Shirou walked through the Hanging Gardens, his new base of operations. The Gardens themselves were invisible to all, cloaked with a variety of bounded fields and Noble Phantasms. Now the only people who can actually see the flying fortress are those who are authorized by Shirou or those who have been inside the Gardens.
He walked past the homunculi manufacturing workshop, where both he, his mother Irisviel, and the Servant Paracelsus von Hohenheim manufacture hundreds of homunculi. Paracelsus was actually impressed with the Einzbern homunculi creating techniques and combined with his own, was able to create an almost perfect homunculus. Now, each homunculi has a lifespan that's at least as long as a human's and at most a devil's. They also have both high level magical abilities and extremely powerful physical abilities. The only downside is that their reproductive capabilities are low, but that doesn't really matter when they can be produce through said homunculi creation techniques.
He walked past the library run by Casters Hans Christian Andersen and William Shakespeare. This library is filled with all sorts of books, magical and non-magical. Magical books include the Necronomicon, Prelati's Spell book, and countless others. However, the most important section is the Avesta section. In this section of the library there are countless Avesta Noble Phantasms. An Avesta is basically an automatic type writer, recording a person's thoughts and actions. Shirou manipulated many copies of Avesta to link with one individual Servant, allowing it to constantly record what the Servant is doing. While most would see this as an invasion of privacy, it is actually a method for Servants to retain their memories after death. When the Servants die, they turn into magical energy and are absorbed by Shirou, unable to be resurrected. They can be summoned but have no memory of any of their adventures. However, by connecting them to the Avestas, it allow them to regain their memories. To make it simple, the Avesta section acts as a save point for all of the Servants.
Shirou also passed the golem manufacturing workshop run by Avicebron. The factory speaks for itself, manufacturing ridiculously powerful golems. In the center of the factory laid Avicebron's recently constructed Noble Phantasm, Golem Keter Malkuth. It was created with the usual materials except one thing. Instead of a mage at its core, there is a magus Heroic Spirit spiritual core. To be more precise, a copy of Solomon's mystical core, giving Shirou, one of Solomon's reincarnations, some control over the primordial giant, who is named Adam by Avicebron. Shirou also used Flash Air alchemy to help spread the reality marble Eden, which the golem creates, all over the Hanging Gardens. Eden does three things. It provides the Gardens a mass amount of magical energy, it causes plant life all over the flying fortress to grow at rapid rates, and it causes Adam to be invincible while inside it.
Shirou next passes the training grounds where Chiron teaches. Chiron has been using his skill Wisdom of Divine Gift to help increase each Servant's personal skill set, along with training the homunculi. Shirou also wanted to give this training grounds to the Heroic Spirit Scathach but try as he might, Shirou has found himself unable to summon the Witch of Dun Scaith.
The next section of the Gardens Shirou passed was the technology division. Through the genius of scientific Servants like Charles Babbage and Nikola Tesla, the Hanging Gardens is equipped with many technological wonders: robots, communication devices, there is even a device which converts magical energy into electricity. Shirou attached the Jewel Sword Zelretch to the last device, providing an infinite source of energy.
The area beside the Gardens was the more magical research division. Those with the Item Construction skill provide a multitude of magical items: mystic codes, temporary-immortality potions, holy shrouds, you name it. This is the area of the Gardens that makes the impossible possible. There's even a small Noble Phantasm crafting area, though this is only used by Shakespeare with his Enchant skill and Shirou with his Muramasa abilities.
Beside the magical research area laid the stables full of summoned phantasmal beasts. There were also the Servant summoning room, the Servant living quarters, the enormous kitchen, the entertainment center, the bar run by Shuten Doji, and many other facilities. In order for Shirou to fit all of these he had the Caster servants help him manipulate the inside dimensions of the Gardens, making it bigger on the inside.
Shirou finally approached his destination. In one world, this was the room which held the Greater Grail. Obviously, with Shirou being combined with the Holy Grail, this feature was vacant. Instead, laid a completely different creation. Inside the room, a large curtain hiding a large object.
"Good evening, master," Leonardo da Vinci greeted. The Servant, usually a man, had transformed his own form into his vision of beauty, the Mona Lisa. Consequently, he became a woman. "Here for the project?"
