"Yes. Since we're doing this, an Inherent Domain alone won't be enough. If you want to become stronger... right. Why not use those Magic Eyes of yours to reinforce yourself from head to toe?" a woman in black Magecraft robes said.
"I agree with Medea's assessment," Da Vinci said.
"Sounds interesting. Let's do it," Cú Chulainn agreed as well.
"Medea!" Shirou cried out when he saw the blue-haired, pointed-eared woman emerge. Even the betraying witch had come here.
Medea smiled at the Youth. "My, it seems you have memories of meeting me too. But which world was that, I wonder? Hehehe."
"I feel like I'm understanding this situation less and less..." Seeing the black witch infamous for slaughtering hundreds of children, and now Medea, the betraying witch, Shirou suddenly felt uneasy.
"Well, the Servant system itself is full of mysteries. There are things even I don't know, so don't worry about it," Da Vinci comforted him.
In the end, with the help of numerous Magecraft users from the Age of Gods and geniuses from various fields, the concept and method for creating the Spirit Origin were finally perfected. Using the Holy Grail, they created a special Spirit Origin that would evolve as his heart grew stronger.
Shirou used the Holy Grail to develop a Spirit Origin that belonged solely to him. It turned his Inner World into something akin to a "Phantom Spirit," normally left in a dormant state.
Whenever Shirou needed it, he could connect to Chaldea through the FGO system, summon this Spirit Origin as a Servant, and have it possess him. In doing so, he could turn his ideal self into reality and become his ideal Servant for a limited time.
This should have been impossible, but the immense magical power of the Holy Grail, the Almighty Wish Machine, made the miracle possible. Much like his Projection Magecraft, the more complete and powerful the self he imagined became, the stronger his Spirit Origin would become.
Relying on the enormous magical power supplied by the Holy Grail, the Youth's Magic Eyes connected to the past, present, future, other worlds, parallel spaces, and the universes of Lostbelts, searching for his so-called "strongest" self.
In different worlds, there were beings extremely similar to him and closely connected to him—perhaps his past life, his future, or himself from parallel worlds.
An archer with long white hair, wearing a kyudo uniform and possessing a Mythical Noble Phantasm;
A craftsman with short red hair, who lived by forging iron and died for forging iron, reaching the realm of gods in that field;
A man who had endured endless years, accomplished a miracle greater than Magecraft, and found the distant land of ideals to reunite with the girl he loved;
A white-haired, white-clad Servant who stood alone before the primordial mother goddess...
Which one was the strongest? The Youth did not yet know.
All he could pursue was becoming the strongest he could possibly be right now. That was all.
After that, Shirou had just stepped out of Da Vinci's workshop when he found several Servants standing openly outside the door, eavesdropping.
"Hey, Shirou, did you come to ask me out on a date?" A graceful fox-eared girl in a schoolgirl outfit smiled and came at him with a punch.
"Ah... ah! Suzuka Gozen." Hearing the familiar voice, Shirou froze for a moment before recognizing the girl before him. Unlike when she had been summoned in possession of Yuihama, this lovely appearance was the Servant's true form.
"Shirou, have you finally accepted my invitation?" The tall, voluptuous woman in armor opened her arms, her eyes misty with emotion as she moved to embrace him.
This time, Shirou recognized her immediately. He hurriedly stepped back and stopped her. "Huh? Raikou, wait! Don't come over!"
"Huh? Why are you being so cold? Did I do something wrong?" Minamoto no Yorimitsu asked, looking so aggrieved she was about to cry.
"No, if you hug me, it'd be bad in all sorts of ways," Shirou said, waving his hands frantically.
"..." Ushiwakamaru stood to one side, silently watching the man who had once patted her head like an older brother.
"Brother? So he really is Brother?"
"A brother from another world! He's like Brother back home in every way."
Only then did Shirou notice two little girls who looked exactly alike except for their skin and hair colors, both staring at him with wide eyes.
"Illya? Two Illyas!" Shirou stared at the two little girls in surprise. The silver-haired girl was dressed like a pink magical girl, with a star-shaped ring floating beside her. The other wore red and black. Her style somehow looked familiar, though it seemed rather revealing.
"I'm Chloe. Nice to meet you, Brother~!" Chloe said with a wink.
