[After a thorough analysis of your potential and latent talents, I have concluded that the spells best suited to your abilities are Reinforcement, Projection, and Alteration. These are the disciplines in which you have the greatest chance of excelling with proper training.]
Shirou wasn't particularly surprised. These three spells already formed the foundation of his training—the only ones his father had agreed to teach him.
Reinforcement consisted of enhancing the substance and structure of an object by injecting magical energy into it, targeting its weaknesses and Structural flaw . The spell simply amplified the properties already present in the object.
Yet he did not excel particularly. At best, he could only reinforce an object correctly once out of ten attempts… and even then, only after create magical circuits with his nerve at the cost of intense pain.
Projection, on the other hand, was the area where Shirou showed the most talent. This spell allowed him to materialize an imagined object from magical energy, reproducing its structure, materials, and design from a precise mental image. However, the objects thus created remained imperfect: hollow, unstable, and inferior to their real counterparts.
Kiritsugu had often told him that it was better to reinforce an existing object than to project one from scratch and then modify it. In his eyes, Projection was merely a waste of energy: improving something that already existed required far less magical energy and proved far more efficient, especially since projected objects were always inferior to their originals.
He had explained it in with very simple terms.
If one took the example of a knife with a value of ten, using Projection would at best create a copy worth three or four—an object with the same shape but far more fragile and of inferior quality, while spending five units of magical energy.
By contrast, applying a Reinforcement spell to that same knife could improve its properties and raise its value to twenty or even thirty, while spending only two units of magical energy.
For Kiritsugu, the calculation of efficiency was obvious. The conclusion was clear: improving what already existed was far more efficient than creating an imperfect imitation—and required less energy.
Shirou found this profoundly frustrating. Discovering that his only real talent was considered useless would have discouraged anyone. Yet he had never given up. With stubborn determination, he had even developed his own method, based on a seven-step process designed to stabilize his projections.
Despite this, Kiritsugu had dismissed the idea with a simple judgment: in his opinion, the approach had no real potential.
In the end, Shirou hardly used Projection anymore except as a way to vent his frustration whenever his Reinforcement attempts ended in failure.
As for Alteration, Shirou had never actually practiced it due to his lack of experience. Still, he understood its principles: a discipline halfway between Projection and Reinforcement, allowing a mage to modify an object's properties—making steel elastic, for example, or as malleable as clay in order to reshape it.
Lost in thought, he recalled Kiritsugu's teachings and what he had learned from Raphael. The words echoed in his mind like an ironic refrain.
Reinforcement, Projection, Alteration…
These were the only spells he could use even slightly. And yet his father had called them useless, because they were difficult to learn and took too long to master.
But he felt they held hidden potential. An intuition—or an instinct—told him they were meant for him, that he had to persevere.
As he drifted deeper into his thoughts, Raphael interrupted him:
[It is neither intuition nor a mere instinct. These spells are most suited to you for a precise reason.]
Shirou raised his head slightly, surprised by Raphael's sudden interjection.
"A precise reason? What do you mean?"
[You possess a natural affinity for these disciplines. It stems from your innate alignment with the Sword.]
Shirou frowned, trying to understand.
[Because of this alignment, you have lost the ability to precisely master the magecraft of the five great elements. However, in exchange, you have gained exceptional talent as a specialist. The fact that both your elemental alignment and your origin are tied to the Sword has allowed your soul to develop a unique characteristic known as an "innate Reality Marble".]
Shirou blinked, stunned by the revelation.
"Reality Marble…?" he repeated hesitantly. The term was completely unfamiliar to him.
[Yes. A Reality Marble is a very high-rank form of magecraft, a rare and extremely powerful arcane, considered one of the pinnacles of magecraft, on the boundary of true magic.]
The mechanical voice continued its explanation, still calm and devoid of emotion.
[It allows its user to project their inner world and impose it upon reality, creating a bounded space where the laws of the world are replaced by those of their soul.]
A brief pause followed before the statement continued.
[This is not a spell that can simply be learned through study. To manifest one, you must either possess an exceptional innate talent, or belong to a lineage of mages who have spent generations—sometimes centuries—attempting to develop it or approach it, with no guarantee of success.]
Shirou frowned, trying to comprehend.
"But… I've never manifested anything like that. I didn't even know I was aligned with anything. Why didn't Kiritsugu ever tell me?"
[Because this goes beyond the knowledge of most mages, who know of the concept only by name. Your father, moreover, is far from being an exceptional mage. He was not a magus in the strict sense, and he did not seem particularly eager to teach you magecraft. Even if he had understood the true nature of your potential, he could have easily judged it too dangerous—or simply impossible—for a novice. Reality Marbles are considered taboo by the Mage Association. Individuals capable of manifesting one are seen as anomalies. In many cases, they become subjects of study: mages who may be apprehended for examination and analysis by their peers.]
Shirou remained speechless, a mix of shock and disbelief coursing through his mind.
"A taboo…" he murmured, his thoughts tangled.