"Yes," Shirou nodded. "How is the development?"
Leonardo grinned. "See for yourself."
The curtain falls to review an invention that is the byproduct of magecraft and technology. Chaldea, a miniature replica of the planet.
"Perfect," Shirou smiled. "And the other device."
Leonardo's grin grows wider. She snaps her fingers and the platform Shirou was currently on rose in the air. The ceiling opened up to reveal another room. He found another Servant in there.
"Good day, master," Paracelsus von Hohenheim greeted. In his hand was a Philosopher Stone, a photonic crystal filled to the brim with purified magical energy. It's a mystic code capable of achieving miracles. "It's complete."
Behind him, millions of Philosopher Stones were flying around. The majority of the stones had combined into one large Philosopher Stone, an enormous amount of photonic crystals acting as a one incredibly powerful supercomputer. It was a recreation of the Moon Cell, also known as the Holy Grail, the Eye of God, and Divine Automatic Recording Device. It is a supercomputer that acts as a pseudo-Akashic Records, capable of recording almost all of existence it can get it hands on and achieving miracles.
"If I may ask master," Paracelsus said, "what is this for?"
Shirou just smiled. "Can't a guy just keep some secrets?"
Paracelsus just gives Shirou an annoyed stare.
Shirou sighs. "Paracelsus, do you know how the Holy Grail works?"
Paracelsus thinks for a moment. "It's a powerful magical artifact that summons and uses the souls of Servants to use as powerful prana sources. Seven souls allows an opening to the Akashic Records, the Swirl of the Root. Six souls allows manipulation of reality, essentially wish granting."
"That's correct except the last thing. While the Holy Grail can grant wishes, it's really just a clump of magical energy. There is just so much of it, it's capable of manipulating reality. However, the wish cannot be fulfilled in a way the user himself doesn't know. Meaning a wish for utopia is pretty much impossible."
"So the Moon Cell and Chaldea..." Paracelsus said, understanding
Shirou nods. "The combination of the two inventions can allow it to calculate a way for the utopia to go about. Then, using the Holy Grail, I can force it to become reality.
"Of course this way might take a while but both you Servants and I are immortal. And due to our abilities to resurrect the dead, we can bring others into utopia as well."
The Servant smiles. "Of course you'd say something like that, my master. Very well, I can assure you that all of the Servants here will follow you."
"I know. Now I gotta go."
"Go?"
Shirou turns towards Paracelsus and smiles cheekily. "I've got to meet a girl."
Scene Break
Shirou walked to an abandoned warehouse, meeting the others.
"Hey, Emiya-kun," Rias greeted him. "Here to watch the hunt?"
Shirou nods. "So you're hunting recently reincarnated devils who had betrayed their former masters?"
"Yes," Rias replied. "Their masters usually keep their powers in check, allowing a more stable transformation into a devil. However, without a master, or king, their uncontrolled powers can become a bit of a threat."
"Hey, Shirou," Issei smiled, though he said it weakly.
"You okay?" Shirou asked.
"Y-yeah," Issei said, obviously remembering a bad memory. "Just a bit, um... tired from that last job."
"Shirou," Koneko said, passively, her hand outstretched.
"Oh, yeah," Shirou said, throwing her a bag of homemade candy. She ate some.
"Delicious," she said, her voice still emotionless but her face showing pure joy.
"Oh my," Akeno giggled. "Koneko needs to learn how to share."
"Okay..." Koneko gave everyone else one piece of the candy while she hogged the rest.
Everyone enjoyed them, though Kiba was reluctant.
"So you recovered from our fight well, Kiba?" Shirou asked, faking concern.
"Shut up," Kiba said, not looking at him.
"Everyone, quiet," Rias ordered. "It's time we get this stray."
They enter the warehouse and Rias decided to explain about the Evil Piece system.
"Due to the war between us devils, angels, and the fallen angels, and due to Devils having low birth rates, the devils created the Evil Pieces system, a way for humans to be converted into humans," Rias explained. "The Evil Pieces themselves are based on a certain human game."
