Chapter 02: Emiya Residence
!~/Interlude I/~!
(General Point of View)
***/~unknown location~/***
{Day 1, Monday – Morning, unspecific time}
[Glass broken]
An aged man stammers from the unexpected noise.
His red eyes wander to the source of the sound.
It was his window.
"How amusing… Something unusual is happening." He muses as he fiddles with his short beard.
He rests his elbow on his desk and places his face on his fist.
"Should I take a look at it? Nah… it's probably one of those silly crossovers." He muses lazily.
His fingers of his free hand start drumming on his desk.
"I wonder why these silly people keep using 'me' to force a crossover. I'm not so bored that I'd set up the stage for a single character."
His eyes are looking at his desk, but his vision spawns greater than the interior of that room.
"I will only take action when something of a great magnitude was to happen. Do you seriously think I would go out my way to send a person to a different realm just for my entertainment? And no, I won't bother helping a character just because I enjoy watching him." He speaks to no one in particular.
He clasps his hands together and rests his elbows on the desk.
"Yes, maybe I'm talking to no one. But YOU know what I'm talking about." He says with a smirk.
The aged man then removes himself from his seat.
"Now then, what should I wear for this tale? I'm tired of my gray outfit."
After musing for a few second, a smirk appears on his face.
"Ah yes… I recall that Nagato used to wear those red tuxedos. I wonder if it looks great on me."
He walks and stops in front of a wardrobe.
"Oh… something is definitely different. Fuyuki is not within my vision. Did Alaya exclude it?"
The old man nods to himself.
"This, I have to see. Why would Alaya reject a part of this world, when it can just eliminate it the normal way? Something is not right."
[Clack]
He opens the lock to the wardrobe.
"Now then… I wonder if this abnormality can engross me."
=exit Interlude=
!~/Interlude II/~!
***/~rooftop~/***
{Day 1, Monday – Nighttime, unspecific time}
(Nameless girl's point of view)
I glance down to observe the courtyard.
I can see silhouettes made from shadows.
The light from inside the building is illuminating the shadows of the house occupants.
There were three silhouettes.
I assume one of them is the Mystes.
I can get a better view if I were to sit at the opposite side.
But it will risk my presence.
So I decide to sit on the roof of the main building.
On a side note, his residence is considerably big.
But it wasn't as grand as the castle I used to live in.
"Shana, huh…?" I muse to myself.
That Mystes decided to name me 'Shana'.
But to me, a 'name' is unnecessary.
Since I don't want to deal with his farce any longer, I left him alone.
Nevertheless, I have him within my sight.
I watch over his movements from far.
To my surprise, the Hunter didn't make any effort to retrieve the Hougu.
The Mystes arrived home safely.
Perhaps Friagne needed time to create new Rinnes.
Yes, I think that is the most plausible reasoning.
From the info I gained from Outlaw regarding Friagne; he generally send out Rinnes to collect Hougu and Power of Existence.
He rarely deals with these menial tasks on his own.
"He is an odd one…" Alastor suddenly says.
Ah, he's probably referring to my statement from earlier.
"What will he gain by giving me a name? I can't understand him."
"His mindset is certainly unique."
"Unique…? That is questionable. What did he meant by being an 'Ally of Justice'?"
I stare at the moving shadows as I speak.
'Ally of Justice'… what a strange term…
What is considered as 'justice'?
Does protecting the weak considered as 'justice'?
Does fighting evil considered as 'justice'?
Then, can Flame Hazes be labeled as 'Allies of Justice'?
We fought off Denizens to preserve the existence of humanity.
"That Mystes is not human…" Alastor suddenly utters.
"What do you mean? It's obvious that he is no longer human."
"No. I am referring to his behavior. This one… he's acting like a machine."
"A machine…?"
Now that Alastor mentioned it… that Mystes wasn't that shocked when I revealed him being a Torch…
A normal Torch would have panicked.
What is wrong with him?
=exit Interlude=
***/~street, in front of the Emiya Residence~/***
{Day 1, Monday – Nighttime, unspecific time}
(Emiya Shirou's point of view)
The longhaired girl off ran after our conversation.
Did I say something wrong?
"…"
I'm still not clear with everything.
I learnt about the existence of a creature called Tomogara.
This Tomogara is the master to those monsters from earlier.
He commanded them to gather humans' existence.
Then the question is; why?
Why the Tomogara need to harvest human's existence?
Shana wasn't very clear with this.
There must be a reason for everything.
I wonder if we can negotiate with Tomogara like civilized folk…
"Shirou…!"
"…?"
I glance upward to see who called my name.
Then I see Fujimura Taiga, in her full glory, folding arms in front of me.
Her face is clearly showing frustration.
"Um, Fuji-nee… Why are you looking so mad?" I ask her, innocently.
