862/A Dream's Inheritor

A Dream's Inheritor
Date of Scene:	27 October 2014
Location:	Njorun Station - Ring of Philosophy
Synopsis:	Emiya Shirou and Emiya Kiritsugu meet up. Shirou finds out that this Kiritsugu is not what he expected.
Cast of Characters:	560, 603

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Emiya Kiritsugu (603) has posed:
Emiya Kiritsugu agreed to meet Shirou at the Ring of Philosophy. For a man who was thrown into all this craziness a few months ago, he still seems uncannily accepting of the circumstances of his new situation. Space stations, warp gates, other universes, aliens, giant robots, talking ponies... All of it he has encountered has been or is in the process of being examined, analyzed, considered... And adapted to. But he still needs more information, especially as it pertains to some recent developments. Hopefully the eager and willing Shirou who bears Kiritsugu's family name will be able to answer some of his questions. For now, he is just standing around waiting and smoking a cigarette, in his usual clothes. Black trenchcoat, boots, pants, shirt. Nothing particularly special or impressive. He just stares vacantly straight ahead, perhaps lost in thought.

Emiya Shirou (560) has posed:
    Shirou's been throuh a heck of a lot already. Though lacking plenty of talent, he's been achieving through hard work much the same: trying to adapt to everything going topsy turvy. And unlike Kiritsugu, home is nowhere to be found... yet.

    The boy's shed his jacket, leaving only his casual clothes, as he strolls into the Ring of Philosophy and hunts for the meeting place. It's not hard to find Kiritsugu though... not at all. The expansive colosseum-esque place is easy to navigate, and eventually Shirou finds the chamber Kiritsugu's in.

    The redhead's expression warms immediately upon entering, but there's no small amount of wkwardness in his eyes.... "Y-yo. You really surprised me yesterday!"

Emiya Kiritsugu (603) has posed:
Well, what is Kiritsugu supposed to say to that? Shirou is here now, the body language clear to Kiritsugu. His eyes tighten slightly. He understands well enough, from an intellectual perspective. He sees some of himself - or at least his childish self - in Shirou. Mannerisms, and such. But emotionally, he hasn't connected to Shirou yet. He might never connect to him. But if one version of him did... Maybe there's a chance. Right now, however? Emiya Shirou is a resource. A willing provider of information he intends to exploit to the fullest. He can not assume that Shirou's past will be Kiritsugu's future, but knowing what happened could give him options and insight he wouldn't have otherwise.

It's incredibly cold way of looking at someone who sees Kiritsugu himself as family. But that's Kiritsugu.

The only question for him right now would be whether it's more efficient to make very clear that he is a different person to avoid any further emotional attachments being formed with him on Shirou's part, or to use that familiarity and affection to get all that he can. He finally decides to take things slow for now, and keep analyzing. "Life is full of surprises. You can't always plan for them, but adaptating to them is the difference between being able to act or being swept along without any control." Kiritsugu takes another pull on his cigarette and lets the smoke out in a cloud, before finally actually looking at Shirou.

He almost didn't want to. Afraid maybe he'd see something there that would make him like the kid more - and that liking Shirou would simply cause Kiritsugu more pain. Finally, he just says with a faint smile on his lips and only a mild softening of his empty eyed-stare, "Hello, Shirou. Thank you for agreeing to meet me. It must be hard for you to see the face of someone you know is dead."

Emiya Shirou (560) has posed:
    "Heh. You don't need to tell me that." Shirou quips - a little amused, and a little tad bitter about what that makes him think of. "The Multiverse didn't just drop on me... I dropped on it. Right into Dun Realtai." The boy exhales as he looks back on that memory... falling off a roof right in front of Saber was kind of embarassing. "And home's still out there somewhere, waiting to be found."

    Feeling more comfortable now, he approaches, and maintains a friendly distance while keeping his hands in his pockets. Indeed, some mannerisms he did inherit from Kiritsugu, that much is obvious! That... and much more.

    But the more Kiritsugu's paying attention to him in person the more troubled Shirou's expression is getting. He's starting to pick up on the differences, perhaps.

