After acknowledging the fact that I had two years until the start of the Holy Grail War, the weight of that number settled in my chest like a stone — heavy, but not crushing. Two years. It was both a gift and a countdown. Every second from now until then was an investment, a gamble, and I couldn't afford to waste a single one.
I dove into Shirou's memories like a man studying for the role of his life, replaying his interactions with the people around him. Every smile, every awkward pause, every subtle shift in tone — I memorized them. I needed to be him, not just wear his face. If I slipped, if someone saw through me before the war even began, I'd be finished before I could even draw a blade.
The calendar told me it was Friday. That meant Saturday and Sunday were mine — two days to push my magecraft without the distraction of school. The thought made my pulse quicken. I'd dreamed about this as a kid, watching anime and imagining what it would be like to wield magic. Now it wasn't a dream. It was here, in my hands, humming under my skin.
When I activated my circuits, it was like opening a door to a part of myself I'd never known existed. The warmth spread through me, not just physical but right, like my body had been waiting for this all along. I let them stay active, letting my muscles, nerves, and mind acclimate to the constant thrum of prana.
Structural Analysis became my obsession. The first time I used it, the rush of information was intoxicating — the way the details unfolded in my mind, the hidden truths of every object laid bare. I wasn't just looking at things anymore; I was understanding them, seeing their flaws, their strengths, their secrets.
I prowled the workshop like a predator, scanning heaters, tools, anything I could get my hands on. I wasn't ready for reinforcement yet — not until I could see every weakness, every gap that needed filling. This was about building a foundation, and I wanted mine to be unshakable.
That's when I found it — the secret compartment in the floor. My heart kicked into overdrive as I pried it open and saw the Thompson Contender nestled inside, along with a few bullets. My mind immediately jumped to possibilities. Unlimited Lost Works. The sheer finality that weapon could bring to a fight. I grinned like a lunatic.
The stash of guns and magecraft textbooks I found next was the cherry on top. This wasn't just Shirou's shed anymore — it was my armory, my library, my war chest. I devoured the fundamentals of magecraft, but it was self-hypnosis that caught my attention. If I was going to live with the Lesser Grail under my roof, I needed to be Shirou Emiya in every way that mattered.
Saturday and half of Sunday vanished into study and experimentation. When the breakthrough came, it was like snapping the final piece into place. The plan was simple: when the morning alarm rang, I'd be Shirou. When I activated my circuits at night, I'd return to myself. The hypnosis would last until February 1st, 2004 — long enough to keep the mask in place until it no longer mattered.
When I woke that night with my circuits active and the shed empty, the realization hit me — it worked. It fucking worked. I laughed, the sound sharp in the still air. Nothing could stop me now.
The next two weeks blurred into a rhythm of progress. Structural Analysis became second nature, my circuits so efficient it cost me almost nothing to use. The satisfaction of that mastery was addictive — every improvement was proof that I was moving closer to the version of myself who could survive the war.
Reinforcement came next. With my analysis skills, finding the weak points was easy. Filling them was delicate work, but my circuits responded like they'd been made for this. The first time I brought a tool to its peak form, I felt a surge of pride that was almost physical.
Knives were even easier, but I wanted a challenge. That's how I ended up in the kitchen, reinforcing food. It was a disaster at first — the complexity of organic matter fought me at every step. But failure didn't discourage me; it lit a fire under me. I raided the cupboards, determined to figure it out.
By the time the alarm rang, I'd spent the entire night experimenting, my mind buzzing with possibilities. As consciousness slipped away and Shirou Emiya took my place for the day, I knew one thing for certain: every night from now until the war would be mine, and I would use them to become something no one in this world was prepared for.