Chapter 12
"Damn it, I can still feel the aches from last night."
Emiya groaned as he examined his arm. None of the wounds from the battles remained, yet a dull pain reminded him of what he had to endure through. He shook his head as he sighed, throwing on a black button up shirt.
"Last night proved exactly what kind of obstacles I will be facing. This will not be like my previous summons as a Counter Guardian. If I'm going to succeed, I need to take account exactly what I'm dealing with."
Out of all the servants he had encountered, Emiya had only seen five out of the seven summoned servants. He had no inkling as to who Berserker and Assassin could be, nor what they were capable of. That only left the remaining servants to assess. The largest threat at the moment would have to be Rider, King Tutankhamen himself. The memories from the fight with the young pharaoh were still fresh. Although unable to win in close combat, Rider more than made up for it with his long distance attacks.
"He was able to create distortions in reality to summon bits of his tomb. When he tried to add me to his personal army of the dead, his entire tomb began to appear. If I were to hazard a guess, his tomb is his Noble Phantasm. Whatever is within his tomb, whether it be weapons or spirits, he can utilize it for combat. It would be best to steer clear of him for the time being."
Then there was Lancer and Saber, both with their own strengths and weaknesses.
"It's hard to say if the two have allied with each other. Lancer didn't even hesitate when she presented her offer to me. At the time she was willing to help me defeat Saber in exchange for me killing none of the Masters. Though it was for her benefit alone, it goes to show she has no qualms about breaking alliances. She probably would have even let me carry out my mission if I hadn't shown her that sword. Yet I needed to confirm if I was correct about her True Name. This will not be the last time I will have to face her, which will be a problem if she allies with Saber again. As for Saber herself, she is indeed a skilled swordswoman. She has both the speed and strength to trade blows with ease. I can take her from a distance, but only if she's alone."
That left the only two remaining servants, Archer and Caster.
"Archer..." he paused with a chuckle, "Archer will probably not be a threat. He hadn't even taken that much substantial damage when he retreated and didn't even use a fully powered Noble Phantasm to escape. His Master must not be too keen on taking risks."
His gaze hardened as his thoughts drifted toward the ginger-haired girl's servant.
"Caster is essentially a wild card at this point. Given his status as a Caster, he can have the potential to cast powerful magecraft, but that's only if that girl doesn't hold him back. Right now he's too preoccupied in keeping her alive as the foolish girl doesn't even have the means to protect herself against any enemy magi, let alone any servants. I doubt I can pull off another ambush now that they're aware of my presence. But as long as that girl remains powerless, she will die sooner or later."
With this in mind, he left the bedroom. Walking down the hallway, the sound of groaning reached his ears. Upon entering the dining room, he was greeted with the sight of Taiga sloped over the table with an exaggerated frown.
"Shhhhiiiiirrrrrroouuuuu," she whined, "I'm starving! Why haven't you cooked breakfast yet?"
Emiya sighed with the shake of his head. Right; of course Taiga begging him for food.
"Honestly Fuji-nee, how did you even manage to feed yourself while I was gone?" he asked as he walked behind the kitchen counter. It was a question meant for himself and the Shirou Emiya of the timeline. With how much the woman begged for her sibling's cooking, one had to wonder how she survived without it.
The brunette huffed with her arms crossed.
"Now that's not a very nice thing to say, Shirou. I am able to fix my own meals you know."
A small smirk spread on his face as he replied "Is that so? Well then I suppose I don't need to cook breakfast for you do I?"
The moment he uttered those words, Taiga immediately burst into tears, pleading apologies in rapid fire. Emiya couldn't help but laugh at this. Honestly, how long had it been since he last enjoyed himself this much. Living at his old home, dealing with Taiga's antics, cooking up breakfast; everything just felt right.
"It'll be shame to leave everything once I eliminate the anomaly. This moment of peace will become nothing more than a faded memory."
His grip hardened, but loosened as he took in a deep breath. He had already came to terms with his past demons; his ideals renewed with a fateful fight, encouraging him to move ever forward. The broth for his miso soup had come to a simmer just as Taiga turned on the television. Emiya didn't pay much mind to the reporters, choosing to direct his focus on whisking the miso with the hot broth. Yet his attention didn't hold long the moment he heard the words "Homurahara Academy." He saw on the TV a female reporter standing in front of the school gate; there was a construction crew working on the school building behind the gate.