    "... It's really not. Even if we're only meeting again because of some trick of the Multiverse... even if the two of us never met, it's been nothing but unfamiliar faces for way too long." He cracks a quick smile! ...but it fades a moment later, his brow furrowing. "... You wanted to know about how I knew you, right?"

Emiya Kiritsugu (603) has posed:
Kiritsugu isn't familiar with Dun Realtai. He adds that to his list of things to look up.

Shirou's response to the second comment actually seems reasonable. Kiritsugu sees faces of dead people often enough. Mostly whenever he closes his eyes. From one perspective, the ghosts of memory and the ghosts that walk around are no different from each other. Servants are essentially ghosts of a sort, and they are real enough. There is no more reason to get worked up over one more than the other.

Keeping his cigarette between two fingers he lowers his hand to his side and says, "I caught the gist of it on the radio. A more detailed accounting would probably be a good idea. But I have other questions - pressing ones, that you might know the answer to as well." Kiritsugu considers for a moment, and then decides to figure out what questions to ask by asking questions whose answers will reveal what Shirou does and doesn't know about.

"What were you told about my - or his - family? The people other than you in his life?"

Emiya Shirou (560) has posed:
    Shirou's eyes go wide. He blinks a few times afterward, and shifts awkwardly... only to shake his head a few moments later. "Absolutely nothing... yo-- ...he..." There's a catch, apparently, as Shirou realizes how Kiritsugu's addressing the situation. "... He never said anything about any family he ever had. Actually, he never told me much of anything about what happened before he saved me." Shirou grunts quietly under his breath upon broaching that.

    The boy fidgets a bit where he stands. Apparently some of the enthusiasm is fading... but curiosity is growing, that's for sure!

Emiya Kiritsugu (603) has posed:
So, Shirou wouldn't know about Irisviel or Illyasviel. And certainly not about Kiritsugu's father, but that wasn't what he meant. It could mean that the other Kiritsugu hadn't trusted Shirou enough to give that information. Based on how Shirou sees him, though... He doesn't think that's the case. So either Shirou is lying, and really good at it... Or there was a reason why the other Kiritsugu took the red-haired teen in as a member of his adoptive family, and yet didn't mention the family he had when the Grail War started. Kiritsugu already knows what's going to happen to Iri. It causes a physical ache inside of him whenever he thinks about it. Which is always. But what about Illya? If Shirou doesn't know... Did something happen to her?

Kiritsugu's features tighten again. "I know you said it wasn't bothering you, but I'm still not making this easy on you. I'm sorry. There are people I have sworn to protect, and knowing that you never even heard of them is making me very worried for their future safety. I'll be honest with you. It may take time before we get used to each other. You might have trouble seperating the other Kiritsugu from me, and it might take time for me to take you in as something more than-" More than what? A friend? An acquaintance? A stranger? "-an ally. But I think I can see some of what the Kiritsugu you knew saw in you, as well as some of what he taught you." He smiles and winks one eye closed as he raises his unoccupied hand up in front of his face in one half of a prayer gesture, as though asking for forgiveness. "If you can spare me the time to adapt, I'll try not to be so distant."

This isn't what he wants to ask. Not for forgiveness or time. But he means what he says all the same. The emotional connection isn't there. Not yet. But he feels it can be. And if he wins the Grail War, then maybe he'll be able to become something like the Kiritsugu Shirou knows. And if he can find out what happens in the future, he can make sure his family is there to meet this fire-head kid too. He gets the impression Iri would like him. Illya might resent him initially, but she's a good girl. She'll probably like having somewhere else around to play games with.

He can make this work. But right now, he can't afford to be weakened with thoughts of a happy future. He can't afford to hurt himself more by pretending he deserves something like that. He needs to know as much about the possible future as he can. To find where the divergence points lie. If any of Shirou's experiences apply to him. But pressing too hard, being too like himself, could destroy any hope of getting that information. Maybe Shirou would give it reluctantly anyway, out of principle. Kiritsugu can deal with that if he has to. It would make him feel awful, but that's the story of his life.

