Disclaimer: I do not own Fate Stay Night, Highschool DxD or anything else.
Fate: Devil Night
Chapter5: Interlude I
Human World
Japan: Fuyuki
Kotomine Church
He stood alone again…
On that barren hill…
Staring at the swords around him…
Unfortunately you can't save everyone, I'm going to keep trying of course—they're my daughters—but the chances of getting them out of there almost zero.
Family…
He'd sworn to save them…
Illya…
Chloe…
Miyu…
"Father…" Shirou trailed off as he awoke slowly.
"…You're awake," a voice mused from the side of the bed. "I regret to tell you this but I am not you're father."
"This place," Shirou gritted out as he forced himself up into a sitting position. He didn't recognize where he was but he could tell that he was in some kind of room, an attic, and was currently lying in a bed with a middle-aged man dressed in robes sitting beside him. "You're…"
Kotomine Kirei…
"It's better if you don't move recklessly," Kirei told him. "It's been a long time since I've healed someone and I can't guarantee the results."
"…Did you save me?" Shirou asked him.
"Helping a drowning person is the extent of something I would still do, I am a priest, after all," Kirei replied as he stood up. "If you are feeling well enough, come with me. Your sister is waiting outside, and there are things that you might want to know."
Sister…
"…Fine," Shirou nodded and slowly climbed out of the bed.
They made their way out of the attic and down the stairs into the main part of the church. Once they stepped inside, Shirou immediately spotted Miyu standing next to the altar looking anxious. The moment she saw him however, she quickly rushed over to him and hugged him. He wrapped his arms around her and felt her tremble. Of course, despite her appearance, she was only a year old and only had him now that the Ainsworths were gone.
"Onii-chan…" Miyu whispered into his side.
"Hey Miyu, I'm okay, really," Shirou reassured her. "Are you okay?"
"Yes," Miyu answered as she stepped back.
"I believe that I should interject here," Kirei spoke up. "Welcome to the Holy Church of Fuyuki, I am Kotomine Kirei, a priest that is responsible for witnessing the end of this world, welcome lost lambs."
"…Thank you for saving me," Shirou nodded towards him before turning away. "It's embarrassing to say, but we're in a hurry so we'll be leaving now."
He did not want to deal with Kiritsugu's old nemesis…
"Where are you going?" Kirei asked them seemingly amused. "Dear child, what you need to do now is understand what is happening first. Observe, analyse, and act. In a period near the end there are still people in this world with the dream that miracles can save the world, just like your father."
"My dad?" Shirou questioned. "I know that you fought him ten years ago."
"It's nothing to be surprised about," Kirei shrugged uncaring. "Anyone with a connection to this world would know the name of the Magus Killer, and as you've said, I personally faced him ten years ago at the end of the Fourth Holy Grail War. As I'm sure you have realised, another war is about to begin."
"…Yes," Shirou nodded in understanding.
He needed to check the Greater Grail in person before he confirmed anything though…
"From what I understand, three Servants have already been summoned," Kirei smirked. "As a Magus living in Fuyuki, you are aware that this city will soon become a warzone. Should you become a Master then I suggest you summon your Servant as soon as possible."
"…Anything else?" Shirou inquired further.
"While I was healing you I noticed that you are a devil," Kirei continued. "Usually healing Magecraft does not work on devils however it seems to work on you though I do not know why. I will not ask how it is able to work on you, I just wish to say that there maybe those that wish to find out by any means necessary."
"…Thanks for the warning," Shirou nodded and turned towards his sister. "Miyu?" he asked turning towards the still silent girl.
"…Thank you," Miyu said quietly.
"You're welcome," Shirou smiled back.
He'd done it…
He'd really saved her…
Now he just had to get home and stop Ravel from sending out a search party for him…
She worried about him a bit too much at times…
Tohsaka Rin stood at the edge of the massive crater which had once been a city block in downtown Fuyuki and couldn't help but narrow her eyes at the sight. As the Second Owner of Fuyuki city it was her responsibility to maintain the secrecy of Magecraft and peace in her lands as her forefathers had done. That's why when her owl familiars keeping watch over the city reported a large explosion of prana in Shinto she was most upset and had gone to investigate the source of the disturbance.
