Hi everyone, Kinji here. Long time no see. I think it's been about a year now since I last updated?
Yeah, sorry about that. I've been really busy with stuff, like work, hobbies and friends (Yes, I have friends now. Yay!)
As you can see, I'm still writing, albeit not as much as before. To make up for the long waits between chapters, I'll assure you that each one I do will be at MINIMUM 10, 000 words.
Now, here is the fate/neptunia fanfic I was talking about writing before. Yeah, when u read this, ur gonna notice some changes. I began with Idea 1 in mind but that ended up being retconned.
After watching the ubw anime by ufotable, I decided to use Shirou as the main character instead and now, this story takes place YEARS after ubw.
Hope u guys enjoy it, and please leave a review.
Chapter 0: Even now, the boy strives to be a hero.
Part 1
Allow me to tell you a story about a certain boy.
A boy who strived to become a Hero of Justice.
It was a grand but pure desire.
He did not seek fame. Nor did he seek fortune.
What he sought was a world where everyone could smile.
It was a desire that all boys pick up in their youth, born from their pure, optimistic view of the world.
Even he admired how beautiful that dream was, to devote their lives for the sake of other people.
Despite being unable to recognize his own happiness, the boy genuinely wished for others to experience that wonderful feeling.
It was a goal that many abandon as they mature, as they realize how difficult it was to achieve.
But this person was different. Perhaps it was because he was utterly foolish. Or maybe he was just completely broken.
No, there's no 'maybe' about it. There was something wrong with the boy.
At one point, he lived a humble, simple life. He was arguably no different from any other boy in the neighborhood.
One day, it happened without warning. He couldn't have anticipated it.
A tragedy occurred in his youth. A fire broke out that nearly consumed an entire city. It was a tragedy where a lot of people died.
His family included.
He was the only one survived while others died.
No, that's not quite right. His soul had certainly died.
But he was still saved in the end. Even when it felt like his mind stopped working, his heart still beats.
It wasn't the man who managed to keep his heart beating that saved him, however; it was the look that man had that brought the boy back to life.
The act of saving even a single person brought so much joy to his face.
It was almost as if that man was the one who was saved at that time, rather than the boy.
The man had so much joy from saving even one person, that the boy was envious of him.
Perhaps that's when it began.
When he began to crave for that same joy he did. The joy that comes from helping others.
The boy had no desire, no wish beyond that. He only wanted to save everyone, just like he was saved.
He idolized the man that saved him from that fire. What's more, he admired that man's dream.
To become a 'Hero of Justice'.
That was the dream that man had. It was a dream that he couldn't fulfill.
So the boy vowed to fulfill that dream in his place.
Partly because he wanted to fulfill the man's wishes, and partly because he viewed that dream to be beautiful.
The man worked tirelessly towards that goal.
The tragedy left him empty and he could no longer see his life as his own, nor could he live for himself.
That's why he wanted to devote it to others, as if he felt it was the only way he knew how to atone for his survival.
That idea of thinking was certainly warped. If only that boy had taken the time to realize that sooner.
Instead, he devoted every moment of his life for that single-minded goal he kept close to his heart.
He did not simply give up because it was a difficult goal. Even if it was deemed impossible, he still strove to achieve it.
He was ridiculously stubborn, and refused to yield simply because it was hard.
He truly believed that so long as he kept moving forward, he would eventually reach his goal, no matter how far it was.
So he worked hard for the sake of his goal.
He had no particular talent nor was he born with a natural confidence.
All he had was determination and an unyielding spirit. His desire gave him the strength and focus to continue to move forward.
He learned many things and acquired many skills.
He followed a just road and strove to become the Hero of Justice, he so admired.
He strove to achieve his ideals.
Then a war came. It was a war that brought much pain and bloodshed.
In his eyes, it was indeed a pointless battle. Even insane.
People will die, and even more people will suffer.
He could've easily averted his eyes from that terrible battle if he wanted to.
That's precisely why he jumped right into it.
If people were going to die, there's no way he could look away.
If people could be saved, he would go and save them.
He felt that so long as he didn't give up, he could accomplish anything.
But after a day, that arrogance of his shattered like glass.
The conviction he had towards his ideals were constantly taken beyond its limits.
His resolved was tested at every corner.
Then in the course of all the fighting, he saw it.
He saw the very embodiment of his ideals. The very definition of the 'Hero of Justice' he wanted to become.
Surprisingly, he hated what he saw. For the first time in a while, he found someone that really annoyed the hell out of him.
And that hatred he had was returned in full. That man couldn't accept the boy's foolish ideals and he can't reject them either for he once had those same ideals as well.
That animosity the boy held would stay with him for the rest of the fight.
Indeed, the boy didn't really like that man at all.
But he'll admit that he wouldn't have seen the flaws and hypocrisy behind his ideals if he hadn't come face-to-face with him.
It culminated with one last fight between the two of them.
They clashed with their blades and their words.
The boy's body, along with his heart, were strained beyond his limits.
The difference between their abilities were like a house cat trying to face up against a wild tiger.
Part of him knew that he was no match for that man.
But even then, he had to continue to reject his existence. He had to overcome him.
The one person he refused to lose to is himself.
During the course of that fight, he had to admit it.
His wish to be a 'Hero' was not his own desire.
It was just simply the only emotion that stayed with him after the fire.
That wasn't completely wrong. But it wasn't completely right either.
His dream to be a hero really is his own.
It was because he wished to save everyone despite being powerless, that he pursued that dream.
It was an impossible goal. It was full of hypocrisy and it meant he will only be a tool for others.
He knows that now.
Even so, he still wishes to pursue it.
He wants to keep striving to be a hero of justice.
He won't regret it. Even if the road he follows brings him to hell, he will never think that living his life for others is wrong.
It was ironic. The man who tried to break down the boy's ideals, forced the boy to strengthen his conviction in the end.
The man could've easily killed him if he actually tried. He could've broken his body any time.
But no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't break his spirit.
So he simply gave up and handed the boy the win.
No, that's not completely right.
In the end, the boy definitely won out in terms of spirit.
Now aware of the flaws of his ideals, and now knowing where following his chosen path may take him, the boy was prepared to face whatever ordeals await him.
He survived the war. A lot of people lost their lives and the boy will grieve over them.
But he can't deny that he learned a lot from it too.
The events of that war would then grow more and more insignificant as the boy continues to follow his urge to be a hero.
He would continue to face more trials and tribulations and his experiences would engrave itself into his soul, even if his name doesn't get engraved to history.
He could not save 'everyone' as he would've liked but he would never lose heart.
If he was just simply lacking in something, then all he needed to do is stubbornly train himself until he obtained it.
If his abilities were insufficient, he'd simply become stronger.
He suffered much hardship but he never regretted the path he made.
For he wasn't alone.
Ever since that war, he always had someone had his side.
Someone dear to him.
Someone to look after him and give him a shoulder to lean on when he needed it.
Truly, if it weren't for her, then he probably would've remained broken.
Then after a lifetime of pursuing his dreams, his life came to an end.
He didn't die a spectacular death on the battlefield, nor was he executed for any crimes.
He simply passed away peacefully, having lived his whole life trying to become a hero of justice.
