Fuyuki, Homurahara Academy.
Rin Tohsaka was having a confusing morning.
'I can see the need to blend in with the civilians, but attending a normal high school? Really?!'
Rin was well-informed that a Japanese high school would be a different experience from what she and her 'mistress' had in Finland. Local mentality and the country's curriculum standards aside, it was also just a normal school. Not one owned by a magi household nor influenced by one from the shadows. Even with all the preparations, she wasn't quite ready for what she got returning to Fuyuki after all these years.
Especially the yakuza of a teacher with the air of a tiger shouting down the excitement of her students at their arrival.
"Listen here, punks!" Loud, commanding, and strict, the voice of the teacher made every student in the room pay attention to her. Them as well, but more her as Fujimura Taiga slammed a palm to her desk. "Our class was lucky to be selected for two transfer students from Europe! I want you all to be on your best behaviour! Or else—!"
The eccentric woman with light brown hair calmly—albeit threateningly—drew a bamboo sword and pointed it straight at her audience of teenagers. Why on Earth the school teacher had a kendo sword hidden under her skirt of all places was beyond Rin's understanding, and the Tohsaka heiress didn't want to find out why.
Luvia, the minx, kept a smiling mask on as though this would've been a normal first day in any high school. The teacher Fujimura, on the other hand, just grinned like a drill sergeant as soon as her class groaned in acknowledgement. As if this was normal in any high school setting! But upon turning to face them, the aforementioned new students, the adult wore a beaming smile like she was a kindly neighbourhood older sister down the road.
"Come on now! Don't be shy and introduce yourself, you two!"
Rin's polite but irritably twitching smile found it hard to speak at first. Considering they were trying to lay low, they already failed when they arrived at the front gate getting off Luvia's limousine. Getting assigned this homeroom with this teacher, however, it all but defeated her plans to mask her personal identity from any limelight.
They were here for special reasons, after all.
Still, Rin's awkward silence aside, Luvia was ecstatic, immediately basking in the attention she was given by the eccentric teacher, matching Taiga's enthusiasm with her own pompous laugh.
"Ohohoho! I thank you for that wonderful introduction, Miss Fujimura-sensei! As a member of the Edelfelt noble family, allow my humble self to greet you, fellow classmates of Homurahara Academy!"
Rin's eyebrow twitched at how quickly Luvia was able to adapt to speaking Japanese names so perfectly. It was as if all the anime the witch forced her into watching actually aided in that endeavour. Luvia was positively beaming upon enrapturing the students with her exaggerated bow and the lifting of her long skirt as a curtsy. She then spoke like she was on a diplomatic mission and not posing as a student of a regular school.
"I am Lady Luviagelita Edelfelt, the future head of the Edelfelt household of Finland. However, I understand that it may be a tad difficult for the common folk to start pronouncing my name with perfect diction. Hence, as per my dear maid's—Ahem!—friend's suggestion, I permit you all to address me as simply Luvia. In any case, it is with great anticipation that I am to be your fellow classmate. Please, look after me!"
Said maid was quick to narrow her eyes upon being nudged to the front by her dear mistress. Rin stifled the urge to strangle the blonde gorilla with her drill hair and sighed.
"Err… likewise to my… friend… here," God, how she detested saying it aloud. Ah, she didn't miss how Luvia was cackling behind her snapped-open fan, the witch! "It is a pleasure to meet you all. I'm… Rin… Tohsaka Rin. I used to live and study in Fuyuki but moved to Finland ten years ago. I'm glad to be back home. I will be in your care as well. Good day."
Being more familiar with local customs from her time in elementary school, Rin slightly bowed before standing up straight. As both girls expected, they had garnered pretty much the attention of everyone in the class. After all, it's not every day that two students from abroad get transferred to the same class. In this sense with Luvia being a bonafide foreigner, she was seen as an exotic attraction instantly. Especially when she acted like a benevolent ruler wherever she went. Well, she is a nobility, rotten insides aside.
However, in the eyes of everyone in the class, Rin wasn't a mere accessory. She could already feel the same pressure and expectations they had for her that rivalled her so-called 'friend'.
'Ugh… this is what I get for being a blonde while standing right next to Luvia…' she inwardly groaned while outwardly keeping a polite face. 'People will definitely think we're related. Yuck!'
She tried so hard not to retch. Thankfully, she had years of experience after putting up with the noble bimbo of an ape.
Who could have guessed that losing that stupid bet to the natural blonde would end up like this? Still, dyeing one's hair blonde was far from the worst Luvia could have imposed on her. Rin could admit that she rocked her current look but preferred her natural dark hair over the golden locks any day. She was already the picturesque Yamato Nadeshiko. Going this far was a low blow but a tolerable gag by Luvia.
Rin definitely drew the line at wearing red eye contacts though. Luvia tried and failed to force Rin into wearing them this morning and wouldn't be able to convince her otherwise. Dressing up as a fake blonde? Fine. Being overtly outed as this prissy noble bitch's maid? Tolerable. Having to wear eye contacts for the duration of their stay just to keep up the disguise? Rin would rather choke on sashimi. No doubt she'd look great with them, especially to contrast her hair at the moment. But it will be a pain to constantly maintain them, not to mention having sore eyes because of them.
"Ah… It's great that they like you! Seems like everyone will get along this year too—! Ah… wait… I think I'm forgetting something.." Taiga nodded approvingly before pausing at a thought. She closed her eyes, seemingly trying to remember something important before she snapped it open. "Ah, that's right! It's your first day here, so you guys need a guide!"
'You needed time to remember that?!' Rin held herself off from overtly judging her teacher's competence and decided to not have herself and Luvia involved with anyone so soon. "Er… it's alright, Fujimura-sensei. I think we'll get by fine navigating the school on our own—"
"Nonsense! It'll be rude to just throw you two off the deep end! And it'll be irresponsible of me not to get at least someone to help you two out! The question is, who should it be?"
While she busied herself in a thinking pose, the students sat before them all began to clamour. The once calm and quiet class began volunteering to be their guides. Most noticeably, they were made up of a majority of the boys of the class. And they were all acting like rabid fans.
"Sensei, let me! Let me!" "No, me!" "Nah, you suck, pick me!" "Luvia-neesama, please look this way!" "Kyaaah!" "Taiga-chan, let me do it!" "Oy, quiet down you guys! Can't you see you're all being rude to the new students." "Shut your face, Issei!" "Mitsuzuri, you're not helping!"
Rin couldn't recall if her classmates in elementary school acted like this in any way. Probably not. Hopefully not. It was so cringing how it resembled Luvia's depiction of how Japanese schools worked. So cringe that Rin was struggling not to die of second-hand embarrassment with every plea they made. Hell, there's already a Luvia fanclub blooming amongst a gaggle of squeeing girls in the nearest corner of the room! She didn't dare imagine what was going on with the boys' side either as they fawned—begged to be their guides.
Fujimura Taiga ignored all of them. Except for the one who called her 'Taiga-chan'. That boy ended up with a piece of chalk flying like a bullet to strike him square in the forehead as the teacher continued to think. Or perhaps she was playing around? Rin studied her silly thinking face but her eyes were already targeting someone in the far back. A redhead who wasn't all that interested in the new faces to his class.
"Shirou! You're up! Be a gentleman and show these two ladies around the school during lunch and after class, okay?!'
"Huh?!" the redhead boy in the back of the classroom blinked before asking. "W-Why me—?!"
"Eh? What was that?" Fujimura's smile momentarily turned scary. "You got something you need to do later? Don't tell me you have a date planned!"
A few of the class laughed and chuckled at that like it was an inside joke. The boy himself just made a face that said 'It's not what you're all thinking' before trying to state his reasons. It only took the teacher's insistent puppy-dog-eyed pleading face for him to cave immediately.
"Erk… F-fine…" the boy sighed in defeat and slowly nodded. "I'll do it…"
"Great! Be a gentleman, you hear?!" The energy of the entire class was quickly shut down as mutterings of 'ah, sadly, Emiya's on duty again' or 'can't help it if Taiga-chan's looking to offload work' accompanied the sitting down of the students. It seems they stumbled upon the 'teacher's pet'. Or maybe more the 'teacher's favourite' if his reluctance was anything to go by.
In any case, Luvia and Rin were quickly seated without much of a fuss. The boy named Shirou gave them a polite but troubled nod as Rin spared him an apologetic glance. Now seat neighbours, it was best to just go with the flow here.
Fujimura Taiga then quickly diverted the class's attention to the blackboard as she wrote down 'Finland' in English characters. "Now! Since we have new students from afar, why not test your knowledge about the Scandinavian nation they're from? You there! What's the capital of Finland?!"
That got a few wry chuckles and mutterings of a nonsensical pop quiz out of nowhere. In Rin's eyes, it seems this act of randomness was nothing new to the class. Not that they all would take it lying down as what seemed to be the class representative raised his hand while adjusting his glasses up the bridge of his nose.
"But Fujimura-sensei, this is an English class—AGH!"
"Then answer in English, Issei!" Taiga yelled with excitement, having thrown yet another stick of chalk with devastating precision at the guy's forehead. Luvia chuckled behind her fan as Rin offered a silent prayer at his expense. Everyone else just went with it. Or groaned. Either or, the class atmosphere was one of strange acceptance and jovial tomfoolery until the bell rang and Fujimura Taiga had to leave for her next class. Their new classmates would then flock to her and Luvia both, barraging them with questions and such, reminiscent of an actual class for once.
All in all, fate was being kinder than Rin could hope for from her new classmates and school life. Perhaps returning home wasn't going to be all bad.
It was not going to be a fine morning. Not very soon for a certain girl with unnatural purple hair.
Though it wasn't her natural colour as a byproduct of being physically and emotionally abused by a certain fallen clan's magecraft, she'd grown accustomed to it. The boy was glad it didn't bring his sister much pain anymore. Barely reminded her of the trauma she'd endure. It's been like that for years.
All that will change once news of who just enrolled in his class reaches Sakura's ear…
Seeing two beautiful blondes who both flew in from Finland had every one of Homurahara's students talking. But what was most peculiar to one particular lad was the girl who introduced herself with the name 'Tohsaka'. And while not one of the normal classmates had batted an eye at the name, a teen with messy cobalt blue hair had to stop himself from staring at the trio sitting just across the far end of the room. His was the furthest seat from Shirou, but by sheer coincidence, it was also the furthest out of sight of the two new girls. And he preferred they didn't notice, especially the one who looked to be Japanese despite the blonde hair. It was likely a dye.
He didn't need to look again. She already introduced herself to the class and hers was a face he couldn't not see in his sisters sometimes. Call it brotherly instinct or maybe it's just something that comes naturally to being a family she complicitly trusted. He was certain this change was going to be an unwelcome one.
Which was why Matou Shinji could only sigh as he already knew things would take an ugly turn once another person will learn about Tohsaka's return.
'Ah… today is such a good day.' Thought a girl as she merrily skipped down the hall. Being a first year, no one paid her excitability any mind and she didn't heed any onlookers either. Some of her classmates were too busy discussing new transfers or something. She didn't care. Not when today was the day she prepared a special bento box for her dear senpai. 'Ah, such a wonderful day.'
The sun was out. The breeze had been very soothing all day from her open window. All the signs of a wonderful day to come were here, as they always have been when her mind was on that special someone.