She found this…
Mundane trucks and equipment littered the area as the local police cornered off the entire block. A battle had clearly been fought here, one in which had reduced the entire city block to nothing but a crater covered in black mud. The Mage's Association and the Holy Church would deal with everything when they caught wind of it so she wasn't really bothered by the damage. No, what bothered her was that whoever did it was most likely still somewhere in her city.
She needed to investigate further and track done the ones responsible. Something like this threated the secrecy of Magecraft and couldn't be overlooked. The ones responsible might even receive a Sealing Designation if the Association was able to identify them, something that she personally agreed with. Turning away from the scene, Tohsaka Rin started walking towards the Kotomine Church where her current 'guardian' was located.
She would need to speak with that fake priest about this…
It wasn't long before she reached the old church almost at the edge of Shinto, up a short hill and passed the foreign cemetery nearby. It was quiet and peaceful when she arrived at the church's doorstep and slowly opened the front door. She entered without a word taking note of the lack of people inside save for the lone figure standing at the altar at the back with his back turned away from her. She approached him, striding across the room with purpose in her steps until she was finally standing next to him.
"Good morning Rin," Kirei greeted as he turned towards her. "What can I do for you today?"
"You know why I'm here," Rin responded as she folded her arms. "A battle took place last night and I was wondering if you knew anything about it?"
"You're referring to the scuffle that cratered a city block in Shinto," Kirei smiled in amusement. "Do not worry about it, I have already contacted the Holy Church and they are taking care of it as we speak. I suggest that you do the same with the Association, especially considering who was involved."
"Who was it?" Rin demanded coolly. She was angered that someone would come into her city and pull a stunt like this.
"The Ainsworth family," Kirei answered with a chuckle.
"The Ainsworths?" Rin narrowed her eyes at the name. "I heard that they were given a Sealing Designation."
"They did," Kirei confirmed. "They were killed last night by a pair of devils."
"Devils?" Rin questioned further. "There are devils somewhere in the city?"
"Indeed," Kirei nodded. "They have been here for some time now."
"And when were you going to tell me this?" Rin glared back at him.
"I assumed that you already knew," Kirei shrugged uncaring of her anger.
He'd known that there was a devil in the city for years now, after all Ravel Phenex wasn't as subtle as she liked to think she was. Gilgamesh had sensed her arrival and had chosen to ignore her but had informed him nonetheless. Apparently he was amused at her and wanted to see what she would do when the time came. On the other hand he seemed to hold a particular distaste for the young man that Ravel had recently turned into a devil, Emiya Shirou.
Emiya…
He hadn't forgotten that name even after ten years, not after his crushing defeat at the hands of Emiya Kiritsugu at the end of the Fourth Holy Grail War. The man had killed him and left him for dead only for his foolish wish to be wasted. Kiritsugu had desired world peace and that was something that went against Kirei's very nature. He was someone who enjoyed seeing others suffer and Kiritsugu's very being was an affront to his existence.
Now the man's son would likely be participating in the next Grail War…
"…Thank you Kirei," Rin said finally as she turned away. "You've given me much to think about."
Rin strolled back out the way she came, her mind running through a million thoughts as she made her way down the aisle and out the front door. There was a pair of devils in her city, and as the land's Second Owner it fell to her to deal with it. She would find these 'devils' that had infiltrated her territory and confront them. She wasn't a fool, she knew about the end of the Fourth Holy Grail War and the merging of the two worlds into one so she knew about the devils and their inhuman powers.
If there were devils in the city then she might need to unseal that…
Kirei watched her go with that same fake smile on his face, the amusement he felt at seeing her struggle to deal with her duties still lingered even after she left the church. Ten years ago he had killed her father and had 'raised' her as her guardian but he was a man who only took joy out of other people's suffering. He'd thought it was ironic that he raise her since it had been him that killed her father. As the smile slipped off of his face he turned to the blond young man sitting at the front row of chairs.
"…Well?" Kirei inquired. "What do you think?"
