Chapter 02: A seemingly normal day
[Background Music Suggested – In Sunlight ~ Fate Stay Night]
(Shirou's point of view)
"Shirou, wake up...! It's finally here!"
Chlotz's voice ends my dreamless sleep.
With a stretch, I glance at him.
"Good morning Chlotz."
The boy gives me a flash of his white teeth.
"Morning...! Shirou, you need to see this!"
He hands over a package at me.
?
I retrieve the package and inspect the label.
...
"Oh, it's our uniform."
It's really done in one day?
Fort City is really amazing.
"Let's try it out! I want to see how good I look in this outfit." Chlotz says excitedly.
I glance towards the alarm clock.
?
"Chlotz, it's too early. Are you sure you can stay awake this time?"
The boy gives me a thumb up.
"I'm one hundred percent CERTAIN!" He emphasizes the word 'certain'.
[Sigh]
I let out a tired sigh.
"I'll wear it after some workout."
I climb down from my bed.
"Shirou, make sure you didn't get lost this time." He warns me.
I chuckle at his remark.
"Okay."
/~while jogging~/
Similar to yesterday, not many people are walking around.
?
There's a girl with red hair is doing her morning jog.
I didn't see her yesterday.
?
She seems to have noticed me.
[Background Music Suggested – Wing of the Scarlet ~ Conception 2]
"Ara, ara... I didn't expect someone other than me will show up." She jogs towards me.
I scratch my cheek.
"I didn't expect someone else would be jogging at this hour as well."
The girl giggles at my remark.
"I've never seen you around here before. Are you a new Disciple?" She inquires.
I nod.
"Judging from your question, I expect you to be a Disciple as well."
The girl giggles again.
"You can safely assume that. Though, my real occupation would surprise you."
?
...
"Are you making this your routine?" She suddenly asks.
I nod.
"Yeah... I don't plan to cut off my training regiment just because I moved to another place."
She nods.
"Okay. So that means we can be jogging partners. I always jog at times like this. Yesterday was an exception since I got busy..."
[Sigh]
She let out a sigh.
"That sounds like a great idea. I don't mind the company." I told her.
The girl nods approvingly.
"I like your attitude."
We jog as we chat.
"By the way, you can call me Chloe. What's your name?"
"I'm Shirou Emiya."
"Shirou...?" She seems to be puzzled.
"Where did I hear such name? Oh well... I'd probably recall it later." She says with a smile.
...
Do the people here have the tendency to say that?
"How far are you going to jog?" She suddenly inquires.
"Oh... I usually go for 10 km."
Chloe appears to be surprised.
"I'm surprised. That's my usual distance."
?
"Keep it up, Shirou. I like a diligent young man like you." She says with a smile.
"Um... thanks, I guess?"
[Sigh]
Suddenly, she sighs again.
"I wish my brother is as diligent as you."
?
"Never mind me...! Want to stop for sports drink?" She changes the subject.
/~an hour later, back in the dorm~/
[Background Music Suggested – Signs of Love ~ Persona 4]
"Man, you really took your time..." The red haired boy comments when I got back.
I chuckle at him.
"Well, I was busy chatting for most of the time."
Chlotz shows me his grin.
"Ooh... It is a girl?"
I nod.
"You're right. How did you guess?"
The boy blinks multiple times at my reaction.
"A straight answer... I guess the girl wasn't your type."
[Sigh]
He let out a sigh.
?
What is he talking about?
"A question; is she gorgeous?" He asks with a toothy grin.
...
I ponder to myself.
"Yeah, she's kinda pretty."
Then, Chlotz blinks again.
"Oi, oi... Are you normal? No, that's not the right question... Are you straight?"
?
"What kind of question is that?"
He scratches the back of his head.
"Well... You act like girls aren't your business. I was wondering if you were... you know... 'Swing' that way."
...
Wha—
!
I shake my head vigorously.
"Heck no...! I'm straight!"
He stares at me blankly.
"Really...?" He drawls his question.
...
"Tell me; what kind of girl strikes your fancy?"
?
"That's... kinda a hard question."
[Sigh]
He let out a sigh.
"Then answer this; does the girl from earlier strikes your fancy?"
...