Apparently, my question was the last straw…
Her face becomes redder, comparable to chili pepper.
"Young man, you dare ask why I am mad!? WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN…!?"
***/~after that, at the dining table~/***
{Day 1, Monday – Nighttime, 8.53 pm}
She gave me a piece of her mind…
Well, I was late.
I can't blame her for worrying about me.
It's almost 9 p.m.
And I haven't prepared dinner.
Fortunately, Sakura was around and prepared Yakisoba.
"If it wasn't for Sakura, I'll be starved to death! I know it's the first day of high school for you, Shirou. But try not to spend time with your friends until late at night!" The brunette woman says while pointing her chopsticks at me.
"Hahaha…" I chuckle lightly.
Truthfully, it was something serious.
But I can't tell her about it.
"…"
I glance at Sakura.
"Eh…? What is it, Senpai?" She asks after startling a bit.
"I'm glad you were around. Thanks for making dinner for us." I tell her.
The girl stares at me blankly.
I wonder what's on her mind.
"Eh… EH…!? Senpai thanking me…!?" She suddenly yells.
"…?"
Why is she so surprised…?
"I-it wasn't a big deal. All I did was frying noodle and add some condiments. That's all…" The younger girl mutters while fidgeting with her fingers.
I shake my head.
"It's better than having no dinner at all. I promise I'll treat you with my best dish tomorrow."
"REALLY…!?"
"…"
For some reason, the third party (Fuji-nee) was the one excited.
"About that… I can't come here tomorrow, Senpai." Sakura suddenly says.
"…?"
She can't come tomorrow?
Oh, I almost forgot that she's not living here…
Since she's always present in every meal, I'm starting to imprint her as part of the household.
Technically, I'm the only one who lives in the Emiya Residence.
"…"
Now that I think of it, I'm kinda lonely…
"I see… Just tell me when you're coming."
Sakura tilts her head slightly.
"Um… you're not going to ask for the reason?"
I shake my head.
"I'm sure you have your reasons. If you need my help, just inform me. I am more than willing."
I truly meant it.
The girl smiles softly at me.
"Thank you, senpai."
I smile back at her.
"No problem, Sakura."
"Um… why are you two ignoring me?" Fuji-nee decides to speak up.
Instead of replying to her, I pick up my chopsticks and eat.
"Shirou, you're so cold!"
"Hahaha… I'm just messing with you, Fuji-nee."
Honestly, I have no idea what I should say to Taiga…
***/~later, outside the Emiya Residence~/***
{Day 1, Monday – Nighttime, 9.44 pm}
"Thanks for the dinner, Sakura-chan!" The Tiger woman yells as she jumps on her scooter.
The girl in question simply smiles softly.
[Scooter roaring]
"Alright, see you tomorrow, Shirou!"
And so, the Tiger blasts into the speed of light (I'm exaggerating).
"Seriously, that woman… Can't she act like a grown up for once?" I complain.
She crashes in for dinner and then takes off.
What does my place look to her?
A restaurant…?
"Hehehe… Senpai is complaining about Fujimura-san…"
"…?"
I think I overheard someone giggles.
"Sakura…?"
"Eh…? Y-yes…?" The girl stammers from my sudden addressing.
"…"
I do recognize that voice.
There's no one else but Sakura.
This is the first time I heard her giggle.
"Um… senpai, did I say something wrong?"
I shake my head nervously.
"No, it's nothing. An-anyway, want me to walk you home?"
Surprisingly, she shakes her head.
"Nii-san will come to pick me up." She replies with a smile.
Nii-san, as in Shinji…?
That's a rare occasion…
I guess I was keeping Sakura here for too long.
"Yo Emiya…!"
…just speaking of the Devil.
I turn around and see Shinji is walking towards us with his usual smirk.
"What do you think you're doing, keeping my sister until late at night? Are you planning to do something perverted to her?" He comments as soon as he arrives.
"P-perverted…!?"
Sakura's face goes completely red.
"Not really… Something came up earlier so I ran a little late. I'm sorry about that."
My answer seems to surprise him.
"Not even a single flinch… I guess he's dense." The wavy haired boy says.
"…? What…?"
"Nothing…! Just pretend you didn't hear me, you dickless bastard." He says with a smirk.
"…"
I'm sure that was an insult…
"Anyway let's go home, Sakura. Don't waste your time with dense guy like him."
"…"
Why he keeps calling me 'dense'?
I'm not dense.
Am I?
"…?"
By the time I notice it, the Matou siblings were already far away from my house.
They walk away, leaving me clueless.
***/~inside the house, dining room~/***
{Day 1, Monday – Nighttime, 10.13 pm}
I sit alone in the dining room.
[Clock ticking]
I stare at the clock in silence.
I watch the clock arm moves while trying to gather my thoughts.
One second, two second, three second…
Time feels like it is moving slowly right now.
