Chapter 32: Gekiganger III, Hot Blooded Battle! (III)
I open the door of the hotel room-
BOOM!
(Please play the following song from the link below while removing any additional spacing to help overcome censorship, starting at 1:05 if it does not automatically start at that time. Thank you. youtu . be/IAGJWBAFg8c?t=1m5s )
-and was promptly greeted by a loud explosion from the back of the room.
"WAGH!" I quickly scan the room for the source of the explosion. There is motion at the back of the room, flickering rapidly.
"What the hell is going on?"
CRASH! BOOM!
[Take this! Gekigan…FLARE!]
[Curse you, Gekiganger V! Try this for a change! Darkness…FINGER!]
BOOM!
I round the corner of the façade in the room to see Tohsaka sitting intensely before the television. Her expression is simply wild, bordering on fanatical as her eyes are fixated on the screen.
"T-Tohsaka?" I try to get her attention. Tohsaka doesn't respond at all, as if she is totally absorbed into the show!
[No…how can Gekigan Flare…be defeated….]
[Ah ha ha ha ha! Now, time to face your fate, Gekiganger V!]
"Master," Mordred suddenly speaks up, "is this a historical recording of a recent war? I see the moving images to be similar to the kind used by magi back in our time to record battles for later viewing and analysis. Judging from this, your current military technology is very impressive indeed."
"Ah…not exactly, this stuff is…all fake, made up, fiction."
Dammit, that silly girl! How can she think of something animated and ridiculously over-the-top to be real? Don't tell me wars back then were really like this? Regardles, I can't believe I have to go through a current affairs briefing with someone again.
"Fake?" Mordred cries in disbelief, "then what is the point of this thing?"
"Erm…well, it's entertainment, I guess."
"But why would you waste such valuable magical resources on mere entertainment?" Mordred still looks puzzled, "surely there are better forms of entertainment available like jousting, drinking and gambling!"
God, she's clueless alright.
SHING!
[W-what? Who was that? Who dares to rescue Gekiganger V from my clutches?]
[T-that's, that's Gekiganger III! But wasn't it destroyed? And who's the pilot?]
[Long time no see, Ken! I, Joe Utsumiya, has returned from the Abyss!]
"Shirou!" Tohsaka suddenly calls my name, having finally noticed my presence.
"Eh?"
"Get over here and watch it with me!"
"W-what? I'm not watching some stupid show for kids!"
"Shut up you BAKA! Are you calling me stupid and childish?"
Tohsaka pauses the DVD, then manhandles me to the sofa.
"WAGH! Tohsaka! Stop!"
Too late. Tohsaka forcefully holds me down, wrapping her legs and arms around my body to keep me fixed to the sofa.
"Master!" Mordred attempts to free me from Tohsaka's grasp.
"Now now Mordred-chan, you will do as I say and not lay a finger on him, or do you want me to punish you again like last night, huh?" Tohsaka reverts to her devilish tone. It seems that Mordred is still deeply traumatised from last night. She is at full physical capability and should be able to easily overpower Tohsaka, but she falls silent as Tohsaka tightens her deadlock on me.
"Dammit Tohsaka! Let go!"
Tohsaka hits the play button on the remote with her toe as her arms are locked tight around my chest.
[Joe? Why are you doing this? Why are you helping the Earthlings? You are my son! It is your destiny to succeed my throne! So why?]
[Green Earth is my second home, Father, and I will not let you destroy it! You can't force your destiny onto me! I will create my own destiny, and I will protect Green Earth with my true companions! Ken, we must combine our powers! We must use Double Gekigan Flare!]
"Damn it Tohsaka! Let go!"
"No! You have to watch this Shirou! You have to!" Tohsaka tightens her arms even more, squeezing my bones and muscles painfully. `Damn, I'm actually so close to her right now that this would feel really awkward if it doesn't hurt so much!
(please end the song here)
Interlude: Flight
Wind is strong tonight, almost making his foothold unsteady. Like most large metropolises, the air in London is dirty, even at such an altitude. It will be difficult to notice for someone who has been constantly living in the urban environment, but for a man who has stood on mountain peaks breathing the cleanest air the planet has to offer, there is a noticeable difference. It is not as bad as certain other places, but the taint of mankind on the environment is significant here, and will certainly be irreversible for the foreseeable future. Still, humans do have free will, and it is not his place to judge another man's decision.