Was he able to become a hero in the end?
He needed no answer for that.
For he knew the path he followed wasn't wrong and he was content with that.
He only laments that he would not be able to save anymore once he reaches the afterlife.
That was when a goddess appeared before him.
She was no goddess that he knew of. In fact, he doesn't think anyone would know who she is.
She was a being that left no evidence of her existence in the world he lived in. It was as if she had descended from a new world entirely.
Even when she gave him her name, he did not recognize it at all.
Of course, he had every reason to doubt the self-proclaimed goddess's every claim.
However, even he could not doubt the massive divine power emanating from her holy being.
Even a complete novice like him could sense that immeasurable, near god-like power coming from him.
So he could not question her godly power. However, he still remain skeptical as to what her intentions were.
Gods were not exclusively on the side of 'Good'. Even he knew that.
Even though the goddess before him was beautiful and gave off a divine charisma that would make even the purist Saint dull in comparison, he knew better than to simply judge a book by its cover.
Then that goddess offer him a deal.
She would produce a miracle that would grant him a second opportunity at life. In exchange, he would become a Guardian to the world she wanted to protect.
He was naturally confused by the offer. If the goddess had so much power as to create a miracle to solve a problem that he couldn't, why would she need him at all?
As it turned out, her time was limited. Despite being a goddess, she wasn't immortal and she had little time left until her power is exhausted and new goddesses take her position.
However, she feared that the new goddesses powers would not be enough to protect the world she loved.
Hence, why she approached that man and have someone protect it from destruction in her stead in exchange for power.
Perhaps her words were a deception. If so, then he couldn't tell. He felt her words and distress were genuine.
And perhaps, he felt a form of kinship with this so-called goddess.
Just as he wanted to save people, she had people she wanted to protect.
Their goals were similar in a way.
And perhaps somewhere deep down, he liked the idea.
If it meant he can continue to save more people, then he would accept the role she had offered him in a heartbeat.
So long as he can continue to help others, he saw no reason to think about it beyond that.
That's why, he accepted her deal.
In exchange for a miracle, he would sacrifice the pleasures of an ordinary man's life to devote his entire being to the world for eternity.
With the goddess' blessing, the young man became a hero that would protect the world from disaster as many times it took.
Like before, he did not regret the path he chose.
Nor did he regret the choice he made on that day.
...However, there was one detail that he might've overlooked when he made that deal with the unknown goddess, which may very well lead to the greatest mistake he ever made.
She never really said 'which' world that he would be protecting...
"Noire, I just finished doing my rounds in the city."
The pale-fair skinned girl with waist length black hair worn up in long pigtails with two-piece black and blue ribbons, looked at me from her desk with wide, red eyes.
"Really? That was fast. How were you able to cover the entire city in a short amount of time?"
"Simple. I went up to the roof the Basillicom and scanned the entire city from there. I only went out to the places that I couldn't see with my eyes."
After my explanation, the girl looks at me like I was an idiot.
"Are you making fun of me? Who would even have that kind of pointlessly good eyesight?"
"...It's an occupational hazard. It comes with using a bow, I suppose."
I had almost forgotten that I shouldn't regard myself as 'normal' in some aspects.
Then again, she wasn't your average girl either.
The girl's name is Noire. And despite her appearance being a teenage girl, she was actually a Goddess.
Honestly, I seem to have a strange luck when it comes to women. Noire in particular is giving me a strange sense of deja-vu.
...No, there's nothing strange about it. The resemblance was uncanny.
The looks, hairstyle and more importantly, her personality.
She was basically Tohsaka Rin without the sense of humor.
...Or friends for the matter. Not that Tohsaka had many friends in the first place, now that I thought about it.
Noire puts her hand on her hip and asks me,
"So? Is there anything to report?"
"A few stray Dogoos almost slipped into the city but I quickly took care of them."
"Good work. I suppose that's it for today. You can go for the day while I take care of the rest."
"I can go' she says. Unfortunately, that was easier said than done. Throughout my old life, I never really took the time to develop a hobby that I can spend hours on.
I suppose I could go out of the city and start fighting monsters to kill time, but such an action would likely be my first step down the road of being some kind of sociopath.
To think that Emiya Shirou, the one who aspired to become a hero of justice, was now reduced to this girl's secretary.
Perhaps this was just my time in hell.
"...Hm? By the way, Noire. Have you eaten anything yet?"
I noticed that her cheeks were slightly lacking in color, eyes look rather exhausted and the rest of her appearance looked worn out.
While people of her kind don't technically need food to survive, they do need it in order to function properly.
While she had her eyes scroll through countless documents, she looks up at me with a dazed look.
"Huh?...Ah, right. What time is it now?"
"..."
I probably should have no right to talk but this girl puts new meaning in the term 'workaholic'.
"The Basilicom should have a kitchen somewhere, right? Alright, I guess I'll start making dinner."
If I recall, it should be down one of the hallways on the floor below where the bedrooms were.
I picked up my feet and began to move. That's when her voice called out to me from behind,
"H-Hold on! I don't need you to do anything like that for me!"
She hastily cries out. I turn my head and look over my shoulder. She looked completely flustered with her cheeks starting to burn up.
I wasn't sure if it was the food she's refusing or the favor. Certainly, preparing food definitely wasn't a part of my job description. I'm sure she knew that as well.
"You may be a Goddess, Noire, but I don't think it's good if the leader of a nation's performance drops due to malnourishment."
"I-I can just go grab an apple or something! You don't need to make dinner for me or anything! People might think we're...you know..."
"Noire..."
Her voice starts to die down towards the end.
This girl needs to learn how to stop being so stubborn and learn to indulge a bit more in others.
...Not that I have any right to talk either.
I sigh. Aware of the kind of person I was dealing with and having dealt with this kind of person before, there was really one method I could think of around this dilemma.
"Think about it like this, Noire. The kitchen is well-stocked with ingredients that can only last so long. It'd be waste of our funds if we let them spoil."
This was the most pointless argument I ever had to make...
"Ah, I see. You have a point."
...But it seemed to have worked.
Noire nods her head while pinching her chin, as if she had just realized it.
Her face still remains slightly red and for whatever reason, she was reluctant to look me in the eye.
"A-Alright then, I wouldn't want to waste anything so I guess I could let you do this. D-Don't get me wrong, though. It's not like I'm looking forward to your cooking or anything like that!"
"Fair enough..."
Even in the end, she remains stubborn.
Noire, you know your lack of honesty is precisely why you don't have many friends.
I kept that comment to myself as to avoid getting stabbed by her sword.
At the rate she's going, I can't really blame myself if I start calling her 'Tohsaka' by accident.
As I leave Noire alone to finish her work, I make my way to the Basilicom's kitchen to prepare dinner.
Part 2
Gamarket, where new games are released at an unrelenting pace.
It is a respite for all who loves games.
This world was once governed by a sole goddess, but has since been split into four nations with four goddesses.
The lonely CPU, Black Heart. She presides over Lastation, the 'Land of Black Regality'.
The royal CPU, Purple Heart. She presides over Planeptune, the 'Land of Purple Progress'.
The volatile CPU, White Heart. She presides over Lowee, the 'Land of White Purity'.
