Once again thanks to Jose19 for helping out.
Beta read by Opal and Maglad
.
.
.
-???-
As the sun began its descent over the tranquil world of Midchilda, a sprawling cityscape stretched out before them, painted in hues of orange and pink. Shirou Emiya and Hayate Yagami stood side by side on a serene balcony atop a towering building. The gentle breeze tousled their hair as they gazed out at the breathtaking view, lost in the beauty of the moment.
"Hayate-san," he began, his gaze earnest, "there's something I've been meaning to ask you. Would you be able to assist me with a small request? I'm considering changing the color of my device." A small matter that shouldn't have been a problem for him initially, but the striking resemblance it gave him to a certain bowman pushed the redhead to a level of uncomfortableness that he did not like at all.
Hayate turned her attention to him, a cup of coffee in her hand with her eyes dancing with curiosity and confusion. A small smile played on her lips as she tilted her head, a teasing note in her voice. "Oh? Don't tell me you're not a fan of the color red. I always thought it complemented your hair quite nicely."
'Rather I don't want to be reminded about that bastard every time I see my reflection.'
Shirou chuckled, scratching the back of his head. How could he even begin to explain the relation between his dislike of this design and color? "It's not that I dislike red," he explained, his gaze thoughtful. "I just think it would have been better if I had white like the others, red makes me stand out too much and makes it feel like I'm getting the special treatment."
"But you are," she answers quickly. "It's not every day that we get someone from another reality." Hayate mentioned while giving him a side glance. "It's not every day we get a mage from another reality helping us in our mission. Exceptions and differing treatments should be expected to some degree. Treating you the same way as Subaru-chan or Teana-chan is basically impossible when most of the higher-ups are aware of your existence."
Painting him in red colors within a group of white uniforms didn't really help his cause, he hoped she realized that.
Shirou sighed, "I… I understand that, it's not that big of a deal if you are wondering. Just wanted to ask first and see… I'm just not used to being singled out in a team. Speaking of teams, where are the others? I've been searching for them for the last hour but can't find anyone.*
"Oh don't worry about them, they went to check out another training field where you all will be training. You'll be brought there soon after our talk as well, I believe someone will be coming to pick you up." Hayate stretched her arms above her head, her movements fluid and relaxed. She let out a soft yawn, her actions casual and unhurried. Shirou's brows furrowed slightly as he watched her, a sense of concern for her well-being tugging at him.
"Are you feeling alright, Hayate-san?" he inquired, his tone laced with genuine concern.
Hayate lowered her arms, her smile returning, albeit with a touch of weariness. "Oh, I'm fine. Just dealing with a bit of bureaucratic hassle from the higher-ups," she admitted with a wry grin. "Endless paperwork seems to have become my new pastime. Putting that aside, have you been able to get familiar with your new device?" She asked while pointing at the crimson pendant around his neck.
"Well, I can finally understand why you and Nanoha were so insistent on me having a Barrier Jacket. I barely feel hurt after getting hit and it doesn't consume as much Magical Energy as I expected." He hadn't used it much since their last mission, though he was planning on changing that soon with his meeting with Subaru and Teana this evening. There wasn't much he could compare it with from his world, Magus mostly being researchers rarely if ever bothered to create armor in the first place.
'Wish I had this during the war, would have helped to not get as hurt as often and possibly not have a spear go through my heart? Oh wait, I'm not sure if it could have stopped a Noble Phantasm like that… at least I could have used it against Rin's spells and possibly ended up offending her more somehow. No wonder Luvia calls her a tsundere gorilla.'
"Of course, these are meant to save the lives of those who wear it in combat. They aren't just for show even though it may look like that to an outsider. The devices can be seen as a computer with some level of artificial intelligence, when not taking hits from various sources it will lower the consumption on your reserves. Did you not talk to Rubin?"
"Talk?" Shirou was stumped, fiddling with the small jewelry. "I thought only Nanoha and your devices could talk…" He had seen Nanoh speak with Raising Heart before and issued commands and assumed the same applied to Hayate.
"All of the devices we gave you and the team can communicate. Ah, then this might be the perfect opportunity for you to talk with Rubin!" She said excitedly, putting a sense of pressure on the young man, who awkwardly looked at the object in his hand.
"Um… hi Rubin?" Odd, no other way suited to describe his current case. The object which from the outside resembled a crystal clear piece of carved gem attached to a string, yet useful abilities. Its surface glowed softly, casting a gentle light that barely illuminated his hand.
A calm, machine-like voice resonated from the device. [Greetings, Emiya Shirou. I am Rubin, your assigned device. It is my purpose to assist and provide support in your various tasks as a mage in the Time-Space Administrative Bureau.]
Shirou's curiosity piqued, and he leaned in slightly, in awe at how he was actually talking to his pendant of all things.
"Try asking it for its functions, it's better you know everything from the beginning rather than trying to stumble into them during a battle." The brunette instructed.
He nodded, "Nice to meet you, Rubin. Can you list your functions for me, please?"
[Certainly, Emiya Shirou. My functions encompass several aspects of magical operations. I am equipped with a comprehensive data analysis module, which aids in assessing magical energy levels, environmental conditions, and potential threats. Additionally, I possess the ability to generate and manipulate protective barriers for defensive purposes.]
The image of Nanoha deploying those domes of energy around him during the test emerged in his mind. "Defensive barriers, huh? That sounds useful."
[Indeed, they are,] Rubin replied. [These barriers can shield against various types of magical attacks and physical projectiles. They adapt to the nature of the threat, providing optimal defense.]
Shirou's interest grew as he considered the implications. "And what else can you do?"
