Notes:
Sorry for the delay, work had kept me busy for the last month, and I can only write a little each day before I go the sleep.
Also, I would like to ask for help about something, the Tatsuya Vs Mayumi part of the story. I already have the next one ready but I will need a couple more scenes of Tatsuya winning, and another couple of Mayumi winning, so if you could send me a few ideas by PM I would appreciate it, and I will give you credit for the scene.
Also I want to thanks Fenerath for all his help and support.
"Sakura. Sakura Ito, soon to be Sakura Emiya. And as I just said, we need to talk."
It was a normal introduction by a normal looking girl, yet Miyuki could feel that this young woman before her was anything but that.
The fact that she was able to not only to locate their clan complex, but also trespass through the defenses of the Yotsuba clan was something that she had believed to be impossible. Yet this woman did just that, and the look of calm on her face was scaring her more than anything else. It was at that moment that she recognized her.
"You were with Tatsuya-Onisama after class that day, weren't you?"
"You must be Miyuki-san. Nice to meet you, and yes you are correct. That day I waited for him in case your clan tried to do something against him."
"Sakura-san, isn't it? I believe that you said that you needed to speak with us of a matter of great importance. I would appreciate it if you got to the point." said Maya, trying to get some sort of control over the situation.
"Oh, pardon my manners." said Sakura, as if she was in the middle of a normal conversation and not in front of two of the most powerful women in the Master Clans after she had just assaulted their complex.
"About an hour ago, a team of five of your Guardians and these two got inside the Emiya estate with the intention of killing us all, especially Tatsuya-kun, in order to erase their tracks."
"We never ordered that!" Honami said as she was getting up. She was in great pain after the impact that she just received.
"I know, and to be honest that is the only reason why all you are still alive and I didn't kill any of the people in this complex." There was something in the way that Sakura said those words while giving a friendly smile that really gave chills to those present.
"You look very sure of yourself, but what makes you think that you'll be able to fulfill your threat?" asked Miya, with her guard still all around her.
"You tell me. What makes you think that I won't?" was Sakura's answer. "But I'm not here to exchange threats; I'm here because of someone of great importance."
"Tatsuya." said Miya in a low voice.
"Your Guardians Corps are very skilled, even after I took them down and tortu- I mean questioned them, they didn't say anything. Very impressive considering how I asked the questions. Fortunately their boss was far easier to get answers from, and it's those answers that made me change my mind from killing all those present here."
"How generous of you." Maya said, while getting ready to use her magic against Sakura in case a fight broke out.
"Never mind that." was Sakura's response. Meanwhile, Honami was on edge. This woman was stronger than any magician that she had ever seen, and was still able to act like she was making a social call instead being in a life and death situation. "Because I don't want to take too much of your time, I'll get right to the point."
"It was Akira who was the one behind the attempt on Tatsuya's life." stated Sakura.
"We know. We just managed to find that out. After we learned about Tatsuya's claims, we began our own investigation and found some clues that pointed to Akira and Aoki." answered Miya, trying to show that they still had some control over the situation.
"Did you also know that he was behind the death of your husband, and was planning to also kill Miyuki over there too?" asked Sakura in a matter of fact tone.
"WHAT!?" Honami cried out, giving voice to the question that was suddenly in the minds of the Yotsuba twin sisters whom didn't seem happy about this revelation.
"That man, Akira, always wanted the power of the Yotsuba clan for himself, and never accepted your union with your husband because he believed that it was his destiny to be the new leader of the clan. So he tried to destroy your family in order to break you down, and when the clan came to ask you for a new heir, he would be the only candidate to be your new husband and father of the new heir… or at least that was his plan."
"Do you have any proof of this?" asked Maya.
"I didn't kill Akira, so you can get your answers yourselves. Is that proof enough?"
The silence of the Yotsuba sisters, and the way that they were looking at the unconscious body of Akira, somehow told Sakura that by not killing him, she had condemned him to a far worse fate. It was something that she was perfectly fine with.
"But that's not my only reason coming here tonight." said Sakura as she turned to see Miyuki.
Seeing this change of events, Miya, Maya, and Honami stood in front of Miyuki defensively; ready for anything, but what Sakura said next still surprised them.
"Miyuki-san, your brother doesn't hate you."
When Miyuki heard this, she didn't know how to react. Part of her wanted to believe the other woman, but at the same time, she couldn't help but feel cautious about this insanely powerful magician. The idea that this could be some kind of plot against her family was present in her mind. The other women present shared the same idea.
"What did you say?" asked Miyuki for the first time in the night.
"Tatsuya doesn't hate you, but he is not sure about how to act with you."
"… Why are you telling me this?" asked Miyuki as she tried to understand this revelation.
"Because I do not believe that children should pay for the sins of their parents." answered Sakura as she turned to look at Miya. "The first time that we met, Tatsuya had been dragged by the current of a river that he had to jump into to save his life. We hurried to rescue him, but he was still very injured. Yet before he lost consciousness, he managed to warn us about the Yotsuba, and told us about what happened to his Kogoro-Ojisan." Sakura didn't want to tell them how Shirou was the one to find out that particular bit of information thanks to his special skills.
"It took him two days to wake up, and we couldn't take him to a hospital because of your possible participation in the attack. I'm sorry to say this, but with your reputation, the history that Tatsuya told us was a real possibility that we needed to consider."
"Yet you still kept him and hid him, didn't you?" stated Homani.
"We did it because that was the right thing to do. We couldn't abandon him, or leave him alone. When we told him about our intention to help him, he was very scared that he might have brought the fury of your clan over us, and we had to give him a little demonstration to show him that we were able to deal with your clan."
"You seem very secure about that claim." said Maya.
"You can ask your Guardians, and all the guards that tried to stop me on my way to this room when they wake up in a few days in their hospital beds, if I should be or not." was Sakura's reply.
"Are you sure? That Tatsuya-onisama doesn't hate me?"