"God damn it, my friend! Why must it always be so high up? Why can't you just wait in the office for me?"
Vladof raises his voice over the howling wind as he struggles to surmount the edge of the metal beam. His heavy build certainly detracts from free-running, and his recently-mended arm and leg will not be helpful either.
"You know me, always preferring a good location to mark significant events."
"Sure, but at least consider ze condition of your friend here!" Vladof laughs, having finally climbed onto the platform. His broken bones should have healed, but his muscles will take some time to redevelop.
"Do you have it?"
"Of course, zey said zat it was exactly where you had predicted it to be," Vladof removes his harversack and retrieves a wrapped box, "Zough I do have some doubts over your… interests…in relics like zese. I am sure zat Mozer Russia has plenty better weapons to offer zan zis!"
"Ah, I have to thank you for your trouble with Emiya Kiritsugu's Thompson Contender again, though if our opponent tomorrow is what I think he is, then all of Mother Russia's weapons would not be enough, which is precisely why I had you obtain this."
"But how are you so sure?" Vladof scratches his head again, then slides the cover off the wooden box, revealing the interior stuffed with foam pellets.
"Francesco Vespucci, better known as Lord John Blackwood in England, responsible for the resurrection and fortification of the British Assassin Order. That was the man's grave, so his personal effects should be buried there, despite the absence of his body, which would again correspond to my theory." He inserts his hand into the foam and feels cold metal. A cold void, filled by nothingness. Thankfully, he is not a magic user, for otherwise there would be the very unpleasant sensation of having one's life force drained.
"Somesing wrong?"
"Not at all," he pulls the object from the foam and inspects it under the full moon. The, thin box, cold steel gleaming in the moonlight. Aged, but new, for a conceptual weapon exists as a concept. The catch on the underface, the retainers on the side, the dark hole on the front…
He flicks the catch forward. The, thin blade appears in an instant. Four-sided spike, similar to the end of a cross-shaped screwdriver, each side serving as a single blade.
There is nothingness, nothingness itself embodied in the blade, absolute nonexistence. An ordinary blade that has seen countless battles and shed oceans of blood, transformed by magic into a conceptual weapon bearing nothingness itself, adding to the paradox of its owner. Eternity and inexistence, life and the lack of life.
There is no mistake.
Rolling up his left sleeve, he removes the modern blade and mounts the weapon using its straps, then removes the attached ring on the modern blade and fastens its line to the aged catch, then slips the ring over his middle-finger.
"Thank you Vladof, I will be leaving now. We will meet in the hotel at nine. I will bring Yamada as well."
"Right, take care not to fall, my friend." Vladof turns around and begins climbing off the metal beams.
The London Eye, third largest observation wheel in the world, and largest in West Europe. One hundred and thirty-five meters above the water, it sits still in the dark night, temporarily halted for structural maintenance and inspection. A good opportunity, one not to be wasted.
He approaches the edge of the capsule platform, overlooking the river. The entire frame of the wheel is dark, nobody would notice the act. The water should be deep enough as well, provided that the initial leap gives enough clearance off the concrete base of the wheel.
"I do not fall, Vladof, I fly."
With that, he leaps from the platform, straightens his body, and takes flight.
Chapter 32: Gekiganger III, Hot Blooded Battle! (III) (Continued)
For some unknown reason I managed to survive until the end of the episode without being constricted to death. Tohsaka is now cuddled in a ball on the sofa, having released me from her vicegrip only moments ago.
"(sniff)…(sniff)…(sniff)…" Tohsaka is crying again, probably induced by the "happy" ending of Gekiganger III.
Damn, she looks really cute like that, so really adorable, like a little girl who just wants to be hugged.
Wait, what the hell am I thinking? This is madness! I can't let myself be fooled by a devil like her!