"For the time being, the school shall be closed in order to undergo repairs. But students needn't worry; officials ensure the school will be reopened in six to seven days." the reporter stated.
"So seems the Church took notice of the fight at the school and are playing clean up as usual. Wonder what excuse they used." Emiya thought.
Playing dumb, the white-haired man asked "Hey Fuji-nee, what exactly happened at the school?"
Taiga let out a hmm, not quite catching onto the question until replying "Oh yeah, got a call about it this morning. Apparently one of the pipes burst during the night." Her lips pressed together into a small frown. "I do hope the students will be alright. It'll be a little difficult for them to catch up on their work." She sighed before shifting to a bright grin. "But hey, on the bright side this means I can easily get second helpings for breakfast."
Emiya's brows lowered in a deadpan expression.
"Gas leaks. It always has to be gas leaks."
Putting the final touches on the soup, he set out the bowls on the table and settled onto his haunches. He watched Taiga's eyes practically light up as she eagerly shoved one of the tofu into her mouth. She let out a happy hum, muttering the words "So good." despite her full mouth. Emiya chuckled slightly as a certain blonde with a ravenous appetite came to mind. He could recall the sparkle in her eyes as she devoured everything he cooked, or rather his younger self did. His own memories with her with a blur; something he struggled to hold on to during his service as a Counter Guardian. The only thing he managed to cling to was the heavenly visage of her standing before him with the moonlight gleaming off her armor.
"Shirou?"
The sound of Taiga's voice cut through the fog of his mind like a knife. His body jolted in response, his conscious returning to the present. In front of him hew saw Taiga with her eyes narrowed.
"You were muttering about a blond just now. You're not bringing home any women are you?"
Emiya's face flushed red.
"Didn't even know I was thinking outloud. Need to be more careful about that in the future."
Clearing his throat for a moment, he replied "No, she's only a friend Fuji-nee. Surely you remember Saber?"
Yet much to his surprise, Taiga furrowed her brows in response, shoving another piece of tofu in her mouth.
"I don't know any Saber. Shirou, be honest, you're sneaking around with some mystery woman aren't you?!"
His eyes widened in both shock and panic. She had met Saber hadn't she? Could it have been possible she had forgotten about the swordswoman? He groaned as he rubbed his forehead. It didn't matter. Right now it was important to calm the raging "tiger" before him.
"No Fuji-nee, I'm not. Saber was an old friend who I spent time with when I was younger." His eyes turned somber, darkening a bit. "But we ended up drifting apart, and eventually she left Fuyuki. She's long gone now, most likely never coming back."
Taiga's gaze softened at his words. He figured she could notice the topic hurt him slightly. After all, there wasn't a single lie in his words. His Saber was long gone. Suddenly, he felt a light touch on his hand. Glancing over at it, he saw Taiga's gently laying on his. Without a world he curled his fingers, intertwining them with hers. Lifting up his head, he was greeted with her smile. A sigh managed to slip from his lips as he smiled in return, expressing his silent thanks. The two sat in relative silence as his hand continued to hold on, almost afraid that if he were to let go, he would wake up back on that lonely hill surrounded by swords.
Yet the one to pull back was Taiga as she gently slipped her hand from his grip.
"Come on, Shirou, can't let your cooking go cold on us."
Emiya chuckled a bit before finally starting to eat.
The streets of Fuyuki bustled with activity. Emiya walked silently among the crowd of people, carefully scanning his surroundings. He had given Taiga the excuse of going out to buy some ingredients for dinner, when in truth he left to continue searching for the anomaly. One passerby ending up accidentally brushing against his shoulder, slightly nudging him to the right. He only looked at them for a second before looking forward once more.
"You know, this would go a lot faster if I just shifted into spirit form."
Yet despite knowing this for a fact, he didn't want to travel in such a way. He closed his eyes briefly, running a free hand through his white hair. Though the memories long faded, walking on the streets of his former home with a physical body felt comforting. It filled his heart his warmth and eased his mind. Almost like laying to rest after a long day's work. He reopened his eyes and came to a stop at a crosswalk. A few small cars were cutting through, forcing walkers to wait. Standing aside of him were three teenagers, dressed in casual clothes. They were none of his concern as he tuned out their chatter. Their words were like white noise, holding no meaning as they blended in with the locales. That is, until a certain phrase cut through the silence.
"...castle in the woods."