[That is correct. Reality Marbles are not only rare; they are seen as a difficult subject of study for mages due to their innate nature, as there are very few people who can serve as study subjects.]
A strange warmth began to rise within Shirou—not worry or doubt. He hadn't felt anything like it in a long time. Perhaps it was a form of excitement—he didn't know.
"So… I really have something unique?"
[Yes. Thanks to this Reality Marble, you possess abnormal abilities in the fields of Projection and Reinforcement. You can utilize capabilities of your Reality Marble even without manifesting it.]
[The seven-step Projection process you developed is, in fact, a derivative of your Reality Marble.]
Shirou blinked, baffled by the revelation. He had never expected that the technique he had developed could one day hold such significance. His father had never ceased telling him to abandon it—a useless and ineffective spell.
"Very well… so, when do we start?" he asked, his voice vibrating with impatience.
[Yes. However, before starting, you must first learn to open your magical circuits at will.]
Raphaël's voice resonated calmly in Shirou's mind, and he immediately understood that this step was crucial—the foundation of everything he was about to accomplish, and what had been missing before his encounter with Raphaël.
Shirou nodded. "Alright, tell me what I need to do," he replied, resolute not to overlook anything.
[To open their magical circuits, every mage has a mental trigger that varies from person to person, depending on what the mage felt when these circuits first opened. To open your circuits again, simply recall the sensation and the image that came to your mind when they first activated, and you will be able to open them at will.]
Shirou furrowed his brows, focusing on Raphaël's words.
"Remember the first time?" he murmured thoughtfully.
He dove into his memories, searching for that particular sensation. He recalled a sharp pain, as if something was burning inside him. Then, an image came—fire…
no, not exactly fire. It was different , like the heat of a metal in a forge . A sound came to his mind, like a hammer striking hot metal.
[The hammer striking the metal heated . Focus on this image. Let it fill your mind, and feel that heat again.]
Shirou closed his eyes, remaining perfectly still. He inhaled deeply, letting his mind conjure the image of a hammer striking metal on an anvil.
"Trigger On."
Shirou uttered the aria he had used for the first time.
Gradually, a familiar warmth rose within him. This time, however, it was not nearly as intense as during his initial attempts. It was far more manageable—pain, though still present, remained well below what he had experienced in his previous training sessions.
"Did I… succeed?"
[Yes. Your magical circuits are now open.]
Now that he had finally learned to open his magical circuits, Shirou could no longer wait. He burned with impatience to test his abilities.
He grabbed a metal pipe—the very one he had prepared for his evening training—and assumed a stance, ready to begin his first practical exercise.
The first step to successfully performing Reinforcement was to accurately analyze the nature of the targeted object. Whether done superficially or in depth, this understanding had to encompass both the internal structure and the material composition. Without it, any attempt would fail—or backfire.
Shirou closed his eyes for a moment, took a slow breath, and projected his concentration into the cold metal between his hands.
He then let his magical energy flow slowly into it, guiding the current with extreme care. Each pulse, each vibration gave rise to an ever-clearer mental image of the object: its shape, its density, its imperfections. He focused all his concentration on perceiving and understanding every part of matter, as if trying to become one with it.
It was a simple pipe for plumbing, made of galvanized steel. An industrial, mass-produced item, identical to thousands of others. Its structure, functional though it was, contained numerous minor defects that weakened its durability. These irregularities, etched into the steel, became clear in his mind.
Now with a precise mental image of the object, Shirou moved to the next step: deciding how to reinforce it. He chose a simple but effective solution—enhance the object's strength to make it capable of withstanding stresses far beyond its original capacity.
Having defined his plan, Shirou proceeded to the final step—the one that had always troubled him most, where he had failed almost every attempt.
He took a deep breath, mentally preparing, and pronounced his aria:
"Trace On."
A green line spread along his arm, coursing through its entirety before extending into the metal pipe.
Finally, Shirou began channeling his magical energy into the object. The energy coursed through his circuits and flowed into the pipe, methodically filling its flaws and imperfections. With each defect he corrected, he seemed to perceive it vanish, replaced by magical energy.
However, the intense heat from his circuits began to make itself felt, and a dull ache settled in his arm. It wasn't unbearable, but it was unpleasant enough to distract him at times. Nevertheless, he persisted, for this pain was far less than what he had endured when he previously had to create a temporary circuit just to practice Reinforcement.
Finally, Shirou held the reinforced object in his hands. He could feel the difference: the pipe was now sturdier, its internal structure far less flawed, filled in by the magical energy he had poured into it. Yet, he knew full well that he must not push further.
With his lack of experience and skill, forcing it any more could compromise the object's integrity. An overload of energy or a misstep in the process could not only undo all his work but even destroy the object entirely.
Shirou slowly released his magical energy, stabilizing the Reinforcement before withdrawing the flow completely from the object. He examined the pipe, a quiet satisfaction washing over him. This was only the beginning, but he knew he was making progress. He had never had a single opportunity to perform such a complete Reinforcement on an object—but now, he was able to do it, even though he still had a long way to go.