Yeah sorry guys for how long it took for this chapter to get out I am rather ashamed of how long it took, but I didn't know filler chapters were so hard, this chapter is just going to be a transition for the next arc, don't worry there are no clues as to it in this chapter I made sure of that. Still hopefully this will set the stage for the next one. As once that comes it will get easier to write again. Still the Trade fair has come an gone so my work has just tripled so I may not have much time to write. Anyways I hope you enjoy.
"As you go through life, the might current of society is bound to get in your way and there will certainly be times that things don't go as you'd hoped. When this happens, don't look to society for a cause. Do not renounce society. Frankly, you'd be wasting your time. Instead just say, "That's life!" and muddle your way through with frustration. Once you're past it, consider: If society's swift current is tossing you around, how should you be swimming there in it's midst. You should have learned how, here in the E class, in this assassination classroom. You don't always have to stand and face it head-on. You can run and you can hide. If it's not against the rules, you can try a sneak attack. You can use unconventional weapons. Stay determined - not impatient nor discouraged - and with repeated trial and error, you're bound to reach a splendid outcome eventually." -Korosensei, Assassination Classroom
"Mal kun" a tiger bellowed as it fiercely wrapped the boy in a bone crushing hug. "Why didn't you visit sooner this time?" the tiger that was born in a humans body demanded of him "your neechan missed you" Taiga explained still holding him in her bone crushing embrace.
"Tiger nee" Mal muttered under his breath. Not loud enough to be fully heard but loud enough for Taiga to recognise that he was talking to her. "while it is good to see you again after a few months do yourself a favour and put me down" the red haired boy instructed her.
Despite her antics said Taiga put the boy she viewed like her younger brother down if a little reluctantly.. "So Mal kun" Taiga began as she now noticed Shiki and Mikiya along side Touko "did you get a girlfriend why you were away" she teased looking at Shiki. "I'm hurt" Taiga continued "that you didn't share this with me" she explained "you fell in love with a beautiful girl but you didn't even right a letter to your neesan about it" looking at Mal with an expression of mock hurt she asked "why didn't you were you afraid I wouldn't approve?"
Looking the confused Shiki Ryougi up and down the tiger of Fuyuki gave a thoughtful sigh "I was really hooping you wouldn't get one until you were well into your teens" she told him "and I can't believe you like older woman, this one's a real cradle snatcher" she added.
Shiki herself was confused by this all of this "what?" she asked not expecting this despite the warning that Mal had given them as they came here. While she was like that Touko and Mikiya just laughed as it seemed that they knew that Taiga was just teasing Mal, Shiki didn't.
"Shiki neesan" Mal spoke to her "Taiga nee is just teasing you" he informed her while getting back at the tiger in his own way, it may have been petty but he decided to let the real nature of their relationship be known to Taiga, if only to see the young woman's reaction to it.
"What you got another neesan?" Taiga yelled in disbelief looking at Mal with betrayal written all across her features "Mal how could you" she asked, not even Touko was sure if the tiger was really heartbroken of if she was just making a fool out of herself, and possibly them.
"There is no need to worry" Mal replied "I could never replace my Tiger neesan" he informed her. Mikiya somehow got that his words held a double meaning but it seemed only he and Touko did, the girl was oblivious to the hidden barb as she wrapped the boy up in a hug.
Shiki looked at the scene in front of her "Well" the mystic eyes user began "he did say she was lively" Shiki stated referring to Taiga, in truth she did not know what to really expect of her fellow heiress but it seemed that this was definitely not on the list of things she had.
"I don't really get it" Mikiya confessed "but does it seem a little strange to you that Mal alternates between calling the girl her name and calling her a tiger?" her asked. Mikiya did not know of the peril he had just placed himself in. It was a good thing that Shiki was here.
Dropping Mal with a Roar very much akin to a tiger she had been referred to the Fujimura clan heiress looked about the room as if searching for prey "who said that?" she asked "who called me tiger, no one calls me tiger" well it seemed that Mal did but she put up with that.