[I am equipped with a communication module, allowing me to interface with other devices and establish connections across networks.]
Shirou's expression brightened. "So, can you help me communicate with others as well?"
[Correct, Emiya Shirou. Communication is one of the fundamental features of my design.]
Shirou nodded, processing the information. "That's quite impressive. It seems like you have a wide range of functions."
[I am designed to assist users in a variety of magical endeavors,] Rubin affirmed. [My purpose is to enhance your capabilities and ensure your safety on engagements you may face during a mission.]
Shirou extended his hand toward the device, a thoughtful expression on his face. "Well, Rubin, it's good to know I have you by my side. I'm looking forward to working together."
[As am I, Emiya Shirou. Should you have any questions or require assistance, do not hesitate to reach out to me.] With that said, the device grew dim before returning to its normal appearance.
"Hehehe, how do you like it now?" Hayate spoke with a grin on her face, leaning towards him with a knowing look. "While these functions are basic, I made sure that our department's devices could use as many of the small necessities as possible."
"Mmm, it's better than I imagined." He admitted, he no longer felt that bad about the color choice. Once again he grew grateful for how far the people of this world were willing to go in order to help him. Taking so much while providing next to nothing did not sit well with him, and he hadn't even had an opportunity to thank Hayate or Nanoha yet.
'Wait, I got an idea.' He thought, and turned towards the young woman next to him.
"Hayate, do you mind if I ask you something?"
{Break}
"Shirou should be here," said Nanoha, while looking down at the time in her PDA while standing in front of the door to Hayate's office. Having just left the area of the training field, she left Teana and Subaru to continue their training without her. Having tested their reaction time and evasion with a few uses of Accel Shoots, the girl had to admit that those two progressed at remarkable speeds, seemingly having improved every time she saw them.
Fate stayed behind since she wanted to keep working on Erio and Caro's stamina and having them go through the standard academy routine. While Caro possessed enormous talent and potential with magic, she lacked in basically every other department given her young age didn't give her much time to develop. Erio, though talented in close combat thanks to his spearmanship, lacked enough battle experience in general and thus needed to refine what he already knew before learning anything new.
"Fate-chan got her work cut out, hope she won't get overwhelmed, that workaholic." She said while being completely oblivious to the irony of her own words.
She knocked on the wooden door and waited for a moment or two before sighing, pushing it open a second later, and entering her friend's office. "Hello~!"
There, she found the familiar redhead mage leaning against the balcony outside with Hayate next to him, neither having noticed her arrival and happily chatting with giant smiles on their faces. 'They sure hit it off quite well in the first meeting.'
Honestly, Nanoha did not foresee that out of everyone, Hayate would be the one who'd become the most friendly with Shirou. Having believed that it would either be herself since she had interacted with him the longest, or even Subaru's because of her openly vibrant and friendly personality. Hayate on the other hand had to spend most of her time working within the proper procedures and dealing with all the paperwork and red tape required to establish the Riot Force 6 division, so the brunette expected that aside from some small talk and small interactions — there wouldn't be much going between them.
"Hey, I think she was right, you do look better with your hairstyles backward." Said Hayate while Nanoha did her best to walk, without interrupting them, trying to be as silent as possible.
"Oh God, not you too, Hayate-san." Shirou moaned with his hands covering his face. "I like my current hairstyle, thank you very much."
"So, you won't change it even if I asked you to do so?" Hayate said.
"That's right." His answer was swift and left no room for negotiation. "I'd rather go bald." Well, he'd never do something drastic like that since he quite liked his hair, but if it helped from keeping her away from doing anything stupid then he was willing to do that small sacrifice!
"Then what if I use my position as your superior and order you to do so?"
"You're willing to go so far over such a small thing?"
"Well, my job can be quite stressful at the worst of times, and boring at the best of times, really. But pulling rank is one of the perks that come with the job, so don't blame me for doing so from time to time." She said teasingly.
"I'll talk to Rein so she stops giving you any coffee in the mornings, it's making you more unhinged…" His response earned a momentarily shocked reaction, something which nearly made him smirk at finding out her weakness but held back while showing a poker face. "I'm sure not drinking any coffee for let's say a week or even a month would do a lot of good to your body and mental health given some of the crazy things you're saying right now."
"Hey~! I was just joking, don't say such scary things while smiling so innocently! I need that to keep me going with all of my work or else I'd be no different to a walking zombie — and what did you mean when you said 'more', uh!? I was joking!"
"Haha, good to know, because I am serious." His dead serious voice did not help her.
"Shirou!" Hayate cried out in faux offense.
Who would have expected the innocent and polite boy who gave her the impression of never doing wrong could be so devious? "Also, why would Rein listen to you? She works for me after all."
"I have my ways." He didn't, hoping she would just believe his lies.
Nanoha didn't know whether it was just her imagination playing tricks on her or something else, but the way Shirou conversed with Hayate sounded more informal than when he spoke to her.
Good for them…
"Ah, Nanoha-chan?"
"—!?" Hayate calling her out of the blue surprised the distracted brunette which caused her to flinch. "H-Hi there you two, I arrived… I'm not disturbing anything I hope?"
"Oh don't worry about that, Shirou-san and I were just making small talk. Alright, take care of you two, I have another meeting in about an hour from now, so be well." Without saying much, Hayate gave them a small wave and walked out of the room, leaving them behind.
.
.
.
"I didn't know you had a car," Shirou remarked, settling into the plush seats of the sleek black vehicle.