Now that's simpler.
"Yeah, I kinda like her."
"That's not the answer I want to hear. I'm asking if you want to date her." Chlotz says in serious tone.
...
"Chlotz, you're treating this like a serious business."
"This is SERIOUS. I need to make sure my roommate is straight." He emphasizes the word 'serious'.
...
[Sigh]
"In some way, I do find Chloe attractive. But, it's too early to consider asking her out. I prefer to know her better before making a move."
The boy nods approvingly.
"Now that is what I want to hear! So, the girl's name is Chloe?"
Then, Chlotz turns into stone.
"Just to be sure; she doesn't happen to have red hair and purple eyes, does she?"
?
"Yeah, that's her. How did you know?"
The boy palms his face.
"I wish it was a coincidental resemblance. Let's just hope your girl wasn't someone I know."
?
"Are you forgetting something, Shirou? I thought you were going to do 100 push-ups and 100 sit-ups."
!
"Thanks for reminding me, Chlotz."
/~on the way to the Academy~/
[Background Music Suggested – New Days ~ Persona 4]
"Yo Wake...!" Chlotz calls out to the silver haired boy.
The blue eyed boy turns toward us.
"Chlotz, Shirou, good morning." He nods and smiles.
He's in his Elite Disciple uniform.
The said clothing is white in colour, with black covering the shoulder pad areas.
His badge is red-lined, signalling that he's an A-rank.
Chlotz and I had the same uniform except we have different colour coding for the badge.
Chlotz's badge is blue-lined while mine is yellow.
It's kinda confusing since gold lining and yellow is almost similar...
"How's yesterday, God's Gift? Did you score with Fuuko?" The red haired boy snickers as he asks.
The silver haired boy raises his eyebrow.
"What are you saying?"
[Sigh]
The purple eyed boy let out a sigh.
"What is wrong with you two? Are you guys slow?"
?
"Why am I being brought into the equation?"
Chlotz forms a serious expression.
"Because you two are knuckleheads...! We are supposed to get our girls at this age."
?
I exchange glances with Wake.
[Sigh]
The boy let out a sigh again.
"Never mind... Let's just get Fuuko and head to school."
?
I trade glance with Wake.
He had the same confused look.
/~in front of the girl's dormitories~/
[Background Music Suggested – Routine in 366 days ~ Conception 2]
The pink haired girl is adorning a similar outfit to what Tohsaka wore in our first meeting.
"Hey guys!" She greets all of us.
"Good morning, Fuuko." Wake replies to her greeting.
The girl smiles to all of us.
"So, did Wake make a move on you yesterday?" Chlotz asks her while snickering.
"Eh...?" The girl makes a surprised face.
...
"Chlotz, I think you should stop talking about dating..." I mutter.
The boy in question tilts his head.
"Alright, let's get going." Wake declares, ignoring the confusion.
[Sigh]
Fuuko let out a sigh.
...
"Are you okay?" I ask her.
She nods tiredly.
"Thanks for worrying about me, Shirou-san." She says with a small smile.
"Hey guys, where's our tour guide? I thought she lives here." Chlotz suddenly asks.
...
Come to think of it, Tohsaka is an S-rank.
So, she should be here.
"Oh, Rin-san accommodates from home today. Her house isn't that far from the academy." Fuuko explains to us.
?
"S-rank Disciples sure have great privilege... Rin-san literally lives wherever she pleases. She can stay at home and she can choose to stay at the dorm... I wonder if I have that kind of privilege." The pink haired girl ponders to herself.
?
"Wait... Tohsaka is doing as she pleases?"
"Well, she's not bounded by rules. I heard she broke curfew yesterday." The girl replies to me.
...
I turn towards Chlotz.
"Rank discrimination..." He mumbles.
...
I kinda expected that reaction.
?
For some reason, Wake is paying great attention to me.
"What is it, Wake?"
"I was wondering... Try saying 'S-ranks aren't made for show' in serious tone."
?
"What do you mean?"
"Just humour me." The silver haired boy says to me eagerly.
...
"S-ranks aren't made for show."
At my remark, Fuuko seems surprised.
"Tha-that voice... Alec-kun...? Shirou-san has the same voice as Alec-kun!"
