Fate Of A Gamer

Shirou, she finds, is a wonderful teacher.

A tough, somewhat harsh teacher, but a wonderful one nonetheless. It almost reminds her of Lady Scathact, just much kinder in words.

But just like Lady Scathact, he also lacks restraint.

By the time morning arrives, she's a giant bundle of bruises and bandages, and Shirou can only apologise with a grimace. He truly wasn't using most of his power, and though that still annoyed Ritsuka, she understands. Even with her using reinforcement and him not, he still managed to break through her defences, shattering her reinforcement like fragile glass.

Well, such is the difference between a human and a servant, or demi-servant in this case.

Thankfully, Merlin is there to soothe some of her bruises, and the tasks Siduri had given her and Mash are hardly physical ones. She and Mash soon go off to help with the locals, Merlin goes to meet Gilgamesh, and Shirou heads for the winery, excited to both help and learn about the art of winemaking.

It was nice, and the smiles she received from the people made it all the better.

Soon, noon rolls around, and she and Mash head to the market to meet up with Shirou.

And there, she sees perhaps the strangest sight she's come to see yet.

"Uh…" Shirou looks around with a strained smile, frozen in place as the people around him bow to him in reverence, some even chanting and praying to him like he's some sort of local deity. Then, his eyes lock onto hers, and she sees the panic and the need for help shining in his orange eyes.

"Um, what happened here?" Mash goes off and asks one of the locals, a young woman, and she smiles back at the girl.

"As it was noon, many had come here to have some food for lunch. But Shirou had volunteered to help us." The woman stares at him, her eyes filled with no small amount of adoration. "The food he cooked was legendary, so much so that nearly everyone was brought to tears. Even the blandest of foods were turned into a culinary delight by him."

"Wow…" Mash turns her fellow demi-servant with a new sense of wonder, and Ritsuka does the same. Quickly, she asks one of the locals to share the food, and with bȧrėly any restraint, he gives some pieces of the normally bland meat.

The moment she tastes it, flavour explodes in her mouth, and she immediately understands what the woman meant.

H-How!?

There are hardly any spices to use, and definitely no cooking utensils to help, so how did the bland meat become this extravagant!? She stares at the pieces of meat in disbelief, wondering if he'd somehow used his magecraft to enhance the taste, but that's clearly impossible, right?

Right?

In the end, Shirou spent most of his time cooking for the masses, using the limited set of ingredients and tools to cook simple hamburger patties for the people to enjoy. He isn't really sure why people suddenly started to treat him like he's some sort of god, nor does he understand why Gilgamesh keeps asking him to be his personal cook after trying one of his foods.

Maybe it was a Mesopotamian thing?

Whatever the case may be, he declines the offer, but remains open to helping the people cook. He will no doubt be brought into the front lines after all. .

At night, a large group of soldiers return to Uruk, with three individuals leading them, each looking far too out of place in this ancient time, and are clearly servants brought from the Throne. He soon learns their names.

Ushiwakamaru, though simply called Ushi to keep her name short. A Rider summoned by Gilgamesh, and a military commander famed for her skills and ruthlessness in the warring era.

Benkei, Lancer servant. A warrior monk with immovable endurance and a back carrying a hundred weapons. A comrade who once fought by Ushi's side until the very end, though there's clearly something wrong with that, the history he received from his weapons seems rather sketchy.

Leonidas, also a Lancer. A warrior king that is famed to have led his 300 men to fight against an army of 100.000 soldiers, and one whose spirit remains indomitable even in the direst of odds.

Of course, once again, he's saddled to be the chef for the servants, who eat and drink with far too little restraint for people summoned to fight against the end of the world.

But, maybe that's what makes them so great in the first place.

He remains silent for most of the night, mostly discussing things with Merl and Yorrmir while the world goes on around him. Soon, night falls, Uruk falls asleep, and he goes out to train like he's done for the past couple months. Of course, there's his promise to train Ritsuka, but the girl is still rather bruised from the training the night before, and she's rather tired out from the day, so he leaves her to rest for the night.

However, just as he's about to begin his training, a familiar smell makes itself present, one of old, dusty gems and the embers of a dazzling fire.

There was only one person such a smell could belong to.

"It could be a trap, master." Sasaki speaks up for the first time in days, and Shirou frowns.

It could be. But it can also be something else.

