Fate: Crimson War

Chapter 12

Chapter 12

July 1st 2000

Fuyuki City, Japan

...

It had been almost a year since Shiro had met Shinji Mato and opened the letter that Kiritsugu left him. While nothing major happened besides he and Shinji spending more time together. He hadn't seen Sakura anymore but he didn't want to ask Shinji about it because he knew it was a touchy subject. Besides Shinji was seemingly becoming nicer to everyone around him due to Shiro's presence.

The two bonded over hiding from Rin who luckily hadn't caught on to them. Now Shinji was talking about joining the archery club. He kept asking Shiro to join and the red head didn't have the heart to turn Shinji down. Luckily he practiced with Raiga and he found that he really enjoyed archery. However even with archery club he had more magical things he needed to handle.

Shiro had been working on his Innate Time Control but after the first time he used it he decided to only practice on the weekends. The strain was much more powerful than Kiritsugu had described. His first time using Innate Time Control knocked Shiro out for ten hours. Taiga freaked out about it so Shiro had to lie to get her to calm down. He wasn't proud of lieing to Taiga but even if he told her the truth she wouldn't believe him.

With practice Shiro could now use his Innate Time Control three times a day without serious drawbacks. He had pulled off four but it had cost him two days out of school. Shinji had no idea that he sometimes use Innate Time Control to fix things around the school. Shinji called him the unpaid janitor, Shiro wasn't sure if it was an insult but it let him train his powers. Innate Time Contorl required a high level of mana control and without a teacher the process was hard.

Kiritsugu had kept some books in his study but most were old records with pages ripped out or an entire volume missing. It made things diffcult however it was on days like today he was able to test out his power. School had ended and Shiro had plans to meet with Issei, a friend who lived at the nearby temple. Besides Shinji he was his only other male friend. In a way they were like brothers.

Walking up the stairs he heard Rin's voice, Shiro sighed until he heard another man's voice. It was commanding but also soft as if whoever it belonged to had experience with public speaking. No one else was supposed to be in school so Shiro slowly walked up the stairs to eavesdrop on Rin's conversation.

"Kieri I don't even want to know how you got into my school" Rin sounded more angry then useual as if this Kieri was someone she had a personal vendetta against him. "Oh Rin don't be so surprised you were ignoring my calls and ringing your doorbell seemed rude" Rin snareled before speaking "And being a perv and sneaking around my school isn't rude". Kieri laughed "Come on Rin that hurts my feelings, I am the one who recommeneded you to go to the clocktower at an earlier age".

The clocktower, the name from Kiritsugu's letter made Shiro perk up. How did this random stranger know about the Clock Tower and how did it involve Rin. Intterupting was out of the question, if he just barged in like a barbarian he wouldn't get any answers, he would have to listen and wait.

"We both know that I would have gotten in to the Clocktower with or without you Kieri" Rin was close to yellling, being her classmate for a long time he had grown to recognize when Rin was getting close to an outburst. "Fair enough Rin, I was just offering a tour of the Clocktower" "I don't want anything from you Kirei so leave me alone".

Rin ran towards the stairs turning the corner to see Shiro eavesdropping on her conversation. "Shiro Emiya what are you doing stalking me". Rin poked Shiro in the chest causing him yo almost fall down the stairs. "I- I just wanted to know about the clocktower" Shiro closed his eyes prediciting a slap to the face but as he slwoly opened them he saw Rin's frozen expression as well as Kirei standing behind her.

"How do you know about the clocktower Shiro, have you been breaking into my house?" Shiro raised his hands "No I didn't break into your house, it was just something from my fa... my friends notes" The clocktower might have something to do with magecraft so Shiro would leave his father's name out of it just to be safe.

This time Kirei spoke up, he wore a black suit different from his normal priest clothing, his signature cross still hung from his neck but that was one thing he refused to part with even for an outfit change. "Your last name is Emiya right... tell me does the name Kiritsugu ring any bells". Shiro didn't have an option now so he responded "He was my father... he died over a year ago".

Kirei's eyes opened wide as a smile crept across his face like the old cartoon Grinch, Rin had never seen Kirei genuinely happy before but she preferred the creepy and emotionless Kirei over the man who was standing behind her like a psychotic golem of death. Noticing Rin's discomfort Kirei quickly composed himself before speaking again "If your father is Kiritsugu then you must have heard of magecraft would I be correct"

Before Shiro could not Rin slapped him across the face so hard he fell down the stairs. Thinking quickly he grabbed the railing with strengthening magecraft to stop him from breaking a few bones. Rin had finally snapped "Emiya you knew magecraft this entire time, you inconsiderate meanie" Shiro tried not to laugh at Rin's insult instead focusing on Kiritusugu. He could have used his time altering abilities but he didn't know if this Kirei would be a threat so he hid that power from the mysterious man.

"That answers my question" Kirei observed Shiro the last person Kiritsugu held dear with a curious gaze. "Shiro do you want to go to the clock tower, I'm sure you could look around and complete any... tasks your father wished for you to do".

He couldn't trust Kirei, there was a voice deep in his head telling him that he shouldn't trust him however he had no other way of going to the clocktower without Kirei.

"Kirei why does Shiro interest you so much?". Kirei tilted his head slightly "let's just say I... owe his father a great deal".

She was curious but she didn't want to pursue it, Shiro had lied to her so it didn't matter to her what Shiro did with Kirei. "Whatever, I don't want to hear a word about this Shiro when it comes back to bite you". Rin stuck her toungue out at the pair and dashed down the stairs.

Kirei walked behind Shiro patting him on the shoulder. "This is a tough decision Shiro so I'll give you time, how about we meet for lunch at Koushuuensaikan Taizan, the have the best mapo in town".

Shiro wasn't sure what to say, this man was strange and very dangerous however this was the lead he was looking for. If he took Kirei's offer there was no telling where it would lead.

"Think carefully I'm sure you father would want you to make a decision you won't regret"

Kirei held up a hand as to wave goodbye as he walked down the stairs leaving Shiro alone to process what had happened. Rin being a mage, the possibility of going to the Clocktower to find Waver and seeing a old friend of his father.

He ran up the stairs slamming the door that lead to the roof open. For a second he was going to scream but in front of him was Shinji watching people leave school. Turning when he heard the door open he smirked his usual smug grin.

"Ah Emiya what are you doing here" Shiro didn't answer Shinji at first but he remembered that Shinji had always been a good friend to him throughout the years. While he couldn't explain what was going on with the Clocktower he at least could give Shinji some of the truth.

"Shinji I'm being offered a choice to go somewhere for a little while and I don't know if I should go." Shinji was silent as the expression on his face changed. "This is something that we should talk about over dinner, how about you come over to my place and cook".

"Sure I haven't gotten to cook in awhile" Shiro knew Shinji didn't eat well at home, his grandfather apparently "wasn't one for real food" . It was one of the only things Shinji said about his grandfather. His cooking made Shinji and Sakura happy and that was enough to make him more than happy to do it.