?
Who's Alec?
"I knew it! No wonder it sounds so familiar." Wake makes a triumphant pose.
"Hey, hey...! Let me in with the fun! What's with Shirou's voice?" Chlotz interjects.
The silver haired boy gestures his hand.
"Shirou has the same voice as Alec, an S-rank Disciple we met yesterday."
...
"Really...? That's awesome!" The red haired boy says jovially.
I scratch my cheek.
"This is the first time I heard such case... What kind of person was he?"
The silver haired boy smiles softly.
"I'm not sure. But I think we can be good friends."
...
I can't help but to let a tired smile forms on my face.
"Well... Let's move. Otherwise, we might end up being late."
/~on the way to the academy~/
[Background Music Suggested – Rin Remembrance Shoukan ~ Fate/Stay Night Unlimited Blade Works]
The four of us notice a familiar looking girl.
She's wearing the same white attire as Fuuko's.
However, her hairstyle is a bit different...
"There she is...! Hey, Rin...!" Chlotz calls out to her cheerfully.
The girl turns around looking offended.
We walk hastily towards her.
"Good morning, Rin." Wake proceeds to greet her.
"Do I know you?" She asks with hostile tone.
?
"Huh? That's a cold joke, Rin-san. We just met yesterday." Fuuko says to her.
The red eyed girl places her hand on her hip.
"Like I said; do I know you? And stop calling me by that name."
?
"Whoa, whoa, there...! So you're not 'Rin'? Then, who the heck are you?" Chlotz asks her, feeling a bit intimidated by her glare.
The girl flicks her hair.
"Misaya Reiroukan, 2nd year S-rank Elite Disciple. If you don't mind, I have important business to attend."
She steps away from all of us.
"That's not a very friendly move, Misaya."
A voice we all familiar with joins the fray.
The red eyed girl turns around to face her 'twin'.
"Good morning, 'sister'."
Tohsaka proceeds to greet her with hostile tone.
The girl in question responds with a smirk.
"Good day to you as well, 'sister'... How's Sakura?"
Our former tour guide closes her eyes.
"She's doing fine, thank you very much."
The girl snorts.
"Next time, try telling your 'friends' to avoid speaking with me."
The girl walks away from the rest of us.
...
"Fuuko, are you alright?" The black haired girl turns her attention to the pink haired girl.
"Y-yes... But I'm a bit scared..." The girl replies.
[Sigh]
Tohsaka let out a sigh.
"I'm sorry you have to experience that. Misaya and I have two distinct features. I always adorn twin tails while she tied half her hair up. Though, the most obvious distinction is our eyes."
...
"Tohsaka, is she related to you?"
"She's my half sister."
The blue eyed girl retains a blank face.
...
"Please don't ask any further. Let's... just head to school."
She averts her face, not wanting to face us.
The five of us walk in silence.
/~upon reaching the academy~/
[Background Music Suggested – Routine in 366 days ~ Conception 2]
"Alright guys, let's head to class." Tohsaka declares cheerfully.
...
It was like the pressure from a while ago never existed...
"Hey Rin, how does the class allocation work?" Chlotz asks her.
The girl places her left arm under her right arm.
Her right index finger is pointing upward.
"It's very simple actually. Since the number of Elite Disciples is small, the Academy cramps us in a single class."
?
"So, all of us are going to be in the same class despite the ranks."
"Exactly...!" She answers with a smile.
[Background Music Suggested – A Quirk of Fate ~ Conception 2]
?
A familiar girl approaches us.
It's the same green haired girl Wake and I met two days ago.
"Um..." She is about to say something.
"Hmm...? You are—" The silver haired boy notices her.
"Good morning, senpai." The starry eyed girl greets him.
"Oh... Good morning." Wake replies with a smile.
Now, the girl is currently panicking.
"Um... I-I..."
?
"On second thought, I can't do this... Excuse me!"
She walks away in haste.
...
Wake and I exchange glances.
"That's a strange sight. That Ellie actually come and greet someone?" Tohsaka tilts her head.
?
"You know that girl, Rin?" Chlotz asks her.
The black haired girl nods.