He isn't backing down, and Sasaki swiftly realizes that. Expects it even. "Do not worry. I don't intend to dissuade you, master, but please exercise caution." The Assassin goes quiet after that.

Nodding, he heads in the direction his nose is leading him to. He turns and moves, going from one path to another, before he finally reaches a small clearing with a small water well situated in the center.

There, sitting by the edge of the well, is a very familiar girl.

"...Rin?"

Rin, of whoever this is, turns to him.

He almost falls, the sudden sound of surprise an unexpected surprise, especially coming from someone who looks and sounds like Rin.

And while he doesn't fall, Rin certainly does, tilting too far and beginning to fall into the well.

Thankfully, he is quite fast.

One moment he's standing still, then the next he's suddenly beside her, cradling her back and holding from falling into that watery abyss. Rin squeaks again, her red eyes staring in surprise at him, and even without Structural Analysis, he realizes.

She's not Rin.

Her normally bright teal eyes are replaced with an almost fiery red, and the presence within her is divine. Well, that, and her clothes are far too flimsy and far too revealing for someone like Rin to actually wear.

Even then, seeing her, something in him aches slightly, knowing that his Rin died in his time, drowning inside the tainted mud of the grail.

"Are you alright?" He asks, and though her face is completely tinged with red, she nods. Of course, he still does a quick check over her, and seeing no injuries, he smiles. "I see. That's good."

Somehow, his smile causes her to squeak again, burying her face in her hands, and he can only watch in confused amusement.

The embarrassment she's going through causes the glamour on her to momentarily fade, her black hair shifting to a bright yellow and her scandalous clothes suddenly replaced by a comfortable black cloak. The image quickly disappears, but he knows what he saw is real, and can only wonder who this Rin look-a-like truly is.

"Anyway, what are you doing here so late at night, miss?" He asks, trying to shift the atmosphere.

And it works, the girl suddenly gaining confidence and asking back. "And I could ask the same. Why are you out so late, sir?"

"I train at night." He says with a shrug. "There are less people to interrupt."

"Oh…" She blinks, surprised at the simple answer, before she realizes that his eyes are now on hers and his question for her still remains unanswered. "W-Well, I myself was just looking around. Yes, just that!"

"Looking around, by sitting at a water well?" He asks, his lips curled to an amused smile, and all she can do is curl on herself in shame over the lame excuse she'd given. Which, of course, leads her to realize that he's still holding her in his arms, further building over her embarrassment.

Shirou can't quite help but laugh slightly, some part of this situation is nostalgic to him, and he lets the flustered girl down for the first time in minutes. The girl seems thankful for it, and lets out a relieved sigh. "T-Thank you, for saving me, and, um, well, that." She says in between stutters, and he simply nods with a smile.

"Well, can I have a name?"

"Ishtar. My name's Ishtar." She answers far too quickly.

Lie. He easily realizes. In truth, lies have a hard time getting by him now, as if everything he hears and reads is put through a scanner before it enters his brain. Maybe it's Avalon affecting him? Or maybe someone else, like Merl or Yorrmir?

Nevertheless, it's a useful boon to have.

Still, despite it being a lie, he doesn't question further, instead, backing away slightly. Ishtar stares at him, confused. "What are you doing?" She asks, and he gently taps the dusty soil with his foot.

"I went out to train, and this is a perfect place for it."

"Oh, right." She says, remembering the reason he'd said to her earlier.

Shirou doesn't say anything else after that, instead focusing on himself. The world fades, shifting to a grasslands, coloured by an afternoon sky tinged orange by the setting sun, and before him, a fog begins to appear, slowly taking the shape of a familiar Assassin, his fists ready to strike.

So, against this imaginary enemy, Shirou rushes forward, trading blows against an opponent drawn from the depths of his mind and soul.

And Ishtar watches in fascination and wonder as he combats against an enemy unseen to the world.