Lowering his hand, he says, "Go ahead and start from the beginning. Tell me how you and he met. Then I'll tell you about me."

Emiya Shirou (560) has posed:
    What is Shirou supposed to say to that? Kiritsugu was always very clear about what he wanted to say, even when it was about a very difficult topic. This apparently hasn't changed. Shirou makes a twisted, frustrated sort of face... but eventually nods after taking a few moments to think about it. "...Yeah. I can't expect anything to begin with, honestly. The Kiritsugu I knew died... it's not like you're obligated to take his place or anything." And it's not like saying that is easy for SHirou either. It's a difficult topic to broach TO THAT VERY PERSON. He winces at the word 'died' even.

    Yeah. He's trying to accept this. It's just emotionally... convoluted.

    Shirou adjusts his stance again, hands coming out fo his pockets. He doesn't talk much with his body language unless he's upset or exuberant, but that's not unusual at all...

    "I was born in 1989, Fuyuki City. My parents and I lived in Fuyuki Central in Shinto, but my memories don't really go back that far. When I was about five, in 1994-" The year of the 4th Grail War?! "-the whole area was hit by an intense fire. ... I remember waking up and everything burning away. The air was choking hot and full of smoke. Every house and building was collapsing.... there were too many screaming voices to count. I remember being forced outside and my house not being there anymore when I turned around.... it was like hell on Earth." That said, he exhales and shudders a litle. The memory's a bad one.

    "Eventually, I collapsed. That was it... all that was left was to die like everyone else around me. But that's when he appeared, leaning over me... he was crying and smiling at once. He was just so happy to find a survivorr... that's really the clearest memory I have of my childhood. Everything before that's hazy. So... when I woke up in the hospital, he was there. 'Would you rather be adopted by this man you just met, or go to an orphanage?' He asked. So I went with that. 'By the way, I'm a magus,' I remember him saying after I agreed. I believed it right then and there... after all, somehow I was saved from that hellhole. It was really a miracle." Inhale, finally.

    He shakes again, but focuses his feelings.

    "We lived together for five years. He had a big house in the northern part of Miyama-" Coincidentally, that sounds exactly where Kiritsugu plans to make his headquarters... "An old, japanese style house... practically a mansion. With a dojo, workshop, and guesthouse... it was really elaborate, way too big even for two people." Two people. No Irisviel, no Illyasviel...

    "So he raised me., instead of my parents. Like I said, calling him 'dad' never felt right. Fujimura Raiga and his granddaughter Taiga dropped by sometimes, though. ... anyways, he taught me magic too. It wasn't much, and he was really reluctant. He must've just given in eventually. But he said that I should be a spellcaster, rather than a magus, since that path is unbelievably bloody and twisted. Avoid the Mage's Association and the Church, keep magic a secret, but use it to help people. Although all I ever was good at back then was Structural Grasp, so fixing things became my hobby. Sometimes we sparred in the dojo, but it was really just beating each other up without any technique... well, no, I couldn't ever get much in, since he was so much taller." Shirou smiles at these memories. They're some of the most cherished ones he has. His real childhood being gone forever, this is all he has instead.

    "...nothing really significant besides that stands out for the most part. We just lived. Though, sometimes he would go off on trips overseas. He never said where. He'd always come back in a really foul mood... and not say much for days. Whatever he was doing, I don't know... but it's the only thing I know that ever really upset him that much..." Shirou sighs. Apparently that really bothered him too.

Emiya Shirou (560) has posed:
    Finally, the redhead looks away. "On a warm night, we were outside on the deck talking about what it means to be a hero and a spellcaster. We'd talked about it a lot. He'd told me many times about wanting to save people and be a hero of justice... a superhero. He said plenty about how it wasn't really possible or easy... that sometimes saving one person meant sacrificing another, or that saving thousands might mean giving up on hundreds... that even, the older he got, the less he could call himself that. I remember him saying, 'Adults really can't be superheroes. The world changes when you grow up.' Something like that. ..."