"The way Mal says Taiga and tiger is almost the same" Touko whispered in Mikiya's ear."he has done it so often so that She can't tell the difference any more, that or she stopped caring some time ago" the 'Red' explained as they looked on at the Tiger of Fuyuki's antics.
"Well she sure is lively" Mikiya admitted noting that it wasn't such a bad thing, in fact he could have used a bit of non violent type of liveliness especially a cheerful kind of one like this "though do find myself asking if Mal's surrogate older sister is so lively, why is he?"
"That is a good question to ask, if you didn't know who his father was" Touko informed Mikiya "Though I must say that Mal is his own person only possessing a few of Kiritsugu's mannerisms and habits along with a few of my own" the 'Red' explained. "That and having a rather immature older sibling would quicken the mental growth of any child" she added. That was a half truth as being as distorted as Mal was when he survived the fire caused by the fourth Grail War he had become distorted, so Mal would have never been a normal child.
"This Kiritsugu person you spoke of" Shiki spoke addressing Touko "you have always referred to him as Mal's adoptive father, though we are here outside his house and he is not here to greet us and from the way the girl over there is acting he might not even be in the city." The way Shiki had said this was more akin to stating a fact, Touko and Mal both knew from the moment they arrived at the estate that Kiritsugu was not here, Shiki was only stating her observations. "So that makes me wonder where he is, as I was interested in meeting him.
"Dad and Grandpa said that Kiritusgu was going on a business trip to somewhere, I think it was Germany, but I didn't catch all of the details over the phone" Taiga supplied the information to them. "I was called to mind the estate while he was away as I was on my break." Taiga didn't tell them that she had volunteered when her grandfather Raiga had told her of this, the Yakuza boss was quite willing to leave a few of him men to mind the estate while the Magus Killer was away but his granddaughter had insisted that she be the one to mind it.
Mal had already summarised this as he knew Taiga had a crush on the Magus Killer and because he spoiled the girl as she looked like his first and only crush, a girl named Shirley who had died due to the experiments of Kiritsugu's father who was a known Sealing Designate. "Thank you Taiga nee" he informed the Tiger in human form "your help is most appreciated." Whether what the boy had just said was genuine or not was up for debate, it may have been but Mal's tone had been unreadable, either way Taiga took the words in with her stride.
"Thanks Mal kun" the Tiger of Fuyuki replied "I am rather excited that you decided to stop by as I missed you while I was studying." she explained. How a person like Taiga could study much less teach like she was studying for was a mystery, almost of the magical kind.
For a brief moment Mal entertained the thought that Gaia was behind this in a plot to remove humanity through the next generation losing their minds with a teacher like Taiga, as she would be more suited to a primary school than a high school, either that or it was Raiga. The Yakuza boss pulling strings for his favourite little tiger so that she could end up with the job she wanted. No doubt Taiga would end up at a school of her choice, most probably one that Mal would attend if he was going to go through the formal education system and all. "I surely do pity any who are unfortunate enough to have Taiga as their teacher" he said to himself. On the outside Mal however gave the tiger words of encouragement "Just keep trying your hardest Tiger nee" he said "I am sure that you will get to that place, eventually."
Taiga didn't notice the subtle way that Mal had said the last word but Touko most definitely had. Chuckling to herself she patted Mal on the back "come on, you shouldn't be standing here much longer" she informed him "at the pace you are setting we will never get inside."
As they entered the estate the four of them found that it was in pristine condition, once again Mal suspected that Raiga may have had a hand in it. "Would he be as generous if he knew that I had the Heiress of the Ryougi family with me?" the pre teen thought for a moment. After this Mal arrived at the conclusion that Raiga would be if only a bit more cautious, the two families did not have any bad blood between them but both were deeply rooted in Japan's criminal underworld. But they were not the sort that others believed them to be. If they were Mal knew tat he would have at least made the attempt to destroy them by now. While the pre teen was unsure if Shiki would attempt to stop him or not Mal was unsure if he could beat the mystic eyes user, though the boy had come with several theories on how he could.
