In the dead of night on the border of the Land of Grass, moonlight flowed like clear water, silently spilling across the vast earth.
On this tranquil night, Uchiha Iori sat alone keeping watch by the fire. The flames flickered, reflected in his crimson eyes.
The kunai in Iori's hand spun restlessly, just like his unsettled state of mind.
Firelight cast shifting shadows across his young face, reflecting the turmoil and unease within him.
Uchiha Iori was not a native of this world. He was the soul of a transmigrator, reincarnated more than a decade ago into this world of war and death.
His parents were two Uchiha Clan Chunin who had never awakened their Sharingan. They died on a mission when he was still young.
Whenever night fell and Iori began training his chakra, his dreams were always filled with a barren wilderness and the sound of clashing blades.
In those dreams, he could feel a mysterious power calling to him. Yet that power was always out of reach, as though an invisible barrier stood between them.
After awakening his Sharingan, Iori had been assigned to a team under a Jonin's guidance.
But the "Golden Finger" he had sensed for so long still hadn't activated. It was like a membrane he couldn't quite pierce, leaving him frustrated and powerless.
It's already the year 48 of Konoha. The Third Shinobi World War has begun, and my Golden Finger still hasn't activated.
A trace of confusion and anxiety showed in Iori's eyes.
Though I've got the chakra reserves of a Chunin, decent swordsmanship, and a One-Tomoe Sharingan now.
He silently assessed his abilities, but could only feel helpless.
Still, I don't have the confidence to survive the Shinobi World War. How am I supposed to make it through with a little swordsmanship and Fire Release that supposedly can't even burn anyone to death?
In this cruel Ninja World, weakness itself was a sin. Iori gripped the kunai in his hand, but couldn't find the slightest comfort in it.
"Iori, I'll take the second half of the watch. Go get some rest." Gekko Nobuhiko walked over and spoke.
As Iori's Jonin instructor, he looked at him with concern and encouragement.
Iori and the others had been assigned to observe Iwagakure's movements.
The intelligence unit had sent word that Iwagakure had invaded Kusagakure and might use it as a stepping stone to attack Konoha. They had come to scout the area for that reason.
"All right. I'll leave the second half to you, Sensei Nobuhiko."
Uchiha Iori sighed. Weariness and helplessness showed on his face as he lay down, weighed down by his worries. He closed his eyes and slowly drifted off to sleep.
In his dream, all was darkness. Uchiha Iori wandered aimlessly until a door suddenly appeared before him. He walked toward it as if drawn by some unseen force.
When he passed through the door, the sight before him took his breath away.
Beyond it lay a vast, desolate wilderness. The sky was filled with blazing flames and enormous gears turning slowly, forming an apocalyptic scene.
Weapons of every kind littered the earth, their edges glinting coldly in the firelight.
Some were pristine and razor-sharp; others were battered and broken, yet still radiated an unmistakable menace.
The power these weapons held was immense, but it didn't feel like chakra. It was some other, similar kind of energy.
At the center of the wilderness, a tall man sat on a rock with his back to Iori.
He had white hair and dark skin, and wore a red coat over a black bodysuit.
As Iori faced the tall man, a strange sense of familiarity welled up inside him.
The man slowly stood and turned around. His face made Iori's heart race—it was Emiya Shirou, a man he had seen in an anime.
"Welcome to the Hall of Heroes, young man."
Emiya Shirou spoke calmly. His expression was stern, but he didn't seem particularly hostile.
Iori was full of questions. He didn't understand how he had ended up here, much less what Emiya Shirou wanted from him.
"Now, get ready to take this."
A pair of swords appeared in his hands, one black and one white, both with unusual designs.
"Wait! Are you Emiya Shirou? Where is this place? What are you going to do?"
Iori recalled his memories from his previous life. The weapons in Shirou's hands should be the projected Noble Phantasms he used most often: Gan Jiang and Mo Ye.
Emiya Shirou smiled faintly and charged at him, swinging both swords. There was a hint of mockery in his smile. "This is where you connect to the Hall of Heroes. And right now, I'm giving you your orientation."
Iori hurriedly activated his Sharingan. To his surprise, his eyes had evolved from one Tomoe to two.
Connecting to this world had strengthened Iori's soul.
