The Hall of Heroes and the Golden Finger

In the deep of night on the border of the Land of Grass, moonlight flowed like clear water, spilling silently across the vast earth.

On this tranquil night, Uchiha Iori kept watch over the campfire alone; the flickering flames cast reflections within his scarlet pupils.

The kunai in Iori's hand spun incessantly, rising and falling, much like the state of his heart.

The firelight cast shifting shadows across his young face, revealing the struggle and unease within him.

Uchiha Iori was not a native of this world, but a transmigrator whose soul had been reincarnated over a decade ago into this world filled with war and death.

His parents were two Uchiha clan chunin who had never awakened their Sharingan, and they had sacrificed themselves on a mission when he was a child.

Whenever the night grew still and Iori began to practice his chakra, his dreams were always occupied by a vast, desolate wilderness and the sound of clashing blades.

In those dreams, he could feel a mysterious power calling to him, yet that power always remained out of reach, as if blocked by an invisible barrier.

Since awakening his Sharingan, Iori had been assigned to a team led by a jonin.

However, the "golden finger" he had long sensed had never activated, like a membrane that refused to break, leaving him feeling incredibly frustrated and powerless.

It is already Konoha year 48, and the Third Shinobi World War has already begun, yet my golden finger still hasn't activated.

A trace of confusion and anxiety flickered in Iori's eyes.

Although I now possess the chakra levels of a chunin, decent swordsmanship, and a one-tomoe Sharingan.

He silently assessed his abilities, only to feel a sense of helplessness.

But I have no confidence in the Shinobi World War. With only a bit of swordsmanship and the legendary fire style that can't even burn anyone to death, how am I supposed to survive this war!

In this cruel ninja world, weakness itself was an original sin. Iori gripped his kunai tightly, yet could find no shred of peace.

"Iori, let me take the second half of the night. You go get some rest." Gekko Nobuhiko walked over and said.

As Iori's guiding jonin, his eyes were filled with concern and encouragement.

This time, Iori and his team were tasked with observing the movements of the Iwagakure Ninja.

Intelligence units had sent word that Iwagakure had invaded the Kusagakure, potentially using it as a springboard to attack Konoha, and they had been sent to scout for this reason.

"Alright, I leave the second half of the night to you, Nobuhiko-sensei."

Uchiha Iori sighed, his face showing a hint of exhaustion and helplessness. Burdened with heavy thoughts, he lay down, closed his eyes, and slowly drifted off to sleep.

In his dream, it was pitch black. Uchiha Iori walked aimlessly until a door suddenly appeared before him, and he found himself walking toward it involuntarily.

When he passed through that door, the sight before him made him hold his breath.

Behind the door lay a desolate and vast wilderness, the sky filled with raging flames and slowly rotating giant gears, forming an apocalyptic scene.

Across the earth, all manner of weapons lay scattered, their cold light shimmering under the glow of the flames.

Some of these weapons were pristine and incomparably sharp; others were broken and battered, yet they still radiated an undeniable sense of threat.

The power these weapons constituted was exceptionally strong, yet it was not chakra, but some other similar energy.

In the center of this wilderness, a tall man sat on a stone with his back to Iori.

He had white hair and tanned skin, wearing a red coat and black tight-fitting clothes.

Facing this tall man, a sense of inexplicable familiarity welled up in Iori's heart.

The man slowly stood up, and the face he turned to reveal made Iori's heart race—it was Emiya Shirou, a man he had once seen in an anime.

"Young man, welcome to the Hall of Heroes."

Emiya Shirou spoke calmly; his demeanor was cold, but he did not seem to harbor much malice.

Iori's heart was filled with confusion. He did not understand why he had appeared here, nor did he know what Emiya Shirou intended to do.

"Now, prepare yourself."

A pair of swords appeared in his hands; the twin blades were black and white, with a rather peculiar design.

"Wait, are you Emiya Shirou? Where is this, and what are you doing?"

Iori recalled the memories of his past life; the weapons in his hands must be his most commonly used projected Noble Phantasms, Gan Jiang and Mo Ye.

Emiya Shirou smiled slightly and charged over, brandishing the twin swords, his smile carrying a hint of playfulness: "This is the place that connects to the Hall of Heroes, and I am currently giving you your onboarding training."