After they had entered Mal decided to see how his 'project was doing, it had been a less than a handful of years since Mal had made his 'familiars' begin to work on it and while he had been able to view and direct the progress through them, the red head was eager to see it in person. Though Mal had briefly wondered why no one had noticed it yet, the boy did suppose the fact that he had positioned it underground to make full use of Fuyuki's leylines should attract unwanted attention but so far none had bothered to come forth and put a stop to it. Not that Mal would oblige them, he fully intended on crushing any fool who stood in his way, be they magus, dead apostle, true ancestor, wielder of True Magic or otherwise. Mal did not intend to show any of them mercy, and this place, his workshop is where it will begin.
Entering the basement he found Touko looking over some of the tools that he had there, this was the place where he had first started to practice his craft, this makeshift workshop and Mal had seen fit not move anything. The temperature was the same way it was when he had left it, cool enough to be almost cold but not cold enough to fully freeze. "I never did come here before" Touko Aozaki commented idly or at least she appeared to, I must say that you are a not a traditional magus, in truth I already knew, but this place confirms it." the 'Red' was referring to his usage of modern tools, something that most of the moonlit world despised as it robbed them of the advantages their craft gave them, lowering the value of magic as a whole. As such what once only they had easily available to the masses, and for that reason they despised the modern age and did not make use or advantage of it. In truth Mal thought them to be true fools for such things, tying themselves down in worthless tradition born of jealousy and tying their life to the distant past rather than embrace the future ahead.
"I have said before that only a fool does not make use of what is available" Mal replied "I am one who will refuse to follow any tradition that ties me down with no actual benefits" the boy explained. "let them call me heretic, at the end of the day it is I who will be the victor."
Touko herself as a Sealing designate had learnt not to be a traditional Magus so she hummed in approval. "And at the end of the day, the one who is the victor is the one who will write history" she finished for him a smile of approval and amusement playing upon her' lips.
"Are you here to see this?" Mal asked looking around the basement "or are you here to see the workshop I have been building?" Mal asked. He remembered that Touko had advised him against this, but he had done so anyway as it was too good to actually pass by for the boy.
"I do recall advising specifically against this type of action" Touko said thoughtfully twirling her glasses in her hand. "I suppose that I am also interested to see how it is turning out to be" the 'Red' admitted. "As if it is indeed what you desired it be it would be useful place."
Mal knew what she meant by that, As a Sealing Designate Touko would have to avoid certain people so she didn't get captured and used as study material. Still she would use her sister Aoko's name to get money from said association as a form of revenge against her sister was rather important to the 'Red'. More important than her continued survival it seemed, but Mal couldn't fault her for that, while the boy had no ill will towards the 'Blue' Mal felt he could empathise with Touko for losing what she had. Though he was not wholly sure why.
Still if this rather large and intricate workshop Mal had built worked the way it should he would not just have a workshop but a fortress, Touko could see the use of something like that if only as a place for her to lay low for a while after she had stirred some form of trouble. Mal grunted by way of response as he walked to what seemed to be an unassuming door, one that did not lead anywhere in general. "Fine" the boy said at last as Touko followed him down the set of stairs into the darkness. "while it has been built, I haven't fully completed it." the pre teen informed his maternal figure as they walked down to his pyramid "It has yet to be connected so the electricity is not working just yet" he explained earning a chuckle from Touko. "So it may be a little dark, but that is not really problem for either of us is it?"
"I don't believe so Touko said taking out her lighter, despite the fact that it was pitch black she was able to feel the glance Mal shot her. "Relax" the 'Red' instructed "I am only doing it to get a little light." she explained as he handed her something. "a torch?" Touko asked as she turned on the electrical torch and looked down the stairs at her surrogate son and pupil. "How thoughtful" she stated "though I must ask whether you intend to show Shiki or Mikiya this workshop of yours" the 'Red' mused as she looked at all the black stone around her.