Even a minute felt like an eternity.
"…It's hard to believe it…" I utter.
After all of that happened, I can still have normal dinner with my family.
It sounds hypocritical coming from me.
I practice mage craft every day.
I knew this day would come; the day where I'll be actively involved in the Moonlit World.
But I didn't expect it to come so soon.
"… So I'm not human, huh?"
That wasn't very surprising.
Why am I the only survivor?
What saved me from that fire eight years ago?
What makes me special?
In that white room eight years ago, there were many children who lost their homes and family.
However, their houses were located far away from that inferno.
And they were still affected badly.
I can't remember the exact location… but I'm sure… my house was in the middle of it…
My survival was a baffling miracle.
That isn't the only question.
Kiritsugu… why is he there?
What was he doing?
Did he wade through the fire just to save me?
How did he survive the heat?
Is he… even a human?
I've never question this before…
No, it's not important.
Kiritsugu was a hero.
It doesn't matter if he's human or not, that man saved me.
In addition, I'm just a replacement to Emiya Shirou.
The real Emiya Shirou is long dead.
"…"
Perhaps he's already dead in the fire.
But that doesn't matter.
Maybe I am not Emiya Shirou.
But that doesn't mean I can't carry on his legacy.
No, it's not just Emiya Shirou's legacy.
It's Emiya Kiritsugu's legacy.
"I shall… become an Ally of Justice."
My first step is to learn the truth behind these new events.
A Tomogara invades this world once again.
The last invasion was eight years ago, and the result was the fire.
I will prevent it from happening for the second time.
But to do that, I need Shana's help.
Now that I think of it, where is she?
Is she searching for that Denizen's trace?
"…"
I look away from the clock.
"Dammit, I need to search for her. She's my only clue to this mystery."
But first, I need to calm my mind.
A little stargazing should do the trick.
***/~at the porch~/***
{Day 1, Monday – Nighttime, 10.16 pm}
I sit at my usual spot.
Oh correction; it was Emiya Shirou's spot.
This porch was the place where he had that conversation with Kiritsugu about four years ago.
It was the very conversation that set Emiya Shirou on his path; the inheritance of ideology.
I gaze at the starry night sky, recalling the scene.
"…?"
Unexpectedly, I saw a silhouette on my roof.
Is that Shana?
What's she doing up there?
Perhaps she has nowhere to go.
"…This is rather convenient." I muse.
Though, how should I start the conversation?
I claim that we have the same goal, but that doesn't change the fact that we're still strangers.
What can I do to get her attention?
"…Maybe she'd love some beverage?" I muse again.
It's cold outside.
I don't know how long she's been there.
But I'm sure a warm drink would interest her.
I head to the kitchen.
***/~after brewing the coffee~/***
{Day 1, Monday – Nighttime, 10.21 pm}
I stand in the middle of the courtyard, hoping to attract her attention.
"Hey!" I call out to her.
The small silhouette seems to have noticed me.
"Want to come down for awhile?" I holler.
She stands up and starts walking slowly on the roof.
"Should I get—"
Before I could finish my sentence, the girl jumps off from the roof and lands safely in front of me.
[Thud]
"What do you want?" The girl asks with scrutinizing eyes.
I was about to offer getting her a ladder…
But I guess she doesn't need it.
"…"
On a side note, the way she lands reminds me of a cat…
"Do you want refreshment? I have coffee." I offer to her.
The black haired girl starts contemplating.
She begins observing my stature; top to bottom, left to right.
I can tell from the movement of her eyes.
But… do I look that suspicious to her?
"You better don't put anything funny in it." She suddenly says.
"…what do you mean?"
Instead of answering, she marches passing me.
Her jet black hair flutters behind as she walks.
"…"
No matter how many times I saw it, that hair of hers is really distracting.
How can a girl keep such a long hair and still look elegant?
Her hair length is almost as long as her entire body.
That hair must be a chore to clean.
How many bottles of shampoo she needs every bath session?
"…"
It would be mind boggling…
I never thought I would meet a real life Rapunzel…
***/~inside the house~/***
{Day 1, Monday – Nighttime, 10.32 pm}
The girl is staring at the mug like it was the oddest thing she'd ever seen.
"Is there something wrong?" I inquire.
My question stammers her.
She shakes her head frantically and immediately sips the coffee.
For someone who appears to be so cautious from earlier, that was a reckless move.
It's not like I put anything strange inside it though.
[Spurt]
Thus, I see her spraying the coffee from her mouth.
"…"
Wait, what?
She sputters it out!?
"What happened…!?" I ask frantically.
Don't tell me something weird is in that coffee!?
Fuji-nee… that woman must have swapped the sugar with salt as a joke.
"It's bitter…" Shana mutters, half crying.
"Huh…?"
"It's too bitter! Why would you give me such thing…!?"
