A lot of crazy stuff has happened to Kei. Monsters were attacking him, mumbo jumbo that he experienced with his circuits, and dead history that came back from the dead and became servants. Laying himself on the rooftop of his house, he continues to wonder what happened between him and Illya the other day. Illya's tears were crushing to him that he held her close to him so she could let out her tears. After the kiss on his cheeks, his heartbeat kept racing as if he was running for his life. But different from those feelings for survival. The feeling was comforting and warmed him up inside.
"Hey there, superhero. Whatcha doing up here?" Ogumura asked, which surprised Kei as he rose. Ogumura brought him a glass of hot milk as well as some crackers. The man handed both beverages to Kei. Kei drinks his milk and puts the crackers beside him. Ogumura joins in and sits down as well.
"I was looking at the sky to pass the time. I'm worried about what will happen to my body if I keep fighting the otherworldly beings. They kept coming and coming left and right, so getting a peaceful day like this is almost a luxury." Kei said, relieved. Although, he felt bored waiting for the final hunt for the card. The worst part is that it is a Berserker card.
"I see, I heard from Kio that your magic circuits are acting strange. This time, black dust suddenly came out of nowhere. Jeez, you are quite a handful, you know?" Ogumura remarked.
"I apologize for the troubles." Kei apologized.
"Save it. You don't need to apologize for anything. I took you in, so this thing called problem happens all the time." Ogumura replied. For a while, there was only silence between the two which made the both rather uneasy with one another.
"Ogumura-san. I eavesdropped a bit during your conversation with Miss Irisviel the other day. You said there is another Kuuga besides me. Have you ever met Kuuga that you talked about?" Ogumura stopped and looked at his adopted son. Ogumura knew that he was eavesdropping on him, but he was unsure whether it was Kei or not.
"What do you want to know?" Ogumura asked.
"What was he like, and how does he do things? Do you know anything about him?" Kei curiously asked his father figure. If he is not a Kuuga of this timeline or world, he could maybe learn more about this Kuuga that Ogumura was talking about and know what this world Kuuga did.
"Back then, me, Ayumi, and Kio were visiting friends from another city. We decided to go back to our hotel room during the night, but I noticed that we were being followed by something or someone. Suddenly, I was attacked from behind. I fell on the ground while my wife wrapped her hand around Kio, who was little at that time."
Kei was listening to his father figure's story thoroughly.
"I saw it. The thing that attacked me was a monster. I tried to get up but I couldn't. That monster starts gazing at Kio and Ayumi. I told them to run away, and Ayumi did what I asked her to do, but the monster anticipated her movement. Out of nowhere, that person appeared."
"Kuuga."
Ogumura nodded to the boy's answer.
"Yes, Kuuga came in for the save while we stayed clear from the scene. Kuuga quickly dismantled the monster without much of a sweat. Seeing that image burn in my head, Kuuga is a vision that some people strive for and can become. A vision of a hero."
Hearing this, Kei was amazed and astonished by this discovery. Kuuga has stopped evil before, and it also saved Ogumura when he was in danger. He was happy and conflicted, and he never remembered these events, so this must be the work of this world's Kuuga.
"A hero, huh? Still, a long way to go."
A smile was seen across Kei's face as he took a sip of his milk and took a bite of his crackers.
"Hey, I heard that you already scored a girl from your school. How was it? Is she cute? Come on, give me the details." Ogumura then starts to go back to his more goofy side to Kei, which is always very random for him to do so, but he was already used to this shift in the tone of their conversation.
"The hell? How do you know this?" Kei is taken aback by Ogumura's flow of information.
"My information gathering is way too much of your comprehension, my boy. If you so wish to understand my mind, you must defeat me in one on one combat."
"Now you are talking in your crazy side again, Ogumura-san."
XXX
Fate Kaleid Prisma Illya: The Legend of Lost
Chapter 16
Final Card Part 2
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Inside the classroom, Kei was seen talking to some of his classmates. Usually, they always asked him about several history lessons before the history class began. Although he is glad, many boys spoke to him regarding this matter. He would hope they wouldn't ask him each time there would be quizzes on those particular days.