"Later, perhaps" was the reply Mal gave her "though they would have to ask me first," Mal explained "otherwise I will be content to leave them in the dark about his, so to speak." Touko got the joke the pre teen had made and smirked at the boy's morbid sense of humour.
"There can only be one" the Tiger of Fuyuki declared finally after looking at Shiki for a good fifteen minutes. Shiki had known the other girls attention was on her but hadn't responded as Taiga's attention was irrelevant to the mystic eyes user. So she had no idea what the other young woman was talking about, instead opting to look at said tiger with a look of mild confusion. "Don't act innocent and all that" Taiga growled giving Shiki and Mikyia the impression of an actual tiger "you are trying to be Mal kun's older sister as well" she accused.
"Christ" Shiki swore under her breathe "she is almost as bad as Azaka" sharing a brief glance with Mikiya showed that he had thought the same thing as well. "What are you talking about?" Shiki finally asked, sure Mal was akin to a rather annoying little brother but that still didn't explain why Taiga was so worked up about it. More importantly why was any of this important. Feeling the need to voice that last thought Shiki voiced it "I don't see the problem with Mal or myself" she informed Taiga who fumed at what Shiki had just said to her.
The tiger was fuming and one could almost picture steam coming out of her ears like that of steam train, strange it was nothing like any tiger the knew but it would do. "You even use his name without the right honorific" Taiga shouted "you" she began "you cradle snatcher!"
"What!" Mikiya exclaimed unsure of how Taiga had reached that conclusion, Mal was the kind of person tht preferred those who were close to him only to use just his name without any 'add ons that make things far more complex than they need be' as the boy had put it. More importantly Mikiya was very much aware that Shiki had no interest in Mal like that, even Azaka would find the thought rather ill placed. "Why on earth would you assume that Mal and Shiki are in that kind of relationship?" he was finally able to bring himself to ask.
The Tiger's fury was now directed at the human with impaired eyesight "what do you of this" Taiga demanded, it was easy to picture her frothing at the mouth like an enrage animal. Also the look she shot Mikiya was very much of the predatory kind, it made his skin crawl.
Despite that sensation Mikiya brought himself to speak with relative ease not even once showing any his discomfort. "Shiki here views Mal as a little brother who one must keep an eye on otherwise he will get up to all sorts of mischief and trouble for everyone as a whole." Before Taiga could pounce on what he said and figuratively tear him apart and then eat him like a real tiger would Mikiya added "also could you please explain to both of us why you are so worked up over this whole thing, I am afraid that neither of us here understands."
The predatory look was still in the Tiger's eyes but she refrained from mauling anyone yet, a good thing to or Shiki might have had to get involved. "Very well then" Taiga replied "I am Mal kun's Oneechan" she declared with her chest puffed out in pride for some reason.
Shiki and Mikiya shared a look and then both shrugged "okay" the mystic eyes user said and went back to reading the notebook she had, it was one of Mal's with theories on how she might better make use of her eyes in case there were opponents who didn't die that easily.
"What!" the Tiger exclaimed in shock at her rival's other young girl's behaviour at these words, Taiga had not yet know that not many people was like her, she had assumed that despite the attire Shiki wore due her tomboyish attitude that the girl was trying to take her place.
"You are Mal's older sister" Shiki informed her "I see no reason how that should be a source of friction between us" the mystic eyes user informed her "more importantly I still don't see how this is a big deal, it is not like he went and tried to replace you, or anything like that" she explained. "While both of us can admit that he is somewhat strange not to mention rather dark for a boy his age, I have to say there are some things he possess that makes him endearing to others, I have the role of an older sister to him but mine is different to yours."
Taiga's mind was working rapidly unfortunately it went to fast for the poor tiger to handle so she fell down due to an overload of information. Leaving Mikiya bad Shiki looking at her unconscious form. "Well" Mikiya began "I guess it is not okay for us to leave her like that."
