Land of Steel REMASTERED
Disclaimer: Fate Stay/Night and Campione belong to their respective creators. I don't get any money doing this.
Notice: Chapter VII was updated; nothing much, just check out the notes and the final comedic omake-style ending.
Chapter 8
Akinomizu High, Second Year, Class C. I am currently attending the English lecture. It's been five days since my enrollment.
"An adverb can be usually identified by the suffix of –ly…" The sensei's voice drones on as I suppress my urge to yawn. I have already studied this at Homurahara.
Surprisingly, the syllabus has changed little in almost 8 years. Our homeroom teacher is Ikuto-sensei, a mild mannered middle-aged man with an intellectual air.
"Emiya. Stop yawning." Oh. Looks like I yawned anyway.
"Sorry, Shirosaki. I am feeling a bit sleepy…" I am feeling really sleepy. I think I understand how Rin feels.
"Okay, Emiya. Homeroom will end in ten minutes. I'll treat you to coffee. Will that be enough to stop your yawning?"
"Ye-yes. That will be great."
Kizuro Shirosaki. The Student Council Vice-President. Also the former President of the Kendo Club. Along with that, a top scorer in his First Year exams. Even though he has a permanent scowl on his face, he is still extremely charismatic.
Sensei asked him to help out the new transfer student (me), and he was happy to oblige.
When I told him to stop roleplaying Ichigo Kurosaki, his scowl deepened and he told me shut up. The Bleach protagonist appears to be a sore point for him.
He has dyed his hair silver. It actually resembles Archer's hairstyle.
From my experiences, colored hair makes school difficult.
No, really. Shinji and Sakura got bullied for their hair.
I was teased for a short while too, but when Kiritsugu came for the PTA meeting, all the bullying mysteriously stopped.
Anyway, when I ask him about his hair, he smirks.
"You know, I used to attend middle school in Ikebukekuro. Two years ago, my parents were promoted. Their company decided to send them to work overseas. Hence, my cousin was asked to be me and my little sister, Yuna's caretaker.
Unfortunately, she was studying for her University exams. My little sister was attending Middle School, First Year and didn't know too much of cooking. The cousin was absolutely useless at anything other than microwaving. In the end, my little sister and me were forced to cook for that bitch.
At the end of the year, I found out that Yuna was being bullied by a couple of rich brats. I kinda lost my temper and took my kendo stick with me. A week later, those brats were fractured in a hospital while I was disciplined. If my parents hadn't interfered, I would surely have been expelled. Anyway, I was tempted to get my hair dyed and my ears pierced, act like a delinquent and all, but if I had done that, I would have gotten into more trouble. My class started bullying me. The same occurred to Yuna. Anyway, since the year was gonna end either way, I decided to bury myself in my books. In the end, I ended up ranking 5th in exams. Yuna… well, she wasn't that lucky and barely managed to pass.
Of course, those bullying assholes weren't pleased and decided to beat me up. But I had already predicted that. Using some hair dye, a marker, pens and some cloth, I set them up. At the end of the certificate presentation ceremony, my hair and clothes were dyed silver. Along with my leaving certificate and the felicitation for being a top-ranking student, I was presented with the token apology and was given a medical certificate allowing for the use of my hair dye. The bastards were severely disciplined. I don't know what happened later, but I am pretty sure they weren't expelled."
At the end of this little tale, Shirosaki smiles. A heartfelt smile, filled with a hint of sadism.
0-0-0
Homeroom ends. Shirosaki and I run to the cafeteria. I have made my own bento.
Shirosaki directs me to the cafeteria. Fortunately, it hasn't filled up yet, and the vending machine isn't empty yet.
As promised, he hands me the coffee can.
In exchange, I treat him to Yakitori.
"Lucky me. Not only is yakitori extremely rare, I forgot bringing enough notes. I'll pay you back later, Emiya." Saying this, he chomps on the noodle bread.
"Ahaha. Don't worry about it." This isn't my hard-earned money; I basically threatened the HCC into handing me the cash.
"So, what about you? How did you end up here? I mean, what caused your sudden transfer to Tokyo?" Yakitori finished, Shirosaki asks his questions.
"Actually, I am here because my dad's friend had a house in Tokyo and I wanted to try living alone. This friend had some connections which allowed me to enroll in Akinomizu. Otherwise… well this is a high class institute, isn't it?" This explanation was decided between me and the HCC. Needless to say, Amakasu-san is the 'uncle' in this arrangement.
"Actually, no. As you would have heard before, Akinomizu was a former Girl's High School. Most of the guys here decided to apply in the hopes of getting a harem." If I hadn't finished my coffee, I would probably have spitted it out. As for the moment, I only coughed.
"H-Harem?!"
"No, really. It's true. Don't ask me why it's like that." Is Shirosaki joking? He sounds sincere.
"You are the Student Council Vice President, aren't you? Let me guess, like an anime, you are the only guy in the harem of girls, right?" I respond with a joke.
"It isn't a harem because I am single and all the girls are-. Wait a moment."
Pausing for a bit, he rethinks his words.
"Would you like to join? You are a transfer student, we have a free slot and I don't think you have a girlfriend, so it would be a nice oppor-" I interrupt his recruitment speech.
"Actually, I do have a girlfriend, and I am not going to cheat on her. Thanks, but no thanks."
"Too bad. Actually, can I introduce you to the Student Council later? It would be best if you join a club, and the Student Council gives the best privileges."
That, and I would prefer it if I wasn't the only guy in a group of girls. I sympathize with his unspoken hope.
"I'll think about it."
