A/N: (January 14th)
Phew…I've done a lot of writing this week.
To catch back up to schedule, I've written close to 30k words over the course of…a week? Probably? Which is an average of 4k words per day.
Safe to say I'm somewhat comfortably ahead now. I'll let you know my progress in the bottom A/N.
Alright, now that I have time (I write these notes the day before release- literally the hours coming up to midnight, lmao), I will address the reviews in general, for both the end of Act I, and the new ones for the Interludes and the start of Act II.
I just want to start off by saying thank you to everyone for supporting this story, whether it be by positive comments or constructive criticism. This story has started meaning a lot to me as I've continued to write it, and now that I'm more than halfway finished (writing-wise, not released on this site right now-wise), I will certainly see it to the end, which I have not done for any story before this one, aside from oneshots.
Kuroko's death seems to have been taken well! Which I was scared of it not being taken well at first, since Kuroko is a pretty popular Index character (also the…pretty rabid KamiKuro fans lol), but I'm glad you all at least…accepted it happened.
I enjoy writing death scenes, because it's just pure emotion on a page, but I don't like the death of the character itself. If that makes sense. I wouldn't like Kuroko to die otherwise, but it fits my story and the narrative I'm telling. It'll get Misaka rattled up and ready to face the darkness of the Fate series, in any case.
Accelerator and Achilles! I love their dynamic, and I've definitely written more scenes for them for those that wanted more of them together.
Then there's Ciel. The Tsukihime character that stumbled into a Fate/Index crossover lol. I hope you enjoy what I have for her as well, she'll play a bigger role than maybe some of you may think. She did appear in the very first chapter, after all; the third character to show up aside from Rin and Archer (RIP).
I did get a question as to why I switched Cu and Medusa's classes around. Well, put simply: I did not want to completely copy off of Fate/stay night and keep the exact same Servants as well as their classes. Some of them are just going to stay the same no matter what because of their Masters (Shirou/Saber, Rin/Archer, Illya/Herc), but what I could control is the classes they're summoned in.
The person that I really wanted in the story is Achilles- he's my personal favorite Greek hero, I loved him in Apocrypha, but most importantly, he would be a very good partner for Accelerator. However, the classes he qualifies for are Rider, Berserker, and Lancer.
Which runs into an issue, since Medusa is only Rider/Lancer (and Extras, but that's not relevant), and Cu is Lancer/Saber/Caster/Berserker.
With only so many slots, there wasn't much I could do without breaking a FSN OG Servant from their Master, which lore-wise cannot be done, so this was the configuration I came up with. All of the FSN heroes get the Servant that they're supposed to, and Achilles, Cu, and Medusa still get into classes they qualify for. Hope you understand this explanation.
Finally…some are predicting a catfight coming.
There is some tensions rising with a certain lilac flower, isn't there? This is a Heaven's Feel story, after all.
No one is safe.
And with that happy note, enjoy!
Chapter 11: A Certain Daybreak
P.O.V.: A Certain Lost Girl
Earlier That Night.
As soon as Ruiko Saten closed the balcony door to her Sakugawa Middle School dorm, she immediately felt her legs turn into gelatin.
Effortlessly, she collapses to the floor, not caring at how roughly she did as every fiber in her being had been focused off of walking, and to thinking.
Thinking about things she shouldn't. Things she couldn't understand. Things she understood- but didn't want to accept.
'Shirai…she's…no…that can't…!'
Just a few days ago, they were all walking through the mall, laughing and having fun like kids their age are supposed to.
They're just kids. She is just a kid.
'Why is she…she can't…why is…!
Mom…Dad…someone help me…'
She's thinking so much that she's unsure if she's thinking at all. The infinite thoughts eventually all become white noise to her as she stumbles around her room, not caring what she's bumping into as she feels for her bed.
She had a bunk bed, but the school still has yet to assign her a roommate. At the very least, it meant she could let out her emotions without anyone seeing.
Her eyes could see, but her brain didn't register where she was going. Ultimately, she felt herself laying on something soft.
'Oh. Must be the bed.'
She closes her eyes, and tries to force sleep's blanket around her body. But of course, compelling sleep only leads to no sleep at all.
"Kid…please, calm down."
A sobering voice brings her senses back into working order. She slowly pries open her eyes, and sees that she's not even laying down: instead, her body's pressed against a rather soft, cotton-like kimono.
Two arms wrap around her body, thin yet warm. "…Please…calm down."
"I…" As soon as she feels some semblance of warmth, her body's dam of tears immediately shatters. "Ah…Ahhhhhhhh!"
Even through her screaming, she feels the comforting arms of Assassin hold her closer, trying to drown her grief with her embrace.
While Assassin no longer spoke, she could tell she was simply waiting for her to stop crying as she firmly rubbed Saten's back, trying to urge her to breathe.
Over time, her lungs start to lose their capacity. Every time she inhaled, her cries of pain slowly grew weaker and weaker, shifting into sobs.
'I can't…I can't…do any of this right now…
I'm powerless. Why did I think I could have power?! It got her killed! No Esper Ability is worth that! I am not worth that!'
"Saten-san. I can hear your thoughts, you know."
In the back of her mind, Saten Ruiko remembers how normal Masters are able to partition their thoughts with the mental communication they have with their Servant. Ruiko didn't have that ability, yet, so every mental process she had- even the intrusive ones- Assassin could hear as long as she was close enough.
"Come, let's sit on the bed."
Assassin directs her to the bottom bunk, and directs the two of them to sit on the covers. Saten could barely see out of her eyes- and her face felt almost burning hot and wet from her tears, and probably snot from her clogged nose.
She was sure she was a mess- but she didn't care.
"…I can't do this…" The girl immediately places her face in her hands, unable to find the will in her to even lift her head. "I can't do this…I just…
I just want Shirai back…!"
The sobbing starts up again, echoing around the room. She didn't care if the rooms next to her heard her. She didn't care if she had to keep fighting this stupid, pointless, violent war.
"I want this to stop…I don't want to be a Master, I don't want to keep fighting…I just want everything to…stop…"
She takes a sharp inhale in. At the same time, she feels an arm wrap around her body and pull her close.
Her head leans against her Servant's shoulder. Tentatively, the Assassin reaches out her hand, and places it on Saten's.
"…I'm afraid none of that can happen." Assassin utters.
Saten feels the urge to cry again in the back of her throat. Or was it to vomit?
She can't tell anymore.
"But," Assassin continues, "What we can do…is keep moving forward."
"…how…?"
Keep moving forward is a phrase that Saten can't comprehend. Not now.
Maybe not ever.
"…I lost someone, too."
Saten's eyes blink open gently, looking at Assassin through her teary vision. Surprisingly, the onyx irises of her Servant were gazing back at her too, like a mother looking at her child. "He…had a strange relationship with me. I can't really explain it to you, but…all you need to know, is one day, we got into an accident that nearly killed both of us. Turns out, the only way for me to live…is if he gave himself up to save me."
Ruiko nodded her head, letting her Servant continue.
"He died saving me. Three years later, I woke up from my coma, and I got to live on. Tell me, young Saten: was he wrong to do that?"
Ruiko stews on that question for several moments, unsure of what to say.
Of course, Assassin was comparing her own story to Misaka and Shirai. Saten wasn't there to see what happened— but she had heard about it, and that's all she needed to understand.
After several seconds, she's still indecisive.
"…I don't know…"
"Exactly. I don't know if it was the right decision for him, either. But it's a decision he made anyway, and I have to keep living with it…even past my death, and as a Servant, I have to keep living with it."
