Fate/Stay Night Sea of Souls
Chapter 3
Rin sat on her armchair, reflecting on a crucial piece of information presented to her by her Servant just a few moments ago. She was just minding her business in the study when her Servant got back from his job. This has been their routine for the past few days. Usually, he would report that not much happened during her absence, or tell her about the bits of memories he just recalled from working at the bar in Miyama City.
She thought it would be the same routine earlier, and she was wrong. When her Servant got back, despite just getting back from work, he prepared some tea for her and himself. The moment the young Servant mentioned his visit to the magus from Finland, her blood instantly boiled and she started to spat out questions faster than her Servant could answer them.
Makoto simply kept quiet and waited until his Master paused to catch her breath. When Rin finally did, he answered every question in the order they were asked, still as collected as he always have been. In summary, he explained that his visit was mostly influenced by the deal they had agreed on a few days ago.
The young Master knew this of course, but couldn't help herself from questioning the young man anyway. The haughty foreigner's attitude was just too insufferable for her liking. Just remembering the events that transpired after the blonde's and her Servant's agreement in exchanging information, reignited the fury that Makoto thought had already calmed down.
As the young woman continued with her soliloquy, the blue haired boy went back to reporting what else happened earlier in the day. Although he rather not tell her about his latest findings due to the nature of the Holy Grail War, he knew that it would be enough to bring Rin out of her dark place. It could, after all, determine the very outcome of the entire event.
Just like he did with the young Edelfelt, he turned the pages of the large brown tome for his Master to read. The only difference is that Rin will be the first one to see the pages that recently revealed itself, the Magician. Although, his Master was the first to read its contents, it barely brought her out of it. It wasn't until he mentioned that the Arcana represents his new coworker, a magus, that she started to pay attention.
Rin knew that there would be other magus that will start appearing as the Holy Grail War drew closer. But she didn't think they would come into contact with someone so soon. Of course, there is no guarantee that the same person will be participating it, but then again there is no definite way to determine this without further looking into it. Regardless, it is a good opportunity to identify any and all potential Masters. They could already start making plans, and neutralize any threat with a pre-emptive strike before they become too big. Neutralize being the key word.
What really got to her was that it was someone around their age. Not only that, it was someone she was familiar with, or rather, someone close to her is familiar with. Shirou Emiya is a boy that her beloved sister has watched from afar for quite some time, just like she did with her. It was only last summer when her sister finally worked up the courage to approach the red-haired boy. Although the two sisters have never really talked since the adoption, Rin still cares deeply for her, and she wasn't about to destroy probably the only connection her sister held close to her heart.
With this in mind, she finally reached a conclusion.
"Makoto, I want you observe him for now."
Although he still did not show this, the blue haired boy was relieved to hear that his fear was needless and uncalled for, at least for now. But it begs to question what to do from here on out.
"Is there anything specific you want me to look out for?"
"Yes, his hands." Rin showed her Servant the two remaining Command Spells on her hand. "Before the Holy Grail War starts, some magus show signs of Command Spells forming before a Servant is summoned. On my case, there were no signs of the Command Spell forming until after I summoned you. If you didn't notice him being a magus until you shook hands, could either mean that he isn't aware of being one or that he is just that inexperienced at being one. But in either case, it also means that he isn't a Master, at least not yet."
"I see. Tohsaka-san, if you don't mind me asking, do you know Emiya-san?," inquired the blue-haired boy.
"What makes you say that?"
"I had a feeling that if it had been a different person, you might have decided on a different approach in this."
[Like flaying him and making him her minion.]
Paying no mind to Harbinger's comment, Makoto already knew the answer the moment his Master's eyes widened for a fraction of a second after he mentioned the name Shirou Emiya. It wouldn't be a farfetched idea considering they were from the same school.
"Well, the fact that you regained some of your memories by interacting with him, we'll be killing two birds with one stone with this plan." After pausing for a moment, Rin spoke again, "While we're on the topic of gathering information, starting tomorrow, we'll start making rounds in the city." She pointed at her Servant in an attempt to be threatening. It was a good try. "We still don't know how you'll match up to the other Servants with your current skills."
[Rin-chan, ye of little faith ... then again she's right, we haven't had the chance to show off yet.]
The young Master thoroughly explained her plan. In summary, they were to scout the city looking for potential Masters. Considering Makoto's near undetectable presence as a Servant, he will serve as the point-man, while Rin will be a little ways away from him in case things went south. Once one is found, they are to observe his/her activities on every opportunity available, while searching for others. Most importantly, they are to watch out for any changes in the prana they give off.
When a magus becomes a Master, they leak a substantial amount of prana to sustain their Servant. The amount released would be enough for any competent magus to determine the existence of the contract.
Once they confirmed the presence of a Servant, they will extend their surveillance for that Master, while continuing to keep a low profile. Their next course of action when dealing with both Master and Servant will be determined by their findings.
The boy had no problems with surveillance duty,. but was concerned with some details that must be pointed which could endanger them both, Rin especially: their status, and Rin's prowess.
As a Master, the young brunette is already homing beacon for trouble. While Harbinger is capable of cloaking her to certain extent, it would only work up to a certain range.
Rin displayed remarkable skill in physical combat from her previous encounter with certain blonde foreigner, but would it actually be enough to fend off a Servant? Of course, depending the Servant, she might stand a chance. Then again, a Servant is known to be several times stronger than a human, and the most effective way to remove a Servant from the Holy Grail War is to kill its Master and keep it from making contracts with anybody else.
Lastly, in terms of skill in Magecraft, Rin has yet to display her skill for Makoto to make an accurate assessment. And with her little "accident" in summoning the blue haired boy, he couldn't help but question her abilities.
Makoto voiced his concerns without batting an eye. Although, Rin was miffed about his last point, she couldn't admit to him that she was prone to making mistakes. Instead, she addressed him with complete confidence with her answers.
Though it is true that any Master or Servant will sense the young woman to be a Master, she already had some simple countermeasures to ensure her safety.
One of the most important roles of any Servant and Master is to preserve the secrecy of the Holy Grail War. No Master would be foolish enough to let their Servant run around in public, much less attack someone in the open. Staying in crowded areas would be ideal, especially those in enclosed spaces in case they were dealing with an Archer.
In the event that the enemy Master's goal is to attack ordinary humans for some unknown purpose, including the young magus, it will require a method that requires eliminating any and all potential witnesses in one fell swoop. Such a method would need a significant amount of planning and preparation, like those of a Bounded Field. If Rin and Makoto played their cards right, they would have anticipated such a tactic and foiled the enemy Master's plan's during its initial stages.
There were still some things the blue-haired boy would like to point out before concluding Rin's plans to be sound, but decided to set them aside for another time. He still wanted to hear what Rin has up her sleeves in the event that they were compromised.
"The Tohsaka have been known to be very capable in martial arts. Of course, I am no exception. I'm sure you noticed this during my little squabble with that blonde cow," Rin stated.