Shiki grunted and returned to reading after seeing that the other girl was not in any danger "your too nice" she scolded but didn't do anything to actually prevent Mikiya from moving Taiga to a more comfortable position and giving her a pillow for the tiger to rest her head on.
After ensuring that Taiga was comfortable enough that she wouldn't be sore when she woke up Mikiya rose from where he had been crouched, the youth even heard Taiga snoring so he knew she would be alright. "Maybe I am" he admitted "But would I be me if I was not?"
This got Shiki to look at him from where she was sitting, closing the book she fixed her boyfriend with a rather stern and cold glare, finally the glare softened and Shiki gave a kind but small smile "I guess you wouldn't" the girl admitted before returning to her reading.
Mikiya looked around as he like Shiki had noticed the absence of two if them "knowing Mal and Touko they are probably off somewhere in the city that or the boy has made some secret base that he is giving Touko a tour of" That last part held more truth to it that he knew.
Mal decided to go for a walk that afternoon and see how much Fuyuki had changed since he had left, in truth it was growing however the place where the Emiya residence was, still had little in the way of houses as the estates were rather large. Mal decided to go to a place that had a larger population part of him eager to find some wrong to right or at least stop. The bitterness at Fujino's betrayal of his good faith was a thing he had yet to let go of, if he ever did. Still the pre teen had saved her instead of leaving her to die or killing her himself. Mal came around a familiar park, the one near where he had taken his fit human kills all those few years ago, he found it strange that despite it being less than half a decade ago it felt like it might have been a lifetime. Briefly Mal wondered what had happened to the two he had saved, he then recalled something that he had neglected to do at the time, which was erasing their memories or hypnotising the two to forget him. That did make him wonder if they would recall what he looked like, though given the way children were they may not have.
Mal's rather acute senses picked up something that he did not agree with. The sound of of human flesh being bruised. Looking up he saw what was a violet haired girl being beaten by some boy his age or a little older, what offended Mal the most was that she was not even trying to stop them, only cushioning the impact that the blows had on her by raising her arms weakly in a show of token defiance or not even that. The sense of deja vu was strong and Mal believed that if this happened at this place a third time then this park needed to be burnt down. Picking up several stones Mal decided to try a different approach to saving the girl, from hat he could sense she was some sort of Magus, though why she had so many foreign substances in her body that were alive was beyond him. It was then that Mal realised what the foreign bodies were, it was the small familiar heh ad first revived after killing or they were of the same brood, why she was infected with them he did not know, but Mal knew that now there where two different things he had to deal with, the teens needed to be dealt with
They were an affront to the path he had chosen, their actions a reason of why he should continue down it, even though Mal knew that it was one that would lead him most likely to self destruction at best. Deciding that killing them should be the last option he decided on his approach. Tossing a stone a few times in the air to gain a measure if it while using structural grasp to understand it completely Mal spied the youth that was most likely the muscle of the group. Picking a place where he could cause the most pain without killing incapacitating the target Mal tossed the stone at a safe speeds making it land dead centre on the boys, enough to sting as well as gather his and his fellows attention if the way he yelped when the blow had hit was any indicator. Seeing he had their attention Mal allowed himself a smile.
Sakura Matou did not know what she had done to garner the wrath of these five boys, all she knew was that if she didn't get home soon for her training her grandfather, would be displeased and let her brother punish her, again. She had weathered the boys blows for some time now but now she was on the ground being kicked in turns by them, it was good that they had not tried to rape her, they weren't that low but perhaps they would be more surprised to learn that she was 'damaged goods'. Suddenly the blows stopped as one of them yelped.
Slowly looking up Sakura saw a boy with red hair of her age or perhaps a year older looking at them, a stone in his right hand while he held more against his chest in his left one. He had and amused smirk on his face, but Sakura saw that it didn't reach his amber eyes. Said amber eyes were filled with rage or disgust, but it all felt rather hollow, empty so to speak like it was more forced than anything else. "What the hell do you think your playing at" the leader of the group asked, it was clear that he was not pleased with this interruption.
