Revelation
"Retrieval complete!"
> "The Reinforcement and Projection Magic acquired by the Host are abilities that Emiya Shirou had already mastered prior to becoming a Heroic Spirit. Therefore, the Host can directly access these abilities, but must still train diligently to wield them proficiently."
Shirō had known this much for a while. With this half-baked system of his, it was unrealistic to expect immediate mastery. Still, despite a tinge of disappointment, he was satisfied overall. Gaining skills through self-cultivation ultimately made him understand them better—even if the system had the capability to brute-force it into his brain.
...No, thinking about that just made his heart ache. The resentment surged again.
"Damn, not having to work hard sounds amazing!"
Shaking off the temptation, Shirō refocused his wandering mind.
> "All other abilities require the fulfillment of certain conditions before they can be learned and further improved."
"Conditions? What kind of conditions?"
> "Think of them as prerequisites. For example: Clairvoyance is an ability many Archers possess. It allows them to perceive distant enemies with precision, sometimes even from kilometers away. This ability is a product of the legends surrounding them, crystallized into their Heroic Spirit form. However, due to incomplete data, the system currently lacks the requirements to unlock Clairvoyance."
> "Mind's Eye refers to the tactical intuition to grasp even a 1% opportunity for counterattack. It requires the Host to develop personal, extensive combat experience."
"Wait, I've fought a lot! I should qualify by now!" Shirō frowned. In the past year, he'd Projected hundreds of kunai and shuriken. He'd even picked up a limited number of ninjutsu—though only Wind Release. That should count, right?
Yet earlier today, he'd been caught off guard by two wandering ninja. Ambushed and almost taken out.
> "Correction: The combat experience must be earned by the Host, not borrowed through Projection. Emiya Shirou mastered Mind's Eye through years of real-life battles and personal growth. The Host has yet to reach that level."
Indeed, Shirō could tell. He often knew what to do in theory, but his body simply wouldn't respond fast enough. If he were truly experienced, he would've countered the ambush earlier with ease.
"As expected, I'm still too green. Guess I need more real missions."
He sighed and shifted topics. "What about Class Skills? I'm guessing those also have prerequisites."
> "Correct. Class Skills are granted to Heroic Spirits upon summoning. Emiya Shirou was summoned as an Archer, gaining Independent Action and a low-level Magic Resistance. Independent Action allows Servants to act without a Master. Magic Resistance offers resistance to magical attacks. Since the Host is not a Servant, the system cannot apply these skills in the same way. They've mutated and can only be accessed by acquiring a formal Class."
"Wait—how do I acquire a Class if I'm not a Servant?"
> "Once the Host meets the basic traits of an Archer-class Servant, the system can simulate a Class acquisition by consuming energy."
Shirō winced. He wasn't even good with bows yet! Archers may fight in close quarters too, but that didn't mean the Class accepted just anyone.
"And what about raising my Magic stat to B-rank?"
He recalled the system had mentioned material requirements before, but at the time the database was still broken.
> "To raise Magic to B-rank, the following are required:
1. Cellular tissue from someone with an Ōtsutsuki bloodline,
2. Fragments of the Outer Path Demonic Statue or Tailed Beast Chakra,
3. 50% of the Host's total energy pool."
"…You've gotta be kidding me."
Only the first option was vaguely within reach. Konoha housed remnants of the Ōtsutsuki lineage—through the Hyūga and the Uchiha (via Indra's chakra). But the other two?
The Demonic Statue of the Outer Path was already summoned—controlled by Madara Uchiha of all people. A living legend, feared even in old age. Getting near that was suicidal.
As for the Tailed Beasts? A single one could flatten him like an insect. On top of that, each was under strict watch by the Five Great Nations.
So, no-go.
"And 50% of my energy pool?" Shirō muttered.
> "Energy can be gathered through increasing chakra reserves, absorbing ambient chakra from fallen ninja, or converting solar and elemental energy. However, due to the system's damaged state, the efficiency remains low. Chakra loss on death is minimal, and solar conversion is weak. Most of your chakra is needed for survival and combat, further complicating collection."
"Basically... everything is hard."
Still, Shirō regrouped. "Alright, plan's simple. Increase my strength, tackle missions, and recover system functionality bit by bit."
There was another curiosity in his mind: "System, why does Projecting a kunai, shuriken, or short sword consume the same chakra? Aren't they different in complexity?"
> "That's due to the Host's Origin: Imagination + Materialization. Your Projection Magic has adapted accordingly."
"Wait—Origin?!"
That shocked Shirō. In the Type-Moon universe, a Magus's Origin—the core of their soul—was crucial. Emiya Shirou's Origin was Sword, which let him Project sword-type weapons with low cost and high power.
He had assumed his Origin changed to Sword as well. But his was completely different!
> "The Host's Origin of Imagination + Materialization is highly compatible with Projection. It allows you to Project a wide range of Noble Phantasms with equal cost, but Divine Constructs are still out of reach. Additionally, due to this world's natural laws, the Host can only use Wind Release ninjutsu."
That aligned with what he'd experienced so far. Wind Release was his only usable elemental nature, and he hadn't bothered trying others.
Some might suggest learning the Rasengan, since it was elemental-neutral.
But—
Minato Namikaze was already 13. He hadn't invented Rasengan yet, but he likely had the concept in mind. Even if Shirō developed it first, the Hokage and elders would likely credit Minato. Worst case? They'd suspect Shirō of spying and hand him over to Danzo.
Besides, Rasengan consumed too much chakra. Shirō's reserves were limited. By the time he had enough to spam Rasengan, he'd be able to use Broken Phantasm—essentially turning his Projected Noble Phantasms into explosive weapons.
"I'd rather jump off Hokage Rock than waste time on Rasengan," Shirō muttered.
For now, he needed to get serious about Projection training. But he had to move carefully. His chakra pool hadn't grown significantly, and he still needed a cover story to explain where his powers came from. The Third Hokage had his crystal ball jutsu—though Shirō doubted Hiruzen spied that much, it paid to be cautious.
Then there was Danzo. The infamous scapegoat of fanfiction. While Shirō didn't believe all the hype, Danzo did covet Kekkei Genkai and secret arts.
Better safe than sorry.
His policy: Stay low. Train hard. Hide until the day someone blows up the village for a bag of rice.
> "Host, please note: incoming important information."
"Hmm? What kind of info?"
> "It concerns the Host's Magic."
"…Wait—Magic? Is something wrong with it?"
Then the words hit him.
"MAGIC?!!!!"