White Ink

11

"Mystic Eyes of Depth Perception," Shirou repeated. "Isn't that kind of a thing we all have because that sounds rather underwhelming?"

"No," Arcueid repeated. "It was Mystic Eyes of DEATH Perception. Shiki said it took the forms of lines and by cutting the lines the object just fell to pieces. It also made it so that the object couldn't regenerate. I had to recreate my whole body to survive. It took me about eight percent of my power."
"Wow that really sounds like something I would have liked to experiment with. I'll add that to my mountains of regrets that I've had on this trip." Shirou smiled a grin that didn't quite reach his eyes. "They've got quite a funeral going on there. He seemed to have a few friends."
"Yeah Shiki was kind of popular. I'm sure there are people that will be crushed about his death," Satsuki spoke up from beside him. Her eyes had misted up and her voice slightly shook. "Yeah I think I can see Inui down there. He's going to be crushed." Satsuki pointed down to the people at the funeral. The three of them sat on top of a building and just watched the procession from far away.
Honestly Shirou was having the hardest time of it as he didn't have enhanced vampiric senses. While his eyesight was better than average he was still having problems picking up on the individual people from this distance. It had taken them two days to hold the funeral whereas Akiha's wouldn't be for another week. The two maids whose name Shirou vaguely remembered as Hisui and Kohaku had already been buried. Nobody attended their funeral. Honestly that had felt like another stake through the heart for Shirou and he had personally gone to their graves and laid flowers.
Shirou had had a busy couple of days besides watching over the funerals. Upon leaving the scene of the massacre he had returned to Arcueid's room. By unspoken agreement with Arcueid he had stayed there for the past two days.
While there he had contracted Len. It was a simple matter to give her a bit of his blood so that she could ingest it. While he could sense that Len was a bit disappointed by the simple and brief exchange of fluids her current desires encroached on an area that he would not currently touch with a ten foot pole. Having Len as his familiar was great as Shirou found he was a good listener and she was slowly wearing him down on the other benefits.
Shirou shook his head and gazed back at the funeral which was coming to a close. "By the way," he heard Arcueid speak up beside him, "you never told me how you managed to kill Roa."
"Didn't I," said Shirou smiling at Arcueid. "I must have forgotten how I did it." His smile widened. "Heat of the moment and whatnot."
"Does it have anything to do with your magic," Satsuki spoke up beside him.
Shirou resisted the tremendous urge to rest his face in the palm of his hand. Sumire as always had a big mouth.
Arcueid didn't pick it up however. "Shirou doesn't have magic he has magecraft." Arcueid then launched into a surprisingly detailed explanation of the five true magics compared to modern magecraft while Satsuki sat enraptured at the retelling.
Listening to the girls talk made Shirou smile. Every day he had started feeling a bit better. The thought of people he knew just dying like that faded a bit more every day. Len had truly won his friendship for the role she played in that.
Focusing once again on the explanation, Shirou decided to undermine Arcuied's point in a minor way. While Shirou didn't go out of his way to announce the fact that he was a magician, Narbareck was different that witch was fucking challenging him, he also didn't believe in hiding it. With Arcueid staying over for a bit he was sure she'd see it eventually. When he got home he fully intended practicing using his magic and incorporating new concepts. While Shirou had previously focused on practicing his magecraft to the extent he could easily take on most fully established magi, he fully admits that he neglected practicing his magic, utilising it as a sort of trump card.
Plus both Chaos and Akiha had given him idea's of how he could apply concepts to attacks and then launch the attack and combine it with the concept simultaneously.
"Actually, Arcueid I am a magician," Shirou stated. "I'm a magician of the forth true magic."
"Ehhh," Arcueid said momentarily taken aback.
"Wow you pretty cool for a kohai aren't you Shirou," Satsuki said giving him a wink.
"No," Shirou replied holding his hands in front of his chest rejecting her sentence enitrely. "You have not spent nearly enough time around the waterdwelling bloodsucker to start emulating her." He shook his head. "Next I'll find out you spend all your time wearing a bikini when not in public." He looked to her again and saw her wearing a heavy blush. "Oh my god you really do. She's got you it's too late."
"Wait," Arcueid interrupted, "You said you're a magician like Zelretch right."
"Well yeah," Shirou said. "Except I have better taste than magical girls. Honestly it is not that I'm against female empowerment, it would be kind of hypocritical when my best friend regularly kicks my ass. I just dislike the prospect of "oh the earth is in danger, let's have schoolgirls save it, transform into costumes, that someone spent way too much time drawing up, and juggle school and boyfriends with saving the world". Honestly if you have to save the world fucking commit to it. Take a break from the whole school thing and train. Why would you honestly devote any attention to romance in this situation? I can't juggle it and I only go on an adventure about once every year. And the worst thing, the fucking worst thing of all the hearts and the pink and the frilly dresses and the cutesy fucking pet animals. You are trying to goddamn save the world. Dresses are not a practical part of any saving the world scheme unless it's some sort of weird political marriage with aliens."