"Ellie Troit, 1st year S-rank Disciple. She's incredibly shy and rarely speaks with anyone. Though, she's kinda close with Sakura."
?
"Sakura...?"
"Sakura is my sister's name." The girl replies shortly.
"Oh, is that so? Sakura is another S-rank Disciple, isn't she?" Chlotz asks with a grin.
Tohsaka shrugs.
"Chlotz, if you don't mind, I'm going to punch you."
"EH...!? Wha-why...!?" He begins panicking.
"People like you are the ones that keep pressuring my sister. Every time I brought her name, people will speculate that she is an S-rank. But she isn't, which is why she has so little confidence with herself. Sometimes, I regret coming to this academy..." She mutters.
...
"Tohsaka, why would you regret coming to this place?"
The girl shrugs again.
"Sakura used to be cheerful and energetic. Ever since we become Disciples, she's always depressed because she's not an S-rank like me. I told her not to worry since it wasn't a big deal."
...
"Maybe if we talk to her, she can gain some confidence for herself." Fuuko suggests.
[Sigh]
Tohsaka let out a sigh.
"Actually, you would be the worst person to meet her."
"Eh...?" The pink haired girl startles.
"Similar to me, you were promoted to S-rank right off the bat. Sakura would feel overwhelmed by your achievement. Plus, you're an upperclassman." She says tiredly.
...
"Did Ellie climb up to S-rank from lower rank?"
The black haired girl shakes her head.
"Nope... Ellie was S-rank from her first day. However, that girl is way more secluded than other people. I guess that's why Sakura reached out to her."
I nod.
"Rin-san, please don't punch me... I won't bring it up again." Chlotz pleads to her.
"Fine..." The girl shrugs.
We resume chatting as we walk.
/~nearby the class entrance~/
[Background Music Suggested – Wing of the Scarlet ~ Conception 2]
A girl with long dark blue hair is standing in front of the entrance.
She appears to be nervous.
"Hmm...? What's Narika doing over there?" Tohsaka muses.
Suddenly, Chlotz walks faster.
"It-it can't be... Aneki...!?"
?
"Narika is your sister?"
"No, you idiot...!" He lashes at me.
[SMACK]
All of a sudden, someone appears behind Chlotz and smacks his head.
"Don't call him an idiot."
The familiar red haired girl says.
?
"Chloe, you're an Elite Disciple?" I ask her.
It was my jogging partner.
The girl smiles softly at me.
"Nope... Sorry to disappoint you, Shirou."
?
"You know each other?" Wake enters the conversation.
"Yeah... We kinda met this morning."
"Now I remember! Chlotz is your brother!" Tohsaka suddenly exclaims.
"That's right, Rin. This guy over here is my idiotic little brother." The red haired girl points at Chlotz with her thumb.
"Aneki... Stop calling me an idiot..." The red haired boy mutters as he massages his sore head.
"Um... Chloe-sensei, should I send the words to Fujimura-sensei?" The long haired girl from earlier asks her.
?
"Sensei...?" I point at her.
She smiles again.
"That's right. I'm your sensei."
...
""EH...!?"" Chlotz, Fuuko and I yell in unison.
"Among all teachers in the academy, my own sister is going to be my homeroom teacher..." The red haired boy mutters.
"You got a problem with that, Chlotz-kun?" She asks with a scary smile.
"No, no, no, no...! No problem here!" He responds immediately.
"Anyways Narika-san, you can inform Taiga-san that Shirou is here." She addresses the long haired girl from earlier.
The girl nods and walks away.
...
"Are you that surprised to find Chloe is your teacher, Emiya-kun?"
Tohsaka suddenly talks to me.
"Well... I am surprised. I mean, she's around our age."
The black haired girl smirks and flicks her hair.
"It's not really surprising given by her records. She is the best valedictorian this academy ever seen."
"Speaking of that, why won't you graduate and join me as a teacher, Rin?" The red haired girl interjects.
[Sigh]
The black haired girl sighs.
"I prefer to enjoy my days as a student rather than a teacher."
?
"Don't tell me Rin is that girl you've been talking about, Aneki..." Chlotz joins the fray.
Chloe nods.
"She was my classmate. But for some reason, she refuses to graduate."
...
"Tohsaka, you're a delinquent, aren't you?"