Assassin holds her a little tighter. "Listen to me, Saten. You are my Master. I am your Servant. That is a contract that we made…and I don't intend to change it."
"…"
"And that means…we have to fight. Even if it's hard, even if it's difficult…we have to keep fighting."
'…Fight, huh?'
Saten bites her lip. She had fought before; with Misaka and the others. It seemed so simple back then; with just her baseball bat and the support of her friends, she felt like she could do anything.
Now, one of those friends is gone. Never to come back—
Wait.
"…Assassin…what is the Holy Grail, again?"
Assassin stops her comforting, sensing that Saten had lit a spark behind her eyes. "…It's an omnipotent wish-granter. Supposedly, if you win, it can grant any wish the Master desires."
Saten gasps lightly, and immediately gets to her feet. They shake, but don't fold as she hobbles over to her desk and pulls out several tissues, cleaning her face of tears and snot.
'Grant…any wish…'
"…Assassin. Can it…bring people back…from the dead?"
"…I wouldn't put it past it to be able to." Assassin responds.
Ruiko Saten holds down her tears. Every so often, she feels a sob break through, but her mind starts to focus onto one clear goal.
Ever so slightly, the fog starts to part.
The ever-so tiny candle of hope burns in the coldest of winters.
Saten takes a deep breath in, holds it, then gently breathes out, long and slow. "…Okay. I…I'll keep fighting. If…"
She bites her lip, and tastes something metallic. "…If it means…that I can somehow bring her back…I'll keep fighting."
Assassin hops to her feet, and walks up next to her. "If that is what you want to do, then I'll fight by your side, Master."
"…Ah-!"
Her adrenaline fades as fast as it came, and she stumbles back into Assassin's arms again. Leaning against her side, Saten wraps her arms around her Servant's.
"Finding motivation to do something is one thing, Saten," Assassin says, "but staying determined to do said thing takes time. For now…let's get you to bed."
Saten nods weakly, and the Servant again directs her to her bed, and pulls back the cover to let her lay down.
As soon as she's settled, she peers up to see Assassin gazing back at her…although with eyes that she wasn't sure was looking directly at her or not.
"Um…Assassin?"
Her Servant blinks once or twice, and returns to reality. "Ah. Apologies. It's nothing." She stands upright, and smiles down to Saten. "I'll watch over you. Get some rest."
Saten nods, and leans back into her pillow.
"…Oh, remember to brush your teeth in the morning. And maybe take a shower."
For some reason, Saten decides to quip back. "What are you, my mom?"
"…No. But…it is a suggestion, Master." Assassin replies.
"All right…I will. Goodnight."
…
Assassin peers down at Saten, several minutes already passing. The young girl's fatigue showed true in that moment, and she had passed out within just a minute or so.
The Servant, although at this point now invisible, kneels down beside Saten's bed; taking a look at her long black hair, and recalls her blue eyes.
She blinks, and for a moment, she sees someone else laying where Saten is, in the back of her eyelids.
A young girl, with the same raven colored hair and blue eyes, although the one that Assassin was thinking about had sharper aqua irises.
She feels a smile grow across her face. Content, she gets to her feet and turns away.
'…You remind me too much of her, Master.'
XXXXX
A brisk knock on the door quickly breaks Ruiko's sleep. Her eyes lodge open, still groggy from what only felt like a few minutes to her.
She didn't know what time she arrived back at her dorm- but the time listed roughly 7:05 in the morning. At the very least, she must have gotten a few hours. It would have to do- since the knocking at the door remains persistent.
Saten groans, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes only to discover the dried tears in the corners and down her cheeks. She must have been crying while sleeping, too.
"…"
Trying to lock back the sadness like she had before, she pushes away the covers and climbs out of bed. She discovers she's still wearing the same uniform from yesterday- if she's going to go to school, she needs to pick out a new one.
"Assassin…?" She mutters quietly, but the Servant doesn't respond. She must be sitting atop the roof, or something, for Saten to maintain her privacy.
She hustles over to her dormitory door, the knocking continuing in waves. With a deep breath, she grabs the handle and pulls it open.
Although she had a feeling it would be her, she…did not expect her to look like…this.
"…Misaka-san…"
Wearing a boy's baseball tee and grey shorts, the Tokiwadai student's eyes look back at her with a decade of emptiness condensed into a day's worth of time.
Saten couldn't tell if she had no emotion, or every emotion. Misaka's glassy irises look at her, but not at her.
It's as if her body was here, but her mind was not.
"…Good morning, Saten-san."
She didn't need to see anything more. Immediately, Saten grabs the girl's arm and pulls her into a hug. She tries her best to make it feel as warm as Assassin's were.
Holding her there for several moments, Ruiko closes her eyes as she feels a wet spot growing on her shoulder. Misaka trembles, then hesitantly returns her embrace with shaky hands.
More tears fall. After a while, Saten winces as she hears a sob.
Slowly but surely, Misaka begins to break. "I…!"
Her friend's breath gets caught in her throat, unsure of whether to scream or to hold it all down.
Saten walks them a little ways away from the door, and shuts it, giving them proper privacy.
"Let it out."
That was the trigger.
Misaka's body makes its decision. Every fiber of her being screams out in yearning for something that can't be replaced.
Her arms wrap tighter. Saten feels her face begin to warm, and her eyes become glossy. 'No…try to be strong…try…to be…strong…'
She can't stop it.
She feels Misaka's legs wobble and collapse like a broken bridge. She too, falls with her.
They both sit on the carpeted floor, the only solace being each other. Misaka seems to find the power to not outright scream- but her sobs still cut through the silent dorm mercilessly.
Saten couldn't find the right words to say anything to her- only to let her let everything out.
She wanted to let her own geysers burst- but she had done enough crying last night.
'Right…I have a plan, now.'
"…Misa-" She cringes, willing herself to speak despite her gasping for air, "…Misaka-san…"
The girl in her arms moves her head to nod, despite continuing to cry. Saten tightens her grip- at least letting her know that she wasn't going anywhere. "…There's a way."
…
The room eerily grows silent. Misaka turns her head, sharply inhaling every half-second as her body tries its best to gather back air. "…What do you…mean…?"
"…I mean…there might be a way…to bring Shirai back. The Holy Grail."
"…" Misaka's eyes widen.
In it, Saten can see the emptiness start to be filled with something other than nothing. "…Can…it really…?"
Saten takes a deep breath- trying again to calm herself, and be the voice of reason for the girl in her arms. She knew of Misaka's drastically aggressive tendencies- and at the very least, wanted her grief to be pointed toward a goal.
And maybe give them some hope, when they feel like they have none.
"…I…think so. They called it an omnipotent wish-granter, right…? I…wanted to fight in the war in order to gain power, but…no, that's stupid. That's stupid compared to what we have…what we have to do now."
Misaka lifts her head, maintaining eye-level with Saten as she grabs both of her hands. "…So…what we have to do, is…"
"…Win the war." Saten resolves, pulling up her arm to wipe the water from her face. "We'll fight with my Assassin…and your powers…we can win the War. We have to."
Misaka bites her lip. Saten realizes she had done the same thing, when Assassin had told, or more so reminded her of the Holy Grail.
In her grief, she hadn't realized that something that powerful existed.
"To be honest, Saten…I don't understand all this Magecraft and Magic talk. I…usually just find something to fight, and fight it. I…don't ask any questions. But…"
Mikoto Misaka closes her eyes, probably imagining something calming in her mind to bring her back down. Saten grips her hand, and feels her shivering starting to slowly, but surely cease.
