis." He repeats, before cupping his chin and silently humming to himself. "Why, if I may ask?"
"She wants to learn [Gehen], and that requires an in-depth knowledge on both Reinforcement and Structural Analysis." He explains as he takes a drink. "I decided to get her started on Structural Analysis."
"And you think she'll manage?" Merlin asks back, obviously wondering if he thinks his help now would contribute to anything, considering this was the last singularity Ritsuka and Mash had to go through before they went on towards their final goal.
In response,
"Yes." He confidently says. "I'm not the best magus out there. I can only do the most barebones of magecraft, but I do have tenacity." He turns to her and smiles. "I see the same fire inside her. I almost see myself in her. She's survived until this moment, gone through horrors no girl should ever go through at her age. Something like this won't stop her."
"So yes, she'll manage. I know she will."
The room is silent. Ritsuka stares at him, seeing his smile, seeing those eyes that hold only belief and confidence, and she smiles back.
~~~
So, days pass, night and day blending into one as they lived on. Ritsuka and Mash worked around Uruk, doing odd jobs to help the people. Ushi, Benkei, and Leonidas continued on with their duties, securing protection for the people against the slowly rising tide of demonic beasts. Merlin was his usual mischievous self, going around Uruk and honestly being somewhat of a menace.
Gilgamesh went on as normal, driving himself to the dirt as he worked night and day. Or, well, he would've had Shirou not stepped in with Siduri and slapped the man with a restraining order to rest. The king protested as expected, but after some long coaxing, the man conceded some of his duties to Siduri.
And Shirou kept to his promise, teaching Ritsuka as much as he could for the little girl, with Mash occasionally joining in some practice battles against him. Ritsuka learned wonderfully, her skills in using Structural Analysis and Reinforcement rising constantly, though she still struggled at using [Gehen].
Shirou found the entire thing rather relaxing actually, but Ritsuka was clearly getting antsy and frustrated, her progress in her magecraft having hit a wall.
Which is why Shirou was overfilled with gratitude when Gilgamesh had called them one morning.
"A hunting mission?" Ritsuka asks.
"Indeed." Gilgamesh frowns slightly. "A large colony of demonic beasts have been spotted west of Uruk. I want you to destroy it before it grows any larger."
"How big is it now?" Shirou asks.
"A group of roughly 300." Gilgamesh casually states, and Shirou nods. It isn't an absurd number of monsters he has to slay, and he has Ritsuka and Mash to aid him if the situation calls for it.
"It'd be a nice way of testing the two worldly travelers, no?" Mari adds in, and he internally nods. Letting both the girls vent off by subduing some monsters doesn't sound too bad. Hanami often did as such when she's bored or frustrated about something.
With their mission known, they make their way towards the western gate, supplies for the journey already carried in a small pack on Shirou's back. The task they've received isn't terribly difficult, but knowing how life goes,
If something can go wrong, it will go wrong.
So the day goes on, with the odd trio walking across a barren desert, looking very much out of place. Ritsuka continues to train her usage of [Gehen], failing as she did nights before. Mash looks on, giving her cheers and encouragement for the master she's worked with for so long. And Shirou watches in silence, keeping his eyes out for any signs of movements in their immediate surroundings.
There's nothing.
Shirou narrows his eyes. Not a single demonic beasts have come in contact with them, not for the hour they've been travelling, and isn't that strange? When they first journeyed towards Uruk, even in the most desolate of areas, there'd be one or two demonic beasts lying around, waiting for unsuspected prey to pounce upon.
He keeps his eyes open as they continue on.
Another uneventful hour passes before they finally find a sign of life. It's a large paw mark carved into the earth; a clear remnant of the foot of a demonic beast. Immediately, Ritsuka steels herself, a chain of commands ready to be spoken at any moment.
The caution is rewarded when several lion-like beasts leap out from the hills. "Mash! Shirou!" Ritsuka calls, and Mash moves, her shield dragging across the air as she moves to strike.
Shirou does not.
"Shirou?" The girl looks at him, confused why the boy remains unmoving.