As they made their way through the city en route to where the team was, Shirou couldn't help but first appreciate the sleek, futuristic design of the car, but it was once he used Structural Grasp that he was truly awed at its mind-blowing components. Having spent time as a part-time mechanic, his senses were drawn to the intricate details of its advanced engineering.
"Eh? Shirou, do you like cars?" Nanoha asked with a chuckle.
Shirou's eyes lit up. "It's not like I'm a car enthusiast, but this car is amazing!"
Nanoha smiled. "I think so too, but unfortunately, it belongs to Fate-chan. I'm just borrowing it for a bit." There was a brief pause before she spoke again. "You know, I just realized that this is the first time we've had a chance to talk alone since our meeting in London. A lot has happened since then—you've even been on a mission with the team. How are you feeling about… everything?"
Shirou took a moment to consider his response. "Honestly, it doesn't feel like much time has passed. Everything's been happening so quickly, and I've been trying my best to keep up. It's kind of surreal and perhaps that's why I haven't been completely overwhelmed by it all yet, but I guess I'm used to being in crazy situations. I've been through my fair share of them."
Nanoha arched an eyebrow. "So, getting thrown into a completely different reality is a common occurrence for you?"
Shirou let out a chuckle. "No, not exactly. What I meant is that I've grown accustomed to getting caught up in events that put my life on the line. Being a Magus comes with its fair share of danger by default, and I used to moonlight as an enforcer, which is a magus that deals with what you'd call the criminal side of the magical community, so there's that. There's a saying I used to hear back when I studied at the Clock Tower—it goes, 'To be a Magus is to walk with death.' There's always something happening that threatens your life, and unfortunately, even if they don't have to deal with the crazier side of the moonlit world, many Magi end up meeting their end while pursuing their craft."
Nanoha's brow furrowed. "That sounds quite morbid, and what's the moonlit world?"
Shirou nodded, his expression serious. "That's just what we call the magical side of the world, and yes, It can be at times. You asked about researchers—well, many Magi dedicate their lives to researching and perfecting their magecraft in pursuit of the Root. Sometimes, they take risks that push the boundaries of what's possible or sane, and that can lead to tragic outcomes."
Nanoha's gaze raised with a hint of worry evident in them. "Still an unfortunate ending in my opinion," she commented. "You mentioned researchers and the root in the same breath, can you elaborate on that?" She didn't know Shirou for that long, so most of the information from his world remained a mystery aside from what he already mentioned.
"Just think of them as scientists who spend their time inside a lab researching their field. It's not all that exciting, as one might expect, most don't even do half of the training I've seen here. The Root is... well, the simplest way to explain it would be as the origin and final destination of all souls, time, space, knowledge, and events past, future, and present across the multiverse."
She managed to resist stopping the car, but did give him a weird look, "You're not going to go full-on mad scientist on me are you?"
"Of course not!" He exclaimed, "At least I hope not, who knows what the future holds, since the abundance of Mana in this world I just might go through a phase." She was momentarily caught off guard by his words, almost missing the joke until she noticed his smirk at the end.
Nanoha giggled, "Too bad for you though, there are three wonderful Magical Girls near you to keep that from happening, plus your teammates — plus I feel like Shirou is too nice to be an evil, inhumane magus obsessed over some weird religious thing."
"Was that an insult disguised as a compliment?" He smiled, deciding it was probably for the best that she just glassed over The Root and dismissed it as some pseudo-religious new age nonsense only the magus of his world believe in.
"Oh my, I could never do such a thing. But if it did happen then I'm sure that getting befriended via magical blasts from Raising Heart will be enough to bring you back to your senses."
"You're doing it again…" he said with a wry smile, feeling a chill crawl up his spine with the idea of facing any one of Nanoha's stronger attacks. While he did have a few defensive Noble Phantasms within his Reality Marble that have helped him along the years of his time during the Fuyuki Holy Grail War and working for the Clocktower. He'd rather deal with a horde of undead and monsters than a powerful attack from that absurd device of hers. "Also, what do you mean by befriended, and why do you make it sound like just a thing that happens?"
Nanoha's playful tone persisted as she continued to share her experiences. "Hehehe, don't worry. It's a bit ironic, but I actually ended up fighting against most of my closest friends when I first met them. Well, Hayate was a bit of a different case…Though I did have to go up against the Wolkenritter." She glanced at Shirou, her eyes dancing with mischief. "But don't worry, I promise not to go all-out on you during your befriending."
Shirou's deadpan expression remained unchanged, his thoughts a mix of curiosity and incredulity. "There's that word again, and you make it sound like sparring with your friends is a common pastime."
Nanoha laughed lightly. "Well, in our line of work, it is normal to spar as a way to stay fit and battle-ready."
She leaned in a little closer, her tone conspiratorial. "Plus, it'll be fun to experience firsthand what Subaru-chan and Teana-chan went through when they faced you. Trust me, they've told me some stories."
Shirou's response was immediate and unwavering. "Absolutely not."
Nanoha pulled back, a mock hurt expression on her face. "Eh, why not?"
"Hayate mentioned to me that you tend to get… overly enthusiastic in battles sometimes. She used the term 'battle maniac,' if I remember correctly. The last time I had to deal with someone with similar traits didn't end well for me. I'd rather not end up needing a full-body cast after sparring with you and your impressive device." As he said that, the phantom pain of a spear going through his heart came back, his mind momentarily recreating the sensation of that moment as he recalled the details. Honestly, Lancer actually, technically did kill him, while Archer and Berserker only 'almost' killed him, come to think about it.