Emiya slightly stiffened at these words. There was only one manor fitting the description that came to mind and that was the Einzbern's home. The image came to his mind of carrying an unconscious Rin in his arms into the forest clearing where a towering castle awaited in plain view. But the owner of the castle was long gone when he had arrived, perishing like many others in the war. Emiya's hands clenched tightly. His only encounter with Illya had been when she ambushed Rin and his younger self with the Berserker Heracles. Memories of his own Illya were long gone as he had never grown close with her. He wouldn't even be able to recall her face if not for his memories of the fifth holy grail war.
"Really? You believe the Satoshi brothers of all people? Didn't they say the old shrine is cursed too? Haha!."
"Are you scared or something? Its not just them this time, lots of people are having fun with it."
"The golden haired forest spirit huh."
"I heard it was white hair."
"They can't even get the story straight?!"
At that moment, it was like lightning had struck the bowman. His silver eyes widened and his blood ran cold.
"It can't be her, she's been dead for ten years. Admittedly spirits are a likely possibility, but I doubt it. Still, it is worth checking out." he thought to himself.
Whether it was to confirm if the girl had came back from the dead or the simply activity from the anomaly, Emiya wasn't sure which reason influenced him the most to start heading for the woods at the edge of town.
The trek toward his destination seemed to last for only mere moments. He took note of the lack of people as he approached the entrance to the sea of trees. The faint scent of iron lingered in the air; remnants of an old barrier. So far no sign of anyone taking base at the old castle. Emiya let out a slow exhale, his gray eyes hardening with determination. Without a word, he took the first few steps into the woods. Crossing over the old barrier, his senses remained relatively the same, indicating there was no trap laying in wait for intruders. Feeling confident, he continued onward.
The forest was thick and covered in fog; practically the same image from ten years ago. There were no sounds of animal life, only the sound of leaves crunching underneath his shoes. The archer couldn't quite put his finger on it, but it felt unsettling. Surely there would be some sort of life of the woods, especially since the owner of the territory was no longer around. The further Emiya traveled into the woods, the more the scenery started to differ from his memory. The trees began to look wilted with all their leaves gone. While trees tend to lose leaves in winter, this was not the same. Another step, and in that instant, the familiar foul scent of rusted metal filled the air.
"This was no natural occurrence." He projected kanshou and bakuya into his hands. "Something is here, and based on the scent, I'm getting close."
Emiya's senses were now on high alert. Looking back and forth, he noticed no movement in the fog. A few more footsteps and the air began to grow tense. Had he been a regular human, he had no doubt he would've been dead already. For a second, an image flashed across his mind of students collapsed on the floor in pain with a blood-red sky. Deeper into the woods and the scent had now grown unbearable. No matter where he looked, all life had been drained from the area. Another step and now even he struggled to breathe. Step by step it felt like something had begun to coil around his neck and squeeze tightly.
Leaning against one of the dead trees, he sucked in a sharp breath, trying to get any form of air into his lungs.
"Can't turn back. Even if it's not the anomaly, whatever is causing this is too dangerous to be left unintended."
It was getting harder to focus. His vision was beginning to blur, prompting him to shake his head. Like a machine, he kept moving, refusing to succumb to his exhaustion. Step after step. The crunching of leaves was no longer audible, drowned out by his heavy breathing. Blinking his eyes, he saw the fog clearing to reveal an old ruined castle in a forest clearing. Emiya took a shaky step forward, but his leg immediately gave up. The archer grunted, trying to push himself off the ground but lacked the strength to. He could no longer breathe, has the coiling sensation around his neck had sealed it closed. Darkness danced at the edges of vision.
Lying helplessly on the ground, sleep began to beckon him. Desperately he tried to fight it off, still determined to eliminate the source of this magecraft, but his body refused to listen. His eyes closed momentarily when he heard the sound of footsteps approaching him. Reopening his eyes a crack, he caught a glimpse of white hair.
"Illya?"
Unable to resist the temptation any longer, his mind slipped into darkness.
The first of his senses that returned was touch. He was laying down on something soft. Slowly yet surely, he was beginning to make out more things. Rather than the feel of crunchy leaves, he felt the fabric of blankets. The scent of rusted metal was still there but was more of a lingering scent rather than the suffocating stench it once was. None of the factors matched the ones he recalled in his surroundings before he passed out. Feeling himself returning to the waking world, Emiya finally opened his eyes. Once he did, he found himself staring up at the sky still, but it was framed by burnt and broken beams and crumbled stone.
