Chapter 184
A shaft of sunlight pierced through the pane of glass, pale eyes flitting open at the sudden stimulation of brightness. Deep shades of magenta and wine blurred under the weight of tears, formed out of exhaustion. Yawning, the owner of those enchanting eyes sat up, the tears spilling out of the sides as they tracked down her smooth cheeks, falling to her jaw and dripping onto the bed covers as she quietly sat there, suspended between the states of wakefulness and sleep.
Left as she was, she probably would have fallen back on the pillows drowsily and slipped back into a fitful slumber. But mere moments after she rose, a figure shimmered into existence beside her. Gently tidying the stray threads of hair hanging in front of her face, the pale hands of milky whiteness smoothed out the tousled bed head into straighter lines as she patted the girl's back, encouraging her to break free from the semi-sleep she was still immersed in. With soft words and a little bit of coaxing, the maid managed to get her Master to leave the bed, strips of fabric trailing out of her sleeves and collar as she did so.
As Sakura padded into the bathroom, Rider followed her in, half-supporting on her left as she entered. With her condition still weak, she was unable to fully trust Sakura to be able to perform basic tasks of hygiene, so she started stripping Sakura's clothes one by one. She may have been used to the sensation of bone-tiredness, but that didn't mean that Sakura was able to move freely as well. Valiantly keeping her eyes open, she meekly allowed Rider's hands to roam all over the place, gradually unwrapping the bandages that had been soaked in a special solution to allow mana to pass into and out of her body uninhibited, the stopgap measure that Shinji had thought of to prevent herself from burning up from supporting Rider. There were no scars beneath the linen strips, only pure white, smooth skin that would make a model envious, but Rider never paused to admire it as her equally smooth hands finished divesting Sakura's curved figure of all the bandages.
In silence, the maid washed down Sakura's body as she accepted Rider's care without a word of protest, even though she usually hated troubling others to help her. Raising even a finger felt too difficult right now, and Rider wasn't a stranger either. Running shampoo through her silky hair under the warm water, bubbles and foam lathering into the follicles as slender fingers tickled her scalp, massaging her head for a relaxing wash. The slithering of her hands wormed into her ears, putting her at ease. She almost fell asleep again, the sensation of firm but soothing fingers pressing all her weak points making her want to succumb to the soporific pleasure, but she just managed to stay awake against the temptation as Rider removed her hands from her hair, having finished washing the tendrils of hair which were sticking together from the water. Pouting slightly, her slight irritation faded as soon as Rider started washing her body, palms lubricated by body soap kneading her back as the muscles moaned in pleasure.
It was the best possible service she could expect from a maid as her back, neck, legs, arms and all other body parts were thoroughly washed, the soft waves of bliss ballooning within her as it pleasantly overlapped with each other, the washing feeling more like a high-class massage with professional oil instead of being washed down in the shower. The flowery scent of lavender filled her nose, making her heady as she drowned in pure pleasure, sinking into a morass of deep contentment with no way out. The sound of water serenaded her like a lullaby, dragging her inexorably into nirvana. Feeling the liquid caress her skin in concert with Rider's fingers was heavenly, a mixed tactile assault that left her mind dizzy.
After what seemed like an interminable amount of time within the shower, she heard the showerhead turn off, the steady stream of water slowing until it was only a few drops of water falling from the sprinkler, signaling the end of her dream-like shower. Finding it difficult to stand back up, both because of her weakened body and the gratifying experience she had just now, Rider had to prop her up on her feet to towel off the wet moisture that now covered every single pore on her skin, running the thick cloth against her body to absorb every last drop of water. She made sure to do so slowly and gently, making Sakura raise her arms when she needed to dry the areas otherwise inaccessible.
Patting down the final areas that Rider deemed to be wet, Sakura was soon supported back into her bedroom, mostly dried after the shower, wrapped in a towel that did little to hide her curvaceous, mature body. Rider had ordered Shinji to start doing squats downstairs, so there was no chance of him seeing it, and also to give him something to do while he waited. Sakura's hair was also wrapped in a turban-like construct, keeping her wet hair in a bundle within the white cloth.