"…If the Holy Grail can really do it, then…it's the only thing we have left. Are you…up to fighting?"
"Are you?" Saten throws the question back onto her, "…Assassin and I already resolved to. If you want to stay out of it, I understand—"
"No, I'm fighting."
The Railgun's voice drops in cadence.
"I…need to settle the score with someone." She gets to her feet, and helps Saten up as well. "There's a certain person that we fought last night…I'm going to make sure that they get back…tenfold…what they did to Kuroko."
Saten's mouth slightly opens in shock, at the realization of what she's insinuating. "Misaka, you're not going to-"
"I don't know if I will. But I'm going to at least face them again. Will you go with me?"
Misaka holds out her hand.
Her face reads like a battle-worn soldier, who experienced all the horrors of war at once.
If she had to be honest, Saten was scared. Not just of the Holy Grail War, but of the face her friend was making, too.
"…Okay."
However, she still chooses to shake her hand. She's not about to abandon Misaka, especially since she has someone that can support her in battle.
The two nod at each other weakly. "Um…what now?" Saten asks.
"…I got a text from Kamijou-san."
The fact that Misaka said his name so casually meant that every enraging thought she had about that guy was on the backburner for now.
"…He said to meet him at his apartment in a few hours. We'll go there and talk with everyone else…get a game plan, and everything."
Saten nods. "Alright. But…one question."
Misaka walks a little into the dorm, and sits quietly on Saten's bed. She apparently is choosing to stay with Saten until the time comes to leave- which of course, she was one-hundred percent okay with. "What is it?"
"What do we…what do we tell Uiharu?"
They both look at each other in exasperation.
The fourth girl in their group…they miraculously stayed outside of the entire Grail War, and weren't aware of any of the events.
On one hand, this was a good thing, as they didn't risk becoming collateral damage. On the other…they weren't aware of the actual collateral damage.
Nor of what Saten was fighting, or Misaka.
"…I don't know." Misaka responds. "I…yeah, I don't know. Just…if the whole Holy Grail thing…if it really can do what you say, and what Kirei Kotomine said…then we should…um…"
"…I'll tell her that Shirai's sick, or…something. That she's visiting family unannounced."
Misaka seems to agree. "That…that can work, I think."
It wasn't a perfect excuse, but it was something.
Worst case scenario, it just delays the inevitable news.
But of course, Saten tries to keep her mind on track- away from thinking worst-case, in-spite of her subconscious effort to think so.
Saten sits next to Misaka on the bed, and lays her head on her shoulder.
"…I guess we're skipping school, today." Saten says. "…Should I let my teachers know?"
"…No, they won't ask any questions for one or two days…probably." Misaka sighs. "…Let's…let's just stay here, for a while. I need to think."
"….Sure."
P.O.V.: A Certain Hero of Justice
Sometime during their conversation, Shirou had somehow lost consciousness.
Opening his eyes and glancing around, he winces as the sunlight beams through the windowsill, letting him know that morning has officially come.
The place where Mikoto had been sitting was now vacant, but there is still an indent indicating where she had once sat. Stretching his arms and legs, the redheaded teen pulls himself out of bed as he checks the time.
7:32 A.M., September 27th.
'…I could go to school…or maybe not?'
He touches his chest, and still feels a general soreness within the bandages, even if the original wound had closed long ago. While he didn't like the prospect of skipping out on classes again…
'I have bigger problems right now.'
He grabs his mobile phone from the nightstand and checks his text messages. He was silently grateful he had managed to get Kamijou's phone number a while back.
One message was waiting for him in the inbox, sent about fifteen minutes ago.
"Yo, Emiya. Are you okay?"
Looks like Kamijou had even been worried about him. Briskly, he types a response.
"Yeah. I don't think I'm going to school, though."
He sends the text and hefts himself out of bed. As he does so, he's surprised to feel his flip phone continue to vibrate.
'Eh? He's responding this fast?'
As he stands to his feet, he checks the response.
"Me neither. Wanna head over to my apartment? Tohsaka-san and I want to catch you up on last night."
Shirou blinks. 'Huh. Guess we're all playing hooky, now.'
He stews on the thought for a moment. Despite him definitely wanting to be caught up on what happened, he also wasn't sure how well Sakura was, and whether he needed to keep an eye on her or not.
Last time he saw her, she was lying in bed after falling in the bathroom, and with a mild fever. If he had to stay behind to take care of her, he should.
There was the idea of Tohsaka and Kamijou coming over to his apartment, but he didn't want Sakura to overhear anything about what he had been doing at night. He didn't want her to worry.
Taking a breath, he decides to stew on it further. 'I should ask Sakura how she's feeling, at least.'
He clicks open the door to the bedroom and walks into the main living space of the apartment.
"Eh?"
Sitting in the middle of the apartment was a certain blonde Servant, her blonde hair let down around her shoulders and her hands neatly tucked onto her lap. Her eyes are closed, and she seemed to be wearing one of Sakura's dresses, which was admittedly a little too large for her, but it still worked for her petite body frame.
A beat later, she opens her eyes and notices him. "Ah, you're awake, Shirou."
She gets to her feet. "Don't worry; Misaka has already left about an hour ago…she told me she was going to visit Saten. I've been here, keeping watch of Sakura ever since daybreak…"
Although Emiya was a tad disappointed that Mikoto didn't at least stay to say bye, he did understand wanting to meet up with her friend.
Saten…he could tell that she, Mikoto and Shirai were close with each other. They likely needed a private conversation with one another.
Putting those thoughts aside for now, Shirou glances over to the pullout bed, and sees the girl in question continuing to sleep quietly; her chest rising and falling under the covers.
Speaking of, she had, for some reason, wrapped herself in the blankets, most of the comforters pulled from being held under the bed and instead around her.
He had never seen Sakura sleep before, but it was certainly a unique way to.
"…Feel her forehead, Shirou. I'm certain she has a fever." Saber says. "She seems to be breathing a little fast, too. I would have tried giving her medicine myself, but…the Grail unfortunately did not give me proper information about modern medicinal usage."
Shirou does as he's recommended, and presses the back of his hand against her forehead.
Indeed, it did feel warmer than a human body's supposed to. "Why is she getting so sick…?"
In all the time Shirou's known her, she hadn't gotten this under the weather before. The worst that's happened to her is a cold, but she could still stay on her feet and function, even go to school.
"Saber, bring me some acetaminophen."
The Servant nods, and gets to her feet and walks over to the kitchen. As Shirou watches her walk off, he feels a pair of eyes watching him from below.
"Good morning, Senpai."
A purple-haired student smiles back at him with exhausted lilac eyes. "Sakura…how are you feeling?"
Her breath is so warm, that Shirou's almost certain he can see it start to cloud up in the relatively cool room.
"I'm…I don't know." She answers honestly. "But I'm sure it's just some bug, right? It'll go away soon…"
"I hope so," Shirou reassures, "I'm glad you can talk, at least. Stay home for me, okay?"
"You…should stay home too, Senpai…" Sakura coughs in the middle of her sentence, "You came home in bandages…did you get into another fight again…?"
"…Yeah. Yeah, I did." Shirou attempts to laugh it off, but he could tell from Sakura's exasperated expression that she wasn't satisfied. "Skill-Out was bullying some students…I had to help out in some way, you know?"
Hesitantly, the head of lilac hair nods. "…Okay."