[A sacred cow to be worshipped equally as Nandi, if not greater.]
"A Brawl, not a squabble. It ended with a draw since Father Kotomine had to interfere," commented the blue-haired boy.
[Interloping killjoy of all-time, and destroyer of all men's dreams and fantasies. He should just -]
Rin's eye twitched for a moment, but decided to ignore her Servant's comment. She went ahead to explain the Tohsaka's specialty, Jewel Magecraft. Despite the foreign terms the young magus used, her Servant still managed to understand the concept of the practice. It mainly revolves in embedding prana in jewels. The nature of the spell is determined by the type of jewel used. Although the properties of the spell can be changed, it will be a weaker version of the desired spell.
[Huh ... why the sudden interest in Magecraft?]
'It wouldn't hurt to know more about what we'll have to work with in the future, since I still don't know what 'Persona' is.'
[Don't worry! When the time is right, you'll know.]
'I hope so.'
Crash!
Thou art I ... And I am thou ...
With the blessing of the Fool Arcana,
Thou hast come closer to thy answer to a new journey
Ding ...! Ding ...! Ding ...!
"Huh... I didn't realize it was already this late. Before I turn in for the night, I just need to make sure of something," said Rin.
The young magus walked towards her Servant, and stopped at a distance closer than an arm's length. The two were in close enough in proximity that Makoto could smell the sweet fragrance coming from her hair. Rin took a good look of the young man before she looked down to keep him from making eye contact. It was evident that she was a bit restless.
[Rin-chan! Could it be ?! I knew you would finally realize your true feelings.]
Rin said something in such a hushed voice that Makoto didn't understand her.
"Excuse me?" asked the boy.
"Makoto ..." said Rin in a hushed voice, but this time a little more audible for Makoto to hear.
[On the eve battle, the young soldier remained silent after telling his lover the terrible news. The army was set leave in the morning to face the enemy.]
'...'
[ Apart from her muffled sobs, the young soldier's lover remained silent. He understood as he too was unsure if he would come back. War is terrible thing, and it's never complete without casualties. Despite this, he wanted to share this night with the woman loves.]
'...'
[He reached out to touch the side of her face. She held his hand in return, welcoming it's warmth. They gazed longingly into each other's eye's before the found themselves-]
Makoto ducked as a familiar fist missed hitting him squarely on the jaw. He didn't even have enough time to breathe when he had to jump a few feet away from the young woman's knee strike. Sensing that Rin wasn't going to pursue, he looked back at her and was met by smirk.
"It's good to know that despite your calm disposition, you're taking things seriously. I'll be counting on you to be just as alert from now on. Good night!" Rin finished as she turned on her heel towards the door.
By this time he returned to his usual posture, alarmed but still unperturbed by what just transpired. Rin was testing him, or perhaps an attempt to get back at him for questioning her abilities. The blame wasn't on her though. If he was half the person Rin is, he might have been a little bit offended. He mentally sighed at her childish behavior, but made a nearly non-existent smile.
Crash!
Thou art I ... And I am thou ...
With the blessing of the Lovers Arcana,
Thou hast come closer to thy answer to a new journey
[White ...]
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Ever since she summoned Makoto, Rin has made a habit of staring at her ceiling every night for what seemed like an eternity before drifting off to sleep. Often times she would think about what she would see next in her dreams. Although, she ends up forgetting most of it, the parts she does remember were getting clearer by the day.
Tonight is different though. Her mind wandered off and lead her to think about her Servant's most recent acquaintance, Shirou Emiya. She didn't know the red haired boy personally. She's seen him a number of times and they never exchanged anything more than simple greetings, and the occasional pleasantry. The boy's obsession of helping people always did strike her as odd, especially when the student body deemed him worthy of the name "Homurahara's Brownie." She also found it surprising that he was a very skilled archer, until he quit the club last summer.
Not even once did she think that he was magus though. There are only two families of magus that reside in Fuyuki city. The Tohsaka being one of them. The other one doesn't have any suitable heir to have a proper magus, much less a Master. But if anything, it would have been someone from that family.
So many questions came one after another around the subject, that Rin didn't realize her eyes gradually became heavier. Her last thought on the matter was on how to handle the situation should the young Emiya manage to summon a Servant. Rin didn't manage to finish thinking about it though, as her mind finally gave in to exhaustion.
The blue-haired boy was eating at a ramen shop with one of his classmates. He then listened to his companion's monologue, still incoherent to Rin. However, from the boy's gestures, they were about ramen and women. Although, the friend was actually doing most of the talking.
The blue-haired boy stood before a handful of students in what looked to be the room for school's student council. He was being introduced by a familiar red-haired girl.
The blue-haired boy was carrying a large stack of books around. He was accompanied by an elderly couple. From how he was dressed, he looked to be just helping out, instead of being a part-time worker for the two. Despite his usual demeanor, the elderly couple still enjoyed his company.
The blue-haired boy woke up seeing nothing but white. Before he could properly look around, a voice caught his attention. It was the girl in pink. Though her face was still hard to make it out, she seemed to wear a relieved expression after seeing him wake up.
The blue-haired boy watched on impressed, along with a boy wearing baseball cap and a girl in pink sweater jacket wrapped around her waist, as an older teen wearing a beanie and pea coat caught a fist from a delinquent. Even more so when the older teen head-butted the delinquent and knocked him off his feet The delinquent's friends, who surrounded them spouted something incoherent to their savior. After saying a few words of his own, the teen merely gave the shady group a sharp glare. The delinquents, in response, retreated with their tail between their legs.
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For the next couple of weeks, both Master and Servant planned to follow through with their plans. They would scout the city for any magus using Harbinger's unnatural senses until they confirm the presence of the remaining six Servants.
At least, that was the plan.
After the first few hours on their first day, they learned of an important flaw in their plans. He had expected it, but could do nothing about it. It was out of his hands, after all. Their time was limited from morning up to a point when Harbinger gets bored and starts whining about doing something else.
Rin found it ridiculous for the fact that their intelligence gathering is hindered by Harbinger's whims. It was to a point that she started thinking that it was her Servant's way of messing with her or his weird way of procrastinating.
Though she had to admit that the voice in her Servant's head has a very keen sense in detecting magus. In no more than a week, despite the various set-backs from the same source that assisted them, they were able to identify a great number of magus. It wasn't long until a week later when Makoto, in place of Harbinger, confirmed a sudden change in one of the flow of prana in one of the magus they were observing. A certain amount of energy would starting flowing out of the magus' body like a river. Much like it does with Rin according to Harbinger. It most likely resulted from summoning a Servant, Rin concluded. The rest, however, were either checking in or checking out of a certain hotel, which Rin remembered to be where the young Edelfelt was staying.
The Edelfelt is a renowned family of magus of great status and wealth. For someone with high stature to arrive in their city, it wouldn't be strange to see a number of hopeful suitors attempt to woo the young lady, magus or not.