But, she looks really adorable. Really, I just can't take my eyes off her for an instant. I know that I like her, I really do, but this isn't something that is so easy to resolve. I do like her, but I like her more, and I can't just betray my own feelings like that, no. Besides, I would definitely be better off getting in a serious relationship with someone Issei compared to a Buddha than this she-devil.
"Master, has this ridiculous fictional entertainment been concluded?"
"Oh, yeah, right," Mordred sounds impatient somehow. I can't blame her for getting bored. I don't really like this show as well, it is simply too generic and childish for my tastes, no matter what kind of inspirational stuff Yamada and Tohsaka may say about it.
And speaking of Yamada, I should really take Tohsaka to the hospital to see him. Yeah, that's what I should do. There is still two hours or so until nine, so we should be able to make it in time.
"Tohsaka, I think we should-"
BAM!
The door to the room slams into the wall like a battering ram, almost making me jump. Speak of the devil, Yamada is standing in the doorway, hands placed triumphantly on his hips.
"Emiya! I could hear that ending theme the moment I stepped out of that elevator! How dare you watch the holy of holies without me! Rewind it and-"
Yamada abruptly stops. He has noticed that Tohsaka is glaring at him with her menacing eyes.
"Shirou, who is this?" Tohsaka's plain and unemotional voice conceals her intense murderous intent. Damn, this is going to get messy!
"W-what? Rin? You don't know recognise me at all?" Yamada seems really confused.
"O-of course! You're with them, are you not?" Tohsaka is actually sounding angry, which cannot be good at all, "I saw you the other night too! Just what do you people want?"
"Woa! Can't a guy visit his sister when he finally has some time to himself?" Yamada quickly defends himself, hoping to cool Tohsaka's wrath.
"Huh?"
The menacing expression on Tohsaka's face is gone, replaced by a blank, surprised stare.
"W-what in the world are you talking about?"
Yamada scans the room and sees me.
"Emiya, you didn't tell her?"
"Erm…no?"
"God dammit! Well," Yamada scratches his head, looking really awkward, "I know that we've just met, and this sounds crazy, but I'm your Onii-chan."
"W-what?" Tohsaka is completely taken aback by Yamada's response. She shakes her head violently, unable to believe her ears.
"That's…...that's ridiculous! How the hell am I supposed to believe that? My Onii-chan isn't like you at all! He's just…..just…
"A simple Otaku who's busy with his work, right? Who do you think sent you that Limited Edition Gekiganger III Full Collection anyway? I was pretty surprised whe Emiya had it on him, but then I realised that he was with you this whole time."
"N-no…" Tohsaka's head sinks as she collapses on the sofa, "impossible, impossible, Onii-chan…Onii-chan is a…is a…"
"T-Tohsaka…" I reach my hand out to comfort her. I think I'm the only one who can diffuse the situation now and get her to accept the truth for what it is. I gingerly place my hand on her shoulder, holding it lightly. There is no killing intent from her, no sense of sadness either, just plain simple shock and rejection. She really hates the Assassins, alright.
"Onii-chan is a…is a…" Tohsaka's blank expression doesn't change, merely repeating the few words in the mouth. Yamada appears to be surprised as well, just standing there wordlessly. Damn, she's not even noticing me at all! I have to think of something fast.
"Tohsaka, please!"
"Onii-chan…is a…"
"-is a superhero! One that protects the world from evil!"
The words suddenly burst from Yamada;s mouth. There is no hesitation in him, no regret, just a plain, straightforward response. Honestly, I wouldn't have expected less from him.
"Super…hero?"
"That's right, Rin! We fight evil to protect Green Earth! You've seen us work that night, you know what we do. There are bad people out there, Rin bad people doing bad things for their own benefit, harming our world and all of us!"
"Bad…people?"
"Yes, bad people indeed! That's why Onii-chan is a superhero, and Onii-chan, along with all of Onii-chan's friends and Emiya over here wil protect you and this world!"
It sounded like something straight out of Gekiganger, but it seems to have worked. The room fell silent. Yamada has already said what he had to say, I can't find the right words to say, and Mordred is quiet as usual. Tohsaka, Tohsaka doesn't speak, merely looking down, looking back up at Yamada, then look down again. Her lips are trembling, her fists clenched, and I can see a single tear rolling down her left cheek.