He once asked Rin how Lancer ended up dying given how big of a threat he was — even Archer and Saber struggled against him. The knowledge that he died by Kotomine's orders to kill himself made the redhead feel uncomfortable and sad. At the end of the day, he did not hate Lancer nor thought of him as a bad guy, since he helped them quite a bit after Archer's betrayal.
"Ah," Nanoha's cheeks flushed a bright red, a mixture of embarrassment and mild indignation coloring her expression. She mentally berated Hayate for being so candid about her combat style.
"T-That's not entirely true," she protested, her voice carrying a hint of defensiveness. "I mean, sure, I enjoy a good scuffle, but I do know my limits. We can keep it controlled and focused on practicing techniques. I won't unleash anything like the Divine Buster on you. Probably~♫"
'Don't give me that cute expression while saying something so frightening.' Shirou thought as he noticed another detail with what she just said.
"Oh, did you just copy my response from before about going evil researcher on you?" Shirou sighed and regarded her with a nod. "Regardless, I appreciate your reassurance. It's just that after my experiences, I tend to be a bit cautious around… combat enthusiasts."
Nanoha let out a breath she didn't realize she had been holding, a small smile forming on her lips. "I understand. But I assure you that instead of being in pain, you'll also have fun the entire time. I can have Fate-chan join; and Signum is very interested in the way you fight, from what I heard."
"Signum-san?" He recalled talking to a pink-haired woman during his test a few days ago. "Why?"
"Well, she is what you would call a traditional Knight since she uses swords and bows to fight. It shouldn't be hard for you to realize why she might be interested in your fighting style given you both share the same taste in weaponry. But be careful, she is very strict and professional in general, she might seem upset with you at first but that is not the case at all."
"Ah, I see, I'll be sure to keep that in mind." As they began approaching their destination, a question surfaced. "By the way, have you gotten any leads about who or what could have made those drones try to steal those relics?" He hadn't heard any news about this matter since the group's deployment and forgot to ask Hayate about it, but hopefully, Nanoha knew something.
The brunette frowned, "I'm afraid it's not that easy."
Their conversation took a different turn as Shirou shifted the topic. "Oh, by the way, I finished getting completely settled into my apartment yesterday. I didn't have much to begin with, it didn't take that long, and Subaru and Teana helped me with some missing essentials."
"That's good to hear," while Shirou gave her a weird look when she mentioned how she became great friends with multiple people by battling them first — it probably hasn't dawned on him yet that he happened to do the same thing.
"Well, if you're interested, how about coming over this evening for dinner? It'd be great to catch up and share a meal."
"Eh?" Nanoha's surprise was evident, and her mind raced to consider her schedule. She was aware of her commitments and responsibilities, but her memories of the delectable food she had enjoyed in London were difficult to ignore. She hesitated momentarily, then smiled as she replied. "I would love to!"
Shirou's smile was warm and inviting. "Excellent. Subaru and Teana will be thrilled to have you join us."
Nanoha's eyes widened in surprise. "Wait, there are others too?"
Shirou nodded, his eyes twinkling with amusement. "Yep, they regularly come by my place these last few days… no, they basically live there at this point, since Subaru just hangs out on my couch and naps there."
"..."
{Break}
-Training Field-
It didn't take long for Nanoha and Shirou to return to the training field, much to Shirou's amazement as the redhead beheld a site that had been little more than a ruined cityscape that wouldn't have been out of place in the most over-the-top disaster movie, now turned into a luscious forest with greenery everywhere he looked.
"Are we… Are we in the right place?" Shirou asked with uncertainty, unable to reconcile the sight before him with the apocalyptic landscape of his memories. Touching the foliage and breathing the fresh air made the boy question just how advanced the technology in this world was… or was this just some form of magic? "Can you change this place into any kind of setting?"
"Yup," Nanoha answered, enjoying seeing his reaction. "The training field has a dynamic environment simulation system. It can transform into various settings to help us practice different scenarios. From lush forests to arid deserts, urban landscapes to open plains, this field can mimic them all."
Shirou's eyes widened in amazement as he looked around, taking in the vibrant scenery. "That's incredible. It's almost like a Reality Ma... like a world within a world."
Nanoha grinned and gestured for him to follow. "Indeed. And today, the team is practicing combat maneuvers in this forest setting. It'll help them adapt to different terrains and conditions."
As they walked deeper into the forest, Shirou couldn't help but ask, "Is there anything this field can't simulate?"
Nanoha chuckled. "Well, it has its limits. Extremely complex environments or very specific scenarios might be a bit challenging to replicate. But for the most part, it's a versatile training tool."
Nanoha brought him deeper, going past areas where Shirou noticed some burn marks and deep gauges on the soil or the trees, marking spots where a battle must have taken place. "Hm?" His ears twitched with the sound of shouts and grunts coming from somewhere ahead of them, followed by a loud explosion.
"Oof!" A blue and white figure came his way at great speed and slammed into his torso, the impact pushing the air out of his lungs and though it didn't knock him off his feet thanks to him reacting fast enough to catch himself, it still caused him to slide backward. His arms wrapped around the body of none other than Subaru, somehow ending with the girl in a princess carry. "Subaru?"
He called the exhausted girl, her white shirt covered in dirt and tears as she panted loudly. "Oh, hey S-Shirou… thanks for catching me!" She said with a small, shameless grin, the glow of the device on her hand slowly disappeared as she deactivated it.
"You didn't give me much of a choice, there. Are you alright?" he asked. 'I would have done another round at the hospital if I hadn't done something.' He thought with a groan, wondering who could have thrown Subaru so far and with such force. "Now can you get off me? It's getting uncomfortable."
"Hey, are you calling me fat?"
