Chapter 9: Thresholds and Golden Promises
The path to the church was a peculiar silence. Shirou walked beside the golden woman— who still refused to give her name— through increasingly deserted and ancient streets. Her presence was so overwhelming it seemed to alter reality around her; the streetlamps flickered more weakly as they passed, and the wind itself seemed to quieten in deference.
— Aren't you afraid?— She finally asked, not looking at him, her eyes fixed on some distant point only she could see.
— Should I be?— Shirou responded, with a sincerity that surprised even himself.
— Most humans tremble in my presence. Their most primal instincts recognize what I am: a predator at the top of a food chain they aren't even aware of.
Shirou reflected for a moment.
— Taiga-nee taught me that fear is useful— He said— It tells you there's something stronger than you. But she also taught me that if you stay paralyzed by it, you'll never improve. So yes… I feel something. But it's not fear. It's… anticipation.
The golden woman made a sound that wasn't laughter, but came close.
— Your "Taiga-nee" seems to have instilled an interesting philosophy in that white-haired head. Though I doubt even she understands what she's preparing you for.
They arrived at the church. It wasn't Fuyuki's main one, but a smaller one, almost hidden in a back alley and surrounded by a perimeter fence. Its Gothic architecture seemed out of place in Japan, like a stone from another Age embedded in the present. It was also unsettling how, as night fell, a sinister low fog surrounded the building almost like a horror movie.
Upon entering, the atmosphere changed drastically. The interior was dimly lit by candles, and the air smelled of ancient incense and something else… metallic. Like dried blood and polished steel.
— Kirei— Called the golden woman, her voice echoing in the empty nave— We have a visitor.
From the shadows near the altar emerged a tall man, dressed in black clerical attire and dark purple robes. His face was serene, almost devoid of expression, but his dark eyes held a disturbing depth. Shirou felt a chill upon seeing him; he had seen that look before, on Kiritsugu, in the days after the fire. It was the look of someone who had seen too much and decided nothing mattered.
— King of Heroes— Nodded the man, Kirei, confusing Shirou somewhat with the title— And you bring… what exactly is this?
— This,— Said the golden woman, placing a hand on Shirou's shoulder— is my Wandering Star. Shirou Emiya.
— "Shirou Emiya"…— He tested the name on his lips while looking at him as if he were the finest dish in the world placed before a starving man. It's just that Kirei's hunger wasn't ordinary… it was a hunger to see, or cause, the suffering of others— So there is another "Emiya" in the city, hmm…
Shirou, quick-thinking, made the connection— You know my father— He said, not as a question, but as a statement.
— "Father," hmm…— A slow, deliberate smile began to spread across Kirei's vacant face. The only problem is that… his smile was a bit "off" to Shirou. Something hard to pinpoint— Yes… Your "father" and I have a complicated history— Responded Kirei, and for the first time, something resembling emotion appeared in his eyes: curiosity mixed with something darker— But you… are not simply his son. She wouldn't have brought you here if you were just that, would she?
The golden woman— the King of Heroes— stepped aside, letting the two observe each other.
— Look at him, Kirei— She ordered— Not with those superficial priest's eyes. Look at what he truly is.
Kirei nodded slowly. He extended a hand, not to touch Shirou, but as if palpating the air around him. Shirou felt the same as before with Gilgamesh: a subtle pressure in his mind, a scrutiny that went beyond the physical.
— His magical circuits… are irregular— Said Kirei, his voice monotone— They don't follow normal patterns. They seem to have formed… after the fact. Like scars that decided to become organs. And his soul…
Kirei paused, and for the first time, his expression of perfect control cracked slightly. His eyes opened a bit wider.
— …It is luminous. Too luminous. Like a beacon on a starless night. It is not natural.
— Exactly— Said Gilgamesh, and now her voice sounded almost triumphant— It is not natural. It is a miracle walking in human form. And I wish to make it mine.
Shirou, who had remained silent during this exchange, finally spoke.
— What do you mean "make me yours"? I am not an object.
Gilgamesh turned to him, and her expression was now completely serious.
— No, you are not. You are something far more valuable: a possibility. An exception to the rules of this tedious world. And when I find a treasure like that…— Her eyes narrowed—… I want to see what it is capable of.