"Yes I'm sure, but the question is, what are you going to do about it?"
"What do you mean?"
"For the last seven years, Tatsuya believed that your family tried to kill him, and also murdered his grandfather figure. Even if he didn't show it, we knew that he was worried for us. So in order to help him to move on from those events, we decided to help him and teach him to use his magic, training him for a possible attack made by your clan. But more importantly, we taught him how amazing he was, not because of his magic, but because he was a great kid. It took us some time, but Tatsuya is now following his own path, creating his own future. However, with all this new information, I'm sure it will make a great impact on Tatsuya. That's why I want to know, what are your intentions?"
"I don't know what to do, this entire situation feels so unreal, but I am sure of one thing, that I will never hurt him. I just want the opportunity to know him, and maybe be the siblings that we were supposed to be."
Sakura remained silent for a few moments while studying the young girl, looking for any sign of deception.
"It will be a difficult journey. I'm not going to lie to you; the main problem that you'll face is that he doesn't trust you. It's because he doesn't know if you'll follow all of your mother's orders, even if that means going against him."
"Why are you telling me this?" asked a confused Miyuki.
"I believe in second chances and redemptions, but more importantly, I believe that what happened to both of you was cruel and pointless. But I warn you, my main concern is Tatsuya's happiness, and if I find out that you tried to do something to hurt him… well, why ruin the surprise about the consequences?" ended Sakura with a dark tone of voice.
"I don't know who you think you are, but if you believe that you can come here to threaten us, you're making a very serious mistake." said Miya. The fact that this woman came here and began to talk about how special Tatsuya is made her feel an emotion that she had long fought to keep under control: jealousy. She was jealous that this woman was able to stand up and face them for Tatsuya's sake. She was his mother, it was her duty, but she just couldn't say that.
"Oh, really? I was hoping to have a private word with you, but it looks like you don't want to wait." said Sakura, impassive to the other woman.
"Seven years. It took you seven years to learn that something had happened to Tatsuya, YOUR OWN SON! Not only that, but you sent him away because he was different… WHAT THAT HELL WERE YOU THINKING!?" The words left Miya speechless, as she has no way to reply to Sakura, the mother in her and the side of her that was a member of the Yotsuba Clan were in a fierce internal debate against each other.
"An outsider like you doesn't have any right to criticize us. Besides, how do we know that you don't plan to use Tatsuya's power for yourselves? Even if he had been sent away, Tatsuya is still a Yotsuba, and it is our right to get him back." said Maya with a calm tone of voice, like she was testing to see what Sakura would do.
As if reading her intention, Sakura replied in a way that left no doubt about the reality of their situation.
"My visit tonight was a courtesy, made hoping to avoid further conflict, but if you consider this a sign of weakness, you are severely mistaken. Tatsuya is making his own future by making his own choices, and about that power that you considered so important… we don't want it."
"Oh, so you are saying that power is not important to you in this world?" asked Miya after she recovered; hoping to learn as much possible about this young woman that appeared to be a very important part in her son's life.
"It's your definition of power that I have problems with."
"So having a member of one of the more important Master Clans in Japan means nothing to you?" asked Honami.
"Do you really believe that the Master Clans system really represents the best of magicians don't you? Have any of you considered the possibility that out there are families that do not care about publicity, and prefer to be alone, yet still have more power than any of the Master Clans? Yes, the Masters Clans are the most powerful known magicians, but what about the ones that remain anonymous?"
"Talking about personal experience?" asked Miya.
"You can interpret it as you want. But we are drifting off the subject, and the reason why I came here."
Turning to look at Miyuki, she said, "I will tell Tatsuya the truth about this night, and allow him to make his own choice."
That was something that none of the women present in the room expected.
"You will?" asked a confused Miyuki.
"Tatsuya has grown up to be a wonderful boy, and he deserves to decide his own future. As long as he's happy, that's all that my family and I ever want for him. That's why he deserves to know the truth."
"Just like that?" asked Honami, who still couldn't understand that other woman. She had vital information, and an advantageous position with a person of great importance to the Yotsuba Clan, and yet she was giving up all that for nothing at all.
"Just like that." confirmed Sakura.
"Why would you do that?" asked Miya, who still couldn't understand the woman before her.
"Because I believe that magic power has nothing to do with being a family, or the love that the members should receive. A family should support each other no matter what; at least that is how things are in the Emiya mansion. Also, Miyuki, I'll tell you one last thing. Tatsuya is no longer a little boy that's looking for the love and acceptance of your family, even if that means becoming your servant. He's now a man that is standing in his own two legs. So, if you at any moment try to treat him like a servant, or as if you were better than him, I'll tell you now that that will destroy any chance you have to have any sort of relationship with him."
This declaration confused the other women present, but especially Miyuki. 'Is she trying to help me? But why?'
"I believe that I've over extended my welcome, and it's time for me to leave so that you can discuss this night events. But before I leave, I just want to say one more thing." said Sakura with a friendly smile However, it greatly contrasted with the darkness that began to surround her, while a demonic mask began to appear behind her that frightened them even more. "We will not tolerate any other attempt on Tatsuya's life, and this conversation is far from over. We will continue it another time, when all parties are present." Her sweet voice, that somehow promised violence if you dared to challenge it, was soon complemented with the effect of her body turning into sparks of blue light that soon disappeared, leaving no trace of the presence of Sakura.
"Where'd she go?" Honami asked after she recovered from the experience.
"How did she do that? Was it some form of illusion?" asked Miyuki.
"That truly was very interesting, don't you believe so too, dear sister?" asked Maya.
"Indeed. Also, Honami, it looks that the report about the Emiya family had serious failures in terms of Intel, so I would like to ask you to run a new investigation on them." ordered Miya to Honami, who only nodded.
"I believe that it would also be prudent to re-evaluate our position on thaumaturgy users. I wonder what other surprises they have under their sleeves." added Maya.