"BAKA!" Tohsaka screams, "BAKA Onii-chan! BAKA BAKA BAKA BAKA! You're just like him! Just like him!"
She throws herself into Yamada, almost knocking him over. She holds him in her arms tightly and buries her head in his chest, crying loudly, screaming "Onii-chan"over and over again.
"Onii-chan! Onii-chan! BAKA Onii-chan! BAKA! BAKA! BAKA! You're all the same! All of you!"
Yamada doesn't respond, merely stand still and let Tohsaka hug him. His shirt is wet with Tohsaka's tears already. The relieved expression on his face is genuine, not the usual hot-blooded Yamada, but that of his true self. It is barely an expression, devoid of visible emotion, yet for Yamada to show something like that already means that something has changed within him, deep down. I still can't find the right words for the situation, merely standing still and staring like a dummy, not knowing what to do. Mordred appears to be taken aback as well, as she is also quietly looking at the two of them.
"(sniff)BAKA Onii-chan…(sniff)"
Time passes, I don't know exactly how long it has been, but Tohsaka and Yamada broke apart when they heard the door to the room click.
Mass walks in, apparently early for the meeting at nine. His coat appears to be covered in small droplets of water, and his black pants look totally soaked, as they are still dripping water onto the carpet.
"Ah! T-that wasn't what it seems!" Tohsaka embarrassingly tries to explain the situation.
"Fret not. I am aware of your relationship," Mass reassures her. Tohsaka lets out a breath and collapses onto the sofa again.
"Hey boss, did you just take a swim or something?" Yamada is curious about his appearance as well.
"Indeed, in the River Thames, as it so happens to be," Mass laughs it off, "coat and shirt are water resistant but I have forgotten to wear the proper pants for the occasion."
Swimming in the River Thames at this hour? What is wrong with this guy?
"Regardless, we should push forward our meeting, now that all the participants are present," Mass announces as Vladof walks into the room behind him, carrying a large duffle bag over his shoulders. Vladof seems to have no difficulty in moving his limbs, despite sustaining broken bones only two days ago.
"Right, happy to see me, eh?" Vladof laughs as he puts down his bag and opens it, then takes out what appears to be a scroll case. He removes the stopper on its end and draws a large roll of tattered brown paper from the case, then unrolls it on the table next to the sofa.
It is a map, an old map, showing the rough shape of the island of Britian and Ireland. There are strange words everywhere that I cannot understand, along with Roman numerals.
"Zis, as you can see, is a map of Britain made during ze 6th century. It is not ze most accurate zere is, but our Servant friend here would find it most familiar." Vladof explains.
"Yes, I am familiar with this map," Mordred is now looking up and down the map, counting off the Roman numeral markings.
"Right…here. Right here," she finally points to one patch of sea between Britain and Ireland, just off the coast of the area known as "Wales".
"Hmmm…Mass pulls out a laptop computer from the duffle bag, then begins typing. After a while, he closes the laptop and sighs.
"There is no island or any landmass within a 100 kilometer radius of this point."
"Not surprising," Mordred taps the spot on the map again, "it is said that Avalon only reveals itself to the King himself. A seal was put in place to protect the Holy Grail against thieves so It will be impossible to detect it without the King being present. Unfortunately I have the body of a servant so it cannot serve this purpose, even if her blood runs in my veins."
"W-what?" Yamada gasps, "then how the hell are we going to get in there?"
"There is a viable way," Mordred continues, "because my Master has a very strong connection with the King, and even some of her blood within him."
"Huh?" Yamada doesn't seem to understand. Vladof laughs and Mass keeps silent.
"At first, I was wondering why he could summon me using the crown when the only one who can do that should be the King herself," Mordred explains further, "and it turns out that he shares a very strong connection with her, and even has her blood within him, so it was possible for him to trigger it. Hence, it should be possible as well for him to reveal Avalon using the same connection."
"Some of her blood…in Emiya?" Yamada looks dumbfounded again.
"Indeed, given the close relationship between them there should be enough physical contact for an exchange of bodily fluids to occur," Mass puts it in a really subdued manner. Vladof bursts into laughter again and Yamada just looks more confused. I don't know if he's playing dumb just to get me, but my face is already flushed red.
