Eizen scratched at his head, his elbows leaning over a neat hard-wood desk before he grunted and stood up to stare wistfully out a clear four-panel window.

He was restless and he knew it, his current appearance unbefitting of a member of Totsuki Academy's Elite Ten with even darkened bags forming under his eyes. Not only was he tired, but he couldn't sleep and rest either. Not when a certain face would appear in his mind from the moment he closed his eyes.

Strong teal-coloured orbs, hair the colour of golden wheat, and a subtle disposition he had never once seen in another woman. In fact, the majority of the women he knew of were either too aloof or their sights too set on his money and business prospects. None had been able to catch his attention until recent.

No arrogance, vanity, or hubris could be seen within her disposition. Instead, her presence was akin to a gentle lily, unaffected by others yet still emitting an aura of elegance and regality that couldn't be ignored.

In comparison, the irritable woman that had called him a 'monkey' without any delicacy or understanding of the word 'shrewd,' should go read up on the meaning of repercussions.

He was a business man, true, but if he could solve a situation through less exemplary means, then all the better. Legalities always involved unnecessary hassles, and he was a veteran of this concept.

Not only was he a member of Totsuki Academy's Elite Ten, but he was a renowned businessman never before seen in hundreds of years. His senses and intuition in regards to closing and negotiating deals and opportunities was incomparable. This was the reason why he had jumped at the opportunity to purchase the villa Senzaemon had partitioned off to some favoured student.

His lips thinned before he angled his neck to the side and tilted it down to stare at the documents laid across his distant desk space.

It was a deal worth far more than just the three to six million he was risking in issuing an unofficial Shokugeki, for he had no plans of announcing it. It was too much of a joke to.

He was a member of the Elite Ten, such an insignificant affair regarding a first year Totsuki student wasn't something that deserved attention. Moreover, what mattered was the villa's worth. Not only would three to six million be nothing, even the double digits weren't out of the question due to the interest of a foreign investor otherwise he never would have had personally acted. It simply wasn't a deal where he felt comfortable having another negotiate in his place.

In regards to foreign investors, not only could he at times charge higher legal fees, but most investors had the capital for large increments in leeway. The Edelfelt family heiress that had been directed to him by his business committee was willing to pay him an extensive amount for the residence. In which case, he had no doubts of the authenticity of the young heiress's words.

The Edelfelt family was an ancient family, one that had survived for countless years even during Europe's harshest times. Of course, he had done his own investigation through networking and had discovered that the Edelfelts regularly handled purchasing of rare gems and rubies. A family like that couldn't possibly pay him low for his efforts.

Therefore, as soon as Senzaemon had partitioned off the villa and Eizen's buyer showed keen interest in it, there was no way he couldn't act. The only thorn in his side ended up being the mysterious student that Senzaemon partitioned the villa off to in the first place.

In the midst of his contemplation, a knock resounded from the door of his private room granted for his use.

"Enter," he called curtly, fingers pinched on the bridge of his nose while he sighed.

A man walked in wearing a blue suit and checkered tie.

"The others have already mobilized," the man said. "We're just waiting on your orders."

Eizen nodded, his arms moving to rest behind his back as he paced.

Although he agreed on a Shokugeki, it wasn't exactly his only means to secure the villa. It was simply his last, and as such he would first begin with a little probing and intimidation.

"Go then, and," he hesitated as he spoke. "Make for certain that nothing can be traced back to me, and if you see the woman detailed in the briefing, you are not to touch or offend her."

"Understood."

The man acknowledged Eizen's words before promptly leaving the room.

Left alone, Eizen pursed his lips and was once again left in a state of restlessness regarding what he personally wanted to do. He had never pursued a woman before, making him highly out of his depth. In the end, he could only resign himself to a sleepless night.

Maybe flowers would be good? Or perhaps chocolates? Fuck it, he was rich, he'd just buy everything.

Shirou was informed that he would have to attend a personal training camp scheduled in the following weeks to assess his progress in cooking, but it wasn't his primary concern at the moment. What mattered was what he was going to do about the cook off that Rin had agreed to on his behalf.

He had no idea about the contents of the actual dish to be made as Eizen had strangely left too early to discuss terms. In which case, the subject of the competition was probably going to be announced on the day of the event.

Lip twitching, he walked out from the villa while actively ignoring Rin who was lazing on the couch as if he had no problems he had to deal with. On one hand, he was flattered with her confidence, but on the other hand, the situation was of her own doing. If she hadn't been swept away by the prospects of money, then maybe everything could have had been averted. Nonetheless, there was nothing he could do about it now but do things his own way.