The mature CPU, Green Heart. She presides over Leanbox, the 'Land of Green Origins'.
Each CPU aims to expand their domain, gathering more faith from citizens and converting such feelings into power.
The four nations and the four CPUs are constantly in battle to increase their Shares - their global clout
Day by day, the four CPUs, along with their generals, waged war against each other day by day for complete domination of Gamarket.
...It seems I had stumbled upon one insane world, haven't I?
Back then, I would never have known the existence of a world with a name that's just one bad pun.
I, Emiya Shirou, was brought to this strange world by the sole goddess that once governed this land to act as its Guardian, to protect this world from whatever force of destruction that might threaten it.
Certainly, I agreed to become a Guardian to protect the world.
That was the deal I struck with the Goddess, and I had no regrets doing so.
But even then, I can't help but feel slightly bitter, like a customer who bought a product they saw on TV, only to find out the real thing is nothing like what they exaggerate in the commercials.
To be fair, I didn't really ask the full specifics on how our deal worked. I was simply focused on the fact that there were people that had to be protected.
Perhaps, I was the biggest fool, for assuming that I would've stayed as a Guardian for the world I lived in.
There always has been countless theories of alternate timelines and parallel dimensions jumping around. Heroic Spirits are also beings that exist outside of time and can be summoned to any era regardless of the notions of past and future, even if they are summoned to when their human selves have yet to die.
So knowing that, I suppose I shouldn't be surprised about an entire world that is completely different from the one I knew.
However, this world seems to betray just about any expectation I would have about.
How should I put it?
This world makes my dream of becoming a Hero of Justice a bit 'too' easy...
The threats to humanity in this world were either monsters or megalomaniacs who were so obviously evil that taking them down was really the only 'sane' option there is.
Even I, who wanted a world where everyone was happy, can't help but find this place too good to be true.
It feels like one of those settings where you'd play as the hero in JRPG meant for children...
Even the wars and conflicts in this world seems to be nothing more than a children's game.
Even though the four nations, Planeptune, Lastation, Lowee, and Leanbox are essentially at war with each other, I don't think I've actually seen anyone die.
Well, to be fair, you aren't going to get much supporters from the people from killing each other.
While this world may not be without flaws, I still find the whole concept of this world a bit 'too' sweet for my tastes.
But even if I am in a new world, nothing has really changed for me.
I will continue to strive to be a 'Hero of Justice'.
It doesn't really matter whether I'm in this world or another, I'll continue to save people and protect them so they would never have to cry in front of me.
However, now that I'm in this world called Gamarket...
The path to becoming a 'Hero of Justice' became so short that I start to re-consider my career options.
Since this is a world whose entire foundation is build on games, I worry that being a 'Hero of Justice' might actually be a pointless goal to aspire to for its own reason.
Perhaps the reason the goddess called me to this world, not because the threats of this world were great but because there's no one here to really deal with them when trouble does arise.
From my impression of the CPUs so far, it seems Noire is the only one who really does anything about the threat of monsters.
I became her secretary out of a chance meeting. The girl was in trouble. I simply passed by and decided to help.
One thing led to another after that and soon, she gave me the job to be her new secretary.
I had no reason to decline at the time. In fact, staying close to the CPU makes my job as a Guardian a bit easy.
Also, I suppose I you could say I feel an attachment to her.
Perhaps because she was so similar to another troublesome girl that I felt rather nostalgic when being her secretary.
"At any rate, this is really amazing..."
I stand in the kitchen of the Basilicom, where everything from its pans to the oven looked like it was state of the art.
At least, from the era I come from, the equipment here looks like it's at least ten years ahead of its time.
The kitchen itself was quite large, as if I was standing in a professional kitchen for a fine dining restaurant.
I walked over the fridge and opened one of the doors.
Inside, I can see a whole line up of ingredients that looked like they were bought this morning.
I've done a lot of cooking throughout my life and I could tell just from looking inside that everything here wasn't cheap, even if I don't recognize some of the higher-class ingredients.
Even the food looked like it was stolen from an expensive restaurant.
And Noire insists on nourishing herself on only an apple? It sounds like such a waste.
"Well, I suppose I should get started."
Rolling up my sleeves, I've begun picking out the ingredients out from the fridge that I was most familiar with and placed it on the counters.
I grabbed everything I needed to make dinner.
The menu for tonight consists of a meat and potato stew, some tempura, a lobster salad, with white rice.
Gathering a few pots, I began prepping all my ingredients for cooking on the cutting board before me.
I sort of have this competition going on with Noire at the moment.
You see, she's always been rather too proud for her own good.
Every acknowledgement that comes out of her comes off like she had just lost in something.
That's why, any form of compliments I would get for my cooking from her would come in the form of 'It's not bad, but..." followed by small reasoning about how the food can be just a bit better than before.
I'd be lying if I said her words didn't annoy me slightly. That's why, I began cooking all forms of dishes I could think of, even coming up with new ones along the way, all for the sake of making her acknowledging it and therefore 'beating' her.
I'll admit, It was rather petty and I feel like an idiot for getting worked up over something so trivial.
Then again, I probably shouldn't have cooked her Japanese food that first time, which was the one type of cuisine I held any pride in.
And because of that useless pride, I became determined to 'beat' Noire, with Japanese cuisine naturally.
I suppose when you look at it, it was just a battle of stubbornness so it became a matter of who broke down first.
While I was busy peeling some potatoes, a mature voice grabs hold of my attention,
"My, my, working hard in the kitchen like always, are you?"
I raise my head up to see a woman with long curled golden hair with long bangs neatly framing her face and wearing an off-the-shoulder dark sea foam-teal colored dress standing there by the door with her arms crossed under her rather buxom chest.
"Ah, Vert. Do you need something?"
"Nothing in particular. I was just in my room, playing some games until it dawned on me that I haven't eaten anything in quite some time."
...Huh, now that I think about it, I was wondering where Vert has been since I haven't seen her in 3 days now.
I placed down the kitchen knife and went over to the pantry to grab more ingredients.
Vert walks over, with her blue eyes gazing all over the kitchen counter I was at before.
"It looks like you're cooking up quite the meal."
"Yeah, Noire is neglecting to eat again so I'm preparing her dinner. You haven't eaten anything either, right Vert? I can prepare food for you too if that's what you want."
Vert claps her hands before her mouth, which showed a joyful smile.
"Oh, you will? I am quite famished so that would just be delightful. Your cooking is always something to look forward to, my dear Shirou."
I smirked slightly as I grabbed a bit more out of the fridge before closing the door.
"I suppose I'll prepare some Neptune and Blanc as well. At least with Neptune, there won't be any leftovers."
With a handful of additional ingredients, I walked over to my station and placed it all down to the counter. I picked up the kitchen knife and began prepping again.
Vert, who continued to stand across the counter watching me, wore an admirable smile.
"Always so hard working and considerate. It feels like such a waste for you to be leashed by someone like Noire."
I kept most of my concentration on peeling the carrots and potato in front of me. Despite that, I didn't turn my attention away from Vert.
"...Well, I suppose someone needs to stick around Noire to keep her balanced. Besides, I really have no problems when it comes to dealing with her."
