Honestly, I'm not really sure what I'd expected from my sister when I'd greeted her with that. Whatever it might have been, it certainly was not her standing there for a moment more before closing her open mouth, giving me a smile and saying, "Yes, Nii-san."
The abrupt change caused me pause for a moment, letting everything catch up with me. Less than a minute ago, I'd just ordered my great-great... fuck, how many greats would it even be again? He's centuries old, and if there's a generation every... no, no, never mind. I just had an old bastard who'd made my life miserable killed.
And fuck making a new life. Fuck becoming a new person. Fuck the therapy I tried. Fuck all of that, because killing that old bastard was the best thing ever. Better than sex best thing ever. Better than the high from going power crazy best thing ever. I could die right now and be fucking content, because that old bastard—
I froze. A sudden thought interrupted my inner victory dance.
"Rider, do you sense any more of those things around? Or things like them?" I turned to my Servant, pursing my lips at the unpleasant sensation in my gut souring the euphoria I'd been enjoying.
"Yes, Master." Of course, that's just great. Perfect, even. Fuck.
"Go hunt down all of them; don't let a single one escape." I drew a slow breathe of air, trying to calm myself as Rider appeared to vanish. Matou Zouken was no match for a Servant. Even if he could survive through his familiars, what chance did he have in surviving something like Rider?
No chance, that's what. It was already over with. The old bastard didn't know he was dead when I'd ordered him dead a minute ago, and he won't even know he's dead when my Servant's finished mopping up his bugs.
I thumbed my mouth in thought. The question was what now? The grail war, obviously. I decided not to run away when I killed Zouken, and I wouldn't run away from anything else either. What did it matter how I came here? This was my chance, a chance to finally face all my nightmares head on. In this place, in this time, I wasn't just a hapless human boy. I might not be a magus, but with a Servant, I had something better. I could crush everything that haunted me, how's that for fucking catharsis?
I couldn't be stupid, though. I had power, and I had some foreknowledge, but even just a single slipup could screw me over. Hell, I had never even figured out how Rider had died the first time through. Not to mention, against something like Gilgamesh, even if I play everything perfectly, I still might not win.
In hindsight, I really wish I'd researched more about the grail war in the aftermath. Even if I could remember how everything went last time, there were gaps all over the place. I somewhat knew about Caster and Berserker, but pretty much all the other Servants are a blank. On top of that, I don't know how Caster was killed, and it's not exactly like I can replicate Berserker's defeat. So, basically, I know nothing.
Agh, fuck. Fuck it, I'm not going to back down.
"Um, Nii-san?" Sakura's voice thankfully brought me out of my musing. Getting depressed over not having the foresight to know I was going to go back in time is retarded.
"Yes, what?" I glanced at her, finally taking in the fact that she, now, was completely unruffled by the fact that I'd just had Rider splatter the old bastard all over the walls and floor of the living room. Her cheeks now had their usual faint rosy color, and she even still had that small tiny smile on her face. Should I be surprised? I'm sure he made her life hell too, why wouldn't she be happy he's dead and gone?
"Um, I was... thinking of making dinner, would you like something in particular?" Oooor, maybe she's just a psycho, or an airhead? Or... fuck it, who cares.
"No, I don't care." I glanced over to the gore on the wall. It stank horribly. I glanced over to Sakura, who was still waiting there, almost... obediently, like she was waiting for me to order her to do something.
Wait, did I usually do that? I can't even remember. I probably did. Whatever. Even if I did it when I was young, I'm not sure I have the heart to tell her to clean up the mess that had been Zouken.
"Sakura, where are the cleaning supplies?" It was going to take more than just some rags to clean up this mess, and if I wasn't going to tell Sakura to do it, there wasn't really anyone else to do it but me. Like hell I was going to try and order Rider to do it. I may not think she'll kill me off hand but I'm not going to risk pissing her off by commanding her to do menial tasks.
"Um, I have them in the kitchen?" Sakura blinked, apparently pointing without thinking. I knew where the damn kitchen was, Sakura!
A couple minutes later, I started slopping chunks of flesh into a trash bag, and squeegeeing the still mostly-liquid blood into a bucket. I figured Sakura would just start working on the food which I would probably ignore since this shit had totally killed my appetite. Imagine my shock when I saw Sakura wordlessly kneeling close to me and start helping out. I don't ever really recall us being very close. Sakura was kind, to be certain, especially given how much I often resented her, but even at her kindest, and me at my most civil, we were still never very close. Yet, in that dark part of the room, dealing with the foulest of materials and smells, I can't help but feel there was a sense of... intimacy, I guess? Perhaps camaraderie would be a better word. Who knew that cleaning up your dead ancestor was a great method of sibling bonding?