"It was interesting to watch," Gilgamesh replied as he sat back against the wooden chair and looked down at the Archer card in his hand. "But the whole affair was unsightly, after all, what can you expect from a battle between a fake and a counterfeit?"
Underworld
Phenex Territory: Pyros
Phenex Castle
After the battle the previous night and making sure the Shirou was alive, Ravel Phenex had rested at the Emiya Residence in Fuyuki city before heading back to the Underworld in order to deliver the rest of the stolen Phoenix Tears that she recovered from the destroyed Hyatt Hotel. She was just thankful that she'd had enough time to find them amidst the devastation before the human authorities arrived to investigate what had happened and start cleaning up the mess.
She was currently sitting in her eldest brother's office having spent most of the morning dropping the Phoenix Tears off at the one of the seven storehouses in Pyros city. Her family's territory—as one of the seventy-two Pillars—was one of the largest in Devil Society and at its center was the city of Pyros where Phenex Castle was located. She usually returned here during the weekends and had grown accustomed to constant travelling between the human world and the underworld over the years.
However this time it wasn't a social visit…
"That's everything," Ravel finished as she sat opposite her eldest brother.
Ruval Phenex had been having a rather tiring few days, first he had gotten reports that a shipment of his family's prized Phoenix Tears had been stolen by a renegade group of Magi called the Ainsworths. Naturally his parents had been informed about the theft and Ruval had taken direct action almost immediately. He'd despatched his peerage to find the Ainsworths while he and his parents kept anyone from finding out about the theft until finally one of his Pawns had tracked them down to Fuyuki city in the human world, a predominantly Magi-controlled city that was regarded as the battleground for the Holy Grail Wars.
It was also the city his sister was living in…
She'd been warned about the theft since she was with them when they were informed along with the fact that the Ainsworths were hiding out in Fuyuki city. Ravel hadn't taken that news well and had gone back to Fuyuki before anyone could stop her. She'd wanted to deal with the problem herself and had gotten assistance from the son of the man responsible for the merge of the two worlds ten years ago. Ruval had heard many things about this 'Emiya Shirou' but had personally never met the man.
After the merge ten years ago Ruval and many others had come into contact with the 'other' supernatural beings in the world, including Magi. From what they had gathered, Emiya Kiritsugu had been a monster more than a man, capable of besting any Magi he came across and even a few 'Dead Apostle' vampires using nothing but tactics coupled with his brand of magic. The man had been known as the 'Magus Killer' and feared for his actions over the years. Ruval had known that his sister had made contact with the man's adopted son and had investigated a bit but refrained from digging too deep in case of accidently angering Ravel.
She had quite the temper after all…
Tsundere…
When the Ainsworths had hidden themselves away in Fuyuki, Ruval had almost authorised his peerage to launch an invasion of the city in order to find and eliminate them. The result would have likely gotten his family in a lot of trouble but it would have succeeded, though most of Fuyuki would have likely been levelled and the truth about the stolen Phoenix Tears would have gotten out. In the end they had been forced to rely on Ravel and the son of the Magus Killer to take care of things quietly.
If you call blowing up a city block quiet…
From what Ravel had just told him, she and Emiya had located the Ainsworths in Fuyuki city and proceeded to engage them in combat. Of course they'd put up a number of barriers to ward the regular humans away from the area before starting the battle, one which left an crater where a city block used to be. According to Ravel the battle had been intense but they had eventually won and recovered the Phoenix Tears that had been stolen.
"Ravel, I know that you want to be independent," Ruval spoke quietly. "But please don't do something so reckless again."
"We couldn't go to the others with this," Ravel responded with a sigh. "This was a family matter and I dealt with it, that's all."
"…Fine," Ruval said finally.
Even though he wasn't as overprotective as his two little brothers, Ruval still cared deeply for his sister and didn't like how she had endangered herself like that. But she'd spoken with him earlier and had talked him into letting her try and recover their Phoenix Tears herself. She'd argued that Fuyuki was her city and that since it was her family's problem it fell to her to deal with it. So she'd gone in and finished her own business, it was as simple as that.
"So what happens now?" Ravel asked him.