Girls did the same thing as boys, but they asked a lot about what they liked. They asked what his favorite hobbies are and his favorite type of chocolate or candies he likes. He was confused about what he should say regarding those things, so Kei usually says he is ok with milk chocolate bars, but any type should suffice.
Amidst his discussion with his classmates, he spotted Illya, who entered the classroom. Both of them seem to have some recollection of what happened the other day. Kei was holding her while she cried her tears. The sensation of her lips on his left cheek still lingers to him. Both of their faces slightly went red as they moved eye contact from one another.
"Hey! Kei. Are you listening?" a voice called, snaps Kei from his gaze towards Illya.
"Sorry, I'm still sleepy from last night. What are we talking about?" Kei asked again.
"You seem to have bandages all over your body. Last week, you had one on your arms. Today, you have one on your shoulders and your body." One of the students wearing glasses named Zawa classifies Kei's injuries. Zawa has some nerd features, bowl-cut hair and round glasses but will fight back if provoked by others.
"You seem to be always on injury mania. Is your private life ok? Should I tell the teacher about what is happening in your neighborhood?" another boy named Nakanishi also butting in on the conversation. Nakanishi was described as an idiot but had a heart of gold and determination involving his friends and family.
"I'm fine. My dad gave me harsh training for my body as of late. Maybe a good summer vacation might take away all the fatigue that he puts me through." he jokingly replied to his colleagues.
"So you guys want to watch some movies when summer hits? I got some movies that might blow your eyes off." Nakanishi came up with the suggestion for their last summer vacation.
"I guess we can as long as the movie is good. What do you have?" Komon suddenly butted into the conversation. The three were surprised by his arrival.
"I have a complete edition of the Godfather that my dad just bought. We should watch that during summer. I heard it was good so let's crash in Kei's place and watch that baby there." Nakanishi stated which troubled Kei.
"Why does it have to be my house? Could we go to Zawa-kun's instead of mine?" Kei retorted.
"Your house has HD TV, so the movie is going to be clearer than my eyes. Besides, I need help with my homework during the summer break. Be sure to help me out, ok?" Nakanishi gave a thumbs up towards the four of his friends.
"As expected of the idiot, he only sees us as checkmarks." Zawa sighed.
"Who are you calling an idiot, you background noise! Both of you! I am not an idiot, right?" Nakanishi proceeded to ask Komon and Kei about the matter. Still, the both of them started to speak silently to one another while looking at Nakanishi in a very negative way.
"Hey, what the hell are you guys giving me those eyes for?"
XXX
As the school bell rang across the school, all boys and girls had started to pack their things and went home. Kei was finishing up his desk and wanted to go straight home. He saw that Illya had already gone home after him because when he turned back, she was not there. He wished to talk to her more regarding her mess up during the assassin card retrieval, but he won't force her anymore. It is her own decision, so he will not force her about the matter again.
Kei and Komon came home, and they saw Ogumura and Ayumi were packing some stuff in their car. They went up to them with curiosity to ask them about their sudden packing.
"I'm home. What are you guys packing up?" Kei asked.
"The two of us are going on a business trip for a week, so I hope you are not going to bed late." Ogumura requested.
"You don't need to tell me twice, old man! You better not bring useless souvenirs when you get back." Ogumura was taken aback by that statement by Kei.
"Hey, I brought rare souvenirs. It will be preserved for generations to come." Ogumura happily grins in which Kei still wonders what is going on in his adopted father's mind.
"I hope your perception of souvenirs does not get passed down to Komon and me." Kei replied.
"What the hell do you mention about me in this conversation?" Komon sweatdropped.
"You seriously want me to get angry, dont'cha?" Ogumura smiles like a devil, and Kei challenges the same devilish smile.
"Dear, I suggest that we get going. We don't want to be reminded of the time when you arrived in your meeting wearing an Elmo shirt during the presentation." Ogumura turned back to her wife after saying those words and snickered from both boys when they heard it.