'Well, I'm not calling you lightweight either.' He smiled, too polite to say it out loud, and smart enough to fear a retaliatory punch to the face. Once upon a time, women were a mysterious bunch, but experience had taught him that jokes and banter were right so long as he abstained from bringing up any of the Three Great Taboos. Weight, bust, and age — not that he ever did so personally, just some knowledge he picked up from observation. "Of course not, but I don't exactly have the easiest hold on you right now." His polite smile was enough for Subaru to believe him and get him off with Nanoha's help.
"Hurgh… Vita-san is gonna be the death of me."
"Vita?" As soon as he said that, a young redheaded girl with twin-tails walked out whilst holding a large smoking hammer with a grin on her face.
"Not bad, you managed to block my attack, but didn't take into account how much force was behind it. Try deflecting and redirecting the force instead of tanking it from now on." Her gaze then turned to Shirou, sizing him up while doing a couple of rounds around the confused young man. "Hmm, so you're the new recruit Hayate has been talking about, I watched your little duel with this girl and her friend — you were okay I guess."
'Hard to take such words seriously when they came from a little brat,' and he almost blurted 'Is this a lost kid?' But refrained from doing so because the idea of a hammer strong enough to put Subaru in such a state coming after him was scary enough. Now that he thought about it… basically, all of the girls around him in both worlds were dangerous.
"Thank you, I was just trying to do my best." Well given she spoke like an older person despite looking like someone from primary made Shirou associated her being either a special case like Erio or another being like Rein. "Ah, you are…"
"Vita," she answered quickly. "Similar to Nanoha here, I'll be in charge of molding you all into shape and making sure you're able to handle any bad scenarios you're dropped into. Both Signum and I were supposed to give you all some pointers before your first mission but we know how that turned out." She went over and grabbed Subaru's heel before dragging her away whilst the young girl tried to cling onto Shirou's legs.
"Uuuuu, help me, Shirou! I don't have any energy left for another beating…"
Pulling his leg away, Shirou could do nothing but wave at the girl while giving her his condolences. He didn't know what kind of teacher Vita was, but the bruises all over Subaru certainly helped.
"Vita is having fun, I can tell," Nanoha commented by his side. If that was her having fun then he truly prayed for Subaru's wellbeing. "Hey, want to take this opportunity to spar with m—Shirou?"
Before she finished her sentence, the redheaded man already hastily walked in a random direction with a cold sweat. "Oh would you look at that, I think I heard someone else cry of pain coming from this area! Let me check it out and see whether they are alright!"
To his utter shock, the random direction he chose ended up against a large explosion coming from the other side of the trees with Teana's grunt. "Ah," reacted Shirou with incredulity as this time he moved out of the way just in time to see the orange-haired girl fly past him and crash against a few trees.
"..."
Were they purposefully aiming for him or something!?
Oh, hey Shirou." Teana greeted him just like Subaru did, and stood up with a smile. "Ah, thanks." She said as he reached out and helped her up, then she dusted herself off. Unlike her partner, she at least looked in a better overall shape.
"You're alright?" He asked.
"Well, it could have gone better but I'm alright. I'm still getting used to having Cross Mirage." She said while checking her gun, opening the chambers, and inspecting her weapon. "Ah, Nanoha-san, welcome back!"
"Are you able to continue?" Another voice came from the other side, walking over was a person Shirou recognized, given Nanoha just talked about her on the ride with her, and about how she was interested in his fighting style. "Nanoha, Shirou."
Sigmun greeted the two with a curt head nod. Unlike Vita, she wasn't wearing a combat outfit or wielding a weapon of any type, instead holding a PDA. "Sorry about the commotion, we were just working on testing her reaction speed, spatial awareness, and accuracy against moving targets. Given she trained with you this morning, I did not want to repeat the same exercise again." Sigmun spoke calmly to Nanoha. As she finished, a multitude of drones caught up, hovering in large groups around them. Shirou's eyes widened as he briefly confused them with the ones they fought on the train — except these ones did not possess any moving tendrils.
"I did not expect the explosion to be that big. The first ones did not even detonate when I shot them!" The orange-haired girl protested. "By the end, some even started moving out of the way the moment my weapon's muzzle moved in their general direction."
"But of course they did. In a battlefield, you can't expect your enemy to stay still the entire time you are aiming at them and so each of these drones is equipped with a system that learns and studies your movements and attack patterns before coming up with an optimal evasion strategy. In short, they are meant to teach you how to handle fast and skittish foes, and recruit Teana." Signum's voice was cold, calm, and measured — giving as much information as possible while maintaining her composed demeanor.
Nanoha chimed in, "That's right, Teana. It may even seem like mild bullying, but that's because we're purposefully targeting your weak spots during training so that they won't be weak spots in real, life-or-death combat situations. That's the idea, anyway."
Teana nodded, understanding the importance of these exercises. "I'll keep that in mind, Nanoha-san. Thanks for the advice." As she got ready for another round, the girl stopped in her tracks before turning to face Shirou. Wait, are you here to train as well?"
"I'm not sure, I sort of just... tagged along."
A light flashed within the girl's eyes as she remembered a previous conversation Both Subaru and herself knew about his archery skills by now, already having seen him use the bow before, and thus having a pretty clear idea of how ridiculous he was with his weapon of choice. "Hey, remember the talk we had before about me teaching you to handle guns?"
He did, though Shirou had honestly thought she brought up the idea as a way to start a conversation and didn't really think much about it. "Uh, yeah, I do. But I don't think this is the right time since I've never used a gun, let alone been good with one. I'll just waste your valuable training time. I should probably do a weapon safety course first and then give it a go at a shooting range instead of coming anywhere near a live fire training situation with a live weapon I know nothing about, right?"
