The Reality Marble of Emiya Shirou...
"Shirou. Today's lesson will proceed as usual. Get ready..." Russell-san said loudly, and I simply nodded, sitting down on the ground and staring at the ceramic ware arranged before my eyes.
It's already been a month since Mentor Russell started teaching me magic... Or just experimenting on me. He doesn't do anything too bad, at least while I'm conscious. Usually, he just makes me run, jump, and use Magical Circuits in various ways. According to the Mentor, I'm his first student, and despite his abundance of theoretical knowledge, that doesn't make him a competent teacher. So Russell tries to account for everything for my effective development.
The Mentor puts in a ton of effort to prepare me for the future, and I'm truly grateful for that. Now, even when, as the Mentor puts it, my body is asleep, I train in my Reality Marble. Russell-san pulls me... my soul, or something like that, into my own inner world to continue lessons of both theoretical and practical nature, which is why I hardly have dreams anymore.
And I can't say that's a bad thing. After all, my dreams usually put me right back there, in the middle of that cursed inferno, without the slightest chance to influence the catastrophe around me, like a helpless, weak child—which is exactly what I am...
In short, I'm really glad I don't have to relive that day every night...
My magic training started with that... "System." Its appearance changed a lot for me, or rather inside me... Thinking became much easier, and my memory improved noticeably overall. That's an undeniable plus, but I still don't understand how it all works. But that doesn't matter. As long as it helps, I have no complaints.
Right now, Russell is sitting in his armchair as usual, watching my... progress? It's still hard for me to tell what mood he's in. Most of the time, his expression shifts between thoughtful and something clearly displeased, while his green eyes occasionally glimmer with a faint light. I still can't accurately gauge his mood at any given moment...
"Too much inefficiently used prana. Try to do it as slowly as possible. Once you succeed, speed up a little. You should feel 'comfortable' using OD. Let's go again..." Russell said calmly, leaning back in his chair and looking intently into his student's eyes.
"Got it..." Russell-san is a pretty strict teacher, but he always answers my questions, no matter what they are. If I don't get something on the first try, he'll explain the topic until I fully understand, using different methods. According to him, I'm good at "Structural Analysis," and once I get comfortable with OD control, we'll move to the next level. But to all my questions like "What's next?", he just says: "You'll find out when we get there"...
"H-gh!" A moment of distraction, and the small vase shattered once more from my excessive effort.
...I wonder what number this is? I lost count ages ago, back in the fifties...
Right now, I'm practicing the simple-to-understand but hard-to-execute magic of "Reinforcement." As the name suggests, its essence is enhancing an object by filling it with prana, thereby increasing its "weight" on a conceptual level and boosting its efficiency across the board. Thus, a reinforced item isn't just tougher—it becomes more effective at its intended purpose. With better control, you can "reinforce" your own body, naturally enhancing physical capabilities, though the degree varies by the magus's skill.
Unfortunately, I haven't managed to reinforce even a simple object yet, let alone body parts. The Mentor already demonstrated vividly what that could lead to...
I don't want to die the way that vase "died"—literally bursting before my eyes...
Seeing my "success," the Mentor calmly glanced at the broken ware.
"Mm... Better already. Don't worry about the vase. Not an issue here. Focus on the next try." The shards vanished in glowing dust, replaced by a new vase with a different color. And this happened without any visible effort from Russell, whereas something like that would take serious effort from me.
Not that it's surprising. Who am I compared to my Mentor...
"Mm... Russell-san, when will I be able to do that? Y'know, create objects out of thin air or weapons, like you?" I got distracted from training to ask the question that popped into my head.
"Like me? Probably never..." I was about to be shocked, but seeing the rare smile on my Mentor's face, I held back, knowing he wasn't done.