It infuriated Rin to no end. Even more so on days when her Servant decides to use the unnecessary free time Harbinger has provided them to pay the young foreigner a visit. She would've stopped the boy if it didn't help recover his memories.
However, instead of letting it get to her, she used the time to do more research on her familiar. She has failed miserably so far, but perhaps she was going on about it all wrong. It was time to take a different approach. Instead of finding out who her Servant was, maybe she will have better luck finding where he was from.
With that thought in mind, she tried to recall every dream she's had so far. Her Servant was around her age, so she tried recalling anything related to a school or educational institution. No such luck. Any memories she had were mostly inside the school, so she couldn't make out anything distinguishable. She did realize, however, that the classrooms look high-class. Next, she recalled anything related to his home. It was a wasted effort. Her Servant moved a lot, and the most recent memory she has about his residence seems to be a co-ed dormitory. She went through several other possible leads and eventually ended up on one particular fragment of her Servant's memory, a certain bridge.
The man-made structure had appeared in her dreams only a handful of times. Despite this, she can't shake the feeling that it is a very significant place for the blue-haired young man. Of course, because of the obsidian tinted environment and a sea of what seemed like blood, it begs to differ if the structure was of this world. If the conditions were different though, if it were like how they normally are, then it would be a very significant landmark. Undoubtedly, the structure was a suspension bridge, one of many kinds. From what bit of scenery she could gather, the bridge connects one land formation to a larger one over a body of water. In this case, she's most certain that it connects an island to the mainland.
With all this information to consider, it greatly narrows down the material she needs to look into. And she wasn't even done yet. This of course, considering that the young man was from Japan. But like they say, she will cross that bridge when the time comes.
Two weeks passed.
It was late at night. The boy hid himself amongst the shadows on one of the rooftops surrounding their target's home. Tonight, he had already been at it for the past three hours since he got off from his part-time job. It was already part of his routine since Harbinger discovered the change in one of the magus they were observing. Though the targeted magus made little to no changes in his daily routine, it was undeniable that the man had become a Master. They have yet to confirm the Servant's class, but they weren't taking any chances by getting too close, at least not right now.
Another discovery the young brunette learned was that she could finally communicate with through their link as Master and Servant. She had attempted to call on her Servant a few weeks prior when he went missing, but with no luck. It resulted in her use of one of her Command Spells. It was only until recently during their stakeouts when she finally became successful. She thought it was a result of Makoto's imperfect Summoning, but then again she would never admit that.
"Anything new?" asked Rin. Maximizing Harbinger's ability to conceal the unusual prana flow Master's often let out, she blended in an area a block away from him where a considerable number of people are roaming around.
"No," the boy replied, which resulted into an exasperated sigh on his Master's part.
"We've been at this for days! Are you sure Harbinger's not slacking off again?" asked the young woman, clearly annoyed.
[Rin-chan, if you only knew what I wouldn't do for -]
"He said, 'he's sure,'" answered the boy on the voice's behalf, summarizing Harbinger's answer despite not being finished. Although, both Master and Servant had established a form of communication, it was still troublesome since Makoto still has to relay any important information from Harbinger to his Master.
Another hour passed by with no incident, and it was getting to a certain someone. That certain someone being Harbinger. Without Harbinger, it will make things harder for the two to continue. Not only that , the number of people in streets is starting to dwindle, making it dangerous for Rin. It was then the young brunette decided to call it a night.
Just before Makoto left his position, a sudden outburst from Harbinger caught his attention, stopping him in his track.
'What is it?'
[I can feel something.]
'Can you be more specific?'
[It's like a significant amount of Mana is starting to gather somewhere.]
As soon as he heard this from the voice in his head, Makoto started looking around the night sky from every direction.
Around the time when they found their first enemy Master, Harbinger mentioned that he felt a sudden swell of energy coming from some unknown location. Moments later after trying to sort out what to do, through Makoto's eyes, just barely out of the young Servant's peripheral vision, Harbinger yelled out to look at the sky and face the northwest. Makoto couldn't see anything noteworthy, but Harbinger did. The voice said that a significant amount of Mana were gathering northwest from where they stood. Harbinger described that the way the energy gathered in place was like a giant whirlpool in the sky. The course of action was obvious, investigate. However, before reaching their intended destination, the vortex of energy suddenly disappeared. It wasn't a problem though. The general direction it was in was nearby a certain person they had been observing, a magus they had been observing since the fourth day of their reconnaissance mission.
[Over there!]
Makoto immediately stopped looking around the moment Harbinger spoke up again. He was looking at the sky, facing the eastern part of the city.
"Makoto, what's going on?!" Rin interrupted.
"Rin, I think we got something here."
"Did the guy make a move already?"
"No, not this guy. Harbinger found something strange in the sky in the southeast."
"It could be another summoning ... Go on ahead before it disappears."
"What about you?"
"I'll catch up. Let me know if there's any new developments."
With this Makoto rushed towards the eastern part of the city. He leapt from rooftop to rooftop at heights and distances he never thought possible for him. When the he got to parts of the city that had too many people in it, he took to the streets weaving through people with great skill and finesse.
Though he already began to understand his role in this war as a Servant, it still felt somewhat unreal to him. No doubt, as more Masters show up and the fighting actually begins, will he feel even more at a loss.
The young Servant came to a stop when he was finally made it halfway across Shinto. He looked around the skies once again for Harbinger's benefit. Perhaps he was close enough for Harbinger to make out an accurate destination.
'Yeah it's still there. Just keep going south from here.'
'Are you sure?'
[Of course I'm sure. Have I ever told you anything unnecessary before ... don't answer that. C'mon, let's get going!]
The reason he asked because there aren't any magus they had observed to be living in this direction, and any further will the forests at the outskirts of the city. He had previously scouted that area and found nothing other than an old mansion.
He had thoroughly looked around the place with Rin. Sure enough, the building was devoid of any signs or indication that anybody had been living in it. Then again, due to someone's insistence of 'doing something more interesting," it was not impossible that they may have missed something.
Makoto continued his way further south glancing at the sky every now and then to make sure he was still on track. It wasn't long until he reached the mansion. He stopped for a moment and asked Harbinger if it was the place. However, the voice said to keep going, and so he did. After a few moments from leaving the mansion in the forest, Harbinger saw a change of mana in the sky up ahead.
[Hold on!]
'What is it?'
[It's gone. The mana in the sky is beginning to disperse.]
It didn't take a genius to figure out what it meant. Whoever it was in the forest had managed to successfully summon his or her Servant. At this point, it would be dangerous to continue running at his current pace. Taking cover from behind one of the trees, he made to contact Rin.
"Rin, something's come up. We're in the forest south of Miyama passed the mansion. Harbinger said that the mana in the sky is starting to disperse," Makoto reported to his Master
"We're too late, huh?" said Rin as she sighed.
"Most likely. I haven't encountered anyone suspicious so far, and were pretty close to the center of it."
[Tell her we'll continue on. We might still get a chance to find out their identity ...]
"Harbinger said we should continue. I agree," Makoto continued, while ignoring Harbinger's next words.