A beat later, Saber jogs over to the two of them, carrying a small translucent bottle with white pills inside. She hands it to Shirou, who shakes two pills from the bottle while grabbing the glass of water by the table beside the couch. At the very least, his Servant seemed to have ensured she was properly hydrated.
"Take another two in maybe four or five hours," Shirou explains as he sets the bottle on the table. "It'll lower your fever so you won't feel so chilly."
Sakura nods. Shirou smiles at her one more time, before turning back to his bedroom. "I'm going to go get ready for school."
'To meet up with Kamijou, actually."
"…There's leftover ramen, I think, so…just warm up that when you have the strength to, okay?"
"…Okay, Senpai."
Her voice is light, delicate enough to be broken by a feather. Her fever made it even more fragile.
'I hope she'll be okay on her own for a while…'
Sighing, Shirou enters his bedroom bathroom, and prepares to wash up for the day.
…
…
The Matou girl lays her head back, her face twisting back into a neutral gaze as she glares up at the ceiling.
'Stop lying…please, Senpai.'
XXXXX
While he was still unsure about leaving Sakura on her own, the reassurance from Saber that the Holy Grail War never took part in the daytime at least managed to calm his qualms. Besides, Sakura wasn't too much younger than he was, and went to a more prestigious school- she could certainly handle herself, even when sick.
A part of him wanted to ask about Shinji- who, apparently, found a way to bypass his restraining order and rehabilitation time, and…somehow live in the Matou residence again.
'But…no. I shouldn't ask her.'
He didn't want her to worry more than she already did about him. If he asked about Shinji, then she'd know that they would have crossed paths— and she'd probably attribute his injuries to him fighting her brother.
'Which would mean she'd know I'm lying. I mean, I already am lying, but…!'
He shakes his head. He made the decision- he had to live and stick with it.
The two of them briskly walk through the morning streets of Academy City, at an hour where most students were walking to their schools. Various colorful uniforms pass by Shirou's view, as the cool autumn sun shines overhead. The buildings and metallic windmills that seem robotically dark at night, were shining almost a silvery white in the dawn.
Shirou took a deep breath into his hands. For some reason, despite it only being summer a few weeks ago, the morning was uncharacteristically cold; about eighteen degrees Celsius, enough for his breath to fog up his vision a little. 'Should have brought a scarf,' he thought.
Saber walks by his side, wearing the same white dress that belonged to Sakura, although with a cardigan over it to stave away the cool air. "Shirou," she says, a little confused, "I'm a Servant. I don't actually need to stay warm, you know."
"I know, but…" Shirou sighs, "It's just for my own conscience, I guess. Even if you aren't actually cold, you look cold."
Saber drops the topic, and the two continue walking. They looked ordinary enough that most students didn't pay them any mind- although a handful were confused by the fact that Saber wasn't wearing any particular uniform, despite looking student-age, and it being a school day.
The Kamijou residence was a few blocks too far for Shirou to walk comfortably- and he wanted to at least get there punctually. So, he and Saber's goal was to find a bus stop and wait there. Luckily, all registered students were able to ride free of charge- and all Saber needed to do was to pay some yen.
The Master and Servant don't take too long to find a bus stop- for some reason, there weren't any students nearby.
In fact—
Shirou glances around. Just a few minutes ago, the roads were bustling with cars, and the sidewalks filled nearly to the brim with hurrying students. 'Why isn't there anyone around…?'
Saber taps his shoulder. "…It's not a coincidence, Master. I sense a weak Bounded Field, compelling people to stay away."
"…" Shirou narrows his eyes. "…So it's Magecraft, then, and not some Esper power…"
'I thought the Grail War was only supposed to be fought at night…?'
He darts his eyes around, but doesn't see anyone or anything suspicious for now.
Saber guards his back; still in her dress, although Shirou learned from her on the walk here that she could shift into her armor and summon her sword at a moment's notice.
The only sounds that echo through the city streets are the distant sound of cars blocks over, and the breeze of the wind.
In this corner of Academy City, it was utterly empty.
"Good morning, Onii-chan!"
Shirou's back immediately petrifies as he hears a childish voice, the sound waves crawling into his ears and almost causing him to chill.
He jerks his head, and spots someone walking up to them.
Red eyes.
White hair.
The look of a child, and even the demeanor of one, and yet Shirou knows for a fact she is anything but.
She's wearing a purple top and white skirt, like before, as well as heeled boots the same color as her longsleeve. A white scarf is wrapped around her neck, to keep her warm from the autumn morning.
She tilts her head, seeming puzzled. "Good…morning?"
"Shirou…" Saber steps in between the two of them. "…Stay back."
"Eh?" The white-haired girl points to herself. "…I'm not a threat, though. At least not right now."
"How am I supposed to believe you?" Shirou raises his voice, almost yelling at her. "You nearly hurt my friends. Are we supposed to just be all good after that?"
The child blinks, her face still feigning ignorance. "That was that, and this is this. Come on, you two: it's the day, I'm not here to fight. I just want to talk…"
She glances at Saber. "…Privately, please."
Saber, however, doesn't budge an inch. "If you think I'm going to let you anywhere close to my Master, then—!"
"Saber," the girl interrupts, "…do you see my Berserker anywhere?"
The Servant blinks, then looks around the immediate area. A Servant that massive would be easily visible; although Shirou was aware that Servants could become intangible and unseeable to humans, other Servants could make out their forms rather easily, even in that state, except for Assassins with Presence Concealment.
From her eyes, Shirou can tell that she can't see, nor sense anything. "…I do not, Illyasviel." Saber says.
"Then you know I'm not here to fight." The girl known as Illya curtsies formally. "Even I wouldn't be so arrogant as to take on a Servant on my own…I just want to talk to Onii-chan."
"Why does she keep calling me that, Saber…?" Shirou mutters to her.
Saber, however, did not answer. Instead, Shirou could even see a sweat form on her thin eyebrows. "…It's not my place to tell you."
'…What does she mean by that?'
Now that he thinks about it, according to Zouken Matou and Saber herself admitted that Saber was something of a holdover from the last War.
According to Kirei Kotomine, the last Holy Grail War took place ten years ago- and was the cause of the District 7 fire that killed thousands.
'If Zouken took part in the last one…with those Fake Assassins…
…and Saber was somehow summoned in the last one, too…couldn't that mean…?'
He shakes his head. 'No wait, Illya's too young to have known Saber.'
She didn't look older than maybe eleven or twelve, after all. 'So why did she…say that?'
He didn't have enough information. Maybe talking to Illyasviel would actually help with that.
Filling up his chest with bravery, he walks past his Servant. "I don't think Illya actually wants to fight, Saber. I should talk to her."
Saber closes her eyes and seems to inwardly huff, but miraculously relents. "…Alright. But I will stay within eyeshot of you two. If anything happens…I can be there in a heartbeat."
Shirou nods in understanding, and makes his way over to Illya. She flashes him a grin, before turning on her heels and walking with him down the sidewalk.
A little ways away was a small park, built not too far away from an elementary school. Illyasviel's Bounded Field seems to be slowly fading, as the students for that school appear to be making their way toward the entrance, just down the block.
The pair of Masters enter the park, and Illya runs up to a wooden table and pats the top, gesturing for him to sit.
Shirou sits on one end- expecting the girl to sit across.
But instead, she sits in the seat right next to him. Shirou feels his face getting a little hot out of embarrassment- she was practically a stranger, and yet Illya was being much too intimate for his liking.
A beat of silence comes between the two of them.
…
"So…why are you fighting in the War, Onii-chan?"
Shirou blinks, then slowly turns his head over to her.