"You mean the chess pieces?" Shirou asked.
"Chess?" Issei asked. "Like the board game?"
"Yes," Rias says, "the pieces in chess are King, Queen, Knight, Rook, Bishop, and Pawn. Each piece has its own traits, and the pieces are usually given depending on the abilities the reincarnated devil had before the reincarnation process."
"Like a magic user will get an Evil Piece that increases magical prowess," Shirou noted.
"Exactly," Rias says. "And the Evil Pieces are also involved in a popular Devil competition called the Rating Game."
"Rating game?" Issei asked. "So what piece am I?"
"Well you are-"
"What a delicious and disgusting scent," a voice came from the darkness. Shirou easily senses the creature's magical presence.
"It's coming," Rias said. Shirou traced a chair to watch the Gremory peerage in action.
"What's going on? Who said that?" Issei asked. "And Shirou, why are you in a chair?"
"Just watch," Shirou said.
"Stray devil Vizor," Rias announces, "we are here to destroy you!"
A body falls to the ground. A giant disgusting creature appeared, it had the body of a lion, the upper torso of a naked woman, and much more strange and unusual features.
"What beautiful red hair. You must be one of those Gremory brats," the stray devil said, licking her lips. "I want to eat you, little girl."
"What the hell is that?" Issei shouts.
"What an appearance," Rias commented. "Lacking any semblance of etiquette or beauty. It suits you."
The stray laughed at her. "Oh, you're just jealous that I have such a beautiful body and you'll never have girls like these!" She grips her giant breasts, an insane look on her face.
"How shameless," Shirou said.
Rias smirked. "So it's true that smaller the dog, the louder the bark."
"YOU BITCH!" the stray devil roared, rushing towards them.
"Yuuto," Rias simply said.
Kiba rushes at the stray devil at extreme speeds.
'On level with E ranked Servant speeds,' Shirou noted.
"Yuuto's role is Knight," Rias explained. "A Knight's main ability is speed, and combined with his swordsmanship and magic swords make it extremely formidable."
He slashes both of the stray's arms off.
"YOU BUG!" the stray devil yelled.
Kiba switches out with Koneko, who is stomped on by the stray devil's giant lion foot.
"KONEKO!" Issei shouts, in concern.
"Calm down," Shirou said.
"Indeed, Emiya-kun is right," Rias agreed. "Because Koneko's role is a Rook."
While Rias said this, Koneko lifted the foot and threw the stray back.
"Screw you," she said to the stray.
"A Rook's abilities are enhanced strength and endurance," Rias explained. "And now Akeno."
Akeno giggled in anticipation. "Oh my, so it's my turn? Try to make this interesting, Ms. Stray. You seem still energetic." Her hands spark with electricity. "Will this do?"
The lightning strikes the stray, causing her to scream in pain.
"Akeno is my queen," Rias explains. "Queens have the speed of Knights, strength and endurance of Rooks, and the magical abilities of Bishop. She's our invincible club president."
"Wow, you're still conscious," Akeno smiled. "Moan more for me."
"AHH!!" the stray screams from more lightning.
"Akeno specializes in the magical role mainly," Rias says.
"Akeno is even more fearsome than I thought," Issei says, a bit afraid.
"It's more than that," Rias explained. "Akeno is the ultimate sadist."
As Issei was backing a few steps away, Kiba stops him. "It's okay," he says, "the vice president is very gentle with her allies."
They watch the stray, decimated by the onslaught, on the ground. Rias walks to her. "Any last words?"
"K-kill me," the stray moaned.
"Then," Rias said. "Checkmate."
With one blast of demonic energy, there is nothing left of the stray.
'Not bad,' Shirou mentally commented.
"Buchou," Issei said, getting Rias's attention. "What is my role?"
"Pawn," Rias replies.
Shirou then sees another interesting sight, Issei crying due to his lame role.
So I hope you like this chapter. I would like to clarify some things. The reason why Shirou's organization is so powerful is to make up for the fact with the lack of influence and experience. The other factions have extreme amounts of reach and influence throughout the world. To make up for it, the Servant faction has achieved incredible feats in magic and technology. Anyways, please comment.