He pulled a long sword from the ground and swung at Emiya Shirou's blade. The moment steel met steel, sparks flew.
"Why did I end up here?" Iori asked, confused.
"The Alaya Alliance is preparing to expand its influence. You've been sent to other worlds as seeds."
As he answered, Emiya Shirou brought his sword down in a slash.
"Your mission is to accelerate the birth of Alaya in this world."
A helpless feeling welled up in Iori. He parried the attack, then asked what he was supposed to do.
"Get stronger. Make yourself important to this world. That's all."
Emiya Shirou continued, then hurled both swords and shouted, "Crane Wings Lack Nothing!"
Iori knocked the flying swords aside.
"Besides a second life, what else do I get?"
He asked with some reluctance, hoping to secure a little investment from his new boss.
Projecting another pair of swords, Emiya Shirou charged forward, attacking in turns with both blades.
"Projection Magecraft and Unlimited Blade Works are already engraved in your soul. If the conditions allow, you can even project divine constructs and release their True Names."
"Heart and Technique Reach Mount Tai!"
Iori blocked Emiya Shirou's sword with his right hand. With his left, he drew another blade in reverse and deflected the spinning Gan Jiang, then swept his left leg upward in a kick.
"Heart and Technique Cross the Yellow River! For the Name, Parting from Heaven!"
Emiya Shirou dodged the kick and charged back in, swinging his swords one after the other. His attacks were elegant and deadly.
Iori could only struggle to keep up with the aid of his Sharingan. Crimson light glimmered in his eyes as he analyzed the trajectory of each attack.
With every clash of blade against blade, Iori felt a fragment of memory flow into his mind.
They were Emiya Shirou's training experiences, his battles, and the death he had chosen for himself.
"Two Heroes Share a Fated Parting."
The swords in Emiya Shirou's hands changed shape, becoming long blades like a pair of wings. The two swords he had thrown were drawn back toward him, slashing at Iori.
"Shadow Clone Technique!"
Iori created a Shadow Clone. It charged at the two swords while the real Iori held his blade and slashed at Emiya Shirou.
Crack! The swords tore through his body, and Iori's remains slowly began to dissolve into points of light.
The sword Iori had pulled from the ground was easily shattered by Gan Jiang and Mo Ye. As expected, ordinary weapons couldn't stand up to Noble Phantasms.
At the moment he was torn apart, Iori discovered that he had gained the ability to project Gan Jiang and Mo Ye.
A look of delight appeared on his face. It seemed the beating hadn't been for nothing.
Projection Magecraft: A+ "Projection" Magecraft had an almost absurd ability: it could create nearly perfect copies of weapons, including the materials they were made of. It could even read the skill of the weapon's owner during the copying process, allowing the user to acquire the Noble Phantasms and combat techniques of various Servants.
Unlimited Blade Works
The inside of the Reality Marble was a world like an ironworks, filled with weapons, flames, and enormous gears.
Though it was called a Noble Phantasm, it was more accurately classified as a Greater Magecraft known as a Reality Marble.
It rewrote reality into a mental landscape. Any weapon the user had seen and recognized, as well as any weapon used within the Reality Marble, could be instantly copied and stored there.
Multiple Noble Phantasms could be fired simultaneously from within the Reality Marble like arrows, directly attacking the opponent.
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Gan Jiang and Mo Ye
A pair of famous Chinese swords recreated by Emiya Shirou from information he had gathered. In essence, they were imperfect imitations.
Based on the principles of yin and yang, they were a pair of male and female swords. The black sword, Gan Jiang, was yang; the white sword, Mo Ye, was yin.
They were highly effective as swords, but could also be used as "Magecraft weapons" in witchcraft and rituals.
Wielded together, they enhanced their owner's resistance to Magecraft and physical attacks, and raised their Rank as weapons or Noble Phantasms.
As a pair of husband-and-wife swords, they shared a powerful bond: even if one was accidentally lost, it would eventually return to its owner.
The blades were engraved with an incantation to ward off evil.
Inscription: "Crane Wings Lack Nothing. Heart and Technique Reach Mount Tai. Heart and Technique Cross the Yellow River. For the Name, Parting from Heaven. Two Heroes Share a Fated Parting."