"Don't take it the wrong way, Shirou. We're just too different for you to do things exactly like me. In the future, as you develop, our abilities will diverge fundamentally. In fact, even if you don't see it, the differences are already there. Even if you copy my magic and skills, we'll still be two different magi. But if you want to know when you'll reach my level... it'll be a very long road." With a faint smile, Russell shrugged, showing he wasn't going to say more, but I wasn't giving up and, fueled by curiosity, immediately asked the next question:
"Still, can I create weapons like you...?" He often showed me all sorts of magic, but the most amazing thing I'd seen was his ability to "project" things out of thin air. From mundane items like vases to truly complex things like Mystic Codes—and that's just the tip of the iceberg! Even Kiritsugu said that compared to average modern magi, Russell has truly extraordinary abilities. Naturally, I wanted to learn the same.
Who wouldn't want to create things out of thin air?
"It'll come with experience..." The Mentor replied, shrugging noncommittally and still not satisfying my curiosity.
"Russell? Can I ask one more thing?" Another question had been nagging at me for a while.
"You're free to ask as many as you want, so go ahead. What's up?" The first part came out a bit displeased, but the teacher softened right away, waiting for my next words.
"What's the advanced version of 'Projection' you mentioned? You brought it up recently..."
Just a few days ago, during one of our lessons, Kiritsugu said that "Projection" is mostly useless. According to him, the technique can't create anything truly useful, and in most cases, it's easier for a magus to use a real tool than a lower-quality, temporary copy. But the Mentor quickly refuted Dad's words, saying not to underestimate that branch of magic and mentioning its more advanced version...
"Ah..." Russell perked up at my question, a faint smile forming on his lips. "Well, where to start? Shirou, project a shinai for me." Without thinking long, I did as he said. Using one of the shinai from the dojo at home as a model, channeling OD through my Magical Circuits while holding the image of the desired item in my head, I recreated the training sword. Not perfectly, but way better than my first attempts. The teacher projected a wooden shinai too and approached me, standing up from his seat for the first time that lesson.
"Do 'Structural Analysis' on your sword and mine." Russell-san said, handing me his sword.
I did it right away, and almost instantly, my brows furrowed in confusion. The swords were identical, but something about them was subtly different. Minimal structural differences in the shinai, but that's normal due to our skill gap in Projection. But there's something else... Like the Mentor's sword feels unjustly heavier than mine.
"They're different..." The words slipped out as I couldn't pinpoint the difference.
"In what way exactly?" The teacher crouched beside me, and I examined the swords even more closely with "Structural Analysis."
They're the same and yet different... Like...
"My sword... Hollow. Empty. Yours... Different." It's not tougher. They're identical, but distinct like... twins who look like two peas in a pod but differ as individuals with different experiences.
Wanting to understand more, I peered even deeper "inside" the swords when the Mentor's hand landed on my shoulder.
"Don't overdo it—just remember these sensations..." Russell-san said softly, sitting on the ground and crossing his legs to continue: "Advanced 'Projection' is a copy that preserves the experience of creation and use. Essentially, you can create a perfect copy of anything this way. These two swords are the same, but they have different histories of use. Simply put, one has a history of use, the other doesn't.
"And... does that make the sword stronger?" I asked, unsure about the usefulness of this specific aspect of my Mentor's magic.
"More 'complete,' rather." Gathering his thoughts, Russell scratched the back of his head briefly before continuing: "Suppose... I project a samurai's katana that once blocked a lightning strike long ago. For an ordinary person, that's impossible for obvious reasons, but... that samurai, under his unique circumstances and traits, managed it. Say you found and analyzed that sword, so now you can project it. And one day, you decide to replicate his feat—think you could?
"Probably...? Someone did it..." I ventured, earning a rare approving nod from Russell.
"You're absolutely right. But say the samurai had some skill that enabled the feat. With a perfect projection of his katana, you could replicate the previous owner's ability, projecting it along with the blade. When you start making perfect projections, you can copy the weapon's owner's skills and even some traits. Naturally, you'll be a bit worse due to fundamental differences between you, but it'll still be an excellent copy. There are lots of nuances, but potentially, this lets you use unique constructs like the Noble Phantasms of ancient Heroes along with their skills. Again, tons of nuances you'll have to figure out yourself, and I'll always be here to help, of course."