"Ehehe~! I didn't expect to see Shirou here too. Illya, that's wonderful! Now you have three brothers! It's practically a harem~!" Ruby flapped her wings and twisted through the air as she spoke happily.
Illya stood there blankly, as if she had been briefly tempted. Then she immediately blushed in embarrassment and shouted, "Ruby! Shut up already!"
With a faint blush on her cheeks, Illya turned to introduce herself to the Youth. "Hello, Big Brother. I'm Illya."
"How about we find somewhere to sit and talk?" Shirou looked at the two girls. They really were not the Illya he knew. Then he smiled in relief.
"Okay," Illya and Chloe agreed.
Afterward, Shirou sat down with the two girls and learned about their world. He had not expected Kiritsugu to have ended the Holy Grail War there, allowing Illya to live an ordinary life—only for her to become caught up in other incidents.
"So worlds like that exist too," Shirou sighed. The girl had not needed to participate in the Holy Grail War as a Little Grail. Instead, she had become an elementary school magical girl in her early teens, collecting Class Cards and fighting all the way to save her important friends.
"I was actually shocked when I saw a black-haired Brother too," Illya said with a smile.
"Mm, Illya, Chloe, both of you have worked so hard. You're really amazing!" Shirou said, reaching out with both hands to pat the girls on their heads. He sincerely hoped that all their efforts would lead to happiness in the end.
"Hehe, Brother praised me," Illya said happily, narrowing her eyes.
"Honestly, don't treat me like a child..." Chloe muttered softly, blushing as her head was patted.
"All right! Where's the kitchen? I'll make sure to treat you properly today!" Shirou rolled up his sleeves and said energetically.
"Really? I'm in! Brother's cooking at home is super delicious," Illya said happily.
"Big Brother, are you good at cooking too? Which is better, yours or Brother's back home? If you can't satisfy me, you'll have to compensate me," Chloe said with a mischievous grin.
"No, how would I know without comparing them?" Shirou said with a smile, shaking his head. He had merely lived two lives. In his previous life, he had traveled through most of the world and accumulated quite a bit of experience.
Thus, amid the expectations of everyone in Chaldea, Shirou took charge of all the day's meals, moving the entire staff to tears of happiness. In the end, they reluctantly watched him return to his original world.
Perseus Appears
After returning home from Chaldea, Shirou spent the following days gradually familiarizing himself with and mastering this new power through training. An additional card marked with a question mark had appeared in the FGO system on his phone. Its Class was a question mark, and its level was a question mark. The card art was blank as well. Like the meaning of this Spirit Origin itself, it was a blank sheet of paper—currently weak, yet possessing limitless potential.
Since the incident where his younger sister had been targeted and attacked by a monster, Shirou had trained even more diligently. In the mornings, he practiced with Mash in the Kyudo Club. At noon, he went to the Service Club to have lunch with his companions and discuss how to arrange the day's activities.
In the Service Club, Shirou and his companions were eating lunch together when he brought up the surprising things he had seen in Chaldea.
"Huh? Shirou-senpai went to Chaldea before? And you met everyone there?" Mash said in surprise.
"Mm, everyone was very kind and welcoming. The staff also told me to make sure you take care of your health," Shirou said with a smile.
"Is that so? It's good that everyone is doing well," Mash said, missing the people of Chaldea a little.
"Oh, and several knights from the Knights of the Round Table and the Knights of the Round Table asked me to give you their regards. Mash, you're quite popular in Chaldea too," Shirou said.
"Huh, the Round Table is one thing, but the Knights of the Round Table..." For some reason, Mash looked rather displeased.
"Mash is really popular at school too. She's definitely no less popular than Iroha," Yuihama said.
"Shirou, haven't you heard? Mash has been recommending FGO to people both inside and outside the school, calling them good people along the way. She's a woman burdened with terrible sins, having shattered the glass hearts of who knows how many young men," Asuna said with a smile.
"Asuna-senpai, don't say that! That's not what I meant!" Mash said.
"I've heard of it too. She has titles like 'the mixed-race beauty from the first year' and 'the card-giving maniac,'" Yukino said as she read, not forgetting to glance at Shirou with a curl of her lips. Under the table, her free hand made a V sign.