"Wow that's a lot of anger," Arcueid replied. "Those shows must really annoy you." Off to the side Satsuki had turned away and started looking anywhere except his eyes.
"Honestly I'm just waiting for somebody to Evangelion that shit. A dark deconstruction of the genre is something I would definitely watch if it ever comes out." He sighed and shook his head. "Nevermind yes I am a magician. I have the forth magic, control over concepts."
"Wow does that mean you can create conceptual weapons or manipulate concepts such as gravity or something," Satsuki spoke up. "Or can you make something that doesn't exist real."
"Yes, I have no idea, and yes but it's kind of a bitch to circumvent the first magic like that," Shirou replied. "I actually have to test the second one out. I can't see gravity but I might…" Shirou's voice trailed off and he retreated into his mind planning out scenarios.
Arcueid and Satsuki both looked to each other and shrugged before looking down at the funeral coming to a close.
xxx
Shirou was walking through the streets at ten 'o clock heading for Arcueid's house on Friday night. Tomorrow he was planning on heading home and starting work on Satsuki's little problem. While she was weak enough that either Arcueid or he could keep him in check it was getting annoying both for her and for all of them to keep babysitting her. Sumire however loved having her over but he refused to let her spend all her time there.
Sumire was something a person should only take in small doses after all and Satsuki had yet to build up the proper immunity. He had already spent the day using his spell to search out the remains of the dead. Sensing something following him he walked into one of Misaki's many alleys and came to a stop. He put his hands into his pockets and waited for a moment for the person following him to show themselves.
He didn't have to wait too long as the blue-exorcist he met on his first night in Misaki, so long ago. She wore her usual exorcist robe but this time she didn't have any black keys. In addition he didn't appear to be hostile so Shirou in turn kept his hands in his pockets and his stance relaxed. He wasn't actually relaxed, gods no. He would be an idiot to let down his guard in front of a member of the burial squad. Instead he just stood there and waited for her to make her point.
"You were the one who killed Roa weren't you," she opened up with that intensely direct question. "If it was the vampire she would have killed him long ago. Plus my boss has indicated that you were a dangerous person."
"Your boss," Shirou started to say then a look of disgust overtook his features. "You mean Narbareck."
Ciel shot him a look of understanding, "She has that effect with most of us don't worry. Thankfully she stays holed up in the church most of the time. I think sightings of Nrvnqsr drew her here."
"By the way how did you know for sure that Roa was dead? I can't think of a way the church would have determined exactly when he died given his resilience of existence."
At that she just smiled and shook her head refusing to give up those secrets. "I have a letter for you," she said displaying the letter that was pulled out from her robes. Shirou reached forward to take it. "It's from Narbareck," she continued. At this Shirou's hands froze and he looked at the letter with undisguised loathing.
"She said it contained a warning," Ciel said and threw the envelope at him. Shirou caught the envelope and examined it using the forth magic for any traps, contact poison, explosive runes etc.
Giving a wave to Ciel who had left as soon as the envelope had been deliverd he tentatively opened up the envelope and read. His eyes scanned the page trying to decipher meaning in the message that the witch had left for him.
"What the fuck is Aylesbury," Shirou said summoning water and pulping both the letter and envelope before discarding the mess in the sodden streets.
xxx
Shirou, Arcueid and Satsuki stepped out of the train and into the town of Fuyuki. Arcueid was looking around back and forth taking in the sights after fidgeting the whole ride over on the train. Satsuki also looked interested in seeing Shirou's hometown. Shirou just looked exhausted.
He exhaled breathing in the fresh Fuyuki air. "It's good to be home," he said and he found he really meant it. The whole Fuyuki affair was exhausting but he felt like he had learnt so much. Depression over the deaths of the Tohno's aside, once again the golden man had been right and he had really benefited from the experience.
Grabbing the easily distracted vampire by the arm and the less easily distracted vampire by the shoulder Shirou moved purposefully through the streets of Fuyuki. After battling for half-an-hour to keep Arcueid on course he arrived at his house. Kicking his shoes off at the door he walked inside and came to a stop seeing both Kiritsugu and Taiga sitting at the table.
Both parties went silent for a moment. Looking at Kiritsugu he saw his father staring into his eyes trying to silently ask what was with his two new companions. Taiga's response was however quite unusual.
