Hello readers!
Welcome to another installment to Professor Tohsaka at Beacon Academy!
ShirouKuroEmiya
Chapter Seven "Maiden"
"Cinder Fall, what are you doing here?!" I shouted in disbelief as I stared at Cinder Fall, who was being held up by throat.
"Rin, don't let her status as one of your students cloud your judgement," warned Shirou while keeping a close eye on Cinder's every movement.
I sighed. Normally, under normal circumstances, I wouldn't so easily to trust someone that I hadn't known for long but that was different if that person was one of my hard-working students. Cinder Fall was the most devoted student that constantly asked very great questions in her drive to learn about the magecraft that I taught in my classes. Her passion and devotion to learn magecraft reminded a great deal of my past self.
"You can relax your grasp, Shirou. Cinder might pass out if you don't let go."
Shirou continued to watch Cinder like a hawk, but he relaxed his grip somewhat. Cinder start coughing as air finally started to enter her lungs again.
"We can take the easy way or the hard way depending on your choice. So I urge you to tell the truth or you are in for a lot of pain." My husband warned Cinder in a dangerous tone.
I quickly offered a warm and friendly smile as I took the good cop role while my husband was playing the bad cop. "If you answer our questions then I will not inform Beacon or the authorities that you had been trespassing or trying to steal something of mine."
"Do you worst! Nothing you do will make be speak," growled Cinder venomously as her eyes lit up with rage.
I sighed. It was rare that anyone that Shirou or I had captured freely spilling out information without having to resort to intimation, violence or magecraft.
Several metal bands materialized in my hands. I reached for Cinder's neck, and Shirou relaxed his grip so that I could put on one of the metal bands around the trespassing Beacon student's neck. When I heard the solid click of the metal band locking onto Cinder's neck, I nodded to my husband and he let go.
"You're go-!" Cinder screamed as she prepared to fight. Cinder moved her arms as if she was going to throw something at me. Sadly, nothing came out and she repeated the movement several times until she murderously stared at me. "What did you do?!"
I laughed, but that only seemed to trigger Cinder. She was further enraged and if looks could kill would have murdered me several times over.
"You cannot use your Aura or Semblance while that metal band is around your neck." I replied.
"Neither can you use magecraft that you have recently learned from my wife," added Shirou.
Cinder noticing that she couldn't use Aura, Semblance or Magecraft quickly turned to other means as her body started to move. It might have been a good idea if Shirou hadn't been around. My husband, who had fought all manner of creatures and objects from Earth's forgotten past to distant future, reacted much faster than I could. He delivered a solid kick to Cinder's stomach.
"Argh!" screamed Cinder as she smashed into a nearby wall.
"Shirou," I quickly turned to my husband. "You have to control your strength. Cinder could have died from the amount of force you just used!"
"You are underestimating Cinder," my husband replied back to me while pointing at Cinder. "She may not be using it right now but inside of her is a powerful spirit."
I frowned and turned to inspect Cinder. I hadn't detected it anything unusual about Cinder but it was unlikely that he was wrong. My husband did after all possess Mind's Eye for a reason. His words soon proved to be right when Cinder's eyes started to glow followed by an orange light that surrounded her body.
"Use more Restraint Bands!" shouted Shirou as Kanshou and Bakuya materialized in his hands.
Shirou's body started to blur. If Shirou was a blur to me then he might have teleported from Cinder's perspective. My assumption seemed to have been proven correct when Cinder's eyes widened in disbelief as Shirou stopped moving in front of Cinder and slashed Kanshou and Bakuya at her in rapid succession.
I was surprised by the orange aura that protected Cinder. The Restraint Band currently locked around her neck should have made such a thing impossible. They were were a high-level Mystic Code designed to prevent people from using magic.
Another interesting thing was that while my husband was only using a fraction of his powers, his attacks were more than enough to cut through steel and concrete with ease. If the powers that Cinder had shown in my classes was anything to go by, and assuming she hadn't been hiding her strength, then her Aura shouldn't be able to withstand Shirou's attacks for so long.
I noticed that the magical energy fueling the orange Aura started to become stronger when such a thing should have been impossible with the Restraint Band around Cinder's neck.
My instincts also told me that if things were allowed to unfold as they currently were then the Restraint Band around Cinder's neck might stop working and she might be able to freely access the powers of the "powerful spirit" that Shirou had mentioned earlier.
Friends and acquaintances that knew me on Earth might have questioned why I didn't let Cinder use the powerful spirit inside her. They knew that Shirou and I had fought all manner of creatures during our time in Chaldea. So overpowering a trainee huntress should have been no big problem for us. Well, there was one big problem just duking it out with whatever power the spirit lying dormant in Cinder. Innocent bystanders such as the Beacon's staff and students would be in the crossfire if I was to let Cinder use the powerful spirit inside her.