Did he ever consider using a firearm? Yes, multiple times in the last few weeks before the accident that sent him here. While his Tracing did not consume that much Magical Energy and he mostly used Kanshou and Bakuya — both of which he was so familiar with they were practically no drain at all to project in the first place — regular swords and sometimes some nameless Noble Phantasms to use as projectiles. Only rarely was he pushed hard enough to bring out the heavy hitters or even deploy his Reality Marble. Years of practice brought him ever-so-close to being able to use it without external assistance, and it was only recently that he managed to do so… and even then, it wasn't for that long.
"I'm fine with this," instead of Teana, Signum answered in her stead. "I've seen what you're capable of with a bow and while I am curious about how you'd handle a gun, I am perfectly happy to test your swordsmanship, given we didn't see much of it during your last mission. And yes, I will be your sparring partner."
Shirou hesitated when Signum challenged him to spar with her. He glanced at the female knight before him, feeling a sense of unease given how blatantly similar to Saber she was. "I'm not sure if I'm ready for a fight with you, Signum-san. My swordsmanship is different from my archery or projection magecraft. You see, it's a bit hard to explain, but basically unlike my skills with the bow which is something I've learned, my ability to use the sword mostly comes from my ability to copy weapons and people's sword skills associated with those weapons. Going against you will most likely end up with me copying you and creating a fake version rather than improving my personal skills or what I already know."
Signum raised an eyebrow, "That's an impressive form of magic you have there, Shirou."
'Magecraft…'
"But that does not deter my goals. You may see it as unfair but in my eyes, this is just expanding your repertoire. The more you know, the better it is as my fighting style can be helpful against certain kinds of opponents. And I won't be bothered if you copy me, rather, I'll be proud that my teaching will help you stay alive." Shirou was shocked by her attitude about his ability, her patience and understanding surpassing what he believed before. "Also, it's a spar, not a battle to the death. We're here to learn and improve." She did not back down, making the boy lament why the girls here were so battle-hungry? Looking for a way out of this, he looked at Teana, the latter still waiting for his response, and got an idea.
"You know, I've always been curious about using a firearm and wouldn't mind trying it out first."
"That's great!" She exclaimed, glad to have him accept her proposal first. But then again, whether he did so as a means to escape Signum did not register in her mind. "In exchange, you'll help me improve my aim and accuracy since you're quite good at it."
"Um, I can try? No promises though, since you know… different magic systems and all that."
"We can always try." Her contagious enthusiasm got to him, as he found it hard to deny her words if he wanted to.
"I'll tag along as well," Nanoha said, curious to see how he would fare with a different weapon.
.
.
.
With Teana's guidance, Shirou found himself on a field with multiple drones floating in the air, acting as targets. The gun device, Cross Mirage, was Teana's main device so he could not use it. Still, she managed to prepare a set of different weapons on a table and some of her own former firearms she no longer used. Grabbing a random one, the item felt unfamiliar in his hands — far too different compared to a sword. 'It's about the same weight as a regular sword.'
Teana began explaining its mechanics and operation in more detail. "Alright, Shirou," Teana started, her tone patient, "similar to Cross Mirage, this is a specialized gun device for Midchildan-style magic. It works with cartridges that contain the spell formulae. To fire, you need to focus your magical energy on the cartridge and then pull the trigger. Let's start with a simple shot spell, envision the spell in your mind, and channel your magic into the cartridge."
Shirou nodded, trying to absorb the information. He had seen magic devices in action before, but this was his first time actually handling one. He took a moment to center himself, focusing and channeling his magical energy. With a cautious grip, he pulled the trigger.
Click
Nothing happened.
Teana blinked in surprise, then took the gun device from Shirou to inspect it closely. After a few moments, she seemed to figure out the issue. "Ah, looks like the cartridge wasn't loaded correctly. My mistake. Let me fix that."
'I should have known.' It dawned on him that barrier jackets were not the only devices that wouldn't work with his circuits, this difference accounted for every magical device in this world.
{Break}
'It should now work, right?' Teana hoped it would work this time, she had been looking forward to teaching Shirou the usage of a gun. He was a formidable bow user, the best since she knew no one else using such a weapon for long-distance attacks. According to him, none of his shots back during the duel were guided projectiles like she believed, all were shot with nothing but his aim and force behind the arrow.
Which honestly seemed very incredulous to think about as she distinctly remembered some of the arrows curving or ricocheting at the end to hit Subaru every single time as if they had a mind of their own.
'A shame he didn't use the bow again during the mission, it would have been nice to see it.' But her disappointment back then barely lasted that long before Shirou brought out a pair of blades so beautiful and exotic-looking that she thought it was his new device. But no, according to Hayate, Shirou's Rubin only served as a basic barrier jacket and nothing else. Which meant that the blade was a creation from his own world… a weapon that cut through an anti-magic field as if it was butter!
'If he had used it back then, then we would have suffered far more serious wounds.' It brought the question of what else he was hiding. He never talked about those blades again aside from stating they were his go-to weapons and main close-range weapons.
"No, it's another problem," Signum stopped Teana when she attempted to reload the gun. "Don't forget that Shirou's case is different when it comes to devices."
Her eyes widened as she accidentally forgot about that part, embarrassed, she looked at the man who continued to inspect the weapon within his grasp. "Ah, sorry about that…" Hah, guess they would need to work out another solution at a later da—
"No need, Shirou can't use a device aside from Rubin but that is not a problem with regular guns." A drone approached carrying a briefcase and presented it to the redhead, Teana got curious about what it was and watched as he opened the case to show two actual revolvers and a row of six bullets.