Seeing this, Iori hurriedly activated his Sharingan, and he was astonished to discover that his eyes had evolved from one tomoe to two.

After connecting to this world, Iori's soul power had been enhanced.

He pulled a long blade from his side and swung it to meet Emiya Shirou's swords. The moment the blades clashed, sparks flew in all directions.

"Why did I come here?" Iori asked, somewhat puzzled.

"The Alaya Alliance is preparing to expand its influence, and you have been scattered to other worlds as seeds."

Emiya Shirou replied while slashing his sword downward.

"Your mission is to accelerate the birth of Alaya in this world."

A sense of helplessness surged in Iori's heart. After parrying the attack, he asked what he should do.

"Become stronger, and make yourself important in this world, that is all."

Emiya Shirou continued. He threw the twin swords and shouted: "Crane Wings Lack Nothing."

Iori deflected the twin blades flying toward him.

"Besides a second life, what else can I get?"

He asked with a hint of reluctance, hoping to squeeze some investment out of his new boss.

Projecting the twin blades once more, Emiya Shirou charged forward, launching attacks with the swords in alternating succession.

"Projection Magecraft and Unlimited Blade Works are already engraved upon your soul. If conditions permit, you can even project Divine Constructs and release their True Names."

"Heart and Technique Reach Mount Tai."

Iori used his right hand to hold his sword and block Emiya Shirou, while his left hand drew another blade in a backhand grip, parrying the returning Gan Jiang. He then swung his left leg upward, kicking toward his opponent.

"Heart and Technique Cross the Yellow River; For the Name, Parting from Heaven."

Emiya Shirou dodged the kick and turned to charge again, his twin blades swinging in alternating strikes—an offensive that was as beautiful as it was lethal.

Iori could only struggle to hold his ground by relying on his Sharingan, his eyes flickering with a scarlet glow as he analyzed the trajectory of every attack.

With every clash of steel, Iori could feel fragments of memory flowing into his mind.

They were Emiya Shirou's training experience, his battle history, and the death he had chosen for himself.

"Two Heroes Share a Fated Parting."

The swords in Emiya Shirou's hands changed shape, transforming into long blades resembling two wings; the two blades he threw out were drawn back to slash at Iori.

"Shadow Clone Technique!"

Iori created a shadow clone; the clone rushed toward the twin blades while his main body lunged with his sword toward Emiya Shirou.

Crack. The twin blades tore through his body, and Iori's remains began to slowly dissolve into particles of light.

The sword Iori had casually pulled from the ground was easily shattered by Gan Jiang and Mo Ye; as expected, ordinary weapons were no match for Noble Phantasms.

In the instant he was torn apart, Iori discovered he had gained the ability to project Gan Jiang and Mo Ye.

A hint of surprise appeared on his face; it seemed this beating had not been in vain.

Projection Magecraft: A+

"Projection" magecraft possesses what could be called an exceptional ability, capable of near-perfect replication of weapons, including their constituent materials.

Furthermore, when replicating, it can even read the skills of the original owner, thereby granting access to various Noble Phantasms and combat techniques of Servants.

Unlimited Blade Works

The interior of this Reality Marble is a world resembling an ironworks, filled with armaments, flames, and massive gears.

Although nominally a Noble Phantasm, it is more accurately described as a Great Magecraft known as a Reality Marble.

It rewrites reality into an inner world where any weapon the caster has seen and recognized, or used within this space, can be instantly replicated and stored.

Multiple Noble Phantasms are released from within the boundary like arrows to directly attack the opponent.

Gan Jiang · Mo Ye

Rank: C-

Famous swords from Chinese legend, replicated by Emiya Shirou through the information he collected; in essence, they are incomplete imitations.

Based on Yin-Yang arts, they are a pair of male and female swords; the black one is the Yang sword, Gan Jiang, and the white one is the Yin sword, Mo Ye.

While their performance as swords is high, they can also be used as "mystic armaments" for sorcery and rituals.

When equipped together, the wielder's resistance to magecraft and physical damage increases, and their rank as weapons or Noble Phantasms also rises.

As a pair of husband-and-wife swords, they possess a powerful bond that ensures that even if one is accidentally lost, it will eventually return to the wielder's side.

The blades are inscribed with incantations for exorcism.

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.