"Shirou," she yelled, "what have I told you about bringing strange women back home."
"You told me that I can't get a romantic partner before you or it will make you feel totally inadequate."
"That's not it at all Shirou," she yelled out, Mount Tiger blowing over.
"Let's all calm down," Kiritsugu said trying desperately to keep the peace. "Shirou why don't you introduce us to your new friends."
"Okay this is Satsuki Yumizuka and Arcueid Brunestud," Kiritsugu's eyes widened at the last name and then he sighed. "We have spare rooms," he said. "Shirou you can go show them around the house."
After Shirou had finished the job of showing them to their rooms he returned to the kitchen to see Kiritsugu staring at him. Without even being prompted he began to explain what had happened during his time in Misaki, paraphrasing some things and removing some of the profanity and Narbareck.
After he had finished Kiritsugu pulled out a cigarette and just started to smoke. If Kiritsugu wasn't there Shirou would have probably gone for his secret whiskey bottle. "That was one hell of a weekend you had son," Kiritsugu said after a while. "So you're trying to reserve the vampirification process of the new Dead Apostle and you're playing a good host for the True Ancestor."
"Yeah, she's different from what you'd expect of a True Ancestor," Shirou replied. "She said something went wrong when she was cut to pieces."
They sat in silence for a while. Then after a while Kiritsugu started to laugh. "I really can't take you to the Clocktower can I. You're only thirteen and you're already doing experiments on Dead Apostles."
"Well it's not like they can give me a sealing designation. I'm a magician, they would know better than to waste their lives coming after me."
"Only if you announced you were a magician," Kiritsugu replied. "If you don't then they will just keep dying trying to take you in."
"Meh," Shirou replied dismissively, "they're magi, I'll probably gain Karma by putting them down. But I see your point."
Shirou stood up from the table. "I will not deliberately piss off any of the magi families. Except for the Einzberns in future. When are we on for that by the way?"
"About eight months. By the way Shirou," Kiritsugu fashioned him with a glance, "You've been away for a week. Have you caught up on the homework? I believe Taiga has dutifully brought over your homework every day," at this Kiritsugu smiled.
"Damn," Shirou replied, "the tiger got me." He stood up and headed out of the room. "Well I better get started on that homework. See you later old man."
Shirou headed to his room. He passed Arcueid's room and briefly looked in to find her snoring her head off. Obviously the True Ancestor was not a very diurnal creature. He walked past Satsuki's room and stuck his head in to see her reading manga in her bikini. Their eyes briefly met and he dodged the random pillow thrown at his head with the grace of an expert.
Walking into his own room he looked at the stack of homework on his desk. He then pointedly ignored it and walked to a specific spot on the floor. He spun up his circuits and conjured a small amount of water. That water seeped under a small crack on the floor and with a small creak the crack widened and a trapdoor appeared and was opened by the water.
Reaching into the trapdoor Shirou pulled up his special whiskey. It was a gift from Sumire and it was probably ridiculously expensive. He rummaged around a bit more before he found what he was looking for.
It was a simple but thick book. On it was the heading, "A comprehensive insight into the Sui Deus thaumaturgical foundation system and the applications therof.
With a click of his fingers he summoned one of the pens from his desk by manipulating the ink inside it. He sat down took a swig of his whiskey and began to write.
"As beings naturally opposed to Gods this style also has a myriad number of ways of defeating Demons and sealing either their bodies or their bloodlust. This system uses the calming and manipulative nature of water…"
His pen danced across the page as he expanded his system new spells already coming to mind as he determinedly carved out a way to prevent any future tragedies.
Author Note The arc is done. Happy New Year by the way. I'm watching Dubai's fireworks as I'm typing this out.
Aesir19 Nice easy question to answer. In canon (and this by extension) she was at fifty percent up from thirty once Roa was dead.
Pepebomb I generally dislike harem stories. I will only ever make this a harem if it feels both natural and in character.
KRKing I have no plans for Caren currently but then again I still haven't even decided on most of the servants that will eventually be summoned. I'm keeping the future story plans flexible and may include or exclude characters if necessary.
Darkjaden Yes this chapter. Lol.
Sandmanwake They're not a magus family they don't have any research that he wants. What else would he steal, money. Most families would keep that in banks and anyway Shirou's well off already. Kiritsugu's alive and earning dough.
Rangle I'm sorry. I genuinely don't know what I'm doing wrong. I even looked up on TvTropes the common signs of Gary Stu and I can't find out how Shirou qualifies. I'm not being insulting or yelling out flames but I would like to know how Shirou qualifies.
Anyway read and review. Here's a last question out of all the routes and fanfictions including this one. Which Shirou do you think best embodies the concept of a [Hero]?