Quickly getting her to the bedroom, Rider started getting her dressed as soon as possible to avoid her catching a cold. The usual underwear, fancy yet not overly revealing was chosen, with lace and frills decorating it, floral patterns dotting the transparent parts lining the edges. A plain blouse and skirt followed soon after, covering her more decently. Settling her down near the edge of the bed, Rider plugged in the hair dryer, but Sakura took the appliance into her hands and started drying it by herself, finally reaching a moderate level of ability where she could move relatively freely. Seeing Sakura able to handle herself now, she bowed as Sakura shooed her away after thanking her profusely first, going to down to prepare a meal as Sakura dried her velvety violet hair, running her fingers through them much like Rider had done so earlier to straighten them. After she finished, she unconsciously reached to the ribbon resting on the side of her bed stand, tying it onto her hair with a few practiced movements, then opening the door and heading down for something to fill her stomach.
By the time she had tottered downstairs, bracing herself on the bannister of the stairs to limit the stress she had placed on her unsteady legs, she could already smell the savoury fragrance of the food that Rider had prepared ahead of time. Wafting through the air, it beckoned Sakura forward, her legs moving towards the source. Her bare feet padded against the cool wooden floor until she reached the door of the kitchen, already wide open as if inviting her inside. Without hesitation, she entered, ensnared by the delicious delicacies her nose promised her just from the smell alone, her stomach rumbling like a summer storm.
The food was already all laid out on the appropriate tableware, cutlery and cups laid out, ready to be taken to the dining room next door to be placed. They gleamed under the bright lights of the kitchen, the lacquer bowls of Japanese design having been cleaned by Rider with thorough methods that left not even a speck of water remaining, a wavy pattern adorning the sides of the bowls. Wooden chopsticks were laid down on the side, a distance away from the washing basin as Rider filled up a bowl with white rice, steaming hot from the rice cooker. The simple fragrance of white rice was already enough to make Sakura salivate, but there were still other plates arranged on the kitchen counter. A small platter of pickled radish, finely cut at just the right thickness so that it wouldn't be so thin as to feel insubstantial, but not too thick to allow one to easily chew on it. Chinese cabbage soaked in a marinade of water, sugar, vinegar and a few other ingredients laid enticingly on a similar plate, a simple garnish of green onions sprinkled on top to complement the white vegetable. The miso soup that Sakura traditionally prepared at the Emiya household all the time had the addition of burdock root this time in Rider's hands, a nutritious component that also added a lot of texture to the soup's contents, a firm yet yielding material that was delightful to bite through. Lotus root was placed on the same dish as the slices of daikon radish, the lotus root sliced much more thinly to promote its light crunchiness in contrast with the radish's relatively firmer body.
Of course, the main course couldn't be neglected either. The most heavily seasoned dish of them all, and the primary source of the scent that had drawn Sakura to the kitchen, the culprit was revealed as Rider poured the contents of her pan onto a rectangular ceramic dish, decorated with blue fish that swam at the corners. White vapour drifted off the sizzling pork, freshly seared on the pan, with the juices of the meat, ginger and onion mixing freely together into one potent flavour that was guaranteed to make anyone who tasted it close their eyes in euphoria. This particular version was made with soy sauce, sake, mirin, sugar and a secret ingredient that enhanced the flavour even further, making the ginger pork truly palatable to anyone's taste. There were carrots cut up and thrown in as well, the onions and carrots having absorbed the delectable sauces to provide the same flavour when eaten, juices spilling forth to impart the pungent and savoury saltiness of the dish.
Everything was like what Sakura cooked with Shirou in his house, giving the dishes a touch of nostalgia that she could smile fondly at as she recognized it as the taste of home, a warm place where there were people who had accepted her when she saw herself as a taint on the world. She couldn't help but wonder if Rider had picked this selection of dishes on purpose. She had always boasted of being the perfect maid, so she wouldn't be surprised if she had placed Sakura's memories of Shirou into her consideration while cooking.