[... and I don't want to spend an entire day looking for this guy.]
"Are you stupid?! Do you truly grasp who or what you could be dealing with there?! And besides that, you're unarmed!"
While Rin spoke to him about every danger he might be facing, he spotted something nearby. Though the moon was out as it illuminated the night sky, it did little help. Luckily, his eyes have adjusted enough to make out what it was. It was a wooden tool shed.
Attempting not to alert who or what else is in the forest with him, he sneaked towards the small structure and noted how old it was. It must have belonged to the same person who owned the mansion. Seeing as the larger structure had been abandoned, he was sure nobody would mind if he took a peek inside.
He cautiously took the door handle and opened it. The door's rusty hinges mildly creaked, making it more evident how old it was. He peered inside. Other than some old gardening tools, there was nothing out of the ordinary inside.
The blue haired boy walked inside and was met with the subtle smell of rusting metal. He ran a hand on one of the tools propped up against the shed's wall closest to him. It was an old shovel covered in a layer of dust. When he picked up the object, its wooden portion of its shaft was aged to the point of breaking. He returned the gardening tool before it could break apart in his hands.
Makoto continued to quickly scan the room, looking through each tool until he saw a manual hedge trimmer. Like everything else in the shed, it was old. Its blades were rusty but still sturdy-looking. They were also long and only slightly shorter than its wooden handle. But unlike the shovel, the shorter tool's wooden handle felt sturdier in his grip. But only that portion, because as soon as he thought this, the trimmer broke apart from its pivot point. It left him with two halves of the once scissor-like gardening tool, which now looked like two rusty swords. Despite its broken state, he nodded to himself in approval. He kept one half of the hedge trimmer with him, and left the other propped up against the far wall of the shed before leaving.
"That's one problem solved," he told no one in particular, forgetting that Rin was still speaking to him through their link.
"You think a rusty old gardening tool will help you defeat a fellow Servant?" Rin yelled at him.
Before he could reply, he felt the cool and gentle breeze from the night air against his face. He welcomed the pleasant sensation considering he had just come out a rather stuffy and dusty room. That was all he welcomed though, because along with it came a subtle and unsettling smell.
It was the smell of metal. One would think that it had come from the rust-ridden tools from the shed he was just in, or from the makeshift weapon clutched in his hand. But no, the direction of the wind was opposite the small structure a few paces behind him, with its door already closed. It also couldn't have come from the object he's holding since the steady flow of the weird smell in the air was not proportionate to its size.
However, at the back of his mind, he knew what that stench was. For some reason, despite losing his memories, his mind had permanently engraved the scent in his brain. The reason being, although he has yet to remember why it is, is that it was the stench of metal he had grown accustomed to in his previous life. It was a sickening smell he came across every night since the night his parents died in that terrible accident. It was the all too familiar scent of blood.
Out of curiosity, Makoto clutched the rusty tool in his hands tighter as he crept towards the direction the smell was coming from. Each step he took risked alerting whoever or whatever is in the forest with him, but something inside him told him he needed to know.
After walking for what seemed like an eternity, he could finally make out a clearing not far ahead, illuminated by the moon in the night sky. However, the number of trees between him and the clearing made it hard to see what was in it. As he got closer, his surroundings gradually became quieter than he thought was possible. So much so that you could practically hear a pin drop. Even the soft whistling of the gentle breeze was no longer present.
Upon entering the clearing, the blue-haired boy immediately saw where the subtle scent of iron was coming from. Near the other end of the empty tract of land was a person in a black business suit lying down surrounded by blood-covered grass. With the person's face turned away from him, he didn't get a chance to properly identify the stranger, other than the fact the person was female. Even knowing the possibility of a trap, the boy couldn't help himself from rushing to the woman's aide anyway. Seeing the unknown figure's chest rise and fall, he was relieved to at least know that the person was still alive. Little did he know that the moment of relief was only temporary.
[WAIT!]
With Harbinger snapping him out of mad rush, it wasn't long when he had to force himself to stop in his tracks, halfway through the space between him and the seemingly unconscious stranger. Having been given the moment to assess his surroundings a little more carefully, alarm bells started ringing in his head. There was definitely somebody in the woods with him, and he could feel its strong piercing gaze boring right through his skull from somewhere in the shadows. The undeniable amount of killing intent was difficult to ignore.
The young Servant took a moment longer observe his surroundings. He glanced left, right, forward, behind, and upwards towards the branches of the trees. The entire time, he tensed his leg muscles just in case he needed to immediately get away from his position. The area was still devoid of any noise, but unlike before, the silence of the forest had become deafening.
After a minute of waiting, which felt like forever, of no detectable change in his surroundings, he decided to inch towards the prone body, but not for a moment did he let his guard down. He still kept looking around. As he got closer to his goal, something at the corner of his eye caught Harbinger's attention, causing him to direct his attention towards one of the branches in the shadows. In the eyes of a normal person, it would be nothing but darkness. In Makoto's point of view, there was a shape of someone crouched on a tree branch with a pair crimson red eyes staring back at him. In Harbinger's point of view, it would be the same as Makoto's, but the prana coming from the person was clear as day.
"Pretty impressive. I didn't think anybody could have found me this quickly," said the person lurking in the shadows, after being discovered from his hiding spot. The person then proceeded to jump off the tree branch he was standing on, and into the clearing.
With help from moon's pale glow, Makoto was able to get a better look at the person who stalked him in the darkness. It was a man older than him and considerably taller. He had blue hair, cut short in front but long and tied to a low ponytail at the back. The man wore a form-fitting body suit which covers his entire body other than his head and hands. The only noticeable piece of armor he wore being the silver spaulders on his shoulders. In his hands, was a long crimson spear which he hung across his shoulders.
Makoto was undaunted by the man's smirk and menacing gaze, but remained silent and at high alert in case the older man tried something.
"What are you doing out here so late at night, kid? You might get attacked by a wolf or something," said the older gentleman, his gaze never leaving the boy.
"There are no wolves in Japan," the blue-haired boy retorted.
[REALLY?!]
Instead of being insulted, the man chuckled. " And here I thought you couldn't talk. Well, there might not be any wolves, but there could be wild dogs. Still, dogs or wolves, it doesn't change the fact that it's dangerous to be out woods with no one around this late at night. After all..." The blue-clad warrior skillfully spin his weapon as he pointed it towards Makoto before continuing, "... you just met me."
Makoto held his makeshift weapon in front of him as a response, but didn't say anything.
"It's nothing personal, kid. But orders are orders." The man then proceeded to lunge at his younger target with a thrust of his weapon.
Makoto jumped to the side at the last second, missing by mere inches. He's currently facing a dilemma. There is a wounded person nearby and has lost a significant amount of blood, by the looks of it. He preferred not to drag the fight with his attacker, but it can't be helped right now. Not only that, he needed to stay away from the unconscious woman for now, or else involve her into more danger. Abandoning the stranger is also not an option.