"For real…!? Even with three spoons of sugar…!?"
I point at the sugar jar in my hand.
"Give me that!" She demands for the sugar jar.
Reluctantly, I hand over the jar.
[Continuous spooning]
Then, she starts adding many spoons of sugar into the mug.
"You have got to be kidding me…"
"Emiya Shirou…"
A male voice becomes audible.
"Remember Alastor?" The girl says as she sips her abominable coffee.
"Yeah… I think I remember him." I remark, staring towards the pendant.
"The girl has sweet tooth. Normal standard of sweetness cannot be applied to the girl." The pendant claims.
Wait, you just wanted to tell me 'that'…?
I am listening to a 'talking' pendant.
Now that's something you don't do everyday…
"So she's a sweet monster—"
I withheld the rest of my statement.
The black haired girl is currently glaring at me, challenging me to finish it.
"Where are you living?" I change the subject.
Her glare ceases.
"I was planning to find a hotel." She remarks.
Is she rich or something?
No, that's not the right question…
Does this world share the same currency as hers…?
Though, she did buy those melon breads earlier…
I guess that question is answered.
"But that won't do. There's no hotel or apartments available around your area. I need to keep close watch. Otherwise, the Tomogara might able to snatch your Hougu and get away with it before I could catch up." The girl adds.
That is a problem…
We can't let that Tomogara run free.
Ah, I think I got an idea!
"How about living here?"
The girl tilts her head at my suggestion.
"The house has many empty rooms. You can pick one."
She starts contemplating.
Once again, she starts eyeing my body language.
"Fine… It's only because you're offering." She says.
I nod.
"So how do you prefer your room? Eastern or Western…?"
She stares at me in confusion.
"What is this? A motel…?" She deadpans.
"Hahaha…"
I chuckle at her remark.
"I've been living in this house for eight years. The rooms have been vacant for a long time…" I narrate.
Technically, it was Emiya Shirou's memory.
But let's put that aside for the time being.
"You didn't answer my question." She remarks.
"Hahaha…"
I chuckle again.
"You see, this house got two types of rooms; in the detached building, Western styled rooms; while in the main building, Eastern styled rooms. Kiritsugu never told me why he'd modeled the house like that." I explain to her.
Shana ponders again.
"I prefer to sleep on beds." She claims.
"Western it is…" I nod.
***/~inside a room, the detached building~/***
{Day 1, Monday – Nighttime, 10.44 pm}
"Wow… I thought it would be dusty." She comments on the room condition.
"I clean up the whole house every weekend." I claim with pride.
"You reminded me of Wilhelmina…" She mutters.
Who is that?
It's probably one of her acquaintances.
"…"
Now that I think of it, she did mention that name earlier…
It was something along the line of 'Wilhelmina not giving her a name'.
"…"
It's none of my business.
I should let her rest.
She needs the energy.
"…See you tomorrow then."
I bid her goodnight as I close the door to her room.
[Inhale ~ exhale]
Now then, let's continue my daily routine.
!~/Interlude/~!
***/~inside the room~/***
{Day 1, Monday – Nighttime, 10.51 pm}
(Nameless girl's point of view)
I listen to the Mystes's footsteps after he closed the door.
"What a strange one…" I muse.
He gave me a room to stay.
I honestly can't guess what's on his mind.
"Now then—"
I touch the bed to test its mattress.
"Hmm… medium hard. Not too soft either…"
I start sitting on it to test it further.
"It's pretty comfy…"
The bed feels welcoming.
As for the other parts of the room—
"The room is in good shape…" I comment after giving it an once-over.
I guess I can give this place a pass.
For a vacant room, it's pretty homey…
It's complete with a King size bed, a study table, a dresser and even a wardrobe.
Now, I'm getting suspicious.
Why would an unoccupied room need all of these?
"…"
On a side note, I'm feeling a bit grungy…
"Alastor, I'm going to clean up."
This is something that I do daily.
Alastor is already accustomed to it.
His silence means acknowledgement.
I place him under a pillow and start undressing.
[Clothes rustling]
"…"
Wait a second…
I forgot to lock the door…!
Without waiting for long, I dash towards the door.
If he opens that door right now, I'll kill him!
[Click]
"…"
I manage to arrive at the door and lock it.
It was surprisingly uneventful…
I was expecting him to come back.
"You're taking more time than usual."
Shaking my head, I walk away from the door.
All right, it's time to clean up.
[Bell ringing]
I use a cleansing spell to remove impurities on my body.
This spell is very convenient.
It can clean my long hair without much trouble.
I'm glad that I learnt it back in Tendoukyu.
I can't imagine if I didn't…
"On a side note—"
What is that Mystes doing right now?
***/~in the middle of the courtyard~/***
{Day 1, Monday – Nighttime, 11.13 pm}
I step out from the room after putting on my clothes.