To be on cloud nine was often rare for one Matou Sakura. Normally, no matter how bright the day was, she'd act calm, and composed, being the older sibling to her brother despite the age difference. Considering Shinji was sometimes really crappy when it came to his flirting or jokes, Sakura was downright disappointed he couldn't be as cool and mature as some of their friends. Or rather, one specifically…
Just thinking about having lunch with him and his adoring praises about her cooking sent a flutter of butterflies soaring in her stomach. Enough so that the usually calm demeanour of hers had been replaced by humming with a cheery smile.
'I can't wait! We promised to share this one. It's my best masterpiece!'
Yes. She was really enjoying the high life of a teenager right now. Getting good grades, whipping her doofus brother into shape, taking care of home life, and studying diligently in the art of alchemy under her adoptive parent's guidance. But most importantly of all, she was trying her best at love too.
She wouldn't say she was stalling or dallying about. Every move she made was calculated. Every day she spent agonizing about tomorrow's time spent was genuine. The number of times she went to his home to learn more about his tastes and particular favourites and the time she spent inviting him to their home just to see if he'd accept the things she liked as well couldn't be counted in just one hand. They weren't technically childhood friends, but Sakura didn't know if she could live a day without him in her thoughts.
Staring out the window of the first-year classroom hallway, she looked to the clouds and smiled when the morning sunshine was as excitedly blinding as her happy mood. 'It's a good omen. No rain or cloud in sight. And no one to bother us while we eat together on the rooftop.'
She would fist pump her small victories, but that was unlike her. Instead, she just continued to hop up the steps to the second-year classrooms' floor two steps at a time, bento box in one hand while the other slid up the rails.
There was no taking it slow for she had an objective to accomplish today. It was the same as any other day: getting even closer to a special someone. And nothing was going to ruin it for her.
Except for Shinji, probably. Her brother was always around to mess stuff up one way or another, but if he dared ruin the moment, he knew he'd be punished when they got home. Reducing his dinner may be unfair, but that's what he'll get for consuming time she could be spending on her beloved senpai. A shame family couldn't be punished more severely, but she was magnanimous enough to tolerate her sleazy brother when he wronged the girls of the other classes.
Besides, Shinji knew better than to purposely stand in her path. He was supportive in his own way, albeit reluctant at times. It was how he showed his familial love for her. Love… How a word could mean so many things in so many different ways…
Ah, to be in love… The feeling wasn't as fleeting as some movies and soap operas claimed. While it did warrant a sense of caution, there was nothing to fear when her love inspired her to explore her interests, expand her skillset and appreciate her self-worth. More so when the person she was interested in very much appreciated their bond.
With him, she felt warm. She felt alive. It was a sharp contrast to the hollow shell she was nearly a decade ago. A decade… How time flies… She could still recall her uncle as he saved her with the help of a dark-haired hero and his red-haired demon lady partner. She could also still recall the time spent in recovery, of finally being free and getting used to a normal life…
But what she remembered most of all was that day, in the snow. When she first met him… … It still brought a flush to her cheeks whenever she thought about it.
Sakura couldn't imagine a day she wasn't in love. But then again, it's been a long time since she fell for him. She'd never let him go, no matter what.
"Shirou! This school is so amazing! It's just like the shows I've seen on TV! Does it have sakura blossoms too? Please, tell me they do!"
"Ergh! E-Edelfelt-san… please. Calm down. You don't have to hold on to me so tightly!"
Which was why Sakura's jolly cheer came to a screeching halt as her feet skidded against the tiled floor. Dashing to the cover of a nearby support pillar of the stairwell, her eyes grew wide and her brows furrowed with curious fury.
Just this morning, Matou Sakura was having a pleasant day. Then, everything changed when she spotted an Unidentified Blonde Wench attack—no, wrapped her ridiculously obscene chest around her darling senpai's arm as her drill-curled hair fluttered about like tentacles.
In all truthfulness, it wasn't a scene straight from an R-rated film and more a stranger from afar unhesitatingly clinging to a dear friend of hers, but Sakura was seeing red. She was staring at the redheaded teen's troubled expression, but what mostly caught her glare of murderous daggers was the woman manhandling her man—her friend—right now!
"Nonsense!" the blonde said, snapping her fan out and seemingly preying on Emiya Shirou's embarrassment as she politely—read forcefully—hooked his arm in hers. "Miss Fujimura-sensei requested you to be my guide today. I shall see that you are a gentleman of your word and escort me."
"Y-you don't have to cling so closely though—" he tried to pull away, but she was like a hawk with how her talons seemed to rub his biceps eagerly—read lustfully—as she held him in place and whispered into his ear, yet audibly for all to hear.
"Please, Shirou, call me Luvia."
"Um… I don't know—Mmph?!" The fan shut his lips up. Perplexed and flushing, Shirou was at the sultry woman's mercy.
"Come on… say it for me. Pretty please?" she slowed her speech, but there was a certain intimacy in the air as she mouthed the syllables. "Lu-vi-ah?"
'Who the heck is this woman?!' Some of the details noted above may be exaggerated due to Sakura's vision, but it didn't matter. She was already planning to stomp up there, pry her senpai out of the pickle he found himself in, and save him from that thing's advances. Of course, not necessarily as harsh as she wanted it to pan out. She may have wanted to slap and hiss the woman for hanging on to Shirou like that, but she was a responsible and composed woman. She would sort out this mess and get to the bottom of that bimbo's identity and relationship with Shirou. Sakura, wearing the most pristine yet terrifying smile, walked out to resolve this dilemma threatening her lunch date.
Or at least, she would've been able to if not for a set of familiar hands pulling her back into the hiding spot by her shoulders. "Hey! What the hell, Shinji?!"
"Whew… thank god I caught you…" Her brother was sweating, but she wasn't paying attention to him or the relief in his voice. "Sakura, come with me for a second. We need to talk."
"I'm not in the mood, brother." She tried to shake his grip, but there was something about today wherein Shinji didn't immediately acquiesce to her demands. Coupled with the scene from earlier, his change in behaviour irked her somewhat. "Shinji, let go!"
"I can't do that. Please. Just a quick talk—" She tried to unceremoniously pull away with a punch to his gut, but for the first time in a while, he blocked her retaliation. "Sakura, I'm asking you as your brother to please listen to me for one second—!"
"THERE YOU ARE, LUVIA! I told you not to leave me alone! And stop clinging! You're bothering Emiya-kun enough as it is with your big mouth."
Another female voice broke the tentative silence. It wasn't one she should've recognized, yet, there was a familiarity in its timber. Slowly, Sakura pushed her brother away to lean an eye over the corner. There, she saw another blonde… But this one was… different.
"Dammit…"
Sakura's attention was stuck on the newcomer that came to pry the hussy off of her senpai that she ignored Shinji's cursing entirely. 'Who—?'
"Why must you be so uptight, Rin?" The vixen still clinging to Shirou whined despite looking as composed and arrogant as can be. "We've not gone that far off and yet you're already lost? My, has returning home already dulled your sense of direction?"
"I can tell right from the left just fine, drill for brains. It's our guide I'm worried about!" The second blonde quickly pulled her apparent friend away from Shirou and stood between them while offering an apologetic bow. "Sorry about that. This idiot's been excited to come here that apparently, she lost a couple—to half a million—of her brain cells. I'll wrangle her in before she causes more trouble."
"N-no worries. She's from abroad so perhaps she just needs to get used to the customs around here. Ahah… Ahahah…" Shirou, ever the optimistic and loveable kind-hearted fool, was quick to forgive and took the apology in stride with a chuckle. "And don't worry about me, Tohsaka-san. I can manage."
"Well… I'm glad you're open-minded." The girl sighed. But the way she did, the way she smiled, and the glint of her eyes was all too familiar for Sakura.
"Nee…. san…" So familiar that she couldn't help but blurt out…
The blonde girl's shoulders might've stiffened. Turning to face down the hall as though a ghost called out her name, she could've been mistaken. But when their eyes met, Sakura's mind froze. It took a full three seconds before she could compose herself and was about to take a step back into the shadows, but it was too late.
Rin had seen her. She had seen Rin.
Across the hall, they shared a quiet stare. But only one looked pleasantly surprised albeit nervous and she was currently blonde.
Sakura could only feel trepidation. And anger. One she hadn't felt in full force for a decade.
Ah… to hate something with all your heart. The need to hit something had never been so strong before. But her grip on the corner of the wall was indeed strong enough that tightened fingers had chipped the paint and maybe even scratched a fingernail.
Ah… so this is what it feels like to hate. A shame that love could only do so much to balance it out.
"Y-yo! Shirou! Are you planning to act as the tour guide already?" Shinji, likely sensing her anxiety, broke the awkwardness between their two parties and stepped up to hide her with his broad back.
"Ah, Shinji. Why'd you run off so fast? I needed to give you your notebook back—"
"Nevermind that for later and go do your duty, you teacher's pet." Shinji cut her senpai off. Despite wanting him to not push Shirou away while he was in the company of that girl from that family… Sakura couldn't speak out against it. She didn't want for her beloved to see the state she was in.
To hate enough to kill… it was ugly. It wasn't her. It wasn't the her she wanted to show him. And yet, it was a part of her trauma all the same. There were very few things she hated in this world. And one of them just so happened to be standing near the one she loved most.
"Hey, what's wrong with Sakura?" Hearing his concern for her had Sakura's breath hitching. Mixed emotions swirled and contradicted one another, the desire to rush in his arms fighting against the need to pull him away from that woman. But she couldn't allow him to get close. Not right now. Not while she was there. "Shinji, have you upset her again?"
"Ngh… Y-yeah. Kinda." Shinji lied through his teeth for her, pretending to be at fault so the guy she liked didn't have to see her deplorable state. "Look, I'm trying to make it up to her. Could you just… please just go. I'll talk to you about it later. Besides, Fujimura-sensei might get pissed if you ignored your duty as a tour guide if you waste so much time—!"
"Matou-kun!" Her voice cut through his excuses like a hot knife in butter. "Is… is that Sakura behind you?"
"Drat…" Shinji cursed under his breath before responding with a simple "Yeah…"
"C-could I see her… Please… It's been years and I… I would like to speak to her for a bit."
Though it was nervous and just as reluctant, Sakura couldn't hear it conveyed like that. All she could feel from Rin's voice was the hate it boiled inside of her.
'Of all the times to come back, why now? Of all the people to meet her since, why her? Of all the places she could be, why here? Of all the people she would have approached, why him?'
Question after question, the stress had piled up in an instant. The feelings she had of being abandoned to her fate, of being dumped in that hell hole resurfaced. Years of repressed revulsion of her sister, of her father, of her family… it all came bubbling to the top like disgusting mud born from the depths of her traumatized heart.
But she wouldn't let her anger out. She couldn't. Not here. Not yet.
Which is why Shinji, looking for her permission, was met with Sakura's perfected polite smile. Clear, calm and as cold as ice, she smiled as she stepped forward, stepped out of her overprotective brother's shadow, to face the woman that belonged to the magus family that cast her aside. That, however indirect, made her fall in the pit of rapist worms and torture bugs.
"It's nice to see you again, Tohsaka-san." Giving an introductory bow, Sakura's practised mask remained unfazed. "It's been a while since we last met."
"Sa—Sakura…?" Rin looked perturbed, perhaps confused at how she was acting. It didn't matter, however.
"Yes. Matou Sakura, present. You said you wanted to see me. Odd. Last we met, you didn't seem very keen in meeting me." She maintained a modest smile and a polite distance, but the barb was there in her words. It was there in the hardness of the stare she gave her former sister. "Is it the same now?"