[Of course not!]
Even if he did, he doubted he could get very far considering the man's exceptional speed. He also has the advantage with being armed with a strong weapon with a good reach. Stalling until a better plan comes up is his only option for the time being. Luckily, he didn't need to worry about that. His opponent was chatty enough for having the advantage. All he needed to do was to keep him interested in the battle, without having him go all out.
"Nice reflexes kid, I'll give you that. But don't think you can escape me and my spear forever" the man stated, before launching a series of thrusts.
The boy managed to dodge the attacks aimed for his chest and stomach, but had to deflect the ones aimed for his head and arms.
"Ho? Not bad. Had the circumstances been a little different I wouldn't mind sparring a bit" the man continued before resuming his assault, this time starting off with a swing.
[C'mon! Concentrate! Try to remember!]
'That's what I've been doing this whole time'
Makoto remained on the defensive, having a few close calls. The last attack just ripped the fabric on his shoulder. When the man saw this, he grinned and started to pick up the pace.
"What's wrong, kid? You're starting to get sloppy," the man said, this time during his assault while grinning madly.
The situation was getting worse. He can't keep it up for long. Time was running out for the unconscious woman as well. And just when he thought things couldn't get any worse, the world decides to mess with him even further. Then again, he only had himself to blame. There was one other factor he forgot about. He was just reminded with it when the sound of running footsteps can be heard coming their way.
"Tsk, more company? Anybody you know?" Seeing as the man didn't get a reply from the boy, he continued. "Maybe I'll get rid of our new guest so we can continue, then."
Makoto was screwed. It's already too late to warn Rin. He could already see her trademark red sweater thanks to the moonlight that manages to pass through spaces between the cluster of leaves from the trees. But was he really? With Rin here, she could get the wounded lady out of here and find her some medical attention, or at least stabilize her till they can find better help. He just needs to distract the man further. This time, he broke the silence.
"Should you really be worrying about anything else right now?" Makoto asked.
"Starting to feel a bit chatty now, huh? What makes you think I shouldn't?" said the man as he rested his spear against his shoulder.
"I guess when face to face, even a Servant can't tell, huh Lancer?," the boy said, emphasizing on the man's Servant class.
The man identified as Lancer widened his eyes for a moment, before becoming serious. "What did you say?"
Before replying to the spearman, he spoke to his Master through their link "Rin, be careful, there's a Servant nearby, and a woman that badly needs medical attention. Stay low and get both of you out of here. I'll keep Lancer busy."
"What - ?!" Rin asked before getting cut off.
"Sorry no time to explain." Makoto ended before addressing Harbinger.
[Got it!]
Lancer was getting impatient. The boy knew what he was, and yet didn't at all seem bothered by it. He was just about yell at the him, when he witnessed a drastic change in the air surrounding the teenager. The man didn't know why he didn't sense it before, but the boy in front of him was just like him. A Servant.
A mad grin spread across Lancer's face before speaking. "Aren't you full of surprises? So, what are class are you? An Assassin? Then again, with your eyes you could be an Archer."
"Due to certain circumstances, even I don't know," the boy answered.
"Hmph! Whatever it is, you haven't one-upped me yet, so it wouldn't matter, anyway"
The young Servant wasn't bothered one bit by Lancer's remark, but he did decide to take the offensive this time. He needed to make sure that Rin and the woman get out of here safely. Whatever the cost.
With this in mind, Makoto dashed towards his target, and swung his weapon. His opponent easily deflected the attack, but he used the momentum for a round-house kick. The boy missed again, but never gave Lancer an opportunity to counter, always closing in followed by either a slash, a thrust, a punch, or a kick. Right now, his only advantage would be to get up close where he won't meet the deadlier end of his opponent's weapon of choice.
At one point, Lancer got too far to attack, Makoto drew him in to the closest tree. The boy fought with the tree at his left, limiting any and all attacks from that side. He finally found a small window of opportunity to get close again when Lancer overextended his thrust on his left side and missed. Makoto used his left arm to press the spear against the tree, with his left hand keeping the weapon in place. Both struggled for a moment before the blue-haired teenager drove his weapon, not towards his opponent, but towards the tree, in a diagonal fashion just below the shaft of the spear in his hand. It will only keep Lancer's weapon stuck for a second, but it was long enough to tackle the spearman to the ground.
.
Meanwhile, Rin was able to sneak past the dueling Servants. The young magus was upset with the blue-haired teen for ordering her around, but decided to let it slide for now. She was rather curious how he was faring against another Servant. The situation didn't allow her to spectate for long, or risk being discovered by Lancer. Although, during the brief moments she glanced at her Servant's battle, she couldn't help but be surprised that it was the same person who's been with her for the past few weeks. There was a fire in eyes that she's only seen when he was truly determined to accomplish something. It may have very well been the reason she chose not to question him, at least for now.
After making sure that she was out of Lancer's field of vision, Rin snuck towards the injured woman. It took some effort for her to fight back the sour taste building up from the back of her throat from what she saw. Seeing the unconscious woman earlier from one side of the clearing, you would assume that she was perfectly fine, if you chose to ignore the bloodied grass surrounding her. However, after seeing the other side you'd be surprised how wrong you are.
The woman was bleeding profusely on her left arm. And, It wasn't just some cut, it was cleanly and completely severed from her elbow. The wound was still fresh with the constant flow of blood. Having a closer look at the wound, Rin barely managed to fight off the urge of vomit.
After finally collecting herself, she needed to make sure the stranger was still alive. The woman's breathing was shallow and her pulse exceedingly weak. Rin needed to work fast. Using magecraft of any form might attract unwanted attention, especially Lancer's, so she had to do it by hand.
She removed the coat and tore off the remainder of the woman's left sleeve from her arm. The young magus used these material to cover the wound, and bound it to prevent any more bleeding. Satisfied with her handiwork in first aid, she prepared to move the unconscious woman, and noticed the woman's missing limb at the corner of her eye in the shadows, just a few feet away. They needed to make themselves scarce as quickly as possible, but had some difficulty doing so due to their difference in height.
As for the two Servants, the battle raged on but the younger blue-haired combatant is on the defensive once again. His weapon is at its limit. It was already a surprise that it lasted this long. He could also feel his body beginning to tire.
"It's been fun, kid. But I still have orders to carry out," Lancer said before performing a few thrusts with his spear and ending it with a swing, which connected to the boy's side. The attack sent the boy flying into a tree a few meters away. The tree shook violently causing some of its leaves to fall.
Despite the tremendous amount of pain he was in, Makoto stood up and returned to a fighting stance.
"I guess as a Servant, you won't give up easy, huh. But c'mon, we both know how this will end anyway. It's just matter of who dies first. It's either you ... " The spearman also returned to a fighting stance and smirked before saying "... or your pretty little Master over there. "
There was no discernible reaction from the younger Servant, but Lancer knew it shook the boy up.