    Shirou pauses here, drawing in a breath, and makes a rueful sort of expression for a moment, but it transforms into a smile. "'Then I guess it can't be helped, old man. You're too old, but it should be fine for me. I'll make your dream come true!'" Embarassment creeps across his face and he looks up towards the ceiling. "That was about five years ago, and I haven't forgotten those words." Though the expression turns somber a moment later.

    "...Then, all he said was, 'I see. I'm glad to hear it.' ... It's the last thing he ever said. He just... stopped, right there. I don't know why... it was a strange way to die, looking back on it..." He sighs, and looks apologetically at Kiritsugu now. "...Fujimura Raiga took over handling the finances and the estate, but the house and everything there's mine when I'm old enough. In the meanwhile, I've been going to school, looking after Taiga-" Apparently NOT the other way around...? "And training every night. Though he was right... it's really hard to become a superhero... for starters, I didn't know anyone that needed saving... until Unification."

Emiya Kiritsugu (603) has posed:
That is a lot to take in. A lot more to say. Kiritsugu is still not sure he wants to give the full run-down of his entire life. He may have just promised not to be distant... But actually parsing all that was said and coming up with a suitable course of action might take more time. He needs to verify what was said, figure out how much even applies to him, how much is a deviation from his own future, and how to change anything that might lead to Shirou's future. The implications are clear for most of the story. The parts that give Shirou the most good memories, and have the most emotional content for him, are mostly not as important to Kiritsugu as the parts that are left unspoken of, the implications, and the information he can extrapolate.

His family likely does not survive in Shirou's time. Based on the fact that he survived the Grail War, but Fuyuki suffered some massive fire, there may have been a huge final battle of some kind... Or someone got the wish they wanted without killing Kiritsugu. Or Kiritsugu's wish went wrong somehow. He should look up if the Grail grants wishes based off of the literal nature of the wish. There must be someone who knows. Perhaps Saber, since she also has survived the Grail War - or perhaps she did not, since she seems to have a new Master. Much to consider.

Kiritsugu looks around for an ashtray. If he doesn't find one, he just drops his cigarette on the floor and puts it out with his shoe. Then he looks back to Shirou, and says, "My father was a magus whose research turned everyone I knew into a ghoul, like the ones in that town the other day. I was rescued by a woman named Natalia. I had to kill my father to keep what had happened on that island from ever happening again." He says it calmly, matter-of-factly, without any emotion. "After we left the island, I found out that sort of thing happened all over the world, every day. So I followed in Natlia's foot steps. I learned the way of the hunter - the assassin. And together we tried to fix the world by removing evil people from it. The Mage Association hired us, mostly. Eventually, I realized that this was a losing proposition. No matter how many people I killed, no matter how many magi like my father were taken down, humans were going to keep doing these awful things, because it's in our nature to use violence and death to achieve what we convince ourselves is precious enough to be worth a life, or a hundred lives - a thousand, a million, more."

Kiritsugu is looking right at Shirou as he says this, but with those eyes of his, it's hard to tell if he's really seeing Shirou. "For the past nine years, I have lived with the Einzbern mages in the north. I've discovered the Holy Grail's existence, and have been preparing to fight for the Einzberns in order to claim the Grail, and save the world. War, violence, killing... These are part of human nature. No matter how civilized we become, all it takes is the right motivation to reveal that human nature hasn't advanced beyond the stone age. We can't change that merely by wanting it. And killing people one by one or by the dozens, to make the world a better place, is not going to prevent more from appearing. To save the world from violence and bloodshed forever would take a miracle."

Kiritsugu looks at the back of his right hand, and the Command Spells clearly visible upon its surface. "An omnipotent wish-granting device like the Holy Grail could make sure no one ever has to kill ever again. That's what I'm fighting for, as a Master in the Grail War."

Emiya Kiritsugu (603) has posed:
He didn't go into as much detail as Shirou, but if Shirou is at all smart, he should at least understand what's being said. Yes, Kiritsugu is an assassin. He has murdered his own father, and countless others. But he believed he was doing it to protect people, not out of malice or greed or because it personally benefitted him. He was fighting on behalf of justice for all those who would have suffered and died at the hands of evil people.

