Conceptual Noble Phantasm
It wasn't long before Okita and the others emerged, each proudly wearing a forehead protector — proof they had passed the Academy graduation exam.
Seeing this, Shirō and Nanako both let out a long sigh of relief. The anxiety that had been hanging over them finally lifted.
Nanako rushed forward and hugged Okita. "As expected of my son! Truly amazing!"
"Yes, yes, we know your son is amazing. Let's go already — don't show off here," Keiko said, clicking her tongue at Nanako's smug expression.
Nanako, however, was not one to back down. Having sparred verbally with Keiko for years, she knew exactly how to twist the knife.
"Alright, fine, I'll tone it down. But come on, Keiko — look at Okita! Not only has he officially become a shinobi, but he's already found a girlfriend too. How could I not be happy?"
Shirō's smile froze. His face stiffened for a moment before he quickly cut in, not wanting this dangerous line of conversation to continue.
"Alright, alright, Auntie Nanako, Mom — it's getting late. We should head over before the restaurants get crowded," Shirō said, gently but firmly pushing the two women forward.
Ci Lang, Qieshi, and Okita exchanged helpless smiles and followed.
To celebrate Okita's graduation, they had reserved a small table at a restaurant. With only two families gathered, the intimate atmosphere was more than enough.
Though Saori had graduated as well, she was celebrating with her own family and friends, so she hadn't been invited this time.
Once they were seated, Shirō pulled out two scrolls and handed them to Okita.
"Here. These are gifts for you and Saori. The red one's hers; yours is the blue one. Hold onto them both for now."
"Thank you, Shirō. Are these ninjutsu scrolls?"
"No. They're crafted puppets. You can store them in the village, and when needed, summon them with a contract scroll, just like a Summoning Beast. They're not overwhelmingly strong offensively, but they're useful in support and defense."
Okita's eyes widened. "You've really gone this far for us… thank you."
"It's nothing. But listen, this isn't enough on its own. You should also start looking for a suitable Summoning Beast. Powerful clans of ninja beasts are rare, and contracts are hard to earn — but raising one from a young stage is always an option."
Okita frowned. "But I've seen plenty of shinobi who don't have strong Summoning Beasts, and they're still powerful."
"That's not because they lack them. Most either tried cultivating too late or raised them improperly, so their companions couldn't keep up with their growth. Eventually, they abandoned the contract. A strong Summoning Beast can raise your combat power by at least thirty percent and give you far more tactical options."
Shirō's tone grew serious. "You've just graduated. Your foundation is solid, and your resource demand isn't high yet. This is the best time to nurture one. Even if you're unsure about your future specialization, you can contract a more versatile beast first. They won't be overwhelmingly strong, but they'll provide you flexibility and experience."
Okita listened with rapt attention, occasionally scribbling notes onto a blank scroll.
Finally, Shirō finished. "That's all I can tell you. The rest depends on your own effort. My advice is just a guide."
"Yes, I understand. Thank you, Shirō."
Just then, their dishes arrived, and the heavy talk gave way to laughter and casual chatter.
---
The Next Day
"Hisss… ahhh." Shirō groaned, rubbing his temples as he sat up.
Last night, Okita had gotten his petty revenge for Shirō's lecturing — by pouring drinks down his throat nonstop. Now, Shirō was paying the price. His head throbbed like a drum.
What made it worse was that Okita had avoided any consequences by conveniently reporting for his new team assignment early this morning.
Shirō stumbled to the kitchen, found some leftovers, and filled his stomach before heading to Shadow Rock. Qieshi and Keiko were still out cold, victims of last night's drinking as well.
Given his pounding headache, studying magecraft was impossible. Thinking hurts. So instead, he chose meditation, hoping it would at least dull the hangover.
For that, the best environment was where nature's flow of chakra was thickest. Shadow Rock — where generations of Konoha's great shinobi had once stood — was perfect.
He spent the day alternating between meditation and rest. When tired, he lay back, staring at the clouds until his mind cleared, then sank into focus again. By evening, his headache had faded. Whether it was meditation or just time doing its work, he couldn't say.
Thus, his routine resumed: cultivation, missions, cultivation, missions.
But Shirō no longer found it dull. The deeper he dove into magecraft, the more he enjoyed the discoveries.
His studies in Projection had advanced. Though he still hadn't crossed that final threshold, his grasp of Noble Phantasm structures had become sharper, and his mana cost slightly lighter. His shapeshift projections had grown faster and sturdier, broadening his tactical options.
More importantly, he had begun to touch on the foundations of conceptual Noble Phantasms — those not defined by mere physical form, but by ideas themselves.
The progress was laughably small, but it was a start. And unlike Shirō Emiya, his origin wasn't bound to "swords." Theoretically, if he could understand the concept, he could project it.
That meant he wasn't confined to blades. He could aim for everything.
And among the strongest Noble Phantasms in the Type-Moon world, many were conceptual:
Knight of Owner (The Knight Who Takes Up Arms) — the ability to claim any weapon as one's own, wielding it at full power.
Twelve Labors — the monstrous immortality of Heracles, granting him twelve resurrections and immense endurance.
Such weapons were legendary, absurdly powerful. Even attempting to analyze them now was far beyond him. He couldn't fully parse the most basic conceptual Noble Phantasms yet, let alone those of the highest tier.
But even glimpsing such heights gave him motivation. They reminded him of why he cultivated in the first place.
For now, though, they remained distant dreams. At his current pace, it might take decades to fully dissect even a single conceptual Noble Phantasm. Yet Shirō knew better than to take that estimate seriously. As his magical knowledge deepened, his progress would only accelerate.
Which meant his path forward was clear: learn more, understand more, and never stop studying.
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