" You didn't think I would find out eventually, did you? It's partly your fault. Even though you were fighting me, your mind is somewhere else. You always made sure that I was facing only one direction, even if it meant getting hurt in the process." Lancer sighed. "I gotta admit. Your Master is pretty brave. Mine is a complete coward. Don't worry, I'll make sure to make it quick for her."
The younger Servant attempted to stab his opponent, but his attack was parried and was once again sent flying, but this time towards his retreating Master. His body skipped the ground before skidding to halt a couple meters from Rin and the unconscious woman.
Said Master yelped at the sudden company. It was Makoto. He was badly hurt, his clothes were disheveled and torn all over. Each tear sported blood from a variation from shallow to deep gashes on his arms and legs.
Before Rin could ask if he was alright, he was already moving to stand up. HIs breathing was ragged and his eyes were losing its flame, but the grip on his weapon never loosened even for a second. The moment he got back up, his eyes immediately focused on his opponent, who casually made his way to them. His knees were starting to shake, not out of fear, but with his body beginning to fail him.
"You're making this harder than it has to be, you know? You've done well so far, but this is no way near the level of being a battle between Servants. Frankly, I'm a bit disappointed." Lancer sighed again
Makoto's eye's started to get hazy, He could barely make out what his opponent was saying. Even the words he could vaguely recognize to be Rin's was in audible.
"No one knows who you are, even yourself." With each step Lancer continued to goad the boy into action, with little luck.
The boy's breathing got more ragged. HIs eye sight is starting to fail him and his body felt heavier.
"You're weak and a nobody. A cipher, powerless and unimportant." The older Servant resumed his stance.
The younger Servant could feel his body turning numb. The words he could hear were beginning to be nothing but murmurs now.
"I'll just kill you now, so that your Master won't have to see you struggle anymore. And then, she's next." Lancer's spear started to glow. The pole arm seemingly burned with a wave of mana from the tip with a deep crimson red.
Lancer's last words woke something up from the boy. A torrent of memories came rushing in. While it felt like it lasted an eternity, in reality it lasted no more than a fraction of a second. He regained no new memories. It was the same ones he had remembered over the past few weeks. However this time, they were clearer and more vivid than they had ever been, as if he was reliving them.
Watching two men gun each other while he was strapped to a cross.
The sight of an upper classman slumping to the ground, a pool of blood forming under him.
The black monster with a blue mask that crept towards a girl in a pink sweater jacket.
The burning vehicle where his parents were in.
And the decade of solitude that followed it.
Harbinger once told him about the key to trigger the power of Persona. The voice said that the key to it was fear and self-preservation. With the memories he just recalled, in his case, it was only half correct. The former was true, however not for the latter. He did not fear for his wellbeing, he feared for other's lives. It was then he remembered what to do.
Crash!
Thou art I ... And I am thou ...
With the blessing of the Fool Arcana,
Thou hast come closer to thy answer to a new journey
"GAE-" Lancer prepared to unleash his Noble Phantasm only to be cut off to defend himself. "Heh, still have some fight in you, huh?"
Makoto lunged for an attack, but instead locked blades with Lancer. The boy stared straight into his opponents eyes. Though his face showed nothing to give away his emotions, his eye's showed something else entirely with his heated gaze. The dim light coming from the moon only intensified the fire in the young Servant's eyes even further.
"Rin, don't worry. I've got this. Please do what you can to heal the lady." said Makoto to Rin, before addressing Lancer. "Lancer, I thank you for helping me remember something important. The fight begins now."
"Still sure about yourself, huh?" Lancer remained unconvinced in his tone of voice.
"Per ..." Said the boy as a wry smile formed in his lips.
The spearman tried to make out what the boy just said, but was unsettled by the boy's sudden change in expression.
"... so ..." The wind danced around them as a surge of unknown power started come from the blue-haired teen. His body glowing a faint tint of blue.
Lancer tried to move but was frozen in place. Something that never happened in his life.
" ... na!" The sound of glass breaking echoed within the forest. The teens eyes also glowing the same color as the rest of his body.
The sound broke Lancer in his trance. He wanted to ask the boy what he was trying to pull. As he opened his mouth, the wind was knocked right out of him followed by wave of pain on his side. Lancer then found himself in midair before skipping the ground a few times, much like his opponent earlier. The spearman twisted his body in order to regain his bearings. Kneeling on one knee with his left hand for support, he eventually skidded to a halt and held his weapon at the ready. He stared with wide eyes at the sight before him.
"What in the ...?" Rin was once again speechless . She was preparing one of her gems to heal the wounded woman, when the exchange between two Servants distracted her. The quick moment before Lancer was launched several meters away had been unbelievable, she thought she had become delirious. But thought otherwise when she noticed that Lancer was staring at the same thing she was seeing.
Thou art I ... And I am thou ...
From the sea of thy soul, I cometh ...
I am Orpheus, Master of strings.
The younger Servant nonchalantly remained where he was standing. Above him was a large figure more twice his size that hovered with the same demeanor. It had the same face as the blue-haired teen, only its face was charcoal black, its hair was snow white with bangs that partially covered the right side of its face, and yet it did not deter the light coming from its red eyes. Around its neck was a long red scarf. The rest of its body was not human, it was mechanical, almost a mockery of a real human body. The torso and pelvis was light blue, connected by something that resembled a speaker, only spherical in shape. Its arms and thighs were made of steel rods hinged at the elbow and knees, respectively. The lower legs were white, but had no feet, while the forearms looked as if it was wearing elbow length gloves. Gripped in its hands was a large silver lyre.
The spear wielder broke from his stance, this time from the of sound strings being strummed. Immediately after the last note ended, Lancer found a red tinted sphere coming his way at an alarming speed. He tried to get out of its way, but just seemed to follow him as he moved. Running away from it didn't seem to work either, since the distance between him and the unknown ball of energy never got bigger. Realizing the futility of it all, Lancer stood his ground and blocked the incoming sphere. When it finally caught up to him, it then started to shine brighter and brighter before suddenly disappearing.
Lancer looked at himself but didn't find anything different in his current condition. "What are you trying to pull, kid?"
Makoto remained silent and made a mad dash towards his opponent, with his Persona not far behind him.
The older Servant met the boy halfway, and they exchanged blows before he barely managed to parry his younger opponent's last attack. Such a simple move would have been easily dealt with, but he staggered a bit when their weapons met. He didn't have the time to think about this in the middle of battle, but it nagged at him.
Just as he was about to follow-up with a counter, the flying doll-like entity, now identified as Orpheus from its earlier introduction, cut him off with a downward smash aimed for his skull, allowing his opponent to roll away to safety. Lancer jumped away at the last second to create some breathing room, and with Orpheus hitting nothing but air, grass, and dirt.
There was no time to relax for the blue-clad spearman as he soon found his opponent's weapon flying towards him. Just as he deflected the airborne weapon, sending it a few meters away from its owner, he noticed Orpheus strum its instrument once again. This time, however, instead of the familiar red orb from earlier, a ripple in the air in front of him appeared instead. And as quickly as it appeared, the ripple disappeared and transformed into a small ball of light emitting a rapidly increasing amount of heat.