Zouken certainly did more for us in death than in life, that's for damn sure. And he was dead, damn it. Rider came back and reported that she'd successfully eradicated all the worms she'd sensed.
We skipped dinner in the end, but when I went to bed, I had the best damn sleep of my entire life. I'd like to think that Sakura slept soundly too, but frankly, I have no idea what goes on in her head.
In the morning, I woke up early. Well, earlier for me. I generally slept until I absolutely had to get up. Or... was that just how I was later? I can't say I remember how my sleep schedule was when I was in school. Like I care! It doesn't matter. It doesn't even matter that Sakura's stranger than I remember.
Because I certainly don't remember her cooking feasts for breakfast. It was all Western food, but really, a bachelor life has given me humility in taking what I can get, and with strange little sister it seems I'm getting more than I bargained for. I don't even know what some of the stuff she cooked is.
But hell, I'm not going to complain, so I sat down and ate some food.
"Um, Nii-san...?" She interrupted my musing while doing her best impression of a mouse with how meek she looked. "Could I... um, go over to Senpai's house this morning?"
I paused. Stranger and stranger. I don't really recall her being so... subordinate. Hell, as I remember it, I had to specifically tell her not to go, and even then she pretty much never listened to me. What was this sudden change of attitude? I'd say it was because I had Zouken killed, but she doesn't look frightened of me. I'd seen her scared before, and she definitely isn't. There's something else in her eye, her posture. I almost want to say respect, but that's not quite it. Attentive, maybe? I suppose it doesn't matter. I half wanted to tell that she couldn't just to see if she'd actually listen, but really, I had no reason to.
When I was younger, I wanted my sister to be under my thumb so I could feel superior, but... Well, besides the fact that I'd like to think I've growth out of that, I feel sort of nostalgic around her. I left and never looked back. Even when I'd heard of her death, I hadn't given her much thought, but time did change me. After nearly two decades, it was... nice to see her again. Why bother being needlessly cruel?
I glanced at the clock, suddenly remembering my derailed plans. "Sakura, what's today's date?"
"Umm..." She blinked at the question, tapping her finger to her mouth for a moment before she answered. "The 4th?"
Of February, I'm sure. How convenient for me. Sadly, I can't remember the actual week day, but I can look that up later without looking foolish. Although, I am rather curious...
"Stay for a few minutes and eat some of this with me before you go." I waved at the loaded table. "It won't kill Emiya if you wake him up a few minutes later than you usually would."
Sakura stilled, a strange look passing over her face, before she gave a soft snort, and smiled like yesterday. I was beginning to wonder if that smile was really a mask for her contemplating on how to kill me. Still, she sat down to my right and started spreading some butter on a piece of toast. Neither of us said much of anything, as we ate, but it was... comfortable. It passed soon enough when she finished her toast and stood to leave, but her farewell wasn't as awkward as I'd expected either.
It wasn't bad.
But, I thought as I stood with a plate to walk over to a calendar hanging on the wall, it was time to start getting serious. A quick fingering on the dates led me to the fact that it was Sunday, even more convenient for me. I had the whole day to pull myself together, try to rack my brain for any sort of detail that might help me win this war, and then actually putting it all into motion.
"Rider, you there?" I immediately regretted saying that. Of course it was. What a stupid question. I should have been more commanding, more confident. I can't ever be sure it won't stab me in the back, but if I don't at least pretend to be sure of myself, I can pretty much guarantee myself to not be long for this world.
"Yes, Master." It appeared to my left as I sat back down at the table. I glanced at my Servant, looking as docile as ever. I would never, could never forget its ferocity the previous night, however. It was my only weapon in this world, but it was very much a double-edged sword. One wrong move and it might very well lop my head off instead of my enemy's.
"Take a seat, Rider." I gestured to the chair to my left. "Eat whatever you like. After breakfast, we're going to have a long talk."
I wasn't looking at it, but I could still feel Rider pause momentarily, a slight hesitation, before sitting down. Did I just surprise it? Perhaps, perhaps it was hesitating on whether or not to kill me where I sat. I don't know. I probably won't ever know. What does a man know of a monster's mind? Like so many other things, it doesn't matter. There's nothing I can do if it decides to turn on me, so I won't bother worrying about it. What does matter is finding out a bit more about what it can do, and giving it a bit of information on what I know. It might be curious, but I doubt it'll question where I got my Intel either.
Come what may, I'm in this war to win it.
-Cut-