As the cafeteria fills up with students, a see a figure I know walk in.
"Please do, I-" His eyes wander to the cafeteria door. The short black haired, petite girl freezes as Shirosaki looks at her.
"C-Club President?!" The amateur magus and First Year High School Student flinches at seeing Shirosaki.
"Renjou-san, I am not the Kendo Club President anymore. Yet, I still feel it's my duty to request you to attend club." Shirosaki admonishes Ayane-chan with the style of the 'kind Club President' even though he is no longer the Kendo Club President.
"Y-yes. I'm sorry, Shirosaki-sempai." The hothead Ayane apologizes in a meek manner; I am somewhat surprised.
0-0-0
"I wanted you to increase your club attendance, not apologize." Shirosaki says with a wry smile.
"Yes, Club President-" And Ayane finally notices me. "Hello, Emiya-san. How are you doing?" She says this with a nervous expression.
"Ayane-chan, Shirosaki and I were talking about the Student Council-"
Just then, Shirosaki interrupts. "Do you know each other?"
"Yeah, we know each other… Ayane, you are in the Kendo Club?"
"Yeah, are you thinking of joining too?"
"Sorry no, my only club is the 'go home club'."
"Actually, I was in the middle of recruiting him to the Student Council." Shirosaki finally joins in.
"Wait a moment, when did I agree to join-"
"Well begun is half done-"
"Don't you use strange English quotes on me!"
As we continue to argue, the announcement rings. Break time over, we rush back to our classes.
0-0-0
Classes are finally over. The Science teacher, Airi-sensei taught something other than what I knew so I paid a bit more attention.
As I walk out, I spot Ayane-chan and Koudzuki-san talking. When I first introduced them to each other, Koudzuki-san freaked out over how cute Ayane was. Since then, they have been such good friends.
Shirosaki had some Student Council work to do, and I am not the Fake Janitor anymore. Hence, we parted after exchanging phone numbers.
8 years ago, exchanging phone numbers was a big deal, and now it can be done on a whim. It's kind of unsettling, how time turns miracles into normality.
As Ayane, Koudzuki-san and I make our way home, I can't help but feel that something monumental is going to happen. It's just my intuition, increased by my ascension to a Campione.
I shrug off the feeling of doom and move ahead.
0-0-0
It had been a week since Kusanagi Godou and Emiya Shirou fought each other. It had been for the first time that Kusanagi Godou truly lost.
Kusanagi Godou had been surprisingly cheery at the result of the battle. His lovers felt otherwise.
At the moment, there were two Campione in the city.
One of them had defeated the other. Moreover, the victorious Campione, Emiya Shirou, had done this with contemptuous ease, without even revealing his Authority.
After which, Emiya Shirou continued on to force the History Compilation Committee to furnish him with money and to create a new identity for him.
At this moment, Kusanagi Godou's first lover, Erica Blandelli was talking with her uncle on her phone.
"…Did you manage to convince her?" Erica hesitantly asked her uncle.
"Actually, she said that she'll think about it and that it sounds interesting." The voice on the other side of the phone sounded a bit put out.
"A polite refusal, then." Despite the failure, Erica was still impressed. Of course, Paulo Blandelli had managed to speak with her and come out unscathed! He was her uncle after all.
Her uncle picked up the tone. "Like she would attack me. She was once my apprentice, after all."
"I am sorry. The youngest Paladin… even though you are a Paladin yourself, I didn't think you could-" "Erica", Her uncle gently admonished her.
"Well, I think she was genuinely interested. After all, it's her birth country."
"What… 'Sanguinoso Marie' is actually a Japanese?!"
"I never told you her real name, did I? She wouldn't have minded you knowing her real name. After all, you were once like sisters."
Marie and me were once like sisters… when she was an apprentice, of course. Even though she was only 2 years older than me, she was so mature… As these thoughts churned in Erica's head, her uncle continued.
"You probably don't know this, but around 15 years ago, there was a Japanese city named Fuyuki. The Sajyou family, which had split off from one of the Four Great Families, Renjou, were located in the city. Then, a Heretic God turned up." Paulo's tone turned somber.
"The Sajyou family head was my friend, and I had added some wards to the fortification. When I learnt what was going on, I decided to pay a visit."
"When I arrived it was a complete mess. There had been a great fire. The only survivor was a young girl, Ayaka Sajyou, the family head's daughter. She had even forgotten her family name."
"You mean…" Erica gasped.
Her uncle continued on without paying attention.
"On an instinct, I told her about her family. I scavenged all that remained of the Sajyou family's heritage and took her away to England."
"Around three months later, they changed the city's name. Anything that remained of the Sajyou family was confiscated by the Renjous. A year after that, The Sajyou family was eradicated from the Renjou family record."
Erica hadn't seen the girl she lovingly called Big Sis since half a decade. Then, three years ago, she was given the title of Paladin after successfully completing apprenticeship with Salvatore Doni.
"So, as I was saying, it isn't implausible that Marie Blandelli will decide that the idea of taking revenge on the Renjou family by seducing the Eighth Campione has merit."
0-0-0-0-0
Chapter end. Most of the characters have been introduced. How did you like my description of Ayaka Sajyou? Anyway, Sanguinoso Marie means Bloody Mary. Thanks to Kizuro Shirosaki for lending me his username. Byeeee!
Oh no, I sound like Ilya. Suplexedatrain signing off.
PS. For some reason, page breaks disappeared. Reuploaded.
Even though Fate/Zero is popular as hell, Kiritsugu/Kirei slash fics are rare. So, can someone recommend a good one?