"Ah, so the sand rat finally stirs." a familiar voice spoke up.
The archer immediately sat up, body now in high alert. Turning to his right, he saw Rider. The young pharaoh was seated upon a large, crumbled stone brick, not donning his royal garments but rather a black shirt and pants with a blue dress jacket.
"How fitting for a pest such as yourself to stumble into the trap of a great ruler." Rider stated with a smirk.
Emiya's teeth clenched as he immediately summoned Kanshou. "Ah, I wouldn't do that if I were you." He paused, seeing the servant's hand glowing. Suddenly, the coiling sensation around his neck returned. It was firm, but not tight enough to close off his windpipe.
"As a pharaoh, I was granted both treasures and curses, one of which being the sole reason I'm recognized today. The ability to steal away the essence of life. Should you even try to make any move to attack me, I shall remove the immunity you have been granted. You've been under the effects of my curse long enough that it should kill you on the spot should you lose your protection."
The archer glared at the servant in front of him. So King Tut himself was the reason there was no life to be found around the castle. The curse surrounding his tomb is what allowed him to become widely known in life. Whoever stepped foot within his tomb was said to die shortly after. Seeing as his tomb and the curse were the only reason he most likely exists in the Throne of Heroes, it would make sense for Rider to have his infamous curse in his arsenal. Reluctantly, Emiya made his blade disappear.
"Best to play along for the moment."
He crossed his arms, adjusting himself on the mat he was on.
"So why exactly did you spare me? I am merely a 'sand rat' after all?"
Rider's golden eyes narrowed slightly, clearly unhappy with the tone Emiya was giving him. But it didn't last long, letting out a sigh as he propped up his head against his hand.
"Trust me, nothing more would please me than having you dead for your blasphemy. I did not grant you immunity due to a change of heart. No, rather I did so because my Master requested it and I am generous enough to not overlook the desires of my subjects."
At that moment, a soft spoken voice cut in "Rider, I thought I told you that I'm no longer your Master."
Emiya stiffened, slowly turning toward the owner of the voice. His blood felt like it had ran cold. Pale skin, red eyes, white hair; all features he was very familiar with. Standing in the doorway was a young girl that appeared around the age of ten. A white dress peeked out from underneath her tan coat and her hair was tied into a braid. She was the striking image of the Illyasviel von Einzbern.
Rider's nose crinkled in disgust. "Call that woman my Master?" he humphed. "You ask I lower myself to such a state!? She is a master only in name and nothing more. I will call her what she is. A chain. A simple chain to keep me to this world."
The young girl sighed before her gaze focused on the archer. Emiya could feel the intensity radiating off of her form.
"I know you aren't the Archer summoned by the grail. Who are you and why are you here? If you do not answer, I will have Rider remove your protection from his Noble Phantasm."
Strangely enough, while the voice carried the tone of command and seriousness that Illya's did, he noticed it lacked the pride and confidence. It seemed more like souless copy, a machine with programmed phrases. This girl may share Illya's face, but she did not possess her heart or spirit.
"So, just a regular homunculus carrying out her purpose." His brows furrowed, "But still, her existence doesn't make any sense. Illya was suppose to be the Einzberns' final attempt at seeing a conclusion to a Holy Grail War. They should've fell into ruin after Illya's death. I need answers."
Emiya smirked as he leaned back against the ruins of the wall. "Oh, you'll order Rider you'll say?" His eyes close with his hand resting on his knee. "I thought you just made it clear you were not his Master. Doesn't seem like the case to me."
He heard the sound of the young pharaoh snarling. Opening one of his eyes, he could see the young servant staring daggers at him.
"Do not forget your position sand rat! To disgrace my followers is to disgrace me! I hold your life in my hands and I can easily end it for such blasphemy!"
"Rider, it's alright." the white-haired girl said.
"But Master-"
"Rider, I can handle this. If you despise him that much, you can simply wait outside."
The teenage servant narrowed his gold eyes. Without a word, he stood up, dusting the occasional dirt off of his clothes. He stepped over Emiya's legs, rather than walking around the archer. But once one foot was over, the other stomped down on Emiya's shin. The bowman let out an audible hiss, unable to prevent his leg from flinching at the pain. He glared at the boy, fully aware that was no accident. Rider's lip twitched into a small smile before he left the room.
