They both stared at each other.Shirou internally cursed his terrible luck. On his first day, of all days, a normal high-school girl had witnessed a Heroic Spirit materializing and disappearing right in front of her.
He forced a stiff, awkward smile, trying to smooth things over.
"H-hey there… didn't notice you standing there," Shirou said, voice cracking slightly.
The girl blinked, eyes still wide."Did I just… see that guy disappear into thin air?" she asked, pointing to where Karna had stood.
Shirou kept his face steady even as his heartbeat spiked."S-sorry, I don't know what you're talking about," he lied, breathing out slowly in an attempt to stay calm.
"Don't bullsh*t me, dude."She hopped down from her spot, landing lightly before closing the distance."Also, wasn't that guy holding some kind of… weapon?"
"I believe I don't know what you're talking about," Shirou repeated, colder this time.
He turned and walked out of the rooftop area.
"Hey! Don't just ignore me!"She immediately followed.
Sweat gathered on his brow, but he kept moving.
"Can't you at least say something?" she pressed, refusing to let up.He continued walking, hoping she'd get bored and give up.
"I'll tell the others if you don't talk."
Shirou stopped.
Silence filled the empty hallway as he slowly turned around and stepped toward her.His footsteps echoed sharply, each one tightening the tension between them.
"Look, young miss," he began—forgetting, for a moment, they were the same age. "Believe me, knowing about this doesn't benefit you at all."
"Miss? We're literally the same—"
"Nobody will believe you."
Her eyes widened."W-what…?"
"Yes. I'm saying that no one will believe you, miss."
What she saw wouldn't make sense to normal people. And Shirou could tell—by how she had been alone on the rooftop—that she didn't have many friends to rely on. Even if she tried to tell anyone, no one would listen.
"It's better if you forget everything you saw," he said as he walked past her, pausing when he was close enough for his whisper to brush her ear."After all… the world of magi isn't very forgiving when a normal person learns their secrets."
He walked away, leaving the girl behind.
—
After putting some distance between them, he finally risked a glance over his shoulder.No footsteps.No annoyed voice chasing after him.
Nothing.
Shirou exhaled, a long, heavy sigh escaping him.
"Haaaaa…"
He leaned back against the wall, letting his shoulders slump.He knew—he knew—he wasn't the type who intimidated others. That whole "mysterious, threatening magus" act wasn't him at all. He felt a stab of guilt, but what choice did he have?
Letting a normal person learn about the Moonlit World was dangerous.Dangerous for her.
Especially if anything connected to the Holy Grail War or Servants ever resurfaced in this world.
If he had Rin's talent for memory manipulation, he absolutely would've erased the girl's memories. No hesitation.In fact… that would've been an act of mercy compared to letting her walk around with knowledge she shouldn't have.
Right—he needed to get back to class.
…
Time skip.
The school day finally came to an end.Shirou slumped back in his chair, feeling a wave of relief wash over him.Relearning all the familiar subjects he'd once studied felt oddly nostalgic… and tiring. More tiring than he expected.
A tap on his shoulder pulled him out of his thoughts.Aqua stood beside him.
"Emiya, you're not planning to sleep here, right? Don't you want to go home?"
"I am, I am. Just… a little burned out."
"You talk like you're some old uncle. Suck it up—we're high schoolers, remember?"
Shirou didn't bother replying.
He definitely wasn't.
--
The three of them reached the main street—bright, noisy, full of life.Aqua and Kudo blended into the flow of people instantly.Shirou… less so.
Even after a full day at school, he still felt the leftover tension from earlier.A Heroic Spirit materializing on a rooftop, a random girl catching him in the act, and the looming truth that he still didn't understand why he was in this world.
For now, he shoved that to the back of his mind.
"Hey, Emiya," Aqua nudged him, "are you spacing out?"
"Just… thinking."
"Bro, you do that a lot," Kudo said. "You sure you're not actually an old man trapped in a teenager's body?"
Shirou gave a tired smile.If only they knew how close that joke was to the truth.
They reached the supermarket.The automatic doors slid open with a soft beep.
Kudo picked up a basket, his eyes scanning the aisles with the practiced sharpness of someone who analyzed everything.
"So, Aqua, what did you want to buy again?" he asked.
"Well, Ruby asked me to buy her some pudding. And I think I need to restock my refrigerator too."
"I see." He then turned toward Shirou. "How about you?"
"I'm just following you two. I don't think I plan to buy anything."