And Kiritsugu realizes that even that - even killing for that reason - does not make the bloodspilling 'right' or 'good'. Further, he wants to find a way to end it completely.

But he has to ask, anyway. "Do you still want to get to know me? Or would you rather hold the Kiritsugu you knew in your memory, and distance yourself from someone like me?"

Emiya Shirou (560) has posed:
    "Kill your own-" Shirou thought his story was full of tragedy. His own, that is. He knew Kiritsugu's past must'e been painful, but if these two match up... he clamps down on the urge to follow that. His face has gone stark white with shock... and he finds a seat. Or rather, he stumbles around and leans on one, then slips into it. He's shaking and trembling as all of this sinks in. Kiritsugu's father was a monster, and he's been acting as an assassin taking down evil mages... what's more, he was a Master in the last Holy Grail War...

    "Then... the Holy Grail War really does take place in Fuyuki..." Shirou sharply inhales. Things others have been telling him have started clicking. "... Then the Matou and Tohsaka families really are involved in this..."

    It seems that the news of the GRAIL WAR is what has him most floored.

    Not that Kiritsugu was an assassin who's killed many people in the name of justice and an ideal of saving the world.

    But it's as though Shirou's whole world is coming apart in his head, simultaneously. Sakura, is she involved in this bloody world somehow? Is she alright, if so...?

    Shirou clenches a fist. He's in something of a cold sweat right now, but he looks up regardless into Kiritsugu's gaze. His eyes are full of fire and steel.

    For a solid 30 seconds or so, Shirou's silent. His expression keeps changing... but he finally breaks the silence with a simple answer. "...Your dreams are the same... and my promise to make it come true won't change, even if the man who I made it to is a killer... an assassin. I was saved by Emiya Kirritsugu, so I don't have have any right to question his past." Though only now does he make a fierce, defiant face. "An assassin though? Is that really how you go about being a hero of justice, old man?"

Emiya Kiritsugu (603) has posed:
Kiritsugu just nods. "The Matou and Tohsaka are two of the rivals for the Grail that I am going to have to face. Matou Kariya, and Tohsaka Tokiomi. I have partial information on both. I don't know how much is different between my Fuyuki and yours beyond chronologically, but the Grail War happens in Fuyuki City every 60 years. With any luck, you won't have to see it in your world until YOU'RE the one being called 'old man' by someone. And if I can win the Grail War in my time..." He pauses, before continuing. "...The Shirou of the world I come from will never even meet me, will never bear the surname 'Emiya', and he certainly won't have to see killing or any more Grail Wars." Kiritsugu finds a seat of his own and sits down, hunching over a bit and letting his arms rest on the backs of his legs to support him. His head is hanging, but not out of shame at Shirou's words, which he still hasn't responded to.

He just seems tired, mostly. Eventually, he says, "One life is not worth one-hundred. One-hundred lives are not worth one-thousand. If there were hundred magi like Arume Matsuno going around on a rampage, slaughtering indiscriminately, and taking them out would save ten times more people who had never done anything to deserve it... Justice would be served by making sure every last one of those magi were burned to ash. The Kiritsugu you know was right. Saving someone means not saving someone else. And if you want to save all those innocent people, you can't waste time trying to save the ones killing them."

He looks up, finally, and says. "I used to think if I could just fight to protect lives and only take them when I had to, to only kill the most wicked and deserving, that everyone else would be safe. It wasn't until my mentor told me that damage control like that wasn't enough - that in order to save the world I'd need to eliminate everyone like my father in the entire world, that I started down the path I'm on now." Then he drops a bombshell. "And it wasn't until I met my wife, that I reawakened a love for life that would push me to find another way. To make the blood I spill in this war the last that the world will ever see. With your help, Shirou, whatever results happened in your world... I intend to prevent them in mine. On top of that..." He rises from his seat. "If the Grail is truly omnipotent... It may be able to fix EVERY world. This war with the Confederacy would be over forever. No one would have to fight or kill or die anymore. If you could make that happen, and all it took was killing six people who were trying to kill you so that they could achieve their selfish ends that wouldn't save anyone... Wouldn't you do what you had to in order to win?"