However, despite the peculiarity of his status in Totsuki, he was still a student. Therefore, when a list of tutorial classes was forwarded to him recently by Senzaemon through mail, he had no choice but to attend. He was actually kind of hoping to meet up with Soma as he had lost contact with him since Totsuki's commencement speech.

If the rumour that he had heard regarding Soma and his provocation against the student body was true, then it was only natural that he would be concerned. Ironically, Soma was currently of the same mind.

To Soma, the things he had heard from other Totsuki Academy students gossiping about Shirou were almost so ridiculous that his eyes had nearly bulged out. He had gotten to know Shirou for the past few weeks and there was no way Shirou could have had been so mysterious to draw the attention of so many elites. He could only hope that Shirou knew what he was getting into.

With that in mind, the Yukihira brothers were actively concerned about each other without realizing the weight of their own current positions in Totsuki. One was somewhat like a celebrity, the other, famed for his notoriety.

As Shirou left the villa to attend his first morning class, Rin was keen eyed enough to notice the peculiarity of Shirou's stare towards her and narrowed her eyes petulantly.

She waved her hand dismissively when she was certain that he wasn't looking anymore.

"What's his problem, Saber?" Rin murmured, pushing herself into a seated position from the couch. "Its just a simple match, and if all else fails, minor curses aren't out of the question."

Arturia gave Rin a flat stare from where she was sitting on her knees near the open patio before letting out a breath. "That, Rin, is the problem."

"What? A little help can go a long way," Rin defended, crossing her arms.

"I wouldn't call casting a curse to be just a little help," Saber said before shuddering. "It reminds me too much of Merlin. Some jokes can go too far."

"Are you talking about Mordred?"

Arturia's expression soured. Rin had been seeing snippets of Arturia's past life during the dream cycles just as Shirou had before. Specifically, a certain memory regarding the first bedding of Guinevere. Frankly, Arturia did not want to talk about it, just recalling it made her wish to start a crusade against that damnable wizard from wherever he was now hiding.

Realizing that she had driven the topic too far, Rin coughed into her hands to stop the darkening of Arturia's expression, an odd laugh coming from her mouth as she imagined the demise of the magus of flowers.

It was at the present moment however that Rin felt an alarm sound in her mind.

She glanced up through the windows.

Intruders?

The bounded field Shirou had set up had activated, alerting her of an entire group of individuals closely surrounding the villa. They weren't really doing anything at the moment, some hiding behind bushes and trees, and others less tactful and pretending to walk around the property with the passing pedestrians.

Rin scowled.

None of the people nearby were wearing Totsuki Academy uniforms and instead were a gathering of middle-aged men and women in varying attires. None of them appeared to harbour any kind intentions, rather the bounded field could detect their ill intent.

The villa itself given by Senzaemon was actually located outside of Totsuki's walls and only connected by a side path. This in part was done because the villa had previously served as a get away and relaxation spot for Senzaemon, making its proximity outside the campus ideal. Unfortunately, the location meant that it was accessible to outsiders.

"Rin?" Saber called out curiously. "Is anything wrong."

Furrowing her brows, Rin merely gestured for Arturia to look outside with her keen senses.

The people around the villa were lingering just within the bounded field's borders trying their best to remain discreet. However, magic was something beyond most people's comprehension and it was impossible for them to remain hidden or disguised in a crowd.

Arturia's expression immediately became stern. Although she had grown accustomed to the relatively peaceful life of the twentieth century, her battle bred instincts were far from dulled.

She stood up, heading towards the door immediately. Even in the past she had never been one to avoid a confrontation. In fact, it was part of a Knight's code to never cower at the face of an enemy and remain steadfast. If the people had a problem, she was of the mind to get a forward answer.

Rin on the other hand was still contemplating before she noticed Arturia's movements. She had initially been planning to activate some of the defences she had leisurely added onto Shirou's bounded field, but realized that it was for the best that she didn't due to the consequences. Therefore, Arturia's method became the best method.

Walking out of the villa, Arturia stood at the front, eyes shifting towards the largest congregation of trespassers before her mouth opened to speak out.

Oddly enough, from the moment Arturia came out to confront those surrounding the villa, everyone turned-tailed and left.

Rin was dumfounded. She had sensed from the bounded field that the people around had every intention of causing trouble, but they suddenly retreated from the moment Arturia stepped out. Not counting the fact that Arturia was a Heroic Spirit, but just by appearance alone, she only seemed like a single woman. It shouldn't have had been possible then for Arturia to scare everyone off without displaying her strength first.

Both Rin and Arturia blinked in disbelief before Arturia eventually returned and resumed her previous position.

