Shirou Emiya had long been considering ways to grow stronger.
Under the influence of divine Grace and his efforts within the dungeon, all of his abilities had improved greatly.
Whether it was his Projection Magecraft or Unlimited Blade Works, these skills required his level to increase in order to improve—they could not be refined through other means.
But Shirou was already satisfied; after all, his counterparts in other timelines had never been able to enhance these abilities at all.
Even though it was only an increase of three levels, Shirou's strength already surpassed that of Heroic Spirit EMIYA, both in Projection Magecraft and UBW.
And that was without even mentioning the magical power granted by divine Grace.
In his previous life, he had once overheard a comment about Shirou Emiya:
"Do not overestimate Shirou Emiya's magical energy, but never underestimate his Projection Magecraft."
As long as he had enough mana, Shirou had no absolute enemies. He could always forge a weapon suited to overcome any situation.
He was, in essence, a poor man's version of Gilgamesh.
There was still one skill Shirou could polish further—his ranged attacks.
Of course, he could simply unleash his Broken Phantasm: Caladbolg II and end a battle immediately.
If a Noble Phantasm is charged with magical energy, it can detonate upon striking its target. Repairing a shattered Noble Phantasm is nearly impossible.
But such an approach was counterproductive, especially in close combat.
And so, Shirou had found a solution—a solution inspired by his very title.
---
"A customized magic sword?" Tsubaki asked Shirou as she set down her hammer.
The power of a magic sword came entirely from the spell it invoked, not from the weapon itself.
Thus, no one had ever thought to customize a magic weapon.
"Yes, I want to customize a magic sword. It'll take the form of an arrow, and its spell will be explosive.
Since it's an arrow, I don't have to worry about durability—it will only be fired once."
That was precisely Shirou's idea.
He could craft a magic arrow with explosive power, then reproduce as many as he needed with Projection.
In this world, every magic sword had a limited number of uses. Once that limit was reached, the weapon shattered.
While searching for a way to avoid relying on Caladbolg, Shirou concluded that creating magic arrows was the best option. They would be practical, efficient, and would save him the trouble of altering an existing design each time.
"So you want to make a magic arrow? I see—you're living up to your title."
After some thought, Tsubaki understood Shirou's intentions.
Seeing her agree, Shirou quickly bowed in thanks.
Tsubaki waved her hand dismissively.
Naturally, she held some fondness for Shirou. After all, he was, in some sense, her apprentice.
"So, you're in a rush to get this arrow made."
"The sooner it's ready, the better. I'm leaving on an expedition in a week."
"An expedition? That explains it."
After grasping the situation, Tsubaki stood and grabbed a smithing uniform, tossing it to Shirou.
"What's this?"
"You're going to help me! We'll handle the other tasks later. For now, I'll help you forge your magic arrow."
Hearing Tsubaki's words, Shirou was deeply moved.
He quickly put on the blacksmith's clothes and hurried after her.
"Let me show you how much I've progressed. I promise you'll be surprised."
"Haha, then I'll be looking forward to it."
---
"Ahh… I'm so tired!"
Unable to stifle a yawn, Shirou returned to the Twilight Manor, looking slightly worn out.
Three days had passed since he left to customize his magic weapon. It had taken the full three days to complete his magic arrow.
During that time, Shirou had barely rested. Aside from assisting Tsubaki with her smithing, he had spent most of his time studying her forging techniques.
Although Shirou could analyze the arrow once it was complete using Projection, learning directly through observation and practice was far better.
He would never waste the chance to acquire any skill that could strengthen him further.
As a result, he had barely slept over the last three days.
"With four days left before the expedition, I still have enough time to check over my equipment."
Eager to apply the skills he had just learned, Shirou gazed wearily at the Twilight Manor before heading inside.
For now, all he wanted was rest.
He walked straight to his room, opened it out of sheer habit, and collapsed onto his bed.
But Shirou quickly realized something was wrong.
Could his pillow really be this warm?
Struggling, he lifted his head—and in the dim light of the room, his eyes met those of a blonde girl.
"Ais? Why are you here?"
Shirou shot up from the bed, realizing his pillow had been Ais's lap.
"I used the key you gave me. I've been waiting for you here for three days."
Her explanation reminded him that, indeed, Ais possessed a key to his room.
He had promised she could come by for snacks anytime, and since he was often away, he had entrusted her with the key.
After all, there was nothing private or important in his quarters.
But none of that mattered at the moment. What mattered was that she had truly waited three whole days for him.
"What could be so important that you'd wait three days?"
"I want to learn swordsmanship."
"...?"
Shirou's face was full of question marks.
"You want to learn swordsmanship? But you're already a swordswoman. Who could possibly teach you swordsmanship?"
Seeing his confusion, Ais hurriedly clarified: "I want to learn your way of fighting."
Huh?
"I'm sorry, Ais, but unfortunately, I haven't mastered swordsmanship myself."
Hearing Shirou's apologetic response, Ais's face twitched adorably.
Noticing her expression, Shirou realized she had misunderstood and was about to explain, when suddenly her clear voice rang out:
"Brother."
…Huh?
What did she mean by that?
"Brother, since you always teach Lefiya, please teach me too!"
Realizing what she was doing, Shirou inwardly cried out:
(It's not that I don't want to teach you! I just don't know how!)
Even so, Shirou found himself unable to refuse her once again.
That's right—Shirou could not say no.
---
(End of Chapter)
"Hmph. If you really want to be useful, then entertain me, try to throw those pathetic power stones at me. Let's see if even your insolence can amuse a king."