The Boy only raised an eyebrow "didn't you know" he spoke as if the other boy had not "that a few years ago in this park a group of delinquents were murdered?" he asked though Sakura could feel that it was rhetorical, also she wondered why this boy seemed familiar.
Then the memory struck her, it was when She was in school before she lived with her grandfather, there was a boy who was practising high jumps there, but could never make it, despite that he never did give up, the question was what was he doing here above all places.
The other boys murmured as they had heard rumours of it, though the news had confirmed that some youths had been murdered near here a few years back. "I see you know of it" the boy commented. "did you by any chance know what they were doing?" he asked them. Now that smirk became a smile that if Sakura didn't not know better she would have said it was genuine, at the same time he smiled the boy closed his eyes as if recalling a fond memory "They were threatening a girl and her younger brother, both of whom were not even ten years old" he explained. It became clear that now he was frightening the other boys with this story, but how did he know about it Sakura wondered The culprit for that was never caught and the bodies never found, though there were some blood soaked stones in the area of it.
Sakura felt her eyes widen a fraction as she realised what was in the boys hands, stones. Was it possible for him to have been the culprit or was he just trying to scare the boys away, from what she saw of him, the boy was no ordinary child, he was in a sense like her.
This made it possible for him to have been the culprit as he was alluding to with his next words "Now imagine my surprise when I come back here after a few years to see a similar scene playing out?" he requested with a benevolent smile that chilled the other boys to their bones. "Imagine how wrathful I must feel to come upon a similar scene that fills me with disgust again. Now the stone in his right hand that he was tossing up and down in a playful manner stated to look menacing "I think it's best to remind your kind of it" thee boy stated as he opened his eyes. Now they truly were a contrast to the benign smile he wore, in the amber eyes Sakura saw the pain the had been inflicted on her promised ten fold to each of her tormentors. It was something she could barely look at even after what she had gone through.
If Sakura could barely stand it then the other boys had no chance they upped and ran off without a word between them as they tried to push past each other to escape. "And here I thought they would stay" the boy stated with something akin to disenchantment in his voice. The red haired boys gaze fell on Sakura and she found herself flinching underneath the merciless stare, then that gaze softened into one of concern walking up to her the boy knelt down and gave her his hand "you have been hurt in many ways" he informed her, the boys voice soft and reassuring yet holding a measure of command in it that shouldn't have been in the voice of a boy not even into his teens. "Come with me" the boy instructed as his outstretched hand remained there waiting for it to be taken by her. "I will help you, and ease your pain."
Finally despite that it would mean that she would get into trouble with her grandfather and brother Sakura Matou took the hand the of the oby who had helped her. "Sakura" she stammered a little shy and tired "Matou Sakura" she introduced herself using her name.
Pulling her up onto her feet and giving her his shoulder to lean on the boy looked her in the eyes "that is a nice name" he said as he began to help her walk to wherever he lived. "I am Emiya Malekith" he introduced himself "but I prefer being called Mal" he informed her as he began to walk.
So yeah Mal and Sakura finally meet, just to let you know, in case you didn't already figure it out, this will be a more unorthodox version of Shirou and Sakura, given the difference between Shirou and Mal that is. Anyways with this out of the way I will be getting to the next arc, Since some of you will wonder what it is I'll give you a hint it has something to do with a girl with white hair and red eyes who is Kiritsugu's daughter, the rest is up to you to imagine please feel free to share those ideas if you have any.
Anyways thanks for reading if you have any ideas you would like to share or any form of feedback that you would like to give please leave a review or PM me, though as always I would prefer it if you left a review as iti si easier to sort that way and is easier for me to reference when I am writing the next chapter, feedback is useful as long as you are willing to go into ideas you want to share, until next time.