"Thankfully we're still on schedule so the Phoenix Tears won't be missed if they arrive on time," Ruval replied. "I'll take care of everything from here."
"Okay," Ravel nodded in understanding.
"You look exhausted," Ruval commented as he took in her appearance. "Get some sleep, Ravel."
He was clearly not the only one who hadn't slept much lately…
"Yes," Ravel said with another nod as she slowly stood up to leave. "I think I will."
She stopped for a moment before sitting back down…
"Was there something else?" Ruval asked her.
"Just one thing I forgot to mention," Ravel replied hesitantly.
"What is it?" Ruval inquired with narrowed eyes.
"I wasn't able to confirm it but…" Ravel trailed off as she tried to find the words.
"…But what?" Ruval questioned further.
"We believe that another Holy Grail War is about to start sometime in the next few days," Ravel answered.
"It's only been ten years since the last one," Ruval hissed in frustration as he brought his hand up to hold the side of his face. He could feel a headache coming on from all these revelations, not to mention he still had to deal with the delivering the Phoenix Tears to their destination on time.
"I know," Ravel responded with look.
She knew better than any other devil what was coming since she was the one living in Fuyuki city and had been staying with the son of the last war's winner for the past five years. She like many other devils hadn't really noticed the merge at first since she was living in the underworld at the time, however that couldn't be said for the human world. Shirou had told her about the fire that had consumed Fuyuki city and how his father's Servant had been the one to destroy the Holy Grail using a complete Holy Sword Excalibur, one of the strongest Noble Phantasms in existence. If the counterfeit Mjolnir was any indication of the level of power—degraded though it was—then that meant all of them were in danger, especially if the Dark God that resided within the Holy Grail survived and was able to be born into the world.
Angra Mainyu…
"Prepare for it as best you can," Ruval replied. "I'll inform the Four Maou of the situation."
"Okay."
Human World
Japan: Fuyuki
Emiya Residence
Emiya Miyu was created as a doll—a homunculus—that would become the Lesser Grail of the upcoming Fifth Holy Grail War. The Ainsworths had made her from the DNA of Emiya Kiritsugu and a member of the Sakatsuki family since the former had been the winner of the previous war and the latter had been his mistress. She was to manifest the true Holy Grail and 'save' humanity from the 'evil' races that now inhabited the world alongside them.
Holy…Grail…
The whisper came, a dark, twisted sound, echoing through her mind as black shapes started to move through the dark abyss that consumed her vision. They came by the dozen, shapes of all sizes, tainted copies of those that stood as the greatest of heroes and villains that the world had ever known. They all wanted it, wanted her, and they would stop at nothing to get her. Why? What did they want with her? She already knew the answer, they wanted their wishes fulfilled, their dreams realised.
Holy Grail…
"N…" Miyu whispered softly.
HoLy GrAiL…
"No," she said more forcefully this time.
HOLY GRAIL…
"I said no!" Miyu shouted at them. "I won't!"
She bolted awake a moment later, her mind clearing as she felt someone holding her, shaking her slightly. She couldn't tell who it was at first but eventually her vision cleared and she found herself looking up into her adopted brother's worried eyes. Looking around she saw that they were in his workshop—their family workshop—and that they were also sitting in a magic circle in the center of the room. Beside them rested the now empty case which housed the flesh taken from their father's back, though the Emiya Magic Crest was no longer engraved upon it.
"Are you okay Miyu-chan?" Shirou asked worriedly.
"I'm fine," Miyu nodded as she gently pushed him away. "Thank you."
She would deny them, she wouldn't give in, she wouldn't become the lifeless doll that the Ainsworths had wanted her to be. Her brother had showed her that there was more to life than simply sacrificing herself for some misplaced concept like the 'Greater Good' or something like that. She may have originally been nothing more than a doll that the Ainsworths created, but she was her own person now and this was where she belonged.
She had a family now…
"Don't push yourself," Shirou told her. "Rest for bit."
"…Was the operation successful?" Miyu inquired as she looked over her shoulder.