It would only be a couple hours afterwards that Shirou would return, and by then Rin already had a few thoughts forming in her mind.

"You said people came over with bad intentions?" Shirou asked once after Rin and Saber had explained the happenings of the morning.

Rin nodded. "They didn't really do anything, yet their intentions couldn't be hidden from the bounded field that detected their animosity."

Saying that, Rin raised a brow at Shirou questioningly.

"Did you provoke a gang or something?" She asked. "I used a scrying spell earlier and was able to garner a bit of information. It turns out that the local syndicates and small groups in the area have marked this location as a target."

Shirou's expression blanked for a moment, but he wasn't that concerned. Nothing really scared him anymore unless it was on the level of a True Ancestor or Heroic Spirit. The Holy Grail War had hardened his perspective in life, making him resilient to most threats.

"I can deal with it then," he said simply. It wasn't as if he wasn't familiar with the workings of underground societies. He had literally even repaired motorcycles and other miscellaneous object as a favour once to a certain illegal group.

"Count me in Shirou, I could use the exercise," Arturia said, discreetly rubbing her full belly, feeling somewhat bloated after the meal Shirou had brought back from class. Heroic Spirits weren't supposed to get fat, but it was better to be safe then sorry.

"Sure," he was quick to agree. Fighting alongside Arturia had always felt the most natural to him. Besides, with her around the results would be guaranteed.

Rin stared hard at Shirou and Arturia before shaking her head.

"Now hold on you two," Rin said. "The situation may not be as easy as you think its going to be. Well, actually, it is, if you were counting the odds of you both creating trouble for them. However, that's not what matters. Have you guys considered the attention you'd bring to us if you both go settle the problem?"

Shirou and Arturia looked at each other before both deciding to just wait for Rin to explain.

Rin sighed.

"Let me ask you a question," Rin began. "Are you planning on killing them?"

Shirou was quick to shake his head while frowning.

"Then what do you suppose the reaction would be if just the two of you alone brought down an entire organization? It would be too weird and eventually, even more people will come investigate. This in itself poses the risk of leaking the secret of magic, and you both should know the consequences of that. Furthermore, if the situation gets too out of hand, the Clock Tower may even intervene."

Arturia put on a thoughtful expression. "Can you not just alter their memories?" She asked.

Rin lazed on the couch. "Yes, of course I can. It's a standard procedure but you forget. As long as we don't know the reason why these people are targeting us, then the people who are instigating them could cause inconstancies to the altered memories."

Shirou sat on a seat opposite from Rin and stared at her. Based on how nonchalantly Rin was behaving, it was evident that she already had an answer. All he had to do now was wait until she eventually shared her thoughts.

Following his actions, Arturia moved to take a seat beside him.

"Well? What do you suppose we do then?" He asked, leaning his body forward.

"Don't you already know Shirou?" Rin smiled. "This is a situation that you shouldn't think about handling by yourself using magecraft. Instead, weren't you acquainted with that famous individual, the 'Tiger of Fuyuki?'"

Oh.

That's what she meant. Indeed, that was indeed a viable option, it was just, his expression turned awkward in hesitation. The person Rin was referring to was an individual he saw as an elder sister, and she as her younger brother. It was a harmonious type of relationship, but at the same time, she had been there to see him at his weakest after Kiritsugu had passed on and as such was over protective to an extent.

He feared that should he tell her that he was being targeted by some sort of syndicate or underworld group, then she would perhaps take matters too far. None should provoke a Tiger and not expect heavy repercussions. More so when he was still embarrassed to admit that he was still seen as a Tiger cub in her eyes.

As he hesitated over the decision, Rin eventually convinced him when the alternative meant risking the lives of others should the Clock Tower intervene with a cold ruthlessness.

And thus, five minutes later, he was standing in front of a telephone.

It really had been too long since the last time he had phoned or talked to her, yet he knew that the way they saw each other would never change even after the Yukihira incident.

Slowly, he picked up the phone and dialed a number, waiting for the person on the other end to pick up.

"Hello?" A voice soon answered, energetic and youthful.

The familiarity of it caused him to smile, but recalling the crux of his current issue, his countenance soon shifted back into one of seriousness.

Rin was right when she had said that his direct method wasn't the answer. It was too dubious and risky. Therefore, he had to rely on another means available to him.

A group that not even the police or other enforcement groups would consider crossing lightly.

And he, a technical young master of it.

"Hi, it's me, Fuji-Nee," he said trying to sound less troubled than he actually was. "I ugh, I'm going to need a little help."

Thanks for Reading!

Note:

Fate in Time Update - October 7 or 8th 2018

Happy Thanksgiving!

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