So… I activated the other Restraint Bands in my hands.
They quickly flew into the air and started targeting Cinder. In another time, Cinder might have easily destroyed the Restraint Bands from reaching her, but she was too tied up protecting defending herself from Shirou's onslaught or trying to overpower the remaining effects of the Restraint Band on her neck and summon the powerful spirit's power in retaliation.
Shirou stopped attacking Cinder as the Restraint Bands locked onto her body and the protective Aura dissipated.
"Why are my Maiden powers disappearing all of a sudden?!" shouted a confused Cinder Fall.
"Maiden powers?" Shirou repeated.
I didn't respond but frowned as I pondered.
Maiden. It was obvious that Cinder was not referring the normal definition of a maiden, but it had to be some sort of title or object of significance if Cinder was calling out that word in the current situation.
I searched my mind. The word, "Maiden" seemed familiar to me. I couldn't recall where I had heard it. It didn't take me too long to remember where I had heard the Maiden. Cinder's usage of the word "Maiden" likely was connected to The Story of the Seasons, a well-known fairy tale passed down Remnant.
We just found another lead to investigate about Remnant's magic. I telepathically communicated with my husband while staring at Cinder with glowing eyes. So try not to hurt Cinder too much if she continues to resist or tries to escape.
Shirou nodded his head. So how do you want to proceed?
I pondered as I continued to watch Cinder. She seemed incredibly confused and frustrated as she continued to try and summon the powerful spirit that resided within her. It was surprising that Cinder cared more about her "Maiden" powers more than her own.
My curiosity of what was going through Cinder's mind quickly came to a halt when I remembered my time as a host of Ishtar and/or Ereshkigal. While I had been able to only access a fraction of the goddesses' powers as a Heroic Spirit downgraded from a Divine Spirit, it had been so much power beyond what I could have achieved alone that it had been intoxicating. If Cinder's experience was anything similar then the sudden loss of her Maiden power must be devastating akin to a drug addict cut from their drug high.
I seemed to be proven correct with my guess when Cinder started marching up towards me with eyes screaming murder.
"What do you do to me?!" yelled Cinder, completely forgetting about Shirou and how my husband had been attacking her too not too long ago.
My husband was about to step in and probably put his body in between Cinder and me, but I just shook my head and tapped his shoulder.
"It's okay," I said to Shirou. "Cinder cannot use her Semblance, magecraft or Maiden powers with that many Restraint Bands on her." My husband still looked dubiously at me. "Do you think Cinder is on the level of a Servant or similarly powerful creature?"
That seemed to convince my husband and he backed down, but still remaining close to my side. It was endearing in a way as despite knowing that I could hold my own against many powerful beings. He was still so protective about my safety that I smiled. A trait that had made me fall in love with him…
I quickly shook my head and returned to reality.
"I simply prevented you from using your Aura, or Od as you have learned from my classes. It also prevents you from using the power of the spirit inside you, I presume that you call as a Maiden." I replied. Cinder was about to speak up but I cut her off as I continued on, "What Maiden is inside you? Is it the Summer, Winter, Autumn or Fall Maiden?"
My words seemed to have hit the bull's eye given how Cinder stumbled back momentarily in shock but she recovered so quickly someone might have missed it.
"So… We might be dealing with a Demi-Servant or a Pseudo-Servant?" asked Shirou as his vigilance rose up and he started to treat Cinder as a dangerous person again despite the Restraint Bands on her that depowered the girl.
"Potentially," I nodded. "Cinder, you are one of my most outstanding students so you have a general idea of what I am capable of. I suggest that you cooperate with us-"
"Or you will experience the pain I can inflict with magecraft," growled Shirou as he interrupted me. "Pain that you can only imagine."
I swatted Shirou on the shoulder, "Shirou there is no need to threaten her with torture." I warned my husband, both because I didn't want to hurt my most hard-working student and playing my role as the Good Cop. "You have to excuse my husband. Shirou is sensitive when people trespass on our home." My expression hardened. "I will not torture you like my husband wants to but I have methods that, while not inflicting pain, may violate your mind if you don't answer why you have sneak into my home like a thief."
My threat seemed to have spooked Cinder, or at least made her reconsider her option when she stared at me with shrunken pupils. Whatever exact thoughts were running through her mind, I saw good signs my threat was working. She most likely was imagining all sorts of things that magecraft may or may not be capable of thanks to Remnant's fictional portrayal of magic through popular media like books and films.
Then Cinder's expression hardened and she stared at me defiantly.