Illyasviel's head is leaning at an angle, her cheek pressed into her hand as she sets her arm on the table, staring directly at him with a smile that he couldn't tell if it was genuine or sadistic, like two nights before. "Every Master has a reason. Why you?"
"Well…" Shirou takes a breath as he looks up into the air. The sky was mostly clear, aside from a few cumulus clouds scattered across the atmosphere. "My goal has been to be a hero of justice for as long as I can remember."
Illya nods along, and he continues. "To save everyone…protect all that I can…that's why I'm fighting. Ever since my father saved me ten years ago, it's always been my wish to have everyone around me safe."
"Mm, Mm…I see, I see." Illya twirls around, facing the opposite way as Shirou as she swings her legs freely. "Your father…he gave you that wish?"
"…Yeah." Shirou resolves, his face shifting as the memory banks in his mind open up. "He was the second person I talked to when I woke up…and he asked me if he could take me in. I…want to be like him."
He glances over to Illyasviel, and notices her smile had seeped downward a little, for reasons unknown.
"…What was he like?"
"What's it to you?" Emiya asks, "I thought you wanted to ask me about the Holy Grail War?"
Illya nods, smiling again- although with a tinge of melancholy in her eyes, "…Yeah. But I'm also interested in your father. You know…if he could give you that dream you have."
"Right…well…he was peaceful." Shirou says, "Kept to himself and me. I could always see…something in his eyes. I couldn't quite tell what it was, though."
"Hmm." Illya hums, allowing him to keep talking.
"…There were some times, though, that he would leave unannounced, for reasons that he never explained to me."
"…"
"He would, like…just dress back into his suit, grab a briefcase, and leave. After a few days, he'd return, and not talk about where he went. I always figured it was just for work…but now that I think about it, he told me he was retired…"
Shirou was practically speaking his thoughts aloud now; somewhat forgetting the girl sitting next to him as he tried to put together Kiritsugu Emiya's actions.
"Was he trying to search for something…? I guess being a Mage comes with its downsides, maybe there was something to his research he was missing, or…?"
'What was he trying to do?
Guess I'll never know-"
The sound of a nose sniffling cuts off his train of thought. He pivots his head, to see Illyasviel blocking her face with her sleeves and rubbing them gently.
Without a word, she hops onto her feet. "…Thanks for telling me that."
Shirou blinks, utterly confused at what just happened to Illya, who was acting much more like her age at the moment. "Um…I'm sorry, what exactly did I say, Illya?"
The white-haired mage turns on her heels, and gives him a smile with closed eyes, disallowing him to read her feelings. "Nothing. Don't worry about it."
"…Okay, then…"
He gets to his feet as Illyasviel seems to begin walking out of the park. Their brief exchange seems to be ending.
"You never asked me why you were fighting, Illya." Shirou says, "What's your reason?"
Illya pauses, stopping her pace as she folds her arms behind her back.
Without turning around, she utters her response.
"…I don't know."
"Eh? But you said that all Masters have a reason, right—?"
"Well…the reasons can change. I have to think about it now, Onii-chan." She turns her head, and gives him a small smile.
The next moment happened in just a flash.
"Wahhh!" A petite body of purple and white fills Shirou's vision- he can barely register what was going on before a pair of tiny arms wrap around his torso and force him off balance.
"Ah-! Illya-?!"
Her embrace crashes him to the ground. Luckily, they had been walking on grass at that moment, so his fall had been conveniently cushioned.
Atop him, Illya places her head on his chest.
"…If you feel like you need me, then come running for me, Onii-chan. If you find me…I'll give you my answer."
Shirou feels a sudden breeze pick up aside the two of them, and the steps of a hurried person coming up to them. "Shirou! Get away from…her…?"
Illya lifts her head, and makes eye contact with Saber. "Hi Saber. Our talk is done, now."
The white mage gets to her feet and helps Shirou up. Without another word, she twirls around and starts making her way out the park and down the street. Shirou didn't find it in him to pursue her.
She gives him one more cursory glance, then runs around a corner and out of sight.
"Shirou, did she do anything to you…?" Saber asks.
"No, just…surprised me with a hug…I guess." He sighs, hefting his school bag as the two of them start walking out the park in the opposite direction of where Illya had gone. "I didn't even ask her why she calls me Onii-chan, or why she wanted to talk about my dad…"
He recalls back to how the mage had acted two nights ago; an aura and demeanor hostile enough to choke him where he stood. If looks could kill, then she would have, easily, that night.
In fact, he felt some of that presence just earlier. However…some of the malice had clearly dissipated.
Replaced with…something strangely warm.
XXXXX
The bus trip and the subsequent walk to the Kamijou residence did not take too terribly long. Master and Servant walk along closely to each other, ignoring the strange looks from students as they're probably wondering what Saber and he were doing wearing plain clothes during a school day.
The elevator broke down, for some strange reason, prompting Shirou to take the stairs. At the very least, it gave him a chance to think over what questions he'd ask Kamijou and Tohsaka. The first, and most important probably being 'What happened'?
Of course, he had others: the black Servant that attacked them, Zouken Matou…he hoped he'd come out of the conversation with not only more knowledge, but a game plan.
He had allies, at least, to deal with all of this. For that, he was grateful.
He comes up to the door number that Kamijou had listed to him in the messages, and gives one more look of confirmation to his Servant.
Saber gives him a nod, and he resolves to knock on the door.
There was a slight pause of silence, then Emiya could hear the faint pitter-patter of footsteps quickly approaching the other side.
The knob turns, and the inside is revealed.
"Good morning, Emiya-kun."
As soon as the door to the Kamijou residence opens, Shirou's met with her again.
A pair of lapis lazuli irises, and twintailed brunette hair greets him at the door. She gives him a weak smile- the bags underneath her eyes indicate a lack of sleep; not that Shirou could exactly blame her. Her smooth skin had been roughed up a bit from the cold morning, but Shirou still found her to be-
'What the hell am I thinking?' He blinks the blush out of his face as he nods to her. "Hi…Tohsaka-san."
She takes a step back to let the two of them in, and Saber gives her a studious bow as they both enter.
Stepping into Kamijou's apartment for the first time, Shirou's taken aback by how comparatively modest it was to his place. His father, Kiritsugu, had enough retirement money to give them a rather spacious suite: unlike Touma Kamijou's, whose home only barely managed to scrape the bare necessities.
A bathroom to his left, and a small kitchen to his right with a tall fridge and microwave set on top. It expands into a singular living space, with a bed, kotatsu, CRT-television, and shelves all put together into what must have barely been a four-meter by four-meter space.
Sitting around the kotatsu table was everyone from last night. Tsuchimikado, Saten, Kamijou himself and his roommate/nun Index sat by the table, while Assassin and Mikoto lean against one of the walls, oddly quiet.
They all greet him in their own way.
"Yo, Emiya." Kamijou gives his usual wave and nod. Index does the same- although without the same peppiness that he had temporarily seen her be before.
Saten also gives him a weak nod and smile, same as Assassin. Mikoto makes eye contact with him, only to quickly look away and cover her eyes with her bangs.
'Huh.' Shirou feels himself tense up a little. 'Maybe she's…a little embarrassed by our talk, last night?'
All things considered, it was quite a long, and he had to admit, intimate conversation for two people of the opposite sex to be having.
Although it seemed natural in the moment, he did find it a little odd for her to want him to open up to her like that, at that hour of the night, even if it was just conversation.