Noble Phantasms...? Skills...? Is this magic really that powerful...?
"That's amazing! But it feels kinda unfair..." So I could become a top-class warrior just by projecting someone else's weapon? I get that they're preparing me for war, but...
"Don't worry about it. An advantage is an advantage—don't throw it away out of pride... At least not against those who don't deserve it. Right now, focus on 'Structural Analysis,' 'Reinforcement,' and 'Projection.' As you improve, I'll introduce new lessons. I plan to teach you to make your own Mystic Codes in the future. I've got a lot planned, so don't stress. All you need to do now is learn. And speaking of learning... Practice time." In one fluid motion, the Mentor stood and flashed that familiar "smile," sending a chill down my spine. "Let's go..."
"H-ha... sure..." Knowing what the next hour held, I swallowed reflexively, mustered my resolve, and followed Russell.
The hardest part of my training was about to begin.
One month later...
"I suggest you speed up, Shirou! They're catching up!"
"Haa... Why are there so many?!... You said they'd come one at a time!"
"That's how they came. That you didn't follow my advice and take them out quickly isn't my fault." Russell said calmly, watching the "show" with a hint of amusement.
A lot happened over the past month. For starters, I finally started school. Had to catch up on missed lessons urgently, but after the Mentor's enhancements, it was surprisingly easy. It almost felt unfair how effortlessly I grasped the material. Though they reminded me what trials I got those advantages for, wiping away any lingering discomfort.
After all, not everyone has to fight to the death against Heroes and Villains of the past. According to Russell, I deserve some rewards.
Fuji-nee also started dropping by, as she insisted I call her. The energetic neighbor now visits often to raid our food stocks and learn English from my dad. And I have to admit, I'm glad she's around—her antics have livened up the house noticeably, and a rare smile appears on Kiritsugu's usually blank face from time to time.
On top of that, I've gotten better at the basics of magic Russell teaches me. The Mentor demonstrates how to perform a given magic correctly, and I try to copy him. Not great yet, but I'm doing my best.
According to Russell, even if my traditional magic attempts end in total failure, they'll help me better understand my capabilities. That, in turn, will be useful when I start building my "Arsenal," whatever the Mentor means by that.
I've also tried using advanced "Projection." I can recreate things with simple histories, but nothing special yet. After passing a special exam, I was allowed body Reinforcement practice, and I've even made some progress! Tiny, but it boosts my stats by 1.5 times!
Speaking of stats...
Emiya Shirou:
No. of mag circuits: 27, quality — (F) (8 units prana/circuit)
Total prana units — 215
Strength: 8 (F-)
Agility: 11 (F-)
Endurance: 11 (F-)
Spirit: 14 (F-)
They've increased a bit, but man, it hurt. Minor issue, though. What's important is that I've truly grasped what Russell meant by the System's drive to perfect its host—me. As the Mentor put it, the System uses all my available resources for the gradual "evolution" of my physical and spiritual components. There was a complex explanation after that, most of which I didn't get, but aside from simple stat boosts, I've fully felt some changes. Namely, near-constant hunger. I already ate a lot due to training and growing, but now my already decent-for-my-age intake has increased by about 1.5 times. According to the Teacher, it's because of the constant remodeling of my body, which it hasn't adapted to yet—and when the process finishes, I'll eat even more...
Who knows? Maybe someday I'll reach Fuji-nee's level of gluttony...
Russell-san also started showing me Transmutation. Can't say it's super hard since I don't get how it works yet, but the teacher said it'll come with experience and knowledge.
"Don't worry, Shirou. It'll all be stuffed into that little head of yours under my direct supervision..." Brr... For some reason, that phrase sent another shiver through me...
Anyway, back to the present. Recently, Russell started my combat training with various battle simulations. Usually, he creates magical "constructs" or "dolls," gives them some intelligence and weapon experience, then pits me against them.