The girl in question stammers.
"Wha-what makes you say that?"
"That's not it, Shirou-kun. Rin is a valedictorian. Heck, I still remember fighting over the first seat three years ago." Chloe informs us.
"I-I see... Rin-san is not a normal person..." Fuuko mutters to herself.
Meanwhile, Wake is busy poking his head inside the class.
?
I wonder what is making him do that.
Suddenly, a blond boy with red eyes shows up from the classroom.
"Chloe-sensei, can we please start the class?" He says in serious tone.
?
"Hello, Alec." Wake greets him.
"Hmm...? Oh, it's you. Good day, God's Gift." He responds to the silver haired boy.
[Audible footsteps]
?
That sounds like—
"SHIIIIIIROOOOOOUUUU...!"
[EXPLOSION ~ in my mind only]
And the 'Tiger' falls down dramatically.
/~inside the class~/
[Background Music Suggested – Fertilizer ~ Rewrite]
"Alright, class...! This is our new batch. From the left, they are Fuuko Amicus, Shirou Emiya and Wake Archus." Chloe introduces us to the rest of the class.
?
I could see Misaya from here.
She sits way in the back.
Meanwhile, Tohsaka is in the front, just before the teacher's desk.
"Without much need to be said, please be nice to them."
"Aneki...!?"
Suddenly, Chlotz yells.
"You didn't even introduce me!" The red haired boy claims.
"Oh... I completely forgot about you." The red haired girl says while looking to the ceiling.
"Aneki... That's so mean of you..." He mutters while crying comically.
[Random laughter]
Chlotz becomes the class laughing stock on his first day.
/~after class, lunch break~/
"Hello, D-rank." A boy approaches me.
He has wavy purple hair and noticeable purple eyes.
...
"Um, hello...?" I greet him, albeit questioning.
The boy smirks at me.
"The name is Shinji Matou. I heard from Tohsaka that you're from Fuyuki."
?
That naming sense—
"You're from Fuyuki as well?"
He nods.
"You got that right. However, I'm an A-rank. I simply can't stand the notion of my fellow townsfolk to be a D-rank."
...
There's a red lining over his badge, signalling his ingenuity.
"Matou, stop it. Don't pick on him." A bespectacled boy joins the fray.
?
Hey, I know this guy...
"Issei, is that you?"
The boy forms a soft smile.
"I didn't expect to see you again, Emiya."
Ryuudou Issei, a childhood friend of mine.
He moves away from Fuyuki because of family.
"Yeah... I thought I'd never see you again."
We shake hand.
?
I kinda notice something.
"Issei, your tag is green?"
His badge has green lining in contrast to Shinji's and mine.
Most of the class were blue, red and gold.
"I'm a C-rank. Surprisingly, I'm the only C-rank in the whole academy." He mutters while fixing his glasses.
"I see... That means you're better than me." I say with a smile.
"Emiya, don't look down on yourself. While majority of the class is B-rank and higher, there are several students lower than us. Plus, we shouldn't view the ranking system as a social status." He lectures me.
...
"In addition, there are those loser Standard Disciples. I wonder why they even bother joining the academy." Shinji interjects.
...
"Matou, while you are a good Disciple, your arrogance is unbearable." Issei chastises him.
"What can I say? I am the sole male A-rank of 2nd year. I'm going to be an S-rank by the next Rank Test."
...
"Actually, Wake is an A-rank. So, you're not the only A-rank now." I point out.
The purple haired boy is a bit annoyed by my statement.
"I see... But I doubt he's as skilful as I am." He says haughtily.
...
"Sorry to drop on your parade, Mister Fancy Pants...! But Wake is the God's Gift." Chlotz suddenly interjects.
Now, Shinji is more annoyed.
"Who the— Oh, it is Chloe's little brother." He says starkly.
"Hey, hey, hey...! Chloe is indeed my sister. But she is your teacher. Show some respect!" The red haired boy says in agitated tone.
Shinji responds with a snort.
"Why would I respect someone like her? She just got lucky when her Star Brand emerged earlier than us."
The red haired boy is gritting his teeth.