But this time her sister Miya remained silent, looking at the place where Sakura was a moment ago. Would this young woman be her biggest obstacle in recovering her son, or a guardian that would keep him safe? She didn't know, and even if she didn't want to admit it, that scared her.
While her mother was having these thoughts run through her mind, Miyuki was facing her own problems. She was trying to understand Sakura, the woman who had motivated, given guidance, and threatened her with death, all in only a matter of minutes, and in a way that surpassed any member of the main house of her clan.
However, neither of the present Yotsuba women had the chance to continue their respective thoughts, when the groans of a man could be heard from the direction of the two bodies that had been, until that moment, forgotten.
"Urgh. What happened? Where I am?" asked Akira while in pain, as his eyes adjusted to the light, only to see the none too happy gazes of Miya and Maya that were looking at him as if he was an insect.
"Well, it looks like our night isn't over yet." said Maya.
"But the night is young, and we have a lot of questions for you to answer Akira. Questions that you will answer… one way, or another." said Miya, with a rage that even behind her mask was palpable.
For Akira, who had just woken up, it only took him a few moments to understand his situation, and the only thing that he could say was, "Oh, crap!"
Emiya Mansion, one hour and one explanation later.
"WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU THINKING!?" shouted an angry Rin to her sister.
"Come on One-san, it's not a big deal." was Sakura's reply, in an attempt to downplay the situation.
"First, when we felt the presence of intruders inside of the security field, you told us that it wasn't important and that you could deal with it, so we thought that was the usual reporters or spies. But now you're saying that it was an assassin squad from the Yotsuba clan, and that you then made an assault on their clan complex and threatened their leaders." added Rin, just one step from completely losing her temper.
"I'll admit, when you say it that way, it sounds really bad." admitted Sakura.
"This is not a game!" was Rin's reply.
While the sisters had this entertaining conversation, the other members of the Emiya family were trying to deal with the revelation of the night's events. After all, it wasn't every day that you returned to your home after a party, just to find out that a squad of assassins of one of the more dangerous clans in Japan attacked it. Also, not only were they defeated by one of the family members, but that same family member made an assault on their complex just to exchange threats with two of the most powerful magicians in Japan. Then that same family member just came back to their home and asked for a cup of tea while she waited for the others to arrive, and then told them what happened as if she was talking about a movie. But the two most affected were Aoi and Tatsuya.
"Listen to your sister!" said a worried Aoi. "Do you have any idea how any of us would feel if something were to happen to you?! How I would feel if I lost you?! Please my child, don't do this kind of thing again."
For Sakura, even years after she came to this world and had been reunited with an alternative version of her mother, those words touched her emotions when she confirmed once more that this time she had a mother that loved her, and that made her regret the worry that she made her family feel.
"I'm sorry for worrying you, but it was necessary to send the message as soon as possible." said Sakura.
"And what message was that?" asked Illya.
"That they aren't invincible, that they will face consequences if they try something like this again, and that that those consequences will come in a fast and decisive manner."
"The four of us could have gone to deliver that message together." commented Shirou.
"Yes, but the fact that only one of us did will reinforce the idea that I wanted to transmit."
"And what idea is that?" asked Rin.
"That nobody messes with our family." finished Sakura with a serious look on her face.
"Why did you do it?" asked Tatsuya for the first time. "Why did you have to risk your life for-" Before he could finish that sentence, Sakura appeared in front of his face with the same dark aura that had scared the Yotsuba twins just an hour before.
"Tatsuya-kun, I really hope that you aren't thinking 'for someone like me', are you? Because I'm sure that we've already told you that you're an important member of our family. Or could it be that you weren't paying attention? Because if that is the case, I will be very disappointed." questioned Sakura as the dark aura around her become even more threatening, making all those present have chills running down their spines. But as the target of this aura, for Tatsuya it was even worse and the only thing that he could do was shake his head to answer her question. That had the result of Sakura ending that aura, allowing those present to breathe again.
"One of these days, you'll have to teach us how to do that." said Shirou after he recovered.
"Teach you what? I haven't done anything." said Sakura in a childish tone.
"That thing with the dark aura. I swear that for a moment, I saw the face of a demon coming out of that thing." added Illya.
"I have no idea about what you're talking about." was Sakura's innocent reply. Then, turning to Tatsuya again, she asked. "What do you think about this? About how your mom and sister didn't try to kill you?"
At that point, all the eyes in the room went over to Tatsuya, waiting for his answer.
"To be honest, I don't know what to think. If it had been another person that told me that story and not you Sakura-nee, I wouldn't have believed it. But now I don't know what to do. I mean, even if she didn't try to kill, me she still abandoned me, and the fact that she only learned about what happened to me in the last week means that she never kept tabs on me. She really wanted me out of their lives."
"What about Miyuki?" asked Iris.
"We were never very close; the clan didn't allow us to be. I know that it wasn't her fault, but after years of being taught about how to be a proper Yotsuba, I don't know if I can trust her. Still, I believe that I would like to give her the benefit of the doubt."
"That's very noble of you." commented Aoi.
"I'm sorry to interrupt, but there is still the matter of the Yotsuba, and what we are going to do about them if they decide to come in greater numbers and force." said Kiritsugu, who until that moment had remained silent, worried about the future dangers that could fall on his family.
"What can you tell us about their fighting style?" asked Shirou.
"The assassin squad didn't know how to react to magic that is not from the modern system; they probably never expected that a thaumaturgy user would represent a danger to them." answered Sakura.
"Something tells me that that will change after tonight." commented Rin.
"While they moved in a coordinated formation, they still needed to stop or reduce their speed to lock the coordinates of their targets to use their magic. While powerful, at that level they don't represent a danger to us. I believe that they were hoping to overwhelm me by force, but because they couldn't detect me it was very easy to deal with them."
"What about the guardians in their main clan complex?" asked Kiritsugu once again. His veteran mind was already analyzing the information, and he was feeling the excitement of combat awakening in him once again after many years.