Emiya Shirou (560) has posed:
    "Not a chance. Even if the result is spectacular and a miracle, you can't call someone who reduces people to numbers a hero of justice... that's wrong. It just shows that there's still things left to improve. It's a result, not the answer. I know this whole idea is full of holes... I keep figuring it out as I go along. The biggest thing I've figured out is that it can't be done alone. Even one whold world is too much for one person... isn't that why we're here, part of the Union? The chances go way up with allies!"

    He's still got a fierce voice. Whatever else he's saying or meaning, one thing's clear: Shirou does not approve of necessary sacriices, even if forced to resort to them.

    "If someone like Arume's being monstrous, then their deaths can't be helped if it saves others. And if someone's out to kill me, they can't complain if I defend myself. If I was in something crazy like the Grail War, keeping tragedies like what that guy just did from happening is my biggest concern. Yeah... solving everything with one wish sounds amazing. But I don't need something that requires killing six other people..."

    He finally exhales, calming down a little bit. His body had tensed up drastically through the whole rant.

    "...But keeping something like that out of the hands of anyone who'd use it for an awful thing is pretty important!"

Emiya Kiritsugu (603) has posed:
Kiritsugu is more irritated by Shirou's answer than impressed. He doesn't show any sign of it outwardly. But Shirou could be worse. He wants to protect people, not kill them - even to protect others. Kiritsugu could just tell him, flat-out, that eliminating just the Servants is an option - even if not a very good one. But that would imply that he considered not killing the Masters a viable alternative. Cutting off an enemy's hand still leaves him with another to use against you, and all the wits in his head to use to find a way to get back at you. Only destroying an enemy utterly ensures victory.

But now he has to wonder - if the other Kiritsugu conducted the war the same way Kiritsugu himself would, and it didn't work out... Just assuming that his story will play out the same, that the other Kiritsugu had any similarity at all... What does he have to do differently to secure victory in his time? He asked Shirou to help him. But he doesn't actually want to drag a kid like this into it. He doesn't want Shirou to actually see how he fights. Maybe he should tell him.

"It's up to you whether you help or not. Maybe your way of doing things can change the result of the Grail War. It's going to be fought whether I participate or not. And if I don't participate, the other Masters will hunt me down. But if you can think of an alternative, a way to fight and win without a single life being lost, go ahead and let me know. As it is, the only option I can see is to eliminate the Servants, but leave the Masters alive. And that is generally a terrible idea. I'm going to see how much of your Fuyuki matches up with mine. But if it's similar enough, trying different tactics might be the answer."

Kiritsugu then turns away and says, "On the other hand, sometimes there is no 'right' answer. People in the war between the Confederacy and Union die constantly. People uninvolved the war are also suffering and dying. An infinite number of universes, each with their own countless populations, could be safe, for the price of those involved in a final Grail War. To save everyone, even if I wind up being considered a villain by history, I am willing to soak my hands in blood, to suffer any pain, and be remembered as a killer. It doesn't matter what happens to me."

Kiritsugu turns to look over his shoulder, showing a bit of fierceness himself. "If it means people like you and my daughter can live in a world where you can be happy, and safe and never have to make the choices I have."

Dammit. How many bombshells is he going to drop in this conversation.

Emiya Shirou (560) has posed:
    "Daughter... and wife?!" Shirou finally blurts this out, coming to his senses now that justice freaking is over. He stares, gawking a little. "... wait wait wait, who--...." He trails off, clamping up. Should he even ask that? Does he have a right? The kid's expression turns difficult. "..."

    No, perhaps not. And there's not much arguing with all of that reasoning...

    "...Yeah. You've told me that already... he did. ... Not in those words, but I can see it now. He didn't want to give a kid all the details... I doubt I'll find one, and there's not a lot of time to try... seven Servants clashing... I've seen Saber fight some. If there was a Master and Servant who didn't care about collateral, it'd be a disaster. Only magi can become a Master, right? And most of them are terrible people." It seems he's already thought about this.

    Being surrounded by Servants does that to you, really.

    "I'm not against using the Grail for something like world- even Multiversal peace. Only killing unjustly. ....hrrrrmngh..."