"I thought you were going to turn in for the night." Alastor makes a remark.
"I need to make sure the Mystes is safe."
I point my index finger upward.
[Bell ringing]
I place a mini Fuuzetsu on the house compound.
It shouldn't attract Friagne's attention if he's truly weakened.
My guess is; he still doesn't know the Mystes's current whereabouts.
We have only arrived in this city for less than a day.
Unlike in Misaki where he got strong foothold, Friagne still hasn't acclimated to this city landscape.
"…?"
I can sense another spell intact…
But it's not competent enough to be recognized as an Unrestricted Spell.
"What a weak spell..."
"It is not surprising. It was only set to detect intruders." Alastor explains to me.
"You can tell?"
This is embarrassing…
My lack of knowledge is going to bite back at me later.
Should I take the effort to learn more?
[Heart thumping]
"…!"
Abruptly, I felt a spike of power.
It is within the house compound?
"It's that Mystes." Alastor plainly says.
"…It came from that hut." I utter.
Thus, I approach the shed slowly.
I could sense the Power of Existence is circulating around the area.
What's he doing in there?
***/~inside the shed~/***
{Day 1, Monday – Nighttime, unspecific time}
I poke my head inside the shed.
Then, I see the Mystes is casting a spell on himself…
His face is contorting in pain.
"What kind of spell is he casting?"
No, that's not the real question.
Where did he learn to cast a spell?
Humans can't use spells unless they have a patron of some sort.
Or is this a trait unique to this world?
The people here can use magic without a patron?
"What a suicidal spell… Is he turning his nerves into magical circuits?" Alastor interjects.
"What? That's—"
Blinding blue light cuts off my statement.
It came from the Mystes.
[Exhale]
I hear him breathe out.
"Ah… I failed…" I hear him mutters.
"…Are you trying to kill yourself?" I decide to make myself apparent.
The Mystes turns around with a shocked face.
"Shana? What are you doing here? Your hair, why is it burning red again…?"
Shana…?
Ah, I forgot that he named me that.
"Don't call me that. I don't recall agreeing to that name."
"Huh…? But—"
"My hair turns red whenever I enter a Fuuzetsu. It is a signature trait of Alastor's contractor." I explain, ignoring his incoming rambling.
"What? What is a Fuuzetsu?"
"…"
Instead of answering, I decide to approach him.
The Mystes, who is currently sitting, begins to panic as I stride.
"Shana, why are you—"
"Stop calling me that."
[Smack]
I tap his back lightly.
"Wha—ARGH…!" The Mystes cries out.
Blazing red lines begin to glow on his back.
"Why is his back—"
[SPLAT]
"—WAH…!?"
I skid aside to avoid the blood.
I-I certainly didn't expect that…
"…that's pretty gory…"
"You did that on purpose." Alastor says.
"I did that to teach him a lesson…but I didn't expect his back to explode!" I retort to him.
[Sigh]
I gather and circulate the Power of Existence on my index finger.
A small blue flame ignites on my finger.
"His body isn't badly damaged. A small amount should bring him back."
I approach his corpse.
"…"
I press my finger on his chest.
The small blue flame forces itself into his body.
His nerves are restored to their original state and his heart starts beating again.
"Gah…!"
The Mystes sits up frantically after letting out a scream.
He starts to gasp for air.
Finally, he glances at me…
"What happened?" He asks.
"You died." I deadpan.
"Really…?" He scratches his cheek.
The ginger head Mystes observes the surrounding as he says that.
Not surprisingly, there is blood everywhere.
"Whose blood—"
"They were yours." I cut his statement before he could finish asking.
He pauses to take in the information.
"How did—"
"I brought you back." I cut him again.
"But my clothes—"
"I can repair clothes too."
He pauses again.
[Sigh]
I let out a deep sigh.
"What were you thinking? What kind of craziness were you trying to achieve?"
He scratches his cheek again.
"I was trying to construct artificial Magic Circuits." He stated.
"A what now…?"
"Magic Circuits… It's something a magus have in this world." He answers.
"Why would you do that?"
"Because I don't have Natural circuits…" He deadpans.
I stare at him as if he has grown two heads.
What are these 'Circuits' anyway?
"Hey, I was doing perfectly until you came along!" He claims.
"So you tried to get yourself killed all the time?"
The ginger head blinks his eyes multiple times.
"Uh… kinda…?"
I start massaging my temples.
"What level of idiocy is this?" I say it straight to him.
"I can't help it! I was a regular boy who doesn't have any circuits! So I had to create it!" He argues.
"Which lead to another question; why do you even need them?"
The Mystes stops talking to come up with a better answer.
[Sigh]
I let out a sigh.
"Whoever teaching you this thing must have hated your guts. That kind of spell is literally suicide."