"The same as the assassin squad, but with different levels. Some were weaker, some were stronger, but the main difference is that some of them used a blade type CAD, but they weren't at the level of Shirou-koi."
"I don't believe that there is anyone alive at the level of our husband to be." added Illya.
"Well, I believe that it's been too many emotions for one night. I've already activated the next level of the bounded field, so this this time it will stop any unwanted guests from even getting inside our property. So if there's nothing else, we should retire for the night, and in the morning think about what we will do from now on." said Rin.
"Wait, there's still one topic of great importance that we need to discuss." said Iris.
"That's correct. Something that will change the life of one of us." added Aoi.
"What it is? A new danger?" asked Shirou, worried about the serious look in his mother's and aunt's faces.
Iris proceeded to look in her handbag. She soon retrieved a small device that all those present recognized as a 3D projector. Before they could ask what all this was about, Iris activated the projector and showed a perfect 3D picture in HD of a lovely couple ending a dance, with the young lady kissing the young man. Alone, that picture wouldn't have had any importance, but the fact that the young man was Tatsuya completely changed everything.
"It looks like Tatsuya-kun has a girlfriend and didn't tell us." said Aoi.
"I'm so happy for you Tatsuya-kun, but I just wish that you have told us about this before so we could be prepared." added Iris with crocodile tears.
"Our little Tatsuya-chan is growing up, and soon he'll leave the nest." added Aoi, who also joined in with crocodile tears.
"It's nothing like that." Tatsuya tried to defend himself.
"Our little one is growing so fast." Iris ignored him.
"Seriously, that's not what happened." said Tatsuya again.
"Do you think that he'll follow Shirou's example and try to have his own harem?" added Iris.
While Shirou wanted to deny that, he knew that if he said anything he would become the new target for the terrible duo. And with Tatsuya as their main target, he knew that if he remained silent, their attacks would be on Tatsuya alone. 'Sorry bro, better you than me.' thought Shirou.
"I wonder if that would be a good or bad thing?" asked Aoi.
"I hope that he doesn't play with the heart of that young lady." continued Iris.
"I told you, there's nothing between Saegusa-sempai and I! We're just part of the student council and happened to meet at the party by chance!"
"I never knew that Tatsuya was into older girls with authority." said Aoi.
"I told you that that's not the case! And besides, she was the one that started to dance."
"Are you saying that that girl took advantage of your innocence?" asked Iris with a false look of seriousness on her face.
"I believe that's enough jokes for one night." said Tatsuya.
"I think that we'll need to give Tatsuya a special talk about women, and the right way to court them." added Aoi, completely ignoring Tatsuya.
Knowing that it was a losing battle to try to talk his way out of this, he stood up and was about to try to escape, when his path was blocked by Rin, Illya, and Sakura.
"You shouldn't keep secrets from your big sisters Tatsuya-kun." said Rin with a mischievous smile.
"We'll teach you what you need to know to win her heart." added Illya with fire in her eyes.
"Ara ara! I can't believe that my little Tatsuya-kun is already interested in girls. Don't worry, because your sisters will teach all that you need to know so you can be ready. And I believe that we can begin with the lessons right at this moment, don't you agree?" The innocent question from Sakura made the other woman look at Tatsuya with predatory eyes, the same eyes that a cat playing with a mouse would have.
Knowing that if he didn't act quickly he would become their toy for the next few hours, Tatsuya turned to look for the other men of the Emiya family for help, only to see them on their way walking out the door, and just like that, leave the room.
'Traitors!' thought Tatsuya, as he finally accepted his fate for the next few hours. However, after an hour of having this little talk, Tatsuya came to one decision. 'Ok Mayumi-sempai, what started as a game is now war.' As he thought that, he began to make plans for his revenge against the student council president.
Monday
'Thank heavens that today is Monday.' thought a tired Tatsuya, as he headed to the 1MHS. He still couldn't believe that with the danger of a counter attack from the Yotsuba, instead of making preparations the women of the family believed that it was more important to pick on him. They even continued all day Sunday, and that's the reason why he felt so tired.
The only saving grace was that for some reason, Shirou, Rin, Illya, and Sakura left early that morning after Shirou prepared their food for them. For all he knew, they could be destroying the Master Clans at that moment, and they wouldn't tell him about it until they finished. Still, he doubted that they would do it at that moment… at least, he hoped so.
"Ohayo Tatsuya." said a voice that Tatsuya recognized as Erika. Turning around, he saw her in the company of his other friends.
"Good morning everyone." was Tatsuya's reply.
"Ho Tatsuya, ready for the big day?" asked Leon with great excitement, but when he saw the look on Tatsuya face he continued. "Tatsuya, you do remember what will happen today, do you?"
"Tatsuya-san, today is the day that the new teachers arrive." answered Mizuki before Tatsuya had a chance to try to remember what his friends were talking about.
At that news, Tatsuya opened his eyes in surprise. How he could forget something like that? Especially when they had been talking about that the week!
"Sorry, this weekend was more intense than I thought and I completely forgot."
"You forgot about something like this?" asked Leo.
"Tatsuya isn't like you; he has responsibilities while you only play around." was Erika's reply.
"What did you say?!" asked a mad Leo.
"Please don't fight. Besides, we'll be late for our first real magic class." said Mizuki.
With that said, the group of friends headed to their classroom with a feeling of excitement, an emotion high school students rarely have when they go to class. All except Tatsuya, who, for some reason, couldn't stop the chills that were running down his back.
What none of them saw was the look from a girl that was watching them, or more precisely, at Tatsuya. That girl was Shiba Miyuki, whose beauty, intelligence, and power already granted her the title of Princess of the Frist Magic High School. While many other students admired her from a distance, if they dared to come closer they would have been able to see the passion and fire that were present in her eyes, a big contrast to the girl that was known as the Ice Princess.
'This time Oni-sama, everything will be different!' thought Miyuki as she saw her brother leave with his friends. She could help but remember the events that happened yesterday in the Yotsuba complex.