"At the moment, honey. I'm about to beat some kids for insulting Elmo." Ogumura is still butting heads with one of his sons.
"Try it, old geezer. I can fold you like an omelet, and it will not take 3 minutes for me to cook your ass." Kei fires back. Both of them receive a punch to the back of their heads by Ayumi as they turn towards Ayumi. Both were silent as they were presented with Ayumi's fearful aura. Komon knew when a woman showed her dominant and intimidating nature. All is over.
Minutes passed as the two boys entered their house. Komon was left unscathed from whatever that he had witnessed. He was also shaking from what he saw before they entered his home as if what he saw was a terrifying feeling of hopelessness if he ever made Ayumi mad.
XXX
"HAHAHAHAHAHAHA.."
A burst of laughter was heard from the kitchen table inside the Inaigumi household. The three boys were alone while the parents were out on a business trip. Komon was eating his dinner tonight, which was fish and chips that Kio made for them. Kio lived in his dorm in England, so he got time to cook some British food during his time in university and wanted to try the recipes that he learned in England and replicate them in his home.
The laughing came from Kio, who reacted towards Kei's face with bandages and band-aids on both his cheeks and left upper eyebrows. He is told about what happened, and the only reaction that he can muster is laughter.
"I forgot about the number one rule in this house. Never make Ayumi-san angry." Kio reminds the people eating at the table, and the two elementary boys sternly nod towards that claim.
"By the way, how was your university? Is it fun? I heard that we can skip classes in university." As usual, Kei is full of curiosity about things that he has not experienced before.
"Don't rush to topics that you don't understand. Skipping classes does not mean that I could lay in bed all day. I need to study and complete some of my work that those professors gave me as well as other students." Kio restated the naivety of Kei about university.
"Kio-san, what was Kei like when you met him?" Komon asked, which the two brothers were stunned to hear and then looked at each other.
"Well….I hate him." Both brothers answered in unison while pointing to one another. "Huh?" the only reply Komon could muster to those words. Komon saw them as having a good relationship in his eyes, so why sudden hatred?
"I wish he was run over by a truck or left in the ditch somewhere near Brazil." Kio nonchalantly uttered.
"If he isn't such a pussy, he should've had a better relationship with his girlfriend." Kei fires back. Komon is now suddenly between two brothers who only act nice if they have parents watching. The two brothers suddenly let out a sigh.
"All those negative thoughts now are just a time stream gone by and evaporate. Our relationship got better, and we respected one another." Kio took a sip from his water.
"Kio and I always fight one another in our house. Ogumura oji-san got fed up and always decided to drag us somewhere as a family. The two of us never got along during those trips and ended up fighting in public, making it harder for the Ogumura Oji-san and Ayumi-san." Kei bites a piece of his fish and eats it during the explanation.
"How did you guys get along so well with such animosity?" Concerned and bewildered about how these two brothers can coexist. Komon asked why they could suddenly let go of their hate towards each other.
"It was during one of those trips that my parents set up. Kio and I are doing our deadly antics as usual such as who can chop each other's heads, who can run the fastest, and even brawl that one time caused a scar on Kio-nii's left leg." With such a plain tone, Kei gives a bit of the rundown on the antics that he and his big brother went through.
Kio then lifts the fabric of his pants around the left leg. Komon sees a stab wound from some of the weapons on Kio's left leg near the tibia area, which he predicts came from Kei's spear.
"These scars are a reminder that I will never let my guard down. My ancestor once said, "Strike them. Even when in training, don't hold back." or something along with that." Kio explained.
"Is this a mage family or a warrior family? Pick one." Komon thought to himself, annoyed by the explanation from the big brother.
"Can you tell me in detail how you guys went from killing each other to respecting one another?" Komon returned with his interest in the relationship between the two brothers.
"If you're that interested, it started when…."
"Ding"
A sudden noise from the house's bell rang when the older sibling was about to tell them a story. Kei and Komon knew what was going on. Kio then heads towards the door to know who came to their house while Komon and Kei look towards one another as they quickly go upstairs.