Shirou broke out in a cold sweat. This woman really wanted to compete with him over everything.
"But I didn't know Mash was that popular. That's great. Maybe you'll find someone you like," Shirou said with a smile.
"You idiot, Senpai!" Mash suddenly puffed out her cheeks and scolded him. She stabbed a meatball in the Youth's lunchbox with her chopsticks, then turned away in a huff and continued eating.
"Yes, he really is an idiot. Then I'll take this delicious-looking meatball," Asuna said with a smile, picking up one.
"Hmph, idiot! Idiot! Delicious~!" Yuihama joined in, rushing over without hesitation to take another meatball and put it in her mouth, her face blooming with a blissful smile.
"I think they're right," Yukino said, extending her chopsticks as well.
"Wait, isn't it too much not to leave even one for me?" Shirou's special Four Joy Meatballs were gone just like that. This was the only meat he had prepared for himself.
"That's your fault for not making a portion for yourself. This is in return, so don't be polite," Yukino said, placing some vegetables into the Youth's lunchbox.
No, you should have been polite earlier. Your ice queen image has completely fallen apart. Looking at the radish in his lunchbox, Shirou felt rather miserable.
"Here, Shirou. This is my portion." Asuna smiled gently and thoughtfully as she placed a piece of cucumber in front of him.
The cucumber is neatly sliced into little rings. It has an adorably girlish feel to it, but even so, I'm not going to be happy about this.
"Mm-hm, it's Shirou's fault," Yuihama said, suppressing a laugh.
This girl clearly has no idea what's going on. Not only did she take the opportunity to eat a meatball, now she's even putting in vegetables she doesn't like.
"It's Senpai's fault!" Mash said, still seeming far from over her anger.
"Fine, forget I said anything." Depressed, Shirou began eating the all-vegetable feast he had traded four large meatballs for—radish, cucumber, potatoes, and eggplant. It actually tasted pretty good.
But he still wanted meat. Humans were omnivores; meat and vegetables were both indispensable. Otherwise, unbalanced nutrition would inevitably cause unhealthy reactions somewhere in the body. Even vegetarians, when giving up meat, had to make sure they obtained nutrients from other ingredients to replace what meat provided. (Monthly fee group 694936135)
And if they only cared about satisfying their appetites, like these girls who only thought about snatching meat...
Then if one day they realized their figures had gone out of shape and their stomachs had gotten rounder, that would be their own fault. They had better not blame him.
"Shirou, are you thinking something rude?" The girls all looked over at him at once.
"No, I was just thinking that everyone's skin has been looking so good lately—full of radiance and sparkling," Shirou said, turning his head away with an awkward laugh.
At that moment, a hollow opened somewhere in another space. A man dressed in black sat within it, black worms surging through his body as they continuously repaired his flesh. The process was nearly complete.
The Servant Perseus, contaminated by black mud, had originally manifested as Rider. He possessed Pegasus, the heavenly horse that had flown from the monster's body after killing Gorgon, and was a Servant famed for his many god-given Noble Phantasms.
The first was Chivalric Rein. It originally allowed the Phantasmal Beast Pegasus to unleash its full strength, charging at supersonic speed like a falling comet. It was an ultimate move that combined offense and defense.
After being corrupted and transformed by black mud, Perseus's Class became unknown. With the Holy Grail's support, this Noble Phantasm had become the ability to summon and command hundreds of Demonic Beasts.
The second was a cloak that could freely alter one's appearance and aura. He had used it to appear silently behind Shirou before. If Asuna had not blasted him away with Raikou's Noble Phantasm, he would have succeeded.
The third was the Sword of the Undead Slayer—HARPE. More like a scythe than a sword, this Noble Phantasm could negate immortality, and wounds it inflicted could not heal.
He also possessed Winged Sandals that allowed him to walk through the air, a Bronze Shield that tracked targets, and a bag used to store Monsters.
"Revenge! Revenge against Emiya! Against the man who denied everything we are!" Perseus said, his eyes blood-red. He opened a bag and released a gigantic monster from it. It moved slowly across the ground, its body slithering like a snake.
That afternoon, Shirou's phone vibrated as Xiao Da sent a message.
"Shirou! Information from Chaldea! Perseus's whereabouts have been detected!"