"Eh?" Rin's expression froze. For a while, she looked crestfallen, flustered. "A-ah… My bad. I was… preoccupied with… a lot of things." But in another second, she recovered. Rin bore a perfect smile. A mask of poise befitting an heiress of a prestigious family. "I couldn't say it then, but… I'm glad to see you're doing well for yourself. You've grown up beautifully. It's good to see you again, Sakura."
Composed and cool, almost like her. As expected of Rin. She was a formidable one who couldn't be fazed entirely by seeing her after all these years. Though, if one saw it from the sides, they could tell something was off. But with a head-on stare, neither of the former siblings could see the chink in the other's armour. It didn't stop Sakura's barbs, however.
"A shame I can't say the same for you."
Said in a mutter, it went by unnoticed by most. Conveniently, even Shirou didn't catch it as he was being distracted by his fellow classmates ribbing him for being assigned as the guide to the two popular transfers.
But Rin had caught it. She was capable of reading into what Sakura muttered in the heat of the moment. Though it was on impulse, Sakura's words struck a sharp blow to the sister she used to look up to. Enough that it made the unflappable Rin flinch for the first time since they met again.
"Good day to you as well, Matou siblings." It was then that Luvia slotted herself between the siblings and exaggeratedly introduced herself. "It is a pleasure to get acquainted with someone my dear friend Rin is familiar with. A friend of family is a friend of mine as well."
"F-family?" It was Shinji, not Sakura, that prompted the question out of confusion.
"Indeed. Loathe as I am to admit, we are as inseparable as sisters, this maid of mine and I." The sisters and Shinji stiffened at that, but Luvia either was ignorant of it or didn't care much for their reactions. "You see, the Tohsakas had encountered a slight issue way back when. I can't give you the details, but due to their circumstances, my clan has taken them in for protection as a favour to the late Sir Tokiomi. Hence why, after their adoption to our home, Rin and I are very, very close! Like real siblings, rivalry and all! Ohohoho!"
"Hm… I-is that so?" Shinji muttered awkwardly, unsure whether to take the woman's word for it or as an exaggerated jest of an upper-class noblewoman. Regardless, he tried to turn the attention back to the girl in question. "I g-guess that's why we haven't seen you in a long while, huh, Tohsaka."
"Y-yes." Rin awkwardly shuffled behind her mistress, nervously twirling her dyed locks between her fingers. She looked to be very reluctant to continue talking, but Luvia Edelfelt seemed to feel otherwise.
"Woe is me that I never experience a day when she doesn't trouble me. Alas, I owe her and her mother a debt, hence they are both under my care, under the Edelfelt family's care, while we are in Japan." Luvia snapped her fan shut as she subtly narrowed her gaze, smile still present but very much a façade as she stared at Shinji hard. "Just so you are aware, Matou family heir."
An airhead at times, the Finnish noble lady can be. But right now was not one of those times. With a regal smirk and pompous words, she acted as the barrier that hid Rin from Sakura's silent glare. She took on the anger and resentment emanating from the Matou sibling's side without a care for her own impromptu involvement.
But that just sent mixed messages to the girl who maintained the veneer of composure between the sisters.
'So in the end… you ran away. You left me here… to rot.'
While Rin was looking to her benefactor with confused furrowed brows, Sakura's cold politeness hid the questions, the assumptions. And the misgivings.
'You stand behind this… this… this bitch like a shield… And all you had to say to me… after all these years is… I grew up beautifully?'
She should've been glad a sister she used to love would compliment her so… But it felt empty. No, it felt disgusting to take flattery from her. From them.
'Not even sorry for your crimes. Not even an apology for what that man did, for what our father did to me… Even in death… Not even mother—Ah! That's right… Mother…'
"So does that mean the Tohsaka family is currently living with you in your residence, Edelfelt-senpai?" Sakura asked, playing innocent as she tilted her head in inquiry. "That's odd. Didn't the Tohsakas have their own residence in Fuyuki?"
"Th-the property was so—rented off due to… limited resources," Rin answered for them, not looking Sakura in the eye. "Mother and I… we don't have the means to maintain the place on our own at the moment."
"And that is why the Edelfelt family has hired them to assist in repairing and refurbishing their real estate!" Luvia chimed in again. "Due to my family's good will, Miss Aoi is present as my guardian for my stay in Japan. As someone I grew up with calling a second mother, she's been of great assistance to the Edelfelts just as much as Rin has being my assistant and friend."
Luvia stared Sakura down, acting the protector to any more of her sharp words. Perhaps, being a little too protective, this, Sakura noted heavily. Still, she got what she needed. She knew now where her mother and sister are.
After a decade of silence, they've finally returned to Fuyuki.
But not for her.
"I see. If that's the case, I'm glad to have seen you again, Tohsaka-san. And it's been a pleasure making your acquaintance, Edelfelt-senpai." Turning around, she addressed Shinji without looking him in the eye. "Brother, let's go. We need to talk about something important before free time runs out."
"Wa—wait, Sakura? C-can we talk—?" Rin's voice, alarmed and a little hurried, called out. "I'd like to spend some time together… To catch up."
The purple-haired girl paused in her steps but didn't dare give a glance over her shoulder. Not when she'd noticed that Shirou had broken away from his troublesome teasing classmates and was about to return to the conversation. To return to Rin's side. Sakura couldn't bear to stand and watch that for a second longer. Innocent of anything except innocence itself, just seeing someone she liked helping out someone she hated… It didn't sit well with her.
"I don't think we'd have the time, Tohsaka-senpai." Quietly, Sakura held up a bento box she happily prepared this morning but had gone cold in her hands. "It's lunchtime and, as you can see, I'll be busy for a while having a chat with my dear brother. Perhaps another time… Or perhaps never…"
The last bit was said as quietly as possibly. But Shinji must've heard it because he wordlessly followed after Sakura as she quickly ascended the stairwell. No longer did she have a skip in her step. She ascended the steps one at a time but at a hurried pace. Like she wanted to escape.
She headed for the quiet rooftop, the place she would've originally invited her dear senpai out to for a quick lunch. But seeing as the mood was ruined by the ghosts of her past, there was nothing else she could do but find a quiet place for her to vent her frustrations.
Sitting down, she looked up at the blue sky. The clouds had started to come out, blotting the light of the cheery sun in a midday gloom. The cool breeze had turned cold, frigid. The realization that her normal and happy days might be coming to an end brought with it a dark feeling of disgust and anger she thought had been far gone from her.
It seems some of those emotions remained. Scars from the decade-old trauma still marred her heart. A resentment born from abandonment and helplessness after being tortured and violated for nights on end.
Sakura's skin crawled. Her body involuntarily twitched and shuddered. Seeing Rin again… Seeing that carefree smile, a face she only dreamed of reuniting with during her harshest, sleepless nights, brought the vile scenes rushing to the forefront of her mind. And all the days spent under the warm sun and cheery sky were overshadowed by a nightmarish gloom she wished would just go away.
But it wouldn't. Not when the knowledge of them being here meant her peaceful days would be over.
The blonde hussy mentioned sheltering not just Rin, but her moth— that woman as well. Two out of the three that left her to her doom. Two out of the three had yet to receive their just punishment.
Sakura didn't like this side of her. She tried her damnedest to suppress it before for the sake of her friends and family. She put on a smile of being alright because she thought she was finally free.
But with their return… What did it mean for her?
She didn't know. She couldn't understand what to think. She was angry… Resentful. But at the same time, she feared what would happen if she just let them be.
Would they take away her happiness again? Would they convince Shirou that she wasn't worth it? He didn't know. He didn't know anything about her past before she was her energetic and positive self.
'But what if he found out?' The thought had her gritting her teeth as she suppressed her emotions and tried to think clearly. 'I won't let that happen. I will not let them ruin my life anymore!'
THUD.
Her hand hurt as it punched the wall. But the pain had brought her out of her depressed funk as it redirected her trauma-induced sorrow to focused anger.
Thankfully, Shinji had opted to keep watch on the other side of the door by the rooftop stairwell. While Sakura shed silent tears of determination, she continued to punch the wall hard as she vented her frustrations and focused her anger on the concrete.
'It wouldn't do for him to worry about me.' She thought, finally clearing her mind of the bad memories of years past. 'Shinji likes to act tough, but he's easily swayed by his emotions.'
He didn't need to be involved in what she planned to do. Eager as he would be if she asked for his help, she didn't want to ruin his life by pulling him into her vendetta.
'I won't let you ruin my life again. I won't let you get to my friends, my family, or…' Sakura aimed a glare at the sky as a passing gap in the clouds allowed a ray of sunshine to flit across her face. In the blinding white, she saw his face. His upbeat and reassuring smile. It hardened her resolve further. 'Sister, mother… I'll make you leave my home, one way or another.'
Fate was quite a bitch, raining on her parade. But she wouldn't let it beat her down. Not this time.
Sadly, it wasn't done. Amidst her crying and staring up at the cloudy skies, a sudden heat seared itself on the back of her hand.
There, adorning the spot just under her bruised knuckles, were three sakura petals in the shade of the darkest blood.
Fuyuki Church.
"… Is this really where we're supposed to be living for the time being?" Bazett was doing her best to fight off the urge to whine.
"Reports did say that the church in Fuyuki wasn't getting proper maintenance for a long time." Caren Hortensia, her companion and charge she was assigned to guard, simply shrugged. Unlike most, she wasn't easily fazed and neither was she perturbed by the conditions of their new home. Or, at the very least, the sister was good at not showing any reactions whatsoever. "At least it's not the worst place it could've been. It still has an intact roof."
Bazett wasn't so sure how to take that as she looked at an old, decrepit structure that had survived the fire ten years ago. Well, calling its state as such was a stretch. As far as she knew, the Church had been blown up, burned to a crisp due to being partially consumed by the Great Fire incident, and had to be rebuilt from the ground up. Or at least, barely built up. The Vatican had more than enough resources to assist in the recovery project following the events of the Fourth Grail War… except the plans after remaking the structure never really took off.
In reality, despite Vatican's funding, the Fuyuki Church barely managed to get off the ground after reaching partial completion of its construction. Due to political and bureaucratic nightmares that followed the infernal blaze that rocked the entire city, the state of a chapel that very few civilians actually attended was, to put it lightly, set aside for a time.
It would've been odd to think that after recovering, the city continued neglecting it, but both Bazett and Caren were aware that there was an invisible hand playing a role in stalling with the Vatican's attempts to recover its influence in the city. There was not much they could do to complain.
The end result was less of a chapel and more of a rundown stone building left abandoned for nearly a decade. Shattered windows, rotting wood beams, and graffiti that was very much blasphemous for the religion the Church took up arms to protect. The entire place was just, to put it mildly, a mess. Not even worth calling a hideout unless you were of the youth that took to hiding here for a chance at underage drinking or overdosing on illegal drugs.
Bazett could only rub the bridge of her nose in frustration. "I thought the cardinal said we will have everything prepared for us."
Caren giggled in response. "I fail to see the reason for your discomfort, Miss Bazett. As far as his eminence is concerned, we have everything we need. A roof and four walls for shelter, a place remote enough that we can reinforce with protection and barriers while not obstructing the day-to-day activities of normal folk, as well as monetary support for supplies and such. Decrepit as it may be, the building itself isn't relevant enough to hamper our mission." Noting the frustrated sigh escaping the redhead, Caren's smile seemed to grow into a smirk, although she would deny it if it was pointed out. "Hmm… I thought the Association Enforcers were used to living in poor conditions for the sake of their mission. Or was it an exaggeration to glorify Clock Tower lap dogs?"