Vert's eyes widened slightly, as if she had just caught something that intrigued her.
"Oh my, judging by that last statement, are you hinting that even you're aware of how troublesome our Noire can be?"
...That wasn't really my intention but now that she mentions it, she might have a point.
"I suppose. I already know that Noire can be a handful."
...Just like a certain someone I once knew.
"...Oh? -Who- are you saying can be a handful, again?"
"...!"
CHOP!
My kitchen knife suddenly ran into the cutting board with a clean motion, slicing off a poor lobster's head like a katana slicing through bamboo.
To be able to cut through a lobster's hard shell like it was nothing...This was a good knife.
...Oh wait, my attention shouldn't be on this, should it?
I carefully raise my head up. I feel like a kid at a horror movie, carefully embracing for the scary parts to occur.
I see Noire standing at the door. While her face was smiling, her eyes certainly wasn't.
How should I put this? I see a barely-repressed desire to kill behind those eyes of her.
It was a look she would normally give to monsters...Or Neptune when she casually mentions when Noire has no friends.
"Noire...Why are you here?"
I chose my words carefully. Saying one wrong thing will give me a death sentence worse than the one I'm already given in.
Noire walks over here. While her legs were thin and the footsteps she made were light, there was a scary tension coming from the light tapping sounds her heels made.
"I was only stopping by to get myself a glass of water when I walked into that interesting conversation you two are having."
While she was talking to both me and Vert, it was clear 99% of her hostility is mainly directed towards me, thanks to my careless comment.
Vert still smiled elegantly, making me wonder what exactly her nerves were made of.
She steps to the side to give space for Noire to stand before me.
I could feel a wave of killing intent coming from Noire's glaring eyes.
"You two seem to be getting along. What exactly are you two talking about, huh?"
The one to answer was not me but Vert,
"Heavens, Noire. No need to get so territorial. I was merely having a light, honest discussion with Shirou, that's all."
"I-It's not that! I couldn't help but notice that you two seem to be talking about me, that's all! It's not nice to talk behind other people's backs, you know!"
Noire argued back to her with cheeks flushed red.
...She has a point though. All this happened because we ended up talking about Noire.
...Wait a minute, I didn't start that conversation.
"I suppose you raise a valid point. My apologies, Noire."
With a guilt-free, charming smile, Vert walks towards the only door exiting the kitchen, in her usual casual pace.
"Well then, I must be going. There is an event boss that will be showing up tonight in Four Goddesses Online that I must prepare for. Oh and Noire? Do be gentle with him. Shirou didn't mean any harm."
And just like that, she just slipped out of the door, like a professional conman talking his way out of a tight situation.
I wasn't a fool. I knew exactly what happened. Basically, I was left behind as a decoy so she would be able to make a clean getaway.
Of course, that's a natural survival instinct, I suppose. I can't really blame Vert for an action so rational.
Even so, I still might accuse you for being a traitor.
"Oh, will you look at that? Vert's gone."
Now, Noire's attention was completely focused on me.
"I think now's a good time to go over your Employee Evaluation."
...I'm doomed.
Part 3
It's hard to tell which is worse: the wrath of a woman or the wrath of god.
On the other hand, I had the unfortunate honor of experiencing both at the same time.
Thankfully, I was able to survive. Being summoned into this world, I was given a body that was quite durable and housed a huge pool of mana for me to use.
I suppose it does have its downsides though. Having a stronger body simply makes it harder for me to die and so, I'm alive longer to feel pain.
I was just lucky that Noire didn't pick up that kitchen knife to do me in.
She just gave me a stern lecture and may or may not be joking about cutting my salary. When it comes to her, it's hard to tell when she's telling a joke.
Actually, I don't think Noire ever told a joke as far as I know so likely, I'm going to have to watch my spending for the next few weeks.
Putting that incident aside, I got back to work and was able to serve dinner to everyone.
The table manners I got from everyone were...kind of what I expected at this point.
Vert and Noire were the only ones who ate like a proper goddess should, with proper table manners and everything.
I would say the same for Blanc, if she bothered to put her book down.
And Neptune was being Neptune.
"Yummy, yummy, yummy in my tummy! Shirou, you just made my tummy happier than an otaku watching anime for the first time in two days!"
"Uhh, thanks?"
With dirty dishes in my hand waiting to be washed, I stared at Neptune, slightly confused by her metaphor.
At the moment, Neptune was casually leaning back on her chair, patting her belly like it was her precious child.
"Oh, I know!"
Neptune than shoots up from her chair, placing her hands firmly on the edge of the table.
She stares at me with a bright shine in her eyes.
"Shirou! After dinner, let's play some games!"
"...Oh."
I was frankly surprised. Since this was Neptune, I was expecting something a bit more...insane.
The thoughts in her head can be described as a chicken occasionally pecking at the ground at anything that even remotely looks like food.
She can be so crazy that I tend to forget how lazy she is.
"Whaaaaat? You don't want to play?"
Neptune asks, looking a little disappointed.
"No, that's not it. I suppose I don't mind playing some games with you."
Neptune's face brightens up.
"Really? Yay! We're gonna game until dawn! You don't mind if you get the crappy controller, do you?"
"Ara, what's this? Shirou's going to play a game with Neptune?"
Vert suddenly joined in on the conversation, most likely when Neptune mentioned the word 'game'.
With a smile, she claps her hands and says,
"This is truly a rare treat. If you don't mind, I like to join in on the gaming festivities tonight as well."
Since Vert has joined in, I suppose I should give up on the possibility of winning.
"How about you, Blanc? Would you like to join in?"
Vert directs her gaze towards a Blanc who was sitting in her chair with her nose in her book like always.
Without even averting her eyes from the page, Blanc nods her head.
"Just for a little bit. I need to go back to my room to work on something later."
"Wonderful."
Vert looks genuinely happy, naturally. It's well-known that she herself is an avid gamer so she would look forward to a night of games with more and more people.
"..."
It was then as while the three other goddesses were smiling in each other's company, that I noticed a pair of eyes glaring at our direction from a distance.
A pair of eyes belonging to the sole goddess who also happens to be my boss.
With her hands on her hips, Noire was glaring at us, almost like a child who would stare at a toy store until the parents bought them what they want.
"*Ahem* *A-HEM*!"
A rather dry (and really forced) cough comes out of Noire.
"Oh, heavens! What's the matter, Noire! Did you catch a cold?"
Vert 'gasps' with a hand over her mouth.
Neptune follows up,
"Wow, that sounds really bad! You should go lights out for the night! Don't worry your pretty little head. We'll be super quiet while playing games. You won't hear a peep out of me!"
...I can't tell if they're playing dumb or just being dumb.
"T-That's not it!"
Noire protests vehemently. Her face was burning red.
"It's just...aren't all of you forgetting someone?"
She puts quite a bit of emphasis on the 'someone'. Of course, there can only be one person she is referring to.
However, Neptune, Vert and Blanc's responses were all:
"Nope! The gang's all here!"
"Indeed. Shirou, Neptune, Blanc and myself. Who else could we be missing?"
"There's nobody else..."
...Those three are definitely doing it on purpose.