Kio opens the door and is greeted by Rin and Luvia, standing by, waiting for their warriors. Miyu was also in the scene, wearing a cold jacket.
"We are here to pick up Kei and Komon." Rin answered.
"Who's asking? How do you know my brother?" Kio was suspicious about these two strangers coming to his home. He did not know these people yet, so he was cautious.
"Can we wait for this later? If not, the city is going to be in danger!" Rin warned, but still, Kio didn't budge from her warnings.
"Yeah, a lot of things are already happening like that, young lady. Global warming, plastic all over the place and thugs are creeping into the night. I suggest that you go home before you get mugged."
"That's not the point!" Rin started to get irritated.
"Kio-nii. It's ok. They meant no harm." A voice came from behind Kio, Kei, who had already brought his spear while Komon brought his 1911 colt pistol. Kei knew that Kio couldn't be convinced right away, so Kei decided to inform him of the snippets of what was going on.
"So that twin-tailed tsundere girl isn't lying, then." he looked towards Rin to confirm his worries.
"Yeah, it has been this way for a couple of times. Dad permitted me to go as long as I did not suffer major damage." Kei nonchalantly replied.
"That didn't last long, ain't?" Kio smirks a bit and Kei chuckles a bit hearing that.
"Kei, you better come home safely, or else mom and dad would be sad."
"Don't worry. I'm a hero, so I won't let the people around me cry. If you want me to come back, I'll hold on to that promise because a hero never breaks his promise."
Kei's words made Komon chuckle and tapped Kei's shoulder as a sign of reassurance that he would be beside him until the very end. Luvia and Rin smile while Miyu is still unsure what they might find in their hunt for the last card.
"Uncertainty creates uneasiness and doubt. He still says those words with such vigor after everything is put up against him. He recovered from his injuries quickly as well. Who is he?" Miyu started to question Kei's unyielding drive.
After this discussion, the gang, excluding Kio, now go to the berserker card. It is the last card they will encounter. Said the raging spirit overwhelms anything that was in its way. While the atmosphere was tense and hollow, Kei was just whistling away like a kid going to find bugs in the summer vacation behind the group. None of them minds Kei's cheerfulness, but how he has kept this mental attitude for so long mind-boggling the entire team.
An average person should have been troubled and be ready at all times because this card is quite dangerous, but Kei kept up his demeanor and did not lose his cheerfulness. Miyu could understand why people flock to his side. His optimism relieves others from insecurities and doubts. It was the same feeling that she felt when she was with Illya.
The whistling stopped when they stumbled on Ilya's house, where everyone could see that Kei was worried about Illya more than everyone in the group. Sapphire went up to Kei to get him back on track as the others waited for him to move again.
"Kei-san, we need to go. We can't help Illya-san right now." Sapphire reminded Kei, and he nodded in response before leaving. Kei put both hands together and started chanting some incantations. Sapphire was taken aback by Kei's sudden action, but she didn't interrupt.
After he was done, Sapphire approached. "What did you do?"
"I was chanting some mantra so that Illya can feel better. Although it might be useless to do it now, I hope she can find solace and cheer us on even though she is not here. May her thoughts be filled with happiness, and she will conquer her troubled state."
"I see. we better not keep the others waiting. Kei-san." Sapphire reminded him.
"Okie Dokie."
Kei and Sapphire start to move again, regrouping with the fighters in front of him. This is going to be the last battle against the servant card anomaly. Illya was not with them right now as her state of mind was unclear. Others are going to the final destination of their journey as they approach the last servant card.
XXX
Hello everyone, I have been away from writing for so long, and it's been quite a while to get the hang of writing stories again rather than reports for my studies. A significant inconsistency and lack of chapters put myself and readers alike on edge, and I apologized for these mistakes. I also wanted to apologize for not trying hard enough to write stories as frequently as I used to. Is it because of my studies, or is it my inability to write after so long?
I intend to finish these stories to the best of my abilities. Writing is very hard, but I am thrilled that people have enjoyed these stories as long as they did. Please review and favorite stories. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for reading my stories.
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Next Chapter
Final Card Part 3
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