And right now, I'm running from four such plush dolls! Never, even in nightmares, did I imagine being chased by teddy bears...
Plush... bears...
"Shirou. If you keep running, they'll catch you eventually!" Russell shouted after me as I pumped my legs furiously to escape my plush pursuers.
"I know!... Haa... But what do I do?!... There are four of them!..." I yelled, then dove forward on pure instinct to dodge a horizontal wooden sword strike that nearly took my head off.
"Then figure something out!" My tormentor shouted back calmly, grabbing a cinnamon bun from the nearby table to savor it leisurely.
For some reason, that sight irritates me even more...
Okay, focus. I can't keep running forever. My legs are tired, and "Reinforcement" isn't helping much against killer bears. My breathing will give out soon, and when it does, my chances of winning drop to zero...
Right now, four opponents are chasing me, each with a wooden straight sword. In a direct clash, I can handle one easily or two if I Reinforce more than usual. Russell taught me some fencing, and Fuji-nee trains with me from time to time... Or just beats me with tiger-like fury while I try to defend against her merciless assault. Luckily, it's gotten easier since I hid her favorite sword deep in the shed...
And no, I'm not ashamed at all. I swear that shinai was cursed, and I won't let her near me with it again, or it could end badly...
Pushing aside stray thoughts, I gathered all my willpower and abruptly stopped, gripping my somewhat heavy metal sword tighter.
My first Mystic Code creation lesson was making my first personal sword. Russell told me to make a training blade without an edge. I remember spending a full day forming it via Transmutation and shaping it with the "child-sized" smithing hammer the Mentor gifted me.
The result was a slightly curved blunted sword. Forged from a plain iron bar, the nearly meter-long blade was heavy—even with magic, it took effort to wield. It resembled a katana but thicker, edgeless, and without a guard. The hilt was wrapped in blue cloth for grip. Overall, simple but sturdy enough not to break in battle—that was probably its only pro as a weapon.
But I didn't complain. It was my first try. First step. Nothing wrong with it not being perfect.
Seeing my first blade, Russell said it would be my personal weapon from then on—to improve and train with throughout my education, up to the Holy Grail War itself. He explained that this way, I'd better understand my progress and maybe one day gain my own Noble Phantasm.
The Mentor also added that you usually get them after death, so I'm not exactly eager for one... At least not until I really need it.
And now, facing my enemies, I charged. With a low lunge at the nearest plush bear, I swept its legs, sending it flying off-balance without reacting. The next swung as did the one to its right. Blocking the first with my sword, I dove aside to behead the next bear and... took a hit from the fourth that had snuck behind me.
"Haa... Haa..." I lay on the ground. The "bears" collapsed like cut strings, and since it wasn't my doing, I was "killed."
"Not bad, considering, Shirou." The Mentor said, approaching while eyeing the knife I'd projected earlier, which he now held. Any cold weapon gets saved in my Reality Marble. According to Russell, with experience, just seeing a weapon will let me copy it. Apparently tied to my Reality Marble somehow, but I don't know much yet, so I just accept it.
"But I lost again..." I said, pushing up and planting my hands on the ground.
"No big deal. It'll be like that constantly for a couple years... But don't worry. This is just tough training to prepare you for the future. And it's normal—when real combat comes, your enemy won't spare your life like I and these plush toys do." Russell said calmly, a shadow of a smile on his face as he glanced at me for a second before returning to the projected knife...
Russell-san may seem detached most of the time, but he's a really good teacher. Even now, instead of chewing me out for failure like school teachers sometimes do, he just says: "Think and try again." And it works. I mean, if you try something enough times, it should succeed eventually, right?
"Alright, let's repeat. But this time, I'll be your opponent." Russell suddenly said, tearing away from the projected steel scrap, a faint smile forming as a familiar wooden shinai appeared in his hands...
Damn. Tomorrow's gonna hurt...
