"Ais."
"Brother!"
"Listen to me."
"Shirou-nii!"
"It's not what you think."
"Onii-chan!"
"...Alright. I'll teach you."
Completely helpless, Shirou finally gave in to Ais's request.
He really couldn't refuse those repeated calls of Onii-chan.
Even though-strictly speaking-he didn't actually know the technique himself.
"Meet me in the courtyard tomorrow morning," Shirou said. "Just wait for me there."
"Mm."
Ais nodded immediately and stood up from the bed.
She had noticed Shirou's exhaustion. Without lingering, she quietly walked toward the door. Just as she was about to leave the room, she suddenly turned back.
"Please take care of yourself, Brother."
Then she left.
"...Phew."
"She finally went."
Lying comfortably on his wide, soft bed, Shirou raised an arm to cover his eyes.
Exhausted.
Yet unable to sleep.
His thoughts kept circling back.
Especially those calls of Onii-chan.
They had completely melted his heart.
Before he realized it, the corner of his lips lifted slightly.
A smug smile.
Early morning.
The sky was only just beginning to brighten.
Shirou was already up.
"Knowing Ais's personality, she's probably already waiting."
He headed downstairs toward the courtyard.
As expected-
Ais was already there.
"You're eager," Shirou said.
"Mm. I'm very eager, Brother."
...This was dangerous.
Hearing her say Brother with that completely flat expression made him feel like he was bullying her.
No-he was bullying her.
Even if he hadn't explicitly forced it, it still felt like coercion.
But he couldn't refuse.
His thoughts spiraled for a moment before Shirou reached up and lightly patted his own cheek.
Focus.
"Ais," he said seriously, "before I teach you swordsmanship, there are a few things you need to know."
Ais, who had been tilting her head at his strange behavior, immediately straightened.
She was listening.
"When I said yesterday that I didn't know it, I wasn't rejecting you."
"I genuinely haven't mastered that martial art."
Ais frowned slightly, confusion appearing on her face.
Shirou paused, then continued.
"You might not know this, but when my Projection magic creates weapons, it doesn't just recreate the weapon itself."
"It also recreates the experience accumulated within it."
"And sometimes, special abilities."
"Regarding that martial art, I've studied it."
"But I haven't reached the level where one strike produces nine slashes."
"The reason I could use it before was entirely because of the weapon."
"So I wasn't lying to you."
"I haven't truly learned it yet either."
As Shirou finished explaining, Ais's expression visibly dimmed.
"I'm sorry."
"I was being selfish."
Seeing that usually calm face filled with apology and disappointment, Shirou felt a sharp pang in his chest.
Just as he had Julian.
Ais had her own enemy.
The One-Eyed Black Dragon.
They were the same.
Both chasing power.
Both running toward an enemy they had to defeat.
Whenever Shirou looked at Ais, he could see himself reflected there.
"Don't apologize yet," he said quickly. "I'm not finished."
Ais looked up.
"Didn't I say this already?" Shirou continued. "Even if I haven't mastered it, I already know how to train it."
"I've read the original owner's experience."
"So-"
He extended his hand.
"Would you like to study this martial art together with me?"
"...Together?"
"That's right."
"Together."
Nine Lives Blade Works was, at its core, a fighting style.
Even without a master, it could be trained.
With Heracles's experience as reference, Shirou was confident they wouldn't go in the wrong direction.
"So?"
"Are you willing?"
Ais didn't hesitate for even a moment.
She took his hand.
"I am willing, Brother."
Ais would never refuse power.
Especially power that could help her defeat the Black Dragon.
"Alright," Shirou said. "Then we'll start."
"I still need to go to the forge this morning, so we won't waste time."
They walked over to a nearby chair and sat down.
Shirou began explaining Nine Lives Blade Works.
Theory.
Structure.
Movement.
He explained with words, then gestures.
Ais listened closely.
One speaking.
One listening.
Time passed quickly.
From that day onward, Shirou's life became packed once more.
Every morning, he would train Nine Lives Blade Works with Ais.
After that, he would leave her to practice on her own while he went to the forge to craft equipment.
In the evening, they would study together again.
Shirou wasn't as diligent as Ais.
But Ais's progress in martial arts wasn't as fast as his.
The reason was simple.
Shirou had read Heracles's experience.
With that foundation, his improvement speed was absurd.
During this period, Shirou also discovered something else.
A cheat-like auxiliary ability.
Mind's Eye (True)
• Greatly enhances insight
• Predicts opponent actions based on accumulated information
• Identifies and executes any possible reversal as a tactic
With this heightened insight, Shirou learned techniques far faster than before.
It almost felt like the Sharingan from the Naruto world.
Almost.
He still couldn't learn Nine Lives Blade Works in a single glance.
But that wasn't because Mind's Eye was inferior.
It was because the martial arts systems of different worlds were fundamentally different.
Taijutsu in Naruto mostly focused on physical conditioning.
Even the Eight Gates were about amplifying attributes and chakra.
But martial arts from the Nasuverse followed an entirely different path.
They emphasized skill.
Nine simultaneous strikes.
The complete Nine Lives, Blade Works even fired nine beams of light.
Techniques like Sasaki Kojirou's Tsubame Gaeshi involved interference with parallel dimensions.
How could something like that be copied instantly with mere insight?
Even so, Mind's Eye still gave Shirou a massive advantage.
His progress far outpaced Ais's.
Because of that, Ais frequently visited Shirou's forge to ask for guidance.
Which led to a new problem.
Loki.
"Hehe."
"Ais-tan was abducted."
Every time Loki muttered those words, Shirou felt a chill run down his spine.
In response, he sought external assistance.
"Shirou and Ais are both working hard to improve themselves," Riveria said calmly. "Don't interfere."
Watching Riveria drag Loki away, Shirou let out a long sigh.
"Peace."
--------More Bonus Chapters!!!!
Every 300 power stones = 1 Bonus Chapter