"Smug little brat."
The young homunculus gave a glance in the direction the brunet servant walked before closing her eyes and letting out another sigh. Upon her eyes reopening, Emiya was unable to gain a read on her emotions. Her gaze was neutral.
"Well, now that I've sent Rider away..." the girl began, seating herself down in front of the archer, "We may discuss in private. Now, I'll ask you again, who are you and why are you here?"
"Hmph, cutting straight to the point are we? But the better question is, who are you?" His other eye opened as he gave off an intense stare, "From what I've been told, the Einzberns have fallen. So tell me, are you an attempt to replicate their work, or are you merely a poser?"
The child's brows knitted together tightly; her hands balling up into two fists on her skirt.
"If I answer, will you give me the information I seek?"
Emiya paused for a moment.
"Yes."
"Very well then, if that's what it takes."
She took in a deep breath, radiating an aura of calm and collectiveness.
"My name is Lieselotte von Einzbern, I am the only remnant of the Einzbern Legacy. When the Einzberns fell into ruin, I was abandoned with no purpose. Now I act as the vessel for the Grail."
"Hmph, forgive my bluntness, but I find that hard to believe."
Emiya narrowed his eyes in suspicion. The girl's claim contradicted establishing facts. He was fully aware the Einzbern homunculus modeled after the head of the Einzberns, Justeaze Lizrich von Einzbern. Because of this, all homunculus shared the same appearance; a young woman with white hair, pale skin, and red eyes. Only Illya was an exception to this, with a body frozen in time, doomed to never age past childhood. If Lotte's words were true, she would have the appearance of Justeaze, not that of Illya.
Lotte's mouth pressed into a firm frown.
"I can assure you that I'm not lying. I was created ten years ago, a few months before the start of the fifth holy grail war. While I was unintentionally built to last, I am nearing the end of my life cycle.
Emiya allowed himself to slip out a scoff before replying "You say that except you don't look like Justeaze. Instead, your image is reminiscent of-"
"Of Illyasviel von Einzbern, is that what you were going to say?"
The archer felt like his breath was caught in his throat.
"I'm right aren't I? Now, I will ask for the final time, who are you and why are you here?"
Quickly regaining, his calm appearance, he quickly lied "Saber. I was summoned by the grail to fight in the war."
"Don't you dare lie to me!" The girl's voice had bit of bite to it. "I know what the swordswoman looks like."
"Oh is that so, and how would you know that exactly? Last I checked, the Lesser Grail isn't all knowing."
Lotte squinted angrily the servant before her. With her youthful appearance, she came off as more of a pouting child rather than a threatening mage. The sight managed to bring a small smile to Emiya's face.
"Stop smiling, and I don't need to tell you, especially when you have yet to answer my question!"
"Oh, did I manage to struck a nerve? Something tells me that detail must be awfully important for you to hide it from me."
"Says the servant who keeps deflecting my questions."
The sight was quite amusing to Emiya. One viewing the interrogation from the distance would mistake it for two siblings squabbling. Yet at the same time, this detail unnerved him. The homunculus before him was too much like Illya, both in appearance and now even with her rage. If he didn't know any better, he would swear it was the girl herself back from the dead.
Lotte's pout remained on her face until suddenly, her red eyes widen. She frowned with her brows furrowed, folding her hands neatly on her lap.
"I apologize, that wasn't very mature of me." she whispered under her breath.
Soon enough, any sign of expression was wiped away from her face.
"In the forest when I found you. I heard you say Illya." Her gaze hardened slightly. "If you were summoned by the grail, you wouldn't even know the name Illya. Illyasviel von Einzbern has been dead for ten years, having perished in the fifth holy grail war. I am convinced you wouldn't merely been told this knowledge like you claim." Her head lifted and she stared directly into Emiya's eyes. "So, will you still try to lie to me?"
The white-haired man inhaled deeply, rubbing his hand against the back of his neck.
"I suppose there's no point in avoiding her questions anymore. She doesn't seem to be another ally of Caster's Master. I should be safe to tell her the real reason why I'm here."
The mystery surrounding the homuculus' existence still lingering in his mind, but he was willing to push those questions aside. What was important was Lotte was not the enemy.
"You're right, I'm not one of the seven servants. I have been summoned by the World itself. I have been trying to eliminate a target that will threaten humanity if left unchecked."