"Okay! I won't let him get away this time!" Shirou declared with high fighting spirit, clenching his fist and striking it against his palm.
For the past few days, the Youth had been enduring patiently. Like an outstanding ancient archer-hunter, once certain of the path prey would take, he would wait downwind for hours, even an entire day and night, conserving his energy solely for the instant his target appeared. Then he would unleash everything in one burst, shoot straight through its eye, and kill it without damaging its hide.
The Sword-Forging Servant Shirou
The black-clad Perseus appeared in the plaza near the sports center. It was immediately isolated beyond the world, in a separate space. He had come to this wide-open place because it was the perfect battlefield, where he could lure Emiya over and cut off his head.
Behind him, within the vast hollow, emerged a gigantic Monster wrapped in pitch-black sludge. Black wings sprouted from its body. Its upper half took the form of a tall, bewitching woman, but a long python-like body extended from the base of its tail, dragging across the ground.
Several dark-purple snake heads, their fanged jaws open wide, split from the tips of its long black hair. Its crimson eyes had lost all reason. It was a terrifying monster that sought to destroy everything.
"Gorgon! Take your revenge here! Make Emiya die in despair!"
This was Gorgon, the strongest monster Perseus had previously summoned with the Holy Grail. Originally, she could be called a mother, even a goddess, to Demonic Beasts. Yet now she had completely become a mindless monster.
As Gorgon's sworn enemy, Perseus should not have been able to command a monster of this level. But in legend, Perseus had used Gorgon's head many times, turning giants and enemies into stone statues whenever he faced danger. It was that legend that allowed him to summon a portion of Gorgon.
The enormous monster here was not Gorgon's true body, but an imitation forcibly twisted from part of Gorgon's Spirit Origin by the Holy Grail. Other than possessing tremendous destructive power, it had also suffered some degradation.
Endless monster howls rang out from the beast nest, then Gorgon tamed them within her nest. This time, she would launch the final attack.
"Haahahaha! I'll destroy the world Emiya hopes for, just as he destroyed our glory! Let him repent in the underworld!"
Perseus erupted into deranged laughter.
"Roooaaargh!" The enormous monster Gorgon spread her black wings and roared. Her crimson eyes had completely lost their reason as she summoned a massive beast nest. This was her Noble Phantasm, Temple of Ten Thousand Demons.
"Break through this barrier! Establish this temple in the present world! Devour! Slaughter! Then destroy!" Perseus roared.
Hordes of Demonic Beasts howled, shrieked, and slashed their claws against the world's protective barrier.
"I won't let you get away with this." At last, the young men and women arrived.
"I'll leave the Demonic Beasts to you. I'll handle this man." Shirou spoke to his companions, then turned toward the completely broken Servant. No, he had surely become something entirely different from the hero of legend.
"If it's evil, then I'll cut it down." Shirou's gaze turned cold. Before him stood the most wicked and evil enemy. For his family, his friends, and this world, no matter the reason, he had to eliminate these Monsters.
The Phantom Spirit Origin connected to Chaldea through the Holy Grail was summoned into the world where the Youth stood.
Within the system, the snow-white card changed in that instant. Lightning coiled around its surface, transforming into a golden knight standing straight with a sword raised before his chest.
A brilliant white light enveloped the Youth. Under the Holy Grail's modification, a different change occurred within his Inner World.
As his training grew more proficient and his resolve firmer, this time the completion rate was higher. His Magic Eyes remained open, his sturdy upper body bare, his hair had turned red, and a white cloak draped behind him.
However, his left arm was wrapped in red Holy Shroud, while his right hand now held an exquisite katana.
This was a divine weapon that transcended ordinary weapons, forged after a lifetime of study and the creation of countless blades. Though it was a failed product, when it unleashed its full power, it was already enough to cleave apart a world.
The moment he held Tsumikiri Muramasa, the combat experience of a swordsmith from another world who had reached the realm of gods in the art of forging flowed into the Youth's mind. Over his lifetime, he had forged weapons of every kind and knew the strengths and weaknesses of every inch of them. Naturally, he was also proficient in using those weapons.
Amber Magic Eyes witnessed the life of this blacksmith: a Youth born into a family of smiths, gifted with extraordinary talent and a heart full of justice.
Before you continue