He shakes his head to show denial.
"Kiritsugu doesn't hate me. He did warn me about the risk." The Mystes claims.
I scrutinize him.
"I need to ask; do all magi in this world practice the same thing as you?"
"Um… No." He answers sheepishly.
"Explain to me about this 'Magic Circuits' thingy."
"Well… A Magic Circuit is what makes a magus a magus." He utters.
"Be more specific."
"I don't really know how to explain it. Kiritsugu only told me that a proper magus posses circuits that allows them to channel prana for their spells." He says while scratching his cheek.
Now I get it…
In this world, a spell caster requires those circuits in order to cast a spell.
"I assume this 'prana' thingy is your magical energy?"
"If you put it that way, yeah…" He nods.
"Correct me if I'm wrong. In your world, a spell caster, or a magus as you call it, posses 'Magic Circuits' that allows them to cast spells. Without these 'circuits', the said spell caster cannot channel their magical energy or 'prana'."
"That's about sums it up." He nods.
"What about those without 'circuits'? Can they become a 'magus'?" I inquire.
"They had to do it my way then…" He says.
"So you're saying, if you're born without those circuits, you'll never become a proper magus." I conclude.
"Uh…" He gaps his mouth.
"Did I get it wrong?"
"No… That's exactly it. But, hearing it from someone else is kinda discouraging…" He mutters.
"Well, I'm not a native so I don't know much about these 'circuits' thingy. But I had to ask, what are those things on your left arm?"
"Huh…?" He let out.
Several green lines are glowing on his arm.
I could sense Power of Existence flowing from them.
"This is…" He mutters again.
"…?"
"Wait a minute! These are Magic Circuits!" He suddenly claims.
"…Huh…?"
"I had them all along! But— ARGH…!"
"…!"
What the heck is going on…!?
The Mystes suddenly start grasping his glowing arm.
"It's burning…! HOT!" He yells.
"…"
I got no choice…
[Bell ringing]
I draw out Nietono no Shana.
"Huh…?" He let out.
"Hold still… This should end shortly." I tell him as I raise the blade.
"WAIT, WAIT, WAIT! DON'T CUT OFF MY ARM!" He pleads to me.
"I can attach it back once it's over." I say nonchalantly.
"PLEASE DON'T!"
"Fine… Have it your way." I sheath my sword back.
His nerves start bulging on his head.
"Guh…!" He let out.
The Power of Existence is flowing madly in his arm…
They were flowing along those lines.
Are those lines 'Magic Circuits'?
"Gah…! Fu…!" He grunts.
I can't stand it…
I channel a small amount of Power of Existence into my index finger.
The small blue flame ignites on the finger once again.
"Huh…?" He let out.
I grab his left arm forcefully.
Then, I jam the small flame onto one of those lines.
"What are you—"
The green lines start glowing brighter.
However, instead of flowing non-stop like before, it starts to slow down.
The green lining shimmers down and the flow finally stabilized.
I let go of his arm.
"I— what happened…?" He asks me.
"Don't ask me. I had no idea what those lines were. The only thing I know is its channeling magical energy similar to mine."
"Really…?" He says, scratching his cheek.
"I assume those were the fabled Magic Circuits"
"Yeah…They are… " He replies shortly, sounding absentminded.
"…?"
I glance at his face.
Joy is apparent…
"Now tell me… Why did you need to construct artificial magic circuits in the first place?"
"I was under the assumption that I had none. Unless I came from a magus bloodline, I can safely assume that I had no Magic Circuits." He explains to me.
"From where I came from, all humans have potential to use magic."
"For real…!?" He suddenly yells.
"…?"
"You have got to be kidding me! If that's true then your world will be crawling with magi!" He adds.
"Don't cut me when I'm talking."
"Sorry…" He scratches his cheek.
"As I was saying, all humans have magical potential. All they need is a proper teacher."
"A proper teacher, huh…?" He tilts his head.
"That being said, yours was a suicidal maniac."
"Why makes you say that!? Kiritsugu wasn't a suicidal maniac!" He argues.
"Think about it, idiot. Unless he practices it himself, he wouldn't teach that thing to you."
"You mean that nerve conversion spell?"
"What else would I refer?" I deadpan.
He starts scratching his cheek again.
"Could you stop that?"
"Huh…?" He reacts.
"Stop scratching your cheek!"
He seems baffled…
"Back to the topic, the humans in my world can learn a spell or two if they have a Flame Haze or a Tomogara as a patron—"
"Wait a sec… You said a Tomogara patronize a human?" He cuts me.
My eyebrow starts to twitch.
"Yes I did. Similar to humans, Tomogara have personalities. Some of them enjoy socializing with humans—"
"Is that so… But wasn't your job is about slaying all of them?"
My brow twitches again.