— And how do you intend to do that?— Asked Kirei, regaining his composure.
Gilgamesh walked to the center of the church, her steps echoing on the stone floor.
— I promised power to my Wandering Star. And a king keeps her promises. But…— She turned, and now there was something in her expression Shirou couldn't decipher—… there is a problem.
— A problem?— Asked Shirou.
— Your body— Said Gilgamesh, pointing at him with a dismissive gesture— Your mind. Your soul. They are of this Age. The Age of Man. Fragile. Small. Built to handle the crumbs of power this decadent era allows.
She approached, and now her presence was overwhelming, not in a physical sense, but in something deeper. It was as if the weight of eons of history, of countless battles and triumphs, was concentrating in this space.
— In my time,— She continued, and her voice took on a nostalgic and arrogant tone— humans were different. They were born with bodies that could withstand the gaze of gods. With minds that could comprehend the secrets of heaven and earth. A baby from the Age of Gods could crush the hand of a teenager from this era without effort. A newborn demigod could break the bones of a modern man with a cry.
Shirou listened, trying to process what he was hearing. It sounded like legend, myth… but something in Gilgamesh's presence told him it was true.
— My knowledge,— Said Gilgamesh— my methods, the truths I could teach you… are designed for those humans. For heroes. Not for… this— Her gesture encompassed Shirou from head to toe.
— Then… you can't teach me?— Asked Shirou, noticing a twinge of disappointment in his own chest.
— It's not that I can't!— Roared Gilgamesh, and for the first time, her voice thundered with genuine indignation— It's that if I did, it would destroy you. Trying to teach you directly would be like pouring the ocean into a paper cup. The first lesson would shatter you. The second would shatter your mind. And by the third, not even your strange luminous soul would survive.
The silence that followed was profound. Kirei observed the scene with academic interest, like a scientist watching an interesting experiment.
— Then your promise…— Shirou began.
— My promise still stands!— Interrupted Gilgamesh, and now there was fire in her red eyes— But a king is not a schoolteacher. I am not going to sit down and teach you the magical alphabet. That would be… beneath me.
She paced back and forth, her modern clothes seeming, in some illogical way, more and more like ancient royal vestments.
— Look— She said, stopping in front of Shirou— I told you I would show you power. And I will. But first… first you need to be able to withstand it. You need a foundation. And that foundation…— She made a gesture of distaste—… must be built with the materials of your own era.
It was then that Kirei intervened, his calm voice contrasting with Gilgamesh's passion.
— What the King of Heroes is trying to say, in her unique way,— He said, causing the bells in Shirou's mind to ring once more at the title that was both familiar and unfamiliar— is that you need a basic education in modern magecraft. Someone who can build that foundation so that, eventually, you can contain greater truths.
Gilgamesh nodded, though she seemed annoyed at having to admit a need for anything.
— Precisely. You need a… tutor. Someone to teach you the small rules of this small world. So that, when you are ready, I can show you how to break them.
— And who would that tutor be?— Asked Shirou, feeling the conversation taking an unexpected turn.
Kirei and Gilgamesh exchanged a look. It was Kirei who spoke first.
— In Fuyuki, the most competent magus of your generation,— He said— and the heiress of one of the most orthodox and prestigious lineages, is Rin Tohsaka.
'Again, a name that rings a bell from somewhere, but whose associated image is blurry to me. It's as if I'm missing something more to make the connection. It's the same with these two…' Shirou thought to himself, a flash of frustration seeping in '… especially with this golden woman; her mere appearance and title resonate like crazy bells in my mind, but I never quite understand why. And as for the priest, it's worse; I feel like I know him from somewhere, but it's as if he's the forgettable side character from a play I already struggle to remember.'
— The Tohsakas— Snorted Gilgamesh, as if the name left a bad taste— Always so diligently mediocre. Perfect for this. Their magecraft is the basic instruction manual your species needs.
— And would she agree to teach me?— He asked.
— She is the heiress— Said Kirei— And as such, has the responsibility to keep the magical tradition alive. A student with your… unique potential would be irresistible to someone with her mindset. Furthermore,— He added, with a touch of something that might have been humor— she lives near your school. Convenience is a virtue.