Bazett's left eye twitched. "Enforcers, in general, have no issues with enduring harsh environments. I, in particular, had spent months in mountains and deserts while hunting down rogue magi. I can put up with terrible living conditions when there is no alternative. But I expected the Vatican to provide the necessary accommodations for our stay in a foreign land. Should our target be very much entrenched in the local vicinity, it might take us months or even a couple of years to get to the bottom of this. An acceptable place to stay is the least I expected, at the very least for the sake of our morale."
"In addition," She continued. "I thought you folks were the best of the best, the most devoted when it comes to rooting out those who would obstruct the influence of your faith." Bazett then sardonically shrugged before snapping back quietly. "But I guess it's too much for me to expect the Vatican and its leaders of all people to understand the necessities of the material realm. You fanatics fast so often that I wouldn't be surprised you lost a few brain cells, forgetting that humans too have needs beyond faith."
"'Needs' and 'wants' have very different meanings for us, it seems, Miss Bazett." Caren, keeping a quiet smile as she studied the church under the light, softly chuckled.
"There's more to a base than a roof over one's head. If we're assailed, this place could very well become our tomb."
"It's not as though we'd allow ourselves to be trapped in the first place, no? But I understand where you're coming from. Despite what my superiors might say, this is a tad bit disappointing for the start of our cooperative mission." Bazett furrowed her brow at that. Though she agreed, the girl wasn't putting much effort into remedying their situation whatsoever. Caren caught her gaze and smirked. "It may not surprise you because of who we are, but when circumstances restrict us, no person of the cloth is above living in a hole. Even a doghouse would be preferable to the elements. Of course, I wouldn't insist this arrangement upon you."
"Tch… And you say I'm the lapdog…"
"Sister of the Word I may be, charity to heretics has its limits and would be more than a waste of our time when it could be better spent on the investigation. Personal comforts can wait. And before you retort, I would like to inform you that I wouldn't mind if you choose to deviate to seek a more luxurious place of residence. Though, that runs the risk of either of us being singled out by whatever group is hampering our respective factions' attempts to reach out in this country to begin with." The sister then casually pushed open the creaking and worn-down front door for them. She hardly flinched when they heard skitters and clattering inside, likely an animal that sensed their entry. "I wouldn't force my beliefs on those all too self-absorbed in their research that they neglect the worth of human life beyond heretical practices. Much less critique you for the little materialistic cravings that would deter your contribution to our job. So long as you don't drag us down, I would turn a blind eye to any complaints you may direct at my superiors. They sent just me because they understand how much effort I put into my duties, difficult conditions be damned."
In short, 'go do your own thing if you feel so inclined; I'm confident I can do this on my own'. Bazett resisted the urge to groan or swear at the young girl.
Despite being a relatively young Enforcer, Bazett being only twenty-three, the Irish magus had already met and worked with various different personalities. From arrogant snobs seeking glory from the Clock Tower to the psychotic and deranged rogue targets she and her people mercilessly hunted down. Even a few dead apostles had notable quirks she'd recall at times. Very few, if any, were the pleasing company, especially since their role as the Association's cleanup crew gave them quite the reputation.
But somehow, somehow, Caren Hortensia was proving herself to be the most insufferable person she'd ever worked with. And Bazett might have to work and live with her for a long period of time, depending on how long this mission goes on for.
'For someone related to the infamous Executioners, the very thing that irks me more is this brat's tongue.' Bazett sighed. The notion had been brought up before, they had plenty to talk about on the plane ride here. Not necessarily good nor bad topics, but most verbal communication often led to a verbal spar with mind games and veiled insults. Caren's polite way of speaking was anything but that. 'I expected the granddaughter of the renowned Kotomine Risei and daughter of the noteworthy Kotomine Kirei to be a little more… what's the word… Tolerable?'
Her grandfather was known for being one of the few Church Executioners that had a mostly positive reputation within the Association itself. And even Kotomine Kirei, someone who had an admirable work ethic and was decent when it came to cooperations between their sides, was seen as more… affable.
Their progeny, their descendant, Caren Hortensia, was barely cordial when she opened her mouth. Once, Bazett had enough and snapped that very statement before they even left Rome. All Caren had to say was this:
"...Sometimes I too wonder how I can be related to them. What would these two think if they saw me? I wouldn't know. And I highly doubt I'd ever will…"
The snarky sister's tone had all but softened for that moment, but only that moment. Ever since then, she maintained this insultingly polite, or politely insulting, attitude to her only companion on this job.
Bazett stared at Caren's back as they continued to march into the ruined chapel. 'Perhaps I judged this girl a little too harshly. She is still a child, after all. Not to mention… she probably had to listen to all these comparisons with her family many more times before meeting me…'
Maybe she could try and be the more open minded one. Besides, she was the older between them. And even if she was one of those stuck-up believers of the Church, a kid with issues shouldn't be pushed aside because she was different—
"Hmm, do you think we'd be able to find my father's remains after all these years? The Church reports about the police's findings did mention how his body was torn to pieces by the explosion." And just like that, every inch of sympathy Bazett nurtured for her evaporated with that bone-chilling inquiry. It was snuffed out entirely when the girl quickly scoffed. "But, heh, most likely it's a pointless endeavor. Even if something survived or was found during the meagre reconstruction, it'd quickly end up in the belly of a random stray. Or perhaps rotted and fertilized the unkempt lawn out front."
Said with a curious and pondering expression, it was like the sister was talking about a random flower she'd lost in the wayside. Even the way she dismissed the thought of her father's scattered remains littering the grounds as 'another way to nourish this temple of our Lord' turned the redhead off so quickly.
Bazett took back her thoughts of sympathy. This girl was definitely insane. Years of neglect and abuse might play a part in it but didn't change the fact that Bazett now had to work with someone normally thrown into an asylum. And this job could last for years… Great.
"Step aside. I'm going to clear out this place before we try sleeping in it." Stalking past the sister and putting as much distance between them, Bazett opted for something to distract her thoughts. "I better clean it up as well, seeing as you're just fine with taking a nap in a mould-infested corner. If I have to put up with you, at the very least I want to do so in bearable conditions."
"Suit yourself. It won't truly help you find peace, but good luck." Caren didn't seem to care much, even with that follow-up statement. "Oh, and fair reminder. We can't spend too much lest we leave a paper trail for our enemies. So be mindful of our budget and cut corners when you can. It's not as though we'd restore this place to working conditions anyway."
Bazett was silently cursing her luck and her past self for agreeing to this mission. Cooperating with the Vatican was an easy job, presumably. Saving face with their longtime rivals, that was child's play for an experienced and professional magus.
Dealing with Caren Hortensia and her insanity, now that was a chore.
'I expected nothing good to happen because the Association and the Church are working together to resolve an issue… and yet, the worst isn't an enemy encounter. It's the child I have to babysit for the time being…'
Unfortunately for the Enforcer, fate wasn't very kind to Bazett. Not even in this universe.
Copenhagen Cafe.
A sight couldn't be held back as Shirou adjusted his work uniform.
Classes were over and all that was left was his part-time work. He almost ran late, but the café was empty at the moment, the busy hour not yet upon him despite the place never really being that full at the best of times. However, saddled with cleaning duties and prep work for the back of the shop, he had the freedom to be lost in thought.
'Two new people today…' Picking up a new box of supplies, a second sigh escaped him. Accompanying it were furrowed brows as he shut the café's service entrance with his back to the door. He huffed tiredly. 'Two new classmates… Two new magi…'
He shook his head, remembering that he was on the clock. Heading to the storage closet, he continued to ponder on this situation while working.
Today wasn't the easiest of days. Two new arrivals from abroad were partly to blame. Things were likely far more complicated than it seemed as even the always-carefree Shinji had called off hanging around the café to walk Sakura home. And that's the other half of his concern.
Sakura was very quiet today. More so after that awkward exchange with the new blondes.
'Luvia Edelfelt. Tohsaka Rin." He wasn't ignorant. Kiritsugu had taught him well over the years and drilled into him the history of magi in Fuyuki out of necessity. The Tohsakas especially were a known element, having been the old keepers of this city from the shadows of the moonlit world.
He'd hardly heard of the Edelfelts before, but the clingy one, when she wasn't being so… forward, certainly had a certain smell about her. Not to say she smelled bad… More… smelled of blood. Or something along those lines. She had an air that was… distant… despite her pushy character. She acted like an aristocrat, upfront and demanding but also magnanimous and ambitious. More big words than Shirou cared to use on a daily basis, but it was very similar to how Kiritsugu defined the upper-class mentality that the Association he had to work with in the past held.
Although in his foster pops' case, he referred to them as 'arrogant, snobbish, and the worst kinds of people to ever cross'.
They were dangerous. That much was clear. Though he wouldn't initially assume that as they were friendly enough, his father's training would caution him from being complacent. That begged questions.
'Why would such a family return? What were their intentions?' More concerning was the Edelfelt family Luvia claimed to be sheltering them. Edelfelt. Shirou found it odd another magi clan would be taking care of the prestigious Tohsaka, but there might be a myriad of reasons. A benefactor, an existing alliance, or maybe… distant family relation— 'Family… Sakura…'
He recalled the uneasy exchange between the usually-upbeat girl and the Tohsaka. He didn't catch the whole of their exchange, being wrangled by the guys who kept teasing him for taking on Taiga's request, but he wasn't dumb.
'She called her 'Nee-san'. That means they could be sisters…' Or close friends that grew distant after separating when they were young, but still. 'Something's up between them… I can feel it.'
An issue between the Tohsaka and the Matou. That couldn't be good. Not when he was well aware of their status as magi families. Fallen families, but a fall from grace did not immediately spell their inactivity and passivity. They may not carry the same prestige as in the past, but a magus was a magus. Even his father was a dangerous person when it came down to it.
But he knew Shinji and Sakura well enough to boldly defend them against his own parent and mentor. While Kiritsugu wouldn't hesitate to cast suspicion on the Matou family for past issues, Shirou would trust them with his life. He'd been their friend long enough to know they wouldn't hurt the innocent, much less him.
Tohsaka and her allies, however…
It troubled him to do this to someone who may be related to Sakura, but he couldn't risk it. If they were dangerous, they couldn't be allowed to roam free.
Shirou would have to keep an eye on them, and inform Kiritsugu when he gets back from his trip. The old man was scheduled to be back sooner as this trip wasn't out of the country, just out of the city, so he wouldn't have to wait long. It was going to be a stressful job regardless, being only vigilant but not investigating further. Keeping watch was making him anxious, but direct confrontation was out of the question.
But it was just frustrating to not be able to do much. He could try and talk with Sakura and Shinji, but to do so now would likely intrude on… whatever issue it was they had going on with the newcomers.
His internal debate had started to bother his actual work. He'd finished stocking up the cabinets, but he had barely managed to finish washing the dishware. The running water mixed with his train of thoughts left him oblivious to the jingling of the front entrance and the guest that seated herself in one of the empty tables.
"Hey! Excuse me!" It wasn't until the newcomer spoke and made their presence known that he finally noticed them waving him down. Thankfully, they weren't mad he ignored them. Just… blankly staring at him. "Good day, can you take my order?"