"Why don't you give it a try?" He says, gesturing towards the group of demonic beasts Mash is keeping at bay. Ritsuka stutters slightly, clearly unused to it. The two holographic voices are just as wary, advising her otherwise, but Shirou shrugs. "All your lessons would've been pointless if you do not use them. I'll step in when needed."
With his words said, Shirou steps back, and Ritsuka can only swallow her building fear as she rushes in, magic circuits flaring as prana surges through her body.
"So, what's the verdict, Shirou-kun?" Mari asks.
Honestly, for a girl unused to fighting on the frontlines with her servants, the girl isn't doing all that badly. There are occasional moments where she'd mess up, where she'd interfere with what Mash is doing and times when she'd miss her attacks, but overall, she's doing quite well.
It took some time for them to clean out the group of eight or so, but Ritsuka looks clearly happy over her performance, so all's well and good.
They continue on, their spirits high. More demonic beasts come, and again, Shirou lets the two girls fight, stepping in only when danger is imminent.
But, for who she is, Ritsuka is a human, and it doesn't take long for her to tire herself. Of course, the girl can only laugh shyly as Mash carried her, silently lamenting her exhaustion. Shirou takes the helm of future battles for the rest of the day, beheading the demonic beasts with a single swipe of his katana.
Hours pass, and after many instances of dirtying the earth with blackened blood, their task finally comes to an end as the head of the last demonic beast falls onto the dirt.
Or it would've been over, had every cell in his body is suddenly alerted by an approaching presence.
Magic circuits flaring, Shirou jumps before the two girls and calls forth his strongest defense.
"[Avalon]!"
Golden light wraps all around them in a translucent barrier of gold, just in time to protect them against a large blast of demonic energy. The barrier shakes slightly, even dimming as it holds out against the attack, and Shirou's eyes narrow.
It's trying to corrupt [Avalon].
It doesn't work of course. Such meager corruption is barely enough to do even a scratch.
Then, just as it comes, the beam dissipates, revealing a strange black creature, made of a stalk-like torso, four claws, and a vertical mouth as its head, teeth widely displayed. It's black skin seems to almost sparkle under the sunlight, almost as if its body is made out of some strange combination of vinyl and latex.
But what is truly worrying are the magic circuits it has, numbering in the hundreds and in a quality far higher than any he's ever observed.
The sheer weight of its magic is terrifying.
"S-Shirou…?"
Slowly, he turns to Ritsuka, and he sees the terror in her eyes, the weight pushing down on her shoulders, the trembling of her legs. He takes a glance at Mash, and the demi-servant is no different, though her arms still tightly holding the shield she'd come to rely on through their journey through space and time.
"W-What is this feeling? What d-did you protect us f-from?" She manages to stutter out, and Shirou stops for a moment, confused.
Can they not see it?
"That is my fault." Mari says. "My immunity to illusions seems to have been carried onto you."
Shirou nods.
"Ritsuka. Mash." He looks to them, his lips set to a thin line. "There's an invisible enemy across from us. Orders?"
Ritsuka turns to him, takes a deep breath, and steadies herself. "C-Can you see it?"
He nods. She smiles. "Take it down, and don't hold back, but escape if needed."
The command said, he feels his desires synchronizing with hers, his powers heightened, and he smiles. "Will do."
The Kojiki Kiyomitsu comes into his hands, his outfit switches to Okita's, his hair turns pinkish white and his eyes a pale yellow.
"[Mumyou-"
One moment he's standing, the next he's flying through the air, his arm reared back as he prepares to strike. Magical energy fills into his sword, strengthening it beyond its normal capabilities.
"-Sandan-Zuki]!"
In a single instance, three powerful thrusts of his sword are launched, each aimed at the monster's chest.
And it did hit. It just didn't do anything.
…!
"Shirou-!"
He quickly leaps away as an explosion of demonic energy, reminiscent of the taint from Angra Mainyu, expands out from it. He's uninjured, but wary. The thing managed to take Okita's Noble Phantasm and not receive any injury from it, surviving an attack not even a servant like Hercules managed to defend against.