"Not really. My role is to govern the stability of the world. As long as the Denizens stay peaceful and didn't attack humans, we, the Flame Hazes don't have to hunt them." I explain.
"I see…"
"Are you done?"
"I guess…" He scratches his cheek.
"…"
"What were we talking about?" He asks.
Okay… that's it…
"Um… Shana?"
"SHUT UP! SHUT UP! SHUT UP! YOU'RE ANNOYING!"
=exit Interlude=
***/~inside the shed~/***
{Day 1, Monday – Nighttime, unspecific time}
(Emiya Shirou's point of view)
What makes her mad in the first place?
[Sigh]
Oh well, I guess I will never know.
"…"
I glance at my left arm.
I can't believe it…
I actually have Magic Circuits…
But how do I use it?
"Shana."
"Didn't I tell you not to call me that? What do you want…?" She drawls.
"How do I use it?"
"Use what?" She raises her eyebrow.
I forgot that she wasn't a native…
"Never mind…"
I have to figure this out on my own.
"Were you asking about those circuits of yours…?"
She's sharp!
"I can speculate how it works… but I can be wrong." She claims.
"You can speculate…?"
"Why does it sound like you're ridiculing me?"
"I didn't mean it that way! What I was saying is; you could speculate how Magic Circuits work?" I reconstruct my statement.
Nevertheless, she's already glaring daggers at me.
"…"
Is she going to maul me?
I recall that scene from earlier…where she sent that ball of monstrosity flying.
"…"
I can't help but to start sweating nervously.
[Sigh]
"…?"
All of a sudden, she let out a sigh.
"How about doing it your regular way? This time, use your real circuits instead of makeshift one."
Why didn't I think of that…?
"Okay… here goes nothing."
I grab a nearby metal pipe.
"Trace On…" I utter my usual chant in English.
[Electric crackles]
Visualize the composition…
Understanding its structure…
Rearranging the structure…
Stabilize the construct…
"…!"
There!
Was I successful?
I glance at the metal pipe.
This is…
There are green linings covering the pipe.
"So… does it work? What kind of spell is that?"
"…!"
I forgot that Shana's still here…
"Yeah… It's called Reinforcement." I tell her.
I inspect the pipe.
"…"
I did it…
For the first time in my life, I successfully cast Reinforcement effortlessly.
"Wipe that smug off."
"…?"
[Smack]
"Ouch! What was that for?"
She hits my shoulder all of a sudden.
"Nothing…" She says as she walks out from the shed.
"…"
I can't understand that girl…
!~/Interlude I/~!
***/~unknown location~/***
{Day 1, Monday – Nighttime, unspecific time}
(Nameless girl's point of view)
That was the first time I see someone smiling like that…
What's so satisfying about that spell?
It wasn't grand enough to be considered an Unrestricted Spell.
"Shana!"
"…"
That insolent…
"How many times do I need to tell you? Stop calling me that!"
I say as I turn around.
"Teach me." He suddenly says, ignoring what I said earlier.
"Huh…?"
"Teach me how to use magic!"
"Wha-what…!?"
"You know about magic more than I do. Teach me how to use better spells." He says.
"That's going to be a problem…" I mutter.
The ginger head tilts his head.
"Why is that?"
"She neglected her magic training." Alastor interjects.
"You have got to be kidding me…"
"It can't be helped! Spells are a hassle!" I tell him.
"Sounds like an excuse…"
Did he just—
"What did you say!?"
"Nothing…!"
"…"
Truthfully, I want to maul him right now.
He's annoying, obnoxious, irritating and completely insufferable!
I've never meet anyone like him.
I had to use four different words with same meaning just to describe how much I detest him!
Why did I associate myself with him in the first place?
Ah… yes…
He's a Mystes…
Inwardly, I palm my face.
To think someone as busybody as him could exist…
He even bothered trying to give me a name.
If wasn't for my mission, I would never associate myself with him.
[Sigh]
I let out a sigh to reduce my frustration.
"Why would you ask that all of a sudden?" I decide to ask.
Unexpectedly, his face turns serious.
"I want to help you."
Did I hear it right?
Did he say he's going to help me?
"Are you joking?"
"No. I'm serious." The ginger head says firmly.
"…"
Those eyes…
I can see unwavering flame inside them.
"…we came from a different world. I don't know if you can use Unrestricted Spells." I decide to say.
"But we could try… I know I'm being ridiculous but I really want to help you."
"Don't make me laugh. There's no way you could help me. Look how helpless you are against a Rinne." I tell him.
Instead of faltering, he flashes me a firm smile.
"I know I can help you. I just don't know how to do it yet…" He scratches his cheek.
[Sigh]
I let out a sigh.
"And you could just resurrect me if I died."
I place my hand on my hip.
"If you died but not devoured." I tell him.
"Is there any difference? Being devoured means dying, right?"
I palm my face.