He makes a mental note to talk to her in private later, as Tsuchimikado scoots a bit to the right to make room. "Have a seat. We have…a lot to talk about." He says.
Emiya feels the tension start to eat away at the back of his mind. He hasn't ever seen Tsuchimikado this serious before. He was always the jokester of the class; and now, it was like he was a drill sergeant ready to give instructions, or perhaps a teacher ready to lecture the class.
Tohsaka sits down next to Kamijou, although they both were sat at the corner of the table, next to each other. Seeing her in the corner of his eyes messed with his focus a little.
'But why?'
There's something about her that's pushing Emiya toward her, and he can't for the life of him put it together.
'…Is it because of Archer? Or…'
He shakes his head.
He needed to know more about that, too.
Everyone remains silent, as if waiting for Shirou himself to break the ice. He glances around, everyone looking somewhat unwilling to speak. He gives a side-eye to Saber, who stands by him diligently, although she too doesn't say a word.
"…Well, now that everyone's here…" Tsuchimikado starts, "…Let's go over last night."
Tohsaka nods, and reaches into her skirt pocket to reveal a pen and paper. Laying it out in front of all of them, Emiya reads several names listed out, a few crossed out.
"Here's a list of all of the Masters and Servants." Tohsaka explains. "Talking about who's left so far will also help us figure out what to do next."
The first at the top is the kanji for Emiya, and an illustrated sword to represent Saber.
The second is Tohsaka, followed by a bow and arrow that was crossed out. "Last night…Archer used his Reality Marble to hold off…"
Tohsaka goes a little down the list and taps Tsuchimikado's Servant, Caster, whose symbol had been drawn in red as opposed to black. "…Caster. Or…something like Caster."
"Caster's True Name was Cu Chulainn, the Irish Child of Light," Tsuchimikado explains, "He has a legend about going berserk…becoming an unstoppable force whose mere presence causes water to boil around him. That's probably what he got turned into."
"By what, exactly?" Saten asks. "I wasn't there…there's still a lot that doesn't…make sense to me."
Tohsaka nods, "We'll get to that in a second. I just want to make sure we have all of our bases covered. Next…"
The third is Matou, with a spear that's also crossed out. "From what you said, Misaka-san, Saten-san…" she turns to the two girls in Shirou's group, "you two saw Shinji's Lancer get eliminated by Assassin, correct?"
They both nod. "Okay. So that means at least one is gone for good."
Tohsaka re-crosses it out for posterity, before moving onto the drawing of a horsehead. "Rider…Tsuchimikado-kun, you said you know who has Rider, right?"
"Yep," the blonde student affirms, "He's not a threat, though…just leave him alone, for now. His interests are only protecting those he's close to, so I'd recommend just staying out of his way for the time being."
The others seem to agree. "Do you know his name, Tsuchimikado?" Kamijou asks.
"…I do, but he told me to keep it anonymous. I ain't gonna go back on my word, so you're outta luck, there."
The conversation moves on, and Tohsaka points to the main crux of the problems: Caster, and the two skull masks to represent the two Assassins: one owned by Saten, and the other by Zouken Matou.
"These two…these two are our main problems." She explains. "Zouken Matou…Sakura and Shinji Matou's grandfather…he somehow has two Servants under his control."
'Sakura…'
Shirou's eyebrows knit into daggers.
'There's no way I'm letting her go to her home, anymore.'
Not only was Shinji somehow back, but her grandfather had been a terrifying monster in his own right, too?
Even if Zouken hadn't done anything to her directly, his nature and the feeling he gives off makes him utterly untrustworthy. There's no way in his right mind that Emiya would let Sakura go back to them.
'How would I explain that to her, though?' Emiya thought. Sakura is ignorant of this whole war- thus, he can't simply explain the cold, hard details on why he won't let her go back to her home in Academy City.
Her being sick at the moment did give him extra time to keep her at his place and let her rest, but it only delayed the inevitable excuse he'd have to give.
'Maybe…maybe I have to mention Shinji, after all.'
He swallows a gulp of nerves as he re-listens to Tohsaka's explanations.
"Wait," Kamijou interjects, "but there were a lot of Assassins, weren't there? Isn't it better to say he owns dozens of Assassins?"
Tohsaka shakes her head. "That's not quite right. I can tell that they act on some sort of hivemind, and share extremely similar energies. Even Archer pointed this out before he died. So…they probably all represent the same Servant, just split up into multiple bodies.
But they're not really much of an issue, compared to this one."
She taps the pen onto the Caster symbol. "Cu Chulainn…somehow turned against us. I don't know how, but he is. And…" Tohsaka glances up at the group around her.
Emiya does the same, and counts the people with the ability to fight.
Mikoto, Saber, and Saten's Assassin are all he really can count. "…We don't have nearly enough firepower." Tsuchimikado finishes for her.
"Caster defeated Archer in his own Reality Marble…in a layman's terms, think of it as a Personal Reality, brought to its most logical extreme." Tohsaka explains.
For some reason, she gives a side-glance to Emiya as she does. "It's an inner world brought outward, based on the person's Origin and Alignment. A small tangent, but if an Esper were to possess a Reality Marble, it would be based on their Personal Reality, too, since a Personal Reality is also based on a person's Origin."
"Hm." For the first time, Mikoto Misaka said a response in the corner of the room. "So…if I were to have a Reality Marble, or whatever that is…it would be a world of lightning, or something?"
Tohsaka nods, "Something like that."
Emiya watches Tohsaka turn back to him, giving him another look before she pushes her hair behind her ear and continues to talk.
Her words become white noise as he takes in her explanation of what Archer had used- a Reality Marble.
'Does that mean…?'
He stares at his own hands, and recalls what he had done the moments before he lost consciousness.
"Trace, ON!"
'…Am I capable of the same thing?'
"Well in any case…even with the use of the Reality Marble, Archer's strength wasn't enough. And no offense to your Servants, Saten-san, Emiya-kun…but they won't be enough to fight Caster, even together."
"I can agree on that." Assassin comments smoothly, "I'm not exactly on the higher tiers."
"I would have to concede as well." Saber says, "…Mostly due to mana constraints."
Shirou looks up at her, but she shakes her head as if to reassure him. "…It's not that my Master is incompetent, but the fact is I have to deal with the cards I'm dealt."
Kamijou pulls the paper toward himself, and taps on Caster's symbol with his finger, his eyebrows knitted. "Something to fight against Caster…can my Right Hand do anything?"
'…His Right Hand?' Emiya asks inwardly. 'What does he mean by that?'
"You'll have to touch the guy, first." Tsuchimikado says. "And from what I've seen, Imagine Breaker doesn't instantly kill Servants; more so it does massive conceptual damage to them. It's a trump card for sure, but you're still human, Kami-yan."
"So it comes back to the problem of having enough firepower…" Tohsaka closes her eyes. "…Even if we all teamed up, it would be a huge risk…and I don't think everyone would get out of it in one piece…"
"Tsuchimikado, maybe we should call your friend?" Index asks.
"No, I'm not sure he'd be willing to help us…although maybe I can make a call, and he can lend his Servant…"
Suddenly, something clicks in Emiya's head.
He slams his hand on the table, both from the lightbulb glowing in his mind, and to get everyone's attention.
The conversations they've been having have been all over the place; as people were throwing spaghetti at the wall, trying to think of a solution.
"…If you feel like you need me, then come running for me, Onii-chan."
"I got it." Emiya says. "Although…this might be a hard sell."
He looks at Mikoto and Saten specifically, who saw the white-haired girl up-close and personal like he did.