"Ah, of course." Her piercing red orbs and silky white hair had him captivated from the moment he locked eyes with her. So much so that he was stammering apologies as he dried his hands and left the sink… only to then pause when he noticed it was a small child.
And by small, he meant it. She looked to be reaching puberty. The silkiness of her long silvery locks, good quality of her purple blouse and white skirt, and the poise she carried herself with belied a prim and proper upbringing. That she wasn't anyone he recognized despite being so eye-catching meant she wasn't from here. He would remember a pale and beautiful child like her, especially when she had such a strong gaze with those crimson orbs that glowed like rubies in a field of white.
"How much longer are you going to stare?"
"Erk!" So befuddled was he that Shirou let out a nervous chuckle when the girl's air of indifference turned to one of slight annoyance. "S-sorry, I was lost in my thoughts. What can I get for you?"
"One green tea please."
She sounded young but was carrying herself in such a mature form that Shirou was confused if she was acting mature for the sake of it. Coming from a young child, it wasn't that hard to imagine. Copenhagen was mostly visited by young adults, college students, and tired folks that needed a good coffee for the late night shift. Young ones weren't their usual clientele but that didn't mean they weren't prepared for it.
"Do you want anything to go with it?" Putting on a genuine customer service smile, Shirou shifted to work mode. "We have cakes and some snacks that partner well with it. If you'd like something lighter, we have some cookies and muffins as well—"
"Just the tea." She huffed, turning her gaze to the window. "Nothing more."
'Oookay… Guess she wants to keep up the mature act.' He didn't mind and played along. It wasn't as though he wasn't used to dealing with the willfulness of children. God knows how he had to put up with a childish adult enough already. At least this little girl was behaved enough to only stare at his back while he worked behind the counter brewing her tea.
It was when he was almost done prepping the tea leaves that he heard her speak again. Well, more mutter aloud, really. "Do you work here alone?"
"No." Shirou shook his head. "The owner is usually here a little later near the evening. As for his daughter and my boss, she's out running a delivery. Or slacking off."
She let out a bored hum. It's as though she didn't seem to care much and was just making conversation. "And that doesn't bother you in the slightest?"
"Not really." Shirou opted to entertain her. "I've got most of the shop's recipes down. And it's not much of an issue opening the place alone since we're not all that busy so early in the day. Most of the traffic is around the late evening when drunks come by to sober up or salarymen need a shot of espresso. By that time, my shift as a part-timer is already done."
"I see." The girl mused about something before speaking again. She kept her stare on him "You're strange for a teenager. A young one such as yourself chooses to work the afternoon away instead of going out with your friends. Do you not have any? Or is your family not financially stable."
"Nothing of that sort! I just want to help where I can after school. I'm not really doing it for the money. If anything they're the least of my worries."
The child stared at him for a good ten seconds with a puzzled look before she said, "I change my mind. You're not strange. You're just plain weird."
"Eheheh…" He had no defence if that's the impression he gave off. "Can't argue that. My boss says the same all the time." Shirou finished making the tea and he placed it before the young girl with a saucer. "Here you go. Do you really not want to order anything else? I guarantee our sweets are pretty good."
Most children would've taken the offer. Most. This child didn't. Instead, she took a dainty sip while holding the saucer under her mouth, pinky askew as she gently blew it to cool. A small smile formed on her face, appreciating the tea for a second before it quickly receded back. "No need. This is more than enough."
A bit lost at the seemingly perfect image of what could be called a high-class lady in the form of a petite child pretending to be one, Shirou decided to just leave her be. "Well… If you need anything else, feel free to ask."
"In that case, can I ask some questions about the local area? As you can tell, I'm not from Fuyuki. It is my first time here and I arrived only just this morning." For a second, Shirou thought the look in the girl's eyes was somewhat playful. But in the next, he quickly felt a hint of unease, though he couldn't place why.
"S-sure? What do you wanna know? I might not know as much as a tour guide would but—"
"But you have lived in this city for quite some time, yes?" She interrupted him. "Surely you know a lot and can help me get more… acquainted with its history."
Well… that wasn't what most children usually asked about. Certainly, there were the odd ones curious about the place, but he never heard a kid use the word 'acquainted' before. She was a real oddity. Coming from him, that meant a lot.
Still, she was in need of help, so who was he to outright refuse? Suppressing the weird feeling he was getting, Shirou nodded along and waited for her to continue.
"I hear that the city has been experiencing quite a renaissance in the last few years. Something to do with the corporation known as Sumeragi Industries? As far as I heard, they are heavily investing in Fuyuki's infrastructure and many local businesses are either directly or indirectly connected to them. Some even call it monopoly and heavy intervention in the city's administration. Is this true?"
Shirou slowly nodded, a little taken aback by why a kid would be interested in that. "Y-yeah, I guess. That pretty much sums it up. They got a hand in a lot of things, from electrical to mechanical, from big malls to the local shopping districts. Last I heard, they even bought off religious sites."
"Oh? Isn't that illegal?"
Common sense dictates that it was, but the way big corporations did things wasn't very clear-cut when they had legal documents to prove administrative permission. Not that Shirou wanted to bore the kid by explaining it. "I heard it is. One of my friends wasn't happy about it since he belongs to a family of monks. In any case, most places have been bought out by them. Our Copenhagen is one of the many exceptions though."
"You believe they weren't interested in your café?"
Shirou shrugged. "Maybe at first before they changed their mind. I wouldn't know as the owner didn't want to talk about it and I respect him enough not to pry."
"Curious." The girl whispered, very much not showing a childlike attention span as she continued to ponder many things. It creeped him out more that she was staying on topic. "About the religious sites they acquired… was it one of those Japanese Buddhist temple shrines? Or were they Catholic Church lands?"
"The one I know of that my friend was complaining about was Ryuudou Temple. It's located on Mount Enzou. My friend and his family used to be its caretakers but had to move after Sumeragi Industries decided to acquire it…" The creepy feeling pushed him to ask. "Hey… I'm sorry if I sound rude, but why does someone as young as you want to know all this stuff?"
The white-haired girl fell silent for a moment staring at him like he was the ignorant one before quickly chuckling to herself. "Ah, I forget that my appearance often confuses people. I'm sorry if you misunderstood, but I'm actually an adult."
Amber eyes blinked as his brain attempted to analyze information. "Eh?"
"It's true." The little girl before him who couldn't, or rather shouldn't, be more than ten years old giggled. "Many people get surprised when they find out about it, but I'm really eighteen years old."
To prove a point, the girl pulled out what appeared to be a foreign passport. Flipping it open, she handed it to Shirou. He didn't immediately recognize the German language but it had all the bells and whistles of a legitimate ID. He slowly read the words spelled next to her photo which was a perfect match to her current appearance.
"Chloe König. 20.11.198—1986?!"
Shirou took a double take as he looked between the document and the girl before him. The said girl laughed once again while Shirou felt genuinely dumbfounded. Turns out she wasn't joking and in fact was older than Shirou. The boy awkwardly looked away but the child—no, the girl continued to laugh heartily at his discovery.
"Y-you're really 18!? S-sorry, you just look so—!"
"Young. I know, I know. I have an unusual growth disorder and as a result, I've been stuck looking as I am for about ten years now." Chloe looked down at her childish body. A wry smile graced her face, changing what was a pretty and happy girl into a melancholic porcelain doll. "I stopped aging when I was eight and it's partly the reason why I came here from Germany."
Shirou, empathetic idiot that he was, took immediate concern about her health. Though he met her only today, her genuine expression told her she was a good kid—Er… young woman. Either way, he couldn't help but ask. "You… you came here to get treatment?"
Chloe shook her head. "Not so. Modern medicine work help me here. Truth be told, I've lost all concern trying to remedy it directly. But perhaps coming to understand what caused my illness would help. Some people suggested that it may be due to my childhood trauma. Others say it's genetic. Either way, it's why I even bothered coming here. To… resolve my past issues."
Trauma. It was familiar to Shirou. One that had him intrusively curious as he slowly asked her.
"You've… you've experienced something traumatic before?" He wasn't supposed to ask customers questions like this, but part of him felt like he wanted to know what happened… and maybe help.
Or was it to help himself? Either way, all thoughts were pushed aside as he earnestly asked the sad young lady before him.
"Do you mind talking about it?"
Chloe's crimson eyes looked up and stared at Shirou, studying him for a moment. Perhaps she tried to find any hidden malicious intent or expected to see pity in his eyes. Instead, his genuine concern won her out.
This wasn't exactly what she expected to happen when she mentioned it, but she spoke… Regardless if he knew it didn't concern him.
"Ten years ago my mother died. She was one of the victims of the Great Fire incident here in Fuyuki."
The quiet that befell them was interrupted only by the sounds of driving cars outside the cafe. Neither Shirou nor Chloe broke the silence for a good half a minute.
In Chloe's case, she was looking for what kind of reaction the boy would show her. If it would be as genuine as his concern from a few moments ago or not? What she didn't expect to see was a young man on the verge of exploding.
But in Shirou's case, there was nothing to express. Nothing he wanted to express.
Not when in just a single moment, he was suddenly bereft of the afternoon curiosity. It was replaced with the scenes of that day so long ago.
The nightmares of that night. The heat and flames that never stopped. Endlessly burning, endlessly screaming… Even as he lived… he felt like he wanted to die while all others died around him…
"I… I'm sorry…" It was involuntary for the words to leave his lips.
"Why are you apologizing?" Confused, the girl studied his expression. She was astonished to find something that was neither concern nor pity. It wasn't even close to mockery. The boy was just… quiet. And apologetic. And she didn't know why.
Emiya Shirou, however, had his reasons for the apology. Even if they weren't reasons any normal person would give in the heat of the moment.
'Her mother died while I lived… She died… They all… died… I… I…' These kinds of thoughts weren't new to Shirou. Over the years, he thought about all those who lost their loved ones in that fire. Both Sakura and Shinji lost their uncle that night too, so more misery was to be had every time the anniversary of the event came around. Shirou lived, however. He survived when he shouldn't have.
He was just lucky, so many say. He didn't need to feel bad about it, his loved ones always reassured him. It didn't matter, he was alive and that was all that was important, Kiritsugu always repeated whenever Shirou's nights were consumed by tears and screams.
It hadn't happened in a long while for now. But the memory and the emotions the incident had burned into him all those years ago… they were still there. Still alive inside of him…
Which is why, at the moment, Shirou could think only of one thing to say.
"I'm sorry… I'm… I'm so sorry…"
"What's gotten into you?" Chloe narrowed her eyes at his insistence. "You needn't apologize. It's not as if you had anything to do with it all. You were just a kid when it happened back then, right—?"
"That's not it… That's…" his words turned to mumbles before almost disappearing to mutters.
"Then what is it? Speak up!" Unable to take his stammering any longer, Chloe inadvertently raised her voice to an almost irritated childish whine. That snapped something in Shirou, the memory of so many pained cries intermingling with her voice.
"… I'm sorry… I was there… but I survived… Your mother… she didn't… I'm sorry…"
Emiya Shirou was… something unexpected.
She heard he was her 'replacement'. She'd heard he was his student. She'd heard a lot of things, but none of them made her feel any less angry over the years spent in isolation.
For all the pain and suffering she endured, never did she think she'd get to the point where she could easily converse with the reason that man abandoned her. Especially since he had gotten all that she deserved these past few years.
To see the face of Emiya Shirou seemingly cracking at the mere mention of an incident that claimed her mother and ruined her life a decade ago, however…
This was… This wasn't how she envisioned things would go…
"Y-you…" 'Chloe', frozen, dared to ask. "You were there? During the fire?"