Well, she wasn't going to complain. This was certainly a great way to refuel after her day-long rest from yesterday. Resisting her urges to immediately inhale all the food in front of her, she carried the dishes to the dining room and with Rider, the maid carrying a pot of tea along with the cups while balancing the dishes perfectly on her forearms, leaving Sakura to only carry the minimum amount required. It was a quick trip from there to the dining room after Rider had properly shut off everything in the kitchen, the maid setting up everything in a flash for Sakura before she could even place the two small dishes she was carrying.
"Itadakimasu!"
After that, Sakura practically devoured everything as she packed away all the food in an instant, fully starving after a day of being bedridden. Polishing the dishes in moments, she was soon asking for seconds, which Rider gladly obliged. The rice cooker, originally filled to the brim with rice, was emptied in the blink of an eye. The pan of ginger pork was practically poured down her throat, lasting just as long as the rice, and the extra portions of radish, lotus root and miso soup all suffered the same fate. Faced against her ravenous appetite, even the red bean soup Rider had prepared as dessert was quickly scarfed down until not even a drop remained in the pot.
Meanwhile, Shinji toiled by himself in the basement, now filled with weight training equipment requested by Rider to 'train' him. It was more of sadism than anything, but Shinji accepted happily, squatting relentlessly with dumbbells weighing him down. He wondered how Rider would reward him later after he had faithfully completed the tasks he had given, which included 500 squats, 600 pushups, running 40km and a variety of other impossible tasks that would break him faster than Sakura had been by his grandfather. While her skill prevented Shinji from actually dying, there was definitely a lot of pain in store for him. He was already well on his way to becoming a professional fighter though, as his body was rapidly developing at an unnatural pace from Rider pushing him, with daily combat training that was really more of Rider beating him around and then him practicing solo after receiving some pointers from her.
And so he was left in the basement for the remainder of the day, forgotten as Rider and Sakura washed the dishes together, the platters of food restoring Sakura's vitality until the wave of lethargy from eating too much hit her, knocking her lights out as she carried back upstairs by Rider for another round of sleep. Gently taking off the pink cardigan that she seemed so fond of, Rider hung her clothing in the wardrobe and draped the covers over her. Since she was asleep, she supposed it was fine since nobody would see. Leaning over Sakura's face, her head dipped downwards for a brief moment, the lips brushing the skin, before her spine snapped back into the ramrod straight posture she usually had. A dusting of crimson glazed her cheeks, a rare sight that nobody had seen yet, but it quickly faded as she turned transparent, the color turning into nothing.
It was time for business.
Before leaving the house, she rechecked the wards set up at her request by Shinji, using the limited knowledge he had to create Bounded fields that would serve to alert her should any enemies attempt to cross the threshold of the Matou mansion. The defensive Bounded Fields would serve as little deterrent even to a human, owing to Shinji's lack of talent and shortage of education in these specific fields, but it was still adequate after melding and combining the pre-existing fields together, in a rather amateurish manner.
Hopefully it would be enough of a heads up for Sakura to utilize her Seals and summon Rider back to her side for defense. That was about the best that could be done for the protection of the mansion and her Master. Satisfied that everything was functioning properly, she floated off to her destination, the Ryuudou Temple that had been decimated the night before.
In no time at all, the heavily wooded mountain came into view, freshly fallen snow capping the topmost tips of the green that poked at the canopy of leaves above. There was yellow tape wrapped around the entrance, blocking the only safe path for a Servant into the mountain, but it did as much to stop her as air as she drifted into the boundaries of the mountain without the physical barriers doing a thing.
Waiting at the top of the stairs, looking like the wind would blow him over at any moment, was Zouken. The decrepit man looked right at home standing at the entrance of the ruined temple, a cursed ghost that haunted places such as these. The black sclera of his eyes only made the resemblance even stronger. The robes didn't so much as flutter when the breeze blew past, shifting slightly in an unnatural manner.
The patriarch of the Matou family didn't blink as Rider materialized right behind him, the cool steel of a sniper rifle barrel pressed against his nape as the muted rasp of the barrel lip scraping against his skin was transmitted through his skin to his ears. Without any concern on his face, he casually turned around to face Rider, ignoring the barrel that was now aimed at his forehead.