"Wow, I didn't know we had these." She commented, shocked to learn that they had such weapons in the first place. "They look so old school."
"They are old but well maintained, our armory does hold weapons from different worlds and time periods. A firearm like this is still regularly used on Earth so it's to be expected we would have a few in stock. Of course, this is just for Shirou to use once and we'll have to return this after today's testing."
Teana sighed a bit in disappointment, wanting to try out the weapons for herself a bit too. "Alright, how do you find them, Shirou?" She asked him, first wanting him to become comfortable with the weapon beforehand.
She could see Shirou carefully examining the revolvers, his eyes tracing the intricate details of their design. "These are quite different from what I'm used to, but I can adapt," he replied with a focused expression. "The concept of a firearm isn't entirely foreign to me. It's all about precision and control."
Teana nodded in agreement. "That's right. And since you're already skilled in long-distance aiming, this should be an interesting addition to your abilities."
Signum stepped closer, "Nanoha-san, would you like to offer some assistance?"
"I would love to!" The brunette replied without missing a beat. Raising Heart glowed a bright red light and changed into the form of a staff. Though her uniform remained the same, quickly after, a myriad of different-sized balls of light swirled around her from green, red, and blue — all at a different distance from Shirou. "Alright, treat these as target practice, start with something."
Teana noted how the green targets were closer to Shirou, the red hovering right above Nanoha and finally the blue blending in with the background high up in the sky.
'This is going to be hard for him since this is the first time he is handling a gun, he isn't used to dealing with the recoil and aiming.' Her observation further cemented those doubts as Shirou awkwardly held the gun with both hands. "Ah, Shirou, you hold it like this."
Not wanting him to underestimate the recoil and accidentally injure his hands or hit himself, Teana quickly rushed to his side and showed him how to better handle the weapons. "Don't accidentally pull the trigger so keep your finger out of it."
After giving him a quick explanation, she went back and nervously watched as the man exchanged glances with the smiling Nanoha. Those orbs waited patiently for him to fire whilst staying mobile in the air. "Are you ready?" Nanoha called out, and he nodded.
"Three!"
Hitting the green orbs was going to be tricky even if they were the closest, using a bow masterfully did not translate to handling firearms with ease.
"Two!"
Even when she first started training at the academy, her first accuracy scores barely reached fifty out of a hundred, taking her multiple weeks, months, and even years till now to reach her current level.
"One!"
'He'll probably miss the first few shots, at least with a device the recoil isn't as bad and the ability to change bullet types helps a lot. This basic weapon will probably have him earn a similar result to myself back then.'
Bang!
"—!"
Teana nearly choked on her saliva as he fired the first bullet and hit a green orb perfectly. ""W-What?"
Ah, she was caught off guard, of course, he could hit those green orbs so closely. She underestimated a bit on that end. It was still a good shot, getting three targets out of six was the best result she could hop—
Bang!
The sound of gunfire echoed five more times as all green lights shattered without him missing a single one of them.
"..."
This couldn't be… he hit all of them in quick successions no less!? He must have used a gun before coming here!
"Ah, I'm out of bullets," Shirou exclaimed, only to have Signum pass him a small box of ammunition to him. "Thank you!" She watches as his hands move expertly, reloading the chambers with bullets at lightning speed as if he had done it dozens of times. "Huh… so that's how you reload."
She nearly pulled her hair when those words came out of his mouth, was he actually a newbie with guns!? He was messing with them! And why were Nanoha and Signum reacting to it as if it was something normal? Neither showed that much surprise!
"Are you ready for round two?"
"I am!"
'Calm down, Teana. It's probably a beginner's luck as they say and it seems like his skill with the bow did indeed help him aim better. But even I would need to concentrate on fitting the blue and red orbs, going further if they were mobile, so the chances of him getting all of them as a beginner was near zer—'
Another five sounds of gunfire spread across the battlefield, hitting two red and three blue orbs, this time shocking even the other two women. Teana had her jaws open, speechless to utter a single word about anything that happened right now.
"Hm," a contemplative expression crossed his face as he clearly aimed way off his initial mark and fired the last single bullet which didn't hit any of the remaining orbs. "So that's how it feels… It's the same in my opinion, I'd rather stick with a bow and arrow. Thanks for teaching me how to use a gun, Teana, I'll be sure to help you out as much as possible."
A decade's worth of dedication to polish her gunmanship, years of grueling training at the academy, and real missions she took part in. Facing many types of enemies and opponents that pushed her beyond her previous self. All of this culminated in the level she possessed today…
Yet here she stood watching a man who never held a firearm before, she believed that they would become like an unofficial master/student duo where he taught her to become better with aim and accuracy while she showed him how to use a gun. And now, not even after a five-minute explanation, he managed to not only reach her level but do it so nonchalantly as if it wasn't a big deal…
What kind of freak did they find on Earth?
'He's sincerely thanking me for the words I gave him.' It hurt her pride the more sincere he looked.
"Shirou, why did you miss the last shot back then?" Signum asked the man as he returned the gun.
"Um, the reason is kind of dumb if I have to be honest. You might even think that I'm weird if I tell you."
"Nonsense!" She exclaimed with a determined face. "I would never stoop to such an extent when learning about the actions of another. This is merely curiosity, I am not judging nor do I have the right to do so." Spoken like a true knight, was what everyone around thought.
"Well… you see I used to practice archery frequently at my club back in high school. You can say that I was good at it from the beginning, some of the members even tried to have me participate in tournaments which I would decline every time."