Lancer managed to jump away just moments before the air in front of him burst into flames. Luckily, the older Servant made it in time to block the point-blank explosion, protecting him from further harm. It did, however, left him slightly singed. The force of the explosion also pushed him back a bit, leaving drag marks on the ground from firmly planting his feet onto it.
Makoto didn't relent though, despite almost burning Lancer alive. There was another surprise in store for the older Servant courtesy of the young blue-haired boy. He had prepared it after discarding his makeshift weapon by throwing it towards his opponent.
After Lancer finally skidded to a halt, he prepared for another attack already on its way. His opponent didn't disappoint, but instead of Orpheus continuing the attack, it was the kid coming for him. Makoto's been giving him surprise after surprise. It's not unthinkable for him to have something else up his sleeve. But it still didn't make sense though since he knew for a fact that the boy was no longer armed, and it would be suicidal to fight an armed person barehanded, especially considering the gap between their speed and strength.
Despite anticipating the incoming attack, the pony-tailed Servant was once again caught off guard by his younger opponent. There were two reasons. First was the sudden burst of speed his adversary just displayed. And second, where in the world did he suddenly get a sword?
After locking blades once again. Lancer got a better look at the sword his opponent suddenly armed himself with. The weapon was nothing spectacular in terms of design. It was a simple one-handed sword, like those used by common soldiers in the middle-ages. The blade's length was decent, too short to be a longsword and too long to be a knife. It's width was broad, but not wider than an average adult's hands. Its surface was smooth and clean, devoid of any design to make it stand out. The same could be said with its rounded pommel and simple grip. The only thing notable on it was the letter "V" at the center of its cross guard.
The two then traded blows before Orpheus joined the fray. The boy and his Persona surrounded their opponent. Their assault was perfectly coordinated that they kept Lancer on the defensive eighty percent of the time. When one's attack was parried, the other would prevent their opponent from exploiting it. When their opponent got too far, Makoto would pursue, while Orpheus provided suppressive fire. Also, coupled with insight coming from Harbinger, he could evade more attacks by himself, allowing Orpheus more chances in capitalizing any openings that presented itself during their onslaught.
Lancer, unable to get any hits in against his primary target, decided to switch preys. Spotting the defenseless form of Rin, the blue-clad spearman made a mad dash towards her and her charge after parrying one of Makoto's attack. It's not really in his honor to ignore his opponent and target someone defenseless, but it was an order from his cowardly Master.
"Sorry miss, but there's a change in plans," Lancer exclaimed as he picked up the pace.
Rin, who was in the process of healing the woman left in her care, cursed under her breath. Lancer was exceptionally faster than her Servant. There was no way Makoto could reach her in time. A series of explosions occurred in Lancer's path to her. However, the spearman simply weaved through each one and vaulted over the last, his speed completely undeterred by the sea of flames he just broke through.
Just as Rin prepared for her demise, she found that her worries were left completely unfounded. Blue light flashed behind Rin's would-be attacker, where her Servant was. Another flash of light came, only this time it appeared above Lancer accompanied by the sound of shattering glass. The light swirled and combined making up the form of Orpheus. The red-scarfed Persona held its lyre up high and made an overhead smash against the airborne Servant.
It would be lie to say that Lancer wasn't surprised by this, but at the same time it was the opposite. He has yet to understand what his opponent is truly capable of. His adversary's Noble Phantasm, Persona, has a striking similarity to magic, a true magic, in fact, called the "Third Magic" also known as "Heaven's Feel." Unbeknownst to Lancer, the same thought's were running in Rin's mind.
Lancer blocked the attack from the flying entity, simply because it wouldn't be wise to combat an opponent capable of flight while he was airborne. The spearman was sent crashing into the earth. But after a last second adjustment in the angle of his body and weapon before the attack connected, he was able to redirect his point of impact from the fiery inferno below to the still unaffected patch of green next to it.
A few meters before Lancer hit the ground, a figure burst through the flames. Makoto, with his weapon drawn, thrust his sword aiming for the empty space where Lancer would be before hitting the ground.
Lancer twisted his body in order to escape impalement. The act saved him from a fatal injury, but the attack still got him, leaving a deep gash at his right side. The moment his feet hit the ground he quickly jumped away from the spot after seeing that Orpheus was hot on his heels, weapon drawn as well. The Persona missed the blue spearman by mere inches.
"Tch, you're not exactly being fair now, are you?" Lancer grunted after gaining a moment to breathe as he prepared for his next move.
"Where I came from, we had a saying," replied Makoto just as he sidestepped a thrust to his left side and retaliating. "Two in harmony surpasses one in perfection." The boy finished as he narrowly rolled away from a blazing inferno that erupted from where he was.
Although Lancer was able to jump away at the last second and avoid serious injuries, the explosion blew him away by several meters, skidding and skipping off the ground, leaving a trail of dirt and smoke in the air. Lancer still managed to catch himself. Quickly soon after he got his bearings back, he jumped away further and onto a nearby tree branch.
Makoto, at this point, was starting to feel the rush of energy losing effect and exhaustion setting in, so he decided to back off. His opponent was very formidable. Despite the relentless series of coordinated attacks and surprises he and his Persona sprung on the pony-tailed Servant, Lancer was able to keep up and suffered little damage from them.
Despite not having anything good to say about someone who would even think about hitting a girl, much less killing one, Harbinger had to admit that he was impressed with Lancer's versatility.
"That was a pretty interesting fight kid, but my Master says I gotta go. Hopefully, nothing gets in the way next time. You're free to follow me if you want to die." Lancer was about to run off before he stopped and looked at his younger adversary. "Oh yeah ... if you're aiming to win the Holy Grail War, you'd leave that woman where she is. There's no reason to help her."
"I don't need one," the boy replied.
"Aren't you the little hero? Well, that's fine. She's your problem now. Don't get killed before the next time we meet. Till then, try to work on your swordsmanship. Later!" said the blue-haired spearman before escaping into the shadows.
For the briefest of moments, Makoto thought he saw a relieved expression from Lancer before he left. But with something more important, he decided to ignore it for now.
Crash!
Thou art I ... And I am thou ...
With the blessing of the Tower Arcana,
Thou hast come closer to thy answer to a new journey
After making sure Lancer was truly gone, Makoto went to pick up something at a nearby tree. Lancer's words had some obvious meaning to them. Just because he didn't need a reason to help someone at death's door, doesn't mean he has to let his guard down, especially if the woman was what he thought she was. After inspecting the object confirming his suspicions, he brought it along with him and began his search for his Master.
He didn't need to look very far. After seeing her and their unconscious companion, he made a bee line for them. The rustling sound from his footsteps caught Rin's attention, who quickly turned her attention to its source.
Seeing her Servant no longer occupied with hostile company, she made a sigh of relief and waved him over. It may have been because of the poor lighting in the forest or the fact that she and her Servant had just escaped being skewered by another Servant, that she didn't notice what was in his hand until he got close. The sight caused her to yelp when Makoto stepped into the light of the moon.