He feels Saber place her hand on his shoulder, as if knowing what he was talking about. "Shirou, I don't know if…"
"…It's the only chance we have, right?" Emiya breathes, trying to think of how to make this sound like a good idea. "Okay, so…there was a girl that I met this morning…"
XXXXX
"You want us to call Illyasviel von Einzbern?"
Rin Tohsaka looks at him as if he belonged in a mental institution.
"What do you mea-?"
"I haven't met her in person, but…Emiya-kun, do you have any idea how dangerous the Einzbern family is?!" Tohsaka puts her hands on his shoulders, trying to shake him out of his delusion. "They're one of the three Founders; they're a family as powerful as the Matou when it comes to the Holy Grail War!"
"Isn't that…?" Emiya grabs her hands, attempting to gently pry them off of himself. As soon as he makes contact, Tohsaka's face strangely turns red for a beat, and she pulls away. "…isn't that why we should talk to her, though?"
If the Einzbern were as strong as the Matou, who were their decidedly main enemy, wouldn't it be better to have them as an ally?
"…Emiya," Kamijou asks, "What did Illya say to you?"
"Um…" Shirou recalls back to their conversation in the park. "…To come talk to her when we need her. And to be frank…I think we need her, right now."
Tsuchimikado shrugs. "Well, we don't need her. But this Illyasviel girl is definitely an option on the table. And you said she was the master of Berserker?"
Saten nods, "Y-Yeah. I was there, too. What you guys have been talking about Caster…it's about what I'd describe her Berserker to look like, actually."
Tsuchimikado and Tohsaka both glance at each other. "…So she has a Servant that can fight Caster?"
"Probably." Emiya says.
Tohsaka takes a deep breath, as if trying to sort all of the thoughts in her mind. "…Okay. Okay, well, we can give Illyasviel a shot, then…I know where she lives, in any case."
"Where does she live?" Kamijou asks.
"Outside of Academy City," Tohsaka explains, "just outside of my hometown of Fuyuki…meaning that if we want to meet her, some of us will have to leave the city. It'll take at least a day, too…meaning that we could run into enemies out there, as well. Who wants to come?"
Emiya, Kamijou, Index— practically everyone in the room raises their hands. "Well…I don't know if I can take everyone." Tohsaka says. "Maybe the ones that can fight. The others…"
She looks at Saten and Mikoto, specifically. "…the others maybe should be given time to rest."
Shirou blinks, and looks around the room again, counting the heads.
In the confusion and the long explanations of what happened last night, there was something that Shirou hadn't noticed as missing until just now.
Now that he had noticed it, the discrepancy stuck out like a sore thumb. "…Um…a question."
Tohsaka and the others turn back to him. "Where is…?"
He looks around one more time to confirm.
Kamijou, Index, Tsuchimikado, Mikoto, Saten, Assassin, Saber…
"…Where is Shirai-san?"
The room grew eerily quiet after that.
"Um…what…?"
He looks to Mikoto and Saten, who don't meet his gaze at all; practically looking in the opposite direction.
A dark thought grows in the back of Emiya's head, but he chooses to ignore it- it must just be an intrusive thought.
…Right?
"…Looks like you brought up the elephant in the room…" Tohsaka's eyes narrow, as if fighting her own thoughts as she pushes the paper and pen to Kamijou.
He flips over the paper, and starts drawing something…dark on it.
Filling it with ink. The only thing Shirou could describe his drawing as is a cylinder with a round top. "I…don't really know how to break this information to you, Emiya-kun. None of us really did…that's why we were quiet when you entered."
"In the end…I think it's best if they explain it." Tsuchimikado looks to Misaka and Saten, both of whom still haven't said a word or moved a muscle when he brought up that question.
They still remain unspoken.
Mikoto bites her lip, her head facing Assassin as if trying to use her as a shield from being looked at.
After seeing that neither of them want to say it, Saber places her hand on her Master's shoulder once more. "Shirou…Shirai is—"
XXXXX
Upon hearing those words, Shirou Emiya felt the inscrutable urge to vomit.
The thought of the dream he had last night comes to the front of his mind. The thought that he once believed was merely intrusive words had turned out to be true.
"Shirai is gone, Master. Put…put as gently as possible, she was killed."
The thought of those mountains of corpses in his nightmare appear before his eyes.
That man standing at the top of the hill, a female corpse at his feet.
Amongst those piles of bodies, he was sure he had seen—
'Right…next to Mikoto.'
Laying across the Railgun's body, as if trying to protect her.
'No…that can't be…true…'
Every single recognizable corpse passes by his vision.
Fires singes his cornea.
Ash chokes his lungs.
The stench fills his nose, and—
"EMIYA!"
He blinks, and the wooden kotatsu can be seen again.
An arm is on his shoulder, apparently they had shaken him awake. He jerks his head up, and sees the blurry face of Kamijou looking back at him.
Wait- his face wasn't blurry. His vision was.
'Am I…?'
He rubs his eyes, and he feels their wetness. "Ah…sorry."
"It's…fine." Saten speaks out to her right. "Well it's not, but…you know what I mean."
"…So…if you don't mind me asking…" He tries to not look or think about Mikoto or Saten as he says, "…how did she die?"
"I was just about to show you…until you started blanking out, there." Rin pushes an ink drawing toward him. "Kamijou-kun, want to explain it? You were there, after all."
The spiky-haired teen nods. "Yeah. It's…I can really only describe it as a void…like…something's missing from it. It's black, lined with red…and has strange shadows that come out of it."
His eyes narrow. "…I've only felt that kind of energy once before."
Tohsaka and Tsuchimikado both look at each other. "What was the other time, Kamijou-kun?" Tohsaka asks.
"…A friend of mine, her name is Hyouka Kazakiri." Kamijou explains.
Emiya notices Tsuchimikado's face twitch for a second, as if his gears were turning on an answer in his mind, too, but the redhead chooses not to question him and lets Kamijou keep talking.
"She…has a similar energy, or…presence as that shadow. But her's is positive; like, I feel nice around her. This…while it had the same value, it's like…it was opposite. Like if Hyouka was a positive number, that," he points at the drawing, "…it would be negative."
Kamijou shakes his head. "Although…it's all just based on the feelings I get from both of them. What do you think, Index?"
Index shrugs sheepishly. "I haven't been around that Shadow thing to really know…but if I was, I'm sure I could compare it to Hyouka…"
Rin sighs, her brows indicating the whirlwind thoughts in her mind. "…I don't know what to think of it, yet. But one thing's for sure…that was what killed Shirai-san. If it shows up again, then we all have to steer clear of it."
If Tohsaka couldn't figure it out, then Shirou couldn't, either. Apparently, the only lead they had about it was that it felt similar to one of Kamijou's friends; although from her name, Shirou deduces it can't be anyone he knows from their high school.
"About that…" Saten Ruiko takes a breath, and plants her hand on the table. "…I think we have a way to bring her back. Right…Tohsaka-senpai?"
"…Right." Tohsaka closes her eyes. "The Holy Grail. If we can win that…then it's possible she won't be gone forever."
"Which means we have to win." Mikoto interjects from the corner, pushing off of the wall. "There's no ifs about it. We're going to. Which means we have to kick Caster's ass, and whoever the hell else is trying to mess with us. Are we all clear?"
The guests in Kamijou's residence all look at the Railgun, and read her ever-present determination, only barely holding back a wave of malice hidden just under her words.
It's at that moment Emiya realizes why she just wanted to talk to him, last night. 'She just needed someone to talk to…nothing else.'