Flashback
Miyuki woke up after only a couple hours of sleep to take part in an important meeting that was going to occur with the Clan later that day. After she got ready for the day, she began to walk to the complex while she studied the damage made by that Sakura woman, and she still couldn't believe it. Damage in the roots, walls, and floors that had the shape of the human figures that were obviously thrown through them at high speed. She had just seen the injured in the infirmary section of the complex, and what she saw was something that filled her with great concern. Twenty eight guards and guardians lay unconscious, not counting the five that that woman dropped off at the main gate.
But what scared her more was what the others guards informed them of last night. Just after that woman disappeared, and that bastard of Akira began to wake up, the doors were forcedly opened to reveal a large number of guards just outside the room getting ready to fight to the death in their defense. Some were severely injured, and were barely able to remain on their feet. Others looked just fine, and later she found out that they were posted in other areas of the complex and due to that they weren't in Sakura's path. They still hurried to protect their leaders; however they were stopped by a wind barrier that sealed the room.
By the heavens, she hadn't realized that Sakura had cast that spell, and was keeping it active all the time that she talked with them. And by the look in her mother's and aunt's faces, neither of them realized it either. What's more, is that the guards said that they tried to break through the barrier, and even when they joined their powers the barrier still remained as if nothing had happened. Not only that; the guards had also report that they hadn't seen anyone leave the room, much less the complex.
That turn of events really confused her, until her aunt explained to everyone what just happened.
"It's a message." said Maya, attracting the attention of everyone. "That woman could get into this room in the same way that she escaped, and none would know. Instead she choose a direct attack where she took down all the guards that crossed her way, kept us isolated, and then left without trace. The message is simple, 'We are more powerful than you. We can destroy you if we want.' I have to say, that it was well played." This revelation was met with silence by all present.
"As interesting as this new revelation is, we still need to confirm the information that that woman told us." said Miya, who had never lost sight of Akira. He had remained as quiet as possible, hoping to get a better understanding of his current situation.
"Hold on a moment! I'm not sure what that witch told you, but I'm sure that it was meant to weaken us as a clan. We must join together to destroy those that-" Whatever the poor idiot was about to say was cut off by an angry Maya.
"SILENCE! For a long time, I had my suspicions that you were corrupt, but I never had the evidence, or thought that you would go so far as to dare to attack your own clan. But all that ends tonight, because we are going to find out the truth that you've been hiding."
Soon, the guards that were present started to leave, knowing very well what was about to happen. The only ones that remained were the two highest ranking, and Honami who would serve as witness. At this turn of events, Miyuki didn't know if she should stay or leave, until her mother's voice made her react.
"You need to stay my child. You are the future head of the Yotsuba, and this is part of what it means to hold that position." said Miya without taking her eyes from Akira, as the promise of torture and pain beyond imagination was made by those words.
What happened next was beyond Miyuki's capacity to describe, but that was not what bothered her. It was the fact that she didn't feel pity or sympathy for the man. Even when Aoki woke up, and soon after joined his partner in crime in the living hell that fell on them, she was fine. They were in great pain, and yet after she learned that all of the accusations made by Sakura about the two of them were true, she could only believe that they deserved what they got.
"Miyuki," her mother's voice made her react from the scene. "We've already learned what we need from them. Go to rest. We'll have a busy day tomorrow."
Nodding her head, Miyuki left the room, but the screams of pain told her that her mother and aunt hadn't finished yet, not in a long shot.
"Miyuki-sama." one of the maids called her. When she saw that Miyuki turned to see her, she continued. "The council is ready for the emergency meeting."
Nodding in understanding, Miyuki headed to the main room where she knew the meeting will take place. She was surprised to see the number of people present, considering that she knew that some of them lived on the other site of the country. But then again, when there was news that there was an attack on the main complex, it's only natural for them come as fast as they could, and with the resources that each of them had it was possible for them to be present here.
Taking her place next to her mother, she saw how her aunt started the meeting by informing all those present about the latest events; from the death of Kogoro-domo, to the encounter of Miyuki with her brother, to the attack of Sakura on their complex last night.
"This is an insult that we cannot let go unpunished! We need to show those idiots that we are the strongest clan in Japan for a reason!" said one of the younger members of the council, with others agreeing with him.
"Silence!" said Maya, taking control of the situation before it could go any further. "I agree that we need to deal with this situation with the Emiya clan, but not in the way that you're suggesting. Even if we don't want to admit it, we were betrayed by one of our own, and that traitor is the main cause of this conflict. I refuse to allow his actions to represent the will of the Yotsuba."
"But we need to do something!" said the previous member of the council.
"And we will, but for now we need to learn all that we can about them and their type of magic." said Miya in support of her sister.
"What there is to know? She, like all thaumaturgy users, is just a second class magician. We should end them now." continued the councilman.
"Second class magician? Didn't you pay attention when we told you about how our best guardian team was destroyed by one of them? And how that same person, after bringing them here, proceeded to assault the complex, removing all of the guards that got in her way, and sealed herself in a room with us while the guards couldn't do anything to stop her or get into the room? I can tell you that Sakura presented herself as a challenger up to my level." admitted Maya, and then smiling she continued. "Things will become far more interesting in the future."
This revelation caused the room to go quiet when they learned that their leader, the Demon Queen of the East, had admitted that last night's intruder was at her level.
"Still, the fact that last night's events went this far means that some action must be taken in order to keep the order and security of the clan." said one of the older councilmen.
"Also, the fact that one of us is with them, even if that boy is a disgrace to the clan, is something that we can´t ignore." added another who, if he saw the dark look in Miya's and Miyuki's faces when he said that, did great job hiding it.
"And that is why we are here. Bring the prisoners!" ordered Maya in a commanding tone as a group of Guardians entered the room, carrying with them the chained forms of Aoki and Akira, both men barely conscious.
