Taiasu replaces his mask.

No longer burdened by the overwhelming effect of the Echo, it again feels comfortable to wear. As he conceals himself, he feels the hit to his aether, but with it comes a dizzying sensation, a shortness of breath, and a wave of discomfort bordering on outright pain.

Right… I used this all day and haven't recharged for except this afternoon. Then there was that business with almost being crushed by that giant. I guess saving my life used more than I thought.

The feeling passes but, from what he can tell, it won't be long before he'll be in jeopardy of death by aether deprivation again.

I can recharge behind that shed…?

As he considers retiring for the evening to do so, he sees the teacher making her way toward him. She stares past while walking by, paying him no regard. Up ahead, the vibrant red hair of Emiya, and the soft sheen of Ms. Purple's hair reflect in the ambient light of the evening.

It'll have to wait.

They're traveling at a leisurely pace, so it's simple enough to slip into Emiya's shadow without crossing his field of vision. Their route is the same they had taken to get to school that morning. As they walk, they make casual conversation.

"Senpai…? Uh, my house is this way."

"Huh? Oh, sorry. I was just thinking. Your house is at the top of the hill on that side, right?"

The girl shows a soft smile. "No, that one is Tohsaka-senpai's house. Mine is nearby though."

"Oh, was that it?" The boy's eyes widen "… Wait, you mean THAT Tohsaka…?"

"Yes, Tohsaka Rin of the second year. Do you not like her, Senpai?"

Tohsaka… Rin?

Taiasu makes another mental note.

"No, I don't dislike her. I've never talked to her, so I don't know much about her. But she's famous, right? She stands out wherever she goes, so I know her just like everyone else." As he speaks, the girl's smile drops. "What about you, Sakura? You have the same Western-style mansion, so do you guys have a neighborly relationship?"

"No. We're certainly neighbors, but her house is up on top of the hill." Her smile fades into a small frown as her gaze casts to the ground. "But how did you know her house was Western style, Senpai?"

"Oh, it's just something I heard. Tohsaka's place being a haunted house and all that. Those are always Western style, right?"

They talk more about haunted Western style mansions and the sorcerers that live in them.

Taiasu's head tilts as he follows, listening.

Sorcerers in mansions…? On Hydaelyn, it was usually in towers.

They proceed up a hill through another residential area in town. The higher they ascend the hill, the fewer buildings there are, and the more trees there seem to be.

The girl stops mid stride, and the boy stops as well, looking back at her. "Hm? Did you forget something?"

She shakes her head. "Oh… no, it's not that, but… Senpai, is there someone standing near my house?" Her voice trembles a little as she answers.

"There's no one… Did you see something?"

She glances at the ground, gripping at her sleeve. "Oh… no, if you didn't see anyone, then it's fine. I've been noticing this strange person around my house recently, so I just wondered if he'd be here again today."

Emiya's eyes widen. "What? Isn't that dangerous? What kind of guy was he?"

The girl's eyes briefly widen also as she looks back up at him, and she smiles at his response.

"Um… he was a blond, good-looking person. He looked like a model, so I'm sure you'd be surprised too if you saw him."

Taiasu catches sight of the feather tucked into her beige vest. Only the top of it can be made out, and it contrasts against the white of her shirt. Seeing this entire back and forth with the two causes a pang in his heart, and he shakes his head.

Only myself to blame…

Saving a world or two is one thing, but baring one's heart to another is a different beast entirely. One that, even to this day, he still could not conquer. The entire situation also brings to his mind the old man, Watcher.

For all of his vagueness and being so cryptic and… weird… There was something else about him. He was trying hard to hide it…

Even before he had asked him on this ludicrous quest, Taiasu had felt a profound sense of loss within the man. It was something that ran so deep no amount of effort could fully conceal it.

Their conversation continues for a bit about the strange man as they make their way to the girl's residence. On seeing her place, Taiasu shudders.

This place gives me the creeps. Major bad vibes here.

"Good night then, Senpai. I'm glad you walked me home."

Emiya laughs nervously, going a shade of red. "I-Idiot. Don't thank me. You're the one making me dinner, so I should be the one thanking you… Geez. If this is all it takes, I'll do it every day."

"Please do. Even if it's only once in a while, but please walk home with me. Nii-san will get mad, but I like being with you."

Taiasu's gaze snaps to Emiya's face.

Gh—hey, that was a veiled confession…! Come ON, man!

"Senpai, see you tomorrow! Thank you for today!"

The girl walks toward the entrance of her creepy house. If the boy notices her obvious intent, he says nothing, and the small man can only again grumble to himself.

The two make their way back, Emiya none the wiser.

Taiasu watches as Emiya slips into the shed.

Well… I guess that's it then…!

Another sharp tightness in his chest, and a more intense dizzy spell tells him it's time to recharge.

Damn it, this is becoming a problem…

After finding an out of the way spot, he drops his concealment. The moment he does, he can feel the tightness in his chest dissolve, and he digs through his possessions.

… Clusters. I didn't think things would escalate this soon. It'll have to be clusters from now on.

He pulls out six crystal clusters, one for each aethereal aspect. As long as he's not maintaining contact, the aether remains housed within each cluster.

Hm… interesting. Shards siphon off rather quickly. That's a good thing, or I'd never have even noticed and be dead right now.

He divides the clusters into two groups of three and then rests a hand on each group. After a few seconds, he can feel the aether being pulled into his body, and the light from each cluster dims.

The dizziness and the soft knot in his chest dissolve, and he can feel the reservoir within him tick up. After a few seconds, the last of the light dissipates from the clusters. The slight discomfort to which he'd grown accustomed vanishes with the last traces of light. More than that, he feels more full with concentrated aether as he returns the spent clusters to his pack. He stares at the last empty cluster for a moment before shrugging and returning it as well.

I wonder if there's a use for those…

As he lies on the ground, a rattling sound catches his attention, and his gaze falls to the source of it; the pouch fastened to his belt, about which, until this moment, he had forgotten.

"Right… these things… Old man said I'd be meeting special people…" he mutters. Opening the pouch, he examines the contents.

As the soft light from the stones illuminates the immediate space around him, Taiasu's eyes widen.

These…

He reaches into the pouch and pulls from it three stones.

This is new… Okay, that's stupid. All of this is new, but these are even more new.

These three stones stand distinct from their counterparts. One the color of polished steel. One the color of amethyst, and the third shone red like a cut ruby.

This one…

Holding it up, he immediately recognizes the color.

It's like her eyes. That Illyasviel… Wait… three? I had three resonance events today too… That's unprecedented. One a week is a bit much, but three in a day?

He stares at the stones in his hand as their glow intensifies and fades at regular intervals, like a beating heart.

It can't be a coincidence…

He drops the three stones back into the sack and cinches it closed as he yawns heavily.

For tomorrow, then.

Laying his head on the ground, he closes his eyes, and sleep soon follows.

The Day Ends.