Lotte pursed her lips before asking "The World? You're not lying again are you?"
"I have nothing to gain by lying. You stated yourself, I knew of Illyasviel von Einzbern. Attempting to lie again would most likely have convinced you to lift the protection from Rider's Noble Phantasm."
In that instant, Lotte immediately jumped to her feet. Her body trembled a bit with fear painted on her face.
"But you came here, where I was based with Rider. Does that mean, I'm your target?" The young girl took a step back, now clearly worried to be alone with archer. "It can't be, why would the World want me dead? I've done nothing."
Seeing the girl had jumped to conclusions, Emiya exclaimed "Wait no! It's true I came here to investigate possible locations for my target, but I can assure you that it is not you." Lotte did not reply as she took another hesitant step back, her red eyes glancing to the side. Acting fast, Emiya got on his knees and grabbed ahold of her shoulders. While his grip was firm, it was also comforting, careful not to dig down to cause pain. "Lieselotte, I promise you, I will not harm you. The World does not see you as a threat to humanity."
The archer wasn't sure what possessed him to immediately want to ensure the girl of her safety. While a part of it was due to her not being his enemy, he couldn't help but feel there was another reason.
"It's not because she looks like Illya is it?" he thought before promptly shaking his head. "No, I was never close to Illya. I was never the brother she desired. It... it can't be because of that."
Hearing the archer's reassurance, slowly the fear vanished from the girl's face.
"If it's not me, then is it one of the other Masters?"
Emiya nodded his head.
"Yes, only one Master must die to complete my mission. The rest may do as they wish so long as they don't interfere."
The girl fell silent; her red eyes gaining a thoughtful look. After a few moments, she gently removed Emiya's hands from her shoulders. She walked away from him a few steps, hands carefully intertwined in front of her at her waist. In a stern and commanding tone, she called out for Rider. It didn't even take a second for the young pharaoh to reenter the ruined room after hearing his name.
"Rider, you are to allow this servant to keep your protection from your curse."
Rider's brows rose upward in shock, his eyes wide in disbelief.
"Master, he's an enemy! You can't honestly expect me to grant him protection for the remaining duration of this war?!"
Lotte turned immediately glared at King Tut, prompting the young servant to clench his teeth in frustration. Emiya was a little surprised by how the two could seemingly communicate with no words. For someone who claimed not to be a Master, the girl did seem to share a sort of bond with the Rider. Finally, the brunet let out a "Tch" as he crossed his arms, opting to stare daggers at the nearby wall.
"There, now you won't have to worry about being caught in Rider's Noble Phantasm again."
"Hmph, even though only a fool would wander into it. You had me drain mana in an area far from civilization and this sand rat still stumbles into it." Rider grumbled under his breath.
Lotte gave the young servant a deadpan stare, muttering quietly "Rider... please."
Obeying the girl's command, Rider fell silent, but not before shooting a hateful glare toward Emiya. The bowsman simply grinned, much similar to the one the pharaoh himself wore when he stomped down on his shin. His grin immediately disappeared the moment he noticing Lotte now looking at him.
"Well, seeing as you gave me answers, you're free to leave and return to your mission." she stated.
Emiya only whispered "Oh." before his mouth pressed into a thin line. Of course, there was still the anomaly to hunt down. Only managing to let out a grunt, Emiya pushed himself back onto his feet. Much to his surprise, he found himself dragging his feet a bit, slowing his trek slightly. Why did he feel hesitant to leave the girl who wore his dead sister's face? The archer reasoned with himself that it had nothing to do with Illya herself. Yet, at the back of his mind, he couldn't help but doubt himself.
He almost left the ruined room until he heard Lotte callout "Wait!"
Silently, he turned toward the homunculus, seeing him stare at him with red eyes full of yearning.
"Before you leave..." her fingers curled more tightly together, "may I ask for your True Name?"
The bowsman did not immediately reply, closing his eyes in thought for a few moments.
Finally he answered "Emiya. My True Name is Emiya."
The answer seemed to cause brief surprise to flash across the girl's face. But almost immediately, a small smile spread across her face.
"Emiya... I hope our paths cross again."
Emiya was slightly taken back by the response, unsure what to say. So, in the end, he opted for a simple nod. Without any more words shared, he left the room. Yet as he walked away, a blurry memory tugged at his mind. The image of a young girl with long white hair and red eyes giving him a sad smile.