"P-physical contact? Shirou!" Tohsaka suddenly yells at me at the top of her lungs, nearly knocking me off balance.
"Hey! You forced me into that one, didn't you?"
"Oh wait…..right…but if you had been a bit less useless we wouldn't have resorted to that!"
Dammit, first she acts surprised, then blames me for everything! I just can't win an argument with her. Somehow it's always my fault in the end!
"Regardless, Mr Emiya, now that we know of the location of Avalon, we will be heading there tomorrow morning. If all goes well, we can finish this business by tomorrow, and then we can go our separate ways, if things go as planned, of course."
"Right, I understand."
"Then it is settled. You will be going with Vladof and myself. Yamada will remain here on standby together with Mordred. I need people to keep an eye on McComberland's condition, if he does not recover by tomorrow."
"Eh? That's unfair boss!" Yamada is quick to complain, "why must I miss all the fun?"
"Because you are in no condition to engage in combat. Your right arm is still paralysed, no?"
"God dammit, fine! Well at least Molly can keep me company." Yamada tries to find something positive in his situation.
"Over my dead body! Master, I must accompany you in order to protect you!" Mordred is again unwilling to leave me, though this time I'm actually sharing her opinion. She is back at full power so it would be good to have her along. I haven't actually seen Mass and Vladof fight properly so I don't know what they can handle. Besides, Mordred seems to greatly detest Yamada so I shouldn't leave them together for her sake.
"Yeah, we should take Mordred along with us. She's really powerful so she can help us if anything goes wrong. She would feel better if she's protecting me, too"
"Ah, no, I insist," Mass refuses directly, "I am sure that Vladof and I can handle any problem we face along the way, and do not forget yourself, Mr Emiya, for you have the greatest power among us, the power to shape reality."
"You mean…my Reality Marble?"
"Indeed. I know that the prana requirement is beyond your capacity so we will get something ready for you tomorrow just in case." Mass merely answers my question, but does not elaborate. I don't know why he thinks so highly of my Unlimited Blade Works. No matter how many blades I create, their power will be reduced by a rank, and I don't think that they can go through something like Malfatto's Absolute Territory.
"But…why don't you want Mordred to come with us?"
"Simple, Mr Emiya. Think, who were the opponents that we have battled in our quest for the Holy Grail?"
"Erm…there is Malfatto, there is the Church, and there is Merlin and Mordred herself."
"Right, you are thinking," Mass smiles faintly, "so who do you think we will fight next, in Avalon?"
Who will we fight next? Merlin and Mordred are both people who are important to her, summoned by the Holy Grail to protect it. Right, someone who guards Avalon must be…
"Well…maybe another Heroic Spirit who is related to King Arthur, correct?"
"Indeed, and thus, do you not think that it is not desirable for Mordred to cross blades with one of her old friends or allies?"
"T-that's right!" Nobody would want to fight their friends. Mordred will be forced to fight them in order to protect me, so it would be a bad situation for her either way.
"Indeed. By our calculations, the power of Vladof and myself is more than sufficient to defeat any heroic spirit who is related to Arthurian legend, short of the King herself of course, but then again you have said that she would not become a Heroic Spirit, so there would be no risk of that happening," Mass gives me a quick breakdown of his thought process. Damn, I don't know how he does it, but he seems to be able to think of everything at once, while I can only think of one thing at a time.
"Right, are we done, my friend?" Vladof appears to be impatient.
"Indeed we are. Mr Emiya, we will meet at headquarters before nine tomorrow morning, so get plenty of rest before then. It is going to be a long day." Mass concludes the meeting. The three Assassins turn and leave through the door quickly, with Vladof mentioning something about pub and vodka.
It is almost ten when I finished my shower. Tohsaka took an especially long time in the bath today for some reason so I was delayed by quite a bit, almost an hour.
"Shirou! Over here!" Tohsaka is waving at me from the bed.
"W-what?"
"Sheesh, you idiot. I'm letting you sleep in the bed tonight, so be grateful! I have to thank you for finding my Onii-chan, after all! Besides, you're probably going to catch a cold if you sleep on the sofa again."