"You know who else like that? It's that loser Yasuraka. He got his Star Brand when he was ten. Everyone thought he was a genius. Seven years later, he is still an F-rank. I bet right now he's playing alone in that Mage Craft club of his." The wavy haired boy says to rile Chlotz up.
"Enough...! Matou, you will mock no one after this. Or I'll send you to Detention." Issei says sternly.
Shinji's face turns pale.
"You're using your power as the Class Rep to threaten me? That's a bad move, Ryuudou. I'll remember this."
The wavy haired boy walks away.
...
"Geh... That guy seriously pisses me off!" Chlotz clenches his fist.
"It can't be helped. He's a bit arrogant for his own sake." Issei says tiredly.
...
"Hello guys. What did I miss?" Wake shows up.
"Hey, Wake...! If you see a guy with seaweed hair, punch him in the face! The Star God knows he needs it." The red haired boy instructs the confused newcomer.
"Shirou, what is he talking about?" The boy in question asks me.
"Chlotz doesn't get along with a guy named Shinji." I simplify the whole statement.
"I see..." He nods.
"So you're God's Gift. Please to meet you. I'm Issei Ryuudou."
"Oh... Why yes...! Please to meet you too."
The two of them shakes hand.
"Anyways, Matou can be a bit annoying with his superiority complex. However, I would like everyone to get along. Please respect each other, Chlotz." The bespectacled boy lectures the red haired boy.
"Fi-fine... I'll restrain myself from punching him." The boy responds lazily.
"Um... Class Rep...?"
Narika shows up.
"What is it, Narika-kun?" He responds to her.
"Um... Why am I being placed as the representative for the Strategic Planning?" She asks with a nervous voice.
[Sigh]
The boy sighs.
"Unfortunately Narika-kun, only Chloe-sensei can answer that. For some reason, they want an S-rank to lead this year's meeting."
...
"Ranking discrimination..." Chlotz mutters.
"But-but... I..." The girl stutters to speak.
"Despite being a Class Rep, my role is surprisingly small. It's probably because I'm a C-rank... Don't worry Narika-kun. The rest of the class and I will provide support." Issei declares to her.
"But—"
"Attention to God's Gift and all S-rank female Disciples. You are needed in the Headmaster's Office."
The girl swallows her next statement.
It was an announcement.
...
Wake and I exchange glances.
"It looks like you're needed elsewhere, Wake, Narika-kun." Issei wipes his spectacle with a piece of clothing.
A snort is audible.
It came from Misaya.
"That old pervert... What does he wants now?" She mutters as she exits the class.
"Narika-san, let's go." Chloe waves at her.
"I'm coming, Chloe-sensei." The long haired girl walks toward the teacher.
"Alright, I'll be going." Wake declares to us.
"Hey Wake, don't forget to tell us the juicy details after this." Chlotz says eagerly.
"Huh...? O-okay..." The silver haired boy replies in confusion.
I wonder what is going on...
/***scene break***/
[Background Music Suggested – Routine in 366 days ~ Conception 2]
(Wake's point of view)
I walk aside Chloe, Fuuko, Misaya, Narika, and Rin.
"Why are we being summoned to the Headmaster's office?" The pink haired girl asks.
"I hope that old pervert is not up to something funny..." Rin says begrudgingly.
Chloe merely giggles at her remark.
Meanwhile, Misaya is far ahead of us.
...
What if—
"Wake, don't." Rin suddenly halts my line of thought.
...
I turn towards the other quiet girl in the group.
"Y-yes...?" The long haired girl notices my glance.
"Hello." I say to her.
"Wha-yes...! Hello!" She struggles to respond.
"Narika, you're as stiff as always." Rin says tiredly.
"Eh?" The girl tilts her head.
"You and Fuuko aren't that much different. Heck, you two remind me of Sakura."
[Sigh]
The black haired girl sighs.
?
"Eh? Narika, Sakura and I are the same?" The pink haired girl says in confused tone.
Rin nods.
"All three of you got confidence issues. I need to devise a courage lifting plan." The blue eyed girl muses to herself.
"Need help with that?" Chloe offers to her.
"Don't mind if I do. This reminds me of the project we used to do together." Rin says with a smile.
"Yep... I still remember how Alec-kun kept showing up just to see what you were doing." The red haired girl adds.