Her red eyes scanned the waiter once again, expecting him to either take back his words or add something more. However, the strange boy flinched and almost looked away while offering another apology. Then, seemingly resolving himself, he looked at her dead-on with a sorrowful expression.
It was as if he was the reason the fire ever happened and took the life of her mother. No, that wasn't the reason for his attitude. It was like the young man said, he was sorry for having lived while her mother died.
"Tell me. During the incident, what happened to you?" She wasn't forceful, she wasn't polite. It was a blunt question. One that didn't hold ill intent nor any sympathy. Chloe was just… curious, for lack of a better term.
But it seemed to get the job done as the young man quietly took a seat across from her and sat back.
"I… I was one of the people that… that managed to escape the fire. My… my family got caught up in it… while we were out in the city… But… But then…" His breath hitched. He maintained something akin to composure, but even if he could speak calmly, 'Chloe' could tell he was pained.
After all, he'd lost family then, just the same as she.
"I'm sorry." He said again. "I… I should've died then… I… I…"
'I shouldn't have lived. Your mother should've been the one to survive.' Such reasoning was… ridiculous to say the least. Such self-loathing wasn't deserved or warranted. It wasn't even rational. He couldn't have been anything more than a child back then. Far younger than she was at the time as well. Whatever blame that came his way was pointless. But… the white-haired girl couldn't help but be sure this self-torture was his actual line of thinking.
"Do… do you honestly believe that? That you're at fault?"
The way he remained quiet and composed hid the anguish in his eyes. One would not have seen it if they weren't looking for it. But 'Chloe' did. And she knew it was the truth that he took his survival as an offense to those who'd passed on.
And if that was the case, then… then—
'Then what the hell did I even come here for?!'
She didn't say the words aloud. She didn't hint at her frustrations, years of training and perseverance aided in maintaining a mask of calm. However, she balled her small hands ball into fists, not wanting to believe what she'd found. And what it meant for her crusade.
'Why?' Chloe thought as she stared into his hollowed expression. 'Why are you making… that face? Why… are you taking on those feelings… when you shouldn't even be feeling that way…?'
All her life, she wondered why her father never came home. For years, years on end, she trembled at the thought of being abandoned by him after she'd been told he let her mother die to run away. When her grandfather told her it was because he wanted to start a new life without them, without his own child, it tore her apart.
But looking at the so-called reason as to why her father ran away and never came back, she questioned if that really was the case.
Both of them were broken, perhaps beyond repair. And perhaps, they weren't so different, despite the circumstances.
But she couldn't just forgive Kiritsugu. Not when she waited so long… So… so long… All those frozen nights she sought for his caring embrace but woke up to nothing but tear stains and an empty bed… It hardened her resolve against the man.
But not his adopted son. For some reason, 'Chloe' found herself turning away from him first. Looking down at the empty cup of tea in her hands, recalling how warm and kind it tasted, how warm and kindly she treated her… Even if she was mistaken for a child younger than he, the boy was honest and a good kid…
'Dammit… Damn you to hell…' She cursed the world, feeling very conflicted now.
Emiya Shirou, part of the reason she came to this stupid place to begin with, was not what she expected. In fact, it was harder to feel what she had before for him now that she found out what made him tick. And it was… it felt horrible. Trying to hate someone she sympathized with… Wanting to comfort someone she wanted to hate so much… But… but she couldn't… she just couldn't!
She came here wanting to kill him. Now… Now she just felt sorry for him. But she couldn't console him, not when she still needed to carry out her plans of revenge.
Which is why she held very little remorse when she leaned back in her seat, sighed, and started. "If that is what you believe, then you'd best be prepared not to waste your life."
"Huh?" the boy looked dumbstruck, likely not expecting to be given advice by some stranger.
But 'Chloe' wasn't some stranger. Even if he didn't know her, she knew about him. Enough to know she needed him in the future.
"You survived when so many fell… At least have the decency of making your life worth it. Help people around you, and actively give to those that have nothing. It's the least you can do, right?"
"But… isn't it… a bit selfish to think this way?" the boy shifted in his seat. "You don't think I'm imposing myself on others when I do this?"
"Why should you care about what other people say? It's your life, isn't it?" Crossing her arms, she tried to look mature as she glared out the window. But as she hesitated slightly in trying to get the encouraging words out, she unintentionally came off as a stuck-up child trying to cheer up a teenager. "If a hundred—nay, a thousand people died that night, then work as hard as a thousand more to make up for your survival. They didn't die for you, but are you going to let fate dictate their deaths as a meaningless mistake? Will you right them off as a statistic and your survival as just pure luck? I hope not."
Sneaking a glance back to him, the boy looked to her as though she was a saint. Like he'd heard the words he wanted to hear finally, after hiding away in the shadows of self-doubt. Likely, he never shared his issues to those closest to him and those that did never actually said anything to resolve his ingrained issues.
But 'Chloe'—no. Not Chloe. But Illyasviel knew and understood what it was like to feel lost and alone even in one's own head. He wasn't lacking in drive nor the will to live. If he had, he would've offed himself sooner. Rather, what he lacked was direction.
In fact, it was the same for her. She just channelled her all for the sake of getting back at the man that abandoned her. And if it was to get at that man where it hurt… then she wouldn't mind being the one to finally make Emiya Shirou smile, even if it was born from a twisted philosophy.
"Thank you." The damaged boy said with a relieved chuckle. "I… Those are the words I wanted to hear… I… I've spoken with those close to me about it before but… They never said anything close to what you did… They always… just told me to relax and let it go… Even if I just… can't."
"Then I guess we were fated to meet." Perfect smile plastered on her doll-like face, she added while tracing the lip of her empty mug. "You know, I didn't expect such a conversation when I arrived at Fuyuki today. Not gonna lie, I feel somewhat refreshed. Considering all my unresolved issues apart from my mother's death, I'm glad my words helped you today."
"Th-thank you, miss—"
"'Chloe'." Illya interrupted with a teasing smirk. "You can call me by my name."
"Is… isn't that rude? I mean… you are older than me—"
"Ah, ah, ah! If you're going to bring up age, then listen to what I say. Call me 'Chloe'." She booped his nose with a finger playfully. If seen from the sidelines, it'd be like a child teasing an adult, but it was the exact opposite here considering the reality of their opposing roles. "Don't be a stranger, boy. It's not like we didn't just have such a deep heart-to-heart discussion earlier."
The way his cheeks flushed at being called a brat was endearing. Not enough to completely silence her inner demons, but enough to give him a unique spot in the white-haired half-homunculus's heart. A strange spot adjacent to her object of vengeance and near the closest candidate of an actual friend. Or perhaps it could be a sibling?
The girl didn't really care to designate specifics. She was new to this experience after all.
"In that case. Chloe." The boy shuffled in his seat uncomfortably but obeyed her request. "I'd like to return the favor. You helped me, so… how about I hear you out?"
"Oh? What's this?" she smiled coyly before tilting her gaze. "Trying to act like a big brother to poor little me?"
"You spoke about your mother, but… you said nothing about your father." That had her flinching. He didn't notice it, likely too engrossed in stammering his words, but it flipped a switch in the girl. One that immediately soured her mood. "Did he die as well? I'm sorry if I'm getting into something I shouldn't—"
"It's alright." She said flatly. "It's… just… hmm…" She hummed as she turned her gaze to the window again. "You recall that I said I came to Fuyuki to resolve issues apart from my mother's death and my current state of health. One of those issues… it involves that man."
The boy flinched upon her tone but he didn't interrupt.
"You see… that person, he is indeed alive. But… after that night, he never came home. I lived in Germany at the time, so when I received word that they were caught up in the incident and it claimed my mother's life, I waited for news of my father's return. I waited… and waited. And waited. My father… he never came home, never visited me, or even bothered to tell my family anything… I just… never saw him again. He never showed up. I was abandoned with my grandparents. For ten whole years." She paused, trying to rein in the emotional turmoil. She didn't want to lash out at someone almost entirely unrelated. It was too soon for that. "But then I found out recently that he'd started a new family here after abandoning me…"
"That's—! That's terrible!"
Indeed, it was. And it was ironic that she was conversing with the person she initially believed stole her father away.
The smirk on 'Chloe's' face didn't disappear. And despite her upbeat words, her tone was far from warm. "I'm pleased we think the same. I'm glad I'm not alone in thinking so… It's… it's been so long since I had spoken to someone about him… I feel like maybe I can finally face him when the time comes. When I see him and let him know what I think about him after all these years, maybe I'll be able to stand tall and not waver. Last I heard, he visits Fuyuki quite often. Perhaps… the moment I'd been waiting for will come. If I ever run into him during my stay in this city, the wait and struggle… it will be all worth it."
"I… I don't know what kind of man he is, but I hope you will get the closure you seek." Shirou said, not even thinking about what the girl, woman before him might have in mind. He never suspected Chloe or her intentions, seemingly too optimistic to see her as a bad person. A shame. He had no idea how much she wanted to murder him before today. The thought had her involuntarily covering her mouth with a palm, something the boy noticed. "Is something wrong?"
"Heheh, it's… nothing. O rather… I just found this situation to be quite ridiculous. I came here today looking to… well, it's not all that important now. But after a drink of good tea and finally talking with someone about my worries… …" She took a deep sigh as her tiny shoulders shuddered in relief. "I didn't expect to find such good company here. Even if it did change some of my plans to waste time wandering off, I enjoyed my time here more than I thought I would. It's thanks to you. Sorry for burdening you with my troubles."
"Sorry for burdening you with mine." Oblivious, the boy could only scratch the back of his head. "But… if I can make your day a little bit better then it means it was worth it, opening up."
"My, you're quite the fragile knight in shining armor then, coming to my rescue while looking like you've been through hell." Chloe chuckled at his expense. "However, it's not fair that I don't even know your name. You saw everything of me when I gave you my ID, even my age, which is something women don't often share so openly."
"Erk…My bad!" Shirou blinked before quickly apologizing.
"I'm just teasing. You don't have to take it seriously."
"Still… Please excuse me." Getting up, the boy offered a bow, as was the custom in these eastern lands, before he offered a hand to shake. "My name's Shirou. Emiya Shirou. Seventeen. As I said, I'm working here part-time. If you want to visit Copenhagen Cafe, I am usually here during the afternoon on weekdays, but I often come on weekends when necessary. If you want someone to talk to, or even just to vent, I'll be here."
At first, 'Chloe' didn't say anything. In the next second, she was laughing aloud so much that her sides hurt. "What's… what's with that business-like introduction?! Ahahaha! You make it sound like you're my consultant or 24/7 therapist!"
Emiya Shirou wasn't what she expected. But perhaps, that itself was something she needed to know.
He was kind. He was genuine. He was also fragile and quite malleable. But from what she could tell, he was also somewhat innocent of any crime or offence she quietly cursed him for all this time.
Perhaps, he was an excuse as to why Kiritsugu never came home. But that in itself did not make him guilty. In fact, 'Chloe' was convinced he was just as much a victim of the fire as she was. He had lost family when she did too.
And seeing how he was willing to share such pain with her, someone he considers his fellow in suffering, it made Illyasviel von Einzbern willing enough to spare him from her vendetta. And maybe, perhaps, she could take him away from that man. To do to him what he did to her, taking away the last warmth she had in this stupid, cruel world.
