Chapter 5: The Wheel of FATE(4)

It was already evening by the time they left the academy. In the dying light of the twilight sun, the father could be seen instructing his son about his coming school. Moving through the market kiritsugu quickly procured all the essentials for school and took Shirou to a tailor shop.

The tailor quickly greeted them when the door opened. after being asked by the tailor what they wanted to be made, kiritsugu said while pointing at his son with his finger 

"I need Homurahara Academy elementary school branch`s uniform made for him."

The tailor replied "It will take a week for the uniform to be prepared, if you choose the cloth now the uniform will be ready by next weekend or you can try some ready-made ones"

"We would like to tailor the uniforms" said Shirou seeing kiritsugu nod.

The middle-aged man took off the measuring tape draped around his shoulders and brought out rolls of similar cloured fabrics. After spreading them around he gestured for the father and son duo to choose. After feeling up the fabric and asking for recommendations it was decided that 4 pairs of uniforms would be made for Shirou. 

After measurements of Shirou were taken, he and his dad went home carrying the bags of items they bought earlier. It was already night by the time the sign reading "Emiya Residence" came across the pair`s view.

Today kiritsugu prepared the dinner ingredients till Shirou sorted out the bags and came over to cook. After eating dinner and washing plates, Shirou left to prepare for his 1st day at school tomorrow. 

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Later that night kiritsugu left the shed with a test tube in his hand and called Shirou to the living room. Looking at Shirou sitting across hi the ex-magus killer while handing him a test tube filled with bluish-red liquid said 

"Shirou drink this, it will take care of your nightmares."

Owlishly blinking Shirou asked 

"Are you a doctor kiritsugu?"

" were you making this in the shed ?"

Smiling bitterly kiritsugu explained 

"No Shirou I am not a doctor, I am a spellcaster and yes this is what I made in the shed."

"Wow, so you can do magic, like real magic. Can you teach me" said Shirou with admiration in his eyes. 

"It's magecraft not magic, and drink that first and go to sleep immediately. We will talk about this tomorrow" voiced kiritsugu.

"Ok, tomorrow you will teach me magic" Saying this Shirou removed the cork and gulped down the contents of the bottle.

After handing the empty tube to his father Shirou went to the bedroom followed by kiritsugu. soon he fell asleep hence he completely missed the complicated look on Kiritsugu`s face.

<shirou I can't keep you ignorant of magecraft if want to help but will make sure never take up this road filled with tragedy as need these abilities. You are just a child and blinded by the unordinary. If have some setbacks give within time.>thought kiritsugu.

Forgetting his previous melancholy kiritsugu`s eyes flashed, showing the once-feared face of the magus killer. Then he mussed

< I have to speed up the plan of setting the bombs in the leylines, when the next ritual time comes they will have absorbed enough prana to detonate the leylines hence destroying the ritual>

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Shirou opened his eyes and looked around. It was dark and he didn't feel his body, he panicked thinking the potion kiritsugu gave him didn't work and he was stuck somewhere in between his nightmare and his body. He was panicking and thinking until suddenly the surroundings blurred and his vision flashed white. 

Regaining his vision he found that he was surrounded by trees and his point of view was slowly descending from the sky. He twisted and turned but nothing changed it was like his body except his eyes didn't exist.

He struggled to sense his body until his vision descended onto a clearing. There he saw a weak and lanky young man carrying a bunch of chickens and fumbling into the clearing. The man had shoulder-length black hair and green eyes. He was light-skinned and wearing a pair of full-sleeve t-shirt and long black pants.

Shirou watched with interest as the young man slaughtered the chickens while wincing at the blood. He then proceeded to draw a circle using the blood and then started making complicated shapes in it.

Noticing the similarities between this circle and the graffiti on the floor of his shed Shirou concluded them to be something like a magic diagram. Under the fascinated gaze of Shirou, the young man finished the magic circle and placed some kind of cloth in the center. After clearing his throat he started chanting 

"Fill, fill, fill, fill, fill!"

Staggering back and throwing the chicken away with exhaustion he continued 

"Repeat five times."

"But destroy when filled"

"I hereby purpose"

He put up his palm and it started shining and Shirou was awestruck with his 1st encounter with magic. and the man continued 

"My will shall create thy body and thy sword shall create my fate."

"Abiding by the summon of holy grail, if thou does accede to this will and reason, answer me!"

The circle flashed and raised dust as the chant ended along with the young man falling on his ass with exhaustion.

There with moonlight glimmering on him stood a giant man with a similar hair colour as Shirou. the man was wearing a red cloak lined with fur and medieval-style cloth armor.

Along with the young man's smile and Shirou's disbelief the world began twisting and turning again until Shirou's vision went black and he lost consciousness.

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 < have to think of ways naturally dissuade Shirou from pursuing magecraft, thankfully he is a normal human and will have very few circuits most likely in single digits. Losing motivation after not getting results common. He never need any magic this faraway place anyway as I make sure the next war happen.>

Kiritsugu was pulled out of his thoughts by the sudden moment of Shirou on the bed. He was perplexed by the frowning and contorting expression on his son`s face. He was even more baffled by the sudden look of interest and amazement as well as glee and determination.

Confused he went over the formula as well as the calculation for the potion again but on not finding any fault he concluded something out of his calculation had happened.

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Shirou woke up confused the following morning. The dream last night left a deep impression on him, the scene of the giant man walking out of the circle was still fresh on his mind. Habitually looking around Shirou found sheets of paper stuck around the room with tape. The papers contained complicated diagrams with some looking like characters and some looking like magic circles.

Walking out of the bathroom Shirou was met with a solemn kiritsugu who informed that the breakfast was prepared and he should move onto the dining room.

After a silent breakfast cutting through the silence like a knife kiritsugu asked 

"Shirou did you have a nightmare last night?"

"No " 

Replied Shirou firmly and then he proceeded to explain the dream from last night. The more kiritsugu listened the more his face crumpled,

<please don't let this be what I think it is.> were his only thought.

He then grilled his son with various questions and the answers kept confirming his worst worries. by the end, the look on his face has changed to the one of the magus killer, not the despairing man.

"Shirou, this is very serious so, never tell about this to anybody except me."

 said kiritsugu with a serious face never seen by Shirou and then he added 

"Shirou your questions about magecraft have to wait until later, till I confirm some things I can't answer you"

Shirou wanted to ask more but looking at the stern atmosphere and the face of his father, just nodded and went to prepare for the 1st day at school.

<is this my karma, please don't let child be burdened with mystic eyes, i didn't want you to walk into but if have eyes then I at least train in self-defense as having blood on your hands is better than being caught by magi>

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A solemn kiritsugu guided Shirou to Homurahara Academy, upon reading the gates he bid Shirou goodbye with a half smile that looked out of place along with the rest of his expression. Watching his son leave kiritsugu pondered

< I have to set up a diagnostic bounded field in the room and have to observe Shirou when he sleeps to note any magical fluctuation>

< 1 week I need a whole week to collect data and contact a reliable scholarly magus whom I can use to clarify the possible problems with Shirou>.