"STOP! WHAT IS THAT YOU'RE CARRYING?!" Rin yelled.
Makoto came to a halt and looked at the object in question, still wet from the blood it lost, then looked back at his inquirer and answered, "It's an arm."
"I KNOW WHAT IT IS. I MEAN, WHAT ARE YOU DOING WITH IT?!" The young magus yelled even louder from getting such an answer.
"Returning it to its owner," the boy plainly said as if it was the most obvious owner in the world.
[Yeah, I mean, It's only natural right? If I lost my arm, I'd like to have it back ... though I don't physically have any right now.]
"I think it's your brain that's lost ..." Rin quipped as she rubbed her temples. It took a moment for what just happened to sink in. Hearing the answer shocked her as much as her remark.
Makoto had picked up on this already and was looking back at his speechless, wide-eyed Master.
[RIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIN-CHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA-]
"Tohsaka-san ... You have my sympathies."
0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0
When Rin got home, she left all matters concerning their unconscious guest to her Servant, then went straight to her bedroom. Makoto was understanding enough to let her go. After quickly changing clothes, she plopped down her bed. Rin, for the first time since this all started, didn't have trouble getting any sleep. She figured she should just sort things out in the morning, so she easily succumbed to her exhaustion.
"Fine. From now on, if I'm not around before dinner time, I'll leave the cooking to this guy," said by a tall teenage boy wearing purple pea coat and beanie, as he pointed to his blue haired helper before staring back at boy with short silver hair and a red vest over his shirt. "You happy?!"
Though the two boys faces were hard to make out, the intensity of their glaring contest was evident. They were gritting their teeth with so much hostility, one could practically hear their teeth creak. All that hostility erupted eventually as the two started yelling at each other.
The blue-haired boy continued stirring the pan with the curry sauce in it.
From how the five people sitting at dining table sighed, it was not uncommon for the two to argue about stuff like this.
At one corner of the table, a girl with long red hair massaged her temple. She seemed too exhausted to break up the two boys from bickering. Next to her sat a girl in pink. She was twiddling with the spoon in front of her. The person sitting next to her was a girl with teal hair. She sat on her chair, quietly fidgeting.
Across the three girls were three boys. Opposite the red haired girl was the silver haired boy, who was still standing from his seat to argue with the boy in the pea coat. Two seats away from him sat a boy with a cap. he was slumped against the dinner table, groaning as his stomach grumbled. Next to him was an elementary school boy with short brown hair. His hands were gripped on each side of his chair as he lightly swung his legs.
A couple of paces from the dinner table was a blonde girl with a peculiar headband and red tie. She seemed to be more interested in their only canine companion. Said canine companion was an albino Shiba Inu, softly whining at the two young men's spat as it covered its ears.
The violent atmosphere calmed a bit, however, when the shy teal-haired girl of the group caught everybody's attention. It was obvious that it took every bit of courage she could muster from how she stuttered as she made a suggestion.
"U-umm, I'm not as b-busy on some days after school, so I c-can help prepare dinner when you're not around , s-senpai."
The room immediately went silent. The only sounds present were the howl of the albino canine before it covered its eyes, and the sipping sound from the blue haired boy, who was taste testing the curry sauce. Not satisfied with the flavor, he added a bit more pepper before stirring the pan again.
Everybody else seemed to tense up from the girls words, except from the blonde girl comforting the frightened dog, and the silver haired boy.
Sensing the dread that befell the occupants of the room, the teal haired girl sat back down, looking crest fallen. The remaining two girls, along with the young elementary school boy, tried to console the dejected girl.
The boy wearing a baseball cap attempted to offer some words of encouragement. However, before the words could even form in his mind, the thought was immediately replaced by something else entirely. He wore a look as if he just remembered something important, something horrible. The boy finally decided to keep quiet, his face turning a pale mixture of green and blue from whatever he recalled.
"I don't know what the big deal is. Last time wasn't so bad," said the silver haired boy.
"Are you kidding me?" said the boy in a beanie as he clutched his head in frustration.
"Hey! If it weren't for Fuuka and my instructions, that meal could have been a whole lot worse!"
"What do you mean your instructions?"
" If I hadn't told her to add those protein supplements, your curry would have had no important nutritional value whatsoever."
The boy in the black beanie, from being frustrated to infuriated, slammed his hands on the kitchen counter hard before yelling at the top of his lungs. "SO IT WAS YOUR FAULT! DIDN'T I TELL YOU NOT TO GET ANY OF YOUR PROTEIN SHIT ANYWHERE NEAR MY KITCHEN, YOU PROTEIN FREAK!"
"WHAT DID YOU CALL ME?!"
The boy in the pea coat left his station at the kitchen counter, while the silver haired boy left his seat at the table. Both stomped towards each other, exchanging insults louder as they got closer.
They were promptly ignored by the rest of occupants of the dining area as the blue-haired boy carried everybody's dinner to the table.
"Woohoo! Finally I'm starving." Said the capped boy.
"Stop acting like a kid," chastised the girl in the pink cardigan.
"If anything, he's more mature than those two," commented the red haired girl.
The group waited for the blue-haired boy to sit down at the dinner table before saying a cheerful, "Itadakimasu!," while the white dog made a cheerful bark.
Although help from their resident hoodlum/chef was lost halfway through , the food turned out wonderfully. And despite, the loud colorful dispute in the background as they ate, the small band of friends enjoyed their meal in peace.
The blue-haired teen stopped in his tracks to look out the window after pulling his hand away from a girl in pink who was leading him up the stairs. Outside the window was a full-moon on an ominous green sky.
"What are you doing?! Our lives are in danger! Do you want to die?!" the girl in pink exclaimed.
Without looking back at the girl, the blue-haired teen continued watching the sky from the window and answered "I don't really care."
The girl in pink gasped in question at the boy's unexpected answer.
The blue-haired teen then looked to his companion and asked a question of his own. "Is dying that scary to you?"
A/N First of all, thanks to those who have been enjoying this fic so far. It slightly a bit longer since I couldn't find a good point to end it, and cliffhangers are a b****.
Next, there are those who think that Shirou doesn't fit the description of being the Magician Arcana. But I have very good reasons for it, which I will explain in a later chapter. Also, regarding the interaction between Luvia and Rin, needless to say, that this happens before they actually met. According to TYPE-MOON wiki, they first became acquainted after the 5th HGW, which is what the fic is about.
Now, regarding the progress of this chapter, I actually just finished proof-reading this, though I still may have missed something. Anyway, I finished about 30% of this chapter around late January. Due to stuff, I wasn't able to touch this until late March. I also changed this to rated M because mild profanity, courtesy of Shinjiro. I'm a bit paranoid, and I don't want this taken down because of it.
Finally, updates remain unchanged. Still erratic, but I'm more motivated when my favorite fics are updated frequently as well. That is all!