Her back was painful and though she couldn't see it, the Emiya Magic Crest was glowing a dark red as it finished integrating itself into her skin. Transferring her father's Magic Crest from the tissue Shirou had stored away onto her back was a rather painful experience and she had been forced to be put to sleep while Shirou engraved it into her skin. Shirou wasn't a spiritual doctor by any means but he knew how to remove and transfer Magic Crests from one person to another if the need ever arose at least.
"Yes," Shirou smiled back. "How does it feel?"
"Sore," Miyu answered simply.
"I see," Shirou nodded with reassuring smile. "Come on, let's head back and get you to bed."
It had been long day after all…
Emiya Miyu awoke to the sight of the ceiling above her, for once her mind clear having slept soundly until now. She blinked to clear the sleep from her eyes and shuffled a little, bringing her hands up to rub her eyes. She rolled over and closed her eyes again to rest a bit more though she knew that she wasn't tired enough to go back to sleep at this point. After a few minutes of rest she opened her eyes again and pushed herself up into a sitting position.
Idly she noted that the pain from where she'd received the Emiya Magic Crest was no longer present though her back was still numb from it. Deciding to take a look she rose to her feet and walked over to the mirror on the wall to her right. She stood before it and turned around, taking off her nightgown as she did so. Looking over her shoulder at her reflection in the mirror she saw the intricate engraving on her back that was the Emiya Magic Crest still looking a bit red but not as much as the day before.
After staring at it for a bit longer she eventually turned away and looked over at the small pile of clothes that had been neatly placed beside her futon. She looked down at what she was wearing and then back at the pile before walking over to them. She stripped herself slowly and then got changed into the new clothes, ones that actually fit her she noted. Had her brother used Structural Analysis on her and gone out to buy some new clothes for her while she slept? Never mind, that wasn't important at the moment, getting dressed and finding her brother was her priority right now.
As she left her new room she slid the door closed behind her and walked towards the living room. When she got closer the sudden smell of food hit her senses and she paused for a second before sliding the door open. True enough she spotted her brother standing in the kitchen wearing an apron and making some food. Idly she noted Ravel already sitting at the table waiting patiently while watching the TV in the corner of the room and a girl with purple-hair helping set the table.
"Ah good morning," Shirou waved from the kitchen.
"Good morning," Miyu nodded back slowly.
"Sakura, this is my sister Miyu," Shirou introduced. "Please treat her kindly."
"Okay," Sakura nodded unsure for a second before turning towards the girl. "Hello Miyu-san."
Sakura hadn't known that her Sempai had any relatives left and was surprised to see the young girl who couldn't be more than ten years old. She knew that Shirou was adopted and that he was a Magus but had assumed that the Magus Killer that her grandfather had told her about hadn't had any children of his own. While it was true that she and Shirou knew about each other as well as Ravel being a devil, she wasn't sure how to deal with another Magus showing up out of the blue like this.
"Miyu, this is Matou Sakura," Shirou continued gesturing towards the purple-haired young woman beside him. "She's a friend I've known for a long time now."
"Hello Matou-san," Miyu greeted with a nod.
"And you've already met Ravel," Shirou added gesturing over to the Phenex heiress.
"Hey, at least introduce me properly idiot," Ravel glared back at him,
"Sorry, sorry," Shirou waved off her words and corrected himself. "Her full name is Phenex Ravel."
"Hello Phenex-san," Miyu nodded once again.
"Hello Miyu," Ravel smiled in response. "Feeling better?"
"Yes," Miyu answered honestly. "I feel much better."
"Your hair is a mess," Shirou commented as he walked over to her. "Here, let me sort your hair out."
Miyu sat down at the table and Shirou walked round before settling down behind her. He Projected a small comb out of sight though it was more out of habit than anything since everyone in the room already knew about magic and started to slowly comb his sister's hair. After the number of times that Ravel had made him do this to her he was able to quickly sort her hair out and straighten it enough to be 'presentable' as the Phenex heiress called it.
'…This feels nice,' Miyu thought as he continued.
It was at that moment when the door slid open once more…
"Good morning everyone!" Taiga waved as she entered the room and slid the door closed behind her.