?
"Alec was of the same year as you two?"
Both of them shake their head.
"You got that wrong, Wake. Alec is Rin's childhood friend along with Luce. That boy had a crush on Rin since he was little. I still remember that confession event." Chloe giggles to herself.
"We shouldn't tease him too much. He's still embarrassed from that incident." Rin says with a smile.
"He wasn't a Disciple back then, was he?"
...
The girls talk to each other, leaving Fuuko, Narika and me behind.
Misaya is completely out of our sight.
"Rin-san is very close with Chloe-sensei. I wonder if I'm going to have a friend like that here..." Fuuko muses to herself.
...
"Hey Narika..."
"Huh...? Y-yes...?" The shy girl stutters to talk.
"Let's get to know each other. Let's be friends like Rin and Chloe."
The girl's face turns red.
?
"Did I say something wrong?"
"You're so silly, Wake. You sound like you're hitting on her." Fuuko points out.
...
I was?
"Let's put Wake aside. We should talk more often, Narika-san. I mean, we're both are S-rank Disciples, right? It'll be weird if we don't get along." The pink haired girl says.
The long haired girl nods.
"Yes. Let's do that."
Finally, we've arrived in front of the Headmaster's Office.
/~inside the office~/
There were five people inside when we arrived.
?
"Ah..."
The green haired girl from earlier is here.
I shouldn't be surprised since she is an S-rank.
Aside from her, the other occupants were Chloe, Mattero, Misaya, and Rin.
?
What is Mattero doing here?
"Greetings, God's Gift. I believe this is our second meeting." The elderly man greets me.
"Yes. It's a pleasure to see you again, Head Priest."
"Ah... You can call me Headmaster in here."
?
"Mattero is the Head Priest for Aterra church and the Headmaster of the Academy." Chloe informs us.
I see...
"What is it, Old Crook? What do you want me to kill?" Misaya interjects.
"Unfortunately my wonderful Huntress, you weren't summoned here for a mission." The old man responds to her question.
The girl snorts.
"Then don't waste my time. I have little need for social gathering."
She was about to leave the room until Rin steps forward, preventing her from the door.
"I dislike the Old Pervert as well... but, listen to him this once."
"Step aside, 'sister'."
The black haired girl shakes her head.
!
Suddenly, a barbed spear comes out from nowhere and flies to Misaya's hand.
...
The mere sight of the spear is intimidating...
As if it was lusting for blood.
"I said; step aside."
Responding to her threat, Rin pulls out a sword from some kind of dimensional pocket.
Unlike the rapier she used the other day, this sword is not mechanically engineered.
It was a normal sword.
...
No, that would be an understatement.
It was beautiful.
Rather than a practical blade, this sword suits to be a decoration.
The guard of the sword was decorated with blue and gold colour.
There was some kind of inscription written on top on its blade.
However, I can't read it...
"Pulling out Caledfwlch against me? Are you that eager to dispose me, 'sister'?" Misaya questions the girl.
"Put away Gae Bolg. Then, we can talk." Rin retorts to her.
"That's enough...!"
Chloe suddenly stands between them and their respective weapons.
"Rin, let her go. If she's that adamant to leave, we can't force her." The red haired girl advises her.
...
The two girls put away their weapons.
"Nemesis Hunters, please don't bare your fangs against each other." The headmaster joins the fray.
Misaya snorts at his remark.
"I'll listen to your farce for now."
...
Everyone else in the room was shocked by the event.
We were speechless.
But what are those weapons?
"Rin, don't brandish a Dawn Breaker against a fellow Disciple."
I heard Chloe speaks to her.
"That girl started it. If she didn't pull out Gae Bolg, I won't respond in kind."
Rin let out a 'humph'.
...
/~after calming down~/
"Disciples, we have been blessed with a God's Gift. After twenty long years we have waited since the prophecy was written, he is finally here." Mattero begins his sermon.
"As we know, a God's Gift can generate a significant amount of Ether. His reserves will continue to grow as he remains a Disciple. A great amount of Ether means—"
"Higher Conception Rate..." Rin finishes his sentence.
The old man nods.