"Emiya Shirou. I'll just call you Shirou." Chloe smiled, wiping away the first happy tears she'd had in a long, long while. "I'll make sure to visit you more often. I hope we can get along."
She offered her hand and shook his, earning a warm smile. He was the first to smile in a way she actually acknowledged as genuinely caring. That in itself was something worthy of protecting.
"I'm glad I met you, Chloe."
After all, it was the older sister's duty to look after their younger sibling. And no deadbeat father would ever get in the way of exemplifying real love for family.
Homurahara Academy.
For a lone individual, this school used to be a fond place of memories.
A place where he lived a normal life. A place he hung out with friends, trained his body in mind, learned about the natural order of this world before resolving to relieve it of its harsher elements, and even entertained feats of heroics. Albeit, they were less the 'save the world' kind and more 'a passing samaritan that would help you clean the room up so you could leave early for a friend's surprise party'. It was little heroics, things those he'd helped would look back fondly of but never owe more than slight gratitude. After all, he and those he'd helped back then were just naïve kids living their lives how they wanted to. That he wouldn't hesitate to go out of his way to help was just a normal facet of his early days before he left Fuyuki to do more.
Hesitation was something he was feeling right about now. Amidst confusion and frustration at how far off those memories seemed to be, the silver-haired hero could do nothing but grit his teeth as he defended against his assailant.
'Shit.' He avoided a stab to his throat by pulling back. 'Shit!' He ducked to the side and called upon his favoured blades to block a sweeping slice. 'DAMMIT!' He growled a bit when his attacker withdrew her katana before she lunged right for his jugular again. The retreat was his only option as he kept giving more ground. 'Dammit… things have changed far too much for this to be normal!'
"You appear to be distracted, swordsman." His foe said as she brandished her blade. The sharp katana catching his silver gaze instilled upon him the identity of his attacker, as well as proof that he had no idea what was going on. "For someone with a commanding presence, your spirit doesn't seem to be in this fight."
Indeed, it wasn't. He had way too many things on his mind to be able to fight without hesitation at the moment. For one, he wasn't sure he was even in the correct world, let alone the timeline.
The Counter Guardian could only huff indignantly as he reasserted his poise. "Apologies. But you weren't exactly who I was expecting to cross swords with. Not here… Or now…"
"You didn't expect a woman such as I to be able to catch you off-guard?" she made friendly banter despite having tried to lop his head off multiple times just seconds prior. The tip of her blade reflected the blue light of the clear moon as she pointed it his way. Her teal blue kimono, short as it was, swayed with the breeze as did her short platinum blonde hair.
The way her face remained cold and focused during the challenge reminded him more of her than he'd liked to admit.
"I know more than a couple of ladies who'd easily whip me into shape, so no. Not that. But normally, I had expected a boastful mutt to challenge me to a duel. Not an honourable samurai going straight for the kill."
When he referred to his 'normal', he referred to his first fight in the Fifth Fuyuki Grail War. His war. Or rather, the one he had long assumed would begin with a hound of a spearman trying to kill him alongside his Master.
But that's not what he got. Instead, it was this woman. A woman that resembled a certain Saber but was definitely not his Saber. Not when she was less chivalrous and looked to be more hungry for a real fight.
"...I see. So you do not think less of me. That would've made our fight a much more interesting one. Sadly, this may be cut short."
She prepared her sword in a stance before disappearing in a blur of sakura petals. The winds churning his red mantle behind him was his only cue to raise a defence to clash against the woman's merciless cut. He had to reform Kanshou and Byakuya twice over, shattering them at the first clash and using the fragments to catch her unawares. He managed to cut the white sleeves of her kimono, but that was all he achieved apart from managing to widen the gap between them again. Something the woman could easily close in an instant, it seems.
"You're capable to match my speed." She stated with a face laced with bloodlust. "I'm respecting your unorthodox swordsmanship more and more. Yet I'm afraid I was ordered to cut you down as swiftly as possible. My mission will be fulfilled."
"For someone trying to be professional, I'd say you're pretty talkative to be a normal assassin." He huffed as he settled into another stance.
"This is simply me being respectful towards the enemy whom I must slay." She said simply, not once letting her guard down. "Don't hold it against me, Archer. My Master's orders come first and foremost."
And the fact that he neither knew nor could predict which Master was hers made it all the more frustrating as he fought for his life.
They clashed blades. Gracefully, elegantly, on the empty rooftop of Homurahara Academy's tallest building, they fought. She tried cutting and stabbing his vitals when she could, he parried each of her strikes as they fell for his feints. While he tried to land a solid hit, her lithe form had her dancing around his lunges and swings. Nothing but the wind and moonlight observed their dance of death that stalled due to their equal footing.
Or so they thought.
In the far corner of the campus grounds,
'Shit…'
A lone boy peaked over the corner of the pillar he hid behind. Upon reconfirming who, or what, he was actually seeing, he hid back again. His breathing ramped up despite his attempts to calm himself down.
'Shit… Dammit…'
Helplessness would've overtaken him had he not received his father's training. That being said, despite what he learned over the years, nothing would've prepared him to face either of the two currently clashing on the school rooftop. Not alone. Not as he was.
Not against Servants.
Spirits of great power, born from their legends and scattered through the annals of history as they were, humans had no chance when facing them in direct combat. From the shockwaves, he could feel from their exchange, and at this distance no less, he had zero chances. There would likely be an exception, but the redhead wouldn't bet on winning the lottery with his bad luck at the first draw.
They were beings summoned to fight in the Holy Grail War… But that wasn't supposed to start for another forty years!
This was all wrong, he knew it…
… and yet Shirou couldn't take his eyes off their clashing blades.
Tokyo.
The concert hall was rocking hard into the night. The sun had already set, but the crowd was roaring with life as the band sang their hearts out.
"~I don't know what's worth fighting for. Or why I have to scream~!
~I don't know why I instigate and say what I don't mean~!"
It would've been an odd sight for older citizenry, but contrary to the calm and traditional lifestyle of their peers, many of youths of Japan enjoyed modern and foreign culture just as any other.
"~I don't know how it got this way. I know it's not alright!~!
~So I'm breeeeaaaking the haaabit! ~~~I'm breeeeaaaking the haaabit… tonight~!"
Perhaps it was the boredom from their mundane lives or the exotic appeal of western themes. In any case, the teenagers in attendance all had a blast as they tried to sing along the American band.
The lone exception to the fiery youths' energy was a young man dressed in black. Standing on a catwalk that led to the VIP box, he blended in the shadows with the help of the limelight taking any and all attention away from him.
"I understand. No. Have Engineering Team India prioritize repairs. Yes. Yes. Let RND proceed with the next phase."
If any were to catch a passing glance, he would come off either as a foreign exchange student or one of the Western band's tech assistants. But if they noted the way he carried himself and heard the business tone he spoke with, they would've gleaned far more than an average strapping young lad. No one would notice, however, as all in attendance were too preoccupied with the band rocking on stage. He too gave the product of his labour half an ear as the other half took in the caller's response.
"And? What of our new arrivals? Is that so…. No. Keep an eye on them for the time being. Assign three groups. One to watch the Church and the other two to observe either of the ladies each. Have Division Three handle the case. While I don't believe they'd act separately for too long, I'd rather have our full attention on the potential danger our 'guests' pose. This is the Church and the Clock Tower we're dealing with after all."
Another pause as he halfheartedly tapped his foot to the beat of the band's music before he made to respond to the reply.
"Well, that's good news. Forward what you've learned to our European team and have them monitor the Einzbern assets for movement. As for the little princess…" A devilish smile graced the man's youthful face. "Leave that to my team. Send the details to the lieutenant as well as a copy to my personal terminal. Continue with the rest of our projects as usual. You're dismissed, Minase. Have a good evening."
After a brief fluster of thanks and goodbyes, his secretary dropped the call. It was about time too as the band's song had just about finished and the crowd was regaling them for more. The fans were loving it. It wasn't every night the Japanese youth could watch and listen to their favourite band this close. And with their popularity booming in recent years thanks to the support of Sumeragi Industries 'thinning the cultural divide' so to speak, many more nights like these would be soon to come.
"Yeaaaaaahhh! THAT'S what I'm talkin' about!"
One of their avid fans in the VIP box was definitely roaring her approval of it too. The young man sighed, knowing better than to go calm her down before she started swinging empty bottles around in celebration. Sponsors they may be for this event, he'd rather not make too much of a mess for the concert hall staff.
"Dear, you're being too loud again." He entered, crossing his arms as he leaned his back to close the door. While his words were made to scold, his expression couldn't hide his amusement of seeing his wife's red-faced excitement. Listening to one of her top ten rock bands was often more euphoric than listening to her rave about getting a good fight after all these years. "If people start to notice, we'd easily blow our cover, you know."
Oda Nobunaga vi Britannia Lamperouge, otherwise named Nobu Lamperouge on her legal ID, screamed at the top of her lungs regardless of his warnings as the band kickstarted their next song. She may have heard it numerous times by now, but he knew Nobu didn't care. She loved what she did. 'It was Rock'n'roll for Hell's sake!' she'd say. The best kind of music out there, even if her husband didn't agree entirely with that statement.
"And if you don't stop being a stick in the mud, I'm going to march down there and make you sing with me, darling!"
Lelouch vi Britannia of the Oda clan, a designation not on his legal ID for obvious reasons, rolled his eyes as Nobu continued singing her heart out alongside the band's lead singer. Taking the seat adjacent to hers, Lelouch could do little but enjoy the melody that was Nobu's crystalline voice. Still, he was content with watching her enjoy herself. She wasn't, however.
"Come on, Lulu! This is Linkin Park! You love Linkin Park!" Nobu shouted while tugging on his wrist. She was on cloud nine and was desperately wanting to share her glee.
Lelouch just smiled and chuckled. "I enjoy their repertoire and appreciate their themes, yes. But I've heard this song more than enough times for it to lose its novelty. No offence to the performers. Still, the night is yours so enjoy it as much as you want… Just don't scream too loud, love."
"Sure thing, love!" Nobunaga gave him a quick peck to the lips and a wink before returning to enjoying her show.
While it would've been an oddity for any couple to have the privacy of the VIP box all on their own, they did sponsor this entire concert. Well, this and many more to come, each and everyone due to being at the top of Nobu's 'appreciated music' list.
Although calling it that, it wasn't Nobu's official name for it. But Lelouch wasn't going to waste his time enunciating his wife's fangirling title for said list.
Both inhuman beings enjoyed their privacy, far from the rabbling cheers of the crowd down below. Security was minimal, but that was only by appearance. What manpower they had was focused down at the ground floor to help manage the roaring fans, but for their box, only a couple of members from their security firm were present.
It was a private date, after all. No need to be so uptight. Nights like this were meant to be their time off, a moment to enjoy their life. For he who already held a quarter of the world's economy in one hand, it was another example of living a normal life for living's sake.
Or, well, as normal as one could get for being the top head of such a big corporation.
As the next song ended, Nobu cheered louder than the entire crowd. Thankfully, the private box was soundproof. She then pulled out a bottle of sake before taking a long swig, nearly emptying the entire bottle with just a gulp. With closed eyes, she collapsed onto her seat. And by seat, it meant Lelouch's lap.
Like a puppy yearning for attention, she hugged her man and cuddled on his chest before happily squealing in delight.