"Is there something wrong, Rider?"
The thin cylinder of steel stretching from the main body of the sniper rifle that looked suspiciously similar to a certain Russian firearm hovered in the air for a second more, then dropped to the point at the ground as Rider stopped aiming at his head. In her left hand, the dagger turned pistol was also manifested, a large and heavy piece outfitted with a rectangular scope that sported the familiar lines of Excalibur Morgan on its sides.
"Your orders?"
The curt tone she used gave off the impression that she just wanted this to be done as soon as possible.
"No small talk? Fine then, I'll get to the point. As you can see, the temple was the site of a battle last night, which you were unable to take part in since both you and Sakura were incapacitated, or else my dear granddaughter would have sent you in defense of that boy. As of now, there is a fissure left in the middle after the battle, which leads into the Greater Grail cavern. All I need you to do is transport my familiars into the cavern and place them there. You are free to leave after that."
Rider's eye twitched in irritation at the mention of her lapse in condition, but she didn't let it show in her tone as she replied.
"Where are the familiars?"
In reply, Zouken gestured towards himself.
"They're already in front of you."
There was no change in her expression, but one could feel a distinct air of disgust as she gripped the back of his robes tightly, carrying him with her in one hand as she marched to the fissure that the old man guided her to. Peering over the edge, she could only see darkness below, a paltry spell casting an illusion over it to shield it from mundane eyes that proved to be no match for her Magic Resistance. After a moment of looking, she turned the rifle in her hands to an industrial mop, and then leapt into the abyss.
The wind whistled past her ears as she plunged down, mirroring Kirei's descent, and to make herself speed up, she tucked in her limbs tightly against each other, her legs sticking to each other as she wrapped Zouken's shrunken body under her arms, the hand holding the mop raised vertically above her head as she dropped.
It took longer than she thought for her to descend to the bottom, the fissure created by the participants in the battle last night stronger than she gave credit for, to create a tunnel that reached into the earth like this. However, there were no enemies that met her on sight to attack her, or anything eventful really. She slammed into the earth with bang, sending dust into the air, and she arrived. Swinging her arm, she flung off her cargo into the darkness, the mud from the night before having disappeared, leaving the cavern in pitch darkness, though Rider's eyes were already adjusted and piercing the gloom with ease. She watched as Zouken scattered into a mass of dots before his face smashed into the ground from her throw, the familiars scattering onto the ground as a heap of skittering, crawling insectoids. Clumps of dirt were overturned, the ground disturbed as the claws tore through the tightly packed dirt, burrowing through the surface layer of debris covering the grids of lines and sigils below. In the span of a minute, the familiars all disappeared, tunneling below to reach the physical form of the Greater Grail. A magic circle of the Grand Ritual was something that primarily existed outside of the physical realm after it was activated, but it could only be easily accessed from one spot, or else he would have to go through the hassle of exploiting loopholes and going off half-guesses to enter it.
There was a certain something that he needed to research and verify, which he could only do in person by scanning through the Greater Grail's systems and studying the related components regarding the matter he wanted to shed light on. He may have been one of the three original founders, but his main expertise was in the Command Seals portion of the system, and what he was trying to do would combine both his own knowledge and the primary field of expertise from the Einzberns, the Greater Grail system itself. Thus, he needed to dive into the Greater Grail and run the risk of exposing himself to the mysterious Avenger to ascertain his theories, and prepare for the imminent ritual, which had a time limit imposed due to the nature of the catalyst.
There was no sign of Avenger though, even though the cavern had been flooded with mud last night, and Rider followed Zouken's words to the letter, leaving once she saw all the bugs disappear beneath the ground's surface. With one powerful jump that sent her skirt fluttering as she blasted off, the release of the kinetic energy sent a wave of dust flying into the air around her while she rocketed back to the surface.
From the shadows, a pair of pale gold orbs watched in silence.
I won't be posting anything related to the main storyline for a while until Lostbelt 6 is finished, due to the information about Caster Artoria there which would affect this story.