Luckily, no visible bruises linger from the beatings. Training in dreams "tempers" my soul, and thus my body. My sessions are super effective, though I'm not sure how... According to Russell, an untrained adult male's average stats don't exceed ten. Only a special constitution lets a layman surpass limits, but that's rare.
Anyway, stray thoughts now. Right now, I need to steel my will to endure the next training and extract the lessons.
Maybe I won't even pass out this time...?
The next morning...
"Wake up, Shirou. It's morning..." A painfully familiar voice suddenly echoed in my head, yanking my sluggish consciousness from the sweet clutches of sleep.
As usual, I jumped up, ignoring the familiar muscle aches, and did a simple warm-up while my wandering mind sought answers to some questions.
Like: Why do I wake up refreshed despite spending my entire sleep training? I'm conscious twenty-four hours a day, so when does my body recover? And since physical strain in my Reality Marble affects my real body directly, shouldn't I be exhausted from nonstop training...?
"Enough thinking!" Slapping my cheeks hard, I shoved the thoughts aside. The main thing is it works—everything else shouldn't bother me. The Mentor wouldn't train me this way if it were too dangerous for my health.
At least, I hope not. Sometimes his methods make me genuinely fear for my life...
Cutting off the useless train of thought, I started squats, push-ups, then dressed and dashed out for a city jog.
I usually wake at five a.m. and finish my morning workout in an hour. After a quick shower, I make breakfast, and soon Dad and Taiga show up to the smell...
"Shiroo, your skills are top-notch as always!" The "energy bomb" exclaims, pouncing on her portion amid Dad's light chuckle.
"Not surprising! If not for me, Dad would eat nothing but canned stuff... Or burn the place down..."
"Ha-ha..." The man of the house laughed awkwardly, clad in his dark-green kimono.
"Come on, Shiro! I'm sure it's not that bad..." Fuji-nee glanced my way, and I tried to convey with my eyes the horror Dad—in that moment flashing a strained smile—could unleash using the kitchen properly, making Taiga falter in her confidence: "Probably..."
Every time Kiritsugu approached the stove, a fire would inexplicably break out there somehow, and each time it got bigger and bigger. After several such incidents, when we had to repair the kitchen again, we decided it would be much more sensible—and most importantly, safer—to leave the kitchen to me.
At least until someone who wants to encroach on the sacred spot passes a special "test." And naturally, no one has done so yet, so the kitchen is under my complete and undivided control.
"Ah! I'm late! Thanks for the food, Shirou-O!..." At some point, Fuji-nee exclaimed loudly and quickly ran out of the house at her near-light speed... I wonder, does she often run late to school?
"Shirou, how's your training with Russell going?" Father suddenly asked with a slight smile, leisurely eating his breakfast.
"Well... I'm doing everything he says, and according to him, I'm making good progress, but I haven't gotten to anything serious yet..." I said with a slightly furrowed expression, which couldn't escape my father's sharp eyes.
"That's normal, Shirou." Kiritsugu began calmly with a barely noticeable smile. "A mage's life is lived with death constantly at his shoulder. Many of them died simply from failures in research or plain impatience. So there's no need to rush. Better to keep a moderate pace, and sooner or later, you'll achieve the desired result." Father said, slightly lifting the corners of his mouth.
"Mm..." I nodded immediately in response to Kiritsugu's words. Russell often said that impatience could lead to death, but that doesn't change my desire—to get stronger faster. After all, in the future, I'll have to face beings that far exceed humans in ability. And if I want to avert disaster from those around me, I need all the power I can reach...
Shaking my head, I brushed off the extraneous thoughts, only to meet Father's expectant gaze. Naturally, I started talking right away, as I knew full well he was interested in the details of my training:
"Russell says he's preparing some special mystic codes specifically for me... Apparently, because I'm essentially a 'Sword' by nature, I'll have issues with some aspects necessary for helping people... After all, heroes save people, and if I can only chop and slash, that would be some kind of wrong hero." And I fully agreed with that. I'm not sure what will happen in my future, but it's good to have something beyond what the Mentor called "instruments of destruction."