"Right, so we have an order of business, then." Tsuchimikado stands to his feet, and crosses his arms, taking charge. "Some of us will go to Fuyuki to recruit the Einzberns. The others…take the day off."
Emiya nods, though he feels his eyebrows sweat from trying to keep down the thoughts of the nightmare from last night. "I'll have to go. Kamijou, you coming, too?"
The owner of the apartment nods his head, and so does the white-haired Nun across from him. "If Rin is going, then we're both going." Index says.
"…"
Mikoto looks like she wants to say something, but Assassin places her hand on her shoulder. "No. Let's take the day off for now. Both you and Saten need some time to clear your heads."
While it was true that she was one of the most prominent students in one of the most prominent middle schools in Academy City, Shirou knows that Misaka likely can leave the city whenever she needs to thanks to her hacking abilities being strong enough to bypass their security. However, Assassin's words seem to get her to rethink. "…Okay. Fine. But I'm still going to be involved in all of this after you're done getting that Illyasviel girl."
"Fine with us." Tsuchimikado says. "If Emiya's hunch is right, and she joins us…then we'll be facing the Matou family head-on."
With everyone's roles decided, everyone begins to depart their separate ways. Kamijou suggests that Mikoto and Saten use his apartment for the day, just to be in a new environment.
The rest: Tsuchimikado, Tohsaka, Kamijou, Index and himself prepare to leave. If they can leave in the early morning, they have a shot of being able to return before nightfall.
Returning before night was important; doing so would prevent any enemies from the War from attacking, since the Holy Grail War is supposed to only happen after sundown.
"Oh," Shirou says, "I'm going to go back to my place to check in on Sakura. She's a bit sick, so I just want to make sure she's okay before we-"
"Emiya-kun," the redhead jumps a little at Tohsaka suddenly interjecting, and right next to him. Her eyes read of concern. "Sakura…you said she's sick?"
"Th-that's right. With a fever…and it's much higher than anything I've seen her have before."
"…Emiya-kun, let's go check in on her." Tohsaka starts hastily gathering her things, much to Emiya and everyone else's surprise. "Tsuchimikado-kun, I'm assuming you can handle our exit documents?"
The blonde teen gives a thumbs-up. "I have some connections that can probably forge us something in a few hours. In fact, I should probably get that ready right about now."
Tsuchimikado starts toward the door. Just before he exits, he says, "I'll check in with you guys later, when it's ready."
Upon his exit, the brunette magus nods at Emiya. "Alright, I guess we can trust him with that. Emiya-kun, let's—"
"Hold on, Tohsaka…" Shirou puts up his hand. 'Why does Tohsaka want to check on Sakura?
They…don't know each other. Why is she so concerned?'
While it was natural for any human to be empathetic toward a sick person, for a total stranger to personally check up on them is a little more than a breach of privacy. "…Why do you want to go, exactly? Saber and I can visit her just fine on our own."
"I, um…" The red mage looks to the ceiling, as if trying to come up with a reasonable explanation. "…I know a spell that can lower her fever. It's better than western medicine. Yeah."
Emiya's brow twitches. '…I don't know if I believe her, just from the way she's talking.
Although…'
Up until this point, Tohsaka has been nothing but helpful and trustworthy to him, so he had no reason not to believe her.
"…Fine. Let's go."
XXXXX
Tohsaka, Shirou and Saber briskly march through the empty Academy City streets, right toward his apartment. The morning rush of students was over, which also meant buses had slowed their commutes, as they did not have to carry as many passengers.
This meant that the fastest route available was to simply walk to Emiya's apartment, which all-in-all would take about half an hour at their current pace.
Emiya and Tohsaka walk side-by-side, with the former's Servant keeping stride a little behind them. All the while, Shirou tries to think of something to break the awkward ice between him and Tohsaka, but can't really find the right words to say.
"Um-" Shirou catches himself thinking out loud, and quickly quiets down. However, Tohsaka caught wind of it, too.
"Eh? What is it, Emiya-kun?"
With a conversation now inevitable, Shirou thinks of a question. "Tohsaka…outside of knowing some sort of spell that can help her out, why do you want to help Sakura? I'm assuming you two met when I was unconscious, but…"
He figures he'd meet her head-on with the question rather than just trying to dance around the issue.
"…Well…" Shirou sees a peculiar pensiveness in Tohsaka's eyes. "Seeing people sick reminds me of my mother. The last few years before she passed…she was really sick. I almost couldn't bear trying to take care of her. She didn't even recognize me, a lot of the time…"
Tohsaka turns away from him, and looks up to the concrete skyline of Academy City, "…I don't like seeing family sick…nor anyone sick. If I have a way to help out, I'll take it."
It was a noble goal, of course. And a good enough reason for Emiya to drop the issue.
"Sorry…"
"It's nothing, Emiya-kun."
It wasn't too much longer until they made it to his apartment complex. Until Kamijou's much more modest, student-like dorm, Emiya's was meant for a small family of three or four, and was situated at one of the higher floors.
The three of them enter the elevator, and quietly make their way to the fourth floor. Normally the fourth floor was omitted, instead skipped and labeled as the fifth. This is because the number four shared a pronunciation with the term death, and thus was considered bad luck.
However, in a city of science, such superstitions were considered preposterous, and ignored.
The elevator door opens, and Shirou lets Tohsaka and Saber exit first as they approach his apartment.
'This shouldn't be a long detour,' Emiya thinks, 'greet Sakura, get her some food, have Tohsaka treat her while she's sleeping, then leave.'
He'd have to make up some sort of excuse as to why he's not in school, but it would be easy enough to handle.
He finds his apartment door, and fumbles a little as he finds his keys.
Emiya places the keys in the doorknob.
"…!"
And his heart sinks when he finds it's already unlocked.
Saber looks at him in confusion. "Shirou, what is-?!"
The redhead twists open and forcefully pushes the door, swinging it wide open. The pullout couch that Sakura was sleeping on is visible right from the entrance.
And yet there was no one on it.
Shirou sprints into the room, ignoring the compunction about taking off his shoes first. "Sakura!"
He shouts for her name, but there's no response. The bed that she was sleeping on is messy and unfolded, something that Sakura never would leave as is, even when sick.
The balcony door is slightly open, allowing a small draft to flutter the curtains.
Sakura still hasn't responded to his calls of her name.
He hears Saber and Tohsaka enter behind him, and also search for her, but they too are unsuccessful.
"Sakura! Sakura, are you in here?!"
Still, nothing.
…It's then that Emiya feels a vibration in his pocket, the one that tells him that someone had messaged him over text. Apprehensively, he pulls out his flip phone and checks who had sent it.
His heart drops into his stomach, replaced with an overwhelming sense of dread.
"She's at my place.
Don't bring your Servant.
We settle this now, Emiya."
You didn't think I forgot about Saten, did you? XD
Her best friend just died, so I definitely needed to give her some much-needed screentime, along with her Assassin (who is another favorite of mine).
And oh boy…that Matou asshole just doesn't stop, does he? Hope you'll enjoy what I have for that, coming soon.
Act II…is about 60% done! Just three more (rather large) chapters to write, as well as some other extra chapters (Interlude/half chapters), and it's onto Act III for me.
Yep— this story has Three Acts. I might have said that before, but I probably forgot, haha.
Wait a minute…three acts…three Heaven's Feel movies…coincidence?
No. Not a coincidence. I meant to do that, lol.
I'll see you all next week. Stay safe out there.
Next Chapter Name: "A Certain Lesson in Humility" (January 19th)