I sighed as I looked to my husband. Shirou seemed internally conflicted whether or not to pry information out of Cinder through forceful methods but I disagreed with any notion of torture. Whatever Cinder's motives were to trespass and snoop around my home, it hadn't reached the point that my life, my husband or others were in danger. So I could give Cinder some leeway.
There were also more options on the table waiting to be used that could foster cooperative relationship.
My fingers clicked and Cinder's looked at me in shock as her eyes started to close despite Cinder's best efforts to keep them open. Her body dropped onto the ground with a soft thud.
"Would you kindly carry Cinder," I asked my husband as I grabbed for my Scroll. "I will let Ozpin know about the situation."
- O -
Ozpin stared at the expansive view of Beacon Academy from his office. It was a reminder of his duty. Each student at Beacon was one more hero in the making to fight Grimm. Everyone with the potential to turn the tide if given the right opportunities, at least that was the theory. A theory that Ozpin wished was true.
His fist tightened when he recalled generations of his friends, confidants, and followers that had all tried to help his cause. Many had died in the line of duty or time had taken them away, but they had all done their best to destroy the Grimm and stop Salem.
The most painful memories was those that had betrayed him. Many of those that had eventually betrayed him he could understand their motives. Some traitors he had only understood over the centuries after their treason or deaths. There were some betrayals that still puzzled him to this day.
Sometimes, just sometimes... Ozpin wanted to give up the mantle of being a leader. He just wanted to fight the Grimm as an active-duty Huntsman just like he had as Ozma or the few reincarnations where the pressure of being a leader had been too much and he had acted alone. Things were simpler in those days. He didn't need to worry about others, be burdened by their problems or make decision that could affect multiply lives.
"No, the path of a lone warrior cannot change anything." Ozpin reminded himself as he replayed his failures of operating as a single individual and not leading an organization to try and defeat the Grimm and Salem.
One man could change the tide of battle, but that was only at one location. Multiple battles happened all the time around Remnant whether it was the Grimm directly controlled by Salem or her human and faunus puppets stirring up trouble where no Grimm could reach.
Only as a leader and teacher had Ozpin had dealt more damage to the Grimm and Salem then he could ever do alone. That was why he used his wealth of knowledge and wisdom that few humans dead or alive to best guide the next generation of huntsman and huntress to battle the Grimm and use his influence to combat Salem wherever and whatever she was up to.
His musing of the past quickly came to an end when his Scroll started to ring. What surprised Ozpin was the person calling him.
"Yes, this is Ozpin speaking." The Headmaster answered the call. "May I ask why you are calling me this late in the night?"
The explanation that came next stunned Ozpin. He had gotten all sorts of calls over the years as his current incarnation as Ozpin and other reincarnations that had taken up teaching or leadership roles over the centuries. So, Ozpin had gotten used to surprises but the reincarnator had never expected that a Maiden of all things to have infiltrated his school as a student and be caught.
"Yes, I am free. Please come to my office."
Ozpin ended the call and stared in disbelief at the stream of messages that quickly popped up onto his Scroll's screen. If he had any second doubts regarding Rin Tohsaka's call then the evidence he quickly saw started to dispel them.
He continued to scrutinize what information had been sent to him until there was a knock on his door.
"Please come in," said Ozpin as he put away his Scroll.
The door opened up and as expected Shirou Emiya and Rin Tohsaka entered the room. The unconscious Cinder Fall hung over Shirou's shoulder still surprised Ozpin a little despite Rin's forewarning of the identity of her home's trespasser. After all, the chances of a Maiden entering Beacon without his knowledge was so slim with all the magical wards he had constructed to detect any magical activity.
"Hello, Rin and Shirou."
"Sorry to call you so late in the night but I thought you would have wanted to be alerted of this situation as soon as possible," replied Rin while Shirou just nodded to acknowledge Ozpin's words. "Would you mind explaining what exactly is a Maiden? I have a strong feeling that a Maiden has a close connection to the Four Maidens of the well-known fairy tale, The Story of the Seasons."
"That is indeed correct," Ozpin nodded. "Shirou would you mind placing Cinder Fall on my desk please." Shirou gently placed Cinder on the desk as requested. "Hmphm…" He inspected the metal bands on Cinder's body and turned to Rin. "These restraints are very impressive. They are far superior then any Aura restraining devices currently used around Remnant's law enforcement. May I ask where you got these devices?"
"They were made using information unearthed and reverse-engineering similar Aura-restraining devices from the ruins of Remnant's past magical civilization," replied Rin as she sat down on a chair.
Ozpin scrutinized Rin. If he had been someone that hadn't lived several centuries and reincarnated several times, he might have been fooled by Rin. She had lied so smoothly Ozpin wouldn't be surprised if anyone else would have believed her. He didn't know why Rin might have lied to him but he let it slip as everyone had their secrets.