"Good morning Fujimura-sensei," Sakura greeted with a smile.
"Bring on the food!" Taiga cheered as she sat down at the table.
"It'll be ready in a minute," Sakura told her from the kitchen.
Taiga smiled at that though her stomach started to grumble from the lack of food and looked over at the others in the room. Ravel had stopped watching the TV and had turned it off, opting instead to look over at her. Then there was Shirou who was now standing up and heading back towards the kitchen having finished combing his sister's hair and letting his comb dissolve back into prana. Finally Taiga's gaze settled on the newcomer, the preteen newcomer to be precise.
"Shirou..." Taiga trailed off for once serious. "What's going on here? Who is this? And what she doing here?"
He had some explaining to do…
"It's a long story," Shirou sighed as he moved over to the stove.
"Shirou," Taiga said with glare. "I never pegged you for a lolicon."
Shirou stumbled slightly at that…
"It's not like that," Shirou reassured her. "She's my sister."
"…Sister?" Taiga asked finally.
"She's one of dad's biological daughters," Shirou explained quickly.
"Kiritsugu? Really? Well, I knew he was married once but I didn't know he had any children," Taiga mused.
"I know that besides Miyu here, dad also has two daughters living with their maternal grandfather in Germany," Shirou continued.
"I see," Taiga nodded in understanding. "So that's why he was taking so many trips out of the country, he was visiting his daughters."
"Yeah…" Shirou trailed off since that was technically the truth. Kiritsugu was usually taking trips to Germany in order to rescue Illya and Chloe though he had failed every time. "That's right."
"I see how it is now," Taiga smiled as she turned her attention back to Miyu. "Hello there, my name is Fujimura Taiga, but you can call me Fuji-nee, okay?"
"Okay," Miyu nodded. "I'm Emiya Miyu."
"The foods ready," Sakura spoke up as she and Shirou started setting the food down on the table.
"Itadakimasu."
Shirou sighed as he stepped out of his shed-workshop and into the yard. It was night and the stars were out in full view for anyone who looked up at the sky. Sakura and Taiga had gone home earlier while Ravel had returned to the Underworld to pay a visit to her brother Ruval. That left him and Miyu alone in the house. His newest little sister had thrown herself into reading books in order to learn as much as she could while Shirou had gone to his workshop in order to experiment with the Archer card he had stored in there.
"Thanks for the hard work Onii-chan," Miyu spoke up from the side. She was sitting on the edge of the corridor open to the outside and had a book in her hand.
"You're still up, Miyu?" Shirou asked her as he walked over.
"Yup, I'm looking for constellation signs," Miyu replied.
"Constellations?" Shirou mused. "I didn't know you were into something this delicate and romantic."
"The movement of constellations and stars should not have meaning beyond physics. That's why I would like to know the reason why books like these use pictures and illustrations to give special meaning to the arrangement of the stars," Miyu explained.
"…Dad loved to look at the stars in this spot too," Shirou said as he sat down beside her.
"Father? Why?" Miyu asked him.
"I wonder why too," Shirou admitted. "Maybe he was making wishes on those stars?"
"Don't tell me," Miyu blinked in surprise. "The arrangement of the stars has magical effects?"
"Err…I don't think so," Shirou answered sheepishly. "It's probable something like an Aria, anyway to direct our small wishes upon the stars."
"Not towards the moon?" Miyu inquired further.
"Nope," Shirou shook his head at that. "Not the moon."
He idly wondered what Kiritsugu felt when he looked up at the stars and gazed at them…
"I wish upon the stars…if I could fulfil just one wish…I want us all to be true brother and sister," Miyu declared as her eyes started glowing red.
That small wish…
'She…' Shirou trailed off in thought.
"Such a thing could never happen, right?" Miyu asked with a smile.
…Was granted.
"…Well," Shirou replied tearfully. "Anything is possible."
Author's Notes:
Another chapter done and this time it's an interlude, the first of many. The first story arc is finished and now we move onto the second. This chapter felt more like a filler connecting the two story arcs and set up everything for the upcoming Holy Grail War. What do you think?
Please Read and Review.
See Ya Later…