Shirou absorbed the information. His pragmatic mind was already evaluating the proposal. He needed power to protect his family. This golden woman— Gilgamesh— offered that power, but first he needed a foundation. Rin Tohsaka could provide that foundation.
— And you?— Asked Shirou, looking at Gilgamesh— What will you do while I learn from Tohsaka?
Gilgamesh smiled, and this time it was a genuine smile, full of pride and anticipation.
— I shall be your patron— She declared— Your guide. Not in the small details,— She made a dismissive gesture— but in what truly matters. When that Tohsaka girl teaches you to walk, I will be pointing you toward the horizon you must run towards.
She approached, and now her presence was not overwhelming, but… magnetic.
— You will come to me with the questions that transcend her little textbook— She said, and her voice was now a whisper laden with meaning— "Why does this rule exist?", "what is the true principle behind this spell?", "how is this limitation broken?"… And I, in my benevolence, will give you answers. Or I will let you find them on your own, if the challenge merits my amusement.
Shirou stared at her. The logic was impeccable. The humiliation of being considered too weak for direct teaching burned in his chest… but it was also motivation. Proof of how far he had to go.
— And how do I find Rin Tohsaka?— He finally asked.
Kirei extracted a small slip of paper from his robes and extended it toward Shirou.
— Her address. And a note of introduction from me. I am her tutor since the "unfortunate" death of my former master and her father, Tokiomi Tohsaka. Moreover, she respects the authority of the Church… to a degree.
Shirou took the paper. He looked at it, then at Gilgamesh, then at Kirei.
— I understand— He said, and his voice was firm— I will learn from Tohsaka. I will master the fundamentals. And then…— His eyes met Gilgamesh's—… I will come to claim what you promised me.
Gilgamesh laughed, a rich, resonant sound that filled the church nave.
— Excellent! That is what I wanted to hear, my Wandering Star. Now go. And remember…— Her eyes focused on Shirou with absolute intensity—… do not mention my existence to her. Or Kirei's, beyond as a simple priest. The magical world has its small rules, and for now, you must play by them.
Shirou nodded. He turned and began walking towards the exit. At the door, he stopped and looked back.
— What do I call you, then? If I can't mention your existence…
Gilgamesh considered the question for a moment.
— "Gil" is sufficient— She said finally— For you, I shall always be Gil.
Shirou nodded again. Then he stepped out into the night, the paper with Rin Tohsaka's address clenched in his hand.
Inside the church, Kirei looked at Gilgamesh.
— Do you believe he is up to your expectations, King of Heroes?
Gilgamesh watched the door through which Shirou had left, her expression now inscrutable.
— He has already exceeded my expectations, Kirei— She said softly— A human who rejects destiny… who shines with his own light in a world of predetermined shadows…— She turned, and her red eyes glowed in the gloom— I am not shaping him to meet my expectations. I am observing him to see what hopes he decides to fulfill.
Kirei smiled, a strange, twisted expression on his normally serene face.
— Then the next Holy Grail War might be more interesting than anticipated.
— The Holy Grail War,— Dismissed Gilgamesh with a wave of her hand— is a minor diversion. This… this is something new. Something not even I, who have seen all the treasures of the world, had seen before.
Outside, Shirou walked back home, his mind racing. He had found a door to the power he needed… but that door required him to first learn how to turn the doorknob. And for that, he needed the Tohsaka heiress.
He looked at the paper in his hand. The address was in the Miyama district, not far from his own home. He made a decision. He has to see her. Right now. Early introductions are never a bad thing, and more importantly, he needs to find out who Rin Tohsaka "really" is.
For the first time since he began his training with Taiga, Shirou felt he was about to take a step into a completely new world. And unlike the nightmares and visions that had tormented him, this was a step he was choosing to take for himself.
He smiled, an expression of pure determination.
'Wait for me, Rin' He thought. 'I have many questions. And I am ready to learn the answers.'
The path to power was never direct. But Shirou Emiya had learned an important lesson from Taiga Fujimura: sometimes, the longest path was the safest. And sometimes, you needed to learn to walk before you could run.
And he was ready to learn to walk… But it's a pity that, as in role-playing games, this encounter would trigger a series of events that would shape both his life and his view of the magical world beyond belief.