"Is that so? Well, I guess I'll buy some meat for myself."
Kudo headed off on his own to look for what he needed, while Shirou helped Aqua find her items.
Once everything was gathered, they paid for their things and exited the supermarket.
After walking for a while, Aqua and Kudo split off from Shirou."I'm heading to Ran's place, guys! See you two tomorrow!" Kudo called, waving as he jogged off.
Shirou turned to Aqua. She nodded, saying she needed to head home as well. They exchanged a brief wave, and then Shirou was left alone at the street junction, the bustle of the city flowing around him.
Shirou's face held a faint smile for a moment… before it slipped away again as he walked toward his house. The sun had already closed its curtains, leaving the city draped in quiet darkness.
Passing by a small park, his eyes landed on an empty bench—unused, tucked under a streetlamp's soft glow. He paused, thinking it over, then walked toward it and sat down. A long breath escaped him, something he'd been holding in since earlier.
"…sigh."
He couldn't deny it—everything was happening way too fast. His entire life had shifted in the span of a single day. Maybe… maybe joining the war had been a mistake.
No.He shook his head at that thought immediately.
There were too many dangerous people in that war. Too many who would do something unimaginable if left unchecked. If he had chosen to walk away… if he had pretended not to see any of it… the final victor could have created something far worse than a simple tragedy.
What was he even saying?
He'd already abandoned his friends back in his world to fight alone. And now—now he was hoping to return to that same world? Being in a completely different reality should've been impossible to begin with.
There was no way he arrived here by some normal cause. Something—someone—had to be behind it. Some kind of entity with enough power to pull him across worlds. Especially considering Karna… that man carried divine energy so strong Shirou could feel it without even trying.
"Right… Karna, are you there?"
…
Silence.
Shirou frowned. Karna always replied instantly. The lack of response felt wrong—unsettling, even.
Karna POV
Karna leapt aside, narrowly avoiding the blue ray slicing through the air toward him. He sensed no mana from it. No magical signature at all. He didn't even know whether it could truly harm him—but with a Master this weak, he couldn't afford unnecessary damage.
His limitations were severe. His Master's mana pool barely allowed him to maintain a fraction of his power. Normally, they compensated with command seals… but even that had limits.
"Hahahahaha! Pretty cool reaction there."
Karna disliked the smug expression on the mortal standing across from him. Cocky… arrogant… yet undeniably dangerous. The blindfolded man before him was no ordinary human.
"Limitless Technique—Red!"
A crimson force blasted toward him. Karna slid aside at the last moment, the impact behind him erupting in a violent explosion. Trees snapped and splintered from the sheer pressure alone.
Smoke rolled across the clearing.Karna still hadn't attacked—not seriously. Not even close.
Because his Master had given a clear order beforehand:
Do not kill anyone who isn't participating in the Holy Grail War.
So he endured. Calculated. Measured.
Even as another blast of energy tore the ground cleanly in half beside him, Karna noted something curious—there was no trace of malice within it. No negative mana, no curse. Just raw, overwhelming force.
"Amazing. You truly possess remarkable capabilities, mortal."He couldn't deny it. The man deserved the praise.
The blindfolded man grinned. "Oh? Complimenting me while you keep dodging? Shouldn't you be getting an award for running?"
"Hmph. If my Master had not forbidden me from killing nonparticipants, our conversation would already be finished."
"Oh ho~ so you actually have a Master? That's adorable. I'd love to meet him."
Karna didn't feel even a flicker of offense at the man's taunts. He knew exactly where he stood—and he knew the gap between them wasn't trivial. But amidst their exchange, something tugged at the edge of his awareness.
A faint pull.A distant echo.
His Master's voice.
He'd sensed it earlier—but the battle, the noise, the constant barrage of energy had drowned it out. Only now, in the brief moment of stillness, did he realize it fully:
Shirou was calling for him.
"Sorry, random mortal—my Master is calling for me. If he grants me permission, I will surely meet you again."Karna spoke with calm finality before shifting into spirit form. His body dissolved into shimmering light and vanished."May we meet again."
"O–oi! Damn it…" Gojo clicked his tongue, lowering his hand as the last trace of Karna faded into the air. "And here I thought I'd found a new opponent."
He wouldn't deny it—there was no curse energy coming from that guy. None at all. Yet the soul he perceived was alive, brilliant, heavy, like a being on the level of a special grade… or maybe something even stranger.
Gojo smiled to himself.
Looks like the world still had a few surprises left for him.