"How good are we talking here?" Nanoha asked.
"I really don't want to make this sound like a brag because I'm aware of how it may come out, but every time I fired an arrow, from the beginning of my journey till my last day at the club, I never actually missed a shot. I reached a point where I could no longer make any progress with my technique or form, repeating the same moves over and over again with the same bullseye every time. I wanted to change that, to experience something I hadn't since the beginning… so I purposefully missed a shot."
"...what?" All three girls showed the same expression of confusion and incredulity.
He continued, "So when I was using the gun, I kept getting the same feeling, and just to make sure it wasn't just my imagination, I missed the last shot just to see how I would feel. See? I told you it would sound weird."
"..."
"..."
"ARE YOU KIDDING ME!?"
Yep, she was correct, they somehow found a monster of ranged combat.
{Break}
-Midchilda park-
"I wonder why Teana screamed like that at the end, did I do something wrong?" Walking on a path inside a luscious park surrounded by verdant fauna and a general tranquil scenery, Shirou mused to himself as he snacked on some chocolate he brought from the store. "Maybe I shouldn't have missed at the end, it could be the reason why she got angry."
A hard puzzle he couldn't solve even while asking Nanoha and Signum what went wrong. The latter only shook her head with a trace of amusement evident on her face before she told him to not mind it and return to his house for the day.
"I didn't get to meet Erio and Caro unfortunately, I hope they are doing well and not pushing themselves too much. They are kids after all." The idea of the Time-Space Administrative Bureau recruiting young children still bothered him, he could only hope to keep them safe on the battlefield. Last time Erio nearly got wounded badly by the robot — and Shirou swore he wouldn't let it happen twice.
"Hm?" He stopped, his eyes widening for a split second as he spotted a figure sitting by herself on a bench. Though that alone wouldn't have earned such a reaction from him, but rather her face, or rather part of her face as the upper half was covered with a dark cloak.
Long light purple hair and the lower part of her face which brought forth the image of a person he'd fought in the past. Holding needle-like daggers chained together, someone with whom he traded blows for a single time before finding her dead at the hands of Caster's Master. No, it wasn't Rider, that was impossible, but the similarities were close enough for him to find himself unable to turn his head away. "Is she alone?"
Hesitant to approach her, as it could be possible for the girl's parents to be nearby and accidentally view him as a creep if he approached their daughter. So, without even realizing it, Shirou sat on the other side, occasionally looking over to see if she was alone or not. Also making sure she wouldn't be targeted by some unsavory people just in case.
'Wait, right now I'm definitely behaving like a creep.'
He just wanted to make sure she wasn't a lost child and help her in case she couldn't find her parents. Seconds turned into minutes and an entire hour passed with no one coming over to pick her up. The girl in question barely moved even, sitting there quietly almost as if she was asleep. Shirou feared that his initial doubts would turn out to be true as she might be a lost child. "Should I just go over and bring her to the nearest station?"
It was a no-brainer question, and he didn't want her to stay alone all by herself without anyone in a park like this. While Nanoha mentioned that Midchilda was a safe haven for anyone visiting, it still wasn't a good idea to leave a kid in a vast open area.
So, there was only one thing he could do.
.
.
.
"Hey, want some chocolate?" He said to the girl while handing over a piece he bought just now. Trying his best not to look suspicious and put up a friendly image, rarely dealing with children did not give him the experience to know what move would be ideal.
"..." She didn't say much, or even acknowledge him for that matter. She continued to sit on her spot, with half of her face hidden by the cloak and the sounds of other kids playing in the background.
He nearly face-palmed himself after saying those words, forget about looking out for any creeps getting to her, he actually became one of these creeps! He half expected her to pull out a whistle and have the police or the equivalent on this planet detain him for further questioning. Rin did always tell him that he lacked common sense when dealing with certain matters.
Humph, as if someone who destroyed his laptop with a Gandr just because she somehow managed to end up on an adult website whilst trying to copy some notes had the right to say that to him. Or worse, when she blasted him away because he was secretly having fun seeing her struggle to use a Blu-ray player — shouting that he was just as bad as that guy.
"I-I just happened to pass by and saw you all alone, I thought you'd been hungry and brought you something." He quickly raised his hands to show the girl he was harmless. Perhaps bringing over a bottle of water would have been better because this painted a bad image of him as someone trying to lure young kids with sugary treats. "If you don't want it then I won't push you, if you want, I can call some people who can help you find your parents."
Yes, if more people got involved then she'd feel more at ease! Excellent thinking on his part, Shirou patted his own back in his mind.
"..."
She wasn't saying anything, this was getting awkward. Maybe she didn't understand the language?
"Right… um… my name is Shirou by the way," he did not ask hers just to make the young girl more comfortable. "I'll leave this here, if you need help then you can come over there and talk to me." Better for him to keep his distance and not make her suspicious of him. But just as he left, a small whisper of a voice graced his ears.
"Lutecia…"
He turned around, seeing the girl had taken the treat he left her. Once again he was taken aback by just how similar she looked to Rider, always like a younger version of the Servant. Put on a blindfold then she would become a smaller copy of that woman.
"My name is Lutecia." Her voice was meek, not exactly shy but rather detached? It really just made the similarities between the person in his mind grow every second. But Shirou shook these thoughts away, this was not the time or place to compare a young child to a dangerous Servant who nearly killed him.
He smiled, getting on his knees, and met her eyes on the same level. "Nice to meet you, my name is Shirou Emiya… want to hang out with me for a bit?"
She looked sad even upon closer inspection, maybe he could help her feel better.
---------
You can support me on p@treon at /NimtheWriter