    He stands up again, but the wind's somewhat gone out of his sails.

    "...Sorry. I'll be finding my own path for being a Hero of Justice... but we'll probably cross for this Grail War." In a good way, he's meaning, obviously.

    "And it's not like I haven't picked up a few ways to make a difference... Trace, on!"

    There's a flash of golden light in his hands, the sizzle of prana... with a *ksssh-CLANK*, a Noble Phantasm rests in his grip. A dazzling, white-silver longsword with crimson trim, fit to be the symbol of royalty. Clarent, if Kiritsugu's done any real investigation into what few magical sources have accurate descriptions of them.

Emiya Kiritsugu (603) has posed:
"Irisviel von Einzbern, and Illyasviel von Einzbern," he answers. "Illya will be turning 8 soon." He sighs and turns back around fully to hear the rest of what Shirou has to say. There's too many similarities between the other Kiritsugu and himself. He doesn't think this is just a coincidence or an alternate universe or timeline. He needs to make absolutely sure, to find Shirou's Fuyuki and search it, to research with other sources of information - most notably Saber herself - and more. But it's looking more and more like his future is Shirou's past. When the weapon is created, Kiritsugu just nods as though he was expecting it. He wasn't. It was more that he has just had something confirmed. "So you can make a Noble Phantasm after all." He smiles again, even if only slightly and says, "I actually considered you might be a Servant yourself when you produced one before."

The smile slips away, and Kiritsugu just looks tired again. Perhaps Shirou meant it in a good way... But as much as he doesn't want to think about it, he knows that if Shirou were to become an enemy Master in the Fourth Grail War... Kiritsugu would probably kill him.

So he hopes that whatever they become - even if Shirou winds up getting in the way, or arguing against his tactics - it is not a Master. Or if he does become one, it's not in this War. Though he disagrees with Shirou's way of thinking, he doesn't infuriate him the way that the so-called 'Heroic' Spirits do. They have led so many to death and despair with their promises of honor and glory and righteousness and victory... If he can, he'd like to break Shirou of that mindset so that he isn't led down that path.

On the other, he hopes he doesn't have to, and that he can simply win the War and be done with it, and return to his daughter - his only reason he'll have for living when this is all over.

Shirou might be able to fit in there somewhere too. But someone who would probably hate him forever after seeing how he fights... Might simply need to be left to live his life, and go right on hating him. It's not his place to tell Shirou his way is wrong.

It's just not the way that Kiritsugu thinks will work.

"It's been a long day. I have preparations to make, and people to talk to tomorrow. Whatever the method behind your power is, it's impressive. Keep working at it. Thank you for the information." He almost feels for a moment like he should reach out and ruffle Shirou's hair. But instead, he puts his hands in his pockets, turns around, and walks away.

Emiya Shirou (560) has posed:
    Ruffling his hair might've made Shirou a bit disgruntled, after this kind of conversation.

    But with Kiritsugu walking off... "...Irisviel and Illyasviel... if I see them when I find home, I'll let you know." The boy states warmly. This is highly unlikely (and Shirou has no idea how much), but the good will's definitely there.

    "I'm no Servant... just some strange Magus whose elemental affinity's 'sword' for who knows what reason." Sword. Sword, is that even an elemental affinity? Such specialists do exist, but they're INSANELY rare. Shirou seems only vaguely disgruntled by this though. Or, if anything, more bewildered and exasperated. It's a really weird one to master, that's for sure.

    "Un. Take care. I'd say stop by Dun Realtai later, but Saber... and Sir Bedivere probably wouldn't like it... you'd have to ask them first." He does remember how cool and short the two were with Kiritsugu, and it has him pondering now. What DID happen? Should HE ask?

    "... Yeah, it's late. Good nigght, old man." Shirou's kind of frayed too.

    He doesn't like being hammered with every single thing he's already started wondering about regarding this Hero of Justice thing... it caused bile to flare up inh is gut.

    But with Kiritsugu being the one saying it, he couldn't refute too much of it either... some part of him is agreeing, and he doesn't like that one bit.