"Those two traitors are the source of the problems that we now face. They not only usurped our authority by faking orders to the Guardians, they killed one of own, Kogoro-domo, whom I am sure that more than one of those present still remember. They also ordered an attack against a family that, if it's made public, can damage our position inside this country and in the Master Clans. Not only that, they also planned the assassination of my niece and heir." The cool and emotionless voice of Maya was a clear contrast to the hate that all those present could feel coming from her. "Do you have anything to say for yourselves before punishment is delivered?"
The next words from Akira would be forever remembered by those who heard them, not because they were full of wisdom, reason, or intelligence, but because they were the proof that that man was an insane idiot.
"You fools! Don't you see it? Our great clan was in decline, and I am the only one able to restore its greatness! It's my destiny to raise this clan, to be not only the number one clan in the country, but also the world! And you still waste your time and resources following that witch and her sister? Don't you see that they'll be the ruin of the clan, and they are leading us to a deep void? But there's still time to fix this situation! Join me, and together we will remove them from their position, and we can start the rebirth of our clan!"
The councilmembers could only see how the former member of the main house fell into insanity and delusions. If Aoki couldn't say anything, it was because he was either too tired or had already accepted his destiny. No one knew, but all present turned their eyes to Miya, who stood from her chair, and walked until she was right in front of the two traitors.
"The Yotsuba clan had one sacred rule. No one messes with our family without facing the consequences, and no one is free from that rule, not even others of the Yotsuba. By conspiring against your clan, you have forfeited your lives, but by planning to hurt my daughter, something worse than death is waiting for the both of you." And with that, to the horror of those present, Miya activated the magic that made her infamous even inside her own clan, Mental Interference. And the targets of this magic were the two traitors.
For a few seconds, nothing happened, but then Akira and Aoki began to convulse violently until they froze, an expression of horror and pain forever impressed in their faces.
"They can no longer move their bodies, and are trapped inside them. Because I didn't want to hear their screams, I destroyed the part of their brains that control their speech. At this moment, they're suffering beyond anything they had ever experienced before. One second here is a minute inside their heads, and for the next twenty four hours they will pay the price of their actions. After that, they will die, and their bodies will be dropped into an unmarked crypt."
After that, she returned to her seat while the other members of the clan remembered why she was among the strongest magicians in the planet. Soon, the same guardians took the two bodies out of the room, never to been seen again.
"At the moment, we need to gather information about the Emiya clan. So far, the only thing that we know is that they reacted to the actions of Akira. Once we have information about them, I will be the one that decides the course of actions that we will take, and if one of you tries to do something stupid, take what just happened as an example of the consequences of that course of action." ordered Maya.
Soon, other small topics related to last night's events began to be disputed in the council. What if the others clans learned about what happened last night? How could the Emiya clan have a magician at the level of Maya-sama? Could they convince her to join them instead?
All those small talks lost meaning to Miyuki, and she and her mother had to excuse themselves from the meeting, saying that they needed to return to their home in order to keep up the appearance of the strength of their clan. That was not the only reason however, because using her magic at that level had placed a great strain on Miya's health, and she was now in need of her medicine. It was ironic that a few years ago, that strain would have put her life in danger, but now she only needed her medicine to recover after using her magic to this level, a medicine that was invented by the same family that their clan were getting ready to fight.
Flashback end.
"Good morning Miyuki-chan." a voice made her return to the present.
"Good morning Mayumi-sempai." was Miyuki's reply.
"Today will be an interesting day for all of us." said Mayumi.
"What do you mean sempai?" asked Miyuki.
"You will see, but for now we need to go with the others." Taking Miyuki's hand, the president made her go with her into the school building.
Inside the school building, you could feel the excitement from the second course students as they got inside their classroom and were talking about the all of the different magics that they were going to learn. But all of the talking ended when they saw the three members of the student council enter their classroom. Everyone stopped what they were doing when they saw the President, Saegusa Mayumi, the Treasurer, Ichihara Suzune, and the unofficial Yamato Nadesico of First High School, Shiba Miyuki.
"Tatsuya-kun, good morning." said a happy Mayumi.
"President, what are you doing here?" was Tatsuya's reply.
"This event is one of great importance for the future of our school, and it was decided that for one week we will be observers of this new course. Aren't you happy Tatsuya-kun? Now for an entire week we will be classmates!" said a happy Mayumi who ignored the reaction of her little chat with Tatsuya had for the rest of the classroom. That included a cool look from Miyuki.
Before anyone could say something else, a new person entered the room. It was Haruka-sensei.
"Good morning everyone. The day that you had been waiting for has finally arrived, so allow me to introduce you to your new teachers so you can start this new chapter in your career as magicians." With those words said, four people entered the classroom, causing many reactions from the students, but more intense reactions came from two of them specifically.
'I just knew it. I had the hope that they may send some else, but I should have seen this coming.' thought Tatsuya as he wanted to drop his head in his desk.
'What is she doing here of all places?' thought Miyuki with a degree a fear. After all, it had been less than two days since that same woman had assaulted the main Yotsuba clan complex and threatened all of them, and now she was here as if nothing had happened.
"Good morning everyone, I hope that you're ready for this, because a new world of magic is about to be opened to you. My name is Ito Rin, and I will be teaching you about Alchemy using base minerals and runes." said the now identified Rin. Then she stepped back so another of her companions could introduce herself.
"Hello everyone, my name is Illya Emiya Einzbern, and I will be teaching you about Alchemy based in potions and magic circuits, especially with magic crests." She ended her introduction, and moved out of the way to allow the next one to do the same.
"Hello, I hope that you're all fine and exited for this. My name is Ito Sakura, and I will be your teacher in Spirit Magic, and Bounded Fields." After she returned to her original place, the last member of the group, and only man, stepped forward.
"Hello, my name is Emiya Shirou, and I will be teaching you Tracing and Reinforcement Magic." said Shirou to the class.