"Conceiving Star Children has always been an issue, even for S-rank Disciples. We all know how important Star Children are for development. Now, I believe we can lead the Star Children into a Dusk Circle."
?
Star Children...?
"Let me guess; you're telling us to make Star Children with this guy." Misaya makes a snide remark.
?
"Precisely..." The old man nods.
"HUH...!?" Fuuko suddenly freaks out.
?
"Ma-make children with Wake...?" She stutters.
At her remark, every girl in the room blushes.
"Star Children...! Not making normal children! Mou, Fuuko... It's not the same." Rin says while being flustered.
"Eh...? Is there a difference?" Misaya says nonchalantly.
"What do you mean?" The black haired girl turns to her.
Apparently, they completely forget about their feud earlier...
"It doesn't matter if it's Star Children or normal children. Both are OUR children. We're going to conceive them one way or another." The red eyed girl replies to her.
...
That sounds awfully wrong...
"Misaya... could you stop making this more awkward?" Chloe pleads to her.
"Wait... Are you people seriously thought this isn't awkward? If I were any of you, I'll think carefully of my partner. I don't want to conceive a child for a random guy I just met."
The girl slants her back against a wall.
...
"So... What's this about making children?"
[Smack]
!
"Ouch...! Why did you hit me, Fuuko?"
"Don't make it sound so scandalous...!" The pink haired girl chastises me.
...
The headmaster clears his throat.
"I believe an explanation is in order." He says with red face.
"Star Children are born when a Male Disciple's Ether is combined with a Female Disciple's Star Energy. This process is called Classmating."
...
How is that not scandalous...?
"The Female Disciple will take the Male's Ether into the Star Womb, and a Star Child will be conceived. Higher concentration of Ether and Star Energy will improve Conception Rate." The old man resumes.
...
Yep... that's definitely scandalous...
I've never heard of all these stuffs since I came from a different island.
I wonder how Shirou would take all this.
"Old Crook, do you know how shameful those terms were?" Misaya interjects in between the sermon.
"Alas, it is a term we used for the sacred ritual."
The girl snorts.
"Just so you know, I'm not doing any Classmating with him." She walks toward the door.
This time, Rin didn't stop her.
...
"Since Misaya brought it up... It feels kinda awkward to proceed. M-maybe we should postpone the Classmating ritual." Chloe says with blushing face.
"What are you saying, Chloe Genus? The Classmating session has been delayed long enough. Before this, Father Kotomine told me to delay the ritual between God's Gift and the new S-rank since they weren't ready. Now, are you telling me you're not ready?" The old man asks with confused face.
...
"Actually... I think it's a bit premature for us to think about this. Let us calm down before making hasty decisions. Misaya does kinda have a point." Rin declares.
...
"So... we're not making children?"
[Smack]
!
"Ouch...! Fuuko, why did you hit me?"
The pink haired girl has teary eyes.
?
"You know, you're one of the densest guys I've ever met." Rin says tiredly.
...
/~that evening~/
[Background Music Suggested – Routine in 366 days ~ Conception 2]
"Yo, Wake...!" Chlotz approaches me with toothy grin.
Shirou is beside him along with the bespectacled boy, Issei.
"Hi guys...! What's up?"
"Class ended up being boring. Say, want to hit the arcade?" The red haired boy suggests.
"My duties for today are done. I believe some entertainment is needed to release all those stress." Issei says excitedly.
Meanwhile, Shirou is a bit surprised.
"Issei, you go to arcades...?"
The bespectacled boy nods.
"Several years living here does change ones' habit. I'm no longer a vegetarian." He declares with a smile.
...
"Can I tag along?"
"Did you have your ears plugged? I'm inviting you." Chlotz says with confused face.
...
"Sorry... That scandalous talk from earlier still blunts my line of thoughts."
"Scandalous talk...? Now this we need to hear." The red haired boy snickers.
?
"Come on...! Tell us everything." He says while walking backward.
Issei and Shirou seem interested.
I form a tired smile.
"Well—"
I narrate my scandalous experience as we walk towards the arcade.
#Chapter End#
[Author's note]
Yep... I'm making it as scandalous as heck.
I'm running out of steam...
The probability of an update next week is very low.
Thanks for reading!