"Are you stupid!? I told you before; being devoured mean cease from existence! No one will remember you! Getting killed is just dead but people still remembers you!"
He scratches his cheek.
"I'm kinda curious… Shana, you can bring back dead people to life, right? Even if they died a long time ago and their corpses were rotten beyond recognition."
"I can, but I won't." I reply shortly.
"I'm just asking though… But why not…?" He inquires.
"It's because it will disturb the balance and the flow of life. And not to mention, I'll be abusing my powers as a guardian for personal gain." I answer.
I glance at him to see his reaction.
He's pondering about something.
"People died if they are killed and that's the way it should be."
"…?"
I raise my eyebrow at his statement.
"Isn't that obvious?"
"But that logic doesn't apply to you." He suddenly points out.
"What are you talking about? I'll still die if someone were to wound me fatally."
"But you could bring dead people alive."
"Only if the said event involves the world's stability." I retort.
"Then, let me help you."
"Not this again…" I groan.
"I promise to be diligent. Teach me anything."
"Fine… I'll teach you how to fight. But I don't expect much from you."
"Yes ma'am!" He says enthusiastically.
"Then stop bothering me. I'm going to sleep."
"Huh? Oh… Right… Then, see you tomorrow." He says, cheerfully.
"Whatever…"
I walk away from him.
"He reminds me of someone."
"…?"
"I remember a stubborn little girl with similar zeal."
"I don't know what you're saying, Alastor."
=exit Interlude I=
!~/Interlude II/~!
(General Point of View)
***/~on top of the highest building in Fuyuki~/***
{Day 2, Tuesday – Midnight, unspecific time}
A brunette man stands on top of the building alone.
[Air draft]
His long hair bang flutter as the wind blows.
"What a sight. I can see everything from here." He muses aloud.
[Eagle screeching]
The man palms his face.
"For crying out loud… Leave me alone, you stupid eagle! It is bloody midnight! Why are you still flying around?"
[Eagle screeching]
As if mocking him, the said avian perches on a jolting metal pole.
The blue eyed man stares at the bird with blank face.
And the bird does the same.
"What? You want a piece of me?"
[Eagle screeching]
The predatory bird screeches, as if replying to him.
"Hahaha… whatever birdbrain..."
The man averts his face toward the night scenery of Fuyuki, ignoring the bird.
His face is blank, devoid of emotions.
"…"
Then, he shoves his hands into his pockets.
"So Friagne, are you going to devour this city?" He asks.
The brunette man is no longer alone.
Another man makes his appearance, dressed in full white apparel.
He floats on the air, enclosed by long white cloth.
The lengthy white cloth merely hovers around the man, not touching his body.
"Good evening."
He greets the brunette man as he lands on the floor.
"Well good evening to you too." The man in question replies grumpily.
He dislikes his new company… even more than the 'birdbrain'.
"What a crude answer… Is my presence troubling you?" Friagne asks the anonymous man.
"Do I need to answer such obvious question? Of course you bother me." He replies to the Hunter.
An amused expression is visible on the Lord of Denizen's face.
"I certainly didn't expect someone would tag along with me to this world. Yet you claim that my presence is troublesome to you." The Hunter muses.
"I would say 'unintentionally'. I didn't plan to come here, you know?" The brunette man replies without looking at his chat partner.
The man in white forms a wicked smile.
"Odd… I can't seem to figure out your identity. But I sense a large amount of Power of Existence from you. A nameless Lord…?"
"Judging from the tone, you're planning to 'eat' me."
He closes his eyes and turns his back against the scenery.
"Creating a path between two worlds is rather exhausting. I could use 'additional energy'." Friagne replies casually.
"Hoh…" The brunette man says, mockingly.
He pulls out his hands from his pockets, acknowledging the threat emanating from his chat partner.
"Putting that aside, who told you about this world?"
"Do I need to answer that? It would be a waste of time. After all, you are going to disappear." The Hunter says nonchalantly.
[Sigh]
The brunette man lets out a sigh.
"You're planning to devour two cities at once. It is quite a shame… since I am here to stop you." He declares as he opens his eyes.
Then, his pair of glowing blue eyes notices something was missing.
"Where is that stupid eagle? I thought it was here earlier."
"Hmm…? You still got time to jest?" Friagne says.
The Hunter is now armed with a rapier.
"Let me give you a heads-up; I'm not an easy food."
As he declared, a long sword appears in anonymous man's grasp.
"A nice meal comes with entertainment." Friagne says with a smirk.
"You can say that again."
Hence, the two of them clash.
=exit Interlude II=
#Chapter End#
[Author's Note]
I think I might need more time for the next chapter.
I kinda turbo paced it a bit in my latest draft.
I'll try to update a chapter by next Saturday.
But judging from my laziness, it might take more than a week.
As always, thanks for reading!