An awkward expression appears on Tohsaka's face, looking like something between being embarrassed and being happy, but surprisingly none of the devilish feeling that I've been getting for the past few days. Sleeping in the bed is a welcoming proposition, though, as the sofa isn't really comfortable to sleep on, being way too soft in the middle which gives me some pain in my spine in the morning.
"Ah, sure, I would love to-"
Wait, sleep, in the bed, with her.
"W-what? Tohsaka! No! I can't! I can't do something like that!" I quickly come to my senses, now fully aware of the situation.
"Geez, Shirou you pervert! We're only sleeping, okay? It's not like I want to do anything perverted with you, right?" Tohsaka frowns. Damn, even her frowning face looks cute. No, I must stop myself from giving into her! Judging from her behaviours 2 nights before, it would be safe to say that she would definitely want to do something perverted, no, beyond perverted. Also, she's acting as if she doesn't remember the morning two days ago when she actually confessed to me. Dammit, I don't know what the hell she is thinking, but I can't just play into her hands like this.
"Master, I must insist that you sleep in the same bed as me," Mordred now joins in the fray.
"No! No no no no no!" I scream at them for being complete idiots, "you guys just don't understand! It's just, wrong, for a guy to sleep with girls in the same bed like that!"
"Oh, but Shirou, you've had plenty of experience in this field already, haven't you?" the devilish smile returns to Tohsaka's lips.
"W-what's that supposed to mean?"
"Don't act all innocent and saint-like with me! You've done it with her already, so stop being childish, okay?" Tohsaka looks angry now. This is bad, this is bad.
"For once I must agree with Rin, Master," Mordred has apparently taken Tohsaka's side now, "sleeping is just sleeping, nothing more. Please do no complicate such a simple matter."
Damn, how am I going to wriggle out of this?
It is past midnight. I'm under the warm, comfortable blankets of the bed. In the end, I gave in to Tohsaka and agreed to sleep in the bed with her, lest I incur her wrath again. Mordred has forfeited her claim on my sleeping rights when Tohsaka threatened her with another round of her "special service".
However, now I simply can't sleep at all. Tohsaka's slow, rhythmic breath, her gentle body heat, and the soft sensation of her body when we accidentally touch, they're playing hell on my senses, numbing my brain and preventing any logical thought. I know I'm attracted to her, who wouldn't be? But If that was the only thing on my mind then something bad would have happened already. My body is showing incredible self-restraint, as if it is instinctive for me not to touch her, even though I want to do it so very badly.
"Shirou…"
"Ah, Tohsaka?"
She's not moving nor appearing to be conscious. She must be dreaming again. My heart beats even faster on hearing her call my name. Damn, how can I control this?
I can't, I can't control myself already. It's so warm and cozy, a perfect condition for the thing I want to do, but somehow my body contradicts itself, stopping itself from moving. I know that it is not my mind that is keeping the desire of my body at bay because my mind is full of excuses to do that thing, and is actually spurring my body on. I'm visualising the act all in my head, and I'm wishing so badly for that imagination to become reality.
Impose your reality onto the reality of this world.
Damn! I instinctively shut off my magic circuit. My mind is going crazy now. I have no idea why, but simply having her asleep beside me is enough to arouse me this much, as if I've taken a huge dose of hormones. If I didn't shut off my magic circuit, I could have "projected" my visualization onto my body and committed the act in reality. No, I cannot let that be. At least my body is still resisting my mind, and resisting itself. It is almost as if, there is someone else inside me, telling me not to, telling me to stay this way, stay faithful to her.
Wait, what? Stay faithful to her? Stay faithful to her?
I can…feel her.
Shirou…
Yes, the feeling is definitely there, the internal feeling from outside, the external assistance from inside. She's inside me, she's with me, and she's helping me pull through this.
I close my eyes. I can still feel Tohsaka's presence beside me, but now, now that I'm not alone, I can have peace of mind, peace of heart.
Darkness, darkness surrounds me. Still, I hold on to her, I hold on to her intangible hand as I sink deeper into the darkness…