She can only wonder who this boy before her is.

~~~

It's also until later that she realizes she hadn't even asked for a name, and she cursed her own inattentiveness.

"The town of [Ur]?" Ritsuka asks, confused yet intrigued.

Gilgamesh nods. "Indeed. It's a small town within a dense jungle. It's been some time since I last went there. I wish for you to survey it."

Ritsuka looks at him for a moment, before she nods, a resolute smile taking place. "I will." She says, and Gilgamesh smiles back.

Shirou watches it all silently.

It's a test. He realizes. Gilgamesh doesn't need them to head to [Ur.] He could just use his passive Noble Phantasm to see through the stars and watch the world. That is what he is famed for, as he is the king that watches from outside, away from humans and gods.

Not only that, but Merlin had told him that Gilgamesh had used the grail to summon seven servants, all working under his will to protect the last bastion of humanity against the rising tides. Now, only three of those servants remained, with two other five having disappeared when they ventured out towards that jungle.

He'd have mentioned this to Ritsuka as they left of course, it's something he'd usually do, but he stays silent. As Gilgamesh spoke, he noticed the king sending glances towards him, acknowledging that Shirou knows of a truth, or a figment of it but asking for his silence.

That, and Merlin had not so discreetly sent him a telepathic message telling him to conceal his thoughts.

Also, Merlin oddly decided to not join them, despite having stated that he'd join them on their journey just the night before. The magus is clearly up to something, but what that something is, Shirou doesn't know.

Nevertheless, he remains quiet.

On their way out of Uruk, the three servants they'd met a day ago come to see them off, with Ushi being particularly worried over the Chaldean master. Ritsuka quickly reassures her though, stating that everything will be fine with him protecting her. Ushi looks at him for a moment, before sighing and letting the issue go.

And so, as the morning continues, they bid farewell to the city of Uruk, venturing towards the jungle surrounding Ur. The trip there is surprisingly relaxing, with hardly any encounters against the demonic beasts, and when they do, the beasts are quickly dispatched with the edge of his blade.

So, to spend the time, he begins to give several tips to Ritsuka over the usage of [Reinforcement], on what to do and what not to do, and over what shortcuts she can take to maximize efficiency. The girl, as he expects, is eager to learn more, though she's rather surprised to hear some of the things [Reinforcement] can even do.

Which makes sense. There are hardly any magi that even dare to spend most of their life learning over what they see as a simple, boorish spell.

He also notices Mash and the two directors of Chaldea, Roman and Da vinci if he recalls correctly, not so secretly listening in.

"Reinforcing an [Aspect]?"

He nods and begins to explain. "Take a sword for example. True, you could apply Reinforcement onto the blade and make it sharper, tougher, more durable. But if all you're looking for is to sharpen it, then the rest of the effects are rather worthless. I...think it's called min-maxing, if I remember it right."

"So instead of just reinforcing your sword, you reinforce its sharpness, turning the other enhancements reinforcement grants towards sharpening the sword. Though brittle, the sword would then be able to cut through things no sword should be able to." He finishes, before smiling and adding, "Well, unless that sword is a Noble Phantasm of course. You won't need to worry as much about a Noble Phantasm breaking."

"As an example," Stopping for a moment, he bends down and picks up a random pebble, reinforcing it. "You can do things like this."

Seeing a distant rock formation, he throws the pebble. Ritsuka and Mash watch in amazement as the thing flies with the speed of a bullet, before crashing against the rock formation and smashing it entirely. "That's what happens when you reinforce the impact force."

"Wow…" She says, before looking down at her own hands, frowning. "Can I even do that…?"

"Not now, and maybe never as efficiently, but I think so." He says confidently. She is, after all, a much better magus for someone with a short belt of experience like hers. Well, that, and she isn't a complete idiot and atrophied her own magic circuits when she first began learning.

Ritsuka remains unsure, but she brightens up considerably at his ȧssurance.

They continue on, with him continuing his lessons on magecraft for his current master, doing his best to impart his advanced methods. The girl doesn't make much progress throughout the journey, but it makes sense. He had over a decade worth of experience, and had Hanami and her wisdom to teach him.

Still, with time and effort, he's sure she'll eventually take it in.

And so, after hours of travelling, they reach the jungle they'd been tasked to go to. Narrowing his eyes, he brings out the Kojiki Kiyomitsu, readying himself for any unsuspecting enemies. Mash does the same and brings out her shield, and Ritsuka stands behind the two of them, her commands ready to be spoken at any moment.

Slowly, they advance, pushing through dense foliage. The forest is calm, with only the slight rustling from small critters sounding in his ears.

Then, suddenly, he catches wift of a strange smell, one that oddly reminds him of a tiger.

Shirou freezes.

"Gao!"

A figure suddenly appears, wearing a strange tiger hoodie and wielding the strangest polearm he'd ever seen, composed of a metallic rod and a comical tiger's paw as its head.

She looks hardly imposing.

But more than that,

"Fuji-nee!?"