"They will be the teachers that will help you in this new step in your life as magi. Also, because of the special needs of the topics that they will teaching you, starting tomorrow we will be moving your class room to the new annex of the school." said Haruka.
"But sensei, wasn't that new building supposed to be for the use of the First Course students?" asked a girl in the front of the class.
"You don't need to worry about that. They will still get their new building, it's just that there was a change of priorities, and for that we need to respond to the new demands of the magic world. So for the time being, you will be the ones that will use that building." answered Haruka.
Back with the students, Tatsuya was the only one that could read between the lines of what Haruka-sensei had just said. 'In other words, the Emiya family will build them a new one if they allow them to use this one.'
"As you all know, the difference between the two magic systems had always created a conflict between magicians, and yet only the Modern Magic system had received support from the government, even after the discovery of Magic Circuits and Thaumaturgy Magic. But now that more advances have been made by Thaumaturgy Magic in the last ten years than in the last fifty by Modern Magic, we have arrived at a point where in order to support these advances, it's necessary that we train more experts in this area of magic. With that in mind, we have decided to resolve this situation by providing young students with the means they need to develop their magic, and if this is a success, soon this new plan will be implemented in the other magic schools of Japan." said Illya.
"Now, one of the new teachers will remain here, while the others will go to introduce themselves to the other classes of second course students." said Haruka as she headed to the door.
"Looking forward to working with you in the future." said Shirou as he also left.
"We'll see you tomorrow." added Illya before she followed Shirou.
"And you can be sure that from now on, your high school experience will be magical." finished Rin as she left the classroom.
"As you can imagine, your first class of Thaumaturgy Magic will be about magic spirits." said Sakura as she stood in the center of the room. She turned to see a serious Miyuki and Tatsuya.
"Is that you Miyuki-chan? What a surprise to see you here."
"It's good to see you again Sakura-san. About my reason to be here, it's to serve as an observer for the student council."
"Really? That must mean that you'll work very closely with Tatsuya-chan."
"Sakura-nee-" said Tatsuya, but before he could say anything else, Sakura cut him off.
"As long as we're on school grounds, I'm Sakura-sensei. Is that clear Tatsuya-chan?" Knowing that he'd gain nothing if he argued with his big sister figure, he only nodded.
"Now, to start the class I'll tell you that there are two different ways to use Ancient Spirit Magic."
"Two different ways? But I've never heard of anything like that." said a student.
"Yes, and this is only the first one of many revelations that all of you are about to learn. By the way, what's your name?"
"Ah, sorry to interrupt. My name is Yoshida Mikihiko"
"Well Mikihiko, to answer your question, there are two basic ways to use Spirit Magic. The first one is the most common, and is also used by the Modern Magic system, by forcing the spirits to follow their magic."
"Forcing the spirits?" asked another student.
"As you know, Modern magicians don't need fuel to start a fire. They use their Psion for that purpose. What many don't know, is that that action forces the fire spirits to give form to their energy, and that is what causes the fire. But it has a serious disadvantage where the magicians casting the spell will have to overcome the resistance of the spirits, and that causes the spell to lose a lot of its power just to be casted. That means that while it's easier and faster to use that system to cast elemental magic, it also means that it won't be as strong as what the user wanted."
"And the second way to use that magic?" asked another student.
"The second way is the one used by thaumaturgy magic. It means that instead of forcing the spirits, we join forces with them by synchronize our powers with them."
"Is that really possible?" asked another student.
"Yes it is, but it requires lot of time, and that is the reason why others prefer Modern Magic." answered Mikihiko looking down.
"Actually, you're a bit wrong with that answer Mikihiko-san." said Sakura, causing Mikihiko to look up in surprise.
"What many temples and traditional families do is to come to a temporary understanding with the spirits when they are performing their spells, not a real alliance."
"I don't see the difference." said Mikihiko.
"I believe that it'll be easier if I show it to all of you." As Sakura said that, she raised her hand to show her magic tool in the form of a bracelet. Tatsuya knew that neither Sakura nor the others needed one, but it kept up the illusion that they were normal magicians, and in some cases also helped them to regulate their powers for low level magic.
And then, lots of little sparks of blue light began to appear in Sakura hand. She then moved it towards the class, which caused the blue sparks to fly around the class room. They were moving between the students, even the observers from the student council.
"Those are wind spirits." explained Sakura.
"But that's impossible! Only those with special eyes are able to see them! There's no way that all of us could see them!" said a shocked Mikihiko.
"And that's why you are here, to learn." was Sakura's reply. "I won't lie to you, to create this kind of bond with spirits is not easy, and it will take lots of hard work and time, but it is possible. And when it happens, new possibilities will be opened to all of you. As to how you can see them, it's easy. I asked them to show themselves."
"What do you mean?" asked Mikihiko.
"As I just told you, Modern Magic could be faster in normal circumstances, but if you manage to create a real and permanent bond with your spirits, it will be as if the spirits and you are one. That'll reduce the casting speed, and will increase the power. But to do all this, you need to do one thing that is very important, not only in my class, but in the other teachers' classes."
"What it is?" asked a more exited Mikihiko.
"You need to believe in yourselves. You need to believe that everything is possible."
"What do you mean by that?" asked another student.
"For example, you need to believe without a single doubt that small tornados can appear on your desk at your wills."
"But that's impossible!" said the same student.
Giving a small motion with her hand, all the students soon saw how small groups of spirits gathered on their desks, and began to form little tornados that send small breezes at them.
"Nothing is impossible, even if you have to hypnotize yourselves, you need to believe that."
"It's beautiful." said a girl with glasses. "The spirits and the way the move is beautiful."
"I'm glad that you like it. What's your name?"
"I'm sorry to interrupt." apologized the girl. "I'm Shibata Mizuki"
"Don't worry about it. By the way, it looks like you have good eyes for this type of thing."
"Yes. In fact, the reason why I am here is to learn to control them." answered Mizuki.