"Wha-!?"
Noire's eyes become wide as her face grimaces with disbelief.
I suppose if I don't do something now, she'll become more unpleasant to deal with later.
"Noire, do you want to play with us?"
For less than a second, Noire's face shows a brief sigh of relief.
"Finally-I-I mean, Hmph, s-since you're offering, I might as well. It'd be rude for me to decline. I-It's not like I was waiting for your invitation or anything!"
I don't recall playing video games required an invitation. Especially since it's in your own home.
"..."
"..."
"..."
Blanc, Vert and even myself gave a blank stare at Noire which pretty much said that we expected this kind of stubborn behavior from her.
Neptune, on the other hand, just said it out loud.
"Typical Noire. Can't even play games without putting on the whole tsundere act. It's no wonder you don't have any friends."
Uh-oh, she just pushed a very personal button of Noire's.
The vein on the side of her head starts to throb as she glares at Neptune with murderous intent.
"Grrr, Neptune...! That's it! First Round, you and me!"
...This is going to be a long night.
Part 4
The night of games began, at Noire's insistence, with a fighting game.
It was a 2d fighter done in an arcade game style, with actual joystick controllers and everything.
It was one of those fighting games where there are few characters but they were complex and had a unique playing style and game mechanic that separated each character from one another.
The first...10 or so rounds consisted of pretty much Neptune vs Noire. Noire was pretty much venting her frustration out on Neptune while Neptune played with her usual happy-go-lucky attitude.
The results were...rather mixed. Occasionally, Noire would channel all her fury in her controller and slaughter Neptune and the other times, her blind rage would make her do careless mistakes that Neptune would win.
It didn't help that Neptune kept talking during the fight, further inciting Noire's rage.
Eventually, she finally cooled down and the rest of us got a turn.
The plan was that all of us would face everyone at least once.
That meant I would face Neptune, Noire, Vert, and Blanc.
We played games for about an hour, alternating our turn with the controllers as if we were playing a makeshift tournament.
After playing several rounds, I more or less gained a clear idea about how all our gaming skills are ranked.
Essentially, we have the God-Tier: Vert.
Then you go to the High-Tier: Neptune, Noire and Blanc.
And finally there's the give-up-there's-no-way-you-can-win-tier: Me.
It's not because I'm particularly bad. Even I played my fair share so I know how the game works at least and how to read the command lists.
It's more like everyone else is too insanely good. Seriously, all of them could give professional gamers a run for their money. just how many hours do they spend on these games?
Then again, I suppose if they actually did their work as CPUs rather than waste their time on things like games, I wouldn't even be here in the first place.
"Wow, Shirou, you haven't won a single round yet! Your really suck at these games, huh?"
"No, it's more like you spend so much time playing these games that I start to wonder how Planeptune is still standing."
At the moment, I was playing a match with Neptune. Naturally, I was losing.
Even though I had no expectation I could beat her, I still tried my best to take out more of her health than I did last time which was why my fingers still moved furiously over the controller's buttons, slowly trying to tear down my opponent's HP meter.
Of course, that task would probably be easier if only Neptune stopped talking.
"Still, I'm starting to feel like an evil, lunch money stealing bully picking on you like this. Maybe I should go easy on you, or maybe just give you a win so you don't feel like such a loser."
"Neptune, I think those are the kind of things that you keep in your head, rather than voice outloud."
"But you see, I'm not the main character, ergo, the narrator of this story so who's going to hear what I say in my mind, except for me?"
I think that's precisely the whole point of why you even keep those words in your head in the first place.
"Oh, I know! We should set up a penalty game for Shirou for every match he loses!"
The idea came out of Neptune's mouth.
Vert seems to clap her hands in agreement.
"That's a wonderful idea! And I have just the perfect one! For every game Shirou loses, he will have to make the winner one dish of their choosing for dinner tomorrow."
...I better start grabbing a pen and paper before I forget. Also, how much do these girls plan on eating?
"...So what will happen if I win?"
Once I asked, Neptune started to laugh,
"Hah hah hah, silly Shirou! You're not going to beat us anyway! But if you win, I suppose you can make us do whatever you want, so long as it stays PG-13!"
Anything I want, huh? There wasn't anything that I especially want from any of them.
However, that comment Neptune made earlier about not beating them sort of irked me so I suppose if I anything to work for, it's that.
"Fine. I suppose if I win, I'll make you take back your words."
"Really, that's it? You win a game and all you want is that? Come on, you should say something like 'If I win, then Noire has to wear a maid costume and call me a 'Master' for a day!' or something."
"Like hell I'm going to do that...! Grr, Neptune...! Don't give Shirou any weird ideas!"
I can hear Noire yelling from the couch behind me.
"Uh-oh, Noire's getting jelly. Well anyways, Shirou. I hope your fridge is stock full of eggs! Because I demand one pudding for every time I beat you!"
That was a rather normal request. Especially considering I just served her some custard pudding about an hour ago.
Even so...
"Damn, I won't let you win so easily...!"
My fingers began to move faster as they rapidly tap the buttons on the controller with my eyes focused on the game characters on the TV.
I felt a fire lit in my heart as my mind became focused by the competition.
Even someone like me would prefer winning over losing, even for something as trivial as this.
I then played the game with Neptune, putting everything I had in my thumbs.
It could be just her words goading me on but I felt like I really didn't want to lose to her.
My game character began to fight against Neptune's more defensively, mirroring the subtle change in my hand movements.
However, Neptune's character was pretty good at blocking my hits also. As I thought, she plays this game way too much.
I relied on simply attacking Neptune whenever I see an opening or a lag in her attacks, then trapping her in a combo that I tried to keep as lengthy as possible.
Neptune also responds with her own aggressive combos.
Eventually, our fight became a war of attrition. Both sides threw out defense and merely focused on bringing down each other's HP as fast as possible.
The end result: I lost.
I did get one round in, however so it wasn't a complete loss. However, it was still a loss nonetheless.
"Alright! Boo-yah! Looks like someone just won herself a free pudding!"
Holding her controller high up in the air, Neptune does a victory roar.
"Damn, I'm getting tired..."
Maybe it's because it was loss after loss with me but my mind felt drained.
I leaned back on my seat and took a few deep breaths.
Honestly, I find beating monsters in actual combat to be a more relaxing activity than this.
"Aww, too bad, Shirou, there's always next time!...Or not. I'm getting tired of winning actually and I got my free pudding ticket so that's all I need. Hey, Vert! Wanna round?"
At Neptune's challenge, Vert wore her usual smile that is always shining with elegance...
...but her eyes were burning with a flame stronger than anything found in even the depths of hell.
"Of course. What kind of gamer would I be if I refused a challenge? You don't mind if I go all-out, do you?"
Even Neptune, as dim-witted as she is, did not remain oblivious of Vert's competitive aura.
"Whoa, Vert's got her game-face on now...Oh wait, she always has her game face on, now that I think about it."
"Indeed. Now, Shirou, will you step aside? I need to educate Neptune on how to really play this game."
"Sure."
I did not object, since I wanted to get out of this game for a bit myself. Passing Vert the controller, I scoot back so she could take my seat right next to Neptune.