Rin continued on, "What exactly are the Maidens? I know they are some sort of spirit if my brief inspection of Cinder was anything to go by."
"I shouldn't be too surprised that you discovered the Maidens given how skilled and knowledgeable of magic you are," said Ozpin in amazement as he sat down. "Maidens are hosts of inheritable powers that grant the user the ability to use magic, something that had been limited to the Maidens until recently thanks to your efforts."
"How are these powers inherited?" inquired Shirou, speaking up for the first time since entering the room.
Ozpin remained silent for a moment as he contemplated how much he should respond. He wanted Rin and Shirou as allies but he didn't know how much information they could be trusted with. It took a while before he came to a decision.
"First off, Maidens are limited only to females. That is how it has been since Maidens first existed," noted Ozpin for Shirou's and Rin's clarification. "Under normal circumstances, the next Maiden, who is always a young woman, is the last person that the previous Maiden holds in her thoughts before she passes away. However, if the person in the dying Maiden's thoughts is male, is too old, or is otherwise not eligible to receive the power, the next host is chosen seemingly at random."
"So, Maidens are not exactly like Demi-Servant or Pseudo-Servants like I had hypothesized," muttered Rin. Ozpin was about to ask what Rin was referring to when she pressed on. "What are the limits of the powers that Maidens inherit?"
"What each individual Maiden is capable of varies from case to case, but they are always limited to elemental magic…"
The next few minutes quickly turned into Q&A session where Rin asked the questions and Ozpin answered regarding the Maidens. It all came to an end when there was a knock on the door.
"Oz, what was so urgent that you called me up at this unearthly hour of the night?" growled Qrow from the other side of the door.
"I called you because I discovered that a Maiden of all people had infiltrated my school and tried to snoop around our newest Professor's apartment." Ozpin replied dryly.
Whatever anger that Qrow had of being woken up so late into the night and his drowsiness immediately evaporated. "A Maiden? Which Maiden and who is it?" He demanded as the trusty agent that Ozpin had chosen Qrow for reared its head.
"Cinder Fall is the Maiden, and which one I have no idea. Why the Maiden might have infiltrated Beacon is yet unknown but it is likely that Professor Tohsaka's magecraft classes might have something to do with that," explained Ozpin.
Just as Ozpin was about to debrief Qrow about the situation, Rin stood up.
"I think we will take our leave," said Rin as she made her way for the door. "It seems that the two of you have a lot to talk about."
Before Ozpin or Qrow could respond, Rin left the room with Shirou quickly following behind in tow.
"Well, that made things easier," remarked Qrow happily as the Shirou's and Rin's footsteps became fainter. "Now there is no need prying ears to worry about."
"That maybe so," added Ozpin, "but I would have liked to have their input. It is always nice to have an outsider's perspective on the matter, and by having them in our conversation it would have shown them that we trusted them as allies."
"I think that can wait for another time, Oz. We have more important things to handle immediately," said Qrow as he looked at the unconscious Cinder Fall. "Do you wanna use truth serums or try and get the girl to cooperate with us?"
- O -
"Rin, I don't think that was a wise decision to sit out of the conversation," grumbled Shirou.
"I needed to give them some privacy to show that we trusted them. Besides," I tapped on my ear. "It's not like I left without thinking of a plan. As long as the Restraint Bands are still around I can hear whatever is going on."
"That's the smart girl that I fell in love with," Shirou hummed happily as he leaned over and kissed me.
I kissed Shirou back before lightly pushing him back. "We are going to have to shift our focus. I am going to reallocate non-essential resources not working on our high-priorities goals to investigate the Maidens. It doesn't seem Ozpin is lying to us but it safer to be sure by verifying what the Headmaster has told us."
"Agreed." Shirou pecked my forehead. "Do you want me to investigate Cinder Fall's team?"
"I think you are the best person." I nodded as I recalled how Cinder's team had treated Shirou in my classes. "They likely will never suspect that you're investigating them and misinterpret your interest in them for looking at their potentials as huntsmen and huntresses."
Shirou nodded in agreement. "That sounds like a good idea." He looked at me in the eyes. "What are you planning to do?"
"I have been getting some interesting data from the Restraint Bands on Cinder. There are some experiments I want to run to investigate the spiritual nature of these 'Maidens.' Helpfully, it will not take long." I replied as I saw my husband give me a funny look. "What?"
"Everything can wait for tomorrow," growled Shirou in a frustrated tone as he grabbed my hand and started to lead the way. "Cinder was interrupting our play time."
I was going to protest but it was not long before I found myself in our apartment and thrown onto the bed moaning and screaming in pleasure.
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