CHAPTER 1.2 - EMIYA SHIROU AND HIS "IMAGINARY" FRIEND

A miracle!

That's what the doctor exclaimed upon witnessing the boy's unnatural recovery. It defied all known medical knowledge and logic for the boy to not only survive but also recover so quickly. It should have been a joyous occasion for the boy and his family, but unfortunately, no one had come forward to claim him as their own. The situation worsened when the doctor inquired about the boy's family.

"....Shirou," the boy, named Shirou, replied.

"I see. And how about your last name?" the doctor asked, hoping for some additional information.

"...I don't know," Shirou responded weakly.

It became evident to the doctor that Shirou exhibited signs of memory loss, likely induced by trauma. The doctor offered a gentle smile to Shirou, recognizing that while it was a miracle he survived that ordeal, it came at the cost of his memories. The doctor couldn't help but feel pity for the boy.

"Don't worry, Shirou-kun. We will search for your family," the doctor assured him.

After bidding farewell, the doctor left the room, unaware of how Shirou's gaze frequently wandered, as if he saw something or someone beside him. Determined, the doctor planned to scour the entire hospital database in search of any records related to Shirou's family. Additionally, he intended to contact the police and file a missing child report in the hopes of uncovering any leads.

Several days passed, yet there was no progress in finding Shirou's family. If things continued as they were, Shirou would be placed into an orphanage managed by a local church, much like many other child victims. Then, one day, a man arrived at the hospital, claiming that he wanted to adopt Shirou. Naturally, the hospital staff were skeptical, but after some questioning and a call to the police, it was confirmed that the man was the one who had brought Shirou to the hospital himself.

"Shirou-kun, there is someone who wants to meet you," the doctor informed Shirou, seemingly pulling him out of his daydreaming. Shirou's gaze fell upon the man who entered the room. He stared at him for a few seconds before speaking.

"I know you," Shirou said.

The man raised an eyebrow. "You do?"

"Yes, you're the one who saved me, right?"

The man silently stared at Shirou before cracking a small smile. "Yes..."

Then, he turned to the doctor, accompanying him. "May I talk to the kid alone for a moment?"

The doctor nodded and left the room, giving Shirou and the man some privacy.

"So, I heard your name is Shirou," the man began.

Shirou nodded. "Um."

"I heard that you don't have a family to take care of you. So, would you like to be my son?"

"Sure!" Shirou replied without hesitation.

The man was taken aback by Shirou's lack of hesitation, but he continued, "My name is Emiya Kiritsugu."

"Emiya... Kiritsugu? So that would make me Emiya Shirou?"

Kiritsugu gave Shirou a small smile. "Yes."

"I like it."

"Oh, and I'm a wizard," Kiritsugu added.

"...Wow."

Kiritsugu couldn't help but chuckle at Shirou's eyes sparkling with amazement. However, he still felt a bit confused as to why Shirou was so easily warming up to him. So he asked him.

"Oh, she told me that I can trust you," Shirou answered nonchalantly.

Suffice to say, Kiritsugu now had more questions, but he decided to hold them for the time being.

...

A call here, some cashed favors there, and Emiya Kiritsugu managed to secure a nice house in the Miyama area of Fuyuki. The house required renovation for the most part, and given its size, it would take some time. However, Kiritsugu didn't mind. Shirou, now officially Emiya Shirou, loved to help with the renovations, despite Kiritsugu telling him he didn't have to.

"There's nothing wrong with helping others," Shirou said.

The workers Kiritsugu had hired for the renovations quickly adored Shirou. They called him the "little helper." Of course, they assured Kiritsugu that they would ensure Shirou didn't engage in any dangerous activities. It took some time, but eventually, the house was finished.

Kiritsugu told Shirou he could pick any room he wanted. With a smile, Shirou nodded and began checking each room one by one. As Shirou explored their new home, Kiritsugu couldn't help but contemplate how peculiar Shirou was. It was not uncommon for children to be an active bundle of energy, but in Shirou's case, as a victim of tragedy, it felt somewhat unsettling.

More than once, Kiritsugu had caught Shirou engaged in conversations with someone he presumed to be an imaginary friend. The doctor had suggested that this might be Shirou's way of coping with his trauma. Kiritsugu had already arranged for a psychiatrist specializing in children to help Shirou. But then, one day, Shirou approached him.

"Dad, I have something to tell you, but you need to wait for a while," Shirou said.

Kiritsugu was confused but decided to humor Shirou for a bit. "And why is that? Can't you tell me now?"

"Nuh-uh. She told me that there's a lot to sort out right now. But after that's done, we can tell you, and it will be a surprise."

There it was again, another mention of "she," Shirou's mysterious imaginary friend. Kiritsugu dismissed it as a child's rambling and patted Shirou's head, telling him he would wait. At the time, Kiritsugu didn't think much of it, until...

"She also said that you might not take me seriously, so she told me to tell you this: Moonlit World, Grail War," Shirou continued.

Kiritsugu froze. His mind came to a halt. While he had told Shirou that he was a wizard, he had not mentioned anything about the Moonlit World or the Grail War. Under no circumstances should an amnesiac boy like Shirou have knowledge of those things. This changed everything, and Kiritsugu no longer regarded Shirou's imaginary friend as harmless.

His first thought was that a stray spirit was possessing his son, but so far, the spirit hadn't done anything harmful to either him or Shirou. Spirit evocation wasn't exactly Kiritsugu's area of expertise, but just in case, he had prepared to call in some favors to help him exorcise it.

The night the renovations were completed, Shirou and Kiritsugu sat quietly in the living room. It was finally time. Shirou and his mysterious friend had decided to talk.

"You worry too much, Dad," Shirou began.

"Shirou, you regularly talk to a... ghost. Any normal father would worry if his son did that."

Shirou shrugged. "Well, any normal father also wouldn't claim to be a wizard."

"Touché."

"Well, anyway, she told me to... asked you to activate my circuits?"

Kiritsugu's expression hardened as soon as he heard that.

He wanted to give Shirou a mundane, normal life, yet this spirit wanted him to take the first step into the moonlit world.

"Why?" Kiritsugu asked, his voice a bit harsher than before.

"Uhh..." Shirou turned his head to his left for a moment. "Something about needing my circuits to properly talk?"

Under normal circumstances, Kiritsugu would not allow someone to use his son as a medium. So he pressed his son for more information.

"What does she want?" Kiritsugu asked, his tone firm.

"No, no, no, you've got it wrong, Dad. She would never hurt me," Shirou tried to calm his father.

"And why should I believe that? Shirou, you need to stop believing everything a stranger says, especially if that stranger is a spirit," Kiritsugu noted, mentally making a note to teach Shirou about stranger danger.

Shirou let out a sigh and turned his head to the left again. Then, Kiritsugu noticed a look of surprise on Shirou's face.

Shirou immediately faced his father and said, "Dad, you never told me that I have a sister!"

Kiritsugu's jaw dropped, his mind went blank, and he froze for a couple of seconds before regaining his composure.

"...How?" Kiritsugu asked, not directing the question to Shirou, but to the mysterious spirit.

"Uhh... hmm, she said to activate my circuits first, and then she will talk to you directly," Shirou explained. He paused for a moment before adding, "...and she will help you save... my sister?!"

Shirou was stunned. The spirit had informed his father that she would assist in saving his sister. That meant his sister was in danger.

"Shirou..." Kiritsugu started.

"Yes?" Shirou responded.

"Come to the dojo. We will activate your circuits there."

Kiritsugu stood up and walked to the dojo, numerous questions swirling in his mind.

"...Illya," He muttered, unheard by Shirou.