With both sets of eyes focused on the TV, the two girls focused on nothing else as they mechanically moved their thumbs over the control like a well-oiled machine.
...Now if they could only put this much focus and effort in doing their actual day jobs...
For a while, I was just sitting there with my legs and arms crossed, quietly observing Neptune and Vert as the two play their game.
"...Hey..."
Then, I feel a tug on my right sleeve. Turning my head, I see Blanc sitting on her knees with her fingers pinched around the sleeve of my elbow.
Her whisper barely reached my ears.
"Blanc, what's the matter? Do you need something?"
I raised my brow with slight curiosity.
Blanc was arguably the smallest out of all the CPUs here. But don't let her size fool you.
She has the strength -as well as the temperament- to be a perfect Berserker class servant.
And while she is generally quiet, timid she is not.
The girl leans forward towards me, until she was almost standing on her knees.
Cupping a hand around her mouth to keep her voice from being heard, her words flowed into my ear gently.
"...When you're done, come to my room later. I need to talk to you about something."
My brain paused for a second before silently agreeing to her request with a nod of my head.
As soon as I made my silent gesture, Blanc patted her knees and stood up. She gives me one last meaningful look before she heads back to her room without even a word to the others.
"...? What was that about? Shirou, what did Blanc say to you?"
Noire, who was sitting on a couch nearby gave me this absolutely confused look on her face.
"Ah, it seems Blanc has something she wants to discuss to me about when I have time. I don't know much other than that."
"...?"
Noire's eyes looked like they were full of questions. I tried my best to look confused too.
I'll admit, I may have a vague idea about what Blanc might want to talk to me but I can't say anything without clear confirmation and even if my assumption was true, if I said too much, Blanc will most likely take her hammer and pound my bones to dust.
After all, this was Blanc.
She would only one real reason to call -anyone- into her room.
Part 5
"So...? How is this?"
"Hmm..."
"No? Then...There. Is this any better?"
"Y-Yes...actually, I'm not really sure. I don't really have much experience in this."
"...Tch..."
Did she just click her tongue at me?
For some reason, I am in Blanc's room, helping her out in writing out her latest novel.
...Okay, so saying I am 'helping out' is exaggerating it quite a bit. Really, I'm just helping her brainstorm ideas and giving my opinion on them, and honestly, I'm not being all that helpful.
That aside...
I was in Blanc's room.
Now that I look at it, she had three bookshelves lined up against each other, filling up an entire wall on one side of the room.
Each bookshelf was also filled on each row with books. There were even books stacked on top of each other on one row.
Just how much does this girl read exactly...?
I was sitting on a neat white rug at the center of the room. At the coffee table before me, there was a glass of cup filled with milk sitting on a coaster sitting near me.
I suppose that's her form of hospitality. But why was it milk...?
Next to the glass was a small piece of paper. On it, was her idea for a story.
I read it and well...I'm pretty sure if I was 100% honest about it, I would be tossed out the window and a perfectly good section of the wall of this room would be violently torn off.
Blanc was sitting on her desk at the corner of her room. Her pencil was moving furiously on the sheet of paper sitting on top of it and I don't think she's blinked once ever since she began looking at it.
"Blanc, is there a reason you keep asking me to help with your story? I think there are other people in the Basilicom who will offer better help than I ever could."
Blanc didn't even look at me as she just continued working.
"What are you talking about? There's no one better than you. I mean, a warrior that comes from another world? There are a ton of inspiration and original ideas that can come from someone with your kind of background. "
That's...actually a pretty good idea, Blanc. Good job.
"Just hearing about your history is giving me all kinds of ideas for my story."
...I think I should stop you now before your story scars little children for life.
"Alright then, how about this then?"
Blanc turns on her chair, sitting on the edge on the side as her hands hold onto a single piece of paper.
"Ahem..."
Clearing her throat, Blanc reads her story proposal out loud.
"The story is about a main character with a mysterious past. He hails from another world and was transported in the world where the story takes place and this is how the story will begin."
This sounds familiar...
After reading, she then looks towards me. Although her face remains stoic, there was a glimmer of anticipation trembling in her eye.
"So...What do you think?"
She wants my opinion. All I can say is one thing...
"I think this kind of story has been done already."
Rather, I'm already living it. I will become troubled if this story ends up becoming the Documentary of Emiya Shirou.
It'd be like a celebrity watching a movie where they were the main star. It'd just be awkward and uncomfortable.
Also, this will sound rather self-deprecating but the whole 'hero from another world' thing sounds like lazy storytelling.
"Hmm, I see... Too bad... I thought this would work."
Blanc looked genuinely disappointed. With a sad face, she shifted back to her desk and picked up her pencil once more.
Taking a fresh sheet of paper, Blanc went back to scribbling ideas down on it once again.
Before, she looked rather motivated. Now, her shoulders were rather slumped and I could tell she was a bit down.
It made me feel rather guilty for rejecting her idea but I had no choice. If she ended up being charged for plagiarism and I did nothing to prevent it, I would feel even worse about myself.
...Actually, hold on. Does it count as plagiarism when the tale she is ripping off really did come from another world?
It'd probably be better not to chance it.
So basically, my primary duty is not only to ensure Blanc writes a good story, but to make sure we don't get sued for copyright infringement.
After putting the finishing touches on her piece of paper, Blanc drops her pen as if she had found the answer she was looking for.
She turns on her chair and faces me again while holding that sheet of paper close to her as if it was her most prized possession.
"Alright, now I'm confident about this one."
First, Blanc took a deep breath and then, read out her proposal,
"So 'the main character is a mage, who gets dragged into a battle royale between other mages for a coveted relic that could grant the user any wish they desire. In this war, mages are allowed to summon familiars or 'Servants' to aid them in battle'. I know this will definitely work. What do you think, Shirou?"
"..."
...I should say something now before we get sued for plagiarism.
Part 6
Not long after I finished talking to Blanc, I head back in my room.
Keeping the lights off, I took a seat on the floor next to my bed.
Just before midnight, I go back to my usual routine of practicing my magic before I sleep.
I suppose I shouldn't have a reason to do this anymore. However, my body and soul have become so ingrained in the process that I honestly get restless at night if I don't do it.
I take a deep breath and calmed my mind.
I completely ignore my entire surroundings and focus only on what was inside me.
"Trace, On."
The familiar words slipped out of my mouth, naturally.
I closed my eyes and began to concentrate.
A single circuit opens up in my mind, and lights green as the magical energy begins to flow through it.
It seems no matter how many years have passed, I'm still a novice.
I can only use one kind of magic, after all.
The magical energy begins to channel through my right arm, forming around the palm that is waiting to grasp the weapon that is about to be formed.
Tracing is the magic that allows me to project the weapons in my mind and bring them out into the real world for me to use. It's a bit different from the normal Projection magic that simply allows you to create the object.
Tracing allows me to also copy a weapon's history as well.
Now, don't get me wrong, I do not create swords. I do not have the talent for that kind of magic.
I merely create copies of swords that I've seen throughout my life. At a glance, I can record the history, composition, and design of any weapon I come across and commit it to memory.
But I don't exactly create the weapons.
The actual reproduction is done in 'another plane of existence' where the necessary material to make them are already provided.