"Be careful Shirou. It has a barrier placed atop its skin."
Ah, that's why.
Can you take it down?
"My, do you doubt my prowess, Shirou?" Mari asks cheerfully. "I'm perfectly capable!"
Shirou smiles wryly. Just do it.
"Alright~"
With his target clear, he brandishes his blade, the edge still glowing a bright green as prana surges through it. He'll need to stall for time.
But the monster is intent on making such a thing as difficult as it can be.
As if spurred by the previous surge of energy, demonic beasts begin to approach, their numbers reaching the hundreds.
Shirou frowns. He would've been fine with such a number, but he still needs to stall the strange monster, and Mash and Ritsuka are clearly still trembling, still recovering from the weight they're experiencing.
They're heavily outnumbered.
"Then shall we balance the scales, master?" Okita's voice sounds in his ears, and Shirou quickly realizes what she means. Slowly, his lips curve up to a smile.
'Yeah. Let us.'
He's never actually used Okita's third and final Noble Phantasm, the one which symbolizes her history and legend as the captain and leader of the Shinsengumi.
With a deep breath, Shirou takes a single step back, his empty left hand suddenly filled by a flag, written upon it the Japanese kanji for [Sincerity]. He closes his eyes and breathes, thinks of those ancient warriors of old, remembers the emotions Okita holds for them, remembers who they are, and with conviction, he slams the butt of the flag pole down onto the earth and shouts with all his might.
"[Makoto no Hana]!"
All around him, golden light flutters down as they form into men of legend. Their garbs wave in the rolling wind. Their swords shine as they come out their sheaths. Shirou looks to them, to all of them, and he smiles.
They stand in the hundreds, and he knows them all.
With a fire burning in his heart, he opens his eyes and stares upon the approaching army of demonic beasts.
His flag unneeded, it fades away, and aiming his blade at the beasts, he makes one single command.
"Attack the beasts. Leave that one to me."
And so, the earth rumbles as the soldiers charge forward to meet the demonic beasts, with Shirou manning the charge against the opposing army.
He comes upon the odd monster, his blade poised to strike, and swings.
~~~
"W-Wow…" Mash watches on in amazement as Shirou and the army he'd summoned battle against the group of demonic beasts. Swords and fang come against one another, clashing loudly in their contact.
Ritsuka nods silently, watching as Shirou moves across the battlefield, his blade weaving as he fights against the invisible enemy. Watching him dance through the ensuing chaos is mesmerizing, enchanting.
The grace of a dancer, and the ferocity of a soldier.
Then, suddenly,
"[Mumyou-"
That familiar word is said, and the area is washed by a sudden surge of magical energy. His body glows as reinforcement is cast upon him. Lightning almost seems to flicker around him as the air becomes saturated with prana, accompanied by the gentle glow of pink light fluttering around and into his sword.
He leans forward, and the earth below him cracks as he shoots forward, his arm and sword reared back.
"-Sandan-Zuki]!"
And at that moment, three thrusts are made.
Again, his sword strikes true, making impact against the invisible enemy. But this time, the enchantment casted upon his sword acts, and whatever it was that hid the odd monster from the world shatters in a brilliant explosion, bathing the area with a bright light and forcing the two girls to shield their eyes.
Then, the light dies down, and Ritsuka slowly opens her eyes.
And there, standing across Shirou is a monster unlike anything she'd seen before. Its body is made of four claws attached to its thin torso, one that had a giant mouth as its head, its teeth shown to the world.
However, Ritsuka doesn't fear, for Shirou's strike had struck true, his sword impaled deep inside the monster's chest.
The thing lets out a guttural shriek as it attempts to move away, but Shirou's sword remains stuck in place.
Shirou looks upon it one last time, before he adjusts his grip, and in a single motion, severs the monster in two. One final soft cry leaves the monster's mouth before it falls over, its blackened blood spilling onto the barren earth they stood on.
And just like that, the battle is over.
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