"Aaahhh! Now this! This is life! A refreshing dinner date followed by a concert held in my honour! Great music and bottles of the best alcohol around! And finally, my most handsome darling, the only one in the world, wrapped in my arms! The only thing that can make it better is if we set something on fire! Actually—!"
"Nobu, no." She earned a poke to her nose. One that had her half-drunk cheer turn into a halfhearted pout. "No more fires at concerts. Did you forget what happened last time you did it in Vegas?" Lelouch sighed as he remembered that night. A concert in the middle of a desert with the attendance of many, many ravers and rock enthusiasts. Many drinks were had and music to rock to. It didn't take long for Nobu to start burning stuff. And burn stuff, she did.
"Oh, please. The people loved it!"
"Yes, dear. But do any more of that and we'll end up on news headlines. Publicity in that regard is the last thing we want." He huffed indignantly. He already bought off more than a couple of media and press outlets to curb the impact, but if he couldn't wrangle his darling's fiery inclinations, it would likely give Nobu ideas to host the next Burning Man. And wouldn't that be an irony, considering she was married to and a shareholder of the biggest conglomerate in the far east? "Please, dear. Have fun, but limit yourself for now. Handling the aftermath of anything you do would be a nightmare for the corporation's legal team."
"Sounds like a skill issue, heh!" Nobu smirked whilst taking another sip from a new bottle. Having discovered modern lingo, she'd been yammering about using them every time she got to the bottom of her drink. How many times Lelouch could wince when she did this could be counted equally to the number of times he had to clear their table or room of empty bottles. That's if Nobu hadn't already shattered them against the wall in celebration. He really needed to limit her habit of getting wasted. Nobu didn't seem too disturbed by how many bottles she'd finished already. In fact, she was looking to him as if to offer one of her half-finished ones. "You aren't drinking?"
"Not for now, no. I'm expecting another call." He noted her expression deflate a bit at that. "Hey, none of that now. Besides, this concert is mainly my gift to you. Have fun all you want." A small smile formed on Lelouch's face. "This is but a prelude to our real fun, after all."
"Oh! Aren't you the sweetest thing in the entire world?" Nobu leaned forward and kiss—, well, more mush her face on his cheek. She was already tipsy, though being able to express herself without slurring was definitely a skill of hers. "To prepare me an appetizer before the main course… You're quite devious, you." She started licking her lips. "What's to say we… cut straight to dessert, Lulu?"
"No! Down, Nobu!" Lelouch quickly fought her hands away from his pants while booping the tip of her red nose. Drunk as she was, the red-haired tyrant wiggled her face before pouting, to which Lulu pinched her cheek. "The night is young and we have enough time to enjoy ourselves. But for now, I want you to focus on the music."
A quick peck on her lips was all Lelouch gave to sate her neediness. It would do. For now, at least as Nobunaga merrily giggled before sitting back properly. "Heh, you always play hard to get at the best of times! Nights like these are my favourite. We don't have to bother ourselves with anything and can just fool around." She sighed, already moving on to listlessly stare at the stage below. "I will miss them."
Lelouch allowed his wife to lean into his side and cuddle as he chuckled back. "We can organize another concert tomorrow night if you want. And for every night of this week. Let's enjoy it while we have the time."
It was no issue. Being the de facto rulers of the world's newest growing political alliance did make them pretty rich. The fact that Sumeragi Industries' assets alone could be enough to start a country was proof enough concerts were a dime a dozen. They had enough to live their days in luxury for the rest of several human lifetimes. And that was discounting their influence beyond monetary riches.
They'd not been idle this past decade. A year was spent investigating several nations in turmoil, the following two in wiping out opposition and gathering supporters. Another couple was used to reorganizing and reaching out to the neighbours, and a couple more had them witnessing their puppets make alliances and forge a united front. It was no surprise that, with just Lelouch's expertise, they've overturned a region once known only for civil unrest, poor development, rampant corruption, and religious fundamentalists into a place of tolerance, innovation, increased public education and health, as well as a rise in overall wealth. The balance of power on a global scale had shifted, and the main cause was the two who existed in this very room.
Ten years of having their acquisitions amass even more wealth and power, and using their own handcrafted corporation to reap more benefits while investing in their puppet nations' economies had the couple pretty well off. More so than can be said for any billionaires alive out there. But then again, no one but they had the power to subtly conquer a nation overnight and establish a rising global power, no?
Just then, his phone terminal began to vibrate. Being a new model inspired by tech from Lelouch's own world and innovated by the talent he discovered over the years, the cellphone was quiet and wouldn't interrupt their quiet moment. However, there was a unique shift about him as he felt it vibrate in a specific pattern.
"Darling, what's wrong?" Nobu was quick to note his change in attitude. He would've ignored it earlier, but now, he felt the need to cut celebrations short if he was right to assume who was messaging him. Sitting up straight, he quietly drew out the device and addressed the new mail he just received. Flipping through the details, a smile formed on his face. "Lulu, what are you smiling like an eager idiot for? Are you cheating on me?"
Lelouch retaliated that bad joke by kissing his wife smack on the lips. Caught off guard, she really widened her eyes when he managed to surprise her with added tongue. The snogging ended with him still smiling happily as Nobu was left dumbfoundedly grinning.
"What's got you in such a good mood, sweetie? You never initiate unless you're celebrating some…" A glance to the phone in his hand had a look of recognition on her face. "Good news on the coming war, I take it?"
"Oh, it's more than just that. Earlier, I received word that our little princess has made her way to Fuyuki already. While she evaded or simply ignored many of our local observers, the team I assigned to Fuyuki has already traced her movements. She's been making a habit of exploring the place, likely in preparation like we are. But she's also been doing something aside from prep work."
"And what could be so interesting about the Einzbern's little doll that's got you worked up?"
"She's been visiting a certain point of interest on an almost weekly basis. It seems she's decided to make contact with his adopted son, meaning she's making to advance her agendas ahead of ours. It had me curious as to what she intended, but that's a secondary point as, concerning the dear father in question, well… It seems he's making his way back to Fuyuki. Just as the war is slated to begin anew. Curious. Perhaps, we may cross paths with him while we work towards winning our main objective after all."
"My, oh, my… I didn't think you'd be so obsessed as to have an entire team keeping an eye on him, Lulu. If you wanted him dead, you could've just sent me. I'd turn that bug into a splattering of red in an instant."
But it's not that Lelouch wanted the man dead. Not quite. There were many things Lelouch was, vindictive being one of them. But he held no real hate for Emiya Kiritsugu. Not in the sense Nobu may have believed him to. He was just addressing the threat the man posed.
After all, he was the only one who managed to lodge a bullet in Lelouch's head. Though it was through various surprising circumstances, Lelouch was keenly aware as to how resolved the man was in getting in the way. And even if the Grail gifted him a new life, he wasn't impervious to everything even as a pseudo-Servant.
If there was one thing Lelouch knew to do better in this life, it was to be very wary of idiots with a death wish. And the Magus Killer was quite the suicidal maniac when backed into a corner. Although…
"It matters little if that man intends to get in the way. If he stays out of it, then so be it. I'll let the Einzbern princess have him. But if he stands between us and our goal once more…"
Nobu took the opportunity to drape herself over his shoulder and whisper longingly into his ear. Like a devil on his shoulder. "Then he can't complain if we turn him into ashes, yes?"
"Of course, my dear." Lelouch rested his head back, sighing in relief and taking in the scent of Nobu's hair as things are finally moving on to the next stage. "Most of the pieces are in place. A new stage is set and the curtains will rise once more. We'll be having quite the time playing this round's villains. I hope you're as excited as I am, love."
Nobu pulled him back into the seat before straddling his hips and giving him a quick peck. A competitive smirk graced her lips as she huffed. "Between picking off measly rebels in the desert and acting as the last boss in this game of ours, I think you know well enough that I hate sand."
"Yes, yes," Lelouch rolled his eyes, already having memorized Nobu's constant complaints during their desert uprising campaigns. "'It's coarse and dry and gets all over your hair and boots.' I know. I know. No need to worry about that here, though, dear. You can enjoy all the Servant-hunting you want and still get a good clean bath after atop Mount Enzou. We could even take a quick break. Let the competition thin each other out while we enjoy another date. I did route the band's tour to stop at Fuyuki in a couple of weeks before they moved on to the rest of Japan."
"Wow. Seven Servants for me to kill, getting you all to myself atop our new mountain villa, and a couple of days to spend on dates with a concert. So sweet of my darling dearest to prepare ten times the entertainment for our tenth anniversary." Nobu teased him by rubbing the tip of her nose under his nostrils. "You just never stop spoiling me, do you, darling?"
"You've worked hard this past decade. What's a little more spoiling to reward my accomplice for sticking with me and making my second run through life a blast, my dear?"
"You know, I could make this even more fun for the both of us…" she eyed him hungrily. Lelouch already knew where this was going. But to give her more fun, he played along.
"Oh? And what's even more fun than sitting with my lovely wife while listening to the best band on this side of the hemisphere?"
She leaned into his ear and whispered. In every word, Lelouch felt her desire. "How about riding this lovely wife of yours while we move our bodies to the beat of the best-damned music in the world?"
"You wish to concede to my lead on this special night?" Lelouch eyed her incredulously before chuckling. "Well, if you insist on being dominated for this one night, then—"
Impatient, Lelouch was pulled up by his collar as Nobu slammed her mouth on his, leading the invasion with her tongue and shutting the boy up. "Just take your pants off already! We'll miss the rest of the song with all your yammering!"
Needless to say, it was a boon for Lelouch that the Japanese youth down below were enraptured and cheering aloud to the music. He would keep the noise Nobu makes when she was at the bottom for the day a closely guarded secret for himself.
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Hey hey, everyone! Hope everyone enjoyed this chapter and yeah, it is the start of the Fifth Grail War starts :3
Think of this episode 0 for the new arc. Players and the playboard were prepared and time to see their battle. Honestly, this chapter was a somewhat awkward position since half of it was more of an afterthought instead of being planned in advance, but I hope it worked out. Thanks to ReavesTheReader for making probably my clumsy chapter into this version, because oh boy, writing sibling moments between Rin/Sakura and Shiour/Illya was difficult.
Sakura met a ghost from her past, while Illya found a new goal and potential family she craved. Poor Shinji tries his best to protect his sister, same for Luvia actually. Perhaps for Shirou to have such a moment before Illya, well, Chloe might be too convenient, and it is to some extent, but we need to keep in mind that there are many characters in this war who will need to show why they fight and what they want. What are you fighting for is something I always considered when writing fourth and how this fifth grail war.
And at last, the new war starts with pretty much all characters being different in some way, but the same in others as their canon counterparts.
Rin with Luvia, Sakura with Matou, Shirou with Kiritsugu, Bazett with her hand, and Lelouch with Nobunaga. Oh, yeah, while some are having a tough time, Lelouch and Nobu are having fun before their war.
And yes, Rin is blonde, pretty much Ereshkigal minus red eyes. And yes, our Actual Satan was fighting Saberface, cookies to these who will guess which one :3
For my fellow sinners in Fgo, my wife Morgan didn't come home even after I spent over 600 sq for her…but at least both Barghest and Baobhan Sith are almost np 5, so not everything is as bad…yeah…
Oh, and one small thing. It might be sometime before the next chapter because I'm currently busy preparing the required documents and everything else I will need to live in France. I will live there for a few months and right now I am busy so can't write too much, so just head-ups if people will start wondering why no updates.
Anyway, Special thanks to ReavesTheReader as usual!
Anyway, until the next chapter!