I merely bring them from that place into the real world, using projection.
In other words, I'm a counterfeiter who can only fight with fake weapons.
"..."
Silence was necessary. The tracing won't work if I lose focus for even an instant.
I cannot rush the process. Due to the effort put into creating them, the items can remain stable for a long period of time but not if the process is done half-heartedly. If I'm too hasty, the weapon produced will be physically weak and shatter upon physical impact.
Slowly I go through the seven steps that makes up the tracing process.
First, I judge the concept of creation.
Second, I hypothesize the basic structure.
Third, duplicate the composition material.
Fourth, imitate the skill of its making.
Fifth, sympathize with the experience of its growth.
Sixth, reproduce the accumulated years.
And Seventh, excel every manufacturing process.
The process is finished. My right hand grips onto the sword that was just created from nothing.
I open my eyes and I can see it before me.
The black yang-sword Kanshou. One half of the married pair of yin-yang dao swords. The partner of the white yin-sword Bakuya.
It is the sword that I wanted to project. The process was a success. Since I took my time going through the entire process thoroughly, the structure of the blade is much sturdier than what I usually trace. Out of all the blades I can project, these swords are among the fastest I can trace efficiently and it only requires a small amount of mana to create.
But that's not the real reason I like using these swords.
It's because I find the craftsmanship of these swords are really beautiful and captivating. That's really all there is to it.
Even though I have an unlimited number of swords I can project, I always go back to using those two swords as my weapon of choice.
I place the black sword down to the side. This was just a warm-up. I wanted to create at least 9 other different swords before I turn in for the day.
The time it takes as well as the amount of mana required to create a sword always differs between each one. Creating a sword like Kanshou or Bakuya would require little effort for me now.
However, if you ask me to trace a weapon like the legendary sword of promised victory, Excalibur...just creating an inferior copy of it, it would probably kill the old me when my body was human.
Even being given this new body, which arguably has similar (but overall, lower) specs to a CPU, tracing a weapon like Excalibur arguably requires some special conditions to get it done.
And even if those conditions are met, I'm certain trying to trace a copy of Excalibur at its full power will not only last about a few seconds, but it will probably use up all the mana in my body.
That's just how powerful the King of Knights fabled sword really is.
I look up at the wall clock above my desk. No more than 2 minutes have passed since I began doing this.
Hardly any time at past at all. Even though I took my time to go over each step properly, the time passed hardly felt like anything compared to those days when I just started to train as a magus.
The pain that comes from performing this magic is almost non-existent too. I also remember the first time I traced Kanshou and Bakuya vividly, like it happened no more than a week ago.
Not only was the whole thing incredibly painful, but it left my entire left side paralyzed for a whole day.
Now, tracing Kanshou only comes with a brief, tight stinging pain to my nerves every time I project it. like they were being pricked by a few needles.
I've definitely come a long way with my magic ever since I started.
Although...I do not think I can say that I came this far all on my own.
"..."
Without meaning to, the image of that knight in the red coat peered out from my distant memories and into the forefront of my mind.
I have no idea how many years have already passed but it seems even if that number were to be a hundred, I can't seem to get him out of my head.
Even though I've only known him for only a week, the memories of our swords clashing will just never go away.
If he were here now, I can imagine his smug grin as he taunts me with something like 'It seems even death can't cure your apparent idiocy'.
An idiot like him has no right to talk.
I'll admit, despite being reborn, my intended goal hasn't changed.
I still want to be a hero of justice.
I only have one question in my mind.
Have I surpassed that person? Or do I still have a ways to go?
...Crap, I'm starting to get irritated now. Even my memory of him is starting to piss me off.
I won't be able to continue my midnight training while I'm like this.
I suppose I shall go to the kitchen and get some water to cool down.
Part 7
I wasn't joking at all when I called Noire 'Tohsaka without a sense of humor'.
Any idiot could tell the similarities between them.
But that's all it is.
Don't get me wrong, I don't see Noire as a replacement for Tohsaka.
Those two are similar, but still two very different people.
If I had to continue to list off any more differences, I'd definitely say Noire is a lot more stubborn than Tohsaka, which makes her even more troublesome to deal with than her.
And Tohsaka is already pretty troublesome to deal with as she was. So most of the reason I'm here is to make sure Noire doesn't work herself to the ground.
While Tohsaka has no problems fighting dirty, I can't imagine Noire even asking for help.
That girl is her own worst enemy and that's precisely why I need to keep an eye on her.
Noire also had a tendency to wear black, as opposed to Tohsaka's red.
As you can see, these two are still their own person with just as many differences as similarities.
So, I don't see Noire as a substitute for Tohsaka. Noire is Noire.
...Of course, that doesn't mean I can't still use the same tactics on her as I did with Tohsaka. If it works, don't bother to fix it.
...
...It hits me again. Tohsaka isn't here with me anymore.
Of course, it only takes for her to be gone for me to finally understand what 'loneliness' feels like.
We've been together for so long, up until the end of our natural lives.
If I had any regret about coming here, it was that I wasn't able to have her come along with me.
I suppose my deal with that goddess was an entirely foolish one. I suppose I should've consulted her about my decision but I was technically dead at the time and I couldn't exactly ignore people who might be in trouble.
I can imagine her screaming at me of how much of an idiot I am, while still trying to encourage me to continue on this road of mine.
It's going to sound strange but every time I think about her, I feel like she's right there next to me, encouraging me on or scolding me for my faults.
I suppose that's only natural after being around her for so long. Even though I'm here by myself, I feel like I'm not alone. I feel like she's here with me, supporting me and giving me a good scolding when I need it, even now.
The memories of the life I spent with her are still with me, reminding me to stay on the path I decided and that my choice, despite the regrets and pain it might bring, is not wrong.
I'll admit, I had seen hell many times. I've seen many people cry and seen many betrayals.
-However, I never fell in despair nor did I ever regret the decision I made.
Most of all, I never became like 'him'.
-Thank you, Tohsaka. I'll keep doing my best here as well.
-Go, Shirou. And don't even think about cheating on me while you're there.
...I wasn't sure how I imagined her voice saying those words but given my situation, I feel like that is something she would say.
After a trip to the kitchen where I quenched my thirst with a glass of water, I was just about to head back to my room upstairs to continue my routine.
However, on the way back, I noticed something peculiar as soon as I enter the hallway where my room was.
"Hmm?"
The door to my room was only on the right side of the hall near the end of the hallway from where I am standing. However, my attention was drawn to the room at the end of the hallway.
If I recall, that was Noire's room. Normally, I would expect the door to be completely closed and the hallway so dark that I would barely be able to see what was in front of me.
However, that wasn't the case here.
The door was left ajar and there was a rectangular frame of light peeking through the cracks, dimly illuminating the hallway.
That thin glimmer of light alone drew my eyes towards it, almost like I was staring at a black dot on a white piece of paper.
Naturally, I was intrigued by it.
It was so late but I still sense a bit of activity going on from behind the door.
What was Noire up to in there?
Normally, I would just leave it alone and go back to my room.
However, I couldn't just simply ignore this.
Think about it, if Noire doesn't get a good night's rest, then tomorrow, she'll be too tired to do her work properly.