After all, my goal isn't killing people and villains. My goal is to save those who need it...
"That's good..." Kiritsugu said with a short nod, then took a small sip from his mug of tea, as his expression began to change rapidly... "You know, Shirou, when I was a kid, I wanted to become a Hero of Justice myself. I dreamed of saving everyone from 'evil' and bad people. I wanted to help and give people what they need... I was so naive back then..." Father said, lowering his head with a self-deprecating expression, which made my heart ache painfully.
At that moment, you didn't need to know Father personally to see the monstrous, almost unbearable pain in his dark eyes. And it hurt me to see him like that.
It was almost unbearable to watch the man who saved me and gave me a home slowly dying from the Grail's curse and heartbreaking grief.
It was unfair, and at the same time, I understood there was nothing I could do about it.
Or so it seemed at first glance. After all, even in such a moment, there was something I could do.
After all, Dad might not be a hero to other people. But one thing I know for sure—he saved me when no one else could. It was Kiritsugu who pulled me from the fire, giving me a chance at a new life.
From that day on, he will forever be my father and personal hero. That's all that matters to me.
"Dad! Don't worry! I'll become a hero and save everyone in your place!" It burst from my throat on its own, as I could no longer hold back the emotions surging from my chest.
Then Father looked up at me in surprise. A heavy silence descended on the room as Dad scrutinized my face, and I didn't dare look away due to a strange feeling that I couldn't show weakness right now. Not now. As if allowing myself that weakness would make my outburst meaningless...
And after nearly a minute of silence, Dad sighed and allowed himself to calm down slightly, saying the following words:
"Shirou... I don't want you to have the future I had. My actions led to so many misfortunes, and even you to this day... If it were up to me, you'd grow up as a normal child, and I'd be preparing you for war and..." Kiritsugu's voice was filled with the bitterness that had accumulated in his heart over many years of work contrary to his nature. Killings, sacrifices, and more killings. This pain had become part of his existence, and only his dream and desire—to save as many people as possible—sustained his resolve to see it through.
All the man named Emiya Kiritsugu wanted was to save people. Save them all. Such a pure and sincere dream, one worthy of an innocent child's heart...
But in the end, he saved none of those he truly loved...
"Dad..." That single word managed to leave my throat as I placed my hand over my heart, which felt like it was bleeding. It truly hurt to watch my father's suffering, who had sacrificed so much in his attempts to fulfill his dream.
Does my father deserve such a fate? Even though he made many mistakes throughout his life, can "this" be called "justice"??
Dad's face twisted in agony known only to him. But before I could gather my strength and say anything else, he suddenly grabbed me by the shoulders, raised his dark eyes, which reflected a multitude of varied emotions...
"Shirou! Promise me. Promise you'll survive and not follow my path. Promise you'll save those dear to you before anyone else. Promise... Promise, do you hear?! Promise you'll do everything for your own survival and... Just know that your life matters too..." Father looked into my eyes. I saw immense pain there, and at the same time, the care he offered me as his son.
And that made a new lump rise in my throat, forcing me to swallow.
I froze. It took several long, drawn-out seconds to gather my strength and say the next words:
"...I promise, Father. I swear I'll survive and, first and foremost, save the people dear to me. And I also promise to become the hero you once wanted to be." Father stared intently into my eyes. His dark pupils seemed to want to dig into something inside me, but soon, after a minute of visual scrutiny, he closed them and sighed, as the familiar slight and weary smile appeared on his face.
"Good... I believe you, son... Now get ready for school. Otherwise, you'll be late."
I just nodded and, quickly finishing breakfast, gathered my school supplies before heading out, pondering what had happened. Especially the promises I made.
Will I be able to keep them? Only time will tell.
But one thing was clear to me. It was extremely important to Father, so I intend to put all my effort into it...
***
Read the story months ahead of the public release — early chapters are available on my Patreon: patreon.com/Granulan