"You can be sure that we will help you with that." answered Sakura, and she turned to see the rest of the class. "Well, for our first topic, we will see…"
Great Asian Alliance Territory.
While Sakura was teaching her class to an eager group of students, an event that threatened to put modern civilization to the edge of destruction was taking place in a secret temple deep inside the GAA lands.
"Are you sure that this will work?" asked Captain Chen to the head monk.
"Yes. Finally, after many years of hard work, research, and gathering materials, we will have the key to conquer this world, and claim our rightful place as its masters."
"You've been saying the same thing all these years. For your own sake, I just hope that this doesn't end up being a waste of time and resources."
"I promise you that soon you will see the results of our efforts."
The two men headed to the place chosen for the ritual, a great chamber deep inside the temple. In the middle of the chamber was a large magic circle with multi-layered crests carved onto bare rock, over fifty meters in diameter. In the middle of it were some urns that contained exotics materials, while seven monks were standing in seven different places where the crests intercepted each other's lines while they were chanting an ancient spell.
Captain Chen took his place along with the other observers from the military, while the monk leader took his place with the others that were in the middle of gathering energy for the spell.
"Now my brothers, we shall began our moment of Glory." said the leader, and with him joining the enchantment, soon the lines of the magic circle and crests began to glow even more, as small energy discharges began to be visible.
"Holy Grail that can grant our wishes, we call for your power!"
In the background, the other seven monks continued with their chant.
"Great spirits from millennia past, we call for your power!"
Soon, a ghostly mist began to form around the circle, and it moved around the monks.
"So we can claim the power and glory of the eras, now and forever!"
And so the mist surrounded the monks. For a moment, nothing could be heard, but a few seconds later, screams of pain from the monks could be heard all around the temple, while their leader continued with the ritual, completely ignoring the calls of help from his followers. Some of the soldiers present tried to help them, but a strange energy rejected them as they got closer, and the observers could only watch what they believed would be a great tragedy.
But what no one knew was a presence of an unwanted guest. This guest was Kischur Zelretch Schweinorg, who was famous, or infamous depending to who you ask, as the Kaleidoscope.
'Dammit, it's too late!' thought the Kaleidoscope as he saw the ritual. 'Why do those damn fools of this universe keep trying to destroy it by calling forces beyond their control? I can't allow that, the best soap operas are in this Universe!'
What the Kaleidoscope meant was that since he brought Shirou and the girls to this universe, he had been coming to see how the events had been developing around them, and boy was he impressed. A social revolution in the magic system, rescuing a boy with unusual powers, stopping an enemy invasion, and having a secret conflict with one of the most important clans in this world. Things were getting even more interesting, and he was sure that he didn't want to lose this source of entertainment.
That's why, when a few months ago when he came to see if there were any new developments with his favorite source of entertainment, he had a dark feeling. He chose to trust his instincts and followed it to the USNA, where he found that a group of magicians and scientific researchers were trying to copy the magic of the boy that Shirou and the others had saved years ago from the data that they were able to hack from the JSDF. But what the USNA didn't know was that they were not only doing the experiment wrong, but that they could have also opened a door in this new universe for a series of dangers that they were not ready to face.
So, in order to protect his favorite soap opera, he sabotaged the experiment, something that was easy because those magicians depended on computers and machines. So after he had made sure that the machines would fail, and that the scientists in charge could never replicate the experiment by blocking that specific knowledge from their minds. This time however, the situation was completely different. Not only were there no machines involved this time, the ritual was based in magic rituals and materials. Also, because the ritual had already started, the energy of it protected the magicians responsible for it. And even if he managed to attack them now, that could have worse consequences that even he didn't want to see.
'This is bad; those morons don't even have all the resource and material that they need to create a Grail. If this continues like this, they could open a portal to this universe that could allow anything to pass thought it, from that crazy god Angra Mainyu, to those disgusting dimensional parasites. I have no choice but to try to stabilize the ritual through pure power.' thought the Kaleidoscope, knowing that in these circumstances, his best option was to force this sorcery through power alone, but he needed to hurry or it would be too late to save this world from its doom.
Casting all his power while he remained hidden from the others, he proceeded to send all his magic into the ritual, hoping that it would be enough to fix this situation, and that he would be in time.
While all this was happening, a bright light could be seen in the center of the magic circle, growing stronger each second. The screams of pain of the monks were forgotten with the recent development. Soon, a big explosion happened, and the world seemed to stop for a moment. When that moment was over, all those present turned their eyes to see the results.
The seven monks were now silent. They were turned into ashes, which upon falling to the ground became nothing but dust. The head monk was on his knees, recovering from the impact of the explosion, but when he raised his head he saw something that was the culmination of his efforts and dreams.
If he only knew that in less than a year, that dream would become a nightmare.
Standing in the middle of the magic circle were seven shadowy figures. Because the light was coming from behind them, he couldn't see their faces, but it looked like the one that was in the center of the group saw him and took a few steps towards him. He then said the words that would mark the beginning of a new war.
"You, mongrel. Are you the one that summoned me?"
No one could think of an answer at that moment, not even the Kaleidoscope who now needed to leave. Because even if the magicians of this world couldn't detect his presence, he was sure that the newcomers could if he remained there for any more time, and in his current state he could be in danger.
'I need to leave now! Damn, it will take me some time to recover. I just hope that this world doesn't disappear until I can warn them about this danger, this new Grail War!'
End Chapter 10
About Sakura. Yes, I saw Sekirei while I was writing this chapter.
Also I would like to respond to a few PM that I received the last weeks. If someone wants to use my story as base for their own fell free to do it, just send me the link to follow the story, I could even send you the first chapter if you want to use it as a way to send Shirou, Sakura, Rin and Illya to either Mahouka Universe or any other universe that you want to write a crossover about.
About the crossover between Mahouka and Familiar of the Zero I will finish this story before I continue that one, so again if someone wants to continue that story fell free to do it.
Until next time.