Her performance will probably go down to about 25% of her maximum capacity. She's going to fall asleep in the middle of her paperwork, doze off during important meetings and will be moving targets for any monster's we'll have to fight.
We'd be lucky to make any progress at all, tomorrow.
As her secretary, I have a good idea what her schedule is like when the sun rises and I know that she needs to be in tip-top shape if we want to get everything done for tomorrow.
I suppose a friendly reminder to tell her to sleep wouldn't hurt.
Although I would be lying if I said I wasn't curious at all at what she was doing this late at night.
Knowing her, she's probably working even now, when she's supposed to be asleep.
I suppose I have no right to talk on the subject but over-working is going to do more harm than good.
So, I quietly crept closer to the door. I shuffled my feet as gently as possible, careful not to wake the others who must be fast asleep at this point.
Easy does it. Just imagine you're a ninja, Emiya Shirou. Be one with the shadows.
I make it to the door without a single peep of noise coming from me. I gently pushed the door in, just enough that I could fit my eye in the slightly enlarged gap and peek inside.
I drew a silent breath into my legs and in a low whisper, tried to speak quietly,
"Noire-"
...!
My breath suddenly stopped after barely uttering her name, and my whole body just froze up instantly.
My heartbeat, which I had try to keep steady, was throbbing loudly enough that I could practically hear it.
My eyes opened wide and it felt like as soon as I looked inside her room, it felt like I forgot how to blink.
Now, Noire's room...was exactly like I expected. Neat and tidy, even down to where the pencils were placed on her desk. From a glance, I can tell she cleans this room regularly as I didn't see even a single speck of dust anywhere, even with these eyes of mine.
It wasn't the room that shocked me...as much as it was the occupant.
"Heheheheh~"
Noire was...giggling. For some reason, Noire was giggling. For some reason, I got nervous just from watching Noire giggle to herself.
Is this what it means to be out-of-character? Rather, what is it that I'm looking at exactly?
I see Noire standing in front a full-length mirror on the wall, dressed in...cosplay?
"Hehe, I should've tried something with red a long time ago~"
To clarify, Noire's current outfit consists of a red turtle-neck with a cross-design on the chest, a black skirt and long black socks and her hair, while still in the traditional twin-tail look, was wrapped in black ribbons this time.
This looks familiar...
After this, just about everything I said about Noire being a different person from Tohsaka was thrown out of two-story window in my mind.
At this point, I can't really say that's the case anymore.
"I was reluctant to put on something that goes with the same color of my eyes but..."
She twirls around in front of the mirror.
"Tehehehe~"
Muttering to herself happily, she examines her features one by one, grinning happily he entire way.
I honestly have a lot of complicated emotions that I don't even know where to begin with.
1. To think that she would resemble Tohsaka this much.
2. To think that she had cosplay of Tohsaka in the first place.
3. To think that of all outfits to where at this particular time, it would be this one.
4. To think that Noire actually cosplays.
I have a hard time prioritizing which one of these shocks me the most.
To think that stubborn, serious, friendless Noire...would have a cute hobby like this.
How should I put this?
I feel a strange sense of guilt for peeking on her like this. I imagine she was only trying out cosplays in her room while everyone is asleep because she didn't want anyone to find out.
And now, I just found out. I suppose this is going to make any further interactions between us a tad bit more awkward.
Although as far as she knows, her secret is still protected.
...Alright, I know what to do.
I'll close the door, slowly creep back, head back to my room and pretend that none of this happened.
Therefore, Noire's secret is safe (in her mind anyways) and I can put this whole thing behind me.
What she won't know won't hurt her.
I began to enact step one of my master plan. I prepare my feet to move back slowly.
However, as soon as my fingers lightly grabbed the door handle and pulled it back...
*Squeak*
"!"
The door groans on its hinges. The sound was faint but loud enough for anyone reasonably close enough to hear.
"...Wha!?"
Noire reacts with lightning-fast reflexes. Her whole body freezes up as she looks at the door with a horrified expression. Her entire body froze in that pose she was dancing around in earlier, making her body look like one of those weird art sculptures.
...The plan backfired. I should move to Plan B: don't die.
Her eyes met with mine and my eyes locked with hers.
"Sh-Sh-Sh-Shirou...!?"
Noire stutters as she forces my name out with a powerless tone.
We stared at each other for a while as a dry silence goes by.
A draft sweeps in, slowly pushing Noire's door open completely, leaving both of us completely visible and aware of each other's presence.
"..."
"..."
This is awkward. I should say something to break the tension.
"Umm...Yo!"
I gave her a light wave of my hand as I greeted her.
...I think I just made the situation even more awkward now.
Noire's whole body was shivering, as if she was currently standing in a winter snow storm.
Her entire face was burning red with embarrassment. She looked like she wanted to cry.
"H-H-How much did you see...?"
"Umm, I suppose the right thing I should do is lie in this kind of situation but that will probably piss you off more so...roughly around the time you began giggling in your outfit?"
"..."
"Umm, it was like 'Hehehehe~'. That's how you laughed and that's what I first heard."
"I didn't need a clarification on 'that'! FORGET WHAT YOU SAW!"
While still in her Tohsaka cosplay, Noire picks up her rapier near her bed and chases after me with the intent to kill.
It seems between her words and her actions, her goal changed from 'wiping my memory' to 'straight-up killing me'.
"Shit...!"
Naturally, I ran, dodging the thrusts from her blade and all her attacks.
Noire rampaged throughout the halls of the Basillicom, mowing down all in her path and her sword stabbed through several places on both the walls, floors and ceilings.
Perhaps it was the outfit but I was getting a weird sense of déjà-vu from all this running.
"Hold on, Toh-I mean, Noire! Calm down! You're going to destroy the entire Basillicom at this rate!"
"A small price to pay to protect a CPU's dignity!"
"There's nothing dignified about killing me over something like this! Just put your sword down already! I won't tell anyone about your cosplay hobby!"
"Aaah, don't use that word! In fact, just shut up and die, already!"
Next Chapter Preview
Shirou: Well, I suppose that wasn't so bad as a first chapter. Now-
Noire: HOLD IT!
Shirou: Uwah! Noire!? What's the matter?
Noire: 'What's the matter'? What kind of first chapter is that? Where's the buildup? How are you suddenly my secretary and what is Neptune and the others doing in my Basilicom? Don't you think we maybe may have missed a lot of important events before we got to this point?
Shirou: Yeah, well, the author thought it was for the best that we simply give a random event to show what we are like before we actually begin the story.
Noire: Well, I don't care what the author thinks. I don't want him to half-ass it like he did with Neptune. This is a fanfiction where I am the main heroine and so he'd better not ruin my reputation. Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to have a little talk with that guy...
Shirou: Wait, Noire-...She's gone. Great, it's only the first chapter and already, it looks like we're going to need someone to adopt this story.
Next Chapter: The REAL first chapter: The CPU of Lastation: Lonely-I mean, Black Heart!
Noire: Since you guys are already here, y-youou might as well leave a review...H-Hey, d-don't get me wrong or